ă€ŠSurmountă€‹


 With Simple Beginnings

    Indigo wasn''t known for being modest in scope. Consisting of the Kanto Region, Orange Archipelago, Johto Region, and Sevii Islands, it was quite possibly the largest banner in the Pokemon world by far. The massive scope of the empire was something to be revered.

    By the next Indigo Conference, that empire would be celebrating its four hundredth birthday. The empire boasted an impressive history that only Sinnoh''s own could match, and the Conference at the end of this upcoming season would mark four centuries of greatness. Though it was celebrated throughout all territories that made up Indigo, the enthusiasm was at its peak in Kanto, the region of the empire''s birth.

    Kanto was also home to the capital of it all: The Indigo Plateau, the centerpiece of the League that governed the empire, and the goal of every single trainer competing within Indigo''s regions. Home of both the Indigo Conference and the Indigo Grand Festival.

    The Plateau''s name carried a weight becoming of its status as the expansive empire''s capital, but the feeling of standing there in person exuberated that sensation far more so. The very aura of the Plateau screamed the word "Power".

    Leading up to the Plateau was Victory Road, a location of terrible terrain and deadly wildlife to make for an immaculate training site that none but the most ambitious of hearts would dare step foot in. The Plateau itself was home to the Indigo League''s main base, the centerpiece of the empire''s government where the Champion and Elite Four assumed residence, along with the sites of the Grand Festival, the most beautiful stage for Indigo''s Pokemon coordinators.

    And then, there was the sites of the Indigo Conference. The ultimate goal for all trainers in Indigo. Pokemon League Village was big enough to house the massive number of competitors, which was often more than five hundred trainers. But, of course, the main attractions were the stadiums themselves.

    Five stadiums in total. Four massive stadiums surrounding the main stadium. Individually, the main stadium was exactly twice as tall, and exactly twice as large, as any of the other four. The ratio was the same for the battle arenas that each stadium housed. These five stadiums were where Indigo''s most prestigious and annually anticipated competition was held, and the main stadium was Indigo''s ultimate battlefield, but it was reserved only for the toughest and most dedicated of trainers. For as many trainers as there were who would be competing within the Conference, they didn''t even make up half of all trainers gunning for the Plateau. For as many trainers were good enough, and strong enough, to reach the Conference, there were many more who were not. Simply being a good Trainer wouldn''t cut it. A placement in the Conference was a right exclusively granted to the absolute best.

    The Indigo Plateau. Indigo''s physical manifestation of the word "Power". The perfect throne for the League Champion and Elite Four. The five greatest, most powerful, respected, and feared trainers amongst the populace.

    But for as indescribably grand as the Indigo Plateau is, and has always been, for nearly the past four centuries now, it is not where legends begin. A place so epic and grand, is not often where a tale makes its start, but rather, where they climax. Where everything culminates into the finale to end all finales.

    This is a story that begins somewhere else; Peaceful, serene, and simple. Everything the Indigo Plateau''s sheer, polar opposite. Not grand in the slightest, and completely unambitious. Everything that the Plateau is not, nor has ever been, for nearly the past four centuries.

    A simple place called Pallet Town.

    Aside from the bare essentials, restaurants, houses, markets, the school, among other things, nothing could be found here aside from Professor Oak''s Main Laboratory. The place where one of the single greatest Pokemon Researchers alive, and to ever exist, resided and worked. And when he worked, he worked.

    But the Lab is not where this story begins either. Instead, this story begins within the peaceful walls of a single, somewhat small, two story house that embodies the very thing that Pallet stands for: Sheer simplicity. Only just big enough to comfortably house the building''s only two residents, along with any occasional guests who may visit.

    One of those two residents was Delia Ketchum. A young, beautiful woman, far from intense in personality. An employee to Professor Oak, and teacher in training.

    And the otherˇ­

    /

    Ten years old (as of a little less than two weeks ago). Average height. Average build. Black hair. He was an ordinary boy on the outside, but he would not remain that way. Pretty soon, his life would be changing.

    Forever.

    The couch he was sitting on in the living room was a light ocean blue. He stared intently at the flat screen as excitement filled his heart.

    The Conference only took place once every year. Usually it lasted about three weeks or so. Before that, the Grand Festival was held, usually lasting about three days, where coordinators would compete for the title of Top Coordinator. The day before that somewhat acted as a sort of preparation for both events. The Gyms were closed during this time. After the Conference, another two or three weeks was taken, mostly as an intermission before the next season of Pokemon Training started. During this time, the winner of the Conference would challenge whoever the lowest ranked member of the Elite Four was, moving onto the next member if they were to win. Defeating an Elite Four Member granted that Conference winner their position. But even against the winner of a Conference, it was a rare occurence for any member of the Four to lose. Afterwards, the Elite Four would all be given the opportunity to challenge each other ( and the Champion) for their positions, depending on each member''s current rank.

    After that period was over, the Gyms reopened, new Trainers were given their Starter Pokemon, and a brand new season would finally begin. But the night before that, a special event was held by the League each year, in order to celebrate the grand beginning.

    The Champion and Elite Four were all interviewed, and would take part in the League Rush.

    In the League Rush, the Champion would battle all of the Elite Four in an exhibition match. The Champion was allowed up to three Pokemon, while the Elite Four were all allowed up to a total of five Pokemon. Each Elite Four member would initially use a single Pokemon, while deciding amongst each other who would use the fifth.

    The match had no stakes, simply serving a ceremony to usher in the new season.

    That ceremony was taking place now.

    The boy grinned as the camera panned over to the man on the blue corner of the battlefield. He was tall and muscular, with spiky pink hair. His arms were crossed, but his expression was a wide smile. Lance lived for the crowd. He breathed for the crowd. He existed for the crowd.

    The Champion of Indigo had a reputation matched by very few others. The current generation of Champions were considered insurmountable even by Champion standards, and Lance and Cynthia of the Sinnoh Region had earned their titles faster than any before them, at a pace that only Steven Stone from Ever Grande came close to. Among Indigo Trainers, even in the eyes of experts, Lance was just too good to be true. Known as the Dragon Master, he boasted an arsenal of Pokemon almost exclusively consisting of the Dragon Egg Group. Dragon types were traditionally amongst the rarest and most difficult Pokemon to find, not to mention what it took raise and train them, but they were nonetheless among the most revered for their immense power and versatility in battle. Dragons were some of the most sought out Pokemon to ever exist. Any Trainer with a well trained Dragon was practically a strong Trainer already.

    But to have complete Mastery over the Dragons, to the point where your career had become synonymous with the category?

    Lance was beyond description.

    The boy''s grinned remained as the camera panned over to the four people on the red corner of the battlefield.

    The Elite Four. Lorelei, Bruno, Karen, and Agatha, all of whom the boy idolized every bit as greatly as the dragon-wielding Champion. Together, they were the five that all trainers in Indigo strived to one day become. A goal that very few could ever be capable of reaching, but pursued by thousands with heated intent.

    The first to step forward was Lorelei, a cool looking, quite attractive woman with long, red hair tied into a ponytail. The lowest ranked of the four, she was a Master Ice specialist, with a knowledge of the typing not commonly replicated.

    Lance and Lorelei each selected a Poke Ball, the Dragon Master releasing his teammate of choice first. The orb produced a brilliantly bright flash of light, which eventually materialized into a gigantic beast of a Pokemon.

    It was a massive quadrupedal creature, primarily blue in color, and with enormous red wings, the massive Dragon-type towered above its already tall Trainer, raising its head proudly, as if to show off its presence to the world.

    The audience cheered loudly as the massive Salamence reared its head back and ROARED. As if to announce its presence to the world, a ferocious sound, very akin to even the absolute loudest of thunderclaps, escaped the massive beast''s mouth and filled the very air of the night.

    Lance''s Pokemon were just like their Trainer: They lived for the crowd.

    Even among the rest of the Champion''s Pokemon, however, this Salamence was not just another Dragon. Not only was it a part of Lance''s main team that he normally used to defend his title, it was one of the three Pokemon of a trio widely considered to be the Champion''s best, which he was most known and feared for. Dragonite, the Dragon Master''s most famed Pokemon, was the frontrunner of the trio, alongside Lance''s Charizard and Salamence.

    Lorelei released her Pokemon next. In front of the calm woman emerged a large, blue creature. Her Lapras was the Pokemon that many often felt represented the ice master, being both her starter and cornerstone. Very much like its Trainer, and very unlike its opponent, Lorelei''s partner looked on calmly, staring down its opponent without a single noise, awaiting orders as the match began.

    The referee gave the signal, and Lapras made the first move. The large creature was quick to create a surge of water underneath its body, lifting it up slightly off the ground.

    It was a common use of the Surf technique among high level Pokemon in particular. Pokemon such as Lapras were not typically able to maneuver well on land, so the utilization of this move was vital for land based combat.

    Salamence flapped its gigantic, powerful wings and took to the skies, this act alone producing gales of wind.

    Opening its maw, the draconic creature allowed a powerful blast of bright, orange energy to escape from it. The Hyper Beam, shining like the sun, flew towards Lapras at breakneck speeds.

    Lapras immediately dodged to the left, leaving a large trail of water in its wake. The Hyper Beam smashed into the ground its target had originally occupied, producing an explosion that shook the stadium, as if creating a backdrop for the big escape that Lapras was making.

    But Salamence was already acting again; charging forward faster than imaginable, it flew towards Lapras even as the large, blue Pokemon retreated. Its maw was crackling with the electrical aura of Thunder Fang as it roughly bit down on Lapras''s neck, a wail of pain escaping from the water/ice type as the electricity made its way into the neck of Salamence''s foe.

    The blue Pokemon''s horn erupted with lightning as it fired out a Thunderbolt, but Lance had seen the counterattack coming, and so did Salamence, as the massive Dragon immediately abandoned its grip on Lapras to retreat with no time to spare.

    The boy watched eagerly as the battle unfolded, Salamence clearly with the upper hand. The Lapras, as powerful as it was, was soon overwhelmed by one of the most powerful Pokemon to ever be wielded by a Pokemon Champion, and Lorelei''s star Pokemon lay defeated.

    Not even its type advantage was enough to close the gap. Although typing had a very clear effect on beginner level battles, their relevance was usually known to decrease as a Pokemon and its trainer progressively grew stronger and more experienced. For elite level battles such as this, the effect that type matchups had on the outcome was just barely above superficial. By this point, most high level Pokemon and trainers had developed ways to reliably counter their weaknesses. It was rarely enough to make them go away completely, but it would, more often than not, ensure that typing would not immediately put a Pokemon in a bad place. As an acclaimed dragon specialist, Lance was no stranger to dealing with ice types.

    It was something that Professor Oak and their teachers had all hammered into them very early on: When battling, do not rely on type matchups too much. Although they were a decent cushion, and especially great during beginner level battles, they would become much less reliable as time went on, so it was very important to never grow too dependent on them in the first place. Eventually, other factors would typically determine which Pokemon had the advantage, such as overall fighting style or physique. Many trainers, especially rookies, fell into the trap of growing far too complacent with typing, rarely learning to come up with other ways to turn a battle in their favor. Such a mindset was almost doomed for failure in pro level battles.

    Lorelei recalled her defeated comrade and stepped back, making room for the next Elite Four member: A mountain of muscle, easily towering over his three teammates.

    Bruno was both an expert fighting type specialist and a master of martial arts. Even outside of Pokemon battling, he was famous for both the talent and spiritual knowledge that he exhibited.

    Taking out a Poke Ball, he released a large, bulky, humanoid Pokemon with four arms. Machamp, his main partner, and a Pokemon widely feared equally for both its ferocity and skill.

    As the battle began, the boy looked up and smiled at the brunette-haired woman walking in. Delia returned the expression as at her son as she took a seat next to her son on the couch.

    "Sorry I got here late, Ash. Had to clean up something that spilled in the kitchen."

    The boy, Ash, nodded, but had already become fixated on the battle as it began.

    Delia scratched her head. "So Lorelei already went down? That was quick."

    Ash couldn''t tell if he was giddy or intimidated as he responded, the adrenaline rush from the previous bout having not faded. "That Salamence is one of the strongest Pokemon ever used by an Indigo trainer. Lorelei''s amazing, but Lance..." If the first round was any indication, the Dragon Master was approaching this ceremony with all of the non-existent mercy of an all-out war; even in friendly competition, he battled as he always did.

    As Salamence and Machamp clashed, the Champion''s behemoth once again with the clear advantage, Delia found herself looking at her son somewhat longingly on occasion.

    Since Ash had turned ten years old just less than two weeks ago, and had passed the Indigo League Qualification Exam, he was going to be among the countless children throughout Indigo to receive their Pokedexes and starter Pokemon on Opening Day, the start of the next Indigo League Season. He and numerous others would officially become Pokemon trainers, leaving their homes to pursue whatever dreams and glory they intended.

    That upcoming Opening Day was tomorrow. For however long she could imagine, this was the last night she had with her son in person, before he left Pallet for the first time and entered the outside world.

    She could already feel the tears filling up in her eyes at the thought, but she did her best to hold them back and focus on the show for now. No need for Ash to see her crying on the eve of his big day.

    With her attention back on the battle at hand, Machamp had just landed a desperate right hook to Salamence''s chin. Although the massive beast recoiled quite visibly from the mighty blow, it wasn''t enough to keep him at bay for long, almost immediately back on the offensive, depriving Bruno and Machamp of any potential breathing room.

    After that, Machamp was defeated in a matter of minutes, Salamence still not looking much worse than when the battle had started.

    After returning his Pokemon, Bruno stepped back, making way for the third member.

    This one was an extremely beautiful young woman with silver-blue hair. It was Karen, a Pokemon Master specializing in dark types. At just the age of eighteen years old, she was easily the youngest of the Four, having obtained her position only three years prior after winning the Conference and claiming the position. She was notably tied with Steven, the former Ever Grande Champion, for being the second youngest to earn their way into the Elite Four, behind only Lance and Cynthia themselves. Her reputation as a prodigous trainer was widely famed, and if Lance didn''t exist, she would very easily be labeled as Indigo''s greatest prodigy.

    Ash stared at Karen with somewhat more fixation than he had at the others, the slightest tinge of red slowly developing on his cheeks.

    Delia looked over and smiled at the boy. Her son''s "celebrity crush" on Karen wasn''t unknown to her, although she still tried not to tease him too much about it.

    "Tried", of course, being an important key word in that case.

    Lance recalled his Salamence and released another creature. This one was a giant, orange lizard with big wings and a blazing flame at the end of its large tail.

    It was Charizard. The next member of Lance''s trio. And no Charizard in all of Indigo was more feared than the one commanded by the Dragon Master himself.

    Much like Salamence, Charizard announced its presence to the world with a roar that shook the very earth. Lance''s opponent was not intimidated by the theatrics; a small, confident smirk adorning Karen''s features as she took out her Poke Ball, stretching her legs as she held the orb in front of the battlefield.

    Much like Lance, Karen was known to revel in the attention that she received on the battlefield. Although far from modest in attitude, she was known for being a crowd pleaser, a big part of why she was such a fan favorite back in her days at the Conference.

    A bright flash of light exited her Poke Ball as an enormous, dark looking dragon with three heads emerged from it.

    Karen was notorious for having a dangerous team, more than typical for such a high level dark specialist like her. However, although she had many deadly Pokemon in her arsenal, Hydreigon was easily the worst.

    Hydreigon were infamous for their bloodthirsty nature. The fact that Karen had tamed one in her childhood years was considered one of the greatest feats that a trainer could ever perform. This particular Hydreigon more than lived up to the name of its species, both in terms of battle prowessˇ­ and ruthless bloodlust.

    Greeting Charizard with a mighty, earth shattering roar of its own, Hydreigon immediately readied itself for battle. Charizard was less than intimidated, but was quick to acknowledge its opponent, before taking to the skies and allowing a gigantic stream of fire to escape its mouth. Lance''s Charizard was capable of producing some of the fiercest of firestorms just by opening its jaws alone.

    As Hydreigon avoided the blast, the war between beasts commenced.

    Although Lance''s Charizard had a similar reputation to its trainer''s Salamence, Karen''s Hydreigon found itself fairing somewhat better than the previous two Pokemon had. The giant, three headed Dragon arguably had far more raw power than any other Pokemon in the Indigo Elite Four, and even Lance''s team at least had to be wary of it.

    In fact, Hydreigon eventually found itself receiving a moment of glory when it smashed Charizard into the protective barriers, proceeding to rip off a large chunk of the beast''s shoulder. Despite the ferocity of his adversary, Charizard was as perserverant as he was dominant, and maintained the upper hand. Soon, Hydreigon was collapsed on the ground, defeated. Despite having a superior showing than the previous two of the Four''s team, the end result had surprised few.

    Returning her Hydreigon to its ball, a mildly dejected (but not necessarily surprised) Karen stepped back to make way for the final member.

    Agatha, an elderly woman and absolute Masterclass of everything that was related to ghost types, stepped up next. She was by far the eldest of the group, and with age came experience, a philosophy that never failed to show for her.

    She had held her position as an Elite Four Member for multiple decades up until now, and her team of ghosts inspired almost as much fear as as Lance''s dragons purely from the terror they exhibited.

    Much like with dragons, anyone who commanded a ghost, especially one of a high level, had already earned respect. Of everyone in Indigo''s top five, Agatha easily stood tall as the one with the most knowledge of their respective typing, far surpassing even Lance''s knowledge on dragon types. She may have been the most knowledgeable ghost specialist that there ever was, and a historic legend for her authoritative presence throughout multiple generations of Indigo''s trainers.

    From her Poke Ball, a Gengar appeared in front of the woman. Her own signature teammate, and apt representative of the horror that the eldest Elite Four member was capable of producing. Despite its immense shoulder wound, Charizard was more than battle ready.

    As the battle began, not even Agatha''s Gengar, itself known to possess a high quantity of raw power, could hope to match Lance''s Charizard in a purely offensive contest. Thankfully, it had never needed to in the first place, as Agatha''s Pokemon were famous for their deadly tactics, and it more than showed with Gengar.

    About halfway through the battle, Gengar had managed to shoot a large blast of sludge right into the gaping shoulder wound that Hydreigon had left behind. Charizard''s roar of pain had been positively deafening, and the poison had immediately begun to course through its system.

    Pokemon battles were brutal by nature, but those this high-level caliber were exceptional even by those expectations.

    The agony that Charizard suffered from would debilitate even some of the greatest in the profession, yet it wasn''t enough to remove him from the fight. Even with the poison coursing through his body, even with the deadly toxins surging through his very bloodstream, Charizard still managed to persevere, finally defeating Gengar with a mighty Blast Burn that obscured the camera and shook the stadium.

    Charizard was barely standing, but he was still standing. Even so, Lance recalled his fiery comrade immediately after Agatha recalled Gengar.

    Agatha stepped back, and the Elite Four seemed to have a brief discussion, most likely to determine who would be using the fifth and final Pokemon.

    After a few moments, Agatha stepped back up again, releasing a white Ghost that Ash recognized as a Froslass.

    The crowd roared as Lance released his final Pokemon. A massive orange dragon that towered over its trainer. Dragonite was here.

    Salamence, Charizard, and Dragonite, undoubtedly Indigo''s ultimate trio. Lance was using all three of them today.

    Even as Froslass whipped up an enormous Blizzard against the mighty Dragon, it was immediately clear who the victor would be in the end, as Dragonite countered with an equally big blast of fire. The frosty ghost perservered as the two traded attacks, holding its own better than most could.

    That still wasn''t enough to claim victory, however, and the battle eventually ended as Dragonite sent Froslass flying into the protective barriers with a mighty Dragon Rush. Although not one sided, the conflict produced an inevitable end result.

    /

    Ash''s eyes stared aimlessly at the ceiling as he lay still in his bed. Thoughts of the battle still flooded his mind, but were overtaken by a sloppy collection of excitement and anxiety.

    One of those moments in your life that you looked forward to without a shadow of a doubt, but still dreaded indescribably. A moment that filled you with invigorating joy and paralysing fear.

    It was hard to sleep with such conflicting thoughts, but Ash''s exhaustion eventually overcame him. As he drifted off, the same thoughts filled his mind, continuing to stir the mixed emotions that refused to go away.

    Just tomorrow morning, he would become a Pokemon Trainer.

    /

    The sun rose high in the air as the morning light filled Ash''s room. It was seven in the morning, the start of a new day.

    And for countless kids throughout Indigo, it was a day that altered the course of lives.

    Ash''s awakening was practically automatic as his eyes slowly opened, greeted with a view of the ceiling. It took only a moment to process tha the was awake.

    It only took a little bit longer for him to remember what that meant.

    As though involuntary, his body jolted up.

    He took in his room for a few seconds as the emotions came back, surging through his body like a fierce river.

    He was getting his Trainer''s License!

    This was what he wanted! He had been ecstatic when he passed the Qualification Exam! But he had to leave home now that his journey was starting. What if he got killed by a wild Pokemon. Or crushed in an avalanche. Or-

    He began shaking his head vigorously.

    No time for doubt. He had already made up his mind, and couldn''t start second guessing himself just because the moment had arrived.

    He was going to do this. After spending years growing up with this dream, he wasn''t just going to run away from it just because of the risks, right?

    Did Lance run away? Or Agatha? Or Karen? Or Bruno? Or Lorelei? What about all the trainers who competed in the Indigo Conference throughout the years? Over five hundred incredible competitors from across Kanto, The Orange Archipelago, Johto, and The Sevii Islands who had risen above the rest.

    All of them had accepted the challenges ahead.

    All of them had overcome what awaited him.

    What was his excuse? That he was scared?

    Wasn''t every trainer scared at one point or another? The best ones didn''t become the best by running away.

    Professor Oak, prior to being the renowned researcher that he was today, had also excelled as a trainer in his youth. Although research was always his goal, being a traditional trainer to start out had been an excellent foundation for where his career would take him. His reputation as a researcher had started out with him facing all of those hardships.

    Ash wouldn''t run away. It didn''t matter how much it scared him, he had to remind himself that he couldn''t let fear inhibit his goals.

    Of course, he had to remind himself of that constantly.

    How many times had he tired to give himself this inner pep talk? He had lost count ages ago.

    Was every trainer going through this? Every trainer throughout history? Did even the best trainers go through this? Was Gary- he doubted that last one.

    The thought of Gary made him grimace in recoil, but Ash tried to push those feelings aside for now.

    He already knew from the beginning that Gary would be there. The grandson of Professor Oak. The brilliant prodigy who wouldn''t stop bragging about his precious perfect score on the Qualification Exam.

    It''s not that Gary didn''t have a right to brag about it, of course. Nobody had scored perfectly on that test before. Nobody until he came along.

    And Gary was never humble.

    Ash would cross that bridge when he came to it. He didn''t want to see Gary. But he would. They would both be at the lab in two hours.

    Pushing Gary away from his mind and ensuring that the mere thought of the other boy was as far away as possible, Ash looked around his room for what would most likely be the last time for months, if not more.

    This was the room he had been in his whole life. Second story of the house. A window overlooking the front yard of his and his mom''s home.

    The room itself was pretty simple. Ash doubted it was uncommon for the average ten year old in Indigo.

    His bed was against the wall with Poke Ball themed sheets. The pillowcase had pictures of the three Kanto Starters on it: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The typical Pokemon for any trainer in Kanto to start out with. To pay tribute to the historically renowned trio of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise that had been famously wielded by the original Champion in the war against the usurper of Fuschia. There was a desk in front of his window that was currently cleared out for the most part, only holding a small case of erasers and marbles.

    On the wall over his bed was a giant poster of a Wailord. On the other side of the room was a poster of Karen. She was kneeling down with a hand lightly resting on the head of her starter and signature, go-to teammate: an Umbreon, with her infamous Hydreigon towering above both of them in the background.

    That poster was made shortly after Karen had won the three hundred ninety-sixth Indigo Conference just a few years ago. The final battle of that Conference was still Ash''s personal favorite match to this day, and he still found himself rewatching it every now and then. The Conference itself was probably his personal favorite too; definitely one of the most acclaimed by experts and critics along with the training community alike. The Dark specialist was Ash''s favorite Conference winner, and Delia had purchased the poster in recognition of that.

    Not too far from it was a poster of Lance and the current Elite Four Members. Arms crossed fiercely, the Dragon Master stood above the others with his mighty Dragonite towering in the background.

    Today, Ash found himself taking in both posters with a different context.

    Although Lance was the Indigo League''s greatest trainer, the young boy still had an equal amount of idolization for all of the Elite Four as he did for the Champion himself. All of these trainers embodied what he eventually wanted to be. Not to mention the destiny that most trainers strived for: Being a Pokemon Master. The thought was a lot more piercing today.

    On the shelves were action figures of Lance and Bruno, a toy Pokeball, and a DVD row of the Conferences that Ash watched. Two Conferences, one of them being the one that Karen had won, were special editions that included exclusive interviews that took place after the Conference, not just the ones from before and during. They also contained a mini biography of each of the four top scoring Trainers. A bookshelf housed biographies for famous people in the Pokemon world, most commonly popular Trainers, including Ash''s favorite book ever: Professor Oak''s famed biography detailing his road from trainer to researcher. The biography was acclaimed on release, and even Professor Oak himself offered it high praise (along with viewing it as a great nostalgia trip), even exchanging autographs with the author. Ash had done a report on that book as part of the Qualification Exam, which involved doing a book report that covered a prominent topic in the Professional Pokemon World.

    Some of these books were the professor''s own works, however. A separate bookshelf housed some textbooks and poetry collections that had been written by Oak himself. The man was so widely renowned for both his knowledge of Pokemon and poetry skills that even some of his poems managed to be educational for aspiring Pokemon Trainers.

    Finally, Ash gazed at the last of his posters on the wall: A poster of the three Kanto Region starters.

    Truth be told, Ash didn''t know who he was going to choose. He already knew who Gary had wanted, though. For the essay portion of the Qualification Exam, which involved the students writing a ten-page paper on any Pokemon related subject of their choosing, Gary had written a persuasive essay about why he believed Blastoise was the best Kanto starter Pokemon. Apparently, the essay had covered everything, from capabilities, to what it took to raise the starter and its respective evolutionary line, and even traveling. Although Gary had received a perfect score on the entire Exam, this was apparently the part of the Exam that the teachers were particularly astounded by. Gary''s essay had blown all of them away. Apparently, it was going to be used as an example for future students moving forward.

    Of course, it was obvious to Ash and everybody else that Gary was going to be choosing Squirtle, so Ash wouldn''t even bother trying to pursue the water type. No need for them to have yet another thing to butt heads over. Gary''s essay was merely subjective anyway; for as well put together as it was. There were just as many who viewed all three starters as equals, as there were who saw one as the definitive best of the trio. A Bulbasaur or a Charmander would do just fine for him.

    Ash perhaps didn''t realize it for himself, but he was a fanboy. Of professional Pokemon Training. Was it actually normal for people his age to have posters of famous Conference winners, a Pokemon themed bed, and essentially a room that had everything to do with Pokemon and little to do with anything else? Maybe to someone like Ash, but not everyone his age were as entrenched, even if most still had varying levels of passion for the field. For as many trainers as there were who were pursuing a professional career, there were just as many who merely went on a journey for the sake of the experience.

    In terms of culture, Pokemon Training was viewed both by Indigo and most of the rest of the world, not only as a professional sport, but as a coming of age ritual. One that would set kids on their path in life. Very few children didn''t at least find themselves attempting it. It was practically a fundamental part of society in every major Region throughout the world.

    For Ash, it was both that, and the pursuit of his goal to become the next Champion.

    One look at his room was all that someone needed in order to know that.

    /

    The scent of Delia''s incredible cooking immediately assaulted Ash''s nose as he opened the door. It was the kind of smell that would get just about any child bolting into the kitchen and rushing into their mother''s arms. Ash had to be careful not to fall down the stairs as he desperately ran for the kitchen to see his mother''s latest masterpiece.

    Truth be told, Ash had fallen down the stairs at least a few times in his life, and the desperation to taste his mother''s cooking had always been the reason for it.

    Delia was practically a celebrity among the people of Pallet Town for such cooking skills. Even Gary of all people fawned over her culinary ability like no other, something that was very rare for a kid who usually spent most of his time praising himself, apart from the many, many times that he spent gushing over just how great of a man his grandfather was (not that anyone disagreed). Sometimes Delia would even be hired to help out with cooking for events or gatherings within Pallet. Despite not having a career in cooking, she was very clearly suited for it.

    As Ash made his way into the kitchen, it suddenly occurred to him that this would be the last time he would ever taste his mother''s cooking before he left, but he was desperate to shake those thoughts away, lest that feeling of dread return to him in full force.

    It was just all the more reason to savor every last bite of it.

    Ash and Delia were seated across from each other not too long after Ash had entered the kitchen. Ash had his plate stacked with pancakes and bacon. A bowl of cinnamon applesauce rested next to it, and a glass of chocolate milk was on the other side. Delia had a similar setup, but she had strawberries on her pancakes, while Ash had blueberries and whipped cream.

    Delia was clearly still in turmoil over her son''s upcoming departure, as she had been for the past couple of weeks now. Her stress had increasingly grown gradually yet noticeably as the days had gone by.

    But she did what she could to hold back her tears, and enjoy one final breakfast with her beloved little boy, who she was so proud of.

    "Soˇ­" said the brunette woman, sipping her drink slowly. "How much ground are you planning to cover on your first day?"

    Ash tapped his fork lightly against the plate before answering. "I''m hoping to get to Viridian by tonight." he said. "Best case scenario, anyway. It''s doable from here, but difficult."

    Delia nodded. Viridian City was a decent distance away from Pallet Town, but it was most certainly possible.

    "And you have everything packed?" she asked. She knew he did, but was desperate to make conversation with the emotions surging through her right now. Any distraction would be welcome. She knew she was only delaying the inevitable, of course. She''d be crying eventually.

    The longer she held her emotions in, the worse it would be when they left her. She knew this, and yet, couldn''t help herself. It was a dreadful feeling. The pride that she had for her son was matched only by the grief of losing him today.

    Ash nodded back happily. "Yeah, I finished last night. Regardless of whether or not I make it to Viridian by tonight, it shouldn''t take any more than a couple of days, so I packed lightly. I can restock when I get there."

    Most of the remainder of breakfast was eaten in silence, the two just enjoying each other''s presence for the time being. It was all that they could do at this point. And Ash felt the tears in his eyes towards the end too, just like his mother. This really was their last morning together for a while, and it was a thought that neither of them could escape despite everything.

    A son who would leave his world behind to pursue a dream impossible to achieve by nearly all, and a mother who would be among those that he would leave.

    /

    The air of Pallet Town was crisp, clean, and perfect. As Ash stepped outside, he couldn''t think of a better morning to start out for his adventure.

    He had promised his mom that he would stop by one more time with his new starter before officially leaving. With some wetness in his eyes, he found himself procrastinating the moment that he said goodbye to her.

    As he walked, he found himself slowly taking in his surroundings. Pallet Town was something that he had always taken for granted. Apart from Professor Oak''s presence, it was nothing special, and even if it was a substantial place, he was perfectly used to it, having lived here his whole life.

    In fact, Ash, and, to his knowledge, most of the other Pallet Town kids, had never actually set foot outside of Pallet''s borders before. There was simply no need. Everything that they ever could have needed was right here, and he didn''t have many loved ones elsewhere in Kanto; it was fairly commonplace for most Pallet Town kids to not leave until becoming Trainers. It was odd that the rest of Indigo was completely foreign to him, practically a completely different world, in fact, but the town being fairly isolated in its own, tiny corner of Kanto had caused such.

    And yet, he found himselfˇ­ noticing the surrounding area. Now that he was taking everything in, now that he was leaving soonˇ­ everything suddenly seemed soˇ­ different. He noticed his neighborhood in ways that he never had before. He appreciated the houses that he had spent his whole life taking for granted. Every tiny little detail suddenly became enormous, as though it was suddenly the most important thing in his entire life.

    "Hey, Ash!"

    The boy turned to see a small girl running up to him with a wave. His face immediately brightened upon seeing who it was.

    "Trucy!" said Ash, kneeling down to ruffle her blonde hair with a smile. She and her grandparents were neighbors of Ash and Delia. The girl was only five years old, not that much older than Ash was when he first became obsessed with Pokemon. Ash mostly knew her family through his mother and her work, as working and training under Professor Oak often involved interacting with them, due to them being technicians who often helped the professor out with his maintenance for the complete multitude of gadgets in his lab. Nevertheless, Ash had developed a notable attachment towards her, although the reverse was probably far more true. She had even come over on the night of the final round of the previous Indigo Conference between Will and Tanner to watch it with Ash and Delia. A good match that they had all enjoyed together.

    "She knew you were leaving today, so she wanted to catch you." Ash looked up at the source of the new voice, a somewhat elderly man approaching him and Trucy. Ash immediately recognized him as Trucy''s grandfather.

    "Hey, Mr. Gernin." He greeted with a smile. "Yeah, I was on my way to the Lab right now."

    "You''ll come back and visit one day too, right Ash?" Trucy asked hopefully. There was a small frown forming on her face.

    Ash ruffled her hair again. "Of course. I''ll be sure to show you my team too."

    Ash still had roughly an hour before he needed to be at the lab, so he chatted with them for just a little while longer.

    Pallet Town itself hadn''t been the only thing he had taken for granted growing up.

    /

    Professor Oak''s Pokemon Laboratory was probably the only grandiose thing about Pallet Town. It was the site of Indigo''s greatest Pokemon Research, where the territory''s leading Pokemon Expert lead a team consisting of gifted individuals who were making all of the biggest breakthroughs about Pokemon. The only other person in the Pokemon Research field that Ash could recall having a similar reputation that rivaled even that of Professor Oak was Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh Region, a former roommate, classmate, and colleague of Oak''s who had studied with him at the International Institution of Pokemon Studies. The school was notoriously difficult to get into, but turned out some of the best and brightest minds of the whole entire Pokemon world.

    The Professor''s story? A glorious one. A legend. One of the greatest success stories of the Pokemon world. All detailed within the pages of the world famous biography book that Ash had done his report on.

    A young boy coming from humble beginnings within the Kanto Region, Samuel Oak had always wanted to be at the forefront of Pokemon discovery, which he believed existed in science. Somebody who could lead the field of studies to new heights in the pursuit of knowledge. However, to start out, he wanted to become a great Pokemon trainer first. If he was going to help trainers with his research, then actually being a trainer would make his goal far more reachable with the added perspective.

    And what a trainer he was.

    One of the rare trainers in history to make it to the Conference in their first year. Not just in Indigo, but in the world. One of the few Trainers to make it to the six-on-six rounds in their second year. Once again, in the world. The runner up in his third year as a trainer. And finally, winning the Conference in his fourth year. One of the youngest Conference winners. Nobody had ever won a Conference before their fourth year. He then just barely lost to the first Elite Four member. Much like all Conference winners who lost to the first Elite Four member, he was immediately offered a position in the League.

    But he hadn''t forgotten his true reasons for becoming a trainer in the first place. It was to pursue knowledge. Knowledge that he now had. He politely declined the Indigo League''s offer and pursued the International Institution of Pokemon Studies.

    After being accepted into the school, he quickly befriended his roommate, a fellow Freshman who would later be known as Professor Rowan. The duo quickly became the two top students at the school. Samuel also became the head of the school''s poetry club. To this very day, he is still a world renowned poet.

    After graduating with numerous prominent degrees and returning to Indigo, Samuel joined the League as part of its research field. After quickly rising to the top of its research field, he chose to set up shop in Pallet Town. Nobody knew why. He had no sort of personal history with Pallet Town, which wasn''t even built until just a few months after his Pokemon journey had begun, but he claimed to have been attracted to the town''s much more simplistic atmosphere. the things about the town that could just as easily be viewed as boring or bland, he instead saw as quiet, relaxing, stimulating. A small town tucked away in a corner of the Region, minding its own business with little care in the world. To Oak, the atmosphere was a calling.

    He had made multiple breakthroughs throughout his research. New discoveries on Pokemon biology. New ways for Pokemon to grow and learn moves. But his greatest achievement was a collaboration project after being reunited with his old schoolmate, Professor Rowan, who was now the head of the Lily of the Valley League''s research field. Together, the two of them had led a genius team that eventually culminated in the creation of the Pokedex, a technoligcal encyclpedia and a marvel for the field; the goal of its creation being to compile all of the breakthroughs and progress made throughout the pursuit of Pokemon knowledge, and elevate them further.

    A famous Pokemon trainer. A famous poet. And one of the single greatest Pokemon Researchers that the world has ever known. Professor Oak was many things.

    And he was also in charge of Pallet Town''s educational system. He had an overarching authority over education in Indigo in general, but since this was where he resided, this was also where his role was by far the most direct.

    And this was his lab, where he ran everything from.

    Taking a deep breath, Ash could still barely even comprehend the fact that he was actually here today. He had been projected to fail the Qualification Exam.

    "You''re a determined young man, Ash, and that''s why I don''t want you to fail. I know how much passing this test means to you, but you also know that I can''t be lenient with any of you. That would defeat the purpose. The only thing I can ask is that you study extra hard in preparation. There have been times when even top students fail this on their first attempt, but I''ve also heard of the opposite happening on occassion."

    The words of one of Ash''s teachers, Mr. David Henrod, sounded in his mind once again.

    "You really think YOU of all people have a place in the Pokemon training world, Ashy boy? A Ratatta with no legs and teeth has more potential than you!"

    Gary''s far less encouraging words echoed into the back of his mind at the same exact time, though.

    Ugh, why did Gary always have to enter his mind like that? Everytime Ash tried to be optimistic, to think of the future favorably, one of Gary''s stupid insults would always enter his mind and shoot down the mood.

    It was always Gary. The popular one. The smart one. The gifted one. Gary Oak, Pallet Town''s greatest prodigy. Destined to be either the next Professor Oak or the next Lance.

    It was hard to believe that he and Gary were actually friends at one point. Back when they were children. Back before Gary turned on him. Back before Ash fell behind.

    That was what happened, wasn''t it? Ash was part of the group of kids just like everybody else. He and Gary got along just fine, and Gary, being the grandson of the Professor, was unsurprisingly the leader of the circle.

    They had all gotten into the idea of Pokemon training at around a similar age. Perfect timing, too, because that was when the school had started prepping them. A bunch of small children striving to one day become the greatest. A common story in just about any one of the major Regions.

    And of course Gary had excelled. Just like he did at everything else; just like how he was the best at playing tag. Just like how he was the best at playing soccer or tennis. Just like how he was the best at racing. Gary was the best at school.

    Showered with praise by peers and teachers alike, Gary quickly ascended to something akin to godhood among the student body. Everybody knew about Professor Oak''s grandson who was the best at everything.

    It was all about Gary. Who came in first place in every game? Gary. Who scored the highest on every test? Gary. Who was projected to have a nearly flawless chance at passing the Qualification Exam? Gary.

    Everybody wanted to be him. But you couldn''t be Gary. Only Gary could ever be Gary. Only Gary could be the best.

    And he would never let that be forgotten. Gary had always had an ego, but with all of the praise about how great that he was, the potential that he had, something in him changed. He wasn''t just arrogant anymore. He was narcissistic. He was unbearable. He had a god complex. And those who idolized him ate that up, too. To most of the kids, Gary deserved his massive ego. Everything that he said about himself was completely true. He was the best. He was unbeatable. Nobody could ever be him. Only he could be him.

    And that just made his ego even worse. The teachers didn''t condone his arrogance, but that hardly helped when they still fed him the very same praise that fueled it in the first place. All of this talk about how Gary was destined for greatness, not just from his peers, but from his teachers too. It just made things even worse.

    And then there was Ash. Everything that Gary wasn''t, and not in a good way. Sure, he was just as determined, and just as obsessed with being the best. But Gary was the one with the capabilities.

    Ash, in the meantime, had subpar grades throughout his school life. A difficulty in grasping even basic concepts at times. At times, he was at the bottom of his class.

    To Gary, Ash was worthless. No potential for greatness. No worth to his name. Ash had fallen behind.

    And eventually, some of the other students turned on Ash too. If Gary said that Ash was worthless, then Ash was worthless. Because Gary knew everything. Gary was right about everything; that''s how he had gotten to where he was, after all. His word is law. He was the one that everyone followed. He could probably convince them that Rhydon were immune to water if he wanted. Gary said that Ash was worthless. Therefore, it must be true.

    Encouraging, constructive criticism from his teachers clashed with the bombardment of bullying, mockery, mistreatment, and neglect from Gary and his followers. Ash was the loser, and represented what zero potential supposedly looked like. Any positive statements from his teachers were drowned out by everything else that Gary and the others had said to him all of the time. A good few in the circle weren''t as harsh as Gary, but they certainly believed everything that Gary said about him.

    Every time he thought back to somebody saying something good about him, the thought was immediately drowned out by a thing that Gary had said to him. Every time he had tried to encourage himself, a memory of Gary was always right there, ready and waiting to shoot him down. Gary ruined everything. Anything positive in his life was overrun by remembering something that Gary had once said. Every single time.

    "Wow Ash, you''re so cool! I can''t believe you know all of this stuff about them!" The adoring voice of Trucy, after Ash had given her a brief history lesson on some of the last Indigo Conference''s top competitors, was immediately drowned out by a memory of one of Gary''s insults.

    "Did you see Ashy boy''s grades on that last test? I took a peak over at his desk, and you wouldn''t believe it! A forty nine! And he wants to become a Pokemon Master? At this point, I think he''s just messing with us and actually just wants to become a comedian. Not that it matters, because he isn''t even funny!" Gary, after finding out about Ash''s grades for one of the monthly evaluation quizzes.

    It wasn''t that Ash never improved; it was the rate that was the problem. To many, his performance wasn''t improving fast enough, and passing the Exam would require an upset.

    Come said Exam, and Ash wasn''t even sure if he wanted to try. Not EVERYONE needed to take it. Just those who wanted to become Pokemon Trainers. Not that that didn''t make up the majority, for obvious reasons. Especially with how excellent of a job the teachers had done at presenting the profession.

    Of course, Gary had tried to talk him out of it. Telling him that there was no point in it. Ash was going to fail anyway. So why even bother.

    Thankfully, Mr. Henrod had pulled Ash aside and given him words of encouragement to do his best.

    Ash had studied more obsessively than he''d ever remembered leading up to the test, doing everything he could to memorize things he had been behind on throughout the past few years.

    The Qualification Exam consisted of three difficult parts:

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    One was the bulk of the Exam, a series of questions relating to just about everything about Pokemon training. Travel habits, type matchups, biology, among various other things. Rookies weren''t expected to know all of the complexities, but they needed to master the basics. It was difficult for new trainers, but experienced trainers would probably find it quite easy.

    Then there was the book report, which Ash had done on Professor Oak''s story.

    Finally, there was the essay, the topic of which the Trainer could choose on their own. Ash had chosen to do his on taking care of Pokemon Eggs and baby Pokemon. For hands on experience, he helped take care of an Egg at Professor Oak''s lab, which had recently hatched into a baby Heracross.

    To pass the exam, you needed an overall grade that exceeded eighty percent. Most Trainers who passed just barely did so; with a score in the low eighties. Eighty one and eighty two were by far the most common.

    Being a modest town rather than a big city, Pallet naturally never drew the numbers of the major cities when it came to passing students. They were their own, small community after all, and while the major cities took great pride in "competing" with one another to see who could churn out the most new trainers for the new season, Pallet''s affairs were nothing such. There were only so many kids, and only so many who would be ten years old by Opening Day.

    This year, four had passed. One of them was obviously Gary, which literally nobody was surprised by. Two others were two of Gary''s friends, Angelina and Sarah.

    The other one, to everybody''s shock, was Ash.

    What''s more, Ash had scored far higher than any of his and Gary''s classmates. While Angelina had scored an eighty one, and Sarah had scored an eighty two, Ash had scored a ninety. Most were jaw-slacked by the breakout performance, but nobody had been more floored than Ash himself.

    The teachers were awed by Ash''s performance, and wouldn''t stop congratulating him for it.

    "I knew you could do it, Ash! It was always within you, you just needed to find it!"

    Gary and his friends, on the other hand, were convinced that Ash had somehow cheated on the Exam.

    And of course, Gary still upstaged him by quite a bit. He had gotten a perfect score on the Exam. It was supposedly something that had never been done before in any Region, even if several had come close in the past. At the very least, it was the first time for Indigo.

    It only further fueled the praise that Gary had been given. He was destined to either be the next Professor Oak or the next Lance. Both titles were equally huge honors, albeit for completely different reasons.

    Ash held his breath as he approached the Laboratory. This was it. The very beginning of his journey.

    /

    Thoughts began to collect in Ash''s mind as he ascended the steps to the lab.

    Which Starter would he get? Part of him was glad that he didn''t have a preference; it made choosing more difficult, yet it also meant he wasn''t fully worried about what he ended up with. The thought of just receiving a Pokemon still felt unreal.

    How was the Professor doing, anyway? He had shown up in person during the exam period,

    Unfortunately, those thoughts were all interrupted by a voice. The last voice he had wanted to hear, but he knew it was coming.

    "Nine in the morning, on the dot today. You actually made it in time, Ashy boy."

    Ash whirled around and came face to face with probably the last person he wanted to run into, frusturation filling his chest.

    Snarling through his teeth, a now angry Ash spoke the boy''s name.

    "Gary."

    The other boy was smirking, although that was commonplace.

    He was about Ash''s height, maybe a little bit taller. His hair was brown and spiky. His facial features were sharp, with his smug grin practically being his default expression.

    Gary crossed his arms and leaned against the railing, acting as if he owned the world. He probably thought that he did, at this point.

    "Can''t believe you''re actually going through with this. I''m still trying to figure out how you cheated on the exam. I can''t believe those teachers were all fooled into actually thinking that you could have gotten a ninety."

    Gritting his teeth, Ash clenched his fists, but no words came out.

    He was never good at comeback lines, especially with Gary.

    Calm down, he told himself. You knew this wholetime that Gary was going to be here. You were prepared.

    But being prepared for something was always different from it actually happening. Ash thought that he was ready to face Gary, but maybe he wasn''t.

    The other boy pushed past him. "Alright, clear the way. Future Champs first, you know?"

    Still grumbling to himself, Ash followed Gary into the Lab.

    /

    Tailing behind Gary, Ash found himself in the massive main lobby of the lab, where he realized he hadn''t been in a decent while.

    The room was air conditioned, with a large flat screen on one of the walls. Potted plants were on the reception desk, occupied by a young, copper haired woman who looked like she was in her early to mid twenties.

    She waved to Ash and Gary as two more people walked in.

    One was an orange haired man in a blue suit.

    David Henrod.

    The other one was a pink haired woman wearing a bright red uniform.

    Another teacher, Brittney Staridd.

    Both worked directly under Professor Oak as teachers and research assistants. Viewed favorably by the professor, they were some of his most trusted people to work with, an immense honor that they were admirably humble about.

    "It''s great to see you two here!" Brittney spoke in a gentle, yet bubbly voice. She had always been the most gentle and easygoing of the teachers, making her beloved by the student body. David, while stricter and by the book, was still quite friendly outside of the classroom. "The professor should be ready to see you in a few."

    A few minutes alone with Gary sounded insufferable, but Ash abided as the two teachers exited the lobby.

    Gary looked around, likely for his friends. "I guess the others aren''t here yet." annoyed, he scratched the back of his head. "Tch, not sure what they''re up to." Clearly trying not to mind it, he headed off to a corner of the room. A poster of Lance rested proudly on the wall, but although the Oak boy spared it a fond glance, his attention was directed to examine another poster that depicted Indigo''s gym badges, including descriptions of them.

    Ash did his best to ignore him and wait. Maybe Gary would poof out of existence if Ash just pretended that he didn''t exist..

    /

    "Can you believe the teachers are buying this crap? How could Ashy boy of all people get a ninety?"

    Ash watched from afar as Gary, crossing his arms with agitation, conversed with a boy with blue hair.

    He did his best not to be seen as he listened in on their discussion.

    The boy that Gary conversed with huffed as he nodded in agreement. "True. I thought they were smarter than that too. The loser has been barely getting by these past few years and all of a sudden he passes the exam with flying colors? He excels at the exam just like that? Something is obviously suspicious."

    Ash gritted his teeth. But he had studied HARD! He had half in mind to march right on up to both of them and give them a piece of his mind. Who were they to judge him? Was the class just jealous that the "failure" had outperformed most of them for once? He wanted to just vent to them right now. Tell them exactly what he felt. But he already knew that he wouldn''t.

    Nobody in the student body could ever hope to won an argument with Gary Oak. Especially Ash, and certainly with everybody else always backing him up.

    "We''ll find a way to out him eventually I am sure." said Gary reassuringly. "In the meantime, we should let the others know about this. I''m sure they are just as suspicious as we are."

    The other boy nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. You''re always on top of things like this, Gary."

    As the two walked away, Ash found himself slumping on the ground. Was there no way to get respect in this world? He had rightfully EARNED that high grade.

    He hadˇ­ hadn''t he?

    /

    Ash allowed himself to sink into the sofa as he examined the flatscreen. It was showing a news broadcast covering Opening Day.

    All across Indigo, new Trainers were receiving their starters, Pokedex, and licenses from whatever lab they lived closest to. Professor Oak had labs in every major city and town, in addition to his main lab here in Pallet.

    Most of the different Leagues ran on similar schedules, so new seasons began relatively close together in each region. Sinnoh and Kalos were ahead of schedule, however, having started over a week early this year.

    Either way, a new season of Pokemon training had officially begun, and such an occassion was celebrated throughout.

    "As stated before," said the news anchor that Ash was watching. "This season has had new rookie Trainers from Indigo at an all time high. Thanks to the Qualification Exam having the highest pass rate this year, many cities under Indigo''s banner have produced record numbers. Johto has the highest turnout overall."

    The screen switched over to an overhead view of a city, revealed by the news captions to be Ecruteak City.

    A news reporter stood outside of the lab in that city. Ash could already see many soon-to-be rookies lining up outside at the door. "Here in Ecruteak, over two hundred new Trainers will be receiving their Starter Pokemon today. That''s a record high for this city, and the second highest turnout for anywhere in Indigo this Season, behind only Celadon of the Kanto Region, which is experiencing its third highest turnout in history. The citizens of Ecruteak are celebrating the massive new generation trainers that this Season has spawned, here in the city alone."

    Ecruteak, huh? That was surprising, but no wonder all of those people were celebrating so much. Ecruteak rarely ever got more than a hundred each year. Just two years ago, they had gotten less than one dozen. They had never even come close to two hundred before.

    Celadon City was no surprise, however. That city was almost always at the top of the list. Their average success rate on the exam surpassed everywhere else in Indigo, apparently owed to their excellent schools. Not only that, but just over half of the rookie trainers who actually made it to the Conference in their first year throughout Indigo''s history, had come from Celadon City.

    It was crazy to think about, really. A rookie trainer making it to the Conference on their first year was fairly rare for any Region in the world. Even after passing the Qualification Exam, many trainers who had mastered the basics weren''t able to go much further than that in their rookie years alone. Any rookie Trainer that did make it to the Indigo Confrence or any other Conference, for that matter, never made it to the six on six rounds, although some had come close. Even Lance himself had just barely lost in the first round of his rookie year. Although, according to interviews, he had often cited that one battle as one of his all time greatest experiences.

    In short, getting to the Conference as a rookie was rare. But by those rare standards, Celadon City almost always excelled.

    In fact, they held the record for most new rookie Trainers produced in a single Season: three hundred fifty seven. That had been set a couple of years ago. Prior to that, the record was two hundred twenty. Once again in Celadon. That had been about a year after Lance first started out as a Trainer.

    Pallet turning out four would have felt abysmal in comparison had it not been for the town being so much smaller than a metropolis like Celadon. Granted, Ash imagined the numbers could have been slightly higher under different circumstances, as there were kids in his own class who had to wait until next season to take the exam, as they wouldn''t turn ten until a few months after the season began. And unfortunately, the League was very strict about starter Pokemon distribution: It could only happen at the beginning of each season.

    It was meant to keep things consistent and give every trainer an equal amount of time to collect the badges. It also ensured the calendar remained organized. It was still a controversial choice, however. Most people accepted it. Those who did notˇ­ were very vocal.

    It wasn''t the only controversy surrounding the League. Easily the biggest was their regulation of foreign Pokemon.

    Ash felt bad for those who essentially had to wait an entire year. He had realized how lucky he was that his tenth birthday was so shortly before the Opening Day; otherwise, he could''ve been among them.

    Ash heard Gary scoff as the other boy approached him from behind.

    "Look at them celebrating like that. What''s the point? It''s not like many of them are likely to get to the Conference anyway."

    Ash grimaced. It was true butˇ­

    "They have never gotten this many people before." He tried to say. "This is a historical moment for them."

    "And what does that change? I''m glad I grew up here away from that nonsense. These big cities are just showboating arbitrary numbers, they put all this effort into ''shaping the next generation'' only to get arrogant and forget quality over quantity just to make themselves look special. I guarantee you, most of those nobodies out there are going to get destroyed this Season. Maybe even quit. The Conference is reserved for the talented. Only a few have that potential. In other words, me."

    So once again, everything was about him.

    "Praise and adoration are reserved for those who deserve it. What''s the point of being so excited about all of those kids getting their licenses, when the world probably won''t even remember most of them? What do the numbers mean then? That they got more rookies than usual, but didn''t receive any greater amount of actual talent than usual to go along with it? At that point, they are just getting excited at having even more expendable, no named trainers than usual."

    Ash flinched at that. It wasˇ­ true, wasn''t it? Plenty of trainers became famous. Plenty were remembered. But those were only a fraction of the number that set out every season. Pokemon training was brutal, and a very difficult profession to genuinely be successful in. Most people who attempted itˇ­ didn''t stand out. They were just another trainer among a seemingly endless sea of them.

    "It''ll hit them one of these days, Ashy boy." said Gary smugly with a smirk. "Those who are the best will always rise to the top. Anyone who doesn''t have what it takes will inevitably fall to the bottom, just another name forgotten in history because they were never capable of making their name worth remembering. It''s a fact of life, and always will be. I think you''d benefit from keeping that in mind, you know. Wouldn''t want you getting too disappointed."

    Ash clenched his fists. His body was trembling now.

    Was heˇ­ doomed to become one of those trainers? Not somebody that history will remember, or appreciate, butˇ­ just another nameless face?

    Was he going toˇ­ drown in that sea of trainers?

    Gary''s hand was placed upon his shoulder. It was not a comforting one.

    "At least Pallet Town will remember you. But only for your failure."

    The trembling increased-

    The door suddenly opened, and Ash was so grateful for Brittany''s sudden presence.

    "Alright you two, the Professor''s ready!"

    Ash sprang up just a little bit too quickly as Gary marched on ahead. The Oak boy seemed to have completely forgotten their exchange as soon as it happened, mind completeley transitioned to the start of his career.

    Walking through the hallway, slowly behind Gary as Brittany led the way, Ash had tried to keep their previous exchange out of his mind. But he found it hard.

    Was this really what his start was going to be like? He couldn''t let Gary ruin this for him. This was supposed to be his day, just as much as Gary''s.

    Why did Gary always have to make himself known whenever he was trying to be in a good mood? What did the boy have to gain from all of this?

    Why was putting him down every day constantly on Gary''s to-do list? What did Gary have against him? Was he really that worthless?

    "Where are Angelina and Sarah?" he heard Gary blurt out. "I have a bone to pick with those two for being late."

    "They are visiting family, so they will be receiving their Starters where they are right now." explained Brittany. "Angelina is in Cerulean while Sarah is in Viridian."

    "Lame." Gary scoffed. "And they never even told me?"

    What''s the matter, Gary? Mad that your peers actually have their own lives outside of your sheer greatness? That was what Ash wanted to say. But he knew better.

    Brittany clasped her hands together. She was positively glowing.

    "But you two will do just fine! The Professor''s own grandson, and the son of one of the teachers in training studying under him? This is such a great day for him! He''s over the moon!"

    Professor Oak was pretty close to Delia, Ash supposed. She was apparently his best trainee at the moment. She was certainly on her way to becoming an officially licensed teacher. She might even be one a year from now.

    Due to Delia''s relationship with the professor, Ash knew him more than the typical kid did. But it was still mostly through his mother. That was basically how he knew the majority of his more positive peers. He never would have known Trucy had Delia not been friends with her grandparents.

    /

    "Ash, the mail came in! Your exam results are supposed to come in today, remember?"

    "Can you open it first, mom?" Ash was trying not to pay attention, but it was easier said than done.

    "Don''t you want to be the first to see-"

    "PLEASE."

    Silently nodding, Delia began to open the package with a frown.

    It was better this way. That''s what Ash thought. If he did fail, she could break it to him gently. Gently. Rather than him being slammed with disappointment upon finding out for himself.

    Delia slowly took the envelope out of the package as she opened it.

    Ash heard a gasp. Here it comes...

    Suddenly he was pulled into a hug. He didn''t know how long she held it, but when she let go, she was crying.

    But she wasˇ­ smiling?

    "My baby boyˇ­" the tears were streaming down her face like a waterfall. "I''m so proud of you!"

    Ash''s face went blank.

    "What do you mean, Mom-"

    "Ash, look now!" she shoved the envelope in his face.

    Attached to it was a sticky note.

    Congratulations, Ash. We never thought it was impossible.

    ~David Henrod.

    Gasping, Ash looked at the grade.

    It was a ninety.

    "You''re going to be a trainer now Ash." His mom was still crying at the news.

    And now, so was he.

    Part of those tears came from frustration, however. Of how difficult it was to process all of this at once.

    /

    The large room they entered was spacious and clean, housing a large computer monitor and various gadgets that neither Ash nor Gary got a close enough look at to know the purpose of. Their attention was fixed on the center of the room. Standing there, smiling proudly, was Professor Oak himself. David was standing next to him.

    Sometimes the citizens of Pallet Town came dangerously close to taking the professor''s presence for granted. For as famous as he was throughout the world, his contribution was an everyday part of Pallet.

    A Clefable entered the room from the other side. She was a member of Samuel Oak''s team way back when. To the Professor, his time as a trainer was practically a separate lifetime from where he was now. The presence of his team was a constant reminder, however. Of them, Clefable was the most involved in his post-trainer life.

    And she had also accompanied him to the Institution, to happily assist him in his studies. Now, she was basically his number one assistant at the lab. She and the Professor both adored one another. Given how far they had gone back, Ash couldn''t help but wonder just how many memories that they had together.

    Memories that he hoped he would make with his own team.

    Ash had grown to love Clefable. She was by far the most compassionate creature he''d ever met. On some occasions the fairy had even helped look after him when he was younger. Pokemon were just as capable of giving off a motherly aura as humans were. To Ash''s knowledge, not a soul in Pallet Town didn''t adore the Pokemon.

    In Clefables hands was a tray of Poke Balls. Ash and Gary''s eyes both lit up in greed.

    That''s when it hit them: The moment had finally arrived.

    "Gary, Ash." said Professor Oak, stepping forward while beaming proudly. "It is my great pleasure and honor to be the one here to start your journey. I''ve watched you two grow for years, and it is all about to pay off now."

    "First up," said David, approaching the two boys. "The Professor would like to present you with his greatest gadget: The Pokedex."

    All trainers received one. The Pokedex was an incredible tool that stored information and data about Pokemon, and acted as a Trainer''s ID. It even contained a digital copy of their Trainer''s License. It basically represented who the trainer was.

    "Alright!" exclaimed Gary with a grin as David handed him an aqua colored Pokedex. Ash was silent as he received a crimson one, but was still grinning every bit as widely.

    Now it was Brittany''s turn to step forward. "Don''t forget the badge case! It''s quite big, given the number of Gyms in Indigo, which just goes to show how many places you can visit!"

    It was true. Since Indigo was made up of Kanto, The Orange Islands, Johto, and The Sevii Islands, trainers from all four were gunning for the Indigo Plateau, and any combination of eight badges from both Kanto and Johto would earn them their spot. That played a big role in why there were so many trainers competing in the Conference every year. They were coming from multiple parts of the vast empire.

    Ash stared at his badge case for a few seconds after Brittany handed it to him.

    Collecting eight badges and entering the Indigo Conference. Very few trainers in Indigo, or even the world, had achieved such a feat before in their rookie year. But Ash would be one of them. That was his goal.

    Especially after he promised Trucy.

    "When you become a trainer, are you going to be on there too, Ash?"

    "Of course! Not many rookies do it on their first try, but I will! Come this time next year, you''ll see me competing just like the trainers we are watching right now! It''s a promise!"

    He wanted to do it anyway. To be the best trainer in the world. To reach the Conference as a rookie would earn someone immediate recognition. No rookies had ever gotten far enough to compete in a Conference''s six-on-six rounds before, in any Region, but for a first year trainer, just making it there was enough to earn fame.

    A first-year who made it to the Conference was always talked about. They always stirred up a lot of conversation during the COnference itself, as it was viewed as a true sign of a prodigy.

    But seeing Trucy''s eyes light up at his declaration, and the sheer joy and excitement on her face had vindicated those convictions.

    He wouldn''t disappoint her, or himself. He would not drown in that endless sea of trainers.

    "Hey Ashy boy, you''re spacing out. Clefable''s trying to give you something."

    Ash blinked at the sound of Gary''s voice and looked to see Clefable standing in front of him, holding the tray of Poke Balls. Somewhat embarrassed, he took his share.

    Gary wrapped his hands around the back of his head. "This is great and all, but I think even Ashy boy knows what the best part of this little ritual is."

    Professor Oak chuckled lightly. "Indeed. Come here, Gary. We already know who you have your eye on, right?"

    Gary skipped on forward to his grandfather, who was holding a Poke Ball with a raindrop symbol on it.

    Everyone in Pallet Town knew exactly what Pokemon Gary had his eyes on today.

    Professor Oak released the Pokemon in a bright flash of light.

    /

    That irritating twerp just sat there, crying on the other side of the river, with his fishing rod.

    Gary huffed as he held up the Poke Ball triumphantly, for all of his friends to see.

    The tug of war that had taken place between him and Delia''s son for the Poke Ball that they had both accidentally fished out of the river had been a difficult one. But in the end, the Poke Ball had ended up on Gary''s side of the river.

    Because he always won.

    Now that he thought about it, that had been the day that Ash hadˇ­ accepted it. The day that he finally stopped firing back at him all the time. The day that all of the lame comeback lines became less common.

    Perhaps, in an alternate universe, the Poke Ball had broken in half, and it had been a tie. Maybe then, Ash would have continued to delude himself into believing that he could actually be on his level. Maybe Ash''s misplaced confidence never would have died out. Maybe Ash never would have gotten the message, that he was incapable, a non-factor, and that he was only hurting himself by trying to prove otherwise. Setting himself up for disappointment again and again, chasing a destiny that could never possibly be fulfilled.

    But there was no tying with Gary Oak. And tying with Ash? How was that any better than losing outright?

    Those who had potential were always obligated to live up to it. It was their duty as the best. Those who didn''t needed to accept it. It was something that couldn''t be changed.

    The world didn''t have time for hopeless failures. Only those who were capable. That was what needed to be learned and understood.

    Gary Oak would always win. And Ash would always lose.

    Gary knew that he would always be on top. That''s why, when the time approached for him to finally get his Trainer''s License, he would research the perfect Starter Pokemon. A Pokemon partner that was worthy of his name.

    A Pokemon that was always on the top. Just like he was.

    /

    The blue turtle emerged from the light of the Poke Ball, stepping out of the glow slowly but surely as everybody present watched.

    Gary was grinning from ear to ear at his Starter Pokemon.

    "Oh yes, now THIS is a Starter! I can feel the potential radiating off of you!"

    Ash''s face was slightly deadpan as Gary kneeled down and began abruptly inspecting the Squirtle.

    "This is one strong shell." said Gary, running his hand across the shell. "And the front is pretty sturdy too." he tapped the Squirtle''s stomach lightly.

    Looking over at the Squirtle, Ash noticed that the starter wasn''t all that bothered by Gary''s behavior. It seemed very nonchalant.

    Stereotypically, Water Type starter Pokemon were often known for being calm, but this Squirtle was something different.

    It was the antithesis of Gary Oak himself.

    Even as Gary beganˇ­ pressing his hands against the Starter''s cheeksˇ­ the Squirtle remained calm, barely even reacting. It was almost creepy to watch.

    Gary stood back up and gave the Squirtle a thumbs up. "Alright little guy, you''ve passed my test!"

    Test? What test? That was a test? It looked more like some sort of weird physical.

    Brittany clasped her hands together. "And since Squirtle is already registered to you, you''ll get extra information on it when you scan it with your Pokedex!"

    Oh yeah, that''s right. Normally the Pokedex only gives you information on a Pokemon''s biology, typing, and qualities, but if the Pokemon is registered to you, you also get information on its gender, moves, and abilities.

    "Thanks for reminding me." said Gary, holding his Pokedex up in front of the Squirtle. "Hold still there, little buddy." the Squirtle complied.

    Ash felt a tad tinge of jealousy at the fact that Gary of all people was the one to receive his starter first, and use his Pokedex first, but he also understood.

    He was the grandson of Professor Oak, the chief distributor, and the top student in Pallet Town. It made perfect sense for him to be the one who starts things out. As much as he hated to admit it, he had most definitely earned it.

    The Pokedex scanned Squirtle, speaking in a robotic voice. Pokedex voices came in various forms, both male or female, and can be changed for preference. This voice was distinctly female with a bit of a high pitch to it.

    "Squirtle, the tiny turtle Pokemon of the water type. They are known to swim fast due to their shell minimizing resistance in water, and are capable of squirting out water with vigorous force when retracting their long necks into their shells.

    This Squirtle is male and knows the moves Tackle, Water Gun, Withdraw, Aura Sphere, Dragon Pulse, and Aqua Jet. Its ability is Torrent, which greatly boosts the power of water type moves after sustaining heavy damage."

    Ash always thought Gary was disgusting, but the comical amounts of drool leaking from the other boy only furthered that opinion of him.

    "Whoa, Gramps!" exclaimed the Oak boy. "This Pokemon knows three Egg Moves!"

    Egg Moves were moves that Pokemon offspring could know if it was passed down by their parents through Pokemon Breeding. For certain species, these moves would be very difficult to learn otherwise. A Pokemon wouldn''t be able to have mastery over them right away, but it was most certainly a start.

    "Our distribution system has had excellent luck with breeding in the past few years." explained David. "Your Squirtle is the perfect example."

    Gary kneeled down to pet Squirtle''s shell proudly. "There''s a future champ in this one for sure." standing up, he looked over to Ash, who had been silent for the exchange. "Alright Ashy boy, I was planning on battling one of the other two for my first ever Pokemon battle, but because they''re not here, I suppose I''ll have to settle for embarassing you. I''m sure you''re not too scared to do it, right?"

    Ash felt his throat lock up. What now? If he turned Gary down, he was a coward. If not, Gary would probably just humiliate him like always.

    He had no other option, so Ash just nodded silently. ''Damnit, I''m screwed.''

    "Good." said Gary. "See you outside. Come on, Squirtle, let''s do some stretches. Ashy boy will come on out with a glorified punching bag for us in a few minutes." the blue turtle followed his new trainer outside as Ash gritted his teeth in frustration.

    Professor Oak breathed a deep sigh as Gary and Squirtle left the room. Brittany took the initiative and placed a hand on Ash''s shoulder.

    "We''ll be handing out your starter now, Ash. Although, things are a bit different."

    Ash looked over at her, feeling his frustration deflate. Brittany had that effect on Pallet Town''s student body. She had a reputation for being rather comforting, especially when a student was feeling frustrated.

    "What do you mean by that?" Ash asked curiously.

    Now David spoke up. "For the most part, distribution went off without a hitch this Season. However, a fewˇ­ miscalculations were made, so Pallet Town only received Squirtle among the traditional starters."

    "It''s the real reason why Angelina and Sarah aren''t here." explained Professor Oak, now speaking up. "Pallet and Viridian were behind schedule recieving their starters, only getting them in a few nights back, so unfortunately, not much could be done. So we contacted their families and asked them to stay where they were so that they would be able to receive their starters there."

    Ash nodded in understanding. These types of problems were rare, but real. Thankfully, it didn''t seem to be as widespread as the shortage that Team Rocket had caused three Seasons ago.

    Not THAT, as he remembered Professor Oak talking about it, had been a real, complete mess. Thankfully, it didn''t seem to be anything like that this time.

    They didn''t seem too worried about it, either. So it seemed like it wouldn''t affect him getting a Starter Pokemon. It just might not be a traditional one.

    Brittany folded her hands behind her head to stretch. "As you know, we try to get out as many traditional Starters as possible. Nevertheless, with the amount of new trainers that come with each Season, especially this Season, it''s simply impossible to hand out a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle to literally everybody. Even though Johto has its own set of starters, and the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands use both the Kanto and Johto lineups, it''s simply not feasible."

    David spoke up. "These problems normally aren''t present in places with lesser rookie turnouts, such as Pallet Town for example. However, with our incident this season, we are going to have to do what the cities normally do, and provide you with a different starter as a substitute."

    Ash nodded in understanding. Not having a chance to pick between the traditional three was slightly disapointing, but in the grand scheme of things, it really didn''t matter to him all that much.

    He hadn''t even decided on his starter like Gary had. He was just planning on choosing in the moment, mostly just excited to be getting a Pokemon at all.

    At the end of the day, a starter was a starter.

    Professor Oak stepped forward with the starter''s Poke Ball in his hand. Ash quickly took note of the lightning bolt on it.

    "We are sorry you didn''t get to choose, but-"

    Ash raised his hand to politely cut him off. "It''s fine, I don''t mind, really. It''s not like you guys are to blame, accidents always happen."

    Brittany and David both smiled brightly at the now Rookie Pokemon Trainer.

    Perhaps it was just because Ash was less combative than most, but he was always quite understanding.

    Taking the Poke Ball in his hand, Ash pushed the button and it opened.

    The feeling of holding a Poke Ball, a real genuine Poke Ball, right there in his hand, was practically unreal. How long had he dreamed of this? How long had he spent mimicking the motions of the expert trainers in the Indigo Conference throwing out their Poke Balls into battle, Trucy later picking up the habit after he met her? How many other rookie trainers had felt this same surge of excitement that he had, finally getting to release a Pokemon, and actually their starter, no less, for the first time?

    It was like holding a simple, yet impactful ball made up of all your hopes and dreams, right there in the palm of your hand.

    In that moment, Ash momentarily forgot all about Gary Oak.

    All of his attention was fixated on the creature that exited the bright flash of light emitting from the orb.

    It was a small, yellow mouse. It had a lightning bolt shaped tail, and round dots for cheeks. Specifically, its cheek sacks. Ash immediately knew what it was.

    Nevertheless, he wanted his new Pokedex to do the honors. As he scanned the yellow mouse, the device''s voice was identical to Gary''s Pokedex.

    "Pichu, the tiny mouse Pokemon. It is known for storing electricity in the sacks of its cheeks, and then releasing it from its tail. However, it has very little control over this electricity, and can exhaust itself very easily.

    This Pichu is male and knows the moves Thunder Shock, Double Slap, Thunder Wave, Nuzzle, Nasty Plot, and Volt Tackle. Its ability is Static, which can inflict paralysis on enemies that it makes physical contact with."

    Ash raised a brow. Volt Tackle? So Pichu had an Egg Move too. Not that they would be able to use it right away, of course. Volt Tackle was infamous for its immense recoil damage, being quite harmful to the user itself.

    Not to mention, it was an incredibly powerful and advanced technique. Simply put, a beginner level Pokemon like Pichu wouldn''t even come close to generating the amount of electricity that was necessary for using it. And at Pichu''s current level, he wouldn''t even be able to handle the recoil anyway. Even if he could produce enough electricity, it likely wouldn''t be the full power of the technique, and he would probably just knock himself out.

    Nevertheless, it was still one hell of a move to have. Mastering it would happen a long time for now; it''d be a good while before even starting practice it would be practical, but once they did, they would have one of the most powerful electric type moves at their disposal.

    Looking down at his starter, Ash noticed Pichu looking at him with anˇ­ odd expression.

    Ash wasn''t quite sure what to make of it. Slowly but surely, he kneeled down to get in closer.

    He wasn''t planning on doing whatever it was that Gary had done to Squirtle, but he at least wanted to pat the Pichu''s head.

    The mouse in question flinched just before Ash''s hand could touch him. Ash''s heart skipped a beat for a second, but to his surprise, he didn''t get shocked.

    The Pichu was skittish, but not aggressive. The latter was a good sign, at the very least.

    "Heyˇ­" the boy spoke carefully. ''I''m not going to hurt you."

    Pichu didn''t seem very convinced.

    Professor Oak sighed, before turning to the teachers. "Brittany, David, I can take it from here. Can you two call Professor Ivy back? She contacted me recently to report the starter count over at the Orange Islands. Just let her know that I got the message."

    Brittany nodded. "Of course."

    David followed her out of the room, but Clefable remained.

    Professor Oak turned back to Ash. "I must apologize, Ash. I was warned that this particular Pichu was a little bit on edge about everything."

    "Why is that?" asked Ash curiously. Pokemon personalities came in all sorts of forms, but there was usually a reason for a Pokemon being overly nervous about something.

    "Apparently it had something to do with the environment." the Professor explained. "As you know, Pokemon handed out as starters are often bred at site sanctioned by the League, or supplied by breeders. I don''t have all of the details, but a good deal of the Pokemon raised alongside Pichu were apparently very loud and aggressive. Some species of Pokemon have violent urges hidden underneath. It''s likely that they picked a lot of fights with one another, and Pichu was likely caught up in it. It''s especially effective on a younger Pokemon''s psyche, and now Pichu has difficulty trusting people right away."

    Clefable walked over to the Pichu and knelt down beside him, scratching behind the back of his ear gently. The Pichu closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, making a somewhat comfortable sound.

    The Professor smiled. "Clefable helps look after all of the Pokemon here, so they all trust her, thankfully. It took coaxing from her to help me examine him when he first arrived."

    That was no secret. Clefable was known for being a mother to practically all Pokemon at the lab. This apparently even stretched over to Professor Oak''s days as a trainer, too. She was apparently an authority figure among the rest of his Pokemon, being one of his first captures and arguably the most mature out of all of his companions. Even his starter apparently obeyed her.

    Professor Oak''s biography highlighted Clefable a lot. In storytelling terms, she was practically the deuteragonist of Samuel Oak''s story.

    Clefable began to slowly and gently prod Pichu in Ash''s direction. Kneeling down once again, Ash was sure to make eye contact with the young mouse.

    "Hello, my name is Ash. I''m going to be your trainer."

    The look in Pichu''s eyes was somewhat calmer, but still uncertain.

    This was going to be tough, wasn''t it?

    /

    "It''s about time, Ashy boy! What took you so long?! For a moment you had me wondering if you actually gave up like you should''ve, but you''d still be leaving me high and dry!"

    Ash and Pichu were greeted by Gary''s voice the very moment that they stepped out. And from the look on Pichu''s face, he seemed to hate it just as much as Ash did.

    Well, they were on the same page for at least one thing, it seemed.

    "We were justˇ­ getting to know each other. That''s all." Ash insisted nervously.

    Gary scoffed. "Yeah right. Can you explain to me why that mouse is literally looking everywhere but at you, Ashy boy?"

    Ash found himself gritting his teeth at that.

    "Hey Squirtle!" Gary called out. "Our punching bag is here!"

    Ash looked over to where Squirtle was, and noticed a few of Gary''s friends huddled around him.

    ''Great, now he gets to embarrass me in front of EVERYONE, just like always.''

    Squirtle made its way back over to Gary as the boy''s friends looked on and watched him go. Standing in front of his trainer, he eyed Pichu with curiosity, his stoic expression seemingly bearing a hole right through the small mouse''s forehead.

    Pichu was already tensing up.

    NOT a good sign.

    /

    A small crowd had gathered in one of the yards of the lab as Ash and Gary stood on opposite ends of the makeshift battlefield, both of their respective Starters standing in front of them. The battlefield in question consisting of mostly wet grass and dirt.

    The crowd was made up of their peers, which of course, meant Gary''s friends and Gary''s friends alone. Nobody bothered placing bets on the battle, certain that Gary was going to win.

    A good few of the spectators were already telling Gary to put Ash in his place.

    Ash was trying to take a deep breath, but found that he couldn''t.

    Why did he have to agree to this?! Why did he always give into Gary''s goading?! Why was he always so good at leading Ash astray?!

    It was too late to back out now. Either everybody saw him get humiliated or everybody made fun of him for running away. At the very least, the former would be par for the course, given their history together.

    What had started out as a great day had suddenly turned horrible. Gary was always good at doing that to him, just by being there.

    First he and his Starter didn''t get off on the right foot. And now, Gary was about to embarrass them in a battle. Did his first day as a Trainer really need to go like this?

    He mentally shook his head. NO! He would not let Gary ruin this for him! If he could just beat him in this one battle-

    "Hey Ashy boy! Are you done thinking to yourself yet? Some of us have places to be, you know?"

    Gritting his teeth, Ash thought things over quickly.

    Pichu has a type advantage against Squirtle, which, in beginner level matchups, would usually all but decide the match. But things were different this time. Squirtle''s shell would most likely be strong enough to block Pichu''s electric type moves, which would mean that they had to find a way to hit the blue Pokemon before he was able to retreat into his shell.

    Pichu most likely has the speed advantage over the bulky water type Pokemon, but was also certainly much less durable. The evolution line as a whole wasn''t known for its defense like Squirtle''s was, but Pichu themselves were viewed as being quite frail.

    Looking over to his Starter, Ash noticed Pichu eying the Squirtle nervously. While the water type remained as calm and collected as ever, Pichu was anything but, and Gary was obviously getting a kick out of that.

    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Hey look, everybody! An electric type that''s scared of a water type!"

    The crowd got a few chuckles out of that.

    Thankfully, they shouldn''t need to worry about Squirtle''s Egg Moves. He likely wasn''t skilled enough to use them yet.

    "Alright," said Gary. "I''m bored, so I''m starting out now. Water Gun!"

    The blue turtle opened his mouth, and a small, yet strong stream of water gushed out of it. Pichu yelped and ran to the side to dodge.

    Ash immediately went on the offensive. "Thunder Shock!"

    Pichu began gathering electrical energy in his cheeks, causing them to crackle with sparks, but Gary was prepared, and began speaking even before the small rodent had the bearings to respond to Ash''s command.

    "Squirtle! Pichu can''t control their electrical powers very well, so it''ll take him a while to gather enough electricity to use the attack! Every time you see sparks in his cheeks, use Withdraw!"

    The Squirtle complied and began to retreat into his shell. Due to his inexperience, it took a little bit, but unfortunately, Pichu''s own inexperience gave him just enough time.

    After a few seconds, Pichu finally released the charged-up energy from his tail, sending a small bolt of lightning towards Squirtle.

    But by then, Squirtle had already completely retreated into his shell. The electricity enveloped the exterior, but ended up bouncing off harmlessly, as though nothing had happened at all.

    Gary guffawed. "Well, what do you know! It looks like that stupid mouse''s inexperience with electricity makes up for the time that it takes for Squirtle to retreat into his shell!"

    Pichu growled at the boy, but that just made him smirk even more.

    Ash was gritting his teeth hard now. If Thunder Shock wouldn''t work, they would have to go with Double Slap.

    "Pichu!" Ash yelled. He could already feel himself getting frustrated. "Use Double Slap!"

    Pichu looked back towards Ash with a shocked expression. Clearly, it didn''t take kindly to the idea of getting up close and personal with the far bulkier turtle.

    But Ash wasn''t in the mood right now. "Do you WANT to lose this, Pichu?! JUST DO IT!"

    Ash raised his voice too much, and, in a panic, the now startled Pichu yelped and began bolting off in the other directionˇ­

    ...Only to find himself running right towards Squirtle.

    Squealing in surprise, Pichu skidded to a halt, shivering a little bit at the sight of his opponent. Fists planted in his hips, the turtle towered over the mouse with his stoic expression, perfectly calm.

    "Tackle!" Gary called out.

    Squirtle rushed forward, and Pichu just barely managed to dodge out of the way. Squirtle then used this opportunity to fire off another Water Gun, with the stream of water just barely missing Pichu as the mouse swerved in the opposite direction, tripping over as a result.

    Ash was growling now. What was Pichu even doing?!

    "I said DOUBLE SLAP!"

    Picking its head up quickly, Pichu began frantically looking around in a panic, only to stop and freeze as he suddenly saw Squirtle looming right in front of him again. The mouse yelped before quickly rushing forward, slamming his tail into Squirtle''s front, but barely anything happened. With the turtle''s bulky form, and durable front, the blue Pokemon was barely even pushed back, only lightly staggering. Pichu''s attack had more force behind it than it seemed, but it was practically meaningless here.

    Gary had often gushed about how great the Squirtle line was for defensive purposes.

    "Water Gun!" Gary tried to counterattack, but at this point, Pichu had already sidestepped out of the way.

    "Double Slap again, Pichu!" Ash called out. "Aim for the head!" The head would likely be a better target.

    The mouse immediately bolted away to gain some distance, then turned around so he could build up speed for the attack. He seemed to agree with Ash''s plan so far. Maybe if he could hit Squirtle on the head, after building up enough speed for a jump without losing momentum, it would do more damage.

    But Gary was ready. Although Pichu''s temporary retreat was necessary to gain momentum for the counterattack, it had also given the other boy enough time to react.

    "Withdraw, Squirtle!"

    As Pichu ran forward, Squirtle retreated into his shell. Pichu leapt up into the air in order to execute his attack, but by that point, Squirtle was already ready to block.

    Pichu''s tail clanged uselessly against the hard exterior of Squirtle''s shell, and the mouse suddenly found himself in pain as he danced around the yard clutching his now aching tail. As he did this, Squirtle began to exit his shell again.

    Ash could hear the crowd laughing now.

    "Man, do you see that pathetic little mouse that Ash got stuck with?" a boy''s voice.

    "They''re made for each other, you know. Now they can be useless together. A perfect match." a girl''s voice.

    Ash was grinding his teeth now.

    Why? WHY did his first day as a Trainer have to go like this?! This wasn''t supposed to be how things happened! A trainer''s first day was supposed to be happy! And nowˇ­

    "Water Gun!"

    At Gary''s orders, Squirtle allowed yet another stream of water to exit his mouth. With the pain in his tail, Pichu''s mobility was limited, and he had to carefully duck in order to avoid the attack, but there was still some clumsiness to his movements, and the rodent nearly lost his balance whilst staggering forward.

    However, Pichu was still wide open, and in his confusion, he had accidentally moved closer to Squirtle rather than farther away, and Gary quickly capitalised on this. "Tackle, now!"

    Squirtle rushed forward again, his bulk slamming into Pichu. The mouse shrieked out loud as he was sent flying a few feet away, landing on his back and sliding on the wet grass for just a little bit.

    As Pichu slowly got up, Ash noticed some dirt on his fur.

    The attack had clearly hurt Pichu, but they needed to keep going.

    "Double Slap again, Pichu!"

    But Pichu didn''t seem to agree, instead charging up a Thunder Shock. What?

    Why was Pichu trying to use that? Squirtle would just block it again!

    "Pichu, wait, I said-"

    But Pichu was already firing, his small bolt of lightning again fizzling out upon making contact with Squirtle''s shell, the turtle having remembered Gary''s orders from the beginning of the fight, taking advantage of the time that it took for Pichu to charge up the technique to use Withdraw and retreat into his shell.

    What''s more, Pichu seemed to be panting now. Between his inexperience with electricity, and now the hard hit that Squirtle had dealt to him with Tackle, it didn''t seem like he could go on for much longer.

    But Ash wasn''t thinking straight anymore. First Gary has to go out of his way to humiliate him, and now Pichu was disobeying him? Why couldn''t he just listen? They were supposed to be a team for crying out loud!

    "Pichu, I said DOUBLE SLAP!"

    Pichu turned to Ash and began chattering angrily, stamping his feet in disagreement. What was his problem right now?!

    "Hey Pichu!" called out Gary''s INSUFFERABLE voice once again. "Do you mind if I record this with my camera? You two are hilarious!"

    That had the mouse turning around again and angrily charging up yet another Thunder Shock. But this one took longer. And Squirtle blocked it. Pichu was having trouble breathing at this point. The world was starting to spin for the mouse.

    Ash''s panicked orders fell on deaf ears now. The next Thunder Shock took even longer, with the same results.

    The next one didn''t even come out. Just trying to use it was too much.

    A huge surge of defeat overcame Ash as Pichu collapsed to his knees. Gary saw his chance.

    "Okay, playtime''s over. Squirtle, Tackle!"

    Once again, Squirtle''s bulked slammed into Pichu, sending the mouse sliding on his back over towards Ash. The mouse stopped just in front of the young boy, not getting up.

    Ash felt more panicked than ever now.

    No, no, no, no, NO NO NO NO! It could NOT end like this!

    "GET UP PICHU!"

    The exhausted mouth slowly lifted its head as the crowd''s laughter continued, but was suddenly hit between the eyes by a Water Gun.

    Pichu was knocked out immediately.

    /

    That was it. That was his first ever battle as a trainer. And it had been a complete embarrassment. Nothing else could describe it.

    "Wow, did you guys see that? How did Ash even pass the Exam, anyway?"

    "I knew that Gary was going to win, but that didn''t even feel like a win."

    "It''s a shame Gary''s first battle was so disappointing, he deserved better than Ash and that Pichu. What a joke."

    "Wish Angelina or Sarah were here..."

    Cradling Pichu''s now unconscious body, Ash justˇ­ took it all in as his classmates walked off one by one.

    There was no point in trying to refute them. Everything that they said had been right.

    That battle had been a joke.

    He should be ashamed, for how little control that he had over his own partner.

    Pretty soon Gary was the only one left.

    "Don''t worry Ashy boy," the Professor''s grandson said, condescendingly patting Ash''s shoulder. "If you''re that beat up about it, then maybe it''s time to call it quits. Only way you''re going to make it as a trainer is by wishing that you''ll be more worth a damn in the next life." he began marching off. "However long that may take."

    And with that, he was gone. Ash didn''t even bother to look behind him as Gary went off on his own. He was probably leaving Pallet Town right now.

    Gary''s words were etched into Ash''s brain, just as they always were. Maybe he should quit after this. Was there really any way to come back from this? There''s no way Lance or any of the Elite Four started out this badly. At this point, what was he even doing?

    "What did he say to you?"

    Looking up, a surprised Ash realised he hadn''t even heard Professor Oak approaching.

    /

    Professor Oak ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the dejected Ash.

    Currently, they were back in the lab. Pichu was in his Poke Ball, being treated by one of the lab''s healing machines. It was the kind of basic healing technology that Pokemon Centers used whenever something wasn''t too serious, and shouldn''t take too long.

    Ash was sitting across from him, gaze fized on the floor.

    The Professor had always liked Delia''s child, for reasons beyond his respect and adoration for Delia as a pupil. But those reasons, the Professor could never quite pinpoint to himself. Ash certainly didn''t remind Samuel of himself; they were two completely different people, with completely different goals and inspirations. And yet, for whatever reason, the Professor had grown quite fond of the boy.

    Which is why Ash''s relationship with Gary was so frustrating.

    Competition was one thing. Rivalry was perfectly fine. But Ash and Gary went far beyond any of this. They were not rivals. They were childhood archenemies. There were no positives and nothing but toxicity in their relationship.

    And, as much as the Professor loathed to admit it, he knew perfectly well that Gary was the one to blame.

    Whatever he had tried to keep his grandson in line had obviously not worked. He loved Gary with all his heart, to the point where his rule of not ever showing favoritism often came dangerously close to being broken. But Gary''s treatment towards Ash was unacceptable, regardless of the reasons Gary gave; they were excuses, nothing more. The fact that Ash fell behind did little to justify the treatment; if anything, Gary should have tried to help him catch up.

    Whatever semblance of friendship that the two had in the past was obviously long gone by now. The Professor knew that there was next to zero chance of it ever being rekindled. At this point they were both in far too deep for any of that.

    Gary had already left Pallet Town and was officially on the road to Viridian City. The only thing left for the Samuel to do was to try and restore whatever confidence that Ash may have had in himself before sending him off on his way.

    It was his responsibility.

    "Listen, Ash-"

    "Why didn''t he listen to me?" Ash abruptly cut in. Standing next to Oak''s seat, Clefable frowned at the question.

    The Professor sighed. "Ash, you knew your Pokemon was easily startled, and yet you lost your patience with Pichu far too quickly. You let your built up anger towards Gary get the better of you. I get it, trust me. But you have to consider Pichu''s feelings too."

    "But still," Ash thought, unable to look the Professor in the eye as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Pichu knew that Thunder Shock wouldn''t work against Squirtle''s shell. He also knew how exhausted he was getting. And yetˇ­ he didn''t stop."

    "Pokemon often don''t think clearly when they panic." the Professor reminded him. "Just like humans. You''re right, though. If Pichu hadn''t given up on Double Slap so soon, you two undoubtedly would have had a much better showing. The only reason it failed before when Pichu tried to strike Squirtle on the head was because he had to run away and build up distance for speed. It gave Squirtle enough time to block. Afterwards, you and Pichu wouldn''t have needed to do that in order to build up speed, because the distance would have already been there."

    Ash nodded at the Professor''s assessment. "I know, butˇ­" he trailed off, instead deciding that it would be best to just soak up whatever Oak was trying to say. The man knew a lot more than he did, after all.

    "Ash, I think you and Pichu are both quite similar. You''re both lacking in confidence right now, and as the battle shows, you both panic easily. But that doesn''t mean this is always going to be who you are. You passed the exam for a reason."

    "Was it luck?" Ash asked honestly.

    "I doubt it. Delia told me about your late nights studying for the exam. I know luck goes a long way, but the kind of studying you did was simply dedication."

    "And what if that was just an outlier?" The question had been on Ash''s mind for a while now, but he had the perfect person to ask it to.

    "I''d like to think that it was a new beginning for you." said the professor. "An opportunity, if you will. Not everyone who becomes the best starts out on top. In factˇ­" he leaned forward. "Not many people know this, but I was a below average student growing up."

    THAT jolted Ash out of his stupor. WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!

    "Y-y-you were WHAT?!" Ash was dumbfounded.

    "To be perfectly honest, it was one of the reasons why I chose to become a trainer first." the Professor admitted. "I had always wanted the hands on experience to aid with my research, so I may have chosen that path anyway, but my track record in academics undoubtedly influenced my decision. I was often at the bottom of my class in a lot of subjects. I just barely passed the exam with an eighty one, compared to your ninety, I might add, and that was despite all of the studying that I did." he reached over and padded Clefable''s side. The large, pink fairy type made a joyful noise as she closed her eyes and leaned into the Professor''s touch. "But I still lead a very sucessful career as a trainer, and, as you know, I''ve seen even more success since. When I tried to get into the Institution, everything I''d learned from my hands on time as a trainer made all the difference in passing the entrance exam."

    "Butˇ­ Why didn''t your biography mention any of that?" Ash asked, confused. It was true. Professor Oak''s biography was incredibly long and detailed. It was practically unrivaled in terms of just how much valuable information and insight that it gave on important figures within the Pokemon world. For some reason, the fact that Professor Oak had apparently been a below average student had never been mentioned even once within its pages.

    Professor Oak sighed at the question. "I figured you''d ask something like that. I have a lot of respect for that book and the work put into it, I even exchanged autographs with the author, but that particular detail about me and my story flew under the radar; and if people had known that I was a below average student who still managed to rise to the top despite everything, then the message surrounding my career changes quite a bit. It proves that people who started out on the bottom can still rise to the top." he reached out and handed Ash a photograph. "They can become like this."

    Ash took a look at the picture. It was from when Samuel Oak had won the Indigo Conference.

    A young, teenage Samuel stood in the middle of the photograph, the tall, golden trophy held proudly in his hands. He was quite well built, and almost difficult to recognize given that he was both fully grown and much older now. With him, were his six main Pokemon who had taken the Indigo Conference by storm that year.

    A fearsome looking Charizard, towering highly above its confident trainer from behind.

    Clefable, who, even in the photo, managed to give off a very calm, and serene feeling to herself, standing off to the left of the trainer.

    An Electrode, at the far right.

    A Poliwrath, standing next to its Smauel, off to his right.

    A Tangrowth, at the far left.

    A Golem just behind Samuel''s left shoulder, a stoic expression on its face.

    They were a famous team that Ash knew all too well.

    And they had all started outˇ­ from the bottom.

    /

    Although Ash had been planning to visit Delia at their house before leaving town, Oak had told him that he had already called her over to the lab to assist him with something, which meant that the two of them could say their final goodbyes without Ash having to backtrack.

    Delia had managed to hold it in up until now, but now she was letting it all out. The tears streaming down her face were practically a waterfall as she hugged Ash close against her, her clothes blocking her son''s own tears.

    "My baby boyˇ­ you''re all grown up now. I knew this day was coming, but I wasn''t sure if I was ready for it."

    Ash didn''t even know what to say. Leaving his mother behind was his biggest, most unrivaled regret about becoming a trainer. He knew that she was fully supportive of his dream, not asking for much in return. No one he knew was nearly as selfless. He couldn''t help but wonder how sad Oak was to see Gary go. The Professor was always good with his emotions, but it occurred to Ash that he was probably hurting too, just like Delia was.

    "Momˇ­ I''ll come back, don''t worry." The two were currently standing with Professor Oak at the gates to Pallet Town. Pichu was off to the side, watching the display with some curiosity. Delia had been quite friendly towards the mouse, but had kept her approaches to a minimum after seeing the electric type''s nervous behavior.

    "I know you will," said Delia. "Be safe until then, okay, and call me every chance you get."

    Ash nodded. "I''ll call you the moment I reach Viridian." The thought of being able to speak with his mother again tonight was all the more motivation for him to get there as soon as possible.

    "Professor!" a woman''s voice called out. The group turned to see an older woman walking towards them with Clefable. Ash immediately recognized her as Trucy''s grandmother, Mrs. Gernin. With her and Clefable were two other Pokemon, and Ash''s eyes were quick to light up when he saw them. "Brittany is ready with her report on Celadon, they just finished distribution." she offered Ash a smile, and the boy quickly returned it.

    Professor Oak nodded. "I''ll be there soon." as she walked away, he turned to the two Pokemon as they approached Ash with Clefable.

    One of them was a baby Heracross, the same exact one that Ash had helped hatch. The other one was a small blue Pokemon that the Professor had told Ash was a Sobble, another baby Pokemon that had hatched around the same time as Heracross, and the two of them had quickly befriended each other. Both Pokemon were male.

    Delia chuckled. "It looks like he wants to see you off, Ash."

    Ash nodded happily and stroked the horn of the Heracross. It was small at the moment, but would eventually grow quite big as the bug-fighting type grew up.

    The Heracross jittered happily at the contact. Ash had always enjoyed spending time with him.

    As the two baby Pokemon huddled up around Clefable, Professor Oak faced Ash one last time. "Just remember everything that I told you, Ash, and try not to rush too much. You''ll get to your goal eventually. I know that there is a strong trainer in both you and Gary."

    Ash nodded. "Thanks, Professor." he still wasn''t entirely sure, but the Professor''s short story had been reinvigorating.

    Oak crossed his arms. "Now then, just follow the road on each route and you''ll be able to get to the places that you need to be. And remember that battling other trainers can get you extra cash if you win, along with being the best way to train.

    Ash nodded. The League system involved trainers winning money from each other in battles, although it was lenient on those who were already short on cash. Thankfully, Pallet Town was good at providing plenty of money to starting Trainers, courtesy of Professor Oak himself, so Ash was leaving home in a decent position to start out. "Right."

    The Professor smiled. "Good. I''ll see you around."

    Ash smiled back. "Thanks for everything.

    As Professor Oak and Delia walked off with Clefable, Heracross, and Sobble, Delia sent Ash one last, tearful smile, which he returned with his own, before leaving.

    Now, he and Pichu were all that was left.

    Ash prolonged the time spent watching them leave, before locking eyes with his starter. No doubt Pichu''s trust in him had been damaged by the battle, assuming that there was ever any in the first place. Guiltily, he bit his lip as the small mouse''s eye contact faltered.

    Turning towards the gates, he and his starter both looked uncertain.

    Taking a deep breath, which still did little to actually ease his nerves, Ash took his first steps forward.

    He had never left Pallet Town before now. Much like thousands of kids across Indigo, he was leaving his old life behind, doing his best to not look back.

    It was all official the moment he stepped through those gates, into the outside world of Indigo.

 With Big Intentions pt 1

    The large, open field that Ash and Pichu were taken to by the path exiting Pallet Town was vaster than the young trainer had expected. Tall grass and patches of flowers as far as the eye can see. Ash was sure that various beginner level Pok¨¦mon were hiding about in the tall grass, but he would probably choose carefully.

    Most commonly, some trainers would focus on trying to limit their catches to a select few Pokemon, or go all out and try to catch as many as possible. Those who only caught a few Pok¨¦mon at a time were often very careful about what they did catch, carefully considering what types of Pokemon that they wanted on their teams.

    Ash was of the opinion that focusing on only a few Pokemon at a time was the most practical way to go about things, as he couldn''t imagine himself being able to divide attention between so many teammates at once, especially with just slightly less than a year before the Conference.

    So, his game plan was to explore in hopes of finding Pokemon that piqued his interest. He wasn''t picky, but he did want to focus on the qualities that each of his potential teammates would have.

    Ash saw a few Pidgey flying overhead, along with the occasional Pidgeotto.

    There were even a few Taillow among the bird Pokemon. Taillow were native to Hoenn, not Kanto, but foreign Pokemon had become increasingly common over the years.

    The cause of this was a combination of multiple factors. Team Rocket''s occasional attempts at getting involved with foreign Regions had resulted in quite a few incidents, but in general, some foreign trainers would end up releasing their Pokemon while in Indigo. Those Pokemon would go off into the wild and breed with other Pokemon, gradually resulting in various species not commonly seen in Indigo appearing much more often.

    This wasn''t just an issue in Indigo either, as it was occurring in numerous parts of the world. Controversy had been birthed inevitably from the effect that the situation had on the training landscape. The Indigo League did its best to crack down, often scooping up foreign Pokemon in hopes of either placing them in the Safari Zone in Fuchsia or even just shipping them out to their native Region. Although Kanto and Johto both fell under the Indigo banner, they each still had Pokemon native to one Region but not the others. The League tried to prioritize Pokemon from foreign Leagues, but still made attempts at regulating those from within Indigo''s multiple Regions as well.

    However, many trainers expressed vehement disagreement with this choice. Although the League insisted that they were simply trying to keep Indigo''s ecosystems in check, many Trainers loved the idea of foreign Pokemon being more common, as it added a lot of potential variety for team building, and often accused the League of limiting their options.

    Movements of protest were becoming more and more common as the years went on, with many Trainers leading rallies against the League''s actions. Unfortunately, Team Rocket would often take advantage of these events. Foreign Pokemon benefited them too.

    Ash was mixed on the situation. He obviously understood the League''s point of view, and given how they explicitly aimed to go about the task in manners that weren''t at the foreign wildlife''s expense (the main goal was to simply capture and relocate them, and nothing more), he considered attempts at demonizing the League''s actions to be overreacting. Nevertheless, he couldn''t help but admit how appealing it would be to have some foreign Pokemon on his team. Thankfully, capturing foreign Pokemon was not illegal despite the League''s attempts at controlling the situation; if anything, the prospect of a large number of trainers plucking foreign Pokemon out of the wild made the League''s job easier, and many of the trainers that opposed the League''s choice tried to focus on that silver lining in hope of compromise. Overall, the reaction to the League''s response was not black and white, with even certain people of similar stances reacting to and interpeting the issue from a different lens.

    Looking back, Ash saw that Pichu was trailing behind him. The small mouse hadn''t paid him much mind since the battle with Gary and Squirtle, which wasn''t a pleasant sign.

    He knew he couldn''t blame Pichu for distrust after losing his temper so quickly during their first battle, but the frusturation in his stomach still refused to go away.

    Ash decided to stop for a bit. Not paying attention to his trainer, Pichu found himself abruptly bumping into the boy''s legs as Ash turned to face him.

    At this point, Pallet Town was barely even visible from the distance, in part due to the large hill the duo had climbed.

    "Pichu, are you going to be like this the whole way?"

    The electric rodent was still doing his best not to make eye contact, and Ash felt the inner frusturation slowly build.

    "Lookˇ­ I''m sorry for what happened with Gary and Squirtle, but you have to admit, you''re not absolved from all of the blame yourself."

    Pichu''s facial features took on a look of irritation, but no reply came.

    Ash frowned. "Pichuˇ­ this is supposed to be a partnership. I''m not expecting you to do all the work, but I can''t do it all myself either, okay?"

    Pichu frowned at that, but still didn''t say anything.

    Before Ash could go any further, the sound of flapping wings nearby stole the pair''s collective attention away from one another.

    A small bird had landed a few feet away in the field, and Ash quickly recognized it as a Pidgey. His eyes lit up.

    This was perfect! Pidgey were practically famous among beginner level trainers. Although Pidgeot weren''t among the most widely feared Pokemon in the world, they were still greatly revered and were considered to be top notch Flying Type Pokemon.

    It was what made Pidgey so appealing to many newcomers in Indigo: They were normally easy to catch, train, and raise, making them perfect Pokemon for a newcomer''s first catch. They were commonly found throughout Indigo, especially in areas that were popular with beginner trainers as it is (or maybe their presence was part of what made those locations popular?) and once they evolved, they would become quite powerful. An easy-to-handle Pokemon that would eventually become quite elite.

    Of course, the combination of popularity and accessibility had produced the inevitable downside; Pidgeot were quite common among Indigo trainers, and many therefore knew how to fight against them, which put the species at a disadvantage.

    Ash wasn''t too bothered by this, though. He could still catch more rare, less commonly used Pokemon later on, but for the moment, the top priority to start out on the right foot.

    "Pichu," he said, pointing towards the Pidgey. "Go get it."

    When he didn''t get a response, he looked over to his Starter Pokemon to see him hesitating.

    The mouse was still uncertain, squeaking out a somewhat defiant response.

    Ash''s patience was just about gone.

    "AREN''T YOU EVER GOING TO LISTEN TO ME?!" he quickly turned as he heard the now startled Pidgey flying away after his outburst. "Wait! No! Darn it!" he looked back at Pichu, who seemed somewhat guilty, although that only did a little bit to ease Ash''s anger. "Come on! We''re not going to get anywhere like this!"

    /

    He was at his wits end at this point.

    By now, he and Pichu had spent a few hours making blunder after blunder.

    At first, it was Pichu hesitating for too long, resulting in the Pokemon fleeing. Then Pichu didn''t hesitate, and chose to fight, but not trusting Ash''s judgement anymore, and acted on his own accord. This time it was ASH who screwed up, with his frustrated yelling driving the Pokemon away.

    Somewhere down the line, it had escalated into back and forth bickering between the duo. Although it thankfully hadn''t gotten physical, neither trainer nor Pokemon had any patience remaining for the other.

    "I wasn''t planning on going after a Ratatta since they usually aren''t known for fighting in high level battles, but you still even managed to screw that one up!" Hands on his hips, Ash glowered down at his starter.

    The frustrated mouse stamped his feet while angrily crying out in protest. Ash didn''t know what he was saying, but the tone of the response did not leave much room for interpretation.

    "Oh yeah? Tell that to the Nidoran you threw yourself at while his horn was sticking out! You could have been poisoned!"

    Grumbling, Pichu planted himself on the ground with a pout.

    "I would like to think I at least somewhat know what I''m doing," Ash grumbled in frustration. "But I''m starting to wonder if you even know anything!"

    Pichu immediately sprung back to his feet, resuming his protest while shouting aimlessly at the boy.

    "Don''t you go giving me that! Why did Gary have to get the most well behaved Starter on the face of the earth and I had to be stuck with you?!" He felt the guilt hit him the moment the words left his mouth; there he went again, dragging Pichu right his conflict with Gary. The realization that he wasn''t thinking straight frustrated him even further.

    Although still glowering, Pichu''s shouting quieted, and Ash felt his heart sting upon seeing the dejection on the electric type''s face. The boy bit his lip, hands reaching up to massage his temples.

    "I''m done with this!" he finally screamed tahe rookie turned around and picked up a rock. He needed to vent. "I''ve been waiting for this day my whole life! Why did it have to go like this?!"

    He chucked the rock as hard as he could, aiming at nothing in particular.

    But he did hit something.

    Pichu returned to his side as they gazed at the bird-like figure in the distance.

    Ash squinted his eyes in hopes of making out the species, but they suddenly widened as he realized what he had just done. "Oh crap."

    Spearow were infamous for their vicious behavior. For beginner level standards, they were hard to handle, and dangerous to go up against.

    And Ash had just pissed one off.

    /

    It had happened so fast.

    Arguing one moment, being chased the next. Any and all hostility between one another was quickly forgotten in favor of self-preservation.

    At first, it was just one Spearow, but things quickly began to worsen as more joined in. It wasn''t a full flock by any means, but they were now being chased by a decent few.

    At this point, all Ash wanted was for fate to throw them a bone. He wished this was just a bad dream he could wake up from, but knew how useless it was to dwell on that.

    As the first Spearow had come flying towards them, Ash and Pichu bolted in the other direction, not even bothering to look back at their mutual attacker. Ash wasn''t even sure if they were heading in the direction of Viridian, his mind was too jumbled to tell.

    After a few minutes of nonstop running, Pichu had tripped over a small rock, sending Ash into a panic. As he rushed over to help the mouse, the rookie saw Pichu get up and jump on top of the Spearow''s back. The small electric type had charged up an instinctive Thunder Shock and given the Spearow a good zapping. Unfortunately, this had resulted in the Spearow calling on its friends.

    Thankfully, they didn''t need to worry about an entire flock going after them. A few days ago, they would have, but when Professor Oak had heard reports about a flock of Spearow near Pallet Town, he had driven them off to ensure that they wouldn''t cause any trouble for the soon to be rookie trainers. Unfortunately, there were apparently stragglers.

    Ash didn''t have time to count how mahy there were, but it was obvious that Pichu couldn''t possibly hope to take all of them on at once. Running for dear life was the only option. More frusturation bubbled in his stomach as the day somehow managed to still get even worse, the feeling intensified by the fact it was his fault.

    Unfortunately, he was so caught up in that thought tha the hadn''t even noticed the hill up ahead, a stsrtled cry escaping his lips as he abruptly lost his footing. He could feel the dirt on his face as he painfully tumbled downwards, stopping in front of a tree. Pichu stopped in front of him as he tried to gain his bearings, but there was no time.

    The Spearow were upon them now.

    Before Ash could even stand up, one of them made a break for him, slashing at the boy with its talons. Ash instinctively raised his arm to block, and attempted to strike back, but only got a painful scrape for his efforts.

    Pichu began gathering electricity in his cheeks. The other Spearow didn''t give him the time to charge, however, one of them immediately flying forward to attack.

    "NO!" Ash screamed.

    Ignoring the painful cut on his arm, the boy felt a surge of adrenaline go through him as he stood in front of the small mouse, attempting to bat away the vicious Spearow. Rather than go for a slash, this one dedicated itself to a full-on charge. Ash was knocked down onto his back, Pichu immediately jolting to the side to avoid getting crushed.

    The Spearow seemed more focused on Ash now, but as another one dove towards him before he could get back up, Pichu leapt on top of it and let loose a charged-up Thunder Shock. Ash had to shield his eyes as the close-up electricity began singing his arms. A pained cry escaped his throat, but it was nothing compared to the horrific shriek that the Spearow let loose, grating all the way into the rookie''s eardrums.

    NOW the Spearow were all focused on Pichu again, and Ash could only watch helplessly as he lifted his head to see one of them prying Pichu off of the other Spearow, now painfully clutching the mouse in its talons.

    Before Ash could verbally or physically, the Spearow flew Pichu straight into the tree, letting go just in time to throw the rodent right into the hard, sturdy trunk.

    Ash was panicking now, but before the Spearow could turn their attention back onto him, a series of small streams of fire came out of nowhere in their direction, forcing them to fly out of the way.

    The Spearow hovered in place as Ash turned to see the newcomers.

    A small pack of Growlithe.

    The Spearow had chased Ash and Pichu all the way into their territory.

    Thankfully for Ash, the two groups of Pokemon seemed to feel a lot more threatened by each other than by either of them. As the two groups began to battle it out, Ash hastily scurried back to the tree, scooping up Pichu in his arms and making a break for it.

    He spared only a second to look back at the two quarreling groups of Pokemon, neither seeming to realize or care about his or Pichu''s departure, before speeding up. After crossing a bridge suspended over a decently sized body of water, most likely perfect for fishing or scuba diving, he decided that they had hopefully cleared enough distance between themselves and their attackers. Ash laid Pichu down gently on the grass, finally taking the time to assess the mouse''s injuries.

    Looking at his own arm, Ash could see a small amount of blood coming out, but he chose to focus on Pichu first.

    The mouse was conscious, but seemed to be drifting in and out. No doubt the crash into the tree trunk had given him the worst of it.

    Apart from that, he had some painful cuts on his back, likely from when the Spearow had grabbed him in its talons.

    Ash felt the tears welling up in his eyes, quickly realizing that he''d caused this.

    "Pichuˇ­" He could barely get the words out. "I-I''mˇ­ sorryˇ­" Pichu was looking up at him curiously, as if slightly surprised about the sudden apology.

    He just had to get angry enough to throw that damn rock. He just had to anger that damn Spearow. He just had toˇ­ toˇ­ toˇ­

    Ash viciously shook his head. NO! He had no time for this. He had to help his partner. As the adrenaline wore off, he abruptly realized that the constant running had left him breathing heavily. He only had about the average athletic ability of a ten-year-old boy, compared to Gary''s slightly above average speed and stamina. But he did his best to push that fatigue aside while rummaging through his backpack for something that could heal Pichu. He knew he had packed some potions-

    He paused in horror as he found none.

    For all of the packing that he''d done, he had somehow forgotten to pack healing potions.

    Delia had done a good job teaching her son to never swear out loud, but this time:

    "FUCK!"

    /

    Gary whistled happily as he exited the doors to the Pokemon Center in Viridian City.

    Looking up at the sky, he assumed that the sun would probably be setting in about an hour or so. It also seemed like a storm was coming, but if it didn''t last too long, he''d still try to make his way into Viridian Forest by tonight.

    The thought of sleeping in the Pokemon Center certainly was tempting, but he really did want to cover as much ground as possible.

    How many Pallet Town Trainers could say that they had made it all the way to Viridian Forest on their first ever day as a Trainer? Most stopped at Viridian City by the end of Opening Day, bit that was it.

    But Gary wasn''t them. Gary was better. Much better.

    And before he had even gotten into Viridian City, he had successfully made his first catch of his career as a Pokemon Trainer.

    Gary smiled gleefully at the Poke Ball containing the Bellsprout that he and Squirtle had just recently captured.

    The Type disadvantage hadn''t done much to hinder them, thanks to Squirtle''s shell providing perfect cover against their opponent''s Grass Type Moves, just like before with Pichu''s electricity.

    Gary snorted as he thought back to that fight. What a pitiful way to start out his career. He knew a battle with Ash was going to be disappointing no matter how low that he set his expectations, but that was just a joke.

    Ash was probably still failing right at this very moment.

    /

    Ash couldn''t stop cursing himself. Of all the things he could have forgotten, whi did it have to be...

    He needed to get Pichu to a Pokemon Center. But he didn''t even know if-

    Looking around, he saw a nearby sign pointing to Viridian City. Under any other circumstances, he probably would have been grateful that the chase had led them closer to the city rather than driven them farther, but at this point, he was far too panicked to care. But he needed to get there fast, so he scooped Pichu up and began to run.

    However, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a bike near the shore of the water.

    Had he been in the right state of mind, he probably would have realized that the conveniently placed bike liekly had an owner. Unfortunately, he no longer was.

    /

    About fifteen minutes later, a girl swam to shore, and began removing her scuba diving outfit.

    She was about Ash''s age, had orange hair that was now soaked from her swim, and a yellow starfish like Pokemon trailed behind her.

    "Okay, Staryu. Sorry we couldn''t find anything. But a storm''s coming now, so we should probably get going-" she stopped upon seeing that the bike was no longer where she left it.

    For a good few seconds, she was silent. But then, her voice could probably be heard for miles.

    "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE?!"

    /

    Thunder rumbled throughout the gray clouds in the sky, and the rain pelted Ash as he rode the bike as fast as he could.

    Pichu was laying down in the basket, cheeks sparking as the water falling form the clouds hit him.

    It hadn''t occurred to Ash until a few minutes after taking off that he had probably stolen this bike from somebody; with no way to return it. It was just another screwup to add to today''s list.

    When the storm had hit, Ash''s frustrations only grew. They thankfully weren''t all that far from Viridian, but at this point, it felt like the day was doing whatever it took to be as miserable as possible. Opening Day was supposed to be a special day for all newcomers, something that they would remember for the rest of their lives, but Ash was hoping that he would forget this by tomorrow.

    The rain had started out as a light drizzle, before progressing a little bit; thankfully never reaching the point of an outright downpour, but certainly more than enough to be uncomfortable. The thunder was only at a low rumble, so Ash''s ears thankfully weren''t in too much pain. Nevertheless, it was a constant annoyance, and reminded Ash of how much he hated being outside during storms.

    He had to be careful to avoid the puddles that were slowly building up on the road. One slip up, and they could-

    It wasn''t a puddle that did him in.

    Ash hadn''t taken into account the ledge that he was about to ride the bike over, and the sudden fall caused him to lose his balance.

    Pichu went flying out of the basket just before the bike skidded into a tree, the front wheel breaking off upon impact.

    Ash tumbled across the ground yet again, feeling more scrapes and bruises piling up as a result. Pichu was much luckier, thanks to the bushes that he landed in cushioning the impact of his fall.

    Ash felt the tears coming again, this time mixed with the rain, but did his best to shake them off. Now was not the time. He could see the city from here. They were right there. He could cry later.

    Getting up, he tried to hold back his tears while doing his best to dust himself off, before making his way over to Pichu, taking out the mouse''s Poke Ball.

    Lightly tapping the small orb against his starter''s forehead, he watched as the Poke Ball opened up and sucked Pichu inside.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Looking towards the city ahead, Ash quickly broke into a run.

    /

    Viridian City was one of Indigo''s many large, urban areas, complete with tall buildings and large populations, and although it didn''t match Celadon in scope, it was still quite imposing in its own right.

    Of course, it was also known as the home of Giovanni, one of Indigo''s most revered Gym Leaders.

    With a reputation rivaled by few of the same position, Giovanni was feared by nearly every Indigo Trainer, rookie and experienced alike. Although this was the first city that Ash had reached which contained a Gym, the boy knew for a fact that he wouldn''t even think of challenging Giovanni, even if his situation wasn''t as blatantly awful as it was. Giovanni was where Viridian got its big name from.

    It was dark out now, approaching the early evening hours as the rainclouds continued to block out the sky. Ash''s clothes were drenched, but he could deal with that later. For now, he just needed to reach the Pokemon Center.

    He probably would have felt intimidated by the large scope of the city, and the surprisingly large crowd of people for such a rainy night. This was, after all, his first time in a big city. However, none of that was on Ash''s mind at this point, and he didn''t care how many curious eyes potentially gazed upon him as he ran through the city.

    /

    Pokemon Centers were always quite big. They doubled not only as medical centers for Pokemon to be healed and treated at exceptionally fast rates (all but the most dire of injuries and conditions could be treated in as short as a day or two, sometimes even less, making them an absolute necessity for the Indigo Conference to continue proceeding at a decent pace) but also as hotels for Pokemon Trainers to stay at. Funded by whatever League in charge of the respective Region, their services were completely free of charge, and a lifesaver for trainers all over the world.

    However, the Pokemon Centers in the major cities took this to the next level. Even in his stressed out state, Ash still couldn''t help but gawk at the gigantic size of the building as he slowed to a walk practically involuntarily.

    It towered over everything in its surrounding area, demanding to be the main attraction, standing several stories high, and was unspeakably wide. Given the number of patients that the Pokemon Centers in the major cities got, not to mention the amount of trainers that often stayed over every night, it made sense for the unspeakable size.

    Of course, given that it was Opening Day, Ash wasn''t expecting the place to be very busy. Any trainers that started out in Viridian will have already headed out into the infamous Viridian Forest, the largest forest in the Region that struck fear into the hearts of most rookie trainers for its vast, labyrinth like layout, not to mention the rumors of it being haunted and the stories of how it drove trainers to insanity with its complex, unpredictable layout.

    This Season, Viridian had seen ninety nine rookie Trainers. Ash didn''t envy them for having to start out their adventure in such a widely feared place, especially since he would most likely be going there tomorrow.

    It suddenly occurred to Ash that Gary might be at the Center, which made his stomach churn, but now was not the time for that.

    Breaking into a run yet again, Ash made his way through the automatic doors.

    /

    Ash had never been to a Pokemon Center before, but this would be the first of many visits, and despite being aware of how often he would need them, even he would underestimate the amount of time he would end up spending in these places, just in his first Season on its own.

    The place was veryˇ­ clean. To the point of being spotless. Famous for their maintenance, Pokemon Centers offered an unrivaled level of comfort and hospitality for trainers everywhere. Most trainers were left foaming at the mouth at the idea of just being in these buildings, given the amount of time that they would inevitably spend braving the harsh, unforgiving outside world.

    It was a somewhat welcoming feeling for Ash as the stressed out boy made his way to the lobby. The expression on his face was still glum, nevertheless.

    As he had expected, the lobby was almost completely vacant of Trainers. Potted plants stood on the shelves, and he spotted a few Chansey conversing in the corner, but no humans.

    Opening Day was one of the few times of the year when one could genuienly expect a Center to not be busy. Most of the other times took place during the break period between the Conference and Opening Day, along with the Conference itself (as most of the work that Centers saw took place only at Indigo Plateau''s Pokemon Center where the Conference was being held, with Pokemon occasionally being transferred to other Centers if needed, while Trainers not competing at the Conference would most often be watching instead of doing any serious training or battling). In just a few days time, Ash imagined that this lobby would be filled with Trainers. But for now, it seemed like it was just him.

    Ash made his way to the counter on the other side of the lobby. Nobody was there at the moment, likely because of the probably slowness of work. Despite the highly demanding job, Ash couldn''t help but wonder how bored Nurse Joy and her staff were at times like this. Between the overwhelming busy periods they most often saw, and the slow periods such as this one, the job certainly wasn''t for everyone. They would either be worked to the bone or bored out of their minds. Rarely ever in between.

    Arriving at the counter and adjusting his cap, Ash pressed the button at the side, signaling that there was somebody waiting for service.

    It took only a few moments for the pink haired woman to step through the door at the other side of the counter. Initially, her signature smile adorned her features, but was quickly replaced with a frown upon seeing Ash''s appearance.

    Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were an odd case. All of them were related, and looked nearly identical most of the time. Ash wasn''t sure how that worked, but tried not to focus too much on that.

    "Dear me." Nurse Joy spoke in a voice that was filled with soothing compassion. Ash already felt his nerves easing up a bit as she talked. Given that Pokemon Centers were supposed to provide comfort and assistance to any trainer, Nurse Joy was certainly perfect for her job, in more ways than just medical aspects. "What happened to you?"

    "My Pichu was injured in an encounter with a group of Spearow." Ash took a moment to find his words. "We just came from Pallet Town." he watched as she typed some things down on the keyboard.

    "I see. I guess Professor Oak must have missed a few. Can I see your Pokedex? I need to verify your Trainer info, but it should only take a moment." Ash quickly complied, handing her the red device.

    "Here you go." he slightly squeaked out his words.

    "Thanks." Joy replied, placing it in a special slot. She watched as the information appeared on her screen. "Let''s seeˇ­ your name is Ash Ketchum, you''re from Pallet Town, which is also where you received your License. You received your License today, and currently your only Pokemon is Pichu, your starter. Male gender. This is all correct, right?"

    Ash nodded. "Yes."

    She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Even the look in her eyes provided him with some comfort. "Okay, just give me your Pichu and we''ll take care of him. We only have one other patient tonight, so it shouldn''t be long." Ash nodded and handed her Pichu''s Poke Ball. "Are you staying here tonight?"

    Another nod. "Yes."

    Nurse Joy was typing again. "Okay, I''ll assign you a room. We only have one other person staying here tonight. A girl about your age."

    Ash blinked. Did that mean Gary wasn''t here? Was he already going out in the forest? Maybe it was because the storm wasn''t that bad? Or was he just trying to test himself?

    Nurse Joy sighed. "I don''t envy all the rookies who are staying in the forest tonight. Granted, the storm is supposed to die down in a couple of hours. A young boy about your age even asked me about it earlier."

    Oh, so that must have been Gary, Ash presumed to himself.

    "It''s not like the rain is the only thing to worry about when you''re in the forest." Ash pointed out.

    Nurse Joy nodded. "True. Especially with thoseˇ­ troublemakers running the place."

    She must have been talking about the Bug Catcher Gang, a group of trainers in Viridian Forest who practically dedicated themselves to making the lives of anybody who "trespassed" a living hell.

    Joy spoke up again. "If you want, we can have our staff take a look at you as well." she stated, clearly taking note of his cuts and bruises."

    Ash nodded. "Thanks for your help."

    "Of course. Please make yourself at home. All trainers are welcome for however long they wish."

    With that, the kind nurse turned around and walked through a pair of doors, leaving Ash on his own again.

    /

    Ash was given bandages for his cuts after the staff thankfully determined that he wasn''t infected. Just in case, they also applied ointment as an extra precaution, and gave him a container to take with him just in case he needed it later on. Afterwards, he made his way to the bathroom and changed his clothes.

    He had packed a few sets of clothes just in case he needed them. Thankfully, the storage technology of the League allowed a trainer''s backpack to store more than it looked like it could (apparently utilizing very similar technology to that of a Poke Ball) but it still had its limits, so Ash packed as lightly as he could get away with, just in case. With more money, he may be able to invest in a backpack with upgraded storage at some point, but for now he had more than enough room.

    After making his way out of the bathroom, he exited the lobby and made his way into the waiting room.

    He had been told that Pichu''s injuries, while not completely minor, were still not serious enough to stir up too much concern. His partner had minor infections from where he had received his cuts, but the healing technology would be more than enough to take care of him within a couple of hours, along with an antidote or two.

    Ash was more than grateful and relieved to hear that his starter would be okay, but it only lifted his mood in the moment, quickly overtaken by the day as a whole.

    Where had the time gone? It was already 8:00 PM. They said that time flies when you''re having fun, but apparently fun wasn''t a requirement. He had been miserable for this long.

    Looking around the waiting room, he noticed that the majority of the walls were made of glass, allowing him to see outside into the city. This part of the Pokemon Center wasn''t part of the majority of the building that had stories, instead jutting out a little bit. As a result, there were no floors above it, and the ceiling, which was still quite a bit high above, was made out of glass. On most nights, Ash imagined that it would provide the people in the waiting room with a fantastic view of the starry night sky. But tonight, all Ash could see were raindrops and clouds.

    The room was notably spacious, with a few tables and more potted plants. A bunch of cushioned chairs outlined the walls, along with shelves that housed magazines and books.

    On one end of the waiting room, Ash saw a purple haired girl sitting in a chair. Seemingly immersed in the magazine she was reading, her posture was shockingly perfect. This was probably the other trainer staying at the Center tonight. Which meant their other patient was probably one of her Pokemon.

    Ash imagined that a good few trainers would pass the time with conversation, but he wasn''t in the mood. Given that it mostly came in the form of Gary and his lackeys, his track record with people his age was less than pleasing anyway. He had never been satisfied with it, wishing to become more sociable, but tonight, he wasn''t going to take the risk; it took an amount of courage he wasn''t in the mood to work up. The girl seemed to be doing just fine anyway.

    On the other side of the room, he noticed a set of video phones outlining the walls, and an idea suddenly came to his mind.

    There was one person that he was willing to talk to right now.

    /

    Viridian City was quiet tonight. Not many Trainers around, most people were heading home. Opening Day had been eventful, but now the festivities had finally died down.

    But some people wanted to keep the excitement going.

    Or, in this case, just two people. High in the sky was a large, hot air balloon, the shape of a Meowth. Two figures looked down on the city from the balloon, rising above even the tallest of the buildings in the city.

    "Take a look at this." said the man, handing the poster to the woman. "It looks like a wanted poster."

    "Blech." said the woman. "Whoever took this picture certainly captured the real you, but I can''t truthfully say that the photographer did the same thing for me. This isn''t what I look like at all."

    "Of course not, you look even worse."

    "Oh?"

    "I''m talking about evil, not appearances."

    "Of course."

    The man smirked. "So they want to downplay our capabilities forthe public to see, huh? Well, we''ll see who has the last laugh once we have completed our self-appointed mission."

    "Yes, of course." said the woman chillingly. "Did they think that we wouldn''t see the files? We know exactly what''s at Viridian''s Pokemon Center tonight. And soon, it will all be ours for the taking."

    The man kneeled down to pet the cat-like Pokemon that standing in between them. "Just tonight, in one hour." he said with a grin as he petted the Pokemon.

    The woman snarled gleefully. "The people of Viridian City will probably recognize our faces a lot more by the time we''re done."

    /

    Ash made his way to the video phone and dialed his house''s number. After few brief moments of waiting, a familiar voice sounded from the other side. "Hello? This is the Ketchum residence."

    "Hi, mom, this is Ash."

    The squeal from the other end had him removing the phone from his ear, suddenly wishing he had set the device to speaker.

    Delia''s face appeared on the screen. "Ash! So you did make it there in one day! How are you?"

    Ash frowned. "I''mˇ­ not great."

    Delia was frowning back now. "Has anything gone wrong?"

    Ash did his best not to cry in front of his mother, but thankfully, the tears weren''t coming just yet. "Pichu and I have been getting along horribly. I accidentally provoked some wild Pokemon, and now he''s injured. They said he''ll be okay, butˇ­"

    Delia silenced her son with a raised hand. A look fo understanding passed over her face as she listened to him, but her expression had turned serious. "Ash, you''re just starting out. It''s fine. Not every trainer is going to hit it off with their starter on day one. And you headed to the Center for treatment, so that was the right thing to do." her voice was comforting, at least as much as Nurse Joy''s. Ash never found more solace in anybody than his mother.

    The problem was, she was always the one comforting him. At times it felt like she was just saying what it took to make him feel better, butwords like "Ash, you''re just starting out." weren''t what Ash was looking for right now. They were certainly true, but his subconscious had no intention of allowing him to see or understand that.

    Regretting even bringing it up, he decided to change the subject.

    "How are things back at home right now, mom?"

    Delia seemed startled by the change of subject, but still responded. "We''re doing fine. Trucy''s grandparents told me she won''t stop talking about how much of a great trainer you''re going to be." she smiled. "She really looks up to you, you know."

    Trucyˇ­ ever since he and Delia had been asked to babysit her, just over a year ago, she had grown so attached to him. Apparently she thought that he was "cool". Ash certainly didn''t see it, but hearing it come from her mouth had always sent a surge of warmth through his chest.

    Disappointing her was one of the last things that he wanted to do. It was almost as bad as the thought of disappointing his mother.

    "And what about the teachers?"

    Delia''s lips curved up a bit more. "They have high hopes for both you and Gary. Brittany has placed a million dollar bet that both of you are going to make it to the Conference on your first try. Nobody took her up on it, because they all agree."

    "Does she even have that kind of money?"

    "Who knows? She''s unpredictable."

    That was certainly true. Brittany''s classes were always the hardest to set expectations for, but that''s part of why she was considered so fun.

    So they thought he and Gary would make the Conference? On their first year, no less? Ash wanted to feel honored, but it just reminded him that there were more people that he was in danger of disappointing now.

    As mother and son talked for about fifteen minutes, Ash felt his nerves ease up from his mom''s beautiful voice. The conversation went many places in just a short amount of time, from Brittany''s antics, to Professor Oak being a work-a-holic, to Delia''s teaching training.

    All good things must come to an end, though, as even with Ash out of the house, Delia was a busy woman. Before either knew it, they were parting ways again.

    "Goodnight, son. I love you, and remember, I''ll always welcome you with open arms back at home."

    Ash nodded, feeling misty eyed for the upteenth time tonight. "You too, mom. Thanks."

    And with that, he was alone again. He made his way to a far end of the waiting room, but before he could, Nurse Joy entered and approached him.

    "I have good news, Mr. Ketchum. Your Pichu is going to be healing sooner than expected. It should probably be about thirty minutes." He offered thanks as she left.

    That was good news. Even if the night was still awful, at the very least, he could try to make amends just a little bit sooner.

    If Pichu even talked to him at this point, of course.

    Ash felt himself sinking into the cushion of the chair as he plopped down on it. If he was in a better mood, he probably would have reveled in the newfound comfort. The chair certainly felt quite good. But with his conversation with Delia over, Ash felt the depression slowly coming back to him. He wasn''t sure how to deal with it at this point, he didn''t feel like reading.

    But, at the very least, his mom had provided him with a brief moment of reprieve.

    From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the girl glancing at him a couple of times, but didn''t think much of it, taking a deep breath whilst trying to enjoy the relaxing seat. Keeping track of the clock, he sat there for fifteen minutes, occasionally looking up at the glass ceiling, only to see the rain clouds in response.

    The drizzle was still going, but at least the thunder had stopped.

    He wanted to start thinking about what he was going to say to Pichu once the mouse had recovered, but couldn''t come up with anything significant.

    How do you apologize for something like that?

    Ash didn''t notice the footsteps approaching him as these thoughts went through his mind.

    "Hey."

    Slightly startled, Ash looked up and blinked when he saw the purple haired girl standing near him. He hadn''t noticed her come over, but now that she was closer, he had a better look at her.

    Really, purple was practically her theme. Although she wore black for her pants and shirt, her vest was purple. As was her backpack. Her eyes were purple too. So were her shoes. It went along perfectly with the color of her hair, which was tied into a spiky ponytail, which Ash had never seen before. Had his mind not been in the place it was, he likely would''ve found her quite pretty. She was definitely in the same age group as him, likely another rookie.

    "Hi." he spoke uncertainly, hoping his tone didn''t sound rude. "Need something?"

    "I was wondering if you did." the girl replied, taking a seat in the chair next to him.

    "What do you mean?" Ash asked.

    "I''ve noticed you since you came in." she replied. Her eye contact was perfect, her gaze finding its way to his with no wasted time. There was something Ash couldn''t quite place about her tone; an air of what should''ve felt like stoicism... but did it? It was replicated in her eyes as well, they weren''t cold or unsettling, yet betrayed nothing. "Please forgive me for prying, but you seem pretty down."

    Was she actuallyˇ­ concerned for him? Back in Pallet Town, Gary and his buddies would have just shot a sneer his way if they saw him in a depressed mood. Meanwhile, this girl was a total stranger.

    "Iˇ­" None of the words came to him; he shouldn''t be venting his troubles to someone he''s never met. He didn''t want to drag her into his business, and yetˇ­ the way she was talking to him almost felt like an invitation to do so. Like she wanted to helpˇ­ or, at the very least, wanted to hear him. "My day has just been bad, that''s all."

    She frowned. "Is it your starter?"

    Ash''s eyes widened. "Huh?" Was it really that obvious?

    "My starter and I spent the first two hours or so of the day bickering nonstop. We''re friends now, but it was coming to anˇ­ understanding."

    Ash frowned. So this girl got off to a bad start with her starter tooˇ­ and resolved whatever issue they had in two hours. That put him and Pichu to shame for sure.

    Sighing, he looked away from her. "He and I have had an equally awful day..." He paused again. Should he really be giving her the details? He hadn''t had this kind of talk with somebody his age before, having normally opened up to adults when going through something troubling. Still, the fact that she had essentially offered was a first... and felt tempting. "We botched our first battle... really badly. Next thing I knew, we couldn''t stop butting heads. Just constant disagreement, like we couldn''t stand each other. Then I lost my temper and accidentally provoked a wild Pokemon that we weren''t ready to fight yet. The only reason we got out of that is because our attackers got sidetracked fighting another group. Now my Pichu is injured and it''s all because of me, because I kept digging myself deeper for the entire day."

    As he finished, he was suddenly... surprised at how much he said. Before he knew it, it had all just come out. Hopefully he hadn''t scared her away...

    Looking over at her, she was still firmly planted in her seat. For a moment, her frown had grown... sympathetic? It was a look he didn''t see from most peers in Pallet, although her neutral expression was back as though it had never left, once again giving off a sense that he couldn''t quite read... was mystique the right word for her?

    She shifted in her seat a bit, presumably to get more comfortable-was she actually staying to talk to him?- and locked eyes with him once more. "I''mˇ­ sorry to hear that."

    There it was again. Sympathy. Just like how Delia and his teachers always gave him. But it feltˇ­ differentˇ­ coming from a kid his age. He imagined most of his peers from home would likely say something akin to, "Gary warned you that you would suck at this!" It almost feltˇ­ abnormal.

    Yet he couldn''t help but feel like his shoulders had gotten lighter. The fact it was from someone in his own age group, technically a peer due to them both being rookies... it felt different than an adult sympathizing with him as usual.

    The girl crossed her arms. There was a gentler layer to how she spoke, yet her tone was composed, completely professional. He wasn''t sure if he''d ever heard someone his age talking like this before, but it almost felt upper class. "Tell meˇ­ do you know how often rookies struggle with their starters on the first few days of the Season?"

    Ash blinked. "What do you mean?"

    "Sixty five percent." she said blankly.

    He blinked. "Wait, that much?!"

    She smiled at him. Not a smirk, like that insufferable look always plastered on Gary''s face, or the condescending expressions often offered by the Oak boy''s peers. it was a neutral grin.

    "You''re not wrong to be upset, but most newcomers are probably going through the same things you are right now." she said. "I''m just one of the lucky ones, and even I had a rough couple of hours. It''s not shameful."

    Ash scratched the back of his head, not too sure how to respond. If she put it that way... was he really getting too worked up? "Ummmˇ­ thanks."

    The girl leaned back in her seat a bit. "Listen, I think you should try and see if your starter wants to start over. Today never happened, like a reset button. Let Pichu know that this is not what you want. You two are partners, right? Rather than just saying it, try to get a clean slate with your Pokemon. It worked for my aunt when she and her Oddish spent the first two days of their journey arguing with each other."

    Starting overˇ­

    For a moment, her grin lit up. "Just think about it, okay? This is the first day of the season. You have nearly a year to come back from this, so you shouldn''t let how you start out define you."

    That had him thinking back to Professor Oak. The genius Pokemon Researcher who was apparently a below average student growing up... the thought was still surreal.

    "...Thanks." he said slowly. "That means a lot." It really had, and Ash wasn''t sure if she realized.

    She hadn''t said a ton, but that same encouragement from the adults in his lifeˇ­ felt ten times stronger coming from somebody in his own, actual age group. Someone who was also starting out.

    "Father says that all trainers are rivals, but not enemies." she replied cooly, shifting to look ahead for a moment. As though a switch had been flipped, that almost stoic, unreadable aura was back. "Competing with each other and helping each other reach our true potential both go hand in hand."

    That philosophy was... he hadn''t heard it before, but it made sense.

    Deciding to take a leap of faith, Ash spoke up again. He was almost hesitant trying to make conversation, but she had proven that she was willing to talk.

    "Soˇ­ are you from Viridian? I thought all the Trainers here would have headed into the forest by now."

    She shook her head. "No, I''m actually from Fuchsia."

    Ash''s eyes widened. "Butˇ­ that''s-"

    "Far away, I know." the girl leaned forward a bit. "My home territory isn''t known for being beginner friendly, so after settling my differences with my Starter, made our first catch, and had a battle with another trainer, I paid the League''s teleporting service to bring me out here."

    Ash nodded. It made sense. Certain places in Indigo were known for not being beginner friendly. The most common rookie hotspots were Celadon, Viridian, and especially Cerulean. Ash didn''t know much about Johto''s training environment, or the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands, but he did know that Fuchsia in Kanto and Blackthorn in Johto both had a reputation for NOT being the preferred places for newcomer trainers to be hanging out. The wilds outside of the city borders were teeming with ferocious, hard to control Pokemon, many of which were very strong. They were also known for being very popular training hotspots for the pros to hone their skills.

    Cerulean, to his knowledge, was THE most rookie friendly place to be in all of Indigo. There was a reason that that city''s Gym received the most early Season challengers. And that was despite the city not being quite as big or populated as Vermillion, or, above all else, Celadon or Saffron.

    Thankfully, the League had a clever solution for the "not rookie friendly" problems that certain places in Indigo had. Most places that weren''t considered ideal places for rookies to be offered a teleporting service within the first day or so of the Season, usually exclusive to Opening Day. These would allow trainers to be teleported anywhere of their choosing, not just in the Region, but in Indigo in general, usually to a place that was considered more suitable for rookies to be. For a fee, of course.

    Apparently, plenty of Blackthorn rookies would head right on over to Cerulean on their first days as a trainer, all thanks to the League.

    Some of the League''s approaches sparked disagreement among the training community; Some people disagreed with the concept of a Seasonal approach, as it meant that children who turned ten years old after Opening Day would have to wait almost a whole year just to receive their license. Some people disagreed with the concept of regulating foreign Pokemon, which was often viewed as an attempt to limit teambuilding variety. The teleportation service wasn''t among those controversies, viewed as a total positive in every way.

    "Soˇ­what''s it like in Fuchsia?" he asked weakly, doing his best to hold the conversation ''She''s a lot better at this than me.''

    To his surprise, she was positively beaming at his question. It was almost like another switch had been flipped. "Fuchsia is great! It''s really dangerous outside of the city''s borders, but the city itself has always been harmonious with nature. It''s a beautiful place to live." Her response reminded Ash of his realization regarding Pallet this morning. He''d spent all his life just viewing it as... the place he lived, but this girl spoke of her native home with pride to spare. "Father is actually aˇ­ League Official there, so I''mˇ­ more known there than I''d care to admit."

    Ash frowned. "You don''t like the attention?" Gary would be laughing his ass off. Not that he cared. He liked this girl way better than Gary.

    She frowned slightly. "I enjoy it to a degree, but there''s a lot of expectation accompanying it. Father''s known to everyone back at home, so when his daughter passed the exam..." She looked down at her lap. "They''re good people."

    Blinking, Ash pictured Gary for a moment. As Professor Oak''s grandson, he was always held in high regard back in Pallet. Everyone thought-knew that he was destined to be great. And he did everything he could to revel in that, not even trying to be humble, but this girl...

    "Fuchsia is a very traditional city." she continued, switching back to the previous subject. "I''m not sure what you''re into, but if you like culture, we have no shortage."

    "Of course you do." he nodded with a grin. "It''s said to be the birthplace of Indigo''s first leader. It''s not where the Empire started, but it''s certainly important."

    She nodded back. "Before I was even old enough to go to school, father did everything he could to hammer our history into my brain. Part of the reason why I chose Viridian as my first place to go to was because of what I''ve learned about the rest of Indigo. Since Pewter is where the empire officially had its start, I thought it would be fitting to get my first badge from there. The trek through the forest would hopefully give me time to catch another Pokemon and train for the Gym." she frowned slightly. "Unfortunately, I encountered a Weedle almost right after entering the forest. I captured it, but my two Pokemon fought too roughly, and it was badly injured. So, I had to rush all the way back here to get it treated."

    So her new Weedle was the other patient in the Center right now. But that would mean thatˇ­

    Ash frowned. "You captured two Pokemon on your first dayˇ­"

    She shrugged humbly. "I was pretty lucky."

    Gary would have never handwaved overachieving as "luck".

    She crossed her arms. "So, where are you from?"

    For a moment, Ash was slightly surprised. She wanted to know about him now. "Pallet Town."

    Her eyes lit up. "Professor Oak''s home. What''s that like?"

    Next thing Ash knew, he was telling her his own stories.

    Mingling with somebody his age, no determined subject, just allowing themselves to go wherever the conversation takes them. All of a sudden, he wanted to meet more of his fellow trainers.

    /

    The hot air balloon floated directly above the center as the two figures raised their Poke Balls.

    "Have you hacked into the security systems?" asked the man.

    "Already told you I was planning to do it." said the woman.

    Behind them, the cat-like Pokemon sharpened its claws.

    With full force, they chucked their Poke Balls directly downwards towards the ceiling of the waiting room. Which, thankfully for them, was made of glass.

    "EKANS! KOFFING! ATTACK!"

 With Big Intentions pt 2

    It had all happened so fast.

    One moment, Ash''s night was suddenly looking a lot brighter. Pichu would be good to go again soon, which meant that he could take this girl''s advice. And although they had just met, and she was fairly hard to figure out, he felt his words coming to him more easily as the interaction progressed. It was a casual talk that went wherever they wanted; in passing, he had even found out that she had turned ten months after the previous Season began, and was therefore among those who had to wait the extra year to receive her license (which she surprisingly seemed less than bothered by, completely accepting).

    But just as he was in the middle of telling her about how Professor Oak and his Electrode had cleared out almost an entire flock of Spearow, the glass ceiling suddenly shattered, making way not only for the drizzle from the rainclouds, but the two Poke Balls crashing through. Ash and the girl covered their heads with startled screams as the glass from the ceiling fell to the floor.

    Nurse Joy came bolting into the waiting room, Pichu right behind her. He looked like he was in tip top shape again, which would have brought Ash great relief otherwise, but everyone was now focused on the Poke Balls in the middle of the waiting room.

    "What is going o-" Joy began as the Poke Balls suddenly opened up.

    Out of the light emerged two hostile Pokemon.

    One of them was a large, purple and yellow snake. An Ekans.

    The other was a large, floating purple-ball like Pokemon with smoke pouring out of the holes in its body. A Koffing.

    Suddenly the smoke increased and engulfed the room. Everybody began covering their mouths and coughing as the girl asked the obvious question:

    "WHAT IS THIS?!"

    "Don''t be frightened, children." came a female voice that sent chills down Ash''s spine.

    "Allow us to introduce ourselves." the voice of a sophisticated yet condescending man filled the boy''s ears moments later.

    "To protect the world from devastationˇ­"

    "To unite all people within our nation."

    "To denounce the evil of truth and love."

    "To extend our reach to the stars above."

    The girl''s face was pale now. "No.."

    Ash looked over to her nervously. "What do you mean?''

    "Team Rocket hacked into Fuchsia''s air waves just a few days ago. They had this speech playing on the radio and broadcasted it across the area as some odd propaganda."

    Now Ash''s face was pale. "TEAM ROCKET?!"

    The terrorist organization of rebels that threatened to ruthlessly tear down the Indigo League''s very structure. They were known to kill indiscriminately, even Pokemon and children. A danger to everyone.

    The smoke cleared up, revealing a woman with long red hair, and a man with blue hair. In between them was a cat-like Pokemon that Ash immediately recognized as a Meowth.

    Their uniforms weren''t black like the majority of the organization was, they were white.

    But the giant, blood red R that struck fear into the hearts of nearly every citizen in Indigo, was right there to be seen by everyone.

    And with that, Ash was in hell again.

    "My name is Jessie." said the red haired woman.

    "And you can call me James." said the blue haired man.

    Nurse Joy immediately put herself in front of Ash and the girl, arms stretched out like a shield. Pichu was holding onto Ash''s leg, trying not to be seen.

    "What do you want?" Nurse Joy snarled. Even when she was angry and scared, her voice still felt somewhat soothing... or maybe Ash was just trying to grasp the slightest bit of comfort.

    Jessie crossed her arms. "You don''t need to ask that.

    James sneered. "We''re here for the Pokemon."

    Ash clenched his fists, although his knees were shaking. "You''re not getting my-"

    "Don''t let your ego get the best of you." Jessie mocked. "We''re not interested in whatever bottom-rate pipsqueaks that you day-one rookieshave stashed away."

    James nodded his head, his hair bopping along with him. "Yes, of course. Team Rocket demands only rare and valuable Pokemon for our cause."

    "You''re wasting your time." Nurse Joy was sweating, but her voice remained professional and composed. Or was that just what Ash wanted to think? "This place is for weak and injured Pokemon. And you''ve come on a very slow day, so there is very little for you to steal."

    "Lying? In front of children?" Jessie snorted. "How professional of you, nurse. Showing your true colors I presume?"

    James stepped forward, causing the group to step back in caution. "We already know your secret. Tonight, the Pokemon Center in Viridian City is housing numerous foreign dragon type Pokemon, including a mighty Kommo-o strong enough to hang with the best that the Elite Four has to offer. It''s being raised by the Sinnoh Champion, correct? THAT is what we are looking for. Hand over the lizards, or else."

    Nurse Joy''s brow furrowed. "We aren''t-"

    "Don''t lie to us." Jessie took a step forward now, triggering anotehr step back from the group. "We''ve seen the reports."

    "You must be mistaken! This Center doesn''t have-"

    "She''s lying again, Jessie." said James.

    Suddenly, the girl took a step forward. "I don''t know what you two are thinking right now. You''ve attacked a League facility with just two people and three Pokemon. You''re the ones who should be scared."

    She was keeping it together better than Ash, but he still noticed that her knees were slightly shaking as well.

    Jessie scoffed. "Pfft, everybody knows that Pokemon Center security is at its lowest on Opening Day."

    "Viridian City has the second strongest police force in Kanto. And they''ll be here any minute."

    "You seem to have a lot of faith in the League. A shame." the man flicked his hair. "Team Rocket merely fights to put an end to the unjust tyranny of the Indigo empire. They think they are so special, monopolizing two major Regions and two sets of islands under their despicable banner. There was a time when human society operated independently, without the bindings of government oppressing humanity''s primal nature. This "unity" the past has been replaced with is just an artificial, manmade craft promoted under the facade of so-called ''order.'' What a joke."

    The girl''s voice suddenly became dangerous. "Do not insult my father''s work-"

    "You cannot say that their practices are not absurd." Jessie suddenly cut in. "Although I suppose you were raised to see the Indigo banner''s hold on your home turf as ''natural''."

    For a moment, a startled Ash could have sworn he saw the purple-haired girl''s face darken. "And what''s the ''natural'' you are referring too? Back before the League''s time, when it was every territory for itself, this land was plagued with never-ending disputes and infighting between each of its territories. It was nothing but turmoil, conflict with no resolution. The League''s formation brought all of us together and ended that chaos. ''Human nature'' doesn''t have a singular definition, it evolves, and for society''s benefit."

    James crossed his arms. "A pity. It seems she has already been brainwashed by the system. Such a shame. Shall we put her out of her misery, Jessie?"

    Jessie cackled. "You need to open your eyes to the bigger picture, kids. I suppose you support their xenophobia towards foreign Pokemon, too? Anything the League''s empire feeds you is just a bunch of drivel to romanticize their own control over-"

    "Don''t listen to them, you two!" Nurse Joy shouted. "Team Rocket likes to do this! They prey on trainers, especially rookies, to turn them against the League!" she pointed at the two grunts. "What these two speak of is not freedom, it''s anarchy!"

    Ash''s brow furrowed. Out of all of Indigo''s territories, Viridian was consistently the one with the highest number of protests against the Indigo League''s more controversial practices. Could Team Rocket be using that to their advantage?

    The girl frowned, a cold bitterness in her voice. "Like it or not, there is a reason why most Leagues followed Indigo and Sinnoh by example. It''s how we found peace."

    James took a battle stance. "It doesn''t matter what excuses you regurgitate."

    Jessie took her own. "Team Rocket''s destiny is to crush the League''s banner."

    "STARTING WITH THE THREE OF YOU!" Ekans and Koffing charged forward.

    "RUN! NOW!" screamed Nurse Joy.

    The trio of humans, along with Pichu, dashed into the next room, but the girl suddenly stopped.

    "I''ll hold them off!" she shouted as their attackers followed them through the door.

    "WHAT?!" Ash screeched. "But these are-"

    Before he could get another word out, the girl took out two Poke Balls and activated him. Out of the light emerged two Pokemon that Ash immediately recognized.

    One was a small, quadruped, dinosaur like Pokemon with a bulb on its back. A Bulbasaur.

    The other was a small bat that flapped its wings in place while in midair. A Zubat.

    The girl knelt down and patted her Bulbasaur on the head. It closed its eyes with a smile and let out a satisfied grumble.

    "These two are Poison Type Pokemon. That makes them immune to the status ailments that Ekans and Koffing can inflict upon us. I''m the best one to take them on."

    "You can''t fight them alone!" Nurse Joy protested.

    "It''s the best we can do right now!"

    "But-" Ash started.

    "Just go!"

    Ash and Joy retreated farther into the Center with Pichu in tow.

    They arrived in a room in a different part of the Center, where Joy immediately made her way to a computer and keyboard.

    "This is where this Center keeps some of its automatic healing machines." she explained to an equally curious Ash and Pichu. "Her Weedle is the only other patient that we have right now. I''m transferring it to Pewter to keep it safe. They aren''t much more busy than we are, so they can finish up its treatment there."

    Ash nodded, but his frustration distracted him as he clenched his fists. That girl was willing to fight Team Rocket head on, and they were just hidingˇ­

    /

    Her eyes remained fixated on the fight.

    Bulbasaur had engaged Koffing, continuously firing off Razor Leaf, which the Koffing would either tank or deflect with its Poison Gas.

    Zubat was flying around Ekans, who was snapping away at the bat-like Pokemon, trying and failing to catch it in its mouth. Whenever Zubat saw an opening, it would bite down on the back of Ekans with Bite, usually its neck.

    So far, it was a stalemate. Neither side was doing anything decisive, and she needed to change that.

    Team Rocket''s delusional rhetoric was a danger to everything their society had accomplished over nearly the past four centuries. A goal to destroy its overarching foundations, and revert everything back to the chaotic mess the land once was.

    She wouldn''t let them, certainly not a couple of thugs.

    "Bulbasaur! Wrap Koffing up with Vine Whip!"

    Bulbasaur complied, latching his vines onto Koffing and attempting to pull the rotund poison type towards it.

    James growled. "Fight back, Koffing! Don''t let that runt beat you!"

    Koffing pulled back against Bulbasaur''s pull. Despite the grass type''s best efforts, he found himself himself struggling against opphis onent, the grass type''s feet sliding against the floor as he struggled to get a firm footing against the Koffing''s pull.

    The Koffing opened its mouth, producing a stream of Sludge.

    "Tackle, Bulbasaur!" the girl called out.

    Abandoning its vines, her friend charged forward. The Sludge struck the spot on the floor where Bulbasaur was just a few moments ago, just as he jumped into the air and slammed himself head first into the Koffing''s face.

    The Koffing was sent reeling back from the impact, landing on the floor in front of a frusturated James, who began stamping his left foot on the floor.

    "Get up, Koffing! We can''t lose to a rookie!"

    "I haven''t even been a trainer for a full day yet! And you''re still struggling against me!" the girl was starting to feel exasperated. "The police are probably entering the Center by now! You really didn''t think this through, did you?"

    "Can it, brat!" Jessie spat back as Ekans continued to bite at the girl''s dodging Zubat. "We''ll eviscerate your ass!"

    The girl stood firm. These two weren''t so tough. Probably a couple of low level grunts who got in over their heads. She could-

    She froze as she noticed something was missing.

    The Meowth.

    NO! It must have slipped by her and she hadn''t realised it! It was probably going to go after that boy and Pichu-

    In frustration, she shook her head. If she pulled back now, Ekans and Koffing would be on top of her. She''d lead them right to the others. She couldn''t do that.

    She just had to trust that they would be able to handle the Meowth. She''ll do her part and take care of the rest.

    She took a battle stance and prepared to continue as Koffing recovered, floating upwards again.

    ''Just as you said, father.''

    /

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Nurse Joy had just gotten done transferring Weedle''s Poke Ball over to Pewter when something crashed through the door''s glass window.

    A startled Ash jumped as the Meowth glared up at them, unsheathing its claws with a vicious growl.

    Ash gulped. ''Just great.''

    "Stay back, Ash!" said Nurse Joy. "I''ll-"

    Unexpectedly, Pichu suddenly jumped between the feline and the humans. Standing on all fours, he growled at the cat-like Pokemon, taking a stance and doing his best to sound intimidating as electricity crackled from his cheek sacks.

    "Pichu?" said Ash.

    Pichu looked back at Ash reluctantly. His eyes were still uncertain, but he seemed moreˇ­ determinedˇ­ than before.

    Ash nodded, a small smile creeping its way to his lips.

    This was it. Their fresh start.

    "I trust you, Pichu." he tried to stay calm as he spoke. "Let''s take care of this."

    The Meowth lunged forward.

    /

    Bulbasaur and Zubat were starting to tire out now, but at the same time, Ekans and Koffing were starting to sustain minor injuries.

    It was times like these when battles became truly unpredictable. Each side would sense the weakness of the other, and attempt to capitalize on it while trying to land that final, decisive blow.

    The girl had learned this in her first battle, and took it to heart. She wasn''t about to let her first defeat be against these people-

    Suddenly, in a blur, a man was in front of her and her team. In front of him was a large-skunk like Pokemon. Its fur was purple and spikey, with several tan stripes.

    Shocked, she recognized the man immediately.

    "F-Father?" When did he get here?

    The man sighed exasperatedly.

    "I come to Viridian for a short notice business meeting with Giovanni, and then this happens." He was a rather tall man, with black spiky hair. He wore a purple uniform with black shoes, and a bright red scarf was wrapped around him, albeit not completely. He ran a hand through his spiky hair in annoyance. "I may not have jurisdiction here, but..." He faced Jessie and James, giving them a dangerous look that made them shiver. "Giovanni has already given me permission to deal with this in his stead. Surrender."

    "But father, I was-" Her face turned pale, flinching into silence as he raised a hand.

    "I''m sure you could have won, but your Pokemon are both worn out. Even if you win, there is no need to risk unnecessary injury. I''m finishing this."

    "Ummmˇ­" who are you? Asked a confused Jessie.

    The girl started. "You seriously don''t recognize him? You don''t know how much trouble you''re in, do you?" There was a reason why Fuschia had one of the lowest crime rates in Indigo. Her father was that reason.

    "It matters not." said the mysterious man. His voice was calm, collected, authoritative, and above all else, chilling as he gave the order without motion. "Skunktank, dispose of these imbeciles."

    "IMBECILES?!" As James pointed forward, his eyes lit up with pure, unbridled fury. "You pompous cretin! I''ll have you know that we are the two most elite, and powerful, and feared members of Team Rocket''s whole entire organizatio-"

    BAM! SMACK! POW!

    Ekans and Koffing fell onto the floor, as still as a living organism could be. Nobody had even seen Skunktank make its move.

    "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Jessie shrieked in horror.

    "YOU BROKE MY KOFFING!" shouted James. "You better be willing to pay for that!"

    "I''ll send you a check the first chance I get." the man responded sarcastically, crossing his arms. "Although, I''m not sure how much good it will do for you in a prison cell."

    /

    As Pichu leapt backwards, dodging Meowth''s Slash as nimbly as he could manage, Ash racked his brain, struggling to not let the stress of the situation overtake him.

    This Meowth was obviously stronger than Pichu, just like Gary''s Squirtle was. He couldn''t rely on Thunder Shock just yet, Meowth would be far too fast to allow Pichu to charge it up.

    Slash was a very powerful move, too. At Pichu''s level, just one of those would be fatal to the poor mouse. The attack would tear through Pichu''s body like tissue paper.

    "Try to circle around it! Double Slap!"

    The Meowth''s eyes darted around the room, easily tracking Pichu as the small mouse dashed around it in a circle. Pichu was putting everything he had into his sprints, determined above all else to win this fight.

    Pressing his feet against the floor, Ash''s partner propelled himself forward, striking at the Meowth with his tail.

    The Meowth raised its forearm to block, deflecting Pichu and pushing him off, into the air.

    Pichu flailed around as he sailed across the room, trying to land on his feet, but stumbling.

    Meowth rushed forward, its tail lightly glowing with metallic energy. It was using Iron Tail, but an imperfect one.

    Before Ash could shout out for Pichu to get out of the way, Meowth was already upon the mouse, slapping Pichu across the cheek with its tail and sending him sailing towards Ash.

    Pichu slid across the floor before stopping at Ash''s feet. He got up with a slight limp and glared at his attacker.

    Ash was growling now. This Meowth was stronger, faster, and more durable than Pichu was. It wasn''t looking great, but-

    Suddenly he got an idea.

    "Pichu, rush forward and hit it with Nuzzle."

    Pichu looked at Ash curiously. Obviously, he was confused about the plan. Brute force hadn''t worked before, soˇ­

    "I need you to trust me, Pichu." Ash pleaded. "This is going to work."

    Taking a leap of faith, the mouse charged forward once again. This time, his cheeks crackled with electricity. It wasn''t with the same potency as a Thunder Shock, but it will do.

    Nuzzle was somewhat similar to Thunder Wave. Rather than being a more offensive focused move, it utilized targeted electrical currents to lock up an opponent''s muscles, causing paralysis. It wasn''t a very strong move, so the paralysis would probably be minor. Thunder Wave might have yielded better results, but it might have required a longer charging time. Time that both Ash and Pichu clearly did not have.

    Plus, with Pichu charging forward, as Nuzzle was a close up move, Meowth would probably assume that they were going for brute force again. That would be its mistake.

    Falling right into the trap, Meowth slashed at Pichu in an attempt to cut the young mouse''s face open. But Pichu was ready this time, ducking under the claws of Meowth''s Slash attack and driving himself head first into the cat''s stomach. Releasing a small amount of electricity from his tail, he allowed the electrical currents to flow throughout Meowth''s body.

    This wouldn''t do much damage, but it was an excellent first step.

    Pulling back, Pichu immediately dodged another Slash attack from the now pissed off Meowth. The normal type had stumbled forward just a bit, andˇ­

    "It''s slower now, Pichu!" Ash''s fists clenched as tightly as they could be. They could win this! "Use Double Slap! Right to its face!"

    Jumping to dodge over yet another Slash attack, Pichu drove his tail into Meowth''s face, causing the feline to stumble backward just a bit. Diving forward, Pichu landed a second strike, once again on the Meowth''s face. The feline landed on its bottom, struggled its way back to its feet as Pichu attempted to catch his breath, and then cloaked its tail in the metallic energy of Iron Tail once again, and batted Pichu across the room.

    This blow to Pichu''s chest, however, while painful, was not nearly as forceful as the first one. The Nuzzle had done its job: Slowing Meowth down, making it easier to hit and reducing the amount of force that the feline was capable of putting into its attacks.

    In fact, if they could just land another Nuzzleˇ­

    "Pichu!" Ash yelled, looking over to his starter as the mouse got up. His tail looked just a little bit sore from striking at the physically superior Meowth two times in a row, yet he seemed to be powering through it just fine, for the moment. "Use Nuzzle again!"

    Pichu nodded cooperatively and rushed forward again. Although his movements were somewhat slowed after the two hits he had took, he kept powering through the pain.

    Meowth seemed to be having more difficulty dealing with the unexpected paralysis, its Slash attack once again missing Pichu as the young mouse leapt over the feline''s forearm and dived head first into the normal type''s chest.

    Adrenaline rapidly rushed through Ash''s chest as even more electricity travelled through the Meowth''s body. This was it. They were in sync. And they were going to win.

    As Pichu pulled away yet again, the now enraged feline let out a terrible cry of primal aggression as it lurched forward with yet another Slash attack, but this time it was moving even more slowly than before, and Pichu very easily maneuvered out of the way with a quick step backwards.

    "Pichu!" Ash called out. "Now''s the time to use Thunder Shock!"

    Pichu smirked lightly as the electricity flowed through his cheeks.

    This was it. The finishing blow.

    The Meowth had been slowed down twice now. It was no longer fast enough to react in time to stop Pichu from finishing his attack. And it wished it had the strong, durable shell that Gary''s Squirtle did to shield itself from the attack.

    Thunder Shock exhausted Pichu easily, a side effect of his inability to control his own electricity. That poor amount of stamina was a very severe shortcoming that Ash could not overlook for this battle. It was what had done them in against Gary and Squirtle.

    That was why they had to be conservative, relying only on Nuzzle at first, and then saving up Thunder Shock for the final attack.

    "Full power Pichu! Give it everything you''ve got!" The adrenaline rush was almost too much to bear at this point.

    Complying with his trainer''s orders, Pichu leapt up into the air, as high as his body could muster. The electricity crackled through his cheeks, flowing throughout his body, mingling together at his tail.

    This was it.

    "FIRE!"

    Pichu released it all at once. The Meowth howled in immeasurable pain as the electrical current engulfed its body, stacking up on top of the electricity that was already limiting its movements. Its fur was turned to crisps in certain patches. The room lit up brightly with the light of the electricity, forcing Ash and Nurse Joy to shield their eyes.

    "Good one!" cheered Nurse Joy, doing her best to cover her eyes up from the blinding lights of the lightning.

    Pichu landed on his feet, but immediately collapsed to his knees from the impact. He was in a heap now, that last attack having used up the remainder of his power.

    But it proved perfectly worth it.

    Meowth was an absolute wreck. Its fur was charred and burnt up throughout its body, producing steam as its left eye twitched, seemingly in pain.

    It took one step forward, raising a mighty clawˇ­

    And then proceeded to collapse face first onto the floor.

    The electricity was still flashing on occasion, rolling along the paralysed and now unconscious Meowth''s body.

    They had won.

    That Meowth was certainly strong, and most certainly goo with its tail: Its Iron Tail, while weaker and less fatal, due in part to it being an imperfect and unmastered variation of the move, had been much more difficult to avoid than the Slash attack.

    But that Slash had clearly been something else entirely, however. If the Meowth had even landed one direct hit with that attack, Ash preferred not to ponder what may have happened to his starter. Thankfully, it was no longer on his mind.

    "Pichuˇ­" he said, tearing up with joy. His lips broke into a smile as the young mouse turned around, still panting from the fight, yet smiling back all the same. ''We did it!"

    Using the last of his strength, Pichu took a leap into Ash''s arms.

    All the bickering, all the differences, all the lack of cooperation and sync between the two of them throughout the day.

    For just a moment, both trainer and starter forgot all about it. Even the injuries that Pichu had sustained from Meowth were briefly forgotten, replaced with the pure adrenaline of joy.

    And in that joy, something unthinkable happened.

    Pichu''s body suddenly began to glow. Ash and Nurse Joy had to close their eyes shut from the sudden flash. The mouse''s body grew, ever so slightly, until he was noticeably taller, bigger, and wider than he was before. The lightning bolt shaped tail was now much bigger too.

    As the light finally died down, Ash Ketchum was left gawking at the newly evolved Pikachu that he was now holding in his arms.

    "Pikachuˇ­" he said, stunned.

    That was right. "Baby Pokemon" as they were sometimes called, most often evolved a lot more quickly than normal. Pichu were among those Species.

    But before the celebration could escalate, the door was suddenly kicked down, a new voice entering the room.

    "Oh? What''s this?"

    Everyone turned to see a blue haired woman in a police uniform, easily recognized as Officer Jenny. The still exhausted Pikachu looked on curiously, but Ash and Nurse Joy''s faces lit up in pure relief at the sight of her.

    Jenny eyed the unconscious Meowth that was lying in a heap in the middle of the room, and smiled knowingly. "Your friend told us that you might be in trouble, but it looks like you handled things just fine on your own." She gave the group a friendly salute.

    Ash smiled down at Pikachu. "Yeah, we managed."

    With a weak squeak, Pikachu smiled in agreement.

    /

    Meowth was scooped up by Officer Jenny and carried out of the room. Pikachu was given a couple of Sitrus Berries from Nurse Joy, and after happily scarfing them down, was good as new.

    In oncomparison, the scene in the lobby wasˇ­ hecticˇ­ to say the least.

    "LET ME GO!" screamed James, struggling against his restraints as the police force hauled off him and Jessie. "I WAS FRAMED!"

    "Dudeˇ­" one of the cops walking alongside them spoke incredulously. "We literally have security camera footage of you two."

    "WHAT?!" now it was Jessie''s turn to scream. "But that can''t be right! I hacked into the security system!"

    "Actually," Jenny chirped in. "You got the wrong one. The system you hacked into was actually for the convenience on this block."

    "WHAT?!" the duo screeched in shock.

    "HOW COULD YOU MAKE SUCH A ROOKIE MISTAKE, JESSIE?!"

    "AT LEAST I PULLED MY WEIGHT IN THE BATTLE, JAMES!"

    As Jenny and her police force dragged the two incompetent Team Rocket grunts kicking and screaming out of the lobby, Ash looked over to Pikachu with an exasperated look.

    The small mouse just smiled in overwhelming relief, letting out a deep sigh as the perpetrators of their torubles were hauled out of sight for good. As it finally sank in that they were sank, and the relief slowly overtook the previous, panicked anxiety, Ash realized how lucky they were that they had been attacked by these two, rather than any other member of the organization.

    "Hey!"

    Trainer and starter turned to see the purple haired girl raising a greeting hand as she approached them, Bulbasaur trotting along by her side.

    Ash''s face lit up. "I''m glad you''re okay!"

    "Same here. When I saw that their Meowth escaped I got nervous." She smiled down at Pikachu knowingly, obviously noticing his evolution. "But it looks like you two had everything under control."

    "I wouldn''t say thatˇ­" Ash replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. First Officer Jenny, and now her. That was two people in one day that had complimented his training abilities. The blush was creeping its way to his face. He wasn''t used to praise. "That Meowth was really strong. We just barely squeaked by."

    "As my father says, difficult triumphs are the most satisfying and earned." there she was again, consoling him. If most people his age weren''t at all like Gary, then he would have to get used to this.

    A thought suddenly occurred to Ash. "What was that they were saying about the dragons?"

    The girl frowned. "Oh yeah, apparently they had the wrong Pokemon Centerˇ­ and the wrong dateˇ­ those dragon types they were after were actually being kept at the Vermilion Centerˇ­ two weeks ago."

    Ash inwardly facepalmed. ''Did we really almost get murdered by a couple of idiots?''

    The girl clasped her hands together. "But let''s not worry about that. it''s over, we should be celebrating, and you and I aren''t fully introduced, right?" she smiled brightly at him, offering a hand. "My name is Janine."

    Ash took her hand as the two shook. "Ash." Her grip was strong and firm. At their feet, Pikachu and Bulbasaur exchanged greetings of their own.

    "Ah, there you two are!" the pair looked up to see Officer Jenny approaching them. Stopping in front of the group, she suddenly saluted. "As leader of the Viridian City Police Force, I would like to formally apologize for how tonight has turned out for the two of you and your Pokemon. Especially because it is Opening Day. We do, however, want to offer up our gratitude for your assistance tonight."

    A smiling Nurse Joy walked up from behind Jenny. "Janine held off both grunts all on her own, and Ash stopped the Meowth. Since what they were looking for wasn''t actually here, I fear that they might have ransacked the place trying to find them, but not much damage was done, thanks to the two of you."

    Jenny nodded. "The League will be paying you for this. Expect a bonus in both of your accounts by tomorrow morning."

    Janine''s eyes widened. "You don''t need to pay me! I was just-"

    "We feel obligated," Jenny admitted. "Both as thanks, and as compensation. You two were both victims tonight."

    "It''s not your fault." Ash replied weakly, inwardly wincing at his tone of voice. ''I''m talking to a police officer...''

    Nurse Joy frowned. "Maybe so, but we really shouldn''t have let our guards down just because it was a slow day. If there was one smart thing that those two did, it was taking advantage of the fact that we had such low security tonight."

    Jenny crossed her arms. "Speaking of which, please do not underestimate Team Rocket. The two that you fought today were exceptions, but this organization is extremely, EXTREMELY dangerous. I fear what might have happened tonight if this had been an actual attack."

    Ash and Janine both nodded. They didn''t need the reminder, but it was certainly appreciated.

    The fact that those two had beenˇ­ less threatening than the typical Team Rocket members, certainly did nothing to erase the threat that the organization posed at large.

    After a few minutes, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny both left, most likely to file out paperwork. The cops were still in the lobby, but most of them gave Ash and Janine some space. A few passing cops would thank them for their help and commend them for their bravery. Janine took the compliments in stride, but Ash blushed a deep crimson, much to the purple haired girl''s amusement.

    "Say, Ash." she spoke up, turning to the boy. "I''m leaving tomorrow pretty early, but do you and Pikachu want to join us in the cafeteria for dinner? Bulbasaur seems to love meeting new people." she smirked lightly, although it didn''t make his skin crawlt he way Gary''s did. "You also still owe me that story about Professor Oak and the Spearow flock."

    Ash''s face flushed. That''s right! He was just in the middle of telling her that before all of this went down!

    "Sure," he shook off the embarrasment to return her smile. "Just give us a minute, please."

    Janine nodded and walked off with Bulbasaur, she and Ash each giving each other a light wave as she and Bulbasaur headed off in the direction of the cafeteria.

    Ash turned to Pikachu. Here goes nothing.

    "Pikachuˇ­" he said, kneeling down to meet his Starter Pokemon at eye level. The young mouse''s eyes still held some caution, but if he was reading his starter correctly, not as much. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I would really like for us to start over. What about you?"

    Crossing his arms, Pikachu seemed to consider Ash''s words a moment, before nodding with a smile.

    Ash smiled back. "Good. My name is Ash Ketchum. I''m from Pallet Town. I''m not much, but I hope to be great one day. I want to make it to the Indigo Conference on my first year. I want to become a Pokemon Master, and become the greatest Pokemon Champion in history. I want to travel Indigo, making new friends and capturing new, powerful teammates to raise and train up. And I would really appreciate it if I had you by my side for all of that." After a moment of hesitance, he held out a hand. "Pikachu, will you please be my companion?"

    Pikachu stared at Ash''s hand for a good few seconds. There was genuine intrigue in his eyes.

    Then, his paw met Ash''s hand, and an accepting squeak was offered in response.

    Ash felt the yellow fur on his skin. It felt good. "Thank you, Pikachu."

    For Ash Ketchum, Opening Day was just one horrific memory after another. It was the day that he left his home behind. The day he got humiliated by Gary Oak, likely more so than anything prior. The day that his starter was greatly injured. And the day that he and his starter were both almost murdered.

    But there was a light at the end of that tunnel. A light that would quickly turn the worst day in their lives into one of the best.

    A light that would kickstart a brand new beginning for the ambitious rookie.

    A light that would soon shine over all of the Indigo empire, and maybe even the world.

    As the partnership between Ash Ketchum and Pikachu officially began, so too did a grand, epic adventure.

    But that adventure was merely the beginning of a legend.

 The Twisted Forest pt 1

    "Hey, Ash!"

    Ash looked up from his snack to see his mother approaching him. Next to Delia was a small girl, who looked slightly nervous.

    "Hi, Mom. Who''s that?"

    Delia patted the girl''s shoulder. "This is Trucy, she lives next door. You''ve met the Gernins, right? This is their granddaughter."

    Trucy was a bit nervous, but raised her hand at the boy. "Hi, Ash."

    Delia smiled. "Professor Oak has them working overtime on short notice because of an emergency at the lab. They''ve asked me to babysit her."

    /

    "What are you watching, Ash?" Trucy''s blue eyes curiously found their way to the older boy as she sat next to him on the couch.

    She wasn''t overly shy, and hadn''t taken very long to settle in. If anything, she was more sociable than he was.

    Ash thankfully didn''t feel too nervous around her. He hadn''t had much luck with his peers for a while, but he imagined the difference was probably that she was so much younger than him. It didn''t feel the same as people his age, or those who were older; she was easy to talk to, without his tongue twisting on him.

    He still felt embarrassed that it took someone younger than him for that to happen, but he tried to hide that part.

    Ash looked over to her with a smile.

    "Oh, it''s a Pokemon tournament. The Whirl Cup. It''s a special competition centered around water type Pokemon." he paused for a moment. "They''re getting ready for the semifinals right now. Do you want to watch them with me?"

    She beamed brightly. Her smile was so CUTE. "Sure!''

    /

    "Wow! I can''t believe that Dewgong froze the entire pool!" Trucy was giggling as the two of them discussed the events of the match. Even Trucy''s laugh was pretty adorable.

    Ash was grinning from ear to ear. "I know, right? I feel kind of bad for that Feraligatr, though. I know he still managed to win, but that must have been painful."

    "How did he smash through all that ice so easily?" Trucy asked in wonder.

    "I doubt it was easy. Did you see his face? He was pushing himself quite a bit. I''m pretty sure he was sweating up a storm by the end of it, too. Hard to tell with all of the water, obviously, but he seemed to be panting just a little bit."

    "I''m surprised Dewgong''s trainer still managed to win even after Dewgong was beaten. Tentacruel finished Feraligatr AND beat Politoed all on its own." Trucy was in awe.

    "You saw what Tentacruel did, didn''t you?" Ash asked, recalling hwo the battle had played out. "Dewgong set up the battlefield for Tentacruel to win, just in case it lost. Feraligatr can break through the ice, but couldn''t actually get rid of it, and neither could Politoed. Tentacruel took advantage of that by trapping Feraligatr in its Whirlpool attack. It wore down him down by having the Whirlpool suck up the ice chunks and bombard Feraligatr with them while he was trapped inside of the Whirlpool and couldn''t avoid them. After the Whirlpool was done, it was able to come in with its poison type attacks and subdue Feraligatr. The strategy worked even better against Politoed, who didn''t seem to be nearly as durable." His hand rested against his chin, thinking it over. "It was a pretty neat strategy, I don''t think I would have thought of it."

    He had certainly seen more grandiose gambits in the past, but in the end, effectiveness was what mattered the most, and in that regard, he was constantly wowed watching these tournaments. Some of his favorite parts were whenever someone pulled out a completely new tactic that he had not seen before; the creativity put into battling was one of the driving forces behind his passion for the sport.

    Trucy looked at him curiously. "You seem to know a lot about this."

    The boy smiled at her. "I want to be a trainer too, someday, so I''m trying to soak up as much as possible. Plus, I just love watching tournaments."

    Trucy beamed. "It''s a lot of fun! I wanna see more of this stuff!"

    "Maybe your grandparents will let you. There are usually at least some small tournaments airing throughout the year. And then there is the Indigo Conference at the end of every Season. That''s where the REALLY big stuff is."

    "Hey Ash, when you become a trainer, will you be as strong as the people that we just watched today?"

    A nervous chuckle escaped him. "I hope so! I don''t just want to be good, I want to be Indigo''s best trainer someday." .

    He suddenly felt weak in the knees from the heartmelting grin she shot him.

    "You''re cool, Ash. I like you!"

    Coolˇ­

    That was a word that he heard often, even when it wasn''t being directed at Gary. But it was rarely ever used on him.

    Ash never really had any qualities that warranted the word. He wasn''t sure what this young girl saw in him that couldn''t be seen in so many others, especially since they had only known each other for less than a day so far, butˇ­

    He felt a sudden surge of warmth in his chest.

    Ash''s social life among his peers wasn''t the best. It hadn''t been for a while. Ever since Gary had deemed him worthless so long ago.

    But Trucy was a small beacon of light separate from that. He always found enjoyment in time spent with her.

    /

    Ash''s eyes opened slowly, taking in the sight of his surroundings.

    He was in one of the Viridian City Pokemon Center''s hotel rooms.

    Rubbing his eyes, the boy sat up, taking a a look around the room for a moment as the memories from last night all came back to him. The Pokemon Center offered fairly spacious hotel rooms. Although they weren''t on par with the best that a super expensive hotel had to offer, they were still of great quality. And the beds were super comfy.

    He quickly remembered how terrible yesterday had been. How his morning had turned sour, the frustration-turned panic of the afternoon, and the melancholy-turned hellaciousness of the evening. It had been the start of the Season, often viewed as the beginning of a new life for first-time trainers, and his had been...

    At least until the end, he told himself as quickly as possible. By some miracle, the worst day of his life had closed on a happy note. The last hour or so after the two Team Rocket grunts were dragged away by the police had been refreshingly enjoyable, and had sent him and Pikachu to bed happy, or at least relieved.

    At least he could move on. That was always a silver lining to the circumstances. After he and Pikachu had finished eating with Janine and her team, and gone to their assigned hotel room, he had found himself sinking right into his bed. He had been asleep almost immediately.

    He wasn''t sure if that was from the exhaustion that the previous day had brought him, or maybe just because of how comfortable that the bed was. Either way, it had allowed him to forget the horrors of the previous day, if only for just one single night. And Ash was most certainly grateful for that.

    Pikachu slept at the food of the bed, curled up into a ball. Deciding not to wake him just yet, Ash carefully made his way out of the bed. His bare feet touched the warm carpet floor as he made his way to the window.

    Since his room was located on the third floor, he had a decent view of the city. The Viridian City Gym wasn''t too far away, which was fairly convenient, even if Ash wouldn''t be going there for a long time.

    Technically, he didn''t even need to go there. Since Kanto wasn''t the only Region to fall under Indigo''s banner, he could theoretically make it to the Conference with any combination of Gym Badges from Kanto or Johto. Plenty of other trainers did just that; dividing their attention between the two Regions. Not to mention, the prospect of having two Regions to travel and explore was a mouth foaming thought for many trainers, those who could never get enough with the sense of discovery and wonder that traversing the land brought about.

    Ash hadn''t thought that far ahead ye,t not entirely sure what his game plan was. There was more than enough time to explore Kanto before the Conference started, and he had every intention in the world to earn all of his badges in time, regardless of how rare it was for a rookie to do so. He hadn''t mapped out what route he wanted to take, overwhelmed by the plethora of options, but things would probably be easier to plan out if he focused on traversing through Kanto first, and focusing on Johto later. But in the end, he''d have to wait and see.

    Looking at the Viridian Gym, which was visible from a distance, Ash knew he wanted to go there one day, but he wasn''t sure when...

    Taking in the sight of the city outside, he thought back to waking up.

    Was it considered normal to dream of past events like that? Was that a symptom of homesickness? How did trainers even deal with such a thing?

    He had only left home yesterday, and yet he was already having dreams about life back in Pallet Town. Sure, he could speak to his mother whenever he got the chance, but talking to her on a screen didn''t subdue the yearning to be in the same room with her again. It was soemthing he''d have to deal with, and yet another thing he wasn''t sure how to plan for.

    Looking over to Pikachu for a moment, the boy gazed at the clock, seeing that it was 8:00 AM. Less than twenty four hours since he had arrived at the lab, and yet it had already been more than eventful enough to last a lifetime.

    Would it always be like this? Was this just setting a precedent?

    As Ash decided to wait about another half hour before waking Pikachu up, those thoguhts freely flowed through his mind.

    /

    Ash woke Pikachu up without too much difficulty. The electric type had taken a little bit to rise, but once he did, he was fairly cooperative. Plus, the promise of breakfast after a quick checkup with Nurse Joy had certainly gotten the young mouse moving.

    A recent discovery made by Professor Birch of the Ever Grande League was that newly evolved Pokemon tended to be hungry quite a bit, and Ash had seen this first hand with the way Pikachu had been chowing down last night as he and Janine conversed over dinner. Apparently it had something to do with the young rodent''s stomach growing to match his evolution. It was perfectly normal, and sooner or later Pikachu would grow accustomed to the increase in appetite.

    But for now, excess hunger would be a factor for about a few days, and his starter was already famished, even after last night''s feast.

    Nurse Joy had wanted to take a look at Pikachu as a standard procedure after evolving, but had been unable to do so last night because of the amount of paperwork that she, Officer Jenny, and Giovanni had to fill out. Although the Viridian City Gym Leader had not been present for the attack, he apparently needed to be a part of the procedures nevertheless.

    Not helping matters was how late it had gotten, and although Joy was more than used to late nights, she knew the same couldn''t be said for everybody else. So, she had requested that Ash simply stop by in the morning to give Pikachu a quick check up.

    Ash had been present in the room as Nurse Joy did a few basic examinations of his starter pokemon''s body. A few quick X-Rays and reflex tests later, and the young mouse was good to go...

    ...Right all the way to the cafeteria, not even bothering to see if Ash was following him.

    An amused Nurse Joy had watched as Ash scrambled to keep up with his starving partner.

    /

    Much like the hotel rooms, the free food provided by Pokemon Centers was not considered to be first class, but wasn''t too far off from it. Not enough to replace Delia''s divine cooking, but certainly enough to leave him feeling more than satisfied and ready for the day.

    While he munched on a donut and a couple of waffles, with a few bacon strips and sausages to go along with it, and some fruit punch and applesauce on the side, Pikachu had helped himself to the large bowl of Pokemon food that the Center had provided him with. Ash had been sure to fill it up as much as possible, to satisfy the electric type''s newfound hunger for the road.

    He had been surprised to learn from Nurse Joy that Janine and her team had checked out a half hour before Ash had even woken up. He had thought that he was doing a good job with getting up early to start the day, but apparently, not nearly as much as he thought.

    She was probably already back in the forest, where she apparently would have already been had her team not injured Weedle by accident.

    An early riser like her was clearly on top of things, but Ash had already figured such from the fact that she had managed two successful captures in a single day. Between her and Gary, it was hard to forget how behind he was.

    He now had two people to catch up with, but tried to tell himself to go at his own pace. As long as he earned eight badges before the end of the Season, all would be well.

    The League was strict about badges, though. They all had to be earned in a Season. If a trainer couldn''t get enough bdges in one Season, then any Badges that they have already earned wouldn''t be eligible for the next, they would have to start all over again. Going at his own pace would always be important, but only if that pace was enough to reach the Indigo Plateau in time.

    With Janine having already left, he and Pikachu had the cafeteria to themselves. It was on a separate side of the Center from the waiting room, but also jutting out from the rest of the building like the waiting room was. Similarly, the walls at the far end were glass, allowing Ash to see outside, as was the ceiling.

    Instead of rain clouds, Ash was greeted with the sight of beautiful sunlight. The storm was over.

    Having another human his age to talk to- another trainer especially- had made Ash happy, but he was glad to have alone time with his starter. There was no longer tension between the two of them, but the boy knew that it would take more than the previous night''s events for things to truly change definitively. Perhaps newfound trust had found its way into their partnership, but Ash wanted to use that trust as a first step. Developing a genuine friendship with a teammate took time, and Pikachu was still evaluating him, reconsidering his new trainer, perhaps, and certainly more open now than he was before, but that was as much as Ash could realistically ask for after only spending one day together.

    The important factor was that Pikachu was willing to give him a chance now, and Ash knew he owed his starter the effort. He had promised the mouse that things would be better, that he would be better, and a trainer that the electric type deserved. Pikachu was putting in the effort, and so would he. Opening Day was behind them, and it would stay as such.

    "Hey, Pikachu." Pikachu perked up, taking a very brief break from eating as his trainer addressed him. "We''re going into Viridian Forest today." With the two alone, now was the perfect time to make conversation, and discussing plans for the day was an easy subject.

    Squeaking back, Pikachu nodded in understanding.

    "I should probably warn you," Ash frowned. "That Viridian Forest has a pretty awful reputation. It''s crawling with unpredictable wildlife, very dangerous Pokemon such as Beedrill, and its being run by a gang called The Bug Catchers. They do everything that they can to harass other trainers who "trespass" onto their turf. There are also stories about the forest being haunted, and rumors of trainers being driven to insanity during their time there."

    Pikachu looked a little bit spooked by that, but kept listening.

    "In recent years, it''s become harder and harder to predict what you will find in that forest. Apparently, it''s one of the places where Pokemon are most commonly released, so of course, plenty of foreign Pokemon are common. We can''t really prepare for anything specifically, so we need to make sure we''re ready in general. We''ll stop by the Poke Mart after checking out, it''s pretty close by and sells a good deal of items that we need to stock up on." He leaned forward. "Also, now that you evolved, there are some moves that you should be able to pick up on quite easily. Such as Quick Attack and Spark. You should also have a lot more control over your electricity than before, although we will still need to train for it to be perfect. I was thinking we could test that out on the Center''s training grounds. Just to see how easily you can use Thunder Shock as compared to before."

    He took a moment to let all of that sink in, and thankfully, Pikachu seemed to be on board with the plan. Once they were done eating, they''d work quickly. Ash was hoping to be in the forest before noon, so they had time, but only if they didn''t start slacking off.

    /

    Ash had been pretty pleased about Pikachu''s performance at the training grounds. Even without training, it was pretty clear that last night''s evolution had done the mouse favors.

    Thunder Shock was much stronger than before and wasn''t nearly as difficult to charge up. It also didn''t cause Pikachu fatigue, although work would still need to be done before consecutive use was practical, especially if Pikachu was eventually going to learn more powerful electric moves such as Thunderbolt, which were pretty easy to learn as long as Thunder Shock or another similar move was used as a foundation, but would of course be a lot more taxing at first due to the added power. A work in progress.

    Pikachu was much faster as well, and Ash imagined that battling the Meowth would be a lot less difficult at this point. They didn''t train for too long, as Pikachu''s food was still digesting, but they thankfully didn''t need to. Ash had just wanted to see where they currently stood heading into their travels.

    Once it was time for the real training to start, they would begin working on learning new moves for Pikachu to use. Ash also had a couple of ideas for TMs to buy at the Poke Mart, which the money that the League had paid him for last night would thankfully be a big help for. Ash and Janine had still both been guilty about accepting money from them, but if Officer Jenny insisted that much, then Ash would just swallow his pride and make use of it.

    After a quick goodbye with Nurse Joy, the duo were now exited the Center and made their way towards the road. The air was moist from last night''s storm, but there was no sign of future rain in sight, the sun was completely visible, a few white clouds complemented the beautiful blue sky perfectly.

    It was a new day.

    As Pikachu walked by his side, the duo noticed some commotion going on down the street. Reluctantly, they exchanged glances to see what was going on. Approaching the scene more closely, Ash immediately realised that a protest was going on.

    It was probably about the League''s regulation of foreign Pokemon. Viridian was the city with most objections to this. It was one of the few places where these types of events occurred decently often.

    Unfortunately, by getting closer to the commotion, Ash was noticed by one of the protesters. Holding a microphone, the man, who looked to be about twenty or so, motioned over for a cameraman (they were filming this?) to follow him as he made his way to the two newcomers.

    Before Ash knew it, a microphone was suddenly being shoved in his face.

    "Young man, what is your opinion on Indigo''s insistent regulation of foreign Pokemon in the wild?"

    "Ummmˇ­" Ash''s face was flushing. He had gotten used to speaking to Janine last night, but that was just one person. Now he was being interviewed?

    Obviously sensing the young trainer''s hesitation, the man spoke up. "Are you aware that Gym Leaders have access to foreign Pokemon? Is it not hypocritical to deny trainer''s in Indigo the same right by deliberately removing them from the wild? They claim to maintain the ecosystem by either placing the Pokemon in the Safari Zone or them to their own home Region, but this seems to imply that they are keeping a portion of them all for themselves!"

    Ash wasn''t too sure what to say. He hadn''t been ready for this. He was starting to regret coming over here.

    "Gym Leadersˇ­" he stuttered. "S-sometimes R-recieve foreign Pokemon through trade with other Regionsˇ­" he stammered out. "And S-some of them g-go out and catch Pokemon t-themselves."

    It was true. Koga of Fuschia, for example, was known to spend some of his own freetime catching Pokemon in the wild. And Brock of Pewter, LT. Surge of Vermillion, and Sabrina of Saffron have all traded with Ever Grande and Sinnoh before, as those League''s were currently on fairly friendly terms with Indigo. It was true that Gym Leaders would sometimes be supplied extra Pokemon by their own respective Leagues, but to go as far as to say that they were being hogged...

    The man seemed to be taken aback by this answer, but kept on pressing.

    "What is your response to Trainers having to wait until Opening Day to receive their Starter Pokemon? Just a couple hours ago, we met a woman whose son has to wait an entire year just to receive his Starter Pokemon, just because his birthday is two months from now. Is it not fair to force Trainers to wait this long?"

    So they were changing the subject now. Most of these protests were focused exclusively on the foreign Pokemon issue. The Seasonal distribution system, while still having some detractors, usually didn''t stir up as much heat. It seemed like this group was focused on both subjects. Or perhaps they just wanted to try to get the League on something.

    This was going to take a while.

    /

    Ash had finally managed to slip away from the scene and headed into the Poke Mart with Pikachu in tow.

    Thankfully, the unexpected "interview" (it felt more like an interrogation at times) hadn''t taken up too much time. Ash was grateful for that, because that man had been INCREDIBLY pushy with both of them, even pushing a microphone in Pikachu''s face at one point. Ash was glad most of the movements (from what he knew) weren''t like that; he didn''t find anything wrong with voicing disagreement, and the League themselves usually did their best to keep civil, open dialogue with the protests, but the way that particular group had acted made him feel uncomfortable. He and Pikachu did their best to forget the unpleasant encounter for now.

    Forget protests and forget interviews, it was time to prepare for the long road ahead.

    Poke Marts were about as useful as Pokemon Centers, being stationed in every town and city, and even with a few on the road. Anyone with a trainer''s license was likely to make consistent use of them.

    The most commonly bought items at Poke Marts were healing vials such as potions and antidotes, and TMs, which were great for assisting Pokemon in learning new moves ("assisting" being the important key word). These were what Ash needed to purchase.

    Still cursing at himself for somehow forgetting potions, the boy would be sure to go for the healing items first. They were a necessity. And he already had two specific TMs that he had mentally picked out for Pikachu. Ash wasn''t sure what Pokemon that he would be catching just yet, but at the very least, he was goign to prepare his starter for the upcoming trials ahead. Whatever direction they took afterwards would depend on who they caught.

    Thankfully, the extra money from the League would be more than helpful. As he made his way to the section that stocked the healing items, Ash noticed that the Poke Mart had a decent amount of customers, most of them grown adults. He saw a teenage girl from the corner of his eye, and could have sworn that he''d seen her before at the Conference.

    ''Cornelia.'' He thought to himself. ''That''s right. She scored in the Quarterfinals at the last Conference.'' She seemed to be laying low, likely to try and not attract attention. People who made it that far in the Conference were celebrities, after all.

    Ash browsed the healing item section. A big part of being a Pokemon Trainer was learning how to manage your money, especially after first starting out. It wasn''t too difficult for skilled trainers to rack up a lot of cash from consistent victories in battle, but since Ash was just starting out, he needed to be careful and conservative, especially because he didn''t know quite how much the TMs would cost. He''d need to purchase enough healing items for sure, otherwise going itno Viridian Forest underprepared would be just short of a death sentence. But he also needed to make sure that he had enough money for the TMs that he wanted.

    He immediately snagged some potions, determined to rectify his biggest mistake,followed by some antidotes. Viridian Forest was a known home for poison types, particularly Beedril.

    Just to be on the safe side, he also snagged a few paralyze heals.

    Pikachu watched as his new trainer knelt down and stuffed the items into his backpack. Strapping the backpack back on, Ash turned to his starter and motioned for the small rodent to follow him.

    The next section of the store was for TMs.

    "Hey, did you hear about the attack on the Pokemon Center last night?"

    The duo stopped, looking over to the two men conversing on the other side of the store.

    "Pfft." the other man scoffed. "Who hasn''t? It was all over the news! They were even still talking about it this morning! How could the League let something like that happen?!"

    "Yeah, since the Center had so few patients, they apparently got complacent with their security. What a joke. If they hadn''t been that negligent, what happened last night could have been avoided."

    "It''s a good thing those two Team Rocket grunts were apparently morons. Things would have taken a turn for the worst if they hadn''t botched the operation."

    Ash frowned. That was true. According to Janine, the two grunts were strong, but only for a beginner on their first day like them. Somebody strong enough to challenge a Gym likely would have taken them down in a flash, according to her.

    "There were also two first day trainers staying at the Center that night. Imagine if something had happened to them. I''m glad I won''t have to worry about my son becoming a trainer for another few years."

    "Are you kidding? I''m not even sure if I should let my daughter become a trainer at this point!"

    "I hear the League paid those two kids compensation as an apology, though."

    "They better have! It''s the least that they could do after endangering them with their carelessness. They''re just kids, they deserve better."

    Exchanging small frowns, Ash and Pikachu moved on to the TMs.

    An abrupt thought suddenly occurred to Ash as he approached the TMs in the section. If the attack on the Center was on the news, then was that just for Viridian, or Kanto in general? Something as seriousness as an invasion of a Pokemon Center would likely make headlines everywhere in Indigo, even outside of just Kanto.

    Given that Professor Oak was a very high ranking official of the League, there was no doubt in Ash''s mind that he had already heard of the attack. But what about Delia?

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Ash found himself frozen. He didn''t even want to imagine how his mother would react if she were to find out that her son and his started had crossed paths with a terrorist organization on their first day out.

    Shaking those fearful thoughts from his mind, Ash immediately turned his focus to the shelves of TMs that lined the walls.

    This was it.

    Pikachu immediately hopped onto one of the shelves, curiously observing his trainer''s actions.

    "Pikachu," said Ash, looking through the shelves for the exact TMs that he wanted. "Do you know what a TM is?"

    "Pikachu shook his head honestly.

    "A TM is a special device that allows a trainer to automatically teach a Pokemon certain moves." the boy explained. "This is useful for a lot of different Pokemon. For example, your species has certain moves that are considered quite difficult to learn without a TM to help you out. If I give you the TM for those specific moves, you will have a basic understanding of how to use it. Using it effectively will still require a fair amount of training, but it provides a head start by giving you a basic understanding of the move''s foundations."

    Intrigued, Pikachu nodded back at him, signaling that he understood what Ash was trying to explain.

    "I can only afford two TMs with the money we haveˇ­" Ash continued, holding up two TMs up for the electric mouse to see. "But thankfully, the ones I''d like us to have are in stock. They''re called Iron Tail and Brick Break. They''re both really strong moves once mastered to their full effect, and they have two things in common: They''ll provide you with a lot more close up firepower than Double Slap, and are also useful against Rock Type Pokemon. That second one is especially important: Pewter City is just past Viridian Forest, and they have a Gym there. The leader is a specialist known for using rock type''s, so we''ll have to prepare you for that."

    He continued after a brief pause, allowing the information to sink in.

    "We''ll need more than just you, though. All Gyms in Indigo involve three Pokemon or more for their battles. Most battles actually involve more, but most of the the more beginner friendly Gyms, Pewter among them, usually dial the scope back for trainers pursuing their first badge. That''s why I''m hoping to capture at least a couple of Pokemon while in Viridian Forest." he paused for a second. "But for now, we should focus on building up your moveset. Not just these TMs, there are some Mmves that you should be able to get a grasp of with varying levels of training. Since you know Thunder Shock, there are plenty of stronger electric moves that you can use that move as the basic foundation for. Thunderbolt is the easiest to think of, since it''s a straightforward upgrade and the mos tuniversally used move of the type, but it''s still a significant jump that will require a lot of practice to be used properly. Quick Attack and Spark should be very easy to learn, in fact, you might even be able to manage them right now. I would also like to work on Double Team and Electro Ball, but those will probably require more work."

    Pikachu scratched his head. it was a lot to take in.

    Ash sighed. "Trust me, Pikachu. I know it''s overwhelming. But I''m definitely not saying we need to do all of this overnight. It''s just a gameplan; we''ll try to put some focus on all of them, but prioritize the ones that are easiest to learn or benefit us the most right now. Once we have all of these moves down, we can then move onto others, and keep building you up until you''ve become a force to be reckoned with." he grinned. "And next time, Gary and Squirtle won''t know what hit them.

    THAT got Pikachu perking up uickly. Clearly, Ash wasn''t the only one with a bade taste in their mouth from the batte at the lab yesterday morning.

    Thinking back, it was hard to believe that that battle had even been yesterday at all. So much had happened since then alreadyˇ­

    "Great!" said Ash happily. "Right now, we should probably prioritise Iron Tail and Brick Break. Quick Attack and Spark are easy for you, so we''ll be able to get those in too. We can focus on the other ones later, but we should at least try to start them out. Get the basics down, maybe."

    Pikachu nodded enthusiastically. It was a plan.

    Ash glanced at the clock. "Good. We''re making great time, it''s not even 11:00 AM yet. We should be in Viridian Forest long before noon."

    /

    Trainers received a TM case for free after purchasing a TM if they didn''t already have one, so Ash happily accepted the case from the cashier.

    He and Pikachu were now at the edge of the city. The path in front of them led to Viridian Forest, where they would be heading soon, but Ash wanted to take Pikachu''s new moves for a test run first.

    "Okay, Pikachu." said Ash. "The way this works is that I return you to your Poke Ball and place it into one of the slots in the TM case. I swipe the TM, and knowledge of the move is transferred directly to you. I''ll do it with both moves, then before heading into the forest, we''ll test them out."

    Pikachu nodded in anticipation, his response producing a grin on Ash''s face. After the fiasco with Gary and Squirtle, his starter was definitely excited about getting stronger.

    He lightly tapped Pikachu''s forehead with the ball, watching as Pikachu was sucked into the opening orb.

    He started with Iron Tail, then Brick Break, before releasing the eager mouse again. "Okay, Start with Iron Tail."

    With a deep breath, Pikachu closed his eyes, muscles tensing in concentration.

    Iron Tail was a very powerful Steel Type Move and a must have for Pikachu''s arsenal. It was excellent offensive versatility that could hammer down an opponent''s defenses when used at high levels. Unfortunately, just like with most moves, it was easier to master if the user was the same Type as it. Pikachu wasn''t a steel type, so the learning curve would be fairly noticeable. With the move likely being essential for Pewter, honing the electric type''s usage of it would be a prerequisite that they couldn''t visit the Gym without.

    After a while, Pikachu''s tail began to glow with metallic energy. Much like the Meowth''s Iron Tail, this one was clearly imperfect, the metallic coating wrapped around the mouse''s tail not stable, and limited to a fairly thin layer.

    Pikachu rushed forward towards a nearby patch of rocks and struck one of the larger ones with his tail. Large cracks appeared on the rock''s surface, and Ash could certainly hear the impact.

    "That''s good," he said. "It took a good few seconds to charge up, but it''s what we''re looking for ina first attempt. It might not be at full power yet, but it should still be usable." he smiled kindly. "You''re a natural, Pikachu!"

    Smiling bashfully, Pikachu rubbed the back of his neck, a blush appearing on his face as he squeaked a response.

    Ash giggled. "Okay then, try Brick Break next."

    Pikachu clenched one of his paws into a tight fist, gritting his teeth as his body trembled slightly. After a few seconds, orange energy began to circle around the fist, progressively growing brighter.

    Brick Break wasn''t as strong as Iron Tail, but it was certainly versatile. Much most fighting type moves, it was great for targeted offense. And it even came with the added bonus of being useful against Reflect and Light Screen, acting as a natural counter to both defensive moves.

    Another large rock found itself cracked by Pikachu''s efforts. It wasn''t done so as cleanly as with Iron Tail, but it was effective enough for the moment.

    They were ready.

    /

    It still wasn''t noon yet. Proud of their speed so far, Ash hoped to take advantage of the time they had made.

    Viridian Forest was just ahead, Pikachu stood by his side as they gazed down the path.

    Ash took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "Okay Pikachu, this is it. It''s going to take a while to get through this forest. "I''m just hoping we don''t get lostˇ­"

    A part of him just wanted to turn back right now. Viridian Forest had too many stories for him to feel comfortable just standing outside of it. But he knew that he had no choice.

    Besides, how many of those stories were actually true? Tales of the forest being haunted, or driving trainers to insanity could''ve just been myths stirred up by the community, right? Maybe it would all prove to be exaggerated...

    Not fully masking his nervousness, he looked down at his partner. "Shall we?"

    Pikachu seemed to be shaking a bit, but nodded back, and the two proceeded.

    The path started out normally, with a few trees surrounding it. As the duo proceeded farther and farther, the vegetation slowly but sure began to merge with the path.

    Ash found himself glancing around nervously as he continued to walk. Proceeding, he didn''t even notice as the trees overhead gradually began blocking out the sunlightˇ­

    To enter Viridian Forest was like watching a child growing up. It was a gradual process. You usually wouldn''t realize just how much the child has grown until it became nigh impossible to denyˇ­

    And more often than not, you wouldn''t know that you''re in Viridian Forest until it was already too late to turn back.

    Ash and Pikachu''s nerves were growing tenser by the second, the sounds of the forest filling their ears as the vegetation grew and grew.

    The path was slowly narrowing, fusing into the grass and dirt. Soon it would be as though it was never even there at all.

    A few bushes rustled and Ash heard a loud, sudden cry. It was likely from a wild Pokemon in the distance, but at this point, both his and Pikachu''s nerves were far to wound up. He jumped with a startled cry, and jolted as he felt a startled Pikachu''s paws rushing up his back, the young mouse bolting upwards to his shoulder, seemingly for security. The two of them were still for a few seconds, looking around anxiously.

    After a few moments, the two glanced at each other, Pikachu still clinging on Ash''s shoulder, and exchanged nervous, uneasy chuckles.

    They continued, this time just a bit more slowlyˇ­

    Pikachu stuck to Ash''s shoulder. After a few more minutes of walking, the young rookie finally looked upˇ­ and noticed all of the tree leaves that were now blocking out the sky. He glanced around to observe their surroundings.

    Nothing but trees as far as the eye can see. The amount of sunlight being blocked out made it somewhat difficult to distinguish daytime from nighttime, Ash imagined.

    Bushes, grass, and vegetation filled up the ground, to the point where it was practically made up of them.

    The chirping, crying, and growling of various different wild Pokemon filled the air.

    The sounds of the forest filled their ears.

    Just not too long ago, they were walking down the path leading into Viridian Forest.

    Now, they were officially in it.

    /

    After about a half hour of walking, Pikachu had tried his luck and left Ash''s shoulder, but did not leave his new trainer''s side. It was likely for Pikachu''s own security, but Ash appreciated the company himself.

    After a while, the duo managed to get some training in. As expected, Pikachu learned Quick Attack and Spark very easily. All Ash had to do was show him some footage of the moves being used and give him a basic rundown on how to use them, and the mouse was able to get a grip on both of them within an hour or so.

    After that, they proceeded with their travels. Ash wanted to cover as much ground as possible before sundown. He''d know when to settle in when what little sunlight there was peaking through the tops of the trees started to go away.

    "Hey Pikachu," He wanted to make some conversation to ease his nerves. His Starter looked up at him, but still tried to keep a close eye on what was ahead. "Do you know about Pewter City? What it means to Indigo?" Pikachu shook his head honestly as Ash adjusted his cap. "They say that it''s where the Indigo League was first founded. It was centuries ago, so I''m not sure if any of the history is exaggerated, or maybe misunderstood, but the story says that the first leader of Indigo was a young boy who hailed from Fuchsia. He was the son of a woman who served the priestess running the territory. He was training to be a guard for the Church, when somebody within their ranks started an uprising."

    Pikachu looked up at Ash curiously.

    "His mother was killed in the rebellion by one of the instigator''s lackeys. The priestess was apparently taken prisoner, since she didn''t fear death. The boy fled from Fuschia as his mother''s dying wish was for him to be safe. He was left to travel across Kanto, braving the elements. It''s unknown how long it took, but he eventually arrived in Pewter seeking refuge." He paused for a second, then continued. "His life in Pewter isn''t something that I know much about, but we might be able to learn more about that when we get there."

    Looking over at the young mouse, Ash saw that Pikachu seemed to be mildly interested.

    He continued. "Eventually, the boy caught wind that the rebel who had usurped control of Fuschia was looking to expand his control and power, just a few years later. He captured Vermillion, and used it to bolster his own forces. Then he continued to move forward. He had invaded another territory and razed it to the ground. It was later rebuilt about a decade later, and apparently given the name Saffron." he paused for a second. "The boy had raised an army in Pewter. He was in his late teens now, but had apparently been molded into something fierce. Incapable of feeling any sort of fear. They say that his second in command was a teenage girl native to Pewter, who possessed extraordinary levels of strength rivaling even that of Pokemon." He looked over to the skeptical mouse. "It''s just a legend, of course. The history could have been exaggerated to make the story sound more interesting." Being incapable of feeling peer was a bit hard to believe, but perhaps not impossible. The second in command being strong enough to fight Pokemon with her bare hands was where the legend seemed to enter fairy tale territory, although some particularly devoted people took it seriously.

    "The troops used the caverns of MT. Moon as their base of operations. When Cerulean learned that the conqueror was targeting them next, and that a new army was being raised, they sent a distress signal to the Pewter army, begging for a truce. They knew that the invader couldn''t be reasoned with, but hoped that the boy and his lieutenant would be more willing to be merciful." he paused for just a second. "Apparently the boy and the Pewter girl accepted this request. The Battle of Cerulean was the bloodiest in Indigo''s history, although some believe that that only applies to Kanto itself. The Fuchsia army was driven off, and with their forces weakened, an uprising started in Vermillion. The leader of the Fuchsia army withdrew all of his forces back to their home turf, in order to fortify their defenses. This led to the Siege of Fuschia, allegedly the final battle of the war, where the boy reclaimed his home land and slayed Fuchsia''s leader in combat. The priestess was freed during the fight to conquer Fuchsia, but apparently sacrificed herself to save the boy''s life, prior to the final confrontation. They say that he was then given a blessing from Mew before the priestess''s passing, and declared Champion. The Indigo Plateau was made into the new Empire''s capital, named after the new name of the army, Indigo."

    Pikachu squeaked in comment. Ash wasn''t sure how interested his starter was in the story, and he was certainly no history expert himself, but both appreciated having something to pass the time. Otherwise they''d be left with a monotonous trek through an unnerving forest.

    "That''s just the gist of the war, only learn the basics in school. I''d like to learn a bit more about it." he thought of the two heroes of the story. "They''re both considered legendary heroes of Kanto: The fearless Champion, capable of looking any creature in the eyes without fear, and the girl from Pewter, who was apparently strong enough to suplex a Dragonite. The family that runs Pewter City''s Gym is apprently descended from her. Gyms are never obligated to operate off of inheritance, but some still do, and that one has done it from the start."

    After an awkward silence, Ash tried to think of something else he knew, realizing he was running out of things to say. "...They say that the spirit of the rebel leader now resides at his birthplace, which is apparently where Lavender Town currently stands. They also say that one of the reasons why Lavender Town is populated by ghosts isn''t just because of the tower, but also because his spirit attracts them with his presence, like a spiritual magnet or something. Apparently the spirit of his Gyarados is also there with him. There is even a fable that the whole reason why the Gyarados species is as vicious as it is known to be is because of the rebel leader''s merciless, unbridled fury throughout the war, but I don''t think-"

    The sound of violent rustling in the nearby bushes stole away their attention.

    Suddenly, something jumped out and in front of the duo, who stopped in their tracks to observe the new, small Pokemon.

    It was a scorpion-like creature that definitely looked like it was a poison type. It made aggressive chattering noises as it took a battle stance in front of them.

    Ash had no idea what this new creature was, but it was very clearly a foreign Pokemon. Not hesitating, he took out his Pokedex.

    "Skorupi, the Scorpion Pokemon of the bug/poison type. It grips its prey with its tail claws and injects poison. With great tenacity, it hangs on until the poison takes."

    Ash adjusted his cap. This was it. Their first real attempt at catching a wild Pokemon. "Watch out for its tail, Pikachu." he said with a grimace. "And get ready."

    Pikachu ran forward, stopping a few feet in front of Skorupi, growling as the sparks flowed from his cheeks.

    "Keep your distance, Thunder Shock!"

    Gathering the electricity in his cheeks, Pikachu was quick to release the attack from his tail, the charge time a lot quicker than when he was a Pichu, and the attack significantly stronger as well.

    Only for Skorupi''s claws to glow with powerful, dark energy, and deflect the bolt with minor difficulty.

    Ash stammered as his starter gasped in shock. "Wha-Whaˇ­"

    Justˇ­ how strong was this Skorupi? And was that a Night Slash?

    Now Skorupi rushed forward, and before Ash knew it, it had struck Pikachu away with its tail, glowing in metallic energy. Pikachu let cried out as he sailed through the air, landing in the bushes nearby.

    "PIKACHU!" Ash was sweating now. He knew they''d have to be cautious against a creature like this, but he hadn''t expected it to be this strong...

    Pikachu climbed out of the bushes, clutching his aching ribs in pain while panting somewhat.

    That Skorupi had moved awfully fastˇ­ and that seemed to be Iron Tail that it used. They would need to counter it with speed of their own.

    "Pikachu! Build up speed with Quick Attack and use Iron Tail!"

    Quick Attack was a useful move regardless of what level of battling it was being used at. It was great for mobility, and for building speed in order to put extra force behind an attack. A Pokemon like Pikachu, which were known for their agility in battle, visibly from such a usage. And since it was so easy to learn, there was nothing to be lost from trying to teach it to a Pokemon that could learn it.

    Ash wasn''t completely aware of the science behind some of these moves, but he was pretty sure that Quick Attack involved small adrenaline bursts into the body that amplified the user''s speed.

    Whatever it was that made the move the way that it is, Pikachu certainly made good use of it as he sped towards Skorupi, tail glowing with metallic energy. Although he wouldn''t have mastered Iron Tail until rigorous training had been done, he was still, thankfully, able to charge it up just fast enough to be on time to strike at his target.

    However, Skorupi''s reaction time ended up being far greater than Ash could have predicted, meeting Pikachu''s Iron Tail with one of its own. Thanks to the speed boost provided by Quick Attack, Pikachu was able to push Skorupi back as the two clashed, each of them trying to overwhelm the other.

    Skorupi growled as Pikachu pushed it back, grinding its feet into the dirt in an attempt to ground itself. Pikachu''s speed boost did not last forever, however, and Skorupi was soon able to push the mouse away once he ran out of momentum.

    Pikachu tumbled across the dirt, his fur gathering some of it up as he came to a stop on his bottom. Before he could do anything else, Skorupi raised its claws. An eruption of glowing spikes came flying out from them.

    Pin Missile.

    Pikachu scrambled out of the way with Quick Attack, but screamed as some of the spikes grazed him. The mouse doubled over in pain as he felt the spikes pierce his fur, and his flesh. Ash cried out in horror as blood began to leak from the young mouse''s body.

    And then it happened.

    Skorupi rushed forward, driving a claw, laced with poisonous venom, right into Pikachu''s gut. The mouse started to cry out, but it was immediately cut off as he began to make choking noises.

    Pikachu felt the toxic poison coursing into his body, his bloodstream becoming infected with the venom as it took hold.

    As the Skorupi removed its claw from Pikachu''s stomach, Ash immediately rushed forward without even thinking, panickingly scooping the electric type up in his arms before bolting off in a different direction, thoughts in a jumble.

    Thankfully, Skorupi simply watched them leave.

    /

    Ash was so glad to have healing items now.

    After applying an antidote to Pikachu as soon as possible, he immediately went to work with the potions. His starter''s wounds closed up as the toxins began to be purged from his body.

    Ash had cleared quite a bit of distance between them and the Skorupi now, having ran for a good few minutes. Thankfully, Pikachu''s wounds weren''t too bad, as Ash had taken him out of the battle before things could get overly serious. However, a few minutes was all he could spare to run away from the creature, as he knew perfectly well that Pikachu had to be rid of the poison fast.

    "You okay?" the boy asked weakly, still shaken from the encounter.

    Pikachu chirped with a weak nod. Clearly, the mouse was just as shaken as Ash was.

    Ash lifted up Pikachu''s Poke Ball. "I''m going to return you, now. We''ll rest a bit before continuing, okay?"

    Pikachu complied, nodding again as Ash tapped the capsule against the young mouse''s forehead.

    After Pikachu was sucked into the orb, Ash found a nearby rock to sit on, a deep sigh released as the events of the played through his mind, practically on loop.

    How was that Skorupi so strong? He knew Viridian Forest was unpredictable: it was one of the many reasons why it was so infamous, but beginners still traveled through this place. Flashbacks to the previous day appeared in his mind, how Pikachu, still a Pichu, had been injured by the Spearow. Had Ash still not been stocked up on healing items, this one, particular incident would have been much, much worse.

    In frustration, he gritted his teeth.

    He was still screwing up. Even after he and Pikachu had looked to working things out with one another, it still wasn''t enough. He still couldn''t catch a Pokemon.

    He did his best to purge those thoughts from his mind; he needed to rest. It was still a while before nightfall, so he could still cover some more ground later.

    For now, he just needed to take a breather, and calm his rapidly beating heart after the scare with the Skorupi.

    /

    Ash rested for about a half hour before deciding to get moving again. Pikachu was still in his Poke Ball for the time being, Ash figured he should just call him if needed.

    The events of the Skorupi battle were still fresh in his mind, but Ash did his best to push them to the back. It would be best to forget about that battle, and move on. There would be plenty more wild Pokemon to encounter, and hopefully they wouldn''t pose the same problems that that Skorupi did.

    Nevertheless, the top priority would be clearing ground. Viridian Forest was massive, and Ash knew that he would have to keep moving as quickly as possible if he ever wanted to reach Pewter City.

    Not even a day into Viridian Forest, and he was already craving civilization. he wondered if that was normal. Was he just not cut out for this-

    ''There I go, doubting myself again.'' He needed to find a way to stop doing that, but wasn''t sure where to start. Apart from the Skorupi incident, today was going much better than yesterday had, but he still couldn''t help the dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, Janine had caught two Pokemon on Opening Day alone, humbly claiming it to be luck. ''I could use some of that right about now...''

    After about an hour or so of walking, he just might have gotten it.

    Flapping wings filled his ears as he watched a small, bird-like Pokemon descending onto a nearby, low-hanging tree branch. Ash was quick to recognize the species:

    It was a Starly.

    Ash felt his lips stretch into a small grin. This was his big chance.

    Starly were like Pidgey. They were very beginner friendly, and easy to catch, train, and raise.

    But once they were fully evolved, they could be a force to be reckoned with in the right hands...

    Pikachu had been resting up for quite a while now. Ash still didn''t want to disturb him just yet, butˇ­ This was the opportunity that they were looking for.

    In a bright flash of light, the young mouse appeared in front of him, looking almost good as new.

    "Pikachu." Ash addressed his starter with concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

    The Starly was staring at them now, as if waiting for them to make a move.

    Pikachu turned to him with an affirmative nod. Ash didn''t want to force Pikachu to battle if he still wasn''t in good shape, but his friend seemed to be battle ready.

    "Good!" he replied happily, pointing to the Starly. "We have another chance."

    Pikachu looked up at Starly, already allowing the sparks to flow through his cheeks. Sensing the threat, Starly prepared itself, raising its wings defiantly.

    "Thunder Shock!"

    Pikachu leapt into the air, flinging the electricity from his tail and towards the Starly.

    The small bolt of lightning sailed towards its target, only for the bird-like Pokemon to hastily take off, flying into the air as the attack hit the tree branch where Starly had previously been perched.

    The vegetation had adapted long ago to handle Pokemon attacks, so Pikachu''s attack didn''t do too much damage to the branch.

    Now Starly went on the offensive, rushing at Pikachu with decent speed in what Ash assumed was Quick Attack. Pikachu leapt out of the way and once again began gathering electricity into his cheeks.

    Only for Starly to suddenly turn around and begin flapping its wings furiously. All of a sudden, Pikachu found himself pushing against a powerful wind current, doing his best to dig his paws into the ground as he began forcibly sliding backwards.

    Whirlwind was a pretty common move among bird like Pokemon, and one that they resorted to very frequently. By flapping their wings with full force, they were able to create an absurd amount of wind pressure that quickly evolved into powerful gales, capable of blowing opponents away. Ash had seen the move utilized at incredible levels of power at the Conference. Just two Seasons ago, a Conference winner had commanded a Pidgeot capable of lifting a Golem off of the ground with its wind.

    And since Staraptor were known for their physical strength, there was no doubt in Ash''s mind that this Starly could be capable of similar feats with the proper training.

    Starly stopped flapping its wings, seemingly to prevent itself from tiring out. Ash knew that he needed to go on the offensive to stop Starly from gaining any more momentum, so he quickly made his move with haste.

    "Pikachu, Spark!"

    Spark was a decently strong move that allowed Pikachu to coat itself with electricity while charging towards his opponent. It took a bit more time to build up than Thunder Shock, but Pikachu was thankfully getting the hang of it.

    As Pikachu''s body crackled with lightning bolts, he charged forward at Starly as fast as he could. Once he approached the bird, he leapt head-first towards his target. Starly immediately flew out of the way as quickly as possible. Ash grunted in frustration as the electricity surrounding Pikachu dissipated. The mouse had missed his mark.

    Starly circled around and charged forward with a Quick Attack, slamming beak first into Pikachu''s forehead. Pikachu tumbled backwards until his back was against a tree.

    Ash took note of the amount of dirt being collected in Pikachu''s fur. They really needed to figure out a way to clean himˇ­

    Flapping its wings in place, Starly hovered a few feet in front of Pikachu, waiting for him to go on the offensive again.

    Ash glared. This Starly was good. It was maneuvering well, predicting Pikachu''s moves, and reacting accordingly. It was impressive for a beginner level wild Pokemon.

    "Pikachu, get back up and use Quick Attack!"

    Pikachu quickly made his way to his feet, standing on all fours as he charged at the Starly. But hsi target was ready yet again, digging its talons into the dirt and suddenly flinging a large pile of sand right into Pikachu''s eyes, eliciting a sharp cry from the electric type as the sand burned into his pupils.

    As the rodent began viciously rubbed on his eyes, desperately to get the sand out with his paws, his bird like opponent pounced on him with its talons, driving him back first into the ground with a mighty push, and began slapping Pikachu''s face with its wings as Ash''s starter lay down in the dirt.

    Ash glowered. At this rate, Pikachu was going to-

    His partner let out another loud cry as sparks flowed from his cheeks. Starly had to react fast as a sporadic Thunder Shock suddenly escaped from Pikachu''s body, just barely managing to fly away and to safety, but Ash wasn''t going to let this opportunity pass them by.

    "Pikachu, Brick Break!"

    Before Starly could get too far away from him, Pikachu sprang upwards and rushed forward. Ignoring the severe pain in his eyes, he raised his paw and drove a glowing fist right into the bird-like Pokemon''s forehead. Starly was sent flying backwards, but was just barely able to catch itself, flapping its wings in place.

    Pikachu growled at Starly glowering at the bird as sparks freely flowed throughout his cheek sacks, warm tears leaking from his eyes.

    It wasn''t over just yet.

    A large bruise was visible on Starly''s forehead. The Brick Break had clearly hurt quite a bit, which meant that the potential headache from the blow may cause the flier to lose focusˇ­

    "Pikachu! Jump on Starly with Quick Attack!"

    Pikachu rushed forward, and although Starly just barely managed to fly out of the way, Ash had other plans in mind for the bird.

    "Iron Tail! Now!"

    Pikachu swung the metallic tail down onto the fleeing bird-like Pokemon''s back. Starly yelped as it was abruptly propelled face first into the dirt.

    And now, it was time.

    "Thunder Shock!"

    The bird-like Pokemon yelped as electricity suddenly flowed throughout its body, Pikachu letting loose a a stream of electricity as strong as he could muster, to end the battle for good.

    The shrieking bird collapsed onto its stomach as the electricity finally died down after just a few seconds. Although it wasn''t quite unconscious, it was certainly getting there, struggling to move as sparks rolled throughout its body.

    This was it.

    Ash immediately took out a Poke Ball and, without a second thought, chucked it at the paralysed bird-like Pokemon, its feathers still sizzling with static electricity as the orb collided its body. As the capsule opened up, a bright beam of light sucked Starly in, before closing back up and landing softly on the ground.

    Ash watched for a few seconds as the Poke Ball briefly rolled around in the dirt, but Starly could not struggle for long. A pulsing sound was made as the button on the Poke Ball flashed red, only for a split second, no longer moving as the struggle ceased almost as quickly as it had begun.

    The battle was over. Starly was caught.

    Ash took a few seconds to process what had just happened, but it didn''t take very long for the joy to fill his heart.

    "Pikachu!" he cried out happily. "We did it!"

    His starter squeaked loudly, panting slightly from the battle, but still not any less happy.

    A trainer''s first catch. One of the many big milestones of a Pokemon journey. It didn''t matter what the Pokemon was, or how it was caught. Once a trainer managed to successfully capture a Pokemon for the first time, that feeling of joy was nearly unrivaled. An early moment of victory that could never be forgotten.

    Ash quickly raced over to the Poke Ball with Pikachu by his side. He lifted the poke Ball and held it high as Pikachu looked on with a wide, open mouthed smile, as if wanting the whole world to witness what they just did.

    Scooping Pikachu up with his other arm, Ash hugged the the electric type close to him. This was really Pikachu''s victory, and not his.

    But pulling his partner closer to him quickly gave Ash a better look at the smiling Pikachu.

    The celebration was cut short as Ash gently set the mouse Pokemon down, slowly taking in Pikachu''s appearance as he knelt down beside him, making sure to clip Starly''s Poke Ball to his belt as he did.

    Ash examined Pikachu carefully. "There is blood on your forehead."

    Pikachu had received a cut from when Starly''s beak had struck him with Quick Attack. The gash was currently leaking some blood, although it thankfully didn''t seem serious.

    Ash continued to look Pikachu over. He cupped the mouse''s cheeks as he examined the bruises on them. Most likely from when Starly had been slapping him with its wings.

    Moving his hands further down, Ash took notice of the minor scrapes on Pikachu''s ribs, likely what he had received from Starly''s talons when he was driven into the dirt.

    His fur was absolutely filthy, his back most certainly receiving the worst of it, most likely from when Starly had pinned him down onto the dirt. Brawling in the dirt most certainly wasn''t fun.

    Pikachu''s condition wasn''t serious; certainly not like the last two incidents, but they still needed to be addressed.

    Ash stood up and gestured for the electric type to follow him. "Come on, let''s get you patched up."

    Pikachu nodded, a small smile on his lips as the adrenaline died down.

    The duo walked off. They didn''t know it yet, but their battle with the Starly had not been a private affair.

    There were two witnesses.

    /

    Standing with his back against a nearby tree was a figure slightly taller than Ash.

    The purple haired boy peeked out from behind as he watched the young boy and his Pikachu head off, before looking down to the Pokemon standing beside him.

    Like Pikachu, the Pokemon was yellow and black. However, it was taller, and most certainly bulkier.

    "I''m honestly not sure what those two are so excited about." he spoke blankly to his accomplice. "If the fight was that easy to turn around, then what use would that Starly be, anyway?"

    Rookie trainers always fell under the same exact trap. They lacked convictions, and were ignorant. It was why everyone looked down on beginners. It was why they rarely saw more than limited success at the Conference. Even the few rookies who made it there and received well deserved praise for it never got far enough to be a top contender. And this was why.

    They just didn''t understand what it took to succeed. Some trainers caught as many Pokemon as possible, forced to divide their attention between so many teammates at once in order to avoid neglect. Others didn''t go as overboard with this, but still just dedicated themselves to whatever Pokemon that they could possibly get their hands on. They weren''t picky enough.

    Being a trainer was about more than just catching and raising Pokemon. It was a trainer''s job to determine which Pokemon were best worth the finite investment in the first place. If a Pokemon lacked potential, time was best spent on those that did. Simply catching any Pokemon just wasn''t going to cut it.

    It took rookie trainers the first couple of years or so of their journeys to learn that lesson. But he would not fall under that trap.

    Think like a pro, even before you become one. Determine with your own observations and deductions which Pokemon are most worth catching, most worth keeping, most worth training.

    The boy took out a Poke Ball, and looked down at it. It contained the Skorupi that he had just recently caught. A powerful creature already, and soon to be even more, once he trained the creature to unlock its latent abilities.

    Pin Missile, Poison Sting, Poison Jab, Venoshock, Iron Tail, Poison Fang, Poison Tail, Night Slash, and Agility. It already knew nine moves, many of which were very powerful and potent. Before being trained, even. That was what real potential looked like. It would go very far.

    He''d hone the creature into an unstoppable powerhouse, just like everyone else on his team. The competition would not even know what hit them by the time they were done.

    "Come on, Elekid." he said, looking over to his Pokemon. "The show''s over. We''re done here."

    The Pokemon, Elekid, made a whirring noise in response, before following its trainer deeper into the forest.

 The Twisted Forest pt 2

    It had taken Ash about a half hour to clean Pikachu up after treating his wounds. They still had a couple hours of daylight left, and continued to walk until the sun started to set.

    Before, Ash had been worried that they wouldn''t be able to tell night from day as long as they were here, but thankfully, that never proved to be an issue. Even though the forest itself was quite dim most of the time, it was much darker when the sunlight that did make it through the treetops suddenly went away.

    Ash found an opening in the forest, where the treetops gave way to show off the night sky. Unlike the previous night, where the sky was filled with rain clouds, this night was perfectly clear. Not a cloud in sight. As the sky progressively grew darker, stars began popping into view.

    "We''ll set up camp here," said Ash, his starter nodding in agreement.

    Ash prepared a campfire, and got his sleeping bag out. He took out some of the food that he had packed for his journey.

    He had a couple of sandwiches, while he had Pokemon food for Pikachu.

    Of course, there was a third member of the group now.

    Taking out Starly''s Poke Ball, he turned to Pikachu.

    "Okay, I''m going to release Starly. We need to be careful how we approach this."

    Starly was a new member of the team now. Wild Pokemon often varied in terms of how they acted after being caught. Most were cooperative with some convincing, but Ash definitely wanted to approach this in a way that wouldn''t rub Starly the wrong way.

    A large tree stump served as the central point for their camp. Ash placed Starly''s Poke Ball down on it, before releasing the bird.

    Pikachu looked on curiously as Starly emerged from its Poke Ball. The bird didn''t look too banged up from the battle, likely because it had some time to rest in the capsule. Nevertheless, it was not spotless.

    The bird Pokemon chirped as it looked up at Ash. Pikachu hopped onto the tree stump where Starly was now perched, but kept his distance.

    Ash knelt down, crouching until he was at eye level with Starly. "Heyˇ­" he said cautiously.

    Starly chirped back, sounding more neutral than hostile for the moment.

    "Weˇ­ caught you." said Ash matter of factly. How does he approach this? Authoritative enough to get his point across? Soft enough to sound appealing? He didn''t want to botch things with Starly like he initially had with Pikachu out of the gate..

    Starly tilted its head. It seemed to know what Ash meant.

    "My name is Ash Ketchumˇ­" he spoke carefully. "And this is Pikachu." he said, gesturing over to the young mouse. Pikachu awkwardly raised a paw up as the bird looked in his direction. "We want to be your friends, Starly." .

    Starly looked at Ash curiously. No signs of aggression were shown.

    Ash looked Starly in the eye. "If you join us, we''ll help you become stronger than ever. And more importantly, we''ll be a family to you." After a few minutes, Starly wasn''t objecting, so he pressed onward, taking out his Pokedex. "Can I scan you real quick?"

    After a brief moment, Starly complied and stood still.

    "Starly, the Starling Pokemon of the normal-flying type. They form groups as they are weak individually. However, if the group grows too big, they bicker."

    "This Starly is female and knows the moves Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace, Double-Edge, and Sand Attack. It''s ability is Reckless, which boosts the power of the user with strenuous adrenaline."

    Ash whistled. He assumed Double-Edge was another Volt Tackle situation, where Starly most likely would not even be able to even practice using it until she got much stronger.

    Reckless was a pretty interesting ability, incredibly potent yet dangerous to pull off. Some moves pushed the limits of a Pokemon''s body, putting an immense strain on the user. Others caused recoil damage. Reckless held similar properties; with practice, the user could activate the ability to tap into all of their body''s inner reserves at once, becoming near-immeasurably stronger than normal. What made the ability so dangeorus was that those reserves existed for a reason; they were not meant to be used all at once. With no reserves to fall back on, the user would be completely spent after running out of energy. They also held little regard for their own safety and overall well being while in such a state.

    It was an incredible ability when used well, but not one to be used carelessly.

    Ash looked up at Starly, impressed. "You have a really powerful ability. You''d be quite the force if you could learn to use it properly." Starly looked slightly bashful at that.

    If she could have tapped into that ability at will, he and Pikachu probably would have lost.

    Ash paused. "Do you want a nickname?"

    Nicknaming Pokemon was common amongst certain trainers. Ash had asked Pikachu if he wanted one before they had gone to bed the previous night, but the young mouse had politely declined.

    After a brief moment of pause, the Starly nodded.

    Ash already had a nickname picked out for her, just in case.

    "How aboutˇ­ Nebula?"

    The Starly put a wing to her chin, as if thinking it over for just a brief moment. Then she nodded.

    Ash grinned. "Would you like to eat with us, Nebula?"

    Nebula nodded back.

    The first new companion had officially joined the team.

    /

    Pikachu walked around the campsite, looking at his trainer, who was in his sleeping bag, getting shut eye after the long day.

    Dinner had been rather uneventful, with the trio mostly eating in silence, although Ash did fill Nebula in about where they were headed, and why. Nebula had expressed some mild interest in Pewter City, and Pikachu recalled her intrigue when Ash brought up the Gym.

    Looking up, Pikachu saw the full moon overhead, surrounded by the beautiful stars of the night, silently wishing to himself that all nights would be like this. No rain, no harsh winds, just clear, spotless skies with a beautiful view.

    It was a fruitless wish to make, as he would have to learn the hard way.

    The fireplace was warm, although the electric type was focused on other things. Namely, how uncomfortable it felt to be in Viridian Forest at night.

    The sounds of the forest filled his ears, and it was somewhat disturbing. Different types of chatter, all coming from different directions. The slightest breeze of wind had him on edge with just how nerve racking it was to be in this forest.

    Just how many different types of creatures resided in here?

    Andˇ­ how dangerous were they supposed to be?

    Looking over at Nebula, Pikachu saw his new teammate still perched on the large tree stump. Although Ash was asleep, the two Pokemon had chosen to stay up for just a little while longer. Nebula''s bowl had been picked clean; she had apparently taken quite a liking to the Pokemon food. Pikachu found the food to be bland, but serviceable, but Ash had commented on how radically different that the taste buds of Pokemon could be. Pikachu had eaten his fill nonetheless, having been hit with another case of severe hunger as they had set up camp. Thankfully, the trainer had promised to find food that he would enjoy more once they got to Pewter City.

    As if subconsciously, Pikachu found himself making his way over to the tree stump, stopping just a few feet away from Nebula. The young Starly paid him very little mind, but did still spare him a few casual glances, every now and then.

    Shouldˇ­ he talk to her? How do you strike a conversation with somebody that you had just gotten done fighting? He wondered what the transition between "wild Pokemon" and "teammate" was supposed to be like. One moment Nebula had been fighting for her life in order to prevent herself from getting caught. The next moment, she had been caught, and was now a part of a team.

    Did she just accept it? Did she have a choice? How did this work exactly?

    Did she resent him, for being the one who had defeated her?

    Looking over to Ash''s sleeping bag, Pikachu found himself frowning.

    His new trainer was definitely trying his best. When they had first met, Pikachu had been soˇ­ annoyed by him.

    That Gary kid that Ash seemed to hate so much (Pikachu wasn''t a fan himself) had pushed Ash''s buttons in what seemed to be every wrong way. And Ash had taken that out on him, and the young mouse just couldn''t bring himself to trust him afterwards.

    But then the Spearow incident had happened, where Ash had done everything in his power to make sure that Pikachu was kept safe. And then the two of them had both taken a leap of faith against that violent Meowth. The one that had literally tried to kill them.

    Ash had proposed a fresh start, and Pikachu was willing to give it to him. He could tell that the human boy meant well. He trusted himˇ­ for now.

    He wondered what Nebula thought of a trainer''s life. The bird seemed to be pretty accepting of it for now. But... what was going through her mind?

    Working up the courage to try and converse, Pikachu approached Nebula, the Starly turning to look at him upon seeing his advance.

    The mouse squeaked a simple hello. Hopefully it could gauge whether or not she actually wanted to talk.

    After a few seconds of hesitation, the Starly chirped back in response, asking Pikachu if he needed something.

    Truth be told, Pikachu wasn''t sure what he wanted to talk about. He had simply wanted to say something to his new teammate, hoping to see where they currently stood with one another. But he didn''t think far enough ahead to know how he was going to go about that.

    After a few moments of brief hesitation, he squeaked out a question about what the forest was like.

    That was helpful, wasn''t it? She obviously knew the forest a lot better than he and Ash didˇ­

    Unfortunately, she had responded with a shake of her head. Apparently she was only familiar with specific parts of the forest. She had learned not to venture in too deep.

    Thinking about something else, Pikachu asked her if the forest was actually haunted. She seemed to be a bit caught off guard by that question, so he explained the rumors that Ash had told him about earlier that morning.

    She still seemed slightly confused. Did that mean that they were safe? Or was it just exclusive to a part of the forest that she had never ventured into before?

    Pikachu was running out of things to say again, but before he could stammer, Nebula surprisingly enough asked him a question:

    What did he think of Ash?

    It made sense, he supposed. Since she was going to be traveling with themˇ­

    It took a moment of hesitation to work up a response, before finally giving her his answer.

    In truth, Pikachu wasn''t entirely sure what he thought of Ash just yet. He and the human boy had gotten off to a rocky start, but they were still trying to work things out.

    Ash wasˇ­ certainly interesting. Pikachu was just about as new to all of this as Nebula was, but he was interested enough to see where it all went. He wanted to return the effort his new trainer seemed to be putting in for him, so he felt Ash deserved a second chance.

    Nebula''s reaction was a bit blank, so Pikachu wasn''t sure what her thoughts were on the matter. But nevertheless, she still seemed to accept his answer.

    Thinking of something, Pikachu asked Nebula if she wanted to hear a story. Nebula nodded. It didn''t take as long for her to react this time.

    Pikachu smiled, and began to tell Nebula about the history lesson that Ash had given him earlier.

    The young mouse obviously had no way of ever knowing hwo things would pan out But nevertheless, he hoped that one day, in the near future, he would be able to call both Ash and Nebula his friends.

    /

    The sun rose high in the sky as the trio woke from their slumber.

    Ash had been the first to rise, seeing Pikachu and Nebula asleep on the tree stump a few feet from one another. He hadn''t wanted to disturb them, but thankfully, it didn''t take too long for either to wake afterwards.

    As Ash munched on his breakfast, he looked to this Pokemon.

    Pikachu wasn''t overly invested in his food, but was still eating it, the expanded hunger having not gone away yet. Nebula was clearly loving hers, eating at what was at least twice the pace as Ash''s starter.

    "Based on what I knowˇ­" said Ash, looking over to his two companions. The duo looked up from their bowls as he spoke to them. "It usually takes the average trainer about over half a week to get all the way through Viridian Forest and to Pewter City. "We''ll be moving whenever we''re able, in order to cover as much ground as possible today. We can get some training in if we have time, but it might be best to save that for Pewter City itself. It would be a much more focused place to train than here."

    Both Pokemon nodded. It made sense. Neither of them were very comfortable with continuous training in a forest like this. Especially if they accidentally disturbed the wild Pokemon nearby. Nebula had stayed safe by remaining in a fixed area, which they obviously couldn''t do if they want to get through the forest.

    Ash and Pikachu had only been in Viridian Forest for a day, but the encounter with the Skorupi was more than enough of a reminder. This place could be very brutal.

    Ash pulled out his Pokedex. "Unfortunately, our national map won''t do us much good in the forest. But it does give information on how big the forest is. We haven''t run into any trainers yet, but I know that the Bug Catchers usually reside closer to the central areas." At Nebula''s curious look, he responded. "The Bug Catchers are a gang of trainers that run this place. At least, that''s what they think. They are known to cause a lot of trouble for those who cross onto their turf."

    Nebula nodded in understanding, seemingly annoyed at the idea. Ash didn''t blame her.

    As they finished breakfast, Ash observed Pikachu and Nebula''s behavior. For the moment, they seemed to get along just fine, which was good news considering that they had just fought less than a day ago. There was a lot ofˇ­ neutrality between the two of them, though. They clearly weren''t that close yet.

    Ash hoped they would be one day. Professor Oak had often gone on about how important and essential it was for a trainer and their team to all be in sync with each other. It did exponential wonders for each Pokemon''s growth as individuals. There were a lot of ways that multiple Pokemon could assist each other in training, and, of course, Double Battles always relied on teamwork between the Pokemon themselves.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    After packing up and preparing for another day of traveling on the road, Ash turned to Nebula. "Do you want to be in your Poke Ball? Or do you want to stay out here, Nebula?"

    Nebula pointed towards the trees, indicating that she wanted to fly.

    Ash nodded. "Okay. Just don''t stray too far. This forest is lurking with potential dangers."

    Nodding, Nebula spread her wings and prepared to fly off. But as she lifted off of the ground, Pikachu, watching her closely, suddenly got an idea. Not necessarily a good idea, thoughˇ­

    Just as the Starly began to gain some air, she suddenly felt the mouse''s weight on top of her back, clinging to her. Letting out a very loud, and startled shriek, she began flapping her wings furiously, desperately flailing around as she struggled to stay in the air. Eventually, she gave out, collapsing to the ground underneath the mouse that had just pounced on her.

    As the two picked themselves up, Nebula rubbed her head with her wing and shot Pikachu a dirty look.

    Ash chuckled. "Um, Pikachu? I think you might be a little too heavy for Nebula to be giving you rides."

    Pikachu rubbed the back of his head, but said nothing in response.

    /

    Compared to the previous two days of his journey, this day was proving to be quite uneventful so far.

    Six hours of monotonous walking through the forest, with Pikachu by his side and Nebula flapping her wings closely overhead. A few wild Pokemon here and there, but most of them had thankfully retreated upon seeing them.

    Ash had made attempts to capture a few, but they all escaped. After a Weedle had gotten the drop on Pikachu and lightly poisoned him after nicking him with Poison Sting (the second time that Pikachu had been poisoned in as many days) Ash had chosen to refrain from attempted captures for the time being. Thankfully, it hadn''t been anywhere near as bad as the Skorupi incident.

    That was about three hours ago, which meant that the next three hours were fairly monotone. They had stopped for a quick lunch break about an hour ago, in which they then proceeded to resume their uneventful stroll through the forest.

    Eventually, Ash had gotten used to the boredom. It certainly beat running into Team Rocket. Or getting attacked by a group of Spearow. Or their encounter with that Skorupi. Plus, given Viridian Forest''s reputation, he was honestly quite grateful that he could have such a quiet stroll through the place.

    Who knows? Maybe this wouldn''t be so bad if today was anything to go-

    "HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

    An unspeakably startled Ash cursed himself for jinxing them as a sword suddenly appeared in front of his face.

    Pikachu jolted backwards with a startled cry as Nebula landed a few feet next him. With wide eyes, they stared at the figure in front of their trainer.

    Ash''s breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the boy in front of him.

    He seemed to be about his age, but he was clad in samurai armor, and his face was overtaken by a ahrdened expression.

    Also, he was pointing a sword in front of his face.

    Ash tried to stutter out a protest, but found that hecouldn''t even stammer. Why was this kid threatening him? Was he a Pokemon thief? A murderer? What was going-

    "Greetings, cretin." said the mysterious figure.

    Oh, yes. This kid was doing wonders for him as far as strong first impressions were concerned.

    "W-w-w-w-what do you want?" Ash finally stammered out, face devoid of color. Behind him, Pikachu''s cheeks were sparking as Nebula raised her wings defensively.

    The kid pulled his sword away from the terrified boy, finally allowing the young trainer''s heart to start beating again. "You are entering Bug Catcher territory. The Big Net has employed me as hired muscle to drive off all intruders. Turn back now, or prepare to face my wrath."

    The Big Net? Was that what they called their leader?

    "Waitˇ­ so we are near the center of the forest now?"

    "You are approaching their turf, yes. Now then, do you accept my terms?"

    Ash tried to glare, but found that he couldn''t. He wasn''t the one with the sword, after all.

    "We need to get through here. If we go in a different direction, it''ll take forever for us to-"

    "HA! A stubborn one, I see!" He raised his sword, eliciting another flinch from Ash. Pikachu growled as the sparks in his cheeks increased, although even the electric mouse was beginning to take just a few steps back. Nebula stood firm, but was clearly sweating. "Where do you hail from, intruder? Tell me!"

    Ash scratched the back of his head as he tried to regain his breath. "P-Pallet Town?"

    "PALLET TOWN?!" The samurai kid jolted back and raised his sword. "I was beaten by a trainer from Pallet Town just yesterday! He has desecrated my honor with such humiliation!"

    Ash blinked. So it must have been Gary.

    "Your comrade has subjected me to unforgivable humiliation!" The samurai kid gazed at Ash with blazing eyes, as though the young trainer was the single most repulsive creature on the planet, although Ash nearly had to hold back a vomit after being subjected to the idea of him and Gary being comrades.

    The Samurai practically ripped a Poke Ball out of thin air, holding the round capsule in front of his face. "I DEMAND SATISFACTION!"

    ...Was heˇ­ challenging them to a Pokemon battle? Ash glanced over to his teammates, whose mutually exasperated looks replaced the fear that they had felt for the new figure just a few moments ago.

    This would be the first time that somebody other than Gary had challenged him. Despite being a trainer for going on three days now, Ash had only had one sanctioned battle with another trainer so far.

    And that battle had been completely humiliating. He wouldn''t let this one be the same way.

    "SAY YOUR PRAYERS, FOUL TRESPASSER FROM PALLET TOWN! YOU SHALL FALL NOW!" He threw the Poke Ball in front of Ash. Out of it emerged a green, cocoon-like Pokemon.

    A Metapod.

    Ash gritted his teeth. He didn''t want to deal with this newcomer or the Bug Catchers, but if they were forced to take a detour, their time spent in the forest could be doubled or worse.

    "Nebula," he said, looking over to his new bird companion. "Do you think you can do this?"

    After a brief moment of consideration, the Starly flew in front of her new trainer with a flap of her wings, landing just a few short feet in front of him, perched on the ground in the dirt. She eyed her opponent level headedly, trying not to be intimidated by its still sword-wielding Trainer.

    "Nebula, use Wing Attack!"

    Taking off into the air, Nebula charged forward and batted the Metapod with her wing. The cocoon-like Pokemon rolled backwards from the impact, but didn''t seem to be very affected by it.

    "FOOL! My Metapod is a master of all that is related to defense! You shall not pierce it!" The Samurai kid thrust his arm forward, pointing his sword outward as he did so. "Use Harden!"

    Harden was exactly what it sounded like: A move ove that hardened Metapod''s shell to be extra sturdy and durable.

    Metapod''s exterior glowed with white light as it reinforced its shell. Nebula''s job would be harder nowˇ­

    The young Starly rushed forward with yet another Wing Attack, but this time, it did very little, Metapod barely even budging from the blow.

    Ash frowned. Nebula was getting frustrated right now. Hopefully she didn''t do anything reckless-

    The furious Starly pulled back to build up some distance, before rushing forward with Quick Attack. Before Ash could object, she struck with her foot, kicking hard at Metapod''s shellˇ­

    And then proceeded to bounce around the battlefield, wailing in pain while clutching her now injured foot.

    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Samurai kid threw his head back and cackled into the sky. "My Metapod''s defenses are impregnable! No amount of blunt force in the world can get through it! Like an iron wall, halting any and all advances ahead!" he pointed forward at Ash over dramatically. "Do what a sensible trainer would do: give up and retreat!"

    Ash was starting to hate this guy even more than Gary.

    "Nebula!" he called out.

    Nebula tried to stop hopping around, wiping some tears from her face as she looked over in Ash and Pikachu''s direction.

    "Try picking Metapod up! Then fly it into a tree branch with Quick Attack!"

    If this guy wanted to gloat, then they would just have to see how he reacted to this.

    Quickly complying, Nebula flew over to Metapod and gripped it in her talons. She had some difficulty picking it up, especially with her aching foot, but thankfully, it proved to be easier than lifting Pikachu.

    The young mouse had pounced on top of Nebula''s back when she least expected it. Metapod wasn''t crashing down on her, and she was more ready this time.

    Nevertheless, she was still struggling to steady herself as she lifted the cocoon-like Pokemon into the air.

    Ash grunted a bit. This certainly wasn''t easy, but Ash supposed that Nebula would have an easier time once Quick Attack gave her the boost that she needed.

    Ash called out. "Now!" Nebula rushed forward after hearing Ash give the signal. Although her grip was slipping, she held on just long enough for Metapod to crash into the tree branch nearby.

    Crack!

    Metapod came crashing down to the ground in a daze, a large blister now present on its body.

    The samurai kid''s sword dropped down to the ground as Ash''s opponent looked on speechlessly.

    "Wh-Whaˇ­"

    "There." said Ash, crouching down to path Nebula''s head as she returned to his side. "Any more snide remarks, or can we leave now?"

    "HA!" declared the Samurai kid as he quickly returned his Metapod. "You think I am not just getting started?! Soon you shall fall before me!"

    A new Pokemon appeared in front of him. Ash immediately recognized the large creature as a Pinsir.

    "Pikachu." said Ash, turning to his Starter pokemon. "You ready?"

    Despite being intimidated by his opponent''s appearance, Pikachu immediately made his way to the battlefield, attempting a squeak of aggression.

    The fact that Pinsir resisted fighting type moves, combined with the Pokemon''s massive bulk, would most likely render Brick Break near useless, as Pikachu had only just learned the technique, and wouldn''t be able to draw out anywhere close to its full power.

    "Pinsir! Vise Grip!"

    Pinsir charged forward, attempting to snatch Pikachu in the giant claws on its head. Pikachu was too quick, however, and immediately dodged out of the way. Ash breathed a deep sigh of relief as he looked on. That Pinsir''s claws would be fatal if they hit their mark.

    Pikachu growled as he landed.

    "Pinsir''s claws are unstoppable! Admit defeat now or perish!"

    Ash crossed his arms. This forest had a variety of bug type Pokemon just about everywhere, and that also stretched to the trainers within the forest.

    He didn''t envy those who were afraid of bug type Pokemon.

    /

    Elsewhere in the forest, an orange haired girl was screaming her lungs out as she fled from a duo of Caterpie and Weedle, her Staryu desperately trying to keep up with her and not be left behind.

    /

    "Thunder Shock, now!"

    The electricity in Pikachu''s cheeks flowed throughout his body as he shot the small lightning bolt at Pinsir. The large bug in question crossed its arms defensively as the lightning seared against its skin. Getting pushed back slightly, it maintained its balance as the electricity finally dissipated. Apart from a few minor scorch marks on its arms, it was still perfectly intact.

    "Your Pikachu is far too weak! Pinsir! Pound that Pikachu into paste with Rock Smash!"

    Pinsir began charged forward towards Pikachu, thudding across the ground as its glowing fist rose into the air. It wasn''t nearly fast enough to catch Pikachu unprepared, however, and the mouse leapt away easily, leaving Pinsir''s fist to crash against the dirt.

    Ash glared. Pinsir was too bulky to easily deal significant damage. Pikachu was too fast and agile to be hit. At this rateˇ­

    "Your pathetic little mouse is nothing compared to my mighty Pinsir! We have slain thousands together! And counting! You shall fall with the rest of them!"

    Ash groaned. He really needed to find a way to shut this guy up.

    "Iron Tail, Pikachu! Speed yourself up with Quick Attack!"

    Pikachu bolted forward as his tail glowed with metallic energy. Pinsir raised an arm to block the mighty blow as Pikachu''s now metallic tail clashed against it. The rodent pushed against his opponent''s arm with as much might as his small, inexperienced body could muster, but was quickly losing momentum as the giant bug type was only forced to lean back just a bit.

    "Rock Smash, Pinsir!"

    The fist on the arm that Pikachu was pushing against suddenly began to glow as Pinsir propelled Pikachu away, sending the mouse flying away and into a tree trunk.

    CRACK!

    Pikachu let out a loud yelp of pain as his back smacked into the tree trunk, falling down on his side and into the dirt.

    "PIKACHU!" Ash called out.

    "Pinsir!" the Samurai kid shouted triumphantly. "Finish it off with Vise Grip!"

    Pinsir came charging forward as the mouse struggled to get up, clutching his aching side. Just as his opponent''s claws were about to latch onto him, however, the yellow rodent just barely managed to leap to the side, traveling over Pinsir''s back as he drove a quick Iron Tail into Pinsir''s back. His large foe lurched forward, landing in the dirt as Pikachu continued to fly through the air, using the force from Iron Tail to propel himself higher up. The electric type ended up on the other side, tumbling a bit as he landed, before rebalancing himself on all fours.

    It was a good strategy, for sure, but Pinsir was already getting up again.

    Ash clenched his fists. This Pinsir didn''t seem to be very skilled, but it didn''t really need to be. It was far too strong for Pikachu. They would have to use a similar strategy as the one that they did against that Meowthˇ­

    "Pikachu, use Thunder Wave!"

    Ignoring the pain in his side, Pikachu leapt up and let loose a blast of electricity. This one was different, however.

    As Pinsir crossed its arms to block again, the lightning bolt struck its defenses. However, rather than simply struggle against its target''s arms, the electricity began travelling across Pinsir''s body, spreading out across the giant bug Pokemon''s exterior.

    Thunder Wave wasn''t as much of an offensive move as Thunder Shock was. It instead emphasised the paralysis potential that was carried by the electricity. For this reason, the attack usually targeted the objective of disabling the opponent, rather than seriously hurting them. Pinsir''s attempt at blocking wouldn''t be nearly as effective, as Thunder Wave focused on traveling across the opposing Pokemon''s body.

    The Pinsir in question began mildly convulsing as it felt its muscles locking up. Ash smiled. The plan was working.

    It wasn''t perfect, however. The Pinsir''s body was still incredibly tough. The Thunder Wave could only mildly paralyse it, but Ash had a plan for that.

    This really was starting to remind him of the battle with Meowth.

    "My Pinsir knows no limits to the concept of strength!" The Samurai kid stomped forward and thrusted his arm out. "Use Rock Smash!"

    Raising a glowing fist yet again, the Pinsir began lumbering towards Pikachu. But with the electricity locking up its muscles, it was struggling to move as fast as before.

    And Ash wasn''t done just yet.

    "Use Thunder Shock, Pikachu!"

    Leaping up into the air, Pikachu fired off the small bolt of electricity, striking the advancing Pinsir before it could get too close. This time, the mouse''s opponent was still successful in defensively raising its arms, but was slowed down by the Thunder Wave when doing so. As the Thunder Shock struck, the electricity stacked on top of what was already affecting Pinsir due to the Thunder Wave. Pinsir began convulsing further, struggling to move as the Thunder Shock only added to its newfound paralysis.

    Ash heard Pinsir crying out in pain as the electricity seared it, and pressed his newfound advantage.

    "Iron Tail, speed up with Quick Attack!"

    Bolting forward, Pikachu drove a metallic tail into the now struggling to move Pinsir. Unable to resist the mouse''s blow, Pinsir was knocked off of its feet, crashing down on his back and into the dirt. Still convulsing with electricity, it could not get up just yet.

    "Climb a tree, Pikachu! Charge downward with Spark! USe another Quick Attack to speed yourself up again!"

    Dashing up the tree and onto a branch hanging over Pinsir, Pikachu leapt into the air, coating his body and fur in lightning before plummeting downward, right on top of Pinsir.

    ZAAAPP!

    Pinsir howled in rage and pain as the lightning traveled across its body and locked up its muscles even further. Ash and Nebula both shielded their eyes as the attack lit up the immediate surroundings.

    Eventually, Pikachu leapt off of Pinsir, who was left lying down in a heap as the crackling lightning held its body in place.

    As the panting Pikachu made his way back to Ash and Nebula, the samurai kid returned his Pinsir with an exasperated expression.

    "Great work, buddy!" Ash knelt down and patted his starter''s head. Pikachu hesitated for a second, but soon closed his eyes and accepted the touch with a smile.

    Nebula walked forward and raised a wing to the young mouse, a small smile on her face as she chirped in approval. The electric type''s face mildly flushed from the attention.

    Despite its obnoxious trainer, Pinsir had been a difficult opponent. Ash would have been lying to say he hadn''t gotten nervous, but everything had turned out okay.

    For the first time ever, he had won a battle against another trainer.

    The humiliation from his first defeat at Gary''s hands was almost a distant memory at this point. looking between his two teammates, Ash felt a feeling of earned satisfaction welling up in his chestn.

    They would only go even farther in the future.

    Looking over to the samurai kid, Ash saw his opponent frozen in place.

    "Iˇ­ lostˇ­" the samurai kid wailed. "Meˇ­ perfection incarnateˇ­ defeatedˇ­" he collapsed down onto his knees, pressing his hands into the dirt as he wailed. His sword still lay next to him. "First the obnoxious trainer from Pallet Townˇ­ then the girl from Fuschia Cityˇ­ and nowˇ­ another trainer from Pallet...have I lost my edge?!"

    Ash blinked. Was it normal to be this overly dramatic about a loss?

    "I am invincible! I am without fear! I am unstoppable! I am unrivaled! I am SUPREME!"

    Suddenly, the samurai kid bolted upwards, and a startled Ash found himself with a sword in his face yet again.

    "But know this, insufferable trainer from Pallet Town."

    HE was the insufferable one here?!

    "I will not take this defeat lying down. My training shall double. Triple. QUADRUPLE. I will spend every hour of my life honing my blade for our inevitable rematch. You will live in fear, for every second of every day, knowing that one day, I shall return. You will be helpless to stop me, for no amount of training in the world, in the universe, will be able to prepare you for what I shall become. I shall dedicate every fiber of my very being, no, every fiber of my very soul, to bringing you down, so that you shall know true pain, misery, and above all, defeat, on the day that I return. Your very core will be shook by the failure that awaits you, as I correct the very loss that I have suffered from today, and deliver it back to you, AT THOUSANDS OF TIMES THE MAGNITUDE!"

    Ash blinked in bewilderment, staring at his opponent for wht felt like an eternity... but suddenly, he realised something.

    "Wait a minuteˇ­" he reached out and gripped the samurai kid''s sword. Suddenly, he jumped backwards, and pointed at his opponent accusingly. "This sword isn''t even real! It''s plastic!"

    "IIIIIIIII SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL RETUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRN!" the samurai kid blasted off in the other direction, screaming loudly for the heavens to hear.

    The previous feeling of joy was replaced with exasperation as Ash watched him retreat. Looking over to Pikachu and Nebula, he could see a similar reaction from the duo, trying and failing to process what had just happened. Looking off into the distance, and observing the giant dust cloud that their opponent had left behind, Ash found that he couldn''t even let out a sigh.

    Maybe this forest really DID drive people insane.

 The Twisted Forest pt 3

    Unfortunately, the trio''s relatively peaceful stroll through Viridian Forest had ended with the previous battle.

    Not even an hour after the encounter with the samurai kid, Pikachu and Nebula leapt back with startled yelps as two figures abruptly emerged from the bushes.

    "HALT, TRESPASSERS!"

    Ash blinked in surprise at the two people in front of him. Both were only slightly older than him, carrying large nets and wearing mediocre camouflage uniforms.

    Irritably, he held back the urge to grit his teeth. ''Bug Catchers.

    The Bug Catcher Gang wasn''t known for being particularly strong, even among most rookie trainers. But they were constant. Like a swarm, any trainer passing through the forest was likely to encounter them, an inevitability that Ash had been dreading.

    One bug catcher took out a Poke Ball. "If you wish to proceed further, you must either pay the fee, or turn back."

    Ash glared. "We''re just headed to Pewter-"

    "By passing through our turf! The conditions still stand, so hand over a valuable or make yourselves scarce."

    Inwardly, Ash''s expression twisted. These people thought they owned the forest; like a noble governing a piece of land. Who did they think they were, trying to obstruct travelers just because-

    "You''re time''s up; Caterpie, eliminate them!"

    A green, worm-like Pokemon appeared in a bright flash of light. It gazed intently at Ash and his friends.

    "This unstoppable creature shall now put you in your place! Use Tackle attack!"

    Caterpie began rushing forward as fast as it couldˇ­

    ...Which wasn''t very fast.

    Ash groaned. "Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

    Using Quick Attack to boost his speed, Pikachu met the incoming Caterpie head on. A loud crack sounded as the metallic tail collided with the green bug type Pokemon''s head, sending Caterpie rolling backwards until it hit a tree trunk.

    "WHAT?!" screeched the bug catcher in an insufferably ear scratching cry as he gazed at his now unconscious Pokemon. "But that Caterpie was supposed to be unbeatable! It never lost a fight before!"

    "How many fights did it win?" Ash raised a brow.

    "This was its first fight!"

    ˇ­ Ash hated this damn forest.

    The other bug catcher stepped in front of his partner. "Take Caterpie back to the base. I will deal with the intruders."

    As the first bug batcher returned his Pokemon and ran off, the second one held up a Poke Ball, releasing a Weedle.

    Ash flinched a bit. Weedle were more dangerous than Caterpie due to their poisonous abilities.

    "Nebula," he said, looking over to his bird-like companion. "Be careful."

    Nebula nodded and flapped her wings just long enough to position in front of her new trainer, eying her opponent carefully.

    Ash was confident that Nebula would be able to handle her opponent, but he knew that letting his guard down would get her poisoned. Thankfully, Weedle were very limited in terms of moveset. As long as they avoided their opponent''s, they should be fine.

    "Whirlwind!"

    Launching herself into the air, Nebula flapped her wings as mightily as her body allowed her too. The large gust of wind created from the pressure bowled over the Weedle, sending it rolling across the dirt.

    "Poison Sting!"

    Regaining its bearings as the wind died down, Weedle charged forward with its stinger sticking out in front. It was a little bit faster than Caterpie, but Nebula avoided it pretty easily, driving her wing into the side of the Weedle''s head.

    One Quick Attack later and the Weedle was down.

    Returning his Pokemon, the Bug Catcher turned to face Ash.

    "You haven''t seen the last of us, intruders. Turn back now before backup comes; otherwise, this''ll be your final warning!"

    With that, he fled off in the same direction as his partner, and Ash, Pikachu, and Nebula were left with the sinking feeling that this was only just the beginning.

    /

    A good deal of Viridian Forest was endless trees as far as the eye could see. Although there were plenty of clearings, they still only made up a small fraction of the massive forest and the amount of land that it covered.

    The biggest clearing, however, was near the very center of the forest, and that was where the Bug Catcher Gang made it''s primary base.

    Several log cabins, spread out throughout the clearing, served as their primary form of shelter from within the forest. Equipment lined the outside walls of the cabin, and consisted of nets, shovels, and standard hiking gear. They were also accompanied by stolen supplies from other trainers.

    Right now, a couple dozen members of the gang were out and about, while a few others were resting within the cabins. The gang had seen an all time high increase in members in the past year or so. For as many of them currently stayed at the camp, a few times more were currently prowling the forest, just waiting to pick off any "trespassers" that sunk their boots onto their turf.

    Near the center of the base was the largest cabin, with a roof resembling the shell of a Cascoon. Sitting against the door was a girl dressed in a somewhat dirty uniform, stained from trekking through the forest for such a long time. A forest ranger hat rested upon her head, concealing some of her teal hair, which was tied back into a surprisingly neat ponytail.

    A few leaves of a nearby plant brushed against her slightly tan skin as she fiddled with the Poke Ball in her hand, deep in thought.

    Leading the Bug Catcher Gang was tiring, to say the very least. With the unbearable increase in members, she was forced to promote advisors just to help her keep track of everything. Not to mention that, "business" was especially high now that it was the beginning of the Season. These past two days, new trainers from Viridian City had been all over the forest. It meant much more work for her and her subordinates.

    More intruders meant more goods to pilfer, after all.

    "Big Net!"

    She looked up to see two bug catchers approaching her. They were both among the newest and youngest members of the group. Granted, everybody who worked for her was younger than her.

    "Yes?" as she stood up, her voice had a veryˇ­ unique layer of stoicism to it. She sounded very distant, lost in thought. As though her mind was always on something else, other than the current topic at hand. Her tone was hollow with every word she uttered.

    "We have just received word from our scouts: The samurai has been vanquished yet again!"

    The bug catcher frantically stamped the gorund as she spoke. A common habit from her subordinates when things did not go their way.

    She sighed, running a hand through her teal hair as she sized up the two in front of her.

    "But that''s the third time he has lost in the past two days." she stated matter of factly, tone of voice unchanging. "Who took out our mercenary this time?"

    "Some boy from Pallet Town, it seem." said the other Bug Catcher, who was ruthlessly biting his nails clean. Yet another common habit.

    Her face scrunched up. "Another one? We already heard of his humiliation by the spiky haired kid with the Squirtle just yesterday morning?"

    "And the purple haired girl with the Bulbasaur last night." the first Bug Catcher chirped in.

    "We need to get a new mercenary." the second Bug Catcher deadpanned.

    She let out another sigh, this one quite deep. "He has proven veryˇ­ ineffective in these first few days of the Season. Perhaps he has lost his touch. His blade needs to be sharpened."

    "Are you speaking of reevaluation?" the first bug catcher''s head tilted. His eyes remained the same, filled with crazed fanaticism, yet innocnet ignorance.

    "Perhaps." she said blankly in a very matter of fact manner. "And what of the rest of our troops? Have there been any more incidents with this newˇ­ Pallet Town boy since then?"

    The second bug catcher saluted. "Yes! These past few hours, we have attempted ambushes with several of our soldiers, and all of them were quite swiftly annihilated! He''s the real deal! They say that his Pikachu moves faster than the very lightning that shoots out of its tail!"

    Her frown deepened. "He''s been that much trouble in such a short amount of time? When was the last time someone''s given us this much issue?"

    "I do not recollect! For I have only been here for four months!"

    "I seeˇ­"

    "Big Netˇ­ what are your orders?"

    The two bug catchers stared intently as their leader rested her chin in her palm. Her distant gaze was directed at nothing, reaching far out into the forest, with no target in particular.

    "We can''t take his success sitting down." her hollow voice was just loud enough to get her point across. She never raised it outside of the fiercest of battles. Looking up, she stared at her two subordinates. "Otherwise, we''ll lose our touch, and the more people who humiliate us, the more our operations will suffer." Her scouts wre far from undefeated, but up to this point, their group still had a steady stream of goods coming in from successfuls thefts and "fees". Losing to the same person repeatedly would only make weaker intruders less likely to comply to their demands should word ever get out; this had to be nipped in the bud.

    "Her wisdom is unrivaled!" The first bug catcher was gazing in awe.

    "The Big Net is the supreme ruler of Viridian Forest, and the big sister to all who carry the Bug Catcher name!" The second was equally enraptured.

    She didn''t comment; the majority of the grunts had taken to calling her by her alias, so the odd behavior was far from unusual for her. Many in her ranks were like this; quirky misfits in need of direction.

    Instead, she glanced over at an orange haired boy passing by, minding his business and not butting into their conversation. "Feral, I need you here."

    The orange haired boy, Feral, glanced over to her, his movements halted. "Yes, Kimberly?"

    "A boy from Pallet Town has been giving our scouts more trouble than normal. Inform all in the field that we are switching our patrol tactics to First A. Until further notice, am I clear?"

    Feral bowed to his superior. "It will be done, I assure you."

    Gazing off into the distance, Kimberly tightened her fists, yet no rage or emotion of any sort appeared on her face.

    "Let''s see how long it takes to ensnare this one."

    /

    The moon was high in the sky as a sighing Ash sank into the ground, leaning against the large tree stump in the clearing.

    The Bug Catchers had been relentless. First the samurai kid, and now they were getting ambushed at what felt like every turn. He was almost afraid to take another step, knowing that there was a fifty-fifty chance that two, maybe even three, Bug Catchers would be bursting out of the nearest bush to attempt havoc on him and his new teammates.

    So far, none of the battles had been particularly challenging; a Butterfree had nearly stopped Pikachu in his tracks with a surprise Stun Spore, but after that close call, Pikachu''s Thunder Shock and Iron Tail had brought the battle to an end.

    The problem wasn''t the battles. It was the Bug Catchers themselves. They were like a parasitic swarm; spewing entitled nonsense with insuffesrable persistence. And after the battle, most of them didn''t even pay him any moneyˇ­

    Their parting words were always the same too: "We''ll get you next time!", "You shall rue the day you ever came here!" or, "The Big Net will never forgive you for this!" it was tiring to say the very least.

    Looking over to Pikachu and Nebula, Ash could tell that they were both getting fed up with it, too. The mouse''s face made no effort to hide the agitation, and the bird was glum, unenthusiastic as she consumed her food.

    Honestly, he imagined the constant intrusion might have been slightly more tolerable if prize money was involved, but less than half of them had even bothered. At this point, it usually felt like they were getting harassed for nothing. After meeting Janine, he had been looking forward to interacting with other friendly trainers. The Bug Catchers clearly weren''t those people.

    "Sorry about the rough day, you too" he caught their attention. "But at the pace we''re going right now, Pewter City should only be a few days away. Then we can leave this forest behind, and never look back."

    Pikachu and Nebula weren''t particularly happy, but the thought of leaving the forest was appealing enough to motivate them, even Nebula, who had just been caught in the forest itself. Ash supposed that meeting the Bug Catchers had soured her opinion on the place, outside of the sections that she was used to. He hoped that his words would heighten their morale. The sooner they left, the better.

    But for now, it was time to turn in for the night, and pray to the Guardian Mew for a smoother tomorrow.

    /

    Nebula was flying overhead as Ash and Pikachu made their way down the path in silence. They had risen early today, in hopes of uncovering as much ground as possible. The presence of the Bug Catchers was more than enough motivation to speed up their travels in hopes of soon reaching the end.

    So far, no Bug Catchers had ambushed them, but Ash wasn''t about to get his hopes up. Not after yesterday.

    Nebula was staying close to Ash, as was Pikachu. Neither Pokemon was willing to venture too far out, if not because of the erratic wildlife that resided deep within the forest, then because of the obnoxious bug catchers that were undoubtedly on the prowl. Part of Ash wasn''t too worried about them because the battles had mostly been nuisances up to this point. They had yet to face a bug catcher that posed too much of a threat to him or his team.

    But the fact that such nuisances were so common left an overhanging sensation of dread in his mind. A few Bug Catchers here and there wouldn''t be a problem, especially if they were among the ones who begrudgingly offered prize money after losing.

    The constant ambushes, however, were a different matter entirely.

    Did every trainer who ventured into the forest really have to deal with this? Ash found that hard to believe. Given that the Bug Catcher Gang was primarily stationed in the central portion of the forest, perhaps some trainers with a better sense of direction than him were capable of going around it, without having to take too much of a detour? That was the only explanation that he could think of. Why else wouldn''t the League be cracking down on these despicable troublemakers?

    Granted, Ash knew that he probably wasn''t getting the worst of it. They hadn''t stolen anything yet, and he''d heard stories of such events before, so he supposed he shouldn''t be complainingˇ­ just yet.

    For now, he would just enjoy the quiet time until they-

    The ground gave out from beneath him and he let out a startled yelp as he felt the weight of gravity pushing him down below.

    THUD! Just as suddenly as the descent, he felt a pain in his butt as he hit the ground.

    Hearing Pikachu''s startled cry, he looked up to see his starter and Nebula nervously peering down at him, the bird-like Pokemon landing by the young mouse''s side as he took in his surroundings.

    Walls of dirt closed him off from going anywhere else.

    He had fallen into a pit trap.

    Ash glared. It must have been one of the Bug Catcher Gang''s tricks. What was up with these people? Did they have any motive for this? Did they not realize that halting the progress of "trespassers" would only make it take longer for them to finally leave their territory, like they wanted them to? Or maybe this was an attempt to steal-

    "MUHAHA! That hole shall become your tombstone, trespasser!"

    Ash groaned at the sound of retreating feet as Pikachu and Nebula chattered angrily at the fleeing bug catchers.

    /

    With difficulty, he was able to climb out of the uncomfortable hole, which thankfully fell just short of being too deep, but the experience had left his clothes filthier than usual.

    And unfortunately, that wasn''t the only pit trap that he had fallen into that day.

    Ash counted about six. After the first four traps, he had found a clearing to quickly change his clothes at, only for his change of clothes to be ruined by the remaining two.

    What''s more? The fighting had resumed, but this time there seemed to be some kind of coordinated pattern to their attacks. Almost like they had a plan.

    They had forgone ambushing him in the bushes and had instead taken to attacking Pikachu and Nebula while he was stuck in a hole. The angle was likely to steal his belongings while he was vulnerable in the hole, while also trying to pick off his Pokemon while he couldn''t give orders. The move was clever, butˇ­

    They still weren''t very strong.

    Ash was assuming that the gang had some sort of survival instincts to carry them through the forest, because they sure as hell didn''t have the muscle to survive it. None of their Pokemon had put up much of a fight.

    By the time he had climbed his way out of each hole, the bug catchers were already running off, always declaring that they''ll be back for vengeance. And none of them had given him any money.

    Now it was nighttime again, and Pikachu and Nebula were even more agitated than the previous night. Ash had tried the same "morale raising" promises that he had before, but he wasn''t sure how much longer they were going to work at this point.

    It was the kind of situation where you really wanted to do something, in this case, get out of the forest, but you were so fed up that you no longer had the energy left to pull it off. Ash was starting to feel it too; even as he tried to raise motivation amongst the Pokemon duo, he wondered if he even believed his own words. The day had just been too exhausting to be viewed in optimism.

    Eventually, he decided that striking up a different conversation would be the best way to go about things.

    "Pikachu, Nebula." he said, his two Pokemon looking over to him as they turned their attention away from their food. "Are you looking forward to challenging Pewter''s Gym?"

    The mouse and bird seemed to think that question over. Ash doubted that they had put much thought into it compared to him, as they were not trainers. He wondered how a Pokemon felt about challenging Gyms so soon after being caught.

    After all, the Pokemon were obviously not the ones who came up with such an idea. It was the trainers who chose to challenge the Gyms. To get the badges. The Pokemon justˇ­ went along with it.

    But what were the motives that the Pokemon acted on, anyway? Did they go beyond simply listening to their trainers?

    Pikachu and Nebula didn''t seem to have an answer to this, but the electirc type still raised a paw and let out a questioning chatter. Ash took this as an invitation to elaborate on his question. They likely wanted to know more. It was understandable, neither Pikachu or Nebula would have any way of knowing much about the League, right?

    "Wellˇ­" Ash began, considering his words. "You both already know about how I want to become the world''s greatest Pokemon Master, right?"

    Pikachu and Nebula nodded. How could they not know that? Their new trainer was always talking about the Conference, and how it was the first step to achieving the dreams of the most ambitious trainers. How winning the Conference was such a huge achievement. Making it to the Conference opened a brand new threshold for any trainer to experience.

    Ash crossed his legs as he eyed his teammates.

    "Gyms are an important part of that process, you see." he adjusted his cap. "They are the qualifiers for the Conference. They determine who is strong enough to enter it."

    Pikachu returned to his food for a second before looking back up towards Ash. Nebula, while tempted, had chosen to wait for a bit. She likely wasn''t as hungry, as she ate faster.

    "Gym Leaders are the leaders of their respective territories." Ash explained. "Giovanni, for example, governs Viridian. He''s in charge of their law enforcement, and has a hand in starter Pokemon distribution. Their main purpose is to watch over their respective territories, and protect them. They are the highest ranking League officials of where they are stationed. But they are also the ones who test the trainers trying to compete in the Conference. And they are strong; much stronger than these bug catchers, for sure."

    Pikachu perked up at that. Ever since the humiliating fight against Gary, and the debacle with the Skorupi, the mouse had seemingly expressed genuine interest in getting stronger. Not to be the best, like Ash, but just to no longer be pushed around. It was a different motive, but one he seemed committed to nonetheless.

    Ash had told him that battling against strong opponents was the best way to do this, however. Which of course, risked more humiliation. It was conflicting, but he would help his starter ensure that it would be worth it.

    "Typically, a Gym Leader specializes in a specific type. There is no rule that says they have too, nor do they need to exclusively use the type that they specialize in, but every Gym Leader in the Kanto and Johto Regions are type specialists." Ash explained. "They each hand out a badge pertaining to their respective Gym. Trainers trying to compete in the Conference are expected to win eight of these badges before the Season is over. Oh, but if you''re not able to earn all eight of them in one Season, then any badges that are already in your possession will not be eligible for the next Season. Qualifications are as strict as they come." As they had always been; the Conference was the most prestigious event in Indigo.

    He paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in.

    Nebula had finished her food, having gotten back to eating while still listening to Ash closely, and was now eying Pikachu''s food. The mouse had progressively gotten tired of it over the past few nights, and Ash wondered if the electric mouse''s period of extensive hunger post-evolution was beginning to wind down. Pikachu in question had stopped eating to listen to his trainer. Apparently this story was more interesting than the food was.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Gym Leaders have a large variety of Pokemon at their disposal." Ash explained. "The battles are orchestrated like tests for the trainers. Most Gym Leaders don''t use their strongest teams against inexperienced Trainers, but that doesn''t mean they go easy on them." He breathed. "It''s just the first step, though. Completing the task of earning eight badges is difficult enough, but it''s the Conference itself that really brings the intensity. It''s a competition between the best trainers of the Season, those who have earned the eight badges. In Indigo, the Conference covers every Region under the Empire''s banner. This also means that not all of a trainer''s badges need to be strictly from Kanto or Johto abecause ny combination of badges from gyms under the League''s authority are eligible." he was shaking a bit now. "But the fact that multiple Regions are involved also means that there is even more competition. Not all Conferences cover multiple Regions, but it goes for any League whose authority stretches past their native land. I''m hoping to break records there; be one of the few rookiesto make it there, maybe even be the first rookie trainer to make it to the top 16, where the six on six rounds are held." he chuckled. "And really, my reasons are simple. I just want to be the best. When I see Lance, Karen, Bruno, Lorelei, Agatha, whenever I see them battling, it just reminds me of what I could become. If I really push myselfˇ­ they are what every dedicated trainer in Indigo strives to be, even if few can." his eyes steeled. "I want to become one of those people! Not just to prove Gary wrongˇ­"

    Nebula''s face scrunched up at the sound of the name. Pikachu had told her about Gary before, and the boy most certainly did not sound appealing to her.

    "...But because it''s just something that I''ve wanted to do ever since I was a little kid! I became so fascinated by the professional side of Pokemon trainingˇ­ that it became my dream. Not just something that I enjoyˇ­ but something that I wantˇ­" he paused and took a deep breath, realizing that he had allowed himself to ramble. "But enough about me. I''m sure you two have something that you dream for too, right?"

    Pikachu and Nebula shared unsure glances at that. Truth be told, neither of them had ever given it much thought before. Pikachu had never really imagined life beyond the environment that he grew up in, and for Nebula, Viridian Forest was pretty much the whole entire world.

    Ash may not have understood what they were saying butˇ­ he enjoyed talking to them. As he began brainstorming about things that Pikachu and Nebula might want to achieve for themselves, he took note that the two had gotten more sociable with one another. Used to each other. And that Pikachu was sharing some of his food with Nebula.

    The bird Pokemon, who Ash initially wasn''t sure would be completely on board with them, was seemingly opening up to the young mouse little by little. It was comforting to see. Certainly much more comforting than the various sounds and cries that he could hear emitting from the trees.

    But there was something else tonight. Something else that ended up making him feel even more uneasy.

    Was somethingˇ­ watching them?

    He could almost feel another presence in their midst. As though the temperature was droppingˇ­

    As though there were a pair of blazing, dangerous eyes, burning into the back of his head no matter which direction that he looked in...

    /

    Day four in this miserable forest. The vegetation had grown thicker, and Ash felt the leaves brushing against his skin as he made his way through the now seemingly non-existent path, which was now almost completely covered by grass blades and bushes.

    Pikachu had taken to riding on his new trainer''s shoulder, not too keen on walking through bush after bush. Nebula, after seeing the overabundance of low hanging branches that would inhibit her flight, had opted to stay in her Poke Ball.

    Ash couldn''t help but find himselfˇ­ somewhat pleased by Pikachu riding on his shoulder. The young boy wasn''t sure why, but he enjoyed the feeling, all the same. He could get used to this.

    This was the longest that they''d gone without a bug catcher ambush. Ash had expected them to be all over him and his team at this point, but even an hour after a lunch break, there was still no sign of them.

    Ash wanted to think that this meant that they were in the clear. Maybe they''d passed through bug catcher territory already? But that sounded too good to be true. He didn''t want to get his hopes up, only for them to be immediately dashed the next time some random weirdo came bursting through the bushes shouting "TRESPASSER!" at the top of their lungs.

    Ash felt that the safest approach would simply be to continue dreading whenever their next attack was going to be. That way, he''d be pleasantly surprised if it didn''t actually happen, and not be disappointed when it inevitably did.

    "Hey Pikachu," he turned his eye in the electric rodent''s direction. The yellow Pokemon was steadily perched on his new trainer''s shoulder, smiling lightly, but still having a sense of dread in his eyes. Clearly, the bug catchers were on Pikachu''s mind, too. "If we reach another clearing before dark, would you like to get some training in? I was thinking of asking Nebula too, if we ever get the chance."

    Pikachu''s reply seemed positive. Ash had told him about how useful of a move that Double Team could be, and the rodent seemed to be keen on learning it.

    "Good! It would be really good if we got Double Team down before challenging the Gym. To help speed up the process, I was thinking of-"

    He was cut off by the sound of a scream. But this one wasn''t a bug catcher.

    It was a very high pitched screamˇ­ definitely a Pokemonˇ­ but he couldn''t quite place itˇ­

    "You heard that, right?" Ash flinched. It was a stupid question. Of course Pikachu had heard it!

    Pikachu''s ears were twitching. Sticking straight upwards, they wiggled around as the mouse looked in the direction of the voice.

    Ash bit his lip.

    "Should weˇ­ check it out?"

    Pikachu wasn''t so sure, butˇ­ something was compelling Ash too look. Suddenly, it was as though his body was moving on its own.

    Ash didn''t know it yet, and probably wouldn''t know it for a while, but he would eventually come to be very, very, very thankful to himself for doing what he did.

    /

    A frustrated Feral ran a hand through his bright, orange hair. How had this happened?

    In front of him was a rope hanging from a nearby tree branch. And dangling upside down from said rope, was a Pokemon.

    It was definitely foreign. Most certainly not a Pokemon that you would normally find in Indigo, or even in a forest in general. So that begged the question that the bug catcher continuously found himself asking: What was it doing here?

    Two bug catchers stood by either side of him; one boy and one girl. They each turned to him for instructions.

    "Well, Feral?" said the female bug catcher. "This wasn''t what we were expectingˇ­"

    The Pokemon looked like it could be humanoid, but didn''t look very human, nonetheless. It was about a foot tall. Red horns on top of its head. Most of its body was white. Green hair obscured much of its face.

    It was currently flailing about in a panic, startled by the trap. Desperation was in its tone of voice as its small arms flew around all over the place, the rope swaying from side to side as its prisoner struggled.

    Humanoid Pokemon weren''t common in forestsˇ­ there was clearly a reason why this Pokemon was here.

    "I was hoping that this trap would catch the Pallet Town intruder that we''ve been chasing after." said Feral as he continued to eye the suspicious Pokemon carefully. "Instead we get a creature that I am unable to identify."

    "Would our leader know what it is?" the male Bug Catcher inquired.

    "Most certainly. Which is why we should probably take it back to the base. Could be another intruder."

    The sound of frantic footsteps and snapping twigs interrupted them before they could make another move, however.

    Ash emerged from the wide array of leaves that had previously been obscuring him. Pikachu was on his shoulder. The trainer stopped to take in the scene before him.

    "Hey!" he called out angrily. "What are you doing with that Pokemon?"

    Feral tilted his head towards the trainer. "So you''re the intruder, I suppose." He fully turned to face Ash and Pikachu. "It was like this when we found it. This trap was meant for intruders like yourself, but it seems a Pokemon has found its way in instead."

    "You''ll let it down?" Ash asked carefully.

    "And take it to our leader." said Feral cooly. "As the patrol advisor, I have a responsibility to carry out."

    "And what''s your leader going to do with it?" Ash asked, his brow furrowed.

    "Who knows?"

    Ash grit his teeth. Who did these people think they were? Pit traps were bad enough, but rope traps that held you upside down? And they weren''t just going to let the Pokemon go free?

    "You''re not taking that Pokemon." Ash was somewhat surprised by the amount of backbone that he had put into that statement. At least, he hoped that it qualified as backbone.

    "You have no say in that." said Feral, taking out a Poke Ball. "But I suppose we can battle to decide who claims it."

    The male bug catcher pumped his fist. "A challenge from Feral himself! Nobody outside of the Big Net can beat him in a fight!"

    Emerging from the orange haired boy''s Poke Ball was a round, purple bug with large, red eyes.

    "Venonat is my partner. If you can get past her, then you get the mysterious Pokemon that we caught." the Bug Catcher advisor crossed his arms. "Otherwise, you''ll be out of luck."

    Well, Ash could credit this one for not being as annoying as all of the others. He wondered if that meant he would be more difficult to defeat.

    Nebula appeared in front of him in a flash. Turning to him, the young bird seemed quite irritable, chirping to Ash and Pikachu angrily about how she had told them that she had wanted to stay in her Poke Ball.

    "Heads up, Nebula." Ash raised his hands above his head in hopes of calming her down. "We''re in the middle of a battle, here."

    Perking up at that, Nebula turned to face her opponent. The bug watched her closely, almost as cool headed as her trainer. Said orange haired trainer snapped his fingers as he declared his first order.

    "Venonat has dealt with birds before. We shall now commence our anti-flight strategy. Tackle!"

    With surprising speed, Venonat charged forward. Nebula immediately flapped her wings, propelling herself into the air and avoiding the attack. However, Feral didn''t seem too surprised as he responded.

    "Supersonic!"

    Ash''s ears suddenly felt a blazing pain as the most horrific of sounds emitted from Venonat''s body. He could hear Pikachu crying out while the mouse desperately tried to close his own ears as Nebula recoiled from the sudden shock, knocking her out of the air.

    As Nebula landed back first into the dirt, Ash tried to regain his bearing in the midst of such a horrible shrieking noise. Gratefully, the sound began dying down.

    Ash growled. Nebula''s options were limited. He doubted that the Starly had complete control over Aerial Ace, and Double Edge was most certainly out of the question. Either way, that Supersonic would be a problem. If Nebula wasn''t prepared for it, it would continue to knock her out of her flight attempts. Even then, he doubted that it would be easy to concentrate with such a horrific noise in your earsˇ­ he certainly couldn''t.

    Feral nodded in approval. "Perfect, Venonat. Now Psybeam."

    A small beam of narrow, rainbow light emitted from Venonat''s face. A loud SHING! noise sounded off as Nebula was struck square in the chest by the attack, right as she attempted to get up.

    Ash squirmed as his bird teammate was sent tumbling backwards, stopping at her back yet again. This new bug catcher was quick on his feet. He hadn''t had a challenging battle since the samurai kid and his Pinsir, but this one would be a problemˇ­

    "Now, Confusion."

    Venonat''s eyes began flashing furiously, as if the Pokemon was struggling to properly use the attack. Nevertheless, its eyes eventually began to glow a steady, albeit faint blue. Nebula started as a thin blue outline appeared on her body. Against her will, she slowly but surely began lifting into the air.

    Ash grimaced. Confusion was a fairly potent move for beginner level pokemon. It allowed the user to manipulate objects and even living things with their mind, freezing them in place and moving them about on their own.

    But much like most non-psychic type Pokemon, at least those at the beginner level, this Venonat was having trouble using it. It was a difficult move to master for just about any experienced Pokemon that was not a psychic type itself.

    "Fight back, Nebula! Break free with Quick Attack!"

    Pikachu was shouting his own words of encouragement as Nebula struggled against the psychic hold that Venonat had placed on her. Looking over to Venonat, Ash could see that the purple bug was struggling to maintain the move. As long as Nebula won out in a war of attritionˇ­

    Venonat''s eyes blinked, and after a few seconds, the flashing went away. Nebula, caught off guard, found herself abruptly rushing forward with the power of Quick Attack. A startled screech escaped her beak as she slammed beak first into the Venonat.

    Ash could hear Feral grunting in frustration as Venonat tumbled away, but Nebula too recoiled from the attack, tumbling backwards in midair before just barely regaining her bearings with a forceful flap of her wings. As she continued flapping her wings in place, hovering just above the center of the battlefield, Ash took notice of the light shaking of her head. She was likely hurt from the sudden impact.

    Feral maintained his composure for the most part as Venonat returned to her feet. "Poison Powder!"

    Ash flinched. Poison Powder was exactly what it sounded like, and as the purple substance emitted from Venonat''s body and made its way towards Nebula, he reacted immediately.

    "Use Whirlwind!"

    The wind kicked up as the hurt, but still battle ready Nebula flapped her wings as furiously as possible, letting out a mighty, albeit high-pitched, battle cry as the large, sudden gust repelled the powder back to its source.

    Venonat struggled against the wind, as did Feral and his two companions, but all remained firmly in place as the powder harmlessly sprinkled over Venonat.

    "Impressive. It was clever to use Whirlwind to blow the attack back to us. I figured you might try something like that, but Venonat is immune to Poison Powder. It''s a good thing I didn''t have her use Stun Spore." Ferak remained stoic. "But let''s see how your bird friend handles another Supersonic!"

    Ash and Pikachu both instinctively covered their ears as Nebula shrieked in displeasure at the noise that once again invaded her sense of hearing. Ash could see her concentration slipping as she began to slowly descend from the airˇ­

    Although he wanted to look away, as though it would somehow make the horrible sound go away too, Ash steeled himself as he stepped forward. "Nebula! Use Whirlwind to propel yourself in the air!"

    Putting all of her resolve into flapping her wings, Nebula created the largest gust that she had ever managed before. Her mind was jumbled by the horrific noise that invaded her hearing, but somehow, she managed to ascend high above the battlefield, gliding in the air, away from the noise, and trying to regain her bearings.

    She felt somewhat dizzy for a second, but it soon settled as her eyes focused on the large tree leaves ahead of her. Taking a deep breath, she found herself returning to normal, a calm mood entering her mindset as she looked downward at her opponent, who was now far below her.

    "Speed yourself up with Quick Attack and use Wing Attack!" Ash had to raise his voice as high as possible in order to ensure that she heard him. Thankfully, she did, but he hoped that he hadn''t disturbed any wild Pokemon with the sudden noiseˇ­

    Nebula flew straight downward, putting all of her might into Quick Attack as she shrieked down towards her now fast-approaching opponent. The wind pressure against her face had her feathers swaying backwards against the resistance as she plummeted downward towards the ground. She raised her wing as she prepared to attackˇ­

    CRACK!

    The impact of the blow was practically as loud as the Supersonic itself. Venonat had no time to react, and could only let out a startled cry of pain as Nebula''s wing collided with her forehead, immediately pinning her on the ground, back-first, as the painful blow to the head immediately registered, the large bruise that it produced rivaled only by the pain that she felt just before losing consciousness.

    A moment later, Feral returned Venonat to her Poke Ball, and Pikachu nervously made his way to Nebula as the young bird nursed her now sore wing. Ash would have to apply some potion to both her wing and her head afterwardsˇ­

    For now, his attention was on Feral as the orange haired boy approached him, both of his bug catcher companions in tow.

    Surprisingly, he didn''t seem to be too upset about how the battle had turned out. Ash couldn''t say that he was the biggest fan of this bug catcher, given that he was planning to take advantage of a Pokemon that was caught in a trap, but he could at least respect the apparent good sportsmanship.

    If only they were all like this one.

    "Impressiveˇ­" said Feral. He was attempting to sound blank, but his tone clearly had a layer of surprise to it. "I wasn''t expecting that last trick with your Whirlwind."

    Truth be told, Ash had thought that one up at the last minute. Looking over to Nebula, he was amazed at how she managed it. The adrenaline rush from being startled by Supersonic, perhaps?

    Either way, he would definitely be excited about new ways regarding how to utilize Whirlwind in the future.

    But now was not the time to be trying to think of new ideas for the move. That could come later on, after they had left this dreaded forest.

    To his surprise, the orange haired boy reached into his pocket and held out a surprising amount of money.

    "Here, this is yours. Don''t think too much of it."

    As Ash quickly took the money (a bit excited about one of the rare instances where a bug catcher was actually willing to pay him for winning) Feral continued.

    "Well, a deal is a deal. The Pokemon is yours. Do what you want with it. I''m leaving now." Turning to the bug catchers, he pointed in a separate direction. "Let''s go."

    Ash watched the group walk off, a bit confused about what had just gone down. That particular bug catcher wasn''t like the rest of them. He was still trying to wrap his head around there being a member of the group who was not completely obnoxious, but pushed those thoughts aside as he turned to Pikachu and Nebula, the duo currently heading on over to him. Pikachu was supporting Nebula a bit, and Ash suddenly realised that her wing injury was worse than he thought.

    Guilt washed over him

    "Sorryˇ­" he said, kneeling down and lightly patting his bird companion on the head. "That was reckless of me."

    "Reckless" being a pretty big understatement, of course. Since Nebula wasn''t very durable yet, she was obviously going to be much more prone to injuring herself from stunts like that, and Ash was cursing himself for not realising this. He would never become a Pokemon Master if he kept being this negligent.

    "Let''s cut that Pokemon down." Ash was attempting to stop his guilty frown from spreading too much, trying not to think about it. "I''ll look at you right away." They needed to find another clearing quickly.

    /

    "You don''t seem to be very upset about the loss, Feral." the female bug catcher pointed out.

    "Of course not, I''m looking at this from the bigger picture." the orange haired boy declared. "We at least have more to work off in terms of gauging their abilities. I''ll report the battle to Kimberly and go from there."

    "What do you think that Pokemon was anyway?" the male bug catcher wondered aloud.

    /

    A tiny clearing was thankfully nearby, allowing Ash to tend to Nebula''s injuries more safely after having Pikachu cut the mysterious Pokemon down with Iron Tail. Seeing that yet another one of his Pokemon had been hurt because of his own choices had brought back very unpleasant memories of the Spearow flock, but Ash tried to convince himself that this wasn''t the same thing. Nevertheless, the parallels wouldn''t stop running through his head.

    After healing Nebula''s wing and head with some potions (and apoligizing for the upteenth time) Ash returned her to her Poke Ball in order to allow her time to rest up. Between the struggle to break free from Confusion, and the damage that she had taken from the battle, she was still quite exhausted even after the healing. He was guilty that she wouldn''t be able to properly meet the Pokemon that she had saved, but he knew that her rest was important. At the very least, Pikachu was still around, as he had freed the Pokemon from the trap.

    The Pokemon in question was quite quiet, but seemed to be grateful.

    Currently, Ash was seated on a small rock as he observed the small Pokemon. Pikachu was cautiously approaching it, doing his best not to freak it out too much, to his trainer''s gratitude.

    The Pokemon was eying Pikachu carefully, not necessarily seeming distrustful, but still appearing nervous. Its green hair was blocking out its eyes, meaning Ash couldn''t really get much of a read on its emotions apart from the movements of its mouth.

    Pikachu slowly raised his paw, a smile gradually forming on his face. Ash couldn''t help but wonder if he should just leave this to the mouse. Although Pikachu''s more nervous qualities were still present, his evolution had certainly given him a confidence boost, especially since he was actually winning most of his fights now.

    His starter seemed to be getting along better with Nebula, now, too. Although there had never been conflict between the two of them (outside of their battle, obviously) the mouse and bird seemed to have grown closer over their travels. No doubt that that had encouraged Pikachu to try and interact with some more Pokemon as well.

    The Pokemon was approaching Pikachu now, looking up at the slightly taller mouse and crossing its arms defensively, as if just in case. Pikachu offered a squeak, seemingly asking a question.

    As the two conversed, Ash looked back to the forest from where they had come, hoping that they wouldn''t have to deal with any more bug catchers anytime soon. They thankfully hadn''t attacked them while they were resting or at camp yet, so Ash was hoping that it would stay that way.

    Hearing Pikachu call out to him, Ash looked to see the two Pokemon approaching. Pikachu had his paw on the mysterious Pokemon''s back. A friendly contact that actually seemed to be easing its nerves a bit.

    Since when had Pikachu''s social skills been so on point? Perhaps the situation with Nebula really had boosted the mouse''s confidence.

    Kneeling down, Ash slowly reached out his hand. The small Pokemon flinched, but didn''t move away as Ash patted its head.

    "I''m sorry about what happened back there. You must have been scared. We''re your friends though, so you don''t have to worry."

    The Pokemon tilted its head a bit, before looking back at Pikachu, who just nodded with a cheerful smile. Looking back to Ash, the Pokemon seemed to ease up just a bit, and nodded with acceptance.

    Ash could have sworn that he''d heard the name of this Pokemon beforeˇ­ so why couldn''t he place it?

    However, something else was on his mind right now.

    Something was compelling Ash to say what he said next. Ash didn''t know why he was jumping into this so quickly, butˇ­ something inside of himˇ­ really wanted toˇ­

    "I know this may sound sudden, but would you like to come with us?"

    The Pokemon seemed surprised by the question. Pikachu released it and simply crossed his paws non-threateningly, giving the Pokemon an encouraging look as it turned back to him.

    After some careful consideration, the Pokemon turned its attention back towards Ash and nodded, to the rookie''s surprise. But looking at the Pokemon now, it almost seemed like it found the thought of being with themˇ­ comforting. Ash couldn''t see its eyes, but he could have sworn that its body had eased up just now as it accepted Ash''s offer.

    Ash smiled. "Great! I''m sure we''ll all get along just fine! My name is Ash, by the way. And this is Pikachu." he gestured over to the small mouse, who seemed to be quite pleased by the turn of events. "And the one who fought off those bug catcher people for you was Nebula. I''m sure she''ll be delighted to meet you once she''s all rested up."

    The Pokemon scratched its head but said nothing.

    Ash took out a Poke Ball. "Would you mind going in here real quick? It won''t take long, I promise, but I would like to be able to identify you and see your moves. But I need you to be registered first." Otherwise, he would only know the Pokemon''s species and some additional information, but nothing about its actual capabilities.

    The Pokemon complied and was sucked into the orb. Afterwards, Ash quickly released it and took out his Pokedex to scan the newcomer.

    "Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon of the psychic-fairy type. It is highly attuned to sensing the emotions of people and Pokemon. If it senses hostility, it hides.

    "This Ralts is male and knows the moves Disarming Voice, Confusion, Hypnosis, Teleport, Psybeam, Light Screen, Confuse Ray, and Shadow Sneak. Its ability is Telepathy, which allows the user to anticipate the actions of its opponent in a battle."

    Ash''s jaw almost dropped.

    Okay, so the Pokemon was a Ralts. Ash had a feeling that he knew something about this species, but the name had slipped away from him for some reason. What really intrigued him, however, was the Pokemon''s moveset.

    Based on Ash''s limited knowledge of the species, he could have sworn that Ralts had difficulty learning Light Screen, Confuse Ray, and Shadow Sneak conventionally. It was quite surprising to hear that he had known those moves already. Was this because of Egg Moves? The only other explanation that he could think of was TMs, which didn''t make any sense. This Ralts was a wild Ralts.

    Furthermore, what was a Ralts even doing in the forest, anyway? Based on what little that he had known about them, he was pretty sure that they usually favored urban areas. And they were pretty deep into the forest by now.

    Clearly, there was a lot that he did not know, but he tried not to focus on that right now. Instead, he and Pikachu happily welcomed their new teammate.

    "Do you want a nickname?" At the small Pokemon''s nod, Ash began to think, his hand on his chin.

    He tried to think of a name suited for the Ralts. So far, he seemed to be quite timid, almost reminding Ash of both himself and Pikachu prior to Evolving.

    Suddenlyˇ­ that gave him an idea.

    "How aboutˇ­ Valiant?"

    The Ralts tilted his head in confusion at the suggestion.

    "It means to be bold. To have a lot of courage." Ash explained simply. "You kind of remind me of myself and Pikachu. He''s getting better, but I''ll admit that I''m not the most confident person out there. You seem to beˇ­ nervous. Easily startled." Ash smiled, thinking back to Professor Oak and Janine. "But some talented people have told me that our starting points are not what define us. Just because you''re the way you are now doesn''t mean you always have to be. Think of it as a goal of sorts. What do you think?"

    The Ralts seemed taken aback by Ash''s explanation, but nodded nonetheless.

    "Good! Valiant it is, then!" Ash turned to his starter; Pikachu seemed to be quite happy about the choice too.

    The Ralts, now Valiant, smiled at Pikachu and his new Trainer.

    And with that, Valiant became the group''s newest addition.

    /

    Deep within the forest, a part few even knew existed, Kimberly took her steps carefully, calculatingly.

    Feral''s report had been rather surprising. The intruder from Pallet Town was much stronger than she thought. Clearly, drastic measures needed to be taken.

    The moon was high over the forest, but she couldn''t see it; no sky was visible where she was right now. A lantern in her hands was all that lit her path as she carefully stepped on the series of twigs and grass blades that lined her path, which was simply of her own choosing right now, as no clear, definitive path was visible where she currently was. If she were to look up, the leaves high at the top of the trees were all that she would see. This was by far the thickest part of the forest. And it was where she needed to be. Very few had ever ventured this far into Viridian Forest before, it was rare for even her to make this trip. But tonight, she had a reason to do so.

    Up ahead of her was an altar. As she approached it, some more light filled her line of vision. The light that emitted from her golden lantern was now accompanied by the light of the various purple torches that lined the altar.

    The last time she had come here had been months ago. It was a rarity when it was needed, but a special occurrence when it was.

    Whenever guidance was needed, one being would always be there to provide her with exactly what she needed.

    Placing the lantern down carefully, the Kimberly made her way to the altar. Taking off her backpack, she unzipped the bag, taking out various sour fruits and a smoothie. This being loved sour stuff.

    Taking a deep breath, she continued to step forward, placing them in the center of the altar. She rolled up her sleeves, barely paying any attention to the now revealed scars on her arms. Kneeling down, she spoke softly, but still just loudly enough to be heard.

    It was time.

    "Ghost of Viridian Forest. In exchange for your unrivaled wisdom, I give you these offerings."

    At first, she was only met with silence, but it would not last forever.

    After about a minute or two of kneeling, theˇ­ temperature changed.

    Kimberly knew what it meant when the temperature dropped at this rate, with such suddenness. That was the sign.

    Slowly but surely, she stood up, as each present began to go out, one by one, leaving only the light from the golden lantern nearby.

    A slight breeze went through her hair. Through her clothes. She could feel the chill slowly but surely creeping up her spine, grabbing hold of her, as her hair moved along with the wind, flowing through the air as the breeze suddenly began to grow, first slowly, but then fast.

    As quickly as it had begun, it was over. Now, floating in front of her...

    Few knew that he existed, but many believed it. Few had confirmed it, but many had heard the stories.

    Viridian Forest was haunted. But only by one, single ghost.

    The being gradually descended in front of her.

    What was the forest to him? No, what was he to the forest? He was everything. He saw everything. He heard everything. He knew everything. He did everything and anything. Because that was what he was capable of.

    The one who watched over the forest that many trainers feared, was right before her eyes.

    He was quite a bit bigger than her. Larger, stockier, greater. An incredibly dark shade of purple, an extreme, strong color that bore its way right into the human eye, yet glowed all the same. His eyes were large, as was his mouth, which was occupied by the large tongue inside of it.

    The ghost finished his descent, standing over the bug catcher leader. She said nothing. She did nothing. All she did was take in his presence. He was a dominating force, one who took over the area the moment he touched down. The moment he was there. Simply by existing. That was what the ghost did, because that was what the ghost was. None could compare to him. Not in this forest.

    The location was silent. Not a sound. No wind, no wild Pokemon crying in the night. There was nothing else to take in.

    Removing her hat, her teal hair now fully exposed, Kimberly bowed down before the ghost, closing her emerald eyes. A purple hand reached out and rested upon her head. Comforting, soothing, yet authoritative.

    "Your knowledge is much appreciated, one who observes the forest. Please, hear of my plight." Kimberly gathered her words before continuing, realizing that it was unnecessary as she raised her head to look up at him. "You already know why I''m here, don''t you?"

    The Ghost didn''t need to respond for her to already know the answer.

    "I see." She was unsurprised. "Then what do you propose as a solution?"

    Eyes flashed bright red. First the Ghost''s. And then hers. Knowledge was transferred. Messages were received.

    As the Ghost''s eyes returned to normal, so too, did the Big Net''s. As he rose back up, the wind returned, only to die down again just as quickly as before.

    The purple torches on the altar were suddenly lit again.

 The Twisted Forest pt 4

    Nebula had made a full recovery after a few hours of stasis in her Poke Ball. Ash was very grateful for how useful the devices could be, lifesavers for Trainers everywhere.

    It was often understated too. Stereotypically, they were most known for carrying your teammates around with you during travels. This was most certainly true, however, it was far from their only use.

    Poke Balls were a marvel of technology among the Pokemon world. The stasis was perfect for giving Pokemon rest, which Nebula had most certainly benefited from.

    Her wing and head were now no longer in pain. She was no longer out of breath. Ash smiled at her as she sat next to Pikachu, happily picking away at her food after Ash had finally finished setting up camp.

    They had traveled just a little bit longer before stopping, Valiant choosing to tag along instead of staying inside of his Poke Ball. Pikachu had been pleased with the company. It made sense, given that Nebula had spent almost the entire day inside of hers. Now, the mouse wasn''t the only Pokemon currently out and about.

    After setting up camp, Ash had taken it upon himself to release Nebula so that he and Pikachu could both introduce her to Valiant. The young bird had been pretty neutral about the meeting, but certainly not opposed to it. It gave Ash hope for a healthy dynamic between the trio as they continued onward towards Pewter City.

    And, most importantly, out of Viridian Forest for good and free to enjoy civilization once more, as a bonus.

    As Pikachu and Nebula sat on a tree stump together as per usual, Valiant had taken it upon himself to eat by Ash''s side, to the boy''s not unwelcome surprise.

    Much like Pikachu, Valiant didn''t seem overly interested in the food, but Ash had promised the young Ralts that he would go out and find food more suitable to his tastes once they had reached Pewter. For now, the Ralts was still content with what was available, and ate without complaints, albeit not very fast. Only Nebula finished her food as quickly as she did, the young bird delighted with what was provided and unable to savor it, simply opting to scarf all of it down. It was amusing. At least she was happy.

    Pikachu was silently eating, occasionally sparing Nebula a glance or two. Once or twice, his eyes wandered over to Valiant as the Ralts continued to eat by Ash''s side, the young Trainer focusing on his own meal.

    The Trainer thought back to what the Pokedex had told him about Valiant. His ability was Telepathy. It was pretty useful to have, since Pokemon with it could minimally read the thoughts and actions of their opponents. Really skilled Pokemon with the Telepathy ability could get a basic reading on the emotions and thought processes of others, which was inevitably very useful in battle.

    Although he tried to think of ways that it could be utilized in battle, Ash found himself overcome by that same feeling as last night. The feeling that he was being watched. It had made it hard to sleep last night, and Ash had hoped it would go away tonight.

    But he had already had a feeling it wouldn''t.

    Looking over to Valiant, Ash could see the young Ralts shivering a bit. No doubt, the Pokemon''s natural talent at sensing emotions, combined with his Telepathy ability, had made it easy for his to sense the same presence that had been weighing on Ash all this time.

    "Are you scared?" he asked carefully.

    The Ralts looked up from his food and stared at his new Trainer. Ash emphasized with his newest partner''s slow nod.

    What was watching them?

    What was making him feel this way so suddenly?

    The young boy found himself looking around nervously, eying his surroundings very carefully. He found nothing.

    But he felt it.

    But he felt what exactly?

    /

    Kimberly returned to her camp, the moon high over her head, and the trees surrounding from each direction. There was nothing but confidence in her now. Everything was now in place for tomorrow. It was just a matter of waiting it out.

    She found Feral awaiting her at her cabin, leaning against her door with crossed arms. He perked up at her presence, allowing his arms to fall to his sides as he approached her.

    Giving a salute, he asked "Well? What''s the plan for tomorrow?"

    Kimberly''s arms crossed confidently across her chest. "I have spoken to the one who observes the forest, Feral. This issue will be resolved tomorrow morning."

    "Okay, so what''s the plan? It''s been a while since we''ve had an intruder last this long on our turf."

    "Tomorrow, the observer is going to rile up a group of Beedrill that the intruder and his Pokemon will inevitably be passing by on their path. They will drive all of them out." The leader''s tone of voice was cool headed and confident, even more so than before. Her meeting with the observer had reinvigorated her spirit, revitalizing her soul and leaving her ready to start anew.

    Feral''s fingers scratched the back of his head as he responded to the revelation. "Butˇ­ won''t that kill them?"

    "Nonsense." Her cool tone of voice drifted in the air as a light breeze blew against the strands of her hair. "This particular group of Beedrill is quite docile compared to the usual members of their species. Even when in a panic, they will simply take to chasing all of our intruders out of here." She shrugged, her tone simple. "You''re the patrol advisor, so you probably know which ones I am talking about."

    Feral nodded, the breeze blowing against his hair too. "That I do. But, can we be absolutely sure they will be there when the swarm starts?"

    "Of course. The observer knows everything. He sees, hears, and feels everything that goes on within here. He is this forest." Kimberly tilted her head upwards, ever so slightly, just enough to get a minor view of the sky, the bright stars almost perfectly surrounding the moon. "He''ll know exactly where they are going, and exactly when they are going to be there. Everything is under control."

    "Oh, yes, that is true. So what do we do for now?"

    "We will inform most of our scouts to return to camp. Those who don''t will need to take up their usual hiding spots in order to avoid getting caught up in the middle of things. Once this is all over, they will be able to report the results."

    Feral nodded, once again saluting to his leader. "I will proceed with spreading the word immediately."

    /

    Ash and his group rose early.

    Now that they had officially been in Viridian Forest for more than half of a week, the young rookie was sincerely hoping that there was some light at the end of the tunnel. Was it wishful thinking? Sure the forest was huge, but he and his team had been making pretty good pace with each day.

    Currently, everyone on his team was out and about. Nebula flying overhead, Pikachu on his shoulder, and Valiant walking alongside him. Once again, the path was less than desirable, leading to Pikachu hitching another ride, but the tree branches weren''t as low hanging this time, leaving Nebula free to do whatever she pleased, and Valiant insisted on walking regardless of the path ahead.

    And so far, no Bug Catchers were in sight.

    Ash was most certainly on guard, though. That battle with the Venonat had certainly been a wake up call for him. Not only was it much more difficult than any of the previous battles with the group, but Nebula''s injuries, for as temporary as they had been, were still fresh in his mind.

    He couldn''t be careless like that anymore. He wanted his team to trust him, which meant not doing anything stupid that would get them hurt.

    He hadn''t gotten over the Spearow incident just yet, and he certainly wouldn''t be getting over the Venonat battle anytime soon, either.

    With that vow to not repeat past mistakes, Ash marched on ahead, wanting to inspire morale within his team.

    Until he heard the noise.

    It was hard to place it. It was hard to describe it. Some sort of buzzing sound? And there were a lot of themˇ­

    And they were getting closerˇ­

    His survival instincts were telling him to turn around.

    Good thing he did.

    "GAH!" he cried out and stumbled off of his feet. A startled Pikachu jumped off of his shoulders and landed safely on the ground, using his tail to balance himself, sticking up in the nearby dirt as he landed directly on his tail and balanced on it. Ash felt gravity suddenly overtake him at the same time. He winced in pain as his butt collided with the ground, but that was nothing compared to the terror he felt from what was approaching them.

    It was a Beedrill swarm.

    /

    Running.

    That was the only thought his mind could produce at the moment.

    There was no time to return his teammates. Instead, he had simply scooped Valiant up in his arms and took off in a bolt. The young Ralts wasn''t nearly as fast as Pikachu or Nebula, who were both ahead of Ash at the moment, Pikachu forgetting all about his disdain for the path ahead as he immediately broke into a run on all fours, while Nebula had gone from a simple glide to a desperate flight for survival as the Beedrill closed in on them. The adrenaline was pumping through his very veins, giving him energy he didn''t even know he had. He was moving even faster than he was when the Spearow had attacked.

    To look behind him felt like too much of a risk. He had to dedicate every fiber of his being to making sure that they stayed ahead of the Beedril. Pikachu and Nebula seemed to be doing just fine. He wondered how much they were exerting themselves.

    Ash''s physical capabilities had never been anything very impressive. Nothing any better than the average boy of his age. Oh, but sure, Gary was a pretty great runner, just like how he was a pretty great climber, or sports player, but Ash? Average at best. Even with the adrenaline pumping through him, Ash could already hear his body screaming in defiance. Even with the added adrenaline flowing through his veins, and providing him with newfound strength and resolve, it still wasn''t enough to drown out the pain in his muscles, which left his brain screaming at him to stop.

    Not even fear was enough to cloud the pain. Even with his self preservation completely maxed out, involuntarily or not his body still wanted to stop moving. Because running away was torture. Running away like this was tortue.

    Humans weren''t built like Pokemon, but Ash still knew for certain that man would be perfectly capable of running like this for much longer than he was. Especially when their lives were on the line. So why couldn''t he? Why was the very movement of his muscles torturing him? Was he really that weak? Not even fit enough to properly run for his life?

    Ash was afraid to stop. Afraid of losing the adrenaline, most likely the one thing that even kept his body functioning at this point. But of course, he couldn''t afford to stop anyway. But even slowing down would run the risk of losing his resolve.

    Even so, he could feel his legs, his whole body, straining even further. There was only so much more of this that he could take-

    Then it happened.

    From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw Nebula fly past him. The young bird had gotten tired of retreating, turning around to meet the Beedrill head on.

    "N-Nebula!" Ash just barely forced out as his body began running out of breath for his lungs to produce. "NOO-GAH!" he tried to turn around to look at the bird Pokemon, but ended up tripping over his own two feet as a result. Fatigue overcame him as he tumbled into the dirt, Valiant screaming as the young Ralts was sent flying. Ash couldn''t see what happened to him as he rolled around upon impact, his body moving on its own from the momentum of his run and his fall, his lungs trying but failing to gasp for air.

    As he lay on his back, his lungs finally gasping and sucking in as much air as possible as he was now no longer in motion, Nebula hovered in front of the incoming Beedrill swarm, flapping her wings furiously as she tried to create the biggest Whirlwind possible.

    Pikachu had stopped running upon hearing the commotion, turning to see Nebula and her defiant stand. He called out to her, but was quick to notice Ash and Valiant.

    Valiant was rubbing his sore head as he struggled to get up. A few meters away, Ash was laying in the dirt, clearly out of breath and overcome with exhaustion. Pikachu had no idea who to check on first, but since Valiant was closest to him he prioritized the Ralts. Ash was much further away from either of them.

    The Whirlwind collided with the fast approaching Beedrill swarm, and the effect was immediate. The violent wind pushed against the aggressive attackers, the Beedrill struggling against it.

    The swarm wasn''t as big as most, with not many Beedrill as expected making it up. There were still quite a lot of them, however. Nebula was dangerously outnumbered.

    A few Beedrill struggled against the wind more than others, however. Some were slowly blown away. Others were held firmly in place, not able to progress any further, but still too strong for the wind to affect them in any other way. Others, however, were still slowly approaching, still struggling just like the others, but also slowly pushing against the wind. The Starly glared at her advancers, continuing to pour more and more effort into her last, desperate attack.

    Pikachu knelt down and helped Valiant up, one paw on the Ralts''s belly and another on his back. His eyes filled with concern, and although he couldn''t see Valiant''s, he would have seen gratitude if he did. The young Ralts rubbed his sore head, and Pikachu''s eyes narrowed sadly as his newest companion whimpered in pain.

    Looking over to Ash, Pikachu saw the boy slowly sitting up. That was relieving, but Nebula''s situation certainly wasn''t making the young mouse feel any better.

    Ash looked up and saw Nebula''s struggle against the Beedrill swarm. A part of him gazed in awe at the sight of his bird companion standing up to the fierce threat for everyone else''s sake. However, most of him looked on in horror as Nebula clearly began to fall victim to fatigue herself.

    Feeling her strength wavering, nebula glowered in frustration, the flapping of her wings becoming slower and less intense. More Beedrill were advancing now, no longer held in place by the advancing wind. Those that were already advancing now began to do so faster, their resistance against the wind increasing as the strength of the wind simultaneously decreased. It was a war of attrition, and Nebula was tiring out much faster than any of her opponents.

    Her mind thought back to just a few days ago. She had been beaten by Ash and Pikachu. Despite the fight that she had put up, they had prevailed, leaving her to be a part of their team after being caught. She had cooperated with them, accepting defeat, and given them a chance despite everything. Her opinion of them, however, had not yet been fully formed.

    Pikachu had reached out to her that night, however, and the young Starly remembered her conversation with the mouse underneath the moon. It wasˇ­ oddˇ­ opening up to the very creature that had caused her capture in the first place, butˇ­ Pikachu himself had even worked up the courage to talk with her despite their initial interaction being that of a battle.

    And she had to admit, the mouse was quite impressive too. Not only had he beaten her, but he had also beaten that Pinsir, who certainly looked intimidating. He and Ash made a good team. And he would always eat next to her at mealtime, even sharing his food with her at one point, knowing that she liked the food better than he did. And after Valiant had joined the group, nothing had changed. He was still keeping her company, while Ash helped to ease in their new teammate. His sudden attempt to ride her had certainly been annoying, but he hadn''t pulled anything else like that since. But he had, however, put time into interacting with her whenever he could. Even with how they had first met on that day.

    Ash, to his credit, had provided her with good food, and didn''t even confine her to her Poke Ball all the time when she didn''t want it. He had expressed genuine concern for her after injuring herself against that Venonat yesterday, and had immediately gotten to work tending to her. He was also quite smart, which had helped her and Pikachu win their more challenging battles that required more than just smacking the opponent away.

    Plus, unlike her and Pikachu, he actually had a goal in life, even if it sounded absurd. Become the strongest Trainer? Reach some big tournament in less than a year? It was preposterous!

    So why did sheˇ­ suddenly find herself intrigued by such a goal? Wondering if she had what it takes to do such a thing?

    She had never felt that way before. She had never cared about how strong she was. So then, why did she now?

    Why had these two individuals, this Trainer that had captured her, and his lightning shooting mouse companion, constantly enter her mind?

    It was as though her indifference had started to... was it fading, perhaps?

    And so too, was her fatigue.

    As she suddenly remembered that she wasn''t the only one in danger at the moment!

    Her eyes lit up. Now bright red. Her body began to glow with an outline of the same color.

    Ash''s horror was replaced with shock, and then with intrigue, followed by confusion, as he witnessed what was happening to Nebula. Behind him, Pikachu and Valiant were both on their feet, the mouse still supporting the Ralts in his arms. Pikachu''s eyes were wide with awe. Valiant''s, although not visible, with shock.

    The flapping of her wings intensified. First to its original level. And then beyond. The wind kicked up again. First at its former strength. And then, suddenly, at something far greater.

    The Beedrill struggled. But they couldn''t for long.

    Ash, Pikachu, and Valiant watched in magnificent, jaw-slacked awe as their young bird companion sent the entire swarm flying over the horizon.

    Trees were swaying in the intense gust that Nebula had created. Leaves were flying off the branches. Bushes were uprooted.

    And then, as the threat disappeared off into the distance, Nebula''s flapping slowed, and then ceased.

    Ash felt a second surge of adrenaline flowing through him as the Starly fell out of the air. Diving to catch her, he felt relief course through his soul as she landed safely in his arms, and he maintained his grip on her even as he landed body first into the dirt with a thud.

    He was filthy now. But he didn''t care. Nebula was safe.

    And so were they.

    He did his best to ignore the pain in his lungs as he sat up on the ground, gently laying Nebula down on her back into the dirt. He looked down at the bird Pokemon as she panted in exhaustion.

    Whatever had just happened had understandably taken a lot out of her.

    "Nebulaˇ­" he said, trying to fight off his sense of speechlessness. "What was that?''

    Nebula forced out a confused chirp. She was just as surprised as Ash and the others were. She really did not know.

    And neither did Pikachu or Valiant, as the pair slowly made their way to their other two companions.

    Valiant leaned against Ash''s side as Pikachu knelt down in front of Nebula. A relieved smile spread across his face as Nebula locked eyes with him, and the small bird Pokemon returned the expression with one of her own.

    "...Recklessˇ­" all eyes turned to Ash as his eyes lit up in realization. "Your abilityˇ­ it must have activated involuntarily because of the adrenaline! It saved us! You saved us, Nebula!"

    Nebula, despite her fatigue, felt some elation overcoming her exhaustion. Nevertheless, she stayed on the ground. As Ash rose to his feet and patted Valiant''s head in concern, she locked eyes with Pikachu again. Her beak remained in a smile, as he returned her expression with a cheerful grin that she would soon grow to perpetually adore.

    Her yellow companionˇ­ no, her friend.

    /

    The group got some much needed reprieve afterwards.

    With Ash carrying Nebula and Valiant in his arms, they eventually found a clearing, Pikachu trotting along by his side.

    A small cabin stood in the center of the clearing, although it seemed to be vacant. Ash immediately rushed to it.

    He wasn''t sure how much rest they would need, but they would definitely be needing it nonetheless. Arriving at the cabin, he set his two teammates down and took off his backpack, rummaging through it.

    First thing was first, he needed to heal them, and he needed some water.

    Taking out a bottle of water for himself, he applied a potion to Valiant, the only one who had gotten hurt during the incident. Pikachu had come out of it unscathed, and, looking over Nebula, Ash realized that she wasn''t injured and was merely tired.

    The involuntary activation of her Reckless ability had left her completely spent, bringing about all of the inner reserves of her strength. Such reserves existed to prevent her from getting tired out too easily, as it did with all Pokemon, but, thanks to Reckless, she had used it up all at once. Not to mention that she may have already been beginning to feel tired beforehand, given how hard she was fighting.

    The ability was definitely a double-edged sword. Sacrificing all sense of self-preservation in exchange for raw power. By letting loose all of your energy at once, while being much less weary of an opponent''s attacks, or even the very idea of taking damage. The increase in physical capabilities and overall prowess in general was astronomical, but the drawbacks were inevitably just as much so.

    Not to mention, the Ability was practically guaranteed to activate when using recoil moves like Double-Edge. Since moves like those already forgo self-preservation in favor of raw power, just merely using them was inviting the Reckless ability to activate and take hold, even if only for that one attack.

    Normally, it took a great amount of skill and practice in order to be able to successfully call on the ability at will. The fact that Nebula had called upon the ability involuntarily was likely a direct result of her sheer adrenaline rush kicking things into overdrive, trying to repel the threat by any means necessary. Ash found it rather ironic that it was ultimately self-preservation that had led to the activation of an ability that deliberately forgoes such a thing.

    It was almost like she no longer cared about self-preservation. Like she was fighting for something else entirely.

    Once they reached Pewter, he hoped that he and Nebula would be able to train to activate the ability at will. But that was hardly what he was thinking about right now.

    He was still gasping for air as he chugged down his water bottle. Even as the relief of tasting water in his thirsty mouth and throat overcame him, he still felt the fatigue and discomfort from the running. And he was still thirsty. Suddenly, the water must have gone down the wrong pipe, and he found himself coughing up a storm.

    Gathering his bearings, he looked between his three teammates and took out another water battle. "Do any of you want one? Nebula, you might need it the most."

    He wasn''t sure how long they stayed at the cabin, but they needed a break. Nebula was returned to her Poke Ball after being convinced to drink some water by Ash and Pikachu, while Pikachu and Valiant, who were in better shape after Ash had healed the Ralts, remained outside, conversing with one another as an exhausted Ash leaned against the cabin. The young Trainer still wanted to clear some more ground today, but for now, all that he could think about was, above all else, how much that he wanted to rest up. They would stay here for at least a few hours. Gather their bearings. Then they could hit the road again when they were ready and set to go on again.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    /

    A few hours to catch his breath had actually done wonders for Ash and his psyche. It was reinvigorating. It had taken a while, with Ash spending much of his break either gasping for breath or still feeling the fatigue in his chest and lungs, but in the end, the reprieve had proved invaluable.

    Ash vowed to improve his stamina the first chance he got as he strolled through the forest, Pikachu walking beside him on one side, and Valiant on the other. Nebula, who, much like Ash himself, was now fully rejuvenated and out of her Poke Ball, was flying overhead once again, sticking closer than usual and occasionally sparing a fond glance at the others.

    The section of the forest that they were currently traveling through was slightly more open than most, with some of the trees parting to reveal the slowly turning orange sky of the sunset. It would be dusk soon, and they would have to set up camp.

    But for now, Ash just wanted to get some final advancements in. If they couldn''t leave the forest by tonight, then hopefully by tomorrow night.

    Unfortunately, there was still one more encounter left before they could close out the day.

    Instead of bursting out of the bushes, they came down from the trees.

    Numerous Bug Catchers descended in front of the group, and apart from the one who tripped and fell upon landing, they actually seemed pretty intimidating doing it.

    They had just entered an open area of the forest, where the path was much wider. Perfect for a battle, Ash realized. Gowling, Pikachu stepped forward as his cheeks began sparking, while Nebula landed slightly behind him at his side. Valiant stayed by Ash''s side, and the boy glared a the Bug Catchers. There were more of them this time.

    "Enough." Ash perked up at the new voice. It was female, and, even more so than the orange haired boy, sounded very cool headed and stoic.

    In the back of the Bug Catchers, Kimberly stepped out from behind a large tree, her teal hair gently moving as she advanced. Her emerald eyes were fixated into a glare. Not an angry one, but a determined one nonetheless. Behind her, Feral emerged from behind yet another tree, syncing his own steps perfectly with hers.

    One Bug Catcher stepped forward and spoke up, pointing a finger at Ash with a joyful guffaw.

    "You thought you could humiliate all of us on our own turf, huh? Well the Big Net is here to show you what happens when you-"

    "Enough." all words and movements from the Bug Catchers ceased as the leader raised a single hand, making her way to the front of the group and locking eyes with Ash. Feral was somewhat by her side, but still remained behind her.

    Ash feltˇ­ uncomfortable under this girl''s gaze. Her emerald eyes were fierce, yet calm. A weird kind of serenity, of tranquility, that still managed to be intimidating.

    He heard a noise down at his feet. To his surprise, he looked down to see Valiant positively shaking at the sight of this newcomer, not taking his eyes off of the bug catcher leader as he immediately fled behind Ash, clinging to his legs in terror.

    That certainly got Ash curious. Why was Valiant so scared of her? What was it about this new Bug Catcher that struck such fear into him?

    Feral''s arms were crossed professionally around his chest, while Kimberly''s remained at her sides. When she spoke, her voice was soˇ­ cool headed. A confidence radiating from her that he could never even hope to match.

    If she wasn''t a Bug Catcher, Ash would have found the voice quite pretty. Her face certainly was. And those eyesˇ­

    But it barely even took a moment to dismiss that thought. These Bug Catchers were a bunch of delinquents that had made their lives a crapshow for the past few days. And most likely done the same to many other trainers as well. He hoped that Janine had fared a lot better than him although he was significantly less worried about Gary.

    "You areˇ­ quite resilient, intruder from Pallet Town. Thanks to you, I had to reduce our mercenary''s payment plan."

    Ash''s brow raised at that statement. Was she talking about the samurai kid? Then this wasˇ­

    "So, you''re in charge." he said matter of factly. He did his best to sound professional. To sound imposing. To rival her. To match her presentation. To make the conversation seem equal.

    Problem was, he knew he hadn''t managed. Was his voice shaking? He couldn''t tell. He couldn''t look weak in front of her. If this was their leader, then he had to look tough.

    She crossed her arms in an action that matched that of Feral''s. "What do you think?"

    ''Just give me a straight answer already, damnit!''

    Valiant''s fearful moaning increased in volume. Ash spared the young Ralts a glance and frowned curiously. Just what was it about this girl that terrified him so much?

    She took a single step forward with each foot, although Feral remained in place. "Most trainers don''t stay on our turf for this long. But you''ve quite literally been traveling through the very middle of the forest ever since you started. Are you antagonizing us?"

    Ash growled. "Me? You''re the ones who set up pit traps, ambushes, hired some lunatic to come after trainers, and caught my friend in a rope trap!" he gestured down to Valiant, who remained whimpering as his eyes refused to leave the leader.

    Kimberly sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, before relocking her gaze with Ash''s. "You were warned to turn back, and chose not to."

    Ash gritted his teeth. Damn himself for not having any sense of direction. Had he taken any detours, his trip either would have lasted far longer, or he would''ve been forever lost. He bet Janine and Gary were both perfectly capable of finding their way around the forest, but sadly he wasn''t them.

    "What excuse does that give you to do what you did? If you have left us alone we could have passed here peacefully."

    "Would you let just anyone venture into your backyard, intruder?"

    Ash''s brow furrowed. "This forest isn''t yours-"

    "Ah, but that''s where you''re wrong. This forest belongs to me. To all of us. And to us alone." she spread her arms out, but maintained her stoic expression as she tilted her head upwards, ever so slightly. "Viridian Forest is property of the Bug Catchers. And anyone else who crosses us is a trespasser who must compensate."

    Ash took a slight step back in surprise, careful not to catch Valiant by surprise as the young Ralts continued to lean against his leg. This girl was crazy! She may have acted stoic, but at the end of the day, she spoke the same delusioned nonsense as the rest of them; just far more elegantly.

    "Why do you waste your time causing trouble for people like this? You''ve practically made this your life."

    "This forest is my life." Kimberly rebuked. She spared a split second to glance at her arm, which was rolled up into a sleeve quite neatly, before returning to Ash''s own eyes. Everytime their eyes met, Ash found himself flinching, hoping the reaction hadn''t been outwardly noticeable "My family is here. Viridian Forest is all that matters to me now." she stretched out her hand. "You have questioned our authority over the forest with your constant resistance. Nothing that we have tried has worked, so I''m dealing with you the old fashioned way."

    "You''ll battle me?" Valiant''s fearful moaning had thankfully ceased for the time being, but he still remained just as scared as ever, as Pikachu and Nebula both took up fighting stances.

    "It''s quite simple, really." Kimberly''s cool tone never left her voice. "If you beat my partner, I''ll reward you by telling you how to get to Pewter, the fastest route." Ash perked up at that. "But if I win, and I will, I won''t give you any directions, you will be escorted outside of our turf and have to navigate the forest by yourselves." She pointed a thumb to herself. "Otherwise, you could always just join us and use your strength to help train the rookies at our fort."

    "That won''t happen." Ash responded a bit too quickly.

    "I see." she prepared herself. "Well then, it matters not. Either way, you will be leaving our turf tonight. Bug Catchers, formation!"

    All bug catchers, barring Feral, scattered and parted. Instead of being directly behind their leader, they moved to the sides of the makeshift battlefield. To the outskirts. They were practically outlining the place.

    With Feral following behind her, Kimberly turned around and made her way to the far side of the battlefield. As the duo stopped, she took a single step forward with a Poke Ball in hand.

    Out of the bright flash of light emerged a purple moth that Ash, after a few quick seconds of pondering, recognized from a pamphlet detailing certain extoic Pokemon.

    "I am Kimberly, the Big Net of the Bug Catchers, and I hereby challenge you." she spoke cooly, pointing forward at Ash and his team. "Dustox, prepare for battle."

    The Dustox hovered over to the center of the battlefield, awaiting its opponent.

    After a few seconds of consideration, Ash knelt down in front of Pikachu and Nebula.

    "Pikachu," he spoke calmly, locking eyes with his Starter, trying to remain confident. "You''ve got this, right?"

    With a determined glare, Pikachu nodded, returning Ash''s gaze with his own. Hearing a chirp from behind him, the starter turned to see Nebula giving him a serious look. The mouse locked eyes with the Starly next, as she raised an encouraging wing to the electric rodent.

    There wasˇ­ camaraderie between them as Pikachu made his way onto the battlefield.

    Cheeks sparking, voice growling, Pikachu''s glaring eyes locked with that of his opponent, his gaze trying to pierce through Dustox in intimidation, even though it wasn''t.

    With no time wasted, Kimberly gave the first order. "Gust, Dustox!"

    Dustox began flapping its wings vigorously, but unlike with Nebula, something different happened.

    Gust was a very similar move to Whirlwind, but Ash immediately realized that Dustox was using it in a very different way than Nebula had used her move. It was concentrated. Rather than a gust of wind that spread throughout the battlefield, it was condensed into a single blast of wind, aimed directly at Pikachu like an attack. All of the force behind the wind was focused on a single target, which most likely did wonders for the move''s offensive potential.

    It occurred to Ash that Dustox must have trained quite a lot in order to gain such control and mastery over this technique. Could Nebula do the same?

    Pikachu bolted out of the way with Quick Attack, quickly turning to charge at the moth head on, only for Dustox to fly upwards in evasion as Pikachu leapt into the air to try and slam into it. As Pikachu evaded the attack, the Gust slammed into the ground, where Pikachu once was just moments before, creating a small explosion of dirt.

    There was definitely a lot of concentrated force behind that technique.

    "Psybeam, Dustox!"

    Pikachu tried to avoid the rainbow-colored beam that shot from the moth''s eyes, but Dustox must have predicted how he''d dodge. As Pikachu moved out of the way, he had actually charged right into the beam''s path, rather than away from it.

    Nebula and Valiant both let out concerned cries as Pikachu tumbled onto the ground, his fur collecting dirt particles as he rolled across the battlefield. Finally regaining his bearings, Pikachu quickly found himself back on all fours again, sliding backwards from the force of the attack, his gaze glaring back up at the menacing Dustox.

    Ash was worried now. Just how had Dustox predicted where Pikachu would move?

    Shaking off the blow, Pikachu rushed forward again, gathering electricity in his cheeks as he fired off a Thunder Shock. Avoiding the blast, Dustox allowed a large series of poison needles to escape from its mouth, and Ash immediately recognized the technique as a Poison Sting.

    Pikachu leapt over the attack and tried to strike at his opponent with Iron Tail, but Dustox was too fast and swerved out of the way. As Pikachu landed, the bug catcher leader gave her next order.

    "Tackle!"

    Before Pikachu could react, Dustox flew headfirst into the young mouse''s side. Pikachu cried out as he abruptly flew forward, and soon his other side slammed into a nearby tree trunk. Slowly getting up, the rodent painfully clutched both of his aching sides; one from the tree trunk, and the other from where Dustox had slammed into him.

    Lying on his back, the electric type attempted to get to his feet, only to be interrupted by a large string that suddenly wrapped around his tail. Using String Shot, Dustox pulled the screaming mouse backwards, dragging him across the dirt as the fur on Pikachu''s back collected even more dirt as a result.

    Ash snarled in frustration, a nervous sensation creeping into his chest. She was making them her playthings! They''d never win at this rateˇ­

    They had to fight back.

    "Quick Attack!" he shouted. "Pull back the other way!"

    Pikachu tried to flip himself over, eventually succeeding as he struggled to dig his paws into the dirt, desperately scrambling his two front paws in an effort to hold himself down and prevent the large moth from dragging him even further. He let out desperate shrieks as he did so, as his opponent continued to pull against him, eager to quell his resistance.

    Feral turned to Kimberly, his fixation on the battle briefly broken. "He''s desperate. I think you''ve got him soon if this keeps up."

    The stoic girl nodded slowly, but kept her eyes on the moth and the mouse as the tug of war continued, Pikachu still trying to regain his footing as Dustox dragged him, but now being dragged much more slowly as he desperately attempted to put up a fight.

    "Things will end soon." she tilted her head up towards Dustox. "Poison Sting!"

    With Pikachu struggling against the string, Dustox fired off the needles yet again. Suddenly, Pikachu finally found his footing, and successfully used Quick Attack. He ran away from the needles, pulling Dustox along with him. But the large moth Pokemon quickly regained its bearings and struggled against Pikachu''s resistance, slowly pulling the mouse back as Pikachu once again found himself struggling to maintain his balance.

    Ash clenched his fists. Pikachu was fighting hard, and they couldn''t let that go to waste.

    "Come one, Pikachu! You can do it!"

    From behind him, he could hear Valiant letting out cries of encouragement, while Nebula''s chirps were the noisiest that he''d ever heard from her before, the small bird Pokemon pumping her wing high in the air as her voice called out with great volume.

    Pikachu eventually found his footing again and resisted Dustox''s mighty pull. For what felt like a few minutes, the two of them went back and forth, before Pikachu finally barreled forward, the full force of his Quick Attack finally overcoming Dustox as the moth Pokemon was abruptly sent flying in Pikachu''s direction.

    Ash pumped his fist up. This was their chance. "Iron Tail!"

    Instinctively boosting his speed with Quick Attack, Pikachu immediately changed directions, sliding backwards across the dirt as he planted his paws firmly into the ground, right before propelling himself forward with the speed he could muster to increase the force behind the blow, aiming his attack right at Dustox.

    BAM!

    The metallic tail slammed into Dustox''s front, sending the large moth Pokemon flying back first into a nearby tree trunk with a loud cry of pain. The momentum from being forced to fly right into the Iron Tail had almost certainly worsened the blow for their opponent. As Dustox fell to the ground, it let out a mighty flap of its wings to regain its bearings, briefly hovering above the ground for a moment before rising back up and into the air.

    Kimberly was undeterred, however. "Rapid fire Psybeam!"

    Despite the pain from the blow, the Dustox was quite durable. Ignoring the small bruise on its front, it began firing a series of multicolored beams at Ash''s young mouse companion, Pikachu scrambling out of the way to dodge.

    The beams wereˇ­ aimed carefully. Everytime Pikachu dodged in one direction, he would immediately have to dodge in the opposite direction. Closed off, going from side to side, unable to do anything else.

    How long could Dustox keep this up before tiring out? How long could Pikachu keep this up before tiring out or losing his balance?

    The Psybeams created small explosions of dirt each time they connected with the ground.

    Ash gritted his teeth. No time to counterattack. Pikachu was just playing right into the Dustox''s little dance, with no other choice.

    Whatˇ­ did they do?

    This girl was the leader of the most despicable group of people that he had ever met. Even more so than Gary and his friends. Her group was unbearable in every sense of the word. But she was good.

    "I usually think back to my Conference win when considering that stuff. That final match was pretty brutal at times, but whenever my team and I were placed in an undesirable position, we always found a way out. And then struck back with ten times the force. It was how we won." Karen''s voice from an interview just prior to the League Rush, when asked about what it was like to overcome seemingly hopeless situations, suddenly entered his mind.

    Finally, the slowly tiring out Pikachu dodged just a little bit too slowly. The dirt explosion from the Psybeam that he had just narrowly avoided created a small shockwave, just barely enough to knock the mouse off balance, and Ash gasped as his electric companion tumbled around in the dirt.

    "Silver Wind!"

    It was like Gust, but the wind was glowing a bright, shiny glow. The concentrated blast of wind slammed headfirst into Pikachu, sending the screaming mouse flying backwards from the mighty impact.

    Nebula shrieked out in horror as Pikachu slammed head first into a tree trunk, landing on his side, blood leaking out from the bruised cut on his head.

    Was itˇ­ over?

    Pikachu was trying to get up, while Dustox was trying to gather its bearings. Kimberly confidently stood still, arms crossed across her chest, while Feral looked on silently.

    The Bug Catchers cheered.

    Pikachu struggled to his feet, but was forced to lean back first against the tree trunk even as he finally, successfully stood up, clutching the painful cut on the top of his head with a single paw. Tears began leaking from his eyes as he gritted his teeth in pain.

    Ash''s gaze went to the ground as he desperately tried to think of something, anything, that could potentially turn this around for them.

    What to do? Do they quit? Pikachu certainly didn''t seem to want to.

    Pikachu pushed himself off of the tree trunk as Nebula''s concerned cries traveled across the battlefield and into his ears. Ash could hear Valiant letting out some encouraging shouts of his own from behind him.

    Pikachu''s teammates were still cheering him on. And so would he.

    "Pikachu!" Ash called out. The mouse turned his attention towards his new trainer. "It''s not over yet! You can still do this! We can still do this!" Nebula and Valiant both cried out the affirmative.

    Feral sighed. "Too stubborn, they are. Guess that explains why they gave us so much trouble."

    Kimberly lowered her crossed arms from her chest and onto her sides. Pointing forward, she glared ahead at the battlefield with unmatched intensity. "It matters not. This is going to be over now. Dustox! Finish this up!"

    "Pikachu! Run around the battlefield using Quick Attack! Don''t advance yet! Keep your distance!" A last minute strategy born from either desperation or creativity. Whichever one it was, Ash had no idea.

    Ignoring the pain as best he could, Pikachu bolted around the makeshift battlefield as the blood trailed down his head.

    The bug catcher leader continued pointing forward, her index finger trailing the mouse. "Poison Sting, Dustox! Aim for the cut on Pikachu''s head!"

    Dozens upon dozens of purple needles assaulted the battlefield as Dustox chased the dashing mouse, Pikachu just barely being able to avoid each of them.

    Zigzagging across the battlefield, Pikachu took in Nebula''s encouragement, Ash''s encouragement, Valiant''s encouragement.

    It all empowered him.

    Before, he was the small one among Pokemon that were constantly aggressive. He was powerless against him. And then he had been transported to the Lab to be a Starter Pokemon. Clefable was nice, but Ash was demanding. Gary was awful. Squirtle had beaten him up and left him humiliated and bruised. The mouse couldn''t imagine anything worse.

    Then he and Ash continued to bicker. And then the Spearow incident happened.

    But something hadˇ­ changed then.

    Ash''s sorrow, and desire to protect him. They had all been new to him. And then at the Pok¨¦mon Center, when those obnoxious Team Rocket goons had attacked, he had taken a leap of faith against the Meowth, trusting in Ash''s judgment against a Pokemon that was trying to kill him. And it had all paid off in the end.

    Ever since then, Ash had shown nothing but dedication, and a sincere promise to become stronger. Along with a request for a fresh start.

    Nebula allowed him to eat next to her every night, even listening to him when he had wanted to talk, and now she had saved all of them from that terrifying Beedrill swarm.

    He wanted to make friends for once. To be strong enough to protect himself. To no longer be helpless and weak against aggressors.

    These past few days, while horrid because of the forest and the Bug Catchers, had shown him that that might actually be possible. He just needed to stick with his trainer. Stick with his team.

    And win this fight.

    "Pikachu! Charge up Thunder Shock! But don''t fire just yet!"

    Kimberly. "What are you up to?"

    Pikachu complied, confused by the order, but trusting in his trainer''s judgment once again. It was a struggle, due to the pain, and the effort that it took to maintain Quick Attack. But soon, the electricity was flowing perfectly through his cheeks.

    "Charge forward, Pikachu!"

    Pikachu abruptly rushed Dustox, who, despite being surprised by the sudden attack, flew out of the way.

    But Ash was already prepared.

    "Fire! NOW!"

    The Thunder Shock sizzled out of Pikachu''s body as he flew past Dustox. The close proximity allowed the lightning bolt to strike the moth head on, the large moth screaming in pain as the electricity assaulted his body.

    "WHAT?!" Kimberly gasped in awe. Feral gritted his teeth from behind her.

    "Gain some distance!" Ash was pressing on the momentum now. The opposing Dustox was still covered in static, struggling to remain afloat after the painful, point-blank shock. It was time to end this. "Try using Spark and Iron Tail at once! Build up speed with Quick Attack and finish Dustox off!"

    "Psybeam, Dustox!" Kimberly was quick to respond.

    But Pikachu avoided the final attack and complied to his trainer''s orders. Thanks to the electricity from Thunder Shock, Dustox had been having a harder time getting the attack out as quickly as before.

    Pikachu surrounded himself with the electricity of Spark as he continued to run forward. At the same time, however, the metallic energy of Iron Tail covered his tail.

    "Try combining the attacks!" Ash called out.

    Briefly, Pikachu looked back at his Trainer with a nod, before turning his attention back to his opponent.

    "Go! Now!"

    Rushing forward, Pikachu barreled on over towards Dustox. As he sped across the battlefield, dirt was kicked up in his wake. The electricity from Spark, initially surrounding his body, began to gather around at his tail. Soon, the Iron Tail was crackling with lightning, channeled by Pikachu''s now metallic tail.

    A combined attack that had been born from either desperation, determination, or creativity. Even years later, Ash would never be able to truthfully guess which one that it was. Because even then, not even he knew. And neither did his team.

    As he approached Dustox, Pikachu let out a mighty battle cry, ready to finish this once and for all. Aiming right for the bruise that Dustox had received from the previous Iron Tail.

    The impact was deafening, and spread across the battlefield. Dirt nearby began to fly around from the massive shockwave that was being produced by Pikachu''s final attack.

    And Dustox was sent sailing towards a nearby tree trunk with a loud scream. Another powerful impact occurred as it slammed into that tree. A large dent was left on the trunk as Dustox fell to the ground with a thud, landing on its side and rolling ever so slightly until it was laying down on its back. It stated there, motionless and bruised from the battle.

    It did not get up.

    The adrenaline wore off as Pikachu collapsed towards the dirt, catching himself in his paws. As the Bug Catchers'' shocked gasps filled the area, their leader returned her Dustox with a red beam of light.

    Pressing the Poke Ball against her cheek, she let out a sigh.

    "You were extraordinary, thank you." she spoke softly, but never lost her cool tone, even then.

    The commentary from the Bug Catcher Gang began to fill the air.

    "The Big Net''s been beaten!"

    "But how?"

    "He must have cheated!"

    Ash grimaced.

    Even now, even far from home, whenever he did something impressive, it was always considered cheating.

    His gaze shifted over to Pikachu, panting on the ground, desperately trying to catch his breath. As Nebula made her way over to the small mouse, Ash saw her wrap her wing behind his back, pulling him up and leaning the mouse against her side for support.

    The young Trainer could not stop the smile that spread across his lips.

    As mouse and bird exchanged looks, and smiles, the sound of footsteps stole Ash''s attention as Kimberly and Feral approached him, stopping a few feet away. Behind them, the rest of the Bug Catchers gathered.

    "Iˇ­ don''t know what to sayˇ­ honestly." her cool tone of voice was only slightly compromised as she locked eyes with him yet again. "Dustox has brilliant aim, thanks to his Compound Eyes ability. And yetˇ­ not even that was enough today."

    Ash had felt Valiant clinging to him even more tightly as the cool-headed girl had approached, but reached down to pat the young Ralts''s head in comfort. Valiant eased up just a little bit, but still remained wary.

    "You lost." said Ash blankly, his tone slightly more confident than before. It had been a hard-fought battle, but with the combination of Pikachu''s tenacity and the rest of his team''s cheering, it had all ended in success. "You''ll keep your end of the deal now, right?"

    Nebula looked up at the group, eying them carefully along with Pikachu.

    She crossed her arms with a sigh. "I have not forgotten the terms of our battle, intruder, but firstˇ­" to Ash''s surprise, she dug into her pocket and pulled out a very notably large amount of cash. Reaching out her hand, she said "This is for you."

    Ash took the money and stashed it away, eying the Bug Catcher leader carefully.

    "Now, then." She pointed forward in a different direction. "The path that you are going down now will still take you another two or three days or so to get to Pewter City. Going this way, you''ll be there in about a day or so."

    Ash raised a brow. "You sure about that?"

    "Nobody is a better expert on this forest than I. Except for one particular being." Ash was confused by the reply, but didn''t press.

    Kimberly crossed her arms. "Now then, your end of the bargain is to leave. The rest of the Bug Catchers will not harass you anymore, so don''t come back here."

    Ash inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at that.

    The leader looked between Ash''s teammates. "You have a strong Trainer."

    "Ashy boy would never make it as a Trainer. He wouldn''t even throw a Poke Ball right anyway.'''' The compliment clashed with the memory of Gary''s voice.

    Ash didn''t let his guard down, but still took the time to respond. "Your Dustox was pretty strong too."

    "I know," she said coolly. "But I''m too busy to converse anymore. Just get out of my forest."

    Nodding, Ash turned to Pikachu. "How are you holding up?"

    The mouse was still being supported by Nebula, but tried to give Ash a thumbs up.

    Kimberly turned to her crew as she spoke up. "Bug Catchers! We''re leaving!"

    As they followed her out of the forest, Feral lingered behind slightly. Turning to Ash, he locked eyes with him briefly.

    "I''ll admit you were stronger than us, intruder, but don''t let that go to your head. Next time, I will be prepared."

    He was gone after that.

    Ash watched the Bug Catchers leave with some conflicted thoughts as they disappeared into the darkness of the forest. By now, the sky above was completely orange, and it would be dusk soon.

    Most of them were annoying, obnoxious, and not nearly as strong as they had hyped themselves up to be, but Ash knew that the same couldn''t be said for all of them. Their leader and the orange haired boy had both proven themselves to be quite formidable, at the very least.

    Turning his full attention onto his team, Ash kneeled down.

    Placing a gentle hand on Pikachu''s head, but being careful to avoid the bruise, Ash locked eyes with his Starter. "You were amazing, Pikachu, like always."

    Pikachu blushed a little bit at that, as Nebula smiled at him brightly. Ash looked between Nebula and Valiant next, and spoke to them.

    "You two as well," he said. "Nebula, Valiant, thanks for cheering him on so much."

    Valiant was calming down a bit now that bug catchers were gone, and smiled shyly at the comment. Nebula beamed proudly.

    /

    The group had started down the path before setting up camp for the night.

    Ash had tended to Pikachu''s wounds, with Nebula refusing to leave the young mouse''s side until he was back on his feet and good as normal again.

    Valiant still stuck by Ash''s side at dinner during camp, while Pikachu and Nebula ate together as usual. Ash''s assumption was that the mouse and bird duo were discussing the battle from earlier.

    They had risen early the next morning to get a head start. The bug catcher leader had been true to her word: None from their group antagonized them for the whole day. It was just a free, quiet day of nonstop walking. Valiant was still nervous about something, but the thought of leaving the forest seemed to increase his morale. Pikachu ran ahead a little bit, with Nebula flying overhead as per usual.

    And as the sun began to set, Ash could notice the trees parting. It was the opposite of when they had entered the forest.

    And by the time that the moon and stars were high in the sky, they found themselves a beautiful scene as the vegetation began to give way for a much more clear path.

    And Ash could feel the tears of joy welling up in his eyes at the sight of Pewter City.

    The forest towered over them from behind, as they overlooked the city, the path ahead of them going downwards in order to reach it. Nebula was perched upon a rock as the group looked over the buildings in the very near distance.

    They were just on the outskirts of both Pewter City and Viridian Forest. Those down there, in the city, could probably see the tall trees up above because of just how close that the two places were.

    "Weˇ­ made it everybody." Ash wiped the tears away as he pumped his fists up. "Alright! No more Viridian Forest!"

    The Pokemon cheered along with him.

    "Our first Gym Battle is down there everyone! And so is civilization! Let''s get to the Pokemon Center quickly!"

    Pikachu hopped up onto the rock next to Nebula as the two exchanged excited cries. Suddenly, they both took off, Pikachu bolting down the path while Nebula flew on after him, both of them yelling and chirping excitedly, as if they were trying to race each other to the Pokemon Center.

    Ash gasped. "Hey, wait up you two!" he looked down towards Valiant. ''We better go catch up to them fast!" Not wanting to be left behind, the two of them dashed down after their two companions.

    As the group closed in on Pewter City nearby, Ash Ketchum''s first week as a Pokemon trainer came to an end.

    It wasn''t a week that he or his teammates would ever forget anytime soon, either. Before, a simple duo consisting of an ordinary human boy and a single Pikachu had been what entered the forest. However, six days worth of traveling had caused that same duo to grow into a group of four.

    And with the many trials and hardships that had been faced from within the forest, this same group had officially taken its first steps to becoming a family.

 Cracking Rocks pt 1

    Pewter City was the most historical city of the Indigo Empire, and that was because it was the League''s origin, where it all started.

    During the ancient times, it was perhaps the most secure place to be in Kanto. With Mt. Moon towering off to the east, and the mountainous landscape surrounding the city, the citizens all had their own, natural shelter provided by nature itself.

    Perhaps this was why the first Champion of Indigo fled there to seek refuge, although it is unknown how he managed to get there in the first place.

    Nowadays, it was a cozy shelter for its many citizens, with a perpetual reminder of the dangers looming that surrounded the city. With Mt Moon off to the east, and Viridian Forest off to the south, while the trees were being elevated by the cliff, along with all of the mountainous surroundings in general, looking around just about anywhere in Pewter City would greet you either with mountains or looming trees.

    The place was surrounded, with the mountains and trees towering over the city everywhere the people looked. It was both a foreboding and enigmatic sight. Many travelers and citizens alike commented on being allured by the legendary city''s surroundings. Some people found themselves gazing off aimlessly at the mountains, or trees, off into the distance.

    A city that was practically a makeshift fortress due to its mountainous surroundings, a coincidentally perfect fit for the city that started the Indigo Empire.

    To many people coming into, and/or passing through the city, it was all very overwhelming. But to the people living there, it was something special. Something that was easily taken for granted, but still very quick to be reminded of its importance.

    And one of those people was named Brock.

    The young man sighed deeply as he sank into a chair on the balcony overlooking the city. Viridian Forest was visible from here, but for now he wasn''t here to treat himself to the view. He needed rest, and some nice fresh air after the long day.

    Being both a Gym Leader and the eldest brother of so many kids was beyond taxing for him. Especially since such a profession was never his ambition. It couldn''t be helped, however. Pewter City''s Gym, along with the Blackthorn and Fuchsia Gyms, was famous for being family owned, and along with the Blackthorn Gym, had been family owned since it was founded. The eldest of his youngest siblings, much unlike himself, was determined to take over the Gym eventually, and Brock needed to keep its family-owned status alive in order to guarantee that once he was qualified.

    So when his father was moved to a different position of the League due to his talents being needed elsewhere, what choice did he have? His father had run the Gym for years, but it was his turn now. He didn''t want to be the one that broke a nearly four-century long tradition, nor did he want to put his brother''s own goals at risk.

    When his father had given him the news, he didn''t even need to say anything else: Brock knew exactly what it meant.

    He never thought that he would dislike being good at something. He was renowned for his battling skills, but it was caring for Pokemon that he truly excelled at. It was what he always had in mind for a goal: Being a doctor, or a breeder.

    But all of that would come later. For now, he had to put those dreams aside and focus on the here and now. He''ll still have plenty of time to pursue his ambitions once his brother is qualified to achieve his own.

    The majority of people in the city saw him as the stone-cold figure who expertly ran the Gym as it''s magnificent leader.

    But that was all just a mask. It wasn''t the real him. Few people knew, and he was fine with that, no need to make such a big show about where he wanted to be.

    "There you are."

    He turned his head to the familiar voice, the approaching source of which he had not seen in the past few days.

    Forrest had completely thrown himself into his studies. He was one of the few people aware of Brock''s apathy for his Gym Leader position, and was determined to inherit the role as soon as possible so that his elder brother would no longer be burdened by it. Despite Brock''s protests, Forrest had been insistent in putting all of his time into studying. Between that, and most of Brock''s day alternating between taking care of his other siblings, taking on challengers, and managing the Gym, the two of them could sometimes go several days without seeing each other.

    Brock smiled as his younger brother took a seat in the chair next to him.

    "Iˇ­ figured you''d be here." he spoke in a tired voice, the voice of a young boy who had just finished a marathon of reading and writing. Looking over to the older sibling shyly, he asked. "Another long day?"

    Running a hand through his hair, Brock let out an exasperated sigh. "It''s always a long day. Rookie trainer after rookie trainer, constantly challenging the Gym, and not even being remotely ready for it." he grimaced. "We''re getting rookies coming in from multiple directions. There are those who stayed in Pewter to train for a while, those who are coming in from Viridian, and a few who came from Cerulean and have just made their way through Mt. Moon. Not to mention all the people who teleported here and stayed, or to a place nearby and headed here. Pewter was the second most popular place to teleport to this Season, behind Cerulean."

    "Anybody win a badge yet?"

    Brock let out a harsh chuckle. It was a very underwhelming one, as though he were too tired to laugh. "As if. Most rookies aren''t strong enough to earn a badge until a month passet. So many of these rookies come in here, bringing in a water, grass, or the occasional fighting type, and expect an automatic win." his glare deepened. "Just this morning, some entitled brat accused me of cheating just because his Totodile lost to Geodude. Didn''t even finish the match. He just ran off wailing about how he was going to report me to the League, and how I''m going to go out of business once I''m exposed or whatever."

    Now it was Forrest''s turn to let out a tired chuckle. "I remember you mentioned that once; the amount of time rookies normally take, and how Gym Leaders often mark their calendars for it." his face formed into a frown. "I''m sorry. I know you didn''t want this-"

    Brock raised a hand to silence him. "I already told you, you don''t need to apologize. It''s not like you''re at fault. Besides, things will hopefully pick up in about a month from now or so. Right now I have to deal with a bunch of entitled rookies who can''t battle to save their lives. It''s tedious, but I can go through the motions and pick them apart. Once I get some decent challenges things will at least be somewhat interesting. Pokemon battling isn''t something I get much enjoyment out of, but I can at least stimulate myself once someone less incompetent shows up."

    Forrest turned his head to the towering trees of Viridian. The darkness of the night sky shaded them in a shadowy outline. It was both ominous and mesmerizing. Looking around the mountainous, or forest, backdrops of Pewter City almost always had that effect on most people, especially at nighttime.

    "Do youˇ­ hate battling, Brock?"

    Brock seemed surprised by the question. "Hm? No, I don''t hate it. Or even dislike it really. It''s just not what I want. When you feel forced to do something that you don''t enjoy, you could become resentful towards it on a subconscious level, butˇ­" he looked down. "I can understand why battling is so popular. When I am out there, facing a tough challengerˇ­ I get it. I get why trainers love this profession so much. Why being a Gym Leader is such a sought after ideal. Practically a dream job." he looked back up again. "But I''ve always been more into raising Pokemon, rather than battling with them. I was made to care for them and nurture them, not to be a professional battler. I just don''t get the same joy out of it that most trainers do. I can feel the adrenaline, and, in that moment, understand why it is so sought after, but I myself don''t get that same rush from it. It doesn''t thrill me like it does for most of the people who walk through those doors looking for a badge."

    Forrest nodded in understanding. Brock understood why trainers loved doing what they did as much as they did. He experienced those same emotions in the heat of the moment. The only difference was that he didn''t get the same joy from them.

    But Brock didn''t have to worry. At the rate he was going, he''d be qualified to inherit the Gym Leader position in just a few short years.

    And then, both of them could follow their dreams.

    /

    The buildings of Pewter were quite tall, and the city itself was quite big. It was certainly no Celadon, but much like Viridian, it was overwhelming.

    It was only the second urban area that Ash had been too in his life, and this time, he wasn''t coming here in a time of stress, and therefore wasn''t distracted from how overwhelming it all was.

    Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant were equally awed by their surroundings, looking around to the view of rock and mountains as far as the eye can see. The trees of Viridian Forest looming over them from above, the towering presence of Mt. Moon, and all of the other mountains along with it. As far as which city in Indigo had the most intimidating surroundings, Ash was all but certain that Pewter would be hard to top.

    Nebula and Valiant were caught off guard by the sheer size of the Pokemon Center, eliciting a light chuckle from Ash.

    "Get used to it," he said. "Every city has a Pokemon Center as big as this one." In fact, he was pretty sure that Viridian''s was bigger.

    /

    As expected, the Nurse Joy from Pewter looked nearly identical to the Nurse Joy from Viridian. Ash had already chosen not to ask questions, but could tell Pikachu was not of the same mindset.

    Seeing the mouse''s quizzical expression, Ash knelt down and patted his starter on the head. "Not every question can be answered, I''m afraid."

    A confused Pikachu simply tilted his head as Ash removed his hand and made his way to the counter.

    Nurse Joy perked up from the article she was reading as Ash approached. Taking a peak at her magazine, Ash could see a headline relating to a mining discovery at Mt. Moon. "Oh! Ash Ketchum, right?"

    Ash blinked. "Youˇ­ know who I am?"

    She nodded. "Yeah. From theˇ­ incidentˇ­ on Opening Day."

    Ash and Pikachu flinched, sparking bewilderment from Nebula and Valiant. "Oh yeahˇ­" Ash responded. "I kind of forgot about that." More like forced himself too. Meeting Janine and finally making amends with Pikachu were the only good memories to come out of that incident for him.

    Nurse Joy frowned. "I''m really sorry that you had to go through that, Mr. Ketchum." her voice was sincere. "Since we had a patient transported here during that attack, we received a full report on it, too."

    That''s right, Janine''s Weedle. Speaking ofˇ­

    "Has Janine stopped by?" he asked hopefully. He had been planning on describing her appearance to her, but it occurred to him that if Joy had known of the attack, and of him, then she probably knew who Janine was too.

    Joy drummed her fingers against the desk of the counter. "She did, but she''s not here anymore. She checked in two nights ago, but checked out and left the city the morning after. She said she was going to do some training near Mt. Moon before coming back to challenge the gym."

    "Ohˇ­" Ash tried to hide his disappointment. Truth be told, he had been hoping to see Janine again. Maybe even battle her. Perhaps another time, then.

    Turning to her keyboard, Joy spoke again. "So, will you be staying the night?"

    "Yes." Ash nodded. "I''m not sure how long, though. Can you look at my Pokemon too?"

    She smiled. "Of course."

    /

    Pikachu bolted into the room the moment Ash opened the door. The young trainer chuckled a bit as his first partner immediately made his way to the bed.

    After six days in Viridian Forest, he certainly couldn''t fault his starter for being so excited about a regular bed. He was certainly excited too, but first, he needed a shower.

    As Nebula and Valiant looked around the room, Ash announced his plans for the night.

    "I''m going to take a shower before doing anything else. You guys settle in. Maybe we can watch a show for a bit." Hearing no objections, he made his way to the bathroom after taking out a change of clothes. He''d have to get up early tomorrow to get them washed. Thankfully, he was pretty sure that Pokemon Centers had washers that were free for trainers to use.

    What would a trainer do without a Pokemon Center?

    Closing the door behind him and stepping into the shower, Ash felt a sense of cathartic relief unrivaled by any other moment in his life.

    Being able to clean himself after six days of traveling wasn''t just refreshing like he had hoped it would be. It genuinely felt fantastic. Six days worth of filth washed off of his body through the glorious combination of soap and steaming, hot water.

    Ash had always enjoyed showers, but he had a newfound appreciation for them now. And it wouldn''t be too long before he realised just how common this feeling of relief would be for a trainer.

    /

    The night had been a good one compared to camping out in Viridian Forest. After his shower, Ash had turned on the flat screen, and after some channel browsing, he and his team had spent about an hour and a half watching a talk show where Falkner, Violet City''s Gym Leader, was interviewed about the various experiences that he had in each Season''s earliest days. Further encouraging Ash''s motivation to train was Falkner''s emphasized statement of how many rookies would constantly challenge his Gym unprepared. It was a mistake that many first years made: Rushing in. Although Falkner had stated that trainers didn''t HAVE to wait a whole month despite that being the average time for a rookie to be ready, they always needed to have a plan, regardless of how experienced or inexperienced they were. According to the flyign type specialist''s opinion, the single biggest cause for a rookie losing their first Gym Battle (and, by extension, just about any Gym battle after the fact) was almost always a lack of preparation, especially if they easily defeated. It was the most common source of failure, in the Gym Leader''s book.

    Ash tried to absorb everything that Falkner said, although there were a few times when he used big words that the boy had trouble wrapping his head around. For the most part, however, his insight was very accessible and helpful.

    Falkner had also given some details on some of the duties that Gym Leaders were responsible for, what it was like to run his Gym and patrol his territory. He had ended the show with an announcement that his Gym was now accepting Gym Trainers: Groups of trainers who worked at a specific Gym while under the Gym Leader''s personal tutelage. Not every Gym Leader did this, but it was still fairly common. And it also wasn''t uncommon for Gym Leaders to choose between the Gym Trainers when determining who their successor would be, in the event of resignation or retirement.

    It was an enjoyable idea, although Ash himself wasn''t particularly interested in it for himself. He was curious about what life as a Gym Trainer would be like, but he was focused on traveling for now.

    The next morning, the group rose at around 8:00 AM for breakfast in the cafeteria. Pikachu had been delighted to finally find food that he genuinely enjoyed eating, and was now scarfing down every single morsel faster than Ash could blink. An amused Nebula looked on as the mouse enjoyed his meal, while Valiant stuck closer to Ash. To Ash''s view, the Ralts had become significantly less nervous ever since they had exited the forest. Nevertheless, he always stuck closely to Ash, having slept next to the bed that he and Pikachu slept at while Nebula settled down at the windowsill.

    Nebula and Valiant were at a Pokemon Center for the first time. And unlike the morning at Viridian, this Center was packed with trainers.

    Mostly rookies, in fact.

    There were probably over two dozen of them. The cafeteria was spacious, so Ash was able to distance himself from the rest of the crowd, although they''re chatter echoed throughout the cafeteria as he and his team ate.

    Ash was tempted to talk to some of them. Meeting Janine had gone better than he expected, and it left him eager to socialize more, but now that he actually had the opportunity to do so, he found himself getting cold feet.

    What if Janine was just the exception to the rule? What if Gary was the standard? He wouldn''t really know until he tried, but even though he knew for a fact that trying wouldn''t hurt, and that being shot down was the worst that could happen, he found himself too nervous to make any attempts.

    Was he really that afraid of getting rejected? He was used to getting ostracized. What was so different this time? He''d never be able to figure out how his mind worksˇ­

    But for now, he was content to eat with his team. They would be in Pewter for a while. He wanted to train for at least a week before challenging the Gym, so that was plenty of time to change his mind about socializing. Who knows? Maybe he and Janine will run into each other once she returns to the city, although Ash wasn''t banking on that. Pewter City was a big place, and he didn''t know exactly when she was going to be coming back.

    For now, he would just focus on the trials ahead.

    But before that, there was one place that he wanted to visit with his team: The Pewter Museum of Science.

    /

    The museum was a landmark of the Indigo Empire''s history, and hosted the homes of numerous imperial treasures that could not be found anywhere else. Pewter City was the origin point of the League, and the Pewter Museum of Science served as a legendary monument for where Indigo has started, and where it has gone ever since.

    Before stopping by the Poke Mart to obtain the TMs that he needed for the training, Ash really wanted to go here. If only just for a little bit.

    Trainers received discounts for entering the museum, and trainers visiting for the first time were able to stay in the museum for free, but their visit was only for a limited amount of time, and they would have to pay otherwise.

    Ash and his team only had an hour to stay at the museum for free, but an hour was plenty of time to explore for just a little bit.

    The opening section of the museum was dedicated to fossils. Many of these fossils were apparently found recently near Grampa Canyon, a famous location located on the other side of Kanto. Apparently, a mass excavation was currently being planned, scheduled to be carried out in a few months time.

    To Ash''s knowledge, the Sinnoh Region had invented technology that could restore fossils to their original form. It had remained exclusive to them for years, but was eventually being distributed elsewhere. Since Indigo, Ever Grande, and Lily Of the Valley all had close relations, the former two had received it first. That had started a few years ago, and was a slow process. Although, it was likely that Indigo and Ever Grande had already received restored ancient Pokemon through trade, as Lance had one such Pokemon as part of his main team, and Steven Stone of Ever Grande had at least one as well, to Ash''s knowledge. Apparently Kalos also had a limited amount of the technology too, havin followed Sinnoh''s footsteps to develop it themselves.

    Nebula gawked as the group walked past the full skeleton of an Aerodactyl, probably the most infamous ancient Pokemon native to Kanto. Ash didn''t know much about the species, apart from how much of a total beast that Lance''s was. Aerodactyl were said to be among the most aggressive species of Pokemon to ever exist, and if Lance''s Aerodactyl was of any indication, that statement was hardly an exaggeration.

    The fossils were nice, but there was something else that Ash was interested in. He lead his team through a set of doors to a section detailing Indigo''s history.

    /

    A giant statue of Indigo''s first ever Champion stood in the middle. Surrounding it were statues of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise; the three final evolved forms of the three Kanto Region starters. They had been the primary trio of the first Champion''s team, and the Pokemon that he was by far the most known for. The Kanto Region starters were all meant to pay tribute to that.

    Pikachu, who, up to this point, had been walking alongside Ash, climbed atop the young boy''s head and rested upon his cap to get a better look. Ash read the words on the plaque in front of the statue.

    "Champion Albert Seiza, founder of the Indigo League and hero chosen and blessed by Mew."

    The Fuchsia native who had fled from his territory after control of it was usurped, found refuge in Pewter, and then led the Pewter army to victory against the now hostile Fuchsia army. That was the basic history that every child in Indigo learned. He was described as fearless, never afraid of anything. He didn''t need to mask his fear, because he felt none. Was all of that an exaggeration just to make the story more interesting, or was it really what happened? Some people felt that his fearlessness was simply overplayed to make the legend seem more bombastic.

    The fact that he had apparently received a blessing from Mew himself was an especially big deal. Mew was recognized as the Guardian of the Kanto Region, and was worshipped by nearly everyone who was native to that Region. This was especially the case in both Pewter and Fuchsia, the two most traditional cities in the Region.

    Valiant tugged at Ash''s leg. Looking down at the Ralts, Ash smiled at him.

    "Pretty interesting, isn''t it? Hard to imagine that we''re in the very city where all of this started."

    He and his team stared at the statue for a little while longer before Ash led them to another one.

    This one was of the native Pewter girl that had acted as the first Champion''s second in command during the war. Apparently the trust and faith that the two had for each other was unrivaled by anything else in the world. They were said to be the closest of companions, who unwaveringly fought together on the battlefield.

    Ash read the plaque.

    "Asawn Nobli, legendary lieutenant of the first Champion and unrivaled warrior on the brutal battlefield."

    Surrounding her were statues of Hitmonlee, Alakazam, and Snorlax.

    She was said to be as beautiful as she was strong. Despite her seemingly average build, the legends claim that she was as strong as the strongest Pokemon themselves. Capable of charging into battle without even needing her own Pokemon to protect her. Apparently she often sparred with her Hitmonlee and even taught him how to fight herself.

    Was that really possible? Or was it just another exaggeration, much like some people believed the first Champion''s fearlessness to be? Ash found this much more likely to be made up folklore than he did the former; being fearless wasn''t nearly as unbelievable as a human who was strong enough to fight Pokemon with their bare hands. Humans were fragile in the face of Pokemon; he didn''t know of a single living human who was physically strong enough to do such a thing...

    And if history was correct, the Champion and his right-hand were in their late teens during the war. Was the Champion''s lieutenant really a minor with quite literal superhuman capabilities?

    In any case, the people of Pewter City practically worshipped her. The Pewter City Gym, the first ever Gym in all of Indigo, was owned by her descendants, and had been passed on from generation to generation. And apparently, she herself was Indigo''s first ever appointed Elite Four member.

    She was just as much of a legend in Indigo as the very Champion that she fought alongside was.

    "Pretty fascinating, isn''t it kid?"

    A startled Ash whirled around along with his team to see the source of the voice.

    A tall dark skinned man was standing next to a woman with blazing red hair, tied into the neatest ponytail the young rookie had ever seen. Ash could have sworn that he''d seen them before, especially the red haired woman.

    The man, who had been the one speaking, approached him casually. Ash was initially nervous, but he and his team settled down at the calming vibe that the man gave off. There was no hostility from him.

    He was somewhat aged, although far from old. And his hardened but calm face came across as mostly easygoing.

    "Always nice to see kids checking out the League''s history." he said matter of factly. "Some people understate the importance of the past sometimes, but I think it''s imperative to always know where we came from." Ash hardly disagreed with the man''s words; although he was far from a historian, knowing more had always been appealing to him, especially since he was aiming to become Champion. The thought of assuming such a position without historical knowledge of the League felt odd on its own.

    Turning his attention back to the statue, a curious Ash asked, "Is it really true that she was strong enough to suplex a Dragonite?"

    The man chuckled in an amused tone. "Who knows? The legend states that she suplexed a Dragonite to incapacitate it during the Battle of Cerulean, and then strangled it to death. It paints a pretty surreal picture. For all we know, she was just an amazing martial artist with highly above average physical capabilities. Many here in Pewter, and in Fuschia, take the legends as fact, but it''s entirely possible that she was just a very strong human whose strength was played up by the legends in order to make the story more entertaining. Same with the Champion''s fearlessness. Was he really afraid of nothing, or did he just have a strong resolve?" looking up at the statue, he continued on. "Unfortunately, all that we''ll ever have is history records and speculation.

    The woman chimed in. "Meh, I always go with whatever story sounds the coolest. If they say she had the muscles to kill a Dragonite then I''m all for it!" she pumped her fist high into the air as she joined Ash and the others.

    The Pokemon were eying the newcomers carefully as the man continued.

    "If I may, young man, what makes you so interested, anyway?"

    Ash simply shrugged. "I don''t really have a reason." he freely admitted. "Really, I just find the story interesting, that''s all to be honest." A lot of people wondered how true the legend was, and he was no exception to it.

    The man crossed his arms. "It''s rare for a rookie trainer to take much of any interest in our history. Normally, those that do come from Pewter or Fuschia. Where are you from?"

    "Pallet Town." Ash answered.

    "Wait, isn''t that where Professor Oak is stationed?" the woman piped up. "Maybe he encouraged you to do it."

    Ash had to think about that one. He hadn''t ever recalled Professor Oak pushing for the students in Pallet Town to take an interest in history, unless he did it subtlyˇ­

    "Anyway," said Ash, shaking the thought out of his head for now. "My name''s Ash. And this is my team." he said, gesturing to the Pokemon behind him.

    The man smiled. "The name''s Flint. Nice to meet you."

    Flintˇ­

    Ash let the name hang in his mind for a few momentsˇ­ before it clicked.

    "Wait a minuteˇ­" the trainer''s eyes widened. "Didn''t you used to be the Gym Leader here?"

    Flint scratched his head. "Yeah, I ran the Gym for a long time, but moved to the League''s engineer field. Nowadays, my eldest, Brock, is the one running the place. My second eldest, Forrest, is set to inherit the position once he''s qualified."

    Ash did his best to hide how gobsmacked he was. He was talking to a former Gym Leader, and probably still a high ranking League official. All of a sudden he felt quite small. At least he was used to knowing Professor Oak, but that was just one person among many with esteemed positions in the League.

    Suddenly, he blinked and took in the woman''s appearance. "And yourˇ­ Elacia! From Celadon! Your Indigo''s second highest ranked Pokemon breeder!"

    Ash wasn''t an expert in the Breeding field, but it was hard not to know who the most prominent breeders in Indigo were when magazine covers were a thing. Some of the knowledge that the biggest breeders shared with the world was also used and cited in school. One of the main reasons why Celadon was among the most upper class areas in Indigo was that it was essentially Kanto''s breeding capital; with many of Indigo''s most successful breeders setting up shop there. Just about any successful breeder was guaranteed a glut of wealth. This was especially true with how much the League relied on partnerships with them.

    Elacia let out an amused laugh. "I guess it''s out of the bag then, huh? Yeah, that''s me. The first ranked, of course, being my dear friend Suzie."

    Noticing Ash''s flustered expression, Flint raised a hand as Valiant perked up behind the boy. "No need to be intimidated, Ash. Right now we are just visitors, just like yourself. I''m just stopping by for a couple of days to pay the family a visit."

    "I''m here for business," said Elacia. "I''ll be here for a few weeks, so if you need anything come on over." she handed Ash a card with an address printed on it.

    Ash gazed at the card. "Ohˇ­ thanks."

    Elacia''s business card was quite flashy, as though she had tried to fit in as many colors as possible. A picture of a Slurpuff was in the center.

    /

    Ash was glad that he had received a decent amount of money in Viridian Forest. Although most of the Bug Catchers had been poor sports who refused to pay, their leader had been rather surprisingly about it. Ash couldn''t help but wonder if it was to make up for most of the others not paying, but either way he wasn''t complaining.

    Thanks to that, he was able to purchase three new TMs for their upcoming training, along with a few extra potions and berries. Since they were in the city for now, Ash was going to keep the healing items to a minimum, as the Pokemon Center could help out with injuries anyway, but he did still want to have at least a few on hand. He could buy more once it was time to leave the city, which would not be for a while.

    Stopping by at the Pokemon Center, Ash had asked Nurse Joy where he could find a good training ground within the city. As luck would have it, she pointed out the perfect place to hone his team, just a block or two away from the Pokemon Center itself.

    Upon arriving, Ash knew it would be perfect.

    The young Trainer stood with his team at the training grounds.

    A large area. Such a statement almost didn''t do it justice, Ash partially felt. The young trainer was actually caught off guard by just how spacious that it was. And that obviously meant that they all just had that much more to work with as they prepared for the showdown that lied ahead.

    It wasn''t too far from some of the mountains that surrounded the city, but was still within the city borders. Ash and his team gazed at the wide, open rocky landscape, filled with uneven terrain, large rocks and boulders jutting out from the ground, and the occasional slopes.

    It was perfect.

    Many Gyms that were run by a type specialist utilized a battlefield that emulated the preferred typing of the Gym Leader. Having been run by rock type Specialists almost since its founding, the Pewter City Gym was known for its battlefield being that of a landscape filled with rocky terrain, not too much unlike these training grounds.

    Ash and his team would have to get used to battling on battlefields like this, which is why this area made for the perfect training grounds for them to prepare at.

    Making a mental note to thank Nurse Joy later, Ash turned to his Pokemon, who were lined up in front of him and were now looking at their new Trainer expectantly.

    This was the moment when his true test began. Up until now, Ash hadn''t really been training any of his Pokemon. His time at Viridian Forest was mostly spent simply hiking through the forest and taking rest stops for camping and meals. He had been in quite a lot of battles in the forest, which were always a boon for getting a trainer''s Pokemon more experienced and honing their skills, but there had never been any sessions that were truly dedicated to just training alone.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    That all ended today. Ash knew better than to assume that he and his team were a match for any Gym Leader in Indigo the way that they were right now. And even before Falkner''s interview, Ash had known that it was important to plan ahead. Which was why these training sessions would be tailor made with the Pewter Gym in mind.

    Ash would have to get his Pokemon to hone themselves in areas where they were needed to excel at in order to win the upcoming battle. This meant getting used to the rocky battlefield, and figuring out the best way for each of them to combat rock type Pokemon.

    Specifically, rock type Pokemon that were being wielded by somebody who was dedicated to the typing. Although Ash doubted that they would be going up against particularly high level rock type Pokemon, due to being rookie level, that still didn''t change the fact that the Gym Leader was an expert on the ins and outs of the Rock Type. Gym Leaders never went easy on their challengers, to Ash''s knowledge. Even when not using their strongest team, they would simply utilize the Pokemon that they did use in the best way possible. Even if they faced beginner level Pokemon in their battle, the Gym Leader would use every tactic that they could to ensure that those Pokemon gave them the toughest fight possible.

    No Trainer in the world could win a Gym Battle with so little experience without being prepared for that.

    "Alright," Ash began, eying his team carefully. "We''re in Pewter City to win our first Gym Badge. The Gym Leader here specializes in rock type Pokemon which means that''s the typing that we have to be prepared for. However, we can''t forget just how powerful Gym Leaders are compared to the usual trainer. These people are meant to not only protect their respective territories, and run them, but to also test trainers and Pokemon like us in order to determine who''s ready for the Conference. That''s exactly what all of these battles are going to be: a test."

    He paused to see if his team was following. So far, so good. "We faced some tough Pokemon in the forest. Like that Dustox, for example." Ash saw Pikachu grimace. He sank his hands into his pockets and let out a deep sigh. "But I''m afraid that experience just won''t cut it. From here on out, our real adventure is going to begin. We are going to be facing Pokemon that put all of the trials that we faced in that forest to shame. I''m not just talking about Pewter, either. I''m talking about the rest of our journey in general. As we improve, so will the other trainers traveling through Indigo. And the Gym Leaders will have less and less reasons to be lenient with the Pokemon that they choose to use against us as we acquire more badges." he eyed his team carefully, doing his best to look serious and get his point across, but not scare them. "I''m not exaggerating when I say this. If we try to challenge that Gym-any Gym, in fact- the way that we are now, we won''t stand a chance. We''d be eaten alive. And there are plenty of other Trainers out there who would do the same thing to us too."

    Janine and Gary immediately came to his mind.

    Ash paused to take in the reactions of his teammates. To his surprise, Valiant was the most hardened of them. The young Ralts was soaking up every word his Trainer said, staring at Ash intently. Ash was caught off guard by his change in demeanor. Ever since they had left Viridian Forest, Valiant hadn''t been so timid anymore.

    Was it just something about the forest that scared him? He seemed pretty terrified of the Bug Catcher leader, for whatever reason.

    Either way, the Ralts seemed pretty determined now. Ash didn''t know what was going on in his head, but what had once been an incredibly timid Pokemon was now the most determined to rise to the challenge.

    Pikachu and Nebula both looked a bit more nervous than their newest companion, but their expressions made it very clear where they stood on the matter: they were in this too.

    A smile appeared on Ash''s face as Pikachu patted his Starly friend''s back to get her attention. As Nebula turned her head to look at her mouse friend, Pikachu jammed his paw, curled into a fist, against his chest, and let out a determined "Pika!" Nebula emulated his behavior, but with her wing.

    They were set.

    Smiling, Ash drew their attention back to him as he continued. "That''s why we won''t be challenging the gym for a while. Before we can even look at that building, we are going to be training here for the next week or so. We''ll obviously take breaks to rest and eat meals, and we should still go to bed at a decent time, but overall, this week, we''ll be strictly devoted to preparing for our battle. And by that, I mean that our training is going to be specifically to prepare for this battle." Once again, he took a pause as he eyed his teammates. They seemed to be listening carefully. "So, to start things off, I''m going to be giving you each a rundown on what I''d like to focus on for the upcoming battle. All three of you have very different strengths and weaknesses, so I can''t just slap the same training regiment on you and call it a day." After a few moments to process this, which consisted of the three teammates exchanging curious looks with each other, most likely wondering what training plan each of them were going to be getting, Ash added in one last detail. "I also purchased some TMs for Nebula and Valiant. Pikachu is a bit ahead since I''ve already given him two that will help against the Gym Leader, but I still need to give you two some."

    Ash approached Pikachu first.

    "Pikachu," he said to begin. He adjusted his cap as the young mouse looked up at him expectantly. The lightning bolt shaped tail lightly swayed back and forth as Ash laid out his plans for the electric type Pokemon. "You''ve already started getting the hang of Iron Tail and brick Break. You''ve used Iron Tail quite a lot back at the forest, and have almost perfected the move. We haven''t gotten as much practice with Brick Break, however. Before the battle, we need to make sure that you have completely mastered both of those moves. We''ll put your electric type moves on hold for now, you''re already pretty good with them, and we can get started on Thunderbolt and Electro Ball afterwards. For now, Iron Tail and Brick Break will be your main moves to use against the Gym Leader." at the mouse''s understanding nod, Ash continued. "Also, i think we should try to get you started on Double Team. It''s a simple move to learn, for the most part, but it takes a lot to master it. We won''t have time for that, but even knowing a limited version of the move can go a long way." Taking a breath, Ash detailed the final part of the plan. "Finally, we need to work on your mobility. Right now, you''ve been very good at using Quick Attack. I want you to learn to maintain the move. You''ve already showcased this against Dustox, but we need to make it a recurring thing. We also need to make sure you''re used to traversing the rocky terrain." he gestured to the training grounds. "Which is why we''re here. In order to maneuver about the battlefield of the Pewter City Gym effectively, I need you to hone your dexterity so that you can run and climb across rocks and uneven terrain, while also maintaining the speed boost from Quick Attack. That way, you can traverse the battlefield quickly and effectively, without having to worry about losing speed or tripping. Make sure you climb up the large piles of rocks and boulders, too. Nebula can fly, so she doesn''t have to worry about any of this, and Valiant knows Shadow Sneak and Teleport, which will give him a cushion for traversing the terrain depending on how experienced he is at using them. You don''t have any of these advantages, so you need to master the terrain so that you can do everything on foot. Understood?"

    The mouse scratched his head, trying to take in all of the information, much to Ash and Nebula''s amusement, but soon nodded and gave Ash a thumbs up. Ash smiled. "Good. To get started, start running laps around the field while I speak to Nebula and Valiant." Nodding again, Pikachu bolted towards the rocks, activating Quick Attack as he sped through the training grounds. It didn'';t take long for him to trip, but he quickly got back up, rubbing his sore head as he returned to his feet, and resumed his running.

    Nebula watched her friend trying to climb the rock piles with a hint of concern in her eyes, before returning her attention to Ash as the boy approached her.

    "Alright Nebula," Ash began. "Like I just said to Pikachu; you can fly. We don''t have to worry about you being able to traverse through the rocks. So, instead of running, we''re going to be working on your flight mobility. We might also get started on Aerial Ace if we have the time. You already know the move, but it''s a lot harder to use." Nebula tilted her head slightly, but nodded in understanding. "Next up is how we are going to combat the rock type Pok¨¦mon. Unfortunately, as a normal/flying type Pokemon, you''re naturally vulnerable to rock type moves, which we will surely be facing. And none of the moves that you currently know are typically effective against the typing." Ash was slightly amused by Nebula''s irritated huff, but she quickly perked up again as he continued, and offered a solution. "So, to make up for that, i have purchased a TM for you: It''s called Steel Wing. It''ll be much more effective, and shouldn''t be too hard for you to learn, either. It will be your main weapon against our opponents in this battle."

    Nebula seemed to be excited by this idea. A brand-new move that would even the playing field against Pokemon that she currently had no means of effectively fighting against? The Starly seemed to be tickled pink at the thought.

    Happy that he had her hooked in with that little detail, Ash continued. "Along with Pikachu, I''m also going to try to teach you Double Team, too. It''s a useful Move, even if we will probably only have a very limited version of it to work with at first." he paused, ready to deliver the final detail. "Also, there is something elseˇ­ unique that I wanted to work on with you."

    Nebula perked up at that. Valiant was listening in closely, too.

    From the corner of his eye, Ash could see Pikachu skipping across the rocks, having lost his footing and was desperately trying to maintain his balance as his overwhelming momentum carried him forward. After a few seconds of watching Pikachu wobbling in place on a rock, Ash turned his attention back to Nebula with a sigh of relief as Pikachu caught himself on all fours, before he resumed running.

    "Do you remember the Dustox that the Bug Catcher Leader used against Pikachu? How he was able to condense his Gust attack into a single, concentrated blast of wind?" Nebula nodded. She vividly remembered that little detail. Not as much as she remembered Pikachu''s injuries, but it was still fresh in her mind, nevertheless. "Dustox probably practiced a lot to get so much control over the technique. You know Whirlwind, and the Beedrill incident proves how good you are at it. Since Gust and Whirlwind are such similar moves, you might be able to get the same results with it. You can condense your Whirlwind into a focused, targeted blast. Like other blast focused moves such as Flamethrower and Hydro Pump, but with wind instead of fire and water."

    Nebula was blinking in surprise at Ash''s idea, so he explained. "It''s common for trainers, especially high-level ones, to mess around with the techniques that their Pokemon already know. Between altering their Pokemon''s moves, or combining multiple moves into a single, new one, or sometimes maybe even both, a trainer''s creativity shines the most when they are inventing new techniques to use. According to Karen, anyway."

    From the corner of his eye, Ash saw Valiant staring at him intently. Clearly, the idea of modified moves greatly interested the Ralts, too.

    "I''m not sure how much of an effect that this hypothetical version of Whirlwind would have on a rock type, but it can at least keep them at bay. Plus, having a long-ranged attack will make your fighting style more varied; You won''t always have to rely on hit and run tactics." Nebula nodded in understanding, but still seemed to be quite surprised. It was a lot to take in for sure. "One more thing, your Reckless ability saved us back there during the Beedrill swarm. It''s a powerful ability, so if we have enough time, we might be able to try and practice it more."

    Being able to practice Reckless at will would certainly be useful, but, Ash knew that there was a cost. "But we have to be careful, of course. Reckless completely amplifies all of your abilities by pumping adrenaline through your body, unleashing all of your inner reserves all at once. This tires you out quickly, however, and it also makes you a lot less careful about how you approach the battle. I''m not entirely sure if it is possible to switch out of it after activating it, especially because you and I are both still so new to it. So far now, it will only be a last resort, when we very clearly have no other options."

    Nebula nodded. It certainly made sense.

    Opening his backpack and taking out the TM case, Ash spoke again. "Okay, I''m going to give you Steel Wing right now. After that, I''d like you to start practicing the move. And of course, make sure that you-"

    Ash, Nebula, and Valiant''s attention all turned to a loud cry coming from the rocks. They saw Pikachu falling from a large boulder, only to slam his Iron Tail into the ground to break his fall and steady himself. Sighing in relief, Ash turned back to an equally relieved Nebula.

    "As I was about to say, make sure you and Pikachu don''t get in each other''s way."

    /

    As Nebula flew off towards the rocks, ready to put her new Steel Wing Move to the test, Ash turned to his final team member: Valiant.

    The young Ralts was standing as tall as he could, eagerly awaiting Ash''s instructions. Despite being the newest member of the team, he seemed to be fully committed to it.

    "Valiant," said Ash, kneeling down to eye level with the young Ralts. "You''re the only one here who hasn''t battled yet, so I''ll have to evaluate your moves first. Either way, I think it''s important to work on Teleport and Shadow Sneak. Both moves are very versatile for getting around the battlefield and surprising your opponent. Apart from that, the only plan I have for you right now are the TM Moves that I have planned for you to learn. We''ll have to see where the rest of your moves stand before determining anything else." At the Ralts''s determined nod, Ash continued. "As a psychic type, you, like most psychic types, are capable of manipulating your psychic energy from moves like Confusion and the like in order to form artificial barriers to protect yourself with. This is especially useful for you, because your species isn''t known for its durability." The Ralts crossed his arms in understanding, waiting to see what Ash''s plan was. "You know how to use Light Screen, which will help give you an extra layer of defense, especially because creating those psychic barriers can be pretty difficult at first. Which brings me to the TM moves. For you, I''ve purchased Reflect and Magical Leaf. Reflect will be yet another defensive technique, which, along with Light Screen, should be able to solve your durability problem. And Magical Leaf is a Grass Type Move, so it will be your main weapon against the Rock Type Pokemon in the upcoming battle. Sound good?"

    The Ralts was perfectly on board with the plan. Which meant that all there was left to do was to see where the rest of his moves currently stood. Giving his latest team member a kind smile, Ash got started with it.

    /

    Ash wasn''t sure what he was expecting, but he was certainly pleased with the result. Valiant had quite easily exceeded the young rookie''s expectations.

    The plan was to simply see how good Valiant was with his moves, and which ones needed improving. Turns out, the young Ralts was actually a natural. He had a basic grip on all of his moves to varying extents. Even the more difficult moves, which clearly needed the most work for improvement, were still being used to somewhat competent effects. Ash wasn''t sure exactly how the young Ralts was doing it, but Valiant was clearly a prodigy.

    The cynical part of Ash wondered if somebody like Janine or Gary deserved a Pokemon like Valiant more than he did, but Ash pushed those thoughts aside for now.

    He couldn''t let his insecurities get the better of him. They had training to undergo and a battle to win.

    And besides, Valiant seemed to like him quite a lot, so Ash was hoping that that did mean that he deserved a pokemon like Valiant at least to some extent.

    Either way, the young Ralts was ready to start out. So now they were going to. Ash based the rest of Valiant''s training off of where he currency stood with his Moves at the moment.

    Obviously, Magical Leaf was an important priority, and so far, Valiant was pretty competent with the technique. He just needed to learn how to shoot the leaves farther. The speed of the attack was on point, thankfully.

    Teleport would need some work. So far it took too long for Valiant to reliably activate it, and he couldn''t go very far with it either. A work in progress. But they had time.

    Disarming Voice wasn''t a very strong Move, but it was convenient to have at the moment, and Valiant was almost perfect with it.

    Confusion was a bit of a halfway point. Valiant was naturally gifted at the technique due to being a psychic type Pokemon, but it still needed refinement.

    Psybeam would be a useful ranged technique, but much like Magical Leaf, Valiant needed to shoot it farther. Thankfully, he seemed to have a better grip on it, most likely due to his psychic typing giving him a natural edge for mastering the move. So Ash wasn''t worried.

    Hypnosis was a Move that could make the opposing Pokemon feel drowsy. It was a great way to set up an opponent for being caught off guard and lowering their defenses. It was a difficult move to get the hang of, however, and Ash wasn''t too surprised that it took Valiant a while to get a hold of the attack. Ash wasn''t sure if they could get the move completely down in time for the upcoming battle, so he was putting that on his "maybe" list.

    Confuse Ray was next. It was a dangerous move, used to scramble the minds of an opposing Pokemon and, if potent enough, make them panic and completely lose their focus. Even weaker versions of the technique that had yet to be mastered could turn the tide of battle, even if only briefly, and especially in beginner level battles. Valiant, as expected, was just getting started with the technique, but the fact that he had a basic understanding of it with no prior training was impressive. Ash wasn''t sure how they would be able to improve the technique, however. It was a dangerous Move to test out. Hypnosis could be used on Pikachu and Nebula, and at beginner levels, the moves was weak enough to ensure that they wouldn''t be put to sleep unless the circumstances were extreme enough and Valiant really focused, but Confuse Ray was dangerous regardless of how powerful that it was. Ash supposed that it could be saved for a last resort, much like Nebula''s Reckless, because he was completely drawing a blank on how to efficiently practice with it.

    Shadow Sneak was one of the last moves that he would have expected a Ralts to have. It allowed a Pokemon to dissolve into a shadow, often sinking into the battlefield to traverse it in their new shadow form. A version of the technique that had yet to be mastered would be difficult to maintain, however, especially since Valiant was vulnerable to ghost type moves. To Ash''s knowledge, any usage of the move would not hurt the young Ralts, but it would be that much harder to actually get the hang of it. Ghost type Pokemon that were capable of learning the move could use it like second nature. Ash suspected that dark type Pokemon could use it with similar ease, although he wasn''t sure what other species of Pokemon were capable of learning the move. At the moment, Valiant had gotten started on the technique but still needed work properly maintaining it. Proper utilization of the move would be perfect for traversing the battlefield more safely, and catching their opponents off guard with surprise attacks. Definitely a move that Ash wanted Valiant to hopefully improve over the week, and the Ralts agreed. Ash couldn''t help but wonder what sorts of tricks that they could pull of with the move. Shadow Sneak opened up a whole new world of versatility.

    Then there was Light Screen. A golden barrier that a Pokemon could cast to shield them, typically from ranged attacks such as Flamethrower. Despite being an advanced move, Valiant had a basic understanding of it. However, the barrier that he created was still feeble, and would break easily.

    Reflect was a very similar move to Light Screen, and despite not knowing it for as long, Valiant was almost as good at using it, likely due to his prior knowledge of Light Screen. Reflect needed a tiny bit more work, as the barrier occasionally flickered, leaving itself transparent for brief instances at a time, which would leave Valiant wide open.

    With the Ralts evaluated, Ash made his way over to where Pikachu and Nebula were.

    /

    Training went smoothly today. After Ash and Valiant made it back to Pikachu and Nebula, Ash had ordered the two friends to switch gears, having Pikachu get to work on Brick Break while asking Nebula to try to learn how to control her Whirlwind. Pikachu hadn''t needed much coaching for this since he already had the basics of Brick Break down, so Ash stayed with Nebula, leaving his Starter to begin punching the rocks while Valiant was off practicing with Magical Leaf.

    Nebula was good at kicking up winds with her consecutive wing flaps, but condensing that wind and controlling it was much more difficult to pull off, as it required careful manipulation of the winds that Nebula was creating. It would probably take almost the whole week to get it down completely, especially since it wasn''t the only thing that Ash and Nebula were going to be working on. Thankfully, Steel Wing was coming along pretty good, as Nebula had demonstrated when she nearly carved a jutting rock in two.

    Pikachu still had a ways to go when it came to traversing the rocky terrain, but Ash wasn''t expecting him to become a master of it on the first day alone. Thankfully, the mouse had made a habit of catching himself with iron Tail whenever he tripped or fell. Ash eventually came to the realization that this doubled as training for Iron Tail, a Move that Pikachu had almost mastered completely by now. The young Trainer had chuckled at the notion that Pikachu was conveniently multitasking without even realizing it.

    Brick Break still needed some work, however, and Ash often found himself applying potion to Pikachu periodically due to the rocks that he was punching causing damage to his fist. Once, however, he chose to make a quick trip to the Pokemon Center to heal Pikachu up. He was beginning to think that he should have invested just a little bit more money into healing items after all, but the training grounds were still located in a pretty convenient spot due to the Center being nearby. Not to mention, when training finally ended, they would have less of a walk ahead of them, which would be great, given how tired that they would inevitably be.

    Constant usage of Magical Leaf had allowed Valiant to increase the Moves range. Ash was pretty satisfied with how surprisingly fast that the young Ralts was able to get a hold of the Move: it meant extra time to practice Teleport, Shadow Sneak, Light Screen, and Reflect.

    Doing additional research on Brick Break had revealed to Ash that the Move could actually counter moves like Light Screen and Reflect once it was mastered, and Ash left a mental note to have Pikachu and Valiant spar towards the end of the week.

    For now, however, everyone was exhausted and hungry.

    But before eating anything, Ash had to call his mother.

    "Ash! It''s so great to hear from you!" His mother''s good mood radiated from the screen as Pikachu peaked in curiously. "It''s been a week now! How are you? What have you caught? Are you changing your underwear every-"

    Ash raised his hand to cut her off as he flinched at the avalanche of questions, but his smile didn''t go away. "Whoa, mom, hold on a second, one at a time please!"

    Taking a deep breath, Delia let out a giggle. "Sorry about that. Where are you right now? I''m assuming you''re in Pewter City?"

    Ash nodded as Nebula peaked into view, her cheek squeezing in next to Pikachu''s in hopes of getting a better look at whoever Ash was talking to. "Yeah, we got here just last night. I tried to call you this morning, but you didn''t pick up. I figured you were at professor Oak''s, so I didn''t want to call him and interrupt your workˇ­"

    Delia waved it off playfully. "I''m sure he would have been okay with it, sweety." Ash blushed. Why was she calling him that in front of his team?! ''But more importantly, who is your new friend?" she eyed the Starly with a friendly gaze.

    Ash smiled and patted Nebula''s head. She didn''t seem bothered by the physical contact. "This is Nebula. She was our first new teammate. Oh, and thisˇ­" he kneeled down and picked up Valiant, holding the Ralts in front of the screen. "Is Valiant. We got them both in Viridian Forest. And they''re strong, too." he looked between them. "Nebula, Valiant, this is my mother, Delia Ketchum."

    Nebula raised a wing and offered a friendly chirp, which Delia returned in amusement. Valiant was more silent, although offered a genuine smile as he raised a hand and waved at the woman.

    "My, aren''t they cute!" she gushed happily. "So, how long are you going to be in Pewter?"

    "At least a week." Ash responded while scratching his cheek subconsciously. "We''re not ready for the Gym yet, so we''re going to be training here for a while." He placed his hands on Pikachu and Nebula as they lightly bickered over who was taking up too much space on the counter. They stopped and sent each other quick apologetic looks before returning their gaze to the screen. "We''ll probably leave shortly after that. Do you want me to call you every night like this?"

    Delia''s eyes blazed with joy, and for a moment Ash could have sworn he saw her pupils being replaced with the kind of stars you see in the night sky. "YES! Please, call me whenever you like! The more I can hear your voice and see your face, the better!"

    Ash felt exactly the same way about her.

    /

    After an uneventful dinner, the group made their way to bed. Nurse Joy had looked over all of the Pokemon prior to dinnertime, especially Pikachu, who''s training had easily been the most physically taxing and demanding.

    The next morning, Ash and his team headed back to the training grounds after breakfast. Passing by other students in the cafeteria, Ash had overheard a lot of them talking about their attempts at challenging the Gym.

    "I actually took out one of his Pokemon this time. But he creamed me soon after that. It was pretty rough."

    "ARGH! Why do these Gyms have to be so tough? I thought they were exaggerating!"

    "I have two grass type Pokemon and I still couldn''t beat him!"

    Ash had grimaced at the comments. He knew that Gym Leaders were no joke, but to actually hear first-hand accounts from other challengers, even if he was only catching small amounts of them while passing by, certainly put things into perspective.

    As he and his Pokemon lined up at the training grounds, Ash could see clear as day that the comments had made his team feel somewhat apprehensive. He couldn''t blame them. He was sweating quite a bit himself right now.

    He had always known what he was getting into when he became a trainer, but between the brutal trek through Viridian Forest and now these types of comments from other trainers, it really was starting to sink in how harsh this would be.

    It brought him back to what Gary had said to him on Opening Day. About how very few trainers would actually make it and receive even slight recognition.

    How many of those trainers in the Pokemon Center right now were among those that were doomed to obscurity? How likely was it that he himself was one of them too? He was encouraging his team, planning training regiments that would directly prepare them for the upcoming battleˇ­ but what if that was all for nothing? He doubted he was the only trainer who was doing this. Surely plenty of other people had thought of the same ideas he didˇ­

    He shook his head violently in a desperate attempt to get those thoughts out of his mind. Now was not the time for this. His team had voluntarily committed to the training exercises that he gave them. He owed it to them to help them see things through.

    He couldn''t help but wonder what the other trainers were doing to prepare. Many rookies just rushed into Gym battles and rarely ever succeeded by doing so. But Ash was certain that plenty of others trained just like he and his team were. According to Nurse Joy, Janine was preparing by Mt. moon, and he assumed that Gary had also gone off somewhere else to do his training, given that Ash hadn''t seen him yet (Then again, given how big the city was, Gary could still be somewhere in Pewter), so were the other trainers prepping this seriously too? Were they doing something that he might not have thought of?

    Ash didn''t know for sure. He considered approaching one of the other rookies to ask them, but then his reluctance to attempt a conversation came creeping back up.

    Letting out a deep sigh, he chose to push those thoughts away now. He''d keep going about things the way that he was for now. Worst case scenario, he and his team lost, in which case they would just spend another week training and try again.

    /

    "Alright you two, try Double Team now."

    Pikachu and Nebula stood in front of him while Valiant practiced Shadow Sneak off in the background where Ash could see him.

    Pikachu still had some work to do in the mobility department, as his attempts to cross the terrain were still less than perfect. He had, however, gotten better at maintaining Quick Attack for as long as possible. Not only would this be a major boon for his speed, but for his endurance as well, as he continued to get used to keeping his high speed movement sup as long as possible.

    The endurance factor wasn''t even something that Ash had thought of at first, but in hindsight, training Pikachu to maintain Quick Attack for as long as possible will have been very beneficial for more than one reason.

    But he decided that Pikachu could use a minor break from the physically taxing training, and since Nebula was also going to be learning the move, Ash determined that it would be best to have the two new friends do so side by side.

    Plus, Ash secretly hoped that the presence of each of them would motivate the other. The budding bond between the mouse and the bird had pleased him quite a bit. Just about any Pokemon Expert; Master, Breeder, Coordinator, or Researcher alike, would often cite the collective relationships among each team member as one of the core fundamentals of their individual growth. The psychology behind all of it was fairly predictable too; as each team member would obviously work better with those that they got along with. And many trainers, especially experts, would inevitably have joint training sessions where two or more Pokemon learned the same move, or a similar move, or helped each other learn moves.

    Over the course of their travels through Viridian Forest, Pikachu and Nebula had developed a very obvious connection with one another, even through something as simple and seemingly inconsequential as sitting next to each other every meal time. Although they both got along with Valiant too (particularly Pikachu), it was pretty clear that they were both each other''s closest teammate. Ash even wagered the assumption that they were even closer to each other than they were to him; he still wasn''t entirely sure if they actually saw him as a friend yet, or if they simply viewed him as their Trainer. But they very clearly both viewed each other as friends. On the last night that they had camped out at Viridian Forest, Ash had even spotted the two sleeping closer to each other than usual, with one of Nebula''s wings wrapped over Pikachu as if to keep him warm. Ash wasn''t even sure if Pikachu needed that because of his fur, but it had certainly made him happy to see it.

    Even now, the two new friends were sending each other encouraging glances as they prepared to practice the new move that Ash was trying to teach them.

    Seeing how easily the two of them became friends made Ash think back to his own social life, and how ostracized he was from kids his age at Pallet Town. Trucy had certainly made up for it, but Ash couldn''t help but realize just how much better his Pokemon were at socializing than himself.

    Ash wanted to have what they seemed to have, but didn''t have the courage to actually try.

    But now wasn''t the time to be thinking about any of that. They had a move to learn and a Gym badge to win.

    Double Team was a move that involved the user splitting themselves into multiple copies in order to confuse their opponent. The copies had very low durability and usually went down in a single hit, but the main point of the technique was to keep the user safe by tricking the opponent into attacking the copies instead Very skilled users of Double Team could make the copies borderline indistinguishable from the user themselves, and could even make the copies move along with them, rather than remaining stationary. This could make battles particularly chaotic.

    It was tough to master the move, however. Creating one, single copy was easy enough. And Ash was confident that they had enough time for Pikachu and Nebula to get their single copies to move along with them in the middle of a battle, as it would require practice, but hopefully shouldn''t take too long to get down. But to create a large amount of copies took a lot of practice, focus, and training of the Pokemon''s mental stamina, which was especially true if the user wanted to be able to get all of the copies to move around at once.

    But for now, just one, single, moving copy would do. As long as Pikachu and Nebula learned to make their copies near identical to themselves, they would hopefully be able to confuse the Gym Leader''s Pokemon.

    After some research into the matter, Ash had discovered that Valiant was capable of learning the move too. However, the young Ralts already had more than enough on his plate, so Ash would be saving that for another time.

    Plus, Valiant was already quite versatile with the moves that he was learning. Pikachu and Nebula needed more moves to increase their versatility, particularly Nebula. At the moment, both of their fighting styles usually revolved around pure speed and offense. A move like Double Team would add some much-needed variety into the mix for both of them.

    After reading a brief article to them detailing the nature of the Move and how to use it, as well as showing them a clip of a few of Bruno''s Pokemon utilizing the move for good measure, Ash had the two new friends get to work.

    Pikachu''s fur was raised as he clenched his slightly raised paws into fists, gritting his teeth as his body began to vibrate quite mildly. The mouse was in a state of deep concentration, but was clearly struggling. Beside him, Nebula was keeping her composure better, but was also lightly growling in frustration.

    After a few failed attempts, Nebula''s body flashed as she split into two Starly. Pikachu leaped back with a startled yelp as his friend created a shimmering copy of herself. The copy wasn''t moving, and it was clearly obvious from the shimmering that it was just a copy of Nebula and not actually Nebula herself, but it was most certainly a start.

    Grinning ear to ear, Ash patted the Starly on the head as the clone fizzled out, nebula canceling out the technique. "Great work, Nebula!"

    Raising her wing high in the air, Nebula chirped happily, and, to Ash''s pleasant surprise, leaned into her trainer''s touch.

    As Ash lifted his hand, Nebula turned to Pikachu, who was looking at her with a mixed expression on his face. The electric type starter was happy that his new friend had succeeded, but still saddened that he couldn''t get the move down himself.

    Making her way over to Pikachu as Ash watched, Nebula placed a wing on her rodent friend''s back and began chirping out what Ash assumed to be instructions to the young electric type. After a few moments, Pikachu''s ears perked up and wiggled as he placed a paw on Nebula''s back and let out a cheerful noise with a smile.

    As the two Pokemon parted, Pikachu went back to practicing the Move.

    In just a couple more tries, a clone appeared.

    /

    After Pikachu and Nebula had gotten started on Double Team, Ash made his way over to Valiant.

    The two Pokemon, with a little bit more practice, had both succeeded in making their respective copies appear more convincing. Although they were both still only capable of producing one each, and would probably need more practice before they could make their copies move, or maintain them longer, it was still clearly a great start. Ash wasn''t able to tell the difference between the real Pokemon and the copies himself without looking very closely, and in the heat of battle, it was very difficult, albeit not impossible, for a Pokemon to be able to give that kind of an examination.

    With Pikachu back to running laps and Nebula back to working on her own mobility in the air, Ash had checked on Valiant''s progress.

    A bit earlier in the day, Valiant had tested Hypnosis on Pikachu. Although it was effective, Valiant had to strain himself to combat the mouse''s resistance, and was left mentally exhausted by the time Pikachu himself was tired out by the technique.

    Now, Valiant was back to shooting Psybeams around at the rocks. He was getting better a the move. It went farther now, and was shattering some of the rocks that it hit. But Ash wanted to switch gears for a bit.

    "Hey!" he called out to the Ralts, who stopped what he was doing to pay attention to Ash.

    "You''re getting a lot better with Psybeam." Ash pointed out, kneeling down to pat the young Ralts in the head, which Valiant seemed to enjoy. "But I would like for you to start going back to Magical Leaf for a little bit. Made any progress yet?" There was no impatience in his voice, just curiosity.

    Valiant walked a few feet away from Ash and raised his hands. Almost immediately, they began to glow a bright, vibrant green as Ash continued to observe.

    The Ralts pushed his hands outward as bright, light green leaves escaped from his hands. The leaves twirled through the air as they collided with the rocks, creating a miniature explosion that decimated most of the rocks that the leaves had hit.

    Ash grinned again. "Perfect! You seem to have gained some distance, too." he knelt down to look at the Ralts. "They''re coming out pretty fast too. I think you''ve almost got the Move down, so that should be a big help at the Gym battle." Valiant grinned and let out a joyful sound as Ash continued. "Now then, can you show me where you are with Teleport, next?"

    /

    The second day of training would be wrapping up soon. Although they still ha daylight, Ash could see some orange beginning to appear in the sky.

    Nebula was back to working on the modified version of Whirlwind. Her Steel Wing was still making progress, and Ash could already see her air maneuverability greatly improving. Sharper turns, faster flight speed, and even the occasional loop. Ash had suggested that she try to maintain Quick Attack in the air, like how Pikachu was trying to while running. And so far, she seemed to be getting the hang of it.

    At this rate, they would be able to work on Aerial Ace once her maneuverability was down. Aerial Ace was very easy to lose control of if the Pokemon using it wasn''t great with mobility, resulting in the user often clashing. You didn''t have to be a flying type Pokemon to know how to use Aerial Ace, but flying type Pokemon still most certainly had a very clear advantage in that department.

    Ash was happy with the Starly''s improvement, but there was another factor that he had recently thought of that he wished he had thought of before.

    Looking over to Pikachu, Ash saw that his starter was trying something different: Climbing to the top of the boulders as fast as possible and then trying to hit them with iron Tail while still maintaining his momentum.

    It was most certainly a great idea, and the creativity greatly pleased Ash, but he would need the mouse''s help for this one, so when Ash called Nebula down to him, he called Pikachu over as well.

    Nebula landed beside Pikachu as the mouse slowed his running to a walk as he approached Ash closer. The two friends looked up at their trainer expectantly, obviously aware that he had another drill for them.

    "Nebula, I have another idea for you." Ash crouched down to be at eye level with his first two teammate''s. "And Pikachu''s gonna help."

    Pikachu tilted his head curiously as Nebula chirped in understanding, a slight nod of her head being made.

    Ash nodded back. "Good. I think this should help with your upper body strength. Not to mention, it might be good for extra flight practice too." at the Starly''s curious look, Ash explained. "Do you remember when Pikachu tried to ride you back in the forest?"

    An embarrassed pikachu bashfully rubbed the back of his head with a light blush slowly appearing on his face, while Nebula''s own cheeks reddened while the Starly huffed in annoyance.

    Giggling at their reaction, Ash explained himself. "I was thinking, if you try to carry Pikachu on your back while in the air, it might be good exercise for your strength, and flight control too on top of all of that. Plus, it can help you practice maintaining your balance in the air."

    Truth be told, Ash never would have gotten this idea if it hadn''t been for Pikachu''s previous antics. He couldn''t help but wonder if such ideas always came so randomly, or if this was just a lucky exception.

    Either way, Nebula looked a bit hesitant about the idea, which didn''t surprise Ash too much, while Pikachu seemed to be a bit mixed.

    "I know it won''t be very easy, but it''s worth a shot. Once you Evolve, it''ll probably be a lot easier for you Nebula, but for now, I think it would be good training."

    After a few moments of consideration, a slightly reluctant Nebula nodded in understanding. Seeing his friend going along with the plan, Pikachu nodded too.

    "Good! And Pikachu, if you do fall, make sure to use Iron Tail to land. You''ve been using that as a fail safe whenever you trip or fall over while practicing at the rocks, and I personally think that it''s a great idea."

    Pikachu nodded as he got behind Nebula. Crouching down, the Starly spread her wings and braced herself. Looking behind her, she chirped out a few instructions towards Pikachu as he approached her carefully.

    Straightening himself up, Ash watched carefully as Pikachu placed his paws on Nebula and tried to climb onto her back. The Starly felt his weight on top of her back almost immediately, and was forced to kneel down as she briefly struggled to hold the mouse''s extra weight. After a few moments, she managed to straighten herself up, and began flapping her wings to ascend into the air.

    It was a slow process. At first Nebula was barely able to get a few feet off the ground, Pikachu;s weight slowly pushing her back downward. She continued to resist by flapping her wings more, raising herself slightly higher into the air as she combatted the added weight and pressure. Pikachu did his best to hold on tight, trying his best to readjust on occasion to keep his position on her back even, attempting to prevent her from tilting over to the side too much due to his weight.

    After a few moments of rising into the air at such a painfully slow rate, Nebula suddenly began to flap her wings even harder, boosting herself upwards with a quick Whirlwind that propelled her higher and higher into the sky. After a few repeats of this, she was gliding through the air with Pikachu on her back, constantly swaying side to side slightly due to the added wait, but still maintaining her balance nonetheless.

    She wasn''t as high as she normally was-she didn''t want to push it-but she was still decently high in the air, as Ash watched her soar around through the air at a high that surpassed a good deal of the nearby buildings in the city.

    Pikachu nervously held onto his friend''s feathers, clinging to her tightly with his paws as he looked down at the rocky landscape below. He could see Valiant from here, the young Ralts surrounding himself in a golden, cube shaped barrier as he practiced Light Screen. He could vaguely hear Ash calling out instructions and words of encouragement to the young Ralts as the newest member of their team continued to practice.

    He let out a joyful squeak as Nebula increased her speed ever so slightly, evening herself out a bit more as she slowly but surely got used to the mouse''s added weight. As the flight progressively grew less turbulent, Pikachu eased himself up just a bit, maintaining his tight grip on her feathers but no longer nervous. His breath occasionally caught in the air as he suddenly remembered just how high up that they were, but he trusted in his friend.

    Nebula could feel the mouse''s fur pressing against her as Pikachu continued to cling to her. The warmth of the fur completely covered her back as Pikachu continued hugging against her. It was a comfortable feeling, but she couldn''t fully enjoy it and lose herself in the warmth, lest she break concentration while trying to maintain a steady flight.

    Periodically, she increased her speed bit by bit, testing the waters to see if they were ready. Tilting her head slightly back towards the mouse, carefully making sure to still pay attention to where she was flying, they locked eyes, his smile meeting her own.

 Cracking Rocks pt 2

    The next few days went by. The team continued honing their moves at the training grounds, the day of their upcoming Gym battle drawing closer and closer.

    Nebula had experienced miniscule improvements with her Reckless ability. She was now able to, occasionally, call on the ability at will. However, it was still far from perfect, as most of her attempts had ended in failure. Ash had tried searching up ways for her to more easily activate the ability, but based on what he had read, they already had the method itself down: it was simply pulling it off that Nebula was having so much trouble with.

    Ash wasn''t so sure if they would be able to get the hang of it before the week was over, but thankfully, everything else was going smoothly for Nebula.

    She had pretty much mastered the limited version of Double Team that they had been working on. She was able to create a single copy of herself, while also having it move along with her, giving the illusion that there were two Starly flying through the sky together when there was really only one. She could have the copy fly off in a different direction from her, perfect to keep an opponent guessing on which way to attack in order to hit the real one.

    Ash was hesitant to try and work on mastering Double Team as a whole, because he doubted that they had enough time for that. But for now, the move would hopefully be useful. In beginner level battles, even a limited version of Double Team would be quite the boon, and although Ash was certain that this Gym battle would go far beyond that of any beginner level battle, he was still confident that the move would benefit Nebula greatly. Any new additions to versatility was always a good thing.

    The young bird had essentially mastered Steel Wing. Her wings were almost pure metallic as she sliced open the rocks that she tested the move out on. It would easily be her best offensive move against the rock type Pokemon, and Ash had been sure to prioritize it during practice.

    Nebula''s mobility in the air was on a whole different level now than before. She was able to fly freely, smoothly, changing directions without difficulty, and was able to maintain Quick Attack for long periods of time. She was even able to keep her speed up when using Double Team, while also ensuring that the clone moved just as fast as she did.

    One strategy that Ash had thought of would be to have the clone move even faster. If the real Nebula slowed down a little bit, the clone could act as bait to hopefully leave the wide open for a Steel Wing if they fell for it. It might be an obvious plan that the Gym Leader would easily spot, but Ash assumed that it was worth thinking about, especially if they could somehow find a way to hide Nebula or Pikachu so that they wouldn''t be noticed using the move, therefore leaving the gym Leader completely unaware that the clone was actually a clone.

    Nebula had completed most of her training already, so Ash was having her invest most of her time into mastering the modified Whirlwind. Although she was getting better at condensing the wind, it still wasn''t the concentrated blast of wind that that Dustox''s Gust attack had been like. Although Ash had chosen to take advantage of the young bird''s fast progress by having her get a head start on Aerial Ace, he was definitely prioritizing the modified Whirlwind for now.

    The Aerial Ace move in particular was coming along pretty difficult. The first time Nebula had attempted it, she had crashed and was immediately rushed straight to the Pokemon Center. Pikachu and Valiant had dropped everything to race up and check on her after her attempt on the move, and had gone with Ash to the Pokemon Center to check her in. The second and third times weren''t as bad, as Nebula''s injuries were minor, and she had maintained the move for a lot longer than the first attempt, where she could only maintain it for a short amount of time, but she still very clearly needed to work on it. Even with the perfected maneuverability in flight, using the move was still proving to be quite difficult for her, and although she was already making progress, Ash assumed that the move wouldn''t be mastered until, at some point after the Gym Battle.

    Valiant''s training was progressing nicely too. At this point, it was just a matter of maintaining his moves for a longer period of time, or using them consecutively. That could be solved pretty easily with repeated usage and training. Magical Leaf was all but mastered, meaning the young Ralts''s offensive game was pretty much ready.

    Pikachu had essentially mastered everything, to the point where all that there was left to do was for him to continue improving on what he had already perfectly got down. The young mouse was essentially just going through the motions at this point.

    Rocks shattered from his Brick Break, with the young mouse''s fists remaining almost perfectly intact, only really experiencing pain from consecutive use.

    His Iron Tail was completely mastered, and was entirely metallic at this point. Pikachu could use the move consecutively for what felt like forever, without too much fatigue getting in the way.

    His speed had practically doubled, and his dexterity was through the roof. The mouse would spend what felt like hours dashing laps around the rocky terrain, carefully skipping from rock to rock, never slowing down as he maintained Quick Attack throughout the entire time. Keeping the move going didn;t even tire him out all that much unless he used it for an extraordinary long time in a row.

    His progress with Double Team was essentially the same as Nebula''s as the two of them had been training with the move together, helping each other out and supporting each other throughout every step of the way, just as Ash had hoped. And to pay Nebula back for helping him learn the Move, Pikachu had helped her learn how to get the clone she produced to move around along with her.

    Currently, Ash was sitting on a nearby rock with Nebula and Valiant on either side of him. The two teammates were currently snacking on some Pokemon food whale Ash ate a sandwich. As they munched on their food, they were watching Pikachu sprinting across the rocks, climbing boulders and rock piles with ease, and doing so with near perfection.

    Ash was quite proud of his starter. Just over half a week ago, traversing this rocky terrain had practically been hell for the young mouse, and Pikachu had received plenty of cuts and bruises to show for it, although they were all immediately healed. Now, however, it was almost as if the young mouse falling over was a thing of the past.

    In fact, all three members of his team had made absurd amounts of progress in just a few days alone. As scared as he was about the upcoming Gym Battle, he couldn''t have picked a better team of Pokemon to tackle the upcoming trials ahead with.

    "Oh, so this is where you''ve all been hiding!"

    Ash, Nebula, and Valiant all turned to the sound of the familiar voice to see Elacia approaching them, her hands folded behind her back with a friendly smile.

    Ash was surprised to see her, but didn''t object to her presence. Apart from Nurse Joy, who he spoke to on occasion, and his mother, who he had been perfectly sure to call every single night while here at Pewter City, he hadn''t really interacted with any humans since having dinner with Janine at the end of Opening Day. The Bug Catchers were one thing, but actual, friendly interactions was another.

    He raised a hand shyly. "Hi," he squeaked out. What else was he supposed to say? He really wasn''t very good at this. He felt soˇ­ lame with how feeble his delivery was with his attempt at greeting.

    Taking a seat a few feet from him, the red haired woman eyed the electric mouse as Pikachu continued to traverse the rocky terrain of the training grounds. "He''s looking pretty good, isn''t he?" she turned to Ash. "So, which one is your starter?"

    "He is." said Ash, pointing to his mouse companion as Pikachu sliced the top of a boulder clear off with Iron Tail. "Nebula and Valiant joined us while we were in Viridian Forest." he said, gesturing to his other two teammates. Nebula chirped a friendly greeting to the woman, while Valiant merely spared a simple wave before quickly returning his gaze to Pikachu, still in awe at the mouse''s movements.

    For some reason, a surprised look appeared on the breeder''s face at the mention of the forest. But before Ash could question her, it was gone. Maybe he was just imagining things? It didn''t seem right to assume that, but whatever shocked expression he initially thought that she had had completely vanished as quickly as it had come into view. No signs of it remained either.

    Crossing her arms, Elacia said cooly. "So, I''m assuming you''re trying to get him ready for the battlefield, right?"

    "Huh?" said Ash, still contemplating her expression that might not have ever been there in the first place. "... OH! Yeah, right!" he turned his attention back to Pikachu as the mouse continued hopping from stone to stone. His jumps, his landings, and his accuracy were all perfect at this point. "I figured that, since the Gym''s battlefield is going to be full of rocks, it would be a good idea to get him used to the uneven terrain. He can''t fly like Nebula, or Teleport or use Shadow Sneak like Valiant, so I figured that he had to get his mobility down to perfection, since he doesn''t have anything to cushion himself with like they do.

    Her hand was on her chin as she processed his words.

    "I seeˇ­" she smiled at him brightly. "I''m impressed Ash, you''ve really thought this through."

    At that he blinked. "Hm? I just thought it was obviousˇ­" he really did think that.

    She laughed haughtily at that. "You''re either underestimating yourself or overestimating the creativity of most rookie trainers." she said casually. "Most of them wouldn''t think of such a simple yet effective strategy, especially this early on. Most are just concerned with how to counter the specific typing of the Pokemon that they will be facing. Even then, a good handful of rookies just assume that type matchups alone will solve all of their problems." she looked over at him. "You seem to be different, though. You''re focusing on what the battlefield itself is going to be like for you. Not many rookies are that quick to take something so important into account. Not to mention, you seem to have picked the perfect type of training regimen to do just that. Honestly, I''d say that you have quite a bit of agency compared to most newcomers that I''ve met before. You seem to be ahead of the pack."

    Ash blinked, a surprised look on his face as he took in her words.

    Him? AHEAD?!

    "You''ve always been in last place, Ashy boy! It''s where you will always belong!" He visibly flinched as yet another memory of Gary clashed with the out of nowhere compliment.

    Elacia frowned at him. "Is something wrong?"

    Ash blinked, then started as he saw the breeder''s eyes staring at him in concern, Nebula and Valiant doing the same.

    "I-It''s nothing, honestly." he lied while trying to clear his throat.

    She was still frowning, but decided to change the subject. Turning back to Pikachu, she spoke. "Although, there is one detail that I think you might be missing."

    "Huh? What''s that?"

    Turning back to him, she said. "Your Pikachu is doing an excellent job at traversing the terrain, but you need to remember that in battle, he is going to be attacked constantly. How do you train him to get used to traveling across the rocks while avoiding enemy attacks all at the same time?"

    Ash rubbed his chin. "Iˇ­ have one of my Pokemon attack him during training."

    "Exactly. It''s a small oversight, but it can make all the difference in a battle."

    Nodding at her in understanding, Ash called out to Pikachu, who had just reached the top of a boulder by jumping along the increasingly tall rocks. "Hey, Pikachu! Come down here for a second!"

    Hearing his trainer calling out to him, the young mouse quickly made his way downward, eying Elacia as he approached his trainer. After exchanging quick waves with Nebula, he gave Ash his undivided attention.

    "You''re doing great so far, but we''re going to add in one more element to your training: Traversing the battlefield while simultaneously avoiding attacks."

    Pikachu seemed to be surprised by this, but, despite being caught off guard, he nodded at his new trainer as Ash continued.

    Turning over to Valiant, Ash spoke to the young Ralts. "Valiant, are you done eating yet?" At Valiant''s nod, Ash gave both of them a thumbs up. "Good, then start firing your Magical Leaf at Pikachu while he runs and climbs around. It should be pretty great practice for your aim, too."

    As the two Pokemon made their way back to the training grounds, Elacia released a Pokemon.

    Ash immediately recognized it as the Pokemon from her business card that she had given him a few days ago at the museum.

    A Slurpuff.

    Elacia turned to her Pokemon with a smile.

    "Alright Slurpuff, are you down to watch the kiddos train?"

    The white, red and pink Pokemon smiled and nodded, waving happily at Nebula, who awkwardly waved back, not sure what to make of it.

    The new Pokemon sat beside the Breeder, in quite a chipper mood, even more so than the Breeder herself was.

    As Valiant began firing the glowing leaves at the fleeing mouse, as Pikachu began frantically scrambling across to the rocks to avoid them, Ash suddenly turned to Elacia as a realization struck him.

    "Wait, how did you know that my Pikachu was male?"

    She grinned. "The tail gave it away. Females have heart shaped tails."

    Ash blinked. "Huh. I didn''t know about that honestly."

    You learn something new every day.

    /

    Training for that day resumed for a few more hours after. Elacia''s idea had certainly been beneficial to them. Pikachu had some difficulty at first, but by the end of it, he was dodging most of the leaves that Valiant hurled at him while the group happily cheered both Pokemon on.

    The day of the Gym Battle was fast approaching. The nerves in Ash were starting to go crazy.

    Elacia had asked if she and Slurpuff could watch them train again tomorrow, and Ash was more than happy to say yes. She would only be available in the afternoon, however, as she had business in the morning.

    Once again, Ash had taken note that somebody had come to him for social interaction rather than the other way around. Just like with Janine back at Viridian City.

    "Alright, Valiant, use Hypnosis."

    Valiant and Pikachu stood face to face in one of the few areas of the training grounds with smooth, even ground. Spectating from a few feet away were Ash, Nebula, Elacia, and Slurpuff.

    It had been a little while since the last time Ash had Valiant test Hypnosis out on Pikachu, so he wanted to give it another go.

    With only two days left of training before the Gym Battle, Ash had shifted gears by having his Pokemon only work on what they haven''t mastered yet. For Nebula, that meant the modified Whirlwind, with the occasional practice with Reckless (which still wasn''t coming along all that fast). Pikachu, having gotten a handle on everything that Ash wanted too, had more time to be a sparring partner for Valiant to test out his moves. He still got additional mobility training, since Ash had mixed in practicing Valiant''s attacks with Elacia''s suggestion of having Pikachu learn how to dodge attacks while simultaneously traversing the terrain. Tomorrow, Ash was planning on hosting a mock battle between the two teammates to see where they stood. It would probably be a quick one, though. He didn''t want to risk a full fledged battle the day before the Gym Battle, in the unlikely event that one of them suffers a serious injury that would render them out of commision and unable to recover in time. Its main purpose would be purely to see what they have learned.

    Valiant''s eyes glowed bright pink as he stared into Pikachu''s. The young mouse stood tall in an attempt to fight off the effects of the Move.

    Pikachu''s eyes grew vacant, but began shaking slightly as the mouse tried to fight off the effects. Valiant put more effort into the attack, while Pikachu put more effort into resisting.

    After what felt like forever, pikachu was hunched over, slumbering as nebula caught him in her wings, saving him from falling flat on his face into the rocks. Valiant was out of breath.

    Ash frowned. It was an improvement for sure. He actually managed to put Pikachu to sleep this time. But he still tired himself out using the technique.

    Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Ash looked up to see Elacia standing behind him.

    "I don''t think that move''s going to be ready in time." she said honestly. She wasn''t wrong, Ash knew. "Maybe try focusing on the stuff that they have a grasp on. You only have one more day."

    Ash nodded in understanding. It made sense for sure. It wasˇ­ frustrating, that they couldn''t get everything done in time, but it could not be helped.

    Still thoughˇ­ would Janine have found a way to make it work?

    Would Gary have found a way to make it work?

    /

    It was now the last day of training.

    Pikachu and Valiant were both off doing their own thing, and Ash had announced to the team in the morning that he was going to have the mouse and Ralts battle at the end of the day. Both Pokemon seemed pretty excited about that, but also equally determined. That was a good sign. Friendly competition was almost always cited as one of the most important dynamics for a team of Pokemon to have.

    While Pikachu and Valiant got in some last minute practice before their battle at the end of the day, Ash had fully committed himself to training Nebula. She was so close to mastering the modified Whirlwind. Just a little bit moreˇ­

    Nebula was working tirelessly. Just as determined as Ash was, as she had spent the best part of the week trying to get the technique down. Clearly, she wanted to see things through, and see the fruits of her labor. Thankfully, the occasional practice that she had received from carrying Pikachu around on her back had done wonders for her endurance.

    Right now, the blast of wind was mostly condensed, but not entirely. It wasn''t as focused as it could be.

    There was certainly force behind it, though. Each blast of wind that the young Starly fired would kick up a great deal of dust and pebbles. A few particularly powerful ones had even cracked a few boulders.

    Even if she ended up not mastering it today, Ash was still quite confident that it was ready for use in battle. Nevertheless, he wanted the technique to be as strong as it could possibly be for tomorrow.

    When fighting a Gym Leader, no gambles could be taken. They took their battles seriously. Challengers who wanted the badge would have to do the same.

    Although Ash would occasionally go over to check on Pikachu and Valiant, he spent most of the day with Nebula. Sadly, he found himself frustrated that he could offer the young bird little more than mere words of encouragement.

    However, over the course of the day, the final improvements needed progressively began to come to fruition.

    With just a few hours of daylight left, Ash watched in awe as a fully compressed, concentrated blast of wind completely shattered the rock that Nebula had chosen as her latest target.

    "Whoa!" his gasp was one of excitement, more than shock. "Nebula, I think you''ve got it!"

    Landing beside her new Trainer, the young Starly let out a proud chirp.

    Grinning ear to ear, Ash knelt down and faced the young bird. "A technique like that''s gotta pack a punch, don''t you think?" at her nod, he made a suggestion to her. "You know, we really should think of a name for this new move." when she tilted her head in confusion, he elaborated. "A lot of trainers come up with their own names for modified moves such as this. Since it''s so common for many Trainers to create advanced techniques through the modifications and combinations of their Pokemon''s moves, a lot of professionals come up with their own names to keep track of them. Now that we''ve got one of our own, maybe we should name it?"

    In understanding, the Starly happily nodded.

    In hindsight, Ash was grateful for the battle with the Bug Catcher Leader. Not only had it resulted in him and the team earning much needed money, but now they had a new powerful technique that they had gotten out of it. Ash had to admit that the Bug Catcher Leader was quite creative to have come up with her own version of Gust. But she had never called it by a specific name when Dustox had used it. Now that he had mimicked the technique, Ash felt that it deserved a proper name. Something simple enough to remember but still described the new technique perfectly nonetheless.

    "How does Wind Blast sound?" it wasn''t too complicated, but Ash didn''t think that it needed to be. It was a blast of wind. Straight and to the point.

    After a few seconds of consideration, Nebula nodded in approval, and Ash responded to her with a smile.

    "Alright." said Ash. "We should practice it for a little bit longer just to be sure. And then you''ll be done for today. Pretty soon Pikachu and Valiant will be having a battle, I know you don''t want to miss that, right?" He gave her a smile.

    Nebula smiled back and chirped out the affirmative.

    /

    The sun was starting to set. Ash and Elacia could see the orange filling the sky, giving a distinct glow over the training grounds.

    The final day of training was over, and they were capping it off with a quick battle between Pikachu and Valiant.

    Ash had considered including Nebula, too, but she was more tuckered out than her two teammates, having spent nearly half a day flapping her wings non stop as she mastered her new technique. It had taken most of the day to master it and make it official, and she had spent about another hour or so using it consecutively just to make sure of it. Despite the healing items, Ash figured she was more mentally exhausted than physically exhausted. She sat down on a large rock beside Ash, smiling with a satisfied look in her eyes as her two teammates faced off from opposite ends of the makeshift battlefield. Ash was very proud of her. She had earned that satisfaction.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Pikachu and Valiant were both raring to go. It had occurred to Ash that none of his teammates had ever battled each other before. Mock battles were a common practice of training among most professional trainers in both Indigo and elsewhere, and were excellent for both building relationships between teammates and just for training in general. Battle, after all, was the best way to see a Pokemon''s improvement. It would put everything that they learned into practice, like a test at school.

    But apart from the battle to capture Nebula, Ash had never done this with his team before. The closest being when Valiant had tried to test his Moves out on Pikachu.

    This would be the first mock battle of the team. And it wouldn''t even be close to being the last.

    Sitting on a separate rock, Elacia cupped her hands and called out. "Both of you do your best!" Sitting beside her, Slurpuff let out a cry of agreement.

    Getting up from his seat, Ash slowly approached the battlefield, eying the two teammates carefully.

    "Alright, this is going to be a very quick fight. Just to see what you''ve learned. Give it your all, but don''t worry about fighting to win. Finding out who is better than who isn''t the point of this exercise."

    He looked between the two combatants to see their reaction to that. Both of them seemed to understand, but were still clearly determined.

    Ash didn''t blame them, of course. After all of the training that they did, this was their chance to really show off their newfound skills. Skills that would officially be put to the test tomorrow morning in their first ever Gym battle, and, hopefully, win them their first ever Gym badge.

    Ash had chosen to have the mock battle on the training grounds rather than the traditional battlefield of the Pokemon Center. This way, they could test themselves out on a battlefield that was conceptually similar to that of the Gym that they were about to be fighting in. Elacia had expressed agreement in this strategy.

    Although Ash found it undeniably convenient that every Pokemon Center offered a convenient battlefield, he felt that this was the best way to go about it for this particular circumstance.

    Backing away slightly, but remaining standing, Ash raised a hand at the two combatants. "Alright, then, begin!"

    Pikachu wasted no time. The moment that Ash had said the word, his cheeks were already sparking, the electric mouse getting to work as he fired a powerful Thunder Shock at Valiant.

    Valiant''s eyes glowed a bright gold as a golden cube materialized around him. Boxed in, the young Ralts felt his hair raise up slightly from the impact as the lightning bolt smashed into the golden cube. The shimmering of the Light Screen intensified due to the pressure, but Valiant remained unharmed.

    But Pikachu was already acting again. Faster than Ash could keep track of, the young mouse was already closing in with Quick Attack. Much faster than he had ever been against the Bug Catcher Leader''s Dustox, Pikachu was upon Valiant in instants, his raised fist already glowing as it channeled the energy of Brick Break.

    The Light Screen was shattered in an instant, Valiant gripped his head as the wind pressure pushed against him from the sheer intensity of the blow, but he remained firmly standing in place.

    But now Pikachu''s tail was raised, in all its metallic glory, as Pikachu thrust downward with a fully powered Iron Tail, ready to hit his mark on the now wide open Ralts.

    Ash winced at that. Due to a combination of the young Ralts''s natural vulnerability to steel type moves, along with his newest companion currently having very low defensive capabilities without the help from his barriers, Ash was certain that a fully powered Iron Tail from Pikachu would greatly hurt Valiant, maybe even knock him out in a single hit if Pikachu struck him hard enough on the head.

    His worrying was all for naught, though, as Valiant suddenly flashed white and disappeared an instant after the flash had started.

    The Iron Tail struck the ground where Valiant had just been standing a single instant earlier, causing rocks to fly. Teleport had done its work.

    At the same time, Valiant reappeared on a different side of the battlefield, eyes flashing a rainbow color as Psybeam was let loose. The narrow, rainbow colored beam was easily avoided by Pikachu, who broke into a run with Quick Attack and began circling around Valiant at high speeds.

    The Ralts responded by firing off Magical Leaf at the speedy mouse a few times, but none of them connected. Despite Valiant''s competent aim, Pikachu was more than used to dodging his attacks now, and was moving faster than ever before.

    Continuing to run in a circle, the mouse began varying his movements, trying to confuse Valiant to create an opening. Every now and then he would suddenly bolt off in a new direction before springing right back, trying to get Valiant to lower his guard in bewilderment.

    This went on for about a couple more minutes or so, with Valiant doing his absolute best to follow the speedy mouse as Pikachu led him astray.

    Looking behind him, Ash could see Nebula entranced by the action, doing her best to keep track of Pikachu as well.

    As the mouse''s movements became more and more sporadic, Valiant closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting out a big, satisfying exhale as he opened his eyes to reevaluate Pikachu, the mouse still running, but now very clearly preparing to strike.

    And then, suddenly, a Psybeam hit Pikachu in the side of his ribs.

    Ash was stunned.

    That wasn''t like the Magical Leaf attempts. Valiant had aimed at that very specific spot and firedˇ­ before Pikachu had even been there. Although it was nearly impossible to keep track of Pikachu for Ash, due to how fast that the mouse was moving, Ash knew for a fact that he had not spotted the yellow blur at that one, particular spot, until after Valiant had fired.

    Had Valiantˇ­ actually predicted where Pikachu would be? This seemed less like Telepathy, and more like Valiant had... actually detected a pattern.

    Letting out a pained cry, the mouse went flying a few feet away, his body almost landed on a rock, which would have left his body bouncing painfully across the rocky terrain, but to Ash''s delight, the young mouse regained his composure just in the nick of time; using a well placed Iron Tail to steady himself and break his landing, just as he had always done whenever he tripped and fell while running on the rocks.

    Immediately flipping himself back onto all fours, Pikachu bolted forward with Quick Attack, preparing himself to ram head first into Valiant.

    But the young Ralts was already shimmering in bright white light, teleporting himself to the other side of the battlefield. Pikachu skidded to a stop, turning around as he did so, his back lightly tapping against a large rock as he came to a halt.

    As he did so, he saw Valiant sinking into the ground. A dark blackish purple substance had appeared underneath Valiant, as the young Ralts sank into it, his body going directly downwards.

    This was Shadow Sneak.

    Ash noticed that Valiant hadn''t used Shadow Sneak until after he was really far away. Likely because he hadn''t fully gotten the hang of it yet. He could use Teleport faster.

    As Valiant''s shadow moved around Pikachu in circles, the young mouse''s eyes darting around in a panic as he tried to figure out where his opponent would go, it occurred to Ash that Shadow Sneak and Teleport both had very clear advantages of one another.

    Shadow Sneak wasn''t instantaneous. Valiant could choose whenever he would pop back up again, theoretically, as long as he could still maintain the Move. Meanwhile, Teleport actually was instantaneous, and could get the user to wherever they wanted to go right away, rather than having to move there in a shadow, as long as they were skilled enough with the technique to teleport themselves as far away as they wanted to be. Both Moves could be used in very similar ways, but still both of them had very different strengths to play off of.

    Unlike Valiant, Pikachu was unable to predict his opponent''s movements, and was abruptly pelted in the back by a Magical Leaf that he was not ready for immediately after Valiant rose up a few feet behind him in a sudden ambush.

    Crying out while rolling across the terrain, the young mouse righted himself again, slamming an Iron Tail onto the ground in order to catch himself before turning back towards Valiant and propping himself back up on all fours. The young mouse was still absolutely raring to go, but Ash took notes of the bruises and cuts on his Starter as Pikachu prepared for his next attack.

    Rushing forward with the blazing speed of Quick Attack, Pikachu''s fully powered Iron Tail was met with a glowing, shimmering, silver cube that surrounded Valiant and protectively boxed him in. The Reflect was instantaneously shattered on impact, however, the full force of the mighty blow far too much for it. Although Valiant had gotten very good at using both Light Screen and Reflect, he still had yet to completely master either one of them in their full capacity, and, in comparison, Pikachu''s already incredibly powered Iron Tail was provided with further force by the full scale momentum provided to the young mouse by Quick Attack,

    Valiant was not hit by the Iron Tail, but his protective Move could not shield him from the impact; the shockwaves of the immense wind pressure from the mouse''s blow pushing him backwards and causing him to let out a loud wince of pain. Teetering backwards, he almost fell right flat on his back before finally managing to regain his composure at the last second.

    No doubt, if that attack had actually landed and scored a direct hit on Valiant, Pikachu would have ended the fight right there.

    Nevertheless, Ash had seen enough.

    "Stand down!" he shouted as he ran through the battlefield, being careful not to trip over the rocks as he waved his arms upward. He stopped about halfway between his two companions as his arms fell down to his sides. "I''ve seen enough; we should probably call this off before either of you get too hurt."

    The two companions seemed mildly dejected by that; clearly, they had both started to get quite into the fight. But nevertheless, they complied and eased themselves up.

    Looking over to Valiant, Ash saw that the young Ralts was beginning to breathe heavily. Multiple uses of Teleport, continuously firing off attacks, maintaining Shadow Sneak for a decent amount of time, and usage of Light Screen and Reflect had clearly taken its toll on him. The impact from Pikachu shattering his last defensive attempt most likely did not help matters either. But the young Ralts barely had a scratch on him, just a minor bruise to the head from the impact of Pikachu''s final attack breaking through his cube-shaped barrier.

    Looking over to Pikachu, Ash''s Starter exhibited no signs of fatigue. Although he and Valiant were both used to consecutive uses of their Moves, the young mouse seemed to have better stamina than Valiant overall. The constant running that he had been doing throughout training over the course of this week most likely being to thank for that. However, he was very clearly more bruised up than Valiant.

    It had made Ash fairly curious about who would have won if he had allowed the battle to continue to its conclusion, but it was like what he had told them before: This wasn''t about winning. This was about two teammates testing each other. And Pikachu and Valiant had both equally succeeded in that regard.

    Pikachu''s speed and power were the young mouse''s greatest asset. His Quick Attack turned him into a yellow blur, near untraceable to Ash''s eyes. His now mastered Brick Break and Iron Tail had enough force behind them to leave Valiant with very little choice but to go on the defensive. Brick Break, now mastered, could break through the young Ralts''s Light Screen and Reflect with ease, and Iron Tail, purely because of its sheer power alone, could also do the same especially when both Moves were paired with Quick Attack.

    Valiant, on the other hand, throughout the battle had managed to keep up with Pikachu by utilizing his versatility, and had even displayed a surprising amount of intelligence, outsmarting Pikachu a couple of times in the short span of the battle. The young Ralts had displayed a great amount of wits against the physically superior mouse.

    As Nebula flapped her way over to her friends, perching herself between them as Valiant and Pikachu themselves made their way over to each other, Ash saw Elacia and Slurpuff approaching him from the corner of his eye. Turning away from his team as an excited Nebula chattered happily with her teammates, both of whom had been exhilarated by the short lived but notable adrenaline rush from the battle, Ash was greeted with an impressed smile from the red haired Breeder.

    "You''ve got quite a spirited team," she said simply, gesturing her head over to the trio of Pokemon as they seemingly discussed the previous battle that had just occurred. "I''d say there''s a Gym Badge in your not so distant future."

    There it was again, with the compliments.

    Ash''s face reddened at her kind gaze as he suddenly took in how pretty this woman was, and was quick to break eye contact as her eyes lit up in amusement (and was that a flattered expression?) at his blush. Rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, the Trainer responded.

    "Iˇ­ don''t want to get too far ahead of myself just yet." he said honestly. "A Gym Leader is a Gym Leader, soˇ­" he trailed off nervously. Although seeing how far his team had come had most certainly quelled his nerves quite a bit, any attempts that he made at thinking forward to the battle ahead had immediately reminded him why he was so nervous in the first place.

    The red haired woman frowned, her arms crossed as her neat ponytail lightly flowed in the early evening wind. "You keep doubting yourself, kid. You really don''t even realize how far ahead of the game you are, do you?" her lips tugged upwards. "I''ll betcha most rookie trainers would kill to be in your position right now. You know the last time I saw a beginner level Pokemon move that fast? And that Ralts of yours is really smart, too. Did you know he could think like that?"

    Ash was silent for a moment. "Honestlyˇ­ no. I just caught him not too long before coming here. I''ve never even seen him battle until just now."

    Her frown was back. "You caught him at Viridian Forestˇ­"

    "Wellˇ­ more like, asked him to join me and he said yes, butˇ­ yeah." he looked back up at her. "I know it sounds weird. Ralts are normally found in urban areas. I don''t know why this oneˇ­"

    He stopped as he saw her expression. She seemed to be deep in thought.

    Ash was getting nervous now. "Something wrong, Elacia?"

    Her eyes widened, as if abruptly realizing that he was still there. "Oh, sorry! Nothing''s wrong!" she said reassuringly. If Ash had better social skills, he would have realized that she had said that a tad bit too franticallyˇ­

    Turning to the trio of Pokemon, happily conversing with one another, she smiled as Ash was greeted with the full view of her ponytail swaying in the breeze. "He really does seem committed to you, though. They all do."

    Ash''s blush was back. Why did he always have to get so flustered at simple compliments? Was he really that inexperienced with simple praise?

    He didn''t know why he even bothered asking that to himself. He already knew the answer.

    It did raise the question, though. Why exactly was Valiant so dedicated to him all of a sudden? The young Ralts had been a nervous wreck in Viridian Forest, but the moment they had stepped out, it was like he had become a completely different Pokemon. The young Trainer had found it almost impossible to not notice given just how sudden that it had seemingly been. And he had almost immediately been all aboard Ash''s plans to challenge the Pewter City Gym, with very little need for convincing.

    Something didn''t add up. That was what Ash wanted to say. Maybe Valiant just liked him a lot?

    Nebula seemed like the main reason why she was so keen to stay on the team was so she could hang out with Pikachu. The bond between the two companions had certainly grown quite strong in such a short amount of time.

    So thenˇ­ What exactly was Valiant''s motive?

    Elacia''s voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Anyway, the point is, cheer up. You''re a great trainer, Ash. I see a future star in you, but only if you start believing that yourself, too." she leaned forward a bit, causing him to back up as his face slightly reddened. She wasn''t too close or anything, but her movements were sudden. Unpredictable. "At the point you''re at now, you''re definitely going to go far, but that''s only possible if you realize how far you''ve come in just two weeks as a trainer, and capitalize on that momentum. I may not be a trainer myself anymore, but trust me, this pretty thing knows a thing or two."

    Ash gulped a bit. Yet another adult who was expecting a lot from him. "Ummˇ­ okay. Thanks, miss."

    "Hey, what''s with the formal attitude all of a sudden?!" she sounded hostile.

    Ash waved his hands around defensively. "S-sorry! I mean-"

    Laughter filled his ears as she was suddenly behind him, and lightly slapped him on the back. Not expecting the contact, he stumbled forward a bit, before recomposing himself.

    "You''re too easy to mess with." she grinned cheekily. "I''d work on that if I were you." as she walked away, she turned back to him suddenly, as Slurpuff joined her side. "Make sure you stop by tomorrow to give me the good news after you win. I''ll be busy in the morning but I''m always free in the afternoon. My Pewter address is on the card I gave you, along with my Celadon address, since it''s my main one." she waved as she and Slurpuff walked off.

    Waving back, Ash could feel a great sense of bewilderment overcoming him.

    Over the course of just a few days, he had somehow befriended one of Indigo''s most famous Breeders. He wasn''t even sure how it happened. It justˇ­ did.

    He was grateful to her for her words of encouragement, though, even if the added pressure of yet another adult expecting success from him just made him feel nervous all over again.

    Turning back to his team, Ash''s nervous composure was suddenly replaced with a happy, fond smile as the trio approached him.

    Their eyes were filled with determination. Reminding him of just how determined that he was. Even if he couldn''t shake this feeling of fear, of anxiousness, towards the upcoming trials ahead, he would always be determined.

    If he could prove himself, then the pressure would finally go away, right? And he could prove Gary wrongˇ­ it felt like a petty motive, but Ash couldn''t let the other boy be right. He absolutely was going to become a great Trainer. He couldn''t let Gary discourage him. He couldn''t let this fear discourage him. He would make it as a Trainer. But most of all, as he gazed at his team, who, for different reasons each, and not just because he had caught them, or acquired them, had all put their trust in him, of all people in the world, as their Trainer, who had all seemingly grown more committed to it as the training progressed, and they immersed themselves into the task at hand, Ash had another motive still. As he looked at the trio that had trained so hard for him, one motive in particular was at the forefront of his mind.

    He wouldn''t let them down.

    /

    "It is so good to see you Ash!" Professor Oak beamed at him from the screen, Clefable happily standing alongside him.

    A powerful mixture of exhaustion and excitement had overtaken them as they made their way back to the Pokemon Center.

    Ash and his team had been ready to get settled in for the night as soon as possible, in deep anticipation for tomorrow morning.

    However, the young trainer had been surprised when Nurse Joy, after taking in his team for quick, last minute check ups, had revealed to him that Professor Oak had called earlier that day, asking to talk to him.

    He and the Professor hadn''t spoken since he had left Pallet Town on Opening Day. Perhaps he had just wanted to check on him.

    Of course, Ash was more than happy to speak to the Professor, and had called him back immediately as Nurse Joy looked over his team.

    The Professor''s grin was contagious as he appeared on the screen and greeted Ash in full spirits with Clefable by his side as usual.

    "Same, Professor!" Ash was starting to feel giddy. "There''s so much to tell you!"

    A chuckle. "Heh, heh, so I''ve heard. Delia spent the entire day gushing to her classmates about how her precious boy was about to challenge his first Gym."

    Ash frowned, his cheeks reddening. Precious boy? "Butˇ­ not in that wording, right?" he said hopefully, although he had a feeling that he already knew the answer.

    "You know how she is." Ignoring Ash''s disappointed sigh, the Professor continued. "Anyway, I just had to call you after hearing about all of that. I''ve been keeping track of your movements whenever I could. Two foreign catches in your first week, huh? That''s quite the feat."

    Scratching the back of his head, Ash chuckled nervously. "I meant plenty of attempts before that, though. These were jus the first two thatˇ­ actually ended up working out."

    "And in the end, I''m sure they worked out great." The Professor reassured. "I still remember when that Starly of yours was captured. Clefable was in the room at the time. The moment the systems picked up that you had captured a Pokemon, she dragged me right out of my garden to show me!" Clefable''s grin widened.

    Scratching the back of his neck, Ash asked. "Speaking of which, Professor, can I ask you something?"

    "Yes, Ash?"

    "How did I find a Raltsˇ­ in a forest of all places?"

    It had been eating at him for quite a while now. Even Elacia seemed to find it suspicious, and she was a Breeder. Unless there was some other reason she was so shocked by it, but Ash couldn''t really think of anything else at the moment.

    The Professor frowned. "Hmmmˇ­ from the top of my head, the only explanation that I could give you is that another trainer must have released him there. But that probably sounds far too convenient, doesn''t it?"

    The explanation was probably the most likely one. It certainly would have explained why Valiant knew all of those moves ahead of time. But something still didn''t sit right with Ash. Professor Oak was right: It sounded too convenient. Could it really be that simple or was there something else?

    "I wouldn''t worry about it too much right now. It could just be luck."

    "That sounds pretty convenient too." Ash grinned sheepishly.

    "Heh. Your right. But on a different note." Professor Oak leaned forward and eyed Ash carefully. The smile did not leave his face, however. "Something seemsˇ­ different about you. You may not notice it, but you''re carrying yourself a lot more confidently than when we last spoke."

    Ash blinked. "I am?" hadn''t he just been a nervous wreck while talking to Elacia. Well, he supposed just about anything would be a massive step up from the state that he was in after that trainwreck of a humiliating battle with Gary. Ash grimaced at the memory, but quickly pushed it to the back of his mind as Professor Oak responded to him.

    "I''ll admit I was a bit concerned when you left, but it seems everything turned out fine. I have a feeling that these past two weeks have been very beneficial to you and your psyche, even more than you may realise. Subconsciously, I think you''ve already changed quite a bit. The fact that you''re even attempting your first ever Gym Battle just halfway through the first month of the Season is more than enough to tell me this."

    Ash''s eyes widened. "Oh no, do you think I''m being arrogant?!" No way he wanted to be like Gary of all people.

    Laughter greeted him. Not just from the Professor, but from Clefable as well.

    "You misunderstand me. Confidence and arrogance do not always go hand in hand. I''m just saying that you have a lot moreˇ­ initiative than you used to before. It''s nice to see. I''m liking this side of you. The old you would have never taken such risks."

    Risksˇ­ and here he thought he''d been avoiding those.

    Well, taking on a Gym Battle so early certainly was a bold move, but Ash had taken plenty of precautions with their training methods.

    Although, in hindsight, he supposed that didn''t change the fact that he was making such a bold move in the first place.

    "Do you think it''s a good idea?" he asked. "Challenging the Gym, I mean?"

    The Professor shrugged. "Of course. If you truly think that you and your team are ready, the worst that could happen is that you lose, pick yourselves back up, and just try again. Rookie trainers rarely ever get their first gym badges on their first try, but it''s never been impossible. It''s like making it to the Conference on your first try: Not many rookie trainers are able to do it, but the fact that it''s been done immediately disqualifies it from being an unachievable fantasy."

    Ash nodded at that. It made sense. And after seeing his team''s resolve, he definitely thought that they were ready. He couldn''t stop going back and forth on whether or not he, specifically, was ready for it, butˇ­

    He would still do it for them. They had earned this chance with all of the hard work that they had put in.

    PIkachu, who previously hadn''t even trusted him, had risen to the occasion.

    Nebula, who had been captured by him against her will, had risen to the occasion.

    Valiant, who he had just met under bizarre, seemingly unexplainable circumstances, had risen to the occasion.

    And so would he.

    Did he deserve their loyalty? Especially Nebula''s? He doubted it, but if possible, he wanted to change that. If he didn''t deserve them, then he wanted to become a Trainer who did deserve them. A Trainer that they could be proud of, just as he was proud of them.

    He needed to push these feelings of doubt aside. His team didn''t deserve to be hampered by them.

    After all of the work that they had done, he knew that they were ready.

    Any failure would be his fault, not theirs.

    Why had his battle with Gary been such a crapshow? Because he had panicked too easily. Had doubted himself too easily. His starter had paid for that. The more Ash panicked and freaked out, the less likely his stater would have been to listen to him.

    But he and Pikachu had gotten their second chance that night at the Pokemon Center. And Pikachu had been trusting him ever since. Ash didn''t want to betray that trust, by cracking under the pressure once more.

    And he wouldn''t betray Nebula and Valiant, either.

    Forget self-loathing and forget insecurities, it was time to win a Gym badge.

    /

    Pokemon Gyms were massive buildings that served as monuments for a trainer''s ultimate goal: Earn eight badges and reach the Indigo Plateau.

    The Pewter City Gym was no exception. The morning sun was high in the sky as Ash and his trio of Pokemon gaped in awe, the Gym towering over them as a few passing citizens spared them curious glances.

    Ash could faintly hear a woman calling out "Good luck in there!" but was too preoccupied to notice. To actually see a Gym up close...

    This was it. The culmination of his first two weeks as a trainer. The culmination of the training that they had done since coming here.

    Looking down at his team, Ash could see them already exchanging encouraging gestures.

    Pikachu and Valiant shaking hands (or, in Pikachu''s case, paw) with a firm grip, Nebula patting Valiant''s back with her wing, the Ralts nodding confidently in response, Pikachu and Nebula locking eyes, no noises, no gestures, just a silent communication between the two friends.

    Kneeling down to eye level with his team, Ash looked between the trio. "The next time I send you guys out; it will be in our biggest and most difficult battle yet. Are you ready?"

    Their faces gave him a clearer answer than any verbal response ever could have; and that confidence was a blessing, filling him with a new resolve as he returned them. Standing up, he faced the Gym.

    The outside of it was mostly rock, and the building was huge. Wide. Almost like a Pokemon Center.

    Many Gyms had similar basic structures, but wildly different aesthetics. Some were more similar than others were, however.

    But all of them had the Indigo League''s symbol near the roof, right in the middle of the building. To let every trainer know exactly what this building was.

    His breath caught in his throat, Ash subconsciously adjusted his cap, despite not even needing to, as he began to walk forward.

    The Gym was getting closer now. The hammering in his heart couldn''t be ignored as he approached.

    The automatic doors opened as he approached. As he walked in.

    They were the entrance to the Pewter City Gym.

    They doubled as the finish line to the prologue of his adventure.

    But they tripled as the starting point for everything else on the adventures to come.

 Cracking Rocks pt 3

    "A Gym?" Trucy''s blue eyes gazed at Ash as she looked up from her ice cream cone.

    The boy nodded, taking a break from sipping his milkshake as he explained. "Yeah, they''re one of the core parts of the Indigo League, not just for the Conference and professional training, but politically for the Empire itself."

    Trucy tilted her head curiously, a cute habit of hers.

    "What are they for if they are so important?"

    "Gym Leaders are esteemed individuals who run the respective territory of their Gyms." Ash explained. "Most importantly, they are incredibly strong trainers, as a necessity." Taking a quick sip, he continued. "Politically, they''re job is to run their territories. Watch over it, protect it, lead it. That alone requires a lot of strength, but the moreˇ­ competitive aspect of the job is another reason. They are the ones who determine who is qualified for the Conference."

    Trucy perked up. "They''re that important?!"

    "Of course." he smiled nervously. "You know how trainers competing in the Conference often travel around and go on long journeys?" at her nod, he continued. "It''s usually because of the Gyms. If you want to compete in the Indigo Conference, you have to travel around Indigo and earn eight badges from the various Gyms spread out across Kanto and Johto. In other words, you have to challenge at least eight Gyms and defeat their respective Leaders. And you have to do all of this before the Season is over. Otherwise, you have to start all over again in the next Season."

    The young girl frowned. "And you said they were really strongˇ­"

    "Exactly."

    They sat in silence for a few minutes after that. Right now, they were just outside of Pallet Town''s local ice cream shop. It was a popular hangout for Gary and his followers, but right now only a few of them lingered here, and apart from the judgmental looks they occasionally shot at Ash (not Trucy), they thankfully weren''t trying to start up any conflict.

    Ash was very used to when Gary and his friends usually were and were not here. He had carefully planned to take Trucy here on a day, and at an hour, where the other local kids usually didn''t occupy the place. The time he and Delia spent babysitting Trucy was something that he had eventually come to view as a break from all of that.

    And since Trucy had hit it off with both of them so much, her grandparents had made Ash and Delia her regular babysitters. Much to her ecstasy.

    A small part of Ash felt weird that a small child was essentially the kid that he was closest to in the town, but it hardly bothered him. It didn''t seem to bother her at all, either.

    Eventually, Trucy broke the silence with another question. "Is itˇ­ hard to do that? Beating the Gym Leaders, I mean?"

    "Overwhelmingly." Ash grimaced. Having recently learned about the statistics in school, the concept of Gym battles had him feeling quite paranoid. "In the typical Season, the Indigo Conference has just over five hundred competitors. Those are the people who beat the Gyms and clear the requirements as a result."

    Trucy blinked. "But that sounds like a lot."

    Ash giggled. "That''s what I said." Gary had guffawed at him for not putting two and two together. Brittany had to spell it out in class for Ash to understand the bigger picture. "But the thing is, compared to the number of trainers in Indigo, it''s only a very small fraction. In Kanto alone, the number of rookies that we get in each new Season can sometimes be more than double the number of trainers who actually make it to the Indigo Conference, if the pass rates for the Qualification Exam for that Season are particularly high. And that''s not even considering the Johto Region. Apparently, they usually have higher pass rates than Kanto on average, even if Celadon is the place that typically spawns the most rookies overallˇ­"

    Trucy, who was now in the middle of munching on her cone, had her mouth agape at that.

    "B-but, Iˇ­" she trailed off. Ash chuckled at her bewilderment. It reminded him of his own reaction in the classroom.

    "Yeah, and that''s just the rookies of each Season, too. The thing is, most trainers who make it to the Conference aren''t even rookies. First years always have it the worst, easily. Most of them aren''t able to get all eight Gym badges on their first try. Usually, it''s than a select few, or a handful at most." now he was just echoing Brittany. "Occasionally, there might even be none. It''s honestly crazy how absurd the odds are."

    Trucy gulped. "That sounds scary."

    Ash laughed nervously. "It''s enough to make almost any rookie scared." Not Gary, though. As soon as Brittany had finished explaining the statistics, the grandson of Professor Oak had proudly announced that he was going to be the one to break the mold in that regard. Make it to the Conference on his first try, and even make it to the six on six rounds, which no rookie trainer had ever been able to do before. And the their classmates had all applauded his declaration, as though he were a legendary hero sent from the heavens. As if he had been blessed by the Guardian Mew himself. Brittany had been noticeably amused by the young boy''s bravado, but had still promised him her full support in that regard.

    "Hey, Ash?" he turned to see her eyes staring into his. The blue orbs that occupied Trucy''s eyes were incredibly cute. Hard to say the word "no" too. Especially when she was pleading with him to buy her a double scooped cone. "That won''tˇ­ stop you though, right? You can beat them, right?"

    Ash wanted to say yes. He wanted to jump up from his seat, and make the same exact bold declaration as Gary. To be the big hero that put an end to the days of rookie trainers being looked down upon as typically weak and unsuccessful.

    Instead, he simply gulped, and, after breaking eye contact with her, said something else, something that was inevitably much less motivating to him. "Let''s hope so."

    /

    Ash Ketchum was now inside the Pewter City Gym.

    It was even more overwhelming on the inside than on the outside, no longer an intimidating building to stare at from afar.

    He was here.

    Surprisingly, the Gym looked a lot different on the interior than he had pictured. Rather than simply being the typical stone that he was expecting, he was greeted with a more varied sight. The walls and floor were marble, which wasn''t too surprising, but there was more to the inside of the building than just rock. The lobby surprisingly had what resembled a miniature garden in the middle. Little sprouts poked out from the soil, and Ash could see that the soil looked somewhat wet, indicating that they had probably been watered recently. Most surprisingly, there was a small waterfall on the far side of the room, surrounded by more vegetation.

    The air was cool, and air conditioned, reminding Ash of what it felt like back at Professor Oak''s Lab. The interior of the Gym had a very sophisticated feel to it, and the professional aura only heightened Ash''s nerves.

    It felt comfortable in here, but the amount of effort that was clearly put into just the the presentation of the Gym aloneˇ­ Ash couldn''t help but be reminded of just how important these places were.

    Towards the other end of the room was a counter where a teenage boy sat in a cushioned chair. He was reading a magazine, although Ash couldn''t tell what it was from where he was standing.

    Curiously, he also spotted a young boy standing by the large double door on the far end of the room. The doors were likely what lead to the battlefield.

    His breath catching in his throat, Ash failed in his attempt to suppress his gulp while making his way over to the counter. The small boy standing by the door eyed him carefully.

    Perking up from his magazine (which Ash could now see was an issue of Inside Indigo''s Tech, which had apparently printed its latest installment just a few days ago), the teenage boy eyed Ash carefully. He seemed to frown for a moment. "Ohˇ­ another rookie?" he almost sounded sympathetic. This was worrying.

    Trying his best to steel himself (and not actually knowing if he had succeeded or not) Ash cleared his throat as best he could, and, in an effort to shed timidness, spoke in the most professional voice he could muster.

    "Hi, I''m here for a Gym battle." Ash almost felt proud of himself for how clearly he spoke. He wasn''t sure why.

    The boy nodded, straightening himself out and turning to his keyboard. "Alright, can I see your Pokedex?"

    Reaching back towards his backpack''s back pocket, Ash pulled out the Crimson device and handed it to the boy. Inserting it into a nearby slot, he began typing.

    "Okayˇ­ Ash Ketchumˇ­ from Pallet Townˇ­ no badges yet, three Pokemonˇ­"

    From the corner of his eye, Ash could spot the younger boy muttering his name and hometown over and over again, as if trying to memorize it for some reason.

    He titled his head towards the younger boy out of curiosity, but his attention was quickly pulled away when the teen at the counter turned to him and spoke again. "

    Alright, I have you registered. I''ll contact the Gym Leader and you can get started right away, Mr. Ketchum." Ash gave him a nod, which he returned, before the older boy turned to the younger boy. "Hey, Forrest, you still want to do referee duty like I suggested, right?"

    The boy nodded, a nervous but determined expression on his face. It almost reminded Ash of himselfˇ­

    "Yes, I''m ready. Thank you." He sounded even more confident than Ash, and seemed like he wasn''t putting nearly as much effort into it. It felt natural, not forced.

    "Great, just hold on a second then. I''ll get things started." he pressed an intercom button, and Ash could here a beeping sound.

    /

    Brock sat back in his steel chair, eyes fixated on the latest issue of Indigo''s Breeding World, having immediately turned to a collaboration column written by Suzie and Elacia. He was about halfway done when the intercom beeped.

    Groaning, he quickly placed a bookmark in his magazine before setting it down on his desk for later. His office was pretty spacious, as despite its size he hadn''t put too much in it apart from the essentials. He liked the extra room. On the wall behind him was a large poster of Suzie and her award winning Vulpix, after winning first prize in last Season''s beauty contest.

    Pushing the intercom button, he spoke in response to the call, already knowing what it was for.

    "Challenger?" his facade was immediately put on, almost like a reflex action. His own personal interests could wait. Now was time for his priorities. It was time for business.

    "Yes, his information has been sent to you and is in the Gym''s database. He''s ready when you are."

    "Got it, just hold on a second while I look it over real quickˇ­" bringing up his latest challenger''s information, Brock started speed reading, just as he had done so many times in the past. A picture of the new challenger, and also that of each of his individual team members, showed up on the screen as he quickly went through it. It didn''t take long for him to turn back to the intercom. "Alright, send him in. I''ll be there. Thanks for the call."

    "Alright, I''ll let him know you''re ready, then."

    As the intercom beeped and his caller hung up, Brock rose to his feet and stole a quick glance at the clock. 9:15 AM and a challenger was already here at the Gym. They had just opened fifteen minutes ago. Stereotypically, yet backed up by the young Gym Leader''s own experience, challengers who arrived this early were either full of themselves or truly meant business. Time to see which category this next one fell under.

    ''Alright Brock, it''s time to put on your mask again.''

    It was automatic. Whenever a Gym Battle began, the real Brock took a brief break from existing, and the facade that he had built up as a Gym Leader took hold of the wheel. A stone cold man meant to strike fear into the hearts of every single trainer who challenged him. The rock type specialist who led the esteemed Gym of Pewter.

    /

    Forrest led Ash through the double doors and down a dark, dimly lit hallway. Ash was in the middle of returning his Pokedex, which he had been given back by the teenage boy at the counter after it was time to head on into the battlefield, to his backpack pocket, when the young boy spoke to him.

    "Your name is Ash Ketchum, and you''re from Pallet Town, correct?" his tone of voice was stern as he spoke. For somebody even younger than him, Ash found this boy to be shockingly professional; not even Janine had been this formal with him.

    "Huh? Oh, yeah." he said with a nod, trying to ignore the hammering heartbeat in his chest as the double door that most likely led out of the hallway and into the battlefield continuously drew closer, and closer.

    "Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Townˇ­" Forrest was muttering to himself now, saying the same thing over and over again. It was a bit unnerving.

    The boy pushed the doors open, and led Ash into a massive room.

    There it was. The battlefield that they had been training for all week long. Ash''s involuntary gulp immediately returned to his throat as he took in the sheer size of the arena. It was easily large enough to be used in a stadium, and the room kind of felt like one.

    Both sides of the room were occupied by a tall series of bleachers, where Ash could see a few people gathered on the side where the referee stood. Most Gym''s often offered spectator stands akin to that of stadiums, so that the employees working at the Gym could sometimes watch the battles in person, typically when they were on their break. Apparently, there were also cameras broadcasting the battle to the employees throughout the Gym as well. Gyms that also took in Gym trainers would often have some of them observe the battles in order to get full context of what a Gym Leader was like in action. To his knowledge, the Pewter City Gym had no such Gym trainers, but plenty of people still worked there nonetheless.

    The ceiling was raised high above his head, and Ash was caught off guard by just how much higher it was than in the lobby or the hallway, both of which were fairly average by comparison. This room seemed to have the ceiling fifty feet high in the air.

    But the main event, of course, was the battlefield itself. Exactly as Ash had expected it, and constantly envisioned, it was a long, seemingly endless series of rocks and jutted out boulders. Exactly what they had trained for.

    Pikachu''s mobility training was just about to pay off.

    Ash and Forrest''s heads turned as the sound of approaching footsteps entered their ears. A tall man approached them, wearing a special uniform. This must have been the Gym Leader.

    The Gym Leader stopped just in front of him, his arms crossed as he eyed Ash carefully. At least a head taller than the young boy, he looked down on him with a scrutinizing look that would make even some of the strictest of teachers squirm in their seats.

    Ash briefly made eye contact, trying to steady himself amidst this man''s gaze, but broke away almost immediately.

    The man seemed to be somewhat amused by that, his lips tugging upwards for the very briefest of seconds, before returning to the position that matched the stern scowl on his face. After a few more seconds of him staring at the boy, Ash suddenly felt grateful as he was given a very brief moment of reprieve, as the man''s gaze turned to Forrest, his face suddenly becoming neutral.

    "So, you''re on referee duty for this one?"

    Forrest nodded and bowed quickly. "Yes, Timothy suggested that it would be beneficial for me to start watching the Gym battles occasionally, while also practicing my demeanor for challengers. He''s working at the reception desk for now."

    The man nodded in understanding. "Very well, assume your position. We will begin in a moment."

    Nodding, Forrest hurriedly made his way to the referee stand, which was located at the side of the battlefield, in front of the stands, and roughly in the middle of the battlefield''s perimeter. He stood there confidently, straightening himself up with his hands at his sides. His face straightened out into an even more determined look as he gazed on ahead, steadfast and forward.

    Ash suddenly felt small again as the man returned his gaze to him. The scowl was back again, piercing through his face like a Beedrill''s sharp needles.

    "So, you''re my latest challenger. Latest hotshot who thinks they''re ready to hold a Gym badge in their palm?" his voice carried a judgmental aura to it, and Ash could almost feel the derision hammering down onto him.

    If all of the Gym Leaders were this intimidating, then he definitely had some work to do.

    Cursing himself for his pathetic social skills, Ash tried to straighten himself up, only to feel himself shrink back down as he locked gazes with the man.

    "Y-Yes, sir. I''ve c-come to win y-your Gym-b-badge." He stuttered out pitifully.

    The morbid side of Ash wanted to see Gary interact with this man. Would he be intimidated too? Or would he crank up his ego even further?

    The less morbid side of him thought about Janine in concern, and how she would react to him, but she seemed to steel herself relatively well against Team Rocket, soˇ­

    The man tilted his head downwards, just enough for Ash to feel him draw closer. The boy took a step back as the man''s gaze never left his face, following Ash''s every move.

    "And this is your first Gym match, correct?" at Ash''s timid nod, which was very slowly delivered, he continued. "A Gym battle is very different from other battles. This match is going to be a test for qualification to the Indigo League''s Annual Conference. This is not some playground battle held in your backyard for fun and games." he almost spat out those words, as though trying to increase Ash''s discomfort.

    "Y-yes, I-I kn-know." Ash sputtered back. The man shook his head lightly as he continued to stare.

    "My name is Brock. I run this Gym. And I will be the opponent that you will face today. Take your position, Ash. And be prepared for defeat." the tone of his voice was final, as though the outcome of the battle had already been decided. Ash couldn''t get another word out as Brock turned around and made his way to the other side of the battlefield. Ash watched for a few seconds as the intimidating Gym Leader walked across the room towards the leader''s stand, before gulping yet again and making his way to the challenger''s stand.

    Brock had certainly made a first impression. Ash''s first impression, on the other handˇ­

    After both Ash and Brock had positioned themselves, Forrest''s voice echoed across the room for all to hear.

    "This Gym battle, between challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, will now commence." the boy sounded almost as authoritative as Brock himself. "Both parties will use three Pokemon. Substitutions are allowed on both sides, and the victor will be decided either when all Pokemon on either side have been defeated, or either party surrenders." his arms now spread out, he turned his head over to Ash. "Any questions from the challenger?"

    Ash shook his head. Suddenly, the floor in front of him opened up, just for a stand with a screen to rise in front of him.

    "Very well, both parties, please direct your attention to the screen and select the Pokemon that will be used in this battle. The Poke Balls for those that you do not select will be locked until the battle is over."

    Pictures of Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant flashed on the touchscreen. The screen read clearly.

    Select three Pokemon

    Only having three Pokemon to select anyway, Ash quickly tapped each of the pictures and the stand returned into the floor, which closed back up immediately.

    Forrest placed his hand on a nearby button. "Please wait as the barrier gears complete activation."

    The barrier gears were special machines designed by Professor Oak to be installed underneath the battlefield. They casted special barriers that rose from the perimeter of the battlefield, boxing it in and shielding both the trainers and the audience from attacks. They were a necessity for safety, especially in the higher level battles.

    Ash didn''t know the full science behind it, but they apparently utilized energy from every Pokemon typing to nullify any stray attacks that struck the barriers. In the past, Pokemon, typically of the psychic or ghost typings, would be the ones to cast the barriers manually. They were effective, but being limited to only one type left the situation with a few noteworthy holds, often struggling against attacks with type advantages to the barriers themselves. It had been Professor Oak''s idea to mechanize this, both so that the Pokemon would no longer have to exhaust themselves, and for extra safety by including all typings to make it easier to nullify the many attacks that would inevitably strike the barriers, often altering whichever typing that it harnessed to adapt to whichever attack it was protecting against.

    It was an innovation that was initially strictly exclusive to that of the Indigo League, but once testing was complete, Professor Oak had immediately received permission to send the means to build these machines to both the Ever Grande and Lily of the Valley League, both of which Indigo had friendly relations to. Other territories had since begun to replicate this themselves, the Vertress League being the first one to do so.

    All Gyms used some form of barriers for protection purposes. So did every professional tournament. Pokemon Centers also typically had a private battlefield of their own, that utilized these barriers. They were widespread throughout both Indigo, and, in various forms, the rest of the world as well.

    Once the barriers activated, they would prevent all Pokemon and attacks from entering or leaving the arena during battle. In between bouts, the barriers will go down so that trainers may release their Pokemon onto the battlefield.

    Normally, the barriers were borderline invisible, but Ash could see the faint shimmering as the machines began to turn on.

    After a few moments that just served nothing more but to continue to pile down on Ash''s nerves with the growing anticipation, Forrest spoke up again.

    "Okay, begin!"

    This was it. His first ever Gym battle. Their ever Gym battle. They had trained for this. Prepared for this. Vowed to win this, both for themselves, and each other.

    And yet Ash was still scared.

    Brock had already taken out his Poke Ball, currently waiting for Ash to do the same. In official battles, trainers always selected their first Pokemon at the same time, not releasing their Pokemon until their opponent had made their choice as well. That way, trainers wouldn''t have an advantage by being able to start out the battle by picking their first Pokemon based on what they believed would fare best against their opponent''s first Pokemon, if their opponent were to send out their Pokemon first.

    Nervously, Ash brought a shaking hand to his belt. Carefully unclipping a Poke Ball, he brought it out in front of him, holding it out over the battlefield as steadily as possible.

    Brock was significantly more confident as he chucked his Poke Ball into the air.

    "I''ll start with... Geodude, go!"

    A bright flash of light from Brock''s side of the rocky battlefield formed into a Pokemon that essentially looked like a large rock with a face and giant arms. Ash wasn''t too surprised by this, however. According to experts, Geodude were the most commonly used rock type Pokemon around the world, native to multiple Regions and often found in the various mountains and caves of nature. Although strong, they were also considered to be fairly predictable, as just about any trainer who favored rock types had at least one of them.

    Predictable didn''t mean easy, however, and Ash would never allow himself to assume such, either. Common Pokemon or not, Brock was a Gym Leader.

    Gripping his Poke Ball just a little bit too tightly, Ash chucked his own into the air, albeit finding that he didn''t do so with nearly as much bravado as Brock.

    Nebula appeared in front of him in a flash of light. Immediately realizing where she was, she frantically steadied herself and took on a battle stance.

    "This is it, Nebula. That Geodude is your opponent. Watch out for its fists."

    At Nebula''s affirmative chirp, Ash briefly locked eyes with Brock. Even from across the battlefield, he found it hard to maintain eye contact with the Gym Leader''s merciless gaze.

    "The battle startsˇ­ NOW!" Forrest''s voice echoed more loudly than ever, and then it began.

    Brock didn''t waste any time. "Geodude, use Rollout and pin it!"

    Ash started at the loud volume of the Gym Leader''s voice, carrying an aura of passion and power in it that he had never heard before from any opponent that he and his team had faced up until now, as the Geodude carried out its trainer''s orders.

    As the Pokemon''s arms suddenly retracted into its body, Nebula began flapping her wings furiously, propelling herself off the ground in record time, as Geodude briefly began rolling in place to build up force before charging forward at the young bird.

    Geodude charged through the spot where Nebula had once stood, but to Ash''s surprise, the rolling Pokemon made a sharp turn and launched itself into the air, seemingly using a nearby rock as a makeshift ramp.

    Squawking out in shock, Nebula jerked herself up higher, and Ash felt a deep sigh of relief escape from his breath, which he hadn''t even realized that he was holding, as his bird companion just barely avoided the blow.

    Despite thinking that he had come prepared, actually being in a Gym battle was very different from imagining it.

    Nebula circled around the battlefield as Geodude attempted to follow her movements. Ash took a deep breath. This was it. No time to freeze up at the last second.

    Clenching a fist, he shouted out his order.

    "Alright Nebula, Steel Wing!"

    Nebula''s wings glowed brightly as the feathers turned metallic, cloaked in steel as she blitz forward towards her opponent. Instinctively, she boosted her speed with Quick Attack, putting even more force behind the attack.

    Ash was certain that this would hit. Geodude weren''t known for being fast, and although this Geodude had displayed a surprising amount of speed with Rollout, that should most likely be the exception. And given just how fast that Nebula had become, he highly doubted that Brock''s Geodude had the reaction time to-

    Geodude''s outstretched hand grabbed hold of Nebula''s right wing and stopped the Starly in her tracks. A shocked Ash froze as Nebula squawked in surprise while flailing her other wing helplessly in an attempt to free herself.

    If Ash wasn''t so far away, he would have noticed that the wing that Geodude had grabbed hold of was grinding against the palm of the Rock-Ground Type Pokemon''s hand, the Starly still trying to push against him as she kept Steel Wing going. However, Ash did at least notice that the metallic coating on Nebula''s wings had not gone away, and Geodude seemed to be lightly wincing in pain, based on its face.

    Brock was stoic as he called out his order. "Put it down right away with Mega Punch!"

    Ash gaped as Geodude pulled back its other fist, glowing in a deep blue aura.

    Although Nebula had certainly gotten stronger over the past week, she was sadly lacking in durability. It was an issue that all of his teammates had, as none of them were of a species that was known for taking hits. And that Geodude was clearly a very heavy hitter. A single, direct hit from a Mega Punch to the head would probably leave her out cold right off the bat.

    Brock wasn''t spending a second warming up. As soon as a battle began, he was going for the finishing blow the first chance he got.

    Ash wanted to let out a sigh of relief as Nebula instinctively raised her other wing-which was still cloaked in Steel Wing- to block the incoming blow, but the sheer force behind the attack still pushed back against her metallic wing with ease. Although the steel coating likely prevented any serious pain from being dealt to the Starly, she was still struck hard enough for not even Geodude''s grip with its other hand to be able to hold her in place, the young Starly being propelled backward and landing painfully onto the rocky ground.

    Before Ash could muster up any words of encouragement for his feathered companion, Brock was at it again.

    "Don''t give it breathing room! Rock Blast!"

    Geodude''s mouth opened as shards of stone came shooting outward and towards Nebula. Barely having any time to react, the young Starly shrieked as she instinctively rolled to the side, still not on her feet yet. Geodude angled itself slightly and took aim at her again, and Ash finally acted fast enough to shout out a command.

    "Propel yourself with Whirlwind!"

    Nebula had begun rising to her feet, and the second barrage of stone shards was narrowly avoided as she let out the biggest wing flap that she could muster, causing a powerful gust of wind boosted her up into the air.

    Nebula was flying around the Geodude in circles now, slowly but surely ascending in the air in an attempt to gain some distance. Ash wasn''t sure if he should be keeping track of her or their opponent, but he knew that he had to act quick, because sooner or later Brock would be barking orders again.

    If that Geodude was reflexive enough to catch Nebula''s Steel Wing despite the small bird''s speed, then she would have to knock it off balance first.

    Thankfully, they had just the technique for that. "Wind Blast! Push it back, Nebula!"

    The bird immediately got to work, flapping her wings as furiously as she was able as she fired the concentrated blast of wind towards Geodude, who instinctively raised its arms over its face in defense.

    Had this been a normal Whirlwind, Geodude''s weight, along with the rock/ground type''s obvious effort to brace itself, likely would have prevented the technique from doing very much. However, the concentrated nature of the wind resulted in much more force assaulting Nebula''s opponent at once, and despite its best efforts, Geodude found itself gradually yet increasingly being pushed back, until it suddenly found itself being knocked over entirely, laying on its back as the wind subsided.

    Ash couldn''t waste any time. "Steel Wing, hurry!"

    Once again, Nebula launched herself forward with Quick Attack as the steel energy manifested around her feathers. A week''s worth of practice with the Move was about to pay off.

    Although Nebula was farther away this time due to Wind Blast pushing Geodude a great deal backwards, her speed, combined with Geodude still getting up, more than made up for it. It didn''t take long for the rock/ground type to regain its bearings and pick itself back up again. But it took even less time for Nebula to charge straight into her opponent, her left wing slicing painfully against its rocky body as Geodude let out a great howl of pain.

    Geodude were known for being quite durable, especially compared to most unevolved Pokemon. It was a very common characteristic for rock types to have. But Nebula''s Steel Wing, mastered after a week of gruelling training, was a perfect move for damaging a rock type with, and the fact that the extra speed boost that was provided by Quick Attack had greatly amplified the force of her already powerful blow simply helped her further.

    Ash took note of the large gash on the Geodude''s body as Nebula circled upward and resumed her routine of flying around her opponent.

    Brock, however, wasn''t perturbed as he shouted out his next order. "Rock Blast! Knock it out of the air!"

    Even with its body having sustained the might blow, Geodude was quick to action as it fired off the stone shards in short bursts this time. To Ash''s shock, they were aimed with great precision, and Nebula''s surprised squawks filled the room as she was constantly forced to jerk left and right, occasionally up and down, to avoid the onslaught of her opponent.

    Until one of them finally clipped her wing.

    A light shriek of pain escaped her beak as Nebula reeled from the blow, losing her balance and descending into free fall. As the Starly fell head first towards the rock battlefield, Brock was already on it.

    "Now use Mega Punch! Speed yourself up with Rollout!"

    Normally, Geodude wouldn''t be nearly fast enough to catch up with Nebula, but Brock''s Pokemon was quite speedy with Rollout. It was upon Nebula almost immediately, and Ash quickly barked out a panicked order in response.

    "Pull yourself up with Quick Attack, Nebula! Hurry!"

    As Geodude approached Nebula, it began to cease rolling and its arms appeared again, one of its fists already glowing in its terrifying blue aura as Brock''s Pokemon reared its fist back and prepared to strike.

    But just mere moments before the glowing fist could shatter her skull, the falling Starly curved upwards in a sudden burst of speed, just barely avoiding what both Ash and Nebula knew would have been a fatal blow.

    Ash''s relief had been immeasurable. It was a damn good thing that they had worked on Nebula''s maneuverability. Just a week prior, she never would have been able to do what she had just done: reversing free fall and performing a perfect turn upwards. Every passing moment of this battle was a reminder of how much of a bad idea that it would have been to challenge this Gym when they had first arrived at Pewter City, without any of the prior training that they had done over the course of the week.

    But Ash quickly reminded himself that there was no time to feel relieved when battling against Brock.

    "Repeat the same tactic!"

    At the Gym Leader''s orders, Geodude once again fired the Rock Blast at Nebula, who, to Ash''s delight, spawned a copy of herself to confuse her opponent.

    Geodude ceased firing and looked between the two circling Starly in bewilderment, before Brock called out to it.

    "Keep going!"

    The Starly began advancing at once. Clearly, Nebula wanted to keep geodude guessing so that she could strike with Steel Wing. However, the move was risky: the closer she got, the easier it would be for Geodude to hit her if it chose right.

    The clone fizzled out as the shards struck it, and Geodude immediately turned its attention to the real Nebula. Although Nebula was able to quickly change direction and avoid the blast, she suddenly found herself in the same predicament as before, this time too busy frantically dodging the shards to repeat using Double Team, and, to Ash''s dismay, ended up getting hit slightly more quickly than before.

    Once again she was in free fall. Once again she avoided a Mega Punch to the top of her skull, even more narrowly this time.

    As Nebula ascended upwards once more, Ash could have sworn he saw some blood dripping from her feathers. He snarled. She had been clipped in the same wing twice in a row now, and the pain was effecting the speed of her flight.

    Nebula was giving it her all and he wasn''t sure how to help her!

    "Finish it Geodude! Once more!"

    A horrified Ash quickly realized that Nebula would probably fall victim to the Mega Punch this time. In his panic, he suddenly felt an idea click in his mind.

    "Use Steel Wing to deflect the rocks!"

    Ignoring the pain in her wing, Nebula channeled the energy of the Steel-Type Move through her wings once more, this time flapping her wings against the shards of stone as they bombarded her. The metallic coating provided the perfect protection against the rocks that Geodude was attempting to pelt her with, which shredded with ease upon contact.

    Ash felt a glint of satisfaction in the back of his mind as Nebula flawlessly defended herself from the move that had quickly become the bane of her existence in this fight. But quickly reminding himself of how much of a quick thinker Brock was, he immediately knew that he had to follow up right now if he no longer wanted to stay on the defensive.

    "Wind Blast! Knock Geodude over again and then use Steel Wing!"

    Nebula winced slightly as she flapped her wings as hard as she could, the blood dripping from her feathers being sent flying by the force of her flaps, and by the wind itself, of course.

    Geodude once again found itself on the defensive, and was knocked over like before.

    A triumphant shriek of aggression escaped the young Starly''s beak as Nebula charged forward, Steel Wing at the ready, and once again sliced into Geodude, cleverly aiming for the gash that had already been formed by her previous assault.

    Ash could have sworn that he had seen Brock actually grimace as Geodude let out an even louder, even more pained howl than the previous one, it''s gash now far more visible and painful. Ash couldn''t help but flinch at the sight of the injury. Pokemon battles were brutal.

    Nevertheless, it didn''t matter. If they failed to follow up right away, Brock would inevitably counterattack and regain the upper hand.

    "Once more, Nebula! Wind Blast!"

    One more Steel Wing should do the trick. They just had to knock Geodude off balance first.

    But Brock''s next order surprised Ash.

    "Stone Blockade!"

    Stretching out its massive hands, Geodude glowered up at Nebula as a large rock suddenly began to materialise in between its palms. It was at least as big as Geodude itself, and Geodude, despite its painful injuries, held it with ease as it raised the stone in front of its face, but still holding it closely.

    Acting as a makeshift shield, the large stone took the brunt of Nebula''s Wind Blast, providing the Geodude with an extra, and powerful cushion against the force of the attack. Ash snarled in frustration as Geodude was only slightly pushed back, but not even remotely caught off balance or winded. As Nebula ceased her now fruitless attack, her opponent leered up at her dangerously.

    It was taking everything that the young Starly had to maintain a decent flight speed with the pain in her wing. Between the cut that she had received from the Rock Blast to the constant overexertion with Wind Blast, she was certainly starting to feel the effects. And Geodude, despite its injuries, had now canceled out their only means to create an opening for Steel Wing.

    They couldn''t risk charging in again with Geodude still upright. Even with its injuries, it could still potentially manage the reflexes necessary to grab onto Nebula''s Steel Wing in time and intercept her again. It was powering through its injuries, and the immense pain that it was most likely feeling, much like Nebula herself was.

    As Ash clenched his fists in sheer panic, he could feel Brock''s scowl piercing into him from across the battlefield. It almost caused him to wince in pain, as though he had just been stung, but that was likely subconscious.

    "So your Starly can modify its moves. Not bad, but don''t fool yourself into thinking that your the only one with that idea."

    Ash grinded his teeth in frustration, ignoring the slight pain that he felt from doing so. What to do nowˇ­?!

    "Throw it!"

    Ash started and took a light step backwards as Geodude raised the large stone over its head, bringing both of its arms back as it took aim at the Starly.

    It was already pretty darn precise with that Rock Blast, and the small bird was now having more and more trouble maintaining her momentum with her light but aggravated wing injury.

    And Geodude was obviously incredibly strong. Even with that rock''s obvious weight, it was going to be chucked at high speeds with the force that the Geodude would inevitably be putting into it. Certainly far too fast for Nebula to avoidˇ­

    "Hurry! Use Steel Wing to shield yourself!"

    As the Geodude made the powerful throw, Nebula once again coated her wings in metallic energy. This time, however, she folded both of them in front of her body, just in time for the large rock to crash into her.

    It protected her from being damaged by the blow, but the blunt force behind the rock had quickly knocked her out of the air regardless.

    "You know what to do, Geodude!"

    And so it did. As Nebula once again descended into free fall, plummeting head first towards the rocky battlefield, Geodude once again charged forward with Rollout, preparing to exit its move and prepare a Mega Punch when able and close enough.

    Ash knew that Nebula couldn''t possibly avoid it this time. There was only one thing left to do.

    Nebula still hadn''t fully gotten the hang of calling on her ability at will just yet, but at this point, they were now left with no other options. It was their last resort.

    "Activate Reckless, Nebula! Steel Wing!"

    Despite being winded from the impact of the previous blow, and the pain in her wing, and the overwhelming g-force of her fall, nebula still took in Ash''s orders. Scrunching up her face and squeezing her eyes shut, she did everything that she could to try to muster up her ability. Trying to-

    BAM!

    Geodude''s glowing fist smashed into her chest, and she was sent flying backwards at breakneck speeds, possibly as fast as her flight when she was in the middle of using Quick Attack.

    And had it not been for the protective barriers, she would have slammed right into Ash.

    The upside down Starly slid down the barriers and onto the ground, Ash looking on hopelessly as his gaze followed his bird companion.

    Her body was motionless, her eyes closed, and her chest bloodied. She showed no signs of getting up, or even trying to, as she hit the ground with a thud.

    Raising a hand, Forrest called out at the top of his lungs.

    "Starly is unable to battle! Geodude wins!"

    It took a few moments for Ash to process it. Gazing in defeat at his feathered companion''s unconscious body.

    Was there anything more that he could have done?

    Slowly, he reached for his belt. Slowly, he pulled out Nebula''s Poke Ball, and returned her ina red beam of light.

    As the Poke Ball let out a high pitched beep to signal that Nebula had been returned, Ash held it up to his face, staring into the red and white orb with a blank expression on his face.

    The look in his eyes was one of defeat. One of failure. Unfulfilled.

    "You wereˇ­ wonderful out there, Nebula. I''m sorry I let you down."

    It was true. He had let her down. Not the other way around.

    Nebula hadˇ­ given everything she could, truly. Tenaciously until the very end.

    And Ash had failed her.

    "You kept using the same strategy to try and hurt Geodude." He slowly looked up as the Gym Leader''s voice echoed judgmentally across the battlefield, filling Ash''s ears seemingly from all directions, as though the heavens themselves were now judging him for his failure. "You should have known better than to assume that I wouldn''t find a way to counter it eventually. It doesn''t matter if something works the first time, or even the second. If you fall into repetition, your predictability will make you into an open book that anybody could read. You''re never going to win an official battle like that; didn''t I tell you this wasn''t a playground? You''re overlooking every devastating hole in your battle style, like the rookie you are."

    Ash snarled as he clenched his eyes shut. Images of an unconscious Pichu flashed before his eyes. A poisoned Pikachu. A Starly with an injured wing. And now a Starly with a bashed in chest.

    All incidents that could have been avoided had it not been for his failure as a trainer, and his alone.

    He wanted to become a trainer that they would truly want to be commanded by. Somebody that they could be happy to be with. Somebody that could lead them throughout their journey through Indigo, and to new heights. A trainer that was irreplaceable to them. Just like how he was beyond satisfied with the team that he currently commanded. A team that he wouldn''t trade for the world. A team that he happily called his own. His teammates were the most valuable companions that he could ask for, and he truly felt the benefit of having them by his side.

    He wanted to be the same thing to them. For them to truly feel like training under him had been good for them. That he was more than just their companion. That he wasn''t just a Trainer. That they, together, could take on the world and win.

    He thought he''d been ready to prove that to them todayˇ­ was he?

    Brock''s voice filled his ears yet again as he was consumed by his thoughts.

    "Are you going to send out your next Pokemon? If you have no resolve left in you, then surrender. Or are you going to start making excuses to make yourself feel better?"

    Ash gradually raised his timid gaze back up to the battlefield as he desperately tried to find something, anything, that could act as a comeback line against Brock. But he kept finding himself coming up short. Just like with Gary. Just like with Gary''s friends. Just like always.

    Had he really not changed? All those days in Viridian Forest, a week''s worth of training his team solely for preparation for this fightˇ­ was all of that really not enough?

    Was he just the same kid who got walked all over by all of his peers, never capable of keeping up with them?

    Professor Oak, the grandfather of somebody who hated him. Janine, a girl he had just met one night. Elacia, a woman who had barely even known him. Were all of their words of encouragement really for naught?

    His teachersˇ­ his motherˇ­ Trucyˇ­ was he really only capable of letting them all down?

    His signature feeling of hopelessness had returned to him. Maybe he really wasn''t ready for this. Maybe Gary had him pegged. Maybe that obnoxious boy really was right about everything. And maybe Brock was too-

    And then he caught sight of Brock''s Geodude.

    To the Pokemon''s credit, its resilience really was off the charts. Most Pokemon probably would have been keeling over by now, maybe even unconscious. But this Geodudeˇ­ was still upright. It bore it''s injuries and powered through the pain by every minute. A true warrior worthy of fighting in a Pokemon Gym.

    But it was the sight of those injuries that truly caught Ash''s attention.

    That snapped him out of his insufferable state of self loathing and detestment.

    That brought him back down to earth and reminded him of what was going on.

    That gave him the strength to remember the big picture. And what they were here for.

    Those injuriesˇ­

    Nebula had done this. Nebula had continued to fight until the bitter end. Just as she had vowed to do so. Just as Pikachu and Valiant had vowed to do so.

    If he gave up nowˇ­ and wasted all of the effort that she had put inˇ­ he really didn''t deserve her.

    After everything that Nebula had accomplished against that Geodude. After coming so close to victory. After utilizing everything that she had learned from her trainingˇ­ there was no way he could disrespect her like that.

    There was no way that he could disrespect Pikachu and Valiant like that, either.

    He had failed her. Which is why he was going to have to somehow make it up to her. Starting with winning this battle, and continuing to push forward, and capitalize on what she had done.

    Viciously, he reclipped Nebula''s Poke Ball back to his belt, and immediately took out his next one.

    "Can it Brock." his voice was surprisingly aggressive. Not even Gary had been on the receiving end of something like this before, even before Ash had stopped firing back at him.

    The sudden aggression was enough for Brock to perk up a bit, his brow raised in surprise as Ash glowered at him from across the battlefield, his expression suddenly matching the Gym Leader''s own.

    "I''m not letting you push me around anymore. You''ve been trying to get under my skin since we started, but I''m done! This means too much to me, and to them, for me to let you walk all over me. There are people out there who believe in meˇ­ A couple I barely even knowˇ­ and I''m not wasting their faith. And I''m not wasting my team''s efforts!" He held the Poke ball out in front of the battlefield defiantly. "So save your breath, because we''re not losing!"

    He was going to become a Trainer worthy of Delia, Trucy, Professor Oak, Janine, Elacia, and everyone else''s faith.

    Most importantly of all, he was going to become a Trainer worthy of Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant.

    And if he didn''t mean that before, then he definitely meant that now.

    Valiant appeared in front of him in a triumphant flash of light white.

    The Ralts stood as tall as his height allowed him, and glared defiantly at Geodude.

    Time for a comeback.

    "Valiant," Ash spoke in a steady tone of voice. "Nebula was just defeated. She gave it her all. Let''s win this next one for her, okay?" he smiled at the Ralts'' immediate nod.

    To his surprise, Brock''s lips tugged upwards. "Your change of attitude puts on a good show, but I''m more a fan of actions than speeches." A red beam of light shot out from his Poke Ball and sucked in Geodude. Clipping Geodude''s Poke Ball back to his belt, he immediately unclipped another, and held it out for Ash and Valiant to see. "We''ll see how long your new demeanor lasts."

    The red and white orb opened up, and out of the blazing white light emerged another pokemon that Ash immediately recognized.

    Rhyhorn were also fairly common rock/ground type Pokemon, although unlike Geodude, which were practically universal among specialists, these were at least slightly more rare. Nevertheless, they were often sought after for their super powerful evolved forms; the iconic Rhydon and the incredibly rare Rhyperior. Rhydon were among the more common Pokemon found in high level tournaments such as the Indigo Conference; much like Pidgeot, albeit not quite as much as they were traditionally a lot more difficult to capture and raise. Rhyhorn were particularly dangerous among beginner level Pokemon: Their maneuverability was rather limited due to their bulk, making it hard to make sharp turns without strict training, but they were incredibly fast for a Pokemon of their bulk and weight, and their immense physical strength made them incredibly heavy hitters, perhaps even more so than Geodude, and had garnered them fame for their durability.

    A dangerous opponent indeed. Ash just hoped that Brock hadn''t trained this Rhyhorn to be better with maneuverability, as it would give them a weakness to exploit. It was generally really difficult to do, so he doubted that a beginner level Rhyhorn would be able to manage such a thing.

    Of course, he wasn''t about to take any chances.

    "Valiant," he spoke quickly. "That Rhyhorn''s hide is very thick. It''ll be very difficult to hurt it, so it''s all up to your Magical Leaf for that. Do not underestimate its speed, and do everything that you can to not take a hit, especially if it charges you."

    Valiant nodded in the affirmative, and just in time to.

    As Forrest gave the signal for the battle to begin, Brock was already at it once more.

    "So you have a psychic type, huh? Let''s see if you know how to use it; Rock Blast!"

    Rhyhorn wasted no time opening its gaping maw and letting loose the same barrage of rock shards that had given Nebula so much trouble in the previous battle. Without Ash even needing to say it, Valiant erected the glowing silver cube around him to box himself in, as Reflect shielded the young Ralts from the rocky onslaught.

    The sound of rocks smashing the cube shaped barrier filled Ash''s ears as Valiant braced himself against the assault, the shockwaves still causing Ash''s psychic fairy type companion to brace himself with his arms held protectively in front of his face as the Rhyhorn relentlessly continued its onslaught.

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    Its stamina was quite impressive, as it did not let up its assault, keeping the Rock Blast going far longer than Geodude ever had.

    Ash could see the cracks forming in Valiant''s Reflect. Pretty soon, it would shatter, and Valiant would be left vulnerable. The cracks were beginning to form faster and faster as the Reflect continued to lose durability, and holding onto the technique for too long would have most likely been very taxing for Valiant anyway.

    "Drop Reflect and dive to the side!" Ash wasn''t sure if Valiant would have enough time to focus on using Teleport right after dropping Reflect, and Shadow Sneak wasn''t instantaneous like Teleport was, so this would have to be their next best thing.

    The cube disappeared as Valiant dodged sideways, just barely avoiding being clipped by the rocks.

    Valiant hadn''t moved too far away, but Ash''s companion still took note of the Rhyorn''s slow speed when repositioning itself to keep facing towards the young Ralts again. Ash could see the young Ralts crossing his arms thoughtfully.

    "Rhyhorn can''t maneuver well with its bulk, Valiant. Take advantage of that."

    Valiant nodded as Ash called out his next order.

    "Magical Leaf!"

    Training had paid off. Valiant''s Magical Leaf was stronger than ever, and shot out at Rhyhorn while glowing a bright, vibrant green. With Rhyhorn''s thick hide bolstering its defenses, a grass type move like Magical Leaf was the best tool that Valiant had for dealing any damage to it; they had to focus on Rhyhorn''s weaknesses.

    Unfortunately, the moment Ash had shouted out his order, Brock had coun tered with one of his own.

    "Use Flamethrower!"

    An order like that made Ash wonder if this Rhyhorn was even beginner level at all. Flamethrower wasn''t the most difficult fire type move to master, but it wasn''t the easiest either. Normally, even fire type Pokemon, which inevitably had the easiest time learning the move, still needed some experience under their belts before learning it.

    Of course, it immediately occured to Ash that this Flamethrower in particular wasn''t a complete one. The stream of fire that escaped from Rhyorn''s open maw wasn''t steady at all.

    Nevertheless, it had done its job as it shot out from Rhyorn''s maw and incinerated the glowing leaves. The remnants of the Flamethrower continued on flying right towards Valiant, but were immediately stopped by a quickly activated Light Screen.

    Imperfect Flamethrower or not, this Rhyhorn had to have been more experienced than Ash had initially thought that it was if it was even using a Move like Flamethrower. Ash doubted it was a high level Pokemon, but Brock had likely been training it for a decent amount of time. Enough for the Rhyhorn to at least get the basics of such a technique down, probably with the help of a TM.

    At the very least, the very brief first impression that they had gotten from Rhyhorn''s slight turning to face towards Valiant told Ash that his assumption on Rhyhorn''s mobility hadn''t been too far off.

    "Valiant, remember what I said about its maneuverability."

    Valiant nodded at the commandˇ­ right before sinking into Shadow Sneak.

    A look of bewilderment seemed to occupy the rhino''s face as Valiant''s shadow traveled underneath it. Shadow Sneak was a great Move for catching opponents off guard.

    As Ash watched the young Ralts rise up a few feet behind Rhyhorn, a small grin appeared on his face as he quickly realized Valiant''s plan.

    Since Rhyhorn couldn''t turn quickly, it wouldn''t be able to counter with Flamethrower in time if Valiant fired at it from behind-

    Unfortunately, Brock caught onto the plan just as quickly.

    "Protect!"

    A round, shimmering green barrier formed around Rhyhorn just as the Magical Leaf was fired. It wasn''t a perfect barrier by any stretch of the imagination, very clearly, this Protect was something that the rhino had only just recently learned.

    Nevertheless, it was enough to deflect the glowing emerald leaves as Ash and Valiant both huffed in frustration.

    "Your plan amounted to attacking from behind because most Rhyhorn aren''t very mobile when not running straight forward." Brock stated matter of factly. With crossed arms, he spat out his next sentence. "Do you really think that I would deserve my position if I had left such a blatantly obvious weakness unaddressed?"

    Ash clenched his fists at that, but reminded himself not to let the Gym Leader get to him.

    The rock specialist was just trying to frustrate him. Get him to make a misplay. Intimidate him into giving up. Anything to keep that badge away from him and his team.

    But they weren''t leaving here without it, and they were about to show Brock exactly that.

    As the Rhyhorn turned around to face the young Ralts, Valiant immediately teleported a few yards away to clear some distance between them. He was closer to Brock''s side of the battlefield now, and Ash had to focus to get a clear view of him.

    It didn''t help that some of those jutting boulders were still in the way.

    Ash saw Valiant disappear behind one of them, likely trying to use it as cover. Brock seemed amused by that.

    Rhyhorn stalked around the battlefield, heading off in the direction where Valiant had disappeared too. Its legs made loud stomping noises as it moved throughout.

    Valiant appeared behind it again, but a quick warning from Brock immediately had the Protect barrier once again deflecting the Magical Leaf.

    Valiant was thinking on his own pretty well. Although Brock probably found the young Ralts'' strategies to be predictable, Ash was impressed that Valiant was this capable of thinking on his feet. Pokemon were often known for taking matters into their own hands when in battle, but Valiant still showed a surprising amount of initiative for a beginner level Pokemon. Could it be early signs of a gifted tactician? Ash wasn''t too sure, but he certainly hoped so.

    As Rhyhorn began turning around yet again to face the young psychic/fairy type, Ash began racking his brain for potential ideas. The rhino''s fierce eyes pierced into Valiant as the young Ralts flinched for the briefest of split seconds, before suddenly steadying himself, taking a battle stance as he braced himself with a glare of his own.

    "Thunderbolt!" Brock was acting quickly as usual, and Rhyhorn responded with equal initiative as it carried out its Trainer''s orders. Ash had to admit that he was both impressed and intimidated by how on top of things that Brock and his Pokemon constantly were.

    A bolt of lightning made a sizzling noise as it escaped from the rock/ground type beast''s horn, but it quickly found itself being halted by a strong Light Screen, as Valiant steadfastly braced himself from within his protective golden cube.

    As both Pokemon ceased their techniques, it occurred to Ash that Brock had most likely focused on teaching this Rhyhorn as many Moves as possible, in order to combat the traditional opponents and strategies that would most likely be used against it.

    Flamethrower for handling grass types. Thunderbolt for handling water types. Protect for covering blind spots. Rhyhorn''s arsenal was well built, but Ash knew that such a thing should be expected from a Gym Leader. It was never that simple in these types of battles.

    A tint of frustration appeared on his features, however.

    As impressive as it was, it had suddenly occurred to him that neither combatant seemed to have any means of hurting the other. Every attack was either countered or blocked. At this rate, it would all come down to whoever ran out of energy first. And in a war of attrition, Ash was unfortunately confident that Valiant would be tiring out much, much faster. The way that Rhyhorn had continuously been able to keep that Rock Blast up had said wonders for its stamina, and Ash wasn''t entirely sure if Valiant would be able to handle an overuse of his own techniques quite as much.

    But for now, they were at a stalemateˇ­

    Which Brock immediately tried to break.

    "Rhyhorn, knock it off balance with Magnitude, and then smash it with Take Down!"

    Ash had to cover his ears at the sudden roar the escaped from Rhyhorn''s maw. Valiant let out a startled cry of shock as he did the same, looking up and watching as the massive beast reared back on its hind legsˇ­ and then slammed its front legs down on the ground, suddenly thrashing around against the battlefield with enough brute force to make Ash grateful to not be on the battlefield himself right nowˇ­ while simultaneously, suddenly being concerned for Valiant''s safety.

    Would the young Ralts even survive getting hit by a beast like that?

    Those thoughts immediately left his mind however as he watched in shock, as the battlefield began to tremor from the massive beatdown that the Rhyhorn was currently giving it.

    Although the barriers protected the rest of the giant room from feeling the effects, Ash could see the battlefield shaking rapidly. Magnitude was a powerful move that could create tremors that shook the entire battlefield during the battle, perfect for situations like this when you wanted your opponent to be knocked over more easily. The move was unique in that it had multiple levels, with a Pokemon''s skill with the technique determining what levels that it currently had access to.

    This Rhyhorn probably did not have access to the highest levels of the technique just yet, but it very clearly had at least some handle on the move, and its massive brute strength very clearly did the rest.

    Ash recoiled as Valiant was inevitably knocked off of his feet by the constant shaking of the very ground itself, the young Ralts desperately looking for something to hold onto as his body was repeatedly sent bouncing painfully against the hard stone.

    Rhyhorn waited a few more moments for Valiant to be winded before ceasing its technique and charging forward. Theoretically, it could have kept the technique going right then and there, but perhaps this particular move was more taxing on it than any of the others were.

    Nevertheless, the shaking of the ground quickly returned, albeit not nearly as badly, as Rhyhorn rapidly charged forward with Take Down. The Move was a hard hitting one that was perfect for a Pokemon of Rhyhorn''s massive bulk.

    Valiant hadn''t had enough time to regain his balance, and the continuous shaking of the battlefield from Rhyhorn''s charging certainly wasn''t helping matters. Ash was just about to think that the battle was lost when the young Ralts, now on his knees, raised his head, as his eyes glowed a deep, bright blue.

    It was using Confusion, and that same blue color began to outline the Rhyhorn''s body as the charging beast began to slow down.

    Valiant was very clearly straining himself here. A massive beast of Rhyhorn''s bulk, charging forward at such high speeds? There was no way that Valiant would be able to stop it, but by some miracle, he was still able to slow it down.

    Doing his best to keep the technique going, Valiant slowly began rising to his feet, straining himself to keep his hold on the advancing Rhyhorn while still picking himself up. Ash couldn''t see it from so far away, but a gnasty bruise was on the young Ralts'' head from the Magnitude attack, while smaller bruises were on his left elbow and back.

    Gritting his teeth definitely, the young Ralts stood upright, releasing his hold on the Rhyhorn and activating Teleport as soon as he could.

    The Rhyhorn, who had been fighting against the young Ralts'' hold in order to regain its lost speed, suddenly found itself caught off guard as its full speed returned abruptly, just as quickly as it had left, and it suddenly found itself charging right into one of the jutted boulders, no longer adjusted to the speed that it was now going at due to the sudden fluctuation in momentum.

    The boulder exploded on impact, and Valiant immediately had to shield his ears from the place that he had teleported to, the shockwave from the blow briefly being felt before passing just as quickly as it had come.

    In the massive cloud of dust that had spawned from the explosion, Rhyhorn began shaking its head vigorously, reeling from the impact. As the dust slowly cleared, Valiant, attempting to take advantage of the recoil that the rhino was feeling, teleported behind it and fired off a Magical Leaf. The headache that he was now suffering from made it more difficult to concentrate on his Moves, especially Psychic Type Moves, but he persevered.

    Unfortunately, Brock had already called out for Rhyhorn to use Protect just as Valiant had made his Move, and the rhino had recovered just in time to do so, albeit only just barely.

    As Rhyhorn began turning around to once again face its opponent, Valiant began slowly backing away, prompting the rhino to begin stalking forward after catching the young Ralts in its eye.

    As Valiant began drawing closer back to his side of the battlefield, Ash took note of his companion''s injuries and frowned. If Rhyhorn had the stamina to keep the Magnitude up, it probably could have kept the technique up until Valiant was knocked out.

    But as the Rhyhorn continued to slowly advance, Ash could see the large bruise on its forehead, most likely from when it had rammed right into the jutted boulder.

    Although most Rhyhorn were durable enough to handle such a thing, this Rhyhorn, for as tough as it was, likely wasn''t on the same level as the higher level members of its species.

    That still didn''t help them, though. Although that Rhyhorn was now bruised up too, it still wasn''t beginning to start breathing heavily like Valiant was. The strain from holding onto Confusion like that, against an opponent that was very clearly capable of resisting it, followed up by an immediate use of Teleport, had very clearly taken quite a lot out of the young Ralts.

    They needed to end this quicklyˇ­ but howˇ­?

    Up until this point, they had only been trying to find ways to strike at Rhyhorn from an opening butˇ­

    They needed to do what Nebula had done against Geodude, and make sure Rhyhorn was unprepared first.

    "Valiant, use Hypnosis. Once it begins to feel tired, hit it with Magical Leaf."

    By now Valiant was almost right in front of him. The young Ralts nodded in the affirmative, the determined glare returning to his face, as he suddenly teleported right in front of the rhino behemoth''s face.

    Before Brock could call out any orders this time, Valiant''s eyes were glowing pink as he stared into Rhyhorn''s eyes, the massive beast completely caught off guard, not expecting the attack.

    The young Ralts was clearly straining himself against the surprised yuet resilient Rock-Ground Type beast, but continued to pout more and more power into the move nonetheless.

    "Flamethrower!"

    The moment the rhino''s eyelids had begun to droop, Brock had called out his order, and although the Rhyhorn was able to power through the Hypnosis in order to follow through with it, it took significantly more effort to do so than if it had been able to use Flamethrower freely.

    As soon as he had heard the order, Valiant had pressed one final surge into the Hypnosis, before canceling the attack and then diving down to the side. As the stream of fire escaped the rhino''s maw, this time even less steady than before due to the Rhyhorn being winded from the Hypnosis attack, Valiant took advantage of the distraction and fired off a Magical Leaf.

    The flames sputtered out as the beast howled in pain, the grass type move clashing against its thick hide. Large gashes slowly but surely began to form as the attack continued, but Valiant was eventually left panting and gasping for breaths as the young Ralts was forced to cancel the attack.

    Just as he had caught his breath, the rhino too had finished reeling from pain, and turned its head to spit another stream of Flamethrower over at its opponent. Dodging to the side, Valiant sunk into Shadow Sneak and moved himself over to Rhyhorn''s other side, landing a powerful Magical Leaf point blank.

    As the beast once again recoiled in pain, Valiant sank into Shadow Sneak again, this time appearing behind the beast. The young Ralts let out a determined cry at the top of his lungs as he let loose yet another Rhyhorn just barely managed to heed Brock''s order to use Protect, it was in too much pain to muster as much of the technique as it could, and as fast, The now feeble green barrier deflected the first few leaves before shattering and leaving the Rhyhorn open to the remaining ones. Valiant was straining himself like crazy to keep on firing at his full power, while using Shadow Sneak right beforehand no less, but to Ash''s amazement, the young psychic fairy type was persevering.

    Rhydon sank to the ground, collapsing onto the battlefield with a loud thud.

    "Rhyhorn is unable to battle! Ralts wins!"

    Filled with joy as Forrest made the announcement, Ash beamed at Valiant as the exhausted Ralts making his way back to him.

    "Valiantˇ­" he looked down at the Ralts, who was returning his smile with equal enthusiasm. "You were amazing!"

    He really was. Valiant had demonstrated fantastic initiative throughout the battle, heeding Ash''s warnings and orders and using them as building blocks for his own strategies and split second choices.

    A red beam of light engulfed Rhyhorn as the beast was sucked back into Brock''s Poke Ball. Holding the orb in his hand, Brock lowered his arm as he eyed Ash evenly.

    "Soˇ­ perhaps your little monologue wasn''t just for the sake of hearing yourself talk after all." His gaze intensified. "You still haven''t proven that it''s going to change anything, though." he began reclipping Rhyhorn''s Poke Ball and unclipping another.

    Ash glared back at him, his fists clenching as Valiant took another battle stance, the young Ralts doing his best to remain stoic despite his obvious exhaustion and injuries.

    ''Don''t let him intimidate you, Ash.'' the young boy thought to himself. ''That is exactly what he wants. Fire back!''

    "Then we''ll just keep fighting until we have."

    As Valiant nodded the affirmative, Brock''s lips tugged upwards, holding up his Poke Ball." Heh. You''re starting to amuse me a bit. But it will take a lot more than that to get me to lose focus."

    Geodude reappeared on the rocky field.

    Ash looked down at the panting Ralts, who was doing his best to hide his condition." Valiantˇ­ can you keep going?"

    At Valiant''s nod, the Ralts turning his head slightly to give his trainer a determined look, Ash nodded back with equal determination before raising his head to observe their opponent.

    Both Pokemon were injured from their previous battles. Valiant was tired, but was powering through his exhaustion with everything he could. Geodude was wounded pretty badly, but kept itself upright and fought through the pain.

    This was a contest between two Pokemon who refused to give in.

    "Valiantˇ­ that Geodude beat Nebula before. But she left behind those injuries. Focus on the gash. One Magical Leaf should do the trick."

    Valiant nodded firmly, fixing his glare onto his rock/ground type opponent.

    Valiant didn''t waste any time as Forrest gave the signal. With unrivaled defiance, the Feeling Pokemon began forming an emerald ball of energy in his hands, charging up his Magical Leaf to end the fight quickly.

    But Brock was already giving orders. "Stone Blockade!"

    The same large rock that had previously shielded Geodude from Nebula''s Wind Blast was now doing the same thing against Valiant''s Magical Leaf. Although the emerald leaves slowly began to chip away at the makeshift shield, the Ralts quickly subsided the attack, realizing how taxing it would be to keep it up.

    "Throw it!"

    Once again, Geodude chucked the rock at its opponent, but Valiant had already changed tactics, sinking down into Shadow Sneak as the rock sailed over his head.

    The shadow of the Ralts moved around the battlefield, circling around Geodude in an attempt to catch the Pokemon on off guard. One Magical Leaf, especially to the gash, would end it all.

    But Brock already realised what was going on. "Move around the battlefield with Rollout, Geodude! Don''t stay in one place!"

    Retracting its arms, the Geodude, still powering through the pain of its injuries, began rolling through the rocky battlefield at the fastest speeds that it could muster.

    Valiant continued circling after it, both pokemon attempting to outmaneuver each other in different ways.

    But Ash was nervous. No doubt Brock was trying to wait the Ralts out. Ash wasn''t sure how long that Valiant could keep Shadow Sneak up, even after all of the training, there was still probably a limit, given that the Ralts was still a beginner level pokemon. Not to mention the exhaustion that Valiant had already been feeling from his previous bout.

    Valiant seemed to be thinking the same thing however, but Ash soon realized with awe that the Ralts had a plan.

    Once again, Valiant used a jutted boulder as cover, keeping his shadow hidden from view as as Geodude approached.

    Once the rolling Pokemon was within firing range, Valiant''s shadow darted out of the hiding place. Rising up, Valiant greeted his opponent with the strongest Magical Leaf his exhausted body would allow him to use.

    The Geodude let out a wail of anguish as the emerald leaves smacked into its rolling form. The impact of the blow forced it out of Rollout, the Pokemon sailing through the air, and towards Valiant.

    Clearly in pain, and having now been pushed past its limits by that last hit, Geodude raised a slightly glowing fist as it attempted to bring a last ditch effort Mega Punch down onto Valiant.

    But as the falling rock/ground type pokemon descended, Valiant, just as blatantly defiant as his opponent, erected a last minute Reflect that boxed him in one final time.

    The Mega Punch was weak, but given more force behind the blow with the gravity of the fall. The Reflect was imperfect from Valiant''s exhaustion, but held up through every last bit of vigor that the Feeling Pokemon could still muster.

    The silver cube shattered on impact, the shockwaves repelling both combatants as the concussive force of the clash showed no mercy to either of them. Geodude was blown back and rolled along the ground for a good few seconds while Valiant was knocked onto his back with abrupt speed, both Pokemon hitting the ground with a mighty thud.

    As both Pokemon attempted to push themselves upwards, both of their trainers were already preparing their Poke Balls as they realized that this was the end. Eventually, after a good few seconds, the two Pokemon, after struggling to give up, collapsed backwards halfway through.

    Geodude had been finished by that final Magical Leaf, and although it had used what remaining strength that it could to let loose that final Mega Punch, it was no longer able to ignore the pain.

    Valiant, after receiving a blow to his already bruised head from the shockwaves of the Mega Punch shattering Reflect, could no longer hold back his exhaustion regardless of how stubborn that the young Ralts continued to attempt to be.

    Two defiant Pokemon until the bitter end, having lost the last of their strength in the exact same moment.

    "Both Geodude and Ralts are unable to battle! We have a draw!"

    At Forrest''s declaration, both trainers returned their Pokemon in a beam of red light.

    Ash let out a deep sigh before turning the Poke Ball in his hand, looking down at the orb with a sad smile.

    "You were incredible Valiant, thank you."

    As Ash reclipped Valiant''s Poke Ball and took hold of Pikachu''s he realized that this was it. The make or break moment.

    Both him and Brock had one Pokemon left. This next battleˇ­ would decide the match.

    Pikachu appeared in front of him, his Starter letting out a battle cry and immediately sinking down onto all fours upon realizing where they were.

    "Pikachuˇ­" said Ash carefully. "You''re the last one left. Brock only has one Pokemon left, too. Nebula and Valiant gave it their all to get us here. Let''s make that final push!"

    Pikachu was quick to shout in agreement, cheeks blazing with electricity as he growled on ahead with as much viciousness as his cute voice could muster.

    Brock unclipped his final Poke Ball as he continued to eye Ash harshly.

    "I''ll admit you made it further than I thought you would, Mr. Ketchum." he spoke sternly as usual. "But no Gym Leader in the world would allow a battle to be turned around so easily."

    Before Ash could think of a response, Brock''s Poke Ball opened.

    And out cameˇ­

    The white light materialized into a new creature, and Ash and Pikachu suddenly gaped in shock as the forming Pokemon continued to rise, higher and higher.

    And then the light dissipated, and an immense shadow was suddenly casted over a great portion of the battlefield.

    In the stands, a couple of the spectators were snapping pictures of the giant creature that had been spawned from Brock''s Poke Ball.

    There, right on the battlefield, towering over Ash and Pikachu, easily over two dozen feet high, the final hurdle between them and their first ever gym Badge, letting out an earth shattering roar that shook the buildingˇ­

    Was a giant serpent of stone.

    Onix were not commonly used for a variety of reasons. Such creatures were incredibly difficult to train and raise because of their sheer size alone, and although there were areas in Indigo where they could be easily found, these places were all incredibly hard to reach. These Pokemon were most often found in the deepest depths of the most mountainous areas, although they were not native to every Region.

    They were among the most rare Pokemon to be used on the battlefield as a direct result of their incredibly high difficulty to raise and extreme habitats, but were nevertheless some of the most iconic Pokemon out there. Some of the most popular and iconic nature documentaries were focused with great dedication on the exploration of their habitats, and any Onix that was used in an official battle was given almost immediate attention.

    Pikachu was back on his hind legs now, backing away slowly until his back pressed against the barrier, his face pale from the emergence of the frightening foe and the behemoth serpent''s thundering roar.

    "Pikachuˇ­" Ash just barely managed to squeak out. Shaking his head vigorously, he did what he could to snap out of it as he looked down at his Starter. "Rememberˇ­ this is our moment."

    Looking up at his new trainer, Pikachu locked eyes with Ash, the two holding each other''s gaze for a moment before the young mouse''s eyes matched Ash''s increasingly determined gaze.

    If Brock wanted to throw an Onix at them, then so be it. They were still not leaving this Gym without that badge.

    "Listen Pikachuˇ­" Ash''s breath caught in his throat as he attempted to inhale and calm his nerves. Struggling, he exhaled deeply, feeling an unrivaled surge of emotions wash over him as he continued to gaze down at his Starter. It was time. "That Onix is part ground type. Your electricity won''t do anything. Try to get on top of it and strike with Iron Tail and Brick Break every chance you get." he turned his gaze upwards, doing his best to look tough in front of the towering serpent glowering down on them. "One direct hit from that titan and you''ll probably fall for sureˇ­ avoid its every attack. Keep Quick Attack going as much as you possibly can, never stop maintaining momentum. And don''t forget about Double Team." he looked back down at his starter, and the two locked eyes again. "This is it. This is our team''s victory and no one else''s."

    The mouse''s cheeks were blazing again, lightning crackling along Pikachu''s entire body. Letting out yet another battle cry, he returned down to all fours, and stalked forward.

    Brock''s arms were crossed as he eyed Ash stoically. Ash met his gaze, and this time, he did not look away.

    Onix eyed Pikachu with malice, as if the mouse was nothing more than prey to it. Pikachu raised his head to meet the gaze of his adversary, the two Pokemon locking eyes as they glowered into each other''s gazes with a fierceness that radiated throughout the room.

    Their first ever Gym battle. Their first ever Gym badge. All decided by one final bout.

    Two trainers and two Pokemon. Nothing more, nothing less.

    There was no hesitation. The moment Forrest gave the signal, both parties blazed into action.

    The battle was on.

    And there was no warm up.

    Pikachu launched himself forward, bounding across the battlefield as Quick Attack did its thing.

    It was almost as though the young mouse was twice as fast as he once was.

    Seemingly endless training navigating rocky terrain, maintaining Quick Attack, and bolstering his speed.

    This was where all of that had finally reached its climax.

    The mouse was a yellow blur.

    The Onix roared.

    Both trainers watched.

    The electric mouse zipped through the battlefield as though he were a bolt of lightning himself, and suddenly, Onix moved.

    The behemoth let out another roar.

    And made an abrupt diving motion as it charged head first towards Ash''s Starter.

    Before Ash could react, Pikachu had moved too, Onix sailing past him and head first into the ground.

    The shockwaves.

    The battlefield trembled more than Rhyhorn could ever make it, but Pikachu''s dexterity and training in maintaining his balance allowed him to keep his bearings just long enough to plant himself firmly into the ground with Iron Tail.

    It was a natural reflex at this point. Whenever Pikachu was in danger of falling, his Iron Tail would be there to save him.

    Onix''s massive body continued to sink into the ground, the massive beast burrowing underneath the battlefield. As it''s body continued to descend, Pikachu returned to his dashing as the tremors began to subside just barely enough for him to no longer be obstructed.

    The battlefield started shaking even more as Onix completed its descent, its entire body now underground as the last of its massive tail disappeared underneath. Pikachu maintained his glare.

    And then Onix burst out from under the rocks.

    It had attempted to launch itself upwards headfirst, right from under where Pikachu was. But Pikachu''s movements were too quick.

    But this Onix was quick too. Ash couldn''t help but wonder if it would have been just as much of a blur as Pikachu was if its massive size didn''t make it so much easier to notice.

    As Onix continued to rise from underneath the rocky terrain, the shockwaves of its movements radiated across the arena. Ash was almost convinced that the barriers were the only things keeping the building from collapsing.

    Pikachu maintained Quick Attack throughout it all. No matter how many times Onix tried to put him down, he would never stop moving.

    Blitzing forward at breakneck speeds. Bounding with each pair of paws. Landing on the uneven terrain just right to not lose his balance while still maintaining speed. Traversing the rocky landscape with perfection. Maintaining Quick Attack the entire time. Never running out of stamina. All what he had trained for.

    The monster''s eyes followed the mouse like a predator, waiting to snatch Pikachu at any moment. But Pikachu kept on running, never showing any signs of slowing down.

    Onix made another diving motion.

    This time it had predicted where Pikachu would be, charging downwards towards the very spot that Pikachu would be at when it struck.

    But Pikachu flawlessly changed direction as Onix''s head smashed down into a jutted boulder, the rocky serpent once again descending underground.

    The tremors were back. Another Iron Tail to keep himself planted within the stone.

    And then running again.

    When Onix rose this time, it kept itself half buried in the ground, charging after Pikachu with a mighty roar that was partially filtered by the ground itself, but still only added to the tremors.

    Opening its maw as it closed in on its target, Onix let out a roar of triumph as Pikachu was forced to halt himself, slamming an Iron Tail down on the ground in order to cancel out his momentum.

    But then Pikachu pushed himself upwards, using the force of the Iron Tail to sail through the air and above Onix''s head. As the creature''s frustrated roar at its infuriating failure echoed throughout the room, Pikachu brought the metallic tail down onto the massive behemoth''s back.

    The cracking noise was almost deafening as Pikachu dove downwards with Quick Attack before flipping himself over to deliver the blow.

    The Onix howled in rage.

    Pikachu once again used the force to propel himself upwards and landed on all fours, breaking into a sprint the moment his paws touched the rocks.

    The beast rose upwards.

    Pikachu''s Iron Tail was fully mastered now. After using it as much as he did throughout Viridian Forest, and the time that he had spent honing it in Pewter City in preparation of this battle, his tail was now fully coated in metal whenever he used the powerful Move. Not to mention the amount of practice that he had put into the Move had been great exercise for his tail itself, strengthening the young mouse''s tail, and, by extension, strengthening the Move even more.

    Brock shouted at the top of his lungs, in order to ensure that he would be heard.

    "Rock Blast!"

    The behemoth''s mouth opened to let lose a bombardment of stone shards that rained down on the battlefield after Pikachu.

    Not slowing down his run, the young mouse darted from side to side, evading the stones as they came.

    Thanks to Elacia''s suggestion to add it to his training regiment, Pikachu was now capable of avoiding attacks without slowing down his traversal of the uneven terrain.

    Ceasing its assault, the Onix switched tactics upon hearing Brock''s next order.

    "Slam!"

    The still running mouse gazed upwards as Onix''s tail rose into full view. A massive tremor shook the very core of the battlefield as the serpent''s tail was brought down in full force.

    This time, although Pikachu had once again managed to avoid the blow, it was a much closer call than before. The young mouse was unable to avoid the shockwave that was unleashed by the sheer force of the blow, and cried out in pain as the shockwave slammed into him, hitting his side and launching him into the air.

    A Pokemon as light as Pikachu, hit by a shockwave created by a Pokemon as heavy as Onix. Ash clenched his fist tightly, feeling the sweat dripping down his cheek, but sighed in relief as Pikachu steadied his landing by once again slamming an Iron Tail into the ground as he approached the terrain, and then immediately afterward, used that same Iron Tail to propel himself forward, and resumed running with Quick Attack.

    Yet another reason why the week''s worth of training had benefited the team so much: It was the whole reason why Pikachu had developed that habit in the first place.

    Repositioning itself, the massive stone behemoth looked to around to get Pikachu in its sights againˇ­

    Only to see two Pikachu darting across the battlefield instead of one.

    Ash grinned. Double Team had done its job.

    With the Onix bewildered by the sight of two pikachu sprinting across the rocky battlefield at the same time, Ash capitalised on the moment of confusion.

    "Get on top of Onix and use Iron Tail!"

    Whether Pikachu had actually heard Ash''s loud shout over the frustrated roar of the beast, or if the young mouse had simply gotten the same exact idea, Ash would never know. Nevertheless, the mouse had done exactly as he wanted.

    Both Pikachu rushed over to the stone behemoth, alternating between each other with well timed zigzags in an effort to confuse the Onix even further, before the clone finally fizzled out as Pikachu canceled the technique and climbed onto Onix''s rocky body.

    Iron Tail at the ready, Pikachu slammed the attack down onto Onix, another furious roar of pain erupting from the creature''s mouth.

    As the roar died down, Ash did his absolute best to ensure that Pikachu could hear him as he cupped his hands and called out.

    "Get to the top and strike it on the head!"

    Following up on its successful attack, Pikachu flipped himself over with his paws as Brock frantically shouted orders. Before Onix could do much, Pikachu brought his tail down again, inciting yet another roar of pain, and then used the momentum from the blow to scale even higher.

    Landing on all fours, Pikachu dashed up Onix''s body and then leapt up with a flip, somersaulting in the air as he ascended over the beast''s head.

    Perhaps a week ago, Pikachu might have froze up, or at least been nervous, about being so high in the air. But a few sessions of riding on Nebula''s back had quelled most of those nerves, and the electric mouse''s adrenaline rush did the rest.

    As Onix raised its head towards the mouse, its mouth opened, allowing the shards of Rock Blast to emerge from it as they rocketed towards pikachu. Raising his tail, Pikachu shielded himself from the onslaught as the metallic coating did its work, deflecting the rock shards before they could strike the electric mouse. The force of the attack propelled Pikachu upwards, and the mouse did a backward flip to angle himself, landing on all fours on the rocky behemoth, hanging on near the top of its neck.

    "Burrow underground with Dig!"

    Ash snarled at Brock''s order, realizing that he was trying to force Pikachu off now. "Brick Break, and quickly!"

    As Onix prepared itself to dive downwards, Pikachu raised a glowing fist and slammed it into the back of the behemoth''s neck.

    Not allowing the angered roar of pain from the flinching beast to deter him, even when he was so close to the source of the sound, Pikachu made his move, once again flipping himself over with a somersault as he rose over the behemoth''s head.

    This time, there was nothing stopping him from bringing his metallic tail down.

    BAM!

    The massive beast reeled from the mighty blow, the impact pushing Onix''s head, along with the rest of its upper body, forward as Pikachu descended into free fall. Somersaulting downwards, pikachu struck the ground with yet another Iron Tail, breaking his fall from over two dozen feet high in the air.

    Scaling the beast''s body would have been a lot more difficult for Pikachu about a week ago. But after all of the climbing training that he had done, it was now doable, at the very least.

    For once, Pikachu did not run as he returned down to all fours, instead taking the moment to catch his breath.

    It was a breath, Ash realized quickly, that the mouse Pokemon had very clearly needed. Between maintaining Quick Attack for as long as he had, usage of Double Team, and the numerous attacks that he had launched, not to mention the blow to the side that he had received from the shockwave of Onix''s Slam attack, the young mouse was letting out deep breaths, panting as he gazed down at the rocky ground.

    Ash grimaced. This battle was taking its toll on Pikachu. The adrenaline rush was simply doing a good job at hiding it. Not to mention that Onix''s thunderous roars couldn''t possibly be very good for Pikachu''s sensitive earsˇ­

    Over on Brock''s side of the battlefield, Onix had finally recovered from the painful blow that Pikachu had slammed into its skull, having shaken its head back and forth for a good few seconds in an effort to get the pain to go away. Now it leered down at the mouse, the size of its head and its height preventing Ash from noticing the deep gash that the Iron Tail had left behind.

    Onix had very clearly taken a lot more damage than Pikachu in this fight so far, but as far as stamina was concerned, Pikachu seemed to be declining faster.

    Brock seemed to take note of this, of course. "Your Pikachu is clearly determined, Ash." his voice remained stoic. "But, it''s clear that it''s reaching its limit. How long do you think it can keep this up?"

    Ash''s fists were clenched as he glared across the battlefield at the Gym Leader.

    He wouldn''t throw in the towel now. He had faith in his Starter.

    "As long as it takes." he said matter of factly. Glancing over to the young mouse, he smiled encouragingly. "Right, Pikachu?"

    Glancing back to his trainer, Pikachu''s determined chirp was the only response.

    Brock''s lips tugged upwards. Ash couldn''t tell from this far away on the battlefield, but this time, the Gym Leader''s smile was not an antagonistic one.

    "We''ll see." the Gym Leader simply responded. He raised his voice into a shout. "Dragon Breath!"

    Ash inwardly started. Onix could use dragon type moves?!

    Apparently it could, because the stone behemoth complied. Opening its humongous mouth, the serpent of stone fired a purple stream of flames that descended downward towards the mouse.

    Pikachu broke into Quick Attack again. Ignoring the fatigue, and having spent several moments gasping for air in an attempt to regain its bearings, the mouse''s break was over. Once again it sprinted across the battlefield at the fastest speeds that it could manage, as a huge explosion of dust erupted from the part of the battlefield that he had just been standing on mere moments ago, having been struck by the powerful Dragon Breath.

    "Fire your attack across the battlefield! Rapid fire! Prioritize the boulders!"

    Pikachu was left scrambling as blast after blast descended upon the battlefield, their targets being nothing in particular. Massive boulders shattered into huge clouds of dust upon the impact, and as his vision on certain parts of the battlefield became more and more obscured, Ash quickly realized what Brock was planning.

    Pikachu could no longer see where he was going, but Onix was still in its natural element. The young Trainer wasn''t sure if Onix could see very clearly either, but nevertheless, the changes to the battlefield would be less jarring for the mountain native creature. A clear advantage.

    But there was something else that Ash hadn''t considered, something just as important.

    As the clouds of dust entered Pikachu''s path, and the young mouse found himself blazing right through them, Pikachu''s running began to slow, as the electric mouse began coughing as the dust entered his lungs, squeezing his teary eyes shut as the dust burned into his pupils.

    The mouse no longer able to pay full attention to his path, distracted by both the pain and the dust clouds, the Onix finally hit its mark.

    Pikachu''s blood curdling scream left Ash shivering, the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to raise as the purple flames landed upon the young mouse. Ash frantically shouted words of encouragement to his starter as Pikachu sank to the ground in pain.

    "This is the end, Onix! Snatch that Pikachu up with Dig!"

    Onix''s blaring roar filled the air as the beast descended downwards. Diving towards Pikachu, it opened its maw wide for what was sure to be the final blow.

    Pikachu''s surroundings turned to darkness as the behemoth''s shadow enveloped him. He could hear Ash calling out for a counterattack.

    Images of Nebula''s smile and Valiant''s determination flashed by through the young mouse''s mind.

    This Onix was ruthless. It was almost like the Pokemon that the young mouse had known as a Pichu. The aggressive troublemakers with little sense of reason or control. And this fight was the most brutal that he had ever been in before. Everything that Ash had said to warn them about the intensity of Gym Battles had been true. But that hadn''t stopped Nebula or Valiant from giving it their all and doing everything that they could to get this far.

    Pikachu couldn''t let this stop him either. Ash had said that the young mouse would last long enough to win this battle, no matter how long that it took. And Pikachu was going to do just that. He would return his trainer''s faith in him. And he would pay back the efforts that his teammates had put in.

    That week of trainingˇ­ would not be for nothing.

    Powering through the excruciating pain in his now scorched back, Pikachu pressed an Iron Tail down against the ground, and launched himself forward to the side. Although the shockwaves of Onix''s dive slammed into his backside, and once again propelled him through the air, the mouse had avoided certain defeat.

    As the rest of Onix''s body sank into the ground again, Pikachu landed with an Iron Tail, launched himself forward, and then took off sprinting.

    He was no longer able to run at full speed with the pain and exhaustion that he felt, but if he really pushed himself, he could still come close.

    Feeling the tremors of the ground increasing nearby, Pikachu quickly changed direction as the Onix erupted out of the ground, roaring the mightiest of roars as its eyes darted across the battlefield for its prey.

    Doing his best to avoid the dust clouds, Pikachu made his way back to Ash. Behind him, Onix began to resume its barrage of Dragon Breath attacks at Brock''s command.

    Ash was racking his brain for solutions to this. Onix was fast, despite its size. Onix was powerful, just as its size would suggest. And Brock was the most ruthless Trainer that he had ever faced.

    And their strategy was on point, too. With those dust cloudsˇ­

    With those dust cloudsˇ­

    Ash was going to hate himself for this.

    As Pikachu stayed as close as he could to Ash''s side of the battlefield without staying in place, Ash raised his voice. With any luck, Pikachu could hear him over the sound of the explosions, but Brock, being much farther away, couldn''t.

    This last tactic needed to be kept a secret.

    "Listen, Pikachu! I can only say this once, soˇ­"

    It took only a few moments to explain the plan, Pikachu being able to decipher the implications as Ash simplified the description of the strategy to save time.

    It was a risky plan, for more reasons than one, but it was the only way to gain the upper hand in this situation.

    And although Ash knew that Pikachu was terrified of the strategy, the young mouse complied, once again putting his full trust into his Trainer, as he bolted right into the dust clouds. The dust had been growing as Onix assaulted the battlefield with more and more Dragon Breath attacks, aiming for Pikachu a good chunk of the time, and aiming elsewhere purely for the sake of kicking up the extra dust clouds in the first place.

    Ash gulped, and suddenly found that he could no longer breathe.

    This was it. It either worked or it didn''t. They either won or they lost.

    Would Brock see through his strategy? Would he fall for it? Somewhere in between? Only time will tell.

    Onix caught sight of Pikachu as the young mouse exited the mass of dust clouds and advanced towards it. It leered down at its prey, and suddenly, the look in its eyes grew triumphant as it saw how much slower the young mouse was now moving.

    Brock grinned viciously on the other side of the field.

    "It seems your Pokemon has finally run out of steam, Ketchum. It''s not even moving half as fast anymore."

    Ash''s gulp was back. His nerves froze up as his spine ran cold.

    "You''ve all fought hard today, but hopes and dreams just don''t cut it in my Gym. My only advice is to train harder if you decide that you want a rematch." He cupped his hands and raised his voice. "Onix! Put Pikachu down with Rock Slide!"

    Ash''s heart almost shot out of his body as the series of boulders materialized in the air. The rocks descended downwards, and Pikachu was now too slow to avoid them.

    Forrest watched as the electric mouse helplessly found the boulders closing in. It was a shame that it had ended this way, after all of the effort that they had put into making a comeback.

    But that was just how Gym battles went. You needed to be more than a good Trainer to earn your badges.

    Everyone watching in the stands seemed to have realized that it was over as well. That Brock''s latest challenger had just barely come up short, and that their Gym Leader had scored himself yet another victory. Everyone knew that the battle was now over.

    Until the first boulder landed right on top of Pikachuˇ­ and the electric mouse fizzled out of existence.

    Brock started.

    Onix blinked.

    And Ash just grinned.

    With the dust clouds obscuring so much view, Brock had no ideaˇ­ that Pikachu had used Double Team.

    Cupping his hands, Ash shouted as loud as his lungs permitted him.

    "PIKACHU, NOW!"

    The real Pikachu blitzed out of the mass of dust clouds as Onix remained off guard.

    Waiting in the dust clouds for Ash''s signal had been murder for the young mouse; but for Nebula''s sake, for Valiant''s sake, for Ash''s sake, Pikachu had persevered.

    Pikachu closed in fast as the last of the Rock Slide descended onto the ground. Weaving in between the falling boulders, the young mouse lunged forward, a glowing fist outstretched as he punched Onix with the strongest Brick Break that he could muster. It connected with ferocity.

    Onix reeled back at the impact, and Ash capitalized as he attempted to shout over the beast''s roar of pain.

    "To the top! Now!"

    Pikachu didn''t need to be told twice. Quickly climbing on top of Onix''s body, the young mouse darted upwards with Quick Attack. The electric mouse was a blur as Ash''s Starter blitzed his way up Onix''s body, scaling the serpent as fast as its exhausted yet determined body could muster.

    It seemed just like yesterday that Ash and his Starter had not seen eye to eye. That they had not been in sync with each other in battle. And yet, in this moment, it had almost felt like years had gone by.

    Neither member of the duo would forget their rocky start. Not because they had enjoyed it, but because they didn''t enjoy it at all. Because it had been important. Important for them to never take their newfound synchronization for granted. They knew what it was like for a Trainer and a Pokemon to be unable to cooperate with each other.

    And as they closed in for the finish, both of them knew that they would never let it happen between the two of them ever again. And this battle had solidified that.

    Pikachu reached the top of Onix''s head and launched himself upwards. Somersaulting through the air, the young mouse descended downwards towards his target. Towards the end of the battle. Towards their first ever Gym badge.

    "Let''s win this!" Ash shouted.

    "Oh no you don''t!" Brock was frantic now. "Rock Blast!"

    "Thunder Shock!" Ash countered as quickly as possible.

    Onix''s last minute blast of stone shards was quickly met with a blast of lightning that triggered a small explosion. Pikachu, too close to avoid the shockwaves, was painfully propelled upwards, but steadied himself as he continued to descend, his tail already glowing in its metallic aura.

    Pikachu''s electricity couldn''t harm Onix, but it could still most certainly be used to defend against attacks.

    "IRON TAIL!"

    Pikachu closed in on his opponent, swinging his tail downward as hard as his body could muster, as the electric mouse let loose the greatest body cry that his vocal cords would allow.

    BAM!

    Onix was sent reeling backwards as Pikachu''s final attack struck the side of its head.

    Ash gaped in awe as the beast descended towards the ground. A behemoth over two dozen feet tall. A behemoth made of stone. A serpent larger than life. An Onix.

    Slammed towards the ground by a tiny mouse.

    The greatest tremor of the entire battle rocked the battlefield without mercy as the serpent came crashing down to earth. Ash could see the barriers shimmering from the impact as Onix''s landing created an explosion of dust that obscured his vision from most of the battlefield. He couldn''t see Brock anymore, and the dust rose higher than any of it had ever done so previously.

    Pikachu somersaulted through the air as he descended downward, the shockwaves from Onix''s fall painfully launching him forward. As the mouse sailed back towards Ash''s side of the battlefield, he instinctively slammed one last Iron Tail down on the ground.

    But this one was not strong enough to completely break his fall. His energy all used up, Pikachu was lightly propelled into the air, bouncing painfully on the stone battlefield and rolling head over heels towards Ash. He stopped just at Ash''s feet, and, now in a sitting position, gazed up at his Trainer, his head and fur bloodied with cuts, and his back burnt with charred, crispy fur.

    Ash''s eyes met with Pikachu''s. The mouse looked exhausted, everything about his posture indicating a creature that was positively spent. Eventually, Ash moved his gaze upwards after a few seconds, surveying the battlefield. Taking deep breaths, the mouse turned his head backwards, taking in the battlefield just like Ash was, not moving from his sitting position. He was out of energy. Out of just about everything.

    The dust was beginning to clear, but it was doing so painfully slowly. A devastated arena filled with shattered boulders and holes from where Onix had burrowed.

    But as the dust finally, slowly but surely, began to clear up just enough for everybody to take it in, the greatest sight of all, was the unconscious Onix sprawled out across the terrain.

    It was a sight that Ash could not process. Something too good to be true. An outcome that was only possible in his personal fantasies.

    Until Forrest''s voice filled his ears, and triumphantly brought him back to the real world.

    "Onix is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" The young boy gestured over to Ash''s side of the battlefield. "The victory goes to our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

    It had all come to an end now.

    First shock.

    Then disbelief.

    And thenˇ­ triumph. Satisfaction. Joy.

    "PIKACHU!" Suddenly unable to contain himself, Ash scooped up his Starter and pulled him into an ecstatic embrace. "You''re the greatest, buddy! You all are!"

    Had Ash not been so overwhelmed with emotion, he might have heard the clapping from the stands, or noticed the look of respect and acceptance on Brock''s face as Onix was sucked into the beam of red light.

    But all of that was completely drowned out by his racing thoughts, and the feeling of Pikachu''s yellow fur against his skin. He didn''t even care that his Starter''s blood might get on him. That wasn''t part of his thoughts right now.

    Their first ever gym battle. Their most important battle yet. Their most difficult battle yet.

    And they had won.

    Exhausted but overjoyed, Pikachu let out a satisfied squeak as his cheek brushed against Ash''s. At the moment, there wasn''t just trust between the two of them. Right now, as Pikachu snuggled up with his Trainer, the mouse was feeling genuine affection.

    The sound of footsteps brought them back to the world, and Ash turned to see Brock making his way towards them, flanked by a slightly shaken Forrest. Pikachu turned his head to see the two approaching as well, and was set down by Ash as gently as possible, returning to his sitting position as he craned his head upwards towards the humans.

    "Impressive." Although the powerful aura in his voice remained, the tone was no longer harsh. "Using your opponent''s strategy against them is fundamental to just about any kind of Pokemon battle, but it is rare for a beginner level Trainer such as yourself to take that kind of initiative in your first ever Gym battle."

    Ash eyed Brock carefully, but the joy flowing through him didn''t leave his heart. He wasn''t sure if the rush of their victory would ever wear off at this rate.

    Brock reached into his pocket as he continued to speak. Forrest stayed slightly behind him as he watched the exchange.

    "You had a rough start with your Starly, but something changed in you in the moment when everything mattered. When you were left feeling hopeless, when running away seemed like the perfect choice to make, you stayed and fought. And so did your team."

    Ash''s eyes widened at the small object that the Gym Leader pulled out and held in his hand.

    "You never would have accomplished anything if you took the easy way out like that. And you seemed to know that. Not many rookie trainers can clear a Gym this early, but since you''ve passed the test, I''m proud to give you this." he extended his hand, the small object resting safely in his palm. "The symbol of your victory today. The Boulder Badge."

    Ash gazed at the object for a good few seconds.

    It was something that he was never sure he''d see in person. Something that his subconscious had told him was just an ideal that he could never properly pursue. A symbol of success. Something that he could never achieve.

    But it was here. Right now. In front of him. And it was for him, specifically.

    Reaching out slowly, as if afraid that the badge would disappear the moment his hand got too close, Ash took hold of the object delicately, raising it in front of his face with a trembling hand.

    His cheeks felt wet.

    Locking eyes with his Starter once again, Ash found himself and Pikachu exchanging smiles. A small nod was made by the young Trainer as his Starter''s smile grew into a beam.

    Two weeks together. Including a week''s worth of training for this specific battle. The fruits of their labor had come in the form of something so small, so tiny, and yet, so meaningful.

    They had taken their first step towards the Indigo Plateau. Towards the ultimate goal for all Pokemon Trainers under Indigo''s banner.

    And they had done it together.

    Him. Pikachu. Nebula. Valiant. They''d earned this. It was all theirs.

    Brock''s voice brought him back to reality as the young Trainer locked eyes with his ruthless opponent, who had pushed him and his team farther than he could have ever thought possible. The first of many Gym Leaders that they would have to face and overcome, and an opponent that none of them would ever soon be forgetting.

    "Half a month into the Season and you''ve already earned your first badge. That puts you twice as far as your average rookie." his lips were sticking up. "Way to go, kid."

    "You''ll be behind forever loser-" Gary''s voice was shut out of his mind as he gazed back down at the badge in his palm. The outcome of their victory.

    None of it mattered anymore. The insults. The neglect. The ostracization. What reason did he even have to care?

    This badge was the antithesis of all of that. The object itself was a clear confirmation to Ash that he had proved them all wrong.

    But most importantly of all, it was vindication towards everybody that had ever expressed faith in him.

    Vindication for the three wonderful Pokemon that called him their Trainer.

    What Gary and the others saidˇ­ it couldn''t dictate what he was. Not anymore. Not when he, and, most importantly of all, his team, had just defied every insult that Gary had at the ready. Every belief that Gary and the others seemed to hold.

    What reason did he even haveˇ­ to care anymore?

    If Ash ever ran into Gary again, he''d beat him. Plain and simple. But he had no real reason to fixate on that.

    He didn''t care about Gary. He didn''t care about Gary''s followers. They had never given him a reason to.

    And so he wouldn''t.

    It didn''t matter if Gary was better. It didn''t matter who was destined for greatness. Ash Ketchum was not at the bottom anymore. And he never would be at the bottom, ever again.

    And he was just getting started.

    They were just getting started.

    This time, the young boy brought himself back to reality.

    "Thank youˇ­" he eyed Brock carefully. His voice was trembling a bit, but he was getting better now. All of a suddenˇ­ it felt like his voice was coming outˇ­ a lot more clearly. "I''ve dreamed about this for so longˇ­ andˇ­"

    Brock''s arms were crossed. "Yesˇ­ it must beˇ­ niceˇ­ to have so much passion for something like this." As Ash knelt down to put the badge in his Badge Case, Brock pulled something else out. With an outstretched hand, he presented it to Ash. "One more thing I would like to give you."

    Standing back upright and eying the object in the Gym Leader''s hand, Ash blinked. "A TM?"

    "Rock Blast, one of my own personal favorites." As Ash took the disc carefully, Brock continued, watching the young trainer carefully placing it in his TM Case. "It''s perfect for quick rapid fire offense. If you ever get a Pokemon that can learn the Move, I''d recommend it."

    Nodding in silent thanks, a thought suddenly occurred to Ash. "How did your Geodude do that?"

    Brock frowned. "Do what?"

    "Thatˇ­ techniqueˇ­ where it created the large boulder shield? I think you called it Stone Blockadeˇ­"

    Brock perked up in understanding. "Oh, yeah, that. That was a modified form of Rock Throw. Instead of forming multiple rocks at once, I had Geodude focus all of his energy into creating a single, larger rock. It''s great for defense, and counterattacks as well." he frowned slightly. "I couldn''t figure out the details of your Starly''s wind attack at first, so I didn''t think to use it right away. An error on my part. Just like how I fell for your last trick with that Double Team."

    Ash nodded in understanding.

    "You''ll be facing off against a lot of opponents with unique techniques that you won;t be prepared for." Brock warned. "You''ve already started developing them yourself. If you want to keep up, you''ll have to keep making more. Don''t stop growing."

    Ash nodded. He would never stop. He could never stop. Now that he knew what it was like, to rise above everything that stood in his way, he would continue to do so.

    And he would ensure that he helped his team to do the same. They were all in this together, and he owed all of this to them.

    As he prepared to walk off, Brock made one last statement. "I can tell that something changed in you today, Ketchum. You''re not perfect, but you''re definitely a stronger person than when you first came in here." Eying the boy crucially, he continued. "It feels like a fire was lit in you." he turned around, looking back to the young boy as he prepared to leave. "Now that you''ve proven yourself, the rest of the Gym Leaders are going to be pushing you far harder than myself today. Don''t disappoint them. Keep tempering that resolve of yours. And make sure that fire never gets snuffed out. Find out how to make it blaze even brighter. You''ll need to. If you can do that, I''m sure that the Indigo Plateau will be in your future." with those final words of advice, he walked off, Forrest giving Ash a quick thumbs up and a friendly grin before following after him.

    Taking a deep breath, Ash watched as the two of them walked off. Keep the fire lit. Blaze it even brighter. Continue growing.

    Brock was the strongest opponent that they had ever faced. If they had rushed into the battle without their week''s worth of prior training, any one of his Pokemon could have easily mopped the floor with his entire team. And single handedly, at that. The Pewter City Gym Leader had challenged them in ways that nobody else ever had up to this point.

    And this was only just the beginning. But they were going to be ready.

    Kneeling down, Ash smiled at Pikachu again as he held up his Poke Ball.

    "Thanks, buddy. I''m going to be taking you guys to the Pokemon Center, now. Then we can pick up some treats to celebrate, and head on over to Elacia''s."

    At the young mouse'';s nod, Ash tapped the Pioke Ball against Pikachu''s forehead, and pikachu was sucked it.

    As Ash made his way out of the room, through the hallway, and passed the older boy at the counter, he felt something new inside of him as he approached the doors leading to the outside world. It feltˇ­ different. And he preferred it.

    The prologue to his journey had come to an end.

    The real adventure was only just about to begin.

    /

    Brock stood in the center of the devastated battlefield with his arms crossed. The last bout had done some incredible damage to it. It would take at least a few hours until the battlefield was ready for challengers again.

    By now, all of the spectators had left, and returned to work. Pretty soon the maintenance crew would be here to fix up the battlefield for the next chapter. There were likely to be at least a few today, as per usual.

    Standing beside him, Forrest looked upwards at his older brother, eying him carefully as Brock surveyed the scene.

    "Did you enjoy the battle?" he asked casually.

    "...About as much as I''d be able to." Brock answered honestly.

    Pokemon battling had never been his passion. But battles like this one, at the very least, prevented him from disliking his current profession outright.

    Forrest smiled, looking ahead as his grin defined his face. "That guy was pretty talented. I really didn''t think he was going to win at first."

    Brock nodded at that. "He certainly showed some signs of potential. I was almost certain that he was going to be just another newbie to be sent packing, but he really did come through in the end. Before him, only three other rookies had managed to get the badge so far."

    Only that grandson of Professor Oak''s, along with Koga''s girl, and that foreigner boy from Sinnoh.

    And now this seemingly unremarkable kid. Hopefully more of the rookies showing up would end up being like them. Then this job would remain quite tolerable. But he could only hope for such a thing right now. Either way, until Forrest was ready, it was still going to be his job to take on every challenger, and either grant them his approval, or teach them a lesson. It was his responsibility for now. One that he would continue to carry out with the utmost dedication. The job was more demanding than most. Ironically, it was likely part of the reason why it was coveted so much.

    "By the way," he said, turning to his younger brother with an approving smile. "You did a good job as referee. You just need to carry your voice a bit more. It''ll be especially important when you''re the one commanding the team."

    The boy nodded. "I think I learned a lot, too. About strategy, I mean."

    The Gym Leader certainly couldn''t disagree with that.

    "Yes, that''s a big part of why it''s so important to watch these battles. You need to see how somebody with the skill level of a Gym Leader fights, and how the challengers will respond. In the end, our ultimate responsibility is to test the Trainers."

    Looking over at the remnants of a shattered boulder, Forrest rested his chin against his palm. "All of your Pokemon were stronger than his. He seemed to favor maneuverability and knocking them off balanceˇ­and he was able to take advantage of the dust clouds when they were supposed to prevent the fight from turning in Pikachu''s favor..."

    Brock nodded. "Competent enough. He''s got a long way to go before he will be ready for the likes of LT. Surge or Koga, though."

    The Gym Leader flinched at the thought of his two ruthless colleagues. For Ash''s own sake, the boy had better hope that he''ll have improved astronomically once the time came for the Trainer to face the two of them.

    Glancing at his watch, Brock turned to face his brother in full. A smile appeared on his face. "You should do this more often. It''s good for you, andˇ­ it''ll give us a little bit more time to spend together, at least in some way."

    Forrest beamed up at his brother and nodded as Brock place a hand on the boy''s head. Turning away, Brock made his way back to his office.

    Another challenger had come and gone, and now, it was back to doing what he usually did in between bouts.

    ''Gotta file that report for the battle first.'' he thought to himself. ''After that, it''s back to the magazine column.''

    /

    Nobody knew where the location was.

    Not anywhere marked on the map. Perhapsˇ­ not even on the map in the first place.

    A remote island in the middle of nowhere, where nobody could find it. It they did not want to be found, then they could not be found, plain and simple.

    A laboratory, as big a gym, with clean white walls, a ceiling, and floors.

    Large banners with a giant red R occupying the walls. Numerous men and women coming in and out, wearing uniforms of the same logo.

    A few Pokemon were also out and about, some carrying crates, others occupying the humans like additional guards.

    At a large desk sat a man with teal eyes to match his hair. Most of his uniform was a clean white.

    Resting in his hand, moving up and down as he ran his fingers along it, wasˇ­ what looked like a Poke Ball.

    But rather than the signature red and white appearance of the traditional orbs, this one was a very dark blue. Four yellow crests folded over the sphere, and the bright, practically glowing, greenish blue lines that outlined the orb were a stark contrast from the Poke Ball''s general deep blue color.

    Picking up the device to answer his call, he spoke in a voice with an unsettling calmness to it.

    "Yes?" he spoke simply. "You''re checking in to ensure everything went smoothly, correct?"

    "Of course," came the woman''s voice on the other end, wearing a mask of serenity. "I trust that those we lent to you are situated nicely?"

    "Yes, indeed." he listed things off. "The supplies, that masked mercenary who is also your top hunter, the technicians, and that damn clown." he spat that last one out with some vitriol.

    "We''re fulfilling our end of the bargain, I''d like to think." the woman on the other end spoke coolly. "Just ensure that you do not disappoint, Archer. I do not take kindly to my resources being wasted on lost causes. Productivity is everything in my world."

    Archer grimaced. "Yes, we will ensure that they are put to good use." his fury was hidden beneath a mask of indifference. It was the best way to move these conversations along. "Have you received your payment?"

    "Of course, that''s why I called. I didn''t want you accusing me of being fraudulent if something had gone wrong with the delivery process. But I am a busy woman, so I''m afraid we will have to converse some other time. Remember what I said, Archer."

    As she hung up, Archer placed the device down and spat angrily.

    "Damn woman." he hissed under his breath. Their benefactor was not ranked on his personal list of favorite people in the world, and he had much doubt that he was on hers in turn.

    But in this field, you were always working with people that you felt that way about. It was a part of your everyday life. Something that you could not escape from. And without this particular partnership, half the technology that they had at their disposal would be absent from their versatile arsenal. They would continue to rely on these benefits until they no longer needed to.

    In Team Rocket, everything that you did was for the sake of pulling ahead.

    Turning to the teenage boy standing beside him, Archer offered a curt nod before getting up from his seat.

    "Time for the conference call."

    The boy watched him go but said nothing. His face was almost a stoic scowl by default, yet there was no rage in his eyes, only irritation. It had always been that way for him. His eyes remained on Archer''s back before he turned and walked off in the other direction. As he passed by a few tanks of fluids, he spared a glance at the creatures resting within them before moving on without words or comments.

    Every person in the room moved out of the way as he made his way to the exit. A few Pokemon flinched in sight. Taking one last look at his unique Poke Ball before stuffing it into his pocket, Archer pushed open the double doors leading into the hallway. There was much to go over. And plenty left to plan.

 Their Next Step pt 1

    "AWESOOOME!" Trucy gazed at the Boulder Badge through the screen in awe as Delia patted her head.

    After checking in Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant to be looked over by Nurse Joy, the boy had rushed over to the video phones to call Delia as quickly as he could. He had been delighted to find out that he had caught her on a morning where she had been asked to look after Trucy for the day.

    Delia''s eyes had the slightest hint of tears in them as Ash had delivered the news, but she kept it together as she beamed at her son.

    "I''m so proud of you, Ash! And in only half a month! Professor Oak says that''s really rare."

    Ash''s face mirrored that of Delia and Trucy, and the young boy briefly feared that his grin would split his face open.

    "It was really, really, really tough." he emphasized, feeling the relief washing over him about how the battle was finally over. "There were so many times where I felt like I was going to lose."

    "Was he that tough?" Trucy asked, settling down still smiling nonetheless. "What Pokemon did he use? Oh! And you?"

    "Geodude, Rhyhorn, and Onix. In that order. I used my Starly Nebula, my Ralts Valiant, and Pikachu."

    Delia''s eyes widened a bit. "Onix? I didn''t even realize they had one of those."

    "Yeah, I was pretty shocked too. Took everything Pikachu and I had and more to beat that thing." he grimaced. "Pikachu''s ears are probably going to be sore for a while. That thing''s roars were loud."

    "Yeah I''ll bet. Speaking of which, how is your team doing? They''re not with you right now."

    Ash sighed. "Theyˇ­ got beat up pretty badly. I think Nebula got the worst of it. I owe her an apology."

    Delia frowned sympathetically. ''I don''t want to sound cynical butˇ­ you''re going to have to get used to that. These battles aren''t going to be getting any easier."

    "Yeah, Brock himself said thatˇ­" Ash trailed off as a frown on his own appeared.

    What happened to Nebula was pretty much going to become the norm at this point. Even as they grew stronger, their upcoming battles would all grow in intensity. And based on what he knew, Brock wasn''t even close to being the most ruthless Gym Leader in Indigo. He had no way of knowing just how merciless all of the others were going to be.

    Images of Nebula''s injured chest flashed in his mind. Moments like that would become the norm. It was a scary thought. Many trainers just couldn''t handle it. Especially rookies. It was one of the may reasons why beginners rarely even reached the Conference in the first place.

    As if the lack of experience wasn''t already disadvantageous enough, the sight of such a brutally battered and beaten Pokemon on a trainer''s own team was just about as demotivating and morale reducing as it gets. And Ash himself had almost fallen into that trap.

    But he knew that he couldn''t let that discourage him. At the same time, however, he wondered how his team felt about that.

    Now that the battle with Brock was over, Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant all knew exactly what professional Pokemon training was like. Now that they had officially challenged a Gym, they had all officially entered the world of professional Pokemon training. Was their resolve any different after finding out about just how brutal it actually was? It was one thing to simply hear about it, but to actually experience it for yourselfˇ­

    He shook the thoughts from his head. He didn''t want to look glum in front of Trucy. The young girl was already starting to look a bit worried by his saddened facial expression.

    "Hey, so you two wanna hear about how the battle went?" he asked as the smile returned to his face.

    Trucy''s eyes were practically shining as Delia nodded happily, and Ash began giving them a rundown of the battle. It was all still very fresh in his memory, and he doubted that he''d be forgetting it any time soon.

    /

    Nurse Joy had given him a rundown on the conditions of his team.

    There was both good news and bad news to this. They would all be recovering by today, but it would take until midway through the afternoon at the very least. And hearing about just what his team had gone through had especially upset him.

    Nebula was the most obvious example. Her chest would be sore for the next couple of days. Her bones had been broken, which would have taken a devastatingly long time to heal had it not been for the regenerative technology that the Center had access to. Several tissues also had to be replaced via modified Ditto cells, And until she was no longer sore, she could not battle or train. Beginner level Pok¨¦mon such as her were much more susceptible to injuries that would take a longer amount of time to recover from, as even high level Pokemon that received injuries of similar intensity could usually come back from it after a day or two: the only reason big, high level tournaments like the Indigo Conference could possibly function properly. Ash wasn''t entirely aware why. He wouldn''t be too surprised if especially advanced healing equipment were in place during tournaments such as the Conference, but apart from that, perhaps a Pokemon''s natural regeneration just functioned a lot more quickly the more developed that they were?

    Either way, Nebula would be out for a while, and Nurse Joy had recommended keeping her in her Poke Ball as much as possible. Letting her out on occasion would be very important to make sure that she stayed active without overexerting herself, but for the moment, she was to spend the majority of time in her Poke Ball while her body healed itself further.

    Valiant had nearly suffered a concussion from his fight with Rhyhorn, making it a miracle that he was even able to use his psychic type moves or even continue to fight in general. Unfortunately, the fact that he had continued to use such moves despite the head pain had been very mentally taxing for him. psychic type moves were, of course, powered by the mind. By continuing to use them despite the minor head injury, Valiant had effectively been inflicting even more pain upon himself: the pain in his head only increased the strain of each Move.

    Nurse Joy had told Ash that Valiant shouldn''t be using any moves for at least a day once he recovered. He was, however, permitted to be out of his Poke Ball regularly if he wanted to be. Laying down every now and then was recommended, however; he still needed the extra rest.

    Finally, there was Pikachu. The least damaged of the trio, he simply had burns and cuts that would be healed traditionally by the Center''s technology. Although Pikachu had come out of the battle with Onix far from unscathed, it hadn''t been nearly to the same extent as the blunt force trauma that Nebula had suffered from, or the mental strain that Valiant had put himself through. What Pikachu had suffered from had been, for the most part, standard battle injuries by beginner Pokemon standards. It wouldn''t be an abnormal recovery.

    Despite his relief that his starter Pokemon was going to be just fine, Ash couldn''t help the guilt that overcame him regarding both Nebula and Valiant.

    He was the one who wanted to become the best. And yetˇ­ it was his own Pokemon that ultimately did the suffering for them. What did he even do for them? Apart from giving out orders from the safety of his standing position behind the barriers? Did all Pokemon Trainers feel this sort of guilt?

    Ash needed to prove to them that it was worth it. That his own goals were worth their efforts. They put at least as much effort as himself, if not more, given that they were the ones who were actually battling. And as their Pokemon Trainer, it was his job to convince them that he had earned their efforts.

    But only if they actually still wanted to do this.

    If they wanted out and no longer wished to get involved with this stuffˇ­ maybe even wanted to leave outright? Who was he to stop them? At the very least, he hoped that they would still stay on the team, regardless of whether or not theys till wanted to battle, butˇ­ If they just wanted to leaveˇ­

    "Ummmˇ­ excuse me?"

    The young boy perked up.

    Right now, he was sitting in the Center''s waiting room. This one was similar to Viridian''s, except there wasn''t nearly as much glass making up the walls. The glass ceiling, however, was still present.

    Still a couple of hours remained until his team was projected to be ready. Pikachu was good to go, and Ash was fumbling around with the young mouse''s Poke Ball in his hand. Nebula and Valiant still needed more time.

    Right now, he was trying to read the latest issue of Inside Indigo''s Tech, but constantly found himself distracted by his thoughts.

    The voice had snapped him out of that, though, as he looked up to see the source of it.

    It was a young girl with short, red hair. A Sentret stood next to her, fidgeting constantly as though it were a habit. Behind her, a taller, somewhat lanky boy with blue hair stood alongside what Ash recognized as a Tyrogue.

    The girl was frowning, her voice timid and uncertain. The boy seemed significantly more relaxed, although his Tyrogue seemed to be staring off into space, as though it wasn''t aware of, or simply didn''t care about, its own surroundings.

    Ash was caught off guard. This was the second time somebody his age had approached him unprovoked like this. Suddenly feeling awkward, he adjusted in his seat as he looked between the newcomers. "Ummmˇ­ yes?"

    The girl seemed to turn skittish all of a sudden, her cheeks reddening as she looked back to the boy, who merely sighed before stepping in front of her. He wore a relaxed smile as he looked down at Ash, in stark contrast from his nervous companion.

    "Sorry to bother you. She''s been wanting to speak to you for a bit but was too nervous. We were just hoping we could ask you something."

    Blinking, Ash put the magazine down and eyed the boy carefully. "Ohˇ­ umˇ­ yes?"

    Rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, the boy spoke. "You seeˇ­ we sort of overheard that you beat Brock. We''ve been trying for the past few days or so and have both lost to him twice. We were justˇ­ you know, hoping for some pointers? If you''ve got the time, I mean?"

    Ash was thrown. These twoˇ­ wanted help from him?

    He felt his cheeks reddening a bit, but tried to fight it off.

    This was it. He''d been meaning to try and mingle with the trainers here for some time now, but he''d been hoping that he would eventually work up the courage to take the initiative. This basically felt like a repeat of Janine, where once again it was someone else who had to do it for him.

    He couldn''t think about that right now, though. These two kids actually wanted to talk to him. What''s more, they actually wanted his help. He couldn''t remember anything like this happening at Pallet Townˇ­

    It feltˇ­ different. This wasn''t like his peers back at Pallet Town looking down on him. This wasn''t even like Janine trying to console him after an awful day, as much as he had appreciated her gesture. These twoˇ­ actually wanted him to help them?

    It feltˇ­ foreign. Something that didn''t belong with him. But it made him happy, he suddenly found. The fact that his input was specifically being requested. They weren''t even settling for him, they actually wanted his help.

    Putting on his best smile (and hoping he did a good job) Ash nodded at the two. "Sure. I have a couple hours before i need to be somewhere after my team gets healed up, so I''ll see what I can do." They still needed to visit Elacia after Ash was done talking to his team and buying them treats to celebrate their victory.

    The girl beamed while the boy reached out to shake Ash''s hand.

    "You see, Emily? I told you there wasn''t anything to make a big deal about." as the girl blushed in embarrassment yet relief, the boy gave him a thumbs up. "Oh yeah, I''m Rick, by the way."

    Taking his hand, Ash match''s Rick''s thumbs up with one of his own. "Ash."

    /

    Ash and the two fellow rookies spent the next two hours discussing what Rick and Emily''s plans for Brock were.

    As Ash learned, the two fellow rookies were actually both from Blackthorn City, but had chosen to be teleported elsewhere due to their home city not being a suitable starting point for beginners. They had chosen to go to Viridian in order to head over to Pewter, as they each wanted to check out the museum. The two were classmates back at school, and their class had made a mutual agreement to pair up with one another to make traveling easier. Apparently duos were determined by a drawing. Sentret and Tyrogue were both their starters, but, although Sentret had been near Emily and Tyrogue had been near Rick, Ash had eventually learned that Tyrogue was actually Emily''s starter, and that Sentret was Rick''s starter, and not the other way around.

    Rick currently had a team of Sentret, Bellsprout, and Butterfree, while Emily had a team of Tyrogue, Growlithe, and Eevee. Ash wasn''t too surprised to find out that Brock hadn''t been using the exact same team of Pokemon against them as he had against him: he had used Geodude against Rick and Rhyhorn against Emily, but had also used a Pokemon called Cranidos against the both of them. According to Rick (and greatly emphasized by Emily) it was a rock type that could move really fast and strike hard with powerful Headbutt attacks. It could also attack at long range with Flamethrower, making it very difficult to keep it off of their toes, as even at a distance they were not safe. And thanks to its speed, maintaining distance was already quite hard anyway.

    On their first attempt, each of them had gotten easily defeated by just Brock''s first Pokemon alone. On their second, most recent attempt, they fared better, taking out Brock''s Pokemon after losing one of their own. However, at that point, their second Pokemon was already injured and exhausted, and Cranidos easily finished off the battle.

    Although Ash had emphasized to both of them that he had only barely beaten Brock, and that he had very nearly lost several times over, both of them were eager to hear his advice nonetheless. Ash wasn''t entirely sure just how much advice that he would be able to give; as they both had very different teams than himself and weren''t going up against the exact same opposition as himself either. Nevertheless, he did what he could, and described the training regiment that he had given his team. Emily seemed particularly interested in the mobility training that he had given Pikachu: Apparently her Growlithe was really fast but couldn''t traverse the terrain properly. The female, Fire-Type canine Pokemon had kept losing her footing while trying to run at full speed which left her vulnerable to Brock''s powerful attacks.

    The girl had perked up when Ash suggested that she spend at least a few days getting Growlithe to train in traversing rocky fields before challenging the Gym again: suggesting that Growlithe''s speed could potentially counter Cranidos after the Pokemon learned to maneuver around the rocks correctly. This would also benefit most of the Pokemon that were currently in their group.

    Apparently, Rick''s Sentret was having a hard time mastering Iron Tail, which was yet another thing that Pikachu could probably help out with. Realizing that the mouse would be the perfect training partner for these two, Ash had promised Rick and Emily to meet up with them tomorrow morning, so that he could show them where he had trained at Nurse Joy''s suggestion, and so Pikachu could assist their teams in practicing. It would give the young mouse something to do, as Nebula and Valiant would both be needing their rest.

    Not to mention, it would give Ash some extra chances to interact with a couple of other trainers, as an added bonus. He found that he liked these two quite a bit. Much like Janine, they were infinitely more approachable towards him than any of the other kids at Pallet Town could have hoped to have been. Not to mention they actually seemed very eager to get an extra opinion on how they had been approaching the battles with Brock. They knew that fighting Gym leaders was really hard and how much they needed improvement in order to close the gap. They certainly weren''t arrogant. Nor were they making excuses for their losses like certain rookies stereotypically did.

    Rick had been pretty open with him right from the start, and had quickly settled into the conversation as he and Ash exchanged potential ideas. Emily had taken a bit of time, and was clearly the shy one of the two (almost reminding Ash a bit of himself in fact), but it wasn''t too long before she had grown used to Ash''s presence, and as she came out of her shell, her personality practically changed. Apparently, according to Rick, she just wasn''t good with strangers, but as she grew more comfortable with Ash being around, she was suddenly cracking jokes that had left his ribs hurting. Although she had stayed standing at first (while Rick had quickly sat down next to Ash), as she opened up, she had quickly taken the other seat next to Ash, flashing him a cute grin that could give Trucy a run for her money in terms of friendly aura. It wasn''t too long before Ash suddenly found himself wishing that he had grown up with people like these two in his class.

    Ash himself had surprisingly found that it didn''t take too long for him to get comfortable with them. It was pretty much a sure thing after Emily had started firing off with her jokes, but Rick''s easy going demeanor had quickly reeled him in as well.

    He had also given them a rundown on how his battle with Brock had gone, warning them about Onix just in case.

    After giving them a few basic ideas and making plans to meet up with them in the morning, Ash had received word from Nurse Joy that Nebula and Valiant were both ready.

    After heading back up to his room, Ash let out a deep sigh as he prepared to release his team.

    The trio appeared before him in three bright flashes of light. The three of them exchanged greetings with one another as Pikachu and Nebula quickly nuzzled each other.

    While Nebula and Valiant looked up at their new Trainer expectantly, Pikachu was in a much more pleasant mood.

    That''s right, Pikachu already knew the outcome of the battle, unlike Nebula and Valiant.

    "Heyˇ­" said Ash unsurely as he kneeled down to face them better.

    Pikachu gave Ash a grin before looking to his two teammates, obviously wanting the boy to give Nebula and Valiant the news.

    The eagerness in the young mouse gave Ash a sense of optimism. He wasn''t sure how Nebula and Valiant felt, but it seemed like Pikachu was still committed to this.

    Smiling now, Ash announced in a happy tone. "We won."

    At the news, Nebula and Valiant immediately perked up with joyful cries. Ash''s grin grew as the mood in the room quickly grew ecstatic.

    A whole week''s worth of training had paid off for them in the end. Just about everything that they had worked on had played a role in the fight, and, by extension, their victory.

    Nevertheless, the thought at the back of Ash''s mind lead to him cutting the celebration short. He still needed confirmation from all of them.

    Now that they knew what it was like to be involved in this kind of trainingˇ­ was this really what they wanted?

    Raising a hand, Ash slowly silenced his team as he eyed them seriously.

    "Listenˇ­ I know that fight was brutal for all of you. And I can''t sugarcoat itˇ­ it''s only going to get worse from here. I know this is asking a lot from all of you soˇ­ if any of you want to stop, I''ll understand."

    He really would. Seeing their injuries, especially Nebula''s, had been a really big wakeup call for him. This wasn''t like the Spearow incident where Pichu had been injured because Ash messed up. This was something much more unavoidable than that.

    Before doing anything else, Ash needed to see if the battle had changed their mindsets.

    The three Pokemon looked between each other, exchanging curious looks, as though they were trying to figure out what each other was thinking.

    Pikachu and Valiant were both the first to step up, but Nebula quickly followed. Seeing the determined looks on their faces, Ash couldn''t help his didn''t want to waver, so neither did he, either. He really didn''t deserve them.

    /

    Ash placed a gentle hand on Nebula''s chest, the young bird perched on a desk in the room. Pikachu watched a few steps away from Nebula, while Valiant sat on the bed watching a breeding show.

    When Nebula winced, Ash immediately decreased the pressure that he was putting on her, sending her an apologetic look.

    "S-...Sorry, Nebula." he frowned sadly at the bird, who didn''t seem unhappy with him, but still remembered the fight glumly. "I really thought you''d be able to win."

    Geodude had been a pretty disadvantageous matchup for her. They had to knock him off balance just to get a Steel Wing in, but all of that had immediately gone out the window the moment Brock had figured out a way to counter Wind Blast. Ash cursed himself for not being able to think of a different strategy. As Brock had pointed out, he had essentially used the same tactic repeatedly and expected it to always work.

    In fact, he''d made a fair share of bad oversights in his time as a trainer. Nebula getting hurt when fighting that Venonat, and the fact that he never thought to teach Pikachu to evade attacks while practicing mobility until Elacia had pointed it outˇ­

    He was still only starting out, but he really needed to up his game and plan ahead more. It was the only way to prevent more incidents like this. What had happened to Nebula was a result of his own shortcomings as a trainer.

    Although Nebula seemed unhappy about how the battle had ended, she sent her trainer a reassuring gaze as Pikachu patted her back reassuringly.

    "We''ll keep working on your Reckless Ability." Ash promised. At Nebula''s nod, he smiled.

    If she had been able to activate the Ability, they might have been able to win. Obviously, he had no way of knowing that for sureˇ­

    /

    The downtown section of Pewter City didn''t have any of the significant locations that the city was famous for, to Ash''s knowledge. The Gym and the museum were both elsewhere, as was the Pokemon Center.

    But after looking at the address on the card, and getting additional directions from the police station, Ash found that it was where Elacia had chosen to set up shop during her time in the city.

    Although her main location of business was at Celadon, she had minor shops elsewhere, likely for when she needed to do business outside of her home. Ash wondered how often that was for her, given he didn''t know the full details on what her work entailed.

    Pikachu was perched atop his Trainer''s shoulder, and seemed content with a smile, as though they had suddenly done this for years.

    After celebrating their victory for a bit with some treats, and showing each member of the team their new Boulder Badge too, Ash had returned both Nebula and Valiant to their Poke Balls for additional rest as per Nurse Joy''s advice. Pikachu, however, was still good to go, and chose to remain outside.

    Elacia''s place in Pewter City was a lot smaller than he thought it would be, as Ash gazed at the one-story building. Not to mention it wasn''t all that much of a stand-out building to look at. It blended right in with everything else in the city. Even though it was just a minor shop of hers and not her main shop from back in Celadon, Ash was caught off guard by how surprisingly low-budget the place seemed to be.

    Knocking on the door for a few seconds, Ash only had to wait a few more seconds before it opened, revealing the pretty red haired woman, flanked by Slurpuff.

    "Ash! I was wondering when you''d show your face!" smiling upon realizing who it was, she gestured him inside, which he gave her a quick thank you for. Ash was surprised to notice that his thanks hadn''t come out in a timid squeak.

    Taking in the inside of the shop, Ash quickly found that there wasn''t really anything remarkable about it from an interior standpoint either. The room was dimly lit, with the lights on the ceiling only half switched on, A coffee table sat in the middle of the room, surrounded between two sofas and two chairs. All looked like they would be super comfortable to sit in, however.

    Ash declined Elacia''s offer for a cup of iced tea, instead accepting the apple cider that she offered afterwards. Sinking into the cushions of one of the couches (Pikachu leaping off of his shoulder to sit down next to him) he immediately reveled in the comfort, suddenly wishing that he could be here forever. Looking over to his Starter, Ash could already see Pikachu slowly closing his eyes with a smile on the mouse''s face.

    "I''m glad you stopped by." Ash looked over to see Elacia settling down across from him, plopping down onto the couch while Slurpuff took a seat next to her. The fairy type pokemon seemed amused by Pikachu''s immediate elatedness to the couch. "This morning was way too busy. Needed to unwind after all of that."

    Ash frowned. "What happened?"

    "The usual stuff." the red-haired breeder shrugged while scratching behind Slurpuff''s back, much to the fairy type''s apparent delight. "Phone call after phone call. Constantly looking stuff up. A few League agents stopped by for a visit to discuss things in person. All of it condensed into one morning, so there was little room for downtime." she sighed. "The one downside to being such a successful breeder is that the League is always hounding you. They have multiple contracts going with me at once. And I''m sure most of the top breeders here in Indigo can say the same."

    Ash blinked. "They turn to you that much."

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    She grinned exasperatedly. "We breeders make our money in a variety of ways. Selling Eggs and recently hatched Pokemon to trainers, giving therapeutic treatment to Pokemon, such as Suzie''s famous massages or my food recipes, consultations for raising a Pokemon or training them, the latter being something that I specialize in, grooming, selling supplies to perform any of the aforementioned tasks, you name it, really. I''ve barely even scratched the surface."

    Ash was taken aback. He knew that breeders were experts in a variety of fields, but it wasn''t until he heard it from Elacia''s mouth that he realized just how significant it was.

    But it made sense. A Pokemon breeder''s specialty, first and foremost, was raising a Pokemon. And that alone required a multitude of knowledge on various topics. So much went into the process that it was undoubtedly one of the most studious practices in the Pokemon world. It probably required every bit as much dedication as being a dedicated Pokemon trainer did, but just in a completely different way.

    But Elacia had mentioned the League as well.

    "Soˇ­ the League turns to you for all of that?"

    She snorted, as though it were obvious. "Only like, all the time." she chuckled. "The League always keeps track of who the top rated breeders are. The charts are printed annually, and they''re always the first to snag ''em up. The League relies on people in the breeding profession for a lot of things. A lot of it is some sort of form of what we do for regular clients, such as normal trainers, for example. We help supply Gym Leaders with extra Pokemon, for one thing. Suzie and I are both best buddies with Erika. She''s been our number one client for years now, since she runs the Gym in Celadon where we''ve set up our shops. But the League often goes to multiple breeders at once for a variety of widespread projects. Big agencies often handle starter distribution, making sure there are enough Pokemon breed to be handed out to trainers on Opening Day each Season. The League often requests our help with food supply, since many of us have all the best recipes for Pokemon food. Not to mention the foreign Pokemon they keep in captivity. Sometimes we''re more likely to know about them than they are, since we often research them in advance, so our advice for what living conditions to put them under is often imperative." she sighed. "I''m here in Pewter right now because I have business with a League Official who needs to be here because of business at the museum. But it''s far from the only thing I''m working on right now. I''m still taking phone calls left and right, talking to clients from the League and even having a few agents coming over from time to time. Even when I''m in the middle of traveling or working away from home like now, it doesn''t always just stop. It''s a constant thing regardless of where I currently am most of the time. Breeding is always busy, but once the League takes notice of you, that''s it. They''ll never stop finding uses for you or your help."

    Ash scratched the back of Pikachu''s ears for a moment, smiling softly as he listened to the young mouse cooing in response. "So a lot of it is determined by the ratings?

    "Oh yeah. The moment you reach the high sections of those charts, expect a phone call from the League within a few days at least. At that point, you go from doing business with trainers and other folk, to practically working under the League in an unspoken sort of manner. I still do plenty of work for those outside of the their ranks, but it''s definitely made up the bulk of my work ever since I rose near the top. And sadly, it''s often the most demanding."

    Ash looked at her sympathetically. Now that he was taking her in, she did seem pretty tense. He wondered just how much she did from day to day. Sure, she was free in the afternoons now, but that could just be her schedule as it is for the moment. Who knows when it might change?

    "What''s the breeding field like?" he asked curiously. "I mean, apart from the workload in general?"

    Flashing him a smile, Elacia patted Slurpuff''s head for a bit. "It''s pretty fulfilling. I was always drawn to it since my family worked in an organization that made its name off of taking care of Pokemon. I found that I was in my natural element the moment that I started out. Not to mention, the ''competition'' of the field isn''t always so competitive."

    Ash blinked. "It''s not? But didn''t you just say that you all get ranked every year?"

    "Yup. But really, with the number of collaborative projects that we all do together, a good deal of us all owe our respective successes to each other. Take me and Suzie, for example. We''re the top rated breeders in Indigo, but we work together so often. It helps that we''re both primarily stationed in the same exact city and are also really close to Erika." she winked teasingly. "In our field, it''s usually pretty hard to definitively separate the terms ''rival'' and ''business partner''."

    Thatˇ­ certainly was different from how Pokemon training usually went. Many famous rivalries have spawned between professional trainers aiming for the top. But since breeding was a business, rather than a sportˇ­

    "It sounds like a pretty friendly field to me." Ash admitted.

    She nodded. "Yeah. I''m a businesswoman, above all else. In the end it''s really just about the money. Those charts are nice, but we breeders are really just looking for financial success. It keeps us afloat just as much as an approval rating ever could." taking a sip from her tea, she eyed the boy carefully. "Don''t get me wrong, the recognition is great, but we don''t need to worry about being considered the ''best''. I''m sure Suzie loves being number one, but it''s hardly ever what she talks about."

    Sipping his apple cider, and briefly finding himself absorbed in the taste (it tasted so good) Ash asked. "So you said your family has been doing this?"

    "Not really the same thing. They''re not breeders, but the people that they work for focus on preserving Pokemon life. Not a lot of people know this, but I''m not even from Indigo."

    Ash perked up at that. It wasn''t too uncommon for foreigners to reside here, as many people from Ever Grande and Lily of the Valley did, due to the three League having close relations, but it still surprised him. "So you''re from Hoenn? Or Sinnoh?"

    She shook her head. "Nope. Alola." At his shocked expression, she chuckled teasingly. "Yup, I know. The other side of the world."

    Ash almost spat out his cider at that. Alola was often considered a secluded Region, separate from the rest of the world. No real political relations or a form of government akin to that of Indigo, Lily of the Valley, or Ever Grande, for example. The isolated Region had its own rich culture which the young boy was sorely lacking in knowledge of, and not much was known about it to outsiders in terms of in-depth information. The fact that it was so far away only contributed to this.

    "Wait, so you meanˇ­ You came all the way hereˇ­"

    "Yeah, it''s not something you normally hear, is it?" finishing off her tea, she let out a satisfied sigh as she rested her cup on the coffee table. "Alola has its own form of Pokemon training. Sort of rooted within the Region''s traditions and such. That''s how I got my start, and once I was finished with that, I switched over to breeding. I had always been interested in it."

    "Butˇ­ why did you come all the way to Indigo?" That was something that he was having difficulty wrapping his head around. He wasn''t sure how common it was for people to move out of Alola, but Alola and Indigo were both practically on opposite ends of the globe.

    "Personal reasons, mostly. Wouldn''t want to bore you with the details. I think there might''ve been at least one person working with my parents who was actually from here, though." changing the subject, she eyed him expectantly. "But enough about me, what happened at the Gym? Your team seemed fired up yesterday."

    Ash''s grin nearly split his face in half. "We won! Hereˇ­" taking the Boulder Badge out, he held it up in front of her proudly, and her face lit up.

    "Atta boy! Betcha you''re feeling a lot better now, huh?" at his crimson face, she chuckled. "I thought so."

    It was true. Ever since Ash had first been handed the Boulder Badge, he really had felt a lot better about himself.

    But really, the badge was just a reminder that he had potential. He couldn''t just see it as a sign that he was suddenly the best. It was his first step. Their first step. It wasn''t over just yet. He knew that there were a multitude of areas in which he still needed to greatly improve.

    Smiling bashfully, Ash put the badge away. "It felt good." he admitted shyly. "Butˇ­ I know it''s just the beginning. To make it to the Conferenceˇ­" he stopped as she raised a hand.

    "One badge at a time, kid." her reassuring yet stern facial expression convinced him to relax. "That''s one of the many mistakes I''ve seen you rookies make. You don''t go into this with the right mindset to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed. It''s inevitable that your mind is going to dwell on that stuff, but try looking at the picture in front of you one spot at a time."

    Petting Pikachu again for another few seconds (the mouse was off in his own world at this point) Ash thought about her words for a moment. "Soˇ­ you''ve spoken to a lot of rookies, then?"

    "Of course I have. I''m a breeder; I get clients of all shapes and sizes, and run into even more people at random. Like with you." she added in as an example. "Indigo''s training environment is worlds different from that of Alola, but I''ve still been here for years. I know all about the way that you guys think, and it''s easy to see why so many rookies fall astronomically short in their first year. Hell, even the ones who make it to the Conference might still have something holding them back." leaning forward a bit, she raised a few fingers and started counting. Ash took note of the red paint on her nails. "First, a lot of rookies take a while to properly build upon the pre-existing knowledge that they gain in school. Just applying it to real life experience is hard enough, but even then you''re only really taught the basics. The bare minimum. It''s your job to fill in the rest and carve your own path. But lack of experience yields lack of creativity. You need to find a way to be inspired."

    Inspiredˇ­ like how he had Nebula adapt the bug catcher leader''s technique into Wind Blast.

    "Secondly, initiative. You''d be surprised just how many rookies are lacking in it. The ability to think ahead is imperative for Pokemon training, and yet, most inexperienced trainers, albeit understandably, aren''t great with this. This sort of ties into one last point: adapting. When things don''t go a trainer''s way, it''s very easy to freeze up. And rookies get hit with this the most. Perhaps they have a plan, but do they have a backup plan? And have they considered every variable? Either they get overwhelmed by the big picture, or aren''t actually able to see the full thing."

    Consider every variableˇ­

    "Funny you should say thatˇ­" Ash frowned, suddenly finding the floor pretty intriguing. The carpet pattern looked nice, consisting of pictures that looked like they might have been Pokemon, although Ash couldn''t recognize them. He couldn'';t make out the one on Elacia''s side, but the one on his side was lion-like, with the sun hanging over it. "Back in the forestˇ­ I sort of got Nebula injured. I used a dive bomb tactic to win a battle, but she wasn''t durable enough to handle it and injured her wing. I should''ve known better. I don''t know how I overlooked something so obvious. Andˇ­ even when we were trainingˇ­ you were the one who pointed out a mistake that I madeˇ­ and it would have cost us the battle if you hadn''t been there to point out something that needed to be corrected. And even in today''s battle, I fell into repetition, and Nebula lost because of it." he sighed. "Maybe I''m not considering everything. I''m one of those rookies who can''t see the full pictureˇ­"

    Turning his gaze upwards, he found the woman looking at him thoughtfully. After a moment, she replied. "Don''t get me wrong, kid. I''m not saying these issues aren''t normal." leaning back, and allowing her back to fully press against the cushions, she patted Slurpuff. "At the end of the day, you''re just a kid who''s started out. This is only the fifteenth day of the Season. You can''t expect yourself to become perfection incarnate in just half a month."

    "Butˇ­ to make such obvious mistakes?"

    "Obvious shmobvious. You know how many ''obvious'' mistakes I made when I first started out in Alola? I sure hope that was normal." She looked downward a bit as a smile creeped up to her face, as though she was suddenly lost in thought. "My cousin was always one step ahead of me despite starting out on the exact same day, and even he made some pretty big goofs. His first battle with an Island Kahuna was embarrassing to watchˇ­ and that''s despite the fact that I knew perfectly well that I couldn''t do any betterˇ­"

    Ash blinked as Elacia began muttering under her breath to herself. He couldn''t quite pick up on what she was saying, although her voice sounded fond.

    Suddenly, she seemed to realize what she was doing and perked up, shaking the thoughts out of her head. "Sorry, got caught up reminiscing. But the point is, it doesn''t matter how much any given mistake seems ''obvious'' to you in hindsight. A lot of oversights are going to feel that way once you''ve realized the full extent of your error. The repercussions hammer it in. But in the moment? You''re not just going to magically see or consider everything. When you''re battling, or even just training, your mind is already occupied with so many things at once. It''s only natural that a few key details are going to slip through the cracks from time to time. The fact that you''ve taken notice of your own shortcomings is already a great first step. A lot of trainers-not just rookies-often have a hard time determining just where exactly they need to improve, and what aspects of them and their team still needs work, and they often stagnate as a result. A lot of the most successful trainers out there are the ones who scrutinize themselves to the bone. Making sure that they always know where they''re strengths and skills need to be honed so that their growth won''t be stunted in the long run. Never being satisfied with where they currently are at the moment." She gave him a serious look. "But don''t get me wrong, I''m not saying that you should be looking at all of your flaws with a ''I suck at this part'' attitude. You need to examine your strengths and weaknesses in confidence. And then figure out how to fix them. It sounds to me like you make a lot of oversights, so find a way to be more observant. You already have the initiative-I saw that in you when you were training before-so now use that initiative to bolster your ability to think ahead."

    Ash took in her words, feeling like a boulder''s worth of knowledge had been dropped into his skull.

    She really did speak like someone who''s been there before. He didn''t know what kind of training people did in Alola, but whatever it was obviously hadn''t left her lacking in advice to give. She was a breeder, but her status as a former trainer was certainly shining through right now.

    "Th-Thanks." Ash grinned at her, earning himself a pleased look from the woman. "I''ll be sure to remember that." he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "You''re really helpful, you know that?" she could have passed off as a school teacher at this point.

    But Elacia just waved it off. "Nah, don''t mention it, kid. I''m always happy to pass off some knowledge to a young rookie like you. Especially ones who actually seem to hold some promise in them. I doubt it''s going to be for nothing, given that you already have your first badge." she leaned forward. "Speaking of which, just how tough was the battle?"

    Ash grimaced as his hand rested upon the now sleeping Pikachu''s head. Brock''s the toughest opponent that I''ve ever faced by a long shot. And this was just my first Gym battle." he frowned. "He was pretty harsh, too. He got me to freeze up just by being there."

    At her haughty laugh, he looked up in surprise. "Yup, that''s Brock for you. Always putting on the tough guy show. It''s his real talent, if you ask me."

    Ash blinked. "Ummmˇ­ showˇ­?"

    She shrugged. "Believe it or not, Brock''s not really all that into his job. His real passion is for Pokemon care. Breeding, medicine, that kind of stuff. He only took up the Gym Leader position so that he could hold it for his younger brother. But in reality, he really couldn''t care less about that kind of stuff. That''s why he puts on such an act whenever he''s on the job. He has to look and play the part of what he is being at the moment." she chuckled to herself. "Beneath all of that, he''s actually kind of a dork. But you would never be able to tell with that impressive facade that he always loves to play up. In all honesty, he''d probably be best off as an actor than anything else."

    Ash was dumbfounded. Brock of all peopleˇ­ a dork?

    Seeing his confusion, she giggled. "Sounds crazy, doesn''t it? I''ve known his family for a while now since I used to work with his father, so I know a few things about him that most people don''t. He''s a good guy, and is more than capable of holding his Gym Leader position if he actually wanted it."

    "Butˇ­ he''s not interested?" Ash was having his trouble wrapping his head around such a concept. Why would Brock be so disinterested in something that he was most obviously so gifted at?

    She shrugged again. "That''s just how it works sometimes, kid. You''re not always going to be into everything that you''re good at. Brock is one heck of a battler, but he just finds caring for Pokemon a lot more appealing. If he wanted to be, he could be the Gym Leader of Pewter City for a very long time, and nobody would complain, because he excels at it like crazy. This is just a placeholder position until his younger brother is ready for the mantle. Then, Brock will be moving on to following his real dream."

    A realization suddenly hit Ash. "Is that why you quit training?"

    A shake of the head. "Nope, I actually had a lot of fun doing my thing in Alola. But Pokemon training doesn''t receive the same glorification there. It''s just looked at as our first step. We have dedicated trainers there, for sure, but for the most part, it''s just a rite of passage. A ritual that we go through as kids. It''s sort of like that here, for some, but Alolan culture leans into it a lot more heavily." tickling a now delighted Slurpuff with her fingers, she continued. "Once I completed the island challenge, it was time to determine my future. I was inspired by the path that the rest of my family took, so I carved my own version of it. And that''s how I became a Pokemon breeder."

    Her answer was curious, but Ash couldn''t help but smile at it. He wondered what sort of trials that she and her team had to endure back at home. He knew next to nothing about Alola apart from it apparently being a tropical paradise, but he suddenly found himself imagining in his mind how their form of Pokemon training differed from Indigo''s own.

    He blinked as she rose up, then gestured to the door. "Anyway, you wanna get out of here for a while? There''s a family owned place nearby that has some pretty good dinners on the menu. But they also serve some really killer ice cream for dessert. I can treat you, if you want, so what do you say we continue this conversation there?"

    The boy could only grin.

    /

    Five days had passed since their triumphant victory over Brock.

    While Nebula and Valiant rested, Ash and Pikachu had assisted Rick and Emily in their training, and it didn''t take too long for Pikachu to get along with Tyrogue, Sentret, Eevee, and Growlithe (the four Pokemon that he was currently working with). Growlithe had made it her personal mission to become faster than Pikachu, putting everything that she had into mobility training.

    In the meantime, Ash had begun teaching Pikachu Electro Ball. Elacia had given the recommendation to prioritize the Move over anything else, as it required control over Pikachu''s electricity, which would extensively make future Electric Type Moves easier to learn in the long run.

    At the moment, Pikachu could only barely manage the Move. He was beginning to successfully condense his electricity into a ball, but it was sloppily formed and difficult to hold together, often fizzling out mere moments after being fired.

    After Nebula and Valiant had recovered, Ash had played it safe and waited a couple more days before he resumed training them.

    Although they would be leaving soon, Ash had to admit that he was enjoying his time in Pewter City quite a bit. Since Pikachu had been the only Pokemon doing any real training for the past few days, things were much more easy going for them, and Ash had settled into a daily semi-routine while living in the city. Spending his mornings with Rick and Emily while working on Pikachu''s Electro Ball, paying Elacia a visit in the afternoon, and hanging out with Rick and Emily over dinner back at the Pokemon Center at night.

    Having been living here for nearly two weeks now, Ash found himself becoming quite accustomed to the urban environment. Along with a sense of dread at the thought of leaving the comfort of the city to return to the wild.

    But procrastinating would yield them nothing. Ash had informed his team that they would be leaving in a couple of days, to which they were okay with.

    They could take a break for now, but he really didn''t want to get settled in too much. The nomadic life of a Pokemon trainer was something that he was not used too quite yet, but he knew that he needed to be.

    At the moment, Ash was on the outskirts of the city with his team, taking a walk along the outer parts of Viridian Forest. They had just spent some time at Elacia''s shop and the sun would be setting soon.

    Valiant had been a bit nervous about going back into the forest, but Ash assured him that they wouldn''t be going in deeply. This seemed to give the young Ralts some peace in mind, although he notably stuck very closely to Ash the entire time.

    Ash couldn''t help but notice that Valiant''s personality was almost entirely different while they were in the forest. Outside of it, he was quite well composed, yet he became soˇ­ timid in nature while in the forest for whatever reason that Ash could not quite grasp just yet.

    Ash was in the middle of trying to coach Nebula with her Reckless Ability (Pikachu and Valiant helping out) when it happened.

    The bolt of electricity fired off in the near distance, somewhat deeper into the forest, had drawn their attention, and compelled them to investigate.

    Ash didn''t know it yet, but what he would find would impact his journey immensely.

    /

    It didn''t take too long to reach the source of the electrical attack. The group quickly reached a slightly deeper area in the forest, and were immediately greeted by the sight of two figures.

    Standing tall was a Pokemon that Ash immediately recognized as an Elekid.

    They were an electric type species of Pokemon, well known for their strong Evolution, Electabuzz, and, infamously, for their incredibly powerful-but super rare- final Evolved form, Electivire.

    A boy with purple hair was standing next to the creature as he held a Poke Ball in his hand.

    The boy looked about Ash''s age, but his exterior seemed a lot more rough. In fact, if Ash didn''t know better, he probably would have suspected that the boy was older than him.

    Something about him was unsettling to look at. Ash couldn''t even pinpoint it, but ignored the unease that was settling into his stomach as he and his Pokemon looked on at the scene.

    Stuffing the orb away, the boy turned to Elekid, who met its trainer''s gaze with a fierce, but not disloyal, expression on its face.

    "Okay, we have three now. Good work, Elekid. We''ll start comparing them." His voice was surprisingly deep. He sounded oddly grown up, and his tone had a hint of inherent callousness to it.

    The electric type made a whirring noise as the boy suddenly turned in Ash''s direction.

    Ash involuntarily flinched as the boy''s gaze met his own. What was it with this new boy''s eyes? The look in them made his stomach feel like an empty pit for some reason.

    The purple haired boy scoffed at the motion as he crossed his arms and eyed Ash and his team scrutinizingly.

    "I didn''t realize that it was considered productive to spend your time staring at other Trainers. I wonder what skills you''re honing by standing around twiddling your thumbs." his voice was laced with bluntness, uncaring to what was coming out of his mouth, only concerned with getting it out.

    The Elekid seemed to be sizing them up, its fierce gaze never leaving its eyes as it looked between the group.

    Ash found himself unable to come up with a response to the boy''s callout. To his credit, he was right that Ash and his team had no reason to be here, having only been drawn over by curiosity alone.

    Before Ash could find his words, the boy seemed to perk up.

    It was only for a brief moment, but recognition seemed to appear on his face.

    "Waitˇ­ I know you."

    The confusion helped Ash find his voice.

    "Ummmˇ­ what?"

    Behind him, Pikachu and Valiant were feeling the same unease. Nebula, having perched herself on his shoulder, was gazing at the purple haired boy with a look resembling distrust.

    Next to the boy, the Elekid''s face suddenly seemed to fill with recognition too. It looked to it''s trainer for a moment as the other boy began to speak. It almost felt like the two of them mirrored each other based on first impressions. It felt like an ironic contrast from Gary and the stoic Squirtle that he received. But Ash wasn''t certain what to make of it.

    His hands falling to his sides, the boy eyed Ash carefully.

    "Yes, I remember, I saw you catch that Starly that you have with youˇ­ I think."

    Ash blinked. Nebula? This new guy had seen them do that?

    "Iˇ­ didn''t know anyone was watching." he admitted.

    The purple haired boy looked between Ash''s trio of Pokemon, his scrutinizing gaze seemingly intensifying.

    "Hmmˇ­ do you really think that Starly was worth the trouble?"

    A fierce growl escaped Pikachu''s throat as a fierce glare appeared on Nebula''s face.

    Ash''s eyes widened, taken aback by the question. Suddenly, his surprised face twisted into a glare. What right did this kid think he had to judge his Pokemon like that?

    "What are you talking about?" he growled out, trying his best to be intimidating. It wasn''t working.

    The Elekid seemed amused by Ash''s reaction, but said nothing as the boy remained calm.

    "Like I said, I watched you catch it. Don''t you think you''d be best off catching as good as one as possible?"

    Confusion again. "What do you mean by that?" Ash asked carefully. He remained on his guard as the purple haired boy unclipped two more orbs from his belt. Now with three Poke Balls in hand, he placed them carefully on a boulder before taking out a Pokedex. This one was black, and seemed to have a wider shape to it, compared to the ones Ash normally saw. Almost like it was a completely different model.

    "I''m sure you''re aware that your Pokedex can scan the Pokemon that you''ve caught to assess their Moves and Abilities. I take advantage of this." Ash watched curiously as the mysterious new boy held his Pokedex in front of the three orbs, analysing the data. After a few moments, the Pokedex was put away as the boy took one of the Poke Balls. The boy had pushed a few buttons on the Pokedex before stashing it away, causing Ash to raise a brow. "This Murkrow I just caught knows Brave Bird, Confuse Ray, and Mirror Move. Rare Moves for her species at such a level. And the perfect cherry on top is that her ability is Prankster. In comparisonˇ­" clipping the Poke Ball to his belt, he took the other two Poke Balls. "These two don''t have a lot to go off of. I won''t be needing them."

    Ash was taken by surprise as a Spearow and Pidgey emerged in two flashes of light, flying away deeper into the forest.

    The boy hadˇ­ released them?

    "Wait a minuteˇ­" said Ash, raising his hands up above his head. "Did you justˇ­ let them go? Just like that?"

    The purple haired boy shrugged boredly. "Those two had been easy catches, so I wasn''t expecting much from them, but I was even more disappointed by what they had to offer than I thought I''d be. I''m just narrowing down my options."

    The feeling of unease in his stomach intensified. Behind him, Valiant''s face scrunched up a bit.

    "You''re saying you just choose your teammates based on what Moves they already know?"

    A light smirk appeared on the boy''s face. "It''s a pretty pragmatic way to go about things. What would you do if you had to choose between an Abra with a couple of basic moves, or one with a few significant ones?"

    His point made sense in theory, butˇ­ "An Abra with basic moves can still learn the advanced ones later. Any Pokemon can be strong if you train them properly." Apart from Volt Tackle and Double Edge, which they couldn''t even use at the moment, Pikachu and Nebula had nothing extraordinary going for them when he had first met them, with Nebula''s reckless ability being the obvious exception. But both of them had grown far stronger than before in such a short amount of time. Ash knew from experience just how talented that they were.

    An amused chuckle escaped the boy''s lips. "Any Pokemon, huh? That kind of mindset is the same trap most rookies fall into. It''s why so many people in the field look down on newcomers like us." his face hardened. "The fact remains is that where a Pokemon starts out is what showcases its potential. Maybe they have a bunch of powerful Egg moves that can be tapped into later, like my new Murkrow. Or maybe they''ve already learned some impressive techniques by themselves, without any guidance, like my Skorupi." Ash stole a quick, concerned glance at Pikachu as the electric type mouse flinched at the mention of the bug poison type Pokemon. Clearly, it was a sore spot for the both of them. His gaze returned to the purple haired boy as he continued. "You need to learn how to distinguish the best from the masses. The Pokedex has given us the tools to do so, and yet so many rookies are satisfied with trying to train up whatever Pokemon they can get their hands on, no matter how insignificant the catch is when compared to everything else available, not caring to put in the work and actually seek out the potential team members that would be the most worth it in the long run. Why waste time trying to tap into some average Pokemon''s potential, when the next one you encounter could have far more? Why put so much time into trying to develop a Pokemon''s work ethic, when the next one you encounter might already have one? Any Pokemon can be strong, for sure, but we''re talking about a demanding profession where only the best can prosper without eventually fizzling out into obscurity. The best trainer needs the best Pokemon to utilize their training skills with. Otherwise, you''ll be stuck with an average team, with nothing worth remembering. You''ll just be yet another trainer, doomed to fizzle out with the rest of them." Ash took a step back from the intensity in the purple haired boy''s eyes. "So many rookies claim that they''ll never be forgotten, that they''ll actually amount to something. But unlike them, I''m actually taking the actions necessary to live up to those words."

    Ash felt a brief surge of anger in his chest.

    Where Pokemon start out? Potential? This kid was starting to sound a lot like Gary, and he didn''t like it. He wasn''t as obnoxious, what he said made sense, and to his credit, he certainly did a much better job at explaining himself, butˇ­

    Images of subpar test grades flashed through his mind. But then he remembered the words of encouragement, and the Boulder Badgeˇ­

    Having your potential be determined by where you start out? A foregone conclusion that couldn''t be changed at all? That didn''t sit right with him. And looking at his teammates, he could tell that it didn''t sit right with them, either.

    Suddenly feeling a sense of vigor in his spirit, Ash took a bold step forward and tried to harden his face to match the mysterious boy. Based on the unflinching expressions worn by the purple haired boy and his Elekid, Ash doubted that his attempt was a success, but he wasn''t just going to stop.

    "Who''s to say a Pokemon doesn''t just need a little bit of extra help to realize their true potential?" he challenged with as bold a tone as he could manage. He found himself suddenly having a little bit more backbone than he did with Gary. Pointing off in the direction where the Spearow and Pidgey had flown off, he narrowed his eyes. "Those two birds could have become even stronger than Lance''s main trio, for all you know. You wouldn''t know until you gave them a chance."

    The boy''s brow furrowed. "And what''s the likelihood of that? You''re taking a shot in the dark, and your ammo is pretty scarce." the look in his eyes intensified further, and Ash suddenly found himself taking an involuntary step back, eliciting a chuckle from the Elekid. "Look, kid. The Conference is in less than a year. I don''t have time to play the lottery and hope to win. And neither do you, if you''re really that passionate about making it to the Indigo Plateau on your first try."

    Kid? Kid? Was he being condescending, now? They were the same age!

    Ash growled. "So you think my team isn''t good enough?" he challenged defensively.

    A shrugging motion was made by the boy. "Only one way to find out. Besidesˇ­" he turned to Elekid. "There is a pretty reasonable way for trainers like us to settle disputes like this." the electric type whirred in agreement, and what seemed to be anticipation, as well.

    Ash''s eyes lit up in realization, as the looks on Pikachu and Nebula''s faces steeled. Valiant stepped forward too, standing in front of his new trainer and looking as determined as ever. "You want a battle?"

    An expression of challenge dominated the purple haired boy''s face as his hand ran along his belt of Poke Balls. "Every Pokemon I have are those that I handpicked with care. This will be the perfect way to prove my point. And plus," he added with a minor hint of callousness. "It''s easy money."

    Ash''s face scrunched up at that, but he nodded nonetheless.

    "Alright, we can take you." This boy clearly knew what he was doing, but so did they. Regardless of what this new kid''s intentions were, Ash had his own, and he was about to put his money where his mouth is.

    Valiant''s steadfast stance told Ash that his team was thinking the same exact thing.

    A light smirk appeared on the purple haired boy''s face. It wasn''t malicious or mocking, like Gary''s, but was much more intimidating. Nevertheless, Ash did his best not to waver. Elekid wasn''t chuckling this time. Did that mean he succeeded? Or was the opposing electric type too busy eying his team?

    For a brief moment, Pikachu and Elekid locked eyes, as though the two were both communicating a mutual challenge to one another.

    The purple haired boy broke the silence of the standoff. "Okay, we''ll do this at the Pokemon Center, then. It''s getting late, and we won''t have to worry about any wild Pokemon interfering with us." turning around, he looked back for a moment. "The name''s Paul, by the way."

    Ash offered the boy a brief nod before giving his own name in response.

    "Ash."

 Their Next Step pt 2

    Conveniently, just about every Pokemon Center had a battlefield of its own, for trainers to duke it out whenever they wanted to.

    It was more than common for this to be taken advantage of, as many trainers would make use of these battlefields throughout the day. Whether it be to settle grudge matches, get some sparring sessions in, or even just to have some friendly competition.

    Ash wasn''t sure what category his and Paul''s battle fell under, though. Grudge match sounded a bit too intense, although it was probably the most fitting term that he could think of at the moment. Either way, a small audience had gathered as the two Trainers took up their positions, Ash could spot Rick and Emily in the small crowd, which consisted almost exclusively of young rookie Trainers. A couple of staff members were also among them, most likely either on their break or just simply being off duty after hours.

    Paul and Elekid stood on the other end of the battlefield, the new, mysterious trainer''s arms crossed as he eyed Ash carefully. The intense look in his eyes could probably match that of a seasoned veteran, and was absolutely far beyond anything that Ash himself was even remotely capable of mustering up at the moment.

    But he knew that he couldn''t just let intimidation tactics get the best of him. It was what had previously almost cost him against Brock before. And so, he did his best to return Paul''s glare with one of his own. No matter how little confidence he had that he was actually doing a good job of it, at the very least he needed to try to.

    The machines had turned on, the barriers at the ready, prepared to intercept any and all attacks. The battlefield was of a rather serviceable size, perfect for the upcoming match between the two rookie trainers.

    Paul''s voice called out from the other side. "So, are those three your only ones?"

    Ash turned to his team. Pikachu and Nebula were standing side by side behind him, while Valiant was behind them. All three of them returned their new trainer''s determined expression with steel gazes of their own.

    Turning back to Paul, Ash called out in response. "Yes, they are!"

    Paul nodded in understanding, before unclipping a Poke Ball from his belt. "Three on three, then. I''d prefer to do more, but I''ll take what I can get."

    Ash looked back to his team one last time. "Nebula, you go first, okay?"

    Nebula had been the one that Paul had singled out. She deserved to prove herself, especially after the incident with Brock.

    Letting out a determined chirp, Nebula flapped her way to the battlefield, standing upright as she landed and eying Paul with a dangerous glint of determination.

    Behind him, Ash could hear Pikachu let out a call of encouragement, while Valiant crossed his arms and nodded towards the bird.

    Grinning a bit, Paul lightly tossed his Poke Ball towards the battlefield.

    Out of a bright flash of light emerged a small, bear cub like Pokemon that Ash almost immediately identified as a Teddiursa.

    "This was my first catch." the purple haired boy said matter of factly. "Let''s see how your bird stacks up to him."

    Ash sadly didn''t know much about Teddiursa, outside of how widely feared their evolution was. Ursaring were some of the fiercest Pokemon around, which could be part of the reason why Paul had chosen to have a Teddiursa on his team. If he was really that concerned about potential, no doubt he also considered a Pokemon''s evolved forms.

    The Teddiursa looked disarmingly cute, but the adorable expression on his face was accompanied by a fierce glare that Ash never would have expected from such a cute looking creature. Clearly, this little cub was battle hardened, regardless of its cute and cuddly appearance. Who knew what it was going to be capable of?

    "Careful, Nebula." Ash warned aloud. "I''m not sure what that bear can do just yet."

    As the young Starly nodded, Paul crossed his arms as Elekid took a few steps forward, stopping by it''s Trainer''s side, most likely to observe the upcoming battle better.

    "Alright then, Ash, let''s begin."

    Ash nodded, and immediately called out his first command.

    "Wind Blast, Nebula!"

    If they didn''t know what they''re opponent was capable of, then they would just have to go all out before they had a chance to find out. It didn''t matter if they already had a badge. Ash wasn''t taking any chances with this guy.

    Something about Paul made him feel quite uneasy. Uncomfortable.

    Was it really just because he disagreed with him? Ash didn''t want to think that his reasoning for such was so petty.

    Maybe it was that Paul''s ideology was essentially a better thought out version of the stuff that Gary had told him back at the lab? Something that actually presented a point of view that vindicated such a way of thinking?

    Maybe it was just the mysterious boy''s demeanor. Ash had never met a child his age quite like this before. He reminded him more of Brock (or, at the very least, Brock''s "act" according to what Elacia had previously said to him) than just another kid.

    Did it really get under his skin that much?

    Ash cursed himself for being put off so easily. He knew he couldn''t help himself, but that was part of the problem.

    But it didn''t matter right now. He needed to focus on the battle.

    Nebula had the advantage of flight, but he doubted that that alone would be what decided to fight. Paul certainly didn''t seem too nervous about it.

    But Ash believed in his bird like companion. Nebula was still probably sour about how the fight with Brock''s Geodude had ended. She wanted a second chance, and now she got it. Ash wouldn''t let it go to waste.

    They were going to win this battle and rectify what had happened with the battle with Brock from before.

    Ash grinned proudly as Nebula quickly took to the air, the young Starly wasting no time to let out a battle cry, and wasting even less time to use her attack.

    The blast of wind came sailing downwards towards Teddiursa.

    Paul remained stoic at this. And Teddiursa certainly wasn''t scared.

    But Ash also refused to be as he observed.

    Behind him, Pikachu''s cheeks sparked with determination as Nebula launched her attack at Teddiursa.

    Valiant looked on encouragingly.

    Teddiursa suddenly bolted to the side, the blast slamming into the ground and kicking up dirt, but harming nobody in the process.

    Nebula had missed her mark, but she wasn''t done just yet.

    Ash''s grin grew as she bolted forward with her wings cloaked in metallic feathers and aura.

    Nebula shrieked fiercely as she charged forward towards her opponent. Quick Attack boosted her already great speed even further.

    Teddiursa may not have been a Rock Type Pokemon, but Steel Wing was still a very strong attack nonetheless.

    Unfortunately, it still wouldn''t be that simple for them.

    On the other end of the battlefield, Paul''s grin grew as Teddiursa responded. It left Ash feeling somewhat deterred by what happened right after that.

    Teddiursa prepared himself before crossing his arms in front of his chest, his body glowing with a deep red aura that radiated off of his fur.

    Nebula found her Steel Wing slamming into the bear cub''s crossed arms, the impact pushing him back slightly and tipping him over a bit, but having very little long lasting effect as the bear cub immediately regained his footing after only a few seconds of minor wobbling at most.

    Ash blinked in surprise. He had never seen a Move like that beforeˇ­

    "Endure." Paul spoke simply, as if sensing Ash''s confusion.

    Ash''s eyes widened at that. Endure was a powerful defensive technique that, instead of creating a barrier like Protect, Reflect, or Light Screen, reinforced a Pokemon''s body in order to make them more durable against an attack.

    And Paul''s Teddiursa already knew such a techniqueˇ­

    Paul was grinning again. "Like I said, I''m proving my point to you this way." his voice began to raise. "Now then, Teddiursa! Focus Energy! Channel it into your feet!"

    Once again, Teddiursa crossed his arms, this time his body becoming bathed in glowing white light. Almost immediately after the bear cub had become encased in the brilliant pale energy, the light began transferring down to his feet, the muscles in his legs beginning to bulge slightly from the growing power.

    Ash immediately realised that the young bear cub was probably going to launch himself upwards.

    "Nebula! Wind Blast again!"

    Nebula began flapping her wings furiously yet again, but Teddiursa was already getting to work, pressing his legs firmly into the ground before launching himself upwards.

    As the Wind Blast struck the spot that Teddiursa had just been at, the bear cub was rocketed upwards, suddenly soaring a few feet above Nebula, much to the startled bird''s shock.

    Nebula raised a metallic coated wing to defend herself as Teddiursa''s claws began to glow a fierce, dark, blackish purple. Raising the claw upwards, Teddiursa swung the powerful Night Slash down onto Nebula''s now raised wing. Raising her wing to meet the attack in hopes of blocking it, Nebula suddenly found herself being pushed downwards by the surprisingly immense force.

    As the two attacks met, the loud impact sounded across the battlefield. However, after a brief struggle, the two Pokemon pushing their Moves against each other as hard as their bodies allowed them too for a few seconds, Teddiursa began pushing Nebula downwards, propelling the small bird away with shocking force as she plummeted painfully down to the ground with a loud THUD. Nebula''s surprised shriek had been interrupted by the forceful impact, knocking the wind out of her.

    The metallic coating of Steel Wing had prevented her wing from sustaining any damage from Teddiursa''s attack, but the amount of pain inflicted onto her back from the fall was definitely a different story.

    And the amount of brute strength that Teddiursa had just showcased was more than concerning. He hadn''t even been using Focus Energy in order to enhance that attack, having concentrated the entirety of the Move into his jump. And yetˇ­ the amount of strength that it must have took to do what he did. Nebula had been rocketed down to the ground like a blurˇ­

    The moment Teddiursa had propelled the young Starly down to the ground, Paul had called out another order.

    "Body Slam and Metal Claw!"

    As his claw began glowing with a strong, metallic coating, much like Nebula''s Steel Wing, Teddiursa rocked downwards. Ash could only cry out as the small bear cub attempted to drive the Metal Claw right down into his bird companion, but thankfully, a frantic Nebula ignored the pain in her back and relied purely on adrenaline and fear to roll away from the fierce blow.

    Teddiursa rocketed down into the ground with a loud crash, but his Metal Claw easily broke his fall.

    ''Apparently, Pikachu wasn''t the only one with that idea.'' Ash immediately realized. They should probably teach Nebula how to do the same with Steel Wing, just in case she ever got knocked out of the sky again.

    This Paul guy seemed pretty ruthless. If that Metal Claw had hit, striking straight down onto Nebula while she was vulnerable, along with Body Slam enhancing the blowˇ­

    Her injuries wouldn''t have been modest.

    Hearing Pikachu and Nebula let out deep sighs of relief (not to mention letting one out for himself), Ash called out to Nebula again as she picked herself up and launched herself back into the air.

    Her flight speed was considerably slower now. She was already badly hurtˇ­

    "Whirlwind, Nebula!"

    Teddiursa had demonstrated the agility necessary to dodge Wind Blast, and Endure had allowed him to tank a Quick Attack empowered Steel Wing with such ease. They needed to find a way to knock him off balance firstˇ­

    It occurred to Ash that this was the exact same strategy that they had used against Brock''s Geodude, except they weren''t using Wind Blast this time. The overuse of that strategy had horribly backfired on them before, but right now, Ash really couldn''t think of any other options than this...

    He just hoped that Nebula would be able to pull it off with her newfound back painˇ­

    Thankfully, Nebula successfully complied, although Ash couldn''t hear her winces of pain over the powerful gusts of wind as she flapped her wings as furiously as possible.

    Teddiursa struggled against the fearsome gale, and, to his credit, was doing so quite well. However, Ash could already see him being pushed back little by little, trying to dig his feet into the ground as the Whirlwind continuously pushed him backwards with increasing speeds as Nebula continued to keep up her assault.

    Great, just a little bit moreˇ­

    "Steady yourself with Endure!"

    Teddiursa''s fur returned to its bright red glow at Paul''s order, and the bear cub began to put up more resistance against the wind as he crossed his arms against his chest once again.

    Ash gritted his teeth in frustration, but Nebula did not let up.

    It was a war of attrition at this point, but Ash wasn''t too sure if Nebula could win. Maintaining Whirlwind for this long was already difficult, due to how much furious wind flapping that it required to be done in such great consecutive use, but with a sore back, there was no way that Nebula wouldn''t be reaching her limit soon. She was probably torturing herself just by trying to.

    At the same time, however, Ash doubted that Teddiursa could maintain Endure easily, especially with the constant pressure from the Whirlwind fighting against it.

    Several moments passed by as the conflict continued. From the corner of his eye, Ash could see the crowd exchanging murmurs. Pikachu was shouting out encouraging towards Nebula, while Valiant looked on with something akin to nervousness.

    Finally, Teddiursa gave out, the red glow of his body fading away as he began to lose his footing from the wind.

    Cupping his hands to ensure that he was heard, Ash called out to Nebula as Teddiursa was knocked back painfully onto his butt.

    "Double Team, the Steel Wing!"

    The young Starly split itself into two copies. Although only the real nebula''s wings glowed with the metallic energy of Steel Wing as both of them blitzed forward with Quick Attack, Teddiursa was in too much of a confused state of panic from the tactic to process it.

    BAM!

    Teddiursa cried out in pain as the force of the blow knocked him onto his back. The bear cub was sent skidding across the battlefield as Nebula circled back around again.

    However, Ash''s triumphant grin was short-lived as he began to see Nebula slowly descending.

    Suddenly noticing the young Starly panting from exhaustion, Ash realised that she could no longer keep up her flight. The pain in her back had only been greatly bolstered by the excessive use of Whirlwind, and now the force that she had put into that Steel Wing attack had done the rest of her endurance in.

    As Nebula slowly descended to the ground in a heap, her clone disappearing in the process, Paul grinned as Teddiursa picked himself back up. As the small bear cub rose to his feet, Ash took note of the rather large bruise on his face.

    Clearly, Nebula''s Steel Wing had done a number on him, but it was already too little, too late.

    The small bear cub was also panting slightly, most likely because of the endurance contest between Endure and Whirlwind, but he was still very clearly in much better shape than Nebula currently was at the moment.

    "It looks like the bird can''t keep this up anymore." Paul stated matter of factly, taking note of the exhausted Nebula''s panting as he pointed forward. "Teddiursa! Finish it up with Brick Break!"

    At full speed, Teddiursa bolted forward as he raised an orange, glowing fist. The grounded Nebula attempted to raise a Steel Wing to block, but the metallic wing was easily pushed away, Nebula''s exhaustion and back pain easily overcome by Teddiursa''s brute strength, and suddenly, Teddiursa''s other fist glowed, with the same exact, powerful, orange aura, and was swung right into Nebula''s forehead.

    CRACK!

    Ash winced as Nebula cried out and was sent flying into the barriers in front of him, Pikachu, and Valiant, her already sore back crashing into them as she slid down to the ground in a heap.

    Nebula did not get up, and, after a few moments of attempting too, passed out from the pain. Her head had a giant bruise on it, and her eyes were shut as she lost hold of her consciousness.

    Ash''s face was glum as he returned Nebula to her Poke Ball.

    "Sorry." he let out with a sigh. "Againˇ­"

    It was her second loss in a row. And it had happened a lot more quickly and easily than against Brock''s Geodude.

    That Teddiursa was strong. And not just in an above average manner, either. His physical strength was practically surreal for such a young Pokemon, and his moveset complimented that perfectly.

    Looking over at the small bear, Ash could tell that he had been fazed by the battle, but not by much, as he was still perfectly raring to go regardless of his minor fatigue and painful bruise to the head.

    Paul had kicked off this battle with a very clear advantage in numbers, and given how the rest of his team was probably going to be just as bad as this Teddiursa was, Ash regrettably had no idea how they were supposed to turn it around right now.

    "Well, that didn''t take very long." Paul commented. His voice didn''t have the same smugness of Gary''s. Instead he sounded like he was justˇ­ stating a simple fact. As though it were completely obvious. And, Ash realized, it probably was.

    He could hear some murmerings in the crowd again, as some of the audience members commented on the battle and how it was going so far. He could especially here some people (such as Emily) gawking over Teddiursa''s amazing strength.

    Feeling a light tugging on his leg, Ash looked down to see Pikachu looking up at him with a steel gaze.

    The communication between Pokemon and trainer was clear. Ash could see the anger in the mouse''s eyes.

    "Are you going to continue?" he heard Paul''s voice call out.

    "Of course we are!" Ash called back as he pointed forward. "Alright, Pikachu, I choose you!"

    Pikachu sprinted on over to the battlefield, and Paul eyed the mouse carefully.

    Between Pikachu and Valiant, Ash wasn''t entirely clear about who would be the best matchup against that Teddiursa. Not that it mattered, however, as Paul quickly raised his Poke Ball and returned the bear cub-like Pokemon.

    "So you''re using your Electric Type now, huh?" Paul remarked, clipping his Poke Ball back to his belt. Turning his head to his Elekid, he pointed forward. "Elekid, your up!"

    Making its signature whirring noise, Elekid stepped forward onto the battlefield, locking its eyes with Pikachu intensely as a sadistic smirk spread across its face.

    Pikachu, now having gotten on all fours, growled back at the bloodthirsty Electric Type opponent, his cheeks sparking madly with electricity.

    It was hard to deny the fire in either of their eyes.

    Ash kicked things off as quickly as possible. "Brick Break!"

    "Block with your own!" Paul countered.

    Pikachu bolted forward, speed enhanced with Quick Attack as his raised fist glowed a bright orange. In response, Elekid raised a glowing fist of its own, Pikachu''s attack striking against Elekid''s own fist.

    With the added force behind Pikachu''s Brick Break due to Quick Attack, Elekid''s defenses should have toppled over easily. Elekid were a naturally more bulky species than Pikachu were, for sure, but they were also no Onix.

    However, to Ash''s surprise, Elekid proved to be surprisingly sturdy. Although it was struggling against the force of Pikachu''s blow, it was getting pushed back very slowly, the bulkier Electric Type Pokemon attempting to grind its heels into the battlefield as Pikachu pushed it back gradually.

    Changing his tactics, Ash called out. "Iron Tail! Propel yourself off of the ground!"

    Pikachu coated his tail in metal, pressing it against the ground as he and Elekid continued to struggle. Up until now, this tactic had only been used to save Pikachu from a fall, but the idea to adapt it to be used offensively had suddenly occurred to Ash in the heat of the moment.

    This Elekid was definitely stronger than Pikachu, not to mention bulkier. They would have to use their wits for this. Ash just hoped that Pikachu was still also faster than Elekid was too, otherwise strategy would be their only tool. For now, they could only hope that this tactic would work. Otherwise he wasn''t sure what else to do.

    Launching himself off the ground with his now-metallic tail, Pikachu angled his fist as it continued to press against Elekid''s, using it to launch himself further. Performing a somersault over the opposing Electric Type Pokemon''s head, Pikachu swung downwards as he crashed his tail painfully into his rival.

    Elekid was sent skidding backwards as the blow collided with his chest. As he came to a halt, he lurched backwards on one foot, but righted himself quickly. Pikachu was already on the offensive, however, bolting forward with another Quick Attack as he yet again coated his tail in metal.

    Paul acted quickly "Charge Beam!"

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    Elekid raised its hands, quickly collecting electrical energy in his palms as he prepared to fire. With Pikachu rushing forward, the opposing Electric Type only had enough time to fire a relatively weak beam, a small, narrow blast of lightning, but it was still one that Pikachu needed to avoid.

    As the mouse dashed to the side, Elekid made its next move, bolting forward with a Quick Attack of its own as he raised a fist, now coated in electricity.

    Although Elekid wasn''t as fast as Pikachu, it also wasn''t too far off, and before Pikachu could react, Elekid drove the Thunder Punch painfully right into his abdomen.

    Ash and Valiant winced as Pikachu was sent flying backwards, the pain in his gut preventing him from catching himself with Iron Tail just long enough for his back to slam into the ground. After bouncing off from the landing, however, Pikachu righted himself just in the nick of time, coating his tail in metal and driving it into the ground to break his fall.

    Both combatants had landed a clean hit, and although Ash was certain that Elekid had dealt more damage, neither of them showed any signs of stopping any time soon.

    But Paul was at it again, and before Pikachu could even launch himself off of his tail, another order was shouted. "Electro Ball!"

    Once again holding out its hands, Elekid began gathering more electricity into its palms. Ash''s eyes widened as he took in just how much more easily that the Electro Ball was formed compared to whenever Pikachu attempted it.

    And when the ball was fired, it was held together a lot better, too. Its stability was almost perfect.

    This Elekid had much better control over its electricity than Pikachu currently did at the moment. Definitely not a good sign.

    Pikachu dashed around the ball, leaving it to slam into the barriers as he raised yet another metallic tail. But Paul countered yet again.

    "Dual Chop!"

    Ash blinked at the mention of the dragon type move, Elekid''s now raised fists glowing a distinct shade of purple, as Pikachu''s rival put them together, meeting the Iron Tail head on with a well placed block.

    "Brick Break!" Ash reacted quickly.

    Pikachu launched himself upwards, using the Iron Tail-still clashing against the Dual Chop- to launch himself upwards, preparing a raised, orange glowing fist.

    Elekid had pretty solid reflexes, however, and Pikachu''s Brick Break was met with a Thunder Punch. As the two attacks clashed, Pikachu winced in pain as he was propelled upward, now clutching his fist somewhat painfully.

    As Pikachu landed, Paul quickly followed up yet again. "Brick Break!"

    "Iron Tail!" Ash countered.

    Elekid ran forward, once again bolstering its momentum with Quick Attack (Ash wouldn''t be at all surprised if he learned that it was pretty much a universal tactic among Trainers and their Pokemon for speed attacks to be used regularly to get around the battlefield faster and also increase the force behind blows) as it raised an orange, glowing fist. Pikachu dashed forward as well, ducking under Elekid''s punch as his tail became coated with metal, before swinging it painfully into Elekid''s chest.

    Elekid lurched backwards, teetering a bit before righting itself, and, on Paul''s command, fired a second Charge Beam. At Ash''s immediate orders to dodge the attack, however, Pikachu quickly drove his still metallic coated tail into the ground, propelling himself upwards in a backflip to avoid the blow.

    "Thunder Shock, now!"

    At Ash''s command, Pikachu gathered electricity into his cheeks while sailing into the air, before firing the bolt of lightning into Elekid. Elekid strained against the blow, but was mostly unfazed. Electric Types could sometimes absorb other Electric Type Moves into their bodies if they were skilled enough, but it most often took time to do so, and the effort that Elekid was putting into it was leaving it wide open.

    Ash wasn''t going to give it that needed time as he immediately followed up. "Brick Break!"

    As Pikachu hit the ground, he immediately sprinted forward as he drove an orange fist into Elekid''s gut. The opposing electric type wheezed as he was driven back, clutching its stomach painfully as Pikachu raised a metallic tail.

    "Quick Attack!" Paul called out.

    Ignoring the pain in its stomach, Elekid rocketed forward and barreled straight into the mouse. With its bulk colliding with Pikachu''s body, its attack sent the mouse painfully flying backwards as Pikachu let out a cry from the impact.

    As Pikachu prepared to catch himself with Iron Tail, Ash was already responding. "Double Team! Then Brick Break!" Changing up tactics, never using the same strategy too consecutively.

    Neglecting the importance of that had cost them dearly against Brock. But the same thing would not happen here.

    After landing, Pikachu split himself in two, beginning to run circles around the now confused Elekid.

    Both of them would rush it from different directions. It would have no way of knowing which one to block.

    But Paul was grinning now. "Clever, but it won''t save you. Elekid, use Protect!" If Ash didn''t know better, it almost sounded like Paul was actually starting to enjoy thisˇ­

    As Pikachu rushed forward, along with his clone, his orange, glowing fist was met with a green, spherical barrier. Much like Rhyhorn''s barrier, this Protect was far from a mastered one, but it was still just barely strong enough to stop the young mouse right in his tracks.

    As his clone fizzled out, the electric mouse took a few steps backwards while clutching his aching fist. Glaring up at the Elekid, Pikachu saw his rival dispel its barrier as the opposing Electric type grinned sadistically, showing minor signs of fatigue but no signs of quitting. Pikachu met its vicious expression with an even fiercer glare, the competitive spirit in his eyes stronger than ever as Ash and Valiant both looked on.

    The young Ralts was staring intently between the two, and if Ash had looked down to observe his news companion, he would have probably noticed the rather analytical expression on Valiant''s face.

    Valiant didn''t spend quite as much time with Pikachu and Nebula as they did with each other, often sticking closely by Ash''s side instead, but the young Ralts was sure that he knew his mouse companion well enough to understand his personality quite a lot. And yet he had never seen Pikachu quite this worked up before. Not even in regards to the Gym Battle.

    It was almost as though this wasˇ­ personal for him, and as he continued to observe the ongoing battle between the two combatants in full, Valiant couldn''t help but wonder if it was simply due to their mutual typings. Was it natural for a Pokemon to become so competitive when facing off against an opponent of the same exact typing? Would he be experiencing these same exact emotions if he went up against one of his own Typing as well? Nebula had shared one of her typings with that Teddiursa from before, and yet she hadn''t acted quite like thisˇ­

    "Dual Chop!"

    Purple fists raised and glowing, Elekid went on the assault, but Pikachu, ignoring the pain in his fist, sidestepped the blows as best he could, before attempting to drive a Brick Break into Elekid''s stomach.

    His rival took a small leap backwards, however, and after ducking under a Thunder Punch, Pikachu once again went for another Brick Break. Elekid caught the blow with a Brick Break of his own, however, and with no Quick Attack to boost his momentum, Pikachu was pushed back easily, crying out in pain as the opposing electric type''s blow easily overpowered his own and grinded against his fist.

    Slamming an Iron Tail into the ground to save himself from falling onto his back, Pikachu was suddenly forced to roll to the side to avoid an Electro Ball. Before Ash could call out any more orders, however, Elekid was already upon him again, this time with yet another order from Paul.

    "Low Kick!"

    The opposing Electric Type reared its leg back before sadistically driving it into Pikachu''s face, the mouse somersaulting through the air with a cry of pain. Unable to ignore the pain in his face, he plopped down onto the ground, paws clenched into the pavement as he looked up and grit his teeth at the rival electric type.

    To Pikachu''s credit, however, Ash quickly took note of Elekid''s own condition. Despite its obvious physical superiority, the opposing electric type was still beginning to more clearly tire out. Pikachu''s blows had not been for naught, and the Elekid''s light pants were becoming increasingly noticeable, and the bruises on its body from pikachu''s successful blows were also hard to ignore.

    On the opposite end, however, Pikachu was currently more banged up than Elekid was, and at least just as tired.

    Their disadvantage was clear.

    But the mouse was determined, and so was he.

    Picking himself up, Pikachu growled at the rival electric type, who met the glower in the young mouse''s eyes with one of his own, his face twisted into something akin to an angry grin.

    The mutual animosity between the two had become palpable, as the two gave each other a silent challenge with the nonverbal exchange, the murmuring in the crowd restarted.

    At this point, both of them were beginning to reach their limit, and although Pikachu was closer to his, Elekid and Paul were in no position to relax, and both of them knew this.

    It was now or never. Either they turned the tide of this fight, or lost in the attempt.

    "Iron Tail!"

    "Brick Break!"

    Putting everything that they had into Quick Attack, both Pokemon shot forward, Pikachu''s tail encased in metal and Elekid''s fist glowing orange.

    BAM!

    The attacks both slammed into each other head on, Pikachu''s metallic tail shielding him from damage and Elekid''s fist pushing against the powerful Steel Type attack. Both Pokemon''s faces were clenched as they continued to put their all into the assault, desperately trying to overpower one another.

    "You can do it Pikachu!" a female voice.

    "Come on Ash!" a male voice.

    The trainer blinked as he and Valiant turned to the side to see Emily and Rick, the former cupping her hands across her mouth and the latter holding his fists out in front of him with a determined look on his face.

    Being cheered on in a battleˇ­ had that ever happened before? Not for him, at least.

    The warmth in his chest was nice, but he couldn''t focus on it right now, unfortunately. Turning his gaze back to the battlefield, he shouted out his own words of encouragement, while Valiant did the same.

    But Paul was already back at it. "Elekid! Use your other arm to hit it with Thunder Punch!"

    Ash growled. A clever tactic. He wasn''t sure if Pikachu would be able to deflect Brick Break and manage to do so in time to intercept the incoming Thunder Punch.

    But he believed in his starter. And he had another idea.

    "Thunder Shock! Then keep Iron Tail going!"

    Pikachu let out a jolt of static from his tail, causing the fist that Elekid was using to strike with Brick Break to painfully recoil backwards as the opposing Electric Type let out a growl of pain and frustration. This didn''t stop it from swinging its other fist, however, but Pikachu quickly spun around and rammed the metallic tail against the electrical fist.

    In fact, since Elekid was still reeling from the slight, yet painful jolt of electricity that Pikachu had suddenly hit him with, the Thunder Punch didn''t have quite as much force behind it, and Ash grinned triumphantly as Pikachu''s full force Iron Tail began slowly yet increasingly pushing it back. As Pikachu continued to push against it, its progress slowly but surely became faster, before completely deflecting the blow away, leaving Elekid''s arm outstretched, and the growling Elekid itself vulnerable.

    This was their chance. And they were going to take it.

    "NOW!"

    Not giving Paul any chances to react, Ash let out his order at the top of his lungs, and with a loud battle cry, Pikachu spun himself around yet again, this time ramming his still full power Iron Tail right into the Elekid''s gut.

    The opposing electric type Pokemon recoiled in pain as it let out a pained cry of anger, Pikachu''s tail digging into its stomach with all of the force that the electric mouse could muster.

    Both Pokemon were gritting their teeth as the struggle continued, the two rivals snarling in mutual defiance of one another. Neither would give in, but Pikachu was continuing to drive his opponent back with the force of his powerful blow.

    But Paul wasn''t giving in any more than Elekid.

    "Fight through it and end this with Brick Break!" the tone in his voice was final, as though he wouldn''t accept any other result than triumph, but Ash could have sworn that he had detected a hint of desperation in the other boy''s normally callous voice.

    With seemingly newfound adrenaline, Elekid let out an angry battle cry as it suddenly lurched forward, its voice becoming even more pained as it leaned against Pikachu''s Iron Tail even further in order to attempt to drive in the blow. The tenacity was amazing, but also quite concerning.

    Its fist glowing a bright orange, Elekid roared with anger as it swung the fist downwards, taking aim right at Pikachu''s face. Before Ash could even react to the attack, the blow had already connected. Pikachu''s cry of pain was immediately silenced as Elekid''s fist drove him face first into the ground, the Brick Break grinding violently against the young mouse''s cheek.

    The crunching noise was audible, and was enough to make Valiant lurch backwards with a scared flinch, and Ash''s eyes widen in terror.

    Lifting its fist off of the mouse, Elekid stumbled backwards a bit, forcing a hand to clutch its now bleeding stomach as it painted in exhaustion, before looking down at its opponent.

    Pikachu was still, the side of his face that had been struck by the Brick Break somewhat swollen, and Ash couldn''t see the other side, as it was planted firmly into the ground, but he doubted that it would be pretty.

    Ash tried not to think about how painful it had been. How brutal it had been. He didn''t even want to know what Pikachu had felt in that moment, and he highly doubted that Valiant did, either.

    Some things were just better left unsaid.

    Paul and Elekid were ruthless. They were concerned only with winning the battle, now with how merciless that their tactics were. Professional Pokemon training was tough, and, above all else, without relent. What had happened to Pikachu was hardly the worst to ever come out of the profession.

    Nevertheless, that didn''t stop the queasiness in his stomach, as Ash tried and failed to fight off the thoughts of what his Starter had just gone through. The urge to have the events continuously replaying through his mind.

    This was at least as bad as what had happened to Nebula against Brock.

    Sparing a glance at Valiant, Ash could see the young Ralts shivering lightly, yet attempting to keep his expression steel. Reaching down, Ash lightly patted him on the head, getting his attention.

    "It''s okay." he said soothingly. "I''m a bit disturbed myself."

    That seemed to ease the young Ralts up just a little bit, and as the Feeling Pokemon returned his gaze to the battlefield, Ash very quickly took out Pikachu''s Poke Ball, returning his Starter and putting him in stasis.

    "Excellent work buddy." he spoke with genuine praise. "You were amazing out there, like always."

    But as he clipped the Poke Ball back onto his belt, he felt the disappointment creeping back up yet again.

    Where had they gone wrong? They had learned from past mistakes. Constantly changing up tactics, responding quickly to their opponents'' orders and Moves as often as possible, never freezing up under the pressure. Could it have possibly gone differently-

    Quickly shaking the thoughts out of his mind, Ash quickly dismissed the notion. This hadn''t been like when Pichu had battled against Gary''s Squirtle. Or like when Nebula had battled against Brock''s Geodude. They hadn''t made any mistakes. No fatal errors that cost them the match. Paul and Elekid had simply been stronger than the two of them. And that was all the motivation that he needed at the moment.

    Paul''s voice caused him to look up, and Ash could detect a hint of relief in the other boy''s voice. Had he been paying attention, he also would have taken note of Paul sighing in relief as well.

    "He hasn''t gone through a battle like that in a whileˇ­" a light hint of acknowledgement found its way into Paul''s tone of voice as Elekid sank down onto one knee, still clutching his bleeding stomach. Lifting up a Poke Ball, Paul returned the creature. Muttering a few words (Ash thought that he might''ve picked up on "You stayed strong") to the Pokemon as he now rested safely into the orb, Paul quickly returned it to his belt before looking back up and locking eyes with Ash. The boy from Pallet Town still flinched slightly from his gaze, but steeled himself as quickly as possible. "Alright, you have my attention. Bring out your final teammate and let''s get this over with."

    Somewhat reluctantly, Ash turned his gaze down to a slightly nervous Valiant. The young Ralts had just watched both of his friends be defeated back to back, and was now expected to fight next. Surely, the Feeling Pokemon wasn''t feeling anymore confident than he currently was.

    "Heyˇ­" he said lightly, earning the Pokemon''s attention. "I know this battle''s tough. Are you up for this?"

    He wanted to think that winning was still possible. Elekid was on the verge of defeat, to the point where Paul hadn''t even bothered waiting to call him back, and Teddiursa had at least been roughed up from Nebula. There was only Paul''s third Pokemon to worry about, as Ash was confident that Valiant could easily defeat Elekid, and hopefully take out Teddiursa without too much trouble, in the condition that both of them were currently in.

    But of course, Paul probably knew this, and would use his third Pokemon instead. So it was a matter of defeating whoever that was, and ensuring that they were still in a comfortable position afterwards in order to hopefully finish off the rest.

    But that was easier said than done at this point, and although Ash tried to ensure himself, he knew that this wouldn''t be easy. Teddiursa and Elekid had both been beyond fearsome opponents, and whoever this final Pokemon was would undoubtedly be no different form either one of them.

    But nevertheless, Ash felt a slight sensation of inspiration surge through his chest as Valiant pumped an arm up with a determined glare, before looking away from his new Trainer and making his way onto the battlefield.

    Ash wasn''t sure how he would be able to ensure himself at this point, but that didn''t matter. What mattered was that Valiant was still ready to fight now. And so he would be too.

    As Valiant made his way onto the battlefield, Paul took out one final Poke Ball.

    In a bright flash of light, Valiant''s opponent appeared.

    Ash blinked in surprise.

    More murmurs from the crowd.

    Standing before the young Ralts was a large, bulky, quadruped Pokemon with light green skin and a large, yellow shell covering its back. Curiously, two bush like trees were growing out of the shell.

    Although it took a bit for Ash to process what this Pokemon was, it eventually clicked with him:

    This Pokemon was a Grotleˇ­ the evolved form of a Turtwig, the grass type Sinnoh Region starter.

    Ash highly doubted that Paul could have found a Turtwig in the wild, which meant thatˇ­

    "You''re from Sinnoh?" his tone was a bit incredulous.

    "So? What''s it to you?" Paul''s voice was back to its usual blunt tone.

    "Why did you choose to come here?" Ash was curious. Although the vast majority of trainers usually stayed in their homeland, it still wasn''t too uncommon for them to compete in foreign territories. What was quite uncommon, however, was for a trainer to leave their homeland on their first year. Most trainers waited two, maybe even three years before even considering such a thing.

    And yet thisˇ­ Paul had left his homeland mere moments after starting out. He supposed that it was realistic for Paul to be here in time for the beginning of the Season, as Sinnoh had started out earlier than usual this Season, so Paul could have theoretically hopped on a cruise ship to indigo the moment that he got his starter and trainer''s license, and potentially used the teleportation service when Indigo''s Season began, butˇ­ why would he even bother?

    Paul crossed his arms stoically. "Personal reasons that don''t concern you. Now then," he looked down towards the bulky grass type Pokemon. "Alright, now, Grotle, it''s time for us to break in your evolution."

    The Grass Type nodded. As stoic as it''s trainer, it gazed at Valiant with an intense glint in its eyes. Valiant flinched a bit as the two combatants made eye contact, but very quickly steeled himself, glaring back into his opponents pupils.

    Ash felt a bit guilty for asking. Paul was right. He had no business butting himself into whatever reasons that Paul had to be here. He had let his curiosity get the best of him.

    But for now, they would just focus on the battle.

    "Psybeam, Valiant!"

    "Withdraw!" Paul quickly countered.

    As quickly as Valiant had fired off the rainbow beam, Grotle had already retreated into its shell. Much to Ash''s dismay, the psychic attack did nothing as it collided with the exterior, bouncing off of the grass type''s superior defenses with ease.

    The boy from Pallet Town flinched. He was suddenly getting Gary flashbacks from this. If Valiant couldn''t even put a dent into Grotle''s defenses, thenˇ­

    "Stockpile!" Paul called out.

    Grotle remained inside of its shell, which began to slowly but surely glow a vibrant white. Ash had never heard of this Move before, but it sounded like some sort of charge up technique.

    The word ''Stockpile'' gave him the impression that Grotle was in the midst of gathering powerˇ­

    He could have Valiant erect a barrier, or go into Shadow Sneak, but doing either one of those too soon would use up too much energy. As much as the young trainer hated it, the best course of action would probably be to wait for Grotle to fire, or make whatever move that it was probably going to make, and then block it, or Teleport away at the last second.

    It made him feel sick to his stomach. They were both battling on Paul''s terms now, and that meant that they were both at a fundamental disadvantageˇ­

    "Get ready, Valiant."

    As the young Ralts braced himself, the glowing of Grotle''s shell began to get somewhat blinding, and just as Ash was about to shield his eyes, Paul called out his order.

    "Spit Up!"

    Suddenly, Grotle was out of its shell, its mouth open wide as a glowing, bright, white orb formed inside of it.

    Before Ash could even think about what was happening, Valiant yelped out loud and quickly erected a Light Screen barrier, boxing himself in just in time for a condensed beam of pale energy to come rushing into it.

    The explosion was loud and intense, and Ash flinched as he saw Valiant skidding backwards, body reeling from the shockwave, and the Light Screen completely shattered.

    Although the Light Screen had absorbed the brunt of the impact, Ash quickly took note of the bruises on Valiant''s body. That blast had been strong for sure. Enough to completely eliminate the Feeling Pokemon''s defenses while still damaging him just from the shockwaves alone.

    A direct hit from that would have been the end for sure.

    Looking over to Grotle, Ash could see the bulky grass type Pokemon taking a few moments to catch its breath, before righting itself and immediately going back to its stoic expression.

    A powerful blast like that most certainly would take its toll on the Pokemon, which means that Paul probably wasn''t going to be using it excessively.

    But that hardly mattered when there was no reliable way to damage Grotle. If Psybeam wouldn''t work then Magical Leaf certainly wouldn''t, as the green tortoise had a natural resistance to it. So what would they do then?

    He wasn''t sure how effective that Confusion would be. Hypnosis would be helpful to keep Grotle''s guard down. Confuse Ray was a wild card, they hadn''t practiced it that much-

    "Bullet Seed!"

    Ash snapped out of his thoughts as a barrage of powerful seeds erupted from Grotle''s mouth.

    Bullet Seed, much like Rock Blast, was a rather useful rapid fire styled attack. And this one seemed to be even stronger than the Rock Blast that Brock''s Rhyhorn had used. Grotle''s Bullet Seed easily put cracks into Valiant''s now erected Reflect barrier, wearing it down far faster than Rhyhorn had.

    It was only mere moments before the seeds got through Valiant''s defenses, the young Ralts crying out in pain as they pelted his body, and Ash could have sworn he saw some minor drops of blood.

    "Tackle!" the moment Grotle had ceased firing, another order had been called out, and the beast charged forward far faster than its size would make it seem to be capable of.

    With grotle''s massive bulk, if it crashed right into Valiant now, it would all be overˇ­

    But Valiant was already on it, eyes glowing a very deep shade of purple as he desperately tried to stop Grotle in its tracks with Confusion.

    But much like with Rhyhorn before it, he could only slow the ambitious Grotle down. Immediately noticing that his technique wasn''t going to be too effective in the long run, due to the massive strain of trying to maintain it, Valiant immediately ceased using Confusion and teleported to the other side of the battlefield, just in time to prevent the charging Grotle from slamming right into him. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, but knew that they weren''t out of the woods just yet.

    This Grotle had the defenses to render all of Valiant''s attacks useless, and the raw power to break through Valiant''s own defenses with ease. At this point, they were short on options.

    Bracing himself, Ash called out his last resort. "Get in close! Confuse Ray!"

    Valiant immediately sank into Shadow Sneak, but Paul was already countering.

    "Razor Leaf! Protect yourself!"

    Paul and Grotle must have known that Valiant making use of Shadow Sneak was how the young Ralts planned on getting in close to use Confuse Ray at point blank, because when Grotle fired out the razor sharp leaves, they, to Ash''s shock, swirled around it like a makeshift barrier.

    Was thisˇ­ another modified technique?

    Realizing that he could no longer get in close without being cut up by the leaves surrounding his opponent''s body, Valiant rose back up from the ground, out of ideas.

    "Fire!"

    A yelping Valiant immediately erected Reflect as the leaves shot out toward him, but it wasn''t too long before they had broken through, the ongoing barrage carving right through the silver cube and into the screaming Ralts'' skin.

    And the moment they had subsided, the now bloodied and cut up Ralts had looked up just in time to see Grotle looming over him, rearing up a leg and smacking him down on the back of the head.

    As Valiant plopped down onto the ground and didn''t get up, Ash didn''t even bother checking the young Ralts'' condition before he returned him. He was too afraid to look.

    That hadˇ­ hardly even been a battle. They hadn''t even gotten a chance to do anythingˇ­

    Not even Pikachu''s fight with Skorupi had been that one sided. This was on the level of Pichu''s fight with Squirtleˇ­

    But Ash quickly shook the comparisons out of his head. Unlike that particular battle, he and Valiant had actually been in sync. They were justˇ­ hopelessly outclassed.

    Ash hadn''t lost to another Trainer since Gary, but he found himself finding this loss far less unfulfilling as that one had been.

    He was still shaken from the brutality of the fight, and from how one sided the fight with Grotle had ended up being, butˇ­ the battle didn''t feel like an embarrassment. It certainly wasn''t the complete mess that the battle with Gary was.

    But he was still disappointed. The harshness of defeat still filling his heart as he registered the loss.

    But he was quickly snapped out of it as he heard Paul''s voice, the purple haired boy approaching him, flanked by his bulky Grotle.

    "Perhaps that was a bit of a mismatch." the boy admitted out loud, looking Ash in the eye. "I knew that my starter had gotten a lot stronger since evolving, but I wanted to test him out to see just what his gains were. He hadn''t gotten the chance to properly put them to work yet."

    Ash inwardly snorted. Grotle certainly had gained a lot. It was easily the strongest Pokemon that they had fought so farˇ­

    "Now thenˇ­" said Paul, taking out his Pokedex. "I believe you owe me some winnings."

    Nodding, Ash tried to hide his disappointment as he took out his own Pokedex. In addition to physical cash, he could also transfer some of his own stored money to Paul''s account.

    After the process was over, the mysterious Trainer locked eyes with him, stashing away his Pokedex.

    "Perhaps you see what I mean, now. My Pokemon all have natural talent that I''ve honed from their already stellar starting points. They had the potential, and that''s why they won. Still thoughˇ­" he turned away slightly. "A Ralts with Shadow Sneak borders on being unheard of. You at least have that going for you." turning back to Ash, he added. "I''ll admit, you''re not half bad compared to the other rookies that I''ve wasted my time on since coming here." he said begrudgingly. "But I''d recommend being a bit more careful about your team''s additions in the future." without another word, he turned to Grotle. "Let''s go."

    The Grass Type spared Ash a momentary glance before following his trainer back into the Pokemon Center. The small crowd immediately made way for them, a few people in the crowd dispersing now that the battle was done.

    Ash was broken out of his stupor as Emily called out to him.

    "Hey, Ash!" looking over to see her and Rick making their way over to him, Ash raised his hand slightly.

    Emily''s face had a hint of concern on it. "Are you okay? That battle was harsh." she seemed a bit shaken, but eased up a bit as Rick put a hand on her shoulder.

    "That guy really meant business." the taller boy commented. "Wasn''t expecting him to be a foreigner, but that Grotle was a freak of nature. I think you got robbed."

    Ash shook his head, still slightly bewildered by the last part of the fight, but still shaking it off nonetheless. "Noˇ­ we would have lost anyway. I''m sure of it. He was justˇ­ on a higher level than me."

    It pained him to say such a thing, but it was true.

    Could he have beenˇ­ right? Maybe he had a point about a Pokemon''s starting point. And did that mean thatˇ­ Ash''s starting pointˇ­

    The image of the Boulder Badge flashed into his mind, and he quickly found himself shaking his head, his eyes clenched a bit.

    No! They had already proved themselves against Brock! He wasn''t going to just go back to doubting himself just because of one, single loss. Trainers lose battles all the time. It was a fact of life. Just because he had won a badge didn''t mean that he should be surprised that there was another Trainer who was still far above him.

    It just meant that they needed to keep on training harder. Ash already knew that they couldn''t just relax just yet, but if he hadn''t known it then, he definitely knew it now. This battle had been the perfect reminder for him.

    "Ummmˇ­ Ash?"

    He blinked to see Emily''s brown eyes staring into his in concern. Realizing that he had been lost in thought, he flashed her a quick grin to settle her worries.

    That seemed to satisfy her, so he nodded to them. "I just need a minute. I''ll be in soon."

    Emily nodded, gesturing towards Rick and leading him back inside. The taller boy spared Ash one final glance before following her, and Ash could hear him saying something about that Grotle being a monster.

    Letting out a deep sigh, Ash looked down to his belt, running his hand along his Poke Balls.

    "I''m sorry that I came up short again, you guys. You all did great, really. But we haven''t hit our peak just yet. And Paul and his team haven''t seen the last of us yet."

    Ash Ketchum had no idea just how true that last statement would end up being.

 Their Next Step pt 3

    "Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

    The mouse''s tail crackled as lightning began to gather around the tip.

    The battle with Paul just a few days prior had been yet another reminder that they needed to continue training, and although it had put the team out of commission for a couple of day, they immediately had a fire lit inside of them the moment that they had recovered, and Pikachu''s was easily burning the brightest.

    Although he had put up the biggest fight out of all three of them, he also seemed to take the loss the most harshly. Ash assumed that that was owed to how he and Elekid seemed to have made it their personal mission to upstage each other.

    Letting out a determined cry, Pikachu hurled the now formed ball of electricity towards the nearest rock. Although not perfect, the orb was being held together a lot more notably than before, losing its shape as it sailed towards its target, but never breaking apart outright.

    As the rock shattered from the impact, kicking up a cloud of dust, Emily, standing behind Ash, clapped her hands happily.

    Rick had gone off to the route leading out of the city to battle some trainers for the day (planning to return later tonight) so Ash and Emily were training alone together today. Although Emily had vehemently accused the tall boy of ditching her, her face had practically turned into a tomato when he called out the time when she snuck off to train on her own without even telling him.

    Ash hadn''t spent as much one-on-one time with Emily as he had with Rick, but quickly found himself taking a liking to the cute red haired girl, who, after she had gotten over being shy, was a ray of sunshine that made it near impossible to not smile. Mostly because she was really funny when she wanted to be, which ensured the mood was always pleasant.

    Her team got along with his fairly well, too. Her Growlithe being the standout example with how she was constantly challenging Pikachu to races. Her Tyrogue was somewhat distant, but friendly, while her Eevee, as Ash quickly realized, was a prankster who had made it her hobby to start messing with Nebula. Although the young Starly was initially annoyed by this, she eventually started having fun with it, and the two became friends in an odd sort of way.

    "Whoa! He''s really been making gains since he recovered." the girl''s brown eyes observed the mouse as Nebula made her way over to him and delivered a complimenting chirp that had him slightly blushing and bashfully rubbing the back of his head.

    Ash nodded happily, an excited look in his eyes. "Yeah, he should hopefully have the move battle-ready within the next couple of days. I doubt he''s strong enough to manage a full power Thunderbolt yet, but the experience with controlling his electricity that he''s been getting with Electro Ball will still be a really good start. We''ll need that for the next Gym."

    She blinked. "Oh yeah, you''re going to Cerulean next, right?"

    Ash nodded affirmatively. "Yup. I know that they specialize in water type Pokemon over there, which is why teaching Pikachu stronger electric attacks for his arsenal is so important. We spent the whole week leading up to our battle with Brock without really touching on his electricity, so we really need to make up for lost time."

    She frowned, rubbing her arm subconsciously while suddenly finding her feet on the ground to be quite fascinating. "Yeah, this trainer stuff really is overwhelming, isn''t it? So much multitaskingˇ­"

    Ash flinched. She was definitely not wrong. There was so much to focus on at once while being a trainer. Yet another reason why rookies were so easily overwhelmed. How do you determine what to prioritize while still making sure that you don''t fall behind in any of the other areas? Especially since trainers and Pokemon were still right in the middle of fully developing their own personal fighting styles in each of their respective beginner years.

    "I''m still getting used to it myself." he admitted freely. "But I don''t think it''s ever going to be easy."

    "You certainly make it look easy." she flashed him a sad grin. "Honestly, I''m kinda jealous."

    Ignoring the tint of red in his cheeks from the surprise of somebody else being jealous of him of all people, Ash quickly tried to change the subject. "So, when do you think you''ll be ready to challenge Brock again?"

    The frown returned. "I''mˇ­ not too sureˇ­" her voice trailed off for a brief moment. "After two beatdowns, I justˇ­"

    He looked at her sympathetically. He knew full well how disheartening it must be to lose like that. Especially twice in a row. No wonder she was so apprehensive about it.

    Seeing his frown, she immediately perked up, doing her best to put on a smile. It seemed a bit forced, but she was cute enough to pull it off. "Oh! But don''t worry! I''m totally gonna do it! Rick keeps urging me, and we really don''t want all of your help to go to waste!"

    He smiled back and raised his hands defensively. "Just take your time, okay? I''m not rushing you. And I''m sure you''ll win whenever you decide to go back."

    She grinned. "Thanks. I''ll challenge him in a couple days, just give me a chance to regain my bearings, ''kay?" At his thumbs up, she looked off in the direction of the buildings. "Soˇ­ you wanna go take a lunch break?" Looking back at him, she winked playfully as a glint of cheerfulness appeared in her eye. "We have all the food to ourselves, after Rick decided to be a jerk and ditched us."

    "..." A few seconds after nodding, Ash took a leap of faith and tried his luck at banter.

    Doing his best to put on a playful smirk, he said teasingly. "Didn''t Rick say that you were the one who ditched him first?"

    He was suddenly finding it quite fun to watch her face slowly but surely turn red as a tomato, first starting out as a light shade of pink, before gradually darkening, until it was suddenly impossible to distinguish her cheeks from Pikachu''s own. This girl was a walking cartoon, and that just made her all the more endearing to talk with. Yet another reminder of how much he wished that he had met her and Rick sooner in his life.

    She roughly slapped him on the back, but the embarrassed smile on her face told him that she was not angry.

    "Not you too! Sh-sh-SHUT UP!"

    It wasn''t long after that before the two kids had burst into laughter, each placing a hand on each other''s shoulder. Their Pokemon all watched them, curious but amused nonetheless.

    Ash tried to remember he had been able to share a laugh like this with somebody his age. Since before Gary and the others had started rejecting him, no doubt.

    Why was he so afraid of talking to other kids? Janine had worked out, Rick and Emily as well. The next time Ash wanted to talk to someone his age, he would.

    He still wasn''t completely comfortable about it, but he was at least willing to try now.

    ...Yeah, this was nice.

    /

    The day came and went as usual. Ash and Emily had parted ways in the late afternoon as Ash went off to visit Elacia. She would still be in Pewter for a little while, and he promised to visit her one last time before leaving. But for now, he just enjoyed her company at the moment.

    Sipping her tea, the red haired breeder eyed him. "So, you''ve been spending some time with a couple of other kids, huh?"

    Ash nodded. "Yeah, they''re really nice. I''m going to miss them after I leave."

    "It''s good for you, kid. You definitely look like the type who needs to socialize more, with the way that you were back when I first met you. Good to see you coming out of that shell of yours." Behind her, Slurpuff, Pikachu and Valiant were playing with a ball together, while Nebula was perched on Ash''s shoulder. "So, what are they like, anyway?"

    He grinned at that. "One of them is named Rick. He''s really relaxed and nonchalant. Not much seems to bother him. He also has some pretty cool ideas for how he wants to train his Pokemon. He talked about having his Butterfree create a tornado of spores once she''s experienced enough, and he''s already thinking of ways that his Bellsprout can utilize his full moveset once he''s fully evolved. He seems to think ahead a lot." he frowned. "He seems to struggle with short term planning, though. He has a hard time focusing on the current moment."

    Elacia giggled. "Sounds like the exact opposite problem that most rookies have. So he heard about how you beat Brock and thought you could help him, then?"

    Ash nodded. "Yeah. Emily was the one who had the idea, but he jumped on board pretty quickly. I''ve done what I can to help both of them, but our teams are so different. I can only really giveˇ­ whatever advice that I can."

    "Any help is good help." she waved it off. "Nice to see you giving pointers to others, though. It really shows just how much your hard work has paid off."

    He blushed a bit. "You were part of the reason why I won in the first place."

    She shrugged. "Maybe, but don''t let that discredit you. You came up with most of the ideas, and I just added to them." After taking a sip of her tea, she eyed him again. "So, what about the other one? You said her name was Emily?"

    Ash nodded. "Yeah, Rick was the one that I spent time with the most, but I spent the whole day with her today. We get along great. She has a really strong team, and although she was really shy at first she opened up pretty fast. She''s really funny and cute."

    Elacia''s eyes glinted a bit as she grinned at him teasingly. "Oh? Sounds like someone''s got a crush."

    Ash spit out his hot cocoa mid-sip, startling Nebula, and he felt his cheeks heating up at record times. "What? No! I''ve only known her for a little bit!" shaking his head a little bit, he gathered himself before continuing. "Plus, she and Rick are probably a lot closer anyway. They went to school together. They''re actually traveling together too."

    Elacia let out a chuckle as she waved her hand dismissively. "Relax kid! You really need to realize when you''re being teased! I guess that''s another part that''s gonna need some work."

    Ash frowned at that, but knew that she was right. This woman loved walking all over him for fun.

    "Anyway," she said, standing up. "I hate to cut this short, but I actually have a short notice appointment at the Pewter City Church."

    Ash blinked at that. The Church of Mew was the biggest religious organization in Indigo, especially Kanto. And since Pewter City was one of the most traditional cities, the populace was most often known for being very religious, giving the Church an especially significant prescence throughout the area.

    "What for?" he asked curiously.

    She grinned awkwardly. "Apparently they''ve taken in a couple of young Pokemon that they found injured on the road, but the Pokemon are foreign and they don''t know much about them. So, they''ve asked me to come on in and give them advice on how to take care of them. Information on their habits, and what their diet usually is and such."

    Ash grinned at that. Since such a skilled Pokemon breeder was currently staying in Pewter for the time being, it must have been pretty convenient for them.

    "Wellˇ­ good luck." he said encouragingly.

    "Luck? Me? Don''t need it, kid." As he rose up, she eyed him carefully again. "Listenˇ­ I''d like to give you something before you leave the city. I''m sure you''ll like it. Just remember to stop by, okay?"

    Ash was curious now. "What is it?"

    She grinned teasingly. "It''ll be a bigger surprise if you find out later."

    He was a bit confused, but he nodded nonetheless.

    "Okay." he said. "Looking forward to it." he wasn''t sure what it was, but if it was meant to be a surprise he was sure that it would be good.

    /

    Ash, Rick, and Emily had all arrived on the training grounds bright and early this morning. Pikachu and Nebula rode on Ash''s shoulders while Valiant walked by his side. The mouse and bird exchanged smiles as they made their way to the training grounds. The Ralts looked fairly enthusiastic about what the day will bring.

    And Emily was pumped, having dragged Rick all of the way there, much to Ash''s amusement.

    "Alright, Rick! We''re committing to this! Brock is going down in just two days! You hear me?!"

    "Okay! Okay! Easy on the collar!"

    Behind them, Rick''s Sentret was snickering in amusement at the sight. Emily''s Eevee was joining in as well.

    As the group stopped at the training grounds, Ash turned to Nebula. "Okay, we almost have Aerial Ace down, so are you ready to get started?" She nodded at that. "Great!"

    Nebula was close to mastering the powerful technique but still needed some fine tuning. In the meantime, Pikachu and Valiant each had practice of their own.

    The boy''s plan for Valiant was a new one. At the moment, Valiant was doing pretty good with all of his moves. So Ash wanted to teach him a new one. After doing some more research on what the young Ralts could learn, he perked up at one of them in particular. It should be easy enough for the young Ralts to get the hang of.

    Meanwhile, Pikachu would still be working on Electro Ball. Ash was confident that the young mouse would master it sooner rather than later. And Pikachu seemed to agree.

    As Pikachu and Nebula conversed, Ash approached Valiant.

    The young Ralts perked up and smiled at him.

    "Hey." said Ash. "I have an idea for a new move that you can learn." At Valiant''s nod, Ash held up his Pokedex for him to see. "Here it is."

    The Pokedex showed footage of a Gardevoir firing off a sparkling blast of pink light.

    "Dazzling Gleam." Ash explained. "It''s a strong move, so I''m not sure how long it''ll take to use it to its full potential, but getting the basics down should be easy for you. And after Pikachu learns Thunderbolt, I might have him try to teach it to you in time for the next Gym Battle. Again, it''ll probably just be the basics, but this way Magical Leaf won''t be your only big tool against the Water Type Pokemon." Ash lowered the Pokedex. "But that''s for later. For now, Dazzling Gleam will be a good goal to work towards. Do you want to get started today?" At the Feeling Pokemon''s nod, the boy grinned. "Great! I''ll be working with you and Nebula while Pikachu practices on his own. He just needs to fine tune what he already has. Nebula too, but I might try to get some practice with Reckless in with possible."

    Speaking of abilities like Reckless, Ash realized that he also needed to try to work on Valiant''s Telepathy, in order to gain a better understanding of it. That could happen another day, but for now, he wanted the young Ralts to get a head start on his next set of offensive Moves.

    /

    Valiant put his hands together as he began to gather fairy type energy. By applying what he already knew in regards to fairy type moves, it should be easier than normal, especially since Pokemon traditionally had an easier time learning moves of their own type. Although, it wasn''t quite the same as jumping from Thunder Shock to Thunderbolt, and Valiant still wasn''t as experienced with fairy type moves as Pikachu was with electricity, so it would still be more difficult overall.

    As the boy watched Valiant work, he turned to Nebula. "Alright, are you ready to get started too?"

    Nebula''s response was to take off into the air, body beginning to cocoon in white light as she sailed into the sky.

    Aerial Ace was a great move that allowed the user to attack with a powerful charge through the air, moving at extra high speeds while zeroing in on their opponent. It was difficult to control while learning it, but once mastered, or at least gotten the hang of, it would be great for accurate flight, and even allowed the non-flying types that could learn it some sort of flight ability while using it.

    Nebula was still shaking in the air, but she was doing much better now.

    Behind him, Ash looked to see Valiant forming a small, pink orb between his hands. A small, narrow beam of sparkling pink light shot out of it, piercing a tiny hole into a nearby boulder.

    Ash gave him a thumbs up. "Good. You have a limited version down from just a first attempt."

    Not that it would be much use in a battle yet, but the young Ralts was at least capable of manifesting the move. It was a start, so Valiant deserved to be encouraged.

    Valiant gave him a smile, but suddenly, after a few seconds, the smile became somewhat more strained. The young Ralts curiously looked off in a different direction, leading towards the outskirts of the city. Ash looked at him, somewhat concerned. Valiant''s demeanor had changed quite rapidly.

    "Something wrong?"

    Perking up, as if having forgotten that Ash was even there, Valiant shot Ash a frantic look that quickly relaxed, as if trying to calm himself down. Raising his hands and shaking them, the young Ralts shook his head back and forth.

    Ash raised a brow at that, but decided not to question it. If Valiant said that it was no big deal, then he would believe him.

    Turning his attention back to Nebula, Ash saw her continue to soar, practicing Aerial Ace as she progressively became less and less shaky. Pikachu had taken a brief break from his Electro Ball training to watch the young Starly go.

    Deciding that both of them would be fine for now, Ash made his way over to Valiant, who still seemed to be a bit uneasy about something.

    Ash was a bit concerned, but decided not to keep bothering Valiant about it unless it got worse.

    "Alright, do you want to try again?"

    Nodding (a bit more slowly than usual, Ash quickly noted), Valiant turned to face a different boulder this time. Ash could see the sweat running down his head as the young Ralts concentrated his fairy type energy into yet another ball. This one was slightly bigger than the last one, but took longer to form.

    After a few more seconds of charging, Valiant fired again, this time letting out a slightly bigger, somewhat more wide beam of pink light. Ash smiled As the boulder broke open, not completely destroyed but clearly much more damaged than before.

    "Good! If we keep practicing, then at this rate you''ll have a usable form of the Move down in no time!" Valiant still needed to work on the charging time so that it could be used a bit more reliably, but offensively speaking, where he was currently at would do for now. It wouldn''t be for a while before he could use the Move''s full power. But Ash wasn''t going to rush him in that department. It would still potentially be the best Move that was currently in Valiant''s arsenal if they could get some form of it down.

    Valiant gave Ash a determined smile and nodded. The young Ralts always seemed to be very eager for progress, jumping at the chance whenever he could. It was a very admirable trait to have, and his work ethic was something to be taken note of.

    "Alright, just let me know when you need a break, okay? I''ll keep watching you." At Valiant''s affirmative nod, Ash took a seat on a nearby rock as he continued to watch the young Ralts do his work.

    But whenever Ash would look away in order to check on Pikachu and Nebula, the young Ralts would always shoot a nervous glance towards the outskirts of the city.

    /

    The sun was high in the sky when Rick had suggested a lunch break.

    The three trainers were all seated in a circle, this time still at the training grounds, while their Pokemon all ate nearby them.

    Emily smiled at their teammates.

    "It really is nice to see them all getting along together, don''t you think so?"

    It was true. There wasn''t any real segregation between the Pokemon. Although Pikachu and Nebula sat together like usual, they were also joined by Emily''s Eevee and Growlithe, the former having struck up a friendship with Nebula, and the latter one with Pikachu.

    Rick''s Bellsprout and Butterfree sat together, while Emily''s Tyrogue and Rick''s Sentret sat with Valiant.

    However, Ash took note of Valiant''s mood. The young Ralts was barely touching his food, eating with nibbles at a time. Tyrogue and Sentret seemed to have noticed his situation, as they were trying to get through to him, but he was constantly twitching nervously.

    It was at this point that Ash finally decided to address Valiant''s mood. Something was not normal.

    "What''s wrong, dude?" Rick was confused as Ash got up.

    "Valiant''s been acting strange for the past few hours. I think something might be wrong with him. Hold on, I can handle it." The other two kids seemed to be concerned, but listened nonetheless, staying at their seats and conversing with one another as Ash made his way to Valiant, Tyrogue, and Sentret.

    The latter two Pokemon both stepped aside upon seeing Ash approach, seemingly somewhat relieved that he was here.

    Sitting down and crouching at eye level with the Feeling Pokemon, Ash observed Valiant carefully. "Hey buddyˇ­ you okay?"

    Valiant shifted a bit, but didn''t move his gaze from Ash. The Ralts'' hands slowly found their way to his head, and Ash frowned as Valiant tensed a bit while gripping his head somewhat tightly.

    "Youˇ­ have a headache?"

    A shake of the head. So that wasn''t the problem.

    But it was something that he was feeling inside of his head.

    What was Valiant feelingˇ­

    Feelingˇ­

    Feeling...?!

    Ash inwardly perked up at the realization.

    Ralts was the FEELING Pokemon. They could sense EMOTIONS. If Valiant''s issue was a headacheˇ­ thenˇ­ maybe that could meanˇ­

    "Do youˇ­ sense something happening? Is someone in trouble?"

    Tyrogue and Sentret seemed somewhat confused by that question, but perked up in surprise when Valiant nodded.

    Ash wasn''t sure just how far along Valiant''s capabilities were in their current development process. He was obviously still quite young, so his ability to detect emotions, a natural capability among all members of his species, was still very inconsistent at best. Some days he''d be much better at it than others. Not to mention, it was involuntary, and there was no way that he could be used to it right now.

    Whatever he was feeling was obviously a very negative emotion. And it was overwhelming him. Eating away at him for the entire training sessionˇ­

    The young trainer mentally kicked himself for not confronting Valiant about it sooner. He had taken his teammate''s word for it even though it was clear as day that it had just been a white lie. What kind of trainer, even a rookie, would just ignore their Pokemon''s feelings like that?

    And Valiant had chosen to come along with them by his own free will, too. He wasn''t caught like Nebula, or acquired like Pikachu. If anything, that made Ash''s neglect even worse.

    Valiant had put his trust in him, and Ash was violating that trust by being so dismissive of his feelings.

    He would rectify that right now.

    "Valiantˇ­" he said slowly, gently, trying not to stress him out further. "Where is it coming from? The outskirts?" That''s where Valiant had been looking earlier, after all. At his slow, but steady nod, Ash stood up, but kept his gaze on Valiant. "Weˇ­ should check it out. Just in case. Somebody could be in trouble."

    "Huh?" Emily perked up after hearing that. "Who''s in trouble?"

    "I don''t know yet." said Ash, strapping on his backpack while looking towards his other teammates, who had also directed their attention onto him. "Pikachu, Nebula, can you come with us real quick?"

    Despite their confusion, the mouse and bird nodded and left their spots, joining Ash and Valiant by their side. Pikachu looked up at Ash expectantly while Nebula tilted her head in confusion.

    "Sorry about the inconvenience, guys. There''s just something that we need to check out first." Looking towards Rick and Emily, Ash frowned at them. "It''sˇ­ probably nothingˇ­ but could you please go get help just in case?"

    Emily was still a little bit bewildered, but Rick gave him a thumbs up. "Sure thing, man. Better to be safe than sorry, after all. Just make sure you all be careful, okay?"

    At Ash''s nod, the other two kids recalled their teams and made their way back at a decently quick pace.

    Giving the young Ralts a thumbs up, Ash looked down at Valiant gently. "Lead the way, but take it easy."

    Reluctantly, Valiant nodded. He was nervous, but seemed glad to have the chance to address all of this.

    /

    Valiant led them to the outskirts of Pewter City at a decent pace, somewhat slower due to the uneasiness in his head.

    Ash was sure not to rush the young Ralts, especially as he grew more and more uncomfortable as they gradually drew closer.

    Ash felt a bit guilty for doing this, seeing as though Valiant was most obviously not enjoying it.

    But he would feel even more guilty if he didn''t do anything about it, and continued to leave Valiant''s blatantly obvious discomfort unaddressed.

    This was for the best.

    "Are we almost there?"

    A nod.

    Ash turned to Pikachu and Nebula, the mouse following close behind them while Nebula perched herself on his shoulder. Both of them seemed to be a little bit apprehensive, although Pikachu was handling it a little bit better.

    While not scared, Nebula was obviously not comfortable with the situation. And neither was Ash.

    It was probably nothing. But what if it was not?

    Arriving at the outskirts of the city, on a different end than Viridian Forest, Valiant slowed his pace a bit. They were getting closer then. The boy kept his guard up.

    This was down the road that would eventually take them to MT. Moon, but Valiant led them off the beaten path, through a set of trees on the side.

    After a couple more minutes of walking, Ash''s eyes widened at the site.

    A set of cages containing a bunch of Pokemon, many of whom he had never seen before.

    Without thinking, he bolted forward and gripped the bars of the closest one, peering inside at the two creatures fearfully huddling up in the corner.

    No wonder Valiant was so uncomfortable. They looked terrified.

    One of them was a Chingling, a psychic type Pokemon that somewhat bore a resemblance to a bell with stubby arms and legs. Ash knew very little of the species of Pokemon outside of its Evolution, Chimecho, which he also knew very little about.

    The other one was completely foreign to him, something that he wasn''t even remotely familiar with. It was a black and white bird with a little bit of red at the top of its head, and was about the size of Nebula.

    Valiant was frowning beside Ash as he made his way next to his Trainer, with Pikachu in tow. Nebula remained on Ash''s shoulder, peering down at the scared Pokemon with concerned.

    "So there was someone in trouble." Ash was stunned. He didn''t think he''d actually find something. "Don''t worry you guys, help is on the way." Standing up, he looked between his team. "Come on, Rick and Emily will have gotten help by now. We need to meet up with them and lead them here-"

    "My my, what''s this?"

    The Trainer froze at the chilling voice, and slowly turned to seeˇ­

    Two people wearing Team Rocket uniforms.

    Pikachu and Valiant immediately got into fighting stances, Nebula leaving her trainer''s shoulder for what she realized was about to escalate into a fight. The angry growls that escaped from Pikachu''s throat made it very clear that he remembered the incident from back in Viridian City.

    The two members standing before them were a man and a woman. The man had short blue hair, while the woman had long blonde hair. The man was sneering at them condescendingly while the woman crossed her arms and eyed them lazily.

    "I guess this is what we get for taking a bathroom break while we wait for pickup." the woman groaned. "Wasn''t expecting a kid to find us."

    "What should we do?" asked the man, as if already knowing the answer.

    The woman smirked viciously. "Well, I mean, he doesn''t look like he''d be missed or anything like that. And he did just say he was going to get help."

    Ash''s blood was running cold.

    No no no no no WHY?! Why Team Rocket?! This had all started out as a completely normal day andˇ­ and nowˇ­

    He had no backup. He figured that if anything was going on, it wouldn''t just be something like thisˇ­

    Suddenly realizing that their lives were all in danger, Ash subconsciously took a few steps back as the woman giggled through her hand.

    "Look at him, Butch. As scared as a Snover in a volcano. Tell you what, why don''t you just stay here with us until pickup arrives? You won''t get hurt as long as you don''t try to call the authorities."

    "Hold on, Cassidy." the man, Butch stated. "He has a bird with him. It could easily fly away and get helped if left to its own devices. I say we incapacitate him."

    The woman, Cassidy, shrugged. ''I suppose you''re right." she eyed Ash smugly. "What do you say, kid? Just sit tight and get knocked out. It won''t be fatal as long as you cooperate."

    Ash was finding it hard to think, but barely managed to squeak out a reply.

    "Wh-whatˇ­ A-are you -d-doing with them?"

    "These Pokemon?" Cassidy perked up. "You mean you don''t know? EVERYONE knows that the Church takes in lost Pokemon, and we recently received word that some foreign Pokemon had been added to their shelter. The executive that we work under likes things exotic."

    A small hint of anger occupied Ash''s fearful expression.

    "Youˇ­ stole from the Church?!" How could anyone have so much audacity?!

    The man raised his arms and sighed. "It doesn''t matter who we stole from. The matter is what we need. Which is a promotion. Did you know that Alolan Pokemon are the most rare foreign creatures that you could find here in Indigo? And a quarter of these are from that Region. I''m sure our superior would be happy to grant us a bonus after this."

    They were doing thisˇ­ just for the money?!

    "Now thenˇ­" Cassidy was clearly done talking, taking out a Poke Ball and releasing a large rat-like Pokemon that Ash immediately identified as a Raticate. "Just hold still, boy."

    Pikachu stepped forward further, growling dangerously at the Raticate as his cheeks crackled. His eyes were filled with terror, but he was in fight or flight mode. Nebula, sensing this, stepped forward as well, and raised her wings.

    Ash gulped. He didn''t want to provoke their wrath, but he also couldn''t just trust them to keep him alive as promised. Many Team Rocket members killed anyone they felt needed to be dealt with and out of the way. Sometimes even children.

    These two claimed to be merciful, butˇ­that was too much of a gamble.

    And yet it was also too much of a gamble to instigate a fight, but both of them were already doing that for himˇ­

    Trying (and failing) to ignore the fear in his heart, Ash looked down at Valiant. ALthough the fear leaked into his voice, he tried to remain strong for his team.

    Valiant was holding his head, still. The fear of the other Pokemon in the cages was still overwhelming him.

    ''Valiantˇ­" Ash said, quickly taking out the young Ralts'' Poke Ball. "I''m returning you. You''re in no position to fight."

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The Feeling Pokemon didn''t seem to like that, but nodded nonetheless. As he disappeared in a bright flash of red light, Ash turned to Pikachu and Nebula.

    "You twoˇ­ do you think you can handle this?"

    They were fighting alongside for the first time now. This would be new to them.

    But both of the teammates were determined, and nodded steadfastly. Giving each other determined looks, they gazed into each other''s eyes for just a brief moment, taking in the steel gazes of one another, before returning their gazes to the vicious Raticate.

    Cassidy flicked her hair a bit. "Well then, that''s how it is, I suppose. Not like I''ll be losing any sleep over it. Raticate, rip those two pipsqueaks to shreds and then sink your teeth into the boy."

    The Raticate growled dangerously as he eyed Pikachu and Nebula like a predator, Ash and the two team Rocket members slowly walking away in order to gain some space to prevent themselves from being placed into harm''s way.

    And then it bolted forward.

    Nebula flapped her wings furiously as she ascended into the air. Pikachu rushed forward to meet Raticate head on, crying out angrily as his tail became cloaked in metal.

    The battle had begun.

    Pikachu''s Iron Tail was bitten down on by the Raticate, but the metallic coating protected him from harm. Before the giant rat could do anything else, however, it had to jump back to avoid the jolt from Pikachu''s tail, as the young mouse prepared to fire Electro Ball.

    Above them, Nebula was already preparing her Wind Blast.

    Both Pokemon fired at the same time.

    Raticate leapt backwards to avoid the mutual assault, and, at Cassidy''s command, launched forward at Pikachu.

    The Raticate was fast. It seemed to be boosting its speed with Quick Attack, but was much faster than Pikachu was.

    Unable to dodge, Pikachu instead shot forward while cloaking his body in electricity. Using Spark, he rammed head first into the Raticate. The giant rat''s greater momentum and physical strength resulted in Pikachu being slammed into the air, knocked away from his opponent by the impact, but the electricity of Spark itself had a painful effect on the rat, leaving it clutching its head in pain.

    "Wind Blast!"

    High above, Nebula fired the blast of wind down onto Raticate, painfully pinning it to the ground as the attack assaulted its back.

    Turning back to Pikachu, who had already used Iron Tail to catch himself, Ash gave the order. "Brick Break!"

    Ignoring the painful bruise that now occupied the top of his head from his previous clash with Raticate, Pikachu shot forward, the orange aura already enveloping his fist as he pulled it back.

    The attack collided with the Raticate''s forehead, sending it tumbling backwards towards Cassidy and Butch, the latter heaving an overly exaggerated, over-dramatic sigh at the spectacle.

    "Such a pity. It seems these runts actually have a few fangs to go along with their fragileness."

    Cassidy groaned while facepalming. "UGGGHˇ­ does this mean that I actually have to try now? And here I thought this would be easy." shrugging, she glared ahead at Ash and his Pokemon. "Welp, it can''t be helped now. Shadow Ball!"

    Returning to its feat, Raticate opened its mouth and began gathering a mass of distorted, blackish-purple energy in the form of a perfectly formed sphere.

    Shadow Ball was a powerful ghost type move and the most commonly used of its respective typing by far. This one seemed to be quite potent, and well mastered. Getting hit by it wouldn''t be goodˇ­

    "Double Team!"

    Pikachu split off into two copies, leaving the Raticate looking between the two, bewildered as to who the real one was.

    This was it. A distraction.

    "Aerial Ace, Nebula!"

    Nebula, who had been waiting in the air, circling around in anticipation for Ash''s next instructions, immediately dive bombed downwards and towards the Raticate, who looked up in a panic and fired the Shadow Ball on instinct.

    But Ash wasn''t concerned with that. As a normal type Pokemon, Nebula charged head first, straight into the ghost type move, and, with the force of her attack powering through the explosion, was left mostly unharmed as she continued her assault, bashing beak first right into the Raticate''s forehead.

    The giant rat was left falling onto its butt, briefly clutching its forehead in pain as it snarled lividly towards the now fleeing Starly.

    Knowing that he couldn''t give the rat a luxury of any breathing room, Ash followed up as quickly as he could. "Pikachu! Zap Tail!"

    Zap Tail was already an attack that Pikachu had used against Dustox back in Viridian Forest. But this time, Ash had a name for it. Using Quick Attack to boost up his speed, Pikachu cloaked his tail in metal as he channeled Spark through it, leaving his Iron Tail surging with electricity.

    It would be a powerful blow for sure, and, due to the electricity, Raticate wouldn''t be able to intercept it without biting down on it this time. Well, not without getting zapped, at the very least.

    Unfortunately, Raticate had already risen to its feet in recovery, and, upon seeing Pikachu sailing over towards him in a mighty sprint, intercepted the attack using a different method: Standing upright, it cloaked its tail in metallic coating, meeting Pikachu''s attack with an Iron Tail of its own.

    Pikachu''s momentum initially gave him the edge, causing Raticate''s feet to sink into the ground, but it wasn''t long before the mouse found himself losing the upper hand against the physically superior opponent.

    But Ash was already responding. "Steel Wing!"

    With Raticate occupied with Pikachu, Nebula was free to shoot forward, slamming a steel-coated wing down onto the top of the rat''s head. Being forced downwards, Raticate ceased defense against Pikachu''s Zap Tail, and was struck into the face, rolling backwards yet again.

    "Idiot!" yelled Cassidy as Raticate began picking itself up again. It was getting pretty banged up now, its injuries beginning to show. "Your Shadow Ball won''t work on that damn bird! Get smart and focus!"

    "Pikachu! Double Team and Brick Break! Nebula! Double Team and Steel Wing!"

    "Just get out of the way!" screamed Cassidy, already realizing what Ash''s plan was.

    As Pikachu and Nebula charged forward, they split into copies that charged with them. Raticate would have no way of knowing which ones to watch out for, leaving it wide open to both attacks.

    Unfortunately, it abandoned that thought at Cassidy''s orders, dashing to the side with Quick Attack and leaving the duo to miss their mark.

    "Flame Wheel!"

    Ash''s eyes widened at that, as Raticate''s body became cloaked in fire, rolling rapidly towards Pikachu.

    "Jump over it and use Thunder Shock!"

    Propelling himself up with Iron Tail, Pikachu gathered the electricity in his cheeks before firing back at Raticate, who''s flames allowed it to tank the attack, but was still slowed down by the abrupt impact.

    "Quick Attack to get away!" Yelled Cassidy as Nebula''s Wind Blast was fired down after it.

    Raticate bolted away from the danger, but Pikachu pursued it. Although normally not as fast, the mouse was beginning to gain on the giant rat due to its new injuries beginning to slow it down. Nevertheless, his Brick Break was still narrowly avoidedˇ­

    Only for Nebula to intercept with Aerial Ace, and send the rat reeling off in a different direction.

    "Grr, let''s see how they like this! Ice Beam!"

    While Nebula was still gathering herself from the impact of slamming into Raticate, the giant rat fired a concentrated blast of ice into her. Ash gasped as the small bird was immediately struck down to the ground, seething in pain from the attack.

    Pikachu looked back and gasped as Nebula struggled to pick herself up, but this left him open, as Raticate was suddenly upon him with Iron Tail. Pikachu quickly blocked with one of his own as Raticate slammed its tail down onto his, but could put up little resistance as he was pushed downwards.

    Ash''s fists tightened as his breath caught in his throat.

    At this rate, they''d all be doomed. They''d be killed. They''d-

    NO! He couldn''t think like that right now! He needed to be strong for his team! Regardless of how terrified that he was!

    And that meant getting them out of this!

    "Electro Ball!"

    The explosion knocked Pikachu down on his back, but the concussive force also caused Raticate to stagger back and fall on its butt. To Ash''s relief, Nebula had gotten up, and, despite the pain that she was in, taken to the air again.

    Whirlwind wouldn''t work with Pikachu there too, as he would be blown away even more would Raticate, so Wind Blast would have to do.

    At Ash''s order, Nebula fired the concentrated blast of wind the the large rat, who attempted to avoid it but struggled to maintain its balance as it was clipped in the side.

    "Brick Break!"

    Now picking himself up, Pikachu rushed forward and drove his orange fist into Raticate''s gut, briefly knocking the wind out of the giant rat as Nebula came in with an Aerial Ace.

    As Raticate attempted to fire off yet another Ice Beam, Pikachu zapped it with a quick jolt from Thunder Shock, stalling it just long enough for Nebula to hit her mark safely. As Raticate staggering backwards again, falling onto its butt once more, Ash gave the order.

    "Zap Tail, Pikachu!"

    Rushing forward, and cloaking his tail in metallic coating, Pikachu reared back as he channeled lightning into his Iron Tail, driving it across Raichu''s face with a mighty SLAM.

    The rat cried out in rage and pain from the painful blow to the job, falling onto its side and struggling to pick itself up.

    "Wind Blast!"

    "Outta the way, idiot!" screamed Cassidy, somewhat desperately.

    Raticate just barely managed to lurch out of the way from Nebula''s attack, but began to stumble forward as Pikachu locked his eyes on it.

    "Electro Ball!"

    Pikachu''s attack slammed right into the Raticate''s side, blasting it a few feet away and leaving it rolling across the ground. Now on its back, it briefly attempted to pick up its head before falling unconscious.

    Ash couldn''t allow himself to breathe out a sigh of relief just yet. Not when Team Rocket was still here, but he was still very proud of his team so far.

    In a one on one fight, that Raticate would have very easily overwhelmed Pikachu and Nebula, for sure.

    But together, they had prevailed.

    However, Ash and Pikachu both started as Nebula''s body began to envelop in bright, white light.

    Without warning, her body began to grow, extending outwards and increasing in bulk.

    When the light died down, in place of a Starly, was a Staravia. Ash couldn''t stop himself from smiling, and Pikachu mirrored his reaction.

    If only the evolution had come at a less stressful time.

    As Nebula landed near Pikachu, who exchanged smiles with her quickly before returning his attention to Team Rocket, Cassidy seethed with anger as she returned her Raticate.

    "What a stupid oaf that damn rat was! To think he was beaten by a couple of lowly runts like that! ARGGH!" she began pulling on her hair angrily as Butch placed a hand on her shoulder.

    "Now, now, Cassidy, there''s no need to be a sore loser. Especially since we haven''t actually lost."

    Ash gulped again. He knew it.

    Obviously, these two weren''t going to back down just because of one Pokemon being defeated.

    A merciless grin appeared on Cassidy''s lips at that.

    "Right, right. How could I forget? It''s not like Raticate was the best Pokemon on our team, after all. I just got cocky is all."

    As Ash''s breath caught in his throat, Butch stepped forward with a Poke Ball in hand.

    "You''ve got spunk for a rookie kid, but the show''s over. You''ve had your chance to show off, and now we have ours. Feast your eyes on the real deal!"

    Tossing the orb into the air halfheartedly, Butch viciously smirked at what exited it.

    And Ash, Pikachu, and Nebula all paled in terror.

    It was a large, bulky, bipedal rhinoceros that towered over Ash''s teammates, and even himself. It landed on the ground with a violent THUD, kicking up a large cloud of dust that temporarily obscured it from view.

    Ash wished it could stay that way, and so did Pikachu and Nebula.

    But its silhouette already looked intimidating enough, and as it rose up on its hind legs to glower down on its prey, Ash knew true terror as he and his teammates backed away in horror.

    The Rhydon roared.

    Covering his ears in pain, Ash desperately racked his brain for something, anything, that could possibly get him out of this, but constantly found himself coming up short.

    Nobody on his team was strong enough to take a Rhydon just yet. Ash didn''t even know just how trained that thing was, if it was newly evolved or had been a Rhydon for years. But it mattered not. Because not even a newly evolved Rhydon would struggle against him and his team the way that they were right now.

    It took a while for Rhyhorn to evolve, but when they did, they most certainly showed it. Although greatly eclipsed by their evolution, Rhyperior, Rhydon weren''t nearly as rare, and were still more than strong enough to compete in the big leagues in their own right. Many high level trainers in the Conference used a Rhydon as a part of their team.

    The smirk on Butch''s face was bitter and malicious as Cassidy cackled with glee.

    "Thought you were being real slick, didn''t ya?" asked Butch slyly. "Well, if you weren''t going to do things the easy way and get mauled by Raticate, you''ll have to settle for getting stomped to death by Rhydon. Time for this beast to grind your bones into particles!"

    Ash could feel himself almost about to vomit, the queasiness in his stomach suddenly being accompanied by nausea in his mouth.

    "H-hold on now! C-can''t we t-talk about this?!"

    "Talk? About what? You didn''t cooperate with us before, but you will now that you know that you''re doomed?" Butch snarled with glee. "Sorry kid, but our offers are a one time thing. This beast is going to have some fun with you."

    Nebula stood in front of a terrified Pikachu as the ferocious rhino glowered down at them like a predator eying a vulnerable group of prey, but she herself was sweating up a storm as the Rhydon began to advance.

    Ash found himself sinking to his knees. So this was itˇ­ even after all thatˇ­ they were just toying with them. They had everything under control the entire time. They could have easily sent out the Rhydon before, but just chose to have a little bit of fun with them instead. And nowˇ­

    "AAASSH!"

    Ash perked up at the frantic, panicked voice as the sound of furiously pounding footsteps filled his hearing.

    And then, all of a suddenˇ­

    "ENOUGH. Team Rocket."

    Ash blinked at the figure in front of him. A woman standing tall, standing upright, holding her arms protectively in front of him.

    As he slowly got to his feet, Ash blinked furiously before coming to his senses.

    "E...Elacia?''

    Meanwhile, Slurpuff had gotten in front of Pikachu and Nebula, urging them to step back.

    "Trying to murder a child like that. Have you no shame?!"

    Elacia''s voiceˇ­ she was furious. This was... he could barely recognize her in this tone.

    Team Rocket was less than intimidated, however. "HAHAHA!" Butch guffawed as Cassidy sneered ferociously. "Is mommy here to save the little cub? Oh, how terrifying!"

    Elacia wasn''t intimidated herself, nevertheless. Or amused, for that matter. Backing up a bit, she wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him in, rubbing his back soothingly.

    "Your friends came to the Pokemon Center to report the trouble that Valiant seemed to be picking up on. I was there at the time, so I went on ahead while Nurse Joy contacted the authorities. I couldn''t find you at first, but Rhydon''s roar led me here. Don''t worry, it''s gonna be fine. You''re all gonna be fine."

    Ash was still scared, but the tone of her voice was warming. Comforting. Team Rocket was right there and yet he could already feel his nerves beginning to ease up. The way her touch felt, the way her voice sounded, it was suddenly as if her very presence was the end to all of his troubles.

    This wasn''t Elacia as she normally was. She was dead serious, yet completely calming. It was an abrupt change, and yet he welcomed it.

    The things she said, and the way she said themˇ­ were exactly what he needed right now.

    It almost reminded himˇ­ of his mother. Like that time when she was right by his side when he had twisted his ankle in soccer. Or when he had been scared of storms.

    "Uhhhˇ­ Excuse me?!" Butch''s voice was agitated beyond belief. "We''re still here, you know! STOP IGNORING US!"

    Gently pushing Ash behind her, Elacia stood defensively in front of the child, her gaze steel and her glare steady. Sparing a glance at Pikachu and Nebula, she quickly gestured towards the duo.

    "Pikachu, Nebula. Over here, come on." without argument, the two quickly scurried to where their trainer was. Slurpuff stayed put.

    Pikachu quickly made his way to Ash''s shoulder, and the young boy felt relieved to have the mouse near him again. Looking down at Nebula, he exchanged a quick smile with her.

    They were all safe. For now.

    Cassidy snorted despicably. "Just because some rando shows up you think you''re safe? Life doesn''t work that way!"

    "ENOUGH." Elacia''s tone was one of boldness and authority. "I didn''t come here to listen to you."

    "Elaciaˇ­" Ash said carefully. "They robbed the Church. Those Pokemon in those cages were stolen by them."

    Elacia''s glare tightened as the Rhydon advanced forward, glowering down at Slurpuff, who seemed to be less than intimidated.

    "You join a group of terrorists. You rob a Church. You try to kill a child and his team." Her clenched fists were trembling. "You''re just trying to check off every atrocity in the book, aren''t you?"

    Butch snarled disgustingly as he pointed a finger forward. "You''re in no position to lecture us, woman. I have a massive Rhydon towering over all of you, and all you have is some little cream ball over there." Slurpuff was unfazed by the insult.

    A small smirk appeared on Elacia''s lips, although the anger in her eyes never subsided. "You must be even worse than a rookie if you think size determines everything in a battle. Let''s just say my Slurpuff has handled Pokemon far bigger than your Rhydon in the past. She has nothing to fear from the likes of you two."

    As Slurpuff assumed a fighting stance, Ash felt himself tensing up again, but felt his nerves easing once more as Elacia''s hand made its way to his shoulder.

    "I''m giving you one chance to back off." she spoke evenly, holding back a snarl to prevent Ash from getting any more nervous than he probably already was. "I suggest you take it before I change my mind anyway."

    "Don''t bargain with us!" yelled Butch. "We''re in control here!" He took a step forward. "Rhydon! Prepare for battle!"

    The Rhydon, as if stretching, raised a foot, and then pounded it into the ground. He then repeated the same process with the other foot. Each of the two stomps sent a massive shockwave outwards, whilst kicking up a very large amount of dust. Elacia and Slurpuff remained steadfast but Ash and his team found themselves flinching just a little bit.

    Elacia stopped waiting. "Slurpuff! Belly Drum, now!"

    Ash raised a brow. Belly Drum? What was that?

    Slurpuff puffed out her chest and began beating her small, stubby arms against her stomach. The sounds of her arms banging against her belly progressively grew louder and louder as her body suddenly began to vibrate, and Ash, Pikachu, and Nebula all proceeded to gawk as a red aura began to manifest around her, first appearing as an outline, and then, suddenly enveloping her entire body, as if an additional exterior. As the blood red aura surrounded her, crimson lightning began to crackle along her body, and, much like the aura, continued growing in intensity. The vibrations of her body began to increase more and more, the sound of her arms banging against her stomach suddenly becoming thunderous.

    Ash wasn''t sure what he was watching, but all of a sudden, Elacia''s cute and cuddly companion was a hell of a lot more intimidating than she was when they first met.

    "I don''t know what that does, and I''m not finding out!" Butch screamed defiantly. He pointed at Ash, causing the kid to step back a bit. "You should have cooperated with us when you had the chance, runt! Rhydon! Crush that little thing with Hammer Arm!"

    But Elacia responded immediately. "Drain Punch!"

    Rhydon charged forward on its hind legs, letting out a mighty roar as it raised a glowing arm, enveloped in blinding white light. The arm violently crashed to the ground, shaking the earth as Slurpuff leapt out of the way at the nick of time.

    Landing beside Rhydon, Slurpuff launched herself forward. Her fist glowed with a bright, orange light, with a level of intensity that made even the glow in Rhydon''s Hammer Arm seem faint and dim by comparison. Slurpuff kept her fist channeling the new attack, gathering energy for the upcoming blow, and she reared it back as she charged forward. The battle cry that she let out as she swung her fist made Pikachu''s seem mellow and dispassionate by comparison.

    Rhydon didn''t know what hit it.

    BAM!

    The sound wasˇ­ deafening as Slurpuff''s powerful punch connected. Ash could hardly even believe it. One moment he was cowering in fear in the face of this terrifying creature, and the nextˇ­ and the nextˇ­

    Rhydon roared in agony as Slurpuff''s fist smashed into its stone hard hide. Its defenses were supposed to be absolute, and yet it immediately found itself helpless in the face of such a small, seemingly intimidating creature.

    Everyone''s jaws dropped to the ground as Rhydon sailed through the air. Elacia remained steadfast as the massive, incredibly heavy creature was sent flying across the battlefield without effort, swiftly crashing straight into a large wall of boulders off to the near distance.

    A loud smashing noise was heard as the beast collided with the rocks, and as the Rhydon helplessly fell to the ground, it immediately became clear that it would not be getting up.

    Ash didn''t know whether to feel relieved or astounded. The reassurance that he had felt from Elacia and Slurpuff''s quick victory was clashing with the sheer amazement from the absurdity of it all.

    Standing tall, Slurpuff looked completely normal as her aura died down, glaring fiercely at the two Team Rocket members, who were in complete shock from the whole ordeal.

    "B-b-b-but-b-b-b-b-b-butˇ­" Butch was coughing up slobber as he struggled to stutter the words out. "T-t-thatˇ­ R-r-Rhydon w-w-wasˇ­ the s-strongest P-Pokemon t-that w-we h-hadˇ­"

    Cassidy wasn''t faring much better, either. "W-what k-kind of m-monster is that damned little thing?!" she pointed at the breeder''s partner as though Slurpuff was the single most terrifying creature in existence.

    A hint of satisfaction arrived in Elacia''s eyes as she eyed the two pale faced Team Rocket members. They were looking even more terrified than Ash ever did.

    "Sorry folks, better luck next time." her lips curved upwards, a somewhat nasty smirk taking up her normally good natured features. "Oh wait, that''s right. There is no next time. You''re going to jail, suckers!"

    As the two stunned Team Rocket members collapsed helplessly to their knees in misery, Ash inwardly declared Elacia the most amazing person that he had ever met.

    /

    An unrivaled sense of relief hung overhead back at Pewter City. Cassidy and Butch had been apprehended by the authorities, led by Brock and Officer Jenny. The Pokemon were all returned to the Church, safe and sound.

    And now, it was all over. Everything was back to normal, back as it should be. And Ash''s psyche was all the better for it.

    At the moment, he was standing outside of the police station with Brock and Elacia. Officer Jenny was inside filling out the paperwork, and Brock would have paperwork of his own once he got back to the Gym.

    Ash had given his own report on how everything went down. He felt nervous the entire time, scared to miss specific details, or to say the wrong thing. Thankfully, Elacia had been there to help him ease up. All of a sudden it felt like she was the answer to all of his problems. He''d always enjoyed being around her, but after the incident, he suddenly had a whole new level of appreciation for her, seemingly for her very existence.

    "Cassidy and Butch." said Brock. "Two rookie members of Team Rocket, according to their files. Based on what they said it seemed like they came here on their own accord." he frowned. "That''s the second Team Rocket incident of the Season. Nothing too unusual, butˇ­"

    "They were being bold." said Elacia with a grumble. "They snuck into a Church and kidnapped Pokemon that were being sheltered there. Not the worst thing they ever did, but still unprecedented, to my knowledge."

    Ash grimaced. "How often do these things happen?"

    "No pattern." Brock admitted with a sigh. "Usually I don''t have any direct responsibility on it unless they need additional hands. Since Pewter City is so close to the Indigo Plateauˇ­"

    "They''re usually too scared to come here?" Elacia suggested.

    "Exactly. I don''t want to say that we let our guards down, butˇ­ maybe we do." He gave Ash an acknowledging look. "If your Ralts hadn''t picked up on them, they probably would have gotten away." his gaze was suddenly softer, his "facade" as Elacia liked to call it, seemingly dropping a bit. "I know it was a scare for you, but you really did help us out. So thanks."

    Ash''s cheeks reddened at that, and he stammered.

    "N-n-no. It was V-V-Valiant who did it. He was the one who deserves the credit. P-plus, we''re not the ones who stopped them." he looked over to Elacia, who shrugged humbly with a light smile.

    "I''m glad you took action, though. Or at least I would be, if it hadn''t put you in danger." Brock''s frown grew. "I know it goes without saying, but be careful out there. Team Rocket operates with no predictable schedule. They could strike at anytime, anywhere, and in any way. All of their members have a variety of different ways of doing things. It makes it borderline impossible to predict what sort of incident that they''re going to be committing next." he sighed. "And of course, they are all incredibly dangerous. Many of them don''t even care about whether or not they are killing children, as you''ve now seen."

    He''d seen it already, at the Viridian City Pokemon Center, but he had felt truly helpless this time.

    Team Rocketˇ­ he had known about them for a while. Everyone in Indigo did. But after two encounters, and not even against any of their most dangerous members, in fact, he knew more than ever.

    Avoid them at all costs.

    "Heyˇ­" Elacia''s hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up to see her apologetic smile. "Sorry aboutˇ­ y''know, getting so worked up back there, and all." she chuckled a bit. "Maybe I''ve grown a bit more attached to you than I expected."

    He ignored the blush and giggled a bit.

    "Anywayˇ­" said Brock, pushing himself off of the wall that he was leaning against and permitting his crossed arms to fall to his sides. "You''ve both given your reports, and I''m afraid that I''ll have a good amount of paperwork tonight, so I need to get back."

    Ash frowned sympathetically. "From just one incident?"

    "Part of the job, kid. When we''re not battling, training our teams, and testing trainers for the upcoming Conference, we''re usually doing this."

    Elacia wrapped an arm around Ash, half protectively, half affectionately.

    "Come on, kid. I''ll walk you back to the Center."

    Ash nodded with a light grin. After everything that happened, he appreciated the close contact. He felt moreˇ­ secure.

    Brock offered a nod. "May the Guardian Mew watch over you on your travelers."

    The two friends offered a light, appreciative wave to the Gym Leader before making their way back.

    /

    This was it. His last day in Pewter City.

    Three weeks as a trainer. Two of them spent right here. It almost felt surreal to leave.

    But he knew that if he didn''t leave soon, he would never want to.

    Even after Elacia eventually left, he was tooˇ­ comfortable here. He had grown too used to it. Almost like a second home. If he hesitated anymore, he would probably just want to do things the easy way and stay here forever. No long roads of traveling. No Team Rocket. No harsh wilds. Just here in Pewter City. Safe forever.

    But that could never happen.

    If he wanted to make it as a trainer. He had to travel. He had to train. He had to battle. He couldn''t just stay in one place. It was a harsh reality that he had to face. His little vacation in Pewter City was over. He couldn''t grow complacent with the places that he visited, and it was something that he had to accept.

    This morning, he had called his mother to inform her that he was leaving. The previous day, the morning after the incident with Cassidy and Butch, he had called her and told her about Nebula''s evolution, deliberately omitting the details regarding Team Rocket''s involvement.

    He was still a bit shaken from it. Not just from almost getting killed (which was certainly the primary cause) but the actions of the group in general. He had only really heard about their crimes on the news, and even though they had only tried to steal Pokemon this time, it definitely made the threat feel real. Between this and Viridian City, he knew that it wasn''t to be taken for granted.

    He thought back to the Pokemon. Elacia had only been informed of a couple of Pokemon being taken in by the Church, but judging by the number of Pokemon that Cassidy and Butch had attempted to steal, there must have been more before that. He wondered how often the Church did this.

    Having gotten everything situated, he had made his way to Elacia''s place one last time. He would certainly miss her.

    And, leaving him mildly flattered, it seemed as though the feel was mutual, as she gazed down at him with a sad smile.

    "So thenˇ­ this is it, huh? Back to the cruel, unforgiving outside world?"

    Atop his shoulder, Pikachu frowned a bit at that, but didn''t seem too discouraged. Ash tickled under his chin affectionately, earning a delighted squeal from the young mouse as he looked back up at Elacia.

    "Yeah, I''m afraid I can''t dawdle any longer. I''ve already gotten so many holdups. I better leave beforeˇ­ something else happens."

    Chuckling behind her hand, Elacia reached down and patted Slurpuff on the head. "Yeah, can''t argue with that, can I? Hopefully you''ll have better luck in the next city."

    A comfortable silence fell into the room, but Ash awkwardly broke it while rubbing the back of his head.

    "Thanksˇ­ for everything, by the way. You''ve helped me so much."

    It was true. Giving him advice on training, someone to talk to in general, saving his life, and his team''s at that, he wasn''t sure how to express his gratitude to her.

    But she took it in stride. "Don''t mention it, kid. Anyway, I said I had something for you before you go, soˇ­"

    Ash blinked. That was right. She did say that she did.

    "Oh yeah."

    Smiling, she gestured over to him, leading him to the end of the room. "Here, just take a seat real quick, and I''ll go fetch it."

    The boy complied.

    As she disappeared into the back, PIkachu took a seat on the table in front of Ash''s seat, and the young boy petted him for a bit while they waited.

    It didn''t take long for her to return, however, holding a small backpack that she placed onto the table in front of them.

    "Okay, in here."

    Ash blinked as she opened it and prepared to take out what was inside.

    Pikachu looked on curiously.

    "I know it sounds a bit sudden, but I realized that even after all the time we spent togetherˇ­" she flashed him an apologetic grin. "I never really offered to do business with you."

    Ash''s eyes widenedˇ­ as she placed an Egg on the table.

    "I''d like to rectify that, if you''re okay with it, of course."

    This wasˇ­ sudden. In front of him, Pikachu looked equally surprised.

    The boy had experience with Eggs, due to Heracross'' Egg back at home, but to actually be offered one of his ownˇ­

    "This is what you wanted to give me?" he asked, a bit flabbergasted.

    She nodded. "Yup. Received this from a contact in Kalos about a week or two ago. It shouldn''t be far from hatching."

    Ash took a look at the Egg curiously. Pokemon Eggs came in a variety of colors, often displaying a different pattern or color scheme depending on the species.

    As for this Eggˇ­

    It was mostly grayish-brown, with certain parts of it a lighter shade of grey. The Egg was about the typical size for Pokemon Eggs.

    "Soˇ­ what species is it?" he asked as Pikachu sniffed the Egg quizzically.

    Elacia crossed her arms as she took a seat across from the boy, Slurpuff making her way onto the table as she did so. She cocked her head with a light smile.

    "I mean, I could tell you, but don''t you want to be surprised?"

    Ash blinked at that, but then a light giggle escaped his throat.

    "Yeah, nevermind." he was embarrassed to even ask such a question. Most trainers loved the surprise of not knowing what was in a Pokemon Egg. It added a whole new level of excitement to the moment when it finally hatches.

    Of course, a fair amount of trainers still preferred to know ahead of time, often requesting a Pokemon Egg for a very specific species, or at least of a certain variety, but since Elacia was offering this to him, rather than him coming to her for a requestˇ­

    He eased up a bit and took in the Egg again.

    To thinkˇ­ he could actually leave Pewter City with this. A brand new team memberˇ­ one that he and his friends could raise together from an infant. Butˇ­

    Elacia leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands as she studied Ash with a friendly grin.

    "Soˇ­ what do you say?" she asked the boy. "It''s all up to you, of course."

    Ash offered her a sad smile, lightly pushing the Egg away a bit, with some regret.

    "Thanksˇ­ butˇ­ I really can''t afford an Egg right now. I don''t have the extra money yet."

    She nodded in understanding. "Yeahˇ­ I figured, but I was going to make a deal with you." At his raised brow, she took out a piece of paper and began writing. "I don''t need you to pay me everything up front. Since I like you, I''ll just let you take it for now, and pay me when you can. It''s not like there''s a rule against it, right?" after finishing, she pushed the paper towards him. "You''d owe me this much."

    Ash took the piece of paper as Pikachu peaked over. Seven thousand... certainly a sizable amount of money. Pokemon Egg prices often varied depending on the species, so if it cost this muchˇ­ it was either a very powerful Pokemon, or a very rare one. Perhaps both.

    Looking up, he made eye contact with her. She was back to resting her chin in her hands, a very professional look in her eyes as her gaze met his.

    She was a businesswoman right now.

    "You''d really be willing to sell me this? Just like that?"

    "I''m a businesswoman by trade, obviously. But really, I''d like to see what you could do with this Pokemon. As a breeder, I''ve made a habit of scouting potential. And you''ve got lots of it. Part of why I''m willing to compromise with you about not paying upfront. It''s all up to you, though."

    Ash exchanged a quick glance with Pikachu. After a few more moments of thinking, he looked back up at Elacia with a smile. He nodded.

    "Sure." he said happily. "I''d be happy to do it. And I''ll get you your money as soon as I can."

    Elacia''s grin was back. "Don''t stress it, kid. Not trying to put you on a time limit or anything like that." getting up, she reached out her hand, which Ash accepted after getting up himself, and the two shook.

    Pikachu placed his paws on the Egg, feeling its outer shell for a moment with a smile.

    Taking out a folder, Elacia handed it to Ash, who looked at it curiously.

    "This has instructions for how to take care of the Pokemon after it hatches." she gave him a quick wink. "Of course, if you want the species to be a surprise, then be sure not to open it until after the Egg is hatched. The details should come in handy after it does."

    Ash nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

    He released Nebula and Valiant real quick, first to show them the Egg, and then to give them the chance to say goodbye to Elacia and Slurpuff. It was dawning on him that this would probably be the last time he saw her or spoke to her for a while. Itˇ­ hurtˇ­ but that was part of being a Trainer. The nomadic lifestyle made this sort of thing the common norm.

    After the goodbyes were done, Elacia handed Ash one more thing: it was another business card.

    Ash took the card curiously. It had a picture of a Vulpix on it. "What''s this?"

    Elacia grinned, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don''t be a stranger, kid. Once you eventually get to Celadon, I''d like you stop stop by, if that''s okay. The card I gave you before has my address there, but if I''m not in town at the timeˇ­" she slowly put a finger on the card she gave him. "This is Suzie''s card. I''dˇ­ like you to visit her if I''m not around."

    Ash blinked up at her. "What for?"

    She grinned, somewhat uneasily, but quickly hid that. "No real reason. I''d justˇ­ recommend it. You''ll do it, right?"

    Ash wasn''t sure what this was about, but slowly nodded nonetheless. "Okay."

    She flashed him a more cheerful grin. "Great! I''m guessing you want to hit the road while you''ve still got a good amount of daylight left, so I won''t keep you any longer. Knock ''em dead, okay kid?"

    Ash couldn''t argue with that. Pumping a fist in the air, he tried to respond with passion. "Yeah!"

    On Ash''s shoulder, Pikachu repeated the notion, letting out a loud cry of enthusiasm.

    And with that, Ash made his way to the door, him and Elacia carrying fond memories of their time together.

    But unfortunately for him, she still couldn''t resist getting one last jab in before he left.

    "Make sure you tell Emily you love her before you leave!"

    He was out of the door faster than Pikachu could use Quick Attack.

    /

    The outskirts of Pewter City were just ahead of them.

    Ash and his team rested at the waiting place, where Rick and Emily would be meeting him. Both knew that they''d be leaving today, and this was also the day where they were finally going to rechallenge Brock. Ash had faith that they could win, and looked forward to hearing from them.

    Much like Elacia, he''d miss them quite a lot too. His interactions with them were something that he hadn''t really gotten back in Pallet Town.

    During the wait, Nebula had taken to the skies with Pikachu on her back. Ever since her Evolution, she was able to give the young mouse rides without any sort of difficulty.

    As the mouse and bird duo had fun in the air, Valiant stayed close to Ash, keeping an eye out for their friends. They had been here for about twenty minutes at this pointˇ­

    "Hey Ash!"

    The boy smiled as Rick and Emily came running, Emily happily waving her arm in the air with Rick quickly following behind.

    Noticing them, Pikachu and Nebula returned to the ground, offering friendly greetings to the two fellow rookie trainers as they arrived.

    Raising a hand in greeting, Ash beamed at them as they stopped in front of him and Valiant. "Hey, you guys! How''d it go?"

    Emily was positively giddy as she held her hand up towards his face. Ash immediately saw why as he noticed the Boulder Badge between her fingers. His smile grew brighter.

    "Congratulations!"

    Emily''s grin could have split her face in half. "I know, Thanks!" she was jumping up a bit, as if high on her ecstasy.

    Glancing over at Rick, who didn''t seem nearly as overjoyed, Ash offered his other friend a curious look. "What about you?"

    Rubbing the back of his neck somewhat bashfully, Rick offered an awkward smile. "Heh. Sorry." he held up his hand. "Jus barley lost by the slightest bit of smidges." he pressed his thumb and index finger together as he said that, as if to emphasize. Ash frowned.

    "Ohˇ­ sorryˇ­" he wasn''t so sure what else to say. He knew that Rick had been just as passionate about all of this as Emily was. How did he feel, seeing Emily get her first ever Gym Badge when he didn''t?

    But Rick waved it off rather quickly. "Nah man, it''s all fine. I''m just going to keep training for a couple more days before rechallenging him. I''m already right there, so just gotta break through the edge, y''know?"

    He sounded convincing enough, but Ash could still just barely detect the disappointment in his voice. Nevertheless, the optimism greatly outweighed it.

    His attention was brought back to Emily as he felt her hand on his shoulder. "Soˇ­ I guess you''re all leaving now?" her smile was a sad one. Ash returned it with one of his own.

    "Yeahˇ­ I''d love to stay, but that''s exactly why I have to leave. If I don''t go while I have the chance, I''ll never want to. I''ve grown too complacent being here."

    They both seemed a bit saddened by his answer, but understanding was worn on their features as well. They both knew exactly what he was talking about.

    "Heh, okay." said Emily with a sad smile. "Just be safe out there, okay?"

    "Especially when Valiant is picking up on distressed emotions." Rick piped in.

    A light giggle escaped from Ash''s throat. "Yeah, I''llˇ­ do thatˇ­"

    It was a pretty bittersweet moment. Happy to be moving on, unhappy to be leaving everything behind. Not nearly as difficult as leaving Pallet Town, but it still hurts, nonetheless.

    Rick and Emily couldn''t let out their own respective teams since they were all still recovering from their battles with Brock. So they settled for simply exchanging goodbyes with Ash''s Pokemon.

    After exchanging a quick handshake with Emily and a fistbump with Rick, Ash waved goodbye as he found himself exiting the city, Valiant beside him as Pikachu and Nebula took to the skies. The boy looked back at the city fondly before continuing on ahead, keeping his focus on the main road that would take him and his team to Mt. Moon.

    So much time spent in that one city. He wouldn''t be forgetting it any time soon, and neither would his team.

    But for now, the memories would be all that they had.

    /

    Rick and Emily sat outside of an ice cream shop, sipping their milkshakes (Rick with a strawberry and Emily with a vanilla) as they watched a few passersby.

    It had been a couple of hours since Ash and his team had left. They were still waiting for their own Pokemon to recover from the battles against Brock.

    Emily let out a sigh as she took a break from sipping her shake.

    "We really should have asked him to stay with us." she gave Rick a look. "Wasn''t that your idea, by the way? Why didn''t you bring it up before he left?"

    Rick rubbed the back of his neck as his face adopted an apologetic look. "Sorry. I was going to ask him, honest. But then I lost the battleˇ­ he''d have to stay here for longer, and I really didn''t want to slow him down like that."

    She gave a small, sympathetic grin in response to his regretful look. "It''s fine, don''t worry. I understand." she looked off to the side, in the direction of the outskirts (which weren''t visible from here). "He helped us out a lot, though. I''m glad we ran into him."

    Rick smiled more genuinely this time. "Yeah, same here. He''s still probably ahead of us, though. Especially after Nebula evolved. We''ll both catch up eventually." he blinked. "...right after I beat Brock, of course. Heh heh."

    Emily nodded. "Right, I''m sure you can do it. I''ll keep helping you train. And then, we can both get out of here, too."

    Rick nodded back. "Yeah, thanks."

    /

    The sun had set in Pewter. The moon was out now, the dark night skies starry and cloudless. It was quite the pleasant sight to look at, especially coupled with the dark silhouettes of the mountains surrounding the city, and the trees of Viridian Forest. Pewter City at nighttime was almost always a beautiful spectacle.

    Most people were either headed in side or were going about their nightly activities outdoors. Overhead, a few bird Pokemon could be spotted soaring in the nighttime sky.

    Elacia had her lights turned on all the way now, coming inside with Slurpuff after gazing out at the clear, starry night skies for a few moments.

    The two of them were a bit sad to see Ash and his team go, but now that he was on the road again, the red haired breeder had a matter to deal with.

    Taking a seat near her video phone, she quickly dialed a number. After a few moments, it didn''t pick up.

    "Guess I''m gonna have to leave a message, then." she said.

    Slurpuff took a seat next to her as she spoke.

    "Hey, Suzie. This is Elacia. Sorry we haven''t talked in a good bit, I know it''s been a while." she shifted a bit uneasily in her seat, her gaze becoming slightly serious. "Listenˇ­ I don''t want to get your hopes up about anythingˇ­ it''s probably nothing, butˇ­ do you remember thatˇ­ incident that you told me aboutˇ­ I think almost a month ago?" After a bit of a pause, she continued. "Look, I''m not saying we should jump to conclusions, butˇ­ I met a boy named Ash Ketchum here in Pewter. He won''t be in Celadon for a while, but I''d recommend keeping a lookout for him just in case. Obviously he''ll probably have more Pokemon by the time he gets there, but right now, his team consists ofˇ­"

 At the Base of Mt. Moon pt 1

    "Everyone!"

    Five year old Ash Ketchum quieted down, as did the numerous other kids that were chattering away as they reached the base of the large hill.

    Still within Pallet Town, although away from most of the buildings. It was the closest that they ever got to entering into the outside world of Indigo,

    Until they all became Pokemon trainers, of course.

    In front of the sizable group was Gary Oak, standing proudly with his fists against his hips as everybody immediately directed their attention onto him.

    Everyone followed Gary. Grandson of Professor Oak, the man who practically ran the town. The children saw Gary as someone who was to them what his grandfather was to everyone else in the town.

    Ash wasn''t particularly close to the boy, but they got along fairly okay. They were mostly friends due to being a part of the same exact group. Ash wasn''t sure if there were any sort of specific kids that he was closer to than the others.

    Gary had quickly taken to his status as the leader of the children. Not to mention how much he clearly enjoyed it.

    Much like everyone else in the group, Ash simply went on with whatever Gary did.

    And today, Gary had picked a fun game.

    "Today, everyoneˇ­" said Gary with dramatic build up. He slowly extended his index finger outwards towards the large hill behind him. "We are going to climb Mt. Moon!"

    The children cheered.

    "Now thenˇ­" Gary continued. "This is going to be a very important expedition, so we will need to split into groups. And be wary of the wild Pokemon that shall attack us!" he continued dramatically. Pointing towards a section of the kids, he continued. "All of you! You are wild Pokemon! Bloodthirsty creatures who want to eat all of us!"

    The kids cheered enthusiastically as they began making animalistic noises, doing their best to sound intimidating.

    Gary next pointed to the group of kids that Ash was a part of. "You guys are all powerful trainers of the League! You must protect everyone else! Researchers who are here to uncover the Moon Stone!"

    "I want to be a Rhyhorn!" one of the wild Pokemon kids.

    "My partner''s a mighty Dragonite! Like Lance!" One of the League Trainer kids.

    "I''ll dig up the Moon Stone up first!" one of the researcher kids.

    Smiling to himself, Ash happily prepared himself for the upcoming game.

    As he did so, he continued to look out towards the hill, where Gary still currently stood.

    Mt. Moonˇ­ he couldn''t wait to go there for real someday.

    /

    Ash eyed the quadruped creature carefully. In the same vein, it eyed him with a great deal of steel caution.

    Of all the Pokemon that he could have run into hereˇ­ an Eevee?

    It hadn''t taken long to reach the Pokemon Center that rested at the foot of Mt. Moon.

    On the road in between Pewter City and Mt. Moon, Ash and his team were lucky enough to run into a decent amount of fellow trainers to battle. Not only did this give Nebula the perfect chance to break in her evolution, but it supplied them with a fair amount of prize money as well.

    The newly evolved Staravia had received incredible boons in every single regard since evolving. Her abilities were incomparable to that of when she was a Starly. She saw the most action on the road thus far, easily winning every battle that she fought in.

    Pikachu and Valiant had won all of theirs as well, apart from when Valiant had been defeated by a Drowzee. The creature had a much better handling of its own Psychic Abilities than the young Ralts did. Thankfully, Nebula had pulled off a comeback.

    Now they had arrived at Mt. Moon''s foot. The Eevee had emerged from the last of the tall grass and forest trees to give way to the rocky landscape that stood before them.

    Ash had arrived in the morning, but wasn''t going to Move out with his team just yet. They needed some time to recuperate first, so he figured that a day or two at most would suffice.

    Amazingly, if he hadn''t made such a choice, he never wouldn''t have had this encounter. He had simply just been exploring some of the area outside of the Pokemon Center with Pikachu, not really expecting to find anythingˇ­

    But then this had happenedˇ­

    A few trees surrounded them. There had been less and less of them as they had continued to approach the mountain. Right now, they were in a grassy area off the beaten path, not too far away from the Pokemon Center itself.

    Eevee were revered Pokemon in the training world. Famous for their quality of evolving into one of many different Pokemon, each of them with a completely different Typing.

    They were also among the Pokemon that the League would give out as substitute Starters. Karen of the Indigo Elite Four had received one as her first ever Pokemon. That Eevee had Evolved into an Umbreon.

    They were incredibly rare, however. The discovery of one out here was the greatest stroke of luck.

    Ash wasn''t one to let luck go to waste.

    Nebula appeared in front of him and Pikachu.

    From his position of Ash''s shoulder, Pikachu offered a friendly wave to the Staravia, which she returned as she prepared herself for battle and locked eyes with the Eevee, who began to tense up almost immediately.

    The chance to capture an Eevee, of all Pokemonˇ­

    It wasˇ­ exciting.

    "Alright, Nebula! Get ready!" As Nebula took to the skies, Ash watched her for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the Eevee, who was frantically attempting to track the flying Staravia''s movements.

    It was time.

    Nebula easily had the best chance of capturing Eevee due to the boons that her evolution had granted her. A Pokemon with such versatile Evolution options was too good of a chance to pass up as a member of the team, so Ash wanted to go all out right from the start.

    "Alright then Nebula, Wind Blast!"

    Nebula''s blast of wind just barely missed its target as the Eevee sprinted away, eyes locked onto the Staravia with an angry glare as Nebula soared downwards.

    "Aerial Ace!"

    Eevee just barely managed to jump over Nebula''s attack as the bird swooped downwards, but was grazed and lost its balance in the air. It did not give up, however, turning in midair and opening its mouth to fire a series of golden stars at the rising Staravia.

    Ash blinked. Swift. He hadn''t expected that.

    Swift was a decently powerful ranged attack that could be fired with very great and easy accuracy and precision. Particularly high leveled variations of the attack could even zero right in on the target, homing in on them and being very difficult to avoid as a result. Even lower level versions of the attack had these same exact qualities to at least some certain extents.

    Thankfully, this version of the attack wasn''t too much of a problem. Ash wasn''t quite sure just how well Nebula would fare against advanced variations of the technique, but her maneuverability in the air allowed her to avoid the incoming attack all the same.

    Eevee landed on all fours and glared up at Nebula as she dive bombed downwards with Steel Wing.

    Nebula was too fast for Eevee to reliably avoid. That was a good sign, but they couldn''t let their guard down.

    Nebula yelped as the Eevee suddenly assaulted her face with sand. A Sand Attack. Nebula''s vision was blinded for a moment, making her unable to properly strike with Steel Wing, but she still collided head first into the Eevee, sending both Pokemon tumbling across the ground together as Nebula lost her balance, already off balance due to the Sand Attack blending her vision and still not quite ready for the sudden impact.

    Nebula recovered first, but was still the the midst of trying to get the sand out of her eyes before taking off, leaving her open for Eevee to leap upwards and chomp down on her head.

    The Staravia shrieked in anger and pain, but the struggle was brief as she ignored the pain in her eyes and slammed a Steel Wing into the Eevee, forcing it off of her. Now with painful teeth marks and tears in her eyes from the Sand Attack, Nebula glared after the Eevee as it tumbled into a tree, making its way to its feet and charging forward again.

    Nebula hadn''t been able to put her full force into that Steel Wing due to being preoccupied with the Sand Attack and also caught off guard by the Eevee''s assault, but Ash took note that the attack still seemed to hurt Eevee quite a bit, as the evolution Pokemon had staggered to its feet, despite still getting up quite quickly overall.

    Eevee lowered its head as it charged head first towards Nebula, but was met with a painful Steel Wing that blocked its assault. Pushing back against the metallic feathers, Eevee eventually lost the struggle, and was forced backwards, skidding across the grass on all fours as Nebula took to the skies yet again.

    "Whirlwind!"

    Eevee found itself growling in frustration in agony as the large gust of wind almost immediately overwhelmed it. Nebula''s raw power was just far too great, and the quadruped Normal Type Pokemon could do very little to resist the win as it was picked up off of its feet, sailing back first into a tree trunk.

    "Wing Attack!"

    Before Eevee could recover from the painful impact, Nebula was already upon it, slamming her wing downwards into the opposing Pokemon''s cheek, leaving the Eevee laid out in the grass as Ash prepared his Poke Ball.

    Tossing the orb at its target, Ash watched with a glint of satisfaction as Eevee wa scuked inwards. After a few seconds of struggling, the Poke Ball beeped, and Eevee was caught.

    Excitement surged through Ash''s heart as he rushed forward to pick up the Poke Ball, looking at it triumphantly as Pikachu leapt off of his shoulder to congratulate Nebula.

    Just like thatˇ­

    "Way to go, Nebula!" Ash praised, turning to his bird companion as she soaked up compliments from Pikachu. "Once again, we didn''t even need to use your Reckless Ability!"

    Nebula''s Evolution had allowed her to get a better handle on Reckless. It wasn''t perfect, but with practice, she was now mostly able to activate it at will, although some times took longer than others.

    Nebula''s Evolution had already granted the Staravia an astronomical increase in physical capabilities, but Reckless only further added onto that to an even greater extent; unlocking the inner reserves of Nebula''s body and physical strength in order to quickly bring all of it out to the forefront at once.

    Obviously, it wasn''t without its drawbacks, of course. Given that bringing out said reserves would inevitably tire out Nebula much more quickly, and that Nebula and Ash did not yet know how to turn the ability off (or even if it was possible to do so at all, for that matter) Ash was currently determined to save the ability for a last resort, especially since Nebula still wasn''t completely perfect at activating it just yet.

    Not to mention the fact that Reckless would completely change Nebula''s behavior during a battle. Making her significantly less cautious. Little to no self preservation. Very easily something that could backfire, especially combined with how she would also end up being tired out much more easily. It was an incredibly powerful Ability for sure, but certainly not one to be abused. They hadn''t even completely mastered it yet. Ash wasn''t even sure what a mastered version of the Ability would look like.

    They were still quite far off from perfecting it, and it would most certainly be a very long time until they actually did so. So for now, Ash felt that it was best to only use Reckless in moments of necessity. Against opponents that Nebula couldn''t possibly hope to defeat without it. So that it would only be used when all other alternatives were no longer viable. That was the best course of actionˇ­ for now. And Nebula and the others seemed to agree.

    Thankfully, they hadn''t even needed to resort to the ability just yet. Nebula had won all of her fights without it. Ever since evolving, anyway. Just like with the Eevee.

    Nebula chirped happily at Ash''s compliment as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

    As much as he wanted to celebrate, they needed to get Eevee checked up on quickly. Thankfully, Pikachu and Nebula both seemed to understand.

    "Come on, you two. Let''s go."

    /

    A decent amount of trainers were staying at the Pokemon Center.

    Mt. Moon was a popular tourist attraction during certain times of the year, but at the moment, Ash noticed a distinct lack of people who weren''t his own age. He wasn''t sure what times of year that Mt. Moon''s tourist attraction status was at its most active, but this time of year apparently was not it.

    The boy took a moment to watch the other trainers going about their daily business. Some of them were mingling amongst themselves, others exiting the Pokemon Center, either to head on over to Mt. Moon or to explore or train.

    It was certainly a blessing that the League had stationed a Pokemon Center at the foot of Mt. Moon. Not just for trainers, but for tourists as well. As a result, the Pokemon Center was larger than what one would normally expect from one that was on the road. It was, however, still not nearly as big as in the city.

    Thankfully, the line to the front counter wasn''t very long, so checking in Eevee didn''t take too much time. Ash was told by Nurse Joy that the recovery should probably be quick.

    Eevee had been completely overwhelmed by Nebula, not able to do much against the Staravia''s newfound power. However, the injuries that the Evolution Pokemon had received were fairly superficial and would heal easily after an hour or two at the most in the Pokemon Center''s machines.

    Before long, Ash was back in his room, with Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant all out and ready to greet their new teammate.

    Eevee had a bit of a confused expression on its face when it appeared out of its Poke Ball. Looking around to take in its surroundings, it suddenly started as its gaze settled on Ash and Nebula.

    With a bit of a yelp, it took a step back as a low growl escaped its throat, eyes locked onto Nebula.

    Ash frowned at that. Either Eevee was holding a grudge or it was afraid of the Staravia. Either one made sense.

    "Heyˇ­" Ash cautiously approached the Evolution Pokemon, who tensed up as he knelt down to look at it at eye level. "It''s fine, we''re not here to hurt you."

    But right after saying that, Ash felt like a blatant liar. Did they not just attack Eevee unprovoked? All of a sudden he felt selfish. It was common for trainers to attack Pokemon out of the blue. That was part of what being a trainer was, after all. To capture Pokemon. But his reasonings for attacking Eevee and wanting to capture it essentially amounted to being excited about acquiring a Pokemon with so many different evolved forms. Putting it that wayˇ­

    Ash''s encounter with Paul suddenly flashed back into his mind.

    That other boyˇ­ hadn''t really gotten inside of his head, had he? The knee jerk reaction to capture such a valuable Pokemon on sight was just a natural feeling that just about any other trainer would have felt. An opportunity to be taken advantage of. Right?

    Or was it really just because of all of Paul''s talk about potential?

    Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Ash returned his focus on Eevee. He would worry about determining whether or not his motives were problematic later. Right now, this was more important. The deed had been done, and now it was his responsibility to calm Eevee''s nerves.

    The Evolution Pokemon was not growling at him, thankfully, but it didn''t seem entirely trusting, either. Its uncertainty remained as Pikachu approached the pair, although as Eevee turned its gaze over to the electric mouse, Ash noticed that the doubtful expression on its face wasn''t as strong.

    Probably because Pikachu wasn''t the one who attacked Eevee, Ash realized. Or, he thought with renewed guilt, the one that had told Nebula to attack Eevee in the first place.

    The two small Pokemon locked eyes for a few moments, before leaning forward cautiously and sniffing each other.

    Behind Pikachu, Valiant had begun to approach as well, but still kept his distance and chose to leave it to the mouse. Nebula hung back, likely realizing that she was the member of the group that their new member trusted the least.

    Looking over at the Staravia, Ash could feel the guilt on her expression, too. As Pikachu began to try and make conversation with the Eevee, Ash approached Nebula and crouched down next to her.

    "Hey, you okay?" he reached out and patted the bird''s head.

    She seemed to appreciate the gesture, easing up a bit, although her expression remained the same whenever her gaze turned to Eevee.

    Trying not to frown, Ash did his best to console his feathered companion. "I know you''re guilty, Nebulaˇ­" he spoke slowly, softly, hoping to sound comforting. Was he good at this? " I am too. It''s justˇ­" his words trailed off as he found it a bit hard to come up with any justifications.

    He knew the answer was simple. He was a trainer. As a team, they were supposed to capture Pokemon. But how was he supposed to give Nebula an explanation like that? It certainly wouldn''t make her feel better.

    Nebula herself had been captured against her will. Ash suddenly found himself mentally slapping himself at the realization. The hypocrisy that Nebula likely believed herself to be guilty of was probably the main source of her guilt, not the simple fact that she had attacked a wild Pokemon unprovoked.

    And Ash, instead of realizing that, had thoughtlessly chosen Nebula of all Pokemon to make the capture. All because it would be easy with her. A pragmatic decision, for sure, but one that had completely disregarded his own Pokemon''s feelings.

    "Nebulaˇ­" he locked eyes with his bird friend. "I''mˇ­ sorryˇ­ I didn''t realizeˇ­. But I should have. You went through this same thing when Pikachu and I caught you, didn''t you?" At her solemn expression, Ash gently wrapped his arms around her. "Don''t worry." he whispered softly. "I won''t send you out to capture any more wild Pokemon if you don''t want me to."

    A small smile made its way to his lips as he felt Nebula''s feathered wings wrapping on him in response.

    /

    "Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon of the normal type. By altering the composition of its body, it can suit the surrounding environment, and its unstable genetic makeup gives it many potential evolved forms.

    "This Eevee is female and knows the moves Tackle, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Swift, Bite, Take Down, Dig, Shadow Ball, and Body Slam. Its ability is Adaptability, which gives it a significantly easier understanding of moves that match the user''s type, which consequently greatly boosts their power."

    Putting the Pokedex away, Ash glanced down at the Eevee, who was looking up at him a bit more calmly, albeit curiously, right now. Sitting in between Pikachu and Valiant, she seemed fairly indifferent to him, not expressing any real dislike towards the young boy, but not really giving him the impression that she liked him, either.

    It was a step up from before, however. While Ash was busy consoling Nebula, Pikachu and Valiant seemed to make decent enough progress with their newfound teammate. It helped that Valiant could sense Eevee''s emotions, and had occasionally coached Pikachu on how to approach the conversation. Eevee seemed appreciative towards Valiant''s inherent understanding of her own feelings, almost gravitating towards the young Ralts to a degree. Overall, she wasn''t the most open so soon, but he and Pikachu seemed to have passed whatever test she was trying to give them when checking them out.

    The only one that she didn''t seem to trust was Nebula.

    The young Staravia hadn''t made any real attempts to converse with the Evolution Pokemon, due to Eevee''s very clear dislike towards her.

    Ash was frowning at that. Up until now, everyone on the team was getting along just fine, Pikachu and Nebula were inseparable, and both of them were quite fond of Valiant.

    Would things become any more difficult now that Eevee was very clearly not fond of Nebula?

    He''d have to talk to Professor Oak about it. Or his mother. He was cursing himself for not thinking far enough ahead. Did he really expect to go through his whole entire journey with no drama between his team members.

    He was getting stronger, and yet he was still making a lot more mistakes than he thought. Was this a common issue that all rookies went through? Yet another oversight that beginners were often prone to?

    For now, he''d talk to Eevee for a bit and help her get settled in. Now that she''d calmed down, she seemed to be more open to conversation, despite not being completely accepting of the situation, understandably.

    "You okay now?" He asked, not sure how to start the conversation. He kept his voice gentle, soothing, hopefully. He wanted her to know that he was friendly, despite her first impression.

    She sniffed his hand as he kneeled down next to her, and seemed to grow a bit more at ease as she did.

    /

    The night had grown a bit more progressively smoothly afterwards.

    Although Nebula kept her distance (Pikachu keeping her company) Ash and Valiant made good progress with Eevee, although in Ash''s case it was simply that she had accepted him as her trainer, rather than actually liking him or seeing him as a friend. Ash wasn''t offended by it, given that he had gone through the same thing with Nebula and had a much worse start with Pikachu back on Opening Day. A lot had happened since then as he abruptly found himself realizing, and all of a sudden, it felt surreal to say that he had four Pokemon on his team.

    Valiant''s ability to read emotions was a massive boon for interacting with Eevee, as Ash realized sooner rather than later. The young Ralts had a better understanding of how to approach a conversation and ease the newcomer into things, which was perfect given that she had been understandably on edge after being captured. They were all still strangers to her, but Ash was given hope that the overall dynamic of the team would still be positive.

    He just needed to figure out how to work things out between Nebula and Eevee. Thankfully, Professor Oak was just a call away.

    Ash had risen early and left his team in the room. All of them were still sound asleep at the time, so he chose not to disturb them as he made his way to the video phones.

    He wondered if Professor Oak would be up this early, as it wasn''t quite 8:00 AM yet. Thankfully, he had picked up.

    "Hello, Ash! Wasn''t expecting to hear from you." The Researcher''s face appeared on the screen and smiled at the boy, who returned the expression quite quickly. "Where are you calling me from, might I ask?"

    "I''m at the Pokemon Center just at the foot of Mt. Moon." Ash replied. "We got here yesterday morning. I''m planning on going through the mountain tomorrow, although I might wait an extra day to get things situated with my new teammate."

    The Professor perked up. "Oh, yes! The Eevee! I noticed that she was added to your roster yesterday. A surprising catch."

    Ash nodded with a grin. "Yeah, I felt really lucky. Although, that''s actually why I''m calling."

    The man''s face was curious, but not concerned. "Is there an issue?"

    Ash subconsciously scratched the back of his neck. "I''m hoping it''s not too serious, but I had Nebula fight Eevee when we found her. She beat Eevee pretty easily and now Eevee seems to hold a grudge. She was okay with me after a while, and she seems to get along fine with Pikachu and Valiant, but she hasn''t opened up to Nebula. She keeps shooting her glares or dirty looks."

    The Professor nodded understandingly "Yes, that''s not too surprising. Not every Pokemon is going to be happy about being captured, and even though you''re the one who gave the order, she likely associates Nebula with her loss of freedom. Or maybe the humiliation of being beaten the way she was is the real issue, if she''s not hostile towards the rest of you."

    Ash frowned. The guilt was coming back now. "What do you think I should do? This hasn''t happened with the other three before. At worst Nebula was just neutral towards me and Pikachu when we first caught her. I don''t want there to be too much drama between the team."

    "Understandable. Team dynamic is everything for a variety of aspects to Pokemon training. Unfortunately, it''s not always going to be this simple. I''m afraid an issue like this was unavoidable. Whether it be because of a grudge or really anything else, it would have been miraculous for you to never run into conflict between any of your teammates." he paused a moment. "As for advice, there''s no miracle cure, but that doesn''t mean it''s hopeless. She''s only just joined, so it''ll inevitably take some time for things to cool down. I wouldn''t worry about it too much, but for now, just try to have them give each other some space. Give Eevee some time to get to know Pikachu and Valiant better, and yourself, of course. Once things have had time to cool down, start prioritizing training exercises between Nebula and Eevee to hopefully build some camaraderie between them. Once you get through Mt. Moon, it shouldn''t take you too much longer to reach Cerulean City, so I''d recommend getting started once you''ve gotten there. By then, a few days or so will have passed, and I''m sure the upcoming Gym Battle will be giving your team motivation. If Eevee herself takes interest in it, that would be especially helpful. Try not to worry about it too much for now, but that''s my recommendation." He gave Ash some time to take it in.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    After a few moments, Ash nodded, and smiled gratefully. "Okay, thanks Professor. But what do you think I should do if things haven''t settled down by then?"

    "Good question. I unfortunately can''t say much in that regard but you may just have to give it more time in that case. Every case will always be different. But for now, I''d recommend not letting it stress you out too much and just try to focus on integrating her into the team. A new capture will always be a very big moment for everyone in your group. The dynamic will never be the same. If it takes a long time for things to settle down, try to observe their behavior and interactions and see if you can determine any additional root causes. I can help you out with tha myself, of course."

    Ash nodded, but was also deep in thought. The dynamic will never be the sameˇ­

    Those words echoed in his thoughts for the next few moments as he contemplated the true meaning of the Professor''s words.

    ...It was trueˇ­ wasn''t it? Up until this point, Ash''s team was a well rounded trio. Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant were all very good friends with little to no drama between them. And they had been his new family along with that too.

    The overall simplicity of the group dynamic had been easy. Convenient. They were all just a small group of friends traveling together and fighting battles. Helping each other train. Conversing with each other.

    Things would become much less simple, and much less convenient, as the adventure went on. New Pokemon would be joining their team. New relationships would be established and would inevitably have to be taken account for. This was just the beginning. Eevee was far from the last teammate that they would ever have.

    "You okay, Ash?"

    Realizing that he had spaced out and had spent longer contemplating on his own inner thoughts than he had initially anticipated, Ash shook himself out of his stupor and grinned awkwardly at the Researcher, a slight tinge of red appearing on his cheeks.

    "It''s fine. Sorry about that." Trying to forget the embarrassment, Ash quickly changed the subject. "Soˇ­ ummm. Where''s Clefable?" he asked awkwardly, thinking of the first thing to come to mind.

    "Oh, she''s asleep. We were both up late last night watching movies, but I still woke up early somehow. I chose not to disturb her, so I''m letting her sleep in."

    Ash grinned a bit at that. Professor Oak wasn''t always one for free time, but he certainly made good use of it whenever he took a break from his work. Despite being a workaholic, he could at least effectively relax whenever he gave himself the chance.

    The two of them didn''t talk for much longer, after that. Oak was a busy man, and along with not wanting to keep him for too long, Ash was hungry for breakfast. It was still early, but he would need to wake his team soon so that they could eat.

    /

    The cafeteria was modestly filled with other rookies this morning as Ash and his team made their way in.

    Eevee stuck by Valiant on one side of Ash while Pikachu and Nebula occupied the other. The Evolution Pokemon was still displaying some coldness towards the young Staravia, which only furthered Nebula''s guilt, but much to Ash''s gratitude, Pikachu was there to console her.

    At the moment, Ash was concerned with filling his team''s bellies, as well as his own. Professor Oak''s advice continued to replay through his mind, so he was sure to make sure that Eevee had time to adjust before rushing into things. Right now, everyone still seemed to be equally excited to eat. Ash had explained the Pokemon Center''s cafeteria to Eevee after waking everybody up and she seemed to have perked up at it. The rest of the team''s enthusiasm seemed to have been contagious, too. They had all certainly taken a liking to the Pokemon Center''s cafeteria food while in Pewter City, and each Pokemon Center was essentially the same in that regard. At least in Indigo, that is. It hadn''t taken too long to get ready to head out of the room.

    It was still rather early when Ash had woken his team. Pikachu had been the first to respond, while the others got up shortly afterwards with help from Pikachu.

    His call with Professor Oak hadn''t lasted too long, but it had shaved off some time. Still early in the morning, but past 8:00 AM.

    Ash had always enjoyed the simplicity of morning, even back in Pallet Town. Before the day got fully started, before it was time to progress with their agenda. Just an enjoyable breakfast as they all got settled in. That was how it always was, and he always looked forward to it.

    At the moment, he wasn''t sure which food Eevee liked, so he tried some experimentation with berries and a couple of different assortments of traditional food. Eevee seemed to respond quite positively to the berries, but only seemed to be mildly interested in everything else.

    It was a start. He would get a better grip on the Evolution Pokemon''s diet in time. Meanwhile, the rest of his team devoured their food happily, Pikachu especially eating quite fast, much to Eevee''s bewilderment, and everyone else''s amusement.

    The mouse never did take the time to enjoy his food when he liked the way that it tasted. Not that Pikachu ever seemed to mind, of course.

    Enjoying his own food, Ash opted to eat a bit more slowly as he went over his plans for the day. Taking a bite into one of his pancakes, he thought about it for a moment.

    Eevee had just joined them.

    Outside of her brief scuffle with Nebula, Ash didn''t know much about where she stood in terms of capabilities. Going over her moves and taking the ti9me to observe her would be a good way to get started on that. At the moment he only knew what she was capable of using, but not really anything else. He''d have to base his training regimen for her on his findings in that regard.

    Pikachu was now working on Thunderbolt. Although Electro Ball could still use some fine tuning, he was in a position where Ash felt that he could start working on Thunderbolt in hopes of having it ready for their upcoming Gym Battle in Cerulean City.

    Getting Pikachu to actually use the move was simply enough. It was essentially a more powerful version of Thunder Shock at the moment. However, Pikachu couldn''t use it as reliably just yet. He was still in a position where it took longer to charge up, and although it was still much more powerful than Thunder Shock, he still had yet to access the full power of the move, and it seemed to be a bit more draining on his stamina.

    It could still be used more practically in battle, but it couldn''t be abused. The longer charge time meant that they had to be a lot more careful about the timing, and that, in addition to the stamina issue, made repetitive use of it a no go. It was a nice trump card to pull out and surprise the opponent for big damage, but not a signature technique at the moment.

    At the current stage that Pikachu was at, there weren''t any other specific moves that he was desperate to teach the mouse that he felt that his Starter was ready to learn. He wanted to work on Volt Tackle eventually, but he doubted that Pikachu was ready for it yet. He had tried Double-Edge with Nebula recently, but despite her having a far physically superior body post-evolution, it was still not a very practical Move for her to use. Lots of power even without her being able to tap into the full power of the technique (which Reckless admittedly helped to make up for), but she had injured herself quite notably with just one use. Nebula had much better control over her techniques, as well as power in general, after evolving, but even she still had a great ways to go. Pikachu likely wouldn''t be able to tap into nearly as much power with Volt Tackle as Nebula could with Double-Edge, and yet he would still probably injure himself a lot more. Ash was planning on starting work with the technique once they reached Cerulean, but it still wasn''t a priority just yet.

    Apart from that, teaching Pikachu Agility should hopefully be quick and easy given the young mouse''s experience with Quick Attack. But even then, it was a psychic type move with a necessity for understanding those elements as well, so it would likely require Valiant''s guidance. Ash planned to have Pikachu and Valiant help each other out once it was time to teach Valiant Thunderbolt, but for now, Ash and the young Ralts were still working on Dazzling Gleam, which was progressing quite well.

    That left Nebula. Rather than teaching her new Moves for the moment, Ash was planning to have her work on Double Team a bit more. Her evolution had given her a bit of a boon with the move, now allowing her to split into four instead of just two, but the Staravia was still only able to move one copy along with herself, and only if she was split into two and not three or four. Maintaining any other copies took up too much effort for her to allow one of her copies to also move along with her simultaneously.

    For now, Ash''s plan was to have her keep working on producing more copies of herself. At a later date, maybe they could train to get her to move more than one copy along with herself, but Elacia had warned him that that would be much more difficult and also take much longer, and had advised him to simply start focusing on increasing the quantity of the clones for now.

    Speaking of Elacia, the Egg that she had given him still had yet to hatch, which didn''t surprise Ash too much. According to her, it wasn''t too far off, but that didn''t translate to "any second now!". Valiant had quickly taken to helping him take care of the Egg. The dedication that the young Ralts showed was still quite admirable. Ash had always been touched by how quickly Valiant had hopped on board with him and the rest of the group, and the Feeling Pokemon seemed to be determined to do anything that he could to help them with just about anything, really.

    Ash still hadn''t opened the folder that Elacia had given him, which would reveal the species of the Pokemon that the Egg would eventually hatch into. He really wanted to. It was tempting. But he could live with the suspense for now. As agonizing as it was to not know what the Egg would hatch into, it would be much more satisfying to find out when it hatches, rather than from simply reading it.

    The rest of his team seemed to agree, too, although Valiant had apparently wanted to peek into the folder himself, without giving away the surprise to anyone else, which Ash eventually deduced was because the young Ralts wanted to see if there were any recommended ways to take care of this specific kind of Egg. After Ash had assured him that the method of taking care of Pokemon Eggs was pretty much universal among every species, however, the Feeling Pokemon had changed his mind, and had simply resorted to waiting anyway. As a whole, care for the Egg seemed to be going along smoothly, although Ash and his friends were still all anxiously waiting for their new teammate to finally hatch.

    "Is this seat open?"

    Ash and his team perked up at the voice and turned to see a girl about Ash''s age standing in front of them, holding a tray of food consisting of orange juice, applesauce, and crepes.

    Her hair was a bright orange, tied into a single ponytail on the side. She probably would have looked quite pretty if the look on her face was a bit more positive. It seemed like a mixture between a frown and a scowl, not necessarily looking sad or angry, but just not in the best mood. Ash couldn''t even really place what was putting her in a down mood. She didn''t look annoyed or irritatedˇ­ just not happy.

    Perhaps she was masking whatever the source of her unhappiness was. Ash couldn''t say that he was the best at reading people. His social skills still needed work, despite them getting better from spending time with Rick and Emily (and Janine to an extent).

    "Hey, are you listening?!" her voice grew a bit more aggressive, causing the boy to flinch out of his inner thoughts. The sharp tone behind her tongue had caught him off guard.

    Realizing that he hadn''t answered her question yet, an embarrassed Ash shook himself from his inner stupor as that familiar sensation of a tinge of red in his cheeks returned to him. Looking up at her and trying to make eye contact (her scowl did seem a bit more irritated now), he gave her an awkward, apologetic smile in response. "N-no, it''s fine."

    Her mood softening a bit (although she still didn''t smile), the girl placed her tray down on the table and sat down next to him, his team eying her for a moment before returning to their food once they were done sizing her up.

    Ash found himself eating a bit more slowly as he awkwardly stole a glance at the newcomer every now and then. She wasn''t paying them much mind, simply taking to digging into her crepes and applesauce, while sipping the orange juice on occasion.

    Something about her seemed a bit intimidating. Maybe it was just her more hardened, moody features. It was a stark contrast from Janine, Rick, Emily, or even Gary (despite him not being friendly), all of whom were a lot more cheerful in comparison. This girl seemed to be a bit temperamental, based on the brief first impression that Ash had from her behavior. She didn''t give off the same unsettling vibe as Paul, at the moment, although he still felt intimidated by her.

    Which, Ash realized, could have also been because she was right next to him.

    Apparently his attempts to look at her weren''t as secretive as thought, as in his latest attempt, he was met with a piercing stare as she suddenly turned her head to face him. The boy found himself flinching as her fierce, viridian eyes locked onto his.

    "Any reason you keep staring at me? I''m trying to eat."

    ''She''s the one who wanted to sit next to me.'' Ash thought out loud, but knew better than to voice it. It wasn''t like that gave him an excuse to keep staring at her anyway, even out of curiosity. She was right.

    "S-s-sorry." he stumbled out pathetically.

    "Hmmmˇ­" she almost seemed disappointed by his submissive response, the look in her eyes briefly losing some of its inherent irritation to temporarily replace it partially with one that somewhat resembled that of pity, before reverting back to their usual hardened gaze.

    As she turned back to her food, taking a bite out of one of her crepes and chewing silently, Ash worked up the courage to say something else.

    "Soˇ­ ummmˇ­." he flinched a bit as she paused her chewing and turned her eyes to him, although she didn''t turn her head. Regaining his bearings quickly, he continued. "Is there- I meanˇ­ why do you seem so upset?"

    ''Damnit. Was that question too personal?'' he quickly thought to himself. He braced himself for an aggressive response, but thankfully got none.

    The girl took the time to swallow the food in her mouth for a moment, before letting out a quick sigh as she craned her head towards him slightly, not looking at him directly but offering a bit more acknowledgement than before.

    "Some older Trainer goaded me into battling him and poisoned my whole team. Now they''re recovering and I have nobody to eat with." she turned away again, taking another bite into her crape. After chewing for a bit, she swallowed and continued. "Jerk probably just wanted some easy money from me. Probably preys on rookies all the time. Too afraid to pick on people on his own level so he has to antagonize the newbies like some lowlife."

    Her words quieted into angry mumbling as Ash shifted in his seat uncomfortable. He returned to his food for a bit before he heard her voice again.

    "Soˇ­ you''re going through the mountain, I''m guessing?" mercifully, her voice sounded a bit softer and less irritated than before, although it still didn''t carry a very friendly tone.

    Swallowing down the bit of pancake in his mouth, Ash looked over to her and nodded, a bit surprised that she was trying to make conversation so suddenly. "Y-yeah. Either today or tomorrow. To get to Cerulean, of courseˇ­" he said awkwardly.

    "Obviously." her voice was blunt. She finished the last of her crepes before turning to her applesauce, which was half done. "Glad I don''t have to deal with any of those annoying tourists right now. They can be obnoxious."

    Ash... wasn''t sure if he would put it that way, but it was no secret that tourists could get a bit out of hand with their behavior sometimes. He didn''t want to assume the lowest of them, however.

    Deciding not to contest the girl''s statement, he simply nodded along with her. Looking over to his team, he could see that they seemed to be a bit interested in her, particularly Valiant, but kept to themselves for the most part. Pikachu and Nebula seemed to be engaged in some sort of discussion, which Eevee seemed to be listening in on at the current moment.

    Taking a leap of faith as he turned back to the orange haired girl sitting next to him, Ash managed to croak out. "U-Umˇ­ I''m Ash." he managed to get out.

    The girl stopped eating her applesauce just long enough to answer.

    "Misty."

    /

    Breakfast was over not too long after, with Ash and Eevee now outside of the Pokemon Center with Pikachu and Valiant. Misty had returned to her room after they were finished, offering Ash a curt nod and a quick goodbye before she was gone.

    The girl had opened up just a tad bit during their conversation, but remained blunt and somewhat aggressive throughout. Her dismissive attitude left Ash a bit confused about why she wanted to eat with him in the first place, unless she just wanted someone to sit next to in place of her team, rather than simply being left alone.

    Nebula was flying overhead to continue working on her aerial mobility for the time being, with Ash planning to start the day by assessing Eevee and her capabilities. He had gotten a brief glimpse of them on the previous day from when he and Nebula had captured her, but he needed more in order to be able to truly properly gauge her.

    Pikachu and Valiant were both at his side as Eevee stood in front of him, both Pokemon offering her encouraging smiles as she looked up at her new trainer with a sort of unsure gaze adorning her face.

    She seemed ready, at the very least, Ash assumed. That was something. The boy wanted to see each of her moves in action at least once. Even the Moves that he had already seen before, he should probably see again, now that his focus was solely on her, herself, and not a battle.

    The young trainer nodded to Eevee.

    "Alright, you ready to get started?"

    Eevee nodded.

    He offered her a friendly smile. "Good. Pikachu and Valiant are going to be your sparring partners for this. You''ll be testing your moves out on them."

    Eevee nodded again, eying her new teammates carefully. They both gave her encouraging looks (particularly Valiant) before taking their places.

    First up, Valiant stood face to face with Eevee as the two teammates locked eyes.

    "Okay, first use Tackle!"

    Eevee took off running, her quadruped body being carried at a decently fast rate towards her opponent by all four of her feet. It wasn''t her top speed, as she was not using Quick Attack, but Ash was relatively pleased by her agility.

    THUNK!

    Eevee winced painfully as she crashed head first into Valiant''s erected barrier, the Reflect easily absorbing the impact and leaving the young Ralts unharmed. She plopped down on her butt, giving her new teammate the stink eye as she made her way to her feet.

    Offensively, her Tackle attack hadn''t been strong enough to even remotely damage Valiant''s barrier, but that could have been saying more about Valiant than Eevee herself.

    Ignoring the small bruise on the top of her head, Eevee returned to her stance and awaited further instructions. Valiant casually dropped the barrier and crossed his arms professionally, viewing the Feeling Pokemon with a hint of an analytical attitude.

    Next up, Pikachu locked eyes with Eevee as Ash gave his next order.

    "Alright, Sand Attack!"

    Eeveem dug her paws into the ground and flung multiple large patches of sand consecutively towards the electric mouse. Pikachu''s tail became cloaked in metal as he deflected the onslaught with precise swipes.

    Eevee''s Sand Attack was traveling pretty far. And fast. She was very good with the technique. However, Ash also took the moment to take pride in Pikachu''s reaction time.

    Next up, Pikachu and Eevee stood side by side, eying each other on occasion as both Pokemon got into their own respective stances on all fours, ready to take off into a sprint the very moment that Ash gave the order.

    "Quick Attack!"

    Now it was time to test Eevee''s top speed. What better way to do so than to see how she stacked up against Pikachu? He had practically made his name on the team with his speed and agility.

    Both Pokemon took off in a blur, putting everything that they had into their own respective top running speeds as Ash and Valiant watched excitedly from the sidelines.

    The moment he took off, Pikachu was already ahead of Eevee, and the Evolution Pokemon growled in frustration as the electric mouse trailed further and further ahead of her as the race progressed. She kept pushing herself more and more, doing everything that she possibly could to add more and more effort into her sprint, but the distance between them just wouldn''t close. It kept widening, and widening, and widening even more until the mouse completed his lap and waited for her to finish.

    To Eevee''s credit, she was definitely really fast. Ash didn''t fault her for losing the race to Pikachu. Nevertheless, she obviously didn''t see it that way, if the somewhat dejected expression on her face as she made her way back to Ash and Valiant after finishing her own lap was of any indication. Ash could also see her breathing a bit heavily, having been a bit notably more fatigued from the exercise than her Electric Type teammate.

    "Hey, it''s fine." the boy commented, reaching down to gently pat her on the head in assurance. She flinched at first, but soon accepted the touch, closing her eyes for a second, just long enough to briefly nod her head. "Pikachu is really fast. His speed has really got us places in the past too." he thought back to the decisive battle against Brock and Onix. A fight that would have been impossible for Pikachu to win without his amazing speed. "You''ll get there, don''t worry. You''re already quite fast yourself. We''ll work on your speed for sure."

    She seemed to be mildly encouraged by that, although the disappointment of the loss was still clearly there. Not too unexpected, Ash supposed. It wasn''t like it was just going to go away with just a few simple words of encouragement.

    He knew the feeling.

    Shaking off his frown, Ash called for a quick break, offering Eevee some water and some extra time to catch her breath.

    After a few minutes of drinking and resting, Eevee was facing off against Valiant again, with the young Feeling Pokemon already preparing for himself to erect a barrier.

    "Swift!"

    Ash had gotten a glimpse of Eevee''s control over the technique when she had used it against Nebula. He had considered testing it out once again against Pikachu, by having the young mouse try to maneuver around it, but he figured that they could get back to that after going over all of the other techniques. For now, he just wanted to see how powerful that it was, and if it could stand up to Valiant''s impressive barriers.

    The golden stars escaped from Eevee''s now open mouth as the glowing projectiles sailed over towards Valiant at impressive speeds as Ash and Pikachu observed from the sidelines in interest.

    Valiant''s Light Screen intercepted the long ranged attack, which pelted against the glowing, golden cube with a good deal of might, but couldn''t break through it. Ash took note of the tiny crack in the barrier, however, and smiled at the sight.

    Eevee''s Swift was actually pretty potent, at least offensively.

    After Valiant dropped the barrier, it was Pikachu''s turn again.

    "Bite!"

    Eevee''s mouth opened as wide as she could manage as she sprinted forward towards Pikachu. The young mouse''s response was to raise his now metallic tail and hold it outwards defensively as Eevee bit down on it.

    The young Evolution Pokemon yelped as her teeth painfully clamped down on the metal, not strong enough to handle it. Ash winced a bit, and gave Eevee a few moments to gain her bearings.

    Next up, Valiant stood in front of Eevee.

    "Take Down!"

    This was the move that Ash was interested in the most. Take Down wasn''t quite as potent as Double-Edge, but it was still, all the same, a very powerful move with an absurd amount of offensive potential. However, much like Double-Edge, recoil damage would be a problem.

    Eevee became cloaked in a bright, white light as she charged forward with her head down, taking aim at Valiant as she let out a battle cry and leapt forward.

    BAM!

    Valiant''s Reflect was raised to block the attack, but the impact from Eevee''s assault was strong. Ash and Pikachu could mildly feel the shockwaves as Eevee''s charge clashed with Valiant''s protective silver cube, and although the Evolution Pokemon staggered backwards growling in pain from the impact, a large hole was left in the part of the cube that Eevee had just shattered.

    To his own credit, Valiant seemed mostly unharmed from the assault, although the wind pressure seemed to have reached him, as he was still reeling just a little bit.

    Ash grinned, and made his way towards Eevee with Pikachu in tow.

    "Good going!" he said excitedly. "That Take Down of yours sure is powerful!" he knelt down to make eye contact with the Evolution Pokemon, who''s cheeks reddened a bit as Pikachu seemingly voiced his own compliments to her.

    In front of them, Valiant was also grinning, impressed by the destruction of the portion of his barrier that Eevee had struck. With just one hit.

    "Alright, next use Dig."

    Valiant''s barrier was back up as Eevee began clawing away at the dirt, burrowing her way underground. Ash noticed that it took her a decent bit to do so. It wasn''t instantaneous, and left her wide open. It wouldn''t be practical for battle yet.

    And when Eevee surfaced, she was nowhere near Valiant, looking around in confusion to find her opponent.

    Understandably, she couldn''t tell where she was going underground. It would need practice.

    A few minutes later, Eevee and Pikachu were facing off again. Pikachu had an Electro Ball at the ready, waiting on the tip of his tail to be fired.

    "Shadow Ball!"

    Eevee opened her mouth, and a series of purplish black, distorted energy appeared within her jaws. At first a tiny speck, the mass of energy began to gradually grow, eventually concentrating itself into a perfect sphere.

    The charge time wasn''t perfect, but the form was great.

    And the ball itself was actually quite large. It looked pretty potent.

    As Eevee fired off her attack, Pikachu flung his Electro Ball into the Shadow Ball to intercept it. Ash and Valiant flinched at the explosion, bracing themselves from the shockwaves and the wind that was kicked up from the impact.

    Although Eevee remained perfectly fine, some of the shockwaves reached Pikachu, who held an arm out in front of his face as he was suddenly pushed a few inches backwards by the wind force.

    It seemed like Eevee''s Shadow Ball was the attack with more power behind it. Eevee herself seemed to realise this, grinning cheekily at the sheepishly grinning mouse who had upstaged her previously in their race.

    That left just one more moveˇ­

    "Body Slam!"

    Eevee ran forward towards Valiant, leaping in the air into an effort to pounce on him. Once she reached her maximum height, she repositioned herself, and suddenly came rocketing down at high speeds.

    Body Slam seemed to be a move that she was quite good with.

    POW!

    Eevee crashed down on top of Valiant''s barrier, with a tiny crack forming in the Reflect. As she bounced off of it, Ash took note that her Body Slam was certainly quite strong. Take Down was definitely her best move, but along with Shadow Ball, this attack also gave her a lot of offensive potential as well.

    "Good work, Eevee!" The boy approached her, accompanied by Pikachu and Valiant. Eevee grinned at them, the overall success of her training seemed to have improved her mood. That was a good sign. "I just wanted to go over what could do a the moment real quick. You did great." she allowed him to pat her head, this time smiling a bit more. Standing back upright again, Ash eyed his team for a bit. "Alright, we''ll take another break, and then we can-"

    "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

    Ash froze on the spot, and so did Pikachu. Valiant and Eevee were mostly curious than anything else, but the difference is that they did not recognize the voice.

    Whirling around, Ash faced the source of the sudden voice, and his stomach became a pit.

    Gary Oak.

    Looking smug as ever, he locked eyes with Ash, his arms crossed the way he usually liked them.

    Coincidentally, Nebula had chosen to take a break from her flying, landing next to Pikachu and eying her friend with concern as he snarled at the newcomer on all fours.

    Eevee and Valiant both grouped up behind Ash as the two eyed the newcomer with a good deal of scrutiny Both of them could sense the tension in Ash and Pikachu (particularly Valiant) and so neither of them were comfortable with this new boy.

    Ash didn''t snarl. He didn''t grit his teeth. He didn''t even glower. The glare on his face was simply a normal one, one with some anger but mostly annoyance.

    Awkwardness with Misty aside, he had actually been having a really good day. But one of Gary''s greatest talents (and boy did he have a lot of them) was instantly bringing down his mood just by being there.

    "What do you want, Gary?" Ash managed to get out. It wasn''t in an angry voice. It wasn''t in a fearful voice. It wasn''t in a devastated voice. It almost came off as a half groan. As though Gary''s very presence was just a mood killing inconvenience.

    Gary snorted. "You sound a lot less cheerful than you did just a few seconds ago. I''d like to say you''re less annoying like this, butˇ­" He straightened himself up. "I was just taking a walk when I overheard whatever this training of yours was supposed to be. I just got here."

    "And you couldn''t justˇ­ I don''t knowˇ­ pass by?" Ash tried to sound as exasperated as possible. But maybe that was just making it worse.

    Gary flinched in mock offense. "Hey now, is that any way to talk to an old schoolmate? You should be honored that I''ve even considered making the time for you."

    Appearing in front of Ash, Pikachu growled aggressively at Gary, settling down a little bit when Nebula walked back up to him and placed a wing on his back, but never losing his angry face.

    Gary''s smirk widened. "Whoa there! Isn''t that Pikachu that pathetic starter of yours from before?" Nebula and Valiant both glared, while Eevee simply narrowed her eyes. He put a hand behind his head and laughed a bit. "Guess you still haven''t gotten the little thing''s behavior under control! I''m surprised you even survived getting this far. You have a taxi surface of bodyguards escorting you past all of the dangers?"

    Ash''s glare deepened for a moment, but suddenly, the image of the Boulder Badge flashed through his mindˇ­

    ...Noˇ­ He wasn''t going to get worked up over this. Gary didn''t know what he was talking about.

    "Or maybe he just realized that you kill the mood wherever you go." Ash spat back.

    Gary''s brow raised at that. "You''reˇ­ awfully quippy there, Ashy boy." his face scrunched up. "You better watch what you say."

    Hardening his gaze dangerously (at least, he hoped it looked that way) Ash crossed his arms and tried to eye Gary on an even level, doing his best to remain hyper focused on the other Trainer and stand upright in the face of the slightly taller boy.

    "Why''sˇ­ that?" he did his best not to be intimidated. "I have a badge now, I''ll have you know. Why should I listen to you." he did his best to ensure that his voice remained even. Trying to hide the anger in his mood, and not come across as though Gary was intimidating him.

    Gary''s lips tugged upward again. "A badge? From Brock, you mean? What sort of favors did you do for him? How many toilets did you stick your head into? How many boots of his did you kiss before he finally agreed to give you a freebie?"

    Ash''s fists tightened, and behind him, Valiant began backing away a bit as the tension in the air turned fiercer. Denser. Doing his best to ease up, the boy kept eying Gary.

    The other trainer seemed soˇ­ relaxed. Like he could do this all day. This was all just a game to him, wasn''t it? A game that he had beaten Ash at so many times beforeˇ­ until Ash stopped even trying.

    Not trying anymore was a mistake. Ash should have kept arguing back against Gary in the past, but lost all his nerve eventually. Ever since that stupid incident with the Poke Ballˇ­

    It didn''t really matter much, anyway, he supposed. It''s not like he was ever good at arguing back, in the first place, as it ever was. The fact that he had eventually just stopped and given up still did nothing to change that.

    But that was still a mistake. And he was done making mistakes. Gary had had his fun for far too long at this point.

    "What did you do?" he growled back a bit. Did he sound intimidating? His tone of voice was always so timid by nature. If he came across as squeaky or gentle Gary would probably just be laughing on the inside. "Flash your stupid grin at him, lean against his wall with your arms crossed, and talk to him in your nasally voice that makes him want to throw up until he tossed ten of them at you and told you to get the hell out of his Gym?"

    Thereˇ­ that was serviceableˇ­ right?

    To his surprise (and, to his shame, his delight) Gary''s eyes widened. He almost took a step back, but the spikey haired kid stopped himself from doing so, glowering at Ash with blazing fury in his eyes.

    The smugness was gone.

    "Youˇ­ you little prick!" His hand went to his belt as a Poke Ball was pulled out and enlarged. "Have the past few weeks seriously been enough for you to suddenly forget your place?! Maybe I''m going to have to remind you of where you stand. It''d be a real shame if your memory had given out from whatever rock you must have tripped on while on the way here."

    Ash''s glare tightened as Pikachu''s cheeks crackled. Nebula and Valiant both began to sink into stances while Eevee, while reacting less, eyed the scene carefully.

    "Fine." said Ash. "I won''t lose to you this time, so remember that you asked for it."

    Gary''s grin was back, although it was much more malicious than smug this time. "I thinkˇ­ I''m gonna enjoy this. How many Pokemon do you have?"

    "Four." Ash stated simply, gesturing to each of his team.

    It was at this point that Gary froze, as if suddenly noticing everybody else that was currently with Ash and Pikachu.

    "Youˇ­ have the same as meˇ­"

    Ash wanted to say that he technically had more. That he had an Egg in his backpack. Butˇ­ no, he wasn''t just going to start rubbing things in like that.

    Something like that was practically trademarked by Gary in terms of behavior. No way Ash would start practicing it too. He''d get enough satisfaction when he put Gary in his place on the battlefield.

    "Something wrong, Gary?" Ash grumbled at the boy''s somewhat pale face, Gary''s eyes slightly distant.

    Shaking his head furiously and then glaring at Ash with a somewhat reddened face, Gary snarled at the boy.

    "Nevermind. Let''s just get to the Pokemon Center already. And keep your damn tongue in check, you hear me?"

    Ash''s gaze stiffened as Gary turned around. He waited for the boy to clear a few extra feet between them before he followed.

 At the Base of Mt. Moon pt 2

    After reaching the Pokemon Center, Ash quickly looked over his team before returning them.

    Gary was waiting for him at the battlefield just outside. The boy''s arrogant attitude (or at least the smug form that it normally took) was gone from his face as he watched Ash make his way to his own side of the field. Instead it was replaced by a glare, an offended one.

    Ash could spot Misty sitting in one of the chairs, staring at a booklet in an absentminded manner. She perked up when she saw him pass by, and Ash noticed her setting the booklet down and focusing her attention on the battlefield. She was the only audience member.

    "Took you long enough." Gary grumbled. "This''ll be four on four, understood?"

    Ash nodded, a Poke Ball already in hand.

    This was his first time seeing Gary since thatˇ­ humiliating excuse for a battle.

    But things were much different now. He had a badge on his record. Apart from the newly caught Eevee, he was in perfect sync with everybody on his team this time. He wasn''t the same person from a few weeks ago, and neither was Pikachu.

    As if to emphasize this point, Ash sent Pikachu out first. The mouse perked up and immediately began crackling his cheeks as he locked his eyes on Gary.

    "This is it, Pikachu." Ash said somewhat quietly. "This is our chance to make up for last time. He won''t make a fool out of either of us today."

    That just increased Pikachu''s morale even further, the young mouse tensing himself up, pushing his legs against the pavement as if to spring forward at any minute.

    Gary allowed a callous grin to occupy his face. "Heh. This brings back memories to Opening Day. I wonder what kind of tantrums you two are going to throw this time."

    Ash did his best to ignore that statement,

    ''Stay focused.'' he thought to himself.

    Ash blinked at the Pokemon that appeared on Gary''s side of the field. It was humanoid, and it was mostly blue, but with a white, onion shaped head. Its cheeks had pink ovals on them.

    Gary snorted. "Never seen a Meditite before? Guess she has a lot to teach you."

    Medititeˇ­ a fighting/psychic type Pokemon native to the Ever Grande territory, to Ash''s knowledge. Ash didn''t know much about the species regarding its reputation or capabilities, but if it was anything to go off of based on its Typing, it would be tricky to deal with by nature, and would likely have martial arts abilities.

    At the same time, that also depended on the Pokemon''s experience. Fighting types were naturally gifted at martial arts, but how many moves did Gary''s Meditite currently know that could help the Pokemon capitalize on that?

    Ash noticed that the Pokemon was sitting cross-legged in some sort of meditative position, and was levitating slightly off the ground. So the Pokemon could float, too...

    With a raise of a hand, Gary snapped his fingers and pointed forward. "Let''s get this show on the road, already. Brick Break!"

    Leaving her meditative position, Meditite rushed forward, raising a glowing, orange fist towards her rodent opponent. Pikachu sprung into action immediately, sidestepping out of the way as her fist stuck out, then flipping over to bring an Iron Tail down upon her head.

    But Pikachu''s efforts were met with a glass barrier in the shape of a cube. Much like Valiant himself, this Meditite also knew Reflect.

    A large crack was left in the barrier as Pikachu returned to the ground on his hind legs, before descending down onto all fours. Meditite dropped her barrier as she turned to face Pikachu, bracing herself as he rushed forward with a Quick Attack.

    Meditite''s eyes glowed a deep, bright purple as she stretched her hands outwards. Pikachu began enveloped in an outline of the same purple color as he suddenly slowed down and then came to a halt. Frantically wriggling his limbs in the air, he was left suspended a few inches off the ground as panic appeared on his face.

    Gary smirked. "Confusion. Now give him a toss!"

    The glow in her eyes flashed even deeper and brighter as Meditite let out a quick battle cry, sending a yelping Pikachu flying through the air and slamming back first into the barriers to the side of the battlefield where Misty was currently watching from the sidelines in silence. The attack had sent Pikachu quite a bit far. And at a surprisingly high speed at that. Ash winced a bit at the painful impact, but thankfully, Pikachu caught himself with Iron Tail as he fell down to the ground, able to right himself and regain his composure jus tin time in order to successfully pull off the Move.

    Meditite''s Confusion was pretty well developed, but could she use it consecutively? They didn''t really have any effective way of dealing with it, but that was assuming that she wouldn''t just tire herself out by just using it over and over again.

    Either way, they needed to proceed with caution.

    "Thunder Shock, now!"

    Pikachu''s bolt of lightning, fired from a long distance, was blocked by a golden barrier in the shape of a cube. Ash grunted. Light Screen. Between that, Reflect, and Confusion, Meditite and Gary both now had three different answers to any offensive Moves that they used.

    "Double Team!" commanded Gary.

    Ash blinked as Meditite split into four copies. Pikachu''s cheeks crackled with intensity as the young mouse growled in frustration.

    "Force Palm!"

    To Ash''s note, only two of the Meditite moved forward. So she could still move her copies even when split into four, but only one copy could move along with herˇ­

    He didn''t have time to contemplate that, however, as he needed to respond.

    "Double Team! Quick Attack!" Two could play at this game, and as Pikachu split into two, both the real one and the copy bolting around the advancing Meditite and her clone, neither of the combatants were able to tell who the real one was.

    Stalemates weren''t nearly as satisfying as outright triumphs, but a the very least, Ash and Pikachu had forced an even playing field.

    If Ash had spared her a glance, he would have noticed the look of intrigue on Misty''s face as the battle unfolded.

    Deciding to take a leap of faith, Ash called out. "Brick Break!"

    Both Pikachu rushed forward, each one targeting one of the two Meditite that had previously been moving. One of them was the real oneˇ­

    The real Pikachu chose wrong, and the clone of Meditite immediately fizzled out and dissolved upon contact from the young mouse''s orange, glowing fist. However, the real Meditite had also taken the time to erect a glass barrier with Reflect, which proved to be a waste of energy as the clone of Pikachu targeted it, fizzling out uselessly upon impact with the glass cube.

    Ash and Gary both winced.

    It hadn''t gone well for either of them, and the stalemate hadn''t been resolved. With her cover blown, Meditite allowed the remaining Double Team clones to disappear as she and Pikachu both turned to face each other.

    Dropping the Reflect barrier, Meditite eyed her opponent with what could only be described as analytical scrutiny. She was quite stoic, in stark contrast to her Trainer, much like Gary''s Starter, in fact, as Ash had recalled.

    Pikachu displayed a lot more emotion, however, a low growl of frustration rumbling from his throat as his cheeks continued to spark, the mouse looking on at his opponent with gritted teeth.

    This was not an easy opponent for sure. Unsafe to attack her up close, seemingly ineffective to attack her from a distance, and she knew Double Team just like Pikachu did, and was more skilled with the Move to boot.

    Nevertheless, there still had to be a weakness. If not that, then at least a way to reliablyu get past her. He could just try to exhaust her barriers. Much like Valiant, there was no way that she could keep using them forever.

    Pikachu''s Thunderbolt could help out with that, but even then, using that move in rapid succession would tire Pikachu out just as muchˇ­

    But Ash wasn''t willing to risk going in close just yet, and it was their strongest long ranged attack. Electro Ball would also work, so maybe just use Thunderbolt if they needed a decisive hitˇ­

    "Hidden Power!"

    Ash blinked as aqua colored, blue glowing orbs materialized in the air around Meditite, the Pokemon floating in the air once again as she prepared her latest attack against the growling electric mouse. They very clearly were made of water, signifying this move as the water type variant of the Hidden Power technique. Ash wasn''t entirely sure what determined the Typing of the Move. But that was hardly his concern right now.

    "Thunder Shock, now!"

    Pikachu''s lightning bolt was fired defensively as Meditite, having raised her hands in front of her to levitate the Hidden Power orbs surrounding her, pushing her arms outward, firing the Move at her rodent opponent at surprisingly quick speeds. The lightning clashed with the glowing, aquatic orbs and quickly destroyed them, but Meditite was already rushing forward with an orange, glowing fist.

    Brick Break.

    The boy''s Starter reacted with a quick Iron Tail. Ducking under Mediitite''s punch, Pikachu drove his metallic tail painfully into her gut. A loud, high pitched cry escaped her lips as she felt the wind being knocked out of her, the attack propelling her backwards and sending the humanoid Pokemon painfully bouncing across the ground for a brief moment before she regained her composure, landing upright on her feet but still holding her stomach in pain with one hand, glaring at Pikachu and lightly gritting her teeth.

    A brief moment of victory, but Ash knew that now wasn''t the time to get cocky. So he followed up as quickly as he could.

    "Electro Ball!"

    Because she was still reeling from the previous blow, the Light Screen that Meditite had surrounded herself with a the last minute was a lot more feeble to the previous one, the side of the cube that was struck by the orb of electricity almost completely shattering (and being very cracked) upon impact.

    Seeing his chance, Ash called out. "Double Team and Iron Tail!"

    With Pikachu split into two copies, Meditite wouldn''t know who to focus on, even if she regained her composure in time to use Confusionˇ­

    But Gary had a different plan. "Use Bide!"

    Ash''s eyes widened. Bide was a power stockpiling move that absorbed the damage dealt from enemy attacks to build up energy for a powerful counterattack. Although the user would still sustain damage upon getting hit, charging up the move also heightened their durability, making them more difficult to faze even if the attacks dealt them great pain and damage to their bodies.

    Striking Meditite with Iron Tail would be doing a lot more harm than good now, but before he could call off the attack, Ash''s mouse partner was already upon their opponent, his clone fizzling out as it struck Meditite, while the real Pikachu bright down a powerful, metallic tail against her.

    Meditite, now once again floating in the air, had curled up into a ball-like form, her body glowing in a bright, white. As Pikachu''s powerful, metallic tail struck, she was sent back a few feet, but remained composed, ignoring the large bruise that now occupied her body as Gary called out to her.

    "FIRE!"

    Spreading her arms and legs out wide, the still floating Meditite let out a cathartic cry as she released all of the built up tension from the energy that she had stored from Pikachu''s attack. A large blast of pure, blinding white light catapulted at the mouse faster than he could react, and a small explosion kicked up dirt and dust as the young mouse was sent catapulting through the air and into the barriers in front of his trainer, crying out painfully upon both impacts.

    The young mouse had not been expecting the blast, evident from the shout of shock that had escaped his throat just before being struck.

    As the dust cleared, Pikachu''s body was filthy and bruised, the mouse staggering to his feet as he stood on his hind legs, gritting his teeth defiantly.

    Ash was quite proud of his Starter''s resilience, but the blast had clearly taken a lot out of him. Looking on over to Meditite, however, he saw that the same was true for her, too. The damage that she had sustained from that Iron Tail was still quite significant, and if her panting was anything to go by, that Bide attack was still quite taxing for her, even with it only absorbing just one blow.

    It was a gambleˇ­ but she might not be able to reliably use Confusion right now. If they could just get in close...

    Pikachu was a bit tired himself, but wasn''t panting nearly as much. He had clearly sustained quite a bit of damage from the blast, coupled with the previous damage from before, but his reserves were still (for the most part, anyway) good to go.

    "Pikachuˇ­" said Ash, giving his starter a thumbs up as the young mouse looked back towards him with a curious expression. "Great job. Now, let''s end this."

    A confident grin made its way to the electric rodents face as he pumped his arm out and returned his attention to Gary and Meditite.

    Compared to their first battle with Gary''s Squirtle, the difference was night and day.

    Gary''s fist was clenched tightly and outstretched as the young mouse returned to all fours.

    "Thatˇ­ that was supposed to finish him off!" he snarled aggressively. Meditite herself also looked quite frustrated, but was keeping it together much better than her Trainer, who was practically trembling with fury at the new development.

    It was rare to see this kind of frustration being exhibited by Gary. Ash tried not to take too much catharsis in it. He didn''t allow himself to smirk.

    He wanted to criticise him for his tactic. For using up too much of Meditite''s power on the assumption that it would finish Pikachu off. But he bit back his tongue. Now was not the time for banter.

    "Aim for the back of Meditite''s head! Zap Tail!"

    "Shadow Ball!" Gary quickly countered.

    As Pikachu ran forward, Meditite charged up a ball of distorted energy between her palms. Despite her fatigue, she fired it off quickly, powering through her newfound exhaustion.

    The ball wasn''t that tlag, but nevertheless, Pikachu avoided it by pressing an Iron Tail against the ground and catapulting himself upwards. Somersaulting over the Shadow Ball and over his opponent, Pikachu channeled electricity into his Iron Tail as he brought it downwards, colliding with the back of Meditite''s head.

    CRACK!

    A sickening sound made itself known as Pikachu''s attack collided with its target, Meditite immediately catapulting face first into the pavement. No sounds were made from her, and she did not get up.

    Pikachu had won.

    Not noticing the small grin that made its way to Misty''s face as the orange haired girl continued to watch the battle from the sidelines, Ash grinned widely at his starter as Pikachu quickly made his way back to him, a wide grin on the young mouse''s face to match his trainer''s own as the electric critter chirped in delight.

    "Way to go, Pikachu!" Ash complimented excitedly. The adrenaline rush was beginning to kick in.

    This was it. They actually stood a chance. Gary still had three Pokemon left, but win or lose, this fight would not be like last time!

    Pikachu''s grin only grew wider as he shared in his trainer''s enthusiasm. Turning back to the battlefield, his triumphant expression remained, but his eyes were still filled with just as much determination as Ash''s.

    Ash could tell that the mouse was tired, but not on his last legs. That Bide attack had taken a lot out of him, but he was still raring to go. Ready for whatever Gary sent their way next. And so was Ash.

    Gary''s face was murderous as he returned Meditite to her Poke Ball. Glowering at Ash and Pikachu with bright red fury in his eyes, he snarled menacingly at them.

    "Hmph. So you actually DID pull something off for once. You''ve heard the idiom about the broken clock, right?"

    Ash couldn''t prevent the light scowl from arriving on his face at that, but did not respond. Nor did he clench his fists.

    They would just keep battling. To prove their point to Gary one way or another.

    As Gary returned Meditite''s Poke Ball to his belt, he was fuming.

    Truth be told, the battle had actually given him some indication on where Medititie still had to growˇ­ but he would never say it out loud. Just the mere thought of that pissed him off to no end at all.

    Gary took out his next Poke Ball and held it out in front of him.

    "Don''t get cocky, Ashy boy. This is still just the beginning for you. You and your pathetic rat."

    Pikachu snarled at that, but had no time to retort as his next opponent appeared in front of him.

    Ash blinked in surprise, and so did Pikachu.

    It was another Eevee.

    This one stared at Pikachu blankly, its eyes wide but unmoving. After a few seconds, the Evolution Pokemon suddenly perked up, as if finally registering the fact that Pikachu was there.

    Pikachu''s head tilted to the side as his face displayed genuine confusion.

    "You''re not the only one who''s managed to get their hands on an Eevee, Ashy boy." Gary grunted. Crossing his arms yet again, he allowed a small smirk to creep up on his lips. "And I''m pretty sure that mine is better. He''ll just have to prove it to you."

    Ash eyed the Eevee with caution as he assessed the situation.

    Pikachu still had energy left, but with his injuries he was running on finite juice. Using Thunderbolt would be too risky because of this, coupled with the yet to be mastered Move''s longer charge timeˇ­

    Gary made the first order. "Shadow Ball!"

    In response, Ash immediately countered. "Iron Tail!"

    Pikachu bolted forward as Eevee charged up his attack. To Ash''s surprise, Gary''s Eevee fired much quicker than his own Eevee did, although the Shadow Ball was also a lot smaller, potentially as a result.

    Pikachu leapt over the ball and continued his advance, allowing the attack to strike the ground where he once was and kick up some dust in its wake. However, Eevee was already charging forward himself, shockingly at a speed that was quite comparable to Pikachu''s own, and the Evolution Pokemon''s tail was also metallic.

    Thankfully, Pikachu had built up more momentum, likely due to Eevee having not started running until afterwards. As the two metallic tails clashed, Pikachu quickly pushed his opponent back, sending the Evolution Pokemon skidding a few feet across the battlefield, albeit perfectly unharmed.

    "Brick Break!"

    Hoping to strike before Eevee could regain his bearings, Pikachu bolted forward again, his fist glowing orange as he reeled his arm back and socked Eevee in the jaw.

    As Eevee tumbled painfully across the battlefield, Pikachu immediately followed up with a bolt of lightning. However, the Thunder Shock was sidestepped by the Evolution Pokemon, who, just in time, used all of the willpower that he had to ignore the pain from the previous attack and land on his feet, bolting out of the way with Quick Attack.

    "Shadow Ball!"

    At Gary''s command, Eevee circled around Pikachu and fired the ghostly orb into the mouse''s back. Pikachu, having just finished firing off his Thunder Shock, was caught unawares as the ball painfully exploded against him, sending him tumbling head over heels with a loud cry.

    Now Eevee rushed forward to Pikachu with an Iron Tail. Much like Eevee himself, Pikachu ignored the pain in his back, regaining his bearings and turning around in time to raise his own Iron Tail to block. However, Eevee''s momentum carried him, and Pikachu quickly found himself grunting as he was knocked onto his back, his Iron Tail shielding him from the damage but not from the impact itself.

    "Great work, Eevee! Body Slam!"

    Pikachu rolled out of the way as quickly as possible as Eevee came down towards him, but the first thing that the Evolution Pokemon did upon landing was fire off a Shadow Ball in the fleeing mouse''s direction.

    That could have been yet another hit to Ash''s Starter Pokemon, but luckily, Ash found himself breathing a sigh of relief as Pikachu raised a hasty Iron Tail to absorb the damage from the blow. Pikachu was pushed back ever so slightly, but by barely even a few inches at most.

    This Eevee was almost as fast as Pikachu was, and he seemed to hit decently hard, too. His Shadow Balls weren''t as powerful as the one used by Ash''s own Eevee, but they also came out a lot more quickly. A weaker, yet more efficient form of the technique.

    What''s more, Pikachu''s efforts to combat the pain of his injuries in favor of going all out were sure to be taking their toll on him. He wouldn''t be able to keep this up for much longer, which meant that they needed to make this count.

    "Double Team and Zap Tail!"

    Pikachu split into two, and Eevee likely wouldn''t know which one to defend against. Only the real Pikachu could actually pull off the technique itself, but with both the clone and the real Pikachu rushing forward at once, Eevee''s chances at being able to notice were slim due to the franticness of the situation.

    Instinctively, Eevee raised an Iron Tail to block, but ended up blocking the wrong target, the clone of Pikachu that had been created by Double Team phasing out of existence as the real Pikachu raised a metallic tail, now coated with electricity, and rammed it right into Eevee''s broadside. A loud cry escaped the Evolution Pokemon''s mouth as he was sent rocketing across the field, rolling painfully across the pavement before balancing himself.

    Pikachu was breathing heavily now, and wasn''t able to go on without catching his breath. Ash and Gary could both see some deep breaths from Eevee, too, the latest attack doing quite a number on him.

    Pikachu was running out of energy. They needed to finish this quickly.

    "Thunder Shock!"

    "Headbutt!"

    Pikachu''s bolt of lightning took too long to charge up due to the mouse''s exhaustion. To Ash''s frustration, Eevee was already circling around, the Thunder Shock missing its mark as Eevee swiftly advanced, charging forward with Quick Attack with his head downward as he took aim at Pikachu.

    SLAM!

    Eevee slammed head first into Pikachu''s side. A loud, high pitched cry escaped the mouse''s lips as he was sent flying into the barriers in front of Ash, his other side slamming directly into them.

    Ash winced at the sound of the impact, and sadly wasn''t surprised when Pikachu did not get up.

    With a bit of a solemn expression, Ash took out Pikachu''s Poke Ball and called back his starter.

    "You did great, Pikachu." he said soothingly. "Take a rest for now."

    Clipping the Poke Ball back onto his belt, he returned his focus to Gary and Eevee.

    The Evolution Pokemon certainly wasn''t in perfect shape anymore. He was confident that any of his team could defeat him now, but he knew he couldn''t let that go to his head.

    Gary seemed visibly frustrated despite the victory. Pikachu had single handedly beaten one of his Pokemon and injured another. Ash allowed himself to feel a small glint of satisfaction at that, but the battle wasn''t over yet.

    Ash removed a Poke Ball from his belt.

    This Eevee knew Iron Tail and Shadow Ball, which could put Valiant at a disadvantage. However, Reflect and Light Screen could help make up for that. Not to mention Teleport and Shadow Sneak could help trip Eevee up.

    The young Ralts appeared in front of him, crossing his arms and analyzing Eevee as he took note of his opponent.

    "Pikachu''s been knocked out." Valiant tensed up at that, but nodded. "You ready, buddy?" another nod.

    However, Gary returned Eevee and took out another Poke Ball.

    "You''re really pissing me off, Ashy boy." he grunted with annoyance. Suddenly, a sadistic smirk formed on his lips. "Maybe an old friend of yours can knock you down a peg."

    In a bright flash of light, a large, blue, bipedal turtle appeared.

    Ash''s face stiffened. A Wartortle.

    Gary''s Squirtle had evolved. In and of itself, that wasn''t too surprisingˇ­

    Soˇ­ just how much stronger was Wartortle now?

    His mind flashed back to Pichu''s battle with Squirtle, but he immediately shook his head.

    No. That was then. This is now. Win or lose, they certainly wouldn''t be going out like that.

    The water type was as stoic as ever, perhaps even more so. Valiant''s analytical gaze was met with one of pure stoicism, the large turtle looking at the young Feeling Pokemon not as though he were strong, or weak, or interesting, or boringˇ­ justˇ­ looking at him.

    The glare on Wartortle''s face contained little emotion. Just a piercing gaze that notably put Valiant quite a bit on edge, the young Ralts continuing to tense up under the intensity of the gaze from his significantly physically larger opponent.

    "Valiantˇ­" said Ash, the young Ralts quickly looking back at him. "Don''t be afraid. That Pokemon beat Pikachu before, and he''s much stronger now, so don''t underestimate him. Just remember, we can''t be intimidated." a nod from the young Feeling Pokemon, as Valiant returned his gaze back to Wartortle, looking a little bit more determined now.

    Gary scoffed. "Pep talking from one pipsqueak to another, I see. Whatever floats your boat, Ashy boy."

    Just an empty insult. Nothing more. Ash had proven his worth before against Brock, and Valiant had even moreso.

    As the two combatants sunk into their stances, Ash adjusted his cap and, as if by accident, glanced over to Misty for the briefest of seconds. Maybe it was out of curiosity, he wasn''t sure. However, he had quickly looked away again out of fear of being noticed, so he hadn''t caught sight of her facial expression.

    Returning his focus to Gary and Wartortle, Ash began to thinkˇ­

    No doubt that Wartortle had a lot of raw power going for him now. And his defenses were probably far exceeding that of when they had previously fought back in Pallet Town. Could Valiant even hurt this thing?

    They''d have to be tricky. Valiant had been practicing his Telepathy ability a bit, making him a bit more skilled at reading his opponent''s, which was something that he was already naturally good at, and he had some versatile techniques at his disposal, but he wasn''t sure how effective that Hypnosis or Confuse Ray would be, given his lack of mastery towards them, particularly the latter.

    Shadow Sneak and Teleport would certainly be the key. They could catch Wartortle by surprise.

    But it looked like Gary was finished with his planning, so he would have to spring into action.

    "Valiant, that Wartortle''s defenses aren''t going to be easy to deal, so be careful. Magical Leaf!"

    Valiant responded right away, holding his hands up and allowing the brightly glowing leaves to fire towards his opponent.

    But Wartortle was ready, quickly retreating into his shell, which began spinning rapidly.

    He was using Rapid Spin.

    As the leaves uselessly bounced off the seemingly impenetrable shell, Wartortle advanced toward Valiant, aiming to smash into the young Ralts with the full force of his rock hard, spinning shell.

    Valiant ceased Magical Leaf and erected a glass cube to surround him. He winced and strained himself as Wartortle''s rapidly rotating shell grinded against the Reflect, the cracks slowly beginning to form on his barrier.

    Ash gulped. No doubt weaponizing that hard shell was one of the first things that Gary tried to do while training Wartortle. As good for offense as it was for defenseˇ­

    Gary switched orders. "Ice Punch!''

    Exiting his shell, Wartortle reared a fist back. Although the barrier was cracked, it was stable enough for Valiant to not feel the temperature around the two combatants drop as as the frozen aura formed around the tortoise''s fist.

    SMASH!

    The already damaged barrier didn''t stand a chance as Wartortle''s frozen fist was sent flying straight for the cracked part of the glass cube, Valiant flinching from the wind force as the Reflect shattered and left him exposed.

    Valiant could feel the cold air radiating off of the frozen fist as Wartortle reared back and shot a jet of water from his mouth.

    The Water Gun would have cleanly struck Valiant''s forehead if the Feeling Pokemon hadn''t teleported away, appearing several feet behind the tortoise in an effort to catch his breath.

    But Wartortle was already turning around, and Gary was already giving his next order.

    "Aqua Jet!"

    So Wartortle had learned to use one of his Egg Movesˇ­

    Water appeared beneath the blue tortoise''s feet, and quickly rose upwards to engulf him. Although it didn''t surround him completely, as Ash briefly took note of, the Wartortle was still quite skilled with the technique, almost capable of using it in full.

    Aqua Jet was a fairly useful technique that would surely add to Wartortle''s speed despite the Pokemon''s notable bulk. It would likely give him a lot of aerial potential as well.

    Engulfed in water, the blue tortoise launched himself head first towards Valiant, flying slightly above the ground towards his target.

    The Feeling Pokemon yelped in surprise just before his bulky opponent smashed into him, and Ash (and Misty) winced painfully as Valiant was sent tumbling several feet away as Wartortle dissipated the water vortex surrounding him and landed firmly on his feet.

    Gary pointed a finger towards Valiant as the green headed Pokemon began making his way back up to his feet, his hands resting against the ground to keep himself propped up.

    "Wartortle''s never lost a fight before, Ashy boy. Your little Ralts will be the perfect addition to his winning streak."

    Ash held back a grimace as he called out his orders to the now standing Ralts. "Shadow Sneak and Magical Leaf!"

    Valiant was in aching pain from just one blow, his body quite frail compared to the bulky monstrosity that was Wartortle.

    Nevertheless, he did what he could to power through the pain. This opponent was clearly far stronger than him, much like that Grotle from before. But Valiant was resilient. He wouldn''t let one big blow stop him.

    Wartortle looked somewhat bewildered as Valiant sank into the ground, absorbing himself into his shadow to travel behind the large, blue tortoise, resurfacing to fire the leaves at his target.

    Valiant knew that this Wartortle was durable. Not just the shell, but the entire body He was behind Wartortle right now, so firing at his back would just result in the leaves uselessly clanging of of the shell again.

    Regardless of whether he was attacking from the back or the front, however, it was clear to him that the head was probably the best place to aim. His opponent would be tough to put down regardless, but it would be more effective to aim there than the rest of the tortoise''s bulky body.

    Wartortle let out a pained cry as the leaves hammered against the back of his head. Stumbling forward, and nearly losing his footing, he turned to glare at Valiant as the young Ralts prepared to fire off a second round.

    "Icy Wind!"

    Just as Valiant fired off his second barrage, Wartortle, ignoring the momentary pain in his head, opened his mouth. Out fired a strong gust of cold, snowy wind. It was a concentrated blast of air, similar to Wind Blast. But some of the blunt force was traded for a frozen iciness.

    Valiant yelped as the wind froze over the leaves and continued onwards towards him. Although parts of the gust painfully slammed into him, and left him shivering as a result, he managed to power through the pain and gets his Light Screen up before he could suffer the full brunt of the assault.

    As the snowy wind pushed against the golden cube barrier, Valiant grunted from the strain of the assault, the Light Screen successfully holding up but clearly being challenged. Just as the tiniest of cracks began to form, Gary switched his orders.

    "Aqua Jet!"

    The sound of the cube shattering was loud and clear as Wartortle rocketed head first into the small, forming cracks. The bulk of his body, and his overall brute strength, combined with the speed of the Aqua Jet easily managed to overwhelm the slightly damaged barrier.

    Wartortle reared his fist back for an Ice Punch, but Valiant''s Telepathy ability allowed him to get a better reading on the large, blue tortoise''s body language. With his battle senses heightened by the Ability, Valiant found his Water Type foe''s actions to be quite telegraphed, and easily ducked under the powerful blow that would have surely put him down if it had struck him in the head.

    Valiant grimaced uncomfortably from the freezing cold air radiating off of the turtle''s fist, but persevered as he sidestepped around to Wartortle''s side, quickly firing a bright pink beam of light into the side of his opponent''s head before the water type Pokemon could have time to react accordingly.

    The Dazzling Gleam sent the unsuspecting tortoise staggering backwards, but the turtle righted himself quickly as Gary called for another Aqua Jet.

    As Wartortle dashed forward yet again, Ash was in awe. Valiant was attacking his opponent by aiming right for the head, probably the most viable strategy for dealing with Wartortle, and yet the blue tortoise was still able to shrug it all off. Just how much stronger was he than Valiant?!

    Valiant wasn''t able to completely form a Reflect barrier in time, and staggered back from the painful shockwaves as Wartortle easily smashed through the incomplete glass cube.

    As Wartortle exited his Aqua Jet, Gary cried out. "Water Pulse!"

    Extending his hands outward, Wartortle concentrated as an orb of glowing, bright blue water materialized in between his palms. As the orb grew in size, he raised his hands upwards, before fiercely throwing the orb downwards, slamming it point blank into Valiant.

    Ash cried out as Valiant was blasted backwards, the Ralts shouting in pain as he tumbled across the ground.

    Gary smirked victoriously, but his eyes widened as Valiant began staggering to his feet once again.

    Ash blinked. Valiant was definitely the least durable member of the team. He needed Reflect and Light Screen to make up for his lack of natural defenses, and Teleport and Shadow Sneak to make up for his lack of agility.

    Yet despite the powerful blow that he had taken, Valiant refused to give up. Covered in bruises and dirt, and completely drenched in water, the young Ralts rose to his feet, glaring defiantly as he clenched his teeth.

    Gary''s eyes lit up in frustration. "Just go down already, pipsqueak!"

    Instead of complying, Valiant gathered Psychic energy in his hands as fast as he could, and fired off a Psybeam in Wartortle''s direction.

    After the attack proved futile, easily deflected by Wartortle''s Rapid Spin, Gary aggressively let out an order as Wartortle exited his shell.

    "Bubblebeam! Now!"

    Wartortle opened his mouth, allowing a barrage of bright, glowing, blue bubbles to escape from his mouth and rocket towards their target. Valiant, in response, did his best to erect a Light Screen, but in his wounded state, wasn''t able to manage a full barrier. The feeble cube was easily shattered by the incoming bubbles, the shockwaves from the projectiles knocking the Feeling Pokemon over as Gary, unwilling to allow Ash and Valiant any breathing room, barked out another order.

    "Ice Punch! Increase your speed with Aqua Jet!"

    "Confusion!" Ash quickly countered.

    As his now clenched fist was once again surrounded with snowy energy, Wartortle engulfed the bottom half of his body in water. He did not keep it that way permanently, however, simply utilizing the Aqua Jet to propel himself forward, rather than fully committing to it.

    Aqua Jet was a great way to make up for Wartortle''s bulkiness, being capable of launching his otherwise bulky body forward at high speeds that many might not expect a Pokemon of his build to be capable of moving at. Although Ash figured that he could probably run at a decent pace regardless, the usage of Aqua Jet ensured that he would never be easily outpaced.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    As Wartortle sailed through the air, advancing upon Valiant and rearing his fist back for the final blow, the young Ralts quickly shot his hands outwards as he rose back up to his feet, eyes glowing a fierce, deep purple as Wartortle''s body was suddenly engulfed in a purple outline.

    Ash grimaced as Wartortle struggled against the Psychic hold, his icy fist trembling in the air as it moved forward ever so slowly, trying to break free and deal the final blow to Valiant.

    Both trainers were shouting words of encouragement to their Pokemon as Misty looked on, one combatant doing everything that he could to deal the final blow, and the other doing everything that he could to halt his opponent.

    Valiant''s teeth were clenched tightly, grinding together as he strained himself to hold the powerful, bulky body of Wartortle in place, fighting against both the tortoise''s momentum and the water type Pokemon''s brute strength. As well as the Feeling Pokemon''s own exhaustion and pain from the rest of the battle.

    Valiant''s arms began shaking, and a deep frown appeared on Ash''s face a she realized that the young Ralts was giving out.

    Whether he gave in to exhaustion or pain, nobody was quite sure. But the purple glow of Valiant''s eyes began to flicker, and the weakening hold of the Psychic energy allowed Wartortle''s body to successfully break through, the turtle letting out a frustrated shout as he brought his frozen fist down upon Valiant''s forehead.

    A loud CRACKING sound was heard as Valiant was propelled downwards onto his back, the smashing blow to his head annihilating the young Ralts'' consciousness and leaving him still on the ground.

    Snorting triumphantly, Wartortle rose upwards, his hands firmly pressed victoriously against his bulky hips as he stood over to the unmoving body of his latest fallen foe.

    Disheartened, Ash returned Valiant to his Poke Ball as quickly as possible, looking a the small orb apologetically as the young Ralts was quickly sucked into it by the beam of red light.

    "Thank you for giving it your all, buddy." he spoke soothingly to his companion, despite doubting that the unconscious Feeling Pokemon could hear him. "You never gave up, even when it was clear that you were outmatched. I couldn''t ask for anything else from you."

    Returning the young Ralts'' Poke Ball to his belt, Ash immediately prepared himself for Gary''s inevitable insults.

    "How was that, Ashy boy? Brings back memories, doesn''t it? Just replace that Ralts with a Pichu and this was pretty much a reenactment-"

    "Enough, Gary." the other boy snarled as Ash had the sheer audacity to cut him off. "The battle isn''t over yet. Save your trash talk for later."

    As Wartortle stoically crossed his arms in patient preparation for his next opponent, Gary glared daggers into Ash''s eyes from across the battlefield. Although Ash flinched a bit from the ferocity, he did his best not to make it visible, standing steadfast as he returned Gary''s glare, albeit probably not quite as fiercely.

    "I told you to keep your tongue in check, Ashy boy." Professor Oak''s grandson snarled. "Don''t forget, right now, I''m the one in the lead."

    Ash grimaced at that. He was right, butˇ­

    "Not for long." he spat back, sounding more determined than angry. Unclipping another Poke Ball, he held it out in front of him as he eyed the orb carefully.

    That Wartortle was a juggernaut for certain. Probably comparable to that monster of a Grotle that Paul had sicked on them back in Pewter City.

    Enough raw power to easily overwhelm Valiant''s barriers, even when they were at their best. Enough durability to shrug off just about anything, even blows to the head that didn''t have to deal with his absurdly tough shell. Pokemon always received massive boons upon Evolving, he''d seen that first hand with Pikachu, and especially with Nebula.

    Eevee wouldn''t stand a chance. As much as Ash hated to admit it, her attacks would just be ineffective against this bulky monstrosity. Even Take Down would probably struggle against the durable might of Wartortle''s shell, and would also leave Eevee herself injured in the process.

    "It''s time, then."

    It had to be Nebula. She was a lot stronger than anybody else on the team right now, easily overshadowing all three of her teammates in terms of physical capabilities alone. If anybody could bring down Wartortle, it was her.

    And if that still wasn''t enough, they always had their trump cardˇ­

    "You sure you don''t want to just forfeit and give me my money in advance, Ashy boy?" Gary''s insufferable voice sounded out from across the battlefield. "You''d be saving you and your team a heck of a lot of trouble!"

    Gripping Nebula''s Poke Ball tightly, and preparing to toss it outwards, Ash shook his head.

    "Can it, Gary." Gary glowered as the ball sailed through the air, but couldn''t fire back as Nebula emerged in a flash of bright, white light.

    The Staravia was ready, immediately locking her eyes on her opponent, who did so in turn.

    "Careful, Nebula." Ash warned her. "That Wartortle took out Valiant easily. He''s really strong, and even more durable. Watch out for his shell, that thing''s practically invincible."

    As Nebula nodded, she glared forward upon hearing about the defeat of her friend. As she spread her wings outwards, in preparation for battle, Wartortle sunk into a fighting stance as he awaited Gary''s orders.

    "So it''s the bird now, then." the other boy commented. "No matter. Wartortle! Blast that beak brain with Water Gun!"

    The jet of water shot at Nebula, who launched herself into the air to quickly avoid the attack.

    "Wind Blast, then Wing Attack!"

    Gary blinked in surprise as Nebula fired her blast of concentrated wind at the Wartortle, who clearly wasn''t expecting such a move as he quickly held his arms protectively in front of his face. He fought against the force of the wind, but the condensed pressure of the blast pushed him backwards and left him staggering in the process.

    Which gave Nebula the perfect time to charge forward with Quick Attack and smash a wing, which was glowing with white light, into the large tortoise''s cheek. Ash grinned at the impact of the attack as Wartortle was knocked off of his feet.

    The triumph was short lived, however, as Wartortle surrounded himself in a watery vortex, using the aerial mobility provided to him with Aqua Jet to reposition himself and land on his feet.

    No doubt, one of Gary''s ideas.

    "Rapid fire Water Gun!"

    The series of continuous blasts of water spat out by the large, blue tortoise wasn''t nearly as individually powerful as a single, concentrated Water Gun, but it was in much greater quantity. Had Nebula not greatly improved her aerial mobility since the battle with Brock, Ash might have been a bit worried, but he allowed a surge of pride to fill up in his chest as his bird friend skillfully dodged blast after blast.

    But, upon realizing that this wasn''t working, Gary quickly switched tactics. "Icy Wind! Full blast!"

    The large gust of freezing cold, snowy wind that escaped from Wartortle''s mouth was much bigger than the small, narrow jets of water that he had been firing at Nebula previously. Taken aback by the sudden change in tactics, Nebula abandoned dodging and flapped her wings to create another Wind Blast, which clashed against the Icy Wind.

    Gary smirked. Perfect. The bird was in one place now.

    "Wartortle! Aqua Rush!"

    Abandoning Icy Wind, Wartortle retreated in his shell and began spinning. The Wind Blast slammed harmlessly into his rapidly rotating shell as his shell suddenly became submerged with water. Ash and Nebula both gasped aloud as Wartortle suddenly rocketed forwards, sailing upwards towards Nebula, his still spinning shell remaining engulfed in the water as he rushed towards her at incredible speeds.

    A combination of Rapid Spin and Aqua Jet, an aquatic technique that fully weaponized the incredible strength of Wartortle''s shell by utilizing the high speed momentum from Aqua Jet.

    Nebula shrieked as she coated her wings in steel, crossing them out in front of her in a protective manner as Wartortle''s water-engulfed shell slammed into her at full force. Even with the metallic coating of the feathers shielding her from the damage of what would have been a positively devastating impact, the sheer force of the blow sent her flying backwards and towards the barriers in front of Ash.

    However, she kept her wings coated in steel, and slammed one of them into the barriers in order to catch herself, halting her flight.

    The Iron Tail tactic that Pikachu always used to break his falls. But this time, with Steel Wing.

    Ash was flabbergasted. What WAS that attack?! He hadn''t expected a combination move like THAT.

    And it was definitely potent, too. He wondered if Nebula would even still be conscious if she took a direct hit from thatˇ­

    Wartortle was most certainly the real deal. As Nebula resumed her flight, Wartortle exiting his shell and landing on his feet after the previous collision with her Steel Wing, Ash called out his next order.

    "Double Team! One copy!"

    Nebula complied, splitting herself into two, both the real one and the copy flying around in opposite directions as they circled Wartortle from above.

    Gary quickly responded.

    "I see what you''re doing, Ashy boy! It won''t help you! Rapid Spin! Stay in place!"

    Wartortle complied, and Ash grimaced as the stoic tortoise quickly retreated into his shell. Spinning at high speeds while Nebula circled around.

    Gary and Wartortle had no idea which Nebula was the real one that they actually had to defend against, so instead, they had just resorted to Rapid Spin, so that Nebula couldn''t hurt them regardless. Paul and Elekid had used a similar tactic against him and Pikachu back in Pewter City.

    Changing tactics, Ash remained steadfast. "Drop Double Team and use Steel Wing!"

    Wartortle had a natural resistance against Steel Wing, but at the same time, the added durable that the attack provided her wings with would allow Nebula to fair better against the incredible exterior of his shell.

    Rushing forward with a burst of speed provided to her by Quick Attack, the clone vanishing in the process, Nebula slammed a wing with feathers coated in cold steel into Wartortle''s shell. The metallic wing was unable to penetrate the blue tortoise''s monstrous defenses, but Nebula herself felt no pain as the two clashed.

    The force of Nebula''s attack pushed Wartortle back a bit as Nebula sped back upwards. As Wartortle exited his shell to fire a quick Bubblebeam in her direction, Ash shouted out another order.

    "Aerial Ace!"

    Nebula gracefully flew under the incoming barrage of bubbles as she took aim at her water type opponent.

    Coating herself in a glowing white aura, she began to speed her way downwards, but Gary had already shouted a counterorder.

    "Aqua Jet!"

    Engulfed in water, Wartortle propelled himself upwards towards the advancing Staravia.

    BAM!

    The two combatants both smashed into each other head-on, Nebula''s sharp beak colliding with the top of Wartortle''s sturdy head. Both of them bounced off of each other, descending through the air. However, Nebula, with a pained expression on her face, was knocked off balance from the impact, while Wartortle remained in control.

    Even with Nebula''s greater speed and momentum, Wartortle''s bulk and the overall strength of his attack had given him the edge in the clash. Taking advantage of his opponent''s newfound vulnerability, he opened his mouth to fire off a quick Icy Wind while still falling in midair.

    Before Nebula had the chance to recover from the clash, she was struck head on by the snowy gust of wind, shrieking in pain as she was blasted backwards. As Wartortle solidly landed on his feet, however, Nebula was finally able to power through the pain just in time to break her fall with a Steel Wing, smashing a metallic coated wing into the ground to save her from being further hurt by the impact.

    As Wartortle crossed his arms, Ash clenched his fists tightly.

    Nebula had the advantage in speed and overall mobility, especially because she could fly, but Wartortle was clearly still stronger than her. And his overall defenses and great durability both complemented that greatly. Apart from the bruise on his cheek from Nebula''s Wing Attack at the beginning of the fight, he was still mostly unscathed. Meanwhile, Nebula had just taken a painful hit from an ice type move, and was unable to come out on top whenever their attacks clashed against each other, even with her greater speed and momentum.

    For the first time since evolving, Nebula had finally met her matchˇ­

    There was no other choice thenˇ­ they had to do it.

    "Nebula! It''s time, use Reckless!"

    Gary and Misty both perked up at that, while Wartortle tilted his head curiously at the mention of the Ability.

    Nebula also perked up at the mention. At the signal.

    Nebula''s eyes flashed red, and her whole body began to tense up as a glowing red outline surrounded it.

    Pokemon had natural reserves of strength, that they continuously tapped into while exerting themselves in physical activity. These reserves allowed them to continue onwards with longevity, being tapped into overtime.

    With Reckless, however, Nebula was now tapping into them all at once. She had no more reserves to fall back on for later. She was throwing all of her eggs into one basket, and using all of her inner energy at the same time. No worry or concern for tiring herself out. No worry or concern for getting herself hurt. No worry or concern for how her opponent might respond.

    She had, quite literally, become reckless.

    The bird shrieked violently towards the sky as she spread her wings outward, red lightning sparking across the surfaces of her body as her voice loudly echoed throughout the battlefield. The glowing, red outline lining across her body flashed brighter and brighter, radiating off of her body with unrivaled intensity as she set her sights on her opponent. A feral snarl escaped her beak, her bloodlusted and now animalistic noises directed towards the large, blue tortoise standing in front of her.

    Surprisingly, Wartortle actually seemed quite caught off guard by the sudden change, slightly tilting his head to the side with his arms still crossed, a look of mild confusion on his face as he carefully assessed the bird from afar, still not yet moving from his position.

    Gary and Misty were even more surprised, the former taking a small step back at the sound of the noises escaping from the bird''s beak. Even ASH found himself perturbed by her sudden change in behavior, images of Nebula''s friendly smile flashing throughout his mind as he struggled to take inˇ­ that.

    An angry, somewhat crazed grin made its way to Nebula''s face. With one more loud and violent shriek towards the sky above, blatantly reveling in her newfound power, she spread her wings out yet again, before flapping them furiously, making her way towards the air as she prepared to take her newfound strength (and bloodlusted killer instincts) out on her formidable opponent.

    Ash immediately called out an order before Gary could.

    "Wing Attack!"

    The response happened fast.

    The boy then grinned.

    Gary''s eyes practically bulged.

    Nebula''s speed was carried by Quick Attack, but whatever agility she had before paled in comparison to the blur that she was now.

    Ash would have felt the wind force from her quicking off of the ground if it hadn''t been for the barriers.

    Before either he, Gary, or Misty could register it, a loud SMACK sounded throughout the battlefield, as a yelping Wartortle was sent flying back first into the barriers in front of Gary.

    As Nebula kicked off into the air, flapping her wings to gain altitude, the tortoise got to his feet as a notable bruise appeared on his front. The water type staggered a bit, but was otherwise still ready to go.

    Gary''s face was pale as Nebula hovered above the battlefield. Ash considered using Wind Blast, and was just about to give the order, but suddenly decided against it.

    Now that Reckless was in effect, Nebula''s actions would become far more taxing on her energy than usual. She no longer had any reserves, and an overuse of Wind Blast and Whirlwind surely wouldn''t be doing her stamina any favors, given the sheer amount of vigorous wing flapping that they both involved.

    Nebula wouldn''t realise this, of course. She wasn''t being cautious anymore. Which meant that Ash now had to be cautious for her instead.

    But before he could switch tactics, he heard Gary shouting.

    The other boy was livid. From just one attack, Nebula had put him on edge.

    "Wartortle! Blast that thing with Water Gun! Rapid Fire!"

    Normally. Nebula probably would have skillfully avoided the barrage of blasts being spat upwards her way, but in her new state, things were different. She''d much rather smash through, charge through, or deflect incoming attacks than avoid them. Whatever was the most convenient. Cautiousness was not an option anymore.

    She was out for blood.

    The Staravia shrieked another violent shriek as she charged downwards towards the incoming barrage, her wings glowing with a bright, white light as she sliced through each and every blast of water in her way with Wing Attack.

    She winced in mild pain as her wing smashed into Wartortle''s now rotating shell, the blue tortoise having used Rapid Spin just in time to block her attack. However, the sheer force of her blow catapulted the spinning shell a good distance away.

    However, as she began to charge after it, Wartortle exited his shell and hit her with a barrage of bubbles, the young Staravia being struck by them just as she was closing in.

    She grunted in frustration and pain from the blow, being propelled backwards a good few feet, but was back to rushing forward the moment the momentum ceased, undeterred by the attack.

    This time, Wartortle, having just finished using Bubblebeam, had no time to retreat into his shell, and was smashed head on with an Aerial Ace, the tortoise crying out in agony as he was painfully tackled across the battlefield.

    He could only keep Nebula at bay temporarily, but could never hold her off for long. As Nebula cleared the distance between them to prepare for her next attack, Gary''s body was shaking, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists with increasing tightness.

    "NO!" he shouted to his temporarily downed Starter. Pointing a shaking finger at Ash, he snarled in a manner that almost came across as animalistic. "This moment of glory''s finished! I''m not gonna have you humiliate us any further!" he looked to Wartortle, who was in the process of picking himself up, albeit much more slowly this time. "Get up Wartortle! We''re not losing to some worthless failure and his beak brain!"

    Wartortle made his way to his feet, and, picking up on Nebula''s hyper-aggression, immediately retreated into his shell, spinning with Rapid Spin in preparation for Nebula''s inevitable next attack.

    As Nebula prepared to charge forward, Ash called out. "Steel Wing this time, Nebula!"

    Nebula complied, coating her wings in metal as she descended towards her guarded opponent. With another animalistic shriek, she smashed one of her metal wings into the spinning shell, sending it sliding across the battlefield, the impact of the blow disorienting Wartortle and leaving him to involuntarily retreat from his shell.

    The momentum of Nebula''s blow didn''t stop as Wartortle exited his shell, though, and, unprepared for the velocity, and, ultimately, unable to maintain his footing, he the blue tortoise found himself staggering backwards as he struggled to stay upright, teetering back even as his movements began to slow to a halt.

    Ash had to admit that Nebula''s behavior wasˇ­ unsettling. This wasn''t the same Nebula who usually greeted everyone in such a chipper tone every morning. Who was practically everywhere with Pikachu and even gave him free rides on her back to check out the view from the sky together. Who felt so guilty about her role in Eevee''s capture just yesterday.

    This Nebula was entirely different. As though she had been swapped with another Staravia altogether. Reckless was certainly a terrifying Ability. Not just because of the boosts that it gave, or the drawbacks to the user''s stamina that it involved, but, most of all, because of how it altered the mind.

    He wondered how Pikachu would react to Nebula''s sudden and abrupt change in personality. The thought of the young mouse''s potential reaction to his best friend''s sudden mood shift was both an amusing and concerning one.

    Ash would have to look up the exact cause of this later. Was it an adrenaline overdose? A sudden anger? Was her brain just going haywire in general?

    They were questions that were flowing through his mind throughout the battle, but also ones that he knew would need to be addressed later, and not immediately.

    Because for now, they had an advantage that they needed to capitalise on.

    "Nebula! Quick Attack, then Wing Attack!"

    The young bird shrieked in response, bolting head first into the still staggering Wartortle as she forcefully drove him to the ground. Pinning him onto his back with her talons, she drove a glowing wing into his face with another battle cry escaping from her beak.

    The SMASHING sound echoed across the battlefield as Wartortle was slapped cleanly across the face, Nebula''s glowing, bright red eyes glowering down at him as her glowing wing struck its target.

    Gary was screaming at the top of his lungs now. "Icy Wind!"

    Had she not been in her Reckless state, Nebula probably would have been able to avoid the blast of icy air that struck her at point blank, but with her newfound aggression, she wasn''t in nearly as much of a hurry to clear the distance between herself and her opponent.

    An enraged shriek sounded across the battlefield as Nebula was catapulted upwards, the direct hit from the Icy Wind agonizingly assaulting her body. But as the attack ceased and she was left hanging in the air, she quickly righted herself, hurt but far from down, as vengefully blitzed forward with another Wing Attack. Wartortle was still in the midst of getting up, struggling his way to his feet, when the attack smashed into him, sending the back of his shell smashing into the barriers in front of Gary as the tortoise wheezed in agony.

    The large, blue turtle slid downwards onto his butt, shell leaning against the barriers as his bruised and battered body struggled to pick itself back up.

    Gary looked like he was going to puke. "W-Wartortleˇ­"

    This couldn''t be it, right? They wouldn''t lose to Ash-

    The small grin making its way to Ash''s face immediately disappeared as both he and Gary were visually reminded of something.

    Nebula wasn''t the only one here with an Ability that greatly powered the user up.

    And Wartortle''s just so happened to take effect in moments like these.

    This time, it was Wartortle''s body that glowed brightly as a powerful, ocean blue aura engulfed his body.

    Torrent was an Ability that activated when its user was on the ropes. When they were on their last legs.

    And when it did, the power of their water type moves increased exponentially.

    Wartortle''s eyes flashed a bright, ocean blue to match the rest of the aura surrounding his body as he discovered newfound adrenaline, making his way back up to his feet with a facial expression that conveyed much more enthusiasm than Ash had ever seen from him before.

    He could feel the energy coursing through his veins. Pumping through his bloodstream. Flowing throughout his body. And it felt GOOD.

    Ash''s face suddenly became uneasy. Up until now, Nebula''s Reckless ability had given her the edge. The power to overwhelm Wartortle''s defenses while smashing through his attacks. But now, with Wartortle''s newfound power boostˇ­

    Had they just lost the upper hand?

    In spite of his usual stoicism, Wartortle could NOT help the widening grin that made its way to his face as he let out a triumphant battle cry towards the sky occupied by his powerful, feathered opponent. Above him, Nebula let out a fearsome shriek in response, as if accepting a challenge.

    Gary was starting to feel just a little bit more eased up now, but not by much as he pointed forward at Nebula, who flapped her wings above them while aggressively eying her opponent.

    "Wartortle! That feathered freak of nature is no match for your power! Put that loser down with Water Gun! Rapid fire!"

    The jets of water that escaped from Wartortle''s mouth were much bigger than before. And yet also more condensed. And they moved a lot faster.

    "Out of the way, Nebula!" Ash shouted frantically.

    Nebula should have dodged. Ash TOLD her to dodge.

    But she didn''t.

    Nebula was already rushing forward, prepared to smash through the powered up blasts with her Wing Attack like before.

    As the first blast of water collided with her wing, Nebula felt a sharp pain in her wing from the force of the impact. All of a sudden, it was as though she had smashed wing-first straight into a rock. She grunted out in displeasure as her now stubbed wing scattered the water that it had just struck, the droplet''s raining down onto the battlefield, but could not right herself in time for the second blast from the barrage to strike her square in the chest.

    Ash gasped aloud as Nebula shouted in pain, losing her balance in the air as Gary gave a follow-up order.

    "Great! Now Water Pulse!"

    Wartortle held out his arms again, this time, the sphere of liquid forming in between his hands growing much larger and glowing much more brightly than before.

    ANd when he tossed it, it SAILED through the air and SMASHED into its target quicker than anyone currently present ever could have predicted, including even Gary and Wartortle themselves. Nebula''s pained shriek of agony assaulted Ash''s ears as the boy guiltily watched his airborne friend sailing towards the barriers.

    Nebula couldn''t regain her composure in time to slam a Steel Wing into the barriers in order to stop herself. And even if she could, she wouldn''t have been cautious enough to do so anyway. She wasn''t thinking about saving herself, only about beating down her opponent.

    She smashed back-first into the barriers, and began descending downwards. Just before her body could hit the pavement, however, she regained her composure, stopping her fall with a mighty flap of her wings as she continued to flap and make her way back upwards. As she reached full height once again, a primal shout escaped from her beak, directed straight at Wartortle, her eyes practically pulsing with their red glow and her face livid.

    Ash breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as Gary''s mockery filled his ears.

    "How''s that, Ashy boy? Now that we''re on an even playing field again, it''s time to finish this with style!" he pointed accusingly at Nebula. "Your glorified feather freak won''t be able to stop this one, and won''t be smart enough to dodge with that ability activated! Wartortle! End this bird brained trash heap with Aqua Rush!"

    Wartortle retreated into his shell yet again. As he spun, the water that engulfed him was much fiercer than before.

    Ash''s face was pale. Gary was right. Nebula wouldn''t dodge it.

    Blocking it with Steel Wing wouldn''t work. Nebula had still been sent flying last time. And this time, she would lack the self preservation to stop herself with Steel Wing before she could slam into the barrier.

    Wind Blast? Maybe, but she''d surely tire herself out, even if she could block the attack with it. She had already been using Reckless for quite a bit, and Ash wasn''t sure if the attack would be enough to do true damage to Wartortle while he was still in his shell.

    The rest of Nebula''s arsenal certainly wouldn''t work either. Which meant thatˇ­

    ...Nebula would probably knock herself out in the process, but hopefully, if she could overpower Wartortle and Gary''s attack, at least she could force a draw on them.

    Aqua Rush was clearly a very powerful technique. Probably the best one that Gary and Wartortle had.

    So Ash and Nebula would just have to respond in kind.

    "Cut loose, Nebula! Double-Edge!"

    As Wartortle''s rotation continued to increase in velocity, Nebula let out a loud cry as she engulfed herself in a bright, white aura.

    The pale energy surrounded her body as she took aim at her target. Ash''s breath caught in his throat as both combatants rushed forward, and if he had been paying attention to Gary, he would have seen a similar reaction from him as well.

    Wartortle''s Aqua Jet carried him far faster than it already had before, and had even more power behind it as well. As a result, this Aqua Rush was incomparable to the one that had previously been used earlier in the fight. The tortoise ascended towards Nebula in his rapidly spinning shell, at speeds far greater than Ash could have ever imagined the blue brute traveling at.

    Nebula''s spine-chilling cry sounded across the battlefield as she propelled herself downwards towards her advancing opponent. Traveling at an even greater speed than Wartortle, she put all of her might into her powerful charge in preparation for the upcoming clash.

    SLAM!

    The smashing noise echoed across the battlefield as the two attacks met with one another in midair. Ash, Gary, and Misty all would have felt the gusts of wind that were birthed from the shockwaves of the collision had it not been for the barriers separating them from the conflict.

    The two attacks pushed against each other in midair, Nebula straining herself as she continued to push against the opposition combatant with a ferocious snarl. Wartortle''s shell was beyond rock hard, and the momentum provided for it from the powered-up Aqua Jet was not something to be understated.

    She felt the sweat flowing down her body and the fatigue slipping in. She had been using Reckless for a fairly good bit now, and had attacked several times at full force with her Moves being greatly powered up by the Ability. All of the energy in her body, being used up at once. And she was beginning to run out.

    It had only been a matter of time, too.

    But she would use all of the energy that she had left to win this battle. To demolish the opponent struggling against her and come out on top. For Ash''s sake. And for Valiant.

    Wartortle had been slowly pushing her back, but her convictions were too strong. Putting everything that she ever could have had into the clash, she shrieked angrily as she began pushing back against the might of her opponent, her body roughly shoving against the exterior of the hard shell that stood in her way.

    Gary''s eyes widened in disbelief as Wartortle began to slowly, but surely, be pushed back by Nebula''s assault.

    "Noˇ­!"

    Ash didn''t breathe. He didn''t open his hands. He watched in silence and intensity as Nebula slowly but surely gained the upper hand. As she hammered against the advancing shell with her strongest attack, pushing it back and doing everything that she possibly could to shove it down-

    And then her body gave out.

    Nebula had been using Reckless for too long, and now she was out of steam.

    As the might of her Double-Edge rapidly decreased along with her now deteriorating momentum, Wartortle pushed forward with his feathered opponent now at the mercy of his shell. With Nebula''s resistance gone, she was rapidly launched into the barriers by the impact of her shelled opponent''s attack, smashing against the barriers before falling to the ground.

    Ash''s heart sank as his feathered friend unceremoniously hit the ground with a thud. Her body was motionless, eyes closed as she lay sprawled out on the pavement.

    Nebula had been using Reckless for too long. The boons of the Ability had allowed her to gain the upper hand, but in turn, the drawbacks were ultimately what had cost her the fight.

    Exiting his shell, Wartortle landed on his feet and observed Nebula''s still form, drawing deep breaths as his hands fell to his sides. He was tired, but his Torrent Ability meant that he still had plenty of power left.

    Ash missed the deep sigh of relief that Gary breathed, only noticing him when the other boy finally spoke up again.

    "Y-You see now, Ashy boy?!" he pointed to Wartortle, who began to stand upright again, albeit still breathing a bit hard. "That''s power!" he pointed to the unconscious Nebula. "Your featherbrained loser was just a pretender!"

    Back on the sidelines, Misty rolled her eyes at the boy''s tone of voice. It almost sounded like this Gary kid was trying to convince himself more than Ash.

    Ash paid Gary no mind as he returned Nebula to her Poke Ball. As the red light finished drawing her in, he looked down at the orb sympathetically and placed a hand on it.

    "You were amazing, Nebula. Thank you so much."

    Nothing Gary said fazed him. They all knew the truth. Gary knew the truth. That Wartortle had met his match every bit as much as Nebula had met hers. And Ash would never stop being proud of her for that.

    Still, it meant that he now only had one teammate left.

    The situation technically wasn''t as bad as it seemed to be on paper. Gary''s Eevee had taken a decent amount of damage, and Wartortle even moreso.

    At the same time, howeverˇ­ Eevee had literally just joined the team. She had never battled with him before.

    And as damaged as Wartortle very clearly was, his defenses and Torrent ability would still most certainly serve a problem. His Ability was still invigorating him, as far as his Water Type Moves were concerned, at the very least. Eevee would probably just need to land a few clean hits at most in order to finish the job, but the opposite was also true.

    Gary''s own Eevee, while certainly not in tip top shape, still wasn''t completely helpless, and he also had one more Pokemon that hadn''t even battled yet.

    Ash clutched Eevee''s Poke Ball in his hand as he found himself deep in thought.

    This was a do or die situation. Maybe he was moving to fast to assume that he was ready to beat Gary yetˇ­

    Butˇ­ quitting just because he would probably lose if they continuedˇ­ was that what Trainer''s did?

    Was walking away when the odds were too against you to be worth it considered pragmatic or spineless?

    He knew Gary would say the latter, if only to have an excuse to continue mocking himˇ­ but this wasn''t about what Gary said. They weren''t in Pallet Town anymore. Gary wasn''t the "leader" anymore.

    "What''s taking you so long, Ashy boy?" the other boy scrunched up his face. "That bird was your ace, right? This won''t take very long, then. Send out your Eevee so we can get this over with."

    Ash glared at Gary, but said nothing.

    He doubted he''d win at this point. But it wasn''t hopeless, and although he didn''t care what Gary''s views were, and didn''t consider surrendering to be spinelessˇ­ that didn''t mean that he would just give up.

    Overcoming odds that were too great to be overcomeˇ­ that was something that every rookie trainer strived to do. Perhaps the one thing that he and Gary both had in common, was the desire to achieve what no other first year Trainers ever had.

    Win or lose, didn''t matter at this point. If he spent his journey running away from battles like this, he''d never reach the Indigo Plateau.

    Eevee appeared in front of him, immediately perking up at the sight of Wartortle.

    "Eeveeˇ­" Ash knelt down to speak with her for a second. She turned her head towards him with a hint of uncertainty. "Our opponent is tough, but I believe in you, okay?"

    His voice was encouraging, doing his best to hide his doubts. No need for Eevee to go into her first battle on the team feeling like she was in a hopeless position.

    Whatever small chance that they hadˇ­ they would capitalize on.

    "Hmph." Gary grunted in an unimpressed tone. "For a moment there I thought you were giving up."

    Ash''s face grew stern.

    "Rookies give up all the time, Gary." he said with an even tone of voice. "But whether you like it or not, I''m not going to be one of those rookies."

    A hint of anger appeared in Gary''s eyes, although his face quickly grew into a smirk.

    "And what makes you think you''re going to be the one to break all those records and achieve what the other first years hadn''t? Hate to break it to you, Ashy boy, but you''re a prime example of all the inevitable failures that are spawned with each Season. Only the exceptional trainers won''t be forgotten."

    "You mean that little speech you gave to me on Opening Day?" Ash''s glare tightened. "Doesn''t resonate with me anymore, Gary. So quit trying."

    Gary''s eyes practically flashed red for a moment. As he returned Wartortle to his Poke Ball, he snarled in Ash and Eevee''s direction, which earned him a look of aggression from Eevee.

    ''Pipsqueak thinks he can talk back to me.'' he thought bitterly to himself. ''He earns one little Gym badge, and he thinks he''s not at the bottom anymore? He''s not a future master. He''s just a sub par failure who fluked his way through the Qualification Exam. Well flukes don''t cut it in the world of professional Pokemon training, and they certainly don''t cut it against me!''

    "If you won''t hold your tongue, then I''ll just have to clamp your jaw shut, wannabe." Holding a fourth Poke Ball in front of himself, he spoke cooly. "My first capture isn''t that far off from Wartortle, and I think she''ll be the perfect way to put the curtain down on your little glorified fantasy dream."

    Ash immediately recognized the Pokemon that appeared in front of Eevee.

    It was a bulky, yellow, bell-shaped plant with a wide, gaping mouth and pink lips. A small, brown stem in the shape of a hook was on the top of its head, and three small green spots rested just above its eyes. On each side of its body were two large, green leaves that seemed to act as hands.

    Gary''s final Pokemon was a Weepinbell.

    Gary crossed his arms confidently. "You like her? She''ll be the one to put you down. You and your little furball."

    Eevee snarled, but Gary seemed to be more amused than intimidated.

    ''Probably because he''s got his teammate and the barriers protecting him.'' Ash thought with an inward snort.

    But back to the battle.

    That Weepinbell was definitely bulky, but it also hopefully meant that Eevee was much more agile. They''d have to exploit their speed advantage to even stand a chance.

    "Careful, Eevee," he spoke softly. "That Weepinbell is part poison type. She''ll be lethal against us." at Eevee''s acknowledging nod , he continued. "Speed around the battlefield with Quick Attack. Do your best to maintain your agility. Prioritize Swift and Shadow Ball, and keep your distance as much as possible. Got it?" at her second acknowledging nod, he grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Great! Go for it!"

    Eevee took off running, immediately dashing off to the side as Weepinbell attempted to track her.

    "Let''s end this with style, Weepinbell!" Gary''s voice sounded out across the battlefield. "Catch that furball with Vine Whip!"

    Weepinbell nodded to her trainer, as Vines quickly extended from her body and lashed out at the moving Eevee, who avoided them with ease. Jumping into the air, she fired off a quick Shadow Ball, not charging it up too much, but putting just enough power into it to faze her opponent. The orb of distorted, ghostly energy struck down on Weepinbell''s forehead and pushed her back a bit, but she did little more than grunt in mild pain.

    In response, the large, bulky plant opened her mouth and allowed a blast of glowing, purple powder to escape from it. Ash grimaced. Poison Powder, of all Moves.

    Eevee immediately realised that the glowing, purple cloud advancing towards her was bad news, and quickly changed directions, firing off glowing, golden stars from her mouth that pelted the side of her opponent''s body as she made her escape.

    "Hidden Power!" Gary called out.

    The glowing orbs that Weepinbell fired off were very clearly in resemblance to rocks. A rock type Hidden Power. However, as Eevee quickly changed direction in order to avoid the assault, she was struck by a vine to the face as Weepinbell predicted her movements.

    Feeling a sharp pain in her cheek, Eevee tumbled away from the blow as Weepinbell took aim at her yet again.

    "Energy Ball!"

    Ash blinked. Energy Ball? That was a really powerful grass type moveˇ­

    But the young boy immediately realized that Weepinbell was taking a good deal of time to charge up her attack, so he immediately went on the offensive.

    "Jump up with a full power Shadow Ball!"

    Eevee complied, charging up the ghostly energy in her mouth and jumping up just in time to avoid the bright, glowing, emerald colored orb that shot out of Weepinbell''s mouth a few second slater. As the large orb slammed into the barriers in front of Ash, creating a powerful shockwave that surely would have knocked Ash off of his feet had the barriers not been there to shield him, Eevee fired off her attack, a large explosion being triggered by the impact as Weepinbell yelped out loud in pain, the powerful Ghost Type Move scoring a very clean, direct attack right on her forehead.

    As Eevee pelted Weepinbell with more glowing, golden stars on her way down back to the ground, Gary grunted in frustration. Upon landing, Eevee immediately took off running once again, only for Gary to quickly give another order.

    "Poison Jab!"

    To both Ash and Eevee''s mutual surprise, Weepinbell fiercely propelled herself forward with Vine Whip, her leaves glowing a deep, bright purple as she lashed out at Eevee. The Evolution Pokemon was caught off guard as Weepinbell swung forward with one of her leaves and quickly slammed it into Eevee, smacking the young Pokemon away as the poison excruciatingly entered her system.

    Ash''s breath caught in his throat. That Weepinbell was incredibly fast when she used Vine Whip that way...

    As Eevee tumbled away, Weepinbell quickly took hold of her with her vines. Ash''s face paled as she slammed Eevee up and down against the ground multiple times before Gary gave his next order.

    "Bullet Seed!"

    Weepinbell opened her mouth, and quickly blasted Eevee with a mighty barrage of glowing, golden seeds that completely pelted the Evolution Pokemon''s body. Eevee cried out in unbearable agony at the aggression of the attack, her body practically being pierced by the mighty onslaught.

    As if to top it all off, Weepinbell chucked Eevee into the air once she was done, leaving the young Evolution Pokemon to unceremoniously fall head first to the ground. Ash let out a deep sigh as his newest teammate lay limp on the ground, and quickly returned her.

    "You did good, Eevee." he said soothingly. "Don''t worry, this was just your first battle. We''ll get stronger together."

    Looking over to Weepinbell as he clipped Eevee''s Poke Ball back to his belt, Ash could see that the grass/poison type Pokemon had not gotten out of the battle unscathed, in spite of how quick that it was. Her forehead was bruised from the Shadow Ball, and a few minor bruises outlined other parts of her body.

    It was all mostly superficial, though. She was still certainly in much better shape than the rest of Gary''s Pokemon were.

    After showering his Pokemon with praise, Gary returned Weepinbell and made his way towards Ash, arms crossed and a triumphant look in his eyes.

    Ash steadied himself, meeting Gary with an even look as the other boy''s signature smirk reappeared on his face.

    "We both knew how this would end, Ashy boy. But you were just in denial, weren''t you?"

    Instead of answering him, Ash removed his backpack and rummaged through a pocket. Pulling out some money, he strapped the backpack back on and extended his arm to Gary.

    "Just take your money, Gary. You won, I lost, I get it already."

    Gary frowned at him, but accepted the prize money nonetheless.

    "You ''get it'', huh? That''s not the impression I got during our-"

    "Because I''m not going to lose next time." Ash cut him off, crossing his arms and doing his best to remain steadfast and neutral, eying the other boy carefully. "You beat me this time. And last time, too. And right now, I''m okay with that. I''ll be stronger than you eventually. Next time we run into each other, my team and I will beat you and your team, no matter what you guys throw at us."

    At the end of the day, Ash and his team had knocked out one of Gary''s Pokemon, and injured two. Weepinbell was the only one on Gary''s team who had come out of it in good shape.

    His teammates had given it their all against their opponents, and so had he.

    Ash wasˇ­ disappointed by this loss, but he wasn''t broken by it. This wasn''t the humiliating dumpster fire that his first battle with Gary was. This was a hard fought battle where he and his friends had simply come up short. They weren''t weak. They were simply outclassed. But they won''t be forever.

    Gary''s scowl almost made Ash flinch a bit, but the young boy quickly steadied the look in his eyes as the other boy poked him in the chest.

    "You''ll win next time? Keep dreaming, pipsqueak. I don''t know what''s gotten into you since you left Pallet Town, but I''m not liking this new attitude of yours. I''ll beat you down as many times as I have to until you get the picture. I''m at the top, you''re at the bottom. Stop acting like things are going to change."

    Ash wanted to respond, but decided against it. It was one thing to fire back at Gary and not let him walk all over him anymore, but it was another thing to let it drag out into an argument.

    He''d said his piece, and that was that. Anything else would just be dragging things out, or reiterating what he had already said. He wasn''t in the mood for a shouting match.

    Let Gary have his moment of glory. The latest of many. Ash was used to being upstaged by him, just like how everybody else in Pallet Town was.

    ''Noˇ­ I can''t let Gary of all people define what my journey is going to be like.'' Ash thought to himself. As he watched the other boy leave in a huff, disappearing back into the Pokemon Center, he ran his hand across the four Poke Balls that were currently residing on his belt. ''Beating Gary is just a small part of our adventure. We have to focus on the greater goal too. Not just surpassing one person. Enough with the tunnel vision.''

    He had already realized that before, when he had earned the Boulder Badge from Brock. That he could succeed, and that what Gary and the others all said didn''t matter.

    But he realized that even more now. Regardless of how the battle had ended, he knew he just couldn''t keep dwelling on what Gary thought of him. Or what all of his peers back home did either.

    This journey of theirsˇ­ that he and his team were onˇ­ it wasn''t about beating Gary, or proving anybody else wrong, either.

    It was about reaching the Indigo Plateau. The ultimate goal for every Trainer in Indigo.

    He and Gary both shared in that goal. All of the other Trainers in Indigo did as well. And it was what should matter the most.

    He wanted to be stronger than Gary, but that wasn''t what was most important thing in play right now. If he limited his goals to just a single person, he and his team would never reach their true goal, the one that counted in the end.

    Ash smiled to himself as he looked down to his Poke Balls.

    "Thanks for fighting as hard as you can, guys. We''ll win next time, I promise you that. For now, let''s just keep training."

    He was about to head back inside, when a familiar voice suddenly made itself known.

    "He was quite obnoxious, wasn''t he?"

    A slightly startled Ash whirled around to see Misty approaching him, somewhat more casually than before.

    Rightˇ­ she was here.

    "Ohˇ­ hey." Ash said, suddenly feeling a bit shy again as he remembered their previousˇ­ "interactions"... if he could even call them that.

    She rubbed the back of her head a bit, sighing irritably.

    "I was honestly hoping he''d lose. Just to shut him up a bit." she scoffed. "Although, I suppose he would have just thrown a crying fit if you''d beaten him. Would have just made it worse."

    "U-umˇ­ yeah." Ash stuttered in response.

    He supposed he''d never really thought of how Gary would actually react to losingˇ­ mostly because he''d never seen Gary lose before.

    But Gary was already getting worked up within the battle itself, and Ash wasn''t sure if the idea of him throwing a temper tantrum was cathartic or insufferable.

    "Soˇ­" Misty crossed her arms a bit. "I''m assuming there''s history between you two? Doesn''t sound like it''s pleasant."

    Ash allowed a small, awkward grin to make its way across his face as his cheeks mildly flushed. "Y-yeah. I g-guess you could say that."

    "Hmph."

    A quick silence fell between them, Misty carefully looking Ash over as though she wanted to say something. Ash was still a bit uncomfortable in her presence, but waited to see if she still had anything else to say.

    When she never did, he slowly turned to leave, assuming that she just wanted to be left alone again.

    However, he quickly stopped upon feeling a hand on his shoulder. Turning around a bit to meet her gaze, he could see her frowning a bit.

    Removing her arm from his shoulder, Misty looked him over again as a mild twinge of redness began to occupy her cheeks.

    "Lookˇ­ aboutˇ­ beforeˇ­" she sighed. "I''mˇ­ sorry about my behavior from earlier today, Ash." she eyed him apologetically, her voice seeming to be sincere. "I was justˇ­ not in the best mood. Iˇ­ shouldn''t have taken it out on you."

    Ash blinked a bit, but rubbed the back of his head with an awkward smile.

    "N-no. I-it''sˇ­ fine. It''s fine. You don''t need to apologize, I was never offended."

    "Hmmmˇ­" she didn;t seem so sure, but she also didn''t press any further. Gesturing towards the inside, she spoke. "I''ll make it up to you. It''s a bit early for lunch, but you wanna go grab a quick snack while your team recovers?"

    Ash was taken aback by the sudden invitation, but found himself quickly nodding. "Sure, if you want."

    She grinned a bit. It was a bit friendlier than before. Not the most cheerful smile in the world, but certainly more appealing than Gary''s, for whatever that was worth. And overall, it conveyed an effort to be welcoming. No hostility, or smugness of any kid. Just a small grin and nothing else to it.

    "Great, let''s go."

    Ash nodded, allowing her to go first before following her in.

    Mercifully, Gary was long gone by the time they got inside. After turning his team in to Nurse Joy, Ash followed Misty to the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat.

    Their conversation was a bit more lively this time.

 Peril in the Caverns pt 1

    Ash''s eyes slowly fluttered open, greeted with the sight of the ceiling above him.

    He found himself groaning momentarily as he sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to subdue the drowsiness. Once he was woken up a bit more, he took in his surroundings as he made his way out of the bed, bare feet pressing down against the carpet floor.

    Pikachu was asleep on his bed, curled up into a ball and peacefully snoozing, light, cute noises let out as he breathed. Valiant was laying down on a pillow besides the bed, still asleep, with Eevee sleeping on her own pillow on the other side of the bed.

    Looking over to Nebula, she was in the windowsill, and Ash could see her beginning to wake. After he approached her, the two exchanging quick greetings with one another as he patted her head, Ash''s eyes made their way to the digital clock that sat beside the television on the large counter.

    ''7:00 AM.'' he thought to himself. A very early rise, but on an appropriate day to do so.

    Yesterday had been their battle against Gary, the day prior being the day that Eevee had joined the team. Today, they were planning on going through Mt. Moon once they were all filled up on breakfast.

    Also on the counter was the Pokemon Egg that Elacia had given to them, wrapped in a blanket to be kept warm.

    Ash was caught off guard a bit as another yawn escaped his mouth. He was still tired, but he''d fully wake up soon. Sparing one last glance at the Egg, he made his way into the bathroom for a quick morning shower.

    /

    The cafeteria was fairly bare this morning, most of the trainers likely not awake yet. Ash and his team found barely anybody in the large room as they made their way in. Curiously, he looked around to see if Misty was anywhere.

    Despite their awkward start the previous morning, the orange haired girl had notably warmed up to him a bit during their snack together, enough for them to continue talking for about another hour or so even after they were finished eating.

    Misty, despite her first impression, was fairly pleasant to be around when she was in a good mood. She was definitely more outgoing than him, usually the one on the proactive side of their conversations, and carried herself in a very bold manner. Her enthusiasm was a bit different from Emily, who was more goofy by comparison, or Janine, who was a bit more sophisticated and proper to go along with her kindness. Misty''s aura was a bit more intimidating, although not unbearably so when she was happy. Her more cheerful side felt forward, even somewhat aggressive despite her not being upset. Although her more energetic behavior and manner of speaking took some getting used to, occasionally making him feel a bit nervous, he had grown to like her a good bit. It was a bit weird that his overall opinion of her was somewhat dissonant from how her behavior sometimes made him inwardly react, Ash supposed he was just happy to make another friend.

    She certainly wasn''t bad despite her more intimidating, hot blooded personality. He had a feeling that she had a temper on her, based on their first meeting, but she definitely wasn''t malicious or condescending likeˇ­ well, Gary.

    According to her, she had come from Cerulean City, where he was currently headed right now. Although the city was a known hotspot for rookie Pokemon trainers, Misty had feared that it would be a bit too rookie friendly, making the choice to use the teleport system (which was apparently available in all cities this Season) in order to go elsewhere for just a bit of extra challenge. Although she had chosen Viridian, she also voiced regret towards picking that specific location. When Ash had asked why, she had shivered uncomfortably and said "too many bugs."

    She had also revealed to him that she hoped to become a water type specialist, expressing a great deal of fondness for the aquatic side of Pokemon.

    Ash supposed that it didn''t surprise him too much. A lot of expert trainers specialized in a specific typing, usually favoring it and occasionally even going so far as to use it exclusively. The major benefits of focusing on such a team included making it particularly easy for them to practice together, as well as learning the in depth details of the specific typing more easily, due to having various different Pokemon who fell under it, and potentially utilized it in very different ways. It made it especially easier to learn how to cover up the weaknesses of the typing, therefore almost completely negating the major disadvantage of specialization: being countered more easily by certain types.

    It was a very common practice among elite level trainers, with the majority of Elite Four members, Gym Leaders, and even Champions throughout history all specializing in either one type, or perhaps two or three that meshed together well. Champion Lance was an interesting example, as he was a dragon specialist, but rather than favoring dragon types specifically, he focused on Pokemon in the dragon egg group, many of which were still dragon types, but many of which also were not. The biological similarities were definitely present among his team, however. He was an example of a type specialist who had a preference for a specific typing, but didn''t completely favor it outright. In fact, only about half of his usual signature Pokemon were dragon types, if Ash recalled correctly, and one of his three greatest and most well-known team members was a Charizard, who wasn''t a dragon type at all.

    That wasn''t to say that trainers who chose not to specialize in any specific types of Pokemon were uncommon, however, as there were still plenty with no real specialization. Often, not even a preference. Currently reigning Champion Cynthia of Sinnoh was a particular standout example. Only the third Champion throughout that particular League''s long history (which matched Indigo''s own) to not have a specialty, or even at least a preference.

    Despite seeing the obvious appeal of type specialization, Ash wasn''t sure if he himself would ever end up practicing it. Right now he was just focused on building a strong team in general, and had no such preferences to speak of at the moment.

    But it was certainly a common practice, so Misty''s stance definitely made sense. Although, he was still somewhat surprised that she was already focusing on it so early. Most trainers didn''t do so until gaining more experience. Granted, all three of Janine''s Pokemon back in Viridian had also been poison types, between Bulbasaur, Zubat, and that Weedle that she said she had caught. Perhaps she was one too?

    Whatever the reason, Misty''s convictions were quite clear: she wanted to be the greatest water type trainer of all time, and had declared as such quite loudly to Ash (causing him to nervously shrink down a bit). Ash admired her enthusiasm, although she was quite scary when she raised her voice.

    A smile made its way to Ash''s face as she spotted Misty with her team out a bit further into the cafeteria. If he remembered correctly, they were seated at the same table that Ash and his team had eaten breakfast at yesterday. As he led his team to her, his Pokemon seemed to recognize her from yesterday, and looked at their Trainer curiously.

    Much like Ash, Misty had four Pokemon with her. The hot-blooded girl had told him about them during their conversation yesterday.

    The first was a golden-brown, starfish-like Pokemon. It was a Staryu, and Misty''s starter. Apparently, Staryu had no gender.

    The second was a surprising one. A penguin-like Pokemon, whose color was mostly a mixture of light-blue, dark-blue, and white, with yellow feet and a yellow beak.

    This was a Piplup, which was a foreign Pokemon. In fact, it was known to be the water type starter Pokemon for the Sinnoh Region.

    Misty had lucked out with this one, apparently catching Piplup at a fishing event held at Cerulean City on Opening Day prior to using the teleport system. The Piplup was male, and was the first Pokemon that she had ever captured. Certainly a very exciting first catch, to say the least.

    The next Pokemon was an Eevee. Much like Ash''s own Eevee, this one was female. Misty had captured her at Viridian Forest.

    The fourth and final Pokemon was pink and had a spherical body. It was a Jigglypuff, a normal/fairy type Pokemon. This one was female and had been captured just outside of Viridian Forest, shortly after Misty had earned her first Gym badge.

    Overall, she had a pretty interesting team. Ash wondered how strong they wereˇ­

    But he shook those thoughts away for now. As much as he''d love to ask for a battle (suddenly realizing that none of his battles had been against people that he was actually friends with), he knew that he and his team would really have to get moving after breakfast.

    Instead, he put those thoughts aside for now, approaching Misty with caution.

    A sudden feeling of nervousness was suddenly felt within his stomach. Why was he nervous? He had talked with her before. She seemed to like him well enough. Why was initiating an interaction with somebody that he already knew so difficult?

    Ash shook his head a bit, trying to clear away the doubts from his mind. He needed to stop waiting for people to come to him. He was a Pokemon trainer now. He needed to be more confident in himself. And that definitely included being more social with other people.

    Right now, she hadn''t noticed him yet, and neither had her team. All of them were simply focused on eating.

    Taking a deep breath, Ash steeled himself and, taking a leap of faith, made his way over to her. Judging by her tray, it seemed like she had only just started.

    "Heyˇ­ Misty?"

    The girl perked up and turned to see him standing behind her, suddenly attracting the attention of her team as well. He tensed up a bit at the sets of eyes staring at him.

    To his relief, however, she smiled. Not an overly ecstatic grin, but also not a small, halfhearted one. Just a regular, friendly smile.

    "Oh! Hey, Ash. Nice to see you."

    Ash felt a small case of Butterfree in his stomach at that, but tried not to make too big a deal of it.

    ''Relax, Ash.'' he thought to himself. ''This girl isn''t Gary. Her being happy to see you shouldn''t be so overwhelming.''

    It was true that "Nice to see you" wouldn''t have ever been something that he''d hear from one of the kids his age back at Pallet Town. Not directed towards him, anyway.

    But he knew better now. There was no need to be surprised when somebody said that to him. It was a very typical thing to say. Misty, Janine, Emily, and Rick weren''t the kids from Pallet Town. Therefore, he needed to keep his memories of Pallet Town divorced from his expectations when socializing.

    As Misty''s team eyed his own team carefully (Ash''s team themselves doing the same), the young boy''s eyes flickered over to the spot next to Misty before he locked eyes with her again.

    "Would it be okay if weˇ­ sat with you guys?"

    Misty blinked for a second before her grin widened a bit.

    "Duh, why are you even asking?"

    The built up stress within him subsided completely.

    ''See?'' he thought to himself. ''That wasn''t so hard.''

    /

    It didn''t take more than a few minutes for the two rookies to introduce their respective teams to one another. Ash''s Eevee and Misty''s Eevee both took an immediate interest in one another due to being of the same species. Valiant found himself sitting next to Staryu, the two both silent but content with each other''s presence, while Pikachu and Nebula quickly engaged in friendly chatter with Piplup and Jigglypuff.

    Ash set his tray down next to Misty''s, the girl scooting over a bit so he could set next to her more comfortably.

    "Nice to see your team''s still chipper after yesterday." Misty commented, taking a break from her muffin (which looked like it was blueberry), fruit punch, applesauce and eggs to look over to the two teams eating together. "You should''ve seen my team after they recovered yesterday. Nothing but grumbles."

    Ash chose not to point out that she herself wasn''t in the best mood herself the previous morning, and simply smiled a bit. "I was worried they might be upset. Especially Pikachu. Heˇ­ doesn''t like Gary."

    She turned her gaze to him, curiosity now occupying her features.

    "You don''t seem to either." her tone of voice wasn''t accusatory, just matter of fact.

    Ash''s face became uneasy, turning back to his food, consisting of pancakes (he was treating himself to chocolate chip this morning), apple juice, sausages, eggs, and a hash brown. Sensing his discomfort, Misty frowned guiltily.

    "Sorry, I-" her voice was a lot moreˇ­ gentle than normal.

    "It''s fine." Ash quickly cut her off. "He''sˇ­ caused me a lot of trouble back at home, but I''m trying not to think about that anymore right now." he took a bite out of one of his pancakes, joyously taking in the taste of the chocolate chips as he chewed. "What matters right now is getting the badges that I need to reach the Indigo Plateau. I''ll get stronger than him eventually. I just can''t limit myself by focusing on it so much."

    Misty blinked a bit at that, before turning back to her tray with a chuckle. "Heh. Noble of you, I guess. If it were me, I wouldn''t stop until that idiot was crushed in my palm."

    Ash winced a bit. "But, ummmˇ­ not literally, rightˇ­?"

    Her lips were twitched upwards. "You heard what I said."

    Ash giggled nervously at the gung ho girl and quickly returned his attention to his food as he changed the subject.

    "Soˇ­ ummmˇ­ how has your team been today so far?"

    Misty shrugged her shoulders at that. "Their mood''s improved a good bit. They were pretty bummed out yesterday but they''ve gotten over it now, I guess." She took a bite of her muffin, chewing with a bit of an irritated look on her face before swallowing. "I''m still pretty peeved about it, though. Wasn''t even a fair fight, the cheapskate." That last sentence was spoken in a growl.

    Ash flinched a bit fearfully from the aggressive nature of the tone, which prompted a questioning look from her.

    "What''re you so worked up about? I''m not mad at you."

    Ash''s hands were quickly held out in front of him defensively. "N-n-n-nothing!" he said somewhat frantically in reply.

    A sigh escaped her throat. "You really are skittish, you know that? What happened to your behavior from yesterday when you were battling that Gary loser?"

    "Ohˇ­" Ash''s eyes wandered to the side as his facial expression suddenly became somewhat awkward.

    It wasn''t untrue, she had a point. A different side of him that he wasn''t fully aware of prior had been brought out yesterday.

    "You know what I mean, don''t you?" she tapped her fork against her tray while keeping her eyes on him. "You were justˇ­ a lot different from right now. And from when we first ate together."

    Ash smiled awkwardly a bit. "Yeahˇ­ I guess so. Just got tired of the way he was, I suppose."

    "Can''t blame you there." she took a sip of her juice as that smirk returned to her face. "Not that verbal stuff is all there was to it, of course. Nurse Joy probably had to check that precious Wartortle of his for a concussion after what your Staravia did."

    A feeling of pride toward Nebula to occupied his thoughts as Misty brought up that one portion of the battle, although he did his best not to take any cathartic glee in it.

    He had a feeling that Misty would have herself, however, had she been in his shoes.

    "Heh, yeah. She really did do a number on him. I''m really happy for her about that." his gaze turned to his team, by the side of the table just beyond Misty, as he grinned. "They''re all really strong. I couldn''t ask for better companions."

    Misty smirked at that. "We''ll see about that. You and I should battle sometime. I know you''re planning on leaving soon, but another time." the look on her face became a little bit smug as she returned to her food. "My team and I don''t lose. Yesterday was just a fluke. That jerk was at a much higher level than we ever could have been realistically ready for. Doesn''t count." those last couple of words were growled out again.

    Ash flinched a bit again, but not as fearfully this time. "Ummmˇ­ yeah, I''m sure." his face returned to normal as he inwardly shook the nervousness away. "I''d like to battle you. It''s just thatˇ­ like you said, I was hoping to go through Mt. Moon soon. I wanted us to get started this morning."

    A brief silence fell between the two as she studied him carefully, before speaking up again a few moments later.

    "Speaking of whichˇ­" she spoke up, earning his attention to her. She frowned a bit, but her face quickly returned to normal. Much quicker than Ash''s had before. "I''m planning on leaving today too. This afternoon. I just wanted to get in a little bit of light training first." she looked over to her food as she tapped her fork against the tray absentmindedly. "If you wantˇ­ we''re all going to the same place anyway, soˇ­" she shrugged a bit, her face neutral but friendly. "If you''re willing to wait a few extra hours, we can all go together. No reason not to, right?"

    Ash''s eyes blinked rapidly, Butterfree suddenly in his stomach again.

    "You''dˇ­ be okay with that?" he wasn''t really sure how else to respond. He had never traveled with another human before. Sure, he had spent extensive time with Elacia, Rick, and Emily, and a night with Janine, but he had never actually been on the road with someone else apart from his own team. He had never even really considered such an offer before until now.

    "Our teams seem to get along fine." she shrugged her shoulders as her gaze made its way to the Pokemon seated on the floor, happily coexisting together as they dug into their food. She looked back to Ash with an even look on her face, her lips curled upwards into a small smile as she shrugged at him absentmindedly. "I mean, wouldn''t hurt, right?"

    Ash blinked, scratching his cheek a bit as he processed the request. Someone was just offering to let him tag along with them out of the blue. It wasˇ­ sudden.

    Not unpleasant, though.

    He liked Misty. He still wasn''t quite sure why. It wasn''t like their personalities meshed together in the slightest. If anything, they were as opposite as he and Gary were. But for reasons that he couldn''t quite pinpoint, it didn''t bother him.

    Besidesˇ­ The thought of having another human to talk to while on the road was something thatˇ­ appealed to him greatly as well.

    It wasn''t that he wouldn''t trade Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, and Eevee for the world, because they were and always will be irreplaceable to him. Really, they were all that he needed.

    But they weren''t human. Not that that was an issue, at all, because it most certainly wasn''t to him, but getting to interact with other people was an experience that interactions with Pokemon just could not provide, and vice versa.

    The fact that the invitation had actually been extended to him, and done so casually, as though Misty didn''t even believe it to be such a big dealˇ­ he couldn''t help his lips curving upwards just a little bit.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Misty tilted her head at the young boy. "Ummmˇ­ Ash? Is that smile a yes? A simple ''Sure, I would like that'' would do just fine, you know."

    Ash jolted out of his thoughts and shook his head frantically for a second or two, his face crimson as he looked apologetically at the orange haired girl.

    "Sorry about that! Sure! I would love to join you!" After stammering out his lines, he chuckled a bit, in a nervous tone as he tried to regain his bearings.

    Misty looked at him weirdly for a second before returning to her food, giving a quick thumbs up in response.

    Still eating her eggs, she stole a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye, as Ash tried to focus on his pancakes, still trying to hide the embarrassment from his face.

    ''He''s kind of a wimp.'' she thought to herself matter of factly as she bit into her food. She shrugged uncaringly. ''But he''s not so bad.''

    /

    Soon after, breakfast ended. Ash and Misty had continued to talk for a bit while eating, although none of the topics were particularly noteworthy. The smalltalk between the two of them was enjoyable, though. At least it was for Ash, although Misty seemed to like it herself. They spoke to each other without a preference, just saying whatever came to mind for them. And Ash couldn''t help but like it that way.

    It was nice. Nothing much else to say. He could get used to it. The more he engaged with other kids like this, the more he realised that he had been missing out on a lot. Misty was a bit unpredictable, but despite being nervous around her on occasion, Ash was glad to have ran into her.

    And it seemed like the feeling was mutual, at the very least. Misty had been fairly friendly with him so far, anyway. Not quite mellow, and definitely more brash, but it didn''t bother him in the long run. It was intimidating at times for him, but not something that would turn him away.

    Yet another kid he wished he had gone to school with. Was this going to be a trend for him? Because it was beginning to feel like a pattern.

    Regardless, once the duo was done eating, they had quickly rounded up their respective teams, who had also finished their food. Despite being surprised by the news, none of the Pokemon reacted negatively to traveling together, which pleased both trainers.

    In fact, Pikachu and Jigglypuff seemed to be quite open to the idea, which seemed to help further encourage the rest of the Pokemon along with them.

    Misty and her team spent a few hours on the battlefield training together, with Ash and his team watching and occasionally doing some minor drills of their own.

    After a quick snack break, everybody was ready to go, saying a quick goodbye to Nurse Joy as they made their way out of the Pokemon Center.

    Said Pokemon Center was located right at the foot of Mt. Moon, so it wouldn''t take too long for them to get there.

    Ash had Pikachu and Eevee at his side. Nebula wouldn''t be able to fly around as freely in the caverns of Mt. Moon, and Valiant had preferred to not take the trip on foot. Pikachu, as Ash had noticed, had never taken issue to traveling outside, usually choosing to stay out and about whenever Ash had provided him with the option. The boy was surprised that Eevee had chose to come along too, however. Not that he was upset about it, of course.

    Part of him wondered if it was a good thing that Nebula wasn''t out at the moment, then, since Eevee was still feeling bitter towards her for their encounter from a couple of days ago. It was still too soon.

    On Misty''s end, only Piplup had opted to stay out.

    The penguin-like Pokemon was casually conversing with Pikachu (Eevee curiously listening in), as Misty approached Ash.

    "Alright, are you ready to get going?" her backpack was strapped neatly over her soldiers as she eyed the boy, who slowly nodded in response.

    He was suddenly feeling a bit nervous. Not just because of Misty''s presence (he wasn''t used to traveling with other people), but because of the thought of traveling through the caverns.

    Mt. Moon''s caverns were known to be a frightening concept for many rookie trainers, even when not taking the pathways that lead deeper into the mountain. Since their mutual target was Cerulean City, Ash and Misty would thankfully be avoiding those deeper paths themselves, but that didn''t stop the trip from being intimidating nevertheless. The young boy frequently found himself paranoid about getting lost inside of the tunnels.

    The thought had him inwardly shivering, but he suppressed those fears for now, doing his best to put on a brave face in front of his new friend. He''d already embarrassed himself in front of Misty a good few times, after all.

    "Y-Yeah, ready when you are." he hoped his smile didn''t seem too fake. Thankfully, Misty wasn''t studying him very closely as he responded, so he seemed to be good to go.

    "Great." The brash orange haired girl had a much more genuine smile on her face as she casually nodded back at him. Was she not nervous at all? Or was she just better at hiding it? Or maybe she wasn''t hiding it as well as Ash thought she was and he just wasn''t observant enough to pick up on the signals?

    The boy tried to study her for a moment as she made her casual, carefree response. There didn''t seem to be anything deceptive occupying her features, but then again, what signals was he supposed to be looking for?

    Was she really that much braver than him? Or just better at acting like it? Or was he just horrible at picking up on other people''s cues? Just what was it that he was doing wrong?

    "Ummmˇ­ Ash?" he blinked out of his stupor to find Misty scrutinizingly looking him over, her hands pressed against her hips. "Why are you staring at me? Or looking off into space?"

    Ash''s face was getting hot again.

    "Sorry! I''m ready, let''s go!" he stammered out nervously as the exchange caught the attention of their Pokemon.

    Misty''s eyes slowly began to narrow, prompting the young boy to flinch under her gaze. Mercifully, however, it did not last long, and she soon turned to their teammates in order to get their attention.

    "Alright, you three! Chitchats are over, save the rest of your talk for the trip." she pointed her thumb backwards in the direction of the towering mountain ahead of them.

    The three Pokemon nodded and began moving. As they followed their trainers towards the mountain, Ash pressed his hands against his cheeks a couple of times, as if trying to will the blush on his face away.

    ''Damnit.'' he thought to himself. ''I embarrassed myself again.''

    /

    The trek to Mt. Moon was short but rough.

    Reaching the caverns required the group to traverse the increasingly rocky road ahead of them, which eventually began to rise into a hill of somewhat uneven ground as they followed the path that led them to the entrance of the caverns. More than once, Ash and his orange haired friend found themselves stumbling as they focused themselves and their efforts to maintain their balance, Misty having to grab hold of him to stop him from falling on a couple of occasions.

    Pikachu was having no trouble with the climb, having spent a whole week practicing such things back in Pewter, but Eevee and Piplup were notably more troubled by the ordeal, while Ash and Misty were left moving forward in an awkward manner as they constantly had to switch gazes between their feet and the road ahead of them, making sure to look exactly where they were stepping while simultaneously having to keep their eyes out in front of them. It was a tedious ordeal, and one that neither of them enjoyed.

    Ash could not fault Misty for the groan that escaped her throat as the group of five finally made their way to the entrance of the tunnels.

    "UGGGHˇ­remind me never to do that again. Now I definitely wish I had started somewhere else! I should''ve waited until I was far into my journey and had a nice, big flying type to just soar me over this bullcrap!" The girl grunted in disgust as she glared spitefully back at the path they had just crossed. "Piplup went through some training to navigate rocky landscapes, but I never bothered teaching him to climb."

    Ash wiped a bead of sweat from his face as the anxiety temporarily left himˇ­

    ...Only to quickly be replaced by even more anxiety as his gaze found its way to their true goal, the entrance to Mt. Moon''s infamous tunnels.

    "Let''s hope we fare better inside." he muttered apprehensively as he stared into the abyss contained within the mouth of stone that lay ahead of them.

    Misty''s face scrunched up as she joined him at his side. "Yeah, I guess the real complaining comes later." she said uneasily.

    /

    Mt. Moon''s inside tunnels were outlined by dimly lit lanterns, mercifully installed by the League in order to ensure the safety of the many travelers that would pass through the caverns year by year. Although it spared the equally grateful Ash and Misty of being left at the nonexistent mercy of the pitch black darkness that the tunnels would have contained otherwise for them to be left with no sense of direction or security to speak of, it only provided minor comfort for the duo of trainers and their Pokemon as they made their way through the still overall dark tunnels.

    The lanterns each had a bit of a short range, the brightness not enough to light up the inside of the caverns entirely. The golden light that shined from them colored the walls of the tunnels, but only within a short range or so. The inside of the caverns was a mixture of shining, golden stone and pitch black rocks as Ash and Misty trod through.

    The boy was frowning with anxiety as he carefully looked through his surroundings, turning his head slowly as the group made their way through.

    Misty''s face was lit up by the light of the lanterns as she suddenly broke the tense silence between the group of travelers.

    "How long have we been walking, Ash? Any rough estimates?"

    Ash flinched.

    "Iˇ­ uhˇ­ wasn''t keeping track." he anxiously met her gaze. "Half hour, I guess?"

    The boy couldn''t tell if his friend was sighing or scoffing. "Would''ve expected you to be a bit more proactive about it." she looked on ahead. "Still, though, that was about my guess anyway. Maybe a bit longerˇ­"

    The tunnel was gradually beginning to increase in width as they continued their way through, with larger lanterns to compensate. Eventually, they reached a point where the paths began to branch off into multiple tunnels. A sign was mercifully there to signify that their current path was the one leading to Cerulean.

    Misty looked over to Ash. ""We''re probably more likely to run into more Pokemon if we take one of the other tunnels." she pointed out. "It''s where a lot of them nest." she frowned towards one of the branching tunnels. "I''m not really looking to catch anything right now, though. I just want to be in and out of here."

    Ash nodded. "Yeah, same."

    /

    "Thunder Shock!"

    Pikachu''s bolt of lightning was narrowly avoided by the Zubat, which took aim at the young mouse to charge forward.

    For the most part, the main path was lacking in wild Pokemon, but Ash and Misty had run into a few as they made their way through the mountain. Although they hadn''t intended to capture any of the Pokemon that came out and attacked them so far, the battles were at least good practice for their team.

    Zubat''s bared fangs began to glow purple as the use of Poison Fang engulfed them in toxic substances. At Ash''s warning, Pikachu quickly leapt out of the way of the attack, tail now coated in metal as he ran forward for his counter.

    Behind Ash, Misty, Eevee, and Piplup all looked on as the battle unfolded. Since they were using these encounters with wild Pokemon as additional training, the two friends had mutually agreed to take turns not jump into battles unless it proved to be necessary. So far, the two rookie trainers had been faring quite well, all things considered.

    Zubat flew upwards to avoid Pikachu''s strike, and responded by flapping its wings, shooting slices of wind that Ash recognized as Air Cutter in the mouse''s direction.

    The attack kicked up dust as it exploded against the rocky ground, Pikachu taking a leap backwards to dodge the attack as an Electro Ball formed at the tip of his tail.

    The Zubat was sent catapulting through the air as the orb of lightning struck it, but as it righted itself, it let out a horrific screech that had everybody present reeling.

    Ash wailed in agony as he practically slammed his hands against his ears, desperately wishing to conceal the eardrums from the sound as the Supersonic mercilessly made itself known to his sense of hearing.

    Behind him, Misty was on her knees as she mimicked Ash''s own actions.

    "GET THAT DAMN THING TO SHUT UP NOW!" she practically roared as the Zubat continued to cry out.

    Piplup and Eevee were both reeling from the attack as well, as was Pikachu. As the mouse covered his ears in pain, the noise suddenly stopped as Zubat attempted to take advantage of Pikachu''s recoil to charge forward with another Poison Fang. Scrambling in shock, Pikachu rolled out of the way just in time.

    Gasping, Ash felt a mix of relief for the sound being gone, yet was also being tortured by the lingering pain that it had left behind in his ears. As Misty began to stand up, her face now murderous as she observed the Zubat circling around in another attempt to bite Pikachu, Ash gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He had to end this battle before Zubat used that move again.

    As Zubat once again charged forward with poison Fang, Ash gave the order. "Pikachu, Zap Tail!"

    Both pained and angry, Pikachu smirked bitterly as he responded to Ash''s command, holding out his metallic tail to intercept Zubat''s Poison Fang.

    As Zubat''s teeth painfully chomped down onto the steel coating of Pikachu''s tail, the young mouse immediately sent a surge of electricity through the tail, agonizingly zapping Zubat at point blank range, the bat like Pokemon crying out in misery as Pikachu swung his tail backwards to fling the opposing Pokemon away. As Zubat sailed through the air, Pikachu charged forward, lightly enhancing his speed with a brief Quick Attack, and slammed his Iron Tail into the bat like Pokemon''s stomach with as much blunt force as possible.

    Zubat, after bluntly colliding with the stone hard walls of the caverns, fell to the rocky ground in an unceremonious heap, and Misty huffed uncaringly as she observed the Poison-Flying Type''s limp body.

    "Hmph. Good riddance." Ash felt her shoulder roughly bump his own to get his attention. "Ugh, thanks for dealing with that one quickly. I''m pretty sure I would have had to glue my ears back on if it tried to pull that crap again."

    Ash rubbed the back of his neck a bit as he tried to take in Misty''s words, still reeling from the effects of the Supersonic just as much as she was. In an attempt to take his mind off of it, he looked over to Pikachu, who was being approached by Eevee and Piplup. All of them were also trying to get over the attack.

    They seemed to be doing a slightly better job at it, though, which Ash thought was nice, even if it made him feel just a little bit envious of them at the same time.

    It was only natural that Pokemon could recover from the effects of a Pokemon''s moves quicker than humans could, but it didn''t mean that Ash wasn''t frustrated by how much more difficult that humans had it.

    Humans were so fragile compared to how Pokemon were. But then again, Pokemon were the ones who typically did the fighting anyway.

    Which made him wonder if he even had a right to complain.

    Misty sure seemed to think so, but he felt conflicted.

    Eevee approached Pikachu a bit slowly, but there was clearly trust in her eyes for the moment. She had grown used to the mouse, thankfully,

    After the Evolution Pokemon sniffed at him for a bit, Pikachu rubbed the back of his head bashfully as Eevee barked out what seemed to be a compliment, and Ash couldn''t help but smile. Joining in, Piplup chirped out what seemed to be praise as well.

    Pikachu wasn''t egotistical, but he certainly enjoyed positive attention nonetheless.

    The mouse perked up as Ash approached the trio of Pokemon with Misty in toe.

    Patting his Starter on the head, Ash looked forward, suddenly perking up as he heard a noise in the background.

    It sounded like a pair of voices, although he couldn''t make out what they were saying.

    "Misty, I think some people are up ahead." he commented.

    Misty shrugged. "Probably some other trainers. Maybe if we hurry and catch up with them they can tell us how much further we have to go."

    Ash nodded enthusiastically. "Good! Let''s go!"

    With their Pokemon dashing alongside them, the duo of trainers made their way forward through the tunnels, reaching a large room with multiple branching paths.

    Almost immediately, they spotted the sources of the two voices, a man and a woman standing a bit further into the room.

    Ash waved a bit as he began to approach the duo. "Hey, we were wondering if-"

    He froze as the two turned around.

    Ash and Misty''s faces paled as they spotted the large R on their uniforms.

    Team Rocket.

    /

    Deeper into the caverns, a platoon of Team Rocket soldiers had set up camp. The room that acted as the main area of their makeshift hideout was fairly large, enough for them to comfortably set up equipment stations while still being able to move about freely. Although a good few of them were currently out and about, just as many were still in the room.

    Activities amongst the group ranged between discussion amongst each other regarding their current mission, maintenance on the equipment that they had set up, and silently standing around waiting for orders.

    A small group of soldiers were gathered near one of the far ends of the room.

    A large table was set up for beakers of water and soda, the group gathered around the table to get some drinks.

    Among the group was a towering, muscular figure whose face was concealed by a mostly green mask that covered much of his head, with spiky hair sticking out of the top. His hair was somewhat dark, although apart from his goatee and the hair sticking out of his mask, not much of it could be seen.

    His subordinates eyed him with unease, their stomachs twisting into knots and making it difficult to drink their beverages as their eyes landed on him. His lips twitched upwards a bit at their behavior, although he didn''t say anything.

    His commanding presence translated into his tone of voice as he addressed the soldiers, raising his voice as he left the table with a glass of water in hand and made his way to the center of the room.

    Silence immediately fell to every other soldier in the room, leaving only room for his voice as his words boomed across the makeshift hideout.

    "Listen up! We still have a bit of a ways downwards to go before we reach the Moon Stone." The mask on his face made him seem perpetually crazed, near impossible to tell if the look on his face was truly bloodlusted, or just an illusion. As his mouth twisted upwards into a grin, he continued his announcement. "The area of the Moon Stone is the den of high level Pokemon that have made the nearby sections of the mountain their nest." he said evenly, yet in a somewhat excited aura. "Therefore, only our top members within the group will be going any further from here." pulling out a clipboard, he looked around the room. "I have a list of our strongest members here who were handpicked by Commander Archer to be the frontrunners of our mission to secure the Moon Stone. These will act as our elite squadron to raid the deepest depths of this mountain in search of the prize. Agent Cyan! A word!"

    The somewhat lanky, mustachioed man with dirty blond hair tried to remain upright as he approached the mysterious masked man, but found himself shrinking more and more the closer he got.

    The masked man''s fists pressed against his hips as Cyan stopped a few feet in front of him, a couple heads shorter than him, and therefore, forced to look upwards as his masked superior addressed him.

    "I''ll be leading the offensive squadron to take the Moon Stone, of course, which means that you will be in charge of maintaining our base. Keep everyone patrolling for trainers so that our efforts aren''t compromised by unpredicted nuisances."

    Doing his best to look tough, Cyan nodded, before replying in a somewhat nasally voice.

    "Of course, sir. Let''s just hope no one else tries to put up any resistance like the last group that was encountered. A couple of broken legs came out of that incident."

    The masked man shrugged, the metal mask concealing his face hiding whether or not his facial expression was callous or simply matter of fact. "You can never predict the actions of these travelers. Some are either cowardly enough, or smart enough, to cooperate, while others will make things harder for everybody involved. Speaking of which, I''m going to pay a quick visit to our prisoners before departing. Round up everyone on the list." handing the clipboard to Cyan, he turned away without another word, walking off towards one of the tunnels.

    As Cyan began reading the names on the list aloud, watching as the assigned members lined up, his mind was in an almost completely different place.

    ''Despicable that I am not on the list. Is the commander really that incapable of recognizing talent? We have all these people getting ready to pillage this mountain''s greatest treasure, and I''mˇ­ stuck on guard duty!''

    /

    The Iron-Masked man made his way through the tunnel to reach a smaller room, eying the children and teenagers that were lined up against the wall in the back. He grinned as most of the prisoners froze up upon his arrival, with the soldiers watching over them in the room immediately perking up upon noticing his presence.

    Just as he was about to speak, he noticed a pink haired girl sitting on the hard, rocky floor, shivering as she was accosted by one of the soldiers.

    She could be no older than twelve or thirteen, perhaps eleven, and the look of horror on her face as she realized that she had nowhere to back away was palpable.

    The soldier pressed his hand firmly against the wall as he glowered into her eyes. "Thought you could get away with passing secret notes to your buddies, huh? Do you take us for some kind of joke? If you want to get out of this without any bones fractured, you''ll cooperate with us until our mission is done!"

    The girl squealed fearfully as her hands covered her head, eyes closed as she looked away from her assailant and down to the stone cold floor.

    "I''m sorry!" she stuttered in a frightened tone of voice. "It was wrong of me, I know! Just please don''t hurt me!"

    "If you didn''t want to get hurt, then why do something so stupid in the first place! Your not-"

    "What''s going on here?" the man with the iron mask questioned as he casually strode over to the two. "And here I thought order was being maintained while I was addressing the rest of the crew."

    The pink haired girl''s eyes shot open as her gaze landed on the towering man before her, her lips quivering as she began to feel as though she would vomit from the stress.

    Even with the metal mask covering his face, it still felt as though his gaze was piercing right through her. As the leader crossed his arms, she once again panicked at the realization that she had nowhere to scoot back to.

    "Iron-Masked Marauder." the other man did his best to keep his voice composed as he looked over to his masked superior, and although he managed for the most part, the anxiety was still partially slipping through. "I apologize that you had to walk into this. I was just trying to remind this little girl to behave herself while she is in our custody."

    "Yes, I heard. Secret notes, huh?" His sharp gaze returned to the pink haired girl, who felt as though her chest was about to give out.

    "Pleaseˇ­ I''m sorry, I know I shouldn''t have-" her fearful stammering was interrupted by the man.

    "Enough, kid." his raised hand cut her off, along with the blunt tone of his voice. Crossing his arms again, he glared down at the young prisoner with a stoic expression that was twisted and warped by the presence of his metal mask. "The dissonance of your words and your deeds makes you hard to speak to. You clearly act like you don''t want us to do anything to you, and yet you knowingly do something that is guaranteed to provoke us if you get caught in the act. I''m all for a little bit of inconsistency in this world, but your behavior is just bizarre. And Team Rocket has had at least a few dozen other prisoners just like yourself." her gaze was practically frozen in her terrified expression as he leaned down minimally in order to get a better look at her. "Your so-called survival instincts are just hypocrisy. Try to learn your place before you''ve given us a reason to hurt you, not after."

    As the other soldier kneeled down, he grabbed onto the girl and roughly pulled her to her feet. He tightened his grip on her in order to prevent her from staggering and losing her balance from the sudden action, before smacking his hand across her face and roughly shoving her in the direction of the other prisoners. When the two kids in front of her caught her to prevent her from losing her balance again, he turned to the masked man, who held his head high as he addressed the prisoners with an even tone of voice.

    "A word of reminder to you all. You''re not trainers right now. You''re hostages. People whose well-being are on the line until we''ve gotten what we came for." as the fearful crowd took in his words, his glare tightened. "I don''t want to hear about anymore incidents when I get back. Simply do your part and stand against that wall. Cooperate with our men until you are told you can leave. And never provoke the people who could punish you at a moment''s notice. Understood?"

    It was probably the sharp tone of his voice that got the crowd of trainers nodding frantically in immediate response to his declaration. Satisfied, he turned to the other soldiers in the room, who had all gathered behind him, before offering them all a curt nod.

    "We''ll be moving out now. Into the deepest depths of the Mt. Moon caverns. Just keep everyone here in check until we get back. The Moon Stone will soon be property of Team Rocket."

    The men nodded at that, still trying to ease themselves in his presence, but only managing somewhat.

    With nothing left to say, the masked leader made his way out of the room.

    The prisoners were already somewhat relieved to see him gone, and even the soldiers were somewhat mixed about it.

 Peril in the Caverns pt 2

    "I didn''t realize there were still trainers left to clear out."

    Ash was afraid he''d vomit out of stress as the man spoke.

    The woman grumbled. "Tch, he''ll have our heads if we leave any stragglers." her voice suddenly became booming. "Hey kids! You need to come with us! Now!"

    Ash and Misty backed away with quivering eyes and lips as the two figures approached them, walking forcefully across the room.

    Pikachu, Eevee, and Piplup weren''t faring much better, but the young mouse''s cheeks sparked madly as he dared to let out a fierce growl towards the approaching soldiers.

    The duo stopped just a couple of meters from the groups as the electricity crackled across the mouse''s cheeks.

    The man''s face twisted into something akin to a glare as he leered down at the yellow rodent. "Control your rat, kids. We''re in the middle of an important mission." he gestured his hand out, his movements friendly, but his face not. "Hand over your Poke Balls and follow us to where we are keeping the other trainers. You won''t get so much of a scrape as long as you cooperate. Otherwiseˇ­" two orbs suddenly appeared in his hands, the Poke Balls quickly enlarging. "You won''t be the first ones to get hurt for your recklessness."

    ''There''s more of them?!'' Ash thought frantically as his breathing suddenly sped up. How many trainers have they imprisoned here? Where were they? What were he and Misty supposed to do?

    The encounter with Cassidy and Butch hadn''t been very long ago in the slightest. This was the third time that he''d run into Team Rocket on his journey, and it hadn''t even been a month yet! What was going on right now?! Why did he keep having to run into this group?! What had he done to deserve it?!

    Misty had backed away from him just a bit. It seemed as though she couldn''t make up her mind as to whether she wanted to protect Ash or the other way around, her arms wrapped protectively around the boy while she simultaneously hid behind him. The color was completely gone from her face, giving her a sickly appearance as the stress of the situation overwhelmed her.

    The man snarled. "Not going to comply, huh? Very well, just remember that you brought this upon yourself. Stupid brats."

    Ash recognized the Pokemon that emerged from the Poke Balls. A Sandshrew and a Tangela. As he took them in, the woman took out a Poke Ball of her own and released a somewhat large, bulky Growlithe.

    Pikachu backed away a little bit, but the electricity emitting from his cheeks increased in intensity. Eevee attempted to imitate him with a growl of her own, but wasn''t quite as good at hiding her fear.

    Misty released Ash and tried to stand upright. Ash felt her breath brush against his ear as she whispered to him, simultaneously trying to sound encouraging to him while also convincing herself to be brave.

    "We have to fight, Ash." her voice was soft, but final. "Who knows what they''ll do to us?"

    She was right. And Ash hated knowing that.

    Ash nodded reluctantly and released Valiant, while Misty released Staryu.

    The woman sneered. "Five to three, eh? Nice try, but strength in numbers won''t be enough for a couple of kids."

    Ash and Misty ran backwards to clear some distance as Valiant and Staryu surveyed the situation, the young Ralts immediately tensing up upon noticing Team Rocket''s presence. Eevee scooted over towards him, her growls now becoming a bit more genuine as a Shadow Ball appeared in her jaws.

    "Attack!" yelled the man.

    Sandshrew bolted forward and allowed its body to intercept the blast of electricity that Pikachu had aimed at Growlithe. However, fully blocking the blast caused it to stay in one place for too long, and although the electricity was harmless in the face of the Ground Type Pokemon, the same did not hold true for the blast of bubbles that collided with the Sandshrew as Piplup quickly launched a follow-up attack of his own.

    Now Pikachu took aim at Sandshrew as he charged forward with a metallic tail, only for a Vine Whip from Tangela to suddenly wrap around said tail as Pikachu attempted to thrust it forward. However, as Tangela attempted to flip Pikachu over, the electric mouse letting out a shocked yelp as the attempt was made, the Grass Type was assaulted by a simultaneous Shadow Ball and Dazzling Gleam from Eevee and Valiant, sending the opposing Pokemon rolling backwards as Pikachu freed himself.

    But just as the young mouse attempted to get back into the fray, he was blessed at point blank range from an Ember attack as the Growlithe rushed forward.

    "Staryu, Rapid Spin!" at Misty''s order, Staryu flung itself through the air, rotating with great velocity as it slammed painfully into the canine Pokemon''s side.

    As Growlithe wailed in pain from the sudden blow, Eevee was upon it, firing a point blank Shadow Ball right into its head at Ash''s command. The concussive blast was too much for the Fire Type Pokemon, which was already reeling in pain from Staryu''s attack.

    As Growlithe collapsed, Pikachu took aim at Sandshrew, who had been blasted by yet another barrage of bubbles by Piplup as it had attempted to join the fray. Raising a metallic tail, the young mouse slammed it down on top of the Ground Type''s head, leaving Sandshrew to unceremoniously faceplant into the cold, hard stone.

    Now the only one left, Tangela raised its vines again, preparing to attack.

    Suddenly, Valiant rose from the ground behind it, exiting Shadow Sneak as he froze the unprepared Grass Type Pokemon in place with Confusion. With a loud battle cry, Piplup flung himself forward with a glowing beak, driving it head first into Tangela, who was sent flying away and landed in a heap.

    The man''s face was twisted in rage as the five Pokemon advanced on him and his comrade.

    "Dammit all!" he stuttered lividly as he backed a few steps away from the advancing Pokemon who were glaring daggers at him. "We exhausted our stronger Pokemon against the other trainers! We gotta move!"

    "Yeah, let''s split!" shouted the woman frantically.

    Not even bothering to recall their Pokemon, the two turned tail and fled, only for Pikachu to dash ahead of them and blast them with a quick jolt of electricity, forcing their bodies to collapse painfully onto the stone hard floors.

    "This was supposed to be the easy part of the mission..." The man stammered his words out pathetically as he and the woman were left delirious from the shock, their bodies spasming on the rocky floors.

    As Ash and Misty regrouped with their team, Ash allowed a deep sigh of relief to escape from his lungs, and he could hear Misty sighing as well.

    "Great work, you guys." he said as he allowed a nervous smile to make its way onto his face. "Now let''s hurry up and get out of here so that we can contact the authorities at the next Pokemon Center and-"

    "HEY! What''s going on here?!"

    The entire group paled as they turned around and saw four more soldiers running into the room from another tunnel.

    It was too soon to be feeling relieved or safe.

    /

    "Agent Cyan! A report!"

    Cyan perked up as a somewhat short woman approached him, her uniform a bit dirtied from a previous battle.

    "What is it, this time?" he grumbled irritably, his eyes constantly wandering to the tunnel where the Marauder and his squadron had headed off to.

    "We''ve received word that two more trainers have been spotted roaming the caverns! Rookies, from the looks of it. They took out two soldiers and are now fleeing from more!"

    Cyan groaned in dissatisfaction. "Is this the most interesting this mission is going to get for us?" he looked around the room. Most of the soldiers that hadn''t been assigned to accompany the Marauder on his mission to secure the Moon Stone were now out on patrol. "We can''t spare any more troops. Simply send word to those who are already out on patrol. I doubt they''re a threat, butˇ­ our leader wouldn''t appreciate it if we were to take any risksˇ­"

    He and the woman both shivered at that, and she nodded.

    "Understood, sir. All patrolling units will be mobilized immediately."

    /

    Ash Ketchum had the worst luck.

    At least, that''s what it was starting to seem like, at any rate.

    Quickly recalling everybody except for Pikachu and Eevee, he and Misty had bolted the moment the other four soldiers had arrived on the scene, Pikachu and Eevee quickly launching attacks to keep the soldiers at bay and give the group a head start. They hadn''t even paid attention to which tunnel of the caverns that they had bolted into, nor did they even remotely care.

    Ash was afraid that they would send some sort of speedy Pokemon to intercept them, but no such Pokemon came. Had he been in a better state of mind, he would have recalled what the previous Team Rocket soldier had said earlier, about exhausting all of their stronger Pokemon.

    Right now, all he was focused on was remaining alive and well. The adrenaline pumping through his body carried him across the tunnels as he and Misty ran side by side, the normally temperamental girl in a similar mood of panic as her feet pounded against the rocky floors.

    As they approached a branching path, Ash and Misty gaped in horror as they saw two more soldiers running out of one of the tunnels. The group made a quick beeline for the second tunnel, now sure where it would take them.

    One soldier successfully managed to seize Ash''s collar from behind, prompting a shriek of terror from Misty. A painful Iron Tail from Pikachu had sent the man flying backwards (probably with shattered ribs), as Misty latched onto Ash as quickly as she could, the boy falling backwards for a brief moment before his new friend grabbed him and pulled him back up, sparing him a hard collision with the rocky floors of the caverns.

    More running. More panicking. More shouting from the soldiers in hot pursuit.

    There was no end goal in sight. Just a desperate attempt to stay out of the reach of their assailants as long as they possibly could. How long would that last?

    "COCKSUCKERS!" Misty''s voice assaulted Ash''s ears with its sheer volume, and, had it not been for his completely panicked state of mind, the young boy probably would have been totally floored to hear such language from somebody of his age group.

    He kept his gaze up ahead in the seemingly endless labyrinth of tunnels. No reprieve in sight. Just more running and panicking. The group was doomed. What else?

    The two trainers could hear the shouts of the soldiers as their longer, adult legs carried them across the tunnel, rapidly closing the distance between themselves and the children that they were pursuing. A Machop had been sent out by one of the new soldiers, and had taken the bullet when Pikachu fired a quick Thunder Shock towards the approaching soldiers in an effort to stall them.

    The electricity from the attack had provoked a wail of pain from the Fighting Type Pokemon. Now with the knowledge of Thunderbolt, Pikachu was able to put extra strength into his Thunder Shock attack much more easily, without needing to charge it up for as long as he used to.

    Machop was resilient, however, and although it sank to its knees initially after being struck with the electrical blast, it was soon back on its feet, attempting to catch up with the Team Rocket soldiers, who quickly found themselves scattering frantically in response to a second Thunder Shock from Pikachu, and a Bubble Beam from Piplup, who Misty had sent back out in an effort to drive off the tenacious attackers.

    A bird Pokemon that Misty had apparently recognized as a Murkrow emerged from a Poke Ball that another soldier had removed from their belt, and the new Pokemon shrieked horrifically as it made a mad rush for the duo of trainers, a Shadow Ball appearing in its open beak as it closed in.

    As Piplup fired a trail of Bubble Beam at the approaching soldiers in an effort to keep them at bay, Pikachu intercepted the Murkrow and slammed it in the face with Zap Tail just before the bird Pokemon could fire. While the Murkrow was still reeling from the blow, Eevee pelted it with Swift.

    This suddenly gave Ash an idea. Swift was a move that could lock onto opponents and make it easier for the user to hit their target. Although Eevee wasn''t perfect with the move, it could certainly prove useful in this situation.

    "Eevee, use Swift on them!" he pointed forward. In response, Eevee turned her attention to the approaching Team Rocket soldiers as Pikachu rushed the falling Murkrow, body coated in spark.

    Two of the six soldiers were in the process of removing a Poke Ball from their respective belts as the golden stars erupted from Eevee''s mouth and sailed through the air towards them. The grunts yelped in shock as the stars were suddenly upon them. Although most attempts to avoid the onslaught were successful, the stars exploded on the ground near their feet, the shockwaves doing the rest of the work and knocking four of the soldiers off balance, two of which were the ones who had attempted to take out Poke Balls, which slipped out of their hands and rolled across the rocky floor of the tunnels. One soldier hit their head on a nearby rock as they fell, leaving him dazed and with a serious throbbing pain in his head as his vision instantaneously blurred. The other three were left with painfully twisted ankles. A fifth soldier actually was struck by one of the stars, but was righted by the sixth soldier, who grabbed onto his comrade to prevent him from falling as the attack left him wheezing in pain.

    This action left both of the two remaining soldiers wide open, however, and a sudden Bubble Beam from Piplup was frantically avoided by both of them, trying to dodge in separate directions. The soldier who had gotten hit by the Swift, however, was still reeling from the blow, not used to taking hits from Pokemon moves (but still not seriously injured due to it only being just one star), and lost his balance immediately. Although he caught himself with his hands, feeling a sharp pain as the force of his fall pressed his palms against the hard surface of the floor, a Shadow Ball from Eevee exploded nearby, the impact flinging him away from the shockwaves and leaving his back to collide with the ground with a painful THUD.

    The other soldier also caught himself with his hands, but a Thunder Wave from Pikachu left him spasming on the ground.

    With all six soldiers now on the ground, Ash felt Misty''s hand roughly clasp onto his shoulder as she bluntly pulled him forward.

    "They''re down! Come on everyone!"

    Not one to argue with that, Ash took off into a sprint as the orange haired girl led the way, Pikachu and Eevee both hot on their tails, and Piplup only sparing a single moment to glance back and ensure that the Team Rocket soldiers were all still down.

    As the group bailed as quickly as their bodies allowed them too, Machop finally caught up and stopped amidst the fallen Team Rocket soldiers, looking around in concern.

    One Team Rocket soldier, struggling to his feet as he reeled from the pain of his twisted ankle, pointed off in the direction that the group had ran off too.

    "Machop, Murkrowˇ­ go after them, hurry!"

    A quick nod was offered by the fighting type Pokemon in response, before it ran forward. Coming across Murkrow, it stopped briefly to survey the condition of the fallen bird Pokemon.

    Murkrow''s body was badly beaten, the injured bird Pokemon struggling to rise up as it pointed its wing forward, signaling for Machop to go on ahead.

    Reluctantly, the fighting type complied, rushing off to catch up with the retreating group. Behind it, Murkrow finally managed to rise into the air, flapping its wings weakly as it attempted to fly off in pursuit of the travelers.

    The bird would never quite catch up, however, collapsing from exhaustion and pain just a minute or two later.

    /

    "WHAT?!" Cyan''s voice was livid and horrified.

    "I''m sorry, sir!" came the soldier''s voice from the other end of the receiver. "They just caught us off guard and got away! We sent a couple of our Pokemon after them, but-"

    "How the hell is this so difficult for you?!" Cyan demanded as he tried to ignore his increasingly rapid heartbeat. "We''re trying to tear down the Indigo League for crying out loud! Aren''t you well equipped enough to handle a couple of damn rookie children?!"

    "We''ve been here for a while, sir!" came the reply. "And most of our stronger Pokemon have already exhausted themselves fighting some of the more powerful trainers that we took hostage after coming here! And the strongest within our group have all been taken by the Marauder''s squadron to secure the Moon Stone. We''re all running on low juice right now."

    Cyan snarled, yet sighed in acceptance. "You''re right. Keep me posted." hanging up, he placed the device next to him as he sank into his chair before sighing deeply, pressing his palm firmly against his face as he did so.

    It was supposed to be a simple procedure. Raid Mt. Moon. Gather up all of the trainers traveling through the area before any of them could alert the authorities, confiscating all of their Pokemon in the process. Send an elite squadron of soldiers led by the Iron-Masked Marauder in order to secure the Moon Stone. Maybe "simple" was the wrong word for it, but "efficient" would probably be a good way to describe it. It certainly wasn''t supposed to be difficult.

    And in the beginning, things had gone quite easily for them. Obviously they were met with resistance, but any and all trainers that they had encountered were captured before the League could be contacted. They had several soldiers on patrol throughout the mountain in order to round up any stragglers.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Mt. Moon was under their control. At least, it was supposed to be. Cyan highly doubted that these two children could do much of anything to jeopardize the mission currently at hand, but that was not the Iron-Masked Marauder''s way of thinking.

    Their squad leader''s orders were absolute, and Cyan wasn''t going to risk provocation of whateverˇ­ punishment awaited them on the off chance that these two children actually did manage to interfere.

    "Sirˇ­" a soldier approached him cautiously, earning a neutral gaze from Cyan. "Are we really sure that a couple of children pose that much of a threat to us? It''s not like they''re going to be going down into the depths of the mountain, and even if they do, there''s no way they''d be strong enough to stop-"

    "That''s not the point." the soldier flinched as Cyan caught him off with a raised hand. "We''re supposed to have this place under total lockdown, and if those two kids manage to escape and get a hold of the Leagueˇ­" he grumbled. "Our squad leader is not to be trifled with. You can''t go anywhere in the criminal underworld without hearing tall tales about how monstrous he is. Thing is, in this line of work, a lot of those tall tales are probably true. If we perform anywhere under his satisfaction, it''s bad news for all of us. I think I''d rather be imprisoned by the League."

    The soldier grimaced, his face contorting in anxiety. "What exactly would he do?"

    "Who knows? He''s one of those people who is willing to do pretty much anything. Moral code usually isn''t a factor in his way of thinking. That''s why we have to play by his rules." Cyan looked off to the side, not making eye contact with his subordinate.

    ''Otherwise I''ll probably be the one who ends up paying the price.'' he thought bitterly to himself.

    /

    The group stopped to catch a quick breather after several more minutes of nonstop running in the tunnels. Their lungs all appreciated the quick break, but their brains wouldn''t stop shouting at them to continue to flee.

    Gasping a bit as he tried to take in as much air as possible, Ash pressed his back to a wall and glanced at Misty, who had Piplup by her side. Pikachu and Eevee were by his.

    "You think they''re still after us?" he bit his lips nervously.

    Misty''s face was sullen. "Who knows how many of them are here? And now we''ve lost the main path while running from them. I don''t even know where we are in these damn tunnels."

    She was gritting her teeth, snarling ferociously in frustration, but her eyes were filled with terror. They were trapped in the labyrinth caverns of Mt. Moon with a group of terrorists pursuing them.

    Do they keep moving and risk running into more soldiers? Or do they stay put and risk the soldiers coming to them? It was dumb luck that let them survive the previous chase, and nothing more.

    Ash wanted to keep running. To at least have a chance at escaping the mountain. Waiting around carried the same amount of risk as moving away, and at least moving away carried the slim possibility of them stumbling upon an exit by some pure miracle.

    But his chest hurt. His legs were sore. His feet were sore. He wanted to sit down. To never run again. To just lean against this wall and put his head up, close his eyes, and think relaxing thoughts. Or maybe even not think at all. Either way, he just wanted to rest his muscles.

    That was what his body wanted. But his brain wanted the opposite. To run. To find a way out of this damn mountain and never return. To never see Team Rocket ever again.

    Fatigue clashing with self preservation. Exhaustion growing in the face of waning adrenaline.

    Eying Misty, he wondered if she was in similar turmoil. The normally hot headed girl had her usual aggression in her mannerisms, but her breathing was just as hard as his, and there was a hint of paleness in her face.

    Pikachu looked like he could still run. He was used to this. Piplup and Eevee both seemed to be on their last reserves, however.

    He couldn''t hear any soldiers or Pokemon at the moment, so they should be safe. But for how long? They could come bursting in at any minute. Right now, they were near the entry point to one of the many branching tunnels in the caverns.

    Forcing himself to start moving again, Ash pushed himself off of the wall and eyed the group frantically.

    "We should really go. If we don''t we could-"

    "Yeah, yeah, I know." Misty cut him off. "Once we get out of here and contact the authorities, I''m taking a shower."

    Talking about what she was going to do after escaping from the mountain was Misty''s way of trying to reassure herself that she would ever be escaping the mountain period. But Ash didn''t pick up on that.

    Suddenly, Pikachu''s ears erected upwards, and he let out a cry as something burst through the entrance to the tunnel.

    "GAH! What''s that?!" cried Ash.

    Stepping out of the shadows was the same Machop that had chased them before. It crossed its arms in an attempt to appear authoritative as it sized the group up, a neutral expression on its face that conveyed no happiness or anger. As though it didn''t care which side it was on.

    Pikachu growled as he rushed forward and placed himself in between Machop and the group, cheeks sparking madly as the young mouse grinded his teeth.

    Sinking into a fighting stance, Machop prepared itself.

    Ash grimaced. They would have to fight after all. Oh well. "Pikachu, let''s end this quickly!"

    Nodding at his trainer, Pikachu shot forward towards his opponent. Machop responded in kind.

    The electric mouse was clearly faster, striking at their fighting type adversary with a metallic tail just before Machop could react.

    Machop reeled from the blow as it skidded backwards, glaring at Pikachu as it managed to stay upright before charging forward again.

    Pikachu leapt over a kick from the fighting type before delivering a well-placed Brick Break to his opponent''s cheek, prompting Machop to stumble forward. A second Iron Tail was met with a mighty punch that pushed Pikachu back towards the group, the mouse sinking down onto all fours as he snarled at his adversary, cheeks sparking in an effort to look as intimidating as possible.

    Ash and Misty immediately distanced themselves from the fighting as Eevee and Piplup both took their places besides Pikachu, although the young mouse remained slightly in front.

    "Misty," Ash said quickly, slightly turning his head in her direction, while still attempting to keep his eyes on the Pokemon. Misty responded in kind. "Pikachu should be fast enough to engage Machop directly. Eevee can give him cover from a distance. You think Piplup can do the same?"

    A quick nod from Misty. "We''ll try to keep it on the defensive." she replied.

    Both trainers turned their attention completely back to the battle, where Machop was already getting ready for its next move.

    Ash and Misty both blinked rapidly as Machop''s body suddenly glowed a deep orange. Letting out a low, ominous rumble from its throat, the Fighting Type raised its arms outwards as its muscles suddenly bulged, pulsating with power across its entire body.

    Bulk Up. A move that bolstered the power of a Pokemon''s muscles, the boost to the Pokemon''s brute strength being a massive boon for their offense and durability. Which meant that Machop had just become a hell of a lot more difficult to put down.

    But that just raised the question of whether or not Machop could maintain the technique for long before needing to drop it. There was a reason why moves that powered up the user weren''t universally used in battles, despite the obvious boons that they granted for the user. Almost all of them had some sort of drawback or strain to them, powering up the user to levels that their body was not actually at yet.

    Making good use of its new leg strength, Machop rushed forward, raising a glowing, purple fist as it barreled over towards Pikachu.

    Locking onto the young mouse with Poison Jab, the fighting type Pokemon was most certainly putting its newfound strength to good use. But Pikachu quickly leapt away as his adversary attempted to sock him, leaving the Machop wide open to a Bubble Beam from Piplup, which sent the bulky opponent staggering backwards as the watery barrage hit it the face, grunting irritably as the attack painfully pelted it.

    "Piplup!" Misty called out. "Support Pikachu from behind! Keep attacking from a distance!"

    "You too, Eevee!" Ash declared. "Use Swift!"

    Just as Machop was upright again, Eevee''s golden stars pelted against its chest. As the fighting type staggered backwards, Pikachu was upon it again, Zap Tail at the ready as he struck Machop clean on the head.

    Machop wailed in agony As Pikachu relentlessly pushed the electric tail firmly against its head, the electricity from the tail being driven into Machop''s head further and further as the young mouse kept up his assault.

    Not wanting to give Machop a chance at recovery, Misty quickly followed up. "Water Pulse!"

    As Pikachu gave Machop one final, rough push that sent his opponent staggering away, Piplup took aim at the opponent as it struggled to maintain its footing. The deep, blue orb of glowing water that formed in between the penguin''s wings was flung towards Machop at full force, splashing against the bulky adversary and knocking it clean off of its feet.

    Machop regained its bearings just in time, catching itself on its hands before it could hit the ground, but Eevee was already charging up a Shadow Ball. To Ash''s chagrin, however, Machop quickly lurched itself upwards in time to avoid the attack, which exploded against the stone wall. The wind force from the shockwaves of the blast blasted a series of dust that collided with the fighting type''s back, Machop standing tall as it bared its fists at the group, the dust almost acting as a backdrop.

    Pikachu launched a Thunder Shock at the bulky fighting type, but Machop raised a fist, now glowing with electricity, and intercepted the attack.

    Thunder Punch. Machop hadn''t used it to block Pikachu''s electricity during the frantic chase, but with things more focused now, perhaps it was easier for the Fighting Type to come up with the idea.

    Pikachu gritted his teeth irritably as the electricity from his own attack strengthened that of the Machop''s, the lightning radiating off of the fighting type Pokemon''s fist now much more intense than before. As Machop charged forward, Pikachu responded in kind, rushing the bulky Pokemon at full speed and driving a powerful Zap Tail into Machop''s gut.

    Making good use of its durability from Bulk Up, Machop, despite wheezing in pain, attempted to push forward against the force of the attack, increasing its pain further as he leaned into the electrical tail in an attempt to sock Pikachu with its fist of lightning. The water that Machop''s body was soaked in from Piplup''s attacks was no doubt making this even worse, but the Fighting Type was ludicrously resilient as it adamantly braved its way through the excruciating pain.

    A grimacing Ash was quickly reminded of the ending of Pikachu''s fight with Paul''s Elekid back in Pewter City. Elekid had also powered through Pikachu''s attack in order to deal a devastating blow.

    Thankfully, a Swift from Eevee forced Machop backwards as the golden stars pelted against its face. The electricity in Machop''s fist dissipated as it held an open palm against its gut in pain, growling angrily in Pikachu''s direction as its hand clutched the sore wound.

    If Machop kept taking more damage like this, it would likely get worn out from having to maintain Bulk Up while simultaneously dealing with the pain. As its body sustained damage, it would become harder and harder to handle the move without wearing itself out, becoming completely exhausted as all of its energy dried out. At that point in time, it would be forced to either drop Bulk Up entirely, or go for broke and attempt to finish the fight quickly before completely exhausting itself entirely.

    When Ash voiced this to Misty, she simply nodded. "Right, we need to keep hammering away at it until it drops." the look in her eyes was still scared, much like Ash''s, but there was a noticeable fire in them that Ash''s lacked. "It doesn''t seem to have any ranged moves, so maybe Pikachu should widen the gap between them too?"

    Ash nodded at that, watching Pikachu dodge a flaming fist from their opponent before driving an Iron Tail into Machop''s stomach, right where the wound was. The young boy winced a bit as the muscular Rocket Pokemon cried out in agony, its wailing suddenly cut off as it was blasted with Eevee''s Shadow Ball. Just before Piplup''s Bubble Beam could strike it, however, it moved to the side and narrowly avoided the onslaught.

    "Good idea." he raised his voice. "Pikachu! Back up buddy, real quick!"

    Pikachu''s ears perked up at the change in strategy, and quickly leapt away as Machop attempted to strike the young mouse with a now icy fist. The frozen punch struck nothing but air as Pikachu scampered away, stopping in between Eevee and Piplup and glaring at Machop on all fours, cheeks sparking dangerously.

    Machop was certainly stronger than any of the other three Pokemon currently fighting it, but that meant very little if it couldn''t land a hit. Just one blow from the Fighting Type would probably be devastating, causing serious injury that would cripple the combatant that was on the receiving end for the remainder of the battle.

    Thankfully, Pikachu''s evasiveness and the long distance assaults from Eevee and Piplup to further keep the fighting type at bay had made this a non-issue.

    Now, it was just time to finish it up.

    "Icy WInd!" Misty called out.

    Piplup''s open beak unleashed a gust of frozen air as Machop raised its arms defensively. The fighting type Pokemon was forced to look away, wincing loudly as the sharp, unforgivingly cold air assaulted its skin. The water soaking its skin from previous attacks was beginning to freeze over.

    Ash saw his chance. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

    Normally, Thunderbolt would take longer to charge. Pikachu had not yet gotten a full grip on the powerful electric type move. But with Machop occupied with Icy Wind, Pikachu was left with as much time as it needed to gather the electricity in his cheeks.

    With a loud cry, Pikachu''s body erupted in lightning as the golden bolt sailed towards Machop, rocketing into the Fighting type''s body and bathing it in merciless static.

    Machop screamed in pain, not just from the strength of the bolt, but from the sudden contrast from the freezing cold Icy Wind that left its skin unbearably cold, to the sudden, extreme heat of the Thunderbolt, mercilessly burning against the Fighting Type''s now excruciatingly cold skin. The water on its body only added to the pain, making an already unbearable attack even worse, as though rubbing salt on a wound.

    As the attack subsided, Pikachu exhaled deeply, and Ash could see his starter Pokemon breathing a bit hard. They would have to work on Thunderbolt later, but at the very least, the young mouse was clearly capable of using the technique without completely exhausting himself, even if it was very clearly a taxing move for the small rodent to pull off. At the current moment, anyway.

    Turning his gaze towards Machop, Ash grimaced as the fighting type steadfastly remained standing. Although it panted in exhaustion with its hands on its knees, its muscles mostly returned to normal, and its body bruised, burnt, and beaten with sparks of static rolling across it, it still refused to sink to the floor. A tenacious opponent for sure.

    But Misty wasn''t having any of it. "Still standing up, huh? Well I''ve reached my limit with you!" pointing at the penguin , she glowered at the wounded Rocket Pokemon. "Put it down with Aerial Beak!"

    Piplup nodded, before raising his head highly. His beak glowed a bright white as it seemingly grew in both length and sharpness. Kicking off of the ground, Piplup''s body became enveloped in that same bright, white light as he sailed through the air and towards Machop.

    Charging forward with Aerial Ace, Piplup drove his Peck right into Machop''s forehead, the fighting type Pokemon not even having time to cry out in pain as it was blasted off of its feet, blood spraying from the spot where Piplup had struck, and landed on its back with an unceremonious thud. As Piplup landed gracefully on the stony ground, he looked over to his opponent, who was not getting up.

    A wide grin developed on Misty''s face momentarily before she suddenly returned to her nervous, uneasy expression.

    "Ash, we need to get out of here. We don''t know if this battle attracted any of their attention or not."

    Ash quickly nodded in understanding.

    /

    Pikachu had been fed a quick oran berry before the group took off again, the young mouse''s stamina rejuvenated. Machop''s unconscious body was left at the sight of the battle, and thankfully, no other soldiers or Pokemon had arrived to attack them before they could make their escape.

    Ash and Misty were both still fighting against exhaustion, but had mercifully decided to stick to jogging. It was still taxing in their fatigue states, but wasn''t nearly as immediately excruciating as a full blown sprint would have been.

    The group had no idea where they were going. No idea where the main path was, how deep they were in the caverns, or even what level that they were currently at in general. All of that had been completely lost in the sheer panic of the initial chase, and Ash cursed himself for not paying attention.

    He didn''t know it, but Misty was currently feeling the same exact way as well.

    Although he tried to convince himself that it couldn''t be helped, and that they were both bound to lose their focus in the chase, the repercussions of such still certainly didn''t bode well for any of them.

    The group of five were lost in the tunnels, and who knew when they''d run into somebody next? And whether or not it would be even stronger than that Machop?

    Although he kept an eye out for soldiers and Pokemon, Ash wasn''t too sure how vigilant he could be while simultaneously trying to move.

    What''s more, the boy found his growing exhaustion clashing with said efforts to be vigilant, his mind constantly shifting focus to how much his body wanted to stop moving.

    The boy told himself to keep running, but how long could he keep that mindset up? It all felt so hopeless.

    Even so, an optimistic voice in his brain wanted to tell him that it was over. And that they had gotten away. A much louder boice told him that it was too good to be true.

    The tunnels in this mountain were seemingly endless. Ash didn''t know if it was the paranoia of Team Rocket lurking within the caverns and probably searching for them, or just the simple fact that there was still no end in sight, but he felt as though he was completely closed off from the world. As though Mt. Moon was an entirely different place from the world that he lived in.

    And that might have added to the hopelessness that he was feeling. Not even in Viridian Forest had he ever felt this separated from civilization. From the world itself. It added to the fear he had developed for these seemingly endless caverns. And it ultimately added to his desperation to escape.

    Slightly ahead of him was Misty, as he had begun to slow down a tiny bit in an attempt to hopefully conserve energy.

    "Ash, I think the tunnel is opening up into a room up ahead-"

    The group skidded to a halt at the entrance to the room, a group of Team Rocket soldiers standing in front of them.

    The soldier in front of the rest seemed quite irritated, and stressed.

    "Damnitˇ­" said Cyan. "So they stumbled they''re way here, now."

    Misty''s face was pale as she stepped backwards, at Ash''s side now, while Pikachu uneasily glared at the soldiers in front of them, cheeks sparking mad with lightning.

    "Soˇ­ we walked right into their campˇ­" she whimpered out.

    Ash felt like he might vomit. This whole time, he had been desperate to escape from the caverns of Mt. Moon, and now, they had just done the opposite.

    They had effectively just delivered themselves right to Team Rocket. He felt truly sick.

    Standing in front of the soldiers, Cyan glowered uneasily at the duo of trainers.

    "Well, you two made it easy for us, and you''re clearly tired of running. Are you ready to cooperate yet?"

    Misty did her best to snarl. "No way!" as she stammered with a combination of fear and rage, her hand shot to her belt. "You bastards are just going to strip away our Pokemon and use us as hostages when the authorities get here! I''m not some bargaining tool!"

    "You really don''t know what you two are getting yourselves into, kids." Cyan''s hand reached for his own belt as he allowed his gaze at them to even. If only you knew what our squad leader was like, you''d be jumping to become a prisoner in place of the alternative." The Poke Ball that he removed from his belt enlarged as he gripped it firmly in his palm. "Quite frankly, I don''t care if you get hurt or not. My condition is what''s going to be critical if he ends up being dissatisfied. I''m not letting my own well being go to risk just because a couple of brats decided to do things the hard way."

    Ash''s eyes narrowed at that. Squad leader? This guy sounded scared of whoever was leading the operation. Speaking of whichˇ­

    "What are you even doing here?" Ash blurted out, trying to sound demanding. Given the man''s sneer, he had failed in that department.

    "Quite trying to sound tough, half-pint. Didn''t I just tell you I can''t take any risks? You won''t get any meaningful information from me." he reared his hand back, preparing to throw. "Now then, hold still. This is your last chance."

    A Golbat appeared in the air before them. Zubat''s evolved form.

    Looking around the room, Ash realized that there was a lot more space here than most of the tunnels. There should be enough for Nebula to comfortably fly aroundˇ­

    The Staravia appeared in front of him, along with Valiant. The two Pokemon nodded uneasily upon seeing their company.

    Beside him, Misty released the rest of her team.

    Ash felt his heart racing as the rest of the soldiers sprang into action, filling the room with Zubat.

    /

    Outside of Mt. Moon, the sky was becoming engulfed in gray clouds, a light drizzle beginning to descend from the sky as a large group made their way out of the Pokemon Center on the other side.

    Cerulean City was just a distance away from that Center.

    About twenty adults in Indigo League uniforms formed the group as they gathered near the entrance to the mountain. Their facial expressions were hardened, but clear. An air of professionalism to them as they prepared to enter it.

    At the front of the group was a tall, young woman with long silverish hair. The Weavile at her side was running its claws together in an absentminded manner, as though they weren''t even on a mission.

    The woman gazed into the entrance to the caverns for a brief moment before turning to her group.

    "We are lucky that one of Team Rocket''s grunts leaked this operation to us during interrogation." she sighed. "They will be heading deep into the caverns. We''ll move quickly, but with the number of trainers likely in the mountain we''ll probably be dealing with a hostage situation."

    Her face was a bit grim. She certainly wasn''t the most serious person compared to her peers, but knowing the potential stakes of the mission was fairly easy for her.

    She was so strong as a trainer, that it was sometimes easy to forget that she was younger than everyone in the squad that she was leading today. They certainly didn''t look at her in such a way. To them, she was a powerful trainer beyond description, an absolute terror to go up against or even witness. And for those reasons, her age was barely even considered by those who answered to her and her orders. An irrelevant factor compared to everything else about her.

    No different from any other member of the Elite Four.

    "Do we know exactly where we are going, Karen?" spoke one of the soldiers. His voice conveyed nothing but obedience. Absolute recognition of the young woman''s much earned ranking.

    Karen nodded. "We have our instructions for how to get to the Moon Stone. With any luck, we can take the quickest path to the Moon Stone and intercept Team Rocket before they can reach it. Either way, we''ll need to move swiftly." With that, she turned around, focusing all of her attention on the entrance to the cavern in front of her as her silverish hair swayed with her motions. Weavile did the same. The soldiers all prepared themselves without any comments. "It''s time."

 Unforgiving Encounter pt 1

    Ash and Misty had come to Mt. Moon with the simple goal of traveling through the caverns to reach the other side and move on to Cerulean City. Things rarely go as planned, especially for trainers, but neither rookie could have predicted the extent to which their travels had blatantly gone off the rails.

    The "setback" that they had been faced with wasn''t a simple detour, an injury suffered by a teammate, or even just getting lost normally.

    They HAD gotten lost, but it was because of the real setback: Team Rocket.

    And in the chaos, they had both found themselves in the makeshift hideout that the terrorists had set up within the caverns of the mountain.

    Things almost never go as planned, but in this case, no plan in the world could have prepared the duo for today''s current events.

    Nebula ducked under Golbat''s Steel Wing as Cyan and the rest of the soldiers barked orders at the numerous bats flying through the air in the room.

    Things had devolved into chaos the moment the battle had begun, with Nebula''s Whirlwind doing well to keep the bats at bay, while Piplup''s Icy Wind provided additional backup that took advantage of their inherent weakness to ice type moves.

    Unfortunately, the bats weren''t all they needed to contend with. The soldiers had taken to releasing multiple Poochyena to cleverly duck under the aerial combat, leaving Pikachu, Eevee, Valiant, and Staryu to defend their trainers, with Piplup pitching in whenever he wasn''t providing additional backup for Nebula (who was contending with at least a dozen foes at once).

    Cyan, despite the blatant advantage in numbers, was getting frustrated with the lack of progress. Ash wasn''t counting on that continuing, however. Nebula could only use Whirlwind for so long, after all.

    The Zubat were hardly an individual threat to her or Piplup, nor were the Poochyena to the rest of the team. However, there was a very large number of each. Nebula still fared well despite that, and the rest of the team was able to successfully split their efforts, but Cyan''s Golbat was a completely different story. It was keeping pace with Nebula, and Nebula couldn''t focus all of her efforts solely on it and give it the necessary attention to deal with it, due to the rest of the Zubat constantly preoccupying her.

    A change in strategy would be a blatant necessity in making it out in one piece. But it was hard to come up with any sort of plans in the chaotic state of battle that Ash and Misty found themselves in, and the constant screeches of the bats certainly wasn''t helping either rookie''s inner concentration.

    Ash let out a startled yelp as a Poochyena tried to slip through and leap at him, only for an angry Pikachu to smash it aside with a powerful Zap Tail to the jaw. Above them, A Zubat made its way down towards Misty, only to be met with an Icy Wind from an equally pissed off Piplup.

    Team Rocket was not backing down on their offensive, and so far, all they could do in response was defend.

    While watching Valiant blast another Poochyena away with Dazzling Gleam, Ash did his absolute best to tune out the chaotic noise of the battle, confident that his and Misty''s Pokemon would be able to keep them safe while he attempted to come up with a plan.

    But he still found it to be next to impossible, because even with his attempts to drown out the noise with his inner thoughts, his fear still dominated his brain. There was practically no escape from it.

    No matter what he did, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t stop himself from remembering that he and Misty were both being targeted by a terrorist organization.

    It was why he had to focus. Because of the sheer stakes in a battle that they could not afford to lose. But the knowledge of those exact stakes prevented him from summoning the focus that he so desperately needed in order for them to win.

    He needed to focus, or else they''ll all probably die. But that same exact fear of death prevented him from thinking. Prevented him from-

    "ASH!"

    Ash screamed out of his thoughts as he suddenly ducked under a leaping Poochyena that nearly sunk its teeth into his face. His canine assailant was immediately smacked away by a powerful Brick Break from an enraged Pikachu.

    Misty''s terrified scream had saved his life.

    Above them, Nebula swatted away a trio of Zubat with a series of powerful Steel Wings that sent the now unconscious bats crashing down to the ground.

    Cyan grumbled. "Stubborn brats."

    "Get used to it, thug!" Misty fired back pettily.

    Unfazed, Cyan turned his attention to Golbat. "Golbat, Air Cutter!"

    The boy grimaced at the mention of the move. Now Team Rocket was the one changing up their tactics, before they had a chance to do so themselves.

    Nebula glared at her attacker as Golbat took aim. Smacking away yet another Poochyena with Iron Tail, Pikachu''s attention was briefly turned upwards, Nebula preparing to evade the incoming offense. Meanwhile, the Zubat in front of Nebula parted in an effort to not get hit themselves.

    Golbat had taken aim at Ash''s powerful feathered friend with noticeable speed, leaving only a small window for reaction. The wind that was let loose in Nebula''s direction was weaponized, but not in the same way as her signature Wind Blast technique. Air Cutter was something different.

    When this move was used, the wind itself that the technique produced was sharp; quite literally like blades made out of wind. Ash had no idea how the move actually worked or functioned, but he knew that much about it. While Wind Blast was a good move to use for blunt force, Air Cutter was designed to slice through opponents to take them out.

    Golbat howled viciously as it flapped its wings with vigor, sending as much sharp, blade-like wind towards Nebula as possible. The Staravia wasted no time in avoiding the technique, maneuvering through the air.

    One blade-like gust nearly hit Ash, who sidestepped away in a frenzy to avoid being sliced. Another nearly hit Valiant, who had erected Light Screen to defend himself with. Yet another still almost hit Misty, who, much like Ash, frantically avoided it.

    Nebula cried out angrily, retaliating with a Wind Blast. Golbat sailed upwards to avoid the attack, but suddenly found Nebula''s beak meeting with its body as she charged upwards into him with Aerial Ace. The remaining Zubat that had previously moved to avoid Golbat''s Air Cutter were now charging towards Nebula at once, the majority of them opening their mouths wide as their teeth glowed purple.

    With her assailants coming from all directions, Nebula had no means to counter them all at once, but the Staravia''s attackers were all left bewildered as she suddenly split into four. Taking advantage of the brief confusion, Nebula bolted upwards, her three clones not being able to move along with her, and slammed a metallic wing into one of the shocked Zubat in her path. As the bat was sent into free fall, knocked out on impact from the forceful blow, Golbat attempted to pursue Nebula, only to be forced to dodge to the side as a bolt of lightning from Pikachu nearly hit it.

    Although Pikachu had just enough time to fire the Thunder Shock, the Poochyena immediately made themselves known again, but to the young mouse''s luck, Valiant had teleported in front of him and erected a glass barrier to intercept them.

    As a few of the soldiers released more Zubat, Nebula attempted to take advantage of Golbat''s distraction with a Steel Wing, but as she charged forward, Golbat raised a metallic wing of its own, blocking the strike. The Staravia''s momentum sent Golbat flying through the air before the opponent righted itself, but no harm was done by either side.

    "Ash." the boy turned to Misty as Nebula fired another Wind Blast, which Golbat dodged. The orange haired girl was glancing at him from the corner of her eye, but did not turn her head, her vision divided between him and the two Poochyena advancing towards her.

    Suddenly realizing that he needed to be paying attention himself, Ash turned his head away from Misty, looking at her from the corner of his eye as well.

    "I think I might have a plan." she said as Piplup and Staryu blasted away her attackers. "They seem to be running low on Poochyena, but there''s still more Zubat up there." she gestured towards the reinforcements that the soldiers had sent out. Ash assumed that they hadn''t sent them all out at once because they feared that crowding the room too much would limit their flight ability. "We need to get Piplup on Nebula''s back. His Icy Wind can be aimed better up there."

    Ash nodded in understanding. Looking up at his feathered friend, he cupped his hands. "Nebula! Pull back and use Whirlwind! Then come down here quickly!"

    Nebula was somewhat surprised by the order, but complied nonetheless. Backing away to ensure that all of her opponents were in the blast zone, she flapped her wings with all of the fury that she could muster, the powerful gale of wind forcing her adversaries backwards. Golbat responded with an Air Cutter aimed solely for the Staravia, but the bird was already headed downwards, staying on the ground just long enough for Piplup to climb onto her back, before returning to the air.

    "Icy Wind, Piplup!" Misty shouted upwards with cupped hands.

    Complying, Piplup opened his beak and allowed the frozen wind to flow freely. Feeling the cold air up close made Nebula unpleasantly wince, but she powered through the pain to allow Piplup to continue.

    Multiple blasts of cold air were fired as the bats circled around Nebula and Piplup with perfect coordination. Although some were hit, and sent falling to the ground, many still eluded the penguin''s attacks, dodging the icy gusts that were fired in their direction.

    Golbat made a bold move and charged head on towards the duo of birds, cloaked in Aerial Ace as it took aim at the Staravia with a Steel Wing. Although Nebula blocked the fast-approaching assailant with a Steel Wing of her own, the momentum from Aerial Ace carried Golbat forward still, knocking Nebula off balance and leaving a shrieking Piplup to hold on for dear life as the bird began to fall.

    Ash was about to cry out when Nebula suddenly let loose a series of small, but forceful, gusts of wind, flapping her wings downwards towards the ground to push herself upwards with the gales that she created. Golbat and the squadron of Zubat all descended downwards towards the duo with purple teeth ready to sink into their targets, but were all forced to scatter as an upwards Icy Wind from Piplup threatened to collide with them.

    Ash inwardly grunted. They were elusive, butˇ­

    This gave him an idea. He couldn''t bring himself to grin in such a dire situation, but a surge of confidence suddenly found its way to his chest.

    "Nebula!" his hands were cupped as he shouted upwards. "Combine Piplup''s Icy Wind with your Wind Blast! And rotate while you use it!"

    Nebula shot herself upwards yet again, this time deliberately positioning herself in the middle of her adversaries as she began to flap her wings madly, taking aim at Golbat.

    As Piplup''s Icy Wind escaped his beak yet again, the wind from Wind Blast immediately carried the icy air forward. Although Icy Wind already traveled at a fairly decent pace when Piplup was using it, the extra momentum from the concentrated blast of air that Nebula had let loose carried the ice type move forward far more quickly, and therefore, forcefully, than normal. Although Golbat just barely avoided the attack, the two Zubat behind it weren''t so lucky, shrieking in agony as the fast moving air assaulted their bodies. It could have been the brute force of the Wind Blast pounding against their bodies, or it could have been the freezing cold air from the Icy Wind that the Wind Blast was carrying along with it, enveloping them and painfully coating parts of their bodies with a thin layer of ice. Either way, both Zubat fell to the ground, unconscious, and down for the count.

    And the rest of the group soon followed. Although Golbat had initially evaded the attack, it was immediately hit full force as Nebula spun around in midair, rotating several times as the brutish and frigid combination of Wind Blast and Icy Wind collided with every bat in the air. The Staravia was spinning around as fast as she could, rotating herself, and, by extension, the combination attack that she and Piplup were both using together, at high speeds and leaving their opponents with very little time to adapt.

    Soon every Zubat was coated in ice, falling to the ground in unceremonious defeat.

    Only Golbat remained. Weakly but defiantly all the same, the larger bat continued to flap its wings as it struggled to maintain its aerial balance. Ice layered several parts of its skin, and it was very clearly bruised from the repeated rounds of getting assaulted by the brutish force of Wind Blast, which had smacked it into the rocky walls at least twice, if not more.

    Nebula and Piplup glared at their mutual rival''s tenacity, but showed no signs of pessimism. It was very clear who was in control now.

    "Steel Wing, Nebula!" And Ash took quick advantage of that as he gave the final order. Letting out a brief, but triumphant shriek, Nebula blitzed towards her opponent as Piplup gripped her feathers tightly. Carried by the momentum of Quick Attack, Nebula slammed her metallic wing into the large bat''s face with all of the muscle that she could muster.

    The solid, blazingly fast moving metal was overkill for the already wounded bat. Sent flying through the air at a record pace, the Golbat was unconscious mere moments before colliding head first with the stony walls, and had no chance of changing that as it dropped to the ground.

    Nebula and Staravia remained in the air as Cyan blanched pathetically. Looking around him, Ash saw that all of the Poochyena had been defeated.

    But neither he, nor Misty and the Pokemon allowed themselves to smile.

    "Damn this!" the agent backed away a hit as he eyed the victorious team. Snarling with anxiety, he raised his voice across the room. "Everyone! Send out another wave!"

    Ash and Misty braced themselves as their respective Pokemon all remained in their fighting stances, but no such reinforcements came.

    "I''mˇ­ out!" announced one of the soldiers.

    "Me too!" another one.

    To Ash''s relief, a chorus of announcements erupted from the enemy soldiers, none having any Pokemon left to send out.

    The boy still didn''t smile, though. Not when Team Rocket was still active, and certainly not while Cyan enlarged one, final Poke Ball.

    "You''ve gotta be kidding meˇ­" the agent moaned in displeasure. "I''m really starting to hate childrenˇ­"

    Misty dared to speak up. "Yeah, well you''re the ones causing us trouble! Quit whining about losing fights that you started!" she was trying to sound intimidating, and was very clearly angry, but the color had not yet completely returned to her face.

    "Can it, brat." Cyan snarled as his finger shot out at the blunt toned girl. "You must really not want to leave these caverns alive, if you have a mouth like that."

    Before another word could be said, they were greeted with the sight of the large, hulking figure that escaped the Poke Ball''s flash of light.

    Ash''s eyes widened at the sight of the creature.

    It was very clearly a dragon. Blue skinned. With red in the middle, and a light blue underside. On both sides of its head were appendages that looked like they could pass off as engines for planes. Each arm had a fin, as did its back and tail. Near both of its knees were spikes, and sharp claws occupied its feet.

    A Gabite.

    A quite intimidating dragon/ground type Pokemon native to the Sinnoh Region. They were famous (or was that infamous?) for evolving into one of the most powerful and near-universally feared species of Pokemon in the world: Garchomp.

    "Say your prayers while you still can, children." Cyan leered nastily at the duo, having lost all of his patience with them. "Bet you haven''t gone up against a dragon before, huh? Well, he''ll be your last opponent."

    As Gabite snarled ferociously, a horrible, monstrous sound escaping from his throat as Pikachu, Eevee, Valiant, and Staryu all backed away in caution under his dreadful gaze, a startled Ash felt a firm hand clasp his arm, and he dared to turn his head to see a tense Misty shivering ever so slightly.

    The color was completely gone from her face once again, her previous facade of bravado having vanished.

    "I''mˇ­ scared." her voice was weak, quiet. Terrified.

    Hearing the horror in her voice certainly wasn''t doing any favors for his own morale. She was a much bolder person than he was, and the look of terror on her face, as she spoke in the quivering voice that accompanied it, would have been more than enough to sell him on the sheer weight of their current situation, had Gabite''s mere presence not already been able to do so.

    He knew the frown on his face wasn''t helping her mood. It was just vindicating her fear. But despite his best efforts, he couldn''t put on a brave face. She was a lot better at that than he was.

    Looking forward, and inclining her head upwards towards Nebula and Piplup, Misty practically screamed. "Piplup! Nebula! Use your combo from before!" All of her hot headedness had been replaced by a desperate voice of despair as she attempted to end the fight as fast as possible.

    Icy Wind would be tremendously effective against Gabite. No doubt the mighty dragon was far stronger than any of their teammates, and Ash wasn''t sure if Reckless would be quite enough for Nebula to match the behemoth''s brute strength. Dragons were famous for their raw power.

    The ice type move would practically be a necessity. And with Wind Blast greatly bolstering the force behind itˇ­

    Unfortunately, Cyan had other ideas as he quickly responded to the order.

    The boy felt a pit in his stomach as the agent let out a counter command. "Use Flamethrower!" he called out to the dragon as Nebula and Piplup fired their combo downward.

    Gabite responded to the order by inclining his head upwards, a surging stream of fire escaping from his open maw. The powerful blast of frozen wind was met with the scorching flames, intercepted in an explosion as the shockwaves pulsed through the air.

    Ash snarled in frustration and panic. Of course it wouldn''t be that easy. It was only natural to teach a dragon/ground type how to use fire so that it could counter ice.

    Looking around him, the battlefield was filled with the unconscious bodies of the Poochyena and Zubat, with the Golbat lying down at the far end of the room. It suddenly occurred to him why the Rockets hadn''t recalled their defeated Pokemon. The unconscious bodies throughout the room would force his and Misty''s Pokemon to avoid tripping over them as they moved throughout the battlefield.

    The far larger Gabite had no such worries.

    No doubt those unconscious Pokemon could suffer serious injuries (or worse!) if they were to be hit by a stray attack or stomped on by Gabiteˇ­ Was Team Rocket really going to leave them out and risk their well-being just for a tactical advantage?

    That answer, of course, was obvious. It was far from the worst thing they had ever done.

    Instinctively, Ash and Misty backed further away from the fray. At the same time, Cyan gestured for his crew to move behind him, the group of Rockets all gathering in front of the entrance to the tunnel at the back of the room they were in. The towering adults fixated their stern gazes onto the two children, as though they were attempting to intimidate them to make up for not being participants in the upcoming battle.

    Ash felt himself shrink under their gaze, forcing himself to look at Gabite instead. It didn''t help his mood in the slightest, but it was a lot more practical.

    A flash of light briefly appeared in front of him and Misty. On edge, the two children were startled in the moment, but a split second later, Valiant was in front of them, ready to erect a barrier at a moment''s notice.

    An anxious smile made its way to Ash''s lips. Even with everything going on, Valiant was concerned for their safety. Two humans who had no moves or special powers to defend themselves with.

    "Thank youˇ­ Valiant."

    A nod. Ash would have seen the stern, determined glare on Valiant''s face if the young Ralts was facing towards him. Instead, Valiant''s eyes were locked fiercely onto Gabite, who was now inching his way towards Pikachu and Eevee, both of whom backed away cautiously.

    A nudge from Misty''s elbow quickly brought Ash''s attention to his new friend.

    "Don''t even consider close-up combat for now." she stated firmly. "That behemoth would crush our Pokemon in an instant."

    Ash nodded in understanding, but winced. Pikachu had no ranged attacks that would work on Gabite. His ground typing granted him absolute immunity to all electricity.

    It mattered not. Misty was right, after all. Getting in close would just make things worse.

    "Keep your distance, everyone!" he called out quickly, as Cyan finally got tired of playing the waiting game and ordered Gabite to move.

    The dragon was fast. Thankfully not too fast for Pikachu and Eevee to avoid him with Quick Attack, but his speed was far greater than his bulk would make things seem. Not that Ash was surprised, at this point. Plenty of large Pokemon moved a hell of a lot faster than one would ever realistically expect them too. He himself had even seen it firsthand with Brock''s Onix.

    The dragon raised a large claw, glowing a powerful pinkish-purple as he brought it down towards his two targets. The Dragon Claw collided with the stone floors as Pikachu and Eevee yelped in fright and leapt aside in opposite directions, small rocks kicked up by the impact of Gabite''s mighty blow.

    A distressed Ash was suddenly having flashbacks to the fight with Meowth, all the way back at Viridian City''s Pokemon Center back on Opening Day.

    And just like with Meowth, just one strike from that Gabite''s mighty claws could be the end of it.

    The image of Pikachu and Eevee''s bodies being torn through like tissue paper filled Ash''s mind, and he could have sworn that his heart stopped for just the briefest of moments.

    Eevee was responding, however, having already begun charging up a Shadow Ball prior to Gabite''s attack. She fired it at him while she retreated, the ball of distorted energy colliding with the dragon''s face just as the Evolution Pokemon''s feet hit the ground. The small explosion from the impact sent Gabite staggering back with a pained grunt, but there wasn''t much visible damage done to the dragon''s body from what Ash could see. Maybe if he was a bit closer to the action, but Ash doubted that they''d be able to dish out all that much lasting damage with just one attack.

    Thankfully, Misty was following up. "Staryu! Dazzling Gleam!" Her Staryu wasn''t very skilled with Icy Wind yet, so she was going with the next best thing.

    The gem in the middle of Staryu''s body glowed brightly as a bright beam of pink light fired off from it. However, Gabite righted himself and lowered his head. Ash winced as the dragon''s head suddenly glowed and became coated in metal, Staryu''s Dazzling Gleam bouncing harmlessly off of Gabite''s Iron Head.

    Turning his gaze towards the water type now, Gabite kept his head lowered and charged forward. Staryu was caught off guard by the sudden offense, but Gabite was suddenly forced to change direction to avoid Nebula''s Wind Blast, carrying Piplup''s Icy Wind. As the powerful blast of frozen wind collided with the ground (and the unconscious bodies of a Zubat and Poochyena), Cyan called out a follow-up order.

    "Dragon Pulse!"

    Ash''s eyes widened at that. Dragon Pulse was a strong move. So was Dragon Claw, but unlike that move from before, this wasn''t being aimed at the agile Pikachu and Eevee.

    Gabite roared with great ferocity as a glowing, pinkish-red orb appeared in his mouth. Growing in size, it suddenly expanded into a large blast of light with dragon-like jaws at its front. The attack sailed towards Staryu at great speeds.

    But at the last second, Staryu surrounded itself in a golden cube. With a large explosion, the Light Screen immediately shattered on impact, and Staryu was sent flying away a few feet, struggling to maintain its balance as it landed.

    Ash couldn''t see it from where he was, but the whiplash alone had left Staryu with bruises on its body. A direct hit from the attack would have spelt doom.

    Gabite was about to pursue his prey, but suddenly stopped as he felt a series of golden stars pelting his back. Only slightly fazed, he turned his attention towards Eevee, who was attempting to put on a brave face as a Shadow Ball charged up in her jaws.

    Valiant considered firing a Dazzling Gleam of his own while Gabite was distracted, but quickly decided against it. That would just draw the dragon''s attention to him, while he was trying to protect Ash and Misty from harm. And after what had just happened with Staryu, the young Ralts'' confidence in his barriers being able to properly defend against the Gabite''s attacks was suddenly beginning to dwindle.

    Thankfully, Ash took the initiative as Gabite began to run forward, his foot stomping down on an unconscious Poochyena''s skull with a sickening CRUNCHING noise as he raised his glowing claws.

    "Move backwards while you fire, Eevee!"

    "Mud Shot!" Cyan called out.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    As Eevee began to run backwards, her Shadow Ball firing out of her mouth and towards her target, Gabite opened his maw, allowing a large ball of mud to escape from his throat, firing towards Eevee with staggering speeds as it collided with the Shadow Ball.

    Although it was somewhat weakened by the explosion, the Mud Shot easily overpowered the Shadow Ball, continuing on its course, only slightly smaller than before. Eevee bolted to the side with Quick Attack, without thinking as she desperately avoided the ball of mud. The attack nearly clipped her in the side, but missed its mark and collided with the nearby wall.

    Before Ash and Misty could breathe a sigh of relief, however, their eyes widened in horror as Eevee, moving too quickly to stop, tripped over the unconscious body of a Zubat.

    Eevee yelped in shock as she flew through the air, her momentum carrying her forward as she collided headfirst with the ground, rolling painfully along the stone floor of the room. Once she stopped, she lifted her head, lying on her stomach as her eyes suddenly bulged, a weak, fearful gasp escaping her throat as Gabite loomed a few meters away, eyes locked murderously on his target.

    "Eevee!" Ash and Misty shouted in horror as a grinning Cyan took advantage of the situation.

    "Dragon Pulse again!"

    The bruised Evolution Pokemon worked her way up to her feet, but Gabite was already charging up his attack, ready to fire at a moment''s notice.

    Strong enough to shatter a Light Screen, the powerful blast would surely destroy her body. Eevee was left with no time to react as the dragon-jawed blast escaped from the roaring Gabite''s mouth, speedily flying towards its vulnerable target.

    Ash was thinking a million thoughts at once.

    One of his Pokemon was about to die. Right in front of him. And the rest of the team.

    And he had no way to stop it. No moves that he could use to save her. No command that he could give her would help, there was no time for her to react.

    Eevee had joined the team just two days ago. And he had already failed her. And now-

    The explosion happened before the blast could reach its target.

    In a split second, Ash and Misty realized that Valiant was no longer in front of them anymore.

    In a flash of light, the young Ralts was standing about halfway between the Evolution Pokemon and the blast''s current position.

    But with the swift speed of the blast, there was no time for Valiant to fully erect a barrier. His Light Screen was incomplete, only half finished, when the Dragon Pulse smashed into him.

    The shockwaves of the explosion generated a strong gust of wind that sent a yelping Eevee rolling a few feet backwards, but she was spared from her fatal fate.

    Valiant was part fairy type. Immune to dragon type moves. But he wasn''t immune to the explosion that was generated from the impact of the blast.

    The Light Screen that he had erected cushioned the blow a little bit, but as it was half finished, it was annihilated even more easily than Staryu''s had been. Some blood sprayed from the young Ralts'' head as he was catapulted into the air.

    The brief moment of surprise that Gabite felt from Valiant''s sudden intrusion was just the distraction that Nebula and Piplup needed. The next moment, before Gabite could act, the dragon was suddenly howling in pain as the combination attack scored a direct hit on him. Pushed backwards by the force of Nebula''s Wind Blast, carrying with it the merciless, frozen might of Piplup''s Icy Wind. The dragon let out a deafening roar of rage and agony as the ice from the attack assaulted his skin, the effectiveness all the more amplified by the force and momentum of Nebula''s powerful attack. He felt his skin grow cold, his back covering with iceˇ­

    Ash took a brief moment to turn his attention to Valiant, sighing with relief as the young Ralts, while bleeding in the head a bit, made his way to his feet, having been caught by a fast moving Pikachu before his body could hit the rocky floors of the caverns. He was still in fighting condition, despite being hurt.

    And looking over to Eevee, she was now on her feet as well, an awed gaze directed towards the psychic/fairy type Pokemon that had saved her life.

    Turning his attention back to Gabite, the dragon was still reeling from the powerful combination attack, doubled over in pain as he desperately gripped at his back in agony.

    Misty took a step forward. "Staryu, Dazzling Gleam!"

    "You too, Valiant!" Ash quickly called out in turn.

    A spinning Staryu flew over Gabite''s head as it directing its pink beam towards the dragon''s already agonized and frozen back. At the same time, Valiant took aim at the behemoth''s face.

    Both attacks landed, inciting more roars of rage and agony from the bulky dragon as Ash gave a follow-up order.

    "Pikachu, Iron Tail! Eevee, Shadow Ball!"

    Now reeling from multiple hits that his typing was vulnerable too, Gabite saw no reprieve as the young mouse bolted his way towards him, metallic tail at the ready. At the same time, Eevee bolted as well, quickly advancing towards her opponent as a Shadow Ball appeared in her jaws.

    Both Pokemon were enhancing their speed with Quick Attack, as per usual. Pikachu leapt upwards, preparing to strike down on the dragon that had nearly taken the life of one of his teammates, while Eevee fired her Shadow Ball at the behemoth that had nearly been her killer.

    Both attacks landed at once, Eevee''s Shadow Ball colliding with Gabite''s chest while Pikachu''s Iron Tail was brought cleanly down on his head.

    Gabite wheezed from the impact of the Shadow Ball, while the metal tail from Pikachu smashed down onto his skull. The next thing Ash, Misty, and their respective teams knew, the large dragon was lying face first on the rocky ground of the caverns, motionless.

    The Rockets were left stunned, backing away slightly as Nebula and Piplup returned to the ground, Valiant teleporting back in front of Ash and Misty while Eevee and Staryu made their way back to their respective trainers. Eevee''s eyes were locked on Valiant, who, despite his bleeding head, greeted the flabbergasted Evolution Pokemon with a raised hand and a smile.

    Only Pikachu chose not to return to everyone else, his feet instead slowly carrying him forward towards the Rockets, his angry gaze fixated on them as his cheeks sparked madly.

    Cyan''s fists were clenched as his knuckles began to turn pale white. "Iˇ­ I lostˇ­ to these brats?!" he shrieked pathetically as Pikachu began to charge.

    Ash didn''t even need to give the order; his starter already knew. The dashing rodent raised his tail as his cheeks crackled with lightning, ready to incapacitate the Rockets-

    The Rockets suddenly parted with a collective yelp as a silver beam with a metallic aura came flying out of the tunnel, aimed right at the charging Pikachu. Crying out in surprise, Pikachu fought against his own momentum to take a leap backwards. The beam struck the ground from where he once was, with such tremendous impact that the young mouse cried out loudly as the wind force from the collision sent him flying across the room.

    Ash, Misty, and their teams all yelped out loud with startled expressions as the kicked-up wind reached all the way towards them, fighting against the shockwaves that threatened to bowl them over. Valiant raised a Light Screen to help protect himself, Eevee hiding behind him while Staryu erected its own Light Screen, while Nebula jabbed two Steel Wings into the ground, Piplup holding onto her for dear life.

    The unconscious bodies, however, were currently capable of no such resistance, flying across the room, with only Gabite not being lifted too highly off of the ground, instead rolling a few feet away in comparison.

    Ash and Misty had their arms crossed protectively in front of their faces as they stumbled backwards, each of them thankfully pressing a hand against the wall before they could fall over completely. Ash looked to see Pikachu catching himself with iron Tail, but couldn''t sigh with relief as he and his friends took in the newcomers.

    Cyan''s face was pale as a masked man made his way out of the shadows. Flanking him was four other men in Team Rocket uniforms, and a Pokemon that Ash recognized as a Scizor.

    The mask hid much of his facial expressions, but it didn''t hide the Iron-Masked Marauder''s snarl.

    "Soˇ­ this is what''s gotten all of you in such a bind? When I heard that a couple of children were doing this, I was already disappointed, but it''s even worse than I thought." His glowering face, hidden beneath his mask, turned its attention to Cyan and the rest of the soldiers, all of whom were miniscule under his brutal gaze. "How are you bumbling cretins so incompetent at managing affairs that this is supposed to be an emergency?!"

    Ash let out an audible gulp as he felt the pit in his stomach growing ever deeper.

    Whoever this guy was, he already wasn''t liking the vibe that he gave off. The sensation of dread that formed in his chest like a bottomless pit just by looking at him. The same pit that extended all the way to his stomach as the masked man began to talk. And that Scizor must have been the one who fired the blast. It was strong. Much stronger than even any of the attacks that that Gabite had just used.

    He inched closer to Misty, practically involuntarily. She seemed to be doing the same. It was as though they were both desperate for the close physical contact make them feel more secure, and less vulnerable.

    Despite knowing that it would not.

    Fear worked in strange ways, sometimes, and it almost felt as though Ash''s own feeling of fright was mocking him with the situation that he was in right now. Any sense of comfort that he might have felt from being close to someone else would just be an illusion of safety that these newcomers could shatter easily, with just a single attack from that Scizor.

    What''s more, Ash knew that he wouldn''t even feel the illusion anyway, that getting close to another was just a desperate attempt to try to feel it. So why was he so determined to even make the attempt in the first place, knowing that it was hopeless? Why even try to get rid of this feeling, when you already know that your methods will never yield any results? Was that, in and of itself, an illusion of comfort?

    Cyan staggered backwards as the Marauder''s gaze pierced into him. "What are you doing here?" He stammered out in panic. "Weren''t you-"

    "Someone from your group sent a distress signal saying that a couple of kids were giving you guys trouble. Sounded pretty mundane, but his tone of voice seemed to imply that you were losing control of the situation. I had most of the squad continue while I rushed up with a few people."

    Cyan was about to demand just who had sent the signal, when he suddenly felt fearful vomit in his throat as Marauder pulled him in with one arm, locked around the man''s head as he grinned sadistically.

    "You know, Agent Cyan? I think I owe you an apology." Marauder''s voice was laced with cruel sarcasm. "When I gave you this mission, I figured it would be a simple one. After all, I was only instructing you and the others to look after the base and keep the rest of the mountain under control while we retrieved the Moon Stone. I guess I thought the assignment would be an easy one for you. Something that you can handle. Stress free, my friend, you know?" he pulled the agent in closer, and Cyan could almost feel his heart ceasing to beat forever as the Marauder''s deadly grin came into full view. "But I must have made a massive oversight. How could I ever forget about the possibility of something like this happening? How could it slip my mind that you and your group would be faced with something as terrifying, horrific, and daunting, as two rookie children?!" the derisive sarcasm in his voice was beginning to give out, the true fury behind his words slowly leaking through his condescending demeanor.

    Ash wanted to grab Misty and run. Even from where he stood, he could feel the monstrousness creeping through this man''s voice, and all he wanted was for them and their teams to be as far away from Team Rocket as possible.

    But he knew that he couldn''t. Scizor''s sharp eyes hadn''t left them, and the powerful bug/steel type looked ready to eviscerate them all at a moment''s notice. That blast that it had fired would have surely obliterated Pikachu if it had made contact, too.

    Their Pokemon all had their eyes locked onto the powerful bug, expressions ranging from either outright fear, or a mixture of fright and anger. Even Staryu, despite seemingly being faceless, trembled in a manner that conveyed genuine horror for the current situation. Valiant was the least fearful of the group, eyes locked onto Scizor with grinding teeth. Even then, however, the sweat flowing down his head was quite visible.

    Daring to spare a glance at Misty, if only for a moment, he could see her face was frozen. She was barely even blinking, not taking her gaze off of Team Rocket. It was like she wanted to gulp, but couldn''t.

    Quickly returning his own gaze to Team Rocket, Ash felt his fists clenched. Taking his eyes off of them would be a bad idea, but it''s not like paying attention to them would suddenly change the situation.

    Perhaps, that too, was an illusion of comfort.

    Marauder released Cyan, roughly shoving him backwards, leaving the terrified man to be caught by a couple of comrades before he could topple over. The force behind Marauder''s push was strong, conveying a great deal of muscle and strength, without much effort needed to speak of it.

    As the masked man walked forward a bit, Ash and his friends reflexively took a small step back, while also not trying to move too much, so as to not provoke Scizor into retaliating. Marauder turned his head to look around the room, surveying the end results of the battle that had just taken place.

    "Honestly, it''s quite the spectacle to see all of these Pokemon from our side out like a light! It''s almost as though you weren''t even able to pin down a couple of children with such a huge numbers advantage!"

    One soldier dared to speak up. "Most of our stronger Pokemon are tired after-" a stern look from Scizor stopped whatever remaining words that there were from exiting his throat, leaving Marauder to continue.

    Ash and Misty suddenly felt sickly as his eyes finally found their way to them. His mask hid his face, leaving them unable to deduce how he felt towards them.

    All they could see was his malicious grin.

    "Children shouldn''t be meddling in our affairs like this. Although, I suppose Cyan and the others probably said something similar. Perhaps words don''t work on you now that you already proved most of this squad wrong?"

    No response. Ash didn''t know what he could say that wouldn''t piss this man off. Was there even a safe response? Was staying silent also wrong? What could he...

    That Scizor was right there.

    A sinister chuckle from the masked man. "Well, someone''s going to pay for wasting my time." his face slowly turned serious. "So, I''ll just skip the dialogue for now-"

    "NEBULA! Reckless, and Steel Wing!" Ash''s tongue moved faster than his brain.

    Apparently, Nebula''s body moved faster than her brain as well. Cloaking herself in the blood-red aura that accompanied her ability, shrieking madly in a manner that didn''t even make Marauder flinch, she rocketed forward towards Scizor, moving at untrackable speeds, metallic wings at the ready-

    THUNK!

    Scizor didn''t even budge as his raised claw, now glowing a metallic blue, was struck by Nebula''s wing.

    Misty''s hands shot up to her mouth as the uselessness of Nebula''s offense became known to everyone else in the room.

    Marauder simply chuckled again. "Metal Claw, Scizor."

    In a flash, Scizor had shoved Nebula away, catapulting her into the air, where, with an amount of sheer flight speed that was far greater than even her own, the bug was suddenly above her. Ash didn''t have time to register the armored bug''s actions as its glowing claw was smashed into Nebula''s stomach. Nebula didn''t even have time to wheeze in pain as she was rocketed towards the ground, landing on the unconscious body of a Zubat, the impact kicking up a great deal of dust as she immediately lost consciousness.

    Before Ash could even react by shouting out his feathered friend''s name, Pikachu acted.

    The mouse''s voice was filled with fury. By the time Scizor returned to the ground, Pikachu''s body was crackling with electricity. Ash and Misty could feel the heat of the sparks as the lightning cloaked Pikachu''s fur, surrounding him as he rushed madly towards his best friend''s assailant.

    It was his first time using Volt Tackle.

    Ash didn''t even have time to shout at Pikachu to stop as the young mouse leapt forward. His cry was animalistic as he shot headfirst towards Scizor''s body, only to be intercepted by another Metal Claw.

    Much like when it had stopped Nebula''s Steel Wing, Scizor made no offensive moves. Simply raising a claw to block the attack, not moving an inch from the force of the impact. Pikachu angrily grinded against Scizor''s defenses, desperately trying to get his opponent to even budge with his attack, but it was to no avail, and he was quickly shoved away.

    As Pikachu was sent flying through the air, Ash threw his arms out to catch his starter Pokemon. His eyes widened as he took in Pikachu''s unconscious form.

    The young mouse was not yet strong enough to handle Volt Tackle. Not that it mattered, because Scizor likely would have retaliated again if he had remained conscious.

    His eyes darting towards Nebula''s body, Ash could feel the vomit building up within him. Two teammates down already. And that armored bug would take care of the rest with no effort.

    A snarl turned his attention towards Valiant, who was holding his head in pain, the emotions radiating throughout the room overwhelming him.

    Tears brimming in his eyes, the young Ralts glowered at Marauder and Scizor, both of whom practically bore holes through Ash and his friends with their merciless gazes. Walking forward, the Feeling Pokemon spread his arms out defiantly, doing his best to remain steadfast despite his shaking legs, and Eevee''s attempts to pull him back.

    Marauder''s gaze was dangerous as he turned his focus to the Ralts. "Heh, another hero in the group, huh? Well Scizor and I don''t have time for those. So if you would be so kind as to just drop dead-"

    Marauder was cut off as Valiant let out a battle cry that carried across the room.

    And then, his body was glowing a pure, bright white.

    Ash''s mind felt jumbled as the Ralts began to grow in height, suddenly replaced with a Kirlia as the light around him dissipated.

    Had it not been for the circumstances, he would have expressed his surprise and shock wholeheartedly.

    It was as though Valiant had called upon the strength of the evolution to power through the bombardment of overwhelmingly painful emotions that he had been detecting.

    If anything, however, it was a moment that they were robbed of. No joy came out of the evolution. Not when they were all about to die, and Ash knew for a fact that Valiant''s sudden evolution wouldn''t turn the tables in their favor, and so did Misty.

    Scizor had already proved its strength against Pikachu and Nebula.

    Marauder''s laughter grew ever so crueler as Valiant continued to stand defiantly between Scizor and his friends, eyes locked dangerously onto the armored bug, as though he was attempting for his glare to split the opposing Pokemon in two.

    It was a nonverbal form of empty words, however, for both Pokemon involved in the nonverbal exchange knew exactly who the far stronger of the two was.

    "I suppose evolving is a pretty good way to spend your final moments." Marauder pointed out dismissively. "I''ll give you an A for effort, Kirlia."

    Ash finally found his voice.

    "Pleaseˇ­" he said. "We just-"

    "So now you''re willing to negotiate?" Marauder cut him off crudely. His fists pressed against his hips as he turned his gaze to the boy, who''s face remained colorless along with Misty''s. "Not exactly the time for that, kid, not when you were so quick to spring into action before." Scizor tensed up as it prepared to launch itself forward, claws beginning to glow again.

    "Ashˇ­" Misty''s voice practically cut itself off as Ash suddenly felt her hands squeezing his arm. He would have winced in pain from how hard she was gripping him had his senses not been jumbled. And the panic in her voice was too great to even register. The fact that they were all about to die hitting her full force, with no more beating around the bush.

    "Scizor," Marauder''s voice was perfectly even, and even uncaring, as he spoke the words. "Go for their hearts."

    Ash finally allowed the scream to escape his throat as Scizor rocketed forward towards them.

    Suddenly, however, he felt a blast of cold air surge by him, a figure rocketing past him and Misty, an icy fist colliding with Scizor''s skull.

    It was now Marauder''s turn to have difficulty registering things, as Scizor was sent sailing through the air, skidding across the ground and struggling to return to its feet, the armored creature''s face dented and icy from the blow.

    Marauder''s face was twisted beneath his mask as he snarled out in response. "Who dares-"

    "Me. No more questions."

    Ash and Misty perked up at the voice, suddenly whirling around at the figures behind them exiting the shadows.

    Ash immediately recognized the silvery-blue haired woman in front of the two men that stepped into the room, and Misty seemed too as well.

    With wide eyes, Ash Ketchum gazed at Karen, of the Indigo Elite Four.

    The young woman was known for being lively, even on camera. She exhibited an aura that was much more casual compared to what you would expect from somebody of her position. Despite being Indigo''s third highest ranked trainer, and one of the world''s most revered dark type trainers, her personality was said to be completely dissonant from the indescribable strength that she possessed.

    None of that was visible today, however.

    Karen''s face was stoic as she strode forward, stopping in between Ash and Misty, both of whom''s gazes followed her movements as though she were a magnet for their eyes. She stood a good deal taller than both of them, her hair falling behind her as her eyes locked onto Marauder.

    Ash briefly found himself lost in gazing at the woman, before his focus suddenly came back, returning his own gaze to Marauder as well.

    Standing in front of the masked commander was a Pokemon that Ash quickly identified as a Weavile. Karen''s Weavile was as infamous as the rest of her team, known for his unbelievable speed and dexterity, and the sheer precision behind each and every one of his attacks. Ash had seen him battle alongside the prodigious Master a good number of times on television, and it was always a spectacle to watch him blur about the battlefield, striking his opponents from nowhere as though his speed made him invisible.

    Behind Marauder, Cyan and the rest of the Rockets were petrified at the site of the woman. Some Rockets made pitiful attempts to stammer out their words, only to come up short of anything to say.

    Although Marauder seemed to keep it together better than his subordinates, he took a couple steps back, sweat piling up behind his mask. "Howˇ­ how did you get here?!" he did his best to ensure that his anger masked his shock as he stammered his words out. "The League shouldn''t have known about-"

    "One of your goons leaked your plans." Karen interrupted cooly. Ash wasn''t sure how to place her voice. Was it elegant? Brash? A mix of both? "You came here to steal the Moon Stone, and you''ve placed the entire mountain on lockdown to secure your mission." she crossed her arms. "Unfortunately for you, you did not take the fastest route to your target. Our men have already gone ahead to intercept yours. We have the entire mountain mapped out, including secret routes that nobody else should be aware of, let alone you thugs." She strode a few more steps forward, the two men following her. Ash and Misty froze as her gaze turned back to them. Her presence was dominating, incredible, and Ash''s breath caught in his throat as her eyes briefly met his. "Stay put, you two. We''ll get you and everyone else out of here."

    Up until now, Ash and Misty''s Pokemon had their gazes locked on the Weavile that had just saved their lives from Scizor, but upon the woman''s declaration, they immediately retreated back to their trainers.

    A tug on the leg from Valiant finally snapped Ash out of his stupor, the boy taking the moment to quickly return the unconscious Pikachu and Nebula to their Poke Balls.

    He felt Misty grip his arm again. It was much less tight this time, her muscles relaxing as the new circumstances behind their situation slowly began to sink in.

    Ash felt it, too. Before, they were alone. Trapped inside of the caverns with Indigo''s worst terrorist organization, the masked man''s Scizor about to tear through all of them as though they were made of crumpling paper.

    But now, the League was here. Their soldiers were here. She was here. The one and only Karen, who''s prowess on the battlefield was rivaled, let alone exceeded, by few trainers in existence.

    It didn''t matter how many Rockets there were to deal with or how strong their Pokemon were. A member of the Indigo Elite Four was here.

    Her gaze was steel as her eyes never left the masked man. "Iron-Masked Marauder." her voice oozed confidence, and professionalism, despite her usual casual demeanor. "One of the most infamous Pokemon Hunters known throughout the world. You''re wanted by three major League''s for crimes that stretch to mass poaching and murder, and have one of the highest bounties ever put on a criminal." her gaze sharpened, the look in her eyes forming into a glare as she bore a hole through all of the Rockets standing behind their masked superior. "I had no idea you had thrown your lot in with Team Rocket, but I suppose I should have expected as much from the likes of you."

    Ash blinked rapidly, his eyes turning to the now significantly calmer Misty to see if she had any knowledge of this information. The look on her face told him she did not.

    Returning his gaze to the confrontation in front of them, Ash inwardly gulped. No wonder this man''s Scizor was so strong. No wonder just his mere presence was so terrifying. He wasn''t anything like any of the other Rockets that he and his friends had encountered up to this point. This one was in a class of criminal reserved for only the world''s most elite evildoers.

    And a Pokemon Hunter, no less. Ash didn''t know much about the occupation outside of the barebones basics. It was an inherently criminal job to have, and often involved poaching illegal Pokemon, or even outright stealing Pokemon from others, and auctioning them off at the black market. Most hunters, particularly the notably successful ones, were infamous for using especially cruel methods at obtaining the Pokemon that they planned to sell. Apparently the most wanted Pokemon hunter on the planet had access to horrifying technology that allowed her to quite literally turn Pokemon into stone temporarily as a means of capturing them.

    The fact that he had crossed paths with such a man even once made Ash''s legs feel as though they would turn to jelly. He was sharing this room with a man that had probably killed more people than years he and his mother had been alive combined. And that was likely putting it lightly.

    As though his confidence was starting to return, Marauder''s lips curved upward.

    "Heh. It''s nice to see the League is proactive enough to keep track of what''s going on elsewhere in the world. I would be flattered if you hadn''t just botched our entire operation." Despite everything, he put his arms to his chest and performed a mock bow. "Yes, I am the famed Iron-Masked Marauder, butcher of many unbearable souls and one of the most accomplished Pokemon hunters who hold the world of the black market in the palm of their hand." his head lifted upward as his eyes blazed with rage from behind his mask. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Elite Four Karen, Princess Of The Shadows."

    Ash had always loved Karen''s moniker, an enigmatic title that she had voluntarily dubbed herself as to the public before even winning the Conference. But hearing such a horrific man snarling it through his teeth with the seething hatred of a provoked Gyarados made his stomach churn.

    One of Karen''s men glared dangerously at the masked hunter as Marauder righted himself, eyes not leaving the Weavile that was currently clicking his claws together in preparation.

    "It''s over, Marauder. Your operation has been thwarted, and you and your squad will be behind bars before you can blink."

    "And as for you, specifically." Karen''s glare would have terrified Ash and Misty if she was facing them. "Once we''re done getting whatever information that we can out of you, we''ll either ensure that you never see the sun again, or ship you off to one of the other places that you have wronged with your demonic presence. I hear that one particular Region that you are wanted in has even considered giving you the death penalty."

    Marauder''s teeth grinded with livid ferocity as he glared lasers into Karen''s eyes, as though he was trying to kill her with his own gaze as the sweat behind his mask drenched his face.

    Behind him, Cyan and the other Rockets looked as though they were already dead.

    They knew that this wasn''t a fight that they could win. Any victory that they may have hoped for was immediately dashed the moment the Indigo League Elite Four had come knocking.

    "Ummmˇ­ Sir-"Cyan began to stutter.

    "QUIET!" Marauder roared, only to flinch as Weavile made a motion in response to his raised voice. Behind him, Cyan and the Rockets whimpered at their impending doom.

    "Enough, Marauder." said Karen sternly. Her tone of voice was inspiring, Ash''s eyes and ears enamored with the way that she carried herself, and how she spoke to such a dangerous man. "You''re coming with us." she gestured to Weavile, who sneered demandingly at the Rockets and their masked leader. "Now, stand down."

    Relief continued to wash over Ash for the briefest of moments, only to abruptly be replaced with apprehension as the masked man began to chuckle.

    His laughter was dark. Deep. Hollow. A thoughtless, uncaring noise that rumbled from his throat.

    Suddenly a Poke Ball was in the man''s hand.

    "Sorry, Princess," Marauder snarled in defiance as he raised the ball in front of his face. "But there are ways out of situations even like this!"

    He chucked the orb into the air. First there was a bright flash of light.

    And then there was terror.

    Crashing down to the ground was a Pokemon that could not simply be described as a behemoth. The towering figure that loomed over the two groups was a Pokemon that struck fear into the hearts of nearly every human in the world.

    It stood several feet tall. Was bipedal. Its hide was like a suit of armor.

    Its towering appearance, the monstrous aura that its presence gave off, it all immediately did away with any sense of relief that had previously overcome Ash, Misty, and their teams.

    Ash''s eyes were filled with agonizing fright as the creature rose to its full height. He and Misty helplessly gazed up towards the monstrosity of a Pokemon that had been let loose by the Iron-Masked Marauder. Its eyes were filled with murder.

    And above all else, the roar that it let out was a horrific, deafening, mind numbing noise that had Ash, Misty, and their Pokemon all screaming in pain, fright, and panic as their hands desperately shot up to their ears.

    There were many dangerous Pok¨¦mon in the world. Some were more feared than others. Other Pok¨¦mon still may have been placed in a special tier of dangerous beasts that all trainers in the world needed to be wary of at all costs.

    But there were very few Pok¨¦mon in the world with the murderous bloodlust, and consistent reputation, of Tyranitar.

    Classified as a "Grade S Threat" by analysts who were known for examining the wild, Tyranitar were notorious for their absurd raw power, even among completely untrained members of their species, astronomical durability credited to the thickness of their armor-esque hide, along with their infamous, animalistic rage. Taming such a creature was considered one of the greatest feats that any trainer could ever accomplish, and they were among the rarest Pokemon to ever be seen in battle as a result.

    Marauder didn''t waste any time.

    "Tyranitar, Hyper Beam! Upwards!"

    Ash and Misty''s eyes practically bulged out of their skulls.

    "WHAT?!" Karen''s composure was suddenly gone.

    "THAT MADMAN!" A League soldier screeched.

    Weavile was about to spring into action, but it had already been done.

    Tyranitar''s head craned upwards towards the ceiling of the caverns. An orb of bright, orange, white, and purple energy forming in its maw.

    And then it fired.

    The malicious beam of light soared in a straight, vertical line as it tore through the rocky ceiling of the room. It continued onwards, barreling through the levels of the mountain above them, and suddenly, the cavern began to shake.

    It started out as a light tremble. An instant later, it grew in intensity. Soon, the cavern and the very earth around them had become the site of a terrifying tremor.

    Rocks were falling from the ceiling. Ash was struggling to maintain his footing as what felt like an earthquake shook the room around all of them.

    The rocks were falling at a faster and faster rate. And they were increasing in size, too. Ash covered his head with his hands as an involuntary shriek escaped from his lips.

    "KAREN!" one of the soldiers shouted. "EVERYTHING IS COLLAPSING!"

    "Valiant! Eevee! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Ash''s mind was beginning to stop working again.

    "Staryu, Piplup!" He could hear Misty''s cries.

    "HOLD ON, EVERYBODY!" Karen''s voice echoed over the chaos as Ash, Misty, and their teams finally lost their composure.

    Suddenly, everything was black.

 Unforgiving Encounter pt 2

    The darkness slowly began to give out to light as Ash''s eyes fluttered open.

    Where was he?

    He wasn''t in the caverns anymore. He was gazing up at a pure, white ceiling with an overhead light. The room was comfortably lit all around. Nothing like the dim, darkness of the caverns of Mt. Moon.

    Looking off to his side, he saw a window at the end of the room. Raindrops rolled down the glass.

    What had happened?

    The memories. They all came rushing to the surface at once, against his will. The Rockets that had chased him and Misty throughout the mountain, Valiant''s evolution, the cave in-

    Ash suddenly jolted upwards in his bed as panic filled his mind.

    What had happened to them?! Where were they?! Where-

    He felt something brush against his arm, and turned to see Valiant at his side, Eevee slightly behind the newly evolved Kirlia.

    Valiant was looking at him with relief, as though a great deal of stress had been lifted off of his chest. Looking over at Eevee, her face seemed very troubled. Shaken.

    Ash couldn''t let the relief flow through him for too long, however. Valiant and Eevee were okay, but where was Misty? And what about the Egg in his backpack? And-

    "Thank the Guardian Mew, you''re awake." Ash, Valiant, and Eevee turned to see Nurse Joy entering the room. The look on her face sent a surge of warmth through his body, her voice like a soft, warm blanket wrapping around his body as her hand briefly rested on his shoulder. The tension in his muscles intensified for a split second, before subsiding in gradual relief. "Your friend Misty woke up a little while ago. She''s speaking to Elite Four Karen and Officer Jenny right now."

    Ash nodded as his racing heart slowly began to calm, not processing the soothing woman''s words as fast as his mind.

    "Is all of my stuff intact?" he asked nervously. "I had a couple teammates still in their Poke Balls, and an Egg-"

    "They''re all fine." she quickly cut him off with a raised hand. Her face was neutral, but her voice remained as comforting and relieving as ever. "Your Pikachu and Staravia are recovering from their injuries. Misty says that they got knocked out by a Scizor. Your Egg isn''t damaged. You were teleported out of the cave before any of the rocks could damage it. I looked it over as thoroughly and compulsively as possible to make sure it was unscathed, and its actually due to hatch soon."

    It was Valiant''s evolution all over again. Ash normally would have been over the moon to hear that the mysterious Egg of theirs was going to be hatching soon, but with everything that had happened todayˇ­

    Still, Ash finally allowed the sense of relief to overcome him as Nurse Joy filled him in.

    According to her, he and Misty had passed out from a panic attack when the cave in started. That Iron-Masked Marauder guy had caused the entire cavern to collapse so that he could teleport away in the chaos while Karen and the League were preoccupied. Karen and her soldiers had managed to teleport all of them to safety, but apparently several Rockets had already been discovered in the rubble. Not all of them had been able to escape.

    Right now, they were at the Pokemon Center in between Mt. Moon and Cerulean City. He had been out for about three hours now. But he was here. Away from harm. Away from the Rockets. Away from that horrible monster in a mask. Away from it all.

    What still made him feel stressed was Nurse Joy revealing that most of the trainers that had been held hostage by the Rockets were still unaccounted for. No confirmed deaths or serious injuries, thankfully, as the cave in hadn''t reached them, but it also made it more difficult for the League to get to them. The soldiers were currently in the middle of rescuing and retrieving them, while keeping an eye out for any remaining Rockets. Karen was planning to join them soon.

    Team Rocket''s reason for taking over the mountain was to steal the Moon Stone. Ash had heard of it before. It was said to be the origin of the evolutionary stone of the same name, and was also fabled in legend to be made of magical, and one-of-a-kind material that could power up Pokemon. Team Rocket''s plan was probably to try and harness the power of the legendary rock, and potentially sell it on the black market to make money off of the material if the rumors turned out to be false.

    The terrorists had apparently gained access to what was supposed to be secret information regarding the mountain''s layout, taking what they thought was the quickest path to the Moon Stone. Nobody had any idea how they had gotten ahold of such vital info, but thankfully, there was even more advanced information that they didn''t have access to. Additional secret paths that only people of Karen''s rank even knew existed. The League''s forces had made use of this info to reach the Moon Stone before the Rockets could, although the squad that had been sent to steal the legendary rock had apparently retreated after Marauder did.

    Now it was the League''s turn to place the mountain under lockdown, and Karen''s squad hadn''t been the only one to pursue the Rockets, either. Apparently Brock had led a team of his own on the other entrance to the caverns. The entire mountain had been placed under siege to trap the Rockets in, forcing them to teleport away. But since only a select few of them had the means to do so, the majority were sitting ducks.

    "Do you have any other questions, Mr. Ketchum?" Nurse Joy''s voice remained gentle and sincere, having delivered the entire story as precisely, yet delicately as possible.

    Ash gave her a grateful smile, trying to mask his sadness but not quite succeeding, and shook his head.

    "I''m fine for now. Thank you."

    She still seemed to be concerned, but gave him a kind smile nonetheless.

    "I''m glad. I''ll go tell them you''re awake. Misty wasn''t happy about having to leave you while you were still unconscious. Your Kirlia needed to persuade her."

    Ash gave Valiant a curious glance, and recieved a simple shrug in response. He patted the Kirlia''s head in thanks as Nurse Joy exited the room.

    "Thanks for everything you did today, pal." he did his best to put on a kind smile as he looked between his two friends. Valiant was now a decent deal taller than Eevee, standing at about a foot taller than he previously had been as a Ralts. "You even saved Eevee."

    Eevee brushed against the Kirlia a bit, the young psychic turning his head to face her at the contact.

    Ash suddenly flinched as the image of Eevee nearly getting pulverized by Gabite''s Dragon Pulse entered his mind. And his face paled as he remembered the image of that Tyranitarˇ­

    He felt Valiant brushing against his arm again, and even Eevee made a gesture of her own, lightly licking at his skin. He offered them a grateful smile.

    They weren''t at Mt. Moon anymore. And Ash didn''t plan on going back anytime soon. He''d take the Viridian Forest over that any day.

    "Congratulations on evolving, Valiant." Ash attempted to ease himself further by bringing up something good. "I''ll bet you''re a lot stronger, now, but you''re probably hungry, right?"

    Valiant pointed to a desk besides the bed. An empty bag of Pokemon food was sitting there. So Nurse Joy had already fed him. No doubt the evolution had upped his appetite considerably for the moment. He''d have to feed Valiant extra food for a while.

    Not to mention the food that they would need for the baby Pokemon when it hatched. Would it be a big eater?

    "Ash?!" the door flew open, and the trio turned to see Misty bolting into the room. She appeared unscathed, to his relief, and her face lit up upon seeing him awake.

    "Hey, Misty." he raised a hand to wave to her, hoping to quell any remaining concerns that his new friend might have. "I''m glad you''re okay." It seemed to work, and the girl became a little less frantic as she approached him.

    "Whew, likewise." She took a seat next to his bed. "Karen just got done questioning me when Nurse Joy told us you were awake. You sure you''re okay?"

    The frown on her face almost felt foreign. Knowing Gary, he probably would have been disappointed that Tyranitar hadn''t devoured him.

    Ash mustered a smile "Misty, I''m fine, really." he took a breath. "How are you?"

    Her muscles tensed at the question as she struggled to offer even a sad grin. "I''m... no worse than you, I promise."

    He wanted to say more, but all attention in the room quickly returned to the door as it opened once more, and Ash immediately gawked as the newcomer stepped inside.

    It was Karen.

    The dark Master''s face displayed an uneasily gentle grin as her eyes fell on him. "Hey, kiddo. Good to see you''re alright. Had to borrow your friend for a moment."

    Ash felt the largest gulp of his life in his throat, and his face suddenly grew hot.

    The Karen was right in front of him. The winner of his favorite Conference (and tournament) ever. One of the five people who helmed the Indigo Plateau, representing everything he aspired for himself to become. The third strongest trainer across Indigo''s entirety at only eighteen years of age, and one of the Pokemon world''s greatest and most famous prodigies. Not to mention she wasn''t exactly uglyˇ­

    "K-Karen of the Elite Fourˇ­" he choked out weakly as he suddenly felt sweat rolling down his cheeks. Valiant and Eevee looked at him with mild concern while Misty just snorted. Although, there was an undetected hint of gentleness in the orange-haired girl''s eyes.

    Brushing a strand of silvery-blue hair aside, the young woman smiled cheekily at Ash''s expression. "Settle down there, kid. I could do without the formalities. The old hag''s always trying to shove them down my throat. Your name is Ash, wasn''t it?"

    Old hag? Was she talking about Agatha?

    Trying to straighten himself a bit, Ash nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah. That''s me."

    Karen nodded. Magnificence radiated from her very presence in the room, clashing with her friendly expression. "Nurse Joy said she filled you in on everything while I was talking to your friend here." she glanced at Misty. "I was going to check on you anyway before I left. Sorry aboutˇ­" Her face turned apologetic and sincere. "Well, everything, really."

    "Itˇ­ wasn''t because of you." Ash was starting to find his words, but the heat in his face persisted.

    "I know it wasn''t." the woman responded. She shifted in place, running a hand through her beautiful hair. "But you kids shouldn''t have had to go through the crap that just went down. Team Rocket has been surprisingly active this Season, but this was definitely one of their most large scale operations. I never thought they''d try to seize an entire mountain like that." her face suddenly darkened, losing some of its elegance. "And I definitely didn''t expect them to have hired that piece of human filth into their ranks."

    She was talking about the masked man that had led the raid, Ash quickly realized.

    "Youˇ­ know a lot about him?" He asked uneasily.

    "Never met the guy until today." she admitted. "But you can''t be someone of my position and not have heard of such a high-profile criminal. We receive updated lists of the most wanted people out there fairly frequently. He''s incredibly high, and among the Pokemon hunters specifically, currently second to the top."

    Ash winced, almost in genuine pain. So this day really had been a close call, even moreso than he had realized beforehand.

    "He escaped, right?" he asked nervously.

    "Yeah." Misty answered with a frown. Suddenly, her face was dark as well. "Karen told me everything. Apparently that bastard caused the entire cave in just so he could flee while we were all distracted. He didn''t even care whether or not his own men were able to make it out with him. And all of those Pokemon were still scattered across the room after our fight. He just left them all to die there, when they weren''t even awake to even try and escape."

    A new sensation of fear surged through Ash''s chest. Someone like that who held their own "comrades" in so little value certainly wouldn''t be the type to lose any amount of sleep over killing anyone else. He almost pitied the rest of the Rockets for being stuck under the command of such a man. Was it selfish that his own relief for being alive overtook that pity, however?

    The Rockets had tried to kill him, Misty, and their friends. Many would say that they had gotten their own due karma, killed and backstabbed by their own superior in the middle of a full blown operation the very moment that things got tough for them. But even thinking along those lines disgusted Ash.

    An evil human was still a human. A Pokemon being commanded by a terrorist organization was still a Pokemon. Were all of those Rockets truly deserving of death? And what about the Pokemon? They could very easily range from taking after their own trainers, to just being loyal and following orders.

    How much evil could somebody commit before it was appropriate for their death to be celebrated? Where was that line drawn? Could taking joy in somebody else''s demise ever, truly, be justified?

    Ash felt his head start to hurt.

    "You alright?" he heard Misty ask him gently. Turning to her, her expression was... soft.

    Ash attempted a reassuring smile. "Sorry, zoned out for a moment."

    "You do that a lot." She sounded more sympathetic than exasperated.

    "It''s understandable." the two turned their attention to Karen again. "I recommend that you two take it easy for a couple of days. Cerulean City is a day or less away from here if you walk, so it won''t be a long trip, but you really should get everything together before you get back on the road." her expression darkened again for a moment. "And don''t worry about that damned hunter. He''s just added another Region on his list of places where he''s wanted; and another League to the list of those who are after him. Now that we know that he''s here, the Indigo League''s entire empire is coming down on him."

    "Good." Misty''s tone of voice turned fierce, reflecting her aggressive expression as though a switch had been flipped, and a chill shot down Ash''s spine. "Throw him in a cell for all I care. Or a coffin. Whichever one''s more convenient for you."

    "Easy there, kiddo." Karen''s expression softened. "I get that you''re angry, but you shouldn''t have to be the one to think such things." She looked between the two kids, along with Valiant and Eevee. "Your journeys are supposed to be an experience you''ll never forget. Memories that will be carried with you forever. I''m sorry Team Rocket has tainted those memories today." she sighed. "The best advice that I can give is to stay as far away from them as possible. And do everything that you can to notify the authorities if they ever do strike. I know today, that wasn''t possible for you, but just advice for the future. For now, just get some rest, and once you''re situated, try to focus on making memories that are worth remembering. I''ll do everything in my power to ensure that those who try to ruin those memories won''t get away with it."

    Ash looked at the Elite Four member in awe, the red returning to his cheeks.

    ''She''s just as amazing as she is on television.'' He thought to himself. ''I''ll bet the others are, too.''

    Staying here a couple of days or so was for the best, too. To give them time to recuperate, not to mention Valiant will have a chance to break in his evolution. And the Egg was about to hatch, too.

    Karen nodded at him. "Ash, the police and I have already spoken to Misty, so we won''t have to pull you away. You two just hang tight. I gotta get back to the mountain and get to work. See you around." flashing them a smile that sparked more heat in Ash''s face, the dark Master bid farewell with a casual wave. "For the record, you were fairly impressive to hold out for as long as you did. Keep on growing stronger, okay?"

    "Thanks for helping us!" Ash quickly called out as the door closed behind her.

    Misty sighed as she turned back to the boy. "Well, that''s one way to meet one of the greatest trainers in the world."

    "Yeahˇ­" barely hearing her, Ash trailed off absentmindedly as he continued to stare at the door.

    He had actually met Karenˇ­ The circumstances were awful butˇ­ he had actually spoken to her face to face. She had even said his name! He wondered what she thought of him. Should he tell his mother about this? Wait, but then she''d know about the Rockets. Should he change the story or-

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "You''re spacing out again, aren''t you?" he jolted in the hospital bed at Misty''s deadpan declaration.

    "S-Sorry about that!" his face felt like it was on fire. Hearing a couple of giggles off to his side, he frowned in defeat as he saw Valiant and Eevee gazing up at him in amusement.

    Misty rolled her eyes in mild annoyance, but offered a friendly grin to her new friend. "Whatever, I''ll give you a pass for now." she rose from her seat. "Anyway, you still tired? Nurse Joy said she''ll register a room for us when we''re ready."

    Ash slowly made his way out of the hospital bed, but felt a light rumbling in his stomach.

    "Actuallyˇ­" he started as Valiant and Eevee both made their way behind him. "I think I could go for something to eat. What time is it?"

    "Early evening." said Misty thoughtfully. Her smile returned. "Alright, cafeteria it is, then. Let''s get going." she gestured towards the door as she made her way out of the room, Ash, Valiant, and Eevee in tow.

    Yesˇ­ some food would do all of them quite well, right now.

    /

    In an unknown location, the Iron-Masked Marauder sat on top of a hill, a few of the other Rockets down at the bottom. In this area, there was no rain, although it was still mostly cloudy. A few, occasional holes in the clouds made way for the stars in the night sky. The soldiers at the bottom of the hill were currently keeping themselves entertained with a game of cards while they awaited further instructions.

    The masked man was currently gazing at a laptop, conversing with the frustrated figure on the other end.

    "So this is what I have to expect from the legendary hunter himself?" Archer snarled at the fairly unintimidated Pokemon hunter. "Several of my men dead because of your own worthless actions, and no Moon Stone to even speak of it?!" he leaned back in his chair, a look of disgust on his face. "Honestly, I don''t even know what to say. Your first mission ended in failure, and first impressions mean a lot when you''re a part of Team Rocket. Yours isn''t exactlyˇ­ ideal, I''ll have you know."

    Marauder snorted, fairly unimpressed. "And what were you expecting, commander? That things would go off without a hitch once that dark type bitch showed up? You of all people would know that there isn''t a soul within this organization that could stand against the likes of Karen. Most people in the world would have better luck trying to touch the roof of a skyscraper than win against someone like her. The mission was over the moment she showed up." he crossed his arms dismissively. "You run a large scale terrorist organization, for crying out loud. You''re one of the smart ones, right? So there''s no way you''re ignorant enough to deny something like that. Escaping was the only success that we could expect from ourselves at that point."

    "That may be trueˇ­" Archer''s face remained sharp. "But your little escape method sacrificed almost every soldier in the room with you. And now the rest of our members in the mountain will get rounded up by the League in no time." his glare turned dangerous. "That woman better not have been overselling you, Iron-Masked Marauder."

    A confident grin spread across Marauder''s masked face. "Tch, as if, Commander. You''ve seen the rankings for yourself, haven''t you? Besidesˇ­" he leaned forward towards the screen. Archer was not intimidated, or even responsive. "The President is a perfectionist. Flaws of any kind are a sinful blemish to her." his grin widened. "Soˇ­ knowing that, do you really think that I would be in her good graces if my reputation was even remotely exaggerated?

    "I suppose not." Archer admitted, although his stern facial expression did not change.

    A satisfied Marauder leaned back away from the screen. "Really, I''d say that it speaks for itself, so wouldn''t you too? Besides, Cyan, and most of the other soldiers at the mountain, were far from irreplaceable. As were the Pokemon that died or were taken by the League''s forces. It''s just an inconvenience to you. Most of the worthwhile soldiers made it out in one piece, and sometimes, a few sacrifices here and there are necessary to ensure that."

    "There''s no need to lecture me about sacrifice, Hunter." Archer''s tone was serious. "I''ve made more sacrifices in my life than someone in your own line of work would in order to get to where I currently am today. And I will continue to make those sacrifices tenfold, in order to tear down Indigo''s empire and put this era to an end."

    Marauder smirked, although a small part of his smile was actually surprisingly genuine. "Heh, looking forward to that, Commander. Truth be told, I''m actually quite excited for the show that''s to come."

    "Only because you have minimal personal stakes in it." Archer snorted. "As long as you just keep on looking out for yourselves and are never caught, you, that clown, and everyone else who was loaned to us could just go running right back over to your usual employer if our cause ends up failing. It''s not all or nothing for you guys like it is for the rest of us."

    Behind the mask, Marauder rolled his eyes. "Perhaps you have a point, but that doesn''t mean I''m not dedicated. I chose to come here, did I not? She only recommended me to you. You were the one who took her up on the offer, and I was the one who took you up on yours. And the same goes for everyone else. not to mention..." a flame lit up in his eyes behind the mask. "The long-term mission that you have planned... Operation Origin, you called it?" his tongue almost licked his lips as he crossed his arms with confidence. "I wouldn''t miss it for the world. Not the universe, not every ounce of money on the planet. We are fully committed to lending our strength to Team Rocket. I promise you."

    Archer''s eyes narrowed. "Very well, but remember that I''ve got my eye on you. All of you. But for now, report to the nearest base, along with the rest of the soldiers that are currently with you, and remain there until further orders are given to all of you."

    Marauder nodded. "Understood, Commander."

    The connection cut off.

    /

    The rain continued to fall outside of the Pokemon Center. It was now late in the night, and the dark clouds along with the absence of daylight made the area outside practically pitch black as the once modest rain turned into a downpour.

    As it was meant for two people, Ash and Misty''s room was quite spacious, with two beds roughly a couple of meters apart from one another. Misty had picked the bed that was closer to the window, which provided a somber view of the rain falling outside. They were on the second floor of the Center, so the view was fairly good.

    The two friends had finished eating before getting their room key from Nurse Joy. Pikachu and Nebula had also finished recovering. Once they had settled into their new room, they had each taken turns taking showers and changing into their pajamas.

    The two friends were seated a couple of feet apart on Ash''s bed, Ash on the very end and Misty on the side, looking off towards the window. Her orange hair was down, and she looked quite different without her usual side ponytail.

    Their respective teams were currently spread out across the room as well. Each with their own selected spots to spend the night at. Misty''s Eevee had selected Misty''s bed as her resting spot, while Nebula was at the windowsill as usual. Pikachu was lying down next to Ash on his bed. Valiant sat next to the young mouse, looking off at the Pokemon Egg that was currently resting in a blanket on the desk ahead of them. Ash''s own Eevee had curled up on a pillow near Ash''s bed, with Jigglypuff choosing to accompany her on a pillow of her own. Piplup and Staryu each had their own respective pillows nearby Misty''s own bed.

    Despite the sleeping arrangements for the group being in place, everyone was still awake, albeit fairly relaxed for the most part. Misty''s Eevee and Jigglypuff, having not been part of the incident from today, had the easiest time settling down, and Pikachu and Nebula were rejuvenated from their treatment. Nevertheless, Ash''s mouse and bird duo were far from mentally relaxed. The healed muscles in their bodies certainly gave them a soothing feeling, but their brains kept flashing back to the ordeal from today.

    But it was Ash, Misty, Valiant, Staryu, Piplup, and Ash''s Eevee who were the most affected. All had been present for the cave collapse, which kept replaying through their minds on occasion.

    Ash and Misty would often remind themselves (and occasionally each other) that they weren''t in Mt Moon''s caverns anymore. That it was over. They were no longer seemingly trapped within endless caves, with only limited sources of light that almost ironically reminded them of how dark that it actually was, and with rocks surrounding them from every direction, including above and below them. That they were not dealing with Team Rocket anymore. That they were within the safety of the Pokemon Center, with hospitality and luxury to soothe them and help them recover from their traumatic ordeal.

    But every now and then, images of the cave in would fill their minds. Even within the security of the Center, the recollection of the falling rocks, pursuing Team Rocket soldiers, and towering Tyranitar would constantly make itself known. It heightened their appreciation for the Pokemon Center''s comfort, while simultaneously making it much more difficult for them to actually enjoy it. Every now and then, even during their casual interactions with one another, there was a lingering fear in the back of both trainers'' minds that the sound of the raindrops outside would be replaced with shouting Team Rocket soldiers and a roaring Tyranitar, and that the perfectly normal ceiling above their heads would suddenly be replaced with falling rocks that threatened to end them.

    Valiant''s absentminded expression told Ash that he was having the same thoughts, and the young boy wouldn''t be too surprised if the rest of the Pokemon that were present for the cave in were too.

    But the growing fatigue thankfully made it a bit more difficult to dwell on such fear and paranoia, although neither trainer was ready to go to sleep just yet. Settling into the Pokemon Center had certainly relaxed their nerves, but their minds still dwelled on the traumatic events of the day, and in general, they still weren''t tired enough to hurry under the covers of their respective beds.

    They weren''t really doing anything at the moment. The television wasn''t on, and neither of the young trainers were distracting themselves with any tasks of sorts.

    Just enjoying the fact that they were in the Pokemon Center''s hotel room, and not the deep caverns of Mt. Moon.

    Still, neither of them were quite enjoying the silence anymore, and Misty broke the ice.

    "You know." she said, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "We really are lucky that they apparently used up most of their stronger Pokemon on all of the other Trainers. Can you imagine what would have happened ifˇ­" she trailed off knowingly.

    "Yeahˇ­" Ash responded. "Speaking of whichˇ­ How do you think it''s going for the League? Rescuing the other Trainers, I mean?"

    "We can always ask Nurse Joy tomorrow, I suppose." Misty nodded. "I was thinking too, anyway. I''m sure they''re all fine, though. The worst is over, right?" it almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself of such. "Besides, I''m sure the League has done this plenty of times before, and now they have a member of the Elite Four with them. It should be a piece of cake."

    Ash nodded in response. He really shouldn''t be worrying, right? Karen and the rest of the Elite Four were all perfect. And so was Champion Lance. They had never failed before. Retrieving the trainers trapped in the caverns would be effortless for them. Right?

    Deciding to change the subject, Ash turned his head towards his friend. "Soˇ­ are you happy to go back to Cerulean?" he certainly found himself missing Pallet Town, even with the constant calls with his mom. He honestly felt just a little bit jealous that Misty would already be able to pay a visit to her own home city. He would really love to see his mother in person.

    To his surprise, however, Misty was wearing a conflicted frown. "Ehˇ­ it''s no big deal. Personally I wouldn''t mind if it took a little bit longer."

    Ash raised a brow. "Butˇ­ aren''t you happy to be going back to somewhere that you know? To see your family or-"

    Misty laughed a bit. "That kind of stuff can wait. My family isn''t really anything to get excited about. If anything, I was glad to be off on my own."

    Now Ash was REALLY confused. He couldn''t imagine being glad to leave any family behind. Throughout his childhood, Delia was mostly all that he had. Trucy was the main outlier, but he would have never been able to become a Pokemon trainer without the support from his mom.

    But... he tried to consider. Misty probably didn''t have the kind of life that he did. She was a confident and pretty girl, who likely wasn''t targeted by her own peers, and, given her mannerisms, probably wouldn''t have taken half the crap that Gary and his cronies had thrown at Ash himself. She likely had a far better social life than he did. Or, at the very least, a much less antagonistic one.

    Even so, Ash couldn''t really fathom why she wouldn''t be over the moon to see her own family. And if not themˇ­ wouldn''t she have any close friends that she was looking forward to seeing again?

    "What aboutˇ­ friends?" Ash asked carefully. "I''m sure you-"

    "I have friends." she confirmed casually. "But seeing them again means seeing my folks again, and I can do without that." she crossed her arms. "Obviously, I need to get that badge from the Gym, but that''s all that I''m really excited about. I''ll be in and out of the Gym and off on my journey again. Besides, my friends won''t really need anything more than a quick hello."

    Ash was suddenly curious, in an uncharacteristic manner that caught him off guard, but he didn''t want to pry. He''d known her for two days. It wasn''t his place. It didn''t stop his curiosity, but he did his best to push that away.

    Misty''s personal life was her own. He had no reason to try and barge in. So he would not.

    "You know," he perked up at her voice. "A couple friends of mine might like to see you. They''re both pretty big fans of foreign Pokemon, and one of them is also a pretty big Pikachu fan. Meeting your team would practically guarantee a good day for them."

    Ash turned himself away from the Egg, which Valiant remained focused on, albeit absentmindedly, to face Misty''s direction. Her offer took him by surprise, but he couldn''t stop the small smile that made its way to his face as he looked over at her. "Heh, I guess I could do that. Wouldn''t hurt. Are they planning to be Pokemon trainers?"

    "Coordinators, specifically." Misty responded.

    Coordinators. They were a different class of Pokemon tainer who competed in Pokemon Contests. Although not as big as the Conference, they were easily, far and away the second most popular form of Pokemon training. The world of Pokemon Contests was still fairly young compared to the traditional form of Pokemon training, but it had quickly become a tradition in its own right.

    Although the Sinnoh Region was still very easily the Pokemon Contest capital of the world (some aspiring Coordinators even heading over to Sinnoh at the start of their respective journeys even if they were not actually from the Region), Kanto and Hoenn had saw great traction over the past decade or so, and Johto was beginning to build a fairly sizable Pokemon Contest scene for itself. Apparently Kalos had also adopted its own profession that had its own similarities to the traditional Pokemon Coordinator sport.

    Sometimes, Ash had entertained the idea of entering a Contest for himself, just to try it out. He wasn''t too sure if he would or not, yet, though. It could be an enjoyable distraction to do for fun, but he would need to find the appropriate time to do so. Not to mention, he had never been in front of a very large crowd before, but this was something that he would already need to get used to for the Conference if he wanted to make it to the Indigo Plateau this Season. Perhaps, in that sense, it would be great practice for it?

    "That sounds like a fun goal to have." the commented, suddenly hoping to keep the conversation going. "It''s probably not as stressful, either." Not as stressful as what traditional Pokemon training has to offer. But still equally involved and committed.

    "Yeah, it has its appeal." Misty admitted. "But if I''m going to become the greatest Water Type Pokemon trainer ever, then I need to focus on the stressful stuff. Those two buddies of mine are a bit more interested in the flashy, performance-like nature of Pokemon Contests, but I''m planning on mastering the typing." she looked up towards the ceiling in thought. "Obviously I''m not just restricting myself to it, but it''s definitely what I want to focus on."

    Ash giggled a bit. "I''m surprised your delving into it so early. It''s not usual for a beginner. Because they-"

    "Need to have prior experience to cover the weaknesses of the typing?" Misty finished for him. She snorted. "Heard that before, buster. Maybe it''s the safer option to take, but head starts have their own benefits. You can''t reach the top without being fearless."

    Ash blinked. It wasˇ­ certainly not an incorrect ideology to have.

    "You''re bold." he blurted out. He chuckled a bit. "It''s honestly kind of scary."

    Misty shot him a dirty look. "Oh? So now I''m scary because I have agency? You''ve got a long way to go if you get intimidated that easily."

    Ash raised his hands defensively. "That''s not what I meant! I''m just a bit surprised at how bold you''re being. It''s not what I''d expect."

    Her lips slyly curved upwards. "Of course you wouldn''t. I mean, at least my face doesn''t turn into a tomato like yours did when you saw Karen."

    Ash froze at the comment, and suddenly, he could practically feel the exaggerated redness on his cheeks as his face grew hot.

    Misty''s smirk turned to a grin as her finger shot out to point at him. "Hey, look, it''s doing it again! You''ll hold still for the camera, right?"

    In shame, Ash''s hands shot up to his face, as though a desperate attempt to hide it, and an embarrased moan escaped from his lips.

    Misty pouted. "Hey! You can''t cover your face up like that! That''s cheating!" She turned over to Valiant. "Hey, Valiant! Could you use your powers real quick to pry off your trainer''s arms-" she paused upon noticing the look on his face. It was a lot more intent than before.

    Curious, she followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as they landed upon the Egg.

    It was glowing a deep, whitish blue. She turned to Ash.

    "Ash! Quickly! The Egg!"

    Perking up, Ash uncovered his face and gasped as she saw the Egg. Racing over to it with Misty in tow, he was quickly joined by Pikachu, who leapt up onto the desk to observe the Egg more closely, and Valiant, who teleported onto the desk for the same exact reasons. The rest of the team stayed put, but took notice.

    All eyes were on the Egg.

    What felt like millions of thoughts flowed through Ash''s mind at once. It hadn''t been too long ago that Elacia had given him the Egg, but it almost felt like an eternity. He had been so excited to find out what it would be hatching into, and finally-

    The glow brightened as Ash and Misty squinted, covering their eyes with their hands as the first few signs of cracks began to form on the outer shell. The glow continued to grow brighter until it eventually started to fade, more and more cracks outlining the Egg''s surface.

    Finally, the top opened up.

    The Egg shell fell onto the desk as everybody looked on in simultaneous suspense and excitement.

    First, a snout found its way out of the Egg. The lower part of the creature''s jaw, still within the Egg shell, began gnawing away at it, causing the front end of the eggshell to fall over as the creature stumbled its way out, quickly caught and held upright by a concerned Valiant, who was quickly joined by Pikachu.

    Now in full view, and still covered in Egg shards, the whimpering infant raised its head as it took in the sights of Ash and Misty.

    It wasn''t a creature that either Trainer ever recognized.

    Bipedal and dinosaur-like. Quite small due to its newborn age. A grayish-brown body with a back that had a small hump. A belly and lower jaw that both were a lighter gray. It''s head was quite large when considered in proportion to the rest of its body. In particular, its jaw was a standout. Even at a newborn age, its jaw looked to be quite powerful, leaving everyone present to wonder just how dangerous that same exact jaw would be once the new, mysterious creature had developed and matured. The lower jaw had two visible teeth, which were quite tiny, likely due to its age.

    Although the Pokemon whimpered and cooed, it took in its surroundings with curiosity. It stopped, however, as Ash leaned down to get at eye level with it.

    "Hiˇ­" he said gently. "Are you okay?"

    Still holding the creature from the side, Valiant gave the mysterious creature a nice, warm smile of welcome. Beside him, Pikachu did the same, putting on his signature, cheerful grin that Nebula adored so much.

    "It''s cute." Misty commented with an affectionate smile. She tapped Ash''s shoulder. "See what it is."

    Nodding, Ash took out his crimson Pokedex and allowed it to scan.

    "Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon of the rock/dragon type. Originating from ancient times, they have incredibly powerful jaws, said to be capable of chewing up an automobile.

    This Tyrunt is male and knows the moves Tackle, Roar, Bite, Dragon Tail, and Poison Fang. Its ability is Strong Jaw, which greatly enhances the jaw strength of a Pokemon, consequently giving their biting moves an enormous boost of power."

    With widened eyes, a speechless Ash lowered the device, taking in the sight of his latest team member, while Misty''s own eyes bulged from behind him.

    The newborn infant allowed Pikachu and Valiant to continue holding him upright, trying to maintain focus and balance on his feet as he waddled forward a bit, raising his head a bit more towards Ash and letting out a content moan, eyes adjusting to the light of the room as his new trainer looked on in awe.

    ''I HAVE A DRAGON TYPE NOW?!''

 The Floral Lagoon City pt 1

    Pallet Town was a wonderful place. Despite Ash''s social life not being the best, the overall comfort of the area could never be understated. Incredibly clean air, with a number of serene places to just hang out and get peace and quiet, to be completely left alone with his thoughts as he allowed himself to endlessly get lost in his own mind. Why would he ever want to leave? And just as much, why would he ever consider leaving his mother?

    Delia was the best parent that he could ask for. Such a wonderful woman who had made life so much better for him than it normally would have been otherwise. All of the garbage that he had to put up with from Gary and the others at school would have been unbearable if he didn''t have such an amazing mother to come home too.

    Delia had never shunned him for falling behind the other kids, despite constantly encouraging him to do better. She was supportive, not antagonizing. And she had pretty much provided for his every need. Did he REALLY want to be a trainer, when everything that he could ever want in life was right here with her?

    But Ash knew very well what this mother would say to that: "Don''t let go of your dreams for me! You''ll regret not taking the opportunities!" and she was right. Which was why he would be setting off once Opening Day rolled around. He still had no idea how he was able to do so well on the Qualification Exam. The endless studying had most certainly bore fruit, but it was still quite surreal to think about. A last ditch effort to ensure that he would do good enough on the Exam to pass, and he had ended up scoring the second highest out of all of them. Only Gary had scored higher, but his perfect score was hardly a very big surprise. Sure, it was such a thing that had never been done before now. But it was Gary. The only thing that spoiled it was that Gary and his friends were somehow convinced that he had cheated.

    But seizing the opportunity that had just unfolded before him would still mean saying goodbye to Delia very soon. Which was why he was determined to spend as much time with her as possible.

    So when Delia had called him down from his room upon arriving home from work, Ash had bolted down the stairs, nearly lost his balance, and arrived in the living room to greet his mother''s loving smile.

    Except she wasn''t smiling this time. In fact, she looked distraught. Her face was overflowing with a deep concern that Ash rarely ever saw, even in her most worrying moments.

    His frown almost immediately mirrored his own. What could have possibly happened?

    He voiced this concern immediately. "Momˇ­ what is it?" his voice was shaking. Seeing her like this wasn''t right. Something bad had happened for sure.

    "It''s Trucyˇ­" she trailed off. Ash''s heart skipped a beat. "I just got off the phone with her grandparents. She''s disappeared. Nobody can find her anywhere. Even Professor Oak has searched for himself."

    Horror was in Ash''s eyes. Trucy? Gone?! Where was she?! And why was it so hard to find her?!

    "How long has she been gone?!" he questioned frantically, making no effort to mask his panic. Delia of all people knew just how much Trucy meant to him.

    "The whole day." she bit her lip. "I needed to let you know. They were hoping you could help find her. Since you''re so close to one anotherˇ­"

    Ash was out the door with the momentum of a Rapidash as he hollered back at his mother. "I''ll bring her back! I promise!"

    Delia''s voice filled his ears as he ran off. "Be careful out there, Ash!"

    Ash''s feet and legs carried him through the roads of Pallet Town as a few onlookers stopped to observe him. He could have sworn he had heard one of Gary''s buddies make a snarky comment at how the grandson of Professor Oak was a faster runner than he was, but Ash paid it no mind.

    Trucy''s safety was top priority.

    Although Delia was explicitly the person that Ash loved the most, it wouldn''t be unrealistic to think that Trucy was second on that list. The young girl was only half his age, but really the closest thing that he had to a friend up to this point. Their relationship essentially consisted of Ash and Delia babysitting the little tyke while her grandparents were out, but those experiences alone were more than enough to surpass the interactions that the young boy had had with Gary and the others over the past few years.

    Whatever had happened to Trucy was a mystery, but Ash wouldn''t rest until she was safe at home.

    But as he ran throughout the town, he found himself subconsciously going in a very specific direction, to a very specific place. He had no thought or input into his movements, simply moving on instinct. As if he already knew for a fact where she was.

    His body carried him down a set path until he arrived at a small field. And there she was.

    Her back was turned to him. She was looking off somewhere as her blonde hair flowed through the wind.

    He called out to her. No response.

    "Trucy!" he tried again, raising his voice louder this time. But she just kept on staring outwards.

    What in the worldˇ­?!

    Rushing forward, he clasped her shoulders from behind, and turned her body around to face him. As their eyes met, his own widened upon seeing her facial expression.

    It was a disturbed look of surprise. Her gorgeous blue eyes, normally the beautiful orbs that would turn his legs to jelly when she lovably pleaded for ice cream, were wide with what looked like a frozen look of surprise. Her facial expression in and of itself was unmoving, and Ash suddenly found his face growing pale with stress.

    "T-Trucyˇ­?"

    "Why are you here, Ash?" her voice was unchanging in tone as she delivered her words, staying in a perpetual state of surprise.

    The boy blinked at her. "You''ve been gone all day. Everyone''s looking for you. Even Professor Oak. What are you doing here?" he looked up towards the trees that she had been looking out towards. "Isˇ­ something there?"

    Trucy gently shook herself out of his grip, body still facing him, but turning her head back towards the trees. "You shouldn''t be here. It''s dangerous."

    Ash blinked again. "Dangerous? How?"

    "A lot of things are dangerous." her eyes turned towards him, although her head remained in the same position, facing off towards the trees. "You should have stayed home with your mother. The woman who believed in you, kept you warm on cold nights, fed you delicious food, and never bullied you."

    Ash''s face scrunched up in confusion. "Trucy?"

    "You shouldn''t have left your house, Ash." she turned fully towards him, her expression vacant. This wasn''t the Trucy he knew. Where was the life in her eyes? Her energetic smile? Her happy tone of voice? It was all gone. "You never should have left such a safe place to come here. And you never should have come to Mt. Moon."

    Ash''s eyes were wide as saucers. "W-Whatˇ­"

    A small glare on her face, yet still managed to be vacant. "Why would you go there when you could have stayed with her? When you could have stayed here in town? And you shouldn''t have gone to Viridian Forest, either. Maybe you never should have become a Pokemon trainer in the first place."

    He glared at her. "What are you talking about?!" he demanded harshly, albeit immediately regretting the aggression in his tone of voice. This was Trucy. Not Gary.

    "You left the safest place in the world, Ash." her facial expression was blank once again. "What if you die? The same way that you almost did in those caverns." The breeze was picking up. Her eyes were soulless, and yet her voice sounded... pleading? "It''s not worth pursuing a dream for. Your heart will stop beating long before you ever reach it." he was feeling cold, the wind picking up even more. All of a sudden the breeze felt like it was from winter, not summer or spring. "Why do you leave the comfort of your home to throw yourself into peril?"

    "What are you talking about?!" his face was growing uneasy. "I''m not a trainer yet-"

    "Yes you are. And you''ve been unwise. This is your home, not the wilderness." above them, it was getting darker. Was he crazy, or were things starting to pelt them from above? "You should have stayed home where it was safe. Your dreams are no good to you dead. Nowˇ­"

    Suddenly he realized what was above them: The ceilings of a cavern. It had replaced the blue skies and white clouds that had been hanging over their heads just mere moments earlier.

    And rocks were falling.

    "You''re stuck in a world that wants to kill you."

    As Trucy finished her sentence, a giant figure appeared behind her. Tyranitar roared deafeningly as the rocks continued to fall.

    Misty screaming. Valiant and Eevee panicking. Staryu and Piplup panicking. The rocks falling much more rapidly, increasingly in size as Ash covered his head.

    "TRUCY! LOOK OUT!" his arms flung out towards her, and he screamed as Tyranitar acted before he could reach her.

    Blood sprayed Ash''s face as huge, violent claws removed Trucy''s head. A large rock landed on Ash''s own head, knocking him face first to the ground, which was no longer lush, green grass, but cold, stone floors.

    As Tyranitar continued to roar, the stones pelted Ash''s back, crushing his bones as he desperately tried to get up, only to find himself completely immobilized.

    "The world will burn." Was that the Iron-Masked Marauder talking? "But you will never see it from the rubble."

    The rocks tore his body to shreds. His bones were flattened like Delia''s pancakes.

    This was what happens when you become a trainer. This was what happens when you left the comfort of your own world, in order to hopelessly pursue your dreams.

    You were thrust into a world that wanted nothing more than for you to drop dead.

    And now, that world was about to claim him-

    /

    Ash''s eyes shot wide open.

    A perfectly normal ceiling was above him. And nothing was falling from it.

    With record speed, he rose up into a sitting position.

    The caverns were gone.

    So were the rocks.

    It wasn''t dark anymore. The room was lit up. Pikachu was sleeping soundly on the other end of the bed.

    He allowed himself to calm his breathing, but couldn''t fully, as he took in the sweat drenching his body.

    He looked over to Misty''s bed, which he found did not contain her. Focusing a bit more, he could hear the shower from the bathroom.

    A deep sigh escaped from his throat.

    ''Karen saved you. You''re not at Mt. Moon anymore. And Trucy never went missing.''

    Not at Mt. Moon anymoreˇ­

    Not at Mt. Moon anymoreˇ­

    No longer in the caverns. No more falling rocks.

    Becauseˇ­ He wasn''t there anymore.

    /

    Tyrunt''s hatching had thrown the night off considerably. Despite the already long day, Ash had taken him to Nurse Joy to get checked out, assuring Misty that she could go to bed if she wanted to. Valiant had accompanied him. The Kirlia had shown so much commitment to his trainer ever since leaving the forest, and the same commitment he had when assisting Ash in taking care of the egg hadn''t gone away after Tyrunt''s hatching.

    Ash still wasn''t entirely sure what the source of the young psychic''s loyalty was. Was it gratitude for saving him in the forest? He himself was grateful o Valiant nonetheless; he could still use all the help he could get taking care of Tyrunt as a newborn. Tyrunt had remained fixated on Ash, seemingly identifying the young human boy as his "parent". Nevertheless, it didn''t take the infant dinosaur long to develop an instinctual trust towards Valiant, who was always right there next to him. A sense of security seemed to set in for the prehistoric Pokemon without much of an issue.

    Nurse Joy had immediately looked over the infant newcomer to see if he was healthy, and was happy to announce that he was born perfectly.

    Ash had convinced Misty and most of the others to not wait up for them, but Pikachu was still awake when Ash and Valiant had returned with their newest team member. His starter was willing to go to sleep once Ash had assured him that everything was fine with Tyrunt, but he himself couldn''t sleep just yet. He needed to look over the information that Elacia had given him regarding Tyrunt, which he and Valiant spent the night doing. The duo had read through the information with extensive detail while Tyrunt slumbered peacefully on a pillow next to the bed.

    Ash was still completely floored that Elacia was entrusting him with a dragon type Pokemon of all things. One of the most fundamentally feared typings in all of Pokemon, any Pokemon just being of the typing at all was more than enough to generate attention and interest. They were all rare Pokemon, albeit to varying extents, and the fearsome reputation to go along with it existed for a reason.

    Was this just a friendly gesture from her? A test to see if he could handle it? A way to encourage him to keep pushing himself more? Either way, he could understand why the price that she gave him was so high. And he would most certainly be paying off that debt.

    What''s more, it was a prehistoric Pokemon. Meaning that it''s own parent was likely one of the ones that was restored via machinery. That made it all the more rare, to a ridiculous extent. It made sense that Elacia would have such connections, given her prominence as such a high profile Pokemon breeder, but wrapping his head around it was still simply unreal to him.

    Of course, dragon types were often considered to be ridiculously hard to raise and train. The fact that Tyrunt had hatched from an Egg and had not been caught in the wild would most likely work in Ash''s favor, as Tyrunt had no prior upbringing due to being a newborn, but the creature''s own natural instincts would still be a factor.

    Tyrunt was no exception as Ash and Valiant learned from the documents that they had read through. It had characteristics that would need to be addressed at a very early age in order to hopefully prevent them from becoming problematic in the future. They were, by nature, selfish and spoiled, and prone to throwing tantrums.

    Although its jaws wouldn''t be nearly as dangerous as an undeveloped newborn, they were still something to keep on the radar. Especially with the Strong Jaw ability. They could inflict injuries on their own trainers unknowingly just by playing with them. It was immediately clear to Ash that he would need to be very careful about his early "parenting" towards Tyrunt, in order to ensure the smoothest upbringing possible. Valiant, thankfully, seemed to have the same idea, and when Ash had asked his friend if he was really sure that he would be willing to participate in this undertaking, the Emotion Pokemon had touchingly affirmed it.

    Theoretically, the young Kirlia had no real obligation to assist in raising Tyrunt, especially so directly. Even if they were teammates, Ash was the trainer. He was the only one who really didn''t have a choice.

    But apparently Valiant didn''t see it that way. Was this another form of gratitude? Or was it a sense of obligation as a teammate? Ash wasn''t quite sure. But either way, he more than appreciated it, especially as reading the documents made it progressively clear just what this situation would entail.

    Despite helping hatch the Heracross Egg from Professor Oak''s Lab, this was something quite different. He would be raising this Tyrunt from a baby to an adult. Elacia''s writing would help, but following it properly was crucial.

    Just yet another challenge for them to have to overcome on the road to the Indigo Plateau.

    It had been a long night. But thankfully, they finally got to sleep, miraculously. Valiant moved his pillow right next to Tyrunt''s, and the rest of the night was peaceful and quiet.

    An arduous day and a tiring night, but Ash and Misty''s group had finally found peace.

    Mercifully for everyone, no one was in a hurry to get up. It was a lot later in the morning than when Ash would usually rise.

    In fact, it was now after 10:00 AM, Ash just now getting up.

    He hadn''t bothered laying back down after his dream, simply finding himself involuntarily climbing out of his bed.

    Misty was already in the shower, so Ash waited his turn, finding a need to use the bathroom.

    He didn''t mind the wait too much. So instead, he took the time to observe the room.

    Tyrunt and Valiant were still dozed off, both looking content. Tyrunt''s infant body was a sight that Ash would need to get used to.

    No longer an Egg.

    Nobody else was awake either, except for Misty, apparently. The boy wondered how long she had been awake.

    As he looked around, he wondered if he should wake Pikachu and the others, but decided against that.J ust like Misty and himself, they would wake when they were ready.

    After all, today was a no training day. As far as Ash was concerned, today would be the quietest day of their journey so far. It was according to what Karen had suggested to them as well, was it not?

    A peaceful day of quiet relaxation for all of them. A reminder that they were no longer in Mt. Moon.

    After a few more minutes, the sound of the shower stopped, indicating that Misty had finished. Not too long after, she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing her signature side ponytail and a much more relaxed expression on her face. Her hair showed some signs of being wet, but she had still been fairly thorough with drying it. Ash had heard her using the hair dryer.

    He raised his hand to her as she stepped out, to which she returned.

    "Oh, good morning." she greeted. "Sleep well?"

    That was not the question that Ash wanted to hear.

    He did his best to hide his flinch as the images of his creepy dream with Trucy flashed back through his mind for a moment. He wasn''t sure if he did a good job of it or not. He could have sworn that Misty''s brow had raised for a moment, but she dropped it pretty quickly. Her smile was casual. Friendly. But despite the relaxed expression, Ash couldn''t tell if she was putting in effort to stay relaxed or not.

    Was it all coming easy to her? Or was she just putting on a facade to mask her own trauma? Was he doing a good job at masking his?

    Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "I''m going to go downstairs and ask Nurse Joy some questions. See if anything new has happened over at the mountain. Wanna come with?"

    That''s right. The League might have had an update on their current operations by now. Ash wanted to hear about it himself.

    But he shook his head. "I have to stay here in case Tyrunt wakes up." he said a bit regrettably. "You''ll tell me whatever she tells you, right?" he asked politely.

    She nodded. "Right." she offered him a casual wave as she turned and walked off. "Good luck." he waved back at her as the door closed behind his friend.

    Ash sank down into a seating position in front of his bed, and felt some yellow fur brushing against his arm. Turning towards Pikachu, who was now awake, Ash smiled down at the young rodent and patted his Starter Pokemon on the head.

    Not in Mt. Moon anymoreˇ­ Not in Mt. Moon anymoreˇ­ Not in Mt. Moon anymoreˇ­

    /

    Misty returned around the time the rest of their two teams began waking up. With everyone wanting to eat, she promised to fill Ash in during breakfast.

    The cafeteria wasn''t packed, but it did have a fair amount of trainers in it. Apparently, according to Misty, most of them were those who had been rescued from Mt. Moon.

    The League was still searching through the caverns just in case, but for the moment, it seemed like everybody had been accounted for, including the straggling Rockets that had been scooped up by the League immediately. And Mt. Moon itself had been placed under indefinite lockdown. With the knowledge that it was now one of Team Rocket''s targets, the danger posed by the massive cave-in, and the need to continue searching through the caverns, trainers would no longer be allowed to pass through the mountain''s caverns for the foreseeable future. Instead, teleporting services were going to be set up on both sides for travelers to use.

    It certainly sounded a lot more convenient, but Ash imagined that trainers who were more into exploration and searching for specific Pokemon would find themselves very disappointed. It was unfortunate, but understandable.

    Thankfully, no deaths had been confirmed yet, at least among the trainers that Team Rocket had imprisoned, but there were injuries. Some Team Rocket soldiers refused to come quietly, and attempted to put up a fight. Most of these soldiers were subdued rather quickly. But apparently, a few of the more stubborn Rockets ended up losing their lives, the League forced to finish them.

    Once again, Ash found himself feeling conflicted about the deaths. Karen and the League had done what had to be done, and yetˇ­ These were still men and women, being killed. His lack of concern over their deaths, on its own, concerned him. It was all tooˇ­ conflictingˇ­ confusingˇ­ how much crime could be committed before someone''s death was no longer one to be mourned? When did somebody lose the right to be grieved over, or felt sorry for? Ash didn''t have that answer. And neither did Misty, apparently. Even after the obvious hatred that she had expressed over the Iron-Masked Marauder, she didn''t seem to be any more comfortable than Ash was while relaying the information.

    Mutually, the group chose to do their best not to focus on it. This was supposed to be a relaxation day, after all. The group shut away any thoughts of the mountain, and focused on enjoying their meal.

    Ash had assumed that a Pokemon like Tyrunt would be carnivorous, which Elacia''s notes had confirmed to him and Valiant the previous night. Ash was able to ensure that the baby dinosaur was fed meat. He kept a close eye on the infant as all of them ate, hoping that he would be able to eat his food without any issues. Thankfully, Valiant had also taken it upon himself to sit next to Tyrunt, vigilantly monitoring the way their newest team member ate.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Looking outside, the rain had stopped for the most part, but was still in the form of a light drizzle. It made Ash somewhat glad that they would not be traveling or training today. Drizzles weren''t necessarily too bad for him, but he would still much prefer to travel in dry weather. He couldn''t imagine himself traveling even in a drizzle unless he absolutely had too.

    Incidentally, however, he did enjoy what it felt like to be outside after it had stopped raining. He had always liked the feel of moisture in the air after rain. If they were to start traveling again tomorrow, it would most likely be like that.

    Breakfast time was aimless that morning, Ash and Misty conversing with one another throughout and talking about whatever random topics came to mind. It was less an opportunity to socialize and more an attempt to keep their minds off of the previous day''s events by any means necessary.

    Training ideas for the future, what it was like in Cerulean City, favorite TV shows, favorite foods, essentially anything that wasn''t related to Mt. Moon. Whenever one of the two found a topic coming to their head, they would blurt it out immediately. The conversation moved forward without rhyme or reason, a series of completely unrelated topics loosely stringed together by the mutual desire to think about literally anything other than the previous day''s events.

    Prior to nightfall, however, it was the most interaction that Ash and Misty had throughout the day. Although the two still saw each other and would exchange some quick words throughout, along with having a quick lunch together in the middle, most of Ash''s day was spent with Tyrunt. The prehistoric infant was still stumbling around as it tried to walk, and was still vulnerable due to his young age.

    Thankfully, despite the warnings in Elacia''s notes, the dinosaur wasn''t too dangerous just yet. He was, after all, still only a newborn. Ash spent as much time as he could playing with the baby Royal Heir Pokemon. Valiant joined in as well, the rock/dragon type progressively latching onto his secondary caretaker.

    Ash was afraid that the rest of the team would be upset about how little time he was spending with them, but they thankfully seemed to be quite understanding of it. Pikachu and Nebula both had each other, so there was nothing to worry about on that front. Eevee, however, was in a bit more of a difficult position. Still a little bit bitter towards Nebula, she avoided spending time with her, and therefore wasn''t with Pikachu either, as the electric mouse had spent nearly the entire day hanging out with his bird friend. The Evolution Pokemonn may have been more willing to spend the day with Valiant, but he was helping Ash take care of Tyrunt, and Eevee wasn''t as comfortable about how well she would be able to fare at directly raising the baby as he seemed to be. Although she occasionally spent some time with Misty and her own team, Eevee wasn''t as comfortable being alone with them, and was therefore left off to do her own thing.

    Ash found himself torn between the situation of having a newly caught teammate alongside a literal baby that needed attention for the entire day, and weighed his options between asking Valiant to take a break to spend time with Eevee, or just doing so himself. As a trainer, he had a personal obligation to both newcomers; he didn''t want to send Valiant to hang out with Eevee and make it seem like she was being neglected by her own trainer, not even half a week after being caught, and yet he''d be beyond irresponsible to leave all of the responsibilities of looking after Tyrunt to Valiant as well.

    As a compromise, he had decided to introduce Eevee and Tyrunt to each other formally. Although the Evolution Pokemon was understandably not very comfortable with trying to raise the baby dinosaur, she could still potentially play with him.

    Things seemed to mostly decent between the two of them. Tyrunt was a bit nervous around the Evolution Pokemon, who Ash quickly realized wasn''t nearly as patient as Valiant, but to Eevee''s credit, she mostly just seemed happy to not be alone. The two Pokemon took turns lightly passing a small ball around with each other, although Ash had found himself unable to hold back an amused laugh after Tyrunt had chewed the ball up.

    Through the day, the boy thankfully found his nerves easing up bit by bit. Unwinding was more than what he could ask for.

    Nevertheless, he still often found himself, and his mind, drifting back to thinking about that dream. He did his best to shut it away from his mind, but it was not always easy. It creeped along the back of his subconscious throughout the day, sometimes sneaking its way to the forefront. Ash had no idea how to get rid of the thought.

    Despite the lingering stress, however, he found himself much more at ease overall by dinnertime. His conversation with Misty that night had been a lot more focused than the one from this morning.

    When Ash asked Misty if she wanted to wait another day before leaving, his new orange-haired friend shrugged.

    "Today was nice," she admitted freely. "But I really do want to get moving." she frowned. "Your Tyrunt could probably use another day, though. Infants don''t normally go into Poke Balls, right?"

    That was true. It was recommended that baby Pokemon be kept out of Poke Balls until they had grown at least a little bit. Something about the stasis being detrimental to their early development. Tyrunt would be on the road with them, which meant that he needed to get used to walking around.

    "Valiant and I had been working on that." Ash said as he bit into his food. They were both eating pasta, Ash with spaghetti and Misty with mac and cheese. "We could probably use another day, though," he admitted with a frown. "You could go ahead of us, if you want," he offered reluctantly.

    He didn''t want to separate from Misty just yet. As much as he loved his team, it was nice traveling with another human. She provided a type of interaction that wasn''t available with that of a Pokemon. But he also didn''t want to be a dead weight to her and her own journey. These were her travels too, of course.

    Misty tapped her chin thoughtfully at that. Ash bit back his lip a bit nervously. He would understand if she just chose to leaveˇ­ He hoped it wasn''t too selfish of him to want her to stay. But they were going to be separating after they were done with Cerulean''s Gym anywayˇ­

    After a few seconds, however, she shook her head. "Nah, I''m fine. And I think my team is too. If you only need another day or so, then we can wait."

    Ash smiled at her, almost saying "thanks", but chose to hold back on that. He didn''t want to sound like he was dependent. It''s not like he would have been mad if she had chosen to leave.

    "Besidesˇ­" Misty''s face transitioned into a cheeky smirk. "I still want to battle you before we part ways, and now''s probably not the most appropriate time to do that." a quick, yet bright, flash appeared in her eyes, almost as though her pupils had suddenly contained fire. "You didn''t think you were gonna get away without that, did you?"

    Ash grinned uneasily as he failed to hold back a nervous chuckle.

    "Noˇ­" he admitted. "I guess not."

    But despite himself, he actually felt kind of excited about it.

    /

    The next day came and went, and the routine was nearly identical to the previous day. Breakfast, group time, lunch, more group time, dinner, bedtime. It was pretty clear cut, but that''s how everybody wanted it.

    Ash and Valiant put extra time into helping Tyrunt with his walking. The infant dinosaur wasn''t perfect, but balance was becoming easier for him now. The progress seemed pleasing to the rest of the group, and Tyrunt himself seemed to enjoy it.

    Mercifully, Ash''s sleep wasn''t haunted by traumatic dreams for the next two nights.

    He spoke with his mother just before leaving with Misty, and told a white lie regarding the Rocket raid, simply saying that the raid happened before he and his team could pass through the mountain, and that they just used the teleportation service in order to reach the other side.

    He felt disgusted in himself for lying to his mother, but the alternative would be to tell her the truth and inform her that he was very nearly killed by a man who was apparently one of the world''s most dangerous criminals.

    And if he hadn''t already been planning on doing it before, he certainly was with the sheer look of horror on Delia''s face as she questioned him regarding the mountain incident-which had been dominating the news-not to mention her terrified tone of voice. Her face was pale and sickly when he had called her, and any relief that she might have felt from seeing that he was okay would have been completely eclipsed by the horror of knowing what he had went through.

    Ash hated himself for lying to the person in the world that he loved the most, but his guilt ended there as he told himself he had picked the right thing to do. Anything to ease her consciousness. She was already stressed out about having a Professional Pokemon trainer for a child as it was. No way he was going to worsen it. He just hoped that he had lied convincingly enough. Delia seemed to be convinced, but that could just be a facade. Misty had given him a few comments on occasion, about how he was apparently bad at hiding things. And his mother had known him for a lot longer than his new, hot-headed friend.

    Thinking back to his dream, Ash wondered if all parents who had trainers for kids felt the kind of stress that she seemed to feel. The ambitious nature of the occupation was romanticized everywhere, but at the end of the day, it was one hell of a dangerous profession. Ash felt like he was being selfish by going through with it when it was obvious his mother feared for his safety twenty four-seven, but she would always just fire back and talk about how she herself would feel selfish if Ash were to give up his dream for the sake of her peace of mind.

    Ash had no idea how he would ever pay back his mother, but one day, he would. She was the most selfless person in his life.

    Ash and Misty had eaten an early breakfast with their teams in order to be on the road as quickly as possible, but not before saying a final goodbye/thank you to Nurse Joy right before their departure. Since they were leaving first thing in the morning, it should only take them about the day to reach the city, with Nurse Joy estimating that they would arrive late at night.

    Nebula flew overhead with Pikachu riding on her back. Eevee was perched on Ash''s shoulder (with Misty''s own Eevee doing the same with her) while Valiant and Tyrunt walked by Ash''s side, the former sticking close to the latter like a magnet. The atmosphere between the group frequently alternated between comfortable silence and light conversation.

    The air was still moist from the rain, which Misty seemed to appreciate as much as Ash did. Ash wasn''t sure if this was just because of her affinity for water types, or if she just enjoyed the feel of the air the way that he did. Either way, she seemed quite pleased with the walk.

    Neither of the duo was expecting there to be many trainers on the road to the city, but were pleasantly surprised by the decent amount of people that they ran into. Or, at the very least, for the standards of just one day. The two friends took turns battling the other trainers that they crossed paths with, each claiming victory in every battle. It gave both of them the opportunity to observe each other''s teams in a much less stressful situation than the Team Rocket business back in Mt. Moon, which Ash was almost certain that Misty would be taking advantage of. After all, had she not already made it clear that she wanted to battle him?

    Ash took the opportunity to observe her as well, taking notes in his brain to stash away as he watched her go into battle, her Staryu receiving the most action out of everyone on her team. It was fairly versatile, with access to multiple different types of moves, along with a potent Light Screen. Most of its moves were ranged attacks, but its Rapid Spin provided it with further additional offense, and occasionally defense as well.

    Sadly, he hadn''t gotten enough out of the rest of her team to develop opinions beyond first impressions. Her Eevee''s fighting style reminded Ash of his own Eevee, which wasn''t too surprising, since they were not only of the same species, but were also both still beginner level, and, therefore, they still had not gotten as much time to develop their own personal fighting styles just yet. It was a bit more difficult to pinpoint how Piplup and Jigglypuff fought for the moment. Unlike with Eevee, Ash had no such teammates to compare either of them to.

    Out of everyone on the team, Valiant had benefited from the battles the most. The perfect way to break in his Evolution, not to mention showcasing the immense increase in overall power that the Kirlia now had. He would tear through his opponent''s with powerful blasts that he had never been capable of as a Ralts.

    Tyrunt would watch the battles unfold with intrigue. Not necessarily enthusiasm, but it was pretty clear that the infant dinosaur could sense everybody else''s enthusiasm for the events. And he would always share in with the victory cheers, if only on instinct.

    By the time the day was over, Ash and Misty had each earned a fairly decent amount of prize money from their battles, not to mention the effective morale boosts for their respective teams, in the face of multiple consecutive victories.

    More money for food and supplies, and extra confidence for their respective teams. Who''s to say which one was more important?

    According to Misty, the money.

    The orange-haired hothead would go out of her way to celebrate two particular victories where she had totally annihilated her opponents. One trainer''s Snubbull had been no match for her Staryu, and her Eevee had made equally quick work of another trainer''s Growlithe. Whether it be by cartwheeling across the road or pumping her fists in front of Ash''s face, Misty was fairlyˇ­ bombastic in her triumphant moments.

    He supposed that he couldn''t totally blame her, however. He had, in fact, felt similar emotions himself when Valiant had easily defeated an Abra, further showcasing the newfound power of his Evolution, or when Nebula had dropped a Spearow in just two simple hits. Misty was just expressing them outwardly.

    /

    The stars were high overhead in the pitch black night sky by the time they had reached Cerulean City.

    Misty gazed up at the gates as she and Ash came to a brief stop. "Alright then, everyone." She spoke neutrally as Nebula and Pikachu descended to the ground beside them, before turning to face the group and spreading out her arms whilst raising her voice. "Welcome to Cerulean City, the rookie capital of Indigo."

    Holding Tyrunt (who had gotten tired from the walking) in his arms, Ash smiled in relief at the city gates. The day had been nonstop, in order to ensure that they made it by nighttime. But now he and Misty both just wanted to go to bed, and he was certain that their Pokemon all felt the same.

    But they couldn''t sleep right away, as much as they wanted to. Their hunger was undeniable, their desire for food keeping them awake even as they fantasized about sinking into the bedsheets and drifting off into slumber.

    Not to mention, they both needed a shower.

    Ash was a bit more used to the taller buildings, and the overall greater scope and denser nature of the city, than he used to be back when he had first set out from Pallet Town. This was now the third city that he had been to in his life, and after spending a large chunk of his travels in Pewter, he hadn''t necessarily grown accustomed to the much more urban nature of these cities, but he was no longer overwhelmed by it.

    Besides, anything was a step up from Mt. Moon. Ash was going to have a hard time not appreciating the places that he traveled too after an experience such as that.

    It was still difficult to get the caverns out of his mind, but he hoped he was managing better than before. He wasn''t sure what to do. He couldn''t confide in his mother about it without her knowing that he was there, which he didn''t want, and he wasn''t sure if he should tell Professor Oak either.

    Unless he already knew. He was a high-ranking member of the League, and Ash and Misty''s names were most likely included in the reports. That itself inspired fear in Ash; what if the Professor told his mother? He likely would have already, which almost eased Ash''s worries, but the lingering paranoia still lurked in his brain.

    Despite his tired nature at the moment, Ash found himself grinning as he absentmindedly looked around, taking in, and appreciating, the feeling of being part of civilization.

    Many trainers loved the wild. Understandably so. Ash himself enjoyed traveling with his team overall. But he couldn''t imagine himself never desiring the comfort of civilization. Even when his enjoyment towards his travels were at their utmost high, he would probably always have that longing for society in the back of his mind. It would always be an excellent break from the action, or the hardships of travels.

    Due to the late time of their arrival, the streets of the city weren''t too bustling as they stepped through the gates and made their way to the Pokemon Center, Misty leading the way due to knowing the area. The lack of a crowd was merciful, as it made it a lot easier to proceed through the streets undisturbed.

    Nevertheless, their presence still attracted the curious eyes of many who were still out and about. Unavoidable, as it was typically easy to spot a trainer. Granted, it wasn''t like it was an unlikely sight in Cerulean City. This place was known for being a hotspot and gathering for beginner level trainers. The most beginner friendly place in Kanto, possibly Indigo as a whole. The outskirts were often populated with rookies trying to hone their skills against each other, often considered the perfect place for a rookie to be. Not to mention that most of the wild Pokemon in the surrounding area had a reputation for being docile compared to most of the other places in Indigo, Cerulean Cave being the sole exception. It was very much unlike Fuchsia, which was known for being popular with higher level trainers, and much more dangerous Pokemon in the wild.

    Being the seaside city that it was, Cerulean always had the feeling of moisture in the air, and Ash suddenly realized why Misty enjoyed such a feeling so much. She had literally grown up with moist air throughout her childhood. Pallet Town wasn''t far from the shore, and had a beach nearby, but this was something different.

    "Maybe it is good to be backˇ­" she trailed off absentmindedly as she led Ash through the streets. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if taking in the atmosphere. "Funny how this place was never all that standout to me until I wasn''t used to it anymore."

    Behind her, Ash looked down at Tyrunt, who was dozing off in his arms. He smiled at the dinosaur, failing to suppress a tired yawn. "Interesting pointˇ­" he trailed off for a moment. "I wonder if I''ll appreciate Pallet Town in a new light after being to all of these cities." he had always loved the simplicity of Pallet Town, but actually being able to compare it to places like Cerulean or Pewter would certainly make it stand out even more to him.

    "Hmmmˇ­" Misty commented, looking on ahead. "Anyway, we should be to the Pokemon Center soon. I call dibs on the shower, got it?"

    Ash frowned. ''Darn it, I should have called dibs.''

    /

    The welcoming atmosphere of the Pokemon Center''s lobby was cathartic to Ash and Misty as the two friends walked through the large pair of automatic doors. The sheer size of the building would have greatly intimidated Ash if he hadn''t already been used to it from both Viridian and Pewter. Most of their Pokemon had been recalled, but Valiant remained at Ash''s side, Pikachu now riding on his shoulder while Tyrunt slept in the young trainer''s arms.

    Up ahead was Nurse Joy''s counter, and Misty squinted in recognition at the figure conversing with the pink-haired woman.

    "Is thatˇ­" She began. Her eyes suddenly widened as the figure turned around to head off.

    He was a tall, teenage boy, probably around fifteen years old or so. On his shoulder was a green, monkey-like Pokemon that Ash didn''t quite recognize. His hair was brown, tied up into a neat ponytail behind his head. He had sharp facial features, with eyes that matched his hair.

    Upon seeing Misty, his eyes widened as well, suddenly smiling as the monkey on his shoulder waved cheerfully.

    "Misty!" His voice was fairly smooth, although its tone was just about what Ash would expect from somebody of the teenage boy''s age. "I didn''t realize you were already back in town!''

    Racing over with a light grin, Misty looked up at the teenager. "Just got here tonight. How''s Maria doing, Ryan?"

    The boy, Ryan, scratched the monkey''s cheek, earning a soft, positive response from the creature as he spoke. "Energetic as always. She and Laura have been gallivanting aimlessly since you left. She keeps saying it isn''t the same without you, so she''s constantly hanging out with her to try and fill the void."

    A smug smirk occupied her features as Misty''s chest puffed up. "Hmmmˇ­ yeah, I know I''m irreplaceable. Hopefully a few days or so of me being in the city will be enough to fill the hole in their hearts." her voice was oozing with pride and arrogance. But Ryan seemed to be more amused by it than anything else.

    ''He must be pretty used to her.'' Ash assumed as he watched the conversation play out. It sounded like he was related to one of her friends that she had mentioned before.

    Not too long after, Ryan glanced past Misty as his eyes landed on Ash. "Oh yeah, is he with you? You two walked in together."

    As if she had forgotten all about him, Misty''s eyes widened as she turned her head to face Ash, who was standing there awkwardly, not sure what to do or say.

    A light tinge of red made its way to Misty''s cheeks as she recoiled out of embarrassment for forgetting Ash''s presence, but it went away pretty quickly, as her composure returned. "Oh yeah, this is my new friend, Ash. I ran into him a little bit after leaving Pewter. That''s Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt with him."

    Ash gratefully took note that she hadn''t specified Mt. Moon being where they met in her introduction; not implicating herself or him in being involved in the recent events.

    Fully turning herself around to face him, Misty smiled at Ash while tilting her head in Ryan''s direction. "Ash, this is Ryan. He''s the older brother of my friend Maria, and a Pokemon researcher in training. He works at Cerulean''s local lab." she pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "And that little monkey on his shoulder is Grookey."

    Ash almost backed away a bit as Ryan approached him. The much taller boy looked down at him as he casually closed the distance, but his inviting gaze differed much from Misty''s usual hotheadedness and Gary''s smugness, and Ash quickly found himself not all too intimidated by the approach.

    Ryan grinned calmly as he extended a hand. "Nice to meet you, kid. Hope your journey''s been going smoothly."

    Ash pushed Mt. Moon from his mind as he readjusted his grip on Tyrunt, taking hold of the little dinosaur with one arm so he could shake Ryan''s hand. The infant stirred in his sleep a bit, but did not wake up and thankfully didn''t seem to be too disturbed. "It''s been fine," he forced a smile, trying fill his mind with the victory at Pewter Gym, or the evolutions of his teammates. "We''ve already made a lot of progress.

    The older boy nodded in approval. His grip was firm and tight, but he didn''t hold it for long, and his eyes landed on Tyrunt as the two separated. "Newly hatched, I''m guessing?"

    His question helped push the unpleasant memories away from Ash''s mind, and the young rookie''s grin quickly grew more cheerful and genuine. "Yeah! Just a few nights ago, in fact!" returning his grip to the more comfortable position it had been in before, he looked fondly at the baby in his arms. Once again, Tyrunt shifted, but showed no signs of disturbance in his sleep. "He''s a bit of a handful, but I''m looking forward to seeing him grow."

    "That''s the right attitude." Ryan offered him a pleased hum before his gaze turned curious. "Although, if you don''t mind me asking, how did you get your hands on a Tyrunt? Even by foreign Pokemon standards, they''re just about as rare as they come."

    Ash blushed. "I was just as surprised as you are. I got an Egg from a new friend of mine who''s also a breeder. Next thing I know, he''s the one who hatches from it." He figured it best to hide that his friend was specifically Indigo''s second highest ranked breeder.

    Ryan put his hand to his chin and whistled, Grookey eying Tyrunt with a friendly sense of curiosity. "I''m surprised to hear that, honestly. Rookie trainers usually don''t deal with breeders this early into the Season." he eyed Ash carefully. "What price was it?"

    "I haven''t paid it yet." Ash responded quickly. "It''s... pretty big, but she was nice about it and told me that I could pay it off later. I''ll be working on that."

    Ryan''s nonchalant grin returned to his face, briefly eying Valiant, who had been looking up at him with intrigue throughout the brief conversation. "I guess it all worked out for you, then." His eyes turned thoughtful. "Good luck with that one. They areˇ­ definitely a challenge to raise. I presume you were provided with instructions?" he seemed satisfied at Ash''s quick nod, before once again turning towards Misty, who was patiently eying the interaction. "Do you want me to let Maria know you''re here? I''m sure she''s dying to see you."

    Misty''s arrogant smirk returned. "Of course she is! Make sure she tells Laura, too. I can come by and visit your place tomorrow if you''d like."

    Ryan chuckled. "I''m sure she''ll look forward to it." He offered a friendly wave as he walked towards the doors, Grookey emulating his movements with a friendly cry. "See you around! And nice meeting you, Ash!"

    Returning the wave, Ash and Misty turned to each other as the doors closed behind the exiting teenager. Misty''s fists pressed against her hips as she tilted her head with a grin.

    "He''s one of the better reasons for me to come back here." she elaborated. "His sister has known me since we were eight. So her family is pretty familiar with me." she giggled behind her hand. "I just knew he''d zero right in on your little dino. Where do you think Maria got her love for foreign Pokemon from?"

    Ash titled his head curiously. "So, she''s one of the friends you mentioned before? The other night, I mean?"

    Misty nodded matter-of-factly. "Yeah, her and Laura. Laura''s the Pikachu lover, too." she giggled again as Pikachu''s cheeks sparked with pride, although Ash flinched due to being in close proximity. Thankfully, it wasn''t too intense. Crossing her arms, her expression mellowed out. "You wouldn''t mind coming over with me tomorrow, would you?"

    He felt a nervous pit forming in his stomach, but managed a grin nonetheless. "Of course not. I already promised I''d meet them, right?" Beside him, Valiant crossed his arms curiously, seemingly interested in the idea.

    Misty nodded with a light smile. "Good." turning towards the counter, she patted her hand against Ash''s shoulder. "Just to warn you, Maria''s a bit of a motor-mouth and just loves to ask about everything, so make sure you''re ready to answer loads of questions when you get there. Laura should be a bit easier to deal with, since she''s a lot calmer. Although, she can be a bit of a flirt at times. Don''t worry, I''ll pull her ear for you."

    Ash''s cheeks flushed lightly at that, but he quickly shook it off as they made their way to the counter.

    /

    Misty plopped down on her bed, looking up at the ceiling as she lay sprawled out on her back.

    It had been 10:00 PM when they had arrived at the Pokemon Center, and after quick showers and a dinner, the two trainers and their teams were finally ready to turn in for the night after a long day of traveling and battling.

    Sitting on his own bed, Ash observed with a tired grin as his and Misty''s respective teams worked out their sleeping arrangements for the night.

    They were on the third floor of the Center, in a bigger room than last time. Understandable, given the sheer size of urban Pokemon Centers. Once again, Misty''s bed was the one closer to the window. She seemed to like those a lot.

    Ash was still feeling fatigue kick in, and the feeling of the bed that he was sitting on was already more than enough to be relieving for him.

    "I''m not sure how long we''ll be at Maria''s house." said Misty, gazing up at the ceiling thoughtfully, before turning to him. "I suppose if we end up being there for most of the day, I could start my training for the Gym battle on the next day." rolling over to get a better look at Ash, she frowned. "You okay with that?"

    Ash nodded. "Sure. It''s always good to unwind. Besides, it''s not like I''m in a rush. We just got here."

    Truth be told, the thought of tomorrow felt complicated to Ash. He was, once again, looking forward to meeting more people his age. Obviously, these were Misty''s friends, and not his, but they sounded pretty nice from what she had told him. And yet... he couldn''t help but feel miles out of his comfort zone.

    A sudden thought occurred to him, prompting a frown. "Speaking of whichˇ­ training for the battle is going to be pretty difficult for me. I don''t have any water types, and we need to prepare for the aquatic arena."

    Ash didn''t know much about the Cerulean Gym, but he knew that it was a water specialist Gym, and that the battlefield took the form of a massive pool with platforms to hop across. Water type Pokemon naturally would have the advantage with such terrain, but while Misty currently had two, Ash currently had none. Nebula''s flight would come in handy, but the rest of Ash''s team would be in trouble for sure.

    Misty rolled her eyes. "Way ahead of you, kiddo."

    ''That wording was a bit condescendingˇ­'' Ash thought to himself with a blush.

    Elaborating further, Misty spoke up again. "I still have to train Jigglypuff and my own Eevee to handle that battlefield, remember?" she jerked her thumb sideways. "We have plenty of bodies of water in the area. I can take us to one that has a lot of rocks to hop around on. The water should be shallow enough so that it won''t be too dangerous. Piplup and Staryu can get some practice in too, but I''ll probably have to take them to a deeper one so that they can swim more freely."

    That could work. It could give the teammates that couldn''t fly a means of practicing to traverse the platforms of the pool.

    Ash nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Misty."

    Misty''s prideful smirk was in full force as she returned her gaze to the ceiling, arms behind the back of her head. "Your native Cerulean trainer, here and at your service." she inclined her head slightly towards him. "Just what would you ever do without me?"

    He pouted a bit at that. "I''m sure I could manageˇ­"

    A haughty laugh was her response. "Sure, but only about, like, half as well." as his pout grew, she giggled. "Take it easy, Ash. I know you''d think of something. But you''ve gotta admit, my presence is pretty convenient for you right about now."

    Ash couldn''t argue with that, so he wouldn''t.

    "I''ll try to pay you back somehow-"

    Misty cut him off. "Keep your money, kiddo. I''ll just be sure to beat you when we battle before we leave." An excited glint entered her eyes, which found their way to the ceiling once more. "A good way to celebrate us getting our second badges. Wouldn''t you say?"

    Ash scratched his cheek in thought. "You don''t want to battle before we challenge the Gym? Maybe as a way to prepare?"

    Misty''s smirk was back. "Give me a break, Ash. I gotta make sure you''re ready for me first, right?" she inclined her head towards him with a cheeky grin. "I mean, it''s one thing to humiliate some nobody that I don''t give a damn about, but you and I are friends. If I completely tear through your ass because you weren''t strong enough to face me yet, I''d just feel bad."

    Ash blinked in mild bewilderment. Misty swapped back and forth between compassion and narcissism as though she was just flipping a simple switch.

    Leaning backwards to lie down on his bed, he giggled nervously. "Yeahˇ­" he paused for a second. "I suppose so." ''At least she seems to be doing better after Mt. Moon.'' It didn''t seem like her behavior was a facade.

    "Heh." Misty pulled herself under the covers as she turned off her lamp. "Whelp, see you in the morning, buddy. Gotta make sure I''m rested up to deal with those two when we pay them a visit. Plus, beauty sleep and the like."

    Ash nodded, turning off his own lamp as he retreated under his own covers. "Right, goodnight."

    As he dozed off, he inwardly sighed to himself a bit. Misty was every bit as arrogant as Gary was. And yet... he could only manage an amused grin.

 The Floral Lagoon City pt 2

    The sun shined through the windows and woke him from a pleasantly peaceful slumber.

    Yawning as he rose from his bed, Ash took the time to smile at the sleeping Pikachu at the end of the bed. This time, the yellow rodent was joined by Eevee, who kept her distance to a degree, but not to the extent that would have otherwise told Ash that she felt uncomfortable being near the mouse.

    Nebula may not be in Eevee''s good graces at the moment, but Pikachu was growing on her, and she was attached to Valiant. That was a good sign. With her warming up to the mouse, Ash could only hope that she would drop her grudge on Nebula eventually.

    Once they started training again, he would have to work on that. He couldn''t force them to be friends, but he could hopefully convince them to at least patch things up, and let things go on their own from there.

    Perhaps with Eevee growing more accustomed to being a member of the team, she would hold less of a grudge against Nebula for her role in the Evolution Pokemon''s capture. But perhaps there was a principal involved.

    But if that was the case, why didn''t she seem to be angry at Ash?

    These thoughts ran through Ash''s mind as his feet touched the floor, but he was pulled away from them as he felt Tyrunt''s head brushing against his legs. Smiling down at the tiny dinosaur infant, Ash patted his head for a moment, prompting him to close his eyes and smile at his trainer''s touch. Standing back upright, Ash looked down to Valiant, who nodded a greeting.

    "Look after him for me, okay Valiant? I need a shower." the young Kirlia obliged and waved his trainer off as Ash made his way to the bathroom.

    Ash wasn''t sure why he felt the need to shower again given that he already had last night, but Misty apparently showered every morning too. Something about "I need to keep my gorgeous skin healthy." From the way she worded it, he wasn''t sure if it was supposed to be more arrogance, or just compulsive behavior about her health.

    The boy stepped into the tub and felt the warm water pour onto his skin as he took in the feeling. Even after just one day of traveling, indulging in the luxuries of the Pokemon Center felt heavenly. Even if it involved showering twice in a row. He could definitely get used to it, or wanted to at any rate, but he''d be leaving eventually, just like in Pewter.

    It was better to get used to being on the road than in civilization. That way, he''d be better prepared for the road, and would find more relief from civilization. That was how he saw it, at any rate.

    After a few minutes of quickly showering himself, Ashs stepped out of the bathroom to find Misty waiting at the door. Apparently she had just gotten up while he was in.

    The two offered amicable greetings before exchanging places, Misty heading into the bathroom for her usual shower to get ready for the day. Just before breakfast, Misty called Maria''s house to see if it was okay to visit, while Ash contacted his mother. After hanging up, he was informed by Misty that they had been invited to have breakfast at Maria''s, by her mother, although they needed to feed their teams first, as the house was short on Pokemon food.

    /

    It was 9:00 AM, the sun rising high above the buildings of Cerulean as Ash and Misty made their way down the sidewalk. Once again, Pikachu rode atop his shoulder, Valiant walking by the side in between Ash and Misty, while Tyrunt enjoyed the comfort of his new trainer''s arms.

    Misty led the way yet again, seemingly knowing the city like the back of her hand, and the apparent memorization of Cerulean came as a pleasant surprise to Ash. Sure, he knew Pallet Town fairly well, but Cerulean was several times larger. Not to mention busier and more hectic.

    Although certainly not the chaotic metropolis that Celadon and Saffron were both known to be, activity and scope in Cerulean were nothing to be scoffed at. People came and went on both sidewalks on either side of the street. Although the streets weren''t overwhelmingly crowded, and probably modest by city standards, they were certainly a step up from Pallet Town. Automobiles frequented the streets, and Ash and his Pokemon all quickly got used to seeing them as Misty led them through the complexes.

    She spoke up after a while. "It shouldn''t take too much longer. Maria lives in the suburban area, and we''re getting pretty close to there." she scoffed. "We actually passed Laura''s place a few minutes ago. Kind of wish I just asked to meet up thereˇ­"

    "It''s fine." Ash replied with a friendly grin, trying to cheer her up. "We could use the exercise anyway, right?"

    "I get enough exercise actually traveling between cities." Misty growled to herself. "And just when I''m given the opportunity to take a quick break, I go and make more work for myself. Just wonderful."

    /

    The suburban area of Cerulean was a place that Ash expected to be similar to Pallet Town, for whatever reason. But it definitely wasn''t. The vibe was totally different, yet he still couldn''t quite place why.

    He supposed no two towns were going to feel alike, although he couldn''t find many differences from this area''s structure compared to that of Pallet Town. So what exactly felt so different, then?

    Maybe it was the air? Cerulean was inevitably a lot moister than Pallet usually was, but that could just be because of the recent rain. This part of Cerulean was away from the seaside portion of the city.

    Maria''s house was bigger than his. Three stories high. Much more fancy architecture (was that what felt different?) despite not necessarily being an aesthetic that seemed to be blatantly upper class. Overall the place still seemed to be a lot more expensive than his and his mom''s home. And probably more spacious too.

    When he commented this out loud, Misty mentioned that Maria''s parents were both far from being short on financial income. Her father was a schoolteacher for an institute that centered around electronics and software, while her mother was a maintenance worker for Cerulean Gym, hired by one of the Gym Leaders. When Ash expressed surprise that there were apparently three Gym Leaders in Cerulean instead of just one, the orange haired girl only grumbled irritably, much to his confusion.

    Arriving at the porch, the pit in his stomach (which had been lingering in the background throughout the trip) returned in full, and he suddenly backed away as Misty pressed the button that sounded the doorbell.

    He reminded himself that he was trying to meet more people his age. This would be good for him. He just couldn''t let himself get overwhelmed, was all. Besides, despite beingˇ­ the way that she was, Misty was still fairly nice overall, so she probably kept good company.

    He wasn''t given much time to contemplate further as the door quickly opened a few moments afterward.

    Greeting them was a woman with black hair tied into a long ponytail that fell down to the side. She was wearing fairly casual clothes, a blue shirt and purple shorts. She beamed at the sight of Misty.

    "Misty! Good to see you in person. I told you this on the phone, but Maria was thrilled when Ryan told us you''d be visiting." she gestured her inside. "It''s been a month already, hasn''t it?"

    Misty grinned, exchanging a quick handshake with the woman before folding her hands behind her head. "Sure has. I feel like a different girl already." she looked inside. "So, is Laura here too yet?"

    The woman nodded. "Yeah, she got here just before you, actually." as if by accident, she glanced at Ash, Pikachu, Tyrunt, and Valiant. His heart skipped a beat, and he may have flinched, but he found his composure as he prepared to greet her. "Oh, and is this Ash?"

    Misty smiled. "Yeah, he''s a bit skittish." at Ash''s beet-red face, she gestured towards the woman with her thumb. "This is Maria''s mother Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Ash and his Pokemon. They''ve been tagging along with me for a bit."

    Ash awkwardly nodded to Jennifer. "Heyˇ­ thanks for having us.'''' Pikachu and Valiant followed in kind, offering casual waves to the woman, while Tyrunt just chattered happily.

    The woman kindly gestured forward. "It''s good to meet you all, Ash. I hope you''ll make yourselves at home."

    As Ash stepped inside (giving a quick thanks), he took a look around the living room. It was about twice the size of his own, with an even bigger sofa and recliner chair. The television was on, covering what looked to be a small-scale Pokemon tournament being held at Cinnabar Island. Jennifer left the room, saying that she was going to go fetch Maria and Laura while Ash and Misty settled themselves in.

    Misty turned to Ash for a moment before sitting down on the sofa to watch the television and pass the time. Ash almost sat down with her, but changed his mind at the last second, instead setting Tyrunt down at the baby''s request, the dinosaur happily joining Valiant by his side.

    A few minutes later, two sets of feet were heard rapidly descending the nearby staircase, and Misty grinned at the sight of the two girls making their way down.

    "Yoohoo! Is that you, Misty?"

    Pikachu climbed to Ash''s head as the girl''s reached the floor, Misty moving to greet them.

    One girl had long, auburn hair and copper eyes. She was about Misty''s height, and had her hands together as she lightly jumped up and down.

    "Oh man, I didn''t think I''d get to see you again so soon! How many water types do you have? Got any badges? It''s been a month so this is when rookies usually start to get them. Oh, wait, but it would have taken time to get here, so did you get any early? Oh, and have you evolved your Staryu yet? I can''t remember how long it usually takes for them too-" Misty''s hand shot towards the girl''s mouth to silence her, the girl''s voice comically muffled as she continued to speak from behind the hand regardless.

    ''A motor-mouth.'' Ash tried to remember what Misty had said the previous night. So this was-

    "Calm down, Maria." Misty''s face was an amused grin. "I have one badge from Pewter. Still just have the two water types that I left the city with, although I also have an Eevee and a Jigglypuff. Nobody''s evolved since I caught Jigglypuff as she was. That satisfy you?" At her friend''s frantic but happy nod, Misty released her, before turning to the other girl.

    This one must have been Laura. She was barely shorter than Ash, and was a brunette with shorter hair that fell to her shoulders. She had brown eyes and an easygoing smile. Unlike the much more hyperactive Maria, she seemed to be quite composed.

    Said composure was reflected in her lax demeanor as she spoke up to Misty, sharing a quick shake with the orange-haired hothead.

    "I''m sure we''re all excited to hear about your escapades Misty, she spoke cooly. "But stillˇ­" Ash perked up as her attention suddenly turned to him and his team, gesturing over to the boy with a wink. "Aren''t you gonna introduce us to that little cutie over there?"

    Ash''s face was red again. Right, Misty had said something about a flirt.

    Thankfully, Misty''s hand firmly clasped the other girl''s shoulder.

    "Back off, Laura. He''s skittish." she offered him a playful, yet not necessarily joking grin. "Would probably crumble to pieces if you get too forward with him." Now Ash''s cheeks were red due to a different kind of embarrassment.

    Laura giggled behind her hand. "Aw, man. I had a few lines ready, too." She offered him a casual wave. "Well anywayˇ­"

    Ash suddenly jumped as the girl was in front of him. She moved fast. It took him a moment or two to register her reaching her hand out, but he shook off the embarrassment as he accepted it.

    Her grip was friendly and delicate, with the feel that she could probably squeeze harder if she wanted too. "Name''s Laura, one of Misty''s buddies."

    Ash tried to mask the awkwardness with a grin, although this girl seemed like the type that could see right through him. "H-Hey. I''m Ash." His Pokemon all offered their own quick greetings.

    "So, you ran into Misty on the other side of the mountain, huh?" she flashed him an easy grin. She was pretty cute. "Hope it hasn''t been too bad to be with her for this long. She can be pretty scary, huh?"

    "Riiight heeere." Misty''s suspiciously cheerful smile coupled with her deliberately and obviously forced sing-song voice sent a fearful chill up Ash''s spine as Laura stuck out her tongue.

    "Oh come on, girl. I''m just speaking the truth to a new friend. Anywayˇ­" she turned to Ash''s direction again, but this time her attention was focused on Pikachu. The mouse currently perched atop Ash''s cap began to coo with utter glee as his chin was affectionately tickled by a set of gentle fingers. "I haven''t seen a Pikachu in a hot minute. Aren''t they just the cutest?'''' She said that last sentence in a very affectionate and charming voice, and Ash''s starter leaned downward into the girl''s touch, closing his eyes with joy for a moment as he continued to soak up her affection, as though he had fallen in love. Clearly taking pride in Pikachu''s joy, the brunette sent the mouse a bright smile that practically left Pikachu with heart-shaped pupils as she brought her finger along the rodent''s chin just a little bit more.

    ''At this rate, he''s going to prefer her over meˇ­'' A somewhat embarrassed Ash thought to himself. He inwardly sighed as he eyed Laura''s smile, a simple yet charming expression that had completely enamored the young mouse. ''Who am I kidding? He already does. I don''t stand a chance against herˇ­''

    He was broken out of his thoughts as a hand clasped his shoulder. Startled, he turned to see Maria at his side, taking his hand and shaking it a bit too fast for his liking. "Yo! Is that a Tyrunt?! And a Kirlia? Wow, you must have gotten really lucky to catch Pokemon like those so soon! So is Tyrunt a baby? Because Ryan mentioned something about an Egg and he knows quite a lot about that stuff because he works at the lab and I bet he could give you a lot of pointers on raising him-oh but how have your travels been? Got any badges yet or are you taking it slow-" Misty was there again, this time taking the other girl''s mouth in both of her hands as Ash, somewhat taken aback, sent her a grateful look.

    "There." said Misty as the auburn-haired girl''s now muffled voice continued to ramble from behind the water type specialist''s hands. "Just try to answer her quickly."

    Ash tried to gather his thoughts after the overwhelming avalanche of questions from the girl. Misty certainly kept a colorful pair for company, but he couldn''t say he disliked these girls. They justˇ­ weren''t what he was used to.

    ''Then again, what I''m used to isn''t exactly great.'' he reminded himself as he thought back to Pallet Town. Nevertheless, he shook those thoughts out of his mind for now. He didn''t need Gary and his posse. And he shouldn''t need to keep reminding himself of that either. ''Quirks or not, these two are being friendly. I like them.''

    Relaxing himself a bit, he made eye contact with Maria (whose mouth was still trapped behind Misty''s hands) and started talking.

    /

    Maria''s kitchen was possibly even more of an upgrade from Ash''s kitchen in terms of size, then her living room was compared to his own. Not to mention the freezer was as big as a refrigerator itself. At his place, it was barely half the size and was stacked on top.

    Jennifer had informed him and Misty that Ryan and Grookey had already left for the lab, although a canine Pokemon that Laura had identified to him as a Rockruff was there, and engaged in friendly playtime with Pikachu and Tyrunt while Valiant observed from the sidelines. Apparently the dog was from Laura''s house and belonged to her father, but was brought along with her to Maria''s house that morning.

    Jennifer had already finished cooking breakfast, but had made her way to the living room to give the kids some time for themselves. French toast, pancakes, and some fruit were on the menu this morning, and although it was nothing that would challenge the quality level of Delia''s cooking, Ash still found himself eating it joyfully.

    The table was decently sized and round, with Ash sitting across from Misty, and Maria and Laura on either side. All four children had similar plates, but different drinks. Ash had helped himself to a glass of grape juice, from a brand that he hadn''t heard of until today. It tasted different from what he was used to, but once the taste settled in, he found himself cherishing it.

    As a giggling Pikachu pinned an overjoyed Rockruff to the floor (Tyrunt clapping his short claws together excitedly while watching the exchange) Misty finished chewing her apple as she eyed Maria with a casual grin.

    "So, Maria, how''s Ryan''s work at the lab going? Is he ever going to get that promotion?"

    Maria giggled after she finished swallowing a pancake slice. "Still a ways to go, I''m afraid." she suddenly sounded a lot calmer right now. "That professor is pretty lenient, all things considered, but man does he have criteria for work. You should see all the homework my brother gets. It''s just horrible!"

    Laura sipped her orange juice absentmindedly before she chimed in. "Eh, same song and dance, really. Big ol'' Ryan''s one of those people who loves the hands-on aspects of what he does, but hates the actual academics behind it. I bet even I could write those essays better than him. I could have even nailed the Qualification Exam''s essay if I chose to take it this year."

    Ash tilted his head, after taking a brief moment to observe Valiant, who had joined in on the play session that was currently going on the floor beside the table. "You didn''t?"

    casually, Laura flashed him a friendly grin. "Maria and I decided to hold off for this Season and take our Exams next year. Unlike flaming ponytail, here, we''re not in a rush to throw ourselves into the wilderness and dirty ourselves. We have the rest of our lives for that junk."

    Ash blinked. It wasn''t too uncommon for people to wait, so he supposed he shouldn''t be surprised.

    Misty, however, scoffed at the remark. "Hmph. You probably just wanted me out of the way so that you would get the highest score in the city." she pointed her thumb to her chest as her signature smug grin made its way to her face. "I happened to score a ninety six on my fishing essay, and an eighty nine overall. Beat that."

    Ash had beaten that, as he had gotten a ninety. Although, his essay had scored a ninety one, so Misty had him beat in that regard.

    The brunette swirled her drink in her glass, unfazed by the hot-head''s boasting. "I''m sure I would have aced it. Maybe I just wanted you to have the spotlight. Who knows, I might skip out next Season so that Maria can shine."

    Maria shot her a dirty look. "I won''t allow it! We already agreed that we would travel together, you can''t ditch me like this!"

    Ash flinched at the malicious smirk that crept across Misty''s face. "Don''t bother, Maria. Laura''s just making excuses because she''s too scared to travel. She thinks she''ll be better off in the warm confines of her home where nothing will ever go wrong for her." The brunette girl rolled her eyes at the comment, paying little mind to Misty''s accusation.

    Ash flinched much harder, his dream with Trucy suddenly reentering his mind. Misty''s choice of words wereˇ­ less than ideal.

    Maria seemed to catch on to the look on his face, however, and he started as a concerned pair of copper eyes settled on him. "You okay there, Ash?"

    A wave of guilt passed over him, suddenly feeling like he was ruining the mood.

    Pushing the dark thoughts aside, he gave her a smile. No need to think about that distressing moment right now. "I''m fine, sorry."

    Laura wiped some juice from her lips, shooting Ash a glance as she set her napkin down. "Where are our manners?" she sounded apologetic. You must feel like a fourth wheel here."

    Now that she mentioned itˇ­

    Leaning forward a tiny bit, her lips curved upwards. "So, what about you? What are your plans for your adventure?"

    Ash shrugged a bit, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Notˇ­ anything you haven''t heard before, I''ll admit. I just want to make it to the Conference, and shoot for the six-on-six rounds if I can. But almost every rookie would say that."

    It was a pretty surface level goal, he couldn''t help but wonder. Sure it was grandiose, but Indigo (and the world) was filled with rookies who wanted to be among the few beginners who reached the Conference, and the first beginner to reach the six-on-six rounds. Ash wondered if his goal felt... vanilla, compared to Misty, who wanted to become the greatest water type trainer of all time. His goal was to become Champion, a general goal shared by many of his fellow trainers, including probably Gary.

    But Laura offered a lax shrug. "Eh, not a bad goal. There''s a reason so many people have it. Got your work cut out for you, but I suppose it''s what you signed on for. And you already have a badge, right? The trainers around here are just now getting their firsts, so you''ll be outpacing them double." her expression turned playful. "Same with Misty, if she works up the courage to show her face at the Gym."

    A low rumble escaped Misty''s throat. Ignoring the chill that was sent down his spine, Ash sent Laura a confused look. "Why would she beˇ­?"

    Now Maria perked up. "Oh, you never heard? The Gym Leaders in this city are-" Misty was suddenly at her side, hand clamped firmly over Maria''s face as the girl''s now muffled voice continued to speak.

    Ash blinked at that. What was it about the Gym that made Misty so nervous? She loved water types, so battling at the Cerulean Gym would be a great experience for her.

    Or at least, that''s what he had assumed.

    Laura giggled behind her hand. "I guess you''ll find out eventually, Ash. But again. That''s assuming that Misty even-"

    "I''m going to go there." Misty firmly shot back as she sat back down in her seat, having removed her hand from Maria''s mouth after being sure that the auburn-haired girl wouldn''t try to say anything else. She scoffed haughtily. "In fact, I''m kind of looking forward to it. Just not for the reasons you think. I''ll beat them, get their badge, and be out of there in a flash."

    Laura''s eyes rolled again. "You think I don''t know you or something? Of course that''s the part you''d be excited about. It''s no secret."

    Maria flashed Misty a grin. "Good to see you''re not nervous."

    Misty seemed surprised at that. "Why would I be nervous? It''s just another Gym battle, this time against people I''m looking forward to beating down. That''s exciting."

    Ash could have sworn he heard her spitefully mumble something under her breath. He couldn''t quite make it out. Was it "runt" that she was saying? He couldn''t tell.

    Before he could put too much thought into Misty''s... resentful tone of voice, Maria spoke up to him again.

    "Oh, sorry Ash. We''re making the conversation about us again. Look how rude we''re being right now. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

    Ash blinked. Now there was a question he would not have heard back in Pallet Town. But what should he say?

    A surge of frustration (and disappointment) shot through him as he suddenly found himself drawing a blank, but he shook it off and went with a generic response.

    "Wellˇ­ what kind of starters are you interested in?"

    That got Laura perking up. "Charmander! You should see the stuff coordinators are coming up with for fire these days. I''ve already gotten some performances playing out in my mind. Not to mention all of the cool things a Charizard can do in the air. Pretty easy pick for me, honestly."

    Ash wasn''t as educated in the Contest field, but he had heard about the recent rise in fire type representation among Indigo''s coordinators. A few especially skilled coordinators had begun discovering new combinations that were absolutely beautiful to witness, and many others in the community quickly took notice.

    That brought a question to mind. "Won''t that make it more difficult to stand out? I hear fire types are really popular in Indigo''s Contests recently."

    Laura didn''t seem to be fazed. "It''s no different from Misty here wanting to be the best with water types, right?" she said with a shrug. After taking a quick sip of her juice (which finished the glass) she grinned with a sudden, surprising glint of fire in her pupils. "It just means that I have to be the best at what I do. More motivation, right?"

    Ash couldn''t help but grin at that. He liked her attitude.

    "Besidesˇ­" said Laura, after finishing a bite of french toast. "It''s not like my starter will be the only Pokemon on my team. I''ll be fine."

    Maria took the time to observe the Pokemon playing on the floor while finishing her apple juice. "Personally, I''m considering Bulbasaur. Not sure what I''d do with one yet, I just like the idea of them being easier to raise. No need to rush into things."

    Ash was surprised to hear that she was apparently the modest one of the bunch. ''I guess their personalities don''t determine what kind of trainers they''ll be.''

    Finishing the last of her strawberry milk, Misty observed the table to see everyone else was wrapping up their breakfasts. Folding her hands, she looked between her three friends. "Soˇ­ what are you guys planning to do today?"

    Maria scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Wellˇ­" she looked between Ash and Misty as she lowered her arm. "Laura''s gotten permission to be here all day. I''m not sure how long you and Ash are staying, being busy and allˇ­"

    Ash held his hands up reassuringly. "I''m fine with taking a day off, Maria." he glanced over at his Pokemon, Rockruff breaking away from wrestling with Pikachu as an amused Valiant suddenly found himself on the receiving end. The Kirlia seemed pretty content with whatever game they were playing with the rock type dog. "And they seem to be too."

    Misty nodded at that, rising from her seat. "Yeah, I was planning to start training tomorrow and use today to settle in. I''m fine with hanging out with you two and catching up. And I''ll be sure to put some time aside at least one more time before I leave. Justˇ­ right after I focus on that badge." her expression darkened again for a moment, before quickly returning to normal. If Ash had blinked, he would have missed it.

    A satisfied Maria smiled. "Cool! I was thinking of maybe going out, but we could still hang out here for a while. Actually, the new arcade finally opened last week, and we''ve been going there. Maybe a bit later we can show it to you two."

    Ash liked that idea. Pallet Town had a fairly small arcade, and he knew that most were bigger. He wondered what kinds of games he could play there.

    Misty nodded happily as Laura rose from her seat, although Ash and Maria were still sitting. "Sounds good. They''ve been talking about that place forever, but they sure took their sweet time with it. I swear, it better be worth all that hype they spewed in those commercials.

    Laura laughed at that. "I''m sure you''ll be satisfied. Although, it''s not quite as big as they described. Far from tiny, butˇ­"

    "Hmph, no surprise there." Misty huffed. Shrugging, she stole a glance at the Pokemon on the floor, who were beginning to settle down upon seeing the humans finish eating. "So I guess it''ll be us for the day, and I can show you guys my team while we''re at it." She sounded pretty prideful when bringing them up, albeit not in the arrogant way.

    Maria clasped her hands together excitedly. "Great! We should get as much done before tonight. Gotta do as much as we can before it''s time for you two to turn in at the Pokemon Center."

    "Who says they gotta go back to the Center tonight?" Ash suddenly looked up from his seat as Laura approached him. His cheeks burned and his mind raced as she abruptly leaned down and put her arm around him. "Right, Ash? You could always ditch the hothead just this once and hang out at my house-YEOW! MISTY LET GO!"

    Misty scoffed in annoyance as she painfully (and quite literally) dragged her brunette friend away by the ear.

    "We don''t need you going out of your way to mess with every guy we meet." the orange-haired girl groaned.

    "Oh come one! I don''t do it that often!" her friend protested.

    Maria giggled in her seat, holding up her fingers with a cheerful grin. "Six times in the past two months." she spoke matter-of-factly. She glanced over at Ash, who was still waiting for the heat to completely leave his face. "This stuff happens a lot." her voice was complacent, as was her smile.

    He could only offer her a somewhat nervous chuckle.

    /

    The day had been eventful, but fun. The group of four had spent a few hours at the arcade, and although Ash wasn''t used to any of the games there, he quickly found his favorites, particularly a Pokemon battle simulator that threw in loads of unpredictable gimmicks with every match.

    Ash was careful to avoid the more noisy areas of the arcade for Tyrunt''s sake, and Valiant seemed to appreciate the (somewhat) quieter atmosphere too.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Afterwards, while Misty was introducing her team to her new friends, Ash took the time to also let Nebula and Eevee out, both Pokemon receiving a good amount of attention from the other two girls.

    Although Eevee was clearly a bit uncomfortable with the spotlight, Ash quickly found that Nebula enjoyed soaking up the affection and attention every bit as much as Pikachu did. Rockruff had also introduced himself to them, although Eevee proved to be quite irritable as the rock type Pokemon quickly took a liking to teasing and messing around with her for fun. The Evolution Pokemon was actually surprisingly hotheaded, not that the little dog cared, of course.

    For the rest of the day, the group mostly did whatever came to mind, with no real, particular schedule on the table.

    Ash learned a bit more about the history between the three girls throughout the course of the day, Laura filling him in. Apparently they had known each other for a couple of years, Misty first meeting Maria at the beginning of the school year after the chatterbox girl''s family had moved to Cerulean from Lavender Town after her father had been accepted to teach at the institute, and both girls later meeting Laura a couple of months later after she had been transferred into their class. The brunette girl had been living in Cerulean for most of her life, but hadn''t actually known the other girls until that point. All three girls had been eight years old at the time.

    Despite his initial discomfort, it didn''t take too long for the anxious feeling plaguing the back of Ash''s mind to subside; not just suppress, but thankfully go away for good. Although he still occasionally felt like the fourth wheel of the group, Misty''s friends made a clear effort to ensure that he would feel welcome within the group, and it didn''t take too long for him to start feeling attached. Maria''s excessive ramblings were pretty harmless and were usually halted by Misty before she could go too far, and he was quick to find how much of a mood-lifter she truly was. The girl was pretty energetic almost all of the time, even when not going off on a tangent, and it was often her leading the group to wherever they went next. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and Ash found himself feeling uncharacteristically energetic from the happy-go-lucky vibe that she gave off.

    It didn''t take much longer for him to get used to Laura''s behavior, either. The cute brunette would occasionally sneak in a flirtatious comment or two, usually when Misty was out of earshot (apparently that really hadn''t been the first time Laura''s ear had been pinched), but he soon wasn''t as flustered about it; it was clear she really was just being playful and casual, not trying to deliberately make him feel uncomfortable. Once he grew accustomed to it, he found himself fairly unfazed by her quick comments (and occasionally amused, depending on the context). Laura''s overall personality just oozed with relaxation, a surprising contrast from Misty''s hot-blooded tempter or Maria''s energetic mannerisms. She was definitely the level-headed member of the group, and it constantly showed.

    Between Misty and Laura, Ash had a bit of a hard time figuring out which of them kept the group more grounded. Misty would often quell the habits of her two friends whenever they would get out of hand, but Laura was the one who often stuck out in comparison to the much more unpredictable nature of the other two girls, often keeping things from getting too hectic between them.

    At the same time, it was still Maria who often led the way, almost as if she was the unofficial planner of the group. It wasn''t a dynamic that Ash could fully figure out, at least not yet.

    Pikachu had definitely taken a shine to Laura, constantly soaking up whatever attention and fawning that the brunette girl offered him. It helped that he and Rockruff had both been an immediate hit with one another as well. Ash almost found himself feeling jealous of Laura and how focused that Pikachu was on her, but he would always be happy watching his starter make a new friend.

    It was past 9:00 PM when Ash and Misty finally made their way back to the Pokemon Center, both exhausted from the day, but also in very high spirits from all of the fun. Tyrunt was sleeping soundly in Ash''s arms while the rest of their respective teams were relaxing in their Poke Balls.

    "Soˇ­" said Misty, face stretched out in a tired grin after letting out a yawn. "That''s the company that I often keep around here. Way better than my actual family, of course."

    Deciding not to pry, Ash nodded, trying to ignore the fatigue in his eyes as he focused on ahead with a smile. "They''re an interesting pair." he admitted matter-of-factly. "Don''t really know anyone like them back in Pallet."

    "Your hometown sounds boring." Misty scoffed. "Does Professor Oak like monotonous places?"

    "Yesˇ­ actually." Ash giggled. "For him, the more peaceful the better. He''s a workaholic, so he''s always been in favor of quieter areas for him to focus on his tasks in."

    Misty shrugged. "Whatever he finds stimulating, I guess." she sighed. "In all honesty, I can''t imagine being able to handle the quiet life. Not motivating enough."

    They''d have to agree to disagree on that one, Ash supposed, although he did still understand where she was coming from. Having a more active atmosphere where you lived sounded like a great way to push you forward. But from his perspective, having more time to think things through in a more peaceful area did wonders for his mindset and train of thought. Maybe he was just saying that because his social life wasn''t very active back at home (not positively, anyway), but despite enjoying the company of people his age, being on your own did still have advantages of its own.

    But now that his travels had started, breaking away from that quiet, somewhat lonely position was part of the joy, he decided.

    His grin was small, but content as they finally approached the Pokemon Center.

    Janine, Elacia, Rick, Emily, Misty, Maria, Lauraˇ­ meeting new people really was one of the best parts of being a trainer.

    /

    The somewhat late night hadn''t stopped Ash and Misty from rising early the next morning. True to her word, Misty led the team to an area outside of the city, featuring a small pond with shallow water and multiple rocks spread throughout.

    The water of Cerulean City''s Gym would be much deeper than this, and Ash imagined that the pool itself would be at least as big, but this would still be the perfect place to practice at, without too much of a risk.

    Pikachu and Eevee would need to learn how to navigate around the water by jumping in between the rocks, as they would have to do the same for the platforms in the Cerulean Gym''s pool. Valiant had his teleportation, although Ash wasn''t sure how taxing it would be for him to use it constantly to navigate around the battlefield.

    In any case, it would be preferable for all three of them to have some sort of basic swimming ability, which thankfully wasn''t too much of an issue, as many Pokemon had at least some level of swimming capabilities due to natural survival instincts. Nevertheless, Ash was hoping to improve upon those at least a little bit, but he wouldn''t be putting too much focus on it, knowing that it would take ages for them to even potentially match the swimming capabilities of a water type Pokemon. The majority of water types were natural swimmers, inevitably swimming circles around most others even with minimal practice. And the Gym''s team were fighting in the Gym''s pool on a regular basis; certainly gaining a ton of swimming experience just from facing challengers alone.

    Really, the pond would be the perfect place for them to train for the battle. Nebula wouldn''t have to worry about it, as she could fly, but Ash did have something else in mind for her to help out with training the others.

    Misty''s Eevee and Jigglypuff would be participating as well, needing the same kind of training that his own team did. Conveniently, there was a much deeper pond of water nearby for Misty''s Staryu and Piplup to hone their own swimming capabilities. Misty was planning to multitask between the two of them, but was willing to give Ash the first turn with the pond.

    She inclined her head towards Ash, who had his team lined up by his side as they observed the pond. "What do you think? Will it work for you?"

    Ash turned his head towards her and nodded with a smile. "Yes, thank you."

    As Misty prepared Staryu and Piplup at the other pond nearby, she had her Eevee and Jigglypuff stick around to observe Ash''s team so that they could get ready for their own turn. The two Pokemon kept their distance, however, allowing Ash and his team to do their thing.

    Tyrunt looked innocently curious as Ash observed the rest of the team. Ash knelt down and patted the baby''s head, prompting the dinosaur to close his eyes happily.

    "Tyrunt, I''d like you to watch with me, okay?" Tyrunt still wasn''t ready for battle, and Ash wasn''t too sure when he''d start training him, but for now, getting him to learn from example was probably a pretty good first step. The more Tyrunt could soak up, the better prepared he''d be. Ash certainly wasn''t going to rush into things with the infant, as raising him properly during his newborn phase exceeded everything else in terms of importance, but allowing the dinosaur to simply observe the rest of the team was harmless.

    At Tyrunt''s nod, Ash returned the response with a nod of his own before standing upright and addressing the rest of the team, also taking the time to observe their expressions.

    Apart from Nebula, all of them seemed to be rather apprehensive about the upcoming battle, which Ash couldn''t blame them for. None of them had fought in an aquatic arena before, and Nebula was the only one with the flight to compensate for such a disadvantage. In comparison, their opponents would inevitably be perfectly suited for water-based combat. Water Types could breathe underwater, and were expert swimmers by nature, after all.

    Even Nebula wasn''t at her most confident, but her facial expression acknowledged that the rest of her teammates were in a much more difficult position than herself.

    "Okay." Ash began, looking between his teammates evenly as Tyrunt stood by his side. Misty''s Eevee and Jigglypuff looked on from a few feet back. "As you all know, we are planning on challenging this city''s Gym soon. This will be our team''s second Gym battle, and Eevee''s first." he gave a quick glance to the Evolution Pokemon, who stiffened up at the declaration, before returning his gaze evenly to the entire team as a whole. "For obvious reasons, we are at a disadvantage. Against Brock, the terrain was rough, and we needed to get used to it, but in our next battle, we will be in an arena filled with water, with only platforms to provide us with very limited ground. It wouldn''t be feasible to try and get all of you to be able to swim at the level of a water type Pokemon, especially ones like these that swim and battle in a giant pool all the time, which is why we need to focus on maneuvering around the limited ground that we have." he gestured over to the pond. "Pikachu and Eevee will practice jumping between the rocks. Valiant will work on teleporting between them, in order to build up his endurance. Pikachu, you''ve practiced something similar to this before, when we were preparing for Brock, but this will be more difficult. It''s not just about uneven terrain anymore, it''s about limited terrain." the young mouse frowned at the comment, but nodded in understanding. Ash smiled at him. "Of course, your dexterity and efficiency in traversing terrain have excelled ever since those training sessions. I''d like you to support Eevee as best as you can, understood?"

    Pikachu nodded at that, flashing a look towards Eevee, who nodded back at him. A small hint of what appeared to be gratitude appeared on her features. That was a good sign.

    "At some point," Ash continued. "I will need to pull Pikachu and Valiant aside. Since this is a water type Gym, we''ll need to make sure Pikachu has improved how efficiently he can use Thunderbolt, and I''d like to teach Valiant the move as well. Pikachu can hopefully help him with that." he flashed his starter an apologetic look. "I know it''s a lot to ask Pikachu, but you really are a key point for all of this. I''m counting on you."

    It definitely made the young boy feel guilty. Despite his typing, Pikachu was in just as much of a disadvantageous position as everyone else besides Nebula. But Ash was effectively asking the electric mouse to guide two of his teammates in the upcoming struggles. He didn''t like putting this much pressure onto just one Pokemon.

    But thankfully, despite the obvious nervousness in the rodent''s eyes, Pikachu nodded, although his teammates offered him sympathetic looks, and Nebula in particular looked concerned.

    Ash wanted to speak with her real quick, but first he needed to inform everybody of her role in this exercise.

    "Nebulaˇ­" he carefully regained everybody''s attention. "You can fly. That means you don''t need to worry about the water nearly as much. That''s whyˇ­ I think there might be a way for you to help everybody else in their training." At her curious look, the bird tilting her head to the side for a moment, Ash fully elaborated on it. "Back when we were training for our battle with Brock, I botched a certain part of the exercise." Ash frowned at that. If Elacia hadn''t been there to clear up his mistake, the battle with Brock probably would have ended very differently, and not in their favor. "I told Pikachu to run laps around the training grounds, getting used to the uneven terrain and climbing rocks. It benefitted him greatly, increasing his speed as well as his maneuverability. Howeverˇ­" his frown deepened. "As our friend Elacia pointed out, I wasn''t teaching him to multitask. He needed to learn to maneuver around the uneven, disadvantageous battlefield, while simultaneously being forced to deal with attacks from the opposing side. After she pointed this out to me, I added that into his exercise, but I should have done it sooner." Valiant seemed to be catching on. Ash nodded to Nebula. "That''s why, I need you flying overhead and attacking these three with Wind Blast while they are traversing the rocks. Try to knock them into the pond. This will also get them used to trying to get out of the water as soon as possible, as it would be suicide to try to engage the Gym''s Pokemon while in the water. That would be when their already huge advantage will be at its height. Obviously, if they can''t make it back, I''d like you to rescue them. The water is shallow, but better safe than sorry." he looked between the team to gauge their reactions.

    None of them seemed to like the idea, but most of them still seemed to accept nonetheless, acknowledging that this was essential to prepare for the battle. Eevee, however, still took the opportunity to shoot Nebula a quick, dirty look.

    Ash inwardly grimaced. It wasn''t as hostile as usual, but Eevee still wasn''t the Staravia''s biggest fan. Hopefully this exercise could at least help...

    Even now, he still felt a bit guilty for the grave oversight that he had made back in Pewter. Elacia had essentially saved their chances that day. No doubt Pikachu wouldn''t have been able to pull through against Onix without that extra layer of preparation, and the fight had already been incredibly close as it was.

    But Ash wouldn''t make the same mistake. A true trainer learned from their mistakes, as they continued to hone themselves. And that''s what he would do, starting today.

    "Alright Nebulaˇ­" he began softly. "I want you to stay here with me for a moment. The rest of youˇ­" he pointed off towards the pond. "Go get started right away. I''ll send Nebula over once you''ve gotten the hang of things. Try to avoid her attacks as much as you can."

    As the team complied and headed off to the pond, Ash knelt down beside the Staravia, not missing the nervous look that she sent Pikachu''s way.

    "You''re worried about Pikachu, aren''t you?" the bird turned towards him as he patted her on the head. He was sure to make eye contact. "I knowˇ­" said Ash. "I''m putting a lot of pressure on the poor guy''s plate. I don''t like it myself." The look in his eyes turned a bit more confident, although remained sympathetic. "But I want you to know that I wouldn''t put him through anything that I thought was too much for him, and that goes for the rest of you. If I find he''s overwhelmed, I won''t hesitate to give him a break. He deserves it."

    Nebula seemed to ease up a bit at that. Her trust in Ash had definitely strengthened since their first encounter in Viridian Forest, and although Ash credited Pikachu for a great majority of that (the time that she had started to open up more was synonymous with when she and Pikachu had first started to become chummy) the bird had become quite amicable towards him and Valiant as well.

    Ash didn''t want to abuse or take advantage of that, and there was no denying the kind of camaraderie that Pikachu and Nebula shared with one another. It was a relationship that he hoped his entire team would share with each other one of these days, but for now, the first two members of his team had a kind of friendship that nobody else on the team had. Being reminded of that always moved him, if he was being honest with himself. The two were inseparable.

    "You''re a good friend, Nebula." Ash patted her head affectionately, and the bird crooned softly at the touch. "I''m sure Pikachu would be happy to know how concerned you are for him." blinking in sudden realization, he gave her a look. "Do you remember back in Pewter City? When you and Pikachu were still practicing Double Team." Nebula nodded at that. Ash''s smile widened. "You got the hang of the Move faster than he did. He was struggling, but you helped him through it. Do you remember that." It took a moment, but the recollection in Nebula''s eyes suddenly formed, prompting the young trainer to grin even further. "Moments like that are important for all of you. As long as you all support each other, I''m sure you''ll be able to tackle anything."

    That seemed to bolster her spirit. Moving back a bit to give his friend some space, Ash turned back towards Tyrunt, who was watching the interaction with some curiosity.

    Nebula understood the importance of her concern for Pikachu, and Ash''s reassurance to her. He hoped that Tyrunt understood it too. After all, he''d be a part of this team one day, if he wanted to be. It was yet another thing for the infant to take in.

    /

    The first day of training wasn''t the smoothest, but Ash hadn''t expected it to be.

    Pikachu led the way, hopping across the pond from rock to rock as Eevee attempted to mimic his movements. Valiant would occasionally make attempts at jumps, but prioritized Teleport. All the while, Nebula would repeatedly fire Wind Blast down towards her teammates in an attempt to knock them into the pond.

    Although Pikachu fared better than his teammates, he was still being blasted into the water, or even just losing his footing, relatively often. Eevee and Valiant struggled even moreso, and although they got better over time, it was still an uphill battle for both of them. Thankfully, they were usually able to get back onto the rocks on their own, and whenever unable too, they were quickly rescued by Nebula.

    Pikachu and Valiant''s training with Thunderbolt was coming along a lot better, however. The young mouse worked to perfect the powerful move over the next few days, Valiant learning by example. Although it took the young Kirlia the entirety of the first day to even be able to use the Move, he quickly gained momentum after getting the bare basics down. Pikachu coached him through it, being able to offer far better advice than Ash ever could due to firsthand experience. It once again brought Ash back to the time that Nebula had helped Pikachu work on Double Team.

    After a few days, Pikachu was firing Thunderbolt almost perfectly. Although Valiant still lagged behind him a bit, he was still fairly competent with the Move, and Pikachu''s overall more efficient usage of the move was to be expected from an electric type Pokemon.

    Thankfully, the next few days saw positive boons for the maneuverability training as well. Not only did the training provide good target practice for Nebula, but it wasn''t long before Pikachu, and later Eevee, were able to perform more consistently while traversing the rocks in the water and avoiding her attacks. Valiant''s stamina had also greatly increased, his usage of Teleport becoming far more frequent without him needing to worry about tiring himself out as quickly. No doubt his recent Evolution had also played a key factor in all of this.

    And on Misty''s side of things, her Eevee and Jigglypuff were making similar progress, and the orange-haired girl boastingly claimed that Staryu and Piplup were both already swimming far faster than normal. And during Misty''s own training sessions, Ash would offer to have Nebula play the same role in her Eevee and Jigglypuff''s training as she did for the rest of Ash''s team. It was a good, mutual benefit for both of them, as this was still training for Nebula too, and Misty accepted it.

    During breaks between training, Ash and Misty both noticed that Nebula and Piplup would occasionally hang out with one another. The two of them had assisted each other during the battle against Team Rocket, and it seemed like that experience had stuck with them a bit.

    The biggest surprise, however, had come at the end of their fourth day of training, when Piplup had evolved into Prinplup. Misty was elated, and spent the whole night in the hotel room boasting about it until she was too tired to talk.

    Ash was happy for her, however. A Pokemon evolving was always a momentous occasion.

    Which brought them to the fifth day of training.

    The two trainers were planning to pay the Gym a visit following one more day of training (not including this one). Misty''s expression was a peculiar one for Ash, the young boy finding himself unable to place whether it was one of apprehension or excitement. Laura had given him a teasing, offhand comment that he should look forward to seeing Misty enter the Gym. He couldn''t really place why that was, and Misty''s warning snarls had prevented Laura and Maria from elaborating any further.

    Right now he and Misty were sitting near the larger pond, watching Staryu and the newly evolved Prinplup swimming laps around the large body of water. Tyrunt and Valiant sat beside Ash, the baby dinosaur leaning against the boy a bit while eating some meat that Ash had picked up from the Pokemon Center. The rest of Ash and Misty''s teams were taking a break from their training, sharing snacks together a little ways off. Pikachu and Nebula shared a bowl together, conversing happily in anticipation for their upcoming challenge at the Gym.

    Although Eevee still wasn''t Nebula''s biggest fan, she was no longer avoiding the bird, sitting by Pikachu''s side, supposedly to get some more maneuverability tips. Her hostility towards the Staravia was hopefully, or at least taking the first step to such, but the training obviously hadn''t been a miracle cure.

    Prinplup had been exercising constantly in order to break in his newfound evolution, but often needed to take eating breaks. Between the recent evolution and the constant training, it was pretty easy for him to get hungry.

    It was late in the afternoon. The sun would probably begin to set before too long.

    Misty grinned as the water rippled and churned in Staryu and Prinplup''s wake. The two Pokemon really were moving fast, and it left Ash suddenly craving a water type of his ownˇ­ if the circumstances surrounding the upcoming Gym battle didn''t already have him wishing for one on his team.

    "Now that''s what I''m talking about. Those two will swim circles around whatever water types that gym throws at them. I just need to wait for Prinplup to be more accustomed to his new form."

    Ash nodded in acknowledgement as he continued to follow the two Water Types with his eyes. He didn''t blame Misty for her confidence. Watching those two must have been very empowering for her.

    Of course, it just further reminded him of his own disadvantage; the Cerulean Gym undoubtedly had Pokemon just like those two. Pokemon that he and his team could not compete with in an aquatic battle. It was almost discouraging, but the hard work his team had been putting in throughout the past several days was equally encouraging. He''d just have to believe in them. It didn''t quell his tension, but he owed them that much and more.

    Looking down at Tyrunt, the he patted the infant''s head, and an affectionate noise to escape from the small dinosaur''s throat. "You looking forward to the Gym battle, little buddy?" Ash smiled.

    Valiant giggled in amusement at Tyrunt''s excited, responsive chatter. The Royal Heir Pokemon really was taking an interest in the team''s practices. Not necessarily clamoring to get in on the action himself, but still developing a very clear intrigue towards it nonetheless. Ash noticed that Tyrunt''s interest had progressively grown over the past few days, especially as he cheered on Valiant during Thunderbolt training.

    It did make Ash a little bit nervous that Tyrunt would start asking to participate in the battles too soon. To jump into training before he was ready. He certainly seemed like he would want to eventually, but Ash just hoped that he hadn''t been overdoing it with giving the infant dinosaur this kind of exposure.

    Nevertheless, Tyrunt would develop rather quickly, as infant Pokemon grew a lot faster than humans did, and dragon types were naturally strong, so it wasn''t as risky as most cases, there was still most certainly a limit. Ash knew that Tyrunt would be ready before long, but that didn''t mean that he was eager.

    As exciting as it was to have a powerful Dragon Type Pokemon on his team, he would prolong Tyrunt''s participation in the group for now. Tyrunt wouldn''t become a member of the team until he wanted to be one, and until Ash felt that he was in a comfortable position to be one.

    But for now, Tyrunt seemed to be perfectly content just watching everything play out.

    Apart from the rapid splashing of the waters as Staryu and Prinplup continuously sped by, it was a pretty quiet, tranquil moment. Misty would occasionally exchange a few comments with him, and occasionally Valiant and Tyrunt would exchange a few noises that Ash wished that he could understand, but apart from that, everybody was perfectly content with simply observing the show as Misty''s two water types sped around the pond.

    Moments of quiet didn''t last forever, however.

    Misty''s body turned rigid, eyes wide as saucers and shaking erratically, her hair practically raising, as a sudden voice called out to them.

    "Well what do you know, I guess the rumors were true!"

    "Noˇ­" Misty''s voice was practically shaking, and before Ash could ask her what was wrong, the hothead had shot up, turning around to see the source of the voice.

    "What are you doing here?!" she spat, rushing towards the source. The exchange caught the attention of all of the Pokemon outside of the water. Pikachu and the others simply observed from a distance however, curious expressions on their faces as Ash gestured for Valiant and Tyrunt to wait where they were, following Misty up the short hill and to the person seemingly addressing his hotheaded friend.

    Looking up, he could see the source of the voice. Misty reached them first, with Ash close behind her, albeit staying a couple feet behind his friend.

    Misty crossed her arms as she lightly glared at the figure, an annoyed expression on her face.

    The woman in front of them looked to be about eighteen years of age or so, and Ash could have sworn that he''d seen her somewhere before.

    Her hair was hot pink, going down to her shoulders and giving off a very vibrant, shiny feel to it. She was incredibly well groomed, and first impressions told Ash that she was even more obsessed with appearances than Misty was. Her eyes were a shining blue, bright and brimming with life. Her figure was slender and fit, with long legs to compliment it. And in general, she just came across asˇ­ incredibly clean. She wore casual clothes, a combination of blue and red.

    As he took in her appearance, however, Ash inwardly panicked as he felt the heat rapidly rushing to his face, almost as though he was in mild pain from the sudden burning sensation in his cheeks.

    ''Holy shit she''s beautiful.'' He thought before he had the chance to stop himself.

    It didn''t help that her position and pose felt oddly provocative. Fists pressed against her hips, head tilted just barely to the side, and a knowing smirk on her face as she locked eyes with Misty. The look on her smug expression seemingly conveyed recognition. Ash was behind Misty, so he couldn''t see her face, but based on her tone of voice, she wasn''t happy to see this woman.

    ''Soˇ­" the woman''s tone of voice carried an unexpected charm to it that forced Ash to absorb every word. "When was the little runt going to tell us that she was back home?" her voice had a mock sense of fussiness to it, as though she was jokingly coddling a baby.

    ''Runt?'' thought Ash. ''Waitˇ­ is this Misty''sˇ­?!''

    Steam was practically rising from Misty''s body as she spat back. "How did you even know I was back, anyway?! I wasn''t supposed to see you until-"

    The pink haired woman raised a hand to clarify. "That handsome little catch from the lab informed us that you were in town. I''ve spent all day looking for you."

    "I''m going to kill Ryan." Ash''s entire body paled at that (or at least it tried too, as his cheeks were still burning). Misty''s tone of voice sounded more like a murderous demon out for blood and crushed skulls, rather than an energetic, ten year old girl. Suddenly, her voice grew more annoyed. "Wait a minuteˇ­ I''ve been here for almost a week! Did it take you that long to find me, or did you just start looking today?" her arms remained crossed.

    The pink haired woman shrugged absentmindedly. "What can I say? We had other things to focus on. But I''m here now, aren''t I? And who''s your friend over here?" Ash froze as she gestured towards him. The smirk on her face grew as his blush worsened from the attention. What''s more, she seemed to soak it up.

    "U-Umˇ­ Highˇ­" Ash stammered. "I''m Ash."

    "The name''s Lily, nice to meet you." she flicked her hair a bit, an egotistical smirk that could rival Misty and Gary combined making it''s way across her lips. "Don''t worry, there''s no need to tell me how gorgeous I am. I already know."

    As Ash hid his face (which he was pretty sure was about to catch on fire), a snarling Misty got between him and Lily, her face dark with rage.

    "Quit being a creep, you damn bimbo! Do you have any fraction of self awareness? Or did you forget to glue your brain to your skull when you woke up this morning?!"

    Lily clasped her hands together, having a mockingly fake expression of friendly cheerfulness and serenity on her face. "Oh, no need to be so harsh with your big sister, runt. If you were this beautiful, you''d understand."

    Before Misty could tackle Lily to the ground and throttle her, Ash spoke up. "Wait a minute! Sister?!" Looking frantically between the two girls, he could spot the resemblance. It was in their faces. But stillˇ­

    Cooling down a bit, Misty let out a deep, and very loud sigh, as she turned her head in Ash''s direction. It was as though she had been dreading this moment.

    "Yeahˇ­" she spoke softly, almost broken, but eyes still clearly angry. "I''m the youngest of four. This is my sister, Lilyˇ­ and one of Cerulean City''s three Gym Leaders."

    Ash''s jaw could have been underground. ''I''ve been hanging out with the sister of a Gym Leader?! THREE OF THEM?!''

    But Lily didn''t seem satisfied. "Hey! You can''t just skip the best part!" she leaned to the side to get a better look at Ash. "We''re also the Sensational Sisters! You''ve heard of us, haven''t you?"

    ''So that''s where I''ve seen here before!'' Ash flinched in retaliation.

    The Sensational Sisters were renowned performers who were widely considered to be the best swimmers in all of Indigo. Their performances usually took place right here in Cerulean City. They were beloved by their fans. For their talents, unrivaled by all in their field. And also for theirˇ­ appearances.

    Ash had probably seen them in a magazine before, but he didn''t know much about them. Probably why he had no idea that they also ran a Gym.

    The boy gave Misty an incredulous look. "Gym Leaders? You''reˇ­"

    The hothead sighed. "The Meowth''s out of the bag, I suppose. Yeah, she''s the Gym Leader here, along with the rest of my sisters."

    Ash didn''t know what to sayˇ­ but thankfully, Lily spoke up for him, for better or worse. "Eh, the Gym Leader stuff is more of a side hobby." A position of political power was a hobby? "Our real bread and butter is our shows. You should come by some time."

    "I''llˇ­ give it some thought." Ash meekly responded, his mind still jumbled.

    ''I''m friends with the sister of three celebritiesˇ­'' he couldn''t wrap his head around that. ''How the hell did this happen?''

    "So, Misty, how did you two meet?" she asked, giving her little sister a coy smile."Run into each other on the road or something? Guess you needed someone else to keep you grounded now that Maria and Laura aren''t with you to do the job, huh?"

    Misty''s rage returned in full force as she glared lasers into her older sister. "As if! I''m the one keeping those two grounded!"

    Lily tapped her chin with her index finger, pretending to be deep in thought. "Hmmmˇ­ I seeˇ­. Didn''t you punch a poor boy''s tooth out at school once?"

    "He sprayed juice all over me and then made fun of my clothes! I should have broken more of his teeth!"

    ''Gary''s lucky she didn''t go to school with us.'' Ash thought to himself fearfully. The boy recalled the time that the Oak boy had "accidentally" spilled Ash''s milk on his pants while casually walking past him in the cafeteria.

    Lily''s laugh was haughty and narcissistic, and she eyed Misty like a predator toying with their food. "Well, I guess it was too much to ask expecting a month on the road to shape you up. But that doesn''t excuse you for not calling us! We were sooo worried!"

    Ash couldn''t tell if Lily''s tone of voice was overbearing or condescending.

    "As if I needed you three sticking your self-important snouts into my business!" Misty was making an effort to calm down, Ash could tell. But it seemed like this woman''s presence was a trigger for the younger girl. "Besidesˇ­" She stood up as tall as she could, the anger on her face turning tranquil as she locked eyes with her older sister. "I already have one badge. And I''ll be coming for yours in a couple of days. You can tell that to Daisy and Violet."

    "I''m sure they''re looking forward to it. We''ll all be so happy to see how our adorable little fluff ball has grown!" Lily fawned, yet her smile was akin to that of somebody complimenting a child for guessing two plus two. The look in her eyes was unpleasant, conveying a certain snarkiness to it more than any smirk that Ash had ever seen.

    As the heat in his face slowly leveled out to something more tolerable, Ash looked between the two sisters, an outsider to the silent war going on between them in their eye to eye exchange.

    "Don''t you have somewhere else to be?" Misty scoffed. "What do you even want?"

    Lily threw her hands up. "What? Is it so wrong to want to check on my sister? I heard you were in town, so the moment I had the chance, I rushed on over. Figured I''d find you at a place like this, since you weren''t in your usual hangouts."

    "Then where are the other two, if you''ve all missed me so much?" Misty snarled evenly.

    "We have a tight schedule." Lily''s grin was inoffensive this time, and for Misty, that might have been even worse.

    "And there it isˇ­" Misty grumbled. "Whatever. Ash and I will be there soon, so get ready for two ass whoopings in a row. Then we''ll see who the runt is."

    "You know, Misty, I think you''re getting cuter. Wearing the big girl pants, eh?" Ash perked up as Lily flashed him a wink. "Keep her out of trouble, okay? You never know what she''ll get herself into."

    "Screw off, hypocrite." Misty turned away from her sister with a huff as she made her way back to the pond. As she walked past Ash, she roughly snatched her friend by the ear, uncaringly (and painfully) dragging him abruptly along with her. "Come on, Ash. Let''s go somewhere where we won''t lose brain cells."

    "AAGH! MISTY! THE EAR! IT HURTS!"

    "And get that damned blush off your face! That''s not Karen, that''s my sister!"

    /

    Misty''s mood had plummeted after the surprise encounter with Lily, but she had thankfully cooled down over a quiet dinner and a nice, relaxing shower.

    Ash was patient with her, never going out of his way to initiate conversation, and never bringing up Lily''s name.

    It had beenˇ­ happening quite fast, during the actual encounter, especially since Ash was still reeling from the revelation that Misty''s sisters were famous performers and Gym Leaders, of all possible occupations. But the air between Misty and the pink-haired beauty had been excruciatingly uncomfortable.

    He wasn''t used to this kind of vibe between family members. He and his mother were as close as possible. Trucy got along so well with her grandparents. Even Gary had a great deal of respect for Professor Oak.

    Ash had no idea what was between Misty and her family, and it wasn''t his place to dig, either, but the hostility from Misty and the condescending, blatant behavior from Lily could be felt from a mile away. Ash had never seen a family that wasn''t completely inseparable, but those twoˇ­

    It broke pretty much all of the rules that he was aware of regarding family. But as curious as he was, there was no way that he would pry.

    And even if he had wanted to, Misty would deck him for sure.

    Thankfully, all had settled down as he and Misty sank into their beds, their respective teams all getting ready for the night themselves.

    As their Pokemon got some much needed shut eye, Ash dared to speak up, although not about Misty''s family. "Soˇ­ tomorrow''s the last day, right?" He spoke carefully.

    Turning on her side to face him, Misty, her hair now down, nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I feel like I''ve waited long enough. You''re planning to go for it after that too, right?" Her voice was a lot calmer now, portraying no fury or arrogance to speak of.

    He nodded. "I don''t want to wait too long."

    Misty was about to respond, but suddenly yawned. Looking sleepy eyed, she simply gave Ash a nod before turning over to her lamp.

    As her arm reached out for the switch, she paused for a second. "I''mˇ­ sorry I didn''t tell you."

    "Hmmmˇ­?" Ash knew what she was talking about, but was too afraid to say it.

    "About my sisters, dumbass!" she suddenly snapped. Her hand shot up to her mouth, before she frowned. "S-Sorryˇ­ I justˇ­ wanted to put that off for as long as I could. I don''t reallyˇ­ want to get into it."

    Ash nodded reassuringly, an understanding smile on his face, even though he knew that Misty wasn''t looking towards him. "I don''t mind."

    "Hmph. You''re too soft. Just make sure you have a tough mindset when we walk into the Gym later." she sighed. "I wasn''t really sure what I was supposed to say. ''Oh, hi, random person I just met! Guess what, I''m the sister of a trio of celebrities! Don''t worry, I''m not a lying attention seeker or anything like that!'' or something along those lines." she scoffed. "I wasn''t sure how you''d react."

    Ash nodded. It made sense. If he was related to somebody that famous, telling people would either make him come across as a liar or a showoff. Misty was far from humble, but that pride seemed to come from herself, and not from her sisters.

    "Don''t worry. I''m not mad." he wasn''t sure how to speak to her. Would it be condescending to sound too gentle? He did his best to keep his voice even.

    "Right, thanks." Misty allowed a small smile to make its way to her lips as she gripped the switch of the lamp. "Goodnight." her side turned off.

    Nodding silently, Ash turned off his own lamp before rolling over and closing his eyes, mind filling with thoughts of the upcoming trip to the Gym.

 Torrential Waters pt 1

    The sun was shining in the clear blue sky, white clouds lightly scattered overhead, a gentle morning breeze carried over from the seaside of Cerulean City.

    It was a comfortable feeling, but it didn''t do much to ease Ash and Misty''s nerves. After all, this would only be the second time either trainer ever challenged a Gym. And both friends had additional concerns hanging over their heads as they strolled through the city that morning.

    In Ash''s case, he was fighting in a disadvantageous arena. A giant pool of water. With no Pokemon equipped for such terrain. At least against Brock, he could train Pikachu to get around the issue, but water type Pokemon would always have the advantage on an aquatic battlefield, as very few Pokemon other than water types were equipped for such a thing, Dragonair being the only species that Ash could think of from the top of his head.

    In Misty''s case, she was challenging her own sisters. The gym was being run by her family, who she certainly didn''t seem to be on positive terms with.

    Both had risen bright and early in mutual anticipation for their upcoming battles, and out of a mutual desire to get it over with. After a healthy breakfast and a quick pep talk to their respective teams, they were out of the Pokemon Center by 10:00 AM.

    Unsurprisingly, Misty knew the way to the gym, her face rather unreadable as she led Ash down the sidewalk. Tyrunt was the only Pokemon either trainer currently had out, smiling absentmindedly in Ash''s arms as the two trainers made their way to the gym.

    Ash frowned at the view of Misty''s back. His orange-haired friend had been a lot more subdued than usual throughout the morning so far. He certainly knew why, but it was jarring to say the least.

    He knew next to nothing of Misty''s relationship with her sisters. The most that he currently knew was that they didn''t get along, and that her sisters seemed to have an arrogant streak that they (based on the encounter with Lily) subjected Misty to constantly. Misty certainly seemed to resent them just as much as they seemed to enjoy antagonizing her.

    He wished he knew more about the situation, but he also didn''t want to pry. Nevertheless, it had obviously been eating at her throughout the morning, and he felt obligated to speak up.

    Best give her the chance to get things off her chest now rather than dwell on it in the middle of the battle.

    "Mistyˇ­" she didn''t turn her head as he sped up to walk side by side with her, instead opting to simply glance her eyes towards him in acknowledgment.

    She wasn''t ignoring him, but she wasn''t prioritizing her focus on him either. He was okay with that, however.

    "Iˇ­ know you''re nervousˇ­" Ash began hesitantly. Damn it, how was he even supposed to word this?! "Is thereˇ­ Anything you want to talk about?" He hesitated before forming the question in his mind, but felt satisfied with it. It was a simple question with a yes or no answer. In his arms, Tyrunt turned his head towards the hotheaded girl, still smiling his usual, innocent grin.

    He wasn''t asking her anything specifically, so she hopefully wouldn''t be offended. She didn''t NEED to tell him about her situation if she didn''t want to, but maybe there was something else she could talk about to ease her nerves?

    Misty''s face shifted into a light glare as her head just barely turned towards the boy. Although Ash almost flinched at first, it wasn''t a hostile look. But she also didn''t keep her gaze on him and Tyrunt for long, quickly redirecting her focus to the path ahead.

    Ash bit his lip cautiously. He was worried that he had offended her after all. Maybe he should have just kept to himself and not bothered trying to help her at all? Perhaps she thought he was coddling her.

    Based on how Ash knew her, "hothead" and "competitive" were already the most apt words to describe Misty, but "independent" would be the next best thing for sure. The boy worried that he had overstepped that boundary.

    His concerns continued for what felt like the next moment or so, as Misty''s unreadable gaze remained on the path ahead of her as she stayed silent. However, just when it felt as though she was not willing to speak, and Ash had been prepared to forget about the subject, her voice interrupted his inner thoughts.

    "You saw a pretty ugly side of me the other day." she admitted uneasily, as the two walked by a couple of older boys headed in the opposite direction. One of them slowed down a moment to gaze at Tyrunt, who didn''t seem to notice. "It goes without sayingˇ­ but my family and I never really saw eye to eye."

    For fear of saying the wrong thing, Ash kept his mouth closed, but offered a nod of acknowledgment, to assure her that he was listening.

    As if in another world, Misty''s head curved slightly upwards, just enough to get a clearer view of the bright, blue sky as she continued to speak. "My sisters are all Gym Leaders. Water type specialists who are in high standings with the League. It''s easy to forget their position in the empire, however, because they''re main focus has always been performing. Swimming, to be exact."

    "Are they more known for that?" Ash carefully inquired as Tyrunt waved a tiny arm at a woman sitting on a porch that they passed by. She seemed to be amused by this site, and waved back quickly before returning to whatever she was reading on her laptop.

    Misty giggled, although it sounded somewhat irritable and forced. "Hell yeah they are, Ash. They''re prodigies. Practically knew how to move around in the water before they knew how to write their names down. All three of them reached professional level in their preteen years."

    Ash gaped at that. He''d heard some details of the talent that the Sensational Sisters were revered for, but he didn''t realize that it dated that far back.

    Misty continued. "And of course, there''s theˇ­ other reason why they''re so beloved." she scoffed. "The amount of love letters among their excessive fan mail is absurd. I''m pretty sure Violet has even mentioned getting a couple of marriage proposals."

    Ash tried to keep Lily out of his mind, knowing how Misty would react if the girl saw his face reddening. All of that talent with the gorgeous looks to go along with it. It was no mystery why they were so famous.

    Misty''s eyes found their way to the ground, her expression unreadable as she went on. "It started out as a small thing, when they were younger. They would perform at local events, put on a minor show. Nothing excessive. But then they got noticed. Pretty soon, their performances reached a far larger scale. I''m not even sure how it happened, but next thing you know, they''re the most high-profile swimmers in the entirety of Indigo. Cerulean Gym isn''t just a place to earn badges, it''s also the stage of their shows. Ever since they became the Gym Leaders here, they''ve been using it as their base for both occupations." she sighed, looking straight ahead again. "And there comes the other point. Somehow, they also managed to become expert water type trainers, thanks to their main mentor who ran the city''s Gym before them. Good enough to succeed him after his retirement. Their predecessor was always a showboat from what I''ve known of him; less interested in politics and more in glory or something, so of course he''d choose them." her face darkened. "So not only do they have a bunch of horny imbeciles gushing over how sexy they are when they''re doing their flips and kicks in the water, but they have a nice, fancy position in our government now. They have it all. Isn''t that nice?" her voice was progressively turning into a growl, and Tyrunt let out a nervous chatter as Ash gave his orange-haired friend a concerned frown.

    "Soˇ­ did it all go to their head?" he asked carefully. Gary popped into his mind.

    A dark chuckle escaped Misty''s throat. "You know, Ashˇ­ I was born a lot later than the rest of them. Lily is eight years my senior, and apart from myself, she''s the youngest. I didn''t have the luxury of growing up alongside them, for one thingˇ­" she kicked at the ground for a brief second, but didn''t stop walking. "I''m good at swimming too, you know. I can swim faster than anyone at my school. I can hold my breath underwater for longer than most people my age, too. I can even do a couple of tricks, here and there. Modestly, sure, but I can still do it." an unpleasant grin formed on her face. "And you know what the kicker is?"

    "...Hmmmˇ­? Ash responded carefully.

    Misty''s voice was hollow. "I''m nothing compared to them. Not a damn thing. And it doesn''t even have anything to do with me being the young one in the family. They were already swimming better than me when they were my age, too. And you know how my teachers and peers see me?"

    "...How?" A thought was suddenly creeping into Ash''s mind. Tyrunt, however, cluelessly tilted his head at the girl as Ash''s frown deepened.

    He knew where this was going.

    Misty''s angry grin came into Ash''s view as she turned her head to face him in full. "I''m just the product of my sisters. My swimming skills? It''s not natural talent, or a sort of skill that I developed on my own accord. It''s just flowing through my bloodstream. I''ve always had it, because I''m related to the amazing, talented, Sensational Sisters. I''m sure people would be singing a different tune about how I swim, acknowledging me by my own merits, if my sisters were a bunch of nobodies. But no, since my sisters are SOOOO amazing, that must be the only reason why I''m even capable of anything! It''s all just credited to them!" she faced ahead, snarling through her teeth. Thankfully there were currently no passerby to notice her. "And my looks? Oh, I''ve been complimented before. You know how it''s worded? ''Oh, Misty, you''re so beautiful! You''re super pretty, just like you''re sisters!'' I''ve had a few admirers before, but even the love letters say something along those lines. Not ''Dear Misty, I think you''re really beautiful and talented.'' More like ''Dear Misty, you''re so pretty and skilled! Just like you''re sisters!'' I''ve heard the teachers talking about it, too! That my very genes have been blessed by the incredible, sexy, Sensational Sisters! Almost like I''d be some random, plain looking girl if it weren''t for them! My beauty isn''t my own, my skill isn''t something for me to be proud of. It''s all just a reminder of how incredible those three bimbos are!"

    Ash stopped as Misty ceased walking, turning to face him fully while raising a foot and stomping it into the ground, her shoe grinding against the pavement on impact as her gaze was turned to him. He could have sworn he saw her eyes watering as she glowered at him. He shrunk under her gaze, and Tyrunt whimpered a little bit, prompting him to rub the little dinosaur''s head soothingly, but her anger wasn''t directed at either of them.

    "They say it all the time." Misty''s voice was softer now. The anger wasn''t gone, just taking a more tranquil form as the girl locked eyes with Ash. "My sisters do. They love to rub it in that I''m not as good as they are. Or even as good as they were when they were my age. I''m just an inferior version of those three. That''s how they view me. So what if I scored high on the Qualification Exam? It didn''t take them long to become expert trainers, and what really counts in our family is how well you can swim." her voice was trembling, although she was doing a fairly good job at holding back the tears. "To them? I''m just a sidekick at best. They love to ask me what my best time is whenever I swim laps, just so they can shoot it down with whatever theirs were when they were kids. We have the same blood, but it''s almost like they''re trying to imply that I''m making inferior use of it or something. Compared to them, I couldn''t even hope to do something that they couldn''t, or even match them. And apparently, all that fame and adoration isn''t enough for them. They have to remind their runt little sister, too. Might as well pull me aside, look at everyone in the mirror at once, just to compare and contrast how superior they are, if they really wanna go that far with it. They can''t say anything about me or talk about my own achievements without bringing up their own. It all just revolves around them. Even when I do something right, they make it about themselves."

    By now, the tears were starting to make their way down. Misty must have realized this, because she stopped talking and raised a hand to wipe her face.

    Ash stood there with a pained stare. Tyrunt didn''t seem to understand, as though everything had flown over the baby''s head. But Ash did.

    How couldn''t he? Obviously it was a radically different circumstance, butˇ­

    His mind flashed back to Pallet Town. All of those lower grades on the tests. All of those times he came up short of somebody like Gary during races. Being behind almost everybodyˇ­

    Misty was born into a family of superstars. And since the rest of her folks were so great, she was never viewed as such. Not on her own, anyway. People just saw what was great about her, and justˇ­ assumed she only had those qualities because of who she shared blood with. She never got credit for anything in her life, did she?

    And the harder she worked, the better she got. But all of those improvements wouldn''t earn her any praise. It would just increase the praise her sisters got. Praise that they got for having such talent and beauty that allegedly ran in the family. After all, any improvements that Misty made was just a reminder of how awesome her family was. It didn''t speak well for her as an individual, because everything good that she did, her peers and teachers just labeled as something that she had gotten from her sisters'' blood.

    That was basically the message of her rant. And for her sisters to make everything about themselvesˇ­

    How many times had Gary called out how much better he and his most skilled peers did on a test? The amount of points scored in a soccer game? It was always either to advertise their own greatness, orˇ­ belittle Ash''s own shortcomings. Remind him of how far behind he was.

    Gary loved to knock down those he and his peers considered to be "worthless". People like Ash himself who would allegedly never amount to anything in life because they didn''t have the potential. And comparing Ash''s achievements to his own was the perfect opportunity for Gary to boast about his own superiority. Remind everyone that he was the best. As if the reminder was ever even needed.

    And Misty''s sisters were...

    Dark thoughts entered Ash''s mind. The look on his face as he observed Misty (who was still holding in her emotions) was one of sympathy. But the stuff going through his mind was more akin to anger.

    Misty''s sisters weren''t like Gary. They might have been worse. As much as Ash hated Gary''s treatment and overall behavior towards him, the grandson of Professor Oak didn''t actually owe him anything. He had no moral obligation to be supportive of Ash. If he was nothing to Gary, then so be it. Technically, Gary was nothing to him, too. Just the leader of a group of kids that Ash used to be a part of. They only ever knew each other through said group, so their old friendship was only second hand. And they obviously weren''t family. Their own, respective lives were perfectly functional without one another to support each other.

    But the Sensational Sisters were Misty''s family. Ash''s mother never boasted to him about how good she was at cooking. When he screwed up the apple pie recipe, she had him watch her make the dish herself. Not to gloat to him about how much better that she was, but to help him and guide him on his next attempt later on.

    Misty''s sisters were obligated to support her. They must have known about their baby sister''s issues. But instead of putting a stop to itˇ­ instead of reassuring Misty that she was worth something on her own, all they ever did was feed into it further. Probably for the same reasons as Gary, too: They enjoyed the praise so much that they wanted to brag about it whenever they could. Even if it was at Misty''s expense. How much did they actually care about her? mthey had the attention of the pbulic, and yet it sounded like they wouldn''t let Misty have anything, even in private.

    Ash''s hold on Tyrunt was tightening, but he quickly stopped himself before he could hurt the infant by accident. The frown on his face no longer reached his eyes. He was furious. To think, he actually found Lily attractiveˇ­ She was gorgeous. Enough to give Karen a run for her money. But that beauty was only skin deep. Really, she was just the same narcissist that Gary was. And it sounded like Misty''s other two sisters were the same. It was so foreign from what he was accustomed to, when thinking of family.

    He was broken out of his thoughts by Misty''s voice. Moving the hand away from her face, she sighed with closed eyes, before redirecting her attention back to Ash and Tyrunt.

    "Listen to meˇ­ Venting all this stuff to you like that." she crossed her arms. "I got carried away, I''m sorry. You didn''t need to hear that."

    Ash shook his head. "Anything else? You already started." he hoped this would make her feel better in the long run. Otherwise he was just invading her privacy for nothing.

    Despite the difference in circumstances, Misty''s story hit fairly close to home. But did that really give him a right to pry?

    Misty didn''t object, however, a light grin appearing on her face. "Heh. Listen to you, all concerned about me." her arrogant tone was coming back. That was a good sign. Her face steeled, or at least her eyes did. Her grin disappeared. Ash couldn''t tell if the look on her face qualified as a frown, but it looked a bit somber. "I''m going to become the greatest water specialist the world has ever known. Once I surpass the likes of Wallace of Ever Grande in terms of aquatic battling, no one can ever say my achievements aren''t my own. I''d have earned that prowess. So what if my sisters are the best swimmers? They can have that title. I don''t even care if they place more stock in it than battling. I''ll still have them beat at something. And the world will see that it never had anything to do with my blood." as her arms crossed, she took a couple of steps towards Ash and Tyrunt, although she still kept some distance. "Maria understood. And so did Laura. Those two airheads were the only ones who didn''t just see me as ''Sensational Sister Junior''." her lips curved upwards, all of her confident fire back. "Once I''m the greatest, people will forget all about where I came from. They''ll just see ''Misty''."

    Ash was smiling. Misty''s mood hadn''t completely gone back to normal, but that energetic pride of hers was back in full swing.

    Carefully, he placed Tyrunt lightly on the sidewalk, and gestured for him to stand by a nearby bench as he approached Misty.

    ''Maybe I should tell her my full story?'' he thought to himself. Maybe if he told Misty about how his own situation was similar, she could identify withˇ­ he shook away the thought. ''No. I can''t make this about myself.''

    Taking a leap of faith, he placed a hand on Misty''s shoulder. The sudden contact caused her eyes to narrow, but they quickly turned apologetic when she noticed his light flinch.

    "Maybe we should sit for a bit?" Ash asked, pointing a thumb to the bench. "It''s still pretty early. Just to cool off for a little while. This battle is going to be difficult soˇ­" he trailed off, not sure what else to add on.

    After a few moments of silence, Misty offered him a light grin and a nod.

    "Yeah." was all that she said.

    /

    They must have spent a half hour on that bench. No conversations, just comfortable silence as Ash occasionally patted Tyrunt''s head, the little dinosaur sitting in between the two rooke trainers.

    Occasionally, Ash and Misty would steal a glance at one another, as if to check on each other''s mood. Ash did it a bit more often.

    As Misty gathered her thoughts, Ash also did his best to calm his nerves. He had been to a Gym before. He had beaten Brock. And on his first try, too. But a Gym was a Gym. He wasn''t sure he would ever get used to this. That this nervous feeling would ever go away.

    At the very least, it prevented arrogance on his part. That was the one silver lining to being this stressed out. He didn''t want to turn into Gary.

    Once they proceeded on their way once again, the silence continued, only stopping when they finally reached the Gym.

    It was very different from the Pewter Gym, as Ash had expected it to be. It was dome shaped, a beautiful sea blue with pink outlines towards the top. A giant sign of a Dewgong was also attached to the roof.

    It was quite the beautiful building to look at. The kind of appeal that would attract passersby to check it out for themselves. Perfect for selling tickets to the shows, Ash imagined to himself.

    But since it was also a Gym, that same grand scope just fed into Ash''s nerves all the more.

    As they slowed to a stop in front of the Gym, their heads turned skyward, Tyrunt gaping in awe in Ash''s arms at the building.

    Misty let out a groan. "Welp, no more prolonging it, I guess." She turned her head towards Ash and Tyrunt. "Let''s just be in and out, okay? We''ll have much better places to be once we''re each holding a Cascade Badge."

    Ash nodded back at her. He couldn''t argue with that.

    Misty''s face was a lot more relaxed than before, but the tension seemed to be returning. Not as bad or hostile as before their cooldown on the bench, but still certainly noticeable.

    She wasn''t looking forward to this at all, was she? Or maybe she was just looking forward to beating themˇ­

    In any case, Ash chose not to dwell on it. Misty wanted to get this over with, so they would.

    ''Second badge, here we come.'' the boy thought to himself as he advanced to the large, automatic doors.. After everything that had happened back at Mt. Moon, this was exactly what they needed. Although Ash was progressively getting better at putting that incident behind him now, it wasn''t the kind of thing that he could just forget about.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Holding a second badge in his hand wouldn''t let that kind of thing just go away, but a moment of triumph would give him and his team something to celebrate.

    More than anything else, however, they simply needed this win. One badge wouldn''t get them to the Indigo Plateau. Neither would two, either, but it was the next step.

    Just as the doors opened, however, Ash stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He briefly felt the air from inside the Gym as he turned to see Misty, giving him a friendly smile.

    No arrogance. No pride. Not a hint of smugness. Not overjoyed, either. Just a smile.

    "Thanks." her voice was even and clear as she kept her eyes on him.

    Ash grinned back at her. The friendly exchange lasted for a brief moment before they returned their attention to the task at hand.

    Those gym badges would be theirs.

    /

    The Gym''s lobby had a mildly similar layout to that of Pewter''s Gym, but also an entirely different feel. It boasted marble walls and floors, and a comfortable air conditioner provided the room with just enough cool air that was needed, so things were somewhat similar in that sense, but there was just something different that Ash just could not quite place. Perhaps it was the fountain in the middle of the room?

    A teenage boy who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen sat at the counter. He looked like he was reading a magazine of sorts. Misty scoffed in his direction as she and Ash entered the lobby.

    "Look at him." she whispered somewhat unpleasantly in Ash''s ear. "I''m here all the time. Most of the desk people are just horny teenagers who want to get a nice glance at the goods, if you know what I mean."

    Ash''s cheeks flushed a bit at the implications of Misty''s words. He supposed a Gym run by three beautiful women who spent most of their time in bathing suits could attract that kind of company, butˇ­ did that really mean that everyone working here had that intention?

    Misty didn''t give him time to ponder it, however, as she made her way to the desk, an even glare plastered on her face as she sped-walked through the lobby, eyes lit with a fire of insistence.

    She wasted no time looking around to take in her surroundings. This place must have been second nature to her.

    The older boy jolted upwards as he noticed Misty approaching the counter, dropping his magazine as he straightened himself out to look at her.

    "Oh! Misty! I think I overheard your sisters saying that you were back." He had a nervous grin on his face, his tone of voice a bit shaky and stuttery, as though he was surprised to see her. Caught off guard. Almost like he wasn''t paying attention to them coming in.

    Misty rolled her eyes. "Save it, bub. I see you''ve gotten your hands on Daisy''s latest magazine entry." Her eyes briefly directed themselves to the magazine, which was still open and now on the desk, showcasing a photo of a beautiful, tall blonde woman with green eyes, wearing a provocative swimsuit and striking a pose for the camera. A second photo showcased her in the water, wearing the same outfit.

    The teenager''s face paled as his arms shot up defensively, waving around a bit as Ash made his way to the desk, and Misty crossed her arms, eying the desk boy judgmentally.

    "I-It''sˇ­ Not what you think!" the older boy stuttered out pathetically, not sure what else to add on.

    "I should certainly hope not," Misty scoffed at the teen''s frantic behavior as Ash stopped by her side, Tyrunt gazing at the older boy with blissful ignorance of the current topic. "That''s what bathrooms are for. Now thenˇ­" the teen flinched as the hothead''s hands slammed down onto the desk, her eyes locking with his with an even glare. "Two challengers. Back to back. No rain checks. No waiting time. Inform. Now." Her tone of voice made it seem like she was the one in charge.

    The older boy gulped. "Uhˇ­ they said they needed to practice for a show-"

    "And I need a badge for the Conference, dimwit!" Misty snarled as the teenager pathetically backed away in fear.

    ''I guess she has that effect on older people, too.'' Ash thought to himself with a sense of fearful respect. He pitied the teenage boy, but it was good to know that he wasn''t the only one who found Misty to be scary.

    Misty''s finger shot forward, stopping just short of the older boy''s face, focused steadily in between his eyes. "Inform them that Misty and her friend are the challengers. And that I''ll just bust through the doors to the pool myself if I''m kept waiting too long." she tapped her finger against the top of the counter, near the yellow button that activated the communications. "Go on, don''t make me do it for you, buster."

    Apparently the desire to please his drop-dead-gorgeous bosses paled in comparison to the terror conveyed from the look in Misty''s eyes, combined with the disturbingly even and calm tone of voice that she used, because his hand practically slapped the button.

    As a female voice responded on the other end, Misty crossed her arms patiently as Ash tried to look neither party in the eye.

    "What is it?" the voice practically moaned. "We''re busy!" The voice was whining now.

    Ash blinked. This was a Gym Leader? Brock certainly wasn''t like this. Elacia had claimed that his tough guy act was just nothing but an act, but this woman wasn''t even trying. There wasn''t a hint of professionalism in her tone of voice, whereas Brock had practically been radiating with it.

    The teenaged boy flinched nervously. "Hey Violet, sorry, but, you''ve got two challengers. Your sister and her friendˇ­and they really don''t want to wait?" His gaze returned to Misty, who was tapping her foot patiently against the floor, arms still crossed, gaze never leaving the teenager.

    "Misty, you say?"

    "Yes." the desk boy responded nervously.

    A moment of silence on the other end, although Ash could have sworn he heard some light chattering, as though the sisters were discussing something. He couldn''t make out if it was all three of them or not, however.

    After a few moments, Violet sighed on the other end. "UGGGHˇ­ Okay fine, let them in."

    Ash and Misty were on their way after a quick scan of each trainer''s Pokedex.

    /

    If there was one thing that set Cerulean Gym apart from Pewter Gym, it was the battlefield room, and although it was the main event, the difference went beyond just the battlefield itself.

    Ash, despite expecting it, gawked at the massive pool of water, which equaled that of Brock''s own battlefield in size. A tall diving board was overhead, and multiple square shaped and aqua blue colored platforms floated in the water, including a significantly larger platform in the center.

    The platforms themselves actually seemed to be bigger than the rocks in the pond that they had used to train, so that was fairly good news, as it would hopefully ensure that the battlefield was easier to traverse. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the battlefield was still water, and the pool was fairly deep.

    On the other end of the room was a massive set of bleachers, almost like a miniature stadium. Most likely for the audience at the Sensational Sisters'' shows. Given their fame, Ash had a feeling that the bleachers were packed for every single event.

    "Well, what do you know?" a female voice.

    Just as Ash set Tyrunt down on the floor, the little dinosaur continuing to stand beside him at his legs afterwards, the boy and Misty turned their attention to the pool, in the direction that the voice had come from.

    A tall, blonde woman with green eyes climbed up the ladder, drenched in water as she exited the pool and made her way towards the pair of trainers. Misty''s face tightened at the sight of her.

    "Daisy." she said evenly, suppressing most of her growl with considerable effort.

    Ash''s mind was panicking as Daisy approached them. Much like Lily, she had beauty to spare, and as the water dripped from her perfect skin, which her drenched swimsuit clung to, and her soaked hair (which still appeared flawless despite that) fell down behind her, the boy suddenly couldn''t blame the many teenagers who apparently signed up to work at the Gym with more interest in getting a close-up, in-person look at their three employers than whatever their salary was going to be.

    Ash briefly squeezed his eyes shut as he desperately fought off the heat rushing to his face.

    ''Stop it, Ash!'' He scolded himself. ''I don''t care how pretty she is, stop gawking over the women that are giving your friend such a hard time!'' The self-reminder was enough to do wonders for his self control, as he opened his eyes back up with a more modest blush on his face.

    It was better than nothing.

    Thankfully, Misty didn''t seem to have witnessed the brief crisis that Daisy had triggered in her friend literally just by being present in front of them, her focus instead entirely on the blonde woman as she crossed her arms and eyed her older sister seriously, much to the woman''s amusement.

    Daisy''s lips were curved upwards as she casually leaned against a sign, water still dripping from her skin (Ash angrily reminded himself to stop paying attention to her skin). "Surprised to see you back so soon, little sister. And I see you''ve brought the boy Lily told us about." her eyes made their way towards Ash, who kept his gaze on her, but did not make eye contact, for fear that his cheeks would explode in heat again.

    Her voice was incredibly casual. Not uncaring, but far from serious. The laid back nature caught Ash off guard. None of these three were anything like Brock, it seemed. Even on the jobˇ­

    Her voice remained even as she spoke to Ash. "Nice to meet you, Ash. I''m Daisy." Casual and friendly, with the slightest hint of soothingness to it. Easy to miss, but impossible to ignore if you noticed it by accident.

    Something about it just made him feel extra nervous, however, as though his guard would completely leave him. It was almost alluring...

    More fearful than ever about falling under Daisy''s spell, Ash redoubled his efforts to not look her in the eye.

    "H-Hi, Daisy." Although he stuttered at first, he evened out his voice just in time.

    Tyrunt was a different story, on the other hand, and one look at the baby dinosaur was all that Ash needed to know to see how enraptured that the Royal Heir Pokemon was at the blonde. The infant had the widest grin Ash had ever seen on the dinosaur''s face before, the infatuation in his eyes skyrocketing even further as Daisy briefly looked down to flash him a grin, too.

    The shine that Pikachu had taken to Laura was nothing compared to this.

    Misty must have noticed the effort that Ash was putting in to suppress his blush (and it was working for the most part) because she didn''t react scoldingly the way she had with Lily, instead opting to silently place herself in between Ash and the blond woman (much to Ash''s relief).

    "We didn''t come here to talk, Daisy. Where are the other two bimbos? We have a schedule to keep. Much more important than yours." Despite the seemingly even tone, it was hard not to detect the spite in her voice.

    Daisy raised her hands in front of her defensively. "Easy there, girl. I wasn''t in the office when we got the call, but Lily told me they were just reviewing your information. Besidesˇ­" her hands fell to her knees as she leaned forward a bit. "Don''t you wanna pass the time? You always loved listening to me talking about the shows-"

    "You forced that talk on me like a Steelix trying to fit its tail into a crack." Misty growled in interruption.

    Daisy''s face was blank. "Pretty sure the crack would just break-"

    "I don''t want to hear about your damn shows!" Misty slammed her foot down onto the floor, glaring a bit more explicitly at her sister as the two locked eyes, Daisy not flinching from her gaze. The orange-haired girl gestured slightly towards Ash, but kept most of her attention on her older sister. "Ash and I are here to kick your butts, get our badges, leave, and not have to talk to you anymore than we need too, and no, I don''t care about whatever love letters you''ve gotten from your drooling, hormone-filled fanbase, how great the ratings of your last show was, how beautiful you were reminded that you were last time you found yourself in front of a mirror, or literally anything else that you love to hear yourself talk about! So save it."

    Ash was feeling increasingly uncomfortable again, but Daisy''s facial expression barely even responded to Misty''s words. Tyrunt wasˇ­ too busy desperately staring at the woman to take notice of anything that was currently being said.

    ''She didn''t even need to put in the effort to brainwash him.'' Ash thought to himself with an inward grumble. ''At least Laura tickled Pikachu''s chin.''

    And unlike the older humans that the Sensational Sisters most certainly attracted, Tyrunt had no knowledge of theˇ­ intent that many of the admirers most likely had. He was just an innocent kid latching onto something pretty. Not that much different from Pikachu''s childish enamourment with Laura, Ash supposed, but even more blatantly helpless. And Pikachu, despite still being a young child, wasn''t a literal baby like Tyrunt was.

    "It''s a shameˇ­" Daisy said evenly. "It''s just that, I figured you''d appreciate knowing what it''s like, given you''re-"

    "Inferior?" Misty cut her off. "Never going to experience that kind of fame? An afterthought?" Although her voice remained fairly even, the look in her eyes was now a lot more hostile. "Quit using your little facade of pity to justify showing off to me! Now-"

    "There she is!"

    Everyone''s attention turned to the door on the other side of the room near the bleachers (except for Tyrunt, who''s infatuated gaze remained solely on Daisy) as it opened. Out of the door emerged an indigo-haired woman with brown eyes (this must have been Violet), flanked by Lily. Both were in their own bathing suits, in comparison to the more casual clothes that Lily had been wearing during her encounter with Ash and Misty the other day.

    It was Violet who had spoken, and a startled Ashs stepped back in surprise as the attractive woman rushed forward and placed her hands on his shoulders.

    Hey, there!" her voice was a lot more hyperactive than Daisy or Lily. "Nice to meet you, Ash! So, you''re the little runt''s bodyguard, right?"

    Uh oh.

    Misty''s reaction was about what Ash expected, the orange-haired girl''s facial expression turning demonic as she jabbed a finger into Violet''s side.

    "EXCUSE ME?!" her voice was enough to even break a now extremely startled Tyrunt out of his trance.

    Violet flinched back, shooting her youngest sister an entitled pout. "Ow! Hey, Misty, easy on the suit! These are our most expensive ones yet!"

    Misty didn''t even respond to that, her now blood-red eyes shooting a glare into Violet''s own eyes as she snarled at the woman. "What was that about a bodyguard?!" she demanded threateningly, as if daring Violet to give her the wrong answer.

    Apparently Violet was barely even worried, if her shameless response was anything to go by.

    "Well, you know." the woman responded with a blatant grin, as though what she was about to say was completely inoffensive. "A delicate flower like you, always getting yourself into trouble, going out into the cruel, cruel world of Pokemon trainingˇ­" she clasped her hands together, her energetic joy laced with just the tiniest hint of mockery. "It''s only natural that you''d find a strong, dependable trainer to shield you from the dangers of-"

    "Fuck. Off." Misty''s interruption was simple and blunt, the only thing she could think of saying to Violet''s declaration. Pointing her finger forward, she met the now smirking indigo-haired woman''s gaze with sharp eyes. "I''m not a baby anymore. I already have a badge, as you probably saw back at the office. Now then-"

    "Oh, come on!" Misty''s ire-filled gaze found its way to Lily as the pink-haired woman snorted, hands behind her head. "A girl who loves water types beating a rock type Gym? Not saying it doesn''t mean anything, but you''re really not expecting anyone to frame that achievement, are you?"

    Even in the midst of being flustered, Ash felt the anger welling up inside of him again.

    As a Gym Leader, Lily would know full well that a Gym Leader would always find a way to get past type matchups, even outsider of high-level battles, in order to ensure that no gym battle would end up being a freebie. It was a huge achievement regardless. Not to mention how much more quickly Misty had pulled it off than most rookies ever would have, type matchups or not.

    Perhaps Misty wasn''t making it any better, but it was becoming easier to see the thrill that these three seemed to get from the hotheaded girl''s outbursts. Even Daisy was lightly smirking now, as Misty''s snarl targeted Lily.

    Before she could continue her aggression, however, Ash quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. Although she initially jolted from the contact, she quickly eased up and turned her head to face him.

    Ash wasn''t very good with these situations, but he did his best to maintain an even gaze as he lightly nodded towards his friend, who nodded back with some consideration.

    Her sisters must have noticed the more relaxed expression on Misty''s face as she turned her attention back to them, however, as Violet''s smirk suddenly grew a bit more dangerous.

    "Oooh." she fawned as she clasped her hands together in delight. Her voice was half joyously innocent, half blatantly condescending. "An emotional anchor, too? Ash is, like, the best bodyguard ever!"

    As Misty''s temper flared back up, it was Ash this time who placed himself between her and her sisters, much to the orange-haired girl''s (and, to an extent, her three sisters'') surprise.

    "Knock it off." Ash was quite surprised at how authoritative he managed to make himself sound, and almost proud. The sister''s blinked for a brief moment as he did his best to glare at them. Not angrily, just seriously. To get the point across. This had gone on long enough, as far as he was concerned.

    The boy could have sworn he saw a frown form on Daisy''s face, but it was gone as soon as it had shown up, her face becoming neutral as she stared at the boy with crossed arms.

    To his surprise, she didn''t put up any resistance, instead allowing her hands to fall to her sides. "Okay, that''s enough fun." she stated simply and evenly. "So, you two are both planning on battling today? Who''s going first?" She eyed the two trainer''s as Tyrunt returned to gazing at her, albeit not as hopelessly this time.

    Ash blinked at that, suddenly realizing that he and Misty had not talked that over. Shooting his friend a questioning glance, he was greeted with a shrug.

    "Eh." said the orange-haired girl. "Doesn''t really matter to me, I suppose. Either way we''re both winningˇ­" another shrug. "Do you want to go first?"

    Ash was afraid he''d sound selfish if he said yes, but Misty was giving him the choice, so it seemed she didn''t mind.

    "Okay." he replied with a nod. "Thanks." With a thumbs up from Misty, the boy turned back to the hotheaded girl''s sisters with an even gaze. "I''ll be your first opponent."

    Daisy nodded, lips quirking upwards. "Alright then, will do." she turned to her sisters with a thumbs up. "Alright girls, you know this goes."

    Violet and Lily nodded, the three women suddenly forming a circle.

    Ash blinked. What were they doing?

    Lily nodded with a smile. "Okay. So the winner battles Misty''s bodyguard-"

    "I will physically murder you." Misty''s red eyes were back.

    The sisters ignored her, Violet speaking up next. "And second place acts as referee. That means the loser watches from the bleachers." she gestured towards the massive set of bleachers at the end of the room.

    Daisy nodded. "Alright thenˇ­" she raised her arm. "So, on three." the other two women raised theirs.

    Ash and Misty blinked curiously, not sure what was going on-

    "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

    The two kids nearly face-planted.

    /

    By some miracle, the three women tied for three minutes straight in their game. Misty was about to step in and yell at them to knock it off when they finally reached a proper ending, Daisy pumping an arm up in victory.

    "Alright, way to go, me!" Ash was a bit caught off by the energy in her voice as she turned to face him with enthusiasm. "Alright Ash, I''ll be battling you." The blonde woman gave him a thumbs up.

    Lily groaned, hands folded behind her head as Violet lightly smirked at her. "Dammitˇ­" she whined. "Didn''t even get to be the referee."

    Violet winked at her pink-haired sister. "Don''t worry Lily, I''ll be sure to do extra good just for you!" Her comment prompted a pout from her sister.

    As Lily made her way to the bleachers, Ash turned to Misty carefully. "You mind watching over Tyrunt during the battle, Misty?" he asked as politely as possible. Tyrunt wouldn''t be in any danger from the battle because of the barriers, but the bleachers would be a better place for him to sit down and rest.

    Misty just nodded. "Sure. I''ll take him to the bleachers." she glanced down at the dinosaur a bit nervously. "He wouldn''t mind me picking him up, would he? I remember what your Pokedex said about those jaws."

    Ash did his best to grin casually. "I doubt he''d do that to you, but he can walk if you''re nervous about it." As Misty offered the young boy a grateful nod, Ash knelt down and patted Tyrunt''s head, prompting an adorably pleased grin from the baby. "Be on your best behavior for Misty, okay? I''ll buy you that special meat that you like if you''re good."

    During their outing with Maria and Laura, Ash had discovered that Tyrunt had a particular taste for a specific red meat that was served as Pokemon food. Upon Ash bringing it up, Tyrunt jumped up as excited ramblings escaped his throat.

    Ash giggled a bit at the infant''s antics. "Pay good attention to the battle, okay? It''ll be good to follow your friends'' example if you decide you want to start."

    As Tyrunt nodded happily, the sound of footsteps turned the trio''s attention to Daisy as she approached them, a lax grin on her face as she observed the three.

    Misty crossed her arms irritably. "Yes?"

    Daisy eyed them for a moment. "We''re just about ready." placing a hand on Ash''s shoulder, she gestured towards a nearby monitor on the wall. "Just register your team over there, and take your place in the challenger''s spot." At Ash''s nod, she smiled at him again before turning to Misty. "You''ll be at the bleachers, of course."

    Misty rolled her eyes. "Duh, tell me something I don''t know." moving a bit closer to Ash, she slapped the boy on the back as she turned away, almost causing her friend to flinch. "Alright, Ash. Either you kick her ass, or I''m kicking yours."

    Ash''s lips twitched upwards into an anxious grin as he nodded nervously. "Uh huh, I''ll take it under advisement."

    Misty allowed an amused smirk to make its way across her face for a brief moment before she turned her attention to Tyrunt, who was looking up at her expectantly. "Alright, rascal. You and I are headed to our seats." She led the baby dinosaur away from the area as Daisy prepared to take her position on the other side.

    Left alone now, Ash turned and made his way to the monitor. It was a large touch screen, with the instructions already mapped out, and his team listed in pictures.

    Select Four Pokemon

    Ash quickly tapped the pictures of Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, and Eevee before turning away from the screen and making his way to his spot on the battlefield.

    Now at the edge of the pool, he locked eyes with Daisy on the other end. The beautiful blonde woman suddenly had a much more confident, authoritative aura to her as her fists pressed against her hips, a light smirk on her face as the bleachers towered behind her. About halfway up, Ash could see Lily seated cross legged on the far left of the bleachers (although he supposed it would be the far right from her perspective). On the bottom row, in about the middle of the bleachers, Misty sat next to Tyrunt, her hands on her knees as she leaned forward expectantly. No doubt she had distanced herself from Lily on purpose.

    Daisy spoke up first, raising her voice loudly as it echoed across the room and into Ash''s ears. "Going for your second badge not even a month and a half into the Season? You''re quite the bold rookie, Mr. Ketchum." Was she teasing him? Ash couldn''t tell, but he responded anyway.

    This was it. His second Gym battle. It was terrifying, and yetˇ­ exciting.

    He had proved himself already, against Brock. But today, he would prove that that was no fluke.

    He was going to reach the Indigo Plateau. And he would continue his journey to the Conference by winning this upcoming battle.

    Running his hand along the Poke Balls on his belt, Ash eyed Daisy as seriously as he could muster. He couldn''t repress his nerves, but he could focus more on his eagerness, instead.

    "It''s not about overachieving, or doing things quickly." He raised his own voice as much as he could to ensure that he was heard. He felt just as much nerves as when he had challenged Brock, but in comparison to that moment, a fire was also burning inside of him. And he would use that fire to distract from his nerves. "That doesn''t mean I''m not going to do it if I get the chance!"

    A light amount of adrenaline was already building up inside of him. A small drop of sweat had formed on his face, but Ash paid it no mind.

    He was going to win this battle. He was going to leave with the Cascade Badge.

    Daisy''s smirk was wide now, although it was more of an enthusiastic one, rather than an intimidating one like Brock''s, though Ash was too far to make that out. "Ooh, like the attitude, kid. I suppose Misty wouldn''t waste her time hanging around someone who lacked spunk."

    The boy once again wasn''t sure what to make of that, whether or not Daisy was teasing him. Nevertheless, he paid it no mind as he faced down his upcoming opponent. He took a deep breath to gather his bearings as he waited for the match to start. It felt like an eternity.

    Violet spoke up. She stood on the far right end of the pool (far left end from Daisy''s perspective) as she raised her arms up giddily.

    "Alrighty everyone! The Barrier Gears are activated, and this Gym battle is ready to get down to business!"

    Ash blinked. Pewter''s Gym really had been a lot more professional than this.

    Over on the bleachers, Tyrunt gazed at Misty curiously as the hotheaded girl buried her face in her hands in shame.

    "I lived with these people for ten years of my life." she moaned pathetically.

    Violet continued to speak, her chipper (and not remotely authoritative) tone of voice carrying across the pool as Ash and Daisy''s eyes remained locked to one another.

    "Each side will use four Pokemon, with substitutions allowed from both of you! The battle will be over once every Pokemon on either side is eliminated, or if you give up! Oh, but please don''t give up, that''s no fun! Any questions?" she finished in a sing-song tone of voice.

    Ash couldn''t tell if her casual demeanor was distracting from the stress of the situation, or just making it worse. Nevertheless, he and Daisy both simultaneously shook their heads.

    "Alllllllllllllllllrighty then!" Violet thrust her arms downward. "This Gym battle is officially OOOOOOOOOON!"

 Torrential Waters pt 2

    Ash and Daisy both took out their Poke Balls.

    Eevee appeared on Ash''s side of the battlefield. Initially on the very edge of the pool, she quickly realized where she was and swam to the nearest platform, still fairly close to Ash, but a bit of a distance away.

    "This is it, Eevee!" Ash announced with cupped hands. "Let''s win this!"

    A determined growl escaped from Eevee''s throat in response.

    A bright flash of light appeared on Daisy''s end of the battlefield, and Ash immediately recognized the large fish that floated in the water in front of the beautiful Gym Leader.

    It was a Seaking.

    It was a fairly commonly used Water Type species in Indigo, particularly in Kanto. They were known for their powerful swimming capabilities, even by Water Type Pokemon standards. They also possessed a very dangerous horn on their head, perfect for combat.

    "Battling a Seaking certainly won''t be easy in this environment." he grumbled irritably. He knew they''d be at a disadvantage, but if this first impression was anything to go by, Daisy really was going to do everything in her power to exploit the nature of this aquatic battlefield in her favor. Cupping his hands again, Ash called out to his friend. "Eevee, be careful! That Seaking is going to be a very strong swimmer!"

    A bit nervous, Eevee nodded, but never took her eyes off of her opponent.

    Violet''s voice echoed across the pool.

    "Aaaandˇ­ BEGIN!"

    Seaking sprung into action immediately, almost as if it was an automatic, scripted reaction. Ash''s brow furrowed as he and Eevee watched the fish tear through the water of the pool at speeds even greater than Ash had predicted. Eevee was already sweating as her aquatic opponent rapidly circled her platform.

    Not wanting Daisy to get the first strike, Ash pushed his nerves aside and shouted out with the utmost determination, trying to mask his own tension both for Eevee''s sake and his own.

    "Jump up and use Swift!"

    With the large fish''s body half buried in the water, and the platform that Eevee was standing on slightly elevated, just enough to the point where she was left conveniently unable to get a clear view of her opponent without standing on the very edge (where she herself would also be in more danger of attacks), Ash knew that taking aim would be difficult, even with a move like Swift. Getting airborne could fix that, hopefully.

    Springing off of the platform, Eevee opened her mouth as the golden stars erupted from her throat. Although she was aiming directly for Seaking, both she and Ash knew that the fish was moving too fast for her to hit her mark.

    Which was where the homing nature of the attack came in. The stars trailed after their target, and although it wasn''t perfect, Eevee had gotten much better at concentrating the attack.

    Unfortunately, it wasn''t absolute, but even worse, Seaking clearly wasn''t willing to take the risk, opting to dip completely underwater and leave the stars to pound into the aquatic surface.

    Ash and Eevee mutually grimaced as the Evolution Pokemon landed on all fours, splashes erupting in the sections where the Swift struck the water.

    It was just as he thought, Daisy was going to play dirty, and so were her Pokemon.

    No doubt many challengers would deem such a thing to be unfair. But Ash knew better.

    Battles weren''t about being fair. They were about adapting and winning with whatever strategy you could come up with. In order to make it as a trainer, you needed to accept that you were going to be on the receiving end of (and maybe even use yourself) tactics that were as frustratingly difficult to deal with as your opponent could come up with.

    As if to taunt him, Daisy''s voice sounded across the battlefield, the infuriatingly beautiful blonde standing on the other side of the pool with hands cupped to her mouth and fire in her eyes.

    "Betcha Eevee''s wishing to breathe underwater right about now, eh, Ash?" Eevee''s eye twitched at the snarky comment.

    Ash tried to ignore it. He''s dealt with Gary before, he wasn''t going to let this throw him off of his game.

    "Eevee! Keep moving, hop from platform to platform!"

    Ash''s order was spoken immediately after the large fish resurfaced and set its sights on Eevee yet again. This time, the water type found its target galloping across the battlefield, moving at high speeds enhanced by Quick Attack as the Evolution Pokemon jumped between platforms.

    But Seaking was fast enough to keep up, blitzing through the water and leaving small waves in its wake. Almost like a speedboat disguised as a fish. If Ash didn''t know better, he would have insisted that there was an engine in that thing.

    "Water Pulse!"

    A sphere of glowing blue water shot out of Seaking''s mouth just as Eevee neared the edge of the next platform. The startled quadruped was forced to take a backwards to narrowly avoid the attack that would have painfully blasted her into the pool, but now her momentum was gone, and Seaking was free to clear the modest distance that was currently left between them.

    "Use Bounce!" Daisy had a prideful grin on her face as her partner sprang up from the waves of the pool and smacked its body into the yelping, much smaller Eevee. Ash mentally cursed as his friend was sent flying into the water, Seaking already making its way back into the pool as it sped in Eevee''s direction with a glowing, purple horn at the ready.

    Poison Jab. Now with Eevee''s mobility greatly reduced, her opponent was already going in for the kill.

    But Eevee was not helpless, and Ash grinned (but chose not yet to sigh in relief) as a second round of golden stars escaped from her mouth, this time traveling just over the water towards the rapidly approaching fish.

    Not to Ash''s surprise, Seaking ducked underwater once more. Theoretically, it could remain there to attack Eevee from underneath, where she was defenseless, but it would be harder to track her if its only lead was her flailing legs beneath the pool''s waves.

    In any case, however, the speedy advance of Eevee''s opponent meant that Seaking was closer to the golden stars as he dove underwater. Splashes of water obscured the Evolution Pokemon''s vision as the golden stars impacted the water in pursuit of their target.

    Despite Seaking''s speed, it was already too close to the stars to fully outmaneuver them. Ash and Eevee weren''t underwater, and therefore didn''t witness the Swift attack painfully pelting into the fish''s body.

    Eevee took the time to warily swim towards the nearest platform and climb onto it. Her body was mildly aching from Seaking''s Bounce attack, but had suffered no damage that went beyond superficial in nature. She powered through the relatively minor pain to make her way up the platform as quickly as possible, in fear of Seaking erupting out of the water at any moment.

    That moment came as she made her way to the top and turned her gaze back to the pool, a Shadow Ball forming in her jaws as she prepared to fire it at a moment''s notice. She let loose as the large fish sprang up from under the water, some of its bruises hidden by the water itself as it looked around for its target.

    Eevee had fired the orb of distorted, ghostly energy just before Seaking had found her, and despite Daisy''s frantic warnings, it was too late to avoid a direct hit from the ghost type move.

    A small grin of satisfaction (which Ash tried to keep modest) formed on the boy''s face as a large splash of water was set off from the explosion of the attack''s impact. Seaking was blasted into the depths of the pool as Eevee backed away to the middle of her platform for extra security.

    As Seaking once again emerged from beneath the depths of the pool, this time with far more visible bruises, Eevee jumped into the air at let loose another series of golden stars, which Seaking sped around the battlefield to avoid, all the while attempting to make its way closer and closer to the platform occupied by the evolution Pokemon.

    The Shadow Ball had hurt the fish considerably, but although its movement was slightly slower (which was just barely noticeable to Ash and Daisy, and unnoticed by the paranoid Eevee), most of the damage had been superficial. Nevertheless, the fish''s body was aching as it skillfully weaved around the platforms, putting its knowledge of the battlefield and experience fighting in this pool to good use as natural instincts took over for the speedy water type.

    Deciding that Eevee needed more security, Ash called out. "Eevee! Make your way to the middle platform!" The larger size of the platform would mean that Eevee could put more distance between herself and the water. Due to the platform''s greater width, it would be a lot harder for Seaking to take aim at her without leaving the water as well.

    Seaking may have had a massive advantage in the pool, but so did Eevee outside of it. Even if the larger platform wouldn''t give her the same amount of space to move about as a traditional battlefield, Seaking would have no way of moving around reliably unless it was skilled with Surf, which Ash doubted that it was. Pokemon that used that move were quite rare in battles of this level. If he had a few more badges, however, Daisy most likely wouldn''t have pulled that punch.

    Seaking''s Bounce attack wuld still prove to be a problem, but Ash would much rather deal with that than its speedy swimming.

    Eevee complied, making her way across the battlefield as fast as she could. Although Seaking pursued, Daisy found herself biting her lip in mild agitation as Eevee reached her target, quickly hurrying over to the center of the pool''s largest platform.

    It''s length and width were probably twice as much as any other platform on the battlefield, so standing in the center would make things significantly less convenient for her opponent.

    Seaking seemed to know this, too, spending the next couple of moments simply speeding circles around the platform without doing anything.

    Eevee warily turned her head, another Shadow Ball already forming in her jaws as she prepared to take aim at the first chance that she got.

    A couple more direct, head-on hits from the attack should be enough to greatly injure the water type Pokemon, Ash theorized.

    But that depended on whether or not Seaking ever came into view. Right now both present combatants were in a position where neither could conveniently attack the other, unless one of them made their way out of their own comfort zone. Which they would have to do deliberately.

    It was frustrating and tense, but nowhere nearly as frantic as before.

    Daisy''s voice suddenly rose over the pool. "Use Bounce to get onto the platform! Rapid fire Water Pulse from above!"

    Seaking sprang out of the water, and although Eevee fired her Shadow Ball the moment the fish was clearly in her view, a quick Water Pulse escaped from the fish''s mouth the intercept the attack.

    As it was better charged up, Eevee''s attack broke through and ascended upwards towards the descending fish, however, the impact from Water Pulse had destabilized the sphere, and although the Ghost Type Move smashed into Seaking head on, it was no longer at full power.

    Seaking was propelled upwards, but righted itself in midair as it opened its mouth and rained down small, but frequent, orbs of glowing water onto the platform, Eevee dashing in circles with Quick Attack to avoid them as they pelted the surface. As Seaking descended, golden stars shot out from Eevee''s mouth, but even with the homing nature of the attack, she couldn''t keep enough focus on her target in order to aim it properly.

    Seaking landed on the platform, mildly close to the edge, and just as Eevee prepared to bolt forward with a Quick Attack, a Shadow Ball forming in her jaws as she hoped to strike the fish point blank, Daisy shouted out an order that made Ash''s eyes widen in horror.

    "Scald!"

    Scald was a very strong water type move that was particularly nasty not just for its power, but for its nature. Although most water type moves stereotypically utilized cold, but not freezing, water, Scald was the opposite: its water was boiling hot.

    Even as the frantic boy screamed "Out of the way, Eevee!" It was already too late. The Shadow Ball dissipated as Eevee let out a deafening scream of horrific pain, a surging stream of boiling water erupting from Seaking''s wide-open mouth as the fish drenched its unsuspecting opponent.

    Eevee was sent rolling across the platform as the the powerful blast pushed her away, left sprawled out near the center, her back exposed as she wriggled around desperately, as if the constant movement would somehow shake off the excruciating amount of pain that now relentlessly clinged to her.

    She was suffering, and Ash was already reaching for his Poke Ball as Daisy let out her final, decisive command.

    "Poison Jab!"

    With another Bounce, Seaking propelled itself into the air, this time dipping its body even more blatantly downwards so that its horn, now glowing purple and dripping with toxic fluids, was now pointing straight down as it descended towards Eevee.

    Although she attempted to roll out of the way, a quick Water Pulse was fired down towards the evolution Pokemon and exploded near her side, the shockwaves from the impact catapulting her backwards and into Seaking''s range once again.

    Although it wasn''t perfect anymore, due to the Water Pulse not successfully sending Eevee back to her exact, original position, Seaking''s attack still landed, the quadruped letting out an even worse scream than before as the large fish came down horn first onto her back. The combination of the water type Pokemon''s weight, and the fall, only served to further the impact of the Poison Jab as the glowing, purple horn very easily sank into Eevee''s body. The evolution Pokemon''s breath caught in her throat even as the horrific pain greatly worsened tenfold, the quadruped suddenly finding herself unable to vent her pain as the poison took hold and assaulted her bloodstream. As Seaking pulled itself out of Eevee''s back, its horn dripped with her blood, and the large, bleeding wound left behind from the attack was impossible to ignore.

    One more Water Pulse sent the already helpless Evolution Pokemon into the water, and as Seaking flopped its way off of the platform and back into the pool, its opponent motionlessly floated on the surface of the aquatic battlefield, eyes still and mouth slightly hanging open.

    Ash was suddenly unable to prevent his mind from flashing back to the brutal outcome of Nebula''s battle with Brock''s Geodude.

    "Eevee is unable to battle!" Violet called out with raised arms. She then gestured one of those arms towards Daisy. "Seaking wins!"

    Daisy''s mood was the polar opposite of Ash''s as she cupped her hands and shouted out to her partner.

    "That''s the spirit, Seaking! Now let''s clean up three more, okay?"

    Ash''s face was pale as he silently aimed his Poke Ball at the unconscious evolution Pokemon, returning Eevee in a bright flash of red light.

    "You did a good job." he whispered to the Poke Ball in the most soothing tone that he could muster, even as his voice shook from frustration and guilt. "We''ll win this for you."

    As he clipped Eevee''s Poke Ball back onto his belt, once again did the boy lock eyes with Daisy, who was smirking knowingly.

    "What''s wrong, Ashy boy?" as Daisy fiddled around with a strand of her perfectly groomed hair, her tone of voice was both flirtatious and condescending. As though she were trying to seduce someone, yet also talk to a misbehaving child. "Can''t handle the simplest of tasks? And here I thought that your plan was for Eevee to have the advantage on land."

    Daisy wasn''t aware of the nerve that the "Ashy Boy" nickname had conveniently struck, but Ash tried to push that aside as neither Gym Leader nor challenger proved willing to remove their gazes from one another.

    /

    Misty had looked like she had wanted to vomit as Seaking''s horn pierced Eevee''s back, and as Ash returned his partner, she could only imagine how her timid friend must be feeling at this moment.

    Noticing Tyrunt''s distressed expression at Eevee''s fate, she cautiously raised a hand to rub the infant''s head, which seemed to improve his mood, if only just a little bit. It probably would have been more comforting if it had been Ash and Valiant doing it.

    "She''ll be okay." she whispered as softly as possible. She hated comforting people, but this Pokemon was a baby that had just seen a friend get brutalized by one of her older sister''s partners. Who knows what kind of effect that would have? "These things happen, but the Pokemon Center can fix anything, I promise. She''ll be back to normal soon, and then you can tell her how happy you are to see that she is okay."

    Tyrunt smiled at that and chattered in a somewhat more enthusiastic tone of voice. But even as her hand left the top of his head, Misty''s face was somber as she returned her gaze to the pool, Daisy''s back to her.

    "Come on Ash, use your head." Misty bit her lip as the frown refused to leave her face.

    /

    "Will the challenger please send out his next Pokemon?" Violet''s voice snapped Ash out of his guilt driven stupor as the boy realized that he had gotten lost in analyzing Daisy.

    "Sorry!" he quickly called out as his hand made its way to his belt.

    Seaking had taken a fair bit of damage against Eevee, but was still battle ready. Pikachu had electricity on his side, and could move even faster than Eevee could. On a surface level, fighting Pikachu would be a more difficult version of fighting Eevee for the large fish.

    Nebula would be in a peculiar position. Her position from the air would make her a difficult target, but she had no reliable ways of luring in the large fish unless it willingly bounced up towards her.

    Valiant''s barriers could defend against that Poison Jab, and that pesky Water Pulse and deadly Scald, but the Kirlia wasn''t nearly fast enough to keep up with the speedy water type Pokemon, and Ash didn''t want his friend to tax himself out by abusing Teleport too much.

    Making up his mind, Ash took out a Poke Ball and watched Pikachu materialize in front of him.

    Kneeling down to look his starter in the eyes, Ash''s face was serious.

    "Eevee''s down." he said, trying to keep his voice even. "Avenge her." Ash neglected to bring up just how badly that finishing blow had been. It would rile Pikachu up for sure, but there was no reason for both of them to be plagued by emotions. Pikachu would likely be furious, and Ash was already disturbed and shaken. Just hearing that Eevee had been defeated should be motivation enough for the mouse, without the anger that could potentially cloud the young mouse''s judgment.

    It wouldn''t be nearly as bad as if Nebula had been the victim, but that was besides the point. Pikachu would be enraged at the prospect of any of his teammates being defeated in such a manner.

    The electric rodent''s initially nervous face hardened at the news of Eevee''s loss, and the young boy''s starter Pokemon nodded boldly. Ash grinned a bit at his first partner''s determination.

    As Pikachu made his way to the nearest platform, Violet gave the signal, and the match had officially resumed, Seaking immediately speeding towards the rodent''s platform.

    Unlike Eevee, however, Pikachu had been in a Gym battle before. He had been the sole survivor of one. His facial expression was not nearly as vexxed as his friend''s had been.

    That''s certainly not to say that he wasn''t tense, of course, but he had been in a high stakes battle before.

    What''s more, he was an electric type Pokemon in a water type Gym, in an arena that was filled with and made of water.

    But as Seaking took to circling around Pikachu''s platform, Ash knew that it would not be that simple.

    Sure, he could attack the water with a Thunderbolt or Electro Ball and score a fatal hit, but that would just make the water hazardous for everybody. Even Pikachu himself wasn''t immune to electricity, and if he was knocked into the water it wouldn''t spell good news for him.

    It would certainly spell certain doom for Seaking, but Ash doubted that everybody on Daisy''s selected team was incapable of properly maneuvering on land. Many water type Pokemon were suited for land too, of course. And the battle with Eevee had already proven that Daisy and Seaking weren''t willing to let land-based combat stop themˇ­

    In the long run, it might not be worth it.

    Daisy probably realized that herself. But she had no way of knowing if he had come to the same conclusion or not. If she didn''t want Seaking to get zapped, she might not be as hesitant to order the fish to leave the water.

    That didn''t mean the match was a guarantee, however. One wrong move and Pikachu himself would fall victim to Scald and Poison Jab. A deadly combo.

    "Pikachu!" Ash called out with cupped hands. He pointed forward as he took note of the young mouse''s ears jolting upwards. "The center platform!"

    Pikachu complied, and it immediately became clear to both Daisy and just how much faster that this rodent was than Eevee. Pikachu blitzed across the battlefield, expertly hopping from platform to platform as Quick Attack did its work.

    What''s more, Seaking still wasn''t quite at top speed anymore thanks to Eevee''s efforts.

    To Daisy''s dismay, Pikachu was in the middle of the central platform in no time, but she glared ahead as her face tightened.

    "Bounce and Mud Shot!"

    As the pursuing Seaking neared the center platform, it sprang out of the water and took aim at Pikachu with a large glob of mud that rocketed out of its mouth. As Pikachu carefully (and swiftly) sidestepped the attack, Seaking landed on the platform and rocketed upwards once more, and once again fired down yet another Mud Shot, this time directly downwards.

    As Pikachu rolled to the side, Seaking began firing down a barrage of Water Pulse after Water Pulse on Daisy''s command, and its horn was glowing again.

    But Ash had already predicted that this would happen. "Double Team!" a frustrated Daisy was left cursing under her breath as Seaking was suddenly left with two Pikachus dashing about the platform. The barrage of Water Pulse struck neither of them, both targets moving around masterfully and at quick speeds as Seaking was forced into dividing its attention between the two of them on its way down. Both Pikachu and his clone ran around the platform and performed abrupt, sharp turns as frequently as possible. All without losing an ounce of momentum.

    Eevee could learn a lot from Pikachu''s incredible mobility, as good as she already was at it herself, and although Ash knew that she was determined to catch up, it was pretty clear that among the runners of the young boy''s team, Pikachu was the undisputed champion.

    Pikachu couldn''t take aim at his target, but his frantic movements and use of Double Team also meant that Seaking couldn''t hit its mark as the large fish came down on the platform with Poison Jab.

    But Daisy was relentless. "Scald!"

    Ash screamed for Pikachu to get out of the way, and thankfully, he mostly did, the young rodent winced in great pain as some of the boiling water brushed against his side during his attempt to weave his way away from the blast.

    "Knock it upwards!" Ash pressed the opportunity. Seaking was on their turf now, and like Hell that damned fish was ever going to outmaneuver Pikachu on land.

    Ignoring the pain, Pikachu kept on running, slipping into a Quick Attack as a powerful Zap Tail collided with the side of Seaking''s body. The fish''s loud shout of pain echoed across the pool as it was sent flying upwards, Ash already ready with a follow-up command.

    Time to end this quickly.

    "Thunderbolt!" the full force of a Quick Attack carried Zap Tail had already been a massive blow to the fish''s body, and bathing Seaking''s body in lightning before he could recover from the blunt force of the previous hit that it had received from Pikachu would be a surefire way to put the Water Type Pokemon down as quickly as possible.

    "Mud Shot!" Daisy seemed to realize this herself, as her voice was frantic and panicky.

    Unfortunately for her, Seaking was too busy reeling from the pain of Zap Tail as the bright bolt of lightning erupted from Pikachu''s body, the large fish screaming in pain even more horrifically than Eevee ever had as the electricity enveloped it.

    And as Seaking landed on the platform with a THUD, its body still sparking from the static that rolled across its body as a reminder of the tremendous blow from the electrical blast, Pikachu, as if to further ensure this was the end, rushed forward and expertly performed a small flip as he drove an Iron Tail downwards onto the large fish''s head.

    Seaking was as motionless as Eevee had been just a few moments prior.

    "Seaking is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" Ash grinned and gave Pikachu a thumbs up (which his Starter joyfully and triumphantly returned to him) as Violet gestured her outstretched arm towards the direction of the younger trainer.

    As a sullen Daisy returned her partner and muttered soothing words to its Poke Ball, a certain hothead sitting on the bleachers behind her had a devilish smirk dominating her face.

    "What''s the matter, Daisy?" Misty''s voice was toned with a mocking mimicry. "Can''t handle the simplest of tasks?" she sighed dramatically, a hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes, Tyrunt curiously observing her blatantly exaggerated theatrics. "Such a shame. And here I thought battling on land wasn''t supposed to be a problem for the big, bad, Seaking!"

    "Can it, runt." Daisy''s voice was an abrupt growl, and Ash almost had to do a double take at how different the tone was, too far away to see the dark expression in the blonde woman''s eyes. But as Misty smirked victoriously while her merciless gaze bore into her eldest sister''s back, Daisy must have realized the tone of voice that she had spoken in, as she was suddenly shaking her head rapidly before struggling to return her gaze at Ash to an even expression.

    The boy had no idea if his hotheaded friend had been sticking up for him, or if she had just taken the obvious opportunity to jab away at her sisterˇ­

    ... Who was he kidding? It was probably the latter.

    Pikachu paced around the center platform as Daisy took out a second Poke Ball. The mouse stopped on all fours as a bright flash of light revealed his second opponent.

    Ash recognized the bulky, blue Pokemon as a Poliwhirl. The evolution line that it was part of was probably the most widely used in Indigo. Ash wasn''t sure if there had ever been an Indigo Conference without at least a few Poliwrath making an appearance, and Politoed were decently common as well.

    Ash knew a decent bit about this particular Pokemon, and as he ran through its potential abilities in his head, his stomach suddenly sank.

    Of the three abilities that it was known to have, two of them especially worried Ash, due to the aquatic arena: Water Absorb and Swift Swim.

    Water Absorb not only made it immune to water, but allowed it to use the water that its body made contact with, in order to heal wounds. That would mean that the pool that served as their battlefield would essentially be a fancy, aquatic healing chamber that Poliwhirl could use whenever it wanted, assuming it had the ability. It wasn''t perfect, as the Water Type could still be tired out, and from what he knew, frequent utilization of the ability could also be tiring eventually, but even wearing it down would be significantly more difficult if it didn''t have any injuries to further weaken its body.

    Swift Swim would provide an astronomical speed boost when exposed to high amounts of water, most typically a body of water, or in the rain. If Poliwhirl had this ability, then Ash and his team would have yet another aquatic speed demon to deal with. All the water type would have to do is take a dive into the water and start moving.

    Either ability would make for a tough fightˇ­

    As Poliwhirl swam its way to the nearest platform (it wasn''t moving as fast as Seaking, but it could be holding back for now), Daisy''s composure seemed to have been fully regained as she leveled a confident grin in Ash''s direction. Ash did his best to respond with his own.

    "Hope you''re ready for this one." she chirped as her fists pressed firmly against her hips. "He loves fighting."

    Looking over to the water type, Ash could see Daisy''s point proven as Poliwhirl absentmindedly smacked his fists together.

    "Begin!" Violet''s voice sounded across the battlefield.

    "Get to Pikachu!" Daisy''s order was immediate as Poliwhirl dove back into the water and started swimming towards the central platform housing the young rodent.

    Ash paid attention to the water type''s speed. Pretty fast, for sure, but so far nothing out of the ordinaryˇ­

    "Stay in the center of the platform!" Ash commanded. Pikachu''s ears twitched in acknowledgment as he planted himself firmly in the middle of the platform, but stood on his hind legs in an attempt to get a better view.

    It didn''t take long for Poliwhirl to reach the platform, and climbing up was an even quicker process.

    It occurred to Ash that Poliwhirl''s body being soaked in water could actually work to Pikachu''s benefit. Perhaps the reason why Pikachu''s electricity was so effective on Seaking wasn''t just because of the type matchup, but because of the water covering the large fish''s body.

    Theoretically, the same would hold true for Poliwhirl, but it also meant that Poliwhirl''s potential Water Absorb ability would be in constant effect. It certainly wouldn''t be the same thing as the water type''s body being completely submerged in the pool but the healing factor would still be at least somewhat effective.

    Deciding that he didn''t want Daisy and Poliwhirl to get the first strike, Ash cupped his hands and shouted over the pool.

    "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

    "Mud Guard!" Ash''s eyes widened at Daisy''s counter-order.

    Pikachu roared with determination as the powerful bolt of lightning erupted from the young mouse''s body. Even as it blitzed towards its target, however, Poliwhirl raised his clenched fists, which suddenly became coated with mud, along with his arms as well. The young boy winced in frustration as the bulky water type Pokemon crossed his arms and intercepted the electrical blast. The water covering his body still invited some of the sparks from the bolt to mildly singe his skin, but the majority of Pikachu''s attack had been effectively blocked.

    Daisy was smirking, and it seemed as if she just couldn''t help herself as the beautiful Gym Leader allowed herself to gloat to the young challenger.

    "We get electric types in here every other day, kiddo!" she smirked even harder through her hands, which were now cupped to her lips. "Maybe you should try harder!"

    Ash snarled at that, but quickly caught himself, rapidly shaking his head to get the frustration out of his thoughts.

    Just in time for Daisy''s next order. "Mud Fist, Poliwhirl!"

    Despite his bulky appearance, Poliwhirl was decently quick as he dashed towards his significantly smaller target, arms still coated in mud. As he raised one of his fists, Ash could see a faint glow through the mud.

    This must have been a combination of some sort of punching move (Mega Punch, perhaps?) and a mud-based move that Poliwhirl had used to coat his arms.

    It was clever use of a ground type move to defend against electricity, and equally clever to fight against electric type Pokemon. The likely force of the blow, combined with the ground typing of whatever mud-based attack was being used, would certainly spell significantly bad news for Pikachu. Especially since durability wasn''t the young mouse''s specialty. Ash didn''t doubt Pikachu''s capability of taking hits, but he certainly wasn''t capable of tanking strong attacks, or powering through seemingly endless punishment.

    Pikachu reacted fast, however, and although Poliwhirl was quick for his appearance, he still paled in comparison to the blazing speed that the young mouse exhibited (That was Pikachu''s specialty). What''s more, even as Pikachu darted to the side in an attempt to get around the water type, he immediately activated Double Team, sending a clone running in the opposite direction.

    As Poliwhirl turned around, both Pikachu were already finished circling around to the other side, now charging at him simultaneously. Poliwhirl raised his arms to block both of them, the clone fizzling out as the real Pikachu struck his opponent''s left arm with Iron Tail. Poliwhirl was clearly strong, but was only using one arm to block, not wanting to risk committing both arms to the wrong Pikachu. This, coupled with the momentum from Pikachu''s Quick Attack, allowed the electric rodent to send the bulky water type staggering backwards, pushing Poliwhirl''s arm away as the young mouse sprang off of his feet once more to drive a well-placed Brick Break into his opponent''s gut.

    Although Poliwhirl winced in pain as he staggered back from the blow, he shook it off pretty quickly. The bulky body of the water type no doubt served as a cushion to soften such blows.

    "Scald!" Daisy commanded. Ash''s heart skipped a bit at the order, but it was thankfully followed by temporary relief as Pikachu dodged the attack.

    As Poliwhirl began to turn his body to redirect the attack to Pikachu, the young mouse saw his chance, charging forward with Quick Attack to slam a powerful Zap Tail into the bulky Pokemon''s side. The Scald attack immediately ceased as Poliwhirl cried out in pain, the water type Pokemon sent rolling to the side of the platform by Pikachu''s merciless blow.

    Ash''s earlier fears, however, were confirmed as Daisy''s face twisted into a nasty smirk. For such a beautiful woman, it was a fairly dissonant facial expression, even moreso than her prior aggression towards Misty after Seaking had been defeated.

    "In the water!"

    Already on the platform''s edge, Poliwhirl rolled over just enough to allow himself to fall straight down into the pool. Ash couldn''t see it, but he knew that the large bruise on the water type''s side was being healed by the second as the water made contact with it.

    Water Absorb. The ability to heal wounds by exposing them to water, while also granting the user complete immunity from water type attacks. And in such an aquatic battlefield, Poliwhirl had constant regeneration on his side.

    Ash snarled in distaste. This was worse than Seaking. Daisy really was a pragmatic woman, for as odd as Misty''s sisters all seemed to be. They were Gym Leaders for a reason, after all.

    As Poliwhirl made his way back to the platform, body now fully rejuvenated, Daisy thrusted her arm forward with newfound vigor.

    "Mud Bomb!"

    Curving his body back a bit, Poliwhirl released a barrage of sizable balls of mud that diagonally flew upwards before descending downwards towards their target. The mud exploded against the surface of the platform (coating the parts that were impacted) as Pikachu bolted away from the attack, charging towards his opponent in an effort to ram into Poliwhirl head first with a Quick Attack.

    But Poliwhirl had already fired a deadly Scald at the advancing mouse, and although Pikachu successfully avoided the attack, he was forced to halt his advance completely to lessen the risk of being hit, rolling onto his belly and quickly making his way back to his feet, just as Poliwhirl advanced on him with another Mud Fist.

    With no time to dodge, Pikachu swung a metallic tail at the mud-coated fist. Although the two attacks met one another perfectly, Pikachu quickly found that his opponent had much more strength behind his own attack than he himself did. Although the metallic coating from the Iron Tail protected Pikachu from harm, the force of Poliwhirl''s blow sent the electric type rolling off of the platform, and Ash grimaced as Pikachu quickly found himself in the water.

    As Pikachu descended towards the pool, Ash blinked as the mouse uselessly swung an Iron Tail down onto the water, creating a massive splash as he landed in the pool.

    A force of habit, Ash realized. Pikachu was so used to using Iron Tail to catch himself on solid ground after a fall. Such a tactic would be useless in the water, but Pikachu''s reflexes and muscle memory had taken over.

    Ash mentally cursed at himself for that. It should have occurred to him sooner that they would have to work on that. Why did he always realize these things when it was too late?!

    Daisy''s smirk was vicious as she immediately followed up with another command. "Mud Bomb again!" Making his way to the edge of the platform, Poliwhirl fired a barrage of mud at the young mouse as Pikachu desperately attempted to swim away.

    Although the training prior had certainly given the young mouse decent maneuverability in the water, it still left a lot to be desired. As the mud struck the water beside Pikachu, the resulting splash knocked the electric type off balance as the mud dirtied the nearby areas of the pool.

    Thankfully, however, Pikachu quickly regained his balance before Poliwhirl could land a direct hit on him, and just in time to respond to Ash''s next order.

    "Double Team, hurry!"

    The Move was a lifesaver, and as Pikachu split into two separate Pikachu''s that both swam in opposite directions, Poliwhirl thankfully made the wrong choice, as the target he went after first ended up being the clone. Although the clone fizzled out as Poliwhirl struck with a second barrage of mud (which caused even more splashes to erupt and dirtied the water even further than before), the ordeal had thankfully given the real Pikachu just enough time to climb onto another platform.

    By now, Daisy must have realized that Ash was too nervous to have Pikachu use Thunderbolt on the pool, because her next order wasn''t lacking in any confident tone of voice.

    "Back in the water! Chase after Pikachu!"

    Poliwhirl did just that, and if he wasn''t already completely healed before, he certainly was once he dove into the water again, swimming rapidly in Pikachu''s direction.

    Ash considered his options. Thunderbolt would certainly cause serious harm to poliwhirl while in the water, but the water would become hazardous to anyone who was knocked into the pool at that point. And Nebula was vulnerable to electricityˇ­

    Not to mention, Poliwhirl would be constantly regenerating while in the water, so although he would certainly take a tremendous amount of damage, the constant healing factor at work would cushion things for him at least a little bit.

    Biting his lip a bit, Ash made his choice. They''ll hold off on zapping the water for now.

    "Pikachu! Back on the central platform!" The center platform had more space to fight on, and Pikachu needed to engage Poliwhirl without knocking him into the water. Not to mention, they needed to find a way to prevent Poliwhirl from retreating into the pool every single time he took damage, which was easier said than done.

    Ash snarled through his teeth. Why, oh why did Daisy have to pick a Pokemon with Water Absorb?!

    Daisy must have picked up on the young boy''s frustration, as the attractive Gym Leader''s face was laced with a satisfied smirk. She had full control over what circumstances the battle continued under, and both trainer''s knew it.

    As long as she had the advantage in terrain and Ash didn''t, the only thing the young rookie could do was make the best with what he had. There was no way to put an end to the disadvantageous nature of his position. Or Pikachu''s.

    "Follow Pikachu to the platform, Poliwhirl!" As Pikachu arrived at the platform, Poliwhirl swam towards it, and quickly climbed back up.

    A Thunderbolt from Pikachu was once again blocked by two Mud Fists that intercepted the attack, the drenched Poliwhirl still receiving singed marks on other parts of his body, but not receiving serious damage.

    And his drenched body would probably be slowly healed by the water already covering himˇ­ Damn it!

    "Double Team and Iron Tail! Don''t know him into the water!" Ash took the opportunity as Poliwhirl advanced towards the mouse with raised fists.

    Pikachu complied, splitting into two as he bolted towards his target.

    Poliwhirl was smart, however, firing a barrage of bubbles at one of the Pikachu to determine if it was the real one.

    And it turns out that it was, as Pikachu curved to the side and avoided the attack. The other Pikachu must have been the clone.

    That clone fizzled out as it struck against Poliwhirl, who now used both of his fists to intercept Pikachu''s attack.

    The exchange gave Ash an idea, however. If he could get Pikachu to have the clone avoid attacks if targeted in those situations, then the opponent would have no way of knowing which Pikachu was actually the cloneˇ­

    A topic for another time, however, as right now, Pikachu, despite his high momentum, was struggling against the combined force of both of Poliwhirl''s fists.

    The young rodent surprised Ash, however. As Poliwhirl''s two Mud Fists pushed away Pikachu''s Iron Tail, Pikachu repositioned himself into standing on his two front paws, swinging his body to curve his still metallic coated tail underneath the bulky water type Pokemon''s mud-covered arms, taking aim at the lower part of Poliwhirl''s body.

    A satisfying SLAM! sounded as the blue Pokemon was struck in the stomach, staggering backwards while holding his belly in pain from the sudden impact.

    "Zap Tail!" Ash saw his chance.

    "Water Pulse, downwards!" Unfortunately, so did Daisy.

    As Pikachu dashed forward to deal a major blow to his opponent, he was knocked away by the shockwaves of a bright, blue sphere made out of water exploding right down in front of him. As Pikachu rolled away, Poliwhirl recovered and stood upright, having powered through the pain from iron Tail to launch the quick counterattack.

    "Mud Bomb, while charging forward! Poliwhirl advanced upon Pikachu as the young rodent was forced to roll to the side to avoid the barrage of mud that was sent his way. The shockwaves were still too close to the electric mouse, however, and Pikachu was sent rolling to the side far more than he had been trying to, and was no longer on balance or in control of his movements.

    "Steady yourself, Pikachu!" Ash tried to order. This was getting bad.

    "Scald!" Daisy shouted triumphantly. There it was.

    Pikachu screamed as the powerful blast of boiling water bathed his body just as his body''s rolling began to slow. It wasn''t too long before he had been left in the same helpless state as Eevee had been, and Poliwhirl was already towering over him-

    "Mud Fist!"

    SMASH!

    It was all she wrote as Poliwhirl''s clenched fist came down on Pikachu''s head, coated in mud. Having just begun to rise up (trying to power through the pain from Scald) the moment before his bulky opponent''s attack brought him back down, Pikachu now lay motionless on the platform as Poliwhirl backed away from his now unconscious target.

    A super-effective hit aimed right for the head was not a pretty outcome for the young electric type.

    "Pikachu is unable to battle! Poliwhirl wins!"

    Ash was bitter as he recalled his dedicated starter. He didn''t even look at Pikachu, for fear of seeing whatever monstrous bruise had been left on the electric type''s head. Even worse, this wasn''t even the first time that Pikachu had lost in such a manner, as Ash suddenly found himself recalling the time that Paul''s Elekid had quite literally punched the young mouse face-first into the ground. This outcome brought back bad memories.

    Now he definitely didn''t care how pretty Daisy was. She could be the most smoking hot woman on the fucking planet, for all he cared. She and Poliwhirl were going to pay for this.

    "You did good." Ash tried to keep his frustration down as he whispered into Pikachu''s Poke Ball. "Just rest for now."

    As he clipped Pikachu''s Poke Ball back on his belt, Ash eyed Poliwhirl with a great deal of scrutiny.

    In addition to his obvious brute strength, the bulky Pokemon also had surprisingly good reaction times, enough to reliably keep up with Pikachu''s movements and block his attacks. And then, of course, there was the Donphan in the room: That damned Water Absorb ability. As long as that was in place, there was no limit to how much the Water type could heal itself. And it still wasn''t tired out just yet.

    Ash weighed his options carefully.

    Nebula was certainly strong, but that wasn''t the issue here. Even with enough strength and momentum to keep up with Poliwhirl''s own considerable power, she still had the regenerative capabilities to contend with. She would have to either knock him out quickly or find a way to keep him out of the water while hammering away at him. Same with Valiant, who was also powerful.

    But which one was better suited for that?

    Valiant did have access to thunderbolt and Magical Leaf, both of which would be huge against water types, but Thunderbolt could be easily blocked, given that Poliwhirl had Mud Guard, and Valiant couldn''t fire off the attack as quickly as Pikachu could.

    At the same time, however, Nebula ahd the aerial advantage, but it would be hard to properly utilize such a thing while simultaneously trying to keep Poliwhirl out of the water.

    The boy thought very frustratingly about his options, quickly realizing that there was no miracle cure.

    Nevertheless, he supposed that Valiant''s Teleportation and Confusion could hopefully be effective at intercepting poliwhirl''s attempts at entering the water. Not to mention that the Kirlia seemed to be the best at thinking on his feet among everybody on the team.

    Valiant appeared in front of him with a determined stare, immediately picking out Poliwhirl, who was still standing on the central platform.

    "Valiant." Ash spoke quickly as he got the young Kirlia''s attention. "That Poliwhirl has the Water Absorb ability. He can heal himself by exposing himself to water. Get yourself to the central platform and do not let him into the pool!"

    Valiant nodded enthusiastically, and Ash almost grinned. As frustrated as the young boy was, the Emotion Pokemon''s obvious determination was infectious.

    "And watch out for his Scald attack." Ash quickly remembered to point out. "He''ll try to spray you with boiling water, so be ready to use your barriers whenever you need to. His punches are also incredibly strong. He brought Pikachu down with one after hitting him with Scald."

    Valiant absorbed his trainer''s words, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as potential strategies formed in the young emotion Pokemon''s mind.

    On the central platform, Poliwhirl was back to smacking his fists together, this time excitedly.

    "Begin!"

    At the sound of Violet''s voice, Valiant immediately sprang into action.

    It only took a couple of Teleports for Poliwhirl to suddenly find himself staring down the young Kirlia, who leveled an even glare at his bulky opponent.

    Ash nodded in approval as he went over his options for attack.

    Thunderbolt wouldn''t work. Poliwhirl would just block it like he had with Pikachu. Although Valiant''s Thunderbolt was strong, Pikachu''s was still more potent, so if Poliwhirl''s Mud Guard could tank most of Pikachu''s attack, it could do the same with Valiant. Poliwhirl could also react fast enough to stop Pikachu''s blast, and Valiant couldn''t fire the electric type move quite as fast as the young mouse could.

    But if Ash was right about Mud Guard being partially made up of some kind of ground type move, then a grass type move should have a better chance at breaking through.

    "Magical Leaf!" Ash commanded, but Daisy immediately shut him down.

    "Icy Wind!"

    Even as Valiant formed the bright green orb that fired off the glowing leaves in Poliwhirl''s direction, the water type released a surge of frozen air that stopped the leaves in their tracks, ice covering their exteriors as they fell harmlessly onto the platform. Some of the frigid air made its way over to Valiant, and would have given him a painful chill had he not erected a quick Light Screen to protect him from the cold. The golden cube that he had enclosed himself in was faint and limited, nowhere near his full power, in order to conserve energy. But it still managed to do its job by keeping him warm in the face of the portion of the Icy Wind that had reached him.

    Ash bit his lip once more. He should have known that they''d have a counter to this as well. They probably got just as many grass types among their challengers as they did Electric Types.

    Daisy didn''t gloat this time, however, simply taking to pressing on further.

    "Rapid-fire Mud Fist!"

    As Valiant dropped his Light Screen, he immediately raised up a Reflect (and this one was indeed at full power this time) as Poliwhirl lunged forward, arms coated in mud as the bulky water type unleashed a barrage of strikes. The opposing Pokemon''s arms moved quite fast as he hammered away at the glass cube that Valiant had shut himself within, tiny bits of mud scattering about on impact.

    Had Valiant still been a Ralts, the glass barrier would not have lasted long. Poliwhirl was not lacking in brute strength and would have easily made quick work of the shield that Valiant had raised up for himself. However, since evolving, the young Kirlia now had a far greater amount of energy to put into his moves, and that included his barrier techniques. What would have easily crumbled from the bulky water type Pokemon''s merciless barrage of punches now absorbed far more blows than it could have in the past.

    Poliwhirl didn''t give up after the first few attacks failed to break through the young Kirlia''s defenses, however, and a war of attrition began, one Pokemon putting all of his energy into keeping his shield up, and the other putting all of his own energy into shattering that shield.

    Valiant grimaced as small cracks began to form on the glass cube, the young emotion Pokemon bracing himself for the shockwaves as Poliwhirl''s attack began to progressively break through more and more, making faster progress as the barrier continued to weaken.

    SMASH!

    One final strike shattered Valiant''s shield completely, the wind force pushing against the young Kirlia as the Psychic stood as firmly as he could.

    It had been a good moment of offense against defense as Poliwhirl had gone to work breaking through Valiant''s barrier, and Ash just hoped that the ordeal had taken more out of the water type than it had Valiant himself. Then it would be worth it.

    As the Reflect broke, Poliwhirl pulled back a now-glowing leg, bathed in white light. A Mega Kick. But Valiant had already put Telepathy to work, hyper analysing the Water Type''s body language to telegraph his next move, predicting just how (or where) the bulky Pokemon would strike at him.

    So when Poliwhirl launched his powerful foot with the intent on bashing the young Kirlia in the side of the head, Valiant had already ducked under the blow, moving in to execute a counteroffensive now that his opponent was open.

    As Valiant charged right for Poliwhirl in order to close what miniscule distance was now left between them, a rainbow-colored beam was fired from his hands, the point-blank Psybeam scoring a direct hit on the wailing Poliwhirl''s stomach.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Although it was a quick assault, with not enough time to put in his full power, Valiant''s raw power had received an exponential spike after his recent evolution, and Poliwhirl was finding it to be entirely at his expense as Valiant drove the blast into his opponent.

    "Keep it up, Valiant!" Ash quickly encouraged as Poliwhirl staggered backwards, struggling not to fall onto his back as he clutched his belly in pain. "Hit him with Magical Leaf next!" They might''ve had enough time to get away with a Thunderbolt now that Poliwhirl was still reeling from Valiant''s previous attack, but Ash didn''t want to press his luck in that department. After all, Poliwhirl had still been able to fight back even after getting struck by Pikachu. It was resilient enough to power through the pain, and Valiant was capable of using Magical Leaf a decent bit more quickly than he was capable of using Thunderbolt.

    Valiant complied in an instant, already firing off the barrage of bright, glowing leaves. At the last second, Poliwhirl unleashed an Icy Wind to intercept them, but the first few leaves in the front still struck him, even as his own attack began to coat them with ice.

    As Poliwhirl flinched from the blow, Valiant had already teleported behind him, a large, pink ball of glowing energy in his hands as the Psychic prepared a Dazzling Gleam. The sphere suddenly extended into a bright, pink blast that hammered its way into Poliwhirl''s back. This time, Valiant had charged up to full power, and the young Kirlia immediately saw the fruits of his labor as Poliwhirl was launched forward with a cry of pain, the area of his back that had been hit by the attack singed and bruised as the impact carried him across a decent portion of the large platform.

    To Ash and Valiant''s surprise, however, Poliwhirl caught himself on his hands, flipping himself around to send a blast of boiling water Valiant''s way. The Kirlia had just enough time to raise a Light Screen and stop the Scald in its tracks, but not enough time to put everything that he had into the barrier. Even as the golden cube stopped the water itself, Valiant could feel the heat against his skin.

    Ignoring the steam, Valiant kept the barrier up just long enough for the Scald to dissipate, but the steamy air itself was still present as Poliwhirl rushed the slightly frazzled Kirlia.

    "Body Slam!" Daisy called out.

    Using both his hands and feet to flip himself in the air, Poliwhirl soared high above Valiant, performing a quick midair somersault as he prepared to propel himself down stomach-first on top of the Psychic''s head.

    Thankfully, Ash didn''t need to tell his partner to get out of the way as Valiant teleported to another part of the platform. Ash took notice, however, that Valiant didn''t create too much distance between himself and his opponent.

    It took a split second for the young boy to realize that Valiant was purposefully staying close to Poliwhirl so that he could prevent his opponent from retreating into the water. The good bit of damage done to the bulky water type by Valiant''s Dazzling Gleam understandably wasn''t something that the younger psychic wished to see go to waste.

    Daisy and Poliwhirl surprised the duo yet again, however, as the bulky water type immediately used the impact and shockwaves from his initial fall to launch himself back upwards again, taking aim at Valiant once more. As the young emotion Pokemon once again teleported away from his path, this time bringing himself to the middle of the platform, Poliwhirl repeated the process, soaring above Valiant''s head for a third time.

    But as Poliwhirl was launched into the air yet again, Daisy called out a surprise order with cupped hands.

    "Icy Wind!"

    As Poliwhirl soared above the platform, a powerful blast of frozen wind assaulted the areas that he found himself above, making its way to Valiant as the parts of the platform that were in the path of the blast slowly began to freeze over.

    Poliwhirl had already dirtied some of the pool, and now he was going to try and make the platform more difficult to maintain footing on. And as Valiant teleported over to a different area of the platform, one not covered in ice, Ash suddenly realised the plan:

    Valiant was further away this time. Which meant Poliwhirl could more easily make his way back into the water and heal himself.

    The boy grimaced at that. Daisy was counting on Valiant''s concern for the newly iced terrain to distract from his apparent strategy to stay near Poliwhirl''s current location. She must have picked up on the Kirlia''s strategy just as he had!

    She was good, Ash had to admit. An outward aura not nearly as intimidating as Brock, but still a Gym Leader at heart.

    Indeed, the moment Poliwhirl landed, Daisy had switched up orders.

    "Stop Bouncing! In the pool!"

    Valiant''s eyes widened as he zeroed in on the water type making his way to the edge of the platform. The icy terrain had minimal effect in inhibiting his movements, Ash realizing that the bulky Pokemon had probably done something like this before, or at least been trained to do it.

    Poliwhirl was just nearing the edge when Valiant abruptly teleported in front of him, erecting a sudden glass barrier that his bulky opponent collided with. Although not at full power, due to the haste in which Valiant had created it, it was still enough to halt Poliwhril''s advance. However, Valiant was not prepared for the sudden change in terrain, and as Poliwhirl stumbled backwards, gripping his now-bruised face with mild irritation, Valiant felt his hold on

    The Reflect rapidly slipping as he suddenly slipped on the ice that he had teleported himself onto.

    Valiant attempted to catch himself with his hands, but they too slipped onto the ice, leaving him to fall face-first into the frozen terrain, his face bruised and cold as Poliwhirl regained his bearings.

    Daisy saw her chance. "Scald!"

    It was all Valiant could do to roll out of the way from the blast of boiling water, and although he avoided the brunt of the attack, he still screamed as his arm was struck. Some of the ice melted from the heat of the attack, but that was hardly Ash''s concern as Poliwhirl rushed over to the fallen, wailing Kirlia, a mud-coated arm already raised to strike.

    The Mud Fist was intercepted by a weak Reflect that Valiant had hastily erected as the young Kirlia sprang to his feet as quickly as possible. Still dealing with the pain, and with the ferocity of Poliwhirl''s all-out assault, the young emotion Pok¨¦mon did not have enough time to fully stand up as he erected the glass barrier, and his defenses were immediately shattered by the bulky water type''s powerful punch. The impact and wind force of the strike sent Valiant staggering backwards, the bruise on his head from his earlier fall onto the icy floor of the platform now worsening from the force of the shockwaves.

    The Kirlia successfully stopped himself just at the edge of the platform, and Ash felt his breath catch in his throat as Valiant teetered backwards, waving his arms as he tried to stop himself from falling.

    Even as Valiant successfully righted himself, Ash''s relief was only for a split-second, as a nastily smirking Daisy prepared to close out the clash.

    "Poliwhirl! Finish this up with Scald!"

    Ash could only pathetically shout "Look out!" As the blast of boiling water made its way to Valiant, just as the young Kirlia had successfully regained his balance.

    Time seemed to slow to a crawl for the young emotion Pokemon, the advancing blast of steaming hot liquid threatening to mercilessly burn away at his skin and blast him into the pool.

    Ash had already reached for Valiant''s Poke Ball, knowing full well that this attack would likely spell the ambitious Kirlia''s end. If the emotion Pokemon wasn''t done in by the Scald, he would be helpless against whatever follow-up attack Daisy and Poliwhirl had in mind, given that he''d be both agonizing from the boiling water of Scald, and stuck in the pool.

    But just as Ash had found himself frightfully wondering how he could ever turn this battle around with just Nebula to battle three Pokemon back-to-back, Valiant had vanished.

    And reappeared directly behind Poliwhirl.

    The next few moments left both Ash and Daisy feeling as though their minds had turned to jelly.

    Valiant flung himself onto Poliwhirl''s back, and before any of the spectators could comprehend just what he was about to do, a golden cube of light suddenly encased both combatants.

    "What?!" Daisy flinched backwards at Valiant''s tactic, and thenˇ­

    The inside of the golden cube erupted with electricity.

    Clinging onto the startled water type''s back, Valiant charged up a Thunderbolt and fired it point-blank, with all the power that he could muster. With the Light Screen trapping both him and his opponent inside, Valiant''s lightning filled the golden cube, leaving the young Kirlia to scream through grinding, clenched teeth as the electricity burned away at his skin. Tears leaked their way through the emotion Pokemon''s tightly shut eyes as he poured everything that he had into the assault.

    Poliwhirl wished that was all that was happening to him. On the receiving end of the point-blank blast, which was, along with both combatants, completely enclosed within the golden cube prison that Valiant had willingly created for the both of them, Poliwhirl helplessly screamed in greater agony than any combastant throughout the whole entire battle thus far, as his entire body was bathed in merciless electricity. Making things worse for him was that his body was still wet.

    It had to have lasted for at least ten seconds, and as the electricity died down, and the cube fizzled out, everyone was greeted with the sight of Poliwhirl''s scorched, almost blackened skin, as a slightly less scorched Valiant stood behind him.

    Although Valiant was breathing hard, it was Poliwhirl who had very clearly gotten the worst out of the attack, standing somewhat limp as his body lightly swayed from side to side.

    Ash''s mouth was agape as sweat dripped down his face.

    Hadˇ­ Valiantˇ­ really done that? It was such a genius idea, and to come up with it on his ownˇ­ and yet he had put himself through so much punishment by doing so.

    Was thisˇ­ really worth it?

    Regardless of the risk factor, the overall concept of the strategy had Ash floored. It was almost as though Valiant had come up with that at the last second. A last resort tactic to turn the tide of the battle in his favor. And for as reckless as it was, its effectiveness was showing itself to everyone present.

    Regaining his bearings as quickly as possible, Valiant wiped the tiniest of drops of blood from his chin, and fired a quick Psybeam into the bulky water type''s back, and Poliwhirl was sent staggering forward as he finally lost his balance and face-planted down onto the platform.

    Poliwhirl lay motionless for the next few moments, but nobody present spoke.

    Violet must have realised how long she had been staring at the display in bewilderment, because when she finally regained her bearings, her face was colored with the redness of a cherry.

    "OHHH-UH-UH-" she stuttered pathetically as she waved a single arm around. Doing her best to stand tall, she seemingly regained her bearings and stature, but the blush on her face did not go away as she raised both of her arms. "Poliwhirl is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!" she gestured towards Ash.

    That must have snapped Daisy out of her stupor, as the shocked gym Leader frantically grabbed at her Poke Balls before returning her fallen partner, muttering soothing, yet somewhat hasty words to the orb as she stared at it for a few brief moments, before finally clipping it back onto her belt.

    Ash had done his best to regain his composure as well, a grin making its way to his face as he called out to his own partner.

    "Great work Valiant! That was amazing!" A smiling Valiant had a small, bashful blush on his face as he turned in his trainer''s direction, rubbing the back of his head.

    Ash frowned next, however. "Justˇ­ don''t act too crazy from now on, okay? That could have done a lot worse to you."

    It was saying a decent deal, too. Although Valiant was still battle ready, he certainly no longer was at full strength. His deep breaths, and burnt body both gave that away.

    Valiant''s blush gradually disappeared, his feet shuffling at that as his eyes sank to the platform. He seemed somewhat guiltyˇ­ althoughˇ­ Was it really his place to feel bad? If anything, Ash felt a bit guilty. After all, Valiant''s strategy had been at his own expense. Ash wasn''t sure if there was really any need for the young Kirlia to feel remorse. And at the end of the day, he had outplayed Poliwhirl and remained standing proudly afterwards. And the bulky water type had seemed to be fairly strategic. Competent in a subtle manner at the very least.

    Nevertheless, Ash''s frown didn''t stay on his face for too long, a reassuring grin appearing on his face as he and Valiant continued to eye each other. As if he was trying to cheer his partner up, which he was.

    Thankfully, it seemed to be working, as Valiant''s grin slowly reformed onto his face, the young emotion Pokemon locking eyes with his trainer as the duo exchanged nods.

    "Againˇ­" said Ash, giving his friend an approving look. "Great job."

    As Valiant turned his attention back to Daisy, so did Ash, the boy locking eyes with the visibly frustrated Gym Leader.

    It was almostˇ­ satisfying to see the blatant look of irritation in her eyes, but as satisfied as he was to see Poliwhirl finally be beaten, Ash knew that he couldn''t credit himself for the accomplishment. After all, that had been Valiant''s strategy, not his.

    Nevertheless, Ash tried not to take any sense of personal joy from Daisy''s annoyance. Her aggravation could be considered her own karma for the tactics that she had been using up to this point, but Ash wouldn''t let himself adopt such a petty mindset.

    This was a battle. It wasn''t always meant to be fair. That didn''t mean he wasn''t going to be proud of Valiant for overcoming Daisy''s "unfair" tactics. And with one of his own, no less.

    Daisy finally spoke up after a few moments of gazing into the younger challenger''s eyes. Her lips twitched upwards into a smirk, but the look in her eyes remained unchanged.

    "Hehˇ­" she grumbled. "That''sˇ­ ehˇ­ some Kirliaˇ­"

    On the bleachers, Misty was patting Tyrunt''s head as the small infant cheered, pumping up a tiny claw. It was just loud enough for Valiant to pick up on, and the Kirlia''s face slightly reddened once again, a feeling of pride building up in his chest as he took on a battle stance.

    Raising a Poke Ball, Daisy''s face evened out.

    "We''re both down to half of our teams now, Ashy boy." Ash ignored the nickname. Now the look in her eyes was gradually beginning to match her smirk. "Who''s going to run out of steam first, I wonder."

    Ash didn''t respond, just trying his best to keep his expression even and concentrated, prompting her to scoff after a few moments of silence.

    "You''re no fun." she exhaled with a sigh. She shrugged with a light smile. "Oh well. I think it''s time for a change of paceˇ­"

    She lightly tossed the ball upwards with an underhanded throw, and Ash did not even remotely recognize the creature that emerged from the light.

    It floated in the water with a happy-go-lucky expression on its face. Its back was a dark-blue, while its underside was a light-blue. The body of the Pokemon was rather round, and the fins were wide enough to almost resemble wings.

    All he knew was that this was a foreign Pokemon. It was not native to Indigo, and he had never seen it before.

    Daisy''s signature lax smile was back, burying her previous aggravation. "Never seen a Mantyke before, have you?" As Ash gave her a confirming shake of the head, she shrugged. "Well, I guess she''ll be able to teach you a few things."

    Mantyke happily splashed about in the pool, her fins playfully slapping away at the water and sending droplets flying around her as a cheerful cry escaped her mouth. She was certainly a lively one.

    "Mantyke," Daisy addressed the peculiar Pokemon in an almost motherly tone of voice (which made Misty recoil in disgust). "Some of the pool near the central platform is dirtied and muddy, and parts of the central platform are frozen. Watch out for that stuff, okay?" As if to confirm, Mantyke began to splash around even more passionately.

    "Valiant!" Ash called out, briefly earning the young Kirlia''s attention. Ash frowned a bit. "Can you fight?"

    At Valiant''s confident (but not arrogant) nod, Ash bit his lip a bit, but nodded back all the same.

    Valiant may not be at full strength, but he certainly wasn''t defenseless. It was a shame they didn''t know anything about this species, however. Who knew what they should expect?

    "Begin!"

    At the sound of Violet''s voice, Daisy cupped her hands and yelled out her first order.

    "Get to the central platform and use Tailwind!"

    "Stay put for now, Valiant!" Ash ordered in turn.

    Mantyke blitzed forward through the water, and both Ash and Valiant''s jaws almost collectively dropped at the sheer speed of the Pokemon.

    She was probably even faster than Daisy''s Seaking had been, churning through the water as though she were powered by an engine. As the waves rippled in her wake, Valiant''s body tensed, the young Krilia bracing himself for combat.

    As she quickly neared the platform, Mantyke began flapping her fins as if they were wings. A gust of wind erupted from her efforts, and she was suddenly propelled forward even more, diagonally upwards as she practically rode the wind in her flight. As the breeze from Tailwind lifted her upwards, the momentum from her speed in the water carried her, allowing her to take off into the air, using the wind that she had created as a vehicle to let her glide through the air. She lost no speed as she left the water, going from swimming faster than Ash and Valiant had ever seen from a Water type Pokemon in person, to maintaining her momentum in the air via use of the wind.

    Beneath her, the water in the pool was kicked up into waves as the winds hammered against it, almost serving as a miniature backdrop for her ascension into the air.

    She was grinning giddily the entire time, as she rose high above Valiant, letting out a cheerful cry in greeting as he backed away with clenched teeth, sinking into a defensive stance.

    "Frostbite Bomb!" Commanded Daisy.

    As a blue sphere of water (a Water Pulse) formed within her mouth, it was immediately frozen solid by a simultaneous Icy Wind. The now large and frozen, cannonball sized sphere was sent firing down towards Valiant, who encased himself in Light Screen in hopes of absorbing the impact.

    Although the Light Screen wasn''t quite at full strength, due to Valiant''s somewhat tired out state, it was still close to it. Nevertheless, the impact of the Frostbite Bomb was relentless, and Valiant could feel the impact even as the golden cube shielded him from harm.

    As the Frostbite Bomb left a notable crack in the Light Screen, Mantyke soared above it, landing in the water on the other side of the central platform and resuming her swimming, still not losing any momentum as she speedily looped around and advanced towards Valiant''s position once more.

    Ash knew that their current position would get them nowhere. They needed to halt Mantyke''s absurd amount of momentum, and fast.

    As Mantyke repeated her earlier tactic and rose above the platform with Tailwind, Ash called out to Valiant with cupped hands.

    "Knock her out of the air with Dazzling Gleam!" Thunderbolt wouldn''t be fired nearly quick enough, and Magical Leaf cloud just be blocked with Icy Wind the same way Poliwhirl had previously, as the nature of that Frostbite Bomb meant that Mantyke either knew Icy Wind or some other ice type move.

    Icy Wind or not, it would likely render Magical Leaf borderline useless. That did away with both of Valiant''s moves that were super-effective against water types, which left them with both Dazzling Gleam and Psybeam.

    "Scald, Manytke!"

    Ash felt his blood run cold. Figures Mantyke would know that move too.

    As Valiant fired the bright, pink blast upwards in Mantyke''s direction (doing his best to predict where she''ll be with her speed), Mantyke opened her mouth and let loose a swift blast of boiling water that collided with the Dazzling Gleam.

    As the two attacks clashed, the shockwaves pushed back against Valiant, almost causing him to lose his balance. In comparison, Mantyke was simply propelled upwards a bit more. The resulting explosion from the attacks sent droplets of steaming water raining down towards the platform, and although they weren''t nearly as bad as getting hit by the full blast, Valiant gritted his teeth in frustration at his own attack being blocked.

    "Aerial Ace, and Frozen Wing!"

    Mantyke suddenly propelled herself downwards as her body glowed with a bright, white outline, all the while her wings not only glowed white, but became encased with solid ice.

    Ash quickly called out "Reflect, Valiant!" but Mantyke was too quick. Before Valiant could even raise his glass, cube-shaped barrier, the energetic water type was already upon him.

    SMASH!

    "Valiant!" Ash screamed out loud as Mantyke''s ice-armored wing slammed into the young Kirlia''s head. The speedy momentum that carried Mantyke''s attack, coupled with the hard layer of ice covering Mantyke''s wing, both worked to ensure a devastating impact unlike any other.

    Valiant dropped down without a single sound, his body propelled downwards onto his side as he smacked head-first against the platform. Blood gushed from the large bruise left behind from where Mantyke had struck him, and a horrified Ash wasn''t the least bit surprised when the now motionless Kirlia did not make a single move.

    "Kirlia is unable to battle! Mantyke wins!"

    "Way to go, Mantyke!" Daisy happily congratulated her chirpy Pokemon as Mantyke thawed out both of her wings with a low-powered Scald.

    As Ash returned Valiant to his poke Ball, his facial expression somber, he mentally cursed at himself.

    ''Damn itˇ­'' he thought to himself. ''That Mantykeˇ­'' he eyed the water type creature playfully beating her wings against the platform, without a care in the world as she began to sing with nothing but the utmost possible amount of cheer. ''She''sˇ­ so fastˇ­ And her fighting style seems to directly take advantage of all of her momentumˇ­ which she can build up in record timeˇ­'' he sighed to himself in disappointment. ''It was a mistake leaving Valiant out on the battlefield. Nebula would have been a better matchup for her. I should have saved him for whoever Daisy''s last Pokemon might be.''

    It was too late to correct that mistake, however. In order to win the Cascade Badge todayˇ­

    He and Nebula would have to defeat the remaining half of Daisy''s teamˇ­ all by themselves.

    /

    Misty eyed Tyrunt in concern. The baby dinosaur had moaned out loud in distress as Valiant had been knocked out. No doubt concerned for his secondary caretaker, the royal heir Pokemon had reached one of his two claws outwards as Valiant was recalled back into his Poke Ball.

    Turning her attention back to Ash, Misty''s eyes narrowed into slits.

    ''Backed into a corner, huh?'' her frowning face observed the energetic Mantyke playing around on the platform while waiting for her next opponent. She gritted her teeth. ''Come on, Ash. Don''t let Daisy of all people beat you!''

    Her sister was a great trainer for certain. All of them were. And what Ash didn''t know was that that Mantyke probably had the Swift Swim ability. Seaking probably did, too. So far, Daisy had been using Pokemon who''s abilities automatically made them absolute monsters on this aquatic battlefield.

    But there was one silver lining to Ash''s situation.

    Turning her attention back to Tyrunt, Misty shot him what was hopefully a soothing grin. She had nothing against the young, infant dinosaur, but she was terrible at comforting people. Ash was going to owe her after this one.

    "Don''t worry," she said reassuringly (she hoped). Catching Tyrunt''s attention, she gave him a quick thumbs up. "Ash only has one Pokemon left, but that Pokemon is Nebula. Daisy won''t know what hit her."

    Misty obviously didn''t know Ash''s own team nearly as well as he himself did, but she had seen enough of them to know what a monster that Nebula was on the battlefield. If anybody on Ash''s team could turn this around, it was hopefully her.

    "And Valiant will be fine," she quickly added with a brief, light pat to the infant dinosaur''s head. "A rest at the Pokemon Center, just like the others."

    Tyrunt seemed to ease up at that reassurance, thankfully. Howeverˇ­

    "How''s it going, runt?"

    Misty flinched as she and Tyrunt quickly turned their gazes behind them, neither of them noticing Lily until now. The pink-haired beauty sat just above them, leaning downwards with a playful (but very condescending) grin adorning her features.

    Misty''s face scrunched up into a snarl. "Tch, what do you want?" she almost spat.

    Lily was certainly entertained by that response. "Is the reason you sound so spiteful because your bodyguard is getting beat up by sis?"

    Reminding herself that there was a baby present was the only thing keeping Misty from tearing her older sister''s throat out for the "bodyguard" comment. Instead, she simply evened a glare at the narcissistic beauty.

    ''You three love to go back and forth between your good-girl routines and your bratty phases whenever you think it''s convenient.'' Misty thought to herself spitefully. It was always like this. Her siblings transitioned between behaviors whenever they either wanted to play nice or push Misty''s buttons, it all depended on the mood. She had had enough of it a long time ago.

    "Are you blind, sister?" Misty''s voice nearly dripped with venom. "The match isn''t over yet. Now get back to your seat if you''re just gonna bother us. Don''t worry, I''ll just beat you up later."

    Lily tilted her head as a more obvious smirk appeared on her face (the fact that she managed to be so beautiful even while being so smug was probably what Misty hated the most). "I mean, with the pace things have been going at right now, it''s pretty clear that he''s going to lose. Maybe he''ll find a way past Mantyke, butˇ­"

    Misty cut her off with a smirk. "Oh, I so hope that you three are this overconfident when it''s my turn. You''ll practically just be handing me that badge!" her gaze returned to the battlefield. "Now then, let''s see if Ash can shut you up, so I don''t have to."

    /

    A deep breath, as Ash tried to relax his nerves.

    Two wins in a row. That''s what they needed. As daunting as the odds were, given Manytke''s ridiculous speed, Ash had faith in Nebula. They just needed to find a way around Mantyke''s momentum and be strong enough to beat whoever the final Pokemon from Daisy''s roster was.

    Gripping Nebula''s Poke Ball and removing it from his belt, Ash stared at the small orb for a few seconds before returning his gaze to Daisy.

    Her fists were pressed against her hips again as she eyed the boy with confidence to spare.

    "We finishing this up or what?" her tone of voice was final, indicating that she wasn''t waiting any longer.

    Ash nodded at that.

    ''Just you wait, Daisy.'' He thought to himself.

    They were going to turn this around.

    Nebula appeared in front of him, flapping her wings as she hovered just above the pool. At her arrival, mantyke ceased her playing and shot the Staravia a curious glance, offering the feathered newcomer a slight tilt of her head.

    "Nebula," Ash said evenly, keeping his tone of voice calm. Maybe if he presented their current circumstances with a cool composure, she''ll take it better? "You''re the last one left, and our opponent still has two Pokemon, including that Mantyke over there." he pointed over to the energetic Water Type as Nebula took in his words, her face slowly forming into a glare. Ash kept his gaze on Nebula as he sent her a reassuring smile. "Listen, just be careful, and we can win this." at her nod, he nodded back. "Watch out for Mantyke''s Scald. It''ll seriously burn you, and the others have all had to deal with that move today." It really had been a thorn in their side throughout the entire battle. "And don''t underestimate Mantyke in general. She is fast." He emphasized that last part as best he could.

    Nebula soaked up Ash''s words and offered her trainer another nod as she kept her gaze on their opponent. Now aware of the full stakes of the battle, she wasted no time staring down the Mantyke resting on the central platform, who locked eyes with her and met her determined expression with a friendly gaze, a blissfully innocent grin plastered on the cheerful water type''s face.

    As the two combatants exchanged looks, Violet raised a hand in signal.

    "Begin!"

    "In the water!" Daisy shouted in an instant.

    "Don''t lose track of her, Nebula!" Ash called out.

    Mantyke was back in the pool in a flash, immediately blitzing through the water just as quickly as before. She weaved around every platform she came across, her movement expert and flawless.

    Nebula rose somewhat higher than she was before, in order to more easily keep track of the aquatic speed demon without having to fly at top speed herself.

    ''Good.'' Ash thought to himself. ''She''s trying to conserve her energy as best she can.'' They would certainly need that, given that they had yet another Pokemon to go up against if they managed to win this.

    Mantyke''s swimming continued for a few more moments, Nebula''s eyes darting around the pool as she did her best to keep a decent track of where the speedy Water Type Pokemon was.

    "Frozen Wing!"

    At Daisy''s order, Mantyke erupted out of the water, her wings flapping to create Tailwind again. As she rose above the pool, she advanced towards Nebula, not losing an ounce of speed or momentum as she bolted through the air.

    Ash had a counter command ready the moment Mantyke had taken action, however. "Steel Wing to block!"

    Mantyke froze her wings as she approached her target, the Tailwind doing the rest as the breeze carried her for the remaining short distance between her and her feathered opponent. As Nebula raised a metallic-coated wing in defense, Mantyke struck at her with an ice-covered wing, a small shockwave generating from the impact as Nebula was pushed away and knocked through the air. She felt no pain from the blow, nor did her body suffer any damage due to the metal wing shielding her from harm, but her balance had been compromised as she rolled through the air, just barely blocking the blast of boiling water fired from Mantyke''s mouth with a well-timed raise of that same metallic-coated wing. Even so, some of the water sprayed onto her chest, prompting a frustrated cry of pain as she fell towards the pool.

    Just as she caught herself with a mighty flap of her wings, breaking her fall with a gust of wind towards the water that pushed her slightly upwards, she looked up towards her attacker as the water from the pool splashed onto the bird''s face from the impact of the wind. Nebula ducked under Mantyke''s Frozen Wing as the Water type descended downwards on her, just barely missing her mark and landing back into the water, large ripples left in her wake as she resumed her speedy swimming.

    Ash breathed a deep sigh of relief, but didn''t allow his mind to wander.

    It had been a close call, for sure, but their troubles were not over just yet.

    On the other side of the pool, Daisy''s lips continued to confidently twitch upwards.

    ''Mantyke''s Swift Swim ability exponentially increases her speed in the water. And thanks to the way that we have utilized Tailwind, she is able to maintain all of that speed in the air. Hit and run tactics, big hits that use the momentum to bolster their strength, being such a hard target to hit.'' a satisfied smirk formed on her face as she watched the water type speed across the pool. ''That Staravia is helpless.''

    As Mantyke circled back to once again advance towards Nebula, Ash called out to his friend.

    "Wind Blast!"

    The bird took aim at the speedily swimming Mantyke, firing a torpedo of air towards the pool as she rapidly flapped her wings.

    Mantyke swerved to the side to avoid the blast, an enormous splash erupted from the water as the Wind Blast struck the pool. As Mantyke turned yet again and prepared to use Tailwind, Ash bit his lip as Mantyke got ready to repeat the same tactic from before.

    "Double Team, one clone!"

    Daisy''s grin fell as Nebula split into two different Staravia that flew in opposite but parallel directions. Not knowing which bird to target, the bewildered Mantyke aborted her tactic and continued to swim around the pool at top speeds.

    "Stay in line with Mantyke!" Ash called out as both Staravia kept pace with the quick water type, the real Nebula doing her best to keep track of her opponent without being too obvious about it, for fear of revealing which one was real and which one was the clone.

    The next minute or so was a subtle game of chase, Mantyke trying to shake her pursuers as both Staravia stayed on her trail from opposite sides. Ash didn''t know how long Nebula could keep Double Team going, even with just one copy, before it started to strain her, so they would have to do this as quickly as possible.

    Thankfully Nebula had the same idea, and as both Staravia slowly descended as she finally managed to keep Mantyke in her view, Ash called out to her.

    "Wing Attack, don''t use any move to boost your speed!" He wanted to use Aerial Ace, or Quick Attack, but the boost in speed would reveal the real Nebula. Even with little time to react, it was possible that Mantyke would be able to counter at just the right moment.

    Unfortunately, Daisy had an easy way around all of that. "Underwater, Mantyke!"

    As both Staravia dove downwards towards their target, Ash mentally cursed under his breath as Mantyke dove beneath the surface of the pool, leaving Nebula to slap nothing but water as the feathered flier struck the area of the pool where Mantyke had been just mere instants prior.

    He should have remembered that Daisy could just have Mantyke do that. They would have to change their strategy.

    Even as Ash mentally kicked himself for such an obvious oversight, he paid close attention to the battlefield, not knowing where Mantyke could spring up from.

    "Stay alert, Nebula! She can attack from anywhere! Try to confuse her with your clone while you fly!"

    Nodding at Ash''s command, Nebula kept her eyes on the pool as she and the clone flew circles around one another, leaving it virtually impossible for all but the most observant of people to distinguish who was the real Nebula and who was the clone.

    A frustrated Daisy bit her lip at the display, knowing full well that there would be no way of striking the real opponent as long as she was in such sync with the copy.

    She grinned a bit, however. Mantyke still had her overwhelming speed going for her. Even if they chose wrong, the risks were minimal.

    Cupping her hands to her mouth, she called out as loudly as possible to ensure that Mantyke would hear her from underwater.

    "Aerial Ace, out of the water!"

    A split second later, a glowing Mantyke erupted out of the pool and rocketed towards Nebula, bathed in white light.

    Unfortunately, the target she aimed for was indeed the real Nebula, who attempted to bolt out of the way with Quick Attack. She reacted a moment too late, however, and found herself on the receiving end of the flying type move. Although it wasn''t a direct hit, as she had been decently in the process of dodging when the blow connected, she still found herself momentarily losing her balance as Mantyke rammed into her headfirst.

    As Mantyke soared away from the Staravia, the water type began to flap her wings yet again, her Tailwind forming beneath her to carry her forward through the air. A Move like Aerial Ace could already give her decent flight ability, but perhaps her experience with the move hadn''t reached the point where she could reliably depend on that just yet.

    "Frozen Wing!"

    Nebula had briefly begun to fall towards the pool as Mantyke struck her, but stopped herself far more easily this time. Nevertheless, her balance was still imperfect as Mantyke began to circle around back to the Staravia in hopes of capitalising on the advantage.

    Frantic, Ash quickly called out a counterorder as Mantyke prepared to free her wings.

    "Wind Blast!"

    Nebula''s lack of balance had ironically worked to her advantage, as by the time she had fully regained her stance in the air and executed her attack, Mantyke was just barely too close to dodge properly. The Wind Blast struck one of Mantyke''s wings as the water type swerved to the side, and although the speedy adversary felt no pain due to the icy coating acting as a shield (very similar to Steel Wing in that regard), some of the ice did still get chipped off from the impact, and the force of the attack now knocked Mantyke off balance, disrupting her flight as she began to spin in midair, descending towards the pool.

    Nebula pressed her newfound advantage immediately. Allowing her clone to fizzle out, the Staravia coated herself in the glowing light of Aerial Ace as she bolted in pursuit of the falling Mantyke, ramming beak-first into the water type''s back. Shrieking in pain, Mantyke rocketed downwards in the pool as blood leaked from her newfound wound.

    A large splash of water bathed Nebula as Mantyke''s rapid descent brought the speedy water type underwater. As the feathered flier scanned the pool with her eyes for a few seconds, waiting to see where her formidable opponent would resurface from, Daisy shouted out another order.

    "Acrobatics, and Air Slash!"

    Not even a moment later, Mantyke burst out from beneath the water of the pool, carrying herself upwards with Tailwind as she spun towards the Staravia. Caught off guard, and too close to the speed demon to dodge her assault, Nebula wheezed in agony as one of the water type''s wing was driven into the bird''s stomach, the impact further bolstered by the speedy momentum that Mantyke had long since made herself well known for at this point. As Nebula was sent flying in a slightly upwards, diagonal direction from the powerful blow, another swipe from Mantyke''s wings sent a blast of razor sharp air in pursuit of the Staravia.

    Nebula regained some of her bearings just in time to intercept the attack with a well-placed Steel Wing, but she hadn''t fully regained her balance yet, and the recoil from her metallic wing being struck by a direct hit from the Air Slash sent her in free fall towards the pool.

    "Icy Wind!"

    Although Nebula caught herself just in time to prevent herself from hitting the water, once again flapping her wings to generate windforce that pushed her upwards, Mantyke was already charging forward with her next attack as droplets of water bathed Nebula''s face, the gusts of wind that she had created from her wing flaps pounding against the water of the pool and splashing it towards her.

    Nebula slipped into Quick Attack to avoid the blast of frozen air that escaped from Mantyke''s mouth, a part of the pool freezing as the icy air struck the water. However, a small portion of the attack brushed against Nebula''s wing, the feathered bird snarling in pain through her tightly clenched beak.

    Ash''s eyes widened as the Staravia approached him and his side of the pool. Her flight was off, and he could have sworn he saw a tiny bit of ice on her wingˇ­

    "Break it off with Steel Wing, Nebula!" he thought as quickly as possible.

    Immediately complying, Nebula continued advancing in her trainer''s direction, wings coated in metal as she struck the barriers, deliberately making sure that the frozen part of her wing made contact with them. Thanks to the metallic coating, her wings were shielded from any harm or pain, and the ice shattered.

    "Frozen Wing!" Daisy attempted to capitalise on the distraction.

    "Strike back, Nebula!" Ash countered.

    As Mantyke blitzed towards the bird with her wings coated in solid ice, Nebula propelled herself off of the barriers, using the metal wing that was currently pressing against them, and slipped into Quick Attack, charging forward at top speeds to meet her opponent''s ice-covered wing with her own metal-covered one.

    SMASH!

    The two attacks slammed into one another, a powerful shockwave radiating from the impact that would have been felt by Ash had the barriers not been in place in front of him. Although Mantyke found a good deal of ice breaking off of her wing, she had more speed behind her blow than her opponent, and successfully pushed Nebula back, sending the feathered bird flying back towards the barriers.

    Nebula wasn''t hurt, however, still having her metal wing to shield her body from harm. And as the Staravia rocketed towards the barriers, seemingly about to slam head first into them, Daisy''s eyes widened as the bird lashed out with one of her metal wings, slamming it into the barriers to stop her flight and absorb the impact that would have otherwise seriously hurt her, or maybe even knocked her out.

    Ash smiled pridefully at that. Pikachu''s Iron Tail trick may not work on the pool, but on the barriers? It was just fine.

    As Mantyke continued to advance towards her opponent, Nebula rocketed off of the barriers with Quick Attack yet again, Steel Wing still at the ready. Not expecting her opponent to catch herself the way that she did, Mantyke was not prepared to block her strike, and was sent flying through the air with a surprised cry of pain as the metal-coated wing bashed her in the face.

    Nebula allowed the metallic coating on her wings to disappear as mantyke landed back in the water, not able to pick up speed right away as she attempted to shake off the pain from her now notably bruised face.

    Even as the speedy Water Type did finally manage to regain her composure, Ash could have sworn that she wasn''t swimming quite as fast as before. Either she was faking it, or she was beginning to lose strengthˇ­

    The same could be said for Nebula, however, he quickly realized, and as the Staravia hovered in front of him, Ash caught note of her somewhat deep breaths. Her physical capabilities were really being put to the test in this fight, for all the strength that she possessed. No doubt her stomach was also sore from Mantyke''s Acrobatics attack.

    "You okay, Nebula?" he questioned quickly, concern evident in his voice. At her insistent nod, he bit his lip with a frown, but still nodded back.

    She was in this until the end, so he would be too.

    As Mantyke circled back around, Ash had an idea.

    Mantyke didn''t lose any momentum after leaving the water, so they would just have to break off that momentum themselves. Instead of using Wind Blastˇ­

    "Whirlwind, down on the pool!" Ash commanded as he pointed towards the rapidly advancing Mantyke.

    Although Wind Blast had more force behind it due to being far more concentrated and condensed, Whirlwind would still hit a much broader area, which was what they needed to prevent a target as speedy as Mantyke from avoiding them.

    "Underwater, Mantyke!" a somewhat nervous Daisy quickly commanded.

    Mantyke complied, but it didn''t quite help. Nebula was already flapping her wings with as much ferocity as she could muster, having descended downwards closer to the water to get a better aim. Even as Mantyke retreated beneath the surface of the pool, the immense gust of wind born from Nebula''s efforts surged against the water, creating a sizable wave that rapidly advanced forwards. Underwater, Mantyke felt the water of the pool pushing against her as her momentum slowed. Although she was able to resist for a few moments, continuing to push herself forward, her advancements progressively began to mildly decrease in speed, and fatigue was starting to kick in as her face continued to ache from Nebuka''s previous Steel Wing.

    A few moments later, Ash''s grime as wide as a yelping Mantyke forcibly emerged from underwater, the waves kicked up in the pool from Nebula''s Whirlwind attack flipping her over somewhat as she was carried backwards and slightly into the air.

    "Knock her into the air with Wing Attack!" Ash shouted through cupped hands.

    Ceasing her rapid wing flaps, Nebula slipped into Quick Attack as her wings glowed a bright white, swinging upwards and driving one of her glowing wings right into Mantyke''s abdomen as the energetic water type wheezed in pain. The impact of the blow sent her soaring into the air, drops of water raining down towards the pool from her drenched body, and this time, she was not in control of her flight.

    Nebula was already advancing in pursuit of her target, ready to press her advantage as Ash gave the next order.

    "Aerial Ace, drive her into the barriers!"

    "Aerial Ace to dodge!'' Daisy shouted desperately, the realization of the stakes suddenly hitting her full stop.

    Mantyke''s body was just beginning to glow in the familiar aura of Aerial Ace as Nebula rammed beak first into her stomach. Mantyke''s body immediately ceased glowing as she screamed in pain, blood spraying out from her belly as Nebula continued to push forward, flying at full speed towards the barriers on Daisy''s side of the pool.

    SMASH!

    Mantyke wheezed in desperate agony as her back painfully crashed into the barriers a few meters above Daisy''s head, Nebula pulling away at the last second to ensure that she wouldn''t injure her own head or beak from the impact, but quickly advancing back to her opponent as Ash gave the final order.

    "Smack her down with Wing Attack!"

    "Scald, Mantyke!" Daisy''s desperation was on full display now, and behind her, Misty''s grin was one of malicious catharsis.

    Mantyke couldn''t execute the attack, out of breath and with no time to catch it, as her body slowly slumped forward just in time for Nebula to slam a glowing wing down on the back of her head. The speedy water type rocketed downwards and smashed face-first onto a platform. Whether her consciousness had been lost from the Wing Attack or the impact with the platform, nobody knew, but after a few moments of silence and no movement, it was clear to all that she would not be getting back up.

    "Mantyke is unable to battle!" Violet gestured towards Ash. "Staravia wins!"

    "Excellent work, Nebula!" an overjoyed Ash called out with cupped hands as the Staravia victoriously flew back to his side of the pool, Daisy aiming her Poke Ball at Mantyke as the now unconscious speed demon was sucke dinto the orb with a flash of red light.

    As Nebula hovered over Ash, it was pretty clear to him that she was tired out. She was breathing a bit more heavily than she already was the last time that he had observed her, and not that she was facing him in full, he could see the bruise on her stomach. His frown was serious.

    "Nebulaˇ­" he asked cautiously. "There is still one more opponent left, and we don''t know who it is. Are you still-"

    A determined chirp cut him off, Nebula''s gaze on him serious and the look in her eyes steel.

    He got the message.

    Ash''s expression relaxed a bit, offering his feathered friend a caring grin. He was suddenly tempted to reach out and pat her on the head.

    "Mantyke alone took a lot out of you." he pointed out somewhat somberly. "But if you''re sure, we''ll have to end this quickly. I might have a plan. That strategy with Whirlwind just gave me an idea, but it depends on who we''re fighting next, and it could hurt you a lot. Are you sure-"

    Another chirp. Nebula wasn''t letting anything discouraged her.

    Even as he anxiously sighed, Ash still found himself smiling, looking back up at the bird with pride and some awe.

    "Thank you, Nebula. We''re going to win this. That way, it''ll be worth it."

    Eevee, Pikachu, and Valiant had all suffered painful injuries when they lost. Now Nebula was willing to put her own body at risk, continuing to push forward despite nearly reaching her limit.

    Pokemon battling was brutal, but those who could find the strength to forge ahead, even as the odds made themselves more and more known, had already possessed one of the many aspects required for a future Champion.

    Nebula grinned at Ash with a nod. A combination of affection and determination. Affection for her trainer. Determination to claim victory for all who have fallen before her. Those too, were traits that a future Champion possessed.

    As Nebula turned her attention back to Daisy, the Gym Leader seemed like she was struggling to maintain her lax grin, her lips twitching unevenly a bit as she gripped her Poke Ball and silently released her final Pokemon. The creature appeared in a flash of light as it fell into the pool with a splash.

    Bluish-white fur covered its thick hide as it waded in the waters of the pool. The creature had four flippers, two on its chest, and two more on the end of its tail. A small horn could also be noted on its forehead. The newcomer slapped its fins together repeatedly, as if it were clapping.

    After looking over the newcomer for a moment, Ash''s eyes lit up with mild recognition.

    Specifically, it was a Seel.

    Mostly known of its evolution, Dewgong, which had received a notable spike in popularity and attention ever since Lorelei''s ascension, Seel were not quite as commonly known as Indigo''s most typically encountered water types, but unlike most foreigner Pokemon which were often taught about considerably less, there weren''t many Pokemon specifically native to Indigo that Ash didn''t recognize. Unfortunately, his knowledge on Seel was still a bit limited, mostly centered around the popular Dewgong, which had a fairly decent presence in tournaments. Last Season''s Indigo Conference even saw two of the trainers who made it to the six-on-six rounds with a Dewgong on each of their teams, although neither made it to the semifinals.

    Crossing her arms, Daisy''s composure was improving a bit as she gazed up at Nebula, eying the feathered flier with a good deal of scrutiny. No doubt, she was picking up on the Staravia''s fatigue.

    Ash''s suspicions were confirmed as Daisy''s lips fully twitched upwards, her confidence suddenly back in (almost) full swing as she called out to him, albeit not taking her eyes off of Nebula.

    "Your friend looks tired, kid."

    Ash flinched at howˇ­ final her tone of voice had been. As though it wasn''t up for debate. But he simply shook his head.

    "Not tired enough." he stated with a steel tone, remembering his exchange with his feathered friend. "She''s in this until the end, so I am too."

    As if to back her trainer up, Nebula nodded at the sentiment, keeping her gaze locked on her newest opponent.

    This was it. Just one more. Just one more victory. It had been a really rough battle up until this point. None of Ash''s team had been suited for a battlefield like this, even with preparation. Meanwhile, Daisy''s team was practically built for such a place. The disadvantage was astronomical. Something that could be denied, even if the reassurance would have been nice.

    But, somehow, they had reached the end. Seaking''s speed and deadly horn. Poliwhirl''s brute strength and regeneration. Mantyke''s momentum and ability to take herself to the air. In the end, none of it had stopped them from reaching this point, for all of the astronomical trouble that those attributes to Daisy''s team had put Ash''s team through.

    This was a Gym battle. A brutal test of attrition and overall capability to determine who was worthy of the Indigo Plateau. To determine who the best trainers of the Season were. To determine who would be blessed with the privilege of entering Indigo''s greatest tournament: The Indigo Conference.

    And just like with Brock before, Ash''s team had all risen to the occasion.

    That wouldn''t go to waste now.

    Ash could have sworn that Daisy''s grin briefly seemed a little less smug, almost genuine, for just a split second or so, but it was gone almost the moment that it had shown up, and she was too far away for him to get the best look at her expressions as it was.

    In any case, it was pretty clear that she had no concerns going into the last bout of the match, as she spoke up in response.

    "So that''s how you really feel, isn''t it? Maybe we should just get it over with." Once again, her tone of voice was final.

    Violet raised her arms high into the air. "This is it everybody! Aaaaaaaaaaaaandˇ­ BEGIN!"

    Daisy sprung into action immediately.

    "Seel! That Staravia is worn out from the last round! Rapid-fire Aurora Beam!"

    Ash blinked. Aurora Beam? He knew the technique, but had never actually seen it before.

    Seel clapped its fins energetically as it opened its mouth, forming a rainbow-colored orb that extended into a full-on beam of light that Nebula flew to the side of.

    As the beam passed by next to her, the young Staravia could feel the cold air radiating from it.

    More beams were sent flying in Nebula''s direction, Seel swimming after its target at decent speeds in order to keep pace with her as it continued the assault.

    Not nearly as fast as Seaking or Mantyke, but faster than Poliwhirl, and its aim was on point. Nebula was usually only able to just barely dodge, and Ash realized that they wouldn''t even be able to rely on close calls if she exhausted herself too much more.

    Nebula''s expression was tense as she continued to fly around the pool, splitting into two Staravia to throw of Seel''s aim, but Ash knew it was only a matter of time until either she got hit, or the clone got hit and she was exposed.

    But that didn''t matter. Because he had a plan.

    "How much longer do you think this is going to continue, Ashy boy?" Daisy taunted from the other side of the pool.

    To her surprise, however, Ash''s own lips twitched upwards.

    "Not much longer, because it ends now!" The young boy cupped his hands. "It''s time, Nebula!" he hollered at full volume. "Use Reckless!"

    Ash didn''t notice Daisy''s startled expression, his eyes fully on his feathered friend as she offered a quick nod of acknowledgment, before allowing her clone to fizzle out as she let out a loud, ear-splitting shriek of determination and aggression.

    Red sparks outlined her body as her eyes turned crimson, her tone of voice growing more and more violent as her body took on a blood-red glow.

    Seel was already preparing to strike again, and Ash knew that Nebula could never successfully avoid another Aurora Beam in her Reckless state, if she was already just barely able to avoid it in her normal state. After all, her self-preservation was a thing of the past as long as this Ability was activated.

    They needed to act quickly, before Seel did.

    "Nebula! Use Whirlwind straight down on the pool, and give it everything you''ve got!"

    Daisy''s eyes nearly popped out of her head as Nebula nodded with a dark, bloodlusted smirk, her wings flapping madly as the windforce generated from her movements transformed into a violent gale.

    The powerful gust of wind pounded against the surface of the pool, the force of the impact immediately disrupting the water and sending a violent wave in Seel''s direction. The Water Type''s normally impressive aim was abruptly thrown off as the wave slammed into it, Seel letting out a loud, startled cry as the rainbow-colored beam sailed off in a different direction, nowhere close to Nebula, who continued to assault the waters of the pool with her violent gusts of wind.

    As the gust grew in size, more and more of the water from the pool began to be on the receiving end of the sudden assault, and Seel quickly found itself almost helplessly swept up in the waves as the waters of the pool spun out of control, carrying the water type forcibly in its waves as the Pokemon attempted to fight against the aggressive currents. Unfortunately, it wasn''t just the water itself working against Seel, but the winds from nebula''s Whirlwind as well, and Seel quickly found itself being temporarily pushed underwater as the wind pounded against its body, the waves finally taking complete control of the Water Types movements as Daisy''s hands shot up to her mouth, her Pokemon being rapidly carried across the pool in no particular, set direction, and with no apparent pattern to speak of. A few times, Seel found itself slamming into the platforms, even headfirst at once point. But even as it tried to leave the water, the winds and the current fought against it. It even succeeded at one point, but was quickly swept off of the platform by the powerful Gale.

    As a particularly large wave enveloped Seel and briefly obscured the now dazed and disoriented water type from view, Ash called out to Daisy.

    "You''ve spent this entire battle using the pool to your advantage!" he shouted matter-of-factly through cupped hands. "Even without any water types on our team, we can still do the same!"

    Daisy grinded her teeth, an uncharacteristically ugly snarl escaping her lips at the young challenger''s declaration as Seel slammed headfirst into yet another platform.

    The look in Ash''s eyes was determined as he gave the final order.

    This was it. The possibility of victory was threatening to fill him with excitement, and it took him all of the willpower in his system to push it aside. He needed to focus.

    It was very likely that Nebula''s Reckless ability wouldn''t last that long in her weakened state. They would end this in one attack.

    "Double-Edge!"

    Ash''s order was shouted at the top of his lungs in order to ensure that his feathered friend could hear him clearly enough.

    The bright, white light that enveloped Nebula''s body mixed in with the young Staravia''s blood-red aura. The bird let out a powerful cry of determination as she rocketed downwards towards the pool, closing in on her target at breakneck speeds.

    Seeing Nebula coming in fast, Seel desperately shot out one final Aurora Beam. It was all for naught, however. The water type didn''t have enough focus to attack at full power, and the waves hadn''t died down right away, even after Nebula had ceased her use of Whirlwind in order to go for her final attack. This disoriented Seel further as it desperately attempted to take aim at its charging target, still being carried by the waves against its own will as the Water Type attempted to fire the rainbow-colored blast.

    Unfortunately, its aim was off, and although Nebula still would have been clipped by the beam, a rising wave of water ended up getting hit instead, freezing into solid ice that the advancing Staravia effortlessly smashed through, sending fragments of the ice scattering as she closed in on her opponent, nothing standing between the two combatants any longer.

    SMASH!

    The impact was cruel and merciless as Nebula barreled into her opponent, Seel wheezing desperately as Nebula pushed him along the waters of the pool. A large ripple of water was left in their wake as they made their way to the central platform.

    SMASH!

    A sickening crunch could be heard as Seel was left sandwiched in between the central platform and Nebula''s relentless attack, the Staravia pushing the water type against the central platform without mercy before finally letting up.

    Wounded by the recoil that came with Double-Edge, and exhausted from the use of her ability, Nebula was left with half her body in the pool gripping onto the edge of the central platform with her wings, preventing herself from sinking completely into the pool, the blood-red glow around her body disappearing as her now unconscious opponent drifted away in the water with its mouth hanging half open. Seel''s ribs were shattered by the final attack.

    As the exhausted Nebula struggled to climb onto the central platform, Ash''s breath caught in his throat, as his heart skipped a beat.

    Had theyˇ­?! He dared not hope until the declaration was made out loud.

    Violet was left bewildered by the display, suddenly doing her best to regain her composure as she raised her arms high into the air.

    "Seel is unable to battle! Staravia wins!" the woman gestured towards Ash. "That means the winner of this battle is our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

    Even as he saw it all in front of him, Ash couldn''t prevent his eyes from widening in disbelief at the statement.

    Two Gym battles. So early in the Season. And they hadˇ­ wonˇ­!

    The ecstasy suddenly surging through his blood would have overwhelmed him if it weren''t for Nebula''s condition, the only thing keeping him from childishly shouting to the heavens in joy. As Daisy silently returned the wounded Seel, her expression one of complete disappointment, Ash took out Nebula''s Poke Ball and quickly returned her, sparing her from the exhaustion that had consumed her body after both the use of Reckless and the recoil from Double-Edge.

    Three of his teammates brought down in particularly brutal fashion. The final one overtaken by massive fatigue. It had been one Hell of a fight for all four of them, but Ash couldn''t be more proud.

    "Nebulaˇ­" Ash whispered soothingly to the Poke Ball, trying to calm his excitement. Victory was great, but he needed to maintain self-control. "Thank you. That was incredible."

    As he looked back over to Daisy, who was still standing on the other side of the pool, Ash found it a bit hard to stop the wide grin from forming on his face. He didn''t want to get caught up in his win too much, but it was hard not to get excited. For a fight that put them in such a disadvantageous position, they had actually managed to win.

    Most importantly, however, it was another Gym badge. Their second Gym badge. Every victory at a Gym was an incredible milestone for any trainer''s journey. And although it didn''t have quite the same feel to it as a winning trainer winning their first badge ever, today had at least proved once and for all that that victory over Brock had not been a fluke.

    Ash still remembered the satisfaction that he had felt as he held the Boulder Badge. How the moment had changed him. How he hadn''t let Gary''s words discourage him anymore. It had been an unrivaled feeling, and had certainly encouraged him to keep forging ahead with his teammates.

    And this was almost likeˇ­ a reminder of that. A confirmation that he was indeed right to feel the way that he did after defeating Brock.

    The road to the Indigo Plateau was still an incredibly long one. Consisting of six more Gyms and a Hell of a lot more traveling and encounters with other trainers along the way. Not to mention the terrain that they could find themselves having to deal with.

    But it wasn''t impossible. They''d already cleared two Gyms, and they were definitely going to clear the rest, no matter what the unpredictability of adventure threw at them.

    Over on the other side of the pool, Daisy was pulling at her hair, moaning in an almost childish manner.

    "Darn it, darn it, darn it, darn it, darn it! I was so sure about that one! Ugh, whyyyyyy?" her tone of voice couldn''t seem to decide if she was frustrated or disappointed with herself.

    "Hey!"

    Somewhat startled, Ash quickly glanced to the side as Misty and Tyrunt made their way to him, Tyrunt lagging a bit behind as Misty kept a quick pace. He blinked, realizing that he hadn''t noticed them leave the bleachers.

    Ash was greeted with a slap on the back and subsequent pat on the shoulder as Misty reached him, a vicarious smile on her face.

    "Wow, pal, you had me worried for a moment there." she offered him a brief wink as her face twisted into a confident smirk. "I''d have felt really guilty if I had been the only one leaving here with a badge today!"

    Paying her arrogance no mind, Ash simply grinned back at her, not even bothering to contain his excitement.

    "Right, I got you." he rubbed the back of his head before turning his gaze to Tyrunt, who was chattering excitedly from the floor. He knelt down and patted the dinosaur''s head, holding his palm onto the rough exterior of the Royal Heir Pokemon''s skin for a few seconds. "What did you think, buddy?"

    He had to pull his hand away quickly as Tyrunt jumped up and ecstatically rambled good-naturedly. Despite his concern for his teammates, the infant really had enjoyed the action of the battle, and the look in his eyes almost seemed inspired.

    As Ash rose to his feet, Misty arms were crossed confidently as she eyed the young boy with her lips still twitched upwards in a wide smile. "I suppose congratulations are in order." she nodded towards him. "Betcha you''re feeling really good about yourself right now."

    He was, but Ash rolled her eyes at that statement. "And I''ll bet you''re just happy to see one of your sisters lose." he jabbed back, not even bothering with caution.

    Misty slapped his back at that, but her grin remained. "Damn right, I am! I can only kick one of their asses today, after all. Thanks for helping me out there, even if one of them still gets away unscathed, two out of three isn''t that bad."

    She really had no shame, which Ash further reminded himself of as he lightly shook his head at her in amusement. But he supposed that was part of what made her who she was.

    The sound of footsteps caught the trio''s attention as the three sisters all approached them, Daisy leading the way in the middle. Violet was also carrying some sort of box.

    As she reached him, Daisy sighed exasperatedly before making eye contact with Ash, her lax expression mostly back on her face, although the disappointment was still somewhat evident in her eyes, especially since she was right in front of him right now.

    "Welp, guess I really blew that one, kid." she reached her hand out. "Good work."

    His grin evening out a bit (but still not leaving his face) Ash accepted the gesture as the two shook. Daisy''s grip was still fairly firm, even if her touch was a lot more delicate on the surface. Her outward aspects, after all, did nothing to change her status in the League.

    As Gym Leader and challenger separated, Daisy reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, blue object as Ash''s heart once again skipped a beat.

    A badge, in the shape of a raindrop.

    The Cascade Badge.

    "This is proof of your victory here at this Gym today." she said evenly, her tone suddenly becoming slightly more professional than usual. She reached out her hand again, as Ash reached out his own in acceptance.

    Her fingers lightly brushed against his palm as she comfortably placed the badge in his hand.

    "You''ve been making pretty good pace so far." she commented as she rested the badge in his palm. "Get six more of these and all of Indigo will know what your name is."

    Just six more. Not nearly as simple as it sounded, butˇ­

    The brutal road ahead was just another challenge to overcome. His team could do anything. So as long as he had them, so could he.

    Staring down at the Cascade Badge in his hand once again caused his mind to suddenly flashback to when he held the Boulder Badge. Is this what every trainer felt when they held a badge? It wasn''t just a symbol of victory, or a requirement for the Conference. It was a reminder of what you were capable of. An encouragement to keep on pushing forward, and achieve your true potential.

    ''No matter where you started from.'' Ash suddenly found himself thinking to himself as he remembered his conversation with Professor Oak, just before leaving Pallet Town.

    It may have only been over a month ago, but with everything that had changed since thenˇ­ he had almost forgotten just how recent he was in the grand scheme of things.

    And that just encouraged him even further. If he could achieve this much in such a short amount of timeˇ­ if he and his team could grow this much in such a short amount of time...

    It was true. Anything really was possible in the world of Pokemon training. He didn''t even need anyone to remind him of that anymore. It all spoke for itself.

    Closing his hand up, and confidently looking back up at Daisy to meet her gaze, Ash simply nodded, his smile remaining.

    "Thank you." he said, keeping a professional tone. "I''ll remember this."

    As Daisy nodded, Violet approached him, opening up the box that she was holding so that Lily could take something out.

    "We have something else to give you." she stated simply as she handed a glass case to the boy. Taking it in his other hand, Ash''s eyes lit up as he suddenly realized that there was a TM encased in the glass container.

    "It''s the TM for the move Scald." Violet explained cheerfully. "A blast of boiling water to wreak havoc on your opponent. It''s sort of our favorite move. Especially Daisy''s."

    Scaldˇ­ the move that had given them so much trouble throughout the match. Right now, he didn''t have any Pokemon that could use such a technique. But when he didˇ­

    It would be pretty cathartic being on the distributing end of the Move next time.

    "Alright!" Daisy got everybody''s attention with a quick clap of her hands. "Day''s not over yet. We still got another battle ahead. We''ll take a quick break to clean the pool." she looked down at Ash again. "Ash, we have a machine that can transfer your team to the Pokemon Center if you''re planning to stay for Misty''s match. Come on, I''ll show ya. I have to use it too."

    Ash nodded at that, giving Misty a quick wave, which she returned, as he and Tyrunt followed the blonde woman.

    /

    It didn''t take too long to clean away the mud and the ice that Ash''s battle with Daisy had left behind. Pretty soon, Lily had Violet engaged in another game of rock paper scissors (thankfully not lasting nearly as long as the previous one had been). A triumphantly grinning Lily came out the winner, leaving a somewhat grumpy Violet to once again act as referee.

    As Misty and Violet took their places at the pool, Ash sat on the bleachers with Tyrunt, Daisy sitting high above them at the top.

    Ash was still holding the Cascade Badge, a smile on his face as he observed the symbol of their adventure''s second milestone.

    And a preview of the future.

    A cheerful, yet curious noise from Tyrunt caught Ash''s attention as the infant dinosaur leaned forward to get a better look at the badge. Ash grinned at him, shifting a bit in his seat in order to give his newest friend a better view of the small object.

    "You like it? He asked happily. "We''ll be getting more of these before we''re done." Tyrunt nodded happily at that, his adorable grin widening. Ash nodded back at him. "We''re all new to this, Tyrunt, butˇ­ I think we''ve earned the right to be confident." He''d never allow himself to turn into Gary, but confidence alone certainly wasn''t a bad thing.

    He wouldn''t push his own goals onto Tyrunt if the baby dinosaur didn''t want that, but the enthusiasm in the Royal Heir Pokemon''s eyes conveyed a clear interest. He was still too young to fight, but if he wanted to in the future, Ash would be ready to help him.

    "The goal our team is shooting for is a near impossible one." Ash admitted to the infant. "It will never stop being as unlikely as it is, either." There was a new kind of fire in Ash''s eyes. And in his heart. One that had never really been lit until today. "But that doesn''t mean we have to be scared of it. We''re taking Indigo by storm, now." Excitement filled his tone. Almost like a tranquil form of adrenaline.

    Reaching out to pet the baby, Ash allowed his eyes to wander to the pool where Misty and Lily were already taking out their Poke Balls. Violet was raising her arms to start the match up.

    "And we''re just getting started."

 Emboldened pt 1

    "Cheers to the victors!"

    As Ash and Misty''s drinks tapped together in the Pokemon Center''s cafeteria, the hot-headed water specialist didn''t care how many eyes her shamelessly loud voice attracted, and at the current moment, Ash couldn''t bring himself to blame her.

    After all, two trainers celebrating a mutual victory at a Gym was perfectly normal, right?

    Ash''s narrow victory against Daisy had been succeeded by Misty''s battle with Lily, which had been equally brutal. Much like Ash''s own team, Misty''s Pokemon were all in need of immediate medical care by the time the match was over.

    There had been notable back and forth throughout the battle, which had certainly been a struggle, but in the end, a decisive Thunderbolt from Misty''s Staryu, dealt to Lily''s Sealeo, had ended the match with the orange-haired girl joyously victorious.

    After Misty had received her Cascade Badge (as well as her own Scald TM), the two friends had headed back to the Pokemon Center, and were informed by Nurse Joy that their respective teams were recommended to spend the day (and possibly night) resting in the Center''s care.

    Now that both trainers knew that their Pokemon were all in good hands, they finally felt comfortable enough to stop holding back the excitement in their veins from their respective victories at the Gym, and Ash found that the joy of earning a Gym badge was much more overwhelming (yet enjoyable) when you had somebody else to mutually share the feeling with. And Misty seemed to agree, as she had practically dragged the him away from the counter after Nurse Joy had left.

    Feeling hungry, and wanting to celebrate, the two kids had made their way to the cafeteria to indulge themselves. Although not overly crowded, there was a decent amount of people in the cafeteria, but Ash and Misty both paid them no mind as they found a table of their own to get lost in their own, giddy world.

    They also didn''t particularly care that pretty much all of the food that they had picked out for themselves were not-so-healthy snacks and sweets. They''d earned it.

    Tyrunt sat atop the table with his bowl, eating the meat that Ash had promised him (which they had picked up along the way back to the Pokemon Center). Ash noted that it felt a bit unusual having him as the only Pokemon present for a meal, but it didn''t seem to bother the infant Royal Heir Pokemon too much.

    The baby occasionally peeked in on Ash and Misty''s conversation, but for the most part kept to himself, indulging in his food with joy.

    Misty guzzled down her orange juice immediately after she and Ash toasted, a rather large glass that she completely drank in a single sitting. Ash had a bit of an amused grin on his face as he watched his friend''s antics, but in the mood that he was in, amusement was the only emotion that he could get from Misty''s behavior.

    After all, he was just as excited as she was.

    Setting her glass down hard on the table, Misty licked the juice off of her lips and sighed in satisfaction before leaning forward and giving Ash a thumbs up.

    "You saw what Prinplup did to that Seadra, didn''t you?!" she was still high on excitement. "That poor boy''s power practically meant nothing after we figured out his pattern. And the look on Lily''s face was the best part!" She proceeded to mimic her sister''s pout in the most exaggerated manner possible, and Ash didn''t even care that the impression probably wasn''t authentic.

    Any other day, he may have felt a little bit bewildered by Misty''s behavior, or just tried to shrug it off, but today, he couldn''t stop himself from laughing.

    "I mean, I couldn''t see her reaction for myself since her back was to me, but I''ll take your word for it." he declared, drinking his own orange juice more modestly than his hyperactive friend. Setting his drink down, he nodded at her with a smile. "Call me crazy, but I think Staryu and Prinplup were swimming around even better than her team was. Prinplup''s movements felt a lot more fluid than Seadra''s did." Misty had won the battle by the skin of her teeth, much like Ash had himself, but despite the struggle, that was one notable advantage that Ash could have sworn that he had picked up on from the battle. No doubt their training at the pond had come with absurd benefits.

    The smirk on Misty''s face honestly surpassed anything that Ash had ever seen from Gary, the young girl leaning the side of her chin against the palm of her hand as her eyes twinkled with ego.

    "Yes, dear boy, please praise me some more. I know I''m incredible." Her smugness settled down for a second as she took a bite out of a cinnamon roll on her tray, wiping the icing off her face with a napkin before eying Ash with an acknowledging nod. "Although, I gotta say, I was pretty stoked about how you ended your battle. You turned what should have been Daisy''s home field advantage into that Seel''s own personal Hell."

    Ash bashfully rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle at the compliment. "Heh, yeah. I needed to end it as quickly as possible since Nebula was already tired and wounded, and the way we used Whirlwind on the waters against Mantyke had me thinking." his face turned red. "I''ll admit, I was so frustrated by how much Daisy and her team''s abilities kept using the pool against us, that it felt kind of nice to give her a taste of her own medicine." Ash almost felt shame in admitting that. Getting catharsis from such a thing almost made him feel like he was being petty, but he tried to convince himself that it was just pragmatism. As long as he didn''t cross any moral boundaries (and the fundamentally brutal nature of Pokemon battles made that a pretty difficult thing to do), the majority of the strategies that he or any other trainer used would be considered justified, and not at all anything to be ashamed of.

    Misty tilted her head teasingly, eying Ash with what almost felt to him like a sense of sadistic respect. "Hmph, and here I thought you were some sort of softy, but look at you, getting sweet revenge on that sister of mine." she giggled through her hand. "And you saw her reaction when the battle was over, right? Priceless. I should have recorded that so I could play it in front of her every time we see each other."

    Ash rolled his eyes at that. He couldn''t even say that it wasn''t something he''d expect Misty to do.

    "Sounds like a fun family reunion." he jabbed.

    Misty shrugged. "Gotta give myself a reason to look forward to those, right?" she glanced over to Tyrunt, who was nearly finished with his bowl, but still mostly off in his own world. "So, you think he''ll end up wanting to battle soon? He was pretty concerned whenever one of your teammates lost, but he really did seem to enjoy the match itself. He might even want to start now, for all you know."

    Ash nodded in Tyrunt''s direction, smiling fondly at the baby. "Maybeˇ­ but I should still wait with him regardless. Pokemon can start training pretty young, but I still think he could use at least a little bit more time. And even then, I''m not entirely sure when he''d be ready to start a real battle." he rested his chin in his palm as he began to think. "The area around Cerulean would be perfect for him, but that''s only assuming I start training him right away."

    Ash knew that Cerulean was often labeled as a hotspot for rookie Pokemon trainers. Almost like a safe haven, in comparison to areas like Fuschia and Blackthorn that were often favored by the much more experienced, veteran trainers, due to often being populated by more high-level, and dangerous, Pokemon. And like all of the major cities, Cerulean often hosted a fair amount of trainers throughout the Season, and the surrounding areas around the city were often filled up with the beginner trainers honing their skills, both amongst themselves and each other. Regardless of whether or not Tyrunt started training right away (as Ash was reluctant to be hasty in that regard), the young boy could certainly count on getting a good number of battles in with the trainers in the area after he left the city, which would be a good way to get more money if he was able to win enough battles, not to mention acquiring a great deal of battle experience for his team in a friendly environment. The perfect chance for them to hone their skills and practice new techniques against other trainers. He was considering potentially holding off on purchasing any more TMs until after he reached Saffron, the next city on Kanto''s map, just so he could have a chance to make more money and be more financially comfortable with himself. But that didn''t mean that he and his team couldn''t learn any more new Moves at all, or, at the very least, further perfect the ones that they already did know.

    Misty shrugged at that. "Eh, your call. Speaking of which, when do you plan to leave? I know we''re parting ways after this, so I was just curious." The look in her eyes seemed mildly disappointed at that notion, although not overly so. No doubt she likely had her own schedule planned out. It wasn''t entirely uncommon for multiple trainers to travel together, even for a lengthy amount of time, whether it be because they were friends or simply because they all had the same set path for the next segment of their adventure. Nevertheless, those situations would often run their natural course, as the trainers would inevitably split up and go their separate ways once their respective plans no longer aligned. It was just one of the many aspects of being a trainer, and traveling in general.

    Ash had to admit that he was a bit disappointed too. For all of her hot-blooded arrogance, and sometimes outright scary demeanor, he couldn''t deny how much he enjoyed Misty''s company. It almost confused him, as she seemed exactly like the kind of person that he could never bring himself to like. Her hot temper, arrogance to the point of occasional narcissism, and her obnoxiously loud, and overly energetic demeanor being the polar opposite of his usual attempts to remain laid back and relatively quiet, when all paired up together in one, single package, could have, and should have been a recipe for disaster.

    And yet here he was, goofing off and eating sweets with her, as though they had been friends for two months rather than less than two weeks.

    Pokemon aside, Misty had been the biggest surprise of his journey so far, and he was grateful for that. But all good things must come to an end, and it was a mutual understanding that both friends had silently accepted amongst each other.

    Finishing up his slice of coffee cake, and washing it down with the rest of his orange juice, Ash wiped his mouth with his napkin thoughtfully.

    "Nurse Joy said our teams should be better by morning." he recalled, settling down a bit as he thought over his plans. "I''ll probably stay here for a few more days before leaving. It''ll take a bit longer to get to Saffron than it did to get from Mt. Moon to here, but I''ll make sure I''m stocked up first. You?"

    Misty nodded in acknowledgement. "I''m planning to stay here for about another week. Just to train while staying in the same place. Not in too much of a rush as long as I still improve."

    Ash nodded in understanding. Every trainer traveled at their own pace, in addition to often going down completely different routes whenever the pathways were to split up. No two journeys were truly alike, with rare exceptions. And despite the sheer size of the Region, it was perfectly feasible to travel around Kanto in enough time to acquire all of the necessary badges for the Conference even if you weren''t going at full speed. The Season was always nearly a year long, after all.

    Although, Ash supposed that Misty could also be planning to go to Johto for a portion of the necessary badges, but he supposed that that was a different topic.

    Misty leaned back in her seat, eying her plate a bit as she finished her cinnamon roll. "So," she began while wiping her napkin against her face again. "You have anything special planned for tomorrow? I was going to take a rest day, since it''ll be coming right after the Gym. Was thinking of seeing if Maria and Laura were available. Not sure what we''d be doing, though." she admitted. "You''re welcome to tag along if you''ve got nothing else to do. They told me they like you."

    Ash couldn''t help the small smile. "I was planning on taking it easy, too. Sure, thanks."

    A noise from Tyrunt got their attention, and the two trainers giggled as they turned to see the infant dinosaur curling up on the table to go to sleep. His bowl was picked clean, and no doubt he was tired.

    Misty smirked good-naturedly. "I suppose that might be our cue to wrap things up here." the water specialist stated matter-of-factly as the royal heir Pokemon''s eyes closed.

    Ash nodded with a chuckle. "Yeah."

    /

    The rest of the day hadn''t been overwhelmingly eventful. The rush of a victory at a Gym was certainly exciting and enjoyable, but it would die down eventually. With Tyrunt taking a nap at his spot next to Ash''s bed, Ash and Misty chose to spend most of the remaining day in their room, watching TV together while having the occasional, brief conversation. Thankfully, a Pokemon Contest was being aired in Violet City, so it didn''t take too much time for them to find something to watch.

    To be on the safe side, the two had chosen to leave the rest of their teams with Nurse Joy for the night, which led to Tyrunt still being their only company for dinner that night. The young dinosaur seemed to miss having the rest of the team around (especially Valiant), but Ash had assured him that everyone else will be back tomorrow.

    Just before dinner, Misty had contacted both Laura and Maria''s homes to make arrangements for the next day. Laura had promised to meet up with her and Ash at the Pokemon Center in the morning, while Maria was planning to visit Ryan in the lab.

    Which brought them to the next morning, Valiant and Tyrunt standing by Ash''s side with Pikachu perched on the boy''s shoulder as Misty and Laura pointed out the Cerulean Pokemon Laboratory up ahead.

    "Here we are." Laura announced out loud as Ash took in the building. "This is where Ryan works."

    Although Professor Oak''s own laboratory was the main one in Kanto, and Indigo as a whole, it was far from the only one the League had throughout their empire. Each major city and town had one to head their respective branch of the League''s research field. Each run by their own Professor.

    Systematically speaking, they served the same purpose as Professor Oak''s own laboratory back in Pallet Town, from handing out starter Pokemon to conducting whatever research projects the League needed of them. Given that he was the leader of Indigo''s research field, the labs of each town and city answered directly under Professor Oak, who oversaw everything as something of an overarching supervisor. However, since Indigo''s empire consisted of multiple Region''s, Johto and the Orange Islands each had their own leading Professor, Johto''s being Professor Elm and the Orange Islands'' being Professor Ivy. Both professors oversaw their own respective Regions themselves, still answering directly to Professor Oak, but otherwise having the same, general authority over the research in their own Regions that he himself did in Kanto.

    Ash was somewhat surprised to see that Cerulean''s lab was actually of a similar size to that of Pallet Town''s. Despite Cerulean City being a far bigger area than Pallet could ever dream, Ash had the expectation that Oak''s lab being the main one would guarantee it the greater size (and indeed, Pallet Town''s lab was quite massive). But Ash supposed whatever necessities Oak''s lab had were identical to that of the other labs in Indigo.

    Staryu was walking by Misty''s side, Misty apparently having it out so that it could revisit the lab. It had been born here, after all, so Ash supposed it made sense.

    As Misty led the way down the sidewalk to reach the lab, the group passing through the gates, Laura hummed a bit absentmindedly as she patted Ash''s shoulder to get the boy''s attention. Pikachu shot her a grin, still a pretty big fan of the girl, which she returned.

    "I bet you''ve been to Professor Oak''s lab a ton of times, right? Is this any newer to you than it is to us?"

    Ash lightly chuckled at that. He supposed Misty and Laura must have been really used to this place, if they had a friend whose brother worked here.

    "My mom works for him." he answered with a nod. "So I know him pretty well. Wouldn''t say we''re inseparable or anything, but I suppose I know him more than most would."

    It truly was surreal to be brought up in the same town that the one and only Professor Oak himself had chosen to make into his headquarters. Especially given just how simplistic and unimpressive Pallet Town was compared to the rest of Indigo''s world otherwise. To live in such a plain, unassuming place, yet have one of the world''s greatest minds living within walking distance of your own homeˇ­

    Embarrassingly, Ash often found himself taking it for granted. He had no idea how he could grow used to sharing a town with the professor, but miraculously he had. It almost felt disrespectful to such an important man, and yet perhaps it was exemplary of just how well Professor Oak was able to fit into Pallet Town''s modest society despite his larger-than-life reputation.

    Laura folded her hands behind her head. "Hmmˇ­ that makes sense. We come here fairly often, since Maria visits her brother at least a few times a month." leaning forward, she gave the boy a cheeky grin. "Although, if you ask me, it seems like she''s just trying to stock up on as much info as possible before her career starts."

    "Which would be pretty helpful if literally anybody on the planet was capable of following the speed of her questions." Misty snarkily interjected as the group approached the large, automatic doors. As the glass doors opened, they stepped inside and Ash examined the lobby.

    Although it had an entirely different layout from Oak''s own lobby, it was still just about what Ash would have expected, which wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. The room was very large and spacious, a large reception desk on one end, and a large flatscreen TV on the wall in another part of the room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all a clean, pure white.

    The atmosphere of the room was immediately comforting, with a perfect temperature and a radio playing music throughout the lobby.

    Misty and Laura waved as Maria dashed over to them, her auburn hair tied into a neat ponytail, and copper eyes blazing with cheer. Grookey was perched on her shoulder, although Ryan was nowhere to be seen.

    To Laura''s visible amusement (and, to Ash''s greatest shame, his own as well), Misty was nearly bowled over as Maria crashed into her (Grookey had leapt off of her shoulder just before the impact) and embraced her hotheaded friend, lightly jumping up and down as she began speaking, running her mouth just as rapidly as Ash had remembered from the last time that he had seen her.

    "Wow, Misty! Good job with your win did you get any TMs to go with the badge because I hear Gym Leaders hand those out too and what was it like using water types in a pool like that oh and which of your sisters did you battle I know they switch off on random and what kind of Pokemon did they use against you it must have been interesting to have water types battle each other in their natural element but did that make it more difficult or just more exciting-" Misty pushed the girl off of her just roughly enough to get some breathing room as her hands clamped over the energetic girl''s mouth, and Ash heard Pikachu giggle next to his ear as Maria''s muffled voice continued to ramble on from behind Misty''s hands.

    Sighing with an exasperated grin, Misty tried to maintain her patience as she kept her grip on her friend''s mouth. "Sheesh, Maria, it''s like you think asking everything at once will give you all of the answers at once. I''m sure Ash and I can talk to you guys about it while we''re here, so settle down for now, alright?" at Maria''s nod, the girl''s muffled voice ceasing for the moment, Misty narrowed her eyes. "Is it safe to release you?" she inquired, acting as though removing her hands would let a Tyranitar loose on an unsuspecting village. Maria nodded with two thumbs up, which arguably made Misty even more ironically unsure as she slowly allowed her hands to leave the copper-eyed girl''s mouth.

    Catching her breath a bit, Maria grinned at Misty with a light nod. "Congratulations." turning to Ash, she flashed the boy a cute grin. "And you too!"

    Ash smiled back at her and nodded. "Thanks, Maria. Itˇ­ certainly wasn''t easy."

    "Wasn''t easy." being a vast understatement as far as Ash was concerned. Daisy had done just about everything that she could have possibly done to ensure that she and her team took perfect advantage of their home field advantage. While watching TV together the previous day after the battle, Misty had theorized to Ash that both Seaking and Mantyke most likely had the Swift Swim ability, and that Daisy had probably handpicked a team of Pokemon who''s abilities were incredibly useful in the pool. The blonde woman had certainly taken advantage of them, with how she and Mantyke had utilized a variation of Tailwind that allowed them to transfer Mantyke''s own aquatic boost of speed into the air. Although Lily hadn''t done quite the same thing, she had certainly utilized the pool in her own, equally effective ways. The three sisters had all likely based their fighting styles around taking advantage of the specific arena of their Gym, testing any challenging trainers to adapt to such tactics.

    The boy felt a light nudge from Laura''s elbow, a teasing grin greeting his eyes as he turned to her.

    "Betcha you were pretty floored to find out who the Gym Leaders were." a mischievous twinkle sparked in her eyes as she raised her eyebrows suggestively. Misty groaned at the comment, her face turning red.

    "Yes, I''m sure we can all get a good laugh out of that." The water specialist spoke in the most bluntly dismissive tone that she could muster. Clearly she wasn''t planning to giggle.

    Maria frowned, her tone of voice understanding as Grookey made his way back up to her shoulder, quickly offering Ash a wave that the boy returned.

    "Come on, Misty. I know you guys don''t get along, but I''m sure you''re at least happy that you won, right? It''s not like your visit was for nothing."

    "Of course I''m glad." Misty snapped a bit lightly, her face suddenly reddening a bit more at the realization of her tone, before shaking her head apologetically. "Just wasn''t really something I was overly looking forward to, apart from the win, obviously." she shrugged. "Doesn''t really matter. Ash and I were in and out as planned."

    Laura clasped her hands together and shot the hothead a friendly grin. "Well then, why don''t you and Ash tell us about the good part of your little escapade? We''ve never had the honor of seeing a Gym battle before."

    Misty rolled her eyes at that, but nodded anyway. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Where do you guys wanna go?" she looked between her friends quizzically. Ash just shrugged at that. He knew nothing about this lab.

    Maria pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "Ryan''s in the lounge, actually. Been a bit of a slow day since the professor has been busy with something else, so he has some time for us."

    "Good a place as any." said Laura matter-of-factly, looking between Ash and Misty for confirmation. Neither objected.

    /

    The lounge was fairly spacious and comfortable. A few of the lab''s workers were in the room as well, but kept to themselves as the kids sat at a table off to the side with Ryan. The chair''s had comfy cushions that Ash enjoyed feeling his body sink into. Near the table, Tyrunt had found a separate cushion to go to sleep on, while Valiant sat nearby to watch him. Staryu elected to join the Kirlia.

    Sitting across from Ash (who sat in between Misty and Laura), Ryan stroked the top of Grookey''s head as the grass type sat in his lap, nodding approvingly as Ash finished recounting his battle with Daisy. Misty had allowed him to go first, although, knowing her, he suspected that it was just because she probably viewed her battle as the "better" one.

    "I helped raise that Poliwhirl." the older boy revealed as Ash sat back in his seat. "Violet requested for him to join their roster at the Gym after finding out that he had Water Absorb. On purpose, no doubt. Their mission statement has always been to make dealing with their aquatic advantage as bad for their challengers as possible."

    Ash grimaced at that. It basically confirmed what he already suspected. No surprises there, he supposed. It was part of a Gym Leader''s job to test all of the challengers, after all. This was just the test that Misty''s sisters had chosen to lay out.

    Ryan shot Valiant a thoughtful look as the young Kirlia seemed to be conversing with Staryu. "Your Kirlia''s pretty ahead of the game, from the sound of it. From the strategic sense, anyway. Seems like he has a knack for thinking on his feet."

    Ash grinned proudly at that, looking over to his Psychic partner. "He''s always been that way." the boy responded, thinking back to Valiant''s sparring session with Pikachu back in Pewter. "Ever since he started battling he seems to have always tried to approach battles in a calculated way. Not perfect, but none of us are right now. And he surprises even me sometimes. Like I said before, that tactic he used against Poliwhirl was all just him. I had nothing to do with coming up with it."

    Ryan chuckled at that. "It''s nothing unusual for a Pokemon to plan a fight on their own accord. Trainers are meant to guide them in battle, and train them outside of it, but Pokemon are all still their own fighters." his fingers stroked his chin thoughtfully. "But for a beginner-level pokemon to take that kind of initiative is pretty unusual. Especially given what he did. Trapping himself and Poliwhirl inside of a Light Screen so that Thunderbolt could be dealt point blank, with no escape. Obviously not the most efficient strategy, given the amount of self-inflicted harm that was involved with him forcing himself into the blast zone, but the fact that he would even think of such a combo in the first placeˇ­ he''s creative for a rookie."

    Maria nodded enthusiastically at that, sitting next to her elder brother. She''d clearly been holding herself back from another hyperactive ramble for a while now, given the amount of restraint in her voice as she spoke.

    "Fine-tune that a bit, and I wonder if it''d make a good looking Contest technique. Imagine a golden cube shining with electricity like that!" she paused for a second, seemingly making statements one at a time to prevent herself from going off on another tangent. "It would be hard to do it without the user hurting themselves, thoughˇ­" she trailed off for a moment. "What do you think, Laura?"

    Laura sat between Ash and Maria, Pikachu resting in her lap. Ash only felt a mild hint of jealousy at Pikachu wanting to sit with her, but didn''t take it personally. The mouse was with him all the time, after all, and Laura seemed to know how to pet Pikachu (and show him affection in general) in just the right way to reduce him to a hopelessly infatuated state of bliss. The electric type was curled up into a ball, eyes closed and a content, purr-like noise escaping his throat as the brunette girl stroked his fur.

    Laura chuckled at that. "Yeah, it is an interesting idea. Can''t say I have any answers for it though, so sorry."

    Sitting in between Ash and Ryan, Misty thoughtfully pressed her chin against her hand. "Hmm...Staryu knows both Movesˇ­ but it would obviously be even worse for a water typeˇ­"

    Still stroking Pikachu, Laura looked over to Ash. "You shouldn''t be sold short, either, you know. The way you and Nebula turned things around against Seel sounds pretty awesome."

    Ash grinned back at her as she offered him a thumbs up. He had to admit, he was pretty proud of himself for that final strategy. "Thanks, Laura. Iˇ­ sort of came up with that way to take out Mantyke in the moment, andˇ­ I realized I could apply it again, just on a bigger scope. The water actually worked to our advantage, that time.'''' He supposed that Nebula''s wind could have been problematic for Seel regardless, but it was also the constant waves that had prevented his Aurora Beam from hitting her and intercepting her Double-Edge.

    Laura''s grin turned sly. "You sure you want to be a Champion? You might make a good coordinator."

    Ash''s face reddened somewhat at that. Contests sounded fun, butˇ­ "Iˇ­ might try a Contest out at some point, but I''m more into traditional trainingˇ­ Sorry."

    Laura shrugged at that, and spoke encouragingly. "Eh, can''t say you''re doing a bad job. Bet your little display has Misty nervous." she shot her orange-haired friend a teasing grin.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Misty, however, waved it off. "Bah, you think too lowly of me. I guess that''s my cue to tell you guys my story."

    Ash had to admit that he enjoyed recounting his battles with others, especially since his and Misty''s audiences consisted of two aspiring Coordinators (even if their careers hadn''t started just yet) and a future researcher who could offer notable advice and commentary. It was one of many human interactions that you just couldn''t quite get with Pokemon alone.

    Although Ash had tried to remain neutral during his own story (admittedly getting a bit excited during certain climatic parts), Misty showed very little restraint, or professionalism when recounting her own battle. Apart from going out of her way to describe Lily''s frustrated expressions, she would often speak bombastically during the more intense parts of the story, even using sound effects a couple of times. Based on the reactions that Maria, Laura, and Ryan gave, they were all perfectly used to this.

    After Misty''s story was finished, Maria brought up the Scald TMs that the two trainers had both received after their battles. Although Ash sadly didn''t have any Pokemon that could use the Move at the moment, Misty had already distributed it to Staryu and Prinplup.

    Ash felt a miniscule amount of envy at that, if only because Daisy''s usage of the move had frustrated him so much that he was looking forward to trying it out for himself. He wasn''t too concerned, however. He planned to get a water type at some point anyway (especially just in case he ever needed to battle in a pool again), and he assumed that most of them could learn Scald.

    Eventually, the conversation reached Ash and Misty''s future plans.

    "Soˇ­" said Ryan, looking between the two trainers. "How long are you guys going to be staying here?"

    "Ash said he''ll be leaving a couple days from now." said Misty as Ash nodded. "I''ll be here a bit longer than that."

    "The next city is Saffron, right?" Laura brought up. "That''s a pretty big step up from anywhere else you guys have been."

    She wasn''t exaggerating, and in fact, she might not have been doing it justice.

    Saffron and Celadon were the largest cities in Kanto, Saffron being the biggest overall and Celadon having the largest population. They were both known for being the most upper-class territories in the Region, Saffron being the Region''s central business district and Celadon not being very far behind in that department (Celadon overall having the most high-class society among the two).

    But Saffron was also home to one of the most infamous Gym Leaders in Indigo, Sabrina. A master psychic specialist and one of the leading experts on the typing. She held the Marsh Badge, and would not be an easy obstacle to take down.

    The level of fear that she promoted among trainers wasn''t necessarily on par with that of LT. Surge, Koga, or Giovanni, but she had something that was equally important: Respect. Admiration among the trainer populace. She was very highly regarded for both her sophisticated aura and plethora of knowledge.

    And Ash was headed to her city nextˇ­

    He wondered if he should challenge her Gym once he arrived in the city. He wasn''t sure how beginner-friendly her Gym was compared to Brock and the Cerulean sisters. He knew that Erika of Celadon was probably the last remaining Gym Leader in Kanto who was as lenient as they were. And if he did challenge the Saffron Gym, the worst that would happen is that he might lose, no different from any other Gym battle.

    But Ash put that in the back of his mind, for now. He wouldn''t be in Saffron for a decent bit.

    Ash nodded. "Yeah, Saffron''s the next one. Not sure where I''ll go after that. There''ll be a few options."

    Ryan nodded. "That''s right. Saffron is almost like a hub. You could go to Celadon from there, or Vermilion, or Lavender Town. And from both Vermilion and Lavender, you can get to Fuchsia."

    Ash and Misty both smiled at that. Both of them were aware of the freedom of choice that awaited them once they got to Saffron.

    "Yup," Misty chirped. "This is where things really start to open up more. Still not sure where I''m going to go from Saffron, yet. Celadon will take me in a bit of a different direction from the remaining major cities on Kanto''s mainland, even if it''s still not all that far from Saffron, but getting to Fuchsia is going to take a while, from Saffron, especially if I go to Lavender first instead of Vermillion."

    Ryan got Ash''s attention. "Speaking of taking a while, Ash, do you have a bike like Misty does?"

    Misty froze up a bit at that, even more so after Ash gave her a quizzical look.

    "You have a bike, Misty?" Ash certainly never saw her with one during their time together so far. He wasn''t really sure how she could have one, given that she''d been on foot during their travels, and it''s not like she could have had anywhere to put the bike.

    Misty''s face was red, and she was suddenly refusing to make eye contact with Ash, or anyone else, for that matter.

    "Iˇ­ uhˇ­ lost it."

    Ash frowned. That explained it, then.

    "Ohˇ­ umˇ­ sorry." not wanting to pry further, he turned back to Ryan. "I don''t have one, but how could I? I''d have nowhere to put it."

    Ryan furrowed his brow quizzically at that. "Nowhere to put it? What do you mean?"

    Now Ash was confused. Wasn''t it obvious? "I meanˇ­" he trailed off, suddenly feeling everyone''s eyes scrutinizing him as he looked between everybody else at the table. It was making him feel small. "I''d have to have it out at all timesˇ­ and it won''t do me any good if I ever encounter terrain that isn''t bike friendly. Aren''t the areas around Fuschia mountainous?"

    Silence.

    Ryan seemed like he was quickly picking up on something, almost as if he was slightly amused. Looking over to Laura, Ash saw an even more amused expression on her face as her eyes lit up with recognition. Misty looked at the boy with an indescribably judgmental expression, almost like she had just seen Ash get his entire team demolished by an infant Magikarp, and Maria seemed slightly bewildered as she gazed at him a bit.

    Why were theyˇ­ staring at him like this?

    "Ummmˇ­ guys?" he asked, a bit bemused. "What is it?"

    After a few more seconds of bewilderment from everybody at the table, including Ash himself, Maria finally chose to speak up.

    "Ummmˇ­ Ash?" she asked with a nervous grin, scratching at her auburn ponytail for a few seconds. "Youˇ­ umˇ­ do know that you can just store the bike in a Poke Ball... rightˇ­?"

    The blank, wide-eyed look on Ash''s face said it all as he stared at the normally hyperactive girl.

    "...You can what?"

    More silence. It was a few agonizing seconds, which almost felt like a year, before Laura probably broke the silence.

    Laura took her hand off of Pikachu''s fur. The young mouse had been lulled to sleep by her affections, a huge grin on his face as he slumbered in her lap without a care in the world.

    "Youˇ­ really didn''t know?" she asked with increasing amusement as Ash awkwardly shook his head at her, cheeks gradually beginning to burn. Her slowly widening grin threatened to split her face in two as her hands lightly clasped her cheeks, which were tinted with the most miniscule shade of red. Her voice was a mild squeal. "Sweet merciful Mew Ash, you just got even cuter!"

    Ash refused to look at anyone as he stared down at his feet, his cheeks threatening to catch fire. Was it possible for blushing to truly hurt? Because the heat that was rushing up to his face was painful.

    Ryan awkwardly chuckled upon realizing what was going on. "Yeah, the League''s educational board keeps forgetting to put that in the curriculum, I guess." he sent Ash an apologetic grin. "Sorry you had to learn about it this way, kid." he glanced awkwardly over to Laura, who was staring at Ash with the most blissfully joyful face imaginable. "Maybeˇ­ we should take it easy on him." the older boy suggested.

    Laura barely shook her head as Ash felt the joyous gaze in her eyes bore a hole through him. "I can''t. He''s so cute. This is so great!"

    "Do I need to pull your ear?" Misty threatened.

    That got her to settle down, her hands falling back down to her lap, although her wide grin never shrunk down.

    Maria gave Ash a sympathetic look as the young boy struggled to fight off his embarrassed blush. "Ummmˇ­ Ash? You can come back to us, now. We''re not going to make fun of you or anything."

    Deciding to trust her for now, Ash allowed himself to lift his head again, still struggling to make eye contact.

    Ryan spoke up again after a few more seconds of silence. "It''s a new feature," he explained. "A few years old. It''ll let you take your bike with you and keep it in a Poke Ball for safekeeping." He looked between Ash and Misty. "Neither of you two have one right now, but it''d be a good investment. You can cover ground much faster, which also means you''ll have more time to go off the beaten path and explore, without losing too much traveling time if you''re trying to move in between the cities quickly. And Cerulean, of course, has a top of the line bike shop. Not quite like anywhere else in Kanto."

    Laura nodded at that, finally turning her gaze away from Ash (much to the embarrassed boy''s relief). "And the new models are pretty flexible and durable, can change into different gears and can actually withstand a lot of harsh terrain. I hear the Galar Region has the best bike technology around by far, but what you can get here is still perfect." she nodded over to Misty. "I''m pretty sure you had one of the less updated ones, right?"

    Misty nodded. "Yeah, had it for a few years, even back when I wasn''t big enough to comfortably ride it yet. I could use a new one now that I don''t have my original one anymore. I can probably invest in a better one right now."

    Maria turned her head to Ash and flashed him an innocent grin. "Well, Ash? What about it?"

    Ash gazed at her for a bit before looking down towards the table, fingers pressed firmly against his chin as he slipped into thought.

    It would be convenient, butˇ­

    "How much would it cost?" Ash asked, raising his head up towards Ryan. "Do you know? The newest model''s gotta be expensive, and I was hoping to save up my money so that I can start purchasing more TMs in Saffron."

    Ryan nodded in confirmation. "It isn''t cheap, yeah. Although, I was gonna bring this up, but the store is having a three day sale tomorrow. An anniversary thing. You''ll be able to get it for half price, even the newest model. Would still be a bit steep, but much more affordable."

    Ash nodded at that. Even if it was still expensive, it would at least soften the blow. Plus, with just how useful that having a bike would be (especially if it was the most advanced model yet, at that), then the benefits would outweigh the downsides. Worst case scenario, he couldn''t purchase as many TMs in Saffron, which he could make up for later.

    "Thank you, Ryan." the older boy nodded at him, and Ash looked between everybody else. "And you guys too."

    Maria waved it off, her chipper tone back in full swing. "Don''t mention it, just trying to help a couple of buddies out. We can all go there tomorrow with you two. Ryan''s still got work, but the rest of us."

    "Tomorrow''s my day off." Ryan said, his bewildered tone of voice suggesting that Maria should have already known this.

    "Even better!" Maria''s grin was wide and uncaring.

    After a few seconds of much more comfortable silence, Laura glanced over to Misty, eyes narrowly ever-so-slightly.

    "Hey, Mistyˇ­" her slightly questioning (and confused) tone caught the orange-haired girl''s attention. "You knew about the feature, so how did you lose your bike? Couldn''t you have just placed it in a Poke Ball?"

    Misty froze up, her cheeks mildly tinted with red.

    A few seconds later, Laura''s grin was back, widening across her face as her hands shot back up to her cheeks, which were once again slightly red.

    "You meanˇ­ you forgot?" she squealed even more loudly as Misty''s face practically turned into a cherry. "Oooh myyy golly you are so cute!"

    "Hey!" Misty shot up and pointed aggressively at her brunette friend. "I only forgot in the moment! I remembered after! And don''t call me cute!"

    "But why? You are SOOO adorable!"

    Misty''s eyes blazed like a Charizard''s Blast Burn as the color of her face somehow turned even more cherry-like.

    "First thing I do with my new bike is run you over with it if you don''t drop it!"

    "That might actually be worth it!"

    "Don''t try testing me Laura, cause you know I''ll pass with flying colors!"

    /

    "A bit busy, but that was to be expected." said Misty as the group approached the store the following day.

    The store was a decently sized building in the downtown section of Cerulean. The name "Miracle Cycle" read on the sign.

    At the current moment, it was roughly 10:00 AM, the group arriving at the store when it opened in hopes of getting in before things got too busy. Understandably, they hadn''t been the only ones who had that idea.

    Only Tyrunt was out with Ash right now, although Misty had her Jigglypuff with her as well. Accompanying them were Maria, Laura, and Ryan, along with Grookey and Rockruff.

    "Yeah," said Laura, gazing up at the sign, hands behind her head with Rockruff by her side. "Best we be in and out before it starts filling up." The group nodded at that, and began heading in after a few other customers.

    Misty lagged behind a bit, looking back at a curious Ash as he approached her. Still not too familiar with the city, Ash had elected to let the others lead the way while he carried Tyrunt in his arms.

    "Something up?" the boy tilted his head as he briefly stopped in front of his friend. Her arms were half-crossed, and for the briefest of moments, her gaze on him was intent, but that expression quickly vanished from her almost as soon as it had come. It was almost as if he had been seeing things.

    Misty responded with a shake of the head. "No, just thinking about something. It can wait." she turned back around and made her way into the store.

    Ash stared at the girl''s back as he followed her. He had a feeling he knew what she was talking about, but decided to bite his tongue until the time came.

    The inside of the store might have actually been even bigger than what the outward exterior of the building suggested. The ceiling was high above their heads, allowing for the numerous shelves of bikes to extend high into the air. These shelves were spread across the entire store, and bikes weren''t the only products available. Pretty much any kind of equipment related to them was as well.

    As most of the group walked off further into the store, Ash lagged behind to look around for a bit, taking in his surroundings. Tyrunt seemed to be pretty impressed by the sight, an intrigued moan escaping his throat as he observed the towering shelves of bikes.

    A light tap on the shoulder from a finger brought his attention to Laura, who brought him and the young dinosaur back into the world with a light wave, Rockruff remaining at her side.

    "Bicycles are understandably pretty popular with trainers." She spoke coolly. Ash flushed at the teasing, accusatory wink she sent his way. "You know, trainers who actually know how easy it is to store them."

    "You''re never going to let me live that down, are you." Ash responded in a subdued tone, suddenly finding the ocean-blue floor to be the most fascinating part of the store.

    A good natured giggle escaped the pretty brunette''s throat, pretty much answering Ash''s question.

    "I mean, you don''t blame me for finding it funny, do you? Cheer up." Her voice was fairly reassuring, not completely losing its teasing tone, but not being condescending about it either. As Ash returned his gaze to her, she gave him a thumbs up. "They''ve got plenty of bikes in stock, but I''m not sure how many of the latest model are in at the moment, so let''s get going before they''re all taken." Ash quickly nodded at that, following the brunette girl as she and Rockruff turned around.

    A sigh escaped his throat. "I''m still embarrassed I didn''t know."

    Laura glanced back at him slightly, barely turning her head just enough to look at him as they continued through the store. "In all seriousness," she said, her friendly-natured grin still on her face, "Bikes are a pretty big example of the new feature''s benefit. They''re even planning on releasing a separate type of Poke Ball made specifically for storing items, likely for a lower price, that way trainers who just need new Poke Balls to store their items with won''t have to pay as much."

    That sounded like a pretty good idea. It seemed like the League was always looking for new ways to innovate, for the betterment of the training community.

    The girl pointed forward. "They''ve always kept their latest models in this section here at the end. Colors are a bit limited for this one, but they usually add more variations later."

    "I''m not too concerned about color." Ash admitted. Aesthetic was nice, but he was mostly just focused on the bike itself. A good looking bike still wouldn''t do him that much without function.

    /

    Ash felt a peculiar mixture of excitement and dejection as he and his friends exited the store.

    The good part? He and Misty had both gotten the latest model of bike, which was dubbed the "Indigo Miracle-S", along with fairly cheap (but still effective) helmets to go along with it. In Misty''s case, she already had a helmet, but figured it would do good to have an extra one to swap between, just in case something happened to one of them.

    The downside? He was pretty much broke now. He was confident that he had enough food and other necessities to get by until Saffron, but having a near empty account was not a good feeling. Even with the sale, the purchase of the new bike had eaten up nearly all of his money. It was fairly disheartening, to say the least.

    Misty, being Misty, had slyly told her friend that he shouldn''t have to worry about not having much money, shooting him a smirk as she talked about how easy it should be to make the money back through battles. Unless, of course, he just wasn''t strong enough to win that many consecutive matches.

    Not too long ago, Ash would have felt a bit uneasy at the accusation, but now, it actually felt encouraging to him, ironically. Almost like he had taken it as a challenge to prove Misty wrong with her condescending attitude, to actually win enough battles in order to make all of the money back.

    And when Ash had smiled back at Misty and declared that he would do just that, winning enough battles to have himself swimming in money by the time that he reached Saffron, the orange-haired girl had temporarily blinked at him in surprise, before a (somewhat) more genuine smile crept its way onto her face.

    Now, the group was standing outside of the city, Ash and Misty ready to break in their bikes at Ryan''s suggestion. The teenaged boy had led them to a fairly even-grounded area that would be perfect for riding the bikes at.

    Ash had found a helmet to match his cap, mostly, anyway. Strapping on his helmet, which was a mixture of red and white, he took out the Poke Ball that now held his new bicycle.

    It would take a while getting used to knowing that these things could hold regular items.

    Misty had poked fun at Ash for his lack of variety, but he liked the look. And even though Misty didn''t have a cap of her own, she herself had still gotten a helmet that matched her bike in color.

    The water specialist was wearing an aqua-blue helmet as she glanced over to her friend. "You ready?" she inquired, raising her own Poke Ball.

    Ash nodded, the two trainers enlarging the sphere-shaped capsules and releasing their bicycle''s in a flash of bright, white light.

    Ash''s was a perfect shade of crimson, with a sleek, sturdy design that could brave the elements and look sharp while doing so. In between the handlebars was a pad with buttons that allowed Ash to change between different sets of tires, designed for different terrains. That same pad allowed him to switch between gears, as well.

    Certainly not as futuristic as the types of bikes that the Galar Region apparently had access to, but effective technology all the same. It would be great for traveling.

    Misty''s bike had the same design as Ash''s, as it was the same model, but it was aqua-blue.

    After looking over the vehicle with a satisfied smile, Misty mounted it, sitting firmly on the seat as she steadily gripped the handlebars. She nodded at Ash as he did the same.

    The boy looked over to Tyrunt, who was standing off to the side with Grookey and Rockruff, waving in his trainer''s direction. The small dinosaur quite liked the look of the bike, and no doubt would want to ride in it at some point too. Thankfully, Ash had gotten a basket to go along with the bike for free.

    Ryan waved the two trainers off. "Have fun, you two. Take your time to enjoy it, there''s no rush."

    Ash and Misty nodded back as Maria and Laura offered them a quick wave, before both trainers started pedaling away down the path.

    They didn''t go too fast at first, remaining in third gear as they got used to the feel. Both had experienced riding bikes, but none that were as advanced as this model was.

    Misty took a deep breath as the seabreeze filled her with satisfaction. Exhaling deeply, a large smile made its way to her face as she looked down the road they were traveling.

    "Ah, never get tired of feeling this air again." she glanced over in Ash''s direction, looking at her friend just long enough to ask. "Isn''t Pallet Town also by the ocean? I doubt this is new for you?"

    Ash spared her a glance before refocusing on the road. "It is, but it doesn''t quite feel the same as this. Not sure why. Maybe I just got used to it and stopped noticing it."

    A giggle was Misty''s response. "I never stopped noticing it. I love everything about the sea. From the Pokemon living in it to how the air feels. I want to become the greatest water specialist to make a name for myself, but there''s a reason that''s the specific type that I chose."

    Ash absentmindedly grinned at that. He doubted it was uncommon for a type specialist''s preferences to be influenced by something like that. No doubt a lot of people who favored fighting types had an affinity for martial arts. And many who specialized in psychic types were, themselves, often interested in mysterious powers such as those.

    Focusing on the road ahead, Ash felt the breeze of the wind against his face as he and Misty made their way down the path. The momentum of the bike was just right, the traversal of the road smooth with perfection. It was a feeling that he wanted to get used to. One that filled him with just enough excitement and adrenaline to feel intense and give him a rush of satisfaction, yet with enough comfort to put him at ease, allowing him to let down his guard and just enjoy the moment.

    Terrifying memories of Mt. Moon, frustrating stress from Daisy''s tactics, having to run into Gary back at the foot of Mt. Moon, the ever lingering homesickness that was always in the back of his head. He could forget it all, and just focus on the present moment.

    "I''ll admit," he stated after a few moments of comfortable silence. "I never really thought about typing, or which ones I liked the best. I guess I like the variety."

    "Yeah, that''s the common argument." Misty admitted. "But I''m gonna do everything I can to freshen up my typing of choice." A few moments later, she glanced back at him. "Sayˇ­ you up to switch to fourth gear?"

    Ash blinked for a second. He was honestly enjoying their more casual cruise, but this was meant to get them used to it. After brief consideration, he nodded. "Sure, let''s do it."

    The mischievous look on Misty''s face made his skin crawl.

    "Goodˇ­" she said, her hand creeping over to the button. Suddenly, she sped up, blitzing ahead down the road. "Cause we''re racing now! By!"

    Ash''s cheeks were the color of a tomato as he watched his friend blazing down the path ahead of him.

    "H-Hey! Hold on!" quickly switching to fourth gear as quickly as he could manage, he pedaled ahead furiously in an attempt to catch up.

    /

    Fourth gear was nothing short of an intense feeling of adrenaline. The wind pushing against Ash''s face breezed into him just that much harder, the world passing by him at frantic rates as he sped down the road at exhilarating speeds.

    And yet it was still just as smooth. Just as perfect as before. It wasn''t a scary feeling. Not after he got accustomed to it, at least.

    Of course, Misty had bragged about "winning" their race despite her own head start. Despite his frustration, Ash let her have it. He was in too good of a mood to really care.

    Misty sat cross-legged next to Ash on a large rock. The two had reached the end of the path, and each had a water bottle in hand as they observed the sea ahead.

    As Misty tilted her head back to guzzle down a large chunk of her water (she was rarely ever conservative with her drinks, Ash noted), Ash looked out to the water, connected to the greater sea that could be found beyond the city.

    The duo had reached the area of the outskirts near Cerulean Cave, perhaps the only place in the area that beginners preferred to avoid. It was said to be home to particularly powerful Pokemon, far dissonant from the rest of Cerulean.

    With the land elevated decently above the water, the two rookie trainers were greeted with a perfect sight of the cave''s entrance, which rose above the water and directly into their line of vision, as a few water types played together on the surface of the water. The breeze gave off an incredibly relaxing feel, perfect after their intense "race" on their new bicycles.

    Despite the simplicity, Ash found himself enjoying the sight of the infamous cave and the water leading up to it. Perhaps it was just the quiet feel of the place? There was no one else here except for them and the water types playing in the water, unalerted to their presence.

    Misty smiled. "I remember people living here aren''t even allowed near that cave without a Trainer''s License. A shame, since it''s a nice place to look at." As Ash nodded in agreement, she nudged him with her elbow as she spared him a glance. "You''re lucky you''re here with me and not Laura, you know. With this kind of view, she''d probably try to turn this into a date or something."

    Ash chuckled nervously at the remark. He supposed it wouldn''t be unlike her, given what he knew about the girl at the moment.

    "I''m assuming that''s a common occurrence?" he responded with mild amusement.

    Misty grumbled. "Maybe not here, but she doesn''t exactly learn her lesson, even with me trying to keep her in check. Sometimes it feels like that just encourages her further. She loves getting reactions." she smirked at that. "Or maybe she just finds me entertaining." Even in peaceful moments of relaxation such as this one, her ego never failed to shine through.

    The constant reminders of the hothead''s arrogance, however, were also reminders to Ash of just how much more he liked spending time with Misty than Gary. The numerous surface-level characteristics that the two of them shared did nothing to sour the boy''s opinion of the water enthusiast. His mind kept coming back to it, thinking of just how ironic it was that he considered Misty a friend.

    "Soˇ­" Misty trailed off for a moment before continuing. "You''re gone tomorrow, right?" her voice stayed even, and her face was a bit more neutral now as she absentmindedly observed the cave, deep in thought.

    Ash nodded again. "I really do need to get back on the road soon. Nothing wrong with taking it slow, but I just like the sense of progress." he looked up thoughtfully. "I might go off the beaten path a bit, maybe go a bit north of here. Now that I have the bike I can always get back on track pretty quickly." he chuckled. "But that means I''d have to leave soon, to help make up for it. I still want to be on my way to Saffron in a few days at most."

    "A Pokemon researcher lives just a bit north of here." Misty commented at that as she spared the boy another glance. "By a beach."

    Ash nodded. He had caught wind of that during his stay at Cerulean. His main reason for heading off of the main trail was just to explore a bit more and see if he could find another teammate, not to mention he''d still probably be able to battle a lot of trainers along the way, given that plenty of other beginner trainers were all over the place in Cerulean''s area. But the news about the Researcher who had set up shop just at the edge of Cerulean''s territory also had him curious even further. Apparently he was supposed to be quite renowned.

    Looking behind him, down the trail that he and Misty had rode their bicycles on, Ash smiled as attention returned to the entrance of the cave.

    "I like this city." he commented simply after drinking some of his water. "Honestly, even without my dream, I might''ve become a trainer just as an excuse to see places like this."

    Misty snorted. After downing the rest of her water, she smirked ahead at the cave. "A lifetime of vacation, eh? Sounds pretty convenientˇ­" she sighed after a few seconds, however, before glancing over to Ash with a more genuine smile. "I know I love jabbing at you, but in all seriousness, it was pretty nice having you around."

    There was no strain in her voice as she looked back at the view ahead. No denial, no difficulty in delivery, no hesitation. A simple fact that fluidly rolled off her tongue. A friendly declaration that was made just as easily as any snarky comment, or outburst of anger that had ever escaped the smug hothead''s mouth.

    A sentence that Gary would have been completely incapable of speaking.

    Ash didn''t even have a strong reaction to that, simply nodding in response as he glanced over to the other trainer.

    "Glad the feeling''s mutual. Honestly, it''s nice being on the road with another person."

    Misty nodded in agreement as Ash took another brief sip of his water. "Yeah, it makes things a bit livelier. More interesting. Not to mention, it can just be helpful."

    Especially given what had happened back at Mt. Moon. Both children knew it, but neither dared sour the moment by speaking of it.

    They would not allow that to enter their minds today.

    Ash took the next few moments to finish his water up, as he and Misty finally rose from the rock. The aura of the area was so comfortable, neither of them would have wanted to stand again if they had stayed seated for much longer.

    Returning their now empty water bottles to their backpacks, the trainers looked downwards to the Pok¨¦mon in the water, mild consideration on their features as they thought of trying to make a quick catch, but both of them decided against it. They weren''t planning to be here for long.

    Nevertheless, Misty sighed. "Ughhˇ­ If the others weren''t waiting for us, this would be the perfect place for it, but I guess we''ll have to get to the Pokemon Center first."

    Ash shot his friend a curious glance. "Hmm?"

    As Misty raised her head at him, her eyes inescapably locking onto his, as though it was unavoidable, the flames in her eyes made Ash''s blood turn hot, rushing through his veins.

    The adrenaline was back. All from a simple look.

    The girl crossed her arms, pretending to be absent minded as she looked over her friend calmly. The serene expression on her face never reached her eyes, which betrayed her true intentions. The real emotions that the rest of her body language almost flawlessly hid from him.

    Ash just smiled at her, his grin small, but clear to see. Somehow, he looked forward to hearing what she was going to say. Maybe he wouldn''t have known otherwise, but the fire in her gaze told him all that needed to be told. Perhaps he would have been blindsided had it not been for that, but Misty''s subtle expression had given him enough clues.

    Crossing her arms cooly, Misty''s face was still even (except for her eyes) as she calmly stared Ash down.

    "Soˇ­" the orange-haired girl began, calm and collected as she addressed the other trainer. "We agree that there''s no hard feelings, right? We''re friends, we''re glad we met each other, we''d love to meet again, yada yada yada?"

    Ash nodded at her. "Of course," he said simply.

    "Good." said Misty. It was the last syllable she uttered before her mask of serenity broke.

    The blood rushing through Ash''s body sped up as Misty''s face took on the most competitive grin she had ever mustered, the fire in her eyes completely blending in with the rest of her expression as her smirk went wild.

    "Because none of that sentimental bullcrap is getting you out of a beatdown. Not from me." Her voice was definitive, aggressive, confrontational, and absolutely exhilarating.

    Now it was Ash''s turn to lose himself to the excitement. His grin nearly split his face in half as his eyes refused to leave Misty''s. As his heartbeat steadily sped up in his chest, he could feel his own fire from before return. He had never been overtaken by such an emotion before now, and this wasn''t likely to be the last time it happened.

    "Does that meanˇ­" he let her finish it for him.

    Ash was gripping one of the Poke Balls on his belt, but Misty had already beaten him to it, her arm shooting outward and holding the red and white orb towards him, the capsule pointing right at his chest as her arm stayed steady.

    "Ash Ketchum, I, the future''s greatest water type trainer, challenge you to a battle!"

    Her declaration was over the top. Shouted loudly, despite being for nobody''s ears but his own. Zero self-awareness to her own theatrics, and little chance that it would have changed her mind regardless.

    One sentence. One look in the eyes. One look on her face. And Misty had given him a bigger adrenaline rush than he imagined that any bike ride ever could.

    If Ash''s grin wasn''t wide before, it definitely was now as he unclipped the Poke Ball from his belt, glancing at the orb for just a brief moment before his gaze turned back to Misty, this time meeting her eyes deliberately.

    "I hope you can handle the disappointment."

    No amount of friendship that had been forged by their time together could ever hope to take priority over what they truly were: Competitors. Rivals.

    Pokemon trainers.

 Emboldened pt 2

    As much as their mutually-shared adrenaline rush had begged for the two to throw down right then and there (and they very nearly did), they suppressed their competitive urges just long enough to regroup with the others and head for the Pokemon Center. The battlefield was thankfully unoccupied upon their arrival.

    Ryan sat down next to Maria on the bench as Laura and Rockruff sat at the end of it. Grookey made his way up to the teenagers head as he observed Ash and Misty moving to take their positions.

    "Good luck, you two." he said as he watched them. "Just try not to tear up the place." he teasingly added.

    "Or do." said Maria with a bright giggle. "There''s really no need to limit the action, right?"

    Laura''s hand rested on her chin as she looked between the two trainer''s with a notable smirk creeping its way onto her lips.

    "Sooooˇ­ anyone placing bets?" It was probably her shameless tone of voice that got Misty turning back to her with a light glare.

    "You are not making money off of my battles, Laura!"

    Laura''s hands shot up in mock surrender. "Yeesh, girl. Whatever you say I guess."

    As Ash arrived at his spot, he looked back towards the bench, expecting to see Tyrunt with the others. He blinked when he saw no dinosaur observing from the sidelines, and a light nudge on his leg had him glancing downwards, just in time to see the Royal heir Pokemon pushing his head affectionately against Ash''s leg.

    Ash grinned at that. "I take it you want to be with me?"

    An excited nod and happy cry was all the answer that he needed.

    Ash felt some warmth in his chest at that. Not only did Tyrunt now want to keep watching battles, but he wanted to do it from by his side.

    A loud whistle from Misty brought both Ash and Tyrunt''s attention to the other side of the battlefield, her fists firmly pressing against her hips as the two trainer''s locked eyes once again, that fire in their spirit finally flaring up once more. Or maybe it had never left?

    "Silly little Ash Ketchumˇ­" Misty teased as she unclipped a Poke Ball from her belt. Her smirk grew even further as she enlarged the orb. "Did you really think you''d get away from me without getting smacked into the pavement at least once? A real trainer capitalizes on golden opportunities."

    Ash was too excited to feel nervous. In fact, he felt more daring than usual. "You sure you didn''t just wait until the last minute because you were having second thoughts?"

    Misty''s response was fairly controlled. No haughty laugh. No glare. Just a twinkle in the eye from the orange-haired trainer as she lightly flicked her ponytail in response to his banter.

    "Maybe I was just afraid of the guilt." she pretended to admit. "I mean, you might get pretty dejected after I stomp you. Buuut I can cross that bridge when I come to it."

    Ash shook his head lightly at her remark, his grin not leaving his face.

    Still more focused on the battle than the banter, he spoke up. "How many Pokemon?"

    She shrugged. "Why hold back? Four on four. We have as much time as we want."

    Ash nodded at that. It sounded like a plan.

    Tyrunt looked between the two trainers as they prepared to release their first Pokemon. Ash took a bit longer to pick than Misty.

    Half her team was water type. That would give Pikachu a good chance against her, especially since they didn''t have to worry about fighting in a pool anymore. But there was no telling if she''d use a water type first, and she probably knew that he was prepared to have Pikachu at the ready for them.

    Misty was tapping her foot impatiently, poke Ball already in hand, as Ash finally made his choice and unclipped one of the capsules from his belt.

    Both trainers perked up as, in a flash of light, two Pokemon of the same species appeared on the battlefield.

    Ash''s Eevee on his side, and Misty''s Eevee on hers.

    Misty''s lips curled up in amusement at that, and Ash couldn''t help himself either.

    Both Eevee seemed to be mildly surprised when they saw the opposing trainer on the other side of the field, glancing back at their own respective trainers in curiosity. It only took a quick nod from both trainers for the two evolution Pokemon to understand, gazing back at one another as they locked eyes.

    Ash felt somewhat nervous as the two normal types began to tense up in preparation. He had seen Misty''s Eevee battle against Lily, and although her battling style was similar to that of his own Eevee, she had at least one additional trick up her sleeve that they''d have to look out for.

    And of course, Misty knew his team just as much as he knew her own.

    The eager girl made the first move. "Advance, while using Swift!"

    Ash mildly grimaced at that. No doubt she was trying to make it harder for his own Eevee to avoid the attack, while simultaneously getting in close for a follow up.

    "Quick Attack, around the battlefield!" he countered.

    As Misty''s Eevee ran forward, the golden stars shooting out of her mouth, Ash''s Eevee took off sprinting to the side, circling around her opponent as the stars attempted to follow her, but lost their target and crashed harmlessly into the barriers.

    "Bite!" Ash called out as his Eevee successfully made her way behind Misty''s.

    "Double Kick!" Misty countered.

    Just as Ash''s Eevee closed in, jaws wide open and at the ready, Misty''s Eevee whirled around, legs glowing yellow as she brought a foot up to her opponent''s chin. Ash winced as his Eevee took the hit, her mouth being forced shut by the attack, before a second kick, aimed at her face, sent her rolling backwards near where Misty was standing.

    "Body Slam!" She followed up.

    She underestimated how long it would take for Ash''s downed Eevee to rise back to her feet, however. As Misty''s Eevee leapt overhead and prepared to catapult downwards towards her target, Ash''s Eevee sprang back up on all fours, skidding away just far enough to avoid the blow as her opponent uselessly collided with the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust as Misty''s Eevee was left wide open to the barrage of golden stars that escaped her doppelganger''s mouth.

    As Misty''s Eevee was pushed back into the barriers by the assault, Ash saw his chance.

    "Quick Attack!"

    At top speed, his Eevee rammed headfirst into Misty''s, prompting a pained wail as the opposing evolution Pokemon was sandwiched between the barriers and her opponent''s attack. Thankfully, the furry body of Misty''s Eevee provided a decent cushion for Ash''s to not hurt her head from the impact with the barriers.

    Ash wanted to keep up the pressure by ordering Eevee to use Bite, but now Misty was frantically shouting orders.

    "Iron Tail, hurry!"

    "Bite!" Ash called out.

    Misty''s own Eevee proved to be quite resilient herself, pulling away just in time to escape her opponent''s jaws as her tail became coated with metal. Although it took a bit longer than usual for her to pull off the attack (likely because she was still reeling from the opposing Eevee''s brief assault) she successfully swung her metallic tail forward, catching Ash''s Eevee with a direct hit to the jaw. Ash frowned as his Eevee was sent rolling back, stopping on her stomach as she struggled to her feet.

    No doubt the Double Kick and Iron Tail had left Eevee''s jaw sore at best. Which meant it would be harder to execute Moves that utilized it, not to mention the constant pain would slow Eevee down-

    "Shadow Ball!"

    Ash raised a brow at that.

    Waitˇ­ what?

    His Eevee seemed a bit bewildered as well, getting up to avoid the the ball of distorted energy that escaped from her opponent''s jaws, but getting hit just before she could start moving again. Although the impact of the attack sent her skidding backwards, the explosion causing her very mild pain, the ghost type move inevitably didn''t have much of a notable effect on the normal type Pokemon.

    Ash was wondering why Misty would use such a tacticˇ­ until the moment she followed up.

    "Iron Tail!" the hothead called out, just as the Shadow Ball made contact.

    The moment Eevee''s skidding came to a stop, she looked up in surprise to see her lookalike bolting towards her with Quick Attack, doing a somersault to bring the metallic tail down onto her head.

    The Shadow Ball was meant to lure them into a false sense of security, a frustrated Ash realized. It wouldn''t give Eevee as much of an adrenaline rush as an attack that would cause more outward harm, like Swift, for example. So Eevee, with not as much of a fight or flight response as usual, wouldn''t be as quick to get back up to her feet.

    And the impact, while borderline harmless, would leave them wide open for the finishing blow.

    CRACK!

    The metal tail collided with the top of Eevee''s head, the Evolution Pokemon colliding facefirst with the pavement, swiftly drifting out of consciousness.

    As Misty''s Eevee, bruised up but still battle ready, made her way back to her trainer, a dejected Ash took out Eevee''s Poke Ball and returned his partner.

    "Good work, Eevee. Take a rest." it was all he could really say.

    The sight of Misty''s smirk rubbed it in further. He had fallen for that quite pathetically. And for such an obvious tactic, too. It was certainly a clever one, but he couldn''t help but feel as though he should have picked up on his friend''s ulterior motive. Nobody would use a ghost type move against a normal type Pokemon without a sound reason for it.

    Ash would never say it outloud, but Misty''s willingness to play dirty sort of reminded him of Daisy.

    Crossing her arms cheekily and tilting her head to the side, Misty eyed her opponent for a moment before calling out to the boy.

    "Getting cold feet, kiddo? Is my prize money ready yet?" with some dramatics, she put a hand to her ear. "Go on, I''ll hear your surrender."

    Ash''s face tightened a bit, but his composure didn''t waver as his hand returned to his belt.

    "That was a nice trick, Misty." he complimented simply, before releasing his next Pokemon.

    Misty''s lips twitched further at Ash''s words as she eyed his next teammate.

    Pikachu appeared on the battlefield, already on all fours. Ash had wanted to save him for one of the water types, but the battle had taken a fairly disadvantageous turn pretty quickly. Eevee''s Shadow Ball and Iron Tail could both prove troublesome for Valiant, and although Nebula would be a good bet, that could just provoke Misty into switching out.

    Truth be told, none of Misty''s Pokemon could fight Pikachu comfortably. Her Jigglypuff would be in danger from his Iron Tail, her Eevee would face trouble from his Brick Break, and he had all of them beaten in terms of mobility. Eevee and Staryu likely both fared a bit better in that regard, but Ash''s hope was for Pikachu to overwhelm Eevee with superior speed and use his electricity to wear her down in time to close in with Brick Break. Plus, Eevee was likely a bit winded from the previous bout, making it harder to keep up with Pikachu''s own momentum. No doubt being bashed against the barriers the way she had been had at least somewhat depleted her strength.

    Misty''s situation was likely setting in for her, as her lips gradually curled downwards into a frown as her hand reached her chin, her gaze not leaving the electric mouse as his cheeks sparked expectantly, staring down Eevee for a moment before looking back at Ash with a nod.

    "Eevee''s been beat." Ash announced to his starter. At Pikachu''s frown, the boy offered the young mouse a thumbs up. "You know what to do, just outrun her."

    Pikachu smiled a bit at that, although his gaze remained serious as he returned his attention to Eevee.

    To Ash''s surprise, however, the evolution Pokemon did not stay on the battlefield for long, as Misty''s Poke Ball pulled Eevee back in with a flash of light.

    Ash quizzically watched as Misty said a few words to the round capsule, a kind smile on her face, before her expression steeled, a second Poke Ball finding its way to her hand as she released a new teammate.

    Ash blinked at the sight of Jigglypuff, who lightly bounced up and down before waving at Pikachu. The mouse offered her a quick smile before the serious look returned to his eyes.

    Jigglypuff was arguably the Pokemon that Ash least expected Misty to use against Pikachuˇ­ So what was her plan?

    Then again, as Ash''s mind wandered back to Misty''s previous Gym Battle, Jigglypuff still wouldn''t be defenseless against the electric mouse. Maybe Misty was just trying to catch him off guard?

    "Pikachu." The boy got his Starter''s attention as he knelt down for a moment. "That Jigglypuff knows Light Screen and Reflect, so she''ll probably use them to block your attacks. She knows Gyro Ball, too, which works both as an attack and a shield. You''ll have to find an opening, and strike with Iron Tail. Okay?"

    At Pikachu''s determined nod, Ash stood back up to see Misty finishing her own instructions to Jigglypuff, no doubt warning the rotund Normal Fairy Type about Pikachu''s speed. When Misty offered him a nod, signaling that she was ready, Ash returned the favor before pointing forward to their target.

    "Double Team, and Thunderbolt!"

    Pikachu was very used to the routine at this point, splitting into two Pikachu that both took off in separate directions, circling around their opponent as the real Pikachu prepared to fire off the blast of lightning.

    Predictably, the bolt was intercepted by the golden cube that erected around the Balloon Pokemon. Although Jigglypuff strained as the Thunderbolt impacted her golden barrier, a small crack forming on the point of the cube that the electric blast collided with, she remained unscathed in face of the assault.

    Having allowed his clone to fizzle out, Pikachu blitzed forward with Quick Attack, his now metallic tail smashing through the barrier with ease, aimed at the cracked point. Light Screen was built to repel attacks like Thunderbolt, but unlike Reflect, wasn''t nearly as effective against physical attacks.

    As the barrier shattered, Misty reacted fast. "Gyro Ball!"

    The impact of Iron Tail''s shockwaves had sent Jigglypuff skidding backwards, Pikachu quickly following after her with his tail still coated in metal.

    Just as the rapidly approaching Pikachu began to swing his tail towards Jigglypuff, the round Pokemon began rapidly rotating her body, which turned to steel as the Iron Tail smacked against it. Pikachu''s foe was sent flying through the air, unharmed as she exited the form and locked her eyes down onto her opponent.

    A ball of bright pink light began to form in Jigglypuff''s arms, extending into a beam that rapidly descended downwards towards its target. As Pikachu blitzed to the side to avoid the Dazzling Gleam, allowing the blast to kick up a cloud of dust as it impacted the battlefield, Jigglypuff returned to the ground, Misty calling out a new order just before she finished her descent.

    "Gyro Ball, then Fire Punch!"

    Using the momentum from her fall, Jigglypuff began spinning once more, returning back to her previous form just before hitting the ground. Pikachu''s eyes widened as she sped towards him, exiting her form just in time to engulf her fist in flames as she closed in on her target.

    A metallic tail blocked the strike, the flames from the balloon Pokemon''s fist superheating the metal on Pikachu''s tail as the young mouse was pushed back by the momentum. Flipping over from the impact, the yellow rodent landed steadily on his tail, only to be struck by a second pink beam just as he regained his bearings.

    Ash frowned as his Starter cried out in pain, sailing through the air before slamming an Iron Tail down onto the pavement to catch himself. The moment he returned to the ground, he slipped into Quick Attack, Iron Tail coated in electricity as Jigglypuff frantically raised a glass cube around herself in defense.

    SMASH!

    Perhaps Jigglypuff didn''t have enough time to raise her Reflect at full power, or maybe Pikachu''s Zap Tail provided him with the extra offensive power that was needed in order to shatter her barrier. Whatever the case, Jigglypuff was sent skidding backwards, wincing in mild pain as Pikachu followed after her again.

    But once again, the rotund combatant slipped into Gyro Ball, ready to intercept the assault.

    As Zap Tail sent Jigglypuff flying above the battlefield once more, Ash bit his lip in concern.

    At this rate, they wouldn''t be scoring any decisive hits. Jiggpluff had done this against Lily: Using the durability and rotation of Gyro Ball to deflect enemy attacks, with the Move also doubling as a means to maintain momentum to attack at high speeds. Alongside Reflect and Light Screen, it ensured that the Normal Fairy Type would have no shortage of defensive options.

    Jigglypuff made her way back down to the battlefield, no doubt planning to use a high-speed Fire Punch like before. Just as she descended down towards the pavement, Ash called out to his Starter Pokemon.

    "Double Team!"

    Misty groaned as Pikachu split into two copies, but pressed her offense.

    "Keep going, Jigglypuff!"

    Ash wondered how Jigglypuff was able to see her target while spinning so fast. Was she just guessing based on where Pikachu had been before?

    Pikachu seemed to pick up on this, however, staying close to his copy as the pink Pokemon closed in.

    Jigglypuff exited her rotating form and rocketed forward with a flaming fist, only for her target to fizzle out of existence upon impact. Behind her, Pikachu, who had circled around his target as she had thrown the punch at his copy, leapt upwards as he prepared a Zap Tail, swinging downwards to smash his opponent against the pavement.

    Jigglypuff whirled around just in time, however, striking back with her still flaming fist, even coating her other fist in fire as well. The double Fire Punch intercepted the Zap Tail, but Pikachu pushed forward, forcing the Ballon Pokemon down onto her back as sparks from the electricity from Zap Tail, now in point blank contact with her, painfully singed against her body, the flames on her fist getting close to her as well as Pikachu continued to push them downwards.

    It seemed like Pikachu would be landing the decisive hit, untilˇ­

    "Dazzling Gleam!" Misty''s voice was somewhat desperate.

    An explosion sent a yelping Pikachu flying backwards as Jigglypuff frantically fired the attack at point-blank. The impact from the explosion painfully assaulted the rotund Normal Fairy Type as she was sandwiched between the shockwaves and the pavement, while Pikachu, despite having Iron Tail to shield him, still cried out in pain as the shockwaves bruised him. He regained his composure in just enough time to use Iron Tail to break his fall.

    As Pikachu returned to all fours, Jigglypuff picked herself up and glared at the young rodent, who took note of her now charred fur. Patches of black and brown mixed in with the bright pink as the Balloon Pokemon''s cheeks expanded in frustration, clearly not appreciating the close call.

    Ash thought back to Misty''s Gym battle. What other moves did Jigglypuff know? Drain Punch and Body Slam, as far as he remembered. Body Slam would be risky to use against Pikachu, given his electricity, but Drain Punch would work quite well when coupled with Gyro Ball.

    Misty seemed to have a different strategy in mind, however. "Gyro Ball, then Dazzling Gleam!"

    Ash''s eyes widened a bit. She was trying to get in close to strike Pikachu with the blast. If she could hit him point blank, without Iron Tail in the wayˇ­

    Thankfully, Pikachu blurred to the side as Jigglypuff''s rotating form advanced. As the beam struck the barriers, Pikachu maneuvered his way behind his target, Iron Tail at the ready as Misty countered.

    "Gyro Ball again!"

    Pikachu''s Iron Tail uselessly struck against his rotund opponent''s rotating body. Ash couldn''t help but wonder if the attack was doing any damage to Jigglypuff, or if the blows were being nullified completely. Even if Jigglypuff was encased in metal, so was Pikachu''s tailˇ­

    At the very least, it was certainly cushioning the blows well, and the seemingly unharmed Balloon Pokemon was sent flying into the air, bouncing off one of the barriers and continuing to gain height.

    Misty smirked as Jigglypuff sailed high above Pikachu''s head, much higher than she had been at any other point in the battle.

    "Now! Metallic Divebomb! Then Drain Punch!"

    Ash flinched as he took a mild step back. He hadn''t heard of that technique before, but the name spoke for itself.

    Jigglypuff stopped spinning, but remained in her metal form. Pikachu''s eyes comically expanded like saucers as the round foe propelled herself downwards with Body Slam. Descending towards the battlefield with great speed, she just barely missed her mark as the panicking rodent desperately dashed out of the way.

    SMASH!

    The impact, however, generated an immense windforce. Pikachu still hadn''t dodged in time, being right next to the metallic, sphere-shaped Pokemon as she smashed her body against the pavement. The electric rodent was sent flying off of his feet as the shockwaves smashed into him.

    Ash knew for a fact that Pikachu would have been history if that attack had landed. Broken bones definitely would have been a very clear possibility. He was left with no time to be relieved, however, as Jigglypuff proceeded to execute Misty''s followup order.

    Jigglypuff practically bounced off of the ground, using a combination of her momentum, and the shockwaves from the impact, to propel herself forward as she exited her metallic form. Pikachu had used Iron Tail to stop his fall as always, but was left belching in pain as a glowing, green fist was driven into his gut.

    Misty had no doubt given Jigglypuff the Drain Punch command in preparation for the possibility of the speedy mouse avoiding their attack.

    Ash frowned sympathetically as Pikachu landed on his back, his fur dirtying as he bounced against the pavement a few times, before rolling for a couple of seconds, eventually stopping himself on his paws. His rotund opponent might as well have flown right into him, and he hadn''t even been able to break his fall like normal.

    The blow had hit hard, too. Ash could see Pikachu mildly panting from it, and no doubt his stomach was bruised as well.

    Looking over to Jigglypuff, who had steadily landed on her feet, Ash narrowed his eyes as the green energy from her fist expanded across her body, the spherical combatant taking a deep breath, before letting out a satisfied exhale as the energy dissipated.

    Drain Punch wasn''t just an attacking move. It was also a healing move. It took the energy from the target as it dealt damage to them, and used that energy to heal up the user. Which would mean that...

    ''Soˇ­'' Ash thought to himself, admittedly impressed. ''Jigglypuff had been taking damage from the Iron Tailsˇ­ her metal coating was just soaking up most of the impact. But Misty... she thought of that too, didn''t she?''

    Despite himself, Ash couldn''t help the grin making its way to his face. Misty was good. He already knew that from watching her battle against Lily and the other trainers that they had previously met on the road, but firsthand experience was a Hell of a lot more telling to him.

    She''d been upstaging them the entire battleˇ­ that needed to change quickly if they were going to win.

    Still, his rapid heartbeat didn''t feel like it was from stressˇ­ at least, not as much as usual.

    Struggling against an opponent was a lot more enjoyable if you had gotten to know them, he supposed. Unlike Gary, the only other trainer he''d faced that he''d known prior, Misty was someone that he could have a pleasant interaction with. It gave this entire battle a much different feel than any other match that he''d had before. He wondered if his team felt the same wayˇ­

    Then again, unlike him, they were actually taking the hits and feeling the pain. Still, Pikachu certainly seemed to enjoy battling, and Ash couldn''t help but take note of the grin on his Starter''s face, or the smile that Jigglypuff offered in return.

    Ash couldn''t let himself get lost in the enjoyment, however. His grin didn''t leave his face as he analysed the two combatants, but his thoughts never ceased, either.

    They needed to find a way to stop Jigglypuff''s Gyro Ball. Pikachu wouldn''t last much longer at this rate, if he kept exerting himself this much while Jigglypuff cushioned her way through his blows.

    The key would be halting the momentum that she got from the rotation, which meansˇ­

    "Gyro Ball again! Bounce off the barrier!"

    A bit far from the barrier, Jigglypuff leapt back, firing a Dazzling Gleam at Pikachu to halt his attempt at pursuing her as he was first to swerve to the side.

    "Pikachu!" Ash''s order caught the mouse''s attention as Jigglypuff landed further away and threw herself at the barrier.. "Get ready!"

    "Fire Punch!"

    Coated in metal, and rapidly spinning, Jigglypuff bounced off of the barrier and sped her way to her target.

    Ash grinned. "Thunder Wave!"

    On the sidelines, Ryan''s lips curled up knowingly as Pikachu let loose a blast of lightning towards his spinning target.

    Thunder Wave didn''t have nearly as much direct offensive power as a Thunderbolt did, but it made up for it with its ability to obstruct the opponent. Misty''s face turned sour as Jigglypuff collided with the bolt, her partner''s eyes widening in surprise as she felt her muscles lock up, suddenly finding it more difficult to move as fast as she had been, her rotation and advancement both slowing down.

    It didn''t halt her completely, but the follow-up would.

    "Thunderbolt!"

    A much more powerful bolt of lightning smashed into Pikachu''s rotund adversary, Jigglypuff yelping out loud as she was forced backwards, the metal encasing her fur dissipating as she struggled to maintain her balance.

    Ash almost cursed himself for not thinking of using Thunder Wave sooner. Back when Pikachu was still a Pichu, on Opening Day, they''re entire battle against that Meowth from Team Rocket had depended on utilizing paralysis moves to slow the violent cat down. But he had gotten so used to using purely offensive fighting styles with Pikachuˇ­

    They''d neglected Moves like Thunder Wave, but thankfully Pikachu''s growing experience with electricity still made it easy for him to use the move, even if he still didn''t have much practice with it. The more hindering properties of the technique were the main difference, but Pikachu still knew how to use the move, so even if it wasn''t as potent as it could have been otherwise, it was just enough, as the young mouse''s knowledge of other electrical techniques, along with the knowledge that he still had on Thunder Wave, allowed him to pull off the attack.

    No time to dwell on that, however. They had a battle to win, and an opponent who was finally wide open.

    "Zap Tail!"

    His Starter blitzed forward with Quick Attack, slamming his strongest attack into Jigglypuff as the spherical Pokemon screamed in pain. Misty started as her pink partner was sent flying backwards, slamming backfirst into the barriers (eliciting another yelp of pain) and bouncing off, landing face first into the pavement.

    Jigglypuff wasn''t down quite yet, however. The powerful steel type move slamming into her face, while coated with electricity, no less, had been a devastating blow, especially with the speed and momentum of Quick Attack to carry the force even further, leaving a nasty bruise and even more singed fur in addition to the charred spots from before. But despite that, Ash blinked in surprise as the normal/fairy type began to struggle to her feet.

    Jigglypuff''s defenses had been completely down when she took tha thit, but it looked like they would still need to finish things up.

    "Electro Ball!"

    As Pikachu bounded forward before leaping into the air, Jigglypuff staggered back to her feet, wobbling a bit before regaining her composure, just in time to see the mouse somewhat above her, a sizable ball of lightning at the tip of his tail.

    With no time to dodge, she raised two flaming fists to intercept the attack as it was tossed towards her.

    BOOM!

    The explosion kicked up a large cloud of dust that Pikachu ran back to avoid as he landed on his tail (which he coated with metal to intercept his fall as always). Ash was fairly confident, however, and Misty''s somewhat dejected expression told him that both trainers were expecting the same thing.

    Which they got, when the dust cleared, and an unconscious Jigglypuff was revealed, sprawled out on her back.

    Despite the victory, Ash couldn''t help but feel a little bit unsatisfied. If only he had been more used to using Thunder Wave when needed, the fight probably wouldn''t have been as difficult. At the very least, Misty would have been forced to change up her game plan.

    Nevertheless, he allowed himself to smile. A win was a win, and Pikachu had earned this comeback.

    "Great work, buddy! Thanks for hanging in there!"

    Pikachu smiled back at his trainer, offering him a cheerful, quick, "Chu!" in response before returning his focus on Misty.

    As Misty returned her pink partner, she felt a bit hollow inside herself, a somber grin on her face as she gazed at the capsule for a few moments.

    "Great work out there, Jigglypuff." She kept it short and sweet as she clipped the normal/fairy type''s poke Ball back onto her belt, before unclipping a new one.

    As Misty gazed at Pikachu, she inwardly frowned.

    ''That one was my fault.'' she thought to herself in disappointment. ''I should have known he''d know Thunder Wave. I''d just never seen him use it beforeˇ­''

    As she looked at her next capsule for a few seconds, Ash allowed himself to tease her a bit.

    "So, Misty," he started. "About that prize money you mentioned before?" He wasn''t sure he''d be saying this stuff if it was with anybody else, but the occasional banter didn''t bother him too much right now.

    "Oh, hardy har har." Misty grumbled, albeit with a light grin as the two trainer''s locked eyes from across.

    "Yo, Misty!" they heard Maria call out from the sidelines. "You sure you don''t want to switch to Contests? That Jigglypuff was a little bit stylish for normal battles!"

    "No commentary!" Misty quickly barked back at her friend before focusing on Ash again. She smiled. "Nice thinking there. Was it your plan to fool me into thinking you didn''t know such a common move?"

    Ash rubbed the back of his neck with a hint of bashfulness at the jab. Either she was accusing him of being more conniving than he actually wasˇ­ or she had already figured out that he hadn''t thought of using Thunder Wave nearly as quickly as he, by all means, probably should have.

    "You didn''t exactly tell me about your combo." he pointed out casually. He received a shrug in response.

    "Fair enough." Misty admitted. "We''re even. Now thenˇ­" her lips curved upwards in full as she tossed the orb into the air.

    Ash wasn''t too surprised when Staryu appeared, Misty''s starter briefly looking back at her quizzically after seeing Ash and Pikachu on the other side. At its trainer''s nod, Staryu turned back and fixed its gaze onto Pikachu, who''s cheeks began to spark in readiness.

    By this point, Ash had seen Staryu battle a decent few times. He knew the girl''s starter was the real deal. Its aerial use of Rapid Spin gave it far better mobility than it would otherwise have, and by beginner-level Pokemon standards, it had access to a notable variety of moves, with the power necessary to back up such versatility. As far as beginner-level Pokemon were concerned, it was a jack of all trades, and likely master of a few.

    Ash couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous about this next round. Pikachu wasn''t exhausted, but he was probably not at full capacity after the bout with Jigglypuff. They''d have to break through Staryu''s defenses and end the match quickly. Electricity would score them decisive blows as long as they could land direct hits.

    "Be careful, Pikachu." the boy looked down to his starter as the rodent''s legs tensed up, ready to spring forward. "Staryu has a pretty diverse arsenal. So it and Misty are going to be prepared for just about anything."

    Pikachu nodded in understanding, gazing Staryu down with mild concern as the starfish readied itself.

    "Don''t be reckless," he warned the mouse quickly. "But try to end the match fast. We don''t want a drawn out battle with this opponent."

    Misty called out. "Bubble Beam!"

    The gem in the middle of Staryu''s body lit up as a barrage of glowing bubbles made their way out. The starfish turned its body, allowing the stream of bubbles to follow after Pikachu as the mouse manuevered to avoid the attack.

    As Pikachu circled around the battlefield and approached Staryu''s side, he took a leap into the air, preparing to strike downwards with Zap Tail, only for his attack to instead strike the glass cube that now walled in Staryu.

    The Reflect provided a serviceable means of defense for the water type, who was only subjected to half-nullified shockwaves as Pikachu''s sparking, metallic tail left a large crack in the cube. As Pikachu pulled back from the collision, Staryu dropped the barrier and suddenly took off into the sky, spinning through the air as it circled around to charge for the rodent.

    A yelping Pikachu narrowly leapt out of Staryu''s path as the mysterious starfish ceased Rapid Spin, a barrage of golden stars now escaping from its once again glowing gem.

    Splitting himself in two with Double Team, Pikachu dashed across the battlefield, his clone going in a separate direction as they avoided the onslaught of glowing projectiles. Dust kicked up as the golden stars rained down onto the pavement, and Pikachu ceased the opportunity to allow his clone to fizzle pout as he let loose an upwards Thunderbolt with a loud battlecry.

    Staryu had seen the electrical blast coming, however, and had wrapped itself in a golden cube just in time for the hit to land. As Staryu descended back down to the battlefield, jolts of static seeped through the crack that formed on the barrier, mildly singing the starfish''s body. But as the golden cube was dissipated upon landing, it was clear that no serious harm had been done.

    Ash knew that using Double Team against Staryu wouldn''t do much as long as Reflect and Light Screen gave it the means to defend, not to mention Rapid Spin giving it the means to dodge. Staryu wouldn''t have to guess which Pikachu to defend from so long as it could just encase its entire body, or just leap above the battlefield entirely. Excessive use of Reflect and Light Screen would surely wear it down, but Pikachu''s excessive use of Double Team would do the same to him. The best thing to do would be to conserve their energy for now.

    "Pikachu," he called out to his Starter. As Pikachu''s ears perked up, Ash nodded. "No more Double Team for now. Use Zap Tail!" Ash knew that allowing Misty to hear his order might not be the best strategy, but Pikachu was too far away to hear him otherwise if he said it quieter.

    The mouse nodded at Ash''s instructions as he raced forward, encasing his tail in metal, electricity flowing through the metallic tail as the rodent instinctively slipped into Quick Attack.

    Theoretically, Quick Attack would eventually wear Pikachu down as well, but it wasn''t as mentally taxing as Double Team, and Pikachu had long since trained up his physical endurance. It would take a lot longer for the electric type to run out of breath. Even the energy lost from his battle with Jigglypuff wouldn''t prevent him from being able to fight at top speed for a while longer.

    "Rapid Spin!" Misty called out as Pikachu began his advance. "Avoid him!"

    Ash felt mild frustration as Staryu took off into the air just in time to avoid Pikachu''s strike, although the boy didn''t notice the few sparks that brushed up against the starfish''s rapidly rotating body as Pikachu missed his mark.

    Staryu expertly pressed its two bottom limbs against one of the barriers as it propelled itself off, spinning towards Pikachu in midair. The mouse dodged to the side, only for a rainbow-colored beam to escape from the starfish''s glowing gem and blast the screaming mouse across the battlefield.

    "Pikachu!" Ash hollered in concern as the explosion from the Psybeam kicked up a minor cloud of dust, Pikachu''s fur dirtying further as he rolled across the pavement before stopping on all fours once more.

    "Dazzling Gleam!" Pikachu didn''t have time to catch his breath as Misty let out her next order, a bright pink beam of light escaping from her starfish partner''s gem as Ash frantically yelled at his starter to get out of the way.

    Pikachu just barely avoided it, running forward and out of the blast''s path. However, when the beam struck the ground where he had previously been standing, the wind force generated by the shockwaves disrupted the rodent''s balance. Although Pikachu caught himself before he could fall over, it gave Misty just enough time for another order.

    "Winter Stream!"

    A large Water Gun was let loose from Staryu''s body. However, it was accompanied by the frigid breeze of Icy Wind. As the blast of liquid barreled into Pikachu, the mouse''s breath caught in his throat as he tried to cry out in pain, only to be overtaken by an abrupt shiver as the freezing cold water bathed his fur.

    Pikachu was too caught off guard by the frigid temperature of the attack to catch himself with Iron Tail as he was catapulted across the field, landing in the pavement and struggling to his feet as his body continued to shiver.

    Ash bit his lip at the turn of events. He hadn''t been expecting that tactic. Misty hadn''t used it against Lily. But his eyes widened at her next command.

    "Scald!"

    "Pikachu! Out of the way!"

    A surge of adrenaline rushed through Pikachu''s blood as he made his way to his feet and leapt backwards, but Staryu was already upon him. Perhaps Pikachu would have avoided the attack otherwise, but Staryu had utilized Rapid Spin to advance forward while executing the move, allowing itself to be closer to its target upon letting loose.

    It paid off.

    Staryu had just recently been given the Scald TM, and therefore, was hardly able to use it at the capacity of the Pokemon that Ash and Misty had faced back at the Cerulean Gym. But hot water was hot water, and as the narrow stream of boiling liquid splashed over Pikachu''s back, Ash almost had to cover his ears over the agonizing scream of pain that his starter let loose.

    That had been the real reason why Misty had ordered Staryu to use their combo first, Ash immediately realized. Pikachu''s body was still freezing cold from the attack, allowing the Scald to be far more effective than it already would have been normally. Pikachu''s freezing cold body had been vulnerable to it, the sudden change of temperature jarring and merciless.

    As Pikachu writhed on the pavement with tears streaming down his face, Misty had a miniscule glint of guilt in her eyes as she observed the young mouse. As if to put him out of his misery, she gave the final order.

    "Psybeam!" she called out with a raised hand.

    Pikachu struggled to power through the pain, attempting to rise back on all fours as Staryu prepared its attack. It was to no avail, however, and the electric mouse found himself on the receiving end of the finishing blow as his face was struck full force with the rainbow-colored beam.

    Ash was already taking his Poke Ball out as Pikachu was blown back by the powerful blast, his starter''s unconscious form left lying on his back as the dust settled.

    Returning his partner to the capsule, Ash smiled apologetically at the orb.

    "You did good, Pikachu." he declared kindly. "Take a rest. We''ll win this, don''t worry"

    Clipping Pikachu''s Poke Ball back to his belt, Ash observed Misty and Staryu, the Water specialist crossing her arms as her Starter made its way back to her side of the field.

    No doubt Misty and Staryu had gone into the battle with the same mentality as him and pikachu. End things as quickly as possible. That combination that they had used at the end of the bout was perfectly suited for such a thing, for sure.

    Misty had, after all, known that Pikachu was the one who posed the biggest threat to her. His starter''s movepool and speedy attributes meant that it was a potential counter for any member of her team, and a decisive hit from one of Pikachu''s electric attacks would have instantly turned the battle in the mouse''s favor.

    Misty and Staryu had shut that threat down, however. And now that they had retaken the lead in the match, Ash was left with limited options as he tried to pick up the pieces.

    Ash''s hand ran between Valiant and Nebula''s Poke Balls as Tyrunt observed him curiously. Either one would be strong contenders, but Valiant''s mobility was outclassed by Staryu, whereas Nebula would be in constant danger from Icy Wind and Thunderbolt.

    Ash mildly hummed to himself, not realizing that he was doing it outlook until he saw Tyrunt''s quizzical look. He sent the baby an apologetic glance.

    "Sorry," he spoke sheepishly as the Royal heir Pokemon tilted his head. "Just thinking."

    Returning his attention to Misty and Staryu, Ash allowed a hand to make its way to his chin. Valiant or Nebulaˇ­

    Misty didn''t say anything, seemingly noticing that he was deep in thought.

    After a few more moments of thinking, Valiant appeared in front of Ash. His Thunderbolt gave him a better means to attack Staryu, and despite Staryu having access to effective defensive Moves, Valiant had the same ones.

    Valiant perked up at the sight of their opponents, but a quick nod from Ash was all the Kirlia needed.

    Ash was just about to give the Emotion Pokemon some instructions as Valiant''s gaze became fixed on the starfish, when Misty''s Starter abruptly disappeared back into her Poke Ball.

    A few seconds later, Eevee was back on the field, perking up at the sight of Valiant and growling in preparation for the bout.

    Tyrunt''s face had split into a grin as Valiant showed up, the infant dinosaur jumping up and down and waving his tiny arms as the young Kirlia looked back and smiled at him.

    Grinning at the interaction, Ash crouched down to look his partner in the eyes. "Valiant, that Eevee beat our Eevee earlier, and she knows how to use Shadow Ball and Iron Tail. Neither attack will be good news for you, so keep your barriers ready, or be prepared to use Teleport or Shadow Sneak." he held up a finger. "Just make sure you use them wisely. We''re at a disadvantage right now. They''re in the lead, so we need to conserve our energy." The Kirlia soaked up Ash''s information, just as he often seemed to, and nodded evenly with a light, reassuring grin.

    Ash returned the gesture just before Valiant turned back to lock eyes with Eevee, who held her head high in preparation for the next round.

    Ash knew that Misty''s Eevee was still wounded from the battle with his own, but she couldn''t have been in too bad a shape if Misty was confident enough sending her out against Valiant. No doubt she was planning for another quick victory, but Ash knew that he and his team couldn''t afford a repeat of Pikachu and Staryu.

    He''d told Valiant what he needed to watch out for. He''d reminded him to be conservative and tactical about his more taxing moves. That was the best that he could do before the battle started.

    Despite the disadvantage, however, the excitement from before reentered his chest as the battle finally resumed.

    "Iron Tail!"

    At her trainer''s command, Eevee slipped into Quick Attack, her tail already coated in metal as she leapt up to bring it down on top of Valiant''s head.

    Valiant flashed out of existence, appearing several feet away from the Evolution pokemon as her tail smacked the pavement. His eyes shined as he fired Psybeam in her direction.

    But Misty had already warned Eevee about the incoming attack, and as she shouted "Watch out!" The quadruped spun around on her forelegs and smacked the approaching, rainbow-colored blast with her still metal tail. A Shadow Ball was already forming in her jaws as the deflected blast dissipated, and Valiant had to frantically encase himself in a golden cube as the orb of ghostly energy barreled towards him.

    The high-speed attack struck the barrier as Valiant braced himself, the Kirlia feeling the windforce as the ghostly energy cracked the front of the cube. As Eevee advanced forward once more, raising her still metal coated tail to destroy the cube completely, Valiant lowered the barrier as his eyes glowed with focus.

    Telepathy did its work.

    Reading Eevee''s body language, and examining her muscles, Valiant saw that she wasn''t going to leap up to deliver a downward blow like before. As Eevee spun around on her forelegs and aimed to slap Valiant in the skull, the Kirlia ducked his head as he skillfully leaned backwards and swayed to the side.

    The metallic tail passed over the Kirlia''s head, Valiant feeling the wind in his face as he maneuvered to Eevee''s side and fired a point-blank Dazzling Gleam.

    The pink beam was even more painful for the Evolution Pokemon due to the injury to the side that she had previously sustained against Ash''s Eevee. Misty flinched as her partner cried out in pain, catapulting multiple feet across the battlefield and rolling along the pavement.

    Valiant followed up with a quick Psybeam, which sailed through the air and towards its target as Misty began frantically shouting at her friend to get out of the way. Her words ere thankfully head, as Eevee picked herself up and dashed away from the blast.

    "Point-blank Shadow Ball!"

    "Teleport!" Ash quickly called out to counter, his eyes widening at the sound of the command.

    Eevee''s jaw began to fill with ghostly energy as she slipped into Quick Attack, blitzing her way towards her Psychic opponent as the ghostly energy formed into an orb shape.

    If Valiant got hit by that, the ghostly energy would wreak havoc on his body. Direct hits from ghost type moves were known to interfere with an unsuspecting Psychic''s system, unless they had trained to develop a better endurance to it, or had an additional typing that canceled out the weakness.

    Thankfully, Valiant flashed away from Eevee just as she was upon him, the Shadow Ball rocketing out of her jaws and harmlessly into the barrier. As Valiant reappeared in the center of the arena, Misty pointed at Eevee''s target.

    "Circle around him!"

    Eevee complied, and Valiant suddenly found himself artificially encased as the Evolution Pokemon, slipping into Quick Attack once more, and ran circles around the Kirlia.

    Ash was a bit nervous, but he also knew that Valiant had gone through this before: against Pikachu in Pewter City.

    A nostalgic smile made its way to the boy''s face as Valiant sank into his shadow, Eevee abruptly skidding to a stop in shock as her opponent surprisingly began moving along the ground with Shadow Sneak.

    Misty''s eyes were wide, a bead of sweat making its way down her neck at the turn of events. A few seconds later, she comically shook her head over and over to regain her bearings, before shouting back out at the battlefield.

    "Move, Eevee! Keep moving!"

    Complying once more, Eevee resumed Quick Attack, running all over the battlefield as Valiant began to lie in wait.

    She was only tiring herself out, but Shadow Sneak was also taxing for Valiant if he kept it going for too long.

    Thankfully for Valiant, the Kirlia was doing exactly what he had done against Pikachu on that day. Predicting Eevee''s movements, and where she will be.

    The unsuspecting quadruped was caught unawares as her dashing was interrupted by a painful barrage of glowing, green leaves that escaped from Valiant''s palm, the Kirlia rising out of the ground and taking aim at his target.

    Eevee''s fur looked a lot less clean now as she rolled across the pavement yet again. She came to a halt on all fours, Valiant turning to scrutinize her as she rose back up to her feet, panting a bit.

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    Ash was impressed by this Eevee''s resilience. Valiant''s raw power had spiked after his evolution, but even after the hits that Eevee took, not to mention the injuries that she had sustained from his own Eevee, she was still in the game.

    Misty smiled at her partner''s endurance, but showed no cockiness as she gave her next order.

    "Swift!"

    Ash was about to order Valiant to raise a Light Screen in response to the golden stars, but stopped himself at the last second.

    "Shadow Sneak again!"

    Misty was likely planning to wear Light Screen down with repeated assaults before trying her luck at a point blank attack. Swift was much more difficult to avoid, as Valiant lacked Pikachu''s fluid movement at the moment. If he teleported away, the stars could still potentially pursue him.

    But if he went back into the ground with Shadow Sneakˇ­

    Misty''s heart sank as Valiant once again dipped his body back into the dark aura that manifested beneath his feet. The golden stars no longer had a target, rocketing their way across the battlefield until they finally collided harmlessly into the barriers.

    Ash called out to his partner. "Grab Eevee and use Dazzling Gleam!"

    Eyes wide as saucers, Misty was sweating rapidly as she let out a panicked counterorder.

    "Run around the battlefield! Fast as you can!"

    As Valiant''s shadowy form moved across the ground in the evolution Pokemon''s direction, the quadruped broke into a hasty Quick Attack as she sped her way around the battlefield, knowing that it would be over for her if her opponent took hold of her.

    Ash frowned a bit at that. He had figured that Eevee would break into another run, as much as he would have preferred for Valiant to succeed in grabbing onto his opponent, but it wasn''t like the plan was thwarted. Now, they were just in a repeat of before.

    Misty seemed to realize this, too, as her face did not project confidence as Eevee dashed across the pavement.

    It went on for a good few moments, almost feeling like a few minutes, both Pokemon maneuvering their way across the arena as Valiant attempted to take aim. Eevee was moving faster, but Valiant was following her almost perfectly, just waiting for the moment when he had finally locked onto her.

    "Get your Iron Tail ready!" Misty seemed to be preparing for the worst as Eevee''s tail became coated with metal. Ash bit his lip at that.

    The moment finally came when Valiant finally rose out of his shadowy aura, at last getting a clean shot on the Eevee as he fired off the bright, glowing pink beam.

    Eevee swerved around just in time, however, slapping the blast away from her with her metal coated tail as she spun around on her forelegs.

    Unfortunately for her, however, Valiant had immediately followed up, teleporting right to her side and letting loose a Psybeam that collided point-blank with the back of her head.

    Misty cried out as her partner was sent flying a few feet away from Valiant, stopping herself on all fours and struggling to get back up after her body finished rolling across the pavement. The young evolution Pokemon''s teeth grinded, her eyes clenched shut for a brief moment as she attempted to power through the pain.

    But then she fell onto her stomach, and her eyes were closed yet again. She made no further attempts to return to her feet.

    A somewhat dejected Misty returned her unconscious partner to her Poke Ball as Tyrunt cheered happily. When Valiant looked back to his trainer and the dinosaur, Ash offered him a thumbs up, grinning good-naturedly at his partner.

    "Great work, Valiant! We''ve evened things out now." Ash''s praise was accompanied by more cheering from Tyrunt.

    As the grinning Kirlia brought his attention back to Misty, who had just finished saying some words of encouragement to the Poke Ball carrying her fallen Eevee, the water specialist sighed before flicking her hair a bit, glancing at Ash with what looked to be a somewhat neutral expression.

    "Heh, wasn''t expecting a Kirlia to use Shadow Sneak that way." she admitted, her eyes briefly making their way towards Valiant before setting their gaze back to Ash. "Guess that means that this battle''s in its second half." A light smirk crept its way to her face. "You better not go losing momentum on me, Ash Ketchum. I don''t take kindly to being let down."

    The fire was surging through Ash''s chest again as he shook his head honestly.

    "I would never." he said in a straight voice, his grin meeting Misty''s smirk.

    Misty chuckled as she unclipped another Poke Ball. "As long as you know that I''m holding you to that."

    Staryu appeared in front of Valiant, the two immediately locking their gazes onto one another.

    The boy couldn''t help but wonder how the Psychic felt about this. Although they hadn''t spent as much time together as Nebula and Prinplup, Valiant and Staryu seemed to have developed something of a minor kinship with one another. Ash wouldn''t be able to pinpoint the reasoning, as Staryu''s attributes made it very difficult for him to ascertain the starfish''s personality, although Misty probably had a much better grip on what her Starter Pokemon was like.

    As his back was to them, Ash and Tyrunt couldn''t see Valiant''s expression, but the look in his eyes was fairly mutual. He didn''t look at Staryu the same way he did at the other Pokemon that he''d faced up to this point.

    "Valiant." The Emotion Pokemon perked up at the sound of Ash''s voice, but didn''t look away from his opponent. "Staryu beat Pikachu. It can maneuver around in the air, has access to the same defensive techniques that you do, and has a good deal of variety with its ranged attacks."

    As Valiant nodded, Ash regrettably wasn''t too sure how they would approach this upcoming bout. Ideally, they''d have to go for a powerful Thunderbolt, but Staryu had already proven itself to be more than capable of defending against electricity. They had to deal with the barriers first, but Staryu''s Rapid Spin was another obstacle as well.

    As Misty finished instructing Staryu (likely warning it that Valiant had beaten Eevee), she locked eyes with Ash, silently questioning him if he was ready. At Ash''s nod, she pointed forward.

    "Swift!"

    "Shadow Sneak!"

    Valiant sank into the puddle of darkness that spawned at his feet just as Staryu let loose the barrage of golden projectiles. The stars passed over where the young Kirlia once was, colliding with the barrier in front of Ash and Tyrunt as Valiant''s now shadowy form began to advance towards his Water type opponent.

    Staryu had caught onto this, however, taking off into the air with Rapid Spin just as the golden onslaught had missed its mark. Now Valiant couldn''t blindside it, but that depended on how long the starfish was capable of staying in the air. Even with Rapid Spin, it couldn''t actually fly.

    At the same time, Valiant would exhaust himself if he kept Shadow Sneak going for too much time at once, and losing a war of attrition with a versatile Pokemon like Misty''s Staryu would spell certain doom for them.

    "Magical Leaf!" he called out with cupped hands.

    Exiting his shadowy form, Valiant held up the green orb forming in his hands, along it to erupt with glowing leaves that sailed towards their airborne target.

    Staryu was ready for this, however, expelling a blast of cold, icy air from its glowing gem that intercepted the leaves. As the Icy Wind froze the leaves over, they were sent into freefall, unceremoniously descending down onto the battlefield, as Staryu prepared to land.

    "Bubble Beam!"

    Just before Staryu prepared to hit the pavement, its gem glowed yet again, a stream of bubbles propelling across the battlefield towards Valiant.

    The Emotion Pokemon immediately flashed out of existence, appearing a few feet behind the starfish with another green orb at the ready. A golden cube surrounded the Water Type as the green projectiles approached.

    Ash gazed at the current display as the leaves pelted against the golden barrier, leaving tiny cracks in their wake, only for Staryu to drop the cube the moment the assault was finished, Misty''s next order making itself known.

    "Winter Stream!"

    Ash shivered unpleasantly at the familiar name, remembering the doom that it had spelt out for Pikachu. Thankfully, the ice-cold rush of water that escaped from the starfish''s body was blocked off by Valiant''s own golden cube. The Kirlia mildly shivered as he felt the frigid temperature of the blast, but remained unharmed.

    Both Pokemon could block each other''s attacks. Valiant could get out of sight with Shadow Sneak, but Staryu could deprive him of the means of a sneak attack thanks to using Rapid Spin to ascend into the air.

    At this point, it would be a matter of who ran out of energy first if nobody could break the stalemate.

    Was there any reliable way for Valiant to land a decisive hit?

    "Rapid Spin!" Misty''s next order came the moment Valiant dropped his cube, Staryu kicking its way off of the ground and swiftly barreling its now rotating body towards the Emotion Pokemon.

    Simply dodging downwards or to the side wouldn''t cut it against Staryu''s spinning body, especially with the speed it was going at. Ash mildly bit his lip as Valiant once again flashed out of existence, appearing a few meters away on the battlefield.

    If Valiant kept using Teleport, he''d wear himself down. But if he took the hit, it would have been worseˇ­

    Misty was grinning as Staryu circled around. "Thunderbolt!"

    Valiant encased himself inside of another golden cube as Staryu stopped its spinning, body crackling with electricity, charging up the attack right before firing a blast of lightning from midair.

    Staryu was really good with Thunderbolt, as Ash had learned from watching Misty''s battle with Lily. It probably had a better handle on the move than Valiant himself, even if it still came more naturally to Pikachu.

    Valiant braced himself, arms still extended forward as the bolt of lightning crashed into the cube. The shockwaves pushed against his body, the young Kirlia feeling mild static as the blast encased the cube itself, electricity seeping through the small cracks formed by the impact.

    The Emotion Pokemon''s skin was mildly singed as Valiant lowered his barrier, a hard gaze on his opponent as Staryu landed upright on the pavement.

    If Thunderbolt was enough to put this much strain on Valiant''s Light Screen, that meant that Misty had the advantage. He could switch Valiant out for Nebula, but what if Misty switched Staryu out as well? Now that she knew for sure that her Starter had the upper hand, she would probably just save the starfish for the Kirlia.

    Misty seemed to be aware of Ash''s predicament as she grinned excitedly. "Bubble Beam!"

    Staryu''s barrage of bubbles collided with yet another Light Screen, Ash chewing on his lip as the projectiles pelted the golden, cube-shaped barrier.

    ''Anything Valiant does will just get blocked.'' the young rookie thought to himself. ''Staryu hasn''t landed any true hits yet, but they''re putting more pressure on us than the other way around.'' The boy wracked his brain for solutions as Valiant''s Light Screen dissipated, him and Staryu now in the middle of another face off.

    His eyes made their way to Misty, who''s fists were planted against her hips as she eyed him with a smile. In what he couldn''t tell was a condescending or teasing gesture, the girl mildly tilted her head to the side as the two trainers stared one another down, her grin not leaving her lips.

    At this rate, she could just keep the stalemate going until Valiant tired himself out, and then close in for the kill. Staryu would exhaust some of its energy as well, but, at this rate, would be in better shape. Both Pokemon could only use Light Screen so many times, and while Thunderbolt was likely a strenuous move for Staryu to use on repeat, it only needed to use it on occasion to ensure the extra pressure put on Valiant and his golden barriers.

    Looking over to Valiant, the young Kirlia wasn''t breathing hardˇ­ yet. There was still time to turn this in their favor, but they couldn''t seize an opportunity unless it was presented to them.

    The battle with Poliwhirl flashed back into his head. Valiant had defeated Poliwhirl with that reckless tactic, trapping both of them in Light Screen in order to deliver a powerful, fully charged Thunderbolt at point blank. No doubt such a tactic would cripple Staryu, who could easily block the blow with Light Screen if it was used from a distance, but would have no way of escaping from it at point blank.

    But Valiant had injured himself with said strategy. It was a double edged sword that would ensure a painful shock for the young Emotion Pokemon as well.

    ''It''s too risky.'' thought Ash to himself. ''After all-''

    As he brought his gaze over to Staryu, he suddenly stopped himself.

    ''...Waitˇ­''

    Ash didn''t allow himself to grin. He almost did, but managed to stop himself at the last second. Misty couldn''t know his confidence, or else this wouldn''t work. And despite the excitement of the idea, he couldn''t guarantee it just yet.

    This was a gamble, but it was better than keeping things the way that they were right now.

    "Valiant." Ash''s face was as calm as he could manage as the young Kirlia soaked up his trainer''s words. Ash pointed towards Staryu, and Misty''s eyes widened at the command. "Teleport onto Staryu. Point blank Thunderbolt!"

    Misty''s breath momentarily caught in her throat as Valiant flashed away from his spot onto the battlefield, suddenly appearing on top of Stary, holding onto the starfish''s back as the electricity gathering up in his hands rolled down the water type''s body.

    Ash could feel the sweat rolling down his cheeks as he watched with bated breath. And then-

    Misty''s eyes were flaring with determination. "I don''t think so!" she barked. "Rapid Spin!"

    Ash''s eyes widened as Staryu leapt up and twirled in midair. Valiant cried out in displeasure as he was immediately flung off of the starfish''s body.

    But in a moment of good fortune, he did not stop charging the blast.

    Valiant hollered in determination as he powered through the shock of his sudden flight and allowed the electric beam to erupt out of his hands. Still close to full power, the beam soared through the air and closed in on its target.

    Seeing the bolt incoming, Staryu frantically surrounded itself in Light Screen, but didn''t have nearly enough time to prepare the Move. The golden barrier that surrounded the starfish was weak and fragile, and although the blast of lightning was stopped in its tracks by its presence, it was not uselessly deflected away like it would have been otherwise.

    A notable cry of pain escaped Staryu as severe cracks formed on the barrier, allowing large portions of the bolt''s electricity to invade the safety of the cube. It wasn''t the full brunt of the blast, but it was certainly a great deal of it.

    Ash couldn''t help the grin from forming on his face anymore, the triumph in his eyes impossible to hide.

    Misty had done it! Unlike Poliwhirl, Staryu actually did have the means to escape from Valiant''s grasp. But by using Rapid Spin to toss the Kirlia offˇ­ that also meant that Valiant didn''t have to worry about being caught in the blast zone.

    It wasn''t the crippling blow to Staryu that it would have been otherwise, but the undersized Light Screen that the starfish had been forced to hastily erect could only fully block off a portion of the blast. This was still a big hit.

    As Valiant neared the pavement, he braced himself for the impact, body dirtying as he painfully collided with the ground, rolling aaross for a few moments before stopping himself on both hands, and beginning to pick himself up.

    He was breathing a bit hard now. No doubt the usage of Thunderbolt had worn him out. But he was in better shape than he would have been otherwise. The collision with the ground had done less damage to his body than being zapped by his own attack would have. He thankfully hadn''t been that high up.

    As Valiant rose back up to his feet and rotated his dirty and bruised body in his opponent''s direction, the boy watched Staryu''s landing next. The Kirlia''s eyes were fixed with an even glare as the two observed Staryu crashing to the ground, struggling its way back up as its body emitted hot steam, tiny sparks of electricity occasionally cracking along its skin.

    Staryu was worn out too. And more injured than Valiant. Which means that Misty could no longer afford to stall things out.

    As her Starter did what appeared to be panting (Ash was having a hard time telling due to Staryu''s lack of a face), a startled Misty brought her gaze over to Ash, her eyes lighting up as she caught sight of his expression. Ash couldn''t hide his excitement, and she had realized what had happened too late.

    After a few seconds of silence, Misty''s shocked expression slowly altered into a wide grin.

    "You...bastard!" Despite her choice of words, and the apparent anger in her tone, she was smiling uncontrollably, her pupil''s as bright as a flame. "You weren''t trying to hit us close up at all, were you?! You knew that we were gonnaˇ­" she trailed off as her voice quieted.

    Ash could feel his heart racing from the adrenaline. It had actually worked! He couldn''t help but lose himself in the excitement as he gazed back at his opponent.

    "Can''t say it didn''t work, right?" there was no cockiness in his voice. Just ecstasy. Eagerness. Loaded with accumulating adrenaline.

    Misty returned his gaze in full. Her blood was rushing as well. The fire in her spirit wasn''t an angry one, like with her confrontation with her one burned much more enjoyably.

    "You''re gonna pay for that." she spoke with clear finality, the anger in her voice being replaced with uncompromising excitement as her grin practically split her face in half. "I''ll have your head! Winter Stream!"

    Grinning madly, Ash reveled in the adrenaline flowing through his veins as he called out to Valiant. "Dazzling Gleam!"

    Now that Staryu was injured and worn down, there could be no more excessive defense. With both Pokemon now approaching their limits sooner rather than later, the war of attrition was now simply a war.

    Staryu twirled its body as it gathered its strength, the frigid blast of water rushing out of its body and towards Valiant, who fired a large, pink beam from the glowing orb in his palms.

    Freezing cold water splashed across the battlefield as the two attacks collided, Misty following up the moment the blasts exploded against each other.

    "Rapid Spin!"

    Staryu had already begun advancing in Valiant''s direction immediately after it had finished off executing the aquatic combo, kicking off the ground upon hearing Misty''s next order, twirling in the air as the starfish rocketed towards Valiant. The droplets of ice cold water splashed across its skin as it rushed through the aftermath of the collision, Valiant not reacting in time as the spinning water type socked the Kirlia in the face with one of its limbs.

    A large gash was left on Valiant''s cheeks as he tumbled across the pavement, stopping his roll and glaring up at Staryu (who was now standing back on the ground again) with a hand pressed against the ground as he picked himself up.

    "Psybeam!" Valiant''s eyes flashed at his trainer''s orders. Magical Leaf would just prompt Staryu into using Icy Wind again, so Ash held off on that move.

    His pupils glowing brighter and brighter, Valiant formed a rainbow ball in his palms, extending it into a bright beam that sailed towards Staryu, who formed a rainbow ball of its own at its gem.

    Staryu fired the blast to intercept Valiant''s attack, but the starfish''s Psybeam hadn''t gotten far enough from its own user as the two blasts exploded against each other. The concussive force of the collision painfully barreled its way into the mysterious Water Type, knocking it on its back as the front of its body was left bruised.

    With Staryu knocked down, Ash saw his chance. "Finish this with Magical Leaf!"

    Valiant raised his hands as another bright green orb formed between them. As the glowing projectiles erupted outwards, however, sailing through the air and towards Staryu as the Water Type attempted to pick itself up, the starfish encased itself in a weak, golden cube at the last second.

    It wasn''t able to manage anything more than a weakened barrier, however, still reeling from the prior shockwaves. As the leaves hammered against the golden cube, Staryu struggled to strengthen its defenses, all the while small cracks began to form on the barrier''s surface.

    Valiant was straining himself now, but grinded his teeth in determination as his eyes flashed once more, charging up a second Psybeam. Powering through the unpleasant strain, the Kirlia hollered out loud as he fired the psychic blast, which struck the weakened cube at full force.

    A smashing sound echoed across the battlefield as the shield shattered, the shockwaves painfully sending Staryu skidding backwards, the mysterious starfish grinding its bottom limbs against the pavement to bring itself back to a halt at one of the far sides of the battlefield. The motions that the water type made with its body suggested that it was now breathing quite hard.

    Looking over to Valiant, a concerned Ash could clearly see that the young Kirlia was also faring no better, his body bruised and dirty, and his face gashed as the young Emotion Pokemon panted and wiped some dirt from his glaring face. Although he had dished out more damage to Staryu than the other way around, he had also used up more power than his opponent had. Just lighting at full strength was enough to hurt at this point.

    On the other side of the battlefield, Misty''s face was glowing as she bared her teeth ecstatically. Eyes blazing with determination, she shouted across the battlefield as she held a fist up in front of her face.

    "You can do it, Staryu!" her voice remained raised. "Let''s see how you handle this, Ash: Use Swift! All over the battlefield!"

    Ash inwardly perked up at that, remembering a similar tactic being used against Lily.

    Hearing its trainer''s words, Staryu kicked off of the ground and twirled into the air, flying through the arena with Rapid Spin as the barrage of golden stars erupted from its gem. The airborne starfish circled around Valiant, just above the Psychic''s head, allowing the onslaught of projectiles to come at the water type''s target from all directions.

    Misty was probably expecting them to use Light Screen, but with his partner approaching his final reserves, Ash knew that he couldn''t have Valiant take any chances with what would potentially be a weakened barrier. Shadow Sneak would be equally risky, as in addition to the strain that a prolonged use of the move would put on Valiant, the young Emotion Pokemon wouldn''t be able to use it to get close to his opponent with Staryu still in the air.

    As Tyrunt leapt up into the air and called out to Valiant in encouragement, Ash''s grin remained as he hollered out towards the battlefield.

    "You can win, Valiant! Use Magical Leaf while spinning!"

    As the stars flew towards him from all angles, Valiant formed another bright, glowing green orb in his hands as he twirled his body around in circles. The leaves that erupted from the orb were fired in numerous directions with no rhyme or reason. The green projectiles collided with the golden ones, tiny explosions lighting up the arena as the two combatants unleashed their respective onslaughts upon one another.

    Neither combatant was willing to give in, and perhaps the Pokemon were just as caught up in the excitement and adrenaline rush as their trainers were.

    As the series of shockwaves pushed against the two competing pokemon, Misty shouted out to Staryu with cupped hands.

    "Keep Rapid Spin going! Strike at him now!"

    In response, Ash called out to the Kirlia. "Dazzling Gleam, Valiant!"

    Staryu circled back around, remaining airborne as it barreled its way back in Valiant''s direction. As the final few projectiles collided one another and the explosions began to cease, the starfish rocketed onwards as it closed in on the Emotion Pokemon, who was forming a bright pink orb in his hands as he held it up in Staryu''s direction.

    Staryu reached Valiant before the blast could be fired, the young Kirlia crying out loud as as the starfish roughly kicked him in the face with its leg, the speed of its flight and the momentum of its body''s rotation carrying the limb forward to brutally smash into its target.

    For the briefest of moments, the pink orb in Valiant''s hands began to flicker away as the pain took hold, but it was back in the very next instant, glowing even more brightly as the battle-crying Kirlia took aim diagonally upwards and let the powerful blast loose, directly into Staryu''s gem.

    The impact was point blank, the explosion from the collision smacking Valiant in the face and propelling him downwards, forcing him face first into the pavement as Staryu, now screaming in pain, was blasted upwards above the arena.

    Ash and Misty both finally felt their excitement die down as a large cloud of dust was briefly kicked up from the explosion, Staryu descending back down to the pavement in freefall, landing on its back with a definitive thud.

    Silence overtook the battlefield as trainers and spectators alike took in the somber states of the combatants.

    Not a punch had been pulled by either Pokemon or trainer. What had initially been a waiting game to see who would tire out first had transformed into an all out brawl of projectiles, resilience and resolve being tested just as much as endurance.

    The end result was both Pokemon laying beaten on the pavement, the arena now shared by two unconscious combatants.

    Ash could see Tyrunt gazing intently at Valiant, and was relieved that the young Kirlia''s face wasn''t visible from here. No doubt it wasn''t a pretty sight.

    Removing the Poke Balls from their belts, the two trainer''s returned their fallen partners, the crimson beams of light sucking the two Pokemon back into the orbs.

    Ash and Tyrunt both gazed fondly at the capsule after the young Kirlia was fully returned to it.

    "You did wonderful, Valiant." A compassionate smile accompanied Ash''s features as he clipped the orb back onto his belt. As if to agree with him, Tyrunt chirped happily in response.

    "Thank you for your hard work, Staryu." Misty''s grin was equally kind and grateful as she returned her Starter''s Poke Ball to her own belt.

    As the two trainers locked eyes once more, their grins gradually returned to their competitive states. Although the excitement had died down, the fire had not.

    "Heh." Misty couldn''t help the brief giggle that escaped her throat. "You really aren''t slowing down, are you, kid?" her hand reached back to her belt as she pulled out her final Poke Ball. "Guess this is it then."

    In response, Ash reached for his own final Poke Ball, nodding in affirmative at Misty''s statement.

    "It''s been a lot of fun." he replied eagerly. He glanced down at the orb he was holding for just a brief moment, before returning his gaze back to Misty. Tyrunt eyed the orb with a tilted head for about a second or two, before bringing his gaze back out to the battlefield.

    Misty''s grin was honest, her features not quite reflecting the adrenaline going on inside as she simply responded in agreement to her friend''s statement.

    "Yeah, it really has."

    Imn bright flash of white light, Prinplup appeared on Misty''s side of the battlefield. Moments later, Nebula was in front of Ash and Tyrunt. The two birds took notice of each other immediately, pausing just long enough to glance back at their respective trainers (Nebula also eying Tyrunt for a brief moment), before their respective gazes were returned to each other.

    As both Pokemon scrutinized one another, Ash and Misty''s respective minds both began to put themselves to work.

    Nebula and Prinplup both had a good deal of mutual respect for one another, ever since they had teamed up against the Team rocket horde back at Mt. Moon. Neither of them seemed to be hesitant about the battle, however.

    Ash knew that Prinplup didn''t quite have the versatility that Staryu packed, but he had a lot of power behind his attacks, his newfound Evolution no doubt being a great boon for him. He was also quite durable, and resilient to punishment. His Aerial Ace also gave him decent aerial mobility, even if it was obviously outclassed by Nebula''s actual ability to fly.

    This final round of the match would be a hard one, but Ash had faith in his feathered friend.

    As Misty began to give some brief instructions to her own feathered companion, Ash nodded towards Nebula, who looked back towards him with a determined smile on her beak.

    "Both of you are the last ones." Nebula''s face steeled a bit at the revelation, but otherwise her expression did not change. "You have the aerial advantage, but don''t take that for granted." Ash declared. At Nebula''s nod, he smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Watch out for Prinplup''s Icy Wind and give him everything you''ve got!"

    Nebula raised her wings and lightly slapped them in response, Tyrunt offering her a light chirp of encouragement, which she happily returned in kind. As the trio turned their attention back to Misty and Prinplup, the hot headed water specialist allowed her smirk to return to her features as the rush of adrenaline waited to kick back into overdrive within both trainers.

    "Hmph. Good, then we''re going to finish this off right." the girl declared as she examined Ash''s expression. Her grin went wild. "You better not disappoint me at the last second, Ash Ketchum! I''ll skin you if you do!"

    Ash''s lips curled all the way upwards as he shook his head defiantly. "Wouldn''t dream of it." He spared a glance at his bird companion, the Staravia raising her wings with flames in her eyes as she prepared to take flight. "Nebula! Get into the air!"

    It only took a brief second for her to take off, rising above the arena as Prinplup''s head tilted upwards, allowing his gaze to follow her.

    "Aerial Ace and Brick Break!"

    Prinplup''s body encased itself in a white glow as he kicked off of the ground, one of his wings basking in a similar, pale light as he propelled himself towards the rising Staravia.

    "Steel Wing!"

    Relatively familiar with this tactic, Nebula crossed both of her wings together. Now encased in metal, the wings took the hit as Prinplup struck, his attack punching against the metal and sending Nebula higher into the air as he descended downwards. Nebula flinched from the force of the collision, and the metal covering her wings was dented, but as always, the usage of Steel Wing worked as the perfect shield.

    As Prinplup landed clean on his feet, Ash followed up. "Wind Blast!"

    Descending downwards just enough to properly take aim at her opponent, Nebula flapped her wings to kick up the blast of wind, which hurtled its way downwards towards Prinplup. In a similar vein to Nebula''s own, the large penguin crossed both of his wings together, both of them now bathed in a glowing white light as they intercepted the blast. The double useage of Brick Break cushioned the impact of the blast, Prinplup mildly skidding backwards a few feet away, but remaining upright and unharmed.

    Ash wasn''t done, however. "Wing Attack!"

    Just as the Wind Blast struck, Nebula blitzed downwards with Quick Attack, and Prinplup struck back just in time to intercept his opponent''s glowing wing. Nebula''s momentum carried her, however, and Prinplup hadn''t fully adjusted from being pushed back by the Wind Blast. As the two wings collided, Prinplup felt himself falling backwards. Desperately, he opened his beak and expelled a blast of frozen air just before he hit the ground, but even with the close range, his aim was off, and Nebula was merely grazed (albeit still clenching her beak in pain) as she flew backwards to avoid the surprise Icy Wind.

    As Nebula circled around, Prinplup quickly made his way back to his feet, once again coating his body in the white aura of Aerial Ace as his beak glowed and grew. Firing off of the ground once again, he maneuvered just above Nebula, before turning in the air and driving himself directly downwards in an effort to skewer her.

    Nebula, however, coated her own body in Aerial Ace, speeding away from her opponent''s strike as he turned himself around once again.

    The major benefit of Aerial Ace was that even Pokemon who normally couldn''t fly could still gain aerial mobility while using it. However, it was nothing compared to the actual ability to fly. You had to maintain the attack constantly in order to soar for long periods of time, which wasn''t practical, so it was often used to fly in short bursts. Not to mention the movements were much more extreme than simple, traditional flight, with Prinplup speeding his way through the air and having to make sharp turns in order to redirect himself.

    In comparison, however, Nebula''s own, natural ability to take to the skies gave her much more reliable control over such a technique, her body being much more naturally accustomed to the experience, and her skills allowing her to make the sharp turns more easily, so her efforts to change direction were far more reliable even with Aerial Ace amplifying the extremity of her airborne movements.

    Seeing the futility of continuing to chase Nebula, Prinplup dropped the aura of Aerial Ace and fired another blast of frigid air from his beak. This was aimed not directly at Nebula, but in the direction she was flying in. As prinplup descended back down towards the arena, nebula shrieked in surprise as the beam of frozen wind appeared in her path. Although she canceled out Aerial Ace with haste, her momentum was too great, and she couldn''t completely stop herself in time to avoid the front half of her body being struck by the attack.

    Ash watched with some concern as Nebula was propelled further above the battlefield, crying out in pain as the cold air assaulted her body and some of her feathers froze over.

    "Break the ice off with Steel Wing!"

    "Bubble Beam, Prinplup!"

    Misty attempted to capitalise on the situation, as Prinplup opened his beak to let loose a barrage of glowing bubbles. However, as the projectiles made their way upwards towards Nebula, the Staravia coated her somewhat frozen wings in metal as she blurred towards the barriers. Her wings struck full force, the ice shattering as the bubbles missed their mark behind her.

    "Great, now attack!" Ash called out, hoping to fight back before Misty and Prinplup could react again.

    Pushing herself off of the barriers, Nebula kept her wings coated in metal as she blazed downwards with Quick Attack, rushing diagonally towards her target as Prinplup coated his own wings in Brick Break in an attempt to block.

    Nebula was too quick, however, already upon her opponent as he attempted to cross his wings. Her own, metallic wing slammed clean into the penguin''s face, sending him off the ground and a few feet backwards as she began to turn around.

    However, as Nebula changed direction, Prinplup, powering through the pain of the blow that he was still reeling from, caught himself on one of his still glowing wings as he let loose a barrage of bubbles that rocketed after the retreating Staravia, who narrowly avoided them as her opponent picked himself up.

    "Aerial Ace and Icy Wind!"

    Ash''s eyes widened at that. Misty was probably trying to get in closer so that Nebula would have a harder time avoiding attacks.

    He grinned excitedly as Prinplup prepared to take off into the air. "Wind Blast!"

    As Prinplup shot off of the ground, Nebula followed his movements as he rose above her, the aura of Aerial Ace canceling out as he fired the beam of frigid air downwards towards the bird.

    Angling her body diagonally to face her opponent, Nebula flapped her wings with a competitive shriek as the wind picked up from her movements, her own blast of air meeting Prinplup''s attack head on.

    The Wind Blast easily pushed through the Icy Wind, seemingly absorbing the attack carrying the frozen air along with it as it rocketed upwards towards the surprised penguin. Ash felt his heart pumping as Prinplup cried out in unsuspecting shock, not only being slammed in the gut by the condensed beam of air that Nebula had sent his way, but also being assaulted by the freezing cold of his own attack.

    Back at Mt. Moon, Nebula had combined her Wind Blast with the Icy Wind to use against Team Rocket''s horde of Pokemon, having the forceful, condensed blast of air carrying the frozen air along with it. That same strategy applied here, with Wind Blast not only powering through Icy Wind due to having more brute force behind it, but also intercepting the frigid wind and merging with it.

    Misty grimaced in frustration as Prinplup was blasted upwards, further above the arena, but her expression morphed into an impressed grin as she called out her counterorder.

    "Aerial Ace and Brick Break!"

    "Aerial Ace and Wing Attack!"

    Both feathered combatants coated their bodies in the aura of Aerial Ace, Prinplup dive bombing down in Nebula''s direction as the Staravia rocketed upwards to meet him. Their wings became coated in a similar pale aura as the two Pokemon met head on, a powerful shockwave let loose as their attacks collided.

    Both birds felt a notable jolt of pain as their respective wings smashed into each other, but Prinplup had gravity on his side, and felt his momentum slowing down less quickly than Nebula''s own. As the large, bulky penguin continued his descent downwards, Nebula yelped out in surprise as her wing was pushed back, sending her body twirling forward through the air, her flight momentarily out of her control. Prinplup continued flying downwards, making a sharp turn before he got too close to the ground in an effort to make his way back up.

    "Double Team, one clone!" Ash''s voice was frantic as Prinplup locked onto nebula once more, charging towards the Staravia with his wing still glowing.

    Nebula regained her composure just in time, catching herself in the air and redirecting her flight as a second Staravia appeared beside her, the two splitting off in separate directions.

    Prinplup was still heading towards the right Nebula, but the brief distraction caused by the clone''s appearance cost him, Nebula taking the time to rush forward in his direction as his eyes widened in surprise. Just as he attempted to strike back, a glowing wing was smacked into his face, painfully propelling him towards the pavement.

    Dust was kicked up as Prinplup rocketed back down towards the battlefield, his back colliding with the ground and sending him bouncing to the side as he cried out in agony from the impact. Ash saw his chance as the bulky penguin to pick himself up, the feathers adorning his body dirtied from the collision with the ground.

    "Again!"

    Nebula and her clone both circled around before dipping downwards, rushing Prinplup simultaneously from opposite directions as the penguin rose to his feet.

    Misty was sweating as she realised the Water type''s predicament. "Scald, quick!"

    Ash inwardly grimaced at that. Prinplup may have been new to Scald, but the dangerous Move wasn''t to be taken lightly.

    Thankfully, he had the mild reassurance that Prinplup was forced to play the guessing game in terms of which Staravia to attack, with barely any time to make such a choice as both birds closed in on him.

    Prinplup turned to the left and opened his beak, the small blast of boiling water cleanly intercepting the approaching flier.

    Misty inwardly panicked as the Staravia fizzled out of existence.

    Prinplup had no more time to act, the real Nebula now upon him, charging right into the bulky penguin as she drove a glowing wing into his stomach. The water type wheezed painfully as he was pushed back by the force, struggling (but still managing) to stay upright as Nebula retreated and prepared to circle back around.

    Misty called out. "Icy Wind!"

    "Aerial Ace, Nebula!"

    The penguin growled as he fired another frigid blast at his opponent, Nebula''s body cloaking itself in another white aura as she swerved to the side, expertly avoiding the attack as she closed in on Prinplup.

    Before Prinplup could react, Nebula had lined herself up with him, blitzing forward beak-first into the penguin''s side as he cried out in pain. The Water Type was sent rolling away from his attacker, the blow leaving a somewhat bloody wound on his hip as Nebula took to the air again, pausing her flight and flapping her wings just enough to remain airborne as she attempted to catch her breath.

    Ash took the time to observe their opponent. Prinplup was on his knees, his head bruised and his side mildly leaking blood. There was also a mild bruise on his stomach as well.

    All things considered, the penguin''s durability was no joke. Nebula had been striking him at top speeds, not to mention the stamina that he had previously been using up in order to maintain Aerial Ace. Nebula''s flight ability had carried her through this fight so far, but even then, Ash noticed the young Staravia taking a few mildly deep breaths as he looked upward to check on her. She had been exerting herself full force the entire fight, and getting hit by Icy Wind had undoubtedly spelt bad news for her.

    Misty''s face was one of concern as she looked over her partner, but her voice was encouraging.

    "Prinplup! Nebula''s tiring out too, you can still do this!"

    As Prinplup rose to his feet, Ash and Nebula started as a deep-blue aura began to seep from his body.

    Prinplup had taken a lot of damage by now, and-

    The penguin''s were wide open as his pupil''s glowed with the powerful aura, the Water Type hollowing as loudly as his lungs would allow as he spread his wings outward, the newfound adrenaline surging through his body and lifting his spirits, wholeheartedly welcomed by the aquatic combatant.

    Torrent had activated.

    Ash''s mind was racing now. Despite his injuries, Prinplup was undoubtedly rejuvenated by Torrent''s activation, in the same way that Wartortle had been back at the foot of Mt. Moon. And now, with his Water Type Moves overflowing with powerˇ­

    Misty''s eyes were blazing with excitement as she stared at her partner in glee.

    "Excellent! It''s now or never, then! Bubble Beam!"

    Nebula''s eyes were wide as sausage as the barrage of bubbles blazed upwards in her direction. They were glowing far brighter than before, and moving far faster.

    She swerved to the side to avoid the first, but a second stream of projectiles was already upon her. Instinctively, she crossed her wings together, coating them in metal to absorb the blow. Tiny shockwaves went off as the stream pelted against her wings, pushing her upwards as Prinplup kept up his assault. Just as the onslaught ceased, Nebula couldn''t hold out anymore, her body suddenly finding itself flipped over by the force of the continuous impact, leaving her wide open for her back to be painfully pelted by the final few bubbles.

    As Nebula hollered in displeasure, desperately trying to regain her balance as her body threatened to begin rolling through the air, Misty pressed on with a swipe of her arm.

    "Scald!"

    As Nebula attempted to right herself, Prinplup opened his beak and allowed a stream of boiling water to erupt from it. This one was much larger and more potent than the penguin''s previous usage of Scald, and was significantly faster as it closed the distance between its suer and its target in a flash.

    Nebula, having only somewhat regained her bearings, coated a wing in metal again in an effort to intercept the blast. Only using one wing this time, she found herself overwhelmed by the force of the attack, her wing being pushed back as the remaining water splashed onto her.

    Ash''s heart sank as he heard his feathered partner screaming in pain, no longer able to balance herself as her body fell to the pavement. In a desperate attempt to catch herself, she coated a wing in metal and attempted to thrust it into the ground. It shielded her from the impact, but she still found herself bouncing at the force of the collision, rolling along the arena as her body suffered the painful agony delivered to it by the Scald.

    Ash felt himself gulping a bit. Prinplup''s boost in power was absurd. And he had the versatility of Icy Wind and Scald to back him up. At this rateˇ­

    He shook his head quickly. There was still hope.

    While Prinplup prepared to return his gaze back to Nebula, Ash called out to his feathered friend as the young Staravia began to struggle to her feet, her body painfully steaming from the boiling water that she had been blasted with.

    She was fighting through the pain, but the lingering agony from Scald would surely inhibit her. She''d be reaching her limit soon, and she didn''t have the power to contend with Prinplup now that his aquatic attacks were being amplified as much as they were.

    But there was one way to change that.

    "Reckless, Nebula!"

    Prinplup''s eyes widened at the order as Nebula rose her head to lock gazes with him, clenching her beak tightly in an effort to suppress the pain as her eyes flashed a familiar shade of crimson.

    Red sparks rolled down her feathers as her body became outlined by a familiar, blood-colored aura. Adrenaline pulsed through her as the young bird rose to full height, throwing her head back and shrieking towards the sky as her wings spread out in full.

    Still at Ash''s side, Tyrunt took a step back, his spine shivering at the sound of Nebula''s voice.

    Misty seemed a bit shaken, but not surprised. "I warned you about this, Prinplup! She''s a lot stronger now, but she won''t be careful anymore! Hammer away at her!"

    Standing tall, Prinplup took on a fighting stance as Nebula lowered her head and locked eyes with him once more, staring into his eyes, glowing with deep-blue aura, as he stared into hers, shining with crimson aura. Prinplup kept a focus stare on his adversary as Nebula growled, bordering on uncontrollable.

    As the two birds faced off, Ash and Misty''s spirits flared up once more as the situation began to set in for them.

    This was the final moment. This was what would decide the match. The anxiety and excitement pulsed through Ash''s blood all at once, leaving him in a confusingly contradictory state of adrenaline as he locked his gaze onto Misty.

    Based on her smile, she seemed to be feeling the same way.

    "I''m gonna win this one, Ash!" she held her fist outward, pupils still blazing. "Try to go down swinging!"

    Ash was sweating, but the grin wouldn''t leave his face as he shook his head, heart pounding in anticipation.

    Before Prinplup could make a move, Ash had already called out to the Staravia. "We''ll do a lot more than that! Wing Attack, full force!"

    A cloud of dust was left in Nebula''s wake as she kicked off of the ground, slipping into Quick Attack.

    Prinplup had just enough time to raise a Brick Break in defense, but felt a borderline crippling pain in his glowing wing as Nebula''s own collided with it. The penguin found himself crying out in surprise as the force catapulted him off of his feet, caught off guard by the momentum as he rocketed towards the barriers.

    His back struck the barriers in front of Misty before either trainer could blink, but as Nebula began to advance once more, the bulky water type powered through the pain as his fight or flight responses took hold, a stream of bubbles blasting into the berserking Staravia just before she could decisively pound him in the skull with a second strike.

    Nebula shrieked in pain and anger as the bubbles pelted her chest, fighting back against her momentum and sending her backwards through the air. As she righted herself and flew upwards, Prinplup pushed himself off of the barrier, clenching his beak in discomfort in an attempt to ignore the pain in his back and now-injured wing.

    As Nebula took a position above the arena, she roared down to her opponent as Prinplup locked his gaze onto her, the look in her eyes murderous.

    Ash began to consider Misty''s options. She could go for an Icy Wind, but Nebula''s Wind Blast would just propel it backwards. The same could potentially happen for a water type move. Now that Nebula was unleashing all of her reserves at once, Prinplup''s Torrent ability was no longer too much for her to contest against. Nebula wouldn''t have the self-preservation to avoid the attacks as reliably as she usually did, but she had more than enough power behind her to strike back.

    He wanted to say that they had the advantage, but inwardly shook his head at that. Misty and her team had been matching him and his friends blow for blow since this battle started. He couldn''t expect an easy conclusion after all of that. And he wouldn''t.

    On the other side of the battlefield, Misty was gulping a bit at the predicament, but it wasn''t too long before her face had settled back into a grin.

    "Heh, good going Ash. This was fun."

    Ash raised a brow at that. Surely she wasn''t giving upˇ­ No, the grin on her face said it all.

    Misty raised her fists in front of herself, face positively glowing. "But we''ll end it with a bang! Frigid Vortex!"

    Ash froze at that. He hadn''t heard of that technique beforeˇ­

    His gaze became fixed on prinplup as the penguin raised his wings into the air, still powering through the pain in the wing that Nebula had previously struck. Opening his beak wide, he expelled a stream of water that twirled and roasted into the air, continuing to flow out of his beak as it took the shape of a cyclone. Even as he did, frozen air accompanied the water, the rapidly spinning tornado of liquid turning freezing cold and filling up with chunks of ice.

    Whirlpoolˇ­ coated with Icy Wind.

    Whirlpool wasn''t an easy move for a beginner-level Pokemon to use, but no doubt Prinplup''s Torrent ability was backing him up, allowing him to put more power into properly forming the technique. And by combining the Move with Icy Wind, the waters had turned to freezing temperatures, and the icy chunks were growing in numbers, slowly filling up the aquatic vortex.

    The Whirlpool itself wasn''t freezing over, but it was now a lethal cyclone, a frigid water, carrying ice chunks that would bash against any Pokemon that the aquatic tornado collided with. As the water spun, the ice spun with it, almost like a blender.

    That feeling of anxiety and excitement was suddenly increasing.

    He had no idea that Misty could use a technique such as this. Surely, it would be at the expense of all of Prinplup''s remaining energy, even with Torrent activated. But it would all be worth it if Nebula couldn''t power through. Misty knew that the Staravia was more likely to fight back head on than attempt to dodge, so she was going for her strongest strike possible.

    Ash was wracking his brain, but knew he only had a few seconds at best. They had to fight their way through this trump card and deal the final blowˇ­ Would Double-Edge be enough-

    The moment the Whirlpool reached its full size, now towering above Prinplup, Misty went for it, her arms stretched out wide, and her smile equally so as she fixed the impressive combo with an admiring gaze.

    "You better be ready for this, Ash! I''m not gonna let you hear the end of it if you don''t! Now, Prinplup!"

    Even as Prinplup reared back to toss the Whirlpool in Nebula''s direction, Ash''s grin still split his face, his eyes lighting up in anticipation.

    "You''re gonna regret saying that! Full power Wind Blast!"

    Prinplup sent the Whirlpool flying, the cyclone of freezing cold water propelling its way up towards Nebula as the young Staravia let out a mighty, determined battle cry, wings flapping madly as she let loose the most powerful blast of condensed air that she could possibly muster.

    The aquatic tornado''s advance began to slow as the two attacks collided, and Ash''s breath caught in his throat as Nebula''s attack drilled through the surface of Prinplup''s. The beam of wind tore its way through the water, shattering the chunks of ice in its path. As the condensed wind blasted its way through the icy water, it came out on the other side, dissipating as Prinplup''s attack was left with a hole blown through the icy cyclone, extending all the way from one side to the other before gravity took hold and caused the opening to fill with more frigid liquid. Some of the ice was blasted out of the Whirlpool, raining down on the battlefield, although the majority of it remained within the spinning water.

    The Whirlpool was still advancing, but it was now slower, and destabilized. On the verge of falling apart, but not quite there yet.

    Face sweating in anticipation, Ash reminded himself to breath as he cupped his hands to his mouth.

    It was now or never. They had to finish this.

    "Double-Edge!"

    "Scald!"

    Nebula roared in raging determination as her body became bathed in a blinding white light. The young Staravia practically looked like a beam of light herself as she charged downwards, descending towards the icy vortex at blinding speeds, before smashing right into it.

    Cold water assaulted her body as she blazed through the Whirlpool, tearing through the water and obliterating the ice chunks in her path. Her momentum carried her. The power of her attack kept her going. All the while, her body was subjected to great agony as she plunged into the freezing liquid.

    All of the pain and destruction lasted for a second, before she was on the other side, still hurting, still freezing cold, and still continuing her advance.

    She was upon Prinplup the next second, the glowing penguin opening his beak to blast her with boiling water. The usage of the powerful combo had been taxing for his spirit, leaving him forced to regather his bearings before attempting another attack.

    But it was precious time he did not have, and just as the blast of water was about to escape from his beak, Nebula had fully closed the distance between her adversary and herself.

    SMASH!

    The collision was brutal and without restraint. A cloud of dust exploded over the two combatants as Nebula slammed into Prinplup, forcing him back-first down onto the pavement. The shockwaves from the incredible impact spread the large dust cloud outward across the arena. The next instant, Nebula was propelled away, bouncing off of her opponent from the impact and landing painfully on the pavement.

    As Nebula rolled across the arena, stopping on her stomach in an effort to prop herself up with her wings, the dust cloud covered her, now obscuring both combatants from view.

    All the while, the rest of the icy water poured onto the arena, soaking the pavement in wake of the previous clash.

    Ash, Tyrunt, Misty, and everybody else turned silent, none daring to say a word before the result was shown.

    The adrenaline was gone, both on Ash''s end, and Misty''s as well. Only suspense remained, for it was all that either trainer had any room for in their emotions. The excitement and competitive energy had all been forced out.

    It felt like it had taken years for the dust todispel, even though it was only for a few moments. Eventually, the dust cloud hadn''t completely gone away, some of it still littering the battlefield in the aftermath, but enough of it had finally gone away in order for everybody to get a proper view.

    Both combatants in the arena lay on separate parts of the arena. Nebula''s crimson aura flickered constantly, the young Staravia sprawled out on her stomach as she attempted to push herself up with her wings. The panting bird briefly locked eyes with Ash, who took note of the constant flickering in her pupils, the blood-red light in her gaze constantly flickering in and out of existence.

    As his gaze made its way over to Prinplup, Ash''s heart skipped a beat. The penguin''s eyes were closed. Lying on his back, with a massive bruise on his chest where Nebula ahd charged into him. His aura was completely gone, not even a flash to be seen.

    It took a few moments for the situation to sink in before the feeling of victory surged through Ash''s heart, the boy''s face finally splitting into another smile as he almost ran across the arena to his partner, the barriers having dropped. A startled Tyrunt attempted to dash after him, the baby dinosaur''s legs carrying him behind the young boy.

    After reaching Nebula, Ash quickly knelt down on one knee in front of his feathered friend. The aura around her body was flickering a lot less often now, the energy slowly but surely fading away as he placed an affectionate hand on his Staravia partner.

    "Nebula... that was amazing!" Ash struggled to catch his breath as he resisted the urge to hug his bird companion, knowing that it might make the pain that she was feeling worse. Nevertheless, the grin on his face was all that she needed for her mood to turn bright. "You''re so awesome!"

    The young Staravia lifted her head and returned his smile, even with the pain and exhaustion that mercilessly dominated her body. She let out a weak, yet happy chirp in response to his touch, closing her eyes for a moment before Tyrunt reached them. The bird and dinosaur exchanged happy glances for a second or two, before Nebula''s eyes closed again, as Ash returned her to her Poke Ball, relieving the young Staravia of her agony.

    Rising to his feet, Ash could feel the emotions surging through him. They had beaten Misty! Even after all the time they had to get to know her and see how strong that she wasˇ­ even after that last attack she had usedˇ­ they had won!

    A tug at his leg brought his attention to a grinning Tyrunt, who Ash offered a happy thumbs up as the sound of footsteps entered their ears.

    The duo looked over to see Misty approaching them. She had returned Prinplup without them noticing, and was in the midst of reclipping his Poke Ball back to her belt as she slowed to a stop.

    Misty''s expression was bittersweet as she halted in front of them. A small smile adorned her face, but her eyes showed a different emotion: disappointment.

    As the girl came to a stop, she was finding it slightly difficult to look him in the eye, her pupils shifting downwards every now and then.

    "Hehˇ­" the water specialist started, a mild awkwardness in her tone. "You know, Iˇ­ haven''t had a battle like that in a long time."

    Ash blinked at her, offering the other trainer a small, friendly grin as he scratched the back of his neck.

    "Wellˇ­ what about your sisters?" he asked carefully.

    Misty snorted at that. "Pfft, I wasn''t talking about difficulty, dimwit." finally mustering up the strength to make full eye contact, she extended her hand to him, her smile just barely growing as the expression in her eyes finally matched the rest of her face. "Besides, screw them."

    Ash accepted her gesture, extending his own hand as the two shook for a split second and examined each other''s grip. Misty''s grip was firm, but Ash definitely knew that she was capable of more. He was gentle as normal, but had more firmness than usual. Just enough for the shake.

    "WOOOOW!"

    The two startled trainers separated and turned towards the others as Maria nearly collided with them, copper eyes glowing in almost as much excitement as they themselves had felt throughout the battle.

    Lightly jumping up and down, Maria''s smile was wide, and Ash and Misty both knew exactly what was coming.

    "That was so awesome! So that''s what big battles are like were two you just guessing what each other would do or did you predict each other''s plans and how long does it take to teach your teams all those moves is it a big commitment and how much help are TMs for that oh and did you get your ideas for advance techniques from other trainers or did it just come to you naturally because honestly those were the best part I love how Nebula can just fire a blast of air like that I never thought of that kind of move being used that way oh and Misty your Staryu was so-"

    Two hands covered the cute auburn haired girl''s mouth as a sheepishly grinning Ryan approached her from behind, a smiling Grookey climbing up to his head as he addressed the two exasperated trainers.

    "What my sister is trying to say is," he began as the girl continued to ramble from behind his hands. "You two were both excellent." he tilted his head in amusement. "I feel sorry for whatever poor trainer runs into either of you on the road."

    Ash rubbed the back of his head at that, but although his grin was slightly awkward at the praise, he felt just a bit more proud than embarrassed.

    On the other hand, Misty''s mood was mostly restored, the girl flicking a strand of orange hair near her ponytail as a smug (albeit less than usual) smile adorned her features.

    "Heh, you say that like it needed to be said." the girl responded. Ash started as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "No two-bit wannabe is gonna get in my way, and Ash would never offend me by letting himself lose to some no-named rando after beating me the way he did. Riiiiiiiiight Ash?" her voice was a bit too sweet for Ash''s liking, and had an obvious, warning undertone to it.

    The light, nervous giggle that escaped his throat conveyed his unease towards Misty''s demand just a little bit more than he would have liked, but he took it in stride as he pulled away from her. "Don''t worry, I''m not planning on it."

    A wave from Laura caught everyone''s attention as she and Rockruff approached Ash and Misty. Although her grin was nonchalant, there was a fair share of enthusiasm in her eyes as Rockruff approached Tyrunt, the brunette girl briefly eying the canine Pokemon as he began to play with the dinosaur.

    "Heh, admit it Misty, you were just showing off with that last attack, weren''t you?" she winked at her friend teasingly. "I''ll bet you would have pulled that even if you hadn''t been backed into a corner."

    Misty didn''t confirm nor deny the accusation as her smirk returned in full force, the trainer eying her friend with pride.

    "Go on and try to make something better looking than that in your Contests." she challenged cheekily.

    "Oooh, can you tell us how you pulled it off?" Maria chimed in, Ryan somewhat releasing his hold on her, but keeping his hands on her head just in case he needed to cover her mouth again. "Maybe if we knew where you got the idea from, we could come up with something for ourselves! Not that we''d completely copy you or anything!" she quickly added with an innocent smile.

    Misty smiled back and nodded as she offered her friend a thumbs up. "I''ll tell you guys about it later. It''s a grand story."

    Laura rolled her eyes. "Oh, worthy of its own JRPG?" she added on with sarcasm. She collapsed her hands together. "I''m sure we''re all dying to hear it, but don''t you think this poor cutie has waited long enough for his money?" she tilted her head towards Ash for a brief moment. "Victors get the spoils, you know."

    Misty rolled her eyes at that, but nonetheless reached a hand into her pockets. Turning to face Ash, smiled apologetically as she pulled the money out. There was barely any.

    "Heh, I kind of spent most of my last cash on the bicycle." she admitted in a somewhat sheepish tone. She held out her hand. "So I''m afraid this is all I can give you to commemorate our epic showdown." Her wording was dramatic, but her voice was casual.

    Ash took the money and nodded in thanks. "It''s fine." his smile widened a bit. "It really was a great battle."

    Misty waved it off. "Yeah, yeah. Don''t go getting too attached to it. It''s nothing compared to the rematch we''ll be having when I finally smash you into the cement. Just make sure your face stays unbruised till then, ''kay?" There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye at that, although the fire that accompanied it made it difficult for Ash to determine whether or not she was joking.

    Nevertheless, he smiled back at her and nodded, offering her a thumbs up of his own. "Right, not a scratch." his attention was turned to Laura as the brunette put a hand on his shoulder.

    "I''m sure we''ll be having questions for you too, you know." she nodded with approval. "Your team wasn''t exactly lacking."

    Ash smiled back at her as she released him. "Okay, I''ll do what I can."

    "Well, in that case." Ryan got everybody''s attention as he released his sister. "How about we all go get something to eat after you two drop your teams off with Nurse Joy? I can pay for us, and we can go to a restaurant that serves Pokemon food, too." he reached up to pat Grookey on the head while gesturing to Tyrunt and Rockruff, who were laughing amongst each other while they roughhoused on the ground.

    Misty wasn''t going to say no to that. "You know I can''t refuse." she smirked cheekily. Grabbing a mildly startled Ash by the arm, she made her way back inside as she pulled her friend along with her. "Come on Ash, let''s go to the counter real quick. Can''t keep everyone waiting."

    Ash nodded at that, turning his head in Tyrunt''s direction to call him over, only to see the dinosaur already following after them, saying goodbye to Rockruff with a quick wave.

    /

    The rest of the day lacked any real agenda. The group had gone their separate ways after the meal, Ash and Misty returning to the Pokemon Center to spend the remaining hours of the day in peace. Now that the previous excitement had died down, things were much more subdued and quiet between the two trainers, who simply went about their own business at their own pace.

    The next morning, Ash and Misty picked up their newly rejuvenated teams from Nurse Joy, briefly meeting up within the others so that Ash and his team could say goodbye (after Ash called Delia to inform her that he was leaving for the road again).

    Pikachu was noticeably sad to say goodbye to Laura, and Tyrunt was equally unhappy to part ways with Rockruff, but thankfully, both respectively had Nebula and Valiant to cheer them up, and Ash had ensured the two of them that they would come back to Cerulean at some point, although he couldn''t promise when.

    Before long, he and Misty were at the outskirts of the cities with their teams, each exchanging some final farewells before parting ways. Valiant''s exchange with Staryu and Nebula''s exchange with Prinplup were the ones that lasted the longest.

    After returning their Pokemon (Tyrunt remaining out as usual) Ash and Misty were left with each other. The mood became uncomfortable as the two exchanged looks.

    Misty tapped her foot against the ground as she eyed Ash with crossed arms. Ash returned her look, the awkwardness beginning to settle in for both, neither really sure what they were supposed to say.

    "So, headed north?" she asked for confirmation, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

    Ash nodded as Tyrunt looked off to the road ahead that would take them out of the city.

    "Yeah, probably just for a couple of days or so. And then it''s onto Saffron." Thoughts of the city flashed through his mind. He had never been to Saffron before, but was anxiously anticipating it, after everything that he had heard.

    "Have any plans for where you''ll go from there yet?"

    Ash shook his head. "Still working on that. I''m trying to weigh the pros and cons of each option."

    Misty''s response was an understanding nod as she approached him. Her voice was somewhat hesitant. "Welp, won''t keep you for too long. I know you wanna cover as much ground as possible."

    Ash offered her a relaxed grin. "Thanks for the battle. And everything, really. It''s been fun."

    "It really has." the other trainer agreed. Her smile turned somewhat smug. "If nothing else, I had someone to toast with after getting that badge from my sisters. You don''t mind that being my favorite part, do you?"

    Amused, Ash shook his head. "Not at all."

    "Just take care out there." the girl declared. Her smile turned steel as she reached a hand out to him, some of the fire in her eyes returning once more. "And you better not go expecting me to lose next time."

    Ash accepted her hand, matching her gaze with his own. "I hope you don''t expect me to make it easy." He felt the fire in his own spirit return as they shook. It sunk in for him that they were no longer just fellow trainers who ran into each other. From here on out, he had himself another rival, one who would be a constant reminder for him to keep forging ahead. He accepted the challenge.

    "Heh, just make sure you don''t slack off, then. I want it to be satisfying when I win."

    Her grip started firm, but became tight as she sent him a smirk. His response was to tighten his own, as if the two trainers were silently competing for dominance.

    It didn''t last long, however, and Misty''s grin became more serene and legitimate as the two separated. She sent Tyrunt a friendly look and a wave. "Don''t cause too much trouble, ''kay?" As Tyrunt returned her wave, she turned back to Ash, her tone becoming somewhat gentle, at least for her standards. "Really though, good luck out there."

    Ash nodded with a bittersweet smile. "Same to you."

    The moment hung for a decent bit, a mixture of bittersweet emotions and mutual respect. Finally, Misty broke it, slowly turning around as she offered a final wave.

    "Well then, later."

    Ash stared at the departing girl''s back as he waved after her, the disappointment setting in. In the grand scheme of things, their time together really hadn''t been very long, yet it somehow felt otherwise. Perhaps it was just because so much had happened. The boy realized that it would be hard to not associate this portion of his journey with her.

    But even in her absence, Ash knew it wasn''t going to be as simple as her just being gone. There was a bit of a finality in their farewell, a declaration of war. After all, they were still trainers. Competitors, at that. It wasn''t as straightforward as just being friends, or people who briefly traveled together. In a way, every trainer was each other''s adversary. She was just an opponent that he had gotten to know more.

    Ash adjusted his cap as the water specialist disappeared from view. Their time in Cerulean was over. The next step of their adventure was waiting for them, and he didn''t want to keep it waiting.

    He glanced down at Tyrunt, and smiled sadly at the baby dinosaur''s disappointed expression. Kneeling down, he patted the infant''s head.

    "I know you''re sad, buddy. We''ll see her again at some point. It just probably won''t be for a while."

    The Royal Heir Pokemon seemed to understand, at the very least. He offered the trainer a nod, a low rumble escaping his throat in acknowledgement.

    Standing back upright, Ash scooped the baby up in his arm as he took out a Poke Ball. "Now, how about we get going?" at the dinosaur''s reluctant nod, Ash activated the Poke Ball, their new bike appearing in a bright flash of light.

    Looking over the vehicle, Ash was still surprised that he had one. He certainly hadn''t been expecting too when he first got here.

    It didn''t take long for Ash to place Tyrunt in the basket as the trainer mounted the bike. "Let me know if I''m going too fast." at the dinosaur''s nod, the boy began pedaling, and the city was left behind.

    From here on out, the hurdles would only get bigger. But as the obstacles had amplified, so had Ash''s resolve to see things through. And thankfully for him, his companions all felt the same.

    The road ahead was rough and unforgiving, but as long as that fire continued to burn, any challenges that threatened to impede their progress wouldn''t stand a chance.

 New Challenges pt 1

    The sun shined high above the towering buildings of the city, the skyline radiating in the majestic glow.

    The building that the baby Ralts stayed in was far from one of the tallest in the city. Certainly nothing compared to the towering skyscrapers, with roofs that essentially connected the city to the blue sky overhead. But this building''s three floors were still more than enough to obtain a clear view of the streets outside.

    Mornings were always a highlight for the Ralts. The section of the city that he lived in was a busy place. Watching people going about their activities in preparation for the day that lay ahead for them was an odd habit that he had gotten into. People simply going outside for various activities, people heading for work, the taxi cabs passing by. It was all a weirdly stimulating sight for him.

    Eventually he would pick out the familiar faces. People he saw nearly every day as he looked outside. He had his own spot by the windowsill, one with a comfy cushion to sit at as he gazed through the glass and to the fascinating world beyond.

    The thought of leaving the building was something beyond his imagination. It was comfortable here. Warm. Cozy. Secure. It was all he ever knew, and all that he had a reason to know. The outside world was an intriguing place to witness, and the woman had happily stated that the city extended far beyond just this area, and that the city itself was just a tiny corner of the world that they lived in, but the baby could never imagine a valid reason to leave the building.

    She often left, of course. Usually for work. But she always came back, and she always seemed so relieved and relaxed whenever she did.

    The baby Ralts had his hands and face pressed against the window as he observed the traffic below, before a familiar, soothing voice entered his ears, prompting him to turn away.

    "Watching the show again, huh?" The young feeling Pokemon looked up to see the woman holding a bowl of food.

    She was as beautiful as her voice suggested she''d be, with teal hair and brown eyes, and a smile that was practically meant for caretaking. The majority of the psychic''s interaction with humans had been with her.

    Setting the bowl down in front of him, she lightly patted his head, prompting him to close his eyes with a smile, almost involuntarily.

    "Brought your breakfast, little guy." rising back up, she nodded at him after sparing a brief glance at the clock on the wall. "I''ll be back to check on you pretty soon. I have something I need to take care of downstairs." he waved her off with a tiny arm as she exited the room.

    Lifting a piece of food out of the bowl, the small Ralts brought it to his mouth, delight filling his heart as the taste filled his mouth. The food here never disappointed either.

    There were other Pokemon here, too. But the majority of them weren''t permanent. She was planning to send some of them off to other areas that needed them, and a few others to trainers, once they were ready. These Pokemon seemed to be quite excited about that, but she had chosen to keep him here after he had expressed no desire to leave. She said that he could go when he was ready to.

    He was grateful for the considerate approach, but in all honesty, he couldn''t imagine ay place he''d prefer to be than here.

    A cozy, quiet spot in one of this world''s many, vast cities.

    /

    "Sure thing, sounds good to me."

    Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt were by Ash''s side as he exchanged competitive, yet friendly grins with the boy in front of them. Although the greater area they were in was surrounded by trees, this particular spot had the perfect set of dirt to act as a makeshift battlefield.

    It had been about a day since their departure from Cerulean City, and as hoped, Ash had managed to find a good amount of activity for him and his team. Fellow rookie trainers were numerous around these parts, still in Cerulean territory, and the team was able to enjoy a fair amount of battles as a result, and even witness a few for themselves.

    At the moment, they had racked up nine consecutive wins with no losses or even draws, earning a fair amount of money and practice from the hands on experience. Ash had also recently distributed the Iron Tail TM to Eevee. Inevitably, she was fairly imperfect with the move, but Ash hoped that using it in battle would be equally good (if not better) practice for it than just training, although he was still planning on having Pikachu help coach her later on. Ash knew that Eevee needed some options for close-quarters combat, and the battle with Misty''s own Eevee had driven that point home even further.

    The boy standing on the other side of the dirt field had auburn hair and blue eyes. He had introduced himself as Ritchie. Ash had just met him after watching his Butterfree make quick work of a Venomoth in a match against another trainer. Ash had requested a battle with Ritchie, the two deciding on a two-on-two match. Ash had tried to keep his matches on the shorter side to save up on healing items, and Ritchie had agreed to the sentiment. It was supposedly a common mindset among trainers to keep battles on the road shorter, and save battles that utilized the majority of their teams for when a Pokemon Center was close by (and even then, full battles still weren''t very common).

    Nodding at Ash, Ritchie took out a Poke Ball, addressing the other boy as the sphere enlarged in his hand. "Ready when you are, Ash." He was a bright and cheerful kid, with an enthusiasm that Ash admired and emulated.

    Nodding to the boy, Ash looked down at Eevee. "You''re up, pal." Eevee smiled back up at her trainer, making her way onto the dirt feel as Pikachu and Tyrunt offered up chirps of encouragement. Tyrunt had definitely gotten into the battles since Ash''s match with Daisy, even if he was still only a spectator. He seemed to grow more enthusiastic about each next battle than the last.

    A flash of light appeared on Ritchie''s side of the field. Ash felt a twinge of surprise when a Pikachu emerged from the light.

    This Pikachu looked a bit distinct from other members of the species, however. A scruff of fur was at the top of its head. Its mannerisms also felt quite different from his own Pikachu, a sharp glare in the opposing electric mouse''s eyes as its tail erected and sparked with electricity. The look in his eyes seemed very analytical and focused, nothing like the cheerful and energetic Pokemon his Starter was.

    On Ash''s side of the field, Pikachu blinked in surprise while Tyrunt continuously looked between both yellow rodents in mild surprise. It wasn''t the first time the baby had seen two members of the same species together at once, but he still wasn''t used to it. The seemingly stark difference in personalities probably didn''t help matters either.

    Ritchie nodded towards his own Pikachu. "This is my partner, Sparky. He''ll be my first for this battle."

    Sparky, huh? So Ritchie nicknamed some of his Pokemon too.

    Ash nodded back, looking down at Eevee as she tensed up in preparation. "Alright. Ready, Eevee?" at her stiff nod, he pointed forward. "Rush him with Swift!"

    Eevee took off in a sprint, the golden stars erupting from her jaws as she closed in on Sparky.

    Sparky''s reaction, however, wasn''t what Ash had expected it to be. Rather than attempt to dodge the shining projectiles or fight back with a ranged attack of his own, the opposing Pikachu coated his tail in metal and began twirling on his feet, almost like a top. As he advanced forward, the stars collided with his spinning body, only to be smacked to the side by the rotating Pikachu''s tail. Eevee''s eyes widened in surprise, and she did not have enough time to change course before the metal tail slapped her in the face, sending her rolling painfully across the dirt, which collected in her fur.

    "Eevee!" Ash called out in surprise. He noted the bruise on her face as she picked herself up, and prepared to give her an order, only for Ritchie to beat him to the punch.

    "Electroweb!"

    With Eevee still in the midst of rising to her feet, Sparky leapt into the air and did a somersault as his tail crackled with lightning. As he completed his midair flip, the lightning shot off of his tail, expanding into the shape of a net as it descended towards Eevee, who scrambled to her feet and dashed away, the net sticking to the ground as it landed.

    Ash had never heard of this move before. He''d have to read up on it later...

    Sparky wasn''t done, however, propelling himself downward towards Eevee as his tail became encased in metal. Eevee coated her own tail in metal, swinging it upwards to meet her opponent''s strike. Her Iron Tail was imperfect, however, and although Sparky''s own use of the move didn''t seem to be as refined as Ash''s Pikachu, it was still significantly more advanced than Eevee''s, and he had much more momentum backing him up. As the two tails smashed into each other, Eevee felt a sharp jolt of pain from the impact as her body was pushed downwards.

    "Good, now Thunderbolt!" Ritchie called out.

    Ash grimaced. "Shadow Ball!" Eevee would get caught in the explosion, due to the close proximity between her and Sparky, but the damage that she suffered would be minimal due to her immunity to ghost type moves. A point-blank Thunderbolt was far less desirable.

    Sparky''s tail crackled with electricity as he built up power to execute his attack. As Eevee formed the orb of distorted energy in her jaws, a relieved Ash realised that Sparky was in a similar position that Pikachu was prior to their training for the Cerulean Gym: It still took him a while to charge up Thunderbolt.

    That window of time provided Eevee with the opportunity that she needed to charge up her Shadow Ball and launch it point-blank in Sparky''s face. The Pikachu catapulted through the air with a surprised scream as the impact from the explosion pushed Eevee further down, although she got up more quickly than her opponent did.

    Sparky''s fur was scorched, and his breathing was slightly heavier as he rose back up to his feet, his cheeks crackling with lightning. He had been caught off guard by the blow. Just a little more and he wouldn''t be able to fight at full strength.

    In comparison, Eevee seemed to be fairing fine, despite the blow to the face that she had took. That didn''t mean that they could get comfortable, however.

    "Thunder Wave!"

    Ash was quick to respond to Ritchie''s order. "Hit him with Quick Attack!"

    As Sparky took a leap into the air and fired a bolt of lightning at Eevee, the evolution Pokemon blurred out of the way, coming at the Pikachu from the side as he landed on his feet, and driving herself headfirst into the electric mouse.

    Ash''s eyes followed Sparky as the Pikachu rapidly tumbled across the dirt, his own Pikachu and Tyrunt calling out to Eevee in encouragement. "Shadow Ball, point-blank!"

    Eevee blurred ahead, the ball of distortion in her jaws as she prepared to finish Sparky with the attack. Adrenaline must have kicked in, however, as the Pikachu pushed himself up with unforeseen speed and sprang out of the way as the ball left Eevee''s jaws.

    "Thundershock, then Iron Tail!" "

    Sparky maneuvered his way behind Eevee, cheeks crackling as he prepared to fire another lightning bolt at the quadruped. But Eevee turned around just as the attack launched, and a barrage of golden stars escaped her jaws, colliding with the electricity and kicking up a cloud of smoke.

    Undeterred, Sparky blazed his way through the smoke, dashing with greater speed than before as the apparent adrenaline pumped through his body and propelled him forward towards his target. Eevee, however, already had her own Iron Tail ready as he prepared to strike her. Rather than meeting his superior iron Tail head on like before, she leapt overhead and brought the tail to the back of his head, sending him rolling through the dirt once more before he stopped in a sitting position, rubbing his head in pain as tears began to leak from his eyes.

    Now Eevee rushed forward once more, another Shadow Ball in her jaws as she rapidly advanced towards her opponent, striking him in the back at point-blank.

    "Sparky!" Ritchie''s voice was anxious as the explosion sent his Pikachu flying off of the field. As he came to a stop, the Pikachu lay sprawled on his back, unconscious.

    Pikachu and Tyrunt cheered as Ash pumped a fist in excitement, grinning at Eevee as she made her way back to their side of the field. She had a rather satisfied smile on her face, settling herself into a sitting position as she came to a stop at the boy''s feet. She was briefly hesitant as Ash crouched down to pat her head, but eventually closed her eyes and took in his touch.

    "That was great work, Eevee. You want to take a break for the next round?"

    Consideration adorned Eevee''s features as she tilted her head and mulled the question over, eventually nodding and making her way to her trainer''s side where Pikachu and Tyrunt were. The two of them let out satisfied chirps that suggested that they were complimenting her, smiles on their faces as Eevee lightly nodded with a grin of her own, barking back cheeringly. Ash wasn''t sure if she was thanking them or just taking pride in their praises. Sometimes he found himself wishing that he could speak the languageˇ­

    As Ash rose back to his feet, his attention was brought back to Ritchie as the other boy clipped Sparky''s Poke Ball back to his belt and replaced it with a new one. He seemed mildly dejected at first, but that expression soon disappeared, an impressed grin taking its place.

    "Whew, good one there, Ash! Your Eevee is strong."

    Ash couldn''t help but admire the other boy''s sportsmanship, smiling back. "Thanks. Your Pikachu seems pretty great, too. What was that Electroweb move?" he looked back to where the electric net had once been, only to see tha tit had fizzled out by now.

    The boy perked up at the question. "It traps the opponent in a net made of electricity. Its great for slowing other Pokemon down or setting traps."

    Ash nodded in acknowledgement. He wondered if he should have Pikachu learn the technique? Perhaps at some point, but there were some other things that he wanted the rodent to work on. He''d definitely put the move on the list, however. He''ll have to choose between that and Agility for new moves to teach Pikachuˇ­

    "Anyway." his attention was once again brought back to Ritchie as the grinning boy held out his second Poke Ball. "I''ll win this one, just you wait!"

    In a flash of light, a Charmander appeared beside the boy. This one seemed pretty eager to fight, dancing in place and letting out cheerful, but impatient cries as Ritchie patted his head.

    "He''s pretty hyperactive." Ritchie" said in amusement before addressing his partner. "We''re down one to nothing, Zippo. Think you can turn this around?" The Charmander, Zippo, nodded eagerly as Ash turned to his team.

    "Pikachu, are you up for this?" he didn''t have to ask twice, the mouse racing to the dirt field on all fours and calling out to Zippo in a competitive, yet good natured tone of voice as his cheeks crackled with lightning.

    Tyrunt clapped his claws together happily, while Eevee had a somewhat exasperated grin on her face from the young mouse''s antics. Nevertheless, she took a seat beside the baby dinosaur as the royal heir Pokemon attempted to converse with her.

    "Careful, Pikachu." Ash knelt down to speak to his starter Pokemon. "Charmander can be pretty dangerous. This one probably packs a punch, so watch out for his fire. Try to outmaneuver him before attacking head on." Charmander were known for being spirited and powerful at a young age, the fire type Kanto starter often favored by trainers who wanted to start out with a Pokemon that was good for hyper-offensive tactics, allowing their teams to have at least one heavy hitter right off the bat. They also loved to battle, and, from the looks of things, Zippo was no exception.

    Ash couldn''t help but wonder if the tips that he often gave Pikachu were basically just different variations of "be faster than your opponent", but at this point, it usually seemed to be the best option. Pikachu''s fighting style often revolved around taking advantage of his speed and momentum, utilizing his excessive maneuverability to his advantage. It made the boy worried that they weren''t varied enough in their strategies, but unless he could come up with another way for Pikachu to fight with equal effectiveness, he wasn''t sure what else to do apart from taking advantage of his starter''s natural strong points.

    And against this Charmander, speed and maneuverability would most likely be very useful. Depending on how powerful that Zippo was, a simple brawl might be too dangerous for Pikachu.

    As Ash rose back to his feet, Ritchie took the initiative. "Dragon Breath!"

    Rearing head back, Zippo opened his maw and belched out a stream of wind, coated with bluish-purple energy. As the young lizard''s attack made its way to Pikachu, the rodent dashed to the side and lined himself up with the Charmander, prepared to charge headfirst into the fire type''s side as Ritchie gave another order.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    "Smokescreen!"

    As Pikachu bolted forward, Ash''s Starter was blindsided when Zippo turned his body in his direction, exhaling a blast of black smoke from his throat. The dark cloud enveloped Pikachu, tears streaming down the rodent''s now stinging eyes as his advancement slowed somewhat.

    Although Pikachu continued to charge in what he knew to be Zippo''s direction, he did not see the Charmander raising his claws, which now glowed with a bright, white aura. Just as Pikachu emerged from the cloud, the young lizard lashed out, striking at the young mouse with the Slash attack. As Pikachu''s eyes (still in pain) widened in surprise, the electric rodent attempted to curve to the side to avoid the attack, but was still painfully grazed by the strike as a small cut appeared on his body.

    As Pikachu came to a stop, turning his body to face the Charmander on all fours once more, the two combatants locked eyes for a brief instant, before Pikachu''s body crackled with electricity.

    Standing upright, Pikachu let out a cry as a Thunderbolt fired off from his body. As the blast of lightning was fired, Ritchie countered.

    "Flame Burst!"

    Once more Zippo reared his head back, before spewing out a large ball of flames that intercepted the lightning. As the two attacks clashed, however, the lightning pierced its way through the fiery orb, and, although weakened from the collision, continued making its way to the startled Zippo, who shrieked as the electricity assaulted his body.

    As Ritchie hollered at his partner in concern, Ash pressed forward. It seemed that Zippo did pack some power behind his attacks, but Pikachu was still stronger after all. That was reassuring, but it didn''t mean they could fight mindlessly.

    "Static Tail!"

    It was a combination that Ash had come up with shortly after the battle with Misty. Up until this point, they had neglected use of Thunder Wave, despite the Move''s good versatility. Static Tail was a combo that worked exactly the same as Zap Tail, but with the more hindering electricity of Thunder Wave, rather than the more offensive-focused electricity that they had been using up until now. It didn''t quite have the power of Zap Tail, but it was still a good offensive combination that could also inflict at least some level of paralysis on the opponent.

    As Pikachu bolted forward, his now metal-coated tail became enveloped in the lightning of Thunder Wave. Just as Zippo shook off the shock from the weakened Thunderbolt, the lightning wielding, metal tail was thrust into the Charmander''s gut, the young lizard feeling the air shoot out of his wide, open mouth as the electricity from the tail traveled along his body. The fire type was catapulted backwards, skidding across the dirt and nearly losing his footing as he felt his muscles beginning to tighten. A Ritchie shouted words of encouragement to the lizard, Zippo vehemently snarled through clenched teeth, angrily trying to fight through the static that was attempting to hinder his movements.

    Ash was just about to issue a followup order when Zippo suddenly held his head high and roared to the clouds. Everybody blinked as his body began to flash, first briefly, and then, suddenly, the flash of light held, the Charmander''s body becoming enveloped in white aura as he began to grow.

    Pikachu took a few steps back as the light dissipated, revealing a Charmeleon in the Charmander''s place. Zippo reared back and let out a mighty roar at the mouse, the electricity still on his body, but now being resisted significantly more.

    Ash''s mouth was open for a moment before he quickly shook his head, regaining his bearings as Ritchie beamed at his partner.

    "Zippo! You''ve evolved! Congratulations!" The fire type turned his head and smiled at his trainer with a confident nod, and Ash''s mind suddenly flashed back to Mt. Moon.

    ''Valient had evolved out of sheer determination back then, it almost seemed.'' the boy thought to himself as he examined the newly evolved Charmeleon. ''Could Zippo have done something similar to that?'' He knew that there was a fair amount of research that suggested that adrenaline could sometimes play a role in pushing an evolution is certain situations, even though it only real;y mattered if the Pokemon was already in a position where they were ready to evolve in the first place.

    "Pikachu!" Ash called out as the young rodent eyed his newly evolved adversary with caution. "Be extra careful now. We don''t know how much stronger he is!"

    Still smiling, Ritchie called out to his partner. "Flame Burst!"

    "Double Team!" Ash countered.

    As Pikachu split into two, Zippo reared his head back and unleashed a bigger, yet significantly more condensed, orb of flames than before. It flew at a far greater speed as well. Evolution always came with a substantial boost in power, and this was no exception.

    Both Pikachu and his copy rushed out of the blast''s path, dodging in separate directions as the dirt exploded from the impact of the attack. Ash''s vision was obscured for a moment as both Pikachu dashed for Zippo, coming from opposing sides as the real one prepared to attack.

    Unfortunately, Zippo guessed correctly, and as Pikachu attempted to strike the Chameleon with a Zap Tail, his attack was met with an orange, glowing fist. Zippo''s Brick Break collided with the lightning-coated iron Tail, and although the young lizard recoiled in pain from the static that shocked his fist, Pikachu''s tail was deflected as he allowed his clone to fizzle out, the young mouse being sent backwards by the momentum of the Charmeloen''s blow, but landing on all fours and skidding to a halt. The electric rodent hadn''t felt any pain from the attack, and immediately sprung forward again, driving a Brick Break of his own into Zippo''s gut just as the Charmeleon had recovered from the pain of the clash.

    Staggering backwards, the Charmeleon clenched his gut, glaring at Pikachu for a moment before Ash''s Starter took off into a sprint, circling around the fiery lizard as Zippo attempted to follow his movements.

    "Smokescreen, cover yourself!" Ritchie ordered.

    Zippo complied, firing a stream of smoke downwards and allowing it rise up and obscure him from view, but Pikachu had already reacted, leaping into the air as an Electro Ball charged up at the tip of his tail.

    Before Ritchie or Zippo could react, the ball of lightning was flung in Zippo''s direction, the Charmeleon shouting in pain as the attack collided with him, another explosion of dirt kicking up as Pikachu came down on the young lizard, coating his tail in metal to deliver a blow to the head that staggered the fiery lizard forward, before Zippo fell to his knees, fists pressed against the dirt.

    Just as Pikachu prepared to close in for the finishing blow, however, Zippo bolted back up to his feet, a second surge of adrenaline pulsing through his body as he roared to the sky, a deep, crimson aura enveloping his body as his eyes flashed red, The crimson aura was outlined by a bright, orange light as the Charmeleon turned to glare furiously at the young mouse.

    Charmeleon''s ability, Blaze. It took hold when they had sustained heavy damage and were on their last reserves of energy, powering up their fire type moves with an astronomical boost.

    Ash and Ritchie both took a few steps back for safety purposes, Ash ordering Eevee and Tyrunt to do the same. Nevertheless, Ash felt a surge of excitement rushing through him. One more decisive hit would probably do it, but the battle was also anybody''s game with Zippo''s second power boost in a row.

    Ritchie seemed to be quite excited as well, grinning from ear to ear as he jumped off the ground just once before calling out to his fiery partner. "Rapid fire Flame Burst!"

    "Double Team and Zap Tail!"

    As Zippo reared his head back and opened his mouth, the orb of fire that formed from his jaws was much larger, and glowing a deep, dark red. The flaming ball rocketed out of the Charmeleon''s mouth and towards the wide-eyed Pikachu, the heat felt by the young rodent even as it sailed in his direction.

    Pikachu couldn''t possibly hope to contend with the fiery blast heading towards him, but he thankfully didn''t need to, splitting into two once more, he and his copy ran off in separate directions as the blast collided with the dirt where they once were. The wall of dirt that was blasted off of the ground from the impact of the explosion completely obscured Ash''s view of the battlefield, the boy bracing himself as a rush of hot wind pushed against his body.

    Pikachu and his copy once again closed in on Zippo, rushing the adrenaline-driven fire type Pokemon from opposite directions. Zippo chose wrong this time, however, and as he aimed a second Flame Burst at the copy and fired, Pikachu leapt up from behind, driving Zap Tail into the back of his head.

    CRACK!

    Just seconds after Zippo face planted into the dirt, a bruise on his head scorched with static, the aura around him dissipated, and he did not get up.

    Fighting a dangerous opponent was stressful, but overcoming them was satisfying even moreso.

    /

    "Man, you were pretty strong out there, thanks for the battle." Ritchie complimented Ash, the two shaking hands after the other boy transferred the prize money to Ash''s account.

    "Thank you too." Ash nodded with a grin. "It was a great battle. And congratulations on your Charmander evolving."

    Ritchie beamed. "It''s felt like Zippo was ready for a while now!" he declared excitedly. "I just wasn''t sure how to give him the final push. Thanks for that, too." as he glanced off to the side, he eyed Ash''s team for a moment.

    Pikachu and Eevee had been treated with potions, and Tyrunt was prodding at the evolution Pokemon in an effort to play with her while Pikachu watched from the side, seated on a rock. The quadruped seemed to be somewhat annoyed at being the target of the infant dinosaur''s antics, and the expression on her face as she repeatedly moved around to avoid him suggested that she was constantly trying to remind herself that he was just a baby.

    Ash watched his friends with mild amusement before Ritchie''s voice brought his attention back to the other trainer. "So, do you and your team have any badges yet?" the other trainer asked curiously.

    Ash smiled somewhat proudly at the question as he nodded. "We''ve got two. One from Pewter, and the second from Cerulean."

    Ritchie started at that. "You have two already?! That''s amazing!" he chuckled nervously. "Explains why I couldn''t win. My team and I still don''t have any." a blush appeared on his face. "I''ve actually been in the Cerulean area since the Season began. I felt like it was the best place to start, so I teleported over here. I''ve been training around the area, and have practiced camping out outside of the city, but I haven''t really worked up the courage to challenge the gym yet." rubbing the back of his head, he looked to the ground with an embarrassed smile.

    It made sense. All of the trainers that Ash had battled since leaving Cerulean had either just recently gotten their first badge or still didn''t have any badges at all. They were still in the period of the Season where the majority of rookie trainers were still in the process of earning their first badges. Ash felt fairly impressed with himself and his team that they were ahead of the game in that department, but he knew he couldn''t grow complacent. After all, Misty and her team had gotten their two badges just as fast as he and his team had.

    Getting Gym badges wasn''t a race (all that mattered was that you got them before the Conference), but even if it was, he knew he and his team weren''t necessarily winning.

    "The Cerulean Gym is really tough." Ash admitted in warning, while still trying to keep his voice reassuring. "But I''d recommend at least giving it a try soon. Even if you lose, you can gauge yourself from the battle, and it''ll obviously be great if you win."

    Ritchie grinned thankfully at that encouragement. "Thanks. I was hoping to take a shot at it soon, but I''ve just been putting it off." Suddenly, he perked up. "Heyˇ­ have you heard about the savage Pokemon trainer that lives in this area?"

    Ash tilted his head as Eevee began growling at Tyrunt, who was still pursuing her as Pikachu prepared to step in if needed. "Savage Pok¨¦mon trainer? I don''t think soˇ­" he had known that a Researcher lived close by, but he knew nothing about this.

    Ritchie crossed his arms and nodded. "Yeah, apparently he''s been camping out here since the Season started. He has his own arena and has been taking on any challengers who stop by. He''s got this huge winning streak going on right now. Won every single match he''s been in." he grinned shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I actually challenged him a few days ago, but I got beaten by a single Pokemon. He''s the real deal." he lightly scratched his forehead. "But if you already have two badgesˇ­ well, you''d obviously stand a much better chance than me."

    Over to the side, Pikachu had gotten between Eevee and Tyrunt as Ash''s eyes lit up in surprise. At the moment, the people he''d battled since leaving Cerulean were all good trainers, but none of them had given him a nail-biting match like Misty. But this savage trainer really sounded serious.

    To think, somebody had gone over a month into the Season with nothing but victories to show for it. Ash honestly felt a little bit jealous about that, but it was just a reminder to never grow overconfident, even if he had gotten his badges faster than most.

    "Do you know how to get to his camp from here?" he asked curiously.

    Ritchie nodded, pointing off to the northeast. "He lives over there. Oh yeah, and he has a few exotic Pokemon too. Didn''t even recognize them. Should have mentioned it before."

    Ash adjusted his cap as a somewhat competitive grin made its way across his lips. "Thanks, Ritchie. I''ll be sure to go check it out."

    /

    Eevee let out a determined battle cry as her metallic tail swung for Pikachu''s own, the young mouse lifting an Iron Tail to intercept her attack.

    Eevee''s tail slammed against Pikachu''s, the quadruped snarling through gritted teeth as she strained herself to push through her teammate''s defenses. Pikachu pushed back against her, however, putting in enough effort to keep his tail in place before finally sending her briefly tumbling across the dirt, although she quickly righted herself back onto all fours.

    Eevee had only just learned Iron Tail, and hadn''t gone through the dedicated training that Pikachu had in order to fully master the move. Her usage of the move, while still capable, couldn''t hold up against a Pokemon that had completely gotten a hold on such a technique, and so the superiority of Pikachu''s version of the move over hers was very clear to Ash.

    And clear to Eevee as well, if her envious expression was anything to go by. She didn''t seem to have any real distaste for Pikachu, but seeing him do what she did, but better, likely stung, Ash imagined with sympathy. He was stronger, faster, and had better maneuverability than her. And his usage of Iron Tail easily outclassed her own.

    Not that she was willing to accept it, of course, as she rushed her teammate once again. Ash and Tyrunt watched from off to the side as Pikachu skillfully parried her strikes, making somewhat elegant use of a move that was now borderline second nature to him, as Eevee continued to swing away with little rhyme or reason to speak of it.

    Finally, Eevee''s tail gave out, and Ash''s face scrunched as her no longer metallic tail slammed into Pikachu''s still fully metal coated tail, the Evolution Pokemon''s eyes bulging, tears streaming down her face as she hopped around and attempted to nurse her now stubbed tail.

    Ash got up from the rock he and Tyrunt were seated on and raced over to his friend, kneeling down and placing a calming hand on her head as she looked up at him tearfully.

    "Don''t overdo it, Eevee." she didn''t resist as he pulled her into a light embrace, and he wasn''t sure if her tearfully sniffs were out of pain or frustration.

    Ash had asked Pikachu to spar with Eevee, in hopes of helping her get the hang of her new move. But Eevee seemed to be trying to escalate the training session into a competition. One that she sadly didn''t seem to be ready for.

    Pulling away, Ash kept his hands on his quadruped friend as he took up a sitting position and looked her in the eyes. Her face was calmer now, as was her gaze, but the lingering tears were still visible.

    "Listen, Eevee." Ash tried to keep his voice calm. Comforting his teammates was still pretty new to him, and he was always worried that he''d screw up whenever he needed to do it. But he meant everything he said to them, nonetheless. A trainer didn''t earn the trust of their Pokemon with empty platitudes, after all. "I know you want to get stronger, but that''s why I want Pikachu to help you." as she looked back at the mouse, he nodded at her. "I know he''s better at the move than you are right now," he frowned as her face scrunched up. "B-but," he started. "That''s why he''s your best training partner right now!" he bit back his tongue after realizing how frantic his tone of voice sounded. "...Lookˇ­ you two are on the same team, right? And you know Pikachu has your best interests at heartˇ­" he looked over to his stater, who was watching them silently, the electric mouse trying to mask his frown as Eevee eyed him carefully. "You''ll get better eventually. Pikachu is only the way he is right now because of how hard he trained back in Pewter. You can be the same, I promise."

    Ash knew that the two of them got along fairly well. Not as much as Pikachu and Nebula, and Eevee seemed to be a bit more attached to Valiant, but they certainly seemed to be friends.

    Sighing a bit, Eevee looked back up at her trainer and nodded. Offering a nod of his own in return, Ash made eye contact with her and tried to keep his face even. "Goodˇ­ do you want to try again? Calmly this timeˇ­"

    After a few seconds of pondering, Eevee nodded back before making her way over to Pikachu. She spared the young rodent an apologetic nod and sank into a stance.

    /

    The camp was fairly big, at least by what Ash was used to. But the boy knew that it made sense, given that the apparent savage trainer was staying in these parts indefinitely.

    A fairly large hut had been set up at the edge of the woods, overlooking the nearby sea. A large sign with the letters "AJ" carved on the top of the hut.

    As Ash made his way up to the steps leading to the building, he grinned at the sight of a seemingly man-made battlefield at the end of a smaller staircase. Ash doubted that this was all built by one person, but it seemed fairly high standard for something unofficial. Whoever the savage trainer was seemed to have a talent for construction.

    As Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt observed the structures in front of them, a rough voice broke Ash out of his thoughts.

    "Are you my next victim?"

    The group turned to see a stockily built boy with spiky, dark-green hair making his way to the top of the steps behind them. A large backpack was strapped to his shoulders, and Ash couldn''t help but gulp at the thought of carrying around something of that size.

    As the boy stopped in front of him, Ash almost took a step back, a bead of sweat rolling down his face as the newcomer looked him over. He stood just over a head taller than the young rookie, and seemed to be at least a couple years older. The look in his eyes as he locked gazes with Ash was fierce, almost warrior-like.

    Unable to suppress his gulp, Ash tried to regain his bearings as quickly as possible, making an attempt to sharpen his gaze as he addressed the intimidating newcomer.

    "Soˇ­ you''re the trainer I''ve heard about? Who trains savage Pokemon?"

    Crossing his arms, the other boy offered Ash a confirming nod, not dropping his scrutinizing expression as he pointed his thumb to his chest.

    "That''s right, the name''s A.J. and I run the place around these parts." turning his head to Ash''s team, who were watching the exchange silently, he paused for a moment before turning his gaze back to Ash and continuing. "I take it you''re a new challenger."

    "Yes." Ash nodded. "My name''s Ash. I heard you''ve had a winning streak since the Season began, right?"

    A.J. allowed a prideful grin to accompany his features as he nodded in response. "Of course I do. Ninety eight wins straight for the time being."

    Ash couldn''t hide the pale complexion that spread over his face at the casual declaration. He supposed he should''ve expected a big number, given that this has been since the Season first started, but the reality was finally starting to sink in. It was somewhat exciting, although he wasn''t liking their odds.

    Turning his back to the rookie and looking towards the battlefield, A.J. turned his head to glance at Ash. "What about you? Think you''re worth my time? The last ten matches or so haven''t exactly been fulfilling. I''ve been going through the motions more than I care to admit."

    Crossing his arms, Ash tried to sound bold as he responded. "Ten wins in a row. Since leaving Cerulean City." he knew it wasn''t exactly a big feat standing next to this A.J. guy, but hopefully it will at least draw his attention.

    Putting a finger to his chin, A.J. seemed to mull it over before giving an answer. "Hmmmˇ­ you''ll do I guess." straightening himself, he nodded in Ash''s direction before turning to face him once more. "The plan is to get a hundred wins in a row before I start traveling. It won''t mean much if it''s from a bunch of chumps who don''t even know how to fight. The appeal of Cerulean is that its rookie-friendly nature makes it easier for beginners to improve and get started out, but I''m starting to think the rookies around this place have gotten a little too comfortable with their precious safe haven." turning back around and making his way to the other side of the battlefield (which also had a set of steps leading up to it) he called out to Ash. "Go on ahead and take your position, kid. We''ll have a three-on-three battle." His tone of voice made it fairly clear that it wasn''t a mere suggestion.

    Turning to his team, Ash noted the eager expressions on Pikachu and Tyrunt''s faces, although Eevee seemed to be hesitant. She definitely wasn''t as keen to charge into a challenge as his starter was, and Tyrunt was just happy to be there to witness it.

    Ash didn''t mind if she preferred to sit this one out. Making his way to the trio, he crouched down to speak with them quickly.

    "Pikachu, I take it you''re up for this?" The determined smile that accompanied the young mouse''s nod was the only answer the boy needed. Smiling at his Starter, Ash took a look at Eevee and patted her head. "I won''t force you into it, don''t worry. Do you still want to stay out and watch?" at her nod, Ash nodded back in thanks before looking over to Tyrunt. "Pay close attention, okay little buddy? This''ll probably be our first big match since Misty." the dinosaur nodded eagerly at that.

 New Challenges pt 2

    A.J. ''s arms were crossed as he stoically glared a tAsh from the other side of the arena.

    "Let''s see what you got kid." not wasting any time with pre-battle exchanges, he had a Poke Ball in his hand a second later, enlarging it without hesitation. "I''d prefer to not have another boring slugfest with an amateur."

    A large Raticate appeared on A.J.''s side of the arena, rising up to hold its head high as it emerged from the white light of the Poke Ball. The Normal Type had a very bulky build, with a somewhat muscular appearance that was noticeable even with its fur. Its large, front teeth shined in the glow of the sun as it bared its fangs in the boy''s direction.

    Valiant appeared on Ash''s side. The Kirlia spared a moment to look back at his trainer, exchanging a friendly wave with Eevee and Tyrunt in the process, before turning back to Raticate. A bead of sweat formed on the emotion Pokemon''s head as the large rat gnashed its teeth at him, but the look in his eyes quickly turned steel.

    With confidence, A.J. raised a hand into the air. "The battle begins now! Shadow Ball!"

    Raticate didn''t waste a moment to heed its trainer''s order, a ball of distortion forming beneath its two large teeth. Valiant was already encasing himself in a golden cube as the attack fired. With no barriers to protect him, Ash was braced himself in preparation for the shockwaves as the powerful orb struck the golden shield (cracking it, but not breaking it) but it never came.

    The young boy blinked for a second, and could have sworn he saw a hint of shimmering between himself and the battlefield.

    "Waitˇ­ do you have barriers here?" he asked in a bewildered tone.

    A.J. nodded. "Yes. The equipment I use are donations from a researcher who lives nearby. I''m using my winnings to pay off the debt. Good motivation to get one hundred victories in a row."

    ''So that''s it.'' Ash thought to himself. It was probably the same researcher that he found out about back in the city. Even if A.J. was paying him off, it must have been a pretty generous researcher.

    And the mention of a "debt" reminded him of his own debt to Elacia. Although, Ash had a feeling that this A.J. guy needed even more money, given how expensive the technology probably was.

    He couldn''t dwell on any of that, however, shaking himself out of his thoughts to give Valiant an order.

    "Dazzling Gleam!"

    "Iron Tail!"

    Raticate blurred away from the pink blast that Valiant sent its way, circling around the battlefield to charge the young Kirlia from the side as it raised a now metal-encased tail.

    Dust kicked up in the large rat''s wake as it tore its way across the arena. It was a fast one, for certain. Rivaled even Pikachu. Its bulk did nothing to hinder it.

    Valiant flashed out of existence just as the metallic tail threatened to smash his forehead. Appearing on the other side of the arena, the young Kirlia raised his hands out in front of them, which were already coated in electricity as a bolt of lightning sizzled forward towards the bulky rat.

    Raticate turned around immediately, however, opening its mouth to form a large, bright blue ball of light, which quickly extended into a narrow, but condensed, beam of ice that met with the lightning blast.

    The collision of the thunderbolt and Ice Beam scattered sparking chunks of ice across the center of the arena, Raticate running forward and coating itself in fire as it swiftly rolled through the small cloud of smoke that was briefly kicked up by the explosion.

    Shadow Ball, Iron Tail, Ice Beam, and now Flame Wheelˇ­ this creature was versatile.

    The ground beneath Raticate sizzled with the heat as its flaming body sped its way towards Valiant, who surrounded himself in a glass barrier as he braced himself for impact, holding his arms out forward and gritting his teeth as the flaming ball smashed into his shield.

    The young Emotion Pokemon could feel the heat on his hands as his Reflect strained against the swift force of the Flame Wheel, his opponent continuously grinding its flaming body against the shield as Raticate continued to roll in place. Cracks were beginning to form on the barrier, spreading throughout.

    Finally, the rat gave out just as the barrier shattered, Valiant lightly yelping as the lingering flames splashed onto his skin as Raticate recoiled backwards, body no longer cloaked.

    Valiant made the first move, fighting through the pain as he lurched himself forward through the flames, a rainbow orb forming in his hands as he fired a Psybeam into Raticate''s chest. The large rat weezed from the impact as it was sent rolling a few feet across the battlefield, stopping on its back before getting up in time to raise a metallic tail to intercept the Dazzling Gleam that Valiant had fired to follow up.

    Pushing against the blast of bright, pink light, Raticate let out a light battle cry as it finally broke through and slapped the beam away, deflecting it into the barriers as the large rat blurred forward yet again. Valiant teleported away to avoid another Iron Tail, but Raticate was already in pursuit once more as the young Kirlia reappeared on another part of the battlefield.

    "Psybeam!" Ash quickly called out.

    "Sucker Punch!"

    Ash blinked as Raticate suddenly became cloaked in a veil of purple, its speed increasing further as it rammed into Valiant, breaking the Emotion Pokemon''s concentration as the krilia was sent to the ground with a yelp.

    "Finish it with Iron Tail!"

    Standing over the fallen Kirlia, Raticate took aim for Valiant''s head as it brought down a metallic tail. Ash held back a sigh of relief as Valiant rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet. His friend had avoided getting his skull crushed in, but the battle wasn''t over.

    "Iron Tail once more!" A.J. called out. His tone was calm, but with a fierce undertone. Completely absorbed in the battle.

    "Reflect!"

    Valiant erected the glass cube just as Raticate blurred forward, lashing out at the powerful barrier with its metal-coated tail.

    SMASH!

    The glass shattered as a yelping Valiant was sent skidding backwards, the whiplash of the collision nearly pushing him off of his feet as the shockwaves painfully bruised his head. He was a few meters away from his opponent when he finally managed to right himself.

    Ash felt some sweat rolling down his cheek. This Raticate was strong. He could see how this guy had managed to win ninety-eight times in a row, as ludicrous of a feat that was. No doubt just one direct strike from that Iron Tail would end Valiant''s efforts for good.

    At his feet, Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt all seemed pretty nervous, and Ash shared in the feeling. They''d become his ninety-ninth victims at this rateˇ­

    What to do? Valiant couldn''t keep teleporting and relying on barriers forever. His strength was bound to give in on him sooner rather than later if he kept that up, and Raticate had just proven itself powerful enough to annihilate Reflect in a single, well-placed blowˇ­

    Thinking back to his battles with Daisy and Misty, Ash inwardly sighed to himself. Was such a risky strategy suddenly going to become the norm for them?

    Thrusting an arm outwards, A.J. called out boldly. "Keep up the pressure! Toxic!"

    Ash nervously clenched his teeth together. Just how much variety did this Pokemon have?

    Moving forward to take aim at Valiant, Raticate shot a large, thick glob of dark purple goop in the young Kirlia''s direction.

    Toxic was a dangerous move, and although the same could be said for a great deal of Poison Type attacks, this one was definitely one of the most infamous. Proper utilization of poisonous techniques could easily cripple nearly any opponent, making it one of the most feared typings out there.

    "Psybeam!"

    Thankfully, Psychic attacks were a perfect offensive counter to Poison Types. Ash didn''t allow him to feel any satisfaction just yet, but still nodded in approval as Valiant''s beam of rainbow-colored light tore through the poisonous goop. As Raticate deflected it with an Iron Tail, Valiant momentarily erected a Light Screen (keeping it weak to conserve energy) to block out the remnants of the gopp that otherwise would have splashed onto his body.

    "Keep going, Raticate!'' A.J.''s voice was urging, not losing its calm tone, but still laced with assertiveness and agency. "Hyper Fang!"

    Ash gulped a bit. He was starting to figure that Raticate knew that move, too.

    Raticate''s fangs became cloaked in a bright, white aura, almost as if its teeth was literally made out of it. As the sharp teeth grew in size, the large rat prepared to bolt forward and sink them into Valiant.

    "Teleport onto its back! Then Thunderbolt!"

    As a bewildered A.J. blinked, Valiant appeared on top of Raticate, wrapping his arms around his furry opponent as the large rat flinched from the electricity charging up in the young Kirlia''s hands.

    "Get Kirlia off of you!" A.J. ordered, his surprise leaking into his normally composed tone.

    Raticate took off in a sprint, tearing through the arena as Valiant held on for dear life. Even so, the large rat''s body erupted in electricity mere moments later, a thunderous scream escaping the large normal type as the lightning scorched his body. Even as Raticate was bombarded with the point-blank zap, Valiant, still hanging onto his opponent, cried out as well as his body was scorched by his own attack.

    A.J. bit back his lip as Raticate struggled to throw the young Kirlia off, before his eyes widened in realization.

    "Flame Wheel!"

    To Ash''s awe, Raticate powered through the agony and cloaked itself in fire, Valiant''s screams becoming deafening as the flames enveloped his body. As Raticate took on it''s fiery ball form, the fire and lightning collectively covering the large rat''s body fought for dominance as an explosion formed from the conflict.

    Valiant was painfully flung off of his opponent''s back while Raticate was also launched backwards. Both combatants bounced across the rocky pavement of the arena, coming to a stop and struggling to their feet as both trainers took in the states of their Pokemon.

    Raticate''s fur was relentlessly charged, entire, large patches completely missing as smoke seeped from its smoldering body. The bulky rat panted in agony as it locked eyes with Valiant, still attempting to put on a battle-ready glare.

    Valiant was panting as well, his skin scorched, with a hint of blood dripping from some of the cuts that he had sustained from colliding with the ground. He also locked eyes with his opponent. Even as he traded Raticate''s glare with one of his own, his gaze was significantly more shaken, and not quite as steel as the large rat''s.

    ''It''s a good thing I didn''t have him try to trap them both in a Light Screen.'' Ash thought to himself in realization, the fight with Daisy''s Poliwhirl entering his mind once more. ''That would have cost him even more energy, and he might not have withstood that last attack.''

    Both Pokemon were struggling to stand, trying to muster what little remained of their strength and apply it to their resolve.

    Just one more blowˇ­

    "Raticate, Shadow Ball!"

    "Valiant, Thunderbolt!"

    It took a good deal longer for the ball of distortion to form in Raticate''s jaws, as for the electricity to gather in Valiant''s hands. Both combatants strained themselves to ready their attacks, gazes still locked on one another as they prepared to fire.

    They would need to use their moves strategically. Try to bait the opponent so that they could move to the side and fire their attack without it getting intercepted by the opposing technique. Who knew how much strength they''d have left in the tank after this?

    Just as Raticate made its move, sidestepping a bit as it prepared to fire the Shadow Ball, Ash''s eyes widening, something in his mind going off.

    "Teleport!"

    Catching onto what his trainer was planning, Valiant strained himself in an effort to activate the technique, the psychic ignoring the exhaustion in his body and flashing out of existence just before the ball of ghostly energy could ram into him. As the Shadow Ball slammed into the barriers, the young Kirlia appeared just behind Raticate, letting out a battle cry as the bolt of lightning escaped his hands.

    A.J. had already caught on, however, his eyes widening and his voice now somewhat panicked as he hastily called out a counterorder. "Iron Tail, behind you!"

    Raticate whirled around and took aim at Valiant, showcasing surprising resilience as it powered through its exhaustion and lashed out with a metallic coated tail. The iron Tail was imperfect, not completely coated in metal, and the metal itself not quite as strong, but it was still an iron Tail, all the same.

    Valiant''s attack hit its mark just as the tail slammed into the side of the young Emotion Pokemon''s head, the electricity sizzling across Raticate''s body as Valiant rolled a few feet away. Raticate let out a final cry of pain before collapsing with a grunt, both combatants now laying still on the battlefield.

    A draw.

    The fallen Pokemon were both sucked into their capsules by beams of red light, Ash smiling in approval at Valiant''s Poke Ball as Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt each chirped their congratulations at the orb.

    "Great job as always, Valiant. Take a rest for now." clipping the ball back to his belt, he took out a second capsule and released Nebula.

    On the other side of the arena, A.J. had already returned Raticate''s Poke Ball to his belt, taking out a second Poke ball as Nebula appeared on the field and exchanged greetings with Ash and the others.

    A Beedrill appeared in front of A.J.

    Turning back to her opponent, Nebula narrowed her eyes at the sight of the bug-poison type.

    It was as intimidating as any other member of its species, a fierce glare filling its eyes as tiny drops of venom dripped from the tip of its needles.

    "Careful, Nebula." Ash warned quietly. "This guy''s last Pokemon had a lot of tricks up its sleeve. We don''t have much of a way of knowing how this Beedrill fights."

    Nebula nodded in understanding.

    "Althoughˇ­" Ash bit his lip. "It''s at least pretty likely to make use of its needles." The bird followed his gaze towards the sharp needles that Beedrill had raised in front of itself. "A direct hit from those would definitely be lethal, especially if it uses poison with them. Your Steel Wing should be able to block them, andˇ­"

    He bit back his tongue. He wondered if he should warn Nebula about A.J.''s perfect record. She had the type matchup in her favor, but a trainer who claimed to have won ninety-eight straight times would hardly be worried about something like that.

    He inwardly shook his head. He didn''t like omitting information from her, or from Valiant, for that matter, but if he told her about A.J.''s winning streak he might be putting additional pressure on her. It would just stress her out.

    Ash perked up as Nebula looked back at him with a light smile of reassurance, before taking off into the air. Ash smiled after her fleeing form.

    Right now, she seemed to be looking forward to the battle. That was the important part. He didn''t need to make things serious when her mindset going into battle would be a lot healthier this way.

    "Do your best, Nebula!" he called out to his partner. Pikachu and Tyrunt let out encouraging cries of their own, while Eevee remained silent, but nodded to herself.

    A.J. gestured forward to Beedrill as the fatal bug-poison type raised its needles into the air in preparation, lightly clicking them together as poison continued to drip from their tips.

    "You managed to score a draw with Raticate in the first round." his voice was showing a bit more emotion now, a hint of approval conveyed in his tone. "That''s not a bad first impression. You''ve outperformed a lot of the others so far." the seriousness in his face deepened. "Let''s see if that continues. Beedrill, Poison Jab!"

    Complying, Beedrill shot upwards towards Nebula. Just before taking off, its body took on a light-blue outline, before rocketing at breakneck speeds towards its target. Was it using Agility?

    Even as Beedrill advanced, its needles glowed a deep purple, the poison at the tips expanding to cover the entirety of the needles as it thrust one of them at Nebula''s chest.

    Just before the glowing needle could plunge its way into her body, Nebula encased her wings in metal, folding them in front of her to intercept the blow. The force behind the high-speed attack propelled the Staravia upwards, but her wings remained undented as the metallic coating absorbed the blow, the poison left behind harmlessly dripping off of the metal feathers.

    Ash took the initiative. "Strike back now!"

    Wings still coated in metal, Nebula shot downwards. Not far from Beedrill, it didn''t take her long to get within striking distance, swatting one of her wings downwards in hopes of slamming down on her dangerous opponent''s head with the metal. However, one of Beedrill''s needles glowed a bright orange, striking back against the metallic wing. As the Brick Break deftly met with the Steel Wing, Nebula felt a twinge of pain from the collision, the bird wincing through a clenched beak as the metal on her wing became dented.

    Beedrill''s strike pushed Nebula''s wing upwards, knocking her off balance as the mighty bug prepared a counterattack, striking at the Staravia with Poison Jab using its other needle.

    Nebula reacted as quickly as she could, swinging her other wing, still coated in metal, at the poisonous needle in an attempt to block it. Although she did not react in time to intercept the tip like she had done before, she still managed to successfully land a blow to the side of the needle, pushing it away just before it could touch her vulnerable body.

    "Wind Blast!"

    As Beedrill was knocked off balance from Nebula''s actions, Nebula allowed the metallic coating on her wings to fade away as she successfully righted herself, firing the condensed blast of air head on into the bug-poison type. Beedrill grunted in displeasure from the painful force of the blow as the fatal bug was forced to the ground, the wind roughly pushing Beedrill downwards until the large bug slammed into the arena, bouncing off of the pavement for a brief moment before righting itself and taking off for the skies once more. A small cloud of dust was left in its wake from the impact of the collision with the ground, but was quickly left behind as Beedrill advanced on Nebula once more, needles glowing a light green as a barrage of glowing spikes of the same, light green color were let loose towards the powerful bug''s target.

    Nebula swerved out of the Pin Missile''s path and took off downwards with Wing Attack, only to be forced to evade to the side as a poison Jab from Beedrill threatened to pierce through her wings.

    "Nebula!" Ash called out with cupped hands. "Keep your wings coated in metal whenever you attack up close, Beedrill''s needles are too dangerous for you to leave yourself unguarded!"

    Nodding at her trainer''s instructions, Nebula circled back around as she prepared for another offensive, her wings once again becoming encased in metal. However, Beedrill pursued her, meeting her head on as A.J. called out to his Pokemon.

    "Deal with the defenses with Brick Break, then finish the battle with Poison Jab!"

    Both of Beedrill''s needles began to brightly glow. One purple, and dripping with venom, and the other orange. As Nebula and her opponent both closed in on one another, the Staravia lashed out with one of her wings, only for Beedrill to do the same. As the two attacks met, Nebula once again winced through her clenched beak as the Brick Break painfully dented the metal on her wing. As Nebula pulled back, attempting to gain a distance between herself and her opponent as Beedrill prepared to strike at her with the purple needle, Ash called out to her with some worry.

    "Double Team, then strike back!"

    Nebula split into two, both Staravia advancing towards the mildly confused Beedrill. Cleverly, the large bug struck out with both needles in an effort to intercept them. The real nebula was targeted with the purple needle, but she had Steel Wing at the ready, colliding with the Poison Jab as Beedrill was mildly pushed back. As she allowed her clone to fizzle out, nebula took the initiative and struck at Beedrill''s chest with her other wing, the bug-poison type grunting painfully as the metal slammed into it, briefly forcing it downwards before it righted itself and rose back up to Nebula''s position.

    "Toxic, Beedrill!" A.J. called out.

    Beedrill unleashed the glob of purple goop, which flew towards Nebula, only for her to cross her wings in front of her once more. The poison splashed against her metallic wings, but she quickly blew the remnants away with a quick, small Whirlwind that forced Beedrill slightly backwards, before advancing once more in preparation for another strike.

    But Beedrill was already prepared, firing off another barrage of Pin Missile, which were blocked after Nebula crossed her metal-encased wings once again. Taking advantage of the distraction, Beedrill made its way just above Nebula, ready to strike down at her from behind.

    "Brick Break!" A.J. must have predicted that Nebula was going to successfully turn around the block in time. A Brick Break would fare better against the Steel Wing than the Poison Jab would, after all.

    True to A.J. ''s apparent expectations, Nebula turned to cross her wings once more, only to cry out as the force of the Brick Break disrupted her balance and sent her plummeting to the ground. Before her body could smack against the arena, she smacked the pavement with a well-timed Steel Wing, before making her way back upwards.

    A thoughtful expression adorning his features, Ash watched her fly back to her opponent with conflicting thoughts in his brain. This Beedrill was strong. Nebula was faring okay for now, but she was definitely at a disadvantage. One unlucky error on their part, or a good play from their opponent, and she would fall victim to Beedrill''s Poison Jab. She was not yet durable enough to properly handle a Beedrill''s needles, so the poison would enter her system after a direct hit from the attack. Even without the poison, the needle alone would puncture her. She''d be crippled and defenseless from the combination of the two.

    In spite of all of that, he couldn''t prevent the feeling of excitement from making itself known in his chest. The difficulty of this battle was reminding him of his bout with Misty, and it was a pleasant memory.

    "Nebula, Reckless!" Ash couldn''t help but feel a bit hasty ordering her to use the ability while she still had most of her strength, but he supposed that could also work to their benefit, as it would take longer for her to run out of energy now. He couldn''t think of any safer ways to engage Beedrill at the moment. If it could keep up with Nebula in the air, it could probably give Pikachu issues as well. Even with Pikachu''s ground speed, Beedrill had the advantage in maneuverability purely because of flight alone. It''s constant utilization of Agility only served to further that.

    Eyes widening in realization, and head nodding in understanding, Nebula let out a bone-chilling shriek as her body took on its crimson outline, the red lightning aligning her glowing aura that now surrounded her body. Her eyes took on their signature crimson glow as she murderously glowered upwards towards her opponent, continuing to advance towards beedrill, who still awaited her from above.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    It was always unsettling to see her change in behavior whenever the Ability activated, apparently his Pokemon agreed with him, as Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt all frowned a bit as Nebula made her advance. As usual, she was far faster than she already was before, almost like a crimson-colored blur in the air. The air rippled as she tore her way through to her opponent.

    "Steel Wing!" Ash had already ordered her to keep her wings coated in metal for close quarters combat before, but since Nebula''s sense of self-preservation was compromised whenever Reckless was in use, he felt that it would help to give her the reminder.

    Thankfully, Nebula heeded that reminder, lashing out with a metallic wing as Beedrill met her head on with brick break. As Nebula made her way up to her opponent, the large bug descending downwards towards her, the two attacks clashed, but Beedrill yelped in surprise as he was forced upwards, Nebula''s wings completely undeterred.

    With Beedrill off balance, Ash almost wanted to push his luck with an Aerial Ace, but decided against it. Nebula needed to keep her metal wings in front of her at all times when attacking up close. Giving her conflicting instructions could confuse her when her survival instincts were lessened while in her Reckless state.

    Instead, he simply followed up with a repeat attack. "Steel Wing!"

    Continuing her rocket-speed ascent towards her target, Nebula smashed a metal wing into Beedrill''s stomach, the bug-poison type Pokemon weezing for air as Nebula''s attack propelled it upwards. Just as it righted itself in midair, Nebula sped above it, slamming another metal wing down on its head.

    Ash watched as Beedrill crashed onto the pavement, kicking up more dust as the bug struggled to rise back up.

    "Wind Blast!" Ash pressed his advantage, but A.J. was getting desperate.

    "Agility! Out of the way!"

    Beedrill sped away with a surge of adrenaline, leaving Nebula''s blast of wind to strike at the arena and kick up even more dust.

    "Beedrill!" A.J. called out. "That Reckless Ability is pumping extra adrenaline through Nebula''s body! Your opponent should be more susceptible to poison now, so get in close and put her down with Toxic!"

    As Beedrill advanced upon Nebula, fighting through the pain in its battered and bruised body, Ash flinched at A.J.''s declaration. He hadn''t considered that, but it made sense, so he probably should have. Their opponent was on top of things for sure.

    "We won''t let that happen!" the younger boy quickly countered. "Nebula, Whirlwind, then Steel Wing!"

    The glob of poisonous goop that Beedrill unleashed was blown right back into its user as Nebula''s Whirlwind kicked up a merciless gale. Beedrill cried out in surprise as the wind slammed it backfirst into one of the barriers. Moments later, Beedrill was right above it, and a loud CRACK! was heard as a powerful Steel Wing to the head sent it barreling towards the ground. When the dust settled from the crash, Beedrill was unconscious, and was quickly returned to its Poke Ball.

    The boy grinned. "Awesome, Nebula!"

    As Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt called out in congratulations, Nebula shrieked with triumphant ferocity as she continued to circle the arena overhead.

    Just one Pokemon remained. The boy doubted it would be any easier than the previous two rounds, but they definitely still had a chance.

    He could feel the familiar adrenaline flowing in his veins as he watched Nebula fly. A.J. was a powerful opponent. And yet, for the moment, they were doing well.

    They would just have to keep it up. He knew he couldn''t let his guard down.

    On the other side of the arena, A.J. was grinning with crossed arms. He seemed to be enjoying himself too.

    "Heh, impressive." A.J. stated honestly. "It''s about time I had another battle like this."

    The boy felt his lips twitch upwards a bit. "Your Pokemon are pretty well trained." Ash said honestly. "They''re some of the toughest we''ve fought."

    "Of course they are. You don''t win battles by being a softie in how you hone your teammates." A.J. responded as he pulled out his third and final Poke Ball. "Now then, how about we end things with a surprise of sorts? Don''t know if you''ve heard this, but I have a few exotic teammates in my roster, and I''m feeling like introducing one of them."

    The boy''s face turned serious at that. So it was like what Ritchie had said before.

    Not letting the suspense last for too long, A.J. gave the Poke Ball a toss.

    Ash''s face fell in bewilderment at the sight of the newcomer.

    It looked like a Sandshrew, butˇ­

    A.J.''s lips were twitched upwards knowingly as Ash and his team took in the new Pokemon''s appearance.

    It had all of the characteristics of a Sandshrew, but its body looked as though it was made of ice, with thick plates forming a dome around its head, almost like it had an igloo for a helmet.

    "Well," he began, with a hint of pride in his voice. "What do you say?"

    Ash''s Pokemon sent their trainer confused looks, unaware of why he was so surprised.

    "Isˇ­ is it a Sandshrew?" the boy asked carefully.

    "Close enough." A.J. confirmed. "This one''s from Alola. Things are a bit different over there."

    Ash was tempted to ask how A.J. got his hands on such a foreign creature, but he had a feeling that the savage trainer wasn''t in the mood to break away from the battle for conversation. Perhaps this was from the researcher as well? Did he go to a breeder and pay a large sum of money? And come to think of it, how many Pokemon this rare did he actually have? Ash quickly went through the possibilities in his head before returning his focus to the battle.

    He didn''t know much about this one, but that Sandshrew was definitely an ice type. Nebula was at a disadvantage, made all the worse by Reckless minimizing her cautiousness, but she also had the means to fight this newcomer. If nothing else, she''d likely be a better candidate to wear their new enemy down than pikachu, due to the sheer offensive potential that she had.

    "Pikachu," Ash looked down at his starter as the electric mouse locked gazes with him. Nodding, Ash addressed him quietly. "If Nebula isn''t able to take out thisˇ­ Sandshrewˇ­ I''ll be sending you in. With any luck, her power should at least be able to get some good damage in." he grinned lightly at his starter''s assertive nod, pikachu answering with what looked like a thumbs-up.

    A.J. brought the group''s attention back to himself. "This isn''t the first time I''ve been backed into a corner, Ash." his tone was still commanding, not the least bit caring about his seemingly perilous position in the battle. "Make sure you go down like a worthy opponent."

    Feeling confidence brewing up, Ash sent his opponent a light glare as he commanded Nebula. "Right back at you. Nebula, Steel Wing!"

    Shrieking an ear-piercing battle cry, Nebula blazed down through the air with her wings coated in metal, only for Sandshrew to curl up as its body hardened even further. Notably, the exotic Pokemon wasn''t actually able to fully curl into a ball like Ash knew that its Kanto-native brethren could. Instead, its form was still round, but not fully spherical. It mattered not however, as Sandshrew''s Iron Defense cloaked its outer armor in an extra layer, just before Nebula''s blazing fast form slammed into it.

    Metal-coated wings clashed with the icy, metallic surface of Sandshrew''s body as a loud clanging noise sounded off across the arena, accompanied by the fierce shockwave of the impact. Sandshrew''s body was sent rolling a few feet away from the strike, but little harm seemed to have been done as the foreign Pokemon exited its curled up position. Its armor was dented, but not pierced.

    It was a start, at the very least.

    A.J. thrusted an arm forward. "Now Sandshrew, Icicle Spear!"

    Holding its arms out in front of itself, Sandshrew formed a bright blue ball of light in its claws, letting out a cry as a barrage of frozen projectiles propelled out of it and towards Nebula.

    Ash called out to her. "Smash them to pieces!"

    Rather than dodge, Nebula coated her feathers in metal once more before swatting away the projectiles. As tiny shards of ice scattered across the nearby areas of the arena, she advanced forward, prepared to strike at Sandshrew once again after the attack let up.

    With some flakes of ice now adorning her feathers, the Staravia thrusted forward and attempted to smash Sandshrew on the skull. However, the ice-armored Pokemon met her attack head on with a claw coated in metal. The Metal Claw struggled against the Steel Wing as both combatants each competed for dominance, but Sandshrew felt a throbbing pain in its claw as Nebula''s icy opponent found itself skidding backwards, trying to press its feet down to stop itself as Nebula continued to push forward with her momentum and strength.

    "Swift!" A.J. called out.

    Ash''s eyes widened as Sandshrew raised its other claw, a barrage of golden stars bombarding against Nebula''s body at point blank as the bird was propelled backwards. Sandshrew was able to stop skidding backwards against the arena as it successfully righted itself, A.J. quickly issuing a followup command just as Nebula regained her composure, catching herself before she could fly back any farther and flapping her wings in place.

    "Icicle Rush!"

    Once again, Sandshrew entered its pseudo-ball shaped form as an extra layer of metal covered its outer armor. It suddenly propelled itself towards its target at a shockingly fast rate as a surge of ice formed over its body, a trail of icy air left in its wake as it tore through the arena. It was as though it had taken the form of a blast of ice, with its own body at the helm of the blast.

    "Block with Steel Wing!"

    Red eyes blazing, Nebula crossed her wings together as the metal-encased feathers formed a shield in front of the rest of her body. As Sandshrew propelled itself upwards to meet her, its heavily armored body smashed into her defenses as she attempted to push back. The brute strength of Reckless clashed against the layers of ice and metal that outfitted Sandshrew''s body, as well as the sheer momentum that carried the icy combatant''s attack forward. Shockwaves poured out onto the arena at the force of the collision, the icy air that scattered across causing Nebula to clench her beak in pain.

    After a few moments of struggling, Nebula finally deflected her opponent downward, but lost her balance in the air, disrupted by the force of the clash. Ash frowned as she smacked face-first into the arena. Had Reckless not been activated, she surely would have used Steel Wing to break her fall.

    In comparison, Sandshrew landed safely on its feet, before deftly towards the fallen Staravia.

    "Ice Punch!"

    As Sandshrew''s clenched fist became encased in ice, a frigid, bright-blue aura enveloping it, the exotic combatant took on a stance, rearing itself back in preparation before swinging forward as Nebula made her way to her feet.

    Nebula responded by yet again coating her wings in metal, but did not have enough time to build up the momentum to properly block or intercept the attack, Sandshrew''s Ice Punch colliding with one of her wings just as the metal had formed. The wing was pushed backwards, not dented, but still deflected, disrupting Nebula''s balance yet again.

    "Another!" called out A.J. as nebula staggered backwards.

    Before she could recover, Sandshrew formed an ice Punch in its other fist, cleanly striking Nebula with a direct hit to the chest. The Staravia shrieked in pain, Ash and Pikachu calling out to her in concern as she was propelled upwards, slamming backfirst into the barriers, but catching herself in the air just as she began to fall.

    As Nebula attempted to catch her breath, flapping her wings in place, a concerned Ash''s attention was drawn back to A.J. by the opposing trainer''s voice.

    "Reckless may be a powerful Ability, but it gives its user some serious weak points, kid."

    Ash''s face tightened. He was perfectly aware of that. Nebula favored approaching just about any offense head-on while using this Ability. It made her borderline guaranteed to never make any attempts to evade enemy attacks, and even her defense was aggressive. Sandshrew didn''t seem to be quite as strong as she was while she was in this state, but the exotic Pokemon certainly had enough force to contend with her, and even overwhelm her when taking advantage of her Ability''s shortcomings.

    "Wind Blast!"

    As Nebula fired the blast of air downwards, Sandshrew curled up once more and started rotating in place, Nebula''s assault clashing against its outer armor as an extra layer of metallic coating once again formed over it. The ice type was smacked backwards by the attack, colliding with the barriers and lightly bouncing off of them before exiting its somewhat ball-like form to look up at Nebula.

    The Staravia wasn''t fairing well, taking increasingly deep breaths up in the air while everybody else watched her. At this rate, it wasn''t going to be long before she had used up all of her energy, and Reckless would begin to start flickering out.

    Ash''s grit teeth were hidden by his closed mouth as he tried to assess the situation, a light bead of sweat rolling down his face. Sandshrew also had the defensive capabilities necessary to contend with Nebula''s raw power. The ice type was a lot more durable than he had been expecting.

    And Nebula wouldn''t be lasting much longer either way. At this point, they had to go for broke.

    "Double-Edge!"

    Perking up, A.J. quickly shouted out at Sandshrew. "Defend!"

    As Sandshrew once again took on a curled up, spinning, metallic coated form, Nebula screamed to the heavens as she spread her wings out wide, her body becoming engulfed with a blazing white aura that almost eclipsed her completely. As the crimson aura and lightning of Reckless mixed in with the white aura of Double-Edge, the shrieking Staravia rocketed downwards towards her prey.

    An explosion that would have knocked everyone off of their feet had the barriers been absent, spread a cloud of dust across the arena. The deafening impact was accompanied by disturbing silence as everyone awaited the outcome with baited breath.

    After a few moments that felt like a half hour, everyone present got their answer at the sight of the two combatants, and the states that they were in.

    Sandshrew''s back was against the barriers, the armor covering its body filled with dents and the occasional bruises. Its breath was somewhat heavier than before, but as it pushed itself off of the barriers, Ash noted that it was still standing perfectly upright.

    Nebula was on the ground, wings sprawled out as she lay on her stomach.

    Feeling somewhat down, Ash pulled out her Poke Ball and returned his fallen partner.

    "Incredible work Nebula, like always." As he returned the capsule to his belt, a beaming Pikachu nodded in agreement.

    "It looks like we''re in the final hour now." A.J. announced as Ash returned his gaze to the older boy. Crossing his arms, the bulky trainer smiled. "So then, which of your team is going to be closing out my ninety-ninth win?"

    Ash grunted. A.J. was still so certain that he was going to be winning this battle. And he couldn''t really blame him, either. With Reckless activated, Nebula could only try to brute force her way through Sandshrew''s defenses, and it had been the perfect demonstration of just how capable the ice type''s armor truly was. Although Sandshrew had suffered damage, as had its armor, it was still more than battle ready, and its exterior, while heavily dented, would still most certainly put up a fight.

    But it wouldn''t matter, because none of them were planning to lose anymore than A.J. was.

    As Pikachu tugged at Ash''s leg, the boy sent a determined smile down to his starter, who quickly mirrored the expression.

    "Come on Pikachu, there''s still only one more to go." beaming, he held his fists out in front of himself. "Let''s avenge Valiant and Nebula, and smash A.J.''s perfect record to pieces!"

    Crying out in agreement, Pikachu dashed onto the battlefield as Eevee and Tyrunt both let out encouraging cheers. A.J. grinned at the young mouse.

    "So you''ve still got a lot of bravado, huh? Heh." crossing his arms tightly, he sent a smirk Ash''s way. "But I''m pretty sure I''ve heard variants of those words at least two dozen times. Sandshrew, let''s finish this!"

    Letting out a determined cry of his one, Sandshrew locked eyes with Pikachu, who was firmly on all fours, cheeks crackling with lightning as the ice type readied its claws and sank into a stance.

    Both sides were of equal conviction. One to destroy a perfect record, and the other to maintain it.

    Taking the initiative, Pikachu advanced at full speed.

    "Static Tail!"

    Pikachu''s tail became coated in metal, while simultaneously erupting with electricity. If they could slow Sandshrew down, they could wail on it more easily. They just needed to disrupt it''s mobility to start things off.

    Sandshrew raised a claw, which became engulfed in a distorted, ghostly aura. As Pikachu swung his tail, Sandshrew stabbed straight forward with the claw, deflecting the young mouse''s strike. Pikachu struggled to stay on his paws as he staggered back, but A.J. saw his chance.

    "Swift!"

    Raising his other claw, Sandshrew fired off the golden barrage. The stars painfully pelted against Pikachu''s face, sending him rolling across the arena with Sandshrew in pursuit.

    The ice type raised a metallic claw that became encased in a frozen exterior, stabbing downwards in an effort to put Pikachu down. The mouse rolled to the side, before twirling on his two front paws to strike Sandshrew''s side with another Static Tail.

    The bulky opponent staggered to the side as a few sparks lingered on its body, rolling along its outer armor.

    "Slash!"

    Sandshrew still had a fair amount of speed as it charged forward towards the mouse, its tough exterior, even when dented, preventing most of the sparks from Static Tail from locking up its muscles. As it raised a claw, sparking with a bright white aura, Pikachu leapt to the side to avoid the strike.

    "Icicle Spear!"

    A barrage of frozen projectiles was fired off, Pikachu crying out as his face was pelted yet again. After rolling a few feet across the arena, Pikachu stopped himself on his paws, picking himself up just as A.J. issued his next order.

    "Icicle Rush!"

    Once more Sandshrew came barreling towards its target, coated in frozen metal as it tore through the arena. A trail of frigid air was left in its wake as it threatened to mow Pikachu down for good.

    "Zap Tail!"

    Raising a metal-encased tail that crackled with electricity, Pikachu shouted at the top of his lungs as he swung his attack into Sandshrew''s advancing form. Sparks danced across the outer shell of Sandshrew''s rotating body as the ice type grinded against Pikachu''s counterattack, the young mouse snarling through his teeth in frustration as Sandshrew''s relentless approach continuously pushed him backwards, his tail struggling to hold up against the offense. The frigid air emitting from Sandshrew''s attack painfully blew against Pikachu''s face, even as the sparks from his tail heated things up.

    Finally, the ice type pushed through, and Ash and his teammates called out as Pikachu was sent flying. Thankfully, Pikachu''s effort to intercept Sandshrew''s attack had greatly reduced the ice type''s momentum, but the impact was still painful as Sandshrew''s bulky form collided with the electric mouse.

    "Counter with Thunderbolt!" Ash quickly called out.

    Answering his trainer''s call, Pikachu righted himself in midair and let loose a blast of lightning down on his opponent. Sandshrew coated both of its claws in metal and raised them in front of its face, intercepting the lightning as Pikachu''s attack pushed against the ice type''s offenses. As the assault stopped, Sandshrew''s claws were left with sparks dancing across them, but the lingering static eventually fizzled out before the extra layer of metal on the ice type''s claws faded away, Sandshrew sinking back into a battle stance.

    As Pikachu landed on the ground with a well-placed iron Tail to break his fall, Ash quickly gave a followup order as the young mouse advanced upon his opponent again.

    "Brick Break!"

    "Shadow Claw!" A.J.''s voice was surprisingly nervous as the older trainer issued the counterorder.

    Pikachu''s fist, glowing orange, struck against the ice type''s distorted claw as Sandshrew blocked the attack. Ghost type moves were probably the perfect way to defend against fighting type moves, Pikachu gritting his teeth as Sandshrew pushed against him, shoving the mouse onto his back before raising a clenched fist, which suddenly became encased in a frigid aura.

    Pikachu rolled to the side yet again, splitting in two as he dashed around his opponent. The Double Team briefly confused Sandshrew, but A.J. didn''t let himself get deterred.

    "Rapid Spin, and Iron Defense!"

    As Pikachu lashed out at Sandshrew, both him and his clone coming in from different sides, Sandshrew curled up before twirling in place. As it did, its body took on an extra layer of metallic coating, Pikachu''s metal-encased tail clanging uselessly against the ice type''s swiftly rotating form.

    "Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.

    "Rollout!" A.J. responded.

    Sandshrew''s still curled up form charged through Pikachu''s lighting bolt, its advance barely slowing down as the electricity bathed the ice type''s body. Pikachu shrieked in pain as Sandshrew''s bulk slammed into him, sending him sailing a few meters across the battlefield before breaking his fall with an Iron Tail.

    As Pikachu returned to all fours, Ash took note of his Starter''s breathing, which was beginning to come across as somewhat heavy. No doubt the front side of Pikachu''s body was badly bruised up from the blow, even if he couldn''t see it from where he was standing at this angle. Over on A.J.''s side, he could see that Sandshrew''s breath was starting to become a bit heavier than before as the ice type exited its curled up form and stood upright once again. Nevertheless, it was very clear that A.J. had the advantage right now. Sandshrew was much more durable than Pikachu was, so if they were both tiring out, and Pikachu''s speed began to fail him, the rest of the match would pit Pikachu''s significantly more frail body against Sandshrew''s near-unstoppable, armored exterior.

    A small smile adorned Ash''s features as he eyed A.J. from afar. They were on the backfoot, but he could see where this other boy''s undefeated record came from. It was pretty exciting, if admittedly a bit frustrating. Their chances of winning were beginning to slip away.

    "Double Team again!"

    Pikachu''s clone had fizzled out after the iron Tail had been deflected, but the young mouse split into two once more as Ash''s Starter took off on all fours.

    A.J. grunted. "Icicle Scatter!"

    As both Pikachu and his clone began to encircle it, Sandshrew curled up once more and proceeded to twirl, this time with a barrage of icicle Spears exiting its body from every direction. Pikachu yelped as he leapt into the air, his clone fizzling out of existence after getting struck by the barrage.

    "Zap Tail!" Ash wasn''t sure how effective Static Tail or Thunder Wave would be if they didn''t pierce through the armor first, so they needed to hit Sandshrew as hard as possible.

    Pikachu''s crackling tail slammed down on top of Sandshrew''s twirling form, the mouse speeding up his descent with Quick Attack before doing a somersault to deliver the blow. The tail firmly pressed Sandshrew''s body against the ground as sparks began to travel through the cracks that began to form in the ice type''s armor.

    "Sandshrew, Fury Swipes!"

    Letting out a battlecry, Sandshrew tried to exit its curled-up form. Pikachu pressed down harder, attempting to force the ice type back down as the two combatants struggled against one another. Suddenly, an additional layer of metal encased Sandshrew''s body, the Iron Defense giving Pikachu far more difficulty as the ice type finally forced the mouse off.

    Whirling around, Sandshrew lashed out with its claws, Pikachu attempting to parry the strikes with his tail as his opponent slashed against the metal exterior of the Iron Tail. With its claws already naturally armored, Sandshrew proved more than capable of contending with the Iron Tail, pushing it aside with repeated strikes before landing two clean hits to Pikachu''s stomach. As blood began to leak from the cuts, Sandshrew reared its fist back and attempted to drive an Ice Punch into the mouse''s face, only for Pikachu to meet the attack with a Brick Break.

    As the two glowing fists clashed against one another, Sandshrew felt a throbbing pain in its fist from the collision, staggering backwards as a frigid sensation overtook Pikachu''s fist, which itself felt somewhat sore from the clash.

    "Swift!"

    Before Pikachu could do anything else, fatigue beginning to overtake his body, the barrage of golden stars drove him backwards. The mouse almost ended up on his back, but successfully flipped himself over to land on all fours, panting as he locked eyes with his opponent, electricity crackling at his cheeks.

    Ash frowned. Pikachu was on his last legs. At this rate-

    "Icicle Spear!"

    Ash''s thoughts were interrupted as his now somewhat panicked Starter attempted to parry the barrage of frigid projectiles that were sent his way. It was becoming a bit more difficult to keep Iron Tail at full power now, and the electric type was left staggering backwards as Sandshrew advanced forward.

    "Ice Punch!"

    Beginning to sweat, Ash realized that it might be over at this point. Even after Nebula had fought against it with Reckless activated, this Sandshrew was still in the lead. It was beyond relentless, not to mention stubborn. Its defenses were just too good, and the perfect compliment to its obvious strength.

    An idea formed in his mind as he took the split second available to him to weigh his options.

    If they kept fighting back, they would surely lose, butˇ­

    Thaty didn''t mean there was nothing that they could do.

    "Volt Tackle!"

    Pikachu''s ears perked up at the order as his eyes widened, but his surprise quickly turned into a determined smile as his body began to erupt with lightning. A.J. hollered out in surprise as Piakchu blasted his way across the arena, adrenaline overtaking his body as he rushed for his opponent, becoming cloaked in the electrical storm that covered his form. A trail of lightning was left in his wake as he barreled his way towards his opponent, closing in on the wide-eyed Sandshrew.

    SMASH!

    Sandshrew screamed in agony and surprise as Pikachu rammed head-first into the bulky ice type''s body, the lightning traveling across Sandshrew''s armor, the electricity reflecting off of the exterior as Pikachu''s opponent, bathed in electricity, was launched across the arena at an unfathomable speed. The windforce from the shock waves spread out across the battlefield as the armored Pokemon was sent flying, Sandshrew''s back smashing against the barriers in front of A.J. as a battered pikachu collapsed onto his stomach.

    Pikachu was making no effort to get up, and Ash immediately realized that he was unconscious. As Ash eyed his Starter with some guilt, Sandshrew slid downwards, still leaning against the barriers as it reached the ground, head tilting to the side with its eyes closed.

    Sandshrew was unconscious too.

    Ash could hear Eevee and Tyrunt muttering in concern as he took out Pikachu''s Poke Ball and returned his Starter with a beam of red light. Frowning at the Poke Ball, Ash found himself deep in thought.

    Pikachu wasn''t strong enough to handle the recoil of Volt Tackle, but at that point, the battle had been a lost cause as it was. The mouse had all but run out of steam, and Sandshrew was surely about to finish him off.

    But with Volt Tackle, Pikachu had forced a draw on his opponent, and put an end to A.J.''s winning streak, even if the older boy still remained undefeated.

    It was an incredibly powerful move that they certainly wouldn''t be able to reliably use for a good while at the moment, but for now, it was a great trump card for when they had been exhausted of all other options.

    "Thank you buddy." Ash spoke to the Poke Ball, hoping he sounded as soothing as he wanted to be. "You fought Sandshrew to a draw. That''s a win in it''s own right, I''m proud of you."

    As Ash clipped the Poke Ball back to his belt, he looked down to Eevee and Tyrunt, both of whom had conflicted expressions on their faces. Ash didn''t blame them. The battle had ended in a drawˇ­ that inherently left him with mixed feelings coming out of the affair.

    "Well I''ll sayˇ­" Ash and his team looked up to see A.J. approaching them, having already returned Sandshrew to its Poke Ball. the older boy''s face was slightly shaken, although his composure wasn''t much worse than before. "I wasn''t expecting you to spring that on us at the last secondˇ­" he placed a hand on his head, chuckling a bit. "Wellˇ­ you didn''t win, butˇ­ you broke my record, congratsˇ­ I guess."

    Ash felt a surge of pride in his chest at that. They had been the first team to challenge the savage Pokemon trainer and come out of it without being defeatedˇ­ Nevertheless, there was still a minor hint of disappointment from it not going down in the most ideal wayˇ­

    "You were winning until the endˇ­" Ash admitted with a sheepish smile. "That Volt Tackjle was just a last resort."

    A.J. huffed. "Eh, there have been plenty of "last resorts" from my other challengers, I had you know. This was the first time it actually worked." Crossing his arms, his head slightly angled upwards. "The fact remains, I didn'';t reach a hundred. No big deal, I''ll just start again. There''s plenty of other chumpos out there waiting to get their asses kicked." locking eyes with Ash, a bit of a more genuine smile adorned his features as he extended his hand. "Hmph, well, you''re the best of the bunch I''ve faced so far. Make sure you don''t let the rest of those second-rate wannabes overtake you."

    Shaking his hand, Ash attempted to keep his grip firm, but quickly found that the older boy had him beat in that regard. Nevertheless, he grinned and nodded back at the savage trainer. "Don''t worry, I don''t plan to stop anytime soon."

    A.J. nodded in approval before turning to walk away. Ash watched him go for a few moments before calling out to him.

    "Hey, A.J.!" As the boy halted and turned his head to look at him, Ash grinned with a bit more determination. "We''ll win for real next time."

    The older boy smirked. "Heh, keep telling yourself that." he waved Ash off as he prepared to enter the hut. "Whatever motivates you!"

    /

    Ash walked down the steps with Eevee and Tyrunt as the battle replayed in their minds.

    "We''ll stop somewhere real quick to get everyone fixed up." he told them. Neither objected. As the boy took a seat on a nearby rock, he felt a tug on his leg, looking down to see Tyrunt staring up at him, Eevee lagging behind a bit. "Yes?"

    He quickly took note of the look in the young dinosaur''s eyes. There was a fire in them. Ash''s lips curved upwards a bit.

    "Did you enjoy the battle, Tyrunt?" Tyrunt nodded vigorously at that, but suddenly raised his claws and began snapping his jaw.

    Ash grinned further. Tyrunt had seen quite a few battles up to this point. He was getting more and more into them with each one.

    Patting the Royal Heir Pokemon''s head, Ash looked to see Eevee settling herself on the ground, laying down but keeping her ears perked up to listen in, before returning his attention to the bay dinosaur. "Are you saying you''reˇ­ tired of being on the sidelines?"

    At Tyrunt''s vicorus nod, Ash began to wrack his brain. Tyrunt was still a baby, but at this point, it wasn''t like he had only hatched a few days ago. He wasn''t sure if the dinosaur was quite ready for actual battling yet. That still might have to wait a little bit longer.

    But while they did waitˇ­ it was probably safe to at least start preparing him, for now. He was already naturally strong due to his species and Ability, although not nearly enough to carry him in a real fight up to this point. But with some honing to get him started, they could ensure that he was ready for his first battle when the time came. And it seemed Tyrunt had already made his decision.

    His grin widening, Ash nodded in approval at Tyrunt''s request.

    "Alright," he said. "Tomorrow, we''ll get started on your training."

 At the Lighthouse pt 1

    The sun was dipping over the horizon as Ash and his friends emerged in the clearing. Soon the orange sky would give way to a blanket of black filled with shining stars.

    Up ahead was a massive lighthouse beyond the end of the beach that they had found themselves at. The ocean water shone like a treasure in the light of the sunset as the group made their way towards the large building beside the lighthouse.

    It was a large, mansion-like building within quick walking distance of the lighthouse, with a sign reading "Bill''s Laboratory". It seemed like they had found the researcher''s place.

    At the moment, Pikachu and Tyrunt were the only ones out, Eevee having requested being returned to her Poke Ball. The two were gazing up towards the top of the lighthouse, which seemed to extend into the sky from where they were standing.

    Ash had seen a notice on the sign stating that this Bill person was looking for a trainer to act as a volunteer for something, although it said to go to Bill himself for specifics. It piqued the boy''s curiosity as he pressed the button to activate the doorbell.

    A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a man who was dressed in surprisingly casual attire.

    "Hey." Ash greeted as he looked up at the man. "Are you Bill? I saw that notice."

    The man smiled. "Yes, that''s me. And you?" he extended a hand which Ash accepted.

    "Ash." the boy responded. He stepped inside as Bill gestured him in, Pikachu and Tyrunt following.

    /

    "So, what did you need a trainer for?"

    Ash and Bill were sitting at a table a few rooms away from the entrance as the boy looked around to take in the surroundings. A couple of bookshelves lined the walls, which didn''t surprise Ash, and a large map of Indigo covered the wall at the far end of the room. From where he was sitting, he could see a computer sitting atop a desk in front of the window, the desktop a picture of a few ancient Pokemon.

    Bill had been generous enough to offer a couple of snacks for Pikachu and Tyrunt, who sat on the floor beside each other while munching on some poffins. Pikachu''s ears were perked up to listen in on the conversation, but Tyrunt was absorbed in his own world while eating.

    Bill folded his hands together. "Just for context, I''ve been using this lab as sort of a private place to do my research. Technically, I''m independent of the League, or at least not as fundamental to them as people like Professor Oak. I''m still authorized to go about my own business, though, so I can still do similar things as those directly under the Empire, just at my own pace."

    Ash nodded in understanding. He was aware that there were independent researchers in different parts of Indigo, even if they were a lot more fundamentally rare than those with direct positions in the League. The vast majority of people who became researchers would choose to be hired by whatever League governs the Region that they live in. It was simply the best way to find work in the field, not to mention fundings. But some preferred the freedom of independent work, with the ability to make their own deadlines and goals. According to Professor Oak, researchers under the League could still do their own thing, but they were very much a part of the system, and would often be given required work as well. Independent researchers could always choose their own projects and how to go about them.

    "So, does one of your projects require a trainer?" Ash asked curiously.

    The researcher shook his head. "My recent work has been fairly small scale. I''ve just run into a bit of an issue that needs addressing." leaning back in his chair, he spared a quick glance at the clock before returning his focus to Ash. "I won''t bore you with the details, but the gist is that I''ve recently taken in a certain set of Pokemon, that all evolve via the usage of stones rather than natural training. The reason why these Pokemon evolve in a less traditional manner has been an ongoing mystery in the field, and we''re always looking for answers."

    Ash nodded again, sparing a quick glance at Pikachu from the corner of his eye. "That makes sense." he responded. Many Pokemon had different ways of evolving, some wildly different. For most traditional evolutions, it was mostly a matter of how long it usually took for them to evolve, and what could naturally speed up the process. But then there were Pokemon like Pikachu and Eevee who had entirely different rules in terms of what it took to evolve, and it was one of those areas where the topic was broad enough to the point where it always felt like there were unanswered questions. He supposed it wasn''t too surprising that Bill was looking into it. The subject was practically a pastime for researchers, given how widespread it was and how many Pokemon it covered. "Soˇ­ what problem is there?"

    Bill sighed. "It''s honestly not a very big issue in the grand scheme of thingsˇ­. But the Pokemon I''ve taken in are young and not very strong. Recently, a wild Pokemon living in the area has been causing trouble for them. I have my own place for the Pokemon I keep to live in like a natural habitat, sort of like a smaller scale version of Professor Oak''s own. This wild Pokemon has been breaking into the area that I had set up for them, and picking fights with the younger pokemon. It''s a fairly strong one, by Cerulean standards, anyway, and the younger Pokemon don''t have much of a means to defend themselves. It seems like the wild Pokemon is just looking for something to punch, to be honest." he shrugged. "I considered just giving the League a call and requesting that they take care of it. They would obviously have an easy time, butˇ­ it seemed like such a minor issue, given that it''s just one Pokemon. So, I figured I''d just save them the time and pay a trainer to take care of the wild Pokemon that''s been attacking."

    Ash perked up. "So, you want me to catch it?" he didn''t even need payment for that. Bill would essentially be leading him right to a new teammate. The fact that the Pokemon''s behavior was violent was still worrying, butˇ­ trainers had tamed far worse before. After all, Karen had become famous before she won the Conference, simply because she had raised and tamed a Hydreigon as a preteen. The Pokemon was labeled as a Grade S Threat much like Tyranitar and Gyarados.

    There''s no way this wild Pokemon would be anything like that, if Bill considered it trivial enough for the task to be handed off to just any trainer. Raising it would probably be more of a challenge, but he needed to step out of his comfort zone.

    Besides, he had known for a while now that he would likely end up with a more difficult Pokemon at some point. Just about any trainer always would.

    Bill nodded in confirmation. With a chuckle, he scratched the back of his head. "I''ve only had the notice out for about a few days now, but ironically, I recently received a request from an Ace Trainer to come visit me for some minor business. I figured I might as well ask her to take care of it while she was here tomorrow, but I decided to keep the notice up just in case a trainer does come along. I don''t want the League to think I''d cry out for help over the smallest of issues."

    Ash nodded back, grinning a bit. "Don''t worry, I can take care of it. You don''t really need to pay me for it, either. I''m already getting another Pokemon out of this. What species is it?"

    "It''s a Krabby." Bill responded. "We have quite a few in the area, but this one is a lot less docile than most of the others on the beach, to say the least." Placing his hands on the table, he nodded at the clock. "I''ve already deduced the usual patterns for when the Pokemon shows up, and its next appearance should be sometime in the late afternoon tomorrow."

    ''A Krabbyˇ­'' Ash thought to himself. That was fairly interesting. Krabby were far from uncommon, as far as likelihood of finding them in the wild, anyway, but they were in a fairly unique position regarding professional Pokemon training. Along with their evolved form, Kingler, they were fairly average in terms of their presence in the wild, but rarely saw usage in tournaments.

    And a lot of it had to do with other common Water Types in Indigo, most notably the Poliwag line. Those were essentially the go-to choices for a trainer seeking out a water type. Widely used in professional battles throughout Indigo. Many trainers would either seek out the more common Poliwag line for something easy and familiar to train more conveniently, or a far more rare breed of water type. The Krabby line was in an awkward position where they weren''t as common as Pokemon like Poliwag to be widely used by the typical trainer, but also not nearly as appealingly rare as a more exotic water type. They still saw some use, but were fairly niche in the field.

    "Alright," Ash responded, smiling at Pikachu as his Starter made their way to them and on top of his shoulder. "So you want me to catch it tomorrow?"

    "If you''re willing, yes. And you''re free to stay the night as well. There are guest rooms, so feel free to pick one."

    The boy was definitely happy to hear that. Anytime he got to sleep in a bed and not a tent, he would look forward to it.

    /

    Bill''s guest room was about the size of what Ash was used to back at home, and in general made him feel like he was just staying at another house. It hadn''t really been that way since he had left home, in fact, given that all of his nights since then had been spent in either a sleeping bag or a hotel room. The Pokemon Centers were all certainly hospitable, but they were different from home.

    Ash allowed his team out into the room after getting Bill''s permission, each Pokemon finding their own spot to spend the night at.

    Nebula, as usual, made her way to the windowsill, while Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt grouped up together on a blanket on the floor. Pikachu rested himself on the foot of Ash''s bed.

    Just one night on the road was always enough to make him miss a traditional sleeping arrangement, and Ash found himself wishing he could savor the feeling as he drifted off.

    The sun shining through the window forced his eyes open the next morning, and Ash found Tyrunt looking up at him eagerly as he rose out of bed.

    A smile made its way to the boy''s face as he realized what was going on.

    The previous day, he had promised Tyrunt that they would be starting his training. Clearly the excited dinosaur remembered.

    "I know, buddy." he reached down to pat the Royal Heir Pokemon''s head as the rest of the team watched. "But we can''t train on an empty stomach, remember?"

    Tyrunt moaned in frustration at that, only for his face to color as his stomach rumbled. Valiant hid an amused chuckle behind his hand as Eevee rolled her eyes behind him. An embarrassed Tyrunt began stamping his feet in frustration before Ash quickly held up a hand to settle him down.

    "Relax, Tyrunt." he said calmly, trying to soothe the dinosaur''s mood before patting him on the head again. "I''ll ask Bill if there are any good spots to train at, and then we''ll work on practicing your moves. I actually have a TM that would be perfect for you. It''s called Rock Blast. I got it from Pewter City''s Gym Leader back before you were born."

    Rock Blast. The TM that he had gotten from Brock after their victory at Pewter. He had held onto it all this time, but had never gotten a chance to use it until now. He wanted to fix that. Tyrunt was capable of learning the move, and he was sure that the baby dinosaur would be more than happy to take advantage of such.

    He was proven right as the infant''s face lit up immediately. The prospect of learning a brand new mood seemed to fill the young Pokemon with ecstasy, which somewhat amused Ash given that Tyrunt hadn''t even started training yet.

    The young dinosaur was eager for sure.

    Looking over to his team, they all seemed to be fairly on board with the idea of Tyrunt starting to train. Valiant seemed to be particularly happy with it, having helped look after the baby dinosaur all this time.

    Tyrunt would still need special care for a decent amount of time. Training or not, he was still just a baby. But even then, he''d grow more independent in time, and this was the first step.

    Nebula, Valiant, and Tyrunt remained in the room as Ash left, with Pikachu and Eevee choosing to follow him. The boy still didn''t know his way around the place, having just gotten here last night.

    He found Bill back at the entrance to the house, talking to a woman. The two heard the sound of Ash''s footsteps and turned to face him, Bill grinning as he greeted the boy.

    "Oh, good morning Ash! I trust you slept well?"

    Ash nodded gratefully. "Yeah, sleeping in a bed beats spending the night outside anyday. Thanks."

    The woman let out a light chuckle at that, prompting Ash to turn to her.

    She wore a silver colored uniform with "ACE" printed on the front. Her hair was a dark green and tied back into a long ponytail. Her blue eyes, while sharp, didn''t seem fierce.

    Bill nodded towards the woman. "Ash, this is Aya. She''s the Ace Trainer I mentioned yesterday." gesturing towards Ash, he addressed the woman. "Ash has agreed to do some quick work for me to settle a little issue I ran into."

    "Ash, huhˇ­?" The woman seemed to linger on his name for a second, but her face remained friendly as she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you. Journey treating you well?"

    As Ash shook her hand (somewhat startled by how strong her grip was), he nodded at her, although he felt a small drop of sweat traveling down his face as he met her eyes.

    Ace Trainers were among the most esteemed the League had to offer within the their ranks. They worked within the League as high-ranking officials, known for both their prowess as trainers and strategic leadership. Typically, an Ace Trainer would be the one leading a squad during operations that didn''t involve a Gym Leader or Elite Four member.

    He couldn''t help but feel nervous in this woman''s presence. He didn''t know if it was just because he knew of her status or not, but it felt like she was giving off a very intimidating aura. One that conveyed very clear levels of importance.

    "Y-yeahˇ­" he stammered out, his cheeks reddening at the realization that his nervousness was showing. "I-it''s an honor to meet you, ma''am."

    A friendly giggle escaped Aya''s lips as the two separated. "None of that, now." she responded with a casual smile. "The formalities honestly embarrass me."

    Ash felt a hint of guilt at that, but managed to look her in the eye as he nodded back. "Ohˇ­ O-okay." behind him, Pikachu and Eevee looked up at the woman, before Pikachu made his way up to Ash''s shoulder and offered a small wave, which Aya returned.

    With the greeting out of the way, Bill got Ash''s attention again. "Do you want me to show you to the kitchen, Ash? We have plenty for breakfast, so you don''t need to dip into whatever you already have."

    Ash''s face lit up with gratitude. "Yes, please!" he responded almost too excitedly (much to Aya''s amusement). "Thanks for offering." The boy had been planning to use the kitchen to eat, but wasn''t sure if he should ask for Bill''s own food or not. He already had enough food left for himself and his team, so he didn''t want to risk sounding greedy by asking.

    Then again, this was apparently the same person who had loaned A.J. the means to use artificial barriers for his own private battlefield. In hindsight, perhaps he probably wouldn''t have minded if Ash had asked him. But the boy still feared that he would have come off as impolite, regardless of whether or not Bill himself had considered him to be.

    Turning to Aya, Bill gestured towards a hallway, which Ash assumed led to the kitchen. "Have you eaten yet? It''s still pretty early, so you can have breakfast here before we get started with what you wanted to discuss."

    Aya nodded. "I''ll take you up on that. My team''s fed already, but I could use a few bites to get me going."

    /

    During breakfast, Ash had asked Bill if there was any place nearby where he could train his team while waiting for the wild Krabby to show up. Thankfully, Bill had revealed that he had his own private battlefield for Ash to do his training at, which had excited the young rookie.

    Tyrunt''s eagerness had led to him devouring his food at seemingly ten times the pace, to the point that Ash was initially worried that he would choke. The baby dinosaur could just barely contain his excitement as he waited for his friends to finish.

    On the way to the battlefield, Ash had applied the Rock Blast TM to the excited dinosaur. Now, the boy stood at the battlefield with Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt all looking around and taking in their surroundings.

    It was only a short walk away from the lab, the lighthouse still towering over their heads as Ash observed the perfectly paved cement and the large drawing of a Poke Ball that was located in the center of every official battlefield.

    It would do perfectly.

    Tyrunt was hopping up and down, transitioning between each foot as he expectantly waited for his trainer''s instructions. Ash watched him for a second or two before reaching down to pat the dinosaur''s head, getting him to cease his movements.

    "I know you''re excited, Tyrunt, but try to save your energy for the training itself." the amused boy said. Tyrunt nodded quickly at that, although the Pokemon''s wide grin remained. Standing upright again, Ash turned to face Valiant and Eevee, who were waiting together with significantly more patience.

    Eevee was in a sitting position, her expression neutral but friendly as she waited for Ash to start. Valiant, standing next to her, had a similar expression as the young trainer approached them.

    Looking between the three Pokemon, Ash went over his plans. "Alright," he announced. "This is Tyrunt''s first time training, so he hasn''t had any chances to use any of his moves yet. We''ll be testing those out first." he looked over to Tyrunt for that, the dinosaur letting out an excited cheer. Smiling, he turned to Valiant and Eevee, his gaze finding its way to the young Kirlia. "Valiant, I''d like you to be his sparring partner. Is that okay?"

    As expected, Valiant nodded almost immediately, locking gazes with the baby dinosaur who nodded back in anticipation.

    Smiling at the Kirlia, Eevee let out a soft bark of encouragement, earning her a quick grin from the Emotion Pokemon before he got into position and lined himself up with Tyrunt. As Tyrunt made an attempt to sink into a stance (which more or less resembled a pouncing position), Ash and Eevee backed away to clear some distance between the two.

    Prior to leaving for the battlefield, Ash had double-checked Tyrunt''s moves by looking through the dinosaur''s record on the Pokedex. Tackle, Roar, Bite, Dragon Tail, Poison Fang, and now Rock Blast. They currently had six to work with, so it wasn''t too much of a task.

    "Alright!" he called out to Valiant and Tyrunt as Eevee made her way to his side and sat at his feet. "Start with Tackle!"

    Making his best attempt at a battlecry, Tyrunt moved forward, his feet carrying the newborn as fast as they allowed as he set his sights on Valiant.

    The baby wasn''t moving very fast, as Ash had predicted. He wasn''t necessarily slow, but any member of the team could outpace him for sure. Ash was still pleasantly surprised by the dinosaur''s speed, however. For an infant, he was still faring pretty well, which spelt good news for his leg strength.

    Tyrunt lowered his head as he closed in on Valiant, but found himself abruptly colliding with a glass cube, the collision knocking him into a sitting position as he held his head.

    The dinosaur whimpered for a brief bit, but the impact didn''t seem to cause him too much harm. Like most rock types, he wasn''t lacking in durability, although his very young age likely still limited that. Dropping the glass cube, Valiant began to approach the young dinosaur, only for the infant to pick himself up, still rubbing his head but nonetheless attempting to shoot his friend a reassuring smile.

    Ash observed the interaction with some fondness, while also going over what had happened. As expected, Tyrunt''s Tackle had done nothing against Valiant''s Reflect. Brute strength was natural to just about any dragon type, but much like a rock type''s durability, that could only go so far when the dragon type in question was still an infant. Tyrunt had an exceptionable physical aptitude for an untrained newborn, but that wouldn''t carry him. It simply gave him strong building blocks.

    Valiant gave Tyrunt a nod of approval, stepping back again as Ash issued his next order.

    "Alright, let''s do Roar next!" the young boy called out.

    Nodding in response, but not turning away from Valiant, Tyrunt took a deep breath before closing his eyes for a moment.

    A moment later, he reared his head back, and lunged forward, letting out a shout, with as great a volume as his vocal cords would allow him.

    As Valiant braced himself, shockwaves fired out of Tyrunt''s maw, pushing against the young Krilia and sending him skidding a few feet backwards before halting himself, remaining upright.

    Roar was a move that allowed the user to generate powerful shockwaves with their vocal cords, often to knock an opponent backwards and clear some distance between them. At his current level, it didn''t seem like Tyrunt could use the move effectively unless it was at point-blank. Higher level Pokemon could often utilize it as a long-ranged move, and it made Ash wonder if it had anything in common with Nebula''s Wind Blast combination.

    Valiant was unharmed by the shockwaves, which were only strong enough to push him back a few feet, even at point-blank. Nevertheless, he offered his friend an approving nod as he lowered his arms, prompting a pleased squeal from Tyrunt.

    "Alright Tyrunt, back up a bit and then use Bite! Valiant, get your barrier ready again."

    This was it. It was time to test out how strong Tyrunt''s biting moves were. According to the Pokedex, a Tyrunt''s jaws were naturally mighty, and even with his young age limiting his strength, Tyrunt''s Strong Jaw Ability could just as easily make up for that. Ash confidently believed that Bite and Poison Fang were going to be the little one''s trump cards in a fight.

    Backing away to clear a few extra feet of distance between himself and Valiant, Tyrunt nodded at Ash''s command before dashing forward once more. Still crying out his attempt at a fierce battle cry, the dinosaur opened his mouth wide as he advanced for the young Kirlia, who had once again encased himself in a glass cube.

    "Try jumping up and biting the top of it!" Ash called out.

    Tyrunt complied with the order, using his feet to push himself off of the ground and into the air. His jump was fairly high for somebody his age, rising just above Valiant''s shield and sinking his teeth into the edge.

    Tyrunt hung onto the top of the glass cube, clinging to it with his jaws as he grinded his teeth against the cube''s edges. After some effort, cracks began to form where Tyrunt was clinging, only for the baby to lose his grip and fall to the pavement before he could break through. He landed on his feet, but immediately lost his balance and fell on his bottom.

    Valiant dropped his Reflect as Tyrunt picked himself back up. Even without training, his Bite was, impressively, already strong enough to do damage to the cube. It was especially amazing given how much stronger that Valiant''s barriers had gotten since he had evolved.

    It was clear as day just how dangerous those jaws of Tyrunt''s were. It was honestly kind of scary, knowing how lethal his friend would be after growing up just a little bit. But even as Ash thought that to himself, he quickly reminded himself that the same could be said for all of his teammates, really. Pokemon were very powerful creatures, and although the highly trained ones were obviously the most dangerous, sometimes it was easy to forget how dangerous even inexperienced Pokemon could potentially be at times.

    As Tyrunt sank back into his stance, Valiant backed away to clear some minor distance between the two of them while Ash issued the next order.

    "Okay, now Dragon Tail!"

    Nodding, Tyrunt let out another battle cry before running forward towards his target. His tail began to glow a bright purple as he raised it upwards, closing in on Valiant before taking a swing.

    The glowing tail was bright, but flickering. Tyrunt hadn''t used this move before, and Ash imagined that the dinosaur was in a similar position with this move to how Eevee was with Iron Tail. Perhaps he could have them train the two moves alongside each otherˇ­

    Valiant''s fairy typing granted him immunity to dragon type moves, the young Kirlia simply crossing his arms in a defensive position as he firmly pressed his feet against the pavement.

    The tail collided with him, knocking him back a few feet, but he remained steadfast as he skidded away from his attacker. Continuing to press his feet against the ground, he brought himself to a stop before allowing his arms to fall to his sides.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Ash nodded in approval. "Alright, now try Poison Fang!"

    Ash imagined that this move would be especially deadly. Tyrunt''s powerful jaws would allow him to break through a lot of defenses, making it far easier for the Poison Fang to inject its venom into whatever target that the young Royal Heir Pokemon might be fighting. As Valiant erected his barrier once more, a similar sequence to before ended up playing out, with Tyrunt clinging to the edge of the glass cube, gnawing away at the Reflect and forming cracks around it, only to lose his grip and fall before he could break through.

    As Valiant and Tyrunt cleared the distance between each other once more, Ash issued the final move in Tyrunt''s arsenal.

    "Alright, Tyrunt! Now Rock Blast!"

    Stamping his feet giddily, excitement pumping through him from the training, Tyrunt opened his mouth and let out another battle cry, a barrage of pebbles escaping from his maw.

    They weren''t coming out nearly as fast or consecutively as they could be, which Ash had already expected. He watched the pebbles uselessly pelt against Valiant''s Reflect before he and Eevee made their way towards the duo.

    As Tyrunt ceased his attack, Valiant dropped his Reflect and approached the dinosaur, who leaned into the psychic''s touch as Valiant rubbed the top of the prehistoric Pokemon''s head. The Kirlia seemed to be giving quick commentary to the young dinosaur as Tyrunt nodded to his friend with a cheerful growl.

    As Ash knelt down beside Tyrunt, Eevee made her way towards Valiant, brushing her fur against his side with an approving grin before offering him a cheerful bark. Valiant smiled back at her before patting her head. Watching the brief exchange from the corner of his eye, Ash patted Tyrunt''s head to congratulate him.

    "You''re doing great, buddy." he encouraged cheerfully. "You''re able to use all of your moves properly, so we just need to work on their efficiency now." the baby nodded rapidly at that, Ash pulling his hand away with an amused grin at the dinosaur''s comical behavior. Standing back upright, Ash looked off to the side to see Valiant and Eevee approaching them for further instructions. Nodding to them, Ash looked back at Tyrunt.

    "Alright, we''ve tested out your moves now. Before we continue those, I''d like to get a better look at your speed. We saw some of it when testing out the close-ranged moves, but I''d like to see how you run for longer periods of time. It''ll be a good way to check for your endurance, too." As Tyrunt nodded back at him, the boy turned towards Eevee, who perked up at the attention. "Eevee, you can help us with that, right?"

    After a brief moment, Eevee nodded in confirmation, and Valiant patted her back as she turned to face the approaching dinosaur. Offering Tyrunt a quick bark as he sank back into his stance, Eevee allowed her legs to tense up as Ash gave the signal.

    "Alright Tyrunt, I want you to try and catch Eevee. Andˇ­ go!"

    Right as Ash finished, Eevee turned and bolted, dashing across the battlefield (but not slipping into Quick Attack) as Tyrunt''s legs carried him after her. Dirt kicked up as his legs stamped across the arena, Eevee circling around as the prehistoric Pokemon mimicked her direction in pursuit.

    As the distance between the two Pokemon grew wide, Eevee temporarily ame to a stop, turning towards the approaching Tyrunt to let out a quick bark before resuming her run. Valiant called out to both of them as Tyrunt attempted to pick up speed, hotly pursuing the Evolution Pokemon.

    Watching the sequence with some satisfaction, Ash imagined that Tyrunt likely wouldn''t have the stamina to keep up for too long, but it wasn''t an issue for him. All they were doing was assessing Tyrunt''s abilities today, and that seemed to be good enough for the eager dinosaur. It was the baby''s first step to officially joining the team.

    /

    After taking a twenty-minute break for Tyrunt to drink some water and gather his bearings, the group kept practice going until noon, when they made their way back to the lab.

    Tyrunt''s sleeping form rested peacefully in Ash''s arms, the young dinosaur emitting some of the most adorable noises the boy had ever heard as the young rookie carried him back to the lab. Valiant and Eevee walked alongside their trainer, the Kirlia sparing the occasional fond glance at the snoozing Tyrunt as he and Eevee casually chatted.

    Ash looked down to the baby that he was holding and grinned to himself. Tyrunt had the dedication and commitment to challenge Valiant''s own, to the point where he had stubbornly worked himself to sleep in a single morning. It wasn''t something that Ash was planning to repeat, but he had allowed the training to continue because of how much fun the newborn had clearly been having. Nevertheless, his lack of inexperience and stamina had finally shown itself, and he would likely be out for hours.

    As they neared the lab, Ash perked up at the sight of Aya, who waved the group over upon noticing their arrival.

    The Ace Trainer crossed her arms and nodded to the dinosaur in Ash''s arms as the boy approached her, a curious Valiant and Eevee tailing him from behind.

    "Heh, I take it your session well?" her amusement leaked into her tone as she eyed Tyrunt.

    Ash''s face reddened somewhat as he nodded at her, a pleased expression adorning his features nonetheless. "Yeah," he spared a glance at Tyrunt before returning his attention to her. "He just didn''t wanna stop. But I''m happy with our progress."

    "That''s always a good sign, isn''t it?" she responded, allowing her arms to fall to her side as she began walking forward to approach the boy. Her expression was friendly, but Ash still felt his nerves tighten in the high-ranking trainer''s presence, almost taking a step back as she got closer. She raised a hand in an attempt to calm his nerves. "Relax, kid. No need to be intimidated, remember?"

    Ash''s eyes widened in realization, nodding apologetically as he attempted to straighten himself. "Ohˇ­ right, sorry!" he responded a bit too frantically.

    Her smile eased his nerves a bit, but he couldn''t help but feel a tiny bit of tension as he locked eyes with her. She was generally laid back and casual, but there was a glint in her eyes that displayed what seemed to be a lingering ferocity. The boy supposed that such a thing was to be expected of an Ace Trainer. Regardless of personality, they were all highly trained soldiers hardened for battle. Such an attribute leaked into the air around them. But it felt soˇ­ contradictory with Aya. The boy had a hard time wrapping his head around such a seemingly friendly woman also being a deadly, top ranked soldier for the League.

    But he doubted that she was the only example. Trainers came in all sorts of different packages, of course. Just like any other occupation. Ash couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty for stereotyping, even if he wasn''t making any verbal comments about it.

    Leaning forward to get a better look at Tyrunt, Aya appeared to study the young dinosaur for a moment or so as Valiant and Eevee exchanged curious glances. Finally, she spoke.

    "I hope you don''t mind me asking, but I''m curiousˇ­ how did you get your hands on this fellow, anyway?"

    Ash blinked at that. There it was. He supposed he should have been expecting such a question. As an Ace Trainer, Aya of all people would know how seldom it was for a trainer in Indigo to have a Pokemon like Tyrunt in their roster, being both a foreign creature and a prehistoric one at that.

    Not sure if Elacia would want him name-dropping her, Ash chose to omit his friend''s name as he responded, attempting to keep his voice straight. He wasn''t sure why he was nervous about answering a simple question. Aya''s tone of voice clearly conveyed that she meant no harm.

    ''But she''s an Ace Trainer.'' Ash reminded himself. He supposed that was hard to forget. That made her just short of Gym Leaders in terms of importance, and Ash''s conscience wouldn''t stop reminding him of the authority that this woman carried. He wanted to show her respect, and yet was afraid of taking it too far, especially since she had already made it clear that she wasn''t hung up on etiquette.

    "He just hatched fairly recently." the boy responded to the woman. "Back before I reached Cerulean City. I received his egg from a Breeder in Pewter. I still have to pay off the price, though."

    ''Uh oh.'' He thought to himself. ''If I just gave away where I got the egg from, could she possibly know that Elacia was in Pewter last month?'' he''d only just met Aya, but her stature (not to mention position) seemed to convey an analytical mindset, so he wouldn''t put it past the woman to be able to connect the dots.

    After a second or two, the woman nodded back at him before standing upright. "I see...Must have been a pretty high-profile Breeder, if they had gotten their hands on an Egg like that."

    Ash giggled a bit nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

    Thankfully, she didn'';t press any further, simply offering a good natured shrug as she nodded back at the dinosaur. "Well, it''s nice to see that you''re up to the task of training the guy. Not every rookie''s ready to raise a dragon."

    Ash blushed again. "To be honest, I didn''t even know his species until he hatched. It was pretty shocking butˇ­" his gaze returned to the peacefully sleeping Tyrunt, and the boy''s face brightened as he nodded. "I''m willing to do it."

    Aya tilted her head at that, seeming fairly satisfied. "That''s good to hear. You don''t seem to be in over your head, which is a good sign. It''s not uncommon for a beginner to bite off more than they can chew, so just be careful." as Ash nodded her back, her face suddenly turned a bit more serious, which almost startled him a bit.

    "Isˇ­ something wrong?" Ash questioned her as Valiant and Eevee studied her expression.

    She shook her head. "Nothing, it''s justˇ­" she locked eyes with him, her gaze now much more serious than before as she addressed him. "Just make sure you''re careful. Tyrunt are known to have a pretty dangerous temper. The fact that you''re raising this one from an egg will likely make things easier on you, but be sure to nip it in the bud before the problem manifests. A tantrum can spell a lot of trouble on a good day, and I don''t want to think about the worst case scenario."

    Ash gulped at that, whether it be from her words or the look in her eyes, although he imagined that it was a combination of such. He knew she was right, though.

    Nodding back at her, he tried to keep his bearings in order as he responded. "Yeah, I know it''s gonna be difficult." he looked down at Valiant and Eevee, both of whom had thoughtful expressions while watching the boy''s exchange with the woman. "But we''ll do our best."

    As Valiant nodded, Ash returned his attention to Aya, who seemed to accept his answer.

    "That''s all you can do, I suppose. Just making sure you know." Her serious expression dropped, suddenly replaced with curiosity as she looked off to the side, resting her chin against her fingers. "Hmmˇ­ your name''s Ash, you saidˇ­"

    Ash blinked. "Yeahˇ­ Something wrong?"

    She shook her head reassuringly. "Nope, just trying to remember, I''m pretty sure I''ve heard your name before?"

    Ash blinked at that before realizing something. It wasn''t a guarantee, but it''s possible that she had seen some of the files for the incidents that he''d been involved in since the Season began.

    The attack on Viridian City''s Pokemon Center, the Pokemon that were stolen from the Chruch, andˇ­

    Ash''s eyes squeezed shut as images of falling rocks filled his mind. He wouldn''t think about it. He wouldn''t-

    "You alright?" Aya''s concerned voice brought him back to reality, and he was grateful for that as he nodded at her with an apologetic smile.

    "Yeah, sorry."

    Her curious expression returned to her face. "If you don''t mind me asking, what''s your last name?"

    "Ketchum." he responded.

    Her eyes widened. "Oh! So that''s how I know. You were there whenˇ­" she trailed off before finishing, her face suddenly turning apologetic. "Sorry for prying."

    Ash shook his head. "Don''t worry, I know why you''re asking." Everyone in the League must have known about Team Rocket''s attempt to steal the Moon Stone from Mt. Moon. Particularly since such a dangerous criminal had made an appearance during the incident, and had been the one leading the raidˇ­

    Behind Ash, Valiant seemed to be catching on, and frowned at the memory. It hadn''t been the happiest time for him to have evolved, for sureˇ­

    Holding her chin thoughtful again, Aya seemed to be pondering something. "Now that I think about it, wasn''t there also an Ash in Viridian when-" her expression brightened as she perked up. "Oh, that''s right! I think my niece mentioned you in passing, too!"

    Ash blinked. "Hmmm?"

    Aya nodded. "Yeah! Her name''s Janine. You might not remember, but she met you in Viridian back when the Season started."

    Ash''s face lit up in realization at that. "Oh! Yeah, I remember her!"

    He hadn''t seen Janine since that night, but he hadn''t forgotten either. She had been there when Team Rocket attacked the Pokemon Center. Even tried to fight them off herself. Before that, she had tried to give him advice about Pichu after their disastrous first day together.

    He couldn''t help but smile at the memory. It hadn''t even been a month and a half yet, right? So much had happened since then, that it felt like ages ago. He wondered how she was doing.

    Aya chuckled. "Yeah, she contacts me whenever she has the chance to, as long as I''m able to answer her. She had a lot to say about that incident. Wasn''t how she had been expecting her first night to go, obviously, but she seemed to like talking to you, at least. Small world, I suppose?"

    Ash chuckled at that. He couldn''t disagree there.

    So Janine''s aunt was an Ace Trainerˇ­ Well, she had said that her father was an official for the League, from what he could recall, so he supposed that it ran in the family.

    /

    It was 6:00 PM when Bill led Ash to the area where the wild Krabby was scheduled to show up. The orange tint in the sky above was becoming increasingly visible as Ash looked around to take in the surroundings.

    Bill had already evacuated the Pokemon he was looking after to a more secluded area of the habitat that he was keeping them in, so Ash sadly wasn''t able to spot any of the creatures. The habitat itself seemed fairly standard for a researcher to have, consisting of a mostly grassy area that extended to the ocean ahead. The aquatic portion of the habitat was closed off by a set of rocks and gates, separating it from the rest of the ocean. Bill was still in the middle of investigating how the Krabby was breaking in, but the wild Pokemon was apparently using the aquatic portion as a passageway to access the land portion, which made sense to Ash.

    Pikachu was perched on the boy''s shoulder while Valiant accompanied them from the side. Tyrunt was still resting (although awake now) with Nebula watching over him back in the room while Eevee took a nap. That left Ash with Pikachu and Valiant to take on the Krabby. He had reminded himself of his promise to Nebula to not make her fight any wild Pokemon anymore, after the incident that had occured with Eevee. But he was confident that Pikachu and Valiant could manage on their own, and that they might even be the best suited for this particular opponent.

    Bill came to a stop a few feet from the water, checking his watch as Ash stopped next to him.

    "We''re nearing the time it usually shows up." the researcher commented as he observed his watch. Dropping his hand to his side, he looked over to Ash as he continued. "I''d say another ten minutes, tops."

    Ash nodded back at him, Pikachu leaping off of his shoulder as he took a seat on a nearby rock. As Valiant took his place beside the mouse, the boy looked out towards the ocean water, which was reflecting the increasingly orange sky above. The shimmering water gave off a very atmospheric mood that proved soothing to take in.

    Standing a few feet away, Bill glanced back at Ash, a somewhat content expression accompanying his features.

    "I''ve always appreciated the view of the ocean." the researcher admitted to the rookie trainer. "It''s why I set up shop here. The coast of Cerulean is a wonderful place. Usually really quiet, too."

    Ash could understand that. "You''re independent of the League, too. So the atmosphere compliments your freedom?"

    Bill chuckled at that. "You could say, I suppose. Although I''m not sure which desire came first."

    The two continued their idle chatter for about five minutes before Pikachu cried out, jumping up and down as he pointed at something in the water.

    With a splash, a bulky figure emerged from the surface and made its way to the land.

    Bill''s eyes widened. "It''s here!"

    As Ash sprang up, he took the time to take in the wild Krabby''s appearance. The crab-like water type was rolling around in the sand as if to dry itself off, but once it stopped the boy was able to get a better look at the creature.

    He couldn''t help but think that this Krabby was bigger than most of its species. It wasn''t humongous, but it was taller and significantly bulkier than the typical Krabby was known to be. Maybe almost double or so? He''d have to look up more details on a Krabby''s size later on.

    That increased size also stretched to its claws, its large pincers clicking together with aggression as Krabby stared down Pikachu and Valiant.

    The expression on the water type''s face was fierce, and Valiant felt a chill roll down his spine as he looked the creature in the eyes. He didn''t sense bloodlust, but he certainly sensed a violent streak. Without any questions, this Krabby had come here solely to pick a fight.

    Ash made his way to Pikachu and Valiant as Krabby began to advance on them, growling out a challenge at the two Pokemon.

    Bill came up from behind. "Yes, this is definitely the same one. It always comes out of the water and picks a fight with whoever''s closest by."

    Ash nodded. "Got it." He looked down at his starter. "Pikachu, you up for this?"

    Already on all fours, Pikachu glanced back at his trainer and nodded as Valiant made his way back to Ash''s side, ready to give the mouse backup if needed.

    The group began to back away to give Pikachu some additional space, but Krabby was already making its move as it made its way onto the grass. A barrage of glowing bubbles escaped both of its now-opened pincers as Pikachu scrambled to the side to avoid them.

    As the bubbles exploded against the grass, Pikachu skidded to a stop before bolting directly for Krabby.

    "Zap Tail!"

    Crying out, Pikachu engulfed his now metallic-coated tail in electricity, closing in on Krabby to strike at the water type with the attack. However, a coating of metal engulfed one of the crab-like creature''s pincers, and Pikachu suddenly found his attack halted as his tail struck.

    The mouse gritted his teeth and snarled as he attempted to push back his adversary''s defense, but it was to no avail as Krabby strained itself and pushed the mouse off.

    The momentum of Pikachu''s speed and the power of Zap Tail had both failed in the face of this Krabby''s defenses. Was it durability? Or brute strength?

    It was likely a combination of the two attributes, but Ash was left wondering which was greater as Krabby pressed its newfound advantage.

    As the water type aggressively made its way towards Pikachu, its pincers opened up once more and unleashed a blast of mud that sailed towards its target. Pikachu curved around the Mud Shot as he dashed for his target, leaping upwards just in time to avoid the water type''s pincers as his cheeks crackled with static.

    Pikachu''s Thunderbolt descended downwards towards Krabby, who coated both pincers in metal once more, raising them defensively to intercept the bolt of lightning.

    "Static Tail!"

    Pikachu propelled downwards as the Thunderbolt finished up. Before Krabby could react properly, the mouse had smashed his tail against the back of the crab-like combatant''s head.

    Krabby stumbled forward from the impact, but Ash noticed that the attack hadn''t done much to hurt it.

    Static Tail utilized electricity from thunder Wave, and therefore wasn''t very offensively potent, and water types had a natural resistance to Iron Tail. But even soˇ­ Krabby seemed almost completely unfazed by the impact.

    What''s more, the electricity from Static Tail simply rolled along the crab-like Pokemon''s outer-shell momentarily, before fizzling out. It almost seemed like the water type''s natural defenses had shielded it from the electricity reaching its muscles and triggering paralysis, sort of like with the battle with A.J.

    Bill bit his lip. "That shell is strong. Krabby have the Shell Armor Ability, so maybe that''s itˇ­"

    Ash nodded at that with a troubled expression. Shell Armorˇ­ it was a good hypothesis. Krabby would practically have the external durability of a Steel type if that was the caseˇ­

    Krabby moved forward. Not a particularly fast creature, especially compared to Pikachu, but it was almost as though the water type''s aggression was propelling it forward. Pikachu took a leap backwards to avoid a swing from its clenched pincer, before Ash called out to his starter.

    "Pikachu, this Krabby''s defenses are high! We need to push through it. Use Double Team and Zap Tail!"

    As Krabby opened its pincers, Pikachu split in two, the real mouse and the copy both taking off in separate directions while glowing, light blue orbs appeared inside of the crab-like water type''s pincers. As two orbs of glowing water shot out, the mouse avoided the Water Pulse as he prepared to strike at the bulky opponent.

    Both Pikachu closed in from opposite directions as the real one coated his tail in metal and electricity. Crying out, Pikachu rushed the confused Krabby and drove his tail into the creature''s side.

    The strike seemed to prompt a more pained reaction from the water type this time, Krabby slightly wailing as Pikachu''s tail pounded against its outer shell. However, as Pikachu kept the attack going, pushing against the water type to shove it backwards, Krabby resisted, grinding its legs against the ground in an effort to slow itself down as it raised one of its pincers again.

    Ash was about to call out to Pikachu in warning when Krabby had already fired the Mud Shot point blank. Pikachu screeched in pain as the ball of mud struck down on him and pushed him into the ground. Now fully regaining its bearings, Krabby made a rotating motion as its other pincer collided with the side of Pikachu''s body, sending the young mouse hollering out as Krabby smacked Ash''s starter through the air.

    Despite the painful bruise left behind, Pikachu regained his bearings in midair and broke his fall with a well-timed Iron Tail. Briefly clutching his aching side, the mouse returned to all fours as he turned to face Krabby again, the water type already rushing at its target once more while Piakchu snarled at it through his teeth.

    Ash felt a bead of sweat rolling down his face from witnessing Krabby''s aggression. This particular member of the species was completely trigger happy from the looks of it. It was rushing Pikachu no-holds-barred, simply focused on attacking and defending.

    As Krabby''s open pincer began to glow a dark shade of purple, Pikachu shouted at his opponent while firing another Thunderbolt. Coating its other pincer in metal, Krabby defensively crossed its pincers to intercept the bolt of lightning once more.

    As the lightning collided with Krabby''s defenses, Pikachu shot forward, raising a metallic tail and curving around his opponent to strike Krabby in the side. Krabby staggered away from the impact, before letting loose a barrage of bubbles that grazed Pikachu as the electric type attempted to dash to the side.

    As Pikachu struggled to maintain his balance, Krabby was upon him again, raising a metallic pincer and swinging forward towards the mouse. Pikachu''s Iron Tail quickly intercepted Krabby''s Metal Claw, but as the young mouse snarled through his teeth, straining himself to push his way through Krabby''s attack, Krabby continued to push back, sending Pikachu rolling across the grass before charging him again.

    Just as Pikachu was beginning to get up, a second Metal Claw slugged him in the face, leaving a trail of blood as the mouse flew a few feet in the air before landing on the ground. As Pikachu skidded to a stop on all fours, Ash, Valiant, and Bill all winced upon catching sight of the electric type''s bloody face.

    Krabby was already rushing the mouse once more. As Pikachu dove away from his opponent''s Night Slash, only for his Electro Ball to be blocked by another pair of Metal Claws, Ash began to think things through in mild panic.

    ''Damnit! We have to find a way to slow that Krabby down, but the electricity isn''t doing much to break through.'' Even the Thunder Wave used as part of Static Tail hadn''t done much to paralyse Krabby due to not being able to reach the water type''s muscles properly. Its outer shell was just too tough.

    As Ash shouted quick encouragement to Pikachu, who was now splitting into two once more and landing a clean shot with Zap Tail, he ran through his options while watching Krabby stagger from the blow. Zap Tail was enough to hurt it, but not severely enough per hit. They needed to find a way to get the electricity through krabby''s defenses, but the only way to do so was to break through the shell. But what if Pikachu fell before enough Zap Tails were landed?

    Had Nebula been here, her Reckless Ability could potentially be enough to take Krabby down, with Pikachu''s paralysis as backup. But he wouldn''t go back on his promise to her. They needed to figure this out quicklyˇ­

    As Krabby''s pincers opened to unleash another barrage of bubbles, Ash''s eyes widened.

    ''Wait a minuteˇ­ if Pikachu''s electricity can''t break through the shell, then maybe-''

    "Attack while its pincers are open!"

    Ash almost started from the sound. He had just figured out a strategy, and yet he felt like he heard somebody shouting the same thing at him.

    Looking around, he could only see Bill, who was watching the fight with some concern before looking back at Ash.

    Ash blinked. What was thatˇ­

    Bill brought the boy''s attention back to him. "Ash, do you have any ideas?"

    After a brief moment, Ash''s eyes suddenly widened as he remembered the idea. Quickly nodding in reassurance, he gave Bill a thumbs up. "Don''t worry, I think I got one!"

    As Valiant observed the Krabby, Ash called out to Pikachu. "Pikachu! Get a Thunder Wave in when it opens its pincers!"

    Ash wasn''t sure if it was a good idea to give the strategy away to Krabby, but the water type didn''t seem to be focused on thinking things through. Nodding at Ash''s command, Pikachu rushed towards the bulky, crab-like creature and dodged a swipe from his opponent''s Metal Claw as Krabby attempted to catch him.

    They were playing the waiting game at this point, but after the young mouse had dodged a few more strikes, Krabby began to open up a raised pincer.

    This was their chance. "Now!"

    Just as a glowing, blue orb began to form inside of the opened pincer, Pikachu fired off a bolt of lightning, aimed directly at the opening. The Thunder Wave collided with the pincer, travelling inside as Krabby''s limb suddenly began to convulse, much to the water type''s surprise and confusion.

    Valiant grinned as Bill nodded in approval. "Great!"

    With one of Krabby''s limbs no longer able to be used with nearly as much efficiency, Ash pressed his advantage. "It''s defenses are compromised, Pikachu! Zap Tail, and stay on the side of the pincer you hit"

    Krabby attempted to intercept Pikachu with both pincer''s but Pikachu remained on a single side, the paralysed pincer not moving nearly fast enough to stop his attack as the mouse batted his opponent backwards.

    As Krabby staggered away and struggled to retain its balance from the blow, Pikachu leapt up into the air, dodging a Mud Shot from his adversary''s good pincer as his cheeks crackled with lightning. Observing the water type carefully, Ash noticed a bruise left behind from where the Zap Tail had struck. They were finally making progress, it seemed.

    Krabby was only able to properly raise one Metal Claw to intercept the electrical blast, the water type still making the effort to move its other pincer, but not being able to do so as well as the other. Its limbs were now out of sink.

    With only one Metal Claw to block the lightning, more pressure was put on Krabby from the attack as Pikachu followed up by dive bombing downwards with an Iron Tail. The metallic tail grinded against the top of Krabby''s head as the crab-like water type attempted to snatch Pikachu off, landing a Bubble Beam as Pikachu tried to leap away.

    Catching himself with iron Tail, Pikachu almost sank to the ground as the bruises on his body continued to ache. As Krabby advanced forward, not moving as fast, and somewhat limping for the mouse, Ash considered sending Valiant in to wrap things up, but held back for the moment.

    They only needed a little bit more.

    "Double Team and Zap Tail!"

    Powering through the pain and exhaustion, the battered Pikachu split into two and raised towards the Krabby. The real Pikachu came up from the side where Krabby''s pincer had been hit with Thunder Wave, and as Krabby was toppled over from the mouse''s strike, Ash tossed a Poke Ball into the persistent Water Type.

    Ash, Valiant, and Bill watched with great anticipation (and Pikachu with some level of anxiety) as Krabby was sucked into the orb, which rolled along the ground seemingly nonstop.

    Krabby was struggling. As the Poke Ball continued to roll around, Ash began to worry that the water type might break through before it finally came to a stop with a confirming beep.

    Faces lighting up, Ash and Valiant raced over to Pikachu as the relieved mouse beamed at them. However, when Ash tried to pick Pikachu up to hug him, he flinched as Pikachu winced in pain from the contact.

    Ash frowned apologetically. Looking over his starter, he observed the bruises and spots of blood covering up his battered friend.

    "Sorry, buddy." he said guiltily. As he placed Pikachu back on the ground, he and Valiant took note of the electric type''s heavy breathing. As Valiant observed the mouse with concern, Ash took out his Poke Ball. "Rest up, I''ll treat you as soon as I can, okay?" The last he saw of Pikachu was the mouse''s nodding motion as his starter was sucked into the orb.

    "I have to apologize." Ash and Valiant''s attention was brought to Bill as the researcher approached them. "I wasn''t expecting that to be so rough. I knew that Krabby was aggressive, but I must have underestimated its abilities. I should have figured its shell would be that strong. I''m sorry I didn''t warn you."

    Ash frowned at that, but shook his head nonetheless. "It''s fine, Bill. I wasn''t really expecting it myself." returning Pikachu''s Poke Ball to his belt, he looked down at Valiant, who gave the boy a confirming nod. Smiling at the Kirlia, Ash returned his attention to the researcher. "Well, the good news is your problem''s solved now, right?"

    Bill bit his lip despite nodding back. "You sure you can handle it? If you don''t want to hold onto the Krabby, I can always ask Aya tooˇ­"

    Ash''s gaze made its way to the ground with some consideration for a few moments. He exchanged another look with Valiant, some minor concern evident in the Kirlia''s eyes, before looking back at Bill and shaking his head.

    "Thanksˇ­ but I think I''ll at least try. You can''t count on every new catch being docile, right?"

    Bill grinned at that, chuckling a bit as his nerves seemed to slightly ease themselves. "That''s certainly true." his face turned even. "Just be careful. If anything goes wrong, I can take responsibility."

    After a few moments, Ash nodded. It was fair enough.

    "If you wantˇ­" the boy''s voice trailed off for a bit as he glanced back at Valiant, who seemed to be deep in thought. "But let''s hope it doesn''t come to that." After a few moments, Valiant''s arms crossed, agreement noted on the Kirlia''s features, although the look in his eyes remained somewhat worried.

    "Anywayˇ­" Bill began to change the subject. "I have healing machines back at the lab. And some sitrus berries. Who should get your Pikachu fixed up as soon as possible."

    Gratitude adorned Ash and Valiant''s features as the trainer gave a thumbs up in thanks. As Bill led the way back to the lab, Ash spared a glance down at Valiant, who still seemed to be a bit uneasy about the whole ordeal.

    Truth be told, Ash was feeling a bit nervous himself. He was willing to see things through to the end, having made the conscious choice to capture Krabby.

    He just hoped he wasn''t biting off more than he could chewˇ­

 At the Lighthouse pt 2

    After feeding some of the sitrus berries to Pikachu, Bill had recommended that the mouse spend the night in the healing machines as the healing factors of the fruit did their work. With Pikachu''s consent, Ash returned his starter back to his Poke Ball, which Bill then placed in one of the machines.

    Nebula had stuck closely by Pikachu''s side as her friend munched on the sitrus berries, Pikachu reassuring the concerned Staravia that he was okay. It thankfully wasn''t too difficult for the mouse to settle the bird''s worries, which had led to her congratulating him for his victory.

    It was 8:00 PM now, with Nebula and Eevee asleep in the room while Ash fixed himself a late snack in the kitchen. Bill had granted him access to the food for the night, but the boy didn''t want to push it, simply opting for a bagel sandwich, albeit one made from much higher quality bread than the overall average sandwiches he had packed for the road. Aya had teased Ash for his modesty, but the rookie pointed out that he had already had three fairly sizable meals from Bill''s food. He didn''t want to be gluttonous about snacking on someone else''s stock.

    The green haired Ace Trainer was sitting across from Ash while Valiant and Tyrunt chatted off to the side. Unbeknownst to Ash (who didn''t understand their words), the Kirlia was giving Tyrunt a play-by-play recount of Pikachu''s battle. Despite not being aware of the topic, Ash and Aya had assumed that it was something exciting given Tyrunt''s enthusiastic reactions, and Valiant''s own somewhat energetic mood while recounting the fight to his friend.

    "They''re quite the odd pair, wouldn''t you say?" Aya''s amused voice brought Ash''s attention to the green haired woman as she observed the two converse. As she locked eyes with the boy, Ash felt his nerves tense up again, her battle-hardened aura leaking through her overall lax demeanor.

    Nevertheless, the feeling didn''t last for too long, and Ash grinned back at her. "Yeah, Valiant''s been looking after Tyrunt since he hatched, so they''re almost inseparable." Stealing a glance at the Kirlia, who hadn''t picked up on their conversation due to him and Tyrunt each being fixated on their own exchange together, he added. "He was actually helping me take care of him even when he was an egg. He''s been super helpful." At this point, it was no secret to Ash that Valiant was arguably the most dedicated member of the team. That wasn''t to discredit the others, as all of them had pulled their weight, but Valiant had always gone out of his way to convey that determination.

    Ash wished he could know what drove the Kirlia, and the rest of the team as well, but he was grateful nevertheless.

    Aya gave the Kirlia an approving look, before directing her expression at Ash. "Well, a Pokemon''s loyalty is the product of the trainer, most of the time. I''d say you have a lot to be proud of, Ash."

    Ash felt his face grow hot as his gaze nervously locked onto the table. "Heh, t-thanksˇ­"

    She seemed to find amusement in his flustered reaction, which just embarrassed him further, but she thankfully didn''t tease or press. Glancing back at the duo, a hint of nostalgia adorned her features as she continued.

    "You know, at first glance, they kind of remind me of my first two teammates." looking back at Ash, she said. "I found an egg in an abandoned nest before making my first catch. Fuchsia was having some poaching problems at the time and some of the wild Pokemon in the area were a bit hasty when they fled. Their parental instincts dictated them for the most part, but there was the occasional odd exception of those who left one of their eggs behind by accident."

    Ash bit his lip nervously. That sounded awful. He didn''t know that Fuchsia had a history of poaching problems, but perhaps that was one of the problems Koga was said to have solved. Based on what he knew, the poison specialist was one of the most ruthless and pragmatic Gym Leaders imaginable, and had reduced crime in the territory to a crawl.

    Continuing, she nodded with a sad smile. "It was a bit of a rare occurrence. The Gym Leader''s in Fuchsia are usually great at keeping things under control, even if the current one has easily done the best job at it." something lit up in her eyes as she spoke, but Ash didn;t notice. "But this issue was a bit of an exception. Didn''t last too long, but the effects were pretty notable at the time." Taking a pause, she continued. "Anyway, my Starter and I brought the egg to Fuchsia City''s Pokemon Center, and after it was looked over and confirmed to be in good health, the authorities gave us the permission to take it in." her expression grew rather fond. "It hatched only a few days later. I still hadn''t caught any Pokemon yet, since I was so fixated on caring for the egg, but the female Nidoran that came out was the best partner me or my starter could ask for. She''s even my cornerstone nowadays." Taking a glance back at Valiant and Tyrunt, she finished. "And my Starter was there with me every step of the way. Oddish was her dedicated older brother. Both before and after she had hatched."

    Ash beamed at that. She seemed to be really fond of the memory, and he couldn''t blame her. He''d never forget the time spent raising Tyrunt.

    "Anyway, I shouldn''t make this about me." the woman chuckled sheepishly as she spoke. Turning back to Ash, she tilted her head inquisically. "You''re the new guy to the profession. You said you have two badges, right?"

    He nodded in confirmation. "Yup! From Pewter and Cerulean!" Ash certainly wouldn''t be forgetting those fights, either. And the same could probably be said for all of his remaining Gym battles.

    "Do you have any idea where you plan on getting your next one?"

    He shrugged. "Saffron''s the next city ahead. After that, I haven''t decided which direction I''ll take yet. There''s a few branching paths from there. I''ll figure it out, I suppose."

    "Makes sense. Either of the roads you can take from Saffron have their merit. And most of the wildlife you''ll find along the way shouldn''t be too troublesome." her face evened a bit. "You''ll definitely notice a difference if you go in the direction of Vermillion or Lavender Town, though. And of course, things will get a lot more intense once you go beyond either of those, especially in Fuchsia territory."

    Ash was aware of that for sure. The eastern side of Kanto was generally a lot more dangerous than the rest of the Region, especially Fuschia. Yet the harsher wildlife also attracted more hardened trainers, who often made the areas their grounds.

    Ash wondered just how different of an experience trainers had if they chose to start out in Fuchsia''s territory. The plains between Pallet and Viridian were a far more ideal starting point for a rookie than the mountainous, untamed wilds of Koga''s stomping grounds. Even Janine, despite being a Fuschia native, hadn''t been that bold.

    And even if it was years ago, Aya had started out there, and at a time where the wildlife was a lot more unpredictable due to the poaching incidents.

    Curious, Ash was about to bring it up when the sound of footsteps brought his and Aya''s attention back to Valiant and Tyrunt, who had finished their conversation and made their way to Ash.

    Taking note of their bright moods, Aya commented. "They''re both in pretty high spirits."

    Rubbing Tyrunt''s head as the baby dinosaur pushed his head against his leg, Ash agreed. "Ha, yeah."

    After a few seconds, Aya took a glance at the clock before giving Ash a considerate look. "Say, Ash, if you''re interested."

    After patting Valiant''s head for a moment, Ash looked back at her. "Hm?"

    Crossing her arms, Aya said. "I''ll have to be on my way in about an hour or two, when one of the League''s psychics comes to pick me up, butˇ­" her lips twitched up. "I''m interested in seeing how you fight. If you''d like, would you care for a quick battle?"

    Ash inwardly started at that. An Ace Trainer was challenging him to a battle?! How could he even-

    She must have noticed his pale expression, as the woman quickly raised an amused hand to ease his worries. "Relax, I''m not gonna sick one of my usual teammates on you, if that''s what you''re worried about. I have a couple of Pokemon on me that are a lot less experienced, so one of them should be a fair match for you if you''ve already made it through two gyms."

    Ash''s panic eased up a bit at that. Looking down at Valiant and Tyrunt, he observed them for a moment. Tyrunt had just started training, and he didn''t want to bother the others if they had already turned in for the night, soˇ­

    "Valiant, are you up for this?"

    With an encouraging nudge from Tyrunt, Valiant exchanged a brief look with the Ace Trainer, before turning to Ash a few moments later and nodding with a steel gaze.

    /

    The group found themselves back at the battlefield where Tyrunt had done his training earlier that morning. The stars overhead made for a pleasant backdrop as Aya took her position on the other side of the arena.

    Tyrunt stood by Ash''s side as Valiant slowly walked in front of them, taking his place as the trio observed Aya enlarging a Poke Ball.

    After a bright flash, a Venonat appeared on her side of the arena. It leaned into Aya''s touch as she reached down to pat its head, before walking its way to the arena as Valiant observed it. The purple bug was fairly amicable, offering Valiant a quick wave as Aya spoke up.

    "Venonat should be a good opponent for you." Aya called out from the other side as Valiant quietly returned the wave. "I haven''t been training him for too long yet."

    Ash nodded, although his heart was still beating fairly rapidly.

    "Valiantˇ­" he quietly spoke to the Kirlia, nervousness leaking out of his voice. "Even if that Venonat isn''t much more experienced than we are, his trainer is. And I''m not sure how easy she is going to go on us outside of her choice in Pokemon." he couldn''t see the look on Valiant''s face from behind, but the Kirlia had a light glare on his face as he nodded at Ash''s statement.

    As Tyrunt let out an encouraging chatter (which did a somewhat decent job at easing Valiant''s nerves), Aya spoke up again.

    "So, one on one, correct?" At Ash''s nod, she nodded back before raising a hand. "Well then, let''s get this started. Venonat, Signal Beam!"

    The purple bug wasted no time executing his trainer''s orders, performing a small hop as he fired a beam of green light at his target.

    "Valiant, Dazzling Gleam!" Responding with equal swiftness, Valiant put his hands together to form an orb of pink light, which then extended into a blast that intercepted Venonat''s attack.

    Being a fairy type move, Ash imagined that the pink beam would make for a fairly decent shield against the opponent''s bug type attack. As the two beam''s collided, Valiant''s attack pushed back against Venonat''s, as the purple bug watched, before bracing himself against the shockwaves once the two blasts exploded closer to him.

    Immediately pressing his advantage, Valiant sank into Shadow Sneak, traveling along the ground as Venonat blinked in bewilderment, before Aya gave an order.

    "Toxic Scatter!"

    Ash raised a brow as Venonat kicked off of the ground, eyes glowing with a bright blue aura as purple powder descended onto the arena. The bug had jumped decently high, and Ash noticed the Poison Powder becoming enveloped with the bright aura of Confusion, as Venonat used the psychic technique to carry the powder as far across the battlefield as possible.

    As Valiant excited his shadow beneath Venonat, he immediately yelped and encased himself in a golden cube as the powder descended onto him. Ash couldn''t tell if any of the attack had actually made contact with Valiant or not, but the good news was that it could only have been a little, given how quickly the young Kirlia had reacted.

    They weren''t out of the woods yet, however, as Aya issued her next order. "Zen Headbutt!"

    Now the top of Venonat''s head began to glow with a bright blue aura as the bug angled himself in midair before dive bombing straight down for Valiant.

    SMASH!

    Remnants of the barrier scattered for a brief moment as the cube shattered, before quickly fizzling out of existence as Venonat landed in front of the Kirlia, having struck the top of the Light Screen from straight above.

    As Venonat moved in on the disoriented Kirlia, Aya pressed on. "Sleep Powder!"

    "Push it back with Confusion!" Ash called out, hoping Valiant could repel the Sleep powder with the technique before it hit him.

    Unfortunately, Valiant''s eyes didn''t even have a chance to start flashing before the whitish-blue powder was upon him. Regaining his bearings, the Kirlia yelped as he attempted to bury his head in his arms, trying not to breathe in too much of the attack.

    But Aya was still pressing. "Venonat! Zen Headbutt again!"

    Tyrunt cried out in concern as Venonat rammed headfirst into Valiant''s front, sending the weezing Kirlia flying a few feet away before skidding on his back.

    As Valiant came to a stop by propping his hands against the pavement, Ash suddenly winced as he realized his folly. With Valiant still somewhat out of it from Light Screen''s destruction, he wouldn''t have had the concentration to execute Confusion, or at least not one strong enough to repel all of the powder at once.

    Aya wasn''t giving him time to mentally kick himself, however. "Just because you need time to think things through doesn''t mean your enemy does! Swift, Venonat!"

    A barrage of golden stars erupted towards their target as Valiant picked himself up. Frantically, Ash responded.

    "Valiant, Magical Leaf!"

    Aya was being completely rapid-fire about her approach to this battle, which said more than enough for how fast her mind moves. The moment one order is finished, she immediately thinks of another. Just what kind of training was she put through to be this honed?

    As the leaves exploded against the stars, Ash knew that they needed to pick up speed themselves. Ash hoped this wouldn''t result in him or Valiant making anymore misplays, but if Aya didn''t need time to "think things through" like she said, then they couldn''t afford to either.

    "Valiant! Teleport and Thunderbolt!"

    Venonat slightly started as Valiant flashed in front of him, hands beginning to crackle with electricity. But Aya''s response was even swifter than Ash had already thought.

    "Supersonic!"

    Valiant had just begun to fire off the bolt of electricity when Venonat hollered out at him, emitting a near-deafening noise that Ash, Tyrunt, and Aya were all thankfully spared the more harmful elements of thanks to the barriers kicking in. Valiant, however, was struck point blank, his usage of Thunderbolt disrupted as the portion of the blast that had yet to escape from his palms became compromised by his newfound lack of concentration, scattering outwardly without nearly as much force behind it.

    Unfortunately for Venonat, however, Valiant had still managed to properly fire off at least half of the blast, which scored a direct hit on the purple bug (along with a few remnants of the compromised second half of the attack) that sent the young Kirlia''s opponent staggering backwards, crying out in pain from the sparks.

    With Venonat getting electrocuted and Valiant holding his head in pain, trying to clear up his disorientation, both Pokemon were off balance as their trainers called out in encouragement.

    "Shake it off, Venonat! And use Stun Spore!"

    "Valiant! Try to focus and use another Thunderbolt from a little more distance!" Ash had expected a point blank Thunderbolt to be the perfect offensive choice. He hadn''t expected it to backfire like that. The close vicinity had benefited Venonat''s Supersonic every bit as much.

    As Venonat regained his bearings and began firing off the small cloud of yellow powder, which suddenly began to travel a greater distance as the aura of Confusion enveloped it, Valiant jogged backwards as quickly as he could, still holding onto his head for a moment before charging up another Thunderbolt. The electric attack lit up the surrounding area as the lightning escaped from the Kirlia''s hands.

    Venonat''s purple fur was already somewhat charred from the previous shock, the round bug quickly leaping backwards as the now fully-powered electrical blast carved its way through the cloud of yellow powder that he had unleashed. As the bolt of lightning collided with the ground, Venonat, still in midair, unleashed a second barrage of golden stars that Valiant hastily raised another Light Screen to block.

    The Light Screen wasn''t at full strength, Valiant just barely being able to raise it in time as the attack closed in on him. Cracks formed along the exterior of the golden cube as the Swift pelted against it. Thankfully, however, the barrier held up long enough, before being dropped by Valiant just as Venonat was on the move towards him once more, Aya issuing another order.

    "Zen Headbutt!"

    "Teleport, quickly!"

    The frantic look in Valiant''s eyes partially gave way to a more hardened expression as he flashed out of existence, Venonat coming to a stop to see him materializing a few meters away off to the side.

    Hoping to give an order before Aya had the chance, Ash called out. "Psybeam!"

    Aya responded an instant later. "Signal Beam!"

    Eyes glowing, Valiant fired the beam of rainbow colored light at the purple bug, only for Venonat to with a green blast of light that collided with the psychic attack head-on.

    After a moment or so, the Signal Beam cleaved through the Psybeam, its bug typing crucial to providing it with the edge.

    Valiant swayed to the side as the beam passed by him, Venonat already advancing towards him yet again, Aya calling out her next order.

    "Supersonic, point-blank!"

    Sweating, Ash responded. "Light Screen!"

    The same horrible sound from before was emitted as Venonat closed in on his target, but the Kirlia was already locked away in the safety of his golden cube. The close proximity of the attack made itself known, however, and Ash flinched as he and Tyrunt noticed the small cracks forming on the shield, the barrier just close enough for them to make out. Valiant clenched his eyes shut as he tried to endure the noise, cushioned by the Light Screen, but not fully protected.

    "Swift, Venonat!" Ash doubted that Aya could see the cracks from where she was. Was she just counting on it?

    Still directly in front of the barrier, Venonat pelted the cracked areas with golden stars. The shield strained as Valiant gritted his teeth, struggling to keep the cube intact. It lasted for a few moments, before the front of the cube fully broke, and the remaining stars crashed into Valiant, throwing him onto his back as the rest of the Light Screen fizzled out from his disrupted concentration.

    With Valiant downed, Venonat immediately heeded Aya''s next command. "Sleep Powder!"

    As Ash called out to Valiant, the Kirlia rolled away from the incoming powder that nearly descended upon him, scrambling to his feet as quickly as he could as Venonat proceeded to advance towards him with another Zen Headbutt.

    Seeing the purple bug incoming, Valiant dodged away, his side getting clipped by the bug''s attack as he nearly lost his balance. Ignoring the mild bruise left behind by the blow, the Emotion pokemon turned around and fired another rainbow beam into the side of Venonat''s back, prompting a pained squeal from the bug as Aya''s partner was sent bouncing away from the blast, before landing on his feet and skidding to a stop. Although his back was somewhat scorched from the attack, and the Kirlia could notice the bug mildly breathing a bit harder than usual, the opposing combatant turned to face Valiant with as much resolve as ever.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Ash could note the somewhat deeper breaths that Valiant was letting out as well. The Emotion Pokemon was fairly good at continuing to fight even as he began to tire out, but the rookie knew that Valiant would be reaching his limit sooner or later.

    It still felt surreal that they were fighting against an Ace Trainer, and Aya certainly fit the bill, even if she was going easy on them. He couldn''t imagine what she was like (and what tricks she had) when using her primary team.

    As Aya observed Venonat, she took in her partner''s condition. It looked like he could use a moment to catch his breath just as much as Valiantˇ­

    "Your friend''s pretty resilient!" she called out to Ash, who turned his attention to her. "He''s hanging in there pretty well. Hasn''t disappointed so far."

    Ash was a bit surprised that she was suddenly slowing the flow of the battle, given how fast-paced she had been up to this point, but he wasn''t complaining. Valiant could use a couple of moments to take a breather. Besides, the psychic deserved the compliment.

    As Valiant and Venonat allowed themselves to somewhat ease up, albeit not taking their focus away from one another, Ash smiled at Aya''s statement and nodded. "Thanks! He''s always been a really hard worker, so he deserves all the credit." Sparing Venonat a glance, he added. "Your Venonat''s doing great too."

    Now that he thought about itˇ­ he and his team had first encountered Valiant back when they fought that Bug Catcher with the Venonat all the way back in Viridian Forestˇ­ that was the fight that had led to Valiant joining the team, hadn''t it?

    As he stole a glance at the Kirlia, Ash couldn''t help his widening grin.

    ''It really does feel like such a long time.'' They were only in Cerulean territory. They hadn''t even seen half of Kanto yet, let alone Indigo as a whole. And yetˇ­ so much has already happened since the beginning. It was scary, and yet, it was also why so many people loved being trainers.

    Including him.

    Aya seemed to be done talking after a few more moments passed. Snapping her figures as if to give a signal, she once again raised her voice across the arena.

    "Well, your friend has proven his resolve. So let''s see how long it can last under this kind of pressure. Now, Venonat!" As the bug took off running in Valiant''s direction, she added. "Swift, then Leech Life!"

    Leech Lifeˇ­ she was probably planning on getting some of Venonat''s stamina back. Healing moves weren''t quite as effective as restoring energy as they were at healing injuries, but certain ones could still do the job. And in Leech Life''s case, it specifically restored stamina by draining the energy from the target. Less about dealing damage, and more about making the opponent worn out. If Venonat scored a direct hit, he would likely be revitalized (whether it be completely or just by a significant amount), while Valiant would be left with even more fatigue.

    As Venonat sped towards Valiant as fast as he was able, the purple bug unleashed yet another barrage of golden stars. But Ash had already given Valiant the counterorder.

    "Teleport behind Venonat! Then Thunderbolt!"

    Despite the stars making Venonat capable of homing into whatever target he locks onto, the capability became compromised when Valiant reappeared in a completely different direction from where the stars have been aimed. As the glowing projectiles aimlessly collided into the barriers in front of Ash and Tyrunt,Valiant was already gathering electricity within his hands, preparing to fire.

    Aya must have taken note of the somewhat greater distance between the two combatants, as she did not order for Venonat to disrupt Valiant with Supersonic like last time. "Jump and use Signal Beam!"

    The purple bug leapt up as high as possible, angling himself around in the air to face Valiant properly and fire off the beam of green light.

    Valiant had responded quickly, however, the beam crashing down onto the golden cube that he had formed around himself immediately after firing off the Thunderbolt. With the hastiness of how the barrier was formed, however, the Signal beam wasn''t dealing with the Light Screen''s full strength, the barrier struggling as a chunk of it was broken off by the impact.

    Aya herself had already given Venonat another order as he fired the beam. "Zen Headbutt!"

    "Drop the cube, Valiant!"

    Ash knew he couldn''t let Venonat destroy the Light Screen. It had to go away on Valiant''s own terms, so that the destruction of the mentally created shield wouldn''t throw the psychic off balance.

    Thankfully, Valiant did just that, lowering the cube and allowing it to fizzle out just as Venonat came down on him. As Valiant swerved to the side, the bug collided with the pavement, which didn''t seem to harm Venonat very much (likely because of the usage of Zen Headbutt, Ash decided to guess). While Venonat bounced off of the arena, Ash gave his next order.

    "Blow him back with Confusion!" They needed to keep their distance from Venonat so that Supersonic wouldn''t be so dangerous, whether they widened the gap with Teleportation or just by pushing the purple bug backwards.

    Venonat yelped as the aura of Confusion engulfed him, Valiant holding his hands out from behind the purple bug as he sent Aya''s partner flying a few feet away.

    As Valiant jogged backwards a few more feet away, Venonat landed on his side, rolling a few feet backwards before springing back into an upright position.

    As the two Pokemon turned to eye each other, their fatigue was becoming all the more noteworthy. The constant back and forth would eventually lead to one of them collapsing.

    Aya''s lips twitched in approval at the sight. "It''s been fun so far, Ash!" she called out. "But let''s see if we can end it now! Venonat, Super Swift!"

    Ash and Valiant felt a hint of surprise as Venonat''s eyes glowed, unleashing another barrage of golden stars with the outline of Confusion. At Ash''s frantic command, Valiant erected another Light Screen to encase himself with, as the projectiles bombarded his defenses.

    The shockwaves from the repeated impacts left Valiant gritting his teeth in displeasure as he struggled to hold up the barrier, which was already beginning to form cracks as Venonat''s assault continued.

    The starsˇ­ seemed to be moving a lot faster than normal. No doubt, Venonat was using Confusion to push them forward and add a lot more force than normal to the attack.

    Why hadn''t Aya done this sooner? Was she holding back to go easy on them, or just conserving energy? This did seem like it would tire Venonat out if used too greatly, which could be why she had saved the technique for when both combatants were already approaching their final reserves. Whatever it was, it was working now, Tyrunt crying out in concern as the glowing projectiles finally broke through the cube for the remaining portion of the onslaught to bombard against Valiant.

    As Valiant hollered in pain, some blood appearing as was knocked back down onto his backside Venonat rushed towards him, preparing to finish the battle with the Kirlia still stuck on the ground.

    "Giga Drain!"

    Ash''s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the grass type move. As a vine-like beam of dark green energy was fired off and tethered onto Valiant, Ash noted that the glow it gave off was a somewhat faint and flickering one. It made sense that Venonat hadn''t fully mastered the move just yet, as it was fairly advanced. But the purple bug definitely did have the basics down, and it was rather impressive that he had been able to use it at all at his current level.

    And tha meant trouble for sure, as the nervous rookie frantically realized. Even in an unmastered state, Giga Drain was a very effective move that centered around sapping strength from the target''s body to heal the user''s wounds and somewhat revitalize their stamina. And now, Valiant was pinned by it.

    Ash watched with a grimace as the young Kirlia struggled against the binding, as flashes of light traveled along the Giga Drain and back towards Venonat. They weren''t coming very fast, either due to Valiant''s resistance or Venonat not being overly experienced with the move, but Valiant''s strength was being sucked dry all the same.

    "This is it, kid!" Aya called out, her voice more challenging rather than condescending. "If he can''t break free, it''s over for him!"

    As Venonat slowly began to glow from the revitalization properties of the attack, Ash called out to his friend.

    "Valiant! I need you to use Confusion! Hurry!" Loudly grunting as he struggled against the green energy tethered to him, Valiant''s eyes briefly began to flash with the familiar aura of the psychic move. Nevertheless, even as they did, they continued to flicker, as the young Emotion Pokemon''s focus grew weaker and weaker.

    As Tyrunt anxiously moaned, Ash found himself clenching his teeth with a pained expression as a bead of sweat traveled down his face. Giga Drain wasn''t just taking a physical toll on the young psychic. It was taking a mental toll just as much. And that was exactly what was needed for psychic type moves.

    Valiant continued to struggle against the Giga Drain, wriggling his body as much as the binding allowed as his eyes continued to flash.

    To break free of the Giga Drain, or to use Confusion. Right now, Valiant wasn''t able to do eitherˇ­

    Eyes widening, Ash called out to his friend again as Tyrunt looked on.

    "Valiant! Listen to me!" As the Kirlia continued to struggle, Ash cupped his hands with the most encouraging voice that he could muster. "Forget about breaking free! Just focus on using Confusion! Put all of your effort into that!"

    Aya''s brow raised, a knowing smile making its way to her lips as she watched Valiant comply with Ash''s order.

    No struggling. No wriggling. No physical exertion. Nothing but mental strength.

    As Valiant ceased his physical struggle and glared at Venonat with flashing eyes, Aya nodded in approval.

    ''He knows his friend won''t be able to break free. So he doesn''t want him to waste the effort. But will this tactic be enough?''

    Valiant''s eyes continued to flash, still flickering, his teeth grinding as he struggled to focus through the pain and fatigue.

    But suddenly, the flickering became fasterˇ­

    And then-

    Venonat yelped as Valiant''s eyes glowed with a blinding blue aura. A surge of psychic energy knocked the purple bug off balance as Aya''s partner was suddenly covered in the blue light. As he teetered backwards, it was his turn to lose focus, the Giga Drain destabilizing as Valiant tore his way out of the binding.

    As the Kirlia stood upright, fighting the fatigue in his body and the pain from the previous onslaught of projectiles, Ash struck while the iron was hot.

    "Psybeam!"

    Venonat didn''t seem like he had healed himself too much, so they still had a chance.

    Making one final effort to gather all of his focus, Valiant''s eyes flashed once again, briefly charging up his attack as he ran forward towards his target to make the attack point blank, before firing the rainbow colored blast directly into Venonat''s front.

    Still slightly off balance from the Confusion, Venonat''s guard was not up as the attack blasted into him, the purple bug wailing as the Psybeam carried him across the arena, before bouncing along the surface and coming to a stop a couple of meters from the green haired Ace Trainer.

    When Venonat failed to move, Aya took out her Poke Ball and returned him in a bright flash of red light.

    /

    Ash bent down and caught Valiant in his arms just as the exhausted Kirlia began to fall backwards.

    "Great work, pal!" The young rookie''s voice was a notable combination of congratulation and concern. "Are you okay?"

    As Tyrunt stopped right beside them, Valiant tiredly opened his eyes and offered his trainer a fatigued grin. Tyrunt seemed to be somewhat mindful of his friend''s condition (likely remembering what it was like to be so exhausted from his training earlier that day), giving the Kirlia a praising smile, but trying not to make too much noise.

    Cradling the psychic in his arms as he stood to his feet, Ash gave the Emotion Pokemon a nostalgic grin. "Hey Valiantˇ­ you remember what Pokemon Nebula and I battled when you were caught in that Bug Catcher trap, right? It was against a Venonat. That was Nebula''s first big battle since joining the team. And it''s how we met you."

    For whatever reason, Valiant had been terrified of the forest. He had been so meek and timid when they had first encountered him (not that Ash was one to judge). Something had happened after they had finally left, however. It was almost like he had transformed. The Valiant that had trained for and fought against Brock in Pewter City was a completely different one from the one that Ash, Pikachu, and Nebula and all first met. The young Ralts had come out of his shell after being freed from the forest that he seemed to fear.

    And yet, that was just an addition to the list of things that felt so much longer ago than they actually were. First the incident with team Rocket at the Pokemon Center, and now he was thinking back to this. Just how far away was Viridian at this point?

    The trio''s attention was drawn to Aya as they heard her approaching footsteps, the Ace Trainer having finished consoling her Venonat.

    Her expression seemed quite amused. Ironic, even. "Well what do you know?" she spoke with a chuckle. "I''m an Ace Trainer who lost to a rookie. Imagine if my comrades heard that out of context."

    Ash''s smile matched her own at the joke. "Ha, yeah." it hardly counted in his eyes. Aya hadn''t used anywhere close to her strongest teammates, and even with Venonat himself, the boy wasn''t sure how seriously she had been taking the battle throughout.

    It didn''t mean he wasn''t happy with himself, or Valiant, however. A victory was a victory, and Aya had only held back enough to be on their perceived level. Not below.

    Crossing her arms good naturedly, Aya''s grin was casual and easygoing. "I can see how you have two badges already. I might have to warn Janine that another rookie is becoming a threat." The last part was said in a fairly joking tone.

    Ash giggled a bit, looking down to the ground as Valiant began to doze off. "Two badgesˇ­ it just keeps me thinkingˇ­"

    "About what?"

    Looking up at her, Ash''s cheeks flushed as though he were about to reveal an embarrassing secret. "I''ve justˇ­ started to think about how much has gone down already. I don''t think it''s even been six weeks since I left my homeˇ­ but it feels almost twice as long." his gaze briefly alternated between Valiant and Tyrunt as his mind seemed to wander. "So much has already happened since thenˇ­"

    Aya''s hearty laugh snapped him out of that state, the boy flinching back as his cheeks reddened further.

    "W-What''s so funny?" he stammered.

    "You are, silly." her voice evened out a bit as she locked eyes with him. Her gaze seemed to be rather nostalgic too. "I''d recommend you get used to that, Ash. Your life is only going to get more eventful from here. Especially now that you have a full team of six. By the time you''re at Indigo Plateau, you''ll be feeling like your career has already gone on for a decade. Take it from someone who knows." Suddenly finding the stars interesting, she continued to speak, albeit not looking at Ash. "You should cherish as much of those memories as you can. And not just the triumphs, of course. Even failure can be an unforgettable milestone. My mind still often flashes back to the time my brother knocked me out of the Conference." After a few moments of silence, her eyes returned to Ash as she took out a dark blue Pokedex. "Well, I did lose to you, after all. I''ll be a good sport and pay up."

    Ash blinked. To be honest, he had forgotten about the prize money (which was somewhat embarrassing). Despite having earned quite a bit of it from other rookie trainers since leaving Cerulean City, he hadn''t had it on his mind when accepting Aya''s challenge."

    After Aya finished transferring some of her money into the boy''s account, she pocketed the device before looking back at Ash. "Andˇ­ that should take care of it. Sorry about cutting this short, but I need to wait for the League to pick me up. Gotta get some rest tomorrow since I''ll be meeting with a Breeder in Celadon in just two days from now and all."

    Ash didn''t notice the otherwise tired Valiant''s eyes briefly widening as he offered the understanding Ace Trainer an understanding nod. "That''s fine. I know you gotta be super busy. Thanks for making time for us." he gratefully added.

    The green haired woman waved it off, however. "I didn''t just do it to be generous." she chuckled. ''When you''re in my line of work, you can always use the downtime. It''s been fun."

    Ash and Tyrunt watched her go as she turned around, Valiant mustering up just enough energy to wave before closing his eyes again.

    Today, they had started Tyrunt''s training, captured an aggressive and powerful Krabby, and befriended an Ace Trainer.

    As he and Tyrunt made their way back to the lab, Valiant still in the young rookie trainer''s arms, Ash grinned to himself.

    Perhaps those were some of the memories Aya had suggested they cherish.

    /

    Valiant spent the night in a healing machine following the battle with Aya. Ash and his team said their goodbyes and thanks to Bill the next morning, before heading off on their way.

    They had taken a detour to get to Cerulean''s coast, but thankfully, their new bicycle would help make up for that. Even if they stopped for training and battling, Ash imagined Saffron would only be a few days away.

    However, there was still one more matter that they needed to settle now before leaving the area.

    Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt all stood in front of Ash as he showed them Krabby''s Poke Ball. The group was a bit of a ways away from the lighthouse now, in a grassy area surrounded by a few trees.

    "We have a new teammate now," he explained. "And, as you all know, they aren''t as friendly. There is a chance that we will have to restrain them, but we can''t encourage their hostility." The team nodded at him. Valiant and Eevee seemed to be the most uneasy about it, but didn''t object, and Pikachu''s somewhat anxious expression made it clear that the young mouse was still thinking about yesterday''s fight.

    As he enlarged the orb, Ash felt the anxiety flow through his chest as his thumb lingered on the release button. He wasn''t sure how Krabby was going to act once it was let out.

    But they needed to get this over with.

    The bulky water type appeared in a flash of light, a somewhat surprised expression on its face as it looked around. It didn''t take too long for Krabby to notice the group standing in front of him. Springing into an alert stance, his gaze quickly fell on Ash, Pikachu, and Valiant as his pincers began to rapidly click together, opening and closing as the Pokemon let out a deep growl, as if preparing to pounce.

    The brief wave of panic that Ash felt was shaken off as quickly as he could manage. "Now, Valiant!" He hoped his anxiety hadn''t filtered into his tone of voice.

    Just as Krabby moved forward, Valiant was in front of the group, eyes flashing as the unprepared water type was binded by a blue aura. Its pincers hung open as it struggled against the unexpected psychic hold.

    Pikachu acted next, the others hanging back as the electric mouse moved to Krabby''s side and aimed his tail towards the opening of one of his pincers. Krabby stopped struggling as the water type noticed their position.

    With caution, Ash walked past the remaining team members and crouched down in front of Krabby. "We''ve already beat you one on one." he tried to keep his voice even as he made eye contact with the crab-like creature. He could still feel some shakiness in his speech despite his best efforts. "Please, make this easier and don''t start anything."

    Krabby seemed a bit dejected and frustrated by the boy''s statement, but seemed to comply as Ash prompted Valiant to slowly release it. The water type''s limbs eased up as the blue aura gradually dissipated, the psychic''s hold on the crab-like creature slowly fading away.

    As Pikachu pulled his tail away from Krabby''s pincer, the water type shot him a look that didn''t seem hostile. Ash couldn''t quite place it, but Krabby at least didn''t seem to hold a grudge.

    "Nowˇ­" the boy started, feeling his nerves beginning to ease up (albeit not completely). "We caught you, fair and square. You know what that means, right?"

    The Krabby''s eyes narrowed for a few moments before it''s expression evened out somewhat, looking between the rest of the team with more eased up features.

    Pikachu and Valiant were still on high alert, with Nebula watching closely as well. Eevee and Tyrunt seemed to be a bit more nervous, although the baby dinosaur felt slightly more secure as the Evolution Pokemon''s fur briefly brushed against him.

    Pulling out his Pokedex, Ash held the crimson device in front of Krabby where the water type could see it. "I''m going to scan you for a moment, okay?" He tried to keep his voice stern, but not hostile. It was getting a little bit easier as he progressively grew less nervous. At krabby''s nod, Ash hit the button.

    "Krabby, the River Crab Pokemon of the water type. Their pincers grow back if torn out of their sockets, and in addition to being powerful weapons, are used for balance when walking sideways.

    This Krabby is male and knows the moves Vise Grip, Water Gun, Leer, Metal Claw, Mud Shot, Bubble Beam, Flail, Hammer Arm, Water Pulse, Razor Shell, and Night Slash. Its ability is Shell Armor, which greatly increases the durability of a Pokemon''s exterior body."

    That was a good amount of moves for a Pokemon in Cerulean of all places. Ash doubted Krabby could properly use Razor Shell, or even remotely use Hammer Arm (That was likely an Egg Move), but the wide variety of moves seemed to suggest that Krabby had done a fair bit of training all by himself, which certainly checked out with what the boy and his team knew about the water type. And, just as Bill predicted, his ability was Shell Armor of all things.

    "You''veˇ­ got quite an arsenal." Ash complimented as Krabby puffed his chest forward a bit. Clearly, a Pokemon like him that was so obsessed with fighting would be quite prideful about being good at it. "You like to battle, don''t you?" At Krabby''s matter-of-fact nod, Ash gave him a stern look. "Okayˇ­ but why have you been terrorizing those Pokemon that were staying over there at the lab?" he nodded towards the direction of Bill''s place, confirmed by the towering lighthouse that was still in view. "If you hadn''t kept coming back to beat them up, Bill never would have started looking for trainers to help him out, and we never would have caught you."

    Krabby almost seemed to scoff irritably at that. Ash''s brow furrowed as he observed the bulky water type. "You seem to like fighting a lotˇ­ is that why you keep on attacking them?" at Krabby''s shameless nod, Ash frowned. "Soˇ­ why them specifically? Are you just trying to brag about your power in a fight that you know you can win?"

    Krabby seemed to glare at that accusation, but held back from doing anything upon eying the other Pokemon. Easing up, the water type allowed the look in his eyes to even out once more as Ash continued. "Battling isn''t about picking on others that you know aren''t able to beat you." for the briefest of moments, an image of Gary flashed into his mind, but Ash quickly pushed out the thought. He was done with that. "I''m sure somebody who loves combat obsessed as you enjoys fighting strong opponents, yet you''re also wasting your time picking on Pokemon that you consider to be helpless. That sounds more mean-spirited than competitive." Although Krabby seemed to be a bit irritated at that, he also seemed curious.

    Getting into a sitting position, Ash observed the River Crab Pokemon carefully. "We managed to beat you. That proves that you still have room to grow. If you come with us, you can have a lot more exciting battles than just preying on the docile Pokemon around here. Not to mention, the feeling will be mutual, instead of picking a fight with a bunch of Pokemon at a lab, you could run into wild Pokemon that are more willing to fight, or, better yet, other trainers who are actively seeking out battles. I can help you hone your moves, and even teach you new ones. If you like being strong, you can get a lot more out of it if you come with us than sticking around here playing the bully." he glared at the Krabby, albeit only lightly. "But if you do want that, you need to cooperate with us. You are to treat Pikachu and the others with respect at all times, or at least coexist at the bare-minimum." his face evened out, softening a bit at the water type. "We can be friends. And I''d like to think I don''t ask for much to make that possible."

    Krabby stared at Ash''s face for a few moments, before taking another glance at the rest of the team, his gaze lingering somewhat on Pikachu. After a few more moments, he looked Ash in the eyes and nodded.

    Ash nodded back. So that was it thenˇ­ for now.

    "Do you want a nickname?"

    At Krabby''s nod, Ash began running through his brain for a few moments. The first couple of ideas were rejected, but eventually?"

    "Hmmˇ­ how aboutˇ­" he locked eyes with Krabby once more. "...Tempest?"

    After a few moments of mild consideration, Krabby nodded, and Ash smiled.

    And with Tempest on the team, his Pokemon family was now a full roster of six. Such a milestone had already been pointed out by Aya, but it hadn''t truly hit Ash until just then.

    As the boy stood up to look over his teammates once more, he couldn''t blame them for feeling uneasy about the addition. And he was too. But he would give it a chance.

    Returning everybody except for Tyrunt, getting his bike out, and mourning the vehicle with Tyrunt in the basket, Ash took in the breeze of Ceerulean''s coast as he began to peddle his way to Saffron.

    Pikachu, with his lightning speed to match his literal lightning.

    Nebula, with her deft flight, wind abilities, and powerful Reckless trump card.

    Valiant, with his blossoming mind and versatile psychic abilities.

    Eevee, with her unrivaled possibilities.

    Tyrunt, with his powerful jaw and latent potential.

    Tempest, with his brute strength and near-impenetrable defenses.

    This was a team worthy of the Conference. And it was Ash''s job to be a trainer worthy of that team.

 Pit Stop in Saffron pt 1

    "Valiant, hold Tyrunt in place with Confusion. Tyrunt, try to break free."

    Valiant''s eyes flashed blue as an aura of the same color outlined Tyrunt''s body, the baby dinosaur tensing up and straining himself as he struggled against the psychic hold. Valiant was not seizing him with all of his mental might, holding back enough to give his infant friend a chance at fighting back and pushing himself, but he nevertheless wasn''t going too easy on the Royal Heir Pokemon, challenging Tyrunt to overcome his limits as the baby lifted his feet to advance forward towards the Emotion Pokemon.

    Tyrunt''s body felt incredibly heavy as he marched his way forward, each step he took seemingly taking years to complete. Sweat was covering his face as he fought against his friend''s hold, desperately struggling against the psychic powers.

    Finally, within range of his friend, he raised an arm to reach out to his training partner. After a few more seconds of struggling, a claw was placed on Valiant''s front, Tyrunt successfully tagging him.

    Valiant immediately released the hold as Ash and Pikachu clapped on the sidelines.

    It had been a couple of days since the group had left Bill''s place and moved on to Saffron City. Ash''s bike had carried them across the road with great speed during traveling time, passing by Cerulean City (which Bill''s place was north of) in about a day and now continuing to carry them forward to their next milestone. Saffron City couldn''t be more than an additional day of traveling away, even with the stops that they took for training and battling.

    That training was spent with Ash spending most of his hands-on time with Tyrunt, while giving the other members of the team their own instructions to work with and checking up on them periodically. Pikachu and Nebula were mostly going through the motions, further honing what they already had and working on further perfecting Double Team. Eevee would spend her time mostly with Pikachu, continuing to work on her speed and iron Tail, but Ash would also occasionally have her spar with Tyrunt in order to further help him work on Dragon Tail (which still mutually benefited Eevee). Most of Valiant''s time was spent with Tyrunt, acting as the baby''s main sparring partner. Tyrunt was making great strides in his progress, his usage of Rock Blast becoming progressively more feasible for a real battle and his Dragon Tail becoming increasingly potent. Although Ash wasn''t sure if he was fully ready to fight yet, Tyrunt was inevitably seeing the most obvious improvements among their training.

    Then there was Tempest, their newest member of the team. And truth be told, Ash was still trying to figure out how to approach training the eager Krabby.

    Tempest was fully fixated on almost nothing but fighting, and it was very clear to Ash (and the others, especially Valiant) that the violent Krabby was really just along for the ride on their journey. He had no true commitment to anybody on the team, including Ash himself, and was simply seizing the opportunity for more battles to further push himself with. The Krabby had eagerly gnashed his pincers together when Ash had informed him about the Gym Leaders, the leaders of each of Indigo''s respective territories with reputations to live up to such a title. The young Krabby''s favorite pastime (apart from finding something to punch) was easily listening to Ash telling him about the Gym Leaders and their known qualities (albeit limited only to what Ash knew for himself). The bulky water type was beyond eager to test himself against the likes of LT. Surge, Koga, and Giovanni. The excitement in his eyes was almost fanatical.

    And of course, Tempest had learned of Ash''s end goal, the Indigo Conference. The greatest tournament in all of Indigo, where the very best trainers of the Season competed for the top.

    Learning of Ash''s objectives for the year and beyond was quite literally mouth-watering for the young Krabby. Tempest didn''t regret his choice to join forces with Ash and the others. If anything, he grew happier with such a decision by the second. He was on a constant road trip filled with new battles and opponents along the way, each milestone on the journey represented an unrivaled challenge to test his strength, and he had the opportunity to continue to train and hone himself in between bouts. As far as he was concerned, Ash Ketchum''s roster was the place to be for a Krabby like him.

    For the moment, Ash was mostly just having Tempest hone his already known moves, with the young Krabby already having quite a decent arsenal at his disposal. The rookie had also administered the Scald TM to his latest ally, the action flashing his mind back to his battle with Daisy. The blonde beauty had given the young rookie incredible trouble with her usage of the TM, and with his latest team member capable of making use of the move, Ash was eager to be on the other, far more beneficial side of the powerful technique. Tempest had gladly accepted the new move, seeing it as just yet another way to do battle.

    Tempest cared little for camaraderie or friendship. He was just here to participate in the trials ahead. Not to help, but to have fun, and satisfy his battle-obsessed ego. In his mind, Ash was a benefactor that provided him with what he wanted. And he did not consider the rest of the team as anything but separate entities that he just so happened to see everyday. Certainly not anybody that he had any sort of affection for. The Krabby was only in it for himself, and such a thing was perfectly reflected by his actions and behavior.

    Unfortunately, business with the Krabby was not as positive as Ash had hoped, even if it was what he was ultimately expecting. The violent water type wasn''t the least bit interested in making friends, and Ash sadly hadn''t seen any positive interactions between Tempest and the rest of the team. The collective dynamic ranged from neutral to tense, and wasn''t showing any signs of getting better.

    Tempest paid very little mind to the majority of the team, and when he did, it was arguably much worse, often seeming as though he was on the verge of picking a fight with one of them. A cautious and suspicious Valiant would often keep Tyrunt close during downtime, watching the bulky Krabby with endless scrutiny more often than Ash could truthfully say that he was comfortable with. Eevee would often remain close to Valiant (and occasionally Pikachu) as well, often giving the Krabby the stink eye while huddling close to her psychic friend.

    The one member of the team that Tempest did seem to begrudgingly respect was Pikachu, likely because the young mouse had been the one to beat him in a fight. Although the Krabby occasionally seemed to be itching for a rematch, he wasn''t nearly as dismissive or condescending towards the electric rodent, which could have been what contributed to Eevee sometimes sticking close by the mouse. Tempest was also fairly amicable with Ash himself, and although not overly friendly, would willingly follow whatever training instructions given to him without issue. But there was little affection to be had between Pokemon and trainer. Ash and Pikachu had merely earned Tempest''s respect and acknowledgement, with very little else to speak of. And Ash himself would still often have to be the one to reign the water type in whenever Tempest went off rushing in the direction of whatever wild Pokemon was aimlessly passing by.

    It was over the past couple of days that Ash had realized, with some dismay, that his team''s days of inarguable unity were now over. The temporary, one-sided tension between Nebula and Eevee had been replaced with something far worse. And while Pikachu and Nebula remained the tightly-woven duo that they''d been since the first week or so of Ash''s career, and Valiant''s developing bonds with Eevee and Tyrunt continued to flourish (even acting as a bit of a bridge between the quadruped and baby dinosaur), the sixth addition to the roster had simply been a rough, out of place wedge, that had landed within the established dynamic of the group, with nowhere to fit in, and no desire to change such a thing.

    It was going to happen at some point, that Ash most certainly realized. The larger a trainer''s team grew, the less unified that they would be. The days of Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant being a peaceful trio with no problematic elements or even slight issues amongst each other while they prepared for the upcoming battle with Brock were most certainly nostalgic, but would not always be that way. Sooner or later, Ash was going to be forced to face the challenge of a team with social complexity. One that wasn''t just a group of friends with solely aligned goals. Sooner or later, Ash would have to be a leader. And he accepted that.

    He just wished that he could have lived in that happy fantasy for just a little while longer.

    And unfortunately, as Ash watched Valiant lightly pat and rub the top of Tyrunt''s head, the infant Royal Heir Pokemon closing his eyes into the Emotion Pokemon''s touch, the young rookie trainer was beginning to realize that Tempest wasn''t the only problem.

    Aya had warned him, hadn''t she?

    A Tyrunt''s temper was dangerous and in need of being kept in check before it had the chance to begin. The fact that Ash was raising Tyrunt from an egg was a golden opportunity to correct a problem that was normally far more difficult to fix. He and his friends all had a chance to limit the baby''s hot-blooded instincts before they had a chance to develop too far. Ash and Valiant had done what they could, nurturing the baby Pokemon with notable hospitality in hopes of ensuring a peaceful mindset, not to mention to make sure that the training for battle didn''t bring out Tyrunt''s instincts too much.

    But nurture or no nurture, nature was always a thing, and it was indeed in Tyrunt''s nature to develop these problematic personality traits. They were developing at their own pace, and as Tyrunt, though still an infant, continued to grow and develop his first signs of maturity (however minor), Ash and Valiant (and, to an extent, Eevee) were beginning to notice the first signs, and it made Ash wonder if they really had started Tyrunt''s training too early.

    Tyrunt''s excitement for battle was developing too quickly. Ash was hesitant to let him in on the action so soon, but Tyrunt already wanted to get involved right now. The dinosaur would have a minor hint of jealousy whenever one of Ash''s teammates did battle with another trainer, and would occasionally even try to escalate his training sessions with Valiant and Eevee. Ash inwardly winced in memory of an incident from the previous day, where, during a sparring match between Eevee and Tyrunt, the former working on Iron Tail and the latter working on Dragon Tail, Tyrunt had attempted to transform a parrying contest into an outright brawl. Eevee had been caught off guard by Tyrunt''s abruptly more aggressive movements halfway through the sparring session, as Tyrunt aggressively growled in an attempt to challenge her to a battle. It had almost reminded Ash of Eevee''s own outburst against Pikachu, except with a much different cause and circumstance.

    And in the end, Eevee''s own fighting instincts had gotten the better of her, the far less experienced Tyrunt getting struck in the face with a full-powered Iron Tail as Eevee easily outmaneuvered him. The scene had caused quite a bit of commotion among the group, and as Ash had raced over to tend to Tyrunt, Eevee had raced off to a nearby area, initially not heeding her trainer''s calls. And when she had come back, she couldn''t look anybody in the eye, especially Ash, Valiant, or Tyrunt. Valiant had thankfully consoled her that evening, pulling her into a forced hug and rubbing the top of her head while she whimpered into his chest.

    Tyrunt was moving too fast, trying to progress things more than he was ready. At least, that was how Ash felt about it. Even with his inexperience, Tyrunt''s draconic qualities and powerful jaws would likely make him ready for certain battles already. He was certainly strong for an infant. Ash had a feeling that he could get away with involving Tyrunt in a match or two. Butˇ­ something about him was feeling hesitant about it. He wasn''t overly sure why, maybe he was jus being paranoid. Either way, it didn''t mesh very well with Tyrunt''s eagerness.

    Which, in turn, hadn''t meshed very well with Eevee''s own impulses. Tyrunt''s species may have had the problematic instincts, but it was Eevee who was always the most prone to losing her cool. And that had backfired twice now, and in such a short span of time.

    As Ash approached Valiant and Tyrunt, he could see Tyrunt, although with a smile on his face, gazing at the young Kirlia with a look that conveyed just a bit too much excitement. A quiet rumble escaped from the dinosaur''s throat, Valiant offering his friend a somewhat uncomfortable look at the verbal challenge.

    "No, Tyrunt." Ash stated firmly.

    Upon hearing the denial, the young dinosaur growled much more loudly, obvious displeasure in his voice as he instinctively snapped his jaws together a couple of times in frustration. Tyrunt flinched, however, when Valiant was forced to hastily pull his hands away, for fear of getting them chomped off by the abrupt outburst. The baby dinosaur frowned and whimpered upon the realization, lowering his head as he gazed at his approaching trainer.

    Looking his youngest team member in the eyes, Ash spoke soothingly as he crouched down. Slowly but surely, he raised a hand to place upon the dinosaur''s head.

    "Listen, Tyruntˇ­" Ash spoke softly. "I know you want to battle. I want to see you battle too. Butˇ­ Please, don''t rush it. You''ll get your time eventually, butˇ­" Now it was Ash''s turn to dip his head, mind flashing back to a metal coated tail nearly busting the infant''s face open. "What ifˇ­ it''s too soonˇ­?"

    There was disappointment and acceptance in Tyrunt''s eyes, but also clear frustration. He wasn''t trying to be antagonistic. Not on purpose, anyway.

    But his loyalty and affection for the team was in constant conflict with his instincts, which had merged with his excitement towards the idea of battling.

    The dinosaur wanted to be given orders by Ash on the battlefield. Just like Valiant, and everybody else. He wanted to be a part of the exciting battles that he had witnessed from the sidelines. Like against Daisy, and Misty, and A.J. He wanted to rack up his own accomplishments, as an official member of the team.

    With Valiant looking on with some guilt, Ash frowned sympathetically at the young dinosaur.

    ''What can I do for Tyrunt?''

    /

    The moon and stars were high overhead, the skyscrapers of Saffron illuminated by the beautiful city lights in the near distance away from the group''s set up camp. Come morning, an hour long bike ride at most would be all that was needed to finally reach the city.

    The team had drifted off with much optimism that night, knowing that their next stop was just a short trip ahead. Ash had wanted to reach the city by tonight, but found his legs too tired to continue. Thankfully, most of the team didn''t seem to mind (although Ash could tell that Eevee wouldn''t have minded spending the night on a soft cushion in one of the Pokemon Center''s hotel rooms rather than the ground outside).

    It must have been around midnight when the boy was awoken by an ear-piercing cry.

    Ash''s eyes shot open as he rocketed into a sitting position, heart-hammering from being startled awake as he looked around frantically.

    His team had been alerted by the abrupt scream as well, exceptˇ­

    Ash blinked momentarily as he took in the sight of his teammates.

    Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eeveeˇ­

    If Ash wasn''t awake before, he was wide awake now, his face an almost sickly pale as he realizedˇ­

    Tyrunt and Tempest are missing.

    Another loud scream filled the air. In his panic, Ash couldn''t tell where it was coming from as the boy sprang to his feet. A frantic barking from Eevee drew his attention, the Evolution Pokemon urgently saying something to Valiant as the young Kirlia attempted to take deep breaths, eyes closed with his body tense.

    Realizing what Valiant was doing, Ash raced over to Eevee and placed a hand on her, trying to ignore the hammering of his heart as he attempted to settle her down.

    "I know you''re encouraging him, Eevee, but he needs to concentrate."

    A moment or so later, Valiant''s eyes shot open, the young Kirlia pointing eastward, prompting Ash to race for the nearby hill without warning. The rest of his team scrambled to catch up with him, Pikachu and Eevee managing while Valiant lagged behind. Nebula flew overhead, her eyes widening as she reached the top of the hill and called out to the others.

    Making it to the top, Ash gasped as he saw what was on the other side of the hill.

    Tyrunt was rising up to his feet, his body bruised in a few areas while blood leaked from a couple of them. His skin was covered in dirt as he locked angry eyes with Tempest. A dangerous growl emitted from his throat as the two Pokemon stared each other down.

    The young Krabby was notably unscathed, clicking his pincers open and shut as he visually scrutinized the baby dinosaur, before both pincers opened and allowed a barrage of glowing bubbles to escape.

    Tyrunt let out a somewhat fearful yelp, but his tone of voice still maintained some of its previous ferocity as he attempted to dodge out of the way. The barrage barely grazed him as he clenched his teeth in pain, before responding in kind with a barrage of rocks fired from his mouth.

    Although Tyrunt''s usage of Rock Blast had notably improved since his first attempt at using the move a few days ago, all Tempest had to do was cross his pincers in front of his face as the rocks collided harmlessly against the exterior. As the stone projectiles shattered upon collision, Tyrunt''s feet were already carrying him forward, the baby stamping across the ground as his jaws opened up with a purple glow.

    In hopes of sinking his Poison Fang into Tempest''s outer armor, Tyrunt took a leap as he approached the Krabby, only for his target''s pincer to swing for his face and send him rolling across the dirt.

    As Tyrunt came to a stop on his stomach, Tempest turned to face his opponent before opening his pincers and taking aim as the first signs of Water Pulse began to form in them.

    "STOP!" Ash''s voice brought Tempest''s attention to the boy as the trainer came dashing from the top of the hill, before a flash of light in front of the Krabby suddenly caught his interest, Valiant appearing halfway between him and Tyrunt.

    The Kirlia immediately encased himself in Light Screen, likely to intercept the Water Pulse in case Tempest had managed to fire them at Tyrunt. The Krabby leered in the young psychic''s direction as Valiant dropped the golden cube-shaped barrier, eying the Krabby with a steel gaze in return.

    As briefly ran past Tempest before stopping between him and Valiant, arms outstretched as he glowered at the Water Type. "Tempest!" his voice was enraged, yet laced with fear. "What the hell are you doing?! Stop this-"

    A loud shriek from behind caught Ash''s attention as he and Valiant turned their heads to the source. Tyrunt''s jaw was leaking blood as the infant dinosaur rushed over in Tempest''s direction, murder in his eyes as his legs carried him faster than anyone on the team had ever witnessed up to that point.

    There was no innocence in the baby''s expression. Ash and Valiant''s spines shivered madly, as though caught out in a blizzard, as the look in Tyrunt''s eyes, and the tone of his voice both reflected nothing but a desire to kill.

    Ash hesitated out of shock at the state that his youngest teammate was in, but Valiant''s hesitation thankfully only lasted for a split second as the young Kirlia''s eyes flashed, the aura of an unrestrained Confusion outlining Tyrunt''s body and freezing him in place.

    Valiant''s eyes carried a somewhat pained expression as he forcefully held his friend back, but he did not allow those emotions to decrease the amount of strength put into the technique.

    Ash''s panic allowed itself to settle down very slightly as Tyrunt was barely able to even struggle against Valiant''s psychic hold. Gulping a bit, with sweat running down his face, Ash nodded to the focused Kirlia as the look in his eyes turned somewhat less fearful.

    "Right, Valiant. Hold him back and-"

    An aggressive cry from Tempest brought Ash and Valiant''s attention back to the Krabby as the bulky water type rushed forward, attempting to move past Ash and towards Tyrunt. With Valiant''s concentration broken, the psychic hold on Tyrunt was released, the baby dinosaur, still trying to struggle against the hold, falling face first into the dirt, the sudden momentum costing him his balance.

    As Tempest approached Ash, sights set on Tyrunt, the boy took a step back before calling out to the Kirlia.

    "Valiant! Thunderbolt!" After Ash had ensured that he was out of the line of fire, Valiant cupped his hands, the area around him lighting up as electricity began to crackle in between them. The flash of lightning brightened a good bit of the area as Valiant fired the electrical blast towards Tempest, who halted his approach and crossed his pincers in front of his face. Both pincers, now encased in metal, intercepted the electrical offense, Tempest pushing against the attack as Valiant''s Thunderbolt forced him backwards by over half a feet before fizzling out.

    A Shadow Ball exploded against Tempest''s back as Eevee came running from behind, her unexpected attack sending him stumbling forward as the krabby attempted to right himself, only for a shriek from Nebula to bring his attention upwards.

    Cloaked in the blood-red aura of Reckless, Nebula dive bombed from the air and smashed a glowing wing into Tempest''s front, eliciting a pained shout from the water type as the force of the blow sent him flying back a few feet. As the Krabby landed on his back and slid a few inches across the dirt before stopping himself, and Pikachu positioned himself in front of the water type on all fours as Tempest began to pick himself up, Ash and Valiant turned their attention back to Tyrunt, who was already preparing to charge forward once more, albeit with a bit less of a violent gaze this time.

    "Tyrunt, stop."

    Tyrunt hesitated at the disapproving demand in Ash''s voice and halted for a moment, but the expression in his eyes was still noticeably fierce as he gazed up at his trainer. Ash momentarily flinched upon locking eyes with the baby, but attempted to steel himself immediately afterwards, keeping his own gaze harsh and authoritative.

    A small drop of sweat rolled down Tyrunt''s face at the sight of his trainer''s expression, before the baby dinosaur''s own expression tightened, the Royal Heir Pokemon letting out a frustrated shout.

    "I said enough!" Ash raised his voice a bit more, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he saw Tyrunt flinch at the tone, before the dinosaur went back to glaring at him, albeit with the aggression continuously evaporating. Nevertheless, it did not show any signs of completely going away, and Valiant frowned as another growl escaped from the dinosaur''s throat. Ignoring the slight chill in his spine, Ash shook his head and continued to stare Tyrunt down.

    After a second or too, Ash turned to Valiant and spoke.

    "Valiant, hit him with a weak hypnosis." Nodding, Valiant got in between Ash and Tyrunt, facing the Royal Heir Pokemon as he rested his hands on his startled friend.

    As Valiant''s eyes glowed extremely faintly, the aggressive look in Tyrunt''s own eyes suddenly died down, the ferocity subsiding as a wave of minor fatigue overtook the dinosaur''s body.

    As Tyrunt began to lightly lean forward, head tilting towards a slight, downward angle, Ash cautiously approached the duo, before crouching down in front of them.

    "Tyruntˇ­" the boy allowed a somewhat soft tone of voice to escape his throat as he spoke to the dinosaur, but still did his best to keep the authoritative tone in spite of that. "You''re okay, alright?"

    Tyrunt looked up to meet gazes with his trainer. The dinosaur''s expression was somewhat saddened now, and, with a whimper, a few tears began to leak from his eyes as Valiant wrapped his arms around him.

    /

    Ash, Pikachu, and Eevee locked their eyes on Tempest as the bulky water type leaned against a nearby rock, the Krabby''s body somewhat battered, with notable bruises lining his exterior. His body was wrought with fatigue, and his expression was somewhat pained, but he managed to at least keep it somewhat neutral as the trio faced him.

    Ash stood in between Pikachu and Eevee, neither him nor his Pokemon allowing their gazes to leave the Krabby as Ash glared down at their newest member.

    While Ash and Valiant had tried to calm Tyrunt down, Pikachu, Nebula, and Eevee had subdued Tempest together. Despite the water type''s tenacity, their strength in numbers had left him with little options, Nebula''s Reckless giving her the means to overwhelm him despite his defensive cushion, and Pikachu utilizing his electricity to immobilize him while Eevee pelted him with rapid-fire attacks. In spite of his aggression, and the fact that nobody on the team could easily handle him in a one on one occasion, Tempest had found himself forced to submit rather quickly.

    Now, Nebula and Valiant were keeping an eye on Tyrunt while Ash confronted the violent water type, Pikachu and Eevee sticking by him together. The dinosaur had not come out of the battle in good shape, most notably with a fractured jaw. Once the adrenaline had died down, Ash had immediately acted upon noticing the pain take hold, applying potions to the baby as quickly as he could. Although he wanted to place Tyrunt in a Poke Ball, something that he had never done as of yet, he decided against it in hopes of the baby being kept company by the rest of the team, in order to ease the Royal Heir Pokemon''s mind a little bit further.

    Now, with Tyriunt''s side of the incident mostly dealt with, Ash had been forced to focus his attention on the other part of the problem. He couldn''t understand Pokemon language, and therefore he couldn''t fully understand Tyrunt''s side of the story, nor Valiant''s attempts at relaying it to him, but he had come to a logical conclusion all the same.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Tyrunt''s eagerness to get into a fight hadn''t gone unnoticed by Tempest, who had picked up on the Royal Heir Pokemon''s budding aggression over the course of their travels. Itching for a clash with someone, Tempest had woke Tyrunt up in the middle of the night and provoked him into attacking him, instigating a battle between the two. Ash inwardly snarled at the thought. He had already known for certain that Tempest would do just about anything for a chance at fighting somebody, but to take advantage of Tyrunt''s budding instincts like thatˇ­

    "Tempestˇ­" Ash tried to show restraint when speaking to the Krabby, but his patience was struggling, and he was still trying to sound authoritative. As he spoke, Pikachu and Eevee''s eyes began to narrow, gazing at their newest teammate with expressions of uncompromised distrust. "I thought I had made myself clear when you forced joined. What gave you the right to start this?!"

    Tempest''s eyes held a frustrated gaze to them, but the Krabby did not act, simply locking eyes with his new trainer while Pikachu and Eevee''s bodies began to grow tense. The water type had known exactly what he had done, although Ash could not say for sure if the River Crab Pokemon felt any level of guilt about it.

    "Tyrunt''s a babyˇ­" Ash trailed off. Was that really relevant? For an infant, Tyrunt was most certainly strong, neverthelessˇ­

    The boy began to rapidly shake his head for a second or two, before locking his gaze back onto Tempest once more. His expression was somewhat faltered this time, but he did his best to maintain it. He needed to be as commanding as possible for this.

    "The point is, he''s not ready for an opponent like you yet! Maybe soon, but definitely not tonight! And you knew that! He''s not even strong enough to hold his own against you yet, and there''s no way he would back down once he got going! You could have killed him if the worst happened!"

    Tempest''s eyes somewhat narrowed at that, but Ash, Pikachu, and Eevee still could not properly gauge his emotions. Ash couldn''t be sure how the bulky Krabby was reacting to this, but determined that he still could not relent.

    "You remember, don''t you?" Ash''s tone was a bit bitter, some animosity leaking into his voice, although he attempted to hold it back. As furious as he was, he didn''t want to convey any emotions that could be interpreted as hateful. He just needed to be authoritative. Ensure that his tone of voice was final. But it was a difficult balance to strike, especially with the overwhelming combination of frustration and panic that was currently flowing through him. "I told you to cooperate. To treat everybody with respect. You''ve done none of that tonight." At Tempest''s neutral expression, Ash pressed forward. "Don''t you realize that the others are supposed to be your teammates?!" his arms stretched outwards towards Pikachu and Eevee. "Nobody''s forcing you to be friends with them, but they''re not gift wrapped punching bags! Whether you like it or not, you and your teammates are equal, and you are to treat them as such from now on!"

    Taking a pause, Ash allowed himself to sigh a bit before taking a couple of steps forward. There was still some distance between him and Tempest, Pikachu and Eevee somewhat following close behind, but the boy got a closer look at the Krabby''s eyes as he continued. "You were really excited when I told you about what we''d all be doing on this adventure. You can still have all of that. I can give special training, so that you don''t have to keep doing it yourself in the wild. You can see places you''d never even imagined while living back at Cerulean''s coast, and yes, you can fight an endless lineup of strong opponents to get your adrenaline rushing. But you have your own end of the bargain to uphold, and that''s only your responsibility, not anybody else''s. And it''s your fault alone if you refuse to follow through. You have to be a team player. Even if that doesn''t mean actually getting along with everybody, you have to do your own part and coexist. I''m asking the bare minimum of you, and somehow, you''re still not delivering."

    Ash''s heart was hammering, the sweat on his face contrasting with his hardened expression (or, at the very least, his attempt at one). Nevertheless, he deepened his gaze as he and Tempest continued to stare each other down.

    "If anything like this ever happens again, I''m releasing you. The Professor could probably find a better suited place for you, which means we''ll be going our own separate ways. But if you don''t want that, and want to keep traveling across Indigo with me and the others, so that we can do all the things I''ve told you about, then you have to meet all of us halfway. It''s your job just as much as anyone else''s. The only thing I''m asking of you is to be cooperative. You have to at least do that much for us, and never, ever, allow this tonight to occur ever again. AM I CLEAR?"

    The silent air felt somewhat thick as Tempest took in Ash''s words. It was probably only about a dozen seconds or so, but it felt like two minutes had passed when the Krabby finally nodded.

    After a few additional moments, Ash moved to the side, signaling for Pikachu and Eevee to do the same as he gestured towards the Krabby.

    "Go back to the camp. Pick a spot to rest for the night and don''t speak with anyone. I''ll be there with a potion for your injuries in a little bit."

    Ash watched the Krabby slowly walk past him before calling out to him one last time.

    "I want you on this team, Tempest." he spoke honestly, dropping the hostile tone as Tempest stopped walking to listen to him, albeit not turning to face him. "I might be the only one here who feels that way at this point, but it''s the truth. I just wanted you to know that. I don''t want to give up on you. I want you to be there with me in a giant stadium, waiting for whoever our next opponent is. Please don''t make me change my mind."

    As Tempest resumed his walk, Ash''s frown deepened as he stared at the Krabby''s retreating back, before backing up to get a better look at Pikachu and Eevee. Both Pokemon had very doubtful expressions on their faces as they observed the retreating Krabby, before briefly exchanging worried glances with one another. Ash bit his lip at the sight. Looking back in the direction of the camp, he felt a minor gulp in his throat.

    Tyrunt wasn''t faultless, of course. Aya had warned him loud and clear. And who knew how much tension this newfound unease would cause, even between the rest of the team.

    The future remained uncertain, but until everything settled down, it was up to him to ensure that the repercussions were nothing severe.

    /

    Saffron City was one of the greatest cities in Indigo, and the world, both in terms of size and population. The sprawling metropolis could be spotted from a distance with ease, the towering skyscrapers extending into the sky as a signal for all those who were headed for it, making for an especially magnificent sight when lit up at nighttime.

    It was one of the busiest cities you could find. Although Celadon was the most upper-class of Kanto''s territories, Saffron was the Region''s central business district. And the large presence that enterprise had within the territory was, in great part, due to the city being the home of Silph Co. A corporate giant of a company, with its main headquarters stationed in the center of the city.

    The largest, most widespread, and profitable company in all of Indigo, Silph Co. proudly stood at the center stage of the great empire''s technological world. Being the primary manufacturers of various devices in Indigo such as Poke Balls and TMs, they had practically integrated into the League itself due to how essential they were to various Pokemon professions, and even beyond. Their presence could be found anywhere in the empire no matter where travelers were to go, with the Poke Marts in each town and city being under their banner in addition to the League''s own.

    And the centerpiece of the company''s presence was the Silph Co. Head Office, located in the heart of the city. Dwarfing even all of the other skyscrapers in both size and grandeur, it sometimes felt as though the company''s primary base of operations could be seen by anybody in the city who dared to look up. To those on the ground, the building''s upper levels were practically a part of the sky. And when lit up at night, it was like a beacon of power and greatness. All of the other buildings surrounding it from any direction were constantly at the risk of being reduced to a mere backdrop for the main event. In the center of the city, where all could see, the Silph Co. Head Office stood taller, shined brighter, and captured all eyes far greater than any other place located in Saffron.

    But as great as Silph Co. was, they weren''t the only thing providing Saffron with such a supreme reputation. The city was also the home of the Fighting Dojo, a former Gym repurposed into a martial arts school, with classes that both taught different forms of self-defense to humans, and that mentored trainers (and even those who weren''t trainers yet) in how to train and raise fighting type Pokemon. From what Ash knew of the school it was a prestigious academy that had produced many skilled martial artists and fighting type specialists. Sometimes both.

    But the gym''s shift to academic focus had left a vacuum in the city, a void that had immediately been filled by Saffron''s current Gym, led by the famous psychic Sabrina. A wise specialist in the psychic typing, and gifted psychic herself, Sabrina was among the most respected trainers in Indigo, in contrast to the sensation of fear promoted by LT. Surge and Giovanni, or the combination of the two that Koga and Clair had been given.

    Saffron''s Gym was also a school of sorts, with Sabrina not completely dedicated to the academic side and nothing else (as it was still a Gym first and foremost), but still consistently having the most Gym Trainers out of any Gym Leader in Indigo. She also had a few personal pupils that she mentored in, not Pokemon training, but psychic abilities, which, even outside of her specialization in psychic type Pokemon, she was a nearly unrivaled expert in. The Gym Trainer program of Saffron City''s Gym saw consistent success with each and every Season, and a big part of why Sabrina was so respected by the masses was because she was often labeled as the most academically gifted of Indigo''s Gym Leaders, being an exceptional teacher who, herself, had also started out her career as a Gym Trainer, and the top student of the Gym that she had attended for mentorship.

    And if Saffron''s Gym wasn''t a popular place to receive tutelage before, it certainly was after the previous Season. The winner of last Season''s Indigo Conference, which had wrapped up not too long ago prior to the start of the current Season, and was still fairly fresh in everybody''s memory, was a psychic specialist named Will, who had got his start by studying at Saffron''s Gym. The trainer had dazzled Indigo with his vast arsenal of techniques and incredible synergy with his team, and had even put on a fairly decent showing against Lorelei, defeating three of her Pokemon. Just as impressively, his opponent in the finals was a popular trainer who went by the name of Tanner, and had been favored to win the whole Conference, only for Will to just barely pull off an upset.

    Due to the prominent status of both, the Gym trainer program of Saffron City''s Gym, and the Fighting Dojo were occasionally considered to be rival schools within the cities. Disputes between the two institutions have been heavily rumored for years, but Ash had no knowledge as to whether or not they were true, or if the extent of the conflict was being subject to hyperbole.

    Saffron also had the honor of being the city that linked Kanto and Johto together, alongside Goldenrod City. This was thanks to the Magnet Train, which offered transportation between the two cities. Since trainers in Indigo could qualify for the Conference with any combination of eight badges from the Gyms of the Regions under the League''s banner, it wasn''t uncommon for trainers to use the Magnet Train to travel between Kanto and Johto, and acquire badges from a few Gyms in both of the Regions. For that reason alone, Saffron was a prominent location for just about any Indigo trainer.

    But that wasn''t the only reason. Because even within Kanto itself, Saffron was something of a hub, where trainers were forced to plan out what direction their journey would take next. With Lavender Town to the east, Celadon to the west, Cerulean to the north, and Vermillion to the south, any trainer who arrived at the city in hopes of acquiring Sabrina''s Marsh Badge would immediately be faced with a decision afterwards, regardless of which direction they had arrived at Saffron from. Of course, for those who were interested in going to Johto, the Magnet Train only increased the number of options, and those coming from Goldenrod were immediately given four potential directions to choose from.

    From its sheer spectacle, numerous prominent organizations, plethora of options for traveling trainers to take afterwards, and overall presence within both Kanto and Indigo at large, Saffron was incontestably one of the most prominent territories in Indigo''s entirety, a reputation that it has proudly held onto for years.

    At this point, Ash had been to a total of three cities throughout his travels. And although Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean had all been an indescribably step up from the quiet comfort of Pallet Town, they still hadn''t been quite enough to prepare him for the next stop on his adventure.

    Gray rain clouds were beginning to cover the sky as Ash made his way to the city gates. Beside him were Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt, all of whom shared Ash''s expression as he gawked at the sight in front of the group.

    Even now, the Silph Co. Head Office could be seen, towering above all of the other skyscrapers surrounding it from the center of the city. The fact that it wasn''t the only building towering into the sky just added to the intimidation, however, and just the simple act of lifting his head upwards made Ash feel hopelessly tiny.

    Already massive cities in their own right, Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean were nothing compared to this.

    As Ash led his team through the gates and into the streets of the sprawling metropolis, the mood within the group was a somber one, which was only heightened by the gray clouds above, and the growing scent of the soon to be incoming rain.

    After the events of last night, nobody in the group was happy during breakfast. Everybody ate in near absolute silence, even the normally chatty Tyrunt. And above all else, nobody had so much as any welcoming vibes for Tempest.

    Valiant was easily the most notable, having aggressively watched the violent Krabby from a distance the entire time before it was finally time for the water type to return to his Poke Ball. The incident with Tyrunt last night had severed whatever little good will that Valiant may have had for the River Crab Pokemon, and the Emotion Pokemon did almost nothing but never let the little dinosaur out of his sight, his distrust and animosity for Tempest strengthening his overprotectiveness towards Tyrunt (who he was also keeping a close eye on, after the dinosaur''s role in the previous night''s events). Eevee had attempted to console the young Kirlia during breakfast, while simultaneously shooting Tempest dirty looks of her own.

    On Tempest''s own end, he didn''t seem to be overly bothered by the silent hostility that he was receiving from the rest of the team, simply focusing on his food, but thankfully not trying to instigate any further trouble amongst the others.

    Pikachu and Nebula ate together, and although the two of them were as close as ever, there was an air of awkwardness between them both. Ash had learned later that night that Nebula had accidentally struck Pikachu immediately following the brief fight with Tempest, her Reckless Ability having made her instincts more violent and overall hyperactive like it always did, at the cost of her self control. Pikachu''s attempt to check up on her immediately following the fight had earned him a sudden wing to the face, which had nearly resulted in a quick skirmish between Nebula and Eevee before Pikachu sprang back up to get between the two of them while Nebula came to her senses. The two of them had made up rather quickly, so Ash doubted that the dynamic between the mouse and the bird would have any real consequential issues in the long term, but for now, the memory was still fresh.

    The noises of the city streets filled Ash''s ears as he dared to look up to the sky once more, greeted by the sight of the skyscrapers towering overhead, seemingly piercing into the gray clouds above them from the current angle.

    The clouds were gathering at a notably fast rate. It will be raining soon.

    As Ash''s gaze returned to what was in front of him, he observed the passerby for a few seconds, standing still alongside his teammates as the group took in the sight of Saffron, and the overwhelming scope of the city.

    From the pressure of last night to the surging atmosphere of Saffron, the boy had never felt so small.

    But he knew he couldn''t remain still forever. Otherwise, they would soon be drenched by the rainfall that would soon pelt the city.

    Ash''s eyes made their way downwards as he looked between his three teammates. Pikachu and Valiant had picked up on the incoming weather, and had most likely informed Tyrunt already.

    "We need to find the Pokemon Center quickly." Ash announced. "It could start drizzling in a matter of minutes, and by then it will only be a matter of time before we''re hit with a downpour." he looked over to Valiant. "I''m going to be getting the bicycle out for extra speed. If it''s alright with you, I''ll return you to your Poke Ball until we get there." When Valiant nodded in agreement, Ash returned his trusted friend before spawning the bike from one of his additional Poke Balls. With Tyrunt in the basket and Pikachu climbing into his backpack (to Ash''s amusement), the rookie trainer took off down the sidewalk at a decent pace.

    They were already behind schedule, due to the events of last night. The original plan was to start out the morning by quickly making it into the city, and having breakfast at the Pokemon Center''s cafeteria. But with the late night that everybody had, they had all risen much later than normal, so Ash had opted to just eat breakfast at camp. It was already quite close to noon by the time the team had arrived near the gates of the city, and would probably be past noon by the time that they reached the Center.

    Ash followed the signs as the bike carried him, Pikachu, and Tyrunt across the city, also paying attention to which signs were pointing to the Gym. He certainly wouldn''t be planning to take on Sabrina today, but once they were settled in, they would need to begin making preparations.

    As he passed by cars and other people walking along the sidewalk, the boy began to feel the first signs of rain landing on him, with Tyrunt letting out a brief, commenting squeal in reaction to the newfound drizzle. They likely still had at least a few minutes before the drizzle turned to rain, and the rain turned to downpour, but Ash couldn''t be sure whether or not a few minutes was the only thing that they had, and quickened his pace as a result. He only sped up a little bit, however, for fear of slipping on the sidewalk, which would become drenched sooner or later.

    The boy made a turn in the direction of the Pokemon Center just as the drizzle began to transition into rain, and Ash''s eyes widened, Tyrunt letting out a squeal in awe, as the building came into view.

    It was easily the biggest Pokemon Center that they had seen thus far. All of the urban Pokemon Center''s were massive, but Ash could already tell that this one surpassed them. Maybe not by far, but by enough to be noticeable. And with the clouds darkening the sky, the lights were all on, and although not the completely magnificent sight that it would have been in the darkness of nighttime, it still left an impression.

    Ash parked underneath the outside roof leading into the Center, taking shelter from the increasing rain as he dismounted the bicycle. Lifting Tyrunt out of the basket and returning the bike to the Poke Ball, Ash let Valiant out once more, the group making their way to the large, automatic doors as Pikachu climbed out of his backpack.

    The rainfall had brought a sudden chill, but it was replaced with the familiar, more comforting air conditioning of the Pokemon Center as the doors opened and the group stepped through.

    It was certainly the biggest lobby that they had ever been in. Given how busy a city that Saffron was, it seemed as if everything about this Center was increased in size in order to compensate. The overhead lights shined above as Ash made his way to the counter, flanked by his teammates as he stopped at the end of the (thankfully short) line in front of them. Although the lobby had no shortage of people, many trainers chatting amongst themselves across the surrounding area, whether it be standing up or sitting on a couch together, the line itself was mercifully smaller than Ash had expected it to be.

    It took only a few minutes for Ash''s turn to come, Nurse Joy smiling her usual beautiful grin at the boy as he found himself in front of the counter. Ash found that he never got tired of seeing her face, not because of her gorgeous appearance (although he imagined that many trainers enjoyed her company for such a reason), but because the aura that her smile gave off was immediately soothing. She, and her behavior as well, was symbolic of the Pokemon Center itself: A place of comfort and rejuvenation for all trainers.

    After everything that had happened last night, the intimidation of entering the city, and nearly getting caught in the rainstorm, it was just what Ash needed. He could already feel his nerves easing up as she spoke to him.

    "Welcome to the Pokemon Center." Nurse Joy addressed the boy, her voice professional, yet friendly and reassuring as usual. The perfect combination as always. "Will you be in today?"

    "Yes." Ash nodded gratefully, handing his Pokedex to the woman, who placed it in the nearby slot while typing rapidly on the computer.

    "Ash Ketchum, Pallet Town, correct?" she looked up from the monitor as she verified his information. At his nod, she continued to type (Ash was just now realizing just how fast she was typing) before returning her eyes to him as she handed back the Pokedex. As Ash pocketed the device in one of his backpack''s pouches, the pink-haired woman slid a card across the counter, the room key, which he quickly reached to take. "Third floor, room 3-26. Does your team need a checkup?"

    Nodding, Ash lifted Tyrunt onto the counter. Just as he prepared to return Pikachu and Valiant, Nurse Joy, still typing rapidly, spoke up again.

    "By the way, I have to inform all newly arriving trainers of this: Saffron''s gym won''t be accepting challengers for the time being."

    Ash felt a small pit in his stomach as his face fell at the news, Tyrunt innocently tilting his head while Pikachu and Valiant perked up at the announcement. Their expressions were a mix of curiosity and disappointment, which matched Ash''s own reaction.

    "Didˇ­ something happen?" the boy asked politely, wondering if the explanation was open to the public or not. It wasn''t unheard of for a Gym to be closed for a short period of time, but it still happened rarely. Pokemon Gyms (in any Region where they operated) were often open for the entirety of the Season, always available on most days until the Conference, where they were closed to challengers prior to the break period between Seasons. Usually something very specific needed to happen for them to even have one day off outside of normal schedules. Gym Leaders weren''t available at every waking hour, having no shortage of duties, but the Gyms would always be open for a set amount of time. At minimum, a couple to a few hours each day. Normally, they would only close down for a day or two, if work outside of taking on challengers became too hectic (occasionally, the top Gym Trainers might be put in charge of the Gym on these days, although not every Gym did this) , and all Gym Leaders took a scheduled day off every week or two. But an extensive absence was something that a good few Gyms could go entire Seasons without.

    "At the moment, Sabrina is Hoenn." Nurse Joy explained. After a brief pause, she finished up her typing, giving Ash her full attention. "Normally, she would consider having her top students fight challengers in her stead, but she''s actually taken her best students with her this time. It''s to give them some business experience. The trip is mostly a standard political affair."

    Ash nodded. That made sense. "Soˇ­ Do you know when she''s planning to be back?"

    A nod. "Two weeks from now. She just left yesterday morning."

    Ash inwardly frowned at that. Had it been a week or less, he probably would have waited for her, butˇ­

    If it was two weeks, then it might be for the best if they just left after stocking up on supplies. Ash knew that there was no need to rush, but the time that he spent waiting for Sabrina to come back could just as easily be spent heading to a different city to challenge a Gym. He could stick around to train, but he could still do that on the road as well.

    The boy nodded. "Okay, thanks for telling me."

    A sympathetic grin formed on the woman''s face. "Sorryˇ­ for the bad news."

    Ash quickly held his hands in front of him. "No, no, it''s not your fault! I know you can''t help itˇ­" he wondered what it must have been like, delivering disappointing news like that to every trainer coming in. It couldn''t have been fun.

    After returning Pikachu and Valiant, Ash handed over his Poke Balls as Nurse Joy took Tyrunt in her arms. The baby dinosaur let out a pleased squeal as she flashed him a bright grin, before the pink-haired woman nodded back at Ash. "Have a nice day, Mr. Ketchum. You''ll be notified when your team is ready."

    Nodding gratefully, Ash waved at Nurse Joy and Tyrunt as he took his leave. "Okay, thanks again. Make sure you behave, Tyrunt." The Royal Heir Pokemon waved back with a friendly chirp.

    /

    Ash had spent the next hour unwinding in his room, watching a talk show on the flatscreen as the rain fell outside. By the time he had made his way up to the room, the rain had already turned into a downpour, and some rumbles of thunder could be heard as well.

    The window provided a great view of the city, and he took some time to look out into the neverending series of buildings as the rain rolled down the glass. He enjoyed taking in the scenery, with or without the rain, the wet weather providing a different sort of feel to it.

    More than anything, the combination of the talk show playing, and the generous view of the city provided the rookie trainer with a strong sense of relaxation. A reminder that he was back in the welcoming comfort and luxury of civilization. It was a feeling of relief that he received every time he arrived in a city, following the time spent in the outside wilderness.

    By the time his team was ready to be picked up, Ash found that he was already feeling fairly rejuvenated, although a good deal of that was likely psychological. The general atmosphere that the Pokemon Center''s hospitality provided him with was a refreshment in its own right. Although the thunder could be heard on occasion, it was low enough to not interfere with the mood too much.

    Although Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt already knew that Sabrina currently wasn''t in the city, Ash relayed the news to the rest of the team, regretfully informing them that they would not be challenging Saffron''s Gym. Tempest''s disappointment was the most blatantly noticeable, although he didn''t put up much of a fuss. No doubt he knew what position he was in with the rest of the team. Although Nebula and Eevee were both taken aback by the news, neither of them responded negatively. Perhaps they took note of Ash''s optimistic presentation of the news.

    After all, the boy had made it very clear that they would be back on the road for a different Gym in just a few days at most. Although Ash didn''t yet know where their next destination would be, his plan was to think it over as soon as he could. Sabrina''s absence was a setback at worst.

    The rookie was also planning to browse for TMs the following day, once they were settled in. He and his team had accumulated a great deal of prize money between Cerulean and Saffron, putting them in a far better financial position than he had ever been in before. He didn''t have enough to load up on TMs (especially since their prices varied from move to move), but he should be able to purchase a few, while still stocking up on the necessities that they were in need of (he''d be ensuring that they had enough food and potions first).

    But that would come tomorrow. Today was about settling in and unwinding, and he was going to be planning their next move tonight.

    /

    The day went by at a quicker pace than Ash had anticipated. He had expected the day to be a slow-moving one, due to them not having any coherent plans after checking in, even if they had reached the Center a lot later than originally planned. However, the boy ended up being blindsided by the speed of the clock, almost as if time itself had taken off into a sprint.

    Before he had known it, the evening had already come, and the group was dining in the cafeteria. Afterwards, they had withdrawn to their room for the night, Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt already making themselves comfortable as Ash sat on his bed, quietly watching the flatscreen.

    A news anchor was currently speaking, a brunette woman who looked to be in her late twenties, and a Breaking News headline appeared as Ash''s improving mood suddenly dropped.

    On the screen was a picture of a very familiar person.

    "We have received word of an attack committed by a recently confirmed recruit of Team Rocket: The Iron-Masked Marauder." The woman''s voice and facial expressions were very even and professional, completely neutral to the news that she was about to share.

    Sitting beside Ash, Valiant''s face fell into a frown as the image of the (unfortunately) familiar man appeared into view beside the woman. The Marauder''s face held a neutral expression in the picture, a default picture in contrast to the fury or arrogance that he had displayed back in the caverns of Mt. Moon. Just seeing that face brought memories rushing back: Of running for their lives with the grunts in hot pursuit, of the swarm of Zubat and other Pokemon that the terrorists had attempted to overwhelm them with, Gabite attempting to obliterate Eevee with a violent blast, Scizor dropping the team like stones, the roar of Tyranitar, rocks falling from the ceiling as-

    Ash''s eyes squeezed shut for a moment as it all overwhelmed him, and the feeling of Valiant''s hand on his encouraged him to open them again as the news anchor continued.

    "Just last night, on the shore past the Rock Tunnel located beyond Cerulean, four League agents were found dead with traces of a fight left behind in the area. All Pokemon the agents had on them that were accounted for following the battle, turned up dead on the same site. The final report filed by the League agents just that afternoon, as well as the autopsy report, point evidence towards a new member of Team Rocket, the Iron-Masked Marauder being the culprit, his confirmed Team Members deemed capable of inflicting the fatal, specific injuries that were seen. A few Pokemon held by the League agents were not found by the investigation team on the site, nor are their Poke Balls, and are believed to have been looted from the bodies by the culprit of the attack."

    Reactions in the room were fairly similar among most present, Valiant''s face pale while sitting next to Ash, and the rest of the team mostly wearing uneasy expressions as they took in the news anchor''s words. Tyrunt, despite having never met the Marauder, quickly picked up on the uncomfortable mood of the room, prompting him to dip his head with an unsure frown. Tempest, also with no prior experience with the Pokemon Hunter, didn''t react as strongly, but watched the rest of the broadcast with a notably scrunched up face.

    Ash found himself gulping a bit as he stared at the screen, processing the report.

    The Rock Tunnel was a large cave located in Kanto''s northeast, beyond Cerulean as the news anchor had said. It wasn''t in the same area of the Region as Saffron was, but what areas were covered by the news varied from station to station (and each Region had a station that covered the entire Region, along with one that covered all of Indigo in general). The particular channel that they were on likely covered both Cerulean and Saffron, due to them being neighboring territories, which was why the story was being broadcast here.

    The reported incident wasn''t too far from Saffron, but it also wasn''t particularly close, so Ash thankfully felt secure as he continued to listen to the report, even if the news anchor''s words left him constantly forcing down the memories.

    Ash could feel Valiant squeezing his hand in distress beside him. He allowed it.

    "The Iron-Masked Marauder is a professional Pokemon Hunter wanted by various different governments throughout the world." the woman continued, her neutral tone not changing. "He was recently confirmed to have joined forces with Team Rocket, leading a large squadron of their soldiers in an attack on Mt. Moon, where he was discovered by League forces led by Elite Four Karen. He is armed and dangerous at all times, and he and his team are known for their bloodlust and callousness. Everybody is to keep their distance from him, and report all sightings to the nearest authority without delay."

    /

    Somewhere outside of Cerulean territory, in a hidden base occupied by Team Rocket soldiers, the Iron-Masked Marauder sat on a couch in a dimly lit room, holding a small bottle in hand. Beside him, a Weavile stood on a nearby coffee table, sharpening its claws as the Hunter observed the flatscreen on the wall.

    "Listen to this generic nonsense. ''Armed and dangerous.'' You can tell she''s reading off of a script."

    Reports like these were yet another example of how tame the world had become.

 Pit Stop in Saffron pt 2

    The news report left Ash feeling rattled for the next hour or so, just the mention of the Marauder enough to bring his mind to places that he wished he didn''t remember. In an effort to keep his mind off of it, he had switched the channel when the news report was over, finding a cooking show that promoted a lot more comfort than news regarding Team Rocket.

    Eventually, his team turned in for the night. Pikachu rested at the foot of his bed as usual, while Nebula had taken up her signature position at the windowsill, the rain still falling outside, only slightly less intensely than before. Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt were grouped close together at cushions near the bed, Valiant the only member of the team still awake, silently observing Ash as the boy sat at the table. The Kirlia seemed a bit fatigued, but not enough to the point where he didn''t want to stay awake.

    And then there was Tempest, who had simply found a spot at the far end of the room, snoozing silently on a cushion, a good distance away from everyone else. He wasn''t the only one sleeping alone, but unlike everybody else, he hadn''t exchanged "good nights" with anyone, or even shared any sort of conversation. He wasˇ­ secluded. Isolated from the rest of the group.

    Ash found it regrettable that the moment where the team finally consisted of a full six Pokemon was also the moment where the sense of unity had come to an end. Unlike everybody else present within the group, Tempest had nobody to partner up with. No connections or bonds with any of his new teammates. And worst of all, that didn''t seem to be changing any time soon. Even prior to the events of last night, nobody wanted anything to do with the violent Krabby, and even if they had, the only business that he would have asked for was a fight.

    But the boy tried not to focus on that. For now.

    Tempest wasn''t any more interested in befriending the others as they were in befriending him. For the moment, he had to accept that, and work on allowing the newfound tension in the group to die down. If he tried to force everybody togetherˇ­

    Ash shook his head for a moment, before refocusing his attention on the map of Kanto that he had spread out on the table. With the lights off, he had turned on the lamp to give himself lighting to focus on what he was looking at. His cap was currently resting beside the map, his hair exposed as a result.

    The territory of Saffron was located in the eastern half of the Region, albeit not the parts of it that had garnered a reputation for being less rookie-friendly. That would change if they continued going east, however, with the area leading to Lavender Town, the entirety of Fuschia territory, and the eastern side of Vermillion territory being home to much tougher trials for trainers, whether it be in the form of terrain, wildlife, or the other trainers that had set up shop to train. Fuschia, of course, being the most infamous for this in Kanto, perhaps alongside the mountainous surroundings of the Indigo Plateau.

    Ash''s eyes were locked on Saffron''s City''s logo on the map. They had come from the north in Cerulean, leaving them with three potential areas to select for their next stop: Vermillion City, Celadon City, and Lavender Town being the surrounding targets.

    From this point onward, their journey would take a very different direction, depending on where they chose to go. Celadon City was to the west, and would theoretically be the shortest trip to take. It was just past the center of the Region, not overly far from the eastern portion of Viridian Forest. From Celadon, they could east back to Saffron, or southeast to Vermillion.

    Vermillion City was to the south, and would be a slightly longer trip than Celadon, but still wouldn''t be likely to take up much time. From there, they could head south towards Fuschia, north back to Saffron, or northwest to Celadon.

    Finally, there was the longest potential trip: Lavender Town to the east. The town didn''t have a Gym, and given that it was located all the way near the Region''s eastern coast, it would actually take them further away from any of the Gyms in Kanto, including Vermillion and Fuschia. But if they were going to go eastward, it would be best to head there first, ensuring that they could stock up on supplies, before heading down to Fuschia, located near Kanto''s southeastern coast. For a shorter trip (which would still take longer than the other options), they could head southwest for Vermillion. Going to Lavender and heading to Fuschia from there would be the longest potential trip to make by far, and would ensure that they would go a great deal of time without any additional badges, or even a chance to acquire one. It wasn''t without merit, however, as more time on the road meant more time to train, without having to stay in one place. There was certainly nothing wrong with taking a break from traveling and focusing on training, and Ash certainly thought that it would be the most comfortable option (they could progress with their training while still enjoying the Pokemon Center''s hospitality), but although a good deal of trainers preferred it, Ash was reluctantly willing to go along with the more difficult option, and remain on the move. As much as he disliked admitting it, the constant travel had its own merits, mostly if you wanted to acquire your badges quickly, but also to take advantage of the ever changing terrain for your training.

    Neither option was inherently superior to the other, but Ash found himself favoring the frequent travel from a tactical standpoint, even if he vehemently preferred constant civilization on a personal level. And many trainers (just as many as those who took traveling more slowly) also favored the constant traveling, to the point where a good few of them actually enjoyed the wilderness.

    Ash stared at the map, his gaze lingering on Lavender Town as a timid frown formed on his face.

    Fuschia would certainly be an excellent place to train, more so than any of the other territories they could shoot for from here. But were they ready for it?

    There was also a matter of the Gyms that they would be challenging. Erika of Celadon, LT. Surge of Vermillion, Koga of Fuschia. In that regard, Celadon was the most obvious choice, being the Region''s most beginner friendly Gym alongside Pewter and Cerulean. It was one of the Gyms that was considered suitable for a trainer to start out with, whereas other Gyms, Fuschia and Vermillion included, weren''t as flexible. Especially with the reputations that LT. Surge and Koga had both respectably garnered. Tales of their ruthlessness were practically horror stories among Indigo''s trainer community, particularly the rookies.

    And yet, he and his team were beginning to reach that threshold. They now had two badges to their names, going for their third. Soon, all of the Gyms would become less lenient, regardless of who they challenged. So did they go for Erika, while her efforts would hopefully still be at their most manageable? Or did they try for a more difficult, less beginner-friendly Gym to get the experience, and gauge what it would be like moving forward? They could have done that already if Sabrina was still here, but now, Surge was their closest option.

    And of course, there was also the matter of the Magnet Train. It wasn''t part of his plan, but theoretically, if they chose to take it, that would take them to Goldenrod City in the Johto Region. They could challenge the Gym there, and then either head back to Saffron, or completely change their plans by traveling in Johto instead. Doing so would completely shake up their journey, and they certainly wouldn''t be the only ones in Indigo to do such a thing.

    Although going to Johto certainly had its own merit, Ash had already chosen to hold off on that option for now. There was nothing stopping him from doing it, and it wouldn''t necessarily make things any more difficult or less convenient, but for the moment, he opted to save what Johto had to offer for later. Of course, that didn''t mean that the option didn''t exist, and despite his plans not to take it yet, the fact that the possibility even existed at all was still yet another addition to the already overwhelming list.

    Continuing to stare at the map, Ash found that he wasn''t making any progress in making his decision. It was just a reminder of how many choices that they had. And the more Ash ran the possibilities through his mind, the more he found that it didn''t make it any easier.

    It almost felt absurd that he was finding this so difficult. If all of the options had merit, even if it was in different ways, then why not pick at random?

    Ash ran his hands through his hair. Saffron, he realized, was a blessing and a curse. He should be thrilled by all of the possibilities. Excited.

    But what good were options if he wasn''t proactive enough to make up his mind?!

    "Ashˇ­"

    The sound of the voice jolted him upright. Had he imagined that? With the flatscreen off, the room had been completely quiet apart from the rainfall outside, which he had grown accustomed to, now at a point where he practically took it for granted. But suddenly...

    Turning around, his eyes combed through the room, but found nothing he wasn''t already expecting. Pikachu was sleeping on the bed, Valiant was sitting upright on his cushion, in between Eevee and Tyrunt, both of whom slept on their own. At the end of the room, Nebula was at the windowsill, and Tempest was on his own.

    And they were the only ones. Why wouldn''t they be? They weren''t traveling with anybody. They were the only ones in the room.

    A troubled look adorned Ash''s face as he turned his gaze back to the map. He couldn''t understand why he would have imagined the sudden new voice, but what else could it be? Nobody was here to speak to him-

    "A-...Ashˇ­?"

    There it was again, the boy only slightly less startled this time.

    The voice soundedˇ­ young. Seemingly, that of a young boy. But as he looked around the room (now rising from his chair), he couldn''t understand why he was hearing it. Nobody else was here, and he couldn''t place what direction it was coming fromˇ­ not tha tit made sense that he was even hearing it at all.

    How could he be imagining it? He had never imagined something like this before-

    A tug on his leg brought his attention to the floor. In his confused state, Ash was briefly startled, letting out a quick yelp before he relaxed a bit, seeing that it was just Valiant.

    "Hey, buddy. Need something-?" Ash paused upon seeing what the young Kirlia was doing. His arm still on Ash''s leg, Valiant seemed to be pointing toˇ­ himself?

    "Ashˇ­ It''sˇ­ m-meˇ­"

    The voice was sounding somewhat strained, yet still clear as day.

    ...Waitˇ­

    Startled again, Ash took a step back, placing his hands on the table behind him as he stared down at his psychic friend.

    "Valiantˇ­" it almost sounded absurd to ask. "...Are youˇ­"

    The young Kirlia was nodding, a small smile forming on his face, an expression that seemingly conveyed relief.

    "Sorry I s-startled you. I w-wasn''t sure howˇ­ to startˇ­" The voice was trailing off, but Ash kept taking it in.

    Young, relatively high-pitched with a typical, childlike tone, and male. It matched Valiant''s age, Ash presumedˇ­ soˇ­

    Ash fell back down to his chair, which he turned to face Valiant''s direction. "Are youˇ­ speaking to me telepathically?" It sounded absurd to ask, and yetˇ­ it checked out.

    Psychic Pokemon were capable of communicating in a manner like this. In a way, Ash almost thought it was silly that he hadn''t considered it, yet he had never thought of the possibility for some reason.

    A psychic Pokemon could develop such an ability at just about any age or experience, but how effective that they were at it still depended on the age and experience. Those who acquired the means after having already honed their abilities via a great deal of training, would be fairly skilled at the practice right out of the gate. But that usually wasn''t unless they had only gained the ability at such an experienced level. And even then, there would be obvious room for improvement. Most psychic types, even really skilled ones, would have difficulty communicating with more than one individual at once without practice first.

    In comparison, younger, beginner psychics who developed the ability would not be good at it for quite some time. It would be much more mentally strenuous, tiring out the user considerably. Not to mention, it would be difficult to concentrate the ability enough to have a full conversation. With the combination of these two aspects, beginner psychics who developed such an ability wouldn''t use it very often at first, and it would be quite some time before they could do so consistently. For a good long while, they would only utilize it in short bursts (and even then, the frequency would vary). It wasn''t until their overall psychic abilities had been greatly developed and matured (usually not until they were at an exceptionally high level) that they would be both effective and consistent with the telepathic speech. And even then, it wouldn''t always develop at the same rate. Some psychics found it more difficult to improve the mental speech than general battling abilities, and very few found it easier. There were even theories in the research field that developing telepathic speech at an early age would actually mean that it would take longer for the psychic to master it in the long run, as it would mean that the ability had less time to develop on its own prior to being used. These theories were even supported by Sabrina and Professor Oak themselves. Although, those same studies thankfully confirmed that this would not hinder any other areas of growth.

    Either way, it seemed like Valiant had fallen under the latter category.

    Judging by how he talked, he seemed to be having difficulty forming full sentences, which was consistent with his young age. Valiant may be on a fairly good level compared to most at his experience level, but he was still inexperienced. And a child, more importantly than anything else.

    Looking up to meet his trainer''s gaze, Valiant nodded, his grin friendly and serene as responded.

    "I''ve beenˇ­ trying."

    Ash eyed his friend in concern. "You''re sounding a bit strained." Telepathic speech was already mentally taxing for those who hadn''t mastered it, and Valiant was making the attempt in the middle of the night.

    "It''s okayˇ­" Ash helped Valiant up as the Kirlia made his way on top of the table, taking a seat next to the map to look at Ash from a better angle. "I want to talk to you."

    Ash felt his heart flutter at the statement, although concern adorned his features as he observed Valiant''s tired eyes. Whether the Kirlia liked it or not, he would not be able to speak to his trainer extensively, and it was going to take a long time for that to change.

    It wasn''t the same thing as simply learning a new move, most of which a Pokemon could at least get a handle on in between towns and cities (even if mastery and eventually modification of the move would often be an additional process). This would require long term improvement, the benefits of which wouldn''t manifest until much, much later in their travels.

    And given the exhaustion Valiant would be putting himself through to push the ability past where he was comfortably capable of (which most certainly amounted to speaking in short bursts on occasion), Ash didn''t want the young Kirlia to drain himself by continuing for too much longer.

    But Valiant was still willing to continue, soˇ­

    "Okayˇ­" said the boy, his face easing up into a light grin as he placed a hand on Valiant''s head, the Emotion Pokemon closing his eyes and subtly leaning into the contact. "But let''s not make a habit out of this, okay? Otherwise you''ll be tired every waking hour."

    Beaming at the compromise, Valiant spoke again.

    "I''ve been trying to do this for a bit. Likeˇ­ a few days ago." The voice was a bit more steady. Valiant was getting a temporary grasp on it, even if it wouldn''t make it any less tiring. For all Ash knew, it might make it worse. But he tried not to think about it for now. When Valiant wasn''t able to continue anymore, he''ll stop.

    "A few days agoˇ­" Ash mumbled under his breath, trying to pinpoint when that could be.

    "Tempestˇ­" Valiant''s tone suggested he was trying to elaborate.

    Ash perked up. "Hmm?"

    "I tried to help youˇ­ but you had the same idea I didˇ­"

    Ash''s eyes widened for a second, realization adorning his face. "Now I remember! I think I heard a voice that repeated the same order I was giving Pikachuˇ­ to aim Thunder Wave inside of the pincers. You got that idea too? You were watching the fight." at Valiant''s nod, Ash found himself blushing. "Sorry I didn''t notice earlierˇ­"

    He really was feeling embarrassed now. It was so easy to tell in hindsight, that a trainer with a psychic Pokemon should verify with said Pokemon in the event that they what a voice in their headˇ­ and yet here he was, completely blindsided by it.

    Valiant''s gaze wandered across the room, stopping at the far corner where the problematic Krabby silently slept.

    "Are you sure about him?" his voice wasn''t accusatory, but Valiant didn''t hide the disagreement he was feeling.

    Ash felt a pit in his stomach at the inquiry. Valiant didn''t approve of Tempest''s recruitment, and he had a feeling that opinion was representative of what everyone else felt. Perhaps the psychic wasn''t outright stating it, but he clearly despised the River Crab Pokemon, with little incentive to change his stance.

    Frowning at Valiant, Ash found he couldn''t ignore the concern in those eyes of his. The Kirlia wore his heart on his sleeve. All of a sudden, Ash felt a surge of guilt as the rookie made eye contact with his partner.

    "I don''t know yetˇ­" the rookie confessed with honesty. His eyes found their way to wear Valiant had been looking, resting on the sleeping Krabby in the corner. "If he keeps being a problem, I''ll ask Professor Oak to find a place for him in the wild. I imagine he wouldn''t send him back to Cerulean where he was picking on all of those Pokemon at Bill''s place, but an expert like him will find a suitable habitat for sure. He returned his gaze to Valiant. "Butˇ­ that''s only the worst case scenario. I know we''ve never been in this situation beforeˇ­ but it''s common. We shouldn''t run away from it. Other trainers have managed worseˇ­"

    Tempest was different from Eevee. Although the Evolution Pokemon had started off hating Nebula for the role that she played in her capture, and hadn''t been very trusting towards everybody right out of the gate, mos tof her hostility was still limited to only the Staravia. Not to mention, it hadn''t taken her long to come around to everyone else (especially Valiant, who had shielded her from what would have otherwise been a life-ending attack), and it had only taken a little bit longer for her to get over her grudge towards Nebula.

    Tempest, on the other hand, was hostile towards everybody. Much more so than Eevee had treated Nebula. And his actions could have proven fatal for Tyrunt (who himself still needed taming) if the rest of the group hadn''t stepped in.

    Butˇ­ Tempest''s situation was hardly an outlier, right? Maybe for them, but most trainers had at least a few teammates that started out as problematic. To say nothing for the fact that some Pokemon were inherently more dangerous in behavior than others. Karen had tamed a Hydreigon of all Pokemon. Compared to their problems with Tempest, that wasˇ­

    A concerned frown adorned Valiant as he nodded in response. "I trust you."

    Valiant trusted himˇ­ But not Tempest. That really was how it was going right now, wasn''t it? Neither Valiant nor the rest of the team, weren''t openly opposing Ash''s judgment, but they still weren''t comfortable with it.

    Ash didn''t blame them. It was his job to find a way to make everything work out. This was his commitment. He couldn''t let them down by betraying that trust.

    Shifting in his sitting position, Valiant glanced down at the map of Kanto that Ash had sprawled out on the table. With curiosity, the Kirlia''s eyes traveled along the various landmarks and logos signaling the many different territories and locations found in the Region.

    "Big, isn''t it?" Ash chuckled. "And this is just one part of Indigo." a sad smile. "I still haven''t figured out where I want to go yet."

    Valiant''s eyes traced the map before finally arriving on Saffron. As if analyzing the split paths branching out of the city, he leaned in a little closer. Ash watched him in silence for a few moments before speaking up.

    "We have a little bit of time to figure it out." the boy commented. "I''m thinking we could stay here for at least a couple days to recuperate and restock." his finger pressed against the Saffron label on the map, Valiant following it with his gaze. "But I''d prefer to make the decision as soon as possible. Not planning ahead comes back to bite a trainer no matter how strong they are."

    He imagined Misty and Gary were planning thoroughly. He wondered if they''d have any difficulty making up their minds in a situation like this.

    Deciding not to dwell on it, Ash slid his finger across the map, reaching Celadon. "It would be nice to come here. Easiest trip. And it''s the most beginner-friendly Gym out of our options. It seems like the obvious choice."

    Valiant nodded in understanding. "Soˇ­ why not just go there?"

    Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Vermillion City would be a lot more risky, butˇ­ it wouldn''t hurt to try, right? The worst that could happen is that we lose and go somewhere else afterwards. But then we''d go longer without another badgeˇ­"

    Valiant''s gaze lingered on Celadon, his face falling into a frown as he stared at the label. Eventually, his eyes lingered just a bit to the east, widening as they fixed themselves on Viridian Forest.

    Ash followed his gaze. "Viridian Forest isn''t far from Celadon. Not directly connected ot it like it is with Pewter or Viridian City, but they are neighbors."

    Valiant''s voice was suddenly laced with concern. "Weˇ­ aren''t going back thereˇ­ are we?"

    Ash shook his head. "Not for the foreseeable future. Why?"

    Valiant''s face lit up with relief at that. Giving Ash a somewhat sad smile, he elaborated. "Iˇ­ don''t like that... placeˇ­" the Kirlia rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn as Ash observed him in concern.

    "Valiant, if you''re tired you can-"

    The Kirlia raised a hand to reassure them. "I''m fine right nowˇ­" his gaze left Viridian Forest. "In that forest, Iˇ­ felt somethingˇ­"

    "What do you mean?"

    "A presenceˇ­ everywhereˇ­" the Kirlia''s body caught a chill.

    A presenceˇ­? Looking back, Ash had remembered the disturbing feeling that they were being watched. And with Valiant''s species, he could sense emotions. He must have felt it more than Ash or the rest of them did.

    The rookie wanted to know more, but didn''t ask Valiant to elaborate. He was already taxiing himself more than Ash was comfortable with.

    Either way, he certainly didn''t miss the forest anymore than Valiant did. They would not be returning there anytime soon. And thankfully, there wasn''t a need. For the foreseeable future, Celadon was the last business that they had outside of eastern Kanto.

    Returning to the map, Ash saw Valiant staring at Celadon City, a more neutral frown adorning his features with a pondering expression. He almost seemed sad.

    Something was on his mindˇ­ Did it have to do with the city?

    Speaking of whichˇ­ Ash''s gaze momentarily found its way to his backpack. They still had Elacia''s business card. And the Breeder had also given them her friend Suzie''s card as well.

    Both resided in Celadon. Elacia had asked the boy to visit her whenever he reached the city, and to go to Suzie if she wasn''t there.

    He didn''t want to keep her waiting, but she hadn''t been rushing him either.

    Looking back to the map, Ash examined his eastern optionˇ­ Fuchsia. Take the longer trip to Lavender Town, followed by the even longer trip to Koga''s domain.

    He frowned. It was a possibility, but fairly extreme.

    "Thinking about itˇ­ Fuchsia is probably the least appealing option right now." the boy spoke up, earning Valiant''s attention. "We''ll be going the longest without any attempts at a badge, let alone victories. And Koga would be a lot more of a risky opponent than Erika." he nodded to himself. "And although the journey would make for a great journey, what with Fuchsia''s reputation and allˇ­ that doesn''t mean we''ll be ready for it. I don''t think we should venture any further into eastern Kanto just yet."

    Valiant took in Ash''s words, and Ash took note of how much the Kirlia seemed to be paying attention to what he said.

    ''He''s really investedˇ­'' the boy thought to himself. It almost felt like Valiant was as dedicated to the adventure as he was. It was touching. He wished he could ask the Kirlia where his motivation came from, but with Valiant''s gaze growing more drowsy, he decided to hold off on it.

    Either way, seeing the Emotion Pokemon''s commitment was a morale boost of its own.

    As Valiant rubbed his eyes, letting out a louder yawn, Ash reached out to him, placing a hand on his friend before Valiant raised an arm in reassurance again. Ash decided he''d only let the Kirlia continue for a little while longer. He had to put his foot down at some point.

    Perhaps he was being a bit too soft, but the Kirlia was likely just happy about trying out his new capability. Ash could sympathize with that, which was likely why he allowed this to continue for as long as it had. But as he saw Valiant struggle to keep his eyes open, he reaffirmed to himself that this would be the last time he let Valiant take it this far. At least for a very long time, that is.

    His eyes returning to the map, Ash''s gaze traveled across Kanto. Not just the next potential targets for their journey, but Kanto. He observed it all. Not just the visuals provided for the cities, such as Vermillion''s harbor, but the outside world surrounding and connecting all of the cities and towns. From the vast Viridian Forest. The mountainous wilderness of Fuchsia. The plains connecting Vermillion with the wilds leading into Fuchsia. The southern sea attached to Vermillion and Fuchsia''s respective coasts, along with the shore near Pallet, Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands both found on those waters. The massive bridge connecting Fuchsia''s shoreline to the southwestern coast near Pallet, almost like a glorified link. The towering Mt. Moon. The mountain range beyond Pewter, leading into and somewhat surrounding the Indigo Plateau, the symbol of their journey''s conclusion.

    Sparing a glance at Valiant, Ash could tell that the young Kirlia was entranced despite his fatigue. And so was Ash.

    The map was so visually detailed. It captured the essence of the Kanto Region as much as an illustration of its type possibly could, and did so beautifully. Ash couldn''t imagine how fantastical an entire map of Indigo of the same scope and ambition would look. To see how the famed Mt. Silver fit into all of this, or how Goldenrod''s incredible scope meshed in with the rest. Not to mention the vast ocean connecting Kanto and Johto to the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands.

    But even with just Kanto alone, it made for an intimidating picture. It was a daunting land spread out before them. But it was ultimately one that they would conquer. As a team.

    Ash glared to himself. But if they were to do that, he needed to stop being so indecisive. Valiant was committed enough to take a look at the map with him. But it wasn''t just the Kirlia. Pikachu had placed his trust in him, even after their horrible start all the way back on Opening Day. Nebula and Eevee had both warmed up to the group, and befriended their teammates along the way. Tyrunt was getting involved now, and no longer wanted to be just a spectator. And Tempest, friend or not, had joined the party, eager for whatever intense battles they would find during the travels ahead.

    Everyone had shown their own dedication. He couldn''t let something as silly as a branching path get in the way of that.

    He needed to choose. Now.

    He had already chosen to hold off on Fuchsia. Which meant they wouldn''t be going to Lavender Town until later. One day, they would venture beyond mid-eastern Kanto and into the eastern portion of the Region. But today was not that day.

    And given his reasoning for avoiding Fuchsiaˇ­

    Ash''s voice alerted Valiant, who returned his attention from the map to him.

    "Vermillion might give us the best of both worlds." the rookie pointed out. At Valiant''s curious expression, he elaborated. "Or at least a taste of them both. It''s a faster trip than Lavender Town, like Celadon, but it would also give us a chance to up the difficulty, like Fuchsia. And thankfully, the road to Vermillion won''t be nearly as dangerous as the areas we''d have to go to in order to approach Fuchsia territory. We''d be more equipped for this trip, and can still try to tackle one of the more infamous Gyms. There''s no rush, otherwise I''d want to go to Celadon right away, butˇ­ we get a small bit of both benefits this way. "

    Valiant perked up at Ash''s explanation. "We''re not going to Celadon yet?" The Kirlia suddenly flinched. His tone of voice almost soundedˇ­ relieved? And the Emotion Pokemon''s reaction to his own eagerness almost made it seem like he wanted to hide it.

    But just like always, Valiant wore his heart on his sleeve.

    Ash frowned curiously. "You don''t want to go there?" Was it because Celadon was somewhat close to Viridian Forest? Ash could understand the young Kirlia''s reasoning, but it hadn''t stopped the psychic from being fairly comfortable in Pewter, which was far closer to the forest than Celadon was.

    Valiant shook his head. "Noˇ­ it''s justˇ­" Despite paying attention to the Kirlia, Ash didn''t quite notice the young psychic''s eyes subtly shift in the direction of his backpack. "Like you said. There''sˇ­ no rush."

    His expression was easy to read. He was conflicted about something. But as he let out yet another yawn, Ash chose not to press.

    ''Maybe he had the same line of thinking that I just did?'' Ash wondered to himself. Judging by the battle with Tempest, it apparently wouldn''t be the first time that he and the Kirlia were like-minded.

    Ash leaned in a bit closer to the psychic. He looked like he was going to pass out at any minute. He needed to be able to support Valiant just in case he did.

    "To be perfectly honest, I don''t know for sure if we''re ready to be LT. Surge yet." Ash admitted to his friend, deciding to be transparent. "But it should be a good experience to try. We might get a really big victory out of it, so we won''t know unless we take the leap."

    Yes, taking the leap. It was good to be cautious, but not afraid. This was a compromise. Not yet tackling the unforgiving wilds of eastern Kanto, but not shying away from the more brutal, less forgiving Gym Leaders that they would have to face at one point or another anyway.

    He had never been the most bold kid in town. That honor had always gone to Gary, and Misty''s bravado was also far beyond him. But he wasn''t in Pallet anymore. He had the courage to step out of the safety bubble that he had grown up in throughout all his life, so now, he had to commit to that.

    Win or lose, the Thunder Badge would be their next goal.

    "Even if we don''t win," Ash pointed out. "We can always try again later. Just so we''d know. We can always head back here to Saffron, or go northwest from Vermillion to Celadon. It would mean we''d still go longer without another badge, but we''d at least be making the attempt, and either succeed or figure out how far we still have to improve."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Tired but beaming, Valiant nodded. "Right! We canˇ­ doˇ­ thisˇ­" his eyes grew heavy, and he tilted backwards.

    "Valiant!" Rising out of his seat, Ash caught Valiant in his arms just before the young Kirlia fell onto his back. He wouldn''t have fallen off the table, but Ash had chosen to react regardless. Looking down at his exhausted partner, Ash shot him a frown. "You okay?"

    Valiant''s eyes fluttered open slowly, but did not quite open completely.

    "Let''sˇ­ give it ourˇ­ allˇ­" his expression was coated in fondness as he looked Ash in the eyes, smiling tiredly. "We''ll getˇ­ eightˇ­ badgesˇ­" he drifted off.

    Ash returned Valiant''s affectionate expression. "We will."

    Cradling the young psychic in his arms, Ash carried Valiant back to his cushion, laying him down gently. His gaze lingered on the young Emotion Pokemon.

    "It was great talking to you, Valiant." The young boy spoke softly, so as not to wake anyone. "But for your own good, we shouldn''t do this again for a while."

    Standing upright, Ash''s head turned between Valiant''s cushion, Eevee''s, and Tyrunt''s. The young Kirlia''s devotion hadn''t just affected the rookie trainer. He had played a part in Eevee warming up to the group, and was definitely a motivator for Tyrunt to improve and catch up to everybody else on the battlefield.

    The boy''s gaze lingered on the baby dinosaur for a moment.

    Speaking of taking the leapˇ­

    /

    The team woke at a more decent hour than they had the previous morning. No disturbances in the middle of the night to interrupt their rest, and Ash hoped that that would be the norm moving forward.

    The clear hostility between Tempest and the rest of the team was too clear to easily overlook, but no instances took place, even if Tempest would receive a distrusting, suspicious glare from any teammate he ended up in close vicinity to, which he returned with a sneer.

    After taking a shower, Ash took the time to call Delia on the way to the cafeteria, although he chose to omit the troubles that had been surrounding the group''s latest team member. That was something that he wanted to save for Professor Oak if it ever became a problem again.

    So instead, he kept it simple, stating that Tyrunt had begun training now and that they had made a new capture after leaving Cerulean. He also gave her a heads up that he wouldn''t be in Saffron for long, due to Sabrina''s absence. Delia seemed disappointed that she wouldn''t have much time to talk to her son before he was on the road again, but didn''t complain.

    After breakfast, Ash returned Nebula, Eevee, and Tempest, with Pikachu and Valiant choosing to remain out. The two conversed with Tyrunt as Ash began cleaning up their area.

    The rookie wasn''t sure what TMs he''d be picking up at the Poke Mart just yet, but figured he''d get ideas once he saw the selection. Nevertheless, he found himself brainstorming some of the things that his team would benefit from as he returned their dishes, walking past a few groups of trainers talking amongst themselves. One girl was complaining to another girl (who''s facial expression implied she was only half-listening) about how Sabrina had left before she could get her "revenge" on her.

    While placing the dirty dishes on the cart, Ash found himself mentally going through the current move pools of his team.

    ''...Valiant has some pretty good range, but nothing suitable for close quarters. And it might encourage him to work on his agility so he doesn''t always have to spend energy on Teleport or Shadow Sneak to close distances. Tyrunt could probably use at least one more biting move to take advantage of his ability. But what to do with the others?''

    Ash was in the middle of trying to think things over as he made his way back to his table, only to perk up when he saw a figure who wasn''t there before.

    It was a boy who looked about his age. Short, dark green hair with a bright orange shirt and shorts. His outfit almost looked like it was on fire with its color.

    The boy was sitting at their table, keeping a bit of distance away from the three Pokemon, who hadn''t seemed to have noticed his presence while chatting away casually.

    The boy perked up when he spotted Ash stopping near the trio, a surprised, apologetic look on his face.

    "Oh! Are you their trainer? Sorry for staring!" Comically, he put his hands together and bowed, as if begging for mercy.

    Flushing a bit in surprise as Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt finally took notice of the onlooker, Ash shook his head. "I-It''s fine!" he lightly stammered, not expecting the other kid to be so apologetic. "I''m not offended."

    The green haired kid breathed a deep sigh of relief before rising from the table and making his way to the group. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he stopped in front of Ash. Pikachu and the others exchanged quizzical looks at his behavior.

    "Heh heh. Just wasn''t expecting to find a Kirlia here. And I don''t even know what that dinosaur thing is." The look on Tyrunt''s face suggested that the Royal Heir Pokemon didn''t realize that the boy was talking about him.

    "He''s a Tyrunt." Ash explained, as the little dinosaur recoiled in shock, now realizing that he was the subject of conversation. "Hereˇ­" Taking out his Pokedex, he toggled through the "recent entries" section and held the device in front of the newcomer for him to see.

    "Whoaˇ­" the boy stared in intrigue as he took in the information listed in the device. "How''d you get one of those?"

    "Aˇ­ Breeder." Ash answered simply., once again choosing not to mention Elacia''s name.

    Looking up from the device, the boy grinned at Ash as the young rookie tucked the Pokedex away. "Well, that''s pretty cool! Didn''t think I''d run into a Pokemon I''d never heard of this early on!"

    Ash could empathize with that. He had also been rather shocked when Tyrunt had first hatched, as had Misty. He supposed it was something he had to get used to, however. He''d surely be running into trainers from exotic Regions at one point, especially during the Conference (although foreign trainers only made up a fraction of the populace, they were still in great numbers).

    "The name''s Nick. Nice to meet ya." the boy, Nick, extended his hand towards Ash, who accepted it.

    "Ash." he responded with a grin.

    "So, how many badges do you have?" Nick asked curiously as the two separated. "I just got my first from Goldenrod. Was planning to hit Celadon next."

    "Two." Ash answered as Pikachu made his way to his shoulder, prompting him to lightly scratch the rodent under the chin. "Pewter and Cerulean."

    Nick''s eyes lit up. "Whoa! You''ve traveled a lot farther than I have! Unless you count the Magnet Train, of course." he pointed his thumb to his chest. "Sayˇ­ if you''re not busy, do you wanna have a quick battle? I was already looking for an opponent, but got sidetracked when I saw your team. I''m going for my second badge now, so if you already have two, I''d like to test ,yself."

    Ash nodded, his grin widening. He had been planning to leave the Center right away, but no harm could be done from taking a quick detour to battle someone. For one thing, it would be a lot of fun.

    Suddenly his eyes lit up.

    ''Right! What I was thinking last nightˇ­'' his eyes briefly darted in Tyrunt''s direction, although only Valiant seemed to pick up on it.

    Nick pumped a fist. "Alright! The battlefield is pretty close to here. Meet you there?" At Ash''s nod, the boy took off.

    ''He''s an energetic one.'' thought Ash, although the rookie wasn''t complaining.

    Looking down at Tyrunt and Valiant, Ash leaned down to lock eyes with the young dinosaur.

    He almost hesitated, but quickly shook that concern off.

    ''Take the leap.'' he thought to himself.

    "Hey Tyruntˇ­ are you ready to have your first real battle?"

    The dinosaur''s reaction was one to remember.

    /

    Thankfully, the battlefield hadn''t been occupied when they got there, meaning that they could get started right away. Tyrunt had practically raced over to his spot in the arena while Ash, Pikachu, and Valiant watched in amusement, the little dinosaur stamping on the ground with a wide grin splitting his face as Nick took up his position on the other side.

    The air was moist from last night''s previous rainfall, but the weather itself was dry, although much of the sky was still covered in gray clouds. The forecast had called for more rain in the afternoon, so they thankfully had time.

    As Ash stopped in front of Tyrunt, Nick called out to him. "Soˇ­ how''s two on two sound?"

    "That should be good!" Ash responded as the orange haired boy took out a Poke Ball. "Tyrunt will be going first."

    "Got it! And I''ll start withˇ­"

    A Sandshrew appeared in front of the boy. Upon exiting the flash of light, the Ground Type raised his claws into the air, letting out a high-pitched shriek towards the heavens. He sounded almost as excited as Tyrunt, who''s eyes lit up in fire upon seeing his first ever opponent arrive.

    "He''s one of my eager pals!''" Nick announced, grinning fondly at the mouse, who was currently tapping his claws together in anticipation. "That''s your opponent, Sandshrew!" he pointed to Tyrunt as he announced.

    As the Ground Type mouse sunk into a stance, holding his claws out in front of his sides as he locked eyes with Tyrunt, Ash felt a small drop of sweat rolling down his cheek.

    This was it. This was Tyrunt''s first time in a real battle. But he shook off that anxiety. They''d make it count.

    As Pikachu and Valiant both let out encouraging cries to Tyrunt (Pikachu still on Ash''s shoulder while Valiant stood by the trainer''s side), the dinosaur seemed to be growing more excited by the second, until Ash finally shouted out an order.

    The first order that Tyrunt would ever follow on the battlefield.

    "Charge him, but don''t completely close the distance yet! Use Rock Blast!"

    Tyrunt''s overflowing excitement was channeled into the effort he put in as the dinosaur''s legs carried him across the arena. His speed still wasn''t up to par with the likes of Pikachu or Eevee, and even when they weren''t boosting it with Quick Attack they could easily run circles around him. But he moved fairly quickly all the same.

    As Tyrunt began to close the distance, a barrage of small rocks escaped from his open mouth, Nick responding with an order of his own.

    "Sandshrew! Defense Curl to block, then Rollout!"

    A faint, pale glow covered Sandshrew''s exterior as the mouse folded up into a spherical form, the rocks shattering harmlessly against his body as Tyrunt came to a stop a few feet away from him.

    The young dinosaur was a bit closer than Ash would have liked. Nevertheless, there was just enough distance between the two combatants to give Ash enough time to issue a counter order, just before Sandshrew rushed forward.

    "Use Roar!"

    Just as Sandshrew''s now spherically shaped body began to advance towards Tyrunt, the baby opened his mouth, letting out the loudest cry he could manage as the shockwaves that erupted from his throat pushed against the charging Ground Type.

    Ash grinned in triumph as Sandshrew''s advance was halted. The mouse was only barely pushed back, but his attack had failed, thanks to Roar deflecting it.

    "Now, Tackle!" Ash called out just as Sandshrew was somewhat forced out of his spherical form, sitting in an upright position as Tyrunt thrust himself forward.

    The baby dinosaur drove himself headfirst into his opponent''s stomach, Sandshrew wheezing in surprise and pain as he was pushed back further.

    "Metal Claw!"

    Catching himself on his hands before he could completely fall backwards, Sandshrew sprang himself forward, his legs carrying him towards Tyrunt as his raised claw became coated in metal.

    "Catch it with Bite!"

    As Sandshrew took a swing at Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon took a step back, the metallic claw just barely missing him, before snapping his jaws down on the claw.

    The metal coating of the claw struggled under the pressure of Tyrunt''s powerful chomp, Sandshrew gritting his teeth with an increasingly painful wince as Tyrunt gnawed down on the protective layer.

    Ash nodded in approval while Valiant, a stern expression on his face, held his fists in front of him in excitement. Strong Jaw was doing its work. Normally that metal coating would act as the perfect cushion for Sandshrew, but thanks to the strength of Tyrunt''s chomp, that defensive layer was compromised.

    "Dragon Tail!"

    Jerking his head backwards, Tyrunt pulled Sandshrew forward, sending him staggering towards the eager baby while clutching his bitten claw as the dinosaur''s tail glowed a bright purple.

    The aura was noticeably brighter than it had been when he had first started using the move. Swerving around, Tyrunt drove his tail directly into Sandshrew''s gut, leaving the mouse sputtering in pain as he was nearly knocked on his bottom.

    As Sandshrew held his stomach, staggering backwards while Tyrunt turned to face him once more, Nick called out.

    "Good reactions! Let''s see how you handle rapid-fire tactics. Fury Swipes!"

    Righting himself, Sandshrew raised his claws over his sides. The claws began to glow white just before he took off running for Tyrunt, a barrage of slashes being let loose just as he started closing in.

    "Roar!" Ash hurriedly called out.

    The shockwaves that escaped from Tyrunt''s throat slammed into Sandshrew and knocked him off balance, leaving him open for Ash''s next order.

    "Poison Fang!"

    Nick''s eyes widened in surprise as Tyrunt''s jaws began to glow a dark purple, and as the dinosaur rushed forward to sink his teeth into Sandshrew, the green haired rookie''s voice grew desperate. "Brick Break!"

    Regaining his footing just in time to take a small hop backwards and avoid Tyrunt''s jaws (the dinosaur let out a frustrated grunt as his teeth bit down together with nothing in between), Sandshrew reared his arm back. With his fist glowing a bright orange, the mouse lunged forward and drove it into Tyrunt''s face. A loud smacking noise echoed across the battlefield as the baby dinosaur painfully wailed out loud, falling down onto his side as Sandshrew loomed over him, the other arm raised with a metallic claw.

    "Roll out of the way!" At Ash''s orders, Tyrunt rolled to the side just as Sandshrew''s claw travelled downwards, stabbing into the pavement just after the Royal Heir Pokemon left his reach. Sandshrew stood upright as Tyrunt picked himself up, whimpering a bit at his now bleeding jaw before shaking his head and turning back in Sandshrew''s direction to fix his opponent with a glare.

    "Get back, use Swords Dance, then Metal Claw!"

    True to Nick''s orders, Sandshrew ran backwards for a few seconds before raising his claws out in front of him. A silver aura began to coat over his body as he spun around on one foot, before dissipating as he charged forward, both of his claws still bathed in the silver light and now encased in metal.

    Ash frowned. Not only would Swords Dance greatly strengthen the attack, but it was likely a precaution to make his claws less susceptible to Tyrunt''s jaws.

    "Use Roar!" he decided.

    "Block!" Nick responded.

    Despite the pain in his jaw, Tyrunt clamped his mouth shut, his determined eyes beginning to grow wild as his opponent charged forward.

    Sandshrew crossed his claws in front of his face just as the loud shockwave escaped from Tyrunt''s throat. Although he staggered a bit, he did not falter, and continued his advance, closing in on his target just as the young dinosaur had finished catching his breath.

    "Duck and use Rock Blast!"

    As one of Sandshrew''s claws (the one that hadn''t been bitten down on yet, cleverly) swung for Tyrunt''s face, the dinosaur lowered his head, feeling a brief rush of air as the attack just barely passed over, before unloading a barrage of small rocks into the ground type mouse''s gut.

    Sandshrew cried out as the onslaught of pebbles pelted his stomach, the glow in his claws beginning to flicker as Nick cupped his hands.

    "Don''t give in, Sandshrew! Strike him with everything you''ve got!"

    Hearing his trainer''s encouragement, Sandshrew''s eyes widened in determination as he swiped away the last of the rocky barrage with his other claw, the silver glow returning in full, before lashing out at Tyrunt. Yelping, the dinosaur attempted to swerve to the side, but the claw still skimmed his face. Tyrunt howled in displeasure as the powered up Metal Claw cleaved through his flesh. Even with such an indirect hit, blood sprayed from the side of Tyrunt''s face, and Ash''s eyes widened (Pikachu holding his teeth in concern) as a deep cut was formed across.

    Sensing victory, Nick pushed on, pumping his fist forward. "Brick Break! Right to the head!"

    Watching Sandshrew rearing back, an orange aura forming around his fist, Ash called out as quickly as he could as Tyrunt''s gasped from the pain of the previous attack.

    "Tackle! Then point-blank Roar!"

    Tyrunt''s eyes widened, and Ash''s spine chilled as a familiar, bloodlusted howl escaped from the dinosaur''s throat, all the while the infant launched himself into Sandshrew''s gut, just as the ground type had begun lunging forward to take a swing.

    Whether it be because of anger, or becoming immersed into the battle, the hatchling''s eyes blazed with bloodlust as he charged into his opponent.

    Valiant''s eyes remained locked onto Tyrunt as his young friend pushed his opponent back, Sandshrew gasping for air as the dinosaur drove his head as deeply into his stomach as possible. The aura surrounding the mouse''s fist dissipated, one final push from Tyrunt sending the ground type barely staggering backwards, only for the hatchling to close the distance yet again. The approaching dinosaur was just inches away from his target as the shockwave that escaped from his throat slammed into Sandshrew''s gut.

    Already off balance, Sandshrew was not prepared for the additional attack, which sent him flying a few feet back before landing on his bottom, bouncing upon impact before landing on his stomach, arms outstretched as Tyrunt continued to advance forward.

    Now Ash was the one sensing victory. "Poison Fang!"

    "Get up Sandshrew!" Nick was frantic now, his eyes lighting up with panic from the whiplash of going from the verge of success to being about to lose. "Defense Curl!"

    Sandshrew rose to his feet just as Tyrunt began to close the distance between them. His body once again became coated in a faint, pale aura just as Tyrunt''s jaws became armored with a dark, purple light.

    Sandshrew was still in the midst of folding into a ball when Tyrunt was already upon him, performing a small hop before latching down onto the ground type''s back, teeth grinding against the protective aura of Defense Curl.

    Ash and Nick both shouted out words of encouragement at their respective partners, Tyrunt clenched his teeth as hard as his body was able against Sandshrew''s stubborn exterior, while the mouse Pokemon attempted to shake the hatchling off.

    Sandshrew''s efforts didn''t last long, however, as the coating of Defense Curl began to give out a few moments later, the ground type letting out a pained squeal as Tyrunt''s teeth began to dig in. Due to the naturally rough hide of his target, and the Defense Curl not being completely dissipated, the young dragon was not able to fully bite through. However, he managed to do so just enough to inject the toxins of Poison Fang into his target''s bloodstream, Sandshrew''s face slowly becoming sickly as the effects took hold.

    After a few more moments of Tyrunt violently clinging to his target, Ash gave the final order.

    "Hit him in the face with Dragon Tail!"

    Releasing his opponent and landing on his feet. Tyrunt spun around and smacked his purple, glowing tail into Sandshrew''s face, the ground type letting out a final, pained cry before collapsing onto his back in a heap.

    After a few moments of his partner struggling to get up, Nick recalled Sandshrew.

    A few moments of silence passed as everybody processed what had just occurred. Tyrunt stood where Sandshrew had been, panting and gasping for air as the exertion of the battle finally made itself known in full. The expression in his eyes was a contemplating one, still taking in the events of the battle." Ash, Pikachu, and Tyrunt looked on as they observed the baby.

    Thenˇ­ joy.

    Ash''s face was glowing as his grin split across. "Tyruntˇ­ buddy, you did it!"

    It was as though his trainer''s words were the final push that Tyrunt needed to realize his victory.

    His first battleˇ­ what he had been waiting for since before training had even startedˇ­ and he had won.

    Ignoring the pain, exhaustion, and stress of the previous bout, Tyrunt turned around and shrieked in joy, sprinting across the arena and into Ash''s arms as the young rookie crouched down to catch him.

    The contact nearly knocked Ash over, and the boy briefly winced in pain as Tyrunt''s rough exterior bowled into him, but he ignored whatever scrapes and bruises he may have received from the impact as he welcomingly pulled the hatchling into the embrace.

    "You did it! You actually did it! I''m so proud of you!" Ash hadn''t been overly sure what their chances were, but Tyrunt''s existing moveset had been utilized carefully, nullifying the inexperience as best as they could, and his immensely powerful jaws had come through in the end. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he caught up with everyone else, or at least in terms of how they would perform in certain, specific situations.

    But for the moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was this milestone. Tyrunt had won his first ever battle.

    Pikachu leapt off of Ash''s shoulder, excited chitters escaping his mouth as he waved his arms. As Ash released Tyrunt and stood up, he watched with a fond expression as Tyrunt soaked up the congratulations offered by the electric mouse and Valiant. As the three celebrated, he looked out over to Nick, who had just finished coaxing his Sandshrew, and was now rummaging for another Poke Ball.

    "Your Sandshrew was pretty good!" Ash called out, hoping the compliment would ease the disappointment of losing. Nick''s Sandshrew had certainly been decent, and likely would have won if they had made a single major slip up. Even with how the battle had gone, Tyrunt certainly hadn''t come out of the bout unscathed, and his naturally powerful jaws were likely the only tool he had that could combat Defense Curl.

    It had been a solid matchup, and Tyrunt had needed to rely on his own, very specific attributes in order to win. Sandshrew''s showing hadn''t been a bad one.

    Thankfully, Nick didn''t seem to have any hard feelings. "Thanks! I''m sure he enjoyed it, he never gets upset about battling, even that one time where the pretty girl with the flashy bow completely humiliated us!" Ash didn''t have context for that memory, but nodded along nonetheless.

    Finally, Nick found the Poke Ball that he was looking for, and enlarged it as he held it out front. "Your Tyrunt''s great! I should''ve warned Sandshrew to watch out for those teeth, but congrats!" As Ash nodded his thanks, the green haired rookie added. "Anyway, I''ll use my trump card for this one. May the best trainer win!"

    A bright flash of light escaped from the Poke Ball, and was soon replaced by a Machop. Ash raised a brow as the Fighting Type smacked it''s fists together on repeat, Nick chuckling at the display.

    "Don''t mind him, just a ritual. He''s been doing it since I caught him."

    Nodding in understanding, Ash spared the widely grinning Machop a few more seconds of attention before crouching down to face Tyrunt, who had just finished up with pikachu and Valiant.

    Observing the hatchling, Ash frowned at the long cut stretched out across the side of his face, and the bloody bruise on his jaw. Tyrunt was smiling, but it was a pained expression, and his breathing was heavy. Quickly taking a cloth out of his backpack to wipe the blood that was leaking from the dinosaur''s cut, Ash placed a hand on his youngest friend''s head while offering him a soft smile.

    "You were amazing out there, Tyrunt. But you deserve a break. Sit back for this next one, okay?"

    Tyrunt''s responding expression was fairly mixed. Ash could see the disappointment in his eyes, but his smile didn''t fade, and the hatchling simply nodded while offering up an understanding chirp.

    For as much as Tyrunt had enjoyed the fight, he seemed to grasp his body''s limits.

    Behind Tyrunt, Valiant placed a hand on his friend''s back, giving him a kind smile, which Tyrunt returned while turning his head to look at the Kirlia.

    Standing upright (and handing the cloth to Valiant) Ash observed the infant for just a few seconds longer before turning back to Nick.

    Tyrunt had a bright future ahead of him, but for now, they had a battle to win.

    As he observed the Machop (who had now ceased his hyperactive behavior and simply stood still with a neutral grin and crossed arms), he ran his mind through the possibilities.

    Nebula and Valiant would probably have an excellent chance at winning, but Ash didn''t want to risk putting Nick at such a huge disadvantage like that. This was a friendly battle, and even if there was money on the line as usual, he did not want to treat it like a "winner takes all" situation. Nick was obviously taking it seriously, and Ash wasn''t planning to go easy on him, but he didn''t want to risk a victory just being because of a type matchup.

    Ash''s hand ran across the Poke Balls on his belt, while also looking down at Pikachu, who stood next to Tyrunt.

    That left Pikachu, Eevee, andˇ­

    Ash''s gaze turned thoughtful as Valiant (who was currently reaching forward to wipe Tyrunt''s cut) observed him.

    His fingers wrapped around one of the Poke Balls, and remained there for a few moments as he stared at Machop.

    Closing his eyes for a moment, Ash wracked his brain before removing the orb from his belt.

    Enlarging the Poke Ball, and holding it out in front of him, Ash''s face turned neutral as Tempest appeared in a flash of light.

    Instinctively, Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt took a step back as the vicious Krabby looked around to take in where he was. Once his gaze landed on Machop, however, his face became coated with hunger, pincers clicking as fast as Pikachu could run.

    "Tempest!" Ash called out to the River Crab Pokemon as Machop sank into a battle stance, the Fighting Type''s expression hardening.

    The water type turned his body just enough for Ash to enter his line of vision, but kept his pincers outstretched in his opponent''s direction as Ash approached him.

    Crouching down, Ash fixed his newest teammate with a neutral expression.

    "This is a competition, it''s okay for you to let loose now." Ash stated evenly, trying to sound authoritative as Tempest responded with a vigorous nod. The boy''s face hardened. "But remember what I said. We need you to cooperate. I want to trust you, and I want them to trust you too." he subtly gestured back towards the others, who were watching the exchange in silence. Looking back at Tempest, he gave a light nod to the Krabby. "So if you want to prove that we can, listen to me in this battle. Show us that you can be a team player, and not just think only for yourself."

    Tempest''s gaze remained hungry, but a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes as he nodded back at his trainer.

    Standing up and backing away, Ash added. "Remember that I''m giving you a chance. And good luck!"

    And with that, Tempest turned to face Machop in full, the two combatants locking eyes.

    A hint of nervousness passed over Nick''s features as he observed the Krabby''s behavior, Tempest slowly clicking away with his pincers while sinking into a fighting stance, almost as if ready to pounce.

    "Heh. This one looks dangerous. I better end this quickly." his voice raised in volume as he called out to his partner. "Machop! Conductive Strike!"

    Nodding in obedience, Machop''s fists became coated in metal, which suddenly erupted in electricity. Ash spoke up quickly.

    "Defend with Metal Claw!"

    Tempest crossed his pincers just as Machop shot forward. The speed of his offense took Ash aback as he observed the exchange.

    The electricity obviously came from Thunder Punch, but the metalˇ­ maybe Bullet Punch? That would explain the speed.

    Machop crashed fist-first into Tempest''s metal-coated pincers, the impact produced by the momentum forcing the water type backwards, although the River Crab Pokemon remained unharmed as he went on the counteroffensive.

    A stream of glowing bubbles slammed into Machop''s torso as the Fighting Type attempted to press his advantage.

    Ash nodded in approval. "Good, now catch him with Vise Grip!"

    With eagerness, Tempest was making his way towards Machop even before the Bubble Beam had stopped firing, his left pincer wide open and ready to chomp down on his target.

    Nick sensed the danger immediately. "Protect yourself with Bullet Punch!"

    One of Machop''s fists became coated with metal once more, the Fighting Type purposely holding it out in the pincer''s path. Nick''s partner squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as Tempest''s powerful grip clenched firmly against the protective metal coating, the exterior shielding Machop''s fist struggling against the painful pressure.

    Much like Tyrunt''s jaw, Tempest''s pincers had a powerful grip to them. That was paying off now.

    Acting quickly, Ash called out. "Water Pulse, with the other pincer!" With Machop trapped in Tempest''s hold, this was their chance to score a hit point-blank.

    Machop''s eyes widened fearfully as Tempest held his other pincer in front of the Fighting Type''s face, the claw opening up to reveal a growing orb of aquatic aura. It was like he had his opponent at gunpoint.

    However, Ash mentally kicked himself upon hearing Nick''s panicked response.

    "Thunder Punch! With the fist he grabbed!"

    ''Damnit!'' thought Ash. How had he not seen this coming?! It was literally the strategy that they had used to beat Tempest in the first place!

    One moment, the fist that Tempest''s pincer was mercilessly clenching down on erupted with electricity. The next instant, Tempest''s eyes bulged in agony as the lightning filled his pincer''s interior.

    As the Krabby screamed, his grip on Machop was immediately lost, the fighting type ignoring the pain in his fist and coating the other in electricity, thrusting a Thunder Punch into Tempest''s stomach.

    The blow certainly hurt, but thankfully didn''t do much more than push Tempest back a few feet, the River Crab pokemon nearly falling backwards before regaining his balance and returning his attention to his opponent.

    Tempest had the durability of a steel type Pokemon, thanks to his Shell Armor ability.

    Nevertheless, the expression in his eyes was still somewhat pained, the pincer still aching from the shock that Machop had pulsed through its insides. Thankfully, it wasn''t a paralyzing Thunder Wave, but it was much more painful.

    Ash made a mental note not to use Vise Grip again in this fight. It had been a mistake that should have been avoided, and wouldn''t be repeated.

    Thankfully, Machop hadn''t come out of the exchange unscathed, either, clutching the sore fist that had been snatched by his opponent''s Vise Grip. Both Pokemon had pain in their gazes as they locked eyes with one another, although Tempest''s expression was still more aggressive as usual.

    Machop snapped out of it at the sound of Nick''s next order. "Bulk Up!"

    Ignoring the aching in his fist, Machop straightened his posture, before raising his arms as his body began to glow in an orange aura. His muscles began to bulge outward, fluctuating several times before settling into a firm position, the orange aura remaining around his body in a more faint glow.

    Machop fixed Tempest with a steady glare, and Ash wondered if Nick had picked up on Tempest''s strong defenses from that last attack.

    Either way, they needed to be the aggressors here.

    "Tempest, Flail!"

    Stretching his pincers outward, Tempest rushed forward towards his target, moving at speeds unexpected for his species as his body began to rotate. Just as Machop attempted to react, a clenched pincer was embedded into his gut. The powerful muscles of Bulk Up cushioned the blow, but the fighting type still found himself keeling over somewhat, staggering backwards.

    "Water Gun!"

    "Injection!"

    Ash perked up in bewilderment at the name of the technique, but as he watched Machop swerve to the side and avoid the jets of water that sprayed from Tempest''s now open pincers, his eyes widened at Machop''s response: Lifting a metal-coated fist, which quickly became engulfed in a purple aura.

    A combination of the blazing fast Bullet Punch and the toxins of Poison Jab.

    "Scald, hurry!" Ash''s voice was somewhat desperate as Machop began to advance forward, just about to spring for Tempest and drive the poisonous fist into his gut.

    Until streams of boiling hot water escaped from the River Crab''s pincers, and Machop''s attack halted as a screech of pain echoed across the arena.

    Tempest had just learned Scald recently, without much time to practice, so the force behind the streams was limited, but they had still disrupted Machop''s movements just enough for the fighting type''s move to fizzle out, as Nick''s eyes widened in surprise.

    They had been on the receiving end of the potent water type move more than once, but now, it was on their side.

    "Water Pulse!" Ash pressed the advantage.

    Machop was bowled over by the impact of the two aquatic orbs that struck him point-blank, launching a few feet backwards before landing on his back, quickly picking himself up as Tempest prepared to advance.

    But Ash called out to Tempest. "Keep him at bay with Bubble Beam!"

    Tempest was a bit frustrated about not charging in for the finish right away, but complied with an irritated grunt, a barrage of bubbles escaping from his pincers and threatening to pelt Machop.

    The fighting type''s head was minimally bruised from the impact from the Water Pulses, but he was forced to ignore the pain and react as quickly as possible, coating his fists in metal and crossing them defensively to intercept the bubble barrage. The force of the bubbles threatened to push him back, slowly making him wobble, but he remained steadfast in face of the onslaught. A few moments later, the fists began to crackle with lightning, the bubbles exploding against the electricity before they could make full contact with their target.

    Ash didn''t waver. "Close the distance, while using Mud Shot. Then Metal Claw!"

    Eyes briefly flashing with joy at finally being able to rush in, Tempest gleefully charged forward, the barrage of bubbles ceasing, only to be replaced by two balls of mud just a few moments later.

    Machop remained mostly unfazed by the attack, even as some of the mud splashed onto his torso and face, but the lightning coating his fists was absorbed by the impact as the Mud Shot crashed into him.

    With the threat of the electricity now removed, Tempest, now right in front of the fighting type, raised his pincer, coating it in metal in preparation for the decisive strike.

    "Low Kick, then Brick Break!" Tempest was startled as Machop''s foot suddenly shot out, the growing metallic coating on his pincer threatening to fade as the River Crab stumbled back.

    Bending his knees, Machop prepared to rush forward, raising an orange glowing fist and leaning in to strike-

    Tempest''s other pincer became coated in metal mere moments after the counterattack had sent him staggering away. Just as Machop lunged in and drove his fist forward, he was struck in the face by the Metal Claw, his head pounding with pain from the feeling of solid, metal coating slamming into his face, and crying out briefly as the force violently pushed him away. Knocked cleanly off of his feet, the fighting type landed on his back, briefly attempting to raise his head and shoulders before collapsing backwards again. A large gash was left on his face from the attack, which Ash was briefly able to see from his attempt to pick himself up.

    For the moments of silence that followed, Machop remained motionless as Tempest loomed over his fallen opponent, pincers raised and clicking as if daring his adversary to get up.

    Then Nick''s partner disappeared in a flash of crimson light.

    The River Crab''s eyes blinked a few times, before they filled with triumph. Pincers were raised towards the sky as a victorious battle cry was sent echoing across the arena.

    Ash''s eyes lit up, pumping an arm down as his face burst into a grin. "Congrats, Tempest, you won!" He wasn''t sure if the water type could hear him, however, and watched with some bewilderment as the crab-like creature seemingly danced across the arena, occasionally letting jets of water loose into the air. As Tempest relished in his success, Ash''s attention turned behind him, to Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt.

    Their expressions were fairly neutral, and although they seemed pleased that their side had won, Ash had taken note that there hadn''t been any cheering or encouragement during this portion of the battle.

    Nick''s face was dumbfounded for a moment, but eventually returned to its usual grin as he made his way towards Ash''s group (going along the perimeter of the arena in hopes of staying out of Tempest''s way).

    His voice caught Ash''s attention as he approached. "Whoa, that was something else! It was like we didn''t even stand a chance!" he shuffled his feet in embarrassment as he stopped in front of the other trainer. "Heh, maybe I wasn''t ready to challenge you. That Krabby of yours was crazy."

    Ash''s face formed into an uneasy grin. "Ha, thanksˇ­ he wasn''t an easy capture, I can say that."

    "Well, that makes me feel better!" The green haired rookie responded, face and tone surprisingly chipper for somebody who had just lost (although Ash appreciated the good sportsmanship). Taking out a Pokedex with a fiery orange aesthetic that perfectly matched his outfit, he began scrolling through the touchscreen. "Welp, I owe you some winnings, right?"

    Nodding, Ash took out his own Pokedex and accepted the payment with thanks. As the two tucked the devices away, Nick''s arm extended out in front of Ash, who accepted the handshake. As the two separated, he offered Ash a friendly wave. "Anyway, I gotta drop my buddies off at the counter. See ya around!" Before Ash could get another in, he was left somewhat bewildered as the energetic boy dashed for the door, returning inside with what was practically a flash.

    ''He seems to take everything in stride.'' Ash thought to himself, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. He wasn''t sure if he could keep up with Nick''s behavior if they had interacted long-term, but the other boy had made decent company in the moment.

    Now alone with his team, the boy''s eyes briefly returned to Tempest, who was still celebrating his victory, before looking back at the others. A somewhat unsure expression adorned his features as he watched Pikachu and Valiant observe the Krabby, both of them (especially Valiant) appearing notably doubtful. Tyrunt''s attention was on the door that Nick had gone through, and the smile on the hatchling''s face brightened Ash''s mood a bit, as the Royal Heir Pokemon reminisced about the battle with Sandshrew that he had just won. Looking back at Tempest, Ash inwardly sighed to himself.

    There was no miracle cure, as he was well aware. But as long as he could prevent any further incidents, it shouldn''t be a problem.

    But Ash shook those thoughts away for now, instead making his way towards his youngest team member, crouching down to meet Tyrunt''s eyes as the hatchling noticed his presence.

    "Great job out there again, buddy." Tyrunt hummed with pleasure as Ash''s hand rubbed the top of his head. "I guess we''re not just practicing anymore with you, huh?" the boy chuckled. At Tyrunt''s eager, responding chatter, the rookie nodded affirmatively.

    Tyrunt was still young, but he wouldn''t be a hatchling forever. And he had proved himself today. They had taken the leap, and landed perfectly.

    And looking at Pikachu and Valiant, Ash could tell that they agreed.

    Memories of the egg that Elacia had given him flashed into his mind. He owed her more than ever after this.

    Taking out a Poke Ball, Ash held the orb out in front of his youngest friend with an approving thumbs-up.

    "Well, since it''s all official now, welcome to the team, Tyrunt."

    Tyrunt offered a nod with a happy grunt as he pushed his head against the button. An instant later, a bright flash of white light carried him in.

    Standing upright, Ash smiled fondly at the orb for a few seconds, images of the eager hatchling training at Bill''s place rolling through his mind. With a satisfied grin, he nodded to himself before returning the Poke Ball to his belt.

    Ash glanced at Pikachu and Valiant before returning his attention to Tempest, who was still practically in his own world as he continued to revel in glory. With a light chuckle, Ash commented. "I suppose we can let him indulge for a few more minutesˇ­" he returned his focus back to Pikachu and Valiant, nodding at them. "But after that, we''ll have to leave him and Tyrunt with Nurse Joy, and then go over to the Poke Mart like we planned. You two want to stay out?

    Pikachu''s response was to dash up to Ash''s shoulders, offering him a friendly chirp and a grin.

    Valiant nodded back with a smile of his own. "Lead the way."

    A very brief comment. It would be a long time before the Emotion Pokemon could offer much more than that, but for now, as long as he kept it short and sweet, it wouldn''t be a problem.

    Ash smiled at his companions, Pikachu leaning into his touch as the rookie gently scratched underneath the mouse''s chin. The boy''s gaze lingered on the door that led back inside to the Pokemon Center.

    Saffron was a place of many options for all who set foot in it, and for some, the lack of linearity could be overwhelming.

    But it was also an opportunity. One that encouraged far more preplanning from nearly any trainer who set foot in the famous metropolis. And in the group''s first visit, Ash had made more than just one decision.

    But just as always, the groundwork that had been laid out for the road ahead, no matter how potent, could only be approached with one step at a time. Starting with Vermillion City.

 Thunderous Pressure pt 1

    Gary groaned to himself as he leaned back in his chair, observing the darkening sky from the window of his room as the stars began to come out.

    Studying wasn''t fun, and he found this to be true even if he was good at the subject. The only bad thing about being at the top of your class was how much work it took to get there. It wasn''t the fun kind of work that came from being a Pokemon trainer. Right now, he and the class were still stuck on the academic phase that sucked the enjoyment out of everything.

    What''s more, this would be the last quiz they took as a class before focus shifted to the Qualification Exam. Which meant more studying. The research itself wouldn''t be a problem. In and of itself, he had as much fun reading up on his dream profession as he imagined he would actually practicing it.

    But when it culminated in essays, tests, and the occasional presentation rather than the pulse-pounding excitement of a Gym battle, it was much more demoralizing. Those thrills would be the perfect reward for enduring this for so long. If he hadn''t been so passionate, looking forward to his first Season as much as he was, he imagined his grades would never be this high. Right now, all of his effort was poured into his hopes and desires for the future. Knowing that this slavish work at his desk would eventually culminate in him holding his first Poke Ball, and later Gym badge, and surely the moment where he became the first rookie in history to reach the six-on-six rounds of the Conference.

    Who knows where his upcoming career would take him? Surely Lance''s days were numbered with the Oak boy soon to be on the scene, for as much as the young prodigy respected and acknowledged the Champion for all of his greatness. Or perhaps he could work to surpass even his own grandfather and Professor Rowan in the research field? Those were easily the two most appealing paths to him, not that they were all he could imagine. As long as it had something to do with Pokemon, how could he fail? It didn''t matter what he shot for: A Championship title, the top of the research field, the top of the breeder charts? Hell, even if he completely changed course to become a Top Coordinator on a whim.

    Whatever the aim, if anyone could achieve it, it was Gary Oak.

    And when he finally did reach that goal, it would have been earned. Long before he ever picked up the Pokedex for the first time. Dating all the way back to his first A plus on a test. Soon, all that would be left standing between him and the beginning of his future was the Qualification Exam, and he would conquer it the same way he would conquer the Indigo Plateau: With a level of perfection that only the Oak family was capable of. He could feel his grandfather''s blood surging through his veins just thinking about it, as though it were giving him strength in the face of adversity.

    With the finish line in sight, he would push forward for just a little bit longer. And then finally, at long last, his future would be laid out in front of him. Just waiting to be snatched.

    /

    Ash and his team left Saffron the following morning, sights set on Vermilion just to the south. It was going to be a few days before arrival, as Ash had chosen not to use his bicycle to give himself and his team more time to train and battle.

    Thankfully, the road between Saffron and Vermilion had proven as straightforward as the road between Mt. Moon and Cerulean, which made for smooth travel on foot. In addition to battling other trainers, this also gave the team the opportunity to work on their movesets.

    While at Saffron''s Poke Mart, Ash had purchased four different TMs: Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Hyper Voice, and Fire Fang. Although the collective price was steep, the extensive winning streak that he and his team had held onto after leaving Cerulean had given him plenty of budget, and the fact that the road ahead wasn''t too long made the need for supplies a bit less demanding.

    Pikachu had been given the Thunder Punch TM, which had been a fairly safe and easy addition to the rodent''s moveset. Although Zap Tail and Static Tail had already provided the mouse with close-range electric type options, this move was a much simpler technique to pull off, while still being fairly useful. At this point, Ash found that learning electric type moves was mostly a breeze for his active Starter, who''s usage of Thunderbolt (which hadn''t been fully mastered to maximum power, but was now at a stage where the move would grow stronger alongside Pikachu himself) and Electro Ball, as well as the development of Zap Tail and Static Tail, had left him incredibly proficient with electricity. The fact that the basic knowledge of Thunder Punch had been provided for Pikachu by the TM itself only served to help further that along. He still didn''t have the move mastered right away, but was able to use it with great effectiveness shortly after the TM was distributed to him. Just one practice round had been enough for Ash (and Pikachu) to be satisfied.

    At this point, Ash was confident that any further honing that Thunder Punch needed could be done through battling, meaning that training sessions could focus on developing other moves (although he reminded Pikachu to at least warm up with some of his electric attacks at the beginning of each session just to stay on top of them). Volt Tackle was a move that they could practice on occasion, but at the current level that Pikachu was at, the move was a last resort at best, as the battle with A.J. had explicitly proven. Ash''s main objectives for Pikachu at the moment were the moves Agility and Slam, neither of which would be extensively difficult given what the young mouse currently already knew.

    Agility was another speed based move, and although its psychic properties made it a more complex affair than Quick Attack, Pikachu''s frequent usage of Quick Attack had given him a good amount of pre-existing experience to get started with the move. Ash had Valiant give Pikachu some brief coaching to help assist the young mouse. Currently, Pikachu would not have the move mastered for a while, but was able to use it with adequate effectiveness. He didn''t have the same head start as Thunder Punch, nor could he use it as freely as Quick Attack (Agility was currently a lot more taxing on him, particularly from a mental standpoint), but it would make for a decent trump card when backed into a corner, and would become more natural with practice. For the moment, it was only a matter of getting the psychic aspects of the ability down, and since Double Team was the closest Pikachu had to having experience with such a thing, more tutelage from Valiant would likely be needed in the future.

    Slam, on the other hand, had been a far more easy move to properly get down, and Ash expected it to be a decent addition to Pikachu''s offensive arsenal. In the near future, he would also be having Pikachu practice Electroweb. Ritchie''s usage of the move had intrigued Ash, and he was confident that Pikachu could get a basic understanding of the move without a TM, thanks to his impressive skills and track record with controlling electricity.

    With his starter''s training currently planned out for the near future, Ash also had plans for Nebula. Although she hadn''t received a TM, she was currently working on U-Turn and Air Cutter. U-Turn would provide her with additionally advantageous maneuverability, while Air Cutter (which would take longer) would be a welcome addition to her ranged arsenal, which currently only consisted of Whirlwind and Wind Blast.

    Valiant had also been given the Thunder Punch TM, which Ash felt was a much needed addition to his pre-existing movepool. At the moment, the Kirlia had no attacks that would be viable for close-ranged combat if he was ever forced into an up-close-and-personal affair, which the young rookie intended to fix. Although Valiant didn''t have the benefit of being an electric type pokemon who could naturally learn electric type moves more easily than most others, nor did he already have a varied arsenal of electricity-based moves to give him a good amount of pre-existing experience (both of which were qualities that Pikachu had going for him), his overall effective usage of Thunderbolt had at least given him some experience to work with, and Ash found that he was picking up the move at a satisfying rate, even if Pikachu was inevitably outpacing him. In addition, Valiant had also been given the Fire Punch TM, but Ash planned to focus on that later, simply having Valiant practice the move on occasion.

    Sooner rather than later, he was hoping that Valiant could also start working on the move Psychic, a powerful ranged technique that would be a boon for his offensive arsenal, but first, he wanted to ensure that Valiant had the experience necessary. To accomplish two things at once, he was also having Valiant begin to work on fine-tuning his usage of Light Screen and Reflect. Rather than dividing up the energy that was placed into each technique by manifesting them in the form of cubes, Ash was currently having Valiant work on forming them into a single wall. It wouldn''t provide him with protection from every direction, but it would prove far sturdier, and the goal was for the Kirlia to be able to freely switch between both styles depending on whatever the current situation called for. It was a work in progress, as he wasn''t yet able to pull off the more focused variants of Light Screen and Reflect without putting additional strain on himself, but Ash was satisfied with the Kirlia''s current improvement. The Emotion Pokemon''s constant usage of both techniques had at least given him a fairly great head start, with the main issue being the need to get used to the additional strain, and Ash had faith in his psychic partner in that department. Valiant had long since proven his resilience.

    Valiant''s mobility was also being subject to training, with Ash hoping for the young Kirlia to become more agile as a complement to his new close-ranged moves. Eevee had been more than happy to volunteer in this department, racing her psychic friend each day. Although, with all the times that she had been outrun by Pikachu, Valiant seemed convinced that she was just as happy to be the faster one for once, as she was to help him out.

    Speaking of Eevee, Ash had offered her the Hyper Voice TM, which she had happily accepted. Much like Roar, it was a move that involved the user creating powerful shockwaves with their vocal cords, although Hyper Voice was a more difficult, offensively focused move compared to Roar''s more disruptive properties. Nevertheless, the similarities between the two moves made Tyrunt and the Evolution Pokemon perfect training partners for one another, with Ash occasionally having the hatchling (who would soon no longer be a hatchling) participate in Eevee''s training.

    It was also Ash''s hope that the shared training would give Eevee and Tyrunt a chance to bond further. Given how close the two of them were to Valiant, the young rookie felt that it would be beneficial to give the two them more team building activities together, which the training with Iron Tail and Dragon Tail would also prove helpful with. Thankfully, Tyrunt''s newfound focus on training seemed to have made Eevee progressively view him less as the annoyingly hyperactive baby that she had seen him as in the beginning, although that could partially be because Tyrunt''s participation in each training session had left him more tired out than usual, with less energy left to play around by the end of the day.

    Just the previous night, Ash had (silently) caught sight of Eevee licking a small patch of dirt off of Tyrunt''s face, a sight that had forced him to hide his immense grin.

    Tyrunt had been given the Fire Fang TM, which provided the hatchling with yet another biting based move, along with some additional elemental capabilities. For the moment, the fiery attribute of the technique had not been fully mastered, but the basic knowledge offered by the TM had at least given Tyrunt something to work with, the infant now capable of partially covering his jaws with flames, and his Strong jaw ability, as usual, ensured that the brute force of the technique would be nothing to be trifled with. The Brick Break TM, that Ash had purchased all the way back on the second day of the Season had also been given to Tyrunt, but with the hatchling being significantly less experienced than everybody else, Ash didn''t want to put too much focus on more than one move just yet. For the most part, he was setting things up for later, and planned on having Pikachu help teach Tyrunt the technique when the time came.

    Tempest still had Scald to work on, and Ash was also having the River Crab Pokemon practice Razor Shell and Night Slash, both of which he had already picked up on prior to being caught. As expected of a Pokemon of Tempest''s behavior and interests, the Krabby was incredibly devoted to training, although with the rest of the team still being openly uncomfortable around him (and Tempest not making much of an effort to fix that), Ash had to be careful not to let the battle-lusted water type drag any of his "teammates" into sparring matches. Although no problematic incidents had taken place since ehe stressful night with Tyrunt, the tension between the rest of the team and their newest member had not shown any signs of dying down. Valiant in particular had the most hostile opinion towards the newcomer, but was thankfully unspoken about it, ensuring that Tyrunt would not be alone whenever anywhere near Tempest at all costs. Tyrunt himself, having still not shaken the violent instincts that Ash was hoping to quell sooner rather than later, seemed to bear a notable grudge on the Krabby as well.

    They had seen a fairly decent number of battles with other trainers in the past few days, all of which had ended in victories. Tyrunt and Tempest pulled most of the weight, and overall, the rest of the team didn''t have too much of a problem with that. They were collectively proud of Tyrunt for finally being able to join in on the fun, and hoped Tempest''s generously provided opportunities to indulge himself would help to quell his violent habits, so that he''d be less likely to try and take them out on everybody else.

    Despite his inexperience, Tyrunt''s Strong Jaw ability provided him with a strong, situational advantage over certain opponents, and although Ash wasn''t sure how likely the hatchling would be to defeat any of his teammates, he had reached a point where battling him likely wouldn''t be an effortless affair. In a serious fight, most members of the team would likely have to be wary of his deadly jaws, and his rock/dragon typing had given him a very clear head start in terms of offensive prowess and durability. As an overall package, it was likely that he would definitely be the weakest of the group for at least a little while longer, but his strong points helped to ensure that there would probably be specific circumstances where he wasn''t the least viable, depending on who they were facing.

    Unfortunately, Ash took notice that the more intense of Tyrunt''s battles would still bring out the young hatchling''s violent temper, a reminder of the progress that still needed to be made.

    And so far, Tempest had yet to see a battle where he was in danger of losing, even if some were more challenging than others. His brute strength and Shell Armor ability had consistently proven themselves to be an amazing combination, and the excitement in his eyes only seemed to grow with every battle. And with a Gym battle just over the horizon, it was only growing faster.

    Nevertheless, despite the team being overall accepting of Tyrunt and Tempest currently being in the spotlight, Ash was still sure to give Eevee some time of her own to participate in the battles. Although she had been just as understanding as everybody else, the young rookie had taken note that she was somewhat annoyed by the inconvenience, and therefore made sure to give her some opportunities as well. Over the course of their travels, her usage of Iron Tail had seen incredible improvement, now almost as near-perfect as Pikachu''s. Their latest parrying contest, albeit not a serious sparring match, had ended in a satisfying stalemate.

    In the end, nothing was perfect, but by the time they had reached Vermilion City, the team''s progress had been more than enough to make both themselves and their trainer ecstatic.

    /

    Vermilion City wasn''t quite the sprawling metropolis that Saffron and Celadon were, but was a magnificent sight nonetheless. Built on the shores at the cusp of southeastern Kanto, the city and it''s impressively tall structures acted as the Region''s trading capital, the famed Vermilion Harbor that gave the city it''s reputation seeing extensive activity throughout the year.

    Ash had seen overhead perspectives of the grand harbor on the news before, and even when not in person, the sight of all of the ships coming in and out was a sight to behold, especially with how humongous the harbor was. The boy had certainly heard about how beautiful the waters in Vermilion were, whether it be when it was reflecting the bright sunlight or the alluring moonlight. He was interested in seeing it in person, although maybe it could wait until after the Gym battle.

    Although not to the extent of Cinnabar Island, the city was a huge vacation spot during the spring and summer. Ash had heard talk of the beaches in the area being the highest rated of Kanto''s mainland. The glamorous sights of Vermilion were the perfect compliment to the aquatic nature that the city provided for itself with its seaport status.

    The word "vacation" did not apply to the city''s infamous reputation among trainers, however. Although those who came to Vermilion seeking out the Gym''s Thunder Badge often looked forward to the visual appeal and overall wonderful atmosphere of the city, very few felt the same way towards the trials that stood between them and such a goal.

    <ol>

    <li> Surge, the electric type specialist running the Gym, was one of the most widely feared Gym Leaders to assume the post. Known for his ruthless "might makes right" ideology towards the profession, he was not the kind of Gym Leader that the team had faced up to this point. He was crude, merciless, and a guarantee that Vermilion''s Pokemon Center would seldom be short on business. Based on what Ash knew of the fearsome authority figure (which, admittedly, wasn''t everything), his methods extended into every aspect of his job. Not just his relentless opposition to those hoping to acquire his badge, but his brutal crackdown on criminal activity, which, although not identical to Koga''s, produced similar results. Even the way he mentored his Gym trainers was something that his fearsome nature directly bled into, with those brave enough to study under him subjected to a harsh curriculum with rigid conditions that honed anyone tough enough to brave the harrowing tutelage to end into borderline hardened soldiers.</li>

    </ol>

    Apparently, despite the fear that the Gym promoted, it was actually a very popular choice for those seeking to be a Gym trainer. Ash, Gary, and a handful of classmates had all found the statistics to be contradictory, but according to their teachers, the fear that the masses felt towards LT. Surge had inspired many of the more ambitious of their generation to emulate him, leading to the Gym''s surprising popularity as a trainer school. Not quite matching Saffron''s, but surprisingly rivaling that of Celadon.

    Nevertheless, those with the guts to become Surge''s pupils were in for just as many horror stories as those brave enough to challenge him. Ash had read that the academic side of Vermilion Gym was of a similar feel to the kind of boot camp training that soldiers went through in the League. Not too many specifics were given, but it was no wonder that those who studied under the mighty Gym Leader and saw it through to the end were as tough as they were. From what he knew, Surge was borderline worshipped by the students of his Gym, many of whom had adopted his ideology in at least some form.

    Ash wasn''t entirely sure if he and his team were ready for this Gym, but at this point, it was too late to turn back. They needed to embrace the challenge.

    A grinning Pikachu perched firmly on the rookie''s shoulder let out a joyful squeal as the duo approached the gate. They had arrived roughly a half hour past noon, meaning that a late lunch would be in store for them once Nurse Joy and her staff were done with the team''s check-up. Although the first signs of hunger were beginning to manifest in him, Ash was willing to wait it out long enough to eat together with his team, as tempting as it was to go grab a bite at the cafeteria while Nurse Joy looked them over.

    He knew there wasn''t necessarily anything wrong with eating while he waited, but given that his team was probably hungry as well, it didn''t really feel fair to him. Thankfully, it shouldn''t be too long of a wait, since everybody was in good shape at the moment.

    Passing through the gates, Ash and Pikachu took in the sights of the city, the moisture from the ocean carried by a comfortable breeze that brushed against their faces.

    ''Misty would have liked it here.'' the boy thought to himself. The thought of his orange-haired friend (or was that rival now?) brought back memories of his time in Cerulean, another city located near the coast.

    The sound of rumbling brought his attention to Pikachu, the rookie turning to look at his starter Pokemon, still perched on his shoulder. He offered the mouse a gentle smile while scratching him under the chin (much to Pikachu''s pleasure) and reassuring him.

    "We''ll hurry on over." he said. "Sooner we get to the Center to get you and the others checked out, the sooner we eat."

    Pikachu made no objections, and after Ash got out the bicycle, the electric type rode comfortably in the basket as the duo zipped down the sidewalk. It would normally be Tyrunt''s spot, but the young hatchling was grown enough to be put in a Poke Ball now, as long as it wasn''t too extensive. He was approaching the cusp of no longer being a baby, and once a couple of weeks passed, he would simply be a child.

    /

    The automatic doors to Vermillion''s Pokemon Center opened up, Ash and Pikachu welcoming the luxurious blast of air conditioning that awaited two of them as they stepped inside. Ash''s eyes picked out a couple of kids his age (one boy and one girl handing their Poke Balls to Nurse Joy at the front desk at the end of the line. Just as he took his spot behind a teenage boy in the back, the two kids said goodbye to the pink-haired woman before turning around and heading for the doors, talking amongst each other.

    "That battle was no fair!" he heard the boy saying as the duo passed by. "I barely had a chance to do anything!"

    "And you remember those stupid insults he threw at us?!" the girl responded. "Why is a jerk like him even allowed to be Gym Leader?!"

    Ash felt a small drop of sweat forming on his face as he winced at the conversation, which he didn''t hear any more of after the automatic doors closed behind the two trainers. It wasn''t the best thing for him to overhear mere moments after walking inˇ­

    The boy felt a knot in his stomach as the thought of soon heading to Vermilion''s Gym flashed through his mind. A nagging part of him in the back of his mind was wishing that he had just gone to Celadon. That he had saved Vermilion for a later dateˇ­

    But the boy rapidly shook his head. No. it was too late to think about that now. He had made his choice, and the team had agreed to it. They wouldn''t go back on that decision.

    "Thinking about the Gym Leader?" Ash was pulled from his thoughts as he and Pikachu looked up at the teenaged boy in front of them, who gave them an uneasy smile.

    Ash found himself chuckling a bit, but doing so just made him even more nervous. "Y-yeahˇ­" he stuttered. On his shoulder, Pikachu seemed to reflect his trainer''s worry.

    The older boy nodded, as if confirming a suspicion. "Makes sense. You can draw pretty much the same conclusions whenever you see somebody your age getting fidgety around here." he turned his attention back to the desk ahead. "Hang tight, kid."

    Ash couldn''t tell if he was being encouraged or teased, so, he opted to remain silent while exchanging nervous glances with his starter.

    /

    As expected, the team''s checkup had not lasted long. Just a little bit after 1:30 PM, Ash had found a table in the cafeteria (which was only moderately crowded) for him and his friends to eat at. While most of his team was seated in a straight line next to one another, chatting on occasion while happily devouring their food, there was one usual exception.

    Tempest was a few feet away in his own space, eating in excited silence while paying the rest of the group no mind. It was always like that during mealtime: with Tempest the lone wolf not associated with anyone.

    Ash''s eyes lingered on the Krabby for a moment. While waiting for the check-up to end, he had called his mother to inform her of their arrival in the city, but had chosen not to bring up the issues that he and the group had run into with their new water type recruit. He had been tempted to, but had opted out of it at the last second. Delia seemed to have picked up on the fact that he wanted to talk to her about something, but he had thankfully gotten her to drop the subject, although given her tone, he wasn''t overly sure if he had convinced her that everything was alright.

    Inwardly shaking his head, Ash reminded himself that no further incidents had taken place as of yet. That was enough for him to be satisfied for now. And with the Gym battle looming just overhead, Tempest would have plenty to indulge himself with.

    Once it seemed like everybody was close to being done (Ash''s spaghetti three quarters of the way eaten), the boy spoke up and got everybody''s attention, prompting the team to lift their heads expectantly to their trainer.

    "Once we''ve given our food some time to settle in, we''ll be doing some light, last-minute trainingˇ­" he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to give himself time before continuing. "And then we''ll be challenging the Gym tomorrow."

    Tempest''s reaction immediately overtook everybody''s attention, the River Crab Pokemon triumphantly letting out a loud grunt, extending a pincer upwards towards the ceiling as if to say "Let''s brawl!"

    The team shot him uneasy looks for a moment while Ash silently chuckled at the display, even if the brief amusement didn''t quell his nervousness. There was no secret to anyone among the group that Tempest was the one who had been looking forward to this battle the most. While everybody else (including Ash) were here out of necessity, Tempest would have been just as eager to take part even if there hadn''t been a badge at stake: His main motivation was simply the fact that Surge was one of the powerful Gym Leaders that Ash had told him about. Of course, the fact that Ash had also informed him of the Conference likely meant that he was interested in the badge too, but there was no overarching goal in mind for the crab-like water type: Just battle.

    Observing the reactions from the rest of the group, Ash could see the nervous features clear as day on everybody''s faces. None were afraid, but everybody knew exactly what kind of battle this would be. Despite everything, however, an obvious hint of anticipation also adorned Pikachu and Tyrunt''s features. Seeing Tyrunt''s expression triggered a feeling of conflict within Ash.

    Should he consider using the hatchling in a fight against Surge of all Gym Leaders? It was no secret that the team''s youngest member had come a long way since they had first gotten started back at Bill''s place in Cerulean, but he still hadn''t caught up to everybody else yet. That didn''t necessarily make it a bad idea, given that Tyrunt''s powerful jaw and natural resistance to electricity would both give him an edge over certain other teammates in this situation, but would that alone be enough?

    ...At the same time, he also had two Pokemon that were naturally vulnerable to electricity, and while Tempest''s amazing defenses gave him a cushion in that department, Nebula ahd no such thing. The Staravia had played a beautiful game against Daisy all the way back at Cerulean, but for everything that she had over Tyrunt, who knows what damage Surge could do to her if she took a direct hit from one of his strongest attacks? Between her and Tyrunt, no matter which option Ash considered, it was risk vs reward.

    "Are you okay?"

    Ash started as Valiant''s voice entered his mind, the boy suddenly realizing that he had been spacing out in his thoughts.

    Sending an apologetic look to his team, Ash continued. "Sorry about that. Just have a lot on my mind. There''s a ton to consider now with a team of six." his face formed into a frown. "I don''t know how many of you I''ll be allowed to choose, but based on our last Gym battle back at Cerulean, I''m assuming at least four of you will be involved." he took a moment for that to sink in, as the six Pokemon began to exchange glances amongst each other. "Either way, this is going to be our toughest battle yet, so we have to rest up as well as possible tonight. I don''t even know if we''re going to winˇ­" he trailed off as he finished.

    He didn''t like the idea of going into battle with that kind of mindset. It was almost like admitting defeat. Or, at best, lowering expectations to avoid disappointment. Was that what Masters do?

    ...They had come here knowing the risks, right? Trying to take the leapˇ­ what was the point of doing that with a borderline defeatist outlook?

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Giving his team another overlook, he could tell that Tempest was definitely planning to win, even if the Krabby was mostly just excited for the battle in general. The thought of overcoming a strong enemy was the one thing that excited their newest team member more than the concept of simply fighting a formidable opponent. There wasn''t a hint of anxiety to be found in the River Crab''s features. Just excitement and borderline bloodlust.

    Valiant gulped for a moment, but then offered his trainer a nod. A small drop of sweat rolled down his face, but he was still doing his best to steel his expression, even if he hadn''t done so completely. Pikachu and Tyrunt were as excited as they were anxious. Both of them loved battling, even if it wasn''t for the same reasons as Tempest.

    Eevee and Nebula were the most uneasy of the group, but still straightened their posture and offered their trainer affirmative looks. Both offered grateful smiles as Pikachu and Valiant respectively seemed to offer brief words of encouragement.

    Most of the team seemed to feel the same way that Ash did. He was worried about what they might face once tomorrow arrived, but at the same timeˇ­

    ...At the end of the day, they had come here to test themselves, right? They could''ve easily gone to Celadon first, but they opted to take the more challenging option.

    Tomorrow, they would all be taking the leapˇ­ right into a massive thundercloud.

    /

    Ash tried to sleep early that night, but despite the way he wanted to feel, the emotions that he couldn''t help but feel refused to stop getting in the way. He was pretty sure that he dozed off about two hours or so later than he had intended too, after tossing and turning too many times to properly keep track of. The thoughts running through his mind distracted him from how comfortable his bed was, and just as much from the taste of his dinner that night.

    Ash had tried to keep the stress of the upcoming trial out of his head for just a little bit the following morning, purposefully picking out the sweetest tasting breakfast items that the Center had available, but no amount of sugar could dismiss the dread plaguing his mind. And it wasn''t helped from the comments that he kept hearing from the occasional passerby, seemingly all of them having something to do with Surge and how strong he was.

    "My starter was fried like a corpse at the end of that fight! She hasn''t lost a battle in the past two weeks!"

    "He used some kind of horse Pokemon against me. The thing wouldn''t stop moving, it was too fast!"

    "That jerk told me I was worthless as a trainer! He said I shouldn''t even be showing my face or lifting a Poke Ball!"

    "His students are so stuck up! They just spent the whole battle hiding behind their big bad leader.

    "Couldn''t he have gone easier on usˇ­"

    The more Ash heard, the more he doubted his choice to come here. Was shaking off the unease really the right thing to do? He felt like he was ignoring a warningˇ­

    But was running away without trying any better?

    ''Ugh, why is my mind so jumbled?!'' he couldn''t take it anymore. He had to find a way to clear his head, and then get to the Gym as fast as he could. Before it stopped being clear.

    Pikachu was the only member of the team out of their Poke Ball when they left the Center to make their way to the Gym. The mouse''s presence on his shoulder gave Ash a soothing, but for whatever reason, the anxiety wouldn''t go away even when in the midst of that sense of comfort.

    It was overarching. A feeling of dread that always hung over him, no matter what emotions he was feeling in the current moment.

    About halfway to the Gym, Ash gave up and sat down on a nearby bench, letting out a loud sigh as his gaze absentmindedly turned skyward.

    Pikachu instinctively left Ash''s shoulder, instead perching next to his trainer as he curiously looked up at the boy. The electric type''s face was adorned by an innocently concerned expression as Ash glanced down at him with an apologetic smile.

    "Sorryˇ­" he gently scratched underneath the mouse''s chin, eliciting a hum from his starter as the rodent''s lips curved up into a smile. "We''ll get going soon, I just need to think."

    The two of them sat beside each other in silence as the action taking place on the street passed by. Passersby walking to what could have been any number of places in the city, vehicles driving along the road with a slight windforce pushing against the duo as they passed, the occasional bird Pokemon flying overhead.

    The activity of civilization wasn''t as peaceful as the wilderness typically was, but it was usually more secure. Knowing that they were within the city limits, back in human society, rather than the uncertainty of the habitats beyond. Ash knew it wasn''t a universal opinion among the trainer community, many of whom preferred the roads outside of the city, and found the forests and other areas to be more serene and comforting. He could understand the point of view, but he never tired of taking a break from all of that.

    Without any real aim, his eyes found themselves fixated on the roof of one of the tall buildings towering overhead, trying to absorb the atmosphere while making an attempt to focus his thoughts on the Gym in a more controlled manner.

    If he walked into that place a nervous wreck, he''d likely freeze up in the middle of the match. He had nearly done so against Brock, back when he and the team had made their first ever attempt at a Gym.

    Ash closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to collect his mind while breathing steadily.

    It was still a Gym battle. They''ve done this twice before, and they were both among the highlights of their journey so far. This wouldn''t be any different. If Surge was too much for them, they''d either train for a rematch, or depart for Celadon and come back when they were ready.

    And if they succeeded, they would walk out of those doors with their third Gym badge.

    It all sounded so simple on paper. Was it really a big deal if they lost? The Season was still less than two months in. Shouldn''t they just focus on trying to win without worrying too much about the possibility of losing? Given their fast progress up until now, they had earned that cushion, hadn''t they?

    That''s what Ash was telling himself. But something else inside of him was saying something different. No matter how much he reminded himself, that anxious gnawing in his mind wouldn''t leave. At best he was just able to force it into the back of his mind, but never banish it entirely.

    The feeling of being nervous seldom followed the perceived rules that existed on paper. It never worked the way that it ideally should, and that''s why it was so hard to get rid of. Ash wondered if he should just accept that, and focus on keeping that unease in the back of his mind, away from the forefront. If it was the best that he could do, then it would get him nowhere to try and go any further. He''d just be constantly reminding himself of the annoying feeling that he was trying to get rid of.

    ''We have plenty of chances.'' he thought to himself. ''Worst case scenario, today is a test for us.''

    A lot of fellow rookies have been talking about their experiences with Surge, even if Ash had only been able to overhear bits and pieces of them. But he couldn''t just focus on how nervous those stories made him feel. He already knew that they were in for a brutal battle, and so did his team. They needed to look beyond that, and fight this battle for themselves.

    Looking over to Pikachu, Ash couldn''t help but wonder what thoughts were running through his starter''s mind. Prior to leaving, he had already asked his team how they were feeling, and for the most part, it seemed like they were ready to go, but while Pikachu was still out, he might as wellˇ­

    "You''re ready for this, right Pikachu?" His tone wasn''t encouraging, nor unsure. He was just looking for confirmation.

    Light sparks came from Pikachu''s cheeks as he nodded. His smile wasn''t overly cheerful, but it was genuine. Perhaps he had taken the time to try and think things over himself.

    Ash just smiled back at his starter, reaching out to rub the top of the mouse''s head.

    /

    The Gym was probably the largest of the three they had come across so far, at least based on the exterior. A combination of silver and orange adorned the massive building''s outer appearance, a massive lightning bolt painted in the upper-middle area, stopping at the large Poke Ball logo that signaled that this building was a Gym.

    With Pikachu back on his trainer''s shoulder, he and Ash took the time to gaze upwards at the building''s symbols. As expected, every Gym gave off a fairly overwhelming presence, although Ash wondered if that was just because of the status of the building. After all, the Cerulean Gym, if not for the fact that it was also where trainers tried to earn the Cascade Badge, would''ve just been a place for entertainment, where Misty''s sisters performed their shows in front of fans.

    This Gym had no such double-purpose, however. It was solely a Gym, where the students studied, and the man running the show struck fear in the hearts of the opposition.

    But Ash only kept that in the back of his mind as he made his way through the automatic doors.

    The lobby was huge, the walls a metallic shade of silver, and a few doors on each side likely leading to different areas. The floor consisted of seemingly golden tiles, a few couches in the middle of the room surrounding a large coffee table. A few cushioned chairs were in different areas of the room as well, and Ash could see a few kids seemingly about two to three years older than him (Gym trainers, he presumed), seated near a large flatscreen that displayed some kind of sports show that he wasn''t overly familiar with.

    Ash couldn''t help but pause as he entered the massive room, and Pikachu seemed to have similar ideas, letting out an awed noise from his throat as the electric mouse''s head turned in each direction to take in the sight. Ash hadn''t expected the lobby to be this much bigger than what they were used to, although perhaps that was foolish of him in retrospect.

    Ash and Pikachu could feel a few eyes finding their way to them as the young rookie slowly walked through the lobby, gradually looking around to absorb his surroundings before arriving at the front desk.

    A teenage boy with a fairly muscular frame and a set of headphones on his neck sat at a desktop, fingers near the keyboard as he glanced up from whatever he was doing to see Ash''s arrival. His eyes formed into a minor scowl as he addressed the younger boy with a curt nod.

    "Challenger?" he asked simply. His tone of voice was rather rough, dismissive, even.

    Trying to ignore the less than welcoming greeting, Ash nodded back at him. "Yes, I am."

    Fingers having their way with the keyboard, the teenager responded. "Pokedex." fairly familiar with this routine by now, Ash handed the crimson device to the older boy, who took hold of it in a firm grip before inserting it into the nearby slot. As Ash''s information showed up on the computer, he continued typing while addressing the boy. "Let''s seeˇ­ your name is Ash Ketchum, you started in Pallet Town, and have two badges at the momentˇ­" This was definitely routine for him.

    "Yes." Ash nodded.

    Nodding back, the boy responded with a simple "Got it." not quite losing his dismissive tone. Quickly putting on the headphones, he pressed the intercom button. "Hey boss, another victim for the emergency room."

    Ash couldn''t stop himself from flinching at that. The older boy''s delivery had been soˇ­ definitive. As though his manner of speaking was just going through the motions. Still on his shoulder, Pikachu was having a similar reaction, although the duo returned to their normal expressions as quickly as they could.

    ''Back of your mind, Ash.'' the rookie reminded himself. ''No more than that.''

    The teenager nodded along with whatever he was being told for a few moments, before simply saying "Yes, sir." before promptly removing his headphones and looking back up at Ash and Pikachu. "Alright, you''re registered. You''ll be escorted in a few minutes."

    After taking his Pokedex back, Ash moved away from the counter, sparing a glance a the nearby door that would likely take him to the battlefield.

    "Alright, I''ll have to return you for now." Ash prodded his starter''s side to get his attention. "Next time you come out, it''ll be in the battle."

    Pikachu seemed a bit disappointed, but nonetheless nodded, leaping off of Ash''s shoulder and onto a nearby cushioned chair so that his trainer could return him more easily.

    As Pikachu disappeared into the Poke Ball, a mild emptiness overtook Ash. He was okay with being alone, but it wasn''t fun during times like this. Not just this particular Gym, but any Gym. At least he and Pikachu could share in the pressure of the upcoming high-stakes battle.

    Nevertheless, brushing his hand against the Poke Balls on his belt still made him feel more secure.

    Ash took a seat on the cushioned chair to await the upcoming match, only for the door to seemingly open mere moments after he had sat down.

    The tall girl who made her way into the room had magenta hair that fell just beneath her shoulders, and sharp blue eyes that held an intense, almost battle-hardened gaze. Her frame was muscular and lean, and she looked like she was probably four years older than Ash. Maybe even five.

    "Ketchum?" her professional tone addressed the boy as she spotted him sitting on the chair.

    "Yes." he said hurriedly before standing up. Making his way to the girl, he realized that she was at least a head taller than him, having to incline his head upwards to lock gazes with her as she looked down at him with crossed arms.

    The difference in height, coupled with her fierce expression, made Ash feel quite small and defenseless.

    The older girl looked him over with a sense of analytical scrutiny that added to the discomfort. She was silent for a few moments before speaking up again.

    "Hmph. Yet another challenger who looks fresh out of their training pants." her lips mildly curved upward, but only barely. "What makes you so different from everyone else who''s come in this week?"

    Ash''s gaze sharpened as he dared to respond.

    "Take that back." he did his best to growl.

    The girl brought a hand up to her chin, knuckles just barely brushing the bottom. "Heh, take what back? Around here the name of the game is to stick to your assertions until proven wrong. I''d keep that in mind if your plan is to survive."

    Ash felt the bead of sweat forming on his cheek, but didn''t wipe it off as she gestured to the door. Maybe if he didn''t bring attention to it she wouldn''t notice.

    "The battlefield is through here." she announced. "Walk fast enough to keep up."

    She said nothing more as she opened the door back up and made her way through. Ash hurriedly followed her into the hallway laid out ahead, suddenly feeling the need to slip into a speed walk moments later as he took note of her pace. Not even the walk to the battlefield was casual.

    The hallway that the door took them through was a straightforward corridor, dimly lit with walls a slightly dark shade of blue. Even with the faster-than-normal pace that Ash and the girl were walking at, it seemed to go on forever.

    Finally, she stopped in front of the door at the end of the path. With her hand clenching the doorknob, she turned to face the young rookie as he stopped in front of her.

    "Here''s your stop, kid." Before Ash could move, she pulled the door open while reaching her other arm behind him,roughly shoving him forward. The boy nearly lost his footing as he stumbled into the humongous room.

    Unlike the previous two Gyms, this battlefield didn''t seem to have a theme. No rocky terrain, no massive pool. Just a long, wide stretch of hard floors, a dark tan in color. Like most arenas, a giant Poke Ball logo was located in the middle.

    Also catching Ash''s eye was the massive set of bleachers on either side of the room, towering above and overlooking the battlefield. On each side, he could see a decent number of Gym trainers, varying in age, seated on the bleachers. Many of them immediately locked their gazes onto him, as if targeting him, but just as many seemed to be chatting amongst themselves.

    Ash could hear the teenaged girl who brought him here approaching him from behind, but his attention was immediately directed to the sudden voice that spoke out.

    "So then, you''re my new prey."

    Ash''s gaze immediately shifted to the figure approaching him, and his blood suddenly froze.

    The man''s height dwarfed the boy, who suddenly found himself staring at a humanoid mountain made up of endless muscle. He wore a green outfit that resembled a military uniform, and his dark blonde hair stood up in spikes as his eyes stared down at the beginner with an almost predatory expression, like a Pidgeot scanning the forest and fields for their next meal. Or even snack.

    Ash tried to lock eyes with the man, but found his brain practically shutting down as the Gym Leader''s gaze pierced cleanly through his own like a laser.

    <ol>

    <li> Surge. Leader of the Vermilion Gym, and worst fear to Indigo trainers everywhere.</li>

    </ol>

    The Gym Leader was flanked by two other trainers, one boy and one girl, both of whom seemed to be sizing Ash up with venomous gazes of their own. All of a sudden, the boy could feel what felt like dozens of eyes zeroing in on him from countless directions, as more and more of the trainers sitting on the bleachers noticed his arrival.

    And none of them felt welcoming.

    Feeling his throat lock up, Ash felt the magenta-haired girl who brought him here place a rough hand on his shoulder. The contact did not feel like it was of comforting intent, and he almost winced as her fingers tightly clenched around him.

    "I''ve brought the challenger, sir." Her voice was professional, routine, and with the tone of somebody bringing a prisoner to their execution.

    Surge nodded affirmatively. "Yes, good." he brought a massive arm upwards, pointing a thumb over his gigantic shoulder. "Go join your classmates on the bleachers. We''re going to get started soon." His voice had to have been the most authoritative that Ash had heard so far, with a deep and booming tone, even when he wasn''t raising the volume.

    Ash''s shoulder was given immediate relief as she lifted her arm up to salute, before walking past them and to the seats. The boy''s posture stiffened as Surge''s attention became focused solely on him, as the rookie did the best to meet the fierce Gym Leader''s eyes. He felt his face evening out as their gazes locked again.

    ''Back of your mind.'' Ash thought to himself again.

    Surge crossed his arms in front of his chest as he stared the rookie down.

    "Soˇ­ you''re the latest hotshot who wandered in here for a bloodbath." he stated blatantly, his sentence presented as a fact.

    Ash felt another cold sensation rushing through his blood, but thankfully stopped himself from wincing as he responded.

    "I''ve come to earn your badge in a battle." he did his best to frame his own sentence as a fact, too.

    Surge wasn''t fazed, however, his lips curving upwards into a cruelly accusatory smirk.

    "Your eyes have about as much uncertainty as an infant Growlithe stumbling into a Dragonite''s nesting grounds." he voiced crudely. "About how many first-timers do you think we''ve got saying a sentence like that?"

    Ash grimaced at that, doing his best to glare at the massive man. He could feel his heart hammering as the electric specialist leered down at him.

    "No matter what you say, I''m here to challenge you."

    Surge''s chuckle bordered on sinister as he considered Ash''s words. "Very well then. We''ll see if you live long enough to regret it." paying the boy no further mind, he turned around to address the students on the bleachers, as the two trainers behind him walked off to find seats and spectate the battle. "Listen up, glorified chumps!" His raised voice was as though a clap of thunder had emanated from his vocal cords, all eyes in the room immediately locking onto his figure the moment his voice was heard. "A new challenger has graced this Gym to be flattened by the intensity of a true contest of prowess!"

    The applause that erupted from the onlooking students wasn''t one of cheer. It was more like a battlecry. Ash finally took note of just how many students were in the room, with both sets of bleachers probably ranging from a quarter to half full each.

    It was fairly common practice for Gym Leaders who took in students to have their Gym trainers act as an audience for their battles, but it was rare for literally every student to be present at once. Was this nearly everyone who studied under Surge''s Gym? Or was the academic side of this place really that big?

    As Surge walked off to the other side of the arena without a word, Ash made his way to his own position. The feeling of all of the students staring him down permeated through the air he breathed. It was like a miniature stadium.

    He felt his breath lock up again, but immediately shook it off as his attention was brought back to Surge, who was closing in on his own spot at the other side.

    A teenage girl with long, brown hair stood at the referee post in front of one of the bleacher sets. Her arms were crossed with confidence as her voice boomed across the room.

    It wasn''t nearly as overwhelming as Surge''s stormy tone, but it nonetheless carried an authoritative aura that felt as though she had rehearsed for half her life.

    "The Gym battle between our Leader, LT. Surge, and our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, will now commence!" Ash compulsively ran his hands across the Poke Balls on his belt as she continued. "The battle will be five-on-five, with each side permitted to substitute at their leisure. The match will be decided when all Pokemon on either team have been eliminated, or if the challenger surrenders." She raised the arm that was closest to Ash''s direction. "The challenger will now select which Pokemon he will use!"

    A small monitor lowered from the ceiling until it was in front of Ash''s face. Familiar with this routine, the boy saw all six of his teammates on the touchscreen.

    Select five Pokemon

    A sense of realization overtook Ash as he realized this would be the first time he entered a Gym battle without being able to use all his teammates. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, attempting to tune out the series of chatter echoing across the room.

    If it was this noticeable in the Gym, with only two sets of bleachers that weren''t even full, only extended high enough to almost approach the ceiling, just how intense was it in the legendarily enormous Indigo Stadium, where thousands of spectators towered over the arena and the contestants from every single direction?

    Opening his eyes, he zeroed in on the screen, raising his fingers to begin his selection.

    Without much thinking, he quickly tapped the pictures of Pikachu and Valiant, and proceeded to tap the picture of Tempest not too long after.

    Pikachu would be fighting fire with fire, being an electric type Pokemon in an electric based Gym. It certainly didn''t give Ash an advantage, but his starter was a fairly safe pick. The same could be said for Valiant, who had no vulnerability to electricity, and who''s versatility and quick thinking would be as useful as Pikachu''s swift movement.

    As for Tempest, he wanted this for himself. Against a Gym Leader of Surge''s caliber (or literally any other Gym leader, for that matter), he was right in his element, and despite his water typing, Ash took solace in knowing that the Shell Armor ability would provide him with a cushion to combat his natural weakness to electricity. Not to mention, his brute strength, relentless tenacity, and ground type Mud Shot move would all prove useful.

    Now with just a couple more picks remaining, Ash''s focus shifted to the remaining three members of his team: Nebula, Eevee, and Tyrunt.

    Of the three, Nebula was indisputably the most capable, yet she was arguably the least suitable team member to be used in this particular battle. Her flight, impressive strength, commendable speed, and incredibly menacing Reckless ability had long since cemented her as an incredibly performing member of the group. Back in Cerulean, Daisy had learned the hard way just how amazing Ash''s feathered friend truly was.

    But she was also the most susceptible to electricity out of everyone on her team. There was no Shell Armor ability to bolster her exterior. And at the moment, she hadn''t been trained to cope with such a weakness, as they were still in the process of honing her abilities.

    Next, there was Eevee. She didn''t share the same weakness that Nebula had, but at the moment, she also wasn''t at the bird''s level yet.

    Nevertheless she had been improving in strides as of late. She no longer lagged behind the team as significantly as she used to. At this point, she was probably at a good enough level to be a safer option.

    Ash tapped Eevee''s picture.

    Now only one pick remained. Ash''s gaze shifted between Nebula and Tyrunt.

    He shouldn''t pick Tyrunt. He was the least experienced member of the team, and overall hadn''t yet reached everyone else''s level.

    And yetˇ­ that was only speaking in a general sense. It didn''t take the specific circumstances into account. He had a natural resistance to electricity, and was the only member of the team who did. But it wasn''t like Surge was going to be using nothing but electric type moves for the whole entire matchˇ­ and yet he would probably still prioritize them if Ash chose Nebula. No doubt he had at least a few moves that would be useful against Tyrunt, but would he have as many as the plethora of lightning-based techniques that Nebula would be flying for her life to avoid?

    Not to mention, his Strong Jaw ability gave him a level of lethality that the others wouldn''t be able to easily match. Coupled with a move like Poison Fang or Fire Fang, it would be especially devastating for whatever Pokemon on Surge''s team that the hatchling could sink his teeth into. Even if he hadn''t mastered either move, he was good enough at them for his usage of both moves to be dangerous.

    But despite that, Nebula was still the faster of the two by a large margin. She could close the distance and avoid attacks with far greater ease.

    And yet, despite Nebula''s superior strength, Ash wouldn''t be surprised if it was safer for Tyrunt to close the distance, and perhaps less punishing for the dinosaur to get hit, given that the amount of electric based moves that that Surge had prepared for Nebula was likely greater than whatever he had to counter Tyrunt. They hadn''t yet reached the point where type matchups noticeably decreased in relevance.

    Tyrunt was still a hatchlingˇ­ but it wouldn''t be too much longer before he wasn''t anymore. And although Nebula had greater offensive prowess overall, especially because of Reckless, and her usage of wind would certainly come in handy, his jaw-based attacks could give them an edge in especially decisive moments.

    Butˇ­ Did that override Nebula''s own advantages?

    Heˇ­ had to choose oneˇ­

    His finger lingered over the touchscreen as he gazed at the two pictures. It almost felt like an eternity.

    Ash could almost feel the stress piling up just from this. He just had to make a choiceˇ­

    Abruptly, his finger pressed against Tyrunt''s picture, and before he had any time to second-guess, or even approve of the choice he had made, the selection was confirmed, and the monitor rose back up to the ceiling.

    Ashˇ­ wasn''t sure if he had made the right choice, but neither Surge nor the referee gave him any time to think it over.

    The moment the monitor began to rise back up, the girl raised both of her arms high into the air. "Gym Leader and challenger alike, release your first Pokemon!"

    Ash felt the weight of a Snorlax on his shoulders as his fingers traced across the Poke Balls on his belt. A few seconds later, he gripped Eevee''s Poke Ball, and released the Evolution Pokemon onto the arena.

    His quadruped friend stepped out of the bright flash of light that had emanated front he action, immediately looking around to take in her surroundings. A small drop of sweat rolled down her face before she angled her head towards Ash.

    "We''re in the Gym." he nodded at her, his voice steady. "You''re the first one up."

    Nodding in understanding, Eevee faced herself forward, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, before focusing her gaze at the massive man on the other end of the arena. She seemed to be somewhat distressed by Surge''s appearance, but that sense of unease manifested into a light glare, rather than a pale face of fear.

    She was ready.

    Surge''s hands were big enough for his Poke Ball to rest on top of his palm for a moment before closing it up and raising his voice to address his audience.

    "Everyone!" the arm holding the Poke Ball raised above his head, his thunderous voice refusing to not be heard. "Allow me to remind you of the routine regarding what becomes of challengers in this Gym!"

    Eevee almost flinched at the Gym leader''s volume, but quickly shook it off as he raised a finger.

    "First, whenever an amateur too small for Vermilion''s world aimlessly wanders onto our turf, we give them the proper greeting with a quick showcase of our strength!" another finger raised. "Second, the trainer will respond to our display with their own example of what they mistakenly believe to be prowess!" Ash''s face tightened into a light glare as a third finger was raised. "Third, their options will be exhausted when their attempts prove fruitless, leaving our side to correct them!" his fingers closed into a fist. "Finally, the battle will continue until the opposition is either smashed to pieces, burnt down to ashes, crushed into road-kill, blown to smithereens, or realizes their helplessness and yields! For that is the punishment that awaits all who dares to set foot in Vermilion Gym!"

    Another series of battle cries sounded off from the audience, the passion in their tones rivaling and even matching that of the Gym Leader himself.

    ''They''ve already written this match''s result in their mindsˇ­'' Ash gritted his teeth at the thought. Surge had announced his victory before even revealing his first teammate. ''But we''re not going to let it be that simple!''

    Holding his clenched fists out in front of him, Ash saw that Eevee shared in his convictions, as the Evolution Pokemon looked back at her trainer with a determined gaze accompanied by a quick nod.

    They''ve come this far by rising above all of the expectations going against them. They wouldn''t let Surge be the one to write their history.

    Surge reared his arm back as he prepared to chuck his Poke Ball. "Now Raichu, let the bloodbath commence!"

    A bright flash of white light revealed a large, orange mouse propped up into the air by the long tail it was sitting on. With the lightning bolt at the end of the tail firmly pressed against the floor, the electric rodent rose a decent bit above the arena, eyes immediately locking onto Eevee. Ash''s eyes widened for a split second as he took in the new arrival.

    Raichuˇ­ Pikachu''s evolved form, and an electric type known for its awesome agility and electrical output. Although they were not the kind of species that inherently promoted fear among the trainer community in the same vein as an Electivire, they were among Indigo''s most potent in terms of fighting styles that prioritized on-foot mobility, and had the power to be deadly despite not being among the list of unrivaled powerhouses like a Dragonite or a Gyarados.

    One thing in particular that made them positively regarded among electric type enthusiasts, however, was their excellent control over their powers, a far cry from how they started out as a Pichu. With how popular that their pre-evolved forms were as pets, Raichu''s relative popularity in the professional training community sometimes felt overshadowed, even if prominent trainers had used them to a decent extent.

    This Raichu was beyond battle-ready, cheeks erupting with sparks before immediately dropping down onto all fours. Its eyes were hardened and full of intent as Eevee returned its even glare.

    "Alright girl," Surge addressed the Raichu, who was apparently female. "You have your prey." the large rodent simply nodded, a small smile curving across her lips as she let out a light grunt. Her cheeks still hadn''t yet stopped sparking.

    The referee raised both arms high into the air before bringing them down. "Andˇ­ BEGIN!"

 Thunderous Pressure pt 2

    Ash knew they couldn''t let Surge draw first blood. "Try to keep your distance for now. Take off with Quick Attack and use Shadow Ball!"

    Eevee wasted no time breaking into a sprint, her four legs carrying her across the arena as Surge looked on with confidently crossed arms. Her speed had seen substantial increases since the battle at the Cerulean Gym, to the point where the only reason Pikachu still notably outclassed her was because of his own gains.

    Raichu tensed up as the ball of distorted aura appeared in Eevee''s jaws, the Evolution Pokemon turning her head to the side to fire the attack off at the electric type, while simultaneously running in a different direction to maintain the distance.

    But the moment the Shadow Ball left Eevee''s mouth, Raichu sprang forward.

    The way she kicked off the floor was astonishing, her four paws carrying her blitzing body across the battlefield at a pace that left Eevee''s eyes widening with a sensation of horror. The Shadow Ball missed its mark, and before Eevee could fire off a Swift, she was struck in her lower side by a tail coated in metal.

    Ash couldn''t stop his mouth from hanging open as Eevee flew across the battlefield, landing with a unceremonious thud as she struggled to her feet, the nasty bruise left behind by the Iron Tail aching.

    That one display of speedˇ­ was that even faster than Pikachu? He supposed it made sense given that Raichu was his starter''s evolved form, butˇ­ to see it in action.

    Realizing that they were already on the back foot the moment the battle began, Ash called out to Eevee just as Raichu kicked off the floor once again, her arm beginning to glow orange.

    "Hyper Voice!"

    Eevee turned to face her opponent as quickly as she could, but to her shock, the electric mouse was already on top of her the moment her mouth opened to let the attack loose. Shockwaves erupted from Eevee''s throat as she hollered out at the top of her lungs, attempting to push back against Raichu''s sheer momentum.

    But that momentum was already beyond stopping, and although Raichu mildly gritted her teeth at the newfound resistance that the Hyper Voice presented her with, her legs pressed against the floor as she pushed her way through the shockwaves and closed in on her prey.

    Yelping in desperation, Eevee rolled to the side as her opponent''s fist collided with the floor where she had previously stood. Shooting back up not even a second later, the Evolution Pokemon coated her tail in metal, swinging it out to catch the orange mouse in the side for a direct hit.

    But her strike instead collided with Raichu''s tail, coated in metal once again as Eevee snarled through clenched teeth, attempting to push back against Raichu''s block. It proved meaningless, however, Raichu''s Iron Tail not budging against her own, as the electric mouse''s tail easily pushed Eevee''s away as though no resistance was being put up at all, launching Ash''s partner several feet across the battlefield.

    Ash watched Raichu chase after Eevee, leaping into the air as Eevee flipped over and landed on all fours, sliding backwards across the arena as her electric type opponent rose above her.

    ''Those reflexesˇ­ that Raichu''s reaction time wasˇ­''

    "Swift!" Ash broke himself out of his thoughts, trying to stay focused aa he hollered out his command.

    The golden stars erupted out of Eevee''s throat, sailing a decent bit faster than they used too. The attacks were sent on a diagonal trajectory straight for their airborne target, only for Raichu''s body to twirl, her tail once again turning metallic as she spun like a top, stretching her Iron Tail outwards as the golden barrage closed in on her.

    The glowing projectiles scattered across the battlefield as the spinning Iron Tail smacked them away without effort, tiny explosions going off across the arena as the deflected stars pelted against the floor, Eevee scrambling away in no particular direction to avoid getting caught up in the onslaught.

    Just as she stopped spinning, Raichu righted herself as she raised her tail into the air. Her cheeks violently crackled with lightning before her tail began to flash even more brightly. Doing a quick, downward flip, she thrust her tail in Eevee''s direction as a bolt of electricity was sent flying for Ash''s partner.

    Just as the lightning left Raichu''s tail, however, Ash''s eyes lit up in recognition as it suddenly took the form of a large net.

    Electroweb. And this one was crackling with near-blinding lightning, and a decent bit larger than the one that Ritchie had used against them before.

    All Ash could do was shout for Eevee to get out of the way, the young quadruped slipping into her top speed as the net of lightning descended upon her. The electricity was almost too bright for her to focus her eyesight properly, but she was thankfully out of the Electroweb''s vicinity just in time for it crash down onto the floor immediately behind her. An eruption of sparks became the backdrop of her retreat as the net exploded upon impact, rather than remaining where it was.

    At the same moment, however, Raichu landed a few meters back, effortlessly catching herself on all fours and breaking into yet another blazing sprint. A second barrage of stars launched by Eevee proved useless as the orange rodent left their trajectory long before they had even approached, flashing into Eevee''s vicinity before making a sharp turn to ram head-first into the young Evolution Pokemon''s ribs. A loud cry echoed across the arena as Raichu''s lightning-fast bulk sent a sensation of agony across her opponent''s body.

    The trainers on the bleachers let out passionate cheers as the quadruped was launched into the barriers nearby, combating the aches felt all across her body while struggling to pick herself up with a snarl. As she did, Raichu stalked towards her on all fours, gaze predatory as her cheeks continued to crackle.

    Ash grinded his teeth, heart hammering in his chest. Eevee was already just about on her last legsˇ­ and Raichu hadn''t received so much as a single scratch as of yet. Any attack that landed seemingly carried the weight of multiple direct hits, and the speed that she operated at, in terms of responding to attacks, delivering attacks, and especially moving across the battlefield, was unmatchable.

    Looking over to Surge, Ash realized that he hadn''t given a single command yet. The titan-sized Gym Leader just stood still, giant arms crossed firmly against his chest as his powerful gaze stretched across the arena, not offering his partner any input as she raised her tail high into the air, still slowly making her way towards Eevee.

    With his quadruped friend almost at her feet, back to the barriers at the far side of the battlefield, Ash cupped his hands. "Eevee, are you okay?"

    Eevee was on her feet now, taking just enough time to yell reassuringly in Ash''s direction despite her light panting, before refocusing her attention on Raichu, darting off to the side in another effort to close the distance. The adrenaline pumping through her body clashed with the exhaustion and pain as she forced herself beyond her body''s limits.

    Just as Raichu responded by picking up the pace of her advance, Ash was already calling out to his partner.

    She still wanted to fight. So they would.

    "Hyper Voice!"

    Eevee ceased her sprinting, but still slid backwards at high speeds as she abruptly turned her body around to take aim at her hotly pursuing adversary. The blast of shockwaves erupted from her throat, only for Raichu to launch herself into the air once more, soaring above the Hyper Voice as the attack began to fizzle out. Eevee''s head inclined upwards to lock eyes with her rising opponent, just in time to see the electricity coating the orange mouse''s body.

    "OUT OF THE WAY! HURRY!" Ash''s panicked warning was all that Eevee needed to hear (assuming she even needed that) just before Raichu curled her body up into a ball, a passionate battlecry escaping the rodent''s mouth as the blinding bolt of golden lightning erupted diagonally downwards in the normal type''s direction.

    Eevee slipped into top speed right away, her adrenaline and panic completely overriding her aches and fatigue. But the Thunderbolt was just as blazing fast as she was, if not more, and no later than an instant or two after she had kicked off the ground, the enormous lightning bolt was already colliding with the floor where she had once stood.

    Eevee was still right next to the explosion that the impact triggered, and found herself howling in a fit of helpless agony as the concussive force slammed into her body without mercy. No longer in control of her movements, she was propelled at least two and a half meters diagonally, before landing on her back and painfully bouncing another couple of feet away, maybe even a few. Even as she landed once more, she continued to slide a few more feet across the floor as she turned around just in time for her opponent to land in front of the large cloud of dust that the attack had left behind.

    A couple meters or so behind Eevee, Ash''s hand began to reach for his belt as he took not eof his friend''s condition. Her knees kept bending, her body refusing to stay upright as the aching sensation shot across her legs, her ribs, and everywhere else. Large bruises and a few bloodied spots outlined her exterior as her gaze dipped slightly to the floor, her desperate attempts to catch her breath bearing little fruit.

    But even as his hand gripped his friend''s Poke Ball, Ash''s eyes widened as Raichu raised her tail, a series of sparks forming into a large ball of lightning.

    As Eevee lifted her head, only somewhat hearing her trainer call out to her, the Electro Ball was launched at just as great a speed as the Thunderbolt had been, colliding with the normal type as a second explosion went off.

    Eevee''s back smashed into the barriers directly in front of Ash, and with his friend''s Poke Ball in hand, the rookie''s face fell as the quadruped slid down onto the floor, head tilting to the side with no signs of consciousness.

    As Raichu turned to walk her way back to her trainer, the referee raised her arms, her authoritative voice stretching across the room for all to hear.

    "Eevee is unable to battle!" she gestured in Surge and Raichu''s direction. "Raichu wins!"

    Ash inwardly drowned out the cheers from the students as he pointed Eevee''s Poke Ball in her direction, dejectedly watching his friend being pulled back into the safety of the orb.

    "Eevee, Iˇ­" what was he supposed to say after a battle like that? Would an apology be enough to make up for such a disheartening experience? But he had nothing else to offer her, and he doubted saying anything else would be any more helpful. "I"mˇ­ sorry. This isn''t your fault."

    Just as he had returned his friend''s Poke Ball to his belt, the familiar booming voice redirected his attention back to Surge.

    "Is that the first impression you were planning to make in my Gym?" As Raichu stopped in front of her trainer, she turned around to face Ash with a confident stare, the massive man taking the time to crouch down and pat her head. "If the only thing to be expected from you is the same fragile desperation as the rest of your fellow beginners, you don''t even deserve to have the thunder Badge in your thoughts." Standing back up, he crossed his arms, the distance between them doing nothing to shield Ash from the impact of his stare. "Your half-assed excuse for a teammate fits right in with their mockery of a trainer."

    Ash''s eyes blazed, his teeth grinding together as the trainers on the bleachers echoed in agreement.

    ''Eevee worked herself to the bone to get to where she is right now. Don''t you dare make fun of her, Surge!''

    But he was pulled out of his thoughts by Surge''s voice yet again.

    "Don''t think I can''t see your face from here!" the Gym Leader''s expression tightened as he raised his fist in front of his chest. "If you can''t work up the courage to voice your thoughts, then you''re nothing but a coward for thinking them in the first place!"

    Biting his lip, Ash continued to angrily stare down the Gym Leader as his hand ran across his belt.

    ''It doesn''t matter who I choose next.'' he silently realized. ''Either way, that Raichu will just outrun and overpower them.'' How do you plan for a battle where you''ll always be at a disadvantage?

    But he had to choose someone. Surge was trying to get them to run away, but he would never disrespect Eevee like that. And he knew Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt wouldn''t, either. And Tempest was going to be determined regardless.

    Surge offered Raichu a nod as the mouse made her way back to the arena, before the duo looked back at Ash expectantly.

    Tempest appeared in front of the boy a few moments later. The Krabby''s eyes lit up with pure ecstasy as he took in their surroundings, pincers mashing together with a starvation for combat.

    "Tempest, we''re at the Gym now." Asha addressed his newest partner as the River Crab hungrily zeroed his gaze on Raichu. "Eevee just got taken out with no trouble. This Gym Leader is dangerous, so be careful-" Ash''s words only served to excite the water type further, as Tempest began dancing in place, the intensity of his battle-hungry glare continuously amplifying as he let out a series of loud grunts in Raichu''s direction.

    The boy frowned, breathing through his nose at the Krabby''s antics. No doubt his warnings would incite more excitement than fear. But he supposed the silver lining was that Tempest wasn''t deterred. He doubted there was going to be an easy way to get over Surge''s team, so they would just have to utilize the water type''s strength and defenses as best they could.

    Without any words for Ash, Surge simply pointed Raichu''s Poke Ball at her back. "Good work girl. Come back for now." Raichu responded with a firm nod as she was pulled back in by a narrow beam of red light. Moments later, Surge had another Poke Ball in hand, a new electric type emerging from the flash.

    The creature was pink and bipedal, with a white mane of wool covering its head and upper body. Ash quickly recognized the creature as a Flaaffy. Another electric type native to Indigo. They were known for evolving into Ampharos, a popular pick among electric type specialists.

    Despite the cute appearance of its species, however, this Flaaffy immediately hardened her expression into a firm glare upon noticing Tempest, who locked eyes with her with glee as he held a pincer out in front of him, lightly shaking it as if to present a challenge.

    Surge smirked bitterly. "Let''s see if you can change my mind in this round." he nodded to Flaaffy. "Otherwise, I''ll be more than happy to let her indulge as well."

    Ash didn''t respond to him, simply returning his attention to Tempest with a thumbs up, as the River Crab turned to look back at him with a nod.

    "I know you have Shell Armor, but keep your guard up anyway." Ash began as Tempest faced forward towards Flaaffy with his pincers still clicking together. "You have Metal Claw to help bolster your defenses further, and Mud Shot will be essential in this fight. Don''t get cocky, but focus on winning, just like you always do." Ash allowed himself a light smile at the Krabby''s affirmative grunt.

    He wouldn''t be describing Tempest as "friendly" any time soon, but his eagerness and convictions were ironically reassuring at a time like this.

    "BEGIN!"

    "Mud Shot!" Ash started quickly. "Close the distance a bit, but not completely."

    Complying immediately, Tempest dashed forward, moving at a surprising speed for his species whilst madly clicking his pincers together. As he neared his target, his pace began to slow, all the while a single, large ball of mud shot out from each pincer.

    As both sets of mud shot towards her, Flaaffy kicked off of the ground, rising into the air as the muddy attack passed by beneath her, leaving a tiny section of the large arena covered in mud. As Tempest''s gaze followed Flaaffy''s rise into the air, pincers clicking together with expectation, the electric type''s mane of wool began to crackle with sparks, as a small sphere of lightning formed between her hands, continuously growing.

    Tempest instinctively crossed his pincers together as his opponent fired off the Electro Ball. Coated in metal, the pincers intercepted the attack, the Krabby firmly pressing his legs against the floor to keep himself upright as he was pushed back by the explosion.

    As Tempest shook off the impact, Flaaffy landed gracefully on the floor, only to kick off the moment she did, shooting forward in the River Crab''s direction as her clenched fist became engulfed in lightning. As she neared her target, she ducked under the barrage of bubbles that Tempest sent her way with his left pincer, before driving her fist straight into his stomach.

    Tempest weezed a bit as the force of her attack violently pushed back against his defenses, a bruise laced with sparks left behind where Flaaffy had struck him as he was pushed back a few feet. In retaliation, his pincers opened up as two orbs of water began to form in them, the abrupt pair of Water Pulses slamming into Flaaffy and blasting her a few feet back.

    Although she was knocked off of her feet by the sudden attack, Flaaffy flipped over in midair, landing cleanly on her feet as she slid backwards across the floor, briefly clutching her front where the Water Pulses had landed as she fixed her opponent with an even glare, which Tempest returned with a far hungrier expression.

    Ash observed the battle thoughtfully. She wasn''t the blazing blur that Raichu was, but Flaaffy moved quickly. Although, as expected, Tempest''s Shell Armor ability seemed to be doing wonders for him, even if they still needed to be on their guard amidst the electricity.

    Surge seemed to take note of that as well, however. "Hmmˇ­ Well, I suppose your Krabby can take a hit better than the last wannabe you sent out." Ash''s face tightened at the comment directed to Eevee as Surge called out to his partner. "Flaaffy, Lightning Meteor!"

    Ash perked up at the name of the technique as Flaaffy''s eyes flashed a bright purple, her mane once again crackling with sparks as a small sphere of pink light formed in front of her. The orb expanded as it rose into the air just above her head, hardening into a large, brightly glowing pink rock.

    Was thisˇ­ Power Gem?

    The next moment, the large rock became engulfed in electricity, before suddenly shattering into several, decently sized pieces that levitated around Flaaffy, all of them completely coated in lightning.

    Ash called out for Tempest to defend himself as the electrified Power Gem shot forward towards the Krabby, but he thankfully didn''t need to, the water type once again coating his pincers in metal and crossing them defensively.

    Some of the electricity splashed over Tempest as the rocks smashed into his crossed pincers, the shockwaves pushing him back with each hit as he struggled to remain steady. Finally, the last rock smashed into him, sending him stumbling backwards and wobbling to maintain his balance as his pincers spread out, no longer protecting the River Crab.

    A vicious smirk spread across Surge''s face as the Gym Leader held out his clenched fist. "Thunderbolt, Flaaffy!"

    "Mud Shot, hurry!" Tempest heard Ash call out.

    Kicking off the floor yet again, Flaaffy rose above the arena as her mane became engulfed in bright, golden electricity, as though it were already made of lightning. The next moment, her body erupted in that electricity, the blast of lightning arcing diagonally downwards in Tempest''s direction.

    Luckily, however, the Krabby regained his balance just in time, and the electrical blast was met with a pair of mud globs that the bolt exploded against. The impact scattered bits of mud across the nearby areas of the arena, some small drops pelting against Tempest, but no electricity hit its mark.

    Neither of them had time to relax, however, Surge already issuing another order as Flaaffy descended to the floor.

    "Double Team and Thunder Punch!"

    The moment Flaaffy landed, she kicked off the floor, shooting forward as the electric type suddenly split into four. Confusion filled Tempest''s eyes as each of the Flaaffy darted off in different directions, closing in to circle around him.

    Ash inwardly grimaced at the sight. Tempest had no way of knowing which one he needed to defend against, and with Flaaffy''s relatively impressive agility, they wouldn''t be able to hit all of them in time. Unless theyˇ­

    "Tempest! Spin around while using Bubble Beam!"

    As his targets surrounded him, Tempest began to rotate his body as fast as he could, endlessly shooting glowing bubbles in every possible direction. Flaaffy and her clones leapt into the air to avoid the initial barrage, only for Tempest to aim his pincers upwards, the bubbles extending into the air. The barrage struck two of Flaaffy''s clones, both of whom immediately fizzled out of existence.

    Surge grumbled in frustration as Flaaffy and her one remaining clone landed on the floor, both kicking off to close in on Tempest. The two of them were both approaching him from opposite directions, and neither he nor Ash still knew which one was the real one, but now they were in a better position.

    "Use Scald, on both of them!"

    Flaaffy''s eyes widened as Tempest stretched his pincers out, steam building up just before he shot a stream of hot water out of each of them. Frantically, the real Flaaffy came to a stop, allowing her clone to fizzle out as she poured all of her energy into hastily erecting a golden cube that encased her from the attack. The Light Screen had been created quickly and inefficiently, with very little time for Flaaffy to react, and the lack of time that she had to form it showed with its lack of strength. Even with all of her efforts being placed into creating the barrier, the cube still rattled as the Scald struck it, the electric type clenching her eyes tightly and straining herself to keep her shield from cracking as the hot steam from the Scald was felt on her skin.

    Now with full knowledge of who the real Flaaffy was, Tempest barreled his way forward, raising his pincers to strike at her without mercy.

    "Night Slash!"

    Tempest''s right pincer opened up in full, the claw progressively becoming engulfed in a blackish-purple aura as he lashed out at the cube. Already strained from the Scald, and not at full power in the first place, the barrier shattered as Tempest''s glowing pincer struck it, leaving Flaaffy''s eyes to shoot open as she stumbled back in disorientation.

    Not wasting any time, Tempest held his other pincer out in front of the electric type, firing off a Mud Shot at point blank. The electric type screamed as she was blasted across the arena, not prepared for the force of the ground type move, her guard down after the destruction of the Light Screen.

    As Flaaffy tumbled across the floor upon landing, Ash pressed his advantage. Did they actually have Surge on the back foot? They could win this if they kept going on the offensive!

    "Move forward, and use Scald!"

    Continuing to advance towards his target, Tempest clicked his pincers together for a moment before firing out two more streams of boiling water, which rocketed towards their target as Flaaffy picked herself up.

    "Thunder Wave, then Shock Tail!"

    To Ash''s disappointment (yet amazement), Flaaffy had already regained her focus enough to counterattack. Pieces of mud clung to her torso as her mane lit up with electricity, firing a condensed beam of lightning into the incoming blasts of water. Upon impact, the the boiling water splashed across the nearby sections of the arena in all directions, and Tempest felt minor jolts of static pelting him as he advanced forward, droplets of the boiling water pelting against his exterior. It was mildly painful, but didn''t slow him down.

    Before Tempest could attack again, Flaaffy kicked off the floor, her tail becoming encased in metal and coated with sparks. Tempest recognized the attack immediately. It was the same kind of move that Pikachu used, just with a different nameˇ­

    As Flaaffy thrust her lightning-filled tail forward, her offense was suddenly met with a metallic pincer, sparks scattering as her Shock Tail and Tempest''s Metal Claw grinded together.

    As Flaaffy snarled through her teeth at the strain of the clash, struggling to push her opponent backwards, Tempest raised his other pincer, opening it in preparation to blast his adversary with another Mud Shot.

    "Confuse Ray!"

    Ash recoiled in horror as Flaaffy''s eyes glowed a deep purple. All he could do was futilely shout for Tempest to get out of the way, but the Krabby''s eyes were already widening as a disorienting sensation filled his brain and spread across his body. With his strength lost, his Metal Claw was easily parried away by the Shock Tail, and as he staggered backwards, Flaaffy spun around the drive the attack into his gut.

    His guard down from the Confuse Ray, Tempest weezed loudly from the pain of the unexpected blow, sliding backwards several feet as Surge pressed on.

    "Now, Thunderbolt!"

    Before Tempest had even stopped sliding, Flaaffy was already in the air, her wool becoming coated in electricity before the bolt of lightning arced downwards to strike him. Ash called out for the Krabby to use Mud Shot, but the water type didn''t regain his bearings in time as the electrical blast engulfed him. The rookie''s partner screamed in agony as the lightning charred his exterior, his eyes and pincers tightly clenched shut as he struggled to combat the pain. Even with his Shell Armor ability, a direct hit from a fully powered Thunderbolt while being thrown off by Confuse Ray wasn''t doing his weakness to electricity any favors.

    As Flaaffy landed on the floor, Tempest panted in frustration as his enraged eyes locked onto the electric type. His skin was covered in burns from the blast, along with a charred bruise on his front where the Shock Tail had struck him. The effects of Confuse Ray had thankfully worn off, but it had already done its job.

    Flaaffy was also bruised on her torso where she had been struck by the Mud Shot, the lingering mud having since evaporated and/or scattered off of her in the midst of the fighting and usage of Thunderbolt. As she fixed Tempest with a far more even and sophisticated glare of her own, she was breathing hard as well, but not to the same extent.

    Ash was about to give Tempest some encouragement when Surge beat him to the punch. "Great work, Flaaffy! Now shut that sucker down with Wild Charge!"

    Ash paled, a startling feeling of minor sickness overtaking him. This might have been even worse than Confuse Rayˇ­

    From what he knew, Wild Charge was a similar move to Volt Tackle. Although he didn''t have the full details on how strong the move was, he knew that it wasn''t as inherently potent, but still dangerous.

    As sparks began to sinisterly dance around Flaaffy''s mane of wool, Ash took action fast. "Defend, Tempest!"

    The lightning filling up Flaaffy''s mane erupted across her body, engulfing her exterior and coating her in a bath of vicious, golden electricity. Outlined within the encasement of lightning, Flaaffy let out a passionate howl before stamping her way towards her target, the ground around her mildly shaking as she blazed for Tempest.

    Fighting back against the fatigue and pain, Tempest struggled to coat his pincers in metal as he crossed them in front of him defensively. He managed to do so just in time for his opponent to ram into him, a loud shockwave spreading across the arena from the impact.

    Both combatants snarled through clenched teeth as they continued to push forward against one another. Tempest''s legs grinded against the floor as he found himself gradually sliding backwards, Flaaffy pushing her feet against the floor with as much force as possible in order to propel herself forward, her arms aching as she pressed them firmly against her opponent''s sturdy, metallic pincers. Both Pokemon felt their muscles threatening to give out from the strain as they continued to fight back, before finally becoming engulfed in a point-blank explosion as the Wild Charge detonated.

    The windforce slammed into the barriers in front of Ash as a large cloud of dust formed from the impact of the blast, the shockwaves spreading the dust and smoke all across the area of the arena where the clash took place.

    Tempest let out a loud growl of pain and frustration as he was forced back by the blast, collapsing backwards about a meter or two in front of his trainer as Flaaffy slid backwards as well. The electric type stopped somewhere past the center of the arena as the smoke gradually began to clear up, hands on her knees as she gasped for air, new bruises covering her body, and red marks on her hands where she had been violently pushing back against the Metal Claw.

    While Flaaffy struggled to straighten herself out, eventually managing with difficulty, Ash found himself letting out an accepting sigh as he observed the fallen water type.

    "Krabby is unable to battle! Flaaffy wins!"

    More cheers from the crowd as Ash silently returned Tempest to his Poke Ball, regathering his thoughts for a moment before giving the orb a sad smile.

    "You did really good, Tempest." he spoke honestly. "Take a rest for now, we''ll keep training later."

    Ash took solace in the fact that out of everyone on the team, Tempest was probably the least likely to take a defeat harshly. That was the bright side of his mindset, the rookie supposed to himself.

    But now they had taken another loss. With only three teammates left, they still had yet to even knock out one of Surge''s five. And Raichu was still unfazed from her fight with Eevee. Regardless of how the battle went, they would need to find a way to get over her if they wanted to win.

    But this battle hadn''t been a total failure, Ash reminded himself as he observed Flaaffy''s condition. She was fairly battered after the bout, and most certainly exhausted. He wasn''t sure if this meant she was no longer in fighting shape, but at the very least she was on her last reserves, if not even beyond that. Tempest had not gone down in vain.

    Surge didn''t seem to be nervous about this, however. Gruffly crossing his arms, he simply stood there, and silently awaited the arrival of Ash''s next teammate.

    Clipping Tempest''s Poke Ball back to his belt, Ash racked his brain for a moment before selecting his next Pokemon. Flaaffy was worn down now, and he wasn''t sure if Surge was going to have her keep fighting or if he was going to immediately switch her out. Just in case, he would pick someone who could overwhelm her quickly.

    Pikachu appeared in front of his trainer on all fours, ears perking up as he took in the sight of the battlefield, and his opponent.

    "Eevee and Tempest are down." Ash''s words caught the young mouse''s attention, although the electric type didn''t take his eyes off of Flaaffy. "Are you ready for this, buddy?"

    As Pikachu silently nodded, Surge''s lips spread upwards at the sight of the rodent.

    "Heh, so the wannabe has even brought his own electric type, eh? Let''s make things interesting thenˇ­" Ash suddenly perked up in realization as Flaaffy was returned to her Poke Ball.

    Raichu reappeared in front of the Gym Leader, eyes widening for a brief moment as she caught sight of Pikachu, who''s face also lit up in surprise.

    ''So that''s his planˇ­'' Ash thought to himself as his first partner curiously stared down his evolved form.

    "Alright Raichu, you can have your fun with this one, but keep your eyes on the prize." As Raichu''s lips shot upwards into a grin, Pikachu looked back at Ash with an expectant gaze.

    Feeling some minor beads of sweat on his face, Ash exchanged a nod with his starter Pokemon.

    "I''m counting on youˇ­" the rookie eyed Raichu carefully. "But be careful. That Raichu is the one who took out Eevee. She''s fast, quick thinking, and incredibly powerful. And since she''s your evolved form and likely knows all about what your species is capable of, I doubt there''s much we can do to surprise her."

    That got Pikachu nodding anxiously, as he felt some sweat of his own building up on his face, but he tensed up in preparation nonetheless.

    Ash frowned. "Speaking of whichˇ­ I know we haven''t mastered Agility yet, but it probably isn''t a good idea to hold back. I''m certain she''s faster than you, so give her everything you''ve got!" His partner''s cheeks sparked in determination at the declaration as Pikachu nodded back in affirmation. They were up against somebody who had the advantage against them in every way possible. There would be no warm up.

    The referee gave the signal. Both combatants acted as their respective trainers gave their orders.

    "Full speed ahead, Pikachu!"

    "It''s all yours, Raichu!"

    Pikachu''s eyes widened, glowing with a blue aura that lightly wrapped around his body, similar to the crimson aura of Nebula''s Reckless ability. A moment later, the young mouse kicked off of the floor, moving at a pace far beyond what even he was used to.

    Agility was a move that utilized psychic energy, rather than physical abilities, to increase the user''s speed for as long as they maintained the technique. Ash wasn''t fully aware of the science behind such a move, but being a psychic type move, he knew that it had something to do with mental prowess. Being new to psychic type moves, Pikachu still needed to polish the technique, but was still able to make enough use of it to receive notable benefits. Especially now, where he was coupling the already exponential boost of his speed with his Quick Attack.

    The downside to the technique was different from that of several other power-up moves, however, as instead of being physically taxing on the user, it would instead take a mental toll on them, exhausting their mind and leaving them mentally tired, rather than straining or fatiguing the rest of their body itself. Sadly, Pikachu wasn''t nearly as well-trained in that department, which made it a risky move to use. He likely couldn''t maintain it for nearly as long as Quick Attack.

    But right now, it was do or die for them, and both of them knew that.

    As Pikachu launched himself forward, darting from side to side as he made his way across the battlefield and towards his evolved form, Raichu shot forward, raising her tail into the air as it became coated in metal.

    Feeling the air pushing against his face from the speed of his sprinting, Pikachu swerved to the side as Raichu approached him. In response, Raichu darted in the opposite direction, both fighters circling back.

    Pikachu''s eyes widened a bit as Raichu began to close distance, the younger mouse quickly making another sharp turn in an attempt to outmaneuver his opponent. In response, Raichu performed an abrupt u-turn, altering her trajectory to line up with her target.

    Pikachu''s heart pounded as he made yet another swerve, both fighters continuing to change direction with the intention of catching the other off guard.

    Unfortunately, one was clearly faster than the other, and even with all of the vigor Pikachu poured into his movements he soon found himself on a collision course with his enemy as Raichu lined herself up with him and closed in.

    A yelping Pikachu halted his sprint, his momentum continuing to slide him forward as Raichu lashed out with her tail.

    Instinctively, Pikachu channeled Brick Break into his fist, taking a swing at the incoming Iron Tail to protect himself. As the two attacks collided, Pikachu felt a sharp pain in his fist as he was sent sliding several meters backwards, thankfully managing to remain upright as Raichu''s body became coated in electricity.

    With a passionate holler, the larger mouse fired the Thunderbolt in pursuit of Ash''s partner, who quickly split into two Pikachu, both darting to the side in different directions as the bolt of lightning struck the floor where they once stood.

    With the dust cloud triggered by the explosion serving as the backdrop for their escape, both Pikachu circled around to line themselves up with Surge''s partner, who looked between the two of them with mild surprise before darting for one of them.

    Pikachu watched as Raichu closed in on his clone, her fist glowing with the orange aura of Brick Break as she cleared the distance at an astonishingly speedy rate, zipping across the battlefield as though she were powered by the engine of a rocket. With his opponent preoccupied, he reactivated Agility, tailing her in hot pursuit as he raised a metallic tail, coated in lightning.

    As Raichu''s Brick Break passed through the clone of Pikachu, which immediately fizzled out of existence, the larger mouse''s eyes widened as she whirled around, just in time to see the real Pikachu closing in on her, the younger mouse leaping into the air to take aim for her head. Even as her momentum carried her backwards, her feet sliding across the floor of the arena, she defensively raised her tail, coating it in metal before lashing out to meet Pikachu''s Zap Tail.

    Sparks flew in all directions as the two attacks made impact, metallic tail grinding against metallic tail as Raichu parried Pikachu''s offense with perfection.

    "Brick Break!" Hearing his trainer''s orders, Pikachu used his momentum to flip his body over as Raichu pushed him away into the air. Firing off a quick, upwards Electro Ball, putting just enough strength into the attack to propel himself forward again, Pikachu launched towards the orange mouse to drive his fist into her gut.

    Only for his Brick Break to strike the air as Raichu sidestepped out of his path, spinning around to catch with an Iron Tail. Pikachu screeched as the metal smashed into his ribs, sending him flying across the battlefield as Raichu grinded her feet against the floor, putting a stop to her backwards momentum to rush forward and pursue her target.

    "Slam!" Pikachu''s ears perked at Ash''s order. Driving an Iron Tail into the floor to break his fall, the young mouse launched himself forward, body once again becoming outlined by the blue aura of Agility as he slipped into Quick Attack. Immediately afterwards, an orange aura began to cover his body, the blue aura of Agility wrapping around it.

    At the same time, however, Raichu''s own body began to take on a deep, orange aura, Pikachu''s evolved form preparing a Slam of her own. As the two closed in on one another, Pikachu let out a loud battle cry as he launched himself forward, striking at his opponent with his full body. Raichu did the same, both combatants ramming into each other''s sides. A shockwave spread across the nearby area as Pikachu felt a burst of pain in his side, his opponent''s attack launching him back into the air as Raichu''s strength and momentum forced him away.

    Tumbling across the floor, Pikachu only had what felt like an instant to pick himself up as Raichu blurred across the arena, blazing towards her target as her fist began to glow orange.

    Pikachu''s body once again became outlined by the aura of Agility. Ash''s starter was already beginning to feel the strain of the technique. Having not yet mastered it, he was meant to only use the move in short bursts, or as a last resort. But against this opponent, it felt as though he needed the technique at all times just to stay in the game.

    But he did everything he could to power through it, launching himself forward at no lesser speeds than he had been running at before. He knew he couldn''t outrun Raichu, so any attempts at dodging her incoming Brick Break would just be delaying the inevitable while consuming even more energy, needing to maintain Agility for even longer in order to even make an attempt at dodging.

    So instead, he met her head on, bathing his Iron Tail in lightning as the two combatants mutually closed the distance. Raichu''s Brick Break slammed into Pikachu''s Zap Tail, and Pikachu could feel the aching sensation rush through his tail as part of the metal coating shattered upon impact. He remained firmly on all fours as the collision sent him sliding backwards, even as his opponent continued her advance.

    ''He''s trying everything he can.'' Even with the overwhelming predicament, Ash couldn''t help but smile at the sight of his first partner''s efforts. No matter how much effort Pikachu put in, Raichu was meeting everything that they had with something better, Pikachu''s upper limits not enough to clear the threshold. Even when he pushed himself past the breaking point, his highest efforts were only able to somewhat approach her speed, but not actually reach it, to say nothing for how much she clearly outclassed him in strength. She certainly cleared the expectations that she carried as his evolved form.

    But perhaps that was just encouraging his friend even more. Was Pikachu viewing it as an invitation to break free of those limits?

    Raichu swerved around as she lined herself up with her opponent, eyes locking onto Pikachu''s from a distance as an orb of lightning formed at the tip of her tail.

    Pikachu heard Ash''s warnings loud and clear, not that he needed them, and quickly tensed himself up to dodge to the side as the Electro Ball grew in size, before his evolved form flipped herself over and hurled it like a record-breaking baseball pitch. The electrical sphere passed by Pikachu as he swerved out of its path, but the young mouse let out a brief yelp of surprise as the sheer windforce from the attack''s travels pushed him off balance.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Taking advantage of the opening, Raichu blitzed forward yet again, and it was all Pikachu could do to catch himself on his front paws, twirling his body around to meet her Brick Break with an Iron Tail. Once again, chunks of metal were chipped off of his tail as he recoiled in pain, the impact launched him off of his paws and into the air, before landing and sliding backwards yet again as his paws grinded against the hard floors to halt his forced momentum.

    "Double Team!" Ignoring the sweat that the stress of the situation was producing on his face, Pikachu sparing forward yet again, once more splitting into two as both he and his copy speedily traversed the arena in separate directions.

    Raichu was not deterred, however, instead slamming an Iron Tail into the floor to propel herself into the air. As Pikachu watched her soar above the battlefield, the larger rodent''s cheeks crackled as her lips formed into a grin. Still in midair, her body began twirling around like a top, her tail lighting up with electricity as a barrage of bullet-like lightning bolts scattered across the arena in all directions.

    Pikachu let out a surprise yelp as he was suddenly forced to swerve from side to side, as the onslaught of lightning rained down on the battlefield, tiny explosions going off wherever they landed. As Pikachu desperately scrambled to avoid the barrage, nearly getting hit on more than one occasion, his copy fizzled out of existence as one of the lightning bullets grazed its body.

    Just as the onslaught subsided, Raichu flipped herself over and charged downwards towards the arena, utilizing Body Slam to speed up her descent. The floor around her seemingly shook as she slammed an Iron Tail downwards to break her fall, before launching herself forward and sprinting for her target. As she advanced, her body took on the familiar orange aura of Slam. Having just finished avoiding the last of the lightning barrage, Pikachu''s eyes widened, crying out in shock just before Raichu rammed her full body into his side. Every corner of Pikachu''s body was overtaken by pain as the bulk of his opponent rocketed into him, her momentum catapulting him across the arena as Ash called his name in desperation.

    Pikachu''s world was upside down as his body sailed through the air at a velocity almost rivaling that of his own running. Trying to maintain his focus, he could see the bleachers rapidly approaching him. Realizing he was going to smash head first into the barriers, Pikachu squeezed his eyes shut, doing everything that he could to ignore the pain in his body as he twirled himself in midair, coating his tail in metal just in time to swing it into the fast approaching barriers.

    The metal coating held up against the impact as Pikachu''s momentum halted, allowing him to collapse onto the floor, paws clenched into fists as he struggled to stay upright. Unable to lift his head, his gaze not straying from the floor, tears began leaking from his eyes as his knees and fists kept him propped up, all the while he gasped for air.

    His body and mind were both equally spent, and the aching sensation wouldn''t go away, a constant reminder of the bruises covering his exterior. As he struggled to raise his head, he saw Raichu several meters away, eyes completely locked onto her prey as she stalked towards him on all fours.

    Ash''s teeth chewed away at his lip as he took in the state of his partner. Nothing they did was working, and nowˇ­

    "That''s what happens when you bring a runt to a gladiator match, kid." Surge''s voice boomed across the arena and into his ears. "A weapon made of plastic will never compare to the real thing, just as a second-rate trainer exists only for the purpose of being crushed under my foot!" His giant hand pointed a finger forward, and even from a distance, it was as though Surge was targeting him with a gun. "Pack up and leave this place at once! Along with your hopeless excuse of a team!"

    Ash''s teeth clenched together at the accusation. He wanted to say "Never." or "We''re not done yet." Butˇ­

    What else could they do?

    Surge and Raichu had taken every ounce of conviction he and his friend could muster, and nothing had bore fruit of it. The Gym Leader still had three Pokemon he hadn''t even revealed yet, and Raichu was essentially unscathed. Even Flaaffy, who had been pushed to her limits by Tempest, still had yet to be eliminated, despite it not being clear if she could still effectively battle.

    What did their side have left? Pikachu had lost his last reserves to Raichu''s strength. Eevee and Tempest were already eliminated. Valiant and Tyrunt were the only others remainingˇ­

    He inwardly frowned at that. Maybe choosing Tyrunt over Nebula really had been a mistake. It was too late to go back on that now, butˇ­

    His fingers found their way to Pikachu''s Poke Ball, pausing for a second before taking the orb in hand.

    "Do you hear what I''m saying, kid?" Ash was broken out of his stupor by Surge''s loud voice. "You should be ashamed you came here! Quit disgracing my Gym and-"

    A loud grunt brought everyone''s attention back to the battlefield. Raichu halted her advance as her eyes narrowed in Pikachu''s direction, the mouse''s body lightly shaking as he further pressed his fists and knees against the floor to push himself up.

    Another grunt escaped the younger mouse''s throat, the electric type now on one foot as he attempted to control his breathing. And thenˇ­

    Pikachu threw his head back and hollered towards the ceiling. Despite the childish pitch, his voice was raw and pure, like a battlecry that echoed across the room. Sparks crackled all across his fur as he lowered his head to lock gazes with Raichu, who was staring at him in mild surprise before he turned his head to look at Ash. Tightly clenching a fist, Ash''s starter nodded to his trainer, the gaze in his eyes a sharp glare as the lightning danced along the exterior of his fur.

    Ash''s expression turned into one of mild astonishment as he took in the electric type''s display. "Pikachuˇ­"

    A few seconds later, a light grin formed on his face as he returned his starter''s Poke Ball to his belt.

    Surge''s face tightened at Pikachu''s actions. "Have all of you not learned enough lessons already?"

    Ash ignored him as the rookie held a fist out in front. It was time they taught Surge a lesson.

    "Alright, Pikachu, we''ll show all of them what we''ve learned right now!" his voice raised in volume as it stretched across the arena. "Double Team again!"

    Despite everything that his body and mind were going through, Pikachu took off sprinting yet again. Although he did not activate Agility, he immediately slipped into Quick Attack and powered through the relentless combo of aches and fatigue. As he did so, his body split into two, a second Pikachu sprinting off in a different direction.

    Raichu reacted once more, kicking off into a sprint of her own. But just moments laterˇ­

    A second clone spawned from Pikachu''s body.

    Ash''s eyes blinked rapidly, the young boy forcing himself to do a double take, and then a triple take.

    Pikachu had never used Double Team to split into three before. Not to spawn two mobile copies of himselfˇ­

    His face split apart into a smile. Pikachu didn''t care if he was at his limit. The pressure of this battle had launched him beyond all of that. Even in the middle of a fight, where he was probably on his last legs, he was creating a new limit for himself.

    Raichu''s eyes widened in surprise just long enough for her to take in the arrival of the latest clone, before shifting into an even glare as she blurred across the battlefield. Now she had three targets to choose from, and only one of them was actually real.

    The three Pikachu all darted off in separate directions, weaving around the arena with expert mobility as they attempted to line themselves up with Raichu, who in turn prepared to launch herself at one of them at any given notice, blazing across the floor to get out of their range and launch an attack of her own.

    It was a game of chess. The pieces were moving at high velocities, a race between Pikachu''s attempts to find an opening, and Raichu''s attempts to guess correctly.

    All four figures bordered on taking the form of blurs as the mice darted around in every direction, legs and paws carrying them across the battlefield in a spectacle of speed and fluidity.

    Finally, Raichu lined herself up with one of her targets, blazing forward to tail them from behind.

    Her orange fist passed right through it, as the clone of Pikachu fizzled out of existence.

    Ash''s eyes widened, determined passion adorning his gaze. She had chosen wrong, and this was their only chance.

    "Now, Pikachu! Use SLAM!"

    Pikachu''s ears jolted upwards as he swerved around to take aim at Raichu. The younger mouse allowed his remaining clone to fizzle out of existence as he poured all of his mental energy into reactivating Agility. All signs of physical and mental fatigue were pushed to the side as his body became outlined by the blue, psychic aura, his body carrying itself forward at a greater speed than he had ever traveled at before. Not even an instant later, he engulfed himself in the deep orange aura of Slam, the blue aura around his body clinging to the orange aura just beneath it.

    Pikachu''s body was like a bullet as he smashed shoulder-first into Raichu''s side, screaming a battlecry that shook the room as much as the shockwaves that spread across the arena from the impact. Raichu''s pained holler traveled along with her body as she was launched across the battlefield, right on a course for the barriers nearing the arena''s left corner.

    Before her face could ram into them, however, the larger mouse flipped herself over in midair, her Iron Tail smashing into the barriers and halting her momentum. Ignoring her aching side, her eyes darted across the arena until her gaze finally landed on Pikachu, who forcibly slowed to a stop to catch his breath, panting for air on all fours as his gaze shifted to the floor.

    Ash''s face formed into a frown. They''d gotten a good hit in, but at this rateˇ­

    An unfazed Surge held a giant fist in front of his chest. "Let it be known, rookie. Anything a Pikachu can even attempt, a Raichu can and will do infinitely better!" Opening his fist back up, he shot his arm forward, finger pointing across the arena as he addressed his partner. "Show them what I mean!"

    Tensing up her muscles, Raichu launched herself off of the barrier, soaring even higher into the air as her battle-hardened gaze remained trained on Pikachu. Her cheeks crackled with lightning, the electricity rolling across her body until she was finally engulfed. Her body became outlined by the lightning storm that coated her fur like a suit of armor, until she finally let out a battle cry that would have drowned out Pikachu''s own like a raindrop falling into the ocean of Vermilion Harbor.

    The attack that escaped from Raichu''s tail was not a bolt of lightning. It was a blast akin to the likes of Hyper Beam, or Solar Beam. Made up completely of electricity.

    He didn''t even have time to holler lout in concern as the giant, blinding beam descended upon the arena. Pikachu''s eyes resembled that of dinner plates as he turned around and bolted forward, the blast striking down the area behind him an instant later. A deafening explosion of electricity erupted from the impact, generating a merciless shockwave that traveled across the arena at an unrivaled pace. Although the barriers shielded all outsiders from the effects, the arena within them shook violently like an earthquake as the lightning poured out onto the floor. Ash''s starter screamed as loudly as his lungs and vocal cords allowed him to muster as the windforce painfully slammed into him from behind, knocking him off his feet and transitioning his momentum into flight as he helplessly sailed through the air.

    Mere moments later, Raichu had landed, kicking off the floor the moment her paws struck it, and blurring towards her target. In what felt like an instant, she was directly under the airborne mouse, metallic tail bathed in lightning.

    SMASH!

    Raichu drove her tail upwards into Pikachu''s back, catapulting him far above the battlefield and towards the top of the bleachers.

    "PIKACHU!"

    The mouse did not hear Ash''s call, and lost consciousness before his body struck the floor.

    The cloud of dust and smoke generated from Raichu''s impossible blast of lightning spread out across the arena, bathing everything in obscurity for what felt like an eternity. Had the barriers not been in place, Ash couldn''t imagine what the smell of the aftermath would be like.

    It probably hadn''t taken that long for everything to clear up enough for the end result to come into view, but for Ash, he couldn''t help but feel as though he had lost track of time.

    Pikachu had landed only a few feet from him, face planted firmly in the floor as Ash''s shaken eyes took in the fallen sight of his partner. The rookie''s face was pale, and he couldn''t prevent his mouth from opening a tiny bit.

    A few meters back, Raichu clutched the part of her side where Pikachu had landed his blow, taking a few moments to catch her breath before straightening out and pressing her fists against her hips. There was no smirk or battle-hardened glare on her face. Just an even gaze.

    Raichu''s attack replayed in his mind. The blinding blast of lightning that would stand side by side with the likes of a Solar Beam or an Overheat. The explosion. Pikachu''s screamingˇ­

    Was thisˇ­ a glimpse of Surge''s true power?

    "Whatˇ­ what was thatˇ­?" Ash''s question escaped his throat involuntarily as Surge crossed his arms, the look on the Gym Leader''s face unflinching.

    "Supercell Cannon."

    The silence only lasted a few seconds longer, as if just enough for the mountainous man to deliver his response.

    "Pikachu is unable to battle! Raichu wins!"

    Once again, Ash tuned out the sound of the crowd''s cheering as he removed Pikachu''s Poke Ball from his belt once more, this time returning his starter.

    "Thank youˇ­" a sad smile adorned his features as Ash spoke to the confined mouse. His voice struggled to remain even. "You are incredible, Pikachu. I''m glad to have you as my starter."

    His face fell as he returned the Poke Ball to his belt, eyes tracing back to the battlefield as the last of the smoke cleared up. Raichu had turned around to head back to Surge.

    Surprisingly, there were no scorch marks on the floor. In fact, the whole battlefield was essentially unscathed, although it immediately made sense to Ash. This arena was most certainly built to be resistant to electricity.

    With absentmindedness, his upper front teeth chewed on his bottom lip.

    Whatˇ­ nowˇ­? Was there anything left they could do after that? What else cloud possibly-

    "You''ve already figured out you''ve lost."

    Ash''s gaze jolted back up to Surge, whose expression sternly bore a whole through the boy''s forehead.

    "W-...What?"

    "That look on your face. It''s not a look that says "I''m going to lose." It''s a look that says "I have lost."" The Gym Leader''s face tightened. "Don''t take my eyesight for granted, kid. Why are you still here?"

    Ash''s breath caught in his throat for a moment, and the young boy couldn''t suppress his gulp as the opposing trainer leered at him across the battlefield. He couldn''t make out Surge''s specific features nearly as well as the opposite seemed to be true, but he felt as though a series of lasers were piercing through his chest, tearing hole after hole into his heartˇ­

    He was hereˇ­ becauseˇ­

    ''We wanted to see if we had a shot at getting the badge. But thisˇ­''

    Another event replayed in his mind. Pikachu hollering towards the heavens in defiance of his imminent defeat. His starter''s consecutive use of Agility, a move that they had not even mastered yet. Using Double Team better than he had ever done before, right in the heat of battleˇ­

    Ash''s face tightened. Pikachu had committed himself to taking the leap, and symbolized that conviction by breaking free of his limits in the middle of the match. Shouldn''t he be following his starter''s example? Did Valiant and Tyrunt feel the same?

    He had to hear it from them.

    "I''m not leaving unless my team wants us to!" Ash fixed Surge with the strongest glare he could muster. "If someone wants to succeed as a trainer, they can''t run from a fight just because they know they''re going to lose!"

    Surge''s laughter was a raw, morbid rumble of thunder as the Gym Leader''s massive fists pressed against his hips.

    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What a farce, kid! You actually think you''ve earned the right to say that!" his expression one of either condescendence or amusement (Ash couldn''t tell from here), the Gym Leader stretched his arm out in a provoking gesture. "Very well, then. If you''re not smart enough to run for the door like at least a few of the others are, then feel free to send out the rest of our prey."

    Ash didn''t respond to that, simply releasing his next teammate, and watching as Valiant materialised in front of him.

    Crouching down to meet his psychic friend''s gaze, Ash did his best to look brave as the two of them locked eyes.

    "We''ve lost." the boy stated, trying to keep his voice even in mild acceptance of Surge''s declaration. "Eevee, Tempest, and Pikachu have all been beaten. We haven''t scored any knockouts for ourselves, although we did wear down his Flaaffy, thanks to Tempest." he pointed forward, prompting the young Kirlia to turn his head in Raichu''s direction. "That Raichu is almost untouchable." as Valiant turned back to Ash, the rookie noted the look of disappointment on the Kirlia''s face. Clearly, the young psychic had gone into thai bout with the hope that they would win. "You''ll... just be getting hurt. Pikachu wanted to keep fighting to challenge himself, but that doesn''t mean you have too."

    A few moments passed by, and Ash noted the brief look of confusion on Valiant''s face. At first he wasn''t sure what was making the Kirlia feel so bewildered, as it didn''t seem to have anything to do with what he had just said.

    The realization hit him eventually, however.

    "Are you trying to talk to me telepathically?" The boy scratched the side of his head as Valiant nodded. "Iˇ­ guess the barriers are preventing that."

    Realization adorned Valiant''s features as the young Emotion Pokemon''s cheeks flushed in embarrassment, before shaking it off and turning around to sink into a battle stance.

    "Youˇ­ still want to fight?"

    Valiant wanted to tell his trainer something along the lines of "I have nothing to lose." or "Let''s wait and see." But with the barriers in place, he had to settle for a simple nod.

    A nervous smile spread across Ash''s face. They had come here to gauge their capabilities, after all. Even after the gap had turned out to be much bigger than expected, Valiant had still chosen to stay true to their mission statement.

    Surge merely grunted, returning Raichu back to her Poke Ball. "Do you understand how it works for a trainer to play their part in battle? It''s true that you don''t have to, and shouldn''t, command your Pokemon for the entire fight, but you do need to guide them. Play a part in strategy by acting as an additional source of judgment. Sometimes it''s not needed, but when it is, leaving everything in their hands isn''t teamwork. Not anymore than it is to make all of the decisions for them. A trainer is only supposed to let their teammates make choices for themselves if they know that the choice isn''t the wrong one."

    Before Ash could respond, Surge took out another Poke Ball, and a new creature emerged. As the Gym Leader''s next Pokemon emerged from the light, Ash and Valiant''s heads tilted at the newcomer''s appearance, and both could hear a few murmurings from the bleachers.

    It was a horse-like creature, like Ponyta, but its body was black, with pointy white stripes. Its white mane stretched into what looked like a lightning bolt at the top of its head.

    ''I''veˇ­ never seen this one beforeˇ­'' the boy inwardly commented on the obvious.

    "This is Blitzle." Surge took note of Ash and Valiant''s expressions as his latest revealed partner scraped his hooves against the floor, fixing the duo with a glare while lowering his head in anticipation. "He and I will show you real coordination, even if it''s not needed to clean this up."

    His expression turning neutral, Ash tilted his head down to his friend.

    "Valiant, you and I will work together too." he smiled as the psychic nodded back at him.

    The odds may have been more than stacked against them now, but the least they could do is walk out of this battle with something to show for it. There was still time to score some knockouts.

    "BEGIN!"

    "Thunder Wave!" Surge didn''t waste any time as Blitzle lowered his head, charging forward while firing off the narrow bolt of lightning, which arced across the arena towards Valiant.

    Valiant rolled to the side, cleanly dodging the attack, but his eyes widened as Blitzle was suddenly upon him just a few moments later.

    ''He''s so fastˇ­'' Ash inwardly commented to himself. Valiant''s agility had improved as of recently, but they still hadn''t been working on it for a while. It didn''t seem like he would be agile enough to keep up with this opponent.

    Blitzle whirled around, his hind legs glowing with a deep, white aura as he thrust them forward in a downwards angle. To the electric type''s surprise, however, Valiant sank into Shadow Sneak, maneuvering under Blitzle''s figure before stopping on the other side.

    This was their chance. "Fire Punch!"

    As Valiant rose out of the shadow, his fist became clenched, flames beginning to build up and surround it. The Kirlia wasn''t very skilled with the move yet, and likely wouldn''t be able to execute a particularly powerful version of the move without taking a lot of time to gather the flames together, but even with just a small amount of fire, they could at least do something.

    Blitzle''s eyes widened in surprise as Valiant rose up in front of his face, with little time to react before the Kirlia socked him in the jaw, the electric type yelping as the flames smashed into him.

    Valiant took a small leap backwards, avoiding Blitzle''s forelegs as the quadruped reared his body back and began kicking at the air, before forming a sphere of pink light between his palms. Moments later, the Dazzling Gleam slammed into Blitzle''s chest, sending him skidding backwards, grinding his hooves into the floor to remain upright.

    "Shock Wave!"

    "Magical Leaf!"

    Successfully halting his backwards momentum, Blitzle let out a howl as another bolt of lightning was fired off of his body. This attack, however, soon widened as it flew towards Valiant, becoming less condensed, but taking up more space. In response, Valiant was already forming the orb of green light in his palms, hollering in defiance as the glowing leaves intercepted the blast. Swaying his body from side to side, Valiant ensured that the leaves were spread out enough to collide with the entirety of the Shock Wave. The move''s grass typing would likely come in handy, hopefully to act as a shield to protect its user form the incoming lightning.

    But as the leaves absorbed the majority of the electricity, Surge was already issuing another order. "Quick Attack!"

    Kicking off the floor the moment he stopped firing, Blitzle charged through the lingering sparks from the shockwave, his form nearly a blur as he slammed head first into Valiant. Unable to react in time, the Emotion Pokemon let out a cry as he was knocked off of his feet, the impact of the collision catapulting him a couple of meters through the air.

    Blitle continued running even after smacking into Valiant, dashing past the psychic''s form as Ash''s friend regained his bearings just in time to land on his feet, before circling around near Surge''s side of the arena, preparing to charge forward again.

    ''Not this time.'' Ash thought to himself. Now that Blitzle was a greater amount of distance away, Valiant had more time to react.

    "Psybeam, Valiant!"

    "Bounce!"

    The rainbow colored blast that Valiant fired off towards his advancing target was deftly avoided as Blitzle''s hooves pressed onto the floor, the electric type launching himself high above the arena while keeping his gaze locked on his psychic adversary.

    Ash inwardly grimaced. They had no way of knowing what kind of moves this Blitzle creature would use. Being a Gym Leader''s Pokemon made him unpredictable enough, but unlike Raichu and Flaaffy, they didn''t even have any predetermined knowledge of the species.

    "Reflect!" As Blitzle came barreling down, prepared to smash his hooves into Valiant''s head, the young psychic reared his body back, angling his view upwards as he held out his hands. A thick wall of glass materialized in front of him, not protecting him from all directions like a cube would, but much more layered and durable.

    Blitzle''s attack met the glass head-on, the electric type''s bodyweight and momentum carrying him forward as he smashed a glowing hoove into Valiant''s barrier. The shockwaves of the impact left Valiant suppressing his pain through clenched teeth as chunks of the barrier scattered nearby.

    "Thunderbolt!" Surge''s voice roared across the arena as Blitzle kicked off of the cracked barrier, angling his body around to fire the bolt of lightning to shatter what was left of Valiant''s defenses, and likely deal some notable damage as well.

    "Teleport out of there!" Ash shouted as quickly as he could. With impressive speed, Valiant shook off the minor disorientation that the disruption of Reflect had triggered, allowing what remained of his barrier to fizzle out of existence before flashing away, reappearing a few meters ahead as Blitzle landed and began to build up speed once more.

    Before his opponent could gain too much momentum, Valiantbegan gathering energy as quickly as his body allowed, before firing off a pink blast in the direction that Bliztle was headed. Spotting the Dazzling Gleam from the corner of his eye, Blitzle whirled around and halted his growing sprint, sliding backwards a bit as a faint, golden cube materialized around him.

    Valiant''s attack smashed into the Light Screen, which wasn''t strong enough to hold up against the offense. It was just enough to block the attack completely, however, but as the golden barrier shattered from the explosion, the shockwaves slammed into Blitzle, leaving him yelping in mild pain as the disoriented electric type was sent sliding backwards further.

    "Shadow Sneak and Fire Punch!"

    Knowing full well that it was still too early for him to rest, Valiant only took just enough time to catch his breath before sinking into the ground, his shadow rapidly traveling across the arena in Blitle''s direction.

    "Use Bounce!"

    It was all for naught, however, as Blitzle launched himself back into the air the moment he regained his bearings, Valiant''s fiery fist striking nothing but empty space as his opponent soared above him.

    Ash didn''t let up, however. Blitzle was likely going to come crashing down to strike Valiant and complete the attack, so they would just have to blast him out of the air before that happened.

    "Dazzling Gleam!"

    "Thunderbolt!"

    Just as Blitzle''s jump reached its peak, a blast of pink light burst out of Valiant''s hands, on a collision course for the electric type. In the same moment, however, sparks began to crackle across Blitzle''s form as he angled his body downwards, a bolt of lightning erupting out of him to intercept the fairy type move.

    The two attacks exploded against each other, the windforce from the shockwaves reaching Valiant as he defensively crossed his arms. The psychic''s eyes widened as a smaller portion of the Thunderbolt broke through, continuing onward and nearly knocking the Emotion Pokemon off of his feet as it slammed into him. The young Kirlia clenched his teeth into a snarl, stumbling backwards as the static assaulted his body, but it thankfully wasn''t nearly as painful as it would have been at full power.

    "Flame Charge!"

    Blitzle landed nearby just in time for Surge''s order. Pounding his hooves into the floor, the electric type let out a battle-hardened holler as his body became coated in fire, his muscles tensing up in preparation to spring forward.

    "Reflect!" Once more, Valiant raised a glass wall in front of his body, but didn''t have as much time to do so as before, Blitzle''s speed carrying him across the battlefield at a breakneck pace before smashing headfirst into the barrier, which was only mostly complete. The Kirlia yelped through clenched teeth as the flames seeped through the cracks of his damaged shield, leaving his arms mildly scorched. Ash''s partner pressed his feet firmly against the floor in an effort to remain steadfast as Blitzle continued his advance, his momentum progressively pushing the psychic back before a final shove sent Valiant sliding a few feet away, just in time for Blitzle''s body to crackle in preparation for another Thunderbolt.

    "Teleport!" Ash repeated his order from before, but the Reflect had suffered greater damage this time, leaving Valiant just shaken enough to be vulnerable. Unable to recover in time to respond to his trainer''s order, Valiant was sent flying backwards as Blitzle''s Thunderbolt shattered the remains of the barrier.

    "Finish it up with Wild Charge!"

    Ash''s eyes widened as Blitzle let out an even more ferocious howl, his body becoming outlined as his own electricity engulfed him. With Valiant off balance from the barrier''s destruction, Surge was trying to end it right here.

    "Valiant, I need you to stay strong!" Encouragement was all that Ash could provide as Blitzle took the opportunity and blazed forward, prepared to smash into Valiant before the psychic could even have a chance to hit the ground.

    But just before the decisive finishing blow could be landed, Valiant''s eyes shot open, flashing as he suddenly vanished from his opponent''s sight.

    Surge''s eyes lit up with frustration as Blitzle passed through the empty space that Valiant had once occupied. "What?!"

    With the electricity fizzling out, Blitzle began shaking his head with mild disorientation, the after effects of Wild Charge making themselves known as Valiant reappeared a few meters behind him.

    But Ash''s relief was short-lived as he noticed his partner sinking to the floor on one knee.

    ''Using Teleport while off focus is impressive, but no doubt it made his own disorientation worse.'' Ash bit his lip. Valiant hadn''t recovered in time to use the move, he had simply powered through and used the move despite not yet recovering. And now he was paying the price for it.

    It was better than being knocked out, but would it save him in the long run?

    "Stomp!"

    Blitzle recovered first, turning around to face his opponent before rushing forward once more. Valiant regained his bearings just in time to see the electric type rearing back on his hindlegs bringing his forelegs down to strike the Kirlia''s head.

    In defiance, Valiant coated both of his fists in fire, raising them up to meet the incoming, glowing hooves. Blitzle clenched his teeth in pain as his legs slammed into the fire, but maintained his momentum nonetheless, forcing Valiant down onto his back as the electric type''s hooves painfully grinded against his fists.

    Valiant could feel his arms giving out as a sharp pain shot across his limbs, feeling as though the bones in his hands might shatter. Just when it seemed like Blitzle was going to crush them, Valiant''s eyes flashed, the young psychic powering through the pain one more time as he and his opponent suddenly became encased in a golden cube. Before Blitzle could even express any surprise, the inside of the cube erupted in electricity, Valiant screaming in pain as he assaulted both his opponent, and himself, with a point-blank Thunderbolt. The electricity violently burned against his skin, his body spasming as the lightning flowed around the inside of the cube, indiscriminately zapping both combatants.

    Ash couldn''t even see the inside of the cube, the lightning obscuring everything from view as Valiant pressed on his assault for as long as his body allowed him. His mind immediately flashed back to the battle against Daisy''s poliwhirl, in the previous Gym battle, where this same exact strategy had been used. It was Valiant''s last resort.

    The thought made Ash grimace, however. Valiant was likely causing more pain to himself than he was to Blitzle. Their opponent would be far more resilient to electricity, so there was little hope that this would end in a victory.

    No doubt Valiant knew that, however. Was he trying to force a draw?

    After a dozen or so seconds that felt like an eternity, the cube finally lowered, leaving both Pokemon obscured by smoke. Surge simply stood still with crossed arms, and Ash suddenly found the Gym Leader''s lack of concern to be worrying.

    Finally, Valiant came into view, and Ash''s heart sank at the sight of his fallen partner. He had already known that the young psychic would not come out of this final attack in a pleasant manner, but actually seeing it with his own eyes was completely different form simply imagining it.

    Blitzle''s hooves firmly pressed the young Kirlia against the floor, Valiant''s skin scorched black in certain areas. The young Emotion Pokemon''s head was tilted to the side, his figure completely still.

    And as if to rub salt on the woundˇ­ Blitzle seemed perfectly unaffected. The electric type was completely upright, as though nothing had happened to him at all. He wasn''t unscathed from the battle itself, but the damage that he had sustained came from the previous attacks. Not the Thunderbolt.

    "Motor Drive." Ash''s attention shifted to Surge as the Gym Leader spoke up. "It''s too bad your friend didn''t know that Blitzle can absorb electricity." the massive man''s grin turned bitter. "It must be quite degrading to watch your comrade fall by his own hand."

    Ashˇ­ couldn''t say anything to that.

    Blitzle sniffed and prodded at Valiant''s body with his snout for a few seconds, before walking a few feet away from his fallen opponent, rearing back his head and letting out a not overly loud, but still victorious, cry into the air.

    "Kirlia is unable to battle!" Blitzle wins!

    Ash ignored the cheering from the audience as he returned his friend.

    "Great job as usual, Valiant. You did everything you could." And he meant that. Valiant had simply used the best strategy available to him at the time, even if the implications of such a tactic still troubled Ash. Unfortunately, neither of them could have accounted for Blitzle having such an ability.

    After clipping Valiant''s Poke Ball back on his belt, Ash took out Tyrunt''s, staring at it with a frown.

    This was itˇ­ the last remaining member of his team.

    No doubt Tyrunt would want to keep fighting. But still, he needed to ask him first.

    "Are we going to be finishing this or not?" Surge''s voice prompted the boy to activated the Poke Ball.

    As Tyrunt stepped out of the flash of light, the audience began to let out somewhat startled murmurs at his appearance.

    Surge''s brow raised at the sight of the dinosaur. "A dragon?! On a rookie''s team?!" he couldn''t hide his bewildered expression as he lightly scratched at his cheek, "Huhˇ­ I guess even infants are allowed to hold swords these days."

    Ash ignored him as he knelt down to lock eyes with his youngest companion, he turned around and offered a cheerful wave to the trainer.

    "Hey, buddy." Ash couldn''t hide the awkwardness in his voice as he greeted the dinosaur. Tyrunt tilted his head in mild confusion at Ash''s mood. "Listenˇ­ you''re the last one left, andˇ­ Surge is a lot stronger than we thought. We don''t have any knockouts. Are you sure you want to do this?" He watched his friend''s expression closely, the dinosaur''s eyes widening in surprise as he took in the unexpected information.

    He had a feeling he knew what Tyrunt''s answer was going to be. Even if the hatchling preferred to win, he also just loved battling in general. No doubt he''d at least want to try.

    And that made him conflicted. He''d be willing to do it if Tyrunt was, but a part of him did think that it would be better to simply quit and leave before anymore damage was done.

    Unfortunately, that part of him didn''t have time to voice itself as Tyrunt nodded back at him. The Royal Heir Pokemon''s expression was a lot more determined than before as he turned around and growled at Blitzle. His voice is clearly anxious, but also had an undertone of viciousness to it. He had made his choice.

    Ash sighed to himself as he picked himself up. That was that, then. Even if quitting was probably the better idea, he had to admit that he liked the thought of having one more chance to score a knockout. But thinking along those lines just made him feel selfish.

    At the same timeˇ­ Tyrunt wanted the same thing, and he wouldn''t have forced anything on the dinosaur if his partner had chosen to quit. At this point, they would simply try their best.

    Surge shrugged with mock exaggeration. "Hmph. So the lizard is just as stubborn, I see." He took out Blitzle''s Poke Ball and returned the speedy electric type. "Very well then. This won''t be lasting much longer anyway."

    Ash grimaced as Raichu reappeared on the field.

    "Watch out, Tyrunt. That Raichu already defeated Eevee and Pikachu. And she''sˇ­" the ending of Pikachu''s battle flashed through his mind. "Incredibly powerful."

    As Tyrunt took in his words, Ash began racking his brain for ideas. Raichu was far beyond the rock-dragon type in just about every way. They couldn''t outmaneuver her. They couldn''t overpower her.

    They''d have to find a way to get a lucky hit in. Maybe Tyrunt''s Strong Jaw can-

    "BEGIN!"

    Raichu burst into action, and Ash quickly shouted out before she could close the distance between her and Tyrunt.

    "Use Roar!" if they were going to land any hits, they needed to knock her off balance.

    The blast of shockwaves produced by Tyrunt''s shout slammed into Raichu as she approached her target. Her momentum wasn''t halted, but she did begin to stumble.

    Even as Tyrunt went through with the order, Ash cupped his hands around his mouth to holler over the commotion. "Rock Blast!"

    The moment Tyrunt finished executing Roar, he opened his mouth yet again, this time allowing a barrage of rocks to escape. Even as Raichu continued stumbling forward at high speeds, she was pelted by the onslaught, clenching her teeth and wincing in pain as the stone projectiles shattered against her body.

    Ash''s breath almost caught in his throat as he saw the electric type lose her footing, the barrage eliciting a surprised yelp from her as she was knocked backwards. This would be the last chance they would get in this battle.

    "Poison Fang! Go for the head!" Normally Ash would grimace at the thought of such a brutal tactic, but this Raichu had more than proven that she could handle it.

    Crying out in determination, Raichu sprinted for his target, jaws opening wide as his teeth became submerged in a purple glow. He tensed the muscles in his legs in preparation to jump forward-

    Raichu landed on her forepaws, spinning around to shoot a stream of lightning from her tail. The sudden Thunder Wave smashed into Tyrunt, his Poison Fang gradually dissipating as the electricity traveled along his body, locking his muscles in place as he screeched in pain. His resistance to electricity came through to an extent, cushioning a decent deal of the surprise counteroffensive, but the disruptive properties of the move worked against him just as much as he struggled to maintain his Poison Fang, which was fading fast.

    Surge''s voice boomed across the arena. "The game is over, pipsqueak! Iron Tail!"

    Her balance having now returned to her, Raichu blitzed forward, and all Ash could do was call tyrunt''s name as the metallic tail struck his youngest partner square in the jaw, catapulting him backwards until his back slammed into the barriers.

    As Tyrunt slumped to the floor, his head tilted to the side, his figure not moving.

    "Tyrunt is unable to battle! Raichu wins!" The referee extended her arm towards Surge. "The victory goes to the Gym Leader, LT. Surge!"

    The audience erupted into a deafening chorus of triumphant cheers as Ash cradled the fallen dragon in his arms. Rubbing the unconscious Tyrunt''s head, he frowned to himself.

    He had known going into this battle that getting the badge was going to be tough. Maybe impossible for them at the moment. But to lose to this extentˇ­

    It was more disappointing than anything else. They had come here to take a gamble, with the hope that even a defeat would help gauge how much they needed to improve. Instead, they didn''t even get that. He had known that Surge was feared by rookies, but this battle had shown him that it was more than that. There was no leap to take. They hadn''t even been ready to attempt this Gym.

    "Thanks for trying, Tyrunt. I promise, our next battle will go better." Tapping Tyrunt''s Poke Ball against the dragon''s unconscious form, Ash watched his youngest friend get sucked in, just before his world turned dark and a giant shadow covered his surroundings.

    The boy flinched as he looked up to see Surge towering over him, even more so now that he had been leaning down to pick Tyrunt up. The Gym Leader''s eyes fixed him with a cold glare, and Ash suddenly felt a frigid sensation in his spine as the fierce gaze bore through him.

    "Didn''t expect anything more from a newbie." the electric specialist gruffly stated as Ash picked himself up. "You''re all the same, you either think you''re entitled to be spoon fed your achievements and act like the whole world''s turned against you when reality makes itself known, or you rush on into the storm in hopes of seeing how you fare, only to freeze up after failing your own test."

    Ash''s head slightly angled to the floor at that. He couldn''t think of any retorts, as though the man''s presence had robbed him of his voice, and he could feel every pair of eyes in the Gym focused on himˇ­

    The worst pair, however, belong to Surge, who thankfully didn''t bother to maintain it for long. With Raichu making her way up to his shoulder, he began to turn away from the boy with a scoff.

    "You''ve only experienced a taste of this profession, kid. If the real deal came sooner than you thought, it''s your fault for not being prepared. Come back when you''ve learned the difference between a quality trainer and a flimsy knockoff."

    Ash remained still for a few moments as Surge walked off, Raichu sparing only a second to glance back at the rookie as the large mouse''s trainer scratched her behind the ears.

    The world had already moved on from Ash''s presence as Surge''s thunderous voice addressed the gym trainers on the bleachers. "Alright everyone, entertainment''s over, so back to class! And you better have been taking notes!"

    /

    "We''ll look them over right away." Nurse Joy was as comforting as ever as Ash placed the five Poke Balls in her tray. The trip back to the Pokemon Center had been relatively uneventful, outside of the dejected sigh that the young boy had let out upon exiting the Gym. He wondered how long he had been holding that in.

    Being here immediately made things feel a little bit better, however. The Pokemon Center seemed to have that kind of magic, and he was grateful for it.

    The memories of the battle were still perfectly fresh, however, and Ash shivered whenever he thought of them. It''d be a long while before he could look back at this without feeling uneasy.

    The pink-haired woman clearly noticed his expression, her smile saddening, and the look in her eyes sympathetic. "Coming from the Gym?"

    Ash was only surprised for about a split second. She was probably used to this.

    "Y-Yeah." he replied, doing his best to smile and not look too disappointed. "I''m not too surprised that we lost butˇ­ it was a lot more than I thought."

    She sighed in understanding. "Believe me, that''s how it usually goes around here. Especially when the Season is still so early in. Sometimes it feels like all of our patients are some sort of variation of it. Surge''s reputation attracts just as many challengers as it discourages." she fixed him with an even look. "I''d just take it easy for now, if I were you. It''s normal for a trainer to run into a fight like this every now and then, but it''s also normal for that to throw them off course. Take the time to gather your thoughts, Mr. Ketchum."

    As Ash nodded gratefully to her, she lifted the tray up, rising out of her seat to turn to the door. She looked back at him one more time, however. "By the way, Professor Oak called a couple hours ago. He was looking for you. I think it might have been right after you left."

    Ash perked up at that, the life returning to his expression in full. "Oh, thanks!"

    It felt like it had been ages since he and the Professor had last spoke. This was as good an opportunity as anyˇ­

    /

    "It''s good to see you again after so long, Ash!" the boy smiled as Professor Oak appeared on the other end of the screen.

    "You too, Professor. How''s he doing?" Ash pointed to the young Heracross next to the Professor. The bug/fighting type seemed to have grown a decent bit bigger since he had left on Opening Day. No doubt he was no longer a baby at this point.

    Oak patted the Heracross on the horn as the bug waved at Ash from the other end. "He wanted to be here when I told him we''d be talking. He''s still been spending a lot of time with Sobble as usual, and both are growing healthily. Thankfully a bit more well-behaved than some of the other younger ones here."

    "Heh. Glad you''re being good. I''ll come by to visit at some point, okay?" Ash smiled at the bug, who nodded enthusiastically.

    After a few minutes or so, Oak sent Heracross on his way, his face turning somewhat more serious (but not too much) as he turned to face Ash again.

    "Anyway, I''ve actually been wanting to check up on you, since you haven''t called in a while. I knew you were okay, since you''ve been talking to your mother, but I just wanted to speak to you myself."

    "About what?" Ash asked.

    Oak let out a sigh, as if dreading the subject. Ash suddenly began to catch on.

    "Well, for one thing, I know you wereˇ­ involved in what happened at Mt. Moon."

    Ash felt the pit in his stomach as the Professor sent him an apologetic look. "Ohˇ­"

    "Sorryˇ­ I don''t want to open up old wounds. I was justˇ­ in for a shock when I saw your name on that report." another sigh, much deeper this time. "Can''t believe I''m saying this, but you did the right thing by not telling your mother about that. It would''ve been one thing if you had been seriously hurt, then I would have had to tell her, butˇ­"

    Ash''s face scrunched up in displeasure at the thought. "Ofˇ­ course. If she had known I don''t know what would haveˇ­" he shook away the thought as his voice trailed off. Yeah, she couldn''t know about this. As long as he wasn''t harmed in any incidents there was no need for her to worry, as much as he hated the idea of lying to her.

    "Either way, I''m just happy you came out of it." Oak said sincerely. "There''s been recent activity, too. The officials have been on guard as of late." He shook his head. "But enough of that, right now. Where are you at the moment?"

    "Vermillion City." Ash answered. He looked off to the side awkwardly as the Oak''s expression turned concerned again. No doubt the Professor was already filling in the blanks. "Iˇ­ just battled Surge."

    After a moment to take the information in, understanding adorned Oak''s features as the Professor rubbed his forehead. "Iˇ­ was worried about that."

    "Heˇ­ was a lot stronger than I thought." Ash sighed. "I knew we might not win, but I just thought it would be an opportunity to see how far we could get. Ifˇ­ I had known the gap was that big, I wouldn''t have even bothered. "

    "So you went in expecting an uphill battle and ended up with a mountain climb." the Professor confirmed. "That checks out. I guess now you know the extent of those stories for yourself. Every Season sees a new batch of rookies throwing themselves into the abyss in order to either beat Surge and stroke their own ego, or worse, because they think the talk about him is exaggerated fiction. It always ends the same. As for you, there''s nothing wrong with testing yourself, but that''s not always going to pay off. I should have gotten a hold of you sooner to dissuade you from it."

    Ash inwardly chuckled at that. It was trueˇ­ he definitely would have just headed for Celadon first if Oak had advised against challenging Surge.

    "Well, don''t worry. I''m not going to be going back for a rematch for a while. Speaking of which, Celadon is to the northwest, so we''ll be heading there either tomorrow or the day after. I just have to stock up first."

    Oak nodded in approval. "I was going to advise not going to Fuschia next. Koga is a bit more flexible on a good day, but for the most part, he''s just as bad as Surge. Not to mention the road leading to his city is dangerous. Much more than anywhere else you''ve been. You''ll be better off in Celadon or even Saffron right now. Just make sure you don''t rush it. Your team will need time to get over it themselves. And how are you faring?"

    "It wasˇ­ a lot to take in." An understatement, really. From the atmosphere of the Gym, to the battle itselfˇ­ "It definitely set a new standardˇ­"

    "Take all the time you need." Oak nodded in understanding. "Just try not to dwell on it too much for now. It won''t do you any good until you''re strong enough to go back there again. You''re a good trainer, you wouldn''t have gotten this far so quickly if you weren''t. But everyone is going to bite off more than they can chew at some point, whether they go looking for trouble or not. It''s normal to feel the way you do right now, but it''ll pass, so just focus on the road ahead of you." he smiled. "And if you ever need anything, you don''t have to wait for me to call you."

    Ash''s lips curved upwards at that. "I know. Thanks, Professor."

    /

    Nebula perched herself on the table as Ash examined the map of Kanto. They were back in the hotel room for now. It was going to be a while before everybody recovered, due to the severity of the injuries that some of them received (and Nurse Joy had recommended extra hours of sleep for Pikachu and Valiant, to help mentally relax them), so Ash had chosen to remain in doors for the rest of the day.

    Nebula didn''t seem to be too disappointed about not taking part in the battleˇ­ which could be because of how it had turned out. No doubt she felt as though she didn''t miss much.

    The Staravia smiled a bit as Ash stroked her feathers, his eyes traveling across the map as he thought about their next course of action. The northwestern path to Celadon was off the road, not that it was relatively uncommon for trainers to do such a thing. Theoretically, it would save time if they took this direction than if they had gone back up to Saffron immediately. Even if they had chosen to challenge Sabrina first, they would still need to head to Celadon afterwards, in which case their only way forward would be to backtrack to Saffron, or go to Vermillion by taking the off-road path anyway. They had time to spare, but Ash was still hoping to manage that time whenever feasible.

    Of course, after Celadon and Saffron, he''d have another choice to make, regarding whether or not he went back to Vermillion right away. He could go to Fuchsia beforehand, but based on what Oak had said, the young rookie was right to be wary of that place. Neither choice would be an easy one, it seemed.

    They''d just cross the bridge when they came to it, he supposed. It was like the Professor had said: Dwelling on a problem that they weren''t yet equipped to solve wouldn''t get them anywhere.

    Ash gave Nebula an apologetic grin upon seeing the concern on her face. "Don''t worry, I''m just thinking." he gave the map a final glance before turning back to his feathered friend. "We could do something a bit more fun if you''re bored."

    Grinning, Nebula pointed her wing to the flat screen. Although amused, Ash couldn''t help but agree.

    "Yeah, good idea. I could probably go for that myself. Let''s see what''s on."

    Rolling up the map, Ash watched Nebula carefully fly to the desk near his bed, where she perched herself expectantly. They''d have plenty of time to think about the bigger challenges ahead of them when they were ready, but for now, their journey was one step at a time.

    They''d still take leaps, but only after examining the cliff.

 Off Road Rest Stop pt 1

    "Nebula, Quick Attack!"

    Soaring higher above the grassy field that served as their arena, Nebula shot straight upwards, ramming herself beak-first into the Pidgeotto''s chest. The other bird Pokemon gasped for air before being propelled further up, catching itself just in time to heed its trainer''s order.

    Another boy Ash''s age stood across from him several meters away. "Pidgeotto, Aerial Ace!"

    As Pidgeotto cloaked itself in a white aura, Nebula darted to the side to avoid her opponent''s incoming charge. Pidgeotto looped around to give pursuit as the two birds danced through the air, but Nebula was faster, and remained ahead of her aggressor.

    The group had taken their leave of Vermilion three days after their loss to Surge. Most members of the team had been expectedly disheartened by the outcome of the match (although Tempest''s reaction was a mix between that and being fired up to make a comeback). Ash had given them the time they needed to both get their morale back up and move on from the brutal match, while casually training with those who were in the mood.

    When taking the time to ensure that the team was stocked up on supplies, Ash had chosen not to purchase any new TMs in an effort to save money (and from what he knew, Celadon''s shopping district was top of the line, so it may benefit them for that reason as well), but before leaving Vermilion, he had gotten Pikachu started on Electroweb, and Valiant on Psychic. As expected, Pikachu was quick to learn his move with at least some efficiency, although even now, there was still an obvious need for polish. Valiant was currently unable to use his new move without a good deal of concentration, which left the technique in a state that was somewhat impractical for battle for the time being, but to the surprise of nobody on the team, the Kirlia was putting all the effort he could into developing it further. Given that the move was advanced, however, Ash didn''t want Valiant to push himself too much with it, and encouraged him to take time for the moves he was already practicing.

    Tempest had been training the most out of everybody on the team after the battle with Surge, his motivation having recovered the quickest. Since the Krabby was getting better with Scald, Ash had decided to start teaching him the move Icy Wind, in hopes of preparing for their upcoming match at the Celadon Gym, which specialized in grass types. Without a TM to speed up the process, Ash knew it would be more difficult to get the hang of, which had almost tempted him into buying one, but he was confident in the River Crab''s work ethic. After being read a detailed description of the move''s properties in the Pokedex, and seeing some footage of the technique being put to use, Tempest had gotten to work trying to learn the move. At the moment, he was only capable of producing a fairly weak stream of it, but they had time to at least develop a decent variation of the technique by the time they reached Celadon.

    Plans had not changed for anybody else on the team. Tyrunt was still working on Fire Fang, another move Ash hoped to be able to use against Erika at her Gym, with plans to perfect Brick Break at a later date, while Eevee continued to work on Hyper Voice and her speed while helping Valiant to improve his own mobility.

    Since they were planning to go straight to Celadon from Vermilion, rather than taking the usual path to Saffron instead (which was theoretically ideal, but also longer), the group had been off road since leaving the city, although such a thing was not too uncommon for trainers, especially those who preferred the wilderness over civilization (even if Ash himself was not one of those people). Thankfully, the terrain they found themselves taking mostly consisted of grassy fields and hills, along with a nearby forest that they had been able to avoid (although it was fairly average, and wouldn''t have been nearly as big as Viridian Forest anyway). Traveling was still just as simple as it typically was on the road, and they were lucky enough to run into a surprisingly decent amount of trainers, most of whom seemed to come from either Celadon or Saffron and had also chosen to stray from the usual path. It had given them a valuable chance to acquire more prize money and help put their new moves into practice during battle, and both had proven successful thus far.

    "U-Turn, and Wing Attack!" Hearing Ash''s call, Nebula closed her eyes just long enough for her body to become faintly cloaked in a greenish-yellow light, concentrating for a moment before performing an abruptly sharp turn, now on a collision course with the startled Pidgeotto.

    The Staravia was good at maneuvering in the air, but with U-Turn, even the most sudden and jarring swerve in the opposite direction could be performed without any loss of momentum. Since she had only learned the move recently, she couldn''t utilize it without effort, and they still needed to test how often she could the move in a single battle (as simple as the concept was, Ash imagined the execution of the move required a good deal of focus, especially on repeat), but for occasional uses, the move was proving quite beneficial.

    As Nebula bolted for her opponent, Ash''s feathered partner raised a glowing wing that smacked into Pidgeotto''s face, sending the opposing bird tumbling through the air before regaining its balance and producing a mighty gust of wind with its wings.

    As Nebula flew under the incoming Gust attack, Ash grinned as he saw an opening.

    "Air Cutter!"

    Facing her body diagonally upwards to line up with her target, Nebula''s wings glowed yet again as she produced what looked to be sharp projectiles with her flaps. Her frequent use of Wind Blast had given her a decent amount of experience with manipulating air-based attacks, and although converting wind into what was essentially a barrage of blades was a far more advanced concept, she had gotten a fairly adequate hold of the move at the current moment.

    Pidgeotto''s trainer gasped as his partner was assaulted by the bladed wind, the sharp properties of the technique easily piercing through the opposing bird''s durability. As Nebula''s opponent lost its balance in mid-air, she rushed forward and met Pidgeotto with a Steel Wing, which smacked the flier into the ground, unconscious.

    The opposing trainer was somewhat disgruntled as he recalled his friend, but took the loss in stride as Ash congratulated his teammate.

    /

    The sky was a bright orange as Ash neared the Pokemon Center ahead, the sunset lighting up the clouds above.

    Their previous opponent had generously informed him that there was a Center a few hours away, marking the halfway point between Vermilion and Celadon, which had prompted Ash to quicken his pace to ensure that they could spend the night in a comfortable room rather than a campsite. He would have liked to get a couple more battles in, but the team had already seen a decent amount of action today, so they weren''t in desperate need. It would have been nice to earn a little more winnings, but they would have plenty of chances later, and since they had kept a winning streak since their fight with Surge, they''d thankfully earned a good amount of money already.

    Most importantly, the team were all on the same page as him, with the majority viewing a refreshing night in a hotel room as a higher priority than training time that they could just make up later on. Even Tempest was at least open to the idea, having already gotten two clean wins from today alone.

    Like most Centers on the road (or in this case, off the beaten path), this one was of a decent size on its own, but paled in comparison to those found in cities, which naturally needed to be much bigger. Not as grandiose to look at, but Ash doubted many trainers were overly concerned with such a thing, as it didn''t change the building''s purpose. Apart from being located in what felt like the middle of nowhere, it seemed no different from any other Center a trainer would find outside of the cities.

    The boy was mostly grateful that there even was a Center to stay at. Given they were away from the traditional routes connecting Kanto''s many cities, he and his teammates had expected to be camping out the whole way to Celadon, but they were thankfully being given a break from that now. No doubt the League had acknowledged this area as a popular off-road path for trainers, although he supposed that the Center could have been intended to assist travelers who had lost their way.

    Perched on Ash''s shoulder, Pikachu squealed in delight at the welcome sight of the boy grinned in amusement as he tickled his starter''s chin.

    "If we''re halfway to Celadon, then we should be able to get there in two days if we leave tomorrow morning. But right now, let''s refresh ourselves for the night."

    The automatic doors opened in front of them to reveal the lobby, where a man was sitting on a nearby, cushioned chair with a tablet in hand and a mug of hot coffee on the small table in front of him. Judging by his uniform, Ash assumed that he was some sort of business worker, who was staying up to do some work online. Off to the side, a boy and a girl who both seemed to be Ash''s age were chatting near the windows, as a Growlithe playfully chased a Marill around close by.

    All sets of eyes briefly turned to Ash and Pikachu as the rookie stepped inside, albeit only just long enough to take in the duo''s arrival, immediately going back to their respective activities as Ash made his way to the front counter.

    Nurse Joy perked up upon seeing him and Pikachu (the mouse waving at her from Ash;s shoulder as the boy approached. Her behavior seemed to suggest that the day had been slow, or at least the last few hours.

    Putting her phone away, the nurse flashed the duo a quick smile before turning her attention to the keyboard, her fingers already moving at what felt like lightning speed (no doubt it did wonders to work at the desk so often). "Checking in for the night?"

    The boy nodded, already having his Pokedex ready to hand to her. She was quick to go through his information before giving him a room on the second floor, and taking in his team for a quick refresher.

    /

    After dinner, the group was quick to make their way up to their room. Outside of the stretch of grassy fields that made up the surrounding area, the view from the window didn''t offer much, but the majority of the group didn''t pay too much attention to it (although Nebula seemed to be somewhat disappointed by the lack of sights to take in). Ash had the flatscreen on for those who were interested in watching, although he had to flip through the channels a few times to find something that interested them (the television was initially on Celadon''s news station, covering a book-signing event taking place at the city''s public library, but as expected, none of his Pokemon had ever heard of it before). He eventually found coverage of the P1 Grand Prix, a special tournament that Silph Co. held for fighting type Pokemon based in Celadon, which Tempest immediately became drawn into. Pikachu and Nebula sat beside each other to watch the show as well, although Nebula was mostly doing it due to having nothing else to occupy herself with.

    Ash sat at the head of his bed, and spared occasional glances at the television while listening in to what the announcers were saying, but his attention was focused on a pamphlet that he had picked out from the lobby.

    "What are you reading?"

    Ash looked over to Valiant, who had positioned himself next to him without the trainer realizing. Smiling, Ash held the booklet out for the Kirlia to see better.

    "I got this from the lobby." he explained to his psychic friend. "It''s sort of an advertisement for Celadon. Provides details for travellers and such." He turned his attention back to the pamphlet as he flipped through it. "It''s been the most high-class area in Kanto for ages. Apparently it''s status started because of its advanced agriculture. Richest soil in the region. Nowadays, it''s become the fanciest city here. Not everything is upper-class, especially since it''s the region''s most populated city, but the richer districts make themselves stand out as much as possible. Best housing, hotels, shopping, restaurants, educationˇ­" he pressed his fist against his cheek for a moment. "It feels like all the expensive luxuries just landed in the city''s lap."

    Valiant eyed the pamphlet for a few moments, the conflicted look in his eyes masked by the surge of curiosity growing in his chest. After prodding Ash for a moment, the trainer caught on and handed the pamphlet to the Emotion Pokemon, who carefully took it in his hands (he was a lot smaller than Ash was) to flip through it. The young psychic skimmed through the text on each page, while also paying close attention to the pictures, many of which were made to be as visibly appealing as possible. The shot of the city''s skyline at night was mesmerizing.

    The young Kirlia frowned as he reached another page, however. Seeing his friend linger on the portion of the booklet, Ash leaned in to see what had caught Valiant''s eye.

    It was a section dedicated to Pokemon Breeding.

    "A lot of top-notch breeders base themselves in that city." the boy commented, although Valiant kept his eyes on the booklet. It''s basically Indigo''s breeding capital." the trainer thought back to the business cards Elacia had given him. It was still hard to believe that they had run into Indigo''s second highest ranked breeder purely by chance. And she was one of the breeders that gave Celadon its reputation. Not to mention she was friends with Suzie, the highest ranked breeder, who also resided in the city. "Apparently there''s a whole section of the city called Breeder''s Lane. We''ll have to go there to pay Elacia a visit once we get to Celadon. She said to visit Suzie if she isn''t there at the time."

    Valiant nodded slowly. "Will we need to do it right away?" he asked, turning his head to his trainer.

    Ash gave him a curious look. "You don''t want to?" they would have a Gym battle to prepare for once they got there, but he also didn''t want to wait too long to pay his friend a visit. Granted, it''s not like she was rushing him to do it, but Valiant''s words were a bit confusing. Did it really matter to him?

    Shifting his view back to the booklet in his hands, Valiant tried to keep his expression neutral. "Not what I mean, it''s justˇ­ there''s no rush, right?"

    He was right about that, but Ash frowned for a different reason. "Remember not to use your telepathic speech too often. You don''t want to exhaust yourself too much." it wasn''t something that would just get better with practice, sadly.

    Nodding, Valiant kept silent as he flipped to another page. This one detailed the shopping district. Ash leaned in to get a look for himself.

    "The Celadon Department Store is supposed to be the largest store in the city. It''s famous for being the best store in the region for trainers. They sell some of the best equipment we''d be able to find." he was planning to go there at some point for sure.

    As Ash and Valiant looked through the booklet, Eevee rested herself on a pillow not too far from the bed. She wasn''t ready to sleep yet, but she wasn''t overly interested in the tournament on TV, so she chose to take some time to herself while everybody else was occupied.

    Almost everybody, at least.

    She felt a rough snout lightly prodding at her side, turning her head with mild irritation to see Tyrunt standing next to her, the dinosaur offering the normal type a friendly growl.

    A small part of Eevee inwardly groaned at the sight of him. She didn''t have any dislike for the hatchling (was he still considered a baby?), but his antics were more than what she was willing to keep up with. It was to be expected, for a baby to be so energetic, but it was like Tyrunt wasn''t capable of turning himself off, always training or playing until he practically dropped to the floor and fell asleep.

    And since they both spent so much time with Valiant, she was often right in his vicinity whenever the dinosaur was looking for a playmate. Whether she was in the mood to goof off or not. The lack of boundaries constantly tested her patience.

    It wasn''t all bad, though. Ever since he had started training, Tyrunt had been dividing his focus between working on his moves and being a playful nuisance. Eevee initially wasn''t so sure when Ash had instructed them to begin practicing Hyper Voice and Roar together, but she had to admit she found the work ethic encouraging.

    Ever since Nebula had fought her back at Mt. Moon''s foot and secured her capture, Eevee had been behind all of her teammates from the start. They had all been decently trained by the time they had met her, Valiant recounting their time in Pewter City and the rigorous work that they had put in to take on the Gym Leader there. Coupled with Nebula''s evolution giving her such a massive spike in prowess, it was, retroactively, no surprise to Eevee that her encounter with the bird had been so humiliating. But that didn''t stop her from feeling jealous. The loss of freedom was something she could mostly get over relatively quickly. Ash was far from disrespectful or inconsiderate, and her new companions had been welcoming.

    But that Staravia''s presence had just been a reminder of how outclassed she was by her new family. Nebula, who had fought against that Gary kid''s Wartortle and nearly won, while Eevee went down in record time against that Weepinbell. Who had soloed the second half of Daisy''s team after Valiant had been swiftly finished off, while she was stuck losing the first round against Seakingˇ­ and then losing in their very next battle against Misty''s own Eevee. All in addition to how easily Nebula had beaten her in their first encounter.

    The Evolution Pokemon hadn''t cared much about getting stronger, until she was abruptly shown how weak she was. Her own fragility had made itself even more clear at Mt. Moon, where that damn Gabite would have murdered her if Valiant hadn''t been there to take the hit. She was more than grateful for that, but the situation frustrated her immensely. And when the time finally came for her to start training, even as she improved with each session, Pikachu had essentially been the better copy of her. Valiant had informed her of how much dedication that the mouse had shown when preparing for Brock, and how his mobility had been honed to absurd levels from all the practice runs that he had done on the hazardous terrain of Pewter''s training grounds, so Eevee wasn''t about to accuse the electric type''s capabilities of being unearned, butˇ­ How could she take pride in her increasing speed when he was so much faster? How could she get joy out of learning Iron Tail, a move that he was already so perfect with? He was the best sparring partnerˇ­ only because he was an example of what she could be.

    And she had nearly jeopardized her relationship with the electric mouse because of that. It was bad enough that she blamed everything on Nebula when first joining the team, but the moment she had started to get over that, she had lashed out at someone that Ash had told to help her improve. It hadn''t mattered to her that Pikachu had been doing this for longer. That he had a head start. All she had cared about was the present day.

    It didn''t help that she had yet to truly prove herself. She was much stronger than she was at Mt. Moon now. She could feel the gap between her and the others closing. But even then, what had she accomplished to show off the fruits of her labor? Who had she beaten? Sure, she''d fought a decent amount of trainers on the road, but it didn''t seem like any of them were on their team''s level. Ash had improved at what some had claimed to be a fairly high rate for a first-timer. If somebody on the road asked him how many badges he had, they were floored to find out that he already had two, despite Ash trying to be as casual about it as possible, and not show off. A decent number of the trainers they fought were easy victories at worst, and at best, challenging, but not to the point of encouraging them to push beyond their limits.

    Ever since leaving Cerulean, the only big obstacle she had faced was that blasted Surge. It was her chance to truly showcase how much she had developed her abilities since her capture, only for the brutal Gym Leader to be even more merciless than they thought. She wasn''t upset about the loss itself: Everyone had gone down in that battle, but apart from Tyrunt, the youngest of the group, they had all proven their worth. They could afford a crushing loss here or there. She couldn''t.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    She was tired of only getting to show the world her newly gained strides against opponents that she already knew that she could beat. She wanted to test herselfˇ­ and actually pass this time. And this leaked into her training. She hated messing up. Any mistake she made in practice was another step that she could have taken to improving herself on the battlefield. Ash told her that no training session would be perfect. That a few blunders wouldn''t hinder her progress. Valiant told her the same. But it was getting harder and harder to focus on that the longer it took for her to actually see her progress in action.

    Tyrunt''s enthusiasm was a lot less annoying when it was dedicated to improving himself instead of playing around. As a baby, he was behind everybody from the start. Even if that gap was compromised by the niche advantages that were provided for him by his species and jaw, he practically needed to build himself from the ground up to truly catch up to everybody else. It almost made her feel ashamed of all the complaining that she had been doing earlier on. Tyrunt sparred with Valiant all the time, Eevee often being there to watch the hatchling practice with her best friend. He certainly hadn''t measured up to him, but that happy enthusiasm hadn''t wavered. Even when outclassed, he treated it as pure, satisfying fun, and although he had lashed out on occasion, it was always a product of instincts that he didn''t yet have clear control over, not out of jealousy. Tyrunt''s species had a much more violent temper than her own did, and yet she had been the envious one. Perhaps it was too harsh to judge herself like that, Tyrunt''s infancy made him and his cheerful attitude perfectly normal, but once again, she found herself comparing, the same way she had with Pikachu and Nebula.

    She didn''t view battling as a fun game like Tyrunt didˇ­ but something about his excitement had left her feeling appreciative. Always excited to try again whenever he messed up a move, always cheering as though he had been victorious in a battle royale when he performed beyond his usual standards. He wasn''t the only member of the team who was so optimistic about training, but in a way, that infantile behavior felt like it was slowly encouraging the stress to go away. Like a heavy brick being lifted off of her back. Whenever she and Tyrunt practiced their moves together, she found herself less afraid of failure. Like she shouldn''t be so scared of the idea of making a mistake. After all, he wasn''t. Maybe that''s why he found it so fun.

    As Tyrunt flashed her a grin, she tried to put on a friendly smile, politely shaking her head. She didn''t want to play right now. Maybe later, like after breakfast tomorrow before they hit the road.

    Halfway through her response, however, she noticed the look in his eyes. They wereˇ­ drooping?

    Tyrunt leaned against the pillow she was perched on, nudging at the spot beside her.

    Her eyes widened in realization for a brief second, suddenly realizing what he was asking for. He wasn''t trying to play, he wanted to rest.

    Tyrunt grinned gratefully as Eevee scooted over to the side, allowing him to climb onto the pillow. His head pressed against the comfortable, soft surface as he closed his eyes, seemingly already asleep.

    A mild sensation of uneasiness made itself known to Eevee as the younger Pokemon''s body brushed up against her fur, but she shook it off pretty quickly. A few moments later, she found herself looking around the room. Ash and Valiant were reading in the bed, prompting her to grin at the sight. No doubt they were already planning their time in Celadon. Valiant always seemed determined to contribute whatever he could to their travels and training. It almost felt like an obsession, although her psychic friend would probably prefer a more appealing word, like "conviction".

    Next her eyes lingered on Pikachu and Nebula, sitting side by side on a table facing the TV, lightly conversing amongst one another while watching the show, which was currently displaying a fight between a Poliwrath and a Machoke. It occurred to her that she had never really apologized to either of them for her previous behavior, not that either of them seemed to hold a grudge. She wasn''t sure how to approach that, howeverˇ­

    The last one her eyes reached was Tempest, positioned not too far from the TV and chuckling in approval as Machoke landed a particularly brutal blow on Poliwrath. His back was to her, so he didn''t notice the dirty look she was shooting him. As far as she was concerned, he was more trouble than he was worth. But there thankfully hadn''t been any chaotic incidents since Ash had laid down the law following his fight with Tyrunt. An unpleasant memory for the entire team.

    After scanning the room, as if to make sure nobody was looking at her, Eevee turned to Tyrunt and lightly licked his head.

    /

    Breakfast passed by in what felt like a few minutes. Although Ash was looking forward to being on the road again, he was, contradictorily, not looking forward to leaving the comfort of the Center, especially since they had just gotten there. The break from traveling had gone by all too quickly, although he reminded himself that Celadon was just a couple of days away. It wasn''t like he and the others had chosen to go in this direction expecting there to be a Center to stay at. It had been a pleasant surprise, and nothing more.

    Ash returned his team after they had finished eating, although Valiant chose to remain out. To his surprise, however, Tempest wished to remain outside of his ball as well.

    Ash took note of the untrusting look Valiant was fixing the River Crab with as the water type clicked his pincers, an attempt at gesturing to communicate his wants with his new trainer.

    "You sure you want to stay out?" Ash locked eyes with Tempest as the Krabby nodded, happy to see the trainer had gotten his message. Uneasily, the boy looked between Valiant and the water type, the latter unfazed by the psychic''s suspicious glare, simply responding with a sneer.

    He didn''t like the idea of these two being out together, but he couldn''t just force one of them to stay in their ball just because the other wanted some fresh air.

    "Just remember to behave yourself, okay?" he did his best to sound as stern as possible while Tempest nodded back at him. As Tempest began to wander away from the table, albeit not straying too far, Ash looked down at Valiant, seeing the clear disappointment in the Kirlia''s expression, which the young Emotion Pokemon was trying to hide. "You still want to stay out?" he questioned his friend. Valiant hadn''t chosen to remain outside knowing that Tempest had been planning to do the same.

    The young psychic shook his head. "I have to stay out now."

    Ash almost frowned at that. Ever since the incident with Tyrunt, Valiant had been locked onto Tempest like a camera. No doubt the Kirlia was paranoid that the water type would find somebody to pick on, or some other form of mischief, even with the remainder of the team resting in their balls. Tempest''s own attitude didn''t help. He was clearly well aware of Valiant''s disdain for him, which the psychic had done nothing to hide, and had deliberately responded to such contempt mannerisms that did little more than vindicate the Emotion Pokemon''s opinion of him. It would have been one thing if Tempest was trying to improve his behavior, but he was merely restraining himself, limiting his behavior to whatever he could get away with. As a result, Ash couldn''t fault Valiant, but having these two alone together was certain to produce an uncomfortable atmosphere.

    Part of him wanted to think that it would be a good thing, that they might sort out their differences if together long enough, but he knew that forcing an interaction wouldn''t be of much help. He''d just have to keep a closer eye on them for now.

    Tempest made his way back to the duo as Ash got their attention. "I''m gonna call home before we leave, just while I have the opportunity."

    Neither Pokemon objected to it as the two followed Ash out of the cafeteria, and to the waiting room where the video phones were. Valiant followed closely behind Ash, occasionally shooting a sideways glance to Tempest, who was pretending not to notice. Ash would occasionally glance back to his teammates, eventually sighing to himself as he reached the phone.

    This wasn''t going to work. He''d have to at least try to talk to them.

    He almost reached for the phone first, but pulled his hand away. He wanted to speak to Delia, but this was more important. Turning from the booth, he looked down to his two teammates, hands falling to his sides.

    "Look, you twoˇ­ I can''t let you guys be out together if it''s gonna be like this." he frowned. "I know you two don''t like each other, butˇ­" what was he supposed to even say after that? Hadn''t he just summed the whole issue up? There wasn''t really anything left to add. He couldn''t just magically make them get alongˇ­

    The selfish part of him regretted recruiting Tempest in the first place. That was how all of this started. The group dynamic wasn''t perfect, but it was a lot more stable prior to the Krabby''s capture.

    Or was recruiting Tempest the real selfish choice on his part? What reason did he have for wanting the River Crab on his team? To have a strong Pokemon. One who had displayed a great deal of strength and tenacity and boasted an ability that granted him durability on par with what one would expect from the typical steel type. A motive like that meant he was being selfish from the start, so did that mean he was in the wrong for both reasons?

    He had to shake those thoughts away for now. The point was, Tempest was on the team, and he had to deal with that. He wasn''t going to take the easy way out by just releasing the Krabby, especially since the incident with Tyrunt had yet to be repeated. It wasn''t necessary yet, so he wouldn''t do it. Things may have become more difficult to manage since the Krabby''s recruitment, but he was the trainer. It was his job to get over those issues.

    The question wasˇ­ how? Where did he even start with that?

    As Valiant and Tempest kept their focus on him (albeit glancing at one another on occasion) Ash crouched down to get a better look at them.

    "Look Tempestˇ­ I''m sure you know why everybody''s suspicious of you. Everyone got off on the wrong foot with you, but you haven''t done anything to change their minds, either."

    It was probably the root of the issue. Tempest didn''t see anybody else in the group as a friend, not even Ash himself. He was in this for the fights, and nothing else. His lack of desire to change that meant improving anything would be an uphill battle.

    Tempest snorted a bit at that, but didn''t offer a rebuttal. The Krabby certainly didn''t seem like he was going to change his stance anytime soon, but at least he didn''t seem to be denying his problematic behavior.

    Ash''s brow furrowed. "I''m not going to force you to change yourself. The deal was that you could stay on the team as long as you don''t doˇ­ that ever again. But if you just put in a bit more effort, you''ll probably find that being on friendly terms with the others will benefit you a lot more than being a loner that none of them want anything to do with." he nodded towards Valiant. "You''ve seen that Valiant''s become a lot faster lately, right? That''s because of Eevee. As his friend, she was more than happy to spend some of her training time helping him improve in an area where he was lacking." Ash didn''t understand the gurgle that Tempest had offered him in response, and he''d rather not have Valiant constantly translate for him (that would tire the Kirlia out very quickly), but based on the water type''s behavior, he had a decent idea of what the river crab was trying to say. "Are you planning on just getting by on your own for this whole journey? Just because that''s how you were able to manage back in Cerulean?" at the Krabby''s nonchalant, the boy held back a sigh. "Lookˇ­ I know where you''re coming from, I guess. Nobody on this team could take you easily. Even Pikachu only beat you because we exploited aˇ­ situational tactic."

    The boy recalled the ending of Pikachu''s fight with Tempest. His starter had only won by paralyzing the Krabby''s pincerˇ­ which was only possible by aiming a Thunder Wave inside of the pincer while it was open, as the Shell Armor ability proved too capable for the move to be very effective otherwise. Without the paralysis, the fight probably would have ended differently.

    "But that doesn''t mean that''s never going to change, Tempest." Ash was torn on whether to sound strn or matter-of-fact. "Everyone here is improving. And they''re doing it together. If you spend this whole Season trying to better yourself without any of the others backing you up, you''re going to fall behind. That''s not what you want, is it?"

    Tempest''s eyes widened a bit at that, but it was only momentary, the Krabby quickly shaking his head in denial. He wouldn''t fall behind the others that easily. He''d just work twice as hard. Ash imagined that''s what he was thinking.

    "You may not believe me now, but I''m sure you''ll start noticing it at some point. I''d keep it in mind, if I were you." As Tempest contemplated his words, Ash turned to Valiant, who had been watching the exchange silently. The rookie''s gaze turned a bit softer as his focus shifted. He knew the young psychic would be easier to reason with.

    Ash knew that the Kirlia hadn''t actually done anything wrong. In a way, the thought of chastising him made the boy feel uncomfortable. It didn''t seem fair. But he knew he had to say something. "Valiant, I understand why you''re bothered by Tempest being here, and I appreciate your concern. You''re just looking out for everybody. Especially Tyrunt." Ash wondered if the young dinosaur held a grudge for that one night. He wouldn''t blame Tyrunt if that was the case. Thankfully, Valiant was very careful about keeping the two of them apart. "Butˇ­ Tempest hasn''t done anything else yet. We won''t get anywhere if we scrutinize his every move. I know you don''t trust him, but this won''t improve anything. You''ll just be putting yourself on edge, with no results.

    "But he could try something at any moment." Valiant''s voice wasn''t overly defiant, but held a clear protest.

    Ash nodded. "I know. And I know you want to be prepared. But there are other ways to do that. Being on guard doesn''t mean giving someone the stink eye every time they''re in your sight. If he tries something else, that''s when we act. But he hasn''t, and that should be acknowledged." he looked between the two. "As teammates, both of you at least need to coexist." it may not be the best case scenario, but it was good enough. If the tension died down to an extent, he would probably feel a bit more comfortable trying to bring Tempest and the others together, which would hopefully not only address the Krabby''s behavior, but make things better for everybody by extension.

    But in order for that to happen, the tense atmosphere at least needed a chance to start dying down. They''d never be able to work on clearing the air between them if they kept going on like this.

    Standing up, Ash straightened himself before fixing his teammates with a stern look (he really hoped he was getting better at that). "For now, I just want you two to be in each other''s vicinity without anything starting. And that includes nonverbal exchanges. Just don''t encourage anything, and keep your thoughts focused on other things. Understand?"

    He hadn''t been expecting an enthusiastic reaction, and unsurprisingly, he didn''t get one. But despite the uneasiness in Valiant''s eyes and the mild displeasure in Tempest''s expression, both offered a confirming nod to their trainer after a few seconds.

    Ash grinned. It would do for now. "Good. Once I call mom, we can get moving while it''s still-"

    "Take that back, you jerk!"

    The trio''s attention shifted to the door a few meters away, where two figures stepped out of the hall. One of them was a girl with pink hair tied into a ponytail. She was somewhat shorter than the figure she was following, and her facial expression was a childish pout. Although, the look in her eyes was significantly more aggressive, which Ash didn''t notice from here.

    Ash''s attention shifted to the boy the girl was following. He had purple hair and a stern expression, which was starting to seem familiar-

    Ash''s eyes lit up in recognition and to his side, Valiant''s seemed to do the same. A somewhat confused Tempest took note of their reactions.

    "What was his nameˇ­ Paul?" Ash recalled his encounter with the boy during the group''s stay in Pewter. It had been so long ago, but it was hard to forget the loss that they had suffered, coming off the heels of their monumental victory against Brock.

    "I was just being honest. You''re lucky I was even in the mood to give you pointers. Normally I just take my money and go." Paul''s tone of voice was laced with dismissiveness, almost like he was trying to sidetrack himself from the fact that she existed.

    The girl''s turned red as her temper flared up. Her tone of voice wasn''t nearly as scary as what Misty sounded like when she got worked up, however. "OOOOOH, so you just think you''re bigger than the world you live in?!"

    "Ironic coming from someone as entitled as you."

    "If you don''t watch your tongue, I''m gonna-"

    Ash''s instincts told him to leave the room and let these two settle things themselves, but a different set of instincts got to him first. As though his body had moved on its own, he was suddenly in front of the two, arms raised as Valiant followed him. Tempest lingered behind, watching the exchange in silence.

    "Hold up, you two! What''s going on?" he felt weird for butting in. He had no context for their argument and frankly it wasn''t his place. But he doubted he''d be doing the right thing if he just let them go at it... Was there no correct answer to this situation?

    Paul didn''t seem to take any offense to the intrusion, however, quickly recovering from the surprise of Ash''s appearance and addressing the boy neutrally. "Nothing to be concerned about. I beat this girl in a battle a few moments ago, and she took offense to my tips."

    "Tips?! Is that what they call it on your home planet?" with a disgusted expression, the girl turned away from the purple-haired boy to point a finger at Ash. "He said my battle style was cowardly and unfocused! Does that sound like advice to you?!"

    Blinking, Ash attempted to think of a response, but Paul cut in before he could. "It''s called constructive criticism, something you''ve apparently never had before."

    "Don''t assume anything!"

    "I don''t need to. You don''t exactly leave much to the imagination."

    "You wanna settle this in a way that doesn''t involve Pokemon?!" As she raised her fists, Ash''s eyes widened as he and Valiant got between them. "What do you want?!"

    "That''s enough!" Ash pleaded to her. "A loss is a loss. Getting angry and dwelling on it isn''t going to do anything. If you''re upset then just focus on tending to your teammates. They''re injured, right?"

    The girl''s arms began to lower, her face lighting up in surprise, as though she hadn''t considered that. "Ohˇ­ yeah, I''ll do that." She began walking off, but not before giving Paul a frustrated "Hmph." as she passed by him.

    After the girl went through the door that would take her to Nurse Joy''s lobby, Paul put a hand to his face, an exasperated sigh escaping his throat as Ash suddenly noticed the trainer''s Elekid following behind him, the electric type''s arms folded around his head. Ash remembered the Elekid all too well: He had given Pikachu a difficult battle and won.

    "She didn''t have the backbone to commit to any of her strategies." Paul turned to Ash. "She''d constantly change her game plan over the most minor setback, or even just things that she considered as such." With a scoff, he crossed his arms. "She wasn''t adapting, there was no rhyme or reason to anything she did. Even her own Pokemon seemed to start feeling confused by her orders. Doesn''t "Cowardly and unfocused" sound appropriate?"

    Ash took in his words. Hearing it from Paul''s perspective, the summation didn''t sound inaccurate, even if he probably would''ve worded it a bit differently.

    "That makes senseˇ­" he trailed off for a second. "Maybe she just took offense to how you said it." being completely out of sync with your team was about as big a flaw as any trainer could have (Ash couldn''t help but remember his first battle against Gary). But there were other ways to point such an issue out, right?

    Paul shrugged his arms, his expression dismissive. It seemed like he just wanted to forget his exchange with the girl had ever happened. "If you''re going to sugarcoat a flaw, there''s no use pointing it out in the first place. That girl took simple criticism as an aggressive insult. Was probably spoiled rotten back at home."

    Ash frowned. He didn''t have a rebuttal to that, which frustrated him. He didn''t like the idea of being harsh unless it was necessary, and yetˇ­ Paul''s point made too much sense for him to come up with a convincing counterargument.

    As Paul''s arms fell to his side, Ash noticed that the other boy was looking at him a bit more closely now, while Tempest began approaching the group from behind, eying Elekid. "You look a bit familiar. Have we ever met?"

    "I think so." Ash nodded back. "I''m Ash. Your name''s Paul, right? We battled back in Pewter. It was roughly a month ago."

    It took a second or two, but recognition passed over the other boy''s features as he nodded. "Yeah, that''s right. I think I remember you now."

    Ash imagined that the battle had been less memorable for Paul than it had been for him. He couldn''t help but wonder if the other boy had had similar victories throughout his journey, and being on the receiving end of an overall one-sided battle was probably more difficult to forget than dishing one out. Although they had a long way to go, he and his team still didn''t lose very often.

    The air seemed to turn awkward as the two trainers stood in the room. Paul wasn''t leaving, but it didn''t seem like he could think of anything else to say.

    Ash felt the same. Paul didn''t seemˇ­ unpleasant to be around, but he gave off an aura that the boy just wasn''t very used to. Something about him just promoted unease, for whatever reason.

    "Soˇ­ where are you coming from?" Even as he spoke the words, Ash inwardly flinched. That sentence sounded like "trainer small talk 101".

    "Celadon." the other boy replied. "I got the badge there. Right now I''m using this Center as a hub to train around the area. I''m heading to Vermilion, but I''m just going to be training there, rather than going for another badge."

    Ash almost winced. Itˇ­ was definitely a good idea to wait on attempting Vermilion''s Gym, as he had learned the hard way a few days ago. He decided against voicing it, however, hoping to keep the match out of his mind for now. If Paul wasn''t going there for a badge, then he likely didn''t need to be warned about Surge.

    "We''re on our way to Celadon now. Working on our third badge."

    Unsure of what else to say, Paul simply nodded, before offering a light wave. "Sounds good. Best of luck with that, then. Come on, Elekid."

    Ash watched as the electric type followed his trainer, an odd temptation suddenly making itself known.

    He had been planning on leaving as early as possible, butˇ­

    "Hey, Paul!" Ash''s expression fixed into an even state as the other boy turned around. "Are you up for another battle?" Tempest''s eyes lit up at his trainer''s request, his pincers clicking rapidly as his expression turned hungry. "Our battle back in Pewter didn''t go very well for the most part, but we''re all much stronger now." He hadn''t been expecting it, but he realized this was as good an opportunity as any for a rematch.

    A light grin appeared on Paul''s features. "I should hope so. You''ve had plenty of time."

    "Is that a yes?" Ash grinned as he felt a flame inside. This wouldn''t be like last time.

    Paul nodded. "It''s not like I have anything to lose. I win, I''ll get more money. If I lose, it''ll mean you were a more worthwhile opponent than she was." he turned to the door. "Just give me a moment to get my team treated. I only needed to use two of them, and neither are that injured, so they probably just need some time in the machines."

    Nodding in understanding, Ash turned to the video phone. He could use that time to talk to his mother.

 Off Road Rest Stop pt 2

    Ash informed the rest of the team of the change in plans during the wait. Apart from Tempest, everybody already knew who Paul was, whether it be because they had participated in the previous battle with him themselves, or were told of it by Valiant.

    Although it likely wouldn''t be a full battle, most were rather enthusiastic about the upcoming match. Nebula wasn''t quite as excited despite still responding positively to the news, and Tyrunt was merely looking forward to it as much as he would any fight, but Pikachu was determined to correct his narrow loss back in Pewter, while Valiant clearly remembered how easily he had been taken out, and how outclassed they had collectively been.

    Curiously, however, the two who were most looking forward to the match hadn''t even been present for the first battle. Tempest was quite predictable with his reaction: hearing about how strong Paul was had made the river crab desperate to sink his pincers into a member of the opposing trainer''s team. Eevee, on the other hand, had a bright fire in her eyes upon hearing about Paul''s strength, and although not nearly as hyperactive, she seemed just as passionate about it as the water type newcomer.

    Now, he stood on his end of the Center''s outdoor battlefield, Valiant and Tempest on either side. Across from him stood Paul, arms crossed with stoic confidence as Elekid mimicked the gesture beside him. Neither Paul nor Elekid seemed very concerned about the upcoming match, no doubt due to the one-sided nature of their first encounter. Ash could feel a minor surge of anxiety at the memory, but it was quickly pushed down by his growing adrenaline.

    Their team had grown in both quality and quantity since their time in Pewter City. They were going to show that.

    "So," Ash called out. "How many Pokemon?"

    "You were the one who challenged me. I''ll give you the choice."

    At Paul''s response, Ash nodded. "Five-on-five." he said a few moments later, as if on random. He wasn''t sure what made him decide on that specific number. Perhaps it was the battle with Surge?

    Paul nodded, already taking out a Poke Ball. "Sounds good. Let''s see how hard we have to work for this."

    Ignoring Paul''s comment, Ash looked over to Tempest. "You want to start off?" The Krabby''s response was to rush onto the arena. Ash wasn''t surprised.

    Paul observed the water type as Tempest made a series of gestures towards him and Elekid, as if to provoke them. Elekid almost stepped forward, only to stop when his trainer placed a hand on him.

    A moment later, a Skorupi appeared in front of them. The bug took a few steps towards Tempest, who growled hungrily at his opponent''s arrival. Skorupi leered at the water type in response, clicking his stingers together as his gaze wandered behind the river crab. The scorpion took sight of Ash, seemingly staring at the boy for a few moments before his eyes abruptly widened.

    "What is it, Skorupi?" At his trainer''s question, Skorupi looked back at Paul and shook his head reassuringly, before turning to Tempest and sinking into a stance, a hungry rumble escaping his throat.

    Skorupi seemed almost as fired up to battle as Tempest was, which made the matchup rather appropriate in Ash''s eyes.

    The sight of the scorpion brought back unpleasant memories of when he and Pikachu had encountered one in Viridian Forest. That battle hadn''t ended well, but Tempest''s defenses would hopefully do a better job at holding out from the poisonous attacks than Pikachu had. That didn''t mean they could throw caution out the window, however. Poison types were infamous for how lethal they could be, and Ash had no doubt that a trainer like Paul would make use of those qualities to his full advantage.

    Taking the initiative, Ash gave the first order. "Go forward and use Scald. Don''t close the distance yet."

    The Krabby''s pincers clicked together madly as Tempest took off in a light sprint. Paul seemed to be somewhat taken aback by the Krabby''s speed (at least compared to the usual member of the species) but didn''t sound overly fazed as he issued his own order in response.

    "Get in with Brick Break, fast as you can."

    Just before the river crab''s pincers opened to unleash the stream of boiling water, Skorupi closed its eyes, a light blue aura enveloping his body mere moments later just as the scorpion opened his eyes back up to see the attack being fired. Ash recognized the familiar sight of Agility as their opponent sidestepped away from the stream of water, rushing across the arena as his stinger glowed orange.

    Tempest turned his body around as Skorupi closed in on his side, attempting to catch his opponent with Metal Claw, only for the Brick Break to be driven into his stomach before he could lunge forward to deliver the blow. The momentum of Agility''s speed boost carried the scorpion''s stinger as Tempest gasped, staggering backwards from the impact.

    "Poison Sting!" Tempest was thankfully able to cross his now-metallic pincers in front of his body in time to intercept the incoming barrage of glowing needles that escaped from his opponents mouth, the dark-purple projectiles bouncing harmlessly off the exterior of Metal Claw.

    "Run forward, keep your pincers crossed!" Smirking, Tempest sprinted ahead, the Poison Sting continuing to bounce off of his Metal Claw as Skorupi''s eyes widened in surprise. Not even a moment later, the scorpion was sent tumbling backwards as the Krabby smashed into his opponent, metallic pincers still in front of his body to act as the source of the offense.

    "Bubble Beam!"

    "Pin Missile!"

    Hoping to press his advantage, Tempest quickly unleashed the barrage of glowing bubbles before Skorupi had even stopped stumbling. Unfortunately, the scorpion righted himself immediately after, stingers glowing with a white aura as Paul''s partner released a barrage of needles coated in the same light. Even as the two attacks pelted against one another, triggering a series of small explosions, both trainers followed up.

    "Razor Shell!"

    "Night Slash!"

    Both Pokemon moved forward. Tempest raised an open pincer, glowing with an aquatic aura as the sharp end of the limb became seemingly bladed, while Skorupi''s stinger turned a deep, blackish-purple. Both combatants avoided the small cloud of dust that the previous collision had produced, but swerved to separate sides, still leaving the cloud between them.

    Tempest didn''t wait for the dust to dissipate, however, charging right through the cloud while raising his watery blade. Skorupi was mildly surprised by the water type''s boldness, but quickly took it in stride, bringing his pincer upwards to intercept the offense. Both creatures snarled through their teeth as the two blades grinded against one another, even as Tempest raised his other pincer to prepare a point-blank Water Pulse.

    "Agility, then Poison Jab!"

    Skorupi closed his eyes for a split second yet again, allowing his body to become cloaked in the blue aura before pushing his body forward. The added speed increased the scorpion''s momentum, the poison/bug type straining himself as the Night Slash gradually began to push Tempest''s pincer upwards. The Krabby''s eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment, before a sensation of rage filled them, the river crab struggling to push down harder in defiance of the scorpion''s progress.

    It was to no avail, however, as Tempest''s pincer was soon pushed out of Skorupi''s path, the Skorupi''s other stinger becoming cloaked in a deep purple aura as it was driven into the water type''s side. Tempest snarled in frustration as the stinger grinded against his bulk, the toxins struggling to inject themselves into his body. Ash couldn''t tell how severely Skorupi had managed to poison his companion as Tempest staggered back and released a retaliatory Water Pulse from each pincer, Skorupi quickly crossing its stingers in defense, but still yelping in pain as the impact sent him sliding backwards.

    How seriously (and quickly) Tempest would be hampered by the poison would likely depend on how much had successfully entered the young Krabby''s body. Optimistically, Ash imagined it wouldn''t be too much, given that Tempest''s durability would increase the difficulty significantly, but poison was poison, and he doubted anybody on the team was experienced enough to properly deal with such effects at the moment.

    He shook that uneasiness away, however. The battle had only just started, and Paul was certainly making a strong first impression, just as he had before. Using the momentum-based benefits of Agility to gain the upper hand in that clash was a natural yet creative idea.

    "Poison Jab again!"

    "Cross your pincers with Metal Claw!" Ash thankfully responded as quickly as he could, as Skorupi once again cloaked himself in Agility to close the distance in record time. Tempest''s pincers hadn''t been completely encased in metal as the opposing Pokemon delivered the strike, but they had thankfully been crossed to intercept the blow. Although pushed back a bit, the Krabby seemed to be unharmed. "Scald!" Skorupi didn''t have time to respond, screaming as the stream of boiling water slammed into him, pushing the Scorpion back yet again.

    Paul was no doubt trying to accumulate the amount of poison entering Tempest''s body, perhaps even expecting the water type''s defenses to be as impressive as they were if he was aware of Shell Armor. The usage of Agility was likely to increase the force behind each blow when rushing at Tempest from a distance (although it likely didn''t do much the first time the Poison jab landed, given that they had already been in close vicinity of one another at the time). It would make it easier for Skorupi to inject his toxins into Tempest''s system, while simultaneously making it more difficult to avoid or react to each blow, but Ash took solace in the fact that overusing the move would likely tire Skorupi out. He doubted the scorpion was experienced enough to excessively utilize the move, so Paul and Skorupi would likely either have to limit their use of it, or risk wearing themselves down more quickly. Regardless of which option that they chose, Ash knew that he and Tempest needed to find a way to exploit it.

    "Bubble Beam!"

    Once more, Tempest released a barrage of glowing bubbles from his open pincers. This time, Skorupi''s tail turned to metal and swung in front of the scorpion''s body. Although Paul''s partner slid back from the impact of the aquatic projectiles pelting against the tail, the metallic coating shielding him from harm.

    Even as he fired, Tempest advanced on his opponent, cancelling the stream of bubbles as he clenched his pincers, both of which became coated in metal as he took a swing at Skorupi. The scorpion''s Iron Tail met the pincer head on, all the while the poison-bug type''s stinger began to glow orange.

    As Tempest brought his other pincer down, Skorupi lashed out and struck the Metal Claw with Brick Break. The Krabby growled in pain as his pincer was pushed upwards by the collision, Skorupi''s other stinger now glowing purple. The Poison Jab was driven into the water type''s gut, the river crab letting out a pained gasp as more toxins were injected into his system.

    "Water Pulse!"

    Tempest needed a moment to react. Shaking off the pain, he lifted his pincers up, as two orbs of water prepared to be fired down on Skorupi at point-blank. The scorpion''s body became coated in blue as Paul''s partner darted backwards, just in time for the two Water pulses to splash against the ground in front of Tempest.

    "Venoshock!"

    A mild panic lit up in Ash''s eyes at the order. Venoshock was a move known for its effectiveness against poisoned enemies. In addition to being a decent offensive technique in its own right, it momentarily amplified the pain triggered by the symptoms of the condition (albeit not strengthening the poison itself). Tempest didn''t seem to be poisoned too badly at the moment, and since the toxins hadn''t been in his body for long, the effects still needed time to grow. No doubt Paul''s plan was to make up for this and provide a temporary boost to the symptoms, leaving the Krabby to double over while Skorupi went in for the finish.

    Ash glared nervously as Skorupi brought his stingers up to his mouth, where an orb was in the midst of forming. The sphere was an incredibly deep, dark shade of purple, and the glow that it was giving off radiated its color into an ominous sight.

    "Guard with Metal Claw!" Ash nodded in approval as Tempest complied, crossing his pincers in front of his face to intercept the incoming blast with their metallic coating.

    "Brick Break first!"

    Skorupi canceled Venoshock, his body glowing blue once more as he blitzed for his target. Both stingers glowed orange as he drove them into Tempest''s pincers at an upwards angle, painfully pushing both limbs somewhat above the Krabby''s head as the water type began to stagger backwards.

    "Now!" At the sound of Paul''s voice, Skorupi repeated his previous actions, the orb once again forming in his mouth, clenched by his stingers. Just as Tempest''s pincers opened to reveal two charging Water Pulses, a beam of thick, chemical-like liquid rushed out of the sphere, matching its dark purple color. The stream slammed into the Krabby, who hollered in agony at the unexpected pain that surged through his body, the discomfort that he felt from the still faint toxins traveling through his system flaring up into a sensation of sickly pain.

    The agony was quickly followed by rage, however, as Tempest''s eyes lit up with murder, the Water Pulses rocketing out of his pincers while Skorupi lashed out with Iron Tail to guard. Both orbs violently struck the metallic tail, triggering a momentary surge of pain as the scorpion staggered away.

    Paul didn''t let up, however. Despite his retaliation, Tempest was still reeling from the effects of Venoshock. Ash could tell the other boy could sense victory, revealed by the eager tone of his voice.

    "Pin Missile, then Night Slash!"

    "Protect yourself, Tempest!"

    The Krabby tried to raise his two Metal Claws in time as the glowing needles escaped from Skorupi''s stingers. With his guard down from the pain, however, he reacted too slowly, the barrage of projectiles pelting his skin as Skorupi rushed forward once again, clearing the distance as fast as ever with the blue aura of Agility. Sensing his imminent downfall, Tempest powered through the accumulating pain as he thrust a Metal Claw forward, only for Skorupi to already be upon him to drive the Night Slash into his gut.

    The moment of the scorpion''s Agility-strengthened advance carried the dark type move forward as it cut Tempest''s skin, the impact forcing the air out of the river crab''s lungs as he toppled backwards and to the ground.

    Skorupi stood over his fallen foe for a moment, trying to catch his breath as the fatigue from the excess use of Agility made itself known, not helped by the painful bruises on his body. It hadn''t been an effortless victory, but in the end, he was the one still standing.

    Tempest disappeared into the red beam of light that shot out from his Poke Ball as Ash tried to hide his disappointment. They had come up short once more. Paul''s winning strategy had ensured a quick wrap-up to the fight before the side effects of Agility could impede them too much. It occurred to Ash that the usage of Venoshock was probably the perfect way to bypass Tempest''s impressive defenses. Even with his outward durability, as long as Skorupi could inject at least some of his toxins into the Krabby''s system, Paul''s partner could use Venoshock''s effect to focus on the inside.

    "Thanks for the effort, Tempest. Rest for now." the boy spoke calmly as he returned the capsule to his belt. The early loss was a setback, but they still had four team members left, and Skorupi had hardly come out of the fight unscathed.

    "He''s as strong as I remember."

    Ash nodded in agreement as Valiant''s comment as he took a second ball from his belt. When Pikachu appeared on the field in front of them, the mouse''s eyes widened after fixing themselves on Skorupi. Ash watched his starter''s tail stand upwards as the electric type''s body turned tense. No doubt Pikachu was thinking about what happened the last time he had fought a Skorupi. As the scorpion''s eyes narrowed at the sight of the rodent, Ash was about to reassure his friend, before Paul suddenly recalled his Pokemon.

    "You haven''t disappointed me so far." the other boy admitted. "But that doesn''t mean I''m impressed yet. Right now I''m not any less confident that I''m going to win, than I was when we started."

    Ash''s face tightened while Pikachu''s cheeks crackled. "Give it some time, it''ll sink in soon." he responded. He wasn''t going to let this trainer walk all over him the way Surge did. Whether it be in battle, or verbally.

    The only response Paul offered was an amused chuckle, the opposing trainer removing another Poke Ball after clipping Skorupi''s back onto his belt.

    About a second later, a familiar Teddiursa appeared in front of him. Ash''s mind immediately flashed back to their first match back in Pewter. This had been the first Pokemon Paul used against them. He had given Nebula a struggle, and defeated her in the end with his amazing strength. No doubt his muscles were even more powerful now.

    Pikachu seemed to remember too, the sparks in his cheeks becoming even more erratic. No doubt he was itching for a chance to get back at the Pokemon that had beaten his friend.

    "Careful, Pikachu." Ash warned before the fighting started. "You have Brick Break, but I''m sure Teddiursa will be ready to counter it with how strong he is. You know what to do." Beside him, Valiant nodded along in agreement.

    Pikachu grinned with confidence. He did know what to do. His speed had won him several battles over the course of their journey, and this would be no different.

    Over on Paul''s side, Elekid''s eyes lit up as he stared at the mouse, who spared him a quick, acknowledging glance before shifting his focus back to Teddiursa. Although Paul didn''t say anything himself, Ash was confident that the other boy remembered Pikachu quite well. He had been the one to put up the best fight in their first battle, nearly defeating Elekid before taking a narrow loss. He doubted they could count on him underestimating them, not that Ash would have wanted to win in such a manner.

    Pikachu made the first move, slipping into Quick Attack right away to draw first blood. His Brick Break found itself slamming into a claw of distorted energy, however, Teddiursa''s adorable face turning battle hardened as the Shadow Claw blocked the attack. As Pikachu''s momentum began to push the bear cub backwards, the electric mouse firmly pushing back against the ghost type move, Teddiursa''s body took on a pale aura, which quickly transitioned into the normal type''s legs, the muscles strengthening with the power of Bulk Up.

    With his legs firmly grinding against the pavement, their newfound strength quickly made itself known as Teddiursa ceased sliding backwards, forcing Pikachu off of him before rushing forward himself to drive the Shadow Claw into the rodent''s gut.

    Pikachu caught himself by slamming an Iron Tail into the ground, using the impact to push himself upwards and avoid Teddiursa''s attack. As Pikachu flipped over in midair, his metallic tail became blazed with electricity, Ash''s starter driving the Zap Tail downwards to strike Teddiursa on the head.

    But the bear cub whirled around in response, lashing out with his other arm while his fist glowed orange. As the Brick Break collided with Zap Tail, Pikachu could feel a pain in his tail while the metal began to crack, even as Teddiursa himself felt a painful burning sensation in his fist upon making contact with the electricity.

    The normal type staggered backwards as Pikachu landed on his feet in front of him, the mouse''s body glowing orange as he shot forward yet again, throwing his body into his target.

    Still somewhat off balance, all Teddiursa could do was defensively cross his arms to intercept Pikachu''s Slam. As the bear cub was forced onto his back, his arms taking the brunt of the painful blow, the normal type tossed the electric rodent away while rolling to his feet, ignoring the pain in his arms to break into a sprint.

    "Double Team!"

    At Ash''s orders, Pikachu split into three. It was more difficult to maintain than splitting in two, but the young mouse was progressively getting used to it, and it would be more effective in further confusing Teddiursa.

    The bear cub''s claws had both lit up with the dark aura of Night SLash, only for Paul''s partner to stop in bewilderment as the electric type and his two clones circled him.

    Perfect, now if they could hit him as hard as possible, they could cripple him and take control of the fight.

    "Agility and Brick Break!"

    "Endure!"

    Ash''s brow furrowed at Paul''s response. He remembered that move from the last time they battled.

    Pikachu''s clones fizzled out of existence as Ash''s partner put all of his focus into outlining his body with the blue aura of Agility, his sprint skyrocketing in speed, even as Teddiursa''s fur took on a bright red glow, his body becoming reinforced and hyper-durable as the usage of Endure took hold. The bear cub tried to cross his arms, but was unable to do so before Pikachu''s orange-glowing fist was driven into his gut. The added momentum of Agility, along with the fighting typing of Brick Break, would have been the perfect way to deal a decisive blow to the normal type, but although the bear cub gasped in pain as the air shot out of his lungs, the temporary boost in durability cushioned much of the added damage from him.

    Ash watched as Teddiursa slid backwards across the battlefield, stopping a few feet in front of Paul as both Pokemon returned to normal. He wanted to tell Pikachu to keep Agility going, to overwhelm Teddiursa with a series of high-speed blows that would be too fast to intercept.

    But if they did that, Paul would simply have Teddiursa maintain Endure, and the battle would become a race to see who would tire out from overexertion first. With Pikachu being the one dishing out the blows, piling on top of the added physical stress that would inevitably come from maintaining Endure for such a long time, Ash wanted to think that his first teammate would be the one to come out on top. But he knew it wasn''t that simple. Teddiursa had known Endure for a long time at this point. He had used it all the way back in their first battle. Pikachu, on the other hand, had only learned Agility fairly recently, and he certainly hadn''t mastered it yet. The boy wasn''t sure how skilled Tediursa was with a move like Endure, but he was certainly used to it. Goading the normal type into overusing the move would be a great way to wear him down if they had an advantage in numbers, but the battle was still young, Paul still having everyone on his team in the game. Ash and Pikachu couldn''t afford to be overzealous.

    "Get overhead with Aerial Ace, then Hyper Voice!"

    At Paul''s command, Teddiursa''s legs turned tense as his body became coated in white. Pikachu watched as the bear cub soared above the arena, before positioning himself to face the mouse from above. A powerful blast of shockwaves exited the normal type''s mouth as he hollered down at Ash''s starter, who darted to the side to avoid the attack, leaving the blast to strike the ground and kick up a cloud of dust.

    Paul wasn''t deterred as he watched Pikachu sprint across the arena. "Night Slash!"

    Still in midair, Teddiursa activated Aerial Ace once again, rocketing downwards after the retreating Pikachu at high speeds. Positioning himself to intercept Pikachu rather than pursue him (likely taking note of how fast the young mouse was), the cub lashed out at his opponent with a dark-purple claw, which was blocked by the rodent''s orange fist. The Brick Break cushioned the blow, but Pikachu found himself getting pushed onto his back from the collision, Teddiursa not only striking at him with great momentum, but also from above.

    As Pikachu tumbled away, Paul pressed the advantage. "Aerial Ace and Ice Punch!"

    Wrapped in white once again, Teddiursa launched himself after the mouse as his fist became coated in ice. Ash called his starter''s name as the rodent was struck in the face by the blow, Teddiursa''s amazing strength leaving a freezing cold gash as Pikachu rocketed through the air. Just as he was about to slam into the barriers in front of Ash and Valiant, a barely-timed Iron Tail took the impact in his stead, the mouse landing on all fours and panting as he glowered at the bear cub ahead. His vision momentarily blurred due to his severely aching head, but with some focus, he was able to straighten it out.

    A wave of anxiety passed through Ash at his starter''s state, but he shook it off quickly. With Pikachu as badly hurt as he was, they didn''t have much to lose anymore in terms of how they utilized Agility. He just hoped the pain in the mouse''s head didn''t impede him too much.

    "Agility, and Static Tail!"

    Pikachu took off running to the side, breaking into a sprint early so that he wouldn''t be a sitting duck while trying to activate Agility. His headache made it difficult to draw on the psychic power, due to its reliance on mental strength, but it didn''t take too long for a blue aura to outline his body, albeit with even more mental strain than usual. He could feel his headache threatening to get worse, and his vision on the verge of blurring once again, but he ignored it as his tail coated itself in metal, the sparks of Thunder Wave engulfing it in the process.

    "Endure!" Paul''s response was what Ash expected, Teddiursa''s fur once again turning bright red as he crossed his arms. Pikachu''s tail struck against his opponent''s defensive position as the bear cub grinded his feet against the pavement, doing what he could to keep himself in place and fight against the electric mouse''s momentum.

    Ash was satisfied however, and the normal type suddenly found his own muscles locking up as the electricity from the tail traveled across his body. His increased durability made it difficult for the Thunder Wave to take its full effect, but the boosted force behind Pikachu''s blow did what it could to combat that.

    Even with Agility, fully overcoming Endure with brute force alone would be a daunting task. But that was why Ash had ordered his starter to use Static Tail instead of Zap Tail. As Teddiursa''s muscles strained themselves against the detriment triggered by Thunder Wave, the aura of Endure slowly began to somewhat flicker, Pikachu using the opportunity to send the cub staggering back with a final push.

    "Brick Break!" This was their chance.

    "You too!" Paul responded, his voice showing more emotion than before.

    The blue aura outlined Pikachu''s body again as he rushed forward. Although Teddiursa attempted to take a swing at him, the young mouse had already driven his own fist into the cub''s face, a loud shockwave being produced by the blow. A stabbing pain assaulted the normal type''s head as the fighting type move connected. In the same moment, Pikachu''s own headache became a pounding one, the electric mouse squeezing his eyes shut as his opponent was launched back. Even as Teddiursa struggled to pick himself up, lifting his head as he lay sprawled out on his back, Pikachu collapsed onto his stomach, the fatigue of Agility and escalating headache from Ice Punch forcing his muscles to give out, and his eyes to shut.

    Around the same time Piakchu passed out, Teddiursa, who was currently attempting to force himself into a sitting position, collapsed backwards.

    Both trainers recalled their respective teammates, Ash smiling fondly at his starter''s capsule. "Excellent work, Pikachu." Valiant smiled as the boy returned the Poke Ball to his belt, quickly taking out another one.

    ''We''re doing better than we were last time, so far.'' Ash thought to himself. He knew it shouldn''t be taken as an invitation to get comfortable, especially since Paul was still winning, but it was encouraging nonetheless.

    Looking over at Valiant, the young Kirlia seemed to feel the same.

    Eevee appeared in front of the duo, eyes lighting up as she realized she was on the battlefield. The fire in her gaze was visible to Ash and Valiant as she briefly looked back at them to offer a nod. Her determination was infectious, Ash suddenly feeling the flame rise up in his chest again.

    "We''re down two knockouts to one." he announced. The quadruped''s expression didn''t waver as her trainer offered the quadruped a thumbs up. "Are you ready to turn this around?"

    The Evolution Pokemon''s face turned to a grin as she took in her trainer''s words. Just before she returned her attention to Paul, Valiant nodded back at her in further encouragement.

    He was aware of how she felt, but this was her chance. Ash knew it too.

    The newcomer that appeared in front of Paul was a bipedal, bluish-black creature with three bright-red feathers as its tail and a single one on its left ear. Its hands and feet both boasted two large claws.

    It was a Sneasel. They were dark-ice types known for their impressive speed and mobility, not to mention how dangerous their claws were. Their evolved form, Weavile, was acclaimed for such qualities.

    Eevee''s speed had improved exponentially over time, but a speed based battle would likely place this Sneasel right in its element.

    "Careful, Eevee." his quadruped friend nodded along to his warnings. "That Senasel is going to be fast. And it''s an ice type, so don''t just focus on the claws." the fire in her eyes intensified. No doubt, battling against an opponent that specialized in speed immediately reminded her of Pikachu.

    Paul made the first move. "Brick Break!"

    Sneasel nearly blurred as his claw clenched into a fist, blazing with an orange aura as he reared his arm back. He was upon Eevee in moments, Quick Attack carrying him across the arena at speeds rivaling that of Ash''s starter. As her opponent approached, Eevee took a leap backwards, feeling the windforce of Sneasel''s swing against her face. Upon landing, she immediately slipped into Quick Attack, swinging a metal coated tail at her adversary''s head.

    "Shadow Ball!" she heard Ash shout just as Sneasel retreated backwards, avoiding what would have been a critical blow. As the ball of distorted energy formed in her jaws, she heard Paul issue a counter command.

    "Metal Claw!" Just as the ball finished charging up, and exited her mouth, Sneasel crossed his claws together, both coated in metal as he defiantly held them in front of him. The Shadow Ball hit its mark head on, but the blow was cushioned by the durability of the two Metal Claws as the dark-ice type was sent sliding back. Eevee pursued her opponent with red-hot conviction, her eyes blazing as her tail turned to metal yet again. "Double Team!"

    As Sneasel split in two, the confusion and surprise that momentarily washed over Eevee''s expression was just enough to give both him and his clone an opportunity to dart away in separate directions, the quadruped cursing under her breath upon realizing that she had given her own enemy an out. Whirling around, she shrieked with a vengeance as a barrage of golden stars erupted from her jaws. The moment she finished firing, she was blazing across the arena at the highest speed her four legs were capable of carrying her. As Sneasel leapt away from the Swift, before breaking into a run yet again, she quickly realized that she wasn''t as fast as this opponent, but didn''t stop dashing.

    Sneasel and his clone zigzagged across the arena together, leaving Eevee and her trainer guessing which was which. As the two of them finally broke apart, Eevee randomly picked a target to pursue, lining herself up behind one of the Sneasel and hoping for the best.

    "Hyper Voice!" At her trainer''s orders, Eevee closed her eyes for a split second of concentration before hollering at her retreating target. The blast of shockwaves that exited her throat slammed into Sneasel''s back, only for him to fizzle out of existence. A clone.

    The quadruped''s ears perked up just in time to whirl around (sliding backwards from the momentum of her sprint) and see the real Sneasel rearing his fist back while charging from behind. With only a split second to think, the evolution Pokemon coated her tail in metal before taking a swing, striking the incoming orange fist head on. Cracks formed on the metal coating of her tail where the Brick Break had struck, and Eevee squealed in pain as she was sent sliding back faster, her tail aching.

    Sneasel''s speed carried the force of his Brick Break like a bullet. One direct hit would cripple her for sure, maybe even knock her lights out if the blow was to the head.

    "Ice Beam, from above!"

    Taking another running start, Sneasel quickly built up momentum before bending his knees and soaring into the air, gaze fixed on Eevee as a stream of ice escaped his mouth. Ignoring the aches in her tail, the quadruped dashed to the side, leaving the blast to trail its way across a section of the arena, coating it in a thin, frozen layer.

    Doing a front flip in midair, Sneasel expertly landed on the patch of ice that he had created, his speed immediately increasing as he skated across it, before breaking into a run as he left the ice, his momentum carrying him forward.

    Eevee quickly turned around to fire a Shadow Ball at her pursuer. With his immense speed, Sneasel had little time to avoid it, crossing his claws defensively instead. Even still, he wasn''t able to cat them in metal before the collision occurred, squealing in pain as the orb of distorted energy exploded against him, nearly losing his footing as he was sent sliding backwards.

    "Perfect, now Iron Tail!" Eevee didn''t need Ash to tell her, however, already blitzing across the arena to take a swing at her opponent''s head. This time, however, Sneasel was able to block before the blow landed, swinging at his opponent with Brick Break. The two attacks collided, and although the metal encasing Eevee''s tail slightly cracked once more, it did not do so as much, as she was the one with the momentum this time. As Sneasel staggered back, wincing from the mild pain in his fist, Eevee barreled forward yet again, charging headfirst into her opponent''s stomach and tackling him across the battlefield.

    "Swift!"

    "Dark Pulse!"

    As Sneasel slid backwards from eevee''s Quick Attack, the quadruped opened her mouth to unleash another barrage of stars. In response however, the dark-ice type out his claws together as they began to erupt in a dark-purple energy, an unstable beam of the same color firing out. A cloud of dust was produced as the two attacks exploded against one another, but the Dark Pulse continued to advance for a longer period before finally detonating in full, the shockwaves slamming into Eevee, leaving a painful bruise on the evolution Pokemon''s face as she slid back.

    "Brick Break!" Paul was smelling blood as Sneasel closed in to finish the fight. Charging through the cloud of dust, his fist glowed orange yet again as he swung forward for the final strike-

    Eevee''s teeth took on a blackish-aura as she chomped down on the Brick Break. She immediately regretted her choice. Although the attack was stopped, the pain that shot through her jaw left her screaming through her clenched teeth as she held her opponent in place, Sneasel''s momentum sending both of them sliding across the arena as the dark-ice type pushed against her grip.

    Tears were forming in her eyes as she tightened her hold on Sneasel''s fist, which was hurting her more than her opponent, but the only thing keeping the Brick Break from going further. The ever-so increasing pain shooting through her jaw left her mouth begging for her to open it, to relieve herself of this excruciating grip, but she just couldn''t. She needed to win.

    Her eyes widened, however, as the snarling Sneasel reared his other fist back, coating it in orange.

    "Iron Tail, to the legs!"

    Just as she thought her fate was sealed, her trainer''s voice filled her ears, which erected at the sound of the order. Just as Sneasel was about to take a swing for her head, the quadruped twisted her body, dragging him forward as her metal tail swung downwards, painfully sweeping his legs off the ground.

    In surprise, Sneasel just barely had enough time to shoot his claws outward and catch himself before he landed face-first onto the pavement. Sensing her chance, Eevee took a tiny leap into the air before swinging her Iron Tail downwards, only for her opponent to roll over and catch her tail in between his two Metal Claws. The dark-ice type hissed with frustration at the painful strain of the exchange, Eevee''s momentum pushing him against the ground he was laying on and threatening to crush him under the pressure.

    The normal type pressed down as hard as she could, snarling through her teeth and straining herself as much as possible before Paul''s voice fille dher ears.

    "Dark Pulse!"

    Her eyes widened at the sudden glow of dark energy in her opponent''s claws. She had no time to react before the point-blank explosion sent her flying through the air with a startled shriek. Although her tail was spared the pain of the impact thanks to its protective metal coating, the whiplash of the sudden impact sent an ache through much of her body. As she slammed her Iron Tail downward to break her fall, her gaze surveyed the battlefield before finally arriving to where Sneasel was, her opponent picking himself up, his body scorched and bruised from the point-blank explosion that had forced her away.

    Although Ash and Valiant were too far away to tell, Eevee could have sworn that Sneasel''s breathing was getting deeper. An angry grin formed on her face as her muscles began to tense, her body crouching into a pouncing stance.

    "Double Team!" Paul''s tone of voice only seemed to be slightly worried as Sneasel split into two yet again, both darting off in separate directions as Eevee mentally cursed to herself. Taking off into a sprint, she tried to ignore the pain in her jaw, blinking away the tears in her eyes that threatened to obscure her vision.

    She did so a bit too late, however, as the ground beneath her suddenly turned slippery. In her confusion, she had charged right into the patch of ice that Sneasel''s previous ice beam had left behind.

    The evolution Pokemon wailed as her balance completely abandoned her, the momentum of her progressing sprint sending her sailing through the air as Ash and Valiant called out in concern. A series of indecent words ran through her mind on repeat as she frantically coated her tail in metal, slamming it onto the ground to break her fall. But the opening had already been made.

    "Agility and Brick Break!"

    Eevee''s heart nearly stopped at the sound of the command. She whirled around as fast as she could, in both desperation to correct herself, yet anticipation for her impending defeat. Sneasel''s clone fizzled of existence out as his body became outlined with a blue aura, one that would carry him across the arena as a blur to shatter her skull and take her out of the-

    "Hyper Voice on the ground!" her trainer''s voice was frantic, as though he was blurting out the first potential tactic that came to his mind. Eevee had no idea what he was planning, or even if there was a plan at all, but right now, she needed his words.

    The evolution Pokemon took a small leap into the air, and Sneasel was already upon her as the shockwaves escaped from her throat. The blast exploded against the ground beneath her, the force of the explosion hitting both her, and her opponent, at point-blank.

    Both combatants collectively yelped as their bodies were sent backwards, Sneasel tumbling away from his target as Eevee was catapulted to the side. For the briefest of instants, she couldn''t process what was going on.

    The next instant, however, it was as though she felt it. A chance.

    Her Iron Tail slammed into the pavement, breaking her fall before propelling her after her target. The adrenaline surge through her veins as her legs carried her across the short distance that separated her from Paul''s partner. As Sneasel slid to his feet, Eevee was already upon him, taking a small leap into the air as the two of them locked eyes.

    As Eevee flipped over in midair, Sneasel opened his mouth, a ball of icy aura appeared in his jaws. The frigid air radiated off of the sphere as he prepared to fire the Ice Beam-

    BAM!

    Eevee could feel the chilly air against her fur even as her metallic tail was brought down on his head, the impact forcing him face-first into the pavement as a large bruise was left behind.

    Eevee took a moment to catch her breath as she landed next to her opponent, who lay sprawled out and motionless. She didn''t dare allow her anxiety to fizzle out, or her heart rate too slow as she carefully prodded at his still body.

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    No matter how much she nudged himˇ­ he didn''t move.

    First confusion, then realizationˇ­

    Then ecstasy.

    "You did it, Eevee!" The quadruped turned to her trainer and let out a series of barks as the situation dawned on her. Her grin threatened to split her face apart as Valiant called out to her in congratulations. All of a sudden, it felt as though the pain in her jaw was numbing from the joy.

    That Sneasel had been faster than her, capable of taking her out in one, decisive strike. And she had overcome him.

    Paul ignored the quadruped''s silly celebration, although an impressed grin was slowly forming on his face as he recalled his fallen partner. After telling Sneasel that they would continue to train, he clipped his capsule back onto his belt, looking up at Ash and his group as he exchanged it for a new one.

    Eevee''s cheers had died down for the moment, although her celebratory expression remained as she turned to face the opposing trainer once more. Ash and Valiant''s faces were both adorned with confidence and morale as both rookie''s momentarily locked eyes.

    "You really have improved." Paul commented. "I haven''t had a battle like this outside of a Gym in a while."

    "Good to hear." Ash replied. He couldn''t stop his grin from widening, even as Paul released his newest teammate.

    A bird-like creature hovered above the battlefield, dark feathers adorning its flapping wings while its eyes zeroed in on Eevee like a predator.

    "This is Murkrow." Paul revealed. "Let''s see if your streak continues against her.

    Ash eyed the bird carefully before looking over to Eevee, who had made her way back to their end of the arena, in front of him and Valiant.

    "Careful, Eevee. I don''t know much about Murkrow, but I''m pretty sure they''re pretty skilled with underhanded techniques and scheming." It was what he''d heard, at least. Murkrow were decently popular, but he didn''t have a lot of specific details on them outside of certain aspects that many dark types would naturally fall under.

    Eevee nodded back at him as she steeled her expression. A few words of encouragement from Valiant earned the Kirlia a warm grin and a friendly bark from his friend as she turned back to face her new opponent.

    "Are you still good to go?" Ash called out to her before she got too far. Eevee seemed ready to continue, but she hadn''t gotten out of the fight with Sneasel unscathed.

    Thankfully, however, the pain in her jaw was progressively dulling as she turned back to her two friends with a confirming nod. Ash responded with a thumbs up as she and Murkrow locked eyes once more.

    They had managed to even things out for now. Right now, they just needed to push forward and forge ahead.

    Paul gave the first order. "Thunder Wave, then Haze."

    Eevee yelped at the surprising speed of the lightning bolt that shot down at her, her fur mildy grazed as she darted to the side. The next moment, a stream of black clouds escaped Murkrow''s beak, prompting her to break away in the other direction as the Haze covered a portion of the battlefield.

    Ash and Valiant were thankful that Eevee had prevented herself from being obscured from view, watching Murkrow fly upward to avoid the Shadow Ball the evolution Pokemon had launched at her.

    "Eevee, use Swift!" Murkrow''s flight ability gave her an inherent advantage in certain areas, avoiding attacks being among them. They needed to try and trip that up.

    "Hidden Power!" Paul countered.

    The barrage of golden stars exited Eevee''s mouth and sailed upwards towards Murkrow, attempting to lock onto her. The dark bird''s eyes glowed a bright brown as an aura of the same color outlined her body. A barrage of small orbs, still sharing the color, descended upon the stars that Eevee had fired, both attacks exploding against each other as a few of Murkrow''s orbs made their way through.

    "Double Team, then Steel Wing!" as Eevee leapt backwards to avoid the lingering orbs from Hidden power, which exploded against the ground where she had previously stood, Paul''s partner abruptly split into three birds, all of whom parted ways before descending onto the battlefield, flying just above the ground as they made their way to the retreating Eevee.

    Ash could feel a small bead of sweat on his face as Eevee looked around in paranoia. "Just try to focus, and attack!" not wasting any time, Eevee turned to one of the pursuing Murkow on random, firing a quick Shadow Ball from her jaws. As the clone fizzled out of existence upon impact, the remaining two Murkrow were already upon her. Without thinking, she whirled around and lashed out at one of them with Iron Tail.

    CLANG!

    The impact echoed across the arena as Eevee''s tail smacked against Murkrow''s wing. She had chosen right this time. The bird had come at the quadruped from the side, the flier''s momentum forcing Eevee backwards somewhat as both combatants pushed against one another. But even as Eevee slid back, there was a close proximity between the two that Ash aimed to take advantage of.

    "Hyper Voice!"

    "Confuse Ray!" Paul''s order came immediately after, and Ash wondered if it was meant to be a counter command, or if he had simply beaten their opponent to the punch.

    The shockwave''s were already escaping Eevee''s mouth as Murkrow''s eyes began to flash, and although the evolution Pokemon began to feel a mild disorientation, it didn''t take long to evaporate as her opponent was blown away by the blast, letting out a pained squawk as the Hyper Voice launched her back. Turning to fully face her opponent''s retreating form, the quadruped bolted after Murkrow. Just as the bird recovered, an Iron Tail was driven into her stomach, launching her into the barriers.

    A grinning Ash nodded as Murkrow began to pick herself up. "Great, now Swift!"

    "Defend with Steel Wing!" Murkrow had her wings crossed just as the barrage of golden stars was upon her, the impact of the collisions pressing her back against the barriers as the glowing projectiles exploded against the metal coating.

    "Iron Tail!" Ash was worried about getting too close to Murkrow if she knew Confuse Ray, but if they could keep the pressure up, the dark-flying type might not be able to manage itˇ­

    Murkrow''s attempt to rise into the air was thwarted as Eevee swiftly closed the distance between them, performing a tiny hop into the air to flip over and swing her tail down onto the bird''s head. The dark flier hastily angled her body upwards to intercept the strike with her still metallic-coated wings, the force of Eevee''s blow pushing Paul''s partner into the ground as the evolution Pokemon continued to press down without relent. The quadruped snarled in determination as Murkrow squawked in displeasure, her back painfully pressed against the pavement.

    "Confuse Ray!"

    The disorientation hit Eevee out of nowhere, Murkrow''s eyes flashing just a few moments after Paul gave the order. Ash''s face paled. Confuse Ray required clear concentration to be utilized, and yet she was still able to manage it now? Murkrow wasn''t even a psychic type, and yet it was as though she had already mastered such a technique, or at least in terms of how the move was competently pulled off.

    Eevee felt her concentration waning as her mind began to lose focus, no longer fixated on her efforts. As the force applied by her Iron Tail began to decrease, Murkrow was able to fight back against the pressure, forcing the quadruped off of her body and rushing forward as the normal type tumbled away.

    BAM!

    Her guard down from the disorientation, Eevee''s head erupted in pain as the metal smacked into her face at full force, sending her rolling across the arena while Murkrow took to the skies.

    Ash inwardly cursed to himself as Eevee struggled to get up. They should have kept attacking from a distance, but instead, he had gone for the finisher too soon. And nowˇ­

    "Use Swift, Eevee!"

    "Thunder Wave!"

    Now on her feet, eevee squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the pounding ache that assaulted her now bruised head. Just as she was about to fire the barrage of projectiles, however, she let out a startled shriek of pain as Murkrow''s lightning bolt struck her head on, the static traveling along her body and locking her muscles as she struggled to let the Swift out.

    "Finish this with Steel Wing!" Paul''s tone of voice was definitive as Murkrow descended onto the battlefield. Eevee struggled to move away, combating both the electricity hindering her muscles and the agony in her head, before a metallic wing struck her in the face yet again.

    Ash''s heart sank as Eevee rolled across the ground, coming to a stop with yet another large bruise on her head, not getting up. He was quick to return her to her ball, at which he gazed apologetically.

    "You were fantastic, Eevee. That was my slip up. Get some rest." his friend had scored a clean knockout and wounded a second opponent. She had played her part and then some with how she had furthered the team''s momentum.

    Returning the ball to his belt, the boy returned his attention to Murkrow, who was standing a few meters in front of Paul and Elekid, removing her wing from her stomach, which she had been clutching for a moment. Her breathing seemed mildly deeper for a quick moment or two, before straightening out once more, and there were bruises on her side and stomach, where Hyper Voice and Iron Tail had respectively struck. Ash wondered if her back was also visibly damaged from the previous exchange. She hadn''t beaten Eevee unscathed.

    Ash subconsciously ran his hand across the Poke Balls on his belt. He had two choices left, and three teammates to pick from. Paul still had Murkrow and Skorupi, with his final slot likely going to either Elekid or Grotle. The electric type had been standing alongside his trainer throughout the battle, confidence unwavering. Thinking about the grass type brought back a rather unpleasant memory, where Valiant had been overwhelmed with ease.

    Nebula, Tyrunt, Valiantˇ­ If he sent Nebula out now, Paul would likely respond with Elekid. Ash decided to hold off on that for now, which left Valiant and Tyruntˇ­

    Tyrunt could end the fight quickly with his jaws, but would have to get in close to do so, leaving him in danger of getting assaulted by Confuse Ray if they were to slip up. That had been what did Eevee in. His resistance to electricity would be useful in combatting thunder Wave, and Rock Blast gave him an effective means to attack from a distance. Not to mention Roar, if they needed repel Murkrow in the event that she gets too close.

    In comparison, Valiant had more options against Murkrow. He''d likely finish her off with ease if they played their hand right, and without as much risk as Tyrunt, given the greater amount of offensive ranged options that Valiant had available.

    It was almost too convenient, though. Given how Murkrow was already injured, Paul could easily be provoked into substituting her for later, regardless of who Ash picked. He wasn''t aware of Valiant or Tyrunt''s current attributes, but he could certainly make educated guesses. If he deduced Valiant correctly, he would likely switch Murkrow out and save her for after the Kirlia had already been taken out anyway. Substitutions were handled in a variety of different ways from battle to battle, and the way trainer''s strategized and selected their next teammates often took that into account. There was little use sending out a Pokemon that had an obvious upper hand against the opposing trainer''s current teammate if the opponent was just going to switch them out for someone better suited. That''s why, trainers sometimes tried to pick a team member whose advantages could be a bit more subtle, and fly under the radar.

    Tyrunt appeared in front of Ash and Valiant. The boy wasn''t completely sure if this was the right choice, but Paul wasn''t recalling Murkrowˇ­ Either their opponent had something planned that they didn''t know, or they had successfully baited him into keeping Murkrow on the field.

    They''d just have to wait and see.

    "Careful, Tyrunt." Ash spoke as the young dinosaur excitedly scraped his feet across the pavement. "That Murkrow knows Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave, and beat eevee with them. Watch out for Steel Wing, too." The excited, happy-go-lucky grin did not leave the royal heir Pokemon;s face, but he still nodded along in acknowledgement to his trainer''s statements. The team''s youngest member looked back at Ash and Valiant to offer them a confident nod before returning his attention to Murkrow.

    "Double Team. Circle around, then Shadow Ball." Paul eyed Tyrunt for a moment before giving the command to Murkrow, who took off into the air while splitting into three. Tyrunt''s head angled upwards, a somewhat bewildered look in his eyes as his gaze followed the dark flier and her clones.

    "Get moving, Tyrunt! Fire Rock Blast at them!" The young dinosaur nodded before breaking into a jog. A barrage of rocks fired out of his mouth at one of the birds, but was avoided. The next moment, a different Murrkow, the real one, opened her beak, allowing a ball of distorted energy to take form.

    Ash took note of how long it was taking the energy to gather. It seemedˇ­ slower than it should be. Perhaps the injuries that Eevee had inflicted on Murkrow were weakening her attacks a bitˇ­

    If that was the case, they needed to provoke her into firing it before she could gather up all of its power. "Rock Blast, again!" The real Murkrow had already given away her position by charging up the Shadow Ball, and had therefore allowed her clones to fizzle away. Seeing the incoming barrage of rocks prompted her to swerve to the side and fire the incomplete Shadow Ball at her target.

    "Dragon Tail!" At Ash''s frantic order, Tyrunt whirled around as his tail glowed a bright purple, smacking against the Shadow Ball and sending it flying back to a startled Murkrow. The royal heir Pokemon found himself straining as the two attacks collided, but the Shadow Ball''s incomplete nature had allowed him to deflect it more easily.

    It also made it easier to defend against, however, as the unstable orb exploded against Murkrow''s crossed, metallic wings. She still hadn''t been able to completely coat her wings in time, however, shrieking a bit as the explosion knocked her off balance.

    "Rock Blast!" Tyrunt was already pursuing Murkrow as Ash gave the order. With the dark flier descending to the ground, he was able to aim at her more accurately, only for her to coat herself in a pale aura, pulling up just before the rocks could hit her.

    "Steel Wing!"

    Still maintaining Aerial Ace, Murkrow circled around before dive bombing after Tyrunt, her wings coated in metal once more. Ducking under the next barrage of rocks that was fired to intercept her, the bird lashed out at the dinosaur, who attempted to sidestep away. The usage of Aerial Ace made her too fast, however, and although Tyrunt avoided a direct hit, a squeal of pain escaped his throat as the metal caught the side of his head, just a little more than a graze, leaving a long cut across the dinosaur''s face. Blood leaked down as the reptile''s eyes followed after the dark flier''s retreating form, a dangerous, fiery glint beginning to take form in his gaze.

    ''Since Shadow Ball was deflected, Paul might try that tactic for now.'' Ash thought to himself. Steel WIng required Murkrow to get up close, but it was a great offensive option against Tyrunt, and the momentum that Aerial Ace provided would make it more difficult to respond to such a move in time. And the added force from the speed boost, coupled with his friend''s vulnerability to steel type moves...

    Tyrunt slowly rotated in place, his eyes continuing to follow the dark flier that circled him from above. Valiant frowned at the sound of a low, hostile rumble escaping the dinosaur''s throat, and Ash realized that his friend''s instincts were beginning to kick in.

    "Haze!" Doing one final loop, Murkrow angled herself to face Tyrunt from above, the stream of black clouds once again escaping her beak, threatening to envelop her opponent.

    "Roar!" Determination in his gaze, Tyrunt let out the best war cry he could muster, the shockwaves that blasted out of his throat colliding with the clouds and forcing them to part. As the haze split open, surrounding Tyrunt, but not engulfing him, Murkrow shrieked from directly overhead as lightning coated her feathers, before firing down in a stream at the bird''s target.

    Upon hearing Ash''s "Look out!" Tyrunt tried to leap to the side, but although the Thunder Wave did not strike him directly, his side was still hit, his teeth grinding in notable irritation as the electricity traveled along the nearby portions of his body. Although he had no interest in finding out for himself, Ash wondered what it felt like to have literal electricity circuiting through your system, locking your muscles and restraining you from within. The lack of a direct hit prevented this Thunder Wave from going too deep, Tyrunt''s natural resistance to electricity cushioning his body, but it would certainly serve as a temporary distractionˇ­

    "Aerial Ace and Steel Wing!"

    With an aggressive squawk, Murkow bathed her body in the pale aura once more. As her wings turned to metal, the dark bird rocketed down like a bullet, cleanly smashing the attack into Tyrunt''s face. The feeling of metal rocketing into his snout sent a sensation of agony across the dinosaur''s head as he collapsed onto his back, a massive gash abhorrently marking his face. His vision of the clouds overhead momentarily blurred as the pain overwhelmed his senses.

    "Again!"

    "Fire Fang, hurry!" Ash frantically shouted. Paul was planning to end things right here. They needed to catch Murkrow before she could deliver the last hitˇ­

    As Murkrow circled around in preparation for the next attack, Tyrunt raised his head, struggling to pick himself up as flames began to flicker in his jaws. Moments later, Murkrow was descending downward towards her target, her wings at the ready.

    CHOMP!

    Fiery teeth snapped down on Murkrow''s left wing just as she lashed out, and a startling wave of pain immediately shot through her as Tyrunt''s merciless jaws gnawed away at the metal coating, slowly crushing the wing, all the while the fire in his jaws threatened to burn right through. The dark flier''s momentum forced Tyrunt onto his back once more, and he could feel some pain in his jaw from the impact, but he didn''t let go.

    Ash and Valiant looked on with some suspense. This was it, Tyrunt''s Strong Jaw making itself known to any Pokemon unfortunate enough to have his teeth sunk into them. At this rate, Murkrow''s use of her left wing would be entirely lost for the rest of the fight, leaving her a sitting duck on the ground.

    Tyrunt did everything he could to tighten his grip, his mind screaming at him to bite down harder while his eyes blazed with rage, as though trying to convince himself that he could be trying harder. The screams of his prey were mostly ignored, but occasionally encouraged him.

    Paul was shouting at Murkrow to rip away from the exchange, to pull her wing out of her opponent''s mouth. Her efforts were in vain, however. No matter how hard she pulled, no matter how much she strained, Tyrunt''s grip remained absolute, even as she had him trapped on his back.

    "Confuse Ray!"

    Ash was about to tell Tyrunt to let go of Murkrow, so that his friend could position himself for the final blow, when Paul''s uncharacteristically desperate voice echoed across the arena. Murkrow did everything she could to blink back the tears streaming down her face, struggling to cocnentrate through the torture to her wing.

    "Let go of her, Tyrunt!" Ash shouted as fast as he could. "And back away!"

    Still desperately pulling at her wing, Murkrow was startled by her sudden backwards momentum, staggering away as the grip that had halted her suddenly vanished, Tyrunt''s jaw opening as the flames flickered out. It did nothing to do away with the immediate pain in her wing, however, and as the metal coating it disappeared, the bloodied mess of burnt feathers and bite marks nearly going all the way through immediately became visible. The wing limped to her side, the muscles refusing to move as she hissed in agony.

    With only one wing to work with, she was on the ground now.

    Just as Tyrunt had made his way to his feet, attempting to back away and create distance between him and his opponent, Murkrow''s eyes flashed. The Confuse Ray was weak, the concentration behind it heavily compromised by the indescribable pain from the previous exchange, but it was just enough to create a dizzying sensation as Tyrunt''s vision turned blurry once more.

    At Ash''s "Look away!" Tyrunt dipped his gaze to the ground beneath him, away from the lights in Murkrow''s eyes, which were already flickering out as she struggled to maintain the technique. Ash watched his friend stumble around, a pit of nervousness making itself known in his stomach.

    ''No doubt Confuse Ray has taken his aim away.'' the boy thought to himself. ''But she''s right in front of him. If he can''t concentrate his sight enough to look directly at her-''

    "Shadow Ball!"

    ''He''ll have to rush forward!'' Ash finished his thoughts before shouting out to his friend. "Use Tackle! Straight ahead!"

    Tyrunt struggled to block out the mild queasiness he began to feel as the dizziness and disorientation of Confuse Ray piled on top of his already pounding headache. Just a few feet away, Murkrow staggered backwards, desperately attempting to gather energy into her beak, even as the agony of her wing injury continued to assault her.

    Doing his best to firmly press his feet into the ground and ensure his balance, Tyrunt kept his head forward as he rushed forward as fast as his legs could carry him. He wasn''t aiming for anything specific, he was simply charging in a straight line, which Murkrow just so happened to be in the path of.

    A surge of adrenaline and panic shot through her as she saw the dinosaur beginning to charge. At that moment, the ghostly energy began to gather faster. She only had a split second to add on to it, however, cutting it short and firing early, just before her opponent could ram head-first into her.

    The pain in Tyrunt''s head practically multiplied as the wailing child was sent catapulting backwards. The point-blank nature of the attack doomed Murkrow''s chances of escaping harm as well, however, the explosion of the collision slamming into her at the same moment. Now on his back yet again, Tyrunt''s tongue slightly hung from his mouth as his eyes began to glaze over. A meter or two away, Murrkow was on her side, struggling to pick herself up for the briefest of seconds, before collapsing definitively.

    Both trainers waited in silence for a few moments before recalling their Pokemon. Ash felt a mild sensation of disappointment that the battle had only been a draw, especially since it now left him with only one remaining teammate. At the same time, however, the emotion clashed with his pride in Tyrunt for being able to turn the situation around.

    "Rest up, little buddy. You did great as usual." returning the capsule to his belt, he found himself locking eyes with Paul.

    "Murkrow''s ability is Prankster." the other boy spoke matter-of-factly with crossed arms. "It makes it easier for her to. use moves like Thunder Wave and Confuse Ray. She learns them faster, masters them faster, like a water type being a natural expert in aquatic moves." he offered a curt nod as his arms fell to his sides. "Just thought you deserved to know."

    Ash grinned a bit. It explained why she was able to use the moves so efficiently, even in situations where it should theoretically be difficult. "That makes sense. Tyrunt''s ability is Strong Jaw. All of his biting moves are a lot more powerful because of it." his face fell. "Sorry about your Murkrow''s wing-"

    "Enough." Paul responded. "This is a battle, not a sparring match. You don''t have to apologize for trying to win. Speaking of which, you''re on your last teammate, now."

    The way Paul abruptly changed the subject almost triggered a hint of whiplash in Ash, but he shook it off quickly. The other boy was right, after all. It was an uncomfortable thought, but not making use of Tyrunt''s ability would greatly hinder the reptile''s ability to fight, even if it was prone to causing less than pleasant injuries.

    The boy felt his hand gripping Nebula''s Poke Ball as he spared a quick glance at Valiant, before returning his attention to Paul and Elekid. The other trainer still had Skorupi, albeit not in peak condition. Elekid was right next to him, patiently waiting his turn, and the remaining, unseen teammate was probably Grotle. If the grass type was anything like before, he''d be a monster to take down.

    But they had done so much better this time around, and although a light, nervous sensation passed over him, Ash found himself smiling a bit. Paul''s lead was hardly a significant one, and if they performed well enough, they could close the gap and overtake him. Looking back, this whole battle had actually been fairly close so farˇ­

    But now they were each left with only one remaining slot to fill, and two teammates to choose from. Paul was likely planning on saving Skorupi for later, in order to start fresh with whoever his fifth teammate was, given that Ash''s final Pokemon would also be in fresh condition. That meant either Elekid or Grotle would be stepping onto the fieldˇ­ he needed to choose his next team member based on that.

    If Paul remembered Nebula from before, then he was likely expecting her to be one of Ash''s remaining two options. If that was the case, and Ash was reading the opposing trainer''s thought process correctly, he''d likely pick Elekid no matter what. He would probably have a better chance against her than Grotle, while still not being a risky matchup for Valiant. In comparison, Grotle had no inherent disadvantage against Valiant, but would likely be on the back foot against Nebula. For as strong as Paul was, he had only been training for just as long as Ash had been. It was unlikely that he and Grotle had enough time to have fully developed a strategy meant to counter flying types. Elekid would be a much safer bet. He had a fighting chance regardless of who Ash chose, especially since Nebula and Ash similarly hadn''t had the time to address her issue with electricity.

    And between Nebula and Valiant, the one with the best chance against the electric type wasˇ­

    "Ash." the boy broke away from his thoughts to turn his gaze to Valiant, who was looking up at his trainer expectantly, pointing to himself. "May I have this one?"

    Ash''s grin turned to a friendly grin as he locked eyes with his partner. Knowing Valiant, the psychic had just finished running his mind through the same thoughts as himself.

    "Definitely." Ash crouched to better meet his friend at eye-level, holding his arms out as his hands closed up into fists. He felt the fire in his chest again, and his grin widening. They were so close. "Paul''s still in danger of losing this battle. All we need to do is defeat his fifth Pokemon and finish off Skorupi. He''ll probably send out Elekid. I''m counting on you."

    Valiant took in his trainer''s words for a moment, before a smile spread across his lips. A moment later, his eyes hardened, although the grin did not leave his face as he pressed his own fists against Ash''s.

    As the Kirlia made his way onto the field, Paul nodded in understanding. "So, that''s your last choice, then." looking down to his side, he exchanged a nod with the electric type that had, like Valiant, observed the entire match up to this point, pointing his thumb out to the arena as he addressed his partner. "Elekid, you''re up."

    A satisfied grin adorned the electric type''s features before he stepped forward and locked gazes with his target. Valiant''s face evened out into a neutral frown, his eyes not leaving Elekid''s own, even as the electric type began to rotate his arms, and sent electricity crackling along his body.

    Looking over at Ash, Paul felt a mild sensation of anxiety in his chest, but the emotion was quelled fairly quickly. It occurred to him that he might actually lose this fight, if things went well enough for Ash and his Kirlia, but he pushed that thought away for now.

    If you had a chance to lose, it just meant you needed to keep pushing through without hesitance, so that your victory will be even more satisfying. He hadn''t gotten that feeling with this boy back in Pewter, but he could feel it coming now.

    Raising a hand, he took the initiative. "Move in, and use Thunder Wave."

    Elekid''s legs carried him across the arena, although he was only putting a half-effort into Quick Attack. It didn''t take too long for him to close the distance, however, his whirling arms producing an electric current that shot out at the young psychic.

    Valiant remained stationary, stretching his hands outward as a golden cube surrounded Ash''s friend. The lightning bolt harmlessly bounced off of the barrier, leaving no cracks or visible damage, but Paul was grinning.

    "Predictable. Use Brick Break next."

    Ash''s eyes went wide. "Drop it, hurry!"

    But that''s when Elekid made his move. Putting his full power into Quick Attack, the grinning electric type plunged his orange-glowing fist into the cube. The psychic-fueled shield shattered all around Valiant, who stumbled backwards from the mental whiplash.

    Raising his other arm, Elekid coated his fist in electricity. Still slightly dazed from the Light Screen''s premature destruction, Valiant wheezed for air as the Thunder Punch was driven into his gut, the static producing a painful burning sensation in the area of impact.

    Ash''s face tightened as he watched his friend fall backward, Valiant attempting to catch himself with his hands, which pressed somewhat painfully into the pavement. It was the first exchange and Paul had already played them like a poorly constructed set of instruments. Light Screen and Reflect were Valiant''s best bet of protecting himself, but now they were going to have to abandon one of the most natural components of his fighting style, otherwise Elekid''s Brick Break would continue to exploit them.

    Flipping himself back onto his feet, Valiant''s expression was retaliatory as his eyes flashed pink, a beam of identical color flashing out of his palms and towards Elekid. The green sphere that engulfed the electric type strained a bit from the impact, but apart from a brief wince, Paul''s partner seemed to be unscathed.

    "Get moving, Valiant! Clear some distance and use Psybeam!" Ash was now very grateful that they had begun working on Valiant''s agility with Eevee as of recently. With his most reliable means of protection compromised, the young emotion Pokemon would have to move, outmaneuver his opponent, and make use of Teleport and Shadow Sneak whenever he could afford to.

    They were on the back foot, but both refused to be for long.

    Valiant kept his eyes focused on Elekid as he sprinted to the side, his gaze fixed into a steel, neutral glare. The moment the green sphere surrounding his opponent fizzled out of existence, the Kirlia young performed a sharp turn as his eyes flashed rainbow, a beam of the same color rocketing towards its target.

    Elekid lowered his head and slipped into Quick Attack, ducking under the Psybeam as he advanced towards Valiant, his fist coated in lightning once more. Immediately realizing he had no time to dodge, Valiant ceased fire, and flashed out of existence just as his opponent lashed out, the Thunder Punch only striking the air that Ash''s partner had once occupied.

    Ash didn''t wait to see where Valiant rematerialized. He trusted his friend''s judgement. "Fire Punch!"

    Valiant appeared on a different side of the field, close to the patch of ice that had previously been left behind by Sneasel''s Ice Beam. Breaking into a run, he fixed his gaze on the electric type once more. But just as Elekid turned to face him, his body, still sprinting forward, sank into the shadow on the ground, his momentum carrying over to the Shadow Sneak, and out of Elekid''s reach.

    "Protect, quickly!" Paul grimaced. Crossing his arms, Elekid produced the protective, emerald colored sphere just in time for Valiant to rise out of the ground behind him, driving a flame-coated fist into the back of the barrier. Still not quite perfect with the technique, he was unable to produce a satisfying amount of damage to the shield, but sank into a stance as Elekid whirled his body around, upon dropping the barrier.

    With Valiant up close, Elekid reared his fist back in preparation for another Thunder Punch, only for his focus to falter as Valiant''s eyes flashed with the aura of Confuse Ray. With his foe momentarily open, the Kirlia coated his fist in flames once more, driving the Fire Punch into the electric type''s gut.

    "Dazzling Gleam!" as the staggering Elekid struggled to maintain his footing, Valiant''s eyes flashed pink once more. With no time to erect a barrier, Elekid instead put his fists together while channeling electricity. The dual Thunder Punches intercepted the blast, the explosion bowling Valiant''s opponent over.

    Recovering quickly, Elekid caught himself on his hands before flipping over, deftly sliding back as he lifted his head to face the young psychic once more.

    "Thunderbolt!" At Paul''s command, the electric type whirled his arms, the static flowing across his body until he was somewhat bathed, before the bolt of lightning blasted its way in Valiant''s direction.

    The Kirlia was already responding, however. If he couldn''t use Light Screen to defend against Elekid, he''d just have to make himself a different shield. Forming a sphere of emerald colored light in his hands, the emotion Pokemon glared with steadfast enthusiasm as the barrage of glowing leaves collided with the incoming Thunderbolt. The Magical Leaf acted as the ideal makeshift defense against the electrical onslaught, and as the cloud of smoke briefly obscured his opponent''s view, Valiant teleported behind his opponent, leaving a few feet of distance between them to build up speed as he reared his flaming fist back.

    Elekid whirled around in an attempt to drive his Thunder Punch into Valiant''s face, but the young psychic had already acted far too soon, earning the electric type a forceful impact to the side of his ribs as the fire danced across the area of impact. Valiant''s opponent wailed a bit as he was sent staggering back again, but slipped into Quick Attack fast enough to avoid the incoming Psybeam that the psychic fired afterwards.

    "Keep your momentum, Electro Ball!" Still running, Elekid only slowed down just enough to concentrate his electricity into his palms, the lightning forming into a steady orb before being tossed in Valiant''s direction.

    The Kirlia leapt to the side, rolling away from the attack as it approached the nearest side of the barriers. The moment he did so, howeverˇ­

    "Thunder Punch!" Elekid had already been in the midst of closing the distance between Valiant and himself, and as the young Kirlia occupied himself with the Electro Ball, the electric type''s Quick Attack slipped back into full speed. Lightning crackled over his fist as the electric type socked the psychic in the jaw.

    Valiant was persistent however, adamantly fighting back to ignore the pain in his chin as he caught himself on his hands upon being launched away, flipping himself over and back onto his feet. Taking no time to even hold his sore (and somewhat burnt) jaw, the Kirlia was already sprinting again, his fist coated in flame as Elekid sunk into a stance, before rushing forward to meet the psychic.

    The electric type prepared to strike back against Valiant''s Fire Punch, his fist already crackling with more electricity. The fire in Valiant''s fist suddenly fizzled out, however, as a pink orb abruptly appeared in the Kirlia''s hands.

    Ash couldn''t help the sudden cheer that escaped his lips as Valiant''s Dazzling Gleam struck the unsuspecting Elekid''s chest at point-blank. "Awesome move, Valiant!" his partner had performed a feint to lure Elekid into getting close.

    The Dazzling Gleam hadn''t been charged to full power, but the suddenness of the impact had nevertheless left Elekid reeling. After sliding backwards from the strike, the electric type raised a single hand to clutch his chest as Valiant abruptly flashed out of existence.

    Taking a leap of faith, Elekid immediately assumed that Valiant was behind him, whirling around to swing a Thunder Punch into the side of the Kirlia''s. But Valiant''s eyes glowed a faint, light blue, Elekid''s movements becoming telegraphed in the young emotion Pokemon''s mind as Telepathy did its work. Ducking under his opponent''s swift strike, the psychic reared back and lunged for his foe, driving the Fire Punch into Elekid''s face.

    "Dazzling Gleam!" Valiant took the time to better charge up the fairy type move as Elekid was knocked back by his strike. Just as the electric type finished catching himself on his hands and flipping back onto his feet, the Kirlia fired the pink beam with as much force as he could muster.

    Hastily, Elekid crossed his arms and formed the familiar emerald sphere surrounding his body. He was only just barely able to materialize it in time, however, and the feebly constructed barrier shattered as the blast exploded against it. The windforce left Elekid wincing in displeasure as he slid backwards a few feet, holding an arm in front of his face.

    As the two Pokemon stared each other down, both combatants observed one another''s condition. Valiant had bruises and burns where the Thunder Punches had struck, including a nasty marking on his jaw, while Elekid''s chest was marked from the Dazzling Gleam, along with the burns from the Fire Punches elsewhere.

    Although Valiant''s glare remained fixed, and Elekid maintained his somewhat twisted grin, their breathing was mutually on the verge of growing heavy. The eye contact between the two, however, prompted both combatants to banish the thought of fatigue from their minds.

    Ash observed Valiant carefully. He''d be approaching his reserves soon enough. The high-speed Thunder Punch to the jaw had done him no favors, and overexerting Teleport and Shadow Sneak would only speed up that process. And simply winning against Elekid wouldn''t be enough; they still needed to deal with Skorupi. Although the scorpion was was not in a pleasant state following his fight with Tempest, victory wouldn''t be guaranteed if Valiant came out of this fight just as bad.

    But limiting their options any more than they already were wouldn''t make anything better for them. The loss of Reflect and Light Screen was already a huge compromise for them.

    On the other side of the arena, Paul''s brow furrowed. "Go forward, and Thunder Wave."

    Ceasing the staring contest, Elekid slipped into a light Quick Attack, his arms whirling momentarily before the narrow bolt of lightning launched towards Valiant. The electric type continued to close the distance as a barrage of emerald, glowing leaves was fired in response. The grassy projectiles collided with the Thunder Wave, most of them continuing to advance as they flew through the bolt.

    Still charging forward, Elekid crossed his fists as the Magical Leaf collided with his advancing form. Both fists became coated in fire, and although the first few leaves painfully struck them before they could be fully enveloped, the remaining ones were cushioned as the electric type charged through the onslaught.

    With Elekid upon him, Valiant''s eyes flashed, studying the behavior of his opponent''s muscles as the electric type reared back for a strike. By the time Elekid threw the first punch, Valiant had already moved to avoid the incoming strike, ducking under his foe''s fist before driving a Fire Punch of his own into the electric type''s gut. Elekid''s momentum fought against the Kirlia, however, the Quick Attack continuing to carry Paul''s partner forward, pushing Valiant back and threatening his balance, even as Elekid''s forward movement painfully pushed his stomach further and further against the young emotion Pokemon''s fiery fist.

    As Valiant''s footing failed him, Elekid slowed himself, pulling his other fist back to deliver the next strike. The Kirlia didn''t have enough balance to properly move away for the incoming blow aimed for his forehead, and instead chose the more strenuous form of evasion, flashing away yet again as Elekid''s Fire Punch struck the air.

    Paul immediately called out to Elekid as Valiant reappeared about a meter and a half behind his partner, a ball of pink energy already forming in his hands. At his trainer''s orders, Elekid spun around, the lightning already coating his body as his arms whirled with franticity.

    Both attacks fired at once, the Dazzling Gleam and Thunderbolt exploding against one another halfway between both combatants, who defensively crossed their arms as the wind from the explosion pushed their bodies back. As the cloud of smoke temporarily obscured each Pokemon from one another''s view, Valiant sank into his shadow before Elekid or Paul could see what he was planning. If he could get out of view while neither opponent could watch him, Elekid would be left wide open.

    Paul seemed to predict this plan however, even without being able to witness Valiant executing it. "Hold Protect!"

    Valiant''s shadow snaked towards Elekid as the electric type crossed his arms, allowing the emerald sphere to once again encapsulate him. If the Kirlia struck now, it would be for naught.

    For a few moments that felt like an hour, nothing happened. Elekid remained sheltered within Protect, while Valiant circled around the emerald sphere with Shadow Sneak. Ash grimaced. Both techniques would prove to be strenuous if either Pokemon held onto them for much longer. ANd although neither of them could necessarily afford to tire themselves out, the fact that Valiant was the only remaining member of their team gave him the least wiggle room.

    Valiant knew this for himself, and retreated a fair distance from Elekid before rising back out of the ground. His expression did an imperfect job at hiding his frustration

    A small, yet satisfied smile formed across Paul''s features as the purple-haired boy pointed for the Kirlia. "Electroweb!"

    Ignoring the fatigue that was trying to sneak up on him, Elekid broke into a jog as the electricity coated his hands. Rearing both arms back, the electric type performed a tossing motion as the lightning exiting his palms took the form of a net, which threatened to descend upon Valiant.

    The Kirlia thought fast. If he blasted the web, he''d be momentarily preoccupied, and open to a followup assault. If he used Light Screen, Elekid would just blitz forward and shatter it again.

    Ash had the same thought process as his partner. "Move away and use Psybeam!"

    Keeping his eye on the advancing Elekid, Valiant leapt sideways as his eyes began to flash. Just as the Electroweb collided with the pavement, the rainbow colored beam was fired at its target. Elekid''s momentum halted as the electric type forced himself to perform a last minute sidestep, but the beam still struck his side, sending him into a sideways stagger as he struggled to maintain his footing. Valiant was already following up, making a mad dash for Paul''s partner.

    The adrenaline was rushing through Ash''s body. "Keep running, and use Dazzling Gleam!"

    "Guard with Thunder Punch!" Paul''s composure was mostly maintained, but the desperation was beginning to leak through.

    Despite his compromise balance, Elekid was still able to channel his electricity into his fists, both of which he crossed in front of his chest just in time to intercept the beam of pink light headed for him. As the Dazzling Gleam exploded against his defenses, the electric type cried out in displeasure as the impact of the collision sent him rolling backwards, the Kirlia continuing to close in on him.

    "Fire Punch!" just as Elekid came to a stop and rose to his feet, his breathing having now become significantly heavier, Ash''s partner pulled back his fist as his advance towards the electric type entered its final stretch.

    "You too, Elekid!" Elekid had just enough time to coat his fist in flames and throw a punch, but he had no time to start running and meet Valiant head on. As the two flaming fists clashed, Valiant''s momentum carried him in the face of Elekid''s strength. Both Pokemon strained their arms to overpower one another, Elekid''s beginning to shake.

    The exchange was happening somewhat far away, but leaning forward to observe it as bes the could, Ash could see Elekid trying to raise his other, no doubt to strike Valiant with a second punch. They needed to throw the electric type off focus, and deal the final blow.

    "Confuse Ray!" All Valiant needed was a brief moment to throw off Elekid''s concentration, and the battle was theirs.

    But Paul had the same idea. "Thunder Wave!"

    Valiant had been turning his head, prepared to make eye contact with his opponent as his eyes began to flash. Just as he did, however, the flames on Elekid''s fist fizzled out, replaced with electricity. Thunder Wave wasn''t a particularly strong move, and the fire coating Valiant''s fist was strong enough to block out the relatively small current that Elekid had hastily produced.

    But Valiant''s momentum was still carrying him, the Kirlia having sprinted at Elekid with all the speed he could muster. As the flames on Elekid''s own fist died down, Valiant''s punch carried him forward, pushing back against Elekid''s arm, but pushing Valiant''s fist into the electrical current that his Fire Punch would have otherwise defended him from. Most of the electricity was destroyed by the flames, but just enough found its way to Valiant''s fist. Already beginning to tire out, the Kirlia was attempting to put as much focus as possible into activating Confuse Ray, only for the sudden, and somewhat painful spasm in his fist to break his concentration.

    As the flash in Valiant''s eyes flickered out, just as quickly as it had come, the momentum in his punch was reduced by the sudden interruption from the Thunder Wave, the few jolts that had managed to make their way to Valiant''s fist struggling to lock up his nearby muscles. Grinding his feet against the pavement, Elekid used the opportunity to right himself, pushing back against his opponent''s advance. With a somewhat painful strain of the arm, he successfully shoved Valiant''s fist away with his own, grinning victoriously (yet with some exhaustion still sleeping into his expression) as the young psychic staggered back, and raising his other fist.

    As his partner prepared to deliver the strike, Paul''s arm stretched outwards. "Elekid, beat Valiant at his own game! Thunder Punch!"

    Lunging forward with all the force he could muster, Elekid''s other fist moved like a bullet as it was driven directly into Valiant''s temple, the SMACK as loud as it was definitive. As the force of the blow launched him away from his opponent, Valiant couldn''t even cry out, his eyes glazing over as the pain shot through his head like a bullet to his skull. The nasty bruise left behind was visible as the young Kirlia collapsed onto his side, his eyelids flickering before closing completely. A few feet away, Elekid gasped for air as he sank to his knees, but remained upright nevertheless.

    Ash let out the deep breath that he had held, which came out in the form of a sigh as he plucked Valiant''s Poke Ball from his belt. For a moment, it had felt like they had gained the advantage, having driven Paul''s electric type to his last legs. Not a single member of the team participating in the fight hadn''t achieved something with their efforts. Next to how their first encounter with Paul had gone in Pewter City, there was little comparison.

    But it hadn''t been meant to be. They had pushed Paul and his team to their limits, and smacked against the ceiling, but hadn''t broken through.

    He couldn''t ignore the disappointment in his chest, and yetˇ­ it really had been quite the battle.

    A bittersweet smile adorned the boy''s features as he returned Valiant to his ball. "Awesome work, buddy. You were just an inch away." he took a moment to gather his thoughts as he returned the Poke Ball to his belt. The excitement of the match was beginning to die down as he looked up and saw Paul approaching him.

    The other boy had already returned Elekid. Ash''s frown only lasted a second as his gaze met the other trainer, before taking out his Pokedex. This hadn''t been how he wanted the rematch to end, but he knew going into the fight that it wouldn''t be an easy one.

    And, at the end of the day, it was him who challenged Paul. It had been his own risk.

    As Paul got his own Pokedex ready, Ash transferred a portion of his funds to his opponent''s account, which the other boy accepted. He had a fair amount of money at this point, somewhat increasing the amount that he needed to pay, but for the same reason, it was far from crippling.

    An unusual smile accompanied Paul''s face as the two tucked away their devices. It seemed somewhat amused.

    "Heh, I hate to admit it, but I was actually starting to feel scared for a moment. That''s a rarity." He almost sounded amused by his own confession. "Nice to see you haven''t been doing nothing all this time."

    Ash couldn''t help but smile at the indirect praise. "You definitely had me nervous more than once." After only a moment or two of mild hesitance, he extended an arm. "Great match."

    Paul''s eyes held a pondering expression as he stared at Ash''s hand, before accepting it with a quick shake. "You''re right, I suppose it was." his firm grip clenched Ash''s hand for a moment before the two separated. "Easy victories blend in too much. My only use for them is a quick paycheck. But I''ll remember this one." turning around, he angled his head to look back at the boy. "I''ve got my eye on you, Ash. We''ll battle again sometime. Work on your skills."

    Ash stared back at Paul''s retreating form for a second before calling out with a light grin, the flame momentarily returning to his chest. "I promise you, I will NOT lose next time!" he spoke with as much conviction as he could muster, as if saying it enthusiastically enough would will the declaration into becoming true.

    Paul didn''t look back, simply raising his hand in acknowledgement before disappearing back into the Center. Watching him leave for a moment, Ash chuckled to himself.

    "So much for leaving as soon as possible." he muttered to himself absentmindedly. "You just couldn''t resist, could you?" Given the injuries that some of his team had sustained, they''d likely be here for another night. He didn''t mind it too much, but it certainly hadn''t been what he had expected when the day started. A setback that he had created himself.

    Hearing another set of feet approaching him, Ash perked up in surprise to see the girl from before approaching him. How long had she been there?

    Her expression seemed rather down, her feet lightly kicking away at the ground as she made her way towards the boy. "Whileˇ­ that stuck-up know-it-all completely embarrassed us, and you guys did so much better. It''s not even a questionˇ­" she trailed off as her eyes suddenly became interested in her shoes.

    "Were you watching the whole thing?" he and Valiant hadn''t even known she was there, and Paul and Elekid didn''t seem to either. Had they all really been that caught up in the match?

    "I walked in while your Pikachu was fighting his Teddiursa." There was a few seconds of pause before her face contorted into irritation. Holding her fists out in front of her chest, she looked up at the boy with exasperation in her voice. "UGGHH! It''s just not fair! Seeing you two isˇ­ what am I doing wrong?!"

    Ash blinked at the mood swing, holding his hands out to settle her down. "Hold on there, getting mad isn''t going toˇ­" he trailed off for a second before changing direction. "He said something about how your strategies are all over the place and don''t sync correctly with your teammates, right?"

    "Hmph." she was looking at her shoes again, although not as blatantly this time. "I meanˇ­ maybe?" she didn''t seem like she wanted to admit to anything, although there was acceptance in her voice.

    Ash stared at her for a second, absentmindedly running his hand across his belt. "Wellˇ­ tell you whatˇ­ my team needs to recover from thisˇ­ if you''d like I can try to give you some tips while I wait. Maybe if you tell me what your Pokemon are like, we can think of something to build on."

    Crossing her arms with a somewhat annoyed (albeit not directed at Ash) expression, the girl tapped her foot for a few seconds before sighing with a nod. "Alright, that sounds good." turning to leave, she added. "We can just talk in the lobby."

    Nodding back, Ash spared a final glance at the battlefield before following after her.

    Even with their defeat, his friends had put in incredible work today. It made him all the more eager to get to Celadon, and finally see that effort bear fruit.

    /

    A set of binoculars peaked through the bushes a fair distance away from the Pokemon Center, a figure crouching as he peered through the lens. Behind him were a few others, standing upright as he exited the bushes and turned to address them.

    Neither he nor the others were of the typical height of an adult, although the presence he gave off stole their attention regardless.

    "Not many people have gone in today, so we should strike a different night. Let''s get back to camp for now." at their collective nod, he pulled out a flashlight while making his way to the front of the group.

    As the device lit up the immediate path ahead of them, the shine washed over a portion of his shirt, revealing a large R on the front.

 The Unthinkable pt 1

    As expected, the battle with Paul had put the group''s departure on hold. A few members of the team (namely, the ones with notable head injuries) needed most of the day to be fully healed, with the advice from Nurse Joy to not exert themselves too much until a good, overnight sleep.

    After spending time talking with the girl he had offered to help (who''s name turned out to be Nicole), Ash took the opportunity to do some light training with Nebula, who hadn''t seen action during the battle. The Staravia vehemently took the opportunity to further work on Air Cutter, along with honing Double Team.

    After a loss as brutal as the one they had to Surge, it didn''t surprise Ash too much to see that his friends hadn''t taken their defeat at Paul''s hands too harshly. He, himself, hadn''t been very demoralized by the outcome, given the closeness of the battle. Eevee, in particular, actually seemed quite satisfied with her performance, and had come out of Nurse Joy''s care in a noticeably upbeat mood, as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

    Ash skimmed through the Celadon City pamphlet as he sat at the table in the cafeteria. Their dinner had been a late one tonight, the skies already black and twinkling with stars by the time they had sat down to eat. Having finished ahead of most of his teammates, the boy had decided to pass the time by looking through the booklet once more. Now, Nebula, Valiant, and Tyrunt were close to finishing, having taken a slower approach to consuming their meals. Tempest had finished a few moments ago and wandered off, although Ash didn''t have an issue with it as long as he didn''t go too far (or cause any trouble).

    Pikachu and Eevee were on either side of him, having finished around the same time he had and joined him in glancing at the pamphlet.

    "Erika seems like a busy woman." the boy commented, looking at the section that talked about the city''s current Gym Leader. The picture showed a dark-blue haired woman in what looked like a kimono. The pamphlet stated that she owned a successful perfume company, with products that had achieved near-universal popularity throughout her territory. The company''s status only further exemplified her position in the high-class city, a territory that she already had jurisdiction over. "She''s just as much of a businesswoman as she is a Gym Leader."

    It was Ash''s wonder how any of the Gym leaders could balance such schedules. Misty''s sisters were performers, Sabrina and Surge effectively led training academies, and Erika ran an entire company. Just taking on challengers and leading the law enforcement was enough responsibility, to say nothing of everything some of these Leaders did in addition.

    "We''ll probably visit the shopping district before challenging the Gym." the boy flipped over to the pages detailing that section of the city. ""Even after losing to Paul, we still have plenty of money left. If we can keep this up, we''ll be able to get some useful supplies from the Department Store. Mainly TMs. After the Gym, we should head over to Breeder''s Lane to visit Elacia, or Suzie if she isn''t there." he scratched the back of his head. He still needed to pay the breeder off at some point. She wasn''t rushing him, but he felt guilty that he wouldn''t be able to clear up that debt by the time they reached the city. He definitely needed to start planning it so as to not keep her waiting too long.

    ''I won''t be able to do it at Celadon, but next time for certain.'' He owed her quite a bit, not just for Tyrunt''s egg, but for all the help she''d provided back at Pewter in general. He was still hoping to see her again for that reason, however. It''d be nice to catch upˇ­

    /

    The group had gone to bed soon after dinner, wanting to leave early and make up for the time they had lost.

    After a quick breakfast, a rejuvenated Ash stepped out into the sunlight, Valiant and Tempest on either side. The boy adjusted his cap as the trio set their sights on the road ahead. Just two more days of decently paced traveling, and they would be in the city, with much to do upon arrival.

    "We''ll get some battles in with whoever we run into on the way." Ash looked between his two teammates, knowing that Tempest was sure to respond positively to that. Proven right by the excited clicking of pincers, he continued. "We can probably do some training before lunch and long as we can keep the momentum going."

    Both seemed to be relatively okay with the plan. Valiant spared a moment or two to shoot a somewhat concerned look in Tempest''s direction, but didn''t hold it for long, trying to keep his focus straight ahead.

    His brief gaze didn''t go totally unnoticed, though, as Tempest shot a sneer towards the young Kirlia just before the group began to move.

    As they walked, the young Krabby would occasionally glance from side to side, as if begging for a trainer or Pokemon to pop up out of thin air. The battle with the Skorupi that that Paul guy had used was still fresh in his mind. As was his defeat at the Scorpion''s hands.

    Losing hardly upset him, as long as it wasn''t a humiliating affair. Pikachu had defeated him fair and square back at his old playground, and the river crab hardly took that personally. The mouse was a worthy rival.

    But defeat made him crave triumph. The emotion produced by the sight of watching the opposing Pokemon collapse from your attacks was one that cannot be beaten.

    It was what made fighting so great. The adrenaline rush obtained from pursuing that sensation of victory was what he looked forward to every day. Ever since he and a few of the other Krabby from the beach had gotten into a brawl over the scraps of food that had only been enough for one of them, he had felt the thrill.

    The battle had been the perfect introduction to the joy of fighting. The way his blood flowed through his body as he tried to overpower his rivals. The rush from the action. The satisfaction of using his moves without restraint. The joy of watching the other Krabby sprawled out, unconscious on the beach as he made off with the prize he had earned for his efforts.

    Battle was a natural instinct for all Pokemon kind. And on that day, the instincts had awoken. It was a feeling he longed to recreate. And so he did. It didn''t matter if he was getting mixed up with the other Pokemon on the beach, or the younger Pokemon that that nearby Researcher had been taking care of. All he had to do was stir up some quick conflict and he would have that sensation. The energetic action that came from fighting. Being active was all he could think about now. Now that he knew what it was like to utilize his body to its truest potential, to push his muscles to their limits and unleash everything his essence allowed, how could he ever go back to such a boring life, where he did nothing but walk around and eat? That brief conflict with the other Krabby on the beach had freed him from the oppressive set of shackles that he hadn''t even realized were chaining him. This was what Pokemon were supposed to be like. This was the life he had been meant to live.

    After all, how could a life as boring and uneventful as one without fighting possibly be the correct way to live? The action-packed joy that a lifetime of fights enabled was far more fun. Didn''t that make it better? How had he not realized how boring it was for him before he had begun getting into fights? Was it because he never knew of the superior alternative? It was a life changing realization that he had discovered in the blink of an eye, all because there hadn''t been enough food to feed every Krabby. So, he broke off from the unbearably monotonous repetition that a life of "peace" and "pacifism" had previously given him. He took the correct path: He continued to fight.

    And the more he fought, the stronger he got. And the easier the encounters became. It was satisfying to be the best, but meeting Ash had reminded him that difficult fights were much more invigorating in the moment, even if the outcome wasn''t always a happy one. Even when he lost, the additional fun and enjoyment of battling against an opponent who pushed his body and adrenaline even further, was more than enough to make up for not feeling satisfied with himself if he lost. Being defeated and captured had been a humiliating experience, but it also gave him an opportunity. Ash often spoke of a wide, unpredictable world filled with many trainers just like himself, and spoke highly of the League. The knowledge of such a competitive environment had left the young Krabby drooling: If he traveled with this group, he could get into as many fights as he wanted. Any trainer on the road would just be ripe for the picking. And hearing about those Gym Leaders, the people who led their territories and provided the ultimate test? Who were strong enough to inspire fear and respect from just about any trainer? The broader scope of Indigo was a paradise.

    The Gym Leaders alone were enough incentive for him to want to tag along. Anyone encountered on the road was just a bonus. The idea of being commanded in battle, not completely free, irked him at first, but he had no ill opinion of Ash. The human boy''s restrictions were annoying, but Tempest wasn''t going to bite the hand that feeds him. If Ash was good enough to capture him, he was good enough to order him around. It was Tempest''s own fault for not being strong enough to win that battle, after all. And his cooperation was rewarded with the opportunity to join the trainer''s adventure as well. When Ash had informed Tempest of his goals, the river crab couldn''t wait for the future ahead. After all, he had everything to gain from it: If the human boy dreamed of being the best trainer in the world, then the best place to be was by his side: where they could be battling at any given moment. And there was apparently an esteemed tournament reserved only for those who were capable of overcoming the Gym Leaders. Ash''s goal was to reach that tournament, where the amount of thrilling opponents would be positively overflowing. Tempest certainly didn''t regret sacrificing a portion of his freedom if it meant he was able to be a part of that. And when coupled with the free special training Ash provided him with, he was gaining so much more than he lost. The new Scald move that Ash had used that TM to give him was incredibly satisfying to use. He never tired of watching his opponent''s wriggle in agony from the boiling water. It was just another way to crush the opposition and embrace the satisfaction of winning.

    And he would keep on winning. The encounter with Surge had been an excellent preview for the future that was laid out in front of him: Opponents stronger than anything he could have ever hoped to picture in his head. With Ash''s tutelage, and his own strength, he would rise up and meet them all. Watching them fall one by one.

    It offended him that he was the only one who seemed to think this way. Everyone on the team was bitter towards him from the start. And for what? Embracing the pure, untainted thrill of fighting? The joy of cutting loose with no shackles to hinder his body and what it was capable of? They all clearly enjoyed battling too. But they didn''t take it seriously. They didn''t revel in it. They didn''t understand. Even Ash, for as much deserved respect the river crab had for the human, was rather irritating with his views.

    He was only allowed to cut loose when they were okay with it. Back on the coastline, he could get into a fight whenever he felt like it. He didn''t need someone else''s permission to start something whenever the itch presented itself. Now, he could only do it when his trainer said it was okay. The fights had been a lot more entertaining since joining the team, which made up for it, but it was annoying to have such a limiting rule in place. Everyone on the team would always shoot suspicious glances his way, even glares, just because they thought he could pick a fight at any minute- as if that would be the wrong thing to do!

    It had been irritating, but it didn''t matter much in the grand scheme of things. He wasn''t here for them, or their approval. Early on, however, he had taken note of the youngest member''s behavior.

    Tyrunt had been a weakling. Just a baby getting his foot in the door. But his jaws still made him dangerous, and anyone on the team could have noticed the bloodlust lurking beneath his surface. In Tempest''s mind, it had been the perfect opportunity. That was why he had provoked the hatchling into fighting him that night. Tyrunt wanted to cut loose, and getting him to do so was a perfect way to get some extra action in.

    But he had been scolded for that. The team had subdued him, leaving him on the receiving end of their trainer''s frustration. Ash had even threatened to release him, which shook the Krabby a bit. Maybe he should have been grateful for what he hadˇ­ He could have lost everything he had been given the chance to enjoy that night.

    And of course, the rest of the team was even more infuriatingly suspicious of him ever since. They were all hypocrites. There wasn''t a soul in the group who didn''t enjoy battling, and yet he was somehow the bad guy for enjoying it the most? Valiant in particular had rarely ever taken his eyes off him since that night, seemingly. The Kirlia had not let Tyrunt out of his sight, as if Tempest was a starving predator that would devour the hatchling whole at any given second. Not that the Krabby cared, of course. If they were this determined to see him as the villain, then let them. They''re opinions didn''t matter to him. He''d let them know exactly how he felt about them.

    But Ash''s words yesterday had startled him. It didn''t surprise the river crab that the human had wanted him and the others to at least try to get along, but the trainer had gone as far as suggesting that the water type would fall behind without their helpˇ­ It was absurd. How could he ever benefit from working with Pokemon as shortsighted as them? They didn''t understand the primal thrill of combat, despite claiming to love battles. There was no way they could offer him any meaningful kind of help. At the very least, he had also told Valiant to quit it as well. Of everyone in the group, the Kirlia had slowly become the most annoying. All the psychic seemed to care about was coddling Tyrunt and licking Ash''s shoes.

    Tempest wouldn''t be picking any more fights amongst the team themselves. He had learned his lesson. It didn''t stop him from feeling annoyed. Did Ash not want to be the best trainer in the world? The human loved battling as much as he did. So why was he so careful about it? Why did Ash refuse to see his side of the story? The trainer was too reserved for him and Tempest to see eye to eye, even if the river crab was still glad to have been on his team.

    And yetˇ­ Ash must have known what he was talking about, right? It had gotten him this far. His actions were completely right, so why did his words sound soˇ­ wrong?

    It felt conflicting. Being with Ash was holding him back, and yet, it wasn''t. Whenever Tempest felt frustrated about all of these silly little rules that the human trainer had in place, he was also reminded of everything he had gained from their partnership. He had already grown a good deal stronger than he had been before, and even picked up new moves to play around with. There had already been some exciting battles that he had partaken in, with countless more to come in the future. Despite his misgivings, he felt he had no right to complain.

    The Krabby''s opinion of Ash was a river of mixed emotions, especially when taking the rest of the group into consideration. In the end, however, the good outweighed the bad. It was the conclusion that he had always come to. Even with all of the annoyingly limiting rules that Ash had continued to push, the battles that he did seek out promised to be far more exciting than anything that Tempest was used to. And at the end of the day, that was what really mattered. The battlefield was what really mattered.

    He could put up with the disdain from his so-called "teammates". He could tolerate Ash''s rules. At the end of the day, he had found a good trainer. One who, even with all of his short-sighted quirks, had been strong enough to capture him, and had given him quite a lot to be grateful for since. An endless road of adventure and battling awaited Ash and the others, and that was reason enough to stick around. Shake off the annoyances, and indulge in the benefits. Once he got to the city, he would charge into battle against this Erika gym Leader, and once he was done revelling in his victory, he would look forward to his next prey.

    Tempest took a moment to spare a quick glance at Valiant. The Kirlia and the other Pokemon on the team were trivial to him. He wasn''t here to make friends, or find comrades. All he needed to care about was living life to the fullest, by experiencing the high-octane action he had been ignorantly missing out on. Acquiring eight badges and fighting in the Indigo Conference was the perfect endgame to compliment his wants. As long as Ash''s goals and interests benefitted his own, he''d gladly remain with his new trainer, and fight by his side.

    His old home didn''t matter to him. Who needed to be confined to a single beach for their whole life? The only thing relevant to him was the path laid out in front.

    And apparently, this "Celadon City" was where that path would be taking them next.

    /

    The day went by as planned. Valiant and Tempest remained out with Ash for the entire walk, with the rest of the team temporarily joining in for training, meals, and battles, but preferring to stay in their balls otherwise. Tension between the Kirlia and Krabby did not vanish, but was much more subdued than it was prior, the respective moods of the two Pokemon being the only thing to truly come of it.

    They won every battle they had gotten into that day, with each member of the team seeing action at least once. Tempest had sent a Bulbasaur flying after powering through a barrage of Vine Whip, Pikachu ran circles around an Aipom before disorienting his opponent with a fierce Static Tail and finishing the fight with brick Break, and Valiant outsmarted a Gastly to avoid a series of crippling ghost type moves before blasting his opponent into submission. That had required the psychic to overexert his usage of Shadow Sneak, however, along with some teleportation, and Ash had instructed the winded emotion Pokemon to take a break from battling afterwards.

    They had settled down at camp feeling fairly satisfied for the day, and had covered enough distance for Ash to be confident that they''d reach the city the following night. He even considered focusing less on battling the next day in order to ensure that.

    Nevertheless, getting some battles in still wouldn''t hurt.

    The brown-haired boy standing across from Ash recoiled a bit as his Mankey landed on his back with a thud. Standing over the fallen fighting type, Tempest cheerfully pumped his pincers in the air, his body sustaining only a few superficial bruises from the match.

    Returning his partner, the boy (who had introduced himself as "Adam") approached Ash and Valiant with a sheepish grin. He wore a yellow hoodie that seemed surprisingly thick, zipped all the way up to the point Ash couldn''t even see the collar of Adam''s shirt. His pants looked a bit familiar, but Ash couldn''t quite place why.

    Ash accepted the roll of money that Adam handed to him as the other boy spoke in a somewhat nervous tone. "W-wowˇ­! That Krabby of yours is something else! What was his name again?"

    "Tempest." Ash responded, looking back to the water type with a smile. "He''s a handful, butˇ­ he''s great at what he does."

    "Right, Tempest! I knew that. Heh heh hehˇ­" Adam''s laughter trailed off as he rubbed the back of his neck. His facial expression caught Ash off guard. It was rare to see someone behaving this awkwardly. The look Adam was giving him almost made the other boy appear comically uncomfortable.

    "Are you okay?" Ash asked in mild concern. At his side, Valiant crossed his arms with a somewhat bewildered expression, yet trying to stare intently at the other boy.

    Adam''s cheeks flushed as his arms shot out, his hands wiggling. "O-Oh! I''m fine! It''s justˇ­ there was something I wanted to ask you about. Thought you might be interested?"

    The rookie raised a curious brow. "Dependsˇ­ what is it?"

    Adam tried to straighten himself before looking him in the eye. "Well, you might not have heard about this, but there have been some rumors around these parts that some exotic Pokemon are lurking in a nearby area." he held out his fists giddily. "And apparently a few of them are super strong! Like, crazy!"

    Ash''s eyes widened a bit at that. None of the trainers he''d battled had told him about this before, but it was cool to hear now. "Do you know what kind of Pokemon they are?"

    Adam shook his head. "Sorry, I don''t have the details on that." he pointed behind himself. "But they''re supposed to be hiding out somewhere in the western part of this area. A girl I battled recently said she was sure she saw something she couldn''t recognize at a spot she showed me. I didn''t go in there myself, but you''re pretty strong, so maybeˇ­?"

    Tapping his foot against the grass, Ash began to think about his options. This would likely be a bit of a detour, and he wasn''t in any immediate need of additional teammates now that he had a full team of six. It was certainly recommended to have more than that, but adding too many Pokemon to his group this early would make things more difficult to manage between them. Especially since trainer''s weren''t able to carry more than six Pokemon on them until they had eight badges. He would have to constantly swap his friends out to give everyone the attention they needed, if he captured any more.

    The sound of loud, rapid clicking filled his ears as Tempest approached him. Ignoring Valiant, the Krabby gazed up at Ash with a determined grin. The boy inwardly sighed at the sight. Of course Tempest wouldn''t ignore a rumor about a group of powerful wild Pokemonˇ­

    ''I suppose the worst that could happen is we have to wait another day to get to Celadon.'' Ash thought to himself. He supposed he could also skip training and use his bicycle to make up for lost time. There were ways around this, admittedly.

    "Okay, we can go." Ash looked back up at Adam as Tempest chattered joyfully. "I''m not sure if I''ll be catching any of them, but battling them could be good training."

    Adam''s face lit up. "Great! I''ll lead the way!" he turned and walked off in the direction he had pointed. As Ash prepared to follow, a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he looked down at Valiant. The Kirlia had been silent for the entire exchange, still crossing his arms thoughtfully. "Hey buddy, you need anything?"

    Perking up, Valiant snapped out of his thoughts before shaking his head uneasily. "No, it''s nothing. Sorry."

    Ash looked his friend over with some concern for a moment, before nodding with an assuring smile. He was worried that something was bothering the young psychic, but perhaps he was just deep in thought. It didn''t seem to be anything that needed to be pried. "Alright, just figured I should ask." he looked between his two teammates. "Let''s get going."

    Tempest nodded at the trainer as he and Ash followed after Adam. Valiant lagged behind for just a second or two, his face momentarily contorting into a frown. He shook it off an instant later, before taking off after the group.

    /

    After about ten minutes of walking, Adam led the group to a large patch of trees and bushes that resembled a tiny, bite-sized forest. The area leading to Celadon had a few of these, and Ash recounted passing through a couple yesterday as he took in the surroundings.

    At Ash''s sides, Tempest and Valiant followed. The river crab glanced around the trees with his face split into an anticipating grin.

    Valiant, however, felt an intrusive shiver running down his body as they continued. His steps were beginning to feel a bit heavier while he glanced from side to side.

    Adam extended an arm outward, signaling the group to stop. Valiant took the time to clutch his head, Tempest tilting his head at the Kirlia in confusion as Ash observed where they were.

    A series of bushes sandwiched either side of the path, the leaves from the trees spread out overhead, carried by a slight breeze that brushed against the boy''s skin. Normally, such a setting would bring back unpleasant memories of Viridian Forest, but Ash knew that this place thankfully wasn''t nearly as big.

    "Somewhereˇ­ around here." said Adam, backing his way towards Ash. "She said she left a mark behind on some of the trees to signal where she saw them." Ash followed the other boy''s finger, and indeed, someone had carved part of the trunks to make some kind of symbol that he didn''t recognize.

    It looked like a hexagon, but with lines sticking out of each corner, connected by an oval. Not overly complex, but surprisingly high-effort for the circumstances. Perhaps she just wanted to make sure it stood out enough?

    Apart from a couple of Pidgey flying overhead, Ash didn''t see much at the moment. Either the rumor wasn''t true (he hoped it was, he didn''t want to disappoint Tempest), or the wild Pokemon just weren''t out yet.

    Thankfully, Adam seemed to know what he was thinking. "They''ll be here." he reassured. His voice seemed a tad bit nervous again, the anticipation clearly building. "Let''s just give it some time, if that''s okay?"

    Ash nodded. "Sure, we can wait. Is that okay with youˇ­ two?" looking behind him to address Tempest and Valiant, he noticed the state that his kirlia friend was in. Valiant''s eyes were clenched shut, his hands firmly pressed against the sides of his head. Watching him, Tempest seemed more curious than concerned.

    Ash mentally kicked himself. He shouldn''t have taken Valiant''s word for it. Something was clearly bothering his friend. He wondered what itˇ­

    It clicked with him.

    "Are you nervous about being in a forest again, Valiant?" The emotion Pokemon opened his eyes as Ash crouched down to talk to him. If there was anyone in the group who hated Viridian Forest the most, it was definitely the psychic. "This isn''t Viridian, so you don''t have to worry, but I can return you if it''ll make you-" he frowned as Valiant shook his head. "That''s not it?" a nod in response. Ash placed a hand on his friend''s head, hoping it''ll at least somewhat ease him. "Okay, then can you tell us what-"

    "LOOK OUT!"

    The psychic''s panicked voice blared in his mind, just an instant before an arm grabbed his shoulder and forced him to his feet. Just as a startled yelp escaped Ash''s throat, the air was suddenly sucked out of him as a fist collided with his abdomen. Even as he was processing the pain, Adam''s other arm shot out and frantically clutched at Ash''s belt.

    Outraged, Tempest lunged forward just as Adam moved away. The other boy cried out in desperation as leapt back from the stream of boiling water that escaped the Krabby''s pincers, nearly losing his balance in the process.

    Forcing himself to regain his bearings, Valiant ran in front of his trainer. and glowered at the other boy. Picking himself up, Ash clutched his stomach as his eyes shot to Adam, who''s expression had become somewhat hardened, determined.

    "What the hell was that for?!" confusion raced through his mind. None of this made sense. Why had he-

    Adam let out a loud sigh before glaring at the trio. "Sorry, guys, but I had to do this. In my defense, you did make it pretty easy."

    Ash''s face tightened. "What do youˇ­!" his eyes widened like plates as he saw what was in the boy''s hands.

    Three Poke Balls.

    Ash''s hand immediately raced for his belt, feeling for his teamˇ­

    Some balls were missing.

    Ash couldn''t tell if he was feeling panic or anger as he shouted at the other boy. Why was another kid stealing Pokemon so shamelessly? What could have possibly made him do such a thing?!

    "Give those back! NOW!" The feeling suddenly struck him like one of Pikachu''s Zap Tails. He was being separated from his team! He didn''t know why, but he cared less by the second what the reasons were. Right now, all he could do was focus on the sick feeling in his stomach as the implications of the situation crashed down on him. "Why are you stealing other people''s-"

    "Maybe we can clear that up." a female voice interrupted from the side. Ash, Tempest, and Valiant all started as the bushes surrounding them rustled.

    Four figures, two on each side, stepped out and surrounded the group. Two girls, one blond with pigtails, and the other with dark hair and a ponytail, and two short-haired boys, one silver haired and the other green haired. It had been the dark haired girl who spoke.

    They all seemed to be Ash''s age, which made what they were wearing even more startling.

    A deep black uniform with a red R in the center.

    Any anger Ash felt was replaced with panic at the sight of the familiar logo. Beside him, Valiant was shivering again. Tempest observed their reactions carefully.

    "T-Teamˇ­ Team Rocketˇ­?!" Confusion, fear, shockˇ­ he felt it all. Why were a bunch of kids wearingˇ­

    One of Adam''s hands shot to his zipper, yanking it downward as his hoodie opened up to reveal his own uniform, identical to the other four children. The smile he gave the trio was the same as usual, but much more sickening now with his current appearance.

    Sneering at their assailants, Tempest rapidly clicked his pincers together, bloodlust in his eyes as each of the four newcomers took out a Poke Ball.

    The dark-haired girl flicked at a strand on her head as her eyes bore into Ash''s chest. The smirk on her face was as smug as Misty''s, but with an explicit, unsettling venom that almost made Ash vomit. He wasn''t sure if the uniform alone was the cause of that feeling, or if there was something else about herˇ­

    "Heh." she chuckled. "This should go pretty smoothly. Nice work, Adam."

    A surge of aggression rose into Ash''s chest as his fists tightened.

    Why was he scared? The uniform brought back horrible memories, but these were just kids. They weren''t as dangerous asˇ­ but why?

    "Why are you guys evenˇ­ how are youˇ­?" he''d never heard of kids being a part of Team Rocket before. It wasn''t like he had gone out of his way to research the group, butˇ­ it just didn''t make sense. What reason did they have toˇ­

    The blond girl spoke up. "Quit whining. We don''t have to explain ourselves. All you need to know is that we are real Team Rocket members." her expression wasn''t as aggressive as the other girl, and her tone was more even.

    "And quit stalling." the silver haired boy spoke up. He seemed more determined than anything else. "We know how strong you are. Our group has been scouting out this area for days. Your team''s one of the best around these parts."

    Finally, the green haired boy. "Yeah, but we just took half of them. You''ll be a lot easier to deal with now."

    The dark haired girl nodded towards Adam. "Hurry up and get back to Damian at camp. We''ll handle this."

    Adam nodded frantically, excitement building in his voice. "R-Right! Good luck everyone! Thanks for believing my story, sucker!"

    The panic returned as Adam dashed off. Ash''s face paled as the Rocket boy retreated with half of his team.

    "WAIT!" his scream practically carried him forward without thinking, but just as he started to break into a run, four flashes of light stopped him in his tracks.

    Surrounding him, Valiant, and Tempest were a Venonat, Electrike, Poliwag, and Tyrogue.

    The dark haired girl''s bitter smirk was replaced with a smooth, stoic expression as she crossed her arms and nodded at the trio. "Alright, just hand over the rest of your team, and we won''t beat you up too badly."

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Valiant and Tempest sank into fighting stances as the four enemy Pokemon slowly stalked forward from either direction. Ash''s hand grabbed one of the Poke Ball''s from his belt. It occurred to him that he had no way of knowing who Adam had taken until he checked.

    Two of them were Valiant and Tempest''s empty balls. And the last wasˇ­

    Eevee appeared in front of him. Instinctively, her head darted from side to side, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of the familiar uniforms.

    "Eevee!" Ash got her attention quickly. "It''s Team Rocket, theys stole everyone else except Valiant and Tempest! We have to fight our way out!" Eevee''s fur stood on end at the news. Her back was facing Ash, so he couldn''t see the combination of crippling anxiety and murderous rage in her eyes.

    That''s right. They needed to fight. These people weren''t the platoon that had attacked Mt. Moon and tried to kill them and Misty. They were just children. Ignore the uniform. Don''t be scaredˇ­

    The adrenaline shot through his blood. They needed to beat these guys as quickly as possible. Before Adam got too farˇ­

    Tempest didn''t wait. The boiling water blasted its way out of his pincers as the river crab shot forward towards his nearest target: Venonat. The water type''s aggression triggered a response from everybody.

    The rocket children began shouting commands to their teammates as Electrike and Poliwag targeted Valiant. As the emotion Pokemon startled the duo, teleporting in front of Poliwag and driving an electrical fist into its stomach just before the stream of bubbles could be fired, Tyrogue charged Eevee with a flying kick, which was intercepted by a Shadow Ball.

    Venonat was blasted backwards by the steaming water that struck the bug head on. As his opponent began to pick itself up, Tempest''s face twisted into a bitter, satisfactory smirk, even as the enraged snarl escaped his throat.

    /

    Somewhat far away, in a part of the area not commonly explored, a series of large tents stood atop the grass and soil that made up the ground, surrounding a decently sized hut towards the end of the camp.

    Several kids went about their routine at the camp, one boy messing around with a radio, seemingly talking to an adult on the other end. A girl was taking water from a dispenser, wiping some sweat from her forehead after the hour-long patrol she had done.

    Every kid wore the same uniform.

    A blue-haired boy about a year older than Ash sat at the top of the small set of stairs leading to the hut, his back against the doorframe as he absentmindedly tossed a Poke Ball up and down in his hand. A pair of sunglasses rested on his forehead.

    Mild frustration accompanied his features as he ran the past week or so through his mind. Their goal had been to infiltrate the nearby Pokemon Center and make off with as much as they could, in order to have something to present to that pompous know-it-all back in Celadon. But they had a deadline, and it was approaching faster than he''d like. And the Pokemon Center hadn''t seen as much activity as he and the rest of the group had been hoping.

    Thankfully, they had come up with a last minute Plan B. They had spent their time in the area scouting the surroundings and observing all of the trainers passing through. They had members of their squad spread out all over the grassy fields between Vermillion, Celadon, and Saffron, keeping an eye on as much as possible.

    The boy clenched the Poke Ball in his hand, mumbling to himself in frustration. With the planned heist on the Pokemon Center turning out to be a bust, he had instead decided to switch gears and target the two strongest trainers in the area, who had been cleaning house against everybody who battled them. If they could make off with both trainers'' respective teams, they could at least have something to show for their stuck up piece of crap could finally stop talking down to them once they had done something to prove themselves.

    A vibration in his pocket caught his attention as he pulled out a communicator. Pressing a button, he spoke into the device. "I''m here. Tell me what''s going on."

    "Hey." came Adam''s voice on the other end. It sounded like he was panting. "I''m on my way over now, but things didn''t go quite as planned."

    The boy''s brow furrowed, his tone of voice not doing a very good job at hiding his frustration. "What do you mean? What happened?"

    "I had to act a bit more quickly. His Kirlia was onto me. I only swiped three of his poke Balls, but the others are gonna get the rest. He won''t be only to fend them off with only half of his team-"

    "Never mind that" the boy snapped. "Just make sure you get over here quickly. I still haven''t heard back from the group that went after the other trainer yet, and I should''ve. If you stall you might run into trouble-"

    "But I''m already out of breath as it is-"

    "You were the one who said you could handle the run, dimwit!" the boy spat. "Suck it up and move!" Before Adam could offer any further protest, he pressed a button, cancelling the exchange.

    Letting out a deep sigh, the blue-haired boy ran a hand across his face. He should''ve known that Adam would be terrible bait. Maybe he should''ve had somebody with a better poker face assume the role, or at least a faster runner with more stamina.

    It couldn''t be helped now, though. The best thing he could do was provide extra assurance.

    The boy perked up as the sound of footsteps filled his ears. He stood up to address the brunette girl with wavy hair ascending the stairs. "Hold on a second."

    The girl stopped and nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, Damian?"

    Damian''s face turned as stoic as he could manage. "Adam''s on his way back to camp, but he''s being a crybaby about it." suppressing a scoff, he continued. "Haven''t heard back from the other group yet, so we''re gonna be sending in a few fliers to attack on sight. Spearow are the preference for now, but don''t use them all up. Send some Pidgey too."

    She nodded, a Poke Ball already in hand. "Will do." a frown formed on her face. "Are you sure this approach was the best-"

    "It''s like I said before." Damian responded with crossed arms. "That damn Center was never busy enough. A bunch of trainers were going in and out, but there was never enough there at the same time. At least this way, we''re not empty handed." his arms fell to his side. "We just need some extra backup just in case."

    /

    "Electrike, Thunder Fang!" at the green haired trainer''s orders, the electric type bounded for Valiant, who had been standing protectively in front of Ash to fend off attacks from the trainer.

    The silver haired boy had retreated after Venonat was put down by Tempest''s Metal Claw. Poliwag had taken advantage of its Water Absorb ability to trick the Krabby into healing it, before charging Ash as Electrike attempted to keep the frustrated crab occupied.

    This was when Valiant had stepped in, his defensive techniques and competent use of electrical moves keeping the water type at bay. Now Electrike and Poliwag were switching places, Poliwag once again using Water Absorb to its advantage by using its body as a shield to protect the fleeing electric type from the barrage of bubbles fired by the pursuing Krabby.

    The stress of the situation hadn''t left Ash, but he somehow found it progressively easier to steel his nerves. Perhaps it was because these were people his age. The uniforms that they were wearing triggered a lot of instinctual fear, but he found the effect diminishing the more he reminded himself that these were just children like him, Team Rocket or not.

    He had an avalanche of questions running through his mind. Why were children being recruited into Team Rocket? How would Team Rocket benefit from that? Why would any kid want to be associated with such a group? These people were killers! Surely these four kids realized that!

    He pushed those questions away, however. Maybe if the circumstances were different, he''d double down on asking them, but right now, three members of his team had been abducted. All he could really think about was getting them back from Adam. And that meant winning this fight as fast as possible.

    Valiant and Eevee seemed to have the mindset, as Ash watched his psychic friend momentarily sink into his shadow, before rapidly rising up to deliver a fiery uppercut to Electrike''s chin from below. The combination of blunt force and fire sent a surge of pain through the electric type''s jaw, although which Valiant capitalized on by blasting his opponent away with Dazzling Gleam.

    As Electrike''s trainer began shouting in desperation, Eevee raised a metallic tail to block the incoming Tyrogue, who rushed her at startling speeds as his own fist turned to metal. The momentum of his Bullet Punch toppled her over, even as the metal coating of her tail absorbed the impact and nullified any harm.

    After rolling away for a moment or two, Eevee successfully regained her balance, just in time to see Tyrogue upon her, rearing back an orange fist.

    Crouching as quickly as she could, the evolution Pokemon bolted forward with Quick Attack, charging into her opponent''s stomach at point-blank while the Brick Break passed over her head. Having not had enough time to reach her full speed (or anywhere even close, for that matter), her attack wasn''t especially strong, but did manage to push the fighting type backwards.

    "Thunderbolt!" from the corner of her eye, she could see Electrike advancing towards her from somewhat afar, his body crackling with electrical aura before launching the bolt of lightning towards her. Just as she prepared to turn around and defend herself, Valiant ran forward (being careful not to get too far from Ash) and launched a barrage of glowing leaves from the green sphere forming in his hand. As the Magical leaf intercepted and soaked up the Thunderbolt, Eevee turned her attention back to Tyrogue, who had taken advantage of the momentary distraction to rush her with a sweeping kick.

    Jumping over his kick just in time, Eevee coated her tail in metal, lashing out to cleanly strike the fighting type in the side of the head. A loud smacking noise sounded as Tyrogue shattered back, struggling to maintain his balance while his hand involuntarily shot up to clutch the large gash left behind on his head. Eevee was far from merciful, however, the Shadow Ball already forming in her jaws as she sprinted after her opponent.

    The attack was fired point-blank, and the blond girl didn''t even take the time to recall her unconscious partner before running off.

    The dark-haired girl''s teeth were grit in frustration as Poliwag and Electrike switched places once more. "Poliwag, freeze that Eevee with Icy Wind!"

    "Valiant!" Ash called to his psychic companion, backing away quickly to distance himself from the fight now that there weren''t enough enemy Pokemon to fully surround him. "Don''t worry about me, help Eevee and Tempest!"

    The look of mild concern on Valiant''s face only lasted a moment before the Emotion Pokemon nodded to his trainer, flashing in front Eevee (who greeted him with a smile) before intercepting the barrage of frozen air with a wall of golden glass. As the Icy Wind harmlessly slammed into the Light Screen, a terrified scream brought everyone''s attention to the green-haired boy, who was fleeing the scene as Electrike lay unconscious at Tempest''s feet, covered in mud.

    "You cowards!" screamed the girl, her knuckles turning pale as her fists tightened. "Leaving me here like-" she paused as she surveyed the scene.

    Eevee had circled around Poliwag, allowing her and Valiant to face the water type from either side. As Poliwag cautiously looked between the two combatants, Tempest slowly stalked his way the confrontation like a predator, grinning with dangerous malice as his pincers slowly clicked together.

    "I''mˇ­ the only one leftˇ­" the realization dawned on her as Ash shot the young Rocket a glare.

    "You can''t win!" the boy spat with uncharacteristic aggression. "I don''t know why you joined Team Rocket, but I don''t care. You''re not taking my team. Let us through, NOW!"

    Her face formed into a frown as Eevee growled at Poliwag, who was beginning to sweat as Valiant sank into a fighting stance. Their advantage in numbers hadn''t taken very long to be reversedˇ­

    Sighing in frustration, the girl raised her Poke Ball and returned Poliwag in a beam of red light, before turning to fix Ash with a nervous scowl.

    "You won''t catch up to Adam. Your team is gone. I''m out of here." As she dashed off, Ash saw Eevee and Valaint preparing to make a move.

    "No, don''t!" as his friends looked at him curiously, he ran over to speak to them. "We can''t worry about her right now. We need to go after Adam. He''s the one who has Pikachu and the others." As the two nodded in understanding, the boy turned to Tempest, unclipping a Poke Ball from his belt. "Tempest, I have to return you for now." Although the Krabby was faster than his species would have been expected to be, he wouldn''t be quick enough for them to run at full speed without him getting left behind. Tempest seemed somewhat disappointed, but not angry as Ash recalled him.

    After clipping the Krabby''s ball back to his belt, Ash could feel the anxiety surging through him again. At this point, all they could do was run straight forward, the same direction that Adam had gone in. But if he had ever changed direction at any given time, there was no way they could-

    Something clicked in his mind as he turned to Valiant. "Hey, Valiant. You can sense emotions. That''s how you knew something was wrong, right?" At the Kirlia''s nod, Ash turned to Eevee, who was listening intently, her eyes fixed into a steel glare. "Eevee, you''ll go with me. If Valiant picks up on anything, we''ll go in that direction. Once we spot Adam, I need you to chase him down at your top speed."

    Eevee nodded at her trainer, her mind racing. She didn''t have the full context for what was going on, as she hadn''t been out when Adam had assaulted Ash, but the fact that half the team had been abducted was all she needed to know, as far as she was concerned.

    She couldn''t help but frown at Valiant, however. She knew her best friend was their strongest chance at tracking this kid down, but could he keep up with her and Ash while sprinting? The psychic had gotten a lot faster as of recent, but he still wasn''t the most agile just yet. And unlike her or Pikachu, he wasn''t light enough for Ash to easily carry.

    Ash seemed to think of this, however, raising Valiant''s Poke Ball. "I''m going to call you back for now. Eevee and I will go in a straight line, as fast as we can. Adam''s going to their camp, he has to stop somewhere, so if we still can''t find anything after a certain amount of time, we''ll have to assume he changed directions. That''ll make things a lot more difficult for us, but I''ll send you out to see if you can track him down."

    Even after he spoke, the trainer bit his lip. It was far from a perfect plan. It wasn''t like Valiant''s ability to detect emotions was some foolproof technique that stretched across the entire area. He wasn''t a sentient radar. And even if they did find the camp, what did they do then? They''d be outnumbered by who knows how much. The best case scenario was to catch Adam before he got back, but he already had a head start on themˇ­

    The boy did his best to push the anxiety down. No, they wouldn''t go charging in. That was absurd. The obvious option would be to find the base, and then try to contact the authorities. But that would require backtracking all the way back to the Pokemon Center. What if the Rockets left at that point?

    His bike was another option. But Valiant might be too heavy for the basket. Still, it would increase their speedˇ­

    He quickly returned Valiant. Any time they spent here pondering over things was more time lost when they should be pursuing Adam. They needed to hope for a miracleˇ­

    Eevee tilted her head at her trainer as he took another Poke Ball from the pocket of his backpack. Thankfully, he had started carrying his bike''s ball in a different area from his Pokemon, so Adam wouldn''t have been able to steal it by targeting the belt.

    As the bike appeared in front of them, Ash looked down at Eevee and nodded. "Change of plans, get in the basket."

    /

    Paul''s scrunched up face gave way to a sigh of frustration, his hand finding its way to his forehead as he, Grotle, Elekid, and Skorupi observed the four fallen boys in front of them. The four who had crashed his team''s training session.

    After their failed ambush, their attempt at retreating had been clumsy, leaving Elekid to give two of them a quick stun with his electricity, while Sneasel and Murkrow dealt with the other two. There had been many questions racing through the purple-haired boy''s mind, the most dominant one being why they were wearing Team Rocket uniforms.

    Paul couldn''t say he knew much about the organization. He had certainly heard of it, but his knowledge of the group stopped at the fact that they existed. He was from Sinnoh, where the terrorist organization had no presence. And until now, he had never even seen them before, outside of some of the recent news reports regarding their increase in activity.

    He had tried to interrogate them, but only one was willing to talk. They had been planning to sneak into the Pokemon Center and steal the Pokemon being kept there, but had changed their plans after the Center ended up not being busy enough. So now, they were just targeting him out in the openˇ­

    He frowned at that. Why were children his age associating with these people? They claimed to be the real deal, when he had initially thought they were pulling a prank. He somehow doubted it, but their aggression was convincing. Perhaps they were some kind of gang trying to emulate the group?

    Whatever the case, if they were the real deal, this wouldn''t be over yet. He wasn''t intimidated by these people. They weren''t the adult, stone cold killers that he had seen on the news. Even if they were part of the actual group, they were just people his age. He had a strong team, so there was no reason to fear a bunch of kids.

    Paul turned his attention away from the fallen Rockets, now focused on Teddiursa, Murkrow, and Sneasel a couple of meters away. Calling them over, he looked between his team.

    "We need to get back to the Center and inform them of what''s going on. They''ll call the police once they find out Team Rocket is here." After they all nodded in agreement, he recalled Grotle, Teddiursa, and Skorupi. Turning to Murkrow, he pointed upwards. "I need you to keep an eye on things from the sky, Murkrow. Let us know if you see anything at all, understood?"

    The dark flier nodded, an affirmative chirp escaping her beak as she flapped her wings and rose into the air. Satisfied, Paul turned to Elekid and Sneasel, gesturing for them to follow him.

    /

    Adam took a seat on a nearby boulder as his lungs gasped for air. The camp wasn''t too far from here now, but he was out of breath. He couldn''t run anymore.

    Damian had said that the other group hadn''t sent him any word yet, but that didn''t mean he was in danger, right? He should be far away from where either of their targets were at the moment. Even if Ash had managed to escape the ambush, he wouldn''t be able to find him at this point. He could afford the breather.

    /

    Murkrow flew ahead of her group to scout out the area leading back to the Center. Paul knew she could find her way back, so as long as she didn''t stray too far off course, she could investigate the surroundings. High above the ground, she could see a great distance, her eyes scanning the grassy fields below for any signs of people.

    Making a mental note as to where her trainer and teammates were, she swerved westward, to ensure that nobody would ambush them from the side. Paul watched her go, nodding to himself. She could likely see the Center from over there, so there was no need to worry about her getting lost.

    As her eyes scanned the ground that passed by beneath her, her flight began to slow as she spotted somebody. Hoping not to be spotted, she lowered herself just enough to get a better look, flapping her wings in place.

    A boy was sprawled out on a boulder. She recognized the R on his shirt. He was one of them. Thankfully, he wasn''t in her trainer''s path, but if he was here, others may be nearby. She had to warn Paul-

    Two aggressive squawks caught her attention as she turned to see a Spearow and Pidgey charging her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

    The duo unleashed a barrage of pecks and slaps that she deftly avoided. The moment she saw an opening, her eyes flashed, the Spearow''s aerial balance becoming compromised. As the bird struggled to stay airborne, Murkrow turned her attention to the other bird,the Pidgey crying out in surprise as the Thunder Wave traveled along its feathers.

    With her wings coated in metal, the dark flier smacked both of her opponents on the head, aiming downwards to send them catapulting towards the ground below. If the blows didn''t put them out of commission, the impact would.

    /

    "What do you mean the ambush was a bust?!" Damian screamed into the communicator as a few of his comrades walked by him nervously. He had just received word from the group that was supposed to help Adam on his assignment. And all of them had been driven away.

    "I''m sorry, Damian. Do you want us tog et back to camp, or-"

    "No, stay in hiding." the blue-haired boy attempted to regain his composure. "I''m gonna have to lead a group of my own out there to fix this. We might not have much time before the authorities are notified, but I''m not leaving empty-handed!" he broke off communication, pulling at his hair in frustration. He should have just gone for the Center while he had the chance. Now, a bunch of his allies were out there unprotected, with the police sure to come at any given moment.

    They had to act fast. Use the fliers to track down their targets.

    His lips twisted into a bitter smirk. "Nobody gets away from me. Nobody embarasses me, either."

    /

    Eevee had never ridden in the bike''s basket before. Certainly not at this speed.

    She didn''t know why she found it so startling. After all, could she not run this fast herself?

    But she knew the real reason. She wasn''t the one in control. It was one thing to run at an incredible rate. It was another to be carried around at that same rate.

    Ash had put the bike into fourth gear, and the evolution Pokemon felt the startling sensation of the wind pounding against her face as the duo zipped across the fields. She couldn''t fully describe the feeling, but it was overwhelming for certain. She felt rather vulnerable, stuck in this basket, with no control over the rapid movements that were carrying her forward.

    Taking a moment to look behind her, Eevee saw the look in Ash''s eyes. It was clear desperation. All he could think about was moving as fast as he could. Eevee, like many wild pokemon, had had her frustrations about being captured at first. Even for many Pokemon that didn''t mind having a trainer pluck them from the wild, it took time to adjust. But moments like these reminded her that she had the right kind of trainer. One who would drop everything for the sake of his Pokemon family.

    As her gaze turned skyward, the quadruped gasped as she spotted something from the corner of her eye. A series of rapid barks convinced Ash to hit the brakes, the vehicle skidding to a stop. Almost immediately, Eevee felt the jarring contrast of going from such high speeds, to abruptly grinding to a halt. But it wasn''t on her mind right now.

    "What is it, Eevee? Did you see something?" even his voice was desperate. Ash was clinging to any possibility that the others could be found. As he followed her paw, his eyes widened at the sight in the sky.

    A Murkrow, Spearow, and Pidgey were brawling in the air high above, to the left. As the Murkrow sent both of the other birds falling out of the sky, it was almost as though Ash had a hunch.

    "I''m not sure if that''s Team Rocket, but we''ve been going straight for a good bit now. Let''s see if there''s something in that direction."

    /

    Paul watched as Murkrow descended back down to him and his teammates. Elekid had spotted the aerial brawl from a distance, immediately pointing it out to his trainer and Sneasel.

    The boy nodded as Murkrow perched herself on his arm. Mild concern filled his eyes as he frowned at his teammate. "You were ambushed?" at the dark flier''s nod, Sneasel hissed, scratching his claws together while their trainer wracked his brain.

    If Murkrow had been assaulted immediately following the previous ambush, the likelihood of it being a coincidence was all but zero.

    "They''re pursuing us." he stated matter-of-factly, following the deep breath that escaped his nostrils. "There''s more of them, just like the guy we interrogated said."

    Elekid''s body tensed, mild static beginning to roll across his torso. Most beginner trainer''s wouldn''t be able to tell if the electric type was stressed or angry, but Paul had known him for well over a month. This was stress talking.

    "Relax, Elekid." Paul''s tone of voice was far from soothing, but the even tone and delivery did away with his usual gruffness, creating a reassurance in its own right. Turning to the side to look off to where Murkrow had come from, the boy found his hand absentmindedly reaching his forehead. "If they''re chasing after us this adamantly, there will definitely be another attack before we reach the Center. I could use my bike to pick up the pace, but who knows what direction they will come from next? It might not make a difference." he was mostly speaking to himself, but he felt it was important for his team to hear the words as well. Especially since one of them had been the target of the latest assault-Paul grimaced bitterly at the thought.

    His reasons for starting his journey in a foreign Region, instead of Sinnoh, were always at the front of his mind, driving his every move. He had chosen Indigo because his brother himself had recommended it. But he hadn''t accounted for situations like this. His first year as a trainer, and it just so happened to be the year where Team Rocket ramped up their activity. Just in time for him to step foot on the Indigo empire''s shores.

    He wasn''t scared, however. Not of these Team Rocket members. And with that viewpoint in mind, he turned to his teammates, who were all looking up at their trainer with neutral expressions, waiting for their orders.

    "Listen up." He always did his best to sound authoritative. There were many stereotypes surrounding rookie trainers, from them being helplessly incompetent to entitled snobs with no bite to accompany their relatively unimpressive bark. And sadly, a big part of why those assumptions continued to persist throughout the years was because they did describe a portion of the rookie population. Every single year. If he was to avoid such judgements, he''d rather not be among those who added fuel to the fire.

    Besides, a trainer was a leader. Someone who commanded the troops with such regality and perfection that no Pokemon could deny them their loyalty. A loyalty that every true trainer rightfully earned through a showcase of both their merit, and conviction, and what the two took the shape of when paired together.

    Those were her words.

    "I understand that this situation is uncomfortable. But let''s look at the facts." he raised a finger. "That Rocket we interrogated confirmed that all members in the area are children like him. These aren''t the stone cold killers we see on the news. Regardless of whether or not these kids are a part of the real group, or their reasons for even being a part of them in the first place, they''re just a bunch of wannabes playing supervillain in bland costumes. We don''t need to be scared of them." he took a moment for his words to be taken in. Elekid''s anxiety persisted still, but his expression was more aggressive. Determined. Murkrow and Sneasel were exchanging nods-those two always seemed to be on the same page. The trainer held his fist in front of his chest. "As far as I''m concerned, if they want a fight, they''ve got one. We can report to the authorities after we''ve taught them some manners ourselves."

    If these were the adult members, he''d be a lot more anxious, but he wasn''t going to run away from some childish gang. And judging by the quick battle cries that the trio in front of him let out, neither were they.

    "Good!" he smiled in approval. This was why a trainer always needed to choose the right Pokemon for the job. "So here''s what we''ll do." he pointed to Murkrow. "We''ll go off in the direction where you fought that Spearow and Pidgey that ambushed you. Keep an eye on everything from above. If you see any fliers trying to attack you, or exhibiting aggressive behavior in general," he pointed his index finger downward. "Lure them down here. They''ll be the perfect prey for Elekid and Sneasel." His words received a satisfied grumble from Elekid, and an anticipating hiss from Sneasel in response. Seeing the lack of objections from his partners, he gestured for them to follow. "Then let''s give them a taste of their own medicine."

    It was time to retaliate.

    /

    Adam finally pushed himself off the boulder he''d been laying on for whatever amount of time (he''d lost track, or maybe hadn''t even bothered keeping track in the first place).

    He couldn''t help himself. The run back to camp wasˇ­ so much more than he had anticipated. He wouldn''t have taken on the assignment if he had known ahead of time.

    Damian was going to skin him alive for being late, but as long as he made it back at all-

    "HEY!"

    His blood turned frigid. No, it couldn''t beˇ­

    /

    Eevee''s eyes widened at the aggression in her trainer''s voice. Judging by Ash''s mood, this was the Team Rocket member that they were looking for.

    The bike skidded to a stop as Ash glowered at Adam, who''s face had turned pale upon their arrival.

    Eevee leered with satisfaction. He certainly should be scared, and she wouldn''t go easy.

    The bitterness in Adam''s voice was clouded by his frustration and anxiety. "H-How did you-"

    "Enough!" Ash spat, heart hammering in his chest. He needed them back. He needed them back now.

    Eevee approved of the aggression in her trainer''s tone. As she hopped out of the basket and onto the grass, growling at the thief on all fours, all Ash needed to do was give the word.

    "Who do you think you are?!" Ash''s face was pale as well as he dismounted the vehicle, but it didn''t show in his voice. "If you think I''m just going to let you run off with my team-"

    "And what of it?!" Adam spat back, trying to hide his growing panic. ''I''m not going to let myself be compromised just because you had a tantrum! I have my orders, and I intend to win."

    "You call this winning?!" Eevee noted the exasperation in her trainer''s tone. "Are you guys the real Team Rocket? You joined a terrorist organization! And if you''re just pretending to be them as a joke, I''m not laughing!"

    Neither was she. What had happened at Mt. Moonˇ­

    The Dragon Pulse threatening to obliterate her. Valiant acting as a shield.

    The roar of Tyranitar.

    The tremor. The falling rocks.

    Eevee shook the memory away. Team Rocket wasn''t a practical joke.

    Frustration filled Adam''s features. "I won''t let you judge me. And you''re not taking them back!" even as he made the declaration, his knees were shaking. No doubt he knew what his odds were.

    He stood still for a few moments, as if there was nothing else to do. Just as Eevee grew complacent with his stationary status, however, the young Rocket bolted.

    Ash''s voice filled her ears in an instant. "Eevee, get him!"

    Her legs reacted on automation. Before her trainer even finished the command, her body was already carrying her across the grass. All of the training put into her speed was more than enough to close the distance between the fleeing thief and his pursuer.

    He couldn''t get away, and she wouldn''t let him. He wasn''t going to make off with her teammates. Not Pikachu, not Nebula, and certainly not Tyrunt.

    Adam was sprinting as fast as he could, but he never stood a chance from the start. The boy looked back and yelped just in time for Eevee to leap off of the ground, striking him head-first in the back.

    As the Rocket toppled over, Ash returned his bike to its Poke Ball, releasing Valiant moments later. Eevee''s fixation was on Adam, however, who shivered as the bipedal let out as deep a growl as she could muster.

    Scrambling to his feet, Adam''s hand desperately fiddled around his belt. "W-Well see about that! I-I''ll just send out another-"

    Valiant had already teleported in front of him. With sparks covering his hands, the young Kirlira grabbed onto the Rocket, who''s body quickly spasmed from the low-power Thunderbolt. Eevee knew the psychic wouldn''t make the attack fatal, but she also knew that the troublesome boy wouldn''t be on his feet anytime soon.

    If he had been smarter, Adam could have easily tried to send out a Pokemon first, to try and hold them off while he made a break for it. It would not have worked, but it would have improved his chances. His mind was likely jumbled from the panic of the situation, not that Eevee sympathized with him, of course. He had made Ash panic first.

    As Adam collapsed in front of the duo, the Poke Ball in his hand rolling across the grass, not enlarged, Valiant turned to Eevee, his determined expression replaced with a kind smile.

    "Good work, Eevee."

    The evolution Pokemon''s mood quickly brightened. Her best friend had always had that effect on her. Even now, she could feel her frustrations giving way to reassurance as his mental voice filled her mind.

    For a moment, Eevee returned the young psychic''s grin, before their eyes wandered to Adam. He was stammering something, his tone of voice having lost all composure as he lay on his back. Nodding in approval, Eevee watched Valiant position himself in front of the boy''s face, eyes lighting up with Hypnosis.

    /

    Ash''s tension died down as he knelt in front of the sleeping boy. Valiant had cleanly knocked him out, ensuring that there would be no disturbances as the young rookie searched Adam''s belt. Relief surged through his chest as he plucked the three Poke Balls he needed off of the belt, back where they belonged.

    Staring at the Poke Balls that contained Pikachu, Nebula, and Tyrunt, Ash exhaled with deep catharsis as he thought of his family. He had never taken them for granted, and never would. At least, he thought he hadn''t. That feeling of separation had come at such a shock to him, he couldn''t help but wonder if he had grown more complacent than he realized.

    It was a dangerous possibility, and one that he never wanted to repeat.

    Side by side, Valiant and Eevee looked up at their trainer as he turned to them. Eevee was now in a sitting position, her face far more relaxed than it had been a few moments prior.

    "Thanks, you two." The gratitude in his voice was as involuntary as it could get. Looking back at Adam''s unconscious form, he frowned. This had certainly thrown a wrench in their schedule. He wanted to get to the city as soon as possible, but he needed to report Team Rocket''s presence in the area. Celadon was probably closer than the Pokemon Center anyway, but what if it wasn''t? He didn''t know that for sureˇ­

    The rookie bit his lip. Dwelling on it wouldn''t do them any good. Especially since the sky was beginning to turn orange. His bike should get them to the city sooner rather than later. Once there, they''d stop at the police station.

    But what was he going to tell them? That a bunch of kids had joined Team Rocket? Would they believe that? He couldn''t even comprehend the thought. People his age were joining theseˇ­ theseˇ­ monsters?

    Falling rocks. Tyranitar''s roar. The Iron-Masked Marauder''s demonic grinˇ­

    Childrenˇ­ were associated with that?!

    He did his best to shake away the thoughts. ''No, no, no!'' He could ask the police about that. He didn''t have time toˇ­

    Shutting away the troublesome thoughts for now, he turned back to his teammates and nodded. "Okay, I''m going to return you two for now. The bike will take us to Celadon and then-"

    The trio jumped as a loud cry suddenly filled their ears. Whirling in the direction it came from, their gazes turned to the sky as four figures came into view.

    Two Spearow, and two Pidgey. And they sounded angry.

    Valiant''s eyes widened, Eevee looking at her friend as he took note of the downward, diagonal direction of their flight.

    "They''re coming this way!"

    Ash suppressed his gulp. They were either hostile wild Pokemon or sent by the Rockets. Either way, they needed to deal with them fast.

    Pikachu and Nebula appeared in front of him. Just the sight of them quickly tempted the boy to embrace his friends, neither of whom had even realized what had transpired, but he suppressed the urge.

    "There''s no time to explain," he began, the duo following his finger towards the approaching fliers. "But I need you two to take them out, and fast!"

    Neither needed to be told twice. Crouching into a stance, Nebula gestured towards her back, which Pikachu quickly climbed on top of. The two friends were off the ground in an instant, soaring into the increasingly orange sky, on a collision course with their attackers.

    Pikachu tightly gripped his best friend''s feathers. He had ridden on Nebula''s back more times than he could count, and was more than used to her speed. As they neared their opponents, Nebula pulled herself upwards, flying over their heads. With their attention having already been caught, the group of Spearow and Pidgey collectively halted their approach, their gazes shooting upwards as they changed trajectory to pursue the duo. Acting quickly, Pikachu pushed himself off of the Staravia''s back, leaping into the sky as one of the Spearow approached.

    Pikachu''s tail was already coated in metal, crackling with lightning as he smashed the Zap Tail down onto the Spearow''s face. The bird only had time to let out an agonized squawk, which was cut off as it lost consciousness in midair, now on a trip to the ground. Not too far away, Nebula''s Steel Wing smashed into one of the Pidgey, with similar results.

    Gravity took hold as Pikachu felt his body descending, but he wasn''t nervous, nor was he surprised when he felt himself landing on top of Nebula''s feathered back. He knew she''d catch him. It was the only reason he was comfortable enough to pull the stun that he did.

    His grip on her feathers tightened as Nebula rocketed into her top speed, Quick Attack amplifying her momentum as her Steel Wing collided with the other Spearow''s face. Although her target was not knocked out, the Spearow was no longer able to maintain its flight, and dropped out of the sky as Nebula set her sights on the remaining Pidgey, just in time to see the smaller flier lashing out at her. Nebula blocked Pidgey''s glowing wing with her own, and as their mutual opponent was pushed away, Pikachu leapt off of his friend''s back again, his Electro Ball sending Pidgey catapulting to the grass below.

    /

    Murkrow had ceased her flight, immediately noticing the commotion. Flapping her wings in place, she watched a Staravia carrying a Pikachu towards four more hostile fliers, which the duo easily disposed of. She couldn''t help but feel mildly impressed by the efficiency of the way they fought, not that she would have done any worse. Humming to herself, she turned around as the Staravia caught the Pikachu on her back a second time, flying back to where Paul, Elekid, and Sneasel were.

    They had already been going in this direction anyway, but this would reaffirm Paul''s stance that they were going the right way. Catching sight of her friends below, the dark flier lowered herself just enough to come into view, letting out a shriek to get their attention as she circled around.

    Paul immediately took note of his teammate''s actions. "She found something, let''s go!" he didn;t even need to turn to Elekid and Sneasel. He already knew they were following.

 The Unthinkable pt 2

    "Good work, you two." Pikachu and Nebula contnetly leaned into Ash''s touch as their trainer rubbed the top of their heads. As he stood up straight, he found his gaze lingering to the sky again. He couldn''t see anymore fliers for the moment, so they should hopefully be in the clear.

    His eyes moved between the four Pokemon he had out, settling on Pikachu and Nebula as his expression turned serious. "We''re being attacked by Team Rocket." as they stiffened up, he continued. "That''s not the most troubling part, though. These members areˇ­ children. My age." his face fell as he turned to Adam, still lying unconscious in the grass.

    Pikachu let out a startled yelp at the news, while Nebula''s face simply hung in disbelief. Ash shook his head. "I know it doesn''t make sense. I''m still trying to process it myself. But we need to get to Celadon and inform the police. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get some answers." After a few seconds to take in the information, the duo nodded in understanding as his hands made their way to his belt. "They almost stole you two and Tyrunt. They might come back at any moment, so we need to get out of here now-"

    The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps suddenly broke their concentration, the group whirling around to face the source. Their guards involuntarily shot up as they noticed another group closing in, but their nerves were quickly replaced with a startled recoil as they took in who it was.

    Paul was running towards them, Elekid and Sneasel on either side, Murkrow flying just in front of the group.

    "Paul?!" Ash couldn''t help the startled tone in his voice as the other trainer and his group stopped in front of them.

    Judging by Paul''s expression, he seemed fairly surprised too, although not as caught off guard.

    "Wasn''t expecting to run into you here. Murkrow noticed something going on in this direction." he nodded to the dark bird, who had perched herself on his shoulder, pointing in Pikachu and Nebula''s direction.

    Ash took note of where Murkrow''s attention was. "We were attacked just now, by a few bird Pokemon, so I sent Pikachu and Nebula to take care of them." realization adorned his expression. "Wait, just a little bit ago, was that your Murkrow fighting those other two birds?"

    Paul ran a hand through his hair. "We were doing our usual training today, same routine since we first came here, but before we could get much done, we were attacked by some group of morons in Team Rocket uniforms."

    Ash nodded along, fists clenching. "I know it sounds crazy, but were they our age?"

    "They wereˇ­" Paul''s eyes, as if by accident, lingered on Adam''s sleeping form. "...you''ve been busy."

    Ash grimaced. "We were ambushed. That guy over there tricked us into following him, and then jumped me to try and steal my team. We fought off his friends and chased him down."

    "Tch, what a mess." Paul looked off to the side, where his team was starting to converse with Ash''s. There was an awkward tension between both parties, although it was hard to tell if it was because they had just battled one another two days ago, or simply due to the current situation.

    Nevertheless, Valiant was quick to try and break the nerve racking atmosphere with diplomacy, Eevee lingering slightly behind him as he extended a hand to Elekid. The electric type stared at the psychic''s hand for a few seconds, before turning to his trainer, as if to silently ask for confirmation. At Paul''s nonchalant nod, Elekid accepted the gesture.

    Ash allowed himself a brief moment to smile at the scene before returning his attention to Paul, his face turning more serious.

    "I guess we''re on the same side right now." Paul spoke as if making a simple observation. He nodded in the direction he and his group had been headed. "They''re probably coming from the west."

    "I was about to head to the city and get the police." said Ash. "Do you want to come?"

    "I''ll pass. I was actually on my way to find out where they are." the purple-haired boy looked back in the direction he had come from. "I was going to report them at the Pokemon Center, but I''m not running they''re planning to actively seek me out."

    Ash''s arms fell. "You''re not planning on picking a fight with them, are you?" That was an absurd idea. Who knew what could happen?

    "They went looking for me first. This is just a counteroffensive. Besides, there''s no reason to be afraid of these clowns." his gaze found its way back to Adam. "They''re not the real deal. The only thing that makes them look scary are those uniforms."

    "But, that''sˇ­" Ash trailed off. He knew he agreed with Paul. If Adam and the others hadn''t been wearing deep black shirts with a large, red R in the center, what would that make them? Just a bunch of bullies going around and trying to steal Pokemon. Maybe they wouldn''t seem like such a big deal then.

    "Besides, this is payback." Paul continued. "It would have been one thing if they tried to come at us once and failed, but it doesn''t seem like they''re planning to let up anytime soon. At this point, I''m just annoyed.

    "I don''t blame youˇ­" Ashs started. He was more than annoyed. Just remembering Adam swiping the balls containing his friends made his blood boil. "But the police need to be called. They''d handle this better than us." Even as he said that, he couldn''t help but feel a mild temptation. Paul had a point. This was becoming personal. But seeking out a fight would only make things worse. What if adult members did show up? "We don''t know for sure if all of them are children, though. It''s not worth the-"

    Ash was cut off by the sound of Nebula''s voice. As all eyes turned to her, Ash followed where her wing was pointing. His face formed a nervous glare as his eyes fixed on the flying Pokemon in the distance.

    One Spearow and two Pidgey were making their way to the group. Ash was about to send Pikachu and Nebula after them, when he suddenly noticed that they were no longer advancing. Instead, they were flying in circles, letting out loud squawks.

    Paul seemed to understand. "I get it, they''re trying to notify their trainers and tell them that we''re here." he turned to Murkrow. "Get up there and see if you can find any Rockets."

    "You too, Nebula." Ash nodded at the Staravia as Murkrow took off with an affirmative chirp. His feathered friend nodded back before flying after the dark bird. Increasing her speed, it didn;t take very long for her to catch up, as the duo ascended into the bright-orange sky, the sun now setting on the horizon.

    Ash watched them go, before looking back to Paul and the others. Their teams had tensed up at the news, clearly expecting a fight.

    "You''re really planning to fight them." The rookie bit his lip.

    Paul shrugged. "Now that they''re here, we don''t really have much of a choice."

    It was true. Ash had his bike to try and outrun them, and he wouldn''t be surprised if Paul did as well, but if they were using fliers, then that wasn''t guaranteed to succeed. And they couldn''t fight back and run away at the same time, otherwise they''d be leaving their teammates behind.

    Nebula and Murkrow returned to the ground. Nebula''s face was stern as she turned to her trainer, chirping evenly.

    "She says there''s over a dozen." realizing he was the only one who could hear Valiant''s translation (it would be a long time before the Kirlia was able to speak to more than one person at once), Ash turned to Paul.

    "Over a dozen Rockets." he relayed. The anxiety is returning. Even if they were only kids, that didn''t make their odds any better.

    "They really don''t give up." Paul remarked bitterly. He took a look at his team, before running his hand across his belt. He seemed uneasy. "If you don''t want to fight, I can meet those idiots head on while you get help. But the city is probably another couple hours away. I probably strayed farther from the Center than I realized, if you''re all the way over here, so going there would take even longer." he grimaced. "Admittedly, I doubt I can beat them all at onceˇ­"

    "I''d be more willing to do that if there weren''t so many of them." Ash responded in affirmation. Then again, if there had only been a few, he probably would have stayed behind to fight anyway. Frowning, he turned to his own team. "I don''t like it, you guys, but it looks like we have another battle on our hands." his stomach tightened. He just wanted this day to end, already. But if he didn''t keep it together, it would end with them being dogpiled.

    They all nodded in agreement. Turning to Paul, Ash added. "You said you wanted to go after them?"

    "Either that or they''ll come to us." Paul shrugged. His body was noticeably tense, despite his tone. "It makes no difference. We might as well give them less time."

    Charging head first into Team Rocketˇ­ he and Misty had done that before, but it had been an accident. Ash tried to push that bad memory away. This time, they were going up against children their age, rather than cold-hearted adults. Out in the open, instead of confined to Mt. Moon''s enclosed caverns.

    ''Would children try to kill usˇ­?'' Ash thought to himself doubtfully. The worst he could imagine them doing was roughing them up and stealing all of their Pokemon, not that it made him feel much better.

    But it was too late to run now. He couldn''t afford to be scared. So he won''t be.

    /

    A sensation of anxiety had existed within the back of Valiant''s mind ever since they had left Vermillion. He knew that their next target was Celadon, and he wasn''t sure that it was ready. But there was only so much they could do to prolong that trip. After all, they had already chosen to go to Vermilion first, and with the battle against Surge resulting in a humiliating bust (the ending of his fight with Blitzle wasn''t something the Kirlia would allow himself to live down), the inevitable decision to go to Celadon next was one of the few options that remained to them.

    He had pushed it back for a while, simply doing what he always did. Helping Ash as much as possible while he still knew for sure he could, throwing himself head first into their training, and spending the downtime with Eevee and Tyrunt. It, as an added bonus, kept his mind off of things. He didn''t want to feel nervous in the moment.

    Unfortunately, this day had made that impossible, and it was his fault for brushing off his new concerns until the last minute. He had feltˇ­ something suspicious from that Adam boy, yet hadn''t done anything until they were already in the trap. His species could detect emotions from other people. He should have trusted in that. Instead, he had ignored Adam''s act, which had been in complete contrast to what the Kirlia had been picking up from the young Rocket.

    Because of that, half their team had nearly been abducted, and now, they were in an even more dire position. Was this how he repaid Ash''s kindness? Pikachu and Nebula had both helped rescue him from that Bug Catcher group and their trap. He had promised to help take care of Tyrunt. Instead, he and his neglect had gotten all three of them captured. It was sickening.

    He''d have to make up for that now. Team Rocket wouldn''t be running off with anyone tonight. Even if they were outnumbered, they''d held their own against them before. They would have won that fight at Mt. Moon if the Marauder hadn''t interfered at the last second. That was the young Kirlia''s justification, anyway.

    And they weren''t fighting them without help, anyway. The psychic had to admit that teaming up with Paul felt weird. Although the other boy had done nothing wrong, the way he carried himself made Valiant uncomfortable. Ash didn''t seem to have a very good read on him, either.

    But he was strong, and they of all people knew that after two days ago. That was what mattered right now.

    Right now the group was jogging in the direction of their pursuers, who had already come into view. Valiant spared a glance at Eevee, the evolution Pokemon''s face scrunched up from the tension. He sympathized, but the distance was starting to close before he had time to say anything to her.

    /

    The fifteen kids running in their direction came to a stop in front of a couple of large boulders a few meters away. As Ash and his group slowed to a halt, the boy spared a few precious instants to take in their surroundings, not wanting to take their eyes off of the Rockets for too long.

    Much like the rest of the area, it was a flat ground covered in grass and soil, for the most part. But there were a few rocks here and there, albeit none the size of the two boulders.

    His attention quickly returned to the Rockets. His team had gathered around him, Paul''s own Pokemon doing the same with their trainer.

    A boy with dark-blue hair and sunglasses on his forehead exchanged a few quick words with a brunette girl before leaping on top of one of the boulders. A disgusting sneer appeared on his features as his eyes traced the two trainers and their team.

    This must be the boss of the group. What was his name again? Ash could have sworn a name had been mentioned before, but he had been too panicked to pay attention.

    "Well, well, well. Isn''t this convenient now?" Damian crossed his arms as if he owned the ground they were walking. "You''re just the two we were looking for!"

    A low rumble escaped Eevee''s throat, but slowly settled down as Valiant placed a hand on her back.

    Paul''s scowl probably would have sent a few of the Rocket kids running if they didn''t have the advantage in numbers. "So you were singling us out?"

    "I was taught that a good hunter looks for the best prey." the leader''s voice was insufferable. It was as inherently smug as Gary''s. A malicious glint twinkled in his eyes as he responded. "We''ve had eyes and ears all over this area for a fair amount of time now. We know you two are the best here, so it was pretty logical." The smugness in his eyes gave way to angry fire as his face contorted into a hideous scowl. "But you''ve made things so aggravating for me! First you ruin two perfectly good ambushes, and I''m assuming that buffoon Adam got caught trying to get away!" snarling through his teeth, it looked like he wished he could spit toxic waste in their eyes, if given the chance. "You''ve turned what was supposed to be a great day into a shitshow! And we''ve all lost our patience!" his foot smacked against the boulder he was standing on a couple of times.

    A sudden spike of anger surged through Ash''s chest. All of a sudden, he cared little for whatever came out of his mouth.

    "Well I''m so sorry we didn''t lie down and let you steal our friends from us!" The boy''s team normally would have lightly flinched at the uncharacteristic rage in their trainer''s voice, but right now, they all felt the same way he did. "Have you ever thought about how much you''ve ruined our day for us?!" Did this jerk seriously think he had the right to throw a temper tantrum after what he and his friends had put them through? That his group were the victims in this?!

    Damian''s chuckle was hollow. "Don''t try to turn this around, you stupid nuisance."

    "Speaking of "stupid"," Paul chimed in. "What possessed you imbeciles to fanboy over a bunch of criminals?!"

    "Fanboy?!" Damian''s face was crimson to the point Ash thought smoke might start coming out. The blue-haired boy began rapidly patting away at the R on his uniform, before spreading his arms out wide. "We''re the genuine article! We are Team Rocket, and don''t you forget it!"

    Was he telling the truth?! Ash couldn''t even tell anymore.

    "If you''re the real team Rocket, then why?!" he spat angrily. "Don''t you understand what these people do?!"

    "We don''t care about any of that stuff." replied a girl in the group.

    Ash''s face fell. "W-Whatˇ­?"

    "We''re tired of the law." added a boy. "We don''t play by the League''s rules."

    Ash''s mind went blank. What they were saying was soˇ­ blatant.

    "Don''t bother, Ash." looking over to Paul, even the purple-haired boy seemed startled by the shameless declaration. "These peopleˇ­ they aren''t right."

    "But what they''re saying-"

    "Doesn''t make sense! I know!" Paul''s outburst only lasted for a moment or two, before he attempted to regain his composure. "We''re not changing anything right now. We need to fight back."

    "Good ideaˇ­" Damian sneered as two Poke Balls appeared in his hands, simultaneously enlarging. "I''m tired of talking to you two low-lifes. We''ll be taking everything you have! ATTACK!"

    He chucked the orbs into the air. Out of one Poke Ball, a Charmeleon emerged, tail flame blazing with impressive intensity as the fiery lizard stood in front of the boulder. Overhead, a Noctowl appeared in a flash of light, wings flapping as the bird rose into the air.

    The other kids let out high-pitched battlecries as they chucked their Poke Balls into the air. A sizable group of Spearow and Pidgey followed Damian''s Noctowl into the sky, the blazing sunset serving as the perfect backdrop for their ascent, while an assortment of other Pokemon joined Charmeleon on the ground. Damian took out a third Poke Ball and released an Abra, which remained by his side as a few of the other kids joined them on the boulder.

    Even as Team Rocket were unleashing their Pokemon, Ash and Paul were sending out their remaining teammates. Grotle, Teddiursa, and Skorupi appeared at Paul''s side as quickly as he could get the Poke Balls open, while Tyrunt and Tempest appeared next to Ash. Although Tempest''s eyes lit up with fire at the sight of the commotion, Tyrunt fell onto his bottom in shock.

    Ash mentally cursed himself. That''s right. He was the one member of the team that didn''t realize what was going onˇ­

    Thankfully, Paul was already speaking. "We''re fighting team Rocket!" his voice was raised as he turned to the teammates that he had just released, pointing to Ash and his group. "Ash and the others are on our side. We''re going in hot!"

    "What he said!" Ash spoke as quickly as possible before turning to Nebula. "Nebula, I need you to hold off their aerial fighters!" he pointed his finger skyward as the Staravia nodded, spreading her wings before kicking off towards the sky.

    "Murkrow, follow her!" Paul quickly added, pointing after Nebula''s form as the dark flier let out an affirmative squawk, spreading her own wings before taking off in pursuit of Ash''s friend. As Noctowl and the rest of Team Rocket''s fliers charged the duo, the purple-haired boy returned his gaze to Damian and the others, and the squad of Pokemon that they had assembled on the ground. He began jogging backwards to clear some distance. "Grotle, stay back and act as a guard. Everyone else, bring the fight to them!"

    "Valiant, Tyrunt, you both stay back too!" Ash piped in, backing away as well. "Pikachu, Eevee, Tempest, go on the offensive!"

    The chaos ensued.

    With several meters now separating Ash and Paul from the Rockets, there was plenty of room for the mayhem of combat as nearly every Pokemon sent out by their attackers rushed forward to meet the group head on, only Damian''s Abra staying behind, floating next to his trainer while intently observing the commotion. Valiant, Tyrunt, and Grotle backed away, however, positioning themselves a few feet in front of their trainers, although Tyrunt lingered behind the other two. Valiant briefly turned his head to face Ash with an even stare.

    "I''ll protect you." his gaze didn''t leave the battle after that.

    Scurrying into the fray, Tempest''s eyes darted around the mass of opponent''s that the and his group were on a collision course with, trying to scope out whoever seemed the most threatening. As his eyes set on Charmeleon, his gaze contorted into a sneer, pincers crossed to intercept the stream of fire erupting from the lizard''s throat. Even as he grinded his feet into the grass, the intensity of the blast pushed away at him, forcing him back by what felt like two feet. The heat seared against his body, the burning sensation stinging his pincers as they took the brunt of the assault.

    He was thankfully able to rely on his water typing and ability to ensure that any true harm was minimized, but as he felt the force and power carrying the attack forward, he knew he had found his opponent.

    As he advanced forward, however, something smacked him in the side, forcing him away as the Nidorino shoved him out of Charmeleon''s sight.

    Turning to his new opponent, Tempest clicked his pincers in frustration. It would have to do.

    Making up a decent chunk of the enemy roster were Poochyena and Rattata, often zeroing in on their targets in pairs. Skorupi unleashed glowing needles from his stingers as though he were operating a machine gun as the weaker but numerous quadrupeds set their sights on him. A few feet away, Elekid''s orange fist found itself connecting with a Poochyena''s jaw, sending the dark canine flying away with a pained bark as a Ratatta jumped the electric type from behind. Elekid growled in displeasure as the rodent''s teeth sank into his head, his body erupting in electricity that replaced Ratatta''s aggressive gnawing with agonized screams.

    A Tyrogue''s foot took aim at Pikachu''s head just as the mouse had repelled a duo of Rattata with a bolt of lightning, the Thunderbolt forcing the two rats to split off in separate directions to avoid electrocution. As Pikachu ducked onto all fours to pursue one of them, however, the foot passed over him instead, just before he could take off running.. Now alerted to the fighting type''s presence, Pikachu whirled around, charging head first into his attacker''s abdomen as Spark coated his body in electricity.

    With the overwhelming numbers at the opposition''s beck and call, Eevee wanted to spin around while using Swift, and rain down her projectiles on everybody. She knew she couldn''t do that, however, as there were plenty of Pokemon on her side as well. She had to settle for precise Shadow Balls and Iron Tails as she charged through the Rattata and Poochyena attempting to claim her as their prey. From the corner of her eye, she observed Charmeleon taking aim in Ash and Paul''s direction. The two trainers already had protection, but some Ratatta and Poochyena were already slipping through the chaos to target them, so Valiant and the others had enough to deal with as it is. Slipping into Quick Attack, the quadruped kicked into top speed as she weaved through the Rocket Pokemon targeting her and her allies. Charmeleon saw her coming from the side just in time to raise a glowing claw to meet her Iron Tail.

    Ash and Paul were shouting occasional orders to their respective teammates as the battle raged on, but it was increasingly difficult to keep track of everything. The status quo of the mayhem was ever-shifting, as their Pokemon swapped opponents, knocked an enemy away only to be greeted by a new one, or broke away from the fighting to try and help someone else. Ash was sweating as his eyes constantly darted in all directions, trying to see who was where, and doing what.

    In front of him, a group of Rattata and Poocheyena were already making their move, prompting the trio guarding him and Paul to take action. Valiant remembered Grotle all too well, and how humiliatingly one-sided that their match back in Pewter had been. Thankfully, the bulky grass type''s presence was far more reassuring when they were not on opposite sides, and despite staunchly focusing on the approaching enemies, Valiant still noticed the efficiency that Grotle showed from the corner of his eye, Paul''s large starter Pokemon surrounding himself in sharp leaves that sliced away at any opponent that drew too close, before firing them away whenever their targets were bunched together, taking out multiple assailants at once.

    The few that did slip by the grass type''s defenses were blasted right back into the deadly shield of leaves by Tyrunt''s Roar. One particularly bold Poocheyena had attempted to jump the dinosaur from the side, only to be clenched tightly in the royal heir Pokemon''s relentless jaws.

    Just as he finished zapping a Rattata into submission, Valiant saw Eevee get smacked away by Charmeleon, who turned his focus on grotle''s leaf shield after repelling the evolution Pokemon with a well-placed strike of the tail. Throwing himself in front of the grass type, the young Kirlia wasted no time materializing a golden wall to intercept the Flamethrower that escaped the lizard''s jaws.

    The psychic felt the windforce slamming into his body as the blast crashed into the Light Screen. Wincing, he kept his arms held outward to maintain the barrier, squeezing his eyes shut as the heat seeped through to his hands.

    Nevertheless, the blast had been neutralized, and before Charmeleon could attack again, a Shadow Ball from Eevee kept him occupied, prompting a deep sigh of relief from Ash. Turning his gaze upwards, the boy saw Nebula, Murkrow, Noctowl, and the rest of the Rocket fliers dancing high above their heads, the orange glow that radiated from the sky and clouds serving as a beautiful backdrop for the intense aerial brawl.

    /

    Nebula did not remain still as she zipped across the orange sky that glowed intensely above the battlefield. She weaved around the air, brief clashes with Noctowl only lasting a few seconds at most before she turned her attention elsewhere, knowing that the various Spearow and Pidgey circling the owl (and spreading out to surround their targets) could dogpile either her or Murkrow at any minute. The dark flier performed a similar routine, firing off quick jolts of Thunder Wave to keep any approaching individuals at bay.

    The Staravia''s wing plunged into a Spearow''s head as the opposing flier was sent rolling away to the ground beneath them. Immediately turning to the trio of Pidgey attempting to divebomb her from behind, Nebula casted a gust of Whirlwind with a mighty flap of her wings, effortlessly repelling the three assailants before turning to the side and slipping into Quick Attack, sights set on Noctowl.

    The vicious owl had just finished launching a barrage of golden stars from his beak, the onslaught pelting against Murkrow''s crossed metallic wings, failing to do harm, but successfully pushing her back. The Noctowl noticed Nebula''s advance from the corner of his eye, swiftly turning his body to face her as a wall of glass was formed in front of his now outstretched wings. Nebula''s Steel Wing smashed into the Reflect, which persisted despite her momentum knocking the owl back a foot or two, her target remaining unharmed.

    The Staravia snarled through her clenched beak as she pulled herself upwards to avoid the barrage of golden stars that Noctowl fired at her as the Reflect fizzled away. She could probably break through the barrier if she activated her ability, but immediately pushed away the thought. She''d be left wide open if she did such a thing, and would be placing herself on a strict time limit before her body ran out of steam. With the number of opponents compared to her and Murkrow only being a duo, caution was fundamental.

    Another option was to use Double Team and catch Noctowl off guard, but she didn''t want to confuse Murkrow. She''d have to find another way to outplay the enemy.

    Batting aside a bold Pidgey that had attempted to assault her alone, Nebula turned to lock her sights onto the persistent owl, sharp blades of wind erupting from her wings and slicing through the air towards her target. As the Air Cutter drew near, Noctowl reared back one of his wings, which glowed ocean-blue, before tossing a far larger blade of wind to carve its way through the barrage. As the Air Slash effortlessly tore through each of Nebula''s own blades, its momentum not slowed in the slightest, the Staravia crossed her wings together, both of which turned to metal just in time to absorb the impact. She remained unharmed as the metallic armor coating her wings soaked up the blow, but found herself knocked back, and off balance, by the force of the attack. As she attempted the right herself, a Spearow slammed into her back, which would have sent her rolling forward, had it not been for the Pidgey that charged her from the front and smacked her in the face.

    As quickly as it had happened, however, Murkrow was already upon the Spearow, cloaked in the aura of Aerial Ace as her Steel Wing smashed into the side of the opposing bird''s head. As Nebula rolled backward from the Pidgey''s attack, the dark flier turned to face the other enemy, her eyes flashing as a disorienting sensation suddenly overtook Nebula''s second attacker.

    Having already regained her composure, Nebula took advantage of Pidgey''s dropped guard, firing off a Wind Blast that catapulted the smaller flying type away. Now in the distance, pidgey descended towards the grass below.

    Noctowl was cloaked in Aerial Ace, charging beak-first for Murkrow as a small group of Rocket fliers circled around the dark bird. Immediately covering herself in her own Aerial Ace, Nebula blazed across the orange sky, smashing into the advancing owl and cutting off the attempted offense. Both birds felt a sting of pain in their heads as they bounced off of one another upon impact. Behind her, Murkrow turned to address the quartet of Spearow and Pidgey rushing for them. Spreading her wings, she began flapping madly, her wings glowin icy-blue as a blast of frigid, snowy air collided with their mutual attackers.

    The moment she recovered from the previous collision, Nebula was already firing a Wind Blast at Noctowl, who swayed to the side to just barely avoid the forceful barrage of air. The owl maintained his momentum as he performed a sharp, sideways turn as his body once again became enveloped in Aerial Ace, all the while lowering his head as it glowed a deep blue. Nebula was already bolting forward with Quick Attack, however, her Steel Wing colliding with the Zen Headbutt. Although the Staravia barely staggered back from the clash, Noctowl was sent rolling away a few feet, a minor pain in his head adding onto the slightly lingering ache from the previous clash.

    Pressing her advantage, Nebula shot forward once more, Steel Wing raised and preparing to strike down on her opponent''s head-

    Noctowl''s eyes widened in fury as his beak suddenly shot wide open. A horrible shriek escaped his beak, Nebula''s eyes suddenly widening in agony as the Supersonic assaulted her eardrums. Staggering back, she could feel her vision blur, and her aerial balance wane.

    Grinning, Noctowl closed the distance and raised a metal wing. Nebula could somewhat make out the movement, however. Her senses were all turning against her, as she struggled to summon the focus to break free from the pain and disorientation that imprisoned her. She had to persist, before she became overwhelmed for good. With her ears still in agony, the Staravia coated one of her own wings in metal, hastily raising it to block the incoming strike. As Noctowl''s Steel Wing violently clanged against her own, the momentum behind the blow sent her rolling through the air before righting herself with noticeable haste. Her ears still in pain, but her disorientation steadily fading, the Staravia halted the owl''s second advance with two quick, consecutive gusts of Whirlwind, before lowering her head and blitzing forward with Quick Attack, charging beak-first into Noctowl''s abdomen. After being painfully knocked back a meter or two, gasping for air, the Rocket owl righted himself and snarled as the Staravia prepared to approach once more. Swaying to avoid the Air Slash fired in her direction, Nebula once again slipped into her top speed as her wing took on another metal coating. Her Steel Wing smashed into the Reflect that Noctowl had hastily constructed, just in time. This Reflect was not as perfectly made as the previous one, however, and as Noctowl was pushed back a greater distance than the last time he had used the move, the Rocket flier felt the shockwaves behind the blow push somewhat painfully against his face, while seeping through the small cracks formed in his barrier.

    As the glass wall dissipated, Nebula turned her head and spotted Murkrow launching towards, having been forced backwards by two Pidgey that had struck her at the same time. Catching the dark flier just long enough to halt he momentum, the Staravia rushed for the attackers, both wings coated in metal and slamming against their heads. Behind her, Noctowl was pursuing with both wings coated in metal, only to be forced to hastily change trajectory, just barely avoiding the rapidly approaching Thunder Wave that Murkrow had fired to intercept him.

    With Noctowl slightly off course, Nebula maintained her Steel Wing, using U-Turn to reverse her direction without sacrificing momentum, and locking onto the Rocket owl at maximum speed. She closed the distance within mere moments, and although her opponent held out both of his own metallic wings to block the two of her''s, she was the one with the momentum backing her assault, sending the enemy flier rolling through the air with very little control. Off to the side, the remaining enemies attempted to separate and encircle Nebula and Noctowl, only for their vision to be abruptly cut off as a black cloud from Murkrow''s beak engulfed them.

    It wouldn''t take long for the group of Rocket fliers to clear away the Haze, which Nebula kept in mind as she observed the commotion from the corner of her eye. She prepared to rush forward towards the owl again, only to suddenly see Murkrow already advancing towards their mutual target.

    Noctowl heard the dark flier''s declarative cry, turning his head just in time to see Murkrow rushing for him, both of her wings coated in metal. Hastily, he only had time to raise one metal wing to intercept the attack. As the momentum carrying Murkrow forward knocked the owl off balance, Nebula grinned as she closed part of the distance before taking aim. Sharp blades of air rocketed from her wings, and just as Noctowl attempted to fully right himself, the Air Cutter sliced into him. Nebula''s gaze remained hyper-fixated on the Rocket owl as he desperately attempted to remain in the sky, all the while shrieking from the onslaught as somewhat blood-soaked feathers were sliced off his body, the red liquid beginning to leak from the cuts produced by the barrage.

    Taking a deep breath, Nebula focused herself in preparation for what was to come. With a blaring holler escaping her now wide-open beak, a pure-white aura engulfed her entire body, her heart pounding from the energy rushing through her bloodstream. At the same moment, Murkrow turned and unleashed a gust of icy air towards the remaining Spearow and Pidgey, just as the Haze was blown away by their collective efforts. The enemy group was forced to part ways, cutting off their own advance in hopes of evading the Icy Wind, leaving noone left to interrupt Nebula''s attack. Her form now outlined within the blazing aura of Double-Edge, the Staravia zipped through the sky, shockwaves spreading throughout the nearby air as she violently collided with her opponent.

    Agony surged through Nebula''s body as the shrieking Noctowl plummeted down to the grass, but through all the violent recoil assaulting her, the Staravia managed a pained grin as she watched the opposing owl''s descending form. Using Double-Edge had been a clear risk with other enemies still remaining nearby, but she needed to ensure that her attack finished Noctowl for good.

    Turning to the side, the Staravia narrowed her eyes as she took note of the advancing Spearow and Pidgey. Most were attempting to assault Murkrow, a couple getting shot down by two consecutive Thunder Waves, but a select few were also circling around to Nebula herself.

    Her body aching, Nebula took in a deep breath before exhaling, attempting to relax her muscles and focus herself, before flying back to Murkrow and rejoining the dark bird in the fray.

    /

    The Electroweb Pikachu had launched to ensnare two Poochyena was neutralized when a Sandshrew dove head-first into it. As both dark canines ran off to help another pair gang up on Sneasel, the mouse leapt back to avoid a strike from the ground type''s claws.

    The chaos of the brawl was overwhelming. Pikachu could barely hear what few orders Ash was able to get out, especially with Paul and the Rockets attempting to issue their own. Pidgey and Spearow were falling from the sky, occasionally landing in the middle of the fighting. One had crashed down on top of Elekid, who had needed to be rescued by Skorupi before a Mareep could capitalize on the opportunity.

    All around him, stray attacks were flying from every direction as the group slowly whittled away at Team Rocket''s numbers. They were making progress for now, but who knew how long their reserves would last? If they ran out of steam, it would all be over.

    One Rocket Pokemon continued to persist, however: the Charmeleon that Damian had sent out. The lizard''s fire lit up the grass as the battle raged on, and Tempest''s attempts to reach the powerful fire type were always thwarted by another Rocket Pokemon forcing his attention away. Eevee had thrown herself headfirst into the fray, sights completely locked onto the fiery lizard to the point of tunnel-vision. It seemed as though she was trying to keep him busy, and prevent him from going after the trainers or joining any of the other fights, with how persistently she continued to go after him.

    The reptilian beast made his might known throughout the clash. Shadow Balls were deflected by Dragon Claws and Metal Claws, Flamethrowers and Brick Breaks were hastily dodged to avoid serious injury. Even now, Eevee was bruised just enough to be noticeable by all of the attacks that had grazed her, along with a few of the smaller hits that Charmeleon had managed to land on the evolution Pokemon. Teddiursa had managed to join in on the fighting for a little bit, but after eventually getting knocked away by a Brick Break, was ganged up on by a trio of Poochyena and Rattata, and dragged back into the chaos. Skorupi had occasionally been able to lend some assistance as well, but could only do so from a distance as Charmeleon''s flames kept him at bay.

    Eevee was far from helpless, however. She had been fixated on Charmeleon since the brawl began, and was still summoning the energy to attack him, no matter how many setbacks that his power forced her into. Pikachu never had more than a few seconds to look around before addressing his next opponent, but every time he did, the young mouse had always been amazed to see the quadruped still duking it out with the fearsome lizard. And during the struggle, she had still managed to ensure that her efforts bore fruit: There were indeed bruises on the fire type''s body from the Shadow Ball and Hyper Voice that she had managed to land, and his jaw was bleeding, courtesy of a high-speed strike from Iron Tail.

    As the Rocket''s numbers began to wane, fewer Pokemon went after Ash and Paul, instead trying to turn around the mayhem that the rest of the team had begun to somewhat take control over. Despite this, however, Valiant, Tyrunt, and Grotle did not leave their positions, for fear that the sight of an opening would elicit their enemies to change their mind.

    The Sandshrew crossed two Metal Claws together to intercept the Iron Tail that Ash''s starter lashed out with. As the ground type slid back from the blow, Pikachu returned to all fours, body glowing orange as he sprinted forward as fast as Quick Attack could carry him. With the force of Slam powering his blow, the electric type rammed his opponent headfirst in the stomach, prompting Sandshrew to clutch his belly, gasping for air as he fell to his knees.

    Now on his hindlegs again, Pikachu fixed the ground type with an even glare as he coated his tail in metal. One strike to the head should do it-

    "Pikachu, duck!"

    Behind the mouse, Tempest had swatted a Rattata away before taking aim at the rodent''s Poochyena companion. The dark canine hand rolled away from the stream of bubbles that rushed out of the vicious water type''s pincers, leaving them on a collision course with the back of Pikachu''s head.

    Thankfully, the electric mouse had just barely heard Ash''s warning call over the chaos of the war, and although he wasn''t aware of whatever danger he was, quickly sunk back down onto all fours just in time for the Bubble Beam to pass over him, instead striking Sandshrew.

    With the ground type now out of commission, Pikachu refocused himself, just about to get moving again when something struck him from the side. The Poochyena tackled the mouse to the ground, some saliva hitting Pikachu''s face as the snarling canine pinned his back against the dirty grass.

    The dark type leapt back just in time to avoid the quick jolt of electricity that Pikachu had attempted to zap him with, before sinking into a pouncing position, and leaping directly over Ash''s starter, jaws prepared to sink their teeth into-

    A fist collided with Poochyena''s face on his way down, leaving the dark canine whimpering in the grass with a fractured jaw as Pikachu picked himself up to see Teddiursa nodding at him, before moving on to deal with another opponent.

    Even as he breathed a quick sigh of relief at the close call, Pikachu did not stop moving, tail completely erect, and crackling with lightning, as he rotated on all fours, analyzing the current state of the battle. Poocheyena was struggling to his feet after Teddiursa''s strike-Pikachu quickly finished the job with Brick Break-and it didn''t seem like anybody was in need of too much help at the moment.

    His gaze, however, fell on Eevee and Charmeleon. Both of the fire type''s claws were lit up with the tried and true energy of Dragon Claw, as the lizard lashed out with calculated precision to sink them into Eevee''s body. The evolution Pokemon was as graceful as a dancer, performing tiny, backwards hops to dodge her opponent''s swipes. A final, particularly forceful strike from the lizard prompted her to take advantage of the opening. As she dodged the swipe, her tail became coated in metal. This time, instead of hopping backwards, she leapt forwards, the Iron Tail smacking into the fire type''s head.

    As Charmeleon staggered back, Eevee was already back on the ground, a Shadow Ball forming in her jaws. The lizard crossed two Metal Claws together just in time to block the orb of distorted energy, and although he staggered back a foot or two, he quickly recovered, rearing his head back and unleashing a blast of fire in the normal type''s direction.

    The Flamethrower erupted out of his throat at a phenomenal pace, ripping across the air as it threatened to smash into Eevee without relent. Even as she dodged to the side with a deft leap, the evolution pokemon could feel the windforce behind the mighty blast, especially as it continued onward, leaving a trail of burning grass in its wake.

    Pikachu acted quickly. Eevee was strong, but that Charmeleon was probably the most powerful combatant in the fight. With nobody else in a position to lend a hand, he knew he''d be a joke of a teammate to leave her to fend for herself.

    His feet and paws carried him across the grass, dodging around the remaining Rattata and Poochyena that attempted to strike at him. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a Pin Missile flying in his direction, a stray shot from Skorupi. A leap into the air left the attack to pass over him, instead bombarding the Mareep that had been fighting Sneasel (who immediately capitalized on the opportunity and knocked the electric type out).

    As he closed in on Charmeleon and Eevee, however, the mouse''s eyes fixed into a glare as a Machop appeared in his path, sinking into a battle stance in hopes of intercepting him. Just as he began to coat his tail in metal, a Spearow fell from the sky, slamming into the fighting type''s head. As Machop toppled over, Pikachu passed over him and Spearow with a quick jump.

    Eevee was lashing out at Charmeleon with another Iron Tail. Charmeleon''s orange fist collided with the attack, the Brick Break eliciting a pained growl from the normal type as she was forced backwards.

    The burning scent filled Pikachu''s nostrils as he passed by the fiery patches of grass surrounding him and the two combatants. He wondered if Eevee had become desensitized to the smell, or if she was just too focused on the fighting to take notice. Whatever it was, he did his best to keep the distracting sensation out of his mind as he took a leap for the fire type, Zap Tail ready to lash out.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Charmeleon saw Pikachu coming from the side just in time, the lizard''s fist becoming enveloped in fire as both combatants struck at one another. The Fire Punch solidly collided with Zap Tail, and Ash''s starter winced from the painful burning sensation as the flames on his opponent''s fist assaulted the metal coating of Iron Tail. At the same time, however, Charmeleon felt a jolt in his knuckles as the electricity did its work, and as Pikachu flipped backwards from the clash, his momentum sent the fire type staggering away, his fist somewhat bruised.

    Pikachu landed on all fours just in time to leap away from the retaliatory Flamethrower that the frustrated Charmeleon unleashed, the blast carving its way through the air and leaving behind more burning grass. The young mouse landed beside Eevee, turning to look at her, only to find her gaze fixed on him.

    The look in her eyes seemed fairly even as they briefly stared at one another. The normal type offered him a nod before returning her attention to Charmeleon, a low growl escaping her throat as the fire type advanced towards them.

    "Dragon Breath!" The duo''s ears stood up as Damian''s shout passed over the noises going on elsewhere on the battlefield. Pikachu prepared to dodge, but the fire type began rushing forward as the purple flames appeared in his jaws, closing the distance to make the blast more difficult to avoid. Abandoning his attempts at evasion, Pikachu instead swiped forward with Iron Tail, which slammed into the blast that his opponent hand aimed at him. Grinding his teeth together, the young mouse strained as the force of the blast pushed him back, before finally letting out a cry as his tail managed to continue forward, pushing away the remaining flames as Eevee closed in on Charmeleon, capitalizing on the distraction. Her Hyper Voice was narrowly avoided as the lizard continued charging, lashing out with a Dragon Claw. Pikachu''s Iron Tail met the attack head on as he leapt forward to strike at the taller fire type. Although the metal coating shielded him from harm, he quickly found himself outmuscled by the enemy, who shoved him into the ground.

    His fur was covered in filth as he bounced away, before sliding back on all fours. Growling, Pikachu erected his tail, forming an orb of electricity at the tip as a rotating tail swipe from Charmeleon forced Eevee to leap back. The lizard returned his focus to Pikachu just in time to meet the Electro Ball with a Flamethrower, which, after a brief struggle, smashed through the electrical attack and continued onward to Pikachu, some of its momentum lost. Ash''s starter could feel the heat of the attack as he dove to the side, but was not struck. Glaring at the fiery powerhouse, the electric mouse took a deep breath before splitting into three.

    "Smokescreen!" At Damian''s orders, Charmeleon opened his mouth wide, a stream of thick, black smoke covering the nearby area. Pikachu and Eevee were quickly caught in the cloud as the fire type rotated in place to spread the smoke as much as possible. Trying to suppress the urge to cough (and not necessarily succeeding) Pikachu allowed both of his clones to fizzle out. The usage of Double Team wouldn''t mean much anymore.

    Instead, he rushed forward, body cloaked in Spark. He had no idea where Charmeleon was, so instead he charged in the last direction he had seen the beast. Unfortunately, he never struck anything, and came to a stop as some of the smoke suddenly began to part, accompanied by a familiar loud noise.

    Eevee''s Hyper Voice forced sections of the cloud to separate, clearing up some of her vision before she attempted to catch her breath. She didn''t have long, however. Charmeleon was already upon her, a blast of purple flames exiting his mouth and traveling downward towards her position. As she rolled to the side, Pikachu came out of nowhere, a Static Tail ready to slam into their mutual opponent''s jaw as he kicked off of his feet and into the air.

    Charmeleon''s teeth became drenched in fire as he chomped down on Pikachu''s tail. Even as the electricity brought about an unpleasant sensation in his mouth, locking up the muscles in his jaws, his teeth gnawed away at the tail in his mouth, the fire burning away at the metal as Pikachu grinded his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking.

    After flinging the mouse downward, Charmeleon attempted to open his mouth for another Flamethrower, only to find his jaw muscles reacting more slowly than normal. Static Tail had done its work. In frustration, his fist became coated with fire, lashing out and striking Pikachu in the face. A combination of blunt force and burning elicited a pained scream from Ash''s starter as he was launched backward, tumbling into the dirt. Charmeleon then turned around just in time to sidestep away from a charging Eevee''s point-blank Hyper Voice. Raising his tail, the lizard lashed out again, twirling his body and leaving his tail to violently slap the normal type away.

    Gasping for air, Pikachu tried to push himself onto all fours, but could only manage his forepaws, his legs now propping him up by the knees. A distance away, he could see Eevee struggling to get up as well, and Charmeleon looking between them, before setting his sights on him. As the lizard advanced, Pikachu pushed against the dirt once again, trying to force his body up as the aches, burns, and fatigue assaulted what seemed to be every muscle he had. He knew the stakes of this battle. He tried to call upon that stressful adrenaline, the same one that had kept him going against Raichu back in Vermillion.

    There was a time when he didn''t trust Ash. The rookie had been inconsiderate, demanding, and stressful to be around. As a Pichu, the electric mouse had wished he had never been given to the boy.

    He wasn''t entirely sure what changed. The care and desperation Ash had shown when pichu had been injured on the way to Viridian? The promise for a fresh start after Team Rocket''s hilariously botched attempt at raiding the Pokemon Center? Even as they had entered the forest, the electric mouse hadn''t been fully sure about his new trainer, but he had become optimistic. Meeting Nebula had made things especially pleasant.

    If he had to put a paw on itˇ­ It was that week spent in Pewter, and the subsequent fight with Brock, that had truly changed his perspective. Somewhere down the line, Pikachu was no longer just optimistic. He was loyal.

    He and Ash collectively had a horrible start to the Season. But although he couldn''t speak for his trainer, Pikachu rarely thought of that anymore. His place was by Ash''s side. Noone would remove him from that spot. Certainly not Team Rocket.

    A startled expression adorned the mouse''s features as he abruptly realized that he was now on all fours. His body was shaking, his muscles were aching, and his brain wanted to shut off, but he was standing.

    And Charmeleon was still approaching. He couldn''t completely make it out over the chaos, but Pikachu could have sworn that he also heard a warning cry from Eevee.

    But one sound sliced through the mayhem surrounding him. One noise bypassed everything else, and found its way into the mouse''s ears. Loud and clear, as if nothing else had been going on at all.

    It was the sound of his trainer''s voice.

    "Pikachu, use Spark and Slam together!" Pikachu didn''t put any thought into the command. He simply processed it, and executed his trainer''s orders. His friend''s guidance.

    For good measure he slipped into Quick Attack, his body taking on the blue aura of Agility. This would be the most decisive blow that he could manage. The orange aura surrounded him, the electricity engulfed him.

    And then, with a loud battlecry, he plunged headfirst into Charmeleon''s abdomen.

    The sensation almost reminded him of Volt Tackle, albeit one that his body was actually capable of handling. The sound of the shockwaves behind the impact were immensely satisfying, and with a loud cry, and gasp for air, Charmeleon toppled over.

    With the lizard forced to his bottom, Pikachu gasped for air again. The sounds of Damian''s panicked screams washed over him. Just ahead, he could see Noctowl crashing onto the ground between Elekid and a Nidorina, which prompted the screams to become louder. From the other side, he could see Eevee approaching. She was walking on a limp. Both of them were well past their last legs. They needed to deal the finishing blow.

    The electric starter raised his tail, struggling to coat it in metal. Straining himself to summon the electricity. Just one more blow. One more hit was all they needed to-

    Charmeleon''s eyes shot open.

    Eevee halted her advance, and suddenly, a surge of heat assaulted Pikachu as the air around him practically turned to fire. A crimson glow was radiating from the fire type''s body, and-

    Blaze.

    Charmeleon was on his feet now, the grass beneath him lighting up, the flame on his tail now twice the size, and several times as bright. As he reared his head back and roared to the orange sky, the fiery aura surrounding his body surged outward, the intensity enough for Pikachu stagger back, squealing in pain from the heat alone. The lizard''s pupils looked like they were made of fire, like the heart of a volcano.

    In the background, Damian''s voice was fanatical. "Do it, Charmeleon! Set fire to all of them!"

    The Flamethrower that escaped from Charmeleon''s jaws immediately stole the attention of everyone present. The humongous inferno blazed a dark, yet blinding red as it ripped through the battlefield, threatening to swallow Pikachu whole as the screaming mouse summoned the strength to dive away.

    Charmeleon wasn''t aiming for him or Eevee anymore, however. Instead, the fearsome lizard turned in every direction, the merciless stream of fire igniting the battlefield around them, with little care for who was hit. There was a violently bloodlusted fury in his magma-like gaze, his indiscriminate assault claiming the unconscious bodies of any defeated Pokemon that had yet to be recalled as the young Rockets scrambled for their Poke Balls. The grassy battlefield suddenly lit up, the fiery trails gradually spreading and overtaking the other areas where the rest of the group was.

    The young mouse blinked back the tears threatening to stream down his face as he ran for dear life, the smoke stinging away at his eyes without remorse. Looking back, he saw Eevee scrambling to safety as well. How do they fight this monster now? He was already stronger than them before he-

    A terrified scream stole away his attention, the electric type''s head jerking in the direction of the noise. Eyes widening, he saw Sneasel, kneeling on an injured leg, surrounded by the growing inferno.

    The rodent''s body froze at the sight. Sneasel was vulnerable to fire, and seemed to be out of steam as it is. The fire encircling him was closing in, and if it-

    Pikachu''s eyes darted in the direction he had been running. The entire battlefield hadn''t been engulfed yet, with many Rocket Pokemon retreating to the north along with Tempest and Paul''s team. The battle was still going on, but the Rocket''s numbers were all but diminished.

    And Tempest was the closest, smacking two Poochyena away before firing off a Scald.

    Pikachu chewed on his lip. Tempest was the perfect Pokemon to save Sneasel from the fire. As powerful as Charmeleonw as, especially now that he had his Blaze ability, Tempest was resistant to fire, was easily the most durable combatant here, and could use his water to further protect himself.

    But he almost hesitated. What was the point in asking Tempest to help? He didn''t care about anything but fighting. He was just some soulless barbarian. He wouldn''t turn around and assist someone else willingly.

    Desperation overtook that hesitance, however, and it was as though pikachu''s vocal cords had a mind of their own. Cupping his paws together, he called out to the vicious crab, who turned away to look at him. He had his attention, at the very least.

    Frantically, Pikachu pointed towards the fire. There were a few sections of the battlefield fully ignited now, and Sneasel was trapped in one of them. Tempest was approaching to get a closer look, stopping at the sight of the dark-ice type kneeling between the flames. It was getting worse. Sneasel was coughing as the smoke entered his lungs, and some of the closer sparks of fire were licking away at his body.

    Tempest''s eyes narrowed at the sight of Sneasel''s condition as Pikachu looked at him pleadingly. He should have figured. It was obvious the water type wasn''t going to-

    Relief washed over Pikachu''s features. Perhaps the water type had a heart after all. Or maybe he simply respected the electric mouse enough to do what he asked in this situation. The rodent didn''t know which one it was, but he didn''t care. A surge of hope filled his chest as the young Krabby raised his pincers and advanced towards the fire.

    That relief was short-lived, however. Just before Tempest could start spraying, something tackled him from the side. A Tyrogue. And Pikachu could see two Poochyena charging towards the scene as well.

    The panic returned. The water type picked himself up with ease and began fighting back, but he was now surrounded. He was holding his own, but had no way of making it to the fire.

    Another squeal from Sneasel stole away Pikachu''s attention. His ears drooped. This was it. There was nothing else-

    His body moved on its own.

    "PIKACHU!"

    He could hear Ash''s desperate scream over the crackling of the flames. Faintly, a bark of terror from Eevee entered his ears.

    He kept running.

    Quick Attack, Agility, if he did this at top speed, the amount of time he spent in contact with the fire would be limited-

    PAIN.

    For one moment, or maybe even two or three, he forgot what every other emotion in the world felt. Only one sensation spread across his body, leaving room for nothing else.

    He passed through the flaming barrier. The smoke assaulted his lungs. The burning. The searing. The heat. It washed all over his body.

    He kept moving. The last remnants of his strength carried him forward, even as the patches of grass he stepped on ensured that every movement would be as painful as the last.

    He dove for Sneasel, wrapping his arms around his target. The dark-ice type''s body temperature made itself known, clashing with the horrific burns assaulting the mouse''s body. Piakchu didn''t stop moving, but he did everything that he could to cover up Sneasel completely, as his momentum carried them through the other side of the fiery barrier.

    And then they were out.

    He couldn''t breathe. He could barely see. The fire clung to his fur as he lay on top of the Pokemon he had just rescued. Sneasel was all but passed out, and Pikachu could feel his own consciousness fluctuating as his senses went haywire.

    Despite everything, he did feel something looming over him. A presence. Rolling over, now positioned on his back next to Sneasel, he was greeted with the sight of Charmeleon, standing over the two of them, crimson aura flaring as brightly as ever.

    And his eyes still held murderous intent.

    Pikachu tried to move, but couldn''t. He called on the adrenaline that had driven him to save Sneasel. To get back up the way he did earlier in the fight, but it never came. His body would perform no miracle.

    It was as though his muscles had completely shut down. Even as the fight or flight responses kicked into his brain, he felt his eyes struggling to stay open. His head struggling to lift.

    Charmeleon didn''t wait. His mouth opened. The ball of fire was forming. The Flamethrower was-

    A blur passed over Pikachu''s body. In Eevee''s jaws, a ball of distorted energy was forming. Ignoring the searing heat that assaulted her body as she came in contact with the fire type''s aura, the evolution Pokemon ducked downward, positioning herself directly underneath himˇ­

    And fired the Shadow Ball point-blank into his throat.

    The lizard''s claws raced to his throat as the air left him. Choking in agony, there was nothing he could do as Eevee leapt up, driving the Iron Tail into the side of his head.

    The beast toppled over, the aura around him fading, before disappearing outright.

    Piakchu''s eyes felt continuously heavier, yet put increasingly more effort in their attempts to stay open. Eevee turned away from Charmeleon''s now unconscious body, looking down at the electric mouse with a frown. Which was quickly replaced with a sad smile. The two locked eyes for a moment, but Pikachu''s consciousness had finally given out. Soothing murmurs escaped Eevee''s throat as she rubbed her head against his cheek. It was fine, she said. He was going to be okay, she said. He went to sleep hearing those.

    He was going to be okayˇ­

    /

    Damian''s face was pale as a blizzard as Charmeleon dropped to the ground. He had already been forced to recall Noctowl, and nowˇ­

    "Ch-Ch-CHARMELEON!" The boy''s voice was ear-piercing as his hands yanked away at his dark-blue hair, with little care for how painful it was. "Get up now! This fight isn''t over yet!"

    Even as he spoke the words, however, his eyes surveyed the scene, the panic flowing through his blood.

    Nearly everyone on their side had fallen. The fanatical Krabby was violently dragging a Tyrogue across the ground. The Elekid had just finished zapping a Snubbul into submission. The last of the Spearow and Pidgey had fallen from the sky, the Staravia now swooping down to lift up a Poochyena, and ram it headfirst into a Machop. Murkrow was firing bolts of electricity down onto what remained on their team.

    His arm was shaking without control as he recalled Charmeleon. This wasn''t how it was supposed to go. How dare these two entitled cretins screw up his operation?! What had gone wrong?!

    It mattered not. The fear of losing overtook frustration.

    "Abra, get us out of here!" Unlike most psychics his age, this Abra could teleport more than one person, and at a fairly great distance. It was just a matter of rounding everybody up. He turned to the rest of his team. Only a few were on the boulder with him. He needed to call the others-

    He froze as he saw a few of the enemies already blocking their path to the boulder. They wouldn''t make it. He turned to Abra, his voice now even more frantic. "NOW!"

    "Damian, wait!" Abra''s eyes ceased flashing as the girl next to his trainer spoke up. "There''s only four of us here!" she addressed herself, Damian, and the remaining two terrified Rockets.

    "There''s gonna be none of us if we wait, you bimbo!" the girl flinched backwards as Damian spat out the words. Looking back down to Abra, his voice became filled with venom. "I said get us out now you useless piece ofˇ­ USE TELEPORT!"

    Recoiling, the Abra frantically gathered his thoughts, before he, Damian, and the other three Rockets disappeared in a flash of light.

    /

    The bright-orange sky was beginning to darken, as what was once the sight of an intense showdown became the scene of its somber fallout.

    Eleven of the Rockets had been left behind by Damian''s desperate retreat, and were quickly incapacitated by Valiant and Elekid. Tempest was traversing the former battlefield, apathetically spraying Water Gun from his pincers to put out the fires left in the wake of Charmeleon''s drunken rampage.

    "Pikachu!" Ash''s desperate legs carried him across the grass, eyes zeroed in on the unconscious yellow body Eevee was snuggling against, and the Sneasel beside him. Seeing his starter disappear into the flaming wall had been like witnessing the planet break apart, producing a sensation far exceeding anything he had felt when watching Adam running off with his Poke Balls. "Buddy, buddy! I''m here! Are you okay?!" Eevee parted from the mouse''s form as Ash dropped to his knees and cradled the electric type. A few patches of fur had been completely burnt off, and it was all the mouse could manage to flutter his eyes open and fix his trainer with a small smile.

    Nebula and Murkrow landed beside them as Paul knelt down in front of Sneasel. Most of their teammates were beginning to approach them as well. Only Tempest remained separated from the group, continuing to absentmindedly spray away at the fire.

    "Elekid, the burn heals." Paul''s expression was shaky as he looked over the dark-ice type. He wasn''t in fatal condition, butˇ­

    The electric type saluted before rummaging through his trainer''s backpack. He pulled out two vials, one of which Paul tried to hand to Ash.

    The boy perked up. "We have our own-"

    "My Sneasel is alive because two members of your team risked their necks." Paul''s eyes lingered to Eevee as he cut Ash off. "I don''t like debt."

    With no time to refute, Ash nodded and took the vial. Nebula fussed over Pikachu''s burns as their trainer applied the medicine. He returned the mouse immediately after. He''d likely need further medical treatment to fully recover at a good rate, but at the very least, any serious injuries should be mitigated.

    Paul did the same for Sneasel, before turning to the rest of his team. Aside from Grotle, everyone was fairly banged up. Ash could see the same for his own team, outside of Valiant and Tyrunt, although Tempest wasn''t nearby for him to look at.

    "We need to get to the authorities." Paul pointed out, rising to his feet and giving a reassuring nod to a concerned Grotle.

    Ash frowned. "The closest Center is in the city. That''s an hour from here at best, right?"

    "We could hightail it on our bikes, but we need to watch over them." he nodded towards the unconscious Rockets. The unconscious children. Along with the defeated Pokemon that hadn''t been recalled. Although the majority (or at least half) of their team had been returned safely, many Rocket Pokemon still remained. The purple-haired boy returned to his backpack, pulling out a piece of paper and a clipboard. He then took a pen from one of the backpack''s pockets. "We''ll send a flier. I''ll write a message, talking about what happened. Celadon''s police station isn''t right at the city''s borders, so the flier would have to go through the city itself to reach it, which could be risky, and it might be difficult to find. The Pokemon Center in this area is a safer bet, since it''s out in the open. Nurse Joy will call the authorities, and the flier can bring them here." he looked between Nebula and Murkrow. "But one of you needs to stay. We need somebody keeping watch from the air. Just in case any of these delinquents'' friends come along."

    Picking himself up, Ash tapped his foot for a moment as Paul began to write. "They both know Double Team. If they run into any more of Team Rocket''s patrol birds, they can use their clones as a decoy to slip past."

    Paul nodded in approval. "Good idea." he set his eyes on Nebula. "Nebula''s bigger, she''d have an easier time gripping the clipboard. I''m sure either of them could do it, but best to play it safe." Murkrow seemed to agree, as she nodded along with her trainer.

    "Right." Ash responded, kneeling down to pat Nebula on the head. "You up for it, girl?" A nod.

    A few moments later, Nebula and Murkrow took off into the darkening sky, the Staravia holding onto the clipboard. Murkrow offered her a quick farewell before the dark bird began circling around the area, while Nebula shot off in the direction of the Pokemon Center.

    As Tempest put the finishing touches on clearing out the fires, a wave of collective fatigue washed over the group.

    It was going to be a long night yet.

    /

    "So, looks like junior had a bad day."

    Damian glowered at the figure standing in front of him. He and Abra were in a dimly lit basement, the latter sitting on a box as his trainer tapped his foot in frustration.

    "Can it. I don''t need to hear you rubbing it in."

    In front of him, the teenaged boy brushed aside a strand of his long, red hair before crossing his arms. He wore a silver uniform, the red R in the center having a shiny texture to it. "You haven''t earned the right to say that, Damian. Over a week on steakout, and you come back empty-handed. After getting eleven members of your squad captured. Soon, the entire area you were occupying is going to be on lockdown, and it''s only a matter of time before the remaining members you have scattered about get scooped up by the police. Not a very good showing for your first time leading a team."

    Damian''s face twisted. "It wasn''t because of me. It was them!" the younger boy gripped his head. "Those twoˇ­ those... screw them!"

    But the teenager just scoffed. "So that''s your angle? They wouldn''t have even had a chance to screw you ovrer if you hadn''t been so incompetent. Your overzealous use of fliers likely gave away your position, when they were supposed to help you with reconnaissance. You rely on half-assed ambushes with very little planning. Everything about your approach was lazy, ill-scripted, juvenile-"

    "SHUT UP!" The teenager''s face remained steadfast and stoic as he caught Damian''s fist in his hand, even as the boy strained himself to push back.

    "Incompetent people are usually the ones who don''t know their place, either." It was all the red-haired boy said before shoving Damian away. The younger boy slammed into a nearby crate, his back aching as he sank to his bottom.

    "Now, now, friend, aren''t children supposed to be handled with care?" The voice that entered their heads was laced with laid-back sarcasm as another figure stepped out of the shadows. The teenager''s face scrunched up.

    "Stay out of this, clown. I can handle my own subordinates."

    "And yet I was assigned here as well. You didn''t forget about me already, did you?" the figure leaned back and rubbed both hands against his head with comical exaggeration. "Oh, woe is me! What purpose shall I serve if not recognized by even-"

    "Okay, the theatrics can wait." The teenage boy cut off the newcomer, but realized the figure was only complying because he felt like it. Truth be told, neither of them had the authority to get demanding with one another. Running hand through his red hair, he turned back to Damian, who was in the middle of picking himself up, holding his bottom with a wince. The teenager crossed his arms, fixing the younger boy with a neutral glare. "Fortunately for you, this mission wasn''t an officially authorized operation, so there''s no need for me to issue any punishment. I will, however, remember this day at any point where the time comes for me to evaluate you."

    Damian''s face was still contorted in frustration, but his body language was more submissive than before.

    It was true. The mission held no real importance. Just an initiation in preparation for actual assignments. Not even any real objectives. He and his squad had to make those for themselves.

    "Listen to me." The teenager spoke, and Damian growled. His head looked slightly off to the side with a grimace. The older boy''s tone didn''t change. "You are to look at your superiors when they address you." with a frustrated sigh, Damian turned his head back, and, with some hesitance, made eye contact. A bead of sweat found its way down his face, his muscles tensing, reflexively causing his body to lean backwards, just barely enough to be noticeable, and he hated himself for it. "You should know that I was in your shoes once. Eleven years old. Thrust into this line of work. First ever mission taught me that plans rarely ever go the way you want."

    Damian scoffed. "So we''re kindred spirits?"

    The older boy ignored the sarcasm, his hand pressing against the crate behind Damian''s back. "It means I know you. Who you are, and what you''re going through now. I can help you through it, but no assistance in the world is possible without cooperation. If you want to have it easier than I did, then start shaping up, and listen to somebody who speaks from experience."

    "And if I don''t?"

    "Fine by me. It''ll just make us even more alike. Nowˇ­" straightening himself back up,m he crossed his arms again. "What were their names again?"

    "Ash and Paul." Damian felt his blood beginning to boil from the memory.

    "And your scouts were taking pictures, correct?" at Damian''s nod, the teenager held out his arm. "They are now Team Rocket''s property. Hand them over." without a word, the blue-haired boy handed him six photos, which he sorted through with analytical eyes. "Hmmmˇ­ probably rookies. Not likely to be important, but these are going in the database." he returned his eyes to Damian. "That''s all for now. Things will be quiet for about the next few days or so."

    "We won''t have to worry about being bothered." the figure pointed out.

    The teenager nodded at him. "Indeed. Nobody outside our organization knows our division is currently stationed here in Celadon City. We have as much time as we need to prepare." turning to Damian, he pointed towards the door. "One of my men will show you to your bunk. Apart from authorized areas, you and the remaining three members of your squad will naturally have free reign over the hideout, but are to remain indoors until the real mission begins. Understood?"

    A reluctant salute. "Yes sir." Damian''s voice sounded like the mental fatigue of the day was finally beginning to take its toll on him. With no more exchanges, the younger boy turned and made his way to the door, gaze slightly angled to the floor.

    /

    Beneath the now deep black, star-filled sky, Ash and Paul sat at the boulder, the latter keeping track of the time on his Pokedex with Grotle and Skorupi next to him. The scorpion would stare at Ash on occasion, although he didn''t take notice of it much, his thoughts elsewhere.

    On the way to the Center, Nebula had indeed come across another patrol of fliers, but was able to use Double Team to sneak by as Ash suggested. Paul''s message was delivered without any other issue, and Nurse Joy contacted Celadon''s police immediately. The force was led to Ash and Paul by the Staravia, and immediately began rounding up the defeated Rockets. After hearing their story, Officer Jenny had requested taking a look at the two trainers'' belongings, which confused them, although they complied. It wasn''t very long before the area had become an investigation site.

    Most of the unconscious Rocket Pokemon who had been caught in the fire had been left in need of immediate medical attention, but for a couple, it was already too late. The thought lingered in Ash''s head. The leader of the groupˇ­ Damian, wasn''t it? He had completely stopped caring about any and all collateral damage, and ordered his Charmeleon to set the battlefield ablaze. Even knowing he was putting Pokemon on his side in danger. It had been the exact opposite of what Pikachu had done.

    Thankfully, Jenny had assured him and Paul that the other Pokemon would survive once given the care they needed. The two trainers hadn''t had enough burn heals to treat everybody, and unlike Pikachu and Sneasel, the Rocket Pokemon would need more advanced medicine anyway.

    As the police did their work around them, the group was gathered by one of the boulders. All Ash wanted to do was sleep, the events of the day, and the late hours, triggering a surge of drowsiness that he desperately wanted to stop fighting off. At this point, he didn''t even like moving his body.

    Some of the Pokemon among the group were a different story, however, having forgone any attempts at staying awake. Valiant, Skorupi, Tempest, and Elekid were all still up, the former two sitting beside their trainers, and the latter two lingering near the border, trying to find something to pass the time.

    It hadn''t taken Eevee long to go to sleep, her dozing form leaning against Valiant as tyrunt snoozed a few feet away. Elsewhere on the boulder, Nebula, Murkrow, and Teddiursa had all recently gone to sleep, while Grotle slept near Paul. The grass type, however, appeared vigilante even while unconscious, and it occurred to Ash that he was probably sleeping lightly.

    Valiant shifted just enough to take a look at Ash, carefully making sure not to disrupt Eevee. The Kirlia had bags under his eyes. It was clear he wanted to go to bed just as desperately as his trainer did. Ash had tried convincing him to do so, but the psychic didn''t seem comfortable with it in the current situation.

    Reaching over to pet his friend''s head, Ash''s eyes found their way to Skorupi, who was looking at him intently again. Ash found the scorpion''s behavior confusing, but Paul spoke up before he could make any comments.

    "My Skorupi seems to recognize you." the other trainer pointed out. Ash and Valiant perked up at that.

    "Is that whyˇ­?" Ash stared at the scorpion, who looked to his trainer and nodded.

    "Have you ever run into any before?" Paul inquired.

    Ash nodded. "Viridian Forest. Second day of the Season. Pikachu and I tried to capture one, and failed."

    "I see." Paul turned to Skorupi. "Well, that''s where I found him."

    ''Could he really be the same one?'' Ash thought to himself. The battle with Skorupi certainly wasn''t one of his and Pikachu''s most pleasant memories, the boy viewing it as another example of his rough start as a trainer. He wondered if Pikachu recognized Skorupi as well. He''d have to ask him later, since right now, the mouse and Sneasel were both resting in their respective Poke Balls.

    Before the conversation could continue further, some activity caught their eye. The police seemed to be finished surveying the scene. Two officers were walking past them, Ash''s eyes widening as he recognized the figure they were escorting.

    Adam''s expression hung as he walked between the two policemen, hands cuffed behind his back. His body language appeared completely demotivated. As they passed the boulder, his gaze turned sideways towards Ash.

    The rookie felt a sudden, unexpected wave of guilt wash over him as the Rocket boy shot him a dull glare. It was the only interaction the two of them had before the officers continued onward, guiding him into a vehicle.

    Ash''s eyes found their way to the grass. Childrenˇ­ children were being arrested, because they joined Indigo''s most dangerous terrorist organization. He still couldn''t fathom it, and his fatigue wasn''t helping his thought process.

    "We''re just about done here." he, Paul, Valiant, and Skorupi all snapped out of their thoughts as Officer Jenny approached them, her attempt to maintain her professional demeanor doing what it can to mask the pity in her expression. "Some of my men discovered their camp nearby. The equipment is all being confiscated. Based on your story, there are likely members lurking all over the surrounding area, so we''ll be searching through to round them up." she sighed. "But you two are done here. Thank you for notifying us, andˇ­" her eyes betrayed her true emotions, lingering slightly downward. "I''mˇ­ sorryˇ­"

    "...Why?" the word involuntarily left Ash''s mouth.

    Jenny already knew what he meant, but asked anyway. "Yes, Mr. Ketchum?"

    "Why are theyˇ­" Ash managed to look her in the eyes. "Working with them?"

    "I was going to ask the same thing." Paul chimed in as Valiant offered a somber nod. "What reason do people our age have to do things like this? I''ve heard of children running gangs before, every Region has at least a few of those. But Team Rocket is no gang." he looked off in the direction Adam had been led. "And you seemed pretty sure that they''re legit."

    "I amˇ­" Jenny confirmed, trying to return to her serious state. "And it''s not something I wanted people like you to be exposed to. This has been known to the League for aboutˇ­ five years now, I think." a loud sigh escaped her lips. In the tension, it might as well have been echoing across the surrounding scene. "Although they hardly make up the majority of the group, Team Rocket does have children in their ranks. Some even your age. Rare, in the grand scheme of things, as most of them are adults, but we''ve had repeated reports of minors openly working with their organization as well."

    There it was. The confirmation he had been fearing ever since the ambush. Ash couldn''t look her in the eye anymore, and he found no comfort in the burnt up grass. His eyes instead shifted to Valiant and Eevee, the latter still snoozing with innocence.

    "Butˇ­ for what reason? What''s their motive? It doesn''tˇ­"

    Jenny placed a hand on his shoulder to cut him off, before standing up straight again. "I''m afraidˇ­ not everything is that simple, kid. I wish there could be an easy explanation for stuff like that, but if there wasˇ­ well, groups like Team Rocket wouldn''t exist." she bit her lip, a lingering fire in her pupils. "These aren''t ordinary children. Some of them were likely left with nowhere to go, and were scooped up by the wrong people. Others still might have simply been a part of the many gangs that Team Rocket has annexed over the years. Many were probablyˇ­" her breath caught in her throat. "Raised by the organization themselves from a young age. Probably have parents or other family in their ranksˇ­" her expression seemed to be evening, but her clenched fists told the true story. "That''s the reality behind incidents like this. I know you wanted an easy answer, and I''m sorry I couldn''t give you one."

    "Thatˇ­" with some hesitance, Ash met her gaze again. "Makes sense." he hadn''t thought of that. He should have known Adam and the others weren''t like him, and felt stupid for not considering it.

    "Team Rocket is a group of many, many rock-bottom lows, you two." Jenny continued with a nod. "It''s why we always tell everyone to never engage with them alone." she bit her lip, as if suppressing a snarl. "And one of their greatest misdeeds will always be the deliberate indoctrination of children. Especially those who just needed some comfort in their life to not be led astray from right and wrong." her voice was heavy again. "Children areˇ­ easily influenced, on a fundamental level. Have them go through the wrong things at a young enough age, and give them guidance from the wrong partyˇ­ Anyone of any age can get corrupted, obviously, but if someone''s young enough, the foundations of their basic mindsets are still being laid out. People like Team Rocket, who already have a history of propaganda, gaslighting, and other forms of manipulation, can lay out these foundations at a very early age. Twisting a child''s sense of what''s acceptable and what''s not, preying on their hardships, and turning them against the world."

    "Tchˇ­" Ash couldn''t tell if Paul was shaking in anger or fear. Rage at how morally bankrupt Team Rocket must truly be to do such a thing? Or terror at what they were capable of? Not just in battle, but in psychology as well?

    ''Thisˇ­ this is what the League has to deal withˇ­?'' the boy tried to get a grip on the situation., The fact that a group so evil and dangerous hadn''t conquered Indigo alreadyˇ­ that Team Rocket was still considered the underdogs in comparison to the empire that they were trying to destroyˇ­ Just how powerful was the League? He knew full well that Lance and the Elite FOur were unbeatable, but to keep an organization like this at bayˇ­ it had to go beyond all of that, didn''t it?

    The Indigo League was a well-oiled machine, and as Ash Ketchum''s fear of Team Rocket grew, his respect and admiration for the forces fending them off, expanded equally so.

    "I''ve brought your belongings back." In the situation, Ash and Paul hadn''t even noticed that Jenny had been carrying their backpacks until she set them down on the boulder. ''I should point out that counterfeit bills were found amongst your money. Both of you."

    Mutual alarm from both trainers. "What?!"

    Jenny turned to Ash. "You only had a small amount. You said that Adam kid battled you, right? He probably gave you fake prize money." She turned to Paul next. "You had a little bit more, but not a lot. It''s likely that a couple of their members battled you in disguise, gauging you. We may have to look over any other trainers in the area, just to make sure they weren''t scammed as well."

    Ash bit his lip, his gaze returning to Valiant and Eevee again for a moment, before summoning the strength to look back at Jenny. The mix of strength and compassion she showed was soothing in its own right. It was clear that she was struggling to maintain the strength part, to look powerful and professional amidst the two rookies that she was attempting to comfort. It was her job, after all. That stance was slipping up a bit, her bold exterior cracking every now and then. But he didn''t mind. If anything, it just added to the consolation.

    "Are you sayingˇ­ that just any trainer we run into could be a Rocket kid in disguise? And what about the adults? Could that guy at the Poke Mart''s cash register that I bought my last batch of potions from be an undercover Rocket tooˇ­?" Now he was shaking.

    Valiant frowned at his trainer''s paranoia. "Ash, Iˇ­"

    "Probably not." Jenny spoke urgently. "It''s true that the possibility will always be there, but Team Rocket hasn''t overrun society, or anything. If they had, they would have succeeded in their conquest a long time ago. And with their activity seeming like it might start to increase, many higher-ups are proposing an increase in background checks, and urging any groups not directly associated with the League to do the same. A couple Elite Four members have already firmly taken that stance, as has the Champion himself. It''s been discussed ever since Mt. Moon."

    Ash seemed to be reassured by that, but Jenny was frowning nonetheless. There was fury in her eyes. Thisˇ­ this was what Team Rocket did. The fact that the group evene existed was a growing black mark on Indigo''s society. They murdered innocents, brainwashed children, stole as they pleased, promoted anarchy, and instilled fear in children like these two, kids who were enjoying their journey that they''d probably waited their whole lives to embark on. It made her skin crawl. Sick to her stomach. Her blood boiling.

    But that''s why she was a police officer. It was why she was so dedicated to law enforcement. Because as long as groups like them existed, the League would never run out of people to protect this Region from.

    "I promise youˇ­" the combination of the definitive boldness, yet motherly consolation in her tone held Ash, Paul, Valiant, and Skorupi''s undivided attention. "I''m going to do everything I can. And so are the Gym Leaders, Ace Trainers, Elite Four, Champion, and anyone else with this responsibility. We won''t stop until all of them are put away. For good."

    "And the children?" Ash asked with some hesitance.

    "The League puts high priority into rehabilitating people like them." Jenny assured. "I can''t say it solves everything, but their situation isn''t ignored. Even some adults in the group aren''t black and white, or might have been preyed on somehow. Countless members have no excuse, but those who do, like those children you fought todayˇ­ It makes judgment a more complex process than just laying down a guilty verdict. The organization itself is the root of the evil." she shook her head. "But I really don''t want you two to worry about that. You''ve seen enough, and hopefully, this is all you see." she gestured forward. "For your own sake, I won''t say anything else." her tone was final. "It''s very late, and you two need rest. We''re going to be escorting you to the city. We''ll make sure you reach Celadon''s Pokemon Center without issue."

    "I wasn''t headed to Celadon." Paul perked up. "Would it be okay if I''m taken to the Center in this area? That''s where I''ve been staying."

    Jenny nodded. "Of course, some of my men can take you there, too. However, this area is probably going to be on lockdown for at least a day or two, as we search for the remaining Rockets scattered around here. So you''ll likely be confined to the Center itself and its immediate surroundings." at his nod, she added. ''Of course, I''d naturally recommend taking that amount of time to recuperate anyway." she gestured for the purple-haired boy to follow her. "Come with me, I''ll get you sorted out." nodding at Ash, she continued. "Wait here, Mr. Ketchum. You''ll be leaving with us in about ten minutes."

    "Great." Ash couldn''t help the urgency in his voice. Soon, it would all be over. He could sink into the Pokemon Center''s bed sheets, and forget all about Adam, Damian, and today.

    Paul returned his team, including Skorupi. An audible sigh escaped his throat as he turned to Ash. "Well, can''t say I expected our next meeting to go this way."

    Ash shook his head. "Me neither." Valiant nodded in agreement.

    He wanted to remind Paul that he wasn''t planning on losing next time they fought. That he better watch out, because they will see each other again. But he couldn''t muster the words. His exhaustion had made him forget all about competition.

    So instead, he just waved at his acquaintanceˇ­ rival. Yes, although neither of them spoke it, that rematched had been what kickstarted a rivalry. That was what they were.

    It didn''t seem like Paul had the energy for competitive goodbyes either, as he simply returned the wave, before following Jenny towards the rest of the police.

    /

    Valiant was the only Pokemon Ash didn''t recall, the young psychic still insisting on remaining out. The boy appreciated the familiar company (as much as he appreciated Officer Jenny for just her presence alone), but still worried that his friend was pushing himself too much.

    Time seemed to distort as they rode alongside Jenny in her vehicle. He wasn''t keeping track of how long it took to reach the city. He just relished in the sensation of relief that washed over him as the towering buildings came into view. Celadon was beautiful at night.

    Beside him, however, Valiant''s own relief was mixed with one of apprehension, as he looked around the many buildings that they were passing by. Much like Ash, his fatigue made his emotions rather difficult to read.

    There were no more delays. For better or worse, they were in Celadon City. Home of Gym Leader Erika. And alsoˇ­

    As heavy as his eyes were, Ash''s still widened with a smile as the magnificently humongous Pokemon Center came into view.

    Team Rocket, the Iron-Masked Marauder, the League''s everyday struggles in maintaining peace amongst such criminal activityˇ­ he didn''t know nearly as much as there was to know, but the police had assured him and Paul that such knowledge wasn''t their place. That they were just kids. That they needed to focus on being trainers, and starting their respective careers in the best way possible.

    In a vacuum, such things would have sounded like condescending platitudes, but in context, it was the best consolation that he ever could have hoped for.

    He didn''t know everything. And he was glad he didn''t. Who knows what would happen if he did?

    For now, they were in Celadon. This was what mattered. And what they needed to focus on, was whatever journey awaited them in the high-class metropolis.

    /

    Celadon wasn''t just a sight at night. There was beauty in its dawn, as well. The air was crisp, clean, the kind that would summon the urge to inhale, just for the sake of taking it all in.

    The sight of the sun gloriously rising above the skyline was as good a signal for a new day, and a new start, as any trainer could ask for.

    But many people in the city probably didn''t need that new start. Not everybody had a stressful night, or even an abnormal one. For some people, this was just a new day, and that was all it was.

    And that was what it was like at Breeder''s Lane, the signature breeding-centric section of the city, and the reason why Celadon was the breeding capital of Indigo. Between the books, gear, and the breeder''s themselves, Celadon was unrivaled in the practice, a place that many trainers go to when looking for guidance. Where many clients go when looking for business. All because of this sizable section, that had gotten its name for the people working within it, who embodied everything right about the practice.

    The lights of the salon turned on as a woman with teal hair stepped into the room. Beside her, a Vulpix brushed her head against her leg, prompting her to kneel down and pat the young, fiery fox with a smile.

    Her eyes found their way to the digital clock on the wall. 7:30 AM. Another day of business. If she didn''t have such passion for her line of work, it would have grown monotonous a long time. Ago. Weekly lectures, phone calls with clients, tending to customers, and that was just the barebones description. It was a job that you needed to like to truly succeed at. Those who didn''t enjoy it were all the more likely to be overwhelmed, frustrated, or demotivated. And yet, those with a true love for the occupation almost always excelled. After all, caring for Pokemon went hand in hand with passion.

    She had applied that passion to every aspect of her job. It was how she reached the top of the charts, but most importantly, it was how she ensured the absolute best of her work. For that reason, she hardly ever minded the business of her position, or the hard work required. Most of the work didn''t even feel like work. It was just what she did.

    Nevertheless, she was certainly busy, even by breeder standards. Having Erika as a regular client certainly played a role in that. But that was what schedules were for. She had long since ironed out the balance. And on occasion, she was able to have a quick talk with Elacia on the phone in between it all.

    The bell sounded prompting her to head to the doors, Vulpix in toe. As they were still locked, she needed to open them manually.

    The sliding doors parted to reveal a girl, purple hair tied back into a ponytail. She gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, as the Ivysaur at her feet shuffled.

    "Good morning." There was an obvious, cheerful tone in her voice, but it was accompanied by the effort to be professional. Based on first impressions, she was fairly good at balancing the two together.

    Recognition adorned the woman''s eyes. "Good morning! Janine, wasn''t it?"

    Janine seemed surprised. "You know who I am?"

    The woman grinned. "Your aunt has shown me pictures before. Come in." Janine nodded in thanks as the woman gestured her and Ivysaur into the salon. "It''s great to see you in person." She spoke kindly. "I''ve been in contact with your family for years, but I''ve never met you before."

    Janine nodded. "Aunt Aya recommended that I see you at some point while I''m here, and I actually caught your lecture yesterday, too. I got my badge from Erika a couple nights ago, but I''m planning to stay in the city for a bit longer. There''s a lot to do here."

    "Heh, congrats." the woman extended her hand. ''Well, we should make introductions, then. My name is Suzie."

    "Good to meet you too." Janine accepted the offer and shook, before looking down at Ivysaur. "This is my partner, Ivysaur." The grass-poison type extended a vine, which Suzie shook. As they parted, the girl straightened herself, before looking Suzie in the eyes. Her expression didn''t turn serious, but proper. An attempt at business. "I did need some help regarding a team member of mine, so I was hoping you could give me some answers."

    Suzie nodded, leading the young girl through the room. "You came just in time for opening hours. Early rising really is a trend in the family, isn''t it?" she inquired good naturedly.

    "It always was." Janine confirmed. "Father was always strict about it."

    "So I''ve heardˇ­" the breeder responded, before turning back to Janine and clasping her hands together. "So, what can I do for you? Feel free to sit down, by the way."

    Janine nodded in thanks, finding a chair as Suzie took a seat across from her. "It concerns a catch I made about three weeks ago. My last two captures have been foreigners. That''s not too much of an issue, as I''ve obviously studied poison types extensively, but it''s the specific Pokemon." she shuffled a bit before getting comfortable. Ivysaur perched himself next to her chair, looking up at the Breeder. "My latest catch, I was fine with. I know enough about the species to raise them properly. It''s the one before that. My studies haven''t really covered it soˇ­ I can''t say I know much. Obviously, there''s the Pokedex, but that''s limited to the League''s database. And for this particular Pokemon, there''s not much on it."

    Suzie nodded along. It made sense. The League was understandably inconsistent in terms of how much information they had stored on each foreign Pokemon. Breeders like her often tried to help with that, giving them the information that they needed in order to update the data, but that was usually on a case by case basis. The Indigo League, much like the other Leagues, always had so much to stay on top of. Essentials that were fundamentally necessary. Stuff like this slipped through the cracks all the time.

    But that was part of what she was here for. Her knowledge certainly wasn''t perfect either, but she had done what she could. Knowing about foreign Pokemon was very important for breeding, especially as they became progressively more common throughout Indigo. Studying was more important than ever. A decent handful of her clients, especially as of recent, have been trainers (particularly rookies or second-years) who had recently gotten their hands on a Pokemon that they knew very little if nothing about.

    She took a moment to appreciate how Janine presented herself. The breeder would very much admit that she had an obvious bias, given that she already had history with the young girl''s family, and was more than happy to do business with her as a result, but the young rookie seemed to have an aura of confidence, very much not unlike the people that she was raised amongst.

    "And you''ve had this teammate for three weeks?" her voice turned professional, but didn''t lose all of it''s casual familiarity. "How has it been for you so far?"

    "Well, he has evolved since I captured him, but he might have already been close to that point. I haven''t had much of an idea of where to go with him from there. I can make educated guesses on what moves he can learn, but I don''t have much definitive knowledge to go off of." she frowned. "He''s been stagnant. It makes me feel guilty, since I know exactly what I''m doing with everybody else."

    Suzie raised a hand in reassurance. "These things happen Janine, trust me." she nodded towards the girl''s belt. "The best thing to do is just take it from the top. We''ll sort everything out and see if we can lay the groundwork for some long-term plans to go off of. What species is this Pokemon of yours?"

    Nodding in affirmation, Janine removed a Poke Ball, before enlarging it. Ivysaur stepped aside to make room. "Thanks. He''s a species from Galar."

 Beneath the Rainbow Skyline pt 1

    "That operation was a waste of time, dumbass. How are we supposed to explain this to Proton?" The woman snarled at the man walking next to her, who seemed as if he was trying to tune her out.

    This particular area was not the ideal place to be wandering at night. The myths circulating the infamous place were not to be taken lightly. Which was why she was all the more infuriated with how their botched operation had turned out.

    "You better not be blaming any of this on me." the man grumbled as the leaves overhead hid the stars above from view. "I had no way of knowing."

    "Then you shouldn''t have convinced him to let us do anything!" the woman hissed, sweat traveling down her face as she looked around their surroundings uneasily. The R on the center of her uniform was barely visible in the shroud of darkness enveloping the inside of the forest. "Just because that operation the higher-ups are planning for Celadon is scheduled for a month or two from now, doesn''t mean we had to go there!"

    "But once that division becomes stationed in the city, the board says we won''t be able to perform any more activity within the borders, since it''ll tip the police off to investigate." the man replied, trying to speed walk ahead of his companion so as to not listen to her rambling. "I wanted to act with time to spare. She''s renowned worldwide for her breeding, and I had been tipped off that she had just gotten a new batch fresh for the picking. I figured a quick, one-and-done infiltration could net us at least a couple of rare Pokemon."

    The woman''s aggression faded, giving way to a deep sigh. "But that info turned out to be outdated. She probably already gave that batch up to clients and customers. All we got out of it was one Pokemon-"

    "Which was still a foreigner." the man interrupted, holding out the Poke Ball that now carried the Pokemon that they had stolen from the Breeder''s home. "And, to my knowledge, one that is still rare around these parts. Hey, that counts for something. The black market should-"

    "I know." the woman cut in. "Either Proton tells us to keep it or takes it himself to auction off. But there''s no way he''s going to consider this last-minute mission you proposed to be worth it over just one Pokemon. Even if it is a foreign, it''s not like you caught some exotic Alolan or Galarian Pokemon. I still say this was a waste." her face contorted in mild disgust. "And that''s not the real reason I''m mad. To botch an escape plan like thatˇ­ that''s not like you. The police were on our tail and now were forced to take a drastic change in direction." she ran a hand down her face. "We''re supposed to be shipping off with Proton a few days from now, with his crusade to start claiming territory in Ever Grande. We could have spent our remaining time with Damian, giving him some last minute advice before it was time to leave." she stopped walking, spreading her arms out wide. "Where are we instead? Viridian Forest, hiding out from the cops!"

    The man stipped as well, palm rubbing his forehead as a guilty frown emerged on his features. "Fair point, honey. But we just need to lay low for a day or two. After that, we can make a break for it and get back on schedule. I''m sure we''ll have time to speak to Damian before-"

    "I don''t want to spend a day or two here! This is one of the last places I''d ever be willing!"

    "Look, I know you''re superstitious, but even you probably understand that the rumors are exaggerated-"

    "Famous last words. Everyone with half a functioning brain knows that this place is haunted. And it even goes beyond that, too. How the forest is constantly ever-shifting, manipulating the pathways and getting trainers lost. How the wild Pokemon and trainers alike go insane from being in here too long." she jabbed her index finger into her husband''s chest. "Not to mention, it''s a deathtrap for another reason, too. Thanks to your little slip-up with the police, we are now in a place that three different Gym Leaders have varying levels of jurisdiction over. Erika may have the least, but do you really think she''s going to take that lying down? Proton says that that woman is one of Erika''s best friends, and she''s obviously going to be getting those police reports. She''ll know we kidnapped one of her Pokemon, and if she finds out we''re here, she''ll pressure Brock and Giovanni to help her search the forest."

    Trying to be gentle, the man grabbed his wife''s arm and pushed her away. "You''re being paranoid. There''s no way she''s going to dedicate that much of her forces over just one Pokemon, or especially try to get two other Gym Leaders to do the same. Even if it is for a friend, she has her duty. She wouldn''t go that far." He continued walking forward, spotting an increase in density in the trees a slight distance away. Must not be a clearing up ahead. "Besidesˇ­" he ran his hand across a few Poke Balls on his belt. "There''s a reason we were placed directly under Proton. We can fight off a few ghosts."

    She followed after him, now walking side-by-side. "Fine, maybe I am overthinking it a bit. But you still need to accept that you''re the one who got us into this mess. No more last minute proposals to the boss, got it?"

    A nod from him. "Seems reasonable. And I''ll be sure to take the fall for this next time we see him." He ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. "He''ll probably have me on janitor duty the entire trip to Hoenn."

    "You deserve it."

    "I have allergies, you know."

    "Stop whining, I''ll grab you some meds."

    Around them, the trees became more and more numerous, the sky increasingly hidden as the dead darkness of night seemed to overtake their surroundings. The woman chewed on her lip, feeling the sweat return. Growing up in Lavender Town meant that stories of this forest ran rampant throughout her childhood. Her spouse was more than lucky to have been raised on tales of how incredible and regal Blackthorn''s dragons were.

    Deciding to change the subject, she swallowed her memories of those stories downward, instead speaking up in a tone that desperately attempted to mask her nervousness. "I-It''s hard to believe the kid is going to be entering the ranks soon. He''ll have the honor of helping to tear down the empire."

    The man chuckled, pulling out a flashlight as the path in front of them grew darker than ever, his other hand continuing to hold the Poke Ball. "Proud of him, alright. He''ll do good for certain. We''ve been preparing him for this since he was born."

    The woman fiddled with her dark-blue ponytail, still looking around with unease. "We''ll set an example for him overseas. There''s a lot riding on getting our foot in Hoenn''s door. That is where rare candies are at their best produced, after all."

    "Trueˇ­" the woman began. "That''s-" her eyes widened. "Ohˇ­ no."

    "What is it?" asked the man, even as his eyes found themselves shifting to a purple glow from the side. "Wait, what''s that light?"

    Before the woman could react, her husband had stopped and turned in the direction of the altar they were passing. Purple torches lined the structure. The source of the sudden light.

    The man''s eyes squinted. "Interestingˇ­ i wonder what-"

    "We need to get out of here now!" his wife''s grip roughly yanked on the back of his collar. Startled, he lost his grip on the poke Ball, which fell to the ground, enlarging and bursting open.

    The bright flash of light that erupted from the fallen orb lit up the surrounding area for a few precious seconds, before being replaced by the form of a Ralts.

    The young psychic''s eyes widened as his head whirled around in confusion, startled by everything. The darkness. The change in scenery, the-

    The man pushed his wife away, shooting her a light glare. "What''s gotten into you?!" His voice brought the Ralts'' attention to them, the feeling Pokemon falling on his bottom in surprise.

    "We can''t stay here!" she urged. "This place, it''s, it''sˇ­"

    His face scrunched up. "I told you you''re being paranoid. Nothing''s gonna get at us out here. Either way we have to get our prize back." turning to Ralts, the psychic whimpered, sweat rolling down his face as the snarling man fixed him with a deep scowl. "You best get back in the ball, runt. You''re not getting away."

    Still on his bottom, the Ralts scurried backwards, only to freeze in even more terror as his back pressed against the altar.

    The woman groaned, her growing fear mixed with frustration as she reached down to pick up the Poke Ball, glowering at the young psychic in front of them as she held the orb in front of her. His confusion made sense. He hadn''t even been awake when they abducted him. "Do as he says, you braindead imbecile! We don''t have any time!" her heart began to race at the protesting shrieks let out by the Ralts. He was holding his head firmly in his hands. She paused for a second, her blood running cold. It didn''t seem like they were the only ones making him act like this-

    Darkness.

    All three of them paused and looked around, the torches surrounding the altar completely unlit.

    "The hellˇ­?" the man started, now feeling uneasy. What could have made them go out? There was no water, no gust of-

    A light breeze brushed against his uniform. An abrupt, collective shiver overtook the three as the temperature seemed to drop at its own, free will.

    The woman was about to restate that they needed to leave, but before she could get the words out of her now-open mouth, something else cut in first.

    The sound of the Ralts'' scream.

    It was probably the highest pitched noise either of them had ever heard in years. The young psychic was now on his knees, face firmly directed to the ground as his hands squeezed against the sides of his head. The tears were flowing from his eyes like two tiny waterfalls.

    The wind was increasing in speed. Even the rate of the increase was going up. She didn''t tighten her grip on the Poke Ball in time, the orb rolling out of her hand. Growling, she felt the panic rising in her chest further. From the corner of her eye, she could see the Ralts gripping a rock, which he quickly pressed himself against, desperately attempting to escape getting swept away by the current.

    The man felt his wife grasping his shoulder. "Forget the Ralts, we need to-"

    Something descended onto the altar. A stream of dark-purple mist, like a beam, came firing down out of nowhere, striking the center of the structure. An explosion of the same color triggered on impact as the shockwaves nearly smacked the duo off of their feet, the two Rockets grinding their heels against the dirty grass and crossing their arms protectively in front of their faces, the man caring very little when the still-lit flashlight in his hand was ripped out and sent rolling away. The explosion of purple smoke suddenly began to condense, as if taking a physical form as the wind slowly died down. The screaming Ralts lifted his head at the sight, and the large, dark-purple cloud hanging over their heads solidified, blood-red eyes glowing in the night, arms and legs extending outward. As it loomed over the group, its teeth spread into an enormous, malicious smile.

    The psychic no longer had the energy to scream, simply sitting there, hands planted firmly into the dirty grass, as the tears freely flowed from his eyes.

    The woman felt her heart hammering, as a lifetime''s worth of myths rapidly crept back into the front of her mind. Instinctively, her hand ripped a Poke Ball from her belt, her husband doing the same.

    The man''s face scrunched up as the oversized figure leared down at them, his own hand grasping a Poke Ball as he sidestepped next to his wife. Despite himself, he could feel the sweat running down his body, and the frigid sensation in his spine.

    The figure in front of them just grinned.

    /

    Kimberly jolted out of her seat on the bench pressed against her cabin. A few feet away, a confused Feral approached her. "Something wrong?"

    With uncharacteristic franticity, her eyes darted in his direction. "Get all of the night scouts indoors, now!"

    Her tone of voice put him on immediate alert. "Why, what''s happened?!"

    Her gaze was distant as she faced outward, staring into the abyss of trees beyond the camp. "Somebody has offended The Ghost."

    /

    As Ash''s eyes opened, revealing the ceiling above him, he feltˇ­ completely different.

    It was as though last night had never happened, completely washed away from the hours of sleep and comfort.

    That was how his body felt, anyway. It was like the bed he was laying in was made of magic, all the stress and tenseness in his muscles evaporating overnight. Maybe it was the relief that the encounter with Damian and his followers was finally over. Maybe it was just reassurance, knowing that he was within the safety of a city''s borders, and no longer at the mercy of the outside world''s cruelty.

    No matter the reason, the sensation that overtook him as he rose into a sitting position, the rejuvenation, was a catharsis that he wouldn''t trade for the world.

    He looked over at the digital clock. The final moments of the previous night were a jumbled blur in his memories. Once Officer Jenny had whisked him away, everything felt incoherent. He could vaguely remember how heavy his eyes felt, and how much his body hated moving, but even for the life of him, he couldn''t muster up any real recollection of checking into the Pokemon Center, and turning Pikachu and the others in to Nurse Joy for treatment.

    ...That''s right. Everyone apart from Pikachu had been able to get by with treatment from the potions, but the young mouse had been in need of more professional care. Which was why he had been placed in his Poke Ball immediately after the battle. However, just to be safe, Ash had turned in everybody else as well.

    And for that reasonˇ­ Yes, that was why he was the only one in the room right now.

    He hadn''t noticed it before, butˇ­ he was all alone. Pikachu and the others were all probably downstairs (or on the same floor? He didn''t know what floor he was on) waiting for him to pick them up from the staff''s care. Right now, they were separated. It made him feel naked. Insecure. Nowhere near as devastating as when Adam had run off with Pikachu, Nebula, and Tyrunt the previous day, but certainly uncomfortable. Unusual. It was a surreal feeling, really. It hadn''t even been two months ago when he had no Pokemon at all. Now, even just having less than six Pokemon made him feel off balance. As though he was missing a layer of clothes.

    Feeling his feet press against the comfortable carpet, Ash looked around the room. Normally, Pikachu would be snoozing at the foot of his bed, completely content. Nebula would be in the windowsill, observing the beautiful view of the city from whatever angle their room allowed her. Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt would all be together somewhere near his bed, each resting on top of a pillow. And Tempest would be off in his own corner of the room, probably daydreaming about their next big fight.

    Almost feeling a magnetic pull emanating from the window, Ash was soon at the end of the room, pushing the window open, and feeling the magnificent morning breeze against his face as he gazed out into Celadon. Judging by the view, and the distance between the ground and where he was, he assumed he was on the second floor of the Center. As if he needed more comfort, the young rookie inhaled deeply, as if trying to take in as much of the crisp air as possible while observing the famed, towering skyscrapers that had contributed to Celadon''s reputation.

    This was it. One of Indigo''s most upper class cities, and the pinnacle of its breeding field. Kanto''s center stage for shopping, art, and fashion. Not just the home to Celadon Gym, but also to Erika''s perfume company, which dominated its respective industry.

    The most important part, however, was that he and his friends were within a city''s borders. They were secure. They were now free. No ambushes from Team Rocket, no aggressive wild Pokemon, no elements to brave. Just society. Civilization. Accompanied by the clean, reassuring air the territory boasted (perhaps a natural quality for a lot of grass type specialists, Erika was always supportive of maintaining the environment), the multitude of activities, and of course, the anxious excitement of a Gym battle ahead.

    Pulling himself away from the window, Ash took another glance at the digital clock. Almost 10:30 AM. Just how late had it been when he first got here? His teammates must have been ready for a while now. Pikachu was probably the only one indeed of overnight medical care, and even he was likely done by now.

    Straightening himself out, and stretching his arms and legs for a moment, Ash sighed to himself and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. He needed to push aside his foggy memories of last night. They probably weren''t of any real significance, anyway. It was the usual routine: Check into the Center, hand over any teammates in need of a checkup, get assigned a room. The only difference this time was that Ash had been too tired to maintain any memory of it.

    As he stepped into the bathroom, however, Ash was greeted with another sensation: a rumbling stomach. It encouraged him to get finished and downstairs all the more quickly.

    /

    Having purposefully made his shower as short as possible, Ash soon found himself back down on the first floor, where he apparently had already been last night, despite his memory refusing to acknowledge such. Suppressing the urge to scarf down the closest donut he could find, the boy had quickly headed to Nurse Joy''s counter before the cafeteria, and after thanking her for taking care of his team, didn''t waste any time to let them all out.

    It was odd. He had only been separated from them for a night that he couldn''t even remember, and yet, just the mere knowledge of their absence had been enough to elate him upon their return.

    Having been in a similar, exhausted state as himself, they had only recently awoken as well, and still needed to eat just as he did. After breakfast, Ash called his mother as usual, and it was finally time for the day to start, albeit a couple hours late at this point.

    As Officer Jenny had suggested (if he remembered correctly), they were probably going to be taking it easy today. He wouldn''t deny his team any training or battles if they were in the mood later, but he also wasn''t going to be pushing for it. They''d wait for tomorrow to see if they were up to paying a visit to Celadon City''s Gym.

    He felt a walk out into the city would help. There were already two things he wanted to do here, outside of challenging the Gym: One was to visit Elacia as she had asked, or Suzie if the redhead wasn''t home. Ash hoped his friend would be there, suddenly missing the times he had visited her back in Pewter, but he would be certain to stop by her friend''s place if she wasn''t.

    The thought of meeting Suzie as well felt surreal, however. He already thought it was incredible that he had run into Indigo''s second biggest breeder purely by chance, but to meet with the top ranked one as well?

    It was a silly thought, he knew. Technically, Suzie and Elacia''s statuses in indigo''s breeding world theoretically meant that many people knew them, and that it wasn''t at all unusual for trainers like him to interact with them as clients. Stillˇ­ They were celebrities through and through, and he ha dmet one of them.

    He had been pondering over whether or not to visit Elacia prior to the Gym battle. Deciding that he didn''t want to keep his friend waiting, he had asked Nurse Joy if she knew whether or not the famous breeder was home at the moment. To his disappointment, the pink-haired woman had confirmed to him that she was currently out on business, although she didn''t know where, or when she would be coming back. Apparently, the nurse had heard something about the Johto Region, but that was where her knowledge currently ended.

    Deciding to wait a bit and see if Elacia would come back later, Ash had instead gone with his second choice: The Department Store. Celadon''s shopping district was famous for its sublimity, and although he doubted he''d be able to indulge nearly as much as his inner fantasies made him want to, Ash figured that this would be the best opportunity to scoop up some more TMs. With the experience that they were now garnering. His team wouldn''t have to rely on them as much anymore: Tempest could probably start working on Ice Beam the moment he had gotten a bit better with Icy Wind, Valiant''s great usage of Dazzling Gleam likely meant he could get started on Moonblast at any time, and pikachu could probably muster up the control to learn just about an electrical technique that wasn''t a part of the top tiers, even if mastering some would obviously take longer than others. The young mouse had plenty of base experience to at least get started on any electricity-utilizing move that his species was capable of.

    But, as always, there were areas where the team hadn''t yet been ironed out enough to quickly learn specific moves without help, and Ash was sure that the store would have at least a few that benefitted them. Even outside of that, the boy''s curious mind was eager to see just how vast the store''s collection was: Given its reputation.

    Pikachu happily clung to Ash''s shoulder as the boy stepped out of the Center, taking the time to tickle his starter under the chin as they walked through the automatic doors. The young mouse was as refreshed as his trainer was, both mutually desiring to put the events of last night behind them, however hard that may be. At Ash''s side was Valiant, who was also back to perfect shape after a night''s rest. Although neither of the trio wore perfect expressions, each collectively trying to push the bad memories away and focus on where they were right now, Valiant''s smile was the only one that was truly uneasy, an anxious pit forming in his stomach and chest as he looked around and took in... the city.

    Due to his ability to sense emotions, something he still wasn''t particularly used to, even now, the bustling atmosphere was more than a little overwhelming for the young Kirlia, although it wasn''t the only reason he was feeling uneasy today.

    ...They were here now. It was bound to happen at some point, and yetˇ­

    "Hey, Valiantˇ­" the Kirlia glanced up to the side, met with the sight of Ash''s concerned face. "You sure you wanna do this?" he had asked that question before, right before leaving. Obviously, the rookie knew that being in such a populated, urban area might not be overly ideal for the psychic. Although his species naturally found themselves in such places, they were rarely in the thick of it all unless they had fully grasped their emotion-detecting capability enough to properly control them.

    Albeit still strained, Valiant''s uneasy smile turned reassuring as he nodded back at Ash''s question, doing his best to look the young rookie in the eyes from the angle he was at.

    He needed this, after all. It would be good to start practicing to get a better grip on his detection abilities. Besides, he''d rather enjoy his time at his trainer''s side. Make more memories. Thankfully, the upcoming gym battle would certainly serve as the perfect opportunity.

    "I''m good, Ash."

    Ash was a bit concerned, but nodded back at the young Kirlia as Pikachu grinned down at the psychic. Perhaps the two of them saw this as good practice, tooˇ­

    Practice for sureˇ­ but would he get the chance to make use of it?

    Ignorant to Valiant''s inner thoughts, Ash adjusted his cap as he observed the sun-bathed surroundings. Pedestrians and vehicles passed by from numerous directions, the buildings towering into the sky, as if piercing through the blue. The few clouds overhead were pure white, no signs of messy weather in sight.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Taking a chance to look behind them as they walked away from the Pokemon Center, Ash admired the building''s bulky, towering form, before focusing onward and getting Pikachu and Valiant''s attention.

    "We''ll be visiting the shopping district today. We can explore a bit, but even with our winnings, there isn''t much room for overzealous luxury. We''re mostly in this for essentials, and TMs."

    "Any ideas?" Valiant seemed eagerly curious, to which Ash grinned.

    "We''ll see when we get there. It all depends on what we can afford. I can''t make any predictions regarding that, but it also depends on what they have, in which caseˇ­ almost everything, from what I''ve heard." he offered his two teammates a quick thumbs up. "Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to get something fancy, you guys deserve some more high-quality food after all this time."

    To Valiant''s cheerful amusement, Pikachu certainly seemed to like the sound of that.

    /

    Celadon was one daunting city to navigate, leaving the trio toremain hyper focused on the street signs that signaled where to go. Thankfully, the Pokemon Center wasn''t too far from where they planned to go, and they soon found themselves in the midst of a plaza filled with shopping malls, fashion stores, gaming stores, and essentially just about any place where you could buy things. To Ash''s knowledge, Erika''s main perfume shop was also somewhere around here, although he had no interest in perfume.

    Their surroundings had become even more overwhelming, with the abundance of stores encircling them from every angle, and the dense frequency of the passersby leaving Valiant to lightly clutch his head as the group continued onward. Ash had once again asked his young psychic friend if he wanted to be returned to his Poke Ball, only to be turned down.

    Although the Department Store should have stuck out like a sore thumb, the overflowing distractions had resulted in it taking a good deal longer to find the place than Ash would have cared to admit. Thankfully, the towering structure soon stood over them, and after admiring its shining blue exterior, as well as its grand scope, the group had headed inside.

    Although it wasn''t a shopping mall, Celadon''s Department Store was Kanto''s largest individual shop, and if the building''s exterior hadn''t reminded him of that, being inside certainly would have. The first floor alone was big enough to compare to some decently-sized stores, and including the roof, this place was six stories tall.

    Floor one acted as the main hub of the store, where general aspects such as customer service were stationed. What mainly interested Ash was the second floor, which specialized in trainer gear. Everything from backpacks, to Poke Balls, to healing items, to TMs could be found there. Even bikes. Ash had no need for a new backpack at the moment, and he already had the latest in bikes thanks to his trip to Miracle Cycle back in Cerulean. He knew that there were some newer back[packs with upgraded storage technology, which could be useful, but he needed to ensure he had enough money first, which he wouldn''t today.

    The main concerns for now were acquiring a few TMs, as well as ensuring that they were restocked on food and medicine.

    Valiant followed his trainer up the stairs that took them to the second floor, although the first floor was decently populated, the group knew that the remaining floors were going to be the busiest for sure. They were proven right as they stepped into the Trainers'' Market, the section of the store that the second floor consisted of, and were greeted with the sight of aisle after aisle, as far as the eye could see. And the market was hustling and bustling with numerous customers, from kids his age, to teens and adults.

    Even though he had been expecting it, actually seeing it first hand was enough to startle the boy. This one floor saw enough activity to pass off as a full grocery store, and it was just a piece of the puzzle when grouped with the rest of the building. Briefly stopping in his tracks, the young rookie found himself looking around, and taking it all in as the various trainers populating the floor went about their business: Plucking items off of the shelves, showing their teammates what was in their shopping carts, conversing amongst one another about their journeys so far-

    ''There could be a dozen Rockets in this room, and I wouldn''t even know.'' Ash almost jolted from the thought that crept into his mind, as memories of yesterday abruptly sprung up. Adam''s hoodie making way to reveal his true uniform, the Rockets that had battled Paul while in disguise, posing as ordinary trainers.

    Suddenly sweating, Ash took note of Valiant''s concerned gaze as he began shaking his head, as though his thoughts were a cramped container that needed to be emptied out.

    ''She said that Team Rocket hadn''t infiltrated society on that scale.'' the boy reminded himself of Officer Jenny''s reassuring words. The chances were probably one out of ten at most.

    "You okay?"

    "Gah!" Ash whirled to the side, his abrupt movement somewhat startling pikachu as he and Valiant turned to face the source of the sudden voice.

    He looked about five years older than him, and was a good deal taller to show for it. His hair was long and red, and his outfit was a simple black and white.

    The teenager seemed fairly at ease, arms crossed and back leaning against the wall a few feet away. His face, although somewhat stern, didn''t convey hostility.

    "Oh! Ummmˇ­ sorry, I''m fine." Ash''s face was beet red. He really needed to stop doing this. Misty would either be laughing in his face or cracking his ribs right about now.

    The older boy seemed unfazed, straightening himself out as he approached the trio with an analytical expression.

    "I saw you all frozen up back here, so I just came over to see what''s going on." he spoke honestly as Ash''s gaze focused on his pale shirt.

    ''His outfit is too thin to be hiding a uniform.'' the young rookie''s mind reassured him. ''Relax. Settle down.''

    He felt himself easing up even as the thoughts went through his mind. Feeling his posture straighten out, he fixed the newcomer with a relaxed smile. "Oh, sorry about that. Guess I''m just not too used to places like this." It wasn''t entirely a lie. Less than two months away from home wasn''t quite long enough for him to grow completely accustomed to places like Celadon, far surpassing the scope of Pallet Town and then some.

    "Hmmm, yes that makes sense. I was certainly in for a shock when I first left New Bark Town." the older boy''s face formed into a small smile. "You''ll get used to it eventually, although you might lose that sense of wonder in the process."

    Ash hadn''t thought about it that way. Right now, his experiences had been a double-edged sword, mixing intimidation with awe. But without one, the other might go away as wellˇ­

    The thought was slightly disheartening, but he pushed it aside for now. As a trainer, he''d never run out of adventures to be had. At worst, he''d just be a bit more difficult to surprise, which could lead to less embarrassing moments like this.

    The boy nodded back at the teen. "Well, sorry to worry you. We''ll be on our way." the red-haired teen waved them off (Pikachu happily returning the gesture) as Ash led Valiant into the market.

    Even as they''re backs faced the older boy, he continued to stare.

    /

    Ash chose to focus on restocking his medical supplies first. He had already put some of his money aside to restock food at a later date (probably whenever it was time for them to leave the city), so with his current fundings, he felt it was best to get the necessities out of the way, so he''d be left free to use the rest on TMs. Pikachu remained perched on his shoulder as the trio browsed the aisles, Valiant casually following behind them.

    They rarely had the surrounding space to themselves, with no shortage of trainers rummaging through the store''s vast selection. These were supposed to be some of the most effective brands Indigo had to offer, so they were hardly lacking in terms of the number of trainers actively seeking them out. The ordeal from the previous evening was like a magnet that had pulled Ash to the burn heals, before ensuring that he had at least a few vials of every basic category (as well as plenty of potions). He didn''t need to restock on paralyze heals, but he found himself grabbing at least one or two of everything else, outside of particularly niche items.

    Around them, he could make out a variety of conversations.

    "So, I''m gonna be challenging Erika in a couple of days. I''ll have my second badge for sure!"

    "Neat! I''m competing in the Contest next week. This time, I''m sure I''ll have my first ribbon!"

    "There were a lot of battles at the Pokemon Center yesterday. Apparently that one girl with the purple hair beat five people in a row with like, three Pokemon total!"

    "Yeah, I was there. She may look cute, but that Ivysaur and Beedrill destroyed me. Kind of scary, honestly."

    "Did you catch Suizie''s latest lecture? It was so helpful!"

    "Totally! Honestly, it''s like she always knows what the most relevant topics are."

    "Hey, does your Squirtle know Ice Beam? Cause I''ve been trying to get Vaporeon to learn it, and we''re struggling."

    "Sorry, but we''re kind of struggling ourselves. I don''t wanna challenge Erika without it, though."

    Overhearing the various topics almost made Ash feel relieved, at a time where he felt he shouldn''t need to be.

    There wasn''t anyone dangerous here. Just a bunch of ordinary trainers like himself, all going about the latest day in their respective journeys.

    Once he was satisfied with the medicine, Ash set his sights on the TMs that the store had to offer: the largest public selection available anywhere in Kanto. This took him and his two friends to the end of the massive room, a bit beyond the series of aisles most of the customers were navigating.

    Ash heard Pikachu''s awed reaction right in his ear as the trio approached the seemingly endless shelf of TMs that came into view. A few other trainers were browsing the selection themselves, albeit decently more spaced out, as there was more room here than in the aisles. He imagined that made things easier on Valiant.

    Pikachu leapt off of the rookie''s shoulder and scampered over next to Valiant as the young Kirlia stopped in front of the shelf, head angled upward and mouth slightly open as he took in the sight. It was a goldmine of potential new moves, ripe for the picking. Of course, Ash knew that they couldn''t afford to be overzealous, tempted as he was.

    ''Just look through the selection and take the few you think you could use the most right now.'' the young boy took a deep breath. A small part of him almost preferred the smaller selections: They weren''t anywhere near this intimidating. He took a moment to smile at Pikachu and Valiant as the two chatted, before running his hand (and his eyes) over the shelf in front of him.

    One particular TM immediately caught his eye: Surf. Normally, Ash wouldn''t have wanted to spend his money on a move that was too long-term, at least not right now, but the sooner Tempest got started on a move like this, the more the Krabby would benefit from it. It was a move that would allow the river crab to summon water beneath himself and carry him across the battlefield. It was one tactic that some trainers used to help certain teammates, that were less mobile than others, get around that particular weakness, although the fact that it took a great deal of time to fully master prevented the strategy from being universal. Tempest would be working on this move for a long time and the fruits of his labor wouldn''t start showing right away, but it was an investment worth considering.

    A bit more expensive than the rest of the TMs that Ash had purchased up to this point, but definitely worth it.

    Plucking the encased disc off of the shelf, Ash began walking down, making sure to let Pikachu and Valiant know where he was going (the two decided to follow after him anyway, however). He had enough money for at least two more TMs, so he needed to make the choices count.

    He was tempted to purchase another biting move for Tyrunt, but decided against it. Later on, he would certainly want to teach the dinosaur as many as he could, in order to ensure that those deadly jaws were as useful as possible, but for now, the youngest member of their group was in need of more variety.

    So with Tyrunt in mind, the young rookie found his eyes resting on something else: Earth Power. It would improve the royal heir Pokemon''s ranged options, while still covering a typing the eager biter did not know. And pretty soon, Pikachu would be helping to teach him Brick Break. They''d put jaw-training on a hold for now: Tyrunt was already performing up to expectations in that regard.

    It was a few more minutes before Ash found the final TM that he wanted. Numerous sources of temptation made themselves known to him, but he was always too hesitant to pluck them off the shelves. Really, there was no right or wrong choice: Just whatever he ended up deciding on, but even thinking along those lines stressed him out.

    Shadow Ball almost convinced him. It was a move that Valiant could learn, and although Eevee was already there to help teach the Kirlia, Ash knew that most psychic type''s struggled with Ghost Type moves without prior experience with them. And of course, it would be great to plan ahead for Sabrina.

    But Valiant knew Shadow Sneak, and was relatively good at it. That preexisting experience, combined with Eevee''s tutelage, would likely make the learning process just smooth enough to where a TM wasn''t fully necessary. Or, at the very least, when their fundings were still fairly limited. If they could maintain momentum, they''d likely be in a comfortable enough position to make less crucial purchases such as that, but for now, he wanted to focus on moves that borderline required the assistance offered by TMs.

    With that in mind, Ash finally made his choice: Play Rough. It was a fairly strong fairy type move that both Pikachu and Tyrunt could learn. A good bit of variety for the both of them, especially Tyrunt.

    Pulling the disc off of the shelf, Ash turned to his two teammates. Seeing the relatively cheerful looks on their faces (especially Pikachu) as they conversed away, he found himself wishing he understood Poke-speak (as it was often nicknamed). Valiant''s mental speech only went so far, and that wasn''t even accounting for how long it would take for the Kirlia to truly use it efficiently.

    "Hey, Pikachu." Ash knelt down in front of the duo, who gave him their attention as he showed his starter the disc. "This is a move that you and Tyrunt can learn. I figured a lot of the other moves you''ll be working on in the near future are electric-based, and Tyrunt still needs to diversify his moveset, so this should work pretty well." at the mouse''s happy nod, he turned to Valiant. "I''m thinking I should get you started on Shadow Ball, to go along with Moon Blast. I don''t think we''ll need a TM for it, though. Eevee already knows the move, and you do have some experience thanks to how often you use Shadow Sneak. Either way, it''ll help you a lot. What do you say?"

    The emotion Pokemon seemed somewhat surprised by the proposal, before quickly grinning with a nod. No doubt the idea of further training with Eevee pleased him. She was already a big help with improving his agility, which they would continue to work on. The thought of learning a move from her likely sounded promising.

    Ash chuckled. "Good! We''re focusing on Erika now, but I figured it wouldn''t hurt to prepare for Sabrina as well. She''s probably going to be our next challenge after we''re done in Celadon, after all."

    Both Pokemon seemed to be in agreement at that, although one of them was hiding a mildly lingering sense of doubt.

    /

    In a way, Celadon''s skyline almost felt like something of a ceiling, albeit one that soared over everybody''s heads. It was an atmosphere that was easier to appreciate on the walk back to the Center, when the sounds of the city still filled the trio''s ears, but the road wasn''t nearly as quiet.

    Ash''s mind couldn''t help but wander as he and Valiant traversed the sidewalk together, Pikachu steadily perched on the young rookie''s shoulder. His travels had taken him to six cities at this point, and though Eastern Kanto loomed ominously in the group''s future, it abruptly occurred to the boy that he had actually seen a great deal of the Region by now. Of course, he hadn''t even come close to seeing more than a fraction of Indigo, but whenever it dawned on him just how much had happened since leaving Pallet Town, he never knew what to think.

    Ironically, he wasn''t as far from home as he was back in Cerulean or Saffron, due to Celadon being west of both cities. There was, of course, the dreaded Viridian Forest, just west of Celadon as well. He didn''t feel any closer, however. Every location he had been to since leaving home had felt like a different world from the quiet town he had never needed to step foot out of prior to becoming a trainer. The world within Pallet''s borders was like a safe haven, a comfort zone.

    Celadon''s skyline reminded him of that, and Ash couldn''t help but angle his head upward to marvel at the tall buildings and skyscrapers that rose above their heads as he and his friends navigated the sidewalk. When in Celadon, everywhere they went, everything they did on the ground, it was all with the top of those structures towering overhead.

    Pallet didn''t have this. Pallet didn''t have that feeling of buildings looming above you from every direction. Compared to the somewhat spread out structure of his hometown, where the buildings never extended into the sky and clouds above, Ash almost felt like he was indoors right now. If the skyline was a ceiling, then the buildings that made it up were like a set of walls enclosing them in.

    Every city they had been to was like this, but there was a difference between each, he found. Saffron and Celadon were easily the most drastic, and Viridian and Vermillion were at least more so than Pewter and Cerulean.

    That was six cities that he had stepped foot in. All on a completely different plane of existence from the serene, comforting town that he''d grown up in for a decade. All in not nearly as much time as his mind made it feel, even if he had still been away from home for a while now. It didn''t feel real.

    "Ash, we''re here."

    Snapping out of his thoughts, Ash took a moment to process Valiant''s words before realizing they had almost passed by the sign that directed them to the Pokemon Center. Muttering a "thank you" to his psychic friend, the trainer led the way back to the building.

    He was growing tired of this habit. His mind always dwelled on something that couldn''t be helped. And there was so much inconsistency in how he felt about being away from home. He was only used to it when he wasn''t thinking about it.

    That guy back at the store had said he''d get used to it eventually. With the way he said it, it was as if it was inevitable. Ash wasn''t sure how he felt about that. Just how much would he get used to? Just the change in scenery? Or would he stop feeling homesick as well? He couldn''t really imagine-

    In front of them, the doors to the Center opened, the trio collectively stopping in their tracks at the figure that abruptly came into view.

    On the other side, just about to exit the Center, Gary was just as startled.

    The dwelling was suddenly replaced with a familiar pit in Ash''s stomach. Running into him of all people at the most abrupt times. This wasn''t going to be a trend, was it?

    Ash must not have properly hid the frustration from his face, because the Oak boy''s own expression immediately scrunched into an ugly scowl. "You better watch the way you look at people, Ashy boy."

    ''And you have free reign to treat people however you want?'' Ash couldn''t help the thought that came to his mind. Next to his ear, he could hear Pikachu''s unpleasant growl, as if the mouse was acting on instinct. In front of him, Valiant had stepped between the two trainers, an obviously hostile aura surrounding him. Ash had begun to extend a hand to prevent the Kirlia from advancing forward, but thankfully, his friend held back.

    Ash tried to keep his face neutral, but stern, knowing Gary would very much capitalize if he behaved passively. "Wasn''t expecting to see you here." Didn''t want to either, but he omitted that.

    That disgustingly familiar smirk found its way back to the Oak boy''s face. "You''re saying that to me? All I can think about now is how miraculous it is that you''re not stuck in some gutter back in Cerulean."

    "Shut up." the voice did not fill Ash''s head, instead directed at Gary.

    The brown-haired boy started at the sudden, new voice, his eyes ablaze as his head darted back and forth. "Hey, who said that?! Come out now-" as if having an epiphany, his snarling voice was cut short as his eyes landed on Valiant. "Youˇ­"

    The glare hadn''t left the young Kirlia''s face, although the emotion Pokemon was inwardly relishing in the brief victory. It took Gary''s own realization for Ash and Pikachu to realize the psychic had said or done anything, the duo sparing their friend a quick, downward glance before refocusing their attention on Gary.

    They were just in time to lock eyes with the Oak boy, his former smugness eclipsed with rage. Had this been a month or two ago, Ash surely would have recoiled. But that was before he had witnessed (however briefly) the demon lurking within Misty''s temperament.

    "Get your buddy''s act together, loser." Gary sounded like a king who had just been offended. "Or are you as bad at training your Pokemon as you are at battling with them?" For an instant, Ash felt a twinge of pain as the sparks from Pikachu''s cheek brushed against his own. It went away as quickly as it started, however, as the boy''s starter reigned in his instincts. "Meditite started talking to me five days ago, so don''t go thinking you can slip that past me."

    "My friends have minds of their own. I''m not going to scold them for doing nothing wrong." Gary''s face tightened at the implication, but Ash continued. "I''m sure you''d love for me to be stuck in some gutter. You better get used to seeing us this far out, cause we''re not stopping here."

    "Heh, tch." Gary''s bitter smirk formed through clenched teeth. "Just how many Gym Leaders have you curried favor with to come this far? Or are you expecting me to believe you''re this lucky just because your psychic knows how to talk?" he spared another spiteful glare at Valiant, who''s eyes narrowed in response.

    Despite himself, Ash felt his eye twitch. There it was again, and not a moment too soon. Gary''s signature accusation of how everything he did right was luck, or underhanded. He kept telling himself to brush it aside. Forget about it. Gary and his friends were the last people he needed to prove himself too, especially since they never accepted any of his achievements, as they had proven back when he had scored high on the Qualification Exam.

    He knew that, at the very least, but every time Gary reminded him, the old wounds made themselves known. It seemed everything was easier in intention than they were in practice.

    ''Just keep your cool. If you can do that, he''ll get frustrated.'' Even as he talked to himself, Ash knew that Gary would just double down out of spite. Still, it was better than letting things play out the way they always did back in Pallet Town.

    A lot had happened since he had left, and they weren''t on Gary''s playground anymore. ''He doesn''t need to accept your success.'' Ash told himself. What mattered was that he himself was aware of his accomplishments. Gary''s opinion didn''t matter.

    "What do you think I did?" Ash crossed his arms, his posture as straight as he could manage. "Did I clean the pool top to bottom back in Cerulean, as if that would be any easier than battling? Maybe I handed Surge ten thousand bucks to get him to have his men escort me everywhere I went, nevermind I''d have to win battles to get that much money anyway?" As his face formed into a glare, Gary''s own became twice as hostile. "You''re the one with the connections, Gary, not me. Be careful who you accuse."

    The Oak boy''s knuckles turned white as his hands squeezed at his hips. "Oh, so now I''m the hack? You''re gonna start-" he started as Ash cut him off, the rage in his eyes suddenly becoming difficult to gauge.

    "I''m saying that you''d have a much easier time "currying favor" with just about anybody than I ever would." Ash felt himself easing up, just barely enough to be noticeable. "And yet you''re the one questioning me, all because you feel the need to deny me any credit." Ash felt a sudden weight on his head as Pikachu climbed onto his cap, his starter letting out an affirmative squeak in Gary''s direction as Ash''s body adjusted to the shift.

    Gary was silent for a few moments, simply staring the trio down. Ash didn''t move. The Oak boy had chosen to play this game, and they weren''t going to give him any luxury.

    "Do you know why I was at the top of the class our entire upbringing?" After offering Valiant a brief sneer, Gary finally spoke, his gaze shifting to Ash''s eyes. The anger had turned more focused, less fury and more concentration. "It''s because I earned the right to be. I was the one pulling all-nighters once a week to keep my knowledge at top capacity. Those tests don''t ace themselves-heh, I suppose you of all people would know-you know why I absorbed all of that information? Better than anyone else?" his arms were crossed now. "Because I was the one who could. Out of everyone in town, I was the one with potential that needed to be tapped. So I tapped it. And used what I got as a reward. You were down there, scraping away at the bottom of the barrel, trying to salvage the slightest bit of worth you could muster for yourself, while I had figured everything out long since. That''s how I knew where I stood back at home, and how I knew you had become a lost cause."

    Ash nodded, but said nothing.

    "You know why Squirtle and I beat you and your stupid rat back on Opening Day?" Pikachu snarled as Gary''s index finger locked onto him. "Because only one of us was ready. Only one of us deserved to become a trainer. The other was just some long since proven failure who got tossed into a profession he wasn''t capable of after lucking out on an Exam." The smile on Gary''s face was not a smirk. It was more victorious, matter-of-fact. "And after that, when Wartortle and I beat you and your blasted bird back at Mt. Moon? When my team picked yours apart? It was because I was the better trainer. I earned that win, just as much as I earned all those A pluses back at school. That loss was your punishment for being worse, just like all those lukewarm grades you always got. Like the one you should''ve gotten on the Qualification Exam." his finger was now facing Ash''s chest. "Do you think you deserve success? People like gramps and I have been winning our whole lives! You think we deserve to lose out to people who think they''re just now starting to get the hang of it?" his hands fell to his sides. "You''re half a decade behind me, and I''ll be damned if I start slowing down for your sake."

    Pikachu leered at Gary''s speech, while Valiant''s posture turned rigid. Ash felt the frustration in his chest returning.

    Nobody needed to be born a winner. That''s what Professor Oak had told him. And he''d met people since who seemed to think similarly. Gary didn''t need to slow down. He, Pikachu, Valiant, and all the others were already content with finding their own pace. Becauseˇ­

    Ash''s own hands fell to his sides, his posture mimicking Gary''s. "Gary, I''m not the same person I was two months ago. Or one month ago.." his face tightened. "Are you expecting me to stay where I''ve always been? I don''t have the right to move forward for myself? Maybe you just want me to stay put for your sake."

    A few more moments of silence. The air was broken by a quiet, dark chuckle from Gary''s throat.

    "You''re the one who thinks you belong here, Ashy boy." his hand rummaged around his belt, the Poke Ball he pulled out enlarging as he held it out front for the trio to see. "You want to talk about who has the right? No need, I''ll remind you."

    Ash let out an inward sigh, which almost escaped outwardly. It was the inevitable conclusion. Now that he and Gary were trainers, their disputes would never be solved with words. It felt like there was little point in talking. The conversations were just a quick warm-up that came and went. The real argument took place on the battlefield.

    ''We''re supposed to take it easy todayˇ­'' Ash told himself, looking down to Valiant as Pikachu leapt down next to the young psychic. The young mouse immediately rose to his hind legs, fists tightened and held in front of his chest. At his side, Valiant crossed his arms. "I''ll fight you."

    Once again, only Gary heard the voice. He shot an annoyed smirk down at the young Kirlia through clenched teeth, before facing Ash and looking him in the eyes. "Your psychic pal''s real annoying, you know that? Glad I got myself a more pleasant one." he tossed the Poke Ball in the air, just once, before lowering it to his side and pointing at Ash''s chest with the other hand. "Three on three. Just enough. Still in over your head?"

    Those conditions were pretty convenient, Ash decided. He wasn''t sure if the others were in the mood or not, but Pikachu and Valiant were both clearly ready, and Tempest would be about as likely to pass up as he would be to have just about any physical contact with a Pokemon that wasn''t a punch to the face. They had their lineup.

    "Alright." Smiling, Pikachu and Valiant exchanged nods as Ash offered Gary his own. "I''ll see you in fifteen minutes."

 Beneath the Rainbow Skyline pt 2

    It hadn''t taken long to brief Tempest on the current situation. It had taken even less for him to agree to take part.

    ''Note to self: the upside to having Tempest around is that you''ll always have at least one teammate who''s in the mood.''

    Gary waited for Ash on the other end of the Center''s battlefield. Pikachu and Tempest were back in their Poke Balls, with Valiant remaining out. The Poke Ball was still in Gary''s hand, tossing up and down.

    With Valiant standing at his side, Ash pulled out Pikachu''s Poke Ball, listening to the other trainer speak.

    "I already told you the conditions. I''ll be sure to keep this short and sweet." Not wasting any time, Gary chucked the orb into the air. Ash''s brow raised in intrigue at the newcomer.

    It was a Growlithe, head raised with regality as she assessed the duo. There was no shortage of popularity with the species in Indigo. They were naturally loyal, and very appealing to raise and train as a result. And their evolved form, Arcanine, was practically a celebrity in Indigo''s competitive field. Swift as a bullet, and hit just as hard. They had always been amongst the most popular fire types amongst trainers worldwide. And a staple in just about any big, Indigo-native tournament.

    Tempest would be a natural fit, but trainers were supposed to select their first Pokemon at the same time, and Ash had already grabbed Pikachu''s ballˇ­

    Thankfully, he was still satisfied with that matchup.

    His trusty starter was already on all fours, cheeks blazing with lightning as he emerged from the Poke Ball. Looking back at Ash and Valiant, Pikachu offered a chirp, the determined grin to go along with it, and a nod, which Valiant had immediately returned with a quick word of encouragement (not that Ash understood what either of them were saying, unfortunately).

    On the other side, Growlithe was in a sitting position, looking back and her trainer as he gave her instructions.

    "Pikachu." Ash got his starter''s attention as the mouse fixed his eyes on the fiery canine. "You''ve fought Growlithe before, but this one Gary''s." he emphasized. "Of course, it''s probably a fast runner like you are. We may have to use Agility early." as his starter tensed up, he added. "Can you handle that?" a nod.

    Ash smiled at his friend before returning his focus to Gary, who was now ready.

    "Prep time''s over, Ashy boy. Growlithe, Agility!"

    They were going for it right away. "Same for you, buddy!" Ash called to pikachu.

    Growlithe kicked off the ground, a blue glow coating her fur as her paws galloped across the pavement. Pikachu''s body did the same, dashing to the side to avoid her charge, then changing direction to acquire his target. As he thrust his body forward with Slam, the puppy mimicked his dodge, just before a stream of flames escaped her jaws.

    The moment Pikachu''s paws landed back on the ground, he immediately kicked off again, narrowly avoiding the Flamethrower as it passed by and pelted the barrier.

    "Zap Tail!"

    "Burn Tail!"

    Now both combatants were on a collision course for one another. Still cloaked in Agility, their tails became encased in metal, Pikachu''s engulfed in electricity, and Growlithe''s in fire. Shockwaves spread around them as the attacks smashed into one another, the impact sending sparks and embers scattering about.

    Teeth grinding together, Pikachu strained his muscles as he pushed against his opponent, who mirrored his own resolve. Both sets of paws grinded against the pavement as best they could, each combatant trying to steady themselves while simultaneously pushing the other away. Finally, Pikachu was sent tumbling a foot or two before balancing himself on all fours.

    "Headbutt!"

    Just as Pikachu had righted himself, however, Growlithe had turned to face him yet again, lowering her head as she rammed into his face. The electric mouse rolled away with a yelp, stopping himself just in time to look back at his opponent and see her preparing a Flamethrower.

    Wasting no time, Pikachu''s fur became engulfed in electricity, the bolt of lightning that erupted from his body exploding against the blast of fire that had been sent his way.

    Ash''s eyes narrowed analytically at the dust cloud that was kicked up from the clash. So far, Growlithe was just about as formidable as he expected. And her power and speed were at least on par with Pikachu''s own. They''d need to focus on more than just outmaneuvering her and Gary.

    But right now, the smoke cloud was-

    "Roar!"

    On the other side of the cloud, Growlithe bent her knees, feeling energy building up within her throat, before letting out a loud blast of shockwaves that smashed into the cloud of dust standing between her and Pikachu. Rising to his hindlegs, the mouse shielded his face as the dust blew against him, along with lingering shockwaves.

    Ash didn''t wait. "Double Team! Into three!"

    Even before the remaining force from Roar had dissipated, Pikachu was already rushing to the side, just as a barrage of golden stars escaped from his enemy''s jaws. Two separate clones of Pikachu abruptly formed, and split off from either side as the Swift curved in an attempt to follow its target, only to pelt against the barrier instead.

    Gary''s voice was firm and confident. "Growlithe! Pikachu''s clones won''t be able to use Agility like him. Go full speed and weed him out!"

    It was clever on his part, but hearing the order brought a risky thought into Ash''d mind. "Don''t use Agility, Pikachu!"

    No doubt Pikachu was confused by the order, but he seemed to comply. Ash only hoped it wouldn''t backfire.

    True to Gary''s command, Growlithe was once again coated in blue, her body galloping after her targets as the psychic energy of Agility bolstered her speed. One clone immediately fizzled out of existence as her metallic tail smashed through it, the fiery puppy only taking a moment to reposition herself before speeding after the next target. As she closed in, a stream of flames exited her jaws, her eyes predatorily glinting as Pikachu leapt over the Flamethrower, a small bit of his fur catching fire. She had found the real one.

    Ash''s blood was pumping. "Agility and Brick Break!"

    Growlithe''s tail was already raised as the puppy once again prepared Burn Tail. Pikachu, the moment he landed, kicked off towards the fiery canine, the familiar aura of Agility surrounding him as he pounded an orange fist into the flaming Iron Tail. His fist became engulfed in agony as the flames washed over it, but punctured the Iron Tail even as the mouse shrieked from the burning sensation. As Growlithe recoiled from the pain in her tail, Ash continued.

    "Thunder Punch!"

    Pikachu''s fist thankfully wasn''t in contact with the flames for long. He was a Pokemon, not a human, and the pain he felt was brief despite being sudden. Ignoring the lingering burning sensation, the young mouse reared back his other fist, the lightning in his tail flowing into his arm and condensing into the fist, before thrusting forward to sock Growlithe in the jaw. As his opponent tumbled away, he returned to all fours, the lingering ache in the briefly burned fist beginning to subside, before taking off yet again.

    Gary was frustrated, but unfettered. "Move around, Swift!"

    Now Growlithe was running as well. Both combatant''s maneuvered across the pavement, not allowing either to leave the other''s sight. Before long, both were cloaked in Agility again.

    Pikachu wouldn''t be able to keep this up for long, but with any luck, neither would Growlithe. Gary must have been planning to end the fight quickly by going no-holds-barred right from the start, in an effort to overwhelm Pikachu immediately. Since they had responded in kind, both pokemon were left using up everything they had at rapid rates.

    But Agility was dependent on mental prowess, not physical prowess. Ash could only hope that Growlithe''s endurance in that regard wasn''t any better than Pikachu''s.

    The stream of golden stars erupted from the puppy''s mouth, and Pikachu was left with no options. If he deflected the stars with Iron Tail, he''d be left open. If he changed direction to avoid them, he''d still be all the same.

    Moving as fast as possible, the mouse swerved to the side, the homing projectiles not quite locking on completely. Growlithe was prepared for that, however, head lowered as she pursued her opponent like a missile and smashed into his ribs.

    Pain shot through Pikachu''s body as Ash''s starter was flung through the air, body a few feet above the arena as Ash and Valiant followed his flight. He did not relent, however, smacking an Iron Tail down onto the pavement before using the impact to regain his momentum and take off again before Growlithe could rush him. As his paws carried him forward, he could already feel his eyes growing slightly heavy, but ignored the sensation as his body became cloaked in Agility again.

    "Fire Spin!" no doubt Gary was trying to ensnare them.

    "Jump, Electroweb!"

    The stream of flames that escaped from Growlithe''s jaws rotated into a spiral as it made its way to its target. As Pikachu leapt above the arena, flipping himself over and pushing against the ground with an iron Tail in order to enforce his jump, the Fire Spin collided with the ground that the young mouse had previously occupied, engulfing it as it spread out across.

    Thanks to Iron Tail, Pikachu maintained his momentum, even as he soared through the air. Angling himself to keep his gaze focused on the dashing Growlithe, his cheeks crackled with lightning before transferring to his tail, his body flipping over yet again to launch the barrage of lightning downwards.

    The electricity took the form of a net as it descended onto the arena. Growlithe sidestepped around it as it landed, zigzagging to avoid the electrical trap, but Pikachu returned to the ground immediately after, attention fixated on the preoccupied puppy.

    "Zap Tail!" Ash spoke the words before Pikachu had even landed, the moment when Growlithe had changed direction. Capitalizing on the split-second opportunity, Pikachu rocketed after her, plunging his electrified Iron Tail into her side. A howl of agony escaped her throat as she was launched across the arena, but as Pikachu tried to pursue her, her own tail smashed onto the pavement, the metal coating shielding her as she pushed off and back onto her paws.

    She didn''t have time to build up speed however, as Pikachu was already upon her. Just as he prepared to deliver another strike, a startle yelp instead escaped his throat as he flung himself away from the sudden Flamethrower she launched while turning her head back to face him. Even as he dodged, he could feel the heat against his face. In the confusion, his aura dissipated. With his momentum gone, her fleeing form cleared distance as her momentum returned to her.

    Now with the wave of fatigue filling his brain even moreso, Pikachu took off after her, his body flickering as he struggled to call upon Agility yet again. On the other side, growlithe, still running, faced the same obstacle, the blue aura of Agility flashing in and out around her body.

    The two combatants returned to their earlier routine, circling around one another, doing everything they can to remain locked on. Ash knew neither of them would last much longer. Although their bodies could probably take more, their minds were shutting down, on the verge of passing out. No doubt, Gary knew the same. Now was the time for the decisive strike.

    "Growlithe, Flame Wheel!"

    "Pikachu, Shock Rush!"

    Shock Rush was the name Ash had given to the Spark/Slam combo that Pikachu used against Damian''s Charmeleon the previous evening. He had shared it with his starter over breakfast. For now, he figured the move would be a decent substitute to Volt Tackle.

    Mutually sensing the finality of the situation, both pokemon summoned the strength to coa themselves in Agility, the flickering finally coming to a stop after a few last moments of struggling. They were likely using up whatever mental strength they had left to pull this off. This would be it.

    Maintaining the speed-boosting move, both Pokemon found themselves lined up with one another. As the charged forward, Growlithe''s body became enveloped in the storm of fire that escaped from her mouth. Her advancing form curled head-over-heels, assuming a spherical form as she rolled across the pavement, closing in on Pikachu as fast as Agility could carry her.

    Pikachu, at the same time, growled as his cheeks became engulfed in lightning, only for it to transfer to his tail, and then around his body. As his fur became shrouded in the onslaught of electricity that now surrounded him, his body took on an orange glow. The young mouse hollered with determination as he thrust himself into the Flame Wheel.

    With no interruptions to slow their speed, both attacks collided, the ensuing explosion immediately coating the surrounding space in smoke. Shockwaves carried the dust cloud across a sizable portion of the battlefield, hopelessly obscuring both combatants from view.

    Over on the other side, Gary was fidgeting as his foot hastily tapped against the ground. Ash had to admit that he could feel some minor sweat himself.

    At his side, Valiant simply watched, the concern in his eyes not matching his steadfast body language.

    It didn''t take long for the smoke to clear up, revealing the unconscious forms of both fighters. Ash''s heart sank a bit, but he wasn''t overly surprised. He quickly took out Pikachu''s Poke Ball and returned him, even as Gary did the same for Growlithe.

    "Thanks, buddy. You took everything she had and brought her down with you." Ultimately, both sides had mutually benefited from the battle. If it indeed had been Gary''s plan to get an early lead by using Growlithe''s full speed right from the start, then he had failed.

    Looking over at the other trainer, Ash took note of Gary''s irritable glare, seemingly confirming his suspicions.

    "It''s a tie." Ash spoke matter-of-factly, to which Gary scoffed.

    "Tying with you is just as bad as losing." the boy spat back as a second poke Ball appeared in his hand. "That won''t happen again."

    Ash removed Tempest''s Poke Ball from his belt, returning Gary''s gaze with confidence. "Agreed."

    The river crab appeared in front of him, pincers clicking together excitedly as he realized the action was about to start. Taking a moment to glance at Valiant, Ash could see the Kirlia eying the Krabby with crossed arms, albeit not quite as tense as he usually was.

    Ash almost didn''t recognize the Pokemon that emerged on Gary''s side of the field. It was slightly larger than Nebula, body coated with metal armor.

    For at least a moment or two, Ash thought he was looking a foreign Pokemon, but after a somewhat more thorough examination, his eyes widened in understanding.

    This was a Skarmory. It was just smaller than most, likely because it was still growing. Unlike Pidgey or Starly, Skarmory were not part of any evolution line. It made training and raising them a notably different approach from most, and the same could be said for watching them grow.

    The metal bird took the time to crane her head back, offering her trainer a loyal coo, which returned with a thumbs up. As her eyes set themselves back onto Tempest, the young Krabby leered at her, pincers extended predatorily.

    Ash considered what he knew about Skarmory, trying to rack his brain for details. If he remembered correctly, these birds could actually fly quite a bit faster than their metallic armor would suggest, due to their wings being hollow. Much like Tempest, Gary''s friend could likely prove very successful in taking hits, but their opponent wasn''t a sluggish tank.

    "Careful, Tempest." The Krabby perked up as Ash gave his usual pre-battle advice. "That''s a Skarmory. It may look bulky, but it can still fly, and its speed is fairly deceptive. Find a way to intercept it."

    The boy grinned as Tempest nodded in acknowledgement. Truth be told, he wasn''t sure how favorable this matchup would be. Both combatants were far from lacking in the durability department, but Skarmory''s ability to fly and apparent speed would spell clear trouble if they couldn''t stop her in her tracks.

    Thankfully, Tempest appeared to recognize that.

    Gary took the initiative. "Air Slash!"

    Tempest had already gone on the offensive with a stream of bubbles, only for Skarmory to avoid the aquatic onslaught by taking off into the air above, hovering over the battlefield, where she raised a glowing wing.

    Tempest was already crossing two Metal Claws together when Skarmory tossed the blade of air. The young Krabby could feel his body being pushed back a slight amount as his pincers intercepted the blow. As Skarmory angled her body to face headfirst towards her opponent, Ash called out to Tempest.

    "Razor Shell!"

    Dropping the metallic coating, the river crab raised his opening pincers (now glowing ocean-blue) as a blade of aquatic energy erected from both. Above him, Skarmory''s body began to rotate as her beak glowed white. Like a missile, her body propelled forward, the Drill Peck intercepted by the crossed blades. Tempest felt his body straining as he tried to press his feet into the ground, attempting to stay in place as Skarmory''s bulk bombarded him. Even as he repelled her, the river crab staggered back, but still managed to aim a pincer and blast a torrent of boiling water at the metal bird''s fleeing form.

    Skarmory shrieked as the Scald washed over her, metallic hide burning from the heat, yet straining from the impact. Tempest pursued his target, a barrage of bubbles trailing after the powerful bird.

    "Pull up with Aerial Ace!" Gary''s voice betrayed minor irritation as Skamrory''s glowing body curved upwards and avoided the Bubble Beam. "Air Cutter!"

    "Defend with Metal Claw!" Ash was conflicted. If Gary attacked from a distance they''d have no chance at intercepting them. All Skarmory needed to do was stay overhead. But if they could successfully fend off any long distance assaults, then what? Would it be a stalemate? Would one of them have to switch out?

    Skamrory ceased flight, hovering above the arena once again as a series of small blades of wind streamed out of her glowing wings. As they harmlessly bounced off of Tempest''s metallic pincers, Gary pressed on. "Air Slash!"

    The much larger blade of wind was tossed with all the strength the metallic bird could possibly muster. Although his pincers remained unharmed, Tempest found himself staggering back as the flying type move struck him.

    Gary was grinning. "Missile Drill!"

    Tempest hadn''t even finished staggering backwards as Skarmory''s body became outlined by a blue aura. As her body rotated, her beak glowed pale, and the bird shot downwards.

    Ash realized at the last second: A combo of Agility and Drill Peck.

    The boy could only cry out to Tempest as Skarmory crashed into him. Too quick for the Krabby to cross his Metal Claws again, Skarmory''s drilling beak found its way right into the river crab''s abdomen, pain shooting through the water type''s body as the momentum of Agility carried his opponent''s bulk like a literal missile for her rotating beak to tear through his hide.

    The painful sensation lingered in Tempest''s body as the Krabby was sent flying into the barrier in front of Ash and Valiant. Ash perked up, however, when the water type regained his composure in time to smash a Metal Claw into the barrier, shielding his body from further impact.

    ''I guess he''s been paying attention to Pikachu and the others at least a little bit.'' Ash thought to himself with a small smile.

    Ignoring her sore beak, Skarmory took off flapping into the air as Tempest picked himself up, glowering at her retreating form while clutching his stomach for a brief moment. The sudden jolt of pain had been excruciating, and much of it was still lingering from the attack.

    Ash grimaced. If Gary kept repeating the process Tempest was a goner. They needed to go on the offensive.

    "Scald!" Skarmory was still high up. He wasn''t sure if this attack would connect or notˇ­

    Sure enough, the bird simply swerved out of the way as the stream of hot water rushed for her.

    Gary was smirking now. "Air Slash again!" Without thinking , Tempest once again crossed two Metal Claws together, and was pushed back by the force of the blow.

    As Gary called for another Missile Drill, Ash''s brain sped up, desperately trying to grasp onto something. As if on random, he called out a move.

    "Flail!" Struggling to maintain his balance, Tempest heeded his trainer''s order, extending his pincers outward and beginning to spin. Clearly frustrated, he put as much force into the move as possible. Skarmory''s body rocketed forward with the same speed as the previous attack, prepared to leave yet another gash in the river crab''s abdomen.

    As if by accident, Tempest''s pincer struck the side of the bird''s head, prompting a pained shriek from Skarmory as her trajectory was altered. Slamming beak-first into the ground, the metallic bird bounced across the pavement as Tempest regained his balance and pursued her.

    Eyes lighting up at the unexpected opportunity, Ash''s abrupt excitement crept into his tone of voice. "Vise Grip!"

    Smirking with vindictive vengeance, Tempest raised a pincer, glowing blue, and grabbed onto Skarmory''s neck. The river crab''s tightening grip clashed against the metal plating that served as the bird''s outer armor. Ash and Valiant couldn''t help but grimace as a horrible shriek filled the air. He should''ve known Tempest would have gone for the neck.

    Even as Skarmory cried out, Tempest raised his other pincer, an aquatic blade of energy shooting outward. He loosened his grip just enough for the blow to the abdomen to force Skarmory back, the bird gasping for air as she landed on her side.

    Abruptly, Gary recalled her.

    The whiplash of the situation wasn''t lost on Ash, but he supposed he couldn''t blame Gary, given the sudden change of pace.

    ''A change that was brought on by chance.'' he reminded himself. It didn''t feel like a total victory. And Skarmory wasn''t down just yet.

    Ash didn''t notice the sweat on the young Oak boy''s face, or the furrowed brow, but he couldn''t miss the scowl.

    "Don''t go thinking I''m gonna start praising you for a lucky shot." Gary replaced Skarmory''s Poke Ball with a third.

    Meditite appeared in front of her trainer. The female psychic emerged from the bright, white light in a cross-legged position, levitating off of the ground as her hands pressed together. Raising her head, she opened her eyes to see the Krabby, ignoring the painful bruise on his stomach to leer at her. Although her eyes narrowed at the sight, her expression remained otherwise stoic.

    Ash thought back to their encounter with Gary back at Mt. Moon. Pikachu had fought Meditite back then and won. But how much stronger was she now?

    Gary had knelt down to speak some instructions to his psychic companion as Tempest turned to Ash expectantly.

    "She''s a psychic and fighting type." Ash warned. He gestured to Valiant. "Think of the tricky stuff that Valiant''s capable of, mixed with martial arts. Up for it?" The question was practically a formality. Neither he nor Valiant were surprised when Tempest nodded gleefully while turning back to face his newest opponent.

    Hands still pressed together, Meditite had begun lowering herself onto the ground, legs straightening out to fixate herself into a standing position, before her arms fell to her side, only to be readjusted into a fighting stance upon landing. There was recognition on her features. She remembered Ash.

    "Scald!" Ash went for it immediately. This could hopefully disrupt Meditite if it connected.

    It didn''t, however. The torrent of boiling water that escaped Tempest''s pincers crashed into the golden wall that erected in front of Meditite''s outstretched hands. Though she felt a mild burning sensation on her palms, the young psychic was otherwise unharmed.

    Tempest was even more proactive than Ash, however, viciously charging for his target at speeds that almost surprised her as a metal pincer reared back to strike.

    As the Light Screen dropped, Meditite''s eyes flashed a bright blue, just quick enough for her target to miss it. As she analyzed the movements of Tempest''s muscles, the actions that the river crab took became telegraphed. Her fist erupted with lightning as the Metal Claw struck the air, completely missing her head. All the while, she lunged forward and planted the Thunder Punch into the bruise that Skarmory had left behind.

    The lingering pain that still pestered Tempest erupted into a quick surge of agony as the powerful, elegant strike carried the electricity into the wound. Ash and Valiant collectively flinched at the shriek erupting from the water type''s mouth as the bulky combatant staggered backward. Gary was taking advantage of the injury that Skarmory had already inflicted upon Tempest. Should he recall Tempest for later? But if he sent Valiant out now, Gary would just call on Skarmory again. Valiant had the tools to fight against the metal bird, but vice versa was also trueˇ­

    Meditite''s body flashed as her blow sent Tempest staggering away, the young psychic type suddenly splitting into three separate Meditite. However, one of the clones created by her Double Team was almost immediately dissipated as a duo of Water Gun erupted from the enraged Krabby''s pincers on reflex. The remaining two meditate circled around their target, the real one prepared to strike, while the clone got ready to perform a feint.

    Ash wouldn''t let that happen. "Freeze the ground around you with Icy Wind!"

    Just as his dual targets were about to close in, their advance was halted as the young Krabby spun around, open pincers spraying frozen air across the immediate surrounding pavement. The delay was only momentary, however, and even as the ground in front of her froze over, Meditite allowed her final remaining clone to fizzle out before pressing her own hands firmly into the pavement, launching herself above the young Krabby with a quick flip.

    "Shadow Ball!"

    Hovering over her opponent, the young psychic firmly pressed her palms together as the blackish-purple orb of distorted aura formed in front of her. After expanding to about twice the size of her head, the Shadow Ball was launched downwards towards the river crab, who was already crossing dual metal Claws together in preparation.

    The explosion only eclipsed the Krabby''s figure with dust for a brief moment as the young psychic descended downwards. Curling her fist and rearing it back, she began to gather more lightning in preparation to strike Tempest''s head from above. Ash had already called out a warning to the river crab, however, and the water type, unharmed from the Shadow Ball, scurried to the side, emerging from the already dissipating cloud of smoke as he slid across the ice. Realizing that she was going to miss, Meditite readjusted the angle of her body, landing on her feet before propelling herself forward, after the Krabby''s fleeing form.

    The electricity covering her fist fizzled out, however, as a stream of bubbles nailed her face, prompting a surprised cry of pain from the psychic martial artist as her momentum halted and reversed. As she was knocked off her feet, Tempest altered his own course, rushing her yet again as an aquatic blade extended out of his pincer. She landed on her feet just in time to erect a wall of glass. Shockwaves slammed into her scrunched up face as the Reflect cracked from the force of the Razor Shell. Quickly dropping the barrier, she leapt backwards, angled a bit to the left. A rush of heat slammed into her face as the boiling water the rocketed out of the other pincer just barely passed by her head, although a few painful droplets still stung her skin.

    Flipping over and landing on her feet once more, Meditite stretched her hands out, eyes flashing purple as she attempted to lock Tempest in place with Confusion. His body strained from the sudden struggle, a purple glow outlining his exterior features as his muscles suddenly felt heavier, his movements slower. He fought against it, continuing to move forward, albeit at a slower pace.

    She didn''t; account for his aggression, however, as the dual Water Guns had already escaped his open pincers. Forced to release Confusion, she ducked under the aquatic jets while resuming her advance forward. This had returned Tempest to full speed, however, and although he almost staggered from the sudden increase in momentum, the whiplash failed to halt him, and he was upon Meditite in seconds. Her eyes flashed once again, telegraphing the movements of his raised pincer, before raising an orange fist into an uppercut, her Brick break meeting the Metal Claw and pushing it back over her opponent''s head. Tempest barely flinched from the clash, however, his durability coming through.

    Although she had responded to one of his moves, Meditite had no time to respond to the next. Eyes widening, all she could do was jerk her head in the direction of the other poincer as it opened up, firing a point-blank blast of boiling water into her body. As the Scald propelled her away to the side, Gary flinched at her pained shriek.

    Success filled Ash''s mind as Meditite caught herself on her hands, flipping her way back onto her feet before sliding a few feet back across the arena, deftly glaring at her target. Steam was rising from her body, emanating from her somewhat reddened skin. Although he couldn''t see it from here, the young psychic martial artist had her teeth clenched in an effort to ignore the lingering pain.

    "Tempest, hit her with Icy Wind!" With her skin painfully hot, the sudden drop in temperature was sure to be overwhelming for her. Sadistically grinning, yet with still somewhat angry eyes, Tempest rushed forward yet again, his body carrying him towards the young martial artist as his open pincers prepared to erupt with cold air. As the snowy air was about to escape, however, Gary called out to his -partner on instinct having already caught on to Ash''s plan.

    "Double Team!" This time, Ash''s eyes widened as Meditite split into four. She must have been limiting herself to conserve stamina, as he realized all too late.

    As the four Meditite spread out, Tempest halted his advance, glancing around in frustration. Ash was about to call out for the Krabby to focus on the one in pain, when he finally got a good look at two of the Medititie.

    Both of them were clenching their teeth.

    ''She''sˇ­ having her copies mimic pained expressionsˇ­!'' He couldn''t even get mad at that. It was genius.

    "Poison Jab!" Gary''s fists were eagerly held out in front of his chest.

    "Tempest!" Ash called out hurriedly. He was going to ask him to look for the one with steam coming out of her body, but that was a tall order. They didn''t have time to distinguish. They just needed to attack. "Just spin around while you fire!"

    All four Medidite were rushing him from all directions as Tempest raised his open pincers and did as he was told. The snowy blast of air erupted from the openings as his body rotated, the ground it struck beginning to freeze over as the barrage of Icy Wind advanced.

    "Shadow Ball!" Gary''s orders were completely in sync with Medititie, flawlessly timed as she, along with her three clones, flipped over on their hands and rose back over Tempest. The young river crab turned to face one of them in hopes of blasting the real target, only for the one that he was locked onto to fizzle out of existence (along with the other two clones) before he even had a chance to fire. The next moment, even as he had begun to turn around, an explosion slammed against his back, flipping him over his head, and leaving him sprawled out with his belly exposed.

    The real Meditite came down even as he lost his balance. Almost at the very moment his back had collapsed onto the pavement, her reared back fist, surrounded by a purple, sludgy aura, shot downward, landing directly on top of his still worsening bruise. Ash''s heart sank as the Poison Jab almost certainly injected its toxins into the young Krabby''s system, the bruise left behind by Skarmory and exacerbated by Meditite''s Thunder Punch acting as the ideal weak spot and point of entry. With her downward momentum carrying her punch forward, and into Tempest''s bruise, Meditite couldn''t help but flinch at the aching of her knuckles upon impact, but pressed forward regardless as Tempest''s agonizing scream gave way to a desperate gasp for air.

    As the sludge flowed through his blood, Tempest was roughly hoisted upwards as Meditite rose to her feet. His vision was slowly beginning to blur, his muscles abruptly feeling tired. His bruise was burning horrifically, and all he could do was struggle to gasp yet again as a Thunder Punch found its way right to his sore spot. The electricity flowed across his deepening gash as his body was launched backward, pincers spread out over his head as he landed onto his back. Struggling to lift his head, his increasingly blurred vision fought to make out Meditite''s slowly advancing form, just before his head fell, and his world turned to black.

    Meditite halted as Gary clapped his hands for her. From where they were standing, neither Ash nor Valiant could make out the subtle unease creeping into the young Oak boy''s eyes.

    "Bravo, bravo Meditite! I knew you wouldn''t disappoint against that hopeless brute!" As Gary offered a quick thumbs up, Meditite took the time to nod back at her trainer, allowing a small smile to form onto her face before turning back to Ash and Valiant, her gaze expectant.

    As he removed Tempest''s ball from his belt, Ash''s mind raced. Valiant was all he had left. A strong hit from one of Skarmory''s steel type moves would devastate him, as would one of Meditite''s Shadow Balls. But the young Kirlia had the tools necessary to take on both, and neither had gotten away from Tempest unscathed.

    Unsurprisingly, the young emotion Pokemon was already looking up a thim as Ash turned to face his psychic partner, the boy''s eyes immediately met with the sight of Valiant''s own.

    "That Meditite''s smart, but so are you." A warning and a reassurance. Ash couldn''t help but return Valiant''s forming grin as the Kirlia nodded, the duo turning back to face gary and Meditite, the former''s voice stretching across the arena just before Valiant could step forward.

    "This is the final curtain, Ashy boy. Send out your last teammate so I can take my money and leave!"

    "We''re ready." Ash simply responded before nodding to his psychic friend, who stepped onto the battlefield and lined himself up with Meditite.

    The two psychics stood a few feet apart, eyes finding their way to one another. Medititie''s face was cold, analytical, and steadfast. Valiant''s own replicated that same unbreakable analysis, but with stoicism traded for curiosity as the two studied one another''s pupils.

    He tried to mimic her stance, but found it felt far less natural compared to witnessing her. Not wasting any time, Gary called out.

    "Shadow Ball!"

    Meditite retained eye contact with the Kirlia as the blackish-purple ball of distortion formed in her pressed hands. As the orb expanded in front of her, the psychic martial artist stepped forward and prepared to break into a run, firing the attack.

    Instinctively, Valiant''s arms shot outward, eyes flashing gold as the wall-shaped barrier of the same color formed around him. His eyes reflexively clenched as the Light Screen strained against the ghost type attack, but any cracks formed were rather small.

    Gary''s expression had widened into a smirk, however, and Ash didn''t have time to fully warn Valiant before the advancing Meditite drove an orange fist into the barrier.

    Disorientation overtook Valiant as he stumbled backwards, the shards of the now shattered Light Screen scattering in all directions upon impact from Meditite''s Brick Break. Frowning, Ash couldn''t help but wonder if Gary had accounted for thatˇ­

    "Go for the throat, Poison Jab!" Ash started at that. Gary wanted to go for the kill asa quickly as possibleˇ­

    In a case of fortunate irony, however, the weight of Gary''s orders hadn''t been lost on valiant, either. Even as Meditite''s other hand curled into a fist, drenched in a sludgy aura, the Kirlia dove away to the side, still not fully focused from the shock of Light Screen''s destruction, but powered by adrenaline all the same. As the Poison Jab missed its mark, Valiant forced his body to straighten out, his vision refocusing as he reared back a Thunder Punch.

    Meditite''s eyes flashed blue. Although the arm that had struck with poison jab remained outstretched, the psychic martial artist whirled her body around as best she could, her other fist crackling with electricity as she met one Thunder Punch with another. Her block hadn''t been delivered at an ideal positioning, however, and Valiant''s momentum quickly cost her her balance.

    As her hands pressed against the ground to catch herself, Meditite used the momentum of her fall to raise her legs. Valiant''s own eyes flashed, but he didn''t have time to react as the psychic in front of him twirled around on her hands, her foot connecting with the back of his head. He nearly struck the ground face first, but managed to (albeit painfully) press his own hands against the pavement and flip forward onto his feet. Now a few feet behind him, Medidite once again pressed her hands together, another Shadow Ball beginning to take form.

    "Teleport behind her, Valiant!" Ash warned his partner as quickly as he could. He almost allowed himself a sigh of relief as Valiant reappeared in front of his opponent just before she fired the ball. Already in throwing motion, Meditite could not stop herself, and the orb traveled uselessly across the arena, no destined target apart from the barrier that would soon cleanly absorb it.

    Even as she was tossing the attack, the Kirlia behind her pressed his own hands together, eyes flashing pink as an orb of the same color formed in his palms.

    "Light Screen, surround yourself!" Gary was quick to warn his own partner just before the Dazzling Gleam fired, only to be met with a hastily erected golden cube, which strained under the force of the pink-colored blast. Ash grunted as the cracks formed in the cube nearly caused it to fall apart, but in the end, the barrier was dropped on Meditite''s own terms after enduring the blast. Turning around to face Valiant, the stoic martial artist took off running backwards, a somewhat smaller Shadow Ball quickly forming between her hands before being tossed in Valiant''s direction just as the young emotion Pokemon had begun to pursue.

    Full power or not, Valiant knew quite well what a ghost type move could potentially do to him. Meditite hadn''t even bothered fully chagrin it up, simply opting for a quick offense that would throw him off course. It sadly worked, and the young Kirlia was forced to roll to the side, just barely avoiding the blow as the windforce from the passing Shadow Ball pushed against his body.

    After clearing enough distance, meditite stopped in place just in time for Ash''s next order.

    "Valiant, attack with Shadow Sneak!"

    Rapidly picking himself up, Valiant took off running, his momentum continuing as he sank into his shadow mid-run. Meditite kept her eyes focused on that shadow, which slithered across the ground at an impressively steady pace, before the young Kirlia rose up at her side.

    As he emerged, Valiant swung a flaming fist mid-rise, aimed for the side of Meditite''s head. But as she turned to address the offense, Meditite''s eyes flashed blue, Valiant''s motions coming into view more quickly than she otherwise would have been able to get at the right angle to read them. The Fire Punch was caught firmly in her palm. Her eyes squeezed shut as a burning sensation assaulted her hand, and she nearly lost her balance form the force, but the psychic martial artist remained steadfast, planting her feet firmly in the ground to prevent herself from falling over as she squeezed as tightly as she could against the Kirlia''s fist, exacerbating her pain for the sake of a better grip. As his opponent pulled her arm back, Valiant found himself abruptly yanked forward, right toward the waiting Thunder Punch that was driven into his abdomen.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Gasping for air, Valiant felt the sparks of electricity rolling along his stomach just before meditite took advantage of her control over the situation. In the next instant, the young Kirlia almost yelped (but couldn''t muster the breath to do so) as his opponent hoisted him over her shoulder, his back slamming against the pavement.

    Although his vision blurred for a split second, he quickly received an upside-down view of his opponent, feeling his shoulder firmly grinding against the ground as her outstretched arm pinned him. Her other arm was raised above her head, the fist on the end sporting a familiar purple glowˇ­

    Just before the Poison Jab could be thrust downward for his throat, Valiant raised his free hand, sparking with some electricity, and fired off a weak Thunderbolt. Meditite''s body convulsed just as she began to deliver the blow, her fist stopping in its tracks as she was forced onto her bottom. With his shoulder now free, Valiant rose to his feet and clenched his fist, gathering more electricity before going on the offensive. Still in a sitting position, Meditite once more pressed her hands firmly against the ground, flipping away just before the Krilia''s Thunder Punch could strike her head. Tracking her retreating form, Valiant flashed his eyes pink as another Dazzling Gleam began to form in his hands.

    Meditite was one step ahead of him, however, a Shadow Ball already between her palms as she landed on her feet. Not waiting for the attack to fully charge up, the female psychic fired off the move. With no time to continue charging his own attack, Valiant let the Dazzling Gleam loose, the pink blast exploding against the distorted ball of energy.

    Both combatants, no more than several feet from one another, crossed their arms defensively as the wind briefly pushed against their bodies, only to subside as quickly as it came. Collectively allowing their arms to fall to their sides,the two young psychics found themselves absentmindedly sinking back into their respective stances, eyes quickly locking once again.

    With the action paused, both trainers were given a chance to observe the state of the conflict as each combatant analyzed one another''s respective condition. Valiant could feel the exertion of the fight creepily catching up to him, although he wasn''t ready to sink to his knees just yet. Despite himself, however, he could almost feel his breath grow slightly heavier, but did what he could not to think about it. Maybe as long as he kept it out of his mind, the fatigue would not overtake himˇ­

    The young Kirlia studied Meditite''s face extensively. She was showing signs of a similar situation. The stoic expression in her pupils was beginning to feel more like a mask, a sight akin to desperation threatening to leak to the surface. Her skin was somewhat charred (no doubt the previous soaking from Tempest had aggravated the small Thunderbolt she had just received), and her teeth chewed her lips, almost as if to distract from pain or soreness. Perhaps her arms and/or hands were sore? Her knuckles had gone through a decent bit of punishment, as had the palm that had stopped his Fire Punch.

    As he looked more closely, he could almost spot a trembling sensation in her body''s behavior...

    Ash tried to push down the small surge of anxiety that threatened to creep to the surface. Valiant was having trouble with this one, and although that wouldn''t normally be a problem, they still had Skarmory to deal with after this. Even assuming they won, they''d still be battling uphill, regardless of the damage that Tempest had previously dished out to the metal bird.

    Looking over to Gary, however, Ash caught sight of a glare on the Oak boy''s face, although his opponent seemed to immediately drop it after being spotted. Perhaps Gary was frustrated that Meditite hadn''t landed a decisive hit yet? They were both in the same boat, but Gary was the one with a cushionˇ­

    Finally, Gary broke the silence. "Meditite, Double Team, to the max!"

    Ash and Valiant collectively started as the female psychic split into five. Although a strained expression initially lined her features as the clones spawned out of her, it was soon replaced with focus after a few moments, as the five Meditite that now stood in front of Valiant shuffled around in a sideways jogging motion.

    Ash almost felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight. Four clones total, and she was still able to move them all along with herselfˇ­

    Instinctively, Valiant found his form taking a few reflexive steps backwards as the real meditite bended her knees, her clones mimicking the action as they all prepared to pounce together. His mind was racing, combing his thought process for solutions.

    If Meditite had been limiting her Double Team all this time, that meant she had been conserving energy. Using all four clones at once to split herself into five must have been excruciating for her to do in the long term. If he dipped under with Shadow Sneak, he could potentially wait it out. She''d be forced to relent eventuallyˇ­

    But overuse to the ghost type technique would be taxiing on him as well, and with Skarmory still lurking overhead, he couldn''t afford to expel too much energy, even if he won.

    The thoughts raced through his mind in a matter of seconds at most. Irritatingly, he felt the sweat rolling down his face. Was there no way to tell them apart-

    Something in his mind lit up. Meditite''s clones may have been capable of faking emotionsˇ­

    But they couldn''t give them off.

    That should have been it. His species could feel the emotions that others emanate. If he could just concentrate enough to single out which Meditite was giving off any emotionsˇ­ but he was not yet good enough at the ability to focus it. It still overwhelmed him in extreme situations, like with crowds, or withˇ­ he shut the memory away from his mind.

    "Valiant, clear the distance with Teleport!" Ash''s order sounded off before Meditite had the chance to act.

    Gratitude filled Valiant''s mind at the command. Ash likely knew of his predicament, but still remained on top of things. Still focused on the Meditite and her clones, the Kirlia teleported backward, to the other end of the battlefield, nearly with his back pushed against the wall.

    The Meditite and her four clones took off running. The real one got ready to charge upa Shadow Ball, only to stop as a golden cube encased her target.

    As long as he could maintain it, this could buy him some time. She wouldn''t attack from a distance and give away her position. SInce she and her clones were all closing in rapidly, she wouldn''t have much more time to shuffle back up and confuse him once more, and the Light Screen would protect him from the Shadow Ball, leaving her exposure a waste.

    But now that the barrier was up, she''d likely go for Brick Break. If she broke the barrier, he was a sitting duck. He needed to figure this outˇ­

    The five figures all surrounded the cube, each with their fists raised. Only one could actually give off the glow of Brick Break, which was why she was probably going to be careful about it. Start charging at the last second before she strikes...

    How long did he have? One second? Two? Maybe three if he was lucky? He needed to get this right! He just needed to manage it onceˇ­ even for a brief momentˇ­

    All of them had their fists reared back. He could feel the modest hostility, butˇ­ who was it coming from? Valiant squeezed his eyes shut. Focus, focus, FOCUS!

    And then he felt it. Aggression. Intention. Coming from theˇ­ left side!

    He dropped the Light Screen, just moments before the orange fist would have collided with it. Instead it was now on collision course for his head, but he quickly ducked, leaving Meditite lunging forward with an outstretched arm.

    Valiant thought fast. During the fight, it had occurred to him that Meditite likely had the Telepathy ability like he did. She could read movements too. Coupled with her natural fighting senses and martial arts instincts, she no doubt had the edge over him in close quarters. Her reaction time was better, and his own Telepathy wouldn''t be able to compensate for that if she knew it too.

    Instead, he flashed his way behind her, Teleport changing his position by less than a few feet as he turned around to face his target. Before Meditite could even know what was happening, she was in a full nelson. As she struggled, Valiant rotated his body before backing away, trying to clear a few feet between them and the barrier. Almost losing his grip on his target, his eyes flashed as Confusion attempted to bind her, although it did not halt her efforts completely.

    Abruptly, he halted the Confusion, shoving his opponent away as his eyes flashed pink. As Meditite staggered forward, desperately trying to regain her balance from the suddenness of the situation, the Kirlia fired the Dazzling Gleam. Pain overtook Meditite''s senses as she was blasted in the back of the head.

    The next moment, she crashed head first into the barriers. Her form remained sprawled out on the pavement, and an attempt to push herself up resulted in her collapsing face first into the arena. She stilled a few moments later.

    As Gary recalled the unconscious psychic, an abrupt realization dawned on Ash, the implications of the situation never sinking in until they were already thereˇ­ Gary only had one Pokemon left. Theyˇ­ actually had a chance to win.

    The sensation felt foreign. Almost dull. Like he could barely make it out. He had never bested Gary at anything before. Just the possibility of that happening nowˇ­ he wasn''t sure how to grasp it. It had come without warning.

    He tried his best to push the excitement down, however, as he waved at Valiant with a smile, the young emotion pokemon making his way back to his side of the battlefield.

    "Valiant, way to go!" They still needed to defeat one more Pokemon. Skarmory was weak to electricity and fireˇ­ that needed to be their focus for now. But being a fairy type, Valiant was in danger.

    ''Don''t get excited yet.'' he told himself. ''Focus only on winning.''

    His gaze refocused itself on Gary. As he returned Meditite''s Poke Ball to his belt, the Oak boy was staring at him.

    On the other side, Ash could make out the Oak boy''s pale expression, but the horror that glazed over Gary''s eyes was not visible to him.

    "Youˇ­" Gary''s body was shaking. "How did youˇ­"

    Making his way back in front of his trainer, Valiant turned to fix the opposing trainer with a glare. Ash tried to keep his expression even. He couldn''t let the optimism overtake him just yet.

    As if flipping on a switch, the white sheet that passed over Gary''s face turned red.

    "I''m gonnaˇ­? Noˇ­!" Without another word, his hand scrambled for Skamrory''s Poke Ball, and the metal bird was in front of him. Valiant''s body tensed as the Skarmory pumped her wings outward, raising her head to the sky with a loud shriek.

    As the metallic flier leered at the duo, Ash returned Valiant''s nod when the emotion Pokemon looked back at him.

    "We''re at a disadvantage." he whispered honestly, just loud enough for Valiant to hear. "We can''t afford to take big hits. Remember to prioritise fire and electricity." Ash grinned at his partner as Valiant turned around and sunk into a stance, eyes fixed on Skarmory. His body was tense for a moment, but steadied as he gained control of his breath.

    This was it. They had kept pace with Gary for the entire match. Now they just needed to make the final push.

    Shaking his head on the other side, Gary appeared to steady himself, the look in his eyes shaping into a dull glare, never leaving Ash. "Take off, Air Slash!"

    Squawking with aggression, Skarmory''s powerful wings carried her above the arena as she locked onto Valiant like a predator. Valiant didn''t wait, breaking into a run as he kept his gaze skyward, following the sight of the metallic figure flapping her way through the air.

    Reaching the other end of the battlefield, Skarmory performed a sharp u-turn before raising a now glowing wing. Lashing forward, a blade of air shot out of her wing, carving through the air on a collision course with its target. Quickly changing trajectory, Valiant turned to face the blade and dove to the side, even as Gary was currently giving another order.

    "Flash Cannon!"

    Ash responded quickly. "Thunderbolt!"

    As the Air Slash carved its way into the ground that Valiant had once occupied, Skarmory''s beak opened to reveal a orb of silver energy, expanding to just enough of a size to occupy the beak fully opened. With a loud cry from Gary''s partner, the orb extended into a beam that traveled downward, diagonally for Valiant, who simultaneously placed his hands together as electricity began to gather in his palms.

    The bolt of lightning collided with the Flash Cannon, creating a cloud of smoke that briefly obscured Skarmory''s view of Valiant. Even as the cloud subsided, however, Valiant was gone.

    As Skarmory blinked, Gary was just about to warn her when the Kirlia abruptly emerged from his shadow just behind her. A second Thunderbolt extended from his palms even as he rose. The blast of electricity pushed her away with a pained yelp, the lingering sparks rolling across her body as she regained her bearings and retook control of her flight.

    Valiant braced himself as she turned to face him again, hovering in midair. Ash wondered if she and Gary would go for the same missile technique that they had used against Tempest. He wasn''t fully confident that Valiant''s Reflect could handle that combo, but at the same time, a well timed Thunderbolt might be able to intercept her. It likely wouldn''t halt her momentum, however, and therefore wouldn''t be Valiant''s ticket out of harm.

    Teleport could work if Valiant reacted fast enough. No doubt Skarmory would be doing herself quite a bit of harm if she missed with the technique and collided with either the ground or the barriers, but he wouldn''t put it past Gary to be aware of such a risk.

    "Air Cutter!" As the command left Gary''s lips, Ash''s heart abruptly sank. Of course. Gary was going to be playing at this from a distance. And unlike Valiant, Skarmory didn''t have to erect any mentally taxing barriers to protect herself. In a war of attrition, she wouldˇ­

    He snapped out of it as quickly as he could. He needed to guide Valiant through this. Otherwise they''d never win. "Light Screen!"

    The barrage of small blades of wind erupted from Skarmory''s glowing wings just before the golden barrier manifested in front of Valiant. The psychic strained as the onslaught pelted his glowing shield. Saving on energy, he dropped the now cracked barrier the moment the attack ended.

    Skarmory was already in motion again, however, her beak opening to reveal another Flash Cannon. The blast of silver energy extended downward towards the arena, crashing into the ground as Valiant took off sprinting to avoid it.

    As his partner remained in motion, Ash chewed on his lip. There was no way for Valiant to get to her. Skarmory would just keep sniping away at him until he had nothing left in the tank.

    An Air Slash was intercepted by a Thunderbolt. Some lingering sparks passed through the collision but had lost enough force to be easily avoided by Skarmory.

    "Rock Slide!"

    Ash blinked as Skarmory pursued her target, hovering directly above him as her wings glowed brightly once more. Rocks began to form underneath her, descending downwards towards Valiant in a barrage.

    Valiant kept on running, turning to jog backwards as a familiar emerald orb formed between his two palms. As he evaded the rocks, the magical leaf erupted from the ball and collided with a few of them. Dust spread out across the air, once again temporarily obscuring Valiant from view.

    But Gary wouldn''t allow the same tactic twice. "Fly higher!" Just as he was about to sink back into his shadow, Valiant paused upon hearing the command. By the time the dust was no longer obscuring him from view, Skarmory was at least twice as high as she had previously been. Now there was no way for Valiant''s attacks to reach her at all, and although it came with the silver lining of her likely being too far away to properly aim, the difference was that she could close the distance whenever she was ready.

    Ash scowled. Gary was clever. Like a true trainer, he exploited any advantage he had, including one as fundamental as flight. It was to the point of blatant unfairness, yet the Oak boy would have to be crazy to not appreciate the convenience, and utilize it while he had the chance. Throughout the match up to this point, the other trainer had been relentless. Aggressively trying to go in for the quickest knockout possible. The abrupt change in approach was jarring, but effective.

    As looked to the other side of the field, however, Ash did not find himself met with his opponent''s trademarked, insufferable smirk. Gary''s head was angled upwards, gaze locked onto Skarmory, and his expression tight. He almost looked paranoid.

    Ash quickly returned his eyes to Skarmory, however. He couldn''t get distractedˇ­

    Either they found a way to break the stalemate, or the stalemate would slowly decay, until Skarmory was declared the winner. With the way things were currently panning out, Valiant would surely run out of stamina faster. Sparing a quick glance at his partner (being sure to not let Skarmory leave his sight for more than a few seconds at most) Ash frowned at the deep breaths the young Kirlia took while his gaze followed after the metallic bird. Her form wasn''t as visible as before, but it wasn''t like she had soared all the way towards the clouds, either. His glare might as well have been glued to his face, masking a fatigue that wasn''t visible amongst his expressions.

    What moves could Valiant use to break the current status quo of the fight? Thunderbolt was the only ranged move that would do much damage, and Gary had already figured out how to properly avoid it. Fire Punch and Thunder Punch would only work up close, and-

    Teleport.

    ''If Valiant teleported onto her back, he could zap her point blankˇ­!'' Even as the thought occurred to him, Ash felt no relief. Valiant wasn''t used to warping vertically, and they''d have to wait for Skarmory to get in attacking range before they even made the attempt. And even if he did pull it offˇ­ Even when in attacking range, Skarmory could still potentially be a decent ways above the battlefield. The sharp distance would put a strain on Valiant for sure.

    Mentally cursing, Ash shot his friend another look. Valiant was still now, not hiding with Shadow Sneak (which would expend more energy), or even running. It was an approvable approach: he wasn''t going to act in any way unless he needed to. The psychic had long since recognized the war of attrition they were in.

    He wasn''t sure how Valiant would respond to his command, however. How long would it take for him to summon the concentration to pull it off? He doubted it would be instantaneous, and Skarmory could very easily retreat the moment the order was given. She had the luxury to do so. The further away she was, the less likely they were to succeedˇ­

    They only had one shot at this. Gary had many.

    As his eyes squinted at Skarmory, it abruptly dawned on Ash that Valiant still wouldn''t be out of harm''s way, even if they succeeded. If he delivered a Thunderbolt point blank, he''d be zapping himself, tooˇ­

    Valiant had done it before, Ash supposed. But the thought of the tactic was always uncomfortable. Still, if they didn''t do it, his friend would be taking a beating anyway-

    It seemed Gary was done with the stalemate. "Flash Cannon!"

    Ash immediately snapped out of his train of thought. On full alert, he turned to valiant, who was bracing himself to take off running as Skarmory descended into the sky. Hopefully this order didn''t surprise him too muchˇ­

    "Valiant, Teleport on Skarmory''s back!"

    "WHAT?!"

    Valiant''s reaction did not mirror Gary''s. Instead, he took just enough time to shoot his trainer an affirmative nod, the calculated glare still not leaving his face, before returning his fierce gaze to his opponent.

    "Skarmory, pull up, quick!" The metallic bird was already in the motion of firing, having descended downward just enough to take aim for her prey. As the silver blast escaped her open beak, Valiant took off sprinting, eyes closed as the Flash Cannon carved its way into the pavement. Ash''s breath caught in his throat as Skarmory began her ascent back upwards. As expected, Valiant wasn''t teleporting instantaneously as usual. Did he still need more time-

    A flash.

    Valiant had appeared on top of Skarmory, arms wrapped around the startled bird''s torso as the sudden weight began to drag her down.

    Ash''s heart was pounding, his eyes wide. This was a chance they''d never had before. It didn''t even feel like his mind was processing itˇ­

    But he wasn''t going to wait. "THUNDERBOLT!"

    Valiant''s enthusiasm emulated his trainer as lightning erupted across Skarmory''s body. Bathed in a golden glow, the bird''s screams spread throughout the air above the battlefield as Valiant''s jaw snapped shut, the Kirlia''s own scream muffled through a forcibly closed mouth that desperately begged to open, fearing that outwardly venting his pain would encourage his body to lose its grip.

    "NO!" Ash was momentarily startled out of his composure from the primal noise that escaped Gary''s throat. The Oak boy''s hands were gripping his head, fingers fiddling away at his hair as his gaze locked onto the pavement. "This isn''t...argh!" his gaze shot skywards, rage giving way to desperation. "Skarmory! Get him off you! Now!"

    Not wanting to be distracted, Ash''s focus quickly returned to the two combatants, hands cupped to his mouth. "Hang in there, Valiant!" His excitement somewhat gave way to concern as he observed Valiant clinging onto the thrashing Skarmory, who had thankfully adjusted to the new weight just in time to receive the shock. Struggling to maintain his balance atop the bird trying to throw him off, he had been unable to maintain the Thunderbolt. Although Ash couldn''t see it from here, he was in the midst of attempting to prepare another.

    "Hit her again!" Ash urged. "You can do this!"

    It was as though his trainer''s words were a performance enhancing drug. Valiant''s grip atop Skarmory''s metallic hide stabilized mere moments later, the sparks in his palms becoming more numerous as his focus redoubled. Though his skin was burning, he kept his jaw squeezed shut, fearing the temptation of grunting in discomfort. The lingering sparks from the previous Thunderbolt were still rolling along her exterior. Just one more blast-

    "SKARMORY!" At the top of his lungs, Gary''s words were more of a plea than an order. "Agility and Steel Wing! On the barrier!"

    Even as his face paled, Ash''s tone of voice didn''t waver as his hands balled into fists. "Hold on, Valiant!"

    Still trying to charge Thunderbolt, Valiant attempted to add pressure to his grip around Skarmory. The breeze slammed into his face as his opponent tore through the air, her exterior layered in a blue aura as an extra coating of metal adorned one of her wings.

    Trying to fight through the sudden motion, the Kirlia bit back yet another scream as electricity erupted across Skarmory''s body once again-

    SMASH!

    The Steel Wing collided with the barrier just moments after the Thunderbolt was fired off. Though Skarmory squawked from the painful zap, her momentum remained true, and to the psychic''s dismay and panic, Valiant could feel the shockwaves ripping his arms away from the metallic flier''s torso.

    Ash called Valiant''s name as his partner fell to the ground, but Gary''s relief was short-lived as Skarmory tethered in the air. With more sparks rolling across her wings, the bird felt her muscles lock up.

    Gary shouted as she began to fall as well.

    Heavier than the Kirlia, Skarmory passed Valiant on her way down, and although her outer armor cushioned the impact, it did not completely erase the pain. On his way down, Valiant''s eyes squeezed shut, the emotion Pokemon struggling to summon the concentration to call on Reflect-

    His form struck the ground.

    Not able to hold it in any more, the Kirlia shouted as a surge of pain blasted through his side. A few feet from him, Skarmory struggled to catch her breath, rising to her feet as confidence returned to Gary''s voice.

    "T-that''s right, Skarmory! This battle''s ours!" he pointed forward, index figure laser-focused on Valiant. "Finish him off! Flash Cannon!"

    With encouragement, the metal bird stood up straight, wings pumping outward as she prepared to flap.

    Ash''s face scrunched in guilt as he observed Valiant''s form. Despite everything, the Kirlia was still struggling to his feet, hand pressed against the pavement as he collected his breaths, steam rising from the charred parts of his skin, and an ugly gash where he had landed on the ground. "Come on, buddy! Fight back!" His confidence was beginning to diminish, however. Although it was slow, Skarmory was already rising into the air-

    Almost as soon as her feet left the ground, she had descended. Still standing, the silver orb in her beak had fizzled out.

    "Whaˇ­" Gary trailed off.

    Sparks trailed across her body as the orb began to form again this time with Skarmory making no effort to take flight. The silver orb steadily began to grow, only to fluctuate in size, ranging from half complete to almost nonexistent. It fizzled out again.

    ''Paralysisˇ­'' as the realization dawned on Ash, his earlier spark of hope dared to return.

    "Valiant, use Thunderbolt!" His tone of voice was encouraging. Empowering. Having witnessed Skarmory''s setback, Valiant shoved his hands against the pavement, forcing himself to his feet, whether his body was ready for it or not. As the aches and fatigue threatened to drop him, he stumbled to the side for a second or two, before wobbling in place on one foot, and firmly planting his feet on the pavement.

    Gary''s panic returned as the young Kirlia pressed his palms together. The sparks were coming out slowly, fizzling out every now and then as he desperately fought for control. Squeezing his eyes shut for two or three seconds, he could feel them beginning to stabilize.

    "You can do it, Skarmory! Flash Cannon! Flash Cannon! FLASH CANNON!"

    Skarmory''s beak had almost completely closed both times the charging Flash Cannons had fizzled out, as though the sparks around the beak were clamping down on it. With an audible grunt, she forced it open yet again, the silver orb emerging from the opening beginning to fluctuate in size once more. The lingering electricity still clung to certain parts of her body, and she didn''t dare attempt flight again, instead settling to keep her feet grinded against the pavement, much like Valiant, as though the action stimulated their tenacity.

    Valiant''s vision momentarily blurred a couple of times as the electricity between his palms gathered. The Thunderbolt was coming slowly, but as both trainers called out to their respective partners, Skarmory wasn''t faring any better.

    The fluctuation was beginning to slow down, however. The orb was gradually stabilizing. Skarmory fought against the paralysis, exacerbated by pain and fatigue, as she desperately summoned the final attack. Across from her, even as the orb in her beak neared its full size, the lightning in Valiant''s hands was on the verge of shining like a beacon.

    Raising his arms upward, the Kirlia stepped forward and-

    Most of the electricity fizzled out, and he almost stumbled.

    Skarmory fired.

    The lightning never left his palms. The glow of Flash Cannon filled Valiant''s eyes just before he was struck by the blast. His adrenaline disappeared as his form was launched several feet back, rolling across the pavement before stopping himself, blistered hands pressed firmly against the pavement as he struggled to rise to his knees.

    Just before he could finish, his arms gave out, and his forehead collided with the ground.

    As Skamrory''s form collapsed onto her bottom, Ash''s hands fell to his sides, his fists unfolding back into open hands.

    All the excitement in his chest plummeted down into a hastily formed pit, gone in almost an instant. The whiplash was jarring.

    They had been there. They had been right there, with a gift wrapped finish line screaming to be stepped over. But they hadn''t passed it.

    With a strange feeling surging through his body, he took a moment to glance at Skarmory, the metallic bird in a sitting position, catching her breath as she observed Valiant''s fallen form. There were burn marks on her body, and tiny sparks of lingering electricity made themselves visible every now and then. It didn''t look like she wanted to stand.

    With his gaze now on Valiant, and his hand absentmindedly reaching for his partner''s Poke Ball, a deep sigh that Ash hadn''t even realized had been forming escaped from his mouth. The red beam of light returned the unconscious Kirlia.

    "Valiantˇ­ good workˇ­" he tried to say something else, knowing that his friend deserved more, but couldn''t think of anything.

    His attention was brought back to Gary as Skarmory disappeared in a flash of red. Without a word, the Oak boy had returned the Poke Ball to his belt. He hadn''t moved yet.

    ''Time to pay up.'' with a mild sense of dread, Ash''s legs carried him across the arena. This could''ve ended differently. What else could he have done? They had been so closeˇ­ surely just a slight change in tactics would have changed things, right?

    He almost didn''t want to come up with any ideas. He needed the hindsight, but, would the confirmation just exacerbate it?

    As he approached Gary, the young rookie took out his Pokedex. This didn''t hurt him too badly on a financial level, he realized as he made his way through the menus, practically on autopilot. He had already spent most of his cash at the department store. Thankfully, he should still have enough for food later on.

    He kept his eyes on the screen for a few moments before raising his head to Gary. The Oak boy hadn''t confirmed the transfer yetˇ­

    Gary''s expression was pale. For a moment, his eyes were distant, although that went away as Ash looked at him.

    "Youˇ­" Gary''s arms were shaking as his hands folded into fists. Abruptly, they tightened, as his eyes momentarily flashed. "Howˇ­? You almostˇ­" Ash flinched as he took a step forward. "What''s going on with you?! You weren''t like this when we first battled, you were neverˇ­!" absentmindedly, one of his hands lifted up and picked at his scalp. "You and that mouse were helpless on Opening Day! Squirtle and I could''ve beaten you a thousand different ways if we wanted too. I''ve been training nonstop for almost two months, it should be the same asˇ­!"

    "Stop." Ash straightened himself as Gary glowered at his interruption. Almost out of patience, his eyes fixed into a glare. "I''ve already told you, I''m not that person anymore, and I won''t go back, either. I''m tired of having to repeat that to you." raising his Pokedex, Ash faced the screen towards his opponent. "You''re the one who won. This is what you wanted, right-"

    "I wanted to remind you ofˇ­" Gary''s words trailed off into a snarl. Ash''s face tightened.

    "Remind me of what? That I should be helpless? You just wanted to humiliate me like you always did?" He fought to suppress the temper rising in his chest. "My shortcomings really mattered to you that much, didn''t they?!" Gary said nothing. "Answer me-!" Ash cut himself off. He couldn''t keep this up. He didn''t want to be here anymore. He wanted to be in his room. Or at the Gym. Away from Gary. With his team, or even anyone else.

    "You said you''re not slowing down for me." his muscles tried to relax as he took a deep breath. Some of the anger left his face, replaced with confidence as he gazed into the Oak boy''s eyes although he couldn''t get rid of it all. "Well as you can see, my friends and I are doing just fine. Whether you like it or not."

    Taking out his own Pokedex, Gary took a deep breath, although not much of the anger left his face as he confirmed the transfer.

    Ash watched him leave.

    /

    The stars above the skyline were partially covered by the cluster of clouds. Although there was no rain in sight, the view of the night sky wasn''t entirely clear as Gary moved away from his window.

    He had just picked his team up from treatment, giving them the news on how the battle had gone. Weepinbell and Skarmory had both turned in for the night, dozing off in their own respective corners of the room. Eevee and Growlithe were curled up side by side at the foot of his bed.

    That Oak boy''s back pressed against the wall as he slid to the floor beside the window. The events of the battle were playing through his mind on loop, never leaving his consciousness since he had walked away from the battlefield.

    Wartortle and Meditite wandered over to either side of him. Gary acknowledged their presence with an absentminded nod as they curiously looked up to their trainer..

    What had changed in such a short span of time? Ash had never had anything to his name back home. He''d done nothing to earn it. Everyone knew about the boy who wouldn''t go anywhere, not worth paying attention to.

    It had all started with that damn Qualification Exam, hadn''t it? Ever since he had miraculously lucked out and passed (and not even barely!). But why was it happening now? He had never been capable of anything before. And nowˇ­

    "People at the bottom don''t deserve anythingˇ­" he muttered out loud, before shifting his head to Wartortle. "That''s why they want what we have. They were never good enough to earn nothing for themselves." patting his starter''s head, he turned to Meditite next. The female psychics had her arms crossed, sitting cross legged with her side against the wall as she met her trainer''s eyes. "But they''ll never be able to get it. It''s our privilege. Not theirs. They have no say." his gaze shifted forward again.

    Ash could never hope to beat him. He never had before. He belonged in obscurity. Only one of them had grown up proving themselves to the world.

    He remembered the times when things were simpler. Before the trials of their trainer preparations had determined where who standed. Every kid had gathered around the Oak boy. Followed his every move. And once, Ash had been a part of that group. Just like everybody else.

    He wasn''t like them, though. That''s why he had fallen behind so easily when it counted. Had Gary not given him plenty of chances? Warned him of how the world would soon see him if he didn''t shape up?

    It had never happened. Ash Ketchum was a weak link in the squad. That''s why he had to go. An imperfection to be wiped. Despite Gary''s best efforts, Ash Ketchum didn''t belong with them.

    It had shown even after he had passed the Exam. Their first battle was exactly what the world could have expected of either trainer. Floundering from one party, flourishing from another. The match had been a representative of their lives up until that point, and a preview of what''s to come.

    Gary''s teeth pressed together. But at Mt. Moonˇ­ that Ash hadn''t been the same. And todayˇ­

    "He''s doingˇ­" Gary trailed off. ''How is he doing better with each consecutive match?'' his hand scratched his scalp again. ''How did I almost lose to the last person who could have everˇ­''

    Was Ash improving faster than him? Was it only a matter of time beforeˇ­

    Gary took the time to look around the room, observing the four Pokemon who had turned in for the night, and reminding himself of the two present at his side. For nearly the past two months, he had worked himself to the bone with his new family, ensuring that they''d always grow at the best rate possible. See the best results. Be the best results. Both before and after receiving his license, he had done everything right. And so had they.

    Thee hadn''t been slacking. And they had left the starting line long before Ash and his crew had ever reached it. So what wasˇ­

    "Well keep fighting." taking note of Medidite''s attention, his psychic companion staring at him intently, his hand patted her head. There was a place in his heart that only the six Pokemon present were allowed to enter. He''d never have gone anywhere further without his team''s loyalty, but that had just been another part of the test. Which he had passed perfectly, as always. They were a well oiled machine. A family. Soon to be the greatest family of the profession. "We earned our places up here. Noone''s knocking us off. Especially the people down there." She nodded at him, before her gaze turned to the door. Much like her trainer, she had a distant look in her eyes as well.

    Start strong, stay strong forever. That was what his grandfather, one of the greatest minds to ever exist, had told him. The perfect career. It was their legacy.

    Even so, Gary Oak''s arm was shaking.

    /

    It wasn''t known to either of them, but in the room directly below, Ash plopped down in the chair in front of the desk, as he looked behind him to observe his team.

    The night had grown somewhat late while waiting for his team to recover. They''d likely be sleeping in for a bit tomorrow morning, which was fine by him. They would all need the extra rest for the upcoming battle with Erika.

    Pikachu was seated on the desk, tranquil as Ash patted his starter''s head every now and then. Valiant was nearby, in deep thought. Ash assumed the Kirlia was going over the previous battle in his head. Eevee and Tyrunt were asleep on their respective pillows, and Nebula at the windowsill. Tempest was awake, but was getting ready to doze off in his corner.

    Rubbing his forehead, Ash let out a sigh.

    The battleˇ­ for a moment there, he had actually thought he''d won. It seemed silly in hindsight. It''s not like he''d ever managed such a thing against Gary before, even if he had come closer than ever today.

    The real frustration, however, was how Gary still always got him worked up. It felt like forever since he''d decided that he didn''t care about the Oak boy''s opinion, and yet he couldn''t help but feel like he had failed to put that into practice. Was he just spouting platitudes to himself, that he had no way of following? The optimist in him wanted to say that he was just confusing "getting worked up" with "fighting back", but he wondered how far that line of justification would take him.

    ''Not that there is no justification.'' Ash thought somewhat bitterly. After all, Gary had started this whole thing.

    Truth be told, he and the Oak boy had never been extremely close before. Friends, for sure, but never anymore close than any other kid in Pallet Town.

    The kids in their age group had been jus that. A group. Gathered around by instinct, their own junior community. And given Gary''s status, everybody had rallied behind him. So Ash had as well. He was just doing what everyone else was, following the instincts of the herd. And things had been great for a while. Carefree and innocent.

    It was when preparations for their careers had started that everything had gone downhill.

    Now that Ash thought about it, he wasn''t sure what the origin of his dream was. He wanted to become Indigo''s Champion. It was relatable, but hardly original. He had been sucked into professional Pokemon training ever since he had first started watching tournaments. But really, his passion was no different from most other kids in the class. In a sense, it made him feel plain. But that didn''t mean that he was ashamed of it. Had Lance been ashamed when pursuing the mantle? None of the other kids seemed ashamed. The goal existed for a reason.

    Unfortunately, that harmony within their little junior community had quickly fizzled out after preparations began. At least for him.

    "Woah, Ash. That''s a pretty big bummer. Hopefully you''ll do better next week." Gary''s shocked voice when he had seen Ash''s grade on the first test. A fifty. One of three students to fail the early assessment.

    The Oak boy had sounded so sincere at the time. Genuinely concerned. Almost encouraging, even. But it hadn''t taken long for the ace student of the class to become increasingly less sympathetic as time went on. Same shoddy results with slow improvement. Ash couldn''t remember when he had finally detected the change in tone. In presentation. Gary''s words had gone from "hopefully you''ll do better next time", to "you''ll never get anywhere at this rate".

    When had Gary cast him aside? He couldn''t even remember that, either. All he could remember is that Gary had deemed him worthless. Irredeemable. Not worth the acknowledgement. Because he didn''t mean anything. Because he would never mean anything. The world had to keep moving forward, even if people got left behind.

    And of course, every kid in the group had immediately followed his lead. Took his words to heart. Because if Gary said it, it had to be true. Because they always followed Gary. They always rallied around him, their guiding compass. After all, Gary was the best of them. Committing to his wisdom was the best way to ensure success. To ensure that they always took the right approach. It was the beauty of having a peer who was right about everything. You always knew what the smartest answer was.

    And once, Ash had been one of those kids. Always blindly following Gary Oak. Taking what he said first. As though it were a routine of life. Right up until the point that very mindset had turned against him.

    More whiplash. He hated Gary. He hated his ideology. He hated how it had ruined his reputation. And he hated how the Oak boy was now.

    Butˇ­ did he even have a right to? Had he not also been a blind follower to the grandson of the great Professor Oak? What if he had never fallen behind? What if somebody else had fallen behind instead? Would he have followed Gary around, parroting how worthless that person was, all because Gary Oak said so? He hadn''t been disillusioned with the habit of "Gary Oak is always right" until it had hurt him specifically. If it had notˇ­ would he have been just another enabler?

    Gary''s earlier words pricked away at his mind. He believed that he was entitled to everything, all because he had started out as the best. That he needed to stay that way. That people lie him and his grandfather, who were always-

    Waitˇ­ what?

    "Gary said that Professor Oak started out as a winnerˇ­" Pikachu and Valiant perked up as Ash mumbled allowed. Cheeks flushing, he grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, just talking to myself."

    His gaze shifted forward in front of him. Up until now he had been glancing around the room to observe his team every now and then, but he remained still for now.

    Just before the battle, Gary had claimed that both he and his grandfather had started out at the top...That wasn''t consistent with what the Professor had told him on Opening Day. it was how he had consoled him after that utterly humiliating match with Gary and Squirtle.

    The Professor had opened up to him that morning. Told him something about himself that not even his iconic biography had shed any light on. Along with that Janine girl''s encouragement, it was what had led to him and his starter patching things up, leaving their horrific first day behind and starting anew on the second. It was why the first day of his career hadn''t broken him. It was even why he had given Valiant his name.

    Professor Oak had told him of all people such a thing. Despite having no obligation to. Ash wasn''t part of his family, he was just another kid from pallet Town who just so happened to be Delia''s son. The most important takeaway of his first day as a trainer had been handed to him free of charge.

    But if Oak was willing to share such a thing with him, then why hide it from his own grandson-

    Ash froze.

    Hadˇ­ he been lied toˇ­?

    "People aren''t defined by their starting points." That was the mindset that the great Professor Oak had implanted in him. It was what had pushed him forward in those first couple of weeks. All the way to the top of that Onix''s head. Who knows how far he would have gotten without that ideology in the back of his mind? It was a simplistic one, for sure, but for him, it was all that he had.

    Butˇ­ had that even applied to Professor Oak? Did it even apply at all? Was it Gary that Oak had lied to? But what reason did he have to lie to his own flesh and blood that didn''t apply to the boy that his grandson despised?

    Had he just been told what he wanted to hear? To ensure that he;d step out into the world and pursue his dream, lost cause or not? If Oak''s own statement didn''t apply to himself, then was it even true? Then what was the point of-

    Ash stopped himself again. He was doing it again. ALways faltering so easily. Always getting worked up. Absent-mindedly, his eyes found their way to Pikachu, who was beginning to doze off in his sitting position, albeit not completely just yet.

    Rightˇ­ he knew what the point of this was. It had been one of the first things he learned.

    "Are you okay?" Valiant''s compassionate voice entered his mind, prompting Ash to nod back at him with a smile.

    "Yeahˇ­ just fine."

    Looking around the room, his true family was here. Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eevee, Tyrunt, even Tempest. Delia was waiting for him back at home with Trucy.

    Was the Qualification Exam just a lucky fluke? A miracle birthed from excessive studying? Ash didn''t know, but what had happened after that had been no lucky fluke. He had been to six different cities. Had a team consisting of as many Pokemon. Had won two Gym badges in not quite as many months. Even the past few days, he had seen their own progress in a more linear form, keeping pace with Paul, and now Gary, two trainers he had no chance against at first.

    "People are not defined by their starting points." Had Professor Oak meant what he said? Was it empty encouragement? Ash didn''t know, but he also knew that it didn''t matter. They had proven it themselves. He didn''t need that phrase to keep him going anymore. He had passed that starting point a long time ago. He didn''t need empty encouragement to fuel him any longer. Because as he told Gary, he was not that person anymore.

    "Let''s get that third Gym badge tomorrow." he looked between Pikachu and Valiant. There was fire in his eyes, although it threatened to get put out by the wave of fatigue he suddenly felt. It was getting late.

    Pikachu grinned sleepily as Ash ceased patting his head, scooping his start up in his arms to carry him to the bed. Valiant shot them a smile as well.

    They''d keep showing Indigo how far they''d come. Tomorrow, Erika would be the next to know.

    /

    Valiant had remained seated on the desk for a time as Ash and Pikachu turned in at bed for the night. Cross-legged, he gazed at his trainer for a few seconds, before his gaze shifted around the room.

    When he had first joined forces with Ash, he hadn''t been sure what to expect. He had wanted to repay his new friends for getting him out ofˇ­ there, at all costs, and that was initially what had driven him. Return Ash''s kindness, and help him achieve this dream of his.

    At some point or another, however, that initial motivation had simply integrated into their travels. Something about the dream was contagious. Maybe he had just developed the habit, from all of the constant training for Brock, to the heated battle with Brock, to everything else that had happened since thenˇ­ At first he was just doing what he could to be helpful, but somewhere down the line, he began to believe in the goal as just that: a goal, and not simply a means to assist his friends.

    Now, he truly wanted to see everything through. And so did everyone else.

    His eyes narrowed a bit as they lingered on Tempest. The one member of the group who wasn''t loyal. Who cared more about barbarism than camaraderie. The one who had picked a fight with a baby just for a cheap thrill.

    ...He hated that Krabby. He wished Tempest had never been captured. What was the point in having a teammate who didn''t have the group''s best interests at heart? Ash had pointed out that the young water type had yet to do anything wrong ever since the dreadful incident with Tyrunt, but how long would it be before Tempest''s egotistical selfishness jeopardized them again?

    But then he thought back to last evening. Pikachu had told them about Tempest''s attempt at saving Paul''s Sneasel, failed or not. And the young Kirlia had even seen it for himself. It was probably the one time the young Krabby had done something for somebody else, or, at the very least, tried to. He had been attacked before he could perform the rescue, not that Valiant held such a thing against the river crab. The thought mattered just as much as the end result. But could he dare hopeˇ­?

    Valiant looked away. He didn''t have time to dwell on something so uncertain. Not with yet another Gym battle looming ahead of them. Especially sinceˇ­

    He frowned as he hopped off the table and made his way towards his pillow, in between Eevee and Tyrunt. It had felt like ages, but he was finally back. He was in Celadon.

    He knew it would happen eventually. And it wouldn''t matter right away. Theys till had one last battle left to win beforeˇ­

    His eyes became downcast as he seated himself on the pillow. Then there''d only be one thing left on their agenda. He was looking forward to it wholeheartedly. The place that he never should have left in the first place. And yetˇ­

    She had told him that he could get a trainer whenever he was ready. He had been allowed to stay because he wanted to, not because he had to. For that reason, he wasn''t too worried, but if the worst case scenario happenedˇ­

    He was being paranoid for no reason, wasn''t he? She had never forced him to do anything. So why was he even worried? And yet, he''d still be saying goodbye to someoneˇ­

    His gaze lingered on Tyrunt''s snoozing form. Memories flashed through his mind. The dinosaur hatching. Helping Ash to raise him. Him and Eevee assisting in the young royal heir Pokemon taking his first ever steps as a battler. At first, caring for the infant was mostly just a way to help Ash, but Tyrunt was certainly no object.

    He felt something brush up against his back. Pressing against it. He rolled over to look at Eevee, grinning at him sleepily. The feeling of her nose was familiar.

    He had thought she''d been asleep, but perhaps she just had her eyes closed. The look on her face, although tired, seemed curious. Like she knew he was deep in thought.

    He smiled reassuringly at her. He always enjoyed spending time with the quadruped. He couldn''t quite place his finger on why. It had just happened naturally.

    Althoughˇ­ he had learned his lesson after attempting to pull a prank on her, back when he had first discovered his mental speech. She''d made him pay for that.

    Rolling over, the young Kirlia closed his eyes. Maybe it was just paranoia, but he wasn''t sure what would happen after this. But that was all the more incentive to fight as hard as possible at the Gym tomorrow.

    One way or another, at the very least, he''d be earning his trainer one more badge.

 Forest Frenzy pt 1

    The sound of his mother''s coughing filled the boy''s ears as he stepped into the room. He failed to suppress his wince as he stepped in front of her bed, holding out the cup of liquid.

    Her hands weren''t too frail yet, and she gladly accepted the cup. "T-thank you sweety." Although he nodded, his face recoiled as she began drinking the substance down. He couldn''t imagine how awful it tastedˇ­

    Her form steadied, the woman taking a deep breath upon finishing her drink that should help for now, but he was getting tired of these moments of temporary relief. What was the point of medicine when your symptoms just came back with a vengeance?

    She noticed his tears, reaching out to pat his head. "Sweety. Don''tˇ­ It''s fine." her condition couldn''t be helped. She always talked about making the most of it, butˇ­

    "It didn''t have to be this way," he responded. Through his tears, he managed to make eye contact with her. "Whyˇ­ why did heˇ­"

    With her condition somewhat improved, the look of betrayal on her face was much more noticeable, although she quickly managed to suppress it. Once more, she reached out to pat his head. "I know... But there''s no use thinking about that anymore. It''s in the past, and dwelling on it won''t change anything. We''re not Celebi, sweetyˇ­"

    His fists balled up. He had just seen her as a tool. Someone that he could cast aside when there was no longer anything left to do with her. Leaving her toˇ­ And he''d ejected him, too, without a care in the world.

    She had tried to expose him afterwards. An eye for an eye regarding his betrayal. But the League''s investigation had failed. Produced nothing. And now, they were suspicious of her, for that. They were supposed to be invincibleˇ­ but what was the point of turning to the system if the people who needed to be pursued had way too many safeguards? It was impossibleˇ­

    /

    "That''s itˇ­ she''s goneˇ­"

    He wasn''t crying anymore. He had used up all of his tears the previous morning, when it had finally happened. Now, his eyes were dry, his expression blank, his mind broken.

    On the porch, the girl had her arm wrapped around him, him never leaving her gaze. Inwardly, he appreciated her presence more than anything that existed in this universe, but found himself incapable of expressing such a thing. Unlike him, her eyes were wet.

    "I''m so sorry I couldn''t be there yesterday. My leg hadn''t healed up yet, so the Professorˇ­"

    "It''s fine." The Professor had always taken good care of her, and after she hurt her knee, there was no way she could have gone outside. The sight of her face was soothing, but he wasn''t thinking about that right now. "This is all because ofˇ­" he trailed off, unable to muster the words.

    Her face was formed into a frown at that. ''I knowˇ­" she responded. "My parents alsoˇ­ but are you really sure thatˇ­"

    "I know." he corrected her. "And so did she. But now there''s no way tooˇ­"

    The look in her eyes was bitter. Sometimes, there was no justice.

    /

    Much time had passed. Ten years old now. It was time to prove himself. And alsoˇ­

    "Soˇ­ you really managed it, then." her expression was serious as they stood amidst the surrounding trees.

    "Yesˇ­" his eyes never left hers as he absentmindedly tossed the Poke Ball upside down.

    For a moment, her face turned to a smile. She was quite angelic, the aura she gave off one that soothed the soul. But there was something behind her eyes, something that only he could see.

    The way that she wasˇ­ it wasn''t an act, but it wasn''t the full story, either. He knew that. And that''s why she was the only one that he could trust.

    "I won''t rat you out for that." she finally spoke. "But what now?"

    "I don''t know yet." It pained him a bit to see her tight expression, but it was the truth. "The right thing to do didn''t work, but I''ll find a way."

    "What if there is no other way?"

    "It''s not impossible!" he almost snapped. "I just need to figure it out."

    She was unhappy. He could tell. Beneath that understanding look in her eyes, her inner conflict was just as sincere as her own convictions. "Fineˇ­ I get it, I really do. I already did years ago." her hand stuck out. "Please get revenge for what happened."

    His hand wrapped around hers, each finding their own ambitions reflected within the other''s eyes.

    Once he was far enough, there would be no reset. No reverse. Never turning back. But that was the nature of it.

    He would do anything that he needed to do.

    Be anything that he needed to be.

    /

    Celadon City was a massive place. And a massive place made way for a massive amount of stories. A town like Pallet Town or Lavender Town was a much more focused, and, ultimately, condensed, type of community, where everybody''s respective stories intertwined with one another. You knew nearly every face. Absorbed nearly every piece of news. The town was a group. It''s own corner within indigo''s massive world.

    But that was not the case for Celadon. Never had been, never was now, and likely never will be. You might not even recognize half of the people who existed within your own home town. Because it, in and of itself, was its own world, rather than its own corner. Some stories would never be known to one another. Others, only by sheer coincidence.

    Beneath the beautiful spread of rooftops that ceilinged the city, so many lives were playing out, some completely independent from one another. A teacher was headed for the school awaiting her class of kids. A construction worker was on his way to help renovate the Celadon Public Library. A famous Breeder was helping her latest client research a foreign Pokemon originating from many shores away. Beneath the game Corner, a group of terrorists resided underground, plotting their next strike. A Gym Leader was seated at her desk, awaiting for her Gym to be open for challengers.

    Among those challengers, of course, was Ash Ketchum.

    After waking up in the morning, taking his quick shower, and watching his team arise, the young boy had stepped out of his room about an hour later than usual. The unexpected late night had delayed them a bit, but it would all be worth it in the end. After all, they needed their rest.

    The team was in high spirits as they chewed into their food. All six of them had that upcoming badge within their collective minds. The badge that they were going to win for certain. Valiant and Tempest seemed especially fired up, albeit not sharing the sensation with one another.

    Rather than eating on the floor, Pikachu''s food had been placed next to Ash''s won as he seated himself on the table, upon the young mouse''s own personal request. The boy sunk his teeth into his breakfast sandwich as he and the mouse observed the idle chatter shared by the rest of the team. It was almost as though the previous battle with Gary had never even happened. After all, it was going to be replaced by their latest win.

    It made Ash feel a bit guilty, knowing that he couldn''t use all of them in the battle. Although, the team collectively seemed to be most excited for the upcoming victory itself, participation or not. Although Tempest still ate a bit further from the others (and was absolutely more pumped up for the battle itself than for anything else), there was clear unity among the rest of the group, a mutual gaze on the prize that they all pursued together.

    Stealing a glance at his starter, Ash got the young mouse''s attention. "You know, Pikachu," he continued as the electric mouse angled his gaze upwards at him in a smile. "The funny thing isˇ­ we''re not actually too far from home right now." his thumb pointed backwards. "Viridian Forest is to the west. And south of that is Viridian Cityˇ­ and Pallet Town." At the understanding glint in his young partner''s eyes, Ash''s own face gave way to a somewhat awkward smile. "I justˇ­ find it to be somewhat funny, y''know? We''re really not all that far awayˇ­ and yet it''s like we''re on a different planet. Do you feel that way?"

    A brief gaze outside, towards the towering skyscrapers extending into the air, was all that Pikachu needed to turn back to Ash with an affirmative nod.

    Ash smiled sadly. It would be one thing if they were actually planning to return to Pallet Town, but since they weren''t, and had currently been on the road for such a long time, the differences had been all the more apparent. Had they been going in Pallet''s general direction, they would''ve been "almost home". Instead, they were in a completely different world, and would continue to be there, for the far foreseeable future.

    His gaze found its way back to the rest of the team. Viridian Forestˇ­ It was hard to imagine that the place where he and Pikachu had first met Nebula and Valiant was effectively just to the west of the city that they were currently in. Apart from the bad memory of the forest, it also brought back memories of the far smaller team from back then, back when Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant were all just a trio, and their team barely had anything to its name. He would never stop being proud of their progress. His, Pikachu''s, Nebula''s, Valiant''s, the presence of Eevee, Tyrunt, and Tempestˇ­ he wouldn''t trade it for the world. But at the same time, it was that exact same progression that had made those days so extensively nostalgic, even in just less than two months.

    One of these days, he realized to himself, this moment would be just as nostalgic, too.

    /

    The Celadon City Gym did not have the reputation of Vermillion, nor was it the first Gym that Ash had ever been too, like Pewter. Nevertheless, it stood just as tall, and along with pikachu on his shoulder, Ash''s head instinctively inclined upward as the magnificent building came into view.

    The Gym''s appearance almost feltˇ­ friendlier than he expected, which almost eased Ash''s nerves a bit. Despite its massive size, it didn''t feel like the Gym was looming above him and his starter, threatening to swallow them up. He wasn''t too sure what the cause of such a difference was, but he supposed that it might have something to do with the roof: It resembled the mushrooms on a Vileplume''s head. Even the overall color of the rest of the building was similar to that Pokemon''s body. From what Ash knew, Erika had a notable fondness of the evolution line, and they even played a role in the makings of her signature perfumes, which were manufactured within the Gym''s walls.

    It was a Gym nonetheless, however, and as Ash stopped in front of the doors, he and Pikachu still gazing upwards, that familiar anxiety once again crept into his chest.

    Erika didn''t have the reputation of someone like LT. Surge, and perhaps her Gym reflected that, but she hadn''t earned her status from being faint of heart, or docile on the battlefield.

    "Alright, pal." Pikachu squeaked with positivity as Ash tickled his cheek one last time, raising a Poke Ball. "I''ll be recalling you, okay?" After Pikachu''s nod, Ash returned his starter. With some regret, he had already admitted to the young mouse that using him in a grass type Gym wouldn''t be overly optimal. Not a horrible choice, as he imagined Pikachu wouldn''t struggle, due to his own merits, but definitely among the less likely. Even Tempest, who had a far greater disadvantage against the grass typing, still had ways to mitigate it with his superior defenses and Icy Wind. Thankfully, pikachu was understanding, and likely recognized that he wouldn''t be the first member of the team to sit a Gym battle out. After all, Nebula had been absent for the fight with Surge (albeit not envying the participants).

    As Pikachu disappeared into his ball, Ash couldn''t help but feel somewhat naked. Running his hand across his belt made him feel better, as always, but there was definitely a sense of loss and urgency when alone in front of a Gym. he kept this in mind as he stepped through the automatic glass doors, and into the building.

    As he exited the outside world and entered the interior, the pleasant aura radiating off of the Gym suddenly became his surroundings.

    The lobby was like a garden, with flowers and other plants ranging from familiar to exotic. An aroma filled the air of the room, almost feeling as though it was specifically designed to relieve stress. Ash could feel the pit in his stomach vanish into the back of his mind, the atmosphere of the room suppressing that of the high-stakes showdown that loomed ahead.

    A girl sat at the counter by a door at the end of the lobby, most likely leading to the battlefield. As Ash made his way through the room, occasionally admiring the various plants sprouting from either side of the walkway, he realized that she couldn''t be any older than twelve. The Celadon Gym, much like that of Saffron and Vermillion, was a hotspot for those seeking to be a Gym Trainer. Although, from what Ash knew, the academy was structured a bit differently. Out of necessity, from what he gathered, given Erika''s responsibilities as both a Gym Leader and a businesswoman. She still ran the school, but couldn''t be hands on about it in classes quite as often as other Gym Leaders were. She instead acted more as a school principal. Ash couldn''t help but wonder if the woman was arguably the most productive Gym Leader in Kanto. From preserving the environment of such a metropolis (from what he knew, the miracle of her perfume business being eco-friendly came from the highly unconventional manner in which the products were made), monitoring portions of Viridian Forest, running a successful business, leading law enforcement in said metropolis, and running the Gym, it was almost as if her entire existence was that of a miracle woman. But from what he knew, she was also quite beloved for it, both by trainers and also the general populace.

    Leaning forward in her chair, the girl folded her hands on the desk as Ash stopped in front of her. Her posture conveyed someone trying to stay on top of things, and appear professional. "Challenger?"

    Ash nodded, quickly taking out his Pokedex to hand to her. She accepted the device with a manicured hand, inserting it into a slot as she brought the nearby pair of headphones up to her head.

    Her typing wasn''t as fast as the others who had managed the counters before her, but her face was still perfectly focused as Ash''s trainer information appeared in front of her. "It says you have two badges and are from Pallet Town." leaving the screen, her eyes found their way to him. "Your name is Ash Ketchum, right?"

    "Yes." he nodded.

    She flashed him a friendly smile. "Good! I''ll let Leader Erika know your here. You''re today''s first challenger, so you shouldn''t have to wait."

    He grinned at that. "Cool! Thanks!"

    Strapping the headphones onto her ears, her finger found its way to the nearby blue button. "Leader Erika, a new challenge ris here. I''m sending you his information." Ash couldn''t hear Erika''s response, due to the headphones, but the girl grinned cheerfully at whatever it was. "Great! I''ll let him know. Thank you!" removing the headphones, she looked up at Ash once more, pushing a small pad with a touch screen towards him, propped up by a stand. "She says she''ll be ready for you in just a few minutes. Until then, you can just select your team here."

    Thanking her, Ash knelt down with his hands on the pad. Once more, pictures of his team were presented for him to tap.

    Select four Pokemon

    Without thinking, his finger had already landed on Nebula, and Valiant soon after. He pulled his hand away as his eyes landed on the remaining four.

    Pikachu, Eevee, Tyrunt, Tempest. He could only choose two of them. And none of them were bad choices, at that.

    Pikachu had a major roadblock to overcome, due to his electricity being resisted by Pokemon with the grass typing. Nevertheless, his speed would always be a valuable asset in just about any sort of battle, and his Iron Tail would also provide him with a fairly meaningful defense against grass type moves, as well as a valuable offense. Eevee provided similar benefits as well. Tyrunt certainly wasn''t nearly as fast, but his Fire Fang and Poison Fang, both coupled with Strong Jaw, would be lethal when delivered with any direct hit. Despite his inexperience, this battle was one of his most potent circumstances. Unlike Pikachu and Eevee, he had moves that grass types were vulnerable to. Two, in fact. There was still some risk versus reward involved with him, but it was still tempting as always...

    And then there was Tempest. Despite being a water type, he easily had the most brute strength out of the four, and certainly by far the most durability. When coupled with Icy Wind, Ash found that the benefits heavily outweighed the drawbacks.

    He selected the river crab.

    Just one more to go. Against a grass type, Pikachu provided speed, Tyrunt with damage output, and Eevee probably somewhere roughly in the middle.

    He couldn''t help but feel frustrated. Four on four battles weren''t quite as massive as six on six battles, and therefore somewhat less stressful, but the latter came with the benefit of not having to choose. No matter who he chose, he''d be having regrets for sure. And the fact that this took place in a Gym provided all of the stress that he explicitly did not need anyway.

    ''Be decisive.'' he quickly told himself. If each member of his team was valuable enough for him to regret not picking them, then that also meant that he could be confident with whoever he did choose. He wouldn''t get anywhere just staring at a touchscreen.

    And with that in mind, his finger pressed against Tyrunt''s picture.

    The girl beamed as he returned the pad to her. "Great! Just take a seat. She should be on her way soon."

    Nodding in thanks, Ash made his way to a nearby chair with a cushion. The next two or three minutes were almost painful. He wanted to battle, yet the knowledge of the stakes behind the upcoming fight made him dread it somewhat. He both wanted to get it over with, yet also genuinely wanted to do it at the same time. It was a confusing mindset.

    Running his hand across his belt, though, he allowed himself a small grin. His team was certainly confident. With much anticipation to spare. And that was more than enough motivation for him.

    Stakes or not, they would win this battle. And they would be walking out of this Gym with their third ever Gym badge.

    Besides, they''d been to Surge''s Gym. Even if they had been steamrolled, just the knowledged that they had been to such a place was enough to at least somewhat out him at ease. They were ready for Erika.

    He perked up, his head turning to the door as it opened. The girl at the receptiondesk beamed at the figure walking in. As Ash stood up to face them, his eyes widened.

    The woman wore a green and white uniform, with short, dark-blue hair that went no further than her neck. A red headband was wrapped halfway across the top.

    Thisˇ­ was Erika herself.

    After greeting the young receptionist with a nod and a smile, her face evened out as her eyes fell on him.

    "Mr. Ketchum, right?" as she crossed her arms, her voice was calm. But it didn''t come with a stoic tone, or a bored one. It had an air of serenity to it.

    Snapping out of his brief surprise, Ash nodded as he quickly made his way to the woman. "Yeah, that''s me." As he stopped in front of her, the scent radiating off of her suddenly entered his nostrils.

    The sudden aroma startled the boy, almost overwhelming him for a moment. He couldn''t quite place it, butˇ­ she smelled good.

    He felt his cheeks flush at the thought, but quickly broke out of the stupor as her hand extended in front of him.

    "It''s good to meet you, Ash." a small smile adorned her features. "I am Leader Erika, your opponent for today."

    Blinking for a moment, Ash stared at her hand for a second before accepting it. Her grip curled around him with a sense of delicacy. "I-It''s an honor to meet you." memories of Brock, Misty''s sisters, and LT. Surge flashed through his mind. This woman was so... different. She wasn''t trying to intimidate him, nor did she have any condescending subtext to how she carried herself. It was practically night and day in terms of how friendly and compassionate her introduction was.

    Separating from him, Erika''s fists pressed against her hips as she eyed the boy from above. Her eyes held an analytical glint. "I trust you''re all ready?" At his nod, she gestured to the door with a grin. "Good, no need to delay, then. It''s just through this door." With one final nod to the receptionist, she opened the door and led Ash into the hallway.

    The hallway was a decent bit wider than that of the previous Gyms that Ash had been too, and was fairly well lit, as well. Large, framed photographs of forest and other vegetation adorned the walls, along with a few photos of orchards and soaked fruits.

    While attempting to keep pace with the Gym leader''s surprisingly swift strides, it suddenly occurred to Ash that none of the previous Gym Leaders had ever escorted him to the battlefield themselves. In Cerulean Gym, he and Misty weren''t even escorted at all.

    Stopping in front of the door, Erika placed a hand on the doorknob as she moved aside. "You can go first." she gestured to the outside as she opened the door.

    Thanking her, Ash stepped through the open doorway, and was greeted with the sight of the battlefield.

    The surrounding room was quite bright, and looking above him, Ash could see the sunlit blue sky and white clouds through the glass ceiling overhead. A large set of bleachers extended over one side of the room, occupied by a fair amount of children. Gym trainers, he presumed. A few kids his age making their way to the bleachers held notebooks, chattering innocently in a manner very reminiscent of the school halls he had once walked. Some kids even had Pokemon accompanying them.

    And of course, stretching out across the room, was the arena itself. It was of equal size to those of previous Gyms, and to hardly any surprise on Ash''s part, was made up of vegetation. Like a supersized garden, or a bite-sized forest. Grass sprouted out from the soil, covering the entire arena in a magnificent, healthy green. Bushes and patches of tall grass were scattered throughout, as were a few trees, fairly small, but still climbable.

    Ash couldn''t help but admire the sight for a few moments, but his attention broke away from the battlefield as a hand rested on his shoulder from above. Angling his head upward, he could see Erika smiling at him from behind.

    "I always think it''s important for each student to see at least one battle a day. A few a week, if nothing else." she nodded to the closest end of the arena. "Go ahead and take your position. We''ll get started soon." she walked off in the direction of the bleachers, the aroma from her perfume lingering in the air for a few moments as the distance between the two widened.

    As Ash stopped at his end of the battlefield, he saw Erika speaking to a teenage girl with a green ponytail. After a few moments, the two women nodded to one another as the Gym Leader started walking to the opposite end. Stopping at her position, she turned to face him, her gaze stretching across the long stream of greenery and into the young challenger''s eyes.

    Examining the lush arena in front of them, Ash awkwardly tapped his foot against the floor as his eyes darted around the scenery that the battlefield was made up of. There was plenty of flat land of simple, normal sized grass. The majority of it, in fact. Nevertheless, the abundance of bushes, tall grass patches, and even trees would provide each combatant with a fair amount of cover to exploit, not to mention the small amount of verticality that the occasional tree would most likely bring to the battle.

    Thankfully, the terrain wasn''t nearly as disadvantageous as his Gym Battle against Daisy had been. Ash''s stomach churned at the memory.

    In front of the bleachers, the teenager had assumed the referee post, her arms stretched outward as her voice called out across the room.

    "The Gym battle between leader Erika and Challenger Ash ketchum of Pallet Town will now commence! Each side will use four Pokemon, with substitutions allowed from either party. The battle will be decided when all four pokemon on either side are unable to continue on, or until one contestant surrenders!" her gaze turned to Ash. "Any questions from the challenger?" fiddling with his belt a bit, Ash shook his head. She turned to Erika. "Any questions from the Gym Leader?" Standing straight, Erika declined as well. The referee faced outward. "Then both of you, send out your first Pokemon!"

    Ash selected his first Poke Ball almost immediately. ''I don''t know what to expect from Erika, but Nebula has the strongest chance against her, so she''ll be the best option to gauge things.'' he justified to himself. With any luck, they could take advantage of her aerial mobility to avoid any hindrances the patchy terrain might cause, and utilize her flying type moves to gain an early lead.

    His feathered friend appeared hovering in front of him, looking back at Ash to exchange both a nod and a grin before planting her feet onto the grass, gaze focused on Erika.

    The Gym Leader already had a Poke Ball of her own out, and Ash did not recognize the creature that emerged from the light.

    The Pokemon was large and green, and very clearly a sentient plant. It had a large head, housing a fairly dangerous looking set of jaws, and its legs came in the form of red and green vines, notably resembling that of tentacles. Its two arms resembled large leaves, with three leafy fingers each.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    "This is Carnivine." Erika stated, as if sensing Ash''s confusion. The young boy nodded in return, but said nothing.

    Standing next to a tree, Carnivine grinned playfully for a moment, before his expression turned to that of a neutral smile, his jaws chomping on occasion. In return, Nebula shot the plant-like creature a stern glare, wings spread out as she prepared to take off into the air above.

    "I don''t know what a Carnivine is, Nebula." Ash admitted to his young partner with some embarrassment. "But we definitely had to watch out for that mouth. Don''t get in close unless it''s guard is down, alright?" he smiled at the young bird''s affirmative nod.

    "Andˇ­ BEGIN!"

    Just as the referee had thrust her arms downward, Nebula immediately took off into the air, soaring just high enough to position herself above the trees, while still not being too far above the battlefield. As she did so, Carnvine, lumbered forward, his tentacle-like legs carrying him across the grass at a somewhat decent pace, but with a fairly lacking velocity in comparison to what Nebula was capable of.

    ''Here we are.'' Ash thought to himself. It was their long-awaited battle against the Celadon City Gym Leader. The anxiety briefly surged through his chest as the action kicked off, but he quickly suppressed it, allowing the adrenaline to flow through his veins and drown out the pressure.

    "Nebula, Wind Blast!"

    "Get up there and use Feint Attack!" Erika''s response was quick and graceful.

    Angling herself diagonally above Carnivine, Nebula flapped her wings with a rapid pace as the beam of air torpedoed downward towards Erika''s partner. A pair of vines extended from the grass type''s leaf-like hands, however, and wrapped around the trunk of the nearby tree. Before Ash or Nebula could realize what was happening, Carnivine had slingshotted himself above the grassy arena, a blackish-purple set of energy enveloping one of his hands as he closed in on the Staravia.

    With a startled yelp, Nebula''s wing quickly became coated in metal as she crossed them in front of her. The momentum of Carnivine''s flight knocked the young bird backwards as the dark energy smashed against her wings, but she remained unharmed.

    As nebula stopped herself, now flapping her wings in place, Ash''s eyes widened as Carnivine remained in the air, hovering in place for at least a second or two before slowly descending to the ground.

    ''It canˇ­ levitateˇ­?'' Coupled with that slingshot technique that Erika had just demonstrated, a pit suddenly formed in the boy''s stomach as he realized that Nebula''s aerial advantage had been compromised.

    Nebula was moving again, circling around her opponent as he rotated to follow the movements of her form like a predator.

    "You''ve battled Brock and Daisy, have you not?'' Erika''s voice stretched across the greenery before she raised a hand. "If so, then you should know what it''s like to use the terrain against your enemies! Carnivine, Stun Barrage!"

    Once again, a pair of Vine Whip shot out of Carnivine''s hands, wrapping its way around the tree and slingshotting him above. Stopping his ascent over the top of the tree, he hovered a yard or two in front of Nebula as his jaws spread open, allowing an onslaught of glowing, green seeds to escape. Each of the projectiles was coated in a golden substance, almost resembling that of powder.

    Once more, Nebula''s wings turned to metala as she defensively crossed them, allowing the barrage of projectiles to harmlessly bounce off. To her surprise, it almost felt as though the force behind the onslaught was going to push her back, but she still remained firm. SOme of the powder substances flew off of the seeds as they clanged uselessly against the metal surface of her wings, and the young Staravia couldn''t help but feel a very minor form of irritation as it brushed up against the rest of her body.

    Erika lowered her arm. "Sweet Scent!"

    Ash grimaced. "Whirlwind! Quick!"

    Ceasing his rapid fire, Carnivine closed his mouth momentarily, before opening it once more, allowing a cloud of pink fog to erupt from his throat. As the substance approached her, Nebula began to rapidly flap her wings. As the attack reached her, the young Staravia could feel a strange sensation of disorientation slowly beginning to overtake her, but the process was halted as she kept up her motions (only faltering for a second or two) and produced the mighty gusts of wind. As the breeze grew in intensity, and the Sweet Scent was progressively repelled, her focus became gradually easier for her to maintain.

    The wind gusts slammed into Carnivine''s front, leaving him to shout out in displeasure as he was propelled away by the blast. Ceasing his levitation, he descended downwards at a diagonal angle, pressing his hands against the ground to break his fall as he slid across the grass and soil.

    This was their chance to keep it up, Ash realized. "Air Cutter!"

    Nodding in affirmation, Nebula flapped her wings again, this time with her wings glowing, as blades of wind sliced through the air, downward towards Carnivine. The Grass Type wasted no time in trying to swerve out of the way, but with no trees within a reasonably close proximity, he could not utilize Vine Whip. Nevertheless, he made a solid effort to dodge, but yelped out as parts of the barrage clipped his side.

    With Carnivine off balance, Ash felt a small bit of anxiety surge through his chest, but nonetheless did not hesitate. "Wing Attack now!"

    With Quick Attack propelling her downward, Nebula''s wings both glowed white as she prepared to lash out at the plant-like creature. Her eyes widened as Carnivine''s jaws shot open, immediately changing her direction to narrowly avoid the snapping teeth.

    As Carnivine lumbered backwards as quickly as his legs could carry him, he kept his gaze on Nebula, who circled around before firing another Wind Blast. Now a bit closer to one of the trees, Carnivine latched onto the trunk with Vine Whip, twirling around the trunk before launching himself in the Staravia''s direction.

    "Sludge Bomb!"

    Nebula let out a startled yelp as the rapidly approaching grass type opened his jws, allowing a large glob of dark-purple fluid to escape. Reflexively, she began flapping her wings, a second barrage of Air Cutter meeting the poison type move head on. The blades of wind carved through the thick, toxic substance, and although their momentum was halted, Carnivine''s was not, the grass type crying out in pain as the projectiles sliced against his body. At the same time, however, not all of the toxic sludge that was sliced up by the Air Cuter ceased to advance, and Nebula growled in displeasure as a few fairly large droplets found their way onto her body. As her skin burned, Carnivine continued to fly forward, and although his momentum as slowled by the collision with the Air Cutter, he still slammed head first into the young Staravia.

    As Nebula was knocked off balance, and launched higher into the air. Carninve''s body abruptly became outlined with a bright, blue aura, the grass type forced to put extra effort into his levitation due to his own disrupted balance.

    "Slam her down with Vine Whip!"

    With his descent fairly slowed from his Levitate ability, Carnivine shot out yet another pair of vines. Nebula responded to Ash''s frantic warnings by turning her wings to metal again, but could not react in time as the vines wrapped around her. She snarled in frustrated discomfort and mild pain as her opponent''s tight grip binded her, before screaming as the grass type thrusted downward, launching her into the ground below.

    "Nebula!" Ash winced as his young friend''s form pounded against the arena. As she gasped for air, Carnival quickened his descent back down to the battlefield, his form looming over Nebula''s own as his jaws shot open once more.

    The pit was back in Ash''s stomach again. She was at Carnivine''s mercy, now. And those jawsˇ­

    "Sweet Scent!"

    As Nebula began to push herself up, a familiar pink cloud suddenly enveloped her, her focus gradually beginning to fail.

    "Fight back Nebula!" Ash was sweating. He hadn''t gone into the battle expecting Carnivine to fight like this, and now that Nebula was pinned, she was practically defenseless.

    Erika simply offered her partner a nod. "Good, now finish her with Bite."

    Ceasing the Sweet Scent, Carnivne lunged downward and scooped Nebula up in his mouth Holding his head to the ceiling as he stood upright, his opponent began to cry out as he forcefully binded her against his jaws.

    Ash felt his stomach churn as he took a small step back. "N-Nebula! Steel Wing! Do something!" he wasn''t even sure if she could make out what he was saying. The way those jaws were grinding against her body, all she could likely focus on was the pain that she felt.

    Trapped between her opponent''s vicious teeth, Nebula squawked continuously at the surges of agony shooting through her body. She could''ve sworn she heard her trainer calling for a Steel Wing, but could barely process it.

    Her wings began to take on the metallic coating, but whenever she made progress, another surge of pain caused it to fizzle out. She could feel her back threatening to breakˇ­

    Then, suddenly, another order. "Nebula! Try to angle yourself! Turn!"

    It was hard to think about what he meant with Carnivine''s constant chewing, butˇ­

    Struggling to be mobile, Nebula tried to rotate her body in between pain spasms. As her wing pressed against the top of Carnivine''s mouth, she kept trying to coat both in metal.

    Abruptly, Carnivine let out a startled, somewhat pained yelp as a hard surface suddenly jammed against the top of his mouth.

    Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, Nebula powered through the soreness in her body, bringing her wing upward with full force this time, slapping Carnivine''s mouth fully open as she attempted to roll out.

    "Don''t let her go!" Just as Nebula was almost out, her dangerous opponent clamped down on her wing, leaving her hanging out of Carnivine''s mouth, with the other wing free. Still coated in metal, her clamped wing was still fully protected as the gnawing grass type grunted in displeasure. "Keep your grip, Carnivine!"

    Ash allowed himself a quick smile at Nebula''s efforts, but his face soon turned serious. He knew that they weren''t out of the woods just yet. "Great going, Nebula! Now, yank yourself free!"

    "Hold on tight!" Erika''s voice elicited an affirmative grunt from Carnivine as the large grass type continued to gnaw. Even as he did, Nebula strained herself, desperately trying to pull her wing out, all the while fighting to keep the metallic barrier up in order to avoid further injury.

    From where he was standing, Ash could see the clear cuts and bruises lining across Nebula''s body. With a grimace, he thought about how badly it must''ve hurt for her to be trapped in between Carnivine''s jawsˇ­

    He wondered how much fight she had left in her. She clearly had some, given the amount of effort that she was putting in right now, but even at full strength, he highly doubted it would be an easy task to escape from Carnivine''s grip.

    "Carnivine!" he heard Erika call out. "Stockpile, then Spit Up!"

    Ash''s body tensed as Carnivine''s body took on a golden glow, which began to slowly transition up to his mouth. The aura wrapped his torso in a brilliant shine, almost like a beacon, as it grew brighter and brighter.

    "Get out of there, Nebula!" His voice grew desperate as Nebula continued to struggle harder, her face quickly turning to panic as she realized what was about to happen.

    Suddenly realizing what their only other option was, he couldn''t help but sigh to himself. It was the beginning of the battle, and they were already going for brokeˇ­

    "Nebula, Reckless!" Nebula''s eyes widened in understanding at the order. The ability that they activated whenever their backs were pushed against the wall.

    Her body took on the familiar, crimson aura, outlining her exterior as her eyes flared with a blood red glow, complete with crimson sparks of electricity. Howling an ear-piercing battlecry, the Staravia quickly redoubled her efforts, yanking her wing back as Carnivine desperately fought to hold her in place.

    "Hold on tight!" Erika repeated, tone of voice significantly less at ease this time.

    The glow finally reached Carnivine''s mouth in full, now lit up completely. It wouldn''t be long until-

    With one final cry, Nebula yanked her wing free with an upwards swipe, sending her startled opponent staggering back in surprise as she rose into the air, glowing eyes locked onto the grass type with killer instinct.

    Ash felt his blood pumping, but didn''t grin just yet. They had to finish this now. "Great, Nebula! Now Wind Blast, then Double-Edge!"

    Nebula howled once more, her wings flapping far harder than the previous occurrences as the blast of air tore its way into Carnivine''s direction and smashed against his torso. Erika called out to her screaming partner as he flew across the arena, back slamming against the trunk of a tree as Nebula angled herself to take aim at him again.

    The Staravia let out the loudest shriek of the battle yet as her body became coated in white. Her eyes locked onto Carnivine, she reared back and prepared to charge.

    "FIRE!"

    Just as she rocketed forward, Carnivine''s mouth opened. With his back still pressed against the trunk of the tree, the large grass type practically roared as a large beam of pale light rocketed out of his throat. Unrelenting, Nebula smashed into the blast head on, the Spit Up exploding against her as shockwaves spread across the greenery. A couple of nearby bushes beneath her were uprooted as the windforce found its way back to Carnivine, Erika''s partner feeling further pressure on his back as the shockwaves squeezed him against the trunk of the tree. Although Ash couldn''t see him from where he was standing, a few bruises began to form on the large grass type''s exterior.

    The smoke cloud from the explosion began to obscure Nebula''s position as she fell to the ground. As Carnivine pushed himself off of the tree, the grass type allowed his hands to briefly fall to his knees, gasping for air before straightening himself out, staring at the fading cloud of smoke.

    Nebula lay atop a patch of charred grass. The crimson sparks of electricity dancing across her feathers lingered as she began to push herself up, panting as she propped her body up by the wings. Then she collapsed.

    "Staravia is unable to battle! Carnivine wins!"

    Fumbling for Nebula''s Poke Ball, the dejected Ash couldn''t hear Erika congratulating her partner over the sound of the students applauding. Thankfully, it was a much more relaxed applause than back at Vermillion.

    Looking back at his opening strategy, Ash couldn''t help but let out a defeated sigh of displeasure after returning his young partner. He had thought that sending Nebula out early would have been the safest way to help gauge Erika''s team. Instead, they were on the backfoot. It hadn''t helped that he had no idea what Carnivine would do.

    Still, her efforts were certainly not for naught. The bruised plant was breathing fairly hard, albeit still standing perfectly steady.

    "You put up a good fight, Nebula. Don''t worry, we''ll still win this." Ash smiled kindly at the orb before reattaching it to his belt. Running his hand across the other balls, he began racking his brain as he returned his attention to Erika.

    "Your Staravia''s fairly well trained." Erika complimented from across the battlefield after noticing she had Ash''s attention. "We''re used to flying type''s here, however." As Carnivine nodded in affirmative, Ash sent the Gym Leader a look of understanding as his hand stopped on a Poke Ball.

    ''Carnivine''s ability is probably Levitate.'' the boy assumed to himself as he eyed the plant-like creature. ''I''m not sure if it would have full mastery over that kind of ability at its current level, though. It''s probably mentally taxing for it to lift itself into the air, so instead, it uses that slingshot technique with Vine Whip to gain some altitude on its own. That way, all it really needs to do is focus on maintaining it.'' Levitate was a fairly difficult ability to learn, and often wasn''t fully utilized until the user was ready for high-level battling. It required mental prowess, so being a psychic type certainly helped, as did having experience with psychic type moves in general, but based on what he''d seen so far, Carnivine didn''t have either of those qualities.

    Finishing it off hopefully shouldn''t be too much trouble, unless Erika chose to substitute. But it abruptly occurred to Ash that the large plant might have some means of healing itselfˇ­ didn''t Stockpile also work with another move that could recover the user instead of attack?

    Andˇ­ it was a grass type, so having healing properties wouldn;t be overly unusual. They couldn''t afford to expect an easy win. He needed to figure out who the best possible option for this opponent was.

    And with Nebula gone, that had left three. He wouldn''t send Tyrunt out against an aerodynamic opponent. He had done so against Paul and his Murkrow, but the young dinosaur just didn''t have the proper means of attacking an opponent in the air. He supposed none of them really did, but it was especially noticeable with their youngest team member. And Tyrunt wouldn''t be the only combatant with a fairly dangerous jaw, the royal heir Pokemon''s greatest strength.

    Tempest might not be fast enough to avoid Sweet Scent, which had tripped Nebula up after hitting her. Tyrunt might not be either. And that leftˇ­

    Valiant appeared in front of him on the grassy arena. Eyes immediately widening with alertness, the young Kirlia''s body quickly tensed as he observed his surroundings, gaze finally falling on the vicious plant stationed a few yards away.

    Erika''s eyes narrowed at the sight of the Kirlia, but Ash didn''t notice her suspicious gaze as he looked down to address his young partner.

    "Valiant, that''s a Carnivine, and it''s already beaten Nebula." As if in acknowledgement, the tenseness in Valiant''s muscles sharpened. "It goes without saying, but watch out for its mouth. It can use Vine Whip to slingshot itself into the air, and seems to have levitation capabilities. Use your barriers to block out its Sweet Scent. That can disorient you, and especially inhibit your psychic moveset."

    On full alert, the Emotion Pokemon nodded back at his trainer, eyes narrowing to observe his grass type opponent.

    This was it. Worst case scenario, it would be his last chance, so he had to make it count. He''d make sure they wouldn''t lose this battle.

    On the opposite end, Carnivine ceased his heavy breathing and sunk into a fighting stance. Ash didn''t notice it, but the tree behind the bug catcher Pokemon had nearly been uprooted by the impact of the previous clash.

    As the grass type''s jaws began to absentmindedly click together, a brief wave of unease made itself known to Ash. he pushed it away, however. Carnivine was dangerous, but they had an idea of how it fought, now. As long as Erika and her partner didn''t throw anymore curveballs at them, they should hopefully be able to plan this out.

    "BEGIN!"

    At the referee''s declaration, Valiant sprinted ahead, legs carrying the Kirlia across the grassy arena as Carnivine''s large mouth opened for another Stun Barrage. Leaping out of the way, the emotion Pokemon continued his advance, eyes glowing pink as the familiar orb of Dazzling Gleam began to manifest.

    "Grass Knot!"

    It didn''t take too long for Valiant to reach his target, although he certainly hadn''t closed the distance nearly as quickly as Pikachu or Eevee would have, Ash noted. As the space between Valiant and Carnivine had shrunk down considerably, the patch of grass in between the two of them suddenly expanded, lashing out at the Kirlia.

    Leaping backward to avoid the attack, Valiant finished charging the fairy type move, firing the blast of pink light in Carnivine''s direction. Vines extended from the large plant''s hands and wrapped around the damaged tree trunk, propelling Erika''s partner into the air once more as the tree teetered forward from the pressure. As the Dazzling Gleam collided with the trunk, its balance was finally lost, unstably leaning, as if to topple to the side at any minute.

    "Great move, Carnivine!" Erika encouraged. "Now use Sludge Bomb!"

    Valiant bit his lip as his gaze followed the plant soaring above him, quickly turning around to pursue. As Carnivine passed by the young Kirlia, he angled his body in midair, mouth opening wide to unleash another glob of toxic substance that rocketed downward towards its target. Rolling out of the way, Valiant halted his advance and backed towards a patch of bushes, Carnivine never leaving his sight.

    This was the same as yesterday, Ash quickly remembered. Gary''s Skarmory in midair, Valiant unable to go on the offensive without straining himself to teleport on top of him. But unlike Skarmory, Carnivine could not remain above the arena just by flapping his wings. Assuming he really did have the Levitate ability, there was going to be a limit.

    "Stockpile!"

    Still in the air, hovering in place, Carnivine''s body began to glow once more. Still watching his opponent from below, Valiant began to tense.

    "Be careful, Valiant!" The Kirlia remained attentive as his trainer called out to him. "When Carnivine stockpiles, he can use a move strong enough to match Nebula''s full strength. Don''t try to block it!" After watching the Spit Up clash with the Staravia''s Reckless boosted Double-Edge, Ash doubted the team had anything else that could contend with it. \

    Carnivine remained hovering in the air, not too far from the tree that was on its last roots, as the golden glow in his body began to intensify.

    "Swallow!"

    Ash''s fists tightened as the glow reached Carnivine''s mouth, only for the large grass type to perform a gulping motion, as all of the golden aura quickly transitioned down to his stomach. With the golden light becoming less intense, and moreˇ­ of a delicate, evened out shine, the energy began spreading throughout his body, flowing through his veins as the aura shined from beneath his skin. The bruises in his mouth and on his body began to mend, and as the shine started to dissipate, the plant allowed himself a refreshing, deep breath.

    That was the nature of Stockpile. Storing up as much power as the user could, until they either expend it all at once, or absorb it into their system for rejuvenation purposes.

    Ash wasn''t sure if Carnivine had stored enough power to fully heal himself after the battle with nebula, but it had certainly done the bulk of it, at the very least. His body''s injuries and fatigue were likely to be mostly gone.

    But this only applied to physical attributes. Mentally speaking, he still had not recovered what was lost from maintaining Levitate, and although Ash had already figured that Erika had found a way to minimize such a thing, the young rookie hoped it was still something that they could exploit. Carnivine had still been in the air quite a lot throughout the match so far. Even if he hadn''t needed to use his levitation ability in order to get up there in the first place (most likely the most stressing part, Ash imagined to himself), the young rookie doubted that maintaining the height for a prolonged period was effortless.

    "Stun Barrage!" Valiant was on the move again as the familiar onslaught of projectiles rained down from above. With the Stun Spore-coated Bullet Seed pelting the battlefield, the Kirlia ducked behind the damaged tree just as Carnivine ceased his offense.

    Gazing up at his opponent, Valiant watched as Carnivine slowly started to float backward, beginning to distance himself from the tree. Tapping his hand against the trunk, the emotion Pokemon racked his brain as he thought back to his fight with Skarmory the day prior.

    The only way to reliably attack Carnivine would be to teleport up to him. Otherwise, he''d be left firing projectiles from the ground, waiting for the grass type to come down to him. And Carnivine might just pull another Vine Whip trick when that happened.

    Teleporting up to Skarmory hadn''t been very easy, however. Valiant would have to ask Ash to let him practice the move a bit more. They had grown fairly complacent with it, but had never accounted for verticality. But perhaps Ash was already considering such practice, given the situation had now presented itself to them in back to back battles.

    That is, of course, assuming they were still-

    Valiant shook the thought from his mind. Not now. Focus only on winning.

    Only allowing his gaze to leave Carnivine for an, Valiant''s eyes traveled across the small tree he was holding. It was damaged, teetering to the side, and on the verge of collapsing, but if he could just gain some quick elevationˇ­

    Ash perked up as he watched his partner scale the tree. The Kirlia almost lost his balance for only a moment, before recovering and approaching the top. Valiant didn''t have a lot of climbing experience, but since the tree wasn''t fully upright...

    "Energy Ball!" Erika grinned.

    Carnivine''s large mouth shot open yet again, a dark, yet brightly glowing, emerald orb of aura appearing in his throat. Valiant had just reached the top of the tree and turned back to face his opponent when the ball fired. Carnivine let out a powerful shout as the orb left his jaws.

    Tensing himself, Valiant''s gaze zeroed in on the grass type as the move rocketed towards the tree. Horizontally speaking, he was now further away from Carnivine than before, especially since the large plant was still backing away in midair. Vertically, however, he was now a lot closer, albeit not as much as he would''ve been if the tree hadn''t been damaged prior. It would still be a bit taxing, butˇ­

    Closing his eyes for a moment, Ash''s partner flashed out of existence. As the Energy Ball struck the tree, the trunk finally gave out. Even as it toppled over with a crash, Carnvine had just barely processed Valiant''s retreat when the Kirlia had appeared behind him, fist reared back and coated in fire.

    The Fire Punch slammed into the back of Carnvine''s head, and even as the large grass type''s body bent forward from the sudden blow, Valiant used the opportunity to grip onto the plant''s back. Having lost all focus, the bug catcher Pokemon descended into free fall. As his body struck the ground, cushioning Valiant''s own fall, the Kirlia lost his grip, bouncing off of his opponent. Although he landed on his feet, the emotion Pokemon nearly lost his footing, before wobbling forward and righting himself.

    Ash''s face brightened. He could always count on Valiant to think on his feet. Now they just needed to find a way to keep Carnivine on the groundˇ­

    ...That would mean keeping him away from the trees, but hopefully Valiant already knew that. If he blurted it out loud, Erika would know.

    Forcing himself to stand, Carnivine teetered around for a moment before shaking his head and focusing himself. The sudden blow to the back of his head had cost him a great deal of concentration, coupled with the rough fall leaving him more than a little bruised. Glowering at Valiant, the bulky plant reopened his mouth as he heeded Erika''s next order.

    "Sweet Scent!"

    The pink fog was only halfway to its target when the golden cube had already encased Valiant, just a few feet away. The alluring mist harmlessly washed over the Light Screen, it''s sweet aroma never reaching the target. Before the cloud could clear up, however, Carnivine had already dove forward, jaws wrapped around the top end of Valiant''s golden shield.

    The Kirlia strained as the barrier cracked, teeth clenched as the pressure of Carnivine''s Bite gnawed away at the Light Screen. He tried to drop the barrier before a chunk could be ripped off, but was too late, as a large portion of the golden cube was torn off of the top, crumbling away within Carnivine''s jaws as the bulky grass type chewed it up. The rest of the barrier dropped involuntarily as a mild sensation of disorientation made itself known to Valiant.

    "Great work, now Bind!" Erika pressed.

    "Thunderbolt!" Ash called out as fast as he could.

    Stumbling backwards, Valiant could see Carnivine lunging for him, attempting to wrap his tentacle-like legs around his body. Although he couldn''t fully focus just yet, he pressed his hands together anyway. As long as he could just get the attack off, his counteroffensive could hopefully keep the bug catcher Pokemon at bay.

    An uneven bolt of lightning rammed into Carnivine''s torso, forcing him back as Valiant righted himself in front of a patch of bushes. Not letting up, Carnivine (after taking a deep breath) spread open his jaws as another Stun Barrage made itself known. Hastily erecting a golden wall in front of him, Valiant felt himself straining once more, as the barrier (which he had spawned too recklessly to utilize at full power) absorbed the onslaught of projectiles. As cracks began to scatter across the Light Screen, Carnivine ceased his fire, and, ignoring the fatigue beginning to make itself known to him, shot forward again, jaws subtly outlined with that familiar dark aura of Bite.

    Managing to drop the barrier far more quickly this time, Valiant, eyes narrowed as the grass type''s open-mouthed form loomed over him, leapt backwards, traveling over the bush just before Carnivine''s jaws could claim their prey.

    "Leaf Tornado!'' Erika continued.

    Ash''s brow began to raise as Carnivine reared back, Valiant landing on his feet and trotting backwards. He had never heard of that move beforeˇ­

    With his leaf-like arms spread out wide, Carnivine''s body began to rotate in place, progressively gaining speed as an increasing number of leaves began to materialize around him. The mass of leaves continued to grow, rotating along with the user, before sprouting up to a fairly decently sized cyclone that shot away from the bug catcher Pokemon and towards the young Kirlia.

    Ash grimaced. "Shadow Sneak, and Fire Punch!"

    The tornado of leaves had just passed over the bush as Valiant sank into his shadow, safely traveling underneath the rapidly advancing grass type move and towards Carnivine as the creature''s movements began to slow.

    Right around the moment his target''s momentum ceased, Valiant had already reached the large grass type. Having stopped spinning, Carnvine''s gaze turned downward to respond to the shadow''s movements, only for Valiant to have already sprung out, flaming fist smashing into the bulky plant''s chin with a mighty uppercut.

    Ash''s eyes lit up as Carnivine staggered backwards with a notably pained cry, the bulky creature''s hands shooting up to grasp his chin as Valiant backed away by just a step or two, still in fairly close proximity, but not to the point where the grass type could freely lash out without moving forward. As he did so, the young psychic half-circled his opponent, facing the plant''s side, and seeing that his body was lined up with another nearby tree.

    "Psychic!" At his trainer''s orders, Valiant''s eyes flashed a bright blue, glowing with increasing intensity as his arms stretched outward in Carnivine''s direction. Although he hadn''t yet fully mastered the powerful move, the blow from the previous Fire Punch had given him the opening that he needed to charge it up. Erika''s partner had just regained his bearings and turned around to face him as the Kirlia nearly completed his preparations. Squeezing his eyes shut for just barely a moment, the young emotion Pokemon quickly shot them back open as wide as possible, as a wave of equally bright blue aura smashed its way into the bulky grass type.

    Screeching out in agony, Carnivine smashed backfirst into the nearby tree trunk, sliding unceremoniously into a sitting position as his head tilted to the side. After a moment of straining himself to rise, his body stilled, slumping sideways while still propped up against the tree.

    Lowering his arms, Valiant allowed himself a deep breath as he tried to regain his bearings, before pressing his fists against his hips and observing his opponent''s fallen form.

    "Carnivine is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"

    A wave of surprise passed over Ash as the students cheered for them this time, with an applause no different from the one that they had offered Erika and Carnivine just one round ago.

    As Erika recalled her Pokemon, Valiant made his way back to Ash, a satisfied grin adorning his features as he looked up to his trainer.

    "Excellent job as always, buddy." Ash remarked with a returning smile, reaching down to pat his friend''s head now that the barriers were temporarily down. Taking the time to observe Valiant, it didn''t seem like he had come out of the fight all too scathed. He had definitely exerted himself quite a lot, but no clear signs of fatigue had presented themselves just yet.

    He knew not to take that at face value, however. The battle hadn''t been easy.

    Having finished congratulating her friend, Erika returned Carnivine''s Poke Ball to her belt, before immediately plucking off another one. Enlarging the red and white sphere in her hand, the woman held onto the device in a delicate grip as she gazed across the arena, and towards Ash and Valiant.

    "Carnivine still needs to work on Levitate." she stated firmly. "He isn''t able to rise all that fast, and has a habit of expending too much energy whenever he gets started. That''s why we use Vine Whip to give him a head start, and take away the brunt of the work." Giving the enlarged Poke Ball a light toss, she added. "It''s a trainer''s duty to find ways to work around their teammates'' limitations, until they''re ready to be fully addressed. I trust you''ll remember that, Mr. Ketchum."

    As Ash and Valiant processed her words, she chucked the ball. The newcomer that emerged from the light looked like a round cactus with arms.

    Ash had seen this species before, but didn''t know it''s name. All he knew was that it was definitely a foreigner, much like Carnivine. Once again, however, Erika seemed to pick up on that.

    "Cacnea." she stated simply.

    After nodding back, Ash looked down at Valiant, who, having turned to face the newcomer, angled his head back to address his trainer.

    "Take a break for now, alright?" the young psychic nodded, and was sucked into the Poke Ball.

    Looking over their newest opponent for a brief moment, Ash released Tempest. As Cacnea glared at the Krabby, making provocative gestures with its arms, the water crab responded in kind, clicking his pincers together as his eyes fixed into an aggressive glare.

    "The score is tied, Tempest." Ash addressed the barbaric river crab as Erika began to speak to her own partner. "Keep your defenses up with Metal Claw, and strike with Icy Wind." The only response that he received was a quick nod of acknowledgement, but that was good enough for him.

    "BEGIN!"

 Forest Frenzy pt 2

    "Advance, Bullet Seed!"

    Predictably, Tempest had already taken off upon the referee''s announcement, pincers dangerously open as he prepared to fire off an Icy Wind once within range. At Erika''s calm command, however, Cacnea rushed forward, glowing arms outstretched as an onslaught of emerald-colored seeds erupted from them. Halting his approach, Tempest crossed his metallic claws, allowing the grass type move to uselessly bounce off of his dual Metal Claws. Cacnea continued to advance, however, not ceasing the attack.

    Tempest continued to comfortably shield himself from the barrage, not dropping Metal Claw as long as the Bullet Seed was still being fired. When Cancea got within a few feet of him, however, the attack finally stopped, his advance abruptly quickening as one of his arms glowed orange.

    The Brick Break pounded against the dual Metal Claws and broke off a chunk of the coating, a sharp pain making itself known to Tempest as the river crab slid back a yard or two.

    He grinned to himself. Erika''s partner was strong. Yesˇ­ this was what he wanted to see.

    Just before the water type''s backwards slide stopped, Cacnea, now stationary, pointed an arm in his direction. The arm glowed a bright green as more emerald seeds erupted from it. Once more, the barrage proved ineffective as the projectiles were intercepted by a second set of dual Metal Claws.

    "Energy Ball!"

    Raising his arms, glowing orange once more, Cacnea slammed a dual Brick Break down onto the arena floor, pushing himself upwards as he launched his body over Tempest. Pincers leaking an icy air, the young Krabby glared up at his opponent as an emerald sphere appeared between the grass type''s fists. As the Energy Ball fired, the snowy wind erupted from Tempest''s pincers.

    As the Energy Ball exploded against the Icy Wind, Cacnea fell through the brief smoke cloud that was kicked up by the clash, emerging on the other side to bring a glowing, bright-green arm down onto Tempest''s face. Shouting out in displeasure, the Krabby slid backwards again, stopping a few feet in front of his trainer as he nearly toppled backward, righting himself at the last second.

    As Cacnea landed, the glow of Needle Arm dissipating, Ash felt his face scrunch up. Erika had put Tempest on the backfoot the moment the fight began. Even right after they had managed to turn things around with Carnvine, she was very much looking to claim her advantage back.

    He didn''t have much time to process it, however, as the moment Cacnea landed, another barrage of Bullet Seed was already rocketing out of his arms. As Tempest once again crossed a dual Metal Claw to block, Ash narrowed his eyes while watching Cacnea advance forward, still firing as he moved.

    Based on first impressionsˇ­ Maybe Erika was trying to keep Tempest on the defense to bait him? At the start of the fight, just now, the Bullet Seed had been useless against Metal Claw, but had also left Tempest open for Brick Break. And the same thing had happened with Energy Ball immediately after.

    They needed to find a way to bait her too. "Tempest, run forward!"

    With the Bullet Seed barrage ricocheting off of his crossed, metallic pincers, Tempest maintained Metal Claw as he charged ahead towards his advancing enemy. The two were now on a collision course, Tempest''s bulk threatening to intercept the approaching Cacnea, with the crossed, dual Metal Claws acting as the front runner.

    Now Cacnea would be going for Brick Break, soˇ­ "Tempest, Vise Grip!"

    Sure enough, Cancea''s arm was raised, glowing a bright orange. The grass type prepared to swing forward, and pound into his opponent''s metallic defenses once more, only for one of Tempest''s pincers to lose its metallic coating as the river crab raised it. With the pincer shooting open and glowing a bright blue, Tempest clamped down on the orange arm just as it swung forward. As the water type squeezed as hard as he could manage, Cacnea couldn''t help the minor shriek that escaped from his throat, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as the young krabby pulled him forwardˇ­

    Only for Tempest''s other pincer to open up, unleashing a familiar blast of snowy air. Now Cacnea was hollowing in surprise as the Icy Wind slammed into him, Tempest opening up his other pincer to release his hold and allow the grass type to be launched backward several feet. The abrupt drop in temperature passed over a good deal of Cacnea''s skin as he landed in the soil ahead, just to the side of a patch of tall grass.

    "Keep going, Tempest!" As Cacnea began to pick himself up, Tempest was already running forward, pincers clicking in excitement as he fixed the rising grass type with a glare. After the Icy WInd, Cacnea was probably either shivering, or, at the very least, hsi exterior was left uncomfortably cold. Which meantˇ­ "Use Scald!"

    Raising his arms forward, Cacnea was about to blast away at Tempest with another Bullet Seed, when the stream of boiling water suddenly erupted from the krabby''s open pincers. As the Scald washed over his now cold skin, Cacnea let out an agonized howl, teetering backward as Tempest reared back a pincer.

    Coated in metal, the pincer smashed into Cacnea''s face, leaving a noticeable bruise as the round grass type''s back crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree.

    Cacnea caught himself on his arms as Tempest advanced forward again, eager to keep up his offensive. Although he picked himself up with haste, Erika''s partner stumbled, pressing a fist against the ground to catch himself as he took in a deep breath of air. He didn''t have much time to regain his bearings, however, and as Tempest quickly closed in on him, the grass type rose with franticity, scattering backward as two seeds shot out of his arms, sharp vines sprouting out of them as they closed in on the Krabby.

    Leech Seed. Ash was about to call out a warning to his partner, but Tempest had already acted, pincers letting loose a blast of winter air as Cacnea scurried off in the other direction. The vines froze as they fell, failing to wrap around the Krabby and ensnare him as he turned back to observe his opponent.

    By now, Cacnea had created a decent bit of distance between the two. Just as Tempest was about to pursue, the grass type halted at the sound of his trainer''s voice.

    Erika''s tone maintained its serenity as she commanded. "Swords Dance, and Poison Sting."

    Cacnea''s arms took a white light as the grass type spread them out. Somewhat slowing his approach, Tempest''s eyes began to squint as the brightness gradually increased in intensity, Erika''s round partner spinning around like a top.

    Finally, he came to a stop as suddenly as he had begun rotating, the muscles in his arms sharpened and bulged, as Cacnea, sunk into a fighting stance, fixed Tempest with an even, determined glare.

    As the grass type lunged forward, one of his arms took on a bright, pinkish-purple glow, coated in venom. Ash glared. They were planning on using Swords Dance to inject as much venom into Tempest''s system as possible, by making the blow as decisive as they could.

    Thankfully, Tempest quickly raised a double Metal Claw in response. The water type somewhat strained as Cacnea''s power-boosted arm pounded into his pincers, but remained steadfast, feet barely moving back a few inches as the metal coating effortlessly intercepted the toxins.

    He was given no breathing room, however, as the grass type''s other powered up arm was already being raised, coated in orange as it smashed against the two crossed Metal Claws. The sound that escaped Tempest''s throat sounded something akin to both a pained yelp and a frustrated snarl as the Brick Break tore through the metallic exterior, the young river crab sliding back what felt like more than a couple of yards.

    The pale glow in Cacnea''s arms dissipated, along with the enhanced muscles, as Tempest grinded his feet against the soil, successfully halting his backward momentum, while Ash bit his lip at the sight.

    That Cacnea seemed to be fairly good with Swords Dance. Not even Tempest could likely match him in brute strength when he was boosting his arms like thatˇ­

    But Erika hadn''t used the move right away. Stat boosting moves were known for being taxing, a big part of why they weren''t universal. An overuse of the move would most likely injure Cacnea''s arms. She must want to take Tempest out as quickly as possible if she was resorting to enhancers. Which means,she recognized him as a threat.

    "Swords Dance again, and Drain Punch!"

    The bright, white glow in Cacnea''s arms returned as he began to advance forward. However, after his arms returned to their powered-up state, it was quickly replaced by a green aura in one of them as the grass type broke into a run. Chewing his lip, Ash watched as Tempest sunk into a stance, pincers clicking in preparation.

    The Krabby was a head to head fighter. Taking advantage of his high defenses to fight his opponents upfront. But with Cacnea''s newfound offensive prowess, that was no longer a very comfortable approachˇ­

    "Icy Wind, across the grass!"

    Perking up at the unexpected command, Tempest''s pincers shot wide open, the stream of frigid wind flowing along the sea of grass separating him from his advancing opponent. As the lush greenery took on a beautiful, winter white, the cold air surged across, Cacnea feeling the surrounding temperature begin to plummet. Particles of ice fell from the grass as Erika''s partner continued to run through.

    ''He''s gotta be uncomfortable with that.'' Ash told himself. ''Water types can handle the cold better than grass types could.'' Which meansˇ­

    "Tempest, use Scald!"

    Cacnea barely had time to change direction as the dual blasts of boiling water surged towards him. The steam breezed against his side as he narrowly avoided the attack. The snowy grass was blasted by the hot air, some of the water spilling over as well, as the ice melted away as abruptly as it had appeared, the temperature rising as jarringly as it had previously dropped.

    "Keep going!" Erika encouraged. "Needle Arm this time!" Cacnea kicked off the ground even as the air around him couldn''t make up its mind, glowing arms shooting forward as Tempest crossed two Metal Claws together. The Drain Punch in his arm had begun to dissipate in the confusion, and was now replaced with a bright, green aura, this time in both arms. As the Needle Arm slammed into the metallic surface, Tempest''s teeth grinded together as Cacnea pushed forward, attempting to shove the Krabby away. As Tempest pushed back, the coating of Metal Claw grinded against the Needle Arm. Although his defenses didn''t give in, his momentum never came, the grass type continuing to step forward and force him back. Finally, a mighty shove sent the river crab staggering away, his metallic pincers raised into the air as the grass type took aim.

    A stream of Bullet Seed escaped from the cactus'' arms. With the Metal Claw no longer blocking its path, the barrage pelted against the yelping Krabby''s torso. Already off balance, the water type could feel his body toppling over.

    The finality in Erika''s voice was unignorable. "Finish this, Cacnea!" Her partner rushed forward again, prepared to clear what little distance separated the two combatants as his still glowing arms rose into the air.

    Ash watched as Tempest began to fall backward. Just as he was about to call out his partner''s name, however, the Krabby''s pincers shot down and struck the arena floor. Pressing firmly into the soil, Tempest continued to topple, but rather than rolling back with no control over his movements, he instead flipped over, landing on his feet a few feet back, and sliding a couple of inches as Cacnea continued to rush him.

    Ash allowed himself to grin for a split second before his face turned serious. "Catch it, Tempest! Point-blank Icy Wind!"

    As Tempest raised his head, and his pincers, Cacnea was already on top of him, bringing both Needle Arms down like two sledgehammers. Just barely in time, Tempest''s two pincers shot out, glowing a familiar, bright blue as they intercepted the incoming assault, latching onto both arms with Vise Grip.

    The momentum and strength of Cacnea''s dual strike immediately pressed down onto Tempest as his body forcibly leaned backwards, his pincers being shoved downwards as a tight pain radiated from their openings. His muscles strained as he struggled to push back upward, biut Cacnea redoubled his own efforts, glaring tightly as he continued to bring his arms down.

    Tempest snarled as his eyes momentarily squeezed shut, trying to block out the pain and fire off an Icy WInd, but the strain demanded his undivided attention. Slowly, his pincers and body began to lean further downˇ­

    Ash grimaced, but just before he could encourage Tempest further, Cacnea''s eyes widened. Although the grass type''s momentum momentarily increased, as Tempest began putting effort into summoning the frigid air, it was only almost an instant later when a frigid sensation overtook his arms.

    Still clamping down on his opponent''s arms, a frustrated Tempest watched with a determined glare as ice began to spread across both of the Needle Arms. WIth Cacnea growling in pain from the sudden cold, Tempest could feel his struggle somewhat easing, as he stepped forward and pushed upwards. As Tempest released his grip, Cacnea was abruptly shoved away, struggling to maintain his balance as he staggered backwards.

    Excitement surged through Ash''s chest. "Now you finish this, Tempest!"

    With a powerful shout, the Krabby rushed forward. Ignoring the soreness in his pincers, Tempest quickly clenched them shut, coating them in metal as he raised them above the grass type''s head, and brought them down on Cacnea''s already bruised face.

    Having just barely begun to regain his balance, Cacnea was quickly smashed back-first into the arena''s grassy floor. Lifting his pincers back up, Tempest backed away just enough to take aim at Erika''s partner as the grass type lay sprawled out. After a momentum or two, Cacnea pressed his fists against the soil, attempting to pick himself up, only for his arms to give out less than halfway through, collapsing onto his back once more.

    "Cacnea is unable to battle! Krabby wins!"

    While turning back to face Ash, Tempest seemed somewhat surprised as another cheer emerged from the audience. With Erika recalling her fallen comrade, Ash shot an approving smile and nod at the Krabby approaching him.

    "We''re in the lead now, thanks to you." As Tempest gurgled in satisfaction, Ash raised his head to face Erika once more. "Just two more to go."

    Although he couldn;t quite place it from where he was standing, the Gym Leader had a somewhat amused smile adorning her features as she raised her third Poke Ball. As she chucked the orb, the creature that emerged from the white light was immediately recognizable to the young rookie.

    Blue and bipedal, head topped off by flower and its spherical petals, surrounded by four reddish-brown leaves.

    Being the evolved form of Oddish, Gloom weren''t known for being uncommon, although their infamously stench-like aroma triggered a stigma among certain parts of the trainer populace. Those who were willing to brave it, however, found that it could very easily be weaponized.

    Noting the aggressive clicking of Tempest''s pincers as the Krabby zeroed his gaze in on the grass/poison type, Ash nodded in approval, albeit somewhat apprehensive. He was worried that Erika might use a Pokemon like thisˇ­ The Oddish line was widely associated with her, after all.

    "Be careful, Tempest. Gloom have a very strong odor, and it worsens whenever they feel threatened. It''ll be impossible to fight that thing without dealing with it." scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, he added. "We need to play this a bit more cautiously. Think you can do that?"

    Tempest''s eyes narrowed in mild irritation, but he did not outwardly complain, instead shaking his head after a few seconds of contemplation. Ash''s thumb shot up.

    "Good! Gloom is a poison type as well as a grass type, so keep your Metal Claw ready. And of course, Icy Wind is probably your best means of offense."

    Erika''s partner eyed Tempest wearily as the water type slowly approached. A mildly nervous expression appeared on Gloom''s face as the Krabby stopped a few yards in front of him, although his face quickly evened out. With his glare tightening into a focused, somewhat analytical gaze, Tempest began clicking his pincers together somewhat slowly.

    "BEGIN!"

    While Gloom remained stationary, Tempest quickly took off, prepared to get in range for an Icy Wind. As he approached his opponent, however, his face began to scrunch as a strong aroma entered his nose.

    Remembering Ash''s warnings, Tempest opted for a different strategy. After getting a bit closer than initially planned, he abruptly began backing away as the stream of frozen air exited both of his open pincers.

    Somewhat startled, Gloom scurried sideways, the grass where he once stood turning pale as Erika called out to her partner. "Poison Powder!"

    Tempest continued to fire as he backed away, and moved to the side, keeping his distance from the enemy grass type as the frigid gusts of wind continued to flow from both of his pincers. Startling, Gloom leapt over the grass even as the greenery froze over, however, head tilting forward for the flower to face in Tempest''s direction.

    The foul odor grew stronger as a cloud of dark, purple powder exited the flower. Eyes widening, Tempest quickly squinted them as his nose began to burn, the substance descending upon himˇ­

    Straining his face, he aimed upwards and fired a second stream of snowy wind into the cloud. As the ice type move blew the powder back, and the substance froze over, Gloom had already landed, taking aim and charging for the river crab while his pincers were still raised.

    "Acid, and Razor Leaf!"

    Head still lowered, a purplish-blue liquid erupted from the flower as Gloom closed in on the water type. Seeing the move coming a second too late, Tempest had begun to defensively lower his pincers just as a holler escaped from his throat, a burning sensation coming over his torso. Staggering back, he opened his squinting eyes just in time to see Gloom perform a quick, few second rotation, a barrage of leaves forming around the weed Pokemon and flying in the Krabby''s direction.

    Tempest quickly coated his pincers in metal, attempting to ignore the burning from the liquid still lingering on his torso. Before he could cross them, however, the Razor Leaf had already hit, eliciting more pained snarls just before the Krabby punched the two metal Claws together, the remaining leaves bouncing off harmlessly.

    Ash watched the exchange as Gloom backed away once more. No doubt, Erika was trying to leave cuts on Tempest''s body so the Acid could seep in betterˇ­

    "Run forward with Icy Wind, don''t get more than a few feet close!" This would still put them in close proximity to Gloom''s aroma, but at this point, Ash wasn''t overly sure how Tempest could avoid it properly and still fight. At the very least, if they could knock the grass type off balance, they could capitalize and go from thereˇ­

    As if to try and fight off the stench he would be exposed to, Tempest scrunched his face as tightly as he could manage as his legs carried him across the grass. Opening his pincers, he allowed the familiar stream of frigid wind to escape in Gloom''s direction.

    "In the grass, and Dazzling Gleam!"

    Scattering sideways into a nearby patch of tall grass, Gloom''s eyes flashed pink as a beam of light the same color collided with the frigid gale. Not letting up, Tempest switched gears and fired a stream of boiling water over the patch. Squealing, Gloom scattered out.

    "Metal Claw, but make it quick!"

    The odor grew horrific as Tempest approached Gloom, rearing back a metallic pincer and whacking his enemy in the face. Bruised, the grass type was flung backward, bouncing along the grassy soil as more frigid wind escaped the Krabby''s pincers.

    "Close in, and Sleep Powder!"

    Curving forward to the side, Gloom evaded the icy blast, only running slightly slower than normal as his face scrunched up in pain. The flower on his head opened wider as a trail of light blue powder erupted upwards, stopping just above Tempest and descending downward.

    Hastily, the river crab began to move back as his pincers aimed upwards, the powder freezing over as the continuous Icy Wind pushed it back. Erika was grinning, however.

    "Toxic!"

    Just as Ash shouted a warning, Gloom was running directly in Tempest''s direction, head lowered in full as a stream of darkish-purple sludge flowed out of the flower like a Water Gun. Tempest lowered his pincers just as the liquid was upon him, coating both of them in metal as the lingering Icy Wind clashed with the sludge.

    It was too late, however, and the majority of the toxic splashed over him. No longer able to ignore the burning in his skin, the wincing Krabby lowered his pincers, momentarily dissipating the double Metal Claw just long enough for a barrage of sharp leaves to collide with his outer shell.

    The Razor Leaf was painful, but not excruciatingly. It was only able to form tiny cuts across the river crab''s sturdy surface. Those cuts, however, immediately welcomed the sludge from Toxic to freely seep through, and Ash couldn''t help but step back at the agonizing screams exiting his partner''s throat.

    Erika didn''t let up. "Great! Now, Venoshock!"

    Before Tempest could recover, more liquid pelted his skin. Suddenly, the burning in his cuts amplified, as the pained response in his nerves went into overdrive. Venoshock was a move that increased the pain and discomfort triggered by poison, and much like Paul before her, Erika had determined that to be the best way to get over Tempest''s durability.

    Tears were streaming down the Krabby''s face as he sank onto his bottom. A few feet away, Gloom assumed a stance.

    "Finish this quickly, Moonblast!"

    Eyes widening, Ash called out a warning to Tempest. Even as he did, however, Gloom stepped forward, a faint glow appearing across his body as he crossed his arms together.

    As the glow strengthened, Ash couldn''t help but be reminded of a nighttime moon by the aesthetic. As a pink orb formed in between the grass type''s hands, the lunar glow suddenly became slightly outlined by the same color.

    Moonblast was a high level fairy type move that took a great deal of practice to utilize properly, and no doubt would take a toll on the user if not mastered.

    Erika was going all in, striking Tempest as hard as she could while his guard was down, blowing past all of his defenses while he was already wallowing in pain.

    "Get up and use Metal Claw!" he tried to hide his worry with an encouraging tone, but the panic seeped through. Struggling to his feet, Tempest crossed his pincers, eyes squinted in discomfort as the metal he tried to surround his claws with continued to flicker in and out.

    And then Gloom fired.

    It wasn''t quite a proper Moonblast, but it was far from weak. The pink orb was almost the size of the weed Pokemon himself, and crashed into the young Krabby as the explosion spread smoke across the nearby surroundings.

    As the blast struck him, Tempest felt it all. The burning in his cuts, the pain within his body that he was just now beginning to somewhat process. And the force of the powerful blast smashing into his exterior. His feet left the ground, and the next moment, he was sprawled out on his back, one of his pincers sinking into the patch of tall grass next to him.

    "Krabby is unable to battle! Gloom wins!"

    Ash''s heart sank as he reached for Tempest''s Poke Ball, but his eyes did not leave Gloom as a chorus of cheers left the stands for Erika and her comrade. The grass/poison type pokemon had stumbled for just a second, before righting himself and taking a couple of unignorable deep breaths.

    That Moonblast hadn''t been Erika''s way of showing off. Not if just one usage of it was enough to tax her partner. She genuinely believed that they needed to finish off Tempest in the quickest way possible, and had weighed the costs of using the move against the costs of a drawn out brawl. Given that Gloom wasn''t a fairy type, and likely wasn''t as well equipped to learn the move as a result, Ash couldn''t help but wonder if usage of the attack at such a capacity was more draining for the weed Pokemon than Psychic was for Valiant.

    And to think, that wasn''t even the full extent of what the move should be capable of. Ash had only ever seen fully powered Moonblasts on TV, but they were magnificent, and according to interviews, seeing one in person truly did give off a familiar, majestic feeling to that of the move itself.

    He sighed as the red beam of light sucked Tempest back into his Poke Ball. Despite the defeat, the river crab had certainly left an impression on the Gym Leader, it seemed. And he deserved to know that.

    Althoughˇ­ Thinking back to the uncharacteristic screams the Krabby had been letting out was more than enough to make the boy wince.

    "She was scared of you." he spoke to the orb. "You pushed her to use a really risky move. You did great." tucking the sphere back onto his belt, his hand rummaged between Valiant and Tyrunt''s Poke Balls.

    He had known that Gloom''s odor would be a problem, as well as its toxins, but as expected, there were definitely more tricks that Erika had up her sleeve. And much like her with Tempest, he wasn''t comfortable having such a drown out fight with the creature.

    Valiant''s psychic moves and Fire Punch were all attacks that Gloom''s species were naturally vulnerable to. Valiant had already used Psychic once against Carnivine, and using the move a second time would surely make the fatigue kick in, but it would also do tremendous damage. Tyrunt''s Fire Fang would be similarly lethalˇ­

    But he wouldn''t use Tyrunt. The dinosaur didn''t have enough tools to safely get in close, as long as the risk of Erika weaponizing her partner''s stench was still in play. Valiant had ways around that, and his barriers could hopefully shield him from the smell altogether. And quite thankfully, his psychic moves could be used at a range, rather than up close. There was no doubt in his mind that Erika had some way to deal with psychic types, but they would just have to figure her strategy out and plan accordingly.

    As Gloom positioned himself to view Ash in full, the Kirlia appeared in front of his trainer. Taking a moment to observe who his opponent was, Valiant turned to Ash expectantly.

    "It''s two to two." the rookie spoke while nodding to the emotion Pokemon. Valiant followed Ash''s gaze to Gloom. "That''s a Gloom. It''s part poison type, so your psychic moves will give us great offense. Be careful, though. It has a foul odor that gets worse when under stress, and trainers have been known to weaponize that. Try using a barrier if you end up too close to it." As Valiant turned back to face Gloom in full, his trainer added. "They beat Tempest. Gloom''s dangerous, so we need to end this as quickly as possible, before they have a chance to try anything drastic. Use Psychic if you feel the need to. That''ll be our ace in the hole." Not turning his body, Valiant looked back just enough to offer Ash a nod and a determined glare as he made his way forward, stopping within a few yards of the weed Pokemon, who didn''t move from his own position, instead opting to fix the young Kirlia with an uneasy gaze, which soon mellowed out somewhat.

    From where he was standing, Valiant could slightly make out some sort of aroma, carrying what felt like a rather strong scent with it. His face mildly scrunched in an attempt to block the smell out.

    No distractions. They couldn''t afford that now.

    Ash''s face tightened. Erika wasn''t recalling Gloom. He likely wasn''t at one hundred percent after the usage of Moonblast, or at the very least was on his way out of being able to operate at full capacity. But she was still confident enough to keep him in the gameˇ­

    ''She''s planning something. Gloom has an answer to Valiant for sure.''

    All the more reason to end this as fast as possible.

    "BEGIN!"

    Erika''s authoritative voice stretched across the lush arena. "Close in, and Stun Barrage!"

    Gloom kicked off the ground, head lowering to expose the open flower as a stream of glowing, emerald seeds coated in Stun Spore rocketed out. Not missing a beat, Valiant took off in a sprint to the side, the onslaught pelting a nearby bush as Gloom rotated to pursue his fleeing target.

    Ash observed Valiant''s evasion with a nod of approval. The young psychic''s speed had certainly improved since he had started practicing with Eevee a while back. It still needed to be worked on, but the gradually increasing agility was putting itself to good use for the moment.

    Teleport would provide them with a good way to approach Gloom quickly, but that would still expose Valiant to the suffocating stench. Shadow Sneak wasn''t as fast, but would provide the Kirlia with shelter.

    Still, it''d be best to avoid using those moves until they needed to. Attacking from a distance was the best way to go.

    "Quickly, Psybeam!"

    Kicking off the grass soil, Valiant pressed his hands against the battlefield floor and flipped into the air. Eyes shining with a rainbow glow, his arms extended outward as a narrow beam of the same color shot forward towards its target.

    "Hidden Power!"

    Glaring up at the Kirlia, Gloom raised his hands as a series of glowing, white orbs materialized around him. As they finished taking form, however, the pale spheres solidified into shining, silver metal. The spheres levitated in front of their user, coming together to take the form of a makeshift wall that intercepted the rainbow beam.

    As Valiant landed, the orbs dissipating, Ash crossed his arms, frustration forming across his features. That was a steel type Hidden Power. So that was Erika''s thoughtˇ­

    Erika''s form was graceful as she extended an arm outward. "Now, Razor Leaf! Barrage formation."

    A mass of leaves hovered around Gloom as the weed Pokemon took a deep breath and twirled in place. As his rotation increased in speed, the leaves rotating around him quickened as well, before rocketing towards their target in a barrage of tiny, green blades.

    Ash watched carefully as the glass cube encased his partner, just in time for the mass of leaves to cut against the surface. The emotion Pokemon''s face scrunched tightly as the horde of blades sliced against his shield. After a few seconds, he was beginning to feel the strain of holding the cube together, redoubling his efforts as tiny cracks began to form.

    Erika lowered her arm as she shot the other forward, a tranquil flame in her pupils. "Now, Hidden Power!"

    The front and sides of Valiant''s barrier were covered in cuts of varying sizes by the time Gloom ceased his attack, with a few cracks (mostly in the front) as well. The weed Pokemon barely took a breather, however, the metal orbs once again floating around him. With an abrupt holler, Gloom performed a tossing motion with both arms as the metallic spheres rocketed towards Valiant at similar speeds.

    The Kirlia felt the shockwaves as the balls crashed into the shield. Moments later, the continuous blows finally shattered the front of the glass, windforce slamming into his face as a momentary vertigo overtook him. The next moment, the remaining orbs pounded into his body, one striking his forehead as the agonizing feeling of high-speed metal overwhelmed his disorientation.

    With a pained yelp, the bruised psychic landed on top of a bush that almost immediately sunk from the force of his fall. The rough leaves irritatingly brushed against his bruises as Gloom dashed for him.

    Erika''s outstretched hand closed firmly. "Mega Drain!"

    Propped on his hands, Valiant raised his head to see the dark, emerald orb forming in Gloom''s arms as the grass/poison type stopped in front of him just a few feet away. In his frazzled state, it took a moment to process that his energy was about to be sapped.

    As the realization dawned on him, the adrenaline surging from his fight or flight instincts fought against the lingering delirium. Roughly pushing himself onto his feet, he nearly lost his balance, staggering back as the orb''s glow reached its highest intensity.

    The thick, dark-green vine of energy erupted out of the ball, angled right for Valiant. His newly formed glare tightening, the young Kirlia reared his fist back as flames began to coat it. Thrusting forward, his Fire Punch struck the front of the vine.

    Even as the Mega Drain wrapped around the flaming fist, the part of the vine latching onto its target quickly caught fire. Valiant could feel his arm becoming restricted as the vine binded against his fist. Gloom grinded his feet against the soil as the Kirlia fought to pull his arm back.

    It was quick thinking on Valiant''s part, Ash thought to himself. Even though his friend was still binded, he had at least stopped the attack from sapping his energy. Still, they needed to fight back before Gloom and Erika capitalized on the restriction.

    "Psybeam!"

    Gloom''s eyes widened in surprise as Valiant''s eyes flashed rainbow. The psychic didn''t bother charging the attack too much, instead firing the beam from his eyes as quickly as he had begun to form it. Immediately, Gloom allowed the orb between his hands to dissipate, taking several, quick side steps to keep out of the beam''s path while Valiant pulled his arm free.

    There was no comfort to be had, however, as the distressed weed pokemon somewhat lowered his head, the stench rapidly increasing in intensity as a barrage of dark-purple powder exited the flower. Valiant nearly felt his nose closing up as the smell invaded his nostrils, and the purple cloud of Poison Powder descended from above.

    Before the overwhelming sensation could disrupt his mental focus, he was speedily surrounded by the golden cube of Light Screen, which the cloud of powder washed over. As the shield form, the odor left his nose, even as it continued to spread outside of his shelter.

    He could hear Erika calling for Gloom to add on to the offense, and immediately picked up on what she wanted: To wait him out, until he dropped the cube, suffocated from the stench, and collapsed from the toxins.

    Sweat ran down his face as the realization was made. All he was doing was delaying a miserable defeat, probably the most agonizing manner he''d ever gone out. The thought of the poison burning through his bloodstream as the odorous aroma choked him dashed through his mind, playing on repeat, and his eyes widened as he suddenly felt the golden glow of the cube he was in become somewhat faint.

    He needed to concentrate. His shields were mental constructs. He''d lose his grip if heˇ­

    The Kirlia inhaled, trying to think of something, anything, to block the stressful inevitability from his thoughts.

    ...Just think of a way to get out of this, he told himself. If he dropped the barrier, how long would he have to teleport away before the stench overtook him, and quelled his ability to focus? Seconds or less? He needed to be ready, but it already took effort to keep the barrier up, and he''d have to immediately switch that effort over to something else the very moment that he dropped itˇ­

    The glow momentarily grew faint again, before readjusting itself. Almost like a flash. A reminder to not get distracted by anxiety.

    Another deep breath, and then...

    The most horrific aroma invaded his nostrils as the cube went down. There was one thing he hadn''t taken into account: Allowing the smell time to accumulate.

    The powder was coming down onto his body, just waiting to be breathed in, just in time for the smell to cut off his breath. For a moment or two, his mind went blank, only able to think of the agony that would just grow within the next few moments alone.

    The next moment was one of desperation. He had hoped to teleport in front of Ash, but as he flashed out of existence, he was merely a yard or two away. Out of the purple powder''s range, but he could still smell the odor. As Gloom turned to face him, threatening to exacerbate the smell once more as he approached, Valiant flashed away again, this time in front of his trainer. Not as close as he wanted to be to Ash, but far enough away from Gloom to be satisfied.

    The powder ceased its emergence from Gloom''s flower as the grass type stood up straight. Erika nodded in approval as her partner repositioned himself to look Valiant in the eye, neither combatant moving as the Kirlia ceased the opportunity to inhale a refreshingly clean, odorless gasp of air. Already, he could feel the nerves easing, although the reminder of the still-standing opponent in front of him did not allow them to relax in full.

    Ash took the time to release the breath he had been holding for the past moment or two. "That was a close call, Valiant. Good work." Not looking back at his trainer, the psychic merely offered a nod of acknowledgement as he and the weed Pokemon stared each other down.

    ''End this quickly.'' he reminded himself. The events that had just transpired did little else but remind him of the importance that goal carried.

    As though he had telepathy of his own, Ash couldn''t help but sense that Erika and Gloom were getting ready to end the break in the action. He had to be quick.

    Not to mention, he had no way of knowing how much of that powder Valiant had inhaled. Optimistically, very little, but planning around the best case scenario was a mistake he had already made at the beginning of his career.

    "We gotta knock them off balance, first." Valiant didn''t respond, or even make any motions, but Ash knew that his partner was listening intently, as he could always count on him to. "We know they have a steel type move now, to attack and block against ranged moves, but we''ll get in close in a way that bypasses that, and the smell."

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Still no gestures on Valiant''s end, or even any indication that the rookie was talking to a Kirlia and not a statue. But it wasn''t an attempt to ignore Ash''s words. It was to absorb them.

    Ash''s command came just in time, as Gloom began to move. "Shadow Sneak, then Fire Punch!"

    Gloom''s newfound sprint quickly slowed into a walk almost immediately after it began as Valiant sunk into his shadow and traveled along the greenery. Even as he approached the grass type, no odor made itself known. He was sheltered.

    Erika''s face tightened, but her eyes held no signs of irritation. "Run back!"

    Gloom took off backwards just as the shadow began to approach. Ash immediately knew what Erika was planning. It was the same strategy as before: Drawing him out, waiting until he could no longer maintain the move. Of course, she obviously knew that Shadow Sneak would slowly become taxing if used for too long.

    Valiant seemed to catch on as well, exiting his shadow as the distance between him and Gloom increased. Gloom stopped a yard or two away from a patch of tall grass. About a yard off to the other side was a tree.

    Valiant''s hands balled up in frustration, before a glint appeared in his eyes. Closing them just long enough to take another deep breath, the Kirlia crouched down and vanished.

    Almost immediately, Gloom''s stench faintly filled his nose as he found himself surrounded by grass, trying to keep his body as low as possible, in hopes that the greenery around him would shield him from his opponent''s observing eyes.

    A few moments later, he sank back into his shadow.

    Standing on his side of the arena, Ash blinked in unease as Gloom looked around, a feeling of paranoia coming over the weed Pokemon.

    "Uhˇ­ Valiant?" The Kirlia was no longer visible. It was like he really had flashed out of existence, rather than teleported.

    "GLOOM!"

    Ash and the weed Pokemon both jolted up at the urgency in Erika''s warning, as a shadow abruptly shot out of the tall grass, making its way towards its target as the distance between the two closed faster than Gloom could process.

    Ash''s face had just begun to light up in realization as Valiant rose from the shadow, fist ablaze. The merciless stench blasted into his nostrils as his face became scrunched. With strain, he thrust his arm ahead as the Fire Punch smacked into the grass/poison type''s face. The odor lessened as his opponent was launched two or three feet away, teetering backwards with imbalance as he landed on his feet.

    As Ash cupped his hands around his mouth, a far more optimistic sense of urgency overcame him. "You know what to do!"

    Eyes glowing a familiar shine of blue, Valiant took off running after his stumbling target for just a split second before rising into the air with a leap. With his hands outstretched diagonally downwards in Gloom''s direction, his eyes briefly squeezed shut before opening back up as widely as possible, the wave of bright blue energy firing down onto Gloom''s forehead. With his balance gone, the Psychic was met with no resistance.

    Struck between the eyes, Gloom flew backward even as Valiant landed. After watching his opponent smack backfirstm into the tree, the Kirlia brought his arms up to grasp his head for a second or two, lowering one and leaving the other hand to rub his head as the grass type collapsed onto his side.

    "Gloom is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"

    Ash grinned with satisfaction as Valiant turned to face him. Although his partner wore a somewhat tired smile as the familiar chorus of cheers extended from the bleachers, the Kirlia''s posture was straight and uncompromised while making his way back to his trainer.

    Ash''s eyes moved just long enough to watch Erika recalling Gloom into his Poke Ball. As his gaze returned to the approaching psychic, the sensation dawned on him.

    Just one Pokemon left. They were going to win this. This wasn''t like their miracle comeback against Daisy, or the slaughterfest they had been subjected to against LT. Surge. They had been keeping pace with Erika this entire match, and they would see that through to the end.

    Stopping in front of Ash, Valiant''s eyes felt somewhat heavy as his head angled upward. He had used Psychic twice at this point, along with all the other exertion he had put himself through. But they were almost at the finish line, and he wouldn''t run out of gas now.

    Ash noticed his partner''s somewhat tired expression. The Kirlia wasn''t spent, but aftereffects of his previous two fights had finally showed themselves. "You okay to keep going?" at his nod, Ash bit his lip for a moment, before smiling. "Alright. Just one more to go."

    Satisfied, Valiant turned back to face Erika, just as the Gym leader readied her final Poke Ball.

    "You haven''t disappointed me today, Mr. Ketchum." her lips slightly curved upwards. "However this match plays out, you have our praise. Me and my comrades."

    Ash couldn''t help the smile that lined his features at her statement. Erika didn''t give him much time for it, however, immediately tossing the ball in the air.

    The Pokemon that appeared in front of her was another round creature, this one covered almost entirely in vines, with only its eyes unexposed. A Tangela.

    The species was known for its odd appearance and mannerisms. Their evolved form, Tangrowth, had a history of being fairly niche in major tournaments, yet almost always high-performing whenever used, but Ash had very seldom seen a Tangela in action before. Although he had seen Tangrowth a handful of times, he''d only seen a Tangela fight twice in junior tournaments, and neither occurrence had been any less than two years ago. He couldn''t even remember the details of how they had performed, although he was aware of how little that mattered. Erika was a Gym Leader, after all. Any Pokemon she had on her team knew how to fight.

    Stillˇ­ It meant it was harder to come up with specific advice for his teammates.

    "Tangela areˇ­ weird, Valiant." the boy spoke awkwardly. "I know that thing is going to put the vines around it to good use, so try to keep your distance. Not sure how to look for an openingˇ­" he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, but Valiant nodded back as the referee gave her signal.

    "BEGIN!"

    Erika raised an arm, her hand delicately rising into the air. "Stun Barrage!"

    Tangela''s goofy appearance did little to mask her capabilities once she sprung into action. After staring at Valiant with a painfully blank expression (or maybe it just looked blank, because her eyes were all that could be seen?), her visible features tightened upon hearing her trainer''s order, and she broke into a run. Valiant quickly sunk into a stance to prepare for her upcoming attack, brushing aside the fatigue in his eyes, only for a vine to shoot out from the grass type, wrapping around the tree behind her.

    Ash and Valiant watched with wide eyes as Tangela swung around the wooden trunk, slingshotting herself over the grassy arena. Now airborne, and sailing in Valiant''s direction, the vine Pokemon let loose the familiar barrage of Stun Spore-coated Bullet Seeds that had been utilized throughout the match.

    As the projectiles rained down from above, Valiant almost erected a Light Screen to intercept them, only to decide against it at the last second, the slight heaviness in his eyes reminding him that his mental prowess was on the verge of declining. He wasn''t as physically strained as he was mentally (although the steel type Hidden Power had certainly hurt in the moment), but the presisiting strength in his body wouldn''t matter very much if he tired his mind out.

    So instead, he used his body, which had more juice left in the tank than his mind, and took off into a sprint, evading the onslaught of substance-coated seeds that pelted the ground where he once stood. His gratitude towards Eevee suddenly amplified: It had always been obvious to him that boosting his physical prowess would prove useful from a versatility standpoint, but in practice, the importance of said versatility was just now occurring to him.

    "Slam!"

    Valiant and Tangela''s backs were now facing each other as Tangela''s body descended towards the grass. Before she could land, however, another vine shot out, wrapping around a different tree. Valiant turned to see his opponent spinning around again, this time slingshotting in a far more straightforward direction, her body pulsing an orange glow that gave the vines wrapped around her a shiny aesthetic.

    As his rotund opponent catapulted towards him with an angry glare, Valiant''s features tightened as fire enveloped one of his clenched fists. Rearing back, he cleanly struck Tangela''s face, although her momentum knocked him over, even as she let out a pained noise in response.

    Although his fist was sore from the impact, Valiant quickly rotated himself, breaking his fall with his hands and flipping back over as his grass type adversary tumbled away. As he took off to pursue her, this time with his other fist on fire, she managed to right herself, turning to face him with a steel glare as an emerald orb of energy appeared in front of her.

    "Valiant, don''t get too close!" Ash''s reminder filled his ears just as the Energy Ball formed, and Valiant inwardly cursed himself for jumping the gun. Tangela had regained her balance faster than he expected.

    With no time to change tactics, he quickly coated his other fist in flames, pressing both Fire Punches together, and defensively held them out in front of him just as Tangela fired. With one of his fists still sore from the previous collision, Valiant felt the lingering pain spike from further aggravation as the grass type move slammed into him, although the Fire Punches still absorbed most of the impact. Rather than being knocked over, he simply staggered, teetering on one foot as he wobbled to prevent himself from falling on his back.

    But even as he fought to maintain his posture, he suddenly felt a vine wrapping around his ankle. Before he could process it, all he could hear was Ash''s warning as his body was suddenly yanked in Tangela''s direction, his back colliding with the arena floor as he slid across the grassy soil.

    Tangela was running in Erika''s direction, straining herself to drag Valiant''s body along with her. Turning over onto his stomach, Valiant fought to resist the grass type''s pull, grabbing away at the grass to try and dig his hands into the soil. He wasn''t close enough to any bushes or branches to find something to grab onto and fight back, the only available option being to make fruitless attempts at crawling forward, with no results to speak of as the uncomfortable sensation of his belly sliding against the dirt continued to persist.

    Ash chewed his lip as he observed his friend''s pitiful struggle. Before long, Tangela would cease the opportunity to bind Valiant with additional vines, either to squeeze him into submissionˇ­ or worse, suffocate him. As a second vine began to rise from the grass type''s body, Ash suddenly realized that she was already preparing to do soˇ­

    "Teleport into the air and attack!"

    Hearing his trainer''s orders, Valiant closed his eyes, trying his hardest to concentrate even as the second vine worked its way around his waist. Thankfully, his arms were outstretched, desperately grabbing at the grass and dirt, so they weren''t binded for the moment.

    He wasn''t able to teleport very high. Between the momentum of being dragged backwards against his will, and his mental fatigue making it increasingly more difficult to execute his psychic abilities (not to mention, he still wasn''t quite used to using teleport vertically), he felt grateful that he gained the height that he did.

    Ash''s plan became apparent as a startled Tangela appeared in the air as well. Those vines were a part of her body, so when he teleportedˇ­ so did she.

    With adrenaline coursing through him, he angled his body around as best he could, eyes flashing pink as he tried to summon the concentration for a Dazzling Gleam. Thankfully, it wasn''t a psychic type move, and although his fatigue hindered it somewhat, as did the startling sensation of his descent as gravity took over, the strength of the pink beam wasn''t as compromised as he fired it into the grass type, just before his body smacked into the dirt.

    It wasn''t a direct hit, as Tangela''s own falling had thrown off his aim, but he had thankfully struck her rather cleanly in the side, prompting a pained yelp from his opponent as she tumbled across the greenery. At first, Valiant was dragged along with her, only to be freed from the hold of her vines soon after. He found it wasn''t too difficult to get up: Not only was the grassy soil not as hard as the pavement that he had fallen onto during his battle with Gary''s Skarmory on the previous day, but he hadn''t even fallen from as great of a height, either. Only mild soreness was felt as he picked his body up and dashed after the vine Pokemon.

    Tangela righted herself yet again, however, sliding backwards as two vines extended out from her, one on each side. Valiant leapt back as the two Vine Whips lashed out, cracking at the ground he had occupied mere moments before, and fired a second Dazzling Gleam.

    As the vines retracted, Tangela formed another Energy Ball, which met the pink beam shortly before it could collide with her. Due to her close proximity to the explosion, she was pushed back a bit, but remained relatively unharmed apart from feeling the discomforting force of the shockwaves. As she slid backwards, Valiant took off running to the side, in an effort to encircle her.

    Ash nodded in approval. Valiant was taking his time, not rushing her and leaving himself opened to be snatched again. If they could wittle her down from a distanceˇ­

    "Grass Knot!" Erika, however, was still rather calm, and Ash''s features tightened at the sound of her order. Much like with Carnivine before her, the grass between Tangela and Valiant abruptly sprung to life as the vine Pokemon closed her eyes. Just as Valiant''s eyes began to flash pink again, he felt himself tripping, his Dazzling Gleam missing its mark by a yard or two as something wrapped around his ankle. He quickly managed to free himself as the pink beam uselessly collided with the barriers next to Erika, but the Gym Leader was already calling out again. "Power Whip!"

    Ash''s face paled. "Valiant, watch out!" As Kirlia teetered forward, still making an effort to fully regain his balance, Tangela began to close the distance, the vines wrapped around her body glowing as a few of them rose upwards.

    Valiant turned his head just in time to see it. Closing her eyes, Tangela made a straining noise as the rising vines grew in size, the bright light enveloping them amplifying in intensity. Coming together, the vines formed one, giant tentacle of grass, glowing with a blinding greenish-golden aura.

    Power Whip was among the strongest grass type moves. In the simplest terms possible, it was essentially a roided variant of Vine Whip, one that couldn''t be used in the same consecutive, rapid fire manner, but dished out a single, devastating strike in return.

    Valiant''s eyes began to squint in irritation at the brightness of the bind, all the while Tangela reared her body back and prepared to swing forward.

    Still having not fully regained his balance just yet, Valiant rotated his body to face the incoming blow, hastily shooting his arms outward as a glass wall erected in front of him.

    But he had mentally taxed himself throughout the match, the barrier had been summoned with too much haste to be at full power, and, above all, the Power Whip, despite likely not being a high level, mastered version of the move, was still a Power Whip.

    The golden tentacle smashed into the Reflect, and Valiant''s mind immediately glazed as the glass shattered upon impact, shards of mental constructs scattering about the greenery before evaporating into lingering light. Pain overwhelmed the Kirlia''s entire front as the shockwaves flung him backward. He could faintly hear Ash calling out to him amidst the disorientation, before his head struck the soily greenery. As he lay sprawled out in the grass, it was as though the last reserves of a battery had been depleted, his vision blurring as the world around him spun.

    Had he been careless? Let emotions get in the way? Let his guard down? Was simply outplayed? He barely had time to faintly ask himself these questions, as his eyes failed to stay open, and his head tilted to the side.

    "Kirlia is unable to battle! Tangela wins!"

    A minor sensation of disheartenment passed over Ash as the cheers sounded over the arena, but he pushed them down as he reached for Valiant''s Poke Ball. Between the two knockouts he had scored, and the couple of hits he had landed on Tangela, the young psychic had done more than enough.

    As the red beam sucked the Kirlia into the orb, Ash''s eyes fell on Tangela, who had turned to face him after a quick exchange with her trainer. It seemed like she might''ve been breathing somewhat harderˇ­ no doubt because of Power Whip. Using it a second time would likely drain her further, not to mention take longer to charge up.

    Despite the loss, he found himself smiling.

    "You were incredible, Valiant." he spoke to the sphere. "We''re definitely going to win this."

    And with that, he exchanged the emotion Pokemon''s Poke Ball for Tyrunt''s.

    The royal heir Pokemon appeared in front of him in a bright flash of light, and Ash could feel a wave of confidence briefly passing over him as he eyed Erika from the other side.

    "Valiant lost to Tangela." As Tyrunt turned to greet him with a happy chirp, Ash returned the dinosaur''s gesture with a welcoming nod as he pointed out to the vine Pokemon. "You two are the only ones left." he added as Tyrunt''s head angled back to take the grass type into view. The youngest member of the team turned around to face Tangela in full, his expression growing a bit more serious as Ash crouched down.

    Tyrunt was still smiling, but his posture conveyed determination. He knew where they were, and he knew what had happened the first time he had stepped inside of a Gym. He wasn''t going to repeat his battle with Raichu.

    Taking advantage of the temporary absence of the barriers, Ash reached out to pat Tyrunt''s head. "Tangela can use Vine Whip on the trees to slingshot itself around. It also has a really strong move called Power Whip; don''t give it enough time to use it. It can make you trip with Grass Knot as well, so be careful." he removed his hand from Tyrunt''s head as his gaze made its way back to the vine Pokemon. "But your opponent''s the last thing standing between us and that badge. We won''t let that stop us, right?" An excited growl escaped from Tyrunt''s throat as the eager child scraped his feet against the grassy soil. Nodding in approval, Ash raised his arms, his hands closing up. "Great! Make sure you get in close; no matter what Erika does. The moment you sink your teeth in, this battle is over." As the royal heir Pokemon vigorously nodded away at the declaration, the rookie rose back up to face Erika in full.

    Just one more Pokemon. They''d be holding that badge soon.

    "BEGIN!"

    Tyrunt knew the plan. The moment the referee gave the signal, he took off in a sprint. He wasn''t the fastest member of the team, nor the strongest, but watching his legs carrying him across the greenery reminded Ash how much progress had been made since they had visited Bill.

    "Stun Barrage!"

    As Tyrunt cleared a decent amount of distance between the two (albeit not in attacking range just yet), Tangela lunged forward as the projectiles threatened to snipe the royal heir Pokemon. The dinosaur responded by changing course to the side, although he still winced as a few of the seeds clipped him. He wasn''t the most agile member of the team, apart from Tempest, everyone else was probably more mobile than him.

    As he changed direction again to resume his approach, Tyrunt opened his jaws as Tangela fired a second set of projectiles. A barrage of rocks erupted from his throat, intercepting the seeds. The Stun Barrage pounded through the rock blast, its grass typing no doubt giving it an advantage. The remaining seeds that managed to break through, however, had their momentum somewhat slowed, and even as he got closer, Tyrunt was able to sway to the side while continuing to run forward, the barrage just barely passing by the side of his head as Tangela began to run backwards.

    The grass in front of Tyrunt sprang to life as Grass Knot threatened to ensnare and trip him. Thinking quickly, Ash''s partner only struggled for a moment before remembering his jaws, which snapped and shredded the grass blades just in time for him to leap to the side and avoid another Stun Barrage. Before long, he was moving forward again.

    Erika''s lips curved up at the sight as she watched the dinosaur''s movements, although the Gym leader showed no signs of concern. "On the tree, Tangela!"

    Ash watched as Tangela neared one of the trees at the far end of the battlefield. Two vines extended outward from her back, wrapping around the wooden trunk and slingshotting her to the top. Without a doubt, Erika was aware that Tyrunt''s jaws weren''t just for show. She was taking him on from a distance.

    Tyrunt didn''t have much reliable means to fight Tangela from far away, while Tangela wasn''t safe within close vicinity of him. Unfortunately for them, the two fighters both started far away by default, giving them the uphill battle to fight.

    Standing atop the tree, Tangela appeared to be catching her breath as a frustrated Tyrunt stopped in front of the trunk and irritably growled up at her. Ash''s face tightened ina aggravation, inwardly cursing himself for not considering this. Vine Whip was certainly a versatile move, as Erika had proven in this match. In comparison, he and Tyrunt had no way of-

    He paused. Tyrunt didn''t need to climb the tree!

    "Use Fire Fang on the trunk!" Erika raised an amused brow as Tyrunt looked back at Ash in surprise, before nodding and lunging forward. Angling his jaws sideways, the dinosaur brought his fire-coated teeth around the trunk of the tree. These trees were relatively small compared to the typical ones found in a forest, and Tyrunt''s Strong Jaw gave him and his bite attacks a great deal of might behind them.

    Tangela stumbled as Tyrunt gnawed against the wood, feeling the tree teetering back as the royal heir Pokemon ripped a large chunk of the trunk out. He was still young, and the attack hadn''t been enough to completely topple the tree just yet, but it was on the verge of losing its balance, and Ash had a contingency.

    "Great work, now Roar!"

    Tyrunt backed away by a couple steps to take aim at the damaged, tilted trunk. Opening his mouth, the noisy shockwaves erupted from his throat and pounded into the compromised bruise his Fire Fang had left behind on the wood. The foundation snapped, and Erika quickly took a step forward as the small tree toppled.

    "Don''t give in!" As she spoke, Tangela hastily wrapped a Vine Whip around the falling tree, slingshotting herself away as Tyrunt pursued her. An upwards Rock Blast missed its mark, and a downwards Stun Barrage left the royal heir Pokemon to swerve to the side as the vine Pokemon landed on her feet, running off to the last remaining tree in the nearby area. As their opponent scaled it, Ash''s eyes lit up with a budding flame as he watched Tyrunt take off in hot pursuit.

    "Chomp all the trees down if you have to!"

    A Stun Barrage was fired from the peak of the tree, and avoided by Tyrunt before the process repeated itself. With all the remaining trees not close enough for Tangela to reasonably reach, Erika cupped her hands together.

    "Slam!"

    Tangela''s Vine Whip wrapped around the falling trunk even as it descended to the soily floor of the battlefield. Rotating around the tree, her body glowed orange, and Tyrunt turned just in time for her to collide with his front. With a yelp, he quickly found himself pinned onto his back as Tangela stood atop his abdomen.

    "Energy Ball, point blank!"

    Tyrunt gasped anxiously as the emerald sphere formed in front of Tangela, ready to explode against him without delay, when Ash, quickly pushing down the surge of panic in his chest, called out to him with cupped hands.

    "Use Roar!"

    Tyrunt didn''t take the time to hesitate in his panic, completely falling back on his trainer''s commands to survive. As the shockwaves left his throat, the halfway charged Energy Ball exploded prematurely. With no control over the detonation, Tangela was abruptly catapulted into the air as the explosion pounded against Tyrunt''s body, sandwiching him between the shockwaves and the grassy dirt.

    His body aching, Tyrunt pushed himself up as the vine Pokemon landed a yard or two back. Head lowered to the floor, he let out a couple of cloughs before raising his gaze to the rotund grass type, as she staggered to her feet.

    The fire in Ash''s eyes reached his chest. Tangela was off balance, they needed to take the chance now.

    "Poison Fang!" The small dinosaur must have been sensing victory too, as the aches in his body did little to slow him down as he sprinted to his opponent. Just as his jaws opened to reveal a familiar, purple glow, Tangela was fully upright again, two vines extending out of either side of her body as she lashed out at the royal heir Pokemon.

    With two consecutive, tiny hops, Tyrunt evaded the strikes with the most deft Ash had ever seen from the team''s youngest member, before lunging up into the air. As his body came down on Tangela, his ajws wrapped around her, sinking through the vines as his teeth injected the toxins.

    Tangela let out a shrill scream as the teeth pierced her skin, and the venom burned her insides. Although she tried to struggle, Tyrunt''s grip remained firm, and she was quickly forced into a sitting position as two vines extended out of her. Using the last of her strength, she shoved Tyrunt off of her body, a chunk of vines and flesh painfully ripping out as his grip remained intact. As the young dinosaur spit the chunk out, the grass type struggled to rise, only to find that she could not, collapsing down onto her bottom once more.

    Ash''s heart was hammering. They were right there! "Dragon Tail!" his voice was almost too eager as he gave the command.

    The same, however, could be said for Tyrunt''s response. Sprinting across the expansive arena, knocking down two small trees, and being struck by a point-blank explosion had left his muscles tiring, but the adrenaline surging through his blood drove those same muscles to action as he broke into one, final run. His tail rose behind his head as he performed a twirling motion, and smacked Tangela in the face.

    The purple tail sent her rolling several feet away before stopping on her back. A brief attempt at rising came to an end before she even had a chance to get halfway. Panting, Tyrunt watched her fall back.

    As Tangela definitively collapsed, the referee raised an arm. "Tangela is unable to battle! Tyrunt wins!" her arm pointed in Ash''s direction. "The victory goes to our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

    As she spoke the words, a swarm of Butterfree flew through Ash''s stomach. Moments later, his lips progressively spread out, as though someone had cut his face in two.

    As if on autopilot, his legs carried him across the field as Tangela disappeared back into her Poke Ball. Tyrunt turned around in time for his trainer to scoop him up into an overjoyed embrace.

    "Buddy, you did it! You were so awesome!" It was rough, and almost painful, as Tyrunt happily rubbed his face against the rookie''s cheek, but Ash barely cared-and any potential bruises could always be patched up at the hotel room later on anyway-both trainer and Pokemon were consumed by mutual elation.

    Tyrunt was tuckered out, his jaws were likely sore from chomping on the trees, and his muscles were aching, but it didn''t stop him from sharing in his trainer''s excitement. Or from reveling in his first victory at a Gym.

    After a few moments, the two parted, Ash setting his friend down as he heard Erika approaching them. The audience had finished clapping-he had barely even noticed it until the end- as he turned to face the Gym Leader, his smile evening out, but not vanishing.

    Erika took the time to clap her hands together twice, before lowering her arms as she stopped in front of the duo. The aroma from her perfume was back.

    "Congratulations, Mr. Ketchum." her expression had lost its professional composure, the smile on her face appearing as if addressing a friend. "I think it''s safe to say everyone here enjoyed watching your performance." she briefly gestured to the students on the bleachers, some of whom were excitedly talking amongst themselves.

    Ash followed her hand, the Butterfree in his stomach suddenly returning for a moment.

    Throughout the battle, they had shown no favoritism. Just joyful excitement and fun. Had he ever battled in front of an audience like that before?

    Unable to suppress a chuckle, he looked down at Tyrunt for a moment before returning to the Gym Leader. "Glad to hear it. We had our eyes on this Gym for a while."

    Her hand slipped into her pocket as her eyes remained on him. "The way you and your team responded to our attempts at pressuring you were consistently competent. Your Kirlia is especially good at thinking for himself, and it almost felt like I was the one being pressured at the end when I felt the need to risk Tangela''s stamina with Power Whip, an error on my part. And it didn''t take long for you to realize your Tyrunt''s biting attacks could be used for means other than direct offense." The tired dinosaur''s grin widened as glanced down at him for a moment. "You''re also clearly aware of how there''s more to matchups than just typing, based on your Krabby''s performance. Most rookies have a lot more trouble getting around that." her hand left her pocket, and Ash''s heart skipped a beat as she opened your palm. "It was fun seeing the way you all adapt. I''d say you''ve earned this Rainbow Badge wholeheartedly."

    Ash''s face was as bright as the sun as he stared at the small object for a moment. As he reached over and took it from her hand, the rookie rested the badge between his fingers, as though it were the most fragile of decorations.

    It was in the shape of a flower with a shiny, white center, the petals sticking out in all directions each in the colors found on a rainbow. Much like all Gym Badges, the texture and aesthetic reminded the young rookie of a precious treasure.

    Any lingering disheartenment that may have remained from their unfortunate encounter with LT. Surge had all but evaporated as he took in the sight of their latest prize.

    Two months of hard work had awarded them with three Gym Badges, and that meant that their journey to the Indigo Plateau was almost half over.

    Ash''s almost goofy grin made its way down to Tyrunt as he held the object in front of his partner. "Take a look, buddy. This is what we''ve earned." The royal heir Pokemon giddily clicked his teeth together before sinking onto his bottom, in hopes of giving his legs a break.

    "You know, Mr. Ketchum." Ash''s attention returned to the Gym Leader as the young dinosaur fiddled with the grass blades in front of him. "I''ve actually heard about you before, from a friend of mine."

    He perked up at that. "Elacia?"

    She nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. She loves giving detailed stories whenever she talks about what she''s been up to. Seemed pretty taken with you."

    A pleasant warmth passed over the boy as he recounted his time in Pewter. "She was a big help." a thought occurred to him. "Do you know when she''ll be back?"

    She let out a deep sigh at that, before her smile turned apologetic. "Sorry, kid, but it likely won''t be for a while. She was already off doing something elsewhere, but she ended up finding a last minute project just last night, so who knows when she''ll be getting back at this point." Although still grinning, she seemed a bit exasperated. "Unlike Suzie, she''s hardly ever been content with just staying home. And then she talks about how taxing and demanding her profession is." She brushed it off with a small shrug, however. "She used to be a trainer, after all. Guess she never grew out of traveling. Can''t hold that woman in one place for long."

    Ash nodded in understanding. It was a bit disappointing that he probably wouldn''t be able to see his friend again for a while, but he more than understood that her job came first.

    ''Guess we''ll be visiting Suzie tomorrow, then.'' He thought to himself. Elacia had asked him to do so if she wasn''t around.

    The referee approached them from the side, handing Erika a small case as Ash placed the beautiful badge with the others. His eyes lingered on them for just a moment before looking back up to Erika.

    "Thanks." she nodded to the referee before turning back to him. "I''ll be sure to tell her you were here. In the meantimeˇ­" She opened the case, revealing a set of discs. TMs, as Ash quickly realized. Plucking one out, she offered it up to him. "This is Bullet Seed, a move that you''re probably more than familiar with after today."

    Ash accepted the disc with a nod. "Thanks."

    "No problem." her hand pressed against her hip as her eyes scaled the rookie. "You definitely have a long way to go, but I''d say you''ve found your momentum. I''ll bet Professor Oak really likes having a kid like you in town." her hand extended to him. "Keep honing that spirit of yours, and I''m sure you''ll be ready for the others."

    The boy inwardly flinched at the mention of the Professor''s name, memories of the previous night suddenly flooding back.

    He pushed them down as quickly as he could, however, before they could become visible. He didn''t know what to think of Professor Oak''s words anymoreˇ­ but that was fine for now. He and his team had made it for now, and they would keep on doing so.

    Right now, the only thing that mattered was this moment.

    His hand wrapped around hers as the two shook, each putting an equal amount of pressure on one another as they locked eyes for one final time.

    Right. This moment.

    Ash spoke to a few Gym trainers on the way out while carrying Tyrunt. Their energy was a lot brighter and more casual than Surge''s students. The entire environment felt more welcoming, like something he could get used to.

    It didn''t last long, however. He had a team to take to the Center, a phone call to make to Delia and give her the good news.

    After a long battle, they had overcome Erika and her team''s tactics. The hurdles ahead were looking a little bit bigger than the ones behind them, but their jumps were only increasing in height.

    /

    Damian sat back in his steel chair as he observed the pendulum swinging from the tall clock propped up against the wall.

    The room he was in was somewhat underground, with well-refined, stone walls and a large lantern hanging from the ceiling to brighten the surroundings. In his hand was a sausage, which he had heated up after plucking it from the refrigerator nearby.

    He was just in the midst of finish the snack when his father walked in, holding a Poke Ball. Perking up, the boy stood to greet the man, who smiled with a satisfied glint in his eyes.

    "How''s it been treating you, son?" They had just gotten relocated to the newest hideout a couple of days ago, but his dad was off in Blackthorn on business, while his mother and a few other soldiers accompanied Proton to the board meeting.

    "I''ve been fine," the nine year old rubbed the back of his head as the tall man stopped in front of him. The blue-haired boy''s features took the form of a fairly relaxed smile as he angled his head upward to lock eyes with him. "I wasn''t expecting you back for another couple of days. Guess you beat mom."

    A modest chuckle from the man. "I suppose so. After I got Proton''s approval to head on up to Blackthorn, I figured I wouldn''t waste any time. I was in and out, and I have permission to give this to you." his hand extended outward, allowing Damian to take the Poke Ball. He tried to suppress the excitement welling up in his chest, but could only barely. "Go on, see."

    Nodding with a confident smile, Damian enlarged the poke Ball and activated it. An orange lizard with a flame at the tip of his tail appeared out of the bright flash of light, dozing on the stone floor.

    "A Charmander." Damian''s eyes lit up. "Nice." he nodded up towards his father. ''Thanks dad."

    His dad shook his head with a thumbs up. "No need for thanks. I told you I was gonna nab you the best one I could. With the way your tutoring has been progressing, you''ll likely be in the ranks less than a couple of years from now, so it was time to speed up that process." kneeling downward, the large, red R on his uniform loomed over the Charmander''s sleeping form as he lightly tapped against the creature''s neck with the tip of his index finger. "That''s part of why I asked to be the one to go on the mission. My old man''s a fairly prominent Breeder back where I grew up in Blackthorn. Swift and efficient, the fool didn''t even know I was there overnight. His database was a joke to crack into as well, given I know him and his way of thinking is like the back of my hand." he grinned up at his son. "I looked through all of them, to see which one had which Abilities, checking for Egg Moves, what their health indicated, all the reports I could find. And out of every lizard I ripped from the geezer''s place, this one was the most potent. His masterpiece. Perfect way to get your foot in the door when the time comes for you to join the cause."

    Damian''s eyes shined with an inspired determination as his father rose back up. That was rightˇ­ the cause. Everything his parents worked for. Everything their superiors worked for. To put an end to the Indigo League''s reign and remind the people what truly shaped, guided, and governed the world.

    "Remember, son. Pokemon are the sword and shield of all mankind. And it''s our purpose to use their powers the best out of everyone, in order to come out on top in this world."

    /

    Damian tucked the picture back into his pocket as he rose from his seat and wandered the halls of the underground hideout. The overhead lights dimly lit the corridor, a hard floor surrounded by metallic walls and ceiling.

    It had been a hot minute since he''d last seen his parents. Ever since they had left with Proton''s division to claim power in Ever Grande. He didn''t know when they''d be back, but their words were always in his mind.

    Even so, the anxiety flooding through his chest made his body feel heavy. It was only a matter of days before his first ever mission as a soldier. Not the botched evaluation that he and the other kids have been given, but an actual, on the record assignment that he would be participating in. No longer would he be sheltered by the bunkers of the various hideouts and forts. No longer would he be a spectator who watched, and listened, and heard about the battles fought.

    Now, he would be a component of those battles. He would be on the attack. Just as he had been preparing for for over half a decade. He would be stepping outside of the secure safety of the shelters that had served as his comfort zone and out into the world his body and spirit had been promptly honed for.

    It was exhilarating. It was horrifying. And it was all coming in days.

    His head angled upwards towards the ceiling as the occasional adult soldier passed by in the opposite direction. He was no stranger to wandering the halls, whether it be for the sake of curious exploration, or just out of boredom while his parents went off to perform whatever the latest task that Proton had handed out to them was. It was such a major component of his life, and he had occasionally gone over two months without ever stepping outside. But now, that would only be a small part of it. It wouldn''t go away, but it abruptly made him feel nostalgic.

    A small grin formed on his features as he plucked a Poke Ball from his belt. He gazed at the orb for just a brief moment before returning it to where it belonged.

    Those preparations would all pay offˇ­ in just days.

    A noise caught his attention, and, as if on instinct, he broke into a run. A few moments later, he was in one of the warehouses, the scene in front of him spotlighted by the overhead lights directly above.

    The red-haired teenager was there, a massive, blue reptile with incredible jaws standing next to him. In front of them was a Machoke, kneeling down, a man in a blue-collared uniform pinned onto his stomach with muffled protests. Next to the Machoke stood a woman in a standard Rocket uniform.

    The teen with red hair turned his head to see Damian jogging towards them, raising a signaling hand to slow the boy''s run to a walk.

    As Damian stopped in front of them, he gazed down at the victim in suspicion. "Intruder?"

    "Afraid so." replied the teen. His expression was stern, but neutral as he leered down at the struggling man, who was currently on the verge of just giving up. "Using the network beneath the Game Corner has been very beneficial to us, but it appears that an employee has wandered in. No matter."

    Damian''s face tightened as he nodded at the explanation. He had seen intruders before, albeit only three times previously. The first occurrence had been at the age of six, when he had watched one of Proton''s assistants have his Arcanine devour the head of a police officer who had charged in without backup. "Got it. What is gonna happen to him?"

    "Interesting question." the teen stoically responded, sparing the younger boy a glance before bringing his attention back down to the man. "That is just what we were about to discuss."

    "P-Pleaseˇ­" the man moaned pathetically (intruders were always so wimpy when caught) "I''m sorry, I-... I didn''t-"

    "You didn''t know, I''m aware." the teen interrupted in response. "Just an average worker who took a wrong turn inspecting the basement, and ended up further down. I''ll have to double-check the entrances. Can''t have any more inconveniences." the blue creature beside him rumbled in agreement, as its fierce eyes locked onto the man. The teen nodded to the soldier and her Machoke. "Help him up."

    As the terrified man was brought back up to his feet, the sight of the blue creature froze him in place as Machoke''s hands rested on his shoulders, and the teen removed a belt with four poke Balls on it. "We won''t kill you, but we can''t have you leaving so soon before our mission. We''d lose the element of surprise once you go off flapping your lips all the way over to the police station." his face somewhat tightened. "You will remain here, for now. When the coast is clear, you will be clear to walk free, without your Pokemon, who will remain with us."

    A brief surge of anger filled the man''s eyes, but it was in stark contrast to the clear helplessness on his face. "If I''m gone for too long-"

    "Your family will call the authorities and request a search party. I am well aware." the teen crossed his arms. "Once we''ve further secured the entrances-which you only discovered by chance, I might add, it won''t be a problem. We won''t even be here for much longer anyway." he nodded to the woman. "Show our guest his new room." With a salute, she led the Machoke out of the warehouse, as the fighting type guided the man.

    Damian watched them go, before an awkward weight hung in the air as the doors closed behind them. Damian''s gaze briefly lingered on the blue behemoth accompanying the teen, a dreadful sense of unease passing through his heart, before his gaze returned to the teen himself. The Agent was leaning his back against a crate, with his arms crossed for just a few moments, before nonchalantly pushing himself off, walking past the boy.

    "Walk with me."

    Damian did as he was told, speeding up to keep pace with the older boy as the blue creature followed from behind. The trio passed through a different door than where Damian had entered. A few soldiers chatting in the hallways paused to salute as the teen walked by them, although a couple paled as their eyes made their way to the blue Pokemon.

    It felt as though it had been silent for a moment or two before the teen finally spoke. "So, how''s your nerves?"

    "What do you mean?" Damian responded, speeding up just a little bit more so that he was traversing the corridors next to his superior, angling his head to face him in full.

    "I''m just making sure your heart is ready for the upcoming assignment. You''ve never done this before, have you not?"

    Damian''s expression tightened. "That doesn''t matter, I assure you I''m ready." his gaze turned ahead. "We attack in the next two to three days, and "we" includes me. I''m well aware of my role."

    "That''s easy for you to say," the teen responded, but it hasn''t exactly been long since your run in with those two."

    Damian''s face twisted at the memory of Ash and Paul. His voice was hoarse and bitter. "Those twoˇ­"

    The teen''s gaze left the boy, focusing on the pathway ahead of them. "I just want to verify that you know what it means to be on a mission like this. It''s very easy to freeze up when the time finally comes to put all of your training into practice, as occurred with me on my first mission."

    Damian allowed a small smirk to form across his lips. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might get off to a better start?"

    "That remains to be seen." it was almost infuriating how unfazed the teen was. "Anyway, it just so happens that I ran into one of those rookies at the Department Store yesterday."

    Damian''s head whipped in the teen''s direction. "Whatˇ­"

    "Yeah, the Ash kid. Didn''t know who I was, obviously, but he''s in the city."

    Damian''s face gazed off to the path ahead once more, tightening again as his eyes narrowed, almost into slits. A deep glint appeared within his pupils as he processed the information. "Goodˇ­" he almost couldn''t help the small, toothy grin that spread across his face while his teeth grinded together. "I''m looking forward to seeing him again. The prickˇ­"

    "Hmph, I take it you''re planning to kill him and Paul?"

    "And why shouldn''t I?" the blue-haired boy barked out. His fists squeezed together. "Those two pieces ofˇ­ They''re not going to get away with humiliating me the way that they did. I''m not some idiot who can be toyed with whenever they want, I''m gonna-"

    His focus was broken as the teen scoffed. "Roughly two dozen of the other kids that were given that evaluation alongside you were captured because of those two rookies, and yet your vendetta against them stems entirely from the mild bruise done to your misplaced ego."

    "Watch it, prick." Damian snarled at the teen, only for his face to pale as a low rumble escaped the blue Pokemon''s throat behind them.

    "Relax, Neptune." The noise settled down as the teen angled his head back at the creature, before resuming his focus on the path in front of them as the trio took a turn. "No need to get temperamental about it, kid. It''s not like it matters much to me, anyway, you can feel free to kill that Ash fellow if you run into him during the mission, just make sure you don''t jeopardize yourself over trivial affairs. He was silent for a moment, before the look in his eyes shifted. "By the way, Damianˇ­ your parents, they work under Executive Proton, correct?"

    Trying to recover from the brief, yet deep scare, Damian resteadied himself as he nodded a bit too hastily, his gaze briefly turning to the duo of soldiers (a man and a woman) that passed by them in the opposite direction. "Yes. in his good graces too, I might add." he added that last bit somewhat proudly.

    The teen nodded in approval. "A capable man. I was actually mentored by him. His vouching is the reason I was promoted." his chin rested against his finger. "Right now, he''s working to get our organization a hold on the Hoenn Region. Quite ironic, since he used to be the one most staunchly against branching out to foreign territories in the past. The risk of splitting our sources thin was always the argument, but I suppose now that''s no longer an issue." with his hand somewhat lowering, before his arms crossed against his chest, he added. "In the past five to ten years, Recruitment has been a lot more steady. The child soldier program that Petrel had proposed is finally coming into its own, we''ve annexed most of the gangs that we had our eyes on, and more people in general have been persuaded as our advertising continues to improve. Not to mention, Commander Archer''s connections have been a huge boon." his head angled slightly upwards towards the ceiling. "To think we have the Iron-Masked Marauder fighting with us. An international legend, underneath our banner."

    Damian hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "You said you were promoted because of Proton? When did you start working under him?"

    "When I was twelve." the teen responded. "About a year after I joined, he recognized my potential, honed it for a couple of years, and then persuaded the Commander to grant me my current position. Said I was a prodigy."

    "No wonder you''re so stuck upˇ­" Damian scoffed under his breath.

    "It takes one to know one." The teen was still unfazed. "Unlike you, I''ve earned my confidence. You, on the other hand, are acting like you''ve proven yourself the moment you started trying to." his gaze shifted to the side in order to face the boy. "I''ve made more than my fair share of hiccups during my climb up the ladder. I know what it entails. I''d rather not watch you lose your grip."

    A low grumble escaped Damian''s throat, but it quickly died down as soon as it started as he eyed his superior carefully. "I suppose mom did bring you up once. Can''t remember when."

    "It was probably about six months ago," the teen responded. "I was frontrunning the most successful mission we''ve ever had."

    Damian processed that for a split second before his eyes widened like dinner plates.

    "Wait a minuteˇ­ the assassination?! In Goldenrod?! Are you trying to tell me that was you?!"

    "Believe what you want. All I''m saying is, I''ve been in your shoes before. Maybe not quite in the same way, I became a part of this organization after the gang I joined was annexed, you''ve been here since the day you were born, but I''ve had to climb up similar steps to the ones that you''ll be facing pretty soon." his head turned to Damian. "You obviously don''t have to like me, but lending an ear every now and then might do you some good in the long run."

    Damian hummed quietly at that. He wasn''t sure if this older boy had done what he''d just claimed to have done, but he was given his rank for a reason regardless, after all.

    His whole life had been spent preparing to join the ranks of Team Rocket. Now that he had, it was up to him to ensure that it was worth it.

    "...I''ll take it under advisement." he simply stated.

    "Goodˇ­" the teen nodded in approval. The trio stopped at a branching path as he turned to face him in full. "Well, I have to go check on those entrances for now. See you once the operation starts." He nodded to his partner. "Come on, Neptune." The behemoth spared one final, passing glance at Damian as it followed its trainer down the hall.

    Damian watched the duo depart for a few moments, trying to take in the older boy''s words for a bit as their forms grew smaller, the distance between them expanding with every stride. Eventually, they both took another turn, and were out of sight.

    Tapping his foot with crossed arms for a few seconds, the blue-haired boy turned around and headed off in the opposite direction.

 Reflection Upon Reminiscence pt 1

    Suzie leaned back in her seat as she sipped her iced coffee. The sun above her head shined across Celadon''s skyline as she looked across the circular, outside table she was seated at, not even a block away from her salon. Just next to the table, Vulpix shared a large bowl of food with a Slurpuff. The woman took the time to enjoy Celadon''s beautiful air, not to mention the quiet atmosphere they were treated with once in a blue moon.

    "Well, you weren''t kidding when you said you had a story." her somewhat exasperated expression formed into a grin. "Although, knowing you, "launched into the stratosphere" probably just means that the Rhydon smashed into a wall or something."

    Across from her, a grinning Elacia sat down a cup of her own. "Heh, you''re no fun. I like my version better."

    It had been a few days since her red-haired friend had returned to Celadon, although who knew when Elacia would be taking off again (and for how long, at that). Suzie was more than happy with communicating with her longtime colleague long-distance, but she''d always cherish their in-person moments while she could.

    Sparing a glance down at Vulpix and Slurpuff (both equally enamored with the professionally made food they indulged in), the teal-haired woman sent her friend a grateful smile. "Well, I''m glad you told me." A minor frown formed on her features as she glanced at her cup. "We both know it could be a coincidence, but the timeline does add up." a smile. "Not that I''m worried. He sounds like a great kid."

    Elacia chuckled, hand resting against her chin as she shot Slurpuff a fond look. "He definitely is. Some self esteem issues he needs to work out, but I''d like to think his time in Pewter already got that process started for him. He just needed an opportunity to see his potential for himself." reaching forward, she took one of the pastries piled up on the plate in between them and plucked it into her mouth.

    "You seem oddly attached, based on your story."

    The red-haired woman shrugged. "Eh, no denial there. I always enjoy helping out the latest batch of newbies when I can. Guess it brings back memories to my time as a trainer. But some times do feel more personal than others. Can''t say I know the cause."

    Suzie chuckled heartily as she picked out a pastry of her own. "That''s how it usually works, isn''t it? You never know when you''ll feel that way towards someone, or for what reason. Usually just comes without warning. That''s what happened with us." Taking a moment to chew on the pastry, she let out a satisfied moan as the taste filled her mouth. "These chouquettes you brought are so good, by the way."

    Elacia smirked, getting ready to pop in another one. "Tell me about it. My Kalosian contact is a gift that keeps on giving. Gave me a recipe I''ll hang onto for the rest of my life." a comfortable silence hung in the air between the two breeders as she chewed on the pastry, lost in the early morning breeze. She sighed. "Iˇ­ always really enjoy these moments."

    A teasing, yet good natured smile accompanied Suzie''s features. "We could have them more often if you stuck around longer." her lips took on a more mischievous form as she leaned forward a bit. "For someone who lives in Celadon, you know, you sure aren''t here all that often."

    Elacia wagged a finger in her friend''s face. "Now, now, Suzie, you know you can''t go putting me on a leash like that. Just because you''re content with being all boring and stationary, doesn''t mean I gotta be dragged down to your level." she leaned back in her chair as her eyes made their way to the skyline above. "Things are going great for me. Celadon is my hub, Indigo is my stomping grounds. Wouldn''t trade it for the world." her gaze moved down to her friend. "Of course, I suppose I should be grateful. Your complacency to never leave always gives me a reason to come back."

    An uncharacteristic smirk appeared on the teal-haired breeder''s compassionate features. "Then I guess it''s a good thing I''m boring, isn''t it? Gotta give you some place to call home, especially since you''re so far away from Alola."

    "Very kind of you, dear friend." Elacia took a bite out of another pastry. "Anyway, speaking of which, I''m not sure when he''ll get here, but I did ask him to stop by my place when he does. And if I''m gone, I gave him your info as well. Either way, he''ll find his way to your salon."

    Suzie nodded gratefully. "Thanks. Although, you didn''t have to go that far, you know. It''s not like I didn''t want him to have a trainer. Staying was always his own choice, not mine."

    "True, but it still means he was around longer than most of the other Pokemon were. Figured the closure would be nice."

    "You''re not wrong, I suppose." Suzie admitted. "Given the circumstancesˇ­"

    "Yeah, nobody was expecting the break in. And the two Rockets who were presumed responsible turned up dead, right?"

    "That''s what Erika said." Suzie nodded. "Just outside of Viridian Forest, where they went into hiding." she shook her head. "We shouldn''t jump to conclusions, though. For all we know this was just a coincidence."

    "I thought that too." Elacia admitted. "But the more I think about it, the more it doesn''t add up. You gotta admit, it''s convenient as hell."

    "I won''t deny that." Suzie responded, sipping her coffee. She sighed. "I suppose now the best thing to do is wait and see. I tried searching the forest myself a couple times, but you already know how that went."

    "Nobody blames you for that. It''s a needle in a haystack. If roaming that place wasn''t such a risk in and of itself, it''d be one thing, but this is another." Elacia shot her a reassuring smile. "But as you said, wait and see. I''m sure that worry in the back of your mind will go away then."

    "Thanks." Suzie responded appreciatively. Smiling, she took the time to briefly gaze at Vulpix and Slurpuff. "Valiantˇ­ that''s a nice nickname."

    /

    "Toxtricity, Power-Up Punch!"

    The bipedal lizard standing in front of Janine and Ivysaur sported purple-colored skin and a yellow underbelly, with yellow, electric frills extending from its front nose to its neck, and two smaller electric spikes on its back. Still fairly newly evolved, its height was below average for its species, though it was still taller than the Mankey hopping in front of it.

    The fighting type had singes on his fur from the shocks of electricity that he had been exposed to throughout the battle, along with purple patches of acid and a slightly disrupted posture from the toxins progressively making their way into his bloodstream. Nonetheless, he still eyed Toxtricity with aggression. The electric/poison type Pokemon, in comparison, sported some bruisings, but showed little signs of hindrance.

    At his trainer''s orders, the bipedal lizard sped across the Pokemon Center''s battlefield, some aggression of his own in his eyes as his reared back fist glowed orange.

    With purified confidence, Janine watched her partner''s fist collide with Mankey''s crossed arms. As the fighting type staggered backwards, the glow in Toxtricity''s fist intensified, before the energy suddenly began to spread across his arms.

    ''Power-Up Punch. A move that absorbs the impact from the collision and transfers it into energy to briefly amplify the strength of the user.'' Janine thought to herself as she nodded with satisfaction.

    "Great, now Thunder Punch!" Raising his other arm, which still glowed from the amplifying energy, Toxtricity lunged forward yet again, sending Mankey flying into the barriers in front of his trainer; a young boy about Janine''s age. He did not get up.

    Although clearly dejected, the boy paid the prize money before leaving. After she and Ivysaur offered their friend congratulations, the young girl returned Toxtricity.

    She smiled at the Poke Ball as she placed it back onto her belt. Behind her, Ivysaur looked up expectantly as she glanced down at him.

    "I''m glad we went to Suzie''s place when we did, Ivysaur." she smiled at her starter. "It''s embarrassing, but, she''s definitely been a big help in researching Toxtricity, and I''m more confident he''ll be able to reach his full potential now than when it was just me."

    She tried telling herself that she shouldn''t feel embarrassed. The more rookies her age started finding foreign Pokemon, the more common it had become to consult with breeders and other professionals for advice on how to raise and train them properly. And with Galar just behind Alola on the list of the rarest foreign Pokemon in Indigo, very few would judge her for seeking help.

    But no matter her justification, she couldn''t but feel as though she had let down a friend. It hadn''t taken Toxtricity long to become friendly and loyal with the rest of the group, despite his stubborn attitude, but she had been unable to reward him for such dedication.

    That would end now, however. Ever since their first visit, Suzie had been delighted to offer up her help. They were visiting her each day and taking the time to gather the information that they needed. Toxtricity were a species that even Suzie herself wasn''t overly educated in, but she seemed to know all the right places to get started. What moves he could learn, the biology and health. It was all slowly unraveling, and Janine was grateful for the famous breeder''s help.

    And today, they had been lucky enough to find themselves an opponent to help apply some of their findings, despite how early it was. It wasn''t quite 7:00 AM yet, and finding other trainers at this time had always been rare for her. She had lucked out.

    Toxtricity certainly enjoyed the practice, as well. He clearly loved to battle, which made the girl all the more guilty she wasn''t able to completely fulfill that enjoyment. Pretty soon, however, in due time, he''d have all the capabilities in the world. Enough to truly revel in the combat from the challenges ahead.

    Her grin grew as Ivysaur returned it, the grass/poison type nodding affirmatively. The quadruped closed his eyes and leaned into her touch as she briefly bent down to pat his head.

    Looking up to the sky, she could see the sea of blue beginning to brighten as the sun rose higher into the sky. "Suzie''s place will be open roughly a half an hour." she glanced back at her starter with a friendly nod. "It shouldn''t take Toxtricity too long to recover. We''ll wait for the Center''s machines to do her work, and then head on over."

    Sure enough, her partner only took a quick half hour to recover. After that, she and Ivysaur were out of the Center and into the city streets, traversing the sidewalk side by side as they observed the start of the morning commute.

    Janine found her eyes wandering at the sight of people exiting buildings and entering their vehicles. It would be a bit before things got busy, creating an odd harmony where activity was present, but didn''t take too much away from the peaceful immersion of the morning.

    It was something she always appreciated about waking up early, especially back at home. She had been raised from an early age to rise early, and had found comfort in the unique atmosphere that only early morning could carry. When the sun was rising, the uniquely dim yet noticeable blue in the sky made itself known, not too dark, but the day having not started yet, and without the noisy distractions that came from the daily community rush. And the breeze that accompanied the early dawn.

    As she headed down the sidewalk, Janine sucked in a satisfying gasp of the fresh, morning air. Being from Fuschia, she wasn''t a stranger to such clean, comfortable air, but she was more than impressed to find it of the same quality in a city like Celadon. Erika''s environmental tactics truly had been worth the effort.

    With a satisfied sigh, she looked down to her partner. "Always feels good to be out in the morning doesn''t it, Ivysaur?" she giggled at his enthusiastic, nodding grin. Looking on ahead, she added. "I''m wondering what we should be focusing on this morning. Not sure if Suzie has anything specific to look up again, like with before. And we''ve been lucky enough for these past couple of days to not be too busy for her. We certainly can''t always count on thatˇ­" Her partner grunted in affirmation. "We''ll probably move on from here in another two or three days. I just want to make sure we have everything situated for Toxtricity. After that, it''ll be all up to us to apply her guidance and advice." The girl stretched her arms as they continued on their way.

    /

    It was 8:15 AM when Ash''s opening eyes were greeted with the sight of the hotel ceiling. As his feet touch the carpet and he glanced around, he could see that Valiant and Tempest were in the process of waking as well, while Eevee and Tyrunt remained sleeping side by side. Pikachu and Nebula were chatting off in a corner, breaking their conversation just long enough to greet their trainer as he passed by on his way to the bathroom. From what he could guess, they must have been up for at least a little while now.

    After a quick shower, which Eevee and Tyrunt had both risen during, the group was off to the cafeteria as usual. Ash was silently pleased by the high spirits accompanying the air surrounding them, the victory at the Gym yesterday still perfectly fresh in everybody''s memories.

    There was always incentive to celebrate a new Gym badge, but the events of the previous day had essentially accomplished two things at once, the sour taste left behind by their battle with Surge having long since vanished. In addition to being one step closer to the still far-distant Conference, it was just good to feel victorious again; a reminder that they had what it took to make it all the way to the end.

    Breakfast was pleasant that morning. The chatter amongst his teammates was more frequent, consistently chipper, and even Tempest, despite still being distanced from the rest as always, didn''t stir up any trouble. In other sections of the cafeteria, Ash could overhear a few groups of trainers talking about their own endeavors, whether it be planning to challenge Erika, or recent triumphs or defeats at the Gym, but even those who brought up losing sounded fairly optimistic about their next attempt.

    One particular comment, which he picked up from a girl passing by their table while talking to one of her friends, that stood out to him, was that today officially marked two months since the Season had first begun. Ash had been doing his best to keep track himself, but hadn''t actually known the exact date.

    Two monthsˇ­ everytime he thought of it, the more surreal the feeling got. Had so much really happened since then? His humiliation at Gary''s hands, the attack on Viridian''s Pokemon Center, the unpleasant week spent in Viridian Forest, all of the training and battles fought in Pewter, meeting Misty at Mt. Moon, where the Iron-Masked Marauder had attacked, staying in Cerulean, the encounter with Surge, and nowˇ­ here.

    "I''d recommend you get used to that, Ash. Your life is only going to get more eventful from here. Especially now that you have a full team of six. By the time you''re at Indigo Plateau, you''ll be feeling like your career has already gone on for a decade. Take it from someone who knows."

    This must have been what Aya meant.

    Breakfast finished at a steady pace that morning, Pikachu and Valiant joining Ash on the table as Nebula, Eevee, and Tyrunt chatted together. Tempest stayed put at his empty bowl, continuously glancing around the room, but not showing any signs of making any moves. The rest of the team had only shot him one or two distrusting glances before moving on without much concern.

    Reaching into one of his backpack''s pockets, Ash pulled out the business card that Elacia had handed out to him prior to leaving Pewter way back when. It was Suzie''s.

    The card''s aesthetic was fairly stylish, with a beautiful Vulpix and a clean texture. Pikachu and Valiant eyed the card together, prompting Ash to smile at them.

    "That''s what''s on the agenda for today." the boy stated to them. "Erika has already confirmed that Elacia isn''t home right at the moment, so we''ll be paying a visit to her friend Suzie instead." Even as he said it, Ash could suddenly feel a small amount of Butterfree in his stomach. Suzie was the top ranked breeder in all of Indigo. Even if her salon was open to the public, they''d essentially be talking to a celebrity. It almost felt silly for him to be nervous about that, given that Elacia was a celebrity too, and he had gotten used to interacting with her, not to mention the Gym Leaders that they had all met up to this point, but the young rookie quickly realized that it must have been a case by case sort of thing. Just because they had been able to grow comfortable around one celebrity doesn''t mean that the process wouldn''t have to repeat itself with another.

    He pushed that all aside, however. The more he thought about it, the more of a good mood he realized he was in today. Good enough to dilute whatever nervousness he may have felt.

    Beside him, Pikachu and Valiant both nodded. It seemed like they were content with the plan.

    Before leaving, however, Ash called the rest of the team over to the table. As they lined up, he stood in front of them, a trainer addressing his six comrades.

    "There''s something worth mentioning I''d like to announce." His tone was friendly and casual, although he tried to keep his posture straight. It was a balance that he wanted to strike. Seeing that he had everyone''s attention, he continued. "As of today, this current Season for the League has gone on for two months. Now, I know not all of you have been here for that long, butˇ­ I just wanted to say thanks. I know notˇ­ every memory we''ve made has been a great oneˇ­" mental images of the Iron-Masked Marauder and the Rocket children were swiftly shoved aside. "But as a wholeˇ­ These past two months have been the best of my life. I had no idea what to think when I first left my home, but nowadays, the thought of the great road ahead has started to bring me some excitement to accompany that sort of anxiety." he put a hand to his chest. "I obviously can''t speak for any of you, but with everything that''s happened, and everything we''ve accomplished, I''d like to believe that we''re a family now. All of usˇ­" his eyes lingered on Tempest for just a moment. "We''re not even at the halfway point yet, and the amount of trials are just going to be doubling from here on out, not to mention their intensity, but we''ve made it this far for a reason, and I think we can go all the way for that same reason. I hope you all feel the same."

    Pikachu''s cheeks jolted as the electric mouse sank to all fours with a grin. Beside him, Nebula patted the rodent''s back with one wing, while raising the other with a determined smile. Valiant crossed his arms with a confident nod, Eevee''s tail wagging beside him as Tyrunt giddily jumped up and down. Not too far away, Tempest''s pincers began clicking madly, a sharp grin indicating a hunger that had yet to be quelled.

    Ash''s face nearly split into two at the sight. If they could go this far in just two monthsˇ­ then where would they be in four? Half a year? Just how far will they have gone in a full, entire year?

    They were about to find out, because they weren''t stopping here. Or at Saffron. Or at Vermillion or Fuschia.

    Had Professor Oak lied to him? He didn''t know. Did the kids in Pallet Town still think that he was a loser? Probably. Had Surge slaughtered them? Yes.

    But did any of that really matter? Perhaps once, butˇ­ he couldn''t afford to let it. And he no longer had any sort of inclination to. When he had first left Pallet Town, he had been using the words of other people to push him forward, and push him back. It had taken Professor Oak''s encouragement to get him back on his feet after his first battle with Gary. It had taken Janine''s encouragement to get him to reconcile with Pikachu. And how many times had Elacia told him that he was better than he thought he was, back in Pewter?

    He had spent roughly half a decade allowing people like Gary and his friend''s to be the judge of him and his capabilities. To the point where, even after bouncing back from his poor grades and passing the Indigo league Qualification Exam, he would still continue to deny his own potential at any slip up. Words of encouragement that most people would most likely see as standard procedure were like life support for him.

    But he didn''t need that anymore. The only encouragement he needed were the past two months that he and his new family had endured. From pulse pounding Gym battles to life-threatening terrorist encounters. The reminder that they were capable of making it through such things, the reminder that they had already earned three whole Gym badges, fair and square. That was what pushed him forward now. And this time, there wouldn''t be anything around to push him, or any of his friends back.

    If all of his peers back at home thought that he was a lost cause, some "worthless" person who''s only use was to be cast aside as a cautionary tale of falling behind and not living up to expectations, then that was what they thought. He didn''t need to prove them wrong any more than he needed to let their comments limit his view of himself. At this point, he had told himself that several times since first beating Brock. It was time he stopped reminding himself, and just did it.

    He wasn''t in Pallet Town anymore. And he''d only be getting further away as he and their family made their way eastward. No more clinging to encouragement from others as though it was the only strength he had to draw from. No more taking ridicule for fact, as though it was the final authority of where he would go. It was time to start fresh. For real, this time.

    They wouldn''t stop until they reached the finish line. And it was waiting for them at the Indigo Plateau.

    His thumb shot upward as he raised his arm in front of his team. "Glad to hear it, everyone! We all feel the same way, then!" his eyes could be mistaken for a Charizard''s tail. "Then let''s keep on forging ahead, and show this boundless world what we have to offer it!"

    The eruption of cheers was more uplifting than any reassurance or mockery could ever live up to.

    /

    Ash breathed in the refreshing, morning air as he walked through the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center and out into Celadon City. The heat of the sun was more noticeable now that it had been given the chance to rise, although the familiar morning breeze still made itself known as the early, urban commute presented itself at its high point in front of the young rookie trainer.

    Pikachu had chosen to remain outside of his ball, perched contently on his trainer''s shoulders as the young mouse smiled at the streets ahead. Beside Ash, Valiant had also chosen to remain outside, taking in a deep breath and trying to clear up the butterfree in his stomach as the trio prepared to leave the Pokemon Center behind for the day. A somewhat determined glint entered the Kirlia''s eyes before he glanced up at his trainer.

    Adjusting his cap, Ash took a moment to admire the scenery of the city before nodding to his teammates. "The address is at a place called Scissor Street, or Breeder''s Lane, as it''s been nicknamed. A bit of a walk from here, but we''ll follow the signs."

    Pikachu raised his tail in affirmation as Valiant crossed his arms for a moment while nodding. With nothing more to be said, the trio turned and headed westward. The sounds of passing vehicles and occasional honking horns dominated the collective silence between the three, before Ash eventually spoke up.

    "We should probably leave in a couple of days." he announced as his eyes remained on the signs ahead. It felt as though, the larger the city, the more of a maze it was to navigate. "It won''t take us long to reach Saffron from here. Sabrina should be back by then, or at least getting back soon." the mood in his eyes shifted. "After that, it''ll be a matter of deciding whether to return to Vermilion, or head for Fuschia first. We''re not going to have it easy either way."

    It was something he had decided to put off thinking about until they had defeated Sabrina. Their victory over Erika had most certainly been uplifting following their collective humiliation at the hands of LT. Surge, but the fact remained that they couldn''t remain away from Vermilion forever. In a technical sense, they absolutely could: they''re were plenty of other Gyms in Indigo that could be challenged in Surge''s place, and they could always take the Magnet Train from Saffron to Goldenrod and tackle Johto for the rest of their Gym Badges. Nothing was stopping them, and it certainly wasn''t uncommon, but now that they had attempted the Gym, he didn''t want them to turn away from it. It didn''t feel right to have that kind of loose end.

    But there was another Gym Leader who was equally known for their merciless track record, and that was Koga of Fuschia City. An expert in strategy and underhanded tactics, the poison type specialist was an alternative to Surge, in the event they decided they weren''t ready for a rematch so soon, but it didn''t make him any more of a comfortable or desirable opponent than the ruthless electric type specialist had been. Regardless of what choice they made, once they were finished with Sabrina, they would effectively have to pick their nonliteral poison, because neither of the succeeding two Gym challenges was going to be a pleasant experience for them.

    But that was precisely why Ash was doing his best to push the impending decision to the back of his mind for a moment. Planning ahead was one thing (and most certainly important), but after being exposed to LT. Surge''s prowess firsthand (not to mention knowing that Surge wasn''t the only one who had such to offer), the young rookie worried about the risk of falling into overthinking territory. Eventually, he would have to make the choice between LT. Surge and Koga, and surely, he could very much regret either decision, but with all the obstacles laid out in front of him and his family, he was determined to take this journey one focused stride at a time, focusing on the hurdles as they came into view, and not continuously stress over two people he knew they weren''t ready for.

    And for now, their latest tasks would be reaching Saffron and facing off against Sabrina and her brilliant squad of psychics, and that itself was a challenge requiring their undivided attention. Just about any trainer who knew about Sabrina, knew of her high intelligence and cool-headed composure in just about any situation. If he distracted himself from the future and took his focus off of the task at hand, she''d make him pay for it tenfold.

    But prepping for Sabrina would come when it was time to leave the city. For now, they''d enjoy their brief downtime following their battles with LT. Surge and Erika. It couldn''t last too long, as Ash feared becoming too complacent to easily return to the road (which had arguably happened back in Pewter City), he certainly didn''t want to take no breaks at all.

    Pikachu and Valiant took in their trainer''s words, nodding along to what he was saying, although Ash could tell that their focus was elsewhere. Pikachu''s head was constantly in motion as his eyes absorbed the urban scenery that they passed by, whereas Valiant''s gaze was straight ahead, seemingly deep in thought.

    Ash grinned, tickling Pikachu under the chin for a moment (much to the mouse''s pleasure) before he continued. "But we won''t worry about any of that for now. I think we all deserve some time to ourselves, don''t you?" seeing that they were in agreement, he allowed the comfortable silence to return, simply focusing on the walk ahead as the gentle breeze of the morning brushed their bodies.

    /

    Although it had always been apparent, Ash couldn''t help but feel that he was having a much easier time taking note of the atmosphere of Celadon City this morning. Maybe it''s because there was no current task at hand, allowing him to enjoy the surrounding environment as though it were some sort of vacation.

    The sidewalk wasn''t overly crowded, any passing pedestrians simply moving by them without issue. The occasional honking from the cars on the road wasn''t frequent enough to be disruptive either. A few bird Pokemon flew overhead, some Pidgey perching themselves on power lines or balconies.

    As always, the tall skyscrapers constantly surrounding them almost felt like some sort of ceiling, with the skyline serving as a reminder that there was always something above them. It was as though they encased all the other buildings that they surrounded, not to mention the people within the city itself.

    Eventually, they reached the sign that they were looking for, stopping in front of it as Ash read aloud.

    "Scissor Street." Ash gazed ahead as he spoke the name out loud. No skyscrapers in this particular section of the city, although the buildings were still quite tall, and the skyscrapers surrounding the area were still far from invisible. Valiant stiffened momentarily upon seeing the sign, before following after his trainer as Ash proceeded forward.

    The young boy had removed Suzie''s business card from his pocket, double-checking the address that they were looking for. "Judging by where we are nowˇ­" his eyes traveled between the various addresses that they were currently passing by. "Just a few more minutes of walking."

    As Ash led Valiant down the sidewalk, Pikachu still perched on his shoulder, the boy took the time to examine the area surrounding them. As expected, Scissor Street reminded them why its nickname was what it was, with just about anything related to Breeding making itself known to the trio''s eyes.

    Shops that undoubtedly sold various care products and grooming tools, as well as recipe books for Pokemon food, and encyclopedias focused on biology and Egg Groups had a very clear presence on Breeder''s Lane. As did the various salons in the area, ranging from general, jack of all trades, to specialties such as fashion or grooming, massages, or consultants.

    This was the place that made Celadon''s status in Indigo''s breeding community what it was: It had all begun when a few high-profile Breeders of the time had coincidentally begun setting up shop in the area, as well as an extremely popular fashion salon. As the presence of these big names gradually began to draw more trainers towards that particular section of the city, more people in the community began to take note, quick to cash in on the obvious goldmine that was beginning to grow. Nowadays, salons could be found all over Celadon, ranging from groups of Breeders to individuals, as well as various different types of shops that were dedicated to the profession.

    But the heart of it was all here: Scissor Street, the area where it had all started, with the reputation that had now affectionately nicknamed it Breeder''s Lane. It was the place trainers came to to buy materials, consult help and advice in raising a specific Pokemon, buy Eggs that would hatch into a Pokemon or adopt a newly hatched Pokemon ( in either case, even being able to request specific criteria such as Egg moves or abilities if they had enough money), get their Pokemon groomed or massaged, and the list went on. Anyone who found success in a field as robust and versatile as Pokemon Breeding was set to flourish. And in Celadon, the booming market meant no shortage of momentum to go around.

    From what Ash had known, Suzie had been operating within this area of the city ever since her career as a Pokemon Breeder had first taken off. Although many Breeders traveled outside of their respective territories to take on other clients, Suzie had done so progressively less as her time in Celadon City had continued. Nowadays, she was essentially integrated into the city''s breeding culture, not only boasting a five star salon that offered just about anything a trainer could want from the breeding market, but various magazines highlighting her, always jumping at the chance to publish her latest articles, and nearly the entire community paying attention to her latest statements and philosophies, both about what it took to make it in the field, but also about what promoted Pokemon health the most, and how to establish the proper bond with them (the latter two being things that trainers would often latch onto as well). She also hosted a weekly lecture that was open to the public, and a website with no shortage of views. To say she was a celebrity amongst her peers and colleagues would be an understatement, and of course, being stationed in the same city as a Gym Leader ensured great, mutual business for both her and Erika.

    In addition, she was known for her stunning record in beauty contests, from the dazzling glamor of the Pokemon that she entered (especially her Vulpix, which was just about as renowned as she herself was), to the collection of first place prizes that had been accumulated as a result.

    Despite being a jack of all trades, however, her clear specialty was in care, and as a consultant. Massage, in particular, was an area that she found herself nearly unrivaled in, with more techniques than Ash could hope to count (and he likely didn''t even know about all of her''s). Her talent in culinary was also something of a legend, with her knowledge of Pokemon nutrition and cooking in general coming together perfectly. It seemed as though she was always coming up with new recipes, many of which she proudly shared with the community. And of course, her status as a made her lectures an ideal addition, with each week focusing on a variety of different topics that she would go impressively in-depth with, with a present audience of trainers, aspiring breeders, and the general community eagerly taking notes. Even as her work became more and more centered around Celadon, it hadn''t decreased her popularity, instead just making her activity more focused and rhythmic. Local breeders weren''t necessarily any less common than those that frequently traveled, and Suzie''s versatility, passion, and unmatched creativity in her craft had cemented her as Indigo''s top breeder, one who all in the field aspired to be.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    And after just a few more minutes worth of walking, her salon, the heart of Breeder''s lane, now stood proudly in front of the trio.

    It was a multistory building, likely because the place was also her home (and home to whatever Pokemon she was currently in the midst of raising). Certainly not as tall as the skyscrapers, but among the taller buildings in the general area. Ash assumed that the breeder''s living quarters were located above the first floor.

    The boy stopped short of the automatic doors to read the sign beside the entrance, listing the various services Suzie had to offer. "Here we are." He looked between Pikachu and Valiant. The Kirlia tensed for a moment, before his muscles relaxed with a nod.

    The exterior of the salon was fairly unsuspecting. Nothing overly flashy that would suggest it was run by Indigo''s top Pokemon Breeder. To an outsider, it was just another shop, with nothing significant to make it stand out. The design overall carried a more humble feel than a few of the other salons and shops that the trio had passed by. And given the place''s reputation, perhaps that was all it needed.

    Looking behind him, Ash could see his psychic companion hadn''t moved much further. There was an odd expression on the Kirlia''s face. "Hey, Valiant, you okay back there?" Pikachu called out a bit for added measure.

    Realizing Ash and Pikachu had noticed him, Valiant jolted out of his trance, shaking his head for a moment before shooting an apologetic expression at the two. "Yeah, sorry about that."

    Ash scratched the back of his neck for a moment, a brief wave of concern passing over him before he nodded in response. Valiant had done this before, but had always brushed it aside fairly quickly. It was a bit frustrating, Ash had to admit, but the young rookie had never wanted to press too far. Momentarily satisfied with his friend''s response, he turned back to the building.

    Ash felt Butterfree in his stomach once more, before quickly pushing it back down. ''Relax, Ash.'' he talked to himself. ''She may be the top breeder, but she''s also Elacia''s friend. There''s no need to be intimidated.''

    With that in mind, the boy took a step forward, only for the doors to open before he was in range.

    "Thanks again, Suzie! See you at your next lecture!" a blond girl a few years older than him exited the salon with a Wartortle in tow. Almost bumping into him, she quickly apologized before moving to the side. Before the doors could start closing, Ash headed in with Valiant somewhat lagging behind.

    Pikachu jumped off his trainer''s shoulders as the doors closed behind them. With both his partners at either side, Ash took a moment to look around the room.

    For the most part, the interior continued the exterior''s element of not appearing overly flashy, although the overall top-tier nature of the salon felt far more apparent than before, for whatever reason. The entire room (which was fairly big) was clean enough to shine like a treasure. The chandelier that acted as the overhead light looked fairly expensive from first glance, as did the equipment that Ash was able to get a look of. It truly felt as though they were stepping into a top-of-the-line breeding salon.

    Pikachu hummed as his gaze traveled around the room, while Valiant''s trace of the place went by a lot more quickly. A voice directed their attention to the other end of the room.

    "Morning! May I help you?"

    At the end of the salon, a woman stood up with a brush in hand after tending to the Vulpix relaxing on a cushioned chair, and made her way to the group with a relaxed smile. Long, teal hair fell behind her shoulders as Ash''s head turned in her direction. At his feet, Pikachu stopped to wave at her, while Valiant froze for a second.

    Looking between Pikachu and Valiant for a moment, she stopped in front of the group, extending a hand for Ash to shake. "Welcome, the name''s Suzie. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

    Keeping his nerves down, Ash met the woman''s brown eyes while accepting her hand. From the corner of his eye, he could see Valiant shifting to get a better look at the Vulpix far away, while Pikachu joined the Kirlia. "Hi, I''mˇ­ actually a friend of one of your colleagues." he took a moment to put together the sentence.

    Suzie perked up at that, but didn''t seem too surprised. Given the connections she likely had, this might not have been uncommon for her. "Oh?"

    Deciding to speed things up by showing her, Ash dug through his pocket, before pulling out the business card with the Slurpuff. "Here." he handed it to her as the woman''s features lit up.

    A warm chuckle. "So you ran into Elacia? Makes sense. She''s all over the place these days. No matter who asks her to sit still." as she returned the card, she asked. "So, what''s your name?"

    "Ash." The rookie returned the business card to his pocket. "Ash Ketchum." Her eyes went wide for more than a moment, prompting him to frown. "Something wrong?"

    Her previously lax expression had formed into one of unreadable surprise as she took a step back. "Oh! Iˇ­ I was told about youˇ­ by her." her eyes suddenly shifted down to pikachu and Valiant, the latter shuffling awkwardly before returning the breeder''s gaze for a moment.

    Ash perked up as Valiant shifted in his direction. This time, it seemed like he wanted to tell him something. "You sure everything''s okay, Valiant?" This was the second time in a few minutes at most.

    The look in Valiant''s eyes was one of hesitance, suddenly breaking his gaze away from Ash and glancing around the room, as if trying to gather something. Finally, he turned to Pikachu, and began to speak verbally.

    Ash was once again left wishing he could speak Pokemon language as a startled expression appeared on his starter''s face. "...Pikachu?" he thankfully didn''t need to wait too much longer, however, as the Kirlia turned again to face him. This time, the look in Valiant''s eyes was a lot less awkward as he angled his head upward to meet his trainer''s confused gaze.

    "Iˇ­ I was born here."

    A wave of confusion passed over Ash for a moment as he attempted to process his friend''s mentals words. "What do you mean youˇ­" the statement began to sink in like a delayed reaction as he looked back at Suzie, suddenly noting the recognition in her eyes. "Wait, you mean, here? You were born here?" A nod.

    Suzie interrupted the young rookie''s growing confused (and startled) state. "So it really is youˇ­ Elacia seemed confident." her hand rested on Ash''s shoulder. "Mr. Ketchum, you ran into Elacia at Pewter City, right? About a week into the Season?"

    He nodded affirmatively. "Yeahˇ­ that''s right." He looked back at Pikachu and Valiant. "So you meanˇ­"

    The sigh she let out conveyed relief, as if a pile of bricks had just been lifted from her shoulders, but the look in her eyes was apologetic. "You must be so confused, given that she beat around the bush." she worked up a smile. "Here, let''s go to the back, and I can explain."

    /

    "So, is Valiant saying that you raised him?"

    The group was seated at the other end of the room, Suzie inviting Ash to sit in a nearby chair as Vulpix hopped onto her lap. The fox offered Valiant a friendly bark as the teal-haired woman gently caressed her fur, Pikachu joining the psychic''s side as the two Pokemon sat atop a nearby counter.

    The fairly quick trip to the back of the room had given Ash the seconds he needed to fully process what his friend was saying. Back when he had first encountered the young psychic as a Ralts, he had wondered what a member of his species had been doing in a forest of all places. It was something that he hadn''t had any explanation before, and he recalled the young Ralts'' moveset being a tad more advanced than expected, albeit not by much.

    ''Celadon is just east of Viridian Forestˇ­'' Ash racked his brain as he took his seat a few feet away from Suzie. But then how didˇ­

    "Not entirely." Suzie admitted. "You''ve had him longer than I did. But yes, I am the one who hatched him."

    Ash almost mentally slapped himself as realization suddenly lit up in his eyes. "That''s why Elacia wanted me to meet you, wasn''t it?"

    "I''d imagine." the teal-haired breeder nodded. "That''s what she told me, anyway. Back when she was still staying in Pewter, she called me and told me about you and him. Said you''ll be here eventually." she sighed. "I''mˇ­ sorry she didn''t explain anything to you. I presume she wanted you to hear it from me, butˇ­ This is a lot to take in, isn''t it?"

    Ash raised his hands for a moment. "It''s not your faultˇ­ or hers, don''t worry." his eyes lingered to Valiant and Pikachu for a moment, before returning to her. "So, you hatched him? He was in Viridian Forest when we found him."

    "You''re right, I know it''s confusing." Suzie''s hand left Vulpix''s head as her posture began to straighten out. Just before she spoke, her head suddenly turned to Valiant, before looking back to Ash. "Kirlia-Valiant." She quickly corrected herself. "He says you saved him from a group of Bug Catchers?"

    ''He must''ve talked to her mentally.'' Ash reminded himself. At the current moment, Valiant was only capable of speaking to one person at a time when using his psychic abilities. "That''s what happened, yeah. He was caught in one of their traps, and they were going to take him away." he scratched at the back of his neck. It was a memory that came natural to him. "We walked in on that. One of their members challenged us to a battle to decide who gets him, and we won."

    Thinking back to their weird feud with the Bug Catcher gang brought back a lot of unpleasant memories of Viridian Forest, but there were two moments that would always eclipse that displeasure: Nebula and Valiant. He knew Pikachu agreed.

    She nodded in acknowledgement. "Like I said, I''ll explain everything. From the beginning." Her eyes met with Ash''s. "Your friend was initially one of the Pokemon that I bred here, at the salon. He hatched alongside a few other Pokemon that were meant to be handed off to trainers. Due to my connections, I was able to get a hold of a few foreign Pokemon, to have some exotic species to hand out for the next Season, being this one." her hand brushed Vulpix''s head for another moment. "Two of those Pokemon were a Gardevoir and a Dusknoir." she nodded over in Valiant''s direction. "His parents."

    Ash''s eyes lit up. "Dusknoir! So that''s how he knows Shadow Sneakˇ­"

    Nodding, Suzie chuckled kindheartedly. "Yes, it''s fairly rare for a Ralts. Unless it''s with another one of their typing, Ghost Type Pokemon are some of the most unlikely to mate outside their species. They rarely ever breed with another Pokemon that''s not another Ghost." she nodded at the boy. "Anyway, the Pokemon that hatched were intended for business purposes, and they ended up going out early. Not directly to trainers, but to the local lab here that gives away starters. Us breeders often pitch in with that, naturally, but the Ralts," she nodded at Valiant. "Didn''t seem like he wanted to leave. He found this place rather comfortable, and preferred it to exploring the outside world. So, I decided to make a rare exception and allowed him to stay, just until he decided he was ready to head off. So I had him longer than usual, long enough for him to feel like family." she sighed. "But unfortunately, that all ended pretty abruptly."

    Ash frowned at her expression. "Is this about how he ended up in the forestˇ­?"

    A look of shame spread across her features as she sullenly frowned back. "I''mˇ­ afraid soˇ­" looking down a bit, she gently began rubbing her arm. "I know this is all going to sound really sudden, butˇ­ before the current Season started, a couple ofˇ­ Rockets broke into this place overnight."

    Horror passed across Ash and Pikachu''s now pale faces as Suzie''s eyes gave off the impression of reliving a horrendous memory.

    "Most likely, they were planning to steal the Pokemon I was keeping here. My partner Vulpix was currently being cared for at the Pokemon Center due to illness at the time." she nodded down at the fox. "And the rest of the Pokemon I was planning to hand out had already been sent to where they needed to go. In other wordsˇ­"

    "He was the only one here." Ash glanced sideways at Valiant for a moment before returning his gaze over to Suzie. "Soˇ­ they took him."

    Suzie nodded, her expression growing even more sullen as her hands tightened into fists. At the confirmation, Ash could feel a somewhat similar emotion building up inside of him.

    ''Team Rocketˇ­ just waltzed into here and kidnapped a babyˇ­''

    "I slept through the whole thing. I don''t even know how they managed to come in, butˇ­" she looked back up at Ash, meeting his eyes once again. There was clear guilt and shame in her gaze. "When they made their escape, they accidentally triggered the alarm system. The police were on their tails on the way out. They managed to lose them, however, and were forced to hide out in Viridian Forest."

    Ash''s face scrunched. "No way they''d be found there."

    "Yesˇ­" she shook her head. "Obviously, Erika couldn''t afford to expend the resources necessary to search the whole forest. I tried looking myself a couple of times, but had no way of knowing where to start, and there''s always dangers to being in there. I feared the worst when the pair of Rockets that performed the abduction were found dead just outside the forest."

    Face somewhat pale, Ash turned to Valiant. "Do youˇ­ know what killed them?" His expression turned apologetic as Valiant''s head lowered to the floor, although Pikachu earned a small smile from the young Kirlia when the mouse patted him on the shoulder.

    Suzie''s fists tightened again. "I was caught off guard by the whole incident. Nobody''s ever broken in here before, and I was convinced that I''d invested enough in our security system. Clearly, I was wrong. I didn''t know what to do. It ate at me for a while." She looked up to meet Ash''s sympathetic expression with a small smile. "But eventuallyˇ­ I got that call from Elacia, where she told me about you. At first she seemed to think the whole thing was a coincidence, but she seemed more and more convinced as time went on."

    Ash''s cheeks flushed. "Ralts aren''t commonly found in the forest, after all. Still, I had no ideaˇ­" again turned to Valiant, who looked between the two for a moment before nodding at Ash with a smile. All this time, the young psychic had technically belonged to someone else. It almost made him feel guilty, albeit only for a split second as he remembered the true circumstances behind their meeting. They certainly hadn''t stolen him, after all. It was all just a crazy coincidence.

    ''So this is why Elacia wanted me to come here. She was the first to realize.'' All of a sudden, Ash found himself making yet another addition to the list of debts he owed the red-haired Pokemon breeder.

    A bit hard to fathom, hearing about it all at once, but yet, it explained everything. The presence of a Ralts in a forest of all places, rather than in an urban area. And one with a move like Shadow Sneak, no less. Viridian Forest was often most closely associated with Viridian City and Pewter City, due to being what directly connects the two together, but that also meant it was easy to sometimes overlook its relatively close proximity to Celadon.

    ''He''s been through a lot.'' the young boy realized with a frown. Kidnapped overnight, left to fend for himself in a scary forest after his abductors were apparently killed, and after probably spending his whole time within the comforts of this very salon. And then, right before they had met, he was nearly captured by those obnoxious Bug Catchersˇ­ ''Is this why he was so dedicated to being helpful? I knew we saved him, but I didn''t realize the full storyˇ­'' he turned to Suzie. ''Who knows how this must have affected her? She must have been so guilty, even if it''s obviously not her fault.'' She was certainly keeping it together, but even that was likely out of resignation. It would''ve been one thing if Valiant was lost somewhere in the city itself, but Viridian Forest? Just as difficult to track down, and far more dangerous. And now, she was probably just relieved.

    Vulpix leapt off of Suzie''s lap as she rose to her feet, making her way to the counter and petting Valiant''s head. As if out of nostalgia, the Kirlia closed his eyes and smiled. "You''ve already grown quite a bit, it goes without saying. I''m sorry I couldn''t look after you, but you seem to have been doing fine. The circumstances shouldn''t have been forced on you. but now that it''s all settled, I''m glad you found a trainer." A warm grin adorned her features as she turned to Ash, extending a hand as the young rookie stood up from his chair. "And importantly, thank you Ash. You might''ve saved his life. I''m glad he has someone to look after him."

    Ash blushed for a moment, before turning to Valiant again.

    Their encounter had been entirely by accident. He and Pikachu had just followed the sound of a scream in the forest, which had led to them finding a single Ralts strung up by one of the Bug Catcher traps. No indication on how Valiant had first gotten there, or that he had originally belonged to a famous Pokemon Breeder in Celadon City.

    That one choice to follow the scream, however, had been a gift that kept on giving. It was Valiant who had helped Eevee acclimate, not to mention saved her life back at Mt. Moon. He was also the one who had helped raise Tyrunt, and since he was an egg no less. And on top of all of that, he had fought tooth and nail during every battle that he had been a part of, and had contributed to all three of the Gym badges that the team now held, to say nothing about his incredible performance yesterday. His strategic prowess was ahead of what would normally be expected from a Pokemon of his level, and that ability to operate without input had saved them multiple times over. And while training for those Gym battles, he had always been so devoted and focused, ever since Ash had spotted that determined glint in his eyes while beginning their preparations against Brock. And above all, he had always done his best to act as a moral compass within the team, and was one of the best friends any trainer could ask for.

    Really thinking about it, Ash wasn''t entirely sure where they''d be without the Kirlia. Valiant was loyal, tactical, devoted, and compassionate. He contributed to the team''s success on such fundamental levels, and it had all started with a Bug Catcher trapˇ­

    Valiant returned Ash''s grin as the boy turned back to Suzie and shook her hand. "The pleasure''s all ours. My friends are the best, and Valiant''s no exception. Right, Pikachu?" His grin widened at the electric type''s happy response.

    Suzie seemed satisfied with that, her smile maintaining as their hands separated.

    A few seconds later, however, the moment was cut short as the door nearby opened. Everyone''s head turned towards its direction, although Suzie didn''t seem surprised.

    Stepping into the room was a purple-haired girl with a spiky ponytail, accompanied by an Ivysaur. "Thanks again, Suzie. I just finished reading those documents you had me print out, and I can already tell it''s going to be really help-" Pausing in place, she trailed off as she took note of the current scene, cheeks mildly flushing. "Oh, sorry." her gaze lingered towards Ash. "I didn''t realize I was interruptingˇ­ something." her eyes somewhat narrowed as they landed on him, not in a suspicious manner, but somewhat analytical, almost as if she was trying to process something.

    Ash blinked at the sight of the girl. She definitely seemed familiar, and was about his ageˇ­

    He perked up. "Waitˇ­ Janine?"

    Janine and Ivysaur perked up in return. "Hey! I thought you looked familiar! Hold onˇ­" her hand rested against her chin for a second or two before her mouth spread into a grin. "Yeah! You''re the boy I met on Opening Day! It''sˇ­ Ash, right?"

    A new memory suddenly came flooding back. His horrendous first day as a trainer, which had culminated in Pichu being injured due to his negligent incompetence. He had been in the lowest experience imaginable when arriving at Viridian City''s Pokemon Center that night, when that girl from Fuschia had approached him and tried to give him some free advice. After that, she had held off those two Rocket grunts when they had tried to raid the Center, while he and Pichu made up and dealt with their Meowth together.

    He remembered that night all too well, for better and for worse. At the very least, she was one of the better aspects of that memory.

    He nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that''s me." Hopping to the floor, Pikachu greeted Ivysaur with a raised paw (returned with a briefly raised vine) as Valiant looked on.

    With a lax smile, Janine approached the boy. "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?" she extended an arm in offer. "Hope your journey''s been treating you well, Ash."

    Happily accepting the offer, Ash simply nodded back at her as the two shook. "Same to you. Nice to see you again."

    Suzie chuckled at the exchange. "So, I take it you know my new client?"

    "Sort of." Ash responded as the two rookies turned to her. "We met at Viridian City''s Pokemon Center the night it was attacked. We haven''t seen each other since."

    "This world''s getting smaller and smaller." Ash couldn''t stop himself from chuckling at Valiant''s lighthearted quip.

    "Suzie''s been helping me with a teammate of mine." Janine nodded over to Ash. "So I''ve been stopping by in the morning. Didn''t expect to run into someone familiar, did we, Ivysaur?" she looked down to her starter, who shook his head with a small smile before nodding to Pikachu and Valiant as they approached him.

    Suzie pressed her hands against her hips. "Well, if you give me a moment, we can take a break for a bit. Just need to put a sign out in the front.

    /

    Ash relaxed into the sofa cushion as Pikachu and Valiant sat down on the table in front of him. Not too far from him, Janine sat at the other end of the sofa, Ivysaur perched on the floor next to her. Suzie, who was seated in the cushioned chair on the other end of the table, had offered both rookies a drink which they accepted, Ash sipping from a cup of a grape juice, and Janine with fruit punch. Pikachu and Valiant shared a bowl of treats together, although they didn''t eat much due to still being fairly full from breakfast.

    The group had made their way into the backroom that Janine and Ivysaur had first come from. The floor was carpeted and soft, with a computer and coffee machine set up at the end of the room by a closed window. The room simultaneously felt like both a home and an office.

    Janine glanced over at Ash as Suzie sipped from her coffee mug. "So your Kirlia grew up here initially? I imagine that took you by surprise."

    "I won''t deny that." Ash replied, looking between her and Suzie. "So, what about you two? You said Suzie was helping you with one of your teammates?"

    Suzie spoke up as the purple-haired girl nodded. "Janine recently caught a Pokemon that Indigo''s database has very limited information on. Since she wasn''t completely sure what approach to take to raise it, she decided to come here and consult me. I have access to more research resources, so we''ve been reading up on it together to build a long-term plan for her to work off of. Things have been going pretty good so far."

    Janine smiled at Ash''s eagerly curious expression. "It''s a Galarian species called Toxtricity. Evolved from a Pokemon called Toxel that I caught a few weeks ago. Heard of them?"

    As racked his brain for a few moments before shaking his head.

    She offered him an understanding nod. "I can''t blame you for that. I barely even knew of it before myself, and Toxel were a species I hadn''t even heard of before I caught it, so I didn''t even know they were connected." she sipped her drink. "Anyway, Toxtricity are an Electric/Poison Type species that come in two forms called "Amped" and "Low Key". Mine is an "Amped" version." her cheeks reddened. "I didn''t even know much about his potential moveset, so I was playing it really safe before coming here, teaching him techniques that felt like a sure thing for him to grasp. It was limiting for him." she shook off the embarrassment. "But that''s behind us, now. I have most of what I need in terms of information, so now, I can finally be the trainer he deserves." Her tone of voice was admirably determined. Not even in an over the top manner, but carrying herself in a matter-of-fact, assertive way. "I''d show him to you, but I had him practicing outside while I did some reading on his kind''s inner workings, so he''s resting for a bit."

    Suzie smiled at the girl. "Yeah, you''ve certainly had a work ethic, alright. I''ve had plenty of clients who needed help studying a specific Pokemon, but you''ve seemed eager to learn, not just pragmatically."

    The young girl''s eyes lit up. "The academic side of training is too important to overlook." She took a brief pause while momentarily reaching down to pat Ivysaur''s bud, which grew on his back in the same place where a Bulbasaur''s bulb had once been. "I need to soak up as much as possible, especially since he''s a poison type." she turned her head over to Ash. "I''m a specialist."

    Ash blinked. "You meanˇ­ already?" It wasn''t uncommon for high-level trainers to specialize in a certain typing or group of typings (in fact, in certain circles, jacks of all trades were the one considered fairly uncommon), but the majority of trainers most often started out with a variety approach, and gradually condensed themselves as time went on. Masters like Karen and Lorelei, as he knew, had done so. Usually it depended on which particular typing (or, on other occasions, multiple typings) a trainer ended up excelling at the most, with their respective careers progressively becoming more and more centered on that particular strong point.

    "It''s a bit of a tradition. I was obviously prepped for training in general, but my own education was particularly geared towards the poison typing. All six members of my team share it."

    Ash had a hard time hiding his surprise. Misty had been a later specialist herself, but instead of exclusively using the typing, she had simply showed favoritism towards it. Although high-skilled trainers utilizing only a single typing (or even just a few) usually wasn''t considered to be much of a risk, due to usually being able to adapt the team to their natural weaknesses as the trainer''s mastery of the typing grew, younger, more inexperienced trainers had no such benefit to this. In fact, in some cases, type specialization among experienced trainers (particularly Masters) was even considered a benefit superior to that of generalization (a frequently debated topic), whereas a rookie (and often, even second-year) attempting type specialization was often considered a crippling approach, as the team''s weaknesses would be far more exploitable when their trainer hadn''t been in the field long enough to develop fully fleshed-out counters and contingencies for them.

    He doubted Janine was unaware of this, however. He hadn''t known her very long, but she seemed far from ignorant, and Suzie had already pointed out the girl''s studious nature. Yet she seemed fully confident in herself, and not even in an arrogant manner.

    "Aren''t you worried about the limitations?" he decided to simply ask her. "Type specialization puts you at a disadvantage against a lot of opponents this early on in your career."

    "A hurdle I''ll have to overcome in time." she didn''t even shrug. "It''ll give me and my comrades more time to develop counters and backup plans if we begin working on them from the start, So I figured there was no point in waiting. Plus, we''ll get to have a lot of early examples of how the shortcomings of the typing can come back to bite us first hand, which is necessary to adapt. The longer we take to commit, the later it will be when we''re finally ready to see the fruits of our labor. Lose ten battles today, win a hundred tomorrow."

    Her expression had barely changed, and that was probably what impressed Ash the most. This girl genuinely believed in what she was saying, and had clearly thought things through before taking such an unorthodox approach. And her reasoning was veryˇ­ he almost kicked himself for not thinking of it before.

    Now that he thought about itˇ­ this vibe he was picking up from her wasn''t all too different from back when they had first met on that one night. Just with an added two months worth of hands-on experience to back up her clearly well-founded confidence and posture.

    "Ohˇ­" he stuttered, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Sorry, I wasn''t trying to pry."

    She seemed unoffended. "I know you weren''t. It''s fairly unusual, but I needed to start thinking in the long-term as soon as possible. My father and aunt both did that and found success."

    "Especially your father." Suzie muttered quietly with her coffee mug to her lips. Placing her beverage down, she spoke up. "You''re right about that. There''s a reason why certain approaches to training are popular, usually because they''re proven to work, but that doesn''t mean they are the only options that you have. Pokemon training is one of the most versatile career choices somebody could have, you shouldn''t limit your methods to the crowd. Every popular trend starts somewhere; what''s labeled "unorthodox" today could be the next commonplace decision next year." She looked between the two kids. "Your field is constantly evolving, and probably won''t stop as long as it continues to exist. If you want to evolve with it, then you should push that progress by going ahead of your peers, rather than following after. Be the trainer that sets the next big example."

    Ash blinked at her words, his feet suddenly becoming somewhat interesting. Setting trends for everyone else to follow, while reinventing the wheel. That was something for the best trainers in the world to do. People who had mastered the wheel and utilizing that mastery to reinvent it. As a rookie, he had naturally tried to get his foot in the door by utilizing what he already knew. Like almost any first-timer, he was something of a follower.

    "Any Pokemon, huh? That kind of mindset is the same trap most rookies fall into. It''s why so many people in the field look down on newcomers like us."

    Paul''s words came flooding back to him. Their first ever exchange, and all Ash could focus on back then was how much he disagreed with the other rookie''s philosophy. But had he really taken the time to understand why Paul felt the need to push such thinking? Paul had hardly been nice that day, but by making things personal, Ash hadn''t separated the personality from the motive.

    ''The same trap most rookies fall intoˇ­'' Ash replayed the thought in his mind. ''Lose ten battles today, win a hundred tomorrowˇ­'' he had been so focused on passing the Exam, trying to get better grades, and tackling whatever challenge he knew he had to face. His manner of planning ahead had been limited to however he approached his travels. Which, as he now realized, was overthinking it. What he hadn''t applied that to, which was far more worth it, was his mindset. His strategy. His approach to training, and the kind of trainer that he wanted to be.

    ''Janine and Paul both had a cohesive plan from the start. The two of them haven''t been thinking like rookies.'' his head briefly turned towards the purple-haired girl. ''Gary had the knowledge. They had the foresight. All of them had left home with something that drove them ahead of the pack from the start, while I was busy in the back, playing pinball with my self-esteem.''

    Looking forward at the table, a smile crept its way across his lips. To realize how behind he wasˇ­ that used to be so demotivating. But that was part of the problem, was it not? Now, he felt like he reached some form of clarityˇ­ a relief. Satisfaction from the realization of where to improve.

    "You look like something''s on your mind, Ash." his smile didn''t drop as he turned back to Janine.

    "I was just thinking about what she just said." he replied cheerfully. He looked back to Suzie. "Thanks for that."

    Suzie''s grin carried a maternal warmth. "A breeder''s job is to care for Pokemon and promote their upbringing, but by extension, that also makes us companions to trainers like you. Your careers deserve the same nourishment."

    "You really do remind me of Elacia, when you say that."

    She giggled. "To some extent, I think her past as a trainer and affinity for breeding is what made her the perfect person for the job."

    He wouldn''t argue with that. In the short time he''d known her, Elacia was probably the most helpful figure he''d met on his travels thus far. For the state of mind he had been in, it retroactively felt like she was just what he needed. She''d listen to him talk, gave him the responding guidance when she had never been obligated to, had pointed out a major hole in his training regime that surely would have cost him against Brock had the oversight not been corrected with haste, and had provided him with a golden opportunity in the form of an egg. An egg that had hatched into one of his best friends.

    ''She even saved our lives.'' Ash recalled the encounter with Butch and Cassidy, but did not voice it.

    "By the way, Ash." Suzie spoke up again. "She told me she sold you an egg as well."

    Ash nodded back at that. "Yeah, ''sold'' might not be the best word for it. I kind of have to pay her off."

    Janine crossed her arms in understanding. "That''s no surprise. Eggs are expensive. I don''t think any breeder would expect you to have the money so early on."

    "The ones who aren''t greedy, anyway." Suzie added on. "But those breeders who are only in it for the money rarely have the mindsets it takes to excel in the field anyway. Patients have always been a part of the game around here." she tilted her head. "So, what was the price?"

    "Seven...thousand." Ash stuttered out the answer. Certainly not a price he was used to.

    Suzie didn''t seem too surprised (she probably already knew what kind of an egg that it was), but Janine responded with a mild gasp.

    "That''s a bit much even for an egg. If you don''t mind, what species did it hatch into?"

    Ash grinned a bit. "A Tyrunt."

    Her eyes widened. "No wonderˇ­"

    Suzie laughed. "Betcha that was quite the surprise for you, too, right Ash?"

    His face reddened. "You can say that again. Especially after I read the packet she gave me. They''re certainly not the easiest creatures to raise, even if it ultimately pays off in spades later down the line."

    She nodded along to him. "I''d say, she did it on purpose. She mentioned to me that she was hoping you''d challenge yourself, and I''ll bet that was her way of doing it. Have there been any problems?"

    A flashback to the night with Tempest played through his mind, but he pushed it aside as quickly as he could. "A-a little, I''ll freely admit." he could see Valiant''s frown. "But not since anˇ­ incident that took place. I don''t think we''re out of the woods, given the natural instincts that his species has, but it feels like we''re over the hump. We did what we could to nurture him and promote a smoother upbringing that would hopefully minimize theˇ­ temperamental problems. Right?" he looked over to Pikachu and Valiant, both of whom nodded rather confidently at his statement.

    "Good." Suzie seemed satisfied. "That''s the most you can do." finishing up her beverage, she set her coffee mug down. "Would it be alright if I saw him?"

    Ash rose to his feet. "Sure! Hold onˇ­" a moment later, Tyrunt appeared on the table.

    Janine stood up as Tyrunt took in his surroundings, and exchanged greetings with Pikachu and Valiant. "Wowˇ­! I''ve never seen one before!" pulling out a purple Pokedex, she turned to Ash politely. "May I?"

    Ash shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course."

    Flashing him a grateful grin Janine held the device out in front of Tyrunt, who stood still with an innocent expression upon realizing what she was doing. The purple Pokedex scanned him and played the recording, which Ash had already heard before when he had first scanned the young royal heir Pokemon after his hatching.

    The poison type specialist lowered her device before returning it to her pocket, a satisfied expression adorning her features. "You were right about it paying off, Ash. He''ll be dangerous when he grows up." she flashed the young dinosaur a reassuring grin after noticing his look of mild confusion. "In a good way, of course!" He smiled at that.

    "Tyrantrum are about as top-of-the-line as you''d expect from a fully evolved dragon, Suzie confirmed back as she knelt down to meet the dinosaur''s gaze. "Hello, little one." Tyurunt''s smile widened as she reached out to gently pat his scales. At her request, he turned to the side a bit as the breeder examined him.

    "He definitely saved us when we battled Erika yesterday." Ash spoke up after he and Janine watched the exchange for a few moments. He turned to her. "How many badges do you have, by the way?" he had a feeling that he already knew the answer.

    The girl held up her fingers. "Three so far. From Pewter, Cerulean, and here. You?"

    "Same." his smile widened. "Where are you going next?"

    "Saffron. I''ll be visiting my father at Fuchsia eventually, although I''m not fully decided on which path to take there yet. Either way, Sabrina will be my next stop."

    "I''ll be challenging her too." Ash nodded. "Still undecided between Vermilion and Fuchsia. I''m trying not to prioritize those for now."

    Her lax grin spread across her features as she turned to face him in full. "It''s nice to see you doing so well after that night."

    His cheeks flushed. Rightˇ­ she hadn''t exactly seen a very promising side of him. "Yeahˇ­ things really didn''t go my way starting out." he briefly turned to Suzie and his team. "But that''s all in the past. Pikachu and I worked things out. And I''m hoping to sort things between my newest teammate and the others as soon as possible."

    Actions spoke louder than words, after all. He had promised Pikachu a fresh slate after Team Rocket had been driven off back in Viridian. Somewhere down the line, he had earned the mouse''s confidence, a reassurance that he had failed to provide him with in their less than pleasing first interactions.

    Her smile remained. "Can you believe it''s officially been two months?"

    Looking at her now made the thought even more surreal. Up until now, he had only known Janine for that one day alone. It was the only memory he associated her with. He couldn''t talk to her without realizing how long it had been since the last time. A technically large amount of time had flown by, but was filled with so many events that made the elapsed time feel quite humongous.

    "It''s a bit of a scary thought," he admitted. "But I''m glad we have something to show for it."

    "Agreed."

    Their heads turned as Suzie approached the two of them. "Your Tyrunt seems to be in relatively good shape for now." she gestured over to the dinosaur, who was currently being offered a few treats by Pikachu and Valiant. "His scales are healthy. As are his teeth for his age. You''ve been following Elacia''s instructions." she looked at Janine. "You said you finished reading the documents. Are you good for today? You''re welcome to stay and hangout."

    The girl nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I don''t have much else to do today, since I''m getting ready to leave the city soon."

    Ash eyed the girl carefully, a tempting thought beginning to creep into his head.

    He didn''t have much on his agenda either... And neither did his teamˇ­

    He could feel Pikachu and Valiant''s eyes gazing at him from the side. It seemed they were starting to pick up on itˇ­

    "Hey Janine." she turned to him with a neutral, albeit inviting expression.

    "Yes?"

    Adjusting his cap for a moment, he found his way to her eyes. "I was wondering if you wanted to battle."

    Her pupils seemed to light up as Ivysaur affirmatively gurgled beside her. With her grin becoming somewhat more fierce, her hand found its way to her belt. "I certainly won''t say no."

    Suzie spoke up as a satisfied smile spread across Ash''s features. "I have a battlefield in the back. Barriers in everything. Some clients use it for practice, so you two are welcome." The two rookies nodded in thanks.

 Reflection Upon Reminiscence pt 2

    Suzie''s outdoor battlefield felt nearly identical to those found at a Pokemon Center. Seemed to be the same size and length, with the same kind of pavement as well. The surrounding buildings served as a backdrop, particularly the skyscrapers outlining the area of the city.

    Suzie had taken a seat on the bench to the side of the arena, with Vulpix and Tyrunt joining her as she wished Ash and Janine luck.

    Ivysaur seemed to be exchanging some words with Pikachu and Valiant at their respective trainer''s feet while the two rookies both turned to each other.

    "Soˇ­" Janine''s cheerful mood had vanished, giving way to prepared formality, although a mild eagerness managed to seep through her eyes. "You issued the challenge, Ash, so how many Pokemon?"

    Ash combed his thoughts for a moment. They both had six Pokemon, although he wasn''t looking for a match too serious. Nothing held back, of course, but the nature of the challenge was primarily meant to be casual. Friendly. No personal stakes. Still, he also wasn''t looking for something as limited as a one-on-one fight.

    "How aboutˇ­" his foot tapped against the ground. "Three-on-three?"

    A nod. "That sounds good. I look forward to seeing your capabilities."

    He blinked at that. It seemed she wasn''t the most casual when it comes to battling. Brushing that aside, however, he grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Alright! You two ready?" Pikachu and Valiant both nodded as he glanced down at them.

    As both groups separated, Janine and Ivysaur took their place on the far side of the battlefield as Ash, Pikachu, and Valiant arrived at their spot and turned to face them.

    Janine''s posture was confident, straightened, bold. She gazed across the arena with crossed arms, purple eyes meeting Ash''s own as Ivysaur stood beside her, wearing the same expression of assertiveness.

    A rush of excitement found its way to his chest as he locked eyes with her. ''Something about the way she carries herself isˇ­'' The vibe she gave off only heightened his anticipation. It almost reminded him of how Misty''s fiery passion felt. Janine''s general coolheadedness was obviously a lot different, but it had a similar effect, nonetheless. The competent glint she promoted gave him a surge.

    His brow furrowed. He knew she was going to be good. Much like Misty, Gary, and Paul, she was going through her career at the same exact pace that he was. And unlike himself, she seemed to have everything all together from the very startˇ­

    His hand clenched a Poke Ball on his belt, before loosening up a few moments later as his eyes directed themselves to Pikachu, who stood evenly by his side, arms crossed for a moment before sinking onto all fours, cheeks beginning to lightly spark. "Pikachu, wanna go first?" His starter grinned, prompting one from Ash in return. Standing at the young boy''s other side, Valiant confidently nodded in encouragement at Pikachu just before the mouse sprang out onto the battlefield.

    "Alright Ivysaur," Janine knelt down to place a hand on her own starter''s head. "I''d like you to kick things off." Ivysaur took just enough time to lightly lick her hand before positioning himself in front of his trainer, locking eyes with Pikachu as the grass/poison type''s knees began to bend.

    Ash eyed Janine''s partner carefully. The Bulbasaur line was casually known for being the easiest to raise among the three traditional Kanto Region starters (at least, it was the popular opinion among most researchers and breeders alike), but they were hardly any lesser for it. They were known to excel in trapping tactics amongst high-level competition, alongside their talent in inflicting different types of status conditions or energy drains to cripple their opponent. And of course, there was also their respective usage of the move Vine Whip, a move so closely associated with the species you''d be forgiven to forget anybody else could learn it.

    Of course, they were certainly powerful on top of that, but if Blastoise had gotten their reputation for defensive prowess (as Gary''s constant gushing had long since made him more than well aware of), and Charizard for their offensive prowess, Venusaur and the line that they came from were known for their tactical potential. The seemingly endless opportunities for combos are their various, crippling tactics stacked on top of their opponents. Perfect for wearing foes down in a battle of attrition.

    ''Keep a lookout for those vines, Pikachu." Ash spoke up as Janine began offering advice to Ivysaur. "You know they''ll be using them, after all. And try not to stand still too long; they''ll capitalize on any momentum that we lose." Satisfied with Pikachu''s affirmative nod, Ash locked eyes with Janine one more time, an exchange of nods signaling that both combatants were ready.

    "Iron Tail!"

    "Body Slam!"

    Pikachu kicked off the ground, Quick Attack carrying him across the arena as his tail turned to metal. As he advanced, two vines sprouted from around the bud on his back, pressing against the ground as the grass/poison type sprang forward. Almost like a slingshot, his body rocketed ahead as he shifted himself, his upper-side angled in front for the upcoming collision.

    Pikachu''s approach was rapid, and Ivysaur''s own offense was occurring at a speed that the young mouse hadn''t quite accounted for. Before he could swing his tail, he had already collided with his opponent headfirst. Although Ivysaur let out a somewhat pained grunt from Pikachu''s Quick Attack, the grass/poison type''s bulk overpowered the electric type''s momentum, sending Pikachu rolling away with a painful series of bounces. Ash''s starter clutched his head as he stopped in a sitting position.

    Janine''s voice was stoic despite the high volume. "Anesthesia Blast!"

    As Pikachu began to pick himself up (remembering Ash''s orders to never stay in the same place for too long), Ivysaur bent his body forward for his now opening bud to directly face the young mouse. The moment the bud opened, an onslaught of glowing seeds rocketed outward, coated in a shiny, white powder.

    Scrambling onto all fours, Pikachu dashed to the side as the Bullet Seed struck the barriers in front of Ash and Valiant, while the trainer cupped his hands.

    "Double Team, one copy!" He didn''t want to risk pushing Double Team or Agility too early, as tiring Pikachu out too quickly would make it all the more easy for Janine and Ivysaur to capitalize on his condition and subdue him. Nevertheless, they couldn''t pull all of their punches, as being too conservative would cost them by leaving him vulnerable anyway.

    A clone of Pikachu emerged from the mouse''s running body and broke off in a separate direction. The two angled themselves to approach Ivysaur from separate angles, but Janine was unfazed.

    "Ailment Mix!"

    Looking between his two targets for just a second, Ivysaur bent his knees as both pikachu began to approach him. As his bud opened once more, a cloud of powder erupted outwards. A mixture of white and bright purple.

    Sleep Powder and Poison Powderˇ­ at the same time. Sleep Powder could come in either white or light blue colorations, but there was no mistaking Poison Powder. If Pikachu breathed that combo in, he''d be subjected to debilitating toxins and fatigue all at once.

    Pikachu had thankfully picked up on the dangers, however; halting his forward momentum and throwing himself into a backwards jump even as he allowed his clone to fizzle away.

    Ash watched Pikachu land on his tail, which he propped himself on while positioning himself in front of the trainer and Valiant. Keeping another eye on Ivysaur, the powder was descending onto the arena floor.

    "Thunderbolt!"

    Pushing himself off the ground, Pikachu curled up into a ball and let out a battlecry as the bolt of lightning exited his tail. Ivysaur, not taking his eyes off the mouse, dodged with a sideways leap before breaking off into a run, slowly curving to face Pikachu for an advance as his powerful legs carried him forward.

    Pikachu was rushing forward the moment his lightning attack ceased and he landed on the ground. Once more, his tail became coated in metal as he slipped into Quick Attack.

    Pikachu was much faster than Ivysaur, but the grass/poison type still saw him coming the moment he began his advance. Angling himself to face the approaching mouse in full, he took aim as a vine extended from the side of his bud, and quickly lashed out at Ash''s starter just as the electric type was closing in.

    With his momentum unable to be fully halted, Pikachu leapt to the side, his trajectory interrupted as the vine retracted back into Ivysaur''s bud. The seed Pokemon ceased his dashing, turning around even as he slid across the arena floor and past the mouse.

    "Venom Leaf!"

    The bud on his back opened once again, a barrage of sharp, bladed leaves flying out towards Pikachu. Each leaf was coated with a familiar, bright-purple powder. Pikachu tried to change direction once more, having just resumed his run, but a few of the leaves connected with his side. As small, burning cuts formed, Pikachu blinked back tears as he nearly lost his balance, just in time for a second vine to lash out and wrap around his tail.

    "Pikachu!" Ash called out to his starter as Ivysaur dragged him across the arena. "Fight back!"

    Sliding on his back, Pikachu turned himself over and attempted to dash in the opposite direction, slipping into Quick Attack while Ivysaur strained himself to maintain his hold. As the grass/poison type began to slowly slide forward, grinding his feet against the pavement in an attempt to remain stationary, a second vine shot out from the other side of his bud, wrapping around Pikachu''s tail and halting his momentum as the mouse scrambled his paws against the arena floor, Ivysaur once again retaking control as he slowly dragged his backwards.

    "Slam him!" At Janine''s orders, Ivysaur began straining himself upwards in an effort to lift the struggling mouse. After a moment or so, Pikachu was a few feet into the air, before smacking chestfirst down onto the pavement.

    Ash and Valiant grimaced at the thudding sound of the impact, but as Janine ordered her partner to repeat the tactic, his starter struggled to fight off the sore achiness while redoubling his efforts against the seed Pokemon''s pull.

    As Pikachu''s body began to angle upwards once more, but still not quite airborne yet, Ash chewed his lip. At this point, Janine was giving them little choice.

    "Agility!" As the light-blue aura appeared around Pikachu''s body, ivysaur suddenly found himself lurching forward with a series of staggers as the young mouse''s momentum amplified. After a few seconds of scrambling his feet across the pavement, the grass/poison type successfully managed to right himself, his momentum slowing to a halt. His body showed clear signs of strain, however, muscles bulging as he fought back against Pikachu''s own resistance, struggling to pull back the mouse. Even as he did, the glowing electric type continued to run in place, occasionally forcing his opponent forward a bit as the vines themselves began to strain.

    Janine''s brow was furrowed, but her voice didn''t lose much composure. "Energy Ball!"

    Ivysaur''s mouth opened to reveal a slowly growing emerald colored orb. His effort to produce the sphere, however, was subtracted to the strain he put on his muscles to pull pikachu back. Now met with less physical resistance, Pikachu''s retreat amplified in speed, and Ivysaur was only dragged forward a moment before the vines snapped. Between the forward momentum of Pikachu''s own pull, and the backwards momentum of trying to pull back, the quadruped found his balance momentarily discombobulated as he fired the half-complete Energy Ball.

    The aura of Agility lightly coating Pikachu''s body evaporated as the young mouse rotated around to face his opponent once more, his lingering momentum sliding him backwards until he stopped with his back directly to Ash and Valiant. As he turned around, his tail became encased in another coat of metal as he prepared a third Iron Tail. Swinging forward, he whacked the steel type move against the Energy Ball, batting it right back into Ivysaur''s face. Although he grunted from the impact, Janine''s starter sustained no more than a small bruise as the collision forced him back. He nearly toppled over, having been struck before he could properly regain his balance, but halted himself halfway through, before firmly planting his forelegs back onto the arena floor.

    As Pikachu sucked in a quick gasp of air, Ash took the moment to briefly assess his starter''s condition. The cuts he had received from that Venom Leaf were minor, but surely at least a little of the poison had to have made it into his friend''s system. And the cuts themselves had to have been burning a bitˇ­ he couldn''t see it, but the electric was indeed blinking back some forming tears as his eyes began to water.

    With Ivysaur in front of her, Janine''s posture hadn''t noticeably changed, her arms crossing in front of her chest as her eyes dug into Ash once more.

    "You two aren''t half bad, Ash. I can see how you''ve gotten this far with him in such good shape. Her lips curved up. "I hope you''re done warming up, however. We still have plenty to show."

    Her etiquette was both relaxing and unnerving, and Ash was even more unnerved that it felt as though he was experiencing both at the same time. What was the word for this?

    ''She''s the real deal, alright.'' He combed his brain as his inner thoughts brought him back to the battle. ''I have to get serious if we want to find a way through her.''

    "We''re just fine, I can assure you." he smiled as the familiar, fiery sensation filled his chest. He''d never get tired of this.

    Ash couldn''t see it, but there was a flame in her eyes, as well. "Glad to hear it." she responded as her hand rose into the air. "Now, Ivysaur, Injection Blast!"

    Putting on a competitive grin, Ivysaur bent forward to stick his opening bud out to Pikachu, releasing an onslaught of glowing seeds coated in bright purple powder. In response, Pikachu coated his tail in metal once more, holding it out in front of his body as the projectiles bounced off of the surface. Just before he ceased firing, Ivysaur began to bound forward, two vines beginning to stick out.

    "Agility and Static Tail!"

    The moment the seeds stopped, Pikachu''s still metallic tail erupted in lightning as his body once again became lightly coated in blue. Just before Ivysaur had time to lash out, the young mouse had closed the distance between them, smashing his tail into the side of the seed Pokemon''s head.

    Ivysaur almost toppled to the side as the blow sent him sliding a yard or two away, but regained his footing as the vines began to retract, briefly shaking his head with closed eyes to reclaim his bearings. Ash wasn''t sure how effective the Thunder Wave''s electrical properties would be at paralysing a grass type like Ivysaur, but the Iron Tail had left a satisfying bruise on the point of impact, mildly singed by the lightning.

    With some added seriousness, Janine held a fist in front of her chest as she called out to her young starter. "Concoction Barrage!"

    Turning back to face Pikachu again, Ivysaur broke into a run, bud reopening as he took aim at the mouse. The electric type retreated as a decently sized ball of powder, mixed in white and bright purple, emerged from the opened bud, followed by several others.

    Ivysaur''s aim was fairly precise, Pikachu barely dodging the first couple projectiles to the side before increasing his speed to avoid the others. As they collided with the ground, the powdery spheres left traces of their substances behind on the ground as ivysaur passed over them.

    "Double Team, two copies!" Ivysaur''s eyes narrowed as Pikachu split into three, two of them darting off to either side while the remaining one slid backwards and turned around to face Janine''s starter. "Agility and Slam!" The increase in speed would give the real pikachu away, but would Janine and Ivysaur be able to register it in time?

    "Jump, Ivysaur!"

    Just as the three Pikachu began to rush for him, two vines sprouted out from either side of Ivysaur''s bud, and slammed firmly into the ground. Pressing them downward, ivysaur launched himself up into the air like a slingshot, just in time for the real Pikachu to pass by underneath him.

    Ash couldn''t help his grimace. If he hadn''t already battled Erika just yesterday, he''d have likely been surprised.

    Janine''s head angled upwards for just a split second as she watched her starter soar into the air, before returning her attention to the battlefield. "Seed Bomb, Body Slam after you land!"

    Angling himself so his once again opening bud faced downward, Ivysaur grunted as a large barrage erupted from it. These seeds weren''t like Bullet Seed, they were bigger, round, and hard-shelled. Keeping his clones in the arena, Pikachu dodged to the side as the projectiles exploded against the pavement, but with his opponent''s position given away, Ivysaur already had his eyes locked on him as he neared the ground. A second pair of vines pressed firmly against the pavement as the seed Pokemon slingshotted himself towards the mouse, who raised a metallic tail to block.

    Although Pikachu felt no pain in his tail, and Ivysaur couldn''t help but grunt from the collision, the impact still bowled the young mouse over, sending him bouncing backwards, and Ash''s starter barely had time to catch himself on his tail before a vine lashed out from the pursuing grass/poison type and smacked him in the face.

    By now, Pikachu''s clones had fizzled out, although Ivysaur wasn''t focused on them as he watched Ash''s starter catch himself on his forepaws, a visible bruise on his cheek as he flipped over and landed back on all fours. A second vine lashed out at the electric type as the seed Pokemon fully closed the distance, but Pikachu leapt over it, positioning himself directly above his opponent as a growing orb of electricity appeared at the tip of his tail. Ivysaur leapt to the side just in time for Pikachu to swing his tail downward and launch the Electro Ball, which exploded against the pavement, releasing shockwaves that mildly disrupted his opponent''s balance.

    Not wanting to give Janine any opportunities, Ash capitalized. "Iron Tail, now!"

    "Merry-go-round!"

    Ivysaur reclaimed his balance a lot more quickly than Ash had given him credit for. Just after Pikachu landed on the pavement and took off running, two vines spread out from either side of the seed Pokemon''s bud. Janine''s starter twirled around as the two vines lashed out in a clockwise motion. With little distance between him and his opponent, and his sprinting already nearing top speed, Pikachu passed directly over Ivysaur as he leapt to avoid the vines.

    "Ugh," Ash groaned as he tried to regroup. "Thunderbolt!"

    Landing on his tail, Pikachu turned around to leap into the air, curling his body as a bolt of lightning exited his tail. In response, Ivysaur turned in the direction of the electrical blast, a barrage of glowing seeds erupting from his bud. As the two attacks collided, eliciting a small explosion and brief cloud of smoke, Ivysaur broke into a run. His speed was limited by the weight of the bud on his back, but he was quick enough to charge through the smoke before it cleared up.

    "Body Slam!"

    Pikachu hadn''t even landed yet as Ivysaur once again pressed two vines into the ground and launched himself forward, carried even further by the momentum from his run. Although Pikachu swung an iron Tail downward to intercept his opponent, the seed Pokemon had momentum and bulk on his side, and roughly shoved the young mouse back upon impact. Now falling backwards, Pikachu caught himself on his paws to save the top of his head from a collision, but as he flipped over, the sudden pressure left both paws aching, the pain briefly distracting him as he mildly stumbled after landing on his feet.

    "Ailment Mix!"

    This time, instead of forming into a cloud, the mixture of white and bright purple powder that escaped from Ivysaur''s bud came out like a straightforward blast. Pikachu cringed as he returned to all fours, galloping to the side on his still slightly pained paws to avoid the assault, which stopped just short of the barriers. By now, there were a few spots on the battlefield with patches of lingering powder.

    Although his mild adrenaline rush remained, Ash could still feel the first signs of sweat on his cheeks. "Electroweb!" He wasn''t sure how well the move would hold a grass type, but they needed to find some manner of catching Ivysaur, and with his vines and ailments, they were being drained of options.

    Pikachu slid backwards as he halted his sprint, turning to face Ivysaur before performing a tiny hop and swinging his tail outward. Sparks of lightning shot out, forming into a small net that closed in on the grass/poison type, only for a familiar barrage of bladed leaves to slice through it, sending the sparks of electricity scattering in every direction before finally fizzling out. Just as Pikachu landed and began to take off once more, Ivysaur had already begun an advance of his own, a vine lashing out and grazing the young mouse''s two left legs. Now off balance, pikachu''s momentum worked against him, sending him toppling away before he caught himself on his tail, but now facing Ivysaur.

    "Ailment Mix again, Ivysaur!"

    Pikachu had just begun to push himself off of his tail and leap to the side when the blast of powder collided with him. With no time to cover up his nose, his eyes quickly grew heavy as a wave of fatigue smashed into him, all the while a burning sensation filled his nostrils, and watered up his eyes. He quickly clamped his paws over his nose, desperately trying to prevent any further substance from being breathed in and entering his system, but as his bruised body began to weaken, Ivysaur was already upon him.

    "Energy Ball!"

    With Pikachu stumbling backwards on his two hindlegs, desperately trying to reclaim his dwindling bearings, Ivysaur opened his mouth to reveal a small, glowing, emerald sphere that expanded in size with a steady progression. With a powerful shout, the Energy Ball rocketed into Pikachu''s torso, exploding against the young mouse''s body and smacking him backwards, leaving him to bounce across the arena floor and stop just in front of the corners of the barriers as his body threatened to go limp. Pushing his still sore paws against the pavement, he tried to push himself off of his chest, only to stop halfway through before he could get into a standing position, and collapse face first.

    Ash recalled his friend. Taking the time to watch Ivysaur start heading back to Janine''s side of the battlefield, he shot a consoling smile to his own starter''s Poke Ball. "Great work out there like always, Pikachu. Rest easy." After clipping the ball back onto his belt, his eyes returned to Ivysaur, who Janine knelt down to briefly pet once he reached her. He could see her mouth moving, but couldn''t make out what she was saying. Likely praising her friend.

    It had been starter vs starter, and sadly, Janine''s side was the one with the edge.

    As the girl straightened herself back up to once again lock eyes with Ash, her raised voice stretched out across the arena for him to hear.

    "We''re ready when you are, Ash." straight to the point. No gloating, no reassurance, no banter. Just down to business.

    With an acknowledging nod, Ash surveyed Ivysaur before his eyes traveled across the arena. The patches of powder were still scattered about, not that they worried him any. They would likely be losing their substance soon, and would no longer be harmful.

    He hadn''t been expecting disappointment from the duo, and so far, Janine and Ivysaur had not given him any. He had been hoping that Pikachu''s mobility and usage of Double Team would overcome the seed Pokemon''s near-guaranteed tricky fighting style, but seeing the grass/poison type''s capabilities in action had shut those desires down.

    And what''s more, it didn''t seem like he''d be out of fighting shape anytime soon, either. Pikachu had certainly left his mark, but from where he was currently standing, Ash detected no signs of fading strength from Janine''s partner. It meant that she might even keep him around for the next bout, rather than substituting him, although no guarantees could be made.

    The surge in his chest didn''t go away. This was going to be one heck of a challenge.

    Tyrunt was a definite no. Although his Fire Fang would surely cripple the quadruped, the girl''s starter had far too many options to keep him at bay, that Ailment Mix combo certainly not being the least of them. Tempest would also be risky for similar reasons, and although the damage left behind by Pikachu might increase Eevee''s chances, Ash was hesitant to call on one speed based battler where another had already failed. Especially since Eevee sadly didn''t have Agility to utilize as a trump card.

    That left Nebula and Valiant. On one hand, Nebula''s chances were likely the best, but that would just prompt Janine to perform a substitution. It would mean that they''d have a break from fighting Ivysaur, but they would still have to find a way to defeat him at some point if they wanted to win. And after seeing how fearsome he was, Ash wanted to do the job as soon as possible, before the rest of his team got worn down.

    Grinning a bit, Ash exchanged looks with the young psychic type at his feet. "You ready, buddy?" With a nod, Valiant shot his trainer a smile before positioning himself in front of him in the arena.

    "Do your best, Valiant!" Suzie called out to the young Kirlia as Tyrunt let out a squeal. Valiant waved to them both before locking eyes with Ivysaur, the latter of whom began to tense.

    A few moments later, however, Janine, wearing a thoughtful expression, held up her starter''s Poke Ball and returned him. Ash felt a mild wave of disappointment at the action, albeit not too much surprise.

    ''Maybe she knows I would have preferred for him to stay out.'' he thought to himself. Ash wasn''t quite sure what the rest of her team was like, but with ivysaur being as formidable as he was, it''s possible that she was planning to save him for later to clean up the remains, now that she had already gotten some momentum going.

    "It''s been fun so far." she called out, reclipping his Poke Ball to her belt whilst pulling out a new one. Though her facial expression conveyed neutrality, there was an air of cheerfulness in her voice as her next Poke Ball enlarged. "Let''s keep it up, shall we?"

    A Beedrill emerged from the light, hovering in front of her as two large stingers tapped against one another. As Ash combed his brain, he remembered that Janine had mentioned something about a Weedle when they first met.

    "Your psychic powers should be fairly useful against that Beedrill, Valiant." Ash spoke up as Janine began talking to her latest partner. "But you already know how dangerous those stingers are going to be, right?" A nod. "Good. Fire punch should work pretty well, too, but try to minimize close quarters. That''s likely the situation that they want us to get in. Don''t approach unless you''re willing to use Shadow Sneak, and Teleport away whenever things get dangerous. It goes without saying, but don''t forget your barriers."

    WIth an understanding expression, Valiant''s muscles tensed as he sank into a stance.

    Starting things off, Janine raised a hand into the air. "Approach with Pin Missile!"

    Wings buzzing, Beedrill began to advance at a fairly rapid pace, although it did not look as though she was flying as fast as she could. With her stingers glowing, especially at the tip, she pointed forward with both of them, unleashing a barrage of spikes that were quickly deflected by the erected wall of glass in front of Valiant''s now outstretched hands. She continued to fire even as she closed in, only to suddenly cease as one of her stingers turned orange, raised and reared back to strike.

    Valiant dropped the Reflect immediately, teleporting behind Beedrill as she swung forward into the air. Eyes flashing, he quickly fired a rainbow beam at the bug/poison type Pokemon, only for her to whirl around and slash her stingers diagonally, forming a bright, greenish-yellow X for the Psybeam to crash into. As the X-Scissor deflected his attack, Valiant took the time to take a small leap backwards, creating a bit more distance between both combatants as the glaring poison bee Pokemon held a stinger out in front of herself in a challenging motion.

    Ash watched carefully. Those bug type moves gave Janine and Beedrill a convenient means of defense. Psychic attacks were their best bet at damaging Beedrill, yet she would likely have the easiest time blocking themˇ­

    Janine didn''t give Ash time to contemplate. "Pin Missile again!"

    Another barrage of spikes erupted from the tips of Beedrill''s stingers. Instead of erecting another barrier, Valiant evaded the onslaught with a quick leap to the side before breaking into a run. Ceasing the opportunity, Beedrill quickly ceased her fire and rushed for the psychic, both stingers glowing purple and dripping with venom.

    Valiant''s eyes widened at the assault as Beedrill''s first stingers thrust forward, threatening to puncture his body. With the second stinger still lying in wait, the Kirlia''s eyes flashed blue as he swung a flaming fist in an uppercut, pushing the Poison Jab upwards and deflecting the attack. Although Beedrill felt a burning pain in her first singer, it did not stop her from rearing back her second one, before lunging forward in a slashing motion. With her movements telegraphed by Telepathy, Valiant leaned his upper body backwards, just barely ducking under the blow as the venomous stinger passed mere centimeters above his eyes, which began to glow rainbow.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Sensing a counterattack, Janine spoke quickly. "Double Team!" Just as Valiant was about to fire the point-blank Psybeam, Beedrill split in two, with both the real one and the copy moving to either side of the emotion Pokemon. Looking between them in frustration, Valiant slowly allowed the multicolored glow in his eyes to subside as he struggled to differentiate the two. He was able to do against Gary''s Meditite by distinguishing which one was feeling emotions, but Ash had a feeling Janine and Beedrill wouldn''t be giving him the time to do so.

    "Teleport away, Valiant!" With an affirmative nod, Valiant heeded Ash''s advice, and flashed several yards away from Beedrill and her clone, both of whom turned to glower at him before the clone suddenly fizzled out.

    "Aerial Ace and Poison Jab!" Janine seemed mentally undeterred by their actions, simply giving orders in response rather than a sense of feeling threatened.

    Ash immediately caught on to what she was doing. With Aerial Ace boosting her momentum, and the overall power of her stingers, who knew how much damage Beedrill would do? She''d stab right through Valiant, not only leaving a bad wound, but inviting a great deal of toxins into his system at a rapid pace. At the level his friend was currently at right now, it would be over for sure.

    "Block it with Reflect!"

    Beedrill crossed her stingers as they filled themselves with poisonous energy, before sticking them outwards in Valiant''s direction. As she did so, her body lit up in the pale aura of Aerial Ace that was now currently surrounding her, before rocketing forward. Valiant had already outstretched his arms, erecting a large, glass wall that intercepted the blow. As Beedrill crashed twin-stinger first into the barrier, a shockwave spread across the surrounding areas of the battlefield while cracks quickly formed onto the shield, small shards scattering in each direction. Squeezing his eyes tightly shut and grinding his teeth, Valiant could feel his feet sliding backwards as he and his barrier were smacked away by the impact.

    Just as he stopped a few feet in front of the barrier at the side of the battlefield, Janine raised her voice yet again. "Once more, Beedrill!"

    Ash grimaced. Valiant''s Reflect wouldn''t survive a second attack, and he''d be smacked back-first into the barriers. The physical and mental whiplash would be too great for him to not be left vulnerable to a finishing blow. "Teleport, and Thunderbolt!"

    His expression steeling, Valiant watched Beedrill coat herself in the pale aura once more as his barrier began to drop. The moment she charged forward, he had flashed away, appearing just a yard or so behind as she barely managed to halt herself in front of the barriers. A determined glint in his eyes, he raised his hands as they crackled with lightning, before firing the electrical blast towards his target.

    Beedrill turned around in time to raise another X-Scissor, but could not produce the move in full prior to the Thunderbolt striking. Ash grinned as the bolt knocked her back, electricity dancing along the poison bee Pokemon''s stingers and upper-torso. X-Scissor had still blocked part of the blow, so she hadn''t gotten hit at full power, but it didn''t provide the same defense against electricity that it did against psychic energy, and Beedrill hadn''t had enough time to utilize it at full power anyway.

    Seeing his opponent off-balance, Valiant immediately capitalized by sinking into Shadow Sneak. Rushing over in Beedrill''s direction, he quickly exited his shadow as his fist became covered in flame, driving it into her stomach. As Beedrill was smacked sideways, Valiant wanted to give chase, only to find himself in need of catching his breath. Bedrill quickly capitalized on that herself, however; powering through the pain, she extended a glowing stinger in Valiant''s direction, firing off a barrage of golden spikes just before she managed to cease her own backwards flight and fully right herself. The Pin Missile quickly bombarded Valiant, who, with no time to raise another Reflect, promptly crossed his arms as he cried out in pain from the assault.

    "Valiant!" Janine gave Ash little breathing room, however, already issuing her own partner with another order.

    "Focus Energy, then Fury Attack!"

    As Valiant was knocked backwards by the spikey barrage, catching himself on his hands to flip further back and onto his feet, Beedrill held her stingers out in front of her torso, tips facing skyward as both stingers became radiated in bright, white energy. Just as Valiant had looked up to see her coming, she was already upon him, thrusting forward. With his eyes glowing, he hastily read the telegraph of her bodily movements, dodging to one side, before promptly dodging to another as her next stinger thrust forward. She didn''t stop there, however, continuing to slash, stab, and lunge as Valiant backed away, repeatedly ducking, taking tiny hops backwards, and swaying to the side.

    Ash could feel the sweat returning. She was giving them no time to respond, and had them trapped in a close-quarters combat situation, where she surely knew they''d be the ones on the backfoot. Valiant could read Beedrill''s movements by relying on his ability, but he was no martial artist. How long could he continue responding to them until-

    He quickly got his answer as a forward stab caught the side of Valiant''s shoulder. As the emotion Pokemon''s eyes squeezed shut to hold back a small amount of tears, his backwards motions began to stumble.

    Ash sadly wasn''t surprised when Janine capitilied once more. "Brick Break! Then Poison Jab!"

    Beedrill''s stingers did not lose their bright, white glow, but one was quickly accompanied by an orange glow as the bug/poison type combatant raised it over her head. Ash winced as she lunged forward and smacked Valiant''s forehead. Fighting Type moves were of little issue to his friend, but Janine and Beedrill had both clearly utilized Focus Energy to specifically power up those stingers. Even with the plentiful resistance, the added force behind the blow would surely knock Valiant off balance, and that meantˇ­

    He was right. Valiant was sent soaring a good two feet through the air before he finally caught himself on both his hands, and even as he painfully pressed them into the ground to flip backwards and back onto his feet, he was immediately greeted with a sharp to his abdomen upon landing, as Beedrill''s other stinger, cloaked in purple, plunged into him.

    His head leaning back involuntarily, Valiant gasped for air as a sharp burning filled his stomach. Barely registering Ash''s frantic shouts to fight back, he could feel a wave of nausea begin to overtake his body as Beedrill pulled out her bladed stinger, revealing the bloody gash left behind by her toxic stab.

    Nausea was quickly accompanied by adrenaline, however, and even with the gradually increasing, sickly feeling in his body, the now-glowering Kirlia summoned the focus to flash his eyes rainbow as a Psybeam pounded Beedrill square in the chest. Janine''s eyebrows raised in surprise as her partner, with a pained cry, was blown backwards, raising a stinger to her chest as she finally righted herself.

    With Beedrill seemingly taking a breather, Ash quickly seized the opportunity to look over Valiant, eyes shooting past the poison bee and towards his partner. One hand clutched the Kirlia''s abdomen as his breathing grew heavy, legs shaking a bit every now and then, and threatening to sink.

    Janine''s Beedrill was about as ruthless as he thought she was. With stingers like that, it would have been borderline impossible to fully utilize her assets without being merciless and unrelenting. Most poison types were like that.

    It didn''t seem like Beedrill was any longer at full strength after that surprise blow to the chest, but Valiant clearly wasn''t either. He wondered if he should substituteˇ­

    ''She would just do the same.'' He quickly realized. Now that Beedrill seemingly had the upper hand in this fight, Janine would likely just save her for Valiant. What''s more, if Ash let out his third and final Pokemon first, before she did, she could make her upcoming decision directly around his own, and still have a greater chance of maintaining the advantage as a result.

    "You good, Beedrill?" Janine''s question brought his mind back to the battle. His time for thinking was beginning to run out. As Beedrill lowered her stinger and nodded, before promptly raising both stingers ahead of herself, the young boy cupped his hands and called out to the Kirlia.

    "Hey Valiant, what about you?" It took Valiant a bit of a moment to respond, gripping his knees tightly for a split second or two before standing up straight in full, the expression in his eyes familiarly turning to steel as he offered Ash an affirmative nod.

    ''That poison is only going to get worse over time.'' he quickly reminded himself. Each moment, those toxins were burning Valiant from the inside, and he could only ignore such a thing for so long, regardless of determination or adrenaline rushes. ''We''ll need a comeback immediately.''

    Janine held a fist in front of her chest. "Venoshock!"

    A small part of him had wondered if she would go that angle. After all, what better way than to ensure that Valiant couldn''t ignore the pain of the toxins, than to amplify the pain itself?

    Thankfully, he already knew how Valiant would react, and watched as a golden barrier was erected in front of the Kirlia, which the blast of liquid crashed into. As the Venoshock harmlessly slid down the Light Screen, however, Beedrill was already rushing forward, stinger glowing with a familiar orange aura.

    Dropping the Light Screen before his opponent could prematurely shatter it, Valiant leaned downward to the side, deftly avoiding her blow before lunging outward and driving a flaming fist into her stomach. As Beedrill lurched backwards, Ash promptly capitalized.

    "Thunderbolt!"

    Taking a bold step forward, Valiant slowly began to channel electricity through his palms. It took a bit longer to gather the attack than usual, but with the stomach pain from the Fire Punch exacerbating the lingering discomfort in Beedrill''s chest, he also had a bit more time.

    "X-Scissor!" Janine sounded a clear bit more nervous than usual, but her voice wasn''t panicked.

    Beedrill crossed her stingers just in time for Valiant to fire off his Thunderbolt. Although the large X of energy that was formed by her flashing motions intercepted the bolt, she still found herself staggering back from the small explosion. Doing his utmost to ignore the sense of burning inside of his body, Valiant rushed forward and whacked her with another flaming fist while she was still off balance. As he promptly pressed his hands against the ground to gasp for air, Beedrill rolled across the pavement, stopping herself on her stingers.

    Ash watched Valiant slowly rise up as the poison bee grunted in pain. Normally, he would want to finish this with Psychic, but with the poison overwhelming him, Ash doubted that Valiant could summon the concentration for such a move. He still already wasn''t able to use it very easily as it wasˇ­

    "Valiant, finish this with a Psybeam!"

    Taking a deep breath, Valiant nodded as he closed his eyes for a moment, before they shot wide open, progressively taking ona rainbow glow.

    "Pin Missile!"

    Just as Valiant successfully fired the multicolored blast from his eyes, Beedrill had managed to raise her stinger, the barrage of spikes exiting the tip at the same time. The Psybeam collided with her head, almost instantaneously causing her to see white, only for Valiant''s chest to be pelted at the same time. Even as Beedrill was bowled over, stopping at the barriers in front of Ash as her body went limp, the trainer bit his lip as he watched his partner collapse onto his backside.

    Neither made any attempts to rise.

    Letting out a somewhat guilty sigh, Ash raised Valiant''s Poke Ball to return his friend as Beedrill disappeared in front of him. "Thanks again, Valiant." Reclipping the Poke Ball back onto his belt, he raised his head to meet Janine''s eyes from across the battlefield, just after she finished giving Beedrill''s Poke Ball a few words of her own.

    "Good comeback." She confessed, running her hand across the Poke Balls on her belt as if attempting to make up her mind. "You turned the tide pretty quickly."

    ''We still didn''t win.'' Ash briefly told himself before swiftly shoving the thought aside. They had prevented the worst case scenario, and sometimes not losing something could be just as good as gaining something.

    Nonetheless, they were still on the backfoot. Beedrill was down, but Ivysaur was still in the game, as was whoever Janine''s final Pokemon was. They still needed to turn the tide for real.

    It quickly occurred to him that Nebula was the only available option for him at this point. Even disregarding Janine''s final Pokemon, the young Staravia was the only one other than Valiant that the rookie found himself comfortable using against the grass/poison type. She was their best chance at winning.

    Taking the Poke Ball off his belt, Ash observed Janine holding her next orb out in front of her.

    "Alright." he called out. "I''m ready."

    Nodding affirmatively, Janine lightly chucked her own sphere into the air. Out of the bursting flash of light emerged a Golbat.

    ''That''s right, she did have a Zubat back in Viridian.'' Ash eyed the airborne creature as it flapped its wings just above the young girl''s head. Face glowing with confidence, Janine''s arms were proudly crossed against her chest as she stood tall, eyes radiating with anticipation. Just a moment ago, she had been somewhat unnerved by the abrupt comeback that he and Valiant had made against her and Beedrill, but that was all gone now.

    Allowing a light grin to make its way to his lips, Ash tossed Nebula''s poke Ball into the air, exchanging smiles with his feathered friend as she appeared above him.

    "Hey, you''re the last one left." he quickly announced. Nodding over to Janine and Golbat, he added. "She has her Golbat and an Ivysaur. Think you can handle it?" he wasn''t surprised by her affirmative nod, even less so by her energetic chirp.

    They needed to find a way around Golbat while still having enough left to take down Ivysaur. Hopefully, Nebula could put her fundamental advantages to good use if she was still in fair enough shape to take on Janine''s starter, but Ash highly doubted that Golbat would be any less formidable than Ivysaur and Beedrill had been.

    Nonetheless, his friend''s behavior reminded him not to worry too much about the odds. This was a battle for fun, and they''d keep on powering through it until the end.

    "Great to hear it, Nebula. Now let''s win this!"

    Janine grinned as Nebula squawked loudly at Golbat, who returned her call with a powerful shriek of his own.

    "Steel Wing!" The orders were simultaneous as both fliers shot higher into the air, flying upwards in a straight line before suddenly changing trajectory, straight ahead on a collision course with one another.

    Nebula crossed the halfway point just before the two attacks met, metallic wings slamming together as a shockwave spread throughout the air. Despite her seemingly, slightly greater speed, Golbat exhibited the strength to not budge from the impact, something that she herself ended up perfectly mirroring. As the two separated, both retreated diagonally upwards, before once again making a charge for one another, Golbat ducking under a glowing wing before changing course and charging after the now retreating Staravia, who deftly swerved to the side to avoid the clutches of his fangs.

    An aerial dance ensued amongst both competitors. As few movements as possible were wasted as the two fliers simultaneously formed into near blurs while zipping across the area above the arena. Never staying in one place, the two constantly changed directions, charging, dodging, blocking, and regrouping. Most offenses were dodged, as one flier took aim at the other, only to have their strike deftly avoided, abruptly finding themselves dodging a counter strike mere moments later. Occasionally, two Steel Wings would collide against one another, usually when one finds themselves on the receiving end with no opportunities for evasion. Sometimes this would happen when the attacker had notably more momentum going for them than the defender did, resulting in the one on the defensive successfully blocking the blow without harm, but still being knocked back as a result.

    As Ash observed the display with his head angled upwards, the even grin that eventually spread across his face could not be stopped. Nebula was beautiful in the air, traversing and battling with deft grace, and he almost found the sight of the aerial showdown entrancing. The nonstop action taking place overhead was enough to quicken the hearts of everyone present, and for a moment or two, he forgot that he was supposed to be giving orders.

    That''s right, they had to break this stalemate soon.

    With the most pleasant of adrenaline rushes coursing through him, Ash cupped his hands to his mouth. "Air Cutter!"

    The high-octane harmony was broken as Nebula ceased her flight, turning upwards to face the Golbat slightly, diagonally above her, and launched a barrage of blades of air in his direction. Janine had already called for a Double Team, her aerial partner promptly splitting into four, and although Nebula had done her best to spread out the assault in order to cover as much fo the nearby area as possible, two of the Golbat still succeeded in evading the barrage, while the two who were struck immediately evaporated out of existence. Nebula responded in kind, splitting into two Staravia while rushing forward with a mighty, high-pitched squawk.

    The duo of Golbat did the same, both twosomes colliding head on. The real Nebula, however, crashed into the fake Golbat, passing through as the clone evaporated. The same occurred between the real Golbat and the fake Nebula. With both combatants realizing, with some frustration, that they had mutually duped one another, they immediately swerved around with U-Turn, wings coated in steel as they sought to try again.

    "Supersonic!" Just before the two were beginning to near one another, Golbat''s eyes widened as a barrage of soundwaves erupted out of his throat. Instinctively, Nebula''s own eyes widened as the excruciating noise pounded against the insides of her eyes, her midair balance momentarily failing her as the metal encasing her wings threatened to fade away. As her speed waned, Golbat collided with her, metallic wing smacking into her chest and sending her back upwards. "Air Cutter!"

    Golbat immediately began generating his own onslaught of windy projectiles, but Nebula had recovered quickly, responding in kind as two separate barrages of bladed wind collided with one another. As the last of the blades exploded against one another, the two resumed their earlier dance, Golbat making a mad rush for Nebula, who quickly swayed to the side to avoid his Steel Wing, only to have her own ducked under, the young Staravia quickly pulling back as the bat chomped forward with purple fangs.

    This didn''t last as long as it first had, however, as just a few moments after the two fliers once again began weaving around the air above the arena, Janine had already cupped her hands for her partner''s next set of instructions.

    "Foggy Gale!"

    Positioning himself somewhat above Nebula, Golbat began to flap his wings like a madman as a series of dark-blue clouds escaped his open mouth. As he did so, his movements generated a rapid series of wind gusts that merged with the clouds and hurled them forwards. Observing the combination of Haze and Whirlwind, Ash didn''t have time to tell Nebula what to do, the young bird shrieking unpleasantly as the wind smashed into her, and the fog covered her.

    Even with his partner obscured from view, Ash promptly countered, cupping his hands and shouting out over the winds. "Wind Blast!"

    Nebula had some difficulty performing what she was ordered with the winds pushing against her, and forcing her backwards, but just before her back could collide with the barrier, she fought against the current and began flapping her wings in a similarly fanatical manner to that of Golbat, producing a powerful, condensed blast of air that tore through Golbat''s wind (and parted the clouds) before making its way over to him. With her view obscured, the young STaravia had no way of knowing whether or not her aim was true, but thankfully, Golbat hadn''t had time to move, and was promptly struck cleanly by the blast of air as his own barrage forcibly subsided.

    Ash capitalized by calling for a Steel Wing, but Nebula was already in the process of doing so, blitzing forward towards her enemy as he was painfully knocked back, and driving a metallic wing into his forehead. Aiming her strike somewhat downwards, she propelled him away with the assault, and although he managed to right himself a few feet in front of the barriers, he was immediately forced to raise a metallic wing of his own as she dive bombed after him. Although he received no harm from blocking her second strike in a row, her momentum smacked him backwards once more, and it was only a hastily reflexive Steel Wing into the barriers that prevented a possible concussion.

    As he bounced off the barriers, Golbat bared his fang with a vengeance, teeth coated in a venomous purple as he prepared to chomp down onto Nebula''s nick, only to find himself biting into her metallic wing instead. He ignored the pain as she tossed him away.

    A fiery glint made itself known in Janine''s pupils as she raised her voice above Nebula''s squawk. "Air Slash!"

    Still soaring backwards from Nebula''s toss, Golbat reared his wing backwards, before lashing out to produce a giant blade of wind that tore through the air and in Nebula''s direction. The Staravia had already begun to give chase, but was forced to cross her wings and coat them in metal yet again, the dual Steel Wings absorbing the impact of the large projectile while she, albeit unharmed, was forced back by the collision.

    Now Golbat was back to rushing for her, wings glowing and at the ready, only for a prompt U-Turn from the Staravia to position herself behind him, now ready to charge. Golbat did the same, however, and once his own U-Turn had once again reversed their positions, he kept flying forward, as a series of combinations of Aerial Aces and U-turns on both sides struggled to outmaneuver one another. By now, the clouds from Haze had all but cleared up, the lingering few being quite small, and scattering about whilst breaking apart as the two fliers passed through them amidst their contest.

    As tempted as Ash was to witness a third display in a row between the two, he knew that they had a battle to win. Grinning from ear to ear, he called out to his friend. "Double Team, three copies!"

    Her own smile widening, Janine promptly responded. "Same for you, Golbat!"

    About a split second or two after Nebula had split into four, Golbat had done so as well, eight fliers now weaving around the area over the arena as both rookie trainers inclined their heads upwards to watch.

    Speeding up, Nebula drove a glowing wing into one of the Golbat, only for the clone to fizzle out of existence upon collision. Several yards away, Golbat saw the same results as his Poison Fang briefly sunk into one of Nebula''s own clones, just before the copy disappeared from the blow.

    As both fliers turned themselves around to reassess the situation, none of the six remaining figures in the air ceasing their movements, Janine''s voice once again filled Ash''s ears.

    "Haze!"

    The real Golbat momentarily gave away his position as the stream of dark-blue clouds of fog escaped from his mouth, but the moment he ceased spreading it across the air above the battlefield, there was no time to distinguish as both trios of fliers collided with the vision-obscuring clouds. The fog parted and moved every which way as Nebula and Golbat tore through it, trying to maintain the high-speeds of their flight despite the limited visibility. Golbat took a shot at what turned out to be one of Nebula''s clones, the copy evaporating upon being slammed into by the Steel Wing. As he turned around, he fired a series of golden stars towards another Staravia. This one turned out to be the real one, her Steel Wing carving through the Swift as she made her way over to him, only for a quick U-Turn to thrust him back into the clouds, the fog now obscuring him from view for just long to reignite the confusion once he had finally reappeared.

    Ash couldn''t help but chuckle nervously, yet in amusement as well. An aerial brawl between two fliers who could split themselves into four was already near-guaranteed to be chaotic, but Janine had found a way to take the confusion a step further by introducing Haze into the equation. No doubt Golbat was far more accustomed to these types of circumstances than Nebula was; that was Janine''s advantage. They couldn''t play by her rules.

    "Air Cutter!" Nodding promptly, Nebula quickly positioned herself, before madly flapping her wings in place. The blades of air sliced through the clouds, causing the dark-blue fog to part as two of the three remaining Golbat evaded the onslaught, only for the one that was hit to suddenly fizzle out of existence.

    "Golbat, you too!" Just as Nebula was upon one of the Golbat, Janine''s voice filled the air. As the last of Golbat''s clones dissipated from the impact of the young Staravia''s Steel Wing, the bat set his sights on the now revealed normal/flying type. With her true position given away, Nebula didn''t even bother trying to make her clone dodge the attack, which she weaved around, moving in and out in an effort to reach the poison/flying type.

    Just as she approached him, and took a swing with her Steel Wing, a quick U-Turn from her opponent positioned him directly behind her, swinging downward with a Steel Wing of his own. Quickly realizing what was coming, Nebula was swift to respond, turning around and lashing out once more as the two metallic wings clanged against one another.

    "Supersonic!"

    Ash''s eyes widened. "Get out of there!" It was too late, however, and Nebula quickly found herself shrieking off balance as the horrible noise emitted from Golbat''s mouth.

    Taking a tiny step forward, Janine hollered. "Air Slash!"

    Flying back in an upwards motion just a few feet away, Golbat reared his wing back and sent the large blade of air plummeting down atop Nebula''s chest. With a shriek, she was propelled back towards the ground, unable to use Steel Wing in time to break her fall.

    As Golbat took the moment to finally catch his breath, Ash winced as Nebula collided with the pavement. Although she began to pick herself up soon after, the bruises and sores on her body were apparent, as were her deep breaths.

    "You okay?" he offered a light smile upon her affirmative nod, although continued to comb through his brain.

    ''They have more options than we do.'' he realized with an inward frown. Golbat was too versatile for Nebula to keep up with on equal terms, despite consistently matching him in the physical department.

    He didn''t want to do this with Janine still having one more Pokemon left, but the only way to make eup for Janine and Golbat''s versatility advantage, was to create an advantage of their own.

    "Nebula, use Reckless!" The Staravia''s eyes perked up as she was given the order, before nodding in understanding. With a mighty shriek to the heavens, the familiar crimson glow outlined the exterior of her body and feathers, coupled with a brief surge of electricity of the same color. As her now blood-red eyes murderously gazed up at her opponent, Ash took a deep breath.

    This was it. They would have to end this quickly, before she ran out of steam, and then do the same thing to Ivysaur.

    "Steel Wing!" he called out to her.

    Upon mentioning the ability, Janine had taken a somewhat surprised step back, but quickly shook off that surprise as the brawl continued. "Supersonic, Golbat! Hurry!"

    Spreading her wings out with a loud, continuous battle cry, Nebula took off into the air, wing stunning to metal as she tore her way upwards. The familiarly horrific noise slammed into her, filling her ears and leaving her balance and stability shaky, but her adrenaline continued to push her upwards, as though a catapult had launched her body against her will.

    A loud smacking sound could be heard as her Steel Wing hit its mark, sending a deafeningly screeching Golbat sky-high as the merciless Staravia continued to give chase. Gradually, her balance began to return to her, although she was already upon her opponent before it did. Trying to right himself as quickly as possible, Golbat was just in the midst of shooting himself downwards when his own metallic wing collided with Nebula''s, a somewhat sharp pain filling his wing upon impact as the collision sent him upwards yet again.

    ''If this keeps up, Golbat''s not going to last very long.'' Ash told himself. He doubted it would, though. Janine had an answer.

    "Double Team and Haze!" she sounded threatened for sure, but her tone of voice still didn''t seem too panicky. No doubt, if she was aware of how dangerous of an ability that Reckless was, she also knew that it came at a price.

    Three separate clones consecutively split off from Golbat as the fog flowed from his mouth, covering the air above the arena once again. Pretty soon all four bats were flying about in every direction, surely trying to confuse the aggression-filled Nebula as much as possible.

    Ash knew that Nebula wouldn''t have the patience for elaborate tactics in this state. They needed to make use of her raw power and speed to overcome Janine and Golbat''s trickery. "Do a quick Air Cutter, then blitz them!"

    Although Nebula was grinning, her eyes conveyed rage as she flapped her wings harder than she ever had throughout the battle up to this point. Large blades of wind tore through the fog and diced two of the clones, but as she took off with her wings glowing, Golbat was already in the process of replacing both of them. No doubt the consecutive usage of Double Team would be taxing for him, but it certainly wasn''t nearly as bad as what Nebula would be putting herself through if the battle became too prolonged.

    The four bats tried to evade Nebula, but her superior speed easily carried her across the air, smashing one clone to pieces before turning towards the remaining targets in frustration.

    Sweating a bit, Janine cupped her hands. "Catch it!"

    The real Golbat found himself on the receiving end of Nebula''s next charge. With widened eyes, the determined bat. Coated his wings in metal, and performed a clapping motion. As Nebula''s outstretched, metallic wing neared him, her strike was suddenly stopped in its tracks as the poison/flying type''s own two wings abruptly sandwiched hers. Her momentum did not cease, however, barely slowing down as she pushed the bat towards the barrier.

    A feeling of dread beginning to well up within Ash''s chest was promptly vindicated upon her next command. "Confuse Ray!"

    There was no point in warning Nebula. There was no time. Golbat''s eyes flashed, filling her vision with a disorienting light that halted her efforts, as what was once an aggression filled mind became jumbled and scrambled into a brief state of senselessness. Pulling back, Golbat reared his wing behind him and whacked her in the face, prompting the normal/flying type to roll several feet away.

    Janine watched the Staravia''s unstable balance for just a split second before she took a step forward and cupped her hands, voice filling Golbat''s ears just before the Staravia had a chance to right herself.

    "Brave Bird!"

    Brave Bird was a deadly flying type move of a similar caliber towards Double-Edge, even with the same recoil aftereffect towards its own user. It was generally considered to be a high-level move, but it was now clear to Ash that Nebula wasn''t the only flier in this fight with an Egg Move.

    Pumping his wings out with a holler, Golbat became coated in a crimson aura that quickly turned blue. Nebula had just regained her balance and stopped her midair roll as he charged forward. Carried by the attack, the bat tore through the air with a blinding showcase of speed. With no time for anything else, she coated her wings in steel and crossed them in defense.

    SMASH!

    An agonizing pain engulfed Golbat''s head as he crashed face-first into the metal exterior of Nebula''s defenses. With a gigantic shockwave spreading out around the two rivals, the whiplash of the impact briefly left Nebula reeling backwards, before their balance simultaneously failed them, both slipping into freefall and colliding with the pavement below.

    Both bird and bat bounced off of the arena floor before rolling onto their backs, faces scrunched up in pain as the two attempted to lift their heads. Nebula''s aura began to flicker in and out as she rolled over a second time, pressing her wings against the pavement in an effort to force herself up, whilst Golbat did the same.

    Ash chewed his lip as he watched the display. With pokemon Pokemon merely a few feet from one another (and closer to his side of the arena as well), the bruises and gashes left behind by the exchange came into full view. Neither trainer gave their Pokemon encouragement, instead opting to grip their Poke Balls for when the time came.

    Letting out a painful cough, Nebula tried to take a deep breath before pushing against the ground higher. Slowly, her body began to rise. Seconds later, Golbat began to pick himself up as well, although it seemed like Nebula was gaining pace just a bit faster-

    Just after passing the halfway point, she collapsed beak-first into the arena floor. After shaking for a moment, Golbat performed one final push and rose to his feet, only to collapse backwards onto his bottom a split second or two later, the bleeding gash on the top of his head fully coming into view. Unable to stand, but barely conscious.

    It took a moment or two before either rookie could fully register the scene. As the adrenaline rush left their bodies, Ash let out a deep sigh before holding up Nebula''s Poke Ball with a defeated smile. As she disappeared into the device, he could spot Janine from the corner of his eye, making her way towards Golbat.

    An aerial battle between two flying type Pokemon of near-equal prowess was unarguably a spectacle to behold, but Nebula''s trump card just barely fell short of compensating for the vaster arsenal at Golbat''s disposal.

    "Rest up, girl. You did great." The sensation of disappointment in the back of his head was nothing overwhelming. Certainly not absent, but he was already thinking back to how fun the battle had been.

    The sound of footsteps raised his head as he returned Nebula''s Poke Ball to his belt. Janine stopped in front of him while tucking away Golbat''s own.

    "I wasn''t expecting that at the end." she admitted, with a somewhat uncharacteristically sheepish tone. She smiled before shaking off the mild embarrassment. "That was fun."

    His grin becoming a bit more genuine, Ash nodded at her. "Definitely, thanks." Perking up all of a sudden, he quickly pulled out his Pokedex. "Oh yeah, here." Touching a few icons on the screen, he prepared to transfer some money to Janine''s account. Since he didn''t have much left, he wasn''t losing too much either. The two tucked away their devices after Janine accepted.

    A childish chatter brought his attention to Tyrunt, as the young royal heir Pokemon stopped in front of him and smiled. "Hey there, buddy. Did you enjoy the show?"

    "He certainly did." an approaching Suzie spoke up and rested a hand on their shoulders as the small dinosaur nodded along happily. "I can see how you two have come so far. Make sure you keep it up."

    Nostalgia surged through Ash''s chest at that. "Thanks."

    "Here, if you two want, I can send your teams to the Pokemon Center myself. We have a transport device here." the breeder offered. Giving thanks, the two rookies each handed her three Poke Balls."I''m gonna have to reopen the salon now." She announced as Tyrunt rejoined Ash near his legs. "But if you two stick around, I can take you to lunch later. My treat."

    "I''ll look forward to it, thank you." Janine nodded. As the woman returned inside with Vulpix, leaving the two alone with Tyrunt, the purple-haired girl turned back to Ash. "You have a nice team. I got a lot out of that, so thanks."

    "You''re not the only one." Ash assured her, mind tracing back to the match. Janine hadn''t at all been concerned about the common weaknesses her team shared, and so far, it seemed to have paid off for her. That kind of proactive thinkingˇ­ it was something he needed to hone. "I''m glad we did this. Thanks again." he offered a hand to her, which she quickly accepted. Although her grip was firm, he was quick to adjust his own.

    "In that case, I''ll be sure to have my eye on you." Although her response was good natured, it carried a somewhat analytical tone to it. "I''d be happy to have a rematch another time." she added on as the two began to separate.

    Ash''s lips curved up. "Why, because you won?"

    "Only partly." she teased before turning to the door. Looking back at him and Tyrunt, she offered a polite wave. "I''m going back in for now. Let me know if you want to talk." Ash and Tyrunt waved back before she disappeared through the door.

    Letting out a deep sigh, Ash looked down at the rock/dragon type with an almost tired grin. "Guess we got our work cut off for us, huh? We''re not the only ones who are doing this well." the dinosaur''s tail brushed against the pavement, as he nodded, before he leaned downward to accept Ash''s pat on the head. "We''ll enjoy our time here while we can, because once we leave and get back to work, our gloves are coming off." The duo made their way to the door.

    Two months was a longer time than it sounded, but it was a passing second to any veteran looking back at the past. A simple footnote in a long career.

    Everything that had happened so far had all been the simple, opening pages of a book. The beyond rocky start, the travels through forest, roads, and cavern and the encounters along the way with four fellow rookies that all, in different ways, had something that he didn''t. Something that he needed. Each experience was all so fundamental, yet the longer time flew by, the more they would feel like a passing second.

    Because two months was only a fraction of a year. And the remaining Season to come, and the gigantic tournament that awaited at the end, would simply be the prologue to a legend.

 Prodigy of Terrorism pt 1

    Janine''s purple hair fell beneath her shoulders as the tie came undone. As she held it in her hands and stared at it, a brief inclination to carelessly discard it to the side crossed over her, momentarily not registering that it would get lost in the grass. It only lasted for that one moment, however, before the now eight-year old promptly pocketed the object.

    Scooting back on the smooth boulder she was seated at, she hurriedly brushed a few strands of hair behind her shoulders while basking in the springtime sunlight. Above her, a trio of Pidgey had claimed the branches of an overhead tree, cloaked by its leaves in a beautiful dark-green.

    Fuchsia City, located near the far southeastern shores of Kanto, and just outside the unpredictable wilds of the Fuchsia province, was as big as one would expect from such a major city, but aesthetically couldn''t be more subversive. While places like Saffron and Vermillion embraced the urban atmosphere that came with the modern day; almost completely separate from the surrounding wilderness as though acting as a glorified shelter, Fuchsia had merely evolved into a bigger, more expansive version of what it had always been. Nature was a part of the city. The city was a part of the surrounding nature. Buildings were big and many, but no skyscrapers to be found. Rocks, grass, and trees were every bit as present as all of the manmade structures that made the city what it was, giving it its famous, natural aesthetic. The urban mark of humanity, and the vegetation of the wilderness, sometimes even marking habitats for wild Pokemon. Elsewhere in Kanto, they were different worlds that made up the same place. Here, the two were one.

    Janine had been infatuated with the world that she was born into since before her mind was developed enough to understand, but recreationally finding enjoyment in it was an everyday experience the girl was barred access to. She aimed to take in every last millisecond she spent outdoors, for the next day would see her inside, attention solely dedicated to the desk of her bedroom, and the myriad papers and books. By dinner her hand would likely be sore from all the time spent holding a pencil or pen, and her mind would be overrun with the walls of text consumed throughout the day. And when she was outside, it wouldn''t be to watch the local wildlife scampering about the branches of the trees, or to explore whatever fun the city had to offer. She would be jogging, learning basic camping skills and outdoor cooking. If she was lucky, some time might be spent at the lake for a few fishing lessons, or at the Safari Zone, being taught how to correctly interact with wildlife, and all the tells that came along with each species.

    It would all be fixed, however. Even the fun parts would be taking place within a controlled atmosphere. It was not the freedom of recreation.

    It was a routine as synonymous with her as the trees and grass were with the buildings of her home city. She did not dread the homework and reading, or even the soreness in her hands that would come along with it as a package deal. She only mildly dreaded the inconvenience of the cramps that the running and exercise produced. It was who she was, and an everyday burden she was quick to learn was a fact of life. Just as all the paperwork and fieldwork her father endured on a day to day basis was synonymous with his own existence.

    Right now, her daily life was one of preparation for the future that would one day define her. Times like these were a vacation from reality, when the educational routine that ran through her mind like cogs in a machine became numb and replaced with something far more simple. And with it, a more innocent, and indeed simple part of herself was made known to her.

    "You ready, Janine?"

    The girl beamed up at Aya as the green-haired woman approached her. Even when moving around in a casual manner, there was somethingˇ­ deft about her aunt''s motions. Maybe it was simply an illusion, put in place by the child''s knowledge of the fluidity that she was capable of as a ninja.

    "Mhm." Janine hummed as she rose from her seat mid-nod. Trailing just behind Aya was a navy blue-haired girl, about thirteen years of age, who waved at the eight-year old lightly.

    "Nice to see you again, Janine." the young teen commented. "Heard you set a new personal best on your last evaluation?"

    "You too, Kris. And I did, although the judicial section nearly ruined that." a small frown briefly accompanied her features. "I''m not sure I''ll get used to it."

    She quickly felt her body easing as Aya''s hand gripped her shoulder. "You''ll have plenty of time to worry about that another day, as I''m sure you know." The casual tone in her aunt''s voice was single handedly soothing. For now, let''s go somewhere. Anywhere. You have something in mind?"

    Janine''s hand found its way to her chin as a pondering expression filled her eyes. "Hmmˇ­ the zoo, perhaps?" she mildly perked up at the thought. It wasn''t as though she had never been there before, but much like the Safari Zone close by, when had she ever gone there, not for practice, but for a simple, carefree purpose?

    Aya seemed perfectly satisfied with that, and Kris raised no objections herself. In fact, the Azumarill approaching the young teen from behind seemed rather upbeat at the idea.

    "Cool." her aunt answered. "Shouldn''t take too long to get there. Now curve those lips up, okay? This''ll be fun."

    The assurance itself was enough to produce the smile the woman wanted.

    /

    "We are here, Janine. Straighten yourself." The nine-year old''s body was quick to grow firm at the sound of her father''s voice, her spiky ponytail mildly responding to the gentle breeze as her hand lightly tugged on her uniform.

    The outside of the church was majestic and opulent, the path leading up to the patio adorned with a clean sidewalk painted by the light from the high-rising sun, and spotlessly cut, bright green grass on either side of the pathway. The girl diverted her attention just long enough to take in the large fountain nearing the entrance, consisting of a beautiful statue of Dragonite, and a stream of water flowing freely from the mouth.

    She had been here before. Mew worship was at its most dedicated in Fuchsia, the birthplace of the first ever Indigo Champion, whom the guardian of Kanto had crowned. And for much of Kanto, religion was the crux of the Church of Mew''s prestigious presence. In Fuchsia, however, it was history, as present in the books as documented records of the League and other historical events surrounding the empire it helmed.

    Her father never brought her here just for worship. It was for education. As part of her own preparation.

    A man dressed in a clean white had just exited the large glass doors at the entrance as father and daughter neared the steps. Her father bowed to the newcomer as he spoke. "It''s an honor to have you two here."

    Honor to have her father here, that was. Father was known by all in Fuchsia for his cruelty, ruthlessness, terrifying aura, authoritativeness, intelligence, prowess on the battlefield, and how all of those qualities had kept his side of Kanto safe. She was simply the daughter of that man, a part of the family that served as an extension to him. And right now, she was the extension, not the person accompanying him to the church, but a glorified part of his body as all eyes focused on him, as he visited the Church.

    "The honor is ours." Her father''s voice was smooth and straightforward. "We won''t be here too long, but I request a look at the Successor''s Mural."

    With a nod, the man led them through the building. Although they hadn''t come during service hours, activity was still present in their surroundings. It bothered her not, however; she had always found the aura of this building to be rather comforting. Soothing, even. And everybody spoke in such a softening tone of voice, one that would always relax her mind and put her nerves at ease. It was a stark contrast from the tense atmosphere radiating around her father, but one that balanced it out as a result.

    A large picture was engraved into the wall that they stopped in front of, in a separate room. Before Janine could take the visuals in, she felt the man''s eyes on her.

    "Enjoy your stay, child." he must have known that she had never seen this before. After he and her father exchanged a final nod with one another, the man walked out of the room, leaving the door open a crack.

    Her father''s hand rested on her shoulder. On instinct, her posture straightened from the contact.

    "Indigo''s first Champion was born in a time where unity did not exist in any known lands." her father did not lay an eye on her as he spoke, his vision focused solely on the picture in front of them. "Territories that are considered parts of a greater whole in the modern era, were all their own separate entities. Greed and desire were near everyday facts of life, from attempted conquests between neighboring territories, to mutinies and infighting from within the territories themselves. Power went to those who were the most clever. Who were strong enough to tame the mightiest of beasts and creatures that prowled the outside wilds. There was no harmony. No higher power to keep the lands in check. No unity or order. Just a world of chaos amidst a myriad of parties."

    Janine suppressed an instinctive gulp. She knew this part of the story. It had been told to her multiple times, and she had read it multiple times. This was a test, to see if her attention span was everlasting. To make sure she wouldn''t tune out the bits that she already knew, only to miss out on the new details that he was about to give her once he was done.

    "Indigo''s first Champion was the man who ended that era, and paved the way for the empire that would bring balance to Kanto, and later extend its reach to Johto, the Orange Islands, and Sevii Islands in their respective hours of need. He was born right here, in Fuchsia, and fled across Kanto to Pewter when the city was usurped. He conquered multiple territories on his journey to take back his home, and held most of the Region in the palm of his hand by the war''s end. The Region was almost completely unified, for the first time in history, and upon his victory, the Guardian Mew descended upon the land and granted him the title of Champion. This sanctioned his newfound rule over Kanto, granting him a divine right. Mew did this because this war, and its subsequent outcome, was an opportunity to put an end to the era of chaos that had previously been viewed as endless. As the Guardian of the Region, it was his duty to protect it and its people, and to ensure an overarching authority for everyone to answer to and prevent future power struggles was the perfect strategy for order and peace. The Champion was both his pawn and his chosen one. The League exists as a proxy to maintain peace and order throughout Indigo, in the name of our Guardian''s decision."

    Janine nodded along with her father. That put an end to the stuff that she knew. Now it was time for the new stuff. The new context that this mural was intended to provide her with.

    "Your career is six months away." he spoke once again. "You, like thousands of others, will soon set out to unlock the potential inside of you that books, lectures, and exams could not tap into. There are those of us who do not understand what we are capable of until after the academic phase is complete. Although you found great success yourself, the message remains that you have not become what you were meant to be just yet. No matter how many quizzes you ace, no matter how many excerpts you memorize, you will always be a miniscule part of the world that you step foot in when you first leave this city. It''s your job to continue that growth in order to ensure that you do not stay miniscule. Five to six years worth of education is nothing compared to the rest of your life."

    Janine didn''t move, nor speak. She simply attempted to allow her ears to soak up her father''s words, while her eyes soaked up the mural.

    "This mural is officially referred to as the Successor''s Mural, but it has another element of importance to it. Its connection to the Indigo Plateau. When Mew first descended upon mankind, his call led the first Champion, and his closest companions, across the Region. From Fuchsia, all the way back to Pewter where his journey had first started, and beyond, to the Plateau. It was there that the Champion was crowned. The priestess who had been mortally wounded protecting him, was called upon as well, to bear witness. Under Mew''s protection, she survived the entire journey, not dying until after the crowning was complete, where she passed on peacefully. Ever since then, Indigo plateau has been the throne, where every Champion is crowned, and where all of Indigo is governed from. The first Champion took immediate recognition of the divinity of this particular area, for it is where he crowned his chosen successor. That was when the tradition was born. Indigo Plateau was the symbol, and, once the Gym system was established, it became the end goal. It was the successor who first established this system, hosting the first ever Conference to decide his own successor. This is what paved the way for how the hierarchy operates today, four centuries after Champion Albert Seiza and Elite Four Asawn Nobli had all but unified our land."

    He spoke no more after that, a sign that he simply wanted his daughter to observe.

    And so she did. She took ine very detail on the wall. The recreation of the Indigo plateau, with the mountains in the mass of faceless humans at the bottom, the giant castle towering over them, and the figures atop it.

    A robed man in a humble kneeling position. A man standing firm and tall, placing a crown upon the kneeling man''s head. A picture resembling a Dragonite at their side, and one resembling an Alakazam and Arcanine at the other. At the Dragonite''s side, a robed figure kneeling in a praying position.

    Three giant birds hovering just above them. Above the birds, a protective ball of energy high in the sky, as though cloaking and hiding the appearance of another creature. A guardian angel, who lovingly, yet sternly, watched over the land''s every breath. Every word. Every move.

    /

    "Alright, let''s get going, Eevee."

    The evolution Pokemon hopped off the desk as her trainer shut off the video phone, Delia''s face disappearing as the background of Ash''s house gave way to a blank, black screen. Looking up at her trainer expectantly, the quadruped lightly barked as he rose from his seat.

    "Janine says the Game Corner is in the southeastern section of the city. We''ll head that way and follow the signs. Meeting time is in about an hour, so it shouldn''t be too much of a rush." The quadruped kept pace with him as they made their way to the large front doors in the lobby, stepping out into the city and welcoming the sun''s rays.

    The Game Corner was one of many attractions that a city of Celadon''s class and spectacle had to offer. The massive casino was robust and overflowing with activity for what seemed to be twenty four hours a day, although children Ash''s age were barred from a good deal of the building. The League had a strict policy in place regarding gambling, and underage trainers who took part in the Game Corner''s such activities were at risk of suspension of their licenses, which came with multiple repercussions, such as a temporary ban from Gyms and local tournaments. Some considered such a law hypocritcal, given that the League sanctioned Pokemon battles between trainers who wagered money were effectively gambling in their own right, but Ash knew better. The portion of money that a losing trainer was deprived of was fixed, specifically to avoid tanking of their current finances. Gambling at this casino gave them free reign, and could very easily produce dire losses.

    Although the League did not own the casino, the Game Corner itself could easily be met with trouble if they were ever caught failing to abide by the Region''s laws. Such an incident had taken place before, where a sizable group of teenaged trainers and coordinators (some of which were fairly well known within the competitive, professional community) had infiltrated the closed off sections of the building and had their way with the slot machines, a good few of them sadly not coming out of the experience financially comfortable. Although Ash wasn''t fully aware of the details, he knew that a few of the teens were from upper class families, and had bribed the casino staff into looking the other way and/or making excuses for them. It hadn''t been hard for the League to catch wind, however, and the lawsuit had made the Game Corner itself far more strict about the policies than even the League itself was. It''s reputation regarding the prestigious city''s image had been called into question, and with Erika now breathing down their necks, the Corner was doing everything in their power to avoid the risk taking that could get them shut down for good.

    Thankfully, Ash had no intention to get involved with such activity. Outside of the adult sections of the Corner were areas that anybody could gain access too. A selection of opulent restaurants and shops (none of which the boy could remotely afford), along with an expansive arcade-style section open for all ages, where people wagered tokens in place of real money.

    The previous evening, Janine had invited Ash and his team to meet up with her at the Corner, as a means of taking a day off before both trainers left the coyote and set their sights on the rest of the Gyms. Ash had accepted, although he wasn''t expecting himself to win any big prizes at the Corner. Unless one landed the jackpot on one of the may games that the arcade section had to offer, the chances of earning enough credits to obtain one of the large-scale prizes in one day was rather slim. Truth be told, Ash was mostly just looking at the place as a means to unwind, rather than chase any sort of specific prize. He may have had three badges fairly early into the Season, but gathering more was still his top focus for the time being.

    He and Janine had mutually agreed on 10:00 AM to be the meeting period, and so far he and his friends were making fairly good time. Ash suspected that they''d likely arrive a bit early, which was probably for the best.

    As he and Eevee headed down the sidewalk, Ash found his mind wandering back to the events of the previous day. What he had expected to just be a simple visit to Elacia''s friend (admittedly, a very famous friend), had put a lot of thoughts into his head. He had never thought that Valiant had been from this city, but with Suzie''s story regarding what had happened to her Ralts, and Celadon neighboring that of Viridian Forest, the details had added up. He''d owe Elacia a lot of "thank you"s the next time that they met. Certainly the closure behind the reunion had put both Valiant and Suzie''s respective minds at ease.

    Speaking of thanks, the thought of the red-haired breeder always led to Ash addressing the Donphan in the room: his debt to her. Seven thousand in currency was certainly a steep price for him, but he hoped it''d become easier to fulfill that as his journey continued to further itself. It''d give him more time to rack up prize money and savings. Perhaps they could enter a tournament in hopes of putting some winnings asideˇ­

    Furthermore, his battle with Janine had been replaying in his mind the previous night after returning to his hotel room.

    He and his team had hardly done poorly in the match, but the takeaway wasn''t any less clear. Their opponent had them outplayed. Pikachu had failed to get over Ivysaur, Valiant could only manage a draw against Beedrill, and Nebula''s trump card had only scored her a near victory against Golbat.

    What his mind had really kept coming back to, however, was Janine''s words prior to the match. About what her plan for the future of her career was. This was a girl who had mapped out her game plan from the very start, while he had just improvised within the moment. She was already on the road back when he was struggling to get out the door.

    Part of him told himself that it wasn''t wrong to do the approach that he did. While Gary was writing a candid essay about which starter he was planning to choose for his journey, he had been working tirelessly to ensure that he even had a journey in the first place. His priority was based around catching up, with no room to jump the gun.

    Another part of him told himself that that was simply an excuse, however. An attempt at covering up an oversight, and not even the only oversight that he had found himself to be guilty of over the course of the past two months. Would it have really been that hard to put aside some time to figure out his game plan? So that he wouldn''t have been left relatively without one after passing the Exam? He was a trainer; people in his field juggled a multitude of things all the time.

    It mattered not, however. He wasn''t Celebi; and he couldn''t waste time thinking about what he could have done better. They were only two months into the Season, there was plenty of time to right early wrongs going into the Conference, and they would have to start now.

    He wasn''t behind anymore. He had the three badges. He had the six Pokemon. He had the license. Whether or not he had made the right call only focusing on the here and now prior to becoming the trainer, or whether or not it was a shortsighted method that had only set him up for more difficulty and speed bumps later down the road, he no longer had that excuse. He had caught up, and he firmly believed such a thing. He wasn''t the bottom of the barrel anymore, and he couldn''t think like somebody who was, either.

    If Paul had made it his mission to sidestep the pitfalls that beginners always fell into, and Janine had made hers to map out her structure from day one, then Ash wouldn''t be thinking like a rookie either. That would just lead him into the same speed bumps that they had successfully evaded.

    Not to mention, Sabrina wouldn''t show the same leniency as the previous three Gym Leaders had, and the rest would be showing even less. If he wanted to be certain that he was ready for a rematch with LT. Surge, or to confront Koga, then he needed to prove that he could beat her first. Any previous, easily avoidable oversights that had served as setbacks in the past would doom him and his teammates from here on out.

    "Your field is constantly evolving, and probably won''t stop as long as it continues to exist. If you want to evolve with it, then you should push that progress by going ahead of your peers, rather than following after." Suzie had certainly voiced her approval towards Janine''s decision. He wasn''t Janine, or Paul, but that just meant he wouldn''t mimic them. They still had the right idea. He''d find his own version of that.

    Speaking of whichˇ­ "Hey Eevee." as the quadruped evolution Pokemon perked up and offered him her attention, the young trainer tugged on a Poke Ball resting on his belt. "What do you think of Tempest?"

    He wasn''t surprised when the furry Pokemon''s expression fell. Averting eye contact with her trainer, Eevee found herself looking ahead with a somewhat blank mood, almost as though she was trying to keep her mind off of something.

    "I thought soˇ­" Perhaps this was another mistake that he had made. Allowing the situation with Tempest to run its natural course. He didn''t want to force anything, but not doing anything at all had proved irresponsible. The river crab barely even qualified as part of the group. His participation consisted of fighting battles and little else. Any few and far between interactions he had with the others outside of matches was made up of restrained hostility. The team wanted little to do with Tempest after his first impression, and the Krabby in question had little intention of making up for such a thing. Neither side would budge, but if we could just push them lightlyˇ­

    If they were going to be defining what type of team that they were, then his family needed to be a team. Not five Pokemon and a Krabby.

    He''d drop that for now, however, and did not press Eevee any further. It seemed he had multiple things that he needed to get started on once tomorrow rolled aroundˇ­

    /

    The exterior of the Game Corner was primarily purple, decked out with neon lights that Ash and Eevee were equally certain would light the building up like a beacon come nightfall, along with a beautiful blue coating on the roof. The casino stood several stories high, and already had a flux of people entering.

    "Stay close to me." Ash informed Eevee as the two made their way towards the entrance. A part of him felt it best to return her to her ball to avoid getting split apart by the crowd, but Eevee had already expressed her choice to remain outside. "Better yet, on my shoulder for a moment." stopping just long enough for the quadruped to scale his back, he looked to the entrance ahead of him before continuing forward after feeling his partner''s weight on him, responding to a friendly bark with a quick scratch on Eevee''s chin (eliciting a pur).

    Passing through the front gates, the duo made their way to the large, automatic doors leading into the building, greeted by the sight of the massive lobby inside. The opulence of the casino quickly hit them as they observed the surroundings. Although Ash was no expert in decorating, the floor was carpeted with a material that screamed expensive, a giant fountain consisting of a Dragonair and Kingra statue towered in the middle of the lobby, and just about everything present, even the large desk at the end of the room, seemed to be deliberately presented as being as fancy as possible.

    Most people, as expected, were making their way to the counter upon entering the building, but Ash and Eevee held off for a moment. "She said she''d be waiting in the lobbyˇ­" the boy looked around before spotting a set of seats off to the far side of the room. With Eevee still clinging to his shoulder, he made his way across, perking up as he caught sight of two familiar figures nearby.

    Janine was seated in a cushioned chair with a hardcover book in hand, calmly absorbed in the text as Ivysaur was perched beside her seat. The grass/poison type noticed Ash and Eevee approaching first, and a quick prod from his vine caught her attention. Eyes quickly finding their way to the newcomers, her face lit up as she waved Ash over, opening her backpack to stash away her book.

    "Glad you came." she spoke evenly with a grin as he reached them. Eevee left Ash''s shoulder, but didn''t stray far from his feet as she and Ivysaur quickly exchanged neutral glances. The girl''s starter seemed to be in a fairly calm mood, although Ash knew better than to write the creature off as serene, after yesterday''s match. "How is the morning treating you?"

    "Pretty routine so far." Ash returned her smile. A thought occurred to him. "Have you been waiting a while?" he knew he was early, but she seemed fairly settled in, and had likely been here for a bit. If he had known that, he might''ve tried getting up sooner.

    The girl seemed relatively unfazed. "I always wake pretty early, and I didn''t have anything else to do. Besides, most of the Game Corner doesn''t open officially until 9:30 anyway. Just the small stores and cafes in the lobby." Strapping her backpack to her shoulders, she added, "Did you want to stop there before we go to the arcade?"

    He shook his head. "We''ve already eaten." One of these days he would try treating himself more often, but for now, the food at the Pokemon Center was free, and easily the most affordable approach when he was short on money from shopping, and still trying to raise enough to pay off an expensive egg. With the Center food being far from low quality, he wasn''t all that bothered by it, but still coveted the prospect of eating out.

    She nodded before motioning them to follow her. "Alright, I can cover for us. Trainers get a pretty good discount here." she had offered to do so last night, which Ash was grateful for.

    /

    The arcade section of the casino wasn''t all that crowded for the moment, and Ash noted that much of the people he remembered seeing at the entrance seemed to be adults. He imagined a lot of the teenagers and other younger trainers he had noticed were likely getting breakfast at one of the restaurants (Ash envied them to a degree), or browsing the souvenir could still spot a fair amount of kids as he and Janine made their way in, a few seemingly in small groups, but given the size of the section, it was hardly crowded. After receiving their initial batch of tokens (any additional ones would require extra payment), the two trainers had made their way to the machines.

    Ash had been to Pallet Town''s own arcade a fair amount of times, but as he already expected, the Game Corner''s selection of games was far more vast. Even Janine seemed to be fairly impressed by it, given the look on her face.

    From what he could see so far, there were the standard types of games that you would almost always expect just about any kind of arcade to have. Race car simulators (which he often spent most of his time at in the past), fighting games, battle simulators, and on-rail shooters were all present and accounted for, and seemingly in various different forms. He could tell that there were a bunch of other games, however, and beyond video games, there was a large row of ski ball and basketball sets at the far end.

    "Fuschia has a few of these, although I haven''t been to one in a while." Janine spoke up as Eevee and Ivysaur''s attention was briefly brought to a teenaged boy seemingly on a roll in a fast-paced fighter jet game. She turned her head to Ash. "Anything you''re good at?"

    "Racing," he replied. "Although I might be a bit rusty."

    She nodded. "I''m going to be browsing a little bit if you need me." They exchanged a quick goodbye before she and Ivysaur disappeared into the labyrinth of machines.

    /

    The arcade grew a bit more noticeably active after the two split up, although Ash and Eevee weren''t overwhelmed. Ash had used a few tokens to play some matches on one of the racing simulators, but Eevee hadn''t seemed very interested in the game (despite shaking her head when asked if she was bored), so he left to find something else before long.

    He noticed that a good few of the other people in the arcade had Pokemon with them as well, a few of the Pokemon even fiddling around with the machines and trying to play themselves.

    He and Eevee didn''t stay in any one particular spot, seemingly bouncing from game to game with no real rhyme or reason. There was nothing he found addicting enough to hold him for too long (most of the time he didn''t use any more than two tokens per game), but that was hardly a problem with such a massive selection of games to pick from.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Eevee watched as the spinner inside the machine began rotating rapidly. Whatever the stick landed on would determine the amount of tickets they would get as a prize (there were also two additional spaces that offered a free retry). Ash had never had much luck with these types of games, so he didn''t keep his hopes too high as he pressed the button.

    "Two ticketsˇ­" he commented with some annoyance as the spinner finally came to a stop, not even sounding all that surprised. "I should''ve known." he allowed himself a light chuckle as he removed the two tickets that had emerged from the slot. He wasn''t overly concerned with the amount of winnings that he walked away with, given he wasn''t planning on cashing anything in, but the moment still brought back humorlessly frustrating memories of all the times he''d been duped by the spinner.

    Shrugging it off, he made his way away from the machine as Eevee hopped onto his shoulder. After what could have only been two or three more minutes of searching, the curious duo happened upon a set of machines labeled "Battle Simulator".

    The boy blinked. A game for simulating Pokemon battles? It sounded pretty obvious in hindsight, but Pallet''s arcade didn''t have anything like thisˇ­

    "I''ve seen these before, although I''ve never used one." He turned to see Janine at his side, Ivysaur approaching her from behind. "Has it been fun so far?" At his nod, she turned to the machine in question. "This game emulates battles in a few ways. One mode has a turn based format that plays out like a Role-Playing Game, and another makes a prediction regarding which Pokemon is most likely to win." she chuckled. "It''sˇ­ not entirely accurate. Nothing can replace an actual, real life battle. But it''s considered a fun thing to check out as long as you don''t take it too seriously." After a couple moments, she pulled out her Pokedex. "Trainers can get a specific simulation themselves by inserting their own Pokedex into that slot."

    Ash quickly caught on. "You mean it goes by their own registered teammates?"

    "Mhm. The Pokedex records any registered Pokemon''s current moveset and ability. The machine reads all of that and then predicts how the matchup would go based on the information." her expression grew amused. "Itˇ­ obviously doesn''t have any way to account for customized moves, or how the Pokemon''s physical capabilities compare to one another on average, so everything''s very generalized. It''s definitely not meant to be used in place of a hands-on evaluation."

    "Huhˇ­" Ash''s eyes wandered to the machines. It sounded pretty pointless, when she put it that way, butˇ­ not everything had to have a point to it to be enjoyable. Curiously, he made his way over to one of them, with Janine and Ivysaur occupying the one next to his choice. On his shoulder, Eevee leaned forward and viewed the large screen as Ash inserted his Pokedex into the slot. In line with Janine''s explanation, a disclaimer quickly popped up detailing that the simulation was not meant to be taken as a credible way to evaluate real-life matchups. Images of his team showed up on the screen, and upon clicking on Eevee''s picture, he was greeted by a list of her moves, and her ability.

    "Shadow Ball, Iron Tailˇ­ Adaptabilityˇ­ looks like everything''s accounted for." he turned to the small quadruped. "Soˇ­ wanna see what would happen if you and Valiant fought?" an amused nod from his friend elicited a quick tickle under her chin. "Alright, then I''ll just pull him up real quickˇ­"

    After bringing up Valiant''s information (which was equally accurate), Ash quickly went through the menus before a loading screen brought them to the simulation. Pictures of an Eevee and a Kirlia highlighted the screen, with large health bars above each of them. The two images smacked against each other repeatedly as the health bars proceeded to fluctuate. After a few moments, the Kirlia''s image sank downwards, while the Eevee picture moved to the center of the screen, declared the winner while the health bar remained with a fraction of HP left. Just above the health bar was a reading of "53%"... was that the likelihood of Eevee winning?

    A prideful grin adorned his young friend''s features, although the evolution Pokemon looked more amused than anything else.

    The outcome made sense on paper. Eevee knew both Shadow Ball and Iron Tail, and Kirlia weren''t known for being able to take direct hits. Her QUick Attack gave her great momentum which the Iron Tail could also be carried by. Of course, it wasn''t a definitive prediction. It didn''t account for the way Valiant used his own moves, his quick thinking, or whatever environmental aspects might be in play. But Ash kept that to himself, as he already knew that Eevee was thinking the same thing.

    Besides, Eevee had worked very hard to catch up with everybody else after her one-sided encounter with Nebula back at Mt. Moon. She deserved this.

    Janine caught his attention a few feet away. "Do you want to play a quick round?"

    "Sure." Navigating another menu, Ash selected the "VS" option, where his team once again found themselves pictured. Moving between each of them, he allowed himself a moment to think.

    Janine was a poison type specialist, so obviously, whatever Pokemon that she selected would naturally have that typing. That made Valiant the ideal choice, but there wouldn''t be as much fun in that.

    "Let''s seeˇ­" he hummed to himself as Eevee looked on. Pikachu had already lost to Ivysaur yesterday, and although that had been a real battle, he wouldn''t be too surprised if the machine agreed with the end result. Alongside the grass type, she also said she had a Toxtricity, apparently part electric type, making both Nebula and Tempest risky optionsˇ­ but she had also said that he had fallen behind due to a lack of informationˇ­ Which could mean that he did not have as many electrical moves as expected?

    Of course, all of this was just a series of assumptions regarding who she would pick, which Ash had no way of knowing. He didn''t even know her entire team, so there wasn''t much use in overthinking it.

    After a few moments, he clicked on Nebula. An image of a Tentacruel showed up soon after, and following the same process from Eevee''s match, the Staravia picture was declared the winner accompanied by a 56% likelihood.

    /

    The two trainers remained at the arcade for about another hour or so before departing. Both had come out of the trip with a decent amount of tickets upon depleting all of their tokens, but as expected, it wasn''t nearly enough to claim a true prize (anything overly noteworthy, at any rate). Both had simply deposited their winnings into individual accounts, to save up and accumulate later. Ash didn''t know when or if he''d ever be coming back, but it''d be something to keep in the back of his mind if he ever wound up back in Celadon and found himself in need of a fun distraction.

    At the moment, he and Janine were exiting the building with Eevee and Ivysaur in tow. Ash adjusted his cap for a moment before turning to look at her.

    "That was fun." he stated genuinely. "Thanks for inviting us."

    "Don''t mention it. I figured I''d offer." A comfortable silence hung over the group as they headed down the sidewalk, the sounds of passing automobiles being all that occupied their ears for a few moments.

    "Soˇ­" Ash spoke up after a few moments. "Is there anything else you wanted to do?" As he turned his head to her, he felt a tad bit awkward asking. He wouldn''t have minded hanging out with her longer, especially after realizing it''d been a decent bit since he''d spent the day with another human. They hadn''t made any plans beyond this point, however.

    To his mild surprise, Janine simply looked towards him. "Is there anything specific you wanted? I already chose the Game Corner, so it''s only fair to let you choose something."

    Ash''s mind went a bit blank as Eevee turned to him expectantly. Truth be told, he hadn''t had anything in mind himself when he''d asked the question. On one hand, it shouldn''t be hard, given the myriad of options a city like Celadon naturally had. On the other hand, perhaps that was the intimidating part.

    "I''mˇ­ not sure." he admitted with some embarrassment. "Sorry."

    Janine touched her chin thoughtfully. "It''s fine. Let''s seeˇ­" something lit up in her eyes. "Do you like art? The museum in this city has some of the most detailed exhibits, from what I''ve heard. It''s not the goldmine of artifacts the Pewter museum is, but there''s a lot of sculptures, paintings, and other works detailing key historical points. I''ve never been there myselfˇ­"

    Ash perked up at that. He remembered the time he had visited Pewter''s museum with his team. He was no history buff, but it wasn''t something he''d mind knowing more about. Plus, it''d be a relaxing way to pass the time. He turned to Eevee, who had climbed onto his shoulder. "You okay with that?" After a moment or two, the quadruped performed what looked like a bit of a shrug, and he turned back to the purple-haired girl. "Sure."

    She nodded with a smile. "Alright. First timers can visit free for an hour, although it''s a bit of a walk from here." she stopped for a moment, prompting Ash and Ivysaur to do the same as she removed her backpack to open it and reach in. After a few seconds, she pulled out a map and unrolled it. "Let''s seeˇ­ a bit to the northwest. Follow me."

    /

    The Celadon Museum of Arts and History almost immediately struck Ash with a different vibe than the Pewter Museum had. Although it was still a very professionally presented place, it felt moreˇ­ colorful. Not just because of the immediate difference in exhibits (true to Janine''s word, this place got its name more from history-themed works of art than fossils and the like), but something about the museum''s overall aesthetic, while far from childish, just seemed less serious than that of Pewter''s. He imagined that a place like this would hold Trucy''s attention longer.

    It seemed to be even more spacious than Pewter''s museum as well (not that that building had been anywhere near claustrophobic). Perhaps that contributed to the easygoing feel.

    Janine and Ash were allowed in without any need for payment, as the girl had stated before, but to their pleasant surprise, she had actually been mistaken regarding the terms: first-time trainers entering the building were actually allowed a two hour long free period, rather than just one. The comforting vibe of the place was something Ash would make sure to enjoy while it lasted.

    After ascending the steps leading from the main lobby to the museum proper, the group was greeted with a wide hall connecting multiple sections of the museum to one another. With no clear goal in mind, they picked a random direction and went with it. Something caught the corner of Ash''s eye, prompting him to get Janine''s attention. Perking up, she and Ivysaur followed him into an open room.

    Upon entering, Ash immediately (with mixed feelings) realized what had drawn him to this section of the museum: it was dedicated to Mt. Moon. The realization stung, and he briefly squeezed his eyes to block out the mental image of plummeting rocks. Thankfully, Janine didn''t seem to notice.

    Mt. Moon was probably his least favorite part of the world right now, but he tried to keep that out of his mind. Not everything about the place had to do with what he and Misty had gone through while there.

    The majority of the wall at the opposite end of the room was occupied by a giant, rectangular painting that stretched across. The picture depicted a massive rock, seemingly glowing a bright sapphire, towering over a large group of Clefairy, who could be seen all throughout the picture, along with numerous Cleffa and a few Clefable. Their eyes were closed, kneeling down in praying positions while surrounding the rock.

    Ash and Janine gravitated towards the massive picture while Eevee hopped off of her trainer''s shoulder and wandered elsewhere in the room, sniffing at a few exhibits while Ivysaur relaxed into a sitting position to focus on a decently sized apple tree sculpture.

    "That''sˇ­ the Moon Stone, isn''t it?" Ash said, eyes wandering around the painting to take in the full view. Beside him, Janine leaned downward to read the plaque.

    "The Moon Stone''s origin is endlessly debated amongst archeologists and historians alike. Theories ranging from extraterrestrial origin, being created and blessed by the Guardian Mew''s divine aura, to coming from the core of the planet have all been pitched by those fortunate enough to study this mystical boulder firsthand. Whatever the origin point, the giant stone''s fragments are capable of evolutionary powers, and are now known as the evolutionary stone of the same name. Buried deep within Mt. Moon, the original, widely talked about Moon Stone rests at the bottom of the mountain''s underground labyrinth, and has been recorded to be worshiped by the Clefairy evolution line, who act as its guardians. The almost religious respect that the species has for the stone has led to further questioning regarding where it might have come from. Clefairy themselves are often studied by those interested in the stone as a result of this. In the past, conflicts were fought over the desire to harness the stone."

    As she finished reading, Janine straightened herself and viewed the painting. As she did, Ash eyed another plaque not too far from the one she had just read from. "It says this was painted over a hundred-fifty years ago. The second-ranked Elite Four Member of the time ventured to the bottom of the mountain with his Alakazam to find the stone. After getting back, he hired an artist to paint a picture of what they had seen. He had his Alakazam project the mental memory into the artist''s mind while he was working, so that the painting would be completely accurate."

    Janine''s lips curved up at the story. "High-level psychics are pretty otherworldly with their mental mastery." still grinning, she turned her head to face him. Her voice, while in a good mood, was even and proper, yet her eyes conveyed a slightly teasing glint. "Can you imagine Valiant doing something like that for you?"

    Ash briefly felt a tinge in his cheeks at the question, but shook it off. "Right now he and I can''t even hold a full conversation without him falling asleep. It''ll be a while before I have to think about that."

    Now that she mentioned it, Ash wasn''t even sure what he''d ever need such a thing for. Obviously, the origin of this painting had shown that the possibilities could come from a myriad of unexpected places, but there was nothing that he could think of from the top of his head.

    It''d be a long time before Valiant could speak to him extensively. It''d be even longer before he could doˇ­ something like what that Alakazam had done, assuming he ever even reached such a level. But just how many doors would be openmed if he didˇ­?

    Returning his attention to the painting for now, Ash''s eyes traveled across the massive picture, suddenly realizing just howˇ­ detailed it was. The artist credited for the painting had worked a miracle; there were no imperfections that he could see (although he wasn''t sure how good he''d be at noticing any, compared to those dedicated to artistic presentation), and although everything was made of paint, it almost looked real. Like the Moon Stone was actually shining. Like the Clefairy line praying to it weren''t just made up of paintˇ­

    The combination of the painter''s capabilities with a brush, and the perfect mental image provided by the Alakazam''s memories had truly come together.

    His mind briefly wandered back to what Janine had read on the plaque, however. "Soˇ­ people have tried to fight over this in the past?" he tried to suppress his frown.

    She nodded at him. "It''s always been coveted for its ability to evolve Pokemon of certain species, butˇ­ the legends about itsˇ­ Other mystical qualities have tempted too many parties to count. Some genuinely believe that it is imbued with Mew''s powers, and that they''d hold divine magic at their disposal if they could claim it and find out how to use it." her expression turned solemn. "A holy weapon, basically."

    He crossed his arms uneasily. "I''m sure you already know this, butˇ­ Team Rocket tried to make a grab for the stone themselves. About a month ago."

    She sighed. "How could I not? It was all over the news. I barely dodged that bullet, I had just passed through the mountain the day before." As if suddenly realizing something, she eyed him with concern. "Waitˇ­ you weren''t there when it happened, were youˇ­?"

    "No." Ash was somewhat scared of how easily the lie had left his lips. "I was about to go through, but League trainers stopped me, and said that it wasn''t safe. They teleported me to the other side after the incident was over."

    She seemed to believe him, given her smile. "Well that''s a relief. That assault of theirs was a lot moreˇ­ real, then what happened at Viridian."

    The Viridian incident had been pretty real to him, but Ash knew what she meant. The only reason they had survived the Pokemon Center attack was because of how incompetent those two Rockets had been. The Mt. Moon raid wasˇ­ nothing like that. Just thinking about what would have happened to him and his friends if Karen hadn''t shown up, reminded him of where his newfound disdain from the location had been born. And that Marauder manˇ­ was on a completely different level of terror from the two jokers who had attacked him and Janine.

    But he turned his thoughts away from the masked menace. "So, you haven''t run into them since?" he asked hopefully. Obviously, she was in one piece, so any other encounters hadn''t ended badly for her, but he still found himself feeling nervous nonetheless.

    Thankfully, she shook her head. "No, it''s been smooth for us, thank you." She pointed a thumb elsewhere in the room. "Anyway, we don''t have to focus on any of that right now. Team Rocket already gave us a terrible night back then, let''s not let them ruin anything else."

    It was a bit late for that, but Ash found himself nodding nonetheless, sending his new friend a grateful smile.

    She was still right. Even if Team Rocket had ruined plenty more for him sinceˇ­ dwelling on all of that would take away from the current moment. He hated how much effort it took to poush it all into the back of his mind sometimes, but succeeding in that regard was still well worth the effort.

    Those two grunts who had tried to raid the Center, the Marauder, thoseˇ­ child soldiersˇ­ they weren''t here right now. He didn''t have to think about them during times he could be enjoying. They had already done more than enough.

    He wasn''t sure how many more times he would have to remind himself of that, but luckily for him, in this moment, he just needed the one.

    "You''re right, thanks."

    While walking past him to view what else the room had to offer, Janine seemed to take note of what Ivysaur had been looking at. "Hey Ash, look at this." he followed her to the corner of the room where her starter had settled down. Over on the other end, Eevee took note and decided to join them, quickly making her way across the room and giving her trainer a friendly bark upon reaching his feet. Ash acknowledged her with a quick pat on the head.

    Ivysaur was still fixated on the apple tree sculpture, and had just been about to get up when he noticed the rest of the group approaching. Just as Ash was about to read the plaque, Janine cut in front of him, placing a hand over it while shooting him a curious grin.

    "No peeking! Can you tell me what this is?" she nodded over to the tree sculpture. She seemed a littleˇ­ excited.

    "I''mˇ­ not sureˇ­" his face turned a shade of red. The fact that Janine seemed soˇ­ enthusiastic about a simple tree sculpture made him think that he probably should know. It just looked like any other apple tree, but it obviously wasn''t, given its place in a history museum, so he wouldn''t dare make the mistake of assuming such.

    Not moving her hand, Janine''s smile evened out to be a little less playful and teasing. "You won''t believe me, but this tree is actually what led to the entire League forming. In the long-term, anyway."

    Ash raised a brow. "Wasn''t the League formed after Mew gave the first Champion his blessing?"

    She nodded. "Mhm. After he led Pewter''s forces to victory in the war. But the first Champion was from Fuchsia, not Pewter. He fled across Kanto and to Pewter during the uprising in his home." she nodded towards the sculpture again. "Do you know how an outsider gained Pewter''s favor?"

    It suddenly occurred to Ash how obvious it should be that Janine knew something that he did not. After all, she herself was from Fuchsia City. The very place where the original Champion had once called home. Who knows how much history rested where she grew upˇ­

    "Heˇ­ planted a tree?" Ash awkwardly stumbled on his words whilst scratching the back of his neck. It was the only thing he could think of, so why did it sound so weird?

    She giggled a bit at his fumble, exacerbating his embarrassment, but her reaction thankfully didn''t last long. "Don''t worry, I''ll explain." she said while raising a reassuring hand. After he nodded to show that he was ready, she began, taking her other hand off the plaque in the process. "Given the surrounding terrain, agriculture was almost foreign to Pewter at the time. This was before Viridian Forest was as expansive as it is now. There was still some vegetation, but in general, the fertility of the area''s ground just wasn''t reliable enough for proper farming, and there weren''t that many plants in general, at least compared to the rest of Kanto. Hunting was almost exclusively the way people got their food at the time, often by taming wild Pokemon to assist them. It was a bit mutually beneficial, since the people of Pewter would obviously grant the wild Pokemon their own share in exchange for further help, and they would cook the food not only for them, but for the Pokemon themselves, in order to improve the taste. With the wild Pokemon becoming accustomed to the cooking''s taste, they helped out with little question, just for the reward." She paused for a moment, allowing it to sink in.

    Ash processed her words for a moment. Eevee seemed to be listening in too. "Soˇ­ the original Champion earned favor with them by improving their agriculture?"

    "In short, yes. Fuchsia itself is a mountainous place, but it''s not dominated by the rocky landscape that defines Pewter. Vegetation is plentiful there, and agriculture is thus more common. The original Champion is recorded to have an affinity for it, and demonstrated a technique to help bypass the troubling environment that got in the way. With help from his Ivysaur, according to documents. Pewter never became lush, but watching him work was like witnessing a whole new world for them. With the way they were living in isolation from the rest of Kanto, mostly because of Mt. Moon, that was how he gained their trust." she gestured towards the plaque. "It''s all here if you need confirmation."

    Ash believed her, but was curious to see nonetheless. Eevee made her way back to his shoulder as he walked past Janine and leaned forward to read what was written on the plaque. Sure enough, everything she had said was verified in the text. "And he and the first Elite Four Member were the ones leading Pewter''s forces in the warˇ­ so it really did all start with an apple tree."

    "Of course, it would take a few years for the tree itself to start producing fruit, but the people were there to see the planting process and the tree''s growth with their own eyes." Janine eyed the tree sculpture with some level of fondness. "He had initially just fled to the other side of Kanto for refuge after the territory that he lived in was usurped during the uprising, but the people he had sought it from had started looking to him for some form of guidance. Education about the outside world. Even before Mew blessed him, he was always some manner of leader."

    Straightening his posture after reading the plaque, Ash turned to her. "I guess the story must be really well-known where you''re from."

    She nodded. "Fuchsia definitely treasures its role in Kanto''s history, and especially the League''s origin. It and Pewter have always been labeled as where it all started, so history and tradition are valued in high esteem." looking away from the sculpture, she added. "He planted the tree at a spot on the road to Mt. Moon, which is why the sculpture is here. You''ve seen that there is a surprising amount of vegetation in that area nowadays, right? That''s because of this."

    He remembered. Around the Pokemon Center at Mt. Moon''s foot.

    "Yeah, I actually caught Eevee there." he commented while reaching over to pat the quadruped on his shoulder. His eyes wandered back to the sculpture. If the Champion hadn''t earned the favor of Pewter''s people, he never would have helped lead them to victory in the war. Fuchsia''s usurping forces might not have ever been stopped, and if they had been, the Region still likely wouldn''t have been unified. And what would that even lead to? Would the League never get established? Would Indigo''s entire structure just simplyˇ­ not exist? He would even still be a trainer?

    To think just one apple tree could make such a difference.

    /

    Damian gave his uniform a light tug as he traversed the underground tunnels. Somewhat claustrophobically, he was surrounded by other Rockets on every side. As they made their way through, he hadn''t been lined up anywhere near the other child soldiers (were they all rather spread out right about now?), so the Rocket boy was feeling rather sandwiched by the adult soldiers walking in front of, behind, and beside him.

    Pretty soon, however, the space would grow more open. But that was when the fighting would start. The utilization of Celadon''s underground network was a genius strategy on this group''s part. It had allowed them to take up position, with their hideout being located directly beneath the Game Corner itself. And now it allowed them to freely travel to their two respective targets unspotted. The group set to infiltrate target number two had already split off from his own. Once they had reached where they needed to go, they would attack by emerging from below. The League was not aware that they were using the underground network in order to map out their route; it was a blindspot, and one that they would exploit with the shot that they had.

    His legs carried him forward with what felt like involuntary movement. He couldn''t really see the path ahead of him, just the far taller soldiers in front. But they were all simply moving forward, and with the occasional turn. It was automatic.

    A large gulp nearly bulged his throat as his mind continued to wander. Any minute now, they would be there. And thenˇ­

    Instinctively, his hand found its way to his belt. He couldn''t release any Pokemon, as much as he was currently tempted to, with how crowded that it currently was, but he could wrap his palm and fingers around Charmeleon''s Poke Ball. And so he did.

    He knew he was ready for this. He knew he had been prepared for this. He knew he wouldn''t make a mockery out of it. But the sweat felt as though it was threatening to drown him.

    Deep breaths. They were hard to take with so many people around him. Concentratingˇ­ focusingˇ­

    Finally, at the sound of the red haired teenager''s voice, they stopped.

    "Halt." The lanterns being raised overhead by a spread out portion of the large squadron illuminated the walls, floor, and ceiling surrounding the group, not that Damian could still see much of anything in front of or beside him anyway. "At ease."

    As they stopped walking, Damian was finding it just a little bit harder to breathe as planned. There would be no more preparations. Soon, they would be above ground again, in combat. Wide-scale combat, where anything could happen from any direction. And this time, he wouldn''t be in the bunkers waiting everything out.

    He would be part of what he used to be sheltered from.

    The red-haired teenager adjusted the mask on his face while turning to address the large squadron that he stood in front of. "We are directly beneath them now. In just a few moments, we will be rising up and commencing our attack. We''ll be going up through the basement, of course. Make sure you overrun the building. Spread out, so that they''ll have to as well. Once they have fully responded, the squadron seat to attack target two will be notified as such. Any questions?"

    Damian wanted to speak, but didn''t. Neither did anyone else. It was just a brief summarization. After all, they had just gone through their final briefing just before setting off.

    "Very well." the masked leader nodded towards the tall ladder pressed against the wall. It stretched through an opening in the ceiling, although Damian could not see that for himself at the moment. "We climb."

    As everybody moved to position themselves, Damian glanced down at Charmeleon''s Poke Ball, still on his belt and wrapped up by his hand.

    "You and I are going to start blasting the moment we get up there." he whispered in an attempt to keep his voice steady.

    /

    Time could often blast by with little realization when you enjoyed something, whether it be something exciting, or relaxation. Of course, boredom was known for lasting an eternity. An hour turned into a day. A day turned into a week. Even just waiting sixty seconds for something to happen could feel like you were waiting an hour.

    Ash was not bored. He was not excited. He was relaxed. But for once, time wasn''t slipping away from him. The atmosphere of the museum had engulfed him, a soothing sensation accompanying his mind for over an hour and a half.

    He and Janine had spent the time browsing through the exhibits and displays that the building had to offer. After they were finished with the apple tree sculpture, they had wandered off to another room, detailing sculptured recreations of the Indigo Plateau stadiums from back when they were first built. Readings documented the first ever Indigo Conference to take place. In the same room, the story of Moltres'' flame had been told, and how the Champion of the time had collected the flame in the Legendary Bird''s wake. Ever since then, a ceremony would be performed at the beginning of every Indigo Conference, where a series of torch runners would light the flame at the top of Indigo Stadium.

    Another room had an aquatic theme to it, conveyed beautifully by the walls, which blended in with the sculptures and paintings by portraying the dark ocean waves and depths, accompanied with varying marine Pokemon. Lots of Magikarp, but also Lanturn, Seel, Dewgong, and a Gyarados or two.

    This room had documentation of Indigo''s first known voyages through the sea, which had initially led to Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands, but would later culminate in Johto, the Orange Islands, and the Sevii islands as well. Although Kanto remained the origins of Indigo''s birth, the League''s authority now encompassed multiple Regions, including Johto, another major Region whose younger League had been assimilated into indigo''s own. Politically speaking, all of these expansions had been certified conquests, albeit not through the same war torn process that had eventually led to Kanto''s own unification. The Orange and Sevii Islands had both been remote from the rest of the world, Johto''s Silver League a struggling government due to the Region not being fully and definitively unified at the time. Although the latter had not been resolved without any fighting, Indigo''s conquest and the neighboring Regions'' ultimate annexation had been historically documented as mutually beneficial.

    Another room had touched further upon this, detailing the final, documented treaty signings that had led to the Silver League becoming a part of the Indigo League. The Silver Champion of the time had been granted an immediate Elite Four position, and for the first couple of generations, would oversee Johto in the transitioning period to ensure that nothing had disturbed the much crucial process. Said room was overall dedicated to the Silver League''s upbringing, leading up to its eventual annexation at Indigo''s hands.

    Though she wasn''t well-versed in everything, Janine had maintained a relatively educational presence throughout each section of the museum that they had visited. Whatever school she had gone to must have had a magnificent history program; even the sections where she wasn''t very knowledgeable usually saw her with an easier grasp/understanding than himself. And more often than not, whatever nugget of insight she had verbally provided him with would organically segway into an often unpredictable topic of conversation, albeit only briefly.

    The manner that she carried herself with offered a fairly different vibe from what he had been used to seeing from people his age. She was far from stoic, but rarely ventured from the air of professionalism that the purple-haired girl carried around with herself. Her posture and expressiveness more often than not conveyed some amount of etiquette that he wasn''t accustomed to interacting with, but her occasional slip ups and consistent enthusiasm was a consistent reminder of their shared age group. She was certainly more "proper" in her mannerisms than somebody like Misty or Maria, not in a casually laid back manner like Laura, or with the seriousness of Paul, but something that felt rooted. Practiced, even. But it was simply a part of her, not her personality. It didn''t define her.

    It added a unique layer to the girl, but it wasn''t dominant enough to make him feel uncomfortable or out of place. It wasn''t something she deliberately emphasized, at least for the current moment.

    Ash had long since lost track of time after getting sucked into everything. He had mostly been looking forward to this as a manner of winding down, but found himself increasingly more fascinated by the things he saw. The chats he and Janine had in between examining exhibits likely elevated the experience.

    Yet when a brief checking of the clock had revealed that they were in the last stretch of their free time, it hadn''t felt like everything had blazed by without him realizing. It was a weird feeling that he could not claim to be used to.

    With somewhere around fifteen minutes left, the two young trainers stood in front of another decently sized painting, this one being of Mew''s crest. The symbol of the guardian took the form of a glowing, spiraling tail, and was an image Ash wasn''t fully unfamiliar with. Given its significance, just about anybody in Indigo could at least identify it. The image of the crest was surrounded by a clean, black background.

    "The Guardian Mew has kept watch over Kanto''s landscape since the Region''s formation." Janine read from the plaque. "Genetically linked to every species of Pokemon on the planet, and a being of true divinity, the Guardian is the origin of much humanity aims to understand about the world. As the one who crowned the first Champion, the Indigo League recognizes itself as the proxy that governs these lands on its Guardian''s wishes and behalf."

    The image of the crest was encapsulating. Something that threatened to suck Ash in if he stared at it for too long. Maybe it was simply his knowledge of what the tail represented. Maybe it was just how beautifully it was painted. So many works of art in this museum had been crafted in seemingly impossible ways. Ways that maintained a lifelike aura to truly emulate what they were attempting to convey. But amongst the painting of the Moon Stone and its guardians, the sculpture of a seemingly simple back actually incredibly important apple tree, and paintings depicting treaty signings and negotiations, this crest seemed to be the one that popped out at him the most. As though it were shining for real.

    "The origin of much humanity aims to understand about the world." Janine repeated. Her head angled its way over to Ash. "That brings me back to what was stated about the Moon Stone. About how nobody can agree on its origin? And how some believe that Mew is the one whoˇ­" she trailed off, not needing to say anything else.

    "What do you believe, Janine?" Ash''s curiosity got the best of him, and the question slipped from his lips before he could consider it.

    She didn''t seem offended by the abruptness of the question. "Hmmˇ­ honestly, I''ve always wondered about it myself. When I was studying the Moon Stone for schooling, I''d read whatever theory I could out of curiosity." scratching her cheek. "Iˇ­ can''t say I''ve ever been conclusive about it." She looked back to the painting. "Stillˇ­ It''s the reason that interpretation is so popular. The thought of the Moon Stone carrying Mew''s essence isn''t so far-fetched when Kanto itself is so deeply rooted to him." she rubbed her arm. "Fuchsia cultureˇ­ greatly values Mew and what he represents. To them, the stone''s existence being credited to the Guardian is a theory held in very high regards. It wouldn''t even be the most magnificent thing about him, when he''s the perceived ancestor of Pokemon kind."

    It sounded like she might''ve leaned towards the theory herself. Perhaps her studious nature prevented her from saying anything definitive?

    "I''m not sure I''ll ever be able to answer fully." she admitted. "I can only pick my favorites." her expression turned somewhat sheepish. ''I''mˇ­ sorry if that wasn''t the answer you had in mind."

    Ash held his hands up awkwardly. "Noˇ­ I only asked because I have no idea myself."

    With a light giggle, Janine glanced at the clock. "Hmmmˇ­ it looks like we''re running out of time. We should probably wrap things up." Slowly, she looked back at Ash. "Youˇ­ wanna go back to the Pokemon Center for now? Maybe we can grab some lunch."

    Now that she mentioned it, it had been a bit since he''d last eaten. He imagined it had been even longer for her. At her invitation, he nodded. "Sure, I''d love to. That okay with you, Eevee?" he glanced down at his partner, who was perched on the floor gazing up at the crest painting. At his question, she looked back and nodded with a bark. He gave Janine a thumbs up. "Alright, then I guess it''s settled-"

    He nearly jumped out of his skin as a flash of red light filled his eyes, just as a deafening alarm assaulted his ears. Janine turned rigid as Eevee and Ivysaur sprang from their sitting positions, the latter almost firing off an attack at nothing in particular.

    "Wh-What''s that?!" Ash nearly spat out as his hands shot up to his ears, feeling as though he might choke. The alarm continued, a horrific, blaring noise that stretched across the building, its deep roar inescapable to all present.

    "I t-think it''s a-anˇ­ emergency alarm!" Janine''s hands were on her ears as well, eyes moving frantically. "What''s going on?!"

 Prodigy of Terrorism pt 2

    In the basement, waves of Rockets poured from the tunnels, as those that had already exited sprinted and made a break for the entrances to the regular floors, where the alarm could faintly be heard coming from.

    "Spread out!" the red-haired teenager waved along the soldiers passing him by. "Those assigned, group up to shut down the emergency system. The rest of you, overrun the museum!"

    From the corner of his eye, he could spot Damian in the crowd. The child was running alongside Charmeleon, following after the soldiers that raced ahead on their significantly longer legs.

    Hand shooting down to his belt, the teen removed a Poke Ball and enlarged it. In a flash of light, Neptune emerged behind him, towering above his trainer as the soldiers passing by spared a startled glance at his sudden appearance.

    As the blue behemoth leered down at him, the teen pressed a palm against the reptile''s chest. "Old friend, time to raise Hell."

    /

    "TEAM ROCKET IS HERE!" Even over the deafening blare of the alarm, one sentence rose over the series of panicked declarations and screams, and it was one Ash''s compromised cognition immediately zeroed in on.

    Glass shattering.

    Rhydon stomping.

    Marauder leering.

    Tyranitar roaring.

    Rocks falling.

    The bright flashes of red light searing his eyes had thankfully gone away after a few more moments, but the alarm remained as roaring as ever, pounding against his eardrums like a hammer swung by a roided Poliwrath.

    ''Noˇ­ it''s notˇ­ why now?!''

    Janine interrupted his panicked thoughts, her face pale as her hand shot onto his shoulder and yanked him. "Ash! We have to go, now!"

    His focus only forced itself to return to him, but his mind was still scrambled as Eevee''s aggressive barks filled his ears. With dexterity, Janine''s other hand shot to her belt and fished out a Poke Ball that returned Ivysaur. As fast as she could, she stumbled for a moment while reclipping the ball and exchanging it for a new one that produced Beedrill.

    "We''re under attack!" she shouted to the Poison Bee. "Team Rocket! Cover us!"

    The bug/poison type''s face immediately turned alert as she nodded with defensively raised stingers, quickly hovering in front of the group.

    Just as they neared the door, they immediately saw it, passing through before they had the time to stop.

    Black uniforms. Large red "R" in the middle. They were dashing throughout.

    A series of panicked guests were running in all directions Ash could fathom, trying to find an exit while evading the grunts, as the Rocket soldiers began unclipping Poke Balls from their belts and chucking them.

    Head pounding from the alarm, Ash turned to Janine and tried to speak over the noise. "What do we do now?!"

    It might have been the whiplash of the situation that grated on the boy''s psyche the most. Or the sound still blaring into his eardrums. Ash couldn''t focus enough to determine the cause.

    Janine''s face was firm, but her eyes conveyed panic. "The entrance we came through is two floors down, but we don''t know where they''re coming from! We''ll need to fight our way through!"

    He inwardly gulped. Just like Mt. Moonˇ­

    Mt. Moonˇ­

    Mt. Moonˇ­

    With a quick shake of his head, Ash did his best to think as his hand shot down to his belt. Moments later, Pikachu was in front of him, ears immediately sticking upwards as the alarm roared into them next.

    "Pikachu!" Ash spoke as clearly as he could while Eevee began barking frantically at the rodent. "We''re in a museum, Team Rocket''s attacking us. We have to get out, now!"

    Just as Pikachu nodded the affirmative, a crazed shriek drew the group''s attention to a stray Zubat speeding towards them. Ash could just barely process the sight of a few other Zubat and a Murkrow changing direction to follow it,

    Zubat''s fangs started to glow, but Pikachu didn''t give it the time. Cheeks lighting up with static, the mouse kicked off into the air, doing a front flip as an electric bolt was flung from his tail. Zubat''s exterior was lit up with the blazing sparks as the aggression in its cry quickly transitioned to agony.

    As Zubat hit the orange-tiled floor face first, the remaining fliers were already closing in. A Shadow Ball from Eevee (who had begun charging the moment that Pikachu himself had fired off) forced the multiple Zubat to part to the side, but the Murkrow simply stopped in place, firing off a distorted sphere of its own. The group quickly moved to separate sides to avoid the projectile, which sailed through the doorway and into the room where they had just been. An explosion filled their ears, the windforce of a shockwave briefly felt against their backs, but they did not look back.

    Cloaked in Aerial Ace, Beedrill closed the distance between herself and Murkrow, but the dark flier crossed two metallic wings together as the poison bee stabbed forward with a glowing stinger. The darkness Pokemon felt no pain in its wings as its Steel Wing intercepted the blow, but was knocked back two or three meters through the air.

    The three remaining Zubat lined up and began to flap their wings with speedy fury, a series of small blades of air erupting outwards. Yelping, Ash and Janine dashed back through the doorway of the through they had just come from, each ducking behind a separate wall as the trio of Air Cutters sliced through the floor and walls. Not even noticing the gashes left in the structures where the attacks had struck, their Pokemon promptly avoided the assault, Beedrill deflecting a few blades with her glowing stingers as Pikachu fired off an Electro Ball.

    As one of the Zubat was blasted away in the electrical explosion, Eevee ducked under an air blade before leaping for another bat Pokemon, driving an Iron Tail into its face. The Zubat''s fangs shattered as its back collided with the wall, and the poison/flying type''s now-limp body hit the floor face-first.

    Beedrill clicked stingers together as her gaze became centered on the final Zubat. However, just as she began to rush her target, she was forced to alter her trajectory and avoid the Shadow Ball launched from the returning Murkrow''s beak. The ghost type move collided with the wall behind her, and on the other side, a startled Ash stumbled forward as the shockwaves passed through the wall his back was pressed against. Quickly grabbing onto a table, he maintained his balance.

    Zubat and Murkrow tried to spread out and set their sights on a target, only to find that two additional Pikachu could join the fray. Before they could process the sight, two of them leapt out at them. The Double Team clones fizzled away as the two fliers lashed out in retaliation, and before either could regain their bearings, Pikachu slipped into Quick Attack, leaping at Murkrow and smashing a Static Tail into its beak.

    Just as Zubat began to panic, Beedrill was upon it, the bat screeching for dear life as a glowing pincer was shoved into its abdomen. With her target skewered, Beedrill swung forward and smashed the Rocket Pokemon into the closest wall. As her stinger carved its way out of the toxic flier''s flesh, chunks of skin and globs of blood fell to the ground along with the incapacitated poison/flying type.

    The gruesome sight (which Pikachu didn''t see) prompted Eevee''s eyes to momentarily widen, before the sound of footsteps from behind stole her attention as Ash and Janine emerged from the doorway.

    "Come on!" the two trainers collectively shouted as they dashed ahead of their teammates. The Pokemon quickly caught up, Pikachu and Eevee overtaking the lead and lining themselves up in front of the trainers mid-dash, while Beedrill remained overhead at the flank, blood dripping from the stinger that had stabbed the Zubat.

    It was only now that Ash had realized that the alarm had stopped blaring at some point, although his eardrums were still in just as much pain as before. The atmosphere of his surroundings was far from quiet, however.

    He didn''t know where the shouts were coming from. There were no guests or Rockets in his line of vision. But he knew that they were there, in this museum. Likely above and beneath them. The amount of voices filling his ears were jumbling together, making it impossible to distinguish-

    With a turn up ahead, he shook away from his thoughts and focused on running. The authorities will be here soonˇ­ right?

    "The League''s got to be on their way." Janine spoke, somehow managing to suppress some of her franticity as they rounded the corner. "They''ll find us and-" Her mouth shut as a group of two Rattata, a Poochyena, an Elekid, and a Growlithe entered their view.

    "Damnˇ­!" Ash cursed under his breath as he and Janine skidded to a stop, their Pokemon continuing onward. He knew it wouldn''t be that easy. If anything, he was lucky that this area of the building wasn''t yet as occupied as the rest of it probably was. But his heart still sank at the confirmation.

    Pikachu intercepted a burst of fire escaping from Growlithe''s jaws with a bolt of lightning flung from his tail with a frontflip. Not ceasing his advance, the electric mouse quickly charged right through the smoke of the collision and smashed himself shoulder-first into the fiery canine''s chest a shis body glowed a bright orange. As the wheezing Growlithe tumbled away, one of the Rattata made a dive for Pikachu, only for the mouse''s swinging Iron Tail to intercept the rat''s clamping fangs and launch the assailant backward. Behind him, Beedrill had already skewered Poochyena, her purple-glowing stinger freshly embedded in the canine''s abdomen after flipping her target onto its back. After forcing Elekid backwards with a Shadow Ball, Eevee''s Iron Tail collided with the side of the other Rattata''s face, sending the purple rodent colliding with a window, which its body promptly smashed through. As the sound of shattering glass filled the air, the Rattata, along with chunks of the window, descended to the ground several dozen feet below.

    A warning cry from Pikachu got her attention, and the quadruped evolution Pokemon turned her head just in time to witness her electric type partner leaping away from a Flame Wheel that was advancing right towards her, leaving a charred trail across the clean floor in its wake. Glaring, she launched a Shadow Ball into the attack, the collision and ensuing explosion intercepting Growlithe''s momentum as the canine collapsed onto her belly. Now Beedrill descended downwards, smacking a Brick Break into the side of Growlithe''s head as Pikachu finished off the remaining Rattata that had attacked him earlier. Ash and Janine didn''t wait for the now-unconscious Growlithe to stop tumbling away, quickly calling for their friends to follow while resuming the run.

    "We should just be a few turns from the staircase!" Janine spared a second to glance at her friend as the group rounded another corner. "Iˇ­ I think! Once we get to the second floor, the lobby should be on the opposite side. It''s not a short trip, but we-"

    Now a cry from behind stole their attention, as the group turned to see a duo of Spearow and a Hoothoot emerging from the apparently broken window of a room they had just passed by. Janine grabbed her head and ducked with a startled scream as one of the snarling Spearow dove for her, but her attacker quickly found its neck impaled by an incensed Beedrill. As the other Spearow''s eyes darted for Eevee, Ash, before realizing it, found his gaze locked with Hoothoot''s by chance. The owl''s eyes began to glow, and just as an odd feeling began to pass over him-

    Pikachu''s Electro Ball collided with the flier''s body, sending the owl sailing back towards the window it had come through. The normal/flying type''s back collided with a piece of glass jutted out from the window''s remains. The remaining Spearow took a dive for Eevee as its wings turned to metal, but a somersault brought the quadruped over her vicious assailant. Before Spearow could turn around, a barrage of golden stars escaped Eevee''s jaws, pelting the bird''s back and driving it beak-first into the floor. Before Spearow could even pick itself up, Eevee chomped down on its feathers, yanking the flier to its feet before swinging an Iron Tail into its forehead.

    As Spearow collided back-first with the wall beside the room''s window, slumping to the floor as its head tilted slightly to the side, Ash turned to Janine as the girl tried to regain her bearings.

    Frowning, he placed a reassuring hand on his friend''s shoulder. "Come on, we need to-"

    "Up ahead!" Both children startled at the voice from down the hall, the tone conveying a clear aggression towards it. Their faces paled as two Rocket men entered their view. As the two trainers took an instinctive step back, Pikachu''s cheeks began to spark, but a flash of light interrupted him as the two men quickly came to a stop. In front of them emerged a creature that resembled a sentient pile of purple sludge, which Ash immediately registered as a Grimer. As one of the men stuffed his Poke Ball away, the other removed two more, a Venomoth and Machop appearing on either side of the Grimer.

    Both men wore stern scowls, but their body language seemed fairly composed.

    "It seems most of the people on the third floor have already made their way down in a panic." one of the men spoke. "Too bad you two straggled behind, but we can thankfully do this a bit less chaotically. Return your Pokemon and hand them over."

    Instinctively, Pikachu and Eevee gravitated sideways towards one another, their shoulders pressing together as their eyes darted between the three Pokemon before them. Above the duo, Beedrill''s eyes blazed at the two Rockets, her stingers pointed at each.

    Ash remained next to Janine, his own shoulder briefly bumping into hers without thinking. Not taking his eyes off the Rockets, he suppressed a swallow and finally began to notice his heart rate quicken before Janine''s arm suddenly shot in front of him.

    "...Let us throughˇ­" though she maintained a stern face, her expression was shaking, almost vibrating.

    "Were you planning on getting out through the lobby?" the other Rocket spoke. His tone of voice felt aimless, not entirely clear if he was replying to her or ignoring her demand. "The second story is a warzone. And so are the two above this one. It''s only a matter of time before everything starts pouring in from above and below. You two are sandwiched."

    From the corner of his eye, Ash could see Janine''s face turn paler at the declaration as her hand tightly gripped her belt.

    "You''re not going to-"

    The first Rocket cut her shaking voice off. "Grimer, Sludge."

    Without thinking, both trainers grabbed onto each other, each attempting to pull the other back with them as they attempted to run backwards and clear some distance. They ended up stumbling backwards and painfully landing on their bottoms as a stream of thick, purple liquid emerged from the Grimer''s mouth. While Pikachu and Eevee intercepted the blast with a Thunderbolt and a Shadow Ball, a beam of rainbow-colored light shot out from Venomoth''s eyes and was promptly avoided by a swerving Beedrill. Although it likely wouldn''t have struck them anyway, Ash and Janine pulled each other down further as the Psybeam collided with the side of the wall diagonally behind them.

    Even as Pikachu and Eevee both fired off their respective attacks into the Sludge, Machop was already rushing forward, forcing the two to leap apart as the fighting type swung a glowing fist. Landing on all fours, Pikachu circled around, slipping into Agility for what could have only been a split second or two before a powerful Zap Tail collided with Machop''s ribs and launched it headfirst into the wall, as if amplified by the young mouse''s battle cry.

    As both Rockets ran backwards as well, Beedrill closed the distance between herself and Venomoth just as the opposing bug/poison type was in the midst of preparing a second Psybeam. Stingers glowing pale with Focus Energy, the poison bee let loose a Fury Attack, pummeling away at the poison moth with a flurry of stabs. In the middle, Eevee rushed for the Grimer, embedding an Iron Tail into its abdomen as Quick Attack carried her momentum forward. Although her adversary was pushed back a few feet, her efforts only produced a little bit more than a notably pained wince.

    As Pikachu left Machop knocked out from a second Zap Tail (this time to the back of the head), the electric mouse turned to see Eevee leaping to the side, evading a Poison Jab from Grimer. Before either combatant could attack again, he launched himself towards the sludge Pokemon, a third Zap Tail colliding with what should have been the side of the poison type''s head. This prompted a louder reaction from Grimer as the Rocket Pokemon swiftly slid into the opposite wall accompanied by the outside windows, but it quickly regained its composure.

    As Ash and Janine picked themselves up as hastily as their composure could allow them to manage, the duo of trainers scurried back further as he removed another ball from his belt. As Valiant appeared in front of him, the young Kirlia almost immediately kneeled downward whilst clutching both sides of his head, no doubt taking in the hostile and pianicked emotions hammering in through all directions of the building. Quickly righting himself (or, at the very least, struggling to), the emotion Pokemon turned to the two trainers as Ash said all that needed to be said.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    "Team Rocket."

    Barely even having time to nod, Valiant kicked off and rushed into the fray, the rainbow beam of light emerging from his eyes carving through the Smog that escaped Grimer''s jaws as Pikachu and Eevee attempted to part away from the poisonous attack. As Grimer shrieked in pain from the Psybeam colliding with what was most likely the sludge pokemon''s chest, Valiant stopped between his two teammates, turning his head to both sides to exchange looks with them and acquire their mutual attention . As Grimer attempted to regain its composure, Valiant took the brief, near nonexistent respite to point an arm towards the two Rockets halfway across the hall.

    It didn''t take longer for Pikachu or Eevee to understand, and it only took a moment longer for the Rockets themselves to pick up on the message as the two glaring Pokemon broke into a run towards them. They only had time to turn around and sprint a few steps before Pikachu and Eevee were already upon them, the former allowing a jolt of static to lock up one of the Rocket''s legs and leave him to collapse face-first into the orange-tiled floor, and the latter throwing herself headfirst into the other Rocket''s back.

    As both men fell, Grimer took another swing with Poison Jab, this time directed at Valiant, whose eyes began to shine blue whilst deftly evading the strike with a backwards leap. Just moments later, the Kirlia''s attack had finished charging, and after briefly squeezing his eyes shut, they shot open again, this time very wide as a wave of psychic energy plowed into the sludge Pokemon. As Valiant''s psychic left the poison type to collapse onto its back, body trembling as it struggled to get up to no avail, a brutal smack from Beedrill sent Venomoth through a window to the outside.

    Wasting no time, Ash and Janine were back to running, passing by Valiant and Beedrill who were quick to follow upon being reached. Seeing them come, Pikachu and Eevee stopped advancing towards them, turning tail and leading the way to a split path in the hallway.

    "To the right!" Janine declared, mild recognition in her eyes. The group turned in the direction as she continued. "We need to get to the staircase!"

    "Too bad the only way to it, is past us."

    Everyone halted, all but Beedrill skidding to a horrified stop as the poison bee remained in the air.

    In their path, just several meters in front of the doorway that led to the staircase, was a figure with long, dark-red hair, and a massive, bulky, blue reptile that towered over its trainer from behind. Ash quickly recognized it as a Feraligatr. The red-haired figure was decently tall himself, but his uniform, despite having the signature red "R" in the middle, was silver instead of black. His face was hidden behind a shining, silver mask that sheltered his expression completely from view.

    The sight of the Feraligatr had left Ash''s blood cold. The fully-evolved water type was built like a physical wonder, its body bulky and honed, a mountainous, muscular frame of blue scales leading to a horrific, shining set of claws, and a massive jaw that opened to reveal what looked more like an arsenal of swords than a set of healthy teeth. It had to have stood at least around seven and a half feet tall, and the very sight of the creature had ceased all movement from the group as the split-second realization smashed into them:

    They would not be defeating these two newcomers.

    The air in the hallway turned densely thick, and Ash felt like he might choke to death as he and Janine pressed their shoulders together on autopilot. Pikachu and Eevee gravitated towards one another as well, even as the duo progressively backed away towards the rest of the group.

    Eyes frozen in wide, alertness, and breath caught in his throat, Valiant could feel the tranquil aggression radiating off of the duo, as though the masked man and the Feraligatr were synergized to one another''s respective beings. Moving himself between Ash and Janine, the Kirlia positioned himself to stand directly in front of both, arms spread out as his eyes momentarily began to glow.

    Bringing herself slightly lower to keep her body leveled with everyone else, Beedrill was just in front of Valiant now, just high enough above his head so not to obscure the young psychic''s view. Although her body shook, her eyes still flared, and her stingers still remained shot out to point at the duo.

    The masked man and the Feraligatr advanced in slow, unconcerned strides as the group instinctively prepared to back away further in response.

    "Stop." The two kids froze at his voice. Just one word had conveyed such an intenseˇ­ commanding tone.

    Ash couldn''t help but blink at the voice itself, however. ''He doesn''t sound fully grownˇ­ another child soldier? But he seems so importantˇ­''

    Without looking back, the silver-masked teenager gestured a hand towards the Feraligatr standing behind him. "If you move in any direction, he''ll attack."

    That was enough to get their Pokemon to halt, a collective sensation of dread spreading across Pikachu, Valiant, Eevee, and Beedrill. None of them dared look away from the enormous reptile leering across the hallway like a carnivore preparing itself to rush its prey, but all of them clearly wished they could.

    The teenaged Rocket stopped walking, gesturing for the Feraligatr to do the same, but no sigh of relief escaped Ash or Janine''s throats. The Rocket duo''s focus was still squarely on them, as if their teammates were not even there. He eyed Ash himself briefly for one moment, before his attention returned to neutrality between the two. "It seems you already know you won''t be able to do anything about us. My advice is to hand over your Poke Balls and find some table to huddle under before League personnel scoops you up. They''ve already started to enter."

    That last sentence brought Ash some mild relief, but it hardly mattered to him with what was standing in front of them right now.

    "Of course, if you''re planning to be a couple of brats, Neptune and I can just do our job." a horrific rumble emerged from the Feraligatr, Neptune''s throat.

    Ash and Janine did their best not to stagger back in fright from the noise, quite confident that the masked Rocket would make good on his promise to retaliate to anything that they did. Instead, Janine steadied her briefly chattering teeth and did her best to fix him with a glare.

    "Wh-What do you think you''re doing?!" A light hint of rage was bubbling beneath her terror as she spoke. "Do you have any idea what this place is?! You''re destroying real, historical objects that have been around for over a century!" Despite everything, a hint of concern passed over Ash as he glanced aside to view her. There was another kind of fear in her posture, something else on her mind. "Do you have no respect for-"

    "You done?" as if a switch had been flipped, her mouth froze in place at the interruption.

    The Rocket''s amused expression was shrouded by his silver mask, his outward exterior still seeming as ice cold as ever.

    "What obligation do we have to care about anything in this building? It all represents what we''re trying to destroy, so it''ll be useless in our envisioned world anyway."

    Janine''s muscles were rigid as her pupil''s turned somewhat vacant. Frozen. "...Wh-whatˇ­"

    The masked Rocket crossed his arms, Neptune remaining behind him. Observing. Leering. Looming.

    "We live in an era where the Indigo League''s presence has defied the intended nature of our world." the Rocket began. "Back before the war, nothing was absolute. Power was divided. Authority was divided. Territory was divided. No single party held too much in their hands at once for too long, and when they did, it would run its natural course in due time. There was no expansion, no monopoly. Just alterations to Kanto''s state of being, nothing ever set in stone. Power and territory were determined, not by whoever had them by law, but whoever claimed them as a prize for emerging victorious in conflict. And those same victorious parties could, and sometimes would, lose that prize all the same. That cycle was an eternal one. Before Kanto was united, the status quo was ever shifting, with no preconceived rules of how it would change. Much like Pokemon fighting over territory in the wild, mankind''s own politics were primal. Natural. Unmodified." slowly, his hand rose up to adjust his mask for a few moments, before he continued. "Chaos and unpredictability is a natural attribute to the world that we live in, both for humans and Pokemon alike, and it''s something that every League in the world has worked to suppress. They acquired their power by uniting their respective Regions-by conquest-yet they deny the very element that their now absolute authority was born from in the first place. The Indigo League promotes propaganda, along with its origin''s ties to Mew, as a means of discouraging challenge to their authority. They, themselves, have acquired their power and influence through the same actions that they are now trying to prevent other parties from taking. Because they of all people know that the hegemonic grip that the Indigo banner has over Kanto and its neighbors, can and will be lost via the same means it was first formed: Chaos, conflict, conquest. Making pretty speeches about organized order to steer the world away from its natural direction of eternal cycles. Instead, they''ve made themselves eternal. Invincible in power, both politically and literally." His arms crossed firmly against his chest, his and Neptune''s respective gazes never leaving their prey. "Team Rocket''s vision is to restore Indigo''s territories to their natural states. To topple the untouchable empire that the Indigo League has built across Kanto, Johto, the Orange Islands, and the Sevii Islands, and eliminate the unnatural ideals of "unity" and "order" born from its hypocrisy." he moved back a strand of dark-red hair before finishing. ''So to answer your question in full: No. There is not a single object, document, or person in this building that means anything to me, or anyone else in our organization. They are all just remnants of an era that will no longer exist, nor matter, once we have wiped the slate clean."

    An empty pit formed in Ash''s chest as the young, yet imposing Rocket closed out his speech. Everything he had saidˇ­ Ash didn''t even know how to process the information. Or even understand it. It was the exact opposite of everything heˇ­ the boy gripped his head.

    Janine''s face was devoid of all color, her eyes still, blank, without life as every muscle in her body trembled as if to cave in. "You areˇ­ you''re aˇ­ you''re a madmanˇ­ a lunaticˇ­" She tried to grip her belt, but her hand couldn''t maintain a proper grip. "People like you are the r-reason the L-League was f-formed in the first place!" the terror and confusion in her tone was seeping into her speech, as she struggled to maintain a verbal coherence. Eyes lighting up, she shouted, disgusted frustration lacing her jumbled state of fright, but not overtaking it. "Are you saying the world is better off with conflict that never ends?!"

    "I said such a world is more natural, kid. Pay attention to what your elders say." The condescending derision glazing his speech would have made Ash''s blood boil if he weren''t still frozen at their current situation. The Rocket shifted his mask for a moment. "That conflict that you speak of is simply who people are. Who Pokemon are. The prosperous world that you two were born in is artificial. A modification. It was never meant to exist." Janine tried to say something, but hesitated for a moment too long, her throat locking as he spoke again. "I have explained more than what you were obligated to hear, and I''m not a generous person, so we''re moving on. Neptune, confiscate."

    Ash wanted to scream as the Feraligatr began to step forward, but his mind was still scrambled from the Rocket''s words, and his throat was still frozen from the sight of the blue behemoth. Those jaws faced directly towards them, the water type''s eyes drilling like a laser into-

    "Stop right there!"

    All present parties ceased action and thought as Ash and Janine turned around, to the hallway behind them, the opposite direction to the one that they had chosen. The voice was as familiar as the figure accompanying it:

    Erika was bolting down the hallway with the speed of a professional sprinter. Behind her was a large, green quadruped. It only took Ash a moment to recognize the Pokemon as a Meganium.

    The teenaged Rocket''s curious smile was invisible beneath his mask as he placed a hand on Neptune''s side, prompting his partner to halt for the moment. On the other side, a warm relief began to pass over Ash as the Gym Leader and her large partner positioned themselves in front of him and his friends.

    Everything feltˇ­ was beginning to feelˇ­ They weren''t stranded with their executioner anymore. Maybe they could actuallyˇ­

    It was like when Karen had showed up at Mt. Moon.

    "Erika of Celadon Gym. I am rather honored." The stoic aura radiating from the Rocket''s silver-colored mask clashed with the mild sarcasm in his speech. "You haven''t done the best job, however. If I hadn''t taken the time to talk, these children would be dead. I can tell their Pokemon would''ve done something stupid." for what felt like the first time, his gaze briefly found itself on Pikachu and the others.

    Ash felt his blood turning cold again, but the warm surge clashed with the frigid sensation once more as Erika ignored the Rocket''s callous declaration, instead turning to face him and Janine.

    With the uniform she was wearingˇ­ she seemed a lot more imposing than he had remembered. But that firm look in her eyesˇ­ despite the authoritative fire in themˇ­ steadied his heart rate.

    "Janine, Ash. I need you to leave." she pointed back to where she came from. "It''s a longer route, but there is another staircase in that direction. Get to someone from my squad immediately, and don''t do anything else."

    Neither trainer, nor of their Pokemon, waited a single second. The instant Erika was done talking, they were off, bolting down the hallway and rounding the corner to the right, completely out of the Gym Leader''s vision. Neither the Rocket nor Neptune made any effort to stop them.

    After breathing a small sigh of relief, the firm expression in Erika''s eyes turned bold and deadly as she motioned to face the Rocket and Neptune in full. Her hand rested on one of Meganium''s hips as she spoke, the grass type''s stern gaze locking with the crocodile''s own expression of bloodlusted confidence.

    "...Youˇ­ It''s you, isn'';t it? I think I know youˇ­"

    Beneath his mask, the redhead''s brow quirked upwards. "Oh? Please enlighten me, ma''am."

    Removing her hand from Meganium''s hip, and taking two small steps forward, her glare deepened.

    "Six months ago, you murdered the Goldenrod City Gym Leader."

    The accusation hung in the air around the hallway, but fazed nobody. The only visible reaction given off by any present party was the Rocket''s now firmly crossed arms.

    "That''s what you think, is it? That I''m the one who did it? I suppose you''re among the people most likely to know."

    "Answer me." her tone of voice felt as though it was on the verge of snarling, yet she was never in any danger of failing to hold it back.

    Although he shrugged dramatically, the mock exasperation on his face was not visible. "You want to hear me say it? Fine then, I confess. I killed him. Clean and cold."

    For a brief moment, Erika''s eyes blazed with the magma of a volcano, but her tone of voice remained the same. "...Youˇ­"

    "It''s a fairly proud moment of mine." the Rocket admitted nonchalantly, as though he were thinking back to the first time he ever rode a bike. "Even as Team Rocket grows, we are but a punch to the face to your League, are we not? We can make you bleed, we can batter you silly, we can cause all sorts of harmˇ­ but in the grand scheme of things, those wounds could never be fatal." his fingers rubbed his chin. "Until then. That was the moment it became clear that things were changing. A Gym Leader yesterday, an Elite Four Member tomorrow, a Champion next week or month. We''ve persevered for so long that it''s only a matter of time. Precision and resilience is the key to conquering the unconquerable; to conquering what you''ve become over these past four hundred years." His hand patted Neptune''s chest. Although he tapped fairly hard, the Feraligatr did not even respond to, nor even acknowledge, the rough physical contact. "Despite his age, he was rather fit. Very much so, in fact. But for Neptune, his bones were no different from being handed an oversized piece of gum."

    The blaze in her pupils was back. "How could you be so casual?! These are real people that you''re-..." she cut herself off, her posture returning to its even state once more.

    He simply shrugged once again. "And what''s supposed to mean? Are you going to tell me that he was a good man? Perhaps he was, but what does that have to do with me?"

    "Everything." Erika spoke. Her eyes were cool, but her voice was stern. "He was an example of what your precious cause stands for. All of the collateral damage that humans and Pokemon alike are forced to suffer from your organization''s actions."

    "As if I''m obligated to pay mind to the people I trample. They play no role in my life, or my well-being. They''re not my family," beneath his mask, his eyes very briefly wandered to Neptune. "Or my friends, or my comrades. Just a collective sea of faceless people with no names."

    Meganium''s eyes blazed for a moment this time. Neptune, as though accepting a challenge, tightened his muscles in preparation.

    Erika''s knuckles turned pale as her hands curled into fists. "Because all you care about is your crimes, and what pretty pictures you can paint if you present them correctly."

    A cold chuckle escaped the silver mask. "And is that not applied to your deeds as well? Your predecessors have built themselves an empire that you and your colleagues now helm. You promote ideals such as friendship and cooperation, knowing that they''re the exact opposite of what was the norm during the pre-Indigo era of this land. You do everything in your power to prevent the world from returning to the way that it once was. And if it ever did, you would lose that power forever. Once Team Rocket has destroyed the Indigo League, we can free the masses from that illusion that you''ve spent four centuries worth of generations blanketing them with. Remind them what the world truly is, compared to what you''ve convinced them to let it be." his fingers tapped his mask. "You could almost say that your governmentˇ­ is a mask that you''ve placed upon this world. But if that disguise ever gets removed, the illusion''s persuasion capabilities can never be fully restored."

    Erika shook her head, her eyes never losing focus. "A mask? There go your pretty pictures again. I consider it a shield."

    "I''m surprised you think you can deny the existence of illusions so easily." his voice remained cool-headed. He ran a hand through his hair, as if feigning drama, yet his vocals retained their stoicism. "After all, that assassination of the Goldenrod Gym Leader? Your League covered it up. Made it out to be an illness that he never had. Fake autopsy reports and everything. You even had the man''s poor granddaughter lie through her teeth about the circumstances surrounding her gramps'' death, even to her own uncle himself." As Erika''s posture turned rigid, he raised a brow in satisfaction. "Has she not taken his place as Gym Leader this Season? Youngest in Indigo''s history, from what I know? To take you''d have her shoulder so much to go along with the positionˇ­"

    Although Erika did not move, her eyes began to somewhat angle downward. "Iˇ­"

    "Although, I suppose your blunder is more of a failure than a wrongdoing, Erika." he crossed his arms. "After all, you were among those who were against the idea, and yet you couldn''t persuade everyone else, isn''t that correct?"

    Her gaze shot back to him. "Whatˇ­?"

    His voice remained even, although the satisfaction was seeping through. "Given that it happened fairly close to the Conference, I imagine the League was rather against the idea of panic setting in. So you took a vote, as you often do, and reached a rather unsatisfactory result. Oh sure, you tried to convince your colleagues that the direction was appalling, and yet nobody really listened to you, did they? Your attempts were rather weak. Frail. Like a shaky foundation getting slapped by a Machamp."

    Her teeth pressed together with a firm clench. "...Howˇ­ how do you know thatˇ­?"

    His arms fell down to his sides. "I know plenty."

    It was true. After theˇ­ incidentˇ­ Every Gym Leader in Indigo, as well as the Elite Four and Champion had held a critical meeting together, in isolated secrecy, about to approach the situation. Although they did not participate, a selectively handpicked portion of Ace Trainers had also been present, simply as witnesses. Giovanni, Daisy, Violet, and Falkner had all chosen to remain neutral in the discussion, simply opting to vote for whichever option got the most support, whereas Champion Lance was simply there to sanction the winning vote in the end. The debate had to have lasted at least three hours, and mostly likely even more than that, as the collective higher-ups of the Indigo League had thoroughly explored every last nook and cranny of of the discussion, in order to determine that whatever final choice they made, which they could not come back from, would be the right thing to do.

    From the very beginning, she and Brock had been firmly against the very concept of falsifying the circumstances surrounding the Goldenrod City Gym Leader''s death. It was inhumane. At least, she saw it that way. But in the end, there was nothing that she could do about it; the arguments presented by Pryce, Blaine and Kogaˇ­ had been far too great.

    For a brief moment, her breath caught in her throat at the memory, but she quickly shook it all away, remembering where it was. Now was not the time.

    "I''m washing my hands of this. "Team Rocket''s twisted mission will never succeed, and we are the reason for that. She nodded to the Meganium, as her starter exchanged a critical look with her, all too familiar. "Greenwood, are you ready?"

    The Meganium, Greenwood, offered her trainer an elegant nod of her own in return, before her gaze returned to Neptune in full force.

    "You cannot mask, or "shield" this world forever, Gym Leader." The red-haired Rocket spoke coolly as his hand massaged Neptune''s hip. "And you will be our second example."

    On his belt, he pressed a button. A small, red-dotted light suddenly turned light blue. Now that Erika had arrived, it was time to give the other squad the signal to move in on target two. Moments later, he unclipped a Poke Ball from his belt, enlarged it, and held it in an outstretched hand, perfectly in view for his enemies to see.

    "Leader Erika, I am Agent Silver of Team Rocket, and I challenge you."

 Prodigy of Terrorism pt 3

    Blood sprayed from Silver''s nose as the object collided with his face, knocking him backwards and out of the chair he was seated in. Air shot out of his mouth as his back painfully collided with the hard floor, his eyes granted with a view of the dimly lit ceiling. It was a reminder that the mission was over. That the eleven year old boy was back in the oppressive safety of the underground bunker.

    Trying to sit up, he didn''t bother attempting to stand, knowing his injured knee (further aggravated by the fall) wouldn''t support him. He did not get a look at the object that struck him, as the Rocket officer had already discarded it.

    "Rookieˇ­" his superior lightly snarled. "You''re lucky to be alive right now. If only some of the more useful people in our squad had the same fortune as you. Why the hell did you keep on going?!"

    Instinctively, Silver grabbed at his belt, but felt nothing. Neptune and the others were currently being cared for regarding the debacle that the mission had ended in. The Croconaw''s support had been the only thing to ensure that the boy had made it back to the base alive on his broken knee.

    Resting his palm on the floor, he suddenly felt naked, his voice unsteady. "Theˇ­ the plan was to-"

    "The plan wasn''t working properly!" The officer''s tone left Silver surprised he hadn''t been smacked again. "Careless brat. What kind of drone are you? You might as well have been mindlessly trying to electrocute a ground type after failure for the first fifty attempts. Do you know nothing about adapting? Thinking? Is that brain resting in your skull just for show? You were approaching that operation with the mentality of a five year old who wouldn''t take his damn hand off the stove!" the man huffed. "You should consider yourself the luckiest human alive that a shattered knee was the most you got for this botched mission. Over half our squad perished despite the majority being far smarter than you!"

    It was no exaggeration. He had been certain he was doomed after his knee had forced him to collapse. Even now, his memory of the incident was foggy at best. It was as though his mind had completely shut off, only to wake up inside of the underground base mere moments later. But he knew he had been conscious the whole time. But his recollection of the events following the ear-piercing cry he had let out was borderline nonexistent.

    Although a few tears were leaking from his eyes following the blow to his face, his nose now in a state of impossible to ignore pain of its own, his expression still remained somewhat blank as he gazed up at the taller man, whose own expression continued to be a mixture of shaken and angry.

    How had they survived this mission? And how had they even been in any danger to begin with? The League shouldn''t have known what was going on. They shouldn''t have known what they were doing, what they were trying to do, and what their plan for doing so actually was. And yet it was as though they had. It had felt like the League had responded to everything that they did in the exact manner that they had needed too, as though they had read an entire script of Team Rocket''s strategy and rehearsed it just a few hours prior. None of it had made any sense.

    But what else could he have done? He had followed the plan perfectly. He had resorted to the backups and contingencies put in place. But none of it had ever worked. What was one supposed to do when everything they had prepared for had meant nothing? How do you take matters into your own hands then?

    He voiced none of this, however, continuing to silently gaze up at his superior with his palms pressed against the floor. The contact was cold and dull, the room bleak and uninteresting. But it was where they were safe. The untouchable environment that they had been sheltered by both before and after their botched mission had exposed them to the beautiful, gorgeous, breathtaking, life-threatening outside world.

    The man made a gruff snort before turning away. ''If I were you, I''d consider what you believe your worth is, and how much you wish to prove such a thing. If this is your first impression, and everything else follows identical, you''re little more than useless to the cause. The Indigo League is invincible. Throwing frail pegs like you at them accomplishes nothing. The door remained open as he exited the room.

    Once he was alone, Silver slowly brought a hand up to his nose, wincing as his fingers lightly gripped it, the tears speeding up a bit before letting go.

    He still needed to get looked at by the medical staff, but he couldn''t leave the room on his own. Not when his body wouldn''t allow him to walk. He''d have to wait for them to arrive and carry him out themselves.

    With passive stoicism, he inwardly cursed the memory of the mission. Everything had been supposed to go right, only to completely go wrong. He had made no mistakes. The squad had made no mistakes. But it had all meant nothing, for the League had seemingly played them all like a massive series of instruments.

    His fingers brushed a strand of dark-red hair back behind his ear. He wondered what she would have done in such a situation. Surely she would have found a more dignifying way out. And how was she doing for the moment? It was enviable to be out there, in a dangerous world that wasn''t nearly as dangerous if you were not living the life that he was. A life that could be stolen from you at any turn. A life that was only protected by the cold, damp, oppressive atmosphere of these deep bunkersˇ­

    /

    The third story of the museum was no longer that. Nothing about the location mattered anymore, apart from being the site of the current spectacle unfolding. All participants had borderline forgotten where they were. Forgotten that they were fighting in a place never built for such a thing. It was the reality of the current situation.

    Already, multiple walls had been torn apart. Some with giant holes in them, others almost collapsing completely. Large dents in the ceiling and floor spreading out across the third floor of the museum threatened to expose the action that was also taking place both above and below.

    Although he felt little fear, Silver was never not to be reminded of how fragile his body was. One stray attack, from any direction, could cleave through his bones on a good day, and obliterate his body entirely on a bad one.

    Being a soldier was not like being a professional. He wasn''t protected by some tournament-sanctioned barrier that isolated trainers, referee, and audience alike from the carnage that unfolded. He needed to be able to keep an eye on the action, call out orders when needed, all the while keeping himself safe. Ducking behind cover wasn''t even a guarantee, given the strongest attacks could rip through the surroundings regardless.

    The name of the game was to know where to hide, when to move, and how to ensure that your attention never left the battle raging on. All without getting splattered yourself. He knew Erika was thinking and doing the same, on the opposite end, protecting herself while ensuring that she knew where both Greenwood and Neptune were at all times.

    Sliding behind a now dislodged piece of the museum wall, his hand deftly unclipped a Poke Ball from his belt, releasing a quadruped with pale cream-colored fur and pink feet, ears, and tail. A Sylveon.

    As she grinned up at her trainer, Silver felt his nerves ease from the soothing aura emitted by her feelers. The knowledge of how vulnerable he was in such a situation weighed on him just a little bit less. Beneath his mask, the tension in his face gradually smoothed out.

    "Calliope, ready your barriers when needed." He paid attention to her just long enough to see her nod, before his focus was right back on the battle.

    An eruption of dark-blue water raced out of Neptune''s throat as Greenwood ducked under the Feraligatr''s Hydro Pump. The blast of water tore through the wall behind the Meganium, leaving a clear view into the room beyond as the head of a colorful sculpture was torn off, and a painting at the end of the wall broke apart and collided with the floor.

    Large vines sprouted from Greenwood''s sides as her mouth opened up to reveal a growing orb of emerald aura. She lashed out with Vine Whip just as the Energy Ball fired.

    Just as she did, Neptune''s massive jaw opened to make way for a torrent of ice that collided with both attacks. Glass windows on either side of the hallway (both sides leading to different rooms) instantaneously shattered as the shockwaves spread out across the surroundings. Minor dents formed in the walls and floor, exacerbating that of already affected areas. With Greenwood''s offense intercepted, the Feraligatr turned his head to the ceiling. The roar that escaped his throat was like a guttural thunderclap, a deafening noise that would have immediately turned away a lesser combatant as the big jaw Pokemon''s claws turned metallic, before suddenly freezing over with icy energy.

    Head lowering, and eyes set on his prey, Neptune barreled across the hallway, his feet colliding with the damaged floor as he sprinted his way to the grass type ahead on the other side. In no time, he had closed the distance, but the herb Pokemon had already reacted.

    Her muscles tensing, Greenwood growled in the face of her rapidly advancing assailant as her feet grinded against the floor, and her body''s exterior began to glow with a progressively deep orange coating. As the Endure spread out across her body, her skin hardened like a natural, biological form of armor, just in time for Neptune''s icy pair of claws to strike.

    The cold impact hurt, and for a moment, it felt as though her skin might cut open. Even as she cried out in pain, however, all her body did was slide a few meters across the floor. Undeterred, her glaring eyes soon found themselves locked with Neptune''s as the Feraligatr retreated backwards a few steps.

    ''Greenwood, Erika''s first ever partner.'' Silver eyed the Meganium with a hint of acknowledgement obscured by his mask. ''Her ability is Leaf Guard, which allows her to draw on the power of the sunlight to heighten her resistance to status conditions, making her much less likely to be hindered. Although we''re not outside right now, the sunlight is still seeping in. No doubt she''s fairly protected. Poisoning her or freezing her won''t be easy. But Neptune''s ability is Sheer Force. It allows him to nullify any secondary effects to his own moves, and instead apply it to increasing the raw power of his attacks. If it will be more difficult than normal to inflict a status ailment on Greenwood, then we won''t even try. We''ll just overwhelm her, as planned ahead of time. Our ability is a fairly fitting answer to their own.''

    "Neptune!" With their position given away by the sound of her trainer''s voice, Calliope quickly erected a golden barrier in front of his silver as he called out to his starter. "Aerial Ace into Ice Fang!"

    Eyes tightening into acknowledgement, but never leaving the Meganium, Neptune wrapped his body in a thin, pale aura as his legs tightened up and buckled, prepared to ascend. He''d launch himself into the grass type faster than ever, with all the momentum in the world for his teeth to carve through the flesh of her throat and neck.

    "Power Launch!" Just as Neptune was about to take off into the air, Erika''s voice filled the hallway, doing her best to be heard over the aggressive roar of their mutual attacker. As the big jaw Pokemon rose overhead and readied himself to dive, his jaws opening to reveal the nuclear arsenal of teeth now in the process of being coated in wintry energy, Greenwood''s body returned to its orange state as four giant vines emerged from her sides. The floor threatened to crumble as they pressed downward, suddenly slingshotting her upwards just as her attacker dove.

    The two met almost halfway, although Neptune had cleared a slightly greater amount of distance. As they approached, Greenwood re-angled her body to aim her shoulder at the Feraligatr''s chest. His fangs couldn''t get the proper grip on her that he wanted them too, colliding with her Endure-protected shoulder instead of her neck, the momentum of her Body Slam pushing back.

    Blood leaked from where Neptune''s teeth had struck her, even as her momentum carried her forward, shoulder-first into her opponent. Although the water type had gravity working in his favor, the grass type had weaponized the durability of her Endure-reinforced body, and overtook him.

    The floor shook as Neptune landed side-first, Greenwood landing upright. Capitalizing on the advantage, Erika continued to shout.

    "Lethal Garden!"

    "Blizzard!"

    The Meganium''s eyes turned a deep, blinding pink as a spiral of pink, glowing petals emerged around her body, growing into a beautiful floral storm. It wasn''t long, however, before a sickly, dark purple began to coat the Petal Blizzard with what was sure to be deadly venom.

    Left claw massaging his notably bruised jaw, Neptune rose to his feet. Ignoring the aching, he opened his maw as a snowy ball of glowing, bright whitish-blue aura expanded by the second, soon overtaking the size of his own head.

    Greenwood lunged forward, hurling the mass of fatal vegetation surrounding her. The Lethal Garden combo tore through the hallway, both of the surrounding walls finally collapsing in full, the nearby rooms guarded by them exposed and unprotected from the devastation that was soon to leave them and their respective exhibits in shambles.

    Neptune''s defiant roar sounded over the howl of the venomous Petal Blizzard, the ball in his mouth erupting into a hurricane of ice and snow that geysered out of his throat. The walls, ceiling, and floor that the Blizzard passed through instantaneously froze over as the colossal ice type attack merged with the Lethal Garden roughly halfway through. The venom-drenched petals froze over as well, an ominous purple glow faintly seeping through from the ice encasing them.

    An emerald barrier coated Greenwood''s exterior as the remnants of the somewhat hindered Blizzard passed over her. A frigid sensation passed over her, prompting her to grind her teeth in discomfort. Normally it would have only been mildly painful, yet far from unbearable, but she hadn''t much time to prepare her Protect. She knew that Erika was being shielded in full by a different teammate somewhere behind her, most likely off to the side. With the freedom of not being distracted by her concern for her trainer, her narrowing eyes remained laser-focused on Neptune.

    The Feraligatr in question had defensively crossed his arms-temporarily frozen over in a protective, icy aura, over his head whilst ducking downward. The frozen petals had lost much momentum from the Blizzard''s interception, but many still found their way over to him, albeit with not nearly as much of a deadly pace. They all descended around him, those that made contact bouncing right off of his frozen arms.

    As Neptune rose upright, Greenwood''s mouth was already open once more. The decimated area that now lay between them was now largely frozen over from her adversary''s wintry counterattack, but Erika''s partner paid little mind to the soon-to-be-increased carnage as a blinding, dark-pink orb of light emerged from her jaws and began growing at a rapid pace.

    Neptune had begun to allow the icy protection covering his arms to fizzle out as he locked eyes with Greenwood once more, only to immediately return them as he saw what she was doing. As the wintry coating returned to his arms in full, his claws turned metallic for a second time, now crossed in front of his face. A green aura drenched and nearly obscured his claws, and as it spread out, glazed across his frozen arms.

    Greenwood let out a roar of her own as the pink orb in her mouth expanded into a barreling blast of the same color. Neptune''s feet grinded into the scarred floor beneath him, fighting to remain upright as the Hyper Beam hit its mark.

    As the blast collided with his fully-shielded claws, the ensuing explosion surely would have blown away the surrounding walls had they not already been destroyed. Shockwaves decimated the rooms on either side, but nobody was paying attention. As the beam approached, just moments away from striking, Neptune had begun to swing his claws upward, directing a decent majority of the explosive aftermath towards the ceiling and away from the floor. As the shockwaves traveled above, the worst affected parts of the ceiling burst open, a dashing Rocket passing by above reacting as quickly as his instincts allowed, eyes widening in surprise as he stopped just short of being punctured by the shockwaves, before resuming his run and leaping over the hole.

    Although Neptune staggered backwards, his momentum was quickly halted as he slapped a metallic tail down onto the shambled floor, a small, brief Aerial Ace propelling forward once more before he slipped into a run, quickly at top speed. Ducking under the barrage of blowing seeds fired off by his grass type opponent, the water type closed the distance and swung the Iron Tail right into the herb Pokemon''s jaw.

    Greenwood''s body was glowing orange again, however, and although the impact of the strike echoed through the destroyed hallway, her feet remained planted firmly into the floor as the metallic tail pushed her face to the side. Growling, she pushed back, grinding her Endure-reinforced cheek against the momentum of the Iron Tail.

    Abruptly, Neptune''s eyes seared in agony as a blinding pulse of blue filled his vision. As her opponent instinctively staggered backwards, Greenwood fully righted herself and lashed out at the compromised reptile with a vine.

    But even with the pain in his eyes, Neptune''s instincts had already dictated him to duck. Eyes clenched shut, the crocodile rose to his full height while rearing back an icy fist. Moments later he swung, catching Greenwood square on the nose and forcing her backwards.

    In an area just beyond Silver and Neptune''s vision, Erika peaked from behind a damaged wall. In front of her stood a small, brown, bipedal Pokemon with a mane of cotton-like fluff covering its back, neck, and forehead. The Pokemon had just gotten done lowering her Light Screen barrier from the vicious Blizzard.

    Erika jerked back behind the wall as her watch began to lightly beep. "Whimsicott, keep an eye on the battle." her partner nodded, a serious expression accompanying the grass/fairy type as the Gym Leader pressed a button. "Yes?"

    "Leader Erika!" a male voice sounded from the watch''s communicator. "It''s Team Rocket, they''re in the Gym!"

    The blue-haired woman''s eyes widened, shock briefly expressed in her pupils before her composure returned moments later, as though it were never lost. "What!? How is that possible?" There was no way Team Rocket could''ve gotten through the Gym''s security without any resistance. Despite her current absence, the Gym had more than enough to go around, to ensure that something like this didn''t happen.

    "We don''t know yet. It was like they just showed up. No signs of teleportation usage, or that the systems in place to prevent it were compromised."

    "This is no coincidenceˇ­" Erika trailed off, her face forming into a frown. "They''re after it. The prototype Professor Oak wanted us to test. I don''t know how they even know that we have it, but it''s gotta be that." Glaring, her face stiffened. "Worry about how they got in later. Take them out, make sure none of them leave the Gym. Especially with the prototype."

    Switching off her watch''s communicator, her attention returned to the brawl between the two starter Pokemon. Greenwood had Neptune''s shoulders binded in a full nelson, with two pairs of thick vines wrapped around the Feraligatr from behind in a sickening squeeze. Though she couldn''t see it herself, the water type''s expression was beyond strained as he fought against the hold, attempting to drag his opponent forward and free himself from her grip. He was only able to make slow, agonizing steps as Greenwood pulled back with all her vicious might, and Erika was rather impressed the Feraligatr was even able to move at all.

    With any luck, the decreased blood flow would soon weaken the Rocket Pokemon''s resistance and force him to succumb, but she knew that the big jaw Pokemon could just as likely find a breakthrough and miraculously muscle his way free.

    Thankfully, it seemed as though neither outcome would be taking place, as Greenwood''s maw was already opening to reveal an emerald orb, aimed right for the restrained Feraligatr-

    A purple blur smashed into the large Meganium''s side, toppling over her as the grass type''s grip on Neptune subsided. As the water type tore his way free, the strain in his expression almost immediately gone and replaced with his usual readiness, Erika and Whimsicott lightly glared up at the figure now hovering in the air over Greenwood, while the grass type proceeded to pick herself up.

    A Crobat.

    From behind his cover, Silver tucked his Poke Ball back onto his belt. By now, Erika had most likely received word regarding the invasion of the Celadon Gym, but it mattered very little at this point.

    Ensuring that the Gym Leader was drawn away before the infiltration was crucial, but it hardly would have been enough. The League was far from naive enough to have their Gyms'' respective security strengths wholly reliant on the presence of the Gym Leaders themselves. Even with Erika and a portion of her forces responding to the attack on the museum, a direct invasion of Celadon Gym was more likely to fail than not.

    But that was where the plan of attack had come into play. Celadon''s underground network had been a blindspot not yet addressed, and one that would most certainly be noticed after all of this was over. It had taken a good deal of time crunch to map out prior to the deadline, but he and his division had successfully figured out how and where the network connected to the Gym itself, enabling them to enter and attack from underneath. By utilizing this strategy, they had been able to break into the museum with unprecedented ease, before blindsiding the Gym the same way, once Erika was no longer there to act as the ace in the hole.

    Now, they had the element of surprise, and the benefit of Erika not being at the Gym, and they would need both to ensure success. The Gym Leader was likely faithful that her remaining forces could manage the surprise infiltration, just as he was faithful that they would not.

    /

    Ash could hear the sounds of a battle beginning as he, Janine, and the group rapidly approached the door leading to the staircase. With the floor somewhat shaking, he knew it had to be Erika and that masked Rocket.

    On their way down the hall, the group had been ambushed by four charging Rocket soldiers. Thanks to Pikachu''s quick reaction and movement, the four were all electrocuted point blank by the dashing mouse before they could even send out a Pokemon. The two who had managed to get a Poke Ball off of their belts had dropped the balls a sthey collapsed onto the floor in a heap, the mechanical orbs rolling out of their hands as they did so.

    For added assurance, Janine had released her Toxtricity mid-run afterwards, while Pikachu, Valiant, Eevee, and Beedrill all remained out.

    The purple-haired girl pulled ahead and grasped the door handle, stopping just long enough to look back and ensure that everybody was accounted for. "We have to move." she continued as she pulled the door open, Ash and the others following her in. "We''ll get downstairs and reach one of the squad members to get us out of here-"

    She stopped talking as the group halted in front of the railings. A large staircase spiraled vertically both above and below them. Just above them they could make out several Rocket soldiers, a few of whom were looking down and noticed them, notifying their comrades.

    Flashes of light filled the air above them as numerous Zubat, Spearow, and a few Murkrow began to appear. Without a word, Janine''s hand raced to her belt, and Golbat appeared by her side moments later.

    Almost as fast, Ash gripped Nebula''s Poke Ball, his hand sweating. His mind wasn''t moving as fast as his body, still struggling to process the turn of events. They had just been hanging out at the museum to wind down for the day. They had just been about to leave, as well. When had Team Rocket shown up? Why were they here? Why was all of this happening again!?

    He had no time to try and find an answer, however, and quickly released Nebula in front of him. She and Golbat hovered in the air, looking around in clear surprise at the situation before turning to their respective trainers.

    With a hardened gaze, Janine locked eyes with her poison/flying type partner and pointed upward. The bat ascended immediately.

    "It''s Team Rocket." Ash struggled to keep his voice even and his face colored as he nodded at Nebula. "Clear the way for us, Nebula." Her expression shifted into one of somewhat fearful understanding, but she nodded back nonetheless. Just as she turned around to rise up higher into the air, a yellow blur collided with her back. After taking a moment to adjust to Pikachu''s weight, the Staravia took off with the electric type in tow. Beedrill followed them up.

    Golbat''s upward arrival was met with a series of ranged attacks that halted the poisonous flier. The bat ceased his momentum and weaved away from the projectiles, batting away a few with Steel Wing. Nebula stopped next to him, Beedrill remaining slightly under. The Staravia shared a brief nod with Golbat before the two ascended upwards together, Pikachu still clinging to the starling Pokemon''s back on their way up.

    As they approached their targets, the two fliers turned their backs to one another, a barrage of blades of air firing from their wings. Some of the fliers tried to dodge the Air Cutters, while others attempted to fight back. Those who went on the offensive were overwhelmed and struck, their aerial balance compromised as both fliers continued to rise into the air and meet their opponents head on.

    Kicking off of Nebula''s back, Pikachu grasped onto a startled Spearow, who''s body began descending, wings flapping furiously in an attempt to uphold the unexpected weight. Moments alter, Pikachu''s cheeks were crackling with electricity, preceding an agonized shriek as Spearow''s feathers lit up with lightning. As the now limp bird began free fall, Pikachu kicked off once again, Nebula catching him on her back just after batting away a Zubat and another Spearow with her temporarily metallic wings. As Beedrill made an upwards rush to drive her purple, glowing stinger into the chest of a Murkrow, Nebula carried Pikachu further upwards, dodging a series of attacks before she finally rose above all combatants.

    When Pikachu leapt off of her back, Nebula saw some of the Rockets reaching for their Poke Balls, a few of them even beginning to rush down the spiraling staircase, no doubt towards where Ash and the others were currently waiting. Swooping downwards, she batted her wings at the startled, yelping soldiers as her movements produced a gale of wind that knocked them over, a couple even going over the rails in a long fall to the floor. Below, Ash mildly grimaced as the duo fell past them.

    After kicking off Nebula''s back once more, Pikachu, now higher than anyone else in the area, spread his body out as his cheeks lit up once more. Performing a front flip, his tail exploded with lighting as the electric mouse fired a series of Thunder Wave down at the enemy fliers. His allies managed to avoid the electricity, but the majority of those he aimed for were hit, falling out of the air as Nebula caught him in her talons and angled herself to let him climb atop her back.

    Throat locked up, Ash''s gaze remained vertical as he and Janine watched the chaos rage on for a few more minutes. Beside them, Valiant, Eevee, and Toxtricity had taken to addressing the Rockets that had just entered from the lower floor, and were now making their way up the staircase towards them.

    After what felt like an eternity, yet likely wasn''t even five minutes, the fliers returned to them with Pikachu in toe, and the staircase and lower floor leading to it was home to a few unconscious Rockets and numerous enemy fliers tha thad fallen from the upper floors. The staircases above them also contained quite a few unconscious fliers, and a couple of Rockets, while some of the other soldiers had retreated.

    Ash''s body was snapped out of its frozen state as Janine grasped his shoulder and pulled him forward. "We can''t stay here, let''s go!"

    His momentum became more natural as he processed her words, his feet beginning to move voluntarily. They most likely only had a small window of time before the staircase was flooded once more, and although the League forces could just as easily arrive, they could not take that chance. They needed to move.

    The group blazed down the stairs and through the door, now finding themselves in the hallway of the second story. Immediately, Ash''s ears were filled with the echoing noises of shouts and explosions, and a mild sense of vibration.

    How did they get to the lobby from here? How far was it?

    "Who''s there!?" Just as the group was about to start running, an adult male voice sounded through the hallway. For the briefest of moments, Ash had hope that it was a police officer. Those hopes were immediately dashed as three figures, two male and one female, with black uniforms and the familiar red "R" came running out from the corner turn.

    "Rockets!" Janine stepped back as Beedrill and Toxtricity positioned themselves in front of her.

    The trio of terrorists ceased running and grabbed away at their belts. "Hold it right there you two," the woman began. "Stop and-"

    Pikachu was already upon them, lightning coating his fur as he cleared the distance in a blur. The Rockets barely had time to yelp in surprise before they were zapped, collapsing awkwardly onto the floor.

    One Rocket had successfully managed to remove a Poke Ball from his belt. Unlike the previous floor, when this ball rolled off of his hand, it opened, a Machop rising into a standing position from a bright flash of white light.

    However, the fighting type barely had time to register the confusion before letting out a startled shout as Golbat dove for him, Poison Fang clenching tightly down onto the Rocket Pokemon''s head. Machop''s cries of pain were muffled by the toxic flier''s grip.

    With deft timing, Golbat released the Machop just as Eevee blazed towards them. As the fighting type stumbled forward, hands desperately clutching at his head, the evolution Pokemon mercilessly barreled into him, Iron Tail driving into his midsection as the normal type tackled him to the floor.

    "Quickly!" Ash called out as the group raced past the dazed fighting type, not even taking the time to see if he would be getting up. As the rounded the corner, however, they''re movements froze.

    Good portions of the walls were destroyed, making the rooms beyond them almost seem like extended portions of the hallways themselves. Exhibits and furniture were in shambles, and they could see the chaos unfolding just up ahead. Stray attacks flying about, Pokemon running and flying every which way, orders being shouted outˇ­

    The group quickly moved to the side, passing through a giant hole in the wall next to them. They paid no attention to the destroyed objects in the room as they ducked behind the wall for cover. Nebula and Golbat perched themselves on a half destroyed table, Beedrill hovering in front of them. Everyone else joined the two trainers at the wall. Toxtricity was the closest to the end, crouched stealthily as he peaked through the opening. Pikachu and Eevee remained huddled up close with Valiant positioned in front of them.

    "Now what do we doˇ­?" Ash''s words were automatic as he and Janine turned their heads to one another. "We need to get to the authorities so they can get us out of here, but we can''t run through thatˇ­"

    One stray attack could be the end for either trainer. Ash had no idea how the League or Team Rocket did something like this. Tournaments and Gym battles protected participants and spectators with barriers for a reason, but warzones like this had none of thoseˇ­

    Janine opened her mouth to respond, but a particular loud boom startled the group and prompted both children to cover their ears. Her face somewhat pale, she removed her hands from the head (but didn''t lower them, clearly prepared to cover her ears once more the moment it proved necessary) and made shaky eye contact.

    "We have to try and beˇ­ stealthy about itˇ­" her voice was laced with clear hesitance. "We could try weaving through any openings, but just one mistakeˇ­" as she trailed off, the began chewing on her lower lip. "But if we just take the safe route and stay here, we''ll be gambling on whichever side finds us first."

    "And someone''s definitely gonna find usˇ­" Ash''s tone was a mixture between a frustrated grumble and a fearful croak. So far, outside of that masked Rocket, they''d been lucky enough not to run into any Pokemon too powerful for them to handle. But that had only been luck. If every other Rocket in the museum had only brought teams strong enough for two rookies with only three badges to dismantle, the League would''ve already eaten them alive by now.

    "I''mˇ­ tryingˇ­" Valiant gripped his head as Pikachu and Eevee eyed him in concern. "I can''t distinguish any of the surrounding emotions from one anotherˇ­"

    "Save your energy, Valiant." Ash quickly piped up. "Don''t talk to us."

    "Your senses won''t do much good in this situation anyway." said Janine with a sympathetic frown. "Even if you did have more practice with them, everyone here is hostile, including the League. We won''t be able to tell friend from foe like that, so we still don''t know what the safest path is."

    As Valiant lowered his hands, a less intense boom sounded off from the distance. Poking her head out from the opening in the wall next to Toxtricity, Janine''s face began to scrunch up. "Iˇ­ think we should go, butˇ­"

    Ash grinded his teeth. He feared what would happen if they went out there, but he didn''t trust their luck enough to stay where they currently were and leave it to chance. What if they got cornered where they were hiding right now? At least if they were on the move, near the greater action, someone from the League force was likely to quickly notice them.

    It made him wonder how all of the other guests were doing. Had any of them died? Had the police force retrieved them in time-

    He stopped himself. He couldn''t worry about that right now.

    "We''re taking a big risk no matter what." his team eyed him as he rose to his feet, the girl turned to look at him. "Butˇ­ we''ll have a bit more agency if we run."

    Janine''s face formed into a light, non-hostile glare. "We need to move now, then."

    "Come on everyone," his pounding heart begging him not to, Ash moved in front of the poison specialist as he prepared to make his way through the hole. "We''ll bounce from room to room. Opening to opening. This place is huge, and I don''t know how far we''ll need to go."

    As they took off, Ash desperately hoped that they would run into a police officer right away. Or a staff member. Or even another guest. Anyone who was on their side. He knew they were there, but where were they!?

    He felt his shoe step into a puddle as they began racing down the hallway. The result of a water type move, no doubt. He just hoped that there was no ice nearby.

    A few patches of fire here and there, as well. As the group quickly ducked into another hole leading into a different room in hopes of not being noticed by the wrong people. This likely only lasted for a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity when-

    "ASH!"

    The noise that emerged from Janine''s throat was guttural, desperate, and deafening as the startled boy suddenly felt her arms shooting out and yanking him downward, his cap (which he hadn''t until now realized had been coming loose from all of the running) coming off in the process. As they painfully collided with the floor, a stream of fire passed over them, exactly where he had just been, engulfing his airborne cap and setting a cracked painting ablaze. The cindered remains of the cap descended to the floor.

    Had it been any other situation, Ash probably would have cried over the destruction of his beloved cap, but right now, his blood was running too cold for him to even register.

    "You okay?!" kneeling over him on her knees, Janine''s tone was shaking, as though her voice itself was threatening to crumble apart over what just almost happened.

    ''I almost diedˇ­'' he was struck by the reality. ''And because I didn''t want to take my chances by waiting for helpˇ­''

    "I''mˇ­" lifting his head, he began pushing his hands on the floor, trying to stand up. "I think I''m fine-"

    "YOU!"

    Startled, just as Ash tried to stand, he stumbled backward, and would have collapsed into the table behind him had it not been for Janine catching him. As the group turned their gazes towards the sources of the voice, his own eyes widened in horrified recognition.

    A blue haired boy in a standard Team Rocket uniform. A Charmeleon in front of him. A Noctowl hovering just above his head. An Abra to his side.

    The Rocket boy''s expression was dark with rage, his face reddened like his bloodstream was made of magma. His teeth ground together as though they were working on raw beef.

    "D-Damianˇ­" Against his own will, his eyes rested on the Charmeleon.

    Adam ambushing them and taking half the team.

    CHILD SOLDIERS.

    The squad of children ganging up on him and Paul.

    Charmeleon''s Blaze ability. Fire everywhere.

    Pikachu diving into a wall of flameˇ­

    The air left his lungs as all of the memories came flooding back. Memories from just a few days prior.

    "Ash, get a hold of yourself." Janine gripped him for a moment as the Pokemon in the group assumed fighting stances.

    Damian''s snarling face altered into an angry sneer. "Ashˇ­ I was hoping you''d be here." his fist clenched, as though it were trying to crush something, despite holding nothing.

    "You know him?" As Janine hostiley frowned at the young terrorist, Ash was surprised that was her first question. Apart from a quick start, she didn''t even seem to react much to the fact that a kid their age was wearing a Team Rocket uniform.

    ''Does she already knowˇ­?'' The franticity of the situation, and his own thoughts, only allowed Ash to wonder for a brief moment before the blue-haired boy continued.

    "You didn''t forget me already, did you?! You and that Paul prick humiliated me!"

    "What are you talking about?" Ash found his voice as Janine''s eyes briefly angled towards him in confusion, although the girl didn''t dare turn away from their assailants. "You attacked us first! You spent who knows how long spying on us just so you could set up an ambush!" mild anger began seeping through his panic as he remembered the sight of Adam running off with three of his Poke Balls. A small part of him began to forget the danger he was in. Who did this jerk think he was, spinning himself as the victim? "Let us through!"

    The snarling Damian was unfazed. "Like hell I will. You''re already dying in this museum one way or another, and I''m gonna correct whatever mistake I made last time. Charmeleon, cook him!"

    Neither Ash nor Janine had time to register the disturbing bluntness in Damian''s words before Charmeleon stepped forward and unleashed a second stream of fire, aimed directly at Ash.

    Valiant was in front of his trainer in less than an instant, although Ash didn''t have time to suppress his yelp. His mental instincts working overtime, the Kirlia spawned a fully-powered Light Screen, which the Flamethrower smashed into without mercy.

    Even just behind the Light Screen, Ash and Janine could feel the heat from the fire seeping through. In front of them, Valiant clenched his eyes and teeth, feeling a hot, mildly burning sensation in his hands as his feet began to slide back.

    Hurriedly, Ash and Janine raced to the back of the room and crouched behind cover as the rest of their teams sprang into action. Eevee tried to catch Charmeleon with an Iron Tail to the side of the skull while he was still occupied with trying to overpower Valiant, but was snatched in midair by Noctowl''s talons. As Nebula began to charge for the owl, the Staravia altered her course to avoid a blast from Abra, just before a group of stray Rocket Pokemon began piling in: Two Growlithe, numerous Spearow, a Machop and two Mankey.

    As Charmeleon''s flames finally dissipated, Valiant lowered his Light Screen, eyes boiling with rage as he stared down the fire type. Quickly, however, he teleported, retreating to the back of the room next to his trainer, as Ash and Janine''s hands both made their way to their respective belts.

    "That Chameleon''s strong." Ash eyed his psychic friend''s mildly charred hands in concern as he gripped his Poke Ball.

    Janine hummed with mild frustration as her ball enlarged. "There''s nowhere to go until we find a way through them." she sighed as she looked out to the battle unfolding. Damian was on the other end of the room, Abra in front of him while the Rocket boy began rapidly screaming orders to his team. Eevee had freed herself from Noctowl''s grip with a Swift just in time for Pikachu to take aim at the owl with a Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, the Rocket flier swerved to the side, leaving a window to explode from the electrical impact instead. Shards of glass, some laced with static, rained down on the nearby area.

    In a flash of light, a new Pokemon emerged in front of the poison specialist. A bulky, blue jellyfish with red orbs on its head. The Tentacruel was understandably not fully grown, and therefore smaller than the average size of her species, but was fairly imposing up close. The jellyfish''s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the battle.

    "I''m sorry Tentacruel, a lot of bad things have happened." her face mournful, janine bit her lip. "I need you to protect us, okay?" she gestured towards Ash and Valiant.

    The water/poison type''s shaken expression clashed with her intimidating appearance, although Ash didn''t blame her for a moment. After briefly registering Ash and the Kirlia, Tentacruel nodded back at her trainer, before positioning herself in front of the group, vigilant eyes fixated on the brawl ahead.

    Ash and Valiant turned to one another as the boy enlarged his own Poke Ball. "You too, alright buddy?" Nodding, the psychic''s eyes formed into a steel glare before he turned around and emerged from the cover, positioning himself next to Tentacruel. The two Pokemon briefly exchanged looks, a glint of understanding found in the jellyfish''s eyes as they nodded at one another.

    Quickly, Ash activated the ball in his hand. After shielding his eyes for a moment, the boy saw Tempest clicking his pincers, back facing him and Janine as the Krabby eyed the chaos.

    "Tempest." Ash could see the ecstatic hunger in his aquatic partner''s eyes as the river crab turned to address him. "Team Rocket''s attacking. That Damian boy from before is here with them. I need you to help." Although Ash was trying to keep a steady voice, the water type held no such visible difficulty, and Tempest''s trainer barely had time to point ahead before the Krabby was already charging forward and into the fray.

    As Beedrill hovered overhead to avoid a swing from his flaming tail, Charmeleon caught sight of the newcomer, and, on instinct, let loose a stream of fire in Tempest''s direction. Temporarily halting his run, the Krabby crossed his pincers together to shield his face from the forceful Flamethrower. As the blast struck, the impact briefly caught him off guard, beginning to force his feet backward, but the water type quickly regained his bearings, powering through the hot sensation in his pincers before rushing ahead as the flames died down.

    As Charmeleon leapt backwards to dodge Tempest''s Razor Shell, Ash leaned his back against the wall, releasing a deep breath held in his chest before turning to Janine. Her body''s composure seemed a bit better, but her facial expression masked nothing.

    "You sure you''re okay?" the girl didn''t take her eyes off the fighting as she asked.

    "... Yeah, I think so." Ash knew she''d see through the lie pretty easily, but they didn''t have time to focus on what had almost happened to him. Not when they weren''t out of the woods.

    She didn''t object, her analytical gaze too fixated on the battle. "They''re doing fine for now, but we need to keep an eye out. Tentacruel and Valiant can fend off any stray attacks that might reach us." Indeed, she was positioned right at the edge of the cover, enough to where she could see the battle almost in full, whilst still benign within Tentacruel''s range of guard. Ash couldn''t hear her somewhat heavy breathing over the fighting.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Compulsively, Ash''s hand rubbed the top of his head, but he felt no cap making contact, his palm instead sinking into his hair. "You''re right, I''ll do that." Quickly, he scooted over to his end of the cover, Valiant briefly eying him from behind before refocusing on the action ahead. The young Kirlia was very clearly ready to erect a barrier at a moment''s notice. After briefly giving his partner a grateful nod of acknowledgement, he peered beyond the psychic.

    Although the fliers weren''t without room, they lacked the freedom of outdoor combat. Aerial chaos dominated the upper walls and area close to the ceiling as Nebula, Golbat and Beedrill brawled relentlessly with Noctowl and the Spearow. Fearing friendly fire, neither member of the trio had wanted to resort to long ranged attacks that could easily shower the allies beneath them, but their hands had been forced fairly early on, especially with their opponents holding no such concerns.

    With shrill squawks and cries filling the air above them, Pikachu dodged a blast of fire from one of the Growlithe, only to be forced to sidestep a punch from one of the Mankey the moment his paws touched the floor. Not even seconds later, Eevee was upon the fighting type, driving an Iron Tail into its side and propelling it away. Not even affording the irreplaceable time it would take to spare Pikachu a quick glance, her gaze, as if by accident, found its way to Damian and Abra. Eyes narrowing, she kicked off the floor and began charging, the young psychic bracing itself as the Rocket boy''s eyes widened.

    Just as a Shadow Ball formed in the evolution Pokemon''s jaws, the Machop appeared in the quadruped''s view. After dodging the fighting type''s kick to the side, Eevee instead fired the Shadow Ball at him. The unconscious body of a Spearow landed in between them, however, intercepting the ghost type move. As the explosion (now closer to Eevee than she had bargained for) forcefully pushed the normal type back, Machop kicked off and raised a glowing fist, which Eevee barely regained her composure in time to dodge.

    On the other side of the room, Toxtricity fended off a mutual attack from the other Mankey and Growlithe within the Rocket group. Although his offense forced his assailants to carefully back away, the punk Pokemon was abruptly blindsided when a second unconscious Spearow landed on his head. As the electric/poison type staggered forwards towards them, the two Rocket Pokemon saw their chance and pounced, bowling him over onto his back.

    Having just batted away his own Growlithe assailant, Pikachu rushed across the room, momentarily cloaked in Agility before sparks of lightning suddenly covered Growlithe and Mankey''s fur as the mouse passed by. His bearing regained, Toxtricity tossed the stunned attackers off of him as he forced himself up, before lunging at Mankey and burying a Poison Jab into the fighting type''s gut.

    From behind his cover, Ash spared a split second to gaze across the room towards Damian and Abra.

    ''He wants to kill me.'' Somewhere down the line, the realization had set in. It wasn''t the first time someone from Team Rocket had attempted to end his life. Those two from pewter had certainly been planning too, and the Marauder especially. But those were both by circumstance, in the moment. Damianˇ­ was targeting him specifically.

    As his breath caught in his throat, Ash''s eyes landed on Charmeleon, still locked in combat with Tempest. The Krabby had zeroed in on the fire type immediately, and the feeling seemed to have quickly grown mutual. Just looking at the lizard reminded Ash of what the flame Pokemon had done in their first encounter, and the boy suddenly realized with widened eyes what would happen if they couldn''t knock him out before Blaze took effect.

    The Charmeleon in question swerved to the side to avoid the streams of glowing bubbles erupting from Tempest''s pincers, which instead bowled over a nearby table while leaving numerous holes in the wood. Just before Tempest had even stopped firing, the fire type was already charging him, rearing back an electrical fist before lashing out.

    Tempest''s left pincer clenched and turned metallic as the Krabby intercepted the static blow. Pushing the arm of his attacker away, the water type took a swing at Charmeleon with his other, open pincer, even as boiling water sprayed out.

    Leaping diagonally backwards, Charmeleon narrowly avoided the offense as a purplish-blue orb appeared in his open jaws. Moments later, Tempest frantically crossed dual Metal Claws in front of his face as the Dragon Pulse exploded against him. As the Krabby staggered back, the fire lizard landed on his feet and rushed him with raised claws.

    Just as Damian''s partner lashed out, however, the flame Pokemon let loose a roar of agony as Tempest''s pincer gnashed down onto Charmeleon''s claw. Just as the Krabby was about to feel the fire type''s bones crumble from within the Vise Grip. The lizard''s claw turned metal, and the river crab''s grip was met with resistance.

    In frustration, Tempest hurled Charmeleon over his head. As the fire type soared behind him, Ash''s partner turned in time to raise his pincers and block a downward blast of fire, just before Charmeleon landed on his feet, sliding backwards a bit before coming to a halt and standing back upright. For a moment, the two of them locked gazes, but-

    "Charmeleon!" through cupped hands, Damian''s voice carried across the room. "Ash is right behind you!"

    Realizing his mistake a moment too late, Tempest''s eyes bulged as the fire type turned his head to see a panicked Ash retreating behind his cover in full, suddenly struggling to keep his breathing in line. In front of him, Valiant glowered at the flaming lizard, eyes beginning to glow as Tenctacruel raised her two front tentacles in defense.

    Roaring with vigor, Tempest rushed madly for the fiery reptile, but just as his pincers opened to fire off the bubbles, three figures dive bombed into him from above. The next moment, he was desperately swinging away as the talons of three Spearow swiped relentlessly at him. Towards the other end of the room, a stunned Beedrill floated by the side of the wall, rubbing her head while Nebula and Golbat continued the aerial brawl.

    Behind the cover, Ash hugged his knees against his chest. The longer this went on, the more he realized how fragile humans were in unsanctioned battles. The human body was vulnerable to what a Pokemon was capable of, with no barriers, or rules, to compensate for the danger.

    With the convenience of Tempest now forcibly occupied, Charmeleon licked his lips whilst staring down Valiant and Tentacruel. Opening wide, his mouth filled with fire, just as static began to spark across Valiant''s hands, and Tentacruel''s two raised tentacles began to brightly glow purple-

    A brown blur smashed head first into Charmeleon''s side. Bowling over, the fire lizard felt his now-incomplete Flamethrower forcibly exiting his mouth and igniting the nearby table that Tempest''s Bubble Beam had just knocked over. Catching himself with his claws, Damian''s partner quickly broke his fall before flipping himself onto his feet. Rubbing his bruised side, a low rumble emitted from the glowering beast''s throat as his gaze locked with Eevee''s.

    There was no love lost.

    Ash started As Janine suddenly sprang up. "Stay here, Ash!" He barely had time to process her words as she raced past him and beyond the cover.

    "Wait! What are you-"

    The now-enlarged Poke Ball shot out of her hand, landing several feet behind Charmeleon as it burst open. Ivysaur emerged from the light moments later.

    "Ivysaur, Strangle!"

    Before Charmeleon could even turn around, two vines coated with purple poison shot out from the seed Pokemon''s large, pink bud. As quickly as they had emerged, the vines wrapped around the flame Pokemon''s neck, just about where his throat should be, several times over. As the multiple layers coiled, the grip of the vines tightened with all of Ivysaur''s effort.

    The skin on Ash''s face turned into a white sheet as all of the air left the Rocket fire type, who''s claws desperately grasped at the toxic vines in an effort to fight back. The majority of the effort had already left Charmeleon, however, as Ivysaur doubled down and fought back against his resistance, pulling the vines backwards in the opposite direction as his grip continued to clench down on the fire lizard''s throat.

    A horrific, wheeze-like noise filled Ash''s ears and quickened his heart. Just in front of Charmeleon, Eevee''s body froze as her eyes bulged, just before Damian''s voice filled the room again.

    "NOOO!" The desperation in his posture was impossible to mask. "Noctowl, break them up now!"

    From across the room, Noctowl let out a shrill shriek as the owl raced downward with his beak aimed straight at Ivysaur. Abruptly, Nebula''s metallic wings smashed into his ribcage. Pushing downwards, the Staravia drove the owl straight into the floor, ascending back upwards just in time for Pikachu and Toxtricity to deftly approach the downed flier from either side.

    As Noctowl''s feathers lit up with lightning, Charmeleon''s legs slowly began to buckle, the crimson complexion gradually leaving his face as the fire lizard collapsed onto his knees, still desperately gripping away at the vines. Behind him, the flame of his tail was starting to shrink.

    "Release him, Ivysaur." Janine''s voice was cold.

    As her starter''s vines retracted back into his bud, Ash watched the fire type collapse onto his side, claws still clutching his throat as his mouth desperately fought to suck in the air around him. Just as his consciousness fully faded, he and Noctowl were swept up in beams of red light that retreated back into Damian''s two Poke Balls.

    Lowering his arms to their side, the blue-haired boy''s body was practically vibrating, his pupils resembling a wildfire as his teeth rattled in panic.

    "Youˇ­ piece of shit bitch, I''m gonnaˇ­" As his voice trailed off, Janine didn''t take her gaze off of the boy. The perfect posture in her body language hid the desperate vulnerability in her own eyes.

    "That''s enough." her voice was shaky for a moment, before seemingly straightening. "You''ve lost."

    Standing up from his cover, Ash eyed the girl for just long enough to take in her expression. She almost felt like a different person, like the trainer he had been hanging out with all morning had suddenly vanished and got replaced. The sight prevented his heart rate from slowing.

    Looking around the room, the last of the Rocket Pokemon were sprawled out across, either unconscious or too injured to pick themselves up. Tempest had forced the trio of Spearow to part from him, leaving them open to an enraged Scald and a Poison Fang from Golbat. The bat in question had a sizable amount of blood leaking from his left wing, and was now perched on the remains of a split table. Beside him, Beedrill leaned against the wood, a gash in her head.

    "No!" Before Ash could check on his own teammates, Damian''s shout brought him back into the exchange, the Rocket boy seemingly trying to rip the blue hair off of his head. "Iˇ­ I did not loseˇ­ not again, I''llˇ­. Kill youˇ­!"

    Her fists clenching, Janine''s face turned slightly pained (just barely enough for Ash to notice, at any rate) as her eyes angled somewhat downward. "...What haveˇ­ what have they done to youˇ­" shaking it off, she looked him in the eye again. "I said you lost. It''s over. We''re leaving."

    "Shut up." The Rocket boy snarled at the duo one final time before a deep sigh escaped his throat. After a moment''s hesitation, and a somewhat pined expression of his own, he turned to Abra, who floated in front of him with sweat rolling down his face as Pikachu, Eevee, and Tempest lined up to corner them. "Abra, get my out of-"

    A noise behind him caught everybody''s attention.

    "What''s going on here?!" For the briefest of moments, Ash and Janine''s eyes collectively lit up, hoping that they''d been found by the police. It didn''t take long for their hearts to sink when they saw the familiar uniform on the man and woman that entered the room.

    ''Shit, more of themˇ­'' Ash''s heart sped up.

    The two Rocket soldiers were flanking a duo of creatures that he recognized on the spot.

    A tall, bidepal, green insectoid with two pairs of cream-colored wings extending from the back, and a signature pair of large, white scythes at the end of its arms.

    Part of what made Scyther so coveted, to go along with their relative rarity, was that they were among the Pokemon that were known to be commonly capable of high-level competition without even having to evolve. Although Scizor (which were even more rare) had an acclaimed reputation, Scyther themselves were well-recognized, and unlike a great deal of other unevolved Pokemon, watching them fight at Conference level wasn''t considered too much of a surprise. Members of the species had even performed quite well in the prestigious six-on-six rounds from the top sixteen onwards.

    Ash didn''t know what level this Scyther was at, but the clean shine in its blades and the predatory look in its eyes did nothing to reassure him.

    The other was a purple, bipedal canine creature with a notably enormous jaw. This was a Granbull. Unlike the Scyther next to it, the bulldog didn''t seem as ready to maul them on sight, but it''s imposing stature didn''t lighten the mood.

    Biting his lip, Ash looked between his team. ''Damnit, can we take themˇ­?''

    As Janine backed away with an unsure expression, the Rocket woman walked past Damian and Abra with Scyther in toe. "Damian, wasn''t it? We''ll take it from here, kid." Ash''s blood ran cold as Scyther began sharpening its scythes together.

    The younger Rocket scowled. "I was-"

    "Stop it now!"

    A new male voice fille their ears, and before Ash had time to process, a streak of fire had collided with Abra''s back, eliciting an angry shout from Scyther as the mantis Pokemon and Granbull turned to the direction of the new attacker.

    The male Rocket''s fists tightened. "Police. Get ready, Granbull!"

    Grabbing Janine, Ash took just enough time to call out to their teams as he yanked her behind the cover. "Everyone, find some place to hide!"

    The team scrambled as two police officers came running towards the scene, accompanied by a Houndoom and an Ampharos. Damian barely had enough time to recall his unconscious Abra before his feet started moving involuntarily. Both Rockets began shouting orders to their respective Pokemon, but Ash found it progressively more difficult to make them out as the chaos evolved.

    Ducking behind the cover in full, Ash and Janine held their ears as loud explosions began shaking the surrounding area, a few hitting too close for comfort. The color in his face drained in full, Ash continued to chew his lip as his racing mind desperately wondered if their teams had made it to safety.

    After a couple of minutes that felt like eternity, the noises had subsided, and they heard a voice calling out. "Hey, kids! You there?"

    Almost gulping, Ash turned his head to Janine, greeted with immediate eye contact. With mutual uncertainty, no words were spoken between the two.

    "It''s the police! You can come out now!" the voice continued.

    Was it really the police? Ash couldn''t remember who''s voice had been who''s.

    Still thoughˇ­ if they didn''t reveal themselves now, the source of the voice would simply search himself. Janine seemed to understand that as well.

    Taking a deep breath, the duo stood, relief immediately washing over them at the sight of the two police officers and their bruised (but still in decent shape) Pokemon. The Rockets and their teammates were unconscious.

    Janine''s exhale probably could have echoed across the building as the rest of their team emerged from hiding themselves. "Thank the guardian Mew, I thought I was done for."

    Ash''s heart rate didn''t completely steady just yet, the noises he could hear from elsewhere a reminder of where they still were. But just the sight of the officers was enough to ease his nerves.

    Surveying the Rockets, he realized that Damian was nowhere in sight. Must have fled in the chaos, the boy realized.

    The disturbing memory of the Rocket boy''s expression and words resurrected the queasy feeling in Ash''s stomach, prompting him to banish the thought from his mind entirely.

    ''It''s over.'' he told himself. ''Don''t worry about him.''

    As one of the officers began cuffing the fallen Rockets, his partner approached the two trainers. "Are you two alright?" His tone of voice seemed to drop just enough of the harsh, professional demeanor to sound empathetic, although it was clear as day he was still on high alert.

    Quickly exchanging glances, the two rookies nodded.

    "Yeah, thanks to you." Ash''s voice nervously shook halfway through his sentence. "You really saved us."

    The officer spared just enough time to glance back at Houndoom and Ampharos, who were respectively standing over the unconscious Granbull and Scyther, clearly ready to retaliate at the first sign of movement.

    "We''ll contact the rest of the squad to send some psychics to teleport you all out. To the Pokemon Center." he pointed to the wall behind them. "Just sit tight for now, okay?" they nodded, making their way to where he had pointed as the officer walked off talking into his communicator.

    As their respective teams began grouping around them, a sighing Ash felt Janine''s hand on his shoulder.

    "Yesˇ­?" he asked, turning to address her. For some reason he was beginning to feel out of it. The stress had not remotely left the back of his mind, yet the absence of action had suddenly left him feeling spent.

    She bit her lip. "Sorry, Iˇ­" turning away, she eyed the unconscious Rocket Pokemon. "I just wanted to make sure you were really alright."

    "I will be once we''re out of here." he had said that hoping it would ease her, but the moment it slipped from his lips, he realized it might not have been the best response. "I mean, Uhˇ­"

    "It''s fine, I agree." she chimed in, surveying their teammates, who had begun grouping together as a unit. "We just need to wait for them to get here."

    Ash nodded. The paranoia in his head refused to leave, but perhaps that was just natural. Despite everything, he allowed a small smile to adorn his face as she looked between the Pokemon in front of them. This had not been what they signed up for, but thankfully they had made it through-

    ˇ­Waitˇ­

    The queasy pit in his stomach returned, the sweat in his hands suddenly feeling cold and sickening.

    It was probably just an oversight, he told himself. But then why did he not seeˇ­ even after double and triple checkingˇ­

    "Pikachu," he tried his best to mask his franticity as he got his starter''s attention. "Where''s Tempest?"

    The mouse''s ears shot up, the question bringing the quiet, idle chatter amongst Ash''s Pokemon to a halt. In turn, Janine''s team quieted as well, upon noticing.

    As the mouse turned back to look at his friends, Nebula seemed somewhat startled. Realization passed over Valiant''s eyes. Eevee was nervously shuffling. Tyrunt was in his Poke Ball, secure and ignorant. Safe and sound.

    There was no sign of the river crab.

    "Tempestˇ­?" Janine blinked for a second, surveying the room. Slowly, the color began to drain from her face. "Your Krabbyˇ­?"

    ''What''s going onˇ­?!'' Ash''s mind was racing even faster now. ''Did they take him? He shouldn''t be-''

    He wished the realization hadn''t dawned on him. He felt as though his heart had stopped, but it was actually just beating faster. He felt his back against the wall, the only thing preventing him from losing his footing as the nausea built up in his mouth.

    "Ashˇ­?" Janine''s worried expression was perfectly visible, but he could barely hear her voice.

    "He went after Damian." Every present member of his team had the same horrific understanding pass over their faces as he spoke.

    In his state, he could just barely process the confusion in the poison specialist''s tone. "What-"

    "Of course he did!" Normally he would have immediately apologized for his outburst, but his mind was entirely focused on piloting his mouth. "Tempest is obsessed. He fights all the time, and I let him out in the middle of aˇ­"

    His vision began to white, he could barely hear the sound of Pikachu''s voice. He felt Janine grasping his shoulders and turning his body to face her in full.

    "Ash, hold on! You need to-"

    "I CAN''T!" his head aching, the boy easily left her grip as he abruptly broke into a sprint.

    "Hey, kid! What the Hell are you-"

    "ASH-"

    The sounds of the police officer, Janine, and their Pokemon were all collectively drowned out by the chaos he charged straight into.

    /

    Damian staggered as the floor beneath him shook from a nearby explosion. Above him, bits of the ceiling had begun falling, although for the moment it mostly amounted to dust particles rather than full on chunks.

    Where had he gone wrong? He had been doing fine. This was supposed to overwrite that botched affair from a few days prior. His first real mission was supposed to be a triumph. Now, with Abra unconscious, he was left struggling to navigate the battlefield defenseless as he made his way out.

    ''Thisˇ­ this is their fault.'' The bitter words flowed through the boy''s mind as his teeth gnashed together. ''They keep humiliating me. Those worthless pieces ofˇ­''

    Charmeleon''s suffocated image flashed into his mind. Noctowl''s fried physique a few moments later.

    Yesˇ­ this was their fault. That damn Ash had dared embarrass him a second time. And that girl with him had been no better.

    He suddenly found it hard to think as he stopped in front of a wall, panting as his palm pushed against it for support. How long had he been running? How fast had he been running? How long had he been out of breath?

    Turning around in full so his back could lean against the wall, Damian realized that he had entered an empty area. One that had already been ravaged from the carnage, but wasn''t currently a part of it for the moment.

    ''I can afford to rest here.'' the moment the thought vindicated him, he felt his body involuntarily sliding downward into a sitting position. His lungs continued to suck in the air that he had lost.

    Though he was in a safe area, his ears were far from secure. He could still hear the sounds of clashes and explosions shaking the building, whilst seeing blasts of fire, electricity, ice, and other attacks being hurled back and forth from further away. Briefly, the ceiling shook, but just when he was about to force himself back up, it stopped.

    ''It wouldn''t be like this back at the hideout.'' The thought was automatic. Memories came flooding back. Mom kissing him goodbye, and dad patting his back as the two headed off for their latest assignment. Where he would be secure in the underground base, wrapped in a blanket with a bag of chips while they, directly above him, would be exposed to all the dangers the hideouts shielded him from.

    But he wasn''t wandering those hallways anymore. Whether it be the underground bunkers or the remote above-ground bases that he constantly bounced to and fro. It was the first time his involvement in an assault wasn''t "Stay here". It was a naked feeling, realizing he could be hit by any stray attack that he used to be out of reach from.

    Finally managing a deep, satisfying breath, his mind began to function more properly once moreˇ­ right, he''d have to get moving pretty soon. Retreat protocol for this mission stated that-

    A noise in front of him jolted his attention away from his mind as a figure entered his view. Trying to scramble upwards, he quickly made out the newcomer.

    Aˇ­ Krabby?

    /

    Tempest wasn''t sure he had it in him as he ran across the ongoing devastation. He knew he wasn''t the fastest, even if he liked to think he could move more swiftly than of his species. Perhaps his racing blood had been carrying his legs?

    The river crab had been summoned into a goldmine. He had barely even processed what was going on everywhere. He could pick any direction he wanted, and just go. He didn''t need to find carnage, and it didn''t need to find him. He was dead set in the middle of it.

    But the best thing to do would be to finish what had been started, running in the direction of the retreating boy that had wanted to torch his trainer. Taking in the adrenaline of batting aside any Growlithe, Rattata, or Pidgey tried to halt him in his pursuit, Tempest hoped this Damian scumbag had more left in his arsenal than just the Charmeleon those Spearow had robbed him of dealing with.

    Eyes glowering, the Krabby recalled just a few days prior as he stared down the boy. Back when Damian and the other kids had assaulted them. What a glorious battle that had been, had it not been for that Adam loser pickpocketing Ash with that ambush, or the close call with Pikachu and Sneasel the water type had been rendered incapable of preventing. The blue-haired boy had already gotten away once, but Tempest would not allow a second fight to go unconcluded. That wasn''t how it worked.

    Feeling his heart rate quicken, the river crab began clicking his pincers as the boy rose to his feet.

    "Youˇ­" perhaps it was just the snarl, but he didn''t like listening to this person''s voice. Maybe it was all just in his head. The boy''s face twisted. "You''re that bastard''s crab from beforeˇ­ get away from me!"

    As Tempest''s amusement turned to frustration, taking his first few steps towards the Rocket boy, Damian tried to mask the breath threatening to lock up in his throat with an even further raised voice.

    "I said get away from me youˇ­!" trying to back away, Damian was quickly reminded of the wall''s presence, just before his hand raced to his belt.

    ''Shitˇ­ I''m out of good ones. Guess I''ll have to improvise.''

    "Eat rats, piece of shit!" Damian''s holler was accompanied by a duo of charging Rattata that emerged from the dual bursts of bright, white light. The rodents bared their fangs as they pounced in the Krabby''s direction, only for two metallic pincers to be swung in their path.

    Tempest winced in mild dissatisfaction as he felt their faces cave in, just before flying off in opposite directions, almost certainly limp from the blows. Did this pompous boy have nothing left? He had gotten a taste of his Charmeleon twice now. Was an appetizer all he''d ever be able to get?!

    Damian''s teeth gnashed at his lower lip as Tempest resumed approaching him. "D-Damnit, Iˇ­"

    The Krabby''s disappointed snarl trailed off as his mind went to work. After a moment, he raised an open pincer-

    Another flash of light filled his vision, prompting the river crab to clench his eyes for a moment. The next instant, Damian was gone. The water type''s wide eyes began blinking as he turned his head every which way. The Rattata were still here, albeit unmoving. Apart from that, he was suddenly aloneˇ­

    Confusion and frustration laced the grumble that escaped his throat.

    /

    Damian''s bottom collapsed onto the hard floor of the museum basement, the world around him suddenly turning far more dark and dimly lit than the floor he had just been on. His mind somewhat off balance, the young boy instinctively shot a hand up to his head, palm collapsing through the blue hair and rubbing the scalp as he opened his eyes and glared up at the newcomer.

    "What''s wrong with you? I was-"

    "You were about to get obliterated, junior." the figure in front of him responded with a dismissive, yet amused tone whilst absentmindedly patting the kid''s head. "You''re lucky I happened to see it."

    The Rocket boy grimaced. "Don''t call me that! I could''ve-"

    "Taken care of yourself? I''m helping you do exactly that. I''m assuming things are all wrapped up for you, right? Remember the retreat protocol. I''ll take care of business here."

    Before Damian could respond or even get up, another flash of light took the figure away.

    "Ugh, Damn! That thing has no boundaries."

    /

    Tempest groaned. He supposed it might not have mattered that Damian had vanished, not when the boy clearly had nothing left to offer. But something about the way the child grunt had vanished into thin air at the last second made the Krabby''s blood boil.

    Turning back to where he had come from, his mind began to leave that point, however. He didn''t need to be frustrated. There was plenty more going on. Perhaps a good adrenaline rush could lift his spirits before he-

    A pair of feet landed behind him after another flash of light. Instinctively, the water type whirled around and aimed his pincer like a gun, a barrage of glowing, blue bubbles erupting outwards. The aquatic projectiles quickly found their path intercepted by a golden barrier. To Tempest''s astonishment, this Light Screen (he assumed that''s what it was, at any rate) was nothing like Valaint''s. Just looking at it forced his eyes to squint in pain, and his head to slightly turn away. So brightˇ­

    "How rude! A violent goodbye coupled with a violent greeting!" Tempest started. There was something off about how this newcomer talked, but he couldn''t quite place itˇ­

    As the Light Screen faded away, the river crab was finally given the chance to look at the new figure confronting him. Though he was humanoid, he was very clearly not a human. He seemed roughly above four and a half feet in height, with a round, white body and a spot of magenta in the middle.

    Something about his appearance made the young Krabby''s skin crawl beneath his shell. From the goofy, yet oddly focused facial expression, to his complexion and aesthetic, it just lookedˇ­ wrongˇ­

    Irritation laced his pupils as the Mr. Mime extended an arm and wagged a finger. "Nah, I bet you''re just frustrated I jumped in and interfered with earlier, aren''t you? Well maybe I''m frustrated you tried to give me bullet holes on sight, so who''s really the inconsiderate one?"

    Normally, Tempest would''ve tried to bash the Mr. Mime''s forehead open for the derisive attempt at chastising him, but the Krabby''s eyes couldn''t help but widen upon realizing that the psychic fairy''s mouth wasn''t moving. How was that possib-

    It abruptly dawned on the water type that the voice wasˇ­ in his head. He was speaking to him the way Valiant talked to Ash.

    Butˇ­ whyˇ­? He was a Pokemon. He didn''t need telepathy to communicate with him. Was he just doing it for fun? What the hell was the point?!

    The confusion of the situation alone was enough to resurrect the river crab''s frustration, which he expressed with two blasts of boiling water from his raised pincers.

    Instinctively, Tempest clenched his eyes in preparation for another potential Light Screen, only for Mr. Mime to instead kick off of the damaged floor, sailing over the Krabby''s head and flipping in midair, landing cleanly behind him.

    A strange sounding cackle escaped the psychic''s throat as Tempest whirled around to face the insufferably amused newcomer.

    "And now you assault me in the middle of a perfectly peaceful conversation? Oh, I know! Maybe that''s how you talk! So, would a blast of ice mean you disagree with me, or is that what you were trying to say with the water? You gotta clue me in on your language if this is gonna work."

    Eyes flaring, Tempest barreled forward, easily closing the distance between the two as his now clenched pincer turned a deep layer of metal. As he swung forward with an aggressive punch, Mr. Mime''s eyes glowed blue, one of his hands calmly extending outward.

    Without warning, Tempest felt his own body resisting as an identical blue glow began to outline his shell. It was as though his own muscles were resisting movement. Straining himself, he continued forward, thrusting the metallic punch aimed for Mr. Mime''s face.

    But the momentum slowed rapidly, until the Metal Claw hung in the air, just centimeters from its target, like a low hanging fruit a child barely couldn''t reach. Still clenched shut, the metallic pincer shook and vibrated in midair as Tempest desperately fought against the psychic hold, but no part of his body, be it his feet, pincers or face, could take that final step forward.

    Without a word, Mr. Mime calmly reached out and pushed the metallic pincer downward with both hands. Moments later, one of his hands was in front of Tempest''s progressively unsure face, a shiny golden glow beginning to take form into sparking lightning.

    /

    Silver dismounted the back of his Corbat as his feet touched upon the concrete. The fight with Erika had transferred to the streets surrounding the museum as of recently. The building practically didn''t even have a third story anymore, with the majority of the walls and even the floor in certain parts essentially no longer existing.

    "Keep going, Pinion." As he patted the Crobat''s head, the toxic flier nodded before lifting off into the sky, sights set on the Tropius that Erika had recently sent out. He saw Calliope making her way towards him once more, slightly bruised from a brief scuffle with the large flier.

    As Pinion ripped through the air diagonally, locked onto the fruit Pokemon like a homing missile, his fangs bared and glowed an ominous, dark purple. Tropius showed little fear, however, his flapping wings increasing in speed as the air surrounding him began to rotate.

    Just as Pinion felt was closing in, his body smashed face-first into felt like a barrier made out of spinning wind. A couple of parked cars beneath him lifted off the ground as the tornado picked up speed.

    Eyes widening, Pinion could suddenly see several blades of air forming within the cyclone. He felt the wind against his body, suddenly dragging him in. Attempting to go in the opposite direction was met with resistance. Realizing he was now trapped, he swerved the other way, just before the barrage of air blades could cleave his body in half. After that the tornado took him, and it felt as though his flight had lost all free will as his world began to spin.

    Glowering, he began flapping his wings as well. Although he could not control his flight, he could still rotate his body as his own gale of wind began erupting outward. Soon, a tornado formed within a tornado, forcing the winds of Tropius'' cyclone to part as Pinion''s own cyclone burst outward, pushing away the storm of aerial blades and leaving them all to fly out in just about every possible direction, a great few smashing into buildings. Below, Silver and Erika both found themselves encased in barriers that intercepted the assault.

    As Tropius reared back in surprise, Pinion turned back to face the giant flier. Head lowering, the bat''s body began to take on a white glow, just as his head began to burst with bright blue, psychic energy. Mere moments later, he ripped forward like a bullet, embedding himself into the wheezing fruit Pokemon''s abdomen.

    Elsewhere, Greenwood''s Energy Ball exploded against Neptune''s defensively crossed Metal Claws. The reptile''s feet grinded against the pavement as he forcefully skidded back a foot or so, a blast of ice erupting from his throat and intercepting the dual vines trying to lash out at him. As the vines froze over and crumbled, a pink cloud suddenly shot out into him, and for just a moment, he could feel his focus faltering-

    Greenwood''s vines smashed against the road and slingshotted her shoulder-first into the Feraligatr''s abdomen, her body glowing orange just as she propelled herself.

    With the air sucked out of his lungs, Neptune toppled backwards, pinned to the icy concrete behind him (frozen over from a previous attack that he had used) as the glowering Greenwood stamped her forelegs onto his shoulders. The Meganium leaned downward and applied additional pressure on the forceful hold, a familiar pink orb forming in her mouth.

    Fight or flight instincts kicking into overdrive, Neptune opened his mouth just before Greenwood''s vines had the chance to wrap around his jaws and forceful clench them shut. A blast of icy air quickly collided with the pink orb. A painful impact bombarded his snout as the orb exploded against the wind, forcing Greenwood''s body upwards and on her hind legs.

    Instinctively, Neptune''s tail turned to metal, rising upwards before jamming back down onto the concrete. Using the impact and stability to force himself back onto his feet, the big jaw Pokemon lunged for Greenwood, who growled in displeasure as his icy, metallic claws violently latched onto her sides before she had the chance to return to all fours. Straining his muscles, the water type hoisted her overhead, suplexing the quadruped face-first through the icy-layered concrete behind them. Although she successfully wrapped herself in Endure just in time for the impact, she hadn''t done so fully.

    Having found some elevation to observe the combat from the best of their ability (which Silver was certain that Erika had done as well) the masked agent and Calliope ducked behind some cover before the teen peered out. Just before he could make a comment, his communicator sounded.

    "Sir! We''ve just received word that the squad sent to Celadon Gym has gotten a hold of the prototype. Your orders?"

    Nodding at Calliope to signal for her to keep watch, Silver kneeled down and spoke into the communicator. "Excellent. Commence withdrawal according to this mission''s retreat protocol. As planned, we''ll be arriving at the nearest base outside of the city. Have a team return to the underground layer we were using and clear it out. It won''t take the League long to realize that we exploited the city''s underground network, so make sure nothing important or worth looking at is left behind."

    "Understood, sir."

    As the communication ended, Silver leaned back upward and peered out to where he believed Erika to be.

    ''Mission''s over. Now we just need to keep the Gym Leader busy long enough for everyone else to pull out.''

    /

    Although Ash''s legs carried him on their own, the boy was reminded to cover his ears as the noisy explosions filled his hearing. It was probably the only thing keeping his jumbled mind intact.

    Along with the sight of a stray attack that had nearly grazed him. He didn''t have the focus to make out what it had been, instead briefly ducking behind cover to catch his failing breath before bolting once more.

    What was he doing?! They had been safe, or about to be at least. Why had he run off alone into-

    Tempest.

    His mind began to cloud again. Squeezing his eyes shut, the boy shook his head violently while leaning against a partially destroyed wall. His head was pounding. His ears were pounding from his surroundings. His heart was pounding. He needed toˇ­

    Trying to suck in a breath of air, the young rookie observed his surroundings. In front of him was a shambled room, if it could even be called one anymore. The very structure of the museum seemed nonexistent at this point. Looking around, he seemed to be a bit away from the fighting. Maybe he could rest in here-?

    No! He couldn''t rest. He still needed to find Tempest. Why had that Krabby-

    ''Of course he did.'' the voice told him. ''You let him out of his ball when intense fighting was taking place everywhere. You knew what he would do.''

    He did know. Or should have, at any rate. Tempest had no self control in situations like this. He was too focused on trying to get away to realize who he had been sending out. Now, the crab was out there somewhere, free to run into an opponent out of their league at any minute-or maybe he already had?!

    A familiar cry pierced his clouded cognition. Turning around, Ash saw a small yellow figure running towards him. The world around him was blurry, but thisˇ­

    "...Pikachu?" he spoke somewhat hopefully as the mouse stopped in front of him. His starter gazed up at him with frowning, concerned eyes that locked onto the rookie''s delirious gaze.

    Slowly, clearness returned to his surroundings as the electric type tugged on his leg. Letting out another deep breath, Ash brought his hand up to his cap, only to feel hair instead.

    ''Rightˇ­''

    "Hey, buddy." guilt suddenly passed over Ash''s features. "Sorry that I-"

    Another cry stole their attention. Ash perked up as he saw Eevee running in their direction, Pikachu''s ears standing tall as the electric type waved her over.

    "Ash!" Just as the normal type stopped in front of them, Janine came into view, flanked by Nebula, Valiant, and Toxtricity. The realization placed a pit in his chest as the girl stopped in front him, lightly panting, but not as out of breath as him.

    "What wereˇ­ what were you thinking?!" When she looked at him, he wanted to turn away to avoid the frustration in her eyes, but couldn''t bring himself to.

    "Iˇ­ I''m sorry, I-" he cut himself off. There was no talking his way out of this.

    Janine allowed her face to soften just barely as she looked back where they came. "Iˇ­ don''t think those two officers were able to follow us. They must have gotten attacked by a Rocket and held up." A grimace shot through his face as she looked back at him. "You haven''t found him yet?"

    "Noˇ­" he shook his head before peering back into the room, trying his best not to face the girl. "I don''t know where he-"

    "Hey! I was using this room just a moment ago, who said you could come in?!"

    The group froze at the sudden, unrecognizable voice, heads turning every which way.

    "Who wasˇ­?" Ash trailed off as his eyes frantically took everything into view. Apart from the fighting going on just a bit away, nobody else wasˇ­ "Janine, you see anything?"

    "No, Iˇ­" the girl bit her lip as she and Ash observed their teammates. Ash''s eyes suddenly fell on Valiant, whose body was tense.

    "Wait a minute, Valiant, was that a psychic?" his blood ran cold as the glaring Kirlia nodded at him.

    Janine''s hand grasped her mouth. "And we can all hear it. If it''s that strongˇ­ guys, we can''t-"

    "Uh, helloooo? You gonna respond? I want to be a part of this conversation too!"

    "GET OUT OF THEIR HEADS!" screamed Valiant.

    In the room ahead, a bright flash suddenly found the group shielding their faces. Moments later, Ash lowered his arm, and his throat locked up.

    A creature he quickly registered as a Mr. Mime stood a few meters away, hand outstretched and eyes glowing blue. Floating in front of him was a Krabby.

    Tempest''s eyes were clenched shut as his body struggled against the psychic grip, like a prisoner attempting to break off the ropes binding them to a chair. His outer shell was lined with burn marks and bruises. The Mr. Mime was unscathed.

    Moments later, just as Ash had finally registered the sight in front of him, the glow in Mr. Mime''s eyes flashed brighter. As if the psychic fairy had thrown him, the Krabby abruptly began rushing through the air, face-first into a wall. A large dent was left in his wake as the water type fell to the floor.

    "TEMPEST!"

    "Ash, wait!" Panicked, Janine reached out as Ash bolted, but his shirt slipped from her grip.

    BONK!

    Just as Ash neared the Krabby, his momentum halted as suddenly as Mr. Mime had appeared. An unbearable pain overtook his face, feeling a sensation of impact as though he had sprinted straight into a wall. Nothing was there, but he didn''t have time to process his confusion, collapsing onto his bottom. Tears leaked down his face as his hand shot up to his bloodied nose. He heard Janine shouting his name again.

    In front of him, Tempest lifted himself up, some blood on his face as well. With wide eyes, the Krabby ran towards his trainer, but just as he had begun to move, a bright flash behind the boy halted him.

    Suddenly, all the muscles in Ash''s limbs locked up as his body forced itself into a standing position, now floating slightly above the floor. Involuntarily, Ash tried to open his mouth to yelp, but his mouth couldn''t move. He felt frozen, as though something inside of him was doing the binding.

    Then, a mild burning. His uncovered hair shot upwards as an unbearable sensation of heat stopped just in front of him. He could see the sparks in Mr. Mime''s hand in front of him, brushing against his skin.

    ''It-it hurts, I can''tˇ­!'' He wanted to scream, wince, flinch-anything that would express the pain. But for a moment his mouth didn''t move. His face was frozen in a startled state.

    A few seconds later, he felt the tightening in his face fade away, as the bindings in the rest of his body grew more stable. As though the key to the lock had been thrown away.

    "Aaagghˇ­!" his teeth grinded together.

    Mr. Mime''s hand crackled with lightning as the river crab''s terrified glare bore into his chest.

    "Hold it now." Mr. Mime moved his hand just enough to where Ash was no longer in pain, but the boy could still feel the heat from the sparks. "Humans are very breakable." As Tempest''s eyes shifted over to Ash''s terrified expression, the psychic turned his head to the rest of the group. "Is there anything you want to add?"

    Eyes trembling, Janine''s face was a sheet. Her hands curled, progressively shaking as they became unbearably tight.

    Beside her, she could see Pikachu, Valiant, and Eevee locked in place. An unreadable combination of expressions making up their features as the trio stared obsessively at the grinning psychic. She didn''t think to look behind her, but Nebula was doing the same.

    "G-Guysˇ­" for a moment, her voice stopped as she looked back at Ash and Mr. Mime. Quickly tearing her eyes away from the image, she sent a pleading gaze towards the three while shaking her head. "Don''t."

    Lightning leaked from Pikachu''s cheeks, rolling along his fur as his ears and tail stood on end. An uncharacteristically low rumble radiated from the electric type''s throat. Beside him, Valiant''s arms vibrated as the Kirlia''s eyes bore directly into Mr Mime''s own. The enemy psychic showed no signs of faltering at the look the emotion Pokemon was sending his way. Next to Valiant, Eevee''s growl was much more undeniable, the quadruped''s front legs bending forward and her back arching upwards as the growl grew louder. Behind them, a snarling Nebula spread her wings out, face contorting as though her eyes could flash crimson at any moment.

    Without a word, Mr. Mime momentarily moved his hand back to its previous position. As another pained yelp escaped their trainer, the group''s expressions briefly intensified furtherˇ­ before they finally forced themselves to relax. Janine didn''t let herself sigh in relief.

    Appearing satisfied, Mr. Mime turned his attention back to Tempest, eye quirking at the Krabby''s raised pincers. A light glow emitted from the openings inside them, as though he were in the midst of charging an attack, but still had yet to fully commit to it.

    "Well now, Mr. "I can only talk by punching things in the face", what''s your decision?"

    Tempest''s eyes blazed with fury. The glow inside of his pincers began to intensify as the psychic''s hand began to wiggle in place.

    Then the glow subsided, and the river crab lowered his limbs.

    Mr. Mime nodded in approval. "Good."

    Barely even an instant later, his hand shot outward. The blast of lightning cleanly nailed the Krabby, smacking him back-first into the wall. Without a noise, the river crab slumped forward, collapsing onto his face as static rolled across his outer shell.

    "NO!" Ash struggled and strained against the psychic hold, but only received a brief moment of painful, excessive binding in response.

    Mr. Mime spared the kid a brief glance before his eyes landed back on the unconscious water type. "Hmmmˇ­ was that the right answer? I suppose we''ll leave that up to the people at home." Raising his hand towards the Krabby once more, another set of electricity began to spark. "Now then, for the finishing touch-"

    The Shadow Ball exploded against his back.

    Almost instantaneously, Ash felt his invisible binds vanish entirely as Mr. Mime staggered forward. The boy''s body hit the floor with a light thud and only mild pain (he was too surprised to catch himself, but wasn''t that high up).

    The next instant, two blurs rocketed at mr. Mime from behind, Pikachu and Eevee simultaneously driving Iron Tails into the back of his head. A CRACK! Filled the nearby air as the enemy psychic sailed face-first into the wall behind Tempest''s fallen body.

    In almost an instant, Janine''s hands shot to her belt, removing two orbs that quickly burst open to reveal Ivysaur and Tentacruel. "Don''t wait, we have to capitalize now!"

    Jolted back to reality, Ash''s hand raced for his own belt before pulling out Tempest''s Poke Ball as he rose to his feet. Backing away as fast as he could, the trainer quickly returned the Krabby as his team sprang into action.

    A flash of light quickly caused Mr. Mime to vanish from the path of the Energy Ball, Scald, and Air Cutter sent his way. He did not go far, quickly reappearing nearby, hand rubbing the back of his head. His unsettlingly goofy expression was replaced with a glare that made Ash''s skin crawl beneath the surface.

    ''Psychic attacks are mentally produced by the user. Head damage could compromise them if significant enough, but what if the gap between us and him is too big for it to matter?'' Janine was right; the fact that this Mr. Mime could talk to all of them at once (and more easily than Valiant could talk to even a single party, from what it seemed) was not a good sign.

    Appearing at his side, the poison specialist shouted hurriedly, as though trying to prevent her throat from locking under the pressure. "Ivysaur, Infection Blast! Tentacruel, Sludge Bomb!"

    Both Pokemon complied without hesitance. The familiar seeds laced with bright, purple powder exploded from her starter''s bud, while the jellyfish let loose a glob of thick, dark purple liquid.

    Pikachu and Eevee circled around the clown-like Pokemon, lightning coating the mouse''s tail and a ball of distortion filling the evolution Pokemon''s jaws. Both fired from behind.

    A platinum, glass-like sphere formed around Mr. Mime as the enemy psychic ducked his head. As the barrier appeared, all present parties felt their eyes widening involuntarily, shielding their faces from the abrupt flash that accompanied it. It was as though somebody had used the sun to take a picture.

    All four attacks collided with the spherical shield encasing their target. Just after the exploded against the defense, another flash sparked, and Mr. Mime appeared a few feet in front of Ivysaur and Tentacruel. Ignoring the throb in his head, the barrier Pokemon''s eyes widened with a blue flash, a wave of energy smashing into the duo of poison type''s.

    "NO!" Janine''s cry was quickly accompanied by the sound of crackling lightning as Mr. Mime turned to see Valiant hurling a Thunderbolt at him. High above the Kirlia''s head, Nebula''s furious wings produced a barrage of Air Cutter aimed diagonally downward.

    With stunning acrobatics, Mr. Mime flipped himself sideways, his elevating body rotating through the air as he cleanly removed himself from the path of the projectiles. Just before he landed, Pikachu, coated in Agility, was upon him, Iron Tail overflowing with electricity. As Janine took the opportunity to recall her fallen partners, the barrier Pokemon''s hand curled into an orange-glowing fist, driving the Brick Break straight into the Zap Tail.

    The impact sounded throughout the room. Although Pikachu''s momentum sent the psychic skidding away, the mouse let out a cry of pain as the punch pierced the metal coating of his tail. Above him, a shrill, spine-freezing cry escaped Nebula''s throat as the Staravia, now wrapped in the crimson aura of Reckless, began to glow with the familiar, pale shine of Double-Edge.

    Ignoring the minor singe in his fist, Mr. Mime looked up at the Staravia just in time to see her dive-bombing towards him. Quickly raising both hands, bathed in lightning, a large Thunderbolt erupted outward, intercepting the murderous flier. The bloodlust in her cry quickly turned to agony as the electricity bathed her feathers.

    Even as Ash cried out his aerial partner''s name, Mr. Mime didn''t have time to lower his hands as a familiar brown blur closed the distance between them. Snarling in discomfort as the electricity singed her, Eevee drove the Iron Tail straight into his abdomen, halting the Thunderbolt and propelling him back-first into the wall just a few feet behind him. With burn marks in her fur, Eevee''s eyes narrowed in hunger as another Shadow Ball formed between her teeth.

    Another bright flash flared in her eyes, her lost concentration forcibly dissipating the orb as Mr. Mime vanished yet again.

    Bright, unbearable flashes flooded the room as the enemy psychic continuously teleported with rapid aggression. Pikachu was forced to ignore his aching tail as his paws shot up to his eyes, everyone else quickly shielding their own as the flashes continued without reprieve.

    ''How is he doing that?!'' Ash''s mind raced as his eyes involuntarily squeezed shut.

    After what felt like a hundred consecutive flashes, a sharp blow plunged into the back of Pikachu''s head, face-planting the now-limp form of Ash''s starter into the floor. An instant later, Valiant rose up behind Mr. Mime, having used Shadow Sneak to evade the painfully bright flashes.

    Mr. Mime rolled out of the way from Valiant''s Thunder Punch. Without thinking, Eevee was already charging another Shadow Ball. As she fired, she began to rush forward, cloaking her tail in metal.

    Suddenly, Valiant''s body became outlined in blue, and a quick motion of Mr. Mime''s hand left the Kirlia levitating directly in front of him. The startled emotion Pokemon had no time to raise a barrier before Eevee''s Shadow Ball smashed into his chest. The quadruped''s horrified eyes looked like they were going to bulge through her head as her legs locked up, and her sprinting ceasedˇ­

    Now grinning again, Mr. Mime was in front of her, a Brick Break to the back of the head turning her world black.

    Almost automatically, Ash''s hand raced for Tyrunt''s Poke Ball before stopping himself. ''No, it won''t help.'' Beside him, Janine''s hand was also clutching a ball on her belt, with similar hesitance.

    Up ahead, Valiant slowly rose to his feet, balance shaking as the ghostly energy coursed through his system. He quickly collapsed as an impact to the back of his head sent him to the floor. Mr. Mime appeared between the Kirlia''s unconscious body and the two trainers, who could both suddenly feel their bodies locking up-

    An enormous blast of fire nailed the enemy psychic in the back. A shrill cry of pain escaped the barrier Pokemon''s throat as the Fire Blast hurled him across the room. He vanished in a flash of light before his body could land.

    In the direction the flames had come from, a flame-like blur passed by Ash and Janine, and a gigantic canine that Ash immediately registered as an Arcanine skidded to a stop in front of them. Slobber rolling out of its jaws, the snarling fire type gazed around the room with vigilance.

    Hearing shouting behind them, the two rookies turned to see Officer Jenny sprinting in their direction, flanked by two other police officers and two more Arcanines.

    The Mr. Mime did not reappear.

    /

    Silver''s communicator went off again. "Sir, the withdrawal is complete."

    "Good." was his only response before shutting the watch off. Another Poke Ball appeared in his hand, bursting open to reveal a peculiar winged creature with a spherical body and a single eye on its head. The masked teen and Calliope gazed up at the creature as the Mr. Mime appeared behind them.

    "Hermes, send a message to Neptune and Pinion to pull back. Our mission is complete."

    The Sigilyph nodded as its single eye flashedˇ­

 Prodigy of Terrorism pt 4

    With the museum vacated of Rockets, the explosions had ceased. The hollering had halted. The exchanges of attacks had subsided. Even with the voices of the police talking to one another and into their communicators, the atmosphere seemed eerily silent compared to just a few minutes prior, giving everyone still present a moment to take in what those events had left behind. The destruction spread throughout the building no longer a backdrop, but a reality.

    No floor, room, or hallway failed to remind anyone present of what had occurred. Collapsed ceilings, decimated walls, and the rubble of furniture and exhibits were present no matter where one looked. Dust from the debris filled the air throughout the building, eliciting a cough from anybody who inhaled too deeply.

    What was once an aesthetically pleasing environment, and the monuments of history housed within, was now simple, vanilla, collateral damage.

    A flash of light shone in one of the rubble filled rooms, fading away to reveal the Mr. Mime. Stepping over the shattered wooden remains of a table, the barrier Pokemon grinned curiously at the painting above him.

    A depiction of the Moon Stone, with the Clefairy line praying to it. For all the destruction to have plagued the museum throughout the attack, this painting had miraculously come out unscathed.

    With a light chuckle, the psychic reached out with both arms and gripped the frame. There was no real use for the exhibit, but perhaps the commander would be interested in turning to the black market. If not, it would look good in the president''s office.

    Another flash of light caught the attention of two police officers passing by. Just as the duo had the chance to peer in, there was nothing left in sight.

    /

    Erika''s elbows sank into her desk, her eyes vacant as her hands gripped either side of her head. Outside her window, the sky was black and filled with shining stars. It had been numerous hours since Team Rocket had retreated from the museum, and the full reports were beginning to come in.

    Officer Jenny stood in front of her desk, beside a young adult male in a Gym Trainer uniform, roughly eighteen years of age. The former''s expression was steel and professionally unreadable, the latter feeling increasingly shaken as his eyes landed on the Gym Leader, prompting him to slightly avert his gaze.

    "A-A few ofˇ­" the Gym Trainer mentally cursed himself for stuttering, briefly squeezing his eyes before starting over. "A few of the Rockets who broke into the Gym were captured on their way out, but most escaped. Of the arrested four, all have been interrogated, and one began to talk. So far, he has only given us enough information to confirm how they acquired entry."

    "Yesˇ­?" Although her voice trailed off, some of the life returned to the Gym Leader''s face as she moved her elbows and allowed her arms to fall to her sides. She realized a deep breath upon leaning back in her chair, before sitting more upright and gesturing for her protege to continue.

    "From undergroundˇ­" the trainer responded with a bit lip. "As we''ve suspected, the assault on the museum was a diversion to ensure that you''d be elsewhere when the Gym''s security forces were taken by surprise. It seems like the branch of Rockets that commenced this attack had the city''s entire network mapped out, and used it as a blind spot. Both in the museum and in the Gym, they came up from the basement. Possibly even beneath the basements themselves."

    Officer Jenny chimed in. "The prisoner claimed that their hideout of choice was an area located beneath the Game Corner. We''ve searched that location, but couldn''t find anything of evidence. He warned us that they would have likely cleaned the place out ahead of time." her arms crossed in front of her chest. "However, our party picked up a Game Corner employee who claims to have been held hostage by the Rocket branch in that exact area for the past couple of days. He is the same man who was reported missing recently." as her arms fell back to her sides, she quickly added. "We are still searching the rest of Celadon''s underground. If they have everything mapped out, we cannot trust that the Game Corner is the only location that they''ve touched."

    The professionalism gradually returning to her, Erika nodded with a steel glare. "Do not stop looking until every corner is examined." a hand brushed across her blue hair. "If they were using the underground as a collection of passageways, who knows what they might have thought of? They could have taken routes that we have not considered." Satisfied with the other woman''s prompt salute, the Gym Leader''s gaze softened once more as dread built in her throat. "Whatˇ­" the woman looked between the two. "What casualties have been confirmedˇ­?"

    Jenny''s expression turned solemn, with a visible effort to maintain her stoicism. Beside her, the Gym Trainer''s face fell, with no attempt to mask anything.

    "Eleven are confirmed dead, at this current point." the leader of the police force suppressed the voice crack that nearly betrayed her true emotions. "Two of them are police officers, nine civilians. One death is a twelve year old boy, the others young adults. Two of the adult deaths are confirmed museum staff. Numerous injuries of varying degrees, although none in critical condition. No Pokemon have been confirmed dead for the moment. No Rockets either, although many in our custody are injured."

    "...Understoodˇ­" the Gym Leader shifted uncomfortably before turning to the Gym Trainer. "Tyler, I know you were at the museum, so you weren''t present for the infiltration, but was anything else stolen?"

    The Gym Trainer, Tyler, shook his head. "No. We can confirm that it was a focused effort. Only the Master Ball prototype and a copy of its blueprints were taken. No Pokemon, or any other equipment. All else is accounted for."

    The grass specialist leaned back in her seat once more as another deep sigh escaped her mouth. "That''s technically good news, but not with the full picture." Another pause. "Something isn''t rightˇ­ we haven''t had that prototype for a while, yet fully mapping out Celadon''s underground would take far longer. At least if they were planning to use it as a reliable means of attack. In agreement?" both nodded. "Testing out the prototype has been planned in advance since before Samuel finished working on it. Initially, it was supposed to be Koga, and the plans changed right around the timeˇ­" her teeth nibbled away at her lip as she trailed off. After Fuchsia''s Gym Leader had anticipated a need to pass the project onto somebody else, the Pewter and Celadon Gyms were decided upon as replacements to test the device. Brock had chosen to voluntarily give the assignmentent to her Gym, which she had accepted. But given the timeframe, unless she was underestimating the Rockets (the thought of subconsciously downplaying them terrified her), they would have had to catch wind of the situation with little time to spare in order to plan everything efficiently.

    Crossing his arms, Tyler grimaced. "It''sˇ­ unsettling."

    "Any ideas how they could have found out?" Jenny inquired.

    "If only." Erika responded honestly. "And there''s too much going on with the aftermath for us to give it enough focus. I''ll have to put a word in with Lance and the Elite Four."

    Even beyond all of that, there was the obvious matter: The implications of WHAT the terrorists have stolen. Now the Master Ball project was kicked back to its first stage. They still had the blueprints themselves to go off of, but Oak would still have to take the time to remake the prototype from scratch. Meanwhile, Team Rocket had both the original prototype, and the copy of the blueprints for context. They could utilize and advance the project in whatever way they saw fit for themselves.

    For now, she switched subjects. "Not that I don''t already know, butˇ­ collateral damage?"

    Once again Jenny spoke up. "The surrounding block around the museum has been impacted notably. Two of the confirmed deaths took place here, along with a good portion of the injuries. As for the museumˇ­" she shifted a bit. "Just about anything you could imagine. The structure itself is just short of total collapse. And the exhibits, many of which are over a century oldˇ­ apart from three, all are either damaged or destroyed. The Moon Stone painting has vanished without a trace."

    "As expectedˇ­" Erika''s hands folded across her desk. "No doubt they saw that as an added bonus. Making a statement against us." Locking eyes with Jenny, the two women exchanged nods. "There''s a lotˇ­ I''ll have to go over everything. Casualties, repair efforts, reports from interrogations and witness accountsˇ­ keep me notified on all developments on your end. You''re dismissed for now." Officer Jenny saluted her, before turning and exiting the office, leaving Erika and Tyler the only one''s present. A silence fell between Gym Leader and Gym Trainer as the former gazed absentmindedly at the papers on her desk, soon to be stacked, and the latter ran a hand across his hair.

    ''That boy with the maskˇ­'' she recalled to herself. ''He''s definitely on level with their higher-ups, given how everything played out. I can''t even guarantee I would''ve won.'' her fingers drummed against the wooden surface. ''He called himself Silver, but that''s obviously an alias.''

    "Leader Erikaˇ­?" she perked up as Tyler''s hand rested on her shoulder. The trainer flinched upon realizing the unprofessional contact, muttering a quick "Sorry," but a reassuring, even thankful smile calmed his nerves. The expression carried a warmth that lifted every trainer in the Gym''s school.

    "Don''t apologize to me, Tyler. We can all use some of that right now." A casual, comforting tone not normally becoming of her position leaked through the authoritative professionalism and into the woman''s words. "What were you saying?"

    The light red in his cheeks fading, Tyler replied. "I was wondering if my assignment is still unchanged."

    A nod. "Yes. Keep collecting accounts from the other staff and students regarding the attack, and ensure that every morsel of info finds its way here." her index finger tapped the desk. "The Gym is closed to challengers until further notice."

    He responded with a quick dip of the head. "I understand, thank you." turning to leave, he halted to look back at her. "Anything else you need?"

    "Yes, a cot and some standard bedding. I''m going to be spending the next few days in this room."

    "I''ll inform the staff immediately."

    As Tyler closed the door behind him, Erika, the only person left in the office, dropped the composure entirely. Her head leaned back, her shoulders sagged, her hands rested, and her face fell. She must have had her eyes closed for a couple of minutes before rotating her chair to face the window behind her.

    In front of her was a decently elevated view of the city, the nighttime skyline lit up just beneath the starry sky itself. Her vacant eyes stared out as time lost all meaning.

    /

    Silver strode through the hallways of the hideout, the corner of his eye taking in the star-filled sky revealed by the window he passed. His mask was no longer present, but had nothing to hide, his expression unreadable to the various Rockets he passed by.

    In his hand was a Poke Ball with a bright purple upper half. A white "M" decorated the center of the purple area. Absent-mindedly, he lightly tossed the orb up and down as his other hand instinctively rubbed the bag around his shoulders, containing an essay''s worth of reports and design blueprints.

    Every adult soldier he walked past offered either a respectful nod or an acknowledging salute. Among the grown-ups were the occasional children in the same uniforms, (most of whom had already been stationed at this particular base prior to his arrival), who would freeze at the sight of him if alone, or cling to whatever adult soldier they were accompanying.

    ''It wasn''t even half a decade ago when I was the bite-sized grunt spending the time in between missions scrubbing the floors or organizing Proton''s pantry. And now, this is how they see me.''

    Stopping at a door, his hand turned the knob, walking in without a word or a knock. The room he entered had one small window looking into the other side of the wallway, a rectangular table with a few chairs, and a kitchen-like shelf with a few snacks and utensils.

    Damian sat at the end of the table away from the door. His body was relaxed, his expression neutral as his fingers drummed absentmindedly against the surface. He had looked up upon hearing the door open, before returning his attention to nothing.

    "So this is where you''ve been." Silver pulled a nearby chair along with him to sit down beside the eleven-year old. "Took a bit to find you."

    "Find me for what?" Damian''s voice didn''t hold the usual, dismissive aggression, which could be good or worrying, as far as the teenaged Rocket was concerned.

    Brushing a strand of dark-red hair behind his ear, Silver was nonetheless unfazed. "I came to look in on you. Done so already for the other three children in the squad. They all made it out unscathed."

    "That''s nice." Silver''s brow furrowed as the blue-haired boy''s tone didn''t change.

    "Given what happened the last time you four went on a mission, I figured you''d be a bit more relieved that none of them were captured." Before Damian could respond, the red-haired teen continued on. "That''s not why I''m here. This was your first real mission as much as it was theirs. You seem physically fine, but how are you feeling?" For a moment, no response, but the agent''s patience persevered. "You''re under my authority right now, kid. As a part of my branch, I have responsibilities towards you and the others." Silver''s expression remained as unchanged as Damian''s. "The only responsibility you have towards me for the moment is to be honest. And to respond when spoken to by those of higher rank."

    Silence for a moment, but Silver gave the boy a bit longer to gather his response. Moments later, a deep sigh was heaved by the child, followed by a couple more moments of silence before his lips finally moved.

    "I spent my whole life in places like these," he began. Finally meeting Silver''s eyes, it seemed as though he was waiting for his superior to respond. When the teen did nothing, Damian continued. "My parents would always take me from base to base, whenever their station changed. Remote hideouts like this building, underground hideouts like the one we used beneath the Game Corner. I was on the water a couple of times." pausing, he shifted in his seat a bit, as though he couldn''t put effort into talking if he wanted to perform the movement. "The routine was what it was: I''d be trained and schooled for the things we did today, and whenever my parents had a mission, they''d leave me here, where I''d be untouched. It''s like I was walking around in a building-sized suit of armor. I know what they do whenever they leave, yet I''m protected from all of it." his brow wrinkled. "I was. I knew for years it would change. It''s what I was freaking training for." For a brief moment, that signature frustration that Silver had gotten to know seeped into the younger Rocket''s speech. "Places like theseˇ­ they''re comfortable. They''re dark, dim, closed offˇ­ andˇ­"

    "Unexposed?" Silver interjected.

    "...Yesˇ­" annoyance momentarily flashed in Damian''s eyes before he continued. "Iˇ­ I knew that wasn''tˇ­ permanent. Sooner or later I''d be out there, just like mom and dad. I kept telling myself over and over again, kept repeating what my parents and instructors always warned me. So whyˇ­" after trailing off, he didn''t continue.

    "Why what?" Silver pressed.

    "...Why didn''t it workˇ­?" the boy finally asked. His eyes were walked with Silver''s again, and not due to any obligations. After a moment or two, he broke contact again. "I felt so nakedˇ­"

    Silver''s fingers consciously drummed the surface of the table as a silence hung between the two. Finally, "You can tell yourself something ten thousand times for as many years. Your mind can only interpret. But once it actually happens, you can''t just command yourself to feel a certain way. Or to not. Reality will always be there to puncture holes in your imagination." Giving the boy a moment to process it, he continued. "You were as prepared as you were ever going to be. You didn''t need more time, and you weren''t too late, either. This was always how you were going to react." he leaned back in his seat. "I looked a Gym Leader in the eyes today. On my first mission? The sight of a police officer turned my bloodstream to ice. Before he noticed me." Damian was looking at him again. "I''ve said it in the past, Damian. Your ego is misplaced. You know how much bigger this is than your imagination, and yet you never processed it. You left enough room in your mind for smaller things, like a pointless vendetta against people who "embarrassed" you." a hint of bitterness appeared in the younger boy''s eyes, but no interruption came. "And that feeling you have now won''t go away. Not in just two or three more assignments, that is. I felt it in me for a long time, that''s why I said I was in your shoes. You and the other three. And it''d be preferable if history didn''t repeat. That''s why I wish you''d pay a bit more attention to me."

    Damian sighed as his posture straightened a bit. For a moment, Silver thought his subordinate was going to say something. When he did not, the agent continued. "These walls around youˇ­" he gestured his hand to nowhere in particular, simply acknowledging the surroundings of the room. "Or that underground? They''re not going away. They''ll always be that safe area that you come back to. And find as much comfort in them as you''d like. It won''t be a problem. That''s not what getting used to this is about. Your training was never meant to ensure you''d be invulnerable to what''s going on on the outside. It was just there to ensure that you''d survive it. Getting used to it? Knowing it? Learning it? That all comes from firsthand experience that you apply your practice too. And as someone who was your age when he first learned what it felt like to freeze up-yes, I felt naked to- I''d like to help ensure you''ll be prepared to do so. Along with your fellow underage grunts. Whether or not you let me is up to you, but you''re my responsibility either way."

    A frown passed over Damian''s features for a moment, but the resistance in his eyes soon faded. "...Iˇ­" he still couldn''t keep eye contact for long. "I''m not gonna stop you, I guess."

    It wasˇ­ progress. A broadened perspective, at the very least.

    For a moment, Silver considered putting things on hold for now. Although he had already given the commander his report, there was still much else to do before acknowledging the late hour. However, Damian soon spoke again.

    "I ran into him."

    "Come again?" raising a brow, Silver suspected he knew what Damian was talking about.

    "That Ash guy from before." Some fury laced Damian''s eyes, although the rest of his expression remained subdued. "That prick beat me again. He had a girl with him, and they bothˇ­"

    As Damian trailed off, Silver picked up the slack. "Yeah, I figured. I saw them too. And between him, her, and Paul, I take it you want all three of them dead now?" as the blue-haired boy looked away, the teen''s hand reached back to brush another strand of hair. "Well, it''s like I said before. Think about what''s bigger than your imagination, and think about the smaller things taking up room. I''m no stranger to wanting to kill someone-still out there, in fact- but if your response to your pride getting compromised is to set the offender on fire, you might as well pray for Moltres to scorch the Earth and be done with it." Standing up, he prepared to turn away. "Besides, even smaller things can be bigger than you think. Ash and Paul are nobodies, but that girl is a different story." He stopped talking a she approached the door, but after placing his hand on the knob, the teen paused and took a moment to look back. "Damianˇ­ What is Team Rocket''s mission?"

    Damian''s face scrunched up in confusion. "Why-"

    "I want to hear it from you."

    After a moment or two, Damian extended his chest. "Team Rocket''s goal is to end the reign of the Indigo League, and the unnatural "order and unity" that they have spent four centuries perpetuating. And to return the status quo to its natural, untouched state."

    Silver nodded. "Where the lands aren''t monopolized, and status quo is as chaotically unpredictable as human nature is supposed to be." his hand leaving the knob, he crossed his arms against his chest. "So, what do you think?"

    "...Of the mission?"

    "Yes?"

    "Iˇ­ it''s my life. I always have it in my mind when training."

    "I see." Turning to open the door, Silver looked back. "Don''t stay in here too much longer. You need to sleep. "You''ve had dinner, right?"

    "Some of it."

    "Hmmmˇ­ don''t neglect breakfast, then."

    Closing the door and leaving the younger boy to his thoughts, Silver stepped back into the hallway and turned to see Mr. Mime absentmindedly grinning in his direction. "You were listening, weren''t you, Necro?"

    The barrier Pokemon shrugged. "Come now, you know I enjoy curiosity. It''s not like it was anything too private."

    Silver allowed himself a minor eye roll as the two began walking in pace with one another. ''Whatever you say. I trust your recreational activity means you got your report done as well?"

    "Of course. I''m not negligent. I assure you I was placed here for a reason. Doesn''t mean I can''t take advantage of my free time."

    "I suggest you keep it that way."

    "Why? Concerned I''m better at having fun?"

    As the two stopped, Silver turned to face the psychic. "I should remind you, I''m the one in charge of testing out the prototype. And I have a fair amount of freedom for what I can test it on."

    In mock surrender, Necro thrust his arms upward. "Fine, fine, you win, I''ll drop it."

    "Heh." The duo resumed walking as Silver continued. "Well, luckily for you, Ariana is going to want to study the device and its blueprints before anything else is done with it. By then, you''ll have been moved to your next station."

    For a moment, Necro giggled before straightening himself out. "I imagine the League must be fuming at the thought that our side has pulled ahead of them with that. Both sides have the plans, but we''re the ones with the ball! And we''ll make better use of it! More Meaningful!"

    "Don''t be cocky, Necro."

    "I''m just calling it as it is! You know, like you do." Abruptly, he jumped in front of Silver, stopping the teen in his tracks as the Mr. Mime turned to face him. "Oh yeah, somewhere else I wanna be before turning in. Bye~!"

    A startling flash flared in Silver''s eyes as the psychic vanished, prompting the teenaged agent to cover his face for a few moments. Grimacing as he lowered his arm, Silver briefly clenched his eyes shut, shaking his head to regain his bearings.

    "That woman''s recommendation better have been worth it."

    /

    For the remainder of the day, time once more seemed like a separate dimension to Ash, but for a different, less comforting reason than before.

    Following the attack, he and Janine were almost immediately brought back to the Pokemon Center, along with the others that the League forces had rounded up. Apart from Tyrunt, who had not participated in any of the fighting, everyone on his team was placed in medical care. He would later be reassured that none of the injuries were severe after assessment, but it would take a bit longer than overnight for Nebula or Tempest to be back in shape. A whole day, advised to pick them up the morning after tomorrow to ensure two full nights in the Center''s care, and the rest were recommended to be kept just as long just in case.

    He and Janine had been separated rather quickly, each giving their individual accounts to the police, Ash himself doing so as Nurse Joy applied ointment for the burns the Mr. Mime''s electrical hand had left behind.

    By late afternoon, he had no appetite to go along with his hunger, feeling as though anything that he put in his mouth would come back out long before it reached his stomach. When the sun had gone down, and he finally felt some semblance of a mood, his body felt too heavy to make the journey out of his room, and he had called to order room service for himself and Tyrunt.

    It had been nearing midnight when he finally positioned himself under his covers. An hour longer before his eyes were closed. Whenever he had closed them, the images were always the same.

    Tempest''s battered body. Mr. Mime''s lightning-filled hand in front of his face. The Flamethrower of Damian''s Charmeleon nearly setting him ablaze. The explosive surroundings, destruction of the walls-

    At some point or another, the fatigue had grown too great for any of it to keep him conscious. He was barely startled when he was greeted with "11:09 AM" on the digital clock when his eyes finally opened once more.

    After another quick call, room service had arrived a half hour later.

    Tyrunt sat on the table in front of Ash, eyes often traveling between his trainer and his bowl of food. Occasionally, the royal heir Pokemon would drift his gaze around the otherwise unoccupied room.

    Chewing on his banana, Ash watched his friend sink his teeth into the food in his bowl. Tyrunt wasn''t eating nearly as fast (or messily) as normal. The boy understood the feeling; it felt as though whatever he put in his mouth took forever to chew and swallow.

    Eventually, Ash realized that Tyrunt''s eyes had wandered to the top of his head. Instinctively, the boy raised a hand, resting down on his head, feeling hair instead of what was usually covering it. A small, weak, feeble smile graced his lips. "Heh, feels weird seeing me without a cap on, right? When we''re not going to bed?" the dinosaur blinked for a moment, before nodding, returning to his food, but not averting his gaze from his trainer. Lowering his hand, Ash took another bike. "I canˇ­ get another one eventually. I''ve had that one forever, butˇ­" frowning, he shook his head. "It was a cap." heaving a sigh after a few moments, he looked around the room. "I told you before, butˇ­ the others will be fine. You don''t have to worry. They''ll all be back tomorrow morning. Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eevee, Temp-" Involuntarily, his voice stopped, an image reentering his mind. "Theˇ­ the point is!... They''re going to be fine. The staff already confirmed it. We just need to give them the time to rest." Tyrunt''s expression was dowcast as Ash talked, and watching the youngest member of the team look around, the boy could feel the loneliness radiating from the dinosaur.

    Just two months ago, it had been perfectly normal to be alone in a room with one teammate. It was the way it was, in fact. But nowˇ­ it was like he had no clothes on his back.

    As if out of nowhere, Ash suddenly became agitated with the motion of his foot tapping down onto the carpet. The acknowledgement only triggered the action further, however. Finally fed up with the increasing speed, he raised his legs and sat cross-legged on the chair as he continued his meal.

    Just as he and his partner were finally nearing the end of their breakfast, a knock on the door stole their attention away from the remaining morsels of food.

    Even just the sound of knuckles rapping the outside triggered some form of whiplash, jolting the boy out of his nonexistent thoughts as his head rapidly turned in the direction of the door he hadn''t stepped through for numerous hours.

    After a few more moments of knocking, Ash regained some semblance of focus, standing up and turning to address Tyrunt. "Finish up, I''ll go see." After an absentminded nod from the young dinosaur, he made his way to the door. Opening it revealed a woman with black pigtails. She looked like she could be no older than eighteen or nineteen. Ash immediately recognized the uniform.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    "You''re Ash Ketchum, correct?" Although somewhat gentle, her voice was primarily authoritative, almost demanding, as she raised a hand in front of his face, giving him a view of the badge she was holding up.

    "Yes?"

    "Leader Erika wants to see you." the Gym trainer lowered her hand. "I''m sorry, but it has to be now."

    Blinking for a moment, Ash suddenly regained all of his awareness as he nodded back at her. "Right." turning back to Tyrunt, he shuffled for his Poke Balls. "You want to stay here or come with me, buddy?" A gesture of the head towards the doorway gave him Tyrunt''s answer. He figured. "Alright, come on." After quickly returning the young dinosaur to his ball, Ash stepped through the doorway and followed the woman down the hall.

    Although he stayed behind her, he soon found himself quickening to match her pace. "Isˇ­ Erika here at the Center?" He knew that there were still League personnel occupying the place, interviewing rescued witnesses for their accounts on the previous day, and overall trying to settle the oppressively anxious mood that hung in the air. He had been told that they''d be here for a day or two.

    "No, unfortunately." The Gym Trainer frowned as her gaze remained ahead. "Preferably, she would have come to you, but she has not left her office since getting back to the Gym yesterday. We will be going there." her head turned slightly, just enough to get a view of him following her as she continued. "She understands that you have already been involved in an incident earlier in the week." her expression turned apologetic for a moment-had his expression changed without realizing it?- before turning back around, stopping in front of the elevator as she pressed a button.

    "I have." he responded. A few moments later, the doors to the elevator opened, and she gestured him in.

    At first, the newfound silence between the two had felt uncomfortable, but it didn''t take long for Ash to appreciate it. Still, after stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby, a thought abruptly popped into his mind as they approached the exit. "Ummˇ­ do you know how Janine''s team is doing? I haven''t seen her sinceˇ­" he didn''t need to elaborate.

    "I don''t have that info, sorry." she shook her head. "But you''ll be able to ask her yourself." she added reassuringly.

    He blinked. "Huh-"

    As the doors opened, they were greeted by the sight of two more figures: One was a man in a different League uniform, who looked about in his mid-twenties. The other was Janine.

    "Ash!'' he perked up as the girl raced over to him. "I was going to ask Nurse Joy where your room was so I could visit you, but she''s been busy, and then an officer stopped me in the hallway saying he was looking for me." she nodded over to the man.

    Before Ash could respond, the man himself spoke up. "You''ve both been called over, so feel free to catch up on the way." Leading the two ahead, he stopped in front of an expensive-looking car. "We can''t dawdle, though, so get in the back seat. She expects us in fifteen minutes."

    The two kids nodded, quickly heading inside the car as the woman opened the door for them. Although there was enough room to fit four people in the back, the two rookies deliberately sat next to each other. Almost immediately, Ash felt a sensation of relief as he sank into the cool, gentle cushion, even more so after he buckled his seatbelt and finally allowed himself to lean back.

    With their escorts in the front, the man gripped the steering wheel and began to drive at a reasonable pace, the gigantic Pokemon Center quickly shrinking behind them.

    As a hand gently rested on his shoulder, Ash turned his head to find a concerned pair of purple eyes staring at him.

    "How are you?" Janine asked.

    Not able to hide anything, he heaved a deep sigh. "Took forever to sleep last night. Breakfast tasted bland. Tempest and Nebula need another full day to be medically cleared, and apart from Tyrunt the others are with them. Youˇ­?"

    Her sympathetic frown hung for a moment or two before she looked ahead. A set of glass separated them from the adults in the front, although the presence of a microphone told Ash that their conversation wasn''t private. "Golbat and Beedrill were given back to me this morning. Toxtricity last night. They just needed rest. Ivysaur and Tentacruelˇ­" she bit her lip. "That Mr. Mime''s blast had more than enough power to knock them out, according to the staff''s estimation. They''ll need more time, like your friends." Ash gave her a moment to speak again, but she did not.

    "Andˇ­ you?" he pressed.

    Her hand rubbed the front of her hair. "Iˇ­ may not have gotten the best sleep either." she finally replied. "Or the best tasting breakfast." her head turned again, once again revealing her eyes. "I''mˇ­ sorry."

    He blinked. "For what?"

    "It was my idea to go there yesterday. I just wanted to hang out, but insteadˇ­" huffing a bit, she looked away again.

    Before she could speak anymore, Ash cut her off. "No. Look, I got where you''re coming from, but all that stuff that happened after Damian was my fault. The rest before that wasn''t up to you. You didn''t know. I did."

    Now with a more coherent mind, Ash must have inwardly cursed himself thousands of consecutive times back in the room that morning. He led his teammates, and a new friend and her teammates, into a deathbox.

    ''Actually, this is his fault.'' A bitter voice in the back of his mind left him inwardly flinching, although he was thankfully able to outwardly repress it.

    Yesˇ­ it was Tempest''s faultˇ­ wasn''t it? If he hadn''t run out in the first place, then he-

    ''But you let him out.'' the voice continued. ''And you chose what to do after. You put him and them on the chopping block.''

    "Myˇ­ my uh, friend Tempestˇ­" he suddenly found it difficult to speak once more.

    "Yes?" Janine''s voice was gentle and encouraging.

    "Heˇ­ he''s obsessed with fighting. I ran off after him, knowing that going out there might be suicide, but I also let him out in the first place. I should have known better. He''d see all the fighting going on around him, and, wellˇ­" he looked away. "That''s exactly how it happened, right?"

    The silence hung for a moment before Janine shifted in her seat, gaze returning to the front. "I''mˇ­ sorry to hear that. I''m sure it''s easy to make that mistake with everything going on. Are you going to talk to him?"

    ˇ­ Right. The thought had been in Ash''s mind for a while, but her words had brought him to reality. He had been trying to ignore it up until now.

    "Iˇ­ I have to." he admitted. Shifting in his own seat, his eyes turned dull. "Iˇ­ am still thinking of what to say."

    "If anything like this ever happens again, I''m releasing you."

    ˇ­How much had he meant that?

    After another moment of silence, he almost asked her what she would do, but held his tongue. This was his problem. Back in Viridian, Janine had given him advice for an issue that he should have been obligated to fix on his own. Continuing that would get him nowhere. This was his journey, and the other trainers had their own things to worry about.

    "I have a day," he finally said. "I might need longer, but I won''t procrastinate too much. Before I leave this city, I''m speaking to him in private."

    Her lips curved up a bit, although she was still solemn. "Good."

    ''You should release him.'' the bitter voice was back. ''You gave him a warning and said that was it. If you back out on it, you''ll just be enabling him.''

    ''But you need to own up to your own responsibilities.'' suddenly it changed tone. ''Are you going to just kick him off the team and pass off all the blame? You''ll just keep making mistakes.''

    He was grimacing again. ''Stop. Don''t think about it now. If you rush the answer you''ll regret whatever choice you make.'' That sounded like something a wiser person would say, right?

    Silencing those thoughts for now, he looked back at Janine, who was staring ahead again. Deciding not to fill the void with small talk, he sat back and did the same.

    A few moments later, the car stopped. The glass window in front of them rolled down as the woman turned her head to face them.

    "Alright you two, we''re here."

    /

    "I don''t have the time to spend too long on this, because with all due respect, there are a lot more important things for me to worry about right now. But there was a disturbing detail regarding you two in the report I read last night, and I needed to address it in person."

    He and Janine were seated side by side in a fairly sizable office. Sitting across the desk was the grass type Gym Leader herself, hands folded over the surface with a stack of papers pushed to the side near a computer monitor. The large window behind her offered an attractive view of the daytime skyline.

    Erika''s facial expression was somewhat forced, a fatigue in her eyes just barely unnoticed by Ash (but not by Janine) as a mug of hot coffee steamed beside her arms. Nevertheless, her gaze bore right into them, with no signs of her breaking concentration anytime soon.

    It was Janine who spoke first. "Leader Erika, we-"

    "I, Janine." the Gym Leader interrupted. "You two are professionals now. Neither of you will speak for the other." The purple haired girl suppressed a flinch, offering a submissive nod to the grass specialist before straightening her posture a bit further. Although Erika''s usual exotic scent filled his nose as the woman leaned forward a bit, Ash was too focused on her tone of voice and body language to enjoy it. "I ran into the two of you personally yesterday." she reminded. "And I told you to get to my forces immediately. You remember that, don''t you?" a nod from both. "...I''m sure you can understand why it was troubling to read that you fled from police custody in the middle of a warzone."

    Ash gulped a bit. The casually soothing, newcomer friendly aura that the woman usually gave off was gone now. Instead, he was reminded of the way his mother had talked to him after finding the remnants of the decoration he had accidentally broken hidden beneath the couch.

    "It was me." he quickly stated, hoping to get Janine out of a scolding, but remembering to speak only for himself as the Gym Leader ordered. "I''m sorry, I-"

    "Look me in the eye, Ash." Jolting, Ash hadn''t realized his gaze had been traveling downward.

    "S-Sorry! I.-" he stopped himself. Mercifully, Erika gave him a chance to catch his breath before he continued. Although Janine remained still, her eyes briefly moved to him, but she said nothing before locking eyes with Erika once more. "I''m the one at fault. Your report probably says this already, but one of my teammates ran off while the police were in the middle of rescuing us. I realized he was gone and went after him."

    Sympathy passed over Erika''s features, but the sternness in her voice didn''t subside. "Yes, it did say that. I''m sorry about what happened." she leaned a little bit further again. "Tell me, Ash: Would you have had a better chance at rescuing your friend by going off alone, or telling the authorities that are trained for this?"

    Ash didn''t respond. The scoldings he''d received from Delia had taught him all about rhetorical questions.

    "That goes for you too, Janine." Erika''s eyes zeroed in on his friend. "Were you making a difference following after Ash? Or were you just giving the League forces another innocent they needed to rescue?" As Janine''s eyes began to travel downward, the Gym Leader''s finger trapped at the desk. "I''m up here." Quickly, the girl muttered an apology as she forced her gaze upwards again. "I want to make something perfectly clear, you two." she looked between them. "I expect all three of you to take responsibility for this. Ash''s teammate, and both of you. It doesn''t matter where the domino was, your reactions let the row keep falling." her fingers drummed the desk. "Team Rocket has been a poisonous thorn digging into Indigo''s side for years now. We may have always had the upper hand, but it''s required everything to maintain that, and they''ve still claimed no shortage of victims despite everything. Our responsibility during these incidents is to put a stop to the enemy while keeping all bystanders as safe as humanly possible, and when the two of you go off and make that second part more difficult for us, you risk compromising something that''s far bigger than both of you combined. And in this case, you disobeyed a direct order from a Gym Leader." her eyes turned to Ash. "Professor Oak, who to my knowledge you are somewhat associated with, is already important to this for reasons I cannot disclose to you. I''m going to have to talk to him anyway, and if I wanted to, I could easily bring you up as well." Ash''s heart rate increased. The mention of the Professor''s name very briefly brought discomfort to him, as she remembered his realization regarding Gary, but the current situation drowned it out almost immediately. She turned to Janine next. "You are no different, Janine. Your father and I may not be-" abruptly, she cut herself off, finally breaking eye contact as she pushed a strand of hair behind her, but the reprieve was miniscule, and soon her gaze was locked with the poison specialist again. "The point is, he''s still one phone call away."

    Janine''s face instantly lost every shade of color to it, her widening eyes freezing in place, fading of life. After sparing as quick of a glance as he could from the corner of his eye, Ash almost turned to her in worry as her body began to tremble.

    A raised hand from Erika settled them both, although the purple-haired girl still took a deep breath as the complexion gradually returned to her. "Lookˇ­" she allowed her expression to minisculely soften, and her voice seemed to be doing something of similarity. "I know why you two did what you did. Your mind doesn''t work right when you''re in a panic, and you do things that you would''ve realized were out of the question under any other circumstances. I don''t want either of you to think that I don''t understand that." with mercy, she leaned back a bit, but not entirely. "But if that''s going to be prevented in the future, then you both need to hear it from somebody as soon as possible. That''s why I needed to see you in person. Do you both understand me?" Trying to keep straight faces, the two children nodded back at the Gym Leader. At the adult. "Are you sure?" she persisted. Two more nods. After a few moments of silence, she nodded in satisfaction, leaning back in full. "Good. That''s all the time we have, then. The two that brought you here will bring you back to the Pokemon Center. I wish you both well."

    After reciprocating her words, the two stood and left.

    /

    "I suppose I should''ve expected that." Janine stared at the table they were seated at in the Center''s cafeteria. The area was decently populated with other guests, much talk of the attack on the museum echoing throughout, but the duo had managed to acquire a spot at the far end. Toxtricity was near their table, alternating between pacing around and sitting, but didn''t make a sound. Beside her was a small creature she had identified to Ash as Skrelp, a poison/water type native to Kalos. The mock kelp was currently digging into a small bowl of food on the table.

    Ash sat across from them, Tyrunt seated on the table beside him. The dinosaur occasionally looked between Toxtricity and Skrelp, as though he wanted to start a chat, but wasn''t in the mood to try. "Iˇ­ definitely wasn''t thinking about it when it happened," he confessed. "I''m just glad she didn''t penalize us." she probably would have had the right to.

    Janine sipped the water in her hand. "Wellˇ­ It''s over with. We knew what we did wrong." Setting the glass down, she decided to change the subject. As expected, the museum attack had been flooding the news when they had arrived in the lobby. The talk in the cafeteria didn''t help. Anything else would do at this point. "Soˇ­ when are you leaving? I''m probably going to go in two days. Give Ivysaur and Tentacruel a day off once they recover."

    He nodded. "Iˇ­ think I''m doing the same, actually." he scratched his head. "Truth be told, I was originally going to leave today, but that''s obviously not going to happen now. And aside from Tyrunt, everyone on my team is still in care. I can''t drag them away without any time to recuperate." technically, they would have gotten plenty of rest at the Center already, but he didn''t like the thought of going back to business immediately after, without any additional time. Nurse Joy had advised him to put the incident behind him and try to move on, and although he obviously needed to do it, there was no way he''d be able to force it overnight. No doubt she''d agree. They needed to put some distance between the attack and resuming their routine.

    ˇ­Routineˇ­ that would be changing soon.

    It felt like forever ago that he had gone to the Department Store with Pikachu and Valiant. He had planned a decent deal when over there, purchasing new TMs and coming up with moves that he planned to teach them without the machines. They hadn''t gotten started on any of that yet, and although that would still change, Ash suddenly realized that the manner he approached it with would be different than before.

    Tempest''s electrified body flashed into his mind. Something needed to be different. The ride back to the Center had been fairly silent, and it had granted the opportunity for the gears to turn in his head. ''Be proactive.'' He had remembered telling himself from before.

    Maybe if he had done so earlier, this never would have happened? Either things would''ve gotten better or now, or, if not possible, the moment they boiled over would have been gotten over with?

    ''Should I have even tried in the first place-'' Ash silenced the thought. If there was a right answer, it definitely wasn''t that.

    Either way, he was going to make sure he found the answer soon. And he wasn''t going to wait for it to come to him. Not with the upcoming stage of their journey ahead of them. The battle with Sabrina would be a threshold for things to come. The rematch with Surge that needed to happen at some point, and the eastern side of Kanto, where the harsh wilds of Fuchsia territory would test them as a team and as travelers. They weren''t going to be ready if he kept carrying around unanswered questions from before.

    "Ash?" blinking, he looked up to see Janine and Tyrunt staring at him. Skrelp was still occupied with her food.

    "Sorry, I spaced out." he placed a hand on Tyrunt''s head. The dinosaur leaned into his touch, a bit less absentminded than before. That was a good sign. "I guess I''m just thinking of everything to come. We''ve both gotten through all of the beginner friendly Gyms. I''m not entirely sure what to expect beyond this point, so my mind keeps running."

    Janine smiled apologetically. "In that case, I''m sorry I interrupted you. It''s a better thing to dwell on."

    "Are you thinking about it too?"

    She patted. "Hard not to. Most first years aren''t going to be at an uncertain point like this already. It makes me wonder if I moved too fast for my own good, but then I''d just be scolding myself for not taking a leap." she sipped her water again. "At the very least, the immediate future is a bit easier to see. Head over to Saffron, and make sure I''m ready for the rest before leaving." setting her glass down, she added. "To be honest, I''m not entirely sure if my team will be ready for a psychic specialist this early on. That''s the obvious downside to being a specialist this early on, but battling her will still benefit me a lot. I need the experience, and I can gauge myself for when I leave Saffron behind."

    "So if you lose, you''re not going to rematch her right away?" her words immediately made him realize the obvious: that her situation was different than his. He was going after a Gym Leader who wouldn''t be as lenient as the previous three that he defeated, while she was facing an opponent that, at her current level of experience, could exploit the obvious type advantage in crippling ways.

    "Depends on how I do, I guess. If I come close to winning I''ll obviously try again after some regrouping, but if there seems to be a gap, then I''ll pocket the experience for later. The main priority is making sure I''m ready for Fuchsia. I''m going there after Saffron either way, even if I don''t know which direction I''ll take yet.

    Rightˇ­ she could take the long way to Lavender Town, to have more time to train, but also be on the road for a lot longer as a result. Or she could go through Vermillion. Less time on the road, not a smooch time to prepare, but an excellent opportunity to test her progress against Surge, and maybe even get an additional badge out of it. He''d be facing that same question once he got to Sabrina''s turf.

    "Heyˇ­" as if out of nowhere, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Although she gave him her attention, he suddenly felt his breath in his throat. ''What are you so nervous about? Just ask.'' Pushing it down, he continued. "We''re both leaving at the same time, and going to the same place, right?" She nodded. The apparent understanding in her features was encouraging. "Would it be alright if my team and I tagged along with you? Just for the time being?" He was pleasantly surprised at how naturally the question had slipped through his lips.

    Janine''s grin was back. "Sure!"

    /

    "Have you no shame?!" Despite the unnecessary (and taxing) nature of it, Valiant couldn''t resist the mental shout as he lunged forward. Nebula''s wings, holding him back from going any further, were the only things keeping him from throttling the Krabby in front of him as the rest of the team looked on.

    They had been medically cleared not too long ago, and were placed inside of a white room waiting for their trainer to pick them up. Most were happy to see one another, but there had been an exception.

    Valiant struggled against Nebula''s grip, but was reminded of the Staravia''s physical superiority with every strain. Eevee stood behind, watching her best friend in concern after briefly sending the water type a dirty look. Pikachu was closer to Tempest, ready to jump in if the river crab attempted anything.

    In front of Valiant, the Krabby''s expression was hard to follow. Clear irritation lined the water type''s eyes as Valiant resorted to yelling instead of attacking, but his gaze kept shifting between a glare and a frown. For a moment, he held his pincers up, only to lower them soon after. Not even bothering to look around, the Krabby knew he had no allies. Just additional enemies with better restraint.

    "Enough, both of you!"

    Turning to the familiar voice, nobody had noticed that the door had opened as Ash walked in. Biting his lip, he took in the scene that was very similar to the one he imagined, before turning to Nebula and Valiant. "Nebula, let go of him. Don''t do anything, Valiant."

    Four Pokemon and a Krabby.

    As the Staravia lowered her wings, Valiant''s expression sagged. Although Eevee stayed put, Pikachu quickly raced to his trainer. The smile on the mouse was contagious as Ash reached down to pet his starter.

    "Hey there buddy, missed you." Looking up at the rest of the group, he added. "All of you. I''m really glad that you''re safe. Tyrunt''s still sleeping up in the room, but he shares the thought." expressing how happy he was to see them. That was the easy part. Looking between the group, his face turned serious before his eyes landed on Tempest for a moment. The mixture of expressions on the Krabby''s face was unreadable. "Lookˇ­ I know your emotions are high right now." his eyes shifted to Valiant for a moment, before his attention became more neutral. "But that''s enough. You''ve made your point. I know I keep saying it, but I mean it most now. I need you to leave this to me." he could tell that Valiant was about to protest, so his eyes formed into a glare. "I''m the trainer here. Let me do what I''m supposed to, Valiant. If you pick a fight, you''ll just get a quick bit of catharsis and another trip to Nurse Joy moments after getting cleared. I''m telling you to stand down, and I mean it."

    His heart shattered as the Kirlia flinched at his tone. Was this how Delia always felt when scolding him? He must have given her more practice than he realized.

    His expression softened just enough to remain neutral as he looked between the team. "Listen, all of you. I know what Tempest did. I know what it led to. I''m not going to tell a soul here not to be mad at him. But this can''t continue. And I''ve made a mistake letting it. The other day taught me that. Frankly, you should be mad at me as well. I''ve trained you all to reach the point we''ve gotten too, and I''ll always be proud of that, but I''ve been a poor leader. My indecisiveness is just as responsible for what happened as anything Tempest could have done." At his feet, Pikachu''s ears drooped, but the electric type said nothing. "That''s part of why I don''t want any of you doing anything rash with him." Tempest''s posture shifted as Ash''s eyes briefly fell on him. "The other reason isˇ­ well, I can''t keep being like that. I want things to change, and I need to make them." he took a moment for his words to sink in. "We''ll be taking the day off, leaving tomorrow. We won''t be alone; Janine''s going to be with us for a while." that got a few of them to perk up. "Apart from Tempest, you all remember when we were with Misty. Until further notice, there''s going to be a whole other team of six on the road with us. I expect you to get along with them. And that means each other." sighing for a moment, he gestured towards the door. "Tempest, stay here. The rest of you wait outside. A nurse is out there too, she''ll tell me if any of you tried to listen in."

    Without argument, the four Pokemon exited the room in a single file. Frowning, Valiant lingered behind for a moment. Locking eyes with Ash, he followed the others after a nod from his trainer.

    Closing the door behind him, a deep sigh he hadn''t fully realized he''d been holding in escaped Ash. The mood didn''t approve as he turned his gaze to one remaining occupant.

    Tempest hadn''t said a word as his trainer approached. Rather than crouching down, Ash sat cross-legged on the floor, locking eyes with his teammate. What had once been a burnt and bruised outer shell just less than two days ago was now perfectly clean, as though nothing had ever happened. The sight of the Krabby''s pupils staring back into his made his throat lock up for a moment, and it took a lot longer for him to start talking than he wanted.

    "There are some things that I probably shouldn''t even need to say, but I''m going to anyway." Ash did his best to keep himself stern, as though a single voice crack would knock over a stack of blocks. "You and I almost got everybody killed. I''m not going to make an excuse for myself, so I better not hear you talk." Slowly, Tempest''s gaze began to shift. "My eyes are over here." It might have been Erika speaking in the back of his mind. Ash almost regretted saying it as Tempest reaffirmed his gaze. This was so much easier when their gazes weren''t locked.

    "Tempestˇ­ do you want to be a part of this team?" A confused gurgle escaped the river crab''s throat, as though Ash had asked a ridiculous question. Almost faltering, the rookie continued. "I did not say "do you want to travel with me". I said, do you want to be on our team? Are you even? You''ve always thought about what you wanted, and I''ve tried to give you it, but how much am I taking from everybody else." The Krabby''s silence was taken as an indication to continue. "Nobody wants you here right now." he struggled to lower the sternness of his voice without sacrificing it, and might have slipped up. "I know what everybody out there is thinking." briefly, he pointed to the door. "Pikachu wants me to release you. Nebula wants me to release you. Eevee wants me to release you. Valiant wishes I never caught you in the first place. Like I said, I shouldn''t need to say some of this. You already know, don''t you?"

    The signature dismissiveness that he had come to associate with the water type had not fully dissipated. Ash could see that clearly. But Tempest was showing something that he had thought mutually exclusive to the Krabby. He couldn''t tell if it was guilt, but it was the kind of frown he would have seen from anybody else on the team.

    "Soˇ­" he forced himself to press. "How does that make you feel? You don''t care, right? You never came here to interact with them anyway. You''re a tagalong who likes to fight. You never came to share meals with anyone. Or practice with anyone. Or strike up a conversation before bedtime. You train on your own, you learn new moves on your own, you use them on our opponents. All on your own. That''s what you''ve always thought, right?" The krabby''s expression grew a bit more even, both the frown and the dismissiveness having evaporated. There was no aggression, or frustration. "So, it''s like I''ve asked before. Are you their teammate? Are you contributing to this group in any way other than helping us win our battles, and then going off in your own world in between bouts?" he chewed his lip for a moment. He needed a break, but didn''t give himself as much time as he felt he wanted. He couldn''t pause for too long. "Or is it how it''s been since the start? Since the way I''ve let it be?" Tempest''s gaze shifted downward. This time, Ash let him.

    The boy''s hand rested on the Krabby''s head. "I don''t want to feel the way everyone else does. I don''t want the others to keep feeling that way, either. But what place do I have telling them to change their minds? More importantly, what reason do I even have? They were never the problem. We were." his hand slid off as Tempest looked back up at him. "One way or another, I need to get an answer out of you. Or I''ll have to determine the answer for myself. I''ve let things continue the way they''ve been for a good while now, hoping to let nature run its course. And that''s why I''ve been a poor leader. I wanted to run from a choice I didn''t want to deal with. Thinking that if I waited long enough, I eventually wouldn''t have to worry about my options. That whatever problems that were currently present would either magically go away, or fix themselves." he shook his head. "I won''t do things the easy way anymore. I''ll leave you be today. But tomorrow, when we''re finally back on the road, ready to make that museum a memory, things are going to change. I am warning you now, so that you can''t say I didn''t. I''ve had a whole day to think it over, and I already know what I''m going to do. I know how the others are going to react, too. How you respond is going to be what gives me your answer. And that''s how I''ll make my decision. Do you understand, Tempest?"

    It took a moment, and Ash almost repeated the question with more strength in his voice, when the Krabby finally nodded. As the boy stood up, the river crab took it as a sign to focus on the exit, although he didn''t move immediately.

    "It''s like I said before. I''m the trainer here. You''re my responsibility, and I''m responsible for every mistake you make. I''m also responsible for how I correct them. Keep that in mind."

    He tried to steady his quickening heart as he led Tempest out of the room.

    /

    Ash''s muscles relaxed as Suzie''s hand rested on his shoulder. The last day had come and gone uneventfully, the team relaxing and engaging in small talk while avoiding the news on television. Ash and Janine had both wanted to pay the breeder one last visit before heading off in the morning.

    "I''ve already asked Janine this, but are you sure you''re doing fine?" her concerned voice had a warming tone to it. It certainly helped.

    Ash looked up at the woman after briefly observing Valiant and Eevee chatting with Vulpix. "It''s not easy," he confessed. "But I think I''m going to be. I''m sorry if you were worried."

    She shook her head. "The fact that you''re all in one piece is enough for me. You''ll visit next time you''re in town, right?"

    He beamed. "Definitely. I wouldn''t consider otherwise." looking back at his two teammates, he added. "And I''ll make sure Valiant is taken care of too. Along with everyone else. I''ve made mistakes, but I''m going to keep them in good hands from now on."

    As she thanked him, the Kirlia in question appeared in front of her, leaning into her touch as she patted his head one last time. "Make sure you do this same for him, okay Valiant?" As Eevee looked on, more cheerful than before, Ash knew he couldn''t hear whatever response Valiant gave the woman. He also knew he didn''t need to.

    "Alright, you two." he looked between the Kirlia and the evolution Pokemon. "There''s still plenty more of the world out there. If the road gets too rocky, we''ll punch it smooth." Valiant simply nodded at him, but Eevee''s eyes were flaring.

    Nobody had forgotten what happened here, but normalcy hadn''t been fully lost. It just needed some time to recover.

    Janine perked up as he led the two Pokemon outside. Although her expression was somewhat easygoing, and had made room for a small grin, there was still a certain seriousness to her. Whether it had gone as planned or not, the break was over, and business was resuming.

    "Are you ready to go?" she asked while looking between the trio. Beside her, Ivysaur rose from his sitting position.

    Mimicking her expression, Ash looked her in the eye and nodded. "More than ever."

    Her grin widened just enough to convey a reaction. "Good." closing a bit of the distance between them, she extended a hand. "Then we''re partners for now." As Ash accepted her hand, the poison specialist''s grip turned firm. Tight. No aggression, no leniency. It took him a moment or two, but he mirrored that as well.

    Of all things that he had gone through in Celadon, the biggest had been retrospect. Realizations that should have already been made, but lost time that he was going to make up for from here on out. New context that he hadn''t had any way of having before, but could never forget now. A line was drawn between the first two months of his career, and the remainder of the Season. A remainder that would feel like an eternity, with how much there was still left to do, and the places he and his family still needed to go.

    And when they got to Saffron, Sabrina would find out how they had gotten as far as they had, and how they were going to go even further.

    /

    Silver''s dark hood hid his hair as his foot sank into the grass. ALmost completely cloaked by his outfit, he was barely visible under the shrouded night sky. Hermes floated behind him as the agent locked eyes with the Gardevoir.

    "Thanks for coming, as always." he nodded politely. Returning the gesture, the psychic reached out, and he accepted the dark-crimson folder in her hand. An air of serenity in his chest, the teen reached out his other arm, placing a hand on her head. "I''ll return the message as soon as I''m able." With a satisfied nod, she vanished from sight.

    For a moment or two, he and Hermes remained still. The surrounding darkness would have been unnerving for most, but the quiet was comforting. The faint sounds of nature the only things they heard, he almost remained for even longer.

    Nonetheless, his calmness uncompromised, he looked at the Sigilyph and nodded. "Let''s go back."

 Family pt 1

    Ash wasn''t a stranger to the road anymore, having come and gone from several cities over the past two months, but something about leaving Celadon felt different. He had spent more time in Pewter and Cerulean, and Saffron was of a similar scope to the rainbow city, so had a happy medium been met? As the distance between them and the metropolis grew, the sounds of the urban city had been replaced with the calm tranquility of the outside road ahead; the skyscraper-filled surroundings replaced with the simplicity of the path ahead, with little more than grass and some trees and bushes to show for it. Though the transition was a peaceful one, he had felt the effects a good deal more than expected. On his shoulder, Eevee had settled into a relaxed state, gaze casually observing the surrounding atmosphere as she clung to her trainer. Walking beside their respective trainers, Valiant and Ivysaur reflected a similar mood.

    The group had enjoyed a comfortable silence for a decent while upon exiting the metropolis, but Janine eventually felt the need to break it to address a topic on both trainers'' minds:

    "Depending on our pace, Saffron is only one or two days away from us." she turned her head in Ash''s direction. "Probably only two days if we walk, but we might get there in less than a day if we use our bikes and only focus on traveling. What were you planning?"

    He nodded at her assessment. The distance between Kanto''s two biggest cities was miniscule at best. The prospect of being able to go from one city to another without a single night of not being able to sleep in a bed was desirable, butˇ­

    "If it''s alright with you, I was planning to take it a bit more slowly." he started. "My team and I aren''t ready for Sabrina yet anyway, so we''re gonna have to continue training even once we get there regardless. At the very least, I was hoping to get the routines started on the road."

    She nodded in acceptance. "I had a similar opinion. We won''t have nearly as much time to train between cities as we normally do, but there''s no use rushing." Raising her wrist, her eyes found themselves on her watch as she continued. Do you want to keep this up for a few more hours before setting up? I was thinking we could introduce our teams to one another over lunch, do our training for the day after the food settles, and hopefully get another hour or two of walking in before setting up camp for the night."

    Ash grinned at her. "That sounds good."

    It was finally starting to sink in that he was traveling with another human again. He had obviously known it, but the overall feeling of sharing the road ahead with another person was beginning to come back. He had missed it since he and Misty split up.

    With the silence broken, he oddly felt himself craving conversation. When Janine didn''t say anything else for the next few moments, he added, "Is your team getting started on anything new? For training, I mean."

    Jaine''s lips curved up a bit. "Now that Suzie''s given me help with Toxtricity, I''m going to get him going in full. We''ve tested a few moves out while in the city, so a full commitment is the next step. Heˇ­ he''s strong, but he hasn''t really been able to develop his style properly yet." she bit her lip. "Because I didn''t know what direction to take him in."

    Noting the guilt in her voice, Ash looked at her sympathetically. "It wasn''t your fault. You said Indigo''s database barely had anything on his species, right? There was nothing you could do about that."

    A light chuckle. "Don''t worry, I know. I just wish we hadn''t needed to get over that hurdle. I''m still the trainer, no matter the excuse." The mild solemness subsided. "I need to give Skrelp additional attention, too. She''s the newest member of my group and needs the most work. She doesn''t have as much in her arsenal yet. For the rest, they''re just working on their movesets in general."

    "Tyrunt needs that too." Ash replied. "He''s come a long way, but he isn''t very versatile yet. I want to teach him more biting moves to take advantage of his best strength, but he''ll become too one-note if I don''t focus on other things soon. I want to make sure he''s on pace to start catching up to the others by the time we leave Saffron." instinctively, his hand gripped the dinosaur''s ball on his belt. "He''s been practicing with his teammates, but I''m gonna have to double down on that."

    "Same here," she related. "I''m planning to pair Skrelp with Tentacruel for the time being."

    With casual ease, the conversation continued as the two comfortably continued their walk. No ice needed to be broken for the moment, and Ash found himself further reminded at how different it was to be on the road with another person besides himself. He''d never get sick of his team, but this type of interaction was completely fresh in comparison, and fully welcome.

    The two rookies had briefly forgotten they were even on the road at all, acting as though they were just two children taking a walk. They were quickly reminded of their circumstances, however, when running into another trainer, although both had politely turned down a battle. With such a short length of travel connecting the two cities, they had mutually planned to simply put their focus on traveling, and save whatever action their respective Pokemon saw for training sessions. Ash knew he needed the money, and wouldn''t have been surprised if Janine did too, but Saffron was likely to see plenty of activity with how packed the city''s Pokemon Center was probably going to be. Since he wasn''t going to be battling Sabrina right away anyway, he could easily have battles with the various trainers at the Center, both to refill his wallet and to help prepare for the upcoming Gym. There''d be no shortage of opponents once they got there.

    Once their stomachs began to rumble, the group came to a stop, finding a decent spot to set up and eat. Nodding to one another, they began releasing their teams.

    Ivysaur was joined by Golbat, Beedrill, Tentacruel, Toxtricity, and Skrelp. On Ash''s end, Pikachu, Nebula, and Tyrunt appeared out of their balls, the latter quickly joining Valiant and Eevee. Ash''s hand lingered on Tempest''s ball for a moment, and the boy noted the apprehensive expressions on his teammates'' faces as the Krabby emerged last.

    ''I hope this doesn''t backfire.'' For a moment, the rookie contemplated changing everything he had planned at the last second, only to shake his head to himself. If it didn''t work, he''d deal with the consequences like a responsible trainer, but backing out wouldn''t be responsible either.

    Pushing it away from his mind for now (they still had until after lunch was over), the boy watched his team line up together, Tempest keeping a bit more distance as usual. Once everybody was situated, he smiled at them and spoke. "I said this before, but we''re traveling with Janine and her team for the time being. I expect you guys to treat them the same as any other teammate, understood?" Although Tempest was absent minded, the rest of the team nodded in understanding. There were no objections. Nodding, he gestured in the direction of their new companions, whom Janine had finished addressing herself. "Good. Now go introduce yourselves, be polite about it. We''ll all be having lunch together."

    Backing off, he joined Janine by the side as the two groups of Pokemon turned to face one another. Although neither side moved for the first moment or two, Pikachu, Valiant, and Ivysaur took the initiative, stepping forward to greet one another. The seed Pokemon''s vines sprouted out of his bud as they approached one another, reaching out to Pikachu and Valiant as though to shake hands. As both accepted the gesture, Nebula and Eevee began to move forward, as if following by example, prompting a nervous looking Tyrunt to follow them, the young dinosaur strictly remaining behind Eevee.

    On Janine''s side, the rest of her Pokemon had begun a similar routine. As Nebula stopped beside Pikachu and Valiant, she and Golbat touched wings with one another before the Staravia exchanged some brief words with Skrelp. On the other side, Eevee stopped in front of Toxtricity, her paw and his hand mutually reaching out to one another after a moment of hesitance. Toxtricity moved aside to make room for Tentacruel, who stood behind him, and a similar exchange was made between paw and tentacle.

    Lowering her paw, Eevee turned her head to look behind her, seeing Tyrunt''s face adorned by an uncertain frown towards the two newcomers. Turning to face him in full, the normal type tried to put on an encouraging expression whilst gesturing her head forward, a somewhat awkward sensation passing over her as she did so. His foot began to raise, only to fall back down shortly after. Frowning for the briefest moment, Eevee took a brief step toward her dinosaur companion, pushing the minor sense of frustration down as her lips curved into a light smile. He didn''t resist her attempt to make eye contact as a quiet, reassuring bark escaped her mouth. A moment later, she moved behind him, and he suppressed a startled yelp as her forehead began pushing into his back, nudging him forward.

    Stopping just in front of the two poison types, Tyrunt found himself angling his gaze upwards to lock eyes with Tentacruel. For a moment, he flinched, looking back at the evolution Pokemon just behind him. This time he almost resisted the eye contact, but ultimately couldn''t bring himself to. At her nod, and a reassuring chirp for good measure, he turned back to Tentacruel, who accepted his claw in her tentacle. Once the jellyfish pulled back, she made room for Toxtricity, who offered his own hand. This time, Tyrunt was able to shake more easily. As their grips separated, and Janine''s two Pokemon moved onto the rest of the group, the dinosaur felt Eevee''s fluff rubbing against his side, a more genuine expression on her face as she offered a friendly chirp. Blushing, Tyrunt smiled back.

    The greetings continued as each member of both teams switched between one another. Ash smiled with relief just before turning to Janine as her voice caught his attention.

    "Seems pretty smooth so far." she remarked, a mild note of relief on her own face as well. "Let''s get the food ready, let them do their thing."

    He nodded in agreement for a moment, before his gaze turned to the one member of the group not participating. Tempest hadn''t remained still the entire time, but hadn''t made as much effort to close the distance between himself and the rest. The krabby simply observed what was going on in front of him, although Ash couldn''t read his expression.

    Janine seemed to follow his gaze. "The usual, I''m assuming?" there was no judgment in her voice.

    He nodded. "Yeahˇ­ I''ll take care of that." as he turned back to her, he wasn''t sure if the reassuring smile on his face was for her or himself. "You don''t have to worry."

    She nodded back, and Ash noted that she was better at "reassurance" than he was. "Good luck."

    /

    Lunch painted the relations between the two groups in a promising light, with both teams showing few barriers with one another. Pikachu and Nebula found themselves eating next to Ivysaur, Golbat, and Skrelp, Valiant, Eevee and Tyrunt sat near Beedrill, Tentacruel, and Toxtricity. The ice between them didn''t take too long to break, with casual conversation occurring between each Pokemon during the meal. Tempest remained in his own space as per usual, but thankfully hadn''t shown any signs of aggression towards Janine''s teammates. Ash and Janine themselves found a pair of sizable rocks to sit on while eating, observing the rest of the group''s behavior.

    Upon the meal''s end, the two trainers took their respective teams to separate parts of the nearby area to begin training. Before leaving, Ash quickly checked his TM case and skimmed through his notes of what he had planned. He still remembered it all pretty clearly, but wanted to ensure that he got it right. Now, he stood in the fairly open, grassy area with all six members of his team lined up, looking up at him expectantly. By now, everybody in the group had grown accustomed to listening to their trainer address them prior to kicking off the next stage of training.

    "We''ll be in Saffron City in a couple of days." Ash began as he looked between his six partners. "I''ve already warned all of you about this before, but our challenges are going to be different from here on out. Every Gym we go to was always going to push us to our limit, as you''ve all seen first hand, but the Gym''s we''ve gone to-The Gyms we''ve won at," he quickly corrected himself with a minor wince before continuing. "Were the easy ones."

    Although no member of the team made a sound, the reminder quickly elicited mixed reactions among the six: Pikachu and Valiant grew stiff, a quiet fire in their posture. Nebula and Tyrunt, albeit not fearful, seemed notably shaken by the statement, while Eevee appeared a mixture of both. Tempest''s mood improved upon the declaration, eyes lighting up with a grin.

    Ash continued. "From now on, the extent that the Gym Leaders go easy on us is going to begin waning. Between us having already tackled the three Gyms often dubbed "beginner friendly" by Kanto''s training community, and the fact that we''ve already proven ourselves with three badges, the Gym Leaders aren''t going to be as willing to show leniency towards us. Sabrina, I''m at least expecting, will be a bit of a transitioning phase for all of us. She''ll be a bit more willing to pull punches than the others, but we won''t be wearing training wheels once we challenge her. What''s more, she''s a psychic specialist, so we''ll be up against one of the more infamous typings." he placed a hand on his TM case, which he had set down on the rock beside him. "We''ll spend these couple of days training on the way to Saffron. Once we get there, we''ll spend more time working on what we''re about to get started today. We''ll also be looking for a fair amount of battlings amongst the other trainers at the city''s Pokemon Center. We''ll need to get a winning streak going for financial purposes, but we''ll also have to put everything we''re working on into practice. Before challenging Sabrina. Back when we were preparing for Brock, as Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant all likely remember, we needed to put a lot of work into being ready for our first ever Gym battle." briefly, the other three stole quick glances at the first three members of his team, familiarity on the trio''s faces as they recalled the first milestone of their adventure, a moment that had long since felt like ages ago. "We are all going to have to treat this exactly like that. This isn''t our next hurdle, it''s the first obstacle of our remaining journey. A new phase. You understand?" satisfied with the collective nods, he tapped the TM case with his index finger. "We''ve purchased a few TMs at the Celadon Department Store, back before we challenged Erika, so those are all going to be administered now. We''ll be working on multiple things at once, although some will be prioritized more than others as usual. Right now, the main goal is just to fall into our new routine for training in Saffron." more collective nods. He smiled a bit. "Good. Listen carefully, because there''s a lot to go over."

    He took a moment to pause before starting again, readying himself for the plans that he was about to go overˇ­ and the news that he was about to drop. His breath nearly caught in his throat as that came to mind, but he quickly pushed it away.

    ''Be a leader. That''s a trainer''s job.''

    With that thought pushing him forward, he began. "Pikachu and Tyrunt." upon being named, both parties perked up in earnest. "For the time being, I''m pairing the two of you together. I have a few TMs that I want to give you, Tyrunt. You''ve come along really well, and I''m proud of you for that, especially for our battle with Erika," pausing, he nodded in approval as the dinosaur''s grin formed, a mild tinge in the royal heir Pokemon''s cheeks as the team (Tempest aside) turned to him with acknowledging smiles of their own. "But your moveset still needs a lot of additions. More ranged options other than Rock Blast and Roar, and more close-quarters offense that doesn''t rely fully on your jaw. To be ready for what''s ahead, you''ll need to have a whole pool to pull from, not just a narrow fighting style that can easily be exploited. That''s why, I''ll be giving you the TMs for Brick Break, Earth Power, and Play Rough. Obviously, you won''t be able to master all three of them at once, but those three foundations will all be laid out for the time being." he turned to his starter. "Pikachu, you''ll be key to this. I''ll also be giving you the Play Rough TM so that the both of you can practice together, and I''m counting on you to ensure that the Brick Break training goes smoothly. You know the move well." as expected, the mouse smiled while pressing a fist to his chest.

    Satisfied, Ash moved onto the next subject. "As for you, Tempest," now the water type perked up, as the rest of the team grew somewhat uneasy. "There''s something especially important I''ll have to do with you. Your Night Slash will obviously be useful once we get to Saffron, but you''re already pretty good at using it, so there''s something else we''ll need you to get started on. It''s a lot more long term." the Krabby was listening intently as Ash removed a disc from the case, holding it out to show him. "This is Surf. It''s a move that, even with the usage of a TM, you won''t be using very effectively for a while now, but that''s why we''re starting now. Your species isn''t known for being very agile, and while I''ll freely admit that you seem to be better than average in that regard, it can only get you so far. When used correctly, this move has had a decent history of improving the mobility of certain water types that are normally lacking in it. Even once you get the hang of it, it''ll be taxing to use consistently for quite a long time, so it''ll likely be a "when it''s necessary" situation, but I have a feeling that''s going to be a lot more important than it sounds." taking out the Poke Ball, Ash held out the orb. "I''ll distribute it to you now."

    At the river crab''s attentive nod, Ash returned Tempest for a moment, placing the Poke Ball into one of the TM cases slots. After swiping the Surf TM, he released the Krabby once more. The enthusiasm in Tempest''s eyes caught his view as the water type returned to the line. "I''ll be getting back to you in a bit, so hang tight for now." mild curiosity (or was that confusion?) adorned the Krabby''s features as Ash redirected his attention towards the next party. "Nebula," immediately, the Staravia focused on him. "For now, you''re the only one that I don''t either have any new TMs for, or pairing with another teammate, but," he quickly added to curb the dedicated flier''s disappointment. "Don''t worry, I''m not excluding you. Since you already know Air Cutter now, I''d like you to make Air Slash your next goal. It''ll add another ranged attack to your arsenal. Apart from that, keep on working on Double Team and your aerial mobility as always. I''ll be checking in on everybody, but since you have nobody else to work with right now, I''m planning to spend the most time with you. We''ll get started once everybody else is situated." as she raised an affirmative wing with a quick nod, he turned his attention to the last two members of the team that he had yet to address. "Valiant, Eevee, you''re up."

    As the duo became wholly focused on him, Ash nearly bit his tongue. It wasn''t too late to back out of this, after all. Was he taking things too far? Maybe he could forget this portion of the routine and come with a different plan-

    He had to resist physically shaking his head to avoid concerned reactions from the team. No, he couldn''t second guess himself right now. He was done doing that. This wasn''t going to be easy, but it was necessary. Real trainers focused on what needed to be done, and what had to be addressed. This would be the first step for all of them.

    "A few things," he regained his composure, which the rest of the team hopefully didn''t realize that he had briefly lost. "To start things off, Valiant, you''ll still be working on learning how to use Moon Blast as we''ve planned. And of course, fine tuning your close quarters move and getting better at Psychic will be important too. None of that has changed yet." He smiled as Valiant nodded back professionally. It was reassuring to see him as cooperative as usual, but how long would that last once they got to the complicated part? "Good, that brings us to the next part. Eevee, you''ll be working on Focus Energy. We don''t have a TM, but I''m sure you''re ready for it. You''ll also be teaching Valiant how to use Shadow Ball. That''s going to be the number one priority for both of you; it''ll be very crucial for Sabrina, and you''re great at using it yourself." as she pridefully puffed her chest out, he continued. "Valiant won''t have a TM for Shadow Ball either, which is normally a problem for a psychic type trying to learn ghost type moves, but he''s known Shadow Sneak since birth, and he''ll be having you help him out. Work together and get him ready." The two friends exchanged glances, eager grins forming on their faces. Ash was tempted to leave it at that, but his mouth moved faster than his brain. "But before we get started, there is one more thing." That got the rest of the team''s attention, and Ash suddenly felt small.

    ''This is it.'' he thought grimly. The only way this would work was if he was as firm about it as possible. Hoping to channel his mother, he moved on to the final point to cover.

    "I have one more move for you to learn, Valiant, and although it''s not as immediately important, we''re going to get started on it right away." he wasn''t surprised at the confusion exhibited by the young Kirlia. After all, Pikachu and Valiant had both been present when he purchased the TMs at the Celadon Department Store. "Icy Wind." The psychic blinked in surprise, and everybody else on the team seemed fairly caught off guard as well. "I figured that could be a stepping stone for you to learn Ice Beam and Ice Punch in the future. It''s another long term thing." That seemed to ease the surprise just a little bit, but Ash already knew that would be short-lived. Unable to help the deep breath that he took (which his teammates thankfully didn''t seem to be too concerned by, but still took relative note of), the boy straightened his posture. "Right, soˇ­ right now, we can''t use a TM, because we don''t have one for Icy Wind. Naturally, we could always postpone this until we have the money for one, especially since getting the move completely down is not an immediate priority just yet." he focused himself. This was it. "Butˇ­ I''m not going to be doing that. You''ll be learning it from the ground up." The mutual surprise from everybody on the team did not deter him, he was already expecting it. "I''m also not going to be showing you any footage of the move being used. Basically nothing that will give you a cushion, or help you along."

    The incredulous expressions on the six Pokemon bore into him. Everyone was looking at him as though he had grown an extra set of arms like a Machamp. Just as it looked like Valiant was about to ask something, Ash quickly raised a hand to silence him. "Don''t worry, buddy." he tried to reassure him, not that it would really matter after this next part. "There will be something for you to go off of." his voice stopped for a moment, as the rest of the team continued looking at him, waiting for the detail that would make all of this make sense. For a moment, he almost didn''t talk, but quickly steeled his mind, and turned to the team member on the far end of the group.

    "Tempest, you''re teaching him."

    The river crab''s eyes bulged as the rest of the team started. Immediately, Ash heard Valiant''s mental voice.

    "Ash, what are you-!"

    "ENOUGH." Whatever pandemonium Ash was dreading ended before it could properly begin as the rookie''s now raised voice stretched over all of them. "Everything is as I just said: The only assistance you will get in learning this move is from Tempest, Valiant. And Tempest," he quickly turned to the river crab. "You will help him. You are expected to demonstrate the move to him however many times he needs, in whatever way he might ask. He has no prior knowledge of ice types, no TMs to guide him or give him a basis, and no footage for context. Everything will be on you to get him off the ground, and continue to help him even after he does." Ash''s face had formed into a stern glare as he addressed the team. Hearing his starter beginning to talk, he quickly resumed. "Quiet, Pikachu." His heart sank as the mouse''s ears folded, but he kept going nonetheless, looking between the Kirlia and the Krabby as the rest of the team either awkwardly looked elsewhere, or stared at him in bewildered shock. He wasn''t sure which one demoralized him more, but was determined to focus on neither. "And as I said before, this is a long term project. The both of you will set aside the time to decently do this, with every training session, until Valiant''s Icy Wind has been mastered to a degree that I and I alone am satisfied with. That''s the plan until further notice, and nobody has any say in it except for me."

    As the six Pokemon struggled to process this information, Ash turned to Tempest. He could see the frustrated confusion on the water type''s face. "I warned you before, Tempest." The Krabby''s gaze slowly descended to the grass as a low grumble escaped the water type''s throat. "If you want to keep traveling, you''re going to be contributing more to this team than just battles. You''re going to be a member, a real member, from here on out. There are six of you, not five and one, and you will not be coasting along on your own anymore. For your own good." at that last sentence, the boy couldn''t help but flinch as the image of a Mr. Mime and Tempest''s charred body filled his vision. As Tempest''s eyes lifted up to meet his gaze, Ash almost faltered, struggling to double down. "You hear me, don''t you? This is how things are going to be with you here, and I expect you to fall in line."

    The Krabby''s pincers clenched like fist as another growl escaped Tempest''s throat. After a few moments, however, he receded, pincers opening back up, and posture sagging in resignation. Without addressing him further, Ash turned to everybody else. "That goes for the rest of you too. As your trainer, this is how I''m going to be doing things. We are all a unit, and if we''re going to make it through this like we promised, some things cannot be compromised. Am I clear?"

    All five stared at him for a moment, before beginning to exchange looks with one another. For a moment or two, Ash was about to demand that they keep their eyes on him, but decided against it. This communication was important too.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    After a few moments, Pikachu was the first to turn back to him. With a sigh, Ash''s starter looked back up at him, quickly locking eyes with his trainer. Although the frown on the mouse''s face showed no signs of the electric type attempting to hide it, Pikachu nodded nonetheless. As Ash nodded back in acknowledgement, Nebula and Eevee lookeded between the two, before following suit a few moments later. Neither of them had expressions overly different from Pikachu''s own.

    A few more moments passed before Ash spoke again. "Valiant, Tyrunt, we''re still waiting for an answer." The other three Pokemon set their eyes on the Kirlia and the dinosaur. Valiant''s eyes were downcast as his feet lightly kicked at the grass, and Tyrunt had brought himself down to a seated position, staring downwards as well. Eventually, both Pokemon raised their gazes to look back at the rest of the team''s conflicted gazes, before looking up at Ash. Tyrunt nodded. Valiant hesitated for a moment or too, let out a sigh, before doing so as well.

    Ash nodded back at both of them. "Alright, we''re all on the same page then." he turned to Eevee, who quickly perked back up at the attention. "Eevee, since you''ll be working with Valiant, and Valiant will be working with Tempest, the three of you will all be training together. When Valiant isn''t being taught Shadow Ball or Icy Wind, Tempest and yourself will both be sparring partners. It''ll help work on your usage of Focus Energy, and, with any luck, Tempest learning how to use Surf." The evolution Pokemon''s ears drooped in hesitance as her frowning face looked back at Valiant and Tempest, but Ash allowed her a moment or two to process it. Finally, she looked back at him and nodded in the affirmative. "Alright, thenˇ­" he pointed out diagonally, to a further away section of the open area. "Then that''s all for today. The three of you will get started right now. And I better not see either of you trying to split off, unless I specifically order it. Go now."

    Nobody moved for a moment. Ash''s attempt at authoritative posture threatened to wane as the pit in his stomach grew, the boy quickly crossing his arms in an effort to keep himself going. After a few seconds, Tempest, without a word, began walking in the direction that Ash pointed in, not looking back to check and see if his two would be training partners were following him. With a minor sigh, even began gradually tailing him, only to look back and see that Valiant was still in the same place. Trying not to pay too much attention to the concerned expressions from Pikachu, Nebula, and Tyrunt, the normal type walked over to the psychic, positioning herself behind him as she began nudging him forward. At first, the Kirlia''s feet merely slid across the grass as his best friend pushed him along, but with reluctance, he began to walk after they cleared a few feet.

    After they created a considerable distance between themselves and the rest of the group, Ash failed to further contain the exhale that he had been holding in, finally allowing his arms to fall back down to his side as he looked between his remaining three teammates with a notable fatigue.

    "Alright, I''ll be administering Pikachu and Tyrunt''s TMs now. Nebula, go on and find a space to yourself to warm up for now. I''ll be there with you in a bit."

    /

    Nebula peered at the Pokedex screen as Ash pulled up footage of a large Pidgeot rising into the air of a stadium, wing glowing a blinding white. A giant blade of air erupted from the wing as the large bird lashed out, carving through the blast of fire launched at the opposing Charizard and scoring a direct hit on the Flame Pokemon.

    "You''ve already fought multiple Pokemon who know this move." Ash turned to look at the Staravia next to him. "Your Air Cutter should give an idea of how to get started, right?" she nodded confidently, smiling at her trainer as he placed a hand on her head. "I thought so. Let''s get started, then."

    Pressing a wing against her chest as if to salute, Nebula chirped confidently just before kicking off into the air as Ash rose from his sitting position.

    After gaining a decent altitude, the flier circled around the area where her trainer was standing, gliding through the air with a clean, smooth movement. Ash took a few moments to admire the fluidity of his trusted partner''s mobility, before suddenly blinking, realizing he was getting lost in the moment.

    Cheeks slightly tinged, he cupped his hands to call out to her. "Okay, so to get a basic idea, try to use Air Cutter with just one, bigger blade!" Above him, Nebula nodded to herself as her face grew somewhat more steel. Keeping up the same pattern of movement, the Staravia gently closed her eyes in an effort to concentrate her thoughts.

    After circling around for a few more seconds, the bird opened her eyes, pulling herself upward as both of her wings began to glow. She would only need one wing for this move, but was used to using both.

    Rearing back one of her wings, she clenched her beak, attempting to gather her efforts as a blade of air began to take form. It was so hard holding back and not launching a barrage like usual, but she did her best to concentrate everything into that one blade. Sweat began to form beneath her feathers as the blade expanded in size, but the projectile was quickly launched after only doubling in height. The blades of an Air Cutter were normally fairly small compared to an Air Slash, so this attempt was significantly smaller than the move that they were trying to produce.

    Ash watched the lone blade of air fizzle out mid-flight before recouping his hands and calling back out to his friend. "That''s okay, Nebula!" the young rookie encouraged. "It was only your first attempt! Just keep trying for now!"

    A bit reassured, Nebula''s frustrated frown gave way to a small smile as she circled around the area once more. After completing one lap, she repeated the process, this time struggling to keep the energy in only one wing instead of two. Her other wing that she wasn''t planning on using still glowed somewhat faintly, but the majority of the Staravia''s efforts were successfully concentrated into her wing of choice.

    A second blade of air began to form, this time with just a little bit less sweat. The blade began to expand itself, this time going just over triple its normal size before finally letting loose. It lasted a little bit longer before fizzling out.

    Ash nodded in approval. "Again!"

    With progressing confidence, Nebula sped up her flight just enough for her trainer to take notice. After completing another lap, her wings glowed once more. A few seconds later, the right wing began to flicker, the light shining off of it eventually fizzling out entirely as the glow in the left wing intensified.

    A third blade of air formed at the tip of the wing. As Nebula''s beak began to grind, the blade began to grow, a little bit more slowly this time. It must have been roughly four and a half times the usual size of an individual Air Cutter blade from the Staravia, before it was finally launched.

    Ash''s face split into a smile as he watched his friend hurl the blade of air. This one closely resembled that of an Air Slash, and seemed to be nearly the proper size. The blade was unstable, breaking up and fizzling out a lot more quickly than the previous two had. Nonetheless, she had all but figured out how to properly form the attack.

    "Alright, come on down!" At his call, the Staravia descended from the air. Upon landing in the grass next to her trainer, she took a moment to catch her breath as Ash knelt down beside her. The duo exchanged smiles as he patted her head.

    "That last one was pretty close, Nebula. Good job." the happy chirp the Staravia responded with fluttered his heart. "It looks like you''ve almost figured out how to form the move itself, knowing Air Cutter beforehand probably helps like I figured. I guess now the main thing to do is work on concentration; so creating it doesn''t take as much effort, and the blade can hold itself together." At her nod, Ash sank into a sitting position, and she looked at him curiously before he held out an oran berry, and her eyes briefly lit up. "Here, for you." As his bottom sank into the grass, Ash noted that the ground felt somewhat moist. He hadn''t noticed it while standing.

    Quickly accepting the blue fruit in her beak, Nebula sat down beside her trainer while slowly beginning to munch on the quick snack. The healing properties of an oran berry weren''t as potent as a sitrus berry, but they were at just the right level to assist with mild rejuvenation. Unlike typical healing moves, which focused on mending damage to the body rather than replenishing energy (in fact, these healing moves could actually be quite taxing when mishandled, due to them requiring the user to expend their energy in the first place), oran berries, like sitrus berries, were capable of doing both, and although Nebula''s current condition certainly didn''t warrant the usage of a sitrus berry, Ash found that a quick oran berry snack in the middle of training was perfect for keeping a Pokemon''s energy up and prolong fatigue, maximizing the benefits of each training session. He''d be giving the others their own once he checked on them.

    As Nebula, currently in good spirits, munched on the replenishing fruit, Ash found his eyes making their way towards his friend, admiring the complexion and clean, healthy state of her feathers. He had been training her for two months by now, yet it wasn''t everyday that he observed her up close, one-on-one during downtime.

    "You know," he said, lightly patting her back as she finished her berry. "You''re really beautiful, you know that?" a good-natured hum escaped her throat as the smiling Staravia rubbed her head against his arm. Suddenly, he started giggling, attempting to gently push her back as her beak mildly nipped a thim. "H-Hey, that tickles a bit!" As the two settled down, he rubbed her head, the two exchanging smiles as she leaned into his touch. "Alrightˇ­ you wanna make a few more attempts?" the bird pulled away, once again pressing her wing against her chest. "Great, just keep doing what you did before. You''re on the right track."

    She took off into the air as he rose to his feet, smiling at her retreating form as her wings carried her higher and higher above the grass.

    He had the prettiest, most dedicated bird Pokemon in the world. That he was certain. And one day, he knew that she would be the strongest.

    /

    Tyrunt watched Pikachu pat his paws against a sizable rock that the two had stopped in front of. Ash had requested that the two use an area with as many rocks as possible, albeit noting that they wouldn''t necessarily be plentiful regardless, so Pikachu had led the dinosaur through the area for a few moments before finding a place with at least a somewhat decent amount.

    As the mouse removed his paws from the stone, he remained still. For a moment, Tyrunt blinked in confusion at the inactivity. After a moment or two, the royal heir Pokemon followed the electric rodent''s gaze and saw Nebula circling the air above a section of the area ahead. A growing smile adorned the electric type''s lips as a sizable projectile escaped the flier''s wing.

    As Tyrunt stopped next to him, however, also watching the sight, Pikachu blinked in realization before turning to his younger teammate. Quickly getting the dinosaur''s attention with a light pat on the shoulder, the mouse began talking, whilst pointing towards one of the rocks. Turning in full to face his training partner, the rock/dragon type Pokemon nodded along with what his slightly older teammate was saying. As Pikachu asked if he understood, Tyrunt took a moment to process the information, before nodding with a carefree smile. Satisfied, Pikachu turned his back to his friend as his eyes zeroed in on one of the nearby rocks. Tyrunt observed eagerly as the electric type advanced towards the stone target, curled up paw glowing a bright orange as Pikachu drove it into the rock. A clean hole was punched through, eliciting a quick cheer and claps from the observing dinosaur as Pikachu turned back around to face him, rubbing the back of his head bashfully as his face began to tinge red. Readjusting himself, Pikachu gave his friend an affirming nod while pointing out to another rock close to him. Returning the gesture in kind, Tyrunt lined himself up to face the appointed target, head somewhat lowered as his feet scraped away at the grass. After closing his eyes for a moment or two, ceasing all motion, Tyrunt''s attention zeroed in on the rock ahead as he broke into a run. Raising a claw, he struggled to concentrate, and as it curled into a fist, a faint orange glow began to take form.

    As the dinosaur swung forward a the rock, the Brick Break punctured the immediate exterior, but the impact did not go much further. Tyrunt winced as a mild sting made itself known where he had struck the rock, but it didn''t hurt too badly. Pikachu quickly made his way over, patting a paw against the somewhat dejected dinosaur''s back while speaking with a reaffirming tone of voice. That had only been the first time Tyrunt had ever used that particular move before, and he had executed it fairly well. Now, they just needed to keep on repeating to work on the move''s power.

    Clearing some distance, Pikachu turned back to Tyrunt and spread his arms out wide, waving while calling out for the royal heir Pokemon to target him next. After blinking for a moment or two to process this information Tyrunt smiled back at his electric type friend and nodded in the affirmative. After taking another few seconds to regather his focus, the dinosaur took off running for the young mouse, who remained still whilst standing upright.

    As Tyrunt swung forward a second time, his glowing fist was slightly more bright than before. Immediately, Pikachu reacted by raising his own fist, which glowed much more definitively, intercepting Tyrunt''s Brick Break with a parrying motion. The electric mouse was careful not to swing too hard, instead just motioning to block the attack, rather than go on the offensive himself.

    Tyrunt''s Brick Break bounced off of Pikachu''s own without effort or struggle. As the dinosaur bounced back, his face was a mixture of a mildly pained expression and a smile. Finding the positive side of the look contagious, Pikachu grinned back at him before gesturing at him to try again.

    A second blow was parried away with similar results. Same with the third. Upon the fourth exchange, Pikachu found his body abruptly tilting backwards, although Tyrunt still reacted to the impact more than he did. Signaling for them to stop, Pikachu took note of the dinosaur trying to massage his aching claws. Reassuringly, he made his way to the younger Pokemon''s side and wrapped an arm around his teammate. Mood restored a bit, Tyrunt leaned into the contact.

    Ash would be here soon with the oran berries, Pikachu said. They could move onto something else then.

    /

    Body tense, Valiant tried to focus all of his attention on Eevee as his friend locked eyes with Tempest from a few feet across. Not deterred by the presence of the water type himself, he evolution Pokemon concentrated her efforts into the ball of blackish-purple distortion forming in between her jaws. Once the Shadow Ball had expanded to its proper size, Eevee held it in place, giving Valiant a chance to look a bit more closely before launching it in the Krabby''s direction.

    On cue, Tempest crossed his pincers, now coated with metal, and absorbed the blow. As the ghost type move exploded against his outward defenses, he felt his feet sliding backwards a couple of inches from the impact, but remained fully upright nonetheless. Lowering his pincers, he returned his attention to the normal type, who ignored him as she turned to address the observing Kirlia.

    With crossed arms, Valiant tried to pay no mind to the water type''s gaze as he nodded along to Eevee''s instructions. After a quick pat on the back from the quadruped, the young psychic positioned himself in front of her, a small bead of sweat forming on his cheek as his gaze finally turned to the water type in question.

    Tempest observed him stoically as Valiant squirmed in place for a moment, struggling to lock eyes with the Krabby without scrunching up his face. He heard Eevee''s voice from behind him as her paw patted away at his back for a second time. Although he didn''t look back at her, he nodded for a moment, taking a deep breath with closed eyes before refocusing all of his attention on the Krabby. Behind him, Eevee took the brief moment to send a dirty look Tempest''s way, before turning back to Valiant and reciting the tail end of her instructions.

    After taking another deep breath, the young Kirlia assumed a stance, holding both hands outward and against each other as his face began to scrunch, and his body began to strain.

    He was more than familiar with calling on ghost type energy, having done so a myriad number of times whenever making use of Shadow Sneak. This time, however, he had to channel it into his hands. Form it into a condensed, potent orb of energy that could be launched forward and used as an attack. It was an entirely unfamiliar manner of manifesting the typing, and the emotion Pokemon bit his lip as an encouraging bark from Eevee could be heard from his side.

    After a few moments, just when he was almost prepared to give up, the slightest hint of ghostly energy appeared between his palms. Eyes widening, he attempted to redouble his focus, trying to force the aura into taking shape and forming a sphere. The energy was sporadic, moving around in his hands with a mind of its own, not responding to his commands. With a mild wince, he bit down on his lip as a burning sensation began to make itself known in both of his hands. Tempest said and did nothing as Eevee barked once more.

    Ever so slightly, the energy began to grow, but showed no signs of becoming any more stable before the growth stopped just as abruptly as it had begun. Squeezing his eyes shut, Valiant struggled to visualize the Shadow Ball, trying his best to focus on nothing but what was currently in his hands. Slowly but surely, the tiny bit of ghostly energy that he had managed to form began to mingle together, a bite-sized ball of ghostly aura taking shape. The undersized Shadow Ball did not stop rippling, however, and showed none of the stability of Eevee''s in spite of being far smaller. The sporadic crackling and rippling of the orb did not cease as Valiant finally hurled towards Tempest, who did not even need to coat his pincers in metal to properly intercept the tiny, unstable ball of dark aura. With a simple raise of a pincer in front of his face, the river crab showed no signs of reaction as the Shadow Ball collided against him and fizzled out, the pincer shielding him from the impact entirely unscathed.

    Exhaling, Valiant rubbed his stinging hands together, as though trying to scratch a painful itch. A brush against his side redirected his attention to Eevee, who shot him a reassuring grin before turning back to Tempest with a more serious expression. Though uncomfortable, the Krabby didn''t seem fazed under her gaze. With some doubt, the evolution Pokemon hesitated for a moment before barking assertively at the river crab. The water type snorted at the demand, but nonetheless positioned himself, motioning for Valiant to pay attention.

    The Kirlia attempted to collect his thoughts as Tempest raised both pincers. Taking his time, Tempest opened them up, a chill emitting from the inside. A few moments later, the familiar blast of air erupted out of both of them. As the Icy Wind passed over the grass, the greenery became covered in a layer of frozen blue.

    The blast had been of a fairly decent size, the frosty aftermath spreading out across a decent chunk of the grass immediately in front of the water type. Tempest turned back in Valiant and Eevee''s direction, holding one pincer out towards the icy grass in a gesture of example as he began speaking instructions.

    When the river crab finished speaking, Valiant''s gaze lingered on him for just a moment, before sighing and turning away, facing a fresh patch of grass. As Eevee backed away to line herself up behind her friend, Valiant stared at his hands for a moment. They were still somewhat stinging from the Shadow Ball attempt, albeit the sensation was thankfully going away quite quickly. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the young psychic reaffirmed his focus, extending his arms and holding both hands outward. Staring out ahead, he began visualizing the attack. The snowy air that was to leave his hands. The grass that was to freeze over. Face tightening, eyes turning steel, he continued to focus, keeping his hands extended out and straight, directing all of his concentration into producing the move.

    Nothing came out.

    Beyond that, he didn''t even feel it coming. There was no cold sensation in his hands. No indication that anything had changed. Nothing at all of note.

    Valiant didn''t stop, however. His arms remained in their position, his eyes maintaining their expression. His body grew tense as he gazed outward to the grass, and continued to visualize. He waited for the cold air to come out.

    It never did.

    As the emotion Pokemon finally lowered his hands in defeat, a gurgling noise caught his attention. Realizing it was coming from Tempest''s direction, Valiant''''s eyes widened to see the Krabby''s mouth lined up with soap-like bubbles, as the water type''s body shook a bit.

    The Kirlia''s eyes flared. Was heˇ­ laughing at him?!

    The river crab''s behavior ceased as a small flash appeared from the corner of his eye, seeing Valiant''s hands spark with lightning. Tempest''s attention turned to the young psychic in full as Valiant, with livid contemplation, held his sparking hands outward in the Krabby''s direction. A knowing smile creeped its way across Tempest''s face as his eyes took on a gaze of preparation, and he crossed his pincers.

    As Valiant glowered at the young crab, the gears turned in his mind, but just as he began to debate whether or not he should fire, Eevee appeared directly in front of him. Her bark brought him back to Earth as his friend, with an understanding yet assertive glare, shook her head.

    Though his eyes remained frustrated, Valiant lowered his arms, allowing the electricity sparking across his hands to dissipate as he looked away in grief. After patting her paw against his back, Eevee turned her attention to Tempest, who almost flinched from the nuclear glare sent his way. Huffing a bit, the quadruped rotated her body to face him in full, closing a little bit of the distance between them with a few steps as her body sank into a stance and her tail erected upwards. Quickly understanding, Tempest maintained his satisfied grin as he assumed a stance of his own.

    Eevee took a brief moment to look back at Valiant, who had his eyes on her with crossed arms. The anger in his expression had left him and been replaced with uncertainty. The two friends exchanged nods before she returned her focus back to Tempest.

    Focus Energy was a move that allowed the user to concentrate their power into different parts of the body for amplification purposes. The strength enhancer had many applications, and the move in question wasn''t too difficult to learn. Ash wanted her to focus on trying to use it while sparring with Tempestˇ­

    Their eyes locked as their stances became solidified, and both Pokemon held their position for the next few moments. Finally, Eevee''s legs bent before shooting her forward.

    Tempest''s left pincer turned metallic as it raised in front of his face to intercept the quadruped''s Iron Tail. A loud clang sounded through the air as Eevee''s tail struck, her momentum struggling to push back her target''s defenses. Although Tempest''s Metal Claw shook in place from the effort, it remained in position, and his feet only slid back by a foot or two before his opponent''s momentum ceased carrying her, allowing him to shove her off.

    As his own push flung her away, Tempest pointed his other pincer at Eevee, aiming a Bubble Beam at the young evolution pokemon''s retreating form. An onslaught of golden stars erupted from her mouth, intercepting the aquatic projectiles just before she landed.

    The moment her paws touched the grass, Eevee rushed forward once more. Just as Tempest assumed a battle stance to intercept her, however, she swerved away without warning. Blinking, Tempest turned in an effort to follow her movements as the quadruped sped around him in circles, sporadically moving in and out.

    Eevee kept her eyes fixated on her aquatic opponent as her paws carried her around him and across the grass. Even now, she could feel her own momentum; the satisfying sensation of speed that brought the breeze against the face and her fur. Tempest was struggling to track her when she applied her agility to circular movements. He had to keep readjusting his gaze as she appeared in and out of view, and his vision couldn''t keep up. With some frustration, two Scalds fired out of both of his raised pincers, one of the boiling streams of water nearly hitting Eevee, only for her to leap over it. As she made another lap around the young Krabby, she could feel the soaked, hot grass on her paws as she passed over the patches that had been drenched by the two Scalds.

    Finally, her body curved, taking Tempest by surprise as she aimed a Shadow Ball at his side. The ghost type move was far from full power; probably only about half the size, designed explicitly to be fired as fast as possible. It did its job, sending Tempest staggering back a few steps just before she rushed for him.

    As Eevee''s tail turned to metal once more, the evolution Pokemon closed her eyes in an effort to concentrate everything into the tail. As she drove her Iron Tail into Tempest''s face, the normal type wasn''t sure if she had pulled it off-the blow had felt about the same strength as it always did-but it sent him sliding back several feet nonetheless. She knew the strike was unlikely to do him much harm on its own; Tempest''s Shell Armor ability had reinforced his outer shell to a great degree, providing him with the type of durability stereotypically expected from that of a Steel Type Pokemon. It was a big part of why Ash had wanted him on the team to begin with. Stopping in place, she re-angled her body to face him once more, before sprinting forward again, Iron Tail maintained.

    Tempest recovered, however, and Eevee''s eyes widened to double the size as a blade of water entered her view. Reacting fast, she jumped, somersaulting head-over-heels as she passed above the Krabby''s head, the Razor Shell not even grazing her fur. The moment she landed, she turned around, attempting to drive her still-metallic tail into her opponent''s back. Ready, Tempest whirled around and lashed out at her with a metal pincer. Iron Tail and Metal Claw collided with another loud clang, and a pained growl emitted from Eevee''s throat, teeth grinding painfully as she strained herself to power through Tempest''s push.

    She could feel the force behind his attack, the momentum behind his strength carrying his pincer forward. No matter how hard she pushed back, she felt no progress on her own end, and her feet began sliding back. Closing her eyes, she tried to channel extra energy into her tail. Concentrate all of your power into a certain body part to amplify its muscle. That was how Focus Energy workedˇ­

    She produced no results, and soon found herself rolling across the grass as Tempest pushed her away. Feeling the dirt collecting on her fur, she lifted her head in time to see the water type repositioning himself to aim both pincers at her. Just as she was rising back to all fours, the icy Wind rushed out of them.

    For the briefest of moments, she felt as though she had no time to dodge, and contemplated using Hyper Voice instead. Deciding against it, however, she quickly leapt to the side, just barely avoiding any real harm, but still feeling a cold sensation on her fur as the snowy air passed over the grass, leaving the once-green blades coated in a beautiful, icy blue.

    Valiant continued to observe the session, Eevee maneuvering about the grass around Tempest; leaping over him, striking at him from the back or side, and firing off the occasional ranged attack in hopes of knocking him off balance. Tempest deftly defended, parrying her Iron Tails, firing his own projectiles, and swiping at her with his pincers as she avoided his blows to the best of her ability.

    The sound of footsteps alerted the Kirlia to Ash''s presence behind him. The trainer in question took a few moments to watch the display between the two teammates, before directing his attention down to the psychic. "How long have they been going?"

    "A few minutes." Although Valiant looked up at Ash with some uncertainty, he did his best not to display it through his mental voice.

    His trainer nodded in acknowledgement. "They can keep going for a few more then. Any luck on your end?"

    He was talking about Icy Wind. Although he knew Ash didn''t intend it, the question immediately brought Tempest''s laughing image to the forefront of Valiant''s mind. Shoulders sagging, the psychic''s eyes trailed downwards as he shook his head.

    A sensation of comfort passed over him as Ash knelt down beside him and placed a hand on top of his head. The gesture prompted Valiant to angle his head up to meet his trainer''s eyes.

    "I know it''s going to be hard." Ash put on a smile for his partner. "But I think you already know why I''m trying to make you learn the move the difficult way."

    Valiant bit his lip. He did know. No doubt Ash was counting on that, too. His trainer had always offered praise for his intellect, and although said compliments were usually flattering, the bitter side of the Kirlia couldn''t help but feel that was being used against him here. That Ash knew with little doubt that he''d pick up on the trainer''s intentions, because Ash saw him as smart.

    But his species was capable of reading emotions, and if there was one person whose emotions he could easily feel, it was the trainer consoling him right now. One of two essential humans in his life. There was nothing but love in Ash right now, and that was the most reassuring part of this exchange, well beyond whatever words the trainer was willing to say.

    "You haven''t used an ice type move before. It''s not going to come immediately. Your genes helped you out with laying the foundation for ghost type moves, but this is different. You''re building something from the ground up, and I wouldn''t have suggested it if I didn''t believe you could. It''s just not going to happen overnight."

    Valiant''s frown lessened as he nodded back at his trainer, some understanding replacing a portion of the expression.

    "Tempest doesn''t think I can do it."

    "Prove him wrong." Ash''s mind briefly flashed back to his epiphany after battling Gary in Celadon. "You know I speak from experience. Don''t fixate on proving him wrong, I made that mistake for a while. Just remind yourself that he is wrong, forget about it, and focus on the task at hand. It''ll all run its course if you give it the chance. Once you pull it off, nothing he says is going to matter, so it shouldn''t matter now."

    Valiant stared up at the subject of his loyalty as the doubtful frown on his face slowly gave way to an even, comfortable stare. The innocence in the Kirlia''s eyes became impossible to miss with the new expression.

    Turning his head back to where his best friend and Tempest were sparring, he watched Eevee send the water type sliding backwards across the grass by two or three feet. The normal type took a few extra moments to catch her breath, inhaling deeply before satisfyingly letting all out, and resuming the action. He held his gaze for a few moments before looking back at Ash with a nod. As he did, his face, mostly the look in his eyes, was more steeled and sturdy.

    Ash''s grin curved up a bit more as he patted the psychic''s head again. "Thanks, buddy. Now let''s call them over real quick."

    Ash and Janine''s teams had regrouped once the two trainers had noticed a hint of orange appearing in the sky. Ending training for the day, the duo walked for a little over an hour before setting up camp and dinner. As they prepared, Tyrunt was eager to show off his progress to Valiant, demonstrating the new moves he was working on, while the rest of both teams (bar Tempest, who lightly trained on the side) mingled with one another.

 Family pt 2

    The image of Rockets flooding through the museum filled Ash''s vision as he tried to run. Despite his desperation, he quickly found that his body refused to move, legs planted firmly in place no matter how much he screamed at himself to flee.

    A spark appeared from the corner of his eye. As he turned his head, his eyes locked with the Mr. Mime''s, as the lightning filled hand was brought in front of his face. The interior of the museum morphed into that of a rocky tunnel, as stones began to fall from the collapsing ceiling. Ash could see the silhouettes of the Iron-Masked Marauder and the silver-masked redhead in the distance as a thunderous roar filled the surrounding space.

    "Ash, are you okay?"

    Tyranitar materialized, a second monstrous roar escaping its throat as an orange beam erupted from its mouth and upwards, carving through the ceiling.

    "Ash wake up!"

    Ash felt his body being lightly shook by a pair of hands as his eyes opened. Immediately, he felt the fatigue in his eyes, a sense of heaviness not on the eyelids, but on the eyes themselves. Whether his vision was blurry or he was just having trouble processing it right away, he was too groggy to tell.

    "Ghˇ­" he grunted somewhat, the side of his hand moving up to his forehead as his eyes instinctively squeezed shut again. As he shifted in his sleeping bag, he opened his eyes again, this time with the vision growing more clear. A frowning pair of purple eyes stared down at him. "J-Janineˇ­?"

    His companion''s face was apologetic. "Sorryˇ­" she shook her head. "You were shaking in your sleep."

    Rising into a sitting position, Ash allowed himself a breath as he scanned the nearby area. All twelve Pokemon present were still currently asleep. Closest to him were Pikachu and Nebula, who both seemed undisturbed by the exchange.

    "Bad dream," he responded. "Sorry if Iˇ­ worried you." his focus was beginning to return to him, although he still felt a bit groggy from waking up so suddenly. Finally, he noted how dark it was, the sky still not showing any signs of the familiar, sunlit blue. "Umˇ­ what time is it?"

    "Almost five in the morning."

    He took a moment to process that information, briefly considering trying to go back to sleep, before lightly flinching at the last image he had seen in his dreams. As if almost on instinct, he shuffled out of his sleeping bag, rising to his feet in a somewhat awkward, tired motion. As he left the warmth of the bag''s confines, he felt a brief chill, as though he had taken off a coat on an autumn night, but the sensation began to balance out. It wasn''t cold, he just needed time to readjust.

    "So, you''re up early too?" briefly, while looking around, Ash''s gaze had passed over the girl''s tent. She had offered Ash a spare before going to bed the previous night, but he had politely declined, despite preferring the idea, since the weather hadn''t necessitated it, and he had felt somewhat guilty about taking advantage. He''d purchase his own in Saffron.

    "I normally get up around six." she responded, hand beginning to rub the back of her neck. "Iˇ­ didn''t have the best dream either." With his vision a bit more focused, he realized her hair was down, falling beneath her shoulders and not tied into the usual ponytail. It was a random thought, but it made her look different from how he was used to.

    He frowned at her sympathetically. "Team Rocket?"

    The question came out too fast for him to stop it, but she showed no signs of offense, simply nodding with a similar expression. "Yeah."

    Feeling the pre-dawn breeze lightly brushing against them, the two gravitated towards a nearby rock big enough for them both to sit on. As his bottom connected with the hard surface, he looked up at the sky for a moment. Had Janine not told him the time, he would have assumed it had been around midnight. He could see the blackened silhouettes of a few clouds above him, and the stars were still present for a moment.

    "I''m always up early." turning his head to face Janine, he could see his friend was a lot more relaxed, accustomed, looking up at the sky with a fairly content smile. "Ever since I was a kid. Father would make sure I was up on time, no matter what. Too much to get done for me to lurk under my covers." As she turned to look at him, he could see a mild grogginess in her eyes, albeit it seemed as though she had already gotten rid of most of it. "My body''s sort of become wired to that. I couldn''t sleep in if I wanted to. It makes waking up at this hour a little less jarring for me."

    Ash considered her words for a moment. He couldn''t imagine waking up in the morning (early morning, at the very least) without lying awake for at least a little while. Savoring the comfort of the bedding had been a part of his routine prior to becoming a trainer, and he missed it. He wondered how different Janine''s life at home must have been, but wasn''t willing to indulge in that curiosity. No way she''d appreciate someone she only knew for a few days prying to that extent.

    So instead, he elaborated on his earlier question. "Soˇ­ that woke you up, too?"

    She frowned. "Yeah, Iˇ­ honestly didn''t dream about it until now, even though it happened a few days ago." her hands found their way to her knees. "It justˇ­ snuck up on me, I guess." Looking away for a moment, she observed the still sleeping Pokemon across the campsite. "...Was it about the Mr. Mime?"

    His eyes tightened at the question. "Y-Yeahˇ­" It wasn''t entirely true, as the Mr. Mime hadn''t been the only thing that he had seen. Still thoughˇ­ he didn''t want to tell her about the Marauder. It wouldn''t be fair. "Sorry about that, again." The more time passed between the incident and the current moment, the more he really realized how badly he had screwed up back at the museum. "I justˇ­" he paused himself. He knew he was about to go on a tangent about how scared he was when he found out that Tempest was missing. This wasn''t the right person to talk to about thatˇ­ so who was? He certainly couldn''t tell Delia. Maybe Professor Oak-with some pain, he shut away the thought. There were still things he needed to figure out regarding him.

    ''Crapˇ­ who the hell can I tell?'' he suddenly realized with some panic. The most appropriate person to turn to was the last person on the planet he ever wanted to know about it, and the reasonable second was someone who could tell her at any time.

    "I know why you did it." Janine''s voice mercifully pulled him away from his thoughts. "I admit, I was mad at the time, but I''m not sure what I would''ve done in your shoes, and Erika already scolded both of us."

    That memory produced a flinch from him, and he could''ve sworn he might''ve seen one from her, too. "Y-Yeahˇ­" he chuckled nervously. "That was certainly a different side of her." He had remembered how inviting the grass specialist had been when he had first come to her Gym. But he had never seen her truly on duty before.

    "I''ve seen worse." Janine admitted freely. "But I guess the contrast is what did it for me. I was often told about how soft she was, but she is still a Gym Leader." face growing a bit more solemn, she added. "My dreamˇ­ just had all the Rockets. They were coming from everywhere."

    "Yeah, I saw that too."

    Silence hung in the air between them for what was likely a couple of minutes. Neither seemed interested in touching upon the subject further, now that they''d already gotten the basics off of their chest. They were awake now, it was time to let it fade away.

    "I like being out early in the morning." Janine broke the silence, and Ash saw her head angled up to the sky again as he turned back to her. "It''s really quiet. Plus," she admitted without much sheepishness to show for it. "I like the way the sky looks before the sun rises. Not right now, but when you can still see the blue, and it''s dark enough to not light everything up. It''s all very relaxing, and gives me a chance to take everything in before the day starts."

    Ash hadn''t thought of it that way, maybe it was because he wasn''t used to being up at these hours. Normally, whenever he woke up and got out of bed, that was that. Routine had started. It was rare for him to be up early enough to just have the morning to himself.

    ''But if she''s so used to waking so early, then she has an entire window of time completely to herself now, since she''s not doing whatever she was doing at home anymore.''

    The thought made him curious. "Does your team wake up when you do?" he knew they wouldn''t be awake now, if this was early even for her, but he wonderedˇ­

    "A few of them have started." she replied. "Ivysaur and Beedrill, usually. The others are usually about half and half."

    Scanning the campsite, Ash noted that there were no signs of restlessness from any of their sleeping teammates; or at least, from the ones close enough for him to immediately see.

    Janine seemed to have the same thought, because she added. "You ever wonder if they ever had dreams like that? They were there, too."

    He nodded almost immediately. He had wondered, for certain. "Yeah, it''s definitely crossed my mind." Leaning in, as though it would allow him to observe a bit more closely, he tried to scan the campsite again, this time keeping his gaze on each teammate for longer, attempting to attempt any signs of restless movement. "None of themˇ­ seem like it for now." They''d tell him if it happened, right? He really hoped so. He''d have to bring it up if there ever seemed to be signs.

    ˇ­It made him wonder what they do dream about.

    "Clever idea, by the way." turning back to Janine, he saw that her eyes had landed on Tempest, off sleeping in his own corner of the campsite as per usual. "Giving Tempest a reason to work with some of the others for as long as possible." She turned to face him with an impressed smile. "You don''t really care about Valiant learning Icy Wind, do you?"

    Ash felt a tinge in his cheeks as he grinned back at her. They had shared a few of their training plans with one another over dinner the previous night. "If I was that concerned about it, I would''ve waited until we had a TM, or at least shown him footage and read some descriptions like I did when I first taught Tempest the move." his eyes turning to the sleeping Krabby in the distance, he continued. "I''m sure it''ll obviously come in handy at some point down the road. There are other ice type moves that Valiant can potentially learn, and this is a great way to start. But right now, I just need Tempest to work with somebody, and forcing Valiant to do things the hard way will prolong how long he and Tempest will need to be paired with one another." He ran a hand across his head. "I need Tempest working with everybody sooner or later, but this was the best way to start. That I can personally think of, at any rate."

    He wasn''t looking at her to see it, but she nodded in approval. "I''veˇ­ never had a problem like this before," she admitted. "But it sounds like a pretty good idea."

    "I wasn''t doing it at first," Ash confessed. He grimaced. "It''s just that, Celadon taught me a lot. Things that I''m a bit embarrassed that I hadn''t already realized in full. Back when Eevee first joined the team, there was some turbulence, but it all ran its course. But this has more to it than that, and the museum was a wake up call for me." he scratched the back of his neck for no particular reason. "I''m gonna see where this goes. This is the only way to see if things are ever going to work out."

    "And if they don''t?" Ash knew that Janine''s question was rhetorical. She already knew the answer.

    He nodded. "Yeah, I''llˇ­ release him." Saying the words made his throat hurt as he talked. It would have been one thing if he had just sent Tempest on his way after that dreaded incident with Tyrunt, back when he had barely ever spent any time on the team at all, but now, Tempest was a Pokemon that he had traveled to three different cities with. Taken on two Gyms with. Taught moves to. Camped out with. Shared hotel rooms with. "It won''t come to that, though. I''ll be watching them carefully." he was mostly trying to convince himself of that. To remind himself to stay proactive, and not throw an assignment onto Tempest, Valiant, and Eevee and leave things to run its natural course. He had already tried that when recruiting Tempest earlier, and it was exactly what had caused everything to backfire up until this point.

    Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Ash looked back to see Janine addressing him with a gentle smile. Now that their conversation had woken him up, his mind flashed back to the museum. To the cold, almost heartless tone and expression she had directed towards Damian. Now more than ever, it was increasingly surreal that such a moment had happened. He almost wondered if he had been hallucinating from the panic. Right now, just looking at her made it feel like every muscle in his body was beginning to relax.

    "Would you like to have an early breakfast?"

    Waking up in full had also brought some of his attention to that familiar feeling in his stomach. Now that he was already out of his sleeping bag, he saw little use in returning. Grinning back at her, he nodded.

    "Sure."

    /

    Tempest concentrated on the water appearing beneath his feet as he observed Valiant and Eevee, a couple of meters in front of him.

    Surf, as Ash had explained to him, would allow him to summon water underneath his body to carry him across the battlefield, a useful tool for an aquatic species with limited mobility. Krabby weren''t like Lapras, they could maneuver on land just fine, but normally weren''t particularly agile. The technique was more effective (and much less taxing), when used in an actual body of water, but was still used by a decent amount of trainers for certain Pokemon that otherwise couldn''t battle on land to somewhat get around their disadvantage. Ash had shown the river crab footage of a famous example: Lorelei''s Lapras, allegedly one of the greatest users of the move, utilizing the technique to flawlessly maneuver around the battlefield. Most Pokemon weren''t Loereli''s Lapras, and could never use the move to a nigh-unlimited degree that wouldn''t eventually expend extra stamina from said user (which was why the technique wasn''t universal), but Tempest thankfully didn''t need to be such; he struck that happy medium for Pokemon that would explicitly benefit from the technique, but wouldn''t need to fully rely on it in order to get around. If he could get a good grip on the move, and minimize the exhaustive aspects of its usage to whatever extent that he could, it would be beyond a boon for his fighting style.

    But Ash had warned him of how long this would take: That Surf''s progression wouldn''t bear any notable fruit in the near future. Another long term project. With frustration, Tempest was already seeing that now.

    It hadn''t taken him too long to actually start producing the water beneath his feet the previous day, but for a while, that was all he had done. The water hadn''t lifted him. Maybe there wasn''t enough, or maybe it wasn''t strong enough. The point of Surf was for the water to carry you as if you were levitating, and then ride the wave like you were piloting it. All Tempest had done was soak himself, particularly his bottom half. And today, he finally had the water lifting him up off of the ground, and yet it was just barely, with hardly any height. And his balance still felt shaky despite everything. Surf didn''t need to carry him up too high (or even that high at all), but he couldn''t even imagine how long it would take for him to produce a steady Surf that carried him to a decent height, with good balance, and after all of that, learn to maneuver the Surf around the battlefield to a capable degree, steering and all. And that was without even accounting for how exhausting it would be to do so consistently at first.

    Just thinking about it was almost demoralizing. This wasn''t like learning a move like Icy Wind or Scald, for pure offensive purposes. It didn''t give him that rush, knowing that he would be blasting somebody in the face with it one of these days.

    But it was going to help him in a fight, and he kept on reminding himself of that.

    Body wobbling, Tempest struggled to balance himself on what little water had been produced beneath his feet as Eevee fired off another Shadow Ball to the side. Currently, Valiant was in the midst of forming a ball of his own, and as encouragement, the quadruped had given him a second demonstration mid-attempt.

    Eevee''s encouraging, instructive barks filled the Kirlia''s ears as his hands mildly burned from the sensation of holding the ghostly energy in his hands. His grip on the ball was beginning to feel shaky, and it was only roughly about half-size when he released it. Exhaling the breath he had been holding, Valiant looked to Eevee, who''s face wore a sympathetic grin as she offered him a nod.

    Looking back out straight ahead, Valiant held his hands close to one another once more, as another collection of distortion appeared in between. The energy rippled and splash around with his grip, refusing to form any sense of stability as he squeezed his eyes shut to contain it.

    Eventually, with great effort, it began to take shape into a proper sphere, expanding gradually. As it got bigger, the rippling would resume on occasion, the energy sporadically crackling within his palms. As the burning in his hands increased in intensity. In actuality, the burning sensation was only getting slightly worse, but it felt as though it were multiplying.

    Eventually, the ball stopped expanding, now almost full size. Valiant stared at the ghostly orb with wide, shaking eyes, as though he were viewing a bullet aimed at his forehead. Slowly turning his head to Eevee, he saw her still smiling at him. All she offered was a nod.

    Looking back out ahead, Valiant''s eyes turned more focused, and he hurled the orb. It traveled a decent distance, almost as far as Eevee''s own before falling apart, the remnants quickly fizzling out.

    The emotion Pokemon let out an even bigger exhale than before, his nerves easing as Eevee brushed up against his side.

    Tempest watched the two for a moment before releasing his Surf, choosing to take a break from the frustrating move. If he spent any more time wobbling on shaky waters he was going to snap. He wasn''t sure if it was a mercy or a punishment when he found Eevee turning her gaze in his direction, a gesture of the head beckoning him over.

    The river crab grumbled. Who was she to order him around? But it wasn''t her giving him the orders, he quickly realized. Ash had given them directions, and she was ensuring they''d follow them. She wasn''t a bootlick like Valiant, but she took following the routine seriously. He didn''t miss the disdain in her eyes, however, as he begrudgingly made his way towards them.

    The relaxation in Valiant''s muscles was quick to disappear as the Krabby stopped in front of them, the Kirlia once more on full alert in the water type''s presence. Tempest took just enough time to sneer at the psychic (what was Eevee going to do about it?) before turning off to the side and channeling a familiar sensation of frigidness in his pincers.

    As the Icy Wind froze the grass over, Tempest turned back to Valiant and began speaking instructions. It felt as though he was just repeating himself from yesterday, and Valiant seemed to reciprocate after requesting elaboration. With a roll of the eyes, Tempest complied, attempting to repeat his previous directions in slightly greater detail. This Kirlia had pulled off more complex techniques on the battlefield than just this, what was the big deal!?

    Turning away, Valiant cupped his hands together, closing his eyes. Tempest allowed himself to back away by just a few steps as he watched the Kirlia concentrate, his derisive stare boring into the back of his teammates head. Eevee paid the look no mind, however, simply sinking into a sitting position a few feet from her teammate''s side, watching the young psychic carefully.

    Nothing happened.

    As Tempest''s mouth curved upwards, and Valiant lowered his arms to his sides with a disappointed and apologetic sigh, Eevee casually closed distance between herself and the psychic fairy, patting her paw against his back. As she did so, the evolution Pokemon repeated Tempest''s instructions, eliciting an ignored snort from the river crab. It was a waste of time. Valiant would be better off sticking to learning some ghost type move that he was afraid of while in the midst of using it than he would be trying to produce even a whiff of cool air from his hands. At this rate, Tempest half-expected hot air to come out of the emotion Pokemon''s hands instead. At least that would match what the Kirlia was clearly full of.

    As Eevee backed away, Valiant took another deep breath, exhaling carefully, and with focus, before straightening himself out. His gaze slowly turned steelish as he looked out to the expansive grass up in front of him. Holding his hands outward, he concentrated yet again with closed eyes. Breathing through his nose, the Kirlia continued to visualize, concentrating, zeroing inˇ­

    It was only a tiny stream, and it barely froze any grass, but after what felt like about fifteen seconds, the smallest stream of icy air made its way out of his hands. Immediately before, he felt the cold sensation in his hands that signaled the Icy Wind''s imminent arrival.

    Tempest''s pincers collapsed onto the grass as the river crab stared at the pair with blank, widened eyes and an open mouth. Once again closing the distance between her and Valiant, Eevee took just a second or two to shoot the Krabby a vindictive smirk before affectionately rubbing her best friend''s back in congratulations.

    /

    In another, fairly open part of the grassy field, a pink aura coated much of Pikachu''s fur as he punched and kicked into the air, occasionally lashing out with his tail. A few feet beside him, Tyrunt mimicked the routine, albeit at a slower pace, and with a fainter glow in his own pink aura.

    The TM for Play Rough had already allowed them to use the move to a basic extent; to produce the technique itself and skip the arduous step of building up a foundation (Pikachu didn''t envy what Valiant was likely going through), but much like with all decently powerful moves, the TM in question was far from a freebie, and Pikachu was quickly reminded of all of the sweat he had poured down his body to hone Iron Tail to the near-perfection that would be needed against Brock. A distant memory that had returned to him with this routine, even if the circumstances and training environment were not nearly as intense.

    Training by the rocks had been nostalgic, but for now, Pikachu was fixated on the new fairy type move, occasionally pausing to give Tyrunt a few quick tips based on how things had been going for the mouse. The young dinosaur was as excited and enthusiastic as they came, and the productivity of his youngest teammate encouraged Pikachu to continue pushing on ahead further. He had been outpacing the royal heir Pokemon whilst practicing the move, but that also gave him an opportunity to act as an example and guide for the rock/dragon type Pokemon to follow.

    Still, they had at this for a decent few minutes now. When the glow around Pikachu''s fur dissipated and the electric type ceased his sporadic movement, Tyrunt took that as a signal to stop, and followed suit as Pikachu turned to face him. The dinosaur gave his mouse teammate a happy smile as the rodent offered a thumbs up, before gesturing towards himself with some new instructions for the younger Pokemon.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Earth Power.

    Right, this was the move that Ash said would help to improve his ranged arsenal. They had practiced it a little bit the previous day, so now it was time to resume.

    Both Pokemon backed away to clear some distance, before Tyrunt closed his eyes with a deep breath. Eyes glowing a goldish color as he opened them back up, Tyrunt stamped against the grass with a howl. A glowing line of the same color traveled across the ground in between them, and when it reached Pikachu, energy erupted outward like a tiny geiser. The mouse was ready, and naturally leapt to the side to avoid all harm.

    Earth Power worked by allowing its user to cause energy to flow through the ground directly beneath, and detonate against its target upon collision, or after reaching a certain distance. It only worked on grounded enemies, or those who weren''t high enough in the air to fully avoid the ensuing explosion (at its current stage, Tyrunt''s version of the technique was a fairly tiny explosion), but otherwise emulated that of what one would expect from just about any other ranged attack such as Ice Beam, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. The notes that Ash had read to the duo replayed through their minds as Pikachu leapt away from the attack.

    Suddenly, Pikachu was shouting a different signal in Tyrunt''s direction, rushing at the dinosaur on all fours whilst one of his paws glowed orange. Although he wasn''t going at full speed, the sudden movement elicited a startled yelp from the younger team member, who attempted to catch his training partner in his jaws.

    Upon seeing Tyrunt''s response, Pikachu leapt to the side once more, leaving his sparring partner to chomp on empty air, before raising his paws to signal a time out. Seeing his teammate ease up, the mouse walked over to him, and began explaining that he''d like for him to try and block the Brick Break with his own. An embarrassed Tyrunt quickly apologized, before backing away to give Pikachu more room to break into a run.

    Once more, the yellow mouse rushed him, mercifully not striking at his full speed as Tyrunt quickly raised one of his claws to intercept him. Brick Break met Brick Break, and Tyrunt quickly felt a sharp pain in his fist as Pikachu''s collided with it. The electric type''s version of the move was very obviously superior, and the momentum carrying Pikachu into him quickly sent Tyrunt staggering backwards and collapsing onto his bottom, massaging his sore knuckles. Observing him with some guilt, Pikachu changed course, gesturing for the dinosaur to attack him instead. Nodding in acknowledgement, the rock/dragon type picked himself up and lunged for his teammate. Reacting quickly, Pikachu parried his strike with another Brick Break.

    For the next few minutes, the two transitioned between exchanging Brick Breaks, and Pikachu dodging Earth Powers throughout their spar. Pikachu called the entire sequence, always being the one to instruct the next shift in pace. To the best of his ability, Tyrunt followed his teammate''s orders whilst executing his moves.

    Eventually, the sound of footsteps broke up their exchange, and Tyrunt''s face lit up as Eevee came into view, mouth stuffed with something. As she spat out two objects, the dinosaur made his way to her side, chatting excitedly and eliciting an amused grin from the quadruped. As Pikachu quickly made his way to the duo, who looked down and saw that the objects in question that Eevee had been carrying around in her mouth were two oran berries. Apparently, Ash had trusted her to deliver them to the two in his stead.

    Nudging her forepaws against the two blue fruits, Eevee looked up at Pikachu and nodded, telling him that Ash had asked her to spar with him, while their trainer oversaw Valiant and Tempest''s practice. Now that Valiant had finally gotten to use Icy Wind to some sort of an extent, Ash had chosen then to take the time to observe more closely. Picking up the berry in his paws, Pikachu nodded the affirmative, quickly munching down on the fruit, not too bothered that it had been drenched in his teammate''s saliva. Pokemon weren''t nearly as fixated on germs as humans.

    Tyrunt seemed even less bothered, to the point where Pikachu found himself genuinely wondering if the implications of Eevee carrying the fruit around inside of her mouth had even registered with the youngest member of the team. The dinosaur had simply plucked the berry off of the ground in his claws, and shoved the whole thing into his jaws with just as much glee as always. Although the mouse immediately felt a minor sense of relief as he consumed the berry, the rejuvenative properties of the decently tasting fruit quickly digesting into his body, he imagined that his training partner was feeling them to a greater extent. Tyrunt seemed to be a bit more tired than he was.

    After finishing their quick snack, Pikachu and Tyrunt exchanged friendly smiles as the dinosaur walked off to the side, creating space between himself and his other two teammates as Eevee walked away for a moment to make some distance of her own.

    Fior just a moment or two, as Pikachu sank onto all fours and erected his tail to match the normal type''s stance, all the two of them did was stare. Gazing into each other''s eyes, the electric type found himself trying to emulate her intensity. The drive in her pupils. He couldn''t quite do it, but he wouldn''t break away, either, lest he risk being intimidated by his sparring partner.

    Eevee moved first, breaking into a sprint as her erected tail turned metal. :Pikachu immediately reacted by mirroring her actions, neither combatant holding back any speed. In the eyes of Tyrunt, the two teammates were like bullets as their bodies collided with one another, Iron Tail to Iron Tail.

    Quickly pushing each other off one another, the duo exchanged a flurrying series of strikes and parries, each one taking turns to be the attacker, not letting either gain too much momentum, and thus immediately responding with offense after they were finished executing defense.

    Abruptly, as their two tails collided from the upteenth time, a startled Pikachu found his attack met with far more force than usual. All he could do was yelp as Eevee''s tail pushed back against his own, sending the mouse tumbling across the grass as his fur soaked up the wet dirt. Stopping on his bottom, he could see his normal type standing proudly, metallic tail glowing with the bright, white aura of Focus Energy.

    Observing her downed opponent, Eevee allowed the pride in her heart to relish as she turned her chin upwards. She had only just gotten to use Focus Energy with a bit of consistency, and therefore could not amplify her Iron Tail to as great of an extent as she likely could with more practice, reflected in how the aura wrapped around the metallic tail still had room to glow more brightly, but the bolstered offense had been more than welcome.

    Not wanting to give her opponent too much time to rest or gather himself, she quickly shot forward yet again, only to find herself side stepping away from a quick Thunderbolt.

    Now back on all fours, Pikachu dashed in a separate direction, fur coated in Agility as he raced around the grass to line himself up with Eevee''s side. Eevee tried to follow his movements whilst still avoiding the Thunderbolt that he had launched at her (which she would quickly find was both a defense and a distraction), but couldn''t respond in time as his head collided with her side.

    The two tumbled across the grass, with Pikachu in control, pinning her onto her stomach with his forepaws locking hers into the dirt. Eevee''s stomach clenched as she saw the sparks beginning to fill his cheeks for a point-blank zap.

    Thinking quickly, she brought her head upwards, closing the distance and licking her teammate in the face, tongue purposefully passing over one of Pikachu''s eyes. The electric type staggered backwards on his hind legs, paw brought up to the eye as he forcibly blinked. Quickly springing herself up, Eevee desperately fought to gather as much concentration as she could, thanking the heavens as she felt Focus Energy successfully being channeled into her tail again.

    The next moment, her Iron Tail collided with Pikachu''s side, launching him away with a pained cry as Eevee chased after him at full speed. Even as he tumbled away, Eevee caught up to him, wrapping her legs around his body as she tackled him downward into the wet grass and dirt. He could feel said wetness as his face was involuntarily pressed into the ground, his teammate triumphantly atop his back as she pinned him on his stomach. He could feel the dreadful sensation of a Shadow Ball hovering just in front of the back of his head, a chill rushing down his spine as his body shivered down to the muscle.

    After a moment or two, Pikachu raised a paw and began tapping it against the grass. As the Shadow Ball disappeared from view, Eevee''s satisfied grin was revealed, making her way off of the electric type and allowing him to roll over on his back.

    His side was aching from the tremendous blow, his face was filthy to near-beyond recognition, and Eevee was standing over him with her head tilted to the side and a coy smile. For a brief moment, Ash''s starter stopped wincing from the pain and discomfort, and grinned back at her sheepishly.

    /

    Nebula reared back another wing as the blade of air formed in front of her. She had been practicing Air Slash almost non stop throughout the afternoon, the only breaks she took from honing the attack being the session she dedicated to Double Team, and the quick oran berry snack that Ash had stopped by to drop off for her before making his way to Valiant, Eevee and Tempest.

    She knew she wasn''t going to master the technique in just two days, but the repetition would certainly help the progress. Most attempts were fairly similar to how she had left off the previous day: Almost at full size, but without the stability to properly hold itself together for all that long. On occasion, the blade would either be at full size, or last for roughly the proper amount of time and distance. Throughout the entire afternoon, only two attempts had produced both.

    With some sweat pouring down her clenched face, a grunt of frustration saw her hurling the blade forward. She inwardly (and nearly outwardly) groaned as the near-full sized blade fell apart and fizzled away just like most of the others. Quickly, she circled around her area one last time, prepping herself for the upteenth attempt.

    She was running out of time. The sky was turning orange. Ash and Janine would want to get moving soon. But she had to put as much work in as possible.

    She had once been the strongest member of this team, and had carried the group through the Cerulean Gym to make up for her failure back in Pewter. But against Erika, that same failure had repeated itself. And under typing circumstances where she should have had the upper hand, nonetheless. She knew Gym Leaders were all perfectly prepared to counter just about any kind of type matchup; her trainer was anvilicious about that. But it was unbearable knowing she was the only active member to not score a single knockout, in two out of three of her Gym battles. If Ash chose to use her against Sabrina, she couldn''t let that happen anymore.

    With a quick howl, she hurled another blade outward. This one was full size, but still fizzled out rather quickly, only lasting for slightly longer than the previous one had. It was an improvement, but not a consistent one.

    "Hey, Nebula!" looking down, she saw her trainer gazing up at her with cupped hands. Inwardly, the Staravia sighed. That was her cue.

    Quickly descending downward, she perched herself on the small rock beside her trainer, happily accepting the pat on the head that came with her arrival.

    "We''re going to be moving out soon. Get in another hour or so of walking before having dinner. I just wanted to run something by you real quick." blinking, the flier watched her trainer pull out his Pokedex as he sat down on the wet grass. He seemed to be scrolling through some sort of menu.

    "You''re doing a great job with Air Slash so far." relief settled within her chest. "Once we get to Saffron you can keep practicing it. It''ll be a bit before we challenge Sabrina, so we might have time to add in one more move if you''re interested." she nodded as he looked to her for confirmation. He grinned. "Good, your species can also learn Swift. I prioritized Air Slash for its strength and because you can get a better idea of it more easily thanks to your existing knowledge of Air Cutter, but once Valiant is able to start practicing Shadow Ball without coaching, I was thinking of having Eevee try and teach Swift to you. With any luck, we might be able to get it ready in time for the Gym, although I''d prefer if we made sure Air Slash was ready first."

    Nebula considered her trainer''s words for a moment or two. Had this been a little over a month prior, Eevee would have spat in their faces if asked to teach her just about anything, given the way she had felt about Nebula in the beginning. But thankfully, that tension had died down fairly naturally, albeit the two of them rarely interacted. Still, it seemed like a harmless idea, certainly compared to having Tempest try and teach a move to someone.

    And since Swift was a move of her typing, she''d have some advantage going in to trying to learn the move, TM or not. From what Ash had often spoken of, acquiring some kind of competent, even if limited, variation of the technique in time for Sabrina could potentially be feasible, with the proper guidance. Likely not as natural as Eevee''s more experienced usage, but still something nevertheless. It was worth a shot.

    As she nodded back at him, Ash pocketed the Pokedex. "Okay, we''ll see if we have the time, then. Valiant still needs help with Shadow Ball at the moment, so Eevee''s paws are tied, and I know you''re working on Air Slash, so priorities first. I already ran it by her and she was open to it." Nebula blinked in mild surprise, but felt somewhat relieved nonetheless. "Your species can also learn Ominous Wind, which would be the most useful move to learn, but without any prior knowledge of ghost type moves like Valiant has, I figured it''d take too long. I felt this would be more efficient for now." Taking a closer look at the bird, he patted her head. "You look pretty tired, ready to turn in?"

    The question caught her off guard, and it was as though she had just now realized the fatigue in her wings. Ash frowned at her. "Apart from the snack, did you take any breaks?" After a brief pause, her gaze somewhat turned downward. "Hmmmˇ­ Your work ethic''s great, but don''t push yourself that much, okay? It''s like I said, we''re not fighting Sabrina right away. You''ll have more time to get the move down. And tiring yourself out will make it more difficult to properly form the move anyway. That''ll just hinder your mastery."

    Blinking a bit, Nebula mentally kicked herself. How had she not picked up on that sooner. Shaking her head apologetically, she offered her trainer a quick chirp.

    "You don''t have to say sorry, pal." Ash seemed both sympathetic and amused. "I just wanted you to know. Anyway, the others are waiting, so let''s get going." She followed her trainer back to the group.

    /

    The massive buildings of Saffron City could be spotted in the distance as the group settled down for dinner. Over on one part of the campsite, Tyrunt had joined Pikachu and Nebula, conversing with the mouse about some of the tips they''d gone over regarding Brick Break and Play Rough. Valiant would occasionally steal a glance in the dinosaur''s direction, whilst inquiring his own fair share of tips from Eevee. Over in one of the far corners, Tempest, with nobody to talk to, had recently finished his food first, and Ash could see him summoning some water beneath his body whilst struggling to remain balanced. With Pikachu occupied with Tyrunt, Nebula had taken it upon herself to initiate a conversation with Ivysaur and Golbat, the latter expressing interest in her Air Slash progress.

    Ash bit into his sandwich as Janine took a seat next to him. "You can see the city from here." he pointed out, admiring the distant sight of the skyscrapers lit up in the night.

    Pulling out her own sandwich (those really were the most common food for the road, Ash figured), the poison specialist shuffled for a moment to get comfortable. "It''s not too far, then."

    As she ate, Ash took a moment to ponder. "We could probably get there by lunch tomorrow. Or we could delay breakfast and hightail on our bikes, but I know you get up early."

    After swallowing her bite, she shrugged. "I wouldn''t mind. The Center has better food than what we eat on the road. I know some outdoor cooking, but I need more ingredients than I have right now."

    "It kind of feels weird being able to get to another city so soon," Ash pointed out. "But I''m honestly glad about that. I still haven''t gotten fully comfortable with camping." he admitted. It was a bit frustrating, knowing he''d been a trainer for over two months and still somewhat dreaded having to sleep outside.

    Janine was quiet for a few moments before responding. "With all due respectˇ­ you''ll have to get more used to it soon." she looked at him. "Fuchsia territory is going to be a lot less comfortable to travel through. The terrain and wildlife are going to be far worse. And it will take a while to get to the city regardless of which route you take."

    Ash scratched his hair (he still wasn''t used to not having a cap on his head). "I know that. I''ll make sure I''m prepared for when that comes. I never had to do anything like this until I actually became a trainer, so I guess two months wasn''t enough to break the mindset."

    "Hmmˇ­ I guess I was never in your shoes." she replied, somewhat entranced by the distant view of Saffron City. "Fuchsia City was always sort ofˇ­ merged, with the outside world, you could say. It was the perfect place to prepare for stuff like this."

    Ash swallowed another bite of his sandwich before turning to her. "So you''ve been doing this for years?" he asked.

    As she chuckled back, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something wasˇ­ missing from her tone. "Almost anything you''d need to learn to be a trainer, I''ve had my share of hands-on exposure to. Since I was old enough to be physically able. It''s done wonders to help me plan ahead. Father was adamant in making sure I knew everything, and he made use of our city''s environment to do it."

    "That makes sense." Ash responded. "I never really had any of that. I just went to school with a few hands-on projects here and there. Just for a taste." If her father was an official, and likely a high level trainer, Ash supposed it might make sense that he''d put so much effort into preparing his daughter. Compared to her, he was just an ordinary kid.

    It made him curious to ask her how far up her dad was ranked, but he knew that question wouldn''t be appropriate.

    "Speaking of Fuchsia," Janine brought his attention back to her a few moments later. "Have you decided what direction you''re going to go in after Saffron? Vermilion or Lavender Town, I mean?"

    "Not yet." he shook his head. "I''ll make sure I have that figured out before I battle Sabrina."

    She was silent for a moment before nodding back. "I''m still thinking too. I have a feeling I''ll take the longer route to Lavender Town, just to make sure I have enough time to train, but I haven''t made up my mind yet."

    That had certainly been an advantage on his mind. Choosing the Lavender route would bring what Janine had said earlier to the table: About how he needed to get more accustomed to camping sooner rather than later. But perhaps that would be a way to force himself to get used to it. Either way he''d still need to be prepared; he''ll definitely be purchasing a tent before leaving Saffron City.

    But whether camping was comfortable or not, it still stood that having as much time as possible to get training done was important. And for all the harshness that the road to Fuchsia City was known for, it also made it the perfect place to prepare. There was a reason it was a popular training ground amongst high-level competitors.

    Vermilion would always be an option, however, and a rematch with Surge along with it. He would have to be careful not to rush into anything, though, lest he and his team find themselves with a second painful memory walking out of the electric specialist''s Gym.

    Of course, the Magnet Train was a third option, and would take them to Goldenrod City in the Johto Region. Ash had already decided to hold off on that. He wondered if Janine had considered it but, although he imagined she wanted to earn a badge from her hometown first.

    A thought occurred to himˇ­ her hometownˇ­ It might be a longshot, but it could give him extra context for his decision.

    "Do you know anything about Koga?" Nearly finished with her sandwich, the girl paused mid-bite, as if not expecting him to ask. "Sorry, I was just thinking that, since you''re from Fuchsia and your father works for the Leagueˇ­" he had already battled Surge once, but he knew very little about Koga outside of word of mouth (or was that horror stories?). That limited form of knowledge hadn''t paid off very well in Vermilion, but if Janine had any descript informationˇ­

    Resuming her bite, his friend took a moment to chew before swallowing the remains of her food. She seemed to be in thought, but still kept her attention on him as she pondered his question. "Wellˇ­ how much do you know right now?" she inquired.

    Ash scratched the back of his neck, eyes quickly scanning the campsite to briefly check on their teams'' activity. Nothing much seemed to have changed for the moment, although Skrelp looked like she was already trying to go to sleep.

    "Basic stuff you''d hear about him, I guess. I''ve heard he''s merciless to all of his opponents, and doesn''t give them any leeway even when he''s holding back. And that he''s a brilliant tactician and works really well with ailments. I don''t really know anything specific. I''ve just heard people say that his way of taking on challengers sometimes feels more like a torture session than a battle."

    She kept her eyes on him while processing his words, facial expression still conveying that she was in "thinking mode". Finally, she turned away, looking out ahead towards the lit-up city in the distance. "Yes, those are the basic things. Nothing untrue." she brushed her hand against her ponytail. "Iˇ­ Well, he''s taken full advantage of everything you would expect a poison type to be capable of. They are lethal, often underhanded. When used right, they could cripple; find their way through any defense, around any offense, and bring an enemy to their knees. It doesn''t matter if it''s from the inside or the outside, he quickly calculates whatever the most effective approach would be, and takes it. And this has allowed him to apply that same mindset to other types of ailments as well. Poison has always been his go-to, obviously, but just about any type of hindrance you might think of, he has a team member for. He''ll exploit holes in your style that you never considered even being a weakness. He might even find a way to turn something into a weakness. Any mistake you make in battle, or in training, he''s going to see it. And he''ll make sure you pay for it." he could see her face tighten for a moment, before easing somewhat, albeit not losing all of the tension. "He''s the smartest Gym Leader in Kanto. Ask anybody who knows them, even the other Gym Leaders themselves; they''ll all say it."

    Ash bit his lip. So in short, everything was true. She was expanding the detail in a more eloquent manner, but the message remained the same, and she clearly wanted him to know that.

    "By the way," she suddenly continued, looking back at him in full. Although he didn''t flinch, the eye contact took him by surprise. There was an intensity in her gaze, and suddenly, as his heart seemingly skipped a beat, he was almost reminded of her behavior towards Damian at the museum. Had he not been seeing things after all? "That''s just how he treats your Pokemon. You need to be careful too."

    He blinked once. "Why''s that?"

    "Koga knows that an opposing trainer is just as much of an enemy as an opposing Pokemon, and how a trainer''s decisions will impact a match, regardless of what each sides'' respective Pokemon are capable of." Janine''s voice had grown stern, and although the look in her eyes wasn''t intimidating, it demanded his full acknowledgement. A demand that he listen to Every. Single. Word. She. Said. "He''s an expert tactician, like you said. But he''s also an expert at mind games. He is going to get inside of your head the moment the referee calls the match. He''ll make decisions designed to confuse you, advantageous or not. He''ll even try to disturb or even scare you, if that''s what it takes. Anything that could throw you off of your game, and leave your team to fend for themselves, to get picked off." Finally breaking eye contact, she looked back out towards the city in the distance. "It''s not just about beating your team. He''s actually going to beat you, toy with your emotions, and make sure that you''re not in the right mind to properly respond to anything that he does."

    Ash released a breath that he had been holding. "Heˇ­ breaks his opponents?"

    "Physically for the Pokemon," she replied with an affirmative nod. "Mentally for the trainers. I think that''sˇ­ the real reason he''s so successful. He believes in the duality of two trainers and their teams battling each other, and he''s made an art out of that. Anyway, that''s what I know."

    She said no more after that, and Ash turned away from her with an odd look on his face, the thoughts in his mind churning together, trying to soak everything up.

    ''The duality of two trainers and their teams battling each other.'' in his mind, he repeated what Janine had told him. All this time, he had been concerned about what kind applications Koga specialized in with his poisonous team, and what ways he utilized their venomous abilities the best. How painful were his attacks to deal with, and just how smart of a strategist was he? But it went beyond that, according to her, and he''d trust a native of Fuchsia with familial ties to the League over a random person he ran into on the road.

    <ol>

    <li> Surge of Vermilion, and Koga of Fuchsia. Two Gym Leaders feared by the trainer populace for being some of the most relentless, brutal, and traumatizing obstacles a challenger could attempt to climb over. Between both of them, Ash wasn''t sure who he was supposed to dread more.</li>

    </ol>

    But either way, the best thing to do would be to pocket this conversation into his memories. He had to beat Sabrina first.

    "Soˇ­" hearing her voice, he quickly looked back in Janine''s direction. "Did I tell you enough?"

    All of a sudden, the look that she was giving himˇ­ almost felt jarring. Like whiplash. The intensity was gone, and replaced with her usual, gentle coolheadedness.

    "Yeah," he replied, offering his friend a smile. "Thanks, I''ll be sure to keep it all in mind."

    Her smile matched his. "Alright, glad to hear it."

    /

    The campsite was silent. Everyone was asleep; Ash in his sleeping bag, Janine in her tent, all twelve Pokemon slumbering on the grass, or Tempest leaning his back against a rock. There was on exception, however.

    Although she remained planted on the ground, Eevee raised her head to look around for a few moments. Valiant and Tyrunt were both fairly close to her on either side, the two both sleeping without a care in the world. Although she was drowsy, the evolution Pokemon was a bit slower falling asleep tonight, but was content to relax until she did.

    The past two sessions had been a mixed bag for her. She was more than happy (and even eager) to teach Valiant Shadow Ball, especially with the contribution that it would provide against that Sabrina Gym Leader that Ash had been warning them and the others about, but being around Tempest and dealing with his derision was exhausting. At least she could use their occasional sparring sessions as a convenient excuse to whack him in the face, and the break she got while sparring with Pikachu had been more than welcome. Once Valiant had a handle on Shadow Ball, and Nebula with Air Slash, Ash had brought up pairing her together with the Staravia to hopefully teach her Swift.

    It quickly occurred to Eevee that she would have outright hated such a choice if this had happened back when she was first captured, but she was over the Staravia. Not to mention, it''d be quite the upgrade from that despicable Krabby. She didn''t want to leave Valiant alone to put up with the jerk, but she knew he could shut him up himself if needed.

    Laying on her side, she suddenly felt something push against her front. Eyes widening for a moment, she looked to see the source of the contact, and almost grumbled. Apparently, Tyrunt had been lying down closer to her than she realized.

    Casually, she tried to push the younger dinosaur off of her, only to be met with resistance. His sleeping body seemed to have gravitated to her.

    Somewhat irritated, she looked to Valiant for help, but her best friend was out like a light. She sighed; Tyrunt was acting like a baby as usual; did he even still count as one? She wasn''t sure what the age for that was.

    Giving up on trying to pry the youngest member of the team away from her, Eevee instead shifted herself into a more comfortable position as the sleeping royal heir Pokemon sought out the warmth of her fur. Listening to the quiet sounds emitting from his throat, a light smile made its way across her face. For an instant, she leaned forward, opening her mouth, only to close it back up, suddenly looking around to make sure everyone was asleep. To her surprise, it seemed like Beedrill wasn''t asleep after all, the bug/poison type''s gaze meeting hers for a fleeting moment.

    For a moment or two, the normal type hesitated. Suddenly, however, she found herself no longer caring, and began to lick away at Tyrunt''s head.

 Return to Saffron pt 1

    Janine''s hand ached as her pencil traveled across the paper. The seven year old hadn''t kept much track of how long she had been writing, sometimes forgetting about the clock behind her. She just knew it felt like forever. Enough for her to rub her eyes just before setting aside the page she had just filled out, and exchanging it for a blank sheet. A bulky textbook sat beside her on the desk, her free hand propping it open.

    Face tightening in discomfort, the girl wiggled her writing hand in front of her, trying to will the cramps away. This would be her fifth page, but it was also her last page. Setting the pencil down on the blank sheet, she turned the page on the textbook, holding it open as she began to read.

    Constantly, she found herself rereading paragraphs as certain statements flew over the young girl''s head. "Basic Biology" was hardly basic, and the book refused to work with her by wording things clearly. At this point, she just wanted this whole session to be over, and start fresh for tomorrow. And if she had to read the word "anatomy" one more timeˇ­

    Propping the book open with her free hand, her writing hand returned to the pencil, wrapping around the utensil as she got to work on the sheet. Pausing after a few words, she found herself rummaging through her brain, figuring out how to word something based on text that she wished was worded better.

    It felt as though another year had gone by when she had finally filled the page up. Setting the pencil down, she briefly wondered if she needed more paper. Simplifying and condensing her thoughts had been difficultˇ­ had she covered everything?

    But the assignment had been five pages. She had fulfilled that criteria, and ensured that no space remained on either sheet for a single additional letter. Wasted space would not be tolerated, so she left none.

    Closing up her textbook, Janine, having sat leaning forward for a good while, allowed her back to press against her chair, leaning backwards, lowering her arms and shoulders, dangling her legs, and forfeiting all effort in her body as an exhale escaped her mouth, her eyes absentmindedly directed to the ceiling above.

    She had all but forgotten what she was doing, not paying attention to how long she had been resting (likely five minutes) when a knock on the door jolted her out of her state.

    "I''m coming in, Janine." her father''s voice was final as the door opened.

    Knowing what would be said to her otherwise, Janine re-straightened her posture as quickly as able, turning her head to greet the man walking in. Her arms extended over to the desk, hands folded together as they rested on the final sheet she had just finished. "Hello, father."

    "How are you feeling?" he stopped beside her as his hand rested on her shoulder.

    "...I''m tired." she answered after a moment of thinking. Opening her hands, she slid the last sheet of paper to where the prior four were being kept. "But I just finished."

    She watched her father gather the papers in his hands and sort them. They had all been numbered, so he knew what order to put them in as his eyes scanned his daughter''s work. Janine refolded her hands, keeping her straightened position in her seat while her eyes never left her father''s face.

    The man in question was completely silent, his expression unreadable with no signs of change as he read through each sheet of paper without a sound. The lack of any noise or movement prompted Janine to shift in her seat a bit.

    Finally, he turned to her. "You did well with the information, but the handwriting on the last page is sloppy."

    Her expression fell a bit. "...I''m sorry. It must have been my hand." she lifted her writing hand for him to see. "Itˇ­ was sore."

    Her father looked her over for a moment, before setting the sheets (the last page on top), back on the desk. He ripped a blank page from the notebook and set it down in front of her, beside the completed sheet. "Redo the last page more carefully. You''ll need to learn to deal with sore hands in these situations once you''re older. You can copy what you already wrote, dinner''s downstairs once you''re done."

    Retaining her expression, Janine wrapped her fingers around the pencil once more as she stared down at the blank sheet. "Yes, father."

    /

    Ash and Janine shifted their bikes back into third gear, their momentum beginning to slow as they passed through Saffron City''s gates. Eevee gripped the edges of Ash''s basket as the normal type peered around the area passing by.

    Recalling the gray rain clouds from the previous time he and his friends had entered the city, Ash felt a sense of satisfaction regarding the far better mood this time around. The morning sun was fully visible in the sky today, with a few white clouds elsewhere in the overhead sea of blue. The air was clean and comfortable, the weather in general far more inviting than it had been before.

    It was impossible for the two trainers to not angle their heads upwards towards the Silph Co. Head Office, towering over everything else from its position in the very center of the city. They only looked for a moment, however, quickly returning their gazes to the road as they followed the signs to the Pokemon Center. The two of them had chosen to hold off on breakfast until they got there, their stomachs now leading the way.

    The two parked in front of the Center, Eevee leaping out of the basket and onto Ash''s shoulder as they returned the bikes to the Poke Balls.

    Clipping the ball onto her belt, Janine lifted her wrist to check her watch. "We made good time, it''s still pretty early."

    /

    When checking in, Ash had remembered to ask Nurse Joy if Sabrina was in the city this time (he had figured she would be by now, but had wanted to make sure), and was thankfully told that she was. Joy booked the two trainers a large room on the third floor, enough to accommodate for the collective total of twelve Pokemon on their teams, but they had gone to the cafeteria before heading to the room itself.

    Taking a seat next to Janine while setting his tray on the table, Ash was pleased with the number of trainers present. It wasn''t obnoxiously crowded, but there was a promising number, and he knew that this couldn''t be all of them.

    "It looks like both of us should be able to get a lot of battles in while we''re here. " he said, adjusting himself while getting ready to dig into his french toast.

    The surrounding conversations going on between the trainers around them blended in as Janine finished chewing on her apple. "Yeah, we thought so. This city is always active, I imagine the Center''s outdoor battlefield is going to be occupied just about all day. Trainers were battling each other for as long as daylight remained the last time I was here. We''ll have to find another place to train when we''re not going against other trainers. The outskirts would work. Other trainers will probably be there too, but there''s plenty of space to go around."

    Ash figured as much. He hadn''t done as much battling in the Centers themselves, but when they were busy (and as Janine had pointed out, Saffron''s always would be), he knew the outdoor battlefield that each Center had effectively acted as a gathering amongst the trainers staying there. Battle after battle would take place throughout the day, with the other trainers often watching from the sidelines as they awaited their turn. He was excited to join in on that fun, but wanted to spend enough time preparing from Saffron''s Gym first. Once he felt he and his team were ready for Sabrina, they would put their training into practice against the other trainers first, and then set their sights on the psychic specialist if they found good results.

    Looking back, he hadn''t really done something like this in his previous Gym challenges. He had certainly prepared, especially going out of his way to ensure his team were ready for the unorthodox battlefields at both Pewter and Cerulean, but retroactively, it likely would have been better if he had taken the extra step to assess their progress amongst other trainers in battle, rather than simply leaving the evaluation to himself. He could still do the latter, but nothing demonstrated progress and gains better than watching it unfold in a proper match. He''d have to make this new approach a routine, whenever possible. Thankfully, a busy city like Saffron would be the perfect place to start falling into the habit.

    As they ate, he began replaying his plans for the city through his mind. Valiant was currently in the midst of learning Shadow Ball, under the guidance of Eevee. He had managed to get the move to materialize, and was close to using it in its full form, but was lacking in control and ease of use. He was still new to the move, and his psychic typing certainly wasn''t helping in that regard. His prior knowledge of Shadow Sneak eased things a bit, but the different manner in which each move was formed and utilized was the primary barrier. It helped him summon the ghostly energy needed for the Shadow Ball, but it could only do so much to help him form it properly, or get used to it. That would be his main goal, which should simply come with practice. So far, his progress over the past two days hadn''t signaled any severe roadblocks, so he just needed to continue as he was. Apart from that, he was also working on Moon Blast, which Ash imagined could be put on hold until Shadow Ball was done. Some time was also being set aside to learn Icy Wind from Tempest, and although that wasn''t a priority, Ash was always going to ensure that some portion of the day was directed towards that.

    With that thought in mind, he spared a glance at his team, eating with relative peace and mildly conversing with one another and Janine''s Pokemon as he continued to comb through his thoughts.

    Apart from training Valiant, Eevee was working on Focus Energy. Once Valiant was finished with Shadow Ball and ready to start prioritizing Moon Blast, and Nebula was finished with Air Slash, he would have the evolution Pokemon teach the Staravia Swift for additional ranged options. That should make for a decent end goal to have leading into challenging Sabrina. He wanted to try his luck with getting the Staravia to know Ominous Wind, but with some disappointment he figured that that would be best saved for later, despite how useful it would be at the Gym. Unlike Valiant, Nebula had no prior experience with Ghost Type moves, let alone had been born with one, so such a thing would likely take up too much time, even if she had Eevee and her usage of Shadow Ball to lead by example. Swift would still be beneficial to learn, and Ominous Wind, as much as he wanted her to learn it now, would at least be a good goal to have for the future.

    Regarding new moves, Tempest was mostly focused on Surf, which Ash knew for a fact the Krabby wouldn''t be ready to use practically in time for the Gym. Even when he did reach the point where it was usable in battle, it would still take a lot more practice yet to get the full benefits out of such a move. Apart from that highly long-term routine, Ash was mainly focused on having the river crab further hone the moves that he already knew. His Night Slash was certain to come in handy. His sparring sessions with Eevee would be a good way to do that, along with giving the normal type an opportunity to further put her Focus Energy into practice. The water type''s impressive durability would provide her with further encouragement to get the strength enhancing move down during bouts.

    Pikachu and Tyrunt would still be grouped together. Both were learning Play Rough, while Tyrunt also practiced Earth Power. As Ash had already predicted, Pikachu was outpacing the youngest member of the team in their training, providing the electric type with an opportunity to lead by example and guide the dinosaur through the hoops, also teaching him how to use Brick Break. For now, they would keep up their routine, and Tyrunt''s progress would be tested eventually.

    /

    With full stomachs and work ethic to spare, the two trainers had taken their bikes out of the Center and to a far end of the city, with fairly open space and a mixture of grass and concrete. With other trainers occupying different parts of the area, the two were not able to split up as freely as they had been on the open road, although they quickly found it wasn''t much of a problem.

    After all, certain members of their respective teams were working on similar things.

    "Keep yourself steady, Tempest." Ash''s eyes briefly darted to the side, where Eevee was watching Valiant hold a Shadow Ball within his hands. The normal type remained by the psychic''s side as the Kirlia struggled to steady the distorted orb. As quickly as he had averted his gaze, Ash''s undivided attention was back on the river crab, who was currently hovering in place.

    The water beneath the Krabby''s feet was a few inches above the ground, wobbling shakily as Tempest''s balance threatened to give out. Whether he was in more danger of losing his footing or of losing control of the water holding him up above the ground, Ash couldn''t determine.

    To the left of Tempest, Tentacruel and Skrelp were both in a similar situation, also balancing themselves on an erected pillar of water a few inches high. Tentacruel had managed to produce one slightly bigger to further accommodate for her greater size, and to Tempest''s clear envy, appeared to be doing a better job of balancing herself on it. To the left of her, however, Skrelp very clearly had the least stable aquatic pillar to work with, and had already fallen off once, and failed to uphold Surf twice. The mock kelp nervously listened to her trainer''s voice as Janine patiently guided her through the exercise. The poison specialist''s voice was even and focused, sophisticated serenity radiating from her as she instructed her partners.

    Though Tempest seemed somewhat relieved that he wasn''t performing the weakest out of the three water types, it didn''t stop the Krabby from growling in frustration as the water beneath him finally gave out, his form tumbling down into the grass, now soaked from the splashing remnants of the failed Surf.

    Ash showed no signs of frustration as he approached his teammate and watched the Krabby pick himself up. He had already known that this was going to take a long time to get done correctly, but it didn''t seem like Tempest had accepted that as fact, despite his repeated warnings to the river crab.

    "I keep telling you the same things, Tempest." Ash knelt down beside the water type as Tentacruel''s eyes briefly viewed the two of them from the side. Skrelp was too busy struggling to maintain balance, and Janine was solely focused on the mock kelp. "Learning this move is going to be a long process. You''re not going to wake up one morning and suddenly get it right." his brow furrowed as he only received an irritated grumble for his efforts. "You have been listening to me, have you?!" The sharp edge in his tone seemed to get more of the water type''s attention. Ash''s eyes narrowed. "Is that it? You''re trying to jump over the game you have to play? This move isn''t like the others you''ve learned, as I keep on reminding you. No Pokemon that I''ve ever heard of was able to get it down in a week or two and be completely perfect with it afterwards. It''s a training investment." Although he kept his gaze on the Krabby, he could see Tempest''s own eyes traveling to the side. "Look at me."

    Tempest''s eyes moved back to him a little bit, but not by much.

    "I said, look at me." Ash increased the edge in his voice, and finally, seemed to have regained Tempest''s attention. The Krabby''s eye contact still wasn''t as good as previously, but he at least wasn''t trying to ignore him anymore. "I know how much you love training. If you just kept putting the effort into this move that you do into others, you''ll be just fine in the long term." Even as he spoke, a bit of understanding suddenly seeped into his face, as though he had accidentally solved a puzzle. "Is that it, then?" Tempest didn''t respond, but didn''t move either. He seemed to be waiting for Ash to continue. "You''re always making progress whenever you practice a move. It probably encourages your love for training. Correct, Tempest?" a nod. He had figured as much.

    Ash planted himself into a cross-legged sitting position, facial expression evening out as he kept his eyes locked on his partner. "But you have to understand that not all moves are going to be equal, Tempest. I think you already do, but most importantly, you have to accept it, which clearly you have not. When I tell you how much longer it''s going to take to learn a move like Surf than it would for a move like Scald, that''s not a challenge. That''s a warning. I''m trying to let you know ahead of time so that you won''t think that this is a failing on your part. You seem to be more focused on not letting this new move "beat" you than you are on adding it to your arsenal, or at least just as much."

    A light grumble escaped the Krabby''s throat, and Ash sighed.

    "You need to go into this with the same dedicated mindset that you''ve always had, Tempest." the trainer pressed. "And you have to hang onto that in the long term. Yes, you''re going to fall off the water, whether you like it or not." another grumble from the Krabby. "But," insistently, Ash, unfazed, didn''t stop. "If you keep letting yourself get frustrated like this, and constantly ignore the fact that this is going to be a process, you''re going to be falling off a lot more often than you need to be, and that''s not going to change whether you like it or not either."

    Tempest didn''t respond in full, simply averting his gaze downward while shuffling his feet on the soaked grass.

    "Do you have a rebuttal?" Ash kept pressing. After a few moments, he felt a flicker of satisfaction (although he tried not to relish in it) as the water type finally shook his head. Just barely, his lips curved up. "Good. Let''s address something important, then." he nodded as his partner finally looked back up at him. "What''s the problem: Maintaining your balance, or keeping the water up?" quickly, he added. "Or if it''s both, which one do you think you''re having more trouble with? We should address that side of the issue first."

    Regaining his posture from before, Tempest began making gurgling noises as he gestured his pincers across the grass in a wavy motion, as though intimidating the flow of water. Ash raised a brow. "The water''s the problem?" The Krabby nodded in affirmation. Ash gripped his chin, tapping the fingers of his other hand against his knee as the gears turned in his mind. "Alrightˇ­ how about this? I''ll hold onto you and try to keep you steady. Put your focus into maintaining control over the move for now, if that''s where you think you need the most practice."

    Tempest blinked for a moment, seeming like he was trying to process the request, before relenting with a nod. Standing back up, Ash positioned himself behind his partner, kneeling down while holding out his arms. "Alrightˇ­ you can start now."

    Quickly, Tempest summoned the water beneath his feet. It didn''t take too long for the Surf to appear, lifting him above the ground by just a few inches and allowing the river crab to hover in place. Once the Krabby stopped rising, Ash placed his hands on Tempest''s sides as his knees sank into the grass, the water type shifting awkwardly as his trainer gripped him.

    Now that he was holding Tempest relatively still, Ash could notice the uneven stability in his partner''s Surf attempt just a bit more clearly: even without Tempest wobbling in place, the short pillar of water was still sloshing in place, his partner unable to keep the liquid steady.

    Control over the water, and retaining balance were both mechanisms that Tempest would need to become near perfect before either of them could even think about moving on to actually riding the water across the battlefield. Incorporating actual movement into the process was going to be more than enough of a hurdle as it is.

    Ash remained in place for the next few minutes, feeling himself growing restless, and his knees somewhat sore. Nevertheless, he continued doing his best to stay still so as to not screw up Tempest''s concentration.

    Finally, the water gave out, and Ash felt a cold splash on his pants and shirt as Tempest began to fall through the collapsing pillar. The sudden downward movement caught the trainer off guard, and he failed to keep his grip on the Krabby to prevent him from falling.

    Backing away from the soaked grass and returning to his sitting position, Ash winced at the discomfort in his pants, now soaked from the knees up. His shirt, while not as drenched, was still wet.

    "Alright," he began again as the dissatisfied Krabby turned back to him. "I think you lasted longer this time. Did it feel any easier to you?" After a moment or two of consideration, Tempest nodded. Ash responded in kind. "Okay, perhaps we can keep doing this for now while I''m here. I still have to check on everyone else, but I can stay for a bit longer." even as he said it, the boy inwardly winced. To keep doing things this way would mean his clothes would become even wetter. They were already uncomfortable, and another splash or two would make it unbearable.

    He tried to shove that thought aside, however. When it came to grit, tolerating wet clothes was the least of what was expected from successful trainers. He could already picture Misty calling him a helpless crybaby.

    As he picked himself up, however, he suddenly noticed movement in his view. He had been so focused on Tempest that he hadn''t realized that Tentacruel had dissipated her own pillar of water. The action had gotten Janine''s attention, the poison specialist watching with a tilted head as the jellyfish approached Ash and Tempest. The river crab''s eyes narrowed as the water/poison type stopped in front of him and his trainer.

    With surprise, Ash blinked. "Tentacruelˇ­?" Noticing the look on Tempest''s face, he quickly redirected his attention. "Be nice, Tempest." he firmly reminded. Despite his grunt, the Krabby shifted his posture, and addressed the newcomer with a more neutral expression.

    Tentacruel seemed unoffended, and Ash realized that she might''ve been expecting such a reaction from the crab. It''s not like Tempest had kept his charming demeanor a secret from anyone in the extended group, and Ash himself had warned Janine ahead of time.

    Gesturing her tentacles, the jellyfish looked between trainer and Krabby, rumbles escaping her throat as she spoke to them. Ash knew that Tempest could understand her, but he was at a loss. Thankfully, Janine was already approaching the water/poison type from behind, Skrelp (no longer practicing Surf) watching from her position as the purple haired girl placed a hand on Tentacruel.

    "I seeˇ­ are you offering to help them, Tentacruel?" Tempest shifted as the jellyfish nodded. "I was going to have her give a few hands-on tips to Skrelp, anyway, so this shouldn''t be an issue." she looked at Ash. "If you two are okay with it, of course."

    Blinking, Ash thought it over for a moment. Of the three, Tentacruel had been the one clearly ahead when it came to using Surf. Skrelp needed more help than Tempest did, but both Janine and Tentacruel seemed to be perfectly willing to include them in that, so they wouldn''t be intruding on anything.

    Realising he hadn''t offered his friend a reply, Ash quickly snapped out of his thoughts and nodded gratefully. "Yeah, sure. If you''re willing, I mean." Beneath him, he could hear Tempest beginning to protest. "Enough, Tempest." The boy''s voice grew stern as he looked down at the Krabby, who quickly looked back up a thim. "I''ve already told you that you''re going to need to learn to work with other Pokemon. Nebula and Golbat are practicing together just fine." he pointed off to the sky a little ways away, where the Staravia and the bat were circling one another, each taking turns firing off Air Slashes. "I expect the same from you." he continued as Tempest followed the movement of his finger to the sight of the flying duo. "You want to make progress, don''t you? This is an order."

    Although the frustration didn''t completely leave Tempest''s tone of voice, the young Krabby''s responding grumble was a bit more submissive than usual.

    "I can stay here for a few more minutes, but after that, I''ll need to talk to Valiant and Eevee, and then spend some time with the others." Ash looked over to Janine. "Will you be okay with that?"

    His friend nodded. "Of course. I was just going to stay for a little bit longer myself before making the rounds. Don''t worry, Tentacruel can handle things fine."

    He didn''t doubt that, but still wanted to make sure. Looking back down at Tempest, Ash''s eyes narrowed. "You''ll be on your best behavior around Tentacruel and Skrelp, and when I get back, you''ll be helping Valiant with Icy Wind for a little bit before we return to the Center."

    Tempest looked like he wanted to groan, but didn''t simply shuffling off as he followed tentacruel to where Skrelp was currently waiting for them. Janine lingered just long enough to shoot Ash a thumbs up and approving grin. His cheeks flushed, a sense of embarrassment hitting him out of nowhere as the poison specialist turned to follow the others, finding his hand absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.

    Being strict wasn''t easy. Or fun.

    /

    Golbat swerved around the blade of air Nebula had chucked at him. Simultaneously, a blade of his own was forming at the tip of his wing as he dodged the strike.

    The Air Slash that Golbat fired off was sharper than Nebula''s, and also somewhat bigger, but the Staravia''s progress had begun to bear fruit. She had managed to pull off five consecutive Air Slashes that looked and felt at full power. As she hurled a sixth, the streak was broken when the slightly smaller than normal blade fizzled out a bit earlier than the others, but Golbat still had to avoid it.

    The Staravia huffed in frustration, but quickly shook it off in time to dodge downward as Golbat tried to counter with another blade.

    "Nebula!" Perking up, Nebula continued to fly down as she saw her trainer calling out to her from below. Golbat followed her down, landing several feet away as she perched herself on a small rock in front of Ash.

    She smiled as he patted her head. "I was watching you two for a bit. You''re doing great out there. At this rate, you might have the move ready in a day or two." As she cheerfully chirped back at him, he pulled out an oran berry. "Here, you can have this." as her beak plucked the rejuvenating snack from his hand, he turned in Golbat''s direction. "Would you like one too?"

    Golbat seemed mildly surprised at the offer, but nodded nonetheless after a few moments.

    /

    Tyrunt''s orange-glowing fist struck against Pikachu''s as both Pokemon swung at one another. The dinosaur''s face scrunched up in discomfort, but he did not relent as he and the mouse both reared their other fists back and struck one another again. Working as fast as they could, the duo continued to punch without reprieve, each Brick Break clashing with another as they both kept up their rhythm.

    Finally, Tyrunt''s aching fists failed him, and the younger pokemon was met with a blow to the face that sent him rolling into a nearby rock. Yelping a bit in surprise at the broken patter, Pikachu made his way over to him while massaging his own sore fists. Both had lost track of how long they had been at it.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Despite the pain in his paws, Pikachu knelt down and helped the dinosaur to his feet. Tyrunt stumbled forward for a moment, almost falling on his face, but Pikachu caught him, propping up his friend with his paws until the royal heir Pokemon was able to regain a steady footing.

    Although Pikachu had noticed it before, the exchange made him realize that Tyrunt had grown bigger than he was. On average, his species was smaller than Tyrunt''s so it was bound to happen eventually. According to Ash, Tyrunt would be growing in height at a fairly decent rate for the moment, most likely not slowing down until he reached the average height of two feet and seven inches. Which, according to Elacia''s information from the folder, should be fairly soon.

    Had he and the others (besides Tempest) not been there for the hatching, Pikachu wondered if he would soon forget that Tyrunt was supposed to be the baby of the group.

    A gurgle from his younger training partner drew the young mouse''s attention. Tyrunt''s face was sizably bruised from the Brick Break that Pikachu had landed directly, but despite the clear pain that he was in, the young dinosaur''s smile was almost as wide as ever, and the rock/dragon type began requesting that they continue.

    Pikachu rubbed the back of his head. At least Tyrunt''s behavior would be a good reminder. Increasing size or not, the electric type didn''t see that going away any time soon.

    Turning around on all fours, Pikachu created a few meters between him and Tyrunt before turning back, waving his paws and calling out for an Earth Power. Complying, Tyrunt happily charged forward, clearing some of the distance to take aim as he stamped the ground. Like a crack, the line of glowing energy traveled across the ground in between them, detonating as it reached Pikachu''s location, but the mouse had already leapt aside.

    Quickly deciding on a change of pace, Pikachu called out for Tyrunt to use Dragon Tail as he circled around to charge at his teammate from the side. Tyrunt obeyed as quickly as possible, tail glowing bright purple as he lashed out to meet Pikachu''s Iron Tail. Upon impact, the dinosaur grunted in pain as the blow sent him sliding back, but he retained his footing to launch a Rock Blast, which Pikachu avoided.

    As the fleeing mouse called out for Tyrunt to keep up the offense, the royal heir Pokemon raced after his faster opponent, open jaws filling with fire. As Pikachu slowed to allow Tyrunt to catch him, the pursuing dinosaur didn''t take the time to consider that the fast mouse might have been behaving a bit too conveniently for him, and lashed out with the Fire Fang.

    The upwards Static Tail that met with his chin while Pikachu ducked under his bite hasn''t been full force, lest Pikachu risk busting his teammate''s jaw open during a sparring match, but although the Iron Tail hadn''t been at full power, the Thunder Wave coating it was, and Tyrunt found the muscles in his jaws locking up as he was knocked onto his back.

    Smiling apologetically, Pikachu helped the younger combatant sit up whilst massaging his paws against Tyrunt''s aching jaw, talking to the rock/dragon type as he did so. Tyrunt had taken an obvious form of bait that he shouldn''t need Ash to warn him about. The critique elicited an innocent frown from Tyrunt, but it was followed by a nod of understanding.

    Patting Tyrunt''s head good naturedly (that seemed to cheer him up), Pikachu told his friend to stay where he was before taking off. He knew Ash had some medicine for paralysis.

    /

    Valiant''s stomach rumbled as he and Tempest stood a few feet across from one another. It was nearing lunch time (a late lunch, as Ash and Janine had chosen to get all of today''s training done in a single session and wind down for the remainder of the day), but his trainer hadn''t forgotten about his and Eevee''s arrangement with the river crab, and wanted them to reach their quota before calling it a day.

    In secret, Valiant had hoped Ash would forget just this one time, but knew such a thing wouldn''t be realistic.

    As Tempest grumbled impatiently, his pincers crossed, Valiant shot the water type a quick glare before putting his hands together. Off to the side, Eevee (who had just finished a brief sparring session with the crab) observed the psychic as he closed his eyes and began to gather all of his focus into his hands.

    After a few moments, a small stream of cold air shot out at the water type, who simply braced himself, crossed pincers now in a defensive position, and allowed his natural resistance to do the work. At the stage Valiant''s Icy Wind was currently at, it posed no threat to the river crab due to his ice resistance, especially with Shell Armor making him even more durable in general.

    To Valiant and Eevee''s surprise, Tempest began stating additional instructions, albeit in a less-than patient tone. Regardless, Valiant nodded back at the Krabby before going for a second attempt.

    His concentration seemed to be improving, as this one felt slightly stronger than the first Icy Wind, albeit Tempest hadn''t even needed to shrug it off. After a third attempt, Valiant, as if by accident, noticed his hands were growing a bit cold. He almost asked Tempest about it, but decided against it. The question was too obvious.

    It was likely because he wasn''t used to using ice type moves. Tempest''s natural cold resistance had likely exempted him from that kind of recoil, much to Valiant''s envy. It was just something else that he would have to adapt to. At least, it wasn''t as bad as what it was like to hold a Shadow Ball in his hands. Valiant had made fairly decent strides today, and Ash was even considering that he might be able to progress to practicing with the move without Eevee''s coaching, but that was mostly in regard to how much competence he was able to form and execute the move with. That burning discomfort was still there, and the young Kirlia imagined that it would continue to be until his body was further used to using the move.

    After blocking another Icy Wind, Tempest gestured or Valiant to stop, the emotion Pokemon growing tense as the Krabby approached him. Stopping in front of the psychic''s side, opposite to Eevee, Tempest''s expression was begrudged as he pointed a pincer outward, signaling for his "training partner" to pay attention. Backing away to give the water type room (and because he didn''t trust the crab to make sure he wasn''t hit), Valian observed as a much thicker and steadier blast of icy air escaped both of Tempest''s open pincers. Unlike Valiant''s shallow attempt, it genuinely felt like a snowy blast of ice.

    Without looking at Valiant (or Eevee, for that matter), Tempest repeated his previous instructions from earlier, trying to better describe the "visualizing" aspect and what Valiant needed to imagine and concentrate on. The concrete ahead of them froze over as he fired a second wave. After observing the solid ice for a few moments, the Krabby poured a surprising Scald over it. Turning back to Valiant, he pointed towards the ice, now melting from the boiling heat of the water type move, and grunted in demand.

    Valiant stepped forward, but didn''t go right by Tempest''s side, insteads walking in a slightly opposite direction before turning to face his target, and took aim at the melting patch of ice, along with the boiling water glazed over it.

    /

    The sky was beginning to show shades of orange as Ash looked up from the bench he was seated at, just outside the Pokemon Center. The late afternoon breeze brushed against him as he watched a few older trainers make their way to the door, chatting excitedly about something (the Fighting Dojo, from what he heard? Maybe one of them got accepted in?). Eevee was perched beside him, content to rest her legs as she watched Tyrunt thrust Brick Break after Brick Break, continuously punching away at the air to get a final bit of practice in for the day. The dinosaur''s work ethic had shone in the results; though he lacked Pikachu''s experience with the move, Tyrunt was producing a fairly decent form of it. His speed in using the move had also increased, his strikes quick and fairly precise, and the consecutive nature of them well-paced overall.

    "Hard worker." Ash commented out loud as he and Eevee observed the rock/dragon type. Hearing the normal type murmur in agreement, Ash patted her head. "You''ve all been doing great. Valiant''s coming along with Shadow Ball thanks to you, and your Focus Energy is getting better." Eevee grinned a bit at that. "Soˇ­ I think he could still use a little bit more of your help, but I feel like he''s ready to start easing out of it, too. You okay with spending some time with Nebula tomorrow? She''s doing great with Air Slash, so she can start working on Swift while she finishes it up."

    Eevee didn''t respond for a moment, a brief flicker of concern on her face, before turning to Ash and nodding back. He frowned. "Are things okay between you two?" Eevee hadn''t been hostile towards the Staravia for a while now, but it was best to make sure. Thankfully, she nodded.

    "I get it." Ash took a quick moment to look back at Tyrunt, who was still keeping his own routine going. "If it''s about Valiant, I know you probably don''t want him to have to deal with Tempest on his own, but I''ll keep an eye on them. They won''t be together all day, and I''ll make sure Tempest doesn''t start anything-don''t punch any objects, Tyrunt!" he quickly called out as Tyrunt seemed ready to test his Brick Break against a nearby sign. The dinosaur mumbled apologetically before backing away from it, resuming punching away at the air with orange-glowing fists. "Anyway," he turned back to Eevee, who had rolled her eyes at the royal heir Pokemon''s antics before returning her attention to her trainer. "I''ll make sure you don''t have to worry about that. And I know Valiant was nervous about using Shadow Ball," they both recalled the Kirlia''s unease at holding the distorted orb in his hands. "But you''ve done a good job at guiding him through that. He''ll need to take off the training wheels to go further, and we both know he can." he was given a grateful bark for that.

    After a few moments of silence, something caught Ash''s attention from the corner of his eye: A tall girl, probably in her late teens, was entering the Center accompanied by a black quadruped. Ash quickly recognized the Pokemon as an Umbreon, one of Eevee''s evolved forms. As if a button had been pressed, he began to realize somethingˇ­

    "Hey, Eevee?" The normal type, who had gone back to watching Tyrunt (he seemed to be getting a bit tired by now), turned her head back to him. "Have you thought about what you want to evolve into?" her expression seemed a bit surprised by the question, and she shook her head.

    Ash chuckled. "I don''t blame you. I''m here mulling over my options for what direction to take once we''re all done in Saffron, but you have eight forms to choose from." he patted her head. "No need to rush into it. Just try to think it over when you can; they all have different circumstances, so it''d be good to plan it out. Any preferences I should know?"

    Eevee thought over her trainer''s question for a moment or two. She was aware of her evolved forms, but had never really put much thought into any of them. She wanted to keep getting stronger, and it likely wouldn''t be too long before she hit that plateau, where evolution would be necessary to keep gaining without difficulty, but did she want anything specific? With the amount of choices that she had, she was tempted to just go with whatever opportunity presented itself first, butˇ­

    Maybe narrowing things down would find a happy medium. She could be flexible, at the very least. All eight forms would greatly expand her arsenal.

    Not wanting her trainer to think she was ignoring him, the normal type shrugged with a shake of the head, offering him a casual bark. She leaned into his touch as she patted her head.

    "Alright, just let me know if you get any ideas. We can put that on the back burner for now-" he frowned as he spotted Tyrunt lowering to his knees from the corner of his eye. "Hey, buddy! Let''s call it a day for now, alright?"

    With that subject being put on hold, the two quickly made their way towards the exhausted dinosaur.

    /

    With Tyrunt wrapped in his arms, Ash led Eevee back into the Center. Holding the now-sleeping dinosaur for an extensive period had abruptly made him realize how heavy his youngest partner had grown since hatching. It didn''t feel like it had been all that long ago when he could pluck the then-infant off the ground and carry him without trouble. Or when Tyrunt could freely ride around in the bicycle''s basket. Soon, the rock/dragon type would be too heavy for him to carry at all. Already, he was straining himself. He considered simply putting Tyrunt in his Poke Ball, but he''d be releasing him once they got back to the room anyway.

    As Tyrunt''s sleeping form shifted in his arms (forcing Ash to readjust his grip), Ash and Eevee passed through the lobby and into the waiting room, nearing the hallway that would take them to the elevators. As they stepped into the waiting room, however, he spotted Janine seated in front of one of the video phones. As if by accident, she glanced over in their direction, perking up as she waved them over.

    As Ash and Eevee curiously approached her, Janine pressed a button on the phone''s keyboard (presumably to put the video phone on speaker and adjust the volume, as she was also removing the phone from her ear). "Nice timing, Ash. We were just talking about you."

    Ash blinked. "You were?" his eyes moved over to the screen, recognition suddenly passing over his features.

    Although she currently wasn''t wearing the silver Ace Trainer uniform, the woman on the other end had a familiar face, and a long, dark green ponytail he instantly recognized.

    A small grin lit up his face as Ash''s mind quickly flashed back to Bill''s lighthouse. "Oh, Aya!"

    The Ace Trainer had coincidentally been paying Bill a visit around the same time the researcher had enlisted Ash to help him stop Tempest from terrorizing the younger Pokemon staying at his place. He had also, by circumstance, found out during that time that she was Janine''s aunt.

    The woman in question beamed back at him on the other end. "Hey, long time no see. Janine just told me you two were traveling together."

    As Eevee hopped onto the desk to get a better look at the screen, Ash nodded back. "Yeah, we ran into each other at Celadon. How''ve you been doing?" He had told his mother about his arrangement with Janine earlier after breakfast, although Janine hadn''t been present for it.

    "Nothing you wouldn''t expect. I''m in Olivine, right now. Just going about standard business." Although not losing its friendliness, her expression turned a bit more neutral. "Sayˇ­ how have things been going with Krabby you caught back at Bill''s place?"

    Ash shifted a bit. He supposed he should''ve expected the question. "We''ve beenˇ­ making progress. Hasn''t been easy." he admitted.

    Aya nodded in understanding. "If he was a problem before being caught, it was never going to be a freebie. Keep working on it."

    "We will." Ash winced for a moment. His arms were growing tired from carrying Tyrunt.

    Aya seemed to notice, a somewhat amused grin adorning her features. "Well that''s a familiar sight. He train himself to sleep again?"

    Ash giggled. "It''s the gist, yeah." he wanted to stay and talk to Aya a bit more, but he knew he needed to get Tyrunt back to the room. He looked between Aya and Janine. "Sorryˇ­ but we better get going. We''ll be back at the room."

    Janine offered him a thumbs up. "Alright, I''ll be there shortly."

    Nodding in acknowledgement, Ash turned back to the screen. "Nice seeing you, Aya."

    "Same here Ash, good luck out there."

    /

    Ash clutched Tempest''s sides as the river crab attempted to steady himself atop the pillar of water. To their right, Tentacruel was balancing on her own pillar, and to the right of her, Janine held onto Skrelp. The mock kelp let out a quick warning to her trainer, who leapt back as the water pillar collapsed, thankfully avoiding getting splashed.

    As Tentacruel allowed her Surf to fizzle out, Ash ordered Tempest to do the same, setting the somewhat irritated Krabby down as Janine checked on her smaller teammate.

    Skrelp seemed a bit dejected at her Surf giving out yet again, eliciting a quick pat on the head from Janine.

    "Normally, Skrelp''s Adaptability would make it a lot easier to get the hang of moves of her type." Janine frowned. "That doesn''t seem to be the case right now."

    Dusting his pants off, Ash glanced at the frowning Skrelp. "I guess it makes sense for Surf to be an exception. Still thoughˇ­ Pokemon normally have a smoother time learning moves of their own types as it is, and Adaptability amplifies that." It was by a fairly considerable margin, too. If anything, Skrelp''s ability should be making up for Surf''s additional difficulty. Instead, she was the one having the most trouble with the move.

    Janine seemed to be thinking the same thing. Though he hadn''t known her very long, Ash quickly found that visible confusion was an uncharacteristic rarity for his new friend. She seemed to be trying to tap into her "thinking mode", given the way her fingers rubbed against her chin, but her expression still seemed entirely stumped.

    "Every Pokemon is different, of courseˇ­" it wasn''t clear if she was addressing him and the group or just speaking out loud, but her head quickly moved down to Skrelp. "Try not to be too upset about it, okay? It''s normal for some Pokemon to have more difficulty with the same move than others. And vice versa." her eyes moved towards Tentacruel in acknowledgement. "Still, I am a bit surprised that your ability isn''t giving you any cushions. But that''s not your fault."

    "You''re right, it''s not." perking up in surprise, the group turned to the sudden voice. On instinct, Tempest''s eyes narrowed, prepared to click his pincers in an effort to intimidate the newcomer, but even he stopped short at the sight of who was approaching them.

    The trainer making his way towards them was a tall boy, whose voice suggested he was in his teens. Peculiarly, Ash couldn''t really make out his face; a black hat completely covered his hair and much of his forehead, and a thick pair of dark sunglasses completely obscured his eyes from view.

    But the main attraction was the older boy''s companion, and the culprit of Tempest''s uncharacteristic hesitance: A large, bipedal Pokemon with pink skin, a tan belly with stripes, and a round muzzle of the same color. The Pokemon easily towered over those on their team, with a large, notably spiked, gray spiral shell wrapped around its tail. It didn''t take long for Ash to identify the creature.

    "Sorry bout'' the intrusion, you guys." As the older boy stopped in front of him, Ash found himself absentmindedly taking a step backward. The teen had to be a couple heads taller than him and Janine, and, now up close, he realized howˇ­ fit this newcomer was. He wasn''t a human mountain, being of about a medium sized build, but even with his clothes (a gray shirt and pair of pants of the same color), it was quickly clear to him that his muscles were hard to miss. His voice was casual and carefree, with nothing to suggest hostility or even confrontation in general, but his sudden appearance, stature, and companion left the boy startled.

    Behind him, Tentacruel and Skrelp wore uncertain expressions, while Janine, arms crossed, was curious and neutral. At his side, Tempest''s eyes had not left the newcomer''s Pokemon, barely acknowledging the teenager himself.

    "Can we help you?" Like flipping a switch, Janine''s voice was steady and professional, cool headedly guarded.

    Patting his pink companion''s side, the teen looked between her and Ash, not at all bothered by the collection of eyes resting on him. "Slowbro overhead the two of you talking just now. He''s veryˇ­ ahem," Ash couldn''t see his expression, but as the teenager quickly glanced at his partner, his tone of voice left him picturing a dirty look. "Nosy."

    The Slowbro in question barely reacted to his trainer''s quip. Something about the water/psychic type''s facial expression discouraged Ash from staring at his face for too long. The pink creature wore an almost surreally blank stare, as though he were more object than lifeform. Staring at him had Ash involuntarily shifting in place.

    Tempest didn''t seem to be affected in the same way, however, his eyes never leaving the aquatic psychic.

    The mysterious trainer continued talking as Ash forced himself to look back at him. "Anyway, that conversation you two were having, I think I might be able to explain."

    "You can?" Janine appeared beside Ash, not showing much hesitance as her head angled up to make what would have been eye contact were it not for the taller trainer''s shades.

    The older trainer''s grin widened a bit. "Well, you''re right about one thing: Pokemon are naturally better at using moves of their own typing. In competitive fields, it''s labeled STAB. A Pokemon''s typing makes them biologically tailored for, say, a water type move to come more naturally to a water type. And those same biological attributes can benefit the aforementioned Pokemon''s usage of the move in a variety of ways: How fast the move''s strength grows, control over the move, how easy of a time they have producing the move for the first time, how potent or the properties are-which includes status moves-pretty much anything you can think of that contributes to move usage, a Pokemon will find boons when learning a move of the same type. Makes it a lot easier to develop special combos revolving around said typing as well, given how much importance those place on the "control" aspect." he offered Ash a nod. "Adaptibility is an ability that capitalizes on this. What we refer to as "STAB" is boosted considerably by such an ability: It takes the benefits that Pokemon receive from learning a move of their type, and strengthens them. On paper, that would make all but the hardest of techniques to learn a natural breeze. But that''s only on paper." his eyes fell on Skrelp. "I think you''ve run into a loophole, little guy." A bit less uneasy than before, Skrelp tilted her head in curiosity.

    Ash kept his eyes on the newcomer trainer. His nerves had come and gone at this point, running their natural course, and whatever remaining tension he may have felt was replaced with feeling rather impressed by the teenager''s speech. He was obviously very educated, although that shouldn''t come as a surprise; based on what he said, this older trainer probably saw action in high level tournaments.

    "Loophole?" Janine repeated, arms falling to her side. She was as engaged as Ash was. "I understand what you''re saying, so what''s the exception?"

    As the older trainer began to answer, Ash took a moment to spare a glance at Slowbro, who''s blank expression still had not changed in the slightest.

    "It''s a little nugget of info from what I said before," the teen began. "Your Skrelp''s Adaptibility increases the boons of STAB. It''s not actually a second STAB that stacks on top of the preexisting one." he reached up and quickly adjusted his shades. "Do you get what I mean?"

    Ash tried to ponder what he was trying to hint, but beside him, Janine''s face was fairly quick to light up. "Oh! Now I see what you''re trying to tell us. It only helps out in ways the Pokemon was already benefiting from notably. The foundation of the move itself is unaffected."

    As if he had just scored a victory, the older boy grinned at her. "That''s what I was looking for. Adaptability is momentum based. If the benefits of STAB weren''t enough to help you in the first place, the ability in question isn''t going to be the difference maker that changes that. It''s true that a water type would have an easier time forming an aquatic move, and that the move would likely grow in power more easily, but as you said: Once the move is formed, the foundation of the technique is entirely up to the Pokemon. STAB will enhance the move, and Adaptability will enhance STAB, but the overall premise of the move itself? That''s the loophole." his eyes fell back on Skrelp. "You all just probably never noticed it before. It''s fairly common, after all: You''re first years, right?" both rookies nodded. "Ask any water type I''ve ever raised: Surf is a pain in the ass to learn. Up until now, you''ve both probably been teaching your teams moves that, while not always easy to learn, were at least cases where STAB provided you with a noteworthy cushion. A Pokemon''s control over the move benefits from STAB after they''ve been able to lay that foundation. STAB itself can help them lay the foundation, and for a move like Scald, Razor Shell, or even Whirlpool if the user is talented enough, the technique is easy enough to where that all happens immediately. This might be the first time the move is too hard to learn for STAB to get all the work done right away, in which case, it can only do so much. And therefore, the same can be said for Adaptability. Once you''ve gotten those basics down, it''ll still take a while to learn, because it''s still Surf, at the end of the day, but those STAB benefits will still make themselves known throughout, once your team has given those boons something to bolster." he looked back between the two younger trainers. "And of course, the same goes for any other high-level technique you pursue in the future."

    Ash took a moment to process the older trainer''s explanation. It had all rolled off his tongue so smoothly, as though the knowledge was second nature to him. Definitely a professional, and a high profile one at that.

    Janine seemed amazed at the rundown. "That''sˇ­ great insight, thank you."

    The older trainer shrugged. "Eh, nothing wrong with helping the noobies get on their feet. I remember all the hairs I pulled out on my first year of traveling, so I can certainly empathize. Now thenˇ­" he placed a hand on Slowbro''s side. "It''s still morning, I have a few hours before I''ll have to catch my train to Goldenrod. If you''d like, I can set aside some time to help those three," he nodded towards Tempest, Tentacruel, and Skrelp. "Figure out where that foundation process comes from. Slowbro''s a man of few words, but he speaks from experience."

    Ash''s eyes fell back on the aquatic sidekick. "Experience" normally wouldn''t be the vibe he got from such an inanimate facial expression, but he knew better than to write the pink creature off.

    "Sure," he replied. "If you''re really willing, I mean."

    "I appreciate it, too." Janine spoke up. She turned to Tentacruel and Skrelp. "I''m sure you two are okay with that, right?" Ash wasn''t surprised when both nodded. It wasn''t a common opportunity to get an expert demonstration, and although Tentacruel was faring better than Tempest and Skrelp, she certainly would still benefit from the high profile perspective.

    With that in mind, Ash turned to Tempest, who''s gaze hadn''t left Slowbro. ''Make sure you pitch it right.''

    "Tempest," finally, the river crab moved his eyes away from the pink creature, and back towards his trainer. "You''re going to be as strong as that Slowbro one day. If you pay enough attention, you''ll get a preview." To his mild surprise, Tempest nodded back without argument, an approving gurgle escaping his throat.

    The older trainer smiled at the group. "Well then, it''s unanimous." Slapping his partner on the back, he quickly parted from Slowbro. "Alright pal, just let us give you some space, and show these guys what your Surf looks like."

    Slowbro nodded, although his expression barely changed as the group backed away, lining up to provide him with an open space. For a few moments, he simply stood where he was, not moving or showing any signs of upcoming action.

    Without warning, a pillar of water erupted beneath his feet, the liquid rising into a stationary wave that lifted him a few feet above the ground. Slowbro stood on the wave with no effort; his balance, and the wave''s stability, both equally perfect.

    Moments later, he began to move, steering the wave in the direction that he motioned his body. The water carried him across the ground at a fairly decent pace, leaving a trail of soaked concrete in his wake as he rode the wave across the opening area, twisting and turning every now and then as he changed direction without much indication that he was about too.

    Ash blinked in amazement. He had seen Surf on television a fair number of times, so he knew how a proper version of the technique looked, but watching it unfold in person elicited an entirely different feeling.

    When Slowbro finally came to a stop a few minutes later, the pavement looked like a rainstorm had passed over it, the concrete soaked with a few puddles scattered about. The pink Pokemon took the time for a deep breath, but remained unfazed afterwards. Tempest, Tentacruel, and Skrelp all stared in awe as the larger water type turned himself to face the group, facial expression still relatively blank.

    The teen nodded in approval as the aquatic psychic made his way towards them. "It''s still not an effortless technique if overused, but as you can see, general extensive use still comes easily to him."

    "Amazingˇ­" Janine''s eyes shimmered.

    The older trainer proudly prodded his partner''s hide. "Well, now that the demonstration''s out of the way, now he can give your pals some pointers on the move in a way that I wouldn''t be-HEY!" Without warning, Slowbro''s eyes flashed a bright blue, an aura of the same color enveloping his trainer''s hat and pair of sunglasses, both of which were immediately pulled off of him. With the hat no longer covering his head, and the shades no longer covering his eyes, the group was greeted with the sight of decently short, bright orange hair that almost hurt the eyes to look at directly, and a pair of blue eyes. "Tch, you gotta be kidding meˇ­"

    Ash took a moment to process the sight, blinking a few times as the older trainer''s hand instinctively rubbed his orange hair. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

    "Wait a minute!" his mouth began to run ahead of his brain. "You''reˇ­ Tanner?! The runner up of the Indigo Conference?!"

    Tanner had been a fan favorite in Indigo''s competition for the past two and a half years now. Hailing from Cherrygrove City, he was known for his charisma in interviews and for putting on some of the most entertaining and well-received battles of the past three Conferences. He had been a top contender in the past two, achieving third place in the Conference prior to the last one, and, just a few months ago, had been the odds-on favorite to win the latest Conference, just barely losing to Will after one of the closest Finals in recent memory.

    Turning to the startled rookies, Tanner rose his hands into the air with haste. "Whoa now, don''t say it out loud! I conceal myself for a reason. And it was working out for a while before someone decided to play a tactless prank on me!" Slowbro showed no reaction as his trainer shot him a glare. "Oh yeah, well that group wasn''t-wait, we were supposed to keep that private, we shouldn''t bring it up here."

    ''Slowbro''s talking to him with Telepathy.'' Ash quickly realized.

    Janine lowered her hand from her mouth, keeping her voice a bit quieter than normal as Tanner scrambled to put his "disguise" back on. "Oh my, I thought your voice sounded familiar. I didn''t expectˇ­"

    She didn''t even need to voice it. All of a sudden, the nerves had returned to Ash in full, and he worried his throat might lock up. Right now he and Janine were talking to one of the biggest celebrities in Indigo''s entire training community. He''d watched every Conference and multiple tournaments since he first got into Pokemon training, and had seen this guy on television in every Conference since his debut, including the past three where he had achieved iconic star power. And for him to be right hereˇ­ the world couldn''t be that small!

    "Yeah, I get it." Tanner replied, adjusting his hat with one hand whilst re-fastening his sun shades with the other. "Been doing this for about a year and a half, now. Once you leave your mark on the Conference, especially if you''re in the Top 16, people are going to recognize you, and it''s gonna keep snowballing the more you keep going." he looked around cautiously. "Thankfully, it doesn''t seem like anybody was close enough just now. That could''ve gone worse." he shot another look at Slowbro. "Don''t take that as a challenge."

    A wave of guilt passed over Ash. And he had just come close to spoiling it by blurting out his name like that.

    Tanner must have noticed, however. "Don''t sweat it too much, kid. I get that it was a knee-jerk reaction." his thumb pointed behind him towards Slowbro. "You aren''t the one to blame here."

    Janine rubbed her arm. "Soˇ­ you''ve kept your face hidden whenever you go out in public so that you don''t get swarmed." she spoke sympathetically. "I understand not wanting too much recognition."

    "Yeah, that''s pretty much it." Tanner''s laid back posture returned. "It at least gives me some control over it, y''know? I obviously don''t wanna do it all of the time, but at the very least, going out casually can remain casual. I don''t always have to deal with the bombardments of pointed fingers and comments."

    Ash considered the famous trainer''s words, eyes briefly scanning their Pokemon for a moment as he did. Tempest, Tentacruel, and Skrelp were all staring at Tanner and Slowbro (Tempest finally acknowledging the older trainer''s existence for once with their own differing versions of surprise, clearly trying to process the information for themselves. He had known for a long while the kind of fame and recognition being at the top of the trainer community would entail. He hadn''t taken as much time to consider how those in such a position often dealt with it.

    Tanner shrugged. "Welp, too late to go back now. So long as the disguise remains on," beneath his shades, his eyes moved towards Slowbro''s direction. "I''m willing to drop the act for just a little while. Anyway, your pals'' ready for Slowbro''s pointers?"

    The two kids blinked. That''sˇ­ Right! They were just talking about Surf a moment ago!

 Return to Saffron pt 2

    Nebula perched herself on a small rock as Eevee made eye contact with her, the quadruped offering a few instructive barks to get started.

    As she began to talk, Eevee started to really realize that this was her first serious interaction with the Staravia since her grudge against her had subsided. She couldn''t help the awkward sensation that reached her chest, but tried her best to shake it off and focus on the topic. Nebula slowly nodded along to what she said before Eevee turned around for a quick demonstration.

    Sticking her tail upwards, the normal type took a deep breath before opening her mouth, letting loose a steady stream of golden stars into the air as Nebula angled her head upward to watch. As the Swift continued to flow from her mouth, Eevee began turning her head, allowing the stars to shift in direction before letting up and turning back to Nebula. Raising a paw, she asked her bird teammate to give the move a try; once Nebula was able to use the move decently, Eevee would act as a moving target to test out Swift''s homing attributes.

    Nodding back at her new training partner, Nebula propelled herself off of her perched rock with a quick flap of the wings, soaring into the air, but making sure to not bring herself too high so as to ensure Eevee could still get a clean view of her at all times. After circling a few laps around the general area, the Staravia closed her eyes for a few seconds, gathering focus as she visualized the move in her brain. Opening her eyes, she performed one final turn before shooting her beak open, prepared to fireˇ­

    ˇ­Nothing came out at first.

    Grunting, Nebula performed another lap, Eevee angling her body around to keep track of her while letting out another bark, reminding the Staravia of her previous instructions. Nodding back, Nebula closed her eyes again, this time taking a bit longer to visualize the goldens tars that she wanted erupting for her beak.

    This time, as she reopened her eyes and her beak, a single star emerged, followed by one more a few seconds later. Clenching her beak shut, Nebula shook her head in mild exasperation. At least she could produce the move.

    Hearing Eevee barking for another attempt, Nebula circled the area for another lap, before reopening her beak. The stars began coming out in delayed periods; rather than a steady stream like Eevee had produced, one, single star would precede the next by a decent few seconds. A quick bark from Eevee told her to stop, and to look back down to the ground. Nebula''s attention quickly moved downward to her instructor, who, after seeing that she had the Staravia''s attention, let loose a second stream of golden stars, this time aimed for the rock that Nebula had been perched on just moments before.

    Nebula could hear Eevee repeating a portion of her earlier instructions a second time, closing her eyes again as she circled around. Doing her best to forget about everything else, she tried to focus all of her efforts into producing a decent Swift.

    The stars once again left her beak one at a time, but now, each star preceded the next by only two to three seconds. It certainly wasn''t a well-done version of the move, but it was beginning to look a bit more like a stream.

    Eevee watched Nebula continue for a few more moments before getting an idea. Abruptly, she called down for the Staravia to aim at her. In confusion, Nebula looked downward and chirped back. She hadn''t been using the move good enough yet.

    Another bark from Eevee. If Nebula tried to focus on aiming at her right now, it could give the training for the move more direction.

    Although a bit unsure, Nebula nodded back at the normal type quadruped, circling around one final time before lowering herself a bit closer to the ground, and taking aim at her partner.

    Eevee leapt to the side to avoid the first star, then to the other side to avoid the second. Once the third came out, she broke into a run, weaving around a few rocks as Nebula pursued her, firing off the golden stars of Swift as consecutively as she was able to.

    /

    "Anyway, that''s my brief rundown on how to pick out the correct climbing gear." Tanner finished, seated on a rock while watching Ash and Janine wrote in their notebooks across from him.

    Not too far from them, Slowbro had been coaching Tempest, Tentacruel, and Skrelp for a little over an hour. The former had been a lot more cooperative than normal, although Ash was aware it was simply due to Tempest''s newfound knowledge of who Tanner and Slowbro were. To his mild surprise, the river crab didn''t even seem to be jealous, per se, although he was certain that the Krabby would be picturing the Slowbro in his mind whenever he trained for the foreseeable future.

    Thankfully, that cooperation was seemingly paying off. Already, Tempest and Skrelp seemed a little bit better balanced than before when practicing Surf, adhering Slowbro''s careful instructions throughout the training session. The pink Pokemon in question never dropped hisˇ­ less than active expression throughout the tutelage, making for a somewhat goofy scene to any outsider that may be passing by, but Ash and Janine knew better than to doubt whatever advice he was giving his temporary students.

    The three trainers made sure to pay attention to the group of water types as they practiced together, but Tanner had also taken it upon himself to share some advice of his own with the two first-timers. Ash had quickly found that the older trainer''s casual lectures gave off a much different feeling than the academic lessons at school. Those were always very well informed and detailed, but Tanner''s examples, while not as professionally presented, were from a hands-on perspective, and covered specific, less generalized areas that school never had.

    His advice had mostly centered around traveling; he had just gone over climbing gear, and had, prior to that, shared some wisdom on how Pokemon herd patterns could affect traveling routes and be planned around, and how to notice the signs that a Pokemon''s nesting grounds may be nearby (which he had emphasized would be crucial further east). He had even shared a story on how his ten-year old self had found himself in a Nidoqueen''s nest (which he seemed to have found very amusing in hindsight, although Ash hardly imagined he had felt the same way in the moment).

    Janine set her notebook down while taking the time to glance back at their Pokemon, noticing with a small smile that Skrelp had achieved a new record for longest time without falling off of her water pillar.

    "Thanks for that," she commented, refocusing her attention on the older trainer. "Honestly I never really considered using the ax that way. I''ve had my share of hands-on practice in a lot of things, but certainly not mountains."

    "It really does rewrite every article you''ve ever read." Tanner nodded along. "Once you do it for yourself, I mean. I was decent enough in school, a bit above average across the board, and when I first set out from Cherrygrove, I tried to keep all of those theoretical assignments in my mind. But with every experience that I had, my thoughts would just rearrange themselves, y''know? School will always be important, but nobody steps out of it an expert trainer. Students come out of it ready for all of their accumulated knowledge to be recontextualized." he reached into the bag of cheddar chips beside him. "And overall, I''d say it''s been more fun that way. Apart from almost getting skewered in the chest by a mama Nidoqueen, obviously."

    Ash was almost disturbed at the casual laugh Tanner let out. "You seem to be taking that incident pretty wellˇ­"

    Shamelessly, the teenager shrugged at him. "Eh, it was certainly my least favorite memory from my rookie year. Wasn''t even upset that I had only gotten six badges come the end of the Season, I was just grateful that my life hadn''t ended two months ago. Carried that with me the whole final couple of months barely even caring if I made it to the Indigo plateau at that point." he leaned back a bit, taking the time to chew on his chips before finishing up. "But it''s far enough in the past now. I didn''t actually get hurt, and neither did my team. It was just a close call, a lot easier to move on from now that I''m at where I''m at. Besides, if that was the wakeup call ten-year old me needed to learn how dang awful his camping habits were, then better sooner than later."

    Janine frowned in sympathy. "Was the first year really that bad?"

    "Name any common trap or blunder a first year could fall into. I was bruised deep in those." Tanner took a moment to glance off to the side, observing Slowbro conversing with the other three water types. "In all honesty? I thought those six badges were just Mew expressing pity for me. I have no idea how I even got that far. It''s the average number of badges that first years normally get, and quite frankly, it never felt like I was performing up to the standard. Even now, I still can''t help but look back at it all and wonder if it was a fluke."

    ''A flukeˇ­'' Ash''s mind flashed back to his battle with Brock. On one hand, something inside of him had changed on that day. But on the other hand, there had always been that doubtful voice whispering in the back of his ear that he had just gotten lucky, and simply performed something that wouldn''t be replicated again. His battle with Daisy had thankfully silenced that voice of doubt.

    "But again, in the past. First year was fun for all the reasons it needed to be, but in every other regard, the second was way better. Nowhere near as many mistakes, got to the Conference for the first time and finished in the Top 32. Goes without saying that I came out of that way more satisfied with myself, and the rest is history." His grin was casual and relaxed. "That''s part of why I''m telling you all of this. Just don''t be like me, and you''ll find that sensation far sooner. There''s nothing quite like the feeling; standing in those stadiums is the ultimate sign from the universe that you''ve made it as a trainer."

    Ash quickly found his expression matching the older boy''s. It was a message told and reminded of ad nauseum, but hearing it directly from one of those competitors, face to face, and in person, hit much different.

    Janine''s face wore a similar vibe. "I remember my aunt telling me about her first Conference story. It felt like she was radiating when she spoke."

    "Sounds about right to me." Tanner replied, quickly glancing at his watch. "Hmmmˇ­ got a couple hours left. I could probably go for about another half hour before having to get moving. Still got a quick stop I have to make before boarding the Magnet Train."

    The two nodded at him in understanding as Ash stood up. "I''ll be back, I have to check on the rest of my team real quick. They''re probably due for some oran berries."

    "Gotcha," said Tanner. "We''ll just be over here." Janine nodded in affirmation.

    The two watched Ash walk off for a few moments before Tanner returned to his bag of chips. Janine watched him eat for a few moments before speaking up.

    "Soˇ­" she got his attention. "You said you''ve been concealing yourself in public for about a year and a half?"

    "Mhm." Tanner nodded. "Certainly around that amount of time. Long since gotten used to it."

    "So," Janine''s finger rested on her chin. "What made you decide to do it in the end? Was it anything specific, or did you just choose in the moment?"

    The older trainer took a few moments to process her question. "After I placed in the Top 8 in my third year, it was hard to go out in public, mostly big places, without being spotted. I wasn''t impossible to miss, not yet, at any rate, but suffice to say, my fourth year in the field was filled with "Hey, aren''t you Tanner, the guy from the Conference?" and just about any other variation that you could think of." he took the last few chips out of his bag and began chewing on them. After swallowing, he shrugged with a bit of a sigh. "I guess it all just accumulated, y''know? Towards the end of the Season, the idea just popped into my mind. And once I received third place in the next Conference shortly after, I needed it more than ever."

    Janine wore a sad smile. "I guess that''s the bittersweet side of success. Everyone sees you as a hero, or something great, butˇ­ they just don''t stop seeing you that way."

    "Yup, took the words outta my mouth, I''ll say. Can still get used to it, but learning to control it for yourself is a major boon. Preserves some of the normalcy of your nostalgic, up-and-coming days." slowly, he reached up and pulled his shades down, getting a close view of Janine without them darkening his vision. "And speaking of recognitionˇ­ don''t think you''re fooling me, kiddo."

    Although she didn''t go pale, Janine stilled, eyes blinking a few times. "Huhˇ­" Unable to help the awkward smile on her lips, her gaze traveled downward. "Soˇ­ you know, do you?"

    "Came to me after you gave your name." Tanner confirmed. He nodded in the direction Ash had walked off. "Does Ash know?"

    "Not yet."

    "That makes sense. Consider your secret safe with me then; I''m not Slowbro."

    Janine''s cheeks darkened as a rare sensation of heat made its way to her face. "Thank you." she replied gratefully.

    /

    "Here, eat up." Ash handed Valiant the oran berry, which the Kirlia accepted with gratitude. When he had arrived, he had taken quick note of the sweat on his psychic friend''s face, and the minor burn marks on his hands, most likely from Shadow Ball. The emotion Pokemon quickly nibbled away at the fruit as Ash turned to survey the small area his teammate occupied.

    Apart from a few destroyed rocks, he seemed to be aiming the Shadow Balls at thin air. The effects that Valiant''s training had on the surroundings seemed rather unremarkable, although Ash knew that was easy for him to think after watching Slowbro drench nearly the entire area Tempest and the others were in. The comparison suddenly made a blinking Ash realize what that could entail for when his team became that strong in the future. How much precautions would they have to take regarding collateral damage? He''d have to ask Tanner about thatˇ­

    Valiant swallowed the last of the oran berry and looked up at his trainer with a rejuvenated grin. "Thank you."

    Ash gave him a thumbs up. "Don''t mention it. So, things coming along fine with you?"

    Rather than talk more (which he and Ash both knew he shouldn''t do too much of), Valiant turned around, facing one of the nearby rocks, and held out his hands. After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, a dark purple spark appeared between his hands. Moments later, the flashing spark grew into a crackle, as more and more sparks of the same color frenzied in between his hands. The shape of the distorted aura was aimless, but after growing to full size, the sparks began to condense, taking the form of a sphere.

    The Shadow Ball still rippled in Valiant''s hands, the occasional piece of the ball jutting out every now and then, signaling to Ash that it wasn''t fully stable. But it was structured, a clearly formed sphere of blackish-purple aura.

    With a quick grunt, Valiant reared his arms back and hurled the orb at the rock. The ball exploded against the stone, scattering shards in an explosion of sand and dust.

    Taking a couple of deep breaths to regain his bearings, Valiant wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead, before turning to face Ash once more. His trainer wore an impressed smile.

    "You''ve made really good progress, buddy. Charge up time seems to be the area to work on for now," it still took Valiant a decent bit to properly form the sphere. "And I imagine you''re not ready for consecutive use in battle, but you''ve gotten a lot better at forming and using it. How do your hands feel after that?"

    Valiant raised his hands, revealing no burn marks. Ash rubbed his chin. "I guess that''s another thing with consecutive use. It''s always tricky when a Pokemon starts learning a typing that their weak too, outside of dragon types and ghost types learning their own. This is your first time using a ghost move offensively, so that additional strain from the exposure to the typing is a hurdle." Valiant nodded in understanding. "But you''re doing fine. We''ll keep prioritizing this over Moon Blast and the rest for now. And don''t worry about deadlines; we''ll be testing everything out in battle once the moves are ready." the Kirlia held his fists out affirmatively, before turning around to resume.

    /

    "Well, it was nice meeting you two." Tanner stood beside Slowbro as he grinned at Ash and Janine. Tempest, Tentacruel, and Skrelp were lined up nearby, watching them. "Goldenrod''s got a tournament with my name on it in a couple days, so I gotta bounce on over there."

    Janine raised a brow. "Is it part of the Silver Circuit?" Back before it became a part of Indigo, Johto had its own League called the Silver League. Although the Silver Conference no longer existed in the form that it used to, as the Indigo Conference at the Plateau had replaced it for Johto''s trainers, the Region still held a big tournament in honor of the Silver Conference every year, traditionally a month or two before the Indigo Conference itself. Instead of Gym badges (the badges in Johto now counting for the Indigo Conference alongside Kanto''s own), a series of tournaments dubbed the Silver Circuit was held across the Johto Region throughout the Season to act as the qualifier for the tournament itself. Though it was no longer a proper Conference where trainer''s competed for the opportunity to challenge the Elite Four, it was still a prestigious competition, of which winning was labeled a high honor.

    Tanner nodded. "That''s the one. Didn''t compete last Season, but this Season I''m going as big as possible. Everyone on the team''s amped for it." He looked between the two. "Good luck out there, speaking of which. Would love to see you both at the Plateau come the end of the Season."

    "Thanks for your advice today." Ash commented.

    "Nothing to it." the teen replied casually. "You both are off to a good start, just make sure you keep taking it seriously if you want to get there your first year." Behind his shades, a fire lit up in Tanner''s eyes, although neither Ash nor Janine could see it. "And if you do, well, I was speaking to a rival of mine a couple days ago, and she says the analysts are projecting this Season''s Indigo Conference to be the stiffest competition in years. Says it''s expected to be stacked, even by the usual standards. All the more reason to build yourselves up with everything you''ve got."

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Rivalˇ­" Janine repeated. "Was it Patricia?" A trainer from Celadon Tanner''s age, with a similar reputation.

    "Yup, the one and only." Tanner turned to Slowbro. "You''ll behave if I keep you out, right?" Though his partner''s expression remained dull and unresponsive, the pink Pokemon mustered up the effort to turn to his trainer and nod.

    Janine bowed. "Thank you for all your time today. We''ll make sure our teams take the surfing lessons to heart."

    "Good to hear." turning to walk away, Tanner offered the duo a casual wave. "Stay fiery, kids." The two rookies waved back as he and Slowbro walked off, although neither looked back to see them.

    Once they were gone, Ash and Janine turned to each other. "It''s about lunch time," he commented. "Do you want to call it for now?"

    "I''m going to make one more round." she replied. "You guys can go ahead if you want, we''ll meet you at the cafeteria."

    /

    The next several days fell into a healthy pattern for both teams. Pikachu and Tyrunt continued their usual routine, honing the strength of Tyrunt''s fists for Brick Break, the execution of his Earth Power, and the young dinosaur''s tactical awareness in battle. The mouse was sure to set aside some time to brush up on his own moveset, often with tyrunt watching during breaks from their cooperative training.

    Whilst continuing to perfect Air Cutter, Nebula took coaching from Eevee to get Swift properly executed, while Valiant alternated between Shadow Ball, Moon Blast, honing the rest of his moves, and being coached in Icy Wind by a dismissively cooperative Tempest. The Krabby in question would spend everyday with Tentacruel and Skrelp when not sparring with Eevee, giving passive-aggressive lessons to Valiant, and working on his own individual skills. It would still be quite a long time before any of the three water types would be utilizing Surf to the degree that Tanner''s Slowbro did, but even just a single session with the aquatic psychic had done wonders for perspective and guidance, and despite himself, Tempest never allowed himself to forget the insight provided to him by the experienced veteran.

    Eating arrangements had slowly altered, to the point where it felt like the kind of change too subtle to notice until it had already changed quite a lot. Though Tyrunt was always eager to share his training experiences with Valiant and Eevee (the two feeling varying levels of amusement to the youngest team member''s excited ramblings), and was always close to them come bedtime, the royal heir Pokemon now sat next to Pikachu and Nebula during meals, often chatting with the mouse about potential improvement to their respective movesets, and asking the bird a series of curious questions ranging from her own training to what flying was like.

    Tempest had turned down Tentacruel''s occasional offers to sit with her and Skrelp during meals (which the mock kelp seemed to be relieved by), and continued to eat alone. Since the past couple of days, however, he hadn''t gone off on his own during training breaks, remaining with Janine''s two water types during resting periods.

    Across the board, progress made itself known for all twelve Pokemon involved, but that just meant that there was one more, additional phase to go through before the time came to challenge Sabrina''s Gym. Neither Ash nor Janine were going to leave anything to chance until they saw their respective teammate''s improvements firsthand on the battlefield, and planned to spend the next few days seeking challenges from the various other trainers within the city, which there was very clearly no shortage of. They also needed the money, and Ash already had a fairly decent idea of what he wanted to buy.

    Even beyond all of that, however, he wanted a financial cushion. ENough money to where he wouldn''t need to go by a city-to-city budget, but would always have something decent in his account. This would, at the very least, be a decent step to all of that. After all, over the course of their stay, Saffron''s Pokemon Center hadn''t stopped being a goldmine of competition. And a good few trainers also occupied the various makeshift training grounds the two teams had utilized on the outskirts. Of course, the vast majority of competitive spirit resided at the Pokemon Center''s public battlefield, which always saw occupation from multiple people at once.

    Right now, however, they were at the training grounds.

    "Ivysaur, Infection Blast!" Off to the side, Ash, Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt were watching Janine''s battle with a boy their age. Elsewhere, Valiant and Tempest were with Tentacruel and Skrelp, the river crab begrudgingly providing the Kirlia with additional coaching during a break from Surf practice. Nebula and Toxtricity were sharing a quick snack together while watching them train. On the other side, Janine''s battle with her opponent had garnered a small audience, a boy and a girl of the same age.

    Ivysaur bent his body forward to take aim at the opposing Raticate with his bud, which opened up to release the familiar stream of glowing seeds coated in bright purple powder.

    The Raticate, already bruised from previous blows, bolted to the side before changing direction to charge right for Ivysaur. The rat''s tail coated itself in metal as the rodent lashed out, but Ivysaur''s bud quickly sprouted two vines that pressed into the ground and slingshotted Janine''s starter out of harm''s way.

    "Back, Ivysaur." As Raticate''s tail struck nothing but air, the normal type halted his momentum and shifted position, turning to face the direction Ivysaur had retreated in, just in time for the seed Pokemon''s vines to press into the ground again just as he landed, propelling him off of the pavement back in the direction that he chad come from, shoulder-first into the surprised Raticate''s face.

    "Raticate!" Janine''s opponent wasn''t masking his nerves. His Croconaw had already lost to Golbat after only getting a few brief moments of offense, and Raticate was already getting knocked around early into this round of the match. "Ice Beam!"

    Despite the pin, Raticate landed on his feet, sliding back a few moments before sinking down to all fours and letting loose a blast of ice from his mouth as he ran forward. Once again, Ivysaur slingshotted himself to the side, leaving the ice to freeze over the ground where the grass/poison type once stood.

    "Sludge Bomb." Janine unflinchingly ordered.

    "Double Team!" the boy frantically called out. Just as Ivysaur began to bend forward, opening up the bud on his back in preparation to launch the glob of sludge, Raticate split into two.

    "Hold." Though Janine quickly changed her orders, her cool tone remained unaltered as Ivyausar stood in place.

    Her opponent seemed to take her choice of words as a sign of hesitance, a slight excitement creeping its way into her tone. "Super Fang!"

    Even as both Raticate began to bolt forward towards the target, Janine''s words escaped her mouth with rapid fluidity.

    "Fire, then Venom Vine in the mouth." Before her opponent had any chance to process what was about to happen, Ivysaur fired the glob of sludge, which ended up striking the clone Raticate, immediately forcing it to vanish. Even as the sludge lef the bud, however, a vine was already sprouting, the tip coated in purple powder as it lashed out at the real Raticate, whose mouth was opening wide.

    Knowing exactly what was on the vine, Ash felt his heart skip a beat, and his stomach churn, as the Poison Powder-covered vine was shoved directly into the approaching Raticate''s mouth and down his throat, the rodent''s fairly quick momentum exacerbating the insertion.

    The normal type''s eyes looked like they might bulge out of his face as his paws immediately (and futilley) shot for his throat. As Ivysaur retracted his vine, Raticate lost his footing, sinking to his bottom as a disturbing choking noise emitted from the rodent. The opposing trainer''s fists shook in desperation as he attempted to call out to his partner.

    Raising an arm, Janine''s expression and tone remained neutral. "Energy Ball!"

    As Raticate began to cough, an emerald sphere of light erupted from ivysaur''s open mouth and into the rodent''s stomach, bowling him over onto his back as his mouth hung open.

    Not even an instant later, Raticate''s body vanished in a red flash of light as his trainer frantically held out a Poke Ball.

    "I forfeit!" the boy quickly declared, reaching up with his other hand in an effort to wipe the sweat off of his face. "You win, I''m done."

    Janine crossed her arms, face remaining stoic as she nodded in acknowledgement of her opponent''s surrender. As her gaze turned downward to greet Ivysaur as he approached her, however, her lips curved into a smile as she bent down to pat her starter''s head, the seed Pokemon closing his eyes and leaning into her touch.

    "Good work as always, Ivysaur. Another great win."

    The shift in behavior, now that Ash had time to take it in, was almost unsettling to him. What had happened between Ivysaur and Raticate was not a first; just in the previous round, Golbat had shoved two Steel Wings into the boy''s Croconaw''s mouth to forcibly pry the water type''s jaws wide open. In an earlier battle, Ivysaur had choked a Bayleaf into submission the same way he had done to Damian''s Charmeleon back in Celadon (mercifully, Bayleaf had submitted before passing out).

    And yetˇ­ here she was now. It was all so dissonant; one moment Janine was one of the most compassionate and comfortable to be around people Ash had known, but the moment a battle was declared, she turned cold: Calculated and ruthless, resorting to whatever brutal, shameless, low-blowing tactic that would capture the win. Expression completely cool headed and even throughout. And then when the action died down, suddenly she was back to her old self; as though nothing had happened at all.

    "If I hadn''t known better, I''d have thought she had two personalities." Ash almost jumped a bit; he hadn''t noticed Valiant and Tempest had joined them on the sidelines. Apparently, his psychic friend was thinking similar to him; that seemed to happen a lot.

    "Hehˇ­" with a small smile, Ash turned to the Kirlia and Krabby, the latter of whom was eying Ivysaur. "I wouldn''t blame you." looking back at Janine, she saw her and the boy with their Pokedexes out, likely going through the "prize money" process. As the boy left with a hasty speedwalk, she turned to the two other trainers who had been watching.

    "Would you guys like a match?" she inquired.

    With an uneasy grin, the other boy held his hands out. "Oh, no thanks. Weˇ­ have somewhere to be."

    "Yeah," the girl sweated. "Maybe another time." Janine watched the duo depart from the scene with a little bit too much franticity.

    "Congrats," Janine and Ivysaur turned around, perking up as Ash, Eevee, and Tyrunt stopped in front of them. Behind them, Valiant and Tempest had rejoined Tentacruel and Skrelp, and Pikachu had gone over to Nebula and Toxtricity. "That wasˇ­ impressive." Ash hoped the compliment didn''t sound too forced; he didn''t completely mean for it to be.

    Janine smiled. "Thanks, Ash." As Eevee, Tyrunt and Ivysaur began to chat at their feet, she turned her head to the city proper. "I think I''m going to take a break pretty soon, now. Go out in the city to browse for some necessities." she turned back to him. "Would you like to come with me?"

    With some regret, Ash shook his head. "Thanks, but I want to make sure I''m more securely stocked on money first. I was thinking of heading back to the Center soon; see how much is going on at the battlefield. Overhearing him, Tyrunt''s face lit up.

    She seemed more understanding than disappointed. "Alright, I''ll see you back at the Center later, then?"

    He nodded. "Yeah, sounds like a plan."

    /

    The Chikorita let out a cry as Tempest''s Metal Claw smacked her away from him. Landing on her head, the grass type bounced along the pavement for a few moments before going still, quickly returned by her trainer, a different boy about Ash''s age.

    Although it meant he had needed to wait his turn, Ash had found it was his lucky day upon reaching the Pokemon Center''s public battlefield; it was bursting with activity. Numerous trainers (mostly about his age) on the sidelines waiting their turn while watching whoever was currently participating duke it out with one another. An exciting mix of competition and conversation that only the training community could produce radiated throughout the air: it was the place to be.

    When it was finally Ash''s turn at the front of the line, his team had quickly jumped to the occasion. Tyrunt and Nebula both saw immediate action, although the former would fall after a couple of bouts, and the latter would be left drained after being forced into her Reckless state, and Pikachu had been active for a brief moment as well. Quickly, Ash had found himself racking up a winning streak in front of the audience, and the fair amount of prize money to go along with it. Beside him, Eevee watched, still yet to participate.

    As the trainer''s gathered clapped, Ash felt a bit of an adrenaline rush, but suppressed it enough to survey his water type partner. Tempest, after happily celebrating his victory with pumped up pincers, had voluntarily taken a seat as their opponent fished for a second Poke Ball; his outer shell was lined with bruises and a burn mark, and his breathing was growing just a bit heavy.

    "Tempestˇ­" the Krabby turned his head to his trainer as Eevee remained perched at Ash''s feet. Despite his good mood, Ash''s face grew a bit serious. "That was your fourth fight in a row, wanna quit while you''re ahead?" The river crab had been dominant ever since he was called on, but sooner or later Ash knew his stamina would give in at some point.

    Perking up, Tempest quickly rose to his feet, turning to Ash in full and promptly shaking his head as the opposing trainer decided on their next member. Brow furrowing at his partner''s stubbornness, Ash''s face formed into a frown. ''I see someone''s right in his elementˇ­'' If he was this excited, he''d only be able to imagine what that meant for how Tempest was feeling right about now.

    "Tempest, I know you''re having fun, I am too, but I''m telling you, there will be plenty of time for that tomorrow. Competition''s not going anywhere." Stubbornly, Tempest shook his head yet again, seemingly more as a request than a refusal.

    After observing the crab for a few more moments, Ash finally sighed. "Fineˇ­" the water type began to perk up as his trainer held up his index finger. "You''ll get one more, but then it''s Eevee''s turn. No "buts", alright?" Satisfied, Tempest nodded back with an eager grin.

    "Yeah! The streak continues!" Ash heard a rowdy girl yell in the small audience. The situation had created a fairly unique atmosphere that he was not fully used too yet: But he knew that he needed to be: after all, the stadiums at Indigo Plateau would be hell of a lot more than this, even if he didn''t make it to the main stadium for the Top 16 (and he''d still be there for the opening ceremony regardless). Not to mention Surge''s Gym, but he did his best to suppress that memory for the time being.

    Expression reminding Ash of Trucy Pallet Town, Tempest turned back to the trainer on the opposite end to await his next opponent, clicking pincers making his intentions clear.

    Holding his Poke Ball without a word, the other boy quickly released a Machop, who bent his knees and assumed a fighting stance whilst stoically locking eyes with the excited Krabby. "That thing''s a freak of nature, Jumbo! Hit him as you can; he''s already hurt. Punch through the bruises!"

    The Machop, Jumbo, quickly kicked off the ground as his now-fully curled up fist lit up with electricity. Acting fast, Tempest lunged forward, firing off two streams of boiling water that Jumbo sidestepped away from. The Scald provided a brief distraction for Tempest to close a bit of the distance, freezing the pavement just next to the Machop with a fast Icy Wind.

    Caught off guard by the hastily-fired attack, Jumbo immediately found his footing compromised, raising a leg in the air with a startled cry as the fighting type, now on one foot, slid across the small patch of ice whilst struggling to maintain his balance.

    "Razor Shell!"

    Just as the Machop exited the icy patch, Tempest was already upon him, swinging his pincer forward as the watery blade that he held crashed into the superpower Pokemon''s chest. Jumbo grunted in discomfort, flipping over from the impact of the blow, but easily landing on his feet, sliding back a notable bit and crouching down as his hand massaged his chest.

    Although the Razor Shell had left a bruise, Ash noted that the immediate effects didn''t seem all that debilitating; Jumbo was tough, and Ash wondered if Tempest was having a harder time striking at full power after being active for this long without any breaks.

    Their opponent seemed eager to capitalize on the latter (not that Ash would have been any different). "Focus Energy and Thunder Punch, Jumbo!" he quickly added: "Use Dig to reach him!"

    ''Machop can use Dig?!'' beside Ash, Eevee seemed to be equally alarmed. "Water Pulse, Tempest!" hoping to stop their opponent, Tempest quickly held out his pincers, charging up two orbs of water in both of them before firing. Jumbo was acting fast, however, hands mashing away at the cement he was standing on, and ducked into the hole he had dug just in time to leave the two Water Pulses to crash into the barriers in front of the opposing trainer. Noticing a small fissure making its way towards Tempest, Ash quickly called out. "Be on guard!"

    Crossing his pincers in defense, Tempest began backing away, preventing Jumbo from emerging just beneath him. Beneath the electricity, the Machop''s fist was glowing from the bright, white light of Focus Energy as he swung it forward, aimed for the charred bruise on Tempest''s front.

    The young Krabby''s Metal Claw collided with the blow in intercept, but Tempest almost immediately felt his muscles beginning to strain as the Machop''s offense pushed back against his block. After a few moments of struggling (where the river crab''s outstretched outstretched limb began to increasingly tremble), the water type was forced to stagger backwards as the metallic pincer was propelled behind him. Raising his other fist, Jumbo drove a second punch into the targeted bruise.

    Ash looked on with a pained wince as Tempest gasped and sputtered for air from the impact. Abruptly, however, a second Icy Wind began to escape from his now open pincers, and Jumbo, without warning, was quick to find the ground that he stood on coated with slippery ice. Before his trainer could even cry out in warning, the fighting type''s footing completely failed him, falling painfully on his right side.

    Lashing out, Tempest''s pincers glowed with the familiar light-blue aura of Vise Grip, seizing the Machop by the neck and turning him around. Allowing himself to collapse onto his back, with Jumbo''s own back on top of him, Tempest wrapped both pincers around his opponent''s neck before the fighting type could even have enough time to think to struggle.

    As the young Machop wriggled desperately against the water type''s hold, his trainer calling out order after order, an unprepared Ash flinched at the sight. ''He''s finding some inspiration from Janine, isn''t he?'' On instinct, he almost told his partner to stop.

    Unable to gasp for air, Jumbo gripped Tempest''s pincers, still securely fastened around his neck, and strained to pry them off. The pincers budged a little bit as the fighting type continuously pushed, but to no consequential avail. Finally, like a wrestler tapping out, the Machop''s palm began striking the pavement, and his trainer returned him moments later. With his opponent gone, Tempest allowed himself to ease, pincers spreading out on either side of him as he stayed on the ground trying to catch his breath, much more clearly exhausted than prior.

    More applause sounded off from the audience as the opposing trainer held up his hand, walking across the battlefield to make his way to Ash and his two teammates. "I give up, you win."

    As his opponent stopped in front of him, Ash frowned apologetically. "Sorrow about that, I hope Jumbo''s okay."

    "He is, don''t worry." the other trainer spoke reassuringly. "You just had me beat, that''s all. Congratulations." he took out his Pokedex, touching through a few menus before stopping to await Ash''s response. Quickly, Ash, having brought out his own during the process, accepted the prize money before offering his hand.

    "Good match." the other trainer agreed as the two shook. As the other boy walked off and headed back inside, Ash looked down at Tempest, who still lay in his previous position, perfectly conscious, but clearly not getting back up, or seemingly making any effort to. Sighing, he walked over to his partner, crouching down to meet him at eye level. "Alright Tempest, that''s enough for today."

    The Krabby gurgled a response, which didn''t sound defiant or protest, so Ash decided to take it as a "yes".

    Fishing out Tempest''s Poke Ball, Ash enlarged the orb before holding it out in front of the water type''s face. A grin made itself known on his lips as he offered the spent Pokemon an approving nod. "You were excellent today, great work." Another gurgle, this one more explicitly happy as Ash tapped the ball against the Krabby''s forehead.

    As her teammate vanished into the orb, Eevee sighed to herself, seemingly relieved to be rid of the river crab for the time being.

    Standing back upright and reclipping the Poke Ball to his belt, Ash felt some pressure on his body as the normal type scaled his back and perched herself onto his shoulder. Slightly surprised, but smiling back at her nonetheless, he adjusted himself to the added weight before offering his friend a quick scratch beneath the chin, which she happily accepted, raising her head and closing her eyes with soft pur that easily reached his ears.

    Turning to the audience, however, he suddenly felt a bit awkward. There wasn''t an absurd number of people present, probably only about a dozen or so, but being the center of attention (in a manner that didn''t involve mockery) was a new feeling he''d have to grow accustomed to.

    "So, uhˇ­" he trailed off for a moment. "Who wants to be next, I guess?"

    "I am going to be next, thank you very much."

    Ash and Eevee both jolted. The tone of voice had been final, leaving no room for argument no matter how badly the other trainers protested, but Ash had barely even registered the delivery: he was too focused on the voice, far too familiar to not recognize.

    Turning in the direction of the bold declaration, a surprised Ash and Eevee watched a figure step out to the front of the small crowd: A girl slightly taller than him, with casual clothing, and blazing orange hair wrapped into a ponytail on the side of her head. She had attention to spare, and it was solely focused on him.

    "What''s up?" Misty addressed him with a smirk. "It''s been a hot minute."

 Aquatic Reunion pt 1

    Misty''s arms were crossed with confidence as Ash locked eyes with her. As though the sight of her had flipped a switch, all the memories were brought to the surface without resistance; it had been automatic.

    As involuntary as the smile that formed on his face. "Misty! How long have you been here?"

    It had barely taken any longer for the other trainers present to catch on, the small crowd offering some space as the water specialist (who barely acknowledged them, eyes still firmly locked on Ash) stopped short in front of Ash and Eevee, having advanced onto the field in an empowering stride.

    "In the city, you mean? In and out for a good while, now. You make it sound like you''ve been here for a decent bit."

    He and Eevee nodded. It just went to show how different it was to be in a metropolis like Saffron or Celadon. They certainly would''ve run into each other much sooner if they were in Pallet.

    It took him a moment or two to realize that things had fallen silent between them. It took just one more moment for him to realize that Misty was looking him over, arms descending carelessly to her sides as her eyes traveled up and down. Having finished her assessment, her eyes made their way back to his, unflinchingly locked on her target.

    "Something''s different about youˇ­" her eyes narrowed for just the briefest of moments. "Right, where''s your cap?"

    Her contagiously fiery demeanor, her love for water types, the awkward meeting in the cafeteria, the time spent hanging out with Maria and Laura, the uphill Gym battle against her eldest sister, shopping for bikes, their fantastic farewell battle before he left Cerulean City behindˇ­ Much like how the sight of Misty was all Ash needed to remember everything that had transpired between the two of them, the single question that she spoke was, in turn, all he needed to realize just how much had transpired since. Like whiplash, blissful nostalgia was replaced with a minor flinch as his hand instinctively shot up to his head, eliciting a concerned glance from Eevee (still firmly perched on his shoulder) as he ran the hand through his hair, no longer covered by a cap.

    The Flamethrower from Damian''s Charmeleon scorched the cap, reducing it to ashes and cinders.

    "I, uhˇ­" for a moment, Ash lost his vocal composure. "...Lost itˇ­"

    Ignorant to the image playing in his head, Misty scoffed. "Pfft, dumbass. I hope you''ve kept better track of your training skills than your attire."

    Ash tried to shoot down the unavoidable pang in his chest at the unintentionally callous remark. Misty had no way of knowing the circumstances; by now, she''d have had to avoid everything related to the media and public to not be aware of what had happened in Celadon, but nobody knew that he was a part of that story. Despite this, he could still hear Eevee''s growl against his ear as the evolution Pokemon shot the orange-haired girl a dirty glare. Quickly, he scratched his normal type friend''s chin reassuringly.

    Misty wasn''t too fazed however, as expected, simply waving off the small quadruped''s aggression. "Relax, I saw the past couple of battles. Glad to know you''ve kept your word." Stealing a brief glance at the other side of the battlefield, she took a couple steps back before returning her gaze to him. "But I''m here to keep mine, so I hope you weren''t planning to walk off. We''ll put catching up on hold for the moment."

    Like flipping another switch, it was as though the pang in his chest had never even happened. Images two Eevee''s fighting one another, Pikachu''s Iron Tail clashing with a Jigglypuff, Valiant latching onto a Staryu while preparing a Thunderbolt, and Nebula dive bombing into a freezing Whirlpool towards a Prinplup filled his head as a familiar fire began to surge in him. As his face lit up, Misty seemed to smirk knowingly at his response.

    "I''ll take that as a yes." her index finger brushed her chin as her pupils sparked, still piercing directly into his own. "You still can''t resist me, can you, pal?"

    Ash didn''t bother responding further, simply shaking his head as he backed away to return to his side of the field. Eevee hopped off of his shoulder, landing in front of him as she stole a quick glance at their new opponent, before turning her focus back up to him expectantly.

    Ash nodded back at his partner before relocking his eyes on Misty''s; the water type lover had already planted herself firmly on her side of the field, fists confidently planted against her hips. His grin mellowed out, but the rush of excitement only intensified as the smirking girl lightly gave her head a knowing tilt. Their battle in Cerulean had been one of his favorite memories as a trainer-in fact, a decent few of their moments together had been among his favorites- and thinking back to it had reminded him of how good she was at getting his adrenaline moving.

    ''It''s great to see her again.'' Briefly, his hand ran across his belt. ''Tempest, Nebula, and Tyrunt are done battling, soˇ­''

    "Alright, Mr. Winning Streak." Misty''s sarcasm pierced his train of thought as she raised her voice across the field. Off to the side, the spectators had since returned their focus to the two active trainers, having taken the time to mingle amongst themselves for a short bit until Ash and Misty were ready to battle. "How many Pokemon?"

    "Three each." he quickly responded. Although his friend had given him the reins to choose, he knew she wouldn''t settle for a one on one, not that that was what he would''ve wanted anyway. His remaining three Pokemon would see action against her.

    Misty already had a Poke Ball in hand as he answered. "Sounds good. Hurry up and send out your first, then; I owe you a dose of payback." With a casual motion that didn''t not convey carelessness, she lightly tossed the ball onto the field. As it burst open, a new figure emerged from the light, prompting a bemused blink from Ash in response.

    The bipedal newcomer probably stood slightly higher than two feet tall. Her form came across as that of an angel; credited in large part from the beautiful pair of white wings sprouting from her back, matching the rest of her complexion. Her neck was fairly long, and a pattern of red and blue triangles covered her body. As the light surrounding hier dissipated, she turned back to her trainer with a glowing grin (receiving a nod of affection in return), before turning her attention to Ash and Eevee, immediately recognizing that she was on a battlefield. Retaining her grin, she appeared to study the duo for a moment, before raising an arm to greet them, as though talking to a friend.

    He recognized this creature- it was a Togetic, a fairy/flying type Pokemon evolved from a species known as Togepi- but he had never actually seen one (or its pre-evolved form, for that matter) before, even on television. Even the evolved form, Togekiss, was a species he primarily knew of due to one being among the core members of Cynthia''s famous team in Sinnoh. He didn''t seem to be the only one surprised, either; he could already hear some murmurs from the small crowd gathered.

    Apparently, he was silent for a bit too long, as Misty''s voice quickly snapped him out of his thoughts. "You wanna speed it up here, buddy?" her tone of voice wasn''t hostile, but he did note the minor impatience seeping through it. "I get that she''s as gorgeous as I am, but there''s a reason she''s on a battlefield and not in a display case."

    Shaking his head clear for a moment or two, he nodded back at her. "Right, sorry. We''ll get started." Quickly, Eevee perked up in excitement as his eyes traveled down to her. "Alright, Eevee, I don''t know much about how that Togetic fights outside of its typing-fairy/flying-so be careful and listen, alright?" His lips curved a bit more up as he returned her quick nod, noting the readiness on her face; she had been waiting for her turn to fight for a while, and it was against the best possible trainer to make the wait worth it. "Great, then get out there and good luck."

    Eevee''s smirk fell just short of matching Misty''s as she confidently barked back at her trainer, before bounding onto the field and locking eyes with the happiness Pokemon, who assumed a fighting stance without dropping her cheery composure (albeit, it mellowed out a bit more evenly). In response, the evolution Pokemon quickly bent all four of her knees, prepared to bounce the moment her trainer ordered.

    Ash studied the exchange between the two for a moment before returning his gaze to Misty, who, incidentally, had just finished doing the same thing before looking back at him. Their eyes met, and he felt another rush as her wonderful smirk curved just a bit further, his own smile involuntarily twitching further up in response.

    It was a great feeling he wanted to hold onto, but he knew he needed to focus, returning his gaze to Eevee and Togetic.

    ''Going on the offensive could stop them from getting the drop on us, since I don''t know much about her Togetic, but that also means we need to be careful about how we do it.'' he told himself as his facial expression evened out to a more relaxed and analytical state. ''Who knows what counters she has ready? We''ll need to knock her off balance and leave her without a guard to take the fight to her properly. Eevee knows Iron Tail and Focus Energy now. We just have to find the right momentˇ­''

    The flare in Misty''s eyes momentarily sparked brighter. "Launch Pad!"

    Eevee''s head instinctively angled to the air above, her gaze following the happiness Pokemon astutely as the angel-like creature ascended with flapping wings.

    ''We won''t give them that time.'' Ash told himself with a tight face. "Eevee, Swift!"

    Nodding with a firm glare, Eevee opened her mouth with a battlecry-esque bark as the familiar barrage of golden stars erupted upwards towards the rising Togetic. Misty''s partner quickly crossed her wings and coated them in steel, leaving the stream of shining projectiles to harmlessly bounce off of the surface.

    As Eevee''s onslaught subsided, Togetic angled her body diagonally downward, head pointing directly at the normal type as a wall of glass suddenly appeared just above her feet. Ash barely had time to recognize the wall as a Reflect before Togetic kicked off of it, launching downwards towards the evolution Pokemon with startling velocity as her head glowed a deep blue, radiating psychic aura.

    Eevee was already reacting, however, turning to the side and bursting away with Quick Attack, just barely avoiding her opponent''s diving Zen Headbutt . As she circled around to give chase, Togetic was already traveling upwards again, quickly regaining her height before beginning to circle around in midair.

    "Keep going, Eevee." Ash quickly encouraged as Eevee started to circle after her, neither combatant wishing to have their back turned to the other.

    Even as the small audience looked on with bated breath, the game of cat and mouse ended as soon as it started with Misty''s next order. "Thunder Wave and Double Team!"

    Smiling with a light hint of smirk, Togetic held her hands together as electricity began to gather between them. Holding both hands up, she hurled the bolt of lightning downwards towards Eevee as three copies of herself suddenly emerged.

    Ash found himself somewhat less nervous than usual as Eevee easily leapt to the side, allowing the electricity to harmlessly collide with the concrete. The quadruped''s face tightened, however, as the four Togetic now circled her in the air, two each going in either direction at fairly impressive (but clearly not maximum) speeds.

    As Eevee''s head traveled frantically between her targets, Ash immediately called out to her. "Don''t stop moving." he reminded. Ears shooting up, his partner nodded and quickly broke into a run, circling the battlefield.

    ''Be proactive,'' Ash remanded himself. ''Don''t let her get the jump on you.'' The moment Togetic struck, the real one would give away her position, but Misty would have nothing to worry about if Eevee was caught off guard. She''d be a sitting duck unless she remained mobile.

    For the next few moments, the nature of the battle seemed almost static; despite both combatants being anything but. Eevee was running close to what her top speed was without Quick Attack as she circled the battlefield. Just shy of what Pikachu could manage, she resembled a four-legged blur of brown and cream, and although Ash briefly worried for her stamina in the long term, he knew that Togetic was in no better of a position: Maintaining three Double Team clones at once for a lengthy period of time would drain her sooner rather than later if she did not act.

    ''And at that speed, Eevee''s far from a sitting duck.''

    Misty watched the exchange with a tight expression as the flames in her eyes grew more controlled and tranquil, analytically scanning the events unfolding before tilting her head upwards and calling out to Togetic. "Launch Pad and Drain Punch!"

    ''React now!'' Ash shouted at himself. "Swift!"

    From the corner of her eye, Eevee spotted a sudden flash, quickly whipping her head to the side as the real Togetic positioned herself to propel off of another Reflect. As the happiness Pokemon''s feet kicked out against the glass barrier, the three clones vanished, and the angel-like creature rocketed towards her target with a raised, green fist.

    Acting immediately, Eevee sped up into a Quick Attack, feeling a breeze slam against her back as Togetic dove for her and punched through the air that she had just been occupying less than a split second ago. As the quadruped circled around to ready the barrage of stars, Togetic was already rising back into the air, rotating her body to face Eevee yet again as the now-fleeing fairy opened her mouth to let loose a sudden stream of flames.

    ''Flamethrower?! She can use that?!'' Ash did his best to shake away the surprise as Eevee leapt over the blast of flames (which left a scorch mark on the pavement) and fired the barrage of stars. Holding her hands out whilst keeping her wings flapping, Togetic''s stare turned even and neutral as a golden wall appeared just in front of her body, weathering the assault as the Swift pounded against it.

    After the happiness Pokemon''s Light Screen faded away, neither she nor Eevee took the time necessary for a staredown; instead resuming their previous routine: one circling the battlefield from the air, and the other from the ground, both combatants doing everything they could to keep their eyes on the other whilst avoiding the others sight. The first was quickly achieved by both, the second by neither.

    ''Eevee''s too fast for her.'' Ash told himself. ''But we can''t hit her. Not when she''s in the air, and has Light Screen and Reflect. We''re going to have to strike back the next time she comes to us; but what if-''

    "Air Cutter!" Misty''s voice confirmed his concern.

    ''She realizes that as much as we do.'' Ash''s heart rate quickened as his lips stretched into a smile. ''She knows it''s safer to stick to long-range.''

    Ash didn''t have to tell Eevee to keep running as Togetic twirled her body like a torpedo, wings glowing before turning to face the quadruped and beginning to flap. Even as she took aim at Eevee with the barrage of bladed air that was produced as a result, Eevee zigzagged across the pavement, dodging each slice that came her way, and leaving them to collide with the concrete.

    Evening his expression, Ash took a light step forward. "Shadow Ball, don''t stop moving!"

    As the bladed onslaught subsided, Eevee continued to weave around the battlefield as the distorted orb appeared in her jaws. With a loud bark, she launched the sphere upwards towards her target, only for the ghost type move to be met with a second stream of flames. As the two moves collided, the explosion spread a temporary cloud of smoke through a portion of the air.

    Togetic did not wait for the small cloud to subsided, raising a glowing wing with a steeled glare as her raised wing began to glow far more brightly than before. A large blade of air appeared at the tip, and was promptly hurled forward as she lashed out. The Air Slash traveled diagonally downwards towards Eevee''s position on the battlefield, carving a scar-like mark through the pavement as Ash''s partner zipped out of the powerful blade''s path.

    The peculiar mixture of nervousness and excitement sped up the rushing of Ash''s blood, but he didn''t have much time to try and figure out the odd emotion overcoming him, just the thrill it made him feel; the kind that did the opposite of debilitate as he resisted the urge to glance at Misty, and kept his attention between Eevee and Togetic. Like a dance, his partner traversed the pavement with an oddly satisfying to watch fluidity as her paws carried her across the battlefield.

    ''At this rate, Misty and Toegetic are going to have the advantage sooner rather than later.'' Even with Eevee''s fluid speed having protected her from harm thus far, Togetic had far greater circumstances in her favor as long as she remained aerial, out of the evolution Pokemon''s grasp. ''Her defenses and aerial advantage are a lot more likely to outlast Eevee''s evasion than the other way around; we can''t beat her in a long-ranged game.''

    A second barrage of blades descended upon the battlefield. Although one barely nicked away at Eevee''s fur, she otherwise flawlessly dodged the Air Cutter. In response, she leapt upwards, twirling around in midair to fire an upwards Swift at Togetic, who had been directly behind just a second ago. A blast of fire collided with the stream of golden stars, completely halting Eevee''s offense as the shrunk remnants of the Flamethrower collided with the pavement and left a mild scorch mark. As it did, small embers descended onto the concrete as well.

    ''Misty''s obviously picked up on that; she won''t go for close-ranged again. She''ll wait us out unless I recall Eevee. The only way to get a good hit in would be to come to her. That would catch her off guard, but Eevee obviously won''t be able to jump high enough.'' A stream of pink wind threatened to collide with Eevee as Togetic''s furiously flapping wings brightly glowed the same color, but zipped to the side yet again. ''We could use Iron Tail to have her launch herself up, but that alone wouldn''t be enough-'' As if struck by lightning, his eyes just might have doubled in width.

    "Eevee! Propel yourself towards her, Focus Energy and Iron Tail!" Misty''s eyes widened almost as much as the smirking evolution Pokemon leapt up with a raised tail. The bright glow of Focus Energy wrapped around her tail, and with excitement, she could feel her muscles strengthen beyond a simple rush, as though they were quite literally bulging. The bright glow was quickly encased by the metallic layer of Iron Tail, shining through the steel as Eevee brought her tail down onto the pavement, a loud SMASH echoing as she bent herself, before springing upwards at a speed almost rivaling that of her sprints. She felt as though she had just been launched by a catapult.

    Togetic gasped as her opponent, without warning, found herself on a headfirst collision course with her abdomen. Instinctively, she launched a panicked stream of flames with a shriek. Eevee responded in the only instant she had before she smashed into the Flamethrower; opening her mouth and hollering as her vocal cords let loose a powerful barrage of shockwaves. The Hyper Voice slammed into the Flamethrower just before she did, forcing the brunt of the fire to part as Eevee''s aggressive shouts transferred to pained yelps as the heat and lingering flames singed her fur.

    Her powered-up Iron Tail was still in form even after she launched herself, however, and although Togetic successfully managed to angle her body backwards to just barely avoid Eevee''s attempt to ram her in the stomach, the evolution Pokemon was quick to flip her own body and bring down her tail.

    With Togetic''s back now facing the pavement below, Eevee''s tail smashed into the glass barrier that formed in front of the fairy. Her opponent''s defense was quickly met with resistance, however, as the steel tail, greatly amplified by Focus Energy, mercilessly grinded against the Reflect. The shockwaves of the impact seeped through the immediate cracks forming around the barrier, and the ruthless collision from the powered up tail launched the yelping Togetic downwards even as the barrier remained damaged, yet intact.

    Ash''s quickening heart pounded even faster. ''Yes! We can ground her!'' "Hurry, Body Slam!"

    As Misty began to shout something, Eevee angled her body, her dissension increasing in speed even more than natural. Togetic managed to break her fall before her back collided with the pavement, the damaged Reflect still shielding her front. It was barely more than an instant later when Eevee collided shoulder first with the glass barrier. The second impact ruthlessly shoved Togetic downward, back painfully striking the concrete as the Reflect shattered just a second or two later.

    As Eevee landed on all fours, a clear franticity had replaced Misty''s determined fire as the orange-haired girl began shouting encouragement at her dazed partner. Ash watched Togetic pick herself up, the mental shock of Reflect''s sudden destruction leaving the happiness Pokemon to rub a hand against her head as she quickly made her way to her feet, but clearly staggered upon doing so.

    ''Off balance.'' With their opponent wide open, the boy raised his voice, excitement seeping through his competitive tone. "Focus Energy and Iron Tail!"

    Leaping back to gain slightly greater distance, Eevee felt a second rush in her tail as she produced another layer of metal over the repeated glow of Focus Energy. The moment her paws struck the concrete, she launched herself forward, speeding into a Quick Attack that conserved no ounce of speed and momentum that she was capable of. A quadruped blur, she charged with all of the might and velocity that her body could ever allow her to manage as the amplified Iron Tail lashed out and struck Togetic in the side of her head. The fairy barely managed a yelp as the impact, almost felt by every wincing individual who saw it, launched her backwards towards her trainer at seemingly almost the same pace as her attacker''s magnificent run. An instant later, Togetic''s back collided with the barriers in front of Misty, body angled sideways as she slid downward and slumped onto her stomach. Ash was spared the sight of the nasty bruise that had surely been left on her head, the unstruck side facing him and Eevee as Misty''s partner lay irrefutably unconscious at her feet.

    The shocked girl blinked in silence as Eevee turned back to Ash and barked at him with a victorious grin. His heart rate slowed closer to normal as the ecstatic normal type made her way back towards him, but didn''t return to normal, as the match was far from over.

    "You were amazing, girl!" His expression matched her own as he crouched down to pat her head. Once the two separated, he placed his hands on her sides while trying to observe her condition. His friend sank into a sitting position and let out a deep breath while he did.

    Externally, she hadn''t come out of the battle all that banged up; the heat from the Flamethrower had certainly hurt, and had left the scorch marks on her fur to show for it, but it had been far from a direct hit. Fatigue was likely another matter, however; the fierce exertion that she had exhibited to come out of the fight with minimal damage was clear to all, and although Eevee certainly did not seem exhausted, she was definitely in need of a moment to catch her breath.

    Ash rose to his feet as Eevee turned back to face Misty, who his eyes quickly landed on. Togetic had been recalled, Poke Ball still in her hand as her other hand had formed into a clenched fist. They had gotten the drop on her, and turned a stalemate into a victory without warning.

    With an undistracted gaze reserved only for him, a growl escaped her throat. "Ghˇ­" cursing under her breath (although Ash wasn''t close enough to know), she returned Togetic''s ball to her belt before moving her hand between a couple of others. Finally, her grip settled on oneˇ­ before moving to the other a few seconds later.

    As the two rookies'' eyes met again, Ash felt another rush, his heart quickening again at the impending continuation.

    "Good job." Misty''s eyes tightened, a sincere yet firm tone of voice accompanying the seriousness on her face. "But you''ll pay for that."

    As the Poke Ball she held outward burst open, Ash blinked at the ensuing light, and almost immediately, his face steeled as the sight of the next Pokemon sent more memories racing through his mind.

    It was a violet starfish with a golden formation in its center, and a beautiful red gem in the very middle of that. Strangely, however, the creature''s body resembled two starfish stuck together. It seemingly had no facial expression; not the blank stare of Tanner''s Slowbro, but instead, nothing at all.

    Starmie were the evolved form of Staryu, a water/psychic species well liked for their surprising agility and technical mastery in high level battling. They boasted brilliant diversity and excellent psychic capabilities that served as great, supplementary benefits for a training in search of a powerful water type.

    And this specific one was Misty''s starter. It hadn''t taken very long for Ash to be introduced to Staryu''s prowess when he and Misty had first partnered up; and in addition to shining fairly well in her Gym battle with Lily, the starfish had given him no shortage of issues when he and Misty had their battle. Pikachu had been finished off by Misty''s trusted partner, and Valiant had also struggled quite a bit, only able to even the playing field and eventually go on to force a draw on the mysterious water type after pulling off a desperate, self-injuring tactic. Staryu had been a sight to behold the entire time he and Misty had been together, especially during their battle, and nowˇ­

    "You like what you see?" Misty''s smirk was back, albeit somewhat less playful than before. Resting her hands on her friend''s appendages, she rubbed a cheek against its body while keeping her gaze on Ash. Her starter in question didn''t seem at all bothered by the affection, remaining still. Unnerved, Eevee took a step back, unable to help but feel as though the analytical yet unreadable starfish was staring directly at her. "A certain someone just so happened to score a pretty rad evolution. You jealous?"

    A small, nervous grin found its way across Ash''s face despite everything. In the here and now, Starmie was a game-changing threat if not responded too properly, and on time. Already a fearsome competitor just as a Staryu, who knows how much it had improved? Yet he couldn''t stop himself from feeling happy for Misty: A Pokemon evolving was always a blissful feeling.

    "Eevee, come back over here." As Misty released her partner and returned to her straightened posture, Eevee ripped her gaze away from the mysterious Pokemon, looking back at Ash with an acknowledging nod before heading over to his side. As she turned back to face their opponents, she consciously kept her gaze focused solely on Misty.

    Ash reached down to pat his normal type friend one more time before his hands ran across his belt. ''Pikachu and Valiantˇ­''

    A few moments later, his starter appeared in front of him. Pikachu blinked at the sight of the opposing trainer, a surprised expression quickly giving way to a grin as he raised a paw and called out happily.

    "What''s up, Pikapal?" Misty''s reaction temporarily subdued the intensity of her stare. "Nice to see more of the old gang!"

    After nodding with a good-natured chirp, Pikachu turned his gaze around, exchanging brief greetings with Eevee before looking up at Ash expectantly.

    "We''re up against Misty, as you can tell." Ash acknowledged the electric type with a smile. "Her Staryu''s evolved, and I''m not sure what new tricks it has, or how much stronger or faster it is, but it''s definitely on a different level than before. You ready?" The nodding mouse''s determined grin was contagious as his starter pumped a paw. "Great, let''s win this, then!" Almost immediately, Pikachu turned back around, now on all fours as his gaze traveled towards the Starmie, ears springing upwards from Eevee''s encouraging bark.

    The starfish stared back at Pikachu without moving, its expressionless gaze eliciting a blink of the eyes and a tense of the muscles from the mouse. Ash knew Pikachu most likely remembered his previous encounter with Misty''s own starter, which hadn''t ended well.

    ''Pikachu has the type advantage and isn''t weakened this time, but until we see how much stronger Starmie has gotten, there''s no telling whether or not that''s going to matter.'' Ash studied the purple starfish before looking back at Misty. Her confidence had returned, although her expression was a bit more stoic than he was used to from her, arms crossed with a steady glare, although even from where he was, he knew her gaze was as wildly competitive as ever. ''But if we can play aggressively enough, that can add to the pressure our electricity will put on them.''

    Deciding he wanted to get the first attack in this time, he quickly called out. "Electroweb!"

    Breaking out of his somewhat unnerved state, Pikachu leapt up and, with a cry, flipped himself over as the net-shaped electricity was tossed out of his tail. Ash was barely surprised when a golden wall spawned in front of Starmie, easily protecting the water/psychic type as the net of lightning fizzled out upon impact.

    The moment the sparks faded, Starmie kicked off of the ground, launching itself in midair whilst rotating with maddening speeds. Still airborne, Pikachu encased his tail in metal and brought it down to intercept his foe, managing to light up the Iron Tail with the electricity of Zap Tail, only for the familiar, psychic-generated glass of Reflect to meet his strike head on. With Starmie''s momentum working against the mouse, Pikachu yelped as he, albeit unharmed, was flung back towards the barrier in front of Ash and Eevee. Reangling himself, he smashed his metallic tail into the barrier to shield himself, before landing on all fours and breaking into a run. Above him, the back half of Starmie''s body continued to rotate like a helicopter, clearly prolonging the starfish''s air time. Ash remembered that Starmie were capable of short-term flight, although Misty''s partner wouldn''t be able to keep it up extensively.

    "Double Team! Into three and spread out!" At his call, Pikachu split into three separate copies, the trio of mice maintaining top running speed as they broke off from each other in different directions, zigzagging around the battlefield with reckless velocity as Starmie continued to stare.

    As his eyes darted around the field, Ash''s mind played through his and Misty''s previous battle. ''Right now, Pikachu''s left Starmie with no reliable way to tell which one is real, and his speed will make him a problematic target. So now, Misty willˇ­''

    "Starmie!" Misty''s raised voice showed no signs of hesitation or pressure. "Rapid Spin, and Swift all over the battlefield!"

    Now both parts of Starmie were spinning with equal speed as the starfish lowered itself somewhat to fly across the field, spreading golden star after golden star through every corner of the area.

    Ash smiled. It was just like the ending of Valiant''s battle with Staryu, but he didn''t have time to feel nostalgic. "Agility and Zap Tail!"

    Nodding, the real Pikachu cloaked himself in the blue, psychic outline of Agility as his sprinting suddenly sped up even further. The two clones worked to dodge the storm of golden stars swarming the battlefield, but soon got hit. Now fully exposed, Pikachu leapt and weaved through the onslaught, wincing in pain as a few of the shining projectiles nicked his sides, before launching himself at his opponent.

    Starmie was more than ready, however, and Pikachu''s Zap Tail was met with a firm Reflect that absorbed much of the impact. The mouse''s momentum was not halted, however, and the collision sent the otherwise unharmed starfish sailing backwards. Though intact, the barrier in front of Misty''s partner was significantly cracked as Starmie landed on his feet and skidded back across the pavement, stopping with its back just several feet short of the barriers.

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    "Full speed, Brick Break!"

    Maintaining the effects of Agility, Pikachu blurred his way after the psychic starfish, driving an orange fist into the cracked barrier, which shattered without resistance. A strange sound echoed from Starmie as the aquatic psychic was launched away from the collision, back smashing into the barriers at the far side of the field, opposite to the observing audience.

    ''Starmie''s going to be dazed for a moment after that. Just like Togetic, that should leave it open just long enough.'' "Thunderbolt!"

    Though her voice betrayed a hint of nervousness, Misty didn''t hesitate. "You too!"

    Pikachu only hesitated a moment, flinching from the ache in his fist, before jumping into the air and launching his signature bolt of lightning. To Ash''s surprise, that moment had been all Starmie needed to regain some semblance of bearings, the starfish''s body crackling as its own lightning bolt collided with Pikachu''s. The countering electricity shielded Misty''s starter from much of Pikachu''s attack, but Starmie still squirmed in discomfort as the ensuing explosion granted it a shower of sparks, barely singing the starfish''s exterior.

    For now, Ash knew they had the upper hand. "Keep up the pressure, run forward with Electro Ball, and Static Tail!"

    Rapidly zigzagging his way towards Starmie to close the distance, Pikachu launched the electrical sphere from the tip of his tail. With its back still just in front of the barriers, Starmie intercepted the projectile with a weakly erected Light Screen that quickly vanished after deflecting most of the lightning. Pikachu was upon it moments later, Iron Tail blazing with the electricity of Thunder Wave as he took a swing right for Starmie''s red gem.

    Another odd cry escaped the starfish as it was once again pushed into the barriers, this time grinded between them and the Static Tail as Pikachu pressed as firmly as his muscles could manage. Almost like an injection, the lightning coating the metallic tail spread across Starmie''s body, muscles beginning to lock up.

    Baring her teeth, Misty stepped forward and hollered over the excited murmurs of the small crowd. "Confuse Ray!"

    A startled Ash did a blinking double take upon hearing the command, and had begun warning Pikachu when, after some struggle, the red gem in Starmie''s center began to faintly flash. Pikachu''s eyes widened in surprise as a flash of light pierced his vision, stumbling backward and almost falling onto his bottom as a sudden sensation of dizziness and delirium overtook him. Turning to the side, he planted his forepaws against the pavement to maintain balance.

    Without noticing, Ash began chewing on his lip as Eevee barked out to Pikachu in concern. Starmie likely hadn''t been provided with the chance to fully recover from the mental whiplash of Reflect''s destruction, so psychic moves would above all else be more difficult to manage, but even a weakened Confuse Ray could have the intended effect if the target was blindsided by it. Misty could be using this to both get Pikachu off of Starmie, and also to buy some time for her own partner to fully recover.

    But Static Tail had done its own fair share. Starmie was experiencing some level of paralysis now, and for at least a little while would have to fight against the effects to consistently operate at full strength.

    Sparks still flashing along its body, Starmie began to pick itself up, performing a motion that resembled a shake of the head while Pikachu placed a paw atop his own head and rubbed it, eyes clenched as he tried to fight off the sickening mental imbalance. Ash called out encouragement to his starter as Starmie staggered to its feet, using the barrier behind it as leverage to press its appendages against.

    Misty''s composure had mostly returned. "Now''s your chance, Psychic!"

    Holding up its limbs and pressing them together, Starmie''s red gem glowed brighter than ever, and Ash was almost certain that looking directly at it would burn his eyes. In front of the starfish, Pikachu had picked himself up, shaking his head clear as his paw still rested atop it. Just as his composure seemed to return, however, he was smashed in the side by the wave of bright, magenta light that surged from Starmie''s gem, crying out as the impact launched him into the air.

    As Pikachu caught himself with a well-placed Iron Tail to the pavement, Starmie took off above the ground, body rotating with Rapid Spin as it soared above the battlefield. The movement was strenuous as the sparks lingered across its body, but despite the decrease in speed, it was still able to manage. Once gaining enough height, the back half of its body continued to spin with just as much speed as before, keeping it airborne as the front half stopped to observe Pikachu, who had taken off running once more so as not to remain still.

    Misty shot a hand out to the side as her gaze traveled upwards to fall on her starter. "Use Ice Beam on the ground!"

    Another strange noise, mildly resembling aggressiveness this time, echoed from Starmie as a lance-shaped blast of ice escaped its gem. The frozen stream traveled across a section of the battlefield in a straight line, leaving behind a coating that encased the concrete underneath.

    As Starmie fired a second stream of ice aimed in the direction the sprinting Pikachu was headed in, the yellow mouse swerved to the side to avoid the slippery path as Ash called out to him.

    "Bounce off an Electroweb and attack Starmie from above!" Starmie ceased its third consecutive Ice Beam as Pikachu, cheeks crackling, summoned a net of lightning directly beneath him with a fling of his tail. Like a trampoline, the rodent launched himself off of the crackling net, soaring above the battlefield while angling his body to face Starmie, who he was now slightly above. A sphere of lightning appeared and grew at the tip of his tail.

    "Tri Attack!" Once more, Starmie''s gem glowed. This time, a triangular shape emerged from the bright jewel, resembling a mixture of fire, ice, and lightning. As Pikachu flung the Electro Ball towards its target, the elemental fusion was fired in its trajectory, the two projectiles colliding.

    As both attacks exploded against each other, Pikachu and Starmie descended, and Ash decided that the paralysis had naturally made it more difficult for Starmie to maintain airtime. The back half of its body was slowing down its rotation, albeit progressively.

    "Bounce again and use Zap Tail!"

    "Rapid Spin and Reflect!"

    Despite being the lighter of the two combatants, Pikachu didn''t have any means to hover in the air or slow his descent, and therefore reached the ground first. The moment he did, he caught himself on another downward Electroweb, which he quickly trampolined off of in Starmie''s direction, tail coated in metal and crackling with lightning. In response, the back half of Starmie''s body stopped slowing down, regaining speed with the front half of its body now joining in on the rotation. As Starmie reangled itself to soar towards its attacker, a wall of glass shined in front of its body.

    With Starmie''s shielded body charging towards him, Pikachu swung his Zap Tail with all of his might. A loud shockwave sounded as the two collided. Though a few small cracks formed in the glass barrier from the mutual impact, it remained steady, Starmie successfully ignoring the sparks seeping through as it and Pikachu pushed against each other.

    Feeling his momentum failing him, Pikachu strained to push himself off of Starmie''s barrier, just barely forcing the water/psychic type slightly backwards as the rodent flipped back and landed clean on his feet, sliding a few feet back as Starmie landed without issue. Stopping just in front of one of the icy patches left behind by the starfish''s previous assault, Pikachu raised his head to glare at his opponent, who stared back with typical stoicism (or at least, that''s the only thing its unreadable expression could resemble) as the slightly cracked Reflect vanished.

    Ash watched Pikachu take a deep breath before focusing his attention on Starmie. The sparks dancing across its body had all but vanished at this point, but what did that mean for the locked up muscles? Starmie had resisted the paralysis fairly well up to this point (Ash had already figured that it would only be enough to hinder rather than outright debilitate), but given the direct hit, and the effort Pikachu had put into implanting the Thunder Wave into its system before Starmie had forced him off with Confuse Ray, there should still be enough of an effect for the paralysis to be a lingering problem for somewhat longer. If they could reaffirm their offense, they could use that window of opportunity to overwhelm the psychic starfish with more electricity.

    The thick lines of ice spread out through the battlefield would make that more difficult, however. Pikachu couldn''t run to the best of his ability anymore; not with the frozen sections of the ground threatening to halt him like a slippery speed bump; or worse, send him flying if he gained too much momentum.

    Electricity could melt the ice, however, and the majority of the field was still completely untouched and frozen; Pikachu could always jump over the ice while maintaining speed. That wouldn''t stop Misty from trying to add more, however.

    "Move carefully, Pikachu. Shock Rush!" They couldn''t be afraid of close-ranged combat, not when that consisted of some of Pikachu''s best moves. They definitely couldn''t afford to draw it out, however; lest they be blindsided by a second Confuse Ray that may cost them the round.

    Kicking off of the ground, Pikachu raced in Starmie''s direction, the lightning crackling in his cheeks transferring to his tail before engulfing his entire body. As he jumped over a line of ice to close in on his target, Starmie kicked off of the ground, somewhat straining itself to spin away to the side and slightly above the mouse, who stopped and prepared to change direction, turning his head and glaring at the psychic starfish.

    "Winter Stream!" As Misty gave the order, Ash''s mind immediately flashed back to their first battle. Misty had used a combo move of frigid water (most likely consisting of Water Gun and Icy Wind) to leave Pikachu''s body in a shivering state, rendering him vulnerable to the boiling water of Scald. It had been the tactic that lost him his fight against Staryu, and an agonizing way to go out.

    A blast of freezing cold liquid erupted from Starmie''s gem, striking the ground with good force as Pikachu leapt away. A second attempt was dodged in the other direction as the freezing water splashed against the concrete.

    "Thunderbolt!" At Ash''s call, Pikachu hurled a crackling lightning bolt at Starmie, who had begun gradually rising above the battlefield again, back half of its body spinning and allowing it to hover a few feet in the air.

    The bolt was met with an identical one as Starmie let loose its own Thunderbolt in response, the two blasts of electricity bouncing off one another as Pikachu bounced off of an Electroweb to attack the preoccupied starfish from above. Misty called out a warning to her partner, who erected a small Light Screen just in time to absorb the Electro Ball hurled at it.

    ''Brick Break goes right through Light Screen and Reflect.'' Ash told himself as Starmie landed back on the pavement, near one of the patches of ice left in its wake. ''They''ll have to dodge if we use it. We''ll put them on the run.'' "Agility and Brick Break!"

    The moment he landed, Pikachu was running again, speed erupting as the glow of Agility returned to him. Spinning once more, Starmie tried to swerve to the side, but Pikachu''s orange fist still struck one of the fleeing foe''s limbs, disrupting the mysterious Pokemon''s momentum and throwing its Rapid Spin somewhat off course.

    Just as Pikachu turned to chase after the water/psychic, Misty raised a hand. "Ice Beam! All over the field!"

    Regaining some control, Starmie shot a continuous stream of ice out of its gem, steering its flight with a significant curve as both halves of its body spun. The Ice Beam spread across the pavement as more and more of the ground froze over.

    Ash responded quickly. If Misty was left to her devices, Pikachu''s greatest strength would become obsolete. "Melt the ice with Thunderbolt!"

    Leaping up, Pikachu curled his body and let loose another bolt. Like Starmie, he did his best to keep his attack continuous as he angled the Thunderbolt to travel along the field. As the electricity met with the ice encasing the ground, the ice began to break and melt.

    A vindictive smirk fully spread across Misty''s face, her baring teeth making her resemble that of a grinning shark. "Ram him with Reflect!"

    As Pikachu''s Thunderbolt traveled across the ice, Starmie changed direction, Rapid Spin now sending it flying directly towards the yellow mouse as a glass barrier formed in front of its body. Ash had just enough time to call out a warning, but Pikachu had no time to respond. An audible impact sounded across the field, leaving the spectators wincing as Starmie smashed barrier-first into the electric rodent''s body. Agony shot through Pikachu''s bones as Ash''s starter hollered through the air, the collision catapulting him towards the barrier behind him.

    Just in time, an Iron Tail smashed into the artificial wall and halted Pikachu''s momentum, but as his partner fell to the ground and landed on all fours, Ash grimaced at the electric mouse''s condition as Eevee''s eyes narrowed. For a moment, his four paws were shaking, balance momentarily threatened before he regained his bearings. He was breathing deeply, and had they been closer, Ash was certain that he and Eevee would have a view of a large, bloodied gash on the side that Starmie had struck.

    Starmie in question remained hovering in place, back half still spinning while the front half seemingly gazed at the staggering mouse.

    Now it was Misty''s turn to press her advantage. "Swift, Starmie!" Pikachu''s eyes widened as the golden barrage erupted from Starmie''s gem. Attempting to power through the pain, he slipped into Quick Attack, trying to reach as close to full speed as he could manage while his muscles borderline fought back in response. The stars began to alter their trajectory as he ran out of their path, locking on to home in on him. "Ram with Reflect again!"

    "Bounce off of Electroweb!" Ash quickly called out. As Starmie once again rushed down for him, the stars of Swift also pursuing from another angle, Pikachu trampolined off of another electric net, narrowly avoiding a second collision from the starfish''s deadly combo. As he soared upwards, however, he turned just in time to see Starmie change trajectory, performing a borderline u-turn to chase after him. Yelping in surprise, Pikachu coated his tail in metal, lashing out to block the charge as Starmie rammed Reflect-first into his Iron Tail. The momentum flung Pikachu back as he struggled to push Starmie away, forming an Electro Ball at the tip of his tail and flipping over to fling it forward at his airborne opponent, who found itself knocked off course as the orb of lightning pierced a decent chunk of its glass barrier, a portion of its sparks finding their way to the starfish''s body.

    The moment Pikachu landed, he felt a pain in the side that Starmie had struck, but kept running anyway, struggling to reach his top as he maneuvered around the remaining ice. Regaining its own bearings, Starmie prepared to pursue before hearing Misty''s voice.

    "Spread Swift throughout the battlefield again! He''s not going anywhere!"

    Ash''s face tightened as his teeth clenched. With Pikachu injured, she was trying to pick him off like prey. They needed a decisive hit, and fast. "Agility and Shock Rush! Hang in there, buddy!"

    Attempting to steel his facial expression, Pikachu once again cloaked his fur in Agility''s glow. The lightning of Spark engulfed his body as his sprinting amplified in speed, the pain in his side increasing just as much as his body slowly but surely ignored the growing agony, shaking off the resistance to his attempts to speed up and bringing out his full speed, albeit taking somewhat longer to do so than normal. Engulfed in lightning, and traveling across the field of concrete as rapidly as ever, he almost resembled that of a makeshift Volt Tackle. Just above him, Starmie flew around the battlefield with a wild, patternless flow, recklessly spreading golden stars, raining down to flood the space. As the projectiles appeared in his path, Pikachu ran straight through them, face scrunching up in pain as he charged head first through the growing storm. Thankfully, they had yet to strike his injured side. Performing a sudden swerve, he set his sights on the purple starfish in question.

    "Ram with Reflect!" Starmie altered his trajectory to charge right for Pikachu, just as Pikachu sprinted straight towards it. The familiar glass barrier appeared in front of the psychic starfish as Pikachu''s lightning-covered body took on the orange glow of Slam. With the full force of Agility seemingly providing him with all of the momentum and speed in the world, Pikachu hollered, leaping shoulder-first into the advancing Starmie, a second set of pain shooting through his uninjured side as he smashed through the Reflect and directly into Starmie''s red gem.

    Pikachu''s superior momentum fought against Starmie''s greater bulk, just barely toppling it over as Starmie lurched backwards and landed on its back. Upon the psychic starfish''s backwards impact with the ground, Pikachu bounced off of it, rolling away a good few feet before laying sprawled out on his belly. The shoulder that he had used to break through the Reflect with Shock Rush was leaking blood, and almost appeared disjointed. Behind him, Starmie attempted to lift itself up, a few sparks dancing along its purple body as Pikachu''s front paws pressured into the concrete, lifting his head and struggling to rise. Both Pokemon collapsed soon after.

    An applause sounded out from the onlookers as Ash and Misty simultaneously recalled their respective starters. Ash looked back at them for a moment before turning his attention to Pikachu''s Poke Ball.

    "Great effort, buddy. I''m proud of you." as he returned the ball to his belt, Eevee watched the capsule with a somewhat sad smile. Quickly, he pulled out Valiant''s ball.

    Looking across the battlefield towards Misty, his eyes met with hers once again. Her hand was still on her belt, contemplating her remaining choices.

    She smiled at him. "Heh, brings back memories, doesn''t it?" Once more, Ash''s mind flashed back to Cerulean, where Valiant and Staryu had stubbornly allowed one another to manage nothing more than a draw.

    His lips curved up. "Yeah, it does." Seeing her pull out her third and final Poke Ball, he released Valiant, who exchanged quick greetings with him and Eevee before turning to their opponent, blinking at the sight of Misty. "She has one left, Valiant. You and Eevee are the remaining part of our side. You ready?" Crossing his arms, Valiant evened his posture and nodded, smiling at Misty for a moment before staring at her patiently.

    Taking a deep breath, Misty''s face turned serious as she held her last Poke Ball up. "Alright, time for a comeback. Brace yourselves!"

    She chucked the ball onto the field, landing a few meters in front of Valiant as it burst open. Ash''s eyes turned wide at the blue quadruped stepping out of the light.

    At first glance, it was a bit hard to tell if it was supposed to be marine or mammal. It had the stature of a four-legged animal, but its tail more closely resembled something fish-like, with fins on its tail, neck, and head.

    Ash had no trouble recognizing this new creature: It was a Vaporeon; one of Eevee''s many evolved forms.

    "What do you think, pals?" Misty crossed her arms. "Staryu''s not the only one who''s found themselves a nice glow up. Isn''t that right, Vaporeon?"

    As the water type barked out proudly in response, Ash looked down to Eevee, who was eying her evolved form with a surprised and contemplative gaze. In front of her, Valiant studied his opponent before looking back at the normal type quadruped, who encouragingly exchanged nods with him before he turned back to lock eyes with Misty''s third and final partner.

    "...How''d you get two water stones, already?!" Ash couldn''t help but feel dumbfounded. He hadn''t even started trying to find an Evolution stone yet, and he equally hadn''t bothered looking for them in shops; they''d be more expensive than any TM he''d purchased up to this point. Yet the only way Staryu and Eevee could''ve evolved is with one of themˇ­

    As if feeling their gazes, Misty cast a side-glare to the small crowd. "What, do I look like a humanoid strategy guide or something?" She refocused her gaze on Ash. "We''ll catch up after, I still have to beat you first." At the declaration, Valiant tensed into a stance.

    "Fair enough." Ash replied, unfazed. He looked down to the Kirlia. "I''ll bet you anything that Vaporeon knows Winter Stream and Scald, Valiant. And watch out for Shadow Ball and Iron Tail." His warnings were accompanied by a couple of barks from Eevee as Valiant nodded in acknowledgement.

    Across from them, Vaporeon had risen from her sitting position, spreading out on all fours as she bent forward like a wild cat preparing to act. Even as the normal type addressed Valiant, Eevee''s eyes did not leave Misty''s partner.

    Ash was about to give an order, but Misty spoke faster. "Shadow Ball!"

    Ash halted the order that he was about to give, allowing Valiant to respond to Misty''s move. As the emotion Pokemon braced himself, Vaporeon opened her mouth to reveal the rush of distorted aura forming within her jaws. The sphere launched itself rapidly at its target, but Valiant leapt to the side as Ash went forward with his previously attempted command, only flinching slightly as the Shadow Ball collided with the barriers protecting him and Eevee.

    "Use Magical Leaf and Thunderbolt together!" Misty''s head tilted with a blink of the eyes as Valiant launched the combo towards her partner. The normally glowing emerald leaves were still exactly as usual, but were now coated with lightning as the Kirlia hurled them in a barrage towards Vaporeon. The bubble jet Pokemon reacted immediately, firing an Ice Beam that blasted into the electrified leaves and froze them over. As Valiant landed, the water type bolted forward, Quick Attack carrying her across the pavement as she lashed out with Iron Tail. In time, Valiant braced his arms forward, Reflect spawning protectively in front of his body just before the impact. The collision was audible to everyone watching, forcibly clenched his eyes shut while the shockwaves pounded against him, a groan of discomfort emitting from the young psychic''s throat. As the glass barrier greatly cracked, but didn''t shatter, he slid backwards, stopping just in front of the barriers a few feet to Ash''s side.

    A smirking Misty bared her teeth as Vaporeon gave chase. "Focus Energy!"

    ''It makes sense that she''d use the same trick.'' Ash thought to himself as Vaporeon''s now amplified tail became coated in metal once more. ''If that hits, Valiant''s done.''

    There was no need to warn his friend of the obvious, however. Quickly shaking off the previous blow that Reflect had fended off, Valiant dropped his half-broken barrier and sank into Shadow Sneak as fast as he was able. The powered-up Iron Tail passed just over his head, and he felt the rush of wind against his scalp just before fully sinking into the shadow. The Iron Tail in question smashed into the barriers that had been just directly behind Valiant, and the shimmers from the impact were more visible than previous occasions as Valiant traveled beneath Vaporeon''s feet, at least a meter or two behind her.

    "Thunderbolt!" Ash quickly ordered. Valiant rose out of his shadow, now just in front of an icy patch left behind by Starmie''s series of Ice Beams, lightning engulfing his hands as he tossed the bolt straight at Vaporeon. Misty was already responding, however.

    "Frost Pulse!" A glowing Water Pulse appeared in Vaporeon''s mouth as she turned back in Valiant''s direction. The aquatic orb became illuminated with a wintry glow as it froze over, the now frozen Water Pulse firing out of her mouth and intercepting the Thunderbolt. As the two projectiles collide, the Frost Pulse burst open in an explosion of ice and snow. "Swift across the battlefield!" Once more Vaporeon slipped into Quick Attack, galloping across the pavement and leaping over a lingering line of ice as she circled Valiant, the golden stars streaming out of her open mouth and locking in on him. Valiant simply ducked under his shadow once more, allowing the storm of shining projectiles to pass on over him as he silently moved around.

    "Double Team!" As Vaporeon ceased firing, she abruptly split into two, a seperate copy of herself running off in a different direction as the two circled the battlefield collectively. Both made a point to gracefully jump over the ice left behind in their respective paths. No longer in a position to attack stealthily, Valiant rose back up from his shadow and braced himself with folded arms. "Focus Energy and Iron Tail!"

    ''In theory, we have the upper hand.'' Ash told himself. ''Even if Valiant loses, I''ll still have Eevee. And if Valiant weakens her enough, Vaporeon could even be easy for Eevee to finish off. But she''s still confident, because she knows she can end this fast.''

    Both Vaporeon galloped towards their target whilst raising their tails. One approached him from the side, and the other, significantly further away, charged at him from the front. The one further away moved slightly faster than the closer one; ensuring that they would both reach their target at the same time. Calling for a barrier wouldn''t do; a Focus Energy induced Iron Tail would smash through it with ease. Ash and Valiant both knew that counterattacking was the only option, but Double Team made it a guessing game. For the brief moment he had, Ash found himself nervous.

    Valiant, however, took what little time he had for a quick, yet deep breath, before taking aim. The Vaporeon charging him from the front was forced to roll to the side as she closed in on him, barely avoiding the electrified barrage of Magical Leaf he sent her way (which painfully nicked away at her side) at point blank, while the Vaporeon charging him from the side passed right through him and vanished.

    It was a split second later when a smiling Ash realized what Valiant had done, whilst giving his friend his next order. ''He''s gotten better at it; he used his ability to feel emotions and detected no aggression from the clone, so he knew which one to respond to!'' It likely wasn''t [perfect; not something that Valiant could pull off regularly on a consistent basis, especially on such short notice, but it had worked just now. "Thunder Punch!"

    As Vaporeon continued to roll, now just a few feet diagonally from her target, Valiant lunged forward, fist engulfed in lightning as he took a swing at her jaw. To his surprise, she opened her mouth, teeth glowing with dark energy as she chomped down on the Thunder Punch with Bite. An unexpected pain shot through Valiant''s fist as he hollered out, but Vaporeon herself screamed through her teeth as the electricity engulfed her mouth.

    Ash''s face tightened. He imagined that this was hurting Vaporeon more than the other way around, but he couldn''t give Misty a chance to capitalize. "Shadow Sneak!" heeding his trainer''s order, Valiant began to sink downward, attempting to retreat into his shadow, only for Vaporeon to pull back against him. He tried to resist the pull, but after some struggle, was flung over the blue quadruped''s head, the bubble jet Pokemon turning around in full to face him with glaring, teary eyes as he landed on his feet roughly a meter and a half from her and massaged his sore fist.

    "Ice Beam at his feet, then amplified Iron Tail!" Valiant was about to teleport, but as he regained his bearings from his sore fist, it was already too late, and the young Kirlia found his feet sliding out from under him as the ground beneath him froze over. Landing painfully on his side, he struggled to pick himself up as Vaporeon raced over with a lash of her tail.

    Desperately, Valiant rolled downward, avoiding a direct hit, but still feeling a sharp pain shooting from the side of his back as he bounced away from the blow. Rolling to his feet, he sank to one knee, body tilting to the side as his hand shot to his back. At Misty''s orders, Vaporeon raced towards him again, tail still coated in metal as a Shadow Ball formed in her jaws. Ash''s voice brought Valiant back to reality, and he teleported just in time for the ghostly projectile to hit its mark. As he reappeared in the corner of her eye, Vaporeon turned and raced after him once more.

    Though he still hurt, Valiant''s focus had come back, his eyes glowing blue as Telepathy zoned in on the rapidly approaching Vaporeon. Detecting the angle she was aiming to swing at as she reared her tail back, Valiant expertly ducked under her Iron Tail as he rolled off to her side. Vaporeon performed a full rotation, however, stopping as her body faced him directly upon completing his dodge, just a few feet in front of her. Frustrated, she slipped into Quick Attack, charging him point blank and crashing into the emotion Pokemon headfirst. The air shot out of Valiant''s lungs as her bulk barreled into his stomach, sending him tumbling back as she reangled her body to face him again. Another Shadow Ball formed in her jaws at Misty''s command.

    "Teleport!" At the last second, Valiant vanished just before the sphere could connect.

    Shooting an arm out to the side, Misty didn''t even bother waiting to see where Valiant would reappear. "Spread Swift again!"

    Vaporeon galloped across the field again, Quick Attack carrying her at her respective maximum speed as the golden stars flowed from her mouth. As she caught sight of Valiant from the corner of her eye, she continued to spread the projectiles throughout the battlefield as Ash ordered him to encase himself in Light Screen.

    As the projectiles bombarded the cube Valiant had entrapped himself in (it wasn''t as durable as a single wall, as he had to divide effort between every section, but this would still protect him from all directions), Ash racked his brain whilst involuntarily chewing on his lip. Vaporeon''s evolutionary boons had more than made themselves clear. Valiant was getting overwhelmed and counting.

    ''He''s resilient, so he should be able to keep powering through that pain, but too much more of it and it''ll be asking more than he could handle.'' His heart rate quickened with the mixture of excitement and tension. "Valiant, drop Light Screen and spin around with Magical Leaf!" the order he gave brought back more memories of his and Misty''s first battle.

    With the stars from Swift coming a thim from all directions, Valiant allowed his protective golden cube to vanish as he twirled in place, letting loose a consecutive stream of glowing, emerald leaves that intercepted the golden projectiles.

    A nostalgic grin spread across Misty''s face. "Leap up and use Iron Tail!" Ceasing her fire, Vaporeon turned to face Valiant in full, rushing forward before flipping over in midair. As she descended, she rotated downward, metallic tail moving to spike Valiant directly on the top of his head.

    As Ash figured he would, Valiant vanished at the last second. As Vaporeon''s tail sank into the concrete, the emotion Pokemon was behind her. This time, the stream of Magical Leaf that erupted from his hands were engulfed in electricity, and tore into her back.

    "Vaporeon!" Misty hollered pout for her partner as the screeching bubble jet Pokemon tumbled several feet away, landing sprawled out on her stomach as lingering sparks danced across the gashes in her back.

    ''We might not get another chance. We have an opening, and we''re going to go for broke.'' "Valiant, Moonblast!"

    Valiant perked up in surprise at the order, but didn''t question it, quickly holding his hands out, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Temporarily, he was struggling to gather enough focus, but soon, the growing pink glow in his eyes shined brightly, and an aura of a similar color began to swirl within his hands, taking the form of a sphere. The formation started out shaky and uneven, struggling to hold itself together properly, but the energy continued to gather regardless.

    "Shadow Ball, Vaporeon!" Unsurprisingly, Misty seemed to know exactly the kind of danger that Valaint''s efforts imposed, and as Vaporeon picked herself up and shook her head with clenched eyes to fight off the pain for a moment, the bubble jet Pokemon turned to Valiant and began charging up her ghost type move.

    ''Here goes nothing.'' Ash thought to himself. "Teleport, Valiant!" The formation of the energy swirling around in Valiant''s hands was briefly compromised as he warped out of the ball''s path and to another part of the battlefield, but quickly recovered.

    "Again!" Misty called out as the orb in Valiant''s hands grew even brighter, its form now starting to become a bit more structured and stabilized.

    "Keep teleporting! Don''t stay in one place! And don''t stop charging!" Just as Vaporeon was about to fire the Shadow Ball, Valiant vanished again. Almost immediately after he reappeared, he vanished again. And again. And again. And againˇ­

    Vaporeon''s head turned every which way as Valiant continued to appear and reappear from the corner of her eye, and occasionally turning around altogether as he reappeared behind her. The warping wouldn''t stop, and confusion, the growing ball resting in between her jaws gradually shrunk.

    Valiant''s teeth were grinding. He was used to using Teleport, and had gradually gotten better at separating the effort put into it from the effort he was putting into Moon Blast, but just holding the still charging fairy type move together was growing unbearable as time went on. But if he kept Teleporting at this rate, he''d pass out if it took too long. Still, the sphere in his arms continued to grow, a moon-like glow beginning to shine through the pink aura, ever so slightly.

    Misty grimaced. "Vaporeon, Double Team! Get ready to counter!" Inwardly, Valiant started to panic as Vaporeon split into two. He''d be able to tell them apart if he made quick use of his emotion detection, butˇ­

    Ash''s fists tightened. Even once Moonblast was ready, Valiant would have to guess which Vaporeon to attack, and if he was wrong, a battle-ending Shadow Ball would probably collide with him. He''d barely have any time to try and distinguish them with his sensitivity to emotions, just like before, and he might not be lucky enough this time.

    Even so, a light small crept its way across his lips. ''Well played, Misty, but we''re not backing down from that.'' "Valiant! Just calm down and focus, you can still win!"

    His trainer''s encouragement made Valiant''s thoughts somewhat easier to gather. The two Vaporeon were backing away, becoming slightly further apart, but neither were sprinting around the battlefield. There would be no point, with him teleporting all over the place, and Vaporeon most likely knew the only way to get him to expose himself would be for him to attempt to fire the Moonblast.

    ''They could run around and wait out the teleports. Valiant can''t keep it up for much longer, but then the real one might not be close enough to capitalize on the opening.''

    Both Vaporeon''s heads and eyes continued darting around the battlefield as Valiant appeared and vanished at a slightly slower rate. It wouldn''t be long nowˇ­

    "FIRE!" Ash shouted, accompanied by Eevee''s barks.

    "End it!" Misty responded.

    Valiant appeared between the two Vaporeon, crouched down slightly with firmly bent knees. Sweat was pouring down his face as his eyes glowered forward. He struggled to feel for something, any sense of emotion coming off of one of his two targets. Only the real one would be exhibiting any; the fake was just a projection created by Double Team.

    He sensed something. Aggression. Hostility. A foe intending to strike. A foe about to strike. He only had a split second to distinguish which direction it was-

    His head snapped to the left, barely just in time for the Shadow Ball to come into view. With a midair somersault, he leapt forward in the same direction, head passing directly above the distorted orb as his body flipped and rotated in midair. The eal Vaporeon had lunged forward whilst firing the attackˇ­

    The Moonblast erupted from his hands, and the nearby clone immediately vanished as the true Vaporeon was struck diagonally from above.

    The bubble jet Pokemon screeched in agony as the giant, pink sphere of light smashed against her in a direct hit, the ensuing explosion being of the same color just before the cloud of dust covered the assaulted area. As he landed on his feet, Valiant immediately stumbled, painfully catching himself onto his hands before he could face-plant into the ground. His eyes were heavy, his hands were burning, the side of his back was still stabbing, and his head was throbbing. He attempted to suck in air, struggling to refill his lungs.

    On the other side, Ash and Eevee held their breaths. It had been a desperate tactic, one that would probably be idiotic to repeat regularly, at least until Valiant had gotten better at that kind of consecutive teleportation. But it had scored them the decisive hit. Now, hopefullyˇ­

    As the dust subsided, Valiant, still on the ground, turned his head to try and get a good view. Vaporeon''s form came into view, laying sprawled out on her belly. Her back was scorched, her body was struggling, and her eyes were barely half open.

    Pushing her paws against the concrete, her legs trembled as she slowly began to rise, only for them to give out just over halfway through. As she fell back onto the pavement, her head tilted and her eyes closed in full. After a couple of shifts or two, no further movement occurred. Upon confirming his opponent''s unconscious form, Valiant rolled over onto his back, hands gripping the top of his head as he stared up at the sky, feeling unable to do anything else as he continued gasping for breath.

    As the battle concluded, a chorus of claps sounded from the observers. Ash heard some commentary and mingling between them, but with his focus on Valiant, whom he and Eevee were quickly approaching, couldn''t quite make them out.

    "Congratulations, buddy." he knelt in front of the Kirlia with a concerned smile. "You okay?"

    The emotion Pokemon managed a weak grin as he locked eyes with his trainer, but suddenly felt some weight press against his side as Eevee rubbed her head against his cheek. The two briefly exchanged words that Ash naturally couldn''t understand as the normal type gave her friend a quick lick on the cheek before separating. Waiting to make sure they were done talking, Ash held up his psychic partner''s ball.

    "Get some sleep, Valiant. I''ll be taking you and the others to Nurse Joy right away." The young psychic closed his eyes as the light engulfed him, pulling him back into the sphere. Standing back up, Ash looked down at Eevee whilst returning the ball to his belt. "You were great too." Sinking into a sitting position, his normal type friend simply gazed back up with an even smile.

    Hearing footsteps approaching them, the duo turned to see Misty stopping in front of them. Vaporeon was gone, having been recalled into her Poke Ball. Misty''s face seemed unevenˇ­ frustrated, as she looked to the side and huffed.

    "Tch, I was supposed to get back at you this time." Slowly returning her gaze to him, and managed something resembling a smile as she took a breath and offered him her hand. "Good game, Ash." as he accepted the handshake, her grip was surprisingly weak at first. She seemingly gathered herself, however, as it gradually tightened. Feeling nostalgic, he smiled at her and responded in kind.

    "You had me worried," he replied. "Just a few wrong turns and our circumstances could''ve been completely flipped over."

    Releasing her grip, her grin turned a bit more lifelike. "Heh, trying to make me feel better? You''re as cute as ever, don''t think I''d have done the same for you." Taking out her Pokedex, she began scrolling through the menus. "Anyhow, let''s get the formalities over with and get out of here; I just needed to get that out of my system real quick."

    ''That''s one way to look at a battle.'' Ash thought to himself, but his grin didn''t fade. When she had shown up, he had wanted to battle her just as much as she seemed to. It was probably the most honest way for her to describe it. Quickly, he took out his own Pokedex and accepted the prize money from her. Despite himself, he couldn''t help but feelˇ­ satisfied looking at what was currently in his trainer''s account. ''I can actually start saving up now. I''ll still have a decent bit of money even after buying everything I need to leave.'' He hoped that would become a regular thing, albeit that all fell to him to keep up his current consistency.

    The small crowd parted for him and Misty to leave, Eevee hopping back onto his shoulder. He exchanged a few words with some of them-a couple of trainers offering compliments and another that he had beaten before thanking him for their battle- before he, Eevee and Misty were back in the Center.

 Aquatic Reunion pt 2

    "Duuude, it''s so great to see you again!" as though a switch had flipped in her brain, Misty hooked her arm around Ash''s neck. "It''s been about a month by now, right? I figured we''d run into each other at some point, but I wasn''t expecting it to just happen." The two had dropped off their Pokemon to Nurse Joy and were now standing in the lobby. There was a decent bit of activity going on around them as people came and went, and a couple of groups conversed amongst one another, but it wasn''t overly crowded, and they had found their own section. Eevee was still with them, only needing some potion and a sitrus berry from Ash, while the rest of his team were in the Center''s care.

    "I''m really glad I ran into you." Ash agreed, pushing her arm off of him. "If you were here all along then I kind of wish we met sooner."

    Folding her arms against her chest, Misty returned his smile. The adrenaline between the two had vanished, the high of their battle a thing of the past. Now, both were completely at ease, and it almost felt uncharacteristic of her. "Well, you know how these big urban spaces work. At least, I hope you''ve figured it out by now. We could''ve been living here and had no idea we were in the same place." Moving to the side, she found a cushioned chair to sink herself into, Ash quickly following suit as Eevee leapt up onto his lap. "But that''s all out of the way now, so what''s new with you? Any more badges or team members?" her smile turned cheeky as she tilted her head out them. "It seems a certain someone might''ve picked up on my taste for badass water types."

    "Heh, his name''s Tempest." Ash replied, recalling that Misty had most likely seen the Krabby in action just before they revealing herself. "I actually caught him pretty soon after we split up. At Cerulean''s coast." his hand rested on Eevee''s head to pet her, eliciting a soft pur from his friend as her eyes briefly closed. "I''ve been to Celadon City; I have their badge. Right now we''re all prepping to challenge this city''s Gym next, we''re almost ready. You?"

    Misty nodded in approval. "I guess that makes two of us with three badges, then. Before I left Cerulean City, I found a nice fishing spot; part of it was just nostalgia, but I was ready for another team member too. Ended up catching a Horsea, she''s great." Her hand patted her belt. "You already saw Togetic, I ended up catching her shortly after leaving. As a Togepi." After taking a brief pause to let Ash and Eevee process, she continued. "I went off the beaten path after that, decided to work my way to Saffron, but not straight down. We went east for a little bit, considered the Rock Tunnel off to the northeast of here, but it was closed off." her face tightened. "Because of him."

    Ash got the message: he remembered that news report that he had seen during his first stay in Saffron, about how the Iron-Masked Marauder had murdered four League agents on the shore beyond the Rock Tunnel, along with killing most of their Pokemon and looting a few. Judging by Eevee''s growl, she seemed to pick up on it as well.

    Misty huffed for a moment at the bad memory, but regained her composure decently quickly. "Anyway, we''ve been in and out of Saffron, as I said earlier. Spent time battling the other trainers in the city and going off into the wild to train. We got our badge from the Gym just a few days ago. We''ll be heading over to Celadon soon."

    Ash''s expression transitioned to a frown. "Celadon''s Gym isˇ­ closed, for a while."

    She sighed. "Yeah, I heard some talk about that recently; it''s why I''ve been dawdling a bit about getting ready to leave. Doesn''t really change anything, though; I''ll just head over there and do my thing until everything''s opened back up again. Gives me more time to train and get my team prepared." Chewing on her lip, she glared off to the side. "Damn Team Rocket gets in the way yet again."

    He eyed her sympathetically. She had already been denied access to the Rock Tunnel because of the Marauder, who had tried to murder both of them and their teams not too long before, and now the terrorist attack in Celadon was putting a crucial part of her journey on hold; he realized that he and Janine had been lucky to have challenged Erika beforehand.

    His friend took a deep breath before looking back at him with a smile. "But yeah, other than that things have been great. Glad it seems to be the same for you."

    Ash ignored the flashbacks to the child soldier ambush on the way to Celadon, and the museum. She didn''t need to know he had been a part of either of those. Still, having them come to mind made him realize just how badly things had been going for Celadon territory as of recent. It felt unfair; he was traveling, so he was never staying in one place for too long, but people lived there. Saw it the same way he saw Pallet Town. How stressful must it have all been for them?

    "Yeah, it''s been great." he replied, trying to think only of the good parts. Meeting Janine and Suzie certainly did wonders to keep him focused on the positives, and he and Janine had even conversed with a top trainer not too long ago. ''I''ll probably leave soon after I''m done with Sabrina''s Gym, but if you''re leaving soon then I''ll probably be here longer than you."

    She hummed. "Makes sense; I''m likely gone in a day or two. Any ideas of where you''ll go next? You''ve already tackled Celadon and Cerulean yourself, so that''s two separate directions you don''t have to worry about. But there''s alsoˇ­"

    "Vermilion and Lavender." Ash confirmed with a nod. "South and East."

    "And the Magnet Train." Misty added. "To Goldenrod."

    "Mhm." Ash nodded again. "Although I''ve already decided to wait on that for the time being. I still have to choose between Vermilion and Fuchsia for my next goal. I''ll be going over it with a friend."

    Misty seemed a bit confused. "Friend?"

    "Yeah," Ash patted Eevee''s head once more. "I paired up with another trainer while leaving Celadon; she and I came here together. Probably until we''ve reached Fuchsia, we''re planning right now." Suddenly, he realized something. "Have you been traveling with anyone?"

    She shook her head. "Been flying solo since you left. Cool to hear, though; going in pairs has its benefits. Especially if you''re going to Fuchsia." she shuddered as she spoke.

    "Yeahˇ­" Ash smiled lightly as the realization began to sink in further. "I''ll be going there eventually no matter what. Even if I do choose to go to Vermilion firstˇ­ it''s still right on the way to Fuchsia."

    "No matter whatˇ­" Misty repeated to herself before brushing it off. "So, how do you feel about that?"

    Briefly, Ash scratched the back of his neck. "I''ve heard pretty unsettling stuff about Fuchsia territory''s wilderness, even recently. Can''t say I''m looking forward to it, especially since the trip through will be pretty long." his expression slightly hardened. "We''ll be ready, though." The next several seconds were silent, and a blink made Ash realize she was staring at him. "Something wrong?"

    She snapped out of it as quickly as he had noticed. "Something''s different about you. Not just your cap." briefly, her eyes lingered at the top of his head. "...You."

    Looking back at her, Ash contemplated the girl''s words. He''d been trying his hardest for as long as he could remember at this point, especially after Cerulean. Was it finally stickingˇ­?

    "I''ve learned things." he smiled at her. "A lot has happened, and I''ve had just as much to think about."

    "Heh," the water lover chuckled as a smile free of fire or smugness made itself known. "Well, the new side of you has my approval. I wouldn''t mind this being your norm."

    /

    "So," said Janine, eying Misty curiously from across the table. "How did you get two Water Stones?"

    The poison specialist had returned to the Center just a little bit after Ash had heard back from Nurse Joy. To the boy''s discomfort, Pikachu was confirmed to have suffered a dislocated shoulder from his battle with Starmie (most likely from the final attack), and in addition to staying in care overnight with the rest of the team, was recommended an additional day of rest afterwards. The rest of the team would be good to go by morning.

    Ash had introduced the two girls, who had apparently bumped into each other briefly a couple of days prior. The three were eating dinner in the cafeteria now, having the end of a table (occupied by other trainers a little bit further down) to themselves. The cafeteria in question was fairly packed, reflecting the amount of activity that Saffron''s Center often received. With the rest of the team still in the Center''s care, Eevee was the only Pokemon currently with Ash, joining Janine''s team for the meal. Misty''s Prinplup, Jigglypuff, and Horsea were present as well. The sun had begun setting by the time Janine had gotten back, and by now, most of the orange in the sky had given out to the nighttime black.

    Misty placed her half-eaten burger down, taking a second to finish chewing before grinning at the other girl. "Heh, that''s a personal favorite tale of mine. You''re from Fuchsia, so I''m sure you''re aware about the excavation field currently in play?"

    Janine nodded in confirmation. "Yes. Specifically, Grampa Canyon is set to be explored thoroughly for fossils. A big team is being put together for it. Do the stones have something to do with that?"

    "Indirectly, I guess." Misty answered before taking another bite of her burger. Swallowing, she continued. "When I was on my way to the Rock Tunnel, I ran into a couple people from one of Fuchsia''s villages. According to them, the news about the assembling excavation team has inspired a fair amount of people to see if they can get in on the action elsewhere, and Fuchsia''s mountains have been targets. It sounds like most people are trying to build up a sort of resume in hopes of joining in on the Grampa Canyon operation. Others are just being inspired to look for treasure or something."

    "The project''s really high-profile, right?" Ash added in.

    "Yeah, from what I know." Misty nodded. "The company running things is going all in, and there are obviously going to be different sides to the operation. Must be some pretty good pay involved. Anyway, that''s where the stones come in." she sipped her orange juice. "During my preparation for Sabrina''s gym over here, I was going in and out of the city, although I never strayed too far. When I was a bit to the south, I ran into aˇ­" she scratched at the scalp just above her forehead. "Fairly interesting man who fancied himself something of a collector. Apparently he had hit the jackpot during a recentˇ­ "treasure hunt" at one of Fuchsia''s mountains. He had not just quite a few Evolution stones on him, but a bunch of valuable materials that can be acquired through mining. A bit too energetically proud of himself if you ask me, but the collection was certainly something. Apparently, he did it for both reasons: he wants in on the Grampa Canyon business for sure, but it''s not just a rarity for him. Seems like an addict when it comes to this kind of stuff."

    "So, you got the two water stones from him?" Ash inquired.

    "More like won." Misty responded. "He had plenty of treasure to spare after all the success he saw, and he offered to wager the two Water stones in a battleˇ­ if I wagered all of my money in return."

    Face pale, Ash was lucky he hadn''t been in the middle of eating or drinking when she revealed that. "You meanˇ­ you accepted?!"

    Next to him, Janine was equally surprised. "That''sˇ­ no offense, but what were you thinking?!"

    Unable to make eye contact with either, Misty giggled nervously. "I saw those shiny stones that he was flamboyantly flashing in front of my face andˇ­ I got greedy. Would''ve lost every penny I''d worked up from the hot streak I was on if I lostˇ­ but I was on top of the world at the time and barely registered those stakes back then." she bit into her burger. "But the good news isˇ­ I won! And after smoothing over the preparations, Staryu and Eevee were happily evolved and stronger than ever." elbow resting against the surface of the table, a cheeky grin adorned her face as she looked at Janine whilst gesturing her head in Ash''s direction. "Just ask Ash. He got a nice taste."

    Amused, Ash chuckled. "I can attest."

    Frowning for a moment, Janine looked like she was about to comment on the carelessness of Misty''s decision, but a moment later she smiled lightly. "Wellˇ­ as long as it all worked out for you, I suppose."

    Looking between the two girls, a certain vibe settled into Ash''s chest. ''They''re so opposite.'' He didn''t need to tell himself that too vehemently, as it went without saying. Especially when he was given the opportunity to observe their table manners side by side.

    Still grinning, Misty hummed. "Well, that''s the short version of the story. I lucked out pretty well, but I''d like to say I earned those stones all the same."

    ''Earned themˇ­'' Ash casted a side glance over to Eevee, who was currently chatting with Prinplup and Ivysaur whilst digging into her bowl. ''I have three Pokemon that can evolve from stones, and two that outright need them. I''ve already mentioned it to Eevee, but maybe I should talk to Valiant about what he thinks, too.'' Although he only had two potential evolved forms to choose from rather than a multitude, that still meant that the Kirlia had a choice to make. And whether or not a stone was even required would depend on that choice; Gallade required a Dawn Stone whilst Gardevoir evolved traditionally.

    "Anywho," Misty kept her eyes on Janine. "I know plenty about Ash, but how''s your end treating you? I can always teach him a lesson if he''s slowing you down too much." Good-naturedly, she sent an amused grin in response to the boy''s eye-roll.

    The Fuchsia girl giggled. "No need, he''s been just fine. I was recently able to get some help for my Toxtricity from a breeder in Celadon, so everything has been going smoothly for me since then."

    "What made you interested in poison types?" Misty inquired.

    "I was somewhat brought up like that." Janine replied. "Is it the same for you and water types?"

    "Aquatic stuff has always been pretty big in my family." Misty nodded. "Not that I''d ever do something for the sake of copying my sisters, believe me, but I''m in love with the ocean and everything in it. Marine life was my favorite subject at school since day one, and I even did my essay on fishing for the Qualification Exam. Once training became my passion, I opted to combine the two. Came naturally and logically to me." she pointed her thumb to her chest. "And that''s why I''m gonna become the greatest water type trainer to ever exist."

    "I wish you luck, then." Janine responded approvingly. "You''re off to a great start with how well the season has been going for you so far." her smile turned sheepish. "I''d just adviseˇ­ taking more conservative bets with your opponents."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The Cerulean girl stuck her tongue out. "Don''t worry, I''m no dummy. I''ll quit where I''m ahead in that department. Best of luck to you, too."

    Though their reasons and specialties of choice weren''t the same, there was an understanding connection to be had between two up and coming trainers who knew what it was like to possess a passion for a specific typing.

    /

    With preparations for Sabrina''s gym nearing completion, activity amongst the group had mellowed out the following day, in hopes of unwinding to be both physically and mentally prepared for the trial ahead. Pikachu was released from care, and spent the day relaxing in the room, content to pass the day by laying carefree in Ash''s bed. Ash was sure to spend a fair amount of time with his starter, and when he wasn''t in the room with him, Valiant was still there to keep Pikachu company, the Kirlia himself having chosen to spend the day in relaxation.

    With plans to leave the city shortly after he and Janine were done at the gym, Ash had chosen to get a portion of their shopping out of the way for now. He''d hold off on food and TMs until the very end point, but had taken it upon himself to purchase a tent and healing items from the store.

    Though Pikachu and Valiant had taken a much deserved (and, in Pikachu''s case, needed) day off, other members of the team had taken it upon themselves to put the finishing touches on their training.

    Eevee weaved in and out between a patch of rocks as Nebula hovered after her, the stream of golden stars steadily escaping her beak and locking onto the evolution Pokemon, who used the cover to shield herself as she strategically evaded the projectiles.

    "That''s good, Nebula." Ash called out to the pair. "Keep it up!"

    With eager encouragement from both her trainer and training partner, Nebula stepped up her game, the stream of golden stars growing stronger and faster as she increased the effort put into the Swift attack. Eevee continued evading the assault, finding some dust in her view as the onslaught began to take its toll on the nearby rocks that she was using for her cover. Abruptly, Eevee leapt over the gradually growing cloud and launched her own stream of golden projectiles. On reflex, Nebula quickly swerved upwards, avoiding the countering Swift as the stars angled their way after her, towards the sky on the verge of sunset. After leading them higher into the air in a straight line, the Staravia halted, angling her body straight down and launching another Swift from her beak to meet Eevee''s own, pursuing one.

    As a cloud of smoke spawned from the clashing explosion, Nebula shot straight down, velocity empowered by Quick Attack as her wings turned to metal, dive bombing straight in Eevee''s direction. The evolution Pokemon had predicted this, however, and had taken the time Nebula had spent in the air to supercharge her tail with Focus Energy. As Nebula shot out of the lingering cloud of dust, her Steel Wing was met with a well-aimed Iron Tail as a loud CLANG! Spread out through the air around them. Straining, Eevee''s teeth clenched as she felt her paws sliding backwards, pushing harder against Nebula''s offense as her tail firmly stood its ground against the wing strike that it had intercepted. Nebula, in turn, grinded her beak, attempting to power through Eevee''s steadfast defense and pouring more effort into her Quick Attack to further heighten her momentum and force her training partner backwards.

    The exchange continued onward as Ash and Tyrunt watched from the side, and the several seconds that it consisted of felt like several minutes, until the two finally parried one another away.

    Catching herself in the air, Nebula descended and perched herself on top of a rock, sucking in a deep breath as Eevee landed in a sitting position and did the same. The quadruped lifted her head to eye the bird, who met her gaze. After a moment or two of silence, the two smiled in content as Eevee offered her teammate a bark of approval. Ash couldn''t help but find their expressions contagious as he and Tyrunt watched them.

    "I guess things have changed, haven''t they?" perking up, he turned to see Misty approaching them. She had come to the training grounds with them to practice with her team, but was likely planning to head back to the Center now, as all of her Pokemon seemed to be recalled. "Didn''t she hate Nebula''s guts at first? Now she''s taught her a move."

    "Things have had time to clear up." he responded, looking back to see Tyrunt joining the two as a conversation seemed to strike up between the pair. "We''re lucky." it would require a lot more work to achieve similar results with Tempest, making it all the more relieving that the tension between Eevee and Nebula was thankfully a situation that had run its natural course. He turned back to Misty. "So, you''re leaving in the morning?"

    She nodded. "Yeah, sorry I can''t stick around, but I at least want to be in Celadon once the gym reopens. And according to the news, they''re getting ready for that now. Shouldn''t be more than a couple of weeks. Figured I''d get over there and start doing my training around that area." she looked back at Nebula, Eevee, and Tyrunt for a brief moment before continuing. "So, you and Janine are heading over to Sabrina in a couple of days?"

    "That''s the plan," he responded, instinctively reaching up to his head as a brief gust of wind caught him off guard, but finding no cap to hold down. "Would like to have a full day of taking it easy before we jump over to the big stuff, although I''m not sure how eager Tempest is going to be about that." looking behind him, he spotted the Krabby further down the training grounds, practicing a few of his moves in succession. Before, he had been with Tentacruel and Skrelp, but Janine had left about a half hour ago, so now the river crab trained alone like usual.

    "Good idea." Misty nodded. "You can''t take any chances with her. The stories about Sabrina are all true." she rubbed her chin. "Wellˇ­ the ones I''ve heard, at any rate. Fighting her was a bit disorienting."

    "Erika has some tricks up her sleeve herself." Ash said. "Want any tips?"

    "Hmmmˇ­thanks, but I''d rather figure it out on my own." her gaze met his eyes. "Same for you?"

    He thought it over for a moment or two. It would be nice, but she had put it best. He wouldn''t always have the luxury of a friend who just so happened to be in the area giving him direct, specific advice, and things would only get more rough from here on out, so it would be best not to get too used to it. "Yeah," he smiled in confirmation. "It''s probably for the best, for both of us."

    "Heh," she nodded in agreement before readjusting her backpack and looking back in the direction she would have to leave in order to get to the Center. "Welp, time for me to turn in and get ready to leave tomorrow. Try not to miss my pretty face too much while I''m gone, ''kay?"

    With an amused chuckle, Ash rolled his eyes as though it were an involuntary response. "I don''t know how I''d ever cope."

    "And buy a new cap at some point, I''m not used to seeing your full head of hair." She smirked as Ash rubbed his head, before her face mellowed out. "Seriously though," her expression softened into an easy smile as she offered her hand. "It was great seeing you again, Ash."

    Happily accepting, he returned the look as the two shook, tightening their grips on one another to almost the most they could muster. "Same here, take care out there, Misty."

    "You should be saying that to the bozos I share the battlefield with." As the two friends separated, she waved while turning to walk off. "See ya down the line."

    He simply waved back.

    /

    In the night sky above the legendary metropolis, the moon found itself surrounded by a cluster of shining stars that gave the pitch black a beautiful shade. From the window in Ash and Janine''s room, Nebula was granted a full view of the spectacle as she leaned against the windowsill, resting, but not quite ready to go to sleep just yet.

    The same couldn''t quite be said for the rest of their respective teams, however. Tempest rested with his back against the wall, content and proud with a good day''s work as he snoozed away his workout. Tyrunt was curled up on a pillow with Eevee slightly curled over him, Valiant resting next to the two. Pikachu remained in his trainer''s bed, all but his head and ears beneath the covers. At Janine''s side of the room, closer to the window itself, Ivysaur rested right next to his trainer''s bed at the head, joined by Beedrill. Golbat was at the foot with Toxtricity, whilst tentacruel and Skrelp joined one another at their own corner.

    Though most of the team were asleep, the trainers themselves had one more thing left to do before heading to bed.

    Stepping out of the bathroom, having finished drying his hair from the shower, Ash turned his attention to the desk, with two side by side chairs. Janine occupied one, using the light from the desk''s lamp as her eyes immersed themselves in the text of the book she had laid out in front of her. Settling in for the night, she had untied her ponytail, allowing her purple hair to freely fall down to her shoulders as she silently read through, relaxed and tranquil. Ash had seen her with the book a few times; it was a novel that she had packed with her when leaving home, about a lone ninja warrior traveling between aristocratic cities to challenge the various warriors operating from the shadows to uncover a century-long, continent-spanning mystery. Through her travels, she had been periodically progressing through her third time reading the book.

    Upon hearing the door, Janine looked up from her reading and smiled as she saw Ash exiting the bathroom. "Alright, are you ready?"

    He nodded. "Yeah." at his answer, she quickly closed the novel after bookmarking it, pushing it to the side of the desk near her backpack as she scooted her chair to the right to make more room for Ash, who sat down in the chair next to her.

    Once they were situated, Janine unfolded a massive map across the desk, another thing that she had brought with her for her travels. This map detailed all of Kanto and Johto, and as expansive as a full map of Kanto already was, this full picture of Indigo''s mainline put the scope to shame. Both Region''s were laid out in such detail (complete with visuals of the cities themselves) that it was like looking at them from an overhead view. Mt. Silver towered over the Indigo Plateau and the mountain range surrounding them and Pewter, a sight that drew Ash''s attention towards it faster than anything else on the map, before his eyes began to move across the entire thing.

    This was the land that trainers of Indigo traveled. A near endless treasure trove of branching paths, magnificent geography and iconic landmarks to make for an awe inspiring scope, all laid out in a single, desk-sized map.

    Ash didn''t realize that his mouth was open until he heard Janine''s suppressed giggle. "It''s a really nice view, isn''t it?" Regaining his composure, he looked back at her and nodded as she straightened the picture out a bit better. "I really enjoy looking at this every now and then. Sometimes it''s fun to justˇ­ take it all in."

    Ash couldn''t agree more. "To think even Saffron and Celadon are just two small parts of the package."

    "Apart from the Plateau and Mt. Silver, I think just about anything is shockingly small when viewed next to the full thing." as she turned her head, she locked eyes with him without effort. "Thankfully, we just have the eastern portion to worry about." her hand rested on Saffron City.

    It was hard to tear his eyes away from everything that the map openly offered for him to look at, but Ash was able to manage as his eyes traveled to the subject of the discussion: Easter Kanto.

    Turning her gaze back to the map, Janine''s tone morphed into its professional, business-esque form. "Vertically speaking, we are roughly in the middle of Kanto at the current moment, on the edge of the Region''s east." Her finger lightly pressed against Saffron City, before tracing downward, passing over Vermilion before finally making its way to the mountainous wilderness of Fuchsia, a unique mixture of mountains, forests, and wildlands that many a trainer dreaded traversing through. "Fuchsia makes up the bulk of Kanto''s southeastern portion. A straight shot through Vermilion would be the quickest route to take, albeit not exactly short. Fuchsia City itself stands at the far end." her finger finally rested upon her hometown. "If we take this route after we''re done with Sabrina and her Gym, it won''t be too long before we can stop for a rest at Vermilion, and we could also challenge LT. Surge during our stay. After that, we''d move on downward to Fuchsia territory, which will take longer to get through, and of course, be more difficult."

    Ash''s mind flashed back as Janine paused to give him time to process as he nodded along to her, eyes laser focused on the easter side of the map. ''I''ll have to have a rematch with Surge at some point, but will I be ready that soon? It won''t take much time to get to Vermilion if we head south, and his teamˇ­'' the image of his Raichu firing an enormous, Hyper Beam-esque blast of lightning down at Pikachu was all that he needed to get the point across to himself.

    "And our second option, of courseˇ­" Janine continued, her finger tracing its way back up to Saffron City before moving eastward. "Is to go east first, to Lavender Town." her finger tip stopped just over the Noble Town, as it was often called. A spiritual town home to limitless ghost type Pokemon and peacefully resting souls, south of the Rock Tunnel and Power Plant. "This will give us another quick place to stop, but it''ll be a much longer trip once we move." With fluidity, her finger slid downward across the map; past a bridge over the waters at the furthest, most eastern portion of the Region, as well as Diglett''s cave, which was closer to Vermilion, before finally arriving at Fuchsia again. "We won''t necessarily have to be out in the wild the entire time, there will be at least one Pokemon Center out there that we can stop at, and given the reputation of the area, as well as how expansive that it is, others have seized the business opportunity to set up occasional lodgings for trainers to use as rest stops. Not to mention, there are a few villages that we can plan our course for. Nevertheless, we''d have to be as tightly packed with supplies as we can manage, and be precise with how we travel; no wasted movements." Lifting her hand off of the map, she looked back at Ash. "That''s the short version of the necessary details. Does everything sound right to you?"

    He nodded back at her before returning his gaze to the map. "Surge and Kogaˇ­" he looked back at her again. "We''re talking about two of Indigo''s Gym Leaders with theˇ­ biggest reputations."

    "And taking the longer route means we''ll have a lot more time to train and prepare for them." The moment Ash had looked back at her, Janine''s purple eyes had found their way to his, her expression completely smoothed out; no signs of anything other than matter-of-fact.

    "Especially since we won''t be stopping at Vermilion along the way." Ash continued. He looked back at the map. "But it''s easily the less surefire choice of the two. Fuchsia''s wilderness is the main concern no matter what, but it''ll take longer to get there from Lavender than it would from Vermilion. We''d have to do everything we can to hit the rest stops, and probably get more money from battling other trainers to make sure we have the necessary supplies; without draining our wallets."

    "It will definitely be bigger resource management than either of us have needed in the past." Janine nodded in confirmation. "We would probably need an additional day or two to prepare before leaving this city to go to Lavender."

    "And unless we reach a village along the way to Fuchsiaˇ­" Ash scratched his head, his face growing uneasy. "We''ll be away from civilization for a long time."

    He could feel her frown. "That''s the biggest negative to you, isn''t it?"

    Ash''s mind raced its way back to the terrible week in Viridian Forest. Even if the Bug Catcher Gang had made it far worse, it had still been one deprived of security and comfort. If they chose the latter path to take, they would be out there far longer than then, and apart from the ghost stories centered around Viridian Forest, Fuchsia was a far more infamous place.

    "You''ve already warned me," he admitted to her with slight unease. "That I couldn''t get away from that once we got to Fuchsia territory." he sighed. "It''s justˇ­ going to be a huge step up, although that''s true even if we take the "easier" path." it was true; one way or another, they would eventually be going through Fuchsia no matter what.

    "It''s not that I don''t understand." Janine''s professional tone didn''t change as her finger traced the map. "That''s why I haven''t been fully decided myself."

    The brief moment of silence that fell between them was comfortable, they rookies accessing a map that detailed the full scope of their magnificent travels, and sharing the moment with one another as they contemplated the future of their travels.

    "Still though," Ash finally broke the silence. "The main benefit of going to Vermilion first would be to get a gym challenge more quickly. In this case, against Surge." his face tightened. "And he''s as bad as Koga."

    "And even if we were to compromise and simply challenge him to see how it goes, and leave for Fuchsia afterwards regardless of the result," Janine''s eyes hovered over the map in deep thought. "That would still leave us with less time to prepare for Koga."

    Ash hummed, voice transitioning from unease to acceptance. All of a sudden, the choices didn''t seem as even, as though the risk-versus-reward aspect had been flipped over. "We could be shooting ourselves in the foot with the so-called "easy" option." his muscles relaxed. ''I''ve already lost to Surge once, and I didn''t want to come back until I knew for a fact that I was ready. If we take the long path to train ourselves up, no matter how awful the terrain might get, Koga could be the one to make me see if I''m ready.'' After all, Koga was one of the few Gym Leaders in Indigo who the training community feared as much as Surge. What better way to get a clear cut answer for himself?

    Janine allowed her expression to ease, face slightly softening as a small smile curved its way up her lips. "You should know, I''ve been to the same parts of Indigo that you''ve had. I know more about Fuchsia in general, but in practice, this will be new for both of us." she glanced back at Vermilion, gaze lingering for a moment. "That''s why I do find it tempting to take whatever "safer route" that we can get out of this." her fingers drummed against the desk. "But Fuchsia isn''t just infamous for its harsh wilderness and terrain; it''s also famous for being a fantastic playground for training."

    "For the same reasons it''s infamous." Ash finished for her, looking back at the map. "The difference is who''s able or willing to take it." Another lingering silence fell between the two, but it was a pause that he broke once more. Exhaling a deep breath, he turned back to his friend, face more steel.

    ''Be proactive. Set your own example, like Suzie said.''

    "I''m not sure being "ready" is the point, now that I think about it." she looked at him curiously, hands followed over the middle of the map as his brown eyes found their way to hers. He smiled a bit; it wasn''t a wide grin, only just visible enough to convey what needed to be conveyed. And that was to bring out the readiness on his face, reflective of the fire yearning to burn in his chest.

    The wildfire of a future Champion.

    "Trainers can''t always be ready for everything, and that''s part of the challenge." he pointed out, eyes just as firmly locked on hers as the other way around. Just as professional. "I''m up for that challenge."

    His friend chuckled through her closed lips, grinning back at him. "Then it''s time we both passed that challenge. Lavender it is." she offered her hand, and Ash was quick to accept.

    There were no tightening grips in this handshake, no playful competition for dominance. Simply two partners on the same page.

    His rematch with LT. Surge would come in time, but for now, they had a long term plan to plot out. And once they had cleared their heads at Lavender Town, they would tear through Kanto''s infamous Fuchsia terrain and take the fight to Koga.

    Neither forgot the task currently at hand, however. Their business in Saffron wasn''t done yet, and the battle to come would be the test, the gateway to the next level they were prepared to pursue.

 The Threshold pt 1

    "The gym''s just up ahead." As he and Janine took a turn, Ash briefly shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun. It seemed to be working overtime today; the light reflecting off of the glass from the skyscrapers was glaring and somewhat painful, and his skin couldn''t help but feel hot as it shined on him. He wasn''t sure if it was all in his head, maybe just something to distract him from the battle on his mind, but it was certainly annoying.

    Thankfully, Janine''s own reaction was enough to convince him he wasn''t crazy. Although the girl showed no signs of feeling hot or uncomfortable, she too had shielded herself from the sudden glare. At the very least, that wasn''t just something his mind made up.

    "Hopefully they''re not too busy," she commented, keeping a hand to her forehead to block out the sunlight. "From what I know, they were usually at their most active in the afternoon last Season, but that''s a fresh slate, and Saffron''s always bustling, especially lately."

    Nodding, Ash continued over to the Gym, both trainers paced in sync at each other''s side. As they stopped in front of the giant building, they took the time to look up and take it all in.

    Saffron''s Gym was as distinctive as the rest he''d been to so far: The building sported a pure coat of ocean blue, and although it was mostly round in shape, its roof was curved. It was an odd design to say the least, although perhaps appropriate.

    The two stared at the object of their determination for several seconds before their eyes found their way to one another.

    "You ready?" Janine''s posture and tone were as calm as he could comprehend as she asked.

    The familiar feeling in his stomach didn''t influence his own behavior as he nodded. "Yeah, let''s do this."

    /

    The inside of the gym felt a lot more normal than the exterior, although the distinctiveness did not go away. The lobby that Ash found himself stepping in wasn''t inviting or intimidating, but instead screamed "high end". The carpet, which stretched across the entire lobby and changed colors in different sections, had to have been worth several thousands on its own, and the chandelier that hung overhead popped out at him even more. It looked as though it were literally made of gold, and the light bulbs resembled priceless jewels far more than light bulbs themselves.

    Towards the far end of the lobby, nearing the door that would most likely take challengers to the battlefield, he could spot six kids-clearly challengers waiting for their turn- seated in cushioned chairs against the walls. Most seemed about his age, a couple slightly older. One pair were chatting amongst each other, two others patiently waiting in silence, while the remaining two fidgeted in place.

    Elsewhere in the lobby, who spotted a group who appeared to be working or surveying the area, ranging from about his age to a few years older. They all wore the same uniform; they must''ve been among the students studying under Sabrina at the gym''s Training Academy.

    He seemed to finish checking out his surroundings at around the same time Janine did, the pair remaining close to one another as they made their way to the counter. A teenage girl (likely sixteen) with greenish-brown hair, purple eyes, and a pair of glasses sat at the desk typing in front of a monitor. She wore the same uniform as the other working students.

    Upon seeing the two new arrivals, the receptionist perked up, moving her hands away from her keyboard and folding them over the desk. "Good morning. Challengers?" The two rookies nodded, fishing for their Pokedexes as she began typing something out on the keyboard. "Okay, put your Pokedexes into the slot," she pointed to it before continuing at the keyboard. "And I''ll check you both in."

    Ash stepped back and let Janine go first before inserting his own device into the slot. The receptionist''s fingers continued to flow about the keyboard before she turned back to them. Her posture was completely by the book, although her tone of voice allowed for the slightest amount of casual friendliness to sleep through as she grinned at them. "Alright, Ash and Janine. You two were both checked in at 11:00 AM. Please have a seat, and Lady Sabrina will take your challenge when your turn comes."

    The duo made their way to the end of the lobby, sinking into two chairs beside one another. Janine spared a glance at the other challengers (who had taken note of their presence) before pulling her book out of her backpack.

    "The wait isn''t too bad, by usual standards for cities like this." Janine opened the book before turning her head to Ash. "Nervous?"

    Ash chuckled a bit, taking a food magazine off of the shelf next to him. "I think I''m fine." Sabrina was going to be the toughest challenge he and his team faced yet, but he had come in feeling satisfied. They had fulfilled every goal they had put in place whilst training for the gym, and the fruits of their labor had shown themselves while battling the other trainers. "It won''t be easy, but we''re as prepared as we can be."

    Her eyes shifted to the text in her novel. "You''re better prepared than me. As a rookie poison specialist, if I took all the time I needed to nullify my disadvantage, I''d be here a lot longer. It''s more practical to hone that as you travel and tackle other things." her tone had its usual, confident tranquility as she turned a page. "I''ve still made progress; I''m looking forward to testing it in full. If it''s not enough I''ll have plenty of time later."

    Her words reminded him of his mindset when battling Surge. He had known that the odds were stacked against him, but wanted to test to see if he was ready. It had backfired tremendously, but her situation was different than being blatantly outmatched. Arguably, it was a much more important circumstance to think in such a way.

    Flipping to a section of the magazine that highlighted new poffin recipes, he raised his head as the fidgeting challenger was called on. He watched the boy follow an older teenage male, disappearing behind the door.

    He shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. That was six challengers ahead of them. Although he entertained himself by observing and reading up on the food in the magazine, he was sure to make use of the time to go through everything in his head.

    /

    "Ash and Janine." By the time their names were called, two additional challengers had silently joined them in the waiting area.

    As the duo rose from their seats, Janine turned to Ash, showing her friend a coin. "Heads or tails?"

    "Heads." he quickly responded. He watched her flip the coin, grinning as she showed him the results. "Guess I win. I''ll go first, then."

    "You two are free to come together if you want," the teen boy from before was dressed in the same uniform as the other students working at the gym; which, now that Ash viewed it up close, gave off a more mystical feeling than the usual academy uniform. He had well-groomed, dark brown hair, and was probably taller than Ash''s mother.

    "Do you want to watch?" Ash offered her in response to the older boy''s statement. After a moment, she accepted.

    The gym trainer nodded in acknowledgement, gesturing towards the doorway as the two rookies approached him. "This way, please."

    As they followed him down the hallway, Ash''s eyes found their way to the paintings and portraits lining the walls. They displayed various landmarks, and what looked like a few tournament battles. Janine seemed to take a particular interest in them, and it wasn''t until they were nearing the end that he realized that they were likely historical pictures.

    Opening the door to the battlefield, the gym trainer gestured them forward. "After you."

    Voicing a thanks, Ash stepped through the doorway and quickly looked around, as though it were an automatic response. As his eyes traveled around the gigantic room, he abruptly realized that he had been looking forward to analyzing the environment where they would be battling, and couldn''t help but chuckle that he was starting to get used to it.

    The floor surrounding the battlefield was carpeted with the same impossibly expensive material from the lobby, making him feel as though they were inside of a mansion rather than a gym. Where there would normally be a set of bleachers, the set of seats on either side of the battlefield more closely resembled a high-end lecture hall, the set on the left-hand side housing a fair number of students in the same uniforms. At first glance, they seemed to vary from being his age to a few years older.

    Ash thought back to the other gyms he had been to up at this point. This wasn''t the first gym that took on an unconventional appearance; certainly not with Misty''s sisters outright making a swimming pool environment into their battlefield, but while that and the Celadon gym had adhered to an obvious gimmick, the character surrounding this setup elicited an entirely different vibe from him. He knew Sabrina''s academy was as popular as fathomable, but even the battlefield itself felt like a prestigious classroom.

    But the time to take in the surrounding area had come and gone, and now his gaze rested solely on the battlefield itself.

    The floor of the battlefield was clear in color with an almostˇ­ reflective surface. Across the battlefield, eight crystal pillars stood tall above the floor, probably about sixteen feet in height, with floor on either side. With how wide and long the arena was, they were each still a fairly decent distance apart.

    Beside him, Janine''s eyes were soaking up the details with perhaps even more dedication. "This is definitely her style."

    "Welcome, both of you."

    The moment their heads turned in the direction of the voice, they felt their muscles tighten as reality sunk in.

    Approaching them was a tall woman dressed in a crimson and black uniform. Black hair flowed regally behind her as stoic, pink eyes zeroed in on the pair with such focus that Ash felt violated by her very gaze.

    ''One look at you and it''s like she knows everything.'' he recalled Janine saying earlier in the morning.

    Sabrina''s posture exemplified perfection as she stopped in front of them. The psychic woman''s body language was as silent as could be, and although her gaze held no hostility, it feltˇ­ deep, in such a natural manner that it didn''t even appear to be a true effort on her part.

    Ash looked up at the gym leader, the one who was labeled as a marvel amongst the training community and psychic enthusiasts alike. The one who represented the line he had to cross to reach that next level awaiting him beyond Saffron, the phase of his journey devoid of any "beginner-friendliness".

    He did not flinch.

    "It''s an honor to meet you, Sabrina." As he locked eyes with her, an otherworldly sensation washed over him. Feeling her gaze was like riding with training wheels compared to actually experiencing it. Even as the senseless combination of emotions rushed through his blood, and he felt as though every thought to ever go through his mind, and every emotion he had ever felt in his life were being dissected in a single moment, he offered a hand.

    Sabrina''s voice was regal as she accepted the handshake, and Ash found it impossible to imagine her as anything else than the mystical, elegantly analytic leader that birthed so much inspiration amongst Indigo''s populace. "I am pleased to have you in our gym, Ash." as they separated, her eyes fluidly fell on his companion. "And Janine."

    The poison specialist was steadfast and alert as the gym leader''s attention transitioned to her, straightening herself as though to appear taller as she locked gazes with Sabrina next. Turning to his friend, Ash could see the familiar, tranquil steel that he had grown fond of in her purple eyes.

    "Hello, Sabrina." her formal tone was devoid of any cracks as she bowed her head. "I''m glad I can finally meet you."

    "I feel the same," a small, sentimental smile adorned the regal woman''s face as she accepted her other challenger''s handshake. As they separated, her features turned neutral once more, a not so authoritative but proactive vibe lacing her voice as she looked between the two rookies. "You both will be challenging me today, correct?"

    The two nodded. "I''ll be going first." Ash confirmed.

    "Very well," she replied before turning to the older boy who had escorted them. "Assume the referee post, Kevin."

    "Understood, Lady Sabrina." Kevin bowed before making his way to the side of the battlefield.

    "You will be spectating, I presume?" Janine nodded and voiced confirmation as Sabrina turned back to her. "Very well," she said approvingly, gesturing to the seats. "If you would join my students in the audience, then."

    "Yes ma''am." the girl nodded obediently, turning her head to Ash as her hand rested on his back. "Good luck." He offered her an appreciative smile as she made her way to the seats.

    "Ketchum." as his attention returned to the gym leader, he realized the two were alone together now. Not letting himself hesitate, he looked her in the eye again, feeling the almost violating sensation rush through his body a second time. "What is your goal for today''s challenge?" her voice was as analytical as her eyes.

    "...I''m going to defeat you and win the Marsh Badge." Ash tried not to feel uneasy; the question was too simple.

    With seamless grace, Sabrina''s hand brushed a strand of hair behind her as her eyes remained focused on the boy in front of her. "And what will you accomplish by doing so?"

    His face tightened in understanding. "I''ll prove that I''m ready for the next phase of my journey," he felt his mind steady itself as he voiced it out loud. "That I''ve learned enough from the previous gyms."

    "Yesˇ­ I do believe that is what your heart is trying to tell me." her hand fell to her side. "I look forward to seeing if you can translate that in our battle." Without another word, she turned and walked off towards her side of the field. Ash''s attention was captivated by her departing form until a monitor descended in front of him from the ceiling. The reading on the touch screen was familiar.

    Select four Pokemon

    ''This is it.'' Ash''s eyes moved between the six pictures of his team, only thinking for a moment before tapping Valiant, Eevee, Nebula, and Tempest. Running a hand across his belt, he assumed his post, turning his head to the left to view the audience.

    The seats weren''t packed, but there were a decent number of students in each row, a few happily chatting with one another as others patiently waited for the battle to start. It wasn''t too difficult to pick out Janine amongst them. His eyes fell on her for a moment before turning back ahead of him, where Sabrina now stood on the other end of the battlefield. The gym leader''s arms were crossed with royalty-like boldness as his hand began gripping one of the capsules on his belt.

    "The Gym battle between Leader Sabrina and our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town shall now begin!" As Kevin''s voice rose above the room, the chatting amongst the other gym trainers stopped, all eyes now professionally laser-focused on the battlefield itself. "Each party will use four Pokemon, with both sides permitted substitutions. The battle will end when all Pokemon on either side have been defeated, or when one party submits by forfeit. Are there any questions from the challenger?"

    His head turned to Ash, who quickly shook his head and spoke an audible "No."

    "Then both sides will now present their first teammate!"

    Ash responded with a near automatic reaction as Eevee appeared in front of him. Turning her head side to side, his quadrupedic friend took in her surroundings before turning back to him in greeting. The determination on her face told Ash that she knew with absolution where they were.

    "We''re bringing home the gold together Eevee," Ash''s face eased enough to allow a kind smile as he locked eyes with his partner. "I''m counting on you all." her mouth curved up at his words, the familiar bark that he loved so much escaping her throat before she turned back to Sabrina.

    The Gym Leader in question had released her teammate of choice just about as fast as he had, and the sight of the Pokemon that emerged from the light was the only reminder Ash and Eevee would ever need regarding the weight of this challenge.

    The levitating creature was borderline robotic in appearance, metallic body shaped like a bulky, round disc with intimidating arms on either side. The intense glare from its glowing eyes only made Eevee flinch for a moment; all it accomplished afterwards was eliciting an aggressive bark and a growl from the evolution Pokemon.

    Sabrina''s first teammate of choice was a Metang. Native to the Hoenn Region, the steel/psychic type was in need of no introduction; not when its evolved form was Metagross, an irrefutably awe-inspiring monstrosity even amongst fellow pseudo-legendaries.

    This battle was a test, the greatest test to determine that they had all grown past the "beginner-friendly" stages of their adventures, and were prepared for the harsh unknown that awaited them for the rest of their travels, of their career. Sabrina was kick starting it with not a single punch pulled.

    Without turning around, Eevee looked back at Ash, the steel glare in her eyes quickly reflected by him as the two exchanged nods.

    "That Pokemon is going to be very durable, Eevee." he warned. "It''s called a Metang, and they''re just about as strong as an enemy of our level can get. I wouldn''t be surprised if it''s faster than it looks too. You ready?" another nod and a bark, and Ash''s grin turned fiery as the surge in his chest returned. "Then let''s win that badge." With a prepared growl, Eevee turned her gaze back to Metang, body bending into a pounce-ready position as her tail stood erect.

    "This Gym battleˇ­ Begins NOW!"

    ''Iron Tail almost certainly won''t do much unless we use Focus Energy to back it up, but it''s not our only option.'' "Eevee, run around full speed!"

    "Don''t stay still, Metang." Sabrina''s voice was sharp and alert, delivered without anything extra.

    Eevee kicked off of the floor, slipping into Quick Attack and performing a sharp turn as she neared Metang. Even as she did, however, the iron claw Pokemon swerved to the other side, and as the normal type prepared to circle around her opponent, she found Metang in an entirely different place, still on the move.

    "Keep going, Eevee! And take aim with Shadow Ball!"

    "You know what to do, Metang."

    As Eevee changed direction once more, attempting to line herself up with the steel/psychic type, her opponent in question swerved to a different side, hovering over the reflective floor as it moved at a speed that more so resembled gliding. The metallic creature was not as fast as Eevee, but it certainly wasn''t slow. As it moved around, its disc-shaped body gradually rotated, always keeping its sights locked on the evolution Pokemon, as though it were robotically programmed to do so. The normal type had to get in a good enough position-and preferably close enough as well- in order to properly aim, but the movements of Sabrina''s partner were unsubtly designed to prevent that until Metang itself was in the right position to go on the offensive.

    At the last second, Eevee swerved again, circling around a crystal pillar and coming out on the other side. As Metang turned to let its sight meet her, she curved once more, barely losing a nibble''s worth of momentum as she changed direction.

    Even as he remained alert, Ash looked on proudly. ''You first joined this team after everyone else made strides in Pewter. You''ve worked so hard to catch up, and now, unless he uses Agility, even Pikachu might not shake you in a chase.'' Eevee was moving with all of the speed and fluidity that had more than become his starter''s greatest asset. If Sabrina and Metang wanted to play this game, she was going to win.

    Eevee swerved yet again, zigzagging her way closer (but not too close) to Metang as the familiar orb of distorted energy appeared within her jaws. As she fired the Shadow Ball, Metang''s claws glowed blue, taking on an extra layer of temporary metal coating as it batted the projectile to the side, colliding with a crystal pillar with no signs of harm done.. As it did, an orb of silvery aura appeared where its mouth should be, moments later extending into a blast that rushed towards its target. The Flash Cannon exploded harmlessly against the crystal pillar that Eevee had come from as she continued to rush towards Metang, using her incredible momentum to leap over the beam-and the Pokemon firing it- before landing on all fours.

    Although Eevee''s paws continued to move as she landed on all fours, she immediately turned around to face her opponent, who was already doing the same for her as Sabrina commanded "Bullet Punch." Metang''s claws firmly clenched into fists as the metallic glow returned to both of them, and with greater speed than before, the robot-like creature rocketed towards Ash''s partner.

    Coating her tail in Metal, Eevee thrust forward to block the Bullet Punch, feeling a jolt of pain as Metang''s fist collided with her Iron Tail. Her paws slid backwards on the clear, reflective surface of the floor, but she maintained near-perfect balance even as the collision forced her backwards. Metang continued its advance, Ash''s eyes widening somewhat as the iron claw Pokemon''s fist glowed a bright orange. On its robotic body, the glow of the ever-so familiar fighting type move resembled a ferociously glaring beacon.

    Eevee''s eyes narrowed with a low growl as Metang closed in on her once more, raising another fist in preparation to cave her skull in with the Brick Break. Kicking off of the floor, she rushed forward to meet Sabrina''s partner, somersaulting into the air just as her opponent threw the mighty punch. The robotic fist passed just beneath her-forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut to shield them from the painfully bright glow-as she rolled in midair, traveling above her adversary and landing behind Metang with perfected grace.

    "Shadow Ball!" Ash reminded her of what he was sure she likely already knew.

    Turning around in full once more, Eevee wasted no time launching the ghostly ball of energy. Metang swerved around to greet her assault, however, already prepared with a Metal Claw that batted the haunted orb back where it came. Eyes widening, Eevee let out a surprised yelp as her own Shadow Ball collided with her front, exploding against her as she was forcibly sent sliding back several feet. Her normal typing rendered her immune to ghost type moves overall, but she still appeared dazed, shaking her head several times over with her eyes clenched shut.

    ''That''s right!'' Ash''s mind flashed back to his first battle with Misty. She had taken advantage of this onceˇ­

    "Brick Break!" Even as her voice rose in volume, Sabrina''s tone remained as majestically steady as ever.

    Eevee''s face tightened as Metang blazed forward, another metallic, orange fist raised at the ready as it prepared itself to thrust for her skull. Glowing with Focus Energy, her Iron Tail pounded against the ground and propelled her upwards, causing her opponent to miss her by a mile as it struck. As she somersaulted through the air, the normal type angled her body to face Metang, firing a charged Shadow Ball downwards. Even as she did, however, metang had already turned its perfect gaze to face her, firing a charged Flash Cannon up to meet with her ghost type move. The two attacks clashed halfway between both of their respective users, the shockwaves from the ensuing explosion throwing a yelping Eevee off course whilst pushing Metang back, although Sabrina''s disc-shaped partner righted itself very quickly as Eevee broke her fall with a well-placed Iron Tail to the floor.

    Ash watched his partner descend with the steel type move well prepared to catch herself with. ''Eevee''s performing really well, but we need to add on to our strategy. At this rate, neither of us will get anywhere until she tires out, and then we''ll be on the backfoot.'' His knowledge of Beldum biology was sorely lacking, but from what he did know, Metang did not tire traditionally. Something about having to ovetax its two brains for it to slow down, but Metang hadn''t used any psychic abilities yet.

    No, they had to add onto the pressure before Eevee began feeling winded. She had plenty of stamina to spare, but he certainly had no plans to waste it; especially with Sabrina still having three formidable and unknown Pokemon lying in wait. "Get moving again, Eevee!" Once more, she and Metang began circling around the reflective battlefield, surrounded by the eight crystal pillars as the opening act of the battle appeared to repeat, but Ash did not keep it that way for long. "Swift, nonstop!"

    Smirking, Eevee continued to rush around the field at her top speed as a beautiful stream of golden stars flowed from her mouth. For once, Metang appeared to be mildly surprised as the shiny projectiles homed in on it and began pelting its body, although Ash knew they wouldn''t do much. With enough consecutiveness, perhaps the added pressure could keep their opponent less focused and slow it down as the stars hammering against Metang continued to add upˇ­

    "Iron Defense." Ash was only a little bit surprised as Metang''s now-glowing body took on an extra layer, the stars exploding against it now bouncing off as harmlessly as a tennis ball being thrown against a brick building.

    ''That''s fine, though.'' Ash glared steadfastly as he watched Metang come to a stop, curling its disc-shaped body up as Eevee''s Swift continued to uselessly pelt against it. He was pretty sure that Metang was already beginning to slightly slow down as the Swift had begun hammering against it, but now, with the iron claw Pokemon''s focus placed entirely on Iron Defense, Metang was still as it hovered above the battlefield, the Swift hammering against it posing no threat whatsoever. ''It stopped not too far from one of the pillars.''

    "Bounce off that pillar and use Super Tail!" Super Tail was the name that Ash and Eevee had come up with to give her Focus Energy and Iron Tail combo. It was time to put that power to use.

    Stopping the Swift attack, Eevee blazed past Metang, leaping forward towards the nearest pillar as her glowing tail took on another metal coating. Swinging forward, her Super Tail smashed against the pillar (which didn''t even crack), before she utilized the impact to catapult herself back in Metang''s direction, at an even greater speed than her sprinting. WIth a battle cry, she swung once more, her amplified Iron Tail colliding with Metang''s protected, glowing body with quite possibly the most deafening CLANG! That Ash had ever heard, but even as he covered his ears, he did not remain any less focused on the combat at hand.

    "Shadow Ball!" The Super Tail had struck Metang at a slightly upwards angle, aimed to send it flying towards the second nearest pillar as the impact knocked it off balance, the iron Defense enveloping its body beginning to become compromised. Despite the decent amount of distance, Metang''s body indeed collided (harmlessly) with the pillar, as Eevee gave chase. The charged up Shadow Ball exploded against the iron claw Pokemon''s face with a direct hit, knocking it back into the pillar once more as the ghostly energy began entering its system-

    Metang was gone in a flash of red light. Blinking, Ash felt all the momentum in his system deflate. He had been in the zone, but the whiplash did not hesitate to hit him as Sabrina reclipped Metang''s Poke Ball back onto her belt, exchanging it for a new one.

    ''Even when a battle is getting heated, any trainer can substitute at any timeˇ­'' Shaking his head a bit, Ash clenched both of his fists as he struggled to regain his focus. Sabrina did not wait for him, quickly releasing her next teammate.

    He quickly recognized this one- a black and yellow, horse-like creature with a head and a mouth at the tip of its tail. A Girafarig.

    Although it was native to Johto, he didn''t know much about this species apart from one key detail that triggered an involuntary grimace: it was part normal type.

    ''It figures Sabrina would have a backup plan for ghost type moves.'' Quickly removing Eevee''s Poke Ball from her belt, the boy hollered to get his attention as he held it out to her. "Take a break, Eevee." His friend had just enough time to look back and nod before she was consumed by the light. Reclipping the capsule back onto his belt, Ash ran his hand across the remaining Poke Balls before quickly deciding on one.

    In a flash of white light, Nebula appeared hovering just above him, looking down to greet her trainer with a happy chirp that he returned with a thumbs up. "Nobody''s gone down yet, Nebula." he confirmed before pointing to Girafarig. "That''s your opponent." The quadrupedal psychic nodded his head, before letting out a loud call that, despite his expression remaining neutral, sounded surprisingly fierce. Even before Girafarig had finished his greeting, Nebula responded with a determined series of chirps.

    ''We''ll go first.'' "Nebula, Whirlwind!"

    Rising a bit higher above the battlefield, Nebula hovered forward, angling herself to get a direct aim at Girafarig. With a series of mighty flaps, she produced a powerful gust of wind to which Girafarig immediately shielded himself from with a cube of golden light. The long neck Pokemon gritted his teeth as the gale pounded against the Light Screen, which sturdily held its ground as Nebula threatened to push it-and him- back.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    "Steel Wing!" Ceasing the Whirlwind, Nebula slipped into Quick Attack, dive bombing diagonally downward as she took aim at her opponent with her metallic wings. Girafarig ceased light Screen almost as quickly as the Whirlwind stopped, however, allowing the lingering gale to send him sliding back as his body turned. Just as Nebula was about to strike, she had bolted away, leaving the Staravia to carve through air as the sprinting, quadrupedal psychic began to alter his course. Moving at a pace rivaling or perhaps surpassing that of Eevee before him, Sabrina''s partner was covered in a glowing, blue outline. ''Agility.''

    Ash watched Nebula reposition herself for just a moment before calling out. "Line yourself up and use Swift!" Nodding for a second, Nebula observed the sprinting giraffe''s movements before swooping slightly downward, before rising back up as her body circled one of the crystal pillars. Now hovering about a foot above the pillar, she was perfectly lined up with the approaching psychic.

    "Psybeam." As Nebula opened her beak to unleash the beautiful stream of golden stars, Girafarig allowed the blue glow outlining his body to disappear. Even as his momentum began to greatly slow, he was still running quite fast as a rainbow orb was produced at the tip of his horns. Pointing his head upwards in the direction of the approaching Swift, he fired the rainbow blast, the two attacks colliding as the impact produced a cloud of smoke.

    Nebula began to give chase as Girafarig swerved to the side, still not reactivating Swift as the Staravia prepared to attack him in pursuit. Before she could make any attempts, however, her opponent abruptly split into three, each copy swerving off in a different direction. ''Double Team.'' As Nebula began to elevate herself further above the battlefield to get a better view, the real Girafarig performed a sharp u-turn, swerving around as his horn glowed golden, and fired a sizzling bolt of lightning at Ash''s bird partner. Quickly changing course, Nebula swerved to the side to cleanly avoid the Thunderbolt.

    "Double Team as well!" Ash quickly called out to his friend as she weaved her way around a pillar. The Staravia split into three, each copy flying in different directions at equal speeds. As the spectators looked on, all three Girafarig gazed upwards, whilst all three Staravia gazed downwards, each member of each trio attempting to outmaneuver one another as they performed consecutive twists and turns to maintain the upper hand in positioning.

    "Air Cutter, rain it down!" The real Nebula did not stop moving as she produced the consecutive blades of air, which descended onto the battlefield and pelted the reflective surface of the floor as Nebula continued to circle, spreading the bladed projectiles as far out as she could.

    Although all three Girafarig did a relatively good job at avoiding the blades, one of them was clipped in the side, immediately vanishing into thin air as a result. With their options narrowed, Ash called out to nebula again. "Aerial Ace, pick one!"

    Cloaking herself in the familiar pale aura, Nebula quickly took aim at one of the remaining two Girafarigs, before dive bombing in his direction.

    With the Staravia approaching at breakneck speeds, the real Girafarig-her target- turned around with a frustrated glare as his tail turned to metal. Nebula''s eyes widened as he swung the Iron Tail at the approaching bird''s head, only for a metallic wing to collide with it. With Nebula''s momentum carrying her forward, the yelping Girafarig quickly found himself being swept off of his feet, nearly landing painfully on his side as he righted himself in midair. A bolt of lightning escaped his horns, but was narrowly avoided by Nebula as she swerved upwards, grimacing as the Thunderbolt grazed her wings. Not too far away from Girafarig, she opened her beak and allowed the stream of golden stars to flow out, Girafarig''s attempt to avoid the Swift resulting in the projectiles homing in on him and pelting his side.

    Smiling, Ash raised his voice. "Steel Wing!" Just as Girafarig reeled from the Swift, Nebula was upon him, Quick Attack carrying her momentum as her metallic wing smashed into the side of his head. The long neck Pokemon wailed as he bounced into the nearby crystal pillar, his hip smashing into the surface just before he disappeared in a flash of red light.

    "Ugh, again." Ash chewed his lip as Nebula made her way back to him. Shaking off his frustration, he smiled up at his friend. "Feeling alright?" with a satisfied chirp, she nodded.

    A flash of white light caught their attention, and Ash grimaced as Metang reappeared. ''Figures, Nebula doesn''t have any meaningful way to do that thing much harm. We could use Reckless, butˇ­'' It was too soon.

    Taking out Nebula''s Poke Ball, he smiled at his partner apologetically. "I''m recalling you for now, see you soon, okay?" She nodded in understanding, offering her trainer a quick goodbye chirp whilst disappearing into the red light.

    Reclipping her Poke Ball back onto his belt, Ash''s eyes stared at the stoic, robot-like psychic as his hand remained in place. ''So far, Sabrina''s been the one running awayˇ­'' This was the second time in a row that she had substituted a teammate after one of his friends managed to get a good hit in. Did they actually have the upper hand, or was she luring them into a false sense of security? There was no way Metang and Girafarig had revealed their full hands this quickly, they had to have more techniques yet to be seen. Surely at least one of them could have helped against Eevee and Nebulaˇ­

    Gaze moving beyond Metang, his eyes narrowed as they fell on Sabrina herself. Regal as ever, the elegant woman stood tall and firm, with a facial expression he doubted he would be able to read even if he was up close. Word had often been that she was one of the most difficult Gym Leaders to tell what they were thinking; no doubt the excessive time spent training and connecting with psychics had honed her mental state and concentration skills like a knight''s sword.

    ''I have to keep moving under the assumption she''s toying with us.'' Ash decided, hand selecting his next Poke Ball.

    Tempest appeared in front of him, eyes lighting up at the sight of their opponents and surroundings. With clear excitement, his pincers began clicking with hyperactive vigor.

    "Tempest," thankfully he was still focused enough to pay attention. "That Metang battled Eevee for a bit, but we still don''t quite know what it can do. Mud Shot and Night Slash should be useful, but it''s too early for a full game plan."

    The phrase "too early for a full game plan" undoubtedly heightened Tempest''s excitement even further, but Ash could tell the Krabby was taking his words seriously, clicking pincers now clenching into tight, anchored fists as the river crab''s narrowing eyes leered into Metang like a calculating predator.

    "Alright then, start out with Water Gun!"

    "Gyro Ball."

    Moving forward to get a better aim on his target, Tempest opened his clicking pincers, streams of water traveling out of both of them and flying towards Metang. The iron claw Pokemon spread out its arms as a metallic aura coated its body, and began spinning like a top, quickly gaining momentum as the rushing water bounced off of its rapidly rotating body. The metallic psychic''s form rushed forward as it continued to spin, carving its way through the water and towards Tempest himself. The river crab quickly ceased firing off its Water Guns, crossing two Metal Claws together and bracing himself for impact as he was smacked backwards, sliding several feet away as Metang ceased its rotation and fired off a Flash Cannon. The beam collided with the now dented metal covering Tempest''s claws, sending the Krabby staggering.

    "Double Thunder Punch." Sabrina''s tone of voice contained no added aggression even as she commanded what would be a devastating blow.

    "Double Night Slash!" Ash quickly countered, his own voice raising significantly moreso.

    Once more, Metang rushed forward, moving far faster than its appearance would suggest. Sparks traveled across both of its fists, before they were suddenly engulfed in lightning, blazing gold. As Sabrina''s partner was upon the water type, it raised both fists high into the air, before bringing them down like a hammer.

    Opposingly, Tempest swung both pincers upwards, blackish-purple energy meeting with the Metang''s electricity as the two attacks clashed. The river crab felt his opponent''s weight coming down on him immediately, grinding his teeth from the pressure as he strained his muscles to push back against his rival''s offense, snarling from the burning sensation as the sparks began traveling down along his body.

    Ash watched as Tempest gradually began to buckle, pincers slowly getting pushed down by Metang''s downward strength as the river crab''s legs began to shake. Wincing for a moment, he called out to his partner. "Stay strong, Tempest!"

    Hearing his trainer''s encouragement, Tempest snarled further, continuing to grind his teeth whilst pushing upwards against Metang. He felt himself slowly making progress, but the harder he pushed against the two Thunder Punches, the more painfully the lightning traveled along his body. Buckling once more, he felt his pincers being pushed down again, legs threatening to give out as Metang''s lightning-engulfed fists prepared to come down on his head. Eyes widening with a flash of rage, the Krabby roared as his pincers began to push upwards again, this time quickly gaining momentum. A rush of pain enveloped him as the sparks seared his outer shell, and for a moment, he felt his pincers being pushed down once more, but quickly pushed back, muscles throbbing as he continued to roar, parrying the two electric fists off of him and sending Metang staggering back in midair.

    Ash was grinning from ear to ear as a small chorus of applause made itself known from the sidelines. At the very least, when confined to the battlefield of a Gym, Tempest''s fighting spirit was nothing but a positive. "Awesome, pal! Now Mud Shot!"

    Ignoring the aching in his pincers, and the lingering, burning pain across his body, Tempest rushed for Metang, who still wasn''t too far away, the globs of mud rocketing out of his open pincers as Metang swerved to the side, still moving far faster than expected. Although most of its body avoided the assault, one of the globs scored a direct hit on the iron claw Pokemon''s right arm as it retreated, throwing its flight slightly off course as Tempest''s predatory gaze followed after the source of his frustration and excitement.

    As Metang had moved to dodge the Mud Shot, Ash''s eyes widened as he noticed something he hadn''t noticed before: A blue outline surrounding the robotic psychic''s body. ''Is thatˇ­ Agilityˇ­?'' Even as both Pokemon prepared their next move, the gears began rapidly turning in his head. ''Her partner''s been using that to increase its speed this whole time! And thanks to Metang''s biology, it doesn''t get tired out as easily! But they might''ve been doing this from the start, even against Eevee, but it probably won''t add up for Metang as easily as it does for Pikachu. Still, now that I see that, if we can just pressure Metang as much as possibleˇ­''

    The boy''s fists clenched in frustration for a moment, before his muscles eased themselves, facial expression forming into a confident smile.

    A snarl escaped Tempest''s throat as he stalked his way towards Sabrina''s teammate. Ash observed him; putting pressure on an enemy should be an easy thing to count on with the river crab''s inherent ruthlessness, they just needed to be wary of however Sabrina would counter.

    "Run forward and use Scald!" Almost like a transition, little to no time passed between Ash''s order, and Tempest''s stalking escalating into a full on charge. His pincers shot open to let loose twin blasts of boiling water as he continued to advance as fast as his legs could carry him.

    In response, Metang spread its arms out once more, again glowing with a metallic aura as its body began to twirl. The boiling water collided with the iron claw Pokemon''s rotating body, and Metang quickly felt the intense heat even as the liquid was deflected by the Gyro Ball.

    Metang didn''t have time to rush forward for a counter, as Tempest was upon his opponent already. At Ash''s command, the river crab reared back an open pincer, sizzling with the dark aura of Night Slash, before lashing out and driving the claw into Sabrina''s partner. The robotic psychic''s twirling body began to wobble in midair as it was smacked backwards by the collision, but neither Ash nor Tempest let up.

    "Mud Shot, then another Scald!"

    Tempest continued to run after his opponent, and even as Metang''s form continued to spin, two globs of hard mud rapidly rushed out of his pincers, colliding with the steel/psychic type in a direct hit. A strange humming noise that Ash assumed was a pained cry emitted from Sabrina''s partner as it was once again set back, this time colliding with the floor as the Gyro Ball began to cease. Tempest didn''t stop running as another set of twin streams rushed from his pincers, the boiling water colluding with Metang as the metallic psychic attempted to shield its face with its arms. Its reaction wasn''t quite quick enough, and its face became bathed in the steaming liquid before its arms tried to take the brunt of the assault. Tempest halted his advance directly in front of Metang, glowering predatorily at his adversary as he continued to pour the blazing hot streams of water onto it. The robotic psychic''s metallic body began to give off steam, and if someone had reached out to touch its overheating exterior, their hand would''ve been seared on contact. The heat of the twin Scalds was beginning to spread across its entire body, overtaking it.

    ''Metang is a computer-like creature with two brains.'' Ash thought to himself as he watched Tempest continue. ''Due to its biology, it''s not normally one to physically tire, and mentally exhausting it is difficult even by psychic standards.'' It was what little the boy knew of the species, and he lacked knowledge of what was likely to be important details, but it was no wonder Metagross were as terrifying as they were; with their raw power and inhuman intelligence backed by a near inability to traditionally tire out in battle. ''If we can overclock Metang with unrelenting pressure, could that be the keyˇ­?''

    For a moment, the rookie''s gaze broke away from Tempest and Metang, settling on Sabrina. He had been hoping to see a reaction from her, to gauge the effectiveness of his plan, but to little surprise, her expression hadn''t changed in the slightest. The tall woman stood just as steadfastly as always, eyes fixed on the scene with unrivaled elegance. The acclaimed Gym Leader''s empowering presence was a magnificent sight, and whether it be because she had little reason to be concerned, or because she felt no worry even as Metang was overwhelmed, Ash found himself captivated by the woman''s inspiringly royal posture.

    He knew he wouldn''t benefit from fixating on her more than he needed to, however, and quickly tore his gaze back to Tempest, just in time for her next order.

    "Break away with Agility!"

    Body beginning to stir, Metang hummed once more as it slowly began to rise back up, even as the water continued to pour. The signature blue outline of Agility surrounding its body briefly flickered, struggling against the Scald, before stabilizing itself. Ceasing his onslaught, Tempest lunged forward with another Night Slash, only to strike air as his opponent managed to swerve away at the last second, Metang now hovering a meter and a half behind the Krabby as one of its fists once again became engulfed in lightning.

    "Behind you!" Tempest thankfully heeded Ash''s warning; whirling around to meet the Thunder Punch with a clean Metal Claw as Metang charged for the river crab''s back. Sparks scattered about as the metallic pincer collided with the electrical fist, and although Metang''s momentum forcibly sent Tempest sliding back a few feet, the Krabby raised his other pincer even as he slid, firing a glob of hard mud square into the psychic''s face. Another pained hum sounded from the robotic creature as it staggered backwards in midair.

    ''I can''t tell if the lingering effects of the Scald onslaught have slowed Metang down or not.'' Ash thought to himself as the Mud Shot connected. ''Still, we need to keep the pressure constant if it''s going to mean anything in the long run.'' "Tempest, another Scald!"

    Having recovered from the previous collision, Tempest once again ran forward, hoping to capitalize on his seemingly winded opponent as another pair of boiling water streams shot out of his open pincers. Humming again, Metang once more swerved to the side as the iron claw Pokemon struggled to make Agility take effect, the end of its body being clipped by one of the blasts of water as it took aim at the river crab.

    "Zen Headbutt!" The psychic glow surrounding its body becoming more pronounced, Metang curled itself up, lowering its head, which began blazing with a blinding, bright blue aura, before charging at Tempest, quickly progressing to full speed. The Krabby reacted immediately; ceasing Scald as he crossed his pincers protectively across his body, familiarity coating them in Metal Claw.

    A loud SMASH echoed across the battlefield as Metang''s tremendous, metallic bulk plowed into him, and despite the twin Metal Claws absorbing much of the collision, Tempest still found himself gasping in pain from the sheer impact as he staggered away, briefly tumbling. Just as he regained his footing, his eyes widened in surprise as a Flash Cannon rammed into his stomach, sending him tumbling into a pillar, back pressed against the crystal surface.

    "Thunder Punch!" Although its regality was never compromised, Sabrina''s voice rose to a significantly higher volume; the added decibel indicating to Ash that she was going for the kill.

    "Catch it!" As Tempest rose back to his feet, still propped against the pillar for reassurance to help regain his footing, Metang shot forward, thrusting an electrical fist straight for the Krabby''s chest-

    Two metallic pincers clapped against the Thunder Punch just before it could connect, sandwiching Metang''s fist in Tempest''s brutal grip as the Krabby grinded the twin Metal Claws against the Thunder Punch, straining his muscles to prevent it from going any further and striking him. His eyes bulged as the sparks seared against his outer shell.

    Sabrina flashed a smile at the sight before continuing. "Your other fist, Metang."

    Ash didn''t even give their opponent the chance to raise its other fist. "Point-blank Mud Shot!"

    As Tempest opened his pincers, the agony of the electricity entering into them was only felt for a moment as the globs of mud sent Metang reeling; staggering back in midair as the Krabby inhaled deeply to catch his breath. Moments later, the water type''s exuberant aggression returned, rearing back a pincer and, blatantly ignoring the soreness, driving a merciless Night Slash directly into Metang''s face. The hum that escaped the steel psychic was loud, and its metallic form briefly bounced off of the reflective surface of the battlefield''s floor as Sabrina''s partner tumbled away from the impact.

    "Great!" Ash''s heart raced as his partner''s strike repelled the psychic juggernaut. This matchup was inherently a war of attrition; both physically dominant competitors, one a steel type, and the other with an ability that granted him the durability of a steel type. The hard hitting nature of their clash put both Pokemon''s defenses and brute strength to the test. It was to be expected in a battle between two powerhouses, and the boy struggled to force the stress back down.

    Tempest''s outer shell was lined with electrical burns, a couple areas appearing rather scorched, but thankfully only covering a small amount. He had his pincers held out in front of him like fists as he breathed, very little fighting spirit having been lost to the punishment he had been targeted with.

    Ash couldn''t help but grin approvingly, although it only lasted for a moment. Metang and Sabrina were every bit the opponents he had expected, and despite their strategy, the psychic powerhouse before them had fought like exactly such. And regrettably, the nature of Metang''s near-impossible to tire offense meant that they didn''t have much in the way of downtime or breathing room for the moment.

    "Scald, again Tempest!"

    Tempest felt the sting of his burn marks, and the aches in his pincers, protest as he threw himself forward yet again, but paid it no mind. This opponent was only fueling his adrenaline as much as it was wearing out his body, and he was going to chop Metang down even if it meant mangling himself in the process.

    He felt a sharp sting in his pincers as the boiling water shot out, still running forward towards his target, but the pain was only a momentary occurrence that he powered through as the streams of water flowed towards Metang. The iron claw Pokemon in question folded its arms in front and cloaked itself in Iron Defense just in time for the Scald to strike it. The ultra hot liquid bathed over the layered defenses of the powerful psychic''s body as Tempest strengthened the blast.

    "Gyro Ball, then Thunder Punch!"

    "Block it!" Ash quickly responded.

    With a somewhat pained hum, Metang spread out its arms and began whirling, the boiling water pelting its body splashing away in every direction as its momentum deflected the Scald. The iron claw Pokemon''s spinning form tore through the streams of liquid, locked onto tempest as the river crab ceased firing and protectively raised two Metal Claws in front of his face. As Metang approached, the Krabby thrust both claws outward, intercepting the psychic''s rotating charge as another ache pulsed through both of his pincers upon impact.

    The clash broke Metang''s momentum, but sent Tempest staggering backwards, nearly losing his footing and collapsing onto his back as Sabrina''s partner backed away, rising slightly higher into the air. Before Tempest could fully regain his balance, his eyes widened as a Flash Cannon suddenly erupted from his metallic foe, hastily raising his pincers once more to intercept the blast.

    As the beam exploded against him, Tempest''s efforts to regain his full composure proved for naught as his legs slipped out from underneath him, forcing the water type into a sitting position as Metang took aim once more. Sparks began to form on its fists, traveling across the metallic exterior.

    "Now." Came Sabrina''s order.

    Coated in Agility, Metang resembled a metallic blur as its imposing body blitzed towards its target. Even as he struggled to pick himself up in time, all of the air left Tempest''s lungs as the Thunder Punch was driven straight into his chest. He could feel his outer shell give way, and the lightning take hold. Tremendous blunt force trauma coupled with agonizing burns, but the river crab couldn''t scream; he couldn''t howl in rage or agony from what he was feeling, he was robbed of the breath to do so.

    He thought he might''ve heard his trainer cry out to him, but his senses weren''t focused on anything other than the impact, and his vision turned white for the briefest of split seconds. Startled, he felt his body rocketed backwards, overcome by an overwhelming sense of momentum. It was only another split second later when he felt a similar sharp pain overtaking his back, as he smashed into the crystal pillar. The structure miraculously remained perfectly stable even upon the collision.

    As Tempest slid downward, propped up against the pillar in a sitting position, the massive, burnt gash in his front came into full view, left behind by Metang''s assault. Ash''s fists clenched at the sight. He had gotten used to seeing his teammates as badly wounded as this, and had more than learned to trust Nurse Joy and her staff with just about any injury, but the immediate reaction had yet to change. And now, their battle had gone from a struggle to overtake their massive obstacle, to Sabrina having completely seized control.

    And the Gym Leader seemed just as determined to keep the pressure going as he was. "Flash Cannon!"

    Tempest''s pincers pressed down against the reflective, clear surface of the floor, trying to lift himself back up into a standing position, even as the muscles in his body fought back against his efforts. His pincers shook as they pressed against the floor, threatening to give out as he rose, eyes squeezed and teeth snarling from the pain exacerbated by the pressure. His eyes widened again, however, as a second Flash Cannon barreled into him, sandwiching him into the pillar once more. His front back both flared in pain as the Krabby howled and screeched, his eyes bulging as he slumped forward.

    For a moment it seemed as though he had gone still, but before Tempest could faceplant, Ash watched the water type catch himself on his pincers, eyes dull and shaken as the Krabby stared back at his reflection on the floor. Most Pokemon of the same level would''ve been put away by that much pain, or at least wouldn''t have been so fixated on getting back up.

    But at this point, could he even? Metang was already gearing up for another blow, and Tempest was in no position to evade or counter. Even as he called out to his partner in encouragement, it felt like it was just something he knew he needed to do. Not something that would change much, but for the Krabby''s sake.

    "You can do this Tempest!" He knew those were the words Tempest wanted to hear. Sabrina and Metang could shove a powerline down the river crab''s throat, and he''d still spit in Ash''s face if told to stay down.

    "Thunder Punch!" Sabrina''s voice was calling.

    Lifting his head, Tempest saw Metang coated in Agility''s familiar blue outline once more, fist reared back and blazing with electricity. The psychic''s intentions were clear: It meant to pulverize him against the crystal pillar and end the battle for good.

    Still struggling to push himself upwards, the Krabby felt his pincers shaking even more. His eyes were locked directly on the lightning coating his opponent''s fist. It blazed brighter than ever, and then the metallic monstrosity shot forward-

    A pillar of water formed from beneath his body. As if on autopilot, Tempest swerved to the side at a slight curve, as Metang''s fist struck the air he once occupied, and then rammed into the crystal pillar.

    The vicinity was close, and as the Krabby hoisted himself to rear back an arm, he felt the sparks from the lightning-coated fist brush against his shell, irritating the burns. He winced for only a moment before roaring with all his vocal might, as he drove the Night Slash directly into Metang''s side.

    The pillar of water could have only lasted for a second or two. Perhaps three if generous. As Metang was flung several feet away, the aquatic pillar collapsed, splashing all over Tempest, and the floor, as he collapsed back onto the reflective surface.

    Ash''s pale face blinked at the sight, trying to take in what had happened. It had only been an instant earlier that Tempest''s writing had been on Sabrina''s wall, and nowˇ­

    As if finally processing, his eyes shot wide open. ''SURF! He used SURF!''

    It had barely even mattered; it wasn''t a practical usage at all. He had only been able to move around for one or two seconds before giving out. But it was the first time he''d used the move without remaining stationary, and it was the one or two seconds of movement that had saved the river crab from a certain loss.

    For a brief moment, the stress within him simply vanished without a trace, overtaken by ecstasy as he cupped his hands around his mouth to call out to his partner. "You did it Tempest! Amazing!" They were still in the fight.

    Soaked in his own water, Tempest must have felt a new batch of adrenaline from his success. Images of Tentacruel and Skrelp momentarily flashed in his mind as he picked himself up, looking back at his trainer long enough to offer him a quick nod before redirecting his eyes towards Metang, who was also in the process of rising back up into a hovering state. The metal psychic was wobbling in midair, the accumulated damage to its exterior impossible to ignore, but its eyes flashed in preparation nonetheless. His legs shook in protest for a moment as he held his pincers out in front of him like fists, begging to give out and collapse onto the floor, but he steadied his position soon after. He was exhausted, he was in agony, and he was going to knock this nuisance out cold.

    Ash''s lips remained curved up into a widening grin as he watched his teammate. Tempest''s heavy breathing wasn''t hidden, but somehow he knew that the look in his eyes was the exact same as always.

    Metang was still several feet away from Tempest''s position. With the Krabby''s wounded state most likely making mobility difficult, it was probable that Sabrina would finish this with a ranged attack like Flash Cannon-

    Tempest began to move.

    The Krabby likely knew that he would be a sitting duck if he didn''t get closer to his opponent. At first, it was an imbalanced wobble, a rapid advance that threatened to collapse and sprawl out all over the floor at any moment. But although he wasn''t moving at full speed, he still moved, and cleared the distance between them in as little time as he could, eyes blazing in aggression as he raised his pincers to his opponent in a sloppy fury.

    It took a bit longer for Metang to form a Flash Cannon than normal. As Ash called out for Tempest to block, the approaching Krabby coated a clenched pincer in metal to intercept the blast. His arm was pushed back by the impact, his balance failing him as he flailed forward towards his opponent.

    "Mud Shot!" At Ash''s hasty command, Tempest raised his free pincer and fired. The hard glob of mud was narrowly evaded as Metang swerved to the side, head lowering whilst pulsing with the glow of Zen Headbutt. The charging iron claw Pokemon took aim at the river crab''s side as he rushed forward for the kill-

    Tempest''s other pincer, still with momentum from being forced backwards by the Flash Cannon, came back around as Tempest twirled his body in full. The pincer blazed with the dark energy of Night Slash as it carved into Metang''s metal head, agony pulsing through Tempest''s arm, and then stretching down to his whole entire body, as the two collided. Metang''s momentum sent the water type tumbling several feet backwards, but the psychic itself was lurched backwards, collapsing onto the reflective floor as Tempest''s rolling came to a stop, planted face first into the clear floor of the battlefield as his pincers sprawled out on either side of him.

    Metang rolled onto its side as the steel Pokemon''s eyes flickered and faded, and then neither of them moved.

    "Both Metang and Krabby are unable to battle!" Kevin''s arms stretched high into the air, before extending outwards on either side of him. "This round is a draw!"

    A warm chorus of claps sounded from the audience as both challenger and Gym Leader recalled their fallen Pokemon.

    Ash smiled warmly at his friend''s Poke Ball. "You knocked it out of the park today, pal. Rest proudly."

    Reclipping the orb back onto his belt, Ash''s fingers danced across the remaining capsules as he locked eyes with Sabrina from across the field. She had already selected her next Poke Ball, as if automatically, and was staring back at him with unreadable intent.

    Not sweating under the master psychic''s magnificent gaze, Ash unclipped Eevee''s ball and released his quadruped friend, who greeted the world with a bark as she reappeared on the field. Immediately afterwards, Sabrina released her next teammate of choice.

    Ash didn''t have to take any time to process who this Pokemon was: It was a Kadabra. The middle stage of the iconic Abra line that was often labeled the benchmark of all psychic types. Even elsewhere, outside of Indigo, thinking of the typing could often result in the evolution line entering a trainer''s mind. Alakazam were among the elite in the highest levels of competition, possessing incredible intelligence that made them a species that not just anyone could assume command of, and capabilities on the battlefield among the absolute best that the typing could possibly offer. Though the line itself was commonly used by psychic enthusiasts throughout Indigo, the final stage of that evolutionary line was a widely coveted rarity amongst trainers, yet one that was rarely not amongst the absolute best psychic specialists across the world.

    Eevee''s ears and tail stood erect as the psi Pokemon''s eyes effortlessly moved towards her. The Kadabra held out his spoon in front of his face, fully in the normal type''s view as her fur stood on end from his attention.

    "Eevee," she didn''t turn to look at him, but the twitching of her ears told him that she was listening. "That Kadabra''s going to be very versatile, so be ready for anything." satisfied with her nod, he awaited Kevin''s signal.

    "Begin!"

    "Use Bite, approach with zigzags!" At Ash''s command, Eevee charged the tall psychic, opening jaws collecting dark energy as she swerved side to side whilst slipping into Quick Attack.

    As the quadruped rapidly scaled the distance between them across the reflective, clear floor, Kadabra''s eyes flashed yellow as lightning formed at the tip of his spoon. A bolt shot out at Eevee, bouncing harmlessly off of the floor as she swerved away from the Thunder Wave. Seemingly instants later, she was within range, thrusting herself forward to chomp down on her enemy, only to charge straight through the air as Kadabra flashed out of existence.

    "Behind you! Shadow Ball!" Paws sliding across the floor as she landed, Eevee''s growling form turned to see Kadabra several feet away from her, spoon pointed all the way outwards as his eyes flashed emerald, a sphere of the same color forming at the tip of his utensil. Immediately, the orb of distortion formed from within her jaws.

    The Energy Ball and Shadow Ball collided halfway to their targets, the windforce of the collision pushing Eevee further back ever so slightly as the psi Pokemon suddenly flashed next to her. Ash called out a warning as Kadabra raised a glowing, emerald fist, but Eevee only had time to turn to look as the psychic thrust forward and decked her in the face with the Drain Punch. Ash''s partner cried out as the blow sent her diagonally upwards, back momentarily threatening to collide with one of the pillars before she somersaulted in midair to drive an Iron Tail into the structure. As Ash smiled at his friend''s quick recovery, Eevee propelled herself off of the pillar, head lowered as she charged downward towards Kadabra.

    Sabrina was as composed as ever. "Reflect."

    Eevee smashed head first into the glass wall erected in front of her opponent. As the snarling quadruped landed on her bottom, teeth and eyes squeezed shut at the ache in her head, Kadabra reared back his fist once more for another Drain Punch.

    "Shadow Ball, hurry!" Just before Kadabra could take a swing, Eevee opened her eyes in time to fire a half-sized ghostly orb directly up at him. Although the attack was nearly point-blank, Kadabra had responded the moment the sphere began forming in her jaws, backing away whilst still gathering energy for the Drain Punch. As the Shadow Ball fired, he swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding it as he prepared to lunge forward for the punch. "Super Tail!"

    Eevee was back on her feet now, sidestepping the fighting-type move as her tail blazed with white energy. The metal layers of Iron Tail wrapped around the amplifying aura of Focus Energy as she whirled in place on her forepaws, driving the greatly powered up steel type move directly into her opponent''s abdomen. Kadabra''s pained shout was cut off halfway through as all of the air shot out from his lungs, his hands immediately grasping at his stomach as he folded up and doubled over, staggering back with agonized wheezes. He disappeared in a flash of red light moments later.

    Ash let out a frustrated exhale. He and his team weren''t going to get anywhere if Sabrina kept retreating like this. He couldn''t see her getting anywhere either, however. Was this all an elaborate bluff?

    He tried to remind himself that this could be a ruse. A tactic to work up his nerves, make him frustrated until he made a fatal mistake that would cost one of his friends. But even thinking along those lines had him beginning to sweat. Was it Misty had said about battling Sabrina? Disorienting? Was this all a part of that?

    Unfortunately, he found himself with no time left to think as Girafarig reappeared across from his partner. The giraffe scraped his hoof against the surface of the floor as Eevee began to study him. Ash''s eyes, however, were focused on the Gym Leader.

    She was so far away, and yet it felt as though she was boring a hole in him. A small part of his spine tingled as Leader and challenger locked gazes, and for a moment, Ash could see and hear nothing else. He didn''t see Eevee and Girafarig, he didn''t hear the murmuring of the audience, he didn''t even see his surroundings. It was like he and Sabrina were in a lifeless void, where a single drop of water would echo across the room.

    He hadn''t even noticed that his fists were tightening, until the pressure of the action snapped him out of it, and suddenly, he was back in the Gym, on the battlefield, with the action about to start.

    Reaching for his belt, he pulled out Eevee''s ball and pointed it at her. "Come back for now." his quadruped friend simply looked back at him and offered an obedient bark as she disappeared into the light. Reclipping her ball to the belt, Ash took out Valiant''s Poke Ball, his psychic partner appeared in front of him moments later.

    Emerging from the white light, the Kirlia took a deep breath with his arms spread out, before letting them fall to his side with a long, satisfying exhale. He didn''t bother looking back at Ash, simply focusing his gaze on his obedient whilst listening to what his trainer had to say.

    "Sabrina''s trying to psyche us out," Ash spoke as evenly as possible. "So keep your head in the game. She may recall Girafarig at any moment, unless that''s what she wants us to think." his friend nodded with an understanding of the situation as the opposing giraffe began to jog towards him.

 The Threshold pt 2

    Girafarig''s tail was coated in that formidable metal, and before long he was sprinting, winding back as he closed in on his target. A faint, teal glow flashed across Valiant''s eyes as Telepathy scanned the attacker, reading the quadruple psychic''s muscles to determine when and where he was going to strike.

    The first attack was a feint, Girafarig halting his initial strike, only to twirl around on his front hooves and swing his tail from the other direction. Valiant did not react two early, seeing the bluff coming and ducking his head under the metallic tail just in time to avoid the real assault. The Kirlia was grateful to himself for focusing on his ability in that moment; without Telepathy, he''d have been struck in the head, and potentially knocked out just as the fight had started.

    Raising his hands while still in the ducking position, Valiant''s eyes faintly flashed once more as he began preparing a Magical Leaf; he sensed his opponent about to jump, the muscles in Girafarig''s knees bending to avoid the attack that Valiant was about to throw his way. The Kirlia did not fire, allowing the Giraffe to leap in the air over nothing. Moments later, Valiant had teleported into the air beside him, an electrical fist colliding with the side of the psychic giraffe''s head.

    The attempted feint by Girafarig with the Iron Tail had been brilliant, and on the fly, Valiant had chosen to add such a tactic to his own playbook. He''d use it well.

    Although Sabrina''s partner wailed from the blow, it was merely a moment of weakness as Girafarig landed firmly on all fours, sliding backwards across the reflective surface of the floor, teeth clenched as tight as a zipper as the singed bruise on the side of his head spread an expression of discomfort across his face. Valiant sank into Shadow Sneak the moment he hit the floor afterwards, stalking his foe silent as a ghost with zigzagged motions. As Ash''s partner reached about the halfway point, Girafarig split into three, each taking off in separate directions.

    With some hesitance, Ash gave an order. "Out of your shadow, Valiant!" Although somewhat surprised by the command, Valiant complied, rising out of the shadow sneak as all three Girafarig seemingly lined up to charge him. "Act when I tell you!"

    ''Sabrina''s gonna fake us out with the first one, and then have the real one blitz through Valiant with Agility while he''s still processing it.'' It was a risky guess, but if Ash''s hunch was correct, it was exactly what Sabrina would do, in a situation where she was trying to pick apart her opponent''s nerves. One strike from an Iron Tail at such a speed, and Valiant would be crippled at best. ''If I''m wrong, we will lose.'' But doubting an idea and committing to nothing was what Sabrina wanted him to doˇ­ right? He felt the paranoia stirring up within his chest, accumulating from the constant bluffs and fake outs.

    He wouldn''t let her cash in for an easy knockout.

    The first Girafarig raced for its target, and Valiant did nothing. The clone disappeared as it crashed into him, phasing out of existence as the Kirlia tried and failed not to flinch. Ash''s breath was in his throat; he imagined many Pokemon wouldn''t want to go along with such a ridiculous plan, and he could never blame them. It sent a surge of warmth through his chest that Valiant believed in him so stronglyˇ­

    The second one came. If this was the real one, he would speed up with Agility at the last second, preparing to end Valiant with Iron Tail. Otherwise, the second clone would disappear upon contact as well, and the final Girafarig would be the one to go in for the killing blow.

    ''It''s the real one!'' Ash screamed to himself. ''It''s gotta be the real one!'' "Teleport!"

    Valiant vanishedˇ­ just in time for the metallic tail to strike nothing. Carried by the vast momentum of Agility, Girafarig let out a startle yelp as he continued to gallop forward, and an enormous BANG echoed across the room as his iron Tail smashed into one of the crystal pillars. Completely harmless, but with great impact that threw the giraffe desperately off balance.

    Ash didn''t allow the sigh of relief to escape from his lungs, for as much as he desperately wanted to relax. Instead, he took that breath, and channeled it into his shout. "Thunder Leaf, Valiant!"

    Thunder Leaf was the combination of Thunderbolt and Magical Leaf that Ash had come up with previously and used against Misty. Although its best purpose was to cripple water types, he knew it would be an effective combo move in its own right, even without taking typing into consideration. Valiant had seemingly taken a shine to the move himself, and had shown it off to an excited Tyrunt earlier on.

    Valiant appeared several feet from Girafarig''s side. The giraffe''s guard was completely off; he was stumbling backwards, he was vulnerable. For the few seconds (at best) that this window was open, both the Kirlia and Ash knew that they needed to dive through it. Sabrina would pay for her all-or-nothing tactic, and they would thrive for their own.

    The lightning-covered leaves erupted from Valiant''s palms and dug into Girafarig''s side. The psychic giraffe wailed in desperate agony as the sparks traveled across his body, muscles tensing up as the electrical projectiles bombarded into him. Hoping to capitalize, Valiant sank back into Shadow Sneak and rose up just in front of his opponent, hoping to aim a Fire Punch for his throat. Unfortunately, a small, desperate Shadow Ball forced the Kirlia to swerve to the side as Girafarig raced away in a reckless retreat. He was moving a good deal slower, however.

    ''Sabrina didn''t recall him, this time.'' Ash realized. If she had been planning to substitute she would have right then. ''Unless that''s what she wanted me to think-'' he shook his head. ''No, I need to commit, just like I did before.''

    Ash wasn''t sure if Girafarig''s loss of speed was permanent, or if he would progressively gain most of it back as he recovered. Nevertheless, the giraffe was likely aching badly right now, and charge tactics wouldn''t be as effective with the loss of speed at the current moment. Agility would certainly help, but forcing the body forward may only make the pain worse, not to mention leaving Girafarig even more vulnerable if he were to take another hit. Unless Sabrina was prepared to pull a potential sacrificial stunt, she would likely try to keep things at a distance for the moment.

    "Barrage." seemingly vindicated, Ash watched as several, smaller Shadow Balls erupted out of Girafarig''s throat. The giraffe seemed to have a fairly good usage of such a move; no doubt being part normal type meant that he wouldn''t have to worry about the usual difficulties that psychics often had when exposing themselves to such techniques for the first time, but for a non-ghost type Pokemon of this level, it was fairly impressive how well he seemed to manipulate such an attack.

    Valiant didn''t bother rolling or diving to avoid any of the ghostly balls, which were being fired every which way he could have been expected to go in as Girafarig progressively backed away in order to continuously gain extra distance. Instead, he sank into Shadow Sneak, traveling underneath the onslaught as he made his way to Sabrina''s partner.

    ''Now Girafarig is going to protect himself so that Valiant can''t get the jump on him.'' As if just as the thought crossed Ash''s mind, the glass cube encased Sabrina''s giraffe partner, now shielded by Reflect. "Come on out, Valiant!" As Valiant rose out of his shadow, still several feet from his foe, one of Ash''s fists clenched tightly. ''We''ll bait them.'' "Moonblast!"

    The move took a good while for them to charge up at the moment, but with the threat it posed to Girafarig''s defenses, it would surely lure him and Sabrina out.

    Ash knew he was taking a lot of risks for just one round, but with the way Sabrina was fighting, he almost feared he''d be playing right into her hands if he tried to to take a safe approach. They would make sure it paid off, however.

    Today''s battle drew a line; between everything before it, and everything that would come after it. The eastern side of Kanto awaited them. Fuchsia territory awaited them. It was time to leave their comfort zone, and this time, it would be for good.

    The pink energy swirled unstably in Valiant''s hands, the Kirlia''s jaw clenched as he desperately fought to gain a hold of it. Nonetheless it grew, and grew, and grew, slowly but surely-

    Girafarig dropped Reflect, sparks crackling across the tips at the top of its head, and fired a Thunderbolt. Eyes widening with affirmation, Valiant reared back and hurled the incomplete Moonblast, which exploded against the streak of lightning in a shining display of beauty. Even the detonation of the powerful fairy type move was captivating.

    Neither Pokemon allowed themselves to be distracted by it, however, Girafarig''s body familiarly glowing with Agility as Sabrina gave the order to "finish it". The quadrupedal psychic felt the aches in his side amplifying as he charged forward, but rushed on nonetheless. Valiant frantically erected a glass wall in front of his body as his giraffe foe sprang into action, Iron Tail colliding with Reflect and shattering it on impact. Although the steel type move did not make it to its target, Valiant yelped from the shockwaves that slammed into him, sliding back a few feet as a Shadow Ball charged in his opponent''s mouth.

    No time to use Light Screen, or fire a ranged attack with enough power put into it to reliably stop the ghost type move. He was off balance from the collision, the startling destruction of Reflect momentarily staggering him, both physically and mentally. Trying to block with Thunder Punch or Fire Punch would be too riskyˇ­

    So he dove instead, catching himself on his hands as the Shadow Ball sailed past him and crashed into a crystal pillar. Flipping himself over, he maintained his momentum as he sailed a few feet through the air and landed with perfection.

    "Thunderbolt, aim for his damaged side!" As Valiant Teleported to a proper position to line himself up with his target, Girafarig frantically leapt to the side, avoiding the streak of lightning that bounced harmlessly off the floor behind where he once stood. He split into two Girafarig next, each running off in separate directions, but Ash''s confidence was now growing.

    ''We have him on the run, and he''s in too much pain for that tactic to work.'' "Valiant, after the real one!"

    Valiant had noticed the pained expression on the real Girafarig''s face as he took off, not replicated by the clone. Teleporting once more, he appeared right in his opponent''s path, and Sabrina''s partner responded with a winded up Iron Tail.

    There were no feints this time, just a clean swing as Girafarig took aim for the Kirlia''s head. Valiant ducked just as cleanly, allowing the tail to pass over his head before sinking into his shadow. Coming up on the other side, his fist crackled with electricity as he caught his foe in the chin with a mighty uppercut.

    Girafarig wailed once more, forced onto his hindlegs as his head was bluntly inclined upwards, forelegs flailing and dangling in the air, gaze fixated on the ceiling as he struggled to maintain his balance. His hindlegs took unstable steps backwards as he fought to maintain what little footing he had.

    ''We got it.'' Ash''s mind was laced with a satisfaction in both himself and his teammate. They hadn''t played a perfect game, but they had answered Sabrina''s call and stayed in control. "Dazzling Gleam!"

    Pressing his hands against the floor, Valiant performed another flip, lining himself up with Girafarig''s injured side and firing the pink beam right into it. A second wail, far louder than the previous one, escaped the psychic giraffe''s throat as a small squirt of blood escaped the wound that the fairy type blast had created. He landed on his back, roughly bouncing off of the reflective surface of the floor (a tiny stain of blood left behind) before rolling over and lifting his head, which rested on the floor a few moments later, half-shut eyes glazed over.

    "Girafarig is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"

    Now Ash allowed the sigh of relief to escape him, and it felt all the better for it. The encouraging cheers from the audience washed over him like a warm shower as Valiant returned to his side of the battlefield.

    "Great thinking, pal! You chained everything together so well." Valiant wished he could be humble, but could only rub the back of his head bashfully as his cheeks turned red.

    The sound of a Poke Ball brought their attention back to Sabrina, who had wasted no time in returning Girafarig and sending out Kadabra. And just like that, Ash''s face was tight again. They were only halfway through, and things could go south from here at any moment.

    "You want to stay in?" At Valiant''s nod, Ash offered his partner a quick thumbs up as the young psychic sank into a stance. Kadabra locked eyes with him, spoon held in front of his face, gaze focused and peculiar as it seemingly scanned every last detail of Valiant''s eyesˇ­

    "BEGIN!"

    Both psychics had the same thought as once, teleporting away from their previous positions and onto separate sides of the battlefield. Neither were expecting the other to do so, however, and were forced to glance around in mild surprise before their gazes locked once again. Kadabra teleported once more, this time to a halfway point between them to clear the distance, but Valiant instead sank into Shadow Sneak, rapidly trailing his way along the floor towards his target.

    Kadabra appeared just in front of Valiant''s shadowy streak, a potent Shadow Ball prepared at the tip of his spoon. Backtracking a few feet away, Valiant rose out of his shadow with a ghostly sphere of his own in his hands. The two psychics fired, both intending to quickly cripple one another with the ghostly energy that was essentially poison to a combatant of their typing. The two orbs clashed against one another, an explosion of unsettling energy detonating upon impact as both psychics teleported three feet back, wary of the potential dangers.

    "Thunder Wave." Sabrina''s cool voice echoed across the room as Kadabra pointed his spoon straight as a ruler in the Kirlia''s direction. Sparks crackled against the tip before shooting outwards in a narrow streak of lightning.

    Valiant teleported out of the way, reappearing directly behind his opponent and quickly firing a Thunder Leaf aimed at Kadabra''s back. A hiss of frustration found its way beyond the Kirlia''s lips as Sabrina''s partner whirled around, a golden wall erecting outwards from the spoon as the Magical Leaf, armored with the lightning of Thunderbolt, pounded against the Light Screen. Each leaf was uselessly deflected off of the golden surface of the psychic barrier in tiny explosions of electric sparks.

    The moment the Thunder Leaf ceased firing from Valiant''s hands, Kadabra dropped his barrier and closed the brief distance between the two in an abrupt sprint. Icy energy encased his fist as he winded back to deck Ash''s psychic friend in the side of the head. Valiant''s eyes flashed as the muscles in Kadabra''s body telegraphed his movements, and the Kirlia ducked sideways under the Ice Punch whilst preparing a Fire Punch of his own. Just a she prepared to ram the fiery fist into Kadabra''s gut, however, the psychic/fairy type''s Telepathy alerted him to another movement, as the spoon in Kadabra''s other hand flashed with pink, psychic energy. The energy quickly erected outwards into a shape resembling that of a sword, and Valiant was forced to abandon his strike and lean far backwards, pupil''s widening in shock as the pink blade just barely passed over his face, the slight wind force brushing against his face in its wake.

    Kadabra wasn''t done, however, and as his first strike narrowly missed its mark, Sabrina''s partner whirled around to face Valiant in full, Psycho Cut raised high in the air and brought down on the Kirlia in a downward, slashing motion. Frantically, Valiant coated his other fist in fire, putting both Fire Punches together as he brought them upwards to intercept. The force of the blade elicited an eye-squeezing wince from the psychic fairy as the flames danced against the pink energy, a sense of soreness overtaking Valiant''s fist as he staggered backwards from the blow.

    Suddenly Kadabra was behind him, this time an electrical fist prepared to strike with. A blunt impact made itself known to the back of Valiant''s head as the lightning of the Thunder Punch scorched him from behind, forcing him forwards and down. Despite the blow, Valiant managed to catch himself on his hands, flipping himself over and turning in midair as he landed in a crouching position, maneuvering to face Kadabra in full as he slid backwards across the reflective floor. His eyes widened in mild surprise as a Shadow Ball was already forming from the tip of Kadabra''s spoon, and Ash had to quickly call out for a Light Screen as the ominous orb was fired. The golden barrier was barely erected in time, not at full strength, and despite escaping a direct hit, Valiant was still forced backwards further, back somewhat firmly hitting one of the crystal pillars.

    ''That Kadabra''s close-ranged arsenal might actually be as good as his long-ranged,'' Ash chewed the inside of his lip. In such a short span of time, the taller psychic had demonstrated a varied array of techniques to adapt to whatever situation. Valiant was quite versatile himself, but he could rely on Reflect, Light Screen, and especially Shadow Sneak for so long before the taxing nature of it all caught up to him and left him worn out. They needed to find a way to get back on offense.

    He wasn''t sure what he was thinking just yet, but he knew neither Sabrina nor Kadabra would grant him the time to ponder. For now, he needed to ensure that his friend wasn''t left stranded without any orders.

    "Valiant, run forward, Dazzling Gleam!" Before Kadabra could act again, Valiant pushed himself off of the pillar, eyes flashing as the pink beam sailed towards the psi Pokemon. An emerald ball of light erupted from the tip of Kadabra''s spoon as the fairy type blast collided with the Energy Ball, but Valiant kept on running.

    "Zen Headbutt!" At Sabrina''s cool-headed call, Kadabra began sprinting forward as well, head lowered as it began to glow a bright, disorienting blue.

    That suddenly gave Ash an idea. "Reflect, Valiant!" Though Valiant had to stop sprinting in order to prepare the barrier, his momentum carried him forward, sliding across the floor as the almost fully-strength wall of psychic glass erected in front of him. Valiant was still moving at a somewhat decent rate as Kadabra slammed headfirst into the psychic construct, and although he young Kirlia winced through clenched teeth as the Reflect cracked before him, Kadabra was left stumbling back, clutching his head where a hint of a bruise had formed. "Shadow Ball!"

    Keeping up the pressure, Valiant lunged forward and hurled the shadowy orb, hoping this would be the moment he landed his mark. Both psychics perpetually had the thought in the back of their minds: Hit your opponent with Shadow Ball. Whoever managed to first would surely be the one to win.

    Just barley, Kadabra swerved to the side in time, hissing as the orb grazed his side with a mild singe. Although Valiant hadn''t scored the hit he wanted, the situation was still his to control, and he was already upon his opponent, driving a Thunder Punch straight into Kadabra''s stomach. The air escaped Kadabra''s lungs as he bent over, the electricity from Valiant''s fist burning against his belly, and wasted no time clutching at the spot as Valiant retracted his arm.

    "Retreat!" Sabrina managed to remain cool and calm, no signs of franticness in her voice as Kadabra teleported away, to the temporary safety provided to him behind a decently far away crystal pillar.

    Even in the midst, Ash couldn''t help the sensation of admiration that passed through his chest. Sabrina was stoic to the core, not scarily so, but in a way that retained full composure in seemingly every situation. He had known from multiple sources that she was a master of emotions, and it showed in full as not a hint of nervousness was conveyed in any of her tones.

    Unless of course, she really wasn''t nervous at all, and Valiant winning the latest exchange was merely nothing more than a minor setback. Either way, they needed to act.

    Landing a direct hit with Shadow Ball would spell near certain victory for them, or certain defeat if they took the hit from the ghost type move first. But Ash knew that reckless, senseless overuse of the move wasn''t going to get them anywhere; Sabrina was better than that. You don''t win gym battles by mindlessly throwing around the same move over and over. They needed to set themselves up for the winning shot, before Sabrina and Kadabra could do the same.

    "Take aim with Thunder Leaf." Beyond the obvious, Kadabra was taking cover behind the pillar so he would have more time to react to whatever Valiant tried to throw at him next. That meant Valiant''s chances of landing this next attack were a lot lower, but they wouldn''t make any progress unless they ensured Sabrina''s partner was still in danger.

    Sure enough, as Valiant teleported to a location positioned to fire on Kadabra, the taller psychic raised a Light Screen to block the electrical leaves. As they uselessly bounced off of the opposing barrier, the Kirlia couldn''t help but notice that Kadabra''s Light Screen seemed to beˇ­ extra bright?

    "Thunder Pistol, then Psychic." The moment the Thunder Leaf ceased, Kadabra dropped his Light Screen and pointed his spoon outwards. The utensil glowed with psychic energy at first, before suddenly becoming soaked in lightning. Before Ash could process it, a streak of electricity shot out of the tip of the spoonˇ­ at an alarming speed.

    A startled Valiant hastily erected his own Light Screen to try and block the attack, but he only barely had time to produce a stable barrier, let alone one at full strength, and the streak was coming in fast, colliding with the golden with staggering force. Valiant groaned as a hole was punched through his Light Screen; it was somewhat cushioned, not a direct hit, but the electricity nonetheless punctured its way through his defenses and struck him in the abdomen, staggering back as he clutched his stomach. As the sparks lingered on his body, he felt his own muscles resisting him somewhatˇ­

    Kadabra teleported just close enough to still be within decent range, eyes flashing a bright blue, and Ash knew that the wave of psychic energy was coming.

    He wanted to ask himself what that "Thunder Pistol" move was, and how it had moved with the startling speed and force that it had, but Valiant was in danger, and control of the battle was slipping from them fast.

    Whatever it was, it was clearly an incapacitation move, and with the dangers of Shadow Ball always in play, they couldn''t afford to let Sabrina capitalize.

    "Retreat, Valiant! Teleport!" His body moving a bit slower, Valiant focused his efforts on his minds as he teleported away just in time for the Psychic attack to miss him. He reappeared behind a crystal pillar as Kadabra glanced around to find him.

    "Swift, Kadabra." Sabrina''s tone of voice was cool, calculated, and to the point as always as Kadabra raised his spoon in the air. The series of golden stars erupted from the utensil, curving in Valiant''s direction as they homed in on their target. Quickly, (and with Ash''s orders), Valiant erected another Light Screen to intercept them. He strained to produce this one, however, a bead of sweat rolling down his head as a feeling of fatigue made itself known. "Psyshock."

    Kadabra appeared a few feet away from, and slightly above the Kirlia, eyes blazing with a blinding blue aura as his spoon rose above his head. An orb of energy of the same color formed around his eyes, growing in size before extending into a powerful blast that diagonally descended towards its target. Ash suspected (and Valiant knew) that the Light Screen wouldn''t last against such an attack, and quickly called out for him to avoid it.

    As Valiant dropped the Light Screen, he found his muscles weren''t resisting him anymore as he dove out of the way. To his shock, however, the psychic blast that exploded against the floor where he once stood sent a shockwave erupting in his direction. The Kirlia yelped as the wind slammed into him, nearly costing him his footing.

    "Thunder Bullet." Ash called out to the panicked Kirlia as Kadabra landed back on his feet, pointed his spoon forward, and fired.

    Valiant''s cry of pain was cut off halfway through as the streak of lightning slammed into his chest. The electricity burned against him for just a moment before he felt his muscles locking up on him, as though the lightning itself had been injected into his body. He staggered back, struggling to regain his footing, but his muscles fought against every move he tried to make, even just to regain balance. Ash''s face paled as he realized what the vulnerable Kirlia was going to be targeted with next.

    "Shadow Ball."

    The ghostly sphere formed against the tip of Kadabra''s spoon, growing to full size before the ball of distorted energy was launched in Valiant''s direction. Valiant tried to raise his arms, to form a Light Screen to block, but he was moving too slow. He tried to focus, to teleport away, but he couldn''t focus, not enough to activate the move. The paralysis wouldn''t let him do anything in time.

    First, the ball smashed into him, and he was launched several feet away, defenseless as the ghost type move exploded against his body, leaving him to roll across the battlefield in agony. Then, he felt it: The sickness, the discomfort. The strength leaving his body and mind as the ghostly energy spread throughout his body, as though it were infecting him.

    Ghost type moves were poison to psychics.

    Valiant was on his hands and knees when Kadabra reappeared behind him. His hands pressed against the floor as he fought to rise to his feet. The paralysis resisting his muscles. The ghostly energy lingering inside his body, making it harder still to summon his strength.

    "Shock Slice." The taller psychic raised his spoon in the air once more. The aura of Psycho Cut bathed the utensil, channeling and taking the form of a blade. Soon after, sparks began to appear at the surface, suddenly erupting as lightning coursed through. First the electricity was dancing around the Psycho Cut, and then it was enveloping it, the large, lightning blade of psychic energy crackling above Valiant''s vulnerable form like an electric buzzsaw.

    Kadabra swung.

    Valiant screamed as the electrical blade carved through his torso, but his shout was cut off as quickly as it began. The lightning coursed through his body as his muscles spasmed. Barely hearing his trainer crying out to him, he tried to clutch the wound left behind by the slash, but fell to his side, convulsing on the floor until his body stilled, eyes glazed over.

    "Kirlia is unable to battle! Kadabra wins!"

    Ash tuned out the clapping from the audience as he returned Valiant to his Poke Ball. With a somewhat pale face, he stared at the orb for a moment before speaking. "Thank you as always, it''s going to be okay." Reclipping the ball back onto his belt, his hand lingered between the capsules containing Eevee and Nebula.

    It was almost disturbing howˇ­ quickly Sabrina had sealed the deal. With one successful incapacitation, she and Kadabra had completely set themselves up for the win.

    As expected, there would be no easy answer. Kadabra had proven he''d be dangerous no matter what the opponent. The electricity would prove problematic for Nebula, but he''d hardly be surprised if the familiar Drain Punch from before wasn''t the only answer that Sabrina''s friend had for Eevee as well, and if not, Sabrina could substitute for her fourth teammate at any time she wanted. Frankly, it almost felt like it didn''t matter who he sent out.

    Either way, they''d need to find a way to overcome whatever was thrown at them from here on out. The battle was only halfway over for both sides.

    Nebula appeared in front of him, flapping her wings a few feet above his head as she turned to exchange greeting glances with her trainer.

    "That Kadabra just beat Valiant. He has electricity on his side, and can use some sort of technique that lets him greatly speed it up when he fires, so always be ready to dodge." she didn''t seem too worried as she nodded back at him with an affirmative chirp.

    "BEGIN!"

    ''First thing''s first.'' Ash told himself. "Nebula, fly upwards!" Not moving any direction other than up, the Staravia soared higher above the battlefield, just over the tops of the crystal pillars.

    "You can''t run from a teleporting enemy, Mr. Ketchum." Sabrina almost sounded disappointed. Not even a moment later, Kadabra appeared standing atop one of the pillars in a flash of light. Ash couldn''t help the tiny grin on his face as the psychic assumed a battle stance.

    "Nice. Nebula, Air Cutter, then Steel Wing!" Shrieking in aggression, Nebula fired the barrage of wind blades at the focused Kadabra, who quickly erected a wall of Light Screen to intercept them. The moment she finished firing, the Staravia catapulted herself forward with Quick Attack, wings encased in metal as she charged for her foe''s head.

    An enormous BAM! Echoed across the battlefield as Kadabra dropped the Light Screen in favor of Reflect. This Reflect was far brighter than normal, however, and As Nebula smashed into it, the startled Staravia suddenly found herself being propelled backwards, as though she had been struck, or tossed. Ash blinked in surprise as his friend was sent rolling back several feet in midair, head over heels before she finally managed to right herself, regaining her composure as she flapped her wings in place. Eyes tightening into a glare, Nebula offered her opponent another hostile shriek, as though letting out a battle cry. Kadabra simply remained silent.

    ''What was that? Somehow, the Reflect didn''t just block her; it deflected her.'' It had to have been some sort of combination move that he couldn''t figure out; something that would propel an attacker backwards upon contact. But Ash was drawing a blank as to what it could have been.

    He wasn''t given any time to contemplate, as Sabrina''s next command was "Thunder Bullet."

    Although he knew Nebula would dodge, Ash''s instincts brought the words "Out of the way!" from his throat, almost involuntarily. Even as her trainer gave the command, Nebula was already zipping to the side with Quick Attack, the amazingly fast streak of electricity thankfully missing its mark as she took aim at Kadabra once more; this time from a vertically diagonal angle.

    Flapping her wings with maddening determination, Nebula fired a Wind Blast downwards at her target. In a flash of white, Kadabra was gone, reappearing on a different pillar as the condensed gale of wind pounded against the top of the pillar where he once stood; no signs of damage was left on the surface.

    ''He''s good at teleporting.'' Valiant likely would have tired himself out by now; and they still needed practice with vertical teleportation, which Kadabra seemed to be able to handle fairly easily. It was just in their previous Gym battle against Erika where Valiant had ran into such an issue against her Carnivine, and now, the roles were reversed, but with Sabrina having an easy answer.

    "Swift." The moment she cool headedly called out, Ash was ready.

    "Double Team, Nebula!" Just as Kadabra was about to fire, there were three Nebula in his line of sight, and a brief moment of hesitation. "Whirlwind, keep your copies!" the real Nebula began furiously flapping her wings, a powerful gale nearly slamming into Kadabra as he erected another wall of Light Screen, straining against the pressure as nebula struggled to push him off of the pillar. "Stop, Whirlwind, and circle with Steel Wing!"

    If Nebula and both of her copies charged at him from different directions, and Kadabra couldn''t find out which one was real, he''d have to defend himself on every side, and that meant using Reflect as a cube instead of a singular, condensed wall. Not only would the cube be less durable (although Ash hardly expected it to be easily breakable, nonetheless) due to the psychic energy being divided on every side, but was it possible that Kadabra would have more difficulty utilizing the knockback combo that way; whatever it might be?

    Nebula and both of her copies circled around the psychic, who glanced between the three of them with some levels of uncertainty. So as to not give herself away, the real nebula did not summon Steel Wing until she was ready to blitz forward.

    "Shock Slice!" Ash grimaced as, just as Nebula and her two clones charged forward at the psychic, Kadabra''s spoon became enveloped in the same combination of psychic energy and electricity as before. The electrical Psycho Cut sparked as dangerously as the last time as Kadabra whirled in place, still perfectly positioned on the pillar as he twirled his body to strike in all directions.

    The Steel Wing slammed into the powerful blade, and Kadabra''s face strained as he struggled to push back at Nebula''s momentum. The Staravia''s beak clenched, eyes tightening as the electricity from the blade danced along her metal wings, licking the unprotected portions of her body.

    Finally, Kadabra lost his footing as Nebula shoved him off of the pillar. His descent to the floor was cut off by a flash of light, however, and he reappeared on a different pillar, trying to regain his balance.

    "Don''t let him recover!" At this point, both of Nebula''s clones had disappeared, as she fired a barrage of golden stars from her beak in Kadabra''s direction. Still having not fully regained his footing, Kadabra attempted a Light Screen, but could only manage roughly half the strength, As the golden barrage pelted against the golden barrier, the psychic grit his teeth as his body gradually slid backwards once more, teetering on the edge of the pillarˇ­

    Nebula circled around with Quick Attack and lashed out at Kadabra from the side, Steel Wing colliding directly with her opponent''s hip and launching him back off of the pillar with a pained cry. Instants later, he teleported again, this time slamming a Psycho Cut down on top of another crystal pillar, balancing himself somewhat more easily as Nebula went in for another charge.

    But Ash had a bad feeling. "Swerve, Nebula!" Sure enough, Nebula launched herself sideways just in time to avoid a direct hit from a Thunder Bullet. His neck was getting a little bit uncomfortable from constantly looking up, but he reminded himself to endure it. After all, a trainer could never take their eyes off of the action.

    With Nebula now no longer on course to strike her partner again, Sabrina nodded in satisfaction. "Swift, keep her off course." Ash wasn''t too surprised; no doubt the homing nature of the move would help with that.

    "Double Team, avoid it!" Once more, Nebula split into three, but this time, Kadabra did not hesitate. All three Staravia spread out, zipping, flying and curving as best they could as Kadabra let loose his golden barrage. Ash''s fists briefly tightened as Nebula and her clones maneuvered about the air, but they loosened back up after a few moments. One of the clones was hit by a star, disappearing at the exact moment.

    "Thunder Bullet." Ash didn''t allow himself a sigh of relief as the second clone was struck by the electrical streak; the real Nebula was not hit, but now, she was out of decoys. "Psyshock."

    As Nebula maneuvered about, circling her opponent with a fixed, steady gaze, Kadabra raised his spoon in the air, a familiar glow of light shining off of the utensil. It grew bigger and brighter, yet more condensed as the psychic energy gathered at the tip, ready to be let loose at a moment''s notice. Ash knew his feathered friend was equally prepared to dodge the deadly blast. And he was certain she would, too.

    But, he suddenly realized-

    "Teleport." One word was a game changer, and Ash had only seen it coming the instant before it was spoken. Nebula was just passing by a different crystal pillar when Kadabra teleported to it, directly behind her.

    "Block it!" Ash masked the majority of his panic as he gave his partner the only warning he could. As Kadabra lunged forward, firing the merciless blast at its beaked target, Nebula turned around in midair, crossing both of her now metal coated wings protectively in front of her body, just in time for the Steel Wing to meet the Psyshock.

    The blast exploded against her defenses, and Nebula''s shriek pierced Ash''s eardrums as she was sent rolling helplessly through the air, almost as fast as she could fly. She couldn''t right herself, or do anything else to try and stop her momentum. All she could do was continue rolling backwards through the air above the battlefield until she struck something.

    That something was the barrier in front of the audience, and a sharp pain in her back elicited yet another squawk from the Staravia as she smashed into it. As she began to limply fall beak-first towards the reflective floor, she finally managed a gutsy flap of the wings, repositioning herself in place and breaking her fall just a couple of feet above the floor.

    Ash allowed himself one sigh of relief that Nebula had not struck the barrier head-first. That may have ended the battle right there, or at the very least, ensured an injury that would ultimately cost them soon after.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Sabrina wasn''t any more willing to let them recover as they were for her, as he expected. "Swift."

    Ash called out to Nebula as the barrage of golden stars descended down towards her. "Charge back up with Steel Wing, Nebula!"

    Though her back was quite sore, Nebula was not slowed by the pain, merely letting out a deep huff before encasing her wings once more and bolting back upwards at a diagonal angle. A low growl escaped her beak as the stars curved to meet her. As they approached, she angled her body to ensure that her wings struck the projectiles; carving through the golden onslaught as she made her way back up and above Kadabra''s head.

    "Thunder Bullet." Kadabra fired the streak of lightning upwards after Nebula''s fleeing form. The Staravia was ready and swerved to avoid it, but the electricity clipped her wing. Wincing through her beak, Nebula flinched as a mild pain made itself known at the end of her wing, which began growing stiff. Seeing the bird off balance in midair, Sabrina cooly repeated her order.

    "Swift, then Aerial Ace!" Ash quickly countered. Halting her ascent, nebula aimed her beak down at Kadabra, who''s spoon was still pointed directly at her as the golden projectiles flew down towards the psychic combatant. They collided with the second electrical streak, intercepting the offensive. "Down!"

    Cloaked in white light, Nebula shot downwards at Kadabra with the intent of dive bombing into his torso. In a flash of light, he was gone just before she made contact. Circling around, she found him perched atop a different pillar as usual.

    ''He can''t keep that up forever.'' Ash did not voice his thoughts. ''His stamina is better than Valiant, but sooner or later all of that teleporting and blocking is going to catch up to him.'' No psychic at this level could keep teleporting around the room casting barriers without eventually wearing themselves out before too long; Sabrina had to know that. That''s why sheˇ­

    He perked up at the thought. That''s why she was using Thunder Bullet. Obviously, a debilitating combo to end the fight quickly was always going to be efficient when done right, but it became a priority when a Pokemon''s fighting style puts them on a time limit. And Sabrina was masking all of that this entire time: Calm, collected, in complete control of her composure.

    Kadabra wasn''t going to win a war of attrition if Nebula''s attacks constantly forced his hand to teleport or raise a barrier like Reflect or Light Screen, soˇ­

    ''Just pressure the heck out of them.'' With a surge of confidence, Ash cupped his hands. "Air Cutter!" Not bothering to circle around once more, Nebula took aim at her foe and let loose the barrage of aerial blades. Kadabra quickly erected a Light Screen to intercept them, to which Ash responded, "Steel Wing!"

    Nebula charged forward, metal wings all but ready to ram into Kadabra''s head, only for the opposing psychic to abruptly drop the golden, glowing barrier and teleport away to another crystal pillar yet again. Ash couldn''t see it, but Sabrina''s partner took a deep breath upon reappearing.

    ''Thunder Bullet could strike at any moment.'' Just one direct hit from that move would leave Nebula vulnerable to immediate defeat. ''She has to protect herself.'' "Nebula, steady stream of Swift while you move!''

    The golden stars that escaped from Nebula''s beak locked onto Kadabra''s form, curving in midair to make their way over to him. Once more, he blocked with Light Screen, and nebula charged with Steel Wing. Once more, he teleported away.

    "Thunder Bullet." Continuing to fire the Swift as best as she could, nebula had to reangle herself in midair in order to ensure the attack kept homing on on her enemy, but Ash knew Kadabra''s newfound positioning left an opening for Nebula to get hit by the electrical attack. The moment Sabrina gave the command, he responded.

    "Double Team!" Nebula hastily split into three, but that didn''t deter Kadabra from shooting. Ash only allowed himself minor relief as one of Nebula''s two clones disappeared upon impact. "Keep using Swift!"

    "You use Swift too, Kadabra." Although the real Nebula gave away her position by firing her golden barrage, the remaining clone did not disappear as Kadabra countered with an identical onslaught. Golden stars exploded against one another as Nebula and the clone circled around her opponent.

    "Charge!" Both birds, real and clone, shot forward at the same time, and Kadabra teleported away yet again. The moment he reappeared, he fired Thunder Bullet at the first one he saw, and Nebula''s remaining clone was eliminated as the real one resumed using Swift. As the stars made their way to him, Kadabra''s eyes flashed rainbow, head turning to face the golden barrage. A beam of the same color shot out of his eyes, the Psybeam intercepting the Swift.

    Using the distraction, Nebula rocketed forward yet again, wings encased in metal as Kadabra teleported away in the nick of time. Maintaining her speed, Nebula was quickly upon him once more, a Light Screen narrowly intercepting her Swift.

    Ash''s brow furrowed. All of this had to have been having an effect. They needed a final push. "Keep Swift going, and Air Slash!" He wasn''t sure if Nebula could form the Air Slash while preoccupied, but switching between the two attacks would give Kadabra a brief window to respond. This wayˇ­

    Nebula hovered in place, some sweat rolling down her face as she positioned herself in preparation for the attack. The golden stars continued to exit her beak at a slightly reduced rate as her left wing began to glowˇ­

    It was strenuous, but a surge of satisfaction rushed through her chest as she felt the giant blade of wind forming in front of her. The two moves that she had worked on in preparation for this fight; and all of that countless repetition when practicing Air Slash hadn''t simply been for fun.

    The Staravia flung the giant blade of wind straight into Kadabra''s Light Screen, which shattered upon impact. Immediately, a bout of mental whiplash overtook Sabrina''s partner, as though it had slammed right into him. Eyes unfocused, and head feeling light, the psi Pokemon staggered backward, nearly falling over as his foot teetered on the edge of the crystal pillar.

    Ash struggled to contain his excitement. "Yes! Steel Wing!" The winded psychic was not prepared for any offense as Nebula rocketed forward towards him for the final time, metal wing ramming into her opponent''s forehead and launching him off of the edge of the pillar. He did not catch himself, nor teleport himself back up mid-fall. Crying out in pain, Kadabra kept falling, landing painfully on his side, back on the floor, where he rolled over in agony, clutching in desperation at the side of his body that had made impact. He stilled moments later.

    "Kadabra is unable to battle! Staravia wins!" At Kevin''s declaration, the audience cheered once more, and Sabrina returned her fallen teammate while Nebula made her way back to Ash.

    The boy was grinning from ear to ear as she landed in front of him, and made use of the barrier''s temporary absence to reach down and pat her head. She crooned as she leaned into his touch. She had taken a moment to catch her breath, but didn''t seem alarmingly tired.

    "There''s only one left, now. You''re doing great."

    After a couple of moments, Sabrina, with her next and final Poke Ball in hand, got the duo''s attention. "You adapted quite well at the end of that, Mr. Ketchum. You recognized the dangers yet proceeded with no hesitation whilst accounting for them. You''ll need to keep doing that if you wish to go anywhere beyond this Gym with success." Preparing to toss the ball, her expression remained as control as ever. "But first, we must see if you can hold onto that mindset and see this trail through."

    In a blaze of light, the Gym Leader''s final teammate emerged in front of her, and it didn''t take long for the recognition to find its way to Ash''s face.

    The quadrupedal body. The lilac fur. The ears and tail.

    Sabrina''s final Pokemon was an Espeon. One of Eevee''s eight evolved forms.

    The decision was made in Ash''s mind immediately. Both Nebula and Eevee had already taken damage up to this point, but although Shadow Ball would be the most effective weapon in their arsenal, the advantage Espeon had over Eevee was far greater; the quadrupedal psychic was essentially everything that Eevee was and more.

    "Nebula," crouching down to eye level, he regained her attention as she turned her head back from the newcomer. "That''s her last Pokemon. You want to keep going?" A stiff nod was his reply, and he patted her head one final time. "Thanks, good luck." With an affirmative chirp, Nebula spread her wings out before taking off into the air once more.

    After the bird assumed a hovering position, Nebula''s found their way back to Espeon. Sabrina''s final teammate was in a seated position on the floor, her expression as calm and collected as the Gym Leader''s ever was. Nonetheless, Espeon locked eyes with Nebula quite easily, and the look on her face did not change as she rose to all fours and assumed a locked stance.

    "BEGIN!"

    Nebula began moving immediately, soaring above the pillars whilst circling Espeon''s position. The lilac Pokemon remain stationary, despite her stance. Her gaze wasn''t even following the Staravia, instead remaining straight ahead, eyes steel and focused. Not a muscle in her body twitched.

    It was clear that both Sabrina and Espeon were waiting for them to make a move first, which meant they had to move carefully. Ash took a little longer than usual to decide on a command before shouting "Use Swift!"

    Circling around one final time, Nebula angled herself to face Espeon downwards diagonally, opening her beak to allow the stream of golden stars to flow out towards their target.

    Espeon finally moved, kicking off of the floor and sprinting ahead. Abruptly, however, she performed a sharp turn around a crystal pillar, sticking her rear to it as the stars failed to curve properly in pursuit of her. As a result, the golden barrage simply pelted harmlessly against the pillar.

    Nebula had gotten the hang of swift with Eevee''s help, but she was no expert on the technique; it likely wasn''t advanced enough to home in on a target properly. Even if their opponents had no way of realizing that, the pillars made for a creative way to try and outmaneuver such a technique.

    A light bulb suddenly went off in his head at the thought, however. "Remember Eevee and the rocks! Fire low."

    Quickly understanding his instructions, Nebula plummeted straight downwards towards the floor, only to bolt forward just before collision. Now flying at a low level, she took a sharp turn after Espeon, locking onto her once more while firing a second Swift. As the psychic type sprung into action once more, Nebula pursued her opponent''s retreating form, continuously firing the golden projectiles out of her beak whilst chasing after her. Unfettered, Espeon continued to gallop away, gaining some distance between herself and her attacker.

    ''She''s fast.'' Ash inwardly remarked to himself. Unlike Eevee, Espeon didn''t have a ton of rocks to use as cover against the swift; just eight large pillars spread out across the battlefield. But with Nebula''s skills with Swift still being green, outrunning her helped mend that issue at the Staravia''s expense. "Nebula, Quick Attack, but keep firing!"

    Pausing her fire for a moment to focus (and instinctively nodding), a burst of speed slingshotted Nebula forward as she resumed the golden onslaught. With Espeon no longer leaving her in the dust (Ash could only assume that Sabrina''s partner had been using Quick Attack as well), the stars no longer had any difficulty zeroing in on her.

    Abruptly, Espeon stopped running, whirling around to face Nebula directly. Her legs slid backwards across the floor as her tail was coated in metal, and with a full, single, precise whirl, she lashed out with Iron Tail, deflecting the immediately incoming goldens stars as the approaching bird coated her wings in metal.

    "Psychic Fangs!" At Sabrina''s command, Espeon opened her mouth, a pinkish-purple aura of psychic energy radiating off of her teeth. The light expanded into a large set of jaws that chomped down on Nebula''s Steel Wing just as the Staravia struck.

    Nebula''s great moment forced Espeon backwards as the Psychic Fangs remained locked in, preventing Nebula''s metal wing-or Nebula herself, for that matter-from going anywhere else. Espeon''s face was scrunched up, wincing with some sweat at the force behind Nebula''s strike, but her Psychic Fangs nonetheless held the metallic wing in place, preventing Nebula from landing her strike.

    "Power Gem, point blank." Just as Espeon came to a stop, the gem on her forehead began to pulse, to Nebula''s widening eyes.

    "Shoot, Nebula! Quick Attack in the other direction!" Espeon obviously wasn''t going to let Nebula out of her hold, so they needed to break free, and fast. As the glow in the gem began to pulse even brighter, Nebula pulled back against Espeon''s tight grip, straining her muscles and clenching her beak as she struggled to slip away and bolt her way back. The strain on Espeon''s own face increased further, as she fought to retain her grip on Nebula''s metal wing. Just as the Power Gem began to take form, however, Espeon felt her grip loosening, and Nebula felt her wing beginning to shift its way back.

    Finally, the Staravia yanked her wing out, bolting upwards in a diagonal direction, away from Espeon and her attack. Sabrina did not falter, however. "Switch to Swift."

    "Wind Blast, Nebula!"

    As Nebula halted her retreat, turning to face Espeon while flapping her wings in place, Sabrina''s partner opened her mouth once more to let loose her own steady stream of golden stars. In response, Nebula fired the familiar blast of wind downwards. The Wind Blast intercepted the Swift, and the stars found themselves trapped inside of the condensed, blast-shaped gust, carried downwards back towards the Espeon that had fired them. They exploded against the floor as she gracefully leapt to the side to avoid them, and Nebula dive bombed downwards with Aerial Ace. Leaping above the Staravia, Espeon turned in midair and fired a rainbow-colored beam of psychic energy from the gem on her forehead, directly at the Staravia''s fleeing form. But Nebula simply circled herself in midair to avoid the Psybeam with equal grace, turning yet again to take aim at Espeon. Her left wing glowed as she reared back and hurled a large blade of wind at her target.

    Eyes flashing blue, Espeon focused her psychic energy with precision before a wave of power struck the Air Slash. The Psychic attack collided with the flying type move, triggering an explosion as they clashed against one another. Just before the smoke cleared, a barrage of smaller blades rushed downwards, descending towards Espeon as Nebula rapidly but precisely fired the Air Cutter. Still perfectly focused, Espeon opened her mouth and hollered, her shout triggering a powerful shockwave that deflected the onslaught.

    "Zen Headbutt!" Once more, Nebula shot forward with metal-coated wings, only for Espeon to shoot forward herself, head lowered and glowing a deep blue. Before Nebula had a chance to strike, Nebula collided with her head first, launching her backwards as the Staravia was sent rolling across the floor. Ash watched with some tension as she stopped herself, pushing her wings against the floor to pick herself up. "Swift!"

    Still not back in the air, and only having enough time to rise into a standing position, Nebula crossed her two metal wings together to shield herself from the stars. Espeon ran forward while firing, however, and, using her momentum as a weapon, lashed out with Iron Tail, which struck the Steel Wings and knocked Nebula back once more, bouncing across the floor and into a crystal pillar. Somewhat shakily, Nebula pressed a wing (now back to normal) against the pillar for leverage as she lifted herself back up, letting out a deep exhale in an effort to catch her breath.

    ''She''s getting tired.'' All that work forcing Kadabra on defense was catching up to her with how Espeon was pushing the Staravia. Sooner or later Nebula wouldn''t have enough strength left in the tank to properly fight back. That meant Double Team might also be on the mentally taxing side at this stage in the fight.

    As Nebula rose back into the air, Espeon fired a second Psybeam in pursuit, but it was easily avoided and followed up with an Air Cutter, which Sabrina''s partner sidestepped with equal ease.

    Once more, Nebula began circling her opponent, whilst Espeon resumed her familiar stance from the start of the battle, not moving a muscle or even following Nebula''s own motions as the seconds passed by.

    "Lower yourself, and Whirlwind!" Abruptly, Nebula shot down, advancing forward only to stop just as suddenly, positioning herself directly in front of Espeon as she flapped her wings with crazy vigor. The strong gale of wind lifted Espeon off of her feet with a startled yelp from the lilac Pokemon, only for her to quickly flip over and ram an Iron Tail into the floor. Using the impact to push herself forward, she landed on her feet and began galloping against the wind with Quick Attack as Nebula intensified her onslaught.

    "Psybeam!" As quickly as possible, Nebula stopped flapping, crossing two metal wings together as the rainbow-colored beam bounced off harmlessly. Espeon''s sprinting no longer met any resistance, however, and in the next instant, a second Iron Tail rammed into the crossed Steel Wings, sending Nebula tumbling across the floor once more. As another Psybeam was fired, however, Nebula pushed her Steel Wings against the floor, propelling herself up to get back in the air more quickly, just barely avoiding the Psybeam that nearly clipped her in the side.

    ''She''s forcing us on defense now.'' It wasn''t a good position to be in now that Nebula would be tiring out sooner rather than later. "Air Slash, then Steel Wing!"

    Circling around once more, Nebula kept her eyes focused, locked on to Espeon like a missile. Finally, she reared back and launched the giant blade of wind at her target, only to quickly follow after it with the force of Quick Attack. As she prepared to strike, Espeon, having dodged the blade of wind, launched herself as well, and swung her Iron Tail to meet the Steel Wing, the two firmly pressing together as both combatants struggled to overpower one another, one clenching her teeth, and the other clenching her beak.

    "Other wing, Nebula!" Understanding the order, Nebula whirled around and attempted to slap the side of Espeon''s head with her other, metal coated wing, but Espeon whirled around with her, and met the second strike as well. Just as they began pressing against one another again, however, a stream of stars from Nebula''s beak pelted the lilac Pokemon in the face, forcing her backwards. "Great, now Wind Blast!"

    Still in the same position, Nebula took aim at Espeon with the blast of condensed wind, which slammed into the quadrupedal psychic in a direct hit. Espeon wailed in pain as the Wind Blast launched her backwards, relentlessly pushing her in the direction of a crystal pillar. Just as she was about to hit it, she attempted to strike it with Iron Tai to save herself, only for her side to collide with it before she could. Falling onto her other side in an ache, she struggled to ignore the pain and push herself back up onto all fours as quickly as possible, teeth clenched and face scrunched in discomfort as Nebula ascended once more. The two Pokemon locked gazes as the Staravia flapped her wings in place, and Ash knew that his feathered friend was taking deeper breaths at this point. For the moment, Espeon was slightly favoring her right side as she stood in place, the left side being the one that had collided with the pillar.

    ''Espeon will still win at this rate.'' His hand brushed Nebula''s Poke Ball, but stopped halfway through. ''Go for broke, then.'' He reached up to turn his cap, only to be met with hair instead. That''s right, his cap was gone. "Nebula, Reckless! Steel Wing full speed!"

    Everytime her trainer ordered her to use that ability, a wave of understanding would pass through her. It always signaled the moment of truth; she and Ash both knew that the ability was both a game changer, and a last resort. A point of no return, as well. Nodding at the decisive command, Nebula took one, final deep breath, before closing her eyes, and feeling the RUSH.

    As the Staravia''s body began blazing with the crimson, electricity-esque aura, Sabrina did not waste any time. "Power Tail, and Power Gem after that."

    Body stiffening, Espeon''s tail stood full erect as a wave of pale light enveloped it. As her tail became encased in metal, the Focus Energy continued to shine over it, coating the iron Tail in a blinding light as she bent her knees, crouching as though ready to pounce on prey, and prepared to launch herself forward.

    Wings coated in steel, Nebula let out a deafening, bloodlusted shriek. Dive bombing straight downwards, she changed course just before hitting the floor, flying low at blazing speeds towards her target, carried by the momentum of Quick Attack. At the same exact moment, Espeon shot forward, sprinting with Quick Attack as well, and the two met one another head on.

    The collision was loud, forceful, and beyond intense, and Ash almost needed to cover his ears as the impact of the two massively powered-up steel type moves created an enormous shockwave. With Nebula''s eyes raging red, and Espeon''s face strained and scrunched, the two combatants remained forcefully pressed together, each one of them equally desperate to overpower the other. And for a moment or two, there was no movement, no positioning changes, as neither proved able to push back the other. However, despite her best efforts, Espeon found her feet subtly sliding backwards as Nebula snarled through her beak.

    Ash held his breath on his side of the battlefield. No doubt Espeon was effectively using something like Eevee''s own Super Tail; how else would she hold out against Reckless like this? It was a scary thought getting hit with an attack like that: Any sort of brute force that could contend with Nebula''s ferocious ability was deadly and beyond dangerous.

    On her side of the battlefield, Sabrina remained stoic, merely offering a nod of acknowledgement as Nebula continued to push against her partner.

    With great strain, however, Espeon halted Nebula''s brief advanceˇ­ for the most part. Although her legs were no longer sliding, her tail was shaking for a moment, being slightly pushed back. As quickly as it had started, however, she steadied herself, and the stalemate continued. Suddenly, Nebula''s wing began to shake, and a resentful hiss escaped her beak as she felt her same wing begin to be pushed backwardsˇ­

    Finally, with a forceful holler, Espeon pushed all the way through, and Nebula was launched through the air with a frustrated-and somewhat startled-cry. As Nebula tumbled upwards in midair, the gem on Espeon''s forehead began to glow once more, the gathering pink light forming into a large, shining rock. With a grunt from the lilac Pokemon, the Power gem launched itself into Nebula''s tumbling form, exploding against her into a series of sparkling chunks.

    "Nebula!" Even as Ash called out, the Staravia was sent into freefall, the crimson energy surrounding her dissipating as she unceremoniously crashed onto the floor, rolling over onto her stomach as her body began to still.

    "Staravia is unable to battle! Espeon wins!"

    Ash sighed in disappointment as the audience clapped once more, returning Nebula to her Poke Ball. "You''ve softened her up," he complimented. "We''re still going to win." Reclipping the ball to his belt, he took out Eevee''s next, and his gaze lingered on it as he enlarged the sphere.

    Even by normal standards, this wouldn''t be easy. The Marsh Badge entirely rested on his friend prevailing over her own evolved form. And one who had just overpowered Reckless, of all things.

    "I have been impressed thus far, Mr. Ketchum." Sabrina''s voice snapped Ash''s attention from Eevee''s Poke Ball, eyes finding their way to her. "But you seem doubtful. Did you not say that you were here to prove that you were ready for the next phase? Why do you forget your own convictions in the heat of the moment?"

    Ash''s face tightened for a secondˇ­ but suddenly eased up, more than ever. With a deep breath, he felt the tense muscles in his body loosen before releasing his friend.

    Eevee''s gaze immediately zeroed in on her psychic evolved form, who returned the same gaze unflinchingly. Though her muscles tensed up for a brief moment, Eevee''s body somewhat relaxed as she turned around to the sound of her trainer''s voice.

    "You''re both the last Pokemon left, Eevee." Ash crouched down to look his friend in the eye. "This next round will decide the match." he let that sink in, and at her acknowledging nod, he continued. "Shadow Ball is the obvious key to this fight, but it''s not going to be that simple. They know it''s coming, and we need to assume that Espeon knows everything that you do; she already used her own version of Super Tail against Nebula." Another nod, and he continued on. "Nebula did a good job today, though." he offered her a smile. "Partially because of how you helped her get ready for the fight." he felt his chest warm at her grin. "Think you can finish it?" A loud, clear, happy bark was her response. He patted her head, and felt her lean into his touch. "Then let''s do it. I think Nebula hurt Espeon''s left side a bit, so try attacking that if you can."

    Barking again, Eevee whirled around with a tiny hop to face her opponent, walking forward a bit before crouching down into a stance that mirrored that of Espeon''s own. The two locked eyes, Eevee''s muscles twitching in anticipation as her lilac evolved form remained perfectly still.

    "BEGIN!"

    Eevee did not rush forward, cautiously inching her way ahead, still in her crouching position. Espeon, much like with Nebula, remained dead still, not a muscle twitching as Eevee crept her way forward.

    ''Most likely, it''ll be impossible to win this without landing a Shadow Ball.'' Ash kept his eye on the lilac Pokemon for any sign of movement. ''She won''t spring into action unless we move first.'' With some thought, he called out. "Eevee, Shadow Ball!"

    Breaking into a light jog, Eevee opened her mouth, revealing the ghostly energy swirling inside. Moments later, the orb fired out of her jaws. Just as it approached Eevee''s evolved adversary, Espeon sprung up and whacked the ball back with an Iron Tail. Eevee was somewhat startled by the counter, but was quick to respond in kind; batting the ball back like a hostile game of tennis. Now the ball sailed for its lilac target even faster than before, but Espeon was already forming her own Shadow Ball in her jaws. The two ominous projectiles clashed, kicking up a small explosion as they detonated against each other.

    Espeon emerged through the smoke, sprinting for Eevee with her tail coated in metal. Speeding up, Eevee met her evolved form head on with an Iron Tail of her own, but after a brief struggle, found herself tumbling back across the floor; unhurt, but overpowered and outsped.

    "Psychic." Sabrina ordered. Moments later, Espeon was upon Eevee again, eyes blazing a blinding, deep blue. A wave of energy of the same color smashed into Eevee, and, with a cry, sent her flying back further. Just as she began to pick herself up, a series of golden stars was flying her way. Quick to react, she opened her mouth, and her shout transformed into a strong shockwave that deflected the Swift. Even as she fired the Hyper Voice, Espeon had leapt into the air, preparing a Psybeam to blast down at the normal type. Rolling out of the way, Eevee responded with an upwards Shadow Ball, only for Espeon to somersault in midair, whacking downwards with an Iron Tail that sent the Shadow Ball flying back into Eevee. On impact, the normal type quadruped slid backwards, her immunity to ghost type moves ensuring that most harm would be avoided. Glancing behind her, she saw that she was only a couple feet away from one of the pillars.

    "Power Tail." The moment Espeon landed back on the floor, she kicked off again, sprinting for Eevee as her metallic tail rose and became wrapped in a strong, pale aura. Ash''s face lost some complexion at the sight of the move; this was what overpowered Nebula''s Reckless, of all things.

    "Out of the way!" Leaping to the side, Eevee narrowly avoided near-certain defeat as Espeon''s Power Tail, aimed for the normal type''s head, instead struck the pillar with a loud collision that echoed across the room. Realizing that Eevee was facing the somewhat wounded side of her opponent, Ash quickly called out "Iron Tail to her side!"

    A fierce energy in her eyes, Eevee sprinted towards Espeon, lashing out with her metal tail. The evolved psychic turned to meet her, however, a familiar set of psychic jaws extending from her mouth. Clamping down on Eevee''s Iron Tail, Espeon''s Psychic Fangs held her in place as the frustrated normal type snarled at her opponent whilst trying to pull free. Meanwhile, Espeon strained herself pulling back against Eevee''s resistance, and, with sweat dripping down her face, flung the evolution Pokemon overhead before flipping over to strike her belly with Iron Tail. Eevee turned in midair to avoid the blow, but still felt a stab of pain in her side as the Iron Tail struck her, albeit not with the full impact.

    Although the blow halted Eevee for a moment, she fought through the pain as the opposing blow knocked her back; angling herself in midair to fire a sudden Swift that curved into Espeon''s wounded side. Ash couldn''t help the proud smile at his partner''s tenacity as she successfully landed on all fours, sliding back a bit from the backwards momentum as Espeon staggered from the counteract.

    For a moment, neither combatant moved, Eevee inhaling deeply while Espeon seemed to be trying to shake the pain away. Ash realized with some satisfaction that the blow to Espeon''s weak spot had given his friend some valuable extra time to catch her breath, and he was grateful that Eevee made use of that time instead of trying to rush forward once more for another attack.

    Ash couldn''t see it, since Espeon''s wounded side wasn''t facing him, but a bruise had developed on Sabrina''s partner. Eevee was a bit far away, but her body was also marked with the punishment she had received previously. Nonetheless, the smaller quadruped successfully regained control of her breathing before resuming her stance. Her facial expression was one of neutral confidence, but the look in her eyes was a blazing nova.

    ''Espeon has Eevee beaten in every category. She''s stronger, faster, and knows more moves.'' As both combatants used the unspoken truce as a chance to recover and prepare themselves further, Ash though to himself. Shadow Ball was the only way to truly turn the fight in their favor. It wasn''t a get out of jail free card, as Espeon was likely more used to getting hit with ghostly moves than Valiant was; though his usage of Shadow Sneak likely meant it would be easier to get used to such opposing attacks more quickly than the average psychic, he still needed to develop actual experience getting hit by them, which he had not quite done yet. Nevertheless, just one direct hti with the ghost type move could spell the end for Espeon if capitalized on correctly.

    ''But just landing that hit is half the battle.'' His mind flashed back to the start of the fight. Espeon had admirably deflected the ghostly ball right back at Eevee with her Iron Tail, and had done so a second time soon after that. Her precision and timing had been near-perfect, and further discouraged reckless overuse of the move; if Espeon could deflect it that easily, then she could easily spring up a counter as Eevee tried to respond. Even so, Ash couldn''t help but feel a bit prideful to his friend for being able to hit the ball back, even if it still hadn''t worked in the end-

    Something came over him as he recounted the way Eevee had reacted. If they could justˇ­ was that it, perhaps?

    ''Maybe there is an idea.'' He knew Espeon likely wouldn''t give them much more time, so he had to get Eevee to start moving again.

    "Eevee, fall back, quickly!" Ears perking up at her trainer''s instructions, Eevee turned around and took off in the direction opposite to Espeon, who, in alert, began to pursue. Though the normal type did not travel at full speed (mostly because she wasn''t using Quick Attack), her four legs carried her across the floor with good momentum nonetheless.

    Espeon was faster, however, and opened her mouth to let loose another barrage of golden stars in pursuit of her target. Looking back to see the projectiles incoming, Eevee swerved to the side, and the Swift curved after her around the pillar, albeit needing to somewhat slow down to do so. With a pocket''s worth of extra time bought, Eevee swerved again as she approached another pillar. By now, Espeon was approaching her, no doubt readying another attack.

    "Bat away the Swift, then Shadow Ball!" Ears twitching once more at her trainer''s commands, Eevee whirled around, Iron Tail smashing the approaching stars away as more ghostly energy swirled from within her jaws. Eyes widening, Espeon took an impressive leap backward to avoid the Shadow Ball. She hadn''t even hit the floor yet when Ash ordered "Super Tail!"

    "Power Tail!"

    Now launching herself forward at full speed with Quick Attack, Eevee''s metal tail glowed with the white aura of Focus Energy, feeling an exhilarating rush as the appendage surged in strength. Also at full speed, Espeon sprinted to meet Ash''s partner head on, Iron Tail enveloped with the same energy. As they closed in on one another, both combatants hollered as they swung forward.

    Both Iron Tail combos smashed into one another with a loud collision that echoed the shockwave across the room. Eevee strained herself to overpowered her evolved adversary, but no matter how hard she pushed, she found herself sliding back, and soon tumbling across the floor once more.

    "Shadow Ball, then Swift!" Ash was quick to call out. Surely enough, Eevee recovered in midair to quickly fire the ghostly orb; only at half-size for quick usage, but it elicited Espeon to dodge with a backwards leap nonetheless. As Eevee landed, the Shadow Ball was quickly followed up with another golden barrage, which Espeon destroyed with one of her own as Ash commanded Eevee to take her own leap back.

    ''Makes sense; she''s dodging the Shadow Ball when it''s fired up close, but now that we''re at a distance again, she''ll try to deflect it back again to either knock her off balance or distract her while she tries to counter, like the previous two times.'' Ash hoped he was right; this plan hinged on whether or not he had read Sabrina and Espeon''s fighting style correctly. It had worked with Valiant and Girafarig, but did he dare take another chance?

    "Why do you forget your own convictions in the heat of the moment?" Whatever doubt he felt was quickly swept away. He was here to prove that he was ready; that they were ready, and that the future trials ahead would not overwhelm them. He had to trust in these instincts. And if he was wrong, he would just have to figure out something else.

    "Eevee, Shadow Ball!" Without hesitation, his friend complied, another sphere of ominous energy forming in, and firing out of her jaws. ''Please don''t dodge.''

    He felt Butterfree in his stomach as Espeon did not dodge. Just as before, maybe even without much thought, the lilac quadruped whirled around and lashed out with yet another iron Tail that deflected the ghostly sphere back at its user. Ash tried to contain his excitement-and anticipation-as he called out to Eevee. "Super Tail!"

    For once, Sabrina''s eyes widened as Eevee charged forward and rammed into the approaching Shadow Ball with another powered-up Iron Tail. The extra-amplified force behind the attack launched the ghostly orb back at Espeon with staggering speed, and before the psychic could even think to defend, she was struck hard.

    "BULLSEYE!" Ash couldn''t help the exhilarating feeling as Espeon was bowled over by the ghost type move exploding against her. The ominous energy entered her body as she felt her muscles weakening, debilitating. "Go for it, Eevee!''

    Sensing an opportunity, Eevee felt an additional surge of adrenaline rushing through her body,briefly forgetting her own fatigue as she sprinted full speed ahead to her fallen target, swinging an iron Tail right for Espeon''s head. With some desperation, her evolved foe miraculously fought through the pain and met Eevee''s steel type move with her own, but as the two tails clashed together, Eevee''s momentum quickly sent her opponent tumbling back. Just as she was about to go in for another strike, however, a shout from Espeon saw the startled normal type getting painfully blown back by the shockwaves of Hyper Voice.

    "You''re doing great, Eevee!" As Ash''s friend landed on her feet, sliding backwards just a little bit before planting herself in full, Ash''s gaze returned to Espeon, who had successfully struggled her way back onto all fours. Her posture was shaky, but clearly, the Shadow Ball had not taken away her ability to fight. They hadn''t won this, not yet. But they had wounded her, and now she had been robbed of much needed strength to power through her injured side.

    Eevee was breathing fairly hard, however, and although Ash couldn''t see it, her fur was soaked in sweat. Neither Pokemon could take much more, but there was no way Ash was going to let them lose now. Not when they were so close to badge number four.

    Sabrina spoke up first. "End this! Swift, then Power Tail!"

    "Do the same, Eevee!"

    Both Pokemon took off running, the golden barrages escaping their mouths and pounding into each other in tiny explosions. Their tails rose, coated in metal, and amplified by the blinding glow of Focus Energy; a tremendous burst of power, fully condensed into their respective Iron Tails, and all ready to be delivered in one, single strike.

    While Ash''s face lost some of its color from the anticipation, eyes wide with something resembling a mixture of excitement and hope, Sabrina''s gaze was intense and piercing as she watched the back of Espeon retreating towards her opponent, both Pokemon rearing back to strike.

    And then-

    A stadiumˇ­ Indigo Stadium. The stands were completely filled; not an empty seat in sight. Ash Ketchum stood on the battlefield, a cap on his head, but backwards. On the opposite endˇ­ a teenage girl, with silvery-white hair tied into a ponytail, and Kalosian emblem in her earrings.

    On the battlefield properˇ­ a Gallade waged war against a Milotic. The audience was thunderous, and they were chantingˇ­ yes, for the Gallade. The bipedal psychic launched forward as the water type unleashed a tremendous Hydro Pump. Gallade reared back with a lightning-coated Leaf Blade, striking hard against the massive blast of waterˇ­

    Sabrina''s vision ended as though she had never seen it, and a small smile formed across her lips.

    The two tails collided, ramming into one another with yet another loud shockwave as both quadrupeds snarled through their teeth, some saliva dripping from their lips as they pushed against one another''s strike. Though Eevee''s tail shook for a moment, it quickly steadied itself as she fought back against the last remaining strength of her opponent, with her own.

    "Hyper Voice!" It was Ash who had given the order, and before Sabrina could respond, the shockwaves from Eevee''s mouth had staggered Espeon. The psychic had been favoring her uninjured side during the clash, but now that side was just barely off balance as she stumbled away, the coordination of her body disruptedˇ­ "DO IT! Super Tail!"

    With another lunge-and a loud battle cry- Eevee swung forward once more.

    BAM!

    The Iron Tail, blazing with Focus Energy, collided with the side of Espeon''s head. The psychic was unable to scream in pain as the impact (which even Eevee herself felt from the blow) flung her away. Her limp body tumbled sideways across the floor for what felt like an eternity before rolling to a stop. The horrifying bruise in her head where Eevee had made impact was on full display as she lay motionless, her still reflection visible on the surface of the floor.

    Ash''s heart almost skipped a beat, and finally did as Kevin raised his hands. "Espeon is unable to battle! Eevee wins!" he gestured to the boy. "The winner of this battle is our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

    Eevee didn''t register the cheers from the audience; instead she stopped fighting the battle to stay standing, the deepest (yet most painful) of exhales leaving her throat as she plopped down onto her belly, an incredibly weak smile on her face as Espeon disappeared in a flash of red light a good distance away from her.

    Ash wanted to race over to Eevee and hug the life out of her. He wanted to scream. He wanted to call his mom right now and tell her that her son was halfway to the Indigo Plateau.

    He didn''t do any of that, and what little restraint he had reminded him that Eevee''s body was in no condition for any hugs at the moment. Instead, he simply allowed his grin to split his face open as he returned his partner to her Poke Ball.

    "Eeveeˇ­ you defeated your own evolved form today." he could already picture the normal type excitedly boasting to Valiant the moment they were together again. "I can''t thank you enough, you were wonderful out there."

    He must have been staring at her ball longer than he had realized, because the sound of footsteps alerted him to the Gym Leader''s approach. Though herˇ­ mystical vibe did not fail her, she seemed somewhat more at ease now than going into the match. Very lightly, as though barely even making contact at all, her hands clapped together, with almost no sound to speak of it.

    "A hard fought victory today, Mr. Ketchum. Your last remaining teammate has done something few Pokemon can claim for themselves, and you guided her to it by using our own strategy to checkmate us. To think you picked up on such a subtle detail in the midst of the action. You have my full respect."

    The lightest of tinges stung Ash''s cheeks as a warm wave passed over his chest. It was such a simple praise, yet it was coming from a Gym Leader such as her. Straightening himself, he lowered his head to her.

    "Thank you, Leader Sabrina."

    Smiling, Sabrina waited for him to return to full height before holding out the badge. Its design was a lot more simplistic than the previous prizes; round and yellow, but it carried just as much meaning as Ash removed it from her palm, and allowed himself a few seconds to stare.

    "Do not make the mistake in thinking this milestone brings you this much closer to your goal, Mr. Ketchum." Sabrina''s voice snapped Ash''s attention back to the psychic specialist. Though her tone carried just as much strength as always, there was a difference to it. A gentle acknowledgement, so to speak. "The second half of your trials will be far beyond that of the first. You seek out Fuchsia territory next, am I correct?"

    Ash blinked, but did not allow himself to lose his posture. "Um, yes, I do."

    Her nod was as though she did not even need the confirmation. "I sense many an obstacle on your path, of just as many forms. You have reached your point of no return, now. Every Gym Leader will look at you differently now that you have proven yourself, the roads you travel will be harsher, and less and less forgiving, and it will be your job alone to survive the world that you are about to enter. Now that you have demonstrated your worth, the next step is to see everything through." she held out a TM. "This is a Psyshock, a highly forceful psychic type move. Use it well, along with every other resource you get your hands on. Utilization of everything you have, and how you choose to do so will be the difference between failure and success. And expect and hope for the latter from you."

    Ash took the disc from the woman, her words processing in his mind as everything truly began to sink in for him. She was right; he could afford the time for excitement now, but the moment he stepped back onto the road, everything changes.

    Most rookies made it through the first half one way or another. The second half was what truly determined who deserved to be in the Indigo Conference.

    ''At the very least, Valiant can look forward to another strong move.'' And as Sabrina said, they would use it well.

    Once more, Sabrina''s voice collected his attention. "I am going to send my teammates to the Pokemon Center. Make yourself comfortable at the seats, and tell your friend to be ready in twenty minutes." She waited for him to nod before walking off.

    The Butterfree had not yet left his stomach as he made his way to the seats. He could see Janine waving him over to signal where she was. He quickly waved back to let her know he got the message.

    /

    "Oh, here you are." Somewhat startled, Damian turned to see Silver approaching him, and was slightly more startled to find Neptune''s massive form flanking his commanding officer.

    Quickly, the blue-haired kid saluted. "Oh, hello, Agent-I mean, Executive Silver."

    A brief surge of satisfaction rushed through Silver''s heart at the title. For as important as the operation at Celadon City had been, it had also been something of a test that he had passed. The retrieval of the Master Ball prototype and blueprints had awarded him with a title that no one else from the child soldier program had ever risen to. Nonetheless, his face remained stoic.

    "I was just about to make an announcement, but I suppose you can come with me as I gather the others."

    Damian blinked. "Othersˇ­ for what?" Silver could see just from a simple interaction that the child was still shaken from the previous battle. He had yet to shed his attitude, as expected, but had been noticeably quieter as of recent. Deep in thought.

    "A portion of our branch will be cooperating with a mission booked for Lavender Town, although it is expected to only be a secondary force in charge of the perimeter. You will be attending. Walk with me."

    Damian suppressed his annoyance, simply nodding in obedience as he flanked the newly crowned Executive and his massive Feraligatr partner. He couldn''t help but steal a glance or two at Neptune before speaking up once more. "Of all places, why would we be going to Lavender Town?"

    Silver was quiet, but just as Damian thought he wouldn''t answer, and save it for the briefing, he responded. "There has been muchˇ­ studying in the background, performed by Executive Ariana and her research branch. At your rank, you wouldn''t know of it." Once more, Damian did not express his irritation. "It concerns Pokemon Towerˇ­ we have recently received confirmation, and the Iron-Masked Marauder has been enlisted to lead aˇ­ treasure hunt, to put it shortly."

    Finally, Damian couldn''t help the scoff. "I thought he was a Pokemon Hunter? What kind of treasure would be in that building of all places?" Pokemon Tower was the quintessential gravesite of the Region; it''s not like it was a cavern or a mine.

    "You''ll have a better understanding once we go over the details at the meeting." Silver responded. "It''s actually quite important, and concerns Team Rocket''s biggest project, much like the previous the attack in Celadon."

    "Biggest project?" Damian walked into Neptune as he and Silver walked in place, an irritated grunt escaping the boy''s lips as he fell onto his rear. Silver paid the younger Rocket no mind as he returned to his feet and dusted himself off.

    "Damianˇ­ Have you heard of Operation Origin?"

 Forever Forward

    "You burnt it again." At her father''s words, Janine frowned into the pot, noting the overcooked edges of the food. From the corner of her eye, she could see a few furry Pokemon in the bushes, their tails dancing above the grass, but she did not dare take her attention away from the task to make out what species they were.

    Her father would often use the Safari Zone for outdoor training; in this case, basic outdoor cooking was the assignment. The word "basic" masked the difficulty she was facing, however.

    The eight year old girl bit her lip. Five timesˇ­ no, six now. All attempts ended in failure, and with the same mistake, no less.

    "Darn it!'' she hissed. "Why am I-"

    "Mind your tongue." her father''s words froze her body in place, draining all color from her expression as his gloved hands emptied the contents of the pot into the nearby bin. "In two years time, you will be on the road. Learning these basic recipes is important . You''ll inevitably have much packaged and canned goods for traveling, but time may come when you need to cook your own food, and especially for your team."

    "This is hard." She tried not to moan, knowing his response.

    "That''s why you''re being prepared." he refuted with little inflection. "Failure is a learning tool, but only if you overcome it. We only have a couple hours of daylight remaining." The pot was once again placed in front of her. "I expect one proper dish by that time."

    "Yes, father."

    /

    "Ivysaur is unable to battle, Hypno wins!" Janine''s stomach fell as Kevin gestured to Sabrina. "The victory goes to the Gym Leader, Sabrina!" Even as the crowd clapped, she could not help the emptiness as she recalled her starter.

    In the end, she and her team could only defeat two of Sabrina''s Pokemon, even if they had gotten her to use all four. Given her poison specialty, she had expected the uphill battle and prepared for defeat, but the reality making itself known to her wasn''t quite the same.

    "You did well, Ivysaur. I''ll be sure to learn from this for your sake." As she reclipped her friend''s Poke Ball to her belt, she saw Sabrina approaching her-as expected- and chose to meet the Gym Leader halfway. In the famous psychic''s presence, she attempted to keep her head up, and her posture firm, but she knew the approaching woman could read every detail- every imperfection, and every falter in both body language and mind.

    The young girl was an open book of defeat.

    Sabrina''s voice was firm as the two stopped in front of one another, yet her eyes were uncharacteristically gentle. "The way you battled today wasˇ­ eye opening, young Janine." As she spoke, Janine''s body stiffened, heightening the effort to show total propriety in the face of her superior. "I knew ahead of time that you would be coming at me with nothing but poison types; clearly your undoing, as you''d already know." Even despite the unusual gentleness of her gaze, the purple haired girl could still feel Sabrina''s eyes looking directly through her, reading through every page of her heart. "Your convictions towards your specialty are admirable, but you clearly have no idea how to approach a scenario where you are at an undisputed disadvantage; your talent distracts from your inexperience until you are faced with a situation where it can no longer be ignored."

    For a moment, Janine''s submissive nod was all she could muster before responding. "You''re right. Iˇ­ don''t have much precedent facing psychics, let alone an entire team."

    Sabrina nodded back. Clearly, she already knew. "Then why come here now, at your current level?"

    Janine''s hands tightened for a moment, clenched together as she found her words. As the response came to her, her body somewhat eased, and she successfully looked the woman in her seemingly omniscient, all-reading eyes. "To fix that."

    The smallest of grins formed on Sabrina''s face-she was quite the beautiful woman, to go along with her captivating regality. "I seeˇ­ you show some proactivity in seeking out the experience for yourself. But it will go to waste if you do not study this battle in your memories for time to come. Defeat is a good lesson, but only if you pay attention." her hand extended. "You have much talent and intellect, with seemingly endless potential. I would be honored if you returned to my Gym for a rematch once you have tapped into more of it."

    Feeling part of her mood shifting, Janine accepted the handshake while returning the gaze. "I will be back."

    /

    Leaving Saffron City was a formulaic affair; and Ash and Janine both ensured that all shopping had been taken care of by the time their teams had been fully treated from the battles at Sabrina''s Gym. Ash had mild concern for his friend''s mood following her loss, but she must have figured as such, as she offered him reassurance before he could figure out how to voice it.

    They were beyond the city gates, now; with TMs and other supplies purchased, and sights set on Lavender Town. With Fuchsia as the next upcoming end goal, it would be some time before either trainer would step foot into another Gym; definitely the longest stretch thus far, but that time was beyond needed, as was proper use of it. The Fuchsia wilds would ultimately be a blessing and a curse; acting as both the most difficult road they''d have to go down thus far, yet also the perfect training grounds to prepare for the upcoming challenges. From here on out, their current level would not cut it, and much like the preparation for Brock in Pewter, only rigor and grit would change such a thing. The thought of a rookie setting foot in such a place at this point in the Season was not a pleasant one; there was a reason it was considered a training hotspot among those at a high level, the polar opposite of Cerulean. Traversing through there was going to be like walking among giants.

    But even that was a bit of a ways off; Fuchsia territory wasn''t close by, and the path leading to it would first go through Lavender; The Noble Town, but also nicknamed "Gathering of the Grave".

    Lavender Town was the town of ghosts, and such a reputation elicited fear from a certain portion of the populace. Pokemon Tower was the centerpiece of both the town, and it''s community; being Kanto''s definitive resting spot for Pokemon that have passed on. It was essentially a several-story tall graveyard, and a burial ground both used and visited by many. Ghost Pokemon were drawn to the dead like a magnet, and so the tower, and thus the town surrounding it, had become Kanto''s quintessential location where ghosts walked, their presence constantly lurking throughout every corner of the town, even if they didn''t always show themselves.

    Little was easier to fear than ghosts, and thus, few towns and cities were easier to be unnerved by than Lavender. It was almost a stereotype, as though the place were one giant haunted house. Inevitably, the town was also always associated with nighttime, and to Ash''s knowledge, things always felt somewhatˇ­ dimmer in Lavender compared to everywhere else.

    According to Professor Oak''s (constant) reassurance, Lavender was not a place to be scared of, or avoided like the plague for anyone who wasn''t seeking to catch a ghost. It was, however, a place of unreplicated atmosphere; you''d never forget that ghosts called the town their home.

    As he and Janine walked side by side down the road, Nebula above their heads, Eevee and Ivysaur at their feet, and Pikachu on his shoulder, thoughts of their destination lingered in Ash''s mind like a constant presence stalking him at the back. He had heard so much about the town, from so many different perspectives, but what was it like to be there? He couldn''t help but worry he''d spend their entire stay with his nerves rattling. They had some time of traveling before their arrival, but it wouldn''t be long.

    /

    Camp was set up ahead of the time; the plan was to get training done for the day ahead of dinner. The whole time up to lunch (and about an hour after) had been spent walking, with no trainers to challenge.

    With Janine and her group not too far away, Ash''s team lined up in front of him. As he looked between his six friends, the mood was fairly bright, a victory at a Gym fresh in everyone''s mind. The one outlier within the group was a certain Krabby, and though Ash had grown used to Tempest being the odd one out (despite his simultaneous attempts to mend such a status), he couldn''t help but feel as though the water type was coming across asˇ­ awkward.

    It had been that way during breakfast and lunch, Ash had noted to himself. Tempest offered little reaction to the distrustful looks sent his way by his five teammates, the passing unease from them barely even seemed to register with the normally shameless Krabby, who had picked away at his food in total silence; no standoffishness, no showboating, no sneers sent in response to whatever dirty looks he would occasionally receive. Ash wanted to figure out what was on his mind, but chose to hold off to see if it impacted training in any way, or if it persisted. Tempest was Tempest, and needed to be handled with care, especially since Ash was completely unaware of the source behind his current outward behavior. If it was frustration, risking aggravation would not do, but doing nothing would only allow issues to fester.

    Getting his team''s attention, the young trainer spoke up. "As you all know, thanks to your efforts, our team now has four badges. That means we''ve reached a halfway point; well before the Season is half over." Five of the six Pokemon offered something resembling that of a cheer, and Ash couldn''t help the grin that split his face in half. Just saying these words aloud was mind boggling, but he remembered to rein himself in from joining in on the celebration. "I''ve already made it clear how proud I am of all of you. But our halfway point is only superficial; the second half will take much more work, but we already have the foundation that we need." Straightening himself, he prepared to convey his next announcement seriously. "We''ll be passing through Lavender on our way to the next destination: Fuchsia. The road to that city is harsh; rough terrain, surrounding mountains and caves, occasionally unpredictable weather, and swamps, for one thing. But the wildlife is also a factor. We''ll need to potentially be prepared for moreˇ­ territorial Pokemon out there, which means we''ll need to travel with caution. We don''t want to stumble upon the wrong creature''s nest." His pause indicated that he was letting everything sink in, and his team nodded to him accordingly. "The remaining Gym Leaders in Kanto are Giovanni of Viridian, LT. Surge of Vermilion, who we''ve already metˇ­" he paused for a moment as memories of that battle replayed in his mind, and undoubtedly his teammates'' as well. Sure enough, he could pick out the unpleasant shift in expressions. "Blaine of Cinnabar Island, and Koga, from our next stop, Fuchsia. All of them have a reputation among challengers, and most of it would just be me repeating myself, so I''ll cut to the chase." he caught his breath for a moment. He feared his voice was becoming stilted. ''I gotta start practicing my speeches ahead of time.'' "It''s going to be a good while before we reach Fuchsia City, and we really need that time. We''re not at that level yet, but I think we''ve proven against Sabrina that we are ready to reach it. We need to be careful once we reach Fuchsia''s wilds, but it also needs to be something we take advantage of. The better we rise to the occasion, the more we are going to gain from it, and that''s the only way we''ll collect the remaining badges, and make it to the Conference in time."

    Fuchsia may have been a playground for trainers and Pokemon beyond their level, but if they could embrace those stomping grounds, they could rise to that level themselves. Ash wondered if he would have been willing to throw himself into such a situation a couple of months agoˇ­

    The team seemed to be taking his words seriously; they knew by now that everything from this point forth would be very different from everything precedent. Even Tempest was stiffening a bit despite seemingly being off in his own world (Ash wouldn''t have been surprised if the Krabby''s inner thoughts were a bit more excited than everyone else, nonetheless). A collective nod from the group told Ash that they were still willing, however.

    He returned the gesture. "Goodˇ­ I''m glad. We won''t be entering Fuchsia territory for a bit; that''s when things are going to get rough. We''ll use the time we have to prepare ourselves." ''And then throw ourselves into the fire, I guess.''

    "Okay, first up, I''ll go over our plans. Starting with the TMs we haveˇ­"

    /

    Valiant should have known. Of course Ash was going to have Tempest of all Pokemon be his sparring partner for testing out Psyshock. The Icy Wind training was still continuing, after all. Across from him, the water type was silent, bracing himself as he prepared his new attack.

    In addition to the ongoing Icy Wind practice, Ash had immediately distributed the Psyshock TM received from Sabrina to him. It was an exciting addition to his arsenal; packing much more "blunt force" than traditional psychic type moves (further making Tempest the ideal sparring partner for practicing it with, Valiant begrudgingly admitted). The other TM, purchased from the store, was Calm Mind. According to the Pokedex, it was a move that relaxed the senses and focused the mind, an ideal move for psychics like him. Good usage of the move sharpened the user''s mindset and ensured they never lost focus in a fight, even when greatly hindered. There were various potential applications for the move, albeit the traditional usage revolved around strengthening certain types of attacks, weaponizing the boost in focus.

    An irritated rumble escaped the impatient Krabby, so Valiant got to work. Holding his arms out, he closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the energy building up within him. What made the majority of psychic moves difficult to learn was the mental aspect; they were powered by your mind after all; and it was a matter hard for other typings to replicate apart from certain outliers, much like a ghost Pokemon''s usage of distortion energy.

    Valiant, however, being a psychic who had utilized his typing in various ways throughout their travels, had full confidence in getting this new move down, especially with help from the TM. All he would need is practice.

    After a few moments of the young Kirlia''s face straining and eyes shining blue, Tempest crossed tw Metal Claws in front of his face to intercept the blast of psychic energy. As the Psyshock detonated against him, he felt the force of the attack, sliding backwards in the grass a bit despite remaining fully upright. As Valiant released a breath, he immediately assessed his first attempted usage of the move.

    The blast wasn''t condensed enough; Psyshock was a blast of psychic energy that specialized in blunt force, but if the energy wasn''t focused enough, it wasn''t going to do the same damage. He was almost certain that this had been good for a first attempt, but the room for improvement was definitely clear to him.

    Tapping his foot against the grass, Valiant tuned out his sparring partner''s presence as the gears began to move in his mind.

    Calm Mindˇ­ focused his senses and sharpened his mindset. Could getting a hang of that move and using it accordingly help with learning other, more advanced moves? Perhaps usage of the move during practice could help him get a better hold on moves such as Psyshock and Moonblast. Perhaps he should practice that first?

    /

    Tempest grumbled at the Kirlia across from him. Valiant was off in his own little world, spacing out in the middle of training. Rather than try to regain his partner''s attention, the river crab instead opted to give himself a little bit of space before assuming a private stance.

    Earlier, Ash had talked about learning Hydro Pump, one of the strongest moves any water type Pokemon could learn. This was merely a long term goal, however, and Ash made it clear that Tempest wasn''t yet at the level to properly produce it, and would most likely need to evolve first. Nonetheless, his trainer had wanted the move in his head, and although they didn''t have a TM for it, working towards that move was going to be part of the training regimen. That meant continued practice of the ranged water moves that he already knew; ostensibly, Tempest was in little need of honing any of them, given that he already used all of them to good effect. Nonetheless, he didn''t need a psychic''s intellect to know that the additional practice would come in handy when the time came to jump up to the next level; and Hydro Pump would be a massive leap.

    There were two different moves that he was ready for, however: Ice Beam (with a TM for assistance) and Crabhammer. Valiant may have been stuck practicing Icy Wind, but Ice Beam would give Tempest a more powerful alternative that he would enjoy making use of. And Crabhammer would just be another way to punch something, which was fine by him. Speaking of punching, Ash was reminded of Hammer Arm while going through the list of his moves, but was convinced that such a powerful move, like Hydro Pump, would require an evolution and additional experience first. When Tempest had tried to inquire how close he was to evolving, Ash had unfortunately admitted to not knowing, with the assurance that he would consult someone who might have a better idea. With Lavender Town on their agenda, perhaps his trainer would try and seek someone out there.

    Ash wasn''t planning to stop with Ice Beam, however, informing the Krabby that once he had the move steadily handled, they would work on combining it with Bubble Beam for a move that Ash planned to dub "Frozen Bullets". Tempest liked the sound of that.

    And of course, Ash and Janine were always going to be putting time aside for him to practice Surf together with Tentacruel and Skrelp.

    As Tempest threw a punch, the thought of the other two water types brought back unwanted memories of the Gym battle in Saffron.

    That robot brute''s electrical fist nearly making him into a pancake against the crystal pillar. The pillar of water just barely carrying him to safety before giving outˇ­

    Tempest grumbled at the thought of the near defeat, one that he had only escaped from with an instinctive, single second-long use of Surf. A move that he had been practicing with those two, and Tentacruel''s advice. Not to mention that freakish Slowbro they had run into back in the cityˇ­

    Blind damn luck. The only thing that had kept him from being the only one on the team to not score a knockout in their latest fight.

    "Everyone here is improving. And they''re doing it together. If you spend this whole Season trying to better yourself without any of the others backing you up, you''re going to fall behind. That''s not what you want, is it?"

    "You may not believe me now, but I''m sure you''ll start noticing it at some point. I''d keep it in mind, if I were you."

    Ash''sˇ­ warning echoed in his mind. It was back before they had reached Celadonˇ­ right before that battle with the Paul guy.

    Throwing another punch, Tempest found his gaze returning to Valiant, who was still thinking to himself. Huffing a bit, Tempest turned back around, his gaze lingering elsewhere. Pikachu looked like he was coaching Tyrunt as the dinosaur bit away at a nearby rock. Sparks were coming off of his teeth, though the Krabby could barely tell from this distance. Eevee was using Shadow Ball in front of Nebula while Ash read something allowed from the Pokedex.

    Tempest''s eyes lingered a little bit longer.

    /

    Tyrunt''s jaws clenched down on another rock. After some struggle, he could feel the stone object beginning to strain, shake, on the verge of crumbling. Pikachu''s encouragement, however, reminded him to maintain the sparks of electricity lining his jaws, the true point of the exercise.

    Thunder Fang was one of the new moves that Ash wanted him to start working on, and with no TM to help him out, but some solid experience with biting moves already, the next piece of the puzzle was Pikachu''s guidance. The energetic rodent was already giving him some continued coaching with Play Rough and Brick Break, and Ash had wanted to capitalize on their time together. In addition to Thunder Fang, Ash also wanted him to learn Ice Fang at a later date. Tyrunt recalled that Tempest was planned to coach him on this once the river crab had Ice Beam figured out well enough, albeit only under supervision; hopefully from either Valiant or Ash himself.

    Even as he bit down on this rock, however, the excitement of the TM that Ash had given him never left Tyrunt''s mind: Dragon Pulse. The video he was shown of that creature (Karen''s Hydreigon, he remembered Ash saying) destroying a Golem with the attack had captivated the team''s youngest member. The thought of unleashing such a tremendous blast from his throat made Tyrunt''s mouth water, despite Ash''s insistence that getting that move to such a level would take a lot of practice.

    His thoughts must have been distracting him, because Pikachu was offering another quick reminder as the sparks in his jaws began to die down. With renewed effort, Tyrunt tried to concentrate, and could feel the amount of electricity increasing again, just before the rock crumbled in his teeth.

    "Wow, looking good there, pal!" As the smiling dinosaur chewed the rocks in his mouth, he and Pikachu turned to see their trainer approaching, the electric type raising a paw with a happy greeting as Ash giggled a bit at the sight. "I''d hate to be in your mouth right about now, Tyrunt." With cheeks somewhat bulged from his mouth being full, Tyrunt offered a carefree, joyful grin, some of the rocks visible in his mouth as he continued to chew them into gravel. Ash took in the sight for a moment, as though he was taking a photograph in his head, before kneeling down and patting his starter. Pikachu let out a satisfied squeal at the contact. "You''ve done a great job coaching him, buddy. Once Dragon Pulse is battle ready, I''d say he may even be caught up on some levels." Standing back upright, he pointed in the direction he had come from; where Eevee and Nebula currently were. "Could you go join the girls? I need to talk with Tyrunt about something before Janine and I get today''s Surf practice started."

    With no protest, Pikachu jogged off after waving Tyrunt a quick goodbye. Tyrunt returned the wave, and his chewing began to slow as Ash approached him next. Turning around to spit out the remaining gravel (Eevee had told him never to spit in front of somebody else), he turned back to face his trainer in full, some debris from the broken rocks still lingering on his lips as he offered Ash his signature, happy-go-lucky grin. His trainer crouched down to look him in the eye (It''s too bad Ash didn''t have a cap anymore, it looked cool), offering a quick rub on the head that the young dinosaur was more than pleased to accept, before speaking.

    "You''ve come a long way, Tyrunt. I''m really happy that you were the one who hatched from Elacia''s Egg."

    Elaciaˇ­ Ash had mentioned her before. Apparently, she was he was his previous owner back from before he was born. Aˇ­ breeder? Ash had said. Tyrunt hoped he could meet her one day; his trainer always seemed so fond when mentioning her.

    At Ash''s words, Tyrunt thought back to all of the training. All of the fun he''d had with everyone (except that Tempest bully) since coming into the team. He had admired everyone and how they fought while he watched from the sidelines, especially how cool Valiant always looked. And when his training had startedˇ­ he was so excited! And now, he had all sorts of cool moves that he was trying to use.

    Battling was so much fun. Training was so much fun. Tyrunt didn''t want to do anything else: He''d be as strong as everyone some day! As strong as those dragons Ash had shown him videos of, the ones with the big pink-haired man!

    Ash smiled at the prehistoric Pokemon''s frantically nodding head, before quickly moving his hand and pressing down to calm him. "Yeah, I know you''re excited, and I definitely am too. But there was something that I wanted to ask you aboutˇ­ it sort of popped into my head during dinner last night, if you''re okay with it." Still smiling, Tyrunt tilted his head to signal curiosity.

    "Would youˇ­ like a nickname, Tyrunt?"

    Tyrunt blinked. Nicknameˇ­ that;s right, most of his teammates had one, and weren''t addressed by just their species alone. He had never considered why that was, though. Ash had never brought it up before.

    "When you first hatched," Ash elaborated. "I didn''t really have that on my mind. You were just born, so I felt it was too early. You''re not a baby anymore though, you''ve grown a bit. And you''ve been working hard for weeks on end now. I was just wondering if you wanted us to call you anything else?"

    Tyrunt didn''t realize that his foot was tapping against the grass as he tried to think over what his trainer was saying. Now that he mentioned itˇ­ a nickname did seem nice. But he hoped it was something cool; one that showed everyone how strong he was. He was going to be super, duper big and powerful one day. Ash had shown him the picture of what he''d look like when he finally evolved. He wanted a name for that!

    Ash smiled as his young friend went into another series of frantic nods, which were again calmed by a hand pressing down on his head.

    "Okay, cool." Ash returned his nod. "I have something in mind already, but it''s up to you if you want something different, okay?"

    Tyrunt nodded, anticipation in his eyes. So Ash had already thought that far aheadˇ­ what had he come up with?

    "How doesˇ­ Phenom, sound?"

    Tyrunt blinked. Did he sayˇ­ Phenom? The small dinosaur began curiously scratching the side of his head with his claw. Phenomˇ­ what was that word? He had never heard it before. It sounded cool, butˇ­ how had Ash thought of it.

    Thankfully, his trainer quickly elaborated. "Phenom means ''phenomenal'', for short. ''Of phenomenal ability or promise''. You know what phenomenal means, right?"

    Phenomenalˇ­ that word was a super intense one, from what Tyrunt knew. It was likeˇ­ incredible, ultra powerfulˇ­ he perked up. What he wanted to be!

    His trainer must have sensed the realization, since was grinning now. "That''s right," you patted Tyrunt''s head. "You want to be like that, right? So let''s make it so. Your name can be your goal. Once everyone sees you, and hears your name, they''ll know exactly how great you are; how strong you are gonna become. Does that sound good?"

    Now fully understanding, Tyrunt chattered excitedly with an affirmative nod.

    And thus, Phenom prepared for the training to come.

    /

    Eevee formed another Shadow Ball in her jaws while Nebula watched closely. At Ash''s request, she was demonstrating a ghost type move to the bird to help her learn Ominous Wind. The Staravia was no stranger to wind attacks, having gotten skilled with Whirlwind before Eevee had even joined the team, and recently getting further experience with Air Cutter and Air Slash, but she had no experience with distortion, and no TM for assistance. Much like when Valiant was learning Shadow Ball, Eevee''s experience with the move acted as something of a bridge. In exchange, Nebula was helping her learn Double Team.

    After Eevee fired the distorted sphere, exploding against a rock, she turned to Nebula with a bark. Nodding, the Staravia took off, hovering above the normal type''s head as she tried to focus.

    When Valiant had learned Shadow Ball from Eevee, his own typing worked against him; his sensitivity to distortion being an obstacle on its own. Being a normal type, she didn''t have that problem, and if anything it was the opposite. But unlike Valiant, she didn''t have the luxury of Shadow Sneak being one of her signature moves. The frequent usage of such a technique had been just as much a cushion for her psychic comrade as his typing and vulnerability had been a burden. With no such advantage to speak of, she needed to rely entirely on Eevee''s instructions.

    Flapping her wings, she produced the gusts of air with ease, but no hint of ghostly energy was in sight. She didn''t even know where to begin. How do you summon such a thing? She had listened to Eevee, and yetˇ­

    Her teammate made Shadow Ball look so easy. It was obviously possible, and yetˇ­ she couldn''t grasp what was being spoken or demonstrated.

    Looking down, she was about to try and speak to the normal type once more, only to see the evolution Pokemon''s attention occupied by Pikachu''s arrival. Blinking, she descended to the pair as Eevee barked a friendly greeting to the mouse.

    In addition to coaching Tyrunt, Pikachu was also working on honing his electricity further; Ash was hoping to have him learn Discharge, but due to the wild, spread out nature of such a move, he wanted to make sure his starter was ready for it. Cracking down on the electrical control could also bring them a bit closer to bringing Volt Tackle into the picture. Right now, Pikachu couldn''t even practice the egg move without injuring himself.

    Landing next to the pair, Nebula, her mood significantly better now, offered her best friend a wing, which Pikachu''s paw shook. Hoping to take a break from Ominous Wind, she turned to Eevee and asked if she wanted to get started on Double Team; it''d be a good opportunity now that Pikachu was here. Turning her head to the mouse to see if he was willing, she gave him a grateful chirp as he nodded back.

    Eevee accepted.

    /

    "I was surprised when Tempest used Surf during the battle." Janine commented, observing the Krabby as he balanced himself on his pillar of water, not too far from Tentacruel and Skrelp.

    Ash kept his eyes on the Krabby. "I couldn''t believe what I saw, honestly. I''m not sure if he could repeat that yet, even if only for a second, but it still shows progress." Both Tentacruel and Skrelp had offered his water type companion congratulations upon hearing about the ordeal, to which Tempest''s response was unreadable. "It seems to be encouraging them, as well."

    She nodded in affirmation. "We''ll be capitalizing on that morale. Hopefully the move will be functional by the time we reach Fuchsia City." she turned her head to him. "A lot could change by then, you know. It''s such a long way from now, and we plan to make a lot of great strides."

    Ash knew what she was getting at. "It''s in the back of my mind. Evolution, you mean?" She nodded at him. "I need to start looking into itˇ­ I think fighting two of Eevee''s evolved forms has really got me wondering." he stole a glance at her before returning his attention to Tempest. "Half my team can evolve with stonesˇ­ Valiant''s probably not ready yet, but I think Pikachu and Eevee are. I might try and see if Lavender has anything on sale, althoughˇ­" he trailed off for a moment.

    "Not looking forward to the price?"

    "Yeah, I have a few ideas that I''m not excited about, but I think it could work out in our favor in the long run. I''ll just have to see what my options are first." He wondered if Janine understood what he was mulling over; stealing a second glance at her, it seemed like she might.

    A somewhat comfortable pause held between them before he continued. "I''ll have a few things to do in Lavender, actually." at her curious look, he elaborated. "Nebula''s having trouble with Ominous Wind. Eevee''s doing her best, and they just started, but with Lavender coming upˇ­"

    She looked surprised. "You''re going toˇ­ see if you can find a ghost to help them out?"

    His cheeks flushed. "I know it''s not the most likely, I''m not sure where to start, honestly, butˇ­ I figured I''d maybe try."

    Janine''s foot tapped the grass. "Not a bad idea. From what I know, some of the ghosts lurking around in Lavender are a community in their own right. It''s not like the town is filled with hostile specters who want nothing but trouble. Nobody would live there."

    Ash couldn''t help his chuckle. With all the stories and myths inevitably surrounding a place like Lavender, her logical words were fairly reassuring.

    /

    Dinner was set up somewhat later than normal, and by meal time, everyone on the team could think about little other than eating. Ash and Janine had gravitated to a nearby rock big enough for both trainers to comfortably sit at, while their teams ate in blended groups; Phenom had gone back to eating with Valiant and Eevee, the Tyrunt happily chatting to them about his new name. Beedrill also joined them, having conversed with Valiant prior during one of the training breaks. Not too far from them, Pikachu and Nebula ate with Ivysaur, Golbat and Toxtricity.

    A bit closer to Ash and Janine''s rock, Tentacruel and Skrelp ate their food together with light conversation. The sound of familiar approaching footsteps caught their attention, and the duo perked up as Tempest placed his bowl next to them. As though trying to read the room, the Krabby looked between the two water/poison types with an unsure expression as Ash and Janine looked on without a word.

    Reading Tempest''s face for a moment, Tentacruel looked over to Skrelp. Her smaller teammate''s tightened a bit at the crab''s abrupt arrival, staring at Tempest for a moment or two before looking back at the jellyfish. After another couple of moments, the mock kelp nodded, and Tentacruel gestured for Tempest to come a bit closer. As he inched his bowl forward a bit, Ash released an optimistic breath at the exchange.

    Another party had been paying attention, however; from his sitting position, Phenom watched his water type teammate join both of Janine''s, Valiant and Eevee preoccupied talking with Beedrill about something she and Golbat had been working on together.

    A memory passed through the young Tyrunt''s mind, and thankfully, his two friends were too distracted to notice the quiet growl that slipped through his throat. He remembered Tempest confronting him in the middle of the night and goading a fight. Even just looking at the Krabby made it hard to forget, the small dinosaur reaching up to rub the jaw that had been hurt in the one-sided brawl. He had been no match back then, and since then, it was clear as day that Tempest was nothing but a bully. He didn''t care about having fun, or making friends. He just wanted to hurt them for no reason. Avoiding the Krabby had thankfully been easy with Valiant''s help, but nowˇ­

    Phenom turned his gaze away for a moment to focus on his food, eating a bit more slowly than usual as his mind became flooded with conflicting thoughts. He couldn''t think about the bulky water type without remembering that night, and what had happened. And he had little desire to have much of any interaction with him, even supervised. Ash wanted him to learn Ice Fang, and Tempest was the most logical teacher, butˇ­ could he?

    Swallowing his food, Phenom''s eyes lingered back to the trio of water types. Though Tempest had planned to remain mostly silent, a few verbal prods from Tentacruel had lured him into light conversation, which Skrelp had eventually joined in on. The Krabby didn''t notice the dinosaur staring at him.

    ˇ­He was a Phenom now. Ash believed he could be something great. That he would be something great. And he couldn''t be that if he avoided the selfish Krabby, or backed away from routine move training just because he didn''t want to be near him.

    Tempestˇ­ would not get to him. He would not be afraid of the river crab. Not if he was going to live up to the new name that their trainer had kindly given him.

    Returning to his food once more, Phenom felt a little bit more content.

    /

    Ash stirred as his eyes opened. Rising into a sitting position, he blinked as the inside of his tent came into view. It only took him a moment or two to realize that his starter was missing.

    "...Pikachuˇ­?" Maybe his friend had gotten up before him, but for some reason, the boy still felt nervous. There was no light coming into the tent. What wasˇ­This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Opening the tent, he started, and felt his blood run cold. He was not outside, and neither Janine nor anyone from his team was present.

    He was inside of a cavern.

    Scrambling into a frantic standing position, he tried looking around, but there was nothing but an endless hallway of rocks for as far as he could see it.

    "J-Janineˇ­?" his back touched the outside of his tent as his legs slowly seemed to move on their own. "Howˇ­ how did I get here?"

    "You never left." His eyes doubled in size as he whirled around to see the Iron-Masked Marauder, casually tossing a Poke Ball up and down with a carefree grin. "Neither did we."

    Face pale, Ash stumbled backward, knocking his tent over as his bottom collided with the cold, hard, rocky floor. Without thinking, his hands were held up, not steady in the slightest. "W-wait a minute! Don''t-"

    Tyranitar burst out of the Poke Ball, towering over both individuals as he roared to the heavens.

    The rocks began to fall-

    Ash felt a sickening chill spread throughout his body as he shot up into a sitting position, eyes as open and awake as they could ever be. He could feel the sweat running down his face as he remembered to breathe, but it took a little longer to remember to control his breathing. After a few moments, he looked around and took in his surroundings.

    His tent. Pikachu was laying down next to him, still blissfully asleep.

    ''A dreamˇ­'' Ash told himself reassuringly. Another dreamˇ­''

    Crawling towards the tent''s entrance, his hand stopped just short of the flap. He could feel his breath catch in his throat for a moment or two before opening it.

    Stepping outside, a wave of relief washed over him, seeing that he was outside. The air was chilly but fresh, the grass was soft and mildly moist. Above him was a peaceful, pre-dawn sky, and not a ceiling of rocks.

    Most of his team lay close to the tent; all still asleep. Tyrunt lay next to Eevee, head brushed against her soft fur, but not in a way that appeared uncomfortable for her, with Valiant resting peacefully on the other side of her. On the opposite side of the tent, Nebula was also sound asleep, as was Tempest a bit further from everybody else.

    Rising carefully, Ash did his best to remain completely silent, not wanting to stir anybody. He wanted to return to the tent to check the time, but doing so would risk creating noise, so instead he turned his attention back to the sky. It was still fairly dark, although he could have sworn he saw the slightest hint of blue if he squinted enough. The timing could be worse, he supposed to himself.

    Walking around the camp with no real aim, his eyes wandered over to Janine''s tent, where most of her team was still sleeping, but he didn''t see-

    A familiar (albeit quiet) noise caught his attention, and looking to the side, he saw Ivysaur approaching him. Janine''s starter looked as though he had just gotten up, much like Ash himself.

    "Hey," Ash greeted the grass/poison type. "Sorry, I''m just wandering a bit."

    "Up early too?" head turning, he saw Janine exiting her tent, spikey ponytail tied. Rising to her feet, she lowered her voice after scanning her sleeping teammates for a moment. "Did youˇ­ have another bad dream?" her expression was slightly crinkled in concern.

    "Yeah," Ash''s voice matched hers. After a moment of hesitance, he asked, "You?"

    He was somewhat relieved as she shook her head. "No, I just woke up a bit earlier than normal."

    "What time is it?"

    "Five forty eight."

    Ivysaur followed the pair as they subconsciously gravitated toward the same large rock they had eaten dinner at. Janine''s starter rested against the stone as she reached down to pat his head for a moment, before taking a seat next to Ash.

    Nobody talked for a few moments; Ash''s mind was still jumbled, in a struggle to keep the image of Tyranitar out of his head. He tried to focus on the pre-dawn chill instead. It didn''t feel too bad, but could only distract him so much. He opened his mouth to say something, hopefully an aimless talk could help break away from the unwanted thoughts, but fell short on figuring out what he wanted to say.

    Moments later, Janine''s voice caught his attention, and his head turned to meet the view of her face. How long had she been looking at him?

    "I''mˇ­ sorry, Ash."

    The boy blinked. "Hm?"

    Her hand reached to brush a piece of purple hair with her fingers, head turning away from him and towards the damp grass. "Nightmares areˇ­ you wouldn''t be getting them if it weren''t for Team Rocket. At leastˇ­ not these ones." hands finding their way to her knees, she paused for a moment. "A few nights after Opening Dayˇ­ I had a dream about the Pokemon Center attack. You weren''t there, and neither were my Pokemon. I was just being chased by that Ekans and Koffing while their trainers spouted nonsense."

    Ash hung on her words for a moment or two. Janine had been a lot braver than him that night, taking on both grunts while he, Pichu and Nurse Joy tried to flee to safety. Trying to think backˇ­ she had been willing to do so because she thought her team was best equipped to fight themˇ­ being immune to poison, right? If the lowliest of thugs were terrifying if you didn''t have a Pokemon to defend yourself with.

    "And then the museum incident happenedˇ­" she continued. "And that guy with the silver mask said all of those thingsˇ­" her eyes grew distant for a moment. With effort, she pushed it away as she looked back at him. "Are you doing alright?''

    His hands gripped his pants for a moment as she asked the question. After a moment, he sighed, now finding the grass somewhat interesting himself. "I don''t have them every night," he said. "Butˇ­" he had lied to her before about not being there during the Mt. Moon assault. How could he explainˇ­ "But they come out of nowhere. Justˇ­ It was a while ago, right? But whenever I dreamˇ­ it''s like I''m right back in there." Back in those caverns, with that masked Marauder. The one who Karen had revealed to be a tremendously dangerous criminal. The cave inˇ­

    He tried to suppress his wince- since he wasn''t looking at Janine, and didn''t see her reaction, he didn''t know if he was successful or not. "I justˇ­ wish I had been in a different place, you know? Or maybe gone there at a different timeˇ­ just completely missed everything." finally looking back at her, his friend''s frown was unreadable.

    "I have those thoughts too," she admitted after a couple moments of silence. Shifting a bit, her eyes found their way to Ivysaur. He was listening, but his gaze was directed elsewhere, watching his teammates sleeping by the tent. "I just wanted to go to the museum. And theyˇ­" she shifted again, something in her eyes shifting once more as well. "Indigo''s history is important. What the League has done for Indigo is important. Team Rocket has been violating all of that since before we were born, and they don''t even care." Just gradually enough for it to feel without warning, something in her voice changed as she looked out ahead, expression darkening. "They''re scum."

    Seeing and hearing her now pulled Ash''s memories back to the museum, and how she had spoken to Damian, and before him, the leader with the Silver mask and massive Feraligatr. He chewed his lip for a second, not sure how to respond.

    And then the look was gone, replaced with unsure uncertainty as his friend reached back and fiddled with her purple ponytail. "I''m sorryˇ­ this isn''t helping. Forget I said anything." he wasn''t sure what to think as she pushed herself off of the rock, her unreadable expression no longer visible as Ivysaur rose to his feet in response, the poison specialist turning to the camp. "I''mˇ­ going to make breakfast now." with Ivysaur at her feet, she began to walk off, but suddenly paused after the first few steps. Lingering for a moment, her index finger brushed her chin, and suddenly she was looking back at Ash. "Do youˇ­ know how to cook?"

    He blinked at the question, having not expected her to stop or say anything else. "Iˇ­ not on the road, no." his mother was always the cook, and that was all they needed. She was amazing. He could cook some things with her help, but that was all indoors, with conventional kitchen gear. Not at a campsite.

    Turning around to face him in full, she crossed her arms as Ivysaur looked up at her curiously. "Would youˇ­ like to learn?" As he thought it over in surprise, she continued. "It''s a helpful skill to know, and could take your mind off of..."

    Learning to cook at campˇ­ she was right, it was obviously a really useful tool to have. It meant he and his team could have a little bit more variety compared to basic packaged goods if they ever had the ingredients to spare. Andˇ­ he almost winced again. The falling rocks and Tyranitar from the cavern were still in his head, like the image was gloating at him.

    He needed to focus on something else.

    "Yeah," a small, grateful smile lined his face as he nodded back at her, and she returned the expression.

    Not too long after, the two of them were seated at opposite ends of the pot. Ivysaur was nearby, but gave them some room. Looking up for a moment, the sky was getting a little bit more blue, but was still clearly dark. Ash recalled Janine saying something like this a while back, while they were on their way to Saffron. How she enjoyed looking at the sky when it was blue, but still dim, before the daylight brightened everything up. Head angled upwards for a moment, Ash couldn''t help but see her point as he took in the sight.

    "My father spent a lot of time teaching me this when I was younger," his attention snapped back to the poison specialist as she held a match in hand. "We''ll need to boil the water first with a little bit of fire. I''ll start, and then you can try."

    Ash wasn''t keeping track of time, but the next passing period was peaceful yet stimulating as he worked the pot, listening closely to Janine''s every word as she instructed him on what ingredients to put in, how much, and the timing of doing it all. During the stirring process, her hands gripped the wooden spoon alongside him, guiding him to the proper patterns and motions.

    "Here," she showed him her grip as his hands mimicked her own. "Hold it like this, and move the spoon at around this speedˇ­ that''s a bit narrow, try stirring a little wider."

    Breakfast came a little bit later than normal, but neither of them minded at all.

    /

    Eevee took a deep breath as her muscles relaxed. Momentarily closing her eyes, she replayed Nebula''s instructions in her mind before focusing on ahead. The Staravia stood a few feet from her as the evolution Pokemon''s fur bristled, raising a wing in encouragement as her teammate focused her efforts.

    A few moments later, a flickering clone appeared by Eevee''s side, progressively becoming more stable for a few seconds before forming in full. Nebula grinned, but gestured her wing to the side. Now run with the clone.

    Eevee had practiced this a bit with Pikachu''s help the previous day; although she was ostensibly able to do it, her clone wasn''t nearly as fast as she was. Concentrating on Double Team while simultaneously maintaining her speed was a type of physical and mental multitasking that the normal type was not remotely used too, and running at her full speed had all but completely left her clone in the dust.

    As she took off past the Staravia, it took a few seconds to get the clone to move with her, and when it did, it was clearly slower. Reducing her pace, Eevee concentrated more, and her clone quickened a bit, albeit still not quite as fast as her. Hearing Nebula call out to her, she slowed to a stop, allowing her clone to vanish as the Staravia glided over to her position.

    After a few more moments of instruction, Nebula took off, flying low above the ground as a clone of herself materialized beside her. Eevee watched closely as both the Staravia and her clone flew side by side at the same pace. After a few moments of focus, she began to run after them, slightly faster than before. Her clone trailed behind her, but seemed a bit speedier than the previous attempt as well.

    She had seen Pikachu and Nebula use the move countless times, and by this point, both of her teammates made the execution of it seem so simple. Trying it out for the first time was a completely different feeling. For a moment, she considered slowing down again, but quickly decided against it. She needed to keep things at least somewhat steep for herself, that way she''ll be better prepared to utilize it strenuously. A bead of sweat made itself known on her face as she attempted to deepen her focus without compromising her pace. Nebula was still far up ahead, performing an angled turn that her clone easily mimicked.

    Behind Eevee, her clone''s pace increased ever so slightly, inching its way closer to the real one little by little, but eventually stopped speeding up. As Eevee approached the point where Nebula made the turn, a flicker of frustration passed over her as she realized her clone likely wouldn''t perform the turn nearly as well. Attempting it anyway, she was proven right as her double completely veered off course.

    Sliding to a stop, Eevee assumed a sitting position and took a moment to catch her breath, studying Nebula as the Staravia stopped a good bit ahead of her, looking back to check on the situation. With a reassuring bark, Eevee rose back to all fours and took off again. Trying a different approach this time, she started off with a light jog, her clone forming beside her at an identical pace. Now watching from further above, Nebula began catching on to Eevee''s strategy as the quadruped increased her speed inch by inch, advancing her pace at a much slower rate. As she gradually sped up, the increases barely noticeable at first, the clone sped up with her, still remaining exactly by her side.

    Once the time came to go from jogging to running, the clone slowly but surely started lagging behind, but by the time Eevee was in a full-blown sprint, the gap was no longer quite as big.

    /

    Valiant backed away from Tempest, creating some space between the two before putting his hands together and concentrating. Crouching a bit, the Krabby braced himself as he locked eyes with the Kirlia. Seeing a change in the young psychic''s expression, the crab crossed his pincers in front of him just in time to block the Icy Wind.

    It still wasn''t very strong. It was getting better, but Tempest didn''t feel much of any discomfort as his pincers intercepted the fairly underwhelming attempt. He knew this was at least partially owed to his typing and ability, but the fact that he could block the attack with practically no harm whatsoever wasn''t saying much of anything promising for the move''s usage in battle.

    Valiant knew this just as much as his teammate, however. He felt how underwhelming the icy blast was compared to what it should be, even as it was leaving his hands. As the attack stopped, he let out a sigh and crossed his arms. Tempest looked on in mild annoyance as Valiant''s foot tapped the grass, no doubt in the middle of yet another "thinking session".

    Valiant knew he was making progress. Tempest, he had to admit, had been a competent teacher. But something was missing, and Valiant knew the Krabby wasn''t part of the problem.

    A light bulb went off in his mind. Calm Mindˇ­ would that help? He had only just started it, but the TM with help from the baseline that the TM had provided him withˇ­

    Quickly, Valiant signaled for Tempest to get himself ready for another attempt, but requested that he give him a quick moment to prepare. As the water type complied, the Kirlia collected his breath and closed his eyes. It was time to test his theory from before.

    As Valiant stilled, he felt his muscles slowly relax, tension leaving his body. Little by little, his mindˇ­ began to clear, as though clutter he did not realize was present began to fade away. He didn''t notice it at first, or maybe even at all, but his breathing changed. Became fresh. A feeling of comfort passed over him, spreading throughout his body.

    As he opened his eyes to fire the attack, the burst of energy he felt inside of himself was uncharacteristically tranquil. The Icy Wind that left his hands was bigger. Colder. . And as Tempest''s pincer''s blocked it, he felt it. It didn''t hurt too badly, but he felt the cold sensation as the ice type move rammed into him. Mild discomfort as the cold air leaked its way towards his face. The tiny layer frost forming on the surface of his pincers. The impact of the attack colliding with his block.

    As the Icy Wind ceased, and Valiant let out a breath, he noticed what had formed across the grass between him and Tempest; the tips of the grass blades frosted over with white. He couldn''t help but smile at the wave of satisfaction that passed over him.

    Calm Mindˇ­ he wasn''t experienced with the move, but there was a good foundation already. If he could get better with it, it could speed up the process with moves that he was having trouble with, or needed to work on more. Calm Mind was often used to strengthen moves like those, after all, and the more it helped him pull those types of techniques off, the more he''d get used to using them. His natural instincts would learn from it. Had he found the solution?

    Across from him, Tempest stared carefully at his pincers, noting the frost on the surface. It hadn''t really hurt all that much, but he could feel the force, and how much colder the icy air had been. It was only one attempt, but if Valiant kept using the move like that, it would definitely be suitable for a fight; at least against opponents with less means to resist it than himself.

    Looking up to meet the Kirlia''s gaze,Tempest felt a begrudging hesitance in his throat, before grunting in approval. Good job.

    Valiant blinked. Had he been given aˇ­ compliment? Before he could properly process it, the sound of footsteps caught both their attention.

    Phenom was approaching them, and he was flanked by Eevee. The evolution Pokemon''s eyes gravitated towards the frost on the grass, ears perking up as her nose caught a whiff of the lingering cold air. She couldn''t help but smile a bit. Watching Phenom carefully, Valiant''s eyes cautiously moved to Tempest for a moment, before focusing on the Tyrunt. His two friends stopped in front of him, and offered some compliments on his progress, to which he smiled. After some light conversation, Phenom''s stiffened a bit, and the small dinosaur''s head turned to Tempest, who had been watching without comment.

    Valiant felt a lump in his throat as Tempest returned the Tyrunt''s gaze. He tried to reach out to the rock/dragon type, but a furry paw stopped him. Looking over to Eevee, he tried to protest, but she shook her head before he had the chance. His eyes narrowed a bit; her face was unsure, butˇ­

    With some hesitance, Phenom straightened his posture and began advancing towards the Krabby, who seemed somewhat surprised by his approach. For the first half or so, the dinosaur was moving slowly, almost stopping on occasion, but his pace quickened to normal after closing some distance, stopping just in front of the water type. Tempest was rather large for his species, having grown bigger somewhat throughout their travels, and Phenom found his head angling upwards to meet his eyes, which, in comparison, were angled down. Watching them, Valiant felt his hand tighten into a fist, every instinct telling him to teleport between the two. At his side, Eevee''s front paws were restlessly shuffling in place.

    Phenom tried not to wince as the memory of Tempest''s pincer striking his face came rushing back to him, but his face couldn''t help but twitch at the thought. He remembered how painful the blow had been, how outclassed he had been. How Tempest had woken him up for a fight in the middle of the night, with no warning. His breath caught in his throat for a moment as he tried to find his words. The Krabby was staring at him patiently, leering down into his eyes as the fossil Pokemon tried to stay in place, not vindicating his water type teammate by taking a step back.

    Finally finding his focus, the Tyrunt spoke to his larger teammate. He wasn''t avoiding him anymore; he could leer and sneer all he wanted, he could be whatever kind of bully he wanted to be, but the Tyrunt wasn''t afraid. He wasn''t the baby of the team anymore. Now, he was Phenom. He would be stronger than Tempest one day, and if he ever tried to mess with him or hurt him again, he would not back down.

    Looking down at Phenom, Tempest''s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the Tyrunt''s declaration. He had tried his best to mask his surprise; where had this suddenly come from? The babyish brat hadn''t been this bold before. He expected this confrontational behavior from Eevee, but Tyrunt? Or "Phenom" as Ash had begun calling him? Inwardly, Tempest snorted at the thought. You can''t call yourself a phenom. And if it were anyone else, he may have even voiced such.

    But there was something in the Tyrunt''s eyes that gave the large Krabby pause. Something unusual, uncharacteristic. A mild tinge of doubt was felt in his chest as Phenom stared at him unflinchingly. His posture wasn''t happy-go-lucky as usual. There wasˇ­ confidence. The two held their position for a few moments longer, before Phenom, without losing that posture, turned around and walked off. Tempest watched him go. It only took a moment for the river crab to notice the tiny frown that had formed on his face, but he thankfully corrected it before anyone had a chance to notice; Valiant and Eevee were preoccupied as Phenom joined them.

    The Kirlia couldn''t help the sigh of relief as his friend stopped in front of him and Eevee. The normal type''s muscles relaxed as she brushed against Phenom''s side, and the soft contact somewhat broke the young Tyrunt out of his proud mood, leaning into the comfortable touch a bit. Watching them for a moment, Valiant turned his head to Tempest, who was walking off. His eyes lingered on the Krabby for just a few seconds before turning to Phenom, who he hadn''t noticed was looking at him at this point. Due to his ability to detect emotions, he felt the change in the Tyrunt: the confidence, the pride, the tenacity. There wasn''t any anger, any aggression was simply channeled into those.

    Phenom felt nervous for just a moment. He hoped Valiant was okay with what he had justˇ­ the Kirlia''s approval meant so much, and for the briefest period, he feared a scolding or chastisement. It never came, however, and his face lit up as the psychic patted his head. Turning his gaze back where he came from, the Tyrunt gazed at Tempest''s slowly retreating back. The pride in his chest once again flared.

    /

    Pikachu munched on his oran berry whilst staring at the screen of Ash''s Pokedex. An Electabuzz in Indigo Stadium unleashing an outward explosion of lightning from seemingly every corner of his body.

    "Discharge can be a pretty crazy move when used to that degree." Ash complimented as his starter nodded in excitement. "It''s taxiing, though. For reasons you''ve probably guessed." As the mouse looked up to lock eyes with his trainer, Ash raised a finger matter-of-factly. "Firing off all of that lightning at once would exhaust you. You saw the blast, right? It was a literal explosion of electricity leaving that Electabuzz''s body. If you use up so much of that at once, it could make you dizzy, or worn out, or even having trouble recharging for another electric type move." he put the Pokedex away. "That''s why we need to further hone your control first. Focus on sharpening your skills to the best extent possible. I''ve been thinking of some exercises that could help us with this, and I''ve come up with a potential technique that could do wonders for practiceˇ­ and even be a good tactic in battle." seeing that he had Pikachu''s curiosity, he continued. "I think we could call itˇ­ a Counter Shield."

    /

    "Poliwhirl, Bubble Beam!"

    Phenom stopped nursing the small bruise on his face to leap to the side, avoiding the barrage of bubbles sent his way by his water type opponent. Landing solidly on his feet, the young dinosaur shifted in the dirt to position himself, walking eyes with the opposing Pokemon as his knees bent and he crouched into a fighting stance. Across from him, Poliwhirl performed a similar gesture. Behind the blue Pokemon was a young girl with short, crimson hair that barely failed to reach her shoulders.

    It was just under an hour before noon, and the team had already seen two battles prior, a good contrast to how slow the previous two days had been. With Lavender Town not too far away, Ash and Janine both mutually hoped to face as many opponents as possible and replenish more of their money.

    Ash considered his options for a moment. The Poliwhirl''s Brick Break had failed to land a direct hit to Phenom''s face due to his friend''s attempt at avoiding it, but the contact that it did make had still somewhat hurt him. It was a safe bet that Poliwhirl likely knew some ice type moves in addition to that, so they needed to be careful how they approached him. A viable option would be to knock the water type off balance with Roar and then close in with Thunder Fang. Strong Jaw would do wonders in making the electric type bite sink in as deep and hard as possible.

    Phenom''s Thunder Fang was imperfect, however. It would still certainly hurt, but he was inexperienced with it. Poison Fang was another good option, and he was much better with that move. Either way, closing in for a powerful biting move would be the best way to try and end the battle.

    For ranged options, they had Rock Blast and Earth Power. He wouldn''t have Phenom use Dragon Pulse yet; not in a fight. It wasn''t ready; the fact that he couldn''t use it to its full strength wasn''t too much of a problem, as it would still pack a punch, but charging the move took too long and consumed too much energy in its current state.

    Phenom''s anticipation was contagious, the young Tyrunt scraping his left foot against the wet dirt as he prepared to go on the offensive. Ash grinned at his friend''s back. Phenom always loved to battle, but he was particularly pumped up this morning. They wouldn''t let that go to waste. "Earth Power!"

    Pounding the ground, Phenom sent a wave of goldish energy through the ground, traveling towards Poliwhirl in a line. His opponent leapt to the side just in time to avoid the detonation. As the girl called out for an Ice Beam.

    "Rock Blast!" Ash quickly countered. The Ice Beam was quickly intercepted by the barrage of rocks fired from the Tyrunt''s mouth. "Rush him with Tackle!" Just as the icy attack ended, Phenom''s feet stamped against the dirt as he sprinted for Poliwhirl. Although he was no Pikachu or Eevee, his speed had improved considerably over time, and he found himself closing the distance at a satisfactory rate. As he approached, however, Poliwhirl raised a glowing, orange fist, lunging forward to sock the dinosaur in the face. Phenom spun around, Dragon Tail colliding with Brick Break, but still growled in pain as the fighting type move collided with his attack. Staggering backward, he rotated on his feet to avoid losing his balance, finding himself face to face with Poliwhirl once more. Now close up, he opened his mouth, preparing to bowl him over with the shockwaves of Roar-

    The young Tyrunt screeched as a blast of boiling water covered him. As he struggled not to fall down, staggering back several steps, Poliwhirl''s fist struck him square in the chest, sending him rolling across the dirt as the water type''s trainer called for another Ice Beam.

    Ash was quickly ordering him to use Rock Blast, however. Lifting up head head, his claws buried in the dirt, the dinosaur could see Poliwhirl taking aim at him. Despite the pain in his chest, he managed to fire the Rock Blast in time. As the barrage of rocks intercepted the icy blast a second time, however, Phenom did not feel relief. His eyes flared, and with a sudden movement that had his trainer blinking, he was on his feet in a flash, as though he had never even fallen down. A low rumble escaped his throat, before he suddenly let out a bloodthirsty cry, rushing for the water type with renewed adrenaline.

    Once more, Poliwhirl attempted to meet his approach with Brick Break. This time, Phenom swayed to the side before lashing out with another Dragon Tail. Poliwhirl stumbled back as the glowing tail struck him in the stomach. He only ached for a moment, however; raising an arm to block a second strike before striking with another Brick Break that sent Phenom tumbling back. The water type''s eyes widened in surprise as Phenom flipped himself mid-tumble, successfully landing on his feet whilst sliding back in a crouching position. The dinosaur''s body was bruised up, not to mention dirty from the tumbling, but his eyes were fiery and battle-ready.

    While shouting "Good job, Phenom!" Ash felt a mixture of emotions. The young Tyrunt was bringing his A game and doing fairly well, but that aggression was coming back. It hadn''t been a big problem for a while; not since Tempest had picked that fight with them a long while back, and he had done what he could to nurture the youngest member of the team properly to nip things in the bud before they could become an issue. But Phenom''s species had those instincts by nature, and now that he was beginning to mature, the heat of battle may bring them out more often; he was still a Tyrunt in the end. He''d be sure to review Elacia''s packet before bed.

    For now, however, he did not let it distract him. As long as things didn''t go too far, Phenom''s instincts coming out in a fight was a lot less harmful (and certainly more acceptable) than him throwing a temper tantrum in camp, but he needed to ensure that the Tyrunt did not get carried away and leave himself open. In a fight, aggression needed to be channeled properly.

    "Thunder Fang, run forward!" Poliwhirl''s eyes widened as the Tyrunt''s opening jaws revealed the sparks of lightning inside of them. Although Phenom advanced a little bit more slowly this time prior to the previous Brick Break, he was still fairly fast.

    Behind Poliwhirl, the girl''s voice betrayed anxiety. "Watch out, Poliwhirl!"

    She was getting nervous, being cautious and not calling for a counter. They''d have to take advantage of that, and ensure it became a tactical error.

    Poliwhirl swayed to the side, avoiding the young dinosaur''s electrical jaws as Phenom bit down on the air. Ash nodded. "Roar!" Turning to the side to face his opponent, the Tyrunt opened his mouth once more, and Poliwhirl''s eyes widened forward just before the loud blast of shockwaves slammed into him. The impact swept him off of his feet, and a grinning Ash saw his chance. "Poison Fang!"

    Now with his teeth dripping in toxic liquid, Phenom lunged for his target just as Poliwhirl tried to pick himself up. The rotund water type let out an agonizing scream as Phenom''s jaws sank into his upper backside, easily puncturing the skin as the poison was injected into the water type''s body. The Tyrunt held on, squeezing against the backside with his jaws as Poliwhirl struggled to stand against both the dragon''s weight, and the increasing pain.

    After a few moments of shaking and struggling, Poliwhirl managed to get both of his hands on the Tyrunt, and tenaciously, the water type didn''t let the surge of pain stop him as Phenom''s clenched jaws were forcefully ripped out of his skin, tossing him overhead and sending him rolling back through the dirt. Stumbling forward, Poliwhirl almost fell flat on his face, but caught himself on his hands, leaving the infected gash left behind by the Poison Fang exposed and visible. Ash frowned at the sight, but pressed onward. The most intense of battles often got far worse than this.

    It wouldn''t take long for the poison in Poliwhirl''s system to start taking effect. Not when it had been inflicted so well. Most Pokemon at this level were very rarely, if ever, able to properly fight against such a condition for long. It took an amount of strength and resilience that those at this level just weren''t usually capable of. They''d finish this quickly while he was weakened. "Play Rough!"

    Phenom was noticeably slower picking himself up, but still rose to his feet before Poliwhirl could. Body glowing with a pink outline, he lunged forward once more, a series of pounds, kicks, and headbutts cutting off the water type''s attempt to rise, leaving him flat on his back. Before anything else could happen, the rotund opponent disappeared in a flash of red.

    Holding her Poke Ball with clenched teeth, the girl let out a frustrated but accepting sigh. "Good battle, I forfeit."

    The feeling of victory overtook Phenom as his face split into a wide, overjoyed grin. Quickly making his way over to his partner, Ash returned the expression as the young dinosaur turned to face him, and knelt down to pat his head. Phenom quickly leaned into his touch with closed eyes, almost immediately forgetting the surge of adrenaline from the fight.

    "Great hustle, Phenom. You''re really making strides lately." Now that he was no longer a baby, Phenom''s dragon typing had clearly begun bearing fruit. The innate strength and prowess defined them just about as much as a psychic type''s mental capacity. Now that the Tyrunt was beginning to truly grow into it, they would continue to hone it into something truly special.

    /

    "You are approaching Lavender Town, Home of Pokemon Tower."

    By now, the tower in question was impossible to miss as Ash and Janine read the sign. Pikachu peaked out of his trainer''s backpack to exchange a few casual words with Ivysaur before retracting back in, eliciting mild amusement from Valiant. The mouse was worn out from a day of battling and racking up prize money, but had still chosen to remain outside of his ball, and had found the confines of the backpack oddly comfortable.

    Janine let out a yawn as Ash double-checked the sky. By now, it was decently dark, the last bits of orange fading away into the night. "It says here that we''re about a half mile away. We can get there pretty quickly on our bikes."

    Ash nodded. He wouldn''t have minded tackling the last stretch on foot; but the night was going to be a bit late as it is given all the settling in they''d need to do on their arrival, and the rumbling in his stomach gave him additional incentive. They had chosen to postpone dinner until they reached the town''s Pokemon Center, so that they''d have enough time to reach Lavender by tonight.

    Looking down at Valiant (and gently shaking his backpack to get Pikachu''s attention), he asked. "Are you two okay with that? I''ll return you for now, but I''ll let you out as soon as we get there." His starter popped out of the backpack, climbing onto his shoulder with a nod, as Valiant offered a simple "Go ahead." Beside the young psychic, Ivysaur nodded to Janine as well.

    "Alright," as Ash reached for his belt to get Valiant''s Poke Ball first, the emotion Pokemon turned in the direction to the tower looming in the near-distance.

    From what he could see from here, it was a fairly impressively designed structure. Even when not viewed up close, it was rather eye catching for more than just its size. Taking a few steps forward, he tried to get a better look-

    Suddenly, he felt it, and his eyes widened. This wasˇ­ familiar? But why-

    The altar in the forest.

    The torches going out. Everything dark.

    Thatˇ­ thing emerging to confront him and the Rockets.

    His screams.

    Just as Valiant realized what he was feeling, his wide-eyed shock disappeared in a flash of red light, and he was returned to his Poke Ball.

    /

    "What''s this?" Necro the Mr. Mime pranced his way over to the camp entrance, face frozen in a crookedly shaped smile. "Reunited already?"

    Damian''s brow furrowed as he lingered behind a few other soldiers. Ahead of the pack, Silver stood with Neptune, the silver mask concealing his face as the unnerving psychic approached them.

    "I''m surprised you''re here," the teen executive spoke cooly. "Unless you''re also part of the perimeter team? The interior of that tower won''t exactly be an ideal location for your kind."

    "Ding ding!" Necro''s head tilted, frozen expression still unchanging as his mental voice sent shivers up Damian''s back. "I''m not scared of ghosts, but I''m here to assist from the outside. As are you, correct?"

    "All important missions have more than one layer."

    "Indeed they do." Damian''s head turned to the direction of the voice, and his blood chilled.

    The Iron-Masked Marauder strode towards the group with Scizor by his side. As he stopped a few feet from the red-haired executive, Damian took a step back, hand consciously grasping at his belt.

    Silver had to look up to meet Marauder''s stare with his own, but did not flinch, both looking the other mask-to-mask as Neptune and Scizor locked eyes. The two Pokemon accompanying them did not move their gazes an inch, an intense focus in their pupils as though they dared the other to look anywhere else.

    "Now, now," After a few moments that felt like a lifetime to Damian, Marauder finally spoke up. "That''s no way to treat our allies, Scizor."

    "Indeed," Silver affirmed. "Relax your muscles, Neptune." The Feraligatr complied, body expression easing as though a button had been pushed, as Scizor finally looked away to scan the rest of Silver''s group.

    Some of the tension left Damian as Silver closed the distance and offered a hand. "It''s an honor to be greeted by you face-to-face."

    "It certainly is, young executive."

    "''Executive Silver'' will do." As Marauder accepted the hand, the two shook. Once they parted, Silver turned to the rest of his unit. "Everyone, go get set up. We will be staying here until the mission is complete."

    A few days of sleeping outside instead of underground, the thought came to Damian as he and the rest of the soldiers headed into the camp. Much fresherˇ­ but less secure.

    /

    "Executive Petrel is going to be arriving late." Silver removed his mask as he and Marauder sat at opposite ends of a small table in the command tent. "Due to a scouting mission north of here, so we will be conducting our initial meeting one on one."

    "Scouting, huh?" Marauder sat back with devil-may-care posture. "Would this happen to do with the lead received on the power plant?"

    "It does, and will likely be your next mission after this, from what Commander Archer says." Silver leaned forwards, hands folded over the table. "For now, you are aware that the target is located at the top floor of Lavender Town''s Pokemon Tower, correct?"

    "Of course," an excited, bitter smirk stretched across Marauder''s lips. "I will be leading the main force through the tower to retrieve it by any means necessary, while you and Executive Petrel command the town perimeter." He lifted a hand to shift his mask. "The tower is the natural habitat to an indeterminable number of ghost Pokemon, who will undoubtedly be territorial in the face of a hostile entrance. Ghosts can be disrupted, however, and we have rehearsed such, also ensuring that the unit is armed with dark typing, known to hunt ghosts." He offered a momentary pause before continuing. "With the immense populace of ghost types, the very atmosphere of the tower is overflowing with distortion, and escape via psychics and teleportation will be more difficult than normal. Disruption will create an opening, however; a window of opportunity. And thanks to our flying types, we have other means to leave. As per the outline, however, it would be best to not try and use flight as a means to attack the top of the tower right away, as doing so could potentially provoke the target into moving downward. We will scale the tower on foot first, and attempt a pincer if need be."

    A nod from Silver. "Yesˇ­ of course, the main difficulty of the mission has nothing to do with the tower itself, but how the League will respond to it."

    Marauder''s expression stiffened at that, the atmosphere of the tent becoming far more serious, beyond simply business. "Lavender is Elite Four Agatha''s hometown. The moment the League gets word of our attack, she will be the one arriving. The mission''s success rests entirely on preventing her from entering the tower."

    "Elite Four interference is the reason you failed to retrieve the Moon Stone in the Mt. Moon operation." Silver affirmed. "Back then, Elite Four Karen''s intervention was a surprise, but we know what to expect this time around. It is doubtful that the perimeter team will be able to drive Agatha off, so stalling her will be the game plan."

    "The failure at Mt. Moon was nothing but a fluke," Marauder asserted. "The target will be secured without issue this time."

    "As I''m sure we all intend." Silver nodded back, unfolding his hands. "Of course, the matter of the Moon Stone itself has grown complicated with the mountain still on lockdown, but it is still essential to Operation Origin."

    "Meaning we will still be retrieving it."

    "At a later date," the teen Executive confirmed. "That portion of our plans has simply been pushed back for the foreseeable future; we will be returning to Mt. Moon to claim it." his fingers drummed against the table. "But for now, this mission plays a part in the operation too."

    "With rather interesting implications, given the important lead scouted on Lavender." Marauder grinned, and Silver leaned back in his seat as the hunter continued. "Pokemon Tower of all locationsˇ­" through his mask, his eyes locked onto Silver''s from across the table, and the red-haired teen showed no resistance. "Executive Silverˇ­ are you familiar with the urban legend, ''Divus Magnituden Oceanus Kairyu''?"

    Expression at ease, Silver gave pause for a momentˇ­ "Enlighten me."

    "The ocean is vaster than anything on this planet." Marauder shifted in his seat to find extra comfort. "Many stories and questions never quite understood. But one particular tall tale that was born from such exploration. It started with a song, one that could be heard for miles without a known source. An ominous noise, unable to be comprehensively described with wording. It has such a powerful presence that overtakes the senses, elicits a feeling seemingly beyond our understanding. Many sailors claim to have heard it, and many others try to decipher where it''s coming from; what direction needs to be taken to find the source." At his pause, Silver offered the elite hunter a nod, a signal that he was listening. "It is a search that has stretched across numerous generations, for as long as mankind has been out on the ocean, but no official sights to be documented. Plenty to be heard however, and recordings of the song begging to be deciphered throughout the countless years."

    "Are you saying some people claimed to have seen the source with their own eyes?"

    "Very few, and even fewer whose words may have gotten around, but this legend is a horror story." At that, Silver''s brow rose upward, a clear showcase of interest reflected in his eyes. "Would like me to translate the title? ''Dragonite of Divine Size, at the Ocean.''"

    Letting out a breath, Silver''s hand found his chin. "Do you believe this horror story?"

    "As a Pokemon Hunter who has heard the tale, it would be unbecoming of me to not listen to any recordings of the song myselfˇ­ and compare it to how the species in question is known to sing. It''sˇ­ distorted, for lack of a better word at the moment. Size isn''t the only difference; something else in addition to that is in play here." Now his fingers drumming against the table, his face still beneath his mask. "And that also accounts for how long this legend has been told. We know of other fairy tales, and even confirmations, in certain situations, of a Pokemon being extremely long lived, with seemingly no explanation other than that Pokemon being rather special. And given how magnificent these creatures are, it''s easily believable. But in this caseˇ­ given everything else about the legendˇ­"

    "You believe there is a difference." Silver finished for him, and the hunter nodded.

    "We are aware of what makes Legendary Pokemonˇ­ what they are labeled as." Marauder continued. "They exist on a plane separate from mortality. Far beyond everything else." he offered the young executive a gesture. "But what happens when a mortal Pokemon crosses a certain line? What do they become as a result, and by what means is it even achieved in the first place?"

    Understanding spread across Silver''s face. "I think I understand the point of this story. This started with talking about Lavender, after all."

    Marauder was grinning again, teeth a bitter white as he nodded back at the teen. "And if this mission leads us to what we expect it tooˇ­ I believe some light may potentially be shed later on." he leaned back in his seat once more. "Soˇ­ what is your opinion on this, Executive?"

    Silver was deep in thought for the next few moments, attempting to absorb everything that he had been told. "I can only say so much about a story that I have just heard, but Team Rocket''s past few years of research makes it hard to be a skeptic."

    "When you are me, skepticism is impossible." Marauder replied. "You may be an Executive, but you are not yet old enough to know the things that I do. Such details regarding Operation Origin made my contract with your Commander easily signable." his eyes carried a light blaze beneath his mask. "Of courseˇ­ it''s the main eventˇ­ the endgame of the operation, that is the true reason why I am here. But everything else happening aroundˇ­ it cracks open the secrets of Indigo''s underbelly like the shell of an egg from the supermarketˇ­ with much to say about the rest of the world by extension." his hands pressed together. "All of these trainers dancing along the road, playing the League''s game; but for someone in my line of work, the word "Destiny" carries a meaning far greater."

    After a few more moments of contemplation, Silver rose from his seat. "I must go now, but I thank you for your story. Perhaps I''ll be spending the night on the internet."

    As the young executive exited the tent, Marauder, back rested effortlessly against his seat, looked up at the roof of the intent, thoughts overtaking him as everything flooded throughout his mind.

    "A trainer merely seeks to master the Pokemon world." he spoke aloud to nobody but himself. "A Pokemon Hunter aims to take it for themselves."

 Whispers and Chills

    She brushed the golden locks away from her face, hair falling behind her head as her black eyes scanned the grass surrounding the tower. The green blades swayed from the comfortable breeze as she took in the sight of the structure. A homely feeling of familiarity washed over her. Four monthsˇ­

    "Oh my, I didn''t realize you were back in town!"

    Before even turning her head, the thirteen year old girl beamed at the voice, instant recognition in her eyes as she whirled around to face the middle-aged woman approaching her. "Mrs. Beacon!" quickly, she jogged to meet the woman''s approach halfway. "I knocked on your door last night, but you weren''t there."

    The woman''s black ponytail fell down her back as she and the girl stopped in front of one another. A tinge of red lined her cheeks at the statement. "I apologize, Agatha. A fire broke out in the bakery a couple days ago. Damage isn''t serious, but I''ve been tending to it."

    Agatha nodded in understanding, fondly allowing Beacon to pat her head. "I should have stopped by there too. How is your husband doing? Has he been getting better?"

    "The doctors say that his leg will never quite be the same, but he''s been walking well enough for the past two and a half months, about." Beacon estimated, her face easing up a little bit, a slight somberness in her eyes. "I feared the infection would leave far worse behind; it wasn''t a case commonly known, given the Pokemon is alien to Indigo. But those two are geniuses, and they managed to figure much out."

    Much tension left Agatha''s muscles as her hands clasped one another. "That''sˇ­ so relieving to hear. Is he cooking again?"

    Beacon''s chuckle warmed the girl''s heart. "Is he ever. I''m certain he''ll have a plate of lasagna ready the moment he learns you''re back. Do stop by?" The young teen''s face had lit up like a Christmas tree as she nodded to the request, prompting an affectionate twinkle in Beacon''s eye. "But no need to focus squarely on us. How have you been? The four months seem to have been kind to you, young lady, and dare I say you''ve grown even more gorgeous."

    "They have been eventful," Agatha admitted. "But I think it would be easier to go over everything when there is more time, like a meal." her head gestured to Pokemon Tower. "I offered to go into the tower in uncle and grandmother''s stead. For familiarity."

    Understanding washed over Beacon''s features. "Then I wouldn''t dare keep you from something as dear as that. May we see you this afternoon?"

    Agatha''s grin stretched across her face as naturally as a blooming garden. "You didn''t even need to ask."

    /

    The golden light from the lantern on the wall splashed over her whitish beige shirt as she adjusted its position. A comfortable humming complacently escaped her throat, humming a clear, scripted tune that had been memorized years ago. Her pitch altered throughout the song, seamlessly blending together to recreate the familiar melody.

    The third floor of Pokemon Towerˇ­ she could feel the presence. She always could. You were never alone in this tower, even now when everything was quiet. Still. But she felt it. She felt everyone. And it made her smile.

    "I''m sorry I''ve been gone so long, everyone." she looked ahead, across the field of gravestones as her hands rubbed the sides of her gray pants. For a split second, a light breeze moved her golden-blonde hair, but stopped as though it had never happened. "I''m glad you''ve all been well. And that uncle and grandmother have kept everything together." As though she could see from every side, she looked down to the right, and grinned at her ankle, where a Sableye had appeared out of nowhere. "Yami." He remained perfectly still and content as she reached down to pat his head for a few seconds. "You''re usually not on this floor." Yami always favored the second floor, and occasionally hung around on the first. "How has the cherry field been? I''m going to be joining Anya for lunch tomorrow, but the question slipped my mind at the timeˇ­ The Growlithe and Meowth have another Egg already? How many months has it been? It definitely wasn''t more than six." She cared very little for how much time passed by as she and the Sableye chatted together. In fact, their conversation may have gone by an hour longer if the sound of footsteps up the staircase had not alerted them.

    Pushing her hair back, the girl adjusted her clothes to ensure her appearance was kept. She was always well groomed, but it was especially important to be so in this threshold between the land of the living and the afterlife, and especially when in the presence of someone else. It was non-negotiable. Everything you said and did was in the presence of countless deceased souls at peace.

    A boy came into view. At his side was a Clefairy, who carried a single, small glass pot of water containing a small, aqua-blue flower, which Agatha immediately recognized grew near the Vermilion coast. A notebook rested safely in the side pocket of his grayish-brown backpack. From the looks of it, he had been prepared to say something to his pink companion before both newcomers immediately took note of her and Yami, stopping as both duos were now in full view of one another.

    "Oh, hello." he spoke evenly, mildly surprised as Agatha''s black eyes studied every nook and cranny of his appearance. Short, brown hair perfectly straight. A very thin and yellow, zipped up sweater that signaled he may not yet be used to Lavender''s natural breeze. Perfectly clean pants as green as emeralds. A pair of black eyes carrying a studious look that locked with hers.

    "Good morning." she crossed her arms, but remained fairly relaxed. "The tower usually doesn''t get visitors this soon after opening up."

    "That''s actually why I''m here," he admitted as Clefairy''s gaze briefly lingered to the notebook at the side of his backpack. "It''s easier to study that way."

    "Study?" She raised a brow at that.

    His grin was carefree. "Of course. Where else in Kanto would I go to research ghosts? It''s the reason I''m in town."

    "So you''re a traveler, then?" her eyes briefly set on Clefairy, who returned her gaze with a steady nod. The fairy Pokemon''s gaze was even yet soft, welcoming interaction.

    Agatha already knew, of course. He could have been somebody who moved into town while she was out, but the sweater gave away otherwise. He was from out of town, and had likely just arrived recently. At this time of year, there would be little need for any kind of warm clothing for just about anybody already accustomed to the constant light breeze of the town. He was likely a trainer as well, and given that he looked to be the same age as her, probably a rookie.

    "Yes, we just got here yesterday in the evening. I figured I''d come by early while the place was quiet."

    Her lips quirked up at that. Oh indeed, he was most certainly an outsider. "You have a lot to learn, traveler. Even if every floor of this tower were to be packed, it would be perfectly quiet all the same. No one dares create a ruckus in here." As the bottom half of Yami''s body sank into the ground (the top half remaining perfectly still), her left hand''s fingernails brushed against a Poke Ball clinging to her belt. "Which is why I must hope that your research does not include capturing a ghost. I''m assuming one as educationally enthused as yourself takes the time to read signs?" There was no rule against capturing anything in Lavenderˇ­ unless it was in Pokemon Tower. A ghost outside the tower''s property was fair game, but anywhere in, on, or around the area was a safe haven, and any attempts at capture in those locations was serious poaching, and grounds for eternal banishment.

    Undeterred by the narrowing of her tone of voice, the boy''s hands raised out in front of him. "Relax, miss. You don''t need to worry about that. I wouldn''t do something like that. I''m just here to observe and take notes." She detected no dishonesty in his voice, and looking down at Yami, he did not either.

    The smallest, most minimally visible tinge of red lined the boy''s cheeks as Agatha strode to him and Clefairy, legs carrying her as effortlessly as the wings of a Pidgeot. "That is good to hear, and I''m sure you don''t mind me confirming your intentions. I should welcome you to town." stopping in front of him and Clefairy, she offered a hand, voice perpetually smooth and confident. "My name is Agatha. My family is one of Pokemon Tower''s caretakers."

    Their fingers locked together with little effort as he accepted the handshake. "I''m Samuel. I came here from Mossgreen." The gears in Agatha''s brain turned. She believed that was a small town far south. "This is my friend Clefairy." The fairy offered a greeting and another nod as Agatha looked down at her, and the two separated, her hand now pressed against her hip. "Are you a trainer too?"

    "For four months, not that it feels as though I ever left, being in here now. You''re a first year too, correct?"

    Samuel nodded. "Yes. I''m focusing on the Gyms while also going wherever I learn the most." his finger pointed down to the Vermilion-native flower in Clefairy''s tiny glass pot. "I''m simply here for that, honest. Although, when the innkeeper learned I was visiting the tower today, she asked me to take this flower with us. For her son''s Abra."

    "Dorado." Agatha quickly responded. "His name was Dorado." Beside her, Yami was now in full view once more, studying Samuel as the young teen boy offered the small ghost a quick, respectful nod. "Mrs. Applecorn is no longer able to climb the stairs to floor five, and normally pays somebody to take gifts to his grave. I assume she gave you directions on where in the fifth floor?" She nodded in approval as he confirmed. "Just let me know if you need help. And if you still prefer to conduct your studies when there are not a lot of visitors, it''s saturday, so it''s usually a couple hours from now when activity becomes more frequent. Although, the sixth floor is usually visited a lot less on this day."

    Samuel nodded. "Thank you, Agatha. A couple hours is probably enough for today." a comfortable silence hung between the pair as he looked her over for a moment, and a small grin formed on his face. "Althoughˇ­ I wouldn''t mind spending a couple extra with you."

    A light smirk lined her face as she turned her cheek to him. "My, myˇ­ ghost Pokemon not all, then? I am about as native as you can get in Lavender." looking him in the eye once more, she crossed her arms. "Well, if there are any questions you''d like answered, it can be done at the bakery on the southwestern side of town tomorrow evening. Provided you have acceptable taste in pasta, of course."

    /

    When he and Janine passed through Lavender Town''s gates, Ash immediately felt the change. The change was in everything. In the air. In the way he looked at the grass that lined the road. The very vibe that the architecture gave off. Everything. Everything. It was as though the gates to "The Noble Town" led to another dimension. Almost on instant, it felt a bit chilly as well, the breeze passing through his clothes sending tingles up his spine as he gripped his shirt getting off of his bike. Looking over at Janine, he wondered if she felt the same. Her eyes were focused on the tower in the distance. Pokemon Tower was located in the very center of the town, and could be seen from any spot in the town, no matter where one was, according to Professor Oak''s stories.

    "Are youˇ­ cold?" he asked carefully as the duo returned their bikes to their Poke Balls. The Pokemon Center wasn''t too far away, already visible up ahead.

    "The Lavender Town chill, that''s what they call it." she responded, looking at him with a nod. "We''re being watched." His eyes slightly widened at the statement, although it didn''t take too long for him to understand as he looked around. "They say you''re never alone in Lavender." Ash followed his friend''s finger as she pointed to the tower. "Ghosts dance around the roof of Pokemon tower, and linger all throughout the town." She shivered in place for a moment. "It''sˇ­ I need to get used to it." her eyes found their way back to him. Her face seemedˇ­ softer. "Maybe going inside willˇ­?"

    He nodded at her in agreement. Just as he was about to speak, there was a rumble. Two rumbles at once, in fact.

    It was coming from their stomachs.

    The two friends stared at each other for what felt like a lot longer than five seconds, cheeks turning mildly red as a mutual realization overtook them. Ash was the first to giggle, to which Janine responded identically.

    "I think we have more than one reason to get to the Center, Ash." Janine was somewhat more relaxed as she said it.

    /

    There was thankfully no line in front of them when they reached the Center''s front desk, much to Ash''s great relief. After a short few minute check-in, Nurse Joy had assigned them to a room on the third floor, and taken in their teams for checkups and revitalization. With the majority of their teammates exhausted from a day of battling, it was sure to be a welcome relief. He and Janine had sped-walked to the point of borderline jogging on the way to the cafeteria the moment business with the amused Nurse was done; something both of them were only mildly embarrassed to admit.

    The cafeteria in question was only lightly occupied, with a few trainers their age and a couple of teenagers and adults spread out across different tables. A few Pokemon playfully ran around, but things were spacious enough for the duo to find their own quiet corner.

    "Mmmˇ­" Janine hummed a bit as she chewed her grilled veggie and cheese sandwich, carefully swallowing before looking across the table at Ash. "So, what''s your to-do-list before moving on?"

    Swallowing his pasta, Ash looked back at her thoughtfully. "Let''s seeˇ­ I''d like to make some training progress before we leave. There''s a little experiment I''m hoping Pikachu and I can try out." he noted her curious look as he pondered the rest. "I''m not sure if I should have my hopes up, but since we''re in a town full of ghost Pokemonˇ­ I wanted to see if I could find a friendly one to help Nebula with Ominous Wind. Even if they don''t know the move themselves, they can teach her more about the distortion process that comes with ghostly moves."

    She nodded along to him. "That''s clever. There are some set goals I''d like to reach before leaving, too, speaking of ''experiments''." After a few more bites, she broke the short silence. "Didn''t you say you were going to try and see if there are any evolution stones in this town?"

    He perked up at that, face turning thoughtful. "Yeahˇ­ I never bothered going to any shops in the cities that might have had them, because I knew I couldn''t afford them, and no one on the team was ready. But now, Pikachu and Eeveeˇ­" he sighed. "Even with myˇ­ idea, I could probably only get one." The thought gave him pause. He had mentioned having a potential plan while on the way to town during training, and he still wasn''t quite looking forward to the idea.

    "What''s your idea?" The girl was rather curious, although her face fell into a mildly concerned frown at his silence. "...Ashˇ­?"

    Setting his fork down, Ash let out a sigh, not quite sure how to phrase such a simple sentence. Finallyˇ­ "I think I''m going to try andˇ­ sell some of my TMs."

    The alarm on Janine''s face was palpable. "Wait, that''s your plan? Are you sure you''ve thought-"

    "I have," Ash felt a tinge of guilt when interrupting her. "Trust me, I know it''s weird, butˇ­" he gathered his thoughts for a moment. "I''m going to look through them, and see which ones I don''t need anymore. Now that my team is more experienced, certain moves might not require the cushion the TMs provide as much as they used too."

    "You won''t just have six Pokemon forever," she reminded him. "A new teammate might need Iron Tail, for example."

    He nodded. "I thought of that, butˇ­ in the long term, I can always buy them again if it''s necessary. This is just an immediate thing. With any luck, I''ll have a lot more money on me a few months from now. We''ve been gaining momentum, but since some of my team needs stones to evolve, I need to make sure they don''t stagnate."

    She studied him for a moment or two, before eventually relaxing. "Iˇ­ never really thought of an idea like that before." she sighed. "I''ll admitˇ­ It''s pretty clever."

    A light smile lined his face. "So you don''t think I''m going crazy."

    She chuckled a bit. "You seem to know what you''re doing. Thought outside the box."

    "Heh, thanks." he returned to eating for a moment. "I need to see if this town actually has a shop with stones first. Most of the cities probably do, but I''ll need to see about here."

    Janine bit her lip. "Fuchsia had a stone shop for a while, butˇ­ it was closed down before I left. I don''t know it still isˇ­"

    Ash raised a brow at her tone. "Why did it close down?"

    "The owner was a Team Rocket informant, and was potentially donating his earnings to them."

    Ash felt his blood turn cold at the statement. The thought of a seemingly normal boy unzipping his hoodie to reveal a Team Rocket uniform filled his thoughts. ''They could be anywhereˇ­'' Feeling his eyes wandering around the room, Ash tried to shake himself out of the panic by refocusing on Janine, whose face was laced with concern.

    "Ashˇ­" she was chewing her lip now. "Sorry."

    "Don''tˇ­ apologize." Ash felt a surge of guilt as he looked down at his plate, suddenly feeling slightly less hungry. "I asked." After a few moments, he managed to make eye contact with her again. For some reason, the look of guilt on her face broke his heart.

    ''Damn it, get it together, Ash!'' he mentally snarled to himself. Now he was making her feel bad over something that he brought up. Struggling to find his words, he stuttered out. "S-so, t-theyˇ­ found him out?"

    She looked at him for a bit longer before replying with a nod. "Father had him tied up and ripped straight out the door, from what I know." An unreadable look passed over her eyes. "He shows no hesitancy with criminals in Fuchsiaˇ­ especially the ones right within his city''s walls."

    ''HIS city?'' Ash thought to himself with mild confusion. It was an odd way to word things, but the message came across, nonetheless. "Fuchsia''s crime rate is famously low." he commented. The territory''s law enforcement was unrelenting under Koga''s leadership, with most issues more often than not being dealt with at a swift efficiency. The results spoke for themselves and then some. At a certain expense, it meant only the boldest of criminals were usually willing to operate openly in such a place, almost as though accepting a challenge. But in general, the city was considered quite a safe and protected place for the innocent. Of course, mixed in with the reputation that Leader Koga had amongst challengersˇ­ certain rumors had sparked regarding the extent of the law enforcement''s ruthlessness, but Ash tried not to think about that for the moment.

    She nodded at that, seemingly with some pride. "Heˇ­ Leader Koga values the law and the safety of his civilians. He would never allow crime to fester in our home." She bit into her sandwich once more, continuing after she swallowed. "Anywayˇ­ I''m not sure if you''ll be able to get a stone in Fuchsia, just as a warning. Soˇ­ If Lavender Town has one, I think you might be making a good move."

    He nodded back at her in understanding. "Thanks for letting me kn-"

    "Janine? Is that you?"

    Janine''s eyes widened in recognition as a nearby voice filled their ears, Whirling around, she turned to see a teenage girl approaching their table.

    She had navy-blue hair with spiked pigtails, and was dressed in casual black clothing. The curious look on her face grew into a beam as she drew closer to them. "It is! How are you doing?"

    Janine''s expression matched the newcomer. "Kris! I did not realize you would be here!"

    "Heh, likewise." Kris stopped in front of them. "I just got into town for business a few nights ago. Waiting for someone. It''s been months, hasn''t it? Since the end of last Season? You already look grown up."

    A slight tinge lined the young poison-specialist''s cheeks as she set what was left of her sandwich back down on her plate. "It''s great to see you." She was about to say something else before her eyes widened ever so slightly, head turning back to Ash. "Oh, I''m sorry! This is my friend Ash. Ash, this is Kris, an Ace Trainer. She was aunt Aya''s pupil before being promoted to the rank herself."

    Ash perked up at "Ace Trainer", quickly straightening his posture. "It''s nice to meet you."

    Kris smiled at him, her grin felt very relaxing. "Same here. Are you both doing well?"

    "For the most part." Janine responded. "We''ve just been discussing our plans for staying here. We just arrived tonight."

    The older girl nodded at that. "Yeah, I overheard a bit of your conversation." Her eyes fell back on Ash. "Lavender does have a stone shop, so you''re in luck. Their collection of evolution stones and other jewels is pretty varied, so I''m sure you''ll get what you want."

    That definitely shot his mood up. "Great!" he said almost a little too enthusiastically, feeling the relief set in. After finding out about Fuchsia''s stone shop, he wasn''t sure what he''d do if Lavender lacked one of their own.

    Janine seemed to be pleased as well, although her expression gave way to curiosity a few moments later. "Soˇ­ you said you were here on business for the League?"

    For a brief moment, a seriousness that Janine almost caught (and that Ash missed) passed over Kris'' eyes. "I am. There''sˇ­ someone I need to speak to from overseas. In person. He won''t be getting here until sometime tomorrow, though." She relaxed herself. "I''d love to catch up with you, but I understand it''s getting late. Are you free tomorrow?"

    "For you? Of course." Janine smiled at the older girl. "I was planning to take it easy on my first day here, anyway. Give the team a moment to unwind while exploring the town a little bit. I''d love to talk with you if you have time."

    Kris seemed pleased. "Sounds great, I know where we should meet up, too." Ash perked up in surprise as her gaze returned to him. "You''re welcome to join us too, Ash. I''d like to get to know you."

    Ash shifted a bit. These two clearly had a fair amount of history, especially if Kris was a student of Janine''s aunt. If they hadn''t seen each other in months, he''d likely be a third wheel. Despite himself, he still found the offer tempting.

    Janine''s voice brought his attention to her. "It''s fine, Ash. I think you two would get along well."

    The encouragement brought a somewhat uneasy grin to his face, although it only remained uneasy for a moment. What was he worried about? They were the ones inviting him. "Sure, I''ll come." he looked Kris in the eye. "Thank you for the offer, umm..." was there a special way to address an Ace Trainer?

    The Ace Trainer''s cheeks flushed. "If you''re friends with Janine, just call me Kris. Anyway," she looked between the two. "You can''t come to Lavender without visiting the Bakery of Beacon. It''s just south of this Center." her lips twitched. "Trust me, the place is heavenly. How bout'' I treat you two to dinner tomorrow evening, once you''re all settled in?"

    The two younger trainers exchanged curious looks. Sensing no objection from one another, they both looked back at the Ace Trainer and nodded. "We''d love to." Janine replied.

    "Do they serve Pokemon food?" Ash inquired.

    A quick "Mhm." from Kris confirmed it. "Their recipes are pretty varied, too. I''m sure just about anyone from your team will be satisfied." She took a step back, signaling that she was about to leave. "Well, enjoy yourselves for now. I gotta go out real quick before bed."

    "Are you staying here at the Center?" Janine asked.

    "Yeah, nearby on the first floor. I just need to stop by the Applecorn Inn one last time to confirm my contact''s arrangements are all ready to go. Would''ve done it sooner, but there was a problem at Mr. Fuji''s place that I needed to help out with." she waved while taking off. "See you guys tomorrow!"

    Janine smiled fondly at the teen''s retreating form, before turning back to Ash. "Aunt Aya took her under her wing four years ago. Even when she was young, she was more interested in the League itself than she was in Conferences or tournaments." she looked back in the direction Kris had taken off in. "Iˇ­ she''s kind of been an example for me growing up. She grew so much, and now she has pretty much reached my aunt''s level, halfway through her teens. They''re both Gym Leader candidates." she looked back at Ash. "Something about her has always been soˇ­ soothing, too. Like talking to her just relieves your tension. I always looked forward to her visits."

    Ash chuckled. "You knowˇ­ I kind of get that feeling from Nurse Joy." He thought back to Opening Day, and how even after everything he and Pichu had been through on that day, meeting Viridian''s Nurse Joy had, if only briefly, eased him up just a bit.

    She nodded. "Yeah, it''sˇ­ kind of like that."

    /

    Nurse Joy had informed them that their teams would be ready for pickup by morning, so Ash and Janine had their room to themselves for the night. A small balcony was just outside the room, offering a clear view of the night overlooking the nearby area of the town, although neither of them used it, content to simply turn in for the night. They even held off on showers until morning, having felt the fatigue and deep yawns setting in the moment they both set foot in the room.

    Although Janine awoke at her usual early hour, and kept herself busy with reading until the time Ash usually woke up, Ash had slept a good forty minutes later than normal, although she chose to allow him if he truly needed it. So, before leaving for breakfast, she simply left a note back in the room stating that she was going out and she hoped he had a good morning (along with a reminder to meet at the bakery if they did not run into each other prior to that). After picking up his team from Nurse Joy, he gave his mother a call on the way to the cafeteria for breakfast.

    "To think you''re in Lavender of all places now." Delia awed from the other end of the screen. "You''re practically on the opposite end of Kanto from Pallet!" The woman was grinning from ear to ear now. "You''ve grown into quite the productive traveler, honey!"

    Ash''s face burned at her praise. "I never really imagined being this far out before." Technically, he had, given the inevitability of it all once he had become a trainer, but the reality of reaching such a point was far more surreal. "It feelsˇ­" something surged in his chest. "...It feels kind of nice, though." Like he was free, unrestrained. Just months ago, his life had been entirely contained within Pallet''s borders, and nowˇ­ "I have four badges, I''ve traveled across so much of the mainland at this point, andˇ­" he was beaming at the screen now. "I just feel stronger than ever! Things are going to get a lot more rough once we leave for Fuchsia, but Iˇ­ I really think I''m ready!"

    Delia blinked for a moment, taking in her son''s expression before a light, hearty chuckle escaped her lips. Wiping an eye for a second, she gazed at Ash through the screen with an expression of love that melted the boy''s heart. "Ash, Iˇ­ It''s so good to see you like this." Blinking back her tears, she pumped her arms in front of her. "Now make sure those next four Gym Leaders don''t know what hits them!"

    He felt a fire inside of him at her tone, nodding back. "I won''t disappoint you, mom."

    Easing up a bit, Delia switched topics. "Soˇ­ how has Janine been doing?" she had spoken to the girl once over one of Ash''s calls, and seemed to like her. Ash remembered his mother being caught off guard by how "polite" and "professional" his new friend was.

    "Things have been going good for her. We actually ran into a friend of hers during dinner last night. She''s treating us to dinner at a bakery tonight."

    "The Bakery of Beacon?"

    Ash blinked. "Yeahˇ­ how''d you know?"

    His mother offered him a relaxed chuckle. "Lavender Townˇ­ Professor Oak has many fond memories of that place. You know, it might have even been the place he''d run his lab from, if Pallet hadn''t been a lot more isolated."

    Ash couldn''t hide his surprise. "This townˇ­ means that much to him?" Oak had shared the occasional stories about his travels, and had plenty to say regarding Lavender. For some reason, any emotional attachment to the town had never been brought up. His biography hadn''t specified a great deal either, so Ash had assumed it wasn''t anything too important.

    ''Unlessˇ­'' the boy mentally kicked himself for not considering it sooner. ''It was private.'' The biography also hadn''t mentioned Oak''s less than stellar grades growing up; the memory of Gary believing otherwise caused Ash''s doubt to creep back up, but he pushed it down for now. The more he thought about it, the less it bothered him. Either way, it was only natural that a book wouldn''t cover literally every single detail on Samuel Oak''s legendary life.

    "He''s told me and the others a few things," Delia admitted. "Justˇ­ maybe try asking around about Samuel Oak during your stay? You might learn something about him."

    With a relaxed nod, Ash thanked his mom. He had to admit, she had gotten him curious. "Sure thing, mom. Thanks for the advice. I''ll tell Janine you said hi, too."

    "Please do. And good luck out there. Don''t forget who your two biggest fans are, sweety!"

    He felt a bit misty eyed. "You and Trucy, of course."

    /

    The cafeteria had more occupants than the previous night, which didn''t surprise Ash too much (he imagined most of the people staying didn''t eat dinner as late as he and Janine had), but it thankfully wasn''t packed, and he found himself and his team stationed at the same table he and Janine had eaten at last night. He quickly set up his friends'' bowls upon letting them out, before digging into his food. As he ate, he thought over the plans for the day.

    ''I''ll scope out the stone shop ahead of time to see what prices I''m dealing with. I''ll think over which TMs I''ll sell for extra money. After that, we can probably just wander the town for the day.'' As Janine had said last night, they planned to take it easy for the first day. They would be here for at least a few days at the minimum (likely no more than a week), so training can come later. Some slow-paced, casual exploring would do well for all of them. And of course, he and Janine would be meeting Kris at the bakery she had mentioned.

    Of courseˇ­ Even if he sold some of his TMs, it was most likely that he would only be able to afford one evolution stone. They were more expensive than any of the TMs he had on hand right now, by quite a bit, in fact, and given how retail worked, he wouldn''t get as much money selling a TM as he would spend buying one. He wasn''t sure what the exact prices would be, but he knew that they would be big.

    ''That''s the hard part. I have three Pokemon on my team who can use stones to evolve. Pikachu with the Thunder Stone, Valiant with the Dawn Stone, and Eevee with a good few to choose from on her own.'' Valiant likely wasn''t ready, but having a Dawn Stone on hand would still be useful. When the subject was brought up on the road, the Kirlia had expressed more interest in becoming a Gallade than a Gardevoir. Pikachu and Eevee were probably in the right spot for a good evolution, although in Eevee''s case, she would need to choose which stone she wanted, and not all of her evolved forms even used stones, complicating things even further. Sylveon''s criteria was met differently; otherwise they would need a Thunder Stone for Jolteon, a Water Stone for Vaporeon, a Fire Stone for Flareon, a Sun Shard for Espeon, a Moon Shard for Umbreon, a Leaf Stone for Leafeon, or an Ice Stone for Glaceon. But the last time he''d talked to her about it, Eevee was undecided regarding which she wanted or preferred.

    ''I''ll have time to think it over.'' he reminded himself. He had to choose one of the three teammates, but maybe having the three of them talk it out together would help-

    As he instinctively looked on over to his team, something caught his eye. Pikachu, Nebula, and Tempest all seemed to be eating normally, butˇ­ Valiantˇ­

    The Kirlia, seated between Eevee and Phenom, seemed lost in thought, almost like he was in a trance, picking away at his food. His two friends both offered him concerned looks, although he seemed to brush it off when they questioned him about it. Quickly rising from his seat, Ash made his way over to the trio, catching the attention of the rest of the team.

    "Valiantˇ­" as if startled, the Kirlia jolted as Ash crouched down to meet him at eye level. "Are you alright? I can take you to Nurse Joy if you''re not feeling well."

    The emotion Pokemon struggled to send him an easy grin, but his smile came out shaky instead. "I-I''m alright, Ash. H-Honest."

    Ash frowned at him, now increasingly concerned. Even speaking with Telepathy, Valiant hadn''t sounded overly confident or honest. "Is it because the town is filled with ghosts?" That would be the easiest explanation; if Valiant wasn''t feeling well, Nurse Joy would have found as such the previous night, but most psychics would feel naturally uncomfortable in a place like Lavender. The average psychic was pretty much allergic to distortion, after all, and it took a great amount of strength and experience exposed to it to overcome that.

    Reluctantly, Valiant nodded after a few seconds of pondering. "Y-Yeah, that''sˇ­ part of itˇ­"

    "Part of itˇ­" Ash repeated as Eevee rubbed her head into her psychic friend''s side. The contact seemed to comfort him momentarily. "Do you mean there''s something else?" As Phenom tried to make eye contact with him, Valiant (very slowly) shook his head. Ash''s brow furrowed. "Valiant-"

    "I-I''llˇ­" The Kirlia paused for a moment, hanging on his thoughts as he reluctantly allowed Ash to look him in the eye. There was something in the young psychic''s gaze. Something unrecognizable. "I''llˇ­ tell you. Justˇ­ please give me time." His face was urgent. Begging.

    With some reluctance, Ash allowed himself a conceding sigh. The fact that Valiant did not want to say anything right now just made him even more concerned, but whatever it was, his friend clearly did not want to talk about it, and any further pushing or prying would just produce additional discomfort. "Okayˇ­ We will talk about this eventually though, right?" Valiant''s nod was a bit more reassuring this time. "Goodˇ­ do you want to stay in your ball for today?" another nod. "Would you like to be let out at the bakery tonight?" A pauseˇ­ and then a nod. Ash attempted a smile. "Okayˇ­ just remember we''re here for you, okay pal?"

    Valiant looked between Eevee and Phenom for a moment, before his gaze fell on Pikachu and Nebula, who, at this point, had also approached them with some concern. Another nod.

    Behind Pikachu and Nebula, Tempest watched the exchange without comment, his eyes narrowing at Valiant''s almost foreign expression.

    /

    After breakfast, Ash briefly returned to his room to put on a light sweater, heeding Nurse Joy''s advice that it would help him get used to the chill in the air a little bit faster. Unsurprisingly, the mass presence of ghosts was credited to the somewhat chillier atmosphere of the town.

    As he stepped outside of the Center with Pikachu on his shoulder, and Eevee and Phenom walking alongside him, Ash couldn''t help the wave of apprehension passing through him as he felt a tingle traveling up his back, causing his muscles to momentarily lock up and his breath to nearly catch in his throat.

    By now, it was after 9:30, well into the morning. Nonetheless, it didn''t take Ash or the trio of Pokemon very long to notice that things didn''t feel as bright as they normally would elsewhere. The sky wasn''t gloomy and filled with gray clouds; it was a typical, tranquil morning. Nonetheless, Lavender town feltˇ­ dimmer. Even in the daytime, as the stories had suggested. It made sense that the stories were not exaggerated in that regard; a town populated with ghosts was not going to be overly bright. It wasn''t like the town was dark, however, or that it was trapped in a perpetual nighttime. It justˇ­ didn''t completely feel like day.

    The other thing that caught the group''s attention the moment they stepped out, was Pokemon Tower, which extended over every surrounding building for all to see. At his feet, he heard Phenom moan in awe a bit at the sight of the towering structure. ''Visible from everywhere in the town.'' He reminded himself.

    They were probably walking for about fifteen minutes with no real aim. A couple children stepped out of their houses to observe them curiously, while on another end, a couple tended to a few flower pots on their porch. Ash tried to take it in without drawing attention to himself. So far, the townspeople seemed to be perfectly normal; it was as though nobody cared that the town they lived in was haunted en masse. It was as though it were as normal for them as Pallet was for him and his mom. But how does one get used to knowing such a thing? The complacency itself was almost creepy, if Ash didn''t know better, he would have assumed they weren''t even aware of it all.

    He tried to push the thought away for now. Professor Oak always insisted that Lavender wasn''t simply some haunted horror place out of an urban legend. And apparently, he himself was personally fond of the town. It would be foolish to trust Samuel Oak''s judgment. Perhaps the townspeople having lived in such a place their entire lives really did make all the difference.

    "Excuse me?" with some thought, he spoke to a man passing by in the opposite direction, who stopped and looked back at him curiously. "Sorry, I was just wondering if you could give me directions? I''m looking for a stone shop. For evolution items."

    The man raised an understanding eyebrow. "Oh? Yeah, I know where that is. Hold on, I''ll write it down for you."

    /

    It wasn''t much longer before Ash and his team found themselves in front of the shop in question. On the way, Ash had used the walk to gauge how his friends currently felt: Eevee''s fur seemed to stand up a bit as they walked through the town, while Pikachu gripped his shoulder just a little bit more tightly than normal. Looking at Phenom, the Tyrunt seemed to fidget on occasion even while walking, although he did his best to put on a brave face and raise his head. Overall, everyone was on guard. Ash wondered, only half jokingly, if Tempest would try and seek out a ghost for a fight if he were to let him out.

    The shop in question was rather unassuming from the outside, almost resembling that of an ordinary house. Ash figured his team was looking forward to stepping inside, away from the outside atmosphere of the town, so he wasted no time in climbing up the short set of stone steps and opening the door.

    A bell sounded as he and his three friends stepped in, signaling their arrival. He could hear some shuffling presumably from the room behind the counter up ahead as he scanned the surrounding area of the shop.

    The interior of the shop wasn''t much less unassuming than the outside of it was; normal carpet, normal walls, normal decor, but it wasn''t normal; not with the staggering collection of valuables to be seen throughout the store. Glass display cases spread out on different sides, each showcasing a different merchandise. Lots of jewelry and necklaces and other valuable rocks, but what Ash was focused on were the evolution stones.

    And from what he could seeˇ­ they had just about everything that he could think of. A Thunder Stone, a Fire Stone, a Leaf Stone, a Dawn Stoneˇ­ it looked like anyone in need of any evolution item could get what they need here. For the right price, of course, and Ash already felt his stomach sink at the numbers shown next to each display case. ''I''d be forfeiting my entire funds if I tried to buy one of these without selling any of my TMsˇ­''

    The tension in his team didn''t take too long to evaporate, and it only took Pikachu a little bit longer to gravitate towards the Thunder Stone display case with an entranced stare, almost as though the stone were a magnet. Eevee almost seemed to be beside herself, seated on the floor with an expression of awe. Tyrunt was a bit closer to the counter, eyes shimmering at a nearby piece of jewlery.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Just don''t touch anything, guys." Ash quickly reminded his trio. "We''re here to look."

    Just then, the door behind the counter opened, catching their attention and momentarily breaking his team out of their trance. An older woman who Ash guessed was in her early to mid fifties stepped out. She had emerald hair with gray linings nonetheless well taken care of, and wore a casual blue uniform with bright yellow symbols on it, and white pants. Upon seeing Ash, she offered him a smile.

    "Hello, I''m sorry I couldn''t greet you sooner. You caught me when I was handling rearrangements in storage." she approached the counter, her fingers resting gently against the surface. "Even though we''re open, we usually don''t get any visitors for another half hour. How can I help you?"

    Ash sent her a polite smile. "Oh, hi, missˇ­"

    "You can call me Anya."

    "Anya." He repeated. He looked back at the displays for a moment before saying, "Um, wellˇ­ I''m honestly just here to look at the prices for nowˇ­" he made eye contact. "If you don''t mind me asking, how stocked are you usually? Is there any chance you''ll run out of anything within the nextˇ­ week, maybe?" Realizing something, he quickly elaborated. "I mean evolution stones."

    "Hmmmˇ­" she thought his inquiry over for a moment before answering. "We usually have a few in stock at a time. It''s not common for us to run out this time of year." she sent him a reassuring smile. "If you''d like, I can put one on hold for you to pay for later. Althoughˇ­" her eyes fell on Eevee, and Ash quickly knew what she was getting at.

    Cheeks flushed, he replied, "Yeah, weˇ­ don''t really know what we''re getting just yet. We just wanted to see what our options were."

    She nodded in understanding. "It makes sense. My starter was an Eevee, and my first catch was a Poliwag." she gave a nostalgic chuckle. "So I know a thing or two about this dilemma."

    That got a giggle out of him. Pokemon with multiple evolutions were an exciting prospectˇ­ until the time came to actually weigh your options.

    Anya said what he was also thinking, however. "Don''t worry; when you and your team do make the choice, it will always feel rewarding." With that word of reassurance, she took out a clipboard. "Tell you what, if you give me your name, I can keep you posted just in case our stock gets low before you come back. Just as a quick warning if we''re almost out of a given item. You''re staying at the Pokemon Center, right?"

    He nodded gratefully. "Yes, my name is Ash Ketchum."

    "Ash Ketchumˇ­" she repeated as she penciled in his name, before sending him a kindly grin. "Andˇ­ there! You''re good to go, Mr. Ketchum."

    "Thank, you, Anya. We''ll beˇ­" he was about to turn to leave when a light bulb went off in his head, remembering his earlier conversation with his mother. "Oh, wait!" Curiously, the older woman perked up. "I know this might sound weird, butˇ­ is there anything you can tell me about this town andˇ­ Professor Oak?"

    For a moment, her eyes lit up. "Samuelˇ­" the familiarity in her tone would have given her away, if the usage of his first name had not already. "Yes, there is, butˇ­ why do you ask?" she sounded more curious than accusatory.

    Feeling a bit sheepish, he scratched the back of his neck. "Wellˇ­ you see, umˇ­" he straightened himself out. This woman was nice, there was nothing for him to be nervous about. "I''m actually from Pallet Town. My mom is studying under him, and I heard that he has history in Lavender."

    Anya perked up. "I see! Quite the curious one, aren''t you?" she teased with a raised brow, reddening his cheeks further. "Well, there is a fair bit I can tell you about Samuel. He first came here when he was thirteen years old, back when that was the age limit for becoming a trainer." her eyes twinkled a bit. "He was such a studious soul even back then, soaking up just about everything he learned. Of course, I got to see him in action in battle as well, and he was certainly no slouch, let me tell you!"

    Ash grinned at her nostalgic tone. It felt as though she was reliving a sea of memories just by talking. It sounded like a good feeling. "Were you two friends?"

    "Of the sort. I actually met him through my best friend, althoughˇ­" her cheeks tinged a bit. "Youˇ­ might not believe me."

    His brow raised, feeling extra curious now. "I''ll be open minded."

    "If you say so." Anya breathed for a moment before continuing. "You seeˇ­ Elite Four Agatha was my best friend."

    Ash started, an image of the older ghost specialist flashing through his mind. Just the thought of her elicited numerous emotions: Terror, respect, admiration, wonderˇ­ she was a Master even among Master, and often viewed to be the greatest expert on the ghost typing to ever walk the earth. From the ghosts themselves, to how distortion worked, to how to cover their weaknesses and play to their strengths, to literally every bit of ins and outs that could ever possibly be associated with ghost type Pokemon, Agatha was the single greatest source of knowledge. And that knowledge had carried her through a multi-decade long career, and a coveted position in the prestigious Elite Four throughout multiple generations.

    "W-Wowˇ­" was all he could get out for a moment.

    Anya chuckled. "So, you believe me?"

    "...Yeah," he admitted after some thought. It sounded fantastical on paper, but in practice, Lavender was the ghost Master''s hometown, and Anya seemed to be about the same age as her. Everything fit together, as far as he was concerned. Suddenly, the implications of her statement clicked, however. "Wait a minuteˇ­" his eyes widened. "Are you sayingˇ­ Professor Oak and Elite Four Agatha knew each other back then?" Oak had relations with every major figure in the League, but he had never heard of him going that far back with anyone other than Leader Blaine of Cinnabar. And even that was after Oak had reached adulthood.

    Anya chuckled. "Heh, they sure did. Agatha and Samuel wereˇ­ Well, they were everything you can imagine two people being." As if checking off a list, she held up her fingers. "Best friends, sworn rivals, lovers, comrades, sometimes all of the aboveˇ­ it was like a human whirlpool of history! No matter what form it all took, it sometimes felt like their lives and careers were intertwined. Always going in separate directions, but never without finding their way back to one another, one way or the other." Eyes drifting downwards to the counter, she fondly drummed her fingers against the surface before looking back up at Ash. "Agatha is a year older than me, so she started out before I did. It''sˇ­ incredible to see where she''s gone. But in retrospect, I''m not surprised. She was born for this, and so was Samuel. It just wasn''t immediately clear until they started tapping into all of that." Another pause. "You know, when Samuel won the Conference, Agatha was his final opponent. She won the next year after that."

    "Oh, right!" The biography had mentioned that detail. He and Agatha were both fourth years during that Conference. Nobody had ever won a Conference that early before, so the matchup was significant: No matter who won, history was being made. Even now, nobody had ever broken that record, although Lance and Cynthia had tied it, winning the Conference in their fourth years as well (and, unlike Oak, setting a record for fastest to get into the Elite Four in that same year). "I have Oak''s biography, it''s my favorite book. I didn''t realize they knew each other outside of that, though."

    "Most people don''t," Anya admitted. "They''re both quite private people. Why, Agatha would probably have her companions haunt me if I divulged too much more!" she didn;t seem too nervous about that, however, simply giggling.

    "Are you two still in touch?"

    "Yes, she visits town regularly, and I''m always down to catch up with her over a meal at the bakery, or a trip to the cherry field. This is her home, and no matter how long she lives at the Plateau, she never stopped feeling that way."

    Enjoying the conversation, Ash was about to think of something else to say when a startled yelp from Phenom caught his and Anya''s attention. Turning around, he almost jumped, seeing the Sableye who had appeared next to the young dinosaur seemingly out of thin air. On opposite ends, Pikachu and Eevee observed the newcomer with caution, the latter sending a suspicious look making it clear that no mischief would be tolerated.

    Anya''s hearty chuckle diverted his attention away from the scene, however. "There''s no need to be alarmed, everybody. This is Yami, and he''s harmless."

    Ash eased up at her relaxed tone. "Is he yours?"

    "Not quite. He''s a local ghost, and he''s sort ofˇ­ everywhere, really. A lot of ghosts in town are like that. My mom says that he''s been around here since I was two years old. He''s always been about as docile as a ghost can get, and he isn''t much for pranks, either. He just lingers for the sake of hanging out." There was reassurance in her tone, and Ash suspected that he and his friends were not the first she had given this explanation too. In front of him, Phenom and Pikachu seemed to be a bit more at ease at her words, although Eevee did not entirely drop her guard. A moment or two later, Pikachu approached Yami and offered him a paw, which the ghost silently accepted.

    "I seeˇ­" Having gotten over the brief startle, Ash carefully knelt down to get a better look at the Sableye. "Hi, Yami. I''m Ash."

    "A lot of the ghost Pokemon in this town are basically citizens in their own right, you''ll find." Anya elaborated further as Yami returned Ash''s greeting. "They''re a community interwoven with our own. Ghosts are a part of our everyday life." she flashed him a sympathetic grin. "I understand it''s not the same for you. Ghosts are pretty rare in most parts."

    Her words left Ash deep in thought, the gears turning in his head as he contemplated the perspective. With ghosts being an actual part of the community, just as much as the townspeople themselvesˇ­ it made sense that everybody treated the town''s atmosphere as normal. It was.

    "Hmmˇ­" he rubbed his chin for a second before looking back at the woman. "Hey, uhˇ­ thanks for telling me all of this."

    She chuckled sweetly. "Of course, I''m always happy to share with outsiders, especially somebody as young as you." her hands folded together. "I understand that Lavender is not what you''re used to, and I understand even more that you''re going to be uncomfortable for a while. Trust me; nobody is offended, we all understand." her eyes twinkled a bit. "Butˇ­ I do hope that you''ll be able to find enjoyment in your stay here."

    Her smile really was contagious. ''Elite Four Agatha has good taste in friends.'' "I''m sure I will."

    Just then, the bell sounded as the door opened, to the sound of footsteps. Turning back, Ash saw an old man with a bald head entering the store. The boy blinkedˇ­ he seemed somewhat familiar.

    "Hello, Anya. I understand I''m a bit earlyˇ­"

    Anya''s face lit up. "Mr. Fuji! I was expecting you." Seeing Ash studying the newcomer, she elaborated. "This is Mr. Fuji; he handles starter Pokemon distribution in Lavender, and runs the small lab in our town."

    Ash perked up. "Oh, so you''re a researcher?"

    Fuji nodded as Yami walked over to him and tugged on his pants. "Well, to a degree, I suppose." slowly bending down to pat Yami on the head, he continued. "Our lab is mostly just for distribution, that''s why it''s a lot smaller than the others. I used to be a researcher full time, in Cinnabar, butˇ­ I''ve sort of slowed down over the years. Nowadays, I just take care of Pokemon."

    Ash wracked his brain for a moment. If he had a history in research, that could be why he seemed vaguely familiar. Ash could have sworn he''d seen pictures of someone similar in the research field beforeˇ­

    Looking back to Anya, he offered a friendly wave. "I''ll leave you guys to whatever you need to do." he turned to his team. "Come on, everybody!"

    "Take care of yourself, Mr. Ketchum!" Anya called back as they left the shop.

    On his way through the door, Ash couldn''t help but feelˇ­ mildly satisfied as the outsider air greeted them. ''You were right, mom. I did learn things.''

    /

    The rest of the day came and went without too much excitement. Ash explored the town to his leisure, taking in the simple yet meaningful sights, all the while Pokemon Tower loomed over him and his friends. A couple times, a mischievous ghost (once a Gastly and later a Shuppet) popped up out of nowhere to startle him, but they would vanish without a trace almost immediately after, leaving behind a seemingly disembodied giggle.

    Apart from Valiant, everyone on the team was given some time to roam outside. None of them saw action, except for Tempest, who predictably requested to do some light exercise in a nearby courtyard. A girl Ash''s age had bumped into them while he and the Krabby were practicing Ice Beam and Crabhammer, and requested a battle. Tempest made short work of her Chikorita, and defeated her Mareep next after a light struggle. She didn''t appear particularly bothered by the loss; instead seeming more impressed than annoyed. When asking how many badges Ash had, she was startled when he answered that he had four, stating that she only had two so far.

    After she left, a quick time check told Ash that they were nearing the meeting time at the Bakery of Beacon. At this point, the dimness of the town had begun giving way to a pretty orange sunset. Having passed by the bakery during his walk shortly after lunch at the Center, he had a vague idea of where to go, but asked for directions from a woman tending to the vegetation in the courtyard just in case. On the way to the bakery, he and Tempest bumped into Janine and Ivysaur, to pleasant surprise.

    "Oh, Ash!" The girl sent him a wave to signal him over. "I haven''t seen you all day!" As Ash and Tempest stopped in front of the duo (the Krabby begrudgingly accepting a "handshake" from Ivysaur''s vine), she shifted her backpack for a moment. "How have you been today?"

    "Things have been going smoothly so far," Ash grinned relaxed and casually. He was still getting used to the town, but there was definitely something comfortable in her familiarity. "Sorry Iˇ­ missed breakfast, andˇ­ everything else." His cheeks flushed as he bit his lip.

    Undeterred, Janine raised a quick hand to silence him. "Don''t worry about it, it''s no big deal." Shifting her head up, she chuckled at the sky. "Sunset looks really nice from this angle, right?"

    Looking up with her, Ash had to agree. "Yeah, it does." Allowing his gaze to linger for a moment, he looked back at her. "Soˇ­ how has your day been? I visited the stone shop and had a nice talk with the owner. After thatˇ­ the day''s just been walking and some light training. A trainer challenged us, but not much other than that."

    With a light hum, she nodded at him, gripping the straps of her purple backpack as Ivysaur''s head softly brushed against her leg. "Our day hasn''t been much more than yours. None of us battled or trained, although we did stop by Pokemon Tower a few hours ago. We didn''t go in, but we met a gravekeeper; he was pretty insightful. And-"

    Ash couldn''t help his startled yelp as something appeared between their faces without warning. "Gah!" jumping back for a second, it didn''t take too long for him to identify the giggling ghost as aˇ­ Misdreavus? As if on instinct, Tempest took a step forward with his pincers aimed to fire, although Ash quickly shot out an arm to stop him. "Tempest, stand down!"

    With some reluctance, the river crab obeyed, lowering his pincer as the ghost locked eyes with him. A moment or two later, Misdreavus sent the Krabby a flirtatious wink before vanishing into thin air.

    Catching her breath for a moment, Janine chuckled nervously. "Sorry, guysˇ­ I was just about to warn you." her eyes lingered on the spot where the Misdreavus had been. "She''s been following us around all day." Shifting in place, she glanced at Tempest for a moment before looking back at Ash. "The gravekeeper called her Admelia. He said that she always finds somebody to latch onto and stalk around for about twelve hours or so, but that she''ll go away eventually."

    "So you were today''s lucky winner?" Ash couldn''t help the tease. Ivysaur chuckled.

    "Yeahˇ­" the girl''s cheeks reddened as she scratched her wrist. "She''s been popping up on and off. Anywayˇ­" her eyes lingered in the direction where they knew the bakery was. "It''s almost timeˇ­ I think we should be about five minutes away by now."

    He nodded at her. "Alright. You ready to go, Tempest?" he looked down at the Krabby, who nodded absentmindedly, still staring back at the place Admelia had appeared from, as though daring her to show up a second time.

    /

    "The Bakery of Beacon, proudly serving Lavender Town for over 85 years."

    The sign was read just in front of a decently large building in front of the group. The bakery in question was of a simple, brown aesthetic with a red and blue roof that changed colors halfway to the side. Ash''s eyes lingered on the sign for just a moment before moving up the set of stone steps and opening the door.

    Immediately upon walking in, the interior was fancy and clean. It wasn''t over the top, but appeared much more high end than the unassuming exterior on the outside. The carpet was a pretty, deep red that stretched across the floor as far as Ash could see it, and the overhead lighting looked far from cheap at first glance. Looking around, he could see some patrons further down the large room, some eating a meal, and one table waiting for theirs. The place did not seem overly busy for the moment, which was reassuring.

    The first thing that had caught his attention, however, almost as though a switch had been flipped, was the smell. He wasn''t sure what he was smelling, but it gave him the urge to suck it all in. ''Pure bliss'' was likely the best way to describe it. Looking down, he saw Tempest and Ivysaur''s attention caught by the same thing.

    Janine blinked, unable to help her grin. "Wowˇ­ I like this place already."

    "Same here." he responded. Already, he felt thankful that Kris had invited them here.

    "Good evening!" A woman with tied back brunette hair approached them, wearing a red and blue uniform that seemed token for restaurants, clipboard in hand. "Lacey Beacon" read on her nametag. "Table for two? Pokemon are allowed out here in the front section."

    "They''re with me, Lacey!" As Ash''s head turned to the direction of the voice, his eyes bulged.

    Kris stood up from a blue booth by the window, casually approaching the group with a lax smile. Behind her was an Arcanine. A massive Arcanine. The fire type dog was leaning against its trainer''s seat in a lying position with its forelegs folded across its chest and yetˇ­ it was still huge. As if on instinct, Tempest''s eyes homed in on the canine behemoth like a missile, the river crab''s gaze glued as can be.

    The waitress, Lacey, nodded at the Ace Trainer. "Understood, Kris." she gave Ash and Janine an approving nod. "She already reserved that booth for you three. You''ll find the menus there, so I''ll see you soon."

    Janine nodded, briefly lowering her head. "Thank you, ma''am." she spoke as formally as could be.

    As the duo and their Pokemon approached Kris. who greeted them quickly, Ash''s pacing slowed as the Arcanine behind her rose to its feet, its full, four-legged height even more staggering up close. He knew the species was big, and he wasn''t sure off the top of his head how this specimen compared to the average, but there was no way it was below average. It definitely surpassed six feet in height.

    Although Ivysaur paused for a moment, he continued forward as Janine continued her approach, completely unfettered as Arcanine took a couple steps to meet her. Ash blinked as his friend''s hands gently patted the canine''s snoutˇ­ before the fire type''s tongue gave her cheek a big, slobbery lick in response.

    An incredibly childish giggle escaped the poison specialist as she rubbed the large dog''s face with fond familiarity. "Hee hee, it''s great to see you, Smokey! I''m glad you''ve been taking care of Kris."

    As Ivysaur cautiously joined them, Ash watched the exchange in silence for a few moments, before a gentle hand on his shoulder redirected his attention to Kris, who he hadn''t realized was standing beside him until now. She was at least a good head taller than he was, and likely more. "Try not to let his size distract you, Smokey''s heart is as big as the rest of his body. When he''s not on the battlefield or in training, you''ll hardly find a creature more calm."

    Ash''s eyes returned to the beast, who was leaning downward to give Ivysaur a decent sniffing. Calm fire types were somewhat rare; not all of them were known to be overly aggressive, but the typing was often associated with energeticness and adrenaline. He doubted Smokey had any shortage of that while on duty- he was an Ace Trainer''s Pokemon, after all- but seeing him nowˇ­ felt like looking at a house pet. A very humongous one.

    His body stiffened as the Arcanine rose up once more, the dog''s attention finally finding its way to him and Tempest. The water type''s eyes had not left Smokey since the moment they first landed on him, but the much larger creature barely even seemed to register (or was perhaps just ignoring) the Krabby''s gaze as his legs casually closed the distance between him and Ash. The boy took an involuntary step back as Smokey slowly closed in on him, and soon found the dog''s large snout in his face, his heart rate increasing as the dog began to sniff.

    Looking back over to Kris, Ash was greeted with a warm, reassuring smile. The sight of her expression was almost like a magic trick, his nerves and quickening heart rate calming down just a little bit as the fire type canine''s snout moved down to his chest, pressing against him as Smokey''s nose inspected seemingly every inch of his body. Tempest said and did nothing, simply staring deeply into the larger creature as Kris'' partner spent a few more moments examining Ash.

    Finally, Ash released his held in breath as Smokey pulled away from him, and felt a small tickle as the dog''s tongue momentarily brushed against his hand. As the Arcanine''s eyes fell on Tempest next, Ash briefly worried what would happen if the smaller Krabby were to be startled, but Smokey seemed to read the water type fairly well, and simply offered Ash''s partner a brief nod before lightly trotting back to the booth.

    "He seems to like you." Ash turned to see Janine wiping her cheek with a napkin. "Smokey''s always read people well, his eyes are just about as thorough as his nose." Her hand traveled across her belt for a moment as she looked across the room. "Isˇ­ there going to be enough space to let everyone out?"

    Kris nodded, returning to her seat and petting the large Arcanine''s head, the fire type gently leaning into her touch. "Yeah, like Lacey said, this part of the bakery is free for Pokemon to be out as long as they don''t roam too far unattended. That''s part of why the place is so big." Nodding back in understanding, Ash and Janine released their teams one by one. Looking around, each teammate immediately understood where they were, having been told about the trip ahead of time. Ash released Phenom first, and as though by accident, the young Tyrunt locked gazes with Tempest, his eyes lingering for a moment or two before Eevee''s arrival stole away his attention.

    After everyone else had been released, Ash''s hand lingered on Valiant''s Poke Ball, mind flashing back to breakfast. He could see the rest of his team looking a thim with what appeared to be understanding, before he slowly unclipped the capsule and released the young psychic.

    Emerging from the light, the Kirlia''s posture predictably stiffened for a moment, before taking in a deep breath and trying to exhale gently. A soft rub from Eevee seemed to ease him momentarily before he turned to his trainer, who was already crouching down to face him.

    "Hey, buddy. How are you feeling right now? Do you want to be out?"

    For a moment or two, Valiant stared back at him without a response, before looking around silently. Standing by the booth with her hand resting gently against the table, Janine''s eyes fell on the Kirlia''s form for a moment as she watched the exchange. Finally, Valiant turned back to Ash, locking eyes with hsi trainer with a somewhat reluctant nod.

    "Yes, I should beˇ­ I shouldn''t keep hidingˇ­" His telepathic voice didn''t seem fully convinced of his own words, but his facial expression appeared progressively steel nonetheless.

    Ash patted his head. "Okay, don''t force yourself too much, but good to know."

    /

    Ash and Janine sat across from Kris at the booth, Janine next to the window (which provided a good view of the outside area and the tower looming in the distance) and Ash on the outside. Smokey remained positioned by his trainer''s seat, leaning laxly against the frame while observing the two younger trainer''s teammates. The twelve Pokemon were a bit spread out, but not too far, most mingling with one another, although Pikachu was perched behind his trainer''s head. They had already ordered a set of Pokemon food for their teams, and true enough, there was something for just about any taste bud. The significantly harder part, however, came from deciding which human food to order.

    Ash''s eyes scanned the menu, widening a bit at the impressive variety of dishes. "Bakery" almost seemed like a catch-all term: It felt like just about any dinner, snack or dessert baked in an oven was present, even those one normally wouldn''t expect from such a place. The prices didn''t seem too bad either, although Kris had already declared she''d be paying for everything.

    "This place is family owned." The Ace Trainer''s voice in question caused him to raise his head from the booklet. "It''s been around for most of this town''s life, so just about anybody who''s lived here for a long while just looks at it as a part of it all. Their recipes have expanded and evolved over the decades, but ask just about any of the regulars; it always stays true." her eyes skimmed through the entrees. I always come here whenever I end up in Lavender." she looked between the two for a moment, her smile growing. "One bite of their entrees or desserts, and you''ll feel like you''ve entered heaven without dying."

    Janine''s eyes landed on a particular item on the menu. "I was told earlier that the lasagna is one of their famous signaturesˇ­ I''m thinking of having that."

    "I''d definitely recommend it myself." Kris nodded. "I''d say it''s their best non-dessert item. What about you, Ash?"

    "Ummmˇ­" he paused for a moment while looking through the dishes. "Maybe that, I''ll see."

    "Take your time," the Ace Trainer reassured before refocusing her attention on Janine. "So you two just came from Saffron? I was a bit surprised to find you this far out so soon, given that you chose to start in Viridian."

    "I was not expecting it too much myself," Janine admitted. "But it''s been an eventful period. I have three badges at the moment." she nodded to Ash. "And he has four. I wasn''t able to beat Sabrina yet, but he did."

    Sitting back gently, Kris whistled a bit. "Not many first-years can say they got a Marsh Badge this early on. So, which were the other Gyms?"

    "Pewter, Cerulean, and Celadon." Ash answered. "Probably what you''d expect; neither of us have been to Johto yet."

    Indeed, the teen girl did not seem too surprised. "Yeah, for Kanto, those three are usually where trainers earn their first badges. Especially Cerulean. Soˇ­ you said you two first paired up in Celadon, right?"

    Although Janine nodded, she added, "We actually first met a lot sooner than that. Back in Viridian, but it was just for one night. We didn''t see each other again until Celadon after we had already earned our badges from Erika. We were both visiting the same breeder for different reasons."

    "Was it Suzie?" Ash wasn''t too surprised by Kris'' correct guess. Janine had mentioned to him that her family had history with the famed breeder, and if Kris was connected to them as well, then it made sense. "It''s been a bit since I was in Celadon. Things have thankfully started to settle down from what I know, but I''ve been busy with assignments elsewhere." She paused for a moment, looking between the two of them with some thought, carefully collecting her words. "So thenˇ­ Fuchsia''s next, right? A bit of a trip from here, in more ways than just length, butˇ­ Are you looking forward to visiting home?"

    Looking over to his friend, Ash could see some pause in the girl''s considerate expression. "I amˇ­ father will definitely be looking to evaluate me, so I need to take this next stretch of traveling as seriously as possible. He''ll have words for me if I come out looking subpar."

    Kris'' eyes narrowed for a moment, briefly glancing at Ash before examining Janine candidly. "Of courseˇ­ It''s pretty bold to set your sights on that Gym so soon. Even with the time it will take to get there, it''s even gutsier than going to Saffron''s Gym. Most trainers would probably go to Johto for their next badge, if Pewter, Cerulean, and Celadon were already checked off."

    "You''re right," Ash admitted. "It''sˇ­" he chuckled a bit. "Nerve-racking, but we both wanted the challenge." part of him hoped it didn''t bite him later on, a memory of his match with Surge flashing through his mind, but he pushed it away. He wouldn''t allow a repeat of that to happen. He had already told his mother this morning that he was ready, and though the thought of what Koga might throw at them did elicit a healthy dose of fear, he would not take that back.

    Kris studied him for a moment longer, and seemed as though she was about to say something before the sound of footsteps caught their attention.

    Ash blinked. Instead of Lacey, like before, they were greeted by a small boy with short, brown hair wearing the same uniform, and "Caleb Beacon" on his nametag. For a brief moment, Caleb seemed nervous, cheeks a bit flushed as he stopped in front of the table, before regaining his composure at a surprising rate.

    "H-Hi, good evening." his voice steadied further as he went on. "Grandma and the others are ready for your orders now. The Pokemon food will be ready in a few minutes, too." skillfully, he shifted his hold on the clipboard as he prepared to write their orders down.

    ''Thanks, Caleb." Affectionate familiarity lined Kris'' voice. "I''ll be having the lasagna for my entree, and soft toast with jelly on the side. Orange juice to drink." she looked over to Ash and Janine. "You two decided yet?"

    They nodded. "Yes, I''ll have lasagna too," Janine answered. "With garlic bread and a glass of milk."

    After some thought, Ash said. "Lasagna, mini pizza rolls, and grape juice. Thanks."

    The younger boy wrote the items down before flashing them a smile. "Okay! My aunt will update you when the food is almost ready. Do you want your drinks first or with the meal?" They all answered "with."

    As Caleb walked off, Kris'' eyes scanned the Pokemon watching him for a moment before returning to the two younger trainers. "Seven years old, can you believe it? No way my handwriting was good enough for a job like that back then. His grandmother is the owner and lead cook of this place; Lacey tells me that he loves going into the Pokemon section to hang out. Customers love him too. Definitely a future trainer or breeder if I''ve ever seen one; Mr. Fuji has already taken him under his wing."

    Ash chuckled at that. "I know a little girl back in Pallet who loves everything to do with battling. I was like that as a kid, too." just as he began thinking back to all of the time sunk into watching televised tournaments, a feeling of discomfort began making itself known in his pants area. Fidgeting a bit, he stood up, embarrassment flickering through his features. "I, uhˇ­ forgot to go to the bathroom on the way here." Both girls waved him off as Pikachu followed him to the restroom sign. Eevee considered going with them, but lingered behind with Valiant, who was beginning to ease up at the thought of food coming soon.

    The Kirlia''s attention turned back to the window, where a full view of Pokemon Tower''s somewhat distant yet towering form was offered. The night sky was fairly clear, and stars had begun forming around the famed structure''s roof. Despite effectively being a cemetery, the design of the structure wasn''t particularly gloomy, and yetˇ­

    Valiant''s eyes squeezed shut after looking at the tower for a moment too long. Was something like thatˇ­ really in there?

    Janine and Kris watched Ash leave for a moment of silence, before the blue-haired girls found their way back to the poison specialist. After a moment, she said, "Nice friend you''ve made."

    Janine looked fondly in Ash''s direction for a moment longer before redirecting her attention back to Kris. "It''s nice traveling with somebody. I''m glad I ran into him."

    "So am I, from the looks of it. I figured your journey would yield some nice opportunities for you. Compared to your rigid business back at home. It''s good to see you both get along so well."

    Janine tapped her chin for a moment. "Yeahˇ­ things were pretty smooth from the start, so traveling together was pretty convenient, since we''ve both been going in the same direction." she sighed for a moment. "We are probably going to split up once we''re both done with Fuchsia, butˇ­ that''s a bit of a ways from now. I''m enjoying it while it lasts."

    Kris nodded along with her, expression progressively growing thoughtful as she studied her younger friend. "Say, ummmˇ­" she took a long pause, lingering on her words for a moment. Gradually, a minor wave of understanding began to pass over Janine''s expression before the Ace Trainer continued. As she spoke, she leaned in just a little but, voice lowering. "Does heˇ­ know?"

    A slight frown occupied Janine''s features as she shook her head. She almost reached up to scratch her ponytail, but refrained in the end. "...No, he does not." As Kris lightly nodded, the younger girl''s eyes found their way to the table for a few seconds. "It''s- that''sˇ­ It just wasn''t something you should tell somebody you''ve just met. I was still getting to know him for a while."

    Kris sighed. "Yeahˇ­ it''s not easy to tell a new friend that you''re actually Leader Koga''s daughter. Or that you come from the Kyo clan." As she locked eyes with the Fuchsia native. Her face was sympathetic but stern. "He will find out, though. If not from you then once you two both get to Fuchsia. It''d be better if you were the one to tell him."

    Janine''s brow furrowed. "I know he willˇ­ I''m just not sure how to bring it up." subconsciously, her index finger began tapping the surface of the table. "It''s justˇ­ saying that you''re a Gym Leader''s daughter isn''t easy for people to believe just like that. I couldn''t just lead with it when we were just getting acquainted with one another, and yetˇ­ once I actually bring it up, it means I''ve been keeping a secret the whole time."

    "Do you think he''ll be angry with you?"

    "I don''t think so," Janine admitted. "That''s not like him. It just feelsˇ­ really awkward. I''m not sure how to tell him." she heaved a sigh. "I know waiting until the end would be worse. Like you said, the truth will come out once we get there, whether I want it or not."

    Kris nodded. "Which is why it''s important that you tell him before that." though she was understanding, there was a clear firmness in her tone. "You two trust each other, right? There''s nothing to hide, anymore." her hand reached down to pat Smokey''s head once more. "I''m not saying to blurt it out right this second, but if you tell him soon, with plenty of time left, it should be easier."

    Janine nodded, trying to relax some nerves that she hadn''t fully realized had tensed up. "I hear you. I''ll justˇ­ need a little bit more time. Just to figure out how I''m going to say it."

    "Atta girl, you''ll do just fine."

    /

    Ash stepped out of the bathroom with Pikachu in tow, feeling a great deal of relief.

    "Heh," he looked down at his starter with a chuckle. "At least that didn''t hit me right before the food got here, right buddy?" The mouse giggled at the thought.

    As the duo prepared to walk through the hall back to the dining area, something caught Ash''s eye as he turned. He hadn''t noticed it before, being in a hurry to get to the bathroom.

    It was a decently sized, framed picture of two kids standing next to a Scyther. One of them was smallˇ­ thinking back, he looked kind of like that Caleb kid from before, but was clearly younger. This picture must have been from a few years backˇ­

    The other was a pretty girl with teal hair that fell just beneath her ears, but did not reach her shoulders. She was holding onto Caleb''s shoulders from behind, and both kids (along with the Scyther) were beaming at the camera. Ash couldn''t quite make out the location of the photo, but he assumed that it was taken in a backyard.

    "Hmmˇ­ family owned, so it makes sense that there''d be some pictures like this." Ash commented as his starter climbed up his back and onto his head to get a better look. "Kind of crazy that they''ve been running this place for so many decades, right pal?" A nod and affirmative chirp from Pikachu signaled the young mouse''s agreement.

    The sound of the girl''s restroom door opening stole their attention away from the photo. Exiting the bathroom, Lacey blinked for a moment before smiling. "Oh, hey. How''s it been for you so far?"

    "You have a nice place." Ash commented.

    The woman chuckled. "Thanks, we get that a lot. This bakery is the heart of our family, so we do everything we can to keep it in top shape." her arms crossed for a moment. "A little bit closer to ''restaurant'' nowadays, with how much the menu has evolved, but the roots remain the same." Eyes lingering for a moment, she noticed the photo that Ash was standing in front of. "Oh, were you two looking at that?"

    Somewhat embarrassed, Ash turned back to the picture. "Um, yeah. Hopefully that''s okay."

    "Course it is. Pictures are meant to be looked at." Advancing forward, she stopped next to him, offering Pikachu a brief tickle on the chin that left the mouse squeaking in high-pitched delight. "That was taken three years ago, Caleb was four and his sister was nine. Her name''s Kimberly. They''re my nephew and niece, and the Scyther is Knighter." She stared at the photo for a bit, thoughtfully taking in the picture before turning back to him. "My brother took it just before leaving. He''s an engineer working overseas, and his time here at home can be a bit spotty because of that ever since his promotion."

    Ash understood that. Professor Oak''s granddaughter was rarely ever in town nowadays, spending most of her time overseas as well, being a prominent figure in Hoenn''s Pokemon Contest field.

    "Soˇ­ how long has Caleb been working here?" he asked curiously.

    "About six months. He wanted to start helping out. Was a bit surprised he started as early as he did, but he''s been doing fine for his age."

    "Doesˇ­" Ash tried to remember her name. "Kimberly work here too?"

    "...Not quite." Lacey''s brow furrowed for a moment. "It''s not typical for them to start that young, although we''ve had pre teens in the family helping out in the past. Also-"

    Something from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and by extension Ash and pikachu''s as well. The boy blinkedˇ­ it was a Sableye.

    ''Waitˇ­ this might be the same one from the store.'' he quickly realized.

    Lacey''s reaction confirmed that thought. "Well if it isn''t Yami! I''ll bet someone''s come for his nightly plate of food, eh?" The Sableye seemed quite cheerful in response, nodding in affirmation. "Gotcha. Just wait there one moment, pal." Preparing to leave, she nodded at Ash and Pikachu. "I''ll be seeing you. Enjoy your night, okay?"

    Ash watched her leave for a moment, presumably returning to the kitchen, before looking back at the Sableye. He had never met a member of Yami''s species before, so he wasn''t quite sure how to read them, but the small ghost seemed to recognize him and Pikachu. A few gears began turning in his mind as the dark/ghost type looked back at them. After a moment or two, an idea occurred to him.

    "Hey, Yamiˇ­ I know it''s sudden, but I was wondering something." the Sableye tilted his head as Pikachu made his way back down to the floor, looking up at his trainer curiously. "You seeˇ­ I have a Staravia named Nebula who''s trying to learn Ominous Wind, but she''s struggling with it, because she''s having a hard time learning how to summon distortion. I was wondering ifˇ­ you could give her a few tips?" He knew it was a sudden request to make, but he had to start somewhere, and Yami seemed to be a friendly ghost.

    The Sableye crossed his arms in thought for a few momentsˇ­ before looking back at Ash and nodding. Suddenly, he turned to Pikachu, and the two seemed to have a brief conversation, Pikachu nodding along in understanding to whatever the ghost was saying. After a few moments, they both turned to Ash, Yami gesturing for the young trainer to follow. Complying, Ash allowed the ghost to lead him and Pikachu to the entrance of the bathroom hall, and pointed at a picture.

    This was another picture of Caleb, and seemed more recent. Standing next to him was a familiar old manˇ­ Mr. Fuji, Ash quickly realized. Ash stared at the photo for a moment or two before a lightbulb went off in his mind. "Oh! So, meet you at Mr. Fuji''s lab?" The Sableye nodded. "Tomorrowˇ­ afternoon?" Given the short notice, it seemed to be a more convenient time than the morning. The Sableye nodded again, and Ash beamed. "Thank you, Yami! I''ll find a way to make it worth your while, I promise!"

    /

    After a reasonable wait, the group was given their food and drinks, while their Pokemon were nearly finished with their own meals. One look at the lasagna had Ash''s mouth watering, and a single taste was all it took to cloud his thoughts.

    He''d never once thought that anything he''d eat would surpass his mother''s cooking, and the delicious quality of the lasagna almost felt dangerous as a result. Would he ever dare think it? Based on the observations he had made regarding his team, they seemed to have been having similar reactions to their own food, especially Phenom, and Eevee was too distracted relishing in her own food to critique the young dinosaur''s manners as he practically plunged his face into the bowl.

    Over the meal (and the prior wait for it), the three trainers discussed a few aimless subjects, such as past gym battles and travels, or the antics of a couple of Kris'' colleagues. When the time came to order dessert, Ash found himself struggling between the numerous, heavenly combos across the menu. Eventually, he and Janine both decided on a giant, cinnamon roll-esque pastry glazed with brown sugar and chocolate and marshmallow icing to the point of being drenched, deciding to split the dessert between both of them, while Kris chose a cake-like dessert stuffed with apple and strawberry filling.

    The cinnamon dessert was carefully cut in half before being served, the hot steam indicating it was fresh from the oven.

    "Well?" Kris teased playfully. "You two gonna gawk at that thing all night, or is it going in your stomachs where food belongs?" Her words snapped Ash out of his trance, carefully taking a fork and plucking off a sizeable piece of the dessert before biting into it. As he swallowed it, he couldn''t help the goofy grin on his face. "See? That''s better."

    "You weren''t kidding when you said the lasagna was their best non-dessert dish." Ash recalled the specific wording the older trainer had used previously.

    Kris tilted her head with a hint of mock-embarrassment. "I''ve been eating here on and off for about three and a half years, now. "Plenty of time to indulge in the sweet side of their talents." Her eyes shifted to Janine. "Are you alive there?"

    The purple-haired girl was staring at her half of the dessert with a blank, yet almost comical expression, unable to decide if she was looking at the most desirable thing she had ever seen, or a bottle of poison. "Last time father caught me eating this much sugar, he had me walk on ice cubes with my bare feet."

    Although her statement took Ash by surprise, Kris responded before he had the chance too. "You''re away from home, remember? I know old habits die hard, but try making your own rules for yourself. It''s not like you eat this way all the time. It''s a treat, which you''ve both earned."

    After a moment, Janine nodded with minor reluctance before raising her fork. Slowly, she sank the utensil into the pastry and took off a decent piece. Bringing it up to her mouth, she out the whole thing in with one bite and started to chew. A few moments later, her eyes bulged, and as she swallowed, her face split into a smile. A massive one.

    "It''s, uhˇ­" the giddiness in Janine''s voice perfectly matched her angelic expression as her shimmering eyes stared down at the rest. "Oh dear Mewˇ­"

    "Those wereˇ­ pretty close to my thoughts." Ash admitted with minimal embarrassment. He found his eyes lingering on Janine''s face for a moment before breaking away to look back at Kris. "Thanks for inviting us here, by the way."

    "Don''t mention it," the Ace Trainer began digging into her own dessert. "What better way to catch up? Or get to know someone? I was always told that socializing is best over a meal." Her hand patted Smokey''s head. "It really has been nice meeting you."

    "Same," Ash quickly said. He hardly cared that Kris treating them to an amazing dinner may have given him a biased first impression of her.

    /

    The morning sunlight spread over the sky above Pokemon Tower''s roof. Kris gazed up at the tower in the distance for a few more seconds before turning to the door.

    The Applecorn Inn. Where her contact was staying. And their meeting place.

    She allowed the fond memories of last night to linger for just a little bit. She certainly had not banked on running into her mentor''s niece all the way out here, or on Janine having a friend with her as well. It was such a welcome distractionˇ­ but now that was over. Her body and face stiffened a bit as she took a step forward. Despite herself, she could feel her heartbeat increasing ever so slightly, the weight of it all finally making itself known to her.

    Stepping inside, she walked through the front lobby, a familiar sight that she had been in before. A few people lounging took note of her uniform as she silently strolled through to the front counter. The woman at the desk perked up upon seeing her.

    "Hello, Ace Trainer Kris." She spoke as professionally as possible. "I was informed you would be coming this morning. You''re here to see Agent Klark, correct?"

    Showing the woman her bad for extra measure, Kris nodded politely. "Yes, ma''am. He''s staying in room 3-12, correct?"

    "Yes, just up the elevator, three rooms to your right."

    Offering a quick thank you, Kris made her way up to the third floor. Stepping out and into the hallway, she knocked on the door in question. A few moments later, it opened to reveal a tanned-skin man about a head so taller than she was, with blazing red hair, short but slicked back into spikes. He wore a fairly unassuming outfit, rather usual for a man working undercover; a simple, yellow buttoned shirt and a pair of purple pants.

    "Good to see you, Kris." Klark''s tone was decently steady, completely unsurprised by her arrival, although his eyes reflected mild concern as he gestured her in. It was best she entered quickly, lest any passerby noticing an Ace Trainer entering somebody''s hotel room.

    The interior of the room was fairly spacious, with one bed halfway to the window. The room itself was not anything fancy, however. Booking a particularly luxurious room would clash with the effort to blend in, after all. By the window was a Pokemon most in Indigo would not have the faintest idea of, but Kris recognized her as a Decidueye. The Alolan Pokemon stood stoically near the corner, eyes deeply fixated on the teenaged Ace Trainer, but not hostile. A male Stoutland lay near the bed with one eye open to observe the newcomer.

    "I trust your transportation went smoothly?" Kris asked as she and Klark shook hands. He had an unsurprisingly firm grip. He was also quite handsome, but her mind wasn''t on that. The thoughts flowing through her head regarding both their reasons for being here were too overwhelming, and there was room for nothing else.

    "It did, thank you for asking." Klark''s tone was as professional as they came as he pulled up a chair at a nearby table, him and Kris both sitting at opposite ends. "Youˇ­ certainly reached fairly deep in your own pockets to fly me out here." As they pushed themselves in, their eyes met. "Of course, I was due in Indigo anyway, with the Iron-Masked Marauder currently present within Team Rocket''s ranks. Butˇ­" his face fell into a deep frown. "Youˇ­ needed me sooner." The verbal mask was beginning to slip away. He was concerned for her, and it moved her. But it did not deter her.

    The young Ace Trainer was already removing the folders from her back, neatening up the papers as much as possible before positioning them at the middle of the table. "Yesˇ­ I trust you''re ready to take notes?"

    As though her words had summoned the object, one of his hands was already planting a fresh notebook in front of himself, before pulling a pen out of his pocket with the other. "You already know, Kris." his brow furrowed as they locked eyes once more. He could see a river of emotion in her gaze. One that she had an easy time hiding from most, but that he had an easy time spotting. "Listenˇ­ I know you don''t want me to say this, but you''re scared, and you should be." he bit his lip. "I know you''ve thought this long and hard, but I need to bring it up again. Once we do this, it''s past the point of no return. I''ll do everything I can, butˇ­ knowing that, are you-"

    "Yes," Kris struggled to make her interruption as polite as possible. ''This is the reason I became an Ace Trainer in the first place.'' "Your concern means the world to me, Klark, but you already know that this needs to be done."

    "The severity, however," he continued, mildly hushing his tone as though on instinct alone. "You are conducting an investigation on a Gym Leader, completely off the books and behind the Indigo League''s back. The evidence that you have pitched to me and Looker already is worthwhile, but your actionsˇ­" he paused for a moment. "You''re only fifteen years old, Kris. You have everything ahead of you. What you''re doing right now, if it leaks out, your career is over."

    "I am well aware," although her response was borderline rehearsed, the shift in her facial expression very briefly betrayed her true emotions. At that moment, Klark saw the face of a child. "Which is why you and Looker have my full trust in this." A few seconds later, she realized her foot had been tapping against the carpeted floor, and quickly stopped herself. "This has led me deeper than I ever imagined it could go, andˇ­" she chewed her lip. Her mask was slipping. ''Damnit, Kris! Aya trained you better than this! And yet you can''t ask her for help on this oneˇ­'' "It''sˇ­ you''ll see in the file I''ve been building, butˇ­ I don''t care if this is an illegal investigation. I haven''t cared in a very long time." She locked eyes with him once more. Much more fiercely, but not hostile. "Obviously, this isn''t enough, but it''s a start. And if it''s halted now, the momentum will be lost forever. We cannot allow this to get out until it''s time to make a move."

    "Even if this succeedsˇ­" Klark responded. "And everything in your case is proven right, you will not escape punishment. Not with the means you have been going by." she nodded at him. "That''s why this is the last chance to back out. I''m not telling you what to do, Looker and I are going to offer you our full support if you truly wish to go through with this. I''m just triple-checking that you understand the severity of it all. Everything."

    "I do." whatever shakiness was in her voice before had since evaporated.

    He nodded back at her. "Then I will not say anything on the subject ever again, and from here on out, none of the information in this room will be known to anybody but us and Looker." at her grateful nod, he added, "So, before we start, just how incriminating is this evidence?"

    "Not quite enough, as I said before," she admitted freely. "It''s enough to start building a case, but not to indict. Not against a Gym Leader, which is why this entire investigation has to be carried out in the dark."

    Klark hummed in agreement. "Indeed, any leaks would immediately shut you down. That''s why you can''t turn to anybody in the Indigo League."

    "Even my own mentorˇ­" she trailed off, a flicker of heartbreak passing over her eyes as she leaned forward with her hands folded together. "But two undercover, International Police Agentsˇ­"

    "Our jurisdiction is different," Klark confirmed. "As long as everything is kept between us, and nothing gets out, you will be fine. Until on your own termsˇ­"

    She nodded again. "And by then, my actions can''t be brushed off, or ignored. Even if I face legal ramifications, the damage will be done. It''ll all be exposed." she took a breath for a moment. ''Of courseˇ­ I''ve already informed you that things areˇ­ much worse than I initially realized when I started all of this."

    "And I have agreed to keep an open mind." Klark affirmed. "You certainly spared me no warning, but you don''t work in my field without being prepared for things that may sound ridiculous on paper. That''s why, as long as you know the implications of what you''re doing, then the more severe the contents of what you''re investigating, the more important it is for me to review them."

    "Iˇ­ never pictured it turning out like this." she admitted. "It''sˇ­ terrifying, butˇ­" she breathed deeply again. In and out. "Part of me regrets starting all of this, not realizing just what I was getting into. And yet another part of me is glad that I did. This isˇ­ even I still have to remind myself to wrap my head around it."

    "You''re extremely brave." Klark looked her over for a moment. Business such as this was something he needed to be used to, but coming from somebody her ageˇ­ "Now thenˇ­ are you ready to get started?" his hand rested on the papers, just waiting to be read and discussed.

    She maintained eye contact. This was it. Her point of no return. There would be no turning back. None, from the moment she uttered the words-

    "Yes, I am."

 Life in a Ghost Town pt 1

    Samuel Oak may have only been thirteen, but he long knew what his goal in life was: Pokemon Research. A pursuit of the endless mystery surrounding the creatures that humanity shared the world with. Or was it Pokemon sharing the world with humanity? One of many questions he dared hope to answer. Unsatisfactory grades had always been his obstacle, however. He was never academically gifted, and his dream often felt like that of a person who wanted to become a top athlete, but did not have the body built to do so. Concerned to see him fraught with disappointment, his parents had always discouraged his goal, to both his appreciation and irritation.

    Limitations could only be overcome with proactivity, and that was why he ventured through Indigo as a trainer. If he was not gifted in academics, then he would achieve knowledge by absorbing it. Not through books or school assignments, but through the eyes of a trainer, he would take it all in. There was no better lesson than travel and experience to soak in the world you lived in. A world filled with Pokemon.

    Among the many varied categories of such creatures, ghosts had always been among the most mysterious and hard to understand, and Lavender Town was the greatest place in Indigo, and maybe the world, to come to understand them. At least, for those brave enough to make the trip. So now, young Samuel found himself within the Noble Town, which many viewed as a town-sized cemetery. And before he knew it, he was sitting across from this girl at the local bakery''s booth.

    He could never explain what, but something about Agatha had jumped out at him during their first meeting inside Pokemon Tower: Was it the way she talked? The way she looked? How she carried herself beyond her years, right in her professional element within the walls of a sacred tower that her family helped to take care of? Did he simply want to chat up a local native for information, and was blessed with meeting one his age, the easiest types to interact with on equal footing? He certainly did not have an easy time talking to people younger or older than him; the imbalance was far too stressful.

    But right now, the reason did not matter. He had set off from home in hopes of finding success as a trainer, studying along the way, and his stop in Lavender was entirely dedicated to the latter. This girl''s invitation to meet here at the bakery to discuss things was a welcome one. He''d expected a nice talk and some good food as a bonus, although he certainly had not prepared himself for how good the pasta would taste. The orange sky on full display through the window also provided the two of them with quite the view, particularly surrounding the roof of Pokemon Tower, visible from here (and according to Agatha, every location in Lavender).

    Across from him, the blonde girl in question grinned with satisfaction, and he realized he had been unable to hide just how much he was relishing the dish that he was currently halfway through eating.

    "Don''t worry, Samuel," Agatha''s voice was as mildly posh as conceivable as she watched the boy eat his food (with pleasantly surprising table manners). "The beacon family''s cooking has that effect on every first-timer. Their culinary talent is so Mew-gifted it''s probably on its way to becoming genetic."

    Though Samuel was not easily flustered by her teasing, his face still betrayed a sheepish smile as he set his fork down. "We don''t get cooking like this in Mossgreen," he admitted. No disrespect to his folks and neighbors, but food and culinary were never a noteworthy talent back at home. "And I''ve only eaten basic stuff at the hotels."

    She nodded along. "Fair enough. I suppose being a first-year won''t easily grant you the income to treat yourself on the road." The general expectation among trainers was that it was only truly profitable in the long-term. The more momentum you had, the more money you made. But first-years don''t gain momentum. Making it to the Conference was a sacred rarity. It took sticking with the occupation and coming into your own to truly prosper, but historically most trainers only remained as such for the first one or two, sometimes three years before pursuing other goals. Journey''s were mostly a rite of passage, a coming of age. And for as popular as the occupation was, true dedication was dwarfed in numbers by the temporaries.

    "You''re a first-year too, though." Samuel replied politely. "You didn''t have to pay for me."

    "Don''t go thinking too much of it. I''m only paying for your meal because I''m getting mine for free. They''re letting me eat without charge during my stay, so I''m basically paying as much as I normally would. It''s no charity."

    "So you''re really close to these guys?"

    "For about six years." The girl''s smile was fond. "But I know pretty much everybody in town."

    "No exaggeration." The two perked up to see Mrs. Beacon approaching them, her name tag reading "Rose". "Even the local ghosts all know Agatha," she smiled at Samuel while gesturing her head. "A good few of them stick to her everywhere she goes in town. Like Yami, here."

    That directed Samuel''s attention to the Sableye seated next to Agatha. The small ghost had been with her when he had first encountered them in the tower the previous morning, and had popped up out of thin air during their dinner. Impressively, the blonde girl had not been the least bit startled by his sudden, unceremonious arrival.

    Agatha patted Yami''s head as she replied. "Heh, Yami''s been here for around ten years now, right?" She turned back to Samuel. "Nobody knows where he came from, not that that''s unusual for a ghost. He always just shows up out of nowhere. He''s been a friend of mine since shortly before starting school, one of the ghosts I''ve known the longest." her eyes shifted to the open notebook on Samuel''s side of the table. The boy was wiping his hands with the napkin, likely signaling that he was preparing to start writing again; he''d done so periodically throughout their conversation, and she couldn''t help but admire the studious productivity. She was about to continue, but quickly realized what Rose''s presence met, so briefly changed the subject. "Are you ready to order dessert, Samuel?"

    She could see the spark in his eyes at the prospect of ''dessert''. "Yeah, are you?"

    "Mhm." she nodded before turning back to Rose. "I''ll have my own helping of whatever he wants, so just two of whatever he orders, please."

    Nodding back to her, Rose turned to Samuel. "Do you need time to decide?"

    "I won''t keep you waiting." Samuel shook his head. "A plate of macadamia nut cookies, and another glass of milk, please." he was close to finishing the milk he had ordered with his dinner.

    Rose chuckled. "I take it Agatha''s already gushed to you about how much she loves the cookies here?" her eyebrow lifted suggestively. Some would call the "love" an obsession.

    "She may have said a thing or two." Samuel admitted. Despite the light tinge in her cheeks, Agatha still somehow managed to appear unfazed whilst rolling her eyes. "Thank you, Mrs. Beacon."

    "Just Rose, dear. We wish for our service to be personal."

    "Okay," the boy corrected himself. "Thank you Rose."

    As Rose walked off (also telling Yami that she would fetch a plate of food for him as well), Samuel and Agatha''s attention found their way back to one another as the two young teens worked to finish their plates. After a comfortable silence, Agatha spoke again. "Soˇ­ as I was explaining, ghosts simply show up. But they''re incredibly uncommon outside of a few key areas. It''s like a cycle; a ghost type Pokemon is attracted to distortion hotspots like a magnet. But what creates those hotspots in the first place?"

    "A gathering of ghosts." Samuel answered easily, penciling in his notebook.

    "Correct." Agatha''s eyes watched the pencil moving in his hand across the paper before returning to the boy''s face. "And there''s one hotspot in Indigo that none can compare too; Pokemon Tower." Briefly, Samuel glanced outside the window, where the tower was always visible from a distance, looming over the entire area. "That tower is the reason why Lavender is what it is. All of the ghosts that appear throughout this town and its surrounding area? They''re all hovering around the tower. And the more ghosts show up, the more are attracted still. Pokemon Tower is often viewed as a bridge between our world and the afterlife. The reason being that it''s Indigo''s biggest cemeteryˇ­ and biggest distortion hotspot."

    "But that cycle has to start somewhere, right?" Samuel had held off just long enough to eat the majority of what was left of his pasta. "I meanˇ­" he locked eyes with the girl, who stared back at him with an even gaze. He quickly found it distracting, however, and so looked down at his food as he continued. "Wouldn''t there have been something that attracted that first collection of ghosts? Of course, the fact that it''s a cemetery would be a natural explanation, but what if there is something more? What if there was a significant source of distortion even before the ghost type''s started populating it? Or at least before the population became massive?"

    Agatha didn''t bother helping her satisfied smile. This boy was invested. The "I''m here to study" attitude wasn''t a half-hearted one. Anya''s uncle would like him. If she had X-Ray vision, she imagined she''d see the gears moving in his skull. "That''s a reasonable theory. What did you have in mind?"

    "I''m thinking it over, still." Samuel confessed. "Since you live here, you obviously know one of the more popular theories, right?"

    "You mean how the spirit of the enemy commander in the Kanto unification war attracts all of the ghosts to the town?" Agatha sounded quite amused. It was true that the rebel who usurped Fuchsia seeking power was born where Lavender Town now stood, and was buried there as well."

    "Yes."

    "I do, and it''s a fat load of Rapidash manure." She looked at him steadily. "Tall tales like that are simply products of this town''s reputation. Horror stories from people who view this place as exactly that. Death is central to our culture, as is the inevitability of it, but the truth is obscured by rumor after rumor." Taking a final bite of her pasta, she continued after swallowing. "It''s true that he is buried here, but nothing more. The distortion hotspot is something else. Admittedly, it''s a bit of a mystery to even us, but there is something in that tower. The easiest guess would be a particularly strong ghost who set off a domino effect by being present. Unfortunately, even ghosts have secrets. Or perhaps especially."

    "Is there any way to solve that secret?" Samuel pried.

    "I know the interior of Pokemon Tower like you know the clothes on your back. But some mysteries are simply beyond humanity."

    "I know.." Samuel''s words hung in the air between them for a moment or two. "And that''s my dream. To break the ceiling. For humans and Pokemon alike." After a few more moments of pause, he finished his plate. "My school principal says knowledge is a shackle. That limitations have always dictated what we as a species could learn. My dream is toˇ­ conquer them. Redefine humanity''s limitations, regarding how we understand our world. And then overcome those as well." Although his tone of voice remained the same; calm, steady, tranquil as a breeze, Agatha could see something in his pupils. Something passionate. "I want our entire perspective on this planet to evolve."

    Agatha absorbed his words, staring at him quietly as she patted Yami''s head once more. Next to her, the Sableye seemed somewhat enamored with the young boy''s speech as she nodded back, signaling acknowledgement of his declaration. "And that''s why you came here tonight, to have this talk with me."

    Samuel Oak of Mossgreen gave Agatha Kikuko of Lavender a heartfelt nod, and a smile that resembled a beacon. Innocence, excitement, fixation, anticipationˇ­ the image of it all etched its way into her brain. "Thanks for your help with that, Agatha." his eyes shifted out the window once more, glancing at the looming tower for just a brief moment. "Iˇ­ doing things this way is what''s best for me. Books are one thing, but perspective is another."

    To his mild surprise, she giggled behind her hand. The noise was soft, benevolent. "That''s good to hear, Samuel, but you should know I''m not doing this for nothing in return." At his curious expression, her hands rested on the table, allowing her to comfortably shift forward just a little bit. "Or you can consider it payment for covering tonight''s meal. After this, I want to learn more about you."

    The boy blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What is there to learn?" He didn''t quite understand Agatha''s point; he was about as unremarkable and ordinary as one could get. From a town with no story behind it, or anything resembling prestige or prominence. He wasn''t even that smart. Not yet.

    "Don''t give me that," she pressed. "You may not come from anywhere as important as here, but I want to know about you." The girl repeated. Reaching behind her head, she effortlessly brushed aside a strand of golden hair as her mouth curved up. "I''ve been nice enough to spend an evening answering everything you''ve had to ask about our town, so now that''s something you owe me. Tomorrow afternoon, I''m doing the asking, and you''re going to be answering my questions." Tilting her head, her light smirk formed into a wide, heartfelt and cheerful grin. "You''re quite fascinating, Samuel Oak."

    The boy blinked several times at her, taking in every detail of her expression. "Fascinating"ˇ­ he was to her? The world was fascinating. The mysteries surrounding it were fascinating. "Fascinating" was a word for things like thoseˇ­ but for him?

    He was just a boy from Mossgreen. A subpar student on a mission for knowledge and perspective. To break down the walls eclipsing humanity''s understanding of this planet. He was not "fascinating". The things he wanted to research were.

    As her words sunk in, his lips moved upwards as well, a light chuckle that couldn''t be helped escaping the young teen boy''s throat.

    "Heh, Iˇ­ wouldn''t mind that, Agatha Kikuko."

    /

    Dawn beckoned in the skies above Lavender, the first signs of the sun peaking over the horizon to light up the world below. As always, however, Lavender was an area lit up slightly less, and those bordering it could almost notice the shift with their own two eyes.

    Such as those at the Team Rocket camp.

    Executive Silver leaned against his tent as he locked professional gazes with the man standing across from him. Executive Petrel wore the same prestigious uniform, and stood roughly half a head taller than the red-haired teen, perhaps three quarters. His purple hair was arranged quite goofily, but a man of his quirks was not obligated to keep a less jarring appearance. Standing next to the purple-haired executive was a blonde girl one year Silver''s senior, yet outranked by him all the same. Agent Domino, a prodigious, sixteen-year old young woman nicknamed "Black Tulip" throughout the organization, and a part of them since the age of eight. Familiarity glazed over her and Silver''s eyes as the two looked one another over. The amount of joint training exercises and on-foot missions shared by the pair were too numerous for either of them to recall all at once.

    "Dominoˇ­ this will be given to Marauder when the mission starts." extending a hand, Silver handed her a stone. To the common man, it was an evolutionary stone known as the Moon Stone. To others, it was a fragment. For as humongous as the Moon Stone resting beneath Mt. Moon was, it was once much bigger, the pieces scattered about carrying the ability to evolve certain species.

    To Operation Origin participants, the story went far beyond just that.

    "Thank you kindly." her voice stoic and soft, she accepted the mystical rock. "Executive Petrel has already informed me of my role: I will be assisting Marauder in the raid on the tower, while the two of you will lead the surrounding unit preventing any resistance from entering the town, correct?"

    "Yes," Silver nodded, brushing a strand of red hair behind him as his eyes briefly shifted to Neptune. The large Feraligatr was carrying a heavy box to another location in the camp. "Elite Four Agatha will be the one to answer the call once the League hears of our attack."

    "Guaranteed." Petrel agreed. "It''s far too personal for her."

    "Once the League receives word, how long will we have until she shows up?" Domino bit her lip.

    "No time," Petrel answered matter-of-factly. "That''s why the mission must be done at night, to buy what little time we can before being noticed. But it will be easier for her to teleport to the border than directly inside the town." his face grew dark. "Elite Four Agatha, Maiden of the Ghoulsˇ­ the greatest expert of ghosts to ever live, and Indigo''s number two trainer, widely viewed. If she so much as steps foot in the tower, the mission is over. Which is why you and Marauder need to have secured the target by then. Even with us trying to hold her off, you are on a strict time limit." the blonde agent nodded at him as Silver crossed his arms.

    "She won''t be alone, obviously." the red-haired executive spoke coolly. "But she is the main concern. Holding her off will be more important than stalling most of the forces accompanying her, which is why the majority of our own mustˇ­ dogpile her." Just speaking the words made him taste something disgusting. It was likely to be a bloodbath of sacrificial pawns. "Petrel and I will only be able to do so much before we''re inevitably forced to retreat. But we will use every advantage available to prolong the stalling." Stalling was all that they could do. There was no defeating Agatha.

    Domino stared at the Moon Stone in her hand, as though her eyes were involuntarily drawn to the object. "And this will be what finds the target." She looked between her two superiors. "Top floor. That''s when we use it."

    "It certainly won''t be an easy capture." Petrel shifted uneasily. "The thought of staring her down is far worse, though."

    "I don''t disagree," Silver confessed. "Butˇ­ once things get moving, the worst will be over. You two have finished your scouting, so Commander Archer will be sending Marauder to that location once he''s had time to recuperate from this battle. That will be the moment of truthˇ­ the prototype my forces stole from Celadon Gym has been tested. Executive Ariana is hard at work with the blueprints. The perfected product will be the main event, but we aren''t at that point yet. The prototype, howeverˇ­ will be needed to catch the next target."

    "The next targetˇ­" Domino repeated. Her skin crawled. Her face was turning pale.

    Silver''s expression softened. "Dominoˇ­"

    "It''sˇ­ I''m fine." She lied. "But are we sureˇ­"

    "Ariana has studied the Master Ball with extensive detail, and The Iron-Masked Marauder is one of the greatest Hunters alive." Petrel answered her. "That''s why he''s here. The combination of him and his abilities, and the Master Ball. It''s needed for this."

    ''That''s not what I meant.'' Domino did her best to fight off the anxiety. It would not be appreciated.

    Silver studied her for a moment or two, before looking back at Petrel. "But that prototype will be saved for Marauder''s next mission. For now, the current target is what lies in that tower."

    "You''ve been preparing at camp," the older executive commented. "About how long will it take before we are ready for the mission?"

    "The current projection is just under a week." Silver answered. "After that, we attack at night."

    After exchanging a few more words, the trio were ready to part, but as Petrel walked off to speak with Marauder, and Domino turned in the direction of her tent, a hand on her shoulder halted her. Almost uneasily, she turned to look Silver in the eye. It wasn''t long ago when the two of them were of equal rank. And now, he was one of the few giving her orders. It wasn''t something either was used too yet.

    "Something''s on your mindˇ­" he locked gazes with her. "It''s because you and Petrel confirmed the lead, correct?" Her mouth remained closed for a few moments, but he was patient.

    Finally, she released a breath. "It''s justˇ­ Operation Originˇ­ this whole projectˇ­" she couldn''t finish the sentence.

    "Goes beyond humanity." Silver finished for her. He knew what she was thinking, and the thought sped up his heart rate just as much as her own. "And that''s why it''s the key to everything. Destroying the Indigo League is impossibleˇ­ within humanity''s limitations. But now we have the means to transcend that."

    He allowed her to leave his grip. Standing up straight, she locked eyes with him once more. "Thenˇ­ let''s do it."

    After a few more moments, Agent and Executive went off in separate directions. Taking in the surroundings as she walked through the camp, Domino''s mind was flooded.

    What was Operation Origin''s limit?

    /

    Ash was scheduled to meet Yami at Mr. Fuji''s lab (to which he was quick to acquire directions from Nurse Joy) in the afternoon. To ensure he and his friends did not get too caught up in anything prior, he had chosen an easygoing morning. Once afternoon came, Nebula would receive some much appreciated help with Ominous Wind, and he could begin everyone else''s routine as well.

    So for now, he had his attention set on the other subject matter: Evolution. He had already announced his intention to sell a portion of his TMs to afford one stone. That left him with two unanswered questions: Which TMs to sell, and which teammate to evolve. The latter he knew needed to be a group decision, whereas the former was on him.

    After breakfast, Janine and her team had taken to using the surrounding area of the Center for training, Ash politely declining her offer to join them. With him and his team having the Center''s hotel room to themselves, it was a good opportunity to use the morning to get both questions out of the way. So, while his team watched TV together, Ash had looked over all of his TMs at the table.

    Iron Tail and Brick Break had been the first TMs he had ever purchased. Rock Blast, Scald, Bullet Seed and Psyshock from the four Gyms they had cleared. Steel Wing, Reflect, Magical Leaf, and various others had been purchased overtime. There was a fair amount that he and his team did not "need" at the moment, but that could all change with a single capture. He''d be able to buy back what he needed eventually, but for now, he needed to be selective. He wouldn''t discard EVERYTHING that he did not immediately need, nor would he get rid of one that he had yet to use.

    In the end, he had chosen to set aside Rock Blast, Steel Wing, Reflect, Magical Leaf, Scald, and Thunder Punch. Six TMs would certainly grant him enough money for one stone. It feltˇ­ wrong dividing these six in a separate section, knowing that they''d be gone within the week, but he knew he wouldn''t regret the decision in the long run. Half of his team could use stones to evolve, and all three had confirmed they wanted to. In the end, this course of action would benefit them the most.

    But that brought him to the more difficult choice: Who it would be.

    Pikachu, Valiant, and Eevee all sat side by side on Ash''s bed, their trainer sitting across from them on a chair. Nebula and Phenom observed from not too far away, and despite his attempts to focus on the TV (currently, a hijinks-filled cartoon about wrestling was on), Tempest was clearly just as interested. Ash''s focus was entirely on the three on his bed, however, not allowing his attention to even slightly divert from the subject at hand.

    "Okay guys," he began. "Obviously, you all know that I''ve been looking into helping the three of you evolve. After some thinking, Valiant has confirmed to me that he would prefer to evolve into Gallade once his time comes, which means this discussion concerns him too." he thought back to Anya''s store, which contained all of the options, just waiting to be purchased. "At your current levels, I think Pikachu and Eevee are definitely at the point where they are ready. Valiant, as I said before, I believe should wait longer," he gave the Kirlia a quick apologetic look, but his friend did not seem bothered. The psychic knew that waiting until the time was right would be more worthwhile than a premature evolution. "Either wayˇ­ we can only afford one stone at the moment. It''d be a bad idea to sell too many TMs. I''ll do everything I can to find stones for the other two afterwards, but for now, we need to decide who''s evolving first." he looked between the three of them. "Naturally, I think it''s best if the three of you had a hand in that decision. You all want it, so I need to know your thoughts. Of course, we don''t need to decide right away, we''ll probably be here for about a week."

    "I''ll wait." Valiant quickly raised his hand. "There''s no use spending so much on a stone I won''t be using right away."

    Ash nodded. "Thanks, Valiant." If the young psychic had been the only one on the team in need of a stone, it would not have been a problem, but since two other teammates could use one right now, the Kirlia was easily the least practical choice present. Ash had still included him in the discussion because he felt it was the right thing to do, although he frankly wasn''t surprised by the quick stance that Valiant took. "That leaves you two, then."

    Silently, Pikachu and Eevee''s heads turned to one another, and Ash couldn''t help but feel the awkwardness of the exchange. After a moment, Pikachu said something which Valiant was quick to translate.

    "They''d like to discuss this themselves for a moment."

    Phenom''s eyes were fixed on the pair as Pikachu and Eevee gravitated to a corner in the room, but Valiant quickly joined him to redirect his focus on the cartoon. Ash watched them talk for a moment before giving them their due space; both seemed quite civil, neither wanting to start any arguments, which was a relief. The five minutes they spent before heading back to the group were surprisingly short.

    Pikachu approached Valiant first, the two exchanging a few words that Ash could not understand before both turned to him.

    "Pikachu wants it to be Eevee." Looking over at the evolution Pokemon, Ash could see the mixture of emotions on Eevee''s face: Some guilt, but also gratitude. "He thinks she''s the best choice because she has multiple stones to choose from and he does not." Valiant rubbed his head for a moment. His telepathic communication was getting a bit better, but it would be a while still before he could comfortably talk at an extensive rate. "We don''t know if we''ll have this many options next time, so this gives her a chance to choose whatever she wants."

    At Valiant''s explanation, Ash couldn''t help his smile as he reached down to pat his starter''s head. "That''s really thoughtful of you, buddy. Don''t worry, you and Valiant will both get your moment. I''ll make sure of it."

    Pikachu offered his trainer a soft, grateful squeak, cheeks reddening a bit at the grateful lick from Eevee.

    /

    Eevee still had not decided which stone she wanted, which was fine by Ash. There was no going back after evolving, so whatever time she needed to make her decision, he would give it to her. Whatever choice she made would forever change the landscape of how she trained and battled, he was glad she wasn''t rushing into the choice. To help her, Ash planned to show her videos of each possible evolved form throughout the week. Prior to leaving for Mr. Fuji''s lab, he had already gotten started by showing her a couple of battles fought by Karen''s Umbreon and Cynthia''s Glaceon, both of which had left her captivated. He would likely spend the night researching other Eeveelutions that had been utilized in high-level battles.

    For now, however, it was time for their appointment with Yami, and after some lunch, Ash had set off for Mr. Fuji''s lab with Pikachu on his shoulder. He had initially felt a bit awkward showing up announced because a ghost told him too, but from what Anya had told him about the Sableye, there likely was not a need. Yami wouldn''t have asked them to that specific location if Fuji would not be okay with it, and earlier in the morning, Nurse Joy had confirmed such with him: Fuji''s lab was one of Yami''s most frequent hangouts.

    Using the directions that Nurse Joy had provided him with earlier, Ash managed to locate the lab without much trouble, and the door was quickly answered by a woman in a uniform.

    "Hello there," she greeted him. "Would you happen to be Ash, by any chance?"

    "Yes, that''s me." he answered.

    She smiled. "Mr. Fuji has been expecting you. Please, come in."

    As she gestured him inside, Ash took the time to scan the room. One look at the outside was all you need to know that the place wasn''t as big as Professor Oak''s lab (although, Nurse Joy had informed him that there were still outside areas dedicated for Pokemon that trainers did not currently have on them, as all of the major labs had, even if Oak''s Corral was by far the biggest and most perfectly varied). The lobby almost resembled a section of a library, with neatly arranged bookshelves and a few employees working on computers.

    A few moments after the woman spoke into the intercom, a door leading further into the lab opened, and Mr. Fuji''s eyes quickly set themselves on Ash and Pikachu.

    "Good afternoon, Ash." The older man approached the duo offering a quick handshake which Ash accepted. "Yami informed me you would be coming, he says you need help teaching your Staravia a move?"

    "Yeah," Ash replied. "Thanks for letting us use your place for this."

    Fuji shook his head. "Think nothing of it. Lately this lab has become something of a second home for that Sableye, after Pokemon Tower of course. We may not be particularly big compared to our counterparts elsewhere, but there is still plenty of free room outside for you to conduct your business. Oh, and feel free to let the rest of your team roam if they would like. We have a free section closed off from the other Pokemon, so you can use it at your leisure."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    /

    As Fuji led him and Pikachu to the outside area of the lab, Ash couldn''t help but realize that this was the first time he had been to a lab''s "Pokemon areas" outside of Oak''s Corral. The Professor''s Corral was effectively unrivaled throughout Indigo: specially designed very similar to that of the Safari Zone, it emulated numerous different types of habitats for Pokemon to freely roam. Since trainers were only allowed to carry six Pokemon with them at a time before acquiring eight badges, the Oak Corral was a haven that took good care of Pokemon for trainers throughout Indigo; not just limited to Pallet Town or even Kanto itself. Of course, every lab, including Fuji''s own, had areas of their own for the safekeeping of Pokemon, but few could hope to match that of the Corral.

    Ash had been to the Oak Corral numerous times, as his class had taken their fair share of trips for educational purposes. Their time was mostly limited to the simpler, grassy sections, however, but it was nothing short of marvelous nonetheless. In comparison, although Ash knew that Fuji''s equivalent to the Corral was far simpler, it was still fairly in line with what the young rookie was used to: Grass and trees, with a sizable pond in a separate section.

    Yami was waiting for them in a not too far off area of Fuji''s Corral, talking to a Shuppet that had quickly vanished upon their arrival. After exchanging a few friendly words with the Sableye, Fuji wished Ash luck before returning to the lab. The small ghost''s attention then turned to Ash and Pikachu, the latter of whom lept off of his trainer''s shoulder to greet the Sableye with a handshake.

    "Thank you again, Yami." Ash knelt down to speak to the ghost more evenly. "We really appreciate your help with this. So, do you know how to use Ominous Wind?" Even if he did not, simply being a ghost type meant that the Sableye had a great deal of expertise with distortion, which was necessary to use such a move. His coaching would be invaluable for Nebula regardless, but Ash was curious. At the question, the Sableye quickly nodded.

    Although Pikachu remained out, Ash decided not to let out the rest of the team until things with Nebula had gotten started. After that, they could tackle things one step at a time. So without delay, he quickly released the Staravia from her ball. Nebula emerged from the light offering a cheerful chirp and a raised wing for her trainer, before greeting Pikachu with a light nip to the cheek, eliciting a blush from her electric type friend.

    "Nebula," Ash gestured to the Sableye in front of her. "This is Yami, who I told you about before. He''s going to help you learn Ominous Wind." The two Pokemon quickly exchanged greetings of their own, Yami waving to the Staravia with what appeared to be a light smile as she chirped at him with a friendly expression of her own. After a few words (which Ash , as usual, could not understand) between the two, Yami signaled for Ash and Pikachu to back up as he stepped in front of the Staravia.

    Holding his hands together, Yami''s eyes scanned the grassy area ahead of them for a moment before stretching his arms out. After giving a couple of seconds to ensure that Nebula was watching closely, he fired off the attack.

    A surge of dark purple wind erupted from the small Sableye''s palms, and Ash immediately knew that Yami packed a punch. Anya had described him as docile, but that was clearly by choice, because judging by this usage of Ominous Wind, Yami could easily hold his own in a fight if he wanted to. More importantly, the Ominous Wind in question was very well made, shooting out of the small ghost''s palms without effort, perfectly structured and stable. At his ear, he could hear an impressed noise from Pikachu (who was back on his shoulder) as the two of them watched the attack.

    At Yami''s side, Nebula''s eyes widened for just a moment at the sheer ease of use, before the wind subsided and the smaller ghost turned to her. The two of them began chatting again, the Sableye making a couple of hand gestures to further elaborate his point as the Staravia nodding along with the occasional reply. The two seemed to be getting along fairly well, and based on how the exchange was going, Yami was explaining things in decently simple terms for an inexperienced party to understand.

    /

    "Soˇ­ what do you think, Mr. Fuji?"

    Nebula and Yami had continued practice for about an hour or so as the calm Sableye guided the eager Staravia along in her attempts. Although it took much effort, Ash''s bird friend had eventually managed the tiniest of success, producing a small shade of an attempt. Whatever advice Yami had given her regarding distortion was clearly working; although Valiant and especially Eevee were both good with Shadow Ball, neither of them knew nearly as much about the ins and outs of distortion energy as an actual ghost type inevitably would.

    Ash had decided to give Nebula a break for the moment, since actually summoning distortion for the first time (even to such a small extent) was a first step on its own. To his pleasant surprise, however, Yami had offered to continue assisting them whenever they were ready to continue, and when asked, Fuji had kindly told Ash that he and his team could continue coming to the lab for training during their stay in Lavender, to which Ash was beyond grateful.

    With Nebula taking a break, Ash allowed the rest of the team out to work on their own training; Valiant continued to hone Calm Mind while also acting as a sparring partner for Pikachu''s electricity training and Phenom''s Dragon Pulse practice. Eevee had opted to simply use the time to further ponder who she wanted to evolve into, however, and had joined Ash inside the lab to ask Fuji for help with something else that had been on the young trainer''s mind: Tempest''s evolution.

    The stones were one thing, but Tempest, Nebula, and Phenom would all be evolving "traditionally". Tempest was determined, and although they hadn''t expressed the same, Ash was certain that the latter two were also interested in the subject. So, heading inside of the lab with Eevee and Tempest while the rest of the team practiced outside, Ash had politely asked Fuji to examine the eager river crab.

    Fuji had complimented Ash''s agency, and agreed to look the Krabby over with some diagnostics due to not being too busy at the moment. Tempest had been surprisingly patient during the examinations, which had just finished up.

    Fuji, after examining the Krabby''s shell up close, stood back up from his crouching position, straightening his posture for a moment before turning to Ash. Eevee watched the exchange sitting off in a corner.

    "Well, for starters," as Fuji began, Tempest found it harder and harder to hide his anticipation, and the older man spared the water type an amused glance as his pincers began to click, before returning his attention to Ash. "This Krabby is incredibly healthy. Extremely well fed and well worked. He''s fairly large for his species already, certainly above average, and his current movepool is impressive. When he does evolve, you''re going to have quite the Kingler on your hands. In fact, if he were to evolve right now, I think the evolution would be fairly healthy."

    Ash''s eyebrow raised in some excitement. "Soˇ­ does that mean he''s ready?"

    "In theory, I would say so, although the actual answer isn''t as clear cut." Seeing Tempest''s curious expression, Fuji elaborated. "You see, when a Pokemon evolves with a stone or another item of the sort, the trigger is automatic. It''s like you''re pushing a button that activates the evolution, regardless of whether or not the Pokemon is ready for it. If done too soon, the medical repercussions can potentially beˇ­ severe." he brushed something off of his uniform, a somewhat dark expression passing over his features before quickly vanishing as he continued. "Outside of extreme, criminal scenarios that we best not get into, traditional evolution does not have this problem. A Pokemon will only evolve when they''re ready. If not ready, extreme, emotional circumstances could potentially be a trigger that pushes them past the line, but even these would normally be impossible unless the line is somewhere within reach. But even if a Pokemon is ready, it''s not as telling when exactly the evolution will take place. There''s no set time, just a sliding scale." he held up his hands. "Imagine that I am holding a meter with a blue, yellow, and red section. If your Pokemon is in the blue section, it is not going to evolve anytime soon. In the yellow section, they are approaching that threshold. If close enough to the red, an extreme physical or emotional trigger could, in some cases, create a hypothetical "orange section" that causes them to evolve earlier than they normally should have otherwise. In those circumstances, there usually will not be medical repercussions, as long as the Pokemon in question is very healthy and in shape. If not, then you may have cause to worry, but a very healthy body that''s still very strong in its own right will usually be able to adapt to an early evolution in the long term, although it will take time."

    As the researcher gave Ash a moment or two to allow the explanation to sink in, Ash''s mind thought back to Mt. Moon. Valiant had evolved during the heated confrontation with the Iron-Masked Marauder (the thought of the man forced Ash to push the memories of bad dreams away from his mind). Was he in the "orange section" at the time?

    "The red section," Fuji continued on after the pause. "Effectively means that evolution could take place at any given time. Usually in moments of exertion, like in the heat of battle, or an intense training session. It''s far from uncommon for a Pokemon to evolve after a particularly hard-fought battle, as well. The adrenaline often induces the cells and genes and triggers the process. The rush gets things moving, and there are a lot of things going on inside of the body, not just during the evolution, but in the moments leading up to it as well. Sometimes, the Pokemon in question can even feel it coming."

    Ash nodded along. "That''sˇ­ a helpful way to put it, thank you." He imagined that there were tons of convoluted explanations and unrecognizable words that Fuji could use in order to fully describe the subject in ways known to the people in his field, but the researcher had effortlessly translated the complexities into a simple analogy.

    "In the prime of my career, genetics were my specialty," Fuji explained, looking back to Tempest, who seemed fairly invested as well. "So evolution is an extensive subject of mine. My rough estimation is that Tempest, here, is getting close to the red zone. I don''t think he is quite at that finish line yet, but judging by his condition, he is definitely well on his way. Once he gets there, it will just be a matter of when and how."

    Ash playfully rolled his eyes as the water type puffed his chest, and Eevee scoffed over in the corner. "I guess all that''s left is to keep on working, right?" his teammate clicked his pincers with an enthused grin.

    "It''s worth noting, of course," Fuji''s words redirected the pair''s attention back to him. "That the meter varies from species to species. Different Pokemon will have different expectations when it comes to how mature or strong they have to become in order to reach that red zone. A Pikachu or an Eevee normally would not take as long, while other species will take a lot more. Of course, Pokemon are never simple: certain flexibilities, such as the "orange zone" will always create a lack of guarantees." he nodded outside the window. "If you''d like, I can also look over your Staravia and Tyrunt during your stay here in town, although I will not have time to do it today. Your Kirlia may also be worth a look, so you''ll have an idea of when he''ll be ready for a Dawn Stone." looking back at Ash, he added, "You don''t have to worry about it being too much trouble. Again, this is my specialty, and our labs are supposed to assist trainers like you."

    Briefly, Ash bowed his head in thanks (was Janine rubbing off on him, he wondered?). "That would be a really big help. My friend Janine and I are planning to be here for about a week, soˇ­ would one a day be alright?"

    "I think that would be perfect for my schedule. And yours too, I imagine."

    "Great," Ash turned back to Tempest. "Soˇ­ you ready to work on Ice Beam and Crabhammer?"

    Tempest shot out a clenched pincer as though he were pumping a fist. The more training, the faster he''d be a Kingler.

    Just as they were about to head back outside, the door opening caught their attention. Ash perked up as a familiar short, brown-haired boy walked into the room. He quickly recognized him as Caleb, the boy from the bakery last night. He was holding a small notebook in his hand, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene.

    "Oh, umˇ­" Caleb''s cheeks turned rosy. "I''m sorry to interrupt, butˇ­"

    "It''s fine, Caleb." Fuji said casually before turning to Ash. "Caleb is receiving tutorship here, he was taking notes on a Conference documentary that I had him watch." Turning back to Caleb, he added, "This is Ash. He and his team will be spending time here throughout the week."

    Looking at the younger boy, Ash realized that Caleb seemed to recognize him as well.

    /

    "Phenom, Dragon Pulse!"

    At Ash''s order, the young Tyrunt stamped a foot into the grass as his jaws opened as wide as he could manage. After a few seconds of effort, a rainbow-ish colored ball began forming inside. The orb was not stable, constantly rippling and fluctuating in size before bursting outwards towards Valiant.

    As a fairy type, the Kirlia could have easily tanked the dragon type move simply by bracing himself, and no harm would have come to him in doing so. However, Ash was having Valiant working on something as well: Psychic barriers.

    Up until this point, his friend had constantly been relying on Light Screen and Reflect for his defensive game, but for as effective as they were, there was an efficient means for more skilled psychics to protect themselves: generating their psychic energy into protective shields, made of pure psychic energy. Although usage of the moves certainly improved durability, skilled psychics would strain themselves less this way, albeit at the cost of the shields usually not being as durable. On large scales, such a method was also used to create barriers during official battles, albeit with the weakness of bug, ghost, and dark type moves not being as easy to contain, part of the reason why the switch to machines was done. Nonetheless, the practice was still very much in use in places that did not have access to such machines.

    Psychics usually could not generate such barriers at just any level, however. It often required experience and skill, due to the necessary manipulation. With all of the progress that had been made, Ash believed that it was finally time for Valiant to work on such a thing.

    The Kirlia''s mood was not lost on him, however. Whatever was on Valiant''s mind from the previous day had not gone away yet, and if the psychic did not start talking soon, Ash knew he would have to get it out of him. His concentration seemed slightly off compared to normal, and it showed with Phenom''s latest attempt.

    As the Tyrunt''s Dragon Pulse approached him, Valiant raised his arms, trying to summon the psychic barriers to surround him, only for nothing to happen. As the small blast exploded against him, the Kirlia suffered no damage, simply sliding back a tiny bit before righting himself. Across from him, Phenom recuperated with a deep breath before locking eyes with Valiant once more. The mood exhibited by the young Tyrunt was almost exactly the opposite, and Ash had noticed the stark contrast in him just as quickly as well. Recently, Phenom had been a lot moreˇ­ focused. Fixated. He was still the way Ash knew him, and yet he wasn''t.

    Of course, he had known Phenom since the very moment the Tyrunt had hatched. Phenom was no longer a baby, and thus was not going to act like one forever, but the gradual attitude shift had caught Ash''s attention. The young trainer had also felt something in his throat upon seeing the way Phenom had looked at Tempest on occasion; once, he had even heard a growl.

    The memory of what had happened between the Tyrunt and Krabby during the first trip to Saffron still stuck in Ash''s mind, and apparently, it had stuck in Phenom''s as well. He was beginning to second guess the plan to have Tempest help the dinosaur learn Ice Fang. It was important to make Tempest work with the others; keeping them apart just would not do anymore. But in addition to mending the Krabby''s position amongst the rest of the team, he also needed to prevent further incidents. Even with supervision, having the two working together did not seem to be wise at the moment. Keeping them apart, at least for the time being, would likely have to be prolonged, even if it meant revising his future training plans for the team.

    For the moment, however, he needed to address Valiant, and with that in mind, he raised a hand to give the training session pause.

    "Phenom," the Tyrunt perked up as his trainer addressed him. "I''m sorry for the short notice, but could you go to Pikachu and ask him to spar with you? I need to speak with Valiant for a moment."

    The Kirlia seemed to know what Ash was getting at, because he began tensing up as the team''s youngest member nodded before taking off, offering Valiant a quick, friendly goodbye. Nonetheless, he complied when Ash asked him to sit with him on the nearby bench. A bit of a distance away, Tempest paused his own training (where he had just shattered a rock) to look over at them.

    Ash didn''t say anything at first, looking down to study his friend''s expression. Valiant had grown a bit fidgety from the silence, however, so Ash quickly broke it. "I know you don''t want to rush into it," he started, "But something''s clearly bothering you. You said it''s not just that this town has ghosts, right?"

    For a moment or two, Valiant did not respond, seemingly trying to think over his response. Finally, he turned to look up at Ash, and nodded. Behind the bench, Ash could see Tempest approaching, seemingly to listen in. After a moment or two of thinking, he chose not to turn the Krabby away (although the water type would not be able to hear whatever Valiant said to him telepathically) and focused on Valiant. He was about to say something when the Kirlia finally spoke up.

    "I''ve beenˇ­ thinking about Viridian Forest." That gave Ash pause. "You remember what Suzie said about the Rocketsˇ­ who kidnapped me?"

    Ash thought back to that conversation. "They wereˇ­ killed, right? The authorities found them dead?" The Kirlia nodded. "Did you see it?" Thinking back, Valiant had never told them what had killed his abductors. When the subject had come up. It had quickly been dropped because of the Kirlia''s clear discomfort.

    Although Valiant nodded, he gave pause for a moment again, his head turning in the direction of the looming tower in the distance. Finally, "It wasˇ­ a ghost. A really strong one." he rubbed his head for a moment. "Back in the forestˇ­ I escaped the fight butˇ­ I could feel him everywhere. It was like the place wasˇ­ one and the same with him." Although he paused again, Ash knew his friend wasn''t finished. Valiant was trying to space out his sentences, likely in hopes that the conversation would not exhaust him as fast. He still could not have a full blown talk with his trainer without putting himself to sleep. "My sense of time and direction was gone. All I could feel was thatˇ­ monster. And then I got caught in that trap and you guys saved me."

    Ash stared at Valiant for a moment. "Iˇ­ I knew the forest was rumored to be haunted but," he bit his lip. Most would write Valiant''s story off as a tall tale, but he knew better. He remembered how much Valiant hated that forest. "To that extent? It was really that bad?" A nod. "Do youˇ­ know what species the ghost was?" Valiant shook his head.

    "There''s more, Ash." The Kirlia continued, his eyes moving to the tower again. "It''sˇ­ the tower."

    "Isˇ­ something in the tower." As Tempest''s eyes narrowed behind him, Ash suddenly wasn''t liking what Valiant was getting at.

    "Yes, itˇ­ it feels just like that ghost from the forest."

    /

    "Um, excuse me, Ash?"

    Ash had a lot on his mind after his and Valiant''s brief talk, but did his best to save those thoughts for later. With Valiant tired out from their exchange, he had recalled the Kirlia for the day to let him rest. Soon, it was late afternoon, and they would be halting training for the day. Before that, however, he had one last thing he wanted to work on with Pikachu. He and hiss tarter had just been reviewing those plans when Caleb had approached them.

    Looking up from the electric mouse, Ash perked up at the sight of the younger boy approaching them. There was a notebook in Caleb''s hand, and as he stopped in front of the duo, his feet shuffled in the dirt uneasily.

    "Oh, hi Caleb. Did Mr. Fuji need something?"

    Caleb shook his head. "Um, no. I just wanted to ask you something." his cheeks reddened a bit before straightening himself up. "You seeˇ­ I was wondering if I could watch you train?" At Ash''s surprised expression, the younger boy elaborated. "You seeˇ­ I''m trying to become a trainer too. Mr. Fuji''s been helping me study, but I''ve never really seen anything up close before. So I was wondering if I could take notes while youˇ­" he seemed a bit embarrassed as he trailed off.

    Ash blinked for a moment, not expecting the request, but after exchanging a quick glance with Pikachu, he turned back to Caleb with a smile. "I don''t see why not." he probably would have jumped at the chance to do something similar if the opportunity had presented itself. "Just try to keep a bit of distance for this one, Pikachu''s about to test out an idea I had."

    The embarrassment left Caleb''s features, replaced with a wide grin that instantly lifted Ash''s spirits. "Okay, thanks!"

    The trainer led Caleb a decent distance back as the brown-haired boy got his notebook and pen ready. Meanwhile, Pikachu stood on all fours, paws sinking comfortably into the dirt as his tail stood erect behind him.

    "Alright Pikachu, do it!"

    At Ash''s signal, Pikachu threw himself to the ground on his back, and began rotating as electricity fired off of his body. The sparks went off in different directions, but Pikachu''s movements were sloppy and slow, far from what Ash had envisioned. This was only the first attempt, after all.

    With Caleb watching the mouse with wide-eyed curiosity, Ash decided to narrate what was going on to the younger boy. He was trying to take notes, after all, so it would help to give him something to take notes on. "I''m planning to teach Pikachu Discharge by the time we get to Fuchsia City." he started. As Pikachu halted his spinning, now on his stomach, Caleb turned to look up at Ash. "It''s a really difficult move, though. It requires a lot of control over electricity, both to use it, and especially to not get tired out in one go. That''s why, our first step has been for Pikachu to exercise himself by manipulating lightning in ways he has not done before. He knows Electro Ball and Electroweb, which definitely helps for controlling the electricity, but we need more to solve the stamina issue.

    Caleb''s pen moved across the paper in his notebook as Ash spoke to him, before looking back up at the older boy. "Okay, soˇ­ what was he doing?"

    "That was an experiment," Ash explained. "It''s an exercise to work on control and stamina, like I said, but I''m also hoping to turn it into an actual technique that combines offense and defense. If Pikachu spins around properly while firing off the Thunderbolt, he could sort of create this spinning forcefield made out of lightning." He looked over to his starter while Caleb stared at him curiously. "I was thinking of calling it a "Counter Shield". Because it''s meant to be an attack and protection move all at once."

    Caleb was writing faster now. "Wowˇ­ what gave you that idea?"

    "I was racking my brain for exercises," Ash replied. "That''s really how it all started; I was trying to come up with creative ways for Pikachu to practice. When I thought of this, I realized that the idea could be tweaked a bit to create a special, modified move. And if Pikachu can get the hang of that, he might be ready for Discharge."

    "That''sˇ­" Caleb finished writing. "Really cool. But it sounds hard."

    Ash chuckled. "A lot of these kinds of moves are. I''m sure Mr. Fuji told you that the higher level trainers like to combine and modify their moves a lot?" The younger boy nodded. "I wanted to try my hand at that as soon as possible. It started when this weird girl I battled back in Viridian Forest used a bit of a trick against me with a wind based attack, and when I firs thad Pikachu combine his Iron Tail with electricity. Most of this stuff takes a lot of practice to get down, but it''s worth it for how strong the combos can be. And, it makes the Pokemon even better at using the moves involved, since they''re getting in great practice on how to manipulate them." Caleb was writing again. "Janine does stuff like that too, her ideas are really good." After giving Caleb a chance to finish writing, he called out to his starter. "Hey Pikachu, are you ready to give it another go?"

    Pikachu, who had waited patiently throughout the exchange, nodded with a determined grin. His back was filthy from all the rolling he had done in the dirt, but he almost ignored it completely. He was starting to enjoy getting dirty.

    /

    Ash fell into a routine on the next day, getting up at a reasonable time before heading towards Fuji''s lab after breakfast. As agreed, the researcher would look over one member of his team a day and determine how close they were to evolving. Phenom was examined on the second day, and predictably still had a ways to go. Not only was he younger than the others, but Tyrunt typically took longer to evolve as well. Having said that, Fuji also emphasized that the young dinosaur was progressing very nicely, and that he might become a Tyrantrum somewhat more quickly than normal with the strides that he was making, although he was certain to encourage Ash not to rush it. It was important that the Tyrunt built himself up as much as possible before taking such a big leap. The more he did, the more his body would be prepared to adapt to such a monstrous change.

    Fuji''s words had done wonders for the Tyrunt, however, who had thrown himself head first into training immediately after the examination was finished. Although the cheerful side that Ash had come to adore was still perfectly visible, it was no longer dominant. Phenom did not spar with Valiant with the excitement of a child battling because it was fun. There was a layer of determination coating his exterior as he gave the Kirlia as much as he could. Ash went out of his way to ensure that Phenom and Tempest did not train within one another''s vicinity.

    Speaking of Valiant, Ash had been sure to talk to him again during dinner, and before going to bed. Although still tense, Valiant had seemed progressively more at ease as the night progressed, and thanked Ash for helping him get things off of his chest. Their conversation still played in Ash''s mind during the second day of training, and he was tempted to ask Fuji about it. He held off on it for now, due to the researcher receiving an important call from Kris (who was planning to stay in town for a bit longer than he and Janine were) regarding an incident at the Center that had left him unavailable for the remainder of the day.

    Valiant''s somewhat improved mindset showed itself on the second day, being much more engaged with the sparring sessions with Phenom and even Tempest. The Kirlia''s clever usage of Calm Mind had allowed him to make great strides with Icy Wind, Moonblast, and Psyshock as of late. His psychic barriers still needed work, but that was a new addition to training that Ash was aware would take some time.

    On Tempest''s side, the Krabby did not seem as dismissive when coaching the Kirlia as he used to be. Although he was a far cry from Valiant''s chemistry with Phenom, Ash couldn''t help but the notice the more hands-on involvement the water type had begun exhibiting, especially as Valiant''s progress became increasingly clear. The two of them even seemed to have a discussion halfway through the day. It was the progress that Ash had been hoping to see when he had first assigned them together, and although he''d have to handle Phenom with care, he was hopeful that the progress could begin translating to the rest of the team, still thinking of ways that Tempest could become involved in their training as well. And when not coaching Valiant, the river crab was as passionate as ever, working himself to the bone with Crabhammer, Ice Beam, and Surf. Fuji''s talk about evolution had lit a fire in him; the metaphorical "red section" was the Krabby''s goal until further notice.

    WIth Nebula being coached by Yami, Pikachu (between Counter Shield training) had taken over Eevee''s Double Team practice, and a pleasant air was given off as Ash watched the two race together to further hone their speed. Much earlier on, Eevee''s approach to training with the mouse had been very different, back when she was behind her teammates in both training and performance on the battlefield. Her recent strides had closed that gap, however, and although Pikachu still outran her eight times out of ten, she could very easily keep up with him when he was not using Agility. She gave off less intensity practicing with him now, less focused on beating him or reaching his level, and more on simply improving herself.

    No doubt, the victory in Saffron had greatly contributed to that new spark.

    Yami had eaten lunch with the group on the second day, and Ash had taken the initiative to try and talk to the Sableye. The small ghost had humbly brushed off the young trainer''s gratitude in helping Nebula, who seemed to be getting along with him very well. During the meal, she and Pikachu had chatted freely about their current training exercises, with the initially reluctant Sableye joining in with some encouragement from both. Having more time to interact with the dark/ghost type, Ash had quickly found himself taking a liking to the local ghost, whom Caleb had stated much of the town was fairly fond of.

    Caleb, in question, had stuck to Ash like glue all day (with Fuji''s encouragement to soak in as much as he could manage). The marvel in the younger boys eyes gave Ash bittersweet flashbacks to Trucy as he observed each member of Ash''s team practicing to their hearts content, asking a myriad of questions along the way that Ash had found to be increasingly fun to answer. He and Janine had discussed one another''s training fairly often during mealtime and rests, often offering some additional perspective to one another along the way. In a different way, this was equally enjoyable, and Ash couldn''t help but remember the times he had spent explaining certain things to Trucy as the two of them watched tournaments together back at home. It wasˇ­ satisfying, to explain the mindset behind each training exercise to a younger, eager party who absorbed everything like a sponge. Caleb''s productivity was certainly one to be admired as well. Ash was pretty sure his notebook was half full just from this day alone. To the trainer''s surprise, the younger boy had also brought along some cookies from the bakery to share with him, informing him that he had received his grandmother''s permission to do so. Ash hoped that he was telling the truth, because one small bite of the snickerdoodle was all that was needed for him to never go back.

    He hoped his mother would forgive him for thinking that the Bakery of Beacon gave her cooking competition.

    /

    "Excuse me, Mr. Fuji, I was wondering if I could ask you something?" The researcher in question had just finished looking over Nebula, who had received a fairly similar assessment to Tempest two days prior. Admelia, the Misdreavus that had been following Janine and her team around in their first day in town, was also present in the lab, this time choosing Fuji as her playful target. Ash had learned from Fuji himself that Admelia, much like Yami, was fairly harmless (albeit much more likely to pull pranks than the docile Sableye), and also that she was quite young; only a few months old.

    Patting the young ghost''s head for a moment, Fuji turned to Ash as the boy let Nebula back outside, with Yami following her. "Sure, go ahead."

    For a moment or two, Ash felt a lump in his throat, awkwardly thinking back to his conversation with Valiant a couple of days prior. "Well, you seeˇ­" he paused for a moment to find his words before continuing. "It''s about Pokemon Tower." Admelia grinned at the mention.

    Fuji chuckled. "Yes, I suppose there''s a lot of questions that can be asked about that place. Something in particular pique your interest?"

    Ash looked at Admelia for a moment. "What are the ghostsˇ­ like, in the tower? Are any of them dangerous? Or really powerful?"

    Fuji crossed his arms for a moment, fingers tapping against his elbow as he contemplated Ash''s question. "Hmmmˇ­ even we probably don''t know everything, I''ll freely admit. Ghosts come in all varieties, no different from any other kinds of Pokemon. But in general, Lavender''s ghosts are not likely to turn hostile unless disturbed. Particular, if the tower itself was violated. There are many that never leave the tower, purely by choice. Nonetheless, the overall community of Lavender''s ghosts have long since grown accustomed to co-existing with humans. They consider us to be a part of their everyday lives just as much as the reverse." his head turned to look out the window. "There will always be territorial creatures out there, but I can assure you, none of the ghosts in Lavender would harm anyone innocent. An incident would have occurred long ago if otherwise, and even the ones who constantly remain in the tower or its surrounding area are not hostile towards visitors. They respect the tower''s role as a cemetery in our community just as much as we acknowledge it as their home."

    Ash nodded along with him. The researcher''s words were reassuring. Whatever ghost Valiant had encountered in Viridianˇ­ if there was a ghost like it up there in the towerˇ­ maybe that did not necessarily mean it was a hostile ghost? Maybe it was only just as strong. He was certain the Kirlia would be relieved to hear that, although it still left him with another question.

    "Andˇ­ Valiant said that he can feel a really powerful ghost somewhere in that tower. Like, something abnormal. And he''s said he''s felt something like that before, back before I caught him."

    Understanding washed over Fuji''s features. "Is he scared? It would be normal."

    "Yeahˇ­" Ash glanced at the door for a moment. "It''s been eating at him for the past few days. Do you know anything about a really powerful ghost in the tower? Or in Viridian Forest?"

    Fuji rubbed his chin. "Hmmmˇ­ well, the tower is a distortion hotspot for a reason. But if we''re talking something at the level you''re implying, it must have kept itself hidden from humans, blending in with everything else to avoid being noticed by those scanning the tower and its inhabitants. The ghosts themselves would know about it, though." he glanced up at Admelia, who simply stuck out her tongue before vanishing. Looking back at Ash, he continued. "An alpha, perhaps. Most people figured the tower has one, but nobody has ever seen it. If a ghost does not want to be found, then no matter how abnormally strong they may be, hiding themselves in a hotspot like Pokemon Tower is a surefire way to ensure that. Even if they give off intense levels of distortion, so does the tower itself." he crossed his arms. "Andˇ­ you mentioned Viridian Forest, as well?"

    "That''s where I caught Valiant," Ash elaborated. "The forest is rumored to be haunted, andˇ­" he bit his lip. "Valiant claims the stories are true. That he met a really strong ghost that he could feelˇ­ everywhere, throughout the forest."

    "I seeˇ­" Fuji''s face was wrinkled with thought. "Those stories have been around for a while now, and I did find them plausible, but I never considered any ghosts in that area to be particularly strong."

    "Hasn''t anybody tried to check for distortion before?"

    "Elite Four Agatha has considered investigating, but she often wrote the stories off as ''silly tales''. She gets like that, sometimes."

    "Hmmmˇ­" Ash supposed that it made sense, if most people weren''t given concrete reason to believe that whatever ghosts in the forest may be truly dangerous. "I understand, it''s just that Valiant seems really terrified ofˇ­ whatever he saw in that forest." he held his tongue for a moment. Should he divulge too much? The Kirlia had been okay within him bringing this part of the story up to Fuji, but he was still hesitant. "You seeˇ­ Valiant was in Viridian Forest becauseˇ­ Team Rocket abducted him."

    Fuji''s attention was clear and focused. "Is that soˇ­"

    Ash nodded sadly. "Yeah, andˇ­ the ghost, or whatever it wasˇ­ it killed his kidnappers. He got away. But he doesn''t seem to think it''s a friendly creature."

    Fuji rubbed his chin. "Hmmmˇ­ well, with all due respect, I can''t guarantee a rookie''s testimony will be enough, but I can try to have your story relayed. Leaders Giovanni, Erika, and Brock all have jurisdiction over that forest."

    "I think Leader Erika knows about the kidnapping," Ash felt somewhat reassured. "I was told that it was reported in Celadon at the time."

    "Then perhaps she''d be most likely to believe it." Fuji smiled at Ash. "I''ll do my best to make sure Brock and Giovanni get word as well. I can''t guarantee you anything, but if you''re certain, then I appreciate you and your Kirlia coming forward about this."

    Ash grinned appreciatively. "Thanks, it means a lot."

    "So to be clear, you did not see this ghost or other creature yourself?"

    He shook his head. "No, but I believe Valiant."

    "That''s good to hear."

    After a bit of mingling, Ash was getting ready to head outside again when a thought occurred to him. "Hey, I was wonderingˇ­ do you know any of those Gym Leaders personally?"

    Fuji shook his head. "Admittedly, no. I''m not really in regular contact with any of them apart from Sabrina. Although," a wave of nostalgia seemed to hit the man. "I was quite close to Leader Blaine once."

    Ash perked up. Leader Blaine, the fire specialist who currently governed Cinnabar Island. In his youth, he had been an Elite Four member before age caught up to both him and his strongest teammates. Even that had not slowed him down entirely, however. Certain elite trainers and their teams were simply built different, seemingly not hindred by age nearly as much as most would be (some, like Elite Four Drake of the Ever Grande League, weren''t even slowed down by it at all), and Blaine maintained a reputation as a fearsome Gym Leader with all the experience a former Elite Four member would have. He was quite mysterious, however, with not much known about his present-day self outside of rumors.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, what''s he like?" Chances were, Ash knew he may be facing Blaine sooner or later. He may not get another chance to ask somebody this question.

    Fuji chuckled. "That''s a question with a loaded answer, boy." walking over to his desk, he picked up a picture and stared at it for a moment. "Blaine isn''t just an incredible trainer, but also a gifted academic mind, as you may know."

    "Professor Oak has mentioned having history with him in the past." Ash confirmed.

    Fuji nodded. "Indeed. Blaine was as invested in research as he was in training. He and I worked on many projects together, back when I was working in Cinnabar. Such a passionate man, becoming of his fiery specialty. Although we don''t speak as often anymore, we consider one another partners even to this day." with some regret, he sighed. "Age has not been kind to his manner of carrying himself, unfortunately. He has grown quite bitter over the years. Most modern info regarding him is passed through word of mouth, because that''s just about as much as he allows. He''s closed himself off quite a bit. Changedˇ­" the older man was clearly saddened as he spoke those words, but straightened himself as he turned back to Ash. "If you end up facing him on your journey, you''d best be prepared."

    Ash nodded at him. Rumors were plentiful regarding Blaine. He was the least challenged Gym in Indigo, from what he was aware. That often caused stories to spread. "Is it true that he isˇ­ particularly cruel towards rookies?" That was one of the most persistent rumors: That the fire specialist had a strong resentment for first year trainers.

    "He and Surge do have a reputation for that, I am afraid. Of course, you have other options in Johto."

    The memory of a Raichu firing the enormous blast of electricity passed through Ash''s mind for a moment. "I know I do, but I thought I''d ask. I''m hoping to push myself further than that. That''s the whole reason I''m going to Fuchsia this soon."

    Fuji smiled approvingly. "Yes, I suppose it is."

 Life in a Ghost Town pt 2

    Tempest reared back his left pincer as it lit up a bright blue. In front of him, Valiant raised his hands, eyes flashing as shimmering psychic energy cocooned around his body to intercept the Crabhammer. The water type''s mighty punch punctured the makeshift barrier, and Valiant winced and groaned as he staggered back before falling on his bottom. Tempest stared at his pincer with mild satisfaction as his sparring partner picked himself up.

    Ash and Caleb watched the session from a nearby bench, with Pikachu half asleep on his trainer''s lap. The electric type had spent most of the day practicing the Counter Shield and racing with Eevee nonstop. Above them, hints of orange made themselves known in the sky, and Ash and his team would be heading back to the Center for dinner soon.

    For Caleb''s sake, Ash had steadily fallen into the habit of narrating whatever important thoughts he had, knowing that the younger boy was eager to write things down. "Tempest seems to be getting the hang of Crabhammer faster than Valiant with the barriers. He''s doing well with ice Beam, too. I think both moves will be battle ready by the time we leave town. Valiant seems like he''s starting to get a grip on the barriers, but that will probably take longer." Caleb began writing as Ash continued, watching the Kirlia closely as he assumed a stance for the Krabby''s next attack, Tempest preparing to aim an Ice Beam at him. "He''s spreading the psychic energy around his bodyˇ­ but it''s spreading really thin. He''s not going to be able to defend himself like that. Tempest is using new moves that aren''t at full strength yet, so that helps keep Valiant from getting too hurt, butˇ­"

    As if on cue, Tempest fired an uneven Ice Beam into Valiant''s defenses. Although unstable, the icy attack still pierced his barrier, stinging as Valiant hissed and fell to his back.

    Standing still for a moment, Tempest observed the young psychic lying in the dirt before slowly approaching him. Lifting his head to see the Krabby peering down at him, Valiant paused for a moment before picking himself up in a sitting position and catching his breath. Reaching up to rub his head, he locked eyes with the Krabby''s unreadable expression for a moment before looking away. Ash watched the two carefully. Not too long ago, Tempest probably would have scoffed or even laughed at a teammate''s struggle, especially Valiant''s.

    Deciding to give them a brief break (it was probably best to start slowing things down anyway, with dinner coming up soon), he turned to Caleb, who was now done writing. "Have I been enough help for you?"

    The younger boy''s grin was a little bit contagious. "Yeah, thanks so much!" almost as if on autopilot, he began flipping through the pages of his notebook with little rhyme or reason. "It''s been really fun! I''m gonna start reading through before bed tonight." Closing the notebook and letting it rest against his lap, he glanced at Pikachu, still resting peacefully on Ash''s own. "You''re team''s really cool, too. I wanna have one like them when I become a trainer."

    Ash felt a surge of pride at the comment. "Yeah, they''re the best." Patting Pikachu''s back, he glazed back at Valiant and Tempest, the latter beginning to punch away at the air, clearly not in the mood to rest quite yet. "I''m proud to have all of them." A thought occurred to him after a couple of moments. "Hey, I saw back at the bakery that you have an older sister" he glanced at Caleb. "Is she a trainer too? Has she given you advice?" Based on what Lacey had said, that Kimberly girl would be twelve by now.

    As Caleb froze, Ash quickly realized the younger boy had not been expecting the question. ''Iˇ­ uhˇ­" Ash was caught off guard as Caleb shifted in his seat, face turning uneasy. "Kimberlyˇ­ ran off a couple of years ago."

    Ash was caught off guard by the response, a feeling of unease now settling in his stomach. From the way Caleb had worded it, it didn''t sound like she had just left to be a trainer.

    "It wasˇ­ a little bit before she was supposed to get her license." Caleb explained. Guilt began to fill Ash''s chest at the younger boy''s notable shift in tone, especially as Caleb turned to face him. "Weˇ­ Our family had a Scyther named Knighter. My sister really loved him, and thenˇ­"

    Somehow, Ash already knew what was coming. "I''mˇ­ I''m sorry," he quickly spoke up. "You don''t have to tell me this."

    Caleb shook his head. "It''s okay," his lips turned up with a sad smile. "When I become a trainer, I''m going to find her." he shifted again. "Knighterˇ­ he got sick, and passed away. Kimberly got really mad at everybody and then ran." he gripped his knees. "Nobody found her. She was just gone."

    Ash stared at the smaller boy for what felt like an eternity before putting a hand on his shoulder. "I''mˇ­ I''m really sorry about all of that. I wouldn''t have said anything ifˇ­"

    Caleb''s smile was a little bit weak as he looked back at Ash. "You didn''t know. I''m okay." Looking back to see Valiant and Tempest resume their sparring, he continued. "Knighter''s the reason my sister loves bugs. She said she was going to catch lots of them once she became a trainer, so I think that''s what she''s doing now."

    ''I sure hope so.'' Ash didn''t dare mention the other possibility. Not if nobody found her after two years.

    "Knighter is on the fourth floor of the tower right now." Caleb continued, his tone improving as he gazed up at the structure looming over them in the distance. A thought seemed to occur to him as he looked back at Ash. "His birthday is coming up at the end of the week. We always visit him on his birthday. Usually at night, he and Kimberly loved playing in the dark." he paused for a moment before asking. "Do you want to come?"

    Ash was caught off guard by the offer. "Iˇ­ don''t want to intrude." His talks with Valiant and Fuji replayed in his mind. Something was in that tower that reminded the Kirlia of the traumatic ghost from Viridian Forestˇ­ and yet Fuji had been extremely confident that no malevolent entities resided in that tower. He knew it was safe to go in, people did it every day. But this was still a family matter for the Beacons. "I meanˇ­ isn''t it private for you guys?"

    Caleb shifted again. "Wellˇ­ grandma has a meeting with some suppliers from out of town that she wasn''t able to reschedule, and she told me we might have to have somebody else take me to see Knighter this year. But you''re a trainer, I''m sure she''d let you take me if I asked her."

    So that was itˇ­ Ash looked Caleb over for a moment with sympathetic eyes. He couldn''t imagine the thought of losing one of his Pokemon, but if he ever did, and they were buried in the tower, he''d make sure not to miss a single scheduled visit for as long as he was alive.

    So there was only one answer to his new friend''s request. "Of course, just ask your grandma tonight. If she says yes I''ll take you whenever you want."

    /

    "Janine, by now you''ve memorized the Kyo clan''s motto, i trust?"

    "Yes, father."

    "Then tell me what the motto''s central word is."

    "Atonement."

    "Correct. It''s time you read this to learn why."

    It was just after lunchtime as Janine exited the Center, flanked by Ivysaur and Toxtricity on either side as they made their way to Fuji''s lab, where Ash had spent the majority of their stay in Lavender hanging out. It would only be a couple more days before they left Lavender and began the long journey to Fuchsia City, home to one of Indigo''s most infamous Gyms.

    The Gym run by her father.

    Rubbing her arm for a moment, the girl looked back at the Center before continuing onward. She and Kris had briefly discussed telling Ash, but they only had as much time as his bathroom break lasted. There were still things on the poison specialist''s chest. Things she had not had the chance to get off with Kris'' busy schedule (although they had briefly run into one another at the town''s Church). She couldn''t help the occasional wandering in her mind after lunch: Rumors being swapped in the cafeteria about the Ace Trainer making frequent visits to the Applecorn Inn as of late. She pushed that aside for now, however. Kris was an Ace Trainer, and whatever business she had was important.

    It just meant that Janine would have to figure things out on her own, and perhaps visiting Ash himself could help with that. Besides, there was little doubt he would be in the mood for a quick spar.

    /

    Up to this point, Fuji had looked over all of Ash''s Pokemon except Pikachu and Eevee, both of whom were ready to evolve now. Valiant had been the fourth and last to receive an examination, and had pleasingly produced favorable results regarding his progress. He wasn''t ready to be a Gallade now, but by the time they were in Fuchsia City, he very well could be. Unfortunately, much like with Pikachu, how soon he evolved would depend on how soon Ash could get his hands on the proper stone, with it already being agreed that Eevee would be the first to do so.

    It was reassuring words, nonetheless, and although the Kirlia could not help the occasional glance at the tower in the distance, he had become progressively more focused as the week went by. Despite receiving no shortage of bruises from Tempest and Eevee while struggling to produce stronger barriers, a combination of perseverance and the occasional oran berry snack were all he needed to keep coming back for more. Tempest, himself still working on Ice Beam and Crabhammer, seemingly came to see the persistence as a challenge, although Ash couldn''t help but detect a lack of maliciousness in the Krabby''s competitive spirit. Ash also kept a watchful eye as Yami continued to coach Nebula, the Sableye gradually becoming something of a sparring partner for Pikachu as well. The small ghosts demonstrations of Ominous Wind made perfect practice for the electric mouse''s Counter Shield to defend against, all the while Nebula watched with dedication to replicate their new friend''s showings.

    To Ash''s pleasant surprise, Janine had stopped by shortly after lunch. Ever since arriving in town, their time together had fallen squarely into breakfast, dinner, and bedtime, with both trainers being mostly apart throughout the day. Their brief chat was a nice change of pace, going over one another''s progress thus far. It wasn''t long, however, before Janine requested a small spar between two of their teammates to help test out their new moves for a proper battle.

    Ash was quick to accept, of course.

    So with Fuji''s permission, the two now stood at opposite ends of the researcher''s personal battlefield; about the size of the public battlefield''s one would find at a Pokemon Center, but made of hard, solid dirt instead of concrete. Tempest was at Ash''s side, while Tentacruel was at Janine''s. The Krabby had been visibly pleased when the poisonous jellyfish had been selected; it was clear as day that he had been wanting to battle with her for a while at this point. The rest of Ash''s team, along with Caleb, Yami, Ivysaur and Toxtricity, watched from the sidelines.

    Crouching down, Ash looked his water type partner in the eyes to speak with him. "Remember, Tempest, the point of this match is to practice what we''re currently working on. We can still try to win, but it''s not an ordinary battle. We''re testing out your new moves and seeing how they mesh with what you already have. Janine and Tentacruel are going to be doing the same." The Krabby did not seem too disappointed by Ash''s instructions, simply offering him an understanding nod before walking onto the battlefield and sinking into a stance, eyes glued to Tentacruel as Janine provided her with her own set of instructions. Training was training, after all, and Tempest seemed just as okay with viewing the battle as a glorified training session.

    A few moments later, Tentacruel calmly made her way to the battlefield, eyes easily falling onto Tempest''s own as she raised two tentacles in front of her. Standing firm and straight behind her partner, Janine''s face took on the familiar, calculated stoicism it almost always did whenever a battle started. "I take it you''re ready, then?"

    He nodded at her. "You go first."

    "Kind of you." As her voice rose in volume, her first order signaled the start of the battle. "Toxic Bubbles." Without hesitance, Tentacruel fired the Bubble Beam, and as the name immediately implied, the barrage of bubbles she let loose in Tempest''s direction were clearly polluted. It reminded Ash of the "Frozen Bullets" combo move that he planned to have Tempest work on once he was done fully learning Ice Beam. Both involved manipulating Bubble Beam by combining it with another element.

    Steel was always the best defense against poison, so Ash quickly responded with "Metal Claw" as Tempest crossed two Metal Claws in front of him to intercept the incoming barrage. His trainer''s command had not even been necessary, and Tempest was wise enough to keep both Metal Claws as protectively in front of his face as possible, in order to ensure that the toxic particles within the bubbles did not splash onto his face as the bubbles exploded against his defense. "Okay, Crabhammer."

    Raising one of his pincers, Tempest ran across the battlefield with his sights set on Tentacruel. Moving at a decently fast rate for his species, he swung the Crabhammer at his target''s face as Janine watched in silence. Tentacruel''s tentacles flashed as she lashed out with two of them in the front. In flash, both appendages wrapped around the Crabhammer before twisting Tempest''s arm, forcing him to turn around as two other glowing tentacles found their way around his waist, also binding the end of his other arm near his shoulder. The tentacles binded as tightly as they could against her opponent''s hard, sturdy shell.

    If this were a serious match, Ash would be concerned. He''d seen Tentacruel fight a fair number of times, and her Wrap was extremely tight and secure on its own, and became even more so whenever she combined it with Acid Armor. He''d never seen an opponent break through it before, and given what Janine had commented she was currently teaching the bulky jellyfish, her next move was likely to beˇ­

    "Giga Drain." Janine''s tone of voice and delivery of her commands were methodical and to the point, just as always; not an inflection wasted.

    As quickly as her trainer had given the command, Tentacruel''s tentacles began to glow with a flickering emerald hue. The grass type move was still new to her arsenal, which Ash knew would give him and Tempest some time to respond. "Ice Beam, then Crabhammer again."

    Ash knew his partner was in a tricky position. One of his arms was completely restrained by his opponent, the Wrap forbidding him from opening the pincer attached to said arm. The other arm was somewhat limited in its movements, making it difficult to take aim. But aim he still did, and just as the Krabby began to feel the painful sting of the Giga Drain, he fired the Ice Beam into two of the tentacles binding him. Though the move still needed more work before he could use it with full stability, it was strong enough to disturb the grass type move (which Tentacruel herself was still in the midst of practicing). With part of her grip on Tempest compromised, Tentacruel failed to fully maintain her hold, and was treated with a Crabhammer to the face once her opponent had freed himself.

    From the sidelines, Phenom watched intently as Tempest hit his mark. Even from here, everyone on the team could see how strong the river crab''s swing was, and although the move itself was imperfect, the force behind his punches had only gotten stronger for sure. Without comment, his teammate focused his eyes on Tentacruel''s gaze as she staggered back, predictably not too badly hurt from just one blow. The Krabby had sunk back into his battle stance with genuine ease as Janine gave her next order.

    "Toxic Pulse."

    "Block it with Mud Shot!"

    /

    The back and forth between the two water types continued for a while longer. Although Tentacruel managed to find the upper hand more than the reverse, Tempest had managed a comeback towards the end that had forced the match into a stalemate before being called off. With his adrenaline beginning to pump, the Krabby was clearly disappointed by the non-conclusion, but complied nonetheless, reluctantly showing a restraint that he previously would not have.

    Valiant and Toxtricity had sparred next, followed by Pikachu and Ivysaur. Much like Tempest and Tentacruel, neither match reached levels too intense, so that energy could be conserved for another hour or two of personal practice afterwards. Janine and her team had stuck around afterwards, resuming their own training sessions alongside Ash and his team. Caleb had filled quite a bit of pages during those two hours.

    Both teams had called it a day earlier than usual, but still hung out at the lab. Janine had taken to one of the books on the shelves, relaxing inside to read it. Now, with the sun beginning to set outside, she and Fuji were both in the midst of wrapping up while Ash conversed with Caleb and Yami outside.

    "That''s a new one," Fuji commented as Janine returned her book to the shelf. It was an edition of "Indigo''s Unsolved Mysteries" covering urban legends and unexplained incidents. "It was published about six months ago."

    "I saw that," Janine stared at the shelf for a bit before turning to him. "I just finished reading one of its newer sections, about the island that vanished without a trace?"

    "New Island." Fuji confirmed. "Yes, that is definitely a peculiar tale. And fairly recent. You might be old enough to remember the news reports."

    She was. Civilization never occupied the island, but its disappearance had still been subject to much alarm, with no signs of it even existing in the first place. When reading through the book, her eyes had lit up in recognition about the "New Island" section.

    "Come to think of it," Fuji continued. "Wasn''t your father one of the people investigating the disappearance?"

    Her eyes widened a bit. "At first, I think. My memory is fuzzy, but I think he went New Island''s coordinates when it was first reported. Did not find anything, of course." her expression turned cautious. "So you know who I am?"

    "I''ve seen a couple pictures. Janine Kyo, correct?"

    She nodded. "Yes," her eyes lingered out the window. "Justˇ­ don''t tell Ash. He does not know yet."

    Fuji seemed to understand. "It didn''t seem like he did. How long have you two been traveling together?"

    "We came from Celadon. We''ll be splitting up when we''re done in Fuchsia."

    "It is common for trainers to pair up for a while when they''re going in the same direction." Fuji patted the head of a Snubbull that had handed him another book to put away. "You seem to have a lot on your mind, if you don''t mind me saying. Is it because you know he''ll find out about your father?"

    He was perceptive. Given that he was a researcher, Janine was not surprised.

    "It''s not an easy thing to say," she finally answered, glancing out the window one more time. Based on what Ash had said, it would still be a decent bit before he came inside. "To be honest, I feel I got used to people not knowing who I was."

    Finishing up the last of the books, Fuji nodded at her, gravitating toward a chair before looking her in the eye. "Used to it in a good way, I presume?"

    Taking a deep breath, Janine sat down near him. "...Yes. Ever since I left Fuchsia, things have beenˇ­ easier, I would say. And now that I''m about to head back, there are a lot of things I cannot get out of my mind." eyes lingering on the Poke Balls on her belt, for a moment, her brow furrowed.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    With a sensitive gaze, Fuji studied the girl for a moment. He wasn''t surprised at how different of anˇ­ air she had to her compared to most her age; that was definitely a product of where she came from. She was not beyond her age, however. She only seemed it on the surface, to the unobservant eye. "Are you looking forward to visiting home?"

    "To a degreeˇ­" she responded, finally making eye contact. "There are a lot of people I care about back home, but it''s a bit different." She paused for a moment. "None of them are really my age, for one. I get along well with a lot of the people who work for my father, or Kris, my aunt''s student. It''s not the same as the trainers I meet on the road."

    "What about your peers?" If Fuji was correct, he was starting to see what she was eager yet hesitant to bring up.

    "Peersˇ­" Janine repeated, brow furrowing as the expression in her eyes slightly shifted. "Not many people in Fuchsia aren''t aware of me, including those my age or even younger, given who my father is. The Kyo clan has governed Fuchsia for almost as long as it''s had a Gym, roughly three centuries now. He''s one of Indigo''s biggest Gym Leaders, and one of the most feared. An Elite Four candidate. And my tutorship came directly from him." she broke eye contact for a moment. "Nobody ever saw me as a peer."

    "And things changed quickly after you left." Fuji surmised.

    A small smile made its way across Janine''s face. "I noticed it pretty quickly. Once I teleported to Viridian and started mingling with the other rookies. It was like a fence had been taken down. A fresh slate." She sat back a bit. "Being a stranger was nice. To go up to someone and start talking about anything, and none of them know who you are. It was all so relaxing and different."

    "And you''re worried this fence will come back up after you tell Ash?"

    "... I don''t know, maybe." Her brow was furrowing, hands momentarily clenched before releasing their grip. "Having somebody to share this stretch of my journey with, with no walls whatsoever. It''s been really comfortable, and that could change at any moment." A light chuckle. "Ash isˇ­ I''d never ask for someone different."

    Fuji studied her again for a moment. "You said you two paired up in Celadon. That''s plenty of time to get to know one another." he folded his hands together, and Janine found his relaxed expression somewhat reassuring. "I understand where you''re coming from, but I think it''s important to remember that this is not the same situation as when you were back home. Ash has had time to see who you are, without everything else to influence that. Others in your home city may have had a premade image of you in their minds, but he developed his own by himself. That image is you, and you alone. I''m not sure that picture will be altered so easily." he gave pause to allow time for his words to sink in. "You''re right, being a stranger is an odd luxury at times. But once you''re friends with somebody, you''re not strangers anymore. At that point, secrets become a burden. That''s the opposite of a luxury."

    Janine stared at the older man for a few moments. Her shoulders felt a little less heavy as time went on.

    Finally, her face felt relaxed. "...Thanks. I appreciate that."

    /

    "Alright guys, one last time before we go back in."

    Ash, Yami, and Caleb watched from a decent distance as Nebula hovered over Pikachu, who sank into the dirt on all fours as the Staravia took aim. A dark-purple gust emerged from her flapping wings and descended down to the mouse. Acting quickly, Pikachu flipped onto his back and began spinning in place. The crackling sparks from his cheeks and tail erupted around him into a tornado of lightning that rotated along with him. As the Ominous Wind came into range, it was deflected away by the spinning Thunderbolt.

    Ash beamed at both his teammates as they ceased action, Nebula returning to the ground after a few moments of soaking in her success. "That was awesome! Both of those should probably be ready at this point if we can keep them consistent. I think we should try practicing them in battle tomorrow. As Yami offered what sounded like a compliment of his own, Ash looked down at him approvingly. "You''ve been a huge help, Yami." The Sableye almost seemed a bit shy as Pikachu and Nebula gave praise.

    Ash stared fondly at the ghost for a moment or two before Caleb got his attention. "So, does that mean you''re going to be leaving soon?" he could see the younger boy''s disappointment.

    Ash offered him a sad smile. "Janine and I will probably be here for a couple more days before we leave town. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to visit you again before we go. We''re also going into the tower soon, right?"

    Caleb nodded, mood seeming to lift. "Knighter''s birthday is in two days. Grandma said it''s okay after Mr. Fuji told her about you."

    Ash made a mental note to thank Fuji for that. "Sounds good, we''ll meet you there when it''s time."

    /

    Ash and his team spent most of their time at the Center the next day. A decent number of trainers were present and willing to battle, resulting in the battlefield being used quite frequently in rotation. With the road to Fuchsia looking to be long, he was pleased to see the number of available opponents; they''d definitely need the money.

    Thankfully, they had gotten a winning streak going quickly after starting, and everyone on the team saw a decent amount of action. Pikachu''s Counter Shield still was not completel;y reliable, as some attempts were better than others, but the effectiveness of the technique had quickly proven itself, especially after it had completely incapacitated a charging Croconaw. Phenom''s Dragon Pulse had also become quite forceful despite clearly not yet being the strongest iteration of the technique. By the end of the day, everybody was tired but satisfied going to bed.

    The next day was planned to be their last day in town, so Ash and Janine both chose to take things easy for a time, although Phenom, Tempest, and Toxtricity had all still undergone some lighter exercises. The sun was beginning to set when they met Caleb near the tower, accompanied by Pikachu, Valiant and Ivysaur..

    The closer they got to the structure, the more Ash found his head angling up, his starter mirroring the motion from atop his shoulder. The presence of the giant building had been a constant throughout their stay in town, always visible no matter where they were, but now they were seeing it up close for the first time. Looking at it from the bottom, it was like watching the roof kiss the orange sky.

    Beside him, Janine''s gaze was one of slight awe. "I''ve read so much about this place," she commented, staring up as Ivysaur looked around at the nearby ghosts observing them. "It feelsˇ­ hard to describe, knowing how sacred this tower is."

    ''Yeah, and to the townspeople it''s an everyday thing.'' Ash reminded himself before looking down at Valiant. The Kirlia''s visible shivering quickly elicited a frown from him. His friend had requested personally to be present when they went into the tower to see Knighter''s grave, butˇ­ "Valiant, you really don''t have to be out here."

    For a moment, there was no response as the young psychic cautiously looked around at the surrounding ghosts, most eying the group with curiosity, but none with hostility. Ash was pretty sure he saw Admelia amongst them, tailing Caleb as the younger boy approached them with a quickly reciprocated wave. "It''sˇ­ fine, Ash. I need to do this." Although nervous, his telepathic voice was still firmly reassuring.

    Ash chewed his lip in concern, but said nothing else. His psychic friend had already made it very clear why he wanted to come. It was admirable, but he made a mental note to pay close attention to Valiant throughout their time in the tower. No need for him to torture himself.

    "The ghosts around here won''t hurt anybody." Caleb reminded them as he stopped in front of the group before pointing back to the Misdreavus. "Admelia picked me to follow around today." The playful ghost floated around him for a moment before approaching Ash and rising up to Pikachu''s level, offering a teasing noise before vanishing for a moment. "Areˇ­ you guys ready to head inside?"

    Exchanging a quick nod with Janine, Ash looked back at him. "Sure, lead the way."

    With Caleb in the front, the group drew closer to the tower''s entrance, Valiant initially moving slightly slower before picking up the pace to catch up with them. Shortly after passing a sign that read "Any battling or capture of Pokemon in or around the tower is strictly forbidden and punishable by law." they found themselves inside.

    Seeing the tower truly up close before entering, Ash noted that it was decently wide, and yet the interior seemed far wider, almost unnaturally so. Shortly after passing through the doorway, they were quickly greeted by a large room filled with neatly organized gravestones, with a staircase leading to the second floor on the other end. Entrances to other rooms were present halfway through on both sides, however.

    "Each floor is divided into sections," Janine narrated as Ash looked around. "Even on the first floor alone, the gravestones are difficult to count."

    "Difficult" being an understatement. Ash wasn''t even going to bother trying to count the gravestones as the group made their way through the room. Despite what many would likely expect of the contrary, the interior of the tower did not feel all too ominous. Instead it was quiet and tranquil; the lanterns throughout the room kept everything well lit, but not too well, it was still fairly dim, but not oppressively so. The windows also helped a fair bit, allowing the light of the setting sun (soon to be moonlight) to seep in. For a moment, he watched Ademlia circle around a few of the gravestones, her movements briefly pausing to linger her gaze on one of them before she continued after Caleb.

    As they reached the doorway leading to the stairs, Caleb turned to remind them. "Knighter''s on the fourth floor at Section A. It''s a long climb."

    That did not surprise Ash. There were seven stories in total, and with how humongous the structure was, even the fourth floor would be a great way up. Had this been a few months ago, he would have worried about getting exhausted during the climb, but his body had long since grown accustomed to such long treks. Coming here for nearly the other side of the Region had certainly done his stamina favors.

    Reaching the second story of the tower, the group once more made their way across the room, the field of gravestones arranged every bit as neatly as the first. Ash looked down at Valiant, who was walking next to Ivysaur taking the occasional deep breath, before patting Pikachu''s head. Still on his shoulder, the mouse returned the gesture with a quick nuzzle to the cheek before resuming his roaming gaze around the room. A couple of Gastly and Haunter floated about on opposite ends, one Haunter near the entryway to Section C. None of them paid the group much mind, simply offering acknowledging glances before resuming their business. Valiant paused his walking for a moment as his gaze lingered on the specters, before continuing onward, only slightly more slowly before as he breathed deeply to calm his heart rate.

    ''The ghosts are all used to humans coming here.'' Ash reminded himself as he slowed his pace to allow Valiant to walk alongside him. ''We''re just an everyday occurrence to them, not intruders.'' And as they made their way through, that message sank in clearer and clearer. He was rather surprised by howˇ­ unalarmed he felt being in here with them. He had been here for roughly a week, but when exactly had he gotten used to it?

    Just as they were about to reach the next stairway, Ash caught sight of a familiar Sableye from the corner of his eye, right next to him and Valiant. "Yami!" he paused for a moment, looking down to see him in full. "When did you get here?" Had the Sableye just popped up? Or had he joined them earlier without any of them noticing? His voice momentarily caught Janine''s attention, the poison-enthused girl pausing for a moment to look back at them with a light grin as Yami chattered a cheerful greeting to Ash.

    A couple of Duskull occupied the third floor, and a sword-shaped ghost that Ash was pretty sure identified as a Honedge floated into the room through Section B. Not many ghosts were aroundˇ­ or visible, as Ash knew was the proper word for it. Whatever number currently occupied the tower was likely many times greater than what they could see. There were supposed to be countless of them, after all. Yami remained in the back with Ash, Pikachu and Valiant as the group made their way through, while Admelia had taken to casually circling Caleb''s head at the front. The younger boy was completely unfazed by her actions, even looking to the side to offer one of the Duskull a quick smile.

    "How are you feeling, Valiant?" Ash and Pikachu looked back down to check up on the young psychic.

    "I''mˇ­ it''s getting better."

    Finally, the fourth floor was next. By now, the sky outside was considerably darker, some stars coming into view to accompany the growing moonlight. The windows provided quite the beautiful view.

    Ahead of them, Caleb slightly quickened his pace, prompting Janine and Ivysaur do the same, but Ash lingered for just one moment to look back down at the Sableye. "Heyˇ­ Yami?" He immediately had the Sableye''s attention, the smaller ghost looking up at him with friendly curiosity. "I know I''ve already said this plenty of times, but I really appreciate you helping Nebula out this week. If there''s anything you want before Janine and I leave, just let me know, okay? I''ll do my best to get it." After a moment or two, the Sableye offered him a smile before nodding.

    "Here lies Knighter Beacon, as beloved as the oran berry pies he ate."

    Caleb knelt in front of the gravestone not too far from one of the windows in the room, about a little bit more than halfway to the next set of stairs. His hand slid across the surface of the gravestone for a moment as his face grew into a glowing smile. Behind him, Janine and Ivysaur gave him some space as Ash and the others arrived.

    "Knighter loved oran berries." Caleb looked back at them for a moment before returning his focus to the gravestone. "Grandma would have him help her experiment with flavors. I was surprised that he loved the charred ones so much. Kimberly wasn''t, though." reaching to his pocket, he pulled out an oran berry, which he rested just in front of the gravestone. "Happy birthday, Knighter. The others are coming first thing in the morning, they had one of those stupid business meetings they could not get out of. I''ll make sure they bring extra as an apology."

    Ash wasn''t sure what he was feeling watching the exchange play outˇ­ but there was something in his chest. Did he feel warm? Was he hurting? He couldn''t tell if his eyes were wet or not. His senses were starting to feel disoriented.

    A gentle tug on his arm brought his attention to Janine, who gave him a knowing look. She seemed composedˇ­ but there was something about her. Something different. Was something similar happening to her?

    "I haven''t been at a gravesite in a while." her whisper was smooth and precise, as though designed only to slip into his ear.

    "Me neither," he replied, whispering back just as quietly. Looking back at the gravestone, Admelia floated just above, looking down with an uncharacteristically calm expression as Yami joined Caleb at his side. The younger boy was talking about life at the bakery and new menu items, speaking as though the Scyther was sitting right in front of him, all the casual tone of a simple conversation. "The people here do this all the time."

    "Death is their culture." Janine was next to him now. "The cycle of life, the process of passing on, and existing in the afterlife. To them it''s like riding a bike."

    A moment of silence before Ash responded. "...I like this townˇ­" he looked back at her, meeting her purple eyes. "It''s been strange for a while, butˇ­" his eyes fell on Caleb and Yami. "I''ll be sad when we leave."

    "Are you nostalgic?" he looked back at Janine quizzically as she spoke the question. "To be back in a town instead of a city?"

    Pallet Town entered Ash''s mind. The bullying and ostracization from Gary and the rest of his peers. The poor grades that egged such behavior on. But alsoˇ­ his mother, Trucy, his teachers. The quiet atmosphere and the fear of leaving. The unknown of the outside world, and the dauntingness of Viridian City. The shockingly good grade on the Qualification Exam that had been his ticket to the life of a Pokemon trainer.

    A small smile graced his face. "Iˇ­ certainly don''t mind it. It''s nothing like Pallet, butˇ­ it''s a lot closer to everywhere else we''ve been." he turned to face her in full, still keeping his whisper as Caleb continued to speak to Knighter''s gravestone. "Are youˇ­ feeling nostalgic too?" Speaking of hometowns, reaching hers was their current goal. He had no idea how long it would be before he was back in his.

    Her face was unreadable for a moment. Memories flashed through her mind. Days upon days of training and studying. Camping practice. Cooking practice. Wild Pokemon interactions. Research. Writing. Father''s critiques, criticisms, and punishments. Visits to the Church for prayers. Going out with aunt Aya for fun and exploration during her visits and time off. Other kids watching her from a distance with admiration or timidness. The trainers on the road and in the cities never looking at her in that same way. Ash, standing next to her, having no idea she was thinking these thoughts.

    "There''sˇ­" she paused for a moment, eyes lingering out the window for just one moment. "There''s a lot to think about. But it will be nice being somewhere familiar."

    After what was probably a few more minutes, Caleb stood up, and Admelia lowered herself to look him in the eye. He tickled her chin for a moment before turning to Ash and Janine. "Thanks for coming here with me. Everyone else couldn''t make it, so it wouldn''t be right if I couldn''t." his smile was fairly relaxed, as though he had not been talking to a gravestone at all.

    Ash returned that smile, however. "You don''t need to say thanks. This was important. I''m sorry the rest of your family was occupied."

    Thinking back to his earlier talk with Caleb reminded him of what the younger boy had revealed about his sister. That Kimberly girl. Who had apparently gotten angry and ran off after Knighter died. Ash wanted to ask why. And what could have caused thatˇ­ but he wouldn''t dare overstep such a boundary. Especially right in front of the Scyther''s grave.

    Caleb allowed himself one last moment to look back at the grade before turning to them with a nod. "Okay, I think I''m ready to go ba-"

    A noise from Yami stole away everyone''s attention, and Admelia had immediately floated down next to the Sableye, a concerned expression at the sudden distress.

    Janine blinked. "Yamiˇ­ is everything okay?"

    Something in the air changed. Was it colder? Stiller? Emptier? Heavier? And suddenly, Ash could have sworn he could hear something in his ears. It sounded likeˇ­ whispering.

    Whisperingˇ­ chatteringˇ­ it was spreading across the room, almost like it was one with the air itself. Behind him, Valiant''s face was pale. Pikachu''s ears and tail stood on end. Ivysaur backed into his trainer''s leg, eyes wide and alert.

    "Wh-Wh-..." Caleb''s entire demeanor had changed. His body was shaking as hue suddenly clung to Ash''s shirt, his voice almost a moan. "What''s going on?!"

    The whispers continued to spread. Valiant clung to Ash''s leg next. Pikachu''s grip on his shoulder was growing tighter. Yami was looking around franticallyˇ­ before suddenly sinking into the floor.

    "Yami, wait!" Ash reached out to him, but the Sableye was already gone. Quickly, he looked over to Admelia, who now wore almost the same, exact distressed expression that Yami had. "Admelia-!" and then she had vanished as well.

    "Valiant!" kneeling down to try and calm Ivysaur, Janine''s eyes found their way to the Kirlia. "Are you sensing anything?"

    Valiant was holding his head tightly. Everything was overloading. It was hard to talk, butˇ­

    "Panic."

    The whispers were loud now.

    /

    In the sky above Lavender Town, seemingly just above Pokemon Tower itself, the moon was beautiful, and so were the stars surrounding it. Domino''s gaze remained upward for just a little bit longer as she appreciated the sightˇ­ before falling down on the entrance.

    Behind her were several Rocket soldiers. In front of her was the Iron-Masked Marauder.

    Taking one step forward, the masked hunter''s predatory gaze leered at the doorway leading into the interior. A Poke Ball was in hand, but a second one soon found its way off of his belt as he chucked it into the air, a Weavile emerging from the flash of light and landing in front of his trainer in a crouching position with his claws crossed.

    Turning to meet Domino''s gaze, he spoke. "I must say, it''s nice to have you sharing this mission with me, Agent Domino. You may only be sixteen, but I sense you are a lot moreˇ­ capable, then that buffoon Cyan I had to deal with back at Mt. Moon."

    Her body turned rigid as he looked her in the eye, even with the mask on his face covering his own eyes, obscuring the view of his gaze. Instinctively pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she took a moment to find her words. "Iˇ­ appreciate your statement, Marauder."

    "Are the numbers all accounted for?"

    "Yes," her eyes lingered backwards to the squad behind them, every soldier present standing rigidly with readiness. "I must send the signal to Executive Petrel the moment we start." Executives Petrel and Silver had spread their forces out across the town''s perimeter, not a foot of ground left uncovered.

    "Then be ready to send it," he confirmed before his gaze spread out across the unit. "Attention soldiers!" his voice rose above the seemingly frozen air as all eyes fell on him, Weavile staring directly into the entrance of the tower as though it were a pitch black abyss. "Everybody sends out at least one dark type now. No matter the training, nobody short of Masters of the typing is prepared for the sensation and presence of countless, panicking ghosts. We must enter quickly, so there is no time left to wait."

    As though his words had pressed a button, flashes of light filled the air as numerous dark types filled the area they occupied. At Domino''s side, a Crawdaunt and Mandibuzz appeared.

    "Goodˇ­" Marauder grinned at the sight before turning back around towards the entrance. "It''s been over a year since I was last on a ghost hunt, although the contents of tonight''s mission should more than make up for lost time. Now, thenˇ­" Raising the remaining Poke Ball in his hand towards the entrance to the tower, he turned his head back to Domino. "Back away with the rest of the squad, Agent Domino. With the creature I am about to send out, I cannot guarantee your safety."

    Well aware of the game plan, the teen Rocket Agent stiffly nodded, eyes not leaving the tower as she and her two teammates backed away into the rest of the squad. "We are good to go, shall I send the signal now?"

    "Please do." Was all Marauder replied before chucking the ball. It was a hard throw, one that carried the capsule all the way through the entrance and into the first room of gravestones.

    The Poke Ball burst open.

    Emerging from the lightˇ­ Was a rock with a face. Trapezoidal in shape. A single whisper spread through the wind as the frowning rock remained motionless. Seemingly breathless. Still without any action whatsoever.

    And then something emerged. A mixture of purple and green, spiraling out of the stone with the screams of one hundred and eight voices. The purple and green continued to spin, rippling with no rhyme or around the rock of its origin with no rhyme or reason before taking a round form. The purple formed a body. The green formed a face, and the round dots surrounding it. Something spread out across the air from its body, an oppressive, unplaceable aura throughout every possible direction.

    Just outside the tower, the Iron-Masked Marauder wore the grin of a demon clothed in the skin of a human.

    "Get things started, Spiritomb."

 Scars of the Afterlife pt 1

    "Well, what do you think?" Agatha turned to Samuel expectantly. "This cherry field is our favorite place in the town''s area. Anya''s family plays a big part in its great condition." she nodded to the twelve year old, emerald haired girl standing next to her.

    Samuel hummed an agreement as he placed a hand on the tree he had found his way under. To his understanding, it wasn''t quite ready for harvest yet.

    He had been in town for a week now, with plans to depart tomorrow. It had been an incredibly useful week for his studies, with a plethora of exploration and analysis as he soaked in as much as he could regarding Lavender''s culture. He wouldn''t be forgetting anytime soon, and another thing he wouldn''t soon forget was Agatha herself. The two had met up every afternoon without fail, sometimes in the company of the blonde girl''s emerald-haired best friend, Anya. Their second trip to the bakery had also introduced him to Trish Beacon, a ten year old girl with short black hair that was currently with them now.

    Anya was extremely down to earth and humble, a sharp contrast to Agatha''s mixture of etiquette and attitude. Samuel could tell how close the two girls were just by reading the room whenever they talked; there was an inseparability to their interactions, and a relief that they were spending time together again. The girl had also been quite taken to his Clefairy, especially upon learning he had acquired her at Mt. Moon. Apparently it was a place she was eager to visit next Season, when the time came for her to set off. It had not taken long for him to grow comfortable around her, courtesy of the mutually enjoyable talk that had followed. The girl was easily approachable, and very welcoming to any attempts at conversation.

    Trish, in comparison to both older girls, was rather quiet, and though her guard dropped a little bit around Anya, it was only Agatha''s presence that truly brought her out. There was a strange, yet moving trust between the two of them that Samuel knew had a story behind it. A very private one. From what he had gathered from Anya, Trish met both girls six years ago in this very cherry field, although he had chosen not to press when she failed to elaborate on the circumstances.

    "Six years ago" had caught the studious boy''s ears, however. That was as long as Agatha had known the Beacon family. Whatever source her bond with them came from, he deduced that the meeting with Trish must have been central.

    And then there was Agatha. The constant of the week he and his team had stayed in Lavender. He owed a lot of his studious success from the past several days to her, the girl''s knowledge of the town, its culture, and the relation to ghosts enough to make her a teacher at a school. She had shown much dedication to every explanation she offered him, rivaling his own commitment to note taking. She had not been kidding when she said she had questions for him as well, however.

    It was an almost surreal feeling he had not gotten used to. Just how eager she was to learn more about him. He had always been the one wanting to learn. The one who found fascination and endless interest in nearly every subject he explored. The crave for knowledge was like a drug stuck to him perpetually. He was used to it, and he lived for it.

    He was not, in comparison, used to that same interest being directed towards him instead of from him, and it was with a bit more than a hint of nervousness that he was unsure how to respond to Agatha''s inquiries. What exactly had there been to share? He was not interesting. His hometown was a barely known settlement surrounded by a rich world far grander. Nothing of real value or significance throughout his upbringing. And yet she pressed. And though her efforts to explore the bland nothingness of where he came from confused him, he couldn''t help the strange, pleasant sensation that overtook when she pressed into his future, and where he wished for his research to go. Almost like she was studying the boy who was doing the studying. Nobody had expressed such unwarranted intrigue towards him, as there was nothing there to express it too.

    And yet, here was Agatha Kikuko.

    Trish smiled fondly at the largest tree in the field, somewhat distant from where they were before turning and beginning to chat with Agatha. Samuel''s gaze fixed on the blonde girl for a moment before the sound of footsteps drew his attention to the approaching Anya.

    "Agatha said you were planning to leave in the morning, is that true?" she pushed back a strand of emerald hair while stopping in front of him, eyes briefly directed up to the yet-to-be-ripe cherries before fixing on him entirely.

    He nodded at her, enjoying the sounds the group of Pidgey made flying off of the branches before responding. "We''re due for another badge, so we''re planning to head to Saffron and finally challenge Benver this time. We''ve met him twice, but we weren''t ready."

    "Hmmˇ­ Agatha hasn''t battled him yet either, from what I know." Anya paused for a moment to look over at her friend. "I heard he is planning to retire after the Conference. He''s in his sixties now, although my cousin tells me he can still throw some mighty kicks. She''s a pupil of his."

    "For training or martial arts?"

    "Both, of course." Anya giggled. "She isn''t planning to inherit the gym, though. Just learn everything she can and go off on her own. Saffron''s really become the place to be for any fighting type enthusiast, ever since he took over."

    Samuel couldn''t hold back the giggle. "So basically, what this place is for ghost enthusiasts?"

    "I suppose so." her grin lingered. "If you''re leaving, it was nice meeting you. Good luck with the badge hunting andˇ­ well, the knowledge hunting." her eyes shifted to Agatha again. "I''m sure she''s enjoyed being a part of it."

    "I do owe her a lot." Samuel looked back to the blonde girl. Whatever Agatha had just said had planted an amazing smile on Trish''s face, the ten year-old''s excitement almost uncharacteristic from what he had seen from her. "She''s certainly filled my notebook up."

    "And I think she enjoyed every second of it," Anya''s eyes twinkled. "We talked last night a the bakery. Did she ever tell you how interesting she thinks you are?"

    "Sheˇ­ made it pretty clear." Samuel''s cheeks flushed.

    "She didn''t tell you why, did she?" Anya''s words came out with a chuckle. "My girl''s never met someone as passionate as you. The questions you ask, and the questions you want to find answers for, she says they''re perspectives she''s never thought of. That she''s never seen anyone think of. The way you want toˇ­ crack the world open, I think she described it."

    Samuel blinked. "How does that make me interesting?" It was the world he explored that deserved all the curiosity. He was just somebody who wanted to do that.

    "The fact that you''re so determined to do it, obviously." Anya elaborated as a light breeze gently swayed the grass blades and branches. "There aren''t a lot of people who ask the things you do. You''re uniqueˇ­ because you''re trying to dive deeper than almost anyone has." she looked back at Agatha and Trish, eyebrow raising at the Growlithe they were now speaking too. "Like I saidˇ­ she''s never thought the way you did before. Never even considered it. And after talking to her about itˇ­ I kind of agree." she offered a hand. "Thanks for gracing our town with your curiosity, Samuel."

    Samuel stared at her hand for a moment, the turning gears in his mind struggling to process her assessment. Was such passionˇ­ really so unique? He had never thought twice about it, or expected that level fo appreciation from Agatha or anyone else, but after hearing Anya put everything into wordsˇ­

    ''Is my dream really that special?'' The question echoed in his mind. Was having that dream in the first placeˇ­ what made him special?

    After a moment or two, he felt a surge of warmth as he shook hands with her. "Iˇ­ couldn''t be happier, Anya. I''m glad."

    She was about to say something else when the sound of rapid footsteps stole their attention. Agatha, Trish, and the Growlithe were now running to them, the canine awkwardly lagging behind somewhat. The rapid movement and distressed expressions immediately caused the two to exchange alarmed looks before moving to meet the trio halfway.

    "Agathaˇ­?" Anya asked cautiously, trying to push down the swelling anxiety that had suddenly surfaced. "What''s going on?"

    "Anya!" it was like Agatha had not even registered her best friend''s question. "We have a problem!"

    "What is it?!" Instinctively, Samuel''s hand gripped Tangela''s Poke Ball. The last time he had heard somebody speaking those words, it was because a child had wandered into a territorial Nidoqueen''s nest. Thank the Guardian Mew Leader Benver had been aroundˇ­

    Trish''s scared gaze found its way to him. "Growlitheˇ­ her mate, Meowth and their child were nabbed by poachers! They took the egg, too!"

    Hearing the word "poachers" was like setting off an alarm in the thirteen year old boy''s brain. Poachers were not trainers. They held cruel intentions, snatching Pokemon for nefarious means that often involved the black market or other wicked parties that would pay a good price. Their methods of capture were often equally inhumane, and lately black market auctions had been taken over by breeding mills with connections to the underground fighting scene. Often, they attempted to "mass-produce" rare Pokemon for the sake of selling tickets. It had been a recent but terrifying development that had put the authorities on notice.

    Looking over to Agatha, his new friend was almost unrecognizable. A growl akin to that of a Nidoking who''s turf had been threatened rumbled from her throat, and her eyes flashed like the fire spewed by his Charmeleon whenever he was pushed to his limit.

    "And we already know why they were targeted, don''t we?" the blonde girl''s gaze zeroed in on an understanding Anya.

    With a gulp, the emerald haired girl nodded at her before turning to Samuel. "Growlithe and Meowthˇ­ their child is a shiny Growlitheˇ­"

    Samuel''s eyes were wider than he thought possible now. "Noˇ­" he looked down at the mother Growlithe in question. Whatever anger she likely had felt about her child, mate, and egg being abducted had since been replaced byˇ­ am empty sadness and grief that shattered his heart like a fragile window.

    Agatha''s clenched fists were vibrating with a fierce emotion. "Those bastards are planning to auction her off to some lowlife monsters that will force her to breed until her body can''t take it anymore!" the tears remained in her eyes, not rolling down as she turned and locked gazes with Samuel. "And it will happen, too! No matter how much money they demand, there''s no way those underground mills will pass it up!"

    Getting his composure under control, Samuel nodded solemnly at her. There were never guarantees, but a shiny Pokemon predictably had a greater chance of producing shiny offspring. Such rare specimens were surefire attractionsˇ­ that included the illegal underworld. "Those criminals would sell their souls to get their hands on just one of them, they''re like living blocks of gold to them. They''d pay any amount of moneyˇ­"

    Agatha nodded at him, but did not offer him any further words as she quickly took out a Poke Ball and released a Vulpix. Her starter, he immediately recognized.

    "Sage, I need you to escort Trish to the police, and fast." she nodded at the younger girl. "And Growlithe needs a doctor quickly." It was just now Samuel noticed that the mother Growlithe was limping on one of her back legs.

    Understanding crept up to Samuel''s chest, and he could see Anya emulating the realization. "You''re planning to fight themˇ­?!"

    "No time," Agatha almost spat. "They''re on the outskirts, probably getting ready to leave. I have to stall them so the police will have a chance, and won''t have to chase them down." she shot Anya a glare. "Don''t stop me, I''m a trainer now. Sage, Trish, get going with Growlithe now." The younger girl was fighting back tears as she carefully scooped the injured Growlithe up in her arms, quickly following after Agatha''s Vulpix.

    "I know you''re a trainer," Anya started as she and Samuel began following after the blonde, who had broken into a sprint almost the moment Sage, Trish, and the Growlithe had left. "But I''m still going with you!"

    /

    Something fierce pumped out of Agatha''s heart as her eyes caught sight of the vehicle she and her friends were rapidly approaching. Three men had hauled a cage onto the back, where a small Growlithe with golden fur buried her head into the Meowth clinging to her. The distinction in her fur color was far greater than most shiny Growlithe, almost certainly what had caught these bastard''s eyes.

    As she, Anya, and Samuel neared them, however, her eyes widened at the current sight, just in time for their arrival to catch the poaching trio''s attention.

    A familiar Sableye was lying on the ground, a Raticate''s mouth wrapped around his head as a Drowzee looked on. The man standing beside the psychic looked up at the arriving children, crossing his arms with a dismissive sneer.

    "Tch, there''s nothing to see here, kids. Just go off and get some ice cream, assuming you even have that in this freakish town."

    "Yami!" Anya ignored the man''s comment as her hands shot up to her mouth. "What did you guys do!?"

    "You talking about the purple pipsqueak?" A taller man leaning against the vehicle spoke up as the Raticate''s trainer knelt down towards the fallen Sableye. "He tried to interfere with our business, so we shut him up."

    "I reckon he''s coming with us now," Raticate''s trainer looked back at the taller man expectantly. "A foreign ghost? He might give us as much of a payday as the shiny Growlithe."

    "A fatass load of cash." Drowzee''s trainer confirmed while making a shooing motion with his hands to the kids. "Now go home."

    Agatha snarled at the three men. "Hell no, you three aren''t getting anything."

    Face turning dangerously stern, the taller man pushed himself off the video and stepped forward, glowering eyes boring a hole in the girl. "I suggest you take that back while you can, brat."

    "Agathaˇ­" Anya''s hands pressed together, face growing paler as she looked at her blonde friend, who stood still with clenched fists, expression unchanging and without a word.

    A moment later, Anya shifted as Samuel placed a hand on her shoulder. With mild surprise, Agatha looked at the boy as he stepped forward to join her at her side. The two looked at one another for a moment before exchanging nods, and directing their attention in full at the three poachers.

    Having seen enough, the taller man scoffed. ''Well, don''t go saying you weren''t warned." Behind Agatha and Samuel, Anya''s heart skipped a beat as Raticate moved away from Yami, the large rodent and the Drowzee stepping forward to face the kids at their trainers'' signals. As they did, the taller man pulled out a Poke Ball of his own, releasing a Mankey that immediately glowered with a crazed expression in his eyes.

    Agatha was intimidated by the fighting type''s look for just one moment before her hand snatched a Poke Ball of her own off of her belt, and tossed it forward as Samuel mirrored her actions. A Gloom emerged from her ball, and a Charmeleon emerged from his.

    ''Anything that violates my town will not be forgiven or forgotten.''

    /

    A deep breath left Kris'' lungs as she sat back in her booth at the bakery, eyes momentarily glancing out the window before settling on nothing in particular.

    "Rough day of work, dear?" The young Ace Trainer''s head turned to view an older woman approaching her, black ponytail showing minor signs of graying. "I don''t envy your field."

    A small smile formed across Kris'' lips. "Yeahˇ­ week''s been a load, Trish." Of course, much of that "load" was private, given how much of it was taken up by her visits to Klark to discuss and analyze her findings. It only made things extra exhausting, if anything. "What I wouldn''t give to be working in a cozy restaurant like this."

    "Hehˇ­ I suppose so." the woman replied. "I''ll admit I was pretty taken aback to find you were an Ace Trainer at your age. I know it''s not unheard of, and that there are Gym Leaders that young as well, but I keep having to remind myself. Back in my time, you''d never see such a thing."

    "Sounds simpler," Krystal admitted as a thought occurred to her. "Did you just get out of that meeting?"

    Trish couldn''t help the sigh. "Thank Mew we did. I know it''s essential, but it felt like it would never end. We missed Knighter''s birthday because of it." she glanced at the door. "Except Caleb, thankfully. Today was too important to postpone for him. Thankfully those two kids went into the tower with him. The rest of us will be going first thing tomorrow."

    Kris nodded. Janine had informed her of what she and Ash were planning for tonight. "I''m sorry to hear that. I''ll bet you''re feeling a bit winded too."

    "I''m mostly used to it," Trish admitted. "It''s just that the dates usually aren''t this inconvenient. Anyway, would you like to order something?"

    Kris'' eyes fell on the menu. "Hmmmˇ­ now that I think about it, I haven''t tried your-" A sudden noise redirected her attention to the doorway.

    A Misdreavus had hovered into the room, and was approaching them quickly. Kris quickly recognized her as Admelia, a local ghost who often picked a random person in town to follow around for the day.

    Trish''s eyes lit up. "Oh, is Caleb back now? I''ll have to give Ash and Janine something as thanks-" her expression turned to confusion when saw Admelia''s face. "Admelia, what''s wrong?"

    Quite uncharacteristically, the young Misdreavus'' wore an expression of total distress as she floated around the room chattering in panic. Kris and Trish''s confusion turned to alarm after a few moments to register the scene. The young Ace Trainer quickly sprung from her seat, menu almost falling off the table as she released it from her grip, almost entirely forgetting that she had even been holding it.

    "Did something happen?!" Kris started for a moment before pausing to remove a ball from her belt. "Wait." Activating the Poke Ball, a Gardevoir appeared in front of her, looking at her trainer expectantly, the shift in the psychic''s expression was immediately noticed, and the teen bit her lip. "Something''s wrong, isn''t it?"

    Gardevoir nodded lightly before turning to Trish, who''s face had turned pale, before locking eyes with Ademlia. She nodded carefully to what the Misdreavus (who was struggling to calm down) had to say before turning back to Kris, although she made sure Trish could hear her response as well. "There is trouble at the tower."

    At the psychic''s announcement, Trish could feel her skin crawling. "Noˇ­"

    Quickly, Kris turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Trish, hold on!" She looked between Gardevoir and Admelia, doing her best to stay professional. "What''s going on there?" As Gardevoir closed her eyes to focus, the Ace Trainer tried to comb through her brain. She couldn''t recall any incidents of Pokemon Tower being disturbed before. There was something in the back of her mind that she would not dare let out unless confirmed.

    Finally, after what felt like forever, Gardevoir opened her eyes. This time, her words were for Kris alone. "Hermes is here."

    The blue-haired teen''s eyes went wide, as her breath failed to leave her throat. "...What?"

    "I can feel him." Gardevoir elaborated, turning to face her trainer in full. "It''s difficult because of what''s happening at the tower, butˇ­'' she took a moment to pause and regather herself. Under normal circumstances, speaking would not be much of an exertion for her. "Just outside of town, and far from alone."

    "What''s going onˇ­?" Trish looked between the two, nerves beginning to grow. "What''s she telling you, Kris?"

    Kris was still for a moment. Maybe two or three moments before she spared Admelia another look. The terrified Misdreavus had not left the room, now floating in place staring at her with an unsure expression on her face. The Ace Trainer''s eyes found their way to the floor as her arms fell to each side. "Team Rocketˇ­"

    She was glad she wasn''t looking to see the look on Trish''s face. "...Wait, what?! What are you-"

    "They''re at the tower now!" Kris whirled back to the psychic. "What''s happening there?!"

    "There was a surge," Gardevoir responded, attempting to press a comforting feeling into her trainer''s mind. "But I cannot pinpoint it. The distortion in the tower is going haywire. All of the ghosts are panicking, and it''s messing with my senses. I may start feeling sick soon if I push any further."

    "Then don''t." Kris quickly told her before finally mustering up the courage to turn to Trish. "Call the police! Tell them that Team Rocket is in the tower and around the town. And that three kids are there!" Guiltily, she did not make out the older woman''s response as she turned and bolted for the door, Admelia remaining in place as Gardevoir followed her out.

    Kris could feel the change in the air as she and Gardevoir stepped outside. It wouldn''t be long before those inside would notice it as well. Her psychic partner had more than enough experience with ghosts, but this was something different. This was a distortion hotspot completely out of control. Already, the shivering teen could see her friend''s reaction was double as she pulled out another ball and released Smokey. The large Arcanine''s fur immediately stood up as he emerged from the flash of white light, and his eyes eyes sharply fell on Kris and Gardevoir without delay.

    "Team Rocket is attacking Pokemon Tower," the fiery canine''s posture turned rigid and dutiful as Kris climbed onto his back and gripped his fur. "Janine is in there, along with Caleb and Ash. We don''t know how much time we have, so there might be none." She looked over to Gardevoir. "Get to Klark and tell him what''s going on. Smokey and I are heading over there right now." As Gardevoir teleported away, Kris'' signal had Smokey rearing back his front legs before bolting down the road.

    The Arcanine''s speed was that of a speeding vehicle, and although held back for his trainer''s sake, even she only handled it due to being used to such. Clinging to his fur tightly, the air whipped in her face without remorse as the canine sprinted down the road, the world around them passing by too quickly to properly make out en route to the tower.

    /

    "I-I''m scared, I wanna go home!" Caleb''s grip on Ash had tightened as the panicked voices of the ghosts rang throughout the room.

    By now, the air had grown heavy, thick, and cold. Ash could feel his ears ringing painfully as the noise continued. After what felt like forever, he finally undid whatever lock had been holding his body and place took a step forward, head whipping around. "We have to do something. Valiant, I''m returning you-"

    "I-I need to stay out." The Kirlia''s mental voice sounded like it was choking. "S-Something''sˇ­ it''s dangerous."

    Ash''s face tightened. Now wasn''t the time for this. "It''s more dangerous for you. We need-"

    An ear-piercing squawk stole away the group''s attention to the entry of the staircase leading down to floor three. Moment''s later, Ash''s quickening heart raced even further as a group of Murkrow burst upwards into the room, followed by some Poochyena.

    "It''s an attack?!" Janine''s face was paler than Ash had ever seen it as her hands raced for her belt, quickly releasing Toxtricity and Golbat in record time as Pikachu charged forward to meet the assailants head on, quickly zapping one of the Murkrow to the floor before the others could react.

    "Grandma!" Caleb''s screams had Ash''s blood rushing like a river as he felt the younger boy''s tears soaking into his shirt. "HELP ME!"

    "C-Caleb, it''s fine!" Even as he spoke the words, Ash doubted he had done anything to reassure his friend. He was almost just as panicked. Keeping Caleb close to him, his hands dug for his belt before Tempest and Nebula appeared. The Staravia''s shocked expression was almost mirrored by the Krabby, who looked around in uncharacteristic alarm as a few ghosts began popping out of thin air, fleeing upwards with indecipherable screeches. A good few of them were coming up from the floor below, before disappearing into the ceiling. No one needed to be told that an attack was taking place, or to fight back. And if they had, Ash wasn''t sure if he''d be able to muster the words.

    As Tempest and Nebula joined the fray, he felt his throat and mind completely lock up, at a loss for what to say or even think. He should be planning, coming up with some strategy to escape the tower, but he was still recoiling from the shock, from theˇ­ looking downwards, he could see dark-purple mist beginning to seep upwards from the floor.

    "Coming up on the fourth floor-hey, there''s action upstairs!" Just as Tempest batted away the last of the Poochyena, and Toxtricity blasted the last two Murkrow, all attention once again returned to the staircase, and then their hearts stopped.

    Soldiers filing into the room, each accompanied by at least one dark type, andˇ­ andˇ­

    A blazing red "R" on their black uniforms.

    Janine''s pupils turned to a hollow form of panic as her body froze in place. "Noˇ­"

    Ash''s mind wasn''t frozen anymore. It was moving too fast for him to keep up with his own thoughts. ''No no no no no no-!''

    Sweat rolling down his face, Valiant quickly positioned himself in front of his trainer as Janine released Beedrill. One of the Rockets stepped forward in front of the others, his eyes scanning the room as Ash and Janine''s teammates horizontally lined up in front of them, sparks rolling down pikachu''s cheeks as Tempest aimed a pincer at the front Rocket like a gun.

    "Caleb, get behind me." Ash quickly remembered that the younger boy was there as he grabbed onto Caleb and pushed him behind him. The moment he let go, Caleb''s face was buried into his back, which soon started to feel wet.

    "The tower is normally empty this time of night." the front Rocket commented.

    "Just a few children," a female Rocket behind him piped in. "Just round them up and we''ll move on." at her words, both trainer''s Pokemon tightened their fighting stances.

    Just as the soldiers prepared to step forward, Janine snapped out of her frozen state. "What are you doing here?! Don''t you realize what this place is?!" her tone of voice was terrified with a hint of rage bubbling underneath.

    "That''s none of your concern, kid." The front Rocket replied. "We have important business at the top floor, so hand over your Pokemon and gather up against the wall."

    "N-Noˇ­" Caleb sniffed.

    Sighing, another male Rocket ran a hand through his hair. "We need to speed this up, guys." he spoke hastily. "They''re gonna wonder why we aren''t making progress."

    Finding his voice, Ash backed away a bit whilst Caleb held onto him. "Please just get out of here."

    The front Rocket did not seem to think much of it. "Then we''ll proceed with force."

    Janine quickly sprung into action. "Everyone, back up! Toxtricity, to the front with Hyper Voice!" As everyone from both teams complied, Toxtricty positioned himself ahead of them as Ash released Eevee and Phenom. Straightening himself, the electric/poison type reared his head back before bellowing a deafening roar. Shockwaves burst out of his throat, smashing into all of the Rocket Pokemon as he turned his head to angle the attack. Hyper Voice had been a move that Janine had prioritized since learning of her teammate''s Punk Rock, and he had grown quite good at the move.

    Although the Rocket Pokemon took the brunt of the force, the Rockets themselves were also knocked off their feet. Janine felt her advantage for only a moment, before her eyes took note of a few gravestones that had been damaged in the blast, entire chunks of rock now missing. Face pale as a marshmallow, her hand shot up to her mouth in a reflexive effort to suppress the nausea.

    Rubbing his head, one of the Rockets glowered as he and his comrades rose to their feet, another Poke Ball now in his hand as more terrified ghosts rose from the floor and into the ceiling. "Huge mistake, you little bitch. Rush them!"

    The Rockets released more Pokemon as whatever wounded Pokemon not knocked out from the blast struggled to their feat. Ash and Janine''s teams ran to intercept, but Valiant and Ivysaur stayed behind. Quickly, Ash grabbed Caleb''s hand and dragged him across the room before ducking behind a gravestone. As the two faced each other, the panicked rookie''s heart froze in place at the sight of the younger boy''s expression. Caleb''s face was drenched in tears, and it looked like he might have been shivering as his back leaned against the gravestone, arms folded around him.

    "W-What''s gonna happen, Ash?"

    ''I don''t know.'' Ash thought to himself. ''Team Rocket is here.''

    ''Team Rocket is here. Team Rocket is here. Team Rocket is here.'' The words looped through his mind like a broken recording. Memories of Celadon raced through his thoughts as he struggled to get a grip on his emotions. He couldn''t tell if there was anger to accompany his fear, or if he was just scared.

    Just barely, he choked out. "W-We''re going to be fine, Caleb. I promiseˇ­" maybe it was the next chilling surge in the air as more screaming ghosts erupted from the floor, or maybe he just couldn''t properly finish his sentence.

    Why, why, why, why, WHY?! They always showed up out of nowhere, when everything was quiet and fine. Why wouldn''t they leave him alone?! WHY DID THEY KEEP COMING?!

    A sudden, somewhat rough tug on his shirt brought his attention to Valiant. The Kirlia was still sweating, and Ash was just about to reach for his Poke Ball before noticing that his psychic friend was pointing somewhere from past the gravestone. Following Valiant''s direction, Ash''s breath caught in his throat for the umpteenth time as he saw Janine, who still had not moved from her position, even amidst the escalating chaos. Still out in the open, Ivysaur was desperately nudging against her leg, but she remained motionless in place.

    ''NO.'' Ash couldn''t tell if his body was moving faster than his own thoughts, because his mind was everywhere. Springing to his feet, he grabbed Valiant and lightly pushed him further behind the gravestone. "Stay with Caleb." Without waiting for a response, he bolted out from behind his cover and made a break for Janine and Ivysaur. His friend''s starter quickly saw him coming.

    "Janine!" She seemed to finally break out of her trance as Ash grabbed onto her arm and roughly pulled her along with him, almost following onto his back with a startled stagger as two more ghosts erupted from the floor in front of him, before charging back to where Caleb and Valiant were. About halfway there, he noticed that Janine had started running with him, and let go of her arm as they ducked behind once more, Ivysaur taking one look back before doing the same.

    "Ash, how do we-" Janine started before pausing, trying to prevent her tongue from twisting into a knot. "The tower wasn''t built for combat. If this keeps upˇ­" she didn''t need to finish as yet another chill rushed down Ash''s spine. "This tower is a gravesite!" her whisper was harsh like a Beedrill''s sting.

    The sounds of screaming caused the two trainer''s to peek out from over the gravestone, watching as Pikachu and Toxtricity zapped a few of the soldiers to the floor. Most of the Rocket Pokemon had been defeated, the few remaining quickly being ganged up on as more voices rose up from the stairway.

    "Domino, stay close to me. The higher we get, the more ghosts we''ll find. They''re retreating upwards to the top!" The male voice grew louder as the source drew closer, and then the figure emerged.

    Ash''s heart might have stopped.

    The Tyranitar towering above all, deafening roar consuming the caverns.

    The Hyper Beam, ripping through the ceiling like scissors to paper.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The rocks falling all around them, the entire cave collapsing in on the group.

    His mind swirled a never ending cycle between a few specific thoughts as the Iron-Masked Marauder made his way into the room. He barely registered the blonde girl and soldiers flanking him.

    "Ash! Don''t-" Janine''s voice made him realize too late that he was standing up in full now, stumbling back as the hunter''s eyes landed on him.

    From behind his mask, Marauder''s eyes narrowed, studying Ash from head to toe as Janine rose up next to him. At his side, Domino briefly got his attention, although he did not look at her. "Marauder, I know that girl."

    "The boy looks a bit familiarˇ­" The hunter trailed off for a moment before scanning the room. His Weavile and Scizor stood in front of his group, and no Pokemon on Ash or Janine''s side dared make a move. "We''re the ones at the front for a reason, you know." derisive disappointment glazed over his voice as he looked around at the soldiers, most of whom were on the floor now. "Two children should not be holding you up."

    "M-Marauder, sir." The closest of the fallen Rockets, a woman, pressed her hand against the floor in a vain attempt to get to her feet. "We needed to save our stronger Pokemon for the Alpha at the top. But then these kids caught us off guardˇ­"

    As the Rockets conversed, Ash almost stumbled back into the gravestone behind him. His eyes not leaving Marauder, his vision blurred for what felt like a split second or two.

    "Whyˇ­ why is he hereˇ­" He felt something coming up in his throat. It was the feeling he always got right before puking; a horrid sensation as bad as the act itself. As his hands shot up to cover his mouth, he suddenly felt a pair grip his shoulder. It took a few seconds to register that Janine was in front of him, chests almost touching, and purple eyes staring into his with a firm gaze.

    "Ash, are you okay? What do you mean?" Janine''s heart was racing as she spoke, and she could almost feel her blood run cold beneath her skin.

    The sight of her did not ease him in the slightest, but it did slow his thoughts as his mind gradually made its way back. "J-Janine, Iˇ­" he tried talking again. "He''sˇ­"

    "I know who he is." the poison specialist said. "We need tooˇ­" She wanted to say calm down, or something of the nature, but the words never came.

    The sound of footsteps pulled her away from him, the cries of the ghosts no longer quite as loud as more and more had made their way past them and towards the upper floors. Removing her hands from Ash, Janine turned to see Marauder casually walking towards them with his hands in his pockets, each step feeling like an effortless, thunderous stride. Their Pokemon were glowering at him, muscles begging to move as Weavile and Scizor, who stopped halfway, stared them down.

    "If any of you twitch, your trainers die." Marauder spoke the sentence no substance, like a boss handing paperwork to an employee to be filed. Behind him, Domino also began moving, motioning for her Crawdaunt to follow her while Mandibuzz stayed behind.

    Janine''s back was completely to Ash now, and the boy stared past her as the hunter drew closer, and closer, and closer, and closer until he was right in front of them. The girl''s arms were crossed against her chest as the masked man towered over her and her friend, as though she was make believing her limbs were shields. Valiant and Ivysaur quickly moved in front of her just before Marauder stopped, eliciting nothing but a small grin from him.

    "What are you two going to do?" his eyes moved downward to address them. "You''ve never killed before, and if you make me your first, you''ll all die seconds later. Now move aside so I can talk."

    Neither Pokemon obeyed. Janine only dared to break her gaze away from Marauder for a split second, just enough time to gaze down at them before her eyes found their way back to the masked hunter like a pair of magnets. Her heart was like a swinging fist punching against the interior of her chest, as though trying to break free as her breathing slowly became less controlled.

    Behind Marauder, she could see the blonde girl and her Crawdaunt approaching. She was clearly only a teenager, but as she stopped next to Marauder, she may have looked far more oppressive if he weren''t there towering over her as well. Behind her, Scizor and Weavile continued staring down the rest of the team, while Crawdaunt, at her side, spared a glance at Caleb before his eyes bore a hole in Ivysaur and Valiant.

    Domino fixed her gaze on Ash and Janine for a moment, before focusing her attention on the two Pokemon just long enough to speak. "Do what he says." Her voice was as steady as a steel pillar, perfectly matching the professional scowl she wore, but it might have been the clicking of Crawduant''s pincers that finally moved Valiant and Ivysaur to the side. Reflexively, both Pokemon now positioned themselves in front of Caleb.

    At the entrance, a few more soldiers had arrived, but were quickly signaled by those already present not to move. Apart from Marauder and Domino themselves, the currently present forces had begun lining up by the entrance as Weavile and Scizor continued to scan Ash and Janine''s teams.

    Marauder took two extra steps as Domino and Crawduant remained stationary, his full height now completely looming over both rookies as his masked gaze remained locked in. He did not resist Janine''s attempt to step back, the girl now at Ash''s side with their shoulders touching. Ash felt a pang in his chest as the hunter''s eyes scanned him once more, before shifting towards a neutral gaze directed at both.

    "Sending a prayer, I''m assuming," he began, voice even enough to make even Domino''s appear shaky by comparison. He allowed himself a brief glance at Caleb, who was curled up against the stone, face still drenched as Valiant and Ivysaur huddled protectively in front of him, before looking back at the two trainers. "Picked a late hour to do that, although I suppose I''m not one to talk."

    Janine''s teeth chewed her bottom lip for a moment as he finished talking. "Whyˇ­ why are you hereˇ­?!" Her voice was a lot quieter than she wished it was, an unclear emotion bubbling beneath her eyes.

    "Same reason I''d ever be anywhere," Marauder replied with ease in his delivery. "When you go to the supermarket, it''s to fill your house with food. When you go to the bank, it''s to collect or store your money. I''m here because I have a mission, and something Team Rocket seeks is waiting for us at the top of the tower." His grin stretched just slightly enough to be noticeable. "We need control of every floor. We have plenty more soldiers down below, working their way up. A good amount of ghosts are resisting, but most are not as brave as the ignorant horror stories about this town would have you believe. Most of them are retreating, trying to shelter themselves on the top floor. They''re all gathered in one place, conveniently huddled up with our target." he gestured to the ceiling above their heads. "In crisis, a creature diverts to their natural instincts. And that''s what ghost Pokemon are, creatures. We were sure to disrupt the distortion to put them on the backfoot, and we''ve brought the dark types, their natural hunters. They''ve completely gone default as predicted."

    Janine may or may not have noticed how tightly her fists were clenched, or if they had even been clenched at all. "Whyˇ­ why are you here?!" hot tears rolled down from her eyes as she almost saw red. "I don''t- you think I care about some mission!? This place is sacred, why are you-!?"

    "Sacred places are sacred for a reason, kid." Marauder''s eyes fell on Ash before focusing their full attention on her. "It''s because there are some things far too valuable for mankind to comprehend. Things that must be plunged into to even make the attempt." he motioned for Weavile and Scizor to start moving forward. "I don''t think the League fully understands, and they''re whole foundation was built by Mew himself. It''ll be their loss once the curtain is finally ripped open."

    "Living things are buried here." Janine''s hiss seeped through her teeth as Marauder began walking past them, eyes focused on the staircase leading to the fifth floor. "If you damage this placeˇ­"

    "Go on, finish your sentence." Marauder stopped walking as he turned back to her and Ash, the latter daring to move his head to follow the hunter''s movements. "I have plundered enough tombs to need an extra set of hands to count them, short stuff. You wouldn''t believe what was in them, and I can hardly believe what''s in this." Both Ash and Janine felt their hearts stop as the hunter''s hands pressed against their shoulders, the masked man leaning forward to look between both of them. "You know you can''t stop us from climbing up those stairs. You can try to stop the people who will follow us, but we don''t have time to be a part of that. And if you do," his thumbs briefly rubbed against their chins. "They''ll have time to deal with you. But I don''t, nor do I need." He rose to full height once more, one arm falling to his side as his other hand gripped his belt. "A couple of first years in the wrong place at the wrong time are about as harmful as a paper ball being thrown at the teacher. It''s up to you whether or not you want to behave, and your choice isn''t my problem."

    "The League would never forget this." Janine''s vocal cords felt weak as Domino, Crawdaunt, Weavile, and Scizor followed Marauder past them.

    "There''s a lot of things the League won''t be forgetting, kid." Domino turned her head to look back at the pair. "We won''t let them."

    Janine was chewing her lip again, eyes finding their way back to the room''s entrance where the rest of the soldiers waited. "Monstersˇ­ you''re allˇ­"

    No longer continuing the conversation, Marauder raised a hand above his head and snapped his fingers "Everyone, to the next floor. Kill anyone who makes a move."

    The soldiers and Pokemon all stormed past Ash and Janine''s team, and then the two trainers themselves as the squad rushed up the stairway. Nobody in the group moved a muscle.

    /

    Neptune towered over Silver as the surrounding soldiers spread out at Domino''s signal. Beside the executive, his Sylveon, Calliope, glanced up at her trainer in expectation as the Sigilyph descended down behind them.

    "I trust everyone is in position, Hermes?" Silver inquired before nodding in satisfaction at the telepathic confirmation.

    Every corner of Lavender Town''s perimeter was occupied by Rockets, and no matter what direction the League came from, they would be intercepted with haste. The teen executive felt a pressure bubbling in his chest at the thought of this being a fight he would certainly have to retreat from. He was no stranger to his role being to stall for time, but such a task had not been presented to him in this manner since his promotion. A reminder of who they would be up against.

    Pinion was currently surveying the sky, amongst several other Rocket fliers, hoping to spot the League forces from a distance when they arrived. That would give the Rockets extra time to close in on them and stall further. Already, a couple of trainers approaching Lavender''s border had been swiftly rounded up and detained at camp, Pokemon and belongings confiscated. The lack of resistance was appreciated to keep the operation efficient.

    "Petrel," Silver spoke into his communicator. "What floor are Domino and Marauder on?"

    "They just entered floor six." Came the older Executive''s reply, stationed on the opposite perimeter. "The top floor is next."

    Beneath his silver mask, the red-haired executive grimaced. "That''s not fast enough. By now, they could be here at any min-" A sharp screech from above caught his attention as he and his teammates quickly turned their gazes upwards to see Pinion hastily flying back down to them. "Speak ofˇ­ Are they here?" His face scrunched as the Crobat nodded rapidly. "Then we''re behind schedule. What direction are they coming from?" A pointed wing straight ahead. "Exactly lined up with meˇ­ You get that, Petrel?"

    "We will be there." the older Executive replied. "All the fliers should already be moving to meet them, but I''ll have Necro send a signal just in case."

    "You too, Hermes." Silver looked at the Sigilyph, who nodded. "Let''s go."

    The pit in his chest was growing.

    /

    Coming from the southeast, the opposition Silver came face to face with, flanked by his forces, was of a similar size to what he expected. Several League soldiers had already sent out their Pokemon, along with the psychics who had brought them there in the first place. Despite the numbers, however, all eyes were on the figure in the center flanked by the two Ace Trainers. A gravitational pull for everyone''s attention.

    Agatha had lost some of her height to age, and what had once been gorgeous blonde hair had given way to graying. Her exterior was nothing like the larger than life extravagance of Champion Lance, the physical impossibility of Bruno, or the youthful presence of Lance or any of her fellow Elite Four comrades.

    That did very little to distract from her aura tonight, her scowling face resembling that of a reaper as an enormous Gengar floated behind her head. Her most famed Pokemon''s exterior had a somewhat white lining mixed in with the typical purple, and his size far exceeded almost all other members of his species. Anyone who knew of the Indigo League knew of Agatha''s Gengar and his tremendous feats; raw power that even most dragons fantasized to have, and a plethora of nasty combinations and hindrances that made him as infuriating to fight against as he was terrifying.

    Neptune must have sensed the nerves in his trainer, as he drew ever closer to Silver while the teen reflexively readjusted his mask. With only a split second of hesitance giving way to conviction, the Rocket prodigy looked the glowering Maiden of the Ghouls in the eye.

    "Elite Four Agatha Kikuko of Indigo, I''ve been expecting you."

    "Then you are nothing but a fool," the older woman''s voice dripped with venom rivaling that of which her Gengar was capable of as her cane pointed in Silver''s direction. "I''ve heard stories of you, Silver. The young Rocket behind the death of Leader Wade of Goldenrod. The one who stole the Master Ball prototype and blueprints from Celadon Gym just recently, and destroyed the museum." her eyes narrowed further, a focused glare that could have easily passed for a death ray seeping through her gaze. "You''re clearly bright and capableˇ­ but not a survivalist at heart, are you? Attacking this town of all places, knowing that I would be the one to show up." None of the League soldiers behind her said anything, the bitterness in her speech enough to almost petrify even them.

    But for Silver, her declaration was nothing more than a reiteration of what he had been reminding himself the entire week. "I wonder if there are things you know, Maiden of the Ghouls." ''The longer I stall, the more time Domino and Marauder''s team will have.'' "That you have never shared. It is difficult to believe the world''s greatest expert on ghosts is ignorant to what lurks in that tower."

    Agatha''s face remained dangerous as Silver tried not to break under her studious gaze. "You obviously would not come here unless there was something you wanted. This isn''t one of your senseless attacks if you wish to invoke my wrath, which you have. I will not indulge your analytics, astray child."

    "You will not be reaching the tower, either."

    "You intend to fight me?" By now, the glow of her Gengar behind her radiating off of her body had made Agatha appear less and less human as her hair flowed in the growing wind. "My judgment has no boundaries for those who breach my home, and certainly none for those who violate sacred grounds. You have done both today, and Wade has yet to be avenged."

    "Then I suppose there are no words left." Silver placed a hand on Neptune''s hide in an effort to find reassurance. ''I''ve done what I can, Domino. The rest is up to you.'' "EVERYONE!" By now, more and more Rocket soldiers and Pokemon had arrived to back them up, and the League would be springing into action at any moment. Petrel was moments from arriving himself. "Swarm! Don''t ignore the others, but prioritize Agatha!"

    /

    Domino''s legs had shown no signs of giving out even as she ascended the steps of the tower at this pace. She imagined most would not be able to claim the same, particularly with the pressure being operated under. As she followed Marauder ascending the staircase leading to the final floor, the words "Time Limit" repeated in her mind over and over again. Whatever League forces Agatha brought with her, a good portion of them would certainly slip away from the conflict as Silver and Petrel''s forces occupied themselves to stalling the Elite Four member, not to mention the police that would be on the scene soon enough. Agatha herself would likely only be stalled for so long, and once she arrived, there would be no battle win.

    Making matters worse, she swore this last staircase was feeling a lot longer than the othersˇ­

    "We''re here!" In front of her, Marauder''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

    The squad of Rockets filed into the room, Pokemon in toe. As they arrived, the loud whispers that Domino had progressively heard on the way up had grown seemingly deafening, and the air was cold and heavy. What''s more, the lights were out. Just as Marauder had said: All of the ghosts that had not fled the tower or fought back had retreated to the top. The layer of the Alpha.

    Numerous flashlights bathed part of the room in golden light, revealing the long field of gravestones spread throughout the room as Marauder took a step forward. The situation barely even seemed to register for the seasoned hunter, who was walking into the room as though stepping through a flower field. Scizor and Weavile remained on either side of him, with perfect flank.

    "The true mission starts now, everybody. The ghosts could flee or retaliate at any minute, so we best get capturing." his gaze scanned the room as Scizor and Weavile both sharpened each of their claws. Behind him, Domino''s posture grew stiffer and stiffer as Crawdaunt and Mandibuzz huddled closer to her.

    She was suddenly finding it hard to breath, yet her heart was beating faster. The presence in the roomˇ­ there was certainly something. Something beyond what a Pokemon should be, as they knew. Yet the continued thought of such only seemed to excite Marauder further.

    ''Operation Originˇ­'' she repeated to herself in her mind. ''Mom, Dadˇ­ and you two were here to know what we were dipping our hands intoˇ­''

    Rapidly shaking her head (to the mild confusion of a few of the surrounding soldiers), she emptied her mind. Those thoughts would lead to death in such a crucial situation as this. They had to be completely on focus for what was about to happen.

    The Moon Stone shard had appeared in Marauder''s hand. The one Silver had ordered she give to the hunter. To so many, it was simply that: A shard of the Moon Stone, used to evolve specific Pokemon. Butˇ­

    "There are many stories about the Moon Stone," Marauder narrated. "So many theories and stories about the giant rock resting deeply beneath Mt. Moon''s caverns. Some fairy tales, some speculation. But the most popular one of allˇ­"

    "Is the connection to Mew," Domino finished for him.

    "Bingo, exactly," she could practically feel the excitement radiating off of the masked hunter, even with his back to her, the fragment still firmly held in his now shaking hand. "That the stone was created by Mew, blessed by him, or both. And as big as that rock is today, it was once much bigger. So big, that even with all of these fragments scattered across the world, it still maintains its massive size. Just how big was it before it split apart? And just what about it grants these small pieces of the stone selective evolutionary powers?" as the whispers continued, his lips twisted into a bitter, toothy grin. "Of courseˇ­ who was ever to say that such tiny fragments were the only pieces that were scattered? What happens if a Pokemon becomes exposed to a moreˇ­ concentrated form of Mew''s power?"

    As he finished his speech, Domino''s arms defensively crossed against her chest as she looked around the room wearily. "It''s now or never, we need to detect him." Moving forward to the hunter''s side, she pulled out a small tablet. "These readings will be what does the job."

    "Indeed With the excitement in his voice now leaking like an overflowing kitchen sink, Marauder raised the Moon Stone shard high above his head. "It is time, soldiers, to uncover the secret behind Lavender''s great distortion hotspot!"

    Only a few seconds had passed before the shard began to glow a deep, ocean blue. It was reacting to something. Was it calling out? Or being called too?

    Domino stared at the table with wide eyes. "Marauder! The readings areˇ­" beside her, she knew he was on the verge of bursting apart. The hunger in his grin was unrivaled by any expression a human was capable of.

    "Yesˇ­" he spoke softly, almost as though in disbelief. "To think it was actually trueˇ­" slowly but surely, his voice began to raise. "I knew I made the right choice getting involved in this project! Operation Origin is real! And this is just the beginning. The Alpha ghost of Pokemon Tower possesses a full chunk of the Moon Stone! A mortal specimen beyond mortality itself!" His hand raced for his belt, but just as he enlarged his Poke Ball, something caught Domino''s eye.

    Turning to see the small figure, the young agent''s eyes landed on the Sableye that had appeared out of the blue. The small ghost had sunk into a fighting stance, black tendrils leaking from his fingers as he took aim at the group. "Some of our company has finally revealed itself."

    "Ohˇ­?" Marauder''s gaze found its way to the Sableye. "One of the ghosts has decided to play hero for its master, I see. Weavile."

    Yami fought back the bead of sweat that threatened to roll down his face as the dark/ice type approached him, clicking his claws together. Just as his soon-to-be attacker was near-halfway in his advance, however, something filled everybody''s heads.

    Domino''s face had turned pale, and behind her, a few of the Rocket soldiers seemed to be on the verge of panicking before Marauder quickly whirled around and issued an order.

    "I-I-Isˇ­" her gulp prevented her words from leaving her mouth. ''I-Isˇ­ that it, Marauder?" Cautiously, she looked up at the Hunter, who remained standing firm.

    "That was a warning. The Alpha is speaking in our heads." for a moment, his face was a stoic, stony glare, before twisting into yet another grin as he cupped his hands together. "The time has come to show yourself, Alpha! You''ve been hiding yourself in here for who knows how many ages, using the ghosts you attract as camouflage! But Team Rocket knows your secret: You are a mortal Pokemon, imbued with the aura of a divine creature! The time has come to hand over your chunk of the Moon Stone!" Another sensation rippled throughout the room. Anger. Rage. Marauder could feel it, his bones were shaking beneath his skin. "Magnificentˇ­" He whispered to himself as a wind began to slowly but surely pick up. "If you really do exist, then there must be others like you. Creatures that go beyond the limitations of mortality, of their own speciesˇ­ and it''s all the key to finding your Guardian. Operation Origin officially begins tonight, and will end with Team Rocket holding the power of Mew IN OUR HANDS!"

    The wind surged as a screech roared through the room. Everybody braced themselves against the gale that threatened to shoot them out of the tower itself as the readings on the tablet went haywire, and the shard in Marauder''s hands glowed as blindingly as the sun itself.

    Domino''s breathing struggled to get itself under control as she peaked out from behind her arm, shielding her face from the force. ''This is actually happeningˇ­ what the hell have we done?!''

    "YEEES!" beneath his mask, Marauder''s eyes were a fantatical wildfire as something began to take shape in front of him. "Come to me, one of a kind specimen! Lead me to the greatest prey any hunter could ever dream!"

    Fighting to maintain their footing, the soldiers released more Pokemon in a panic as Domino''s hand clasped her mouth, struggling to hold back the vomit. The feeling was growingˇ­ the power radiating in front of them, unlike anything any Pokemon should ever be able to give off.

    "It''s too muchˇ­" the gusts of wind stole away her whisper, never to be heard.

    The swirling black that now floated before Marauder began to collect and form. Two giant arms spread out from either side as the haze took the form of a giant, bulky body. As the Alpha ghost continued to take shape, its identity soon became known to all, as Domino began backing away a few steps, both her teammates not daring to leave her side.

    The gigantic form of a Dusknoir towered above the squad as the whispers turned to screams. Yami remained still as several other ghosts took form, some prepared to fight, and others fleeing outside the tower. But all eyes were on the Alpha, its singular red eye glowering down at Marauder with a gaze that could very well murder a man on its own. Thick, harsh globs of blackish purple air seeped from the giant Dusknoir''s body, and a bluish pink outline coated its body, the heavenly aura merging with the grotesque aura as all remaining ghosts orbited the Alpha''s form like a sun''s gravitational pull.

    To the side, Yami gazed up in awe, a vigor filling his heart as he turned back to the approaching Weavile with a sharp confidence, and determined glare.

    Marauder was the only one not terrified as the arm holding his Poke Ball winded back for the throw. "It''s a shame Silvally is not here for this, but tonight is the night that Lavender dies. Now, punch a hole in the heavens!"

    The Dusknoir was directly above him, arms spread out to the surging wind spawned by its very existence as Marauder chucked the ball. The burst of light took shape into Tyranitar''s towering form, and the bloodlusted roar of a titan transformed the final floor of Pokemon Tower into a warzone.

    /

    "Nebula, Wind Blast!"

    "You two, Golbat!"

    True to Marauder''s word, it had not taken long for additional Rockets to start pouring into the room, significantly less content on ignoring the three children. Ash and Janine''s teams had formed a line in front of their trainers and Caleb (who was still clinging to Ash) as the two fliers of the group swept the soldiers and Pokemon off their feet with powerful gales, leaving several of the Rockets knocked out on the floor from landing wrong, but the occasional Wind Blast was needed for certain individual targets. The remaining teammates would intercept whatever Pokemon slipped by, resulting in brawls spreading across the room as the human trio kept themselves behind cover. More than a few gravestones had been damaged or broken in the chaos, especially as the Rocket Pokemon grew bolder in fighting back, sensing Nebula and Golbat''s creeping fatigue from the constant blasts of Whirlwind.

    Ash knew his Staravia friend would not last much longer, and temptation told him to have her use Reckless. A final blast of Whirlwind enhanced by the ability would tear the Rockets down by the numbers. But he did not know if this was the end of the wave, and they''d be left defenseless afterwards. Based on Marauder''s words, he doubted they''d be lucky.

    A bit close to them for comfort, Pikachu, Eevee and Beedrill were ganging up on a Mightyena. Elsewhere, Phenom was viciously clinging to another that ran around in desperate agony as the dinosaur''s Poison Fang sank deeper and deeper and deeper in. A great deal of the Rocket Pokemon present were dark types, which did not surprise Ash in context.

    Sure enough, a few more soldiers had already filed into the room from the third floor, one quickly being startled by the Whirlwind currently in progress. The other two quickly sprung into action, and Ash''s heart sank as two Graveler emerged from their Poke Balls.

    "Janine!" he tried shouting over the fighting. "They''ll never be able to blow those down!" at her grim nod, he scanned the room for Tempest''s whereabouts, and perked up as he saw the Krabby already attempting to make his way to one of the Graveler. A wave of apprehension struck him, not sure just how strong the newcomers were.

    One of the soldiers tightened her hand into a fist as she glowered across the room. "Enough of this, brats! Graveler, Rollout!"

    Eyes widening, Janine quickly turned to Ivysaur. "That things about to rampage around the room! Stop it with Energy Ball and put it to sleep!" Her starter nodded, reluctantly leaving her side as Graveler curled into a ball and tore through the floor, smashing through several gravestones as he charged across. A blast from Ivysaur''s Energy Ball forced the rotund stone behemoth out of the ball-shaped form, knocking him backwards, but the other Graveler was suddenly approaching the quadruped.

    "Flamethrower!" Another Rocket soldier raised his voice on command, and Ivysaur''s eyes widened as the second Graveler opened her mouth and unleashed the fiery stream. Ivysaur narrowly avoided the attack by leaping back with Vine Whip, but still felt the heat singe his skin as one of his vines was burnt off. The Flamethrower struck a gravestone, overheating the rock as another voice suddenly sounded from the stairway.

    "Janine! Ash! Caleb! Are you up here?!"

    Janine barely heard the call as the remaining Rockets shifted their attention. "Wait, that''s-"

    Smokey''s form blurred into the room as the Arcanine let loose a massive stream of fiery. Angling his head around to redirect the Fire Blast, his attack swept across the nearby vicinity, knocking out several Rocket Pokemon as the nearby soldiers scrambled to safety, only to be swiftly brought down themselves as the massive canine struck them in the head with his paws one by one. Both Graveler closed in to attack the fire type, but one of them was quickly dealt with by an Iron Tail that launched it into a gravestone a few feet away, and the other was abruptly knocked out by a stream of water from another source.

    For the first time that night, true relief overtook Ash as Kris appeared in the room next, a Politoed at her side. The Ace Trainer quickly noticed them as Janine sprang up, some of their Pokemon slightly startled by how quickly the fight had ended. "Guys! Are you okay?!"

    "Kris!" Janine quickly rushed from their hiding spot, and as Ash followed her, he noticed Caleb beginning to move a bit more freely at the sight of the older trainer. "They just came out of nowhere, and-"

    "I know," the blue-haired girl answered quickly. "The police are starting to get here, but there''s still a lot more going on down below. I''d have my Pidgeot fly you guys out the window if she wasn''t sick; some Rocket fliers are patrolling the place, but nothing she can''t zip past."

    Caleb''s tear-stained face was pale again. "S-So we''reˇ­ stuckˇ­?"

    "Not for long." Kris said firmly. "I won''t let anything happen to you threeˇ­" her voice trailed off as she surveyed the room, cursing under her breath. "This isˇ­" The very thought of a gravesite being destroyed was stomach churning on its own, and the condition of the room gave off that same image. "They''ve never done something this audacious before."

    "There''s something at the topˇ­" glancing beside him as he spoke, Ash saw Janine trembling again, as if trying to catch her breath before he refocused on Kris. "That''s why they''re here."

    "At the topˇ­" Kris'' brow furrowed as her eyes scanned the doorway leading to the stairs to the next floor. "It''s gotta be something important. Who''s leading the attack? Do you know?"

    "Theˇ­" Janine hesitated for a moment. "Iron-Masked Marauder" Just the reminder sent a shiver up Ash''s back as the Ace trainer''s face paled.

    "Noˇ­ you meanˇ­" Now Kris'' eyes were glued to the doorway. "Of all theˇ­" after a moment or two, she ran her hand through her hair with a frustrated huff. "I can''t leave you guys alone, butˇ­"

    "Miss Krisˇ­?" Caleb spoke hesitantly as the teen''s fists began to tighten. Beside her, Smokey and Politoed were both vigilant, as though waiting for any more Rockets to burst in.

    Suddenly, Ash''s heart skipped a beat as a roar sounded from directly above them, his eyes quickly shooting up to the ceiling as he felt his muscles beginning to lock. He knew that sound.

    Finally, Kris took out two more Poke Balls, a Meganium and Ampharos appearing beside her as she turned back to the younger three. "Iˇ­ I have to go after them. Whatever they''re here for is too important to ignore, butˇ­ are you okay with that? I''ll leave Ampharos and Politoed here with you."

    Ash and Janine shared a few looks. The thought of her leaving them behind so quickly after arriving put them back at unease. Uncertainty. But if she left two Pokemon, it was doubtful that any grunts could touch them. And there was nothing stopping Marauder and his team from attacking them on their way down, if they succeeded.

    Reluctantly, they gave her a nod.

    /

    Yami sank into the ground, narrowly avoiding Weavile''s strike as the dark/ice type rushed him. Although the small ghosts had managed to land a few clean hits, he was beginning to look worse for wear as Marauder''s knocked him around. The surrounding room had descended into chaos as Tyranitar charged the alpha Dusknoir, the two behemoths clashing as the rest of the ghosts either fled or fought for their lives. Most were overwhelmed, the room filling with many dark types that saw some of the resisting ghosts beginning to retreat. Many on both sides were caught in a crossfire as Tyranitar and Dusknoir devastated the surrounding area, however, and cracks and holes had already begun forming in the floor.

    "Aren''t you going to run with the rest of them, pipsqueak?" Marauder mocked from the side as his Scizor tore through two of the last remaining ghosts. "I guess being part dark type yourself doesn''t make you "prey" like the rest of your friends. No matterˇ­" Another Poke Ball appeared in his hand. Moments later, Spiritomb emerged from the capsule, a shrill screech escaping its body as something pulsed in Yami''s head. Clutching at the sides of his head in panic, the Sableye was knocked away moments later by Weavile''s icy fist.

    Marauder''s eyes carried a satisfied glint as he turned back to point at Dusknoir. "Spiritomb, do your thing and disrupt the alpha''s energy. Domino, get your partners ready."

    Shivering at the sight of the new ghost, Domino stiffly nodded at the hunter, gesturing for Crawdaunt and Mandibuzz to take a stance. WIth another cry, Spiritomb''s aura pulse across the room, ramming into Dusknoir like an invisible shockwave of emotion as her Pokemon showered the giant ghost with their attacks. A giant, charged up blow from Tyranitar knocked the ghost on it''s back, and-

    Just as a few of the other Rocket Pokemon were about to zero in, a giant blast of fire swept them off of their feat, and Smokey blurred into the room, bowling over several soldiers one by one. Domino''s blood froze as the large canine charged for her next, but a Crabhammer from Crawdaunt socked the fire type in the jaw, forcing him backwards as Kris and Meganium filed into the room next.

    The Ace Trainer''s eyes were focused and steel as she scanned the room. Smokey''s entrance had felled the majority of the Rockets before they had the chance to retaliate with any further teammates, but the two in front of her she knew to be a far bigger deal than any group of grunts.

    Domino, a teenage girl known as "Black Tulip" among her fellow Rockets. Knowledge of Team Rocket''s child soldier program had only surfaced roughly half a decade ago, and according to the blonde''s file, Domino was among the early cases that had brought such a thing to light. At just eleven, she had carried out a successful espionage mission that had landed the organization such a successful heist, and was spoken to have high skills in stealth and analytics, while certainly being no slouch on the battlefield as well. She was among the most prodigious amidst the group.

    But like a gravitational pull, it was Marauder that her gaze would have stayed on, if it were not for the scene in the middle of the room. Although the ghost attached to the keystone was an abnormal creature on the eyes, she vaguely recognized it as a Spiritomb, and what little knowledge she had on the species made her shudder. The true attention stealer, however, was that. The Dusknoir of such great size, giving off such aˇ­ she wasn''t even sure how to describe it.

    Her blood nearly ran cold beneath the masked hunter''s sneer as Meganium remained close to her trainer''s side. In front of them, Smokey sidestepped into a crouching position, the vicious, predatory growl escaping his throat giving Scizor pause before springing into action.

    "So the League has arrived," Marauder commented. "But you are no Agatha, Ace Trainer. And it seems you''ve come alone."

    Barely stopping the breath from catching in her throat, Kris'' eyes glued themselves to the hunter as her fists tightened. "I won''t be alone for long," she spoke with a light snarl. ''They have to be after that Dusknoir. I don''t know, but we can figure that out later. Agatha would know.'' "Iron-Masked Marauder, you are wanted for a litany, but what you''re doing tonightˇ­" she could barely muster the words as the fury filled her eyes.

    "And I suppose you''re here to stop me? I would not get your hopes up." his eyes shot back to Domino. "We may be running out of time. You know what to do."

    Domino nodded, eyes scanning her Mandibuzz and Crawdaunt, as well as Marauder''s Weavile. ''If Spritomb can keep disrupting that Dusknoir''s distortion, it''ll become harder for it to remain bonded with the Moon Stone''s power. We need to create an opening to swipe it and fast.''

    Sensing that her enemies were done talking, Kris quickly shouted. "Meganium, Petal Blizzard!"

    /

    Damian''s position on the battlefield was a fairly low-risk one. He was off the beaten path en route to the tower, making the League forces less likely to engage him directly given their urgency to get there. Necro was also nearby protecting this portion of the team, and the Mr. Mime''s barrier work was rather competent and reassuring.

    Even despite all that, the boy could not be prepared for the sensation he felt watching Elite Four Agatha release her team. It was like death was standing on top of him, his insides feeling like they were churning and freezing in place all at once.

    The Rocket Pokemon had quickly swarmed her, almost like a wall made out of dark types , but it was in vain. Even now, as Executive Silver stood against her, joined by Petrel, the dominant presence of the renowned Maiden of the Ghouls remained unchecked. Silver had been strong enough to face down a Gym Leader just prior to this, and yet his entire strategy against this ghost Master revolved around desperation to simply last as long as possible, the thought of winning not even on the agenda.

    Beside him, Charmeleon breathed out a blast of fire in response to a stray attack that Necro had shielded them from. Noctowl flew overhead, observing the path of the League forces that had broken off from the main fight and begun making their way towards the town. They had been intercepted by the remaining Rockets, but with the majority of their forces occupied with stalling Agatha, they would not be held back for long.

    Eyes glancing towards Necro''s direction, Damian felt somewhat unnerved yet intrigued by how the Mr. Mime effectively danced in battle. His movements felt like they carried a rhythm that only the Mr. Mime himself was aware of, seemingly erratic and without reason to any onlookers. When he teleported, he vanished with a powerful flash of light that momentarily blinded any nearby enemy. So far the League forces had not touched him, and any efforts to reach their division of the team proved fruitless.

    He should feel safe, but the thought of Agatha looking in his direction for even a moment filled him with dread.

    /

    "Blast her again, Neptune!"

    Silver rode on the back of Pinion as his partner aimed a Hydro Pump directly at Agatha herself. She stood motionless as Aegislash appeared in front of her, Neptune''s attack harmlessly washing over the barrier that formed around the ghost''s shield shaped body. The moment the attack ceased, the metal specter changed into the shape of a sword, sending the large reptile back with a blinding-fast strike. The transition had felt like only a split second, and Neptune had no chance to catch his adversary''s blade in his jaws before being slashed across the chest and sent on his back. Petrel''s Liepard quickly moved for the bladed spirit, only for Agatha''s Dusknoir to punch Calliope away and intercept the swift feline with Shadow Sneak, lurching back from a Night Slash to the abdomen before swinging forward in turn and decking the tall cat with Fire Punch. Three Mightyena trying to gang up on Gengar were blasted away with ease before the ghost/poison type fired a Thunderbolt up at Silver and Pinion, the Crobat swerving in the air as the teen Executive held on tight to avoid the scorching blast of lightning.

    ''At this rate, we''re going to have to retreat sooner than later.'' Silver gritted his teeth as Petrel''s Weezing drew closer, the poison type spreading a giant cloud of gas that was no doubt intended for the opposing trainers as much as the Pokemon themselves. Agatha''s Gengar was quickly upon the cloud, however, suckign up a decent poriton of it as Aegislash charged through the gas outright to deliver a devastating strike to Liepard before returning to its shield form to effortlessly tank Calliope''s counter attack. Moments later, a wave of psychic barriers washed over Agatha and her forces, and the cloud of toxic gas became as harmless as a Rattata poking an Onix.

    "Executives Petrel and Silver!" their communicators sounded. "The police are in the tower, they''re trying to fight they''re way up. And this girl blitzed by us just before that, I think she''s an Ace Trainer!"

    Though the older executive wore a gas mask, Agatha recognized him nonetheless: it had not been the first time he had gone into battle dressed like that. ''Team Rocket Executive Petrel. Certain sources claim that you were the one who started Team Rocket''s indoctrination of child soldiers, some of whom are participating in this very battle. You deserve less mercy than anyone else here.'' Predictably, the Executive kept himself out of her reachˇ­ for now.

    "Dusknoir, Seize of the Dead!" The large, bulky ghost''s red eye glowed as though it contained magma, and a large, expanding puddle of purple shadows spawned on the ground directly in front of him. Black arms spawned out of the puddle like plants birthed from soil, and rushed for Neptune. The Feraligatr blasted at them in retaliation, but even as some some arms were destroyed, more continued to take their place, moving forward rapidly before strangling the water type to the ground. As Silver shouted orders to the blue reptile struggling against the abyss of arms, and nearby Rocket Pokemon struggled to fight their way towards his position, the old woman looked on with a stoic expression that gave way to the malicious murder in her eyes.

    Agatha''s judgment would not be denied.

    /

    Klark had been greeted with pandemonium upon entering the tower, and even before that, Decidueye had been sensing something coming from the top, just in time to see a hole explode from somewhere on either the top or second-highest floor. The agent gritted his teeth as Stoutland and Decidueye quickly entered the fray. Kris was either at the top or with the children her Gardevoir had told him about. The worst case scenario would be both, and though securing the kids would be the priority, getting them out of the tower would be easier said than done. Gardevoir had teleported them to the site without much trouble, but it was much more problematic for her to actually teleport inside the building. Already, whatever was going on was messing with the psychic''s focus, not to mention the distortion levels predictably fluctuating and going haywire. It wasn''t even a good idea for her to be here in the first place, but she insisted.

    The first floor alone was a chaotic warzone, and one that promoted greeted thoughts of disgust at such an event taking place at a gravesite. Police forces and Rockets alike were locked in combat, and the walls separating the rooms were already damaged and well on their way to being destroyed at this current rate. The agent worried for the staircases leading up the tower; those being damaged alone would make things significantly harder, and reaching them would require a decent bit of effort as he ducked behind cover, wincing at the sight of multiple gravestones being damaged or even upheaved entirely. One within his view was not only laying across the floor, but was split in two.

    ''You''ll have to hold out just a bit longer, Kris.''

 Scars of the Afterlife pt 2

    "Stay behind me, Caleb!" As more Rockets had begun pouring into the room, Ash and his younger friend had found themselves closer to one of the far corners, now separated from Janine. Valiant had stuck with them, still prepared to at least try and defend despite the sweat pouring down his face. Ash wasn''t totally confident the Kirlia could manage a barrier, but the young psychic had resisted his attempts at returning him to his ball.

    The rest of their teams had resumed fighting, except for Nebula and Golbat, who had used up their reserves and needed to be returned. Ampharos and Politoed provided the rest with valuable moments of reprieve as they assumed the front lines against the attacking forces, but that reprieve did not stretch to Ash''s psych as the shaking and crashing noises from the above floors continued to intensify. The sound of Tyranitar''s roaring echoed downwards across the tower, and every single instance caused him to momentarily freeze in place.

    Adrenaline pumped through Phenom''s veins as he bashed his head against an Ekans, sending it recoiling backwards. An instant later, he turned just in time to see the Raticate rushing for him, but not in time to stop the strike from the large rodent''s tail that struck him in the face. Staggering back, the Tyrunt would have lost his footing if he had not hit a gravestone first, and with growing rage, lunged for the rat. Sidestepping a gnash from the normal type''s teeth, the young dinosaur bowled over his larger opponent with Roar, before leaping forward and chomping down with Poison Fang. His teeth punctured their way through the Raticate''s skin, and he ignored the terrible taste of fur as he clung to his opponent. His mouth filled with blood as Raticate screamed, running around aimlessly as Phenom fought to maintain his grip. The rodent ran past Eevee, who disfigured a charging Fearow''s beak with Super Tail as Toxtricity launched more shockwaves into the advancing enemies.

    Ivysaur remained glued to Janine''s shadow as the purple-haired girl fought to exercise her breathing, knuckles white as her eyes scanned the room.

    "Scumˇ­" she muttered under her breath, and her starter only had time to spare a glance at her before returning to vigilance. "This isˇ­" Her efforts to regather her thoughts were halted as the earthquake-like shaking above them grew even more intense, drawing many eyes up to the ceiling as a loud crash was heard just above them. Even as the fighting continued, it was interrupted yet again as cracks began to form, and thenˇ­ "No, wait! Guys-"

    The ceiling burst open.

    Debris from the above floor showered into the room, accompanied by a few gravestones and caskets undoubtedly containing deceased Pokemon. All eyes in the room immediately zeroed in on the enormous figure that crashed down onto their floor, silhouetted by the cloud of dust.

    Tyranitar resembled a solid shadow as he crouched in the center of the room, fragments of a gravestone cracking and crumbling beneath his feet as he rose to full height. As the monstrosity surveyed the surrounding parties in the room, Ash found his back against the wall, palms pressed firmly against the surface. He wanted to look away. He couldn''t look away. For what felt like a split second, the beast''s eyes were on him.

    Moments later, Marauder landed beside Tyranitar with the Weavile and Scizor in tow. Domino and Kris soon after.

    "I don''t know what that thing was you just caught," Kris began, "But-"

    "You''ve already lost," the hunter interrupted, snapping his fingers. "Boys, clean up!"

    Rearing back, Tyranitar roared as a surging Hyper Beam shot out of his mouth towards Smokey. The blast ripped through the room, destroying whatever in its path wasn''t yet rubble, and as the Arcanine cleanly evaded it, tore through the wall into the next room, where it detonated against the far end, leaving a hole into the outside.

    Some Rockets tried to rush Kris with their teams, while others fled, preferring to stay out of the way. Ampharos fired a large bolt of lightning into the beast, but Meganium''s blast of leaves were turned to ice by Weavile. Politoed forced Scizor back with a blast of water, before being socked in the jaw by Crawdaunt as Mandibuzz rushed for Smokey.

    Grabbing onto Caleb, Ash eyed the doorway leading downstairs. "Caleb, we have to go." Even as he said it, his eyes frantically scanned the room for his team. Apart from valiant being at his side, only Nebula had been recalled. And Janine was somewhere in the chaos. He did not want to draw attention, but against his better judgment, he called out while leading the younger boy by the hand. "Guys! Are you there?!"

    From the corner of Marauder''s eye, he could see them attempting to flee, but thought nothing of it. ''They''re just collateral. We need to beat the Ace Trainer so we can get away with the prize.'' "Scizor, sink your claws into her!"

    The metal bug turned to Kris and rushed for her with Metal Claw. Her fists tightened as Meganium launched herself at Scizor with Vine Whip and Body Slam, crashing into his body and launching him away as Tyranitar attacked Smokey with Dark Pulse. Marauder could see Domino and her team trying to slip away in the distraction, but something else caught his eye as wellˇ­ A familiar Sableye appeared out of a shadow on the floor, boldly firing a Power Gem into Tyranitar''s back. The attack did little to faze the beast, but it did get his attention, and Yami almost buckled under the behemoth''s death glare.

    "Pipsqueak is back? And here I thought Weavile knocked you out." On cue, the dark/ice type rushed for Yami, who quickly ducked under him with Shadow Sneak, before resurfacing behind him to strike the back of his head with Fire Punch.

    "Smokey, Flamethrower!" Meganium positioned herself in front of Kris as Yami''s blow launched Weavile forward. A surging stream of flames slammed into him and blasted him away from the immediate area. Scizor quickly took a leap back to avoid the fire as Marauder signaled for Tyranitar to move.

    "You can''t keep up like this forever, girl." the hunter sneered. ''I''ve beaten people stronger than you, and evaded more clever ones at that."

    "I''m not letting you escape with whatever you just caught."

    ''Good, she''s targeting the wrong one.'' he thought with some satisfaction. By now, Domino was absent. "Hyper Beam, Tyranitar!" The titanic creature reared back once more, before firing the blast straight for kris and Meganium. The teen''s starter quickly wrapped vines around her to pull her out of the way as she leapt to the side, but the shockwaves still had Kris screaming as the blast collided with the floor, tearing another hole.

    /

    Blood trickled from Phenom''s snout as he batted the Raticate away with Dragon Tail. The Rocket grunt in front of him snarled in frustration as the rodent sank to a knee. Phenom soon did the same, however, desperately trying to suck more air into his lungs as the larger normal type returned to a standing position. The dinosaur''s body was covered with bruises from all of the fighting that had gone on, and despite his best efforts, he could feel his body accepting its limits, even as his eyes flared with a rare rage.

    A smack from the Raticate''s tail quelled whatever adrenaline was left as the Tyrunt''s back collided with a stone behind him. A weak growl escaped his throat as the Raticate advanced. The rodent''s balance staggered for a moment before regaining itself as the soldier ordered another attack.

    A stream of bubbles slammed into the side of the normal type''s head, and Phenom''s eyes widened briefly as Tempest came into view. He could only take in the sight of the Krabby for a brief moment before his eyes began to shut, his body relaxing itself despite his best voluntary efforts. Glaring at the soldier, Tempest fired another a second Bubble Beam straight at him, growling in frustration as the grunt quickly retreated. Just as he was about to give chase, he paused and looked back to Phenom.

    The Tyrunt was unconscious now, leaning unevenly against the gravestone. His hide was clearly bruised with blood leaking from a few spots. With a sigh, Tempest moved to lift him up, but was struck from behind with a Bullet Seed that sent him rolling straight into the collapsed dinosaur. Shaking his head, Tempest''s eyes squinted for a moment to see the approaching Cacnea, before an Icy Wind suddenly slammed into it.

    Valiant huffed as the grass type collapsed in a sheet of ice. Theˇ­ presence was gone, and he could feel some strength coming back, but catching his breath was still a struggle. He and Tempest locked eyes for a moment before Ash returned the Krabby and Tyrunt to their poke balls.

    Caleb clung to the older boy as Ash looked around in desperation. His heart wouldn''t stop pounding, and for a moment he had to press a thumb against his chest to remind himself to breathe. "Alright, that''s two. Where are Pikachu and-" a sudden call diverted his attention, and his eyes widened to see Yami approaching them. "Yami!"

    The Sableye was half-sunk into his shadow, moving along the floor smoothly like water before rising a bit as he stopped in front of the group. Ash winced at the ghost''s condition; it wasn''t horrendous, but Yami had clearly been taking punishment. Yami must have noticed Ash''s concern, shaking his head reassuringly before frantically chattering, gesturing towards the wall.

    ''He wants us to get outside.'' Ash quickly realized. "Yami, Pikachu and Eevee are still somewhere, but I lost sight of them. Do you know where-" Ash was cut off as the Sableye quickly pointed down, and his blood somehow felt colder. "They fell through the floor?!"

    /

    Janine was cursing herself as her feet halted. Recalling Beedrill and Toxtricity had not been too difficult, as both had made their way back to her as Kris had called for her to run. And run she had, though Ivysaur remained glued to her throughout. Escaping the chaos was all she could think about, and she had not remembered Ash until she had already reached the third floor. She could hear fighting in the room next door as she and her starter halted.

    "You''ve got to beˇ­" the poison specialist hissed through clenched teeth as she reluctantly looked back towards the stairs that she and Ivysaur had just gone down. Her partner nudged his head against her legs for a second or two as she desperately racked her brain for a solution. ''I can''t leave Ash and his team behind, but if we go back up-'' An explosion from above shook the tower, and she grunted while covering her ears for a moment. ''It''ll be dangerous no matter which direction we go in. Kris is up there, but so is the Marauder, andˇ­'' her mind trailed off as she looked around the room, and suddenly, something caught her attention.

    There was a familiar Pokemon lying further in the room, and her instincts urged her to draw closer. As she and Ivysaur approached, her eyes slowly widened in realization.

    It was Eevee.

    "Eevee!" quickening her pace, she quickly knelt down in front of the unconscious normal type while Ivysaur nudged the evolution Pokemon with a concerned growl. "How did you getˇ­" her eyes made their way towards the ceiling, where clear holes had been punctured through by the fighting, and she felt a cold sweat running down her. "They''reˇ­ completely destroying the tower." Another worried growl from Ivysaur. In hopes of reassuring him, she patted her starter''s head, but the action was absent minded, without much thought put into it as she felt a shiver up her back. Trying to rid herself of the feeling, she felt Eevee''s pulse before gently shaking her body. The normal type was definitely hurt, but her injuries didn''t seem too severe, and she was breathing fine. Had the fall been what knocked her out? Normally she''d use Iron Tail to save herself. Had the Rockets taken her out? "Eevee? Eevee, wake up."

    As Janine coaxed her, the furry quadruped''s eyes began to squeeze for a moment, before opening lightly. Janine''s relief was short-lived as another, louder explosion struck the ceiling above them.

    Chunks of rubble fell down from nearby, and the girl yelped, initially believing she was going to be hit. A particularly loud thud, however, drew her attention to the casket that had landed in front of her. Half a casket, at any rate.

    A good portion of the top had been blown off, completely exposing the inside, and the girl''s face turned to a sheet at what fell out. The remains had long since been decomposed, and all that was left was the deceased Pokemon''s skeleton, hanging awkwardly out of the casket, right in Janine''s line of vision.

    As her face grew even paler, she felt something in her throat. Something coldˇ­ yet hot. Her stomach was sloshing as she urged her willpower to push it down, and miraculously, nothing came up. Her eyes, however, could not leave the skeletal remains no matter how badly she willed it, and for a few moments she felt like she was seeing double. The world was tilting, and she felt her own gaze growing hollow. Pressing her hands against the hard floor, she scooted herself back, only for the gravestone her back pressed against to serve as yet another reminder. Her fingers trembled against the surface of the floor, and she didn''t respond to Ivysaur''s nudges.

    "How canˇ­ any of youˇ­" she chewed her lip. The hammering in her chest was beginning to distract her. "Nothing''s sacred to you, you''re just barbarians! You''re justˇ­" she gripped her chest for a moment, but the fog in her mind had both her hands clutching her head as her eyes were drawn to the floor, unable to focus on anything else as the shivering trailed over her entire body. "WORTHLESS! DEMONS! SCUM! ALL OF YOOOOU!"

    Another explosion moments later silenced her, and all she could do was moan as her wet eyes clouded her uneven vision. Soon, it wasn''t just her eyes that were wet. She thought she could feel Ivysaur rubbing against her, but she couldn''t see him, and her body wouldn''t let her move to look. All it would allow was for her arms to hug her knees against her chest as her face wettened further. "Fatherˇ­ what the hell am I supposed to-"

    "Who''s that in here?" Though she jolted, she couldn''t immediately make out the two figures entering the room and approaching her, but a low growl left Ivysaur''s throat as he positioned himself between his trainer and the Rockets. A Hypno stood beside one, and a Jynx with the other.

    The second Rocket, with the Jynx, nudged the first on the shoulder as his eyes scanned the girl. Ivysaur''s growling grew more and more hostile the closer the Rocket squinted, but the two psychics took a step forward to ensure no retaliation. "This girlˇ­ why am Iˇ­?"

    "She does look a bit familiar, doesn''t sheˇ­" the first Rocket observed curiously. She was still huddled up against the gravestone, the half-conscious Eevee leaning against her side as her knees, wrapped in her arms, leaned into her chest. "Wait a minuteˇ­"

    "So you do recognize her?" the second Rocket inquired.

    The first Rocket''s face slowly split into a grin. "I think I doˇ­ this is Koga''s daughter." his fists shook as Ivysaur''s growl turned sharp. "What great luck."

    "What''s she doing in Lavender?"

    "Who cares?!" the first Rocket nodded to Hypno as his eyes locked onto Janine''s. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her face as he took a step forward. "This is perfect! My cousin was killed last month thanks to your demon father." his expression was twisting now. "His daughter''s coffin should make a good birthday gift."

    Ivysuar was not growling anymore. A guttural shout escaped his throat as the two psychics advanced. Janine wanted to protest, but nothing would come out of her mouth even as it opened.

    Just as the Hypno raised its pendulum, a dark arrow suddenly struck it in the backˇ­

    /

    Klark observed the two unconscious Rockets for just a moment before shifting his eyes to the girl against the grave. She wasn''t awake anymore, and had probably passed out during the brief fight. Her Ivysaur had eyed him suspiciously, but quickly eased up after seeing Kris'' Gardevoir with him.

    "This is Janine, right?" Looking over at Gardevoir, she nodded back to him. "Take her to the Center, I need to stay here.

    /

    "Caleb, are you alright?" Ash reached down to help the younger boy up. As they had rushed down the stairs with Valiant and Yami, Caleb had lost his balance, nearly falling down the stairs had Ash not caught him.

    "Y-Yeahˇ­" Caleb tried to breath as Ash helped him back to his feet. "Thanks."

    Ash looked him over for a moment before grabbing his hand and continuing, doing his best to move down carefully without compromising their speed. A loud crash from the fourth floor filled his ears as he struggled to remain focused on the path ahead.

    Yami was moving along the walls, body still half sunk into Shadow Sneak as he led the way down. Valiant brought up the rear of the group, not sparing any glances back, but doing his best to keep the feeling in his head under control. Now that the intense presence of distortion was gone, his mind was coming back to him, but the overwhelming myriad of emotions coming from every direction had only been somewhat reduced.

    As they passed through the doorway, Ash braced himself for the worst, desperately hoping they weren''t about to run into a gang of Rockets that wouldˇ­ he could barely process the thought. ''Why is this still happening?!''

    They quickly did draw the attention of a figure, but to his relief, the man was no Rocket. In factˇ­ he seemed fairly ordinary. He was dressed in casual clothes, with blazing red hair slicked back into spikes. A large canine Pokemon that the boy narrowly recognized as a Stoutland stood by his side; had the situation not been what it was, he would have gaped at the normal type, who was very similar to Smokey in size. Not too far away was what appeared to be a bird Pokemon, or an owl, more specifically, but Ash drew a blank on the species.

    He quickly realized that this man must be another visitor, and was probably paying his respects while they were at Knighter''s grave. Although Ash wasn''t any less panicked, seeing this newcomer thankfully did not make his mood worse, which was the best he could ask for at any point. He still stiffened upon noting a few unconscious Rockets and their Pokemon in the room.

    Klark''s eyes widened as Ash and his group entered the room. Decidueye spared them a second''s worth of attention before returning to her vigilant stance, ready to strike at any attacker. "Kids! Are you two hurt?"

    The man seemed a lot more composed than one would expect a civilian to be in a situation like this, and that barely calmed Ash''s nerves in the slightest bit as he led Caleb in the man''s direction. "We''re fine for now, but I have two friends missing. Have you seen a Pikachu or Eevee on this floor?"

    Klark and Stoutland met them halfway , the man taking a brief moment to look back at Decidueye before his eyes returned to Ash and Caleb, the latter once more clinging to the former as though it had become second nature to him. Valiant looked up at him somewhat warily while Yami''s eyes surveyed the room for the two missing Pokemon. "You''re Ash and Caleb right? Your Eevee was here, Janine already found her."

    Ash''s eyes widened for a split second, not even registering that this stranger knew his friend''s name. "Janine was here?! Where are they now? Are they o-"

    "They''re okay," Klark quickly raised a hand to try and calm the boy. "Ace Trainer Kris'' Gardevoir got them out of here a few minutes ago, so they''re safe." his face was serious. "You said you have a Pikachu missing?"

    "Yeah, my friend Yami," Ash looked over to the Sableye for a second. "Said he and Eevee fell through one of the holes in the fourth floor." It was a miracle he could get his words out properly. "We''re trying to find them and get out of here."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Focus on the second part," Klark urged. "I can get you to the police-"

    "No!" Ash yelled almost a bit too quickly. Freezing up for a second, he looked back at the startled Caleb, and mumbled apologetically before returning his focus to Klark. "I can''t leave without him! He''ll-"

    "The police will find your friend." Klark tried to ease him. "I know how you feel, but you can''t prolong escaping. This is a full on attack, you can''t be in the middle of it."

    "Iˇ­ already amˇ­" Ash could feel his voice losing strength as Caleb held onto him tighter. "Please, I justˇ­"

    Klark''s face scrunched up as he looked over the young rookie with clear pity. The boy''s body expression was one of an overwhelmed child, being pulled in every direction by panic and fear. Caleb was not faring much better, having effectively become attached to Ash''s clothes.

    A loud THUD caught their attention as something fell through one of the holes in the ceiling, and Ash could hear a familiar voice yelling out as the impact kicked up a small cloud of dust. Signaling for Stoutland to remain with Ash and his group, Klark ran over to the body that had fallen through the hole, quickly joined by Decidueye.

    "Kris'' Meganiumˇ­" Klark gritted his teeth. The grass type was knocked out clean, and a good portion of her skin charred black, and a massive bruise on her side and head. A loud crash opened up another part of the ceiling, prompting a startled yelp from Ash and Caleb as more fell through.

    Once more, Ash felt his blood freeze in place as Tyranitar rose to full height. The beast''s hide was scarred by battle, but he still stood tall above everyone else in the room as Marauder, Scizor, and Weavile joined him. The dark ice/type was clutching an injured arm, but was quickly recalled as the masked hunter''s eyes zeroed in on the red-haired man.

    "Klark, Klark, Klarkˇ­" the agent''s face scrunched, eyes stiffening as Marauder''s own gaze narrowed beneath his mask. "Somehow I knew you''d follow me all the way to Indigo. Do you have anything better to do than be a leech meddling with my career?"

    Despite his dwindling focus, Ash managed to look back at Klark in surprise. ''Waitˇ­ whatˇ­?''

    "I''ll follow you until you''re behind bars," Klark''s professional tone suppressed his snarl. "You''ve gone past inhuman yet again."

    "All that matters is the accolades," Marauder responded nonchalantly as Decidueye took aim at him and his team.

    "Of course you''d say that," Ash''s eyes turn to see Kris entering the room. She seemed to be massaging her shoulder for a moment, but quickly straightened out as best she could, with Smokey and Ampharos behind her. "You don''t have any more respect for life than Team Rocket has for the law."

    "Marauder, sir!" several grunts entered the room. "The police are making their way up! We have too-"

    "Fight our way out, I know." Marauder eyed the officers entering from the second floor. He unclipped another Poke Ball from his belt, releasing a bird whose appearance made Ash''s skin crawl.

    Its feathers were a suit of armor, with red eyes that glowed more like a demon than a creature. As it flapped its wings in place, the bird let out a howl that made Ash feel as though death were massaging his spine.

    "Alright Corviknight," Marauder looked between Kris and Klark, barely even paying mind to the police officers. "The mission is over, so I''ll need an escape route."

    "You won''t get one!" Kris asserted as Smokey crouched down in front of her. "You''re under arrest, and that''s final!"

    "You really are too young for your job, Ace Trainer." Marauder leered at the teen. "That Alpha ghost I captured on the top floor? It''s not even with me. Domino slipped away ages ago." Kris only had time for her eyes to widen in shock before he snapped his fingers. "Tyranitar, Scizor, carve through them!"

    Tyranitar''s roar was deafening. Overpowering. The sound filled Ash''s entire head as he lost his grip on Caleb, collapsing onto his bottom. The Tyranitar was clearly in view, but he did not see the inside of the tower anymore. The floor was made of rock, and so were the walls and ceiling. Dust fell from the top of the cavern, as though threatening to cave in at any moment as he frantically scooted backwards, the thought of standing suddenly foreign to him. ''No, don''t. I don''t want to be back here. Please...''

    And then Tyranitar let loose a massive Fire Blast.

    Smokey dove straight into the blast as the room exploded into chaos. The Arcanine''s Iron Tail was molten hot to the touch as he drove it straight into the behemoth''s breast. Multiple police Pokemon attempted to shower their attacks onto the giant beast, but were quickly forced to contend with the other Rocket Pokemon closing in.

    Decidueye aimed an Energy Ball at Tyranitar''s head, but Corviknight quickly flew to intercept it. The emerald sphere exploded against the bird''s armor, but he tanked the attack with ease before zipping through the air at a downwards diagonal angle towards the grass/ghost type. The metal bird''s Drill Peck was narrowly avoided as Decidueye used Phantom Force to dematerialize, but the reappearing owl was knocked away by a Steel Wing to the beak before she could use Confuse Ray.

    Just as Corviknight was about to press his advantage, an Electro Ball entered his peripheral vision. He just barely swerved to the side, but winced as some of the lightning singed his exterior. Ampharos charged forward and targeted him with a Thunderbolt, but the bird was ready this time, and turned to block the streak of electricity with Steel Wing, snarling as he strained himself to contain the attack.

    Stoutland''s teeth were completely engulfed in fire as he charged forward to take a bite out of Scizor. As though his life depended on it, the metal bug slipped away from the attack before rearing back to strike the large dog in the hip with a Brick Break. Stoutland whirled around and forced Scizor away with a Roar, but even as he staggered back, the bug let loose a barrage of golden stars that pelted the canine in the face. Stoutland''s eyes were forced shut for a moment as he struggled to shake off the attack, but he still had the awareness to take a leap backwards when his opponent went for a second Brick Break, before blasting Scizor with a Thunder Wave that briefly forced the armored bug in place. Now once again, Stoutland leapt forward with Fire Fang, intent on chomping down into Scizor''s head, but quickly spotted a grunt''s Mightyena charging for him from the side. Changing his trajectory, Stoutland rammed head first into the dark type, bowling it over.

    Officers and Rockets alike shouted orders at their Pokemon as attacks were flung in every direction. Tyranitar towered in the center of the mayhem, his roars sounding more like claps of endless thunder from his vocal cords as he batted Smokey away with his tail, before firing a Dark Pulse up at a nearby Pidgeotto. The bird squawked loudly as she swerve to avoid the blast, only to be knocked out cold by Corviknight moments later as the Dark Pulse struck the ceiling above Kris. Her eyes widened as a large piece of debris fell towards her, but just as she was about to move out of the way, a yellow blur coated in Agility leapt above her head and batted away the rocky chunk with an iron Tail.

    The Ace Trainer blinked for a moment before her eyes zeroed in on Pikachu. Ash''s starter had dirty cuts across his side, and his fur was covered with dust from the rocks, but despite his somewhat heavy breathing, he was very much still in shape. "Pikachu, to me! Quickly!" The mouse nodded before trotting to her side, and she allowed herself a split second smile. "Thanks for that."

    Finally on his feet again, Ash''s eyes doubled in size as he realized Caleb and Valiant were no longer with him. In fact, he was in a completely different part of the room than he had been in before. When had he stood up and started running? "Valiant, Caleb! Where are you-" Something suddenly caught his eye from the side. Turning around, he screamed at the Liepard rushing for him-

    And then turned again as the feline was blasted away. Looking for the source of the attack, his eyes fell on Yami, whose breathing had grown hard, and no longer effortless. Feeling his legs getting much heavier, the boy began making his way to the small ghost, who was looking up at him with relief. "Yami, do you know where-" his eyes widened again. "Wait, behind you!"

    The Sableye turned around just in time for Scizor''s claw to smack him across the head. Ash looked on in horror as the dark/ghost type flew a few feet away, before tumbling several more across the damaged floor, finally stopping after slamming into a half upheaved gravestone. Though still conscious, he collapsed onto his stomach, struggling to summon the strength to raise an arm and massage the wound on his head. Hearing footsteps, his vision began to blur as he looked up to see the approaching hunter.

    Marauder stared at the Sableye in silence for a few moments before his hand made its way to his belt. "You''re a peculiar one, Sableye. I think you might actually be the only ghost left in the tower at this point. That determined to save the day, are we?" his lips stretched into a revolting smile. "Most Pokemon prefer to run away from me rather than towards me. Well, the ordinary ones anyway. But you know something?"

    With tunnel vision, Ash watched Marauder pullˇ­ something off of his belt. It was clearly a ball, but it looked nothing like any other Poke Ball. It was a dark purple, with what looked to be a pattern of black plating covering it. As Marauder enlarged the device, the boy''s heart stopped for the upteenth time that night.

    "I''ve always liked dark and steel types the best."

    "No, Yami run-"

    Marauder chucked the ball. His aim was perfection as the ominous device soared through the air, striking Yami clean in the skull. The ball opened up and sucked the Sableye in without effort, before closing with just as much ease.

    "YAMIIIIII!"

    Glowing with a peculiar purple light, the capsule flew back the way it came, returning to Marauder''s hand. He didn''t even spare it a second glance as he reattached the device to his belt.

    Yami was trapped in that ball. And the ball was secured on the hunter''s belt.

    Ash was on his bottom again. His fingers laid themselves out against the surface of the floor as he could see nothing but Marauder, standing tall in the middle of the carnage that he had created.

    Just as the hunter was about to turn back to Scizor, his communicator went off. "Marauder! This is Petrel. Silver and I had to retreat, Agatha is heading for the tower right now!"

    The masked man''s face twisted in displeasure. "Did Domino make it?"

    "Yes, she''s with us, and she still has the target on her. You need to get out of there immediately."

    ''He sounds pretty worried.'' Marauder thought to himself. ''The concern makes sense. He knows my role is only just beginning.'' "Roger that, I''ll see you back at camp." Quickly taking out Scizor''s ball, he recalled the armored bug before turning to Tyranitar, just in time to grin with satisfaction as the behemoth bashed a broken piece of the floor across Smokey''s head. The fiery dog rolled across the floor, struggling to return to his feat just before collapsing as Kris and Pikachu rushed towards him.

    A few of the officers seemed to take note of Scizor''s sudden absence as Marauder''s eyes scanned the room. "Well everybody, it looks like the night''s finally drawing to a close. All Rockets, fall back immediately!"

    Gripping Smokey''s fur, Kris glowered up at him. "You''re not going anywhere!"

    "I think you should be more focused on getting out yourselves than keeping us in." The Ace Trainer only had a split second to process his declaration before he turned to Tyranitar. "Alright Tyranitar, bring the tower to its knees!"

    Every pair of ears in the room heard the order, and every party froze in shock as Tyranitar reared back and fired a Hyper Beam down into the floor.

    The blast tore through the third floorˇ­ and the second, before hitting the foundation on the first floor. The monstrosity turned his body as the beam continued to carve through the bottom of the tower''s left side, before angling his head upwards, allowing the blast to travel across and towards what remained of the ceiling leading to the other floors.

    /

    Agatha saw the blast from her position. A giant Hyper Beam protruded from the side of the tower, and she could almost feel the structure shaking in its place.

    Her face wore an expression of horror that very few ghost Masters ever did. "Noˇ­ they didn''t!"

    /

    Marauder''s cackle did not sound like a noise that a person would make. Tyranitar was camouflaged by the dust and debris as pieces of the tower above descended upon the third floor. The Hyper Beam was still leaving his mouth, as loud as the roar he had let out when firing it, continuing to rip into the structure above. In every occupied portion of the tower, police and Rockets alike were scrambling to secure themselves and each other to escape as the collapse threatened to bury all who were still present.

    For Ash, the whole world had transformed. There were no Rockets or police officers in the vicinity. It was just him, Marauder, and that thing. He was in the cavern again, and the rocks were falling everywhere.

    Falling Rocks.

    FALLING ROCKS.

    FALLING ROCKS.

    His hands clawed at his head as he screamed aimlessly. His sense of touch was leaving him, and all he could hear was the roaring of the beast and the collapsing of his surroundings. But amongst it all, one thing did slip through the cracks. It was a cry for help, and the voice wasˇ­

    Caleb was in the cavern, on his hands and knees as the rocks fell around him. The younger boy was still, not even attempting to get up as he cried out a second time. All Ash could do was stare at him, his muscles not allowing themselves to move, and his throat not allowing his voice to be heard.

    The rocks continued to fall.

    The monstrosity continued to roar.

    The police continued to scramble.

    The world continued to shake.

    Whatever chains shackling Ash''s legs crumbled into dust as he broke into a sloppy run. The cavern had grown darker, and Caleb was all that he could see. All except for the rocks above, that fell all around him. He felt the impact of every step as he ran across the stone floor, nearly falling on his face several times as every stride threatened to trip him down to his doom. A last second instinct had him ducking his head to the side, grazed by a particularly large piece of debris, before tiny pebbles stung his face. He paused for a moment, trying to regain his vision before remembering where he had to run too. He picked up speed, for fear of his body going stiff on him before he dove.

    His arms wrapped around Caleb, pulling the younger boy close as another large piece of debris landed beside them. Yet another fell from the fifth floor, just above their headsˇ­

    "AAAASH!"

    He couldn;t make out the voice. It was clearly female. Was it Kris? Looking up, he saw a small figure running towards them. He only had about one second to process who it was as the large piece of floor closed in on him and Caleb.

    Now it was Valiant''s turn to dive, body carrying him across the air separating him from his trainer. As he clung to Ash and Caleb with the tightest grip he could muster, he squeezed his eyes shut and focused as hard as he could. For a moment, nothing came, and he chewed his lip tight, growling and hissing in frustration just as the large piece of debris landed-

    Ash did not feel the hard floor anymore. It took his body several seconds, and maybe even a full minute to process what was underneath him. It felt like grass, and dirt. He and Caleb were still on the ground, and the air had almost entirely changed. Opening his eyesˇ­ he could see vegetation, and angling his gaze upwards, he could some of the stars in the sky, although several clouds had covered some of them, as well as over half of the moon.

    Valiant collapsed onto his back next to them, having a somewhat easier time catching his breath. The Kirlia did not move, simply looking upwards without a sound.

    Caleb had finally registered at Ash was there again, burying his face into the older boy''s chest, and it didn''t take long for Ash to feel his tears. The younger boy''s sobs were not quiet, and it was the only sound he could process as he rubbed his friend''s back, allowing him to hug against him more tightly.

    "I-It''sˇ­ It''s okay Caleb, we''re fine now." He did his best to speak soothingly, trying to fight off the shaking in his voice as he pulled Caleb closer. "Valiant got us out. We''re fine. We''re gonna be okay."

    But Ash was crying too.

    /

    On the other side of the Region, a muscular man with spiky pink hair sat in an office, fingers hastily drumming against the desk as he continuously shifted and squirmed in his seat, Finally giving up, he got to his feet and began pacing around the room, before hearing a dreaded knock on the door.

    A woman with long, red hair wrapped in a ponytail entered the room. Her expression was the last thing Champion Lance wanted to see.

    "Loreleiˇ­ what''s the news?"

    The ice Master''s face was hollow, almost without life as she tried to look Indigo''s greatest trainer in the eye. "Lanceˇ­ the tower in Lavender, it''sˇ­"

    /

    "Who''s accounted for?" Petrel asked. "What''s the percentage?"

    The Rockets were already hastily packing up their camp. Sooner rather than later, the League would be sweeping the entire area surrounding Lavender. They needed to make themselves scarce before that happened. Amidst the activity were Petrel, Silver, Domino, and a few reporting soldiers with Damian among them. The older executive''s arms were crossed, thumb tapping against his elbow with impatient unease.

    "We are still trying to figure that out, sir." the soldier standing closest to Damian replied. "We can confirm that not all of them made it out of the tower, but it does seem like the brunt of the losses took place against Elite Four Agatha and her League forces.

    "No surprise," Silver asserted with some regret. "That was inevitable." as he turned to look at Domino, the blonde girl stiffened at the sudden attention. "Did you get a look at the stone?"

    Feet shuffling, she fought back the stiff feeling in her face and nodded at the young executive. "I didˇ­ and was a bit surprised, to be honest. It''s only about twice the size of a typical Moon Stone, and yetˇ­ we know that it''s far from just that. I think the energy might be a lot more concentrated? Just looking at the thing hurt my eyes, and touching it made me feel kind of lightheadedˇ­" her gaze shifted to Petrel. "How the hell was the Alpha able tooˇ­?"

    "A question for another day," the purple haired executive answered honestly. "That is going to be Ariana''s work, as usual."

    Damian mustered up the courage to speak. "So," he almost flinched as the older Rockets all laid their eyes on him, but still managed to continue. "How long until we leave?"

    "Tonight," Petrel answered firmly. "We cannot afford to stay anywhere near Lavender for more than an hour. Of course the League probably already expects that we''ll be fleeingˇ­"

    "We''ll be across the Region once it''s time to leave," Domino spoke. "But I suppose we''ll all have to be under the radar for a while."

    "It''s out of necessity, of course." Silver insisted. "Marauder will be reporting to Ariana, but the rest of us will be headed underground well off the beaten path. Speaking of which, where is-"

    His question was answered by a call from above. "Reporting in!" all eyes looked up to see Marauder on Corviknight, descending from the air before touching down a couple meters away. "Mission officially complete."

    Petrel looked like his hair was about to turn gray. "If you had taken about a second longer to show your face, I would have worried that Agatha''s ghosts had devoured your soul and fed your carcass to the Champion''s red Gyarados."

    Dismounting the armored bird, Marauder returned Corviknight without a word before turning back to address the group. "I needed to ensure that no League fliers were on my tail before heading back here. The ghosts and dragons would have a whole buffet on their hands otherwise."

    "You did the right thing," Silver confirmed. "But we still need to make haste. I''d prefer significantly less than an hour, if I''m being honest. The rest of our reports can wait." he turned to Domino. "Domino, round up Necro and the other psy-"

    A moan from Damian caught their attention. The blue haired boy''s hands were gripping his head as a strange, sickly sound came out of his throat.

    Domino did not hide her alarm. "Damian, are you-"

    The noise grew louder. It sounded like he was vomiting violently, but nothing was coming out of his mouth. Silver quickly moved as the young Rocket sank to his knees, the moans now sounding significantly pained as the teen executive gripped his shoulders.

    "Damian, what''s wrong? Why are you-" his voice left him as the child raised his head.

    Damian''s eyes were red. A deep, crimson, glowing red, pupils resembling the most ominous of gemstones. And then he spoke.

    "You have brought everything on yourselves tonight."

    Startled, Silver staggered back, releasing his grip on the boy and allowing Damian to rise to full height. Every Rocket present took a step back, confusion worn on all of their expressions.

    The voice that left Damian''s mouth did not belong to him. It was distorted, echoey, and rippling. But as he continued to talk, Silver was given more chances to piece together theˇ­ familiarity.

    /

    Agatha stood at the remains of the Pokemon Tower. As she leaned on her cane, her eyes glowed a deep, blood red crimson. Back to her side, was her giant Gengar, who''s eyes looked exactly the same.

    /

    "You declared war on the Indigo League a long time ago. Ages before the fate that befell Wade. But now you have provoked me, and the consequences will all be from your despicable design. I will rain hellfire upon you and every man and woman you call comrade. What you''ve done will be felt and echoed unto you long after you have departed from this realm, and if I have to linger beyond my grave, it will be seen through. From this night forth, you will know the damnation of slighting one of my kind, and violating what you have. This is not a declaration of war, it is a sentencing."

    Damian''s eyes returned to normal. Blood leaked from his nose and eyes as he collapsed onto the grass, and Silver rushed to pick him up. The boy''s body felt frail and cold, and the red haired teen did his best to be gentle as he wrapped the younger Rocket''s arm around his shoulder to support him. As the rest of the Rocket''s looked on in silence, he shook Damian lightly, paying no mind to the drops of blood that fell on his arm.

    "Damian, how are you feeling?"

    "What justˇ­" Damian reached up to grab his forehead as his eyes squeezed shut. "I feel like I''mˇ­"

    "He''s pale," Domino commented, managing to find her voice first. "He almost looks malnourishedˇ­"

    "Can you walk?" Silver asked.

    "...Iˇ­ I don''t know." The boy got the words out after a brief struggle.

    "I''m taking you to the medical tent." Silver''s eyes scanned through all of the present parties. "Twenty minutes. Not a second longer." Without another word, he led Damian away.

    For a few moments, everyone was still. It was Marauder and a female soldier who started moving first, bringing the rest of the group back to the world.

    Arms folded around her chest, Domino shivered for a moment. A long moment. For those few seconds, she felt as though she were standing in a blizzard near Mt. Silver''s peak. "Soˇ­" breaking out of her trance, she unsteadily looked up at Petrel, who was still staring off in the direction that Silver and Damian had left in. "What now?"

    Her superior was unresponsive for a moment, continuing to stare for just a few seconds longer, before his face contorted into a tight scowl.

    "Now," he began, voice firm and blunt. "We move onto the next phase, and wipe the floor with that arrogant crone."

    /

    It was a night that never should have happened, and for all the years of the town''s history, was never imagined. It was a night that the dim atmosphere of the town disappeared, giving way to a normalcy that was not normal for anyone there. It was a night that the chilly breeze of the town subsided, giving way to a normalcy completely abnormal for everyone who felt it. It was a night that nobody felt a presence beside them, or something watching them from the shadows, giving way to a normalcy that only brought loneliness. It was a night where countless specters departed through the skies and trees surrounding the town, aimless and without a goal, as lost as can be. It was a night that never should have happened, and would never be forgotten.

    There were no ghosts in Lavender.