Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except Lorelei – that's the only character
A/N: Going to do a shorter story in the Pokemon fandom Hopefully it's not too bad – let me know what you think
Chapter 01
One match – that's what stood between seventeen year old Ash Ketchum and being able to qualify to go to the Pokémon finals. He had endured countless matches over the years and had finally made it to the finals. He had taken many risks in order to come out on top, of which some were successful, and others were not.
"Are you ready, Ash?" Dawn asked, peering around the door into Ash's room.
The room was pretty basic, with a less than comfortable bed, a desk that Ash failed to find a use in, and a small cupboard he had kept some miscellaneous belongings in.
"Just the semi-final battle to go and then I'll be in the final," Ash replied, enthusiasm lacking in his voice. Dawn couldn't understand why, she was hoping Ash would be more pleased with his progress.
"Oh, Ash," she sighed, placing a hand on the side of her face and exhaling deeply. "Anyway, Brock's nearly finished making breakfast for you." Dawn closed the door, but found herself unable to let go of the door handle. "I think we both know how you hate to battle on an empty stomach-" she then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I, I know you can do this, Ash."
Shaking her head, she walked away from the door and pressed the button for the lift down to the lobby, completely unaware that Ash had heard her whispering.
Because, after Dawn had left his room, Ash had gone over to the door. He heard her whispering to herself and decided it would only be awkward if he had opened the door.
"Okay Pikachu, it's time for another decision. I was thinking of choosing the same Pokémon I used in the last battle – it seemed to work well then, so why not now?" Ash started to laugh a little.
He stopped when he heard Pikachu's slightly uncertain reply. His partner's nose began to twitch as the gentle aroma of freshly cooked food wafted in through the open window.
"You're right – we better get some breakfast!" Ash waited for the electric type Pokémon to leap up off the bed and onto his shoulder.
The time it took for the lift to arrive was excruciating – to the extent that Ash contemplated going for the stairs, even though they were at the other end of the building. Seeing his reflection in the glass doors of the lift, he realised just how tired he looked.
"Man, I might have to find Jigglypuff if I have one more night of two hours sleep…" Ash stepped into the lift and leant on the back wall of the lift.
"Hey! Hold the lift!" a girl shouted, tearing down the corridor towards the glass door.
Ash tried to stop the lift doors, but the button seemed to be out of order – or so he thought from the black and yellow tape that had been stuck over it.
This girl whom Ash thought couldn't have been any older than he was, lunged agilely through the air. It was all too little, too late from Ash's point of view as she slammed into the glass door.
"Pika," Pikachu piped up, feeling a little bad for the girl who had missed the lift.
"Tell me about it, Pikachu," Ash mumbled, leaving the lift at the lobby which was bustling with excited trainers of all ages and Pokémon of all sizes.
He saw the trainer he had defeated in the quarter-finals slinging his rucksack over his shoulder and adjusting the scarf he had knotted around his Cranidos. Immediately, Cranidos' eyes narrowed at Pikachu and Ash.
"Hey Ash!" the trainer exclaimed, unable to keep a smile off his face. "Good luck in the semi-finals – I think you're going up against that girl who has been taught how to fight and train Pokémon since she was ten by some guy her father employed."
"I can still beat her, don't you worry. Are you going back home then?" Ash asked, examining the bulk of his past opponent's rucksack.
"Cranidos and I are thinking of travelling to Lakemeadow Island. The island is said to be close to the Montazul cluster, and I've always wanted to go there. Even with the cluster being under investigating for strange happenings, I still want to go there – when I get there, I'll be sure to solve the mystery of the Montazul cluster"
"A mystery? That sounds pretty good," Ash sighed in reply, wishing that he could go to the Montazul cluster and find out more about this mystery. "Maybe I'll see you at Lakemeadow Island once the finals are over."
"I'd like that." The trainer held his hand out to Ash. "It was a good match – you deserved it. You better go out and win this thing, that way I would have lost to the winner."
Taking his last opponent's hand, Ash shook it and smiled broadly. "I'll do my best."
As his trainer said farewell to his opponent, Pikachu heard his stomach rumble and he made a dash for the main doors.
Shortly after, Ash followed and found Pikachu nearly face deep in a bowl of Pokémon food that Brock had prepared that morning.
"Morning everyone!" Ash stretched out his arms and arched his back.
"Hey Ash, have you decided which Pokémon you're going to use in this battle, because I sure hope you aren't just going to use the Pokémon you used in the last battle…" Brock waited for an answer, but Ash remained silent. "Please tell me you aren't- I really think you definitely ought to give Pikachu, and at least Buizel, a rest."
"Pikachu's fine, and as for Buizel, he's great. Why don't you come on out, Buizel?" Ash held the Pokéball in his hand.
"Buizel." The water type Pokémon's eyes lit up when he saw the untouched bowl of food, but Croagunk's yellow eyes caught his attention.
Buizel took up a fighting stance.
"No, Buizel – let's not cause any fights today. We've got a bigger battle ahead." Ash patted Buizel's shoulder.
Pikachu gasped when he saw a small grey Pokémon leap up onto the bench.
The intruder sniffed at the bowl beside Brock and sneakily chomped down on a piece, which clearly wasn't to its taste. Its eyes shut tightly and a look of disgust was slapped across its face.
Ash pulled out his Pokédex. After activation, it displayed the Pokémon that was on the table, eyeing up the pancake that Brock was halfway through.
"Castform, the weather Pokémon. Castform has the ability to change its form depending on the current weather. It also uses nature to transform and protect its body."
"So it's a Castform? It's so cute. I think it would be great for my next contest," Dawn squealed, pulling a Pokéball from her bag. "Come on, Castform."
The Pokémon gazed up at Brock with huge eyes, pleading the trainer for the pancake.
"I think this Castform belongs to someone Dawn – I wouldn't be so quick to try and catch it." Brock cut off a corner from the pancake, but the little Pokémon had other ideas and took a huge bite out of the piece Brock was keeping for himself.
Dawn giggled at Castform's greedy nature. "What makes you say that, Brock? Other than its taste for human food."
"Castform? Castform!" a panic stricken voice called out. "There you are!" The girl that Ash had seen crash into the glass lift doors burst into the clearing. Only now, she had a red mark on her forehead.
"Castform!" The girl's Pokémon leapt through the air, into her arms.
The trainer seemed to avoid eye contact with Ash – as if she didn't want him to see her looking his way. "I'm really sorry, I hope that he hasn't been given you too much hassle."
"Only the pancake that Brock had," Dawn said, turning to face Castform's owner. "That's a cute Pokémon – I'd love to see him change form."
"Oh – I can only apologise about the pancake, this one's a greedy Castform and he's got a love for human food. No Pokémon food is to his taste."
"Leia!" a harsh voice shouted, making the girl jump a little, squeezing Castform gently. "There you are! Come on, we've got a decision to make."
From the same direction that the girl, Leia, had come, came a man. He had golden blonde and spiked hair that there wasn't a single loose or rogue hair out of place. The man had broad shoulders that were masked in a long sleeved dark blue green shirt with a stiff collar that went up around his neck. However, it didn't quite mask the scar that appeared above the collar.
Ash thought he looked cool, especially with the sleeveless dark grey coat he wore over the shirt that went down past his knees. However, he couldn't help but feel that Damien was abrupt, and incredibly harsh too.
"Yes, Damien," Leia sighed. "I'd better go now, bye now." She turned away, escorted by this so-called Damien.
"What were you thinking? You could be up against any one of those three, you know. The last battle was a fluke in my eyes – I don't know why you didn't just use your sixth Pokémon – you pushed Castform beyond its limits just so that you didn't have to use your sixth," Damien growled fiercely.
At this point, it was impossible for Ash not to listen to Damien and Leia after he mentioned a sixth Pokémon that sounded like it was unbeatable.
"I'm sorry," Leia mumbled.
Once they were gone, Ash had a sudden epiphany. "She's my next opponent!" he exclaimed.
"What?" Dawn squeaked, squeezing Piplup, whose food burst out of its beak. "You mean she's the girl you're up against in the semi-finals?" Fire began to blaze in Dawn's eyes. "She's going to lose Ash."
"No pressure there, Ash," Brock whispered, out of earshot of Dawn. "What makes you think it's her?"
"The guy I beat in the last round, he told me that apparently my new opponent has someone that trains her for Pokémon battles. Damien seemed to be more like a teacher than a friend to me."
"You got that right. I have to admit that I have never seen a Pokémon take such a shine to human food like Leia's Castform. Maybe that's what makes such a small Pokémon so powerful… She might be stronger than you think, Ash" Brock rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Seriously, Ash… Which Pokémon are you going to fight with?"
"Well, I guess it'll be a surprise!" Ash took a huge bite out of the pancake Brock had set aside for him.
Leia smiled, looking down at the shiny Pokéball that hung on a leather strap around her neck, wondering if she was making the right decision. She then made the decision to take the spare Pokéballs in her satchel.
Even though that meant she had more than six Pokémon, she knew it was the right thing to do. It may mean that she would be going against Damien's guidance, but he had coerced the trainer's choice of Pokémon for the battle one too many times.
"And I definitely need my lucky Pokémon!" Leia tried to reassure herself.
"Leia, it's time to submit your Pokéballs to Nurse Joy." Damien nudged her with his elbow. "You're going to be fine – I know you will be, because I will be right there behind you."
"Yes, Damien," Leia mumbled, taking out five Pokéballs out of her satchel and hesitating. She glanced between the Pokéball around her neck, and the ones she could see in her satchel.
Damien was standing right beside her. "You remember the decision we made. Hurry up- I'll go and take a seat." Damien wandered away through the double doors to the arena.
"Is everything alright, Lorelei?" Nurse Joy asked.
The sound of her full name shocked Leia a little, but then she realised it would have been on her Pokédex.
"Here are my six Pokémon." Leia held onto the Pokéball around her neck, making her indecisive of the sixth Pokémon. "Please take care of them."
"Oh I can assure you, they are in Blissey's capable hands." Nurse Joy smiled, emanating a gentle and peaceful nature.
"What happens if I wish to substitute a Pokémon with one I have in this six?" Leia couldn't resist asking; she had to know the truth.
"I'm afraid that would be against the rules. Before I hand them over to Blissey, are you sure about your choice?"
Nurse Joy placed the metal tray down on the counter in front of Leia and watched the young trainer appear to be making a difficult decision.
"Is there anything I can say to help you with? I know it's not my place to say, but it seems as though you're struggling to make a final decision."
Leia assumed that this must have been a slightly less patient Nurse Joy, but one who had an ear for listening.
"Well, I've got this one Pokémon that would definitely be deemed as inappropriate to use in this round. Imagine a legendary Pokémon for instance. I don't think it's fair for me to use it… I have another Pokémon that I'd like to use, but I don't want to upset my aid."
"I'd do the right thing if I were you." Nurse Joy paused. "Blissey!"
The pink Pokémon with fluffy white arms skipped over to the counter, just about at the height that she could see over it.
"Blissey." Blissey reached out for the tray, which was when Leia made an impulse decision to switch, letting go of the shiny Pokéball around her neck.
"And can I take some Pokémon for support? They're like my cheerleading team. Sorry – I just feel bad for not using them in this battle…"
Without paying much attention, Nurse Joy wafted her hand through the air.
"Yes, that's fine, go ahead." Maybe it was the fact that she was tired of Leia's constant questions, or she wanted to move on and sign in more trainers.
"Thank you! Thank you so much." Leia grinned, running into the arena, she didn't even know that her opponent was already standing at the other end of the battle arena.
The stands of people that sat in their seats was astounding to the young trainer.
Leia passed Damien standing in the small stand that was reserved for family and friends of the competitors. He shook his head at her as she passed him.
"Tardy timings, Leia," Damien said with an aggressive tone. "That is something that a champion shouldn't be… You should be punctual and respectful."
Her head hung in shame by this point – she liked the fact that Damien helped her, but not how harsh he was sometimes.
"Come on out Castform, Leafeon, Kirlia and Kangaskhan – I need my cheerleading team!" Leia took her three partners onto the long and thin podium that was elevated above the arena which the Pokémon trainers stood upon during the battle.
She looked out over the arena at the playing field – desperate to get the match over and done with in order to prove herself.
Kirlia was shy and held onto Leia's leg like a small child did to its mother. Leafeon seemed to love the roar of the crowd as his partner waved to them, and the baby Kangaskhan was busy sleeping in its mother's pouch.
"You?" Leia exclaimed when she saw her opponent standing opposite her – it was not only the boy that Castform had run into, but it was also the boy who had caused her to smack her head, and the boy she had seen fight in the Indigo Plateau when she lost in the qualifier.
"Castform!" her Pokémon squealed cheerfully.
"Oh I don't know anymore, Castform…"
"This is a semi-final match between Lorelei Periwinkle from the Montazul Islands and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. It will be a six on six battle. The region will change every time one Pokémon is defeated." An announcer's voice echoed in Leia's ears, signalling the start of the battle.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Okay, so it's probably a little dull, but maybe there's a way of jazzing it up a little, or maybe I'm wrong!