So, this is an old story that I had on my other account, but decided to take it down because I wanted to make some edits to it. However that was a looong time ago and I never got around to putting it back up. Recently I tried to get into my old account, but I had forgotten my password. So I had it emailed to me, but that email account hadn't been used in a loooong time and I had forgotten that password as well. And like a tard, I didn't have a backup email so I had no way to get into my old account. So instead of trying to get around it, I made a new one. No biggie. The only issue was that I was in the middle of a rewrite of a different fic, so I don't think I'm allowed to post it on this account since it already exists on the website. Anyways, I'll put this story back up and leave it up this time, and like a smart person, I have my password saved on a doc on my computer. Anyways, this is written for purely your enjoyment, so, enjoy!
'I did it. I had finally become Master. I didn't know it would be so empty without you. After I lost you, I lost everything. Without you, I am nothing.' Ash looked up to the bright night sky, like every night as he thought. The moon was just a small sliver in the sky and the stars sparkled amidst the black void. A brief meteor shower took place, followed a single 'shooting star'. The myth was that if you wished upon a shooting star, the wish would come true. So he closed his eyes and made his wish, the same wish he made when he saw every shooting star. "Do you think she has moved on?" He asked his close partner, whom he was leaning against.
The large orange dragon lifted his head and looked back at his master with eyes filled with pity. Before, he would think his trainer weak for holding onto such sentiments, but now, he could see that his master had never fully recovered. And he wouldn't. His mind and soul had been torn in half and he took it upon himself to protect his master at all cost. He would not allow the same to happen twice, even if his life depended on it. He let out a small comforting growl and nudged his master with his snout.
Ash looked at his partner and gave him a weak smile. He rubbed the creature's snout, finding comfort in his old friend. "You're right. It's best I not think about it." He rest his head against Charizard's neck, the warmth of the fire type's body easily keeping him warm in the chill night. He wrapped his black cloak around his body for a blanket and closed his eyes, drifting off to the same nightmare he had every night. Charizard laid his head back down, pulling up his wing to shield it caringly over his master. He too had to fight his battle with nostalgia. He had to remain strong, for Ash's sake.
"Today is the day you've all been waiting for!" Boomed the announcer's voice across the stadium. "Easily the battle of the last fifteen years as Ash Ketchum from Pallet takes on the one and only Pokemon Master! Will Ash, a young man of eighteen, become the youngest Master in pokemon history? Or will he fall like the last challenger? Only time will tell as we wait for this fateful match to begin!"
"I guess that's my cue," Ash said with a confident grin. He watched as his friends hurried off to their front row seating in the stands, however one redhead remained behind. He smiled as he looked at the dressed up Misty standing in front of him, her aquamarine eyes off slightly to the side. She wore a light blue summer dress and a thin white jacket. Around her neck was the cerulean teardrop necklace he had given her for their one-year anniversary. She brushed her bangs out of her face as she had decided to grow out her long orange hair. He slowly approached her and embraced her in a comforting hug. He was glad that she dressed up for his match, but he was even gladder that she didn't add the make-up or fancy perfume. He didn't think she needed it anyways.
"Good luck out there," she said softly and squeezed him tightly. He cradled her slightly, a fire burning in his chest. It was amazing how those simple words made him feel invincible. He would not lose, could not lose with her behind him. "I'll be cheering you on the entire time," she said pulling away, but then suddenly stopped. "You still have that?" She reached for her special lure that now dangled from his neck.
He took her hand and closed it around the lure. "It's my good luck charm. I've always carried it with me for good luck, but I think I'll wear it for this battle." He pulled her in for a tender kiss before releasing her. "You ready Pikachu?" He looked to the electric rodent atop his right shoulder and the mouse responded with a confident "Pika!" He looked back at Misty who smiled brightly. "It'll be over before you know it, and I'll be the new Pokemon Master," he said with a grin as he began to back up towards the double steal doors leading to the stadium.
Misty watched him go until he walked out of the iron doors and into the stadium full of roaring fans, both of him and the current Master. She had noticed that he had taken certain care of his appearance for this particular match. Oddly enough, he did not wear his trademark hat that he always seemed to favor. In fact he hadn't been wearing it that often as of late. He also sported a black vest with a medium collar and a royal blue undershirt and wore a pair of dark blue jeans and new black sneakers. As he disappeared behind the steel doors she made her way to the staircase to head up to the stands.
She was surprised by how much he had grown and matured over the years. Before he returned and before they confessed their feelings for each other, she remembered him as the strong and determined but thickheaded pokemon trainer. He would always rush into things recklessly and make a racket over the tiniest of things. But during their reunion after the Sinnoh League, she was able to see just how much the young trainer grew in her absence.
He was no longer loud and obnoxious or annoying. He was well in tune to his strengths and weaknesses. His battle style had gained a significant amount of strategy as he thought things through and even used unorthodox methods to get him out of tight places and turn the tides of battles. His demeanor alone, the way he carried himself, had matured as well. But Ash was Ash, and that would never change.
"Hey Mist!" Brock's familiar voice called to her. "I saved you a seat. We have a good view of the battle from here and can still cheer for Ash." He smiled as she made her way down to him. Feeling like an older brother to both Ash and Misty, he was thrilled when they finally got together. During their travels, while Ash was still oblivious to Misty's feelings, he would often talk to her and offer what advice she would be willing to accept. It wasn't until halfway through their Hoenn journey that Ash came to him about his feelings for Misty. He liked to think of himself as the reason the two got together in the first place, for he practically forced Ash to take Misty on a date.
He smirked as he remembered Ash retelling him the disastrous event and how he stumbled over his words the entire night and the evening was awkward until he blurted out his feelings in an attempt to keep from passing out. But after that, things went smoothly. They hung out more, caught up after not seeing each other in so long and then became a normal couple. Or as normal as it can get with Ash at least. As Misty took her seat next to him he looked over at her and smirked. "Stayed behind to give Ash a little luck?" He rubbed his shoulder as she hit him, quite hard.
"That's none of your business!" She shouted, drawing a little attention to herself. She could feel her face heat up and turn a slight pink.
"Now, Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer's voice suddenly boomed, causing the two particular friends in the stands to flinch. "The moment you've all been waiting for, the arrival of the challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet! Ash, if you will come to the center of the stage and answer us a few questions while we wait for the Master."
Ash slowly made his way to the center of the large dirt battlefield where the announcer and a camera crew waited for him. He took a look around the field quickly, searching for anything that may help him. It was barren, a simple dirt field. He observed the stands crowded with thousands of people. Many held banners with his name on it and pictures of Pikachu. Most favored the Master. The stadium was huge, easily fitting several thousand spectators. A large dome covered the stadium and lights hung from the high ceiling. He then directed his attention back onto the announcer as he reached the center of the field.
"Hello Ash," the announcer said. "Normally we have the interview after the battle, but while we have time, why don't we entertain the crowd with a few quick questions?"
"Sure," he replied casually not even glancing at the camera focused at him. Instead he continued his admiration of the massive dome while Pikachu tilted his head at the camera.
"So I see you have a Pikachu with you. Do you plan on using him in battle?" The announcer asked shoving a mike in front of Ash's face.
Ash looked at the man as though he were insane. "Yeah. I started with Pikachu and I plan on finishing with him. He may be small, but if you underestimate him, you have already lost."
"Haha!" The announcer laughed, pulling the mike back in front of him. "That is a very odd necklace you're wearing, is it a good luck charm or something?"
At this Ash smirked, knowing that Misty would be turning a whole new shade of red. And sure enough as he glanced in her direction he spotted her crimson face. "Yeah, it was given to me by someone very special and dear to me. She's over there if you want to see. The red one," he said pointing directly at Misty. He could have sworn she called him an arrogant jerk, but then again a lot of people were cheering and laughing.
"Well it looks like the Master will be here any moment. Would you like to say anything while there is still time?"
"Yeah," Ash said taking the mike. "First off I wanna shout out to my mom, who can't be here because she is really ill. Thanks for everything ma, and get well soon! I'll be on my way home as soon as I can." He then turned to face his friends who waited in the stands. "I also wanna shout out to my friends. Brock, you've always been like an older brother to me, helping me out when I needed it and offering loads of advice on battling and other things. Gary, I've always considered you my greatest Rival and I enjoy the bond we share now. But it looks like we get to live both of our dreams, despite the bets you put against me." The last comment got the crowd to laugh.
"Don't count on that yet Ashy-boy! I may still win that bet! Haha!" His rival shouted once the laughter died down, causing another stroke of laughter.
"And lastly, I wanna thank you Misty, for being there for me since the beginning and pushing me the entire way. Though we parted ways a brief time, you never left my mind, and now I'm glad I have you behind me. You'll be there to lift me back on my feet if I fail or pull me back down to earth if I succeed. I love you," he finished with a broad grin as the crowd began to cheer and say "aw". 'Well, it doesn't matter if I win or lose now, she's gonna kill me after that.'
"Cute kid, cute," the announcer said just loud enough for Ash to hear him. "Good luck to you." The announcer then brought the mike up to his face. "And here is the Master!" He shouted over the erupting crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you Pokemon Master Cyril Gray!"
Ash turned to the opposing end of the field as a tall figured walked from the steel doors. He looked to be in his mid-forties, completely catching Ash off guard. He figured the Pokemon Master would be some old guy with years of training and experience under his belt. The Master approached the center of the field and large confident strides, and upon a closer look at the man, Ash was even more surprised. His gray hair was short and spiked back and he had peppered scruff covering his face. His eyes were black as coals but did not falter and held complete determination. He tried not to cringe as the Master shook his hand with a vice-like grip.
For an aging man, he looked incredibly fit. He was clearly muscled beneath the silver jacket that fanned out as it went below his waist. The long sleeves of the jacket looked almost skin tight and he could see it take the shape of the muscles of his thick arms. He probably trained his body as well as his pokemon. The Master then spoke in a deep but lively voice.
"Congratulations Ash for making it this far," Cyril said just letting go of Ash's hand. Ash tensed as he felt a shiver run down his spine. Even Pikachu had to resist being blown away by the man's radiance. "I haven't had a good battle in a long time. I hope you're ready to give it everything you've got, because this will be a battle like none other."
Ash could only nod as he stared into the man's eyes. "I trained long and hard for this moment. You can count on a challenge." At that the Master laughed in his deep voice and said something about looking forward to it before spinning on his heel towards his side of the arena. Ash took that as his cue to get to his end to ready the match. "Alright Pikachu, let's do this,"
"Pika!"
As Ash got to his little box on the field he looked back up to his friends who also seemed dazed at the appearance of the Master. They had all seen him on television before, for certain events and special battles, but the effect was different in person. He looked at Misty who caught his gaze and gave him a smile and a thumbs up. "You can do this!" She shouted. He smiled and then turned his attention to the field. Now he would have to focus, no more distractions. He waited for the referee to call the rules as he fiddled with his five pokeballs on his belt.
"This will be a match between Cyril Gray and Ash Ketchum over title of Pokemon Master. Standard League rules will apply to this six on six match. No items. Each pokemon will fight until fainted or they are outside the arena for ten seconds. Trainers are allowed to switch once per match and only after the first two minutes have elapsed. Also trainers are not permitted to leave their square. Any infringement of these rules will result in a disqualification. In case of a draw, the defender of the title will take the victory, unless he chooses to hand it over it his opponent. Do you both understand?" When he got confirmation from both trainers, he hurried to the edge of the field with two flags in hand, a red one for Ash and a green for Cyril.
"Alright Ash, I'll make this easy, so you don't have to guess. Come on out, Arcanine!" Cyril pulled a pokeball from his belt and hurled it towards the center of the field and out came the massive orange and black striped firedog pokemon. Upon its exit from the pokeball, the pokemon reared back its head and let out a loud howl.
Ash removed his hand from his original choice and pulled the second pokeball on his belt. He felt that his first choice could easily deal with the fire type, but he wanted to secure this victory. If Cyril knowingly gave him the edge, he would take it. He figured Cyril would have the sense to have counters for his weaknesses. "Alright Floatzel, let's go!" Ash tossed the red and white ball forward and the much smaller sea otter came from the small contents. It let out a confident battle cry, ready for a battle he had spent many months training for.
"And so, Master Cyril leads with a new face, his Arcanine! While the challenger Ash leads with Floatzel! Ash may have the type advantage, but lets see what tactics the Master has coming to play!"
Ash stirred from his slumber as the rising sun hit his face. He sat up and stretched, stiff from his less than comfortable sleeping position. He ran his gloved hand through his shaggy black hair that had gained some length on the road. He stood up, the rest of his black cloak falling around his body and began to walk towards the distant mountains: his training grounds. Charizard had stirred and followed a few paces behind. Ever since that fateful day, Charizard refused to return to his pokeball, but it did not bother him. He didn't mind the company.
He reached to the lure from under his cloak and gripped it tightly. "Has it really been five years? Well at least they are not looking for me anymore. Perhaps they did move on…" a growl from Charizard brought him out of his thoughts. "No, all I need are you guys. I… I don't need anyone else." He gripped the lure tighter as he spoke those words. Charizard growled again. He spun around, his cloak rising as it twirled. "It doesn't matter what I want!" The flare seemed to catch his partner off guard as the large orange dragon recoiled.
"I… I can't go back. I can't be forgiven, for all that I've done. Not after I broke her heart. I don't have the strength to face her… She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore anyways. She probably moved on by now…" Charizard approached him and placed his clawed hand on his shoulder. He looked up gratefully to his pokemon. They had grown so close in the last five years, closer than ever, but it would never be as close as either of them would have liked. The rift in his broken spirit would not be mended, for some of the pieces were lost forever. "I know I haven't… nor do I think I ever will. But I will not go back. You guys are all I ever need."
He resumed his walk towards the mountains where they would spend the next three months in seclusion training vigorously just for the sake of getting even stronger. Luxuries seemed rather pointless to him now. But with all this time alone, his mind constantly wandered, always back to that day, five years ago.
"Go Arcanine, extreme speed!"
"Match it with an aqua jet!"
Both pokemon surged forward upon their owners commanded, leaving only a blur in their wake. They grazed sides before landing on opposite ends and turned for a second bout. Floatzel won the third joust as Arcanine lifted his front right leg in injury. But the otter pokemon had sustained his own fair share of injuries as he struggled to stabilize his footing after enduring the high-speed assault. Both trainers remained calm as the pokemon circled each other on the field waiting for their next orders.
"Floatzel, use water pulse on his right side!" Ash shouted hoping to take the Arcanine out by attacking its injured side. Floatzel gathered a ball of water at its paws and then launched it towards the firedog. He was puzzled as to why Cyril did not give a command, or why Arcanine didn't even move to avoid the powerful water attack that could very well end the match. Then it came. Cyril ordered a flamethrower attack, and Arcanine braced itself before spewing a massive stream of flames from its mouth.
The flames hit the attack first, evaporating it almost instantly and continued on to its shocked target. Ash reacted in enough time to have Floatzel avoid the scorching attack with agility and then ordered his pokemon to counter with another water pulse. But just like before, Arcanine dissipated the water move with its powerful flamethrower. Arcanine then pressed the offensive, remaining stationary as it spewed flamethrower after flamethrower to the exhausted otter. Ash let the battle take its course as he waited for an opening in between attacks while Floatzel darted around the massive arena. He was running out of time fast, for the field was heating up, much like he had done with his battle with Gary years ago and Floatzel was wearing out.
"That's it," he whispered under his breath as he gazed at the now scorching hot field. "Floatzel, cool down the field with rain dance!" Floatzel begin to dance around, flailing his arms and feet while still trying to avoid the flamethrowers. Slowly dark clouds began to form within the dome. A boom of thunder echoed throughout the dome, momentarily halting Arcanine's attacks. A light drizzle started, which then picked up into a heavy downpour, soaking everyone in the stadium, much to their displeasure. Ash remained focused on the battlefield as the rain caused the field to steam up like a sauna. "Now finish it with the strongest water pulse you have!"
"Brighten the sky Arcanine! Then end it with Fire Blast!" Cyril commanded as well. As Floatzel used the cover of the steam to gather his water pulse attack, Arcanine reared back his soaked mane and howled. His body began to glow and a bright orange sphere of energy shot up towards the top of the dome. The rain stopped and the clouds began to break up, revealing a brightly burning replica sun. Still slightly blinded by the steam, Arcanine gathered a ball of fire in his mouth and waited to unleash his fire blast. He scanned the battlefield until he could make out the silhouette of his opponent and then unleashed his attack.
"Fire now Floatzel!" Ash said as the force of the fire blast parted the steam and revealed Arcanine's soaked form. The attack was heading right towards Floatzel. Moments later he saw Floatzel send forth the water pulse, now a giant orb of water that had been collected from the rain. "Reinforce it with a water gun!" He could see Floatzel propel his attack forward with a water gun, also increasing its size. As the water pulse and fire blast met between both pokemon, a stalemate was formed. Fresh steam poured from the center of the field as the attacks whittled away at each other. But while Floatzel was trying to strengthen his attack, Cyril ordered his Arcanine to charge around it with an extreme speed combined with a thunder fang. Ash was too slow to see the massive firedog flank his pokemon and clamp down with thunder charged jaws. Floatzel immediately ended his attack and cried out in pain. The fire blast, now greatly weakened, managed to push through the water pulse and hit its intended target.
Ash looked around frantically, trying to see if Floatzel was all right from the onslaught. "Floatzel?" He called. Then he saw a shadow approach him from the steam, but it was not the form of his pokemon. It was large and on all fours with a slight limp favoring its right leg. The form of another pokemon, his, looked as though it was being dragged along the ground by the scruff of its neck. Sure enough, Arcanine emerged from the steam, with Floatzel in tow and laid the defeated pokemon in front of Ash's feet. Ash recoiled at the sight, not expecting the excellent sportsmanship from his opponent's pokemon.
"Thank you," he said to the Arcanine as it limped its way back to its side of the field. He grabbed Floatzel's pokeball from his belt, disappointed that he would lose when he had the advantage. "I was too careless. I'm sorry, Zel. You fought well and deserve a rest." He withdrew his burned and fainted pokemon. By now the stadium's ventilation system had kicked into full gear and the steam began to fade, now fully revealing the field to the competing trainers and the audience.
"Whoa! What happened?" the announcer shouted. "One second the two pokemon are locked in a battle of water and fire, and the next we are all blinded by the steam. I hope everyone enjoyed that sauna, and I hope you brought some sunscreen because it is super bright in here! But it looks as though Ash's Floatzel has gone down! I guess only Master Cyril and Ash will know what truly went in that steamy battlefield."
"Great job Ash," Cyril said into headset that magnified his voice throughout the stadium. "Your Floatzel lasted longer than I expected. I'm sticking with Arcanine for this next one. Don't disappoint me."
Ash only smirked at the Master's arrogant remark. Cyril had already underestimated him, and his Arcanine paid the price. There was no way he was going to lose this next match. He reached for his initial choice, which he thought he should have stuck with and lopped the ball on the field. 'Please don't be asleep.' A very large and round pokemon with a green hide and cream belly appeared on its back, his chest steadily rising and falling. 'Crap… well it makes little difference.'
"Snorlax?" Misty said in slight shock as she rung out her wait hair. The sudden change of weather in the domed stadium hadn't made her the happiest of spectators. She had taken care to dress up just to get soaked and then sweat profusely due to immense heat from the small sun. "I didn't know he was training with Snorlax. What other surprises does he have?"
"Yeah that is strange. He didn't tell anyone who he was taking with him for training. Pikachu was a given, but as far as I know, the rest of his team is a mystery, minus the two we've seen already." Brock said wiping the sweat from his forehead and taking off his traveling jacket. He too wasn't feeling all too comfortable sitting in wet clothes in a humid dome under a hot sun. He wished that his clothes would dry faster and that the vents would cycle out the humidity.
"And it looks like the challenger Ash has sent out a Snorlax, but it looks like it is asleep! Whether or not he was counting on that happening, it will delay him a while in this match."
Ash smirked at how little the announcer knew about his battle style. "Alright Snorlax, let's start this off with a snore!" He quickly covered his ears as Snorlax began to snore obnoxiously loud with each intake. The crowd whined in protest at the annoyance but Ash kept his gaze on the intended target. Cyril cringed and began to rub his temples with his fingers and his Arcanine whined while vigorously shaking its head.
"Arcanine, quiet it with a Flare Blitz!" Cyril shouted. Arcanine began to charge Snorlax despite its injured side and became engulfed in a raging ball of fire. The flames around Arcanine tripled in size due to the intensified heat, throwing Ash slightly off guard. He had forgotten about the effects of the sunny day and mentally slapped himself. He just had to hope his luck was good
"Snorlax, sleep talk!" In that instant, Snorlax sat up and got to his feet, wobbling to and fro, threatening to fall over. Arcanine was closing in with an attack that could very well bring a quick end to this match. Ash clenched his fist, wishing Snorlax would hurry up with his attack. And with that, Snorlax crouched low and pushed off, going skyward in what seemed to defy physics. Arcanine blew right under Snorlax, the flare around his fur disappearing. As he came to a stop he dipped to his right. Cyril shouted frantically for his pokemon to run as Snorlax began its belly flop to the flame pokemon below. But Arcanine was too injured and exhausted to fully avoid the body slam.
"And Arcanine is unable to battle!" the announcer shouted. "He seemed too worn to avoid that devastating body slam! I think we should change the phrase 'when a Snorlax flies' because it looked like it just happened folks! I didn't even know they could jump that high, or jump at all! Who will the Master pick now?"
"Return Arcanine, you handled your fair share of things," Cyril said recalling his fire pokemon. "Well done Ash. He was one of my more inexperience partners, so don't get too full of yourself. Let's see… Staraptor." Cyril tossed the red and white ball in the air and out flew a large dark bird with intimidating markings on its body. "Dive in for a close combat!" He ordered and with great speed, the large bird moved in for the assault.
Ash called for another sleep talk, hoping that Snorlax could pull off another stunning victory, but his calls went unanswered. Snorlax instead yawned and rolled over to his side. Staraptor fell upon the large sleeping pokemon and began to peck and scratch at him. Snorlax cried out in a mix of pain and rage as it was disturbed from its sleep. Without orders from its trainer, the rotund pokemon released a powerful ice beam, clipping the frantic bird's wing and driving it away. Ash only grinned at his pokemon's fury, which he was counting on since the beginning. "Alight Snorlax, rollout!" On command, Snorlax curled up into a ball and spun forward towards Staraptor. The bird of prey struggled to gain altitude from its injured wing and took another blow from its opponent.
Cyril ordered Staraptor to go in for another close combat while Snorlax continued its rollout. The two pokemon collided, Staraptor pecking away at Snorlax's spinning body in a futile attempt to do damage. But Snorlax's massive size and strength proved too much for the injured bird as the rollout, now gaining much momentum, met its intended target. Ash had to drop to his stomach as Staraptor's form flew at him and collided into the wall behind him. He could hear Brock and Misty's surprised shouts as the incident happened within the blink of an eye. He looked up from face planting the ground to see Cyril's shocked expression. Clearly he wasn't anticipating Snorlax's enraged state. But his expression faded and was replaced with a smile, one of excitement.
"And Master Cyril is down two pokemon while Ash is down one and his Snorlax has minimum damage! What will the Master do to even the tides of this outrageous battle?"
Cyril called back his pokemon and tossed out another. A humanoid figured appeared with four muscled arms. The rest of his body was also ripped with muscles. "Go Machamp! This is the last rookie Ash! After this the gloves come off!"
Ash cringed as he could only guess at the Master's veteran pokemon. It was common knowledge that the Master had over three hundred different species of pokemon and that most if not all had been raised for battling purposes. The Master's pokemon always changed after every battle, except for his first three pokemon he had on his journey. What those were he did not know. League rules stated that the Pokemon Master's pokemon are not allowed to be documented until after death or another has ascended the title of Master. He came into this match blind and as a result he only brought his strongest, hoping that he could cover most of the type advantages. Floatzel's performance busted that strategy however and now he was going to attempt the same.
"Machamp, bulk up!" The super power pokemon began to pump its four arms to strengthen its body. Snorlax curled up and began another rollout assault as Machamp then began to focus its energy. Machamp dug down deep and held out its four arms in attempt to stop Snorlax. Upon contact, Machamp lost much ground using all of his strength to stay in the play. But Snorlax was quickly pushing him back towards Cyril, who remained unflinching at the two approaching bodies. "Now Machamp, use vital throw!"
Just before Machamp was about to cross the line and enter Cyril's box, both pokemon stopped despite Snorlax's frantic spinning in place. Machamp took a step forward, pushing Snorlax back and slowing its spin. As the massive pokemon lost its momentum and came to a stop, Machamp began to lift it in the air, all four arms wavering as it pushed against the heavy pokemon.
"Snorlax, hit 'em with a body slam!" Machamp fell to one knee as Snorlax seemed to force more weight on him. But with encouragement from his master, Machamp rose back to both legs, not only shocking the immense crowd, but the pokemon it was lifting as well. Then with all four arms, the muscled pokemon began to spin Snorlax in his grasp before launching him to the other side of the arena. Snorlax went skyward before beginning a swift descent to the hard ground below. Thinking quickly, Ash ordered a hyper beam towards the ground. Snorlax did just that and launched a powerful hyper beam to the ground below, dramatically slowing his fall until he could land safely on the ground. The save caused the crowd to erupt.
"And Ash's quick thinking has kept Snorlax in the match, but for how long no one knows. That last attack seemed to leave Snorlax drained and- look at this! Cyril is pressing the attack as Machamp rushes across the field, fists burning bright with energy. I believe it is a focus punch! What perfect timing! Machamp has the time to let the attack charge and this may be the end for Snorlax!"
Ash placed his hands on his head as he watched as his exhausted Snorlax take the powerful punch. The strength of the attack sent Snorlax out of the arena and into the wall, leaving a large round indentation. He had to stop himself as he almost ran out of the trainer's square. "Snorlax!" he shouted, hoping his pokemon was alright. Machamp had used all four arms for the attack, effectively quadrupling the power of the attack. There was no way any of his pokemon would have survived that attack. But the attack had also taken a toll on Machamp as well. The super power pokemon was panting heavily after exerting so much energy. Tossing Snorlax alone had done enough.
"And Snorlax is unable to battle. Cyril and his Machamp take the match. What a battle! Both combatants are neck in neck with four pokemon left, but Master Cyril's pokemon isn't looking too good. Ash still seems to be at an advantage, unless the Master will choose to switch out and no- he is keeping Machamp in. He is going to push him to the very end!"
"Go Heracross! Finish this with an aerial ace!" Ash released the bug pokemon and watched it fly into its exhausted opponent. Machamp attempted to counter, but the attack came too fast for him to strike back. Heracross landed several paces away and then charged his opponent from behind, jabbing his horn into Machamp's back in a fury of attacks.
Machamp turned around and raised his arms for a cross chop, but was stopped before contact by a counter attack. Heracross caught his arms and then spun him around before releasing and sending him sprawling towards the center of the field. He struggled to get to his feet, but collapsed back to the ground in exhaustion. Cyril smirked as he recalled Machamp and held out what looked to be a custom made pokeball. It was silver with a black design on the top.
"This was my first catch as a pokemon trainer. We have over thirty years of battling experience under our belt and he was one of six who helped me get this title. Go Mightyena!" A large black and gray wolf looking pokemon burst from the pokeball and immediately charged the Heracross. The bug pokemon staggered back as the wolf charged without any orders and prepared for a counter attack. He raised his arm to catch a powerful bite attack and then proceeded to use a brick break while Mightyena gnawed on his arm.
"Heracross throw it off of you and use a megahorn!" Before Heracross could execute the command, the Mightyena released the beetle pokemon and side stepped the megahorn attack. It then used a powerful take down into Heracross' side, sending him sprawling towards the edge of the arena. Mightyena was not far behind with its claws glowing a dark purple. "Heracross counter!" Ash shouted as the Mightyena slashed out at his pokemon.
Cyril watched as his pokemon expertly moved on its own accord. After years of training, Mightyena did not need to rely on him for direction. He was capable of winning this battle on his own. Mightyena's shadow claw hit home, doing critical damage to Heracross. Heracross responded with a powerful counter attack, jabbing his large horn into his pokemon's side. The dark wolf responded with an angry howl and bit down on Heracross' horn and flung him back towards the center of the arena. He charged again, this time with intentions on ending the match. His claws turned purple again and Heracross struggled to get to his feet.
"Heracross, megahorn!" He was completely ill prepared for Mightyena's ferocity. Cyril had not spoken a single word since Mightyena came onto the field, allowing his pokemon to do what ever it pleased. And again, while he had the double type advantage, he found himself once again losing. Heracross would not emerge victorious this round, but at least he would do some damage before doing down. With Heracross' horn aglow, he lunged forward into Mightyena's claws. Both pokemon were locked in a brief stalemate before Mightyena finally overpowered the weakened bug pokemon.
"And down goes Ash's third pokemon!" The announcer shouted. "And it looks as though Mightyena has received minor damage throughout that fight. Is this the end for Ash? We're talking about one of the Master's first pokemon here." As the announcer spoke, Mightyena trotted casually over to his side of the arena to wait for his next opponent.
Ash recalled his fainted Heracross and pondered over whom he should bring out to combat this challenging foe. He had only three pokemon to go, and this Mightyena was a fearsome block in the road. He felt a tug at his side and looked down to Pikachu. "No. I need to save the strongest for last. Sorry buddy." He pulled another pokeball from his belt and tossed it forward. "Sceptile, leaf blade!"
"Brock," Misty said with her eyes glued to the battlefield. Heracross' swift defeat from Mightyena had surprised both of them, especially since Heracross was still fresh. Now they watched as Mightyena kept up with Ash's swift and nimble Sceptile. "That Mightyena is ridiculous. I've never seen such a fierce pokemon battle."
The older friend did not take his chances to look at her in case he would miss something extraordinary. "Well, Cyril did say it was his first catch and has been with him ever since. That's thirty plus years of training, Misty. Have you noticed that Cyril hasn't given a single command since Mightyena came out?"
Misty seemed to pause for a moment. "Now that you mention it, he's just watching the battle." She looked towards Ash, who was at the edge of the trainer's box shouting commands to keep Sceptile in the match. As Mightyena launched forward with a deadly fire fang attack, Sceptile flipped overhead delivering a cross leaf blade against the wolf's back. But even after multiple attacks, Mightyena charged with renewed ferocity. The battle began to frighten her as she worried for Sceptile's safety. The grass pokemon was already showing signs of heavy fatigue, while Mightyena looked to be full of energy.
"The gap between his first three pokemon and this one is incredible. I can only imagine what his other two are like. Especially his starter," Brock said right before cheering after Sceptile landed what looked to be a critical hit with a super effective X-scissor attack. The single attack seemed to change the tide of battle as Mightyena's attacks became more sluggish and Sceptile's counters took more effect.
Misty kept her worried eyes on the battle. Though Sceptile managed to dramatically turn the tides, things were far from over. By now Cyril had gotten involved in the battle to guide his injured pokemon. But it was already too late; Mightyena was too injured to salvage the battle.
"Sceptile, now finish it with an X-scissor!" Ash shouted, ignoring the sweat soaking his body. Though the sunny day effect had dissipated long ago, the intensity of the entire battle drove him to his limit. He felt physically and mentally exhausted after battling for almost three hours non-stop. He could only imagine what his pokemon felt like.
"I cede this match, Mightyena return!" Cyril called out just before his injured pokemon met Sceptile's finishing blow. Sceptile called off its attack and slowly made its way over to Ash. Though he had received minor damage, the constant moving and attacking had drained most of his strength.
"And Master Cyril calls the match instead of watching his pokemon faint! This act of compassion may very well cost him the battle, but no title is worth seeing an old friend hurt. But this means that it only gets harder for Ash Ketchum as we now move onto one of Cyril's strongest pokemon!"
"Sceptile, take a break, you deserved it." Ash said recalling his exhausted pokemon. "I'm pulling Sceptile from the match as well. He doesn't have the strength to battle anymore." As he said this, he noticed Cyril grin at him.
"What an interesting turn of events! Now Ash Ketchum has removed his Sceptile from play. A bold move for the challenger. Though the score may be even, Ash has now put himself at a great disadvantage. Let's see who they will send in next!"
Both trainers pulled their next pokeball and tossed it onto the field and shouted in unison. "Go! Charizard!"
Next part will be up soon