Ambition

Part 1

How do you even describe this feeling? The disappearance of all the tension that had been building up as the referee raises the flag, declaring that the battle had come to an end. To feel those goosebumps rise up as each individual in the stands wildly throw their arms into the air, jumping to their feet. To feel that chill run down your spine when you realize that you've won. Or the disappointment to know that you've lost.

The large stadium far into the west side of Fuchsia City seemed to rumble as the hundreds of fans present roared with cheers.

"And he's done it! Ash Ketchum has won the Newcomers Tournament!" The announcer exclaimed loudly, his voice barely being heard in comparison the cheers.

'Weavile is unable to battle, the winner is Pikachu.' These words continued to echo in Paul's mind as he stared at the outcome of his latest clash with Ash. His dark furred partner remained firmly lodged in the wall, its body limp from the finishing blow delivered to it just moments ago.

'I lost…' Paul muttered as he sighed in defeat before looking across the field to his opponent.

"That was awesome Pikachu!" Ash shouted as he rushed onto the field to scoop up his Pokemon from the ground, crushing it in a hug for winning this battle. This victory had sealed their deal to get into the professional circuit.

The Newcomers Tournament was the must see tournament of the year when it came to searching for fresh young talent. It was the easiest place for franchises to find a new trainer to sign onto their roster. And now Ash had been deemed worthy to be accepted into the professional circuit.

Paul had nothing to say. Since the two of them had left the Tsugi Academy, he and Ash had clashed on a regular basis. Each battle ended with a different result, but this one was completely different to any other battle he had-had with Ash. Ash was absolutely spectacular during the endgame in this battle, an edge Paul had over Ash up until this point. When the victory was on the line this time, Ash became an other worldly trainer. It was kind of frustrating.

Paul had spent so much time training and growing alongside Ash, only to realize today that he was seeing Ash as a complete trainer for the first time. It was astounding to see his growth throughout the course of just this one battle. He could definitely ascend to the top of the professional circuit.

But this left him excited as well. Now he couldn't wait to challenge Ash again.

"Paul!" Ash called out to his friend and rival before he could retreat from the field after calling back his Weavile to the safety of its Pokeball. Paul halted his steps, looking back at Ash who dashed across the field to congratulate him. "You can't leave until after I thank you for such an amazing battle."

A chuckle escaped Paul's mouth, although he was sure it couldn't be heard by Ash. No matter how devastating a loss Ash would cause someone to experience, he was also capable of raising their spirits afterward. He then noticed that Ash had his arm outstretched with an open hand, beckoning for him to complete the handshake. When Paul did so, the crowd cheered at the show of sportsmanship.

Ash then looked up at the surrounding stands, waving to the crowd with a large grin on his face.

Saffron City

Silph's Co Headquarters

Top Floor

A dark silhouette rested on a large office chair, a small glass held delicately in one hand that he would take a sip from occasionally while he drummed the arm of the chair with the fingers of his other hand. The light from the tv mounted on the wall lit up the room as the only occupant of the room observed the finals of the Newcomers Tournament, their focus being the winner of the entire event. The young man who was nervously rushing through his first live interview.

"Mindy!" The silhouette called out with a booming voice. "Mindy!"

After a few moments, the door opened up, allowing a bright light to shine into the room gaining a grown from the male as he turned in his seat to put his back to the light. Standing at the center of the doorway was the figure of a female who stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

"What can I do for you sir?" She asked in a deadpan.

"He's finally arrived. Sign him onto our list. I don't care how much money it takes to beat the offers he receiving."

Fuchsia City

It had been well over a year since Ash and Paul had left the Tsugi Academy to enter the college circuit. And their journey through the circuit had been nothing short of amazing. Unlike high school, their entire life was fully focused on the one thing they loved, Pokemon. Training and battling was all they did, taking part in numerous small tournaments around Kanto to gain attention from the franchises to fund their actual career as Pokemon trainers.

The Newcomers Tournament was the easiest way to stand out since it was the biggest college-level tournament of the year. Now that Ash had won it, he discovered just how much weight came with being recognized as a talented trainer.

"Paul, I've gotten over thirty e-mails in the past twenty minutes asking me to sign onto these franchises!" Ash exclaimed as he waved his Pokegear in the air above his head.

The sun was still setting, although it was pretty late. Their battle had ended earlier this morning, but all of the interviews and photos snatched away most if not all of Ash's day. But Ash had managed to sneak away from the media to head out with Paul for dinner.

"Well, what did you expect? Now that everyone knows you're good enough to take on the Pokemon Gyms, you'll be getting tons of offers." Paul replied as the two of them walked through the quiet streets of Fuchsia City near the harbor. Paul had gotten a few offers since he was the runner up in the competition, but unlike Ash, he wasn't going to go barreling out in the professional circuit just yet. "Whenever a young trainer becomes famous Ash, the franchise they're signed onto always goes through a boom. Basically, you're going to start the next boom."

There were hundreds of franchises across the Kanto Region. Some were for things as lame as sporting goods, some represented fast food. And in order to keep their popularity up with the people, they would use the one sport that everyone in the world was in tune with. Pokemon battles.

If a trainer represented them in popular events such as the Indigo Conference, this would draw a lot of attention the franchise itself and hopefully boost its sales. In turn the franchise would fund the trainer's journey, providing for the various expenses of the trainer during their journey.

"I know, but it's only been twenty minutes since I emptied my inbox." Ash replied as he shut off his Pokegear to prevent it from giving him a notice that he had received yet another e-mail.

They walked in silence for a few moments, unable to decide on what they should eat.

"It's kind of hard to believe, isn't it Paul?" Ash asked, getting a rather confused expression from the purple haired young man.

"What do you mean?" He asked in return.

"It feels like just yesterday we were back in the Tsugi Academy, joking around about how we would become champions." Ash said as he looked up at the sky that was fading to purple as twilight set in. "And here we are, battling to start our official Pokemon journeys. Isn't that hard to believe?"

Paul took a moment to think about it. He had never thought about this subject before. He had always kept his eyes firmly fixated on what as was ahead, but reflecting on the past was nice. He really he had progressed far since his time at the Tsugi Academy.

"Well…when you put it that way, I guess you right." Paul replied, looking toward Ash only to discover that Ash had completely abandoned him. He had run out onto a nearby pier, coming a halt at the edge where he looked out at the sea that the sun was slowly dipping into.

Paul remained where he was, observing Ash. After spending a long year alone with him, Paul had picked up on a few of Ash's peculiar habits. One of those was a futile attempt to feel as though he was closer to his girlfriend by going as far out into the ocean as possible. He only did this when he missed her, although they wouldn't be seeing a lot of each other for a while. She as preparing for her own graduation from the Tsugi Academy.

"Dawn!" He shouted as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "I'll become a Pokemon Master! And I'll be waiting for you!"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu added, although its voice couldn't compare to Ash's.

Paul smirked with a snort. Ash would be starting his journey within a month once he decided which franchise he would join, and from there, he could make his dream of becoming a Pokemon Master a reality.

April 7th

Pewter City

It had been almost a year since Ash had joined the Silph's Co franchise and began his journey as a professional Pokemon trainer. Now, with his backpack slung over his shoulder and his trusty partner on his shoulder, Ash take a look at his final hurdle. The Pewter City Gym.

Ordinarily he would've treated it as though it were any other Gym challenge, but this one was special.

His close friend Brock had just been put in place as the Pewter City Gym Leader just two months ago, and now Ash had the opportunity to face off with Brock in an official battle, something he didn't get the chance to do when they were in the Tsugi Academy together. But he would do that later. Right now, Route 2 was waiting for him.

"Pi?" Pikachu asked as Ash turned away from the building, heading toward the south side of the city.

"Don't worry Pikachu, we'll come back and battle Brock later on. Right now, I want to make sure everyone is in tip top condition." Ash replied.

Arriving at a large clearing in the grassy route, Ash settled in this area, deciding to claim it as his own as a practice area to preform a quick check on each of his Pokemon. "Come on out guys!"

Ash tossed the five Pokeballs he held into the air, his smile growing wider as each of them opened up to release the Pokemon held within. Every time he looked at his team collectively, Ash couldn't help but smile since he had started from scratch and built them up into what they were now.

As all six of his Pokemon finished stretching, the usual hassle began.

Charizard gave a roar, firing a blast of flames into the air above as a display of its power.

Snorlax had taken shape on its back with its usual bubble expanding and retracting from its nose, proof that it was sound asleep.

Wartortle grinned as it puffed out its chest as best it could.

Ivysaur only sighed at the usual antics of the group.

Primeape then issued its challenge to the group, thus initiating the free for all.

Everyone perked up at Primeape's challenge. Charizard spread its wings, preparing to take flight while Snorlax's bubble popped, awakening the Pokemon. Wartortle whipped out its sharp sunglasses, placing them on its small nose with a grin while Ivysaur's expression hardened. Pikachu jumped to the ground, throwing a few jabs as a warm up, and then the battle begun.

Ash took some distance from the group, dropping down to his bottom to closely observe the six Pokemon that were part of his current party. They were the best Pokemon a trainer could ask for. Loyal. Strong-willed. Obedient. Competitive.

Charizard gave a roar of disapproval after taking a hit to its stomach from Snorlax who moved away with speed that was surprising for a such a large Pokemon. Charizard roared again, louder this time as it unleashed a wave of flames at the normal type who raised its arm, casting a Protect over itself.

Ash snickered to himself. They were also hot-headed, although he was positive most of them had picked that up from him.

"Man Charizard, you're on fire!" Ash exclaimed loudly with delight as he was declared the winner. The spectators in the Celadon Gym, while impressed with the strength of the fully evolved fire type, couldn't help but sigh as the sprinkler system turned on to dose the entire field that had been lit on fire.

Charizard was his overconfident powerhouse.

"Snorlax, don't use Rest unless I tell you to!" Ash hollered, stamping his foot in frustration after his Pokemon had fallen onto its back, sound asleep without his command.

"Heh, it looks like your Snorlax could still use some obedience lessons." Sabrina stated before ordering her Alakazam to attack the sleeping Snorlax.

Snorlax was the equivalent of a Slaking, but Ash refused to give up on the Pokemon who's level of effort was horribly inconsistent. He still had a lot of work to do with it.

"Wartortle!" It stated as it landed on its feet while the opposing Arbok came crashing to the ground.

"Alright Wartortle!" Ash shouted, throwing his fist into the air. Wartortle puffed its chest out with a wide grin, flashing Ash a peace sign.

Wartortle was his ever loyal and jolly companion that was diligent to a point.

"Wee!" Primeape squealed as it rushed at Ash, driving both its arms into Ash's shoulders. Ash did the same, engaging the Pokemon in a pushing match. Giving a loud grunt, Ash pushed forward with all his might, but was instantly overpowered by Primeape. He was sent spiraling to the ground where he rolled for a bit before he came to a stop, laughing heartily.

Primeape was his hot-headed fighting type with the heart of a warrior.

"Saur." Ivysaur stated as it held Ash in the air through the use of Vine Whip, saving him from a harsh landing.

"Heh, thanks Ivysaur." Ash said with a grin, receiving a sigh from his Pokemon as it set him on his feet. In his hands was a bundle of berries he had snatched from the tree before the branch snapped beneath him.

Ivysaur was the leveled guardian of the squad. The parent of the team so to speak.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu shouted as it gave Ash the shocking of a lifetime, leaving him blackened but awake.

"Yeah thanks for the wake up call Pikachu." Ash mumbled out as Pikachu gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of its neck.

Pikachu, his first Pokemon. His partner that had been with him since the very beginning of his journey. The two of them had started out as a pair of nobody's in the college circuit, but with hard work and nearly a year of nothing but training, they rose through the ranks and eventually made their appeal to the professional circuit at the Newcomers Tournament. They had come so far together since winning the tournament, gaining seven badges since his journey started, and now they were headed toward the forefront of the Pokemon world. Indigo Plateau.

All that was left was the Pewter Gym.

And Brock Slate.

April 8th

Pewter City Gym

"Ash!" Brock exclaimed as he spotted his old friend seated in the lobby of the gym. Not only had Ash grown taller since the last time Brock had seen him, but his facial features had sharpened a bit as Ash progressed toward adulthood. His hair had grown longer, but it was still and unruly mess, although he probably didn't get much time to cut it or keep it neat while he was traveling. Brock could also see that Ash had finally decided to find an outfit that properly displayed his status a trainer.

He was clothed a black undershirt that hugged his frame and displayed the features of his torso with a crimson colored jacket over it, the raised collar of the jacket being white as it shielded his neck. He also a wore a pair of cargo pants with a large belt held firmly around his waist, holding his Pokeballs for him. But even after years of hat hair, Ash still kept his trademark. His Indigo League hat was placed on top his head with his small yellow partner perched on his shoulder.

Ash almost fell out of his seat after being snapped out of his daze which gained a chuckle from Brock as he approached him.

"Brock!" Ash replied as he rose up, looking at Brock who had also changed quite a bit since they had last seen each other. Brock had become far more rugged in appearance, beginning to look as though he was hard-nosed rock type Gym Leader. He was dressed an orange and brown jacket that remained open for all to see that fact that he wore no shirt underneath along with a pair of pale green pants held up but a large belt that held all the accessories a Pokemon trainer would need. "How have you been?"

"I've been great!" Brock answered heartily as he sized up Ash. "And I see a that Pokemon journey did wonders for you as well."

"Well there's no better way to stay fit." Ash replied as he raised an arm to flex his bicep with a toothy grin.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu added, leaping off of Ash's shoulder to Brock who hastily caught the Pokemon before greeting it.

"It's good to see you too Pikachu." Brock said before setting his gaze on Ash. "So is it safe to assume you're here for a Gym Badge?"

"I wouldn't be here for anything else." Ash shot back.

"And today's challenger is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town!" The referee announced as he pointed the blue flag he held toward Ash who continued to look around at the occupants of the room.

He was used to battling in front of spectators that might have been studying under that particular Gym Leader, but for the first time since he had become a professional trainer, he was battling in front of the media who was here to see him. They were cramped into the stands with their cameras rolling, quietly chatting with one another before the battle began. Silph Co had informed him about this before he had started his journey, but it slipped his mind throughout his travels.

With the Indigo Conference fast approaching, the media would begin to cover the Gym challenges in order to add some hype to the competition. And Ash's final Gym challenge was no exception.

"This will be a two on two Pokemon battle. Only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions." The ref declared before raising his flags, glancing at Ash. "Are you ready to begin?"

Ash gave him a slow nod while snatching a Poke-ball off of his belt.

"Begin!" The ref threw down his flags.

"Get ready for the battle of your life Ash!" Brock shouted as he pitched a Pokeball onto the field where it cracked open, releasing a massive Pokemon that shook the field as it landed on the rocky surface.

"Golem!" It growled, stamping its feet.

"Wartortle, let's go!" Ash shouted as he released his first choice onto the field. The turtle landed on its hind legs, studying its opponent before grinning. This shouldn't be too hard.

"I expected as much from you Ash." Brock said with a smile as he crossed his arms into his chest. "Golem, use Earthquake!"

Despite all of the weight Golem carried, it leaped into the air. Then it came crashing down to the field where it sent out a shockwave that was quickly followed by the entire field beginning to shake. Both Wartortle and Ash were thrown off their feet, Ash landing on his bottom while Wartortle fell onto the back of his shell. The reporters held onto their seats for dear life, refusing to let go as they gave shouts of panic. They should have expected as much coming to film a battle against the rock type Gym Leader.

Brock on the other hand, remained standing despite the shifting ground beneath him.

'Whoa.' Ash said to himself as he forced himself back up to his feet, trying to find his own footing. Brock must've spent hours practicing under conditions like these if he was Gym Leader here. He knew this wouldn't be an easy battle regardless of the type advantages he would have, but this one was shaping up to be his most enjoyable one yet.

"War!" Wartortle cried out, unable to get back on its feet as it was tossed about the field until the quaking came to a stop.

"Golem, finish it with Heavy Slam!" Brock shouted, seeing that Wartortle was completely helpless now that it was resting on its back.

Golem leaped up into the air once again, retracting its arms, legs and head into its spherical body before it began to plummet toward Wartortle who stared at it with wide eyes.

"Wartortle, use Hydro Pump!" Ash called out. Wartortle drew in a sharp breath before looking for the closest rock on the field. Firing a jet of water it, Wartortle propelled itself out of the path of Golem's attack, avoiding the dangerous move as Golem came crashing down onto the field a second time, leaving a deep body imprint.

Using the momentum from the Hydro Pump, Wartortle flipped over so that it was upright, landing on its feet once again. Ash grinned, seeing that they had safely avoided the attack. Then he looked at Brock, discovering that his friend wore a wide smile.

"Bring it on Ash!" Brock shouted, motioning for him to attack.

Ash let out a long breath before returning Brock's smile.

"You bet! Wartortle use Aqua Jet!" Ash shouted.

"War-tortle!" It shouted, whipping out its black sunglasses which it put on before a geyser of water erupted around it. Wartortle then took off into the air with a funnel of water around it, making a bee line toward Golem.

"Golem, take them down with Rollout!" Brock commanded.

Golem pulled its arms, legs and head back into its body before taking off in a speedy roll toward the approaching Wartortle. In a head on collision, Brock was sure Golem would come out on top.

"Wartortle, use Rock Smash!" Ash shouted as the two Pokemon neared each other. Even within the raging rapids surrounding Wartortle, everyone could clearly see its fist beginning to glow as it prepared the secondary attack.

Brock stared at Wartortle intently. Even with this, Golem could still overpower Wartortle. But Brock was quickly proven wrong when Wartortle swerved out of Golem's path just enough to avoid being hit while driving its fist into Golem's side. Golem gave a loud grunt before its Rollout came to a halt. Once its head popped back out from its shell, everyone could clearly see that Golem had been knocked out from the attack.

"Golem is unable to battle, Wartortle is the winner." The ref declared, raising the blue flag.

Brock was awestruck. Few trainers knew exactly where to hit a Golem to stop it once it started using Rollout. Ash had not only done that, but knocked it out with that one hit.

"How did you know Golem rolls sideways?" Brock asked.

"Well we were in Rock Tunnel, and we sort of disturbed a Golem nest. When they stared using Rollout, we either had to stop them, or get squished like pancakes." Ash explained. "It took a while, but I noticed that Golem's roll sideways so that they can put their head out to check where they're going since that doesn't work when their right side up. Striking their head was the quickest way to stop them."

Brock was thoroughly impressed. Ash was learning quickly throughout his journey, and he was putting what he had learned together to take control of this battle.

"Awesome." Brock said to himself as he recalled Golem. This was going to be a blast. "Kabutops, come on out!"

The fossil Pokemon shifted a bit after it was released before stretching with a groan. Ash cringed as he heard its bones snap back into place, getting a content sigh from the Pokemon before its eyes snapped open.

Ash took a step back at the immense pressure that suddenly washed over the field, but as he studied Kabutops, he realized that it wasn't the source of the pressure. Looking past Kabutops, Ash could see that Brock was staring at him with his sharp eyes that he had opened for this battle.

'Now he's really into it.' Ash noted. It was rare Brock became so engrossed in a battle that he wanted to battle to the fullest, but when he did, it was a scary sight. His eyes were just as piercing Kabutops' cold, blade-like arms.

"Get ready Ash, because I'm coming at you with everything I've got!" Brock shouted as Kabutops raised its arms, ready to battle. "Kabutops, use Night Slash!"

The ancient Pokemon raced toward Wartortle with surprising speed, beginning to swing its arms at Wartortle haphazardly. The turtle Pokemon continued to duck, jump and sidestep Kabutops' attacks, demonstrating its long hours of close range practice with Primeape.

"Wartortle, while it's so close, hit it with Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted.

"War...tortle!" It exclaimed as it unleashed a powerful jet of water on Kabutops, pushing it back several feet with the sheer force of the attack.

"Kabutops, use Giga Drain!" Brock shouted.

'Giga Drain!' Ash exclaimed as Kabutops gained a red aura. "Wartortle, look out!"

By then it was too late. A snake-like beam of red light extended from Kabutops, knocking away the Hydro Pump until it closed in on Wartortle who became engulfed in a red glow. Wartortle gave a cry of pain as Kabutops sapped it of its remaining strength. Wartortle was then tossed aside where it hit the ground with a thud.

"Wartortle is unable to battle, Kabutops is the winner!" The ref shouted, raising the ref flag this time.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed. "How the heck can a rock type learn Giga Drain?!"

Brock gave a loud laugh.

"I wish I knew. But it comes in handy when trainers come in thinking they'll win with just a water type." Brock replied.

"Alright Brock, I'll admit that you got me there." Ash said as he called back Wartortle. "But this battle is far from over."

Ash plucked his second Poke-ball off of his belt, tossing it onto the field where it released a pale green Pokemon.

"Saur." It said as it took shape, resting on its bottom while taking in its surroundings.

"Ivysaur, get ready!" Ash called out, putting the Pokemon on edge. Going down on all fours, Ivysaur rustled the leaves on its back before growling at Kabutops.

"Kabutops, use Aerial Ace!" Brock shouted.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash exclaimed as Kabutops leaned forward before rushing toward Ivysaur. "Hold it off with Razor Leaf!"

Ivysaur launched several volleys of razor sharp leaves toward Kabutops, forcing it to stop its approach for a few moments to give Ash some time to think. Giga Drain and Aerial Ace. Kabutops was built to fight against the numerous type disadvantages rock types had to deal with. Ash couldn't expect anything less from Brock.

"Kabutops, use Aerial Ace once more!" Brock shouted. Kabutops drove forward once again, hovering low to the ground as it raced toward the grass type.

"Ivysaur, push yourself into the air using Vine Whip!" Two thick vines extended from Ivysaur's back which it used to throw itself up into the air. Kabutops came skidding to a halt right beneath Ivysaur before leaping up at the grass type, readying its blades to attack.

"Saur!" It growled as it swung its vines, circling then around Kabutops who became trapped in the vines, halting its approach. Ivysaur twirled in the air to lift Kabutops and hurl it back to the ground.

"Ivysaur, get it with Energy Ball!" Ash hollered to his Pokemon as it began to descend toward Kabutops. Pointing the bulb on its back downward, a green sphere of energy took shape. With a small roar, Ivysaur launched the orb at Kabutops who was still caught within the vines.

"Kabutops, use Ancient Power!" Brock roared. An attack like Energy Ball would easily finish of Kabutops at this point, and he was far from satisfied with this battle. Kabutops gained a white aura before the field began to shake, getting several shrieks from the audience. Several pieces of the field were uprooted before being thrown up at Ivysaur to counter the Energy Ball as well as sever the vines that held Kabutops.

The grass type attack exploded on contact with one of the rocks, creating a white billowing smoke over the battlefield as the rest of the stones disappeared into the cloud with Ivysaur. Everyone could hear several shouts of annoyance from Ivysaur from within the cloud before it came crashing down to the field with a grunt. Pikachu gave a shout for Ivysaur to return to its feet as Ash remained silent.

'Aww man.' Ash muttered. He was aiming for the finish right there while they had a clear advantage. At this point it could either way since Kabutops was capable of using Aerial Ace. They would have to act now.

"Kabutops, use Aerial Ace!" Once again, Kabutops lowered itself to the ground before taking off in a blinding speed toward Ivysaur who stared at the approaching attack with now fear whatsoever.

"Ivysaur, use Sunny Day!" Ash declared. Stopping Aerial Ace was possible, but running from it would only prolong the battle. Their best option was simply to face it with a better move. The bulb on Ivysaur's back opened once again, releasing a bright sphere of light that was blinding to look at-at first, taking Ivysaur out of everyone's field of vision, including Kabutops. The rock type came skidding to a halt after having missed Ivysaur, turning back to search the field for the Pokemon that had somehow gotten away using the few moments that Kabutops had been blinded. "Vine Whip!"

"Kabutops, look out!" Brock shouted. Now that the sphere of light was high over the field, Brock could see where Ivysaur had moved to, but his warning to Kabutops was no where near quick enough to compete with Ivusaur's new speed. Its Vine Whip was at least twice as fast as it was earlier. Kabutops was struck with one of the thick vines straight to its torso which sent it stumbling backward while Ivysaur pursued moving far quicker than it had been. 'That's right, Chlorophyll! This is going to get ugly.'

Brock knew that Ash wasn't reckless enough to think he could just start launching Solarbeam's left and right. This Sunny Day was first meant to give Ivysaur the edge in speed, and now they were more than capable of using Solarbeam quickly if need be. He was steadily stacking the chips in his favor as the battle progressed, awaiting for the moment where he could go in for the finisher. Brock smiled as he looked across the field at Ash who lifted a hand toward the visor of his cap. He then took a hold of it, and spun his hat around. Checkmate.

This was Ash's declaration to Brock. This battle was going to end whether he wanted it to or not. Just try and stop me if you can!

"Use Solarbeam Ivysaur!" Ash called out with his trademark grin. He still stuck to using his favorite finisher. A ridiculously strong attack at point blank range.

"Keep it away with X-Scissors!" Brock shouted. He wouldn't let Ash get this win so easily. Or, at least he thought he could.

"Go Ivysaur!" Ash yelled as he threw a fist into the air. The exchange between the two happened too quickly for anyone to really understand what had happened. Kabutops had thrown out both of its blades at Ivysaur, but with its increased speed, Kabutops only saw a green blur jump out of its field of vision. Ivysaur was probably the only one who understood what it had done. Once it was airborne, it rolled in the air to point its bulb down at Kabutops, taking aim. It was a simple tactic, but for Ivysaur to move so precisely even with its speed boost and aim the attack was proof that Ash had practiced this with Ivysaur quite frequently.

"Kabutops!" Brock roared as Ivysaur fired away, releasing a large white beam that pushed it high into the air while its opponent disappeared within the light. The entire field rumbled for a few moments before the Solarbeam became nothing more than a thin a ray of light.

The attack came to an end as Ivysaur fell to the field once again, landing on its feet with a grunt. The energy expended from using Solarbeam was already taking its toll as Ivysaur drew several deep breaths, looking into the crater that had been created from the powerful grass type attack.

Brock took in another breath as he relaxed. This battle was over, and he could accept that. All he could do at this point was respect what Ash had done with the Pokemon he had raised, especially at the end of the battle. It was a matter of trust. Ash must have spent weeks practicing several finishers with his Pokemon, and then his entire game plan surrounded how he would reach the scenario they had been practicing. If they made it to that point, he gave his Pokemon the green light. It was certainly a smart strategy. If his Pokemon were comfortable, they would perform at the highest level, and that would lead to a victory.

The ref approached the crater, prepared to declare Ash the winner, but he jumped back from the hole in surprise. Kabutops rose up from the crater with its arms hanging limply at its sides. The cameramen that were recording the battle quickly zoomed on Kabutops, hoping that the battle would continue, but this notion was short lived. Just as soon as Kabutops stepped out of the crater, it's lost its footing which left it with the the option of collapsing to the ground with a thud.

The ref waited to moment to see if it would get up once again, but when it remained motionless, he raised the blue flag.

"Kabutops is unable to continue, Ivysaur and the challenger Ash Ketchum are the winners!" The ref declared, getting a loud cheer from Ash as he ran onto the field to hoist Ivysaur into the air in a hug along with Pikachu.

"You rock Ivysaur!" Ash shouted as he held the Pokemon tightly.

"Saur." It replied as it returned Ash's hug. Dropping down to his knees, Ash delicately placed the exhausted Ivysaur back on its feet. Ivysaur was strong, but Ash didn't want to take any chances. He wanted Ivysaur to be with him when he received his eighth and final badge.

The spectators gave their shouts of praise to Ash as they applauded for him and his Pokemon for their victory.

"Kabutops, return." Brock said quietly as he called back his Pokemon. With a shrug, he began walking onto the field before looking up at Ash where he gave him a large grin. "Aww well, it was fun while it lasted."

"Heh, it sure was." Ash said with a nod of agreement.

"It's clear that you've earned this Ash." Brock said as he motioned for one of his assistants to come onto the field. A teenage boy walked out onto the field with a small case in hand, heading to straight to Ash who looked at him with growing excitement. Once he stood in front of Ash, he popped open the case, revealing the Boulder Badge.

Ash looked upon the badge with shimmering eyes. Tentatively, he raised one hand to pick the small object out of the case with his thumb and index finger. Holding it above his head, Ash smiled broadly at it as it sparkled in the light.

"Alright, we got the Boulder Badge!" Ash exclaimed as his two Pokemon voiced their happiness as well. The Indigo Conference was finally within his sights. Just over the horizon.

A/N

And that's the concluding note for chapter 1. Just a bit of information for those of you who have questions, which I'm sure if most of you. This is an AU, so there are new elements I've added into this fic that I'll explain in just a moment. First I want to point out that this the sequel to High School Dilemma - Pokemon Style. As if right now, reading it isn't really a necessity to understand what's taking place, but as the story develops, there'll be stuff from the first part that you'll need to know to follow the rest of the story.

So moving on, I'm sure many of you are wondering what exactly the professional circuit is if the explanation in the chapter wasn't good enough. It's pretty similar to the how the anime in the sense that you travel around the region, collect eight badges and participate in the League Conference. But this is a bit more grown up. Wealthy franchises sign trainers onto their rosters and fund their journey's to have them represent their company in big name competition. It's do or die because if you fail to represent them properly, they can cut your contract and send you packing. So your career is truly based on your skill, how you battle under pressure and if you can come out on top to keep your journey alive.

Just want to mention that your journey starts basically at the age of nineteen being the youngest. Similar to how you go into professional sports, you have to demonstrate your ability in the college circuit and come up big in events like the Newcomers Tournament to be signed onto a franchise. From that point on as I said above, its up to you to keep your journey going.

Anyway, I only have one other thing to rant about before I'm done. I don't know who agrees with me, but anime Ash is prone to some 'odd' decision making when it comes to assembling a team in almost any region. (Save for Sinnoh where his team was pretty extensive and filled with some good choices, and some of his old guys.) But here in this one, I wasn't going to let that happen with the exception of Pikachu. So he now has Ivysaur and Wartortle, but the two of them won't be evolving any further. I get the feeling Ash isn't the type of trainer that battles with tremendous power houses that don't move to much. His strongest Pokemon are normally pretty fast to boot, Charizard ( fast in general ), Snorlax ( agile at close range ). And the few tanks he's used have been very unlucky, his Torterra comes to mind. I don't think he's meant to use slow powerful Pokemon. So Venusaur and Blastoise are out.

He's also got more guys than just what you've seen in this chapter, so clearly I'm trying to present Ash as a more competent trainer.

There will be romance...that's all I'll say about it for now.

Alright, I'm done. This will probably be the only Author's Note that's this long, so you won't have to endure that again if you actually read it. So I hope you enjoy and feel free to ask any questions, I'm more than willing to reply.

Last but not least, I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or form.