I just want to give a big thank you to everyone who's following this story! Your support means a lot to me, and I promise not to disappoint.
On one side of the field, Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida eyed down their opponents from afar, both looking quite confident. The two had been devising a strategy for the past half hour, and knew that victory was certain, mostly because they knew that their opponents couldn't work as a team even if the world depended on it.
Across from the boys standing in front the lab of Prof. Akagi were Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu with their Pokémon at their heels. They were quite the odd couple; the girl stood with hands on her hips, beaming with arrogance, while the boy looked like a Bug-type stuck in a Quiver Dance. Ikari shot nervous looks at his wrist where a sleek, high-tech device had been clipped on about half an hour ago. The events in which Prof. Akagi's described this item to him echoed in his head.
"Now, before you battle," Ritsuko said to Shinji and Asuka as she searched through a steel cabinet. She removed two clear boxes from within, each with a futuristic, watch-like device inside, "You'll both need one of these."
"What are they?" Shinji studied the glass cases as Asuka rolled her eyes.
"You can't be serious, Baka-Shinji," the redhead spat, "You've really never seen a Pokégear before?"
"… No?"
"God, you're such a shut-in. Have you ever left your house in the past five years? They're only the most important thing a trainer can have!"
Prof. Akagi adjusted her glasses with a sly smile. "Well then, Asuka, if you know so much about the Pokégear, how about you explain to Shinji what they do yourself?"
Soryu paused under the sudden spotlight, caught off guard and stammering. "…Uh, well, the Pokégear has a, you know, a built in Pokédex and an, um, Item Finder, and a, uh… I'm really only up-to-date on the 2013 version, actually. So I might be a little rusty on this year's newest features."
"I'd say you're a little rusty on all the versions, Asuka," the professor giggled, much to Soryu's embarrassment, "The Pokégear does indeed contain an Item Finder and a Pokédex, but also does much more. One of the most important things this device can do is check the moves and abilities of any Pokémon owned by a trainer, as well as store the data from Technical and Hidden Machines needed to teach a Pokémon a move. It's not just useful for battle purposes, however. It also keeps track of your funds, your location and of course, the time, just as any watch should."
"This thing is pretty cool," Shinji said, taking a purple and green Pokégear from Ritsuko, "How much?"
"It's free of charge!" the blonde laughed, "Every trainer is required to have one, and it would be cruel to keep the opportunity from those without money."
"Well, aren't you lucky Baka-Shinji!" Asuka flicked Ikari in the ear, "No penny-pinching for you!" When the arrogant redhead went to take her Pokégear from Prof. Akagi, she looked at the blue and gold device with disgust. "…Do you have one in red?"
"Are the trainer's ready for battle!"
Shinji snapped out of his thoughts as Prof. Akagi stood in the center of the battlefield, looking at both pairs of trainers. The crowd around them had grown quite substantially since he had last looked at it, Still somewhat out of it, Ikari saw Toji and Aida nod their heads in approval, as did Asuka. When Akagi turned to Shinji, he froze up. This was going way too fast, he wasn't ready for this yet! He hadn't even received Riolu an hour ago, for God's sake!
"Shinji?" the professor asked tenderly; she could tell the boy wasn't feeling so hot about this. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Hey! Earth to Shinji!" Asuka snapped, "Give her an answer! We're waiting!"
Riolu, sensing his master's distress, pulled on his pant leg to get his attention. 'Shinji? What is the matter?'
No answer from Ikari; his mind was blank.
'I told you we would be alright. Do you not… believe in me?' The normally strong voice sounded quite fragile and hurt to Shinji.
'I… I do, Riolu. But I don't… I… I can't…!'
Shinji was in panic mode now: There had to be some way out of this, something to make the pressure stop. Everyone was staring at him: Riolu, Toji, Aida, the Professor, Asuka… The faces in the crowd were the worst. He didn't even know any of them, and they expected him to entertain them! Why should he have to do that? Shinji had only one option, and by God he was going to take it.
"I can't do this!"The crowd gasped as Ikari unexpectedly dashed into the lab behind him, the doors closing shut on his heels. An awkward silence fell over the spectators as everyone tried to understand what had just happened.
"Aww, sheesh," Suzuhara sighed, "Da Prof performs his signature escapin' act once again…"
"*cough*-Called it-*cough*" Kensuke feigned, pretending to clear his throat.
"Shinji!" Asuka yelled furiously. She couldn't believe it. How dare that Baka-Shinji run out on her like that! "You coward! Get back here and fight with me! HEY!"
Stricken, Riolu plopped down on the grass with his head held low. 'Had I done something wrong?' he projected his mental voice to Torchic who stood beside him.
'Hey, don't look at me, man,' the Fire type answered, ruffling his feathers, 'I barely understand my own trainer.'
Riolu looked at his fellow Pokémon's trainer with confusion. This girl, Asuka he believed her name was, was so abusive to Shinji, yet her aura didn't match her actions. The Pokémon had decided to tap in on her aura when she had been berating and beating his trainer out of curiosity, to see just what she was feeling at the moment. What Riolu detected was not a harsh red cloud of aggression, but a soft pink mist of… Tenderness? Affection? It was hard for him to make out, for at its center was a pitch black spot of depression and emptiness that fluctuated constantly. What kinds of emotions did this girl have about Shinji, and why did he put up with her antics?
The Pokémon put its thoughts on hold when it saw Prof. Akagi approach Asuka. The older woman put her hand on the redhead's shoulder and gestured towards her lab. "Go talk to him, Asuka."
"What?! Why me?" Soryu sounded completely appalled by the suggestion, "He should figure out his own problems by himself for once!"
"If you know Ikari as well as I think you do, then you know that isn't a possibility. Besides, how are you going to win this battle without a partner?"
"….I'm only going to do this so I can win, just so you know. Not because I care about Baka-Shinji; I couldn't give less of a crap about his emo-issues."
"Sure, sure," Prof. Akagi murmured with a smirk as the girl went into the lab, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Asuka…"
'Stupid Baka-Shinji!' Asuka thought as she gazed around the dark laboratory trying to find her coward. With all the desks and high stacks of boxes and supplies, he could be anywhere in here. Why did he have to be so good at hiding? Asuka remembered how she and Shinji used to play hide-and-seek as kids; it was the only time she would ever lose to him at anything. There were times when she never thought she'd find the boy, and she actually cried once thinking she had lost him forever. Asuka still remembered the words he said to her after he came out of hiding and hugged her:
"Don't worry, Asuka. I'll never go away…"
She couldn't help but smile a little when she recalled Shinji's ridiculous claim. He really was an idiot if he thought she'd take those words to heart. So then, by chance, if she actually did believe him, and still did, would that make her an idiot too?
'…You're such an idiot…'
The sound of purring from across the room caught Asuka's attention. Walking softly, she stumbled upon the Professor's Liepard standing in a corner, studying a Shinji in the fetal position. His head was turned to the floor, refusing to acknowledge the feline Pokémon beside him. The pitiful sight disgusted Asuka, but reminded her of Ikari's true personality.
"Hey," Soryu ordered, her sudden voice making the Liepard jump and slink away, "Get your ass up, Baka-Shinji. They're waiting for us."
"…I'm not doing it."
"Wha-!" Asuka couldn't believe his stubbornness. Who the hell did he think he was telling her what he would and would not do?! "Look me in the eyes right now, you coward! What did you say to me?!"
Still refusing to lift his head, Shinji repeated himself. "I'm not doing it, Asuka. I don't ever want to battle. I didn't come for a Pokémon to fight other people."
"That's what people with Pokémon do, you idiot! It's the whole purpose of owning a Pokémon in the first place!"
"That's what you think Asuka… But you're wrong."
Shinji's back slammed up against the wall, his head bouncing forward. Asuka held a death grip on his collar, her snarling face only inches from his.
"Say it again, I dare you!" The Professor's Liepard across the room flinched at the girl's shriek and slunk into a corner. "What makes you think you can accuse me of anything?!"
Ikari swallowed hard. He hadn't seen Asuka this genuinely angry in a long time, if ever. 'Just tell her off', he thought, 'While you're both alone. What's the worst that can happen? Broken bones? Missing eye? Death? Okay, that is pretty bad… No! I'm doing this, no backing out! I gotta be strong just this once!'
"…Because," he stammered, thinking of the words. No yelling, no aggression; that'll only make this situation worse. "Pokémon aren't tools for battle, Asuka. They're creatures with feelings and souls, just like us… All they want from us is friendship and love, and if we give it to them they'll return it right back by doing well in battle. It doesn't even have to be in battle; a Pokémon who loves you will stay by your side through thick and thin, no matter what. That's all I want, Asuka: Someone who will always be there for me…"
Asuka was speechless. Was this how he really felt? She always thought he was a pansy, and she was only half right. Shinji was more alone than anything. Sure, he had many friends, but none of them were really close to him… other than her, that is. Asuka saw herself as his crutch that would strike back to smack him into shape. But did he not see her in the same light? Did Shinji not think she genuinely cared about him?
Even worse: Did he not feel for her in the same way she did him?
If that was the case, Asuka wouldn't know what to do. They'd been friends for so long now, almost a decade. Was that all Shinji saw them as? Comrades? She couldn't just ask him; it would be too awkward and unlike her to do so. She might never find out the truth, but until the day she did, Asuka would not give up on him and his stupid smile.
"Asuka? You okay?" Ikari asked worriedly; the girl had fallen silent for almost a minute now, staring at the floor.
"…Look," Soryu muttered, barely audible, "I get it now. Just… don't give me another sappy speech like that again. Got it?"
Shinji nodded his head as she continued. "Now, you were just talking about someone who would always be there for you, right?"
"Uh… yeah?"
"Well, right now," Asuka tried not to choke on the words, "I… need you to battle with me. I can't do it alone, and you're the only help I can get. So why don't you man-up and do yourself a favor by battling with me?"
Ikari's eyes tried to avoid hers; her words were strong but he still wasn't sure about battling yet. What if he screwed up and Riolu got terribly hurt? He could just go out there and embarrass himself in front of the whole town! "I… I don't know, Askua. I don't think I'll be any good at it-"
And then the unexpected happened. Shinji felt his hand being squeezed tightly, and saw that Asuka's own hand was the cause of it. He looked at her and saw her face staring into his with desperate, begging eyes.
"Please, Shinji," she whispered tenderly, "Do this for me."
Shinji's face went as red as a thermometer at her words. This wasn't right; Asuka was incapable of being delicate, let alone saying please to him! This had to be a ruse; there was no way the redhead would act like this without an ulterior motive. Did she really want to battle so badly? But how could he refuse her now, with her soft blue eyes looking right at him? No matter how much he tried to deny it she was still a girl, and a cute one at that.
"…Fine." Ikari answered, turning his face from her, "Just give me a minute, then we'll go battle. I promise."
"Thanks," Asuka smiled. Her cheerful expression soon turned to a dark grin. "And if you tell anyone about this, Baka-Shinji, you'll be chasing your ass into next week. Understood?"
"Yeah, yeah…"
"I wonder what they're doing in there…" Kensuke mused aloud, his question the same as the one on everybody's mind in the crowd around him. It hadn't been very long, but some of the townspeople were beginning to grow impatient; they had their own things to do instead of waiting for a battle that may never happen. The only one who seemed content was Prof. Akagi, who seemed certain that the two children inside her lab were settling the matter.
Toji shrugged at his friend. "Da hell if I know, man. Asuka coulda just gone in der an killed da poor guy. Probably buryin' his body right now as we speak."
"I don't think Asuka's capable of murder, Toji."
"Eh, ya never know about the crazy ones, Kensuke. One minute der actin' all nice an' normal, den da next they bashin' ya skull in wit a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire… Ta tell ya da truth, I don't really get what Ikari sees in dat Soryu chick. How can he hang around wit such a hot headed, permanently menustratin' witch like her?"
"W-why don't y-you ask her yourself?" Aida pointed a shaking finger across the battlefield at the girl in question who not only had returned with Shinji in tow, but had just heard every word Suzuhara had said.
Every. Single. Word.
"Imma dead man, ain't I?" Toji gulped, on the verge of dropping a Golem in his pants.
Asuka cracked her knuckles, every pop causing Toji's eye to twitch. "Not until after our battle. Then you're going to wanna run very, very, far away."
As the girl continued to intimidate her prey, Riolu approached Shinji who smiled lightly at his Pokémon.
'Hey,' Ikari knelt down closer to Riolu, speaking with his thoughts, 'I'm really sorry about earlier. I was just nervous about this whole battling thing, that's all.'
'Understandable,'Riolu responded, 'At first, I believed I was to blame for your doubt, but then realized I was, in a way, nervous as well.'
'Really? Why did you think it was your fault? You didn't do anything even close to making me feel worried.'
'I thought maybe I was putting pressure on you by telling you we would win, and that if we didn't I'd be disappointed in you. But now I know that is not the case, and never will be. Right?'
Shinji nodded and ruffled the fur on Riolu's head, 'Right, buddy. Now let's have ourselves a battle.'
Having waited for the boy and his Pokémon to finish communicating, Prof. Akagi approached him and Asuka, quite satisfied that they were on the same page. "It's good to see that you're up and ready for battle, Shinji. What exactly did Asuka say to you that changed your mind?"
"Uhh…" Ikari glanced at Asuka from the corner of his eye; her threatening expression told him that the truth would get him killed. "Well, you know… She's a hard person to refuse, that's all."
"I think I understand what you mean," the Professor smiled, "Now let's not keep these people waiting any longer. I'll give you and Asuka a moment to think of a plan before we start the battle."
After Akagi wished the two of them luck, Asuka turned to her partner and poked him in the chest. "Listen up, Baka-Shinji."
"You've already got a plan?"
"Don't interrupt me! How can I tell you it if you keep flapping your lips like an idiot?"
"…Sorry, I guess."
"Damn right you're sorry. Now, all you and Riolu need to do in this battle is sit back until Torchic and I need you, which I doubt will happen anyways. Got it?"
"But aren't we supposed to be a team? Isn't that the whole reason you wanted us to battle together in the first place?"
"Stupid, stupid Shinji…" Soryu leaned in close and grabbed him by the shirt and whispered, "You think I want everybody here to see I need your help with this? Now shut up and be good, quiet backup, and I won't hurt you."
Ikari swallowed hard; this was Asuka at her scariest. How quick she could change her personality!
'Please tell me,' Riolu asked Torchic, scratching his head in puzzlement, 'Is there something wrong with your trainer? Mentally, I mean.'
The little Fire type yawned loudly; he was getting impatient and was ready for a good fight. 'Like I told ya before, I know nothing more than you do. She could be downright insane for all I know. I don't really care if she dresses me in bows or cooks me up for dinner, I just want to battle.'
'…Are you serious about the bows and getting eaten?'
'Nah. That probably would suck.'
"Let's try this again…" Prof. Akagi muttered, back in the center of the battlefield, "I apologize for the wait, everybody; Shinji had to use the little boy's room-
"That's not what happened!"
"…But now I think we can finally get this underway. So, once again, are the trainers and their Pokémon ready for battle?"
The modestly sized crowd let out a good loud cheer for the competitors. Shinji looked around at their faces and noticed that some were chanting his name. He couldn't believe it; these people were rooting for him! They had confidence in him and believed he could actually win!
Riolu couldn't help but smile as he felt the gleeful aura coming from his master. The Pokémon wasn't the only one enjoying Shinji's rare moment of happiness. Asuka let out a mental sigh of relief, glad that her idiot wasn't sulking for once. If only he could be this sure of himself all of the time, she might treat him differently…
"I hope da married couple's ready ta lose!" Toji taunted, throwing his Pokéball into the air, "Go, Oshawott!"
Aida followed his partner's action and tossed his Pokéball as well. "Show them who's in charge, Bulbasaur!"
The boys' Pokéballs broke open to reveal two creatures. The first was a blue and white otter-like Water-type with a scallop on its chest, which it pulled off and prepared to wield in battle. Its companion was a green spotted frog with a large seed on its back. Two long vines protruded from the parasite-like bulb and cracked the air.
"Piece of cake!" Asuka laughed, pointing forward dramatically as her Pokémon dashed into battle, "Get 'em, Torchic!"
Without a word, Shinji nodded to Riolu and the Fighting type jumped into the filed beside Torchic, taking an offensive stance. 'So this isbattle,' he thought, 'It's not that scary at all… This is actually kinda exciting!' The moment had finally come: Shinji Ikari was in his first ever Pokémon battle and he was more ready than ever to win.
Hand raised in the air and standing out of the line of fire, Prof Akagi brought her arm down fast and yelled the heavily anticipated words:
"Let the battle begin!"
Far away, hidden in the shadow of the forest, a masked figure dressed in a black cloak observed the beginning match. He had planned on making his strike earlier, but had become intrigued by the children involved, specifically the boy who had tried to back out. And now, the cloaked would-be saboteur decided to hold off, just to see if this boy had inherited any battling skills from his parents.
"Such a strange boy you are, Shinji Ikari. Very strange indeed…"
Next Stage:
The Battle Begins!... For Real, This Time!
Shinji and Asuka vs. Toji and Kensuke!
