It took a little longer than I had expected, but here it is, chapter 2 of Rose of May. I added some small Advanceshipping moments, but there will be more in future chapters. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
"It's hatching!" Shaymin exclaimed excitedly, sitting on the grass and watching her egg hatch. Her father had given it to her only a few weeks after her transformation, a gift to her from the Kalos Champion. Even though she once was a Pokemon, Shaymin really wasn't familiar with anything like an egg, considering she was created by Arceus.
"Make sure it only sees you, else it won't bond with you the way it should." May told her, standing behind her as she rested her head on Ash's shoulder. Slowly, the cracks on the egg grew bigger, revealing the new born Pokemon.
"A Ralts!" Shaymin was more than happy at seeing her first Pokemon. Approaching it cautiously, Shaymin started petting the Ralts' head carefully, making sure to not scare it.
"Are you my mommy?" Ralts asked, Shaymin looking down at it strangely. She could still understand Pokemon!
"Yes, I am." Shaymin responded, her Ralts jumping into her open arms. Smiling at the sight, Ash and May stayed silent, deciding to wait before making themselves known again.
"What's your name?" Ralts asked, now clearly identified as a male by Shaymin. Should she tell him? He would eventually learn who she was anyway, so it didn't really matter.
"I'm Shaymin," Looking down, Shaymin remembered that she had some treats with her, given to her by her parents. "Would you like some of these?"
Her new Pokemon carefully left her arms, hesitating a little as he started eating the treats.
"Oh, they're tasty!" She couldn't help but laugh at the words, having nearly said the same thing not a long time ago.
"They're getting along rather well." May pointed out, content to see her daughter interact with her first Pokemon. It had only been a few weeks, but there were no problems at all when it came down to being a family.
"I think having been a Pokemon helps a lot, and she seems to understand him perfectly." Ash added, only having such a bond with Pikachu. Speaking of Pikachu, he approached Shaymin and Ralts, catching their attention rather quickly.
"This is Pikachu." Shaymin introduced him to Ralts, both Pokemon closing the gap, inspecting each other.
"Are you a friend?" Ralts poked him a few times, Pikachu simply taking it. He had experienced this enough times, not being bothered by it. Instead of saying anything, Pikachu poked him with his tail instead, knocking Ralts over. Recovering rather fast, Pikachu repeated the same movement, but instead of getting knocked over, Ralts got a grip on his tail.
"Hey, let go!" Flinging him around a few times, Ralts gave up after another go at it.
"Shaymin, I think you will need this." Ash spoke up, holding a pokeball in his hand.
"Right!" Standing up, Shaymin took the pokeball from her father's hand and returned to Ralts. "How would you like having me as a trainer, exploring the world and growing stronger?"
There wasn't any hesitation on the side of Ralts, who hit the button and got absorbed into the ball. Ash laughed at the sight, having seen it happen quite a few times during his career as a trainer, Pokemon entering a pokeball of their own will, and not forcing a trainer to capture them. "Well, he sure was eager."
"How about we let them be? It's nearly time for lunch, and I had something special in mind to celebrate."
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
"I present to you, my opponent for this showmatch, Ash Ketchum!" Lance announced, Ash entering the stadium through one of the corridors, the crowd going wild at seeing their former champion. Most people didn't know that he was the Viridian gym leader, as he had convinced the league to remove any information on him. Only those who faced him in a battle for the badge would know who the gym leader was. Smiling, Ash looked at the crowd, waving at them. He had never disliked his support, but after a few years away from the spotlight, it was a welcome change. Walking over to his designated position, Ash watched Lance do the same. Lance had never officially claimed the title from him. He had beaten the Elite Four, which still was unchanged since then, but instead Ash had given him the title.
Signaling the crowd to calm down, Mr. Goodshow waited for a moment before speaking up.
"The rules are simple. This will be a 1 on 1 battle with no limitations, except a 2 minute timer. If both Pokemon are standing when time's up it will be a draw." He explained, show matches not being the most common thing. "Trainers, are you ready?"
"Yes." Ash and Lance responded, Lance holding a pokeball in his hand, Ash not needing one for the occasion. "It has been a long time since we had a battle, hasn't it?"
"Chupi, pi Pikapi." Pikachu declared, not having battled outside training for a very long time.
"You shouldn't be so confident. I'm pretty sure we'll be facing his Dragonite, and I've no doubt he has made sure he's in tiptop shape for this battle," Compared to Pikachu, Ash took their match a bit more serious. Yes, it was a showmatch. Yes, there were no implications nor was there anything on the line. But that didn't that mean Ash would simply let someone win. "Are you ready to give it your all?"
"Pika." Now Ash knew that Pikachu wasn't complacent, instead being like he had been during his battle for the title.
"Begin!" Mr. Goodshow shouted, Lance having called out his Dragonite.
"Well, he seems content doing nothing," Ash observed, waiting a few more seconds. Still no sign that Lance planned on calling out a move. "Quick Attack!"
"Extreme Speed!" Ash sighed in annoyance, watching Dragonite out speed Pikachu. Why did he have to know that move?
"Iron Tail!" If it would come down to who was stronger, adding every bit of extra power would help. Glancing up at the timer, Ash saw that 30 seconds had already passed. He would be hard pressed to score a win in 90 seconds. Both Pokemon connecting their attacks, Dragonite quickly shoved Pikachu away, who was sent crashing into the ground.
"Earthquake!" 60 seconds left.
"Dodge it, then use Electro Ball!" Ash countered. That's it! Now he had just needed to pray that the technique worked as well as last time. Jumping in the air, high enough to avoid taking any form of damage, Pikachu flipped and shot his attack at Dragonite.
"Block it with Dragon Claw!" 45 seconds left.
"Use your Thunder on yourself and then go for another Electro Ball!" Remembering the event long ago in Unova, Pikachu grinned as he charged himself.
30 seconds left. Lance didn't like how big that Electro Ball was getting. He had to do something. "Dragon Pulse!"
"Now!" Ash roared, Pikachu jumping in the air and releasing the overcharged attack. It quickly dwarfed the Dragon Pulse and had no problems overpowering it as it struck the baffled Dragonite.
"Time's up!" Mr. Goodshow announced, the crowd on their feet as they applauded for the battle.
"You did great," Ash said, Pikachu having returned to his shoulder. Even though he hadn't won, which would have been impossible unless he had planned out every one of his moves, he was still proud. He had gotten Dragonite down on his knees, in only 2 minutes. Lance was still talking to Dragonite, Mr. Goodshow telling the crowd that the first battle of the elimination round would take place in half an hour. "How about we find Shaymin and May before we watch the first battle?"
"Pikapi, chu pika." Pikachu responded, seeing no reason to not agree with his trainer. Nodding at Lance, Ash left the same way he came and started looking for his family.
"Did you see them up in the stands?" Ash tried to remember, he thought he had seen them before the battle had taken his full attention. "Whatever, it can't be that hard to find them."
"Daddy!" Managing to balance himself, Ash felt two arms around his waist as he somehow had completely missed Shaymin running straight at him. It wasn't the most usual thing either for her to call him 'daddy'. Hugging her back, Ash lifted her up and spun her around a few times before putting her back on the ground. "You were incredible!"
Smiling at the praise he received from his daughter, Ash patted her head lightly. "I'm happy you liked it, but this should be more about you than anyone else."
"I think I'm actually going to skip out on the first match," Shaymin told them, May standing behind her, much to their surprise. "I still need to get in some last minute practice."
A small grin appeared on Ash's face at her words. If Shaymin wouldn't be there, he saw no reason why he and May couldn't spend some time in their room, alone. Of course, he would never mention that in front of Shaymin. "We'll see you for your match then?"
"Yeah, I'll be there!" Shaymin called, already leaving them in the dust.
Smiling at the ever growing smaller form of his daughter, Ash turned his attention to May. Looking at her husband's face, May would recognize his expression anywhere. "How about we spend some quality time on our room?"
"You're serious, right?" May asked, not being given any time to react as Ash picked her up, flinging her over his shoulder as he walked back to their room
"Of course I am."
"Ice Fang!" Dashing forward, Feraligatr tried his best to score a hit on Tropius, but barely missed his target. Now, he was wide open to the incoming Razor Leaves. Taking the attack head on, Feraligatr stood through the pain and for the next move. "That's enough for now, let's take a break."
"I was just getting warm." Feraligatr declared, grinning at Tropius.
"In your dreams. If Shaymin hadn't called for a break I would have gotten in another hit." Tropius countered, their bickering continuing. Sighing, Shaymin called out her other Pokemon, most of them resting after their training.
"That are some impressive Pokemon you got there," A new voice stated, Shaymin and all of her Pokemon turning in the direction of the newcomer. He was wearing a very similar outfit to what her father had been wearing during his first years as a trainer. "You're Shaymin I suppose. You sure match the description perfectly."
Seemingly, he knew who she was but she had idea who he was. Somehow she felt like she had seen him before though. The outfit was nearly identical to her father's old one, a mew minor differences and a major focus on red. Something was nagging her, but she couldn't put a finger on what it was. "Who're you?"
"Ah yes, where are my manners? I suppose you won't be happy with a simple 'I'm a friend of your father'? Actually, if I don't meet him, could you thank him for me? He's done me more favors than I could probably count on one hand." He continued, avoiding her question but still telling her something. He knew his father, and they were great friends if his words were true. Her father had also done him a lot of favors.
She got more and more annoyed as she looked at him, something about him being oddly familiar. The color stood out to her, as if she had somehow seen the outfit before. He even looked like her father in quite a few ways, but also being older than her father. She got more frustrated for each passing second. Something about his outfit nagged her. No. No way. No frickin way. It couldn't be him. It shouldn't be possible. "Red?"
Grinning at her, Red chuckled a few times. Ash had told him that his daughter was rather bright, and he was surprised that she hadn't made the connection faster. Starting to laugh, Red couldn't stop himself from a remark. "It took you rather long to figure that out, even if I've to admit that most people would have needed a lot longer. But yes, I'm Red."
"But how? You've been missing for the last 12 years!" Shaymin pointed out, remembering the news about Red resigning as a Champion, seeing the old recordings her father had kept, and how many had believed he was dead. But here he was, a bit older than last time he had been seen, looking as alive as ever.
"I've to thank your father for that one," Red explained, remembering how he had been training on Mt. Silver before Ash had came up there and brought him back down. He would most likely still be on the mountain if it wasn't for Ash. "He actually came to me five years ago, and convinced me to leave that mountain and that I should eventually return. He even managed to find a place for me to stay for the last years, with your grandparents in Petalburg."
"You lived in Petalburg all these years, and no one found you?" Why hadn't her parents told her, or her grandparents when she visited them?
"I made sure only those who needed to know that I was there knew." Red answered, not wanting any sort of attention, at least not until he wanted it. It was only a fews ago, after some convincing from Ash that he decided to return, the best way to start being the Indigo League. Here he had first made a name for himself. "Originally I was looking for your father, but when I heard the sound of a battle I had to look. I can see why he's so proud of you."
"If you find my father, or mother for that matter, can you tell them I can't meet them before the battle? I still have to finish my training." Understanding, Red stretched a little before starting walk towards Indigo Plateau.
"You should be more confident in yourself. Your Pokemon trust you completely, but how can they really do that if their trainer doubts herself?" With those words, Red left her alone again, silence overcoming Shaymin and her Pokemon.
"I doubt myself?" Shaymin mumbled to herself, not sure what to make of Red's words. What did he mean when he said that she doubted herself? Shaking her head, she focused on her training again, calling her Pokemon to her.
"We all heard his words Shaymin, and he speaks the truth." Feraligatr started, all of her Pokemon agreeing. She lacked confidence, but in what sense? Wanting to ask her Pokemon, she got interrupted by her Ampharos, the most soft spoken of her Pokemon.
"You-you're an incredible trainer, b-but you don't believe in yourself and don't think the same way we do." Ampharos went on, staring at the ground as she was having a hard time voicing her thoughts. Sometimes the others forgot completely about her, and she didn't get to say anything.
Staring at her Ampharos, Shaymin didn't know what to say. All of them were right. Her father, and all of the gym leaders had praised her, and she knew her Pokemon also trusted in her, as much as she trusted them. "Thank you. Thank you believing in me when I didn't."
"We wouldn't be here without you, so it's the least we could do." Tropius spoke up, nudging Shaymin a little with his head. Patting him on the head, she playfully shoved it away and tried to ignore him.
"I think we got the point across," Gallade chuckled, everyone turning to him. "We're here to train, right? Let's do it then."
'How could I have forgotten?!' Glancing at her watch, Shaymin saw that she had only a few minutes until her match would begin. It wouldn't be a great start if she would lose her first match because she wasn't there. 'Gotta go faster!'
"Watch where you're going!" Someone shouted at her, Shaymin not bothering to apologize. Trying to find the right way to her side of the battlefield, and waiting room, she remembered that she would be on the red side. Reading one of the signs hanging down from above, Shaymin found the right way and started sprinting. Hearing the announcer, Shaymin knew that she had barely made it. Her opponent had probably looked up what Pokemon she had, and decided on a good strategy. She had no idea what Pokemon her opponent would be using, or who she would use. Next time she wouldn't be late.
"On the red side for our last match of the day will be a young trainer from Pallet Town, Shay Ketchum!" Taking that as her signal, Shaymin walked through the corridor and was greeted by the slowly setting sun. The mentioning of her name sent the crowd into a silence. Obviously no one expected a Ketchum to be competing in the tournament. Waiting for her opponent, Shaymin tried to determine who she would use. "On the green side, an experienced trainer from Johto, finishing top 16 in the Silver Conference last year, Maria Turley!"
"Trainers, it will be decided through a coin toss which side has to send out their Pokemon first," The referee explained, showing them the coin. "Green side, which side do you choose?"
"Tails." Maria responded, the referee tossing the coin. Letting it drop, he picked it up and showed them the result.
"Red side, send out your first Pokemon." The referee said, standing on the sidelines now, the two trainers having taken their places. Sadly for Shaymin, she hadn't won the coin toss, which meant she couldn't pick a Pokemon depending on what her opponent sent out.
Placing her hand on her pokeballs, Shaymin thought about who to use, and which choice would put her at the smallest disadvantage.
Putting her hand on Tropius' pokeball, she quickly changed her mind, taking Ampharos' pokeball instead. As much as she had a hard time talking to others, or socializing, she had no problems winning a battle and didn't hesitate a second on the battlefield. Smiling at thought, Shaymin really couldn't understand how it was possible for someone to be so completely different just because they were on the battlefield. Even during training she was the complete opposite, no hesitation in using her attacks. But as soon as it ended, she was a mess, unable to speak up and having a hard time talking to anyone. "Go, Ampharos!"
"An Ampharos, what an interesting choice," Maria stated, mirroring Shaymin's movements and placing her hands on her pokeballs, moving between them to decide which to pick. Not wanting to reveal any of her stronger Pokemon just yet, Maria went with a choice that could definitely pull her through. She knew to not underestimate Shaymin, even though it was her first league, she was related to Ash Ketchum. That could only mean that she wasn't a pushover, even if she had never participated in a league before. "Houndoom, to the field!"
"The first battle between Shay Ketchum and Maria Turley will commence. Begin!" The referee shouted, both Pokemon readying themselves for their trainers to give them an order.
"Houndoom, get close and use Flamethrower!" Maria ordered, her Houndoom leaping into action as it opened its mouth and unleashed the flames inside at Ampharos. Dodging without even being told to, Ampharos waited for Shaymin to tell her what to do. Noticing that Shaymin was thinking, Ampharos continued to dodge as she used a Thunderbolt in between if the opportunity presented itself. Slowly the Houndoom got closer, allowing Ampharos to strike it with an Iron Tail, backing off as it howled in pain. "Dark Pulse!"
Waiting until the last moment, Ampharos dodged again, Houndoom now recovering from the barrage of attacks it had used. That was their chance! "Focus Blast!"
"Dodge it!" Maria tried, Houndoom unable to fully dodge the incoming projectile as it struck its flank. Landing on the ground, Houndoom barely avoided the incoming Thunderbolt. Standing up, Houndoom jumped backwards as another Thunderbolt struck the ground, leaving a small crater. Both trainer and Pokemon knew that those Thunderbolts hurt, especially if they allowed the attack to hit multiple times. "Go for another Dark Pulse!"
Noticing that Ampharos had gotten rather close to Houndoom, dodging it could be very risky. "Stop it with Iron Tail!" Shaymin ordered, Ampharos charging up her tail as she smacked the Dark Pulse into the ground. "Focus Blast!"
"You're rather repetitive," Maria stated, her Houndoom dodging once again. Ampharos went back to using Thunderbolts, Houndoom continuing to dodge them. "Fire Blast!"
"Ampharos!" Shaymin shouted, Ampharos just having used another Thunderbolt, leaving her wide open to an attack. Getting hit by the blast, Ampharos was shot backwards, sliding over the ground. How could it come to this? She usually made sure that none of her Pokemon took such a hit. "No!"
"You're Ampharos is strong, but sadly that won't be enough to beat me," Maria said, her Houndoom waiting to make the finishing move. "I actually expected more from someone related to Ash Ketchum. Well, rather disappointing to lose in your first battle, isn't it? Finish it with Dark Pulse!"
It couldn't end here, could it? "No…" She hadn't even gotten a chance to make it past the elimination round. She had aimed for a top 16 finish at least! Noticing movement, Shaymin looked up and saw Ampharos stand at her full height, charging up her own Focus Blast as she used it as a sort of shield. "Ampharos?"
"A-Are you done already?" Ampharos asked, sliding back a little as the explosion caused between the two attacks pushed her back. Getting jumped on, Ampharos powered up her tail and endured as Houndoom bit down on it and threw him back with all of her strength. How could she have recovered how fast from the Fire Blast? "I won't give up, not so long you believe that we can still win!"
Shaymin had never heard Ampharos speaking that confident, dodging another Bite from Houndoom. Now she just needed a good plan to win it. Why couldn't it be raining? That would weaken Houndoom's power drastically, and increase Ampharos' power a lot. She couldn't believe she had forgotten. "Ampharos, use Rain Dance!" Doing as her trainer told her, Ampharos slowly summoned clouds as it started to rain. "Now, Thunder Wave!"
"No!" Maria couldn't believe it. Why couldn't that Ampharos have been beaten?! She had to admit that it was quite a feat to not have given up already, and actually keep going. Somehow she hadn't given up yet. "Keep using Dark Pulse until it goes down!"
"Use Thunder while it still rains and it's slowed down!" Ampharos didn't hesitate in following Shaymin's wish, gathering the energy as she called upon her own element. The impact was terrifying, the power increased through the rain and Houndoom slowed down through the Thunder Wave. Maybe she could actually save Ampharos, and save her so she would have enough energy to fight later on if needed. "Volt Switch!"
Why would she switch out now? Her Ampharos could simply finish off Houndoom, or she planned on saving it for later. "So, what's the point? It's not like your Ampharos will save you if you lose your next Pokemon!"
She wouldn't use Gallade, and Feraligatr wouldn't stand a chance if she had a grass or electric-type. Tropius would be an option, but if she another fire-type it would be looking bad for her. She really should have looked up her opponent's Pokemon. "Screw it," People would find out eventually how powerful her Gallade was anyway. Playing safe wouldn't help her either, especially if being on the brink of losing. "Go, Gallade!"
"A Gallade? Do you think that will save you?" Maria asked, knowing that her Gallade wasn't a pushover. Sadly, she didn't have any Pokemon that would especially strong against it. "Try to hit it with Bite!"
She didn't even hide that she was simply trying to weaken Gallade, and probably gauge his strength. "I actually didn't expect you to use me this early."
"I hadn't planned on using you either, but I guess I can show everyone that I'm not a pushover," Shaymin replied, Gallade simply sidestepping Houndoom's attempt. Trying again, Gallade shoved it away this time. "Close Combat!"
"With pleasure!" Dashing forward, Gallade started executing the move as he slashed, kicked and punched the already weakened Houndoom. He didn't use half of the actual attack before he stopped, Houndoom lying on the ground, fainted.
"The first win goes to Shay Ketchum!" The referee announced, holding a flag in my direction. "Red side, send out your last Pokemon."
If she was facing a heavy hitter, why not do the same? Taking the ball from her belt, Maria looked it one more tim before she threw it in the air. "Kingler!"
"Gallade vs Kingler. Begin!" On their own, both Pokemon started circling each other, fully aware that there would never any sort of distance between them and that it would always come down to raw strength and skill. With neither having any real way of staying at range, it was even more important for the trainer to not make any mistake, as they could quickly be punished.
Both trainers judged the opposition's Pokemon, thinking of what their first move should be, and what possible move would be used against them. Deciding she had waited long enough, Maria made her move. "Crabhammer!"
Shaymin waited, thinking about going on the offensive herself. "Protect!" Conjuring the shield, there was nothing Kingler could do as its claw collided with the shield. Staggering backwards, Shaymin took her chance. "Zen Headbutt!"
Maria winced as Kingler got hit, the force behind the attack pushing backwards. "Power up with Hone Claws!"
"You too Gallade, Sword Dance!" Shaymin mimicked Maria, both Pokemon powering up as they anticipated their next move. Seeing that Kingler wasn't the fastest Pokemon, slowing it down or even stopping it completely could give her a huge advantage. "Thunder Wave!"
This had to be a joke, right? Annoyed was an understatement to describe how Maria was feeling as she watched Kingler get struck by the bolts, which slowed him down and could paralyze him, stopping his movement completely. "Try to counter it with Agility!" Following his trainer's order, Kingler disappearing and appearing multiple times, quickly closing the gap between himself and Gallade. "Super Power!"
"Teleport!" Gasping, Maria watched as Gallade teleported away, Kingler's attack only hitting air as he had become baffled. "Psycho Cut!"
"Kingler, dodge it!" It didn't matter, as Kingler didn't know how he should dodge as he didn't know where the attack was coming from. Unable to dodge, multiple crescent blades stuck him from above, grunting in pain.
"Finish it with Close Combat!" Shaymin shouted, not giving Maria any chance to come up with a plan. Dashing towards Kinger, Gallade started slicing, kicking and punching, like it had done with Houndoom. This time though, he didn't stop until he had finished the attack.
"Kingler is unable to battle! The winner is Shay Ketchum!" The referee declared, the crowd cheering after an intense battle. From losing, Shaymin turned it around and finished with dominant performance, leaving multiple spectators, and Maria, shocked.
"How did I lose?" Maria asked herself, being completely confident that should have won. She was in control at the start, until her opponent someone managed to flip the switch and dismantle her. That Gallade hadn't helped her cause either, overpowering her Kingler rather easily. Walking across the field, Maria met Shaymin in the middle as she held out her hand.
Looking down for a second, Shaymin shook Maria's hand and smiled at her. "That was a great battle."
"It was," Maria replied, chuckling a little. It had been a great battle, once she had expected to win. "I've to admit that I'm that you won. I thought I had it in the bag. Whatever, I'm out. I will stay though, watching you. After all, I can't let someone beat me and then bail out shortly after."
"I will try my best." With those words, the trainers turned around and walked towards the exits, leaving the same corridors they had entered. Exiting the corridor, Shaymin was greeted by a large group. A group she called her family. "Father, Mother!"
"Shaymin, that was incredible!" May exclaimed, hugging her daughter tightly. She couldn't be more proud of her. Hugging both of them, Ash smiled happily and probably even prouder than May. Gary, Dawn, their kids, Alain and Korinna all watched as the Ketchum family embraced each other. Alain and Gary were both impressed at Shaymin's win, not sure if she could win after getting beaten on by that Houndoom. "How about you head back to you room and rest a little? Then we can eat dinner together and you can tell us a little more the battle."
Nodding at the idea, Shaymin smiled at her parents. "Alright," Walking towards her room, she turned around one more time. "I'll see you later."
"Hey Shay!" Smiling, she tried to spot where the voice of her new friend was coming from.
"Hi Calem." Shaymin greeted him, noticing that he looked rather excited. "Did you watch my battle?"
"Yeah, and I got to say that it was really good." Calem told her, Shaymin feeling a little proud that Calem thought that. "So, what are you doing?"
"I planned on resting a little, then I'm going to have dinner with my parents and some friends," An idea popped into her head, hesitant if she should voice it. "Would you like to come with me?"
Looking at her surprised, Calem wasn't sure exactly what she meant. "To your room?"
"Eh, well, I more thought about you coming with me to dinner." Maybe that wasn't such a good idea, considering her Father was very protective.
"Are you sure about that?" Calem asked, Shaymin nodding in reply.
"But first we're going to my room." Shaymin said, leading Calem to her room.
Ugh, writing that battle took me forever. I wanted to make it interesting, but also not use too many of my ideas. Something to note is, I won't be writing every single battle. I'll talk more about that next chapter. I also tried to give Shaymin's Pokemon some unique personalities. Hopefully they came across. Hope you enjoyed the read, until next time!