Launch : Sinnoh League
Now I would like to clear out a few things before I continue.
1. I know that the Rise of Darkrai took place a lot earlier but I didn't want to go through the entire region of Sinnoh. You know, Darkrai might be too overpowered in the Gyms and all and if I didn't make Ash use him, what's the meaning of this being a Darkrai story then? This doesn't mean that Darkrai will be used excessively.
2. I won't be giving Ash too many Legendary Pokemon. He might catch a couple more along the way though.
3. Someone mentioned that Pokemon owned by trainers aren't pursued by poachers. I would like to remind you about Hunter J. She tried to capture anything that brought her money. So poachers are a threat. Either way, after Darkrai debuts in the Sinnoh League, there won't be a need to hide him or Ash's other Pokemon.
4. I am not sure if this will be a Pearlshipping fic. It definitely will have Pearlshipping moments in the first few chapters. I haven't decided whether to take Dawn to Unova or not. Speaking of which, I wonder if there is any Pearlshipping in this chapter?
Speeches :
"A" – Normal Human Speech
'A' - Thoughts
'A' – Telepathy
The ferry started to near the port on the Lily of The Valley island, the place where the Sinnoh League would take place. The island was huge, with lots of greenery in it. The Sinnoh League would be commencing in the Lily of the Valley Town, which was located not far from the port where the ship carrying our heroes was taking them.
Ash Ketchum gazed at the island with a grin on his face. Like at the time of all other Leagues he'd taken part in, he was excited to take part in the Sinnoh League as well. But the thing that was different about him this time was that he was much calmer and much better prepared. Having another 2 months to train with all his Pokemon before the League was just an icing on the cake for the boy from Pallet Town.
Within minutes, the ferry docked at the Lily of the Valley island with the sound of its chimney. Slowly, all the passengers started to make their way out of the ship and three of those humans were Ash, Dawn and Brock.
As soon as he kept foot on the island, Ash's excitement went through the roof. He pumped his fist in the air to release some of the exuberation that seemed to be building inside of him.
Seeing their friend so happy, Dawn and Brock couldn't help but chuckle. They had no reason to be on the island except to cheer Ash on in the Sinnoh League. Brock,who'd been with Ash for the longest of any of his travelling companion knew how important the Sinnoh League meant to Ash. After losing in three consecutive leagues on his journey, the Sinnoh League was where Ash had the more experience. Unlike in Hoenn where Ash only used the Pokemon he caught in the said region, Ash would be using all of his Pokemon including the ones he caught in Kanto, Johto as well as Hoenn. And he also had Darkrai. One of the reasons Brock was so confident of Ash's chances in the Sinnoh League was Darkrai. Ash did have a few other Pokemon who were super strong and a couple of them might have been even as good as Darkrai, but having a special Pokemon, that Secret weapon in your arsenal is always a huge.
For Dawn, it was the first time she would be watching a League battle from the stadium. Even she knew how important the league meant to Ash. From the day she met the young boy, the only thing she knew that was on his mind was the Sinnoh League.
Dawn smiled at the joyful boy next to her. "We're here." She said.
Ash breathed out excitement as he looked at Dawn. "Yes. And the Sinnoh League Trophy is gonna be mine." He declared confidently.
Brock snickered at Ash's reaction. "You are at your peak but don't get overconfident Ash. There will be some strong trainers participating in the Sinnoh League as well." The spiky haired breeder warned Ash with a serious look on his face.
Ash still held the confident look as he spoke again. "Yeah Brock." He chuckled. "If there's anything I have learned in the years of my journey, its that you can never take a Pokemon battle lightly. That's what cost me the Silver Conference. I was so confident in Charizard's strength that I forgot to study my opponent and ended up losing by a hair." He looked at the ground. Even though he was confident, he still had that tinge of nervousness roaming inside his mind. For him, a Pokemon League was always like an exam that he couldn't be prepared enough for.
After the capture of Heatran, Ash and Ben both walked to the port, discussing about Ash's new Heatran along the way. The young Pokemon trainer requested Ben to not mention about Heatran to his friends and agreeing on it, Ben didn't tell either Dawn or Brock about it. He introduced Ben to Dawn and Brock on the shore and told them how he wanted to take Heatran present on the island to the Pokemon Reserve, but being cautious of never mentioning that he caught the said Heatran.
Standing tall outside the Pokemon Center, Ash faced his two special companions along whom, he'd travelled the entire region of Sinnoh; from the small town of Sandgem to the towering and snowy mountains of Coronet. Now, the young man from Pallet Town was finally here, ready to train for the event he'd been waiting for; the Sinnoh League for which he waited from the first moment he arrived in this lovely region.
Pikachu perched up on his shoulder, Ash beamed at the blunette, who'd almost teared up. Standing beside her , brock too appeared to be happy. No, what Brock felt was not happiness, he felt proud. The young man that he met in Pewter City all those years ago was finally growing up into a man.
"Ash…." Dawn mumbled, getting a little closer to the rave-haired trainer. "Can't we come with you?" she almost pleaded. The beautiful coordinator had been adjuring Ash to let her and Brock come along with him on his training. Well, she wanted to come with him alone, but she knew it would sound awkward if she said such a thing.
Placing both his hand on Dawn's shoulders, the said trainer stated the thing that he told her so many times in the previous few days. "No, Dawn. I want to do this training on my own." Seeing Dawn's facial expression turning into that of disappointment, he tried to cheer her up. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. Besides, I will be contacting you from time to time. It's only a couple of months. Time will fly by."
On the words that he spoke, Dawn squeezed on to Piplup tightly in her arms. "Pip… lup" The penguin Pokemon cried at the pain he felt. Even though it was only two months, she just couldn't bare even the thought of being away from her best friend for so long. A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at the floor in dejection. Without even having theslightest idea of what she was doing, Dawn threw herself at Ash, hugging him tightly.
Ash suddenly felt something heavy clinging to his body. When he looked down, he saw beautiful blue hair; the one who clung to him was Dawn. Somehow, he could feel his shirt getting wet. Was e sweating? No, the wetness was because tears were running down Dawn's face. At that, Ash's hand automatically, began to comfort Dawn by running itself through her hair.
Brock, who'd been a spectator until now, chuckled. He knew this was coming from miles away. Ash was always there for Dawn, whether it was the time when she lost her first contest or the time when she lost to Zoe in the Ribbon Cup. And Dawn appreciated that. Without even knowing about it, she'd fallen for Ash. Brock observed how the coordinator reacted to everything he did and for a man who was a love expert like he was, it didn't take long to figure such a thing out. The gazes that Dawn gave to Ash recently never told him otherwise. 'Young love!'
Pikachu, sitting merrily on Ash's shoulder made a cute "Chuu" at the scene. Being Ash's partner, he held on to things happening around him more than the teen did.
Finally getting an idea to cheer up Dawn, Ash quietly whispered in Dawn's ears, which took the blunette by surprise. "Hey Dawn. How about this?! When the Sinnoh League ends, let's go to Pallet Town together. There are lots of things that I want to show you."
Not letting go of Ash for a couple of second after he offered that, Dawn eventually removed her face from his chest at looked at Ash with eyes which had a mixture of feelings. "Promise?" she murmured, letting go of Ash and standing straight, eyes still on her friend.
Ash smiled, meeting Dawn's gaze. "Promise. I will take you around my hometown after I win the Sinnoh League."
Dawn let out a cry hearing that. She lightly punched Ash in the chest. "That sounds good!" she giggled.
Brock gave the couple the time that needed and finally approached Ash. Ash was like his younger brother after all. "Hey Ash. Don't worry about Dawn. I'll take care of her!" he said. "you go out there and train your heart out. You don't want Dawn to see you lose now, do you?" The tan-skinned companion of Ash's turned his eyes to Dawn, who appeared to have a blush creeping on her face.
"Of course. I have come so far, I won't let my Pokemon's hard work be for nothing." Ash announced confidently, punching the air. The act made both Dawn and Brock, as well as Pikachu and Piplup burst out laughing. Even though Ash had now caught a legendary Pokemon, his attitude still remained the same.
Just then, Ash and the others heard a loud roar. They turned up to see in the direction the roar came from; and their gazes met with a huge orange-coloured dragon descending their way. As soon as they saw it, Brock's and Ash's eyes became joyful while Dawn's expression showed only awe.
"Rawwwrrr!" roared Charizard, landing on the ground with a loud and powerful thud.
Pikachu got down from Ash's shoulder and jumped at Charizard, taking a seat of his shoulder instead. Unable to control his exuberance, Ash too ran towards his first Fire-type Pokemon and greeted him.
"Hey Charizard. It's been a while, buddy!" A huge smile covered Ash's face meeting again with one of his oldest Pokemon.
"Raaawr!" he gave out a small roar of delight, just as happy to re-unite with his old friend.
Ash couldn't wait to start his training anymore. This time he wouldn't let his Pokemon's training go to waste. he was fed up of losing in Leagues after working so hard along with his Pokemon. He'd had enough of it. This time, along with his Pokemon, he planned on winning.
And so, he leapt up behind Charizard's back and shouted. "Let's go, Charizard!" His voice contained confidence; confidence in himself and also his Pokemon. Like he counted on his Pokemon to come through, even they counted on him to come through for them. But never did they complain to him about being a bad trainer. Even his Pokemon which had pride like Charizard, Sceptile never once blame him for losing even with all their power.
"Brock, thanks for your instructions about camping and Dawn…. " he turned to the blunette. "I will keep my promise."
With those last words to two of his best friends, Charizard took flight, his wings blowing dusts in all directions.
'We believe in you!' Dawn and Brock smiled at the disappearing sight of their friend.
Charizard flew through the skies at high speeds, showing his trainer the results of his training at the Charicific Valley. The air current was cutting through Ash's skin, sending him shivers of excitement. Pikachu, on the other hand struggled to hold on to Ash's coat for his life. They flew over the sea, around the cities and it just had been a few minutes.
After a good flight, Charizard along with Ash and Pikachu landed on a barren field. Surrounded by forests, the location looked like the perfect setting for Ash to train his Pokemon.
The Pokemon suitcase in his hands, Ash gazed around the field and nodding to himself once, threw all the Pokeballs present in the suitcase in the air. With flashes of red light, all of Ash's Pokemon materialized and cried their respective cries.
Ash looked at each and everyone of his Pokemon on the field and chuckled in excitement. The Pokemon friends that he'd made throughout his long journey were present here. But he didn't have time to be lost in nostalgia right now. The Sinnoh League was approaching and he had to make the most of the limited time left.
Without thinking any further, the rave-haired trainer unclipped two Pokeballs from his belt and released the Pokemon inside. Out of the ball came his two newest captures and the two he held the most pride for, Darkrai and Heatra.
"Guys," Ash started, addressing all his Pokemon. "Meet Darkrai and Heatran – two legendary Pokemon that have decided to join us." He stated proudly as all of his Pokemon stared at the two Legendary captures. "The Sinnoh League is almost here and this time, I won't let you down. We will work hard to achieve or dreams!"
All his Pokemon roared at his announcement. They all had the same determination as Ash; to win every battle they took part in.
Days passed as Ash and his Pokemon trained in solitude, in preparation for the Sinnoh League. Everyday, they woke up early and trained throughout the day, giving it their all. The only way to achieve their trainer's dream; their dream was with hard work. And if there was anything that Ash's Pokemon excelled at, it would be training like crazy. Well, their stupid trainer was no different, at least not this time. Because Ash trained along with them. He understood now that the only way he could fully understand his Pokemon was for him to experience the same hardships they did; doing the same training they did.
So far, Ash was proud of what his Pokemon had achieved. In a span of just a month, Ash could tell just how much his Pokemon had grown. Because, he grew along with them.
Standing in the middle of the field Ash looked at his Pokemon sparring with each other; Charizard going up against Heatran, Sceptile confronting Darkrai, and others working hard as well.
As Heatran released his Flamethrower, Charizard countered with his own. A fierce battle between two signature moves of fire types began; both pushing hard against each other. Both Flamethrowers fought for dominance before a they vaporised into smoke covering the area; just a glimpse of the power of the two Fire types.
Sceptile released leaves from his body to counter the Dark Pulse released by Darkrai. Heracross and Infernape too began a brawl between two fierce fighting types; throwing punches filled with strength at each other. Staraptor and Swellow began a battle in the sky, both of them flying at extraordinary speeds and launching Aerial Ace whenever they got the chance.
Ash couldn't help but smile and feel proud of the hard working Pokemon of his. Each one of them gave it their all and progressed , in order to fight for him. But he trained himself as well. Just as he'd originally planned, his body began to take shape and show the results of his training.
Time seemed to fly by as Ash trained along with his Pokemon on the Lily of the Valley island for two months. But now, the time for the Sinnoh League, also known as the Lily of the Valley Conference to commence was here.
A young man with raven hair and brown eyes, wearing a blue coat over a black undershirt, blue jeans and shoes marched along the path that lead to the Pokemon Center of the Lily of the valley island. After two months of rigorous training, Ash was now ready to take on the some of the Pokemon trainers from not only Sinnoh, but the best trainers around the world.
Upon seeing the Pokemon Center in front of him, Ash pumped his fist. His face held a confident look, but his expression was different that usual. He had informed both Dawn and Borkc that he would be coming back today and they said that they would be waiting for him in the Pokemon Center. Of course, as he promised to them, he always kept in touch while the two months he trained.
"That's the Pokemon Center!" Ash smiled at the sight. The Pokemon Center as massive, as expected of a Pokemon Center near the stadium where regional Pokemon League would be taking place. Pikachu, sitting comfortably on Ash's shoulder also looked confident.
"Pi Pikachu!" he yelled.
He entered the Pokemon Center without wasting too much time. He looked around the huge building, hoping to find his two trusted companions as soon as possible.
"Hey Pikachu, why don't you look at that part of the Pokemon Center," The young boy pointed to his left, gesturing for Pikachu to look for Dawn and Brock. "and I'll look on this one." He pointed to the right.
The yellow rodent jumped down from his favourite resting place and gave Ash a victory pose. "Pika Pika!"
As Ash roamed through one of the biggest Pokemon Center he'd been in, he could see various trainers along with their Pokemon doing various stuff. Some chatted to their friends while some petted their Pokemon. Of course, there were those who showed their Pokemon to nurse Joy and registered for the Sinnoh League.
Spinning around to get a better view, his eyes fell upon a girl with blue hair, wearing a white, knee-length skirt and pink blouse. It was a new outfit and Ash thought that she looked pretty in it. The teen realized that Dawn hadn't noticed him yet. She looked in Ash's direction but surprisingly, she had no idea of Ash being there. On that, Ash decided to approach her.
Hands in his pockets, our hero walked towards the girl and stood right in front of her. Dawn's eyes noticed Ash and she was left speechless.
"Is that you, Ash?" The girl had a puzzled expression on her features.
Ash couldn't believe it. Did he change that much in just two months that Dawn couldn't even recognize him. He stood right in front of her and she still wasn't sure if it was him. He rubbed the back of his head and stared at Dawn right in the eyes.
"Of course it's me. Who else would it be?" He told her.
The reaction he got from Dawn wasn't one he expected. She appeared to be dumbfounded; so shocked that she couldn't even blink.
For Dawn, time seemed to have stopped. She couldn't believe what she saw. Ash had returned and was right in front of her. In these two months, she'd missed him. There were times where she couldn't bear it anymore. She wanted to be with him, be with the man she loved. Yes, in the time that she was away from Ash, she'd realized that Ash was more than just a best friend to him. Of course, Brock did push her in the realization. She finally came to understand that she loved him. She never felt like this even when she was away from her mom.
Ash on the other hand just titled his head in confusion. "Umm… Dawn?" he placed a hand on her shoulder in man attempt to bring her out of her daze. "You still with me?" He shook her a few times but to no avail.
"Hey Ash!"
Ash turned to where the voice came from and saw Brock approaching them with a smile. Ash, too beamed at his oldest companion.
"What's up Brock?" Ash greeted Brock, raising his right hand.
And Brock's name was enough to bring Dawn back to reality. She spun her head to the direction from where the spiky haired breeder came. But she whirled her head at Ash again, this time launching herself at him.
Dawn tightly held onto Ash's jacket, burying her head in his chest. Her mind was made up. She'd decided to confess to him after the Sinnoh League. But that didn't mean that she can't enjoy her time with him before that.
"I've missed you." She spoke softly into his shirt.
"I've missed you guys too." He told her. "It was quite tough without Brock around to cook, you know."
That last statement hit Dawn like a bullet in the heart. Ash only thought of Brock while training. Did she hold so less value to him. She loved him but did he even like her? What if he considered her like a little sister? Thousands of questions ran through her mind.
Brock, who now stood right next to the two, face-palmed. Why did his friend have to be such a dumbass? He could've at least said that he would have loved to take her along but couldn't do so. For now, Dawn decided to ignore it. She would know how he felt about her when she tells him her feelings.
"Hey brock, is it me or has Dawn gotten shorter?" Ash questioned pointing a finger at Dawn who could only come up just above his shoulder. Last time he remembered, her height was pretty much equal to his.
Brock placed a hand on his chin in thought. "I didn't notice it before but you;ve gotten taller Ash. Also, you've buffed up a little." His never-opening eyes popped open in surprise. "Don't tell me you've been working out."
Ash rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I did do some training along with my Pokemon but I don't think I've changed much."
Dawn blushed, gazing at Ash's newly built body. Her thoughts seemed to be going somewhere else, so she shook her head to brush those away.
In front of one of the counters of the Pokemon Center, Ash appeared to be confidently standing to get himself registered for the Sinnoh League. But before he could, Brock as always, took Nurse Joy's hand in his and knelt on one knee, claiming his proposal of love again.
"Nurse Joy, will you give me the joy of taking you- Ahhh" Brock screamed in agony as his Croagunk did his job as always; jabbing Brock's butt and taking him out of the Pokemon Center building.
"Croaaa gunk!" The Poison-type let out before taking Brock outside.
Ash, Pikachu and Dawn sweatdropped, while Nurse Joy just let a chuckle of surprise. Ash and Dawn saw this happening far too often to be surprised.
"Nurse joy, I would like to register for the Lily of the valley Conference." Ash told the pink-haired Pokemon Nurse.
Nurse joy beamed at Ash. "I just need to see your Pokedex and the badges."
Ash removed his Pokedex from his jacket along with the badge case. He offered both of them to Nurse Joy for verification. "Will these do?" he tittered.
Joy took both the badge case and Pokedex from Ash's hands and kept them under a scanner. After getting verified under a green beam of light, Nurse Joy entered information in her computer. "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." She uttered while typing. After entering all the information on the computer, she placed the Pokedex and badge case on the counter. "You've been registered for the Sinnoh League. Good Luck!"
Ash controlled the urge to scream and calmly took back his stuff. "Thanks a ton, Nurse Joy!" he showed his gratitude.
The said nurse waved her hand with a smile. "That's my job."
The day before the tournament was an important day for not only Ash, but also for every other trainer participating. The day when the Opening Ceremony would take place, the day where trainers will have to control their nerves. They don't want to get sick just before such an important tournament now, do they?
But Ash didn't appear to be nervous as he looked out of the balcony of the room given to him by the Pokemon League. The confident look on his face came due to the harsh training he did along with his Pokemon. Having experienced the same pain they did, he knew their strengths better than ever before.
Suddenly, Ash felt a pair of hands around his chest. He turned around to find Dawn clinging onto him from behind; eyes closed as if in delight, just wearing her night gown. 'She never wore stuff like this before on our journey.' He mused.
"That looks good on you, Dawn." The trainer complimented Dawn, who couldn't help but blush at the rare praise from Ash. It made Dawn hold Ash even tighter, her boobs brushing Ash's naked back.
"Thanks!"
Brock and Pikachu, watching from the corner of their eyes snickered.
"Pikachu, you must watch out." Brock started raising a finger in the air.
"Pika?" The Electric-type could only blink in surprise.
"Your best friend might get stolen away from you soon." The spiky-haired trainer warned Pikachu, who just tilted his head in confusion.
As the day went along, Ash and his friends enjoyed it at their fullest. Ash had been away from them for quite a while so it was only fair that he made up to them. They roamed around the various stalls set up for the Sinnoh League Conference. After having their breakfast in a nearby café, they went in the mall where Dawn bought a lot of stuff including a few clothes for Ash. Pikachu just fell in love with a Pikachu plush and made Ash buy that for him. On the other hand, Brock stocked on things that he lacked. He wouldn't need it for a while but he wanted to still stock up on things.
After having lunch, the group went to a well-known ice-cream shop. Dawn bought vanilla, Ash and Pikachu had chocolate while Brock ordered a strawberry ice-cream. Just as they were about to leave, they heard a very familiar voice call for Ash.
"Ash?" Cynthia, who came to buy an ice-cream for herself called.
The said boy turned around and was in a state of shock for a moment to see the blonde champion of Sinnoh coming towards them. "Hey there, Cynthia!" he saluted, waving his hand to the lady.
As she came next to Ash, Cynthia kept a finger on her cheek. "Are you maybe wearing heels, Ash?"
Dawn and Brock burst out laughing while Ash just looked at her with a look of disbelief. 'Is the Champion of Sinnoh this silly?' he couldn't help but ask himself. But Cynthia couldn't be blamed. For her who'd met him just a few months ago, the change was drastic. He just stood a couple inches below Cynthia and this lady wasn't the shortest person around.
"Ash had been training." Brock informed the puzzled Cynthia.
"Ohh!" she mumbled. "I assume you're prepared for the Sinnoh League, Ash?"
"Of course, I am. If there was time, I might have asked you for a sparring match." Ash said calmly.
Cynthia appeared to be really amused here. She didn't expect such a bland and composed reply from Ash. From what she knew of him, he was probably the most energetic and proactive trainer she'd ever met when it came to something about Pokemon. She figured that not only his body had grown, but he himself had too. Well, Ash did do concentration exercises every morning along with his Pokemon, after all. It was only natural that he would be calmer and sharper.
Cynthia didn't realize that she'd been in thought for too long. Her eyes glued at Ash, he thought that something was different about the way she was acting. And he could only come to one conclusion, she wanted his ice-cream.
"Here!" He offered his chocolate flavoured ice-cream to Cynthia. "Mind having some ice-cream?"
Startled at the sudden proposal, Cynthia came out of her trance and blinked. "I'll get one for myself. You should eat it." She refused politely.
"Nah… I don't have a sweet tooth. Take it!" He pointed his hand at Dawn standing behind her. "Dawn forced me to buy one."
Unable to resist the urge to gulp down the ice-cream, Cynthia took the offered the ice-cream and began to devour it. "Thanks!" Even the people passing by stopped to watch the scene. Cynthia just kept on licking the ice-cream, paying no mind to anything happening beside her.
Fireworks were lit around the main stadium of the Sinnoh League as the Opening Ceremony began with a speech from the Pokemon League President – Mr. Charles Goodshow.
"I thank you all for gathering here for this year's Sinnoh League tournament." He began, stroking his white beard. "All of the trainers participating have proved their strength by winning eight Gym badges from all around Sinnoh. Just by being in this tournament, you've announced yourself as someone to be reckoned with." The crowd as well as the participants applauded. "Now as you know, there can only be one winner, but even if you lose, you should never lose hope. Try and try again and someday, you will be at the top. That's all from me. I wish you the best of luck for the tournament. The Sinnoh League begins now. The match ups for the top 128 will be displayed on the screen shortly."
More fireworks were fired in the sky once again and the cheers from every person present in the stadium could be heard till miles away. But what the trainers waited for was just displayed at the huge screen on the top of the stadium -The match-ups for the top 128.
As Ash searched for his match-up, he saw Paul standing at the far end of the stadium. He snickered at seeing him but he still had his eyes on the screen, scouting his opponent and he finally found her. The one he would be facing was a girl named Marianne. 'Look out Sinnoh League!' he smirked, putting his hands in his pockets and walking out of the stadium.
Well, Ash didn't see his friends for month and I haven't been writing Pokemon for months as well. But here I am. This was more of a set-up chapter for the Sinnoh League so not much of action in it, if there was any.
Next chapter will contain battles, quite a lot of them. I haven't yet decided if I want to write about other's battles like Paul's, Barry's, etc. Maybe, I will write about their end moments of their battles. Tell me your views on the matter. Should I include those battles or not?
And, was Pearlshipping too much in the chapter?
