Now for the next chapter with edits. Within this chapter or the next one I will probably start altering some events to make this story better. If I do, I will leave a note about it at the bottom.
Chapter 3
Well you guys, here we are. Chapter three. This chapter will put me over 20,000 words. I might even hit 30,000 if the chapter ends up being long enough.
Anyways, here it is, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
-Early morning in the forest-
With the sun barely above the horizon, a man is seen sitting near a lake he found in the forest. He walked several miles through the dense foliage until he heard the sound of flowing he water. He had then followed the small creek up to its source another mile or so away.
Now, the man was leaning back watching his Pokémon play around and have a good time. Many people would have a hard time believing that such powerful Pokémon could play around and goof off in such a lazy and haphazard manner. Especially the Houndoom. After how the doglike Pokémon had behaved the previous day, most believed him to be a brute and a hardass of a Pokémon. However, when alone in the forest with no one else around, the Pokémon let their shields down and just enjoyed their relaxation.
In the lake, Empoleon was playing with the water and Porygon-Z. The penguin would make different shapes with it and then the odd little normal type would freeze them with an ice beam. The two of them were enjoying themselves and having fun.
On the shore, Jolteon was chasing Houndoom around in a tag like game. Eventually, Jolteon managed to catch the larger dog and the two switched roles. With Houndoom chasing Jolteon, Jolteon had the advantage in speed, this was giving Houndoom a hard time so he resorted to launching weak attacks to try and get Jolteon. As they ran, you could hear something that sounded like laughter coming from the two Pokémon.
A little farther away at the forests edge two more Pokémon were having a discussion. Pikachu and Lucario were both just conversing with each other about recent events and what to do in the future. The two were the most levelheaded of the Pokémon, so when it came to calm discussions, those were the two that normally would take part.
Above everyone's head a Staraptor was flying around. He was a proud and fast bird and prided himself as being the fastest bird in the skies. He was busy playing with several younger wild bird Pokémon and occasionally racing a more experienced one who thought to defeat Staraptor's speed.
The young man was sitting and leaning back on his hands as he watched his Pokémon play. The sight brought immense happiness to the young man and a smile could be seen on his face. After having spent the previous day worrying about his old friends, the tournament and his future, it was incredibly relaxing to sit down in nature and relax.
As he was relaxing, the young man saw his Lucario tense. The Pokémon turned to look at him and informed him that he had sensed a presence nearby. The man sighed; he should have known he wouldn't be given much privacy even this far into the forest. The fates seemed to be intent upon forcing the man back into civilization.
The man didn't want to make his Pokémon return to their balls, but at the same time, he didn't want them to be seen by other competitors, he wanted them to remain secret until he decided otherwise. The young man then got an idea, "Hey, you guys, we're going to have some company so go for a little run and don't make yourselves visible to strangers. Houndoom and Pikachu can stay here since they are already known, but the rest of you should go get some exercise. Training will begin after breakfast."
With that, Jolteon, Lucario, and Empoleon took off into the forest for a jog. Porygon-Z followed behind them, but was floating along. Staraptor, who had heard the commotion, moved a ways off into the forest to not be seen while he played with the younger birds around him.
A few minutes after the Pokémon had left, the young man heard the sounds of the brush moving as someone walked into the small clearing and saw the lake. He heard a small gasp from behind him and decided to speak up, "It's a beautiful spot, isn't it?"
From behind him, he heard a female voice respond, "Hey, sorry, I didn't know you were here. Hopefully I didn't disturb you. And yes, this is a beautiful spot. How'd you find it?"
Based on the fact that Houndoom wasn't acting very threatening, Ash could only assume that the female behind him was someone he knew. He thought back to the voice and put a name and face to it. "Don't worry Anabel, you didn't disturb anything, you just got me to start my Pokémon's training a little earlier than planned. As to how I found this place, I was wandering through the forest and came upon it. How about you, how did you find it?"
Behind him, he could hear the footsteps moving closer to him before stopping a little off to his right side. "Well, I was walking through the forest, enjoying the early morning, when I heard some commotion. I decided to check it out and it led me to here. I take it your other Pokémon have been returned to their balls now?"
The young man chuckled, "Nope. They went out for an early morning run. Houndoom decided to stay since he knew someone was coming and Pikachu can't really run too well right now. Hopefully in the near future he can, but not now. How about you, do you have any Pokémon you want to let out? This is a great location for them to play around and have fun."
The young lady thought about it, "Well, maybe like you I want to keep my Pokémon a secret from my opponents."
"Hmm, I suppose I can understand that sentiment, but since you are a rather well-known and famous trainer, your Pokémon are pretty well known. If I recall my research correctly, you have an Alakazam, a Metagross, and an Espeon at least. As for the others, I'm not sure," the man said.
Anabel sighed, "It's hardly fair. You know three of my Pokémon while I only know one of your Battling Pokémon. Still, I can understand the strategy you are using. Keeping your opponents in the dark is a good idea. However, since you know three of my Pokémon, I guess I can release them to play around out here for a little while."
With that, three pokeballs were thrown and three Pokémon appeared in the clearing beside the lake. Almost immediately, the Espeon took an interest in Pikachu. Before Anabel could ask about that though, Pikachu led the purple feline away into the forest.
Anabel sat down beside Ash and asked him a question, "Do you know why our Pokémon ran off like that? Normally Espeon sticks around better and doesn't leave without asking me."
Ash smiled, "Since Espeon ran off with Pikachu, they won't go far. At least not very fast anyways. My guess is that Pikachu had a quick conversation with Espeon and wanted to tell her a secret or something. Since you can read the Pokémon's thoughts or emotions or whatever, they had to get outside of your range to do so. Don't worry though, my Pokémon are all very playful and won't do any harm."
Anabel seemed to accept that answer and sat down near Ash. After a few minutes of just watching nature, she turned to look at him, "I heard that your name is Five. Out of curiosity though, who are you really?"
For a few seconds, Ash said nothing. Once he had composed his thoughts though, he responded. "I am a boy. Or a man. I don't really know. I am 17 years old but have seen more in my short life than most people see throughout the duration of their entire life. I love Pokémon with every fiber of my being and my greatest joys all involve my accomplishments alongside my Pokémon. At one point in time I went by another name, the one I was born with, and in the future I may go by that name again. For now, however, I go by Five. How about you, Anabel, who are you really?"
Ash turned his head to look at the girl and saw her deep in thought. What he had said was all the truth, but he had left out almost all of the details. He could tell that Anabel was trying to process what he said and make sense of it all before answering his question.
After a few minutes she answered, "I am a Frontier Brain and a friend to all Pokémon. I love battling, but I also enjoy just being able to play with my Pokémon and enjoy life. For most of my career as a trainer, I have been a battle brain, so being in a tournament like this is quite a change of pace for me. As you know I can sense Pokémon's emotions, allowing me to communicate with them telepathically. That has helped a great deal as a trainer and as a friend to Pokémon everywhere."
Ash thought about her words for a little while before saying anything else. "I see. It sounds like you are a wonderful person. I can feel the bond you have with your Pokémon and it is wonderful. Also, even though you may not be used to tournaments like this, I'm sure you will do a terrific job. You don't have anything to worry about. Unless you have to battle me, that is."
He couldn't help but end with a little jab, but the complements from the young man made Anabel blush. Once she regained control of her emotions again she spoke, "Thank you Five. If it comes to a battle, then I will give it my all and hope to defeat you, but if I lose to you I won't be too disappointed. Anyone with any skills as a trainer can tell you have an incredible bond with your Pokémon as well." A few seconds later, she added on, "You know, no offense, but you are a lot nicer than you look."
"Oh? Is that so? I suppose that makes sense. I don't spend very much time around people, and my Pokémon haven't all had the best experiences with people. Due to this, I spend a lot of my time in public keeping Houndoom calm and trying to get back to the wilderness quickly. Once we are in nature, we let down many of our shields and relax. It's no fun to always be on guard."
Anabel looked at the man and then his Houndoom. She wondered what exactly the stories were that all of his Pokémon had. She wondered why they didn't like most people. Anabel opened her mind up and asked Houndoom a question, "What is your story? Why don't you like most people?"
Houndoom raised his head and looked at the young Salon Maiden before grunting and laying his head back down. Ask my trainer. It is his story to tell and he would not appreciate it if I told it. Also, I'll let it slide this time, but I do not enjoy having people in my mind other than my master. You may be a decent person, but that doesn't mean I trust you completely yet.
Ash looked on in amusement as he watched Anabel convers with his Houndoom. He was mildly surprised he didn't bark at her or bite at her for entering his mind again after being warned not to the previous day. As it was, he let out a smile to see his Houndoom warming up to another human.
Eventually, Anabel looked up at Ash in question, "What do you find so amusing?" She asked.
Ash grinned even more, "I was just glad that Houndoom didn't attack you for entering his mind after you had already been warned to not do it anymore. It makes me happy to see him start warming up to another person besides myself."
Anabel looked thoughtful at that, "I see. You believe he's warming up to me? I suppose I can see it. He did tell me that I was decent. Anyways, he also told me if I wanted to know why he doesn't like most people I should ask you because it is your story to tell."
For a little while, Ash contemplated how much he should tell Anabel. Since she was a Frontier Brain, there was a decent chance that Scott had let it slip that he had destroyed Team Rocket himself. That meant that if he informed Anabel that he destroyed Team Rocket, she would know that he was the new Frontier Brain. Eventually, he spoke up, "Well, that is a long story. Maybe one of these days if I have the time I will tell you, but for now I would rather not get into it. It is not a happy story."
"I see," said Anabel. "Well, you travel a lot, right?" Ash nodded his head. Anabel smiled, "Well then you must have lots of exciting stories to tell. Do you mind sharing? If you do, I can tell you what it's like to be a Frontier Brain or I might even tell you about my life before I became a Brain. What do you say?"
Ash thought about it before answering, "I suppose I can do that. However, not right now. The day is getting started now and I have things to do. As you might know, I have a practice battle today against Max and I want to get some training done before that. I also need to go and get breakfast. This evening though I will probably come back here. This is a wonderful place so I will probably make this my own personal training grounds and relaxation spot. If you want to swap stories, come find me here this evening."
With that, Ash stood up and made to walk back into the forest. Before he could leave though, Anabel spoke up once more, "Hey, Five, you seem to be a strong trainer who travels a lot, have you ever come across another trainer named Ash Ketchum? I was hoping to have a battle with him at this tournament, but apparently he isn't here."
Ash cringed. He didn't want to lie, especially not to Anabel, but it was still too early for him to reveal himself. "Yes I have met the guy. It was a little over a year ago. That is a story for another time though. It is also his story to tell. Anyways, I'm off to go gather the rest of Pokémon and get breakfast. After that I'm going to train. If you see Max, tell him I will battle him after lunch on a practice field outside the Pokémon Center."
As he finished talking, Pikachu came back into the clearing, closely followed by Espeon. The two appeared to be rather happy and playful causing both of their trainers to smile. Ash picked Pikachu up, "Come one buddy, let's go gather the rest and get started on our training." With that, Ash disappeared into the forest.
When Espeon walked over to Anabel, she looked at her Pokémon with a grin, "Say, Espeon, did you have a good time with Pikachu? He's definitely a pretty little Pokémon."
A little bit of color rose on Espeon's cheeks causing her to glare at her trainer, I had as much fun with Pikachu as you had with his trainer from the looks of things.
Now it was Anabel's turn to blush as she quickly recalled her Pokémon and walked back to the Pokémon Center.
-Pokémon Center Cafeteria-
With the sun up and time running out before the tournament, several young trainers were busy eating breakfast while surrounded by their friends. Talking was common and the mood was light. However, one trainer remained distant from the conversation and his food. Most of the people didn't really consider this a problem, as most of the people didn't know Paul well enough to see that something was clearly amiss.
Luckily, he had a girlfriend who did notice his strange behavior. Dawn turned to her boyfriend and asked him, "Paul, what's on your mind? Ever since last night you have been quieter than usual and staring off into space. What's up?"
The people who had been talking got quiet because not much bothered Paul, so if something did, it had to be important. After sighing, Paul spoke up, "It's nothing. I ran into Five yesterday in the forest and asked him for a battle. He didn't want to but his Houndoom did so he agreed to it. I'm just thinking about how it went."
With the mention of the mysterious Five, all the people were now incredibly curious. This time Max spoke up, "Can you tell me anything about his battle style or moves? I feel like he's incredibly powerful, so anything you can offer to help me out would be appreciated."
This time Paul laughed, "Kid, Five destroyed my Ursaring. Sure he was a little tired from the training we had just done, but his Houndoom is a piece of work. I'm off to go train so I can stand up to the guy during the tournament. See you guys later." With that, Paul walked away, leaving the table in a stunned silence.
Eventually, Max let out a sigh, "Great, I really don't stand a chance. If this guy destroyed Paul, who even Ash could barely beat, what chance do I have against this guy?"
May proceeded to smack Max on the back of the head, "Don't talk like that Max! You knew when you signed up for this tournament you weren't going to be the strongest trainer here. This is simply a place to test yourself to see how strong you and your Pokémon really are. After this tournament, you will have a better assessment of your weaknesses and things you need to improve on. Five doesn't seem like a bad guy, so I'm sure he won't harass you or anything. Think of this battle as a learning opportunity. Also, if you keep that negative attitude, you will never win."
"May is right, Max," said Brock. "Also, from what I learned about Five, he is actually a pretty good guy. Even if he's going to win, he will probably still try to teach you at the same time. Don't worry about it and do your best. That's how Ash always improved and moved forward."
Max smiled, "Thanks guys. I will do my best and learn as much as I can. Now, who wants to help me train before my battle with Five?"
Everyone offered to help train with Max. The other competitors would be able to train themselves at the same time while the others just offered to help out of their own goodness. After that, everyone resumed eating. As they ate, another person came over to sit with them. The group all looked up in surprise to see Anabel.
"Well, good morning Anabel, where have you been all morning?" Brock asked.
Anabel smiled, "I woke up early and went for a walk in the forest. While I was out there I ran into Five and talked with him for a little bit. He's actually a really nice guy if you talk to him. Out in the forest with his shields down, you completely forgot about the intimidating way he carries himself around other people."
Once again everyone stopped eating to focus on anything they could learn about the man known as Five. Brock smiled at hearing how Ash is still the same nice guy if you can get him to talk. Once again, Max spoke up, "Can you tell me anything about his Pokémon or battle style? I'm a little nervous for my battle with him. Especially since he beat Paul yesterday."
Now it was Anabel's turn to be surprised, "He beat Paul? He must be a strong trainer. Since Paul has been given permission to take on the Battle Frontier, I can assume he is a rather formidable trainer. As for what I can tell you about him, I can't really. I didn't talk to him much about his Pokémon or strategies since he wants to keep that stuff secret as long as possible in order to hold an advantage. I do think his Houndoom is starting to warm up to me though. Also, I think my Espeon has a crush on his Pikachu. Other than that, I can't really say much."
Max sighed, "Oh well. I guess I will just have to do my best in this battle without having a lot of information."
"Wait, you said he didn't talk about his Pokémon and battling strategies, that means that you must have talked more along the lines of who he is," Gary said, "can you tell us anything about him as a person?"
"Well, I guess I can. He didn't tell me much about what he has done in his life, but he hinted that he had done a lot. He says he's 17 years old. He really enjoys being outdoors and seeing his Pokémon be happy. He is quite competitive and has strong bonds with his Pokémon. I didn't learn too much else though. Hopefully that helps."
Misty looked surprised, "He's really that young? That's incredible. With the power his Houndoom seemed to emanate as well as the way he carried himself, I figured he was at least in his 20's."
Dawn spoke up next, "Hey Anabel, do you think that Five might be the new Frontier Brain that Scott was telling you about? You said the guy was supposedly young and powerful and Five certainly meets both of those conditions."
Brock got a strange look in his eye at that idea, "You know Dawn, that actually makes sense. From what I know about Five, I wouldn't be that surprised if it was him. Speaking of him, Anabel, do you know where I can find him? I need to talk to him about his Pikachu."
Anabel nodded, "Yeah, I know where you can find him. After breakfast I will take you there. However, I will only take you because he value's his privacy. Oh, and Max, he told me to tell you that after lunch you should meet him on one of the practice fields outside the Pokémon Center."
Max and Brock both nodded their understanding and breakfast was resumed. Once breakfast was finished, the group split up to go about their tasks. Dawn went off to find Paul while Brock went with Anabel to find Five. The rest of the group stayed at the training grounds to train with Max and Misty for the tournament.
Anabel led Brock to the creek and told him to follow it upstream until he found a lake. After that, she headed back through the forest to go and do some training on her own.
Brock followed the creek, and just as Anabel had said, it ended at a lake. Brock looked around and could see several Pokémon training. They appeared to have paired up and were having battles with each other. He looked around until he saw Ash walking towards him.
"Hey Brock, you here about Pikachu?" Ash asked.
Brock nodded, "Yeah. I came alone; don't worry. Also, I must say, these are some incredible Pokémon you have raised here. Your other Pokémon are going to be jealous of them."
Ash sighed, "I know, but in the future, I will be able to train all of my Pokémon together so they will all be this strong or stronger."
"Yeah, about that, I heard a rumor about a new Frontier Brain. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
Ash grinned, "Well maybe it is me. Scott explained to me about what I would have to do and how much I would be still be able to travel and do what I wanted to. It sounded like a pretty good deal to me so I took him up on the offer. Actually, if I hadn't bumped into Scott and Lucy, I wouldn't even be here right now. They're the ones that told me about this tournament and by agreeing to be a Frontier Brain, I was able to get registered as Five instead of as Ash."
"Well Ash, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. You might still have your freedom to travel and do stuff, but it is still a lot of responsibility to be a Frontier Brain. I wish you the best of luck with that pursuit," Brock said. "Now, let us discuss your Pikachu and how to train him back into battling condition."
With that, Brock, Ash, and Pikachu stepped aside to work on Pikachu's recovery and training.
-Practice Fields outside the Pokémon Center-
On a battlefield stood two tired Pokémon. On one side was a Kirlia. Facing the Kirlia was a Starmie. Both of the Pokémon had weathered many attacks from their opponent and both were struggling to remain conscious. As the Pokémon glared at each other, they could hear their respective trainers encouraging them and urging them to fight on.
With one last burst of strength, Kirlia launched a barrage of leaves that zeroed in on the Starmie and seemed to follow it as it tried to dodge. After the leaves had made contact, the Starmie was exhausted of its energy and passed out on the field.
At the same time, a bright white light surrounded the Kirlia, encasing the Pokémon and transforming it. For several seconds, the two participating trainers as well as the several spectating ones watched in awe as Kirlia evolved. When the light died down, in place of the Kirlia was a beautiful Gardevoir.
Max ran to his newly evolved Pokémon and congratulated it on evolving and winning its match against Misty's Starmie. It had been a close battle, but being able to use thunderbolt and shadow ball had given the Pokémon an advantage over the Starmie. After the battle, it reaped the rewards of its hard work and finally evolved.
On the other side of the field, Misty recalled her Starmie and thanked it for its hard work in the battle. She was upset about the loss, but was glad to see Max's Pokémon evolve and grow stronger. She also knew that if she had been battling on a water field she would have been the victor. At least, that's what she told herself.
Soon, Gary walked up to Misty and gave her a hug. "That was a great battle," he said. "It could have gone either way, but Kirlia found the energy to use one last magical leaf attack before you could launch one final attack. I'm sure that next time you will win though."
Misty smiled at her boyfriend, "Thanks Gary. Do you know how long Brock's going to be gone for? With him around to take care of our Pokémon, they recover a lot faster during training."
Gary thought about it before answering. "It's hard to say how long he will be gone. If Pikachu's wound is as bad as it sounded, the special training to help it completely heal could take a lot of time and effort. It will also require a skilled doctor for most of the training as well. My guess is that Brock will be helping Five until after lunch when Five battle's Max. After that, Brock will probably work with us for a while."
"Okay, that makes sense," Misty responded. She then turned to face Max, "Hey Max, do you want to have another battle or do you want to let your Pokémon rest up for your battle against Five?"
Max thought about it for a few minutes before answering, "No thanks Misty. Maybe we can battle some more later, but for now I'm going to let my Pokémon rest while I come up with some strategies to try on Five."
Around noon, people began joining back up with the main group. First, Anabel came out of the woods from her training and rejoined the group. After her, Brock came out of the woods as well. From the other side of the Pokémon Center, Dawn appeared with Paul. Dawn looked immensely happy with herself while Paul seemed to not be in quite as bad a mood as usual. The group waited a little bit longer, but with no sign of Five, they decided to eat their lunch without him.
During lunch, the group caught up with each other about how training had gone during the morning. The biggest news was Max's Kirlia evolving, and for some reason, Paul congratulated him on that. That got him some strange looks since Paul is never that nice. This led May to ask a question, "Paul, what did you and Dawn do before rejoining us? You seem unnaturally happy while Dawn seems to be ecstatic about something."
This question caused the normally stone-faced Paul to blush and Dawn to giggle. This reaction caused many of the people at the table to erupt into laughter. After Paul finished glaring at everyone, he changed the subject before anyone could ask any more questions about him and Dawn. "So, Max, you ready to lose to Five after lunch?"
Seeing that Paul was back to his usual self, the group seemed to relax a little while also glaring at Paul for the way he worded his question. Max took a breath before answering, "I'm as ready as I can be to battle him. I might not have much of a chance of winning, but I will still try my hardest. Who knows, I might get lucky and pull off the upset."
Paul snorted, "Kid, luck will only take you so far. If I got lucky, I might be able to beat him. If you got lucky, you might be able to put up a fight before losing. Regardless, have fun in the battle."
Dawn whacked him in the head, "Paul, be nice or we won't continue what we were doing before lunch later." That got Paul to shut up and the table to laugh again. Paul glared at everyone before storming off.
After he was gone, May turned to Dawn, "So, what were you two doing before lunch?"
Dawn giggled, "Nothing. Nothing at all. Let's just say that deep down, Paul is a hopeless romantic. That's all you need to know."
Dawn then turned to Brock; "Paul told me that Five's Pikachu looked to be an incredibly strong Pokémon if he was capable of fighting. Do you have anything you can tell us about Pikachu's recovery?"
Brock sighed, "Five wants to be able to use Pikachu in battle by the end of the tournament. If he makes it to the very end of the tournament, Pikachu might be battle ready by then, it's hard to say though. It's quite the injury. Five doesn't want to push his Pokémon too much and possibly hurt him worse, but having gone many years without being able to battle, Pikachu is a little impatient to get back on the battlefield."
Anabel then looked at Brock, "How long ago was Pikachu injured, and what exactly happened then?"
Brock sighed, "If you want to know what happened, you need to ask Five. It isn't my place to tell you guys. As for when it happened, I don't know," he lied, "Five only told me that it has been many years."
Anabel sighed, "It really is too bad that Pikachu got hurt. I can tell how much he cares about his Pokémon, so having one of them get hurt so badly must have been incredibly hard on him. It also is terrible for Pikachu because I could sense that the little guy had an incredible fighting spirit. I hope Pikachu recovers soon, because he has the makings of an amazingly powerful Pokémon."
Brock laughed, "You have no idea." When everyone looked at him funny, Brock grinned, "Pikachu's injury is purely a physical thing. It only limits his capability to run, jump, and dodge. It does nothing to hamper his natural power. Five showed me one of Pikachu's thunderbolts and I nearly pissed myself at the power. The only reason he doesn't battle with Pikachu is because he doesn't have the defensive capabilities to take blows during a fight. As soon as Pikachu recovers his speed, he is going to be beyond powerful."
Everyone was staring at Brock after he told them about Pikachu's power. Max finally spoke up, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to fight Pikachu then. He sounds even stronger than the Houndoom. Are you sure you can't tell us what Five's other Pokémon are?"
"Wait, Brock, do you even know what his other Pokémon are?" Anabel asked. "I mean, you only needed to help him with Pikachu, so would he even show you his other Pokémon who he's trying to keep secret from everyone?"
Brock grinned, "I know all seven of his Pokémon. He wanted me to do a checkup on all of them to make sure they were all healthy."
This time Gary interrupted, "Wait, did you say seven Pokémon? Isn't that against the rules or something?"
Brock shook his head, "No. Normally it is against the rules, But Five got a special exception to the rules due to his Pikachu not being fit for battle. He is allowed to carry six Pokémon that are fit for battle as well as his Pikachu."
"Yes I am allowed to do that. I had to beg for a quite while in order to get that exception, but it was worth it."
The group turned quickly and saw Five grinning at them all. Pikachu was on his shoulder and Houndoom was at his side. He then spoke up, "Now, I'm not so good with names since I spend such little time with people, is there any chance we can do a round of introductions so that I can make sure I know all of you?"
Although that was a lie, he wanted to avoid making the same mistake he did with Paul, so he waited patiently through the introductions. Brock smirked at him once he realized what was going on and Ash had to suppress a smile. Once the introductions were done, Max spoke up, "Okay Five, I'm ready for the battle. Let's see what you got!"
Ash looked at the young trainer and smiled, "Of course. Let us see what I have got. Who knows, I might even pull off an upset and get a win here." He then walked away towards the nearest practice field and stood on the far side of it. Once he took his position, Max went and stood across from him. The other members of the little group decided to watch the battle and stood on the sidelines. Paul even came back from wherever he had gone to see the battle take place.
Brock stood in the middle of the field and raised his arms, "This is a one-on-one battle between Max Maple of Petalburg City and Five from somewhere. There will be no time limit and the battle will be over once one sides Pokémon is no longer able to battle. Begin" With that, Brock lowered his arms, signaling the start of the battle.
Ash looked at his Houndoom, "Houndoom, take the field and prepare for battle." Houndoom quickly entered the field of battle and roared. Max visibly flinched at the sound.
Before Max sent out his Pokémon, Ash spoke up, "First lesson, don't let your opponent or their Pokémon intimidate you. If you do, you will start out at a disadvantage. Clear your mind and focus solely on the battle, it will help you keep your focus and perform to the best of your ability."
Max nodded his head before grabbing his pokeball and tossing it, "Vigoroth, it's fight time!"
Vigoroth appeared on the battlefield and glared at his opponent. Seeing no reaction from the Houndoom, he looked questioningly at his trainer. Max gave a quick nod with a look of confidence on his face, restoring the confidence of the Vigoroth.
Ash smiled, "Good job Max, don't let your Pokémon be intimidated. If they do get intimidated, restore their confidence by showing them your confidence. Pokémon respond to their trainer's emotions and state of mind. Keeping your cool and staying focused will help your Pokémon as much as it will help you. Now, since you are the challenger, you get the first move."
In the audience, the trainers all listened with a bit of surprise as Five coached Max through the beginning of the battle. Brock smiled at the way Ash was treating his old friend while both May and Anabel were smiling at the kindness this mysterious new friend of theirs was displaying. Paul, who was standing next to Dawn, chuckled at this. When Dawn looked at him questioningly, he simply said: "Only he would coach his opponent on how to beat him." Dawn had a confused look on her face, but Paul wasn't going to say anything else so she returned her focus to the battlefield.
Max grinned, "Vigoroth, use water pulse and then charge in with brick break!"
Vigoroth grunted his approval and did just that. Immediately, a pulsing orb of water was flung towards the dark hound. At the same time, Vigoroth's claws started glowing as he charged his enemy.
Ash looked at the situation unfolding before him, "Houndoom, vaporize the water and then use the steam to hide yourself."
Houndoom launched a small jet of flames that instantly vaporized the water pulse attack. When the steam covered the field, he hid himself within it and was able to easily avoid Vigoroth's inaccurate strikes.
Ash could have called an attack out to end the match, but he wanted to see what else Max was capable of. The water pulse was a nice surprise, but it would take more than one little surprise to truly threaten Ash's Houndoom.
Max quickly analyzed the situation and started to panic at what had happened. Then he remembered the words Five had spoken about keeping his cool and how it would help his Pokémon as much as him. He took a deep calming breath before giving more orders. "Vigoroth, calm down and focus. Use blizzard to draw Houndoom out then charge a focus punch and as soon as you find Houndoom, use it to strike him."
Ash smiled. It was a good plan, unfortunately, Max had also told his opponent his intentions. The key to truly surprising your opponent is keeping your plans secret. He looked at the snow blowing across the field and decided to end it. "Houndoom, use overheat and then end it with iron tail."
What the crowd was expecting was for a large stream of fired to be fired off towards Vigoroth and then when he tried to dodge it, for him to be struck by an iron tail attack. What they weren't expecting was for a massive sphere of fire to appear in the middle of the blizzard attack and melt it. What they really didn't expect was for the sphere of fire to then move at a high speed towards Vigoroth. Both trainer and Pokémon were stunned by this strange attack and didn't realize until too late that they were supposed to be dodging it.
As the sphere approached Vigoroth, it jumped in the air and spun. It then made contact with the wild monkey Pokémon causing fire damage and a burn. The sphere then broke and a glowing white tail made contact with the Pokémon's head. Houndoom then jumped back to his trainer's side while Vigoroth fell to the ground unconscious.
After recovering from the initial shock, Brock brought a hand into the air, "Vigoroth is unable to battle, the winner of this battle is Five and Houndoom."
Ash smiled at Max as he recalled his fallen pokemon. "Max, you have quite a bit of talent. Keep working on it and in a few years you may be as good as I am. Now, do you want to hear what I noticed about your battle?"
Max nodded his head, "Yes, anything you have to say is bound to be good information, you're a great battler and I want to learn all I can."
Ash laughed, "I like your enthusiasm. You remind me of me. Anyways, your Vigoroth had some surprises for me, which is good. However, you did too much explaining to your Pokémon. You need to reach a level where you give commands and your Pokémon knows what you want it to do without extra talking. Sometimes, you won't even need to give the command for your Pokémon to know what you want to do. By explaining your whole plan to your Pokémon, you give your opponent a chance to attack you while you talk and you let your opponent know exactly what you're planning.
"I noticed that my last move surprised everyone here. That is because I didn't tell Houndoom to surround himself in the flames of his overheat. That caught you by surprise and gave me a large enough advantage that I was able to take out your Pokémon. It takes time and practice to be able to communicate without words, but it is a valuable skill when it comes to surprising your enemy and attacking quickly. Understand?"
Max nodded his head quite vigorously, "Yes. I think so anyways. I hope I can do that soon. It sounds really cool and it worked quite well for you. You are AWESOME!"
Ash laughed, "I don't know about that, I just have a lot more experience than you. Battle enough different people under enough different circumstances and you will learn these things on your own."
Paul then decided to be annoying, "So, Five, you say you have many experiences battling many trainers in different circumstances. Do you mind telling us about your league battles or gym battles? Have you ever competed against any of the trainers in the Battle Frontier?"
Ash glared at Paul while Paul simply smirked at the situation. After looking around, Ash realized that he now pretty much had to answer. "I don't like talking about my past battles too much, but if you must know, I have made it to the final sixteen in the Kanto Pokémon League Competition. I have done more than that, but that is all I feel like telling you guys. At least for now. Anyways, if any of you guys wish to battle my Houndoom, feel free. I'm willing to give out battle advice as well if you want it."
After getting people back on the topic of battling him, Ash spent the next hour and a half battling almost everyone. Paul had wondered off to train alone again and Anabel didn't want to battle him until the competition started, but everyone else tried at least once to take down Houndoom.
After the hour and a half of nonstop battles, Houndoom had gotten quite tired. Not defeated, but he probably wouldn't have lasted much longer. Ash decided to rest Houndoom before he fainted. Once Ash had finally announced he was done with practice battles, every stared at him until he got uncomfortable. "Uh, why are you all staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Eventually Anabel spoke up, "Just how strong are your Pokémon? Your Houndoom just battled for over an hour without fainting. If all six of your Pokémon are that strong, you are going to be a real challenge to beat."
Ash grinned, "All of my Pokémon are this strong. I train them all as equally as possible. As for this tournament, I don't know how well I will do. I haven't had a full six on six battle in nearly three years. I haven't lost more than two Pokémon in a battle in three years as well. Most of my excitement for this tournament is to see how I rank against the league champions of each region. Since they are supposedly the strongest in the world, I'm hoping that I can end up ranked among the best."
"Wait," Said May, "what exactly have you been doing for the last three years then?"
Ash had to suppress a groan for letting a little bit of his timeline slip. "Well, I have been training my Pokémon and travelling. I finally decided it was time to test myself and my Pokémon so I entered this tournament."
Max looked up at Ash, "Well, I'm pretty sure you could give the champions a run for their money with your skill level. What are your plans for after this tournament?"
"Well, I haven't really decided yet. I will probably continue travelling though," Ash told him. "Being out in nature with wild Pokémon and my Pokémon is incredibly fun so hopefully I can continue my travels for a long time. Anyways, I'm heading out now. Houndoom is a little tired and my other Pokémon want to get some training done, so I will see you guys later."
As Ash turned to head back into the forest, May spoke up, "Hey Five, do you mind if I come with you for a little bit?"
Ash considered it, "I suppose you can come for a little bit, but I do need to train eventually."
With that, Ash walked into the forest with May just a few steps behind him.
After a few minutes of silence, Ash decided to speak up, "So, May, is there anything you wanted?"
May didn't answer immediately, instead thinking about why exactly she had wanted to go for a walk with Five. After a little bit she answered, "Well, I wanted to say thanks for helping my brother. He's always wanted to be a Pokémon trainer and seeing you help him get better even though he's your opponent was really nice."
Ash smiled, "Well, I know what it's like to be a young trainer, trying to be the best. Along the way, many of my opponents helped me and taught me to be better, I was just passing down the same knowledge."
"Do you mind telling me about your journey as a trainer?" May asked, "I mean, you seem like a nice guy, but none of us really know anything about you. You use a codename and keep your Pokémon hidden from us. You have obviously seen a lot and grown a lot as a trainer and I'm curious as to the details."
Ash sighed, "Well, my journey was exciting, I guess. I travelled through many different regions and places. I collected gym badges and competed in several leagues. I befriend as many people and Pokémon as I could, although lately it has mostly been Pokémon since I have been living out in the wilderness of Mt. Silver."
May thought about what Ash had said and was about to ask for more details when Ash decided to change the subject, "How about you, May? I don't really know anything about you or your friends. I know that Brock is a doctor, Misty is a gym leader, Max is a trainer, and Anabel is a Frontier Brain, but I don't really know anything about you."
"Well," May began, "I'm a coordinator. I take part in contests with my Pokémon to show off their beauty. Over the course of my journey, I have been to many regions and competed in contests in all of them. Two years ago, I won the Grand Festival in Johto."
Ash grinned; hearing about the success of his friend was a gratifying experience. He hoped that soon he would be able to share his successes with everyone as well. "That's pretty impressive May, good job. Do you have any rivals you have to deal with that push you to be your best?"
"Well, yes I do. I think all trainers who take part in some competition or another do," May stated. "At the beginning, my biggest rival was a guy named Drew, but I haven't seen him in a couple of years. Actually, I've been avoiding competing in the same region as him. Lately, my biggest rival is Dawn. Initially, we competed in different regions, but we met through a mutual friend and became friends. A few years ago we began travelling together and competing. Travelling with a rival is strange, but she is also a friend which makes it better."
"So, has Dawn won any Grand Festival's yet?" Ash asked.
May smiled, "Actually, she won in Kanto last year. She barely beat me, but she did manage to. It was a terrific battle, but she got back at me for knocking her out of the competition in Johto the previous year."
Ash laughed, "Sounds like you two have a lot of fun travelling together. Do you have any plans for competing next year?"
May sighed, "Not yet. I want to travel some more with Dawn, but with her in a relationship with Paul, I would feel awkward tagging along with them. I'm thinking I might just head out on my own and compete in Hoenn."
"Well, striking out on your own for a journey isn't that bad of an idea," Ash said. "I mean, you lose the human companionship, but it gives you a lot more time with your Pokémon to bond and train."
May looked over at Ash, "Have you always travelled alone, or did you once travel alongside friends as well?"
"Well, actually, I did travel with friends at the start of my Pokémon journey. However, there came a time when I came upon the same problem you are having. My friends started relationships and I would have felt awkward travelling with them, so I struck it out on my own. I've been travelling this way ever since."
"Does it get lonely?" May asked. "I mean, I understand you have your Pokémon with you, but don't you miss spending time with people?"
Ash sighed, "I suppose I do miss the human companionship, but I'm still young and will have plenty of time for that later. Once I start tiring of walking across the world and settle down somewhere, I will have the rest of my life to spend with people. Or, I might decide to travel for the rest of my life and if someone decides they want to travel with me, I could get companionship that way as well. For now though, I am perfectly happy with just me and my Pokémon."
At that, Houndoom barked and Pikachu grinned happily. Ash laughed at his Pokémon, "Yes Houndoom, I know you will eat anyone who tries to take me away from you. Calm down."
May looked from Houndoom to Pikachu to Ash, "Hey Five, since I'm not a competitor here, can you show me your Pokémon if I promise not to tell anyone what they are?"
Ash thought about her request for a little bit before answering, "Sorry, but no. You seem quite close to your brother and although you probably wouldn't tell him anything, it would be easy for something to just slip out. Then word would spread about my Pokémon and the surprise would be ruined."
May sighed, "Well, once you have shown your Pokémon at the tournament, I want to see them. Anyways, I'm going to head back to my friends and help my brother prepare for the tournament, thanks again for everything."
Ash smiled, "It was my pleasure. Helping people grow stronger and connect better with their Pokémon is a fun thing to do. Good luck and I will see you later."
May smiled before giving Ash a hug. The gesture surprised Ash and made him blush. Before he could respond though, May broke away and ran back towards the Pokémon center.
Pikachu looked at Ash questioningly, "Pika pi, chu pi pika?" he asked.
Houndoom laughed at his trainer while Ash tried to glare at the electric mouse through his blush. Finally he settled with a sigh, "I don't know buddy. It's bad enough that I have a crush on one person. Trying to deal with two is going to be really obnoxious. I know I'm going to have choose one of them to work on and grow eventually, but right now, I don't know what to do."
Together, the trainer and his Pokémon walked back to the clearing by the lake. Once there, the rest of his Pokémon were released from their balls and the training started up once more.
-Pokémon Center practice fields-
Back on the practice fields, the young trainer named Max was busy working with his Pokémon. He was teaching them new attacks as well as strengthening the attacks they already knew. He had also begun working on communicating silently with his Pokémon, trying to make it so they would know what he wanted them to do without extra explanations.
From the sidelines, the groups own Pokémon doctor watched in amusement and slight awe. "Wow Max, you really took Five's advice to heart, didn't you?"
Max looked up from his training, "Well, it was good advice and it came from a powerful trainer. I might not be able to perfect everything in time for the tournament, but it will help me in the future to be an even better trainer."
Brock smiled at the boys enthusiasm, "I know, and you seem to be making pretty good progress as well. Just be careful and don't push your Pokémon too hard, this would be a terrible time for one of your Pokémon to sustain a serious injury."
Max nodded his head, "I know, don't worry. I won't push my Pokémon too hard."
As Max continued to train, a young man with spiky brown hair walked over to Brock. "It looks like he's making pretty good progress as well, I see," Gary observed.
Brock nodded his head, "Yeah, he really took Five's advice and has been working really hard. How about Misty and Anabel? You've been watching them train and battle for a while, how are they doing?"
"Well, they tried battling, but Misty got frustrated by Anabel's battle style and started working on honing her Pokémon's moves instead of continuing to battle," Gary answered. "They both seem to be making some progress and took Five's advice into consideration for training. At least Misty did, since Anabel didn't battle him, she didn't get any pointers from him."
Brock nodded, "Well, that's good to hear. That guy, Five, is quite the impressive trainer, especially considering his young age. It's really something else."
"Oh yeah," Gary agreed, "I was really surprised to see how powerful his Houndoom was. He lasted for over an hour of battling before getting tired. Since Five wants to keep his Pokémon secret as long as possible, I have a feeling it's going to be a long time until we see any of his other ones."
"Well, I have seen his other Pokémon and they are impressive," Brock bragged, "it is astounding how gifted they all are, although based on what Five told me about his training and life, it doesn't surprise me too much that they are powerful."
Gary glanced over at Brock again, "Oh yeah, he let you see all of his Pokémon, I forgot about that. I suppose you won't give me any hints about them?" Brock shook his head no and Gary laughed. "Oh well, I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see. Can you tell me anything about his past? You seem to know more about that than anyone else here."
Brock sighed, "Sorry, but I can't. He made me promise not to tell anyone. However, I made him promise that he would tell you guys eventually, so just be patient and you will learn more about him."
Seeing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Brock about Five, Gary decided to change the subject. "May has been gone with him for quite some time, do you think she likes him?"
Brock laughed, "Who knows? I do know that it's really easy to talk to Five, so she could have just gotten wrapped up in a conversation and lost track of time. If she does like him though, I don't think she's alone."
"Oh? You think someone else likes him as well?" Gary asked.
Brock grinned, "Yeah, I mean have you seen the way Anabel talks about him? Or did you see the way she was focused on him during his battles and not the opponent or the Pokémon? If I had to guess, I would say both Anabel and May like him."
Gary laughed, "Well, that should make this tournament a little more interesting. A little extra drama on the side, I guess. What about Five, do you think he likes either of them?"
After pondering that question for a few seconds he answered, "You know what? I have no clue. It wouldn't surprise me if he did, but he hasn't really shown too much interest in the girls."
Gary thought about that for a few seconds before laughing, "This guy reminds me of Ash. Completely oblivious to the women and only caring about being the best trainer out there. He even has a Pikachu to boot."
Brock gave a nervous chuckle, "You know, I guess that he is like Ash, isn't he? I wonder if Five has ever met Ash before, if so, I'm sure it was an interesting meeting."
Gary, who hadn't noticed Brock's sudden awkwardness plowed on, "I bet that would be an interesting meeting. A great battle as well with those two fiery trainers. Next time I see him, I'll make sure to ask him if he's ever met Ash before."
Brock nodded his head, "Well Gary, it looks like there are some Pokémon that need a little bit of healing from me, so we can continue this conversation later. Make sure you let me know how your talk with Five goes."
Gary nodded before walking back over to Misty and Anabel's training field.
-Evening. Ash's training grounds by the lake-
After a hard day of training, Ash was relaxing peacefully by the lake. His Pokémon were all off playing around in the surrounding woods except for Pikachu who was resting next to his trainer.
Ash turned to look at Pikachu, "Hey buddy, if Anabel shows up, which story do you think I should tell her? I can't reveal too much about who I am, but I promised I would tell her a story from my travels."
Pikachu looked up at his trainer, "Chu pika pi, pi pika pi." Pikachu then fell over laughing at his trainer.
Ash groaned, "I should have known you wouldn't be very helpful. And I am not in love with any one, so stop saying that."
Pikachu just gave Ash a questioning look before laughing some more. Eventually, he calmed down and smiled at his trainer, "Pika pi, pi chu pika."
Ash contemplated his Pokémon's words, "I suppose I can tell that story. It won't reveal too much about me and it is a good story. Thanks Pikachu."
Pikachu nodded and the two went back to looking at the lake and the forest. After a few more minutes had passed, Ash was beginning to fall asleep. Pikachu, however, was actually alert and heard the sounds of someone approaching. Being the wonderful Pokémon he is, Pikachu decided to electrocute his trainer to get his attention.
Ash jumped from the shock and glared at the little mouse Pokémon that was laughing at the face his trainer had made after being shocked. "Thanks for that Pikachu. You didn't need to shock me."
Pikachu just smiled and pointed behind Ash. When he turned to look, he saw Anabel walk out of the forest and into the clearing.
With a smile on his face, Ash stood up, "Good evening Anabel, how are you doing?"
Anabel smiled, "I'm doing fine. How about you?"
"I'm doing pretty good. Just relaxing after a day of training and goofing off," Ash answered.
Anabel walked over to where Ash had been sitting and sat down. Ash followed suit while Pikachu just grinned at his trainer.
Anabel saw the grinning Pikachu and smiled, "What's got him so excited?" She asked.
Ash smirked at his Pokémon, "He's just excited because he wants to play with Espeon again."
This caused Pikachu to blush and shock his trainer while Ash just laughed at him. Anabel watched all of this in amusement before letting her Espeon out of its ball. Espeon looked at her trainer and Five before smiling. She nudged her trainer who just glared at the Pokémon before pointing Espeon to Pikachu. Upon seeing Pikachu, Espeon walked over to him and the two Pokémon walked off into the forest to talk.
The two trainers smiled at the sight before Anabel spoke up, "Our Pokémon seem to get along pretty well. In fact, I think they like each other."
Ash smiled, "Pikachu has always been a friendly Pokémon. Plus, for some reason Eevee's and their evolutions seem to take a special interest him."
Anabel looked questioningly at Ash, "Really? That's interesting, I wonder why that is."
Ash just shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know why they all like Pikachu more than most Pokémon do, but Pikachu doesn't mind, he likes the friends and attention. The only reason I brought this up though, was because you had wanted me to tell you a story from my travels."
That remark brightened Anabel's face, "Really? You're going to tell me about one of your adventures?"
Ash nodded, "Yes I will, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. At least not yet. After this tournament, you can tell whoever you want, but for now, I want to keep as much of my history a secret as possible."
Anabel nodded, "Don't worry, I promise not to tell anyone. So I take it this story has to do with Pikachu and an Eevee?"
"Yes indeed it does," Ash confirmed. "It has to do with the Eevee that I caught a few years back. This is the only hint about a Pokémon on my team that I will give you. I have an evolved Eevee."
"Really? I can't wait to see it in the tournament. I also can't wait to see how strong it is and how well it has been trained."
Ash grinned, "Once you see her, you won't ever forget. She's incredibly playful and is also quite strong. Anyways, this story is about how I met Eevee and caught her. Pikachu's the one that told me to tell you this story and I'm surprised he didn't stick around for it since he's a major player in the story, but here goes.
"It was a few years back. I had been travelling alone for a couple of months and was camping out on the outskirts of Mt. Moon. I had set up camp and let my Pokémon out. At that point in time, I had Pikachu, Houndoom, and two others. As I was making dinner for my Pokémon and myself, Pikachu wandered off into the wilderness to explore and look around. I didn't pay it too much attention because I knew Pikachu could stay out of trouble and wouldn't cause problems.
"Anyways, as I was finishing cooking, I heard a massive electrical discharge and the following explosion. I could only think of one thing that could have caused it, so I immediately took off in search of Pikachu. Houndoom followed me while I told my other two Pokémon to keep an eye on the campsite.
"After running for a couple of miles, I came upon a clearing that looked like it was the victim of one of Pikachu's thunder attacks. I took a look around and saw Pikachu hunched over a smaller figure and a Flareon. In the middle of the clearing, right were the thunder had struck, I saw two teens. They were unconscious and appeared to be injured. My natural instinct was to help them, but I figured Pikachu had attacked them for some reason so I decided to ask him what was going on.
"Pikachu told me that the two kids had been beating on the Flareon and her newly hatched baby Eevee for some reason. Pikachu had been enraged by this and electrocuted them. I ordered Houndoom to keep an eye on the two teens and make sure they remained unconscious for a while. I then went over to try and help the baby Pokémon and its mother.
"When I arrived, the baby Eevee called out in fear of me. She thought I was going to attack her like the others had done. I promised not to hurt her, but she didn't trust me at that point. Since I wasn't going to be able to help her, I gave Pikachu some bandages and potions to help the Eevee out. I then went to check on the Flareon.
"When I saw the poor Flareon it was horrible. She had been beaten badly and wasn't doing too well. If she wanted to live, she was going to need emergency medical help that I couldn't provide. I looked around for anything that might help me save the Flareon, but I didn't see anything. As I was beginning to believe that I wouldn't be able to save the Flareon, a local Fearow flew down and landed by me. This gave me an idea.
"I told the Fearow where the nearest Pokémon Center was and ordered him to carry the badly hurt Flareon there for treatment. I promised I would get there as quickly as I could to check up on her.
"For the next three days, I couldn't leave my camp because the Eevee was incapable of moving. The baby still didn't trust me, so Pikachu took care of her the entire time. The teens who had beaten the Pokémon I kept tied up in my camp. I provided them with a little bit of food and water and nothing else. If they had to go to the bathroom, Houndoom would follow them the whole way and make sure they didn't try to escape.
"Once Eevee was capable of walking on her own, we set off towards the Pokémon Center I had sent the Flareon to. Late in the day, around dinnertime, we finally reached it. By this point, the baby Eevee was exhausted and had finally allowed me to carry her. When I walked into the Pokémon Center, a Fearow jumped in front of me and began squawking.
"Once it finished, it fled the Pokémon Center and left me alone in it. I looked around and saw Nurse Joy looking at me with a questioning face. I smiled at her and told her that I had sent that Fearow here with an injured Flareon a few days ago. The nurse then led me into a room where a Flareon was asleep but alive. She had me explain what had happened and once I did, she called Officer Jenny to deal with the two tied up teens in the lobby of the Pokémon Center.
"The Eevee immediately went and curled up with her mother and I figured that that was the end of the story. I decided to stay the night at the Pokémon Center before heading out again the next day.
"As I was leaving the center though, the baby Eevee followed me out. After talking with Pikachu for a bit and then turning to me, it asked if it could travel with me in order to help rid the world of evil and terrible people. I was hesitant to accept her, but after talking to the Flareon, I finally agreed to take the Eevee with me on my journey. The end."
When Ash finished telling his story, he looked up to see Anabel smiling at him with tears in her eyes. "That is a wonderful story. I'm so glad that you were able to save the Pokémon and get the people responsible punished. I must ask though, have you seen the mother Flareon since then?"
Ash nodded his head, "Yeah, I've stopped by that region a few times to let the Eevee meet up with her mother. Flareon doesn't have the want to travel though, so she stays over by Mt. Moon while her child stays with me."
"Did you ever figure out why the two people had been beating the Flareon and her child?"
Ash shook his head, "I didn't. I didn't really care either. In my opinion, there is no excuse for beating a Pokémon, especially a baby one. After Officer Jenny took them away, I never saw them again."
Anabel nodded her head, "I agree with you on that, there is no reason to abuse a Pokémon like that. Still, I wonder what was going on in their minds that made them do that? Regardless, I'm glad that story had a happy ending. If it weren't for you, things probably wouldn't have gone so well. You are a good person."
Ash smiled, "Thanks. I just try to do what I think is right. So far, that has served me well. I'm also sure that if you had been in my place you would have done the right thing as well."
"Thanks, Five. You really are a great guy. Don't forget that or let anyone tell you otherwise."
Ash just smiled and watched as the sun sunk below the trees and the moon rose overhead. For quite some time, the two trainers sat there doing nothing, just resting in the comfortable silence that had fallen between them. Eventually, the rustling of Pokémon brought them back to reality.
Ash looked over and saw that Pikachu and Espeon had returned. He could also see Lucario just behind the line of trees watching him. Ash sighed and stood up, "Well Anabel, it was nice talking with you and just relaxing. However, it is getting late and my Pokémon are waiting for me, so I think I'm going to gather them and then head back to the Pokémon Center for the night."
Anabel stood up as well and stretched after having spent such a long time sitting down. She turned to look at Ash and then noticed some movement from the trees. She tried to see what it was but whatever it had been, it wasn't there anymore. "Hey Five, did something just move in the trees?" She asked him.
Ash looked at her and grinned, "Yeah, my Pokémon are getting a bit restless here." He then lifted up several pokeballs and pointed them one at a time into the forest, silently recalling each of his Pokémon.
Anabel nodded, "Well, I guess we should head off to the center now, shouldn't we?"
Ash nodded and then began leading the way through the forest, back towards the Pokémon Center. As they were walking, Ash had a strange thought, "Hey Anabel? Do you know much about the format of this tournament? I never really looked into it."
Ash turned his head towards the sound of muffled laughter and saw Anabel covering her mouth with her hand and trying to suppress giggles. "Wow Five. You really need to get out more. All people have been talking about for the past year is this tournament and how it works."
Ash smiled sheepishly before gesturing for Anabel to continue. "Anyways, the tournament has three stages. The first stage is the preliminaries. Each trainer will take part in five 3-on-3 battles. Once you lose twice, you are out. After that, there should be about 250 trainers left and the tournament will move onto the second stage. That consists of four rounds of 4-on-4 battles. Single elimination. The trainers will decide before the battle whether it will be a single battle or double battle. Once the second stage is done, there will be 16 trainers left. In the final stage, it will be full 6-on-6 single battles until only one trainer remains to claim the victory. Does that make sense?"
Ash thought about it before nodding his head. "Yeah, thanks. Now I can plan out which two Pokémon I will use for the second stage. Anyways, we're back at the center, so I guess I will see you later. Good night Anabel."
Anabel smiled at him, "Good night Five. Good luck with your planning and I'll see you tomorrow. Unless you vanish or something."
Ash nodded before heading off to get some sleep.
Hahaha, the chapter is completed. Three down, an unknown number left to go.
Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying my story still. I plan on completing it eventually, but it is a large tournament, plus there is all the other drama ish stuff going on, so the story will probably be pretty long. I mean, we're 30,000 words in and the tournament hasn't even started yet. On the other hand, chapter four will be the last before the tournament starts, so there is that.
Speaking of the tournament, I am capable of creating opponents and Pokémon lineups for people to face, but if you want to create your own and send them to me, I will try to use them. One thing to keep in mind though, I'm sure you've noticed it, but I am ignoring Unova and the fifth generation stuff. I might throw it in in a different story, but for this one I am not using it.
The reason I am not doing Unova stuff is because I haven't played the games or seen the show for it. I also haven't read the manga for it either. This means the only way for me to judge the Pokémon and Characters is by what I read online, and that isn't quite enough for me to feel comfortable using the stuff yet.
Anyways, like always, if you have something to say to me about this story, whether it's a suggestion, idea, praise, or criticism, let me know in a review or PM.
Last thing, my poll is still up and will remain up for a while. I currently have no story planned out to write next, but I don't doubt that inspiration will hit me. Once it does hit and I start my next story I will take down the poll. If you want to vote on a pairing for Ash in my next story, then vote. That is all.
Tata for now.
As I thought, this one didn't need much editing of events. I fixed some more spelling/grammar things, but that was it. The next several chapters might have some altered events though, so be prepared.
Edited 6/26/2012
