Chapter 3: Ash Roars
Ash and Pikachu appeared from out of nowhere and onto a platform in a large structure. Looking around, he found monitors viewing matches occurring in numerous places. ("No way!") squawked Pikachu. Ash eyed young people walking about and engaging in discussion.
"So, this is Chaotic?" he assumed. "I'd expect to see a little… mayhem going on… It just feels tame!" A flying robot came by to greet the two new arrivals. Girls and young women turned to the new arrivals as Pikachu climbed onto Ash's head.
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT GOES ON HERE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR… AHEM, 'MAYHEM'," it computed. "WELCOME TO CHAOTIC!" The two nodded before they journeyed down the stairs but before getting to that first step.
"Excuse us, cutie!" a girl called. Ash and Pikachu turned to see plenty of girls rush them.
"You brought a creature from Perim?" a young purple-haired woman asked.
"Can I hold it?" a redhead girl requested.
"No, me first!" ordered a chestnut brunette young woman. The crowd started to swarm Ash and Pikachu hid from view before Tom and his friends came to his rescue. Sarah yanked Pikachu away, Kaz and Peyton blocked access for the girls and Tom pulled Ash away.
"Okay, everyone!" voiced Peyton. "Back off!"
"Give him time to get comfortable here!" warned Kaz. "You'll have time after he adjusts!" More robots came to help with the mob. A loud horn stopped everyone and bought enough time for the five to escape the hordes of women.
"Now where have I seen that before?" wondered Sarah. Tom, Kaz and Peyton gulped to the question. Ash and Pikachu blinked in confusion.
("It's happened before?") asked Pikachu. As they stepped outside, Ash and Pikachu saw the space outside with awe.
"Awesome!" praised Ash. "So much area for Pokémon Training…" Kaz and Tom laughed to Ash's view.
"Speaking of Pokémon," Sarah sneered. "Can we see who else you have?" Ash remembered his promise.
"Sure!" He threw up three red/white balls into the air. "Come on out, guys!" The balls opened and light emitted from them. The lights became three creatures. One was a light blue frog with a dark blue stripe, yellow eyes and mane of white bubbles. One was an orange bird with black and yellow wings and a gray underbelly. There were some small yellow feathers around its black eyes and a black tail to go with the black beak. The last was a red bird/human-like hybrid with a green head and orange feathers donned like hair. It had a red wings like a cape with green feathers inside. Its chest was red while the torso was white. "These are who I have: Froakie…"
("Greetings!") the frog croaked.
"Fletchinder…"
("How's it going?") the orange bird cawed.
"And Hawlucha."
("¡Hola!") the hybrid acknowledged. The boys became excited as Peyton got to Froakie, Tom to Hawlucha and Fletchinder flew to Kaz.
"I'm a big fan of Mipedians," Peyton explained. "Froakie would benefit as one." Froakie blinked in confusion.
("What's a Mipedian?") it croaked. Tom watched Hawlucha as he began posing different stances.
"I can see you showing your skills in intimidation," he giggled.
("Want to see my moves to be sure?") sneered Hawlucha. Kaz petted Fletchinder on the underbelly, feeling warmth.
"So, this must be your source of heat," he awed. "I'd say you and Takinom would get along nicely… if she had anything nice."
("Who is it?") cawed Fletchinder. Sarah wasn't as pleased as the other three.
"You guys can marvel at these creatures," she scoffed before picking Pikachu from Ash's shoulder. "I'll stick with this little guy." A noise of more young women echoed as they awed the new player and the Pokémon. One bleached brunette came up to Hawlucha.
"Can I try some of those poses with you?" she asked. On cue, Hawlucha and the brunette did numerous poses together. One blond girl came to Froakie and picked him up.
"So if I kiss you," she wondered. "Will you turn into a handsome prince?" Froakie wasn't sure how to handle that question. Another robot zoomed to meet Ash.
"There you are, Pokéotic," it computed in a British accent. "Your first match is scheduled… It will be in the Imthor Drome." Ash seemed taken aback by the announcement.
"That's fast," he gulped. A raven-haired girl clutched Ash's arm with her arms.
"I can bring you there!" she wished. A white-haired teenager pulled Ash's other arm.
"No, let me!" she denied. The raven-haired wasn't giving Ash up that easily.
"ME!"
"NO, ME!" Other girls also wanted to escort Ash to the Drome. A huge pile of bodies climbed into Ash before Tom and Hawlucha pulled him from the bottom.
"This way!" he yelped. "I'll get you there!" When the girls finally peeled themselves off each other, Ash had disappeared. On a monorail, Ash and Tom got to taking deep breaths.
"Those girls can be endless!" groaned Ash.
"That's for sure!" After a minute, Tom got to Ash's attention. "Okay, you're going into a Chaotic battle. It's not gonna be the same as Pokémon battles, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Chaotic battles vary on how long the battles last. Heck, Kaz and I tried to do a 105-creature battle." Ash gawked to the amount.
"105!?"
"Relax… right now, you're only gonna be in a one-on-one. Anyone new to Chaotic has that. Now you'll need to know that you'll need to pick your creature, a Battlegear, a mugic and some locations. I know you got some from the Codemasters for a starter deck. Don't tell me what ones you're gonna pick. There will be dials to help decide those cards."
"I still want to check what's in my deck. I'm sure I can win with anything. So when I check my creature, what's next."
"Your Battlegear come next." Ash looked a little startled.
"Battlegear?"
"Weapons or devices to help your creature. Only one Battlegear per creature." Ash found a comparison and wanted to share with Tom.
"I get it, like a Bone Club for Cubone or Marowak or a Sharp Beak for Fletchinder or another Flying-Type Pokémon." This astonished Tom about the comparison.
"Let's stick with Chaotic. Pokémon can come later. After that, you can select your Mugic. Keep in mind that there are creatures who can't use Mugic. If you don't see any heptagons or counters above your selected creature, no Mugic."
"Selection must be important, huh?"
"It is. Last is Location. You're allowed to select ten Location cards which can be crucial to where you may end up." The monorail reached its stop before Ash stepped off. They gazed at a giant yellow structure with a giant white tarp on top.
"So… this is Imthor Drome." Ash turned back to Tom as the door closed.
"I'm heading back to the PortCourt. I'll see you after your match."
"Thanks!" The monorail left and Ash took a deep breath. He entered the Drome where someone expected him.
"So, you're the new kid on the block," a brunette young man spoke up. He wore a green t-shirt with "00" printed and gray shorts. "Welcome to Chaotic. This is your first match, I hear." Ash nodded to the assumption. "I go by Tartareker. What about you?" Ash stood straight up.
"I'm Ash Ketch-"
"No, no, I mean your code name!" Realizing his mistake, Ash corrected himself.
"I'm Pokéotic!" Tartareker nodded to the name.
"Pokéotic… I needed some originality. I saw you come with MajorTom. He gave you some pointers in how we do these matches?"
"He did… though I'm more self-taught than anything." Tartareker scoffed to the notion before he put his blue scanner on a stand. A green screen emerged. Ash copied with a screen of his own appearing. Near his hip were four dials: blue, white, purple and green. He reached the blue dial and spun it. He eyed the card shown in awe. 'I can use this…' He moved the card to a slot before turning the white dial. A white card turned up with a rifle-modeled flamethrower, named "PYROBLASTER." 'This is Battlegear… but I'm gonna want something than Pyroblaster.' Seeing the Battlegear he wanted, Ash slid the card to the same slot as his creature. He turned the purple dial. A card emerged which looked like branches holding three floating spheres in place. 'This is Mugic, I see…' Before he could touch the card, he looked above the creature card. There was nothing above it. 'Oh no… he doesn't have a heptagon! Do I switch for one?' A second to think, Ash shook his head. 'I've got skill and luck on my side. I'll be fine.' Then, he began to turn the green dial and without thought, filled the spinner below the display.
"You done?" Ash backed away before a new voice took over.
"PLAYERS… LOCK YOUR DECKS!" it computed.
"It's the red button on the top of your scanner," Tartareker informed. Both hit the red buttons in which the screens got wider. Tartareker's eyes widened at Ash's creature: a lion/man hybrid wearing steel plates on his left shoulder and legs. "You've gotta be kidding! Tangath Toborn, Overworld General? You've got Tangath Toborn, Overworld General?" Back in the PortCourt, Tom, Sarah, Kaz, Peyton and the Pokémon saw Ash's creature and Tartareker's creature, a spike-shelled turtle wielding a staff.
"Ash has Tangath Toborn, Overworld General?" gawked Tom. "How!?"
"That's sweet!" an excited Peyton cheered. "Ash is pulling out the surprises!"
"And to think, the surprises are just starting," Kaz warned. The Pokémon decided to watch as Ash saw the turtle card, the name "TARTAREK."
"That's an awesome creature you have," he complimented. "Tartarek looks like some of my Pokémon I have back home." Tartareker laughed to the comparison.
"Well, I'm not called Tartareker without Tartarek," he replied. "Now, get ready for the battle." Ash nodded as the voice in the Drome spoke back up.
"POKÉOTIC, SINCE THIS IS YOUR FIRST BATTLE," it computed. "YOU WILL BE THE ATTACKER. SPIN THE LOCATION RANDOMIZER." There was one dial Ash found under the display.
"Here we go…" he prepared. He flung his arm, spinning the wheel and multiple pictures emerged. The pictures began to slow down.
"THE LOCATION: THE RIVERLANDS," it registered. The card showed a large flowing river below a cliffside.
"Now, you gotta declare you attack and press your card," Tartareker explained. Ash nodded before one more deep breath.
"Tangath Toborn, Overworld General attacks Tartarek!" he announced. That's when both Ash and Tartareker touched their creature cards. Before long, Ash transformed. No longer human, he had taken form of Tangath Toborn. Opening his eyes, he felt weird as his Pokémon gawked in surprise.
("WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?") they gasped.
"Well, here's his first experience," Sarah advised. Ash, or Tangath Toborn, couldn't believe his transformation.
"What's going on?" he wondered, now sounding older and gruff. "I feel fuzzy…" That's when he saw what he became. "Correction: I am fuzzy! But what the heck!? I got armor, I got claws, I got…" He pulled his new tail around to see it. "A tail? Really?" Suddenly, the scene shifted to the Riverlands which Tangath observed: a gorge with the sparking rivers flowing between the two lands. "This is the first time I've been here… yet it feels… nostalgic…" That's when he sensed something and turned. Tartarek aimed a jump kick at Tangath. He dodged Tartarek's attack.
"Thought I'd catch you while adjusting to your form," he croaked. "So, how does it feel to be a creature? I heard you brought some from your world and kinda want to see them." Tangath grinned to the notion.
"Suddenly, I should appreciate them more than before." Tangath raced in to claw Tartarek but the turtle's staff blocked the attack. Tartarek swept his staff but Tangath leaped over and countered with a pounce. Tartarek ducked out of the way before pounding the ground. The pound caused shockwaves and caused Tangath to lose balance and fall over. It created a chance for Tartarek as he soared to clock Tangath in the head. The lion jerked his head and let the staff glance off his shoulder plate. An opening, Tangath connected an uppercut to Tartarek, knocking the turtle onto his shell. However, Tartarek completed the roll and landed near the river. "Like I said…" Tartarek brushed off the strike.
"Not bad, but it may take more than a few scratches to get to me." He fired a volley of stones where Tangath leaped clear again. "Let me show you!" Tartarek fired vines that snagged Tangath's foot and threw him into the river. He followed up with another shockwave which stirred the water. Tangath resurfaced but got rocked by the small waves.
"Smart move making a small tsunami for Tangath Toborn to struggle in," Tom studied. "How's Ash gonna fair now?" Pikachu cheered for Ash to pull together.
("Don't give up, Ash!") he squeaked. ("Never give up until you try!")
"He's lost half his Energy in that combination by Tartarek!" pointed out Sarah. The screen showed Tangath Toborn's bar at 15 while Tartarek's bar stood at 30. Tangath dove back down and swam away.
"You can run, Tangath Toborn," Tartarek taunted as he scanned the river. "But I still have Mugic on my side, unlike you." Tangath surfaced before he ran into a cavern and began to collect his thoughts. Ash studied the situation from in Tangath's head.
'He's right,' he believed. 'I still have my Battlegear but he's got a Mugic that could turn things around. How can I attack?' Without warning.
'Don't give up until you try!' echoed Serena. Ash gritted his mind.
'I know, Serena!' he growled. 'But this isn't a Pokémon battle.' That's when he had a glimpse, an idea. '…Or is it? I know I got some moves on hand.' Tartarek found Tangath and swung his staff but the lion blocked it with his shoulder again before his back was to the wall.
"Let's see you like this!" he roared as he punched the wall, more shockwaves rattling.
"No wonder I required the Ring of Na'arin for this!" grunted Tartarek as he escaped. It seemed Tangath trapped himself.
"Perfect setup!" Suddenly, the entrance cleared with one punch and with an image of a lion's head emerging. Tartarek withdrew into his shell to minimize damage. While Tartarek looked fine, his Energy took a hit, now down to 25.
"It's comeback time for Ash!" guessed Tom. Tartarek emerged from his shell and not too happy.
"I suppose I've been soft," he grunted. "Now, allow me to turn the tables…" The screen showed a heptagon moving to another in a circle. "Hymn of the Elements, grant me the power to turn the tide!" After the heptagons disappeared, a shine rained on Tartarek. He was now glowing blue. "Water… makes perfect sense, and with the Riverlands, I can regain as much Energy as I need." To prove it, he jumped toward the river before firing a wave at Tangath. Instead of jumping clear, Ash sliced the wave with a large sword and charged at Tartarek.
"The Sword of Khy'at!" informed Peyton. "This is it!" Tangath's arm grew before grabbing and tossing Tartarek to the sky.
"You may have gained the Element of Water… but you're the one all wet!" He nailed Tartarek with a heavy slice before the turtle slammed into another cave and bounced before the entrance caved in and crushed him, a blast of digits flying out. Tartareker emerged first before Tangath.
"How?" he wondered. A few seconds later, Tangath Toborn reverted back to Ash. He staggered a little but stood up. The PortCourt cheered wildly for Ash.
"THE VICTOR OF THIS MATCH: POKÉOTIC," the voice registered as Ash looked up. Different shapes orbited around an oval object as Tartareker came to meet Ash.
"That was some first battle, Pokéotic… or Ash," he praised.
"You were tough, too, Tartareker," Ash offered back.
"Call me Brad." The crowd cheered as the match issued a silver circle with outer layers. Ash and Brad left the Drome to where Ash pumped his fist.
"That… was… incredible…" Ash may have found himself in Chaotic. What could that symbol on the screen mean? What else could Chaotic offer?
TO BE CONTINUED...
(For those who are wondering, I have closed the Zelda poll in place of the now Disney poll. While it was close, the deciding game has plenty of ideas in place while I'm planning on ideas for the other. So, what do you think should be the next Disney crossover you want me to write. If you have any suggestions, you can PM me about it. Also stay tuned late in September as I list for "The 12 Elements of AshMas, Volume 8," coming after Thanksgiving.)