Indomitable Spirit-

Disclaimer: I don't own: the Pokémon franchise, NCIS: Los Angeles, Naruto, Bleach, or any other series, movie, or franchise I may reference or borrow from.

I do own: my OCs, my original moves (sometimes), and my shotgun. Lawyers beware!

Movement 03: OpenClose Doors

Chapter Theme: Clavar la Espada [Bleach OST 3]

Hikaru's Theme: Misirlou by Dick Dale and his Del-Tones [Pulp Fiction Soundtrack]

Cynthia's Theme: The Green Leaves of Summer by Nick Perito [Inglourious Basterds Soundtrack]

Sableye's Theme: Crane/White Lightning by RZA/Charles Bernstein [Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack]

-Shima Gai, Sinnoh Champion's Residence, 2:45 PM-

Cynthia closed the door of the study behind her, then turned to face her two visitors. "Okay, so what's this all about?"

Misty, never one to beat around the bush, answered. "Satoshi."

Cythnia's eyebrows rose slightly, but she did not interrupt. The redheaded former Gym Leader continued. "We're trying to find out more about him."

"You know as much as I do," replied the blonde Champion, "Actually, considering you've both spoken to him directly, you probably know more."

"True, but Satoshi is a conundrum wrapped in a puzzle inside an enigma…clutching a Self-Destructing Voltorb. And you are the best person I know to deal with puzzles and mysteries."

Cynthia nodded, modestly accepting the compliment. "So, what do we know about Satoshi?"
Sabrina began counting off on her fingers. "He has extremely strong pokémon, he seems to possess inhuman speed and strength, and he is capable of commanding his pokémon without speaking, as well as fully understanding Pokéspeech. When he commands his pokémon without speaking, he does not use any psychic or empathic link that I can detect, but the psychic signature of he and his pokémon seem to overlap with each other."

"He claims his home is in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama, and he only has the four pokémon he has shown in the tournament. He seems rather friendly, and is a master battle strategist. Also," and here Misty paused, "When he signed up for the tournament, he exerted some kind of pressure onto everyone present. It was really hard to breathe, and some people passed out."

Cynthia's eyes widened at Misty's first statement, and her eyebrows arched at the last. "Really? The Kami-Kyoku no Yama? I don't even go there unless I want to have a really difficult training session. I can't even imagine living there. The pokémon that live there are extremely strong."

Misty nodded in agreement, but she wasn't expecting the next question.

"So how did you find that little detail out? It sounds like you know him personally."

For some reason, the redhead became extremely flustered. "W-What are you talking about? I only really talked with him after Max's match! W-We had lunch as a group!"
A mischievous grin appeared on the blonde's face as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh? Are you sure, Misty? It wasn't something…more?"

Misty's face turned as red as a certain pale-eyed-girl-whose-name-will-not-be-used-to-avoid-any-possible-lawsuits-even-though-all-the-readers-know-who-it-is. "NO! IT WASN'T ANYTHING LIKE THAT!"

The redheaded trainer's reaction brought a small smile to Cynthia's face. "It looks like you're finally making new friends, Misty."

The ex-Gym Leader stiffened, shock visible across her features as the realization struck her head-on. Without warning, memories of her time with Ash flooded to the front. After he had…gone, she had kept herself as far away from others as possible. She was mortally afraid of losing a single fragment of her time with the boy she had loved, mortally afraid that if she didn't guard herself, her memories of Ash would fade away and be replaced by newer experiences. And so, she had submerged herself into training on Mount Silver. The reasons behind her choice of Mount Silver were twofold. Ash had told her once that if he became the Champion, he would go and train on Mount Silver until someone else came to beat him. Training on Mount Silver was both her attempt to fulfill one of his goals in his stead and a way to keep herself in seclusion. It had made her strong, but at the same time, had closed her heart off to all but her close friends. Which was just the way she wanted it. That way, no one could ever hurt her like he did…

"-sty! Misty!"

The redhead was pulled out of her reverie by Cynthia's voice. "Are you okay? You looked like you blanked out for a moment there."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Misty shook her head back and forth, clearing it. "What were we talking about?"

"We we-"

"We were talking about Satoshi's powers," interjected Sabrina, shooting the Champion a warning glance, "and Cynthia said she had a couple ideas about sources she could check."

Misty nodded, unaware of Sabrina's white lie. "Good. Sabrina and I will see if we can get more information out of Satoshi. Supposedly his last match of the round robin bracket will be sometime late tomorrow, so we'll have an opportunity to talk to him then."

Cynthia nodded, already lost in thought as she sat down at her computer terminal, absently waving goodbye to both women. Familiar with the blonde's hyperfocus once she had a task to sink her teeth into, Misty and Sabrina let themselves out. Once outside the house, Misty said goodbye to her friend, saying that her second match was in a couple hours and that she wanted to decide on her pokémon. Sabrina nodded in understanding, and the two parted ways.

-Battle Area B3, 4:00 PM-

Misty casually strolled into the center of the small arena. Several such arenas had been constructed all over the island for the tournament. Generally, trainers would have their first battle in one of the large arenas, and then would fight the remainder of their battles in the smaller arenas. Sometimes, a trainer who was making waves would be assigned a major field, but this was more for the sake of drama than anything else. Charles Goodshow, while an extremely intelligent businessman, had a large taste for the melodramatic, but no harm ever came of it. It kept viewers interested, and made things interesting for the trainers.

Either way, Misty had no issues with battling in smaller arenas. Sometimes the roar of the crowds gave her a headache, so the relative quiet of a minor battle area was welcome.

Battle Area B3 was no bigger than your average battle area, and had seating for only about 200 people. Compared to the whopping 150,000 seats in Terra Stadium, it was downright puny. It also meant that the referee didn't have to scream at the top of his lungs to be heard.

"This match between Misty Waterflower and Nakamura Souta will now begin! The battle type will be one on one!"

The redheaded trainer took a moment to glance back at her opponent. Dressed in simple, practical clothes, the only indications that Nakamura Souta was a Trainer were the pokéballs on his belt, the League Cap he wore, and…

Misty almost gasped out loud. Riding on the young boy's shoulder was a small yellow mouse, slightly smaller than the one on her own. The youth looked absolutely nothing like him, but the sight of the Pikachu and the cap was enough. For a moment, she was facing off against Ash and his Pikachu. Then the memory was gone, and she was back in the present. Shaking her head, she reached down to her own belt, selecting a pokéball. She expanded it to full size, and would have thrown it, but her opponent's next words froze her in place.

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

The voice was completely different, but the confident tone and sheer energy of the command were exactly the same.

Without warning, something in Misty shattered. Her expression radiated an icy fury, and emotions that she had done her hardest to suppress for six years flooded outward.

Pain.

Anger.

Loss.

Sorrow.

A violent gust of air exploded through the arena, originating from Misty, and blasting out in all directions.

In the stands, a hooded observer's eyes widened.

'This is…!'

The gust of wind died down, and the redheaded trainer slowly lowered her hand, placing the pokéball she was holding back onto her belt. Both the referee and her opponent looked at her in confusion.

"Unless Miss Waterflower sends out her pokémon within the next fifteen seconds, she will lose this match by forfe-"

Misty's hand blurred.

"Kudakero (shatter), Shin Kamen!"

In a flash of light, Misty's Marowak exploded onto the field, club of bone at the ready. The referee made a sound suspiciously like a Delibird squawk, but recovered himself quickly.

"Both Trainers ready! Begin!"

"Pikachu, use Agility!"

"Shin, use Double Team."

The ex-Gym Leader's first command was cold, but held a rage to match an angry Gyarados.

A large number of illusory Marowaks appeared on the field, moving toward their solitary foe. In response, the yellow mouse focused, and became a blur. Compared to most of Misty's pokémon, it was slow, but it was still fast enough for Pikachu to destroy the army of false Marowak. The real Marowak suddenly threw up its club, intercepting the electric-type's tail just before it came down on its skull. The two pokémon deadlocked for a moment, then Marowak surged its strength forward, forcing its opponent back. Pikachu rapidly backed off, and the two pokémon began circling each other, both trainers watching for an opening.

"Shin, use Flamethrower."

"Pikachu, protect yourself with Thunderbolt!"

As the blast of fire approached the yellow mouse, the electric rodent began to spin on the ground, emitting a thunderbolt at the same time. The end result was a wall of electricity that completely nullified Marowak's attack.

Misty displayed no visible change in her icy expression, but inside she was boiling with rage. 'HOW DARE HE USE ASH'S MOVES! WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?'

Satoshi twitched slightly. 'Such rage! Where was she hiding these emotions?'

The hooded trainer reached down to his belt, unclipping and releasing his Lucario. The pokémon looked confused for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock.

Master, this aura…

The trainer nodded. 'It seems that Miss Waterflower has some interesting abilities.'

"Shin, use Bone Rush!"

"Pikachu, block with Iron Tail!"

The yellow mouse barely got its tail up in time to counter the savage bone attack. Not even giving her opponent a moment to rest, Misty followed through on her previous command.

"Follow up his block with Low Kick!"

"Dodge it, then use Flash!"

A scything leg swept under the Pikachu, who leapt upward to avoid the blow, before releasing a blinding burst of light. The Marowak paused, momentarily disoriented, as the yellow mouse landed back on its feet a few meters away.

"Use Rollout while it's blinded!"

The Pikachu tucked itself into a ball, and rolled towards its opponent, rapidly picking up speed.

"Shin, dodge it!"

The Marowak's vision returned a second too late. The speeding yellow ball slammed into the Bone Keeper pokémon, knocking it to one side.

A small part of Misty that wasn't furious at her opponent grudgingly admitted that despite his age, Souta was a very good Trainer.

The rolling Pikachu curved around, accelerating toward Marowak again.

"Shin, dodge to one side, let him pick up some more speed!"

Unhindered by bad vision, Marowak easily sidestepped the attack, oddly reminiscent of a Taurosfighter spinning out of the way of a maddened charge. Once again, the yellow mouse looped around before it could hit the wall, now traveling fast enough to leave a furrow in the ground behind it.

"Use Mega Kick as he gets closer!"

Obediently, the Ground-type focused energy into its leg, every muscle in its body tense as the Pikachu sped towards it. Closer…and closer…and…

"NOW!"

The Marowak's foot lashed out, hitting the yellow ball in a strike very much like a professional soccer player taking a penalty kick. The electric mouse flew in the other direction, and slammed into the wall opposite Marowak.

"PIKAAAA!"

The Pikachu flopped to the ground, its breath coming in short, painful gasps.

"Pikachu!"

Souta looked agonized at the sight of his friend in pain. "Pikachu, are you okay?"

The yellow mouse was still for a moment, then slowly forced itself to its feet. Its cheeks sparked in anger as it glared at the Marowak and its trainer. "Pi!"

Souta's look of determination returned, and he called his next attack with a confident smirk. "Use Iron Tail!"

The electric type blurred forward, coming back into focus immediately above Marowak's head.

"Counter that with Iron Head!"

The ground type's bone-covered skull glowed white a split second before Pikachu's tail came down on it. The attacks collided in a shower of sparks as the two pokémon struggled to overpower the other's attack. Misty was the first to break the deadlock.

"Use Bone Club!"

"Jump backwards, then use Focus Punch!"

Marowak swung its weapon forward, only for the target of the attack to flip back several meters. Immediately, Marowak made to press the attack, but stopped short at a word from Misty. "Hold!"

Souta was not the only one confused by the redheaded trainer's order. A large part of the audience also began murmuring amongst themselves.

"She's letting him hit her with a Focus Punch?"

"If it was Slam or another Iron Tail I would understand it, but Focus Punch?"

"Is she trying to lose now?"

Satoshi grinned under his hood. 'So that's what she's going to do…Very clever.'

Misty ignored the audience's reaction, instead focusing on her battle. "Shin, get ready!"

A second later, Souta's pokémon finished charging its attack, and shot forward, its forepaw glowing with energy. The Pikachu reached its target in an eyeblink, rearing back to deliver the match-ending blow.

"Use Counter!"

Before Souta even had time to process the redhead's command, it had been carried out. In one smooth movement, the Bone Keeper spun into the attack, dodging the punch by millimeters. In the same movement, Misty's pokémon swept Pikachu's legs out from underneath it, and delivered a savage strike with its club to the back of the mouse's head. The force of the blow, combined with the continuing momentum of the punch, propelled the yellow electric-type into the wall behind the Marowak. This time, Pikachu did not get up.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Misty Waterflower!"

Without another word, Misty returned her pokémon, turned, and stalked out of the arena.

-Several Minutes Later, Park near Battle Area B3-

The park was quiet, empty, and secluded. The only sounds aside from the gentle rush of water from the nearby stream were her own quiet breaths, as she sat on a bench by a still pool. In short, it was the very picture of tranquility. Within Misty, though, was a roiling maelstrom of pain and heartbreak. She had hoped that a walk in the park would clear her head, but all it had done was given her space to brood. On her shoulder, Pikachu was similarly distraught.

Both knew that they weren't the only ones to be hurt by Ash's death; they weren't that selfish. None of Ash's friends had been the same after that. Gary especially had taken his rival's death badly. He had taken three months off from the battle circuit, and had spent almost every day of it staring blankly at Ash's gravestone. Even now, he spent a huge amount of time at the quiet memorial to his best friend.

May and Dawn, even though they hid it fairly well, also felt the acute pain of loss. After the awful events on Mount Coronet, neither coordinator could bring themselves to enter a contest. They had eventually snapped out of their depression, but just like everyone else, they just weren't the same.

Max and Brock had thrown themselves into training. Max had competed in several League competitions, finishing fairly well in all of them. Brock had found a Master Pokémon Breeder, and had convinced the man to take him as a student. Neither of them allowed themselves enough time to think about their friend.

Surprisingly, the one person who handled Ash's death the best was his own mother. She had become the emotional anchor for the group of friends, brightening the room with her smile and cheerful demeanor. Even when she went out to tend to her son's empty grave, she hadn't stopped smiling. Delia Ketchum turned out to be stronger than anyone expected.

Misty chuckled sadly to herself. "I was never that strong, huh Pikachu? I still haven't really accepted that he's gone. Even six years later."

"Kapi, Pikachupi. Chuka pikachu chu."

Misty didn't respond to Pikachu's assurances, instead gazing out over the decorative pool.

'Ash…'

"I was wondering where you had run off to so quickly."

The voice made both Misty and Pikachu jump two feet into the air. The redhead spun around, her pokémon's cheeks already sparking. "Who-oh, it's just you, Satoshi."

The hooded trainer looked apologetic. "Gomennasai (Sorry). I interrupted a private moment, didn't I?"

The ex-Gym Leader shook her head, gracing Satoshi with a small smile. "No, I'm fine."

"You didn't look fine in the arena."

Misty blinked. "You watched that?"

"Your battle style interests me," the dark trainer answered, "But my point still stands."

He glanced at her, the space under his hood giving off a feeling of concern. "What did that poor trainer do to anger you so much?"

"No, it wasn't his fault. It's just…" the redhead took a deep breath. "He reminds me of…someone important to me."

Satoshi didn't say anything, merely waited for Misty to continue. She grudgingly obliged. "He was a very close friend of mine, years ago."

Now Satoshi chose to respond. "Was?"

"He…" Misty swallowed, trying to speak around the lump in her throat. "He died."

Satoshi's invisible eyebrows rose. "Ah. I see."

Misty continued to talk, the words now spilling out, like water from a broken dam. "He died saving my life, and my friends' lives. It wasn't even a sacrificial death. He just…died."

Satoshi was still silent, as Misty vented out emotions she had kept bottled and frozen for years. She had no idea why she was pouring out her innermost thoughts to this near-total stranger, but it was too late to stop herself now. "It's not fair! Why was he the only one who had to die? Why couldn't I have helped him? I could have saved him, or gone with him! Why did he have to be so selfish?"

"You loved him, didn't you?"

The quiet statement from Satoshi froze Misty in place. With one sentence, the hooded trainer had cut through all the confused feelings whirling through her heart, and exposed the root of her sorrow. The park was dead quiet for almost a minute, as the redhead's expression changed from shock, to realization, to sadness, and finally, to acceptance.

"Yes."

Satoshi once again was silent, as Misty's declaration hung in the air, thickening to an almost tangible density. For what seemed like hours, but was, in reality, only five minutes, the two trainers stood silently by the pond, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Satoshi broke the silence.

"Did he feel the same way?"

Misty shrugged. "I never found out, but at the very least, I think he saw me as a very close friend."

"Then, you spent a lot of time together?"

"Yeah." The redhead smiled fondly, remembering her time with Ash. Those years on the road with the aspiring trainer had been the best years of her life. The adventures, the battles, even the arguments they had; she couldn't remember a time when she had been happier.

Satoshi looked out at the pond, his voice subdued. "So, wouldn't he want you to be happy?"

Misty's eyes widened slightly. More memories floated to the surface: Ash running into town like an excited child, her laughing as Ash tried one more time to beat a game at a festival stand, she and Ash training against each other, Ash laughing when Squirtle missed his target and hit Misty instead…

Misty's smile grew, and she let out a breath that felt like she had been holding it for years. With the breath went an emotional weight that she had borne ever since Ash had died.

"Yes. Yes he would."

Next to her, Satoshi also smiled. With that one breath, the whole park had become radically different, even if it still looked the same.

'Such a vibrant aura…'

Abruptly, Satoshi shifted, turning to look directly at Misty. "So, do you think he would forgive you if you spent the afternoon with me?"

The ex-Gym Leader looked confused. "Huh?"

The hooded trainer continued. "I've actually never been to a festival like this one, and this is a festival that only happens every fifty years. Would you mind showing me around?"

Misty blushed a deep red. "A-are you hitting on me?"

At that, Pikachu jumped off of his trainer's shoulder, his cheeks sparking angrily. "Pikaaaaaaaa…" Even if Satoshi didn't understand Pokéspeech, he would have been able to understand the surprisingly menacing tone in the yellow mouse's warning.

Satoshi, also flushing red, started to wave his hands in front of him. "No, no, I-ah- I just wanted someone to give me a tour of the festival! I-If you don't want to, that's fine…"

The dark trainer trailed off toward the end of his sentence, looking away from the redhead. An awkward silence fell between the two, as neither of them found themselves able to make eye contact with the other. This time, it was Misty who spoke first.

"W-well, I…I think he would be fine with that. N-not the hitting on me part, I mean! Just the…um…spending time with y-you part."

After finishing that sentence, she blushed an even deeper red. Satoshi cleared his throat, then looked back at Misty, the space under his hood somehow blazing red. "S-so, I guess we should go now?"

Misty nodded, and both trainers relaxed slightly, before turning and leaving the park, carefully keeping just out of each other's reach.

-Several minutes later-

As they walked toward the main strip, the awkward barrier between Misty and Satoshi slowly dissolved, and they began conversing comfortably, discussing battles, comparing pokémon, and sharing stories of training in Mount Silver and in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama. Misty almost couldn't believe Satoshi's stories of Gyarados the size of lakes, or of Steelix tunnels fifty feet wide. When she asked how he could possibly survive in such wild regions, the dark trainer simply shrugged and said "My pokémon are strong. To stay alive, we all had to be."

Currently, however, the two trainers were arguing over whether Gyarados or Charizard was stronger. Misty, obviously, was in favor of Gyarados, while Satoshi was backing Charizard.

"There is no way Charizard is stronger than Gyarados!"

"Totally the other way around!"

"Tauros-crap! Gyarados has the type advantage! Charizard wouldn't last a chance in a straight up fight!"

"Yeah, but can Gyarados actually fly? For a Flying type, it certainly seems earthbound! And Charizard is way faster, too! Gyarados would never hit!"

Misty and Satoshi were now facing each other, faces (or hood, in Satoshi's case) inches apart, glaring venomously at each other. Neither was backing down, as they continued their surprisingly immature argument.

"And I'm the Sinnoh Champion! Charizard would never be able to get through Gyarados' defense!"

"When Grumpigs fly! I've taken down dozens of Gyarados with just Sorahime, and we didn't even break a sweat!"
"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"OH YEAH?"

"YEAH!"

"PIKA-CHUUUUUU!"

The two trainers were interrupted by an annoyed Thunderbolt from Pikachu, who had quickly gotten tired of the standoff. "Pikachupi, pi pikachu pika pi pikachu!"

Misty and Satoshi both looked around. True to what the yellow mouse had said, several passersby were staring at them. They quickly separated, wearing Mareepish smiles.

"Heheh…truce?"

"Mm."

Their argument ended, the two trainers continued onward to the festival.

Several seconds after they departed, a smaller shadow detached itself from the shadow of a nearby building, and silently followed them.

-At the Pokémon Center-

Hikaru was bored. There was no other way to say it. He was currently lying on the grass in one of the training grounds next to the center, watching as Max battled against Brock in preparation for his next match. It was the middle of the afternoon, and Hikaru felt like he should be doing something, instead of just lying on the ground.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"

"Sudowoodo, counter it with Rock Throw!"

"Cut through it, then use Ha Senkou!"

Hikaru watched as the Grass-type easily bisected the incoming boulder. As the two halves of the missile struck the ground, Sceptile disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing behind the Rock-type as the light faded. Neither pokémon moved, until Sudowoodo fell forward, knocked out. Max punched the air in celebration. "Way to go, Sceptile!"

Brock shook his head at the young Trainer's antics. "Nice job Sudowoodo." The tanned ex-Gym Leader returned his friend to its pokéball, then turned to Max. "That was much better Max. Sceptile seems to get better at that move every time he uses it."

Max nodded. "Yeah, but Sceptile has the type advantage against Sudowoodo. I need to be able to use that move even when I have a disadvantage."

Brock shrugged. "As much as I'd like to help with that, most of my pokémon are Rock-Types. I don't have any pokémon with the advantage over Grass-types. Misty does though, so once she comes back from her match, maybe you can ask her to spar with you."

Max looked annoyed. "Her battle was one-on-one, it should have ended twenty minutes ago!"

The Hoenn native crossed his arms, a resentful frown on his face. "Besides, she also said she would have a sparring session with me today. She should be back by now."

The breeder-in-training shrugged again. "Guess you're just gonna have to wait, Max. There's no one else here to battle."

"What about me?"

Max and Brock both turned towards Hikaru, who had jumped up onto his feet, and was tossing a pokéball up and down in his left hand. "I can battle you. I'm bored anyway."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Hikaru?"

The redhead youth grinned confidently. "Don't start looking down on me just because I'm younger than you!"

The older boy grinned back. "Alright then. Let's go!"

The two trainers faced each other, with Brock standing between them, acting as referee. "Max, do you mind choosing first?"

"Nope!" Max plucked a pokéball off his belt, expanding and hurling it in one motion. "Buzz, Ninjask!"

In a flash of light, the Bug/Flying type pokémon materialized on the field, ready for battle. In response, Hikaru eagerly released his own pokémon. "Take 'em down, Sableye!"

Hikaru's companion appeared, already in combat stance. "Last chance to back down, Max," Hikaru announced, still grinning in anticipation. "Want to give up?"

Max scoffed. "In your dreams."

Brock stepped backward. "Begin!"

"Ninjask, use Swords Dance!"

"Sableye, use Psych Up!"

The pokémon complied, Ninjask performing the familiar war dance, raising its attack. Sableye, having hypnotized itself, mimicked its opponent. Max frowned. Hikaru had just effectively countered his traditional battle strategy with Ninjask. Usually, Max would use a combination of Agility, Swords Dance, and Ninjask's Speed Boost ability to raise Ninjask's speed until the opponent had almost no chance of hitting it, then taking them apart with its boosted attack. With Psych Up, though, Sableye would copy every stat change Ninjask made. "Ninjask, use Screech, then follow up with Metal Claw!"

The Ninja pokémon let out a piercing shriek, causing Sableye to cringe and place its hands over its ears in an attempt to block out the noise. Taking advantage of that opportunity, Ninjask shot forward, landing a direct blow on the Ghost/Dark type with its glowing forelimbs. Sableye fell backward with a cry of pain, but shot back to its feet a second later.

"Counterattack with Shadow Claw!"

"Block it with X-Scissor!"

The Darkness pokémon swiped at Ninjask with claws imbued with supernatural energy, but was blocked by Ninjask's crossed arms. The two attacks deadlocked for a moment, before Ninjask's slightly more powerful attack broke through its opponent's guard, causing damage and knocking Sableye backward again. This time, it took it several seconds to get up.

"You okay, Sableye?"

"Sable!"

Hikaru grinned. "Now, use Zen Headbutt!"

Psychic energy gathered around Sableye's head, and it leaped towards Ninjask.

Max pointed at Sableye. "Now, Ninjask, use Shadow Ball!"

The Bug/Flying type charged the packet of malicious energy, then fired it at its target. The Shadow Ball struck the incoming pokémon, dissipating the type-disadvantaged headbutt. The remaining Ghost energy struck Sableye in the head. Hikaru called his next attack, frustration evident in his voice. "Sableye, use Multi Shadow Ball!"

The swarm of Ghost-type attacks blasted from between Sableye's hands, rocketing toward Ninjask at amazing speeds. Immediately, Max announced his countermove. "Use Silver Wind!"

Max's pokémon began rapidly beating its wings, generating gusts infused with crescents of energy. The attack met with the barrage of Shadow Balls, canceling them out completely. Hikaru growled under his breath. Max was running circles around him. 'I need a way to get inside his guard…' The redheaded trainer almost slapped himself as he realized what he had to do. 'I should have figured this one out sooner!'

"Ninjask, use X-Scissor again!"

The Ninja pokémon's arms glowed white, and it shot towards the tired Sableye. Hikaru smirked. "Sableye, use Fire Sneak!"

Max's eyebrow rose in confusion. He hadn't ever heard of a move like that.

Just before Ninjask reached the Darkness pokémon, Sableye disappeared from sight. An eyeblink later, it appeared out of Ninjask's shadow, its fist alight with red-orange flames. By the time Ninjask realized what had happened, it was too late to dodge. With a harsh cry, Ninjask was knocked backward, almost crashing into the ground. Max, concerned for his pokémon, cried out. "Ninjask, are you alright?"

The Flying/Bug-type shook itself to clear its head. "Nin!"

The Hoenn trainer turned back to his opponent, determination sparking in his eyes. "Ninjask, use Aerial Ace!"

"Sableye, use Thunder Sneak this time!"

Again Ninjask charged at his opponent, and again Sableye disappeared, reappearing in Ninjask's blind spot to slam an electrically charged fist into the Ninja pokémon. Max gritted his teeth. This was a total turnaround situation. Instead of him running rings around Hikaru, the eleven-year-old was now dominating the battle. If he was going to retake the advantage, Max realized, he would have to find a counter for those shadow techniques.

"Ninjask, use Mind Reader, then go after Sableye with X-Scissor!"

Max's pokémon closed its eyes for a moment, as if meditating, then reopened them. A split second later, it charged towards its opponent. Hikaru blinked, surprised. "A frontal attack again? Fine by me! Sableye, finish it with Thunder Sneak!"

As Ninjask reached Sableye, the Darkness pokémon disappeared again, reappearing behind Ninjask, ready to deliver another crippling blow. All of a sudden, the Bug/Flying type wheeled around, and delivered its own attack directly to the body of the stunned Sableye. While the purple-colored pokémon was still reeling from the attack, Ninjask backed out, giving itself some distance. Hikaru gaped, but recovered himself, clenching his fist. Sableye had landed some good hits, but the punishment it had taken early in the match was catching up to it. On the other hand, the two attack he had landed had done massive damage to Ninjask. As a result, both pokémon were panting, although neither looked prepared to give in. The redheaded trainer looked back at Max, both of them realizing that the next attack would be the last.

"Sableye, use Shadow Claw!"

"Ninjask, use X-Scissor!"

The two pokémon blurred towards each other, both reading their attacks. A moment later, they reappeared, having followed through on their attacks, with their backs to each other. Several seconds passed, then, at the same time, both pokémon collapsed, unconscious.

"Neither pokémon is able to continue battling! This match is declared a tie!"

Hikaru and Max both returned their pokémon, offering words of gratitude for their efforts, before approaching each other, smiling as they shook hands.

"That was a good match, Hikaru," complimented Max, "You almost had us with those Sneak attacks. I'm guessing you combined Thunder and Fire Punches with Shadow Sneak?"

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, we've been working on that for a long time. But you found a counter for that, so it still needs work."

Max laughed, shaking his head. "Not unless you can find a way to completely block out all thoughts. I just used Mind Reader, so Ninjask knew where Sableye would be before he moved."

"Yeah, I guess I'll just have to avoid using that attack against pokémon that can read minds," Hikaru remarked, rubbing the back of his head.

The two trainers walked off the field to take a break, still discussing the tactics of their battle. Their conversation was interrupted by May, who ran up to her brother, a smile on her face. "Hey, guys, are you doing anything right now?"

Hikaru and Max both shook their heads, wondering what the sudden feeling of danger was coming from. The older Maple sibling beamed. "Great! That means we can all go to the festival together!"

May grabbed her brother's hand, dragging him with her. For a few seconds, Hikaru felt relieved that he had dodged that bullet…until Dawn appeared out of nowhere, seizing his wrist in a similar vicegrip to the one that May had on Max. Before either trainer could protest, the girls had whisked them away.

-15 Minutes Later, Festival-

"How did we get roped into this again?" wondered Max, as he and Hikaru were dragged to yet another stand by the enthusiastic older girls.

"Because we were too pathetic to put up a fight when they dragged us out," deadpanned Hikaru.

"Aww, look at that Eevee plushy! It's so cuuute!"

"Look at that Buneary one! So adorable!"

Both boys sweatdropped. "Are they…always this…"

"Creepy?" finished Max. Hikaru nodded. Max gave him a shrug. "Not usually. This is actually the worst it gets."

"Ooh, May, look at that Riolu costume!"

"Yeah, it's really cute, but who would we get to wear…"

The girls turned towards Hikaru, an omninous glint in their eyes, and grins that belonged in D-Gray Man. "Hikaru?"

"Yeah, Max?"

Max took one last look at May and Dawn. They were now moving slowly towards the boys, who were moving backward at the same pace. "RUN!"

Hikaru and Max turned and took off like Golbats out of hell, closely pursued by the girls.

"Come on, Hikaru! We promise it won't hurt!"

"NEVER!"

-Several Minutes Later-

"Whoa, baby carriage at 12 o'clock!"

"Turn left!"

"Got it!"

The two boys shot around a corner, sprinting down an alley between two stands, weaving around crates in an attempt to throw off their pursuers. Their efforts were in vain, as May and Dawn were as relentless in their pursuit as a pair of Mightyenas.

"This-is-gasp-insane!" panted Hikaru, "How-gasp-how are they that FAST?"

"Less talking, more running!" shot back Max.

The fleeing boys rounded another corner, to enter the next street, and promptly skidded to a halt. A second afterward, May and Dawn also turned the corner, smashing into the unexpected obstacles, sending all four of them down into a disorganized heap.

"Oow!" groaned May, rubbing her forehead.

"What'd you stop like that for, you guys?" Dawn whined, getting up.

"Shh!" the boys hissed in tandem, "Look!"

Both girls turned toward where their former quarries were pointing.

"What the-!"

"Shh!"

-A Short Distance Away-

"Let's go to that one next!" exclaimed Satoshi, gesturing at one of the many booths lining the street.

Next to him, Misty sighed, shaking her head in amusement. Satoshi, who always seemed composed, if a bit goofy, was behaving almost exactly like a five- year-old would during a festival. 'On the other hand, he did say he had never been to a festival before, which makes sense. If he's telling the truth, he lived in the most dangerous mountains in the world for most of his life.'

Misty's inner monologue was interrupted by Satoshi's hand tugging on her arm, pulling her towards one of the stands, a goldfish-scooping game. Grinning from ear to ear, she explained how to play. 'It doesn't really matter. When he wants to, he'll share his story.'

"What the heck?" exclaimed Max, as he and the others watched Misty demonstrate the game to Satoshi. "What's going on here?"

May giggled. "Isn't it obvious? Misty and Satoshi are on a date!"

Hikaru and Max's jaws dropped at the brunette's statement. "N-no way…"

"Yes way!" Dawn countered, agreeing with her fellow coordinator. "Just look at how comfortable they are with each other!"

Max and Hikaru watched, dumbfounded, as Misty grabbed Satoshi's hand, guiding it evenly down into the water, making a pass at one of the goldfish. Even though the paper scoop missed the fish, neither the redhead nor the hooded trainer was discouraged, instead laughing together. This was the first time any of them had heard Satoshi laugh. It was a pleasant laugh, a cheerful tenor that conveyed the indescribable warmth that comes with genuine happiness. What shocked the small group of onlookers, however, was Misty. None of them could believe what they were hearing. It had been six years since they had heard Misty truly laugh like this, a clear soprano that was filled with the same warmth as Satoshi's. May, always slightly more mature than Dawn, was the first to recover from the shock. Smiling, she turned to her friend. "It's been a long time since we've heard that sound, hasn't it, Dawn?"

The blue-haired girl, realizing what May meant, nodded, the same smile stretching across her face. "Yeah. It looks like Misty finally found someone to help her move on."

The brunette's smile turned slightly sad. "Of all of us, she had the closest relationship with him. When-" May's voice died for a moment, before she cleared her throat. "When it happened, she took it the worst. I don't know if she blamed herself for it, or she blamed him for doing it. Whatever Satoshi did, she's finally opening up again."

Abruptly, both Dawn and May's eyes became slightly glazed over, as they fell into a daydream. "Sigh…If only I could find someone like that…"

Their simultaneous announcement brought sweatdrops from the two boys. 'What happened to the serious mood?'

Satoshi gave a triumphant shout as he finally succeeded in catching one of the goldfish. In a display of immaturity, he jumped up happily, pumping his fist into the air, drawing giggles from Misty. Her giggling was cut short when Satoshi held out the bag containing the fish to her.

"Wha-?"

Satoshi grinned under his cowl. "You're the one who showed me how to play the game. It seems fair that you'd get the prize."

Blushing slightly, but unable to refute her companion's honest logic, she accepted the proffered goldfish. With barely a moment's pause, Satoshi turned, setting off down the street toward the next stand that caught his eye. Misty stared after him for a moment, as the mystery of Satoshi became a little larger within her mind. On her shoulder, Pikachu poked her with his tail, trying to elicit a response. "Pikachupi, pi pika chupi ka?" (Misty, what are you thinking about?)

The redhead shrugged slightly. "Mostly about Satoshi. He really is impossible to figure out."

The yellow mouse grinned. "Chuuuu? Pi Pikachupi ka pichu ka?" (Ohhhh? Does Misty have a crush?)

Misty's face flushed red again. "I do not! We barely know each other. We're friends at the most!"

Her rant was interrupted by Satoshi's voice. "Come on Misty! Hurry up!"

The ex-Gym Leader shook her head, putting aside her pokémon's comments, and caught up to Satoshi.

"Should we follow them?" asked Max, as he and the others watched Misty and Satoshi depart.

"You know, as much as I want to find out what happens on this date, I feel like it wouldn't be right for us to spy on Misty," answered May. "Let's just let them be."

Dawn turned to her friend. "So now what do you want to do?"

May thought for a moment, before an evil smile appeared on her face. "Come to think of it, we still haven't gotten Hikaru to try on that Riolu costume…"

In unison, the girls turned back toward the young redhead. Max and Hikaru both felt a chill run down their spines at the gaze. Before anyone moved, Max released his Sceptile. "Hikaru, when I say run, you run." He whispered, as the boys slowly backed away.

A moment later, Max sprang into action. "Sceptile, use Flash!" As the blinding light flared, Max returned his pokémon, turned to the younger boy, who had shielded his eyes. "Hikaru, RUN!"

Both boys took off, leaving the still-blinded girls in the dust. A few seconds later, May and Dawn set off in pursuit.

"COME BACK HERE, HIKARU!"

-Two Hours Later-

Misty sighed contentedly as she and Satoshi walked side by side on the promenade, the late afternoon sun painting the ocean a brilliant orange. In her arms she held a Riolu plushy that Satoshi had won for her at one of the stands. When she asked him why he gave it to her, he just shrugged, saying that he didn't need a reason to give a friend a gift. Had she looked closer, she might have noticed a slight reddening of Satoshi's visible face, but she hadn't, and had taken his words at face value.

Lost in their own thoughts, neither Misty nor Satoshi noticed the man coming the other way until Satoshi ran into him.

"Hey!" growled the man, grabbing onto Satoshi's cloak, "Watch where you're going, punk!"

Satoshi didn't even flinch, despite the fact that the large baldheaded man was at least a head taller and 20 kilos heavier. However, Satoshi still offered a bow to the angry Biker. "Sumimasen, I wasn't paying attention. Please accept my apologies."

"You're damn right you're gonna be sorry!" the still-fuming man spat, glaring at Satoshi. Abruptly, his eyes found Misty, and a gleam appeared in them. "Well, well, what do we have here?" His eyes roved up and down Misty's figure, and he licked his lips. "What's a hot little thing like you doing with a piece of trash like this? Why don't you ditch this loser and let Big Dave show you a good time?"

Misty shuddered. This guy made her feel dirty, the way he stared at her. She was about to open her mouth to tell him to get lost, but Satoshi suddenly placed himself between them.

"Please," the hooded trainer began, "There's no need to bring her into this argument. She hasn't done anything to you, this is just between you and me."

"Fine by me," the large Biker sneered, pulling a pokéball from his belt, "I'll just humiliate you first! Go, Machamp!"

Satoshi still did not flinch, even when the towering mass of muscle that was Machamp appeared in front of him. He instead turned to Misty, an apologetic grin on his face. "Gomen, Waterflower-san, but I think you should give us some room."

Turning back to the belligerent man, Satoshi unclipped a pokéball, expanding it to full size. Glancing back at his opponent, the hooded trainer offered a slight bow, before straightening and addressing the Biker. "What battle type will you prefer, Dave-san?"

The bald man sneered. "We'll settle this like men, with a tandem battle!"

Satoshi cocked his head, puzzled. "I'm not familiar with that type of battle. May I ask what it is?"

"Satoshi!" Misty called from the sidelines, "A Tandem Battle is when the trainers fight each other, and their pokémon fight alongside them. It's fairly new, it was only invented in the past year, so you probably didn't hear about it where you were!"

"Hah!" snorted Dave. "Where have you been, under a rock?"

Satoshi grinned again, shrugging his shoulders. "Does it matter? Sengen, Hirumanai!" he called, tossing out his own pokéball. The light faded, revealing his Lucario to already be in battle stance. Satoshi himself did not take a stance, instead standing with one hand in his pocket, the other making a 'come on' gesture. "Watashi ni kuru!" (Come at me)

Dave laughed. "Alright then! I'll hit you with all I've got! Machamp, use Vacuum Wave!" As the Superpower pokémon swiped at the air, launching an airless pocket at its opponents, Dave surged forward, his massive fist rocketing toward the hooded trainer. Satoshi and his pokémon barely moved, allowing the attack to strike the ground immediately in front of them, launching a cloud of dust into the air. A second later, the Biker's fist struck where Satoshi was standing- and stopped dead. To both his shock and the shock of the onlookers, Dave could not move his fist. The dust cloud began to settle, as Dave continued to struggle to pull back his fist from whatever was gripping it, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead from the exertion. "Wha-What the hell is this?"

"So this is your full strength?" came Satoshi's voice from the dust cloud. "How disappointing."

A gust of wind startlingly similar to Misty's earlier outburst rushed outward from the dust, clearing it away.

Dave's jaw dropped, followed shortly by those of the crowd that had gathered. Satoshi hadn't moved, but was simply standing directly in front of the massive Biker, holding the man's huge fist in place…with just his thumb and forefinger.

"Wha-?"

The Ursaring-like man was interrupted by Satoshi's free hand drawing backward. "I can't use my full strength, but at the very least I'll show you some of my power." The cocked fist shot forward, slamming into Dave's gut. "Ao Shōgeki." (Blue Shock).

As the punch sunk into the Biker, Misty heard a dull thump, and a faint blue flare of energy erupted at the point of impact. At the same moment, Dave shot backwards, flying into his Machamp hard enough to knock them both back several meters. Ignoring the crunching sound of several dozen watchers' jaws hitting the ground simultaneously, Satoshi now dropped into a battle stance. "Get up, that wasn't nearly enough to finish you."

True to Satoshi's words, the Biker pushed himself to his feet, holding his gut in pain. "What kind of puch was that?"

Satoshi didn't answer, repeating his previous beckoning gesture. Growling, his opponent obliged, charging forward and launching his fist again at the hooded trainer. Once again, Satoshi caught the punch without effort, only for the Biker's other hand to come flying towards his face. Much to the surprise of the bystanders, Dave didn't look angry at all when his second punch was intercepted by Satoshi other hand. The reason for his smirk became clear a second later, as Dave grabbed Satoshi's hands with his own. "Machamp, use Bullet Punch!"

Misty couldn't help herself from gasping as the Fighting type launched the barrage of puches toward Satoshi's back. Even if Satoshi was stronger than any other person she'd ever met, a direct attack like that would cause massive harm to the hooded trainer. Her fears proved groundless, as a blue and tan blur shot between the trainer and the attacking pokémon. Before the Bullet Puch could even reach the new arrival, Machamp was blasted backward by a blazing foot, courtesy of the blur, which now resolved into Satoshi's Lucario. Misty sighed in relief. "Phew…"

Dave gritted his teeth as his favorite tactic was perfectly countered. "Grr…Machamp, use Focus Bl-Ugh!"

Dave's command was cut off by both of Satoshi's feet striking his chest like a charging Tauros. "Soshō Ao Shōgeki." (Twin Blue Shock).

In a similar fashion to the previous punch, a pair of small blue sparks flared at the point where each foot impacted the Biker's chest. This time, though, the impact sent him flying back nearly twenty meters. For several seconds, the audience was too shocked to even breathe. Eventually, the Biker struggled to his feet, doubled over in pain. Slowly, painfully, he staggered back toward Satoshi. "Pant…Pant…Ugh…what…what kind of monster are you?"

Satoshi did not answer, turning instead to another Biker nearby. "You know this guy?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, he does this sort of thing a lot."

"He might need to go to the hospital now. I avoided damaging any of his internal organs, but I'm pretty sure that last one broke a couple of his ribs. He probably shouldn't fight for the next several weeks."

"Like hell I'm giving up!" yelled Dave, fury etched across his face. "Machamp, use Focus Blast!"

Obediently, the Fighting type charged and released the incredibly powerful attack. Someone in the crowd screamed, and those in the immediate vicinity of Satoshi scattered, desperately trying to escape the oncoming devastation. Satoshi himself didn't budge an inch, dispassionately watching as the attack shot towards him. In a similar fashion, his Lucario showed no sign of moving, either to take the attack or flee from it.

"Ao Mukō." (Blue Void)

A translucent blue barrier sprang into existence in front of the attack just moments before it struck Satoshi. Misty flinched, expecting the barrier to either shatter or for the attack to explode against it. Much to her shock, it was neither. The attack struck the barrier…and disappeared. Satoshi looked back at Dave and his Machamp, who were wearing nearly identical expressions of disbelief. "Now that wasn't very polite, was it?" Satoshi chided, raising a hand toward his opponents. His hand curled into a fist, leaving only his index and middle fingers extended, aimed at the confused Biker and pokémon. At the tip of each finger, an orb of blue energy swirled into existence, no more than a centimeter wide.

In the shadows, a watching figure twitched. 'Is that….?'

"Ōra-kyū." (Aura Sphere)

Before either target could react, Satoshi fired the attack. The small marble-sized spheres pelted toward Dave and Machamp, striking them a fraction of a second later. The orbs detonated on impact, flinging both Dave and his pokémon back at least fifty meters, where they fell to the ground, unconscious. After a moment's pause, Satoshi turned, walking back towards Misty, his Lucario remaining a step behind him. Misty blinked as he offered her his arm. Blushing, she slipped her arm through his, and the two walked off, leaving a still-shocked crowd and a still-unconscious duo.

-Several Minutes Later-

"I must thank you for such a wonderful afternoon, Waterflower-san."

"No, the pleasure was all mine, Satoshi-kun. And please, call me Misty."

The two trainers stood facing each other outside the Pokémon Center where Misty was staying, the almost-gone sun turning the sky into a brilliant display of orange and pink.

Satoshi smiled happily. "Then, Misty-chan, thank you very much for spending time with me," he replied, bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing her fingers, an archaic gesture that made Misty flush deep red.

"Y-Yes, you're welcome."

Satoshi straightened, turning to leave. "Hopefully we can do it again soon. Sayonara, Misty-chan, Pikachu."

"Pika, Chukapi!"

Misty smiled as the hooded trainer turned a corner, disappearing from view. Sighing, she turned toward the distant ocean, looking at the sun's reflection on the water. "You wouldn't mind, would you Ash? You'd want me to be happy."

"Pi, Pikachupi." Agreed the yellow mouse, also smiling.

-A short distance away-

The shadow dashed across the rooftops, the fight he had witnessed still fresh in his mind. 'She needs to know about this as soon as possible.'

Hello again, everyone, and Happy New Year! Yes, it's me CracktheSkye! I'm so sorry this chapter took a long time, but school and other activities conspired to fill up my schedule, and I didn't have time to write this chapter until break. I'm also sorry this chapter is so short, and that it probably lacks much interest, but in the name of Plot Development, I had to include a fluff and character development chapter, and I have discovered something unfortunate: I SUCK at writing fluff. SUMIMASEN! SUMIMASEN! SUMIMASEN! *Bows head to floor*. So, this chapter is dedicated to aamlfan18, for encouraging me enough to get this chapter written. Arigatō gozaiimasu, 18-san! Next chapter, we'll get to see Satoshi's 5th Pokémon get introduced, plus more plot development, and, of course, battles. Thank you for visiting, please take a mint and leave a review on your way out! P.S.: Does anyone know how to include those awesome scene break lines? Fanfiction keeps deleting them from my uploads.

Ja ne!