Chapter Eight, uploaded right alongside Chapter Seven. Aren't double-uploads nice?


May struggled as hard as she could against Pidgeot's grip. "Let me down, Pidgeot!" she shouted.

"Pigeot," the bird Pokemon refused, shaking it's beautiful head from side to side.

"You have to take me back!" she pleaded. "I can't leave all of my friends behind!" In response, Pidgeot wheeled and began to fly back towards the Colosseum. May sighed with relief - Pidgeot was taking her back. Below, heading in the direction of Pallet, she suddenly saw a crowd of Tauros and an assorted mix of other Pokemon. She could see Max, Misty, Brock, Dawn, Delia, Professor Oak, Norman, Caroline, and three people she didn't know clinging tightly to the Tauros that they were riding on. She sighed again, this time with frustration. Pidgeot turned again, and headed back to Pallet Town, far outstripping the slower Tauros.

"Why did you do it, Ash?" she whispered to herself. "Why did you have to send everyone to Pallet, and stay behind?" She looked down at the half-ribbon she usually wore as a necklace under her shirt. A confusing jumble of emotions began to collect in her mind. Deep within, she realized that Ash had forced them all away because he cared about them. She knew that he wouldn't be able to battle Rayquaza for long if he was distracted by worry.

"Please be okay, Ash," she whispered. "I promise I won't be mad if you just come home safe."

Pidgeot stopped suddenly in mid-air. May gave a little shriek as she felt herself swing forwards in the air, but Pidgeot held her safely.

"What was that for?" she shouted up angrily.

"Pigeo..." Pidgeot responded, sounding almost in shock. May followed Pidgeot's gaze and gasped.

"Pidgeot, turn around," she ordered. "We've got to tell the others!"


Cynthia watched bitterly as the Rayquaza turned to face the seven Frontier Brains and the young Professor, grinding her fist into her palm in anger at her helplessness. . All of her Pokemon were out of the fight, and there was nothing more that she could do. She had bought Ash the time he needed to make sure that everyone got away safely. Now, it was time for her to leave, too.
Ash turned to his remaining seven Tauros. "Head back to Pallet Town," he told them. "Rey and her parents may have been in the crowd today, and they might need a ride back." As the Tauros stampeded off, Ash clutched at the half-ribbon he wore as a pendant. I hope you understand why I had to force you to go, he thought quietly. He felt his emotions begin to well up again, and was barely able to force them down; he needed to focus on the battle. The Rayquaza roared, and Ash looked up to see a massive Dragon Pulse roar down to meet them.

"Charizard, Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

"Arcanine, use your Fire Blast!" Tucker roared out. Charizard and Cyndaquil both shot forth a long stream of fire; Arcanine's star-shaped Fire Blast wrapped around them and the three melded attacks shattered burst apart the Rayquaza's powerful Dragon Pulse. "Excellent!" Tucker shouted. "Now Swampert, go after Totodile and Kingler; they'll need your Water Pulse!" The Swampert nodded and ran off on all fours in the direction that Totodile and Kingler had taken.

"Regice, use your Ice Beam!" Brandon told his Pokemon.

"Piloswine, Milotic, you too," Lucy ordered.

"Glalie, Icy Wind!" Ash commanded. The three separate Ice Beam's shot up into the sky, sped up by the Icy Wind, and struck Rayquaza; one in the chest, one on the tail, and one on the arm. Rayquaza roared in pain and reeled upwards as the Icy Wind then slammed into it, pellets of ice smashing against it's entire body.

Rayquaza dove downwards, hatred in it's eyes as it set off a barrage of Hyper Beam's.

"Latias, Safeguard! Charizard, Cyndaquil use Flamethrower against those Hyper Beams! Pikachu, Thunderbolt them back! Glalie, aim your Ice Beam at Rayquaza, and Gallade, you use your Psychic to guide it!" Ash shouted.

"Piloswine, Milotic, use your Ice Beams too!" Lucy told her Pokemon.

"Registeel, stand in front of the attacking Pokemon and use Iron Defence to shield them! Regice, fight back Hyper Beam with one of your own!" Brandon commanded.

"Metagross, guide Piloswine's and Milotic's Ice Beams with your Psychic; Espeon, use Zap Cannon!"

"Manectric, Thunder those Hyper Beams away!" Noland called.

"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon!" Gary ordered.

A medley of attacks burst skywards. They collided with the many Hyper Beams and the power of colliding attacks caused a series of explosions, the smoke from which blanketed the Rayquaza from view. Some of the Hyper Beam's broke through and hurtled towards the trainers. Registeel used it's Iron Defence to absorb the attacks and protect the Pokemon and trainers behind it; Latias did the same with her Safeguard.

Gallade and Metagross worked together to coax the Ice Beam's through the thick smoke. Although they couldn't see the Rayquaza, they could sense it's position with their Psychic. They were rewarded by hearing shrieks of pain and rage from the Rayquaza.

Then it was gone. The eight trainers and their Pokemon stood stock-still listening intently.

"Charizard, blow the smoke away," Ash ordered. Charizard reared backwards and began to flap his wings as hard as he could. The smoke cleared slowly. They all looked around in confusion. The Rayquaza had vanished. Gary sighed in relief and was about to speak when the smell of burning once again blew in their direction.

"We've got to get out of here," Brandon stated, recalling his Regice and Registeel. "The Colosseum is burning rapidly; I don't think that the water types will be able to stop it."

"Kingler and Totodile!" Ash shouted in panic, running off quickly in the direction they had gone, Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Ash!" Gary yelled, moving to go after him.

"No!" Tucker grabbed Gary's arm. "It's too dangerous! I'll go after him, I need to find my Swampert anyways." Gary scowled back.

"I have Blastoise - it won't take long for Hydro Pump to put out the fire." He turned to the rest of the Frontier Brains. "You guys should all clear out; wait for us outside the Colosseum. There's no need to risk any more lives."

Anabel opened her mouth to protest, but Brandon beat her to it. "He's right," he said, looking at Anabel, Noland, Greta, and Lucy. "We'd only get in the way; none of our Pokemon can take that heat."

Lucy deliberately recalled her Milotic, but Brandon shook his head at her expression. "There is no water inside the Colosseum hallways," he stated. "Your Milotic would not be able to move."

"I'm not going without Ash," Anabel said firmly. Brandon grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

"Do not let your personal feeling for the boy get in the way of your reason!" he snapped as Anabel struggled to get free. She stopped moving, although small red patches had appeared on her cheeks. "Greta, Noland, Lucy; recall your Pokemon. We need to go." He walked towards the exit, not looking back.

Noland looked at the two woman and gave a small sigh. He recalled his three Pokemon and began to follow Brandon. Greta and Lucy both scowled their disagreement but followed suit and left the battlefield, Anabel's Metagross, Alakazam, and Espeon behind them.

Gary looked over at Ash's Pokemon. "Go with them," he said quietly. "There's nothing more any of you can do." Reluctantly, all save Gallade, Latias, and Charizard followed the Frontier Brains. Not even checking to see if Ash's Pokemon were obeying, Gary and Tucker raced off after Ash; Gallade, Charizard, and Latias looked at Gary and Tucker, at the retreating Pokemon and Frontier Brains, and finally at each other. Without a sound, they took off in hot pursuit of Gary and Tucker. As soon as they reached the hallways behind the battlefield, just barely behind the Professor and the Frontier Brain, they found themselves surrounded in a thick blanket of smoke.

"Blastoise, use your Rapid Spin to clear the smoke away," Gary called to his Pokemon.

"Blast," the water-type acknowledged and withdrew into it's shell, rotating rapidly. The smoke quickly cleared and Gary, Tucker, and Gallade raced on into the depths of the building. Charizard roared in frustration; it was too big to go inside. Latias tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow her. She took off into the sky and flew over the walls, landing just inside the training field.

Charizard was close behind, and let out a roar of horror; the house that Ash had been living in recently was consumed in flames, and through the window Charizard could see Ash laying on the ground, apparently unconscious, holding the egg canister in his arms. Totodile was dancing around him in panic as Kingler tried desperately to put out the fire that surrounded them.

Latias flew to the other side of the building and saw Tucker's Swampert lobbing a mixture of Water Pulses and Water Guns at the house, trying to put out the fire from the outside even as Kingler worked on the inside. She found Pikachu standing nervously next to Swampert, watching the efforts with fear in his eyes.

It was then that Charizard decided to do something extremely drastic. He climbed into the air quickly, trying to gain as much height as he dared. He tilted himself into a steep, fast dive, aiming for the room next to the one that he knew Ash was in.


Gary and Tucker reached an intersection in the building. The lights above them crackled menacingly with electricity; the fuses were beginning to blow from the heat and the smoke.

"Gallade!" Gary shouted, "can you sense where Ash is?" Gallade closed his eyes and reached out with Psychic, probbing every inch of the Colosseum grounds, trying to find Ash and the best way to reach him. His eyes snapped open.

"Er!" he nodded, and ran off in the direction he had sensed, Gary and Tucker close behind.

"Could you sense Swampert?" Tucker asked as he ran. Gallade nodded and motioned forwards again with his blades. They followed Gallade and ran through several clouds of smoke; they were stopped by a small fire at one spot, but it was quickly extinguished with a Hydro Pump. At last, they burst out into clear air, facing the training field and the flaming house. At that exact moment, Charizard slammed headfirst through the roof of the house, breaking into the rooms below.

"Ash!" Gary yelled, seeing his friend lying motionless through the window.

"Swampert!" Tucker called, and he was rewarded by a full-throated roar from the other side of the house. He ran to the back, right as Pikachu came springing around to the front.

"Blastoise, use Hydro Cannon to fight the fire on this side of the building!" Gary ordered. He turned to Gallade. "Charizard may not be able to get out with Ash. Can you use your Psycho Cutter to open up the doorways?"

"Erlade!" Gallade responded, leaping forwards with it's blades glowing lavender. Seconds later the doorway had been widened considerably, and Gallade had vanished inside. Smoke poured out of the new exit and Gary waited, beside-himself with worry about his friend. At last a shape emerged from the smoke; it was Kingler, still spraying water wherever it could. A moment later it was followed by Gallade, who led a very downcast Totodile. At last Charizard appeared, carrying Ash limply in it's arms, hot tears coursing down the fire-types cheeks.

"Ash!" Gary shouted, springing forwards as Charizard lay the trainer on the ground, his arms still wrapped around the egg canister.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu cried out anxiously, rushing to his trainer.

"Come on, Ash," Gary said, pumping his chest as he began CPR. "Where's your fighting spirit? Don't give up on us now, don't you dare just give up."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, his tears melding with Charizard's on the ground.

Gary worked for several minutes, but Ash gave no response. He looked up at the assembled Pokemon with a look of sadness on his face. "I... I think he's gone," he whispered. Charizard roared up at the sky in grief as Kingler and Totodile both began to shed their own tears. Latias came floating around from the other side of the building where she had stayed with Tucker and Swampert. As soon as she saw Ash's body on the ground and the sadness of the Pokemon surrounding him, she understood. Her own keening added to the song of loss.

"Pika... pikachu," Pikachu cried as he shook Ash, refusing to believe what had happened. "Pika, pika pi!" Gary picked up the electric-type and stood up slowly, the grief evident on his face.

"It's no good, Pikachu," Gary said quietly. "He's gone."

"Pi-ka-CHU!" Pikachu screamed. Electricity burst from his body in a magnificent beam of light that shot skywards, electrocuting everything nearby. With a scream of pain, Ash lurched upright, coughing up thick lumps of inhaled smoke.

"Ash!" Gary shouted.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu rejoiced, throwing himself forwards onto Ash.

"Wha-?" Ash managed to gasp out, hacking up another lump of solidified soot. He tried to stand up, but was pushed back down by Gary.

"Easy, Ash. Don't overexert yourself," Gary warned. "You've only just been revived."

"What happened?" Ash insisted, although he allowed Gary to force him back into a sitting position.

"You were caught in the house as it was burning," Gary said simply. "You passed out from the smoke, and probably would have died if your Pokemon had gone in to save you." Ash lay on his back weakly, head spinning as he tried to absorb what was being said. He was able to grasp onto only one thing.

"My Pokemon saved me?" he asked. Gary nodded.

"Yep. Kingler tried to put out the fire, and Charizard used the strongest Take Down I've ever seen to break into the house. Gallade cut open the doorways so that Charizard could bring you out, and Pikachu revived you with a Thunderbolt."

"Toto," Totodile muttered sadly, looking at the ground utterly woebegone. He knew that he had done nothing to help. Ash chuckled painfully through his blistered throat and reached out to stroke him on the head.

"Thanks for looking after me while everyone else tried to reach me, Totodile," Ash said.

"Doh, to-to-to-to-to-to-da," Totodile smiled, jumping onto Ash in his gratitude at that comment.

"Gary," they heard Tucker shout from behind the house. "Swampert's almost got everything under control over here. How are things on your side?"

"We've got Ash," Gary shouted back. "He's going to be okay, he just needs a little rest." They heard Tucker give a laugh of relief.

"Leave the house," Ash muttered almost inaudibly, his vision beginning to darken from exhaustion.

"What?" Gary asked, leaning in to hear better.

"The house... leave it..." Ash murmured. "It can always be rebuilt..." Gary watched as his friend drifted off to sleep.

"Nighty-night, Ashy-boy," he said softly.


Ash woke up. He opened his eyes, blinked, and opened them again. He wondered briefly why everything was so dark, but realized that it was because night had fallen. He coughed, his throat feeling extraordinarily dry and painful.

"Pika?" he heard Pikachu question from the side. He looked over and saw the electric-type standing next to him, eyes drooping with tiredness but keeping a steady watch over his trainer.

"Pikachu?" he asked, his throat burning.

"Pika pi!" Pika shouted. Instantly, Gary came running.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"Pika!" Pikachu said, pointing at Ash.

"Gary?" he asked, feeling a little dazed.

"It's about time you woke up," Gary said, smiling broadly. "You've been out for a couple of hours, and we were starting to worry again."

"We?" Ash asked faintly.

"Me, Anabel, and Brandon," Gary replied. "Noland, Greta, Lucy, and Tucker all just stayed long enough to satisfy themselves that you'd be okay before they went off to Viridian City. Your battle was shown on TV worldwide you know; we all figured that since Viridian City is the closest place to the Battle Colosseum, that would be where are the reporters would go. Noland sent a message to Brandon with his Manectric about an hour ago; apparently the last thing seen on TV was the Rayquaza appearing and attacking, and then the connection got cut off. From the sound of it, it's a good thing that they all went to head off the reporters!"

"Gary," Ash asked, his throat now feeling as if there was a Flamethrower inside it, "could you get me a glass of water? My throat's parched."

"Sure thing, Ashy-boy," Gary said with a smile. He walked a few feet to the side and came back with a canteen full of water. "Be sure to drink it slowly," he cautioned. Ash took a couple of sips; the sweet liquid dribbled down his throat, cooling the burning sensation. He thought it was the best thing he'd ever tasted.

"Thanks," he said, feeling much better. "Where are we?"

"I think we're about halfway between the Colosseum and Pallet Town," Gary answered. "It normally only takes a couple of hours to walk, but we've taken much longer because we had to carry you, and because we decided to go through the forest so that we could hopefully avoid any reporters who managed to sneak out to the Colosseum."

"Oh," Ash said, thinking about this for a moment. "Where's Anabel and Brandon?" Gary smiled.

"Anabel tried to stay up as long as she could looking after you, but just after Brandon got Noland's message she collapsed from exhaustion," he said. "We put her over by the fire and just let her sleep. As soon as she saw you on the ground, she insisted that she be the one to carry you back to Pallet." Ash was glad that it was dark. He had no idea why his cheeks were suddenly burning.

"What about Brandon?" he asked.

"Looking for firewood," Gary answered. Ash tried to stand up, but his legs buckled beneath him.

"Where are Charizard, Gallade, Totodile, and the others?" Ash asked, grabbing Gary's shoulders to support himself.

"Look around you," Gary said, waving his hand in a wide circle. Ash looked in astonishment. Assembled in a rough circle around her were Charizard, Latias, Kingler, Gallade, and Totodile, all fast asleep.

"What about everyone I sent out after the Frontier Brains?" he asked.

"They all went back to Pallet Town, just before we found you. Brandon made them go," Gary said with a grin. Ash nodded and let go of Gary, thinking he could stand by himself now.

"At least they're all okay," he said. His legs suddenly buckled, and he crashed to the ground.

"Ash, are you okay?" Gary asked him.

"Never better," the trainer grumbled.

"Get some sleep, Ash," he said gently. "You'll feel much better in the morning." Ash nodded and closed his eyes. In a few moments, he was asleep. Gary watched him for a moment and then turned to tend to the fire, leaving Pikachu the lone watch for the exhausted trainer from Pallet Town.


This chapter is kind of like the last one; meaning that I'm not sure about the pacing. But I hope that you all still enjoyed it! Chapter Nine will come as soon as I've written it. Please review!