DISCLAIMER: … I think you get it.
A/N: When Ash and Maeve talk in italics only they can hear each other. They are not moving their mouths. They use telepathy through their Aura bond. Got it?
LAST TIME: Ash fought Gary and won, which was followed by a conversation with Professor Oak that explained that maybe Growlithe's ability to master Hydro Pump was something that could be realized. Ash finished the conversation with switching Ivysaur for Pidgeot and Professor's last request was to teach Pikachu the move Return to test their bond.
Chapter 10
Ash Ketchum: 10 years old
Ash looked at Growlithe, the conversation with Professor Oak still echoing through his mind. He knew that the Professor had said that mastering Hydro Pump should be possible but it seemed so insane to think that Growlithe would be able to shoot water at a high pressure out of his body like many other Pokemon.
It was not everyday that a fire type would be able to master a water type, let alone a move that had to be powered from within.
Ash shook out of his thoughts at the slight nudge in his belly. He smiled down at Pidgeot, her head resting on his lap while her wings were spread on the ground, baking in the warmth of the sun.
"Pidge?" She crooned, one eye cracked open and looking at him.
"Just thinking." He said as he continued stroking the crest atop of her head.
Pidgeot had been very affectionate with him since yesterday when he had switched her with Ivysaur. It was something he had seen coming however since she had been on her own there. It would get quite lonely after doing the same thing over and over again, even with all those other Pokemon around.
Pidgeot crooned happily as he scratched the place under her crest. Ash chuckled fondly as he relaxed back against the tree.
"So what's been coursing through your head?" Giselle asked as she sat down beside him. She gave Pidgeot a pet but focused back on Ash.
"I've been thinking about something Professor Oak said." Ash said, not sure if he wanted to enclose his and Growlithe's little secret.
"Well, what about?" Giselle said curiously.
Ash looked at her from out of the corner of his eye. "The Professor says that Growlithe is able to learn a move that I don't think will ever work." Ash said.
"Well… if Professor Oak said so, it won't hurt to try, right? If you ask me." Giselle said while welcoming Cubone, who had walked up to them, into her arms.
Ash turned his head to her completely. "And what if it should be impossible because of certain factors?"
Giselle looked at him, a confused but curious gaze settling on him. She turned her gaze back on Cubone after a few seconds of silence. "Still, since Professor Oak said it might be possible," Giselle said as she fed Cubone some snacks she had taken out of her pocket. "You should try. You never know and maybe he's right, maybe you'll be able to teach Growlithe this move. Wouldn't it be a nasty surprise for you opponent if he mastered a move he shouldn't be able to master."
It would be pretty nice to blast another Pokemon with Hydro Pump when they would never expect it, if Growlithe could master it of course. But he had no idea where to begin with teaching a fire type a water move that came from within his body.
Ash looked away from Pidgeot and shifted his eyes to the rest of the Pokemon. Maybe he had to start a bit easier.
"I think I've got it." Ash mumbled as he place Pidgeot's head on the ground near Giselle.
"What?" Giselle asked.
Ash didn't answer however and walked towards the group of playing Pokemon.
"Squirtle!" The blue turtle looked up from where he sat with Charmander and focused on Ash as he neared the duo.
"Come with me, it's time for some one on one training." Ash continued.
Squirtle's face lit up instantly. He stood up with little difficulty and crossed the last few feet between them in record time.
Ash looked from Squirtle to Charmander, who looked put out.
"Next time is your turn." Ash said, winking cheekily.
The duo left the clearing, not wanting to damage the camp they had set up for the day.
There was only one thing to do for now, and that was working with Squirtle.
Meowth sighed as he walked behind the group of humans. He would never have thought that when he started out as a Team Rocket grunt that he would end up here of all the places. Separated from Jessie and James. If Meowth was to be honest, he missed them. They weren't the best team around, but they were a team and really, that was enough for him.
They should have never followed the twerps to Porta Vista. That blasted Tentacruel had messed up gigantically.
Meowth chuckled bitterly at the pun.
He really wanted to know what was going on with Jessie and James. It was a pity he couldn't just up and leave. Those headaches made it all the worse. Every time they came by it felt as if his head split open.
It wasn't all bad however. While the twerps were twerps, they were the better ones. Take the darker skinned one, Brock. He could cook the most delicious meals within little time. He never had that with Team Rocket. In fact, most if the time they didn't have enough money to even buy a simple bread.
Giselle, the girl twerp, was someone that he didn't really find interesting. Sure she was nice enough and had some Pokemon, but that's where it stopped really. Maybe she wasn't that interesting because he hadn't really been looking her way when he could keep his eye on Ash, the last one of the twerps and really, the most interesting.
Ash was firstly the guy that had blown up their mission in the Pokemon Center, literally. He was someone Meowth had to keep an eye on. Sure he was very affectionate with his Pokemon and loved spending time with them, but that was something which every trainer did. No, what threw him off the 'average Pokemon Trainer scale' was his ability to use a leaf and whistle a specific song with it that made Pokemon calm down and reasonable. It was something he had never seen before. He was pretty grateful to Ash, since he had broken the control of the Tentacruel and was helping him recover.
Who he really was interested in though, was the Riolu, Maeve. It was easy to say that she had a bond with Ash that all the others hadn't, not even his starter Growlithe. This coupled with the facts that Ash had told him about their species made Maeve a very interesting Pokemon.
His train of thoughts was broken when a familiar pressure began to build up in his head.
Ash turned around immediately as he heard Meowth's pained shout. He ran towards him and caught him before he fell to the ground. Meowth's shouts rang through the forest as he gripped his head.
Ash tried to pry away Meowth's arms and keep him as subdued as possible. He succeeded after some time and pinned them to the ground with his knees, making sure that they couldn't get away.
"Brock, can you open Maeve's Pokeball? I need her right now." Ash said as he placed his hands on Meowth's head softly.
A few days back Meowth his headaches had become worse. Before that day it had subdued after a minute or two and Ash had to help Meowth back up after his episodes. But recently the headaches had become longer and more piercing than first. Through one of these headaches Maeve had come out of her Pokeball.
"Try to use Oración on him." Maeve had said.
Ash's head had snapped towards Maeve. "Wha- what do you mean." Ash had said, so surprised that his attention had left Meowth for a second.
"Try using it as a means to calm him down." Maeve had answered.
"But I can't use it without a leaf and well, my hands are pretty full right now." Ash beckoned to his hands that kept a tight hold on Meowth.
"Then try without one. Maybe you can redirect it into him with your own Aura." Maeve said her eyes focused on Ash.
"And how do I do that?" Ash asked sarcastically.
Maeve sat beside him and took Meowth his arms over from Ash. "Try humming Oración while using your Aura as means to manifest it through your body. You can use your hands as a means to direct the song through your Aura against his. He may not be able to manipulate his Aura, but it still is his life form, and I think it will accept the song so long as it helps Meowth."
So Ash had tried. He hadn't been able to do it at first, but when Maeve had used her Aura to help him connect the song onto his Aura it had worked, sort of. It was shaky at best, but it had worked.
But now, after a few days of using it on Meowth and practicing with it on Maeve it had steadied to something a bit more useful.
Ash closed his eyes as he heard Brock release Maeve. She walked to his side and placed both hands on his neck.
He began humming the now very familiar tune and tried to attach it onto his Aura. His Aura was swirling through his whole body, feeling wild and uncontrollable. He found himself wondering how a Lucario could control it so easily when to him it felt as if there was a pseudo legendary raging through his body that was out of control due to Confuse Ray.
There came some structure in his raging body however when he felt the familiar presence of Maeve's Aura awaken through their bond.
His humming deepened without him noticing as Maeve, who had some control on her Aura, calmed his own down to a point where he could focus it around his hands (with Maeve's help, again). He attached Oración on his Aura successfully before he let it course with his Aura towards Meowth. It brushed against Meowth's own uncontrollable Aura, where it got accepted immediately. The Aura took the melody of fine tuned notes in without needing energy.
Meowth his body relaxed noticeably as he quietened down. Ash sat kept going however until he was sure that Meowth could be left alone.
The little bit of structure in his Aura slipped, and he let it go wild again after some time passed. Maeve's grip on his neck slackened as most of her Aura coursed back through his body, back into herself, leaving behind the portion that had been there since the bond had formed on the St. Anne.
Maeve and Ash puffed out a deep breath at the same time, exhausted from the ordeal.
"You okay?" Brock asked as he crouched down beside them, offering them both an Oran Berry.
Ash and Maeve took them gratefully as he nodded. "Yeah just exhausted like always. I'm feeling less sucked dry than the other times though." Ash said while looking at Maeve.
"Maybe because you're getting more used to it and you're exercising it more than before." Brock said as he looked at them curiously.
"Let's hope." Maeve said as she yawned.
"You want to get back in your Pokeball?" Ash asked as he finished up his own Oran Berry while keeping check on Meowth, who was unconscious.
"Not thanks, I'll just ride on you." Maeve said as she climbed on his unoccupied shoulder.
"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked as he hopped on Ash his head instead.
"Ri, Riolu." Maeve said, switching to a language Pikachu could understand.
"We'll be alright Pika pall." Ash said as he scooped up Meowth.
He stood up unsteadily and steadied himself with a tree nearby.
"Here, I can carry him for a while." Giselle said as she crossed the short distance between them and offered her arms.
Ash smiled gratefully, and gave Meowth to her.
"So how long do we have until we reach the next town or city?" Ash asked.
"If I'm not mistaken we'll reach a city in about an hour or two." Answered Brock as he looked at the map.
"Great." Ash said brightly. "Wait." Ash said.
He took the remaining Pokeballs from his belt and opened them, releasing Charmander, Squirtle, Growlithe and Pidgeot.
"If we'll be reaching a city this will be the last change for them to sniff the air of the forest for today." Ash said when Giselle looked at him a bit confused.
"Oh!" Giselle said. She smiled and did the same. Buttercup (her Butterfree), Nidorina and Cubone came out. They mingled with Ash's Pokemon immediately as Brock opened Geodude and Vulpix their Pokeballs, letting Onix stay in it for obvious reasons.
And so they began their chaotic walk.
Growlithe kept close to Ash, talking with Pikachu and Maeve excitedly while snuggling against Ash from time to time. Ash looked at Squirtle and Charmander thoughtfully.
They were, together with Ivysaur, a close knitted group. They seemed very competitive to each other but still very friendly.
Just this morning he had been training one on one with Charmander, as promised, and really he had been on the same level as Squirtle. Ash was sure they would evolve soon, since they wouldn't want to be left behind by Ivysaur, who had already evolved, and because they were getting stronger each day, meaning that they would reach their limit one of these day, if he didn't give them an Everstone of course.
"We're almost there…" Brock said, returning Geodude and Vulpix.
"A shame." Giselle said, returning her Pokemon.
"A well, it was fun so long it lasted." Ash said.
He returned Squirtle, Charmander, Pidgeot and a disgruntled Maeve but left Growlithe, and as usual Pikachu, out of their Pokeball. Meowth, who had woken up an hour earlier, walked beside Ash.
They arrived in the city, and searched for the Pokemon Centre as usual. They found it quickly and everyone got a check up. Meowth who seemed reluctant to get a check up refused to get on the counter with the other Pokemon.
"Will you just go with Nurse Joy?" Ash asked.
Meowth stayed stubbornly quiet.
"Just go, please." Ash said annoyed.
Meowth grumbled unhappily but nevertheless climbed onto the counter with difficulty.
Nurse Joy took them away as the others sat down in the cafeteria.
Ash felt quite naked without any Pokeballs on his belt or the presence of them. He looked around and was quite surprised to see so many trainers sitting around. Normally a Pokemon Center had some trainers in them but today it was bustling of the trainers.
"Why are there so many trainers?" Ash asked.
"Well, if I'm right, than I would say because of that." Brock said as he pointed towards something.
Ash followed his finger, which was pointed towards a poster. Ash stood up and walked towards it.
Pokemon Tag Battle Competition!
Prepare yourself for another Pokemon Tag Battle Competition, here in Maple City. Enter now and fight your way to the top of this competition! The first, second and third place will of course get wonderful prizes.
For more information on this competition visit Nurse Joy in the Pokemon Centre.
Ash smiled widely. He ran to the counter, where Nurse Joy had arrived.
"Is it still possible to enter the Tag Battle Competition?" Ash asked hopefully.
"Of course!" Nurse Joy said. "I just need your Pokedex so I can register you into the system."
Ash handed over the red machine and got himself registered.
"Okay so the tournament will start tomorrow around one o'clock but the trainers who are participating will have to come an hour earlier." Nurse Joy continued.
"There are 5 rounds, including the semi-final and the final. There are about 32 participants and the way to get to the top is to eliminate your opponent's two Pokemon. The first, second and third round are tomorrow and the semi-finals and the final are on the day after tomorrow- Oh, Chansey is done with the check up on your Pokemon." Nurse Joy said with a friendly smile.
A minute later Chansey came walking through the door with their Pokemon and Pokeballs resting on the cart.
He clipped his Pokeballs on his belt while Pikachu climbed on his shoulder and Meowth jumped down onto the floor. He got his Pokedex back and took Brock and Giselle their Pokeballs with after thanking her.
"So I've given myself up for a Tag Battle Tournament…" Ash said sheepishly, just realising that he had made a decision that included staying two days extra.
"Cool!" Giselle piped up as she took her Pokeballs from him, not seeming to mind.
"Alright, so who are going to go in first?" Brock asked curiously.
"Maeve and Pidgeot." Ash said immediately. Pidgeot hadn't fought with him for a while and Maeve deserved it after helping him with Meowth.
"Well than I would make sure to train some with them, tag battles are very different from one on one battles after all." Brock said as he leaned back against the couch.
"That's a good idea actually." Ash said, just realising that.
His team had some desperately needed training ahead of them if they wanted to be able to work as a team on the field.
So Ash left them behind (after making sure that they wouldn't mind) and went outside. Meowth followed him to the practice field that was part of the Pokemon Centre. He turned around however when he saw how full of trainers it was. Ash made his quickest way out of the city and into the forest, not fond of the idea of training in such a cramped space.
He let everyone out of their Pokeball when he got to an empty clearing and waited for them to look at him.
"Tomorrow we'll participate in a tag battle competition." Ash stated after they sat down in a circle. "I've decided to use Pidgeot and Maeve in the opening round."
"Finally!" Maeve said excitedly as Pidgeot chirped satisfyingly.
"If we win the match, I'm planning on using Squirtle and Charmander in the next one," The duo nodded in agreement. "And for the others I'm not sure yet." Ash continued. "But before we even think about that, what do you guys think about some group training?" Ash asked, smiling widely when they jumped up eagerly.
The place where they held the Tag Battle Tournament was a large park in the middle of the city. It held several Dirt Fields that were surrounded by fences to keep the viewers off the field.
Ash stood between the 64 participants feeling pumped up and ready. Pikachu sat on his shoulder as usual and Meowth, who had decided to stay with him, stood next to him. The mayor stood on a raised platform, almost done with his opening speech.
"The top three won't go home empty-handed of course! For the third place we've got 7500 Pokemon Dollars. The second place will receive 10000 Pokemon Dollars and the first place will receive 15000 Pokemon Dollars and a special item!" The man in suit said enthusiastically. "Here is the match up for today's first round!" He continued as he beckoned to a large screen behind him.
Ash looked at it and ignored the mayor's last words. Instead he tried to find himself between the unknown faces.
He found himself eventually on the far right. He was paired up with a girl on field six. Her name was Miranda and she seemed as old as him, with blue eyes and pink hair.
He made his way to the field excitedly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Brock and Giselle following behind the fence.
Ash stopped after a minute or two, having reached his destination. He stepped forward on his side of the field and relaxed his stance, trying to calm down to a certain degree.
Meanwhile Miranda had entered the field.
The referee looked at both of them. "This match will consist of one tag battle, you're not allowed to switch Pokemon and you're eliminated when both of your Pokemon are unable to battle." The referee recited.
Ash and Miranda nodded both and opened their Pokeballs at the signal of the referee.
A Parasect and a Wigglytuff appeared on the other side of the field. They were on their guard immediately as Maeve and Pidgeot came onto his side of the field.
"Now begin!" The referee said.
"Wigglytuff use Thunderbolt on Pidgeot! Parasect, use Stun Spore on Riolu!" Miranda commanded immediately.
"Dodge Pidgeot and blow the Stun Spore away with Gust." Ash said, surprised that Miranda knew Maeve's species.
Wigglytuff engulfed herself with electricity before shooting it straight at Pidgeot. Pidgeot swerved to the right however and blasted the oncoming cloud of spore away from Maeve with a well-placed Gust.
"Now follow it op with Air Cutter on Parasect. Maeve, use Quick Attack followed by Brick Break on Wigglytuff!" Ash ordered.
Pidgeot crossed her wings with a harsh flap and released a cross of blue energy at Parasect while Maeve sped up towards Wigglytuff, her Brick Break ready for impact.
"Block it with Psybeam and follow it up with Energy Ball Parasect! Use Ice Punch on Riolu, Wigglytuff!" Miranda said.
A multi-coloured beam of psychic energy intercepted the flying type move, making it explode and create a cloud of smoke.
It spread out and enclosed the four Pokemon instantly.
"Switch to Blaze Kick Maeve." Ash smirked mischievously. "And use it on Parasect instead." Ash added.
"Dodge that Energy Ball and use Steel Wing on Wigglytuff!" Ash ordered Pidgeot.
"Wigglytuff, dodge both!" Miranda shouted.
Ash smirked again; he had the upper hand in this situation. The smoke made sure that Pidgeot, who had the ability Keen Eye, and Maeve, who could vaguely sense their Aura, had the advantage of knowing where to navigate. Miranda, in contrast, had Pokemon who couldn't see well in the cloud of smoke. That doubled with the fact that she thought that both attacks were focused on Wigglytuff made them vulnerable.
Wigglytuff and Parasect cried out at the same time when they got hit. They flew out of the smoke cloud and slammed into the ground.
"Now Maeve, use Brick Break on Wigglytuff. Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace on Parasect."
Pidgeot and Maeve appeared out of the smoke, they crossed over each other and slammed with Aerial Ace and Brick Break respectively into them.
"Wigglytuff, Parasect!" Miranda shouted as they skidded back a few feet again.
The cloud had dissipated throughout the process of attacking his opponent. If Pidgeot's speedy Aerial Ace had caused it Ash didn't know.
Maeve was noticeably panting now, which was to be expected, as this was her first official battle. Pidgeot however- wait Pidgeot looked sleepy.
"Pidgeot!" Ash shouted as she fell down onto the ground unexpectedly, fully asleep.
"Didn't you know?" Miranda said as her Pokemon struggled to get up again.
"What?" Ash said confused.
"My Parasect has the ability Effect Spore. When he gets hit by a physical move like Aerial Ace there can be a chance that the user will be afflicted by paralyze, poison or sleep." She said, smirking for the first time. "And to me it seems like your Pidgeot was effected by sleep."
She smirked one more time before ordering, "Wigglytuff use Thunderbolt and Parasect use Psybeam on Pidgeot!"
"Maeve, intercept them!" Ash shouted.
"Use Endure." Ash added worriedly.
Maeve moved immediately, crossing the short distance easily and readied herself for the impact.
Thunderbolt and Psybeam hit her crossed arms at the same time. Both beams engulfed her trembling body but she held them back bravely.
"Pi Pikachu…" Pikachu said worriedly as Maeve's feet began to push backwards.
"You're doing great." Ash said, trying to sooth and encourage Maeve as best as he could right now while he scratched Pikachu's head.
"NOW Pidgeot, use Sleep Talk!" Ash shouted. He had been waiting from the beginning of this fiasco for a chance to use the newly learned move.
Pidgeot's body responded immediately, ignoring the fact that she was sleeping. She flew into the air and stopped on a certain height. Her wings began to slam up and down, creating a harsh wind around her.
"Twister." Ash said relieved as the familiar dragon type move began to build up its power. He would never be able to know if Sleep Talk would be in their advantage, but today it luckily was.
Pidgeot let the twister go and it immediately moved over the field, attracting the eyes of the crowd while Maeve jumped out of harms way. Pidgeot fell to the ground, still fast asleep, as the twister dragged Wigglytuff and Parasect into it.
The twister kept steady for a few seconds, twisting and turning fiercely. It began to dissipate after a minute however, until the air was clear again, with Wigglytuff and Parasect lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Wigglytuff and Parasect are both unable to battle. The winner is Ash Ketchum!" The referee shouted immediately.
"Yes!" Ash said, feeling absolutely hyped as he ran up to Maeve and Pidgeot.
He returned Pidgeot with a whisper of thanks, knowing it would be futile to try and wake her. He turned towards Maeve and scooped her up enthusiastically instead.
"You did great!" Ash shouted excitedly.
"Thanks." Maeve said as she snuggled into him, exhausted from her first official fight.
"Pika." Pikachu cooed as he gave Maeve an encouraging nudge with his head.
Maeve was already asleep however. Ash snorted fondly and returned her.
"That was some great battling." Meowth said from behind him.
"Thanks." Ash said as his eyebrows rose in surprise. "But I think we should go and find Brock and Giselle now."
Meowth nodded and followed Ash out of the Dirt Field and into the crowd of spectators.
Brock and Giselle walked up to him, congratulating him on his win. They went to the Pokemon Centre and got Maeve and Pidgeot into Nurse Joy's care. Ash got the both of them back after half an hour with the advice to let Maeve sleep for the rest of the day.
Ash took up on the advice and left Maeve in her Pokeball when he congratulated Pidgeot on her win.
Not long after, the first round ended, with Ash proceeding into the second match to go up against one Finn.
They stood across from each other, both of their hands enclosed around two Pokeballs as the referee recited the same rules as before.
They both called out their Pokemon, Charmander and Squirtle on Ash's side while a Tangela and a Persian appeared on the other side of the field. Ash saw Meowth look at his evolved form but couldn't quite deceiver what was going on in his mind.
"Now begin!" The referee shouted.
"Squirtle use Quick Attack on Persian, Charmander use Flamethrower on Tangela!" Ash commanded immediately.
"Tangela dodge and use Poison Powder on Charmander, Persian dodge and use slash!" Finn ordered.
Squirtle ran towards Persian in an instant, he slammed into the normal type, who skidded backwards. Persian recovered quickly however and returned a hit with Slash.
Meanwhile, Charmander had fired out a stream of fire. Tangela jumped out of the way and send out a vine, which he slapped across Charmander's face and wrapped around his snout. Charmander's Flamethrower was cut off abruptly as he tried to get it off with his claws.
"Now, use Giga Drain Tangela!" Finn said, a grin plastered on his face. "Persian, use Night Slash!" He continued.
Tangela's vine lit up, sapping energy out of Charmander while Persian's paw was engulfed by a dark energy.
"Use Flame Charge Charmander! Squirtle use Double Team." Ash said.
Flames ignited, burning away the vine, immediately engulfing Charmander's body as Squirtle used Double Team.
"Char!" Charmander roared as he sped towards Tangela, who was unable to dodge. Charmander connected with Tangela's body, damaging it.
"Use Poison Powder on Charmander, quickly!" Finn ordered while Persian destroyed a copy of Squirtle.
Tangela acted as the flames died down. Purple powder appeared from one of the vines. Tangela send it flying into Charmander's face with one sweep.
Charmander cried out as his body lit up purple.
"Nice one Tangela, follow it up with Double-Edge! Persian use Dark Pulse on all of the copies!"
Ash was frowning. That poison in Charmander's system would make this match a lot harder than before. "Use Scald on Tangela, Squirtle. Charmander, use Quick attack and follow it up with a Fire Fang on Persian!" Ash said, switching their positions.
The couple of Squirtle turned from Persian and send out a boiling stream of water to Tangela, cancelling out Double-Edge, while Charmander focused his attention on Persian, ignoring the constant pain of the poison as fire began to burn in his mouth.
"Persian, redirect your Dark Pulse on Charmander. Tangela get out of there!"
Persian's elegant body changed direction as Charmander sped towards it. Charmander dodged Dark Pulse and slammed into Persian, latching onto Persian's shoulder with his flaming mouth immediately.
"Use Water Pulse!" Finn commanded Persian while Tangela managed to get out from under the stream of boiling water. "Tangela use Vine Whip and follow it up with Giga Drain."
"Get away both of you!" Ash shouted in panic. Tangela's vines shot forward however and latched onto Squirtle. They lit up like last time as they sapped the energy from out of Squirtle's body. Tangela's vines tightened as Squirtle tried to struggle out of them. Meanwhile Persian had fired a ball of water at Charmander, who wasn't quick enough to dodge the attack from such a close range.
"Use Double-Edge!" Finn shouted towards Tangela as the ball of water propelled Charmander away harshly.
Tangela's vines stayed put as his body lit up with white energy. He ran towards a stuck Squirtle and slammed into the turtle. His vines had released Squirtle at the last moment, which caused him to fly back and crash into the ground next to a downed Charmander.
They struggled to get up while Ash shouted encouragements from left and right. Finn looked at them before saying, "Finish it, Persian use Hyper Beam."
Persian's mouth opened as energy built up. Squirtle and Charmander struggled upwards slowly but with determination.
It didn't matter however, because a second later Persian fired the abnormally strong beam of energy towards them. They were hit and an explosion went off, sending up smoke.
"SQUIRTLE, CHARMANDER!" Ash shouted in distress.
The crowd was silent as they watched the climax end.
Ash jumped up when the smoke lit up a second later however, sending everyone in excitement while the tension ran up as the smoke began to dissipate.
A few seconds passed until the smoke was gone entirely.
Ash's mouth fell open in shock, not quite believing what he was seeing.
The crowd became noisy immediately.
"What, but, but, how?!" Was said in general. Ash had to agree to a certain point because there, on the field, where Squirtle and Charmander had stood when Hyper Beam had hit, stood two whole different Pokemon now.
"Squirtle, Charmander?" Ash asked unbelievably, still not sure if this was real.
"Charmeleon!" Charmander, or better said, Charmeleon, said, his gaze full of confidence.
"War, Wartortle!" Wartortle, his former Squirtle, said with a face that looked far too smug for someone who had just been blasted by Hyper Beam. But than again, they had both evolved at the same time, which made the face quite appropriate.
Ash's face lit up with a large grin when the both of them winked at him before turning toward Finn, who looked totally gobsmacked, his jaw hanging open. He snapped them close however when he saw Ash focus back on the match.
"Okay then, I can work with this too." Finn said stubbornly.
Ash only grinned in agreement as he looked at Wartortle and Charmeleon proudly.
"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower on Persian, Wartortle, use Scald on Tangela!" Ash shouted, feeling totally pumped up again.
Wartortle's mouth opened immediately, the familiar stream of boiling water bursting from out of his mouth. It rushed over toward Tangela, crossing the distance between them in a short period. Tangela was unable to dodge and was hit by the full force of the attack.
Charmeleon's mouth had opened too. Energy built up but instead of unleashing the familiar stream of fire he fired off a stream of powerful purple flames.
"Isn't that…" Ash said with a frown as Persian was hit. "Yes! It is! That's Dragon Rage!" Ash cred out excitedly.
"Nice work Charmeleon and Wartortle! Now, use Flame Charge on Tangela and use Rapid Spin on Persian!" Ash continued.
"Dodge it and use Dark Pulse on Charmeleon, Persian. Tangela, jump out of the way and use Vine Whip on Wartortle!" Finn countered.
Charmeleon's flame engulfed body had already reached Tangela in no time, making Tangela unable to dodge it. He slammed into him, throwing his whole weight into the attack.
Wartortle had jumped up high before tugging in his head, arms and legs. His shield began to spin as he launched himself from out of the air towards Persian with high speed. His shell smashed into Persian, cutting of Dark Pulse.
"Now Charmeleon, use Fire Fang. Wartortle, use Water Gun!"
The flames around Charmeleon disappeared, and instead his mouth opened, engulfed with flames, as he clamped down on Tangela. He cried out in pain as Charmeleon, on command of Ash, threw Tangela away.
Tangela tried to struggle up, before he could recover however Tangela's body lit up with flames.
"Shit." Finn said as Tangela fell down again, unconscious.
Wartortle had already fired off Water Gun at Persian from close range, sending the cat Pokemon back a few feet.
"Now Wartortle, finish it with Skull Bash!" Ash shouted excitedly.
Wartortle's launched himself forwards again. He slammed against Persian with as much force as he could muster.
Persian flew back and slammed into the ground, unable to fight.
Ash smiled as the referee declared him the winner. He ran up to Charmeleon and Wartortle, before crushing the both of them in a hug.
"You were great!" He exclaimed as both of them returned the hug just as crushingly.
"I would've never have imagined this happening." Ash said proudly as he beckoning to them.
They walked off of the field, intending to search for Brock and Giselle. Several enthusiastic viewers attacked the little group when they entered the crowd.
"That was totally amazing!" One guy said as he looked at Ash's newly evolved Pokemon. The other viewers agreed whole heartedly. For the next few seconds Ash was congratulated from left and right before he finally stumbled upon Giselle and Brock.
"Thank god I've found you." Ash said as he dragged them with him towards the Pokemon Centre. Once they had sat down in the cafeteria Ash's body relaxed.
"Sorry, it was getting a bit to crowded for my taste." Ash said when Giselle and Brock looked at him questionably. They nodded, still a bit confused but congratulated them on their win and evolution.
Ash turned towards Charmeleon and Wartortle.
Charmeleon's reptilian skin had turned a darker shade of red. A horn-like shape protruded out of the back of his head while his snout had become longer. He had almost doubled in high, now reaching Ash around his waist. Charmeleon's eyes were pointy while both his feet and hands had become bigger.
Ash took out his Pokedex and pointed it towards Charmeleon.
"Charmeleon, the Flame Pokemon and the evolved form of Charmander. Charmeleon has razor sharp claws and its tail is exceptionally strong. When it swings its burning tail, it elevates the air temperature to unbearably high levels. It lashes about with its tail to knock down its foe. It then tears up the fallen opponent with sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a bluish white color. Upon evolution Charmeleon learned the move Dragon Rage. Its egg move Dragon Dance hasn't been activated yet."
Ash shifted his gaze towards his newly evolved Wartortle.
Wartortle's skin had turned, just like Charmeleon, a shade darker. The shell had stayed the same as before while his ears and tail were covered by bluish white fur. Two sharp teeth protruded from his mouth and his eyes had become less round. He was a bit smaller than Charmeleon but was still far bigger than Squirtle had been.
Ash pointed his Dex towards Wartortle next.
"Wartortle, the Turtle Pokemon and the evolved form of Squirtle. Wartortle's tail is large and covered with a thick bluish white fur. Its long tail is a symbol of its age and wisdom. The tail becomes increasingly deeper in color as Wartortle ages. The scratches on its shell are evidence of this Pokémon's toughness as a battler.Wartortle cleverly controls its furry ears and tail to maintain its balance while swimming. Upon evolution Wartortle learned the move Aqua Tail. Its egg move Ice punch hasn't been activated yet."
Ash grinned at Wartortle and Charmeleon proudly. "You've finally caught up with Ivysaur." Ash said teasingly as he let them crawl up against him.
Pikachu talked to them constantly while Brock arranged some high needed food for both human and Pokemon.
"So when is the third round?" Brock asked as he settled down next to his eating Vulpix.
"Over an hour." Ash said hurriedly as he almost sucked in the food on his plate.
"Ah come on Ash, that's disgusting." Giselle said with a scrunched up face.
"Sorry, I'm just really, really hungry." He said as he looked up sheepishly.
Giselle frowned disapprovingly but nodded nevertheless. "You do realise that when we reach Fuchsia City I'll be separating from you." Giselle said after swallowing her last bite.
Ash's head snapped up towards Giselle again.
"Why?" Brock asked.
"Well, I promised my parents to help out with their business for a month or two. If I show that I'm mature enough I can go and travel by myself and participate in the Indigo League." Giselle said as she leaned back. "And since md and my parents live in Fuchsia City I'll be staying there."
"Oh, that's a shame." Ash said, frowning. "It's awesome that they'll let you travel and participate in the League however!" Ash continued optimistically.
Giselle nodded in agreement while Cubone rested in her lap.
"I think you need to ready yourself for the third round." Brock reminded Ash as he motioned towards the clock.
Ash's eyes widened in surprise, only ten minutes left to get to the field.
He returned Wartortle and Charmeleon quickly while apologizing for the rush. He snatched Meowth's wrist and made sure Pikachu had steadied himself on his shoulder before running towards the park.
Giselle and Brock followed behind in an easier pace after cleaning up and looked at Ash and his opponent, Noah.
Both had their Pokemon out. Ash had chosen good old Growlithe and Pikachu while Noah had chosen a Vaporeon and a Scyther.
"Now begin!" The referee shouted.
"Vaporeon, use Water Pulse on Growlithe. Scyther, use X-Scissor on Pikachu!"
"Growlithe, dodge and use Sunny Day. Pikachu, jump up and use Iron Tail!"
Growlithe dodged the incoming ball of water, letting it pass him before he howled towards the sky.
Several clouds in the air vanished from sight while the sunlight became harsher on Ash's neck.
Pikachu had meanwhile jumped into the air, evading Scyther. His tail lit up while he dived towards Scyther. Just before connecting he turned just a bit. He hit Scyther in his back with the extra force of his fall, sending him forward.
"Now Growlithe, use Take Down on Vaporeon. Use Dig Pikachu." Ash ordered.
Pikachu immediately disappeared while Growlithe sped towards Vaporeon. He slammed into Vaporeon a second later.
"Now use Aqua Tail!" Noah commanded.
Vaporeon cooed happily as water spiralled around her tail. She slammed it into Growlithe, who was unable to dodge in time. He skidded back, water seeping off his fur.
"Growlithe, use Flame Wheel on Scyther!" Ash said.
Growlithe jumped up and rolled into himself as flames sprouted from all over his body. He touched down and rolled towards Scyther with high speed.
"Dodge it Scyther. Vaporeon, counter Growlithe. Send it flying with Water Pulse!" Noah ordered sharply.
"Now Pikachu! Use Spark on Vaporeon!" Ash said as Vaporeon focused her attention on Growlithe.
Pikachu jumped out of the ground, sending small rocks flying everywhere and tackled Vaporeon, his body engulfed by blue electricity. He slammed into the unsuspecting water Pokemon, who had been readying a ball of water. It splashed to the ground innocently as Vaporeon skidded backwards.
Growlithe had meanwhile slammed into Scyther. He recovered quickly however, and on command of Noah readied X-Scissor. He shot it towards Growlithe, who was still far too close to dodge in time. The cross of energy hit him, sending him flying by the force. Growlithe flipped into the air and came down on his paws again.
"Vaporeon, use Ice Beam on Pikachu. Scyther, use Night Slash!" Noah said.
"Pikachu, counter it with Thunderbolt! Growlithe use Quick Attack followed by Fire Fang!" Ash said.
Vaporeon unleashed a beam of ice while Pikachu's body lit up with electricity. The two attacks collided. Both Pokemon struggled to get the upper hand for a few seconds, until finally Thunderbolt shot further into Ice Beam. It reached Vaporeon and blasted the Pokemon with it harshly.
Scyther's scythe was engulfed by dark energy as Growlithe launched himself towards Scyther quickly. He slammed into the bug type, meanwhile getting scraped by Night Slash as he bit down into Scyther's shoulder with his flames engulfed mouth.
Scyther cried out in pain as flames engulfed his whole body.
"Good work!" Ash said to both Pikachu and Growlithe.
"Vaporeon, use dig. Use Double Team Scyther and follow it up with Brick Break on Pikachu." Noah said his hands clenched in anticipation.
"Growlithe, Pikachu, use Double Team too." Ash said, a grin on his face.
At once the field got crowded. Several copies of Scyther, Growlithe and Pikachu appeared. Pikachu and Growlithe their copies moved in sync with each other, not touching but not far from each other.
"Pikachu, Growlithe, use dig." Ash whispered making sure only their Pokemon ears could hear him.
Both of their ears flickered just a tiny bit. They had heard his order.
They both used dig as Noah commanded Scyther to attack with Wing Attack.
The copies of Scyther moved as one. They jumped towards the copies of Growlithe and Pikachu as their wings lit up. Copies of both sides vanished as they connected while the real Scyther kept going, slicing through copy after copy.
"Now Growlithe, use Flame Wheel on Scyther!" Ash said.
A ball of fire smashed out of the ground immediately, just below Scyther. It slammed into the bug type, sending it flying up.
"Now Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash followed up.
Next Pikachu's familiar body shot out of the ground. He charged up electricity before releasing it towards Scyther, who was still in the air. It hit dead on.
Scyther cried out in pain as electricity pierced through his body.
"Vaporeon, use Ice Beam on Pikachu!" Noah shouted desperately.
The blue Pokemon shot out of the ground like Growlithe and Pikachu had done and fired off the ice type move towards Pikachu.
"Intercept it with Flamethrower!"
Growlithe crossed the small distance between them and fired off Flamethrower, intercepting Vaporeon's Ice Beam and defending Pikachu's back.
Flamethrower pushed back against the ice attack easily. It reached Vaporeon in no time and sent it backwards.
Pikachu had cut off Thunderbolt in the meantime.
"Pikachu, finish it with Iron Tail!" Ash said.
Pikachu ran towards the falling Scyther. He jumped as into the air as his tail lit up before slamming it down against Scyther, who smashed into the ground even harder by the force of Iron Tail.
"Scyther is unable to battle!" The referee shouted.
Noah frowned but returned Scyther with a quick thank you before turning towards Vaporeon again.
"Use Water Gun on Growlithe!"
Vaporeon mouth opened, and shot water towards Growlithe.
He dodged easily and waited fro the next order.
"Growlithe, Pikachu, double Iron Tail!" Ash ordered with an excited grin.
Growlithe crouched down as Pikachu sped towards he fire type. Pikachu jumped on Growlithe, who pushed upwards with his paws, sending Pikachu high into the air. Both of their tails lit up. Growlithe sped up with Quick Attack, and slammed with his tail into Vaporeon. He jumped away from the water type quickly as Pikachu came form above, hitting the not-yet recovered water Pokemon again.
Vaporeon cried out loudly before falling to the ground, unconscious.
"Vaporeon is unable to battle, the winner is Ash Ketchum!" The referee shouted.
Ash's mouth turned into a full out grin as Pikachu and Growlithe ran up to him, still full of energy, and tackled him in his chest. He wrapped his arms around them and praised them enthusiastically.
They moved off of the field and met up with Brock and Giselle.
"That was awesome. You dominated that battle!" Giselle said.
Ash smiled at her enthusiasm. He thanked them after Brock congratulated him. They made their way to the Pokemon Centre for the fourth time, and hopefully the last time for the day.
"So you're qualified to the Semi-Finals." Brock said as they gave everyone a check up, excluding Pidgeot and Maeve.
"Yeah, I hope I can win, I really want to now what the mystery prize is." Ash said.
"So when is your next match?" Asked Brock.
"Tomorrow in the early morning. I'm planning on going to bed early, make sure I've had a good night rest when we battle tomorrow."
Brock nodded on understanding. They waited around for their Pokemon to finish check up. They went up to their rooms when they got them back.
Ash fell onto his bed, exhausted from the battling, which was weird since he hadn't done the actual battling. He opened his Pokeballs and sent out everyone.
The room got pretty crowded from there on.
Pidgeot settled herself on the headboard of his bed while Growlithe had jumped up onto his bed and crept under his blanket until he reached Ash. Growlithe yipped happily as he settled himself against Ash, head sticking out of the blanket. Ash wrapped on arm around him fondly as Growlithe nuzzled him. Pikachu's little body rested on his pillow, a few inches from his head while Maeve, Charmeleon and Wartortle rested against his legs contently.
"You sure that you don't want to join?" Ash yawned, looking at Meowth.
"No." Meowth said stubbornly from out of the other bed.
Ash shrugged and let his eyes close. He would eventually join the others, he was sure of that, but not yet.
"And the Semi Finals have begun!" The announcer said.
"On the right field we have Stephan Mitchum and Molly Pierce and on the left side we have Ash Ketchum and Lillian Coral!"
"The two who'll win these battles will participate in the finals, where they'll be battling for an unknown prize! I'll say it again people, the prize is, if you can use it, very handy and of course very hard to come by!" The announcer said. "The losers of the match will battle each other for the third place of course, who'll go home with a nice budget of money."
"Now the rules are the same as in the other three battles. If both of your Pokemon are unable to battle, your opponent will win." The referee clarified for the utmost time.
"Poliwrath, Victreebel, come on out!" Lillian shouted as the referee beckoned at them. She threw the Pokeballs into the air.
"You ready Pikachu?" Ash asked with an excited grin.
"Pika." Pikachu said, winningly.
"Come on out Charmeleon!" Ash shouted as Pikachu jumped from his shoulder onto the field.
Charmeleon appeared, pumped up for battle. Smoke blew out of his nose as he puffed in anticipation.
"Now begin!"
"Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump on Charmeleon. Victreebel, use Energy Ball on Pikachu!" Lillian ordered.
"Counter with Dragon Rage Charmeleon!" Ash said. "Pikachu dodge and use Thunder Wave on Victreebel!"
Pikachu jumped away from the energy ball and fired off a beam of electricity. Victreebel was unable to dodge quickly enough, causing the electricity to hit. Pikachu cut it off immediately and smiled as small sparks flew of Victreebel's body.
Charmeleon fired off a powerful stream of dragon energy as Poliwrath fired Hydro Pump. They met each other in between, pushing back and forth between the two Pokemon, both trying to get the upper hand.
"Cut it off Charmeleon and use Flame Charge on Victreebel, use Thunderbolt on Poliwrath, Pikachu!" Ash followed up.
Charmeleon immediately ducked under Hydro Pump through and sped up towards Victreebel, his body engulfed by flames while Pikachu fired off Thunderbolt and sending it towards the blue Pokemon.
"Victreebel, use Sludge Bomb on Charmeleon. Poliwrath, intercept that Thunderbolt with Mud Slap!" Lillian commanded.
Victreebel hurled filthy sludge towards Charmeleon's nearing body while Poliwrath fired off mud.
Sludge Bomb hit Charmeleon, sending him back towards Ash while Mud Slap intercepted Thunderbolt in mid air. The blast blew up sending all four Pokemon skidding backwards as smoke appeared.
"Pikachu, Charmeleon, Dig." Ash said softly.
"Victreebel, use Leaf Tornado and blow the smoke away! Poliwrath use Hydro Pump when you see them." Lillian said.
Victreebel moved immediately, sending out the damaging leaves and harsh wind into the cloud of smoke. It dissipated instantly, clearing the field. Poliwrath looked around confused.
"Now use Fire Fang on Victreebel, Charmeleon. Pikachu, use Spark on Poliwrath!" Ash shouted.
Both came out of the ground at the same time. Charmeleon's flaming mouth clamped down on Victreebel while Pikachu's electricity engulfed body smashed into Poliwrath. They cried out in pain simultaneously.
"Poliwrath, use Focus Punch on Pikachu. Victreebel, use your vines and throw Charmeleon off!"
The fist came out of nowhere, slamming into Pikachu with full force. It sent Pikachu flying into the air while he cried out in pain.
"Come on Pikachu!" Ash shouted towards the yellow mouse.
It seemed as if Pikachu had heard him luckily because the next thing he knew, Pikachu had flipped in the air and landed on his feet, panting lightly.
Meanwhile Victreebel's vines had wrapped around Charmeleon's arms, trying to pull him off.
"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!" Ash said as Victreebel succeeded.
Charmeleon's mouth widened before he fired off a powerful stream of fire. It hit Victreebel straight on, sending the grass type back. Victreebel cried out and fell to the ground.
"Victreebel is unable to battle!" The referee stated.
"Nice work Charmeleon!" Ash praised as he kept an eye on Pikachu.
Lillian returned Victreebel calmly before looking at Ash with a smile.
"You've done well so far!" She shouted from across the field. "But I won't go down without a fight."
Ash grinned in return. "Good." He stated.
"Now, Poliwrath use Water Pulse on Charmeleon, follow it up with Focus Punch on Pikachu!" Lillian ordered.
Poliwrath formed a ball of water in front of him and sent it towards the fire type. His hand lit up immediately as he sped towards Pikachu.
"Dodge Charmeleon. Pikachu, use Grass Knot!" Ash shouted to the both of them.
Charmeleon roared in pain as the water hit him straight on. Small vines had meanwhile appeared out of the ground, tripping the speeding Poliwrath. He fell to the ground, the impact loud and echoing through the crowd.
"Poliwrath, stand up and use Ice Beam on Pikachu."
Poliwrath stood up with difficulty but fired off Ice Beam anyway. Pikachu looked exhausted as he dodged. Poliwrath followed Pikachu's movements however, keeping him on his feet, dangerously close to being hit.
Without needing to say something Charmeleon had sped up towards Poliwrath, anger burning in his eyes from being hit by Water Pulse. He jumped up and smashed his Mega Punch between Poliwrath's eyes as a growl left his mouth. Ice Beam cut off instantly, saving Pikachu's feet while Poliwrath groaned in pain as he fell onto his back, unconscious.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle, the winner is Ash Ketchum!"
Charmeleon roared in victory, sending out a quick Flamethrower into the sky. He cut it off after a few seconds, panting heavily. That last Water Pulse had taken its toll on Charmeleon.
Ash congratulated both Pokemon enthusiastically. Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, rubbing his cheek against Ash's affectionately while Charmeleon grinned happily as Ash scratched his head.
"Nice work!" Brock and Giselle said when they reached each other.
"Thanks. Do you want to go and look at the other match?" Ash asked. He wanted to see the one he would have to battle in the final.
They agreed and made their way towards the other side of the park, where Stephan Mitchum and Molly Pierce were battling each other. Stephan was using a Jolteon and a Ninetales while Molly used a Rhydon and Dewgong. Stephan seemed to be struggling. It seemed that Rhydon's ability, Lightning Rod, made all the difference in this match. Every electric attack that Jolteon sent towards Dewgong got redirected towards Rhydon's horn, making it useless. That coupled with the fact that he had Ninetales as second Pokemon made it hard to land very effective hits on Dewgong and Rhydon. They kept themselves standing however, dodging most attacks or bracing themselves against others, countering with their own attack after it.
The match seemed to come to an end however as Jolteon went down first. Rhydon and Dewgong seemed full of energy still, which was bad news for Stephan. As Ash had thought, not long after Jolteon's defeat Ninetales followed, falling to the ground after a brutal hit from Dewgong's Hydro Pump.
"Ninetales is unable to battle, Molly Pierce is the winner!"
The crowd applauded wildly, some shouting loudly. Ash's flinched slightly, just realising the amount of noise they made when someone had won.
The announcer came forth after Molly and Stephan had left the field. "Those were some spectacular battles! All four have battled well, but sadly only two can go to the final. The match between Stephan and Lillian, where they'll be fighting for the third place will begin in an hour. After that battle, the final, with Ash Ketchum and molly Pierce, will start." The announcer shouted enthusiastically.
The crowd went wild again. Pikachu growled, sparks flying from his cheeks as he looked at the people standing near Ash.
"Let's get going." Ash said, knowing Pikachu had reached the edge of annoyance.
They settled themselves around the now familiar table and let a few Pokemon out.
"I'm going to try and call mom again." Ash said, leaving the table and making his way to the telephones. It was crowded but a few telephones were still clear from other trainers.
He called his mom and grinned when they got connected.
"Hey mom!" He said enthusiastically as Pikachu climbed onto his head, looking at Delia curiously.
"Ash! It's so good to see you!" Her brown eyes twinkled as she scanned his physique.
"You're taller! Oh look at you, growing older every day." She continued, tearing up a little bit.
Ash blushed but smiled. "So how's it going there in Pallet?"
"Same as always, although, the Pokemon who visited you after your treatment are missing you. They come by the house from time to time, the Pidgeotto with the former broken wing especially. I think they're keeping me company." Delia said, her face enthusiastic.
"Really?" Ash said surprised.
Delia nodded before looking in Ash's background. "What have you been up too?"
"I'm participating in a tag battle tournament. Today is the final." Ash said while scratching Pikachu affectionately.
"Really, so you're in them?" Ash nodded.
"Nicely done!" She said enthusiastically.
"So how is everyone doing?"
"Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander have evolved," Ash said, a grin plastered on his face. "And Growlithe, Pidgeot and Pikachu have become really strong! Maeve has been growing leaps and bounds too. She even won our first Tag Battle round." Ash said proudly.
"Ash!"
Ash's head snapped towards Brock's urgent voice.
"It's Meowth!"
"Shit. Sorry mom, I have to go." Ash rushed out as Pikachu settled himself on his shoulder again.
"Oh." Delia said, a bit lost. She recovered however and smiled. "Duty calls I hear. Get going then." She said, a soft smile on her face.
"Sorry." Ash apologized.
"No problem, and Ash, I love you." Delia said lovingly.
Ash smiled, returning the words before closing the telephone off, speeding towards Meowth while Maeve's Pokeball had already been opened.
"And here we are at the final of the Tag Battle Tournament." The announcer shouted.
"On the right side we have Ash Ketchum, and on the left we have Molly Pierce. They'll be battling for an amount of 15000 Pokemon Dollars and an unknown item!"
"Now let's see whom they've chosen for the final match!"
"Growlithe, Wartortle, come on out!" Ash said as he threw their Pokeballs into the air.
"Golduck, Exeggutor, let's get this match going!" Molly said simultaneously.
"So it's Fire and Water against Water and Grass! This match can go any direction with these combinations. Now people, let's give them a round of applause!" The announcer finished.
The crowd answered immediately, shouting and whistling in encouragement.
"All clear?" The referee asked.
Both Ash and Molly nodded in determination.
"Now begin!" The referee shouted over the noise of the crowd.
"Growlithe, use Flamethrower on Exeggutor. Wartortle, use Rapid Spin into Crunch on Golduck!" Ash ordered immediately.
Growlithe fired off the stream of fire as Wartortle jumped up and retracted himself into his shell, spinning towards Golduck threateningly.
"Exeggutor, intercept it with Psyshock. Golduck, blast Wartortle away with Hydro Pump!" Molly countered.
Golduck fired off Hydro Pump towards Wartortle. It made contact, stopping Wartortle in his path. While a purple blob of psychic energy formed in front of Exeggutor. It grew in size before he fired it towards the incoming Flamethrower. They met in the middle of the field, struggling to overpower each other. Wartortle was still struggling to stay in balance as the onslaught of water tried to push him away.
"Now Exeggutor, use Egg Bomb on Growlithe."
Exeggutor launched of several glowing eggs from his head and send them towards Growlithe, who was still struggling with holding Psyshock off.
"Growlithe use Flame Wheel!" Ash commanded.
"Now Wartortle, use Aqua Tail on the ground!" Ash followed up as Growlithe's body disappeared in a ball of fire.
Wartortle moved quickly. He stopped spinning at once. He was send back immediately by Hydro Pump but slammed his tail into the ground harshly, sending himself flying out of the stream.
Meanwhile Growlithe had manoeuvred himself through the falling eggs quickly and efficiently. He slammed his flames engulfed body into Exeggutor.
Exeggutor roared in pain as he stumbled back.
"Now Growlithe, Fire Fang. Wartortle, use Crunch!" Ash followed up.
"Dodge Crunch and use Aqua Jet on Growlithe!" Molly ordered.
Exeggutor braced himself for Fire Fang, to slow to be able to dodge it.
Growlithe clamped down on Exeggutor with his flaming jaws as Wartortle sped from out of the air towards Golduck.
Golduck was quicker however. Water engulfed his body as he shot towards Growlithe, who was still attached on Exeggutor.
"Dodge it Growlithe!" Ash shouted.
Growlithe was unable to dodge as Golduck slammed into him, tearing him off Exeggutor in the process.
"Now Exeggutor, use Leaf Storm on Wartortle."
"Wartortle, use Rapid Spin!"
Exeggutor fired off hundreds of leaves towards Wartortle who had already withdrawn into his shell. The leaves bounced off his shell harmlessly as he spun into the storm of leaves towards Exeggutor. Wartortle slammed into Exeggutor, still unharmed from the powerful attack.
"Now use Crunch!" Ash shouted.
Wartortle's head, tail and limbs appeared immediately. His teeth began to glow before he snapped his jaws around one of Exeggutor's heads harshly.
"Growlithe, use Iron Tail."
"Counter with Focus Punch Golduck!"
Both tail and hand respectively began to glow fiercely, energy building up. Golduck and Growlithe moved at the same time towards each other. Both attacks hit each other, cancelling each other out.
"Now Growlithe, Thunder Fang!" Ash shouted, keeping an eye on Wartortle too.
"Dodge it Golduck. Exeggutor, shake Wartortle off!"
Growlithe rushed towards Golduck immediately. He slammed his electricity filled mouth down on Golduck, who was unable to dodge. He cried out in pain as electricity coursed through his body.
Meanwhile Exeggutor was trying to shake off Wartortle. He was unable to loose the water type as Wartortle's strong mouth tightened its hold on Exeggutor's face. Exeggutor cried out louder while the expression of the other faces turned angry and impatient.
"Golduck use Focus Punch on Growlithe and follow it up with Zen Headbutt on Wartortle!" Molly ordered as she frowned towards Exeggutor worriedly.
"Get away Growlithe!" Ash shouted.
Golduck's fist glowed brightly before he shoved it into Growlithe's side, trying to ignore the electricity that was still running through his body.
Growlithe went flying into the air by the force of the punch as Golduck launched himself towards Growlithe, his front engulfed by a pink energy. He slammed into Wartortle successfully. Wartortle's grip loosened on Exeggutor as pain coursed through his body.
Golduck pushed himself off Exeggutor's body briefly, creating more force as he slammed Wartortle into the ground a few feet away. He straightened, a smirk on his face.
"Wartortle use Scald!"
Wartortle's eyes opened immediately as he sent out a stream of boiling water. It slammed against Golduck, who had been standing close by, and the force of it sent Golduck into the air.
"Exeggutor, use Seed Bomb on Wartortle!" Molly ordered.
"Growlithe, use Reversal!" Ash ordered, as he looked at Growlithe, who was panting quite a bit. "Wartortle, Protect!"
Golduck cried out in surprise as Wartortle cut off the stream. Gravity did its job, pulling him towards the ground rapidly. Before he reached the ground however Growlithe slammed into him, the power of the attack enhanced because of Growlithe tiredness.
After he had cut off Scald, Wartortle tried to get up as quick as possible. Just before Seed Bomb connected he let up a green wall of protective energy. He growled his body wrecked with pain, as he held of the seeds.
"Golduck, use Shadow Claw on Growlithe. Exeggutor, use Leaf Storm on Wartortle, let's break that Protect!"
"Hold it Wartortle!" Ash said, an idea forming in his mind.
Hundreds of leaves were sent towards Wartortle, smashing against Protect. It held, for now.
Golduck looked exhausted but launched himself to Growlithe. His claw was engulfed by a dark energy as he pulled it back just a bit before slamming it towards Growlithe.
"Now! Use Crunch on his hand and toss him into Leaf Storm!" Ash shouted. A grin was plastered on his whole face.
Growlithe bit through Shadow Claw and into Golduck's hand. He tightened his grip before throwing Golduck over him and into the Leaf Storm.
Golduck cried out in pain as hundreds of leaves scratched against his skin.
"Exeggutor, stop it!" Molly said shocked and out of words.
"Now use Thunder Fang on Golduck, Growlithe. Wartortle, use Quick Attack follow by Crunch on Exeggutor." Ash said as the Leaf Storm was cut off.
Growlithe and Wartortle moved immediately, they shot towards their opponent and bit down with both attacks respectively. Golduck and Exeggutor cried out in pain. They fell to the ground simultaneously as Growlithe and Wartortle jumped back, panting heavily.
"Exeggutor and Golduck are unable to battle, the winner is Ash Ketchum!"
"And there we have it folk! The winner of this match and the winner of The Tag Battle Tournament is Ash Ketchum!" The announcer shouted.
The crowd exploded with cheers as Molly returned her Pokemon. She steeped towards Ash and shook his hand while congratulating him.
"You did well. I was really surprised when you threw Golduck into Exeggutor's attack." She said with a smile.
"You guys are pretty tough." She continued as she focused on Wartortle and Growlithe. They grinned wildly in return.
"You made it hard though. We got banged up pretty badly. Your Golduck is a tough not to crack, defending himself and Exeggutor while also attacking." Ash said. "I really enjoyed it." He concluded.
"And now please. If Lillian Coral, Molly Pierce and Ash Ketchum could step forward onto their platform we'll begin the ending ceremony." The mayor, who had taken over the microphone from the announcer, said.
"Well, let's go."
Ash nodded in agreement and let Growlithe and Wartortle stay with him. They climbed the platform with him, where they settled themselves by his feet. Molly and Lillian followed him on their respective platforms.
They were handed an envelope that held their prize money. 15000 Pokemon Dollars were in there, just for him. He smiled at Wartortle and Growlithe while Pikachu cooed happily.
"And now the item!" The announcer said, trying to get some tension into the crowd. The mayor walked up to Ash and gave him a small box after a friendly handshake.
He opened it and took of the cotton wool from the top. He took the stone, because that's what it was, out of the box carefully.
"And it's a Dusk Stone! This evolutionary stone makes certain Pokemon like Misdreavus evolve. Together with the Dawn and Shiny stones they're very hard to come by."
Ash grinned as he scanned the stone's surface. Its darkness was mesmerizing really.
"And that's the end of the Tag Battle Tournament! Give them one last round of applause people!"
Many miles away Delia Ketchum scratched Pidgeotto's head fondly.
She missed Ash dearly. The house was very silent without the Pokemon loving boy. She was happy for him though, he was finally living his dream, going far and wide into the Pokemon World.
She snapped up as the bell rang loudly. She straightened and swept her apron straight.
She walked to the door and opened it.
Her breath stopped as she looked up to the visitor in shock.
"Delia."
Delia's head shook lightly; disgust, anger and shock clear on her face.
"What do you think you're doing here? I told you that I never wanted to do anything with you again years ago." She hissed out.
A/N: Uhm… Hello? It's been a long time. Sorry?
So… We still haven't reached Fuchsia City and the fifth Gym Battle, but this wasn't just filler. Charmander and Squirtle had to evolve but since I wanted it to happen before reaching Fuchsia I had to make something big happen.
Next chapter will include Fuchsia City!
POKEMON ACQUIRED:
On hand:
Growlithe (M), Pikachu (M), Pidgeot (F), Charmeleon (M), Wartortle (M), Riolu (F) Maeve
At Oak Corral:
Ivysaur (M)
P.S. Please tell me if the tag battles were satisfying, and if not, why.
