A/N: And here is the prequel to the sneak peak some of you saw with the gym battle lol. Don't let that deter you from enjoying the chapter. This arc is now at the halfway mark! Hooray!
I'm glad a lot of you enjoyed the battles in the Water Pokemon Tournament. A few of you mentioned it was rushed, and honestly, it probably was. It just wasn't turning out how I envisioned it when I first had the idea a while back. I'll make up for it in the Whirl Cup, though. I have some cool ideas for it already!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Chapter 12: Rudy's Invitation
Taking a ride on a private boat was a rather different experience for the group. It wasn't like any ferry the group had used so far. It wasn't big, but it was certainly adequate for the group's size. It wasn't the fanciest boat they had ever been on, but it definitely looked nice. It just had sort of a cozy feel to it because it was more personalized. It was actually preferable to ride one of these. Still, the group couldn't tell if Rudy owned a private boat because he was rich or because he was a gym leader. In the end, though, it didn't really matter.
They were, of course, grateful that Rudy offered to let them come along. He told them they were free to do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't mess anything up. Nothing too hard. Ash had been wanting to ask Rudy what type of gym leader he was but never got the opportunity. Not surprisingly, the young man had been spending most of his time with Misty.
Speaking of Misty, the group hadn't seen much of her, either. They were glad she was having a good time, but they couldn't recall a single time on this boat where they had an actual conversation with Misty or Rudy. They had even been on this ship for more than a day. When they would ask Mahri what they were doing, the young girl would simply state that they were merely talking privately. The group couldn't help but wonder what on Earth they were talking about. Even Ash and Serena didn't think they talked to each other as much as Misty and Rudy were. It almost made them feel strange.
At last, though, the group could finally make out what they presumed was Trovita Island in the distance. It appeared to be a rather ordinary sized island with not a lot on it. That appeared to be fine, though, as an island with a large city didn't appear too far from it. The group could see several large rocks sticking up from the ocean around the island. It almost seemed to form a protective barrier around it.
"I wonder what the gym will be like here," Ash mused to himself as he and the rest leaned over the side of the boat. "It would be pretty cool to have a battle on one of those large rocks."
"I suppose, but wouldn't that be dangerous for your Pokemon?" Serena asked.
"It would help with the training, though," Ash replied as he took a look back to the rocks.
"I want you guys to not lean on the railings while we are passing through these rocks," Rudy's voice spoke from behind them.
The group turned and found Rudy standing there with Misty beside him. It was almost surprising to see the two now considering how little they saw of them recently.
"Why?" Ash asked curiously.
"This island is surrounded by a lot of whirlpools. They can jostle the ship a little bit which could send you into a tumble over the edge if you're not careful. It's best just not to lean on them right now," Rudy warned.
"I gotcha," Ash replied as he and the others stood back a little bit.
Sure enough, as the boat began passing through the rocks, they could see quite a few whirlpools surrounding them. If they were to fall in, it most certainly wouldn't end well. The boat did start rocking, but it wasn't enough to make them lose their balance. Still, one would definitely rather be safe than sorry.
As they approached the shoreline, they could see a group of boys waiting to greet them. They must be trainers who are instructed under Rudy and could take care of everything while he was gone. Oddly, enough, they were all dressed in a black shirt and white vest just like Rudy was. There were also several types of Pokemon there, too.
As soon as the group disembarked the ship, Mahri immediately ran to boys and Pokemon and hugged them each. They all happily returned the hug and patted her head before making their way over to Rudy.
"Hey, Master Rudy. How was the water Pokemon tournament?" one of them asked.
"Mahri and I had a lot of fun. Is everything at the gym going well?" Rudy replied.
"Yes. Your Pokemon missed you, though," the same one answered as he gestured to some of the waiting Pokemon.
"Well, I'm back now so no need to worry, and I even brought some company with me," Rudy assured.
"Oh?" another one of the boys asked.
"That's right. Everyone, I'd like to introduce you all to Misty Waterflower, a girl that is just as beautiful on the inside as the outside," Rudy announced as took Misty by the hand and brought her in front of him so they could see her better.
"Oh. It's nice to meet all of you," Misty said while blushing, a little flustered by Rudy referring to her as 'beautiful'.
"Flowers for Misty, please," Rudy called and snapped his fingers.
The group let out a gasp as one of the boys pulled bouquet of flowers from seemingly nowhere before presenting it to Misty. Did these pretty boys always have a ready supply of flowers with them wherever they went?
"Hey, uh, what about us?" Ash mumbled.
"Hmmhmm. You're right. Everyone! This is Ash, Serena, Leaf, and Tracey. They're friends of Misty, and Ash will be challenging me to gym match!" Rudy told them.
"You bet! Let's go ahead and get started!" Ash declared.
"Be patient, Ash! We just got here!" Misty whispered harshly.
Ash sighed but didn't argue. He didn't want to seem like some sort of whiner because he wasn't getting to battle yet. Even so, it was starting to bug him how Rudy seemed to pay so much attention to Misty and nothing else. It wasn't like he thought Rudy wasn't a nice guy, and truthfully, Ash didn't know why it bothered him. He should be happy Misty finally found a guy that took an interest in her, but it seemed to be distracting her from everything else, including her friends who were with her right now.
"Don't worry, Ash. I've already accepted your challenge, but to actually battle you, you have pass a test," Rudy told him.
"Another test, huh?" Ash questioned. This wasn't new to him now. Both Cissy and Danny required tests before they battled Ash, and they were never easy.
"That's right, but first, I want you all to join us for some refreshments. A boat ride can tend to take some energy out of you," Rudy offered as he turned and led Misty by the hand. Mahri, the Pokemon, and the boys followed them.
"Well, it was nice of him to offer us a snack. I say we go," Tracey shrugged.
"Yeah," Ash muttered.
"Are you alright, Ash? It may just be me, but you seem a little irritable," Serena wondered.
"Chuuuu," Pikachu added, also noticing its trainer's mood.
"I'll be fine. I guess I'm just being a little impatient right now. I'll try not be so sour. Sorry," Ash apologized.
"I don't think that's all it is. Maybe it would be a year ago, but you've come a long way since then," Serena told him firmly.
"Does it bother you that Misty is spending so much time with Rudy?" Leaf whispered so Misty or Rudy wouldn't hear her.
Ash sighed. "Maybe it does. I don't say this too often, but I have missed Misty's company this past week. Ever since she met Rudy again, the only time we ever see her is when she's with him."
"What's wrong with that?" Serena wondered.
"Misty and Rudy are getting awfully close. I know we can't stay on this island forever. I just know that once we leave, someone isn't going to want to let go," Ash replied.
"You mean…," Serena began.
"Yep," Ash finished, knowing what she was going to say.
"Wow, Ash. That's actually pretty astute of you," Leaf said in surprise at Ash's rare moment of clarity.
Ash didn't reply and faced forward again with the rest of the group. It was true. They would be leaving this island before long, and Rudy and Misty would have to separate. How would that play out?
The group had spent an hour inside Rudy's training center having their snacks. It didn't take them long to figure out that this place wasn't where gym challenges took place. Come to think of it, none of the gyms in the Orange Islands looked normal. Cissy's was a remote side of the island, and Danny's was on top of a mountain. They could only imagine where Rudy's would be. Underwater?
Rudy then led everyone outside where they walked through a small forest. It wasn't long before they came upon a river. A small motor boat was tied to the dock. Rudy and Mahri then went towards the dock and got in the boat, gesturing for Misty and Ash to follow.
"So what's the test like?" Ash asked curiously.
"It's a target test," Rudy answered simply.
"Heh. Seems easy enough," Ash smiled with confidence.
"You think so, do you?" Rudy asked with what seemed to be a glint in his eye.
"Be careful, Ash. Remember. This is the Orange League. There may be more to the test than simple target practice," Tracey warned.
"Yeah. I guess," Ash shrugged as he and Pikachu got in the boat next.
After Misty got in the boat, Rudy turned to everyone else. "I'm sorry, but the trainer must do the test alone. The motor boat is too small to fit all of you."
"What about Misty?" Ash muttered.
"She's my special guest," Rudy answered as he grabbed Misty by the hands, causing her to blush.
"Oh, brother," Ash mumbled. He then turned to Pikachu. "Please tell me you never see Serena and me act like that."
"Pihihihi," Pikachu snickered, neither confirming or denying Ash's question.
Ash rolled his eyes and turned back to Rudy. "So what are the rules?" he asked.
"The rules themselves are simple. You just have to have your Pokemon hit every target that appears," Rudy told him.
"What's the cache?" Ash questioned, knowing it sounded to easy.
"There are twelve targets, and you have to use the six Pokemon you have with you to hit them. You must use each of the six Pokemon with you twice. None of them can be used a third time, or you're out, but you can send them out in any order," Rudy explained.
"So each of my Pokemon have to hit at least two targets each, and they can't miss," Ash figured.
"Yes, and naturally, some are a lot harder than others," Rudy said.
"Well, Pikachu. Ready for a little target practice?" Ash asked.
"Pikachu!" it responded and pumped its tiny fists into the air.
"Good luck, Ash!" Serena, Leaf, and Tracey called as Rudy started the motorboat.
"No problem!" Ash shouted back and gave them all a thumbs up.
"I wish you luck, too, Ash," Mahri told him.
"Oh. Thanks a lot," Ash replied as he turned and gave the younger girl a smile.
"You sure are going to need lots of it to get a badge from my brother," Mahri finished, causing Ash to face fault.
"Alright, Ash. Here we go!" Rudy called as he untied the rope, and the motorboat began speeding down the river.
"Woah!" Ash cried as he stumbled a little from the sudden burst of speed. Maybe he should sit down for this.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu yelled, grabbing Ash's attention.
Ash looked to see where Pikachu was pointing and gasped that the first target had already appeared. It had appeared behind one of the tree branches hanging over the river and was approaching fast. He had to act quickly or he would be disqualified after only the first target!
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt that target!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu quickly unleashed a huge bolt of electricity from its body. It was with perfect accuracy, and the first target was obliterated. Ash breathed a huge sigh of relief. That was pretty close. He would have to keep a watch out.
"It's too bad you used your Pikachu on such an easy one. They just get harder from here on out," Rudy commented from behind Ash.
No sooner had Rudy this that another target appeared. This time it appeared behind a jagged rock that was in the middle of the fast moving river. Having more time to decide, Ash chose his next Pokemon.
"Let's go, Muk!" he shouted. The sludge Pokemon was rather unwieldy for such a test, but he needed to go ahead and use it with another straight forward target. As soon as it was out, he said his next command. "Use Poison Jab!"
Muk extended its sludgy hand and punched through the wooden target with ease. The motorboat sailed past the destroyed target as Ash recalled Muk and decided on what his next Pokeon should be. He turned around and smirked at Rudy to see the expression on his face…only to find that Rudy was instead looking into Misty's eyes.
"Your eyes…they shine like diamonds," Rudy said to her.
"Oh, Rudy," Misty gushed.
"Uh, not to be rude, but aren't you supposed to be watching me and not Misty?" Ash asked with narrowed eyes.
"Aren't you supposed to be watching the course and not us?" Rudy rebutted before adding, "By the way, we're almost past the next target."
Ash swiftly turned around, and his eyes widened. When had that target appeared?! Shoot! He didn't have time to call out another Pokemon! His only choice was to use Pikachu!
"Pikachu! Hurry and use Thunderbolt!" he yelled.
Pikachu had already launched its Thunderbolt at the target before Ash was finished with his sentence. It knew what its trainer was fixing to tell it. It was just making sure to hit the target before they passed it. The electricity struck the target and destroyed it, leaving Ash three for three. Unfortunately, that meant…
"Well, Ash. That's the second time you used Pikachu. You can't use it anymore on this course," Rudy told him.
Ash couldn't help but sigh. Rudy had told him that these targets were going to get harder, and he already used his Pikachu on two easy ones because he wasn't paying attention. That had cost him, and now he had his work cut out for him. Ash knew he couldn't take his eyes off the course for another second. He then let out a gasp as a target suddenly shot out of the river about ten feet into the air before beginning its descent back into the water.
"Go, Bulbasaur, and use Razor Leaf!" Ash hollered and released it.
The bulb dinosaur shot out its flurry of leaves at the target. Bulbasaur made sure to aim a little bit below the target since it was traveling downward. It was a success, and the target was shredded into multiple splinters which landed harmlessly in the raging river.
"Great, Bulbasaur!" Ash encouraged as he returned it.
"Not bad, Ash," Rudy said from behind him.
Ash smiled to himself that Rudy had acknowledged that last one. That's when Ash realized that the gym leader probably didn't need to be focused on Ash the entire time to see if he hit it. He had a second set of eyes with Mahri for one thing, and it wasn't exactly like shredding the targets was a quiet activity. Ash should just mind his own business and focus on the task at hand rather than Rudy's attention to Misty for the moment.
That was when two targets unexpectedly appeared at the same time. One appeared on the right, and one appeared on the left. Knowing that one Pokemon couldn't hit both targets. Logic told Ash that he was supposed to use two Pokemon here.
"Let's go, Charizard and Wartortle!" he yelled before commanding, "Wartortle, use Water Gun on the left, and Charizard, Flamethrower on the right!"
Both Pokemon shot forward their respective attacks which destroyed the targets. Ash complimented his two Pokemon before recalling them to his pokeball. Now he had hit half the targets. If Ash could keep this up, he would be just fine.
It wasn't long before Ash was almost done with the course. As Rudy said, they did progressively get harder, but Ash had managed to get them all, except one. Not surprisingly, Rudy informed Ash that the last target would be the hardest of them all. Ash now only needed to use his Muk for this one. It wasn't as great at long range attacks as his other Pokemon, but he believed in the sludge Pokemon.
"Pika Pi," Pikachu muttered, also keeping on watch for the elusive target.
"Get ready, Pikachu. It's going to appear at any moment," Ash mumbled back to it, his eyes completely fixed on the river in front of him.
The sailboat sped along the river for a few seconds, and there was still no sign of the target. It was starting to unnerve Ash a little bit. He knew that they were almost through with this lap, and the target still hadn't shown up yet. Shouldn't it have appeared by now? What gives? He turned back to Rudy who simply watched Ash with his arms crossed. He could tell by that look that this was the one most trainers missed. That's when Ash remembered he needed to focus and immediately snapped his attention back to the river.
"Where is it?" Ash thought.
It was then he noticed something odd about the water that was just in front of him. It was moving a little more strangely than the water around it. Maybe that was because that part was different color? Wait. Why would that part be different? Ash squinted his eyes and gasped. The target was sitting in the water about a foot under! They're about to sail right over it!
"Muk, hurry!" Ash yelled as he opened the pokeball as quickly as he could.
As soon as he called it out, Ash realized he had no idea what to do. They were too close for Ash to have Muk use Poison Jab unless he risked to have Muk's hand severed by the motor. Sludge Bomb would explode upon impact with the water, and the target would be too deep to be affected by it. Ash gritted his teeth until he saw Muk taking matters into its own hands, apparently sensing what Ash was thinking. The sludge Pokemon seemed to tense up before hurling a huge amount of sludge from its hands. Ash gasped as the sludge didn't appear to explode like a Sludge Bomb would. The nasty goo kept going through the water until blasting right through the target just a second before the boat passed it.
"Wait. Was that Gunk Shot?" Ash asked in confusion.
"It was, Ash. Your Muk just learned a new move!" Misty smiled.
"Hey, congratulations, Muk! That was one powerful piece of sludge! Wait to go!" Ash cheered.
"Muuuuuuk!" Muk cried happily as it went to hug Ash.
"W-wait! Not in the boat!" Ash cried as he quickly returned Muk to its pokeball. He was really happy for his Pokemon but didn't want to be knocked out of the boat or smothered in sludge, either.
The boat then rounded a corner, and Ash could see where they would disembark. They made a full lap in the small river, and Ash felt rather proud of himself. He knew he had just passed the test of another Orange Crew member. Granted, this one was a lot harder than he thought like Rudy said, and he almost missed a few, but thanks to his training, his Pokemon were able to hit the targets with pinpoint accuracy.
"Well, congratulations, Ash. It looks like you passed the test," Rudy told him.
"Great job! That was cool!" Mahri added.
"By the way, this test's purpose wasn't to test a Pokemon's accuracy, but a trainer's ability to make good decisions in the blink of an eye as well as to focus on all of their surroundings," Rudy explained.
"Oh. I see," Ash replied, realizing that made sense. A regular target test would've been too easy. That was why Rudy had some bizarrely placed ones as well as two at a time in some instances.
The motorboat then slowed to a halt, and the passengers climbed out. Serena immediately ran up to Ash and looked at him hopefully. Ash grinned back at Serena and gave her, Leaf, and Tracey a thumbs up.
"I passed the test!" he declared proudly.
"That's so good, Ash!" Serena replied as she gave him a hug, to which he returned.
"I'm a little surprised, Ash, but you did it," Rudy said from behind Ash. "I'll officially accept your challenge now."
"Thanks, Rudy," Ash replied, turning away from Serena.
"We'll have our battle tomorrow afternoon after lunch. It will be on top of the tallest rock surrounding the island," Rudy continued.
"Wait. You mean you two are going to battle on one of those giant spiky rocks that are surrounded by whirlpools?" Serena asked worriedly.
"That's correct," Rudy affirmed.
"Don't worry, Serena. My Pokemon and I will be fine. We've been in more dangerous situations than this. Remember Blaine's gym in the volcano?" Ash reminded.
Serena sighed, but she knew Ash was right. Truth be told, she was extremely worried about his battle in the volcano, too, however. Even if a water Pokemon were to fall off those rocks, the whirlpools could possibly get to them first, and then they would be in trouble. She just hoped there would be some sort of safety barriers but chances are there wouldn't be.
"The way our battle will work will be you will choose three Pokemon of a different element, and then I will choose the same element. If you win three out of three, I'll give you that badge you want so much," Rudy said.
"So we're going to battle with the same types of Pokemon?" Ash inquired.
"Yes. The toughest battle for any Pokemon to win is against an opponent who is the same type as them. I will really test your skills as a trainer to think of a strategy to win against an opposing Pokemon that has virtually the same skills," Rudy elaborated.
"Ash also has to beat all three of your Pokemon?" Serena questioned.
"Right. If a trainer can't beat all of my Pokemon than they wouldn't stand a chance against the champion in the Orange League," Rudy explained.
"I gotcha!" Ash stated. "In that case, I'll use a fighting-type, a water-type, and a poison-type!"
"Alright. I look forward to it, Ash," Rudy agreed before turning to leave with Mahri and the other boys of the gym. He then stopped to look at Misty. "Misty, why don't you have dinner with Mahri and me again, tonight? I'll cook something great for all of us."
"Really? You can cook?" Misty asked hopefully.
"Well, I don't mean to brag, but…" Rudy began.
"My brother's an awesome cook! You'll love anything he makes!" Mahri piped up.
"Sounds good, Rudy! I'd love to!" Misty answered after a slight giggle.
"Great. I'll see you then," Rudy waved as he and the others continued on.
It was the evening now, and the group was in the Pokemon Center. Rudy had apologized for not being able to house everybody, but between him, his sister, and the trainers who studied under him, there simply wasn't room. The group didn't mind, of course, and thought Rudy was being generous enough as it is. Though partly, they all knew it was because of Misty. They highly doubted Rudy did this for any trainer that wished to challenge him.
Misty hummed merrily to herself as she freshened up for her dinner date with Rudy. Not surprisingly, he had invited her to try one of his home-cooked meals this time. Misty was rather excited about it herself as she couldn't wait to see what kind of cook Rudy was. After dinner, who knows what else they could do on Trovita Island?
Serena and Leaf stood behind Misty as she fixed herself up. They were really happy for their friend, but that did nothing to stifle their earlier worries. They didn't have the heart to voice it to Misty, however. That was something Rudy and Misty would have to sort out themselves.
"So how do I look?" Misty suddenly asked as she turned to face the two girls.
"Simply gorgeous," Serena complimented.
"Rudy will have his socks knocked off!" Leaf added.
"Togepriii!" Togepi said, as well.
"See? Even Togepi thinks so," Serena giggled as she smiled down at the spikeball Pokemon
"Thanks," Misty smiled before addressing Serena. "Hey, Serena. Why don't you and Ash double date with Rudy and me tonight?"
"Oh? That sounds like a good idea, but if I did that, Leaf and Togepi would be all by themselves tonight, and besides, I'm sure Ash is going to be focused for his gym battle tomorrow," Serena replied.
"I get it. He's a future Pokemon Master and can't have any distractions when he's about to have a big battle," Misty said.
"That's right," Serena responded.
"He really is a great guy for you," Misty sighed before adding, "Just don't ever tell him I said that!"
"Heehee. I won't," Serena giggled along with Leaf. Misty could get so defensive when it came to Ash, but they really did care for and like each other as friends.
"Right. Well, in that case, I'm off. Rudy said we should be done around eleven o'clock. Don't feel like you have to wait up for me!" Misty told them as she turned to leave their room at the Pokemon Center. As she exited, she nearly bumped in Ash.
"Oh. Sorry, Ash," Misty apologized before attempting to move past him.
"It's okay, Misty. I'm just now coming in from training my Pokemon," Ash replied.
"I see. Well, good luck tomorrow. I'm off to see Rudy," Misty said as she went to leave again, but Ash stopped her.
"Misty," Ash began.
"What is it, Ash?" Misty questioned while giving him a curious look.
Ash sighed. He really wanted to tell Misty about how she and Rudy are getting pretty serious. He didn't want to pry, but Misty was still his friend, and he didn't want to see her hurt in the end. Surely, she and Rudy had at least talked about what would happen when they had to be away from each other again, or had they been so into talking about other things that it never crossed their minds? Then again, if he said something, Misty might take it the wrong way and get rather angry. He ultimately decided against saying something and moved aside for Misty to pass.
"Uh…just…make sure you root for me tomorrow!" he said cheerfully.
"Umm…sure. Of course I will," Misty muttered in confusion and continued on.
Ash continued to watch her until she disappeared from view. Pikachu looked down curiously at its trainer. It knew Ash had been wanting to say something to Misty, but he didn't.
"Pika?" it asked.
"It's nothing, buddy. Come on. Let's go see Serena, Togepi, Tracey, and Leaf before hitting the sack. Hitmonchan, Kingler, and Muk have quite a battle tomorrow," he muttered before heading off to the others' rooms.
Misty, Rudy, and Mahri had just finished eating. Just as they said, Misty thought the food was excellent. That just added to another of the many good marks Misty could think of to describe Rudy. Was there no end to this boy's charm and talents?
"Everything was so delicious, Rudy. Thank you," Misty said honestly.
"It was my pleasure, Misty. I'm glad you enjoyed it," Rudy smiled.
"See? Isn't my brother the best?!" Mahri grinned.
"He certainly is!" Misty agreed before blushing at what she said. She gave a shy look at Rudy who seemed to have turned a little red himself. Woah. Had the temperature warmed up in the room a little bit?
"I'm happy you think so. I think you're the best, also," Rudy muttered. Despite his shy tone, he was looking at Misty directly in the eye when he said it.
"Oh?! Heheheh! R-really?" Misty stuttered.
The two sat there staring at each other for quite a while. They were once so full of conversation, but now it had grown oddly quiet. It was true they both thought extremely highly of each other, but for them to actually say it made them nervous all of a sudden. Misty could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she and Rudy continued to gaze at each other. All of a sudden, Mahri broke the silence.
"Hey! You want to know something? I've always wanted a big sister, Misty!" she spoke up.
"Oh. Huh?" Misty asked, her voice sounding startled as if she just woke up from a trance. Rudy turned to look at his sister, also.
"I love my brother and the other boys at the gym, but I'm the only girl here," Mahri continued, suddenly sounding sad.
"Oh, Mahri. I'm sorry to hear that. It must be tough," Misty replied sympathetically.
Mahri perked up again. "I know! Why don't you stay here forever!? You and my brother could get married, and then you could be my big sister!"
"Oh…umm…what?" Misty stumbled in her sentence.
That statement had definitely caught her off guard. Did Mahri actually suggest that she and Rudy should get married?! Despite all the fun Misty was having with Rudy, that was something she really hadn't thought about. They were too young, but Mahri definitely suggested that she should stay here forever. That also brought another problem to Misty's mind. She would be leaving Trovita Island soon with everyone else. What would she do then? She and Rudy had grown awfully close in such a short amount of time. Did she even want to leave the island? Could she really stand to be away from him again? How would a relationship work when she was always traveling?
"Mahri, let's talk about something else," Rudy said a little awkwardly. Misty could tell by his expression that the thoughts that plagued her mind were on his, as well.
"Why?" Mahri wondered, clearly not understanding how uncomfortable she made the two.
"On second thought, why don't you go play so Misty and I can talk by ourselves?" Rudy suggested.
"Hey, brother. Can I go swimming in the ocean while you two are talking? Please?" Mahri asked cutely.
"No, Mahri. You know you can't go swimming alone unless I or one of the other trainers are with you," Rudy told her.
"But I'm getting older now. Besides, everyone else is training right now and won't want to go with me! I'll have Seel with me, too!" Mahri pouted.
"The answer is still no, Mahri. The whirlpools around this island can get really bad at night. You could easily get pulled into one of them," Rudy said a little more sternly.
"Fine. Okay," Mahri mumbled before hopping out of her seat and sulking out of the room.
"Mahri really does seem to think highly of you," Rudy informed Misty after Mahri left.
"Yeah. She is a really sweet girl," Misty agreed.
"Misty?" Rudy said, grabbing her attention.
"Hmm? What is it?" Misty inquired, noticing his serious tone.
"About what Mahri said," Rudy began.
Misty's breath caught in her throat. She blushed again and looked to the side. She almost had a feeling where this was going. It was something that would inevitably come up. Deep down, they both knew it but didn't want to say anything. It had to be addressed now, though.
"It really would be great if you consider staying here on Trovita Island with us," Rudy finished.
"On Trovita Island with you?" Misty echoed.
"I know what I'm asking for is a lot, but I'm going to say it right now. I really like you a lot, Misty," Rudy said seriously.
"Oh, Rudy. I like you, too," Misty responded as she looked at the boy once again. "It's just…,"
"You don't want to leave your friends?" Rudy asked sadly.
"Oh, no! It's not that. I…just…don't know," Misty replied lamely.
"Would you please at least think about it? Mahri and I would be so happy if you said yes. After being with you these past few days, I couldn't imagine being away from you again," Rudy told her.
Misty looked down at the ground. Rudy was seriously wanting her to stay here on Trovita Island and live with him and Mahri. Is that what she really wanted, though? Brock seemed to have found a place where he belonged with Professor Ivy. Was her place with Rudy? There was no doubt she would be incredibly happy here.
"Alright. I promise you I'll think about it. I'll give you my answer after the gym match tomorrow," Misty replied.
"That's fair enough, Misty. Thank you," Rudy responded before standing up. "With that being said, let's lighten the mood a little. How would you like to meet all of my Pokemon?"
"Oh. I'd love to!" Misty said brightly as she stood up, as well. They then walked down the hall to where Rudy's Pokemon were.
Mahri quietly slipped onto the beach with her Seel beside her. She was a little nervous about sneaking out and disobeying her brother to go out right now. Despite this, Mahri felt she was a big girl now and could look after herself. The whirlpools were well away from where she would be swimming anyway. She would be careful, and she had Seel with her so technically she wasn't alone.
"Seel?" the seal Pokemon questioned. It was slightly more apprehensive than Mahri about this. It knew the rules, but she had talked it into coming with her.
"It's okay, Seel. We'll have a lot of fun, and we won't even go far out," Mahri replied as she took her first step into the ocean. It had been a while since she swam in the ocean due the Water Pokemon tournament.
The young girl smiled at how great the water felt on her feet right now. It was the perfect temperature outside, and the water temperature was perfect, too. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the moon looked very lovely. In short, it was perfect for swimming according to Mahri. It was far better than swimming during the day when it was so hot outside where she could get sunburned.
Seel pulled its way into the water, too, as Mahri began taking a few steps further out. The waves weren't especially rough right now because there was a light wind. They were gentle and were at just the right height to where Mahri didn't need to do anything except let them roll around her. Mahri kept getting a little farther out until the water was halfway up her torso. That was enough. She wouldn't go any farther out than this.
She turned back around and saw she was actually still pretty close to the shoreline. If something bad looked like it was about to happen, she would have plenty of time to out of the water. Seel would help out, too. Mahri suddenly couldn't help but think her brother was being rather silly right now. It wasn't like she was planning to go deep into the ocean. Those whirlpools were really far away right now. As long as she didn't go any deeper than this, she was fine.
"Alright, Seel. What do you want to play?" she asked the sea lion Pokemon.
Seel put its fin to its chin as if it were in thought. It then smirked mischievously before playfully splashing Mahri. It then dived under the water to hide from her.
Mahri sputtered for a second before she began to laugh. Oh. So that's how Seel wanted to play! She took a deep breath before submerging herself into the water to look for it. She glanced around but didn't see any sign of it. That's when she felt a slight bump from behind her. She turned around and saw Seel waving at her with its fin under the water. The young girl smiled and waved back before coming up for air.
The young girl took a deep breath as Seel popped up next to her. It then grew worried as it saw Mahri grinned sneakily and gave Seel the biggest splash of its life. She then laughed once again.
"That's what you get for splashing me first, Seel!" she taunted. She then grabbed its fins and began to dance with it in the water.
"See? Isn't this fun? We don't need adults here with us just to swim in the ocean. We can take care of ourselves. It's not like we are anywhere near the whirlpools," Mahri told it.
Mahri didn't know how long she had been out in the ocean. Maybe between five and ten minutes? She wouldn't stay here too long. As she continued playing with Seel, she kept moving a lot through the water and began to not pay attention. What the young girl didn't know was that even though she was far away from the whirlpools, there were still rip currents, and she was about to step right into one.
Mahri gasped as she suddenly felt a strong pull from underneath water. Her hands broke contact with Seel as she began to get carried off farther into the ocean. She began to swim as hard as she could to get back, but the current was more powerful and just kept bringing her further out. Her brother had told her that if she ever was in a rip current to swim parallel with the shore to get out, but her frantic state was causing her to forget.
"Seel! Help me!" she screamed.
"Seeeeel!" the sea lion cried as it tore through water after Mahri.
It was swimming along with the current to try to get to Mahri faster. It wasn't long before it reached her. Mahri reached out as hard as she could to grab Seel's fin. She barely managed to grab it, and Seel began its attempt at swimming out. Horror dawned on both it and Mahri's faces when they realized they had both become caught in the rip current now. It had now gotten very strong, even Seel couldn't get out now.
"What are we going to do?!" Mahri yelled at Seel.
She then turned around, and her eyes widened in terror. The rip current was taking her right to where the whirlpools were. She and Seel began to swim the hardest they ever could, but the rip current was relentless and refused to let them out of it.
"Somebody! Anybody! Help us!" Mahri screamed again.
Her brother was right. She really wished she hadn't come out. It really was a bad idea to come alone. If someone else was with her, they might be able to help, but no one else was around, especially since it was nighttime. The weather was so deceptively tranquil, but the situation had turned frightening so quickly. She didn't know what to do! The pull from the current was bringing her even closer, and it was even trying take her under the water occasionally. The only thing she could do was scream and hold onto Seel as tightly as she could.
"Here we are," Rudy presented as he showed Misty where he kept the Pokemon.
Misty smiled as she took a look around the large room. It appeared to be some kind of work out room. There was a sound system in one of the corners that was playing happy music. What grabbed Misty's attention the most, though, were the Pokemon themselves. Rudy had a huge range of Pokemon here. He probably had as much Pokemon as Ash and Serena combined. Not to mention, they were all dancing. Misty couldn't help but feel compelled to mention it.
"So do all of your Pokemon dance?" she asked curiously.
"They sure do. I don't think it's enough to just teach Pokemon attacks. I found a Pokemon's abilities can improve and change if they learn how to do something completely different," Rudy told her.
"So that's why you give them dancing lessons?" she questioned.
"That's right," Rudy affirmed. "So with that being said, shall we dance?"
"I'm not much of a dancer," Misty replied shyly.
"That isn't true. I still remember when I first met you at the Fuchsia Festival. You were great. Give it a try!" Rudy urged.
"Well, alright," Misty relented as she and Rudy went to go dance with his Pokemon.
Misty found it was actually quite fun to dance with Rudy and the Pokemon. She hadn't had a night this fun in a while. It had been an excellent week so far. She met Rudy again, had won the water Pokemon tournament, and now was having a blast with him. After a few minutes Rudy stopped and gave her a smile.
"Hold on for just a second. I'm going to check on Mahri to make sure she's getting ready for bed. I'll be back in just a second so wait here," Rudy told her as he went to walk out of the room.
Misty nodded her head. She then turned around and joined back into dancing with the Pokemon. Despite never meeting her before, they all didn't seem to mind and were happy just because she was with them. Misty smiled at how friendly all of Rudy's Pokemon seemed to be. They were welcoming her with no problem even though Rudy wasn't present.
Misty thought maybe she should let out her own Pokemon and let them join in on dancing. It might be good to let her Pokemon meet Rudy's. That's when she turned red again. Sure. It's always fun for her Pokemon to meet others, but why would it be important? Could it actually be because she was planning on having her Pokemon interact with Rudy's more than once? Why would she plan that? Could she actually be considering Rudy's offer?
Before she could dwell on it further, she saw Rudy come running back into the room, his eyes wide. He stopped in front of Misty for just a second before speaking. Misty could immediately tell something was wrong. The Pokemon also stopped dancing upon seeing Rudy's look.
"Mahri isn't in her room! I just checked the other rooms around the house, and she isn't there, either!" he said in panicked tone.
"What?!" Misty exclaimed.
"Let's all go look for her! All of us!" Rudy told his Pokemon. They all nodded and left the room in search of the young girl.
As they passed, Rudy noticed he was only missing one Pokemon, his Seel. That was really weird. Why wouldn't Seel be in here with the other Pokemon? Sure, Mahri played with it quite often, but not when it was this close to her bedtime. Besides, she wasn't anywhere in the house to play with it so the only place she would take it would be…
"Oh no," Rudy muttered as his face paled and took off running.
"What is it?" Misty asked frantically as she followed Rudy out of the room.
"The ocean," was all Rudy said.
Rudy and Misty were dashing towards the shoreline as fast they could. They didn't know why, but they just had a really bad feeling about this. It was almost as if they knew they wouldn't find Mahri just happily swimming well away from the whirlpools. Deciding to skip the shoreline and instead go for the cliff overlooking the ocean for a better view, the two headed there.
As soon as they made it to the cliff, they heard a scream which they knew to be Mahri. They glanced wildly around in the waters below for any sign of the girl but found none. The nighttime was making it extremely hard to see. That also ruled out binoculars to try to find Mahri, also.
"Mahri! It's me! Where are you!?" Rudy shouted.
"Big bro-!" Mahri began to scream but was cut off as she was dragged under the water again. Seel was able to pull her back up, but it would be able to do nothing once they got to that whirlpool which wasn't far away at all now.
"Help me!" Mahri screamed again.
Rudy grit his teeth. It was too late to go back and get help now. He had an idea of where her location was by her screams, but unless he was in the water, there would be no way to locate her. His Pokemon were on the other side of the island so that wasn't an option. He was about to hastily jump in the water himself, but he turned to Misty and found she already had a pokeball out.
"Go, Gyarados!" she shouted and released it.
The sea serpent Pokemon landed with a huge splash in the ocean. Understanding the urgency of the situation, it lifted the top part of its back up for Misty to jump on. Misty leaped off the cliff and fell a short distance onto Gyarados' back.
"Misty!" Rudy cried.
"We'll be fine, Rudy! Gyarados is a really strong swimmer!" she replied hurriedly before pointing her index finger forward. "Gyarados, let's go get Mahri!"
The atrocious Pokemon gave a cry and began swimming as fast as it could towards where the young girl presumably was. Misty knew she had to be near the whirlpool, and after getting close enough, she was finally able to spot Mahri and Seel in the dark ocean, though barely. Despite the speed at which they were moving at, it wouldn't be fast enough to get to Mahri and Seel in time. They were too far out. Mahri let out a final scream as she reached the whirlpool. The strong swirl of water pulled her in again, but this time, she didn't resurface.
"No!" Misty screamed as she and Gyarados tried their hardest to reach her.
They were almost at the whirlpool now. It would be dangerous even on Gyarados' back, but Misty had to make her decision now. There could be no hesitation as Mahri's life was on the line. Misty took a deep breath.
"Gyarados! We're going in!" she shouted to it.
Rudy himself had managed to see what happened. Going by the direction Misty was headed, he managed to see a speck being pulled towards a whirlpool which he knew to be his sister. Rudy's eyes widened in horror when he saw Mahri go in, but they went even wider when he saw what Misty was about to do, too. Standing there on the cliff side, Rudy felt so helpless as all he could do was watch.
Gyarados reached the whirlpool about ten seconds later. Understanding Misty's earlier command, Gyarados didn't waste any time before plunging into the edge of the whirlpool. Misty had taken a deep breath again to prepare herself for the underwater assault, but even that couldn't prepare her for the whirlpool's strength As soon as she was in the water, the whirlpool immediately threatened to pull her off Gyarados, but she held on tight. There was no way she could let go.
Gyarados continued to power through the whirlpool as hard as it could. Misty was trying to see as best as she could underwater for any sign of Mahri or Seel. A minute passed, but she still couldn't find them. Misty herself was starting to get pretty tired from having to hold onto Gyarados. She knew if she let go, there really would be no hope of saving Mahri. She wanted to scream for the girl, but being underwater prevented her from doing so. It was another thirty seconds before Misty suddenly spotted something in the darkness. It was extremely hard to see, but it was there. Deciding she didn't have time to wonder if that was a body or not, Misty steered Gyarados to move towards that object as fast as it could. Gyarados slowly turned its body in that direction and swam towards it. As they got closer, Misty's eyes almost lit up when she realized that was definitely Mahri with Seel next to her.
Misty's face just as quickly put on a terrified expression as she saw the two were unconscious and floating even further down the whirlpool. She stuck out her hand and reached for the girl. It was at that moment that Misty realized that she was in her own need for air. She pushed aside the feeling as best as she could as she grabbed Mahri's hand and pulled the girl towards her as hard as she could. It was rather excruciating as the current wanted to pull back. Gyarados was able to block some of the whirlpool's pull with its large body, but Misty still felt like her arm was about to pop out of its socket.
With a final heave that made her want to scream, Misty was able to pull Mahri to her. She then wrapped an arm around the girl to keep her from going anywhere as Gyarados caught Seel with its large body. It then charged towards the surface as quickly yet carefully as it could. It knew it couldn't go too fast or else its occupants would fall off. Misty herself began to crave oxygen due to low long she had been underwater. She wouldn't be able to hold her breath much longer until she started to feel dizzy.
Everyone finally broke the water's surface. Misty took a huge gulp of air and let the oxygen run its course through her body. Misty felt like it could be the breath of life. Misty then took the time to check how Mahri was, but wanted to gasp as she found the girl wasn't breathing.
"Gyarados…get to the beach now!" she commanded frantically before gasping again from being short of breath.
Rudy breathed a huge sigh of relief as he saw Misty come out of the water. Seeing the direction they were going, Rudy took off that way to meet them at the beach. He then reached the beach and waited for them, his fist shaking. Despite his relief, it soon turned to horror when he saw the frantic expression on Misty's face.
Gyarados finally reached the shore and lowered its head. Misty immediately ran off with Mahri in her arms while Gyarados used its tail to gently set Seel down on the beach. Being a water-type, there was no danger of Seel drowning. It had just passed out due to exhaustion of trying to help Mahri. It would be okay. Right now, though, their attention was on Mahri.
"Misty! Is Mahri…," Rudy began, but Misty cut him off.
"She's not breathing!" Misty cried as she hurriedly set the girl down on the sand.
"What?!" Rudy exclaimed
Misty then bent her head down to see if she could hear a heartbeat from Mahri. She almost felt her blood run cold as she heard none. Seeing no other option, Misty began administering CPR on Mahri.
Rudy felt tears sting his eyes as he watched the scene before him. He placed his hands over his heart. He couldn't believe this was happening! He had taken his eyes off of his little sister for just a few minutes and now look what was going on! To make matters worse, he felt extremely helpless as he watched Misty continue to use CPR in the hope of reviving Mahri.
"Come on, Mahri!" Misty thought frantically. Though her time with the girl was short, Misty had really grown to like her. It was almost as Mahri said, she was almost like the younger sister that Misty never had.
Two minutes passed, and now with each passing second, Rudy and Misty's hopes began run out. Misty had been at it for a while now, but there were still no results. It was with growing dread that they realized if Mahri hadn't been revived by now, there was a chance she wouldn't at all.
"Oh, no. Mahri, please don't go like this," Rudy muttered as tears started to fall from his eyes. He had let his sister drown and felt like a failure as a brother. He felt like he could do nothing but pray, and he began to do just that.
Tears were burning Misty's eyes, as well, as she went in for one more try. She compressed her hands and began pushing firmly, but still not too hard, on Mahri's chest. It couldn't end like this. Misty had grown really close to these two, and to have one die like this couldn't happen. Mahri's time was too short, and she and Misty had so many more adventures ahead of them. They were supposed to have so much fun together and do stuff they couldn't do by themselves, like pseudo siblings are supposed to!
Misty gave one final push and let out gasp at what happened next. The young girl began sputtering and spitting up seawater. Rudy's eyes opened at the sound, and he gazed hopefully as he saw what Mahri was doing. She started coughing rather violently as more seawater came out of her mouth.
"Come on, Mahri! That's right! Spit it up!" Misty shouted in encouragement.
After a few more coughs and splutters, the young girl began taking short but frequent breaths. Misty and Rudy finally relaxed now that they saw Mahri was alive. However, it was nothing compared to when they actually saw Mahri's eyes open slightly. She slowly turned towards Misty and Rudy and let out a very weak smile.
"Rudy? Misty?" she whispered.
"Mahri!" Rudy cried as he knelt down in the sand to hug his sister.
He wanted to give her the biggest hug of her life but knew better right now. His hug was gentle but full of love. Finally letting his emotions get the better of him, Rudy began to cry openly, not caring how much of a mess he looked right now.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Mahri! You had us so worried! I came so close to losing you!" Rudy cried again.
"I'm sorry, Rudy. I promise I won't go swimming by myself again," Mahri mumbled.
"We'll talk about that later. Right now, I'm just so glad you're alright," Rudy replied as he continued to hug his sister.
Misty watched the heartwarming scene from the side. It was so great that Mahri was going to be okay now. That was way too close for comfort, and Misty was really starting to lose hope. Her efforts paid off, and Mahri would live. The redhead turned to her Gyarados before giving it a nod and a smile to show her appreciation for its efforts before returning it to its pokeball.
"You know it was Misty that rescued you," Rudy told Mahri. "She saved you from that whirlpool."
"Really?" Mahri asked weakly as she looked at Misty.
"Yeah. It was me. I'm really glad you're okay," Misty said shyly.
"Thank you, Misty. You're the greatest," Mahri said before shutting her eyes due to her tiredness.
"I think it's time I put you to bed," Rudy said to Mahri, the tears still running down his face. "It's been a rough night."
Rudy then gently picked up Mahri and began to carry her back to their home. Misty followed them. As they walked slowly, both of their minds were rushing with thoughts, Misty's in particular. She couldn't stop thinking about what was going through her mind as she tried to rescue Mahri. She surprised herself for thinking of Mahri as a younger sister that she didn't want to lose. What was more, she also was thinking about the future and all of the fun she could have with Rudy and Mahri. The only problem was she didn't live here, but she was picturing it like she was. Rudy and Mahri really did mean a lot to her.
"Am I…seriously considering Rudy's invitation for me to stay here?" she thought.
Misty waited patiently outside of the door from Mahri's bedroom. Rudy was tucking Mahri in and was making sure she was okay. Her mind was still reeling from the events that had happened so far tonight…from Mahri saying Misty was like a big sister…to Rudy asking her to stay with him…and now this. Despite the late hour, she wasn't the least bit tired and was still very much awake.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Rudy quietly slip out of Mahri's bedroom and close the door behind him. He had a gentle smile on his face before he let out a sigh.
"How is she, Rudy?" Misty asked automatically.
"Mahri's still a little shaken up, but she will be just fine. She's asleep now," Rudy answered in a whisper.
"I'm so glad," Misty breathed in relief.
"Misty, I haven't said this yet, but thank you so much. You saved my sister's life," Rudy said seriously.
"Oh. Mahri's a really sweet girl. I just did what anybody else would," Misty replied modestly.
"No. You didn't," Rudy muttered as he looked Misty straight in the eye. "Not everyone would've risked their life and dived into a whirlpool at nighttime like you did. It was really heroic."
Misty blushed as she looked at Rudy. The truth was Misty had just acted on instinct. She wasn't looking to be heroic or anything like that when she rescued Mahri. She had grown rather fond of the younger girl and was just looking out for her. That's right, and Misty suddenly realized she wanted to keep looking out for Mahri. Misty's eyes lit up when Rudy suddenly grabbed her hands in his own.
"Misty, I know it's only been a short time, but I think you are the most amazing girl I've ever met in my life," Rudy told her.
"I-I'm…amazing?" Misty stuttered.
"That's right," Rudy nodded.
That was something no one had ever called her before. She was called nice, sweet, cool…annoying, but never amazing. Being called something like that felt rather new to her. It made Misty feel really nervous all of a sudden, but she actually liked it!
"Rudy…I-I don't know what to say," Misty mumbled as her face heated up.
"I do," Rudy said instead before he took a deep breath. "Misty, this past week with you has been some of the best days in my life. I felt a small spark at the Fuchsia Festival when we first met, but I've really felt something for you now. It's how we can talk for hours at a time and never have a dull moment. It's how we have so much in common and are happy just to be with each other."
"Oh, my gosh, Rudy. What are you saying?" Misty asked, though she had a pretty good idea but couldn't believe it.
"Misty…I really like you. There is no one I'd rather be with than you," Rudy stated.
Misty's breath caught in her throat. A boy actually told her that he liked her! Her! Misty Waterflower! A girl who was always deemed as short-tempered and a tomboy! A girl who always lived in the shadow of her seemingly perfect older sisters! A boy actually liked her! Misty's heart was racing uncontrollably right now. So this is what it felt like when Ash and Serena confessed to each other, and Misty was sure of one thing. It made her incredibly happy.
"Oh, Rudy. I like you, too!" Misty blurted.
"Misty, the invitation I said to you earlier stands now more than ever. I really mean it when I say I want you to stay here on the island with me. Please say you will," Rudy said hopefully.
Earlier when Rudy had asked that, Misty wasn't entirely sure. She had so many feelings of doubt about how things would work out with Rudy. Then there were her other friends whom she's traveled with for over a year now. With these most recent events and Rudy confessing that he really likes her, it actually changed Misty's views a little bit. She knew without a shadow of a doubt she would be happy here. With that in the mind, the answer was pretty clear to Misty.
"Yes. I'd love to stay here," Misty answered with a sniff as tears came to her eyes. "I truly feel like I belong here."
"Misty, that's so wonderful. You have no idea how happy this makes me," Rudy smiled genuinely.
After that, neither of them said anything for a while. They just simply stared in each others' eyes, each overcome with emotion. It was one of the few times either of them were at loss of what to say. Well, if they couldn't get their feelings out in words, actions certainly would. The two of them subconsciously began leaning closer to each other. By the time their minds registered what was going on, their lips were only inches apart, and even then, that didn't stop what they did next.
A second later, Misty was having her first kiss.
Misty gets a little romance now, too, in her life. She has now told Rudy she will stay on the island with him, but will she keep her decision? A lot can happen in a day, but then again, it might not.
Ash's gym battle is next. It is more or less the same type of battle, but the Pokemon used are different so I still think it's a fresh read.
I'll see you all on November 5! Thanks for all of the reviews and support. It always means a lot and I ready every single review I get, even ones that are posted in my last story in the Kanto arc. It's always exciting when I see the Kanto arc get new reviews which means people are still discovering it.
Chapter 13: Misty's Choice
Answering the Questions:
What do you think of my idea about adding Froakie to Ash's team early?
I read it, and it's a great idea and very creative. However, it's like I said before: the only reason Serena is getting Fennekin early is because it's her first and signature Pokemon. The same can't be said for Ash's Froakie. Don't get wrong. I love Froakie/Frogadier/soon Greninja, but I don't see a true reason why it should receive special attention and get to Ash's team early. Let's be honest. I'm sure if this fic was made a few years earlier, people would want me to give Ash Chimchar early. Everyone is on a Greninja high right now, but a couple of years from now, it will be just another Pokemon on Ash's team, and most people will remember it as just a cool Pokemon on Ash's team, and then let's jump to my story in future. Any future person who reads this will be wondering why the heck I put Froakie in the story early because they weren't part of the Greninja bandwagon. My response...because it's cool. That's a lame excuse. Greninja is cool, yes, but why just him? Let's just add every Pokemon that is cool on Ash's team early. Let's see, I'll give him Treecko at the end of Orange Islands, Chimchar in Johto, maybe a Gible, too, and even evolve it into Garchomp by the Johto Pokemon League...you see where I'm going with this. It isn't fair to Ash's other Pokemon to give Greninja a special role in this fic. Hopefully this clears everything up to everyone about why Ash isn't getting Froakie early.
I know that Team Rocket is really in Johto as of now, but will anything they do there have an effect in the current arc?
No.
Will Serena's Poliwag evolve into either Poliwrath or Politoed?
Hmm...which one indeed. It will definitely become one of the two in late Johto. I won't say anything about Misty's Poliwag because of...reasons.
Why are you not adding the Crystal Onix story line?
Because it's filler. I wouldn't be able to make it different enough to be worth rereading in this fic. It would just simply be "The Crystal Onix" episode with Serena and Leaf there. Boring.
When Misty leaves the group, will it be for a different reason than in canon?
Yes. It will.
Are you going to do any more torture/rape scenes in this story?
Wait. Rape? When the heck was THAT in my story? For the record, no. There certainly won't be. Torture? I don't know. I don't have any more scenes planned out in the story where that happens at the moment.
Do you plan on getting Serena's Poliwag served some humble pie like how Serena's Scyther did a few chapters ago?
Hmmm...not really humble pie as it isn't arrogant like Serena's Scyther was. It's just a troll. Something will come about that may make it change its attitude, though.
Will Dratini evolve into Dragonite at some point?
Absolutely, but I won't say when. I do have something cool planned for it, though.
Other than Lugia, will any other Johto Pokemon make an appearance?
Well, Slowking, Togepi, and Marill have already made appearances. In regards to any others, there might.
Will Red and/or Riley appear in the Power of One arc? And possibly Ash's Aerodactyl?
Riley definitely will, but Red and Aerodactyl will only have a cameo.
