AUTHOR'S NOTE
Well hello once again readers. I am sorry that this chapter is a week late - the last part was SO tough to write - but it is also a long one so I hope that makes up for it. Hamlin Island is once again the focal point for this chapter so if you haven't already I would watch/read up about episode 114 of the original series. Anyway, as usual, I hope you enjoy.
In Love and War
Chapter 14: Battle Cry
It only took the Unit half an hour to capture the eastern beach. Once the Team Rocket grunts had realised that resistance was futile they had quickly vanished into the forest that lined the northern shore. With the coastline now undefended Ash had quickly ordered the Unit to make for the city and the trainers and coordinators had rapidly advanced down the coast towards the sprawl of buildings where Team Rocket would surely make a stand.
Ash's feet made a loud slapping sound as they pounded down the black asphalt road that led into Hamlin Island's main city. Although the island's main ring road was four lanes across, no traffic came or went along the long black strip leaving it free for the thousands of humans and Pokemon to hurry down.
As they reached the outer buildings of the city Ash raised his hand for the Unit to stop and the dull rumble that had been created by the numerous foot falls dissipated as the trainers and coordinators obeyed their commander. Indicating to Brock, Drew and Ritchie to follow him Ash jogged a few hundred meters further down the road to an abandoned diner that stood eerily on its own. After briefly peering towards the rest of the city the raven-haired trainer turned to face his companions.
"I don't like this," he said with a frown.
Brock nodded. "It's too quiet," he agreed in a serious tone.
"Maybe they've abandoned the place?" Drew ventured as he too gazed towards the city with a puzzled expression.
Brock shook his head. "They wouldn't have abandoned a city as big as this without a fight."
"Brock's right," Ritchie said in a thoughtful tone. "There weren't that many grunts on the beach so there have to be more somewhere."
Ash glanced up at the sky for the third time in the past minute. "Where are their flying Pokemon?" he quietly muttered to himself.
The other three overheard the question and glanced upwards but the sky remained free of movement. Even when the Unit had landed on the beach there had been no sign of Team Rocket's flying types and their absence was disturbing. The Unit's own flying section could be seen a mile away, circling over the small island that stood out to sea. Ash had ordered Drake, Gary and the rest of those flying on the backs of their Pokemon to keep an eye on the small island fearing that Team Rocket might ambush the ground forces from the side.
"I can't see anything," Drew said as he continued to search the sky.
Ash's frown morphed into grimaced. He had initially been happy when his half of the Unit had captured the eastern beach with relative ease however, as time wore on and no more resistance presented itself, his sense of apprehension had grown.
Brock once again scanned the maze of buildings that made up the city before them. His eyes travelled among the apartments, shops and office blocks but the place was eerily quiet…too quiet.
"They're waiting for us," he said ominously.
"You think?" Ritchie asked, sending the breeder a sideways glance.
Brock shrugged. "It's what I would do," he replied simply.
Ash nodded at the comment and turned his back on the city so he could face the other three men. "Brock's right. Our numbers won't count for anything in an urban environment. They want to draw us in and force us to take the city street by street."
The four of them were silent for a while as they contemplated the situation before them. They were all stumped as to what they could do to even the odds. The maze of tall buildings would provide Team Rocket with excellent defensive positions from which they could attack the expose trainers and coordinators as they were channelled through the narrow streets.
"Ash, look!" Drew exclaimed loudly and pointed towards the shore on the opposite side of the bay.
Ash, Ritchie and Brock all followed the line of the coordinator's finger and gazed in the direction he was indicating. For a moment Ash was unsure of what the green-haired coordinator had seen but as he scanned the white strip of sand that ran along the headland he spotted what had caught his friend's attention.
Although he could not make out distinct shapes, hundreds of figures were now moving along the opposite beach, all heading towards the city. Ash realised with a surge of relief that the other half of the Unit, under the command of Danny, must have beaten the Team Rocket grunts positioned on the west side of the bay. Now they could attack the city from two sides simultaneously.
Ash turned back to his three companions, the unpleasant expression vanishing from his features as the beginnings of a plan started to formulate in his mind. The other three men noticed his gaze and turned their attention back on him expectantly.
The raven-haired trainer was silent for several seconds as he mentally examined the options that were available to him. "We need to attack now!" he suddenly exclaimed and without giving his friends any warning he pushed himself away from the dinner and began running back towards the waiting trainers and coordinators.
Utterly taken aback Ritchie, Drew and Brock stared after their retreating friend with looks of confusion.
"I really wish he would stop doing that!" Brock sighed with a shake of his head before sprinting off after Ash.
Ritchie and Drew shared a confused glance before hastily following the other two.
"Ash! Ash!" Brock called between breaths as he caught up with the raven-haired trainer. "What's going on?"
Ash didn't turn to look at Brock but answered as he kept jogging. "We need to attack as quickly as possible," was all the response he gave.
Brock panted as he tried to keep up with the younger man, he hadn't realised how fit Ash was. "Why the rush? Surely we should wait until the other half of the Unit is ready?" he gasped between breathes.
Ash slowed as they reached the waiting group of trainers and coordinators. A few ran forward or looked about for signs of an attack as they caught sight of their commander hurrying back towards them.
"What's happening?" A young man with dark green and black hair called as the pair came to a standstill.
Ash glanced at the figure who had spoken and recognised A.J. before turning his attention to the crowd of people and pokemon before him. "We need to attack as quickly as possible," he shouted loudly so those at the back could hear him. "To take the city we'll need to spread out as much as possible so that we can cover a wider area and don't get trapped in one street. Once we enter the city communication will be difficult so stay in small groups and head for the city centre. If you encounter any Rockets along the way…well you know what to do!"
There was a moment's pause as nobody did anything accept look blankly at each other. When, after ten long seconds, no one had said a word, Ash bellowed, "GO!"
The trainers and coordinators immediately came to life as they barked and yelled at one another and their pokemon. The rumble of footsteps began once more as the men and women of the Unit started running towards the city, the dense group gradually spreading out like a splash of water as they headed for different parts of the city.
Ash was just about to order his six pokemon to join the surge of trainers when Brock grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Ash, why aren't we waiting for the other half the Unit?" the breeder cried loudly, still not understanding his friend's logic.
Ash turned to the older man gave him a grim look. "Because Team Rocket has a trap waiting for us in there and I'd rather only half of the Unit get caught by it when it get sprung."
Before Brock could respond the pair were distracted by two exhausted figures who slowly came to a halt in front of them.
"What's happening? Where is everyone going?" Ritchie wheezed as he tried to get some air back into his lungs.
Ash grinned at his two friends. "Can't stop now boys, we've got a city to take."
Drew shot the raven-haired trainer a murderous expression and despite not being as tired as Ritchie spat between breathes. "If you're telling me you made us sprint all that way for nothing Ketchum then it's not just grunts you're going to have to watch out for!"
Ash peered around the corner of a concrete wall that ended a row of shops and examined the street ahead. Like all of the others he had just walked along the road ahead showed no signs of life, nothing moved accept for the odd bit of rubbish that skittered across the asphalt on the breeze.
Signalling to Brock, Drew, Ritchie and the twenty or so other trainers who had followed him, Ash detached himself from the wall and tentatively stepped out on into the street. The group behind him followed cautiously, their eyes scanning the buildings around them for any sign of activity.
The mental map in Ash's brain told him that they should not be far from the centre of the city. The rows of houses and apartment blocks they had passed upon entering the city had now given way to shops, office blocks, bars and hotels, indicating that they were now in the business district.
Ash gazed warily at the structures around him that continued to get taller the further they went. They had now been wandering through the maze of buildings for nearly half an hour and the lack of activity had made him so tense that every little sound made him whirl around in fright. He had almost ordered Pikachu to fry Drew when the coordinator had accidentally stumbled on a pot hole.
"Maybe Team Rocket isn't here?" Ritchie ventured quietly, his eyes momentarily flicking over to Ash before turning back to examining the buildings.
Ash didn't turn to look at his friend but kept walking as he spoke. "No they're out there," he replied apprehensively, his eyes never leaving the road ahead.
There was silence for a few seconds as the group came to a cross roads and Ash halted briefly to glance down each road before continuing on. The street grew wider and the buildings grew even taller and they sensed that they were nearly at the heart of the metropolis.
"Maybe Ritchie is right," Brock mumbled quietly to Ash so that the others couldn't hear. "We haven't seen any grunts, how can they expect to defend the city this far in anyway?"
Ash stopped once more and after a moment's thought reluctantly tore his gaze from his surroundings and looked curiously at the older man. Brock had a point. They had already advanced deep into the city and even if Team Rocket attacked them now the grunts would be largely surrounded and outnumbered.
He was about to reply when a deafening boom rocked the air and sent a shudder through the ground. Ash flinched at the sound and hesitated for a second as his body took a moment to react to the sudden disturbance. As soon as he had recovered from the shock he started shouting orders.
"Everybody, get to the side of the streets and take cover, now!"
There was a minute of confusion as the group frantically split, trainers running in opposite directions as they sprinted over to the relative safety of the buildings. Ash crouched down in the doorway of a sushi restaurant and frantically looked up and down the street. There was no smoke, no fire, no burning buildings in either direction which meant the explosion must have happened in a different part of the city.
Ritchie swiftly slid in alongside him. "What was that?" he yelled, his eyes darting wildly about in their sockets as he too searched for the source of the noise.
Ash shook his head, his thoughts spinning. "I don't know," he answered anxiously, "it sounded like an explosion."
A second boom ripped through the air and then a couple of seconds later another thundered even louder and much closer than the previous two. Ash felt the wall of the restaurant vibrate against his shoulder and a trickle of dust from the doorway fell onto him.
Over the sound of his own heavy breathing and slight rushing sound in his ears Ash could hear shouts and screams coming from the direction of the blasts. Once again he scanned the street around him. His small group were split up on either side of the street but apart from their wide eyed expressions everyone seemed to be ok.
"We can't stay here?" Drew shouted from across the street, uneasy about staying still when there was so much havoc going on.
Ash glanced over at the coordinator and took in his grim expression. Drew was right, there was no point staying where they were, they had to keep moving and capture the city.
"Alright let's keep moving," Ash called as he cautiously left the cover of the doorway and slowly walked back into the open street.
The other trainers reluctantly followed suit and nervously formed up behind their commander. Slowly the group began to edge their way down the street, pausing momentarily as two more explosions thundered off to their right.
They had gone no more than forty meters when Ash caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He registered the flash of red and white as a large orb fell from the building on his right and it took his mind just a fraction of a second to piece together the events of the past couple of minutes.
"Get down!" he screamed at the top of his voice, throwing himself violently to ground and wrapping his arms around Pikachu.
Ash had no time to check whether anyone had heard or followed his instruction as a second after he hit the asphalt the world roared deafeningly as the object that had been dropped from the building detonated only a dozen meters away. For a split second he felt an intense heat sear his skin and then an enormous shock wave slammed into him, forcing the air from his lungs. The blast carried pieces of tarmac and concrete with it, which violently pummelled his back and legs and tore at his clothes.
For a moment he was too stunned to do anything, the blast disorientating his senses and pounding his ear drums so that all he could hear was a faint whistling. He stayed still for a minute and then slowly pushed himself onto his hands and knees, an act that seemed to require a tremendous effort. Smoke and fire filled his vision as he gazed wide eyed at the scene before him. The road in front of him, which had been smooth and unmarked just moments before, had been torn to pieces by the explosion leaving a smoking creator and a mess of melted asphalt.
Suddenly a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him round until he came face to face with Drew. The coordinator's face was red and soot stained from the blast and his bright green hair now looked like a garden lawn that hand been left unkempt for years. His eyes were bloodshot and a gash had appeared along his left temple, which was bleeding badly.
Drew said something to him but Ash's ears were still ringing from the sound of the blast and all he could do was stare dazedly at his friend's jaw as it opened and closed. He felt Pikachu scamper back onto his should and chatter into his ear but not being able to concentrate on the sounds his gaze drifted on to take in the rest of the street.
What he saw was complete an utter carnage. To his left he could see Ritchie, who looked just as dishevelled as Drew, helping another trainer on to his feet who was clutching at his side where a red stain appeared to be spreading across his shirt. Behind them more trainers and Pokemon franticly dashed about as they attempted to get to safety. He caught sight of two trainers dragging a third by the arms who dangled unconscious in their grips.
From far away Ash heard a voice call his name and he swept his head left and right as he tried to identify the source. The voice called again, less distant now, and with a jolt Ash realised that it was Drew shouting his name from just a few inches away. He looked back at his friend as his hearing began to return and tried to comprehend what his friend was saying.
Drew saw that he finally had Ash's attention and crouched down in front of him. His own ears were still ringing from the blast but Ash had been closer to the explosion so he knew his friend would be feeling worse.
"Ash, we need to get off the street!" he shouted again, coughing slightly as smoke made its way down his throat.
Ash nodded hesitantly as if he was uncertain of what was being said to him and without waiting for a further response Drew pulled the trainer's arm over his shoulder and lifted him to his feet. As quickly as he could he half supported, half dragged Ash through the burning bits of rubble that littered the ground and over to the side of the street.
The force of the blast had shattered all of the windows along the street and Drew hauled Ash over to a small hardware shop, it's previously neat window display now scattered about the ground. Ritchie, the man with the bloody t-shirt and a third trainer had already taken refuge inside the wreck and were cowering behind a counter. Seeing the new arrivals Ritchie quickly grabbed Ash's other arm and helped Drew pull the trainer in through the window.
They just made it inside when a second explosion erupted in the street. Although they were not as close to it as the first, the blast wave knocked all three teenagers to the ground, sending them, along with Pikachu and Sparkie, sprawling onto splinters of wood and shards of glass.
Ash groaned as he tried to recover from his latest trip to the floor. His body was certainly taking a beating today. Finally in control of his senses he gradually got back to his feet and began testing himself for injuries. He was sore all over and his muscles ached when he moved them but as far as he could tell nothing was broken. His arms were a mess of small cuts and scratches where they had protected Pikachu from the blast and he felt a pain from his back where a piece of shrapnel must have struck it.
Drew and Ritchie stood up beside him, both looking as good as he felt. He glanced across the shop floor and saw with relief that both electric-type Pokemon were unharmed from the fall.
"What the hell was that?" Ritchie asked for the second time that day as he tentatively touched a point on his thy, wincing as he did so.
Ash coughed in order to the clear the smoke and dust from his throat. "It was an Electrode. I saw the first one before it exploded," he wheezed, his voice coming out in a rasp.
Ritchie nodded in understand, causing soot and bits of tiny pieces of gravel to fall from his now mud coloured hair. "Explosion, the most powerful attack there is," he said to no one in particular, his voice just as scratchy as Ash's.
"Well that's good right?" Drew said as he dusted himself off, then noticing the other two trainers' confused expressions added. "At least it wasn't a bomb. Also, how many Electrodes can Team Rocket have? They're not exactly a common Pokemon."
Ash and Ritchie glanced at each other. Having both travelled the Orange Islands as trainers they grimly shared a knowing look before turning back to face Drew.
Ash shook his head sadly, earning a puzzled look from Drew. "Hamlin Island has the world's largest population of Electrodes," he replied in a resigned tone.
Drew's face fell at the news but before he could reply a groan interrupted the group's conversation and all three turned their heads towards the counter. The sound had come from the man that Ritchie had helped into the shop and who now sat with is back propped up against the counter and his legs sprawled out before him. The second trainer, a woman who appeared to be around thirty, crouched over the man, holding a piece of cloth to his wound.
Ash, Ritchie and Drew moved over to the pair and kneeled down around the injured trainer. The man's t-shirt was dark with blood and the cloth the woman was using seemed to be soaking up even more.
"He took a piece of shrapnel to the side from the first Electrode," Ritchie explained gravely as they looked at the figure. The man nodded to confirm the piece of information but did not speak.
The woman rotated the cloth so that one of the few remaining dry patches could be applied to the wound. "He needs to get treatment quickly," she cried, her voice quivering as she stifled a sob.
The statement was directed at Ash and he realised that she was looking at him expectantly to come up with a solution. The raven-haired trainer racked his brains for a minute, acutely aware that the others were waiting for him to say something.
"Drew, do you have your Flygon with you?" Ash finally asked, turning his head to face the coordinator.
Drew, who was now pressing a hand to his own wound nodded and unconsciously touched a pokeball on his belt with the other. "Why?" he replied.
"You think it can carry two people?"
Drew's brow scrunched as the coordinator contemplated the question then immediately straightened as pain shot from the cut. He had flown on Flygon's back many times before but never with another person, the half ground, half dragon Pokemon wasn't the biggest creature it the world.
"Maybe," he acknowledged, "though it wouldn't be able to fly far."
Ash titled his head to one side and sucked in his breath as he considered the answer. The options that were available to him weren't exactly good ones but one way or another he needed to get the wounded trainer to safety.
"Ok, here's the plan," he said after a moment's thought and the others looked at him hopefully. "Drew, I want you to fly out to the flying and water sections. Tell Drake and Rudy that we are pinned down and desperately need them here. Take.-" he paused midsentence as he realised that he didn't know the man's name.
"Matt," The trainer groaned as Ash looked at him, the effort of speaking obviously causing him pain.
Ash nodded his thanks and continued. "Take Matt to one of the ferries, they have doctors and medical equipment on board so he'll be looked after there. The three of us will give you cover so you can take off. Is everyone clear?"
Three nodding heads and a strained grunt answered him and Ash smiled in an attempt to raise their spirits as well as his own. "Let's get to it then," he said, jumping to his feet with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
Ritchie began helping Matt to his feet while the woman kept the piece of cloth pressed onto the wound. Drew unclipped a Pokeball from his belt and stood beside Ash.
"Dude, what are you going to do while I'm gone?" the coordinator asked quietly so that the others couldn't here.
Ash kept his features expressionless as he turned to face his friend and tried to keep the fear from his voice. "I don't know buddy, I honestly haven't thought of a way out of this one."
"What is going on in there?" May asked as she curiously watched yet another column of smoke rise high into the sky from somewhere within the city.
Dawn glanced up from stroking Piplup to observe what had captured her friend's attention. The sky above the city was black with smoke that was thickening by the second, contrasting wildly with the azure all around them. "Must be one hell of a battle?" she replied, seemingly unconcerned by the phenomenon.
The two girls were still sat on the back of Gary's Blastoise, which bobbed lazily in the gentle swell of the sea as they waited for something to do. After the grunts on the eastern beach had fled and Ash and the rest of the ground forces had moved on down the coast, the half of the water Pokemon section they had been in had sailed across the bay to help Danny and Rudy on the western beach. With the additional numbers the skirmish had not lasted long and soon Danny's half was heading towards the city in order to join up with Ash.
Apart from transporting a few injured trainers and pokemon to the ferries for treatment the water section now circled the small island in the middle of the bay as they sat idly by. No instructions had come from Ash since he had landed on the beach and the water-type trainers and coordinators were beginning to get restless.
A shadow fell over Dawn as the sun's rays were blocked from behind her and Piplup began to chirp and flap its arms franticly as it caught sight of the object over her shoulder. The coordinator turned her head warily, somewhat concerned by Piplup's reaction. Her eyes widened and she almost imitated the small penguin-like pokemon when she came face to face with a Gyarados. However, before she could embarrass herself by screaming she remembered that only one person owned a creature that big and scary.
"Hey guys!" Misty greeted from her favourite position atop Gyarados' giant head.
Dawn breathed deeply as she tried to get her heart rate back down to a regular level. "You gave Piplup quite a fright there Misty," she gasped between gulping down lungfuls of Oxygen.
Misty tapped Gyarados twice on the centre spike of its crest and the giant blue serpent lowered its head, submerging itself to just below its eyes so that Misty was now level with Dawn.
"Oh I'm sorry Piplup, I didn't mean to scare you," Misty cooed in a soft tone.
"Pip-luppp," the little Pokemon squeaked happily, accepting the apology and causing both Misty and Dawn to grin happily.
"Uh guys, could you take a look at this?"
The sound of May's concerned tone caused the other two girl's to look curiously over at their friend.
Misty hopped across the short distance between Gyarados and Blastoise and walked over the creature's back to where the brunette sat. "What is it May?" she enquired.
May didn't look at the other woman, nor did she speak, instead she just extended her arm and pointed up into the air.
Misty followed the line of May's finger and looked up towards the smog that lingered above the city. She searched the sky for the object that had fascinated her friend so much but even after a minute of searching she failed to detect anything. The Gym-Leader was about to question her friend once more when Dawn shouted beside her.
"There!" she squealed loudly as if she had won some sort of contest. "It looks like a pokemon."
Misty turned her gaze to the sky once more, slightly put off by the fact that the two younger girls could see it and she couldn't. Maybe she needed glasses. Her concerns were needless however, as just as the thought entered her mind she spotted the small silhouette against the backdrop of the distant buildings.
As the object drew nearer Misty was able to make out details. It definitely was a Pokemon, though she could not make out the species. It appeared to be in a hurry, the distance between them closing rapidly. After several more seconds she finally recognised the distinctive green hide and long thin tail of a Flygon.
"Oh my god, it's Drew!" May exclaimed, interrupting Misty's thoughts as she hastily stood up.
Sure enough, as the Flygon flew ever closer the distinctive green hair became clearly visible to the three girls. Suddenly the half dragon, half ground type pokemon began to drop several feet through the air, its wings beating furiously as it struggled to stay aloft.
Dawn suddenly let out a horrified gasp. "Oh my, that other man is injured!" she cried in alarm.
Misty studied the Flygon once more and her stomach dropped as she realised the blue-haired girl was right. Slumped behind Drew was another man, his head lolling on the coordinator's back as if the effort of sitting up was too much for him.
Drew must have recognised the distinctive figures of Blastoise and Gyarados as the Flygon changed its direction and headed straight towards them, its altitude decreasing rapidly. When the Flygon was only twenty meters away it dipped once more so that it flew just a few feet above the sea. The three girls watched in horror as finally the last of the pokemon's strength faded and it hit the water's surface, throwing up a wall of spray high into the air.
The droplets rained down on the three astonished faces and the sudden moisture on their skin caused the girls to snap out of their trance. Misty was the first to react. The orange-haired trainer hastily unclipped two pokeballs from her belt and launched them high into the air.
"Starmie, Goldeen, come on out!" she cried as the two orbs burst open and the two water-types emerged in the ocean before her. Without hesitating Misty clipped the pokeballs back onto her belt and gracefully dived into the water. She emerged right next to Starmie and locked her arms around one of the pokemon's purple appendages.
"We need to help Flygon!" she explained quickly, pointing over the waves to where the exhausted flying Pokemon could be seen floating on the surface.
The starfish-like Pokemon acknowledged the instruction and with Goldeen right behind, pulled its trainer through the water towards the target.
Seeing Misty spring into action Dawn quickly ordered Blastoise to follow the Gym Leader and the large tortoise-like create rumbled its name as it set off in pursuit.
By the time they reached the commotion Misty already had her arm wrapped around the now unconscious man, his head resting on her shoulder in order or to prevent it slipping under the water. Drew had recalled the fainted Flygon and was tightly clutching onto Goldeen as the water-type dragged the coordinator towards Blastoise.
May and Dawn leaned down and, taking hold of Drew's arms, hauled the exhausted coordinator from the sea and onto the safety of Blastoise's shell.
"Drew are you alright?" May wailed desperately as she took in the soaking figure before her.
Drew did not answer her instead he propped himself up of all fours and coughed violent in order to eject some of the sea water that he had swallowed. Panting hard, the green-haired boy slowly rolled over so that he was now in a sitting position and placed his head between his legs as if he were about to be sick.
It was then that May noticed the large gash in the coordinators left temple and she gasped horror at the sight. The sea had washed away most of the blood that had stained Drew's face and the wound stood out against his pale skin, making it even more repulsive.
"Guys could you give me a hand here!" Misty called as she reached Blastoise with the unconscious man, her voice strained with the exertion.
Dawn went to the Gym Leader's aid but May stayed where she was, transfixed by the sight in front of her. She had never seen Drew look so vulnerable before. The calm, cocky, slightly cold demeanour he had shown ever since she had met him all those years ago had completely vanished. She had never known the coordinator to be upset or in pain before and she realised that she was witnessing a whole other side to her rival.
Drew felt May's eyes on him and he slowly raised his head to look at the gawking brunette. He knew that at any other time he would have shot an insult or some snide comment at the girl, but the concern in the blue eyes prevented him from saying a word.
The two Hoenn natives stared at each other for a long moment, neither able to break the spell that had captured their gazes. In those few seconds, all of the bickering and constant competition seemed pointless when they could spend time like this.
The scene was shattered and their gazes broken as Dawn dragged the unconscious man next to Drew and set him down so that he was lying on his back. Crouching down on her hands and knees the blue-haired girl tilted her so that her cheek was only a centimetre away from his mouth.
"He's barely breathing!" Dawn exclaimed anxiously after a short pause, looking towards Misty who was pulling herself onto the now crowded shell.
Drew looked down at the prone figure then up at Dawn. "His name is Matt," he said absentmindedly, his voice coming out in croak.
Dawn glanced at Drew with a concerned expression. "Well whoever he is, he needs to get to the ferries and fast," she remarked.
Drew nodded and moved so that he was now kneeling alongside Matt. "That's why I brought him here and to tell…" he trailed off as he remembered the second reason why he had flown out of the city.
"What? What do you need to tell?" Misty urged as the coordinator stopped speaking.
Drew suddenly jumped to his feet, the pain and exhaustion disappearing from his body as he realised he still had a job to do. "Ash and the others are in trouble. I need to talk to Rudy and Drake!" he explained urgently as three pairs of eyes watched him curiously.
"Oh no you don't! You need to go a hospital," May said, dragging out the word and placing her hands on her hips in a commanding gesture.
Drew looked at the brunette in surprise. It was common for May to disagree with but to be concerned about him, that was rare indeed. He shook his head dismissively. "No I can't, there isn't time," he said keeping his voice calm in order to prevent an argument.
It didn't work.
May didn't back down and instead fixed Drew with a stubborn look. "Yes you will, you need to get that looked at," She replied firmly, indicating the tear on the coordinators forehead, which had started to bleed once more.
Misty and Dawn shared a knowing look as the two coordinators squabbled with each other. Although they enjoyed the irony of May arguing with the other boy they realised that now was not the time for one of their friend's sexually charged debates.
"We don't have time for this," Misty said authoritatively, stepping in between the pair. Looking at Drew first she fixed the coordinator with a stern expression. "May's right, you can't do anything with an injury like that."
Drew opened his mouth to protest but the red head raised a hand in warning.
"May will take you and this Matt guy to the ferries. If you tell me what the problem is, I'll talk to Rudy and Drake." Misty said before turning to Dawn. "Once I've done that, you and I are going to find Ash!"
Gary hummed to himself as Aerodactyl flew over the white, foamy line of the waves as they crashed and broke on the beach more than two hundred meters below. The sky around him grew darker as the clear ocean air was replaced with the acrid black smoke that now formed a dense cloud over the city. He could see multiple fires burning and hear explosions echo among the buildings and he fell silent as he prepared to enter the hellish atmosphere.
He had been watching the scene unfold with a hint of concern as he circled the small island in the bay but only now, twenty minutes after the first column of smoke had risen into the sky, had Drake given the order to enter the city. The water section had also started to sail towards the shore and although some Pokemon would be useless he knew that most would land on the beach and join that battle on the ground.
Spread out behind him in a perfect V formation was his own team of Pokemon. At first he had found it difficult to command the five other creatures as they spun and dived all around him, flying in different directions. However, by the end of the battle on Cinnabar Island each Pokemon had learnt to cover each other and work as a coordinated group that offered assistance whenever it was needed.
Gary soon spotted what he had been told to look out for. Drake had informed him and the rest of the flying section that Ash, Danny and the other ground forces were being attacked from the buildings and that it was their job to take out any grunts on the rooftops. Sure enough as he began to pass over the structures around him he spotted a group of five figures in black uniform atop a six story block.
The chestnut-haired boy indicated the group to Aerodactyl and tightened his grip as the flying type dipped its right wing and changed direction. As they drew closer to the building Gary's brow darkened in anger as he realised what the grunts were doing. As well as the five black figures, a Victreebell, a Tangela and two Chikoritas could be seen on the rooftop. He watched in disgust as the grass-type pokemon used their Vine Whip attacks to reach into a large open topped cage that was filled with Electrodes and pull out one of the electric types before throwing them off the roof, down to the street below.
Gary followed the flight of one of the red and white orbs as it was launched over the building's edge and fell to the ground. The Electrode disappeared from sight behind another building but a couple of seconds later there was a loud boom and a plume of smoke rose up from where it had vanished. No wonder Ash and the others were having such a tough time Gary thought to himself. They were practically being bombed.
The Grunts on the rooftop spotted the large fossil pokemon and five other flying types closing in on them and began to react to the threat. Gary registered a series of flashes as the five men released the rest of their pokemon and he prepared himself for action as a mixture of creatures took to the sky to intercept him. He realised that the reason why Team Rocket's flying Pokemon had been absent from the battles on the beaches was so they could defend their comrades who were raining Electrodes down on the trainers below.
The two forces met in a storm of attacks and Gary ducked as a Yanma buzzed over his head, Aerodactyl narrowly avoiding its Quick Attack. Looking back up he saw two Zubats flying side by side directly towards him, their wings' glowering as the powered up for a Wing Attack.
"Aerodactyl, roll and use Aerial Ace!" Gary shouted above the rush of the wind and hugged Aerodactyl's neck as the flying-type began to spiral through the air at an alarming pace.
The Zubats didn't have time to react to their foes sudden change in pace and they were sent flying through the air as Aerodactyl's right wing crashed down on one and the left smashed up into the other, the ancient creature turning through the air like a propeller. Both flying types were instantly knocked out by the move and they fell to the ground and buildings below.
Dawn's Togetic zipped across his field of vision and he saw that the little white creature was being chased by a Murkrow and a Gligar. He was about to order Aerodactyl to help the happiness pokemon when a ball of wind shot past from somewhere above him and collided with the Gligar, taking it clean out. He looked up to see his Skarmory diving out of the sun and without pausing from the Air Slash attack it had just delivered, rocketed through air and slammed into the Murkrow with a powerful Steel Wing attack.
Seeing that his Pokemon could take care of themselves Gary continued on with his original objective. After allowing Aerodactyl to fry the Yanma, which was still buzzing annoyingly around him, with a Hyper Beam, he directed the fossil pokemon back towards the roof where the grunts were. The black clad figures saw him coming and they desperately ordered the grass types on the roof to stop using their Vine Whips and fire Razor Leaf attacks in an attempt to knock him out of the sky.
Gary ordered Aerodactyl to use agility and they dodged the twirling leafs with easy. When they were almost on top of the grunts the chestnut haired boy decided to wrap things up. "Ok Aerodactyl, Ancient Power now!" he bellowed at the top of his voice.
The flying type roared at the command and its body glowed white as it created a silver energy ball in front of its nose. With another terrifying snarl it launched the energy ball towards the grunts and it exploded on the roof with a mighty bang.
Unfortunately the attack landed close to the cage full of Electrodes and with a look of horror Gary saw the forty or so electric types that remained inside begin to glow.
"Aerodactyl, get us out of her." he cried in panic as he realised what was about to happen. Aerodactyl sensed the urgency in his voice and beat its wings furiously as it raced away from the doomed building.
With a thunderous boom the cluster of Electrodes all detonated at once, sending up a huge ball of fire and blasting the top of the building across the city. Gary felt the heat on his back and was thrown forward onto Aerodactyl's neck as they just escaped the blast, the shockwave causing the fossil Pokemon to lurch violently.
The chestnut-haired trainer looked behind him and took in the burning structure and billowing cloud of smoke. He swallowed hard as he thought about the grunts and pokemon that had been on the roof but he hardened his feelings as he remembered who they were fighting. Clearing his mind he began circling in the air as he searched for his next target.
It had been over an hour since Drew had left Ash and Ritchie and the pair were now fully submerged in the battle as the Unit struggled to take the city.
The two trainers, along with the woman, had finally scrambled out of the hardware store and hastily crossed to the other side of the street where they had found Brock and a number of other trainers and coordinators. The breeder had been busy dealing with another injured man who was still unconscious from the first Electrode explosion.
Leaving Brock and a coordinator from Saffron City to take care of the man, Ash, Ritchie and the several other trainers had dashed down the street to the building where the Electrodes had been dropped from. The group had quickly ascended the multiple flights of stairs up to the roof top where after a short but intense battle they had overcome the Grunts.
After their initial victory the group had quickly realised that they should split up into smaller groups of two or three and clear each building one as a time. It had made the battles on the roofs more difficult, but the trainers were much less of a target to the grunts on the rooftops.
Ash and Ritchie were now on their sixth building. The raven haired trainer had lost Tauros and Infernape in the process and Ritchie his Butterfree, Happy, but the two trainers were still more than a match for the grunts.
They, along with Pikachu, Sparkie and Heracross, were currently on the tenth and top floor of a four star hotel and were crouched at the bottom of a short flight of steps that led up to a single metal door. Beyond it lay the building's roof where they knew they would find anywhere between two and ten Grunts and a cage full of Electrodes waiting for them.
"Ready?"
"Ready!"
Ash nodded at Ritchie and turned to the pokemon beside him. "Heracross use Headbutt on the door!" he commanded and stepped back as the bug type's wings hummed into life.
They were already sprinting up the steps, Pikachu and Sparkie bounding alongside them as Heracross shot forward, its head lowered at the door. There was a loud clanging noise as the bug type's skull connected and although the metal was strong the lock was torn away from the frame and the door burst open.
Without slowing Ash and Ritchie raced through the gap and emerged out into the open. They immediately moved in opposite directions in order to create two targets and quickly assessed their surroundings. There were four Grunts on the roof creating a two on one situation…nothing they couldn't handle. Also present were three Machokes, who were lifting Electrodes out of a cage and handing them to a Machamp who stood at the roofs edge in order to toss the ball-like Pokemon down onto the streets below.
The four grunts started fumbling for their Pokeballs at the sight of the trainers but Ash and Ritchie were too quick. They both ordered their Pikachus to use Thunderwave attacks, paralysing the four men before they could even unclip a single pokeball from their belts. Seeing their trainers go down the Machokes and Machamp stopped what they were doing and began charging towards the two assailants.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!"
"You too sparky!"
The rooftop lit up as the two electric types unleashed powerful bolts of lightning that struck the four fighting types head on. Although they weren't particularly weak against electric attacks the power of the attacks was too much for them to bear and the Rocket Pokemon collapsed heavily to the floor.
Unfortunately the power of the attacks caused the bolts of electricity to fly around the rooftop and Ash and Ritchie watched in horror as the cage containing the Electrodes was struck repeatedly by the flashes of lightning. The metal bars easily conducted the electricity and shocked the Electrodes inside them.
Ash gulped as sparks began to fly around the orb like Pokemon and the sound of his Pokedex's entry reverberated in his in. Electrode - Highly concentrated electric energy causes this Pokémon to explode unpredictably.
For once the raven haired trainer regretted how powerful Pikachu was. Without taking his eyes off of the cage he called out to his friend. "Ritchie, we need to get off the roof," he shouted, a hint of panic in his voice.
"Agreed!" Ritchie replied with equal urgency. "Come on Sparkie." The small yellow mouse hopped onto its trainer's shoulder and the pair began to hurry back towards the stairs.
Ash allowed Pikachu to copy the gesture and after quickly recalling Heracross was about to follow the auburn haired boy when the Electrodes started to glow white. He immediately stopped and yelled to Ritchie once more. "There's no time to take the stairs." He cried.
Ritchie spun around to face the other boy, his eyes wide with fear. "There's no other way." He bellowed desperately as he looked from Ash to the glowing cage.
Ash sprinted over to Ritchie and grabbed his arm tightly. "There is one," He replied grimly and without waiting for the other boy to reply he pulled him by the arm across the rooftop and launched the pair of them off of the building.
The rooftop exploded seconds later and the force of the blast ripped the two boys from each other's grasps and sent them spinning towards the ground.
With one arm clutched tightly around Pikachu Ash reached down to his belt with his free one. "Bayleaf, catch us with Vine Whip!" He roared above the rush of air and launched the chosen Pokeball down towards the ground.
Ash gritted his teeth as he watched the red and white orb tumble through the air and eventually burst open in a flash of white energy as it reached the ground. The energy formed into the figure of the grass type and with a loud cry Bayleaf shot out two long vines.
The ground surged up towards him and he closed his eyes, praying that Bayleaf would catch them. Just as he thought that he was going to hit the hard concrete he felt his chest tighten as one of the grass-type's vines wrapped itself around him. The blood rushed from his head as he decelerated and stopped falling all together. Slowly he opened his eyes and was both relieved and appalled to see that he was barely two feet from the ground.
Ash gasped in a lungful of air and he realised he and been holding his breath. Turning his head to the right he looked to see that like himself, Ritchie was also hovering just inches away from the hard pavement.
Ritchie felt Ash's eyes upon him and he looked over at the champion. "L-Let's never do that again," he spluttered as he too tried to recover from their little trip.
Bayleaf rotated its vines so that the two trainers were standing straight and lowered them both to the ground before releasing them. After checking that Pikachu was ok Ash retrieved Bayleaf's pokeball and recalled the grass-type Pokemon, thanking it as he did so.
"Ash, I think this is the centre of the city."
Ash glanced over at Ritchie, who was standing with his back to him, and then at their surroundings. The two trainers were in the bottom right corner of a huge public square that was completely deserted. The place was yet to be touched by the battle raging in the rest of the city and the scene seemed somewhat tranquil compared with the fire and explosions that surrounded them. At the opposite end stood a large limestone building that was clearly much older than the rest of the structures around it. A large clock was set into the stonework above the building's tall wooden doors and the Hamlin Island flag fluttered lazily in the breeze on a pole on the roof.
"You're right, that's the Town Hall," Ash confirmed, recalling the building from his previous visit to the Island.
The pair began to walk cautiously across the square towards the Hall, Pikachu and Sparky taking guard just a few steps in front of them. The booms of explosions and the general roar of battle echoed around them making the still square even more ominous.
"Where are all the grunts?" Ritchie asked when they were halfway across the open space. "Surely this is where Team Rocket will make their last stand."
Before Ash could utter a word in response the Town Hall's large wooden doors creaked loudly and slowly swung open. The two trainers halted in their tracks and watched nervously as a man slowly but confidently strode out of the building. He was very tall - over six feet - with brown hair and wide muscular shoulders. Unlike the standard black or white combats worn by grunts and executives he was dressed in a customized navy blue uniform, indicating that he was of a higher rank.
Behind the man followed three other people, two men and one woman, all of whom were dressed in the normal uniform of Team Rocket executives. The small group descended the short flight of steps that led down to the square and formed a line facing the two trainers.
The tall man, who was clearly the leader of the group, took one more step forward and glowered at Ash. "We meet again, Ash Ketchum," he growled in a deep gravelly voice.
Ash had been glaring back at the group just as intently but his eyes widened in surprise at the man's words. He did not recognise the brown haired figure in front of him and could not comprehend how the man new him.
The man noticed the look of confusion on the trainer's face and smiled menacingly. "I see you have forgotten me?" he sneered, stating the question rather than asking it.
Ash remained silent so the man continued.
"I must admit that I too had forgotten about the irritating kid and his friends who ruined my plans at the Lake of Rage. However, when I saw your picture on television the memories and hatred came flooding back."
The mention of the Lake of Rage caused memories in Ash's mind to resurface and once again his eyes widened as recognition struck him. "Tyson!" he exclaimed loudly.
Tyson's smile changed to a satisfied smirk. "So you do remember," he replied. "I'm pleased. I want you to recall how you humiliated me back in Johto so that it will be all the more sweet when I beat you."
Recovering from his shock Ash balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth in anger. This was the man who had tried to force pokemon to evolve unnaturally without any regard to their health or well-being.
"How did you get out of prison?" he asked furiously.
Tyson folded his arms across his chest. "Giovanni broke me out of the Mahogany Town prison after just two months in jail," he answered smugly. "Our boss looks after those who serve him well and I am going to repay his faith in me by defeating you."
This time it was Ash's turn to smile though he did so without any humour. "I don't think so," he said coolly. "I'm going to destroy you and every member of Team Rocket so that your vile organisation can never again harm anyone or any pokemon."
"That's right!" Ritchie stated loudly and also balled his fists.
The pair's bravado however only seemed to amuse Tyson and the square echoed with the sound of the Team Rocket member applauding them mockingly.
"What a nice little speech that was," Tyson said derisively. "Unfortunately for you, Lance isn't around to save you like last time."
Ash looked at the man defiantly. "I don't need Lance or anyone else to kick your ass," he shot back.
Tyson raised one eyebrow. "Confident words but you and your friend are outnumbered two to one."
"Not anymore they aren't!"
All six heads turned at the sound of the new voice and looked with surprise to see two more figures entering the square. The pair strolled purposefully over to Ash and Ritchie and took up positions facing Team Rocket.
"It's about time you disgusting thugs had a fair battle for a change!" Misty announced loudly as she confidently walked up to Ash and stood next to him.
"Yeah, let's see how tough you really are?" Dawn challenged with a determined expression, arriving next to Ash a second after Misty.
Ash gazed at his two friends with a mixture of relief and admiration. The self-assured words he had directed at Tyson had not reflected his emotions. With only four pokemon remaining the raven haired trainer had not been optimistic about the prospects of battling four skilled trainers, even with Ritchie at his side. Now however, the appearance of his two travelling companions evened the odds. Standing as they were, with disheveled hair and slightly out of breath, Misty and Dawn looked as tough as any member of the Elite Four.
The raven haired trainer couldn't help but admire Misty. Unlike him she bore no bloody scratches or ugly bruises and practically glowed in the mid-afternoon sun. For the umpteenth time in their friendship she had appeared at the time he needed her most and the thought of her being at his side comforted him greatly.
"I'm glad to see you," he muttered to the Gym Leader, though not wanting to appear too grateful, cheekily added, "Late again though."
Misty arched one slender eyebrow and looked at Ash with a hint of amusement. "Well I can't save you before you've got yourself into a stupid situation can I?"
From across the square Tyson frowned at the new arrivals but did not seem overly concerned. Even with the two girls he was still confident that he and his three executives would be more than a match for the exhausted trainers.
"I knew you relied on other people to win your battles for you Ketchum but even I didn't think you needed the help of girls!" he called mockingly.
Ash turned away from Misty and looked over at Tyson with a fierce expression. Now that he had his friends to deal with executives he was eager to put the arrogant man in his place.
"I'll show you how I win battles!" he replied in a deadly tone and un-clipped the three necessary pokeballs from his belt.
The seven other figures tensed as they caught the action and quickly copied the gesture. For a second no one moved as the two sides eyeballed each other. Then, without any obvious signal, forty-five red and white orbs were launched high into the air.
Ash watched intently as Tyson's six pokeballs burst open fifty feet in front of him revealing a Hitmonchan, Poliwrath, Primeape and three Fearow. The sight of his opponents caused him to grin. Despite being outnumbered he had the type advantage against four of the creatures whereas the Team Rocket member only had the one. He quickly pointed out Tyson's pokemon to Heracross, Bayleef, Sceptile and Pikachu. Although other pokemon were appearing all around him from his friends and the executives, the raven haired trainer had only one target.
Tyson appeared to have the same idea and the Hitmonchan, Poliwrath and Primape began advancing towards Ash whilst the three Fearow took off into the sky. Ash instantly saw that the man's plan was to pin his pokemon down on the ground whilst they were attacked from the air and an idea flashed in his mind.
"Bayleef, use Razor Leaf! Sceptile, Leaf Storm now!" he roared over the din that came hand in hand with battle.
The two grass types acknowledged the command and filled the square with hundreds of deadly twirling leafs. The hail of projectiles caused the three Fearows, which had been diving through the air towards the trainer, to abandon their attacks and fly back upwards. This was exactly what Ash had been hoping for and he launched the second part of his plan.
"Pikachu, jump on Heracross' back and take out those Fearows!" he ordered.
Ash had known that alone Heracross would not be able to hold off the three flying types to with a type disadvantage. However, with Pikachu on its back it was the bird pokemon who would have the disadvantage and the Razor Leaf and Leaf Storm attacks were the perfect cover from which to go on the offensive.
Pikachu quickly bounded across the stone slabs and hopped onto Heracross' back. As soon as the electric type was balanced properly the bug type's wings hummed into action and it shot off from the ground. The two pokemon burst through the barrage of leafs and flew straight towards the startled flying types. Without giving the Fearows any time to respond Pikachu unleashed a powerful Thunder attack that struck two of the birds squarely in the chest.
Ash punched the air and smiled grimly at the sight of the frying pokemon...he had never been a fan of Fearows to begin with.
The smile however was wiped from his features a second later as a powerful jet of water tore through the storm of leafs and smashed into Sceptile, sending it crashing to the ground. Tyson had not been idle while his flying types were being ambushed and had ordered his remain three pokemon onto the offensive. Whilst the man's Poliwrath was spraying Sceptile with a Hydro Pump attack, his Primeape and Hitmonchan were charging directly towards Bayleef and Ash realised that he needed to bring his attention back down to earth.
After checking that Sceptile wasn't badly hurt he commanded the forest pokemon to counter with a Leaf Blade attack and the grass type charged towards the Poliwrath, its eyes glistening with revenge. Before the water type knew what was happening Sceptile slammed into it with such force that the heavy pokemon was lifted off of the ground. At the same time Ash ordered Bayleef to throw itself high into the air using its Vine Whip attack and the grass type complied just in time to dodge powerful punches from the Hitmonchan and Primeape.
With the odds back in his favour Ash surveyed the scene around him. Ritchie, Misty and Dawn were all locked in intense fights with the three executives. Although it was hard for him to discern how the battles were going his friends seemed to be fairing pretty well. Misty's Gyarados was blasting any Team Rocket pokemon that it could see with it Hyper Beam attack; a tactic that had also been adopted by Ritchie's Tyranitar.
Suddenly Ash sensed a shadow fall over him and he looked up in horror to see the third Fearow plummeting towards him. For the fifth time in just three hours he threw himself to the side as the flying type crashed into the spot he had been standing on just seconds before.
With another graze to add to his numerous injuries the raven-haired trainer slowly got to his feet. A second later Heracross landed beside him and Pikachu bounded off the bug type's back in order to receive its next set of instructions.
"Great job, guys," Ash commended with a grin, "though we can't stop now. Pikachu, you help Sceptile finish off Poliwrath. Heracross, you're with me."
As Pikachu scampered away the raven haired trainer turned to assess Bayleef's battle. Once again the grass type was being charged by the Primeape and Hitmonchan and for a second time it used its Vine Whip to dodge the attacks.
The two rocket pokemon however, were prepared for the move and instead of directly attacking Bayleef they each caught hold of one of the pokemon's vines. The grass type cried out in panic as its ability to move was taken away and it struggled desperately as it was slowly reeled in.
Ash gritted his teeth at the turn of events and he realised that he needed a new plan.
"Bayleef, wrap your vines round Hitmonchan's and Primeape's wrists," he bellowed loudly.
Despite its desperate situation Bayleef followed the instructions and it looped its vines around the two pokemon's wrists, binding them tightly together. This time it was the Hitmonchan's and Primeape's turn to cry out in panic as their two main weapons, their fists, were immobilised.
Ash grinned triumphantly. "Now Heracross, use Megahorn!" he roared and pointed at the two fighting types.
From across the square Tyson watched helplessly as the bug type slammed into his two pokemon. All of the confidence and eagerness he had felt at the prospect of battling the Indigo Champion had faded away completely, leaving just a hollow sense of dread. He could hardly comprehend what had just happened. His team had been utterly destroyed and the battle was lost. The ferocity and skill of Ash Ketchum had completely surprised him and he painfully realised that he had once again underestimated the kid.
Glancing around him the Team Rocket member saw that his three subordinates were still tied up in their battles. He had a motorbike ready and waiting behind the Town Hall and with so much action going around him he thought there was enough of a distraction to make an escape. Without even bothering to recall his pokemon the brown haired man turned on his heel and began dashing back up the building's steps.
Ash caught the movement and began sprinting after his fleeing opponent.
"Pikachu, stop him!" he cried, realising that the electric type had a better chance of catching the man.
"Pika," it said with a nod and then raced off in pursuit.
The yellow streak quickly caught up with Tyson. With a last burst of speed Pikachu launched a Quick Attack and charged into the man's legs, sweeping him off of his feet. He was sent sprawling onto the hard stone steps and he rolled painfully back down the incline.
Ash reached the bottom of the steps just as Tyson was getting shakily back to his feet. In that moment, all of the anger and hatred that the raven haired trainer held for Team Rocket came bubbling to the surface and without slowing his pace he threw and looping right hook. Ash's fist connected squarely with the underside of the man's jaw and his head snapped back sharply, knocking him completely out cold.
Ash stood panting over the unconscious figure as the adrenaline coursed through him. He had never hit a person in anger before but with the experiment at the Lake of Rage and the Electrode attack he felt that the man lying at his feet had deserved it.
As the rush subsided he glanced around, remembering that his friends were still locked in battle. However, to his surprise the square was not filled with beams, jets of water or blasts of fire. Instead it was quiet and still once more.
Upon seeing their commander flee the battle the three executives had also given up the fight, preferring to surrender than get completely annihilated. Misty, Ritchie and Dawn had quickly taken charge of the situation and had the three Team Rocket members and their pokemon kneeling on the ground and under close guard.
Ash quickly caught Misty's eye and the Gym Leader walked over.
"Did you do that?" she asked, indicating the unconscious Tyson.
Ash looked down at the man then back at the red head and nodded.
Misty's eyebrows rose. "I'm impressed," she said.
"Um, thanks," Ash replied with a self congratulatory grin.
Misty smiled as well but her features quickly straightened out once more. "Why don't I show you how it is really done?" she said innocently.
Before Ash knew what was happening, a fist connected painfully with his left cheek and he staggered back, tripping over Tyson's body in the process. From his sprawled position on the ground he looked up at Misty with an expression of complete shock.
Misty towered over Ash and glared down at the trainer with fire in her eyes. "That is for being a reckless idiot and attacking a beach all by yourself," she shouted loudly.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I hope you all enjoyed the second battle of the war. It was a long chapter without much dialogue but I hope I kept you entertained by all of the action. With regards to my Leaf question last chapter, the majority of people are in favour of bringing her into the story so she will be making an appearance in the future. Once again I urge you all to tell me your thoughts about this chapter or the entire story, any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Responses to reviews
This will be the last time I respond to your reviews at the end of a chapter. While I like thanking everyone publicly I do not that feel I can thank such loyal followers as much as you deserve with just a few sentences. Also my updates are not as regular as I'd like them to be so some of you have to wait weeks for a response. Therefore from the next chapter onwards I shall respond to you reviews via PM. I hope this doesn't cause any problems.
Schoolmouse33 - Thanks for another great review! I'm trying not to make it seem like a walk in the park for Ash and the other's though at the same time I want him to win. Thanks for your comments about leaf, hopefully her character will fit in well.
jg13145 - I'm glad you enjoyed the humour in the last chapter, it is probably the hardest thing to write. I agree, I wanted to think of something really crazy/reckless that Ash would undoubtedly do. With regards to Leaf I will definitely build a relationship between her and Gary though it won't be as romantic as the others in the story, more of a mutual liking and respect. I have only caught the first two episodes of XY as i'm waiting for the dub to come out but so far I really like it. what do you think? Thanks for another fantastic review.
ili777 - Well if my chapters keep getting better your reviews are exactly the same! Thanks for another awesome one! I didn't mean for Ash to be mean to Pikachu, it was just necessary for him to be able to take pikachu onto the beach. I hope that Misty's reaction to Ash's little tactic was as good as you were expecting, it was something I enjoyed writing. Finally I must apologise for the late update, I hate keeping you waiting after such great reviews so I hope you are ok!
Freedom s Fun - Thank you! That is one of the best compliments anyone has paid me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that my writing has continued to impress you.
ShinyDragonair2 - Ah I knew another typo would slip in eventually. Well done for spotting it though. Thanks for the review, I shall definitely consider the idea of Leaf saving Gary as I think that would be hilarious. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much.
Kim - I'm sorry for the wait but here it is! I hope you enjoyed the Ash/Misty bit at the very end. Thanks for another great review and I'll try and have the next chapter up in time.
Cutiepiepo2 - I am flattered by your review! I really hope this chapter pleases you just as much.