"Hey there they are!" Tracey said as he pointed up ahead at a cluster of islands looming on the horizon, "The seven Grapefruit Islands."
"Why are they called Grapefruit Islands?" Ash asked
"Because they're said to be covered in Grapefruit groves," Tracey explained, "And come to think of it, the grapefruit should be getting ripe right about now."
"That sounds cool," Misty said, "let's go check it out."
Lapras surfed up to the nearest island and they disembarked on the beach. Right away they could see grapefruit, massive orange fruits hanging heavily from all of the trees before them.
"Wow, they're huge," Misty said, reaching up to grab one.
Ash grabbed her wrist, "Let's make sure they don't belong to someone before picking any."
"Oh, yeah," Misty said, a light blush dusting her cheeks.
"Hey you! What are you doing here?" a voice demanded.
The group turned to see a woman running towards them. She had green hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and wore a pink polo shirt tucked into a pair of darker pink slacks.
"Who are you?" she demanded, coming to a stop right in front of them.
"I'm Ash, and this is my partner Riolu," Ash introduced.
"Ri!" Riolu added.
"I'm Misty, and this is Pikachu and Togepi."
"And I'm Tracey, do these Grapefruit belong to you?"
"Not precisely," she replied, "my name is Ruby, and I'm in charge of the Grapefruit Islands."
"So they don't just grow on their own?" Misty asked.
"Oh no," Ruby said, "We all work incredibly hard to grow these grapefruit, making sure the trees stay warm during the winter season, weeding, bringing in butterfree from the other islands to pollinate them."
"I can tell you're very passionate about them," Ash said.
She nodded, "With all the work we put in, the are almost like my children."
"With that much dedication I can see why," Tracey said.
"Ruby!" they all turned to see a man running towards them, "Ruby the thief's just struck again!"
"A thief?" Ash asked.
"Lately thieves have been coming onto the islands and stealing our grapefruit," Ruby explained, "We've been trying to catch them but so far we've been unsuccessful. Maybe this time will be different."
"We'll help," Ash volunteered, "Right guys?"
"Yeah," Tracey and Misty replied.
"Thank you, that's very kind," Ruby said, she turned to her subordinate, "Lead the way."
They ran along the beach for several minutes before coming across a scene of devastation. The trees before them were completely stripped down to their trunks, the branches ripped off and consumed.
"Oh no," Ruby said in despair.
"Hurry, over here!"
They followed the voice and stepped around a large tree to see the culprit. A massive Snorlax, sitting there without a care in the world. With both hands it reached up to one tree then another, ripping a grapefruit filled branch down and swallowing it whole.
"Oh no, what'll we do!" Misty cried.
"Stop that Snorlax," Ruby ordered.
"Right," several of her employees rushed over and tried to push the Snorlax away from the trees. However, it didn't even seem to notice their efforts and knocked them away as it reached for another branch.
"That didn't work to well," Misty commented.
Ash frowned, "That Snorlax could easily consume everything on all of the Islands. We'll have to catch it."
"You're right, go for it Ash," Misty said.
Ash nodded and grabbed a Poké ball, "Dragonair, to the battlefront!" The dragon type burst from his Poké ball and floated on the field, ready to fight.
"Let's go, use Dragon Tail," Ash ordered.
Dragonair launched himself at Snorlax and slammed his glowing tail into the Pokémon's side. Snorlax stumbled in surprise from the hit before turning angrily on Dragonair.
"Snorlax!" it roared and leapt at Dragonair in a Body Slam.
"Agility!" Ash ordered.
Dragonair vanished in a burst of speed and Snorlax slammed into the ground. The whole island seemed to shake from the impact, knocking several people off their feet.
"Now use Dragon Dance followed by Dragon Rush," Ash called.
A red glow enveloped Dragonair's body as he increased his power. Then, an aura of teal energy formed around him, shaping itself into a draconic visage. Dragonair charged at Snorlax and slammed into it with an explosion. Snorlax stumbled back several feet and fell on it's back.
However it was quick to get back to its feet and charged at Dragonair, moving at a speed that belied its size. Snorlax's fist started glowing with blue icy energy and he swung a punch into Dragonair's side.
Dragonair cried out in pain as it was flung into a nearby tree.
"Whoa, that Snorlax is fast," Misty commented.
"Yeah, I'm really impressed," Tracey said.
"I'm more worried about it's defence right now," Ash said, "Dragonair use Iron Tail!"
As Snorlax beared down on him again to use a Body Slam, Dragonair swung his metallic hughed tail and slammed it into Snorlax's side, sending it staggering to one side.
"Now use Dragon Rush!" Ash ordered.
Enveloped in the draconic energy, Dragonair rushed at Snorlax and slammed into it yet again. An explosion rocked the clearing, and when the smoke faded Dragonair was hovering over Snorlax.
"Go Poké ball!" Ash shouted, throwing his ball.
It impacted against Snorlax's side and absorbed it, landing on the ground and rocking back and forth as Snorlax fought. Suddenly the Poké ball burst open and Snorlax reformed, looking quite angry now.
"Dragonair return," ash called, recalling Dragonair to his Poké ball. He turned to Riolu, "Riolu, get in there and use High Jump Kick."
"Ri," Riolu said, determined. He leapt high into the air and came soaring straight down at Snorlax. His knee started glowing with red energy and he impacted against Snorlax with a monumental explosion. Again Ash threw his Pokeball, relying on his aura sight to hit his mark. It impacted against Snorlax's side and absorbed it, snapping shut and landing on the ground where it started rocking.
For a full minutes Snorlax fought before the ball finally went silent.
"You did it," Misty cheered.
Ash smiled, relieved. He walked over to pick up the snorlax's Poké ball. Because Ash was now at his limit for Pokémon he could carry on him, the Poké ball had shrunk and automatically locked until he could send one of his Pokémon back to the lab. He pulled out his Pokédex to scan his new Pokémon.
"Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon. Snorlax isn't satisfied until it's eaten about 900 pounds of food each day, afterwhich it promptly goes to sleep."
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat
Gender: Male
Moves: Body Slam, Ice Punch, Mega Kick
"You're pretty powerful," he said, "Welcome to the team buddy."
"Murcott Island, oh I've been wanting to visit this island for a long time!" Tracey said happily. He grabbed a couple of poké balls and tossed them into the air, "Venonat, Marill, go!"
"You seem pretty psyched," Ash commented, Riolu nodding in agreement next to him. "What's so special about this island?"
"Aahhh!" Misty suddenly shrieked.
Ash whirled around to see what was wrong. However at the sight of a Beedrill flyer my away he sighed.
"What's wrong Misty?" Tracey asked.
"A...a Beedrill, a big one," she said, trembling.
Tracey smiled, not understanding the problem. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to come here. Murcott islands famous for having tons of Bug types."
"Really? Neat," Ash said. However he quickly frowned as he looked at Misty. She was sweating nervously, looking around in fear. "Misty? Do you want to come?"
"Oh no, I think I'll stay here and work on my tan."
Tracey looked at her in surprise. "But Misty, if you stay here then you'll miss out on all of the bug types."
"Misty, you really need to work on your phobia," Ash said, "there are simply too many bug types in the world. And what about when you go up against a bug type trainer."
Tracey looked confused, "are you saying that Misty is afraid of bug types?"
Ash nodded. "You don't need to worry Misty, Pikachu will protect you."
"Pika pika," Pikachu agreed, nodding and rubbing his cheek against Misty's face.
She sighed nervously, "oh alright."
"Great," Tracey said, delighted.
They followed Venonat and Marill into the forest. Misty was holding both Pikachu and Togepi tightly in her arms as she worriedly looked in all directions.
Venonat and Marill worked well together, easily spotting Pokémon that Tracey and Misty didn't. Ash and Riolu however still had a distinct advantage with their aura senses. Ash had his Pokénav plus out and was jotting down notes on anything interesting he noticed both with his eyes and other senses.
After Venonat and Marill saved Misty from accidentally running into an annoyed Pinsir, she commented how great they were to have around.
"Venonat's radar vision and Marill's hearing make them a great team," Tracey said proudly.
Suddenly Venonat's antennae and Marill's ears started twitching as they noticed something off the path.
"They sense something," Tracey said.
They followed the Pokémon out into a small clearing where a beat up Scyther lay. Ash frowned as he observed the Scyther, it was obviously on the older side and it's wounds were inflicted by another blade. He extended his aura senses and gently probed it's emotions, sensing anger and wounded pride. It seems that this Scyther had lost a battle as the head of its swarm and was banished.
Tracey immediately ran to the Scyther's side, "Hey, are you alright buddy?" he asked.
It looked up at him with a glare, "Scyther," it said angrily.
"It doesn't look to happy to see you," Misty said, her voice quivering.
"Well I have something that will make you feel a lot better," Tracey said to the Pokémon, reaching into his pack for a potion.
"Be careful Tracey," Ash said. But even as he spoke, the Scyther flapped it's wings and leapt back, landing ten feet away and brandishing it's blades at them. However that lasted only a moment as it's wounds caught up with it and it stumbled.
"Hey Ash, maybe your Scyther can talk to it," Misty suggested.
Ash shook his head, "That'll only exacerbate the situation right now. It's pride has been severely wounded, it won't willingly accept any help now."
Tracey looked like he wanted to ask how Ash knew this, but his worry for Scyther overid that for the moment. He frowned in thought for a moment before turning to his Pokémon. "Venonat, let's go," he said.
"Venonat," it said, hopping out.
"What are you going to do Tracey?" Misty asked.
"You'll see," Tracey said.
Scyther lifted it's scythes and Leered at Venonat, intimidating the smaller Pokémon. "Don't back down Venonat," Tracey said, "Use Sleep Powder!"
"Veno!" the bug type leapt into the air and vibrated it's body, releasing sleep inducing spores all over Scyther. It struggled against the effects of the powder, but soon fell asleep. "Go Poké ball!" Tracey shouted, throwing an empty ball at the Pokémon. It captured Scyther instantly, barely even twitching before it hopped back into Tracey's hand. "Let's go get Scyther to a Pokémon Center."
The three of them watched through the window as Nurse Joy wrapped bandages around it's various wounds. Scyther had awoken since arriving and was lying still on the bed, but it's glare at Tracey never faltered.
"Hey Ash, what did you mean about it's pride being wounded?" Tracey asked.
"It's an older Scyther," Ash said, "and those wounds could only have been inflicted by another Scyther. I'd say that it just lost a leadership battle and was banished from it's swarm. And now being captured by you, it's going to feel really down."
"So what should I do?" Tracey asked.
"Be patient and kind," Ash said, "Scyther is your responsibility now, and it's going to be an uphill battle earning his trust and respect."
"Oh," Tracey said softly.
Nurse Joy had by now finished bandaging Scyther and was wheeling the gurney out of the emergency room. Tracey ran up and knelt down next to Scyther, "How are you doing buddy?"
"Scyther!" he growled at Tracey, struggling to get up.
"You've got to rest or you won't heal properly," Nurse Joy admonished sternly.
Reluctantly Scyther calmed and Chansey wheeled it away to a recovery room. Nurse Joy turned to Tracey, "Scyther is still very weak, it's going to take a couple of days for it to recover its strength."
Tracey nodded, "Thank you Nurse Joy."
Ash put a hand on Tracey's shoulder, "You should go stay with Scyther while he recovers."
Tracey nodded, "Right." He ran off after Scyther.
"How do you know so much about Scyther?" Misty asked, "from watching your own?"
"Partly," Ash said, "but I also read everything Sam has about Scyther. It's something I do for all of my Pokémon." He gazed after Tracey before shaking his head and saying, "I'm going to go outside and do some training. Do you want to come?"
"Sure," she said, shrugging, "I'm thinking of trying to start training Togepi."
Said Pokémon started trilling in her arms, waving it's arms around happily.
Ash nodded, "Do you want to read what I have about Togepi?"
Misty nodded, "Sure, it could be helpful."
Ash fished out his Pokénav and connected to Professor Oak's database, pulling up the file on Togepi. He handed the device to Misty, "That's all Professor Oak knows about Togepi."
"Thanks Ash."
Later that evening Ash sat in his bunk in the Pokémon Center room they'd obtained for the night. He had a pair of earphones on and his Pokénav on his lap. He sat in silence for a moment before the screen lit up.
"Ash, hi!"
"Hey Cynthia," Ash returned.
"How are you? It's been awhile since we talked. Have you gotten that second badge yet?"
"Yep," Ash held up his Sea Ruby Badge, "sorry it's been so long. It's hard to find a Pokémon Center with the right reception for international calls."
"That's fine, I understand," Cynthia said, "how are you?"
"Great, what about you? How's your training going?"
"I feel like I'm getting close," she said, "speaking of training; how close are you to Mandarin Island?"
"Which one?"
"The bigger one."
"South," Ash nodded, "that's actually next on our trip, why?"
"Because Lorelei is hosting a special training demonstration and she invited me to help," Cynthia said.
Ash perked up, "What? Lorelei as in the Elite Four member?"
"The very same," Cynthia said, "I'm so excited. It would be awesome if you were there."
"When is it?" Ash asked excitedly.
"Five days."
"I'll be there," Ash promised.
"Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!"
Ivysaur immediately formed an orb of green energy and fired it.
His opponent was quick to respond. "Dodge it Butterfree, then use Air Slash!"
"Freeeeee," the Butterfree called as it nimbly flew around the Energy Ball. It flapped it's wings hard and unleashed several blades of flying type energy. The attack slammed into Ivysaur, sending him blasting back where he fell unconscious.
"Yes we won!" Butterfree's trainer cheered in delight.
Ash sighed and walked over to where Ivysaur was recovering. Kneeling down he placed a hand on the Pokémon's head and gently started feeding his aura into Ivysaur's body and accelerating his healing. "You did a great job buddy, you deserve a long rest," he said.
Ivysaur gave him a sad smile, "Thanks Ash," he said.
Ash froze, his hand pulling his hand slightly away from Ivysaur. Had he just heard Ivysaur speak?
Ivysaur looked curiously up at him, "Ivy? Ivysaur?"
Ash shook his head, "It's nothing. Come on, I'll give you a massage after lunch."
"Ivy!"
He walked up to the terrace where Misty was enjoying a plate of sandwiches.
"Finally lost eh?" she asked.
Ash gave her a dirty look and snagged one of her sandwiches.
"Hey!" she protested.
He shook his head and demolished the food. "I left Ivysaur in for too long. It was a stupid mistake. I should have switched to another Pokémon."
"Well don't beat yourself up," MIsty said, "The fact that you recognize it means you won't make the same mistake again."
"I hope so," Ash said, "But still, ten battles in a row? What's up with this Island?"
"Well, Tracey did say that Mandarin Island South is the largest in the Archipelago."
"Maybe." Ash grabbed another sandwich, he was hungry. "I never thought I'd want people to stop challenging me."
"Hey guys I've figured it out," Tracey said, running up with a flyer in his hand.
"Figured what out?" Misty asked.
Ash grabbed a third sandwich before sitting down next to Bulbasaur to start massaging him.
"The mystery of why there are so many people asking for battles," Tracey said, "The answer's right here in this flyer?"
"Well tell us," Ash said, "Don't leave us in suspense."
Tracey held it up to read, "Attention Pokémon Trainers, Pokémon lecture and battle demonstration by the one and only Lorelei."
Ash groaned, "I should have known."
Tracey nodded.
Misty gasped, "Lorelei is really here!?" she asked with stars in her eyes.
"Yeah, I heard she has a house on the Island and she gives weekly demonstrations on battle techniques and styles during the off season," Tracey explained.
"Oh I never dreamed I'd ever get the chance to see Lorelei in person," Misty said dreamily.
"It sounds like you're a fan Misty," Tracey commented.
"Who wouldn't be," Misty gushed, "She's one of the very best and she uses water Pokémon too, Lorelei's my hero!"
"I'm a hero am I?"
Ash looked up from Ivysaur and his jaw dropped open in surprise. There stood Lorelei, gazing down at Misty in amusement.
Ash's shock quickly turned to a mixture of amusement and exasperation as Misty and Tracey went into total fangirl/boy mode.
Lorelei gazed at them with a glazed expression before suddenly walking passed them and bending down to look at Togepi. "Hello cutie, nice to meet you." Togepi trilled happily in response while Tracey and Misty stared in shock.
Ash laughed quietly and returned most of his attention to working his fingers into Ivysaur's muscles. "Ivy...saur," the Pokémon said happily.
"Rio ri," Riolu whined.
Ash rolled his eyes. "You are becoming spoiled," he admonished his starter.
"Rioooo," he whimpered, giving Ash his best puppy dog eyes.
Ash shook his head. He noticed that Lorelei had turned her attention to the ocean and was gazing out with a small smile.
"Miss Lorelei, are you alright?" Tracey asked hesitantly.
"Ah, the sun feels like an old friend," she said breezily.
"It does?" Tracey asked in confusion.
"Oh I'm so excited," Misty interjected, "We saw the flyer about your lecture. I can't wait to hear your talk."
Lorelei shushed her, "Just listen." She cupped a hand to her ear and closed her eyes as the breeze blew across her face. "The wind is speaking."
Both Tracey and Misty stared at her with blank expressions.
"Huh?"
"I think we might need a translation," Tracey said.
Ash shook his head. He didn't fully understand what the woman was doing, or why she was doing it, but he could understand stopping and listening to nature.
"The ocean is beautiful isn't it?"
"As beautiful as the sky that reflects it," Ash said.
"Rio riolu ri ri," Riolu added.
"Exactly," Lorelei said, turning away from the view. However, when Ash saw that she was looking at Riolu, he took a moment to decide whether he should be offended or not. 'Nah,' he thought. He returned his focus to working his fingers into the bud on Ivysaur's back. The grass type was steadily turning into a puddle of green goo under his ministrations.
"Hey you," a voice called, "Are you Ash Ketchum, the guy who got second place in the Indigo League?"
Ash turned and saw a teenaged boy was staring at him.
He considered denying it for a moment, then sighed and said, "Yeah that's me. What can I do for you?"
"I want a battle, two on two!" he said, holding out a Poké ball.
"Alright," Ash said, getting to his feet, "Return Ivysaur."
He stood across from his challenger and grabbed a Poké ball, "Zangoose, to the battlefront!"
"Persian, go!" he shouted, "Use Slash!"
Persian burst from its Poké ball and immediately slashed at Zangoose. She cried out in pain from the attack.
"Now quickly use Thunderbolt!" Persian's trainer ordered.
"Per!" the Classy Cat Pokémon called as it unleashed a bolt of electricity that slammed into Zangoose.
"Zaaang!" Zangoose cried out.
"Revenge!" Ash ordered.
As the Thunderbolt ended, Zangoose grinned and charged at Persian. Her claws took on a light blue glow and she slashed at Persian. There was an explosion and Persian was thrown across their makeshift field, it didn't get back up.
"Ah Persian, return," the trainer called. He quickly switched Pokémon, "go Tauros, use Take Down!"
"Dodge and use Crush Claw," Ash ordered.
A Tauros appeared from the Poké ball already charging at Zangoose. She leapt to the side, barely evading the attack, and quickly turned. With her claws glowing white she slashed at Tauros' flank, causing it to cry out in pain.
"Hone Claws," Ash ordered.
Zangoose grinned as she scraped her claws together, a red glow briefly enveloped her body as her attack power and accuracy increased.
"Quick Tauros, use Fissure!" their opponent ordered.
Tauros reared and slammed a good into the ground, creating a massive crack that surged towards Zangoose.
"Dodge with Quick Attack," Ash called.
A white glow enveloped Zangoose as she dropped to all fours and bolted to the side. Running right around the crack in the ground she slammed into Tauros' side, causing it to stagger.
"Now finish it with Crush Claw," Ash ordered.
Zangoose slashed again. Tauros cried out in pain before collapsing in a faint.
"No, Tauros!" His trainer recalled the Pokémon and ran off.
Ash smiled and walked up to pet Zangoose, "Awesome job, thank you."
"Zang," she replied with a nod.
A shadow fell over them. Ash looked up to see Lorelei standing over him, gazing at him with a curious expression. "I remember your battles in the Indigo League, you did very well. I can tell you have a strong bond with your Pokémon."
"I ah...thank you," Ash stuttered.
She smiled faintly, "Are you planning on attending my demonstration this afternoon?"
"I wouldn't miss it," Ash said, smiling.
"Wonderful, perhaps afterwards you can join me at my home for some tea," Lorelei asked, "your friends here are welcome to join us."
Ash's eyes widened in surprise, "I...I'd be honored, thank you."
"Then I shall see you later," Lorelei said.
"Oh my gosh!" Misty squealed as Lorelei walked out of sight, "this is like a dream come true!"
Ash sat in the stands between Misty and Tracey as they watched Lorelei step out onto the field.
"WELCOME POKÉMON FANS TO MANDARIN ISLAND STADIUM. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE ONE OF THE ORANGE ISLANDS TOP TRAINERS, LORELEI OF THE KANTO ELITE FOUR."
The crowd burst into applause as Lorelei stepped out into the trainer box.
"FOR TODAY'S DEMONSTRATION, LORELEI HAD ELECTED TO HAVE AN EXHIBITION MATCH AGAINST THE RECENT INDIGO LEAGUE WINNER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR CYNTHIA SHIRONA!"
Ash cheered and clapped loudly as Cynthia came walking out. Instead of the blue blouse she wore during the Indigo League, she was now wearing a black tank top underneath a long black fur lined jacket.
"You knew," Misty accused.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ash said, his eyes never leaving Cynthia. He saw her briefly scanning the stands and her eyes connected to his. She grinned at him and he waved back.
"You knew about Lorelei's demonstration and you knew Cynthia was going to be battling her," Misty said, annoyance seeping into her voice.
"Maybe," Ash said.
"Sorry but who's Cynthia?" Tracey asked.
"She's Ash's girlfriend," Misty said.
"She is not," Ash protested, "we're just friends."
"Sure, whatever you say Ash," Misty said playfully.
Ash scowled at her.
"Go Slowbro!"
"Gastrodon, battle dance!"
Ash turned to give the battle his full attention. He was immediately impressed. He knew Cynthia was powerful, but Lorelei was a whole other level. Her Slowbro managed to defeat Cynthia's Gastrodon and her Spiritomb without breaking a sweat. Garchomp managed to get a few hits in, but in the end she was defeated by Slowbro's Sheer Cold.
"Oh wow, that was amazing!" Misty squealed, "I learned so much from that battle."
"Yeah, her Pokémon are trained so well," Tracey said.
"What did you think Ash?" Misty looked around, "Ash?" But his seat was empty.
Ash rushed out of the stands and made his way down to the stadiums locker rooms. Knocking and entering he found Cynthia comforting her Pokémon after that devastating loss.
"Hey."
She looked up, "Ash!" Smiling she stood and hugged him. He hugged her back tightly.
"How're you doing?"
"I'm good," Cynthia pulled back, "I wasn't expecting to win, but I thought I'd do better than that."
Ash nodded, "I guess it shows how much further we have to go."
"Yeah, so how have you been?"
They sat there chatting for the next ten minutes until Lorelei came walking in. Her face turned to an expression of surprise for a moment when she saw Ash, but it quickly turned to amusement. "I see I'm interrupting something," she said, "Shall I come back?"
"No!" they both said, blushing lightly at her insinuation. Riolu was snickering along with Cynthia's Pokémon.
"No, we were just catching up," Cynthia said.
"We haven't seen each other face to face since the Indigo League," Ash said.
"I see," Lorelei said smirking, "in any case, I was coming to invite Cynthia here for tea with us. Would you like to join us dear?"
Cynthia looked up in momentary surprise, "Oh I'd love to."
"Wonderful," Lorelei said, "In that case let's collect your friends Ash."
Riolu easily found Tracey and Misty among the crowd exiting the stadium. Misty gave Ash a sly smirk when he appeared with Cynthia at his side. Her gaze traveled between them, and Ash looked down to see that he'd been holding Cynthia's hand. He blinked, not having remembered grabbing it. He met Cynthia's eyes and they blushed, but didn't let go.
At Lorelei 's home she served them tea. Ash and Cynthia sat together, drinking quietly while Misty and Tracey went on about the amazing battle. Lorelei simply drank her tea and gazed at them with lazy amusement.
"You know, I never took your friends to be such fan's," Cynthia said quietly.
Ash sighed, "Me neither."
They perked up when Tracey finally asked a pertinent question. "I couldn't help but noticed that you seem to be a totally different person when you're battling."
Ash noticed Lorelei's eyes finally lit up slightly. "I suppose so," she said, "but we all behave in different ways when we're in different situations, isn't that right Tracey?"
"Uh yeah, I suppose so," Tracey said, a little confused.
"Everyone has a particular way of battling," Lorelei continued.
"What's yours?" Tracey asked curiously.
"I try to behave like water," Lorelei said.
"What do you mean by that?" Cynthia asked.
"When I'm not battling, I try to go with the flow," Lorelei said smoothly, "but as soon as a battle begins I become as unforgiving as ice. Then, I melt right back and flow on." She gave a little giggle.
Standing, Lorelei walked out to the deck of her house, and everyone followed. "A trainer can become successful with any number of styles," she continued, "but the most important thing...the most important thing is knowing, really knowing, where your true strength lies."
"The strength that comes from within," Ash said.
"And from the bond you have with your Pokémon," Cynthia added.
Lorelei smiled at them, "Exactly."
They fell into silence and simply listened to the wind as it blew through the trees, bringing with it the salty scent of the ocean.
After a few moments Ash spoke up, "Lorelei, would you please let me battle you?"
She smiled at him, "Very well."
They followed her to a large training field near her home. They took their positions, grabbing onto a Poké ball.
"I'll referee if you don't mind," Cynthia said.
"Will one Pokémon each suffice Ash?" Lorelei asked.
Ash nodded.
"This one on one Pokémon battle between Ash and Lorelei is about to begin," Cynthia announced, "Trainers, release your Pokémon."
"Jolteon, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted.
"Cloyster, let's go," Lorelei called.
Both Pokémon appeared on the field, squaring off and awaiting their trainer's command.
"Battle, begin!" Cynthia said.
"Jolteon use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.
"Cloyster, Withdraw," Lorelei said.
"Jolt jolteon!" Jolteon cried as he launched a powerful bolt of electricity at Cloyster. However the Bivalve Pokémon was too quick; it sealed its shell before the attack could it. The Thunderbolt hit and traveled along it's shell but did little damage.
"Quick use Double Kick," Ash ordered.
Jolteon raced at Cloyster and delivered two powerful kicks with his back legs, blasting it across the field.
"Come out and use Icicle Crash," Lorelei ordered.
Cloyster's shell opened and it released a wind of freezing crystals. Large icicles quickly formed and began raining down on Jolteon.
"Agility!" Ash shouted.
Jolteon vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing in different places on the field as he dodged the attack.
"Now use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.
Jolteon stopped and launched another lightning attack at Cloyster, it hit and Cloyster cried out in pain.
"Hydro Pump," Lorelei said calmly.
Cloyster instantly unleashed a huge blast of water that slammed into Jolteon before he could react.
"Jolt!" he screamed as he was blasted away.
"now finish it with Aurora Beam!"
Cloyster unleashed a freezing beam of multicolored energy. It slammed into Jolteon with an explosion, instantly knocking him out.
"Jolteon us unable to battle," Cynthia said.
"No Jolteon," Ash ran out to his Pokémon and gently scooped him up. "Are you alright buddy?"
"Jolt," he said weakly.
"That's good," Ash said, "I'll give you a massage later after we get you to a Pokémon Center."
"A good battle Ash," Lorelei said, walking up to him.
"I still have a lot to learn," Ash said.
"That's true, but you understand the most important thing of being a trainer," Lorelei said, "You understand the importance of a loss and the importance of a trainer's bond with his Pokémon. I am glad to have witnessed such a powerful bond between a person and a Pokémon, thank you Ash."
"Thank you," Ash said, "I won't forget this."
"I'm sure you won't," Lorelei said with a smile, "It's been a pleasure."
And here's Chapter 20. Cynthia has made a return and Ash's captured Snorlax.
An important announcement: Due to my unfortunate scheduling and the laziness of my beta, I have decided that I will be posting chapters every other friday.