AN: First and foremost I welcome you all to the long awaited next chapter of Rise of a Legend. I would like to apologize to you all about the super long wait for this to come out. I feel like shit for it but please understand a lot has happened. My great grandmother has passed away and hit me really hard due to her being like another mom to me. We did a lot every time I visited her and would spend as much time with her whenever I could.
R.I.P. Bessie Jones – You will forever be loved and missed.
Also work and stuff has kept me from actually sitting down and typing up the chapter as well. Thankfully my little brother let me use his computer, due to mine still not working, so I could type as much as I could. I'm not going to waste more of your time and hope that you all enjoy. The harem is as follows:
Cynthia
Anabel
Korrina
Serena
Ursula
Elesa
Roxie
Hilda
Sabrina
Skyla
Zinnia
Pokémon- Attack
"Pokémon"- Pokémon speaking (people won't understand unless told otherwise)
"Pokémon"- Human Speech
'Pokémon'- Thinking
"Pokémon"- Pokédex Entry
Chapter 20:
The Tournament Continued and New Recruit
(At Stadium A)
The excited roar of the audience was all that could be heard as they just watched another action packed battle just finish. The battle was a close one, but Mike had come out the victor with Lucario (who was his remaining). The said trainer cheered as he ran off the field in joy, Lucario right behind him.
Ash smiled warmly as Mike and Lucario ran past him in the tunnel, too happy to notice. 'Good for you Mike, you deserved that victory. You all worked hard for it.' He was knocked from his thoughts as he heard the announcer call his name and his opponents, a man by the name of Zaniel.
As he walked out, he saw that the man toward over him, standing at a solid 7'0. He had a midnight black hair that was slicked back. His dark green eyes were piercing as they stared at him. He wore brown slacks that were tucked into his dark brown boots. Sunglasses hung around his neck by a long strap. He had bulging muscles, showing he was very fit as well.
The man grinned a slightly savage grin, like a predator that found the perfect prey that would make its hunt more interesting. The two trainers continued to stare at each other, just barely hearing the judge telling them to choose their Pokémon.
Opening an Ultra Ball, he gave a grunt before tossing it. "Let's crush him Meganium!" In a flash of white, the final grass evolution starter of the Johto region appeared tall and proud. It shook the flower around its neck slightly before roaring in strength.
Ash's eyebrows rose in slightly surprise at the strong aura the Grass type gave off. 'This is definitely a very strong Pokémon,' he thought as he opened another Poke ball. "Well, one strong Pokémon deserves another. Let's go, Pidgeot!" In a flash, the second Pokémon Ash ever caught appeared on the field. In a show of control and grace, the Flying/Normal type nose-dived to the ground before curving upwards at the last second, landing softly in front of its trainer. She gazed at Ash before turning back to her opponent and released a challenging screech.
"Let the battle, Begin!"
"Meganium, let's start this off, use Sweet Scent!" Zaniel commanded as a sweet scent wafted through the air, getting the entire audience to smile at the smell. The smell hit both Ash's and Pidgeot's sense of smell, causing them to smirk.
They knew the smell was affecting Pidgeot, no doubt about it. They were smirking at how strong the smell was, meaning that Meganium was quite strong, stronger the smell, the stronger the Pokémon.
Having enough of the smell, Pidgeot blew it all away with three mighty flaps of her powerful wings. The Bird Pokémon took off towards the sky at high speeds, causing a small shockwave when she pushed off the ground.
Deciding to battle like a champion, due to how strong the Meganium seemed to be, Ash's grin turned to a more serious one as he looked at the Grass type. "Pidgeot, use Air Slash."
Pidgeot quickly gathered the wind currents around her wings before sending a powerful slash at her target. The attack caused both Zaniel and Meganium to widen their eyes at how fast the attack was.
Due to the shock, Meganium was unable to dodge and was hit by the powerful Flying type attack. The collision caused a cloud of debris to pick up as the Grass type skidded back, gritting his teeth before smirking at Pidgeot.
"My Meganium won't go down by such a small breeze, Ketchum!" Zaniel spoke out, confidence saturating his voice. "Meganium has trained to be able to take hits like that and still stand. Go Meganium, use Vine Whip on Pidgeot!"
Several green vines shot out from Meganium, rushing at Pidgeot who merely narrowed her eyes as she awaited her trainer's next command. She wasn't disappointed as she heard Ash command her to dodge and rush at her opponent.
Screeching out, Pidgeot dove into the onslaught of vines with blurring speeds. Grace rarely ever seen, Pidgeot dodged vine after vine, twisting her body or backing up before rushing in a different direction.
"Close range Air Slash," Ash commanded as his eyes gained a calculating glint. Pidgeot's wings were surrounded by howling winds once more before in another burst of speed, appeared in front of her opponent. In a strong flap, she slammed her attack into Meganium, who was once more pushed by the explosive collision.
Not letting the attack slow him down, Meganium quickly sent the vines on Pidgeot and wrapped it around her. Pidgeot was too surprised by the action; the vines trapped the Bird Pokémon.
"Good job Meganium," Zaniel praised as a grin stretched across his face. "Now use Sweet Scent once more at full blast!" The same sweet smelling gas burst from Meganium's flower as the smell covered the stadium again and more specifically, Pidgeot.
Pidgeot did its best to not show signs of being bothered by the attack, but it was difficult due to being so close to the source. Pidgeot continued to struggle to get free from the vines, but to no avail. The Bird Pokémon's struggles began to slow as a calming feeling spread throughout her body.
'Pidgeot, calm down and focus the best you can at Meganium,' a voice that she instantly recognized as Ash's echoed through her mind. She took a deep breath, inhaling a bit more of the Sweet Scent, her eyes focusing completely on the grinning Meganium. 'Good, now hit him with a Swagger.'
Releasing a sigh at Meganium, the attack took full affect. While the risk of the move was that Meganium's Attack stat will gain a boost, the benefit of the Grass becoming confused was worth it. Plus it had one more additional affect that Ash was going for.
The vines around Pidgeot loosened and retracted, freeing Pidgeot from their constriction. This was also followed by the Sweet Scent dissipating from Meganium's flower. Looking at her opponent, Pidgeot smirked at the dazed and dizzy state the Grass Pokémon was in.
Ash smirked as well and not one to waste an opportunity, yelled out for Pidgeot to use Heat Wave. Flapping her wings, heated winds washed over the confused Meganium. Due to being so dazed, Meganium could not brace itself and was easily sent flying from the attack (leaving faint scorch marks on the floor).
"Follow it up with your Return," Ash commanded as Pidgeot raced at Meganium with blurring speeds.
"Meganium, get out of the way!" Zaniel commanded, only for Meganium to stumble forward, still dazed due to the confusion. Due to it still being unable to react, Pidgeot rammed into Meganium and began to assault him.
She pecked him, kicked him, slapped him with her wings, and even slammed her body into him. Ash smirked slightly as he watched Pidgeot continue her attack in an almost rhythmic grace.
'Most don't see that the attacks such as Frustration and Return have almost limitless power and potential though I honestly prefer Return over the other,' Ash thought as he watched Pidgeot slam Meganium into the ground. 'For Return, the stronger the bond between trainer and Pokémon,' he smiled as Pidgeot returned to her position in front of him, 'the stronger the attack can become.'
Pidgeot 'cawed' at full power, enjoying the chance to help Ash win battles again. She had missed him as she protected all the Pidgeys and Pidgeottos from her rival Fearow and his Spearows. She was beginning to think he forgot about her, but he one day appeared again and helped them finally put an end to the territory battle between the two sides by actually capturing the Fearow leader. The threat now gone, she was able to join her master's side once more and she couldn't have been happier.
The battles, the training were all tough…but so rewarding. It was all worth it and she has only gotten stronger as time went on. She looked at the downed Meganium, not believing the battle to be over. 'That Meganium is too tough to be downed by that,' she thought as she was proven correct when said Grass stood up again.
Meganium was now glaring at the Bird Pokémon, its Confusion status having worn off.
"Meganium, let's use Vine Whip," Zaniel pointed at his opponents Pidgeot. Several vines rushed towards Pidgeot, who took to the air once ore and was doing her best to dodge each strike (which was much more difficult due to having the effects of two Sweet Scents clouding her mind).
"Use Heat Wave," Ash yelled out as Pidgeot flew further up and flapped her wings. The powerful flaps released the intense once more towards Meganium who grounded himself so he wouldn't be thrown back.
"Stop that Pidgeot with your Vine Whip!" Meganium pulled his strength together and shot out his vines. Pidgeot cancelled its attack and attempted to dodge the attack, but she was having trouble. The vines finally wrapped around the Bird Pokémon and slammed her into the ground.
"Good job Meganium, now it's time to reel her in!" Meganium snapped his neck to the side and pulled the struggling Pidgeot towards him. Being unable to ground herself to resist it, Pidgeot was sent hurtling towards the awaiting starter Pokémon. "Use Dragon Tail."
Meganium's tail glowed a bright blue as the energy that encased it grew in length and began to gain what looked like dragon scales. When Pidgeot was close enough, Meganium twisted his body around and slammed the tail into the Bird Pokémon, causing her to cry out in pain. A bright red glow enveloped Pidgeot before she was suddenly returned back into her Poke ball.
'Damn, didn't expect his Meganium to know to know how to use Dragon Tail,' Ash thought mentally. 'An attack that not only damages the target, but sends them back to their Pokéball. Plus there's no rule against its use, I personally can't return my Pokémon.'
Grabbing a new Pokéball, Ash tossed it up. "Let's go Heracross."
The Bug/Fighting type Pokémon burst onto the field in a flash of light, a big friendly smile on its face. He looked to Ash before returning his gaze to Meganium, determination shining in his powerful eyes.
"Heracross, use Brick Break!" Ash commanded. Heracross nodded as he gained a serious look on his face as he charged at his opponent in a surprising burst of speed. Too fast for the Grass type to react, Heracross slammed his glowing fist into Meganium's head, causing him to yell in pain.
Sliding across the ground, Meganium grounded his feet to stop himself from sliding, only to be surprised to find Heracross in his face. "Use Aerial Ace and hit him hard!" In a blue blur, Heracross slammed into his Grass opponent once more with a super-effective Flying type strike, causing Meganium to grit his teeth so not to yell from the pain he was feeling.
Zaniel gritted his teeth at how easily Ash turned the battle around without any issue. "Meganium, slow Heracross's movements with your Sweet Scent!" Meganium released the strong scent throughout the stadium.
The result ended up as unexpected when the scent reached Heracross.
Instead of being stunned by the scent like he expected, Heracross gained a joyful face as he ran at Meganium and knocked him down. Heracross laid on top of Meganium and looked as if he was trying to find where the smell was coming from.
Ash chuckled as he looked at the dazed face of his Heracross and the confused look of Zaniel. "Heracross adores nectar, which are very sweet smelling. Mine takes the obsession a step further as you can see. The Sweet Scent won't bother him much."
Zaniel was genuinely surprised by the Kalos champion's words, since he wasn't expecting a Pokémon to be able to ignore the effects of Sweet Scent, and it was just a natural immunity and not some ability.
"Heracross, back up and give Meganium enough room to stand please," Ash said to the Single Horn Pokémon who was trying to find the nectar that sweet smell was coming from. Ash didn't want to take the opening that the sweet food obsessed Bug/Fighting type gave him because it would feel unfair to him. These battles are for the Pokémon to get stronger and showcase the strength they gained through their hard work alongside their trainers. Taking advantage of a crazed food obsession, not exactly a show of strength.
Hearing his trainer's voice snapped Heracross out of his daze as he quickly got off the still confused Grass type. He flew over to Ash as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that Ash," Heracross said to his trainer. "I kind of lost it when I smelled the nectar in the attack. It was just so heavenly."
Ash chuckled lightly as he connected their auras. "It's fine Heracross. I know how you can get, now keep your eyes on that Meganium. It's too strong to take any chances." Heracross did as he was told and watched as Meganium stood up, glaring at the Bug/Fighting type.
"Meganium, use your Vine Whip to immobilize Heracross!" Zaniel commanded. 'That Heracross is way too fast, we have to slow it down like we did with Pidgeot.' Meganium shot out multiple vines towards the Single Horn Pokémon who began dodging.
Moving to the left and ducking, Heracross dodged several vines that tried to trap him. 'Hyper Beam!' Ash's voice echoed in Heracross's head, who gained a determined look as he jumped above several more vines and fired the powerful blast at Meganium.
"Meganium, block it with Frenzy Plant!" Zaniel yelled out as a green aura encased Meganium's body. Raising its front legs, he slammed them back onto the ground. A mild shake rocked the ground as large, thorn covered vines erupted from the ground. They quickly wrapped around Meganium just as the Hyper Beam slammed into them, picking up dust as an explosion slightly shook the stadium.
Everyone watched with baited breaths as the smoke cleared up to reveal Meganium who was still standing, shakily but standing nonetheless. Ash had to admit that he was really impressed by the Meganium. All those powerful from two of his powerful Pokémon and its still refusing to go down.
Zaniel looked at his Meganium in worry due to how much his legs were shaking. 'Meganium doesn't have much gas left in his tank. We got to let these last few shots count.' As he thought that, his Grass starter was surrounded by a bright green aura, meaning the activation of his special ability, Overgrow.
'No more head on attacks,' Ash thought. 'Overgrow will overpower even Hyper Beam, unless he uses Frenzy Plant which would crush all of our attacks.' "Heracross, we are going to have to be cautious of that Meganium! Let's start it off with Aerial Ace, but keep your eyes peeled!" Heracross narrowed his eyes at Meganium as he rushed the Grass type.
Zaniel gritted his teeth while trying to think of a counter, before an idea came to him. "Meganium, use Sweet Scent!" Slightly confused, Meganium once more filled the Stadium with a sweet smell.
Once more, Heracross grew excited at the heightened strength of the sweet smelling nectar. Losing himself, Heracross rushed towards Meganium with a dazed look in his eyes. Meganium had a slightly worried look in his eyes as he stared at the speedy Bug/Fighting Pokémon.
When Heracross was within close range, Zaniel smirked at Ash due to his plan working. "Meganium, use Dragon Tail!" Meganium's tail glowed brightly and scaly once more and extended again.
"Heracross, get out of there!" Ash yelled out, figuring out what Zaniel was trying to do.
Heracross snapped out of his daze as he tried to move out of the way, but was unable to react in time. The Dragon Tail hit Heracross across the chest and sent him sailing backwards as he glowed red and returned to his Pokéball much like Pidgeot did.
Ash's last Pokéball burst open as a Snorlax appeared in a bright flash of light. Ash looked at his Snorlax that was yawning, not liking that three of his Pokémon for this battle were revealed already.
'This is definitely why he chose that Meganium of his,' Ash thought as realization dawned on him. 'His Meganium was not easy to knock out with its seemingly high defense and his Dragon Tail was used to force his Pokémon to switch that way he knows what he was dealing with in terms of opponents. Plus now I have three Pokémon that battled and he has two fresh Pokémon ready to go. This guy is really good.'
Ash had to admit, it was a very thought out plan. He smirked in excitement at the thought. Feeling like he didn't need to hold back nearly as much as he did before.
"Alright!" Ash cheered out. "Snorlax, keep your guard up! That Meganium is tough and currently has its Overgrow ability activated. It's not going to be easy to win this." Snorlax nodded to his trainer.
"Meganium, use Bulldoze," Zaniel yelled out in confidence that he has a high advantage. 'Thanks to our training, Meganium should faster than…' his thoughts were interrupted as Ash gave out a command.
"Snorlax, use Protect! Then follow it up with Hyper Beam!" Snorlax quickly surrounded itself in a bubble that saved Snorlax from being hurt. Quickly charging up, Snorlax fired the attack at the surprised Meganium. The attack slammed into Meganium, exploding upon impact. When the smoke began to clear, Zaniel's Meganium could not even attempt to stand anymore.
"Meganium is unable to battle, victory goes to Snorlax," the reference announced as the crowd cheered for Meganium's hard work.
'Meganium did his job,' Zaniel thought. 'Pidgeot, Heracross, and Snorlax are his three chosen Pokémon. The first two fought already so they have been chipped down. Snorlax is still pretty fresh and raring to go, so he's my main priority.' Grabbing a Pokéball, he grips it tightly as he smirks. 'I have just the one.'
(In the stands)
Sitting in the crowd was a young woman a few years older than Ash. She has dark teal, bordering black hair that was short in length. She was pretty average in height with a playful, yet shy brown eyes. She wore an orange kimono with sakura petals as the design.
This was Erika, the Celadon Gym Leader and a friend of Ash's. She's also the girlfriend and lover of Jacob Matthews.
Erika had just finished her battle until later and was on her way to her boyfriend, Jacob's battle. She realized he didn't have a battle until later so she had to kill, not knowing where his right now.
She heard Ash's name be announced and decided to watch him battle. She could honestly say that she was impressed by the battle thus far. He handles his Pokémon well and was much more thorough in his commands, which was a far cry from how he used to battle.
Now, while he may be in the lead, he now has to battle with two tired Pokémon. This peaked her interest to see how Ash plans to win this with such a clear disadvantage.
"So Ash," she said. "How do you plan to get out of this one?"
"By taking this battle more seriously of course," a voice said, causing Erika to look over. Standing next to her was a young man that looked to be fifteen years old. He had slick back, black hair that had the tips dyed a red color. He had piercing red eyes that seemed to hold a deep mystery to them. He wore a red suit that was buttoned up and a lime green tie. He wore black dress shoes to complete the outfit.
"What makes you believe he's not taking it seriously right now?" Erika asked curiously. The man turned to her and smiled brightly, causing her surprise at how warm it was.
"Ash is merely getting into it as time goes on," the man replied as his gaze turned to the field as Zaniel released a Pinsir to the field. "Just watch, you will be surprised and will definitely enjoy it."
They both paid close attention, just as a Brick Break from Pinsir collided with an Ice Beam from Snorlax with powerful force.
(Back to the battle)
"Pinsir, break away and use Stone Edge!" Zaniel commanded as he saw his Pinsir was slowly being pushed back. The Stag Beetle Pokémon jumped away as he shot the sharp stones at the bigger Pokémon.
"Snorlax, block them with Protect," Ash countered as Snorlax took no damage from the Rock type move. "Now Snorlax, Zen Headbutt!" A blue shroud of aura surrounded Snorlax as he rushed at Pinsir, with surprising speed considering its huge size.
Pinsir was slammed into by the speedy Snorlax, causing it to yell in pain, but he kept on his feet as he prepared to counter.
"Pinsir, use X-Scissor!" Zaniel commanded. Pinsir rushed at Snorlax with the Bug type attack fully charged. Snorlax barely dodged the attack by side stepping him. "Bug Bite now!" Pinsir quickly bit into Snorlax's arm, causing him to grunt in pain.
"Snorlax, use Ice Punch," Ash commanded. Snorlax charged his free hand with ice energy before lunging at the biting Pinsir. The Bug type let go as he barely dodged a direct impact, but was still shivering from the cold air of the attack. "Zen Headbutt." Acting quickly, Snorlax rammed the Psychic type attack into Pinsir, causing him to yell out in pain.
"Snorlax, follow that up with Ice Punch," Ash commanded. 'And don't let up on the power too much, this guy is too good to hold back as much.' Snorlax launched the ice covered fist at Pinsir, hitting the Stag Beetle Pokémon in the chest and causing him to sail back from the super-effective hit.
Pinsir was able to force himself to his feet, flinching slightly as small pieces of ice broke off from its chest. Pinsir glared at the larger Pokémon, tightening its fist.
'Damn, for a Snorlax it's pretty fast,' Zaniel thought as his Pinsir began growling. 'And like any Snorlax, it's a powerhouse of a Pokémon. I need a way to keep Snorlax occupied one way, so I can attack another way. Pinsir doesn't know Double Team so that plan is out the window.' Zaniel's eyes widened as he gained a thought. 'A distraction, that's it!' "Pinsir, use Stone Edge and make sure it's widespread!"
Pinsir quickly followed its trainers command and surrounded itself with twice as many sharp stones before shooting them at Snorlax with a roar. The sharp attacks rushed forward in all directions, making it impossible to dodge no matter which direction the Sleeping Pokémon moved.
"Snorlax, block it with Protect," Ash commanded, confused by the move. Yes, against a normal Pokémon such a tactic is dangerous, but against a Pokémon with Protect is another story. It's easily countered.
Just as Ash expected, Snorlax's Protect easily countered the widespread Rock type attack. When he looked at Zaniel, he was surprised to see that Zaniel wasn't at all.
In fact, he was smirking! Looking back to the battlefield, Ash was shocked. He couldn't see the field! The debris was from the Stone Edge was blocking his sight!
"Pinsir, use Bug Bite!" he heard Zaniel command. The command was quickly followed by a pained yell from Snorlax. The debris quickly cleared as it revealed Pinsir on Snorlax's back and biting onto his shoulder.
Before Ash could tell Snorlax to shake Pinsir off, Zaniel yelled out his next order. "Now use Brick Break quickly!" Pinsir let go of Snorlax before slamming his glowing hand on the back of his neck with devastating force.
The super-effective hit caused Snorlax to yell even louder in pain and stumble forward. "Snorlax, don't give in and use Ice Punch," Ash yelled out, in an attempt to get some damage in.
Snorlax quickly spun around and slammed the ice covered fist into Pinsir's face, causing the Bug type to screech in pain. Pinsir was sent sailing back before stopping just barely in front of his trainer, ice breaking off its unconscious form.
"Pinsir is unable to battle, victory goes to Snorlax!" the referee announced just barely over the roar of the crowd. "Trainer, please release your final Pokémon!"
'Heh, so I'm down to my final partner,' Zaniel thought as a smirk grew on his face. 'This is why I have the battle locked!' "Roar to the battlefield, Typhlosion!" He tossed the Pokéball and in a bright flash of light, his Typhlosion roared powerfully.
The Volcano Pokémon roared once more as the small holes on his back shot out very intense flames. Going on all fours, Typhlosion growled and glared at the Sleeping Pokémon.
Ash glanced to his Snorlax, taking the wounds it suffered into account as well as its heavy breathing from taking all those hits. 'I may have all three of my Pokémon, but each one is tired while one of them is at a disadvantage,' Ash thought as he began to make a plan. "Snorlax, charge up your ThunderPunch."
Snorlax clenched its small fists as electricity erupted around them. The big Pokémon stared down Typhlosion, who didn't flinch from the cackling electricity.
"Typhlosion, use Double-Edge," Zaniel commanded as Typhlosion took off at high speed, leaving a small trail of white energy behind him.
The two attacks collided in a show of power, causing the ground to shake. Unable to keep up the effort any longer, Typhlosion was pushed back by the ThunderPunch.
"Use Flamethrower, Typhlosion," Zaniel countered. Recovering quickly, Typhlosion unleashed the hot flames that covered the surprised Snorlax.
'Impressive,' Ash thought as he analyzed the growling Fire type. 'It was able to recover so quickly and even counterattacked so easily. It's definitely well trained.' Gazing slightly at his tired Snorlax, he grimaced. 'We will have to proceed with caution.' "Snorlax, use Zen-Headbutt!'
Snorlax was covered in a veil of blue psychic energy before he charged towards Typhlosion at full speed. Shocked by its speed, Snorlax was able to slam into the Fire type and send it flying back.
Not willing to lose, Typhlosion twisted its body and landed on his feet. He skidded on the ground and stopped in front of its trainer. "Use Double-Edge." Typhlosion took off and slammed right back into Snorlax and sent him back too.
Snorlax stopped his movement and dropped to one knee, trying to regain its bearings.
"Now let's wrap this up with Gyro Ball, Typhlosion!" The Fire starter spun around at high speeds as he rammed Snorlax into the ground. The ground shook before Typhlosion jumped away, revealing an unconscious Snorlax.
"Snorlax is unable to battle, victory goes to Typhlosion! Trainer send out your next choice," the referee announced as Ash returned Snorlax.
'I know it will be difficult buddy,' Ash said mentally as he sensed the confidence from the Pokéball in his hands. 'But we will give it our all!' "Heracross, may the aura guide you!" The Bug/Fighting Pokémon of Johto appeared on the field again.
"Let's do this!" Heracross yelled out to his trainer. Ash smiled at Heracross as he knew the Pokémon was exhausted. Even with it having a disadvantage, Heracross was still willing to do all he could to win.
That's all he could ever ask for.
"Heracross, start off with Aerial Ace," Ash commanded as his aura flared slightly. Due to this battle getting more serious, he decided to get more serious as well. Heracross took off and slammed into the Fire type, who braced himself for the attack.
"Typhlosion, counter him with Flamethrower," Zaniel commanded as Typhlosion unleashed his flamers at Heracross, who just barely dodged by ducking under it.
"Heracross, Brick Break," Ash yelled. Heracross's right hand glowed as he hit Typhlosion with as much force as he could, sending the Volcano Pokémon back.
"Gyro Ball now," Zaniel said, not giving in to his worry. Typhlosion rushed at Heracross as he began spinning in high speeds.
"Heracross, catch him and use Rock Slide," Ash commanded smoothly. The giant bug braced himself before grabbing the spinning Typhlosion, barely stopping its spinning.
Heracross's eyes glowed slightly before ripples appeared above the two Pokémon. Rocks began falling from the ripples, descending at high speeds.
"Crap, Typhlosion!" Zaniel yelled. "Use Eruption to blow those rocks away!" Typhlosion roared as his fire erupted from his body and a pillar of fire rose from his shoulders, destroying the Rock Slide. "Great, now use Double-Edge to get free, followed by Flamethrower!"
The Fire type glowed slightly before ramming its head into the surprised Heracross. It then shot the fire attack, engulfing the Bug/Fighting Pokémon.
When the flames ceased, Heracross was still standing as smoke rose off its body. Ash sighed as he watched Heracross fall and hit the ground. 'You did great my friend.'
"Heracross is unable to battle, victory goes to Typhlosion. Please release your final Pokémon."
Ignoring the cheering of the crowd, Ash focused on his last Pokéball, not at all worried. Ash tossed it as his Pidgeot burst from its confines. She released a loud screech as she landed in front of Ash, her wings opened slightly.
"I have to admit, you are really good Zaniel," Ash complimented. "You definitely showed me why you made it this far, but that's all going to change. From now on, you will be battling the champion of the Kalos region!" Pidgeot opened her wings wide as she screeched in agreement with her trainer.
"Thanks for the compliment Ash," Zaniel replied. "Your good too, and I expected nothing less from the Kalos champion. Show us that strength you used to beat Diantha!" Typhlosion's flames burst from his body as he roared.
'Pidgeot, let's not disappoint him,' Ash said through his aura, causing Pidgeot to nod. 'Aerial Ace, full speed.' Pidgeot screeched before she took off at speeds that made her almost impossible to track. She slammed into Typhlosion, causing him to yell in pain, before ascending back to the sky. 'Now follow it up with Air Slash.' She shot the Flying type attack at the Volcano Pokémon, sending it sailing across the field.
"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!" The fire starter shot the powerful flames at the Flying/Normal, who only glared at the attack but made no attempt to move.
"Pidgeot, dodge with Agility and follow it up with Aerial Ace once more," Ash commanded calmly. Pidgeot moved at speeds that made it look like she was disappearing and reappearing around a confused Typhlosion. Taking off at speeds faster than before, Pidgeot rushed at Typhlosion.
"Quick, Double Team now!" Zaniel yelled to his partner. The fire Pokémon glowed before copies of Typhlosion appeared. Unable to maneuver easily, Pidgeot ran into one of the Typhlosions, causing it to vanish as she went through him. This meant the one she hit was a fake.
"So you think you can get by our fast speed by confusing us," Ash asked lowly. "Well guess again. Pidgeot, use Hurricane to blow them all away!" Pidgeot flapped her now glowing wings with blurring speeds as the winds picked up. It started off small and grew larger and larger until the winds covered most of the battlefield. This caused all the Typhlosions, except one, to vanish. The last one was struggling to remain standing as the Hurricane caused its fur to whip around wildly.
"Typhlosion, concentrate and use Protect!" Typhlosion was able to hear its trainer and created a bubble of green energy, stopping the Fire type from being dealt any more damage.
Ash smirked, seeing Typhlosion fall directly into his trap. 'That Protect will not help against us.' "Pidgeot, get in close and use your Swagger." Pidgeot seemingly disappeared, moving faster than the harsh winds could dissipate. Appearing in front of the bubbled Typhlosion, she released a sigh that hit the Fire type directly.
Typhlosion became dizzy as his eyes gained a blank look. He began swaying back and forth, as if standing was a hard job for him.
Pidgeot has successfully confused Typhlosion.
"Typhlosion, no!" Zaniel yelled in worry, lost about what to do. Two straight battles and now a third where he is outclassed in speed. Plus now with him being confused, he could see the advantage he had earlier slipping away rapidly.
"Now Pidgeot, use Return followed by Aerial Ace," Ash commanded as he crossed his arms. Pidgeot's eyes glowed white for a moment as she began to wail on her opponent gracefully. She head butt the Fire Pokémon, sending it sailing back. Faster than any of them could track, Pidgeot delivered another direct, and powerful, Aerial Ace to his back.
Typhlosion slammed in front of his trainer, conscious but still confused. "Come on Typhlosion! Snap out of it and use Eruption!" Typhlosion was able to stand up, but instead of using the commanded move, he slammed his head into the ground repeatedly.
"Pidgeot, let's wrap this up. Air Slash!" Ash commanded, ready to continue his day. Pidgeot nodded as she flapped her wings and released several slashes that were all direct hits.
Typhlosion could only make a small cry before he was dropped to the ground completely knocked out.
"Typhlosion is unable to battle, victory goes to Pidgeot. Continuing to the next round is Ash Ketchum!" the referee announced, causing the audience to cheer loudly for the amazing battle.
Ignoring the crowd, Ash happily pet Pidgeot's beak as he told her how good of a job she did. "I'll give you a reward at the clearing, return!" Ash sent Pidgeot back to her Pokéball before making his way to Zaniel, who was making his way to the Kalos champion.
The two smirked and shook hands, "You and your Pokémon were amazing out there," Ash said. "It was a very enjoyable battle."
"Thank you," Zaniel replied. "It was great and a perfect way to see where we stood compared to a champion. Now we can use this to get stronger, so be ready. We will battle again."
"I will be looking forward to it, Zaniel," Ash nodded. As Ash walked away, he waved to the cheering crowd. Zaniel left the field through the opposite tunnel.
(To the audience)
Erika clapped in joy along with the audience; happy to see the young man she battled so long ago do so well. She honestly thought that Ash was pushed into a tough predicament, but he was able to pull out more strength in the end.
It's obvious he has really earned his title.
Looking to the side, she addressed the handsome man next to her. "You were right about Ash holding back. Are you a friend of his?"
The man watched as Ash left before turning his gaze to the leaving Zaniel. "No, not really," he replied. "I haven't met him yet, but I will when I'm ready. I just seen him battle before. Oh by the way, my name is Crow Shade; it's very nice to meet you."
"How rude of me, my name is Erika and I'm the Celadon City gym leader," Erika greeted cheerfully. Crows smile widened when he heard her name. It made Erika blush in embarrassment slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Well miss Erika," Crow said as he began walking. "As much as I would love to stay and talk with you, I have something to do and I only had time to watch this battle. I wish you a good day."
"The same to you Crow," Erika responded. "Hope to see you again." Her response was a thumbs up from Crow as he walked away.
'Don't worry, we definitely will,' he thought joyfully. He made his way among the crowd towards the exit as the next battle for this block was being called. 'I just have something to do first.'
(To Ash)
Ash exited the tunnel, feeling satisfied with how the battle went. While it wasn't enough to make him go all out in the beginning of the battle, this trainer had definitely push limits. The fact remains, if Pidgeot held back then she would have lost against that Typhlosion.
The guy was definitely an Elite trainer, possibly Gym Leader level.
"I hope to battle him again soon," Ash said as he fixed his hat to block out the bright Sun. "I can't wait for a full six-on-six, all-out battle with him!" As he said the last part, he released Lucario from a Pokéball on his waist.
Lucario stretched as the Sun made his silver fur glimmer. He looked to his trainer and smiled. "So Master, what's next on our To-Do-List?"
"Not sure yet buddy," Ash sighed, knowing that Lucario is calling him that just to annoy him. "Let's go see if anyone is battling, maybe we can catch the competition a bit." Lucario nodded as he joined Ash's side. Before they could walk away, a woman's voice called out to him.
"Ash, wait up!"
Turning around, Ash saw Erika running up to him while holding the bottom of her kimono up. Ash smiled at the Celadon gym leader.
"Hey Erika!" he greeted as he waved at her. She stopped in front of the young champion, smiling. She gave him a quick hug in greeting, happy to see him.
"It's great to see you again," she said. "When you went missing all those years ago, I got worried. No one could find a trace of you anywhere."
"Yeah, sorry if I worried you Erika," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I just had to get away for a while, then one thing led to another and now I'm a champion."
"Congratulations on that by the way," Erika replied with a warm smile. "You grew up very well since we last battled each other. Maybe we can have a match soon, I would love to see how much you have changed personally."
Ash smiled as he nodded. Before Ash could say anything more, he felt a dark power nearby, causing him and Lucario to pause. Lucario and Ash looked to the left and took off in worry.
The dark feeling was so powerful; it could be the man that they have been looking for.
Seeing both Ash and Lucario running off confused and worried Erika. She ran after them, unsure about why they were running. The reached a dark alley, the Sun's bright rays avoiding it as if afraid to illuminate it. In the alley stood a figure, arms crossed as he stared at them.
The figure was tall, slightly above Ash himself. He wore a black hoodie that hid his face away, two glowing red orbs piercing the dark veil, most likely the figures eyes. "I must admit, I didn't think you would have responded so fast, nor be the first one here, I should have waited a little longer, oh well~," he chuckled slightly.
"Are you Shadow?" Ash asked as he pulled out some of his aura. His Lucario walked up as his aura spiked, causing his eyes to glow a bright blue. "Are you the one that attacked my sister?"
"You seem very calm about this," the figure responded, amused by the questions. "To answer, yes I am. I'm the one that attacked little Alex, Shadow. What are you going to do about it?"
"I'll make sure that you pay!" Ash yelled as he created an Aura Sphere in anger. He shot the attack at Shadow, knowing it would hurt but not kill the man.
He had no desire to commit a murder.
A Dark Pulse shot from behind the cloaked man, blocking and canceling the powerful Aura Sphere. Ash blocked his face slightly due to the powerful shockwave, keeping his aura stretched out in case he attempts to run. He looked up as he felt a new aura signature beside the man, glaring at the culprit of the Dark Pulse.
Floating beside the man was an enraged Mismagius. "You will not go near my master," the Ghost type, a girl, said angrily. Lucario was about to step forward, but had to deflect a pink orb that him from above.
'A Moonblast,' Lucario thought as he looked up. 'A powerful one at that too, it wasn't easy to deflect.' He saw an angry Espeon in the roof of the building, glaring at him and his trainer. The Espeon's fur was on edge as it growled in rage, its left ear (which was missing a good chunk) twitched as he was prepared to strike at anything that moved.
"You will not get in the way," Espeon growled. "I would back away if I were you." The now identified, male Espeon's eyes glowed as he glared at Lucario, who was not backing down and glared back.
'Lucario can handle Espeon just fine,' Ash glanced at the two Pokémon behind. He kept his sense on Shadow and Mismagius, who only stayed put, like they were waiting on something.
Shadow's head turned slightly to the left, his attention to the alley entrance. From around the corner, Erika was watching what was going on in worry.
That man in the cloak, the one named Shadow, gave her a horrible feeling that spread throughout her body. She remembered when Jacob came back to the apartment yesterday, mumbling angrily about a guy with that name. Even his Pokémon gave her a bad feeling, making her want to run. Her body froze as Shadow gazed at her, amusement clear in his red eyes.
"It seems I attracted an audience," Shadow spoke in joy. "A very pretty one too, this is fun but sadly I have no use for you. Mismagius, go get rid of her." The Ghost type floated without a word as she charged a Shadow Ball.
Ash's and Lucario's eyes widened at the Shadow Ball and the nonchalant command. Lucario was about to counter the ghost attack, but had to block a speedy Iron Tail from the annoyed Espeon with a Bone Rush.
"I told you that you were not to interfere," he said he ignored the sparks the sparks that were flying from their clash. Lucario was surprised that the Espeon seemed to match him in power, even if he was holding back; so was the Psychic Pokémon.
Mismagius fired the Shadow Ball with a cry. The dark ball raced towards the still Erika.
Ash too was about to block the Shadow Ball, but he was stopped as he ducked under a Shockwave that was shot at him by the Espeon, who was still deadlocked with Lucario.
This shocked Ash at the skill that Espeon showed. To be able to use two attacks at the same time, while holding back another attack opponent showed tremendous control, focus, and mastery of your attacks.
Ash charged an Aura Sphere quickly, knowing he HAD to stop that Shadow Ball at all cost! He turned around and shot the blue sphere at the Ghost type attack just in time, causing it to explode. This caused smoke to cover them up and attract the attention of more people.
Activating his Aura Sight, Ash found that Shadow, along with his two Pokémon had vanished. Lucario followed suit with his Aura Sense, trying to locate them, but couldn't find them either. There was a little residue of aura from Mismagius and Espeon, but there was absolutely nothing left of Shadow.
'Who exactly is that man?' Ash thought as he made his way to Erika, to check and see if she was ok. Ignoring the gathering crowd, he held his out to the downed gym leader. "Are you alright, Erika?"
Taking his hand, Erika nodded as she got up with his help. "Yeah, just a bit shaky. What happened back there?" Ash shook his head as he looked at Lucario, who was still looking around.
"I'm not too sure myself. All I know is that man is a threat that needs to be taken down. I'm going to talk to Lance and the other champions when I see them." Erika nodded at his plan, seeing the reason.
It's best to have more eyes around when looking for someone like that. "Why not the gym leaders too?" she asked as she realized that Ash excluded telling the gym leaders about this threat.
Ash sighed as he gestured for Erika to follow him, not wanting to talk about this with crowd around them. "I'll tell you as we go; too many eyes right now." Erika nodded as the two trainers and one Pokémon began walking away.
When they got a good distance away, Ash sighed once more as he looked for Jacob's aura. "To answer your earlier question Erika," he began, turning a corner. "The gym leaders are strong, no doubt, but this guy is on a whole other level right now. While they would be told to look out, it will lead to more trouble if they tried to interfere. Plus that Espeon, it's on an Elite Four level if not more than that."
"So if we try to battle him, we have a higher chance of losing," Erika finished, clenching them hem of her kimono tightly. For such a danger to be nearby and told she is too weak to be any help, it really hurt her pride. It also annoyed her that she is being underestimated; Ash shook his head as he looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry if you think I am calling you weak," he replied as he looked forward again. "I know your strong, very much so, but this guy is an unknown. He's already commanding one Elite level Pokémon, there's no telling what else he has. He even used a Gengar, about low level Elite, to battle and almost beat my Elite Four member Alex Rain's Absol. I'm just not comfortable sending so many people against such an unknown person. Especially with how ruthless he is which I'm sure Jacob told you about."
Erika nodded as Jacob did indeed inform her. While she didn't get the full story, since Jacob wasn't there for the whole thing, she knows Shadow killed his own Gengar for losing. Showing he has no care for life, at all.
"For now, he's in hiding and he's good at it," Ash said as he stopped to look at a nearby ice cream stand. "Finding him will be impossible, unless he slips up or allows us to. He can hide his aura to such a degree that I can't sense him at all, so we can only wait right now until the time comes that can catch him or a way to track him." He gestured to the ice cream stand as he smiled at the Grass gym leader. "Want some ice cream, my treat."
Erika smiled lightly at Ash, before she nodded. "Well, since your buying, how could I say no?" While still annoyed by the situation, she understood where the young champion was coming from. Plus by technicality, Ash is her boss in situations like these so she couldn't really do anything about it.
Plus she's getting free ice cream, nothing to complain about.
(In the Woods)
Appearing in a flash, signifying the use of Teleport, Shadow and his three Pokémon landed softly on the ground. Moving in blurring speed, Shadow ripped off his hood and used his other hand to grab his Mismagius by the throat, choking her.
Espeon looked at the scene with a blank expression, knowing this was going to happen. He knew Shadow wasn't happy with the Ghost type's performance and knew that Mismagius was going to be punished.
And knowing Shadow, it's going to be painful.
Mismagius struggled and gagged under her trainer's strong, iron grip. The Ghost type gazed pleadingly at Shadow, hoping that he will have enough mercy to let her go.
Only to realize that plan was a bust as she noticed his glare had no hint of amusement, just his anger and annoyance.
"You are pathetic," Shadow said, no trace of amusement in his trace either. "I gave you a simple task; eliminate that girl with your Shadow Ball. Espeon even have you time to do so and you still failed. Give me one good reason to not devour your essence for having failed me, which I don't take lightly."
Mismagius only squeaked as she lost more oxygen, making it harder to stay conscious, let alone breathe. She couldn't even find the strength to phase through his grip, not that it would help the situation at all. She knew the moment her Shadow Ball was stopped, that Shadow would be displeased with her.
"I guess you don't have an answer for me, such a shame," Shadow replied in mock sadness as the black ethereal chains rose from his other hand. "Oh well, least I get a free meal." Before the chains could lunge at the fearful Mismagius, Espeon walked up slowly.
"It wouldn't be wise to devour Mismagius, Master," Espeon spoke, practically growling at the word 'Master'. "Lord Red would not be pleased that you killed another Pokémon partner, just after being given a new one. Add to the fact it's one of the few captured Ghost types that we have at the moment, killing her will definitely lead to harsh retributions."
Shadow paused as he considered his Pokémon's words, knowing that he was right. Red is usually lenient with Shadow, as long as he doesn't delay his overall mission. If he were to anger Red, then the results will not be good for him.
An angered Red is a Red he wished to never face. He'd rather face several legendary Pokémon barehanded at the same time.
Nodding his head, Shadow let go of Mismagius's neck, causing the Ghost type to gasp deeply as she breathed in the air greedily. Before she could think she was in the clear, Shadow backhanded her with enough force to send her sailing into a tree.
Mismagius cried in pain as she hit the tree hard, doing her best to stay awake. Shadow then kicked her into the ground, on her back before slamming his foot on her stomach in glee as he heard her cry in pain.
"I don't accept failure on my records Mismagius," he said in his usual amused tone. "You would do well to remember that and you may get to live. Fail me again and I will deal with the boss's wrath after I slowly devour you. Do we have an understanding, weakling?"
Mismagius nodded, wanting to do anything to make this pain stop. Even that excruciating training she had to endure could compare to this man's hits.
Smiling happily, Shadow took his foot off the Ghost type as he walked away. "Good girl," he said chuckling. He walked by a tree as he reached out and pulled a figure out.
The figure was a man who was tied up and gagged. The man was unconscious so was unable to fight Shadow's grip.
"We have to get our soon-to-be new recruit to Lord Red," he said as he dragged the figure towards Espeon. His skills will prove to be useful to him; he just needs some 'convincing'. So let's go and get him through his initiation." He looked at the man and chuckled.
"Welcome to the team, Zaniel."
AN: And this is the end of this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. I worked hard on the battle and I think I did pretty well on it. I know this chapter was mostly battle, but I needed it to be done due to having plans for Zaniel. Plus I hope I showcased the skill that the trainers that are currently in the tournament will possess. These trainers are skilled and the battles will just become tougher. But tell me what you all think of the chapter, leave a review and favorite and follow. Till next time, see ya guys,
Dragon Soul94 is out!