Chapter 21: Ash's determination.
This is the start of the Road to Eternity arc, please enjoy, I want to make this a rollercoaster ride, now for a minor change.
Serena will be 19 as of now, but Ash remains 19 for now.
After more than two months of recovery Ash walked around the city to see the recovery continuing at an amazing pace, Ash looked back still wondering where Serena was, "I guess she went on ahead to finish her gym challenge, I don't mind it one bit, but why without telling me?" Ash asked himself with a slight hint of sadness, 'no calls, not even a letter from her,' Ash thought while his partner pokemon shrugged his shoulders.
Ash walked towards a building and started to help an elderly man out, "thank you young man," the old man thanked Ash as he helped push up a wall to help with the final part of the rebuild. "You are a polite young man," the elderly man declared while pulling out a small item from his pocket, a golden coin that shone in the sun, "this coin has been in my family for many generations, it is said to increase the wealth of the person who uses it," the man stated while Ash pushed the item back towards the old man.
Ash stepped back and smiled proudly at the house, "no, you keep it, helping people out is the least I can do at the moment," Ash replied while the old man put the coin in his pocket.
"You are also very modest," the old man stated while Ash turned towards the other places that needed help.
"Nothing to worry about, I guess, life is really short, so helping out where I can, that can make life really fulfilling," Ash remarked while the old man burst out into laughter.
"You talk like you will be dying soon, you're young you should easily have more years than me," the man with grey hair stated while Ash walked away.
"Yeah I guess I am, but there are these visions that seem so real, that I cannot avoid them in anyway," Ash replied while taking a deep breath, Ash petted his partner pokemon on the head and looked towards the clock on the city's gym, 'how much more time until that battle?' Ash wondered to himself with a concerned expression, 'Serena, are you almost ready to face the Pokemon League?' Ash asked even more questions as he walked and started to consider helping more people out. Ash looked at his left arm and thought about the battle at the Pokeball Factory, 'I am not one hundred per cent healed,' Ash reminded himself as he continued down the road.
Ash walked up to the gym thinking about his training days since he was injured, his thoughts soon drifted to Serena. Wondering why she didn't tell him that she went on ahead, he had always thought that she went to get the rest of her badges, "it doesn't seem like her to rush off without telling me, I know she is my rival Pikachu, but," Ash stated with a frown, he approached the gym and knocked on the door.
Valerie opened the door to greet Ash, "I have told you many times in these months, not until you are better," Valerie stated while glaring at her soon to be challenger, "Serena told me not to…." Valerie started before ending the sentence.
"What did Serena say, it isn't like her to keep things quiet from me," Ash replied in frustration, he stopped the door from closing by putting his foot near the door frame, "Valerie, I am fine, let me in so I can get my next gym badge," Ash ordered the gym leader with a sneer, he forced open the door and forced his way passed the slightly older woman.
"Serena told me not to let you battle until you were all healed up, she is worried about you, so she told me to wait until you recovered," Valerie explained Serena's concerns to Ash.
Ash shook his head and started to wonder more about his girlfriend, "I haven't seen her in nearly three months, did she go on ahead?" Ash asked the gym leader with a concerned expression.
"Sorry Ash, I don't claim to know what your girlfriend is thinking at this stage, but I am sure she has a good reason behind it," Valerie replied gently, Ash continued towards the next door to approach the battlefield, "Ash she does worry about you, she wanted me to wait until you got back to full health," Valerie told Ash who ignored her and continued towards the door, 'he is really stubborn, or is he in a hurry?' the gym leader asked herself while Ash closed the door behind him to challenge her.
Ash looked around thinking about his visions over the time he was recovering from his injury, "Pikachu, no more waiting, I refuse to stay on my back, I will complete this challenge, even if it means I fall behind against my rival Serena, I am certain she wouldn't want me to be in hospital forever," Ash explained calmly, his Pikachu gained a worried expression hoping that his trainer would have fully recovered, 'so Serena what are you planning, you know I can look after myself,'Ash thought while wondering about his girlfriend, "I know you can look after yourself as well," Ash told himself, he continued towards the next door and opened it.
Ash covered his eyes with the bright light shining on his eyes, "welcome challenger," Valerie welcomed Ash the battlefield.
Ash slowly lowered his right arm and turned his attention to Valerie, "so you will battle me," Ash announced while taking up his side of the battlefield.
"Yes, I will battle you, not because Serena told me not to, but because I am a gym leader and I must take on all challengers," Valerie decreed while Ash smiled broadly at the gym leader.
"Is that because you have a little crush on me?" Ash joked making the gym leader blush.
"Your sense of humour won't be enough to win you the next badge, plus you cannot hide from the injury that you still have," Valerie retorted with slight irritation. She pulled out her pokeball and threw it out to call for her first pokemon, "Mr. Mime, let's go."
"Even if I do have an injury, I still don't want you to hold anything back," Ash told the older woman, pokeball in hand he enlarged it ready to throw it out. "Pyroar, I choose you," Ash called for his first pokemon. The lion like pokemon let out a roar, shaking his mane ready to take on the barrier pokemon with Ash at his command.
"Fine, Mr. Mime, let's show them what we are made of," Valerie announced her first pokemon for the battle.
"Pyroar start things off with Flamethrower," the challenger called for the first attack of the battle.
"I thought as much, Mr. Mime defend with Light Screen," the gym leader replied to Ash's attack. The fire attack from the royal pokemon rushed towards the barrier pokemon, as the attack crept closer the psychic type pokemon formed a barrier defending itself from the powerful attack, seemingly taking no damage from Pyroar.
Ash gritted his teeth for a moment and clenched his fists, 'no, her pokemon took no damage, that's a powerful Light Screen,' Ash told himself while pulling out his pokeball to recall the fire type pokemon, 'I have no choice,' Ash thought to himself while looking over to his partner pokemon, "Pikachu, we will save the surprises for later, right now, I need your help," Ash acknowledged his starter pokemon, calling him in for the battle.
"Didn't you forget something?" Valerie asked, smirking at Ash who was still confident.
"Nope, I know you have Light Screen still on," Ash retorted calmly. "Pikachu start things again with Volt Tackle," Ash announced his partner's first attack.
"PsyBeam now," Valerie instructed her pokemon to attack.
Mr Mime started charging up for the attack, with Pikachu charging recklessly at the barrier pokemon, "now spin around to use Iron Tail combined with Volt Tack," Ash ordered for the combination attack, Pikachu leapt into the air easily dodging the psychic attack that barely missed Ash, the attack smashed into the wall behind him as he watched the electric mouse spin around slamming his tail into Mr Mime.
"Not bad, but it will take more than that to defeat my Mr Mime," Valerie stated, her pokemon still standing from the vicious attack, started to ready itself for another attack against Ash's pokemon, "I used Reflect before you're Pikachu could land his attack," Valerie admitted, her pokemon readied itself for the counter attack.
"Oh man, well what do I expect? She is a gym leader after all," Ash hissed in frustration.
"You haven't battled much in over two months," Valerie pointed out while Ash gritted his teeth at the gym leader's words.
"You're right, I haven't much," Ash admitted while trying to remain cool. 'She knows that I am not fully ready to take on another gym battle,' Ash thought about his two months in hiatus, "and yet, I have no more time to rest," Ash acknowledged, his demeanour remained serious, taking a deep breath he thought about a strategy for the battle.
"Well since it is like starting again, I will not let you have the chance to get out of this situation," Valerie decreed with a confident smile. "Now use Shadow Ball," Valerie ordered her barrier pokemon to attack.
"Pikachu jump out of the way and then use Iron Tail to attack," Ash replied with his counter attack. The small yellow pokemon ran to the left of the battlefield and his tail started to glow white, he kept charging dodging the barrier pokemon's attacks, "that's it Pikachu, keep going, dodge the attacks, waste as much time as possible," Ash instructed his pokemon as he ran around the battlefield dodging each purple sphere being thrown at him.
"Clever, he is wasting the defensive attacks while trying to increase the power of his attacks," Valerie whispered to herself while her pokemon started to get a little dizzy from the speed of Ash's electric type pokemon, seeing the small pokemon slicing through the shadow balls sending them in every direction while leaping to avoid the Psybeam attacks.
"Just a little longer," Ash whispered as his pokemon stopped in front of him. After the wait both of the barriers fell, the trainer's eyes glinted for a short moment, "now Pikachu, strike with Iron Tail, but electrify your tail at the same time," Ash ordered for the attack.
"Use Reflect," Valerie ordered her pokemon.
Ash watched the barrier appearing in front of the opposing pokemon, "Pikachu, run full speed with Volt Tackle," Ash instructed his pokemon rashly.
The Electric mouse picked up speed and gained a thunderous aura while charging straight at the barrier pokemon, full speed causing the gym leader to gasp at what she was seeing, 'I have no chance to counter that attack,' Valerie submitted as her pokemon was hit by a might attack, Mr Mime flew back towards the wall as Pikachu landed in the middle of the battlefield red lightning surrounding him and wincing in pain from the last vicious attack, "Mr Mime return," Valerie recalled her knocked out pokemon from the battle.
'Man that was close,' Ash thought to himself, he looked over to his now panting pokemon and called him back towards his side of the battlefield. The two watched as the gym leader called for another pokemon this time it was a yellow coloured pokemon with a set of jaws hanging from the back of its head, "okay, so this is Mawile," Ash commented while it kept an eye on Ash and Pikachu.
"Your Pikachu is exhausted," Valerie pointed out calmly.
Ash looked over to his panting pokemon and shook his head, "Pikachu, you're too exhausted to even battle, better take a good rest," Ash told his pokemon, Pikachu walked slowly back towards his trainer. Turning his attention back to the opposing pokemon, 'okay, so no more barriers to contend with, now that means,' Ash thought as he grabbed his pokeball to recall his first pokemon for the battle.
"Oh going with Pyroar again?" Valerie questioned Ash as calmly as possible. Ash nodded with a confident smile, "very well then, Mawile start this round with Brick Break," Valerie announced the first attack of the round.
"Alright Pyroar, time to dodge the attack, then counter with Flamethrower," Ash ordered his pokemon quickly. Ash watched the royal pokemon gracefully dodging the attack coming from the deceiver pokemon, leaping back into the air and unleashing a fiery attack.
"Quickly defend with Protect," Valerie called for another defensive attack.
Ash gritted his teeth in frustration as the, the flames cleared with Mawile remaining unharmed from the powerful attack, "great, I cannot hit with Flamethrower, I guess she trained a lot since the battle between Team Flare and Team Rocket to make sure what happened two months ago, will not happen to this city again," Ash explained to himself while thinking back, remembering the training she was taking.
"So what do you think? While you recovered, I was training to make sure what happened to this city never happens again," Valerie told the trainer with great pride.
"Shit, I feel like I am behind even Serena now," Ash laughed at his own misfortune, 'I should have trained even while recovering, but those stupid doctors wouldn't even let me train,' Ash complained before bursting into laughter, "I guess that makes Serena better than me now," Ash laughed while his two pokemon looked at him.
"What's so funny?" Valerie asked Ash in a perplexed tone.
"Nothing, I forgot what it was like to have a rival to truly compete against, my last real rival was in the Sinnoh region," Ash retorted with a confident smirk. Ash, with all his confidence growing grew a more serious look, thinking about Serena and his rivalry with her, "I cannot be seen to fall behind against her," Ash remarked as his glared at the gym leader and her pokemon, determined to win the battle even more
"Well if that is the case, Mawile, attack with Play Rough," Valerie instructed her pokemon.
"Push Mawile back with Echoed Voice," Ash replied quickly.
The fairy type pokemon rushed towards the fire type, Ash's fire type pokemon unleashed a powerful roar knocking back the deceiver pokemon, Pyraor ready to continue the battle as the steel type was still on its feet, "oh right Mawile is a steel type pokemon," Ash chuckled, "but that make no difference, Pyroar get in nice and close," Ash ordered his pokemon with great intensity.
"Stop it with Stone Edge," Valerie called for another attack.
"Dodge the attacks Pyraor," Ash replied.
Mawile fired a barrage of stones directed at the royal pokemon, with the greatest of ease the fire type started dodging the powerful stones while getting closer to the attacker, "Mawile, use Fairy Wind," Valerie ordered her pokemon to attack.
"Leap to the left now," Ash called for the defensive manoeuvre. The royal pokemon jumped to the left dodging the attack, "that's as close as she will allow me to get, Pyroar attack with Overheat," Ash called for the powerful attack.
"Protect," Valerie announced the next move.
Pyraor started to glow red as he opened his mouth, a powerful burst of flames rushed towards the fairy type pokemon, before the barrier was complete the flames quickly engulfed the deceiver pokemon stopping the barrier from being complete, "Mawile!" Valerie called out to her pokemon in horror as it flew towards her and crashed on the ground just centimetres from where she was standing.
"If Mawile gets up from that, I will be in trouble," Ash whispered to himself, much to his shock the gym leader's pokemon got back up, but was reeling from the effects of the attack, 'damn, Mawile is exhausted but my Pyraor's special attack has taken a dive,' Ash thought, wondering what to do next, "okay, Pyroar, attack with Flamethrower again," Ash barked out his command.
"Counter with Stone Edge," Valerie replied with a less than confident command.
The two pokemon unleashed their attacks, the fire attack, now weakened struggled to stop the barrage of stones coming his way, "Pyroar, get out of there now," Ash gave out his command, but as his pokemon stopped the attack he was hit with multiple stones dealing immense damage, "Pyroar no!" Ash yelled out his concerns for his fire type pokemon.
"I guess that's it for your Pyroar," Valerie pointed out calmly.
"Yeah, you're right," Ash replied as he recalled his second pokemon from the battle. Ash grabbed his third pokeball and took a deep breath, "Garchomp, I choose you," Ash called out his mighty dragon to face the gym leader.
"A dragon type?" Valerie questioned Ash's choice of pokemon, "Serena did the same thing, but I can tell that this pokemon is more powerful," Valerie stated while the dragon roared loudly.
"Right, Garchomp attack with Earthquake," Ash called for the attack.
"Protect now," Valerie called for the defensive move.
Garchomp started to glow read as the ground around him started to shake violently, before the barrier was complete the attack destroyed the Protect attack and sent the fairy type flying towards the wall, "what power," Valerie complimented the powerful dragon type's vicious attack. Her pokemon now taken out of the battle, she recalled it and chose her third pokemon for the battle, "Sylveon, time to battle," Valerie called out her last pokemon for the battle.
"I gather she used her Shelgon when you faced her in battle," Ash assumed with great pride.
"Yes, but she used Shelgon with great thought in her battle against me," Valerie stated while remembering her battle against Serena.
"I have a small surprise for you in this battle," Ash announced calmly as his pokemon let out another powerful earth shaking roar.
"Use, Moonblast," Valerie called for the powerful attack.
"Garchomp get underground by digging with Dragon Claw," Ash gave out his instructions, before the attack landed the mach pokemon dug up the ground with his glowing claws, easily avoiding the attack from Valerie's intertwining pokemon. 'Good, now we wait to strike,' Ash thought while maintaining the silence he needed to catch the gym leader by surprise.
"Use Swift at the ground," Valerie ordered her pokemon.
The star shaped attack rushed towards eh ground entering the hole and chased after the pokemon, "now Garchomp, get out of there and use Poison Jab," Ash called for the surprise attack on the fairy type pokemon.
"What, no way," Valerie gasped in amazement at what was going to happen, 'no time for me to panic,' Valerie reminded herself, "Sylveon, use Moonblast," Valerie quickly ordered her pokemon to counter attack.
"Use Earthquake to make Sylveon to lose its focus," Ash his pokemon quickly. the dragon type viciously shook the ground as the gym leader's pokemon formed as sphere, the intertwining pokemon misfired the sphere and senting careening into the ceiling as the dragon type jumped out of the hole and hit the fairy type from above with a poisonous attack.
"Impressive, he was going to keep that a secret, because he knew of the weaknesses that fairy types have," Valerie whispered while her fallen pokemon was recalled from the battle after its defeat at the hands of the dragon type pokemon, "again my fairy types were beaten by dragon types," Valerie giggled at her own defeat, "I guess I have a lot to learn still, you and Serena have taught me that," Valerie admitted while walking towards the victorious trainer.
"Yeah I feel like I almost lost that battle," Ash stated while petting his powerful dragon type pokemon.
"Well here it is, the Fairy Badge," Valerie announced while handing the trainer the badge.
"Thanks for the amazing battle," Ash thankfully told the gym leader with a smile, taking the badge and placing it inside his badge case. Ash sighed for a moment and started to think about Serena, "Valerie, have you heard from Serena yet?" Ash asked the gym leader quietly.
"No Ash, I haven't heard from her, I am certain she can look after herself," Valerie replied serenely.
"Yeah, you're right, I better head off, oh and thanks again for the battle," Ash said before running off towards the next destination of his journey
In the city Serena had walked in from the nature path, she recalled her powerful dragon after a long flight, "now I am ready to take the fight to Team Rocket and Team Flare, I am ready to fight by Ash's side this time I will show him just how strong I am," Serena stated while walking closer into the city still not wanting to be seen by Ash , "after nearly three months of training time to get my journey back on track, I certainly hope Ash has made a fully recovery," Serena told herself while walking into the almost rebuilt city.
Serena spotted the gym leader walking out of the gym, the blonde haired trainer advanced towards her in hopes to hear what had happened while she was away, "oh hi Serena, I just finished my battle with Ash," Valerie stated while looking towards the young man leaving the city.
"I thought he wouldn't recover for another two weeks," Serena gasped at the situation that Ash had put himself in, 'I should have known, he never gives up until the very end,' Serena thought, filling up with great pride in the trainer's determination, 'another thing I love about him, he won't even let an injury hold him back,' Serena reminded herself as she turned her attention towards the trainer.
"He will be heading to Dendemille Town, he even said that he could sense that something was going to happen, he said he was going to leave after going to the Pokemon Centre," Valerie told Serena of Ash's plans to find out what was going to happen, "he said something about Team Flare, but nothing else," Valerie told the young woman causing her to rush off in the same direction as Ash.
"Ash you wait for me," Serena whispered while running towards the next town without stopping, 'I will show you how much stronger I have become, not only in pokemon battle's but with my aura abilities as well,' Serena resolved to show Ash how much better she had become in her absence, "so don't you dare go getting hurt again," Serena called out to Ash with a more determined expression, her blue eyes seemed more steely and her expression more like an experienced trainer.
Valerie watched the younger woman running off to catch up with Ash, "she must really love him, I guess, those two really have a much stronger bond than expected, well that is what Sylveon told me," Valerie reminded herself as she thought back to the battle she recently had with Ash and her defeat she had suffered from Ash's Garchomp.
(Lumiose City)
Lysandre walked towards the exit of the café, taking his time to think about where he plans were leading him, to how the world is going to change, "soon this world will become a new paradise for Team Flare," Lysandre stated while thinking back to the test of the weapon. The Flare leader started to laugh knowing that he only had a limited amount of time to change this world, "only two weeks before Xerneas' power goes into rest," Lysandre stated while looking back to see his scientist ready to complete the mission.
"Sir, the weapon is almost complete, we will be able to fire this weapon at full power in two weeks from now," Xerosic told his superior with an excited tone.
"Good, now time to deal with the final threat, Team Rocket," Lysandre decreed while looking to the eastern side of the city. His plans were almost set, "the final pieces are about to arrive, I want to give them one final test," Lysandre said with a smirk, looking to the west he nodded knowing that the last days of his plan were about to unfold.
Standing at the top of one of the buildings a shadowy figure was watching the Flare hide out, "we better report to the boss," the person said with a smirk, he leapt away from the scene and towards the entrance of the city, "the world is about to be led into an era by Team Rocket," the member of Team Rocket stated as he looked back towards the metropolis, not hesitating to prepare the report for his boss.
So Ash leaves Laverre City and is now heading towards his next test, towards Team Flare in the mountains.
Next up Chapter 22: Snow Storm.
I miss doing a rare pairing, so while I am typing my other stories as well, which will take some time, I am preparing another AshXSalvia story, different from the one you have seen before.