The Final Step to the Master Reloaded Chapter 21: 0205a: Path to the Harmony Cup!, a pokémon fanfic

Title: The Final Step to the Master Reloaded

Part: Second Arc, Episode 5

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew (Solarsenshi .at. gmx . de)

Beta: H-Man #89995, partly xryuran

Status: Alpha

Rating: R

Category: Romance, Adventure, Dark, lots of other things...

Pairings: Ash/Dawn (main), Brock/Ako, added as revealed

Continuum/Spoilers: Everything up to the start of the Sinnoh League Tournament, from there on original plot.

Distribution: M&M DreamWorks Blog ((hypertext) mysticmew44 . blogspot . de), M&M DreamWorks Archive ((hypertext) mysticmew . bplaced . net), Fanfiction . net (www . fanfiction . net), M&M DreamWorks archive and blog gets preference and the desired and best format, all versions will first go to the blog and archive.

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Pre-Note

I don't really have much to say here. In fact I can actually keep it positive this time and merely give a big thank you to finaldragonquest for your kind review. This kind of review shows that you as readers can give positive as well as well as constructive feedback all in a short manner. Three rows of text and I already knew that the reviewer a) likes my story and b) why he/she likes my story and c) that they are really looking forward for more. It's as simple as that. So, thank you again, finaldragonquest. It's nice to talk about a positive review once in awhile.

Oh, wait. I did forgot something last time. May's age as of Arc 2 will be 16, making her a year younger than Ash and two older than Dawn.

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Skies above the Johto Region (Brock)

You didn't get to fly often with something other than a Pokémon. Apart from the League, only those that had the money for it could afford a helicopter or even further along, an airship. While technology was fairly advanced these days and vehicles could certainly be poured out on a mass production level, the pollution laws that had been in place for a long, long time prevented the overuse of technology and the League was very strict on this issue. There were clear standards and an upper limit of what and how many of it was allowed in order not to threaten the environment and habitats of the local Pokémon.

This was something that had been around for ages and while inventors and greedy industrial businessmen always complained, no one else questioned it and no one dared go against these laws. The few who did were almost always remembered as an example of why it was not a good idea to do so.

As such flying in a helicopter – as uncomfortable as the small space might be – was an exhilarating and unique experience. Watching the landscape from so high above, without the need to concentrate on holding onto your Pokémon was something I wouldn't forget so soon. Everything looked so tiny from up here that it seemed unlikely that some time ago I had taken close to a year each time when travelling through a new region.

Since it was so fascinating neither of us minded when the pilot informed us he had to take a detour to retrieve some supplies. Ako was also watching but I thought she was a little less amazed than me. She had flown in for the Sinnoh League as well, so this wasn't her first time. Okay, technically it wasn't my first time I had flown in something either – only one of the few I could actually enjoy the flight. Regardless, she would often make excited comments, pointing out places we passed by and asking me what I knew about it. It reminded me once again that even though we were about the same age, Ako was still rather much like an innocent child to the outside world. All she had ever really known was her home and Heal Bell Academy.

However, there was an honest curiosity now where before had been dread and reluctance. Oh, she had always asked me about my travels and I had gladly talked about them, but it was different now. Something had clearly changed. It would seem the intense training sessions I had put her through shortly before the graduation ceremony had done more than just help her find a resolve to fight when necessary.

I decided that while I had found her innocence in these things cute and charming, that I actually liked her even better this way. She would need a strong will to survive out here in the real world. As much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't be there for her all the time. That she had become fully committed to this new part of her life now, was reassuring. Even more so when I thought about my trepidation about the future. The feelings of that night still lingered in a corner of my heart. I knew something big was coming. At least I could be a little less concerned about whether or not it might be too much for my girlfriend.

The detour had brought us almost a full circle around the Johto region, now closer to the western edge and Hoenn. Considering the speed we were going, this would probably still be faster than most normal travel methods. Besides the qualification round wouldn't start for another week and a half. Being there a few days early was fine but as it was we would probably be there much earlier.

Glancing to the side, I noticed that Ako had dozed off a little, leaning against my side and couldn't help but smile softly at the adorable sight. Personally I didn't really find the inside of a helicopter an ideal place to sleep. The noise level was far too high for my tastes and the space was far too uncomfortable. But Ako had been up for quite some time. I knew she had agonized over her speech – which had worked out beautifully – and since then we had only had small breaks, shortly after the ceremony and when our helicopter had landed to pick up supplies. I was fairly tired myself but not to a point of real exhaustion.

Deciding I might as well try to close my eyes for awhile – regardless of how much I suspected I wouldn't get any real sleep in here –, I was just beginning to get somewhat comfortable, when the sound of the suddenly agitated pilot could be heard over the constant noise of the rotor.

"This is L0052, chartering supplies and personnel for the HC, please repeat... Copy that. I am close to the target zone but I have passengers on board, I wouldn't... Yes, yes. Well, from Heal Bell... Of course, I will try. No promises."

Carefully pushing Ako in a more upright position, I leaned forward curiously, raising my voice enough for the pilot to hopefully hear me. "What's going on?"

"A distress call just came in. It seems a small area of the northeastern edge of Hoenn is being threatened by a fast-spreading forest fire. Everyone in the immediate area has been requested to land aid. I pointed out that I had you guys to see to but seeing as your qualified Field Medics, well... Headquarters asked if you were willing to land a hand. Since you are new and all, the decision is really up to you."

While I was absorbing the information and weighting on the pros and cons – even if I knew the outcome would be obvious –, Ako spoke up next to me, apparently not as fast asleep as I had thought. "Wh-Where exactly is the fire?" Her voice trembled and I narrowed my eyes when I realized one crucial detail. Ako's home village was in that region.

"Northeastern edge," the pilot looked down to consult a map on his display, "a stripe of wood, otherwise rather barren land. There is a small place called Aprico Village almost dead center of the fire zone..."

"We are going," I cut him off, exchanging a brief look with Ako and finding her anxious, afraid for her home but with exactly the kind of determination I expected to see. Sorry, Ash, I would have liked to see you and Dawn again but we might be a little late after all. This is more important right now.

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Opening Theme (Shining Days, Mai-HiME)

A blue, cloudless sky. Mew flies into the picture and performs a few twists, turns and loopings, writing the series title into the air. The camera zooms in on Mew's face and it looks like the viewer is drawn in.

aozora ippai ni

watashitachi no omoi ga chiribamerarete yuku

Ash and Dawn are standing together on a hill, holding hands. Dawn leans closer and Ash embraces her. They lean in for a kiss.

unmei no hito ga anata nara iinoni

genjitsu wa umaku yukanai

The scene fades out from a television frame. May is sitting in front, watching with longing. Naru jumps into her lap and she smiles in determination, jumping up as the scene fades around her.

hikaru kaze no naka

yume no hane maioriru yo

Misty is swimming in a pool. She stops to float on her back, then submerges into the water. In the reflection she sees Leaf and reaches out uncertainly with conflicted feelings on her face.

yuuki dashite mirai e

sou utsukushiku...

Misty breaks the surface of the water with a leap, suddenly at a beach. Leaf is sitting on the shore and waving at her.

May is running towards a faraway image of Ash and Dawn with a smile of determination.

ugokidasu atsui kodou ga

Ash and Pikachu are running over a plain, jumping over hurdles and Pikachu letting loose lightning attacks.

ano hi to onaji hayasa wo kizamu yo

A split screen of Dawn and May. Piplup and Buneary are creating a giant ice stadium and Beautifly is dancing within a Ninetails flames (see Episode 1 for both). Dawn and May are looking towards each other as if they were in the same place.

A brief flash of Brock and Ako standing together with Flareon and Leafeon.

massugu na manazashi ga suki

zutto miteitai

Short image of Giovanni in his office with a dark disembodied form behind him.

Scene switches back to Ash, arriving at a hill. Looking up he smiles seeing Dawn, May, Brock, Ako, Leaf and Misty standing atop and waiting for him.

Camera shifts up into the sky and from where it fades out of Mew's eye again who flies down and into the prior scene, landing on top of Dawn's shoulders.

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M&M DreamWorks Presents

The Final Step to the Master Reloaded

Second Arc: Glimpses of Destiny

Episode 05: Path to the Harmony Cup! Reality Isn't Always Nice.

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Blackthorn City, Johto (Ash)

It was turning out to be less a match than a painful lesson. A very painful lesson. Crobat was now literally juggling around poor Infernape, picking him up with air attacks and hammering him back down with devastating Cross Poison and Venoshock hits. Infernape's good stamina and adamant refusal to give in now played against him. However, I wasn't quite convinced that Koga would stop even when it became apparent that my Pokémon had lost the match. Which by this point was probably the truth already. He was making a point.

Both his words and the actions on the field were cutting deep into my heart. I could feel the pain of my Pokémon clearly but what hurt much more was the truth in Koga's accusations and how consequently I was letting Infernape and everyone else down. They trusted me completely and would do everything I wanted because they had faith in me and my decisions. How could I be worthy of that trust if I was so unsure of myself? How could I be worthy if I had to order my Pokémon to use much more power than necessary to incapacitate an opponent? To use enough force to... kill.

The word tasted bitter even in my mind. That's what it was though. The bitter truth. Logically I knew it had been necessary. Logically I knew had I not let Pikachu practically obliterate the opponent back then, Mew, even us, we would very likely not be here. And logically I also knew Koga was right. If I hesitated this much from doing it once, then Team Rocket would certainly get through with whatever scheme they had planned. Mew had made it unmistakable clear that these... Pokémon were so far warped that not even with her full light powers she could restore them. They were more like machines with a feral hunger.

Logic didn't make the feelings go away. Because logic also dictated that if things really got as serious as I feared by now – and Koga had said it aptly just moments ago: It would be "war" –, then this would not stop with soulless, modified Pokémon for whom it might really be a mercy to be released from that state. No, it would go much further than that. And that scared me.

You are not alone. I started at the thought. It wasn't just my own, although part of myself was in there. I glanced towards where Dawn was watching with Prinplup and Lopunny out and Mew perched on her shoulder. Then I looked down at Pikachu, who returned the look steadily and finally I focused back on Infernape, my eyes widening as he suddenly batted a Cross Poison away, surprising both me and our opponents. He landed on one knee, panting, wincing from the effects of multiple wounds and poisoning. But he stubbornly refused to give in.

You guys... I closed my eyes briefly, unsure how to describe what I was feeling except for a powerful feeling of immense pride. What would I do without them? Without Dawn whom I loved dearly, without Pikachu, my best friend, and without all my other Pokémon and friends.

They were right, I wasn't alone. And as much I might like to think like that, it wasn't just about me. I wasn't the lone hero and right now I had a feeling that Dawn might be able to protect herself and even me better than the other way around. However, there was one thing I could do and that was not letting my insecurities hinder me from what needed to be done. That was like betraying all the trust everyone put into me. I wasn't a kid anymore who could whine about life's unfairness. I was a League Champion and unofficial Master. I had responsibility!

"You are absolutely right, Koga. My apologies for giving you less than my all."

And to you as well, Infernape, I added silently. In response Infernape roared, struggling to stand on both feet, an explosion of flames signifying his Blaze ability kicking in. I knew he was on the verge of collapse. All we would have was one attack. And all we would need was one attack.

This would probably cost the last of Infernape's strength. If it failed, the battle would be lost. All I could feel from my Pokémon, however, was his unwavering confidence. Even stronger than ever after obviously sensing that I had found my fighting spirit again. Besides, it was far more like us. Charging ahead at full power. Koga was a ninja after all. Sneakiness and tactic were his strong suits. Trying to outmaneuver him would in most cases be a futile and wasted effort.

"Now!" Infernape shot forward, still with incredible speed despite the severe damage inflicted upon him. At first though it looked much more like what we had done in the beginning and what had brought us into the predicament. This time the purpose was different though. Intently I watched as Infernape's enflamed fist struck Crobat, once again causing it to erupt into smoke. As I thought, this wasn't just a simple substitution. I had no idea what exactly but the purpose was roughly the same. A simple, physical decoy designed to take a single hit. Combined with Crobat's speed it was almost impossible to see when a switch was made.

We didn't need to see.

"Extreme Blaze!"

Expecting the switch, Infernape used the brief contact to push backwards, flip over and then let out a roar in midair. His fire aura exploded outwards as he released all the stored up power that his Blaze Ability generated into a pillar of fire quickly expanding outwards. Three more puffs quickly showed that my suspicion had been right and Crobat had set up more decoys, hidden somehow.

That left the real one caught briefly in the inferno engulfing almost the entire arena field and battering against the barrier that was standard for matches on this level. But I didn't expect Crobat to be caught so easily and as expected its speed allowed for an escape, slightly worse for wear, signed and clearly rattled... and in the only direction allowed at this point. Up.

"Blaze Cannon!" Infernape was already halfway there, drawing the fire back into his hands, cupped back and slightly to the right side of him, a hissing, twisting and brightly burning sphere of fire formed there. On my command, he thrust his hands forward and the sphere was flung forward, trailing a stream of fire behind it before impacting with the wholly unprepared Crobat with the speed and force of a cannonball.

The explosion momentarily obscured Crobat from view but I was sure I heard a brief cry of pain before the smoke cleared and the Bat Pokémon came tumbling down on an uncontrolled crash course with the ground. The brief inferno created by Infernape had already died down as soon as it had sprung up. He could make it denser and longer lasting but with what little strength there was left and the need to get off the last attack that was all that had been possible... and all that had been needed.

Crobat crashed hard into the heated ground, bounced twice and finally came to a stop with the clear signs of already having slipped into unconsciousness during the fall.

Of course, Infernape wasn't much better off. He managed to land wobbly on his feet, but then almost immediately all the previous abuse set in, made worse by the intense elemental channeling and he fell forward with a defeated but far more satisfied moan.

"Crobat and Infernape are both unable to continue!"

Thank you, everyone, I thought briefly and recalled Infernape, especially grateful to him for his perseverance and tenacity. I really should have known better by now. The bond and trust I had with and from my Pokémon that I could always count and that consequently I couldn't disregard and disrespect, regardless of how much I struggled with myself. For them, for Dawn and for everyone else I would keep fighting and do what was necessary. Come what may.

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(Mew)

"I'm surprised he is really holding himself so well," I admitted. "At least he seems to be over his funk." I chuckled at the stare from Dawn. "Now, don't get angry. You thought the same."

"You make it sound trivial," she deadpanned. "Need I remind you that the reason for that was because we had to save YOU?" I shrunk back a little in remorse. Of course they were right and I did regret my part in it but... I just wanted to lighten the mood a little, geez... Besides, I truly believed this was for the best. If we had to confront these young children with the problems we had created, then it might be for the best if they realized firsthand just what was going to come. Better have them deal with emotional morality now than when it really mattered.

"It seems though that the general problems with this battle remain the same," Dawn remarked eventually as we watched Gabite and Skuntank duke it out. Or more like Skuntank displaying what I had expected from the start, even if it had the kids so amazed.

"It's a problem for him alright. You guys are used to having the speed advantage most of the time. But Koga's a veteran and he trains his Pokémon the same way he does as a ninja. When it comes down to raw power and ability in a straight-out duel Ash would win hands down. But this is a lot more like he tends to fight and now he needs to adapt and think differently. That trick with Infernape worked. But now he's out and Koga wouldn't fall for it twice anyway."

And yet Gabite held fast. Skuntank was displaying a speed far above what his kind should be capable off. With similar levels of training they should actually be just about even at top speed but the extra ninja training in reaction, evasion and stealth helped a lot and more than once the somewhat bulky-seeming Pokémon managed to sneak up on Gabite, always presenting the danger of a Poison attack.

"Gabite's really motivated though. I think he's still sore about being taken out so quickly in last year's final." I could understand that. And so far the motivation was what held the battle fairly even, managing to block or evade the more critical attacks and sometimes even getting a brief counter in. So far neither side had been able to get a clear advantage. It was a game of patience. Who would make the first mistake? Who would lose their calm first?

Normally I would say that Koga being the Master of this sort of situation couldn't possibly lose. However, Ash was never to be counted out. I had followed and watched many of his battles in the last years and one thing I knew by now was that the boy always seemed to defy the impossible and come up with just the right strategy in a hopeless-seeming situation.

Would he now though? Koga had once again packed out one of his most annoying techniques. Now Skuntank wasn't as blinding-fast as Crobat, so he couldn't use it the same way. But the clones were all solid and it would be impossible for Ash and Gabite to tell them apart. With five now surrounding the lone Gabite, it became painfully clear that if he missed the correct target, it would end very painful.

"What exactly is that anyway? It's not a normal Substitute. They feel much more... real." As expected of Dawn. She had sensed it quickly enough and pretty much spelled it out already. "Is this some kind of NRE as well?"

I actually had to think about that one. "Not really... although, in a very broad sense, maybe. Ninja techniques utilize a special internal energy called chakra. Technically everyone has it, but its different in potential for everyone and you have to learn to use it from a young age onwards. It IS kind of related to NRE but more in a way that natural energy is in everything and influences everything. Chakra is a part of life and as such part of nature. These... clones are constructs made of this type of energy. They..."

My explanation was cut short and for a moment I couldn't even say anything. It was impossible. There hadn't even been a hesitation, so it hadn't been a fluke. Gabite had just charged straight and seemingly reckless at one of the presented targets and struck Skuntank, the right Skuntank with a hard Dragon Claw that had sent it bouncing away almost to the end of the arena floor where he just barely managed to catch its wild tumble. Not quite wanting to believe what I saw, I reached out towards Ash with my power and my eyes widened even further at what I felt.

"That boy," I muttered, stuck between stunned, awed and... hopeful for all of our future, "really is a genius."

"What... What did he do?" Dawn didn't seem to get it. I wasn't surprised. She was showing much promise already but it took even me a good bit of effort to detect the slight aftereffect left. I didn't answer immediately, but kept watching, wanting to know if it was a fluke or if Ash had really just done what I believed he did.

Koga was nice enough to provide me with an answer, obviously wanting to confirm as well if his opponent had a way to tell apart the original from the clones. And he did. The next two attempts ended in roughly the same way, only that Skuntank was more prepared for the possibility. "Genius, really," I repeated. "He didn't just listen in when I taught you. He picked something up."

Dawn looked at me incredulous. "You mean Ash is using his NRE?! How? I thought..."

"Not as a physical manifestation. You guys, both you and Ash, have probably the highest level of Empathy I have ever seen in humans before. The ability to connect, to understand. Together with his dormant Air affinity, he is using this ability to feel out his opponent and through the connection with his Pokémon lets Gabite know immediately. It's rather crude right now but that he can actually do it already without any real training... Simply amazing."

Dawn's surprise seemed to vanish though at my explanation, to be replaced by... pride – which I could understand – and a knowing smile. "Yes, he is. I guess I should have known better." Those two really were close. It made me wonder what would happen if the other factor mentioned in the prophecy would appear. And it was soon, I could feel that.

Pushing the nagging thought aside, I refocused on the match. Gabite had gained momentum by the inability of Skuntank to use any of his ninja techniques effectively. In fact, Ash proved that he had figured out the other usefulness of this kind of perception when Gabite reacted to one attempt of Skuntank to sneak up on him with a high speed, hard counter and a powerful Dragonbreath.

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Aprico Village, Hoenn (Ako)

From afar one could think it was some kind of beautiful light show but soon enough the rising smoke and the swarms of fleeing Pokémon told another story. With an almost morbid fascination I stared at the sea of flames beneath, unable to fully process what I was seeing. I hadn't been home in years. My last visit had been quite awhile ago. While I still thought of this place as home, there wasn't all that much that I had missed. My parents had died when I was little, I barely remembered them at all and while the people that had taken me in had been nice, it wasn't really enough to warrant homesickness for a place no one wanted to have to live in unless they had no choice.

And it seemed no one would in the near future, if a small miracle didn't happen. Be strong, Ako, you can't break down now. Remember you are here to help, I admonished myself, willing my shaking hands to still and grateful when Brock gently covered them with his own. I had to overcome this. These were the situations I had always dreaded but that were supposed to be one of the main reasons why Heal Bell was even founded. It all came so sudden though and the fact that it was so personal didn't help my nervousness.

Slowly the village came into view. Nestled on the northeastern edge of Hoenn, between Fortree and Lilycove City, it was far enough away from both major cities in the area to be rather isolated. The geography further separated the place. While Fortree and its surrounding area were blessed with fertile ground from which a lush forest had spread, it didn't reach until Aprico Village. No one had a good explanation why the ground was so unfertile compared to the rest of the area but it was like someone had made a huge cut in the land. Trees still grew but they were nothing like those further inland. And despite the proximity to the sea, only a tiny, barely adequate river snaked itself past the village.

The pilot had to be commended for his ability to maneuver with all the smoke and heat. Somehow he managed to bring us right down in the center of the village which had been almost completely surrounded by the fire now. The smoke and heat burned in my eyes and throat as soon as we emerged from the helicopter. I coughed a little but we had had training on how to act in hazardous environment, which had also served to get us used to breathing in smoke-filled air. And if it became worse or we would be forced to get closer to the actual fire, there were breathing masks in our supplies.

We were greeted almost as soon as we landed. I didn't recognize the brown-haired man but he had an official League insignia on his clothes. I did, however, recognize the older woman next to him immediately, even after all the time. Age seemed to have treated her well and one wouldn't think she was over seventy already.

"Ako dear, you came!" Chiyo, our village elder since I was born, exclaimed with delight, albeit it being understandably subdued. I would have liked better circumstances for returning home as well. Nonetheless, my heart swelled a little as well upon seeing the old woman who had always been kind to me and was the first to support and encourage me when I had received the offer to go to Heal Bell.

"Elder." I bowed respectfully. "It is good to see you. I would have wished there would have been a better reason for me to return here."

"Indeed," Elder Chiyo replied solemnly. "It does this old heart good, however, to see that you have grown into a beautiful woman. And it seems you even have found yourself a good-looking man." She chuckled at my blush and Brock shuffled a little before also bowing and introducing himself.

"As much as I hate to rain on the parade," the unknown man cut in at this point. "Time is running short. I am Bryan and in charge of the rescue effort here. As such I am glad you two could make it. Our resources are spread thin as it is with recent activities of Team Rocket. The League is mobilizing as much as possible but what we have right now is barely enough to keep the fire from spreading towards the populated areas. By the time more fire-fighting teams will arrive, I fear there won't be much salvageable left of this area."

My heart sunk at the confirmation of what I already knew deep down. I didn't want to believe it but everything I had been taught at the academy about natural disasters had told me immediately that a fire that had spread to such a size couldn't be successfully extinguished before it had pretty much consumed everything.

"So you are mostly working on holding it off and evacuating right now," Brock asked, face serious and focused. I was very glad he was here. That was of course always true but even more so right now. Brock was rather levelheaded and could keep his cool in dangerous and hectic situations. I was pretty sure I would have been unable to think clearly with my home in such a state if I had come here alone.

"That's right. Winona of Fortree is assisting in the evacuation right now and we should have everyone out of here before it becomes too dangerous but..." Bryan trailed off at this point and glanced at Chiyo. The Elder looked down saddened but both were the silent for a bit longer. "Since everyone is concentrated on the village, relief effort for the surrounding area is almost nonexistent," Bryan eventually continued. I didn't quite get what exactly the problem was with that. There really wasn't anything or anyone of worth outside the village. Or were there still people outside, cut off from the rest?

Elder Chiyo shook her head when I asked. "No, thankfully everyone was in the village when the fire began to spread. And most of the local Pokémon seemed to have fled." That's what I thought as well. Pokémon had a natural sense for impending catastrophes like that and could react to them much faster and earlier than humans. "But... Well, you see. We recently built a small shelter in the forest for those Pokémon that had a hard time finding food or even surviving on their own in general." My eyes widened at that. I hadn't expected something like that. Aprico Village had never had the resources to do something like that in the past. We had always been struggling to get by ourselves with what little we had.

At my astonished look, Chiyo laughed lowly, without real humor. "We all knew how much you loved to play outside and help all the Pokémon that you could, Ako. When you started to send some money back, everyone agreed that one of the first things we should use it for was to help them as well." I couldn't quite suppress a tear at the touching thought and gesture, though it could have also been the smoke getting to me.

Then I began to realize though where the Elder was going with this and my eyes widened. "You mean to say there might still be Pokémon trapped there?" Brock asked, coming to the same conclusion.

"Not just think," Bryan replied and told us that a rescue unit flying over the area had confirmed the presence of many Pokémon, many obviously too weak or injured to flee on their own inside the shelter. Miraculously the fire seemed to have not consumed that part of the area entirely yet. But with every minute their survival chances would drop significantly.

Unfortunately the rescue team was tied up with the evacuation and furthermore didn't have qualified personnel to deal with injured Pokémon, especially injured Pokémon in a hazard environment.

It didn't take us longer than a moment to make a decision on what to do.

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(Brock)

"The shelter has always been well-visited. I've just checked a few days ago and I know there were at least a good dozen of Pokémon in weak or injured condition," Elder Chiyo answered my question for an estimate, surprising me both with such a number and the implications. The number was definitely interesting and generally positive. Wild Pokémon tended to be extremely shy and that they were actually sharing the shelter with no obvious sign of conflict was incredible. On the other hand that meant there would possibly be quite a number of them trapped inside. Not only trapped but also in serious need of treatment, most likely before they could be safely moved. And doing that in the middle of a burning forest was almost madness.

"Tell me you have some spare Pokéballs with you," I asked Bryan, trying to salvage some of my initial idea that we should just sweep in, capture those that couldn't be moved and treat them later. Ako and I both had a few spares but with the expected numbers, it would hardly be enough. Seeing the other man shake his head in apology had my heart sinking.

"I'm afraid not. We were not expecting a rescue mission for Pokémon and even if... my unit was called straight from another scene, we used up all of our spares right now." I grimaced. What was the League thinking? There should always be a supply of spare Pokéballs during rescue missions. At least that's what they taught us at Heal Bell. Of course, I realized, ideal theory and reality often were very far apart. We would have to make do with what we had. And it wasn't like I didn't have an alternate plan. I merely didn't like it very much.

"Alright, then we have no choice. I have an assortment of Ground, Rock and Water types. Together we will make an impromptu trench and dam around the shelter. I have no hope of it lasting long but hopefully long enough to give quick first aid to the most severe cases. Ako you will have to do most of the medical work, while I concentrate on keeping the fire at bay, is that alright?" Ako looked nervous for a moment, but then her expression hardened and she nodded seriously.

A few weeks ago, I would have been worried that she wouldn't make it in such a stressful situation but that had changed. Besides, this was personal, so there definitely wouldn't be an ounce lacking in motivation. "Good. Bryan, can you see if you can at least spare us one or two Flying types? It would be an enormous help in getting some of the Pokémon out of the target zone... not to mention getting there to begin with."

Bryan nodded. "I'll see what can I do right away."

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In the end we got a pair of Pidgeots and Winona lend us her Skarmory. Not exactly ideal, especially considering Skarmory would have extreme trouble in this heat but Fortree's Gym Leader assured us it wasn't the first time Skarmory had operated in similar situations. I had to take her word for it and I suppose it would suffice to swoop in, get some of the Pokémon out and get away again.

We didn't have time to wait for more. After making the necessary alterations to my team, we set out immediately. The Pidgeots were fast and adapt to fly even in the heat. Reaching the target zone in no time, it became quite clear that we would have never made it with the helicopter. The fire was too high and dense here and it was more than just a small miracle that the shelter hadn't burned down. The cause for that was quite amazing. Some courageous Pokémon were actively holding off the fire.

There was a pair of Azurill, an Azumarill and three Lombre. Good, that should actually help. Especially after taking one look at the structure. It was mostly solid wood – ones of better quality than found around here – and already quite blackened in many areas, showing that the "defenders" probably had to extinguish flames very quickly quite a few times. The fire alone wasn't the only problem. A random spark could easily set the whole thing off. There wasn't any time to lose.

As soon as the Pidgeots brought us down, we immediately split up to our assigned tasks. Ako moved towards the shelter for a first assessment of the situation and the injuries we were dealing with. That was standard procedure in such a situation and pretty much common sense. Blindly starting to heal and treat would be inefficient. The ones that really needed it would have to be first. Especially with Ako's powers – and she wouldn't get around not using them at least in small amounts –, wasting them on those that didn't absolutely need it, would quickly turn disastrous.

What caught my attention briefly was that there was an actual Tropius among the Pokémon here which considering how Ako talked about this region was rather unlikely to happen. It was obviously mildly hurt and Ako had started with treating it immediately. Which was a smart choice. Tropius' size alone would be enough to help transport some of the bigger Pokémon or a lot of smaller ones out of the fire zone easily.

Leaving Ako to her task, I called out my Pokémon. Marshtomp, Ludicolo and Croagunk joined the other Pokémon in holding of the fire while Onix and Golem made quick work to dig as deep a trench around the shelter as possible. With both of them strong and big enough, this didn't take long thankfully, yet every moment seemed like a small eternity.

When they were done and I had the Water Pokémon start shooting water into the trench – which WOULD take longer to fully fill up –, I turned to Ako to see how she was doing. I had Chansey assisting her and her own Blissey and they were all hard at work. Already the Pidgeots and Skarmory were taking out the first ones, but only one at a time. I could only assume Ako deemed it too dangerous to pack more than one on each Flying type, which meant they weren't in a condition to properly secure themselves... which in turn meant pretty much all of them that weren't actively helping with the defense were in bad shape.

I grimaced, but focused back on my own task. The Lombres had joined into the effort of filling the trench after realizing we were really there to help and now they were just about done. Onix and Golem had already started to dig into the earth again and raise a small but hopefully short-term effective wall of earth that even in the worst case scenarios should give us a few more minutes.

Hopefully it would be enough.

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Blackthorn City, Johto (Dawn)

Now that Mew had pointed it out, I was trying to perceive as well what Ash was doing. In fact, I shouldn't be surprised that he could use it as well. Once you knew what you were doing, sensing natural energy wasn't that hard. Harnessing was the real challenge. Just using it as a sort of sensor should actually not be that hard.

Of course, Ash didn't have any psychic abilities and Mew couldn't quite help him actively as she could for me. That he had learned to do so in this short time on nothing but theoretic explanation was definitely amazing. If anyone could pull it off though, it was Ash. He was after all the same guy that took my initial spin idea and made it into a very effective battle move, not just for evasion but in combination with other techniques as well. Ash was the epitome of adaption, something I had come to admire very quickly. No matter the situation, he could find a way to use it to his advantage within a far shorter time than even most above average Trainers could ever hope to.

This was just another example of his skill. I hadn't even known he had experimented with this. And to come so far on his own, in such a short time... Mew was right, it was nothing short of genius. Not the kind that required a high grade of intelligence but one who worked hard for it and learned from repeated practice as well as intuition.

Prinplup and Lopunny cheered loudly when the Dragonbreath counter struck. I felt the briefest of flickers in my perception and decided to stop trying for now. I clearly needed more practice and it served no purpose right now. "That one had to hurt," I commented and immediately noted the sparks coming from Skuntank. "And not just that."

"Yes, this will significantly cut down Skuntank's speed," Mew finished my thought. "Now, he needs to press the advantage before Koga recovers and comes up with a new strategy." There was no need to say it though. I knew that best. Koga had already proven to be a very apt strategist. It wasn't just the strange techniques but their precise application as well. Ash was a master himself when it came to battlefield strategies but in Koga he had definitely found at least an even match.

And Ash knew that, too. Gabite immediately pressed the advantage. All throughout it Ash kept up a strong concentration and every attempt to confuse Gabite was met with precise attacks, shattering any illusions, diversions or other such skills. The two of them didn't give their opponents a moment to breathe, keeping up a relentless attack. I bet Koga thought Gabite had to tire out at some point. I knew better after many training sessions with the dragon. Greatly motivated, Gabite had thrown himself into training over the last year. It was actually a small surprise he hadn't evolved again yet, even if dragon evolution was usually slow going. However, even without that, he had developed a trait that had become one of his strongest suits. Stamina

Now, with Skuntank's speed greatly reduced because of the paralysis, Ash had the advantage and Gabite kept up a relentless attack that kept his opponent constantly on the defense. That didn't mean it was only a matter of time now. Koga wasn't elevated to an Elite Four member for nothing if his ninja skills were all he had. Even weakened like this, his Pokémon kept up and got several attacks of his own in, now that the match had degenerated more into a full-on fight. Compared to Crobat, Skuntank was far more sturdy as well and these poison attacks had to hurt...

Gabite just kept going right through them. Dual Chops and Dragon Claws hammered relentlessly into Skulltank's defense. So far Ash and Gabite kept to just that, though. I knew Gabite could do more. Obviously they were waiting for just the right moment to finish off their opponent once and for all.

We didn't have to wait long. Digging quickly under a Toxic shot, Koga was this time on guard not to react too prematurely. He ignored the first two holes erupting without Gabite bursting from the ground, then Skuntank spun as the small dragon finally emerged, only to perform a fast Sucker Punch with its front leg of all things! I smirked though, already sensing what was coming.

The punch passed right through Gabite and caused Skuntank to stumble in surprise. Even as Koga momentarily lost his cool, shouting "Double Team?" in clear surprise, Gabite struck from below.

"Earth Power!" Even if Skuntank had not been off balance, I wondered if he could have prevented the pillar of powerful energy barreling upwards out of the earth from shooting him high up into the air. "Follow it up with Draco Meteor!" Gabite followed directly after his first attack, the sphere of dragon energy already prepared and then launched after his opponent.

Just like in the last battle, Koga's Pokémon was engulfed by a big explosion. Yet, Ash wasn't finished and didn't want to leave things to chance. The moment, Skuntank was visible again, Gabite had flashed upwards and above the weakened Pokémon, curving around and crashing into Skuntank with an aerial variant of Dragon Rush.

Skuntank was shot down like something loosened from a slingshot, creating a deep crater from the sheer force of the impact. However, Gabite hadn't gotten off unscathed, wincing suddenly and nearly losing control over his own descend. It couldn't be the attacks. None of them had any recoil properties. Dragon Rush in the air was tough to perform but Gabite could do it to perfection and I had seen no flaw in the execution. So what had happened?

"Aftermath," Mew supplied the answer and I winced. It was a small miracle then that Gabite was still standing after he was declared the winner. He had taken quite a beating himself after all. And Aftermath had the nasty side effect of draining roughly a quarter of the Pokémon's maximum strength that had taken it down.

"Well, he won at least. Gabite will definitely be happy about that," I tried to keep the positive in mind. Perhaps it was more to reassure myself. Both battles had been so close, so evenly matched. So this was the level of a Master League battle? It was already easily as intense as Ash and Leaf's battle a year ago. At this point, individual attributes like strength, speed and endurance didn't really make that much of a difference anymore. It all came down which side – Trainer and Pokémon – could utilize what they had best.

"Hmm... Now that's going to be interesting." I had to agree with Mew once again, seeing Koga call out Ninjask. If Crobat had been fast and Skuntank far faster than one would expect of its kind, Ninjask would be even worse! It wasn't surprising that Ash immediately recalled Gabite for a rest and Pikachu took the field.

I reached out briefly to see how Ash was holding up. But even with Pikachu now directly participating in the battle, the earlier doubt and hesitation was gone. There was only a strong confidence and a burning resolve left. I still had to wonder if even Pikachu could keep up with Ninjask?

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(Pikachu)

This was an impasse. Yet again, I might add after the previous two battles. Honestly had Ash sent me in first against Crobat, I think that Infernape could have done better in this one. He could cover a broader range with his fire attacks and Extreme Blaze could have been even more useful here.

That didn't mean I had no chance. It was just... strange. I was so used to being faster than my opponent that it was so very bizarre that I was facing an opponent that already outclassed me in the beginning and as the match dragged on only got worse with Speed Boost kicking in periodically.

Which ironically didn't really help Ninjask as much as he wanted since it wasn't getting through the aura of electricity I had drawn tightly around myself, making all direct physical contact a very risky and near suicidal maneuver to begin with considering the density of the aura and the raw power of the voltage.

I would have almost counted that as a good sign since, as long as I could concentrate fully on that, I could keep this going far longer unlike than used as an offensive augmentation. However, Ninjask's speed wasn't just insane, it allowed the damn, annoying, irritating bug to constantly seem to teleport right in front of me – just close enough not to get in reach of my aura – and then let off an insanely fast Fury Cutter that even I had trouble even following. The truly frightening thing was that the execution was fast enough that Ninjask's claws were merely a little singed after every attempt instead of totally disintegrated by my electric barrier and thus they actually managed to connect.

The only good thing was that Ninjask hadn't so far tried that with a different attack. Hopefully because it couldn't and not because of keeping me in false security. Okay, there was another good thing. I hadn't been quite sure before how Ash and Gabite had done it, but now I did. Ash's sensory input was immensely helpful once I got used to it in predicting and at least averting the occasional Struggle Bug that came shooting out of nowhere and that I really didn't want to be hit with. Already I had enough of a tough time to prevent Koga's tactic and interrupt random fast executions of Sword Dance with a quick lightning strike. If these Fury Cutters got any stronger I would really be in trouble.

Frowning, I looked around covertly when I realized no new attack had been coming for some time. And neither had Ninjask been attempting to raise its attack power. So where was it? This was so very frustrating. At this point all I could do was rely on Ash's help to pin down my opponent's location. I definitely had gotten a whole new understanding for how my opponents felt when I really got serious.

Underground. It was less a conscious thought than a sense of direction racing through my bond with Ash. I resisted the urge to swear and give away that we were on to our opponents. There was no outward giveaway. Heck, there wasn't even a hole – anymore – to signify where Ninjask could have buried. How long had it been at this?

It didn't matter. This time I felt the command more clearly and grinned inwardly. Closing my eyes I let my awareness drift. What Ash did wasn't all that hard, especially for a Pokémon, but it wasn't easy to do when you were the one directly in the middle of the fight. Connecting with my best friend and strengthening his own perception, I finally pinned down Ninjask moving in on my position. Fast, rapid movements that one wouldn't associate with a Pokémon digging underground because the sheer speed was something more for already high-speed aerial battles.

Patiently I waited while drawing my aura inwards further, subtly channeling the highest amount towards my tail. Exactly at the moment when Ninjask accelerated upwards in a furious charge towards the surface and my position, I jumped. My own vast experience with movement at high speed had taught me one thing. Regardless how nimble, flexible and thus apt at performing sharp turn maneuvers at impossible speeds you were, there were times than the body just couldn't react fast enough anymore. Ninjask had accelerated so harshly, I knew it wanted to use the momentum from such high speed to boost the power of its attack. A good idea.

Unfortunately our opponents had not counted for us to actually anticipate, prepare and counter attack in the split second Ninjask split the ground with the sound of several sonic booms. My tail came down with full precision. Yet, even then I knew I just grazed my opponent... Which was inconsequential. At this level of speed the sudden counter force served to not only strike several thousand volts of electricity through Ninjask but also to send it careening off to the edge of the arena.

"Volt Switch!"

Blinking in surprise, already in mid-motion to press the attack before Ninjask could recover, I nonetheless followed the command, instinctively trusting Ash. Sensing his intentions to prioritize making sure Ninjask stayed in place a little longer over causing as much damage as possible, I made the actual impact of a half dozen lightning strikes more precise and paralyzing than really damaging, then turned back and less than a second later, skidded to a halt next to the edge of the arena.

Already Gabite sprung from his Pokéball before I came to a full stop. "Gabite, now, Sand Tomb!"

Ah. That's what he had in mind. What followed was an about thirty seconds lasting slugfest. Sand Tomb might not affect Ninjask physically but kept it in place for the follow-up, consisting of a multitude of certainly very painful Rock Tombs that served the extra purpose of bringing down Ninjask's speed to more manageable levels. Unfortunately Gabite really had been a shred away from collapse after the last fight and had barely recovered enough. As such when Ninjask finally forced out a Bug Buzz between Gabite's raging assault, it struck hard and right into Gabite's face. I winced in sympathy but knew there was no time to waste another thought on my teammate. It was now up to me that his efforts weren't wasted.

I didn't look towards Ash as I raced forward, pushing out my elemental power to the max. However, I did try to get a sense of what he was feeling and if he really wanted what I thought he did. I hadn't expected to use it today, not in the state that Ash had been in before the match. Yet, there was none of that left and only one echoing reassurance. Do it.

And I began setting up for Thor's Hammer.

END 02-05a, click next to continue...