Ch 25: The dragon's fangs
It was early in the morning several niles from Mauville city and Jason was in the forest with Zinnia.
All four of his pokemon were extremely exhausted from training that morning. Jason and Zinnia both seemed to take that morning's training very seriously, and intensely.
Taillow and Grovyle were having Gyarados spray them with water to cool them off.
Even Zinnia's pokemon were exhausted.
Charmeleon and the others were watching Jason and Zinnia nervously.
Jason was covered in sweat and Zinnia was partially sweaty too.
The two were looking at each other and not speaking for almost a minute.
Zinnia took a deep breath before she finally spoke.
"Alright, I'm willing to move past the you not being attracted to me." She started.
"I never said that."
"I'm willing to move past it if you prove you are attracted to me."
She said as she took off her cloak again.
Jason took a deep breath.
"Last chance."
He wrapped her arms around her and put her hands on her rear end as she pressed her lips against his.
Jason tried to connect his aura to Zinnia, open up a connection between the two.
After nearly a minute there was nothing, he felt nothing. He then realized, he never would.
"No, no, no." Jason said as he pulled away.
"What?" She said.
"I can't do this anymore Zinnia, we can't do this anymore." He said before he looked right into her eyes.
"Zinnia, we have to break up."
Zinnia looked both hurt and enraged.
"So you aren't attracted to me anymore!"
Jason now gave a frustrated look.
"NO! That's not the problem! I've told you what's been wrong with our relationship for weeks now! You just wouldn't listen!"
"What is wrong with us?"
"We aren't a real couple Zinnia, we don't talk about our feelings, we hardly know each other, we basically just do physical stuff. We're basically fuck buddies, nothing more."
"That's not true."
"Really, ok Zinnia answer me this. If we have a real relationship, why can't we open up an aura connection."
Zinnia's eyes widened as her expression changed.
"I , I."
Jason sighed.
"Zinnia, there's nothing wrong with you. I still think you're a great teacher and a great person. It's just, we have conflicting personalities. We just skimmed along the surface and gave into a our impulses. We just assumed that since we had some things in common and we were physically attracted to each other that we could make it work."
Zinnia looked back at Jason.
"Maybe you're right, we really don't bring out the best in each other. I guess these last few weeks I had to force myself forward. Trying to make myself think our relationship was working when it wasn't. Maybe you're right, it would be best if we just stayed student and teacher."
"So there's no hard feelings?"
"No, I can still make you a real Dragon guardian. I'll meet you next session." Zinnia said before she and her pokemon walked off.
Jason took a deep breath as his pokemon came around him to comfort him.
Jason knew it was for the best, but that still didn't make it easy breaking up with Zinnia.
He made his way back to the pokemon center and dropped his pokemon off with Nurse Joy before heading back to his room.
As Jason walked in he noticed Finn was still fast asleep so he was careful not to wake him.
He was about to head to his bed when he saw the phone in his room and thought maybe he could talk with someone.
He sat down in front of the screen before dialing in a number.
As it rang eventually someone picked up and he saw his mother sitting on the other side wearing her robe.
She yawned but smiled.
"Jason, it's been a while since you've called. It's good to hear from you."
"Sorry I haven't called in a while mom. Things have been heating up here."
"Would this have anything to do with the civil war your grandfather keeps talking about?"
Jason sweat dropped.
Serena sighed.
"I'd be upset with you over this, but I can't say we didn't get involved with dangerous affairs to. At least you're more prepared than I was, and I was persistent that your father let me go with him. Just promise me you won't do anything too risky."
"It's alright mom, it's not like I'm seeking this civil war stuff out. It just seems to find me."
Serena laughed a little.
"Deja vu."
"Anyway that's not why I called. Remember that girl I told you I was dating."
Serena gave an irritated expression.
"Yes, the physical one who's older than you." She said.
"I broke up with her this morning."
"What?" She said with a hint of excitement.
"Yeah, we both decided it was for the best and ended it."
Serena looked away for a secont smiling.
"Je vous remercie."
"Je peux t'entendre." Jason said as Serena sweat dropped.
"Sorry dear, but why exactly did you break up?"
Jason sighed.
"This was coming for a long time. The two of us just weren't connecting. All she wanted to do was physical stuff." Jason said as Serena felt her fist tighten.
"She and I couldn't open up an aura connection and we realized that it was for the best that we just remain student and teacher."
"Well son it seems like you made the right decision."
"I know I did mom, but it still doesn't make it much easier."
"I know honey, if you want to talk I'm not going anywhere until you're feeling better."
"Thanks mom, I guess we did end on pretty good terms though. Much better than when Daniella and I broke up. She wasn't even a guardian and she reacted worse when I ended it with her."
"You made things very weird for your father and I whenever we had dinner with Diana and Dakota." Serena said as Jason smiled a little.
"Maybe I should stop dating girls older than me."
"I'd appreciate that." Serena said.
Jason sighed.
"I don't know, was there a reason Zinnia didn't want to connect with me more than on a physical level. Is there something wrong with my personality?"
"Stop right there young man, do not blame yourself because of her problems. You are a kind, charming, and charismatic young man. Do not forget that." Serena said in a more serious tone.
"I had similar problems with Daniella. She constantly complained that I wasn't cheerful enough, that I took things too seriously and just wasn't happy enough. Which probably explains why she was so upset that I was the one who ended it with her."
"Well Jason maybe she was right about some of those things. But that didn't make you a bad person, or any less desirable. But look at yourself now, look at your friends and your pokemon. Would they describe you in these ways?"
Jason thought back about his training with Charmeleon and the others, him opening up an aura connection with Charmeleon, helping Gyarados with his violent tendencies, his friendship with Emelia and Finn, then his friendship with Autumn in particular.
Jason smiled.
"Maybe you're right, I guess I have been able to connect with my pokemon like I never have before. They all want to be my partners and two were willing to basically share a soul with me. That's got to count for something. Plus my friends are just as close as friends I've know for years."
Serena smiled.
"You see, there's nothing wrong with you Jason. Any girl would be lucky to have you, and Zinnia will regret the ways he treated your relationship."
Jason smiled.
"I guess a big reason I knew it was doomed was when I realized how are relationship was nothing like yours and dad's."
Serena smiled again.
"I do love your father. I guess our relationship was the rare card in the deck. I mean the two of us were together as kids, then teens, then the rest of our lives. We were soulmates and found each other early on." Serena then had a realization as she turned back to Jason.
"Jason, you said she only wanted to do physical stuff. What did that entail exactly?"
"It's ok mom, I never slept with her. She wanted to a few times, but I knew it wouldn't lead to anything good."
Serena let out a relief breath.
"You know that vow Altair imposed on aura guardians doesn't seem to stop a large portion of your brotherhoods."
"Some of us still follow it. I assume dad did."
"Oh trust me son, we didn't have that special night until our wedding night."
Jason's expression changed as Serena's expression also changed.
"That was a very special night."
"Ok."
"I mean it's not like I didn't want to before then."
"That's enough mom."
"He was so handsome and sexy. His superhuman body I got to see every night, but could do little with."
"Please stop."
"Then I finally could, and still can."
Jason felt like he was going to gag.
"Ok I'm going to hang up now."
Serena gave a seductive look away from the phone.
"Ok". she said as she walked off
"Ashy." Jason heard her say in a seductive voice before he saw her robe get thrown back as the screen turned black.
Jason grabbed the nearby waste basket.
Finn awoke to the sounds of Jason throwing up in the trash bin.
"Jason what's wrong?"
Jason took a deep breath.
"I'd rather not talk about it."
Finn gave a weird expression.
"You're throwing up because things went bad with Zinnia?"
"No." Jason said.
Finn raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
Later that day he and Finn were having breakfast with Emelia and Autumn, as well as their pokemon.
"So the gym then?" Emelia asked.
"Yeah." Jason said in a rather calm tone.
Autumn and Emelia noticed Jason seemed to be in a different mood than he normally was in after he trained with Zinnia.
"Jason, are you ok?" Autumn asked as he looked at her.
"You seem a little different than you normally do after training with Zinnia."
"Oh yeah we broke up."
"What!?" All three shouted.
Jason continued eating.
"Yeah, we broke up."
"Why?" Emelia asked.
"Well it's like I said earlier. We just couldn't connect. We decided it was for the best."
"Jason, you know we're here for you." Finn said as he put his hand on his shoulder.
Jason didn't seem distraught or sad which was strange to the others.
Autumn had mixed feelings about this news.
She was a bit sad for Jason, ending a relationship. At the same time, she also felt a great level of excitement for the fact that Jason was no longer dating Zinnia and that this opened up the possibility that maybe one day the two of them could be together.
Her face turned slightly red thinking about it.
After finishing breakfast, the four left the pokemon center and began walking down the interior streets of Mauville city.
The city itself was built like a massive mall with all of the houses and buildings built into the interior and a glass ceiling over it.
"I've never seen a city like Mauville." Jason said.
"This was all the work of Dr. Wattson, the old gym leader." Autumn said as they walked through the city center and saw a statue of the man.
"So he founded the city?"
"No he just revamped it, he was an electrical master and dreamed of a city that could be self contained and have as little impact on the natural environment around it as possible. "
"What happened to him?" Jason asked.
"He passed away last year." Finn said.
"So that's why there's a new gym leader."
"Exactly." Autumn said.
Jason wasn't sure how he felt about this type of city. It seemed to separated and secluded from nature, making people forget what the world was really like.
Finally they saw a large building that said gym on it.
"Here we are." Jason said as he started at the gym for nearly a minute before entering.
The gym was dark as they entered it, but was eventually lit by a series of glowing stones revealing a number of expensive looking dragon statues made of solid gold.
"Woah this guy must be loaded." Finn said.
Jason looked at the gold closer and realized he had seen gold of this purity before.
"This is aura guardian quality gold." He thought to himself.
Finally they were stopped by a dark figure that leapt down from the ceiling in front of them.
The figure lowered their hood revealing it to be a young woman in her twenties with a Flygon over her.
"Are you here to challenge our leader?"
"I am." Jason said.
She stared at Jason for almost a minute as Jason felt her aura trying to feel his own.
"Come with me." She said.
As they walked they noticed that the young woman had a slight Johto accent and seemed very in shape. They also noticed her natural body tone seemed similar to Jason's.
Finally they reached a larger room that had a battlefield in the center and more statues of dragons.
Jason and the others noticed another four women around the same age as the one they already came across.
They also noticed that each had a dragon type pokemon with them and three had a baby in their arms while one had a toddler beside her and another toddler in another part.
On the battlefield were two people having a battle.
One was a young man who looked slightly younger than Jason and the others. He had tanned skin, murky green eyes, short black hair with fringe gelled up to the right side. He was tall and physically well built, much like Jason.
He wore black short jeans with a grey top that had a black stripe going across the middle, plus a green cargo unbuttoned shirt over top, as well as fingerless gloves.
The man standing on the other side looked like he was in his late twenties.
He had slightly tanned skin with no shirt on, only a few black rags tied around a sections of his arms.
His body seemed like that of an a demigod, Jason had seen few aura guardian champions in the shape this man was.
He wasn't a giant like Ushio was, but big enough.
He had light green eyes and short black hair that was a bit spiky. Jason also noticed that when his mouth was opened, he had his teeth slightly filed to look like fangs, at least his canine teeth.
Autumn and Emelia's faces turned red as they saw him, Emelia tried to stop when she saw Finn turn to her.
But perhaps the most striking thing was the fact that he had black bracers around his wrists and forearms.
As Jason looked closer he realized they were hidden blades. This man was an aura guardian, but more than that Jason felt a large amount of dragon aura inside him. Even more than Zinnia.
In front of the aura guardian was a large Druddigon while in front of the young man was a fierce looking Greninja.
"Greninja use Double team and water Shuriken." The young man said in a rather competitive tone.
The Greninja made a dozen copies of himself before each sprinted forward moving incredibly fast and agile.
They all also unleashed a barrage of water shurikens at the Druddigon.
"Druddigon use Outrage."
The Druddigon gave a confident look as he glowed green and flew into the air before roaring and unleashing a storm of dragon energy around him.
The Greninjas leapt around acrobatically trying to avoid the incoming blasts as they destroyed all the Shurikens and most of the copies.
Finally the real Greninja acrobatically leapt over Druddigon as his trainer smiled.
"Ice punch!"
"Dragon Claw!"
The Druddigon moved even faster than the Greninja and slashed his glowing green claws across the Greninja's body , hurling him into the ground.
As he moved his arm up, Druddigon noticed that despite being hit, Greninja managed to wrap his legs around his arm and pulled himself back up.
As soon as he did, Greninja smashed his ice covered fist across Druddigon's face, dealing a lot of damage as the Dragon's head flew to the side.
"Ice punch!"
"Superpower!".
As Greninja rose his other hand back and covered it in ice, Druddigon brought his head back his claws glowed red as he brought them up at Greninja.
The two attacks clash and caused a force of energy to surge around them.
When it was over, the two pokemon both fell down on their backs with swirly eyes.
"Look at that." The gym leader said as the woman with a toddler beside her spoke up.
"Both pokemon are unable to battle. We have a draw."
"A Draw!?" The trainer said sounding very angry with himself.
"H'mm not bad kid, I'll tell you what, you can still have the badge even though we tied."
"Alright, fine. Though I will take this as a needs improvements on my skills. I'm the son of a champion, I should be able to beat any gym leader."
The gym leader licked his fangs.
"Don't forget, you're still a trainee, I'm a master and a dragon master at that boy. You're lucky you even tied."
The trainer smiled.
"You say dragon as if it gives you an edge over us normal guardians. It doesn't."
"Guardians? Wait are they?" Finn asked.
"As I suspected." Jason said as he turned to the woman who let them in.
"I'm going to skip all the need for explaining and tell you that I'm a guardian trainee. No need to hide anything or make up some excuse." Jason said.
"Fair enough. Though I'm more interested in your dragon aura." She said.
The gym leader approached the young man and handed him a badge.
"There your Drake badge."
As they walked closer Autumn saw the other toddler run over to the guardian woman who let them in.
She picked him over in her arms as Autumn heard him say the word mommy.
She found it strange that each of these guardian women had children roughly the same age or only a year or so apart.
"Master you have another challenger, another trainee."
"Two in one day, what are the odds of that." The leader said as the young man turned and saw Jason.
His eyes widened.
"You! You're Ketchum's boy!"
Jason sighed.
"Yes."
The young man sprinted up to him and stopped an inch from his face as he stared intensely at Jason, who was sweat dropping.
"You think you can come here and steal my thunder!"
"What?" Jason said.
"Have some originality Ketchum, was you coming here part of your dad's idea to get you some glory before me? Or was this your idea?"
"I have no idea who you are?"
"What!? That's not cool! You should know Luke Ryder, the son of Laura Ryder champion of Kalos!"
That's when it hit Jason.
"Wait I remember you, the last time I went to Kalos, you were with the Kalos champion Laura Ryder."
"Hello man, I told you I'm here son. I remember you , why don't you remember me?"
Jason sweat dropped again.
"I guess I was just trying not to focus on the champions thing." Jason said remembering back when he hated being compared to his dad and took little interest in it.
"Well if you're here at this gym, you must be competing in the Hoenn league too."
"I am."
"Well that's just great, because I came here to prove to my mom that single typing is not effective and now you're here. Another son of another champion and another guardian trainee. This is my show Ketchum, and if you think you're gonna end up on top, you're wrong."
Jason gave a determined look.
"I came here to become a better guardian, winning the Hoenn league is just a perk. A perk I am going to enjoy greatly."
"You'll have to go through me first."
"Maybe I will."
"We'll see about that."
"I guess we will." Autumn and the others sweat dropped as they saw the two go at each other.
"Pardon me for interrupting your fun, but one of you has yet to battle me." The gym leader said as Jason and Luke sweat dropped.
"Right." Jason said.
"So you really are the son of Ash Ketchum, I guess that would make you the grand mentor's grandson as well. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Drake Long. The master of the dragons." Jason noticed a slight Johto accent like the woman's.
"Are you, a Draconid aura guardian?"
Drake's eyebrow widened.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm being trained as one, by a guardian named."
"Zinnia. I thought she was here. I'm surprised she hasn't offered to help me."
"Help you?" Jason asked.
"Now now , where are my manners. I have two guardian trainees and their friends here and my pokemon need rest. What say I extend my hospitality."
A door behind them opened as a young man and woman who looked around Jason's age came out with a pair of dragon type pokemon with them.
"Follow me." He lead them through a large room built like a training room in aura guardian enclaves with over a dozen young men and women being trained by three aura guardians wearing hooded jacket robes like the five women in the other room.
Each of them had a dragon type pokemon and Jason recognized what they were being taught.
Drake was training Draconid guardians.
They were lead to a dinning room where the group and Luke sat down as Drake sat at the head of the table with the five women each sitting around him with their children beside them.
One of the trainees placed plates of food in front of each of those at the table before he bowed.
"Enjoy master."
"Well dig in." Drake said as the women and children began eating.
Jason and Luke were now both staring at Drake as he smiled and stared back.
"I bet you both have a lot of questions."
"You could say that." Jason said.
"I certainly do, I guess I just forgot on account of how into our battle I got."
"Well allow me to explain. I was a master in the remnants of the Draconid clan back in Blackthorn city. You see, our kind are dying out, our masters refusing help from the main brotherhoods. Our numbers grew smaller each year. Zinnia wanted to come back to Hoenn, find our roots and discover something that might reinvigorate our dying kind."
"You know Zinnia?" Jason said.
"Of course, she's my sister."
"What?!" Jason said.
"Half sister, I'm not surprised she didn't mention me. We haven't exactly seen eye to eye in many years. But in any case, I decided that it was time for real action to be taken. Zinnia had a point, this place is our ancestral home. I decided that it should be where our brotherhood is reborn. So I left with as many Draconid guardians as I could convince, mostly younger guys like me and a few trainees. We came here and started recruiting. Because of the civil war pickings are slim, but I made a deal with the mentor of team Aqua, any students he doesn't want or can't train to me. I find the way of the dragon is more applicable to these kind of potentials anyway."
Jason thought about what he said. He really wasn't the only one who had trouble with the traditional ways. That made him feel a bit better.
"So now I simply rebuild the Draconid Clan from the ground up."
"That's right my love, build it in your glorious image." One of the women said.
"In your image?" Luke said.
"I am rebirthing the clan, just like Circe birthed it. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing my love." Another of the women said.
The entire group and Luke gave weirded out expressions when they heard that.
"Confused, allow me to explain. These five are my wives."
"Wives?" Jason said.
"I am the alpha of this dragon pack, therefore I have claim to my share of women, and produce the most offspring." He said licking his fangs.
It hit them, all five of those children were his, from different women just like they had heard.
They were all very creeped out now.
"Make no mistake, Vanesa, Donna, Susan, Emma, and Alexa are not compelled to be with me. They choose to and I love each of them. This is how things work in the Draconid clan and always has, Zinnia and I have the same father, just different mothers." Drake said.
Jason and the others were very creeped out now. This particular part of the Draconid clan's history Zinnia had failed to mention. But it certainly explained a bit about her personality and perhaps why she had trouble connecting more than just physically. Still Jason was almost afraid to tell Drake about his former relationship with Zinnia.
Autumn, Finn, and Emelia were very creeped out. They wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"You know, if you really are training to become a Draconid guardian have you considered staying. I could teach you far more than my sister could, and I could use the support of the Grand Mentor's grandson."
Jason sweat dropped and gave a freaked out expression.
"Uh, no thanks. You're sister is a great teacher, in fact I think I'd rather get to our gym battle." Jason said.
Drake sat back in his chair.
"Very well, Vanesa if I win you and I will make love tonight, Donna if I loose it will be with you. If it's another tie, that will be exciting and we'll have a threesome."
The two women giggled as their faces turned red.
The group was very creeped out by this.
Jason was starting to understand why many guardians didn't want to associate themselves with the Draconid guardians.
Autumn also understood why her father was so creeped out by this man. At first she was a little iffy about Jason being involved with this type of culture. But she was relieved when he seemed genuinely surprised about that particular detail and looked creeped out by it.
Several minutes later they returned to the battlefield as Jason took one end and Drake took the other. His wives and children were there as well as the group and Luke.
"You haven't left yet?" Finn asked him.
"This guy is my competition, my mom taught me to study the competition." Luke said.
"The battle between Master Long and trainee Ketchum is about to begin. The battle will be a one on three battle. Whoever knocks out both of their opponent's pokemon wins. Only the challenger may substitute pokemon." Donna said.
"One on three?" Jason asked.
"Oh I'm sorry, I never gave your the option. You see as a master I understand my real pokemon would be far too powerful for most trainers. So I give them an option, three of my gym level pokemon or one of my real pokemon." Drake said.
"I took one of his real pokemon. Can you do the same?" Luke said.
Jason gave a determined look as Autumn gave a concerned look.
"I'll take one of your real pokemon."
Jason took out his first pokeball and held it forward.
"I choose you Grovyle!"
"Vyle!" Grovyle shouted as he did a front flip and came out.
Drake licked his fangs.
"I see you've already made him more of a dragon. Good, I like that." Drake said as he took out a pokeball and threw it forward.
Jason saw a Massive Garchomp come out and roar at Grovyle.
"Woah." Jason said as Grovyle sweat dropped.
The others saw the sheer size of the Garchomp and were amazed.
"You wanted one of my real pokemon. Here he is. Garchomp use Dragon rush!"
The Garchomp sprinted forward as he glowed green.
He moved unbelievably fast for someone that big.
"Grovyle use Agility into Leaf blade."
Grovyle tried to sprint forward and leap over Garchomp, but the massive dragon snatched Grovyle's leg with incredible reflexes.
Jason and Grovyle's eyes widened and they nervously sweat dropped before Garchomp hurled him across the battlefield.
Grovyle quickly rolled himself along the ground before he saw Garchomp charging at him.
"Grovyle dodge and use Bullet seed."
"Dragon claw."
As Grovyle tried to leap back away from Garchomp, the much larger Dragon pokemon propelled himself up and into the air with his claws glowing green as he slashed them across Grovyle's chest.
"Groyvle!" Jason shouted feeling his pain through their aura connection.
Grovyle landed hard on the ground and grunted as he tried to get back up.
"Dragon rush!"
Garchomp came down glowing green as Grovyle's eyes widened again.
After Garchomp crashed into Grovyle he got up with Grovyle unconscious under him.
"Grovyle is unable to battle." Donna said.
"Geez that was fast." Finn said.
"That's one powerful Garchomp." Emelia said.
"Come on Jason you've still got two more pokemon!" Autumn shouted.
"Grovyle return, rest up." Jason said as he grit his teeth. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but not this difficult."
"Come on Ketchum is that all you have?" Luke said as Jason got irritated.
He took out his next pokeball.
"I choose you Gyarados!" Jason shouted.
Gyarados came out and roared at Garchomp.
"Gyarados use Hydro pump!"
"Garchomp use Dragon rush!"
Gyarados roared as he unleashed a massive blast of water at Garchomp, who began glowing green as he charged forward through the incoming water only getting slowed down.
Jason's eyes widened as as he saw this, but Gyarados only got more intense.
"Aqua tail!"
Gyarados tried to slam his massive tail into Garchomp's side.
"Dragon claw!"
Garchomp used his claws to knock Gyarados's tail aside before he leapt up at him.
"Crunch!"
Garchomp tried to snap his jaws around Garchomp only to have the dragon use his arm blades to smash Gyarados's head back before he slashed across it with his claws.
Gyarados's head hit the ground, but he still tried to get up.
"Hydro pump!"
"Dragon rush!"
Gyarados opened his mouth and blasted Garchomp with more water only to have Garchomp run through it again before crashing into Gyarados.
Gyarados was hurled back and landed in front of Jason with swirly eyes.
"Gyarados is unable to battle."
"Dam it." Jason said as Finn and Emelia looked concerned.
"Don't feel bad, he is a master." Luke said.
"Come on Jason you can do this." Autumn said.
Jason took deep breath as he returned Gyarados.
"Last chance, I have to make this one count. I choose you Charmeleon!"
Charmeleon came out and snarled at Garchomp.
Drake smiled.
" A dragon Charmeleon I haven't seen one of those in a while. Garchomp use Dragon rush."
Garchomp glowed green before he charged at Charmeleon.
"Charmeleon, use Dragon claw aim for his legs."
Charmeleon's claws glowed green as he ran low at Garchomp's legs.
"Dragon claw." Drake said.
Garchomp leapt up and soared over Charmeleon before coming back down and slashing his back with Dragon claw.
"Charmeleon!"
Charmeleon rolled across the ground before he got back up growling.
"Charmeleon use Smokescreen!"
"Char!" Charmeleon shouted as he opened his mouth and unleashed a thick cloud of smoke around Garchomp.
"Perfect now use Dragon claw!"
Charmeleon's claws glowed green as he charged forward at Garchomp.
Just before he could reach the Dragon, he saw a pair of glowing green eyes.
"huh?"
"Dragon claw."
Garchomp slashed across Charmeleon's body, hurling him back as Jason felt Charmeleon's fatigue and pain rise.
"That Garchomp us unstoppable." Finn said.
"Come on Jason." Autumn said.
As Charmeleon got up eyes eyes shot fiery red as his tail exploded around him, covering his body in fire.
"Char!" He roared as blaze took effect.
"Blaze, this could be it. Charmeleon use Flamethrower!"
"Char!" Charmeleon shouted as he unleashed a massive jet of fire from his mouth.
Garchomp held his arms up over his chest as the fire engulfed him.
"Dragon pulse!"
Garchomp whipped his arms aside blowing some of the fire away before opening his mouth and unleashing a massive blast of green dragon energy through the fire before it crashed into Charmeleon's mouth, hurling him back.
"Charmeleon!"
Charmeleon slammed hard into the ground with his eyes turning swirly.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle. The winner is master Drake."
Autumn and the other's couldn't believe it, Jason lost, he had been beaten.
"Well looks like I do have an edge of you Ketchum." Luke said.
Jason felt great disappointment and shame inside him. Had he been so arrogant to think he could challenge a master's real pokemon. Now his team suffered for it.
He walked over and helped Charmeleon up.
"I'm sorry Charmeleon, I'm sorry I failed us."
"Jason.. lost." Emelia said.
"I don't believe it." Finn said.
Autumn gave a very concerned tone as Drake walked up to him.
"Looks like you were outmatched trainee. I can see a bit of my sister's training in you, but you've still got a ways to go before you become a dragon like us." Drake said.
Jason grit his teeth and tightened his fist as he heard Drake's words.
Drake turned and walked up to his wives.
"Looks like it's you tonight Vanesa." Drake said as he slide his finger across her cheek as Vanesa's face turned red.
Autumn and the others gave more creeped out looks.
"Well, not that this isn't creepy. But I've learned what I needed to learn here. You need to get your game going Ketchum, next time we meet, I want a battle and I want a real challenge." Luke said as he walked off.
"Oh you'll get it!" Jason shouted.
Later that night at the pokemon center, Jason had Nurse Joy look after his pokemon before returning them to him.
Jason didn't eat with the others, he simply took his dinner to his room.
Finn, Emelia, and Autumn were very concerned for him.
"He's taking this loss badly." Finn said.
"I don't blame him, he and his pokemon were wiped by Drake. Geez that guy was creepy, even if he was hot."
"What?" Finn said.
"Creepy! He was extremely creepy, I mean he had five wives and decided which he was going to do it with based on the results of the battle." Emelia said.
"He could also be off since he broke up with Zinnia this morning." Finn said.
Autumn looked back at his room.
"I'm going to go talk with him." She said as she got up and walked over to the room.
"I hope she can get through to him."
"Oh no." Finn said.
"What?"
"I just realized, since Jason lost he has to face him again. Which means we have to go back." Finn and Emelia both nervously sweat dropped.
Inside his room, Jason's pokemon, except Gyarados were slowly eating their food as Jason sat on his bed with Charmeleon laying on his lap.
Jason was stroking his head as he took deep breaths.
He heard a knock on the door.
"Jason, it's me."
"Come in." Jason said as the door opened and Autumn walked inside.
She saw him on the bed and sat down beside him.
"Are you doing ok?"
"Yeah, just a little disappointed about how the battle turned out." Jason said.
"Jason, if you were distracted by what happened with Zinnia this morning, then the loss isn't entirely your fault."
Upon hearing that Jason's expression changed.
Autumn was surprised to see him start laughing.
"Huh?" She said.
"Autumn, that's not why I lost."
"It's not."
"Autumn, I was a bit upset about the break up but I've seen it coming for a long time."
"Really."
"I lost today because I lost track of what kind of opponent I was facing. It's been so long since I faced another guardian in a tradition battle like I did today and one on that level. I got cocky with Luke here and wanted to prove myself, so I didn't battle smartly and strategically like I should have." Jason said as he continued to stroke Charmeleon's head.
"Oh, well you made a mistake. You'll come back from it, just remember how he battled and use it next time."
Jason smiled.
"I will, but we need to do some more training first. If I am going to be taking on a master, we'll need to plan out strategies and practice them." Jason said as his pokemon gave more determined looks.
"Char!"
"Groyvle!"
"That's the spirit, I was afraid you were depressed after what happened with Zinnia."
"Like I said, I saw this coming for a while. We just couldn't grow as a couple, but the final nail in the coffin was when we couldn't open up an aura connection. That's when I knew we weren't meant to be."
"An aura connection, like with your pokemon?"
"Yeah, an aura guardian can also do the same with another human. Someone they truly share a great and strong bond with."
Autumn was intrigued by this, two people so close they actually shared their aura.
"Most aura guardians do it with those they fall in love with. My parents did so with each other at about our age."
Autumn's face turned slightly red.
"Really?"
"Yeah, the truth is that's also the reason I knew my relationship was a bust. I've known my entire life how good my parents are together. They are really hot for each other, but I also know they share a deep emotional bond and are always there for each other. They build each other up and support each other. But there's something else too."
"Something else?" Autumn said as Jason gave a nervous look.
"It's something I've never told anyone before, not even my parents."
"Jason, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I only want to hear it if you want to."
Jason smiled.
"I think I do. The thing is when I started this journey I kind of hoped I would find the love of my life like my parents found each other."
Autumn's face turned red again.
"Really?"/
Jason took a deep breath.
"I know it's stupid to think that just because it happened with my parents."
"Jason that's not stupid, I think it's beautiful."
Jason smiled.
"Thanks Autumn. Whenever I listened to my parents' stories about their journey in Kalos they loved to talk about their love story. Especially my mom. But weirdest thing was, the more I listened the more I started to realize why my parents are so in love now. The way their relationship built up, they were friends but my mom clearly wanted to be more. Geez I love my dad but he was a bit dense, how could he not see one of his close friends so obviously had a crush on him."
Autumn's face turned red and she sweat dropped.
"Yeah."
"Anyway, like I was saying. They didn't just kiss and stuff, they actually bonded, cared for each other, helped each other then they needed it, and stood by each other through thick and thin. I realized that is what love is, and since then I've always wanted a relationship like my parents. But I was never going to have that with Zinnia, honestly I feel closer with you than I ever did with her."
Autumn's face turned as red as a Blaziken as she gave a very bashful look.
"Autumn?"
"Huh! Oh uh, well we are great friends." She said sweat dropping nervously.
Jason smiled again.
"You know I am feeling a lot better now. I think I'll come join you guys." Jason said as he and his pokemon got up.
Autumn smiled.
"Great, let's go." She said.
Later that night while Finn was fast asleep, Jason was up thinking about his conversation with Autumn. He thought about what he said to her near the end.
"Autumn." He said.
So some big things have happened
Jason and Zinnia are broke up
Jason has met her Creepy half brother and lost to him
We have met his second rival, Laura Wald, now Laura Ryder's son Luke, expect him to pose a larger challenge than Wally
Sorry if I didn't pick your OC, but I did what I thought was best,
Also I am willing to take requests for cameos of old characters from the other stories if you submit them, people you really want see again.
So until next time, please review, comment, suggest, or ask(via PM)