Silver and Gold Angels: thanks for the review. I've taken all of your suggestions that you gave me, and I've changed my writing style accordingly. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your criticism. I hope that the changes will live up to your standards.

PS Lil Wayne called. He wants his lyrics back.

Enjoy chapter 24 everyone!

Brock and Dawn were sitting at a table in the Epic Scyther. They had to keep telling the waitress every few minutes that they were still waiting on a third person, and Brock finally had to call Ash to see what was taking him so long. Upon learning that Ash had gotten distracted, he sighed.

"What did Ash say?" Dawn asked.

"He said that he got distracted, and that he's on his way now." Brock replied.

"He wasn't training, was he?"

"He said he wasn't, but then again, this is Ash we're talking about, so who knows."

"Excuse me, but we're getting pretty busy. If you don't order in the next five minutes, I'm going to have to ask you to leave so we can seat someone else," said a voice.

Brock and Dawn turned around to find the waitress standing there.

"Sorry, he should be here any minute now." Brock said.

"You better hope so," the waitress replied as she walked away.

"Where is he?" Dawn asked.

Ash was running in a full sprint. In one hand, he held the magazine he was reading, and in the other, he was holding the flowers he got Dawn. Pikachu was holding onto his shoulder for dear life.

"There it is, up ahead!" Ash said as he continued to sprint.

Man, all those races I've had with May over the years really paid off. I sure wish I could see her again...

Ash was so preoccupied with his thoughts, that he ran directly into a wall. He fell back, landing on his ass. He dropped both the magazine and flowers upon the crash. Pikachu was fortunate enough to abandon ship before the impact, and came running up to him to make sure that he was okay.

"Pika pikapi?"

"I'm fine Pikachu, I just need to walk it off and I'll be fine. Come on, let's go inside. Brock and Dawn have been waiting for us." Ash said as he picked up the two objects. Thank Arceus these didn't get ruined.

Ash brushed himself off, and walked inside. He immediately spotted Brock and Dawn, and decided to stash the flowers in his bag so he could surprise her. He then headed over to their table, making sure to hide his intentions from Dawn.

"Hey guys," Ash said.

"Hey Ash!" Dawn replied.

"What took you so long?" Brock asked.

Ash took a seat at the table next to Dawn, and Pikachu hopped off his shoulder to sit on the table.

"I was reading this," Ash said. He held out his hand, showing the other two the magazine.

"Lemme see that!" Dawn said as she snatched it away from Ash. She turned to the table of contents, and after reading through it, she stared to flip through the pages.

"Aha!" She said, stopping on a particular page. "Here, look at this!" Dawn held out the magazine for the other two to see.

"Hey, it's May!" Brock said.

"Yeah, but why's she in this magazine?" Ash asked.

Dawn face palmed. "Because, she won the Hoenn Grand Festival last year! It's an article about how she took this year off!"

"What did she do for a year?" Brock asked.

"She went to the Orange Islands." Dawn replied.

"Hey Brock, remember the Orange Islands? That's where I met Tracey. Me, Tracey, and Misty travelled through them, and I competed against the Orange Crew. You were staying with some professor, right. What was her name... wait I got it!"

Brock immediately started to cringe up.

"It was Professor Ivy!"

"That name! Don't mention that name!" Brock said as he pulled himself into a corner and started rocking back and forth on his ass.

"What's up with him?" Dawn asked.

Ash started to scratch the back of his head nervously. "Uhh, you see... whenever someone mentions Professor Ivy—"

"That name! Don't mention that name!" Brock cried.

"Anyways, whenever someone mentions, uhh, her, Brock starts acting like that."

"What happened between them?"

"Nobody knows."

"Are you all ready to order?" said a waitress. She then noticed Brock in the corner. "Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine. Just give him a minute and he'll be back to normal in no time." Ash said.

The waitress sweatdropped. "If you say so. Are you ready to take your orders?"

"Yes, we're ready." Brock said, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I see you're okay now," the waitress said nervously.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because, oh never mind. What will you be having?"

"I'll take a large cheeseburger!" Ash said.

"I'll just have the pulled Tepig sandwich." Dawn said.

"I'll just have a cheeseburger." Said Brock.

"Certainly. It'll be ready in a few minutes." The waitress then walked away.

"So Ash, where were you this morning?" Brock asked.

"I was just at the mall." He replied.

"The mall? For what?" Dawn asked.

Guess there's no point in waiting Ash said mentally. He opened his bag and pulled out the flowers. "I got these for you Dawn, since you've always been there for me, especially during this tournament. I know this has been cutting out of your contest circuit, so think of these as a way of me saying thanks for being there for me." Ash said as he held out the roses to Dawn.

This gesture caused Dawn to blush furiously. She was practically speechless.

Is this really the Ash I know? she asked herself. She turned to Brock, who was as shocked as she was. She gave him a look, and he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Uh, Dawn, are you gonna say something?" Ash asked as he waved a hand in front of her face.

"Th-thanks Ash." Dawn stuttered. She took the flowers from him and smelled them. "They smell nice!" She said.

"You're welcome Dawn." Ash replied, clueless as to what was going on.

Dawn then took him by surprise. She enveloped him in a tight hug. "Seriously, thank you," she said with a blush.

"No problem." Ash said cluelessly.

"Aww, you two are a cute couple." A voice said. When the duo turned around, they found the waitress there with their food.

"We're just friends." Ash said.

Really, after all this, we're just friends? Damnit you're dense! You probably don't even realize that this was a romantic gesture either! Way to ruin the moment!

"Suure you're not. That's why you gave your girlfriend flowers."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"You don't give flowers to just anybody, you give them to someone you like."

"What?"

Wow, this kid is dense. "Never mind, you'll find out soon enough. Enjoy your meal." The waitress said.

So close Brock said mentally. "Enjoy guys, this one's on me," he said.

"So Ash, what are you planning on doing for the rest of the day?" Dawn asked.

The trio had just finished lunch, and after Brock paid, they left and started walking around.

"I kinda want to get some training done. The secondary qualifiers start in a few days, and I want to be prepared for that." Ash replied.

"Speaking of which, how exactly does that work? I remember a few days ago Gary tried to explain everything to me, but honestly, I think he was just trying to sound smart. None of it made any sense." Dawn said.

"Long story short, there's a second round of qualifiers to further narrow down the amount of competitors. This round will narrow it down to the final 512 trainers. After that, it's just like a league tournament. Single elimination, keep winning to advance. Lose, and you're out." Brock explained.

"Thanks, that makes much more sense than what Gary said."

"What did I say?" Asked a familiar voice.

Dawn turned around to find Gary. "Your explanation of the tournament. It made no sense."

"Hey Gary, I heard you made it to Driftveil." Ash said.

"Of course. Otherwise, who else would knock you out of the tournament, Ashy-boy?"

"Arceus, you know I hate that name."

"Which is why I call you it."

"How about a battle? We have a few days off, and my Pokémon need the exercise."

"Sure. Three on three. Meet me at the Pokémon Center in half an hour. I need to exchange a few Pokémon. Until then, Ashy boy!" Gary said as he walked off.

"See ya then! And you're going down!" Ash called after him.

"Not on my watch!"

"Come on guys, need to exchange a few of my Pokémon. I know exactly who I'm gonna use." Ash said.

"Who?"

"Wait and see."

"Thanks Tracey, tell Professor Oak I said hi." Ash said.

"No problem, and I will. See you later! And good luck in your battle against Gary!"

"Thanks, and I'll talk to you later." Ash said before he hung up.

Ash then walked out of the Pokémon Center to meet up with the other two. Once he walked out of the door, Gary walked past him inside.

"Don't keep me waiting," Ash said.

"Don't worry, I won't. Ashy Boy." Gary said with a smirk.

This comment caused Ash to heat up. "Stop calling me that!"

"No! Now leave so I can exchange my Pokémon."

Ash simply headed over to the rest of the group.

Once Dawn saw Ash emerge from the Pokémon Center, she immediately ran up to him.

"So, are you ready to kick Gary's ass?" She asked.

"Hell yeah. I've beaten him before in the Silver Conference, so this should be a walk in the park.

"Don't get too overconfident," Brock said as he joined the duo.

"Don't worry Brock, I got this." Ash said confidently.

Brock sighed. "Gary has already agreed to let me referee. You're okay with that, right?" He said, changing the subject.

"Of course, now we just have to wait for Gary."

A few minutes later, Gary walked out. "Are you ready for this, Ashy Boy?" He asked in a taunting manner.

"I'm gonna beat you, just for that!" Ash shot back.

The group headed over to one of the practice fields by the center. Ash took one side, and Gary the other. Brock headed over to the middle off to the side, and pulled out two flags seemingly from nowhere.

"This will be a three on three match between Ask Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Gary Oak of Pallet Town. Each trainer will use three Pokémon, and substitutions will not be permitted. Are both trainers ready?" He asked.

"Yes," Gary and Ash said together.

"Then release your Pokémon."

"Scizor, let's go!" Gary shouted as he threw a Pokeball.

The Pincer Pokémon materialized in a flash of light and struck a battle ready stance.

"Samurott, I choose you!" Ash shouted as he threw his Pokeball.

The formidable Pokémon materialized in a flash of light, and he roared at his opponent.

"Samurott versus Scizor, begin!" Brock shouted as he raised his flags.

"Samurott, use Aqua Jet!" Ash commanded.

"Dodge with Agility, then use Metal Claw!"

Samurott covered his body with water, then shot towards Scizor, who sped away in a streak of light. Samurott sped after Scizor, who quickly did a one eighty and swung at his pursuer with a glowing claw. The attack struck Samurott square in the nose, causing him to stop the Aqua Jet.

"Don't give in!" Ash encouraged. "Use Razor Shell!"

In a flash, Samurott withdrew the two scalchops on his front legs, and started ruthlessly attacking Scizor. The pincer Pokémon was having trouble keeping the larger Pokémon at bay, and was waiting for a command from his trainer.

"Use Bug Buzz! Follow with Bullet Punch!" Gary shouted.

Scizor rapidly flapped his wings, causing a high pitched noise that made Samurott stop his attack and cover his ears. Scizor quickly followed up with a punch as fast as a bullet, causing the water type to fly back.

"Finish with Giga Impact!"

Scizor charged towards Samurott covered in a pink energy surrounded by orange streaks and slammed into the struggling water type, causing a cloud of dust to kick up. When it cleared, Samurott was on the ground swirly eyed, while Scizor simply stood in place.

"Samurott is unable to battle, Scizor is the winner!" Brock declared as he raised the flag on Gary's side of the field.

"Great job Samurott, take a nice long rest." Ash said as he recalled his fallen water type. He clipped the ball to his belt, and grabbed another one. "Heracross, I choose you!" He threw the Pokeball, and the Single Horn Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

"Heracross versus Scizor, begin!" Brock shouted, throwing up both of his arms.

"Heracross, Brick Break while he's still immobilized!" Ash shouted.

Heracross flew over to Scizor, smiled, then brought down his glowing horn onto his face. Scizor fell to his knees, then face planted into the ground.

Brock quickly made his call. "Scizor is unable to battle, Heracross is the winner!" He threw up the flag on Ash's side of the field, signaling his victory.

"Great job Scizor, take a rest." Gary said as he recalled his Pokémon. He put the Pokeball away, and quickly replaced it with another. "Electivire, let's go!" He threw the Pokeball and the Thunderbolt Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

"Electivire versus Heracross, begin!" Brock shouted.

"Heracross, use Megahorn!" Ash shouted.

"Intercept with Fire Punch!" Gary countered.

Heracross flew over to where Electivire was, his horn glowing yellow. He then picked up speed and was about to slam into the electric type, when he was stopped by a fiery fist. The two ensued in a power struggle, neither giving in.

"Hang in there Heracross! Push him back!"

"You forgot one thing Ash!"

"What's that?"

"Electivire has two arms. Electivire, use Fire Punch with your other arm!"

Electivire covered his other fist in flames, then smashed it into the side of Heracross's head. The bug type flew back, landing in a heap. Just as Brock was about to make the call, Heracross stood back up, albeit with trouble.

"Alright!" Ash shouted. "Use Close Combat!"

"Fight it off with Fire Punch!" Gary countered.

Heracross once again flew over to Electivire. This time, he started to rapidly strike the electric type with punches and strikes of the horn. Electivire covered his fists with fire, and started to strike back, causing major damage. The two began fighting as if in a sparring match, neither letting the other gain an advantage.

"Low Kick! Then follow with Thunder!" Gary yelled.

Electivire swung his foot in a sweeping motion, tripping Heracross. Befo he could fully recover, a huge blast of electricity was expelled on him, knocking him out.

"Heracross is unable to battle, Electivire is the winner!" Brock declared, throwing up the flag on Gary's side of the field.

"Heracross, return. You were exceptional out there, take a rest." Ash quickly replaced Heracross's Pokeball with another. "I know it's been awhile, but I believe in you! Go Bulbasaur!" Ash threw his third and final Pokeball, revealing the fourth Pokémon Ash had ever caught.

"Bulbasaur versus Electivire, begin!" Brock said, a bit of nostalgia present in his voice.

"Bulbasaur, let's start out with Sleep Powder!"

Bulbasaur released a blue cloud of dust from his bulb, quickly covering Electivire. Electivire soon fell asleep.

"First use Sunny Day! Then Leech Seed followed by Giga Drain!"

"Electivire, wake up!" Gary shouted desperately.

Bulbasaur shot a small yellow orb into the sky, causing the sunlight to intensify. He then released a seed from the bulb on his back, and shot it at the sleeping Thunderbolt Pokémon. It sprouted vines upon contact, and started draining his energy. Soon after, Bulbasaur sent green tendrils at Electivire, and they also started draining his energy. After a few seconds, his eyes turned into swirls.

"Electivire is unable to battle, Bulbasaur is the winner!" Brock said, throwing up the flag on Ash's side of the field.

"Electivire, return. Great job." Gary said. He then turned to Ash as he pulled out his final Pokeball. I have no plans on losing to you. Go Umbreon!"

Gary threw the Pokeball, and the Moonlight Pokémon appeared.

"Bulbasaur versus Umbreon, begin!"

"Bulbasaur, start with Vine Whip! Grab ahold of him!" Ash commanded.

"Wait for it, the throw! Follow with Take Down!" Gary shouted.

Bulbasaur extended two vines and sent them at Umbreon, who simply stood there. Once they got ahold, Umbreon sprang into action and did a flip, causing Bulbasaur to be thrown into the air. Before he even landed, Umbreon was already using Take Down, and smashed into the small grass and poison type seconds after he landed.

Damn, Bulbasaur is really taking a beating! Hopefully this works "Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!"

"Counter with Hyper Beam Umbreon!"

Perfect

Bulbasaur took in sunlight, and a second later, unleashed it thanks to the bright sun. The beam was met by an orange blast from Umbreon, and an explosion occurred. Both Pokémon took damage from the attacks, but neither one was out yet.

"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed, followed by Sleep Powder while Umbreon is still immobilized!"

"Dodge it as soon as you can move again!"

Bulbasaur fired a seed from his bulb, which quickly latched onto the immobilized dark type. It began draining his energy, transferring it over to Bulbasaur. Just as he was about to release his Sleep Powder, Umbreon became mobile again, and easily avoided the attack.

"Use Psychic."

Umbreon's eyes glowed blue, and Bulbasaur soon became surrounded by an energy of the same color. He was then lifted into the air, helpless to attack.

"Throw him into the ground. Then finish with Dark Pulse!"

Umbreon threw Bulbasaur into the ground, causing him to cry out in pain. Before the grass type could move, a beam of purple rings was shot at him, knocking him out cold.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle, Umbreon is the winner! Gary Oak wins the match!" Brock shouted, raising up the flag on Gary's side.

"Bulbasaur, return. You were wonderful out there. Take a nice rest." Ash then turned to Gary, who was busy recalling his Pokémon. "Great match Gary, although I would've won if it was a full six on six!"

"In your dreams. I gotta go, Gramps wanted to talk to me about something after this battle, so I'll see you later. Ashy Boy," Gary said, placing emphasis on his nickname for Ash.

"See ya." Ash then headed into the Pokémon Center to get his Pokémon healed.

The rest of the day went by without much happening. After Ash's Pokémon were healed, the trio decided to walk around in the mall to kill time. Before they knew it, it was time to eat dinner. They had a quick bite to eat at a restaurant, and headed back to the hotel room. Dawn put the flowers Ash gave her in a cup filled with water, and everyone got ready for bed. Tomorrow was a packing day, and the group had to be on the ferry no later than six o'clock.

Ash was laying in bed, unable to fall asleep. He looked over at the clock, which read 12:00 AM. How am I gonna last in this tournament, if I can't even beat Gary? With trainers like Jake Smith out there, I stand no chance. Ash continued laying there. No, I can win this, I WILL win this. I've won the Sinnoh League. I've beaten Paul. I've beaten Gary before, so this should be easy. Just a few wins in the secondary qualifiers, and I get into my specialty.

Feeling confident once again, Ash soon fell asleep.

So there it is, chapter 24. Hope you enjoyed it. A few time skips, but that's simply because I didn't want to drag it out longer than it needed to be. Bulbasaur is still un evolved because in the anime, he pretty much made it clear that he never would. Ever. Also, I tried a bit of a different approach with the battle this time, so feel free to let me know what you think.

I just want to thank you all for the support, without it, I probably would have given up on this story long ago. Don't forget the poll, you still have time to change the outcome. Every vote counts.

Have a happy New Year, and enjoy your last few remaining days of winter break. Mine ends Thursday, which makes no sense (why bother going back for two days?)

As always, read and review everyone!