Part 2. I've gotten some flak for the ending of this chapter, and I understand why. I'll be interested to see what you guys have to say about it.
"Seviper, use Swift, let's go!" Will ordered, calling his first attack hastily.
"Se-viper!" Seviper cried, shooting a flurry of star-shaped rays out of its mouth at Totodile.
"Totodile, use Water Gun to block it!" Ash called.
"To-to!" Totodile chimed, blasting a stream of water out of its mouth to meet the oncoming attack.
The two attacks clashed in midair, causing a small explosion. A few seconds later, the stream of water from Totodile shot through the cloud of smoke, striking Seviper on the head.
"Hit it with Headbutt!" Will ordered, gesturing toward Totodile.
"Seee-viper!" Seviper hissed, rearing back and charging toward Totodile headfirst.
"Dodge it, and use Slash!"
"Toto toto-dile!" Totodile chanted, gracefully leaping out of the way as Seviper charged past it. Turning back a second later, it slashed down on the Fang Snake Pokemon with glowing white claws.
"Hit it away with Poison Tail!"
"Seviiiper!" Seviper cried, turning back to glare at Totodile while swinging its brilliant purple tail at the small Pokemon desperately, Totodile dodging each and every swing.
"Good job, Totodile!" Ash praised. "Now use Slash one more time!"
"Toto - " Totodile began, leaping into the air again and preparing to slash at Seviper again, but before it knew what had happened, Seviper had swung its Poison Tail again. Totodile was hit square in the chest, the wind thoroughly knocked out of it.
"Totodile!" Ash cried.
"Nice one, Seviper!" Will called. "Now use Poison Fang, before it gets away!"
"Seeee-VIPER!" Seviper roared, drawing back as its fangs began to glow purple as well. It bit down on the stunned Totodile a second later, sinking its poisonous fangs into the defenseless skin of the Big Jaw Pokemon.
"Piika!" Pikachu cried out in surprise.
"No! Totodile!" Ash repeated, concern in his voice. May was watching from behind him, a worried expression on her face as she recalled what Seviper's Poison Fang had felt like to her.
Seviper shook Totodile around in its mouth for a short while, then threw it to the side in a heap. Totodile lay there, collapsed on the ground, as Seviper's double dose of poison began working in its body.
"Totodile! Are you all right?"
"To...to..." Totodile grunted harshly, breathing heavily as it attempted to get up off the ground. Seviper slithered back to Will's side of the field, and a second later, Totodile collapsed for good.
"Looks like that's it for your Pokemon." Will taunted.
Ash grunted angrily, recalling Totodile with gritted teeth. He then looked down to Pikachu, who was still glaring across the field at Will, sparks flaring from its cheeks. "Are you up for this, buddy?"
Pikachu looked up at him, fire in its eyes. "Pii-ka." It replied confidently, nodding to him.
Just as he was about to send it out, though, May stepped forward, simultaneously recalling Beautifly in the process. "Hold on a minute. Let me handle him, Ash."
"Wha - ?" Ash began, looking at her confusedly. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah." She replied confidently, nodding back to him. "You left most of your Pokemon back at Professor Oak's, remember? Besides...I've got some unfinished business with this guy."
Ash blinked at her, then nodded uncertainly, prompting her to step forward. She turned to face Will, who merely smirked at her mockingly.
"Oh, so you're going to defeat me? Yeah, sure."
May narrowed her eyes at him. "Let's go, Combusken!" She cried, tossing a Pokeball forward.
"Coooom-busken!" Combusken boomed, emerging on the field in front of her.
"Hey, wait, I remember that thing." Will remarked, watching Combusken intently. "It forced itself out of its Ball when Seviper attacked you."
"Combusken!" Combusken cawed, noticing who its opponent was and firing up instantly.
"You'd better remember it. Combusken, Sky Uppercut, go!"
"This Gym Battle will consist of the challenger, Aaron, from Pewter City, battling the Gym Leader, Norman, from Petalburg City!" Kenny called out, once Aaron and Norman had set up for their battle. "Each trainer will be allowed three Pokemon each, with no substitutes!"
There was a period of silence, with Aaron and Norman simply staring each other down across the field.
Glancing between both trainers, Kenny then raised both hands and swung them down swiftly. "Let the battle begin!"
"All right, Slakoth, I choose you!" Norman cried, tossing out one of his three Pokeballs.
"Slakoth, sla." Slakoth murmured lazily, smirking at Aaron as it materialized on the field.
Aaron merely grinned, producing one of his Pokeballs. "Okay, then...go, Regirock!"
Kenny and Norman both recoiled in shock as the legendary Rock Pokemon emerged before Aaron across the room.
"Regi-rock-ock!" Regirock chanted, the circular markings on its face lighting up in sequence.
"What the - what is - that?" Kenny cried in disbelief.
"A Regirock?" Norman remarked, gaping in awe at the legendary golem now standing across from his Slakoth.
Aaron's grin widened. "So, then, Norman. Are you ready to begin, or not?"
"Seviper, use Poison Fang, quick!" Will cried desperately.
"Hit it away with Sky Uppercut!" May called in response.
Combusken watched Seviper closely as it closed in on it, fangs bared wide. At the last second, Combusken brought its glowing fist up, hard, nailing Seviper in the roof of its mouth, and sending it flying across the field.
"You...!" Will grunted angrily.
The battle had quickly turned against Will with Combusken now on the field. The slower serpent Pokemon simply couldn't keep up with Combusken's above average speed, especially since Totodile had already gotten a couple of hits off on it.
"Seviper, get up, now!" Will ordered harshly. "Use Swift on Combusken!"
"Se...viper..." Seviper grunted, slowly drawing itself up off the ground. It hung there for a moment, attempting to power up its tail, but it fell back flat on the ground before too long, unconscious.
"No!" Will roared. "Return, now!"
He glared nervously at May and Combusken after recalling Seviper, reaching a shaking hand to grab another of his Pokeballs.
"Pika?" Pikachu chirped inquisitively, turning its head to the side all of the sudden.
"Huh? What's the matter, buddy?" Ash asked, turning to see what Pikachu was staring at. Will and May turned as well.
They were all met with the sight of a black-shirted man running down the street toward them. He seemed somewhat familiar to Ash and May, but that wasn't what struck them about him.
It was the Regirock following him down the street. And it had Norman slumped over its shoulder, presumably out cold.
"What the - ?" Ash cried out. "Is that a Regirock?"
"Who are you? What did you do to my dad?" May demanded at once.
The man remained silent until he was at Will's side. Then, he slowly turned to face them, his mouth twisted in a smirk. "You mean you don't remember me?"
Ash and May both remained silent for a moment, staring intently at the man's face, but to no avail.
"Maybe this will jog your memory." The man said, drawing up his hand in imitation of a gun and pointing it at May. "I think this is the part where you jump in and save her, tough guy."
Ash blinked at the man, and then it all came to him. This was the man who had betrayed Brandon at the Battle Pyramid, and who had ended up shooting Ash in the shoulder. "You - you're from the Battle Pyramid!"
May nodded angrily at the man. "Yeah, I remember you now! You blew the entire Pyramid up, and nearly got us killed!"
"Right. See? I knew you remembered me." The man patronized. Then he turned to Will. "Are you finished here?" He jerked his head back to Regirock. "I got what we came for."
Will glared at Ash and May as he answered. "Well, I was going to try and get the girl, too, but..."
Aaron turned and frowned at the two of them, along with Combusken and Pikachu. "You lost against them?"
"Well...Seviper lost, at least. That's about where I was when you showed up." Will admitted.
Aaron shook his head disapprovingly. "You idiot. Let me handle this, since you clearly can't."
Ash and May tensed up as they sensed an attack coming their way soon. "Combusken, get ready!" May called.
"Regirock, use Hyper Beam!" Aaron ordered without hesitation.
"Regi-rock!" Regirock boomed from out of nowhere, firing an enormous beam of orange-colored energy at Combusken from its face.
"COMBUS-KEN!" Combusken howled as the attack connected, giving no chance to evade. Combusken sailed backward through the air and slammed into the ground far behind Ash and May.
"Combusken! No!" May cried, turning to run over to her fallen Pokemon. Before she took five steps, however, Regirock had jumped and landed in front of her, blocking her path.
"Do it, Regirock!" Aaron ordered.
"Agh - May!" Ash grunted, turning to stop her just as Regirock swung its free arm at her, striking her on the head and knocking her out immediately, similar to what it had done to Norman back in the Gym. "MAY!"
"Good job. Let's get out of here." Aaron said, motioning to Regirock and Will. Regirock jumped back over to Aaron's side, May now slumped over one shoulder and Norman the other, following the two humans as they began to walk away.
"Hey, WAIT A MINUTE!" Ash bellowed after them, as Combusken slowly got up off the ground behind him. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, jumping forward and beginning to charge toward Regirock as a massive yellow aura began to build up around it. "Pikapikapikapikapikapika!"
"Hm?" Aaron mumbled, turning back to see Pikachu charging toward Regirock. "Regirock, Iron Defense!"
"Regi-rock-ock." Regirock grunted, freezing on the spot as its body suddenly glittered in the sunlight. When Pikachu collided with it, it simply bounced off, sailing back through the air toward Ash.
"Are you going to make this hard?" Aaron said to Ash in an almost bored voice.
"You're not leaving with them!" Ash roared, teeth gritted in anger as he grabbed his final Pokeball from his pack. "Grovyle, I choose you!"
"Gro-vyle!" Grovyle chirped, emerging next to Pikachu, who appeared injured from his failed attack on Regirock.
"Grovyle, use - !" Ash began, but was cut off by Combusken streaking past them on foot, sprinting at breakneck speed toward Regirock with its right fist glowing white. " - Huh - !"
"COOOOM-BUSKEN!" Combusken bellowed, catching up to Regirock in no time at all and swinging its fist forward with as much strength as it could muster.
"Regi...rock." Regirock grunted, falling forward on its knees without dropping either of its captives, taking the Sky Uppercut boldly.
"Go, Grovyle!" Ash beckoned, gesturing toward the momentarily stunned Regirock. "Use Leaf Blade!"
"Grooo-vyle!" Grovyle cried, charging toward Regirock the leaf-like growth on its arm quickly grew into a glowing green blade.
"Yanmega, go!" Will cried hastily, releasing his Yanmega right in the path of Grovyle's attack.
"Yan, yan!" Yanmega roared, taking the Leaf Blade easily, and causing Grovyle to retreat slightly.
Aaron turned to Will in surprise. "Well, well. Looks like you did something right after all." With that, he turned and continued walking away with Regirock at his side.
"No!" Ash grunted, but Will and Yanmega stepped forward.
"I've had enough of you guys today." Will said simply.
"Combusken - !" Combusken began, beginning to run toward Yanmega, but to no avail.
"Yanmega, use Bug Buzz!"
"Yan, yan - YAAAAAAAN!" Yanmega screeched, an ear-splittingly high pitched noise that caused Ash, Grovyle, Combusken, and Pikachu all to collapse on the spot, covering their ears in agony.
"Aaaaaaaagh!" Ash moaned, pressing his hands as tight as he could against his ears, but he might as well have done nothing, for all the good it did him. The screeching seemed to go straight to his brain and block out all thought, replacing it all with a desperate impulse to drown out the noise.
It only lasted for about ten seconds, but it felt like much, much longer to the four hit by it. As soon as the noise stopped, Ash bought his hands down and quickly began to look around...but it was too late.
There was no sign of Will or Aaron, or any of their Pokemon. Norman and May were gone.
"MAY!" Ash called out helplessly, as Grovyle and Combusken drew themselves up from the ground. They, too, soon realized what had happened, and looked back at Ash sadly when they did. "MAY!"
He remained silent for a minute, almost believing that she would answer him back, but instead he was met only with the sound of water hitting the ground as the storm clouds that had been hovering over the city all day finally broke open, loosing their downpour on the citizens.
"MAAAAAAY!" Ash boomed one final time, slamming his fists into the dampened earth before him as the rain poured down around him, not caring about it in the slightest.
Pikachu slowly walked over to Ash's side and put a hand on his shoulder as tears began to fall down his cheeks, mixing with the rain as it fell to the ground.
Please R&R!
