A clash in Heaven
I think I'll find another way,
There's so much more to know.
I guess I'll die another day:
It's not my time to go.
For every sin I'll have to pay,
I've come to work, I've come to play.
I think I'll find another way:
It's not my time to go.
Die another day, Madonna
Ash walked in the garden where his Pokémon were resting. To the face he was making, they could all tell something was off. They were right.
"Listen, you guys. A. J. and Ritchie fought and Ritchie lost." This made the monsters look down. The kid had been quite nice with them. "However, instead of remaining as it is, A. J. insulted Ritchie after having crushed him with a single Pokémon. This, I find unforgivable." The boy looked down. "I admit I inflicted the same predicament to a certain number of my opponents. But I never went as far as calling them off like that. A. J. did, and he did it on a friend, which means one thing: it's become personal."
His Pokémon roared. All of them knew how their Trainer was toward friends and relatives. His rival had done a serious mistake that may well cost him victory. Ash looked at them all.
"But we shouldn't rush like a Tauros without planning ahead. A. J.'s good. He was chosen for a reason, and there are two Pokémon of his that represent a real threat. The first is Sandslash. As a Sandshrew, it was already quite a pest."
Butterfree, Pikachu and Clefable nodded. They remembered their defeat a little too well …
"Then there is the Pokémon who crushed Ritchie, Dragonite. It evolved during the tournament and is now a full-grown pseudo-legendary Dragon Pokémon. You know what it means." The 'mons nodded. "Yeah, not gonna be a pleasure cruise. That's why I'm only going to pick the best of you for this fight. Pikachu is a first. Then, Clefable said she wanted payback against Sandshrew. That apart, he has a Raticate, Tauros, Pinsir and Flareon. It means Bulbasaur and Haunter are out."
Charizard stepped and roared loudly, his eyes blazing. The boy nodded.
"Right, you'll actually do well against Dragonite. I'll take Wartortle too, against Flareon. Now, only two more left ..."
Pidgeot and Sandslash stepped before the group. The boy nodded.
"Right, okay for you two. Sandslash can try against Flareon and I'll let Pidgeot eat Pinsir. As for Tauros and Raticate, Normal is super-efficient against nothing and weak to Fighting, and Hitmontop's still at the Center. Don't underestimate them, though, okay?"
The six chosen nodded. Tomorrow would be fierce...
The next morning, Ash woke up at dawn. Silently leaving the building, he went to the garden and, after running for half an hour, performed his warm-ups. He followed with capoeira, smiling as the cold morning dew refreshed his body and helped him clear his mind. Slowly, he started to feel the Aura inside him, flowing along his moves, increasing in strength until the boy felt cloaked in it. Raising his hand, he formed a perfect Aura Sphere he sent on a rock. The chunk of stone burst into thousand splinters. Ash smiled. The same way he had destroyed this boulder, he would fire A. J. from the tournament.
His friends found him clean and fresh at the cafeteria, eating breakfast with Pikachu and Axew. Silver frowned.
"I heard something explode. Was it you?"
"Yeah. I did my morning routines. Made me feel way better."
His voice was firm and determined and didn't hold the slightest bit of sympathy. Simon frowned.
"You really are making it personal, are you?"
"I am. Ritchie is a friend. A. J. will regret messing with him."
"But Ritchie still lost. It's part of the game."
"Losing? Yes. Being insulted and brought lower than dirt by your opponent? Not on my watch."
Brock sighed.
"No changing your mind, eh? You really are like Silver. Guess there's no asking if you're ready or not."
Ash grinned.
"Yep. I am all ready and set. A. J. will never see it coming."
The time finally came for fighting. In the largest arena of the Conference, the crowd invaded the bleachers. Delia, Oak and the group were in the ringside with Ritchie, who was very eager to see the fight. Behind them were the Gym Leaders, Giovanni and the Rocket Trio and finally the Elite Four. Johnny appeared in the booth.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this second-to-last day of the Indigo Conference! Today is a great day: today is the day of the Semi-Finals!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. On Ash's side were flags showing Moltres and the boy, banners carrying loving and encouraging words, placards with various messages but all those things meant the same: the crowd loved the young Aura Guardian. On the other side, A. J.'s supporters were just as many. Banners with Zapdos and a lightning bolt, encouraging placards and banners, everything was here. People even showered the place with red, blue, green and yellow petals. Johnny grinned.
"I see you guys are on fire today. Indeed, we're starting the day with the most awaited battle of this tournament: the confrontation between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Chosen of Moltres and Slayer of Legends, and Adam Jagden, Chosen of Zapdos and the only Trainer to have won all of his fights using only one of his Pokémon! No wonders they call him the 'Lightning-Fast Winner'… But! Never forget this, my friends: Ash got his own nickname by defeating a … Zapdos. Yes, you heard it! Ash became the Slayer of Legends by defeating the very Legendary who chose our dear A. J. So I can promise you, this fight is gonna be EPIC!"
Now the crowd was ablaze. People were rising from their seat and hitting their armchairs, shouting unintelligible words of encouragement, pushing their favorites to go and crush the other to a bloody pulp. A little more and a pure riot would erupt. The commentator sensed it.
"Well, since you're all heated up, let's not wait any longer. Ladies and gentlemen, here they are!"
In the locker room, Ash looked at his team one last time. Pikachu, Charizard, Clefable, Pidgeot, Wartortle and Sandslash were watching him, waiting for a word. The boy rose.
"Now is the time, partners. The man we're going to challenge only lost once, and it was against Silver. All the others, he beat them with a single Pokémon. All of the bloody lot! A. J. isn't called the Lightning-Fast Winner for nothing. He is dangerous, really. So we're going to be as dangerous as he is, not to say more. And We. Will. Crush. Him. Just like he crushed Ritchie. We will make him regret messing with our friend, to the point he will return to his little pseudo-arena crying tears of shame. Got it?"
The group roared in agreement. Ash nodded.
"Now is the time. Are you ready?" One roar. "Are you ready?" The roar was louder. "Are you ready!?"
The roar could be heard from outside. Silver grinned.
"He's been pumping them. A. J.'s in troubles."
Ritchie's eyes were stuck on the arena. Ash finally appeared under the deafening shouts of the crowd. The boy closed his eyes, absorbing their energy and making it his. He could feel his Pokémon shaking in their poke-ball while Pikachu's fur was standing, his cheeks sparkling from barely restrained thundering rage. As he turned toward the bleachers, he saw his family and friend, among which Ritchie was. His scowl turning into a kind smile, he winked to the boy. Ritchie saw it and nodded. The boy went on the rising platform, facing his opponent with a dead-serious face. A. J.'s arms were crossed and a cocky grin was on his face.
"What's with the frown, Ketchum? You seem quite angry, today."
"I have my reasons. Very, very personal reasons."
"Why? Did I kick your Pikachu or something?"
"No, just a friend you crushed like a Venonat with your Dragonite."
The green-haired kid froze.
"You mean Ritchie, the boy I faced yesterday?"
"Yes. He was my friend. I would have dropped it if you merely beat him, but what you said afterward wasn't so nice at all. Ritchie was in tears after your fight. I'm here for payback."
Adam gulped. Deciding against retorting, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. Ash was already angry at him, no need to push him more. He took a poke-ball. Ash nodded.
"I'll let you do the first move. But be careful, I intend it to make it your last."
Johnny grinned.
"One could feel the tension going between the two. This battle is going to set the place on fire! BEGIN!"
(Play Otherworld, from Final Fantasy X)
"Raticate, I choose you!"
Ash frowned. Raticate? Well, actually …
"Pidgeot, go!"
The rodent faced the bird of prey. Pidgeot's wings were shaking with excitement. As for Raticate, the rodent was trying to ignore the bloodlust that came from the monster. A. J. frowned.
"Raticate, Quick Attack!"
Ash crossed his arms.
"Quick Attack? Pff … Pidgeot, Sky Attack."
Raticate rushed at the giant bird of prey. Pidgeot merely took flight, made a few rounds to charge the attack and dived toward his enemy, cloaked in silver light. The collision made the Mouse Pokémon fly high in the air. A. J. looked at it, stunned, then at Ash. Well, okay, Ash was serious. Better get the big guns now if he didn't want to lose.
"Raticate, recover and use Super Fang!"
"Counter with Steel Wings!"
The rat's fangs grew longer and glowed white while Pidgeot's wings took the color and hardiness of steel. The two attacks collided in a shower of sparks before both Pokémon jumped away. Raticate immediately rushed with Hyper Fang but Pidgeot wasn't about to let it impress him.
"Hurricane!"
Grinning, the big bird flapped his wings so hard that dust rose from the ground to add a blinding effect to the already dangerous move. Raticate couldn't reach his target and was blasted a few feet away. Ash nodded.
"Let's finish this! Hyper Beam!"
His rival growled.
"Raticate, Giga Impact!"
Red energy gathered in Pidgeot's beak while Raticate's body glowed golden. The two attacks clashed hard, the rodent fighting against the energy attack while Pïdgeot used all of his strength to push his opponent and utterly flatten him. In the end, Raticate's attack turned against itself and combined with Hyper Beam in a big explosion that left it smoking in a crater. Ash raised his fist.
"One less! Well done, Jet!"
Pidgeot chirped. His Trainer hardly ever used his partners' True Names, and even then, he just used part of it. Secrecy … A. J. frowned. Raticate was one of his best Pokémon and Moltres's Chosen basically toyed with it. He wasn't about to let that happen. Taking a poke-ball, he released his next fighter.
"Tauros, go!"
Ash nodded. Tauros, huh?
"Ready for more, Pidgeot?"
The bird's answer was to take flight. A. J. raised his hand.
"Let's make it! Tauros, start with Stone Edge!"
His rival frowned. Looks like the Wild Bull's level was different than that of the big-toothed rodent.
"Dodge 'em!"
The giant bird dived with Aerial Ace, nimbly zigzagging between the stone splinters. At the last moment, A. J. ordered.
"Thunder!"
Ash winced. Thunder usually had a low accuracy … which was negated when fired at point-blank range. Pidgeot flew away, shaking his wings to get rid of the current. The green-haired boy saw his chance.
"Giga Impact."
The bull hit the bird with strength, sending him flying on the ground. Ash frowned.
"Hold on, Pidgeot! You cannot get down now, really! Come on, fight back! I know you can do it, you faced worse before!"
Pidgeot growled. Sure he did. Now that he remembered, this Thunder was nothing compared to Zapdos's attack. Tauros was about to launch Take Down when he rose like a rocket, Air Slash ready and set. The blade of wind hit the Normal Pokémon straight in the face. Tauros flinched, leaving time for Pidgeot to charge Sky Attack. The bird dived on his opponent, sending him flying and finishing with Hyper Beam for overkill. A. J. was speechless.
"He took two of my Pokémon with a single one of his … Alright, I see what he wants." He looked at Ash. "You're serious about getting me out, right, Ketchum?"
"I am."
"Well, that's not gonna happen. I beat you once, and if you keep asking for troubles, you're gonna find them! I'm not the Lightning-Fast Winner for nothing."
"And I earned my nickname by defeating a Zapdos. Bring it. I can take whatever you throw at me, even Sandslash or Dragonite."
"Since you're asking so kindly … Dragonite, Hyper Beam!"
Before Ash or Pidgeot could react, the orange dragon had emerged, the energy beam charged. The pair was so surprised that none could react in time. The giant bird fell down the ground, his feathers burned by the attack. Ash gasped.
"Pidgeot!"
Returning the bird, he held the poké-ball close.
"You did an excellent job in taking Tauros and Raticate. Rest, now. You deserved it."
A. J. shrugged and returned Dragonite.
"That's why you're not gonna win. You're too soft with your Pokémon. If you don't push them a little, you will get nowhere."
Ash raised his head. His opponent froze at the threatening glare he was sending him. This was gonna suck big time.
(Play Mombasa, by Hans Zimmer)
"We'll see about it. What tells you I didn't train them hard too? You are two Pokémon short, in case you haven't noticed. Make your move. I'm waiting."
A. J. frowned.
"As you wish. Flareon, go!"
"Sandslash!"
The Fire eeveelution faced the Ground pangolin. Flareon puffed his fur collar and tail to appear more intimidating. Sandslash wasn't phased. A. J. made the first move.
"Flareon, Fire Blast!"
"Defense Curl!"
Focusing his powers, the flame creature generated a strong cross of fire. Sandslash curled on herself and rolled to deflect it. The next orders came simultaneously.
"Flame Charge!"
"Rollout!"
The two creatures immediately curled into balls and rolled toward one another. The contact made sparks and tendrils of fire. But contrary to Flame Charge, Rollout increased in power as it was used, which made it pretty deadly if the attacking Pokémon wasn't quickly knocked out. Sandslash rolled and hit Flareon hard enough to send it fly. The Flame Pokémon's answer was to make its body glow white and land with enough strength to make the earth shake. Sandslash nearly lost her balance but still managed to keep it and retaliated with Earthquake. A. J. growled.
"Grr … Flareon, Hyper Beam!"
"Dig and use Antlion's Den!"
His opponent raised a brow. Antlion's Den? What was that? Sandslash dug to avoid the energy beam. Ten seconds later, a quicksand formed right under her opponent. A. J.'s eyes widened.
"Sand Tomb?"
"Not exactly."
Flareon struggled to get out, in vain. In the middle of the quicksand, Sandslash was waiting. In desperation, her opponent threw her a Flamethrower she withstood. When the creature was completely trapped, she used Earth Power. The yellow geyser sent Flareon high in the air. Sandslash jumped after to deliver a Night Slash. Her opponent countered with Iron Tail, which was followed by Fire Fangs. As they fell to the ground, Sandslash focused her powers and slammed Flareon down before going with Giga Impact. The Fire Pokémon answered with Fire Blast. This time, the attack left visible marks on the female creature's body. Didn't stop her from squishing it like a fly. A. J. returned his Pokémon.
"Three down. Sandslash, go!"
Ash frowned.
"Here it comes. You ready, Sandy?"
Sandslash nodded. The male Sandslash appeared. A. J. smirked.
"Let's get rolling … Sandslash, Focus Blast!"
"Retaliate with Brick Break!"
Sandy managed to push the energy sphere back. The next second, Sandslash was rushing at her with Crush Claws. She managed to counter with Night Slash and was soon caught in a claw duel with her opponent. Unfortunately, the fight against Flareon had wounded her more than she would admit. A claw slashed her leg, another hit her stomach. Sensing she was in troubles, Ash raised a poké-ball.
"Slash-sandslash!" (Don't do that!)
Turning to her Trainer, she moved her claws.
(Don't return me now. I know I have no chances of defeating that male, but I can weaken him enough that Starlight has the job cut for her. Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing and am ready for defeat …)
Ash frowned and closed his eyes, understanding the feeling inside his partner.
"I see. Alright, Sandy. Do your best. I'm counting on you."
"Sandslash!" (Don't worry!)
She pushed the male away and unleashed a violent Earth Power. Her next move was to curl on herself and roll, Giga Impact charged. Sandslash retaliated with Earthquake. Sandy still managed to navigate between the rocks, hitting her opponent dead on. A. J.'s Pokémon was thrown away but quickly got back on his feet and used Magnitude. Its power level was ten. Unable to move, the valiant female closed her eyes and let the strength of the attack send her into blissful coma. A. J. crossed his arms.
"One down. Bring your next."
Ash returned his Sandslash and held her close.
"Thank you, Sandy. You did an excellent job with both of your opponents. Rest now. Your friends will finish what you've started."
The female Sandslash was unable to hear him, but she sensed his feelings and it made her smile in her sleep. With a master like this, not even Legendaries frightened her. She had gone a long way from the shy and easily-frightened Sandshrew caught by Giovanni. Taking a poké-ball, Ash brought his next partner.
"Starlight, go!"
(Play Mission Impossible 2 theme, from Hans Zimmer … again)
The creature that emerged looked like a Clefable, but everyone could tell that, deep down inside, it was worse than a Lucario. It had the face of a pink fairy and the blazing heart of a Charizard. The girl had seen the fight from its very beginning and so knew what had happened. She turned to Ash and nodded. As some people would say, Ouch Time incoming right this way. A. J.'s eyes narrowed. There it was, Ash's trump Pokémon. Sandslash frowned as he recognized the little pink ball he had once defeated. The creature had undoubtedly grown. Before his Trainer could give an order, he unleashed Earthquake. Clefable's answer was to jump, channel solar energy in her wings and shoot a Solar Beam powerful enough to destroy half of the arena. Sandslash escaped with his life by digging underground … which proved to be a bad idea when the girl landed heavily with Meteor Mash. The Ground Pokémon emerged, half-dazzled by the move. That's why he never saw the Hot 'n Cold attack that his his head. A. J. growled.
"Get a hold on yourself, Sandslash! She's beating you to a pulp!"
The pangolin shook himself and charged his claws. When the Fairy Pokémon came at him with Drain Punch, he countered with Crush Claws. The two pushed on one another … then Clefable spat Blizzard to his face. The creature staggered back. That trick was worse than Sucker Punch! He rolled away when an Iron Tail hit his stomach. The next second, he was knocked by a Solar Beam. A. J. was dumbfounded to say the least.
"One-sided fight all the way." Silver grinned. "Little Cleffa has grown a lot."
Returning his ace Pokémon, A. J. took a new poké-ball.
"Pinsir, go!"
Clefable glared at the giant pincer Pokémon before turning to her Tainer and doing a move. Understanding, Ash returned her.
"Let's get going, pal."
Pikachu's cheeks sparkled. There he went. Pinsir looked surprised when he saw the tiny rodent sent to challenge him. What? That's all? He who defeated Machamp in fights of pure power wasn't to be intimidated by a critter like such. Then Pikachu shook him with Thunderbolt and he revised his judgment. That critter hurt. He ran at him with X-Scissor, only for Pikachu to jump and send Electro Ball in his ass for added humiliation. Pinsir turned and hissed. The rodent was playing with him! Pikachu ran and hit him in the pincers with Iron Tail, only for said pincers to grab him and slam him on the ground. Vital Throw! Ash growled. Never mind Pikachu's speed, this attack never missed. Well, not twice.
"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"
"Pinsir, Close Combat!"
The faster-than-sound punches still weren't fast enough to hit a truly supersonic rodent cloaked in lightning. Pikachu's charge sent the big bug flying. Then he jumped and went for Mjollnir. The electric tail hit Pinsir right between the eyes. However, at the last moment and before the Mouse Pokémon could walk away, he seized him by the tail and flung him around. As a finish, he slammed him so hard on the ground that a 'crack!' was heard. Ash was frozen alive.
"Pikachu … NO!"
Simon gulped.
"Talk about a Seismic Toss ..."
A. J. crossed his arms.
"Down with the little rodent. Your move, Ash."
The boy stood speechless. His strongest Pokémon had been defeated by a simple Pinsir! He couldn't believe it. It was simply … impossible! How could a Pokémon who challenged two Legendaries be defeated by a big bug? The answer was: it couldn't. Pinsir had turned away when a huge beam of electricity shook from the crater the mouse was in. The crowd watched the area. To their greatest relief, Pikachu was standing, battered and bruised, but his eyes a fierce shade of red and his fur sparking with lightning. Pinsir weakly turned to see his opponent glaring fiercely at him. Before he could react, Pikachu had left his spot. The next thing he knew, the Bug Pokémon was thrown off the ground as electricity ran thorough his chitin, sending him into a dreamless coma. The mouse then returned to Ash who cradled him in his arms.
"You did wonderfully, partner. If only that damn bug didn't catch you off guard so often, you would have done even better."
He then looked at A. J. The boy was holding a poké-ball and everyone knew what was inside. When Dragonite appeared, the crowd held his breath, wondering which Pokémon Ash would use. The boy thought a little.
(Play Defiers of Fate, from Final Fantasy XIII)
'Pikachu and Clefable need to rest. I want to keep Charizard last so Wartortle remains. He isn't as strong as the others but his Ice moves are super effective against Dragonite's dual-type. Alright, I made my choice.'
"Wartortle, go!"
The blue turtle emerged from his poké-ball and faced the orange dragon. He frowned.
'There it is. Well, I'm not gonna let Ash down. He is counting on me and I'll prove myself worthy of the trust! Even though … I don't know if I stand a chance against a pseudo-legendary Dragon.'
He took a stance nonetheless. The battle began.
"Dragonite, use Dragon Breath!"
"Counter with Ice Beam!"
The two attacks clashed a moment before Ice Beam won over. It was about to land when Dragonite cloaked himself with Dragon Rush and dived at Wartortle. The turtle jumped using his tail and smacked both of his ice-covered fists on the Dragon's head. Dragonite merely shrugged it off and blasted the Water Starter with Dragon Breath. Wartortle rolled away and growled. No ways he would be defeated so easily! His opponent came with Dragon Tail. Jumping again, he unleashed a furious Ice Beam in the monster's wings. Dragonite's answer was to thaw them out with Flamethrower and retaliate with Hurricane. Wartortle was staggering when he landed. Dragonite used the opportunity to land a Dragon Pulse and chain with Dragon Tail. The blue turtle didn't rise. Ash frowned.
"He is strong. Ice is his biggest weakness and it nearly didn't harm him!" He felt a poké-ball shake. "Clefable … okay, here you go!"
The pink fairy appeared, apparently having recovered from her fight against Sandslash. When she saw her opponent, an evil grin appeared on her face and she cracked her knuckles. It was going to be so fun! Ash's eyes narrowed.
"Cosmic Strike!"
"Hyper Beam!"
The energy strike hit where Clefable had been. The creature jumped and aimed straight for the head of his opponent. Her fists hit both of his eyes, causing him to back up. A. J. growled. The pest was dangerous, very dangerous. He would have to give his all.
"Chain Dragon Claw and Superpower!"
Clefable charged her fist and sent Drain Punch to collide with Dragon Claw. Dragonite next grabbed her and sent her to the ground.
"Draco Meteor!"
The whole stadium gasped. The green-haired boy knew the strongest Dragon move? Lance frowned.
"Even for a Pokémon as strong as Clefable, the attack will be a lot to take. I wouldn't be surprised if it defeated her."
"She will rise." Giovanni countered. "As a Clefairy, she was able to stand toes to toes against my Machamp and win. She will survive Draco Meteor, even though I agree it will cripple her."
Indeed, when the cloud faded, Clefable was panting on her knees. And yet her eyes were more defiant than ever. She would fight and win, and a little meteor shower wasn't about to stop her! Her wings glowed with a bright light. A. J. raised a brow.
"Hey, if you think a little Solar Beam ..."
It wasn't Solar Beam. It was Hyper Beam. Caught off guards, Dragonite took the shot right in the wings. He howled back and glared fiercely at his opponent. So the girl was getting serious? About damn time, but it was still too late. Cloaking his body in a blue energy, he rushed at Clefacle who clenched her fists. Her double-Ice Punch collided with the big dragon and kept him at bay for a moment before Dragonite sent her flying with a move of his head. Then he used Draco Meteor again. This time, it was too much even for the battle-hardened fairy. She fell to the ground, out like a light. Ash's eyes were wide.
"No ways ..."
It seems the boy underestimated the power of Draco Meteor. With such an attack to his arsenal, Dragonite was nearly invincible. He turned to Pikachu, who had been watching the fight.
"Ready to return, partner?"
Pikachu nodded. There was no way he could possibly defeat Dragonite in the state he was in, but he would stand anyway. Charizard was last and if someone could defeat the orange dragon, it was the fire Starter. So, without a single word, he jumped to what he knew was pure suicide. Dragonite threw a Dragon Breath. Pikachu dodged it, cloaked in Volt Tackle. He hit the dragon square in the chest before chaining with Mjollnir in the head, be blasted by Dragon Rush, grin as Dragonite was affected by his Statik ability and call a powerful Thunder from the sky. Dragonite roared in pain as lightning coursed through his body and answered with Draco Meteor. Sensing the threat, Pikachu tried to use Volt Tackle to avoid the move. He managed to slalom between the meteors and jump to his target … before being caught by Dragon Claw. That last move left him out. A tear fell from Ash's eyes.
"Well done, Pikachu. Very well done. We're gonna win for sure now."
He went to take his fallen friend and cradled him in his arms. Silently, he went to the bleachers and gave him to Simon, who took the creature with respect. Pikachu was Ash's closest friend. The only other he would have entrusted him to was his surrogate father, Silver. The boy returned to the platform, fully aware of how silent the stadium was. He took his last poké-ball and held it tight, for in the sphere was all of his hopes and dreams of becoming a Master. A. J. watched him carefully, fully aware of what was to come. And indeed, there he came.
"Charizard, go!"
The dark orange dragon rose from his poké-ball with a thunderous roar and a burst of white-hot flames. Dragonite sensed how much of a threat his opponent was, for he roared too and glared at his opponent. The two faced each other, the tension growing up and up until it was nearly unbearable. Then they attacked, the two cloaked in Dragon Rush. The fight quickly escalated into a full aerial battle, the dragons fighting for dominion in nearly deadly charges that caused sparks to fly and explosions to echo. Dragonite used Hyper Beam. Charizard countered with Blast Burn. The explosion made the two fall but both got a hold before crashing down and resumed their aerial clash. Cloaking himself in fire, Charizard rushed with Flare Blitz toward Dragonite. The dragon channeled his powers and delivered a violent Hyper Beam. The Starter dived straight into the beam, much like Pikachu had done once with Mjollnir against a Gyarados. Though the attack was weakened, it still hurt the orange Dragon Pokémon who winced when a Dragon Claw hit his jaw. He retaliated with Dragon Tail in the stomach and was answered Fire Fang. Jerking and fighting with Dragon Claw. The two finally separated. Dragonite hurled Thunder, Charizard used Fire Blast. The attacks exploded in the sky. Ash frowned.
"Let's finish this! Charizard, Blast Burn full power!"
"Dragonite, stop him with Draco Meteor!"
The flame Pokémon focused up to the last bit of power inside him and rushed toward his opponent. Dragonite sensed the threat and caused a pure meteor shower to occur. The Fire Pokémon slalomed between them, still wincing when one his his wing and another his head. A third hit his other wing, and two hit him in the back, but it didn't stop him from reaching his target. And strike. The resulting explosion could be heard over all the conference site. Everyone watched expectantly, wondering who of the two dragons would emerge as the victor … The dust finally cleared, bearing the least-expected result.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in the Indigo Conference, we have a DOUBLE KNOCK-OUT!!"
(End music)
Silver jumped from his seat.
"WHAT!?"
The entirety of Ash's friends rose from their seat, watching intensely the scene in the arena. And indeed, both Charizard and Dragonite were lying in defeat among the craters and debris of the fight. Johnny couldn't hold himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen, after one of the most heated fights, if not THE most heated of this Conference, it appears that both Pokémon have knocked the other out, resulting in a dual loss for both of their Trainers! Great Gods, it had never happened before! I can't believe this fight of all others would end up like that!"
Neither could both kids. They watched their Pokémon in disbelief before glaring at the other. Silently, Ash returned Charizard and spoke in a soft voice.
"You couldn't bring me victory … but don't worry, Charizard. The most important part is that you defeated Dragonite and avenged Ritchie, even if he took you with him."
A. J. returned Dragonite and humped.
"Well, a loss is a loss. Besides, you were a formidable fighter. I never thought you would give me that much troubles." He sighed. "I'll be leaving, then. Gotta prepare for the next Conference."
Ash watched him return to the locker room and closed his eyes. His mouth held a strangely bitter taste. Despite what he said to Charizard, he was still sad he couldn't have made it to the finals. But he wasn't going to blame his Pokémon. They all gave their all for him and he would be a heartless jerk to blame them for not making him win. His loss was his, and his alone. No one else. Not his friends, not his partners. His. Tears rolled from his eyes as he left the platform toward the bleachers. Simon, Misty and Brock were the first to come to him.
"Man, that was amazing! A. J. was a powerful opponent, but you totally matched him! Congratulation."
The boy tried to smile to Brock's compliment, but the sadness, bitterness from the defeat and exhaustion from the fight caught up to him. He swayed on his feet before Ritchie caught him and helped him seat.
"Thank you, Ash." The boy smiled. "I have never seen a fight like this one. It was epic. And thanks for beating Dragonite for me. I owe you one."
"You owe me nothing." Ash weakly said. "I just did what I had to do. Because you're a friend. I … just … regret, I couldn't do more ..."
His eyes finally closed. Silver sighed.
"Out like his Pokémon. He gave all he had in this fight." Carefully, he wrapped him in his cape. "I'll bring him to his room. He needs rest."
"Then I'll take care of his Pokémon." Simon added. "They have to be treated immediately."
The silver-haired man nodded and watched his son. A smile passed on his face.
'Don't cry, Little Ashling. You may have lost the Conference, yet you gave us the greatest of all victories.'
And here it is. One more chapter and this story is finished. Man, I spent half of my afternoon finishing the battle scene and, to be truly honest with you, I have to admit it is one of the most epic I've ever written. The only one who could compare is the Viridian City Showdown between Giovanni and Ash and still. Back then, Ash had crushed Giovanni 6-0. There, it was a DOUBLE KNOCK-OUT! I admit, my eyes cried as I wrote the last part and they're still wet as I write these words. Defiers of Fate is one epic battle theme ... And I apologize for those who wanted Ash to curb-stomp A. J., but I had planned this part from the beginning and besides, an eleven-years old winning the first Conference he enters? Get real! But he will have his chances at the Silver and Ever Grande Conferences, not to mention the Lily of the Valley Conference and the Emerald Forest Conference in Skandara. And let's not forget the Orange Islands ...
I don't think I will be able to surpass this battle in terms of sheer awesomeness and epicness, so forgive me for the future battle scenes, if they aren't up to your expectations. I left a part of my talent in this scene. By the way, I made a poll in my profile related to this story. Would you please be kind enough to try? I'm very curious about the result.
- pikachu14: yes. Kanto Season, nearly over. Going with the Orange Islands very soon.
- crazygirl123: this is what happened. Ouch.
- sing: because, as someone said, it's kinda a filler episode, like I did when Ash returned to Pallet Town. It's a 'tie the loose ends' chapter of sorts.
- Oddballlllllllll: yes, but not as much as you would imagine. Keep reading to see.
- ultima-owner: even Clefable couldn't defeat him. And Charizard could only tie with him.
- Crystal A. Kanbara: Ash will become a kind of mentor/idol/friend to Ritchie since the kid will follow them back to Pallet Town. Don't fully know how things will turn out between them yet.
- ThatOneFan: sorry, no Clefable sweep for you. I still hope the battle was great enough to your taste. Even the strongest Pokémon aren't fully invincible. And defeating a Legendary doesn't mean being almighty.
- Mew Suger: Ash certainly hoped so. Well, since both of them lost ... but A. J. certainly didn't expect Ash to give him that much of a fight! He** no!
- JLgods01: to answer to your plea, this was the greatest battle of all the fic. I cried as I wrote it!
- Valheru1988: mistake corrected. Thank you for pointing it out.
- Storylover213: before Hoenn, none. During Hoenn, May. After, Dawn. And Latias as the lucky one.
Well, that's all for today. Really tired me out, phew!
See you next time!
