Hey viewers.
It's been awhile.
And there was not much I could do about it.
I would like this chapter to be longer.
I would like to have written an epic battle that surpassed by previous ones.
However, no matter how much I wrote, no matter how much I planned.
Nothing came out.
Nothing was up to par and nothing seemed right.
I just couldn't and it got to the point where I dreaded to write this chapter. It was the worse type of writer's block, something I just couldn't overcome.
I ask you to take what I have written and please fill in the blanks. Write it, imagine it, dream it because I am incapable to.
So please if you can enjoy this chapter as short as it may be.
Also please check the author's notes at the end for more details as to why it took so long.
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Disclaimer: The rights to Pokémon belong to Satoshi Tajiri, and obviously not me.
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From One Side to Another
By True-InTha-Blue
Chapter 37
Last chapter.
On a sunny field, a little bit away from civilization, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, were two trainers in the middle of it. Next to them were a Pikachu and an Espeon.
Wind gently blew across the four.
Despite of what was going to happen in a few short minutes, all was peaceful.
The type of peace that soothed the soul and let you be aware of all that was around you.
This was a calm before a storm, however, these two trainers were releasing the calm for at least a little while.
Silence was the language of affection for these two. A language that has even built up for the few months they had been together.
"…Kinda a shame that our battle ended at Saffron…" Ash said looking up to the sky.
Anabel joined him in his sky gazing. "You're right. We were on the second round. But I guess that didn't really count since it was shadowed by other events." She smiled back at him. "But now… we can finally have our battle."
Ash nodded, smiling softly. "All this time you have been training me…. the last time we actually fought seriously was when you challenged me at the beginning."
He then frowned at the memory.
"You weren't your self." Anabel said, her voice soft. "You've grown beyond expectation… and now… now we are going to see the fruits of your labor."
The smile was back on. "Right… And Anabel… let's have the battle do the talking for us!" He said pumping his fist.
A playful grin showed on the Salon Maiden's face. "Of course! So you better not hold back."
The competitive look, the fiery aura, ignited as he said. "I never intended to."
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Castle Guardian Vs Salon Maiden Anabel
Both of the trainers casually took out a Poke'ball each. Ash tossing it in the air and Anabel looking over hers. To the outsider, it looks like they were relaxed, however the opposite was true.
Both were tense, with muscles readying to act on the slightest notice. Both trainers had their respective signs of battle mode. Ash with his aura eyes and his cap backward and Anabel's mental state changing with a single black fingerless glove on her hand.
Beside them were the starters, Pikachu already raking his small claws in the ground and Espeon was swishing the duel tails in the air.
The two of these Pokemon have also grown along with their trainers. The trials of their trainers, their best friends. Seeing weakness and seeing the strength of these two that have grown together, the teacher and the student.
Together they overcame one of Ash's darkest moments
Together they made him shine.
And now was the best way to display that glow.
To battle and to fight.
Then, they acted.
Blue eyes burning with fiery aura with a hat turned around and a glove the signaled the release of pure calculation cold and a bond of empathy that passed beyond words.
"My friend, Gyarados!"
"Alright, Pidgeot I choose you!"
Two Pokemon took to the field.
One old and one new.
Ash to make it up to one of his oldest friends, asked the flying type to partake in an important battle with him. Pidgeot, faithful to his trainer even through the years of separation, didn't hesitate to join in.
The Gyarados was the same one that Ash encountered at the Lake in his first time with Anabel. The same one that rescued them both from Team Rocket.
The start.
Soon they clashed.
May it be out of practice or simply just how things are, Gyarados won against Pidgeot.
Another old friend joined the fray with Ash. Sceptile and it was no contest to who won.
Soon the grass type came across an old friend of Anabel's. That grumpy Blaziken known as Rook.
Rook calm experience against Sceptiles raw talent overcame the Forest Pokemon.
Keeping of with the routine of recruiting some of his dearest friends, a way to show Anabel the Pokemon that made him to the person he is today, the Castle Guardian sent out the powerful Charizard.
Fire versus fire clashed against one another and set the hearts of all around them ablaze with wonder and the passion for battle.
In the end both came to a standstill with a final strike determining the winner.
In respect and exhaustion, both of the fierce powerhouses fainted.
A familiar face greeted Anabel when Ash brought out his Tauros, the same one he used when he first battled her, to the field.
In retaliation she brought out her Cherrim, a sunny day making a difference. But with Tauros and Ash knowing how to combat the fierce Salon Maiden defeated the Blossom Pokemon.
Then Anabel sent out her Togekiss which stole victory against the bull with misleading maneuvers and tactical input from Ash's mentor.
But no loss deterred Ash. Never again would he shy away from defeat or victory.
Another old friend joined the fray. Squirtle, taking a temporary break from the infamous Squirtle squad, was eager to battle once again. The water-types agility and surprising power for his stature manage to take down the elusive Togekiss.
Absol came in next. Its mysterious aura gave pressure to the water-type but it was going to take more than that to take him down.
An unexpected Ice Beam halted the water attacks yet Squirtle was able to match the speed against the dark type.
By then the trainers had each attempted to nearly join the fight. Restraining their bodies to feel the rush of combat and lose oneself to it.
However, both wanted a good ol fashion Pokemon battle. Something they have been doing since the beginning and so with grins, horses voices, rapid planing that strained their brains and witty comebacks that were dashed with fond memories.
But when it looked like the sheer power of the water type would win the match, the sorrowful tone of Perish Song sealed the fate of both of them, fainting at the same time.
It left both trainers with a unique situation. To end the battle with the beginers. The first pokemon they ever bonded with, their closest companions.
A pikachu and an espeon.
With smiles of kindness and respect, both clashed for one last time.
There was no doubt that the electric type and the psychic type were equal in terms of power, speed and tenacity. Each sharing their own unique bond with their trainers that matched each other intensity.
In a way, Pikachu and Espeon formed a relationship too but in different terms. It was a pokemon way. They enjoyed each other's presence and their moments they had spent with their trainers bonding together during the time at the Battle Tower and beyond. Maybe not as intense as the humans, but it could get there Something they were both willing to pursue.
And it was only growing stronger as they clashed with lightning and mind.
Eventually, both had reached their limit. They knew it and the humans knew it but it didn't stop all of them grinning ear to ear. And then, Espeon fainted.
Pikachu was the decisive victor before he too stumbled.
Warm worn hands caught the mouse Pokemon as gentle small hands picked up the sun Pokemon and cradled both of them near their hearts. Kind words of pride and joy were said despite of who won and who lost.
It was really both victory for all of them.
Amber met lavender and the two joined hands as they walked up a hill with Pokemon near them.
As the wind blew through their hair, no more words were said. The battle had said everything they wanted. Now it was silence; that was speaking and that's all they needed.
Both of them got to see more about each other and the boy who has turned into a young man traversed from the one side of the battle field to another and learned many things, Pokemon and more.
There would be more trials ahead, more battles and more feelings. But Ash had confidence he could face them.
So long as he his family, friends, his partner Anabel, his Pokemon and his best buddy Pikachu, all who had faith in him.
He could be the best that ever was.
End of Story
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First off.
Thank you for taking this long, long journey with me.
It lasted longer than I expected but I enjoyed it and I enjoyed this experience.
I believe you all deserve an explanation as to why it took me so long to release it.
I have been struggling immensely last year (2015). It was an extremely difficult year.
As you probably know I am in college, specifically, an art college trying to get a degree in animation.
That takes up much of my life along with club activities with my friends, obligations to the college, practicing my craft and trying to keep up with my studies.
But the most difficult thing I faced had nothing to do with college.
My parents got divorced.
After 22 to years of, what I thought, was a happy marriage.
I am 21.
It was not unexpected and I am thankful that it wasn't messy or born of hate.
However. It did shake me.
I mean it's one thing hearing about it over the home and then coming home after six months to be told 'Hey Help me move these boxes so your mom can live at a different place.'
Kinda gets to you.
I didn't want it to shake me and for a long while I was in denial about my depression about it.
My concept of love and family was shaken deeply and I had a lot of questions running through my head.
There was no one I could blame, point figures to, it was illogical to get mad, frustrated or even sad.
My creative spark also got shot and stumped when it came to making things. In affected everything, to my imagination, my drawings and especially my writing.
I like to write happy things and I wasn't happy.
FOSTA is a combination of love, comfort, feelings, tenderness and joy.
Things that had been of sort disfigured in my life.
It was not pleasant.
And before you ask, yes I did go through counseling constantly.
But nothing really did help.
It got to the point where I was sick talking to people in general.
I buried myself within work and over exerted myself with it by not taking breaks and keeping myself isolated.
It was only lately that I have been able to start to move on when I was able to go back home and talk to my parents face to face.
And I talked to them, I talked to my sister. I got answers and while not necessary pleasant, closed questions that haunted my mind at nights.
And eventually through my own spiritual journey and thoughts I am able to move on and be rid of the spot of bitterness in my heart.
I am still healing and it may take me a while to get in the groove of things.
I hope to get an emotional support animal to help
That being said.
I am in my junior year and the call to becoming an adult and trying to get an internship let alone a job as an animator is becoming larger and larger. My time as a writer will have to be cut.
Hopefully not as much as updating only once or twice a year.
I will be making a sequel but I have no obligation to update it constantly or even finish even if I want to as life is unpredictable.
I will also be pursuing other fandoms and be writing my own original fiction (novel) as a backup plan for financial and creative freedom.
And now for you guys.
The readers.
The commenters, reviewers, spectators, and all the above.
A lot of you guys have stuck through with me since 2011 and no amount of words can comprehend my appreciation.
I never intended this fic to be popular. Heck I never intended it to get reviews, I just started to write to help me practice writing and getting my thoughts out.
I liked pokemon and abilityshipping so I thought it would be a good idea. Little did I know that it would surpass my inspiration of 'From Servant to Stardom' the fic by the original king of abilityshipping himself Mister P.
So from the bottom of my (cold black hole of a heart [ ;) ]).
Thank you.
And as always.
Keep on Writing.
I will see you soon in:
'FOSTA: Unova Journey'.
A small preview to make up for the short chapter.
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Up there Pikachu hopped on the bed as Ash got dressed. Taking off his clothes, he was obviously not a scrawny kid, just simply athletic. Most startling was the multicolored wavering scars and burns that wrapped around his lower torso. Including a few thin scars on his shoulders and upper arms, but they were minor. You could tell this kid went through tough regiment in his life.
Charcoal cargo jeans, red strapped shoes, black sleeved long shirt that were rolled up to his elbows, white and blue short sleeved vest, and black fingerless gloves. Ash took a leather strap with an odd blue crystal sphere on it. It was a gift from his Aura sensei.. or his eccentric cousin (three times removed but who cares?) Jed Stone. He tucked it in his shirt and proceeded to look at two caps in his hands. Both of them were mainly red, one with a white front and the other with a light blue front. The red and white one had a simple blue Poke'ball design while the light blue and red one, was the one he had been wearing since he joined the Battle Frontier, it having the logo of the organization on it.
He sighed before turning to Pikachu with the two hats.
The starter nodded understanding the concept.
"Right." Ash said before setting down the Battle Frontier cap carefully on his desk before having the trainer cap sit on top of his head. "Time to change from the Castle Guardian to just Ash the trainer right Pikachu?"
"Pikachu Pikapi." The starter agreed. The job they had was done and now it was back on the other side of the battle field as the challenger.
A honk came from outside.
The two friends panicked and the human quickly grabbed the rest of his stuff and Pikachu got into position on his shoulder. Before they left, they cast one last glance at the room and a picture frame of Ash and Pikachu with a purple haired girl and her Espeon laughing together.