Welcome back everyone. Last time we left off, Ash had tried once more to Mega Evolve Charizard only for it to fail once again. Following a chance meeting by Ramos, the Gym Leader invited the group to meet a friend of his which turned out to be Drasna. Wishing to battle, Ash got beaten badly.
Ch 37: Bonds Beyond Time: Mega Success
"Are you sure about this?" A rough voice spoke over the line. The man had just been contacted by an acquaintance about a favor they needed done. "He'll be passing by the Lumiose Badlands as well?"
"Yes," the second person answered as he thought it over for a moment. "They were in Coumarine City the last time I saw them. By now, they should be passing by."
"And why should I help him, Alain?" the older man asked as his voice was filled with intrigue. He had come to know Alain through the boy's travels yet he never seen him the boy take an interest in any one before.
"This boy, he is having trouble mastering Mega Evolution," Alain explained as he appeared deep in thought. "I told him to constantly challenge strong trainers, but, I think you might be able to help him more."
Sighing, the man appeared to be in thought. It did get boring out here and perhaps the boy would make it interesting. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for him."
"Thank you. He's got a red hat and a blue jacket," Alain described while a smirk crossed his face. "Believe me, you'll enjoy your time with him."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Ash?" Clemont asked as the group of five reached a fork in the road. One path led to a fast route to Lumiose City while the other would take you through the Lumiose Badlands before bringing you to the city.
"Of course I am, I think doing this will be the best way for Charizard and I to overcome our recent problems!" Ash explained as he looked at his friends with a genuine smile. "We're going the long way, just Charizard and I." Ash then extended his fist out towards Charizard.
"Rawr," the Fire and Flying-Type roared in agreement as he met Ash's fist with his own. Tapping it lightly, it was a sign they would overcome this entire problem together. It was time to put everything else behind them and to get past this problem.
"We could come along with you," Cilan offered as he looked at the second path. He had never visited the Badlands, but from what he read, they could be pretty vicious out there. Could Ash really handle it all by himself?
Ash shook his head back and forth with a smile on his face. "No, this is something only Charizard and I can do. Plus, I don't want Serena to miss her next Showcase in Lumiose City," he explained before unclipping the four Poké Balls on his belt. "Plus, I'm not even bringing my other Pokémon along," he explained while handing them over to Clemont to take care of them.
"Sorry, but that means you too, Pikachu," Ash explained as the Electric-Type hopped down off of his shoulder. Scurrying across the ground, Pikachu made his way over to Serena and hopped up onto her shoulder. "This is really meant to be for just myself and Charizard."
"Well, when you put it like that, there really isn't anything we can say to convince you otherwise," Clemont said as he placed Ash's Poké Balls into his backpack. He also knew that once Ash had made up his mind, it was hard to get him to change it. "We'll meet back up at Prism Tower then."
"Sounds like a plan," Ash replied while smiling. He was both excited and anxious about this small journey. Ash was excited for the prospect of finally climbing this hurdle, but he was anxious due to the thought of Charizard going berserk once more. Looking at his friends, Ash noticed that Serena still had a nervous expression on her face much to his disappointment. "Serena," he said softly as the young Performer looked at him.
"Yeah, Ash?" She replied, unsure of what he was about to ask. She was already planning on taking excellent care of Pikachu and she had a feeling that Pichu would have fun with him being around. Then, to her surprise, she watched as he removed his hat and placed it in her hands.
"You mind holding onto this for me?" He asked while nervously scratching his cheek. He wanted to make sure she wasn't nervous about him being in the Badlands by himself. "I heard that it can get pretty windy out there. I wouldn't want to lose my hat; so could you hold onto it until I meet up with you guys again?"
"Y-Yeah," she managed to squeak out as she was caught by surprise. It didn't seem like much, but the fact she was being trusted with something like Ash's hat was a big deal. She only ever saw him remove it for a meal or when he was sleeping, it was practically a part of him. "I'll make sure nothing happens to it at all."
"Thanks," Ash replied while nodding in agreement. He then turned to look at the path as both himself and Charizard began their path. "We'll meet up again in a few days. It won't be that long!" He yelled out while waving goodbye until he couldn't see his friends any longer.
Looking over at Charizard, Ash smiled up at the Flame Pokémon as he too smiled in response. It was just the two of them, something that had never occurred before. The closest would have to be the night Ash stayed awake while warming Charizard up, but even then the others were nearby sleeping. This was going to be different.
"Just you and me, Charizard," Ash replied as he pumped his fists into the air from excitement. "Together, we're going to finally master this Mega Evolution once and for all." The two then continued on in excitement as they wondered just what was waiting for them. Still, Ash couldn't help but remember Drasna's words from a few days ago.
"But for right now, you two trying to just push through has only made things worse. I can sense that Charizard was nervous yet you still tried to Mega Evolve. To fully master Mega Evolution, you have to have a true bond with your Pokémon. You have to understand exactly how their feeling. How they react to a certain situation. You two have to be practically one."
Her words couldn't have been closer to the truth, but Ash hadn't wanted to admit it at the time. Throughout their struggles, he had been nervous while Mega Evolving Charizard. What if he stayed this way after reverting? Then what would Ash do, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something had happened to Charizard because of his foolish actions. And because of that, Ash was determined to make it up.
"Rawr?" The Flame Pokémon asked with a puzzled look. Just what was Ash thinking about as they walked through the desert? Charizard wasn't sure, but whatever it was, Ash was deep in thought.
"Huh?" He asked once he noticed Charizard's worried look. Shaking his head, Ash put a smile on his face to try and make Charizard more relaxed. "It's nothing, I was just thinking back to something someone told me before. Now, why don't we get going, we'll never reach Lumiose City at this rate. And if we don't get there soon, Serena and the others will be worried."
"Rawwrrr!" Charizard replied in agreement as the duo continued walking, unaware of what was about to happen. Up on a nearby cliff, a rather masculine man who was dressed in long, loose fitting pants and had his shirt tied around his head like a hat. Next to him, was a Tyranitar as they both looked on in amusement.
"So, those must be the two Alain was talking about," the man muttered as he turned to Tyranitar. It might be interesting after all, but he had to tell Alain he was off on his description. There was no hat on this kid. "You ready?"
"Tyran!" The Rock and Dark-Type cried out as he kicked up a large sandstorm throughout the desert. Soon, the entire area couldn't be seen as the storm grew stronger and stronger.
"C-Charizard! Can you see anything?" Ash asked as he choked on the sand. The sandstorm had just randomly appeared, as if by chance and the duo were caught right in the middle of it. Doing their best to fight through it, but they were having quite a difficult time.
"Rawrrr," Charizard muttered back as the storm forced him to land on the ground. It was currently too hard to try and fly as the wind made it impossible for Charizard to steady himself.
Ash thought about how they could stop this storm, but nothing came to mind. Then, a thought did come to him as he remembered Charizard's ability when Mega Evolved. "If we use Mega Evolution, then Charizard's ability will end this storm... No! I can't force that on him. He doesn't need more stress." Ash thought to himself as he braced against the storm. Looking over at Charizard, it appeared like the Fire and Flying-Type was having a more difficult time. Sand appeared to batter his entire body as it made Charizard wince in pain, seeing this, Ash raised Charizard's Poké Ball and was ready to recall him into it.
"Charizard, go into your Poké Ball, you'll be safer in there!" Ash called out over the howling winds. He could barely see Charizard now as the storm managed to pick up strength again. "At least this way you'll be out of the storm."
Charizard however had different ideas. He noticed just how bad this storm was for Ash and wouldn't abandon him now. Making his way over to his trainer, Charizard began flapping his wings as he created a large gust of wind. The gust was managing to overpower the sandstorm. With one last mighty roar, Charizard pushed as hard as he could and created a mini tornado from his wings. Doing so managed to cancel out the storm and give them a moment to rest.
"That was great, Charizard!" Ash praised his Pokémon as the duo sat down on the ground. Both of them were exhausted from their short interaction with the storm and so they decided to rest up. "You managed to blow the storm away with just your wings!"
"Raw," the Flame Pokémon replied back sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. It wasn't anything too special, he just wanted to protect Ash. He had seen Ash in trouble and so he reacted to it.
The duo however didn't have much time to rest, if any at all, as another storm soon came raging through. It appeared to be twice as strong as the last one since neither Ash or Charizard could see anything as they were battered around.
"Charizard! Where are you!?" Ash called out as the duo were lifted up off of the ground and thrown around the sand twister. Opening his eyes, Ash looked on as Charizard was being continuously battered by the strong wind and sand. In fact, the Flame Pokémon looked to be unable to move at all.
"I'm coming Charizard!" Ash continued to cry out as he made his way through the storm. To his surprise, he managed to position himself in a way that the storm would bring him closer to Charizard. Reaching out to him, Ash grabbed a hold of the Fire and Flying-Type as the duo were tossed high up into the sky before both blacked out from the constant battering brought on by the storm.
"My, it looks like they're finally waking up, Tyranitar," a masculine voice muttered as Ash started to flicker his eyes open. To his surprise, he was in a cave with a man he had never seen before and a Tyranitar.
"Where's Charizard!" Were the first words to leave Ash's mouth as he looked around frantically. He didn't remember much from before, but he did know that they were together when they both blacked out.
"Relax, he's on the other side of the cave," the man mentioned as he handed Ash a drink of water. "You shouldn't be moving around so much, especially after me finding you in the Badlands. That had me wondering, why were you two out there at this time?"
"Well, you see," Ash started to say as he then took a sip of water. "We're training to try and master Mega Evolution, but then this freak storm appeared and we got sucked into it. Last thing I remember was trying to get to Charizard. But, why is it so surprising to find us now?"
"Well, right now the Badlands have terrible sandstorms," the man lied as he extended a hand and helped Ash onto his two feet. "Normally travelers know to stay away from here at this time. But, I guess you're different."
"Yeah, I never know that," Ash answered sheepishly while he rubbed the back of his head. "By the way, my name's Ash. Thanks for saving me," he started to say, only to realize he didn't know the man's name.
"The name's Stone," the man now known as Stone stated with a warm smile. "Now, let's go check up on Charizard. Tyranitar, you come along as well."
Turning around, the three of them ventured further into the cave. Making their way towards the back of the cave, Ash noticed that the sides of the cave were lined with personal items along with food supplies. Curious, he just had to ask what was on his mind. "Do you live here?"
"Yep! Tyranitar and I have been living here for almost fifteen years now. One day, we were out exploring the Badlands when we got lost and caught in a storm like the one you did. The storm appears constant, with it dying down for a short amount of time each day," he explained while patting the wall of the cave. "The storm doesn't die down long enough to leave this place however. We've been stuck here since that day."
"What!?" Ash cried out in concern. There had to be a way out, he had to get back to Pikachu, Serena and the others. "You can't be serious! There just has to be a way out!"
"Afraid so, wished I was wrong," Stone muttered while finally making it to Charizard. To his surprise, the Flame Pokémon was already up and moving. "My, you recovered quickly."
"Charizard, you're alright!" Ash cried out before racing over to him. The Fire and Flying-Type appeared just fine despite what they went through.
"Rawrr!" He replied affirmatively while showing he was perfectly fine. Storming to the front of the cave, Charizard was shocked to see nothing but a raging sandstorm. He had been shocked to wake up in a cave, but had thought Ash had found it. But to see the other guy and the sandstorm, the Flame Pokémon realized they had gotten saved.
"Just like I was saying, that storm is dangerous," Stone muttered as everyone caught up to Charizard. "You guys better get comfy living here. You enjoy roots? Tonight's meal is fresh roots."
Charizard however wasn't in the mood for any of this. Spreading his wings wide open, the Fire and Flying-Type let out a ground shaking roar as it was obvious what he was about to do. He was going to try and fly through the storm.
"You're right, Charizard! We have to at least try," Ash agreed while climbing up onto Charizard's back. They had done much more dangerous tasks than flying through a storm, how hard could it be? "We've been through worse, but we'll never give up!"
And with that, the duo took flight, there would be no stopping them today. They had taken on Legendaries together, in fact, they had gone straight into a fight between Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno! No way would a storm keep them trapped here!
"Those two are way too reckless, aren't they, Tyranitar?" Stone asked as the duo watched Ash and Charizard fly off. "They seem to trust each other, but something's missing..."
"Ran?" Tyranitar asked as they watched on.
Everything started out just fine as they left the cave and were soon approaching the storm. Along the way, they could feel the wind pick up and the sand all around them had started to batter them. Reaching the outer wall of the storm, Charizard pushed through with all his might as they crashed through it and into the storm.
Upon entrance, the duo continued on with their hopes of breaking through but were unsuccessful as the strength of the storm increased as they tried to get further. The sand that had been a nuisance now left them hurting as it pelted against their bodies and the wind was making Charizard lose his balance while flying. Then, despite his best effort to remain in control, Charizard was blown backwards and caught up in the storm's powerful winds.
The duo tossed and turned as Charizard tried to straighten himself out, only to be pulled along by the storm. Then, to their surprise, Charizard had the chance to flip right-side up and become properly positioned to fly again. Using all of his strength, Charizard pushed through the storm until they were back at the entrance of the cave.
"So, how'd it go?" Stone asked playfully as the duo laid on the ground exhausted. They had just been beaten by a storm! For people who went up against Legendary Pokémon, this was annoying. "By your expressions, I don't think you got the expected outcome."
"That storm is stronger than we thought," Ash muttered as he sat up alongside Charizard. "We were just tossed around out there. There was nothing we could do to break through."
"I warned you," Stone reprimanded them before handing them both something to drink. "I've tried countless times, but each time I've failed. I've just decided to make the best of the situation. I mean, Tyranitar and I have this nice cave and we don't have to worry about anything."
"Why don't you two spend the night. It is getting late," Stone mentioned as they noticed just how dark out it was getting. "You can tell me all about yourselves. Besides, I'll have dinner ready."
"Here, just like I said, roots for dinner. Hopefully you like them," Stone said as the four of them sat on the ground. Ash and Charizard both looked at the food placed in front of them with curiosity since they were used to real food. Stone meanwhile was eating away at his root like it was a delicacy.
"So, why don't you tell me about yourselves?"
"Alright," Ash replied as he pushed the root off to the side. He was hungry, but right now the plant wasn't interesting him. "You see; I've been on a journey to become a Pokémon Master. Along the way, I've caught many different Pokémon. All of which I know I can rely on, but there's a few that I know I can rely on for my most important battles. Charizard here is one of them and is one of my strongest Pokémon. Despite a few bumps in the road, where we were at odds, we managed to overcome anything."
"Whenever I got myself into a tight situation, Charizard was always there to get me out of them. Greenfield, the Silver Conference, Battle Frontier. You name it, Charizard was always there for me and still is," Ash explained before smiling up towards the Fire and Flying-Type as they exchanged a smile. "And even now we're still growing. Just recently, we got a Mega Stone and Keystone but no matter how much we try, we just can't get it to work. Charizard always seems to lose control of his new power. I don't know if it's because of me though..."
Ash stayed silent for a moment as he stared at the fire in front of them. The flames bounced around as the light from the fire lit up the surrounding area. "You see, I became so obsessed with Mega Evolution, that I didn't even think to see if Charizard was ready. I constantly forced him to Mega Evolve despite his hesitance and so I feel responsible. If I had taken my time, then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Well, sounds like you two have some sort of trust issue," Stone mentioned as he looked over the duo. Ash and Charizard were both confused by the statement and they could only sit there with shocked expressions. "Think about it, from what I've heard, you two trust each other deeply, but then there's something else. Almost as if he has a fear of losing control. Like he had this problem before with power."
"Rawr!" Charizard cried out in anger while shaking his head. He wasn't giving up, not after everything they had been through together. This strange man may be contempt to live in this cave, but Charizard wasn't and he knew Ash wasn't as well. Besides, who was he to say he couldn't handle this power. Pointing to his arm, Charizard was hinting at Mega Evolution.
"You want to give it a try?" Ash asked as he jumped off of the ground before he raised his arm. Seeing Charizard's response, Ash placed his finger onto the Keystone. "Alright! Charizard, Mega Evolve!"
And unlike last time, light shined off of both stones as the cave was flooded with light. Ash, Stone and Tyranitar were forced to cover their eyes as Charizard began the transformation that came with Mega Evolving. Soon, the light died down as in Charizard's place stood Mega-Charizard Y.
"It worked," Ash muttered as he looked at Charizard. The last time, it hadn't worked, but Ash could tell that Charizard felt himself ready to do it this time. He wanted to get free of this cave, he wanted to help Ash get out of here. Looking outside, it was apparent that the storm was weakening thanks to his ability and so this would be their best chance to leave.
"Come on, Charizard," Ash said as he motioned for the Fire and Flying-Type to come with him. Charizard however had a different idea as he shot a Flamethrower in Ash's direction. "So we're still having trouble..." Ash thought to himself as he ducked under the Flamethrower. Deciding it would be best to get him to chase him, Ash tossed a rock at Charizard and watched his reaction. "Come on, you can't even hit a broad side of a barn with that aim!"
"Rawrrr!" Mega-Charizard roared out in anger. He wasn't going to sit back and put up with this. Opening his wings, he flew straight at Ash, who had already began running. Following behind him were Stone and Tyranitar, wondering if everything was alright.
"So, Alain wasn't joking when he said they were having trouble," Stone muttered as he watched them running across the desert land. "I think I have an idea on how to help them out though."
"Tyran?" Tyranitar asked in confusion. Just what could Stone have working up in his mind right now? Whatever it was, hopefully it would help these two out. Looking back over at them, Tyranitar watched as Ash quickly recalled Charizard back into his Poké Ball before wiping his brow.
"That actually worked," Ash muttered as he realized they had made it past the storm which had already began forming again. Looking up at the sky, Ash realized that it was now getting late and decided to search for an area to spend the night. "We're free from that storm..."
Looking around, Ash realized that he had also lost sight of Stone. During the confusion he must have gotten too far ahead of the older man. "Hmm, hopefully he made it out of there as well." Looking at the Poké Ball in his hand, Ash pressed the button in the center of it, letting Charizard back out of it.
"Rawrrr," The still Mega-Evolved Pokémon cried out as he fired off a Flamethrower into the sky. Looking around, he soon saw Ash and was surprised to see the boy so calm around him.
"Charizard, I know we've been having a hard time with this and I'm sorry," Ash began to say to the Flame Pokémon. Maybe Stone was right, maybe he should have realized that something like this would happen based on past experiences. But he was going to make it right. "I never should have pushed you into Mega Evolving right away. That was my mistake."
Mega-Charizard just looked confused. Something was strange about the boy in front of him, it was like he knew him from somewhere but Charizard couldn't remember from where. Staring hard at the boy, he could make out a similar image, a memory more so, of them... working together? Yeah, it was definitely them but they were facing off against a... a Blastoise, that was it. It was clear now, the duo were working together in unison. But, why was there something telling him that this boy was holding him back. Charizard was frustrated at his own confusion and just launched off a Flamethrower up into the sky.
"I'm hoping we can work through this, Charizard," Ash continued on as he looked up at the sky. "We've been through so much together and I just know you remember. Our battles with Gary and Harrison at the Silver Conference. Facing off against Noland at the Battle Frontier and just recently facing Trevor and Alain at the Kalos League." Ash noticed that his words were breaking through based on the expression on Charizard's face. He had to keep pushing the issue, bring up past memories.
"You know, the sky reminds me a lot of the night I stayed up throughout to warm you back up to a healthy temperature," Ash explained while looking at the stars. That was a night he would never forget as the very next morning, Ash had gained Charizard's trust. "You wouldn't believe how many fires I had to build and how long I rubbed you warm. My hands were raw by the next morning. But I wouldn't change a thing. Because of that day, you and I made our first steps towards a stronger relationship. Something I hope we can do now with Mega Evolution."
"Rawrr," Charizard muttered as he eyed the stars. Something about them triggered a memory that was dormant inside of him ever since he had Mega Evolved. They were on a cliff of sorts overlooking the ocean, just him and this boy but he was sleeping. He remembered waking up to the boy furiously trying to rub some warmth into him. But that was it. The rest was a blur.
Ash smiled as he saw the look on Charizard's face, bringing up their old memories was working. Hopefully soon he would be able to get through to him completely. Ash was about to say something else when he felt the ground around them shaking. Falling onto his behind, the young trainer looked around to see the entire area shaking.
"W-What's happening?" Ash asked as he watched Charizard fly into the air to avoid the quakes. To Ash, he could tell this wasn't just an ordinary random quake, but someone had to have planned it. Looking up at Charizard, Ash could tell that he sensed something.
"Whoever's out there, you can come out!" Ash called out as he forced himself to stand up. Dusting off his pants, Ash stared in the direction Charizard was facing to try and notice anything different. "If you don't, Charizard will launch a Flamethrower!"
As if on command, the Fire and Flying-Type launched off the attack as a Dark Pulse matched it in strength as the two attacks exploded. The wind from the explosion kicked up the sand around them and made it nearly impossible to see anything. Letting out a loud roar, Charizard began to blow away the cloud of dust only for an Ice Beam attack to come right at him.
Flying to his left, Charizard avoided the attack as the dust finally settled and revealed what appeared to be a Tyranitar on the ground. Only, this one looked different as its armor appeared to be larger and three spikes formed on both sides of its body. Also, the usual spikes on its head were different as one large one sat on the top of Tyranitar's neck and two more at its brow level.
"My, you're quite the observant one," a man muttered as he walked from behind the Tyranitar like Pokémon. "Mega-Tyranitar and I thought we could attack while your guard was down."
"We weren't fooled that easily," Ash responded as Charizard flew back onto the ground, his eyes never leaving his new opponent. "Besides, why would a random earthquake happen here?"
"You know, I give you credit," the man said as the moonlight cast down onto him, revealing himself as none other than Stone. Ash was surprised that the man who had helped them was now attacking them. "Tell me, did you honestly believe that a sandstorm could just form at that strength?" He asked while eyeing Ash with a smirk.
"If you did, you're quite the gullible one to believe that. You see, Tyranitar and I find unsuspecting fools and trap them in our Sandstorms thanks to his ability," Stone explained as Ash finally understood why a Sandstorm had randomly formed earlier in the day. "You see, we don't live in that cave because we were forced to but because we look for travelers who we can steal from. And you're the perfect one. Now, Stone Edge, go!"
"Charizard, dodge and then use Steel Wing!" Ash countered as he hoped Charizard would listen to him this time. However, the Fire and Flying-Type did dodge as he asked but instead of going in with a Steel Wing he instead attacked with Flamethrower.
"Rawwrrrr!" He cried out angrily while launching off the Fire-Type attack. The stream of flames soared across the land until they smashed right into Mega-Tyranitar. The attack didn't appear to bother him however as it just sprayed off into multiple directions following the initial impact.
"So, I see you two are still having issues while Mega Evolved," Stone pointed out as a sick smirk crossed his face. He would just have to do something for them about it then. "Now, use Stone Edge again!"
"Tyran!" The Armor Pokémon cried out in agreement before slamming his fist into the ground. Large blue stones erupted out of the ground before heading right for Charizard. Unlike before, the Flame Pokémon had no time to react as the rocks erupted from the ground and smashed right into his body.
Being sent up into the sky, Charizard straightened his body around before readying another Flamethrower attack. Launching it off, the attack had the same limited effect as the previous did much to Charizard's annoyance.
"Charizard, you have to try a different attack!" Ash yelled from the ground. He saw how the Fire and Flying-Type was too stubborn to see that his attack wasn't working and so Ash hoped that Charizard would listen to him.
Instead, Charizard fired off another Flamethrower attack as it was met in power by a Dark Pulse. The two attacks collided as the ensuing explosion knocked Charizard around in the air as he had trouble straightening himself out.
"Now, why don't you just hand over your Keystone and Mega Stone?" Stone asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Then you and your Pokémon can leave. I'm not heartless, just looking out for myself. These stones are worth quite a bit around Kalos."
"Never!" Ash yelled back as he raised a fist up in front of his body. "We've never given up against people like you and we won't start now! Charizard, you need to use a different move! Try a Steel Wing attack!"
Once more, Charizard ignored the command but every time he did so, his old memories appeared to emerge. He could remember battling alongside Ash, but right now that didn't matter. Right now he was strong enough to win on his own. Flying towards Tyranitar, Charizard readied another Flamethrower as he felt the flames form on the inside of his mouth. Getting in real close, Charizard launched off the Flamethrower from point blank range.
Tyranitar then felt the entirety of the blast smash into his chest, but the Rock and Dark-Type held his ground and managed to take the attack directly before grabbing ahold of Charizard's tail. Swinging the Mega Evolved Pokémon around, Tyranitar then let Charizard go for a spin as the Flame Pokémon spun through the sky.
"Now, use Stone Edge!" Stone called out as Tyranitar nodded in agreement. With a mighty roar, followed by a slamming of his fist into the ground, Tyranitar launched a group of blue stones up after Charizard.
The Fire and Flying-Type had no way to dodge as his momentum continued to pull him upwards. Looking back down, he managed to notice a horde of stones flying right for him and could do nothing but watch as they smashed hard into his body. Taking the full force of the attack, Charizard used it to switch his momentum and then flew back down towards the ground before landing with a soft thud.
Looking at his fellow Mega Evolved Pokémon, Charizard had a slight annoyance in his eyes. Almost as if Tyranitar and his trainer had ruined something for the Flame Pokémon. Roaring out loudly, Charizard flew forward as his wings glowed silver. Slashing them against Tyranitar, Charizard quickly spun upwards into the air before turning and getting prepared for his next strike.
"Now, Tyranitar, before he lands the attack, Stone Edge once more," Stone called out as once again Tyranitar created a horde of rocks. Launching them all up at the approaching Charizard, the duo seemed to be in a good position.
"Rawrrrr!" Charizard cried out in annoyance. Swatting away the incoming stones, the Fire and Flying-Type was growing frustrated and annoyed at his opponent's attempts to stop him. They didn't realize that he wouldn't be beaten that easily. Using his Steel Wing to deflect the attacks, Charizard had left himself wide open for a surprise attack.
Tyranitar noticed it as well, for as soon as Charizard appeared to be getting ready for another Steel Wing attack, the Rock and Dark-Type surprised everyone in the area with an Ice Beam. Striking the Flame Pokémon with ease, Tyranitar smirked as Charizard's wings began to freeze.
Unable to stay in the air now, Charizard began a freefall descent towards the ground. Expecting a hard smash, the Fire and Flying-Type braced himself for the impact. To his surprise however, the landing was a little softer than he had expected. In fact, there was more noise to it than he thought there should be. Looking down, to his surprise, he saw that Ash was underneath him. He had broken Charizard's fall despite how he had been acting.
"Are... Are you alright, Charizard?" Ash asked before letting out a light chuckle. He had seen Charizard begin to fall and just acted on instincts alone. Diving to break the Fire and Flying-Type's fall, Ash had used his entire body to cushion the impact for Charizard. "I couldn't have you get hurt. You're one of my closest friends. I had to help you out even if you didn't want it."
"Raww," Charizard muttered as the duo stood back up. He was moved that despite the fact he treated Ash horribly, the trainer was willing to risk his own safety for his wellbeing. Was this the same Ash from his memories that they battled together? Or was this a different one? They did look very similar, but still...
"How touching, it looks like you're both idiots," Stone mentioned as he waved his hand in a mocking fashion. He was surprised Ash had reacted in that manner, but hopefully it worked to get through to Charizard. "Now you both can both be finished together! Stone Edge, let's go!"
"Ranitar!" Tyranitar screeched out before slamming his fist into the ground. Large blue pillars of stone soon emerged out of the earth and were heading right for Ash and Charizard.
Spreading his wings, Charizard found himself unable to fly. To his surprise, the ice was limiting his movements so badly that he couldn't fly at all. Looking back at the stones, the Fire and Flying-type had a hint of worry in his eyes as they approached rather quickly.
"I won't let you hurt Charizard!" Ash called out as he stood in front of his Pokémon. Spreading his arms wide on both sides of his body, it appeared as though the boy was creating a shield of sorts. "We might have our differences while he's Mega Evolved, but the Charizard I know is in there! And I won't abandon him no matter what!"
And just like that, the last stone erupted out of the ground as Ash yelled out his final words. Smashing into the Pallet Town native, Ash felt himself soar high into the air as the attack knocked all the wind out of him. Dazed and confused, he had no clue what to expect now, but watching Charizard interested him.
The Fire and Flying-Type appeared to be having an inner battle over something and it appeared to be for Ash. Spreading his wings outwards again, the Flame Pokémon forced himself off of the ground as the ice shattered from his wings. Rocketing upwards to Ash, Charizard managed to catch the boy on his back much to his gratitude.
"Charizard? Is that you?" Ash muttered weakly as he sat back up. He didn't know if this was the Charizard he knew, or the Charizard that showed up whenever they tried out Mega Evolution.
"Rawrr," the Fire and Flying-Type muttered softly. He was back. Seeing Ash but himself in harm's way for him had been the last thing needed to get the old Charizard back. Now, he was ready to try out Mega Evolution to its fullest potential.
"Great, now use Flamethrower!"
"Tyranitar, counter with Dark Pulse!" Stone responded with as the two attacks clashed in the sky over the badlands. An explosion soon occurred as smoke covered the area and made it impossible to see anything at all.
"Steel Wing, let's go!" Ash's voice could be heard from within the smoke cloud. Then, to Stone's surprise, Charizard emerged from the smoke with his wings glowing silver. Slashing hard against Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon was brought down to one knee from the powerful attack and was now panting heavily.
"Tyranitar, we need to end this! Stone Edge, full power!" Stone cried out as this time, Tyranitar summoned a horde of smaller stones that surrounded his body. Launching them all up at Charizard, the Flame Pokémon was taken aback by the sheer amount of them.
"Don't worry about it Charizard, just listen to my voice," Ash said, helping to calm down the anxious Pokémon. Giving out verbal cues, Ash would instruct Charizard on whether he should go left, right, up or down to dodge the nearest stones. And it appeared to work as the duo navigated their way through the barrage unscratched.
Now, making their way towards Tyranitar, Ash leapt from Charizard's back and landed safely on the desert floor before pointing forward. "Let's finish this, Charizard! Seismic Toss!"
"Rawrr!" Charizard cried out happily. Reaching Tyranitar before the Rock and Dark-Type could react, Charizard grabbed ahold of him and lifted the Armor Pokémon high above the ground.
"Tyranitar!" Stone yelled out in concern as he watched Charizard fly around in a circle to confuse his opponent. Continuing the flight pattern until Tyranitar seemed confused, Charizard then made a straight path for the ground before throwing Tyranitar right into it.
With a heave, Charizard then watched as Tyranitar's heavy body picked up momentum until finally crashing into the soft ground. Despite the softness of the sand, Ash still felt the area shake from the impact and watched as a large crater formed on the ground from the impact.
"Rawrrr!" Charizard cried out from the sky as he launched a Flamethrower off before landing next to Ash. He already knew the match was over and without them knowing how, he reverted back to normal.
"T-Tyranitar!" Stone called out in concern as he jumped down to check on his Pokémon. Once he saw that the Armor Pokémon would be just fine, he did something that Ash and Charizard would never have expected. He clapped for them.
"I'm glad that you two are finally working together now when using Mega Evolution," he stated to their shock. Getting out of the crater with Tyranitar, Stone noticed their expressions and laughed. "Oh, right! I should explain everything!"
"So you see, a friend of mine, Alain, he said he knows you but that isn't important," Stone began before realizing he was drifting away from the real topic. "Well, the other day he called me and said there was this trainer with a Charizard who was having a difficult time with Mega Evolution. He asked me to help them out anyway that I could."
"And to do that, I created that fake Sandstorm using Tyranitar's ability to make it seem like I found you randomly. Then, after seeing how you two worked together and how close you were I was surprised to see it disappear once you Mega Evolved back at the cave," he continued to explain his entire plan to the duo as they still locked confused. "But, despite it looking like we got separated, I was always behind you guys. And when I noticed Ash was getting through to you, Charizard, I figured that if I attacked you guys it might work faster."
"And well, the rest is history," Stone said as he chuckled a little. It had been a crazy day for them all. Especially considering how he attacked the duo and wasn't expecting Ash to jump in like that. "But, what were you thinking, Ash? Jumping in front of an attack like that?"
Ash chuckled a little before rubbing underneath his nose. He never was someone to think about his actions. "Well, I wasn't thinking. I knew Charizard was in danger and so I wasn't moving. I was going to stay by Charizard's side throughout this battle."
"Hahahahaha! Now that's what I like to hear, boy," Stone stated happily before slapping Ash's back. If the world had more people like him, it would be much better off than it was now. "But, one of these days it'll get you killed. But for now, let's head back to my cabin. It isn't too far from here and in the morning you can continue your journey. Lumiose City is only a few days from here."
"Really!?" Ash shot out as the group began their walk. He could have sworn they were further away than that. At least a week he thought it would take him.
"Yep, this area is directly in the middle of the Badlands. It took Tyranitar and myself some time to drag you two out here," Stone answered before letting out a laugh. "I guess I helped you out in more than one way."
"They're late," Silver grumbled as he drank his coffee. He was told that the International Police were going to meet them for seven in the morning. It was now pushing eight and both himself and Michael were going to have to head back soon. "They're not going to show up. Let's get going."
"Now hold on, let me take in some of Lumiose City's sights," Michael joked as he looked around at all the girls walking around. Being in a cramped base all day, he couldn't see all the lovely ladies of Kalos.
"You know, I'm not even going to hit you this time..." Silver muttered as he finished his drink. "At this point, I know you're not taking this mission seriously."
Michael frowned as he heard that. Little did this boy know how much he gave up for this life he lived now. "You probably don't know anything about sacrifice do you? Let's just say that everything you see from me is a lie. A second life more so. That this 'Michael' you see before you isn't the real one."
Silver raised an eyebrow as he stared at him in confusion. Michael had mentioned something about telling him how he got like this, but now of all places? "And what do you mean by 'this isn't the real Michael', who's the real Michael?"
"Well you see, that's a long story," he replied before throwing an arm around Silver. "It all started roughly thirteen or fourteen years ago. You see, I had been a young up and coming G-Man agent and then the best day of my life happened. I had a son."
"Oh you should have seen how excited I was, I wanted to spend every moment I could with him. But, duty called and so I was constantly gone," Michael explained as he looked down at his coffee. "Then, one day my wife got ill. We didn't know how or what she had. But she passed shortly after. My mother than looked after my son before she too passed away. By that point, I had been more actively involved in the G-Men and Lance warned me that any previous connections could give anyone an edge over me."
"So, I did the only thing I thought was good for him. I left him at a friend of mine's home. Raised him and let me tell you this he's a pretty good trainer. Granted, he is forgetful but hear me out, he made the Top 8 for the last Kalos League. Pretty good right?" Michael asked with a smirk on his face while elbowing Silver. "And so, to make sure no one realizes I'm his father I've been living a life with a completely different personality than what I did for my entire life. A serious but fun loving husband turned into this goofball agent."
"You didn't have to cut off all ties to your son," Silver replied as he looked down at the ground. They had different reasons. Michael wanted to protect his son and Silver wanted to bring his father to justice. "You could have just quit the G-Men."
"Heh, a friend told me the same thing," Michael said as he leaned back in his seat. "But, I've always lived by the thought that if I can help create a better place for the future generations then it'll work out for the best. You know what I mean? Like, you kids are the next generation. If I can help you all out the best I can, then I did something right for once." Standing up, Michael tossed his coffee cup into the trash before looking back at the boy sitting down. "We should probably head back before they grow suspicious. Come on."
However, to their surprise, there appeared to be a man in a brown trench coat standing before them. "Michael and Silver?" The man asked before receiving a head nod of agreement from the two. "I've been sent by the International Police to help. My partner is on his way from Unova right now. But, for the time being you can call me Looker."
And the Charizard arc is finished. Hopefully it isn't that bad, but I won't lie, it gave me the hardest time to try and write. And so I went with the time old "bonds formed over time breaks the conflict" cliché. Anyway, Looker is on the scene now and who's his partner?
Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I can improve the story.