Welcome back everyone! Last time we had the first round conclude and the second begin with Team Lightning sweeping through their entire match thanks to Remo and Clemont. While they had it easy, Ash didn't as he learned that he wouldn't be battling against Paul and the others of Team Victory.
Ch 52: A Brand New Ash
"How is the test subject doing?" Giovanni asked as he looked over a stack of papers. Standing before the head of Team Rocket were a few of his top scientists who appeared a little nervous to be in his presence. "Is everything ready for our plan to be set in motion?"
One of the three scientists stepped forward, cowering just a little from the sight of Giovanni as he wiped his forehead clean of any sweat that was forming. "E-Everything is going according to plan, sir! The Symbiote brought to the lab by Sird appears to have taken a liking to the test subject just as she said it would."
"Perfect. And as for the availability of it?" Giovanni asked as he placed the clipboard down and looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. Mewtwo's confinement had been finished up roughly a couple of days ago and they were now testing his new powers out through training exercises while the rest of their plan was being completed.
"W-Well, sir, we still lack the necessary energy to fire the weapon. Otherwise everything else is a go. Fortunately, a stable power supply is available to power up the weapon. However, if you want to fire it, the necessary Mega Evolution energy still needs to be collected. At the rate those three are gathering it though, by my calculations we should be able to use the weapon in no time at all," the scientist explained as he looked over at the silent TV playing in the background. On it was a highlight of a Mega Garchomp facing off against a Mega Sceptile. Those fools at the tournament had no clue that their battles were helping fuel the end of their known world.
"Yes, those three are great at everything they do, especially following orders," Giovanni replied as he let a short laugh escape from his lips. "Jessie, James and Meowth. Not the brightest, but they are hardworking I'll give them that. They really are my three best agents, however, I'll have little use for them once I rule this entire planet. Due to their excellent work though, I'll reward them by allowing them to continue to work as my personal servants. Knowing those buffoons, they'd treat it like a promotion."
"Little do they know that they're of little use to me even now. I have no need for them since they've ran their course, they've helped build the Kalos Branch of Team Rocket and their services are no longer required. But, I've learned that they're at their best through profiting so why not have them sell some merchandise and make us some cash at the big tournament? While also collecting some Mega Evolution energy unknowingly."
"That is correct, sir. Their boxes are all equipped with Mega Evolution collection sensors that we drain the collected energy from when they resupply. Those three don't even realize what they're really doing right now," the scientist replied as he didn't appear as nervous anymore.
Giovanni smirked as he thought back to those three. A long time ago he had thoughts of firing them. They were nothing more than a waste of space due to the fact they never supplied any Pokémon to Team Rocket or paid their yearly dues. Always getting phone calls from them about money or supplies, it had driven him insane to the point where he actually ignored them and almost forgot they existed. Then they went to Hoenn and defeated Teams Aqua and Magma. Then Sinnoh and their team. The trend continued as they ousted Team Plasma and nearly helped him take over the entire region and now in Kalos they had really done their work as the base was well done and everything was ready.
Looking back at the scientists, Giovanni soon realized that they were still here just standing around. Sighing, he glared at them for a moment before speaking up. "What are you still doing here? Don't you have tests to see if the subject will work properly? It's good that the Symbiote has bonded with it, but if it doesn't listen to orders then it'll be a waste!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" The three scientists cried out before running out of Giovanni's office. There was no way they wanted to get onto his bad side.
"Still..." Giovanni muttered to himself as he thought back on his previous failures. "Even if everything is ready, that boy will try to stop me if given the chance. Attila and Hun said that they were stopped in their pursuit of him, and sending another attack this soon would look suspicious. When the time comes, I'll just have to handle him myself. He'll have no clue as to what hit him."
"Umbreon, use Shadow Ball now!" Gary commanded as he pointed forward with his index finger. Charging up his attack, Umbreon reared his head backwards before swinging it forwards and launched off the sphere of energy.
"Pancham, block it with a Dark Pulse," Serena called out, using some of the ideas she picked up from Ash's battles in Kalos and a few tips she had received from Brock.
"Pancham, cham," The Fighting-Type cried out energetically as he cupped his two hands together. Tossing them out in front of his body, Pancham soon fired off the mix of purple and black beam of energy as it crashed hard into the encroaching ball of energy before the two attacks exploded and caused a gust of wind and dirt to fill the streets of the city field they were battling on.
Gary smirked as he saw his opening and despite not knowing if Serena had anything to counter with, decided to try and end the match here and now. "Umbreon, get in close and use a Quick Attack followed up with another Shadow Ball!"
"Umbre!" The Moonlight Pokémon cried out happily before breaking off and into a sprint. A white light trailed behind him as he raced across the field before landing right in front of Pancham. Pausing for a mere second as both Pancham and Serena were shocked to see the Dark-Type already before them, Umbreon rammed his head right into Pancham's abdomen as the Playful Pokémon went flying high into the air.
Continuing the attack, Umbreon then launched off a Shadow Ball straight for Pancham. Gary smirked as he could hear Serena call out another Dark Pulse as a hint of fear was found in her voice. However, with Pancham spinning around uncontrollably in the sky, the small Fighting-Type was unable to properly ready himself to fire off an attack and was struck hard by the Shadow Ball before crashing into the field below.
"Pancham is unable to battle! The winner is Umbreon and Team Mega has gained one point in today's match!" The referee called out as Ash broke his eyes away from the TV screen that was playing the match in the area where vendors were selling all sorts of goods and treats. Sighing, Ash threw his hands up behind his head before walking along the marketplace in confusion.
"Why do I do this to myself, Pikachu?" Ash asked his best friend as the Electric-Type looked on in confusion from the question. "I can't battle today and yet I torture myself by watching the other matches on TV. I can't help it, but I really want to be down on that field right now."
"Pipikachu," Pikachu agreed as a few small bolts of electricity flew from his cheeks. Ash nodded in understanding that Pikachu was just as disappointed as he was before the duo continued on. If only Ash didn't allow his ego to take advantage of himself, he wouldn't be in this mess. Still, the Pallet Town native wondered if there was even a way to keep it from happening again.
Looking up at the forest that was nearby to the Trainer's Village, Ash saw a quiet place to relax at and headed in its direction. "You know what, Pikachu, we need to get away from this entire tournament for the day and just let ourselves relax. We've had too much stress on us since winning the Kalos League," Ash decided upon as he picked up the pace, causing Pikachu to have to hold on tighter to Ash's shoulder to keep from falling.
"Pikapi," the Electric-Type cried out in agreement as they passed by a few vendors on the streets. Passing a quick glance, Pikachu felt they looked familiar, but ignored them for the time being. Making their way up past the Trainer's Village, the duo found themselves a nice comfy hill that they could lay down on.
"Wow, this is a beautiful view of the entire tournament grounds. Isn't it, Pikachu?" Ash asked as the duo leaned back against the hill to see the sight of the entire grounds below them. They could see all the vendors down below trying their best to sell their merchandise as fans bustled their way into the stadium, no doubt for the second battle of the middle match. Sighing, Ash wondered how everyone else was doing today, but figured that it was best to ignore them. Not out of spite, but to allow himself a chance to relax and start over.
"Pikachu, do you ever question what we do?" Ash asked out of the blue, causing the Electric Mouse Pokémon to look over in concern. "Think about it for a minute. Despite all the Leagues we've competed in, it always seems like we just start back over at the beginning with each new region we head off to explore. Though, Kalos was different for us, we both started out better than usual and it carried over to the Kalos League. We actually won for once and I was beyond excited. All our hard work was finally paying off, but then I became overconfident around the others. I tried to rush through Mega Evolution and that only damaged my relationship with Charizard. And now, I've gotten even worse. I'm lashing out at my friends, my commands are sloppy, I'm letting everyone down now."
"Chaaa," Pikachu cried out softly as he rubbed his face up against Ash's. The Electric-Type didn't like to see Ash in such a mood and the young trainer was grateful for the response. "Pikachu, pipikachu! Pika, pika!" There was no way either of them should regret anything they learned through their adventures together.
"Alright, I get it. I'm glad that you and I met all those years ago, Pikachu. Without you, who knows if I even would have been able to start my journey when I did. My journey would have been so much different without you," Ash said to his best friend before they both leaned back onto the hill once more.
"It's great to see you've found such a great partner; you know that?" An older voice boomed out before a light chuckle followed after it. Sitting up, Ash was soon looking at the sight of a slightly older man standing before him. Looking him over, Ash noticed how the man was a little taller than himself, possibly a few inches taller than his mother. His clothes appeared to be situated for someone who traveled constantly as his jeans were lightly worn and his jacket reminded Ash of his own, only red was the main color. He also appeared to have black messy hair and was clean shaven which surprised Ash based on the deep voice. Seeing Ash staring at him, the older man sat down next to him as his own Pikachu ran out from behind his shoulder.
"Sorry to just show up unannounced, but I saw you back near the vendors looking all bent out of shape. I figured you would need someone to talk to, Ash," the older man continued on as Ash wondered just how he knew his name. though, that question was soon answered by the man himself. "You see, Pika and myself are big fans of you, Ash. It isn't every day that someone from our hometown becomes such a good trainer as yourself."
"You're from Pallet Town?" Ash asked as the man nodded his head in agreement. For the small town that he grew up in, Ash had never seen this guy at all before. "And a huge fan of mine?"
"Right you are. I never had a chance to properly meet you since I was off on my own journey before you were old enough to remember me. Though I remember you. In fact, not only do I know you, but I've been following your journey since you first competed in the Pokémon League competition at Indigo Plateau," the man responded as he dropped his backpack and laid down on the hill. "You've come quite a long way since then. Especially with that Charizard of yours. Though to be honest, I've always been interested in your Pikachu. He's quite the powerful one."
"Yeah, Pikachu and I have been through so much together. I was actually just telling him how I couldn't even picture my journey had we never met on the day I went to get my first Pokémon," Ash explained as he sat up and watched the two Pikachu play together. "Though, your Pikachu looks really strong as well. You must be a great trainer to have such a strong Pokémon."
"You know, I used to think the same way when I was your age. Strength was always the key and it was able to be formed through hard work and bonds. Though, over time I came to realize something. Being a trainer wasn't about winning or losing or whatever your end goal was. It was spending time with your friends, your partners on this life journey you've set off on. Winning or losing wasn't important but if you have fun, then you'll always be proud of how you do no matter what outcome," the elder man explained while suddenly sitting straight up, slightly shocking Ash as he fell backwards. "Kid, you remind me of myself and I think I'll help you out of this rut of yours. How's a battle sound? Just your Pikachu against Pika here?"
"A... Battle?" Ash asked while blinking. He didn't know if now was the right time, but figured if this guy wanted one, who was he to deny it. Standing up, Ash raised his fists excitedly as Pikachu sprinted over to his trainer's side, Pika doing the same with the older man. "If you've really been following my journey, then you should know I never turn down a chance at a battle!"
Smiling at the young boy's enthusiasm, the older gentleman couldn't help but smile back at his new opponent. Fixing their caps, both of them appeared to be mirror images of the other. Only that the man was older than his opponent. "Alright, Pika, I choose you!"
"Pika!" The Electric-Type cried out in excitement as he ran onto the makeshift field while sparks flew from his cheeks.
"Okay, Pikachu, let's give them everything we've got!" Ash yelled out as his best friend jumped from his shoulder. Landing on the hill, Pikachu prepared himself to battle against one of his own kind. "Alright, start off with a Thunderbolt attack!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out in agreement as his body began to flow with electricity. Charging himself up, the Electric mouse Pokémon soon launched off the attack with all his strength. "Pika... Chuuuuuu!"
Pika and his trainer were not fazed by the incoming attack however. Instead, the duo waited for it to come right at them before issuing a counter. "Pika, stick your tail into the ground. Have it act similar to a lightning rod. Then, once the attack is over, use Thunder!"
"Pi!" The Electric-Type cried out before ramming his tail into the earth. Electricity soon flowed through Pika's body before dispersing down into the ground, allowing the Electric Mouse Pokémon to be hardly harmed from the attack. "Pika... Chuuuu!" He then cried out in retaliation as a large bolt of lightning shot from his own body before crashing right for Pikachu.
"Quick, Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack and then try to get in close to land an Iron Tail!" Ash countered as he smiled from the attack. Leaping out of the way, Pikachu landed on all four paws before breaking out into a sprint. Streaking across the field, Pikachu left a white trail behind himself as his tail glowed a bright white. Ash looked confident in this attack, Pikachu was one of the fastest Pokémon he knew.
"I have a feeling as to how you canceled out our Thunderbolt attack, but this time you won't be able to stop this one! Now Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as he jumped into the air and performed a summersault. Gaining momentum as he spun around, Pikachu slammed his tail hard onto his opponent. Both Ash and Pikachu believed they had landed a direct hit, yet were shocked beyond words once they saw the attack had been blocked by Pika's very own Iron Tail. "Pikachu," he quickly muttered to himself before pushing off from the clash and landing backwards and away from his opponent.
"Man, these two are tougher than they look," Ash muttered to himself while wiping away a drop of sweat. For some reason, he was feeling different from the other day. He wasn't out here battling to prove anything to anyone, this was just a friendly battle where no one was watching him. Where he could afford to slip up and make mistakes, and despite the thought of these two beating him, it only made him even more determined. "But, I know we can take them on, Pikachu! As long as you're by my side I know we can't lose! Now, use Thunderbolt once more!"
"Ash, you've already tried this out once before. It failed the last time and we'll cancel it out again," the older man told his opponent as he placed a hand behind his head and looked across at the boy. The sight of the smiling boy was like looking in a mirror from when he was a boy. "Get ready, Pika!"
"Pi, pikachu," the Electric-Type cried out as he threw his tail hard into the ground. Looking up, the duo weren't shocked at all as a Thunderbolt crashed hard into Pika only to be channeled into the ground. However, the look on Ash's face surprised them a little as it looked to be like the boy figured something out.
"Alright, Pikachu, keep that Thunderbolt coming and don't let up one bit!" Ash cried out excitedly as he punched forward, a sight that his older opponent couldn't help but smirk at. Pikachu followed through with the command as a large surge of electricity shot from his body before channeling right through Pika once more. However, this was exactly what he wanted as he issued an Iron Tail while Pikachu fell back towards the ground.
"Pi...ka!" The Electric-Type cried out triumphantly as he whipped his entire body around until his now glowing tail smashed hard into Pika's head. Bouncing up and off of his opponent, Pikachu then slammed his tail down once more across Pika's face as the fellow Electric-Type skidded backwards.
Landing in front of Ash, both Pikachu and his trainer shared a smile as it seemed they were finally getting going now. "You see, I finally realized how you managed to cancel out our Thunderbolt attack since it was very similar to a tactic I saw before. By having Pika use his tail as a lightning rod, you managed to have all the electricity from the Thunderbolt surge into the ground. However, when Pika's preoccupied with that it leaves him open to any other kind of attack," Ash explained while fixing his hat.
"You really are something else, you know that Ash?" The older man asked while letting out a light chuckle at the sight of Ash's enthusiasm. "Your old man would be pretty proud of you. But try to handle this one! Pika, use your Thunder attack while spinning!"
"What!?" Ash cried out in shock at the mention of his dad. Pika meanwhile began to spin in a similar manner to how Pikachu would use counter-shield. As the electricity surged from the Electric Mouse Pokémon, Ash watched as Pikachu skirted all around the grassy field in hopes of dodging the attack. "This isn't good... Pikachu can't keep dodging forever! Come on, Ash, think!" He began to silently tell himself as his fists clenched around the end of his jacket, he just couldn't lose now. Not when he was so close.
"Pika!" Pikachu's sudden cry caused him to snap out of his thoughts as two strands of Thunder crashed down into Pikachu. As his best friend was shocked by the blast, Ash wondered just what they could do as he issued a Quick Attack.
"Pikachu, we have to disrupt his attack! Build up an Electro Ball while dodging and launch it at the ground in front of Pika! Make it so he can't see you coming," Ash countered as Pikachu spun in midair to dodge another strand of Thunder. Ash had to admit, this attack was pretty powerful as the grassy field was now singed from the attack. Pikachu however wasn't fazed by the strength as a large electrical orb soon formed on his tail. Running straight for his target, Pikachu watched as one of the Thunder strands began to crash down right in front of him.
"Pika, pika, pika, pika, chu pi!" Pikachu cried out in pain as he crashed right through the Thunder attack and launched off his Electro Ball. Landing back on the ground, Pikachu watched in delight as the attack caused the land around Pika to crack and force the Electric-Type to stop his spinning while also giving him an opening. Running across the field, Pikachu rammed himself right into Pika's stomach as both Electric Mouse Pokémon skidded across the field.
"Haha, Ash, you really have grown up so much since I last saw you," the older man thought to himself while removing his own hat to run a hand through his hair. "But, I can tell there's more to what's going on with your struggles than just some ego of yours."
"Okay, Pikachu, keep him on the run with another Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled as his best friend delivered on the command.
The man watched as the bolt crashed into Pika, but unlike before he didn't issue for Pika to cancel it out. Instead, he allowed Pika to sit in the attack and take it head on. "Alright, you've charged up enough," he said to Pika as the duo smirked. Placing his hat back onto his head, the man smiled over at Ash as he saw the boy looking on in a mix of excitement and worry. Though, there seemed to be a third emotion that the man just couldn't read from the boy and wanted to get right to the end of it. "Ash, this has been fun. You're everything I've heard about you, but I need to move this along. Maybe we can have a battle in the future again. I would really like for that to happen; you don't know how much I've wanted to battle you. Now, Pika! Volt Tackle!"
Dashing off in a blinding light, Pika was soon enveloped in electrical energy as he sprinted for Pikachu. In mere moments, the Electric-Type was already upon his target as Ash issued out an Iron Tail to no avail. Breaking through Pikachu's defense, Pika crashed right into his fellow Electric-Type as Pikachu went flying off to the side of the field.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out in concern as he went to go check up on his best friend. Seeing that he was alright, Ash carefully picked Pikachu up and placed in his arms. "You did great out there, Pikachu. Those two are really something though. We'll get them next time though."
"Ash, come on over here! I'll take care of Pikachu and then we can talk," the man stated as he showed a few medicines to Ash. Nodding in agreement, the Pallet Town native brought his best friend over to this man as he sprayed on some medicine to heal those wounds. Letting out a soft cry of pain, Pikachu allowed him to continue treating him before his wounds were completely fixed. "There, that should do it, Pikachu. Your electric attacks pack quite a punch there little guy. Say, I have something I need to talk about with your friend. You mind leaving us alone for a few moments?"
"Pipikachu, chu pi," Pikachu agreed as he ran across the field to go join Pika. Watching the two Electric Mouse Pokémon play, Ash couldn't help but smile as the older man motioned for him to sit and join him on the ground.
Nodding in agreement, Ash soon found himself laying down across the hill once more as they both stared up at the sky. Sitting in silence, Ash wondered just when the man would speak, only for his question to be answered.
"Ash," he said quietly as the Pallet Town native wasn't sure if he heard him correctly. Repeating himself again, Ash knew that the man had spoken and turned to give him his attention. "There were moments just now where you seemed able to control the battle and then there were other moments where you seemed almost scared to be out there. What gives?"
"Well...you see lately I've been having this sort of ego problem. And, no matter how hard I've tried to control it at times, it just seeps out. And when that happens I just can't think straight since my thoughts get all clouded of trying to prove to everyone that I am good," Ash explained his situation to the adult next to him. For Ash, just admitting the situation to someone else seemed to help bring him some peace.
"Hmm, so you're the same way huh. Should have guessed it, runs in the family," the man muttered under his breath before sitting back up and facing Ash directly. "So, you have the old Ketchum ego huh? Well, I can help with that."
"How do you know about my family?" Ash asked, though the man just ignored the question. Ash began to assume he must have been an old family friend of his mother since he did know Ash when he was younger and decided to listen. "And, how are you going to help me?"
"Simple, listen to what I've got to say. Now, why exactly do you want to be a trainer?" The man asked as he crossed his arms, a slight smile forming on his face.
"That's easy," Ash replied while shooting up onto his feet. "I want to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master while making friends with as many Pokémon as I can. Together we'll grow together as we journey."
"Hahaha, you're quite the go-getter. Well, hear me out on this one, Ash. Being the strongest doesn't always make you the best," he explained while Ash looked on in confusion. Seeing that an example would be needed to help teach, the man thought for one before finally choosing one he really liked. "For example, sometimes in a battle even the strongest Pokémon falls. And that happens when trainer and Pokémon are united in their quest together. Strength isn't the only factor in becoming great. Like I said before, it isn't about winning or losing, but how you battle. Going out there and giving it your all, no matter what people think about the outcome is all that matters. There's no reason to rely on others' opinions as long as you're satisfied in your own Pokémon and how they did."
"Not about winning or losing," Ash repeated under his breath as his thought back to his previous battles. Ever since the Kalos League, he was in a must win mentality and it had fully shown itself in his last slip up as he figured he had that match won easily. Looking back at it, this was the same situation that occurred back in Snowbelle. He became so focused on winning that he forgot about everything else. Knowing that he had already forgotten that lesson made Ash mentally slap himself. Needing to know something, he looked up towards the man and asked him a question,
"But, how exactly can I always remember that. It sounds like another lesson I learned recently, yet...I forgot about it."
"Simple, surround yourself with your friends. Believe in them like they believe in you. Trust works both ways, Ash. Just as you and your Pokémon share an unbreakable bond, so do you and your friends. Whenever you feel yourself weak, they'll always be there for you," the older man responded with a large smile as it seemed like Ash was getting it. "Though, I'll let you just think about that for a little bit. I'll see you around."
Getting ready to leave, the man suddenly felt a tug on his jacket as Ash's hand had grasped it. In fact, the man thought it was strange for Ash to not even be looking up at him as he held tight to his jacket. Raising his head slowly, Ash seemed to be in a deep thought as he wondered if he should ask or not.
"If...if you don't mind, I have something else to ask you." Seeing the man nod in response as a sign to continue on, Ash smiled a little as he let go of his jacket. "You see, it's...it's about this feeling. It's something I've never really felt before and the fact I can't figure it out is driving me crazy."
"What exactly are you feeling?" He asked in response to Ash's question. He was hoping that he would be of help, but unless he completely understood then he would be of no help.
"Well, it's hard to explain. But...there's this person who I enjoy being around. And whenever I'm with her, I feel a lot better than when I'm not. She's really nice and sweet and is always so supportive of everyone! Yet, when I'm around her I feel really different and hide it from her but I don't know what any of this means. I was hoping you could help," Ash explained while rubbing the back of his head in confusion.
"Kid, that's simple. It's called love," the man replied while letting out a light laughter. "It's perfectly normal for someone your age to feel like that around someone your age."
Ash listened to the man with slight confusion. "Love...that's what Brock is like. Though, I don't act like he does," Ash thought to himself as he tried to think back to everything. Now that he thought on it, he did realize how he did a lot of things for her. "I don't know anything about love though. How do I know you're right?"
"Take a chance," the man responded with a shrug of his shoulders while picking up a Poké Ball. Seeing this, Pika scurried back over to his trainer before climbing up on his shoulder. "You'll never know anything until you try something, Ash. Think of it like a battle, without taking a risk in it, you'll never know if your strategy will win."
"Take a chance..." Ash repeated as the man opened his Poké Ball to reveal an Aerodactyl much to Ash's shock. Watching the man climb up onto the Flying and Rock-Type, Ash quickly called out to him. "Wait, I never got your name!"
"You can call me Red, kid," the man replied before he gripped onto Aerodactyl. "Good luck with the rest of the tournament and remember what I told you. Take a chance, don't let an opportunity pass you by because you don't know what to do. Trying something that leads to failure only helps to show you a path to success. Now, let's fly, Aero!"
With a loud screech, the Aerodactyl flew off into the sky, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone once more. Watching the Fossil Pokémon fly off into the distance, Ash let out a sigh of content as his head was finally cleared from everything that had been bothering him for a while. "Thanks dad," he muttered softly as Aerodactyl was soon out of his sight.
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked while climbing up onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzling his face. Pikachu was worried for Ash as he appeared to be deep in thought over something.
Laughing from Pikachu's concern, Ash quickly scratched under Pikachu's chin as the Electric-Type let out a content sigh. "I'm alright, Pikachu. Thanks for the concern though. Say, why don't we go and cheer on the others in today's match? I'm sure they would appreciate that."
"And now, we welcome out our second battle of this second round matchup between Team Heartbreak and Team Mega as Nate and Alain take their spots across from each other on the grass field today!" Freddy O'Martian stated happily as the two trainers raised their Poké Balls up.
"Alright, time for our redemption! Go, Dewott!" Nate cried out happily as the capture device erupted open to reveal the Water-Type who stood poised and collected on the field. "You ready to win this time, Dewott?"
"Dewott, de!" The Discipline Pokémon cried out as he reached for the two scalchops attached to his thighs. He didn't seem to be the happiest about the way their match ended yesterday and Nate knew he needed to get him some battling today.
"Well, it looks like you'll have to wait for that redemption because we'll be winning today! Go!" Alain called out as he tossed his Poké Ball outwards as it opened up to reveal a Weavile. "Now, Weavile, start off with Night Slash!"
"Dewott, block it with Razor Shell!" Nate countered as he threw a fist forward. Both Pokémon raced forward across the grassy plains as their two blades seemed evenly matched.
"We seem to be at a stalemate," Alain muttered as he watched the two blades continue to collide as the two Pokémon clashed a handful of times as neither seemed to get the upper hand in this matchup. "But, there has to be a way. Weavile, use a second Night Slash with your other hand as well."
"Wea, wea," the Dark and Ice-Type cried out while smirking. Pulling a second blade from his side, Weavile began to overpower his opponent as he landed a powerful swipe across Dewott's chest, sending him flying backwards and to drop his scalchop onto the field.
"Without that scalchop, Dewott can't properly defend himself," Alain responded as he threw a fist forward in excitement. "Now, Weavile, go in with your Night Slash attack again!"
"Wait for it..." Nate muttered to his partner as a gleam in their eyes showed they had a plan. Watching Weavile sprint across the grassy plains, the duo seemed too calm for being defenseless. "Alright, Dewott, use an Ice Beam on Weavile's feet now! Then follow it up with an Aerial Ace attack!"
"Dewott!" The Water-Type cried out in agreement as he stood on one knee. Opening his mouth up real wide, Dewott formed a large blue sphere in his mouth before firing it off in the shape of a beam. The duo's timing was perfect as Weavile had no way to dodge the beam and soon had his feet frozen to the ground.
"De, dewott, wott!" Dewott then shouted out as he shot off like a rocket for the now immobilized Weavile. With his limbs glowing a bright white, Dewott reared back as he prepared his punch only for it to be blocked by a Night Slash. Not one to give up however, Dewott then kicked upwards as he grazed by Weavile's chin and gave himself an opening.
"Now, Protect!" Alain cried out quickly as a blue shield soon emerged around Weavile's body. The Aerial Ace attack just bounced off harmlessly as both Dewott and Nate were shocked by the quick reflexes of Alain to call out the command. However, the young trainer wasn't finished there as he soon continued his counter. "And now hit him back with your Night Slash and follow it up with an Ice Beam attack!"
Slashing across his body, Weavile managed to hit Dewott across the face and make the Discipline Pokémon lose his focus for just a split second. That short amount of time was all Weavile needed as he soon blasted him backwards with his Ice Beam attack before freeing himself from his restraints.
"Not bad, should have expected this from the runner-up at last year's Kalos League," Nate replied while rolling his shoulders slightly as Dewott stood back up easily. "Though, I had been hoping to face that Charizard of yours. Would have been quite the challenge."
"I'm saving Charizard for someone else," Alain commented as he looked down and across the field with a slight smirk. "Though, you're not bad yourself. It has been a fun battle, something I haven't had in a while. Too bad it'll end soon. Weavile, Night Slash!"
"Don't get excited about the end of this battle just yet, Alain," Nate replied as he and Dewott watched Weavile run right for them. Wielding his purple blade, the Sharp Claw Pokémon seemed ready to strike only for Dewott to roll right under the strike. The way that the Water-Type moved was not of any ordinary Pokémon as he had been trained specifically to counter a charging enemy.
Picking Weavile up from under his arm, Dewott tossed Weavile back across the field as he picked up his previously dropped Scalchop and rushed for Weavile. "Razor Shell, now!"
"Quick, Double Team Weavile!" Alain countered as he watched Dewott slash right through one of the many copies of his Weavile. Letting himself sigh for once, Alain knew he needed to come up with a better way to battle this guy. "Now Weavile, use your Ice Beam to freeze Dewott in place!"
"Weavile," the Dark and Ice-Type muttered in agreement as he and his copies all charged up the attack as they surrounded their opponent.
Once more, Dewott showed no worry or fear, but instead an overwhelming sense of calmness. Looking at Nate, the Discipline Pokémon watched as his trainer nodded in agreement as the multiple beams all came at him. Jumping up above the beams, Dewott managed to avoid all of them with ease as they struck all the copies by mistake. Now seeing where the real Weavile was, Dewott whipped out his scalchop as it glowed a light blue in color while also elongating.
"De...wott!" He cried out excitedly while diving right for the real Weavile. With a single slash of his shell, Dewott managed to bring Weavile down to his knees before finishing off the Sharp Claw Pokémon with an Aerial Ace roundhouse kick to the back. Falling onto his face, Weavile didn't move at all as everyone in the stadium was shocked by the finish.
"Weavile is unable to battle! The winner is Dewott and so Team Heartbreak has tied up this match at one point for each team," the referee declared as Alain recalled his defeated Pokémon.
"Ah yeah! We did it Dewott and you looked cool while doing it! That's the way, pal. Just think of all the possible ladies who were watching," Nate stated happily as Dewott could only shake his head in disbelief. How the Water-Type wished Nate had a different persona as his undercover identity.
"Amazing folks, the duo of Nate and Dewott managed to take down Alain without even having to speak to each other! Quite the deadly pair and you should watch out for how these two battle when the end of the tournament comes around," Freddy explained as the field was being changed for the third and final battle of the day. "Now, for a refresher on the rules, since both teams have one point, the two winners from today's match will battle it out in a winner take all match. So, once the field is picked, Gary and Nate will battle it out to see who's team will leave today with a victory."
"Wow, Nate, you really pulled that victory off. That was quite some battle," Brock told his teammate as the pair of Nate and Dewott stretched while waiting for their next battle to begin. "You really saved us from falling behind the other teams this early one."
"It was nothing really," Nate replied as he finished his stretching. "I couldn't let a pretty face like Serena's down again. I promised her a victory and a victory is what I'll deliver," he continued on while holding her hands in his own. "And after I win tonight, how does a wonderful dinner with just the two of us sound, my dear?"
"Um...well..." Serena began to say as sweat formed on her forehead. Looking at Nate, it seemed almost as if he was pleading with the girl based on his look and she just couldn't bring herself to hurt him or anyone. "If...if you win... If you win then we can get something to eat."
"Just the two of us? Like a date?" Nate asked excitedly as Serena just sighed at his question.
"Yeah. Just the two of us," she muttered out as the field finally arrived up towards them. How she wished it had appeared sooner.
"Perfect, now you just wait here. I'm going to go win us a match," Nate stated proudly before kissing her hand. Letting go of it, Nate ran off as both Serena and Dewott could only sigh at the boy's antics.
"Oh this will be great," Nate began to say as they looked at the field. This time it was a canyon style with a huge gap in the middle of it and the rest of it just having different rock formations sticking up around it. "One more win and then a dream date."
"De, dewott, wott, dewott," the Discipline Pokémon scolded his trainer while waving his scalchop in front of Nate's face. He was not going to allow Nate to blow this for them because of his persona.
"I know, I know, Dewott. In battle I'm much different, you don't have to worry about me," Nate reassured his friend before they looked over at Gary. "No offense, Gary Oak, but I need this victory more than you think! Don't expect me to go easy on you at all."
"I wouldn't expect anyone to go easy in a battle. Though I have to warn you, I may not train like I used to, but my Pokémon are still pretty tough," Gary shot back as he reached for Umbreon's Poké Ball. "So I wouldn't go counting this win just yet. Go, Umbreon!"
"You don't get it though, nothing will keep me from a date!" Nate shot back as he stared down his opponent. Pointing forward, Dewott ran out onto the field as he raised his scalchops in a threatening way.
"This battle shall be to decide which team will gain the victory from today's match. The side to win will also gain the victory not only for the battle but the entire match. Begin!" The referee declared as both trainers were already on the move.
"Dewott, get in there with an Aerial Ace!" Nate commanded as Dewott was off and running as his limbs all glowed white just as they had in the previous battle. Jumping across the different rocks to shorten his distance, Dewott leapt across the entire canyon as he rammed his left foot right into Umbreon's side.
"Now we've got you," Gary replied happily as a small smile crossed his face. Sweeping his right arm across his body, he issued his command. "Umbreon, stop them with your Psychic attack!
"Umbre!" The Dark-Type shouted before his eyes glowed a light blue before the aura spread from his body and surrounded Dewott, restraining him from moving.
"You see, as long as Umbreon has Dewott stuck like this you won't be able to attack," Gary explained as Umbreon caused Dewott to smash into the ground. "However, we can still attack and tire you out. This match was over before it even started."
"Like you said earlier, Gary, I wouldn't go counting this victory just yet," Nate replied as he smirked at Dewott. "Dewott, let's use our Ice Beam attack right now."
"Dewott," the Water-Type replied as he launched off the icy beam while being tossed around. As he did so, the blast would connect with different areas of the field as they would soon be covered in ice.
"I think you've forgotten that as long as we have a hold on you, Dewott can't aim his Ice Beam attack," Gary told his opponent as Umbreon continued to toss Dewott around and into different parts of the field. As he did so, the Water-Type would launch his Ice-Type attack and freeze a different portion of the field.
"Just a little more, Dewott. Just hold on for a little more," Nate thought to himself as Dewott was now panting from the constant hits and just overall exhaustion from the previous battle as well. "Now, toss your scalchop!"
"De..." Dewott groaned out as he managed to fight the Psychic attack just long enough to kick his scalchop free from his thigh. The motion seemed pointless, but soon everyone knew exactly what the point to it was. Watching as the scalchop slid around on the now icy field, the audience were shocked by the fact he planned a path for the scalchop get to Umbreon.
"Umbreon," the Dark-Type muttered to himself as he felt a slight nick hit his body. Though Gary didn't realize it, the scalchop was enough of a distraction to break free from the Psychic attack.
Dewott!" The Discipline Pokémon cried out in triumph as he broke free from his restraints. Now free, Dewott landed on the icy field and skated around it as he picked up his scalchop before facing Umbreon.
"Shadow Ball, Umbreon!" Gary commanded, but the attack was too slow. By the time Umbreon was ready to attack, Dewott was already gone and at a different section of the field. "Where could he be hiding? Umbreon, check every spot you can!"
"Please, Gary, don't act like we were hiding from you. Instead, we were hiding for the perfect chance to strike," Nate explained as Dewott rushed from inside the canyon all covered in water, an obvious sign of an Aqua Jet attack. Having no time to warn Umbreon, Gary could only watch as his Dark-Type was hit hard by the attack and smashed into a pile of rocks.
"Don't give up yet, Dewott! Get in there with Razor Shell at max power! End this battle now!" Nate yelled out as Dewott began to glow a light shade of blue. Both Serena and Brock recognized this as Torrent and watched as his Razor Shell attack grew in size.
Slicing against Umbreon, the Razor Shell cut right through its target and the rock formation he was up against as Umbreon slide backwards on the ice only to be stopped by another Razor Shell attack from behind. Watching, Gary had no counter for the speed Dewott had gained from the ice and could only watch the barrage until it ended.
"Now, Aerial Ace!" Dewott rushed off to end the fight as his limbs glowed white for what he hoped were the final time today since his body was now ready to give in to his fatigue.
"Stop them with Shadow Ball!" Opening his mouth, Umbreon readied the attack as the ball of ghostly energy was waiting to be launched off. Seeing Dewott in his sight, Umbreon fired off the attack in hopes of winning the battle.
"Block it!" Nate yelled at the last second, shocking everyone once more at sight of Dewott kicking away the Shadow Ball followed by the image of him punching Umbreon square in the face as the Moonlight Pokémon fell to the ground defeated.
"Umbreon is unable to battle! The winners are Nate and Dewott and so Team Heartbreak are the winners of this match!" The referee declared as both Nate and Dewott collapsed onto the ground from their exhaustion.
"I... I lost so easily," Gary muttered to himself as he recalled Umbreon. Yes, he admitted to not training as often as before, but the researcher at least thought he was still a highly skilled trainer. Yet, despite all of it he had just been outsmarted in a battle like it was nothing. "Well, this loss won't happen again."
"I... I won," Nate panted out while recalling Dewott into his Poké Ball. "I beat... I beat both Alain... and Gary..." he continued to pant as a wave of energy soared through him. "I won, that means we won! And if the team won, then I scored!"
Running down to his team's bench, Nate ran straight to Serena and took ahold of her hands. "Serena, I did it. I managed a victory for our love. So now, you remember the deal correct? You and I, a date just the two of us alone."
"I don't think we ever agreed on calling it a date," Serena replied weakly as she had partially hoped for Gary to win. However, she now found herself having to go out on the town with Nate.
"Well, what else do you call a night spent by two people who are alone and in love?" Nate asked in a matter-of-fact tone as he pulled her hands closer to his body, causing Serena to land in his arms.
"Aghhh… Ah!" She screeched before he caught her carefully. Blushing madly from the embarrassing situation, Serena straightened herself out as she got Nate to release her hands. "Nate, this isn't a date. We're just going to go have dinne-"
"Shhh," he quickly cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips. "I know, you're nervous about going out with me but I'll let you know I'm still the same person. No need to worry about anything, Serena," he stated before quickly grabbing ahold of her wrist. "And away we go!"
"N-Nate hold up!" Serena screeched out as she was dragged away.
"Poor Serena, that guy is worse than me," Brock muttered to himself as he followed his two teammates back out into the hallway. "Heh, who knows, maybe she'll be able to sneak away somehow."
"Dawn, are you ready?" Trip asked as he made sure he had everything for their team's match today. Noticing that she seemed a little nervous, he walked over to her. "Hey, you need to get your act together. We're heading out there right now."
"I know we are," Dawn replied as she was ready for the match as Piplup happily chirped next to her. "I'm just worried about Ash. He seemed to run out of here pretty quickly and still hasn't returned. I don't know if it's best to leave him alone right now, normally he would have come back by now."
"Listen, we can't worry about Ash right now. He ran off on his own because he was upset. Right now, you and I have a job to do. We need to win two battles out there and force a six way tie for first after today," Trip explained as they both walked out the door. "Now remember, I'll be going first and then you'll battle second. We need to really give it our all out there today."
"Yeah, though do you think it's best for me to face Paul?" Dawn asked nervously. She knew she was a good battler overall, but facing someone like Paul who nearly beat Ash in their last matchup made her a little nervous. This wasn't like a Contest Battle where she could defeat her opponent through whittling down their points.
"Yes it is. We're a team and we need to trust in each other to advance on. Hopefully when Ash returns he understands that concept. And since you're the only one who didn't battle from our team yesterday, I feel as though Paul wouldn't be able to counter your battling style as easily as he would for mine. Plus, it allows me a chance to study him up close in the event you lose."
"If you say so," Dawn replied as they walked out onto the field. Sitting in their dugout, the duo knew immediately that the fans were staring at them due to Ash not being there and they decided to ignore them the best they could. "Though, don't expect to get a chance at Paul then if I'm facing him. Piplup and I will do our very best to try and win!"
"Pip piplup," the Penguin Pokémon cried out happily before pounding his chest with his flipper.
Watching from across the field, Team Victory seemed a little surprised to see no sight of Ash Ketchum at all. While Astrid seemed indifferent and Hugh was slightly excited, Paul seemed slightly annoyed.
"Where's Ash? Why isn't he with his team?" Paul asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared across the field.
"You know, we're wondering the same questions as you are, Paul. It isn't like we can read minds," Astrid teased while lightly bumping his shoulder with her hand. "Besides, I bet he's just running late for the match."
"If I had to make a guess, he got scared from his last match and decided to skip today all together. For someone who won the Kalos League he does seem to not be that good," Hugh stated as both Paul and Astrid looked at him in confusion. "Think about it, how many times has he slipped up or messed up in a battle? From all the videos I've seen of him, there's always a slip up by him in some form. He probably just got lucky."
"You're wrong," Paul replied calmly as he folded his hands in his lap now. "Ash isn't someone to run away from a conflict, I would know. He gave me the hardest fought battle I've ever taken part in and yet no matter what I threw at him he kept coming back at me. The only reason he wouldn't be here is because he isn't battling."
"Well then, Paul, who do you want to battle out of those two?" Hugh asked as he looked down at his Poké Balls. "Whoever you don't want I'll take."
"First off, it isn't your turn to battle today. It's Astrid's. Especially after how you took her turn yesterday," he stated in a tone that Hugh knew to drop the topic. "Second, if Ash isn't battling today than neither am. I came here in hopes of facing him again, not his two teammates who are hardly worth my time. I'll wait until tomorrow to face someone."
"You know, it would be much easier just to admit you care about him," Astrid teased as she sat down next to him. Despite his cold exterior, Paul seemed to be nice on the inside from what both herself and Hugh had seen of him. You just had to get used to the way he treated you to hide his caring side. "You two are way too similar to be just rivals. From the way you've talked about him before, it seems like you enjoy battling him."
"What!? Don't be ridiculous, Astrid," Paul replied all flustered. Ash was nothing more than a rival he needed to conquer in his quest to prove himself as a better trainer than is brother. "He's just another rival of mine that I plan to beat."
"Whatever you say, Paul," Astrid continued on as she patted his chest in a teasing way before getting up to join Hugh at the front of the dugout.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to our final match of the day! Taking part in this is none other than Team Champion and Team Victory. Quite ironic when you consider the fact that only one of them will walk away with a victory today!" Freddy stated as the crowd began to roar. Looking out across the field, both Astrid and Hugh could see Trip already waiting to go.
"You want to battle first?" Hugh asked as Astrid just shrugged her shoulders. At this point, it didn't matter to them as to who would battle first. "Well, tell me cause either you'll battle now and flirt after or you can flirt now and battle after."
"Knock it off with that!" Astrid hushed out as she made her way up towards the field. "I'll go first and then you'll battle next." Making her way up to the field, Astrid was surprised to see the city field being used again after what happened to the one from yesterday.
"Good luck today," Trip stated as he tossed his Poké Ball up and down in his hand. "I'm looking forward to a good battle."
"Yeah, so am I," Astrid replied happily as she grabbed her own Poké Ball and held it in her hand. "May the better trainer win!"
"And with this the last match of the second day can begin!" Freddy declared as both trainers tossed their devices towards the field.
"Go!"
And we come to a close on this chapter. A few different things happened between Team Rocket moving forward with their plans, Ash meeting his dad for the first time (that he can remember) despite not knowing it, someone telling Ash just what was going on with him, and Team Heartbreak actually won... Oh, and Serena won a date. Anyways, the reason behind Ash's dad being the one to break him out of his little rut and to help guide him on the path to realizing his feelings is because in an old interview where it was stated that his father would only appear to help his maturation and development. So, I planned to use him like this.
And for anyone wondering where I've been...well, I've just been busy. Not the best excuse, but it's the truth. Between school exams, work, Christmas and New Year's, I just had no time to work on this story. But, here's a chapter and I'll have another one out on either Friday or Saturday.
Finally, if you could go and read a collab I've been working on with the great Epicocity over on his account. The story is titled Ships, Schemes and Other Sweet Sights. It would really mean a lot to me if you could read and leave a review letting us know what you think of it. Thanks in advance for those who give it a shot!
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.
