Chapter 54
"Flareon!" Bill called. "Use Dig!"
The Fire-type dug a hole effortlessly and disappeared underneath the ground of Indigo Stadium. When it resurfaced, the foe Snorlax met it with a Brick Break attack. Flareon came to rest at the Normal-type's feet, unconscious.
The referee declared the winner of the match and the crowd cheered. Bill, disheartened, returned his partner and exited the arena. When he got to the commons area, Chase, Jason, Silver, and Celio were waiting there for him.
"Sorry about your match," said Celio.
"You and your Pokémon were great out there," Chase added.
"Thanks, guys," replied Bill. "I'm just a little upset I lost when I was so far into the competition."
"Don't worry," Jason assured him, "you did your best."
"Yeah, I think you did a great job," Silver chimed in.
"You're too kind." Then, Bill turned and said, "Chase, you haven't lost a match yet. I'll be cheering you on."
The Green Chaser smiled. "Thank you!"
"Now, remember: these are the semifinals," explained Jason. "You need to stay on your toes."
"I will."
Chase's next match was held a couple of hours later. It was a tough match, but he was able to win and made it to the finals.
The five friends went back to their cabin to relax. They spent most of their time throwing around ideas of how to execute certain strategies and how to make other ones better.
It was sometime after dinner that Celio noticed Silver sitting in a room by himself. There was a dim, reddish-orange glow coming off of the lamp that sat on an empty desk. The redheaded Trainer was slumped over, staring sadly down at the table.
"Hey, Silver," Celio greeted him. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, hi, Celio," he responded. "It's nothing."
"You seem pretty upset. Is there something bothering you?"
"Well, there's a lot on my mind, and I'm not sure what exactly I should do."
Celio looked concerned. "Just recently," he explained, "I found something out that really shook me up. Thankfully, Bill was there to help me. I think there's still more we need to look into, but I feel at ease knowing I have the support of a friend. It seems that you, Chase, and Jason are pretty close. Whatever it is that's bothering you, I'm sure you have a couple of good friends who would be willing to help you."
Silver's face brightened. "You have a good point there, Celio. Thank you. Bill is lucky to have you for a friend. You always have something insightful to say."
Celio smiled, embarrassed. "Thank you, but I wouldn't consider myself very insightful."
"No, I mean it. You took a load off my mind."
"I'm glad I could help."
It was getting late, so everyone went to bed. They got up the next morning, had breakfast, and Chase planned out a basic strategy for his final match. It was scheduled in the evening to let the Trainers prepare. After he was finished, Chase joined his friends in looking around town.
It was dark outside when the Pokémon League's championship match was about to commence; the bright stadium lights lit the arena, and the seats were packed with excited fans.
From the press box, an announcer started to introduce the two Trainers. Chase ran out onto the field from one of the opposing ramps. He waved to the crowd briefly, and then looked to the other side of the arena. In the tunnel, all he could see was darkness, unable to make out whom he was going up against.
"And now, let's welcome our second Trainer to the field!" exclaimed the announcer. "It's been four years since he last competed in the Indigo League, and he is widely known for his accomplishments! Please give a warm round of applause for Ash Ketchum!"
A young man around fifteen years old ran onto the field. He had black hair that stuck out from under his red hat that had a white visor and semicircle on it, and he wore a red jacket with black sleeves that had a white stripe going down the zipper. He also wore light blue jeans, black wristbands, a tan backpack, and red, black, and white-colored shoes. His beloved Pikachu ran at his side.
The two Trainers met in the middle of the stadium and shook hands. "Good luck," said Ash in Veronica Taylor's voice.
"Do your best, Ash," Chase replied.
They both walked back to their respective sides and prepared to battle. Their pictures appeared on a large scoreboard with six boxes on each side to display their Pokémon. Ash was on the red side; Chase was represented by the green.
The referee flipped a coin to determine who would get the first turn. Ash won, so he plucked a Poké Ball off his belt and exclaimed, "Donphan! I choose you!"
The gray-colored Armor Pokémon took form and stomped the ground. It looked experienced and very strong with tusks coming out of its mouth, and tough, dark gray skin on its trunk that went up its back and down its tail. Its picture appeared on the scoreboard underneath Ash.
"I choose you, Politoed!" Chase called.
From the red and white sphere appeared Chase's Water-type. It clapped playfully before taking up a defensive pose. Politoed's picture was shown in the first box underneath Chase.
"Begin!" shouted the referee.
"Donphan, use Rollout!" Ash instructed.
The Ground-type elephant curled up into a ball and sped towards Politoed. Donphan moved so fast that the Frog Pokémon didn't have enough time to counter. Politoed put its hands up against the spinning Donphan and caught it, halting its movement.
"Water Pulse!" Chase exclaimed.
The frog made a ball of water and thrust it at Ash's Pokémon. The burst sent Donphan sprawling.
"Donphan, you can do it! Use Hidden Power!" The Armor Pokémon composed itself, made small balls of energy float around its body, and shot them at Politoed. Chase's Pokémon jumped out of the way, but stumbled and fell on its stomach. "Now use Hyper Beam!"
Politoed looked up to see Donphan charging its deadly move. As the Water-type Pokémon scrambled to its feet, Donphan shot. An explosion from the impact caused a large dust cloud to appear. But when the wind swept it away, Politoed was nowhere in sight.
Ash looked up to see the Water-type falling on top of Donphan; Politoed had used Bounce right before the Hyper Beam hit. The skilled Trainer tried to warn his Pokémon, but it was too late. Politoed landed on Donphan, knocking it out.
With a heavy heart, Ash thanked his friend and returned it. Politoed hopped up and down, clapping in celebration. Donphan's picture on the scoreboard dimmed to gray, signaling it was out of the match. Then, Ash sent Pikachu onto the field. The Electric-type scampered out and waited for Ash's instruction as its picture appeared up on the board.
Chase returned his Politoed, knowing that it was at a disadvantage, and released Haunter, its picture appearing in Chase's second empty box. It floated in the air and stared at the small Mouse Pokémon. Although Pikachu was the only one to understand it, Haunter exclaimed, "Boo!"
The red-cheeked Electric-type shivered, but quickly pulled itself together. Haunter built up two Shadow Balls, one in each hand, and started throwing them at its opponent. After each throw, it would make another ball, resulting in an endless shower of attacks.
Pikachu dashed to-and-fro, trying to avoid Haunter's barrage. After seeing how inaccurate its attacks were, the Ghost-type made a very large ball in both hands. Haunter leaned back and held the behemoth Shadow Ball over its head, then threw it straight at Pikachu.
"Iron Tail!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu's tail began to glow a bright white, hardening to the density of steel. The Electric-type Pokémon jumped at the shadowy attack and whacked it with its Iron Tail, sending it flying back at Haunter, who ducked underneath it. The ghost shot another Shadow Ball that hit and pushed the Electric-type through the air. Then, the Ghost-type attack exploded, and Pikachu fell to the ground.
"Use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu shot a dazzling stream of electricity at Haunter. It connected, and the Ghost-, Poison-type floated motionlessly in midair as if the attack were nothing. Haunter stared blankly back at its foe before it fell to the ground, unconscious.
Chase was disappointed. He thanked and returned his friend whose picture had changed to gray, and made his next selection. "It's your turn, Butterfree!" he shouted. The Bug-, Flying-type appeared and fluttered gracefully in the air, its picture lighting up on the scoreboard.
"Hey, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Nice work, buddy! Come on back!" After Pikachu had returned to his side, Ash sent out Totodile. It jumped up and down energetically while saying its name in a raspy voice. This Water-type was blue in color, and had large jaws like a crocodile. Despite its cute appearance, Totodile could take a bite out of almost anything. Like the others, its picture appeared underneath its Trainer's.
"Use Sleep Powder, Butterfree!" The Butterfly Pokémon fluttered over Totodile and released green spores on top of it. Upon breathing in this dust, Ash's Water-type fell asleep. As it snored, Butterfree hovered happily nearby. "Now, pick it up with Psychic!"
Light blue energy surrounded the Big Jaw Pokémon as it slumbered peacefully, sitting down. Butterfree picked it up and held it in mid air, turning Totodile upside down while it remained in a seated position. The crowd chuckled at this, and some of the women declared, "That's so cute!"
Totodile awoke with a jolt. It looked around curiously, surprised that everything was upside-down. Butterfree released its grasp on the small crocodile, and it landed on its head. Totodile scrambled to its feet and used Water Gun. Butterfree was hit, and it made an emergency landing. It was wet and could not fly; the Butterfly Pokémon just stood there with its wings drooping.
"Use Bite, Totodile!"
The Big Jaw Pokémon ran forward with its stubby legs and opened its mouth wide, revealing sharp teeth. Just before it reached Butterfree, the Bug-, Flying-type used Psychic again, halting Totodile in its tracks. The Water-type tried to stretch its neck out and snapped its jaws a couple of times, but to no avail. Then, it was rapidly pushed back by another burst of psychic force. Nevertheless, Totodile came back. Butterfree was tired, but its wings had dried off enough so that it could flap them.
"Silver Wind!" Chase called.
The Butterfly Pokémon batted its wings, and a gust of air with silvery dust particles was blown at its opponent. Totodile was caught off guard and stumbled to the side, thankfully not being picked up by the wind. It hopped on one foot, trying to get its balance, but the bouncing made Totodile feel like dancing. It began by alternating hopping a couple times on one foot to the next to get the rhythm, then boogied around Butterfree in the strangest offensive move Chase had ever seen. Butterfree itself was dumbfounded by Totodile's bizarre actions and left its guard down. Then, as if it were part of the dance, Ash's Water-type bit Butterfree and continued to wiggle its body. Chase's Pokémon exclaimed its name in pain, but was able to get Totodile off with Psychic.
"Water Gun!" Ash instructed.
The small, blue-colored Pokémon happily shot a stream of water from its mouth while it continued to dance. Butterfree didn't have time to respond; it was hit and knocked to the ground, where it laid with swirls in its eyes. Chase thanked it for doing such a great job, and returned Butterfree as its picture turned gray. He then released Politoed once again. Maybe using his own playful Water-type Pokémon would do the trick.
"Return, Totodile! You were great!" Ash exclaimed.
A red beam of light shot from the Poké Ball in his hand and hit Totodile, returning it. Then, Ash tossed another ball into the air that released Staraptor, who shouted its name proudly. It's picture lit up on the scoreboard next to the others.
"Okay, Staraptor! Use Aerial Ace!" The Normal-, Flying-type flew towards Politoed quickly and slammed into it. Politoed fell on its back as Staraptor flew out of Politoed's reach. "All right, now use Close Combat!"
"Politoed! Use Water Pulse!" Chase called desperately.
The Frog Pokémon got up, made a big ball of water in its hands, and threw it at Staraptor. Ash's Predator Pokémon swiftly flew around the attack and continually hit Politoed with its wings and talons. The Water-type fell backwards, knocked out, its picture on the scoreboard gray.
"No…" Chase muttered in despair. He thanked Politoed for a job well done and returned it. Next, he planned to follow up with his strategy to fight fire with fire and sent out Pidgeot. The Flying-type's portrait appeared in Chase's fourth box on the scoreboard.
"Use Close Combat again!"
Staraptor flew at Pidgeot and attempted to punch it with its talons, but Chase's Normal-, Flying-type was agile and dodged every attack.
"Air Slash!" Chase exclaimed. Pidgeot was about to create a razor-sharp wind with one powerful beat of its wings, but Staraptor flew up into the sky using an Aerial Ace. "Follow it with Quick Attack, Pidgeot!"
The two soared high above the stadium. When Pidgeot caught up to its opponent, Staraptor suddenly used another Close Combat. The Bird Pokémon was caught in the combo, and then Ash's Flying-type used an Aerial Ace to finish.
Pidgeot fell towards the earth with its long, red and yellow feathers flapping in the wind. Fortunately, it was able to turn itself right side up and got some air underneath its wings. When Pidgeot noticed that Staraptor was right on its tail, it dive-bombed towards the ground. Staraptor did the same, but flew out and away. Chase saw what it was doing and shouted, "Pull up and use Quick Attack!"
Then Ash exclaimed, "Staraptor, you pull up and use Brave Bird!"
When the two Pokémon reached the ground, they did as their Trainers said and pulled up, and went into their respective moves as they flew at each other. Pidgeot left a trail of white light behind it, and Staraptor was covered in blue energy.
They met in the middle of the battlefield and collided. Staraptor's Brave Bird exploded on impact, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. When the scene cleared, Ash and Chase could see Staraptor and Pidgeot standing a yard or so away from one another. They panted heavily, and Staraptor looked like it had some electrical currents bouncing around its body. This was the recoil from using Brave Bird. Then, both Pokémon fell forward onto the ground, unconscious, and Pidgeot and Staraptor's pictures faded to gray.
Everyone was in awe. Chase and Ash returned their valiant partners, thanking them for doing a wonderful job.
"Torterra! I choose you!" Ash exclaimed as he tossed another Poké Ball into the air.
A large, bulking tortoise Pokémon with spikes and a tree on its shell materialized on the field. It was green in color with a brown underbelly and legs, and had red eyes. Torterra's picture lit up in Ash's fifth box on the board.
Chase released his next Pokémon while shouting, "Charizard, you're up!" His Starter Pokémon appeared and shot a Flamethrower into the air, ready for battle. Its picture showed up on the scoreboard in Chase's fifth box. "Use Flamethrower!"
Charizard shot a powerful blast of flames at the opposing Grass-, Ground-type. It took the attack, but while Charizard was still spouting fire, Ash ordered, "Rock Climb!" Torterra grew long, glowing claws and charged forward through the fire. Charizard had no idea what was going on and was hit by the 683.4-pound Continent Pokémon. That had to hurt.
Torterra stood over Charizard as it lied on the ground. The Flame Pokémon looked unconscious, but it suddenly smacked Torterra in the face with a Wing Attack. Ash's Pokémon reeled back in pain, giving Charizard enough time to get to its feet.
"Torterra," Ash called out, "use Leaf Storm!"
The Grass-, Ground-type shot a flurry of sharp leaves at Charizard that scratched it over and over again. If this carried on any longer, Charizard was done for. It shot a Flamethrower at the leaves, burning them up. Torterra was not fast enough to get out of the way and was engulfed in a huge plume of fire. It came to rest on the ground, unconscious.
Torterra was a tough customer. It gave even Fire-types a hard time. If it had not been within range of Charizard's Flamethrower, Chase surely would have lost another Pokémon. He was glad that Torterra was out of the match, but Ash still had other powerful Pokémon.
"Return, Torterra," Ash said with an empathetic smile. "You were amazing." Torterra's picture dimmed to gray as its Trainer released his Totodile, who continued to dance like it had before.
"Metal Claw!" Chase instructed.
With one large flap of its wings, Charizard was in the air, flying towards the happy-go-lucky Pokémon with claws glowing white. It swiped at Totodile, but the Water-type jumped over the attack and grabbed hold of Charizard's wing. Charizard landed and started reaching back with its hands, trying to get Totodile off. The Big Jaw Pokémon opened its mouth wide and clamped down, making its opponent roar. Frustrated, Charizard finally grabbed hold of Totodile, pulled it around, and looked angrily at the small Pokémon. Totodile was unfazed, however, and playfully shot a Water Gun in its face, having the Flame Pokémon release its grasp.
"Dragon Rage!" Chase directed.
Totodile started dancing again. It joyfully hopped around, but when it looked back at Charizard, it saw a ball of purple energy hurtling towards it. Totodile was swept up by the attack and propelled a couple of yards away. When it came to rest, the Water-type lied with its mouth wide open and swirls in its eyes, unconscious.
Ash smiled as he returned his friend. "Thank you, Totodile," he said. "You did great." Then, he tossed his final Poké Ball into the air. It popped open and shot out a brilliant stream of light that fell to the ground. Out of the white energy, a large Pokémon took form. It was orange in color with a yellow stomach. It had two horns coming off the back of its head, and had a long, powerful tail; at the tip, a flame burned fervently. Ash's Charizard raised its head high and issued a deep, bellowing battle cry. On the scoreboard, its picture showed up in Ash's sixth slot.
"Use Steel Wing, Charizard!" Ash exclaimed. With wings glowing a metallic white, it flew towards its foe.
"Counter with Metal Claw!" Chase commanded.
Charizard braced itself and caught the other Flame Pokémon by the wings.
"Seismic Toss!" Ash called.
Ash's Charizard smirked and grabbed Chase's Pokémon by the waist. It carried its rival into the air and wouldn't let go, despite all of Charizard's struggling. Then, the two Fire-types plunged towards the ground. Ash's Pokémon was planning on slamming its adversary into the battlefield.
In a desperate attempt to free his Pokémon, Chase ordered Charizard to use Dragon Rage. It shot the blast at pointblank range, exploding. Charizard was able to get away as Ash's Fire-type was left dazed and confused. Before the foe could get its bearings, Charizard came back to ram it.
Ash's Charizard was thrown for a loop. It almost went spiraling out of control, but was able to land safely on the ground.
"Use Flamethrower!" Ash yelled. His Charizard opened its mouth and shot a stream of fire at the opponent, who was still in the air. The attack missed, so Ash's Fire-, Flying-type took off after its foe.
Chase's Flame Pokémon noticed it was being tailed and lured its follower higher and higher into the air. Then, it turned around suddenly and hit the other Pokémon with a Wing Attack. Ash's Charizard tried to retaliate with a Flamethrower to the face, but the other Fire-type simply flew away.
The Charizards began a dogfight high above Indigo Stadium. Ash's partner launched another Flamethrower, making Chase's Charizard dodge to the side. But it played right into its opponent's trap and was locked in a Seismic Toss.
Charizard was able to break free early enough to avoid being embedded in the ground, but still landed roughly. It got up to see its foe standing nearby. Charizard's claws glowed white again as it ran up to use Metal Claw.
With a wry grin, Ash's Charizard caught its assailant's hands with its own, rendering the attack useless. The two large Pokémon were locked in combat, trying to throw the other to the ground.
"You can do it, Charizard!" Chase encouraged his friend. It started to get the upper hand after hearing its Trainer's encouragement, but was eventually overwhelmed.
As Charizard lay on the ground with its enemy standing over it, the Fire-type used Dragon Rage. This took Ash and his Charizard by surprise.
There was a huge explosion from this powerful blast. Ash's Charizard was flung a few yards away, but landed on its feet. Chase's Fire-type stood up and tried to keep its balance. The two Pokémon breathed heavily, standing bent over with scuffmarks all over their bodies.
Everyone in the stadium watched in silent anticipation for what would happen next. Ash and Chase looked on, hoping that their Pokémon would still be strong enough to remain standing. Then, finally, Chase's Charizard fell to the ground. Ash's Charizard smiled weakly, maybe in contentment that it had won, and knelt down, unable to continue.
The two pictures on the scoreboard turned gray, and both Charizards were praised and returned. Now, each Trainer had only one Pokémon left. Ash turned to his small Electric-type and said, "It's your turn again, Pikachu." The Mouse Pokémon nodded confidently and ran back onto the battlefield.
It seemed the time had come to call upon Elekid. Chase was not comfortable using his Electric-type, because he was afraid it would not obey his commands. But now, he was left with no other choice.
The young Pokémon Trainer clenched his final Poké Ball in his hand, and then tossed it briskly into the air. "Elekid! I choose you!" he declared.
The Electric Pokémon took form and looked ready to fight. At the sight of Pikachu, it got excited and let off small sparks. On the scoreboard, its picture filled Chase's sixth box.
"Use Iron Tail!" Ash instructed.
Pikachu's tail glowed white like before, and it dashed at Elekid. It jumped and did a front flip, aiming right for the other Electric-type's head. Elekid caught Pikachu's tail right as it was about to connect, then threw its opponent to the ground, reeling back its arm with electrical energy flowing to its fist.
"Use Counter Shield!" Ash burst out.
Pikachu started to spin around on the ground while shooting a Thunderbolt attack into the air, creating three columns of electricity, a move Ash had adapted during his travels. This made Elekid hesitate, but it followed through with its ThunderPunch.
The attack missed, so Ash's Pokémon quickly got away from Elekid and retaliated with a Thunderbolt. The Baby Pokémon just stood there and absorbed the attack. Ash and Pikachu stood in confusion, then Elekid let loose a powered-up Thunderbolt. The Mouse Pokémon was hit, greatly damaged from the high voltage.
"Elekid, use Quick Attack!" ordered its Trainer. Surprisingly, Elekid obeyed. Or, perhaps it was just going to use Quick Attack anyway. Chase wasn't exactly sure which one it was.
Pikachu was tackled to the ground. There, Elekid sat on top of it, and began slugging it over and over again with ThunderPunches. Elekid was going too far, so Chase tried calling out to it to stop, but his attempts failed.
"Shake it off with Quick Attack, Pikachu!" came Ash's voice. His small Pokémon was able to jerk Elekid off and dash away. "Now use Volt Tackle!"
Pikachu made a U-turn and made a great amount of electricity surge around it. Elekid just saw this as a challenge and held its arms out to catch Pikachu and bring it to a screeching halt. When they connected, the volatile move produced a large explosion. Both Pokémon were flung away from each other. Pikachu received a good amount of damage, but Elekid was the one who suffered the most.
The Electric Pokémon lost its temper at this and focused a huge amount of power into its hand. The electricity flying from Elekid's fist was astonishing. Some of the currents trailed off and sped across the ground for a few seconds.
"Pikachu, be careful!" Ash cautioned. "Don't let it hit you!"
Just then, Elekid ran after Pikachu. When it swung its arm, the Mouse Pokémon deftly avoided it with another Quick Attack. Elekid swung again with the same ThunderPunch, but Pikachu continued to dodge.
Chase watched in awe as his Baby Pokémon refused to give up and held onto that massive ThunderPunch.
Elekid and Pikachu's movements started to speed up. They seemed to be just a couple of yellow blurs on the battlefield. Elekid swung so rapidly that it was a wonder Pikachu could move fast enough to avoid being hit.
Becoming more frustrated, Elekid quit using ThunderPunch and began to build up every watt of energy in its body for a Thunderbolt. As the electricity crackled around its body, the smell of ozone was strong in the air.
Ash watched intently, trying to figure out his next move. Realizing something, he muttered, "That's it." He then called to Pikachu, "Use your tail!"
Elekid shot its attack with a thunderclap. Just as it did, Pikachu hit the dirt and stuck its tail up in the air, covering its head with its hands. The Thunderbolt struck Pikachu's tail, and Ash's Electric-type lied motionlessly on its stomach.
Elekid smiled, thinking it had won. But, to the small yellow Pokémon's surprise, its enemy got up off the ground. Before Elekid could make a move, Pikachu shot a super-powered Thunderbolt of its own, utilizing the energy it had absorbed by using its tail.
Chase's Pokémon cried out as it was severely electrocuted. Then, Elekid fell to the ground, unconscious, its image on the scoreboard changing to gray.
"Elekid is unable to battle. The winner is Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu!" announced the referee.
Ash and Pikachu lit up with excitement. Ash ran out onto the field and knelt down; Pikachu jumped into his arms, and they hugged.
"You did it!" Ash cheered.
Chase thanked and returned his Electric Pokémon. Minimizing the ball and putting it back on his belt, he met Ash in the middle of the stadium.
"Congratulations, Ash," he said.
"Thank you," the Trainer replied with Pikachu on his shoulder.
The top three finalists stood on platforms, the one in the middle being first place. A man presented the Trainer who took third with a bronze medal and small trophy. Chase received a silver medal and a medium-sized trophy. Then, he awarded Ash a golden medal and large trophy.
Afterwards, the five friends went back to the cabin to catch some shuteye. In the morning, they went to a local restaurant for breakfast and talked about the events from the night before.
Upon finishing, everyone took a last look at the Indigo League's main building.
"Okay, guys," said Bill. "Celio and I are going to head home. It's been very exciting lately, and we would like to relax for a bit."
"I hear that!" Jason agreed.
"You have our phone numbers, so just give us a call if anything comes up!"
With that, the two computer programmers turned and left as Chase and the others waved goodbye. When they were gone, Silver said, "All right, guys. I'm going, too."
"Where are you off to?" asked Jason.
"I'm heading back to the Johto Region."
"Are you going to be looking for your father?"
"I'm not sure. He'll probably come back to check on how everything's going, but I wouldn't put it past him to disappear again."
"Well, either way, good luck. We'll miss you."
"And I'll miss you guys. So, what are you going to do, Jason?"
"Me? I'm going to head back to the military base I was stationed at. I need to return the Lustrous Orb, but I'm going to look after the Adamant Orb myself."
"If it means anything to you guys, I've really enjoyed our time together," said Chase. "Thanks for everything."
"We might as well be thanking you," replied Silver. "I can't imagine things happening the way they did if we hadn't met you."
"I have to agree," Jason added. "You're pretty remarkable, Chase. You know that?"
The younger Trainer smiled. "You guys are the best friends a guy could ever have."
Jason smiled, too. "You two take care of yourselves. It's a mean world out there."
"You've got it," replied Silver. "Let's stay in touch."
"Yeah, let's talk to each other on a regular basis," Chase said.
The trio said their goodbyes and parted ways. Chase remained out front of the building, taking in his surroundings before he left. A Poké Ball opened from on his belt, making a popping sound and releasing Charizard.
"Hi, Charizard," the boy said. "You and the others did great. Thanks for all your hard work." Charizard grinned.
"Hey, Chase!" shouted a familiar voice. Ash came running up to him, wearing his fiery-red jacket and hat with Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Ash!" exclaimed Chase. "What are you doing here?"
"I didn't get to thank you for that amazing battle last night. Maybe we could have another match someday."
"You bet! So, what are you planning to do now?"
"Well, I'm going on a vacation to a faraway region with my mom and a friend of ours, Professor Oak."
"Cool! Sounds like fun. When will you be leaving?"
"I think we're going to catch a flight out there soon. What about you?"
"I'm heading home to Pallet Town."
"You live in Pallet? That's where I live!"
The two Trainers laughed. But their happy moods were dashed when, out of nowhere, a robotic arm reached down and grabbed Pikachu.
"What?" Chase gasped in surprise.
Then, a net was shot and captured Charizard. Both it and Pikachu were hoisted up and hung from a Meowth-shaped hot air balloon.
"What do I see?" a woman with long red hair asked from inside the balloon's basket.
"A Pikachu for you and me!" a man with shoulder-length blue hair replied.
"And a Charizard, too! Whoopee!" added a Meowth.
The woman wore a white shirt with a large red "R" on it over another, black-colored shirt. She also had a white skirt on with black boots and gloves. The man wore a similar white shirt with a large red "R" on it, with white pants and black gloves and boots. The Meowth was beige in color with brown paws and a yellow coin on its head, and its tail curled up into a spiral.
"Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed.
"Hurry, let's hightail it out of here!" Meowth advised.
The balloon started to float away, taking Charizard and Pikachu along with it. The net Charizard was in seemed to be fire proof and would not cut easily. Pikachu tried electrocuting the mechanical hand that had grabbed it, but the attack seemed to do nothing.
"Go, Staraptor!"
"Go, Pidgeot!"
Both Normal-, Flying-types took form and flew up into the air. "Staraptor, I need you to go rescue Pikachu and Chase's Charizard!" Ash instructed.
"Pidgeot, please help Staraptor!" said Chase.
The two Pokémon followed their orders and flew up to the balloon. Jessie and James noticed them coming, so the blue-haired man released one of his Pokémon, exclaiming, "Carnivine, attack!" The Bug Catcher Pokémon appeared and latched onto James's head with its mouth. "No! Not me, them!"
After James tugged Carnivine off, the Grass-type launched a Bullet Seed attack at Staraptor and Pidgeot. They were able to dodge the seeds easily, and then came in for an attack of their own.
Staraptor shot towards the net with Aerial Ace and cut it, freeing Charizard while Pidgeot used Air Slash, which completely obliterated the robotic arm. Pikachu was freed and landed on Staraptor's back.
After the Pokémon had gotten away from Team Rocket's balloon, Ash shouted, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
The Mouse Pokémon shot a current of electricity right at the balloon, shocking Jessie, James, Meowth, and Carnivine. The electrical overload to the mechanism that operated the arm caused it to explode, propelling the thieves high into the sky.
"Ooh, I can't stand this!" Jessie whined. "We almost had Pikachu and that Charizard!"
"Well, you can't say we didn't try," James responded with a shrug.
"We'll be back if it's the last thing we do!" she growled.
"Fat chance," Meowth broke in. "This is the end of our cameo."
Then, as they flew over the horizon, all three of them exclaimed in unison, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" before disappearing into a small, twinkling light.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out joyfully as he was reunited with his friend. The Electric-type hopped off Staraptor's back and into Ash's arms.
"Charizard! I'm so glad you're safe!" Chase said in relief.
The two Trainers thanked their Flying-type Pokémon and returned them. Then, Ash had to say goodbye, leaving Chase alone once again.
He turned to his Charizard and said, "Now, we need to get back home. What do you say to one more hike through the wilderness?"
Charizard bellowed softly in reply, agreeing with Chase's idea. Then, the Green Chaser and his Pokémon ventured off towards Pallet.
Epilogue
A few days after the final match of the Indigo League, Chase arrived in Pallet Town. It had certainly been a while since he was last there. And yet, nothing seemed to have changed. It was funny how that worked.
It was just before noon when Chase walked up the steps of his porch and knocked on the door. Moments later, his mother answered. Upon seeing her son, her face lit up. "Honey, come here!" she called excitedly over her shoulder. "Chase is home!"
Chase's father was in the doorway within seconds. "Chase! Welcome home!"
"It's wonderful to see you!" said his mom, giving him a big hug. "We love you so much!"
"I love you, too!" Chase smiled.
"We watched you on television," explained his dad. "You did great! We're very proud of you!"
"Thank you."
"Chase!" came a shout. From down the dirt path they could see an elderly man wearing a yellow garb that hung down over his black pants.
When the older man approached them, Chase's father asked, "Who are you?"
"Allow me to introduce myself: I am Yosocky. I helped Chase on his journey and taught him about Pokémon." The former Blue Chaser winked at Chase.
"Oh, how nice of you," replied Chase's mother. "We're Chase's parents."
"The pleasure is all mine. I just wanted to congratulate Chase on the fine job he did in the Indigo League."
"Thank you, Yosocky," replied the Green Chaser.
"What do you have planned now?"
"I haven't really thought about it."
"The Johto League is beginning soon. Maybe you would want to participate in it."
"That's a great idea!"
"Now, I'd best be on my way. I have a friend who lives here that I need to see." Chase and his parents said goodbye as he left.
"Isn't he nice!" said Chase's mom.
"So, Chase. What are you thinking?" questioned his father.
"I think I'll take Yosocky's advice."
Chase had lunch with his parents and spent the rest of the day with them. The next morning, he restocked his supplies, packed some more clean clothes, and headed out. He hugged his mom and dad and released his Charizard.
"So, this is the little fellow Professor Oak gave you?" asked Dad.
"Yeah, but he isn't so small anymore," Chase replied. Charizard raised its head in pride, and grinned.
"I think he looks cute," Mom said. Charizard deflated.
Then, bidding his folks goodbye, Chase climbed on Charizard's back and took to the air. Mt. Silver stood in the northwest, touching the breathtaking blue-colored sky. When they flew over a couple houses, Chase looked down and noticed Ash walking back home. Charizard came down closer and flew over Ash's head with Chase exclaiming, "Hello down there!"
Ash looked up and waved with a smile. Chase waved back and continued west towards the Johto Region. But then, he noticed a golden light flying in the air out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to get a better look at it, he could barely make out the shape of a Ho-Oh in the distance before it disappeared underneath a rainbow.
It wasn't long before they were over a town. Chase pointed to the ground and instructed Charizard to land. The Flame Pokémon banked to the side as it descended.
Meanwhile, just northeast of Cherrygrove City on Route 30, Silver emerged from the trees to see a small house up on a hill. A woman was watering her flowers inside a short fence. She had red, shoulder-length hair and wore a sun hat. When she spotted Silver, she froze.
Silver sprinted up to the gate and opened it. Standing there, the two said not a word, but smiled and hugged each other tightly.
The End
Author's Note: Thank you very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the ride. If you have any comments or questions, by all means, leave a review or send me a PM directly, and I will get back to you.
If you're wondering about a sequel, I cannot say for sure if there will be one. If you enjoyed this story and want to see where it could go, then let me know.
Until next time!
