Chapter 55: Just Another Day…

(First Prelim Round Match #1) (Ash Ketchum VS Gary Oak)

The whole district was silent… no words were exchanged… no sounds made… and not even the winds dared to blow. All eyes were burning with such intensity that blinking almost looked like a crime. Spectators from all around were glued to their seats and no one dared to move a muscle.

As Ash locked eyes with Gary, he knew right then that he had to fight him… but he never expected to fight him this early! As Major Adam looked back at the Randomizer, he recuperated from the shock and placed the microphone on his mouth "Ah… ahem… Alright then… Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak, please report to battlefield one. Randomizer number two… commence!"

With their names called out, Ash immediately head off towards his respected battleground. All of his friends gave out worried looks but he just waved them off. He knew this battle was inevitable, but now… he was going to put all of his training to good use.

When the two competitors arrived at battlefield one, the Randomizer began to select several other trainers to put on the other fields so that they would be able to get this preliminary round done with quickly. "Alright trainers!" said the referee, "The first match of the first preliminary round is about to begin! This is a battle between Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town Kanto and 'ace' trainer Gary Oak, also from Pallet town. This will be a one on one battle with no substitute and no time limit! Trainers, choose your Pokemons!"

"Blastoise, I choose you…" said Gary in his usual cold voice.

"Blastoise again huh…?" Ash thought, "I won't take any chances this time" he then turned to Pikachu, "you up for it Pikachu? (Pika!) Alright then… GO!" the little mouse took the field, ready to plow through its opponents.

"Both trainers have chosen their Pokemons!" the ref announced, "Trainers are you ready? (nods) Then… BEGIN!"

"Pikachu, let's strike first with a thunderbolt attack!" the little mouse quickly unleashed a powerful electrical attack which was so fast that not even the gods could even see it.

"Whoa that thunderbolt looks more powerful than last time" Brock analyzed. And to his truth, he was right. The thunderbolt attack that Pikachu used a couple of days ago looked like a spark compared to the one he was using now. It was more accurate, fast, and most importantly, powerful.

The attack hit Blastoise dead on, but just as before, it doesn't seem to be having any effect. "How can that be!?" Richie questioned loudly, "There's no way a water Pokemon can still stand after taking a blow that hard, especially an electric attack!"

"That Blastoise must be really strong…" Paul stated, showing no emotion through his face. "Ash must rely on strategy rather than pure power on this battle"

Once the attack finished, Gary only gave out a 'hnn' sound, "Blastoise, hydro pump" with one single order, the giant turtle Pokemon unleashed a pulse of water from its cannons, hitting Pikachu dead right on the spot. But Ash wasn't going to give up… not just yet. "Pikachu, use iron tail on the water!" thanks to Zoey's combination skills he mimicked back in Shinou, the iron tail attack cut through the water attack with relative ease.

Gary wasn't really expecting Ash to use some brains in battle, but after being defeated several times back in Johto and Kanto, he wasn't going to take any chances. "Blastoise, use hydro beam cannon!" the turtle Pokemon quickly began charging up a hyper beam attack, but this time, it was going to fire through the cannons on its back.

"There's that move again!" Brock notified the gang, "Last time that attack took out Pikachu with one direct hit! Who knows what's going to happen next!?"

As Ash saw this, he immediately began gritting his teeth. That attack move was not listed down on the Pokedex list so Gary must've developed it himself. Taking a moment to analyze the attack, Ash had to think and look fast before it hits. "Hmm… it looks like Blastoise will be firing its hyper beam from its main cannons, which makes it ten times more powerful than your average hyper beam attack." He thought to himself, "But it takes at least ten seconds to charge up… that barely gives Pikachu enough time to use absorb or get close enough" after he was finished with his analysis, Blastoise aimed its cannons, ready to blast Pikachu sky high. "Pikachu, don't worry, we still have some tricks left in our sleeves!"

The crowd immediately grew curious. They've all seen Gary's most powerful move destroy Pokemon after Pokemon that comes into the ring, but if Ash can stop it, then it would probably be a miracle.

"What's Ash gonna do Brock?" Max questioned slightly worried about the results.

But to his surprise, the slanted boy didn't have an answer, "I don't know… not even thunder storm was able to damage it. So I'm not really sure what trick Ash has left" this wasn't exactly helping the little guy, but hey… a man has to be honest.

As Max looked around, he could see several stares coming from the crowd. The rest of the gang seemed to be eyeing Ash with some sort of hope, but others were just pure random. "Come on bro…" Max whispered to himself, "You can do it! GO for it Ash!"

Gary's face suddenly turned from cold to just plain annoyed, "Now Blastoise, FIRE!!" with that single order, the turtle Pokemon fired its attack. The beam that came from its cannons were so powerful that it shook the very foundation of the battlefield. The audience shielded their eyes from the blast, protecting their faces from the dust particles that were shot forth. A great big mushroom cloud was made from the explosion and everything within a five meter radius would've been reduced to ash…

Seeing that Pikachu didn't even have time to dodge, the spectators believed that it was over. Ash Ketchum was out before he was in.

Gary grinned under his lips. All who faced that attack were usually utterly defeated to no end, not even the mighty Pikachu can even withstand that.

"A direct hit!" said one of the trainers

"Gary's hydro beam cannon did it again!"

"Is Pikachu down for the count already?!"

"Hey ref, you can start counting now!"

Gary's crew were also grinning from ear to ear down below. With Ash Ketchum out of the way, victory was there's for sure and the money was there's for the taking. But then soon… when the smoke cleared up… everyone seemed to have turned their expressions upside down.

Back at where the explosion occurred… was Pikachu… and it was still standing!

Gary's grin suddenly dropped down towards the ground along with the rest of his gang. "W… what…!? No way… impossible…" for the first time in a very long while, the boy was shocked. His eyes widened and his throat dried.

Pikachu was there… and it was still standing tall and firm as if it nothing happened. Its electrical cheeks were glowing brighter than usual and the impact that the attack gave only seemed to have damaged half of the field. It was as if there an invisible force field protecting that little yellow Pokemon. With this in mind and Gary caught off guard, Ash smirked.

"W… what happened?" Richie asked to anyone who could answer. But after a moment of silence, Paul seemed to notice something happening to the air. "Huh?" as he looked closer at Pikachu, his eyes widened. "No… that's impossible!" he nearly shouted out, "Look at Pikachu closely everyone…" he said calmly, trying not to alert the others. "It looks like Ash has developed something new to his arsenal"

But then Gary could care less of what happened. He just wanted to get that kid out of his life, "Don't get cocky with me! Blastoise, hydro beam cannon again!" again the giant turtle began charging up its most deadly attack, but it looks like Ash still going to remain standing.

"No way! Gary's gonna use that attack move again!?"

"There's no way that little mouse can survive that!"

"Come on Ash, do something!" Richie to get the boy's attention, but this only earned him a slap on the head by Paul. "Hey! What was that for!?"

"Be quiet……" the Shinou trainer stated. It was more of an order rather than a request, "Can't you see that Ash is waiting" Richie gave him a puzzling look. "He's taking his time with this fight. He knows what Gary can do and he's not about to fall for the same trick twice. Look there…" he pointed at Pikachu as he explained. "You see that spark on Pikachu's cheeks?"

"Yeah?"

"Then just sit back and watch…"

It was then Gary fired again, "FIRE!" Blastoise hastily unleashed another devastating beam from its cannons and as usual another explosion occurred, causing the field to shake once more. As the smoke cleared up, the result was still the same. "W… why…? Why isn't my attacks working…?!" this event clearly sent a shockwave of emotions crashing down on the other trainers in the area. Was Gary, the fiercest trainer finally meeting his match.

With the second attack done, it seemed like Blastoise has used up ¼ of its energy. Ash smirked again and rubbed his nose with his thumb, "Alright Pikachu, you can drop it now" suddenly, an electrical field became visible to the naked eye causing everyone to see the move clearly. There was a barrier surrounding Pikachu and from the looks of it, it seemed way powerful.

"What the?" Richie perked up again with his eyes jolting out of their sockets, but Paul only sighed, "It looks like he made a new move during our little training"

"What do you mean Paul?" Brock questioned to which the boy was more than happy to answer. Though Paul was not much to show emotions, he let out a small smile crept through his lips as he explained. "Do any of you remember that ability Ash developed on his Pikachu?"

"You mean… Absorb?" Tracey clarified which Paul nodded back. "Exactly. He's using that same move only this time, he isn't absorbing the electricity in the air. He's absorbing the energy from the attacks"

"Absorbing energy attacks?" Brock mimicked.

"Yes… you see… Pikachu is like a battery. Its cheeks are conductors and its body is the expenditor. When Pikachu uses that move, it creates an electric shield around it"

Richie thought for a moment before he remembered that time back in Slateport city, "That's right! When he was fighting Drake back at Slateport city, I remember Brock saying something about that. But I thought it only protects Pikachu from physical attacks?" Brock nodded back, "That's what I've learned so far from what I've seen" he replied.

"But from what I see now" Paul continued, "It seems like that Absorb move, has more than one use. It completely stopped Gary's attack and turned the energy from that beam to his use. And now… this is where the real battle begins" with a reassuring smirk from the Shinou trainer himself, the whole crowd turned their attention back to the fight and noticed that both trainers were still in their positions. Gary seemed to have dropped down and turned into a real battle stance.

It was amazing. Ash developed a new way to counter attacks in just a few seconds by just getting hit by it once. I guess this would be a perfect time to say that 'Never hit a porcupine on the same spot'

With his aura of awesomeness flashing all over again, Cynthia, the blonde champ trainer couldn't help but smile back with a feint blush on her cheek. "You seem awefully happy again Cynthia" Johanna crept behind her, shocking the woman's soul out of her body. "J… Johanna! What are you doing here?!" the blonde trainer yelled out to which she snuffled back in reply. "Oh nothing… just making sure you weren't thinking of stealing something precious to my… daughter…" her eyes flashed brightly, creating that chilly feeling again.

"Uh… Johanna" Brock called out softly, "But shouldn't you be on the coordinator's corner? I mean you could be up next you know"

"Oh don't worry Brock. I'm not next till I'm called" she replied with a smile. But when she turned back to Cynthia, her face became like that of a snake, "I think I'm better off watching this snake, before she does anything I would regret"

"You're the snake…" Cynthia countered, turning her face away from her best friend.

(Back on the battlefield)

Ash once again flashed out his trademark grin only to annoy Gary even more. With his trump card reduced to dust, he was now faced with a difficult problem. "Alright Pikachu…" Ash stated out along with his pal, "Let's do this! Go for a thunderbolt attack!"

"Blastoise, rapid spin!" the giant turtle quickly leaped into the air and spin around repeatedly, creating a defensive shielding. The attack move almost resembled Ash's boomerang tail move, but with more power. "Now Blastoise, use hydro pump while you're at it!"

"We're not giving up yet!" Ash added taking this battle even more seriously than before, "Pikachu, iron tail on the water!" again, the water attack proved useless against Pikachu's tail. "Now followed by a volt tackle!" the attack made contact, and for once, Blastoise showed signs of pain through its face. "No way!" Gary gritted his teeth as he recovered from the outburst, "Blastoise, use water gun and hydro pump all together!" the turtle Pokemon quickly unleashed powerful streams of water through its mouth and cannon, creating a volley of attacks"

But Ash wasn't going to let him take this win easily, "Pikachu, use iron tail again and follow it up with a tackle attack!" again, iron tail proved effective against the water. And with his attack move failed, Gary was now in some serious trouble. "I ain't giving up from the likes of you!" he shouted, "Blastoise, you tackle in as well!"

The two Pokemons met head on (literally) and recoiled back to their respective fields all together. The more attack they dish out, the less effective it seems to become. With the growing intensity coming up, everyone was now practically glued to field one. The battle in that area ensued more dangerously than other areas that some people even had to take a step back when Gary shifted his stance. Never had Havic or the gang saw their boss take any match seriously.

"Man, the crowd is really getting wild up" Dawn noticed the sudden increase of yells and gasps coming from the audience.

"I'm not surprise" Kenny replied, "With this kind of intensity, there's no doubt that it would attract attention. But……"

"But what?" Dawn asked.

"The two of them…" Tracey added, "…are holding back for some reason" all of the gang noticed it too. Ash was indeed powerful, but from their perspective, they could see that the boy wasn't using Pikachu's full abilities. It was like they didn't want to show their true potential until the last possible moment.

"Pikachu, iron tail!"

"Blastoise, rapid spin!" the two attacks met head on with equal power.

"A full hit!" Brock yelled in surprise, "Even when the two of them are holding back, their powers are still equal! At this rate, the winner of this match will only depend on the Pokemon and not the trainer!"

"Pikachu, volt tackle!"

Gary suddenly saw an opportunity so he took it, "Blastoise, grab Pikachu now!" in a move that would surprise everyone, the giant turtle suddenly grabbed Pikachu with its arms just before it could lay an impact on it. "Got you now Ashy boy!"

"Oh no! Pikachu's in trouble!" May panicked along with Max.

But Ash still had one more surprise up his mind, "Pikachu, use thunder!" the little mouse quickly send out a powerful electrical surge through its body, causing paralysis on Blastoise. "Now iron tail assault!" now free from its grasp, Pikachu sent out several tail attacks on Blastoise causing it to fly a few centimeters off the ground. "Now volt tackle!" with repeated orders, Pikachu sent the iron turtle flying towards the end of the field badly wounded.

"Alright!" Todd cheered, "There's no way Blastoise can stand after that kind of combination! It's got to go down!" but then to his surprise, Blastoise was still standing, but just barely.

"Alright Pikachu, let's finish this! Thunderbolt full power!"

But Gary was not going down like this! If he was going down, then he's gonna go down fighting, "Blastoise, hydro beam cannon! Fire now!!" Blastoise quickly recovered and lowered its cannons. When the thunderbolt hit its body, it released a powerful blast which caught Pikachu at the face, creating another puff of smoke.

When the explosion occurred, the whole district itself shook to the very core, sending shivers to everyone within range. "What happened? Who won?" Brock asked between coughs.

As the smoke slowly cleared up, two figures stood amidst the clouds, catching the trainer's attention. All eyes glued to the Pokemons status which would undoubtedly give the result of the match. When the smoke finally cleared, everyone let out a gasp of shock at the scene. Even Ash and Gary were surprised with the results.

The referee looked on both sides and quickly raise his flags to declare the conclusion, "Both Pikachu and Blastoise are unable to battle! Both trainers will now advance to the second preliminary round!!!" in an instant, the crowd went into a complete uproar. No one could believe their eyes. Ash and Gary… tied!?

Screams, shouts and yells were being tossed around endlessly through the district as if it was like the plague or something. The world itself was about to be shattered by an endless cycle of chaos.

"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash hastily rushed to his little buddy's side and carried him in his arms. The little mouse let out a small tired smile and hugged its master with glee.

"Ahem… excuse me for the interruptions" Adam Vile said suddenly, "I forgot to mention one tiny bit of info. When the match results in a draw, both trainers are considered the victor of the battle and both trainers will get to advance to the next round. This also goes for the coordinators as well"

As Ash returned to his friends on the ground, they immediately flocked to him like bees to a hive, "Ash, you were great!" Brock complimented, "But… why did you hold back?"

Ash looked at him for a moment with a surprised expression, "I guess you saw through me huh?"
the others gave out an unsatisfied smirk, "Well… when I was fighting against Gary back there… I noticed that he wasn't giving it his all. And you know I can't fight like that… so I decided to hold back as well. If he doesn't want to fight me seriously, then I shouldn't either" Brock nodded back contently along with the others.

As Gary returned to his group, he didn't say a single word. The boy was as hard to read as a stone tablet which very much resembles a rock.

Jaques really wanted to follow him, but the match ups forced him to stay his feet onto the area. He made a mental note to himself to quickly find Gary the moment he finishes his match.

(A few moments later)

With Ash done for the day, the boy decided to take Pikachu to the Pokemon center for a quick check up treatment. The wounds weren't as bad as the boy thought they would be and the little yellow mouse was release in less than an hour. With his match done for the first prelims, it would be another week before second prelim round begins, so the boy decided to take a little stroll while the rest of his friends finished up their matches.

Surprisingly, there were actually more coordinators who joined in rather than trainers.

As Ash entered the coordinator's corner, he noticed that May was next to go on stage. On the sideline, he could see Caroline cheering for her daughter. Norman was probably in the trainer's corner, waiting for his next match up. The boy could see that May had her eyes closed and a Pokeball in her hand. She did this a lot of times before going onto to her appealing show.

"Ok May" the girl thought to herself, "Just relax… calm down and stay cool. This is just an appealing round like any other. There's no need to get yourself nervous"

But then suddenly, amidst the crowd, she could hear one voice amongst the others. It was… Ash's voice. She jerked her head around slightly and noticed that the boy in question was truly there and from the looks of it, he was cheering. "Ash?"

"Go May! (Pikachu!!) I know you can do it! This round is all yours!" he cheered along with his slightly tired Pikachu. When May saw him cheering and smiling, it was as if her mind went into a complete overdrive. New tactics and combinations began pouring into her head like a hidden fountain deep within her mind. The sweat on her hand seemed to have dried up and her clothes seemed to have tightened considerably, making her blush but also making her body move with speed and grace.

With the start signal coming on, May threw up her Pokeball and smiled, "Alright Squirtle, take the stage!" the little water turtle Pokemon came out and showed its cuteness to the whole world. But it's gonna take more than looks to impress this crowd. "Alright Squirtle, bubble attack!" Squirtle quickly unleashed a large volley of bubbles out of its mouth which look great together. "Good now follow it up with an ice beam!" the bubbles were now frozen solid as ice which earned some gasps from the crowd. Everyone knows that ice don't float, but May was already planning ahead.

"Ok Squirtle, use double team!" the little water Pokemon quickly spread itself into pairs and assembled just below the ice bubbles. "Now water gun!" with synchronization, all sixteen Squirtles began shooting water off their mouths and balancing all the ice bubbles together!

With her poise given out, the crowd let out a jubilant cry of cheers and excitement, and it also looks like the judges were impressed with the results as well and that was a score for May indeed. "Alright May!" Ash cheered on with a smile. May was happy that everyone else was happy and quickly exited the stage along with Squirtle after a slight bow.

"You were great May!" Dawn complimented, "I've never seen such a combination before!" the young Maple blushed back slightly in embarrassment, "Oh why thanks Dawn. I wish you luck on your round as well" a few seconds later, Drew, Kenny and Zoey appeared from the sidelines to greet their friend. Ash was there too but he thought that it would be better if the coordinators had their fun.

But just as the gang were busy talking amongst themselves, a familiar voice came to light which caught all of their attention. "Well well well… if it isn't little ol'e May, trying to earn herself in her friend's side" the gang turned their heads to the side and was suddenly greeted by a purple haired man wearing a Cacturne costume. "Harley…" May spat out the boy's name venomously. "What are you doing here?"

"Tsk tsk tsk… is that truly a way to greet your rival?" the boy known as Harley replied sarcastically, "Some people might take your anger the wrong way you know" but this only earned him several angry glares from Drew, and Ash. The four of them had a history together and to tell you guys honestly… it isn't exactly pretty. Harley was a true example for an enemy to the gang. He was rarely seen at times, but can be a pest worst than Team Rocket any day. He was fairly good in coordinating, but when it comes to plotting and sabotage… his ideas are second it none.

"Don't tell me someone actually nominated for the Valmarian league?" May sheathed through her breath to which Harley on laughed in reply, "It really isn't that surprising May dearest. A talented coordinator such as myself is actually a 'must need' in an event such as this. No city in the world would dare refuse a beauty such as I"

Seeing that Ash was glaring at him angrily, Dawn and the others knew right away that this was a guy not worthy of trust. It was hard to get on Ash's bad side and that alone was enough to know that this Harley, or whatever his name was, is definitely not someone you should get close too unless you're really that desperate.

"Well… seeing that I'm not wanted here… I think I should leave" Harley quickly pardoned himself, leaving behind an irritated group. His mocking and taunting voice was so irritating that smacking him was immediately placed on Ash's 'Must Do' list.

"Who was that?" asked Kenny.

"A rat that doesn't know when to quit" May replied with a huff. But just when they could continue, Johanna stepped up on stage to begin her performance.

"Hey, it looks like my mom's up!" Dawn's eyes quickly perked up, "GO MOM! Show us what you can do!" instantly the others followed with the cheer, soon becoming louder and louder by the second.

Johanna waved back at her daughter and her friends before returning to her meditating stance. She was now wearing a light blue loose tuxedo which she wore back during her old days as a coordinator champion. It looked slightly similar to Zoey's tux except for the design and the colors. "Hmm… it's been a long time since I did my last appealing round. I'm really nervous… but I shouldn't be. Dawn is watching and Ash as well. Can't disappoint them…… come on old friend… let's give it one more shot before retirement" she looked at her Pokeball with a slight affectionate smile. She never thought she would step on stage again… and this was a chance for her to make a come back.

As the start signal turned on, Johanna opened her eyes to the light and smiled brightly at her audience. "Alright Glameow… its show time!" a cat like Pokemon appeared out of the Pokeball and landed on the ground gracefully like it always has been.

"Wow… I can't believe I'm actually going to see mom in an appealing round" Dawn said slightly amazed by the show. She had never seen her mother performed live before and this was truly a treat for her eyes.

"She was champion of the Shinou grand festival before so I'm sure she has some neat tricks up her sleeves" Kenny added with a slight smirk.

"Glameow, let's start off with ice beam!" the cat began its appeal with an ice beam striking high up in the sky. "Focus Galmeow! Now draw a V shape!" in a move that surprised even Zoey herself, Glameow's ice beam began to morph in a small V shape which covered nearly half the district. "Now double team followed by shadow ball, then iron tail and combine it with a shadow claw!" everyone was confused! How can Glameow do all those moves at once?

But to their surprise, Johanna's Glameow wasn't confused at all. It remembered its orders and quickly moved out. It first split itself into hundreds then all of them shot a shadow ball into the air, creating some sort of pattern. After that, the Glameows split themselves into three groups aligning perfectly with the ice beam that was surprisingly still being held by the original Glameow. They all began to attacking each other with iron tail and shadow claw, giving out that mysterious look. Before everyone knew it, the whole stage turned into a one Pokemon carnival performance. A single Glameow pulling out all he stunts and acts with its double team ability.

"WHOA!!" the audiences were just simply ecstatic. Their jaws hit the floor so hard that it would've shaken the dead off their graves. The performance was so amazing that everyone even forgot to clap.

As everything balanced out perfectly, Johanna stood at the center of the Galmeow army, "I Johanna of Twinleaf town, proudly present to you…… the one stand carnival!" and with that, the whole corner erupted into a series of cheers like never before. Never had Johanna failed to please the crowd and this was no exception either.

Ash and the others were simply awestruck by the sight. To have a professional show her stuff like that was just simply… unbelievable.

"That was…… awesome" Zoey had to admit that her performance was way better than anything that she could conjure up at the moment. Usually it would take two or perhaps even three Pokemons to create something that big and boy… Johanna's works today must've made some of the coordinators wet their pants.

When the mother returned to the ground, she was immediately given back her Valmarian badge as proof that she was still in the competition. "Phew… that was a close one" she sighed to herself.

But then a shout caught her ears attention, "Mom! That was beautiful! I've never seen anything like it before! You were awesome!"

"Why thank you sweetie" her mother replied with a smile, "But I have to admit that I was quite nervous. It's been a long time since I've let out my last performance so maybe I went a little too far there"

"Not at all" Ash replied with a smirk, "That appealing was so great that it made my appeals look like a normal battle" they all let out a laugh which lightened up the mood greatly.

As the day finally went on and on and on… all of Ash's gang finished up with a smile. Everyone got to battle and performed and none of them failed in the attempts…

(Che'val-yere hotel Pokemon garden) (08:45 PM)

When the match ups finally ended, Major Vile told the other trainers who haven't fought to return tomorrow for their next match ups. With million of trainers and coordinators fighting to no end, the first round was definitely gonna take a lot longer to finish.

The gang returned to the hotel where everyone was staying with wide smiles on their faces. Today was a good day, a great day in fact! Everyone was happy and not only that… they were also very tired.

"Hey there everyone" professor Oak was the first to greet the gang as they entered through the door. "From the looks on your faces, it seems like everything went smoothly" they all nodded with positive answers. "Of course!" Ash shouted, "We all fought and won right!?"

"Yeah!"

Delia was also there and seeing everyone smile made her smile even more. "Well then…" she began, "The professor and I thought you might all be hungry after such an intense battle, so we decided to order something up for you" when they scooted over, a giant feast laid before them. Foods from the four corners of the globe were all set in one table and damn, did they look good. Drooling over their tired bodies, the gang dug into their plates and nabbed as many as they could get.

Before they knew it, ¼ of the table was already gone before the wind even had the chance to blow.

"Oh dear, are we too late?" came a new voice from behind. When Delia turned around, she was greeted by the sight of two Jennies, "Oh hey there you two" Delia replied, "You're not late. You're just in time for the party" the two Jennies smiled back, "Thanks for inviting us Delia, that was kind of you" they said in almost unison.

And suddenly, as if on cue, Brock by to give out his undying love for the Jennies, "Oh my… now it's not one, but two Jennies I'm seeing! The gods must've sent you to me as a test of will and choice! I will ackkk!!" again he was cut short thanks to Croagunk.

With the boy being dragged off by his Pokemons, Ash go up an idea, "Hey everyone, let's have our Pokemons join the fun too!" the gang all agreed and quickly released their Pokemons to join in with the others.

The professor smiled and quickly told the waiter to bring in a large bucket of Pokechows for the Pokemons. The waiter nodded and headed back into the kitchen to produce the ordered meal. But just as the old man watch all the Pokemons join in on the fun, a thought came to mind. "Oh that reminds me…… Ash!" he called out to the boy, "I just remembered that professor Rowan came by this morning to return this" he handed Ash a Pokeball which was already inflated.

"What's this professor?"

"It's the Entei that you caught back in Hoenn" this quickly perked Cynthia's ears slightly. "I sent it to him for a little analysis and planed to give it to you before you left Shinou. Why don't you call it out to join the others?"

Ash was slightly hesitant to call out the legendary Pokemon. Never before he had thought that he would ever catch one so it was kinda awkward. But after taking a short gulp of his saliva, Ash threw out the Pokeball and summoned the creature to his side.

As expected… the Pokemon looked as graceful as the first time Ash laid eyes on it. The legendary Pokemon looked like that of a lion and its claws was even more dangerous than it actually looks. The gang and their Pokemons paused slightly as they glared at their new comrade (nakama) To see a legendary Pokemon like this up close was almost like a blessing of some sort.

Once Entei was out of the Pokeball, it glared around as everybody else starred back at it. It first thought that they were enemies, but when it laid eyes on Ash and his Guardian… he quickly dropped down its guard with a slight purr sound.

"Uh… hi there Entei" Ash greeted the Pokemon, "I'm Ash and uh…" but then suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the legendary Pokemon approached the young boy and began rubbing its soft fur on his arm. "Ahehehehe… hey Entei, cut that out ahahaha" a few minutes later, the legendary Pokemon suddenly began to act like Burno. A spirited Pokemon that was ready to do anything for its master. Once everyone knew that it was safe to approach the creature, they all surround Entei with a warm caring hug. It felt awkward at first, hugging a Pokemon from legends, but then they got used to it. The Pokemon acted like any Pokemon would. It ate and played along with everyone else. But Cynthia seemed to have taken a particular interest in the little one. Starring at a legendary Pokemon dead in the eye was probably something she would want and right now… she had her chance.

"Hey Cynthia" Ash called out, "Come on and try touching Entei's fur. It's really smooth and soft" taking his word for it, the blonde champ bent on one knee and touched the Pokemon with her hands. To Ash's truth, it was amazingly soft… almost like touching cotton.

"You're right… it is soft" she smiled back at Ash.

"Isn't it… it's great to have you on the team Entei" the beast only let out a soft roar, trying not to scare them.

But while the two of them continued to rub Entei's fur, Ash accidentally got extremely close to Cynthia, which made her blush slightly. "Hey look at this" Ash said out, not looking at Cynthia's red face. "Entei's fur are softer around here ahehehe" a few seconds later, he turned to the blonde champ and smiled.

Before the gods knew it, the two champs were once again having a friendly conversation. The others were finally off goofing around or still eating, but it seemed like the fun never ceased to end. Laughters and joy were spread all around that night with no sighs or sadness to take away the mood. They just kept talking and laughing and smiling and laughing over and over and over and over again.

But as time passed faster than it normally does, Richie decided to have a little surprise, "Hey everyone!" he called out to the gang, "Let's have a toast for everyone making it through the first preliminary round!" he held out a bottle of soda to gesture to what he meant. The gang quickly agreed and everyone took out a bottle or glass somewhere in the area. Some of the glasses were only half full thanks to their excessive habit of eating and drinking non-stop. "Alright, is everyone here?" Richie looked around and noticed everyone was there. "Alright then… here's to everyone!"

"Cheers! (Kam-pai!) (gluck gluck gluck gluck gluck!) Ahahahahahaha!" soon later, the whole gang erupted into a small series of laughs and chuckles.

Johanna was also cracking up her gut along with everyone else, but just as she laid eyes on Cynthia, her smile faded. The blonde champion was smiling… and we're not talking about her usual everyday smile that she gives out to everyone, we're talking about a real smile………… one that had not been seen for many years.

But Cynthia was only giving that smile to one particular person.

Ash……

The blonde girl was a lot calmer than usual, and never before had she let her guard down like that. She would always put them up and notice everyone's move intently like she expected someone to attack her or something. Even when she was with the Elite four she would always have her guard up. It was like… she trusted people but at the same time… she didn't trust them.

As Johanna turned to the boy Cynthia was talking to… she was now completely convinced that her theory was true. The blonde trainer has fallen for the boy. She never once thought that it was actually possible. During their time back in the Shinou region, Cynthia would often be seen as a strong person with unmatched vigil. But now… after spending a short time with Ash and the gang, she turned into a completely new person. She was more of her… true self if one would want to call it that.

She no longer hid behind her false mask. Instead, she was becoming more and more like a young teen again. She changed her appearance to match her face and her fashion sense to match up with today's generation. Wherever she walked, all eyes would glare at her with awe. Whoever she looks, will probably melt by the smile on her face.

After seeing all this, Johanna couldn't help but sigh. This only made her mission even harder than before. Not only did she have to protect Ash from Norman and Scott's hands, but now from her best friend too.

This journey has just taken an interesting turn… and who knows what lies at the end of the road? Will it be fame and fortune? Happiness and delight? Or fear and sadness? Only time can tell…

(Gary's personal training ground) (Arena District)

Gary was slamming his fists onto a training dummy as he trained his Pokemons for battle. All of them were sweating in buckets for hours and it didn't look like he was going to stop any time soon. To keep him from harm and exhaustion, Jaques was there along with several bottles of water and some snacks from the vending machine. Ever since Gary battled with Ash, the boy has been doubling if not tripling his efforts on getting even stronger.

The flying Pokemon trainer had to admit that he was quite surprised to see Gary's attack falter like that. For Ash to create a counter move in such a short time was probably something that would surprise everyone.

But then suddenly, the main entrance door of the gym opened up, causing Jaques to switch into a battle stance, but then he immediately dropped it when he realized who was on the other side. "Hey there Jaques" it was Emma, the Dark Queen, "Got a message from Havic. He says to meet up with Brendan on the bridge to the Industrial District. Don't ask why, he didn't say"

The blonde trainer looked at her for a moment before darting his eyes back to Gary who was still training and didn't seem to care if he stayed or left. After a few seconds, he then turned Emma, "Sorry… but I can't go. Tell Havic to send someone else in my stead. I have a duty to follow"

Emma sighed back, "Somehow he also knew you'd say something like that" she then turned around and waved, "Well, it looks like I'll have to cover for you. Later fly boy" and with her gone, the blonde trainer returned to his seat and opened up a bottle of water for himself. Just watching Gary train was more than enough to make him hungry.

(The next morning) (Che'val-yere hotel lobby) (09:00 AM)

Today was another day here Valmarian city. With the sun rising high into the sky and not a speck of cloud in the air, everyone had a feeling that something good was going to happen today. The Valmarian league was probably continuing by now so Ash and his friends had the whole week off to train or do whatever they want to do. However… it seems like Ash was the first person to wake up from the late night hangover.

The signs of fatigue was as clear as sand in the Sahara dessert. His eye lids were half open as he starred at the morning breakfast menu. The frequent yawns he gives out every minute and of course, his wobbling body.

"Ummm excuse me (ano……)" said the waitress who was standing next to the tired boy, "Have you chosen what you're going to eat yet?"

Ash seemed to have awakened slightly, "Huh? Oh yeah… I'll just have a #5 set please" the waitress nodded back after writing down what she had ordered, "Ok then. I'll be back in five minutes"

With the waiter gone, Ash slouched back onto the couch and rested his aching arms and legs. He completely forgot what happened after he passed out last night. The only thing he could remember was talking about something with Paul and then… blank. It's as if the whole incident was jumbled around his head.

"Man… even after last night… I'm still tired (Pika…chu)" his little companion agreed whole heatedly. "I wonder how the league is doing right now?"

"Well if you're wondering, why don't you find out" came a new voice from behind. When Ash turned his tired head around, he was greeted by the sight of another elderly looking man in a scientist's lab coat. The man was probably just a little older than professor Oak and his hair was definitely longer too. He had a white long mustache that extends just out of his face and a short beard that was recently trimmed down to size. He carried with him a cane stick and hat a gentleman's hat wrapped around his arm "Hello there young fella! Sorry I didn't mean to disturb your nap time"

"Uh… no… not at all" Ash replied dumbly.

"Anyway, judging from the tone of your voice, you must be a Pokemon trainer competing in the Valmarian league correct?" he let out a wide smile to which Ash nodded back. The old man then sat on the opposite couch and placed his cane on the sides. "If you wish, I could show you. Do you happen to have a Pokedex with you by any chance?" Ash quickly searched through his back pocket and handed him his Pokedex. To say the least, the old man seemed quite surprised, "Oh my… this is the Pokedex 3000. The latest model made in Valmarian city. I've only seen a handful of these with several trainers"

"Well actually" ash began, "A friend of my mom bought me that for me when I lost mine"

The old man laughed, "Hahahaha… you must lose things very often then hehehehe" Ash simply pouted sheepishly at him. "Ahahaha… sorry about that. Anyway… this Pokedex seemed to have been updated recently too. Now if I put this here and this here…" he began tampering with the Pokedex's control log, putting one wire over the other and placing some sort of microchip at the bottom. After a few seconds, he was done. "There you go. Good as new" he handed it back to Ash. "Now if you press the red button at the bottom, you can view the on going battles happening and how many competitors are left in the match ups" he explained, "I've also added in the list of names of competitors as well, so whenever you see a trainer, it will tell you who they are and what types they specialize in"

"Wow!" Ash said in amazement. "Let's see here… how about… me?"

The Pokedex quickly popped up and answered in its robotic voice.

Name: Ash Ketchum

Class: Trainer

Hometown: Pallet Town, Kanto

Specialization: Various types

Contestant #: 4097

"Hey, this is pretty handy" Ash chuckled, "Thanks a lot mister……" by the time Ash was able to look back up to where the man was sitting, the old coot was gone… as if he never existed. "Hey… where'd he go? (Pikachu?)" not even Pikachu nor Rosa was able to notice the old man's disappearance.

Just as the boy looked around to thank the old man, another loud voice entered the hotel which nearly rocked the very foundation of the building. "HELOOOOOO everybody! We're here!" Ash covered his ear from the vibration of the high pitched voice and gritted his teeth to get rid of the sound. He only knew one person that could ever turn to a pitch that high and no, we're not talking about those people who sing in the opera house. "We're the Cerulean Sensational Sisters!" it was none other than Daisy, Violet and Lily, the three so called gym leaders of Cerulean city.

"Daisy? Violet? Lily?" Ash said their names in synch. When the three sisters noticed the boy, they became ecstatic, "ASH!!!" they all shouted in unison and they hugged the boy tightly in their arms, "How are you doing?" asked Daisy, "We haven't like… heard from you" said Violet, "Did you compete in the first prelim round yet?" asked Lily

"Uh… yeah… but what are you guys doing here?" Ash asked after finally breaking free from their grasp, "Are you three performing something around here?"

"Oh… right" Daisy smiled, "We were invited by the Pokemon league to set up the Christmas Party. Ever since the world saw our party in Cerulean gym, they wanted us to be the MCs for the New Year's batch"

"Hey that's great!" Ash replied excitingly.

"Isn't it?" Daisy added with another one of her wide smiles, "We can't wait to get started. My sisters and I are planning to head off to the Central District the moment we get our rooms. Are you staying here as well?"

Ash nodded back in reply, "Yeah and so is everybody else. Professor Oak was kind enough to get us our own rooms too"

"Oh that's wonderful!" said the eldest sister. "You and all of your friends under one roof! It's like a dream come true! Oh then that must mean Misty is here as well! What room is she in?"

Click…

Ash's mind suddenly reverted back to the past. A slight sting of pain lodged into his heart causing several parts of his body to ache badly. He once thought that he could forget about the fight and move on… but it seemed like terrible memories like these would always come back no matter if you want it to or not.

Note: Daisy is the oldest followed by Violet, Lily and Misty

Daisy suddenly noticed the boy's pained look and was now worried if something might've happened, "Is everything alright Ash?" she asked quickly which brought the boy out of his thoughts, "You were dozing off there for a moment. Is something wrong?"

But then the boy quickly forced out a small smile, "No… it's nothing" he said finally, "Misty is probably still in her room sleeping, so you might just want to register first. Why don't when you come back after you meet up with the officials" the three sisters seemed to buy his explaination for now, but they could tell that something was definitely wrong. Ash wouldn't be able to lie himself out of a snakes den even if he wanted to. But instead of putting pressure on the tired boy, they decided to leave it for now because they had more pressing issues to take care of.

With the three sisters gone, Ash got back to his couch and noticed that the breakfast he ordered was already there. He picked up the sandwich that was meant to be an appetizer for the meal, but as he dangled it in front of his face, he didn't feel that hungry anymore. In fact… he felt kind of disgusted and his stomach churned at every moment.

Taking his heavy heart, he put down the sandwich and placed it back down onto the table. He looked up to the nearest window and watched as the winds blew through the nearby trees. The first day of the Valmarian league has finally passed and all of them seemed to have won their battles with flying colors… but little that he knew… that this was only a calm… before a coming storm…