Hi Everyone! Welcome back to Chapter (checks notes) 18 of the Chosen One's Wrath! If you guys are new, please follow and favorite the story! We are (checks notes again) about 15 followers away from the half-century mark! Let's make it happen everyone! Show your support, and let's get the followers to 500! As per usual, let's talk! I hope you guys enjoyed last chapter! It wasn't as rough of a cliffhanger as I usually leave you all on, but it's just to make sure everyone keeps coming back for more! It occurred to me last chapter that I hadn't really included any moments between Ash and May since they got together, so, I had to put that in. Thankfully, last chapter nearly eclipsed 10,000 words, definitely one of my longer chapters. This story is nearing in on 150,000 words, and if I hit 10,000 words, this chapter, I am confirmed to hit 150,000 with this chapter. However, I'm unsure if I will hit it. Guess I'll have to see as I'm typing this.
Also, since my last post, I put together a time frame for me to see where the story is overall and how long it should be till everything is all set and done. Here's the scary thing: Even with this being the round of 32 (therefore, assuming Ash makes it all the way, he'll have 4 battles after this one) this story is not even halfway done yet. This is assuming my timeline does not change, and I don't merge chapters together in the timeline.
Anyway, just food for thought. That's all I have for this preview, enjoy the chapter!
LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath Chapter 18
Last Chapter…
Ghost stood there in disbelief as he saw May and… none other than himself standing there. He fought to find any words to speak. Finally, the words came out. "What the…" May exclaimed in a bubbly tone. "Ghost! C-can you believe it?! Ash is alive!" Ghost merely stood there; a stunned look etched all over his handsome face. Ash's doppelganger walked over to him and held out his hand cheerfully. "Hi! My name is Ash Ketchum! It's nice to meet you! My goal is to become a Pokémon master someday!" Ghost was frozen for another moment before he slowly extended his hand and shook his doppelganger's hand. "My name is Ghost. I'm the champion of the Alola region, a pleasure."
Ash grinned cheekily and released the handshake. May excitedly said. "I can't believe you came back to me!" Ash held her hands and said softly. "Well of course I would come back to you, I love you!" May whispered. "I… I love you too." Ghost's eyes widened in horror as the two hugged tightly. When the two failed to break their grasps over one another, Ghost finally lost his cool. "So… that's how this is going to be huh?" May looked at Ghost with desperate eyes. "I… I d-don't even know what to say Ghost… I-I'm so sorry that this had had to happen. B-but Ash had been the one I've been yearning for… for years! I couldn't do anything, I couldn't say anything to anyone, a-and if I did… w-who would believe me?!" Ghost stared at her with tears threatening to build and then said. "S-so… w-we're done?"
He saw tears in her eyes. "Y-y-yes… we are."
XXXXXXXXXX
"I told you it would work!" Max said proudly, puffing out his chest.
There, before them, was May, tied up and gagged, all while sitting on a chair. She had swollen eyes from all the crying she had done. She recognized all the traitors, the ones who had betrayed Ash, all there. Well, all of them except Trip. She wasn't sure where he was, but wherever it was, it wasn't with her. She saw Bonnie helping Max with something in a corner a moment or so later. Cilan walked over to her and smirked. He then removed the gag from her mouth.
"I am quite sorry." May spat at him. "Like hell you are."
Cilan didn't flinch from her cold gaze. "Honestly, you were never meant to get hurt or injured. The one we intend to harm is your boyfriend… or should I say ex-boyfriend?" At that May let out a growl and fought to get free so she could strangle to green-haired man. He chuckled a little and shook his head at May.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Bonnie is my next opponent!" She claimed proudly.
Ash shook his head, his eyes wide in bewilderment. "And that is important because?"
"Because… if I remember correctly…" She showed Ash the computer after a moment or two, and then, Ash could only widen his eyes as he saw everything he needed to know about the situation. His pink-haired elite was indeed onto something, but there was only one way to find out if their current theory was on the right path, completely on-point, or completely off-point.
"Are we sure that Bonnie used her Hypno to possible manipulate May and to do this?" Zandra nodded eagerly. "It is possible. If May was being hypnotized, then this makes perfect sense. Her eyes would be light blue, almost glossed over. Bonnie would tell her what to say, and therefore, since Bonnie didn't "We can always check their old hideout. Hell, maybe they are stupid enough to use it again." Ash shrugged.
XXXXXXXXXX
The referee in the middle of the battlefield announced. "Welcome to the first battle of the round of 32 trainers. This battle is between the Ghost of Alola, and Erika Grassal from Kanto. Each trainer will use three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon from either side are unable to continue. Furthermore, both sides are permitted to substitute Pokémon. And before we begin, it's time to reveal the newest factor of the ABS, the battlefield randomizer!" Erika raised an eyebrow in surprise, while Ash's eyes widened in horror. He had totally forgotten about Sophocles mentioning that! On all of the big screens, a multi-colored wheel began to spin describing the terrains that could be chosen for the round. The wheel slowly stopped on a light blue wedge of the circle labelled, "Ice." The floor from underneath the two trainers and referee vanished for a moment before an ice battlefield that included high and icy cliffs reappeared. "Without further ado, let the battle begin!" Erika frowned. "It's truly bad fortune to be forced into a brutal battlefield, but I am far from over! Exeggutor, come out!" The standard Exeggutor took the field, crying its name triumphantly before watching it's opponent keenly, waiting to see who Ghost would use as it's opponent.
He calmly took out the pokeball on his belt and stared at it. He hadn't planned on using her in this battle, but there was nobody else would held a candle to her on this battlefield; it had to be now. He said calmly. "I need your assistance." The Pokémon materialized, and the audience gasped in surprise. Ash smiled as his watched his newest Pokémon take the field and cry out proudly. "Deeeelllvvveeee!" Erika was stunned as she stared at the beautiful, golden Pokémon. The referee raised an eyebrow, totally unsure of what the Pokémon he was seeing even was. "Ghost, what is this Pokémon's name?" The referee questioned.
He answered. "Her name is Delveon. She is, technically, a legendary Pokémon." Erika's eyes widened in shock. How long had he been saving this Pokémon for before he unleashed it?
Present…
Erika considered herself to be a very seasoned trainer. She knew a tremendous amount about Pokémon, their weakness', their strength's, etc. However, as her pokedex told her everything she needed to know about Delveon, she could only feel panic building up inside her.
"Delveon, the Sun God Pokémon, and the Legendary Evolved Form of Eevee. It is said that Delveon were the ancient warriors defending the Pharaoh Pokémon thousands of years ago. In Ancient Times, Delveon was commonly mistaken for Sylveons. Delveon is the only Pokémon known to have the "Sun Type." Sun type moves are Super Effective against Grass, Bug, Dark, Fighting, and Steel Type Pokémon. In addition, No Pokémon moves are super effective against Sun Types."
Because Ghost had not used this Pokémon in any prior battles, and because this Pokémon was so absurdly rare, she knew nothing about it other than what the pokedex had said to her. She now knew how badly of a disadvantage she was at.
Not only did she have to deal with the battlefield being entirely made up of ice, she now had to deal with a Pokémon that had no type disadvantages against it, and could pack a massive punch against Grass Type Pokémon. She would have to use every piece of knowledge in her arsenal of tricks to beat this Pokémon. Then, a horrible thought came over her: what if she beat it, and ran into another mythical Pokémon under the possession of this freakishly powerful champion? She didn't even want to think about that.
Instead, she called out the first move. "Exeggutor, begin by drilling your legs into the ice! Stabilize yourself! Then, use Egg Bomb!" She ordered.
The grass type roared and drilled it's legs into the ice, then it charged up an explosive attack. Ash knew what to do. "Use Calm Mind, quick!" Delveon swiftly was able to boost its Special Attack and defense, but then found itself getting thrown backwards by an explosion. However, as Ash had predicted, because Calm Mind had been used as a buffer, Egg Bomb really didn't do more than a few bumps and bruises of damage.
In Erika's mind, a hit was a hit. "Good! Now use Leaf Storm! Blow it away!" She waved her arm horizontally, and Exeggutor whipped up a stream of sharp leaves for a moment or two before crying out its name loudly and firing them at the Sun-Type. Ash countered. "Delveon, move out of the way, then build momentum and use your feelers to navigate the ice!" Delveon obeyed it's trainer, barely avoiding the torrent of leaves before it began to skate around the Grass and Psychic type rapidly. Ash ordered. "Get in close!"
Erika frowned. "Use Egg Bomb!"
Ash cursed. "Delveon, get out of there!" It was too late though, Delveon was thrown off its path by an explosion coming from its opponent. Erika kept pressing. "Now! Use Egg Bomb again!" Exeggutor hurled another egg towards it's opponent, and Ash thought quickly. "Quickly! Get up and skate right at Exeggutor!"
Using it's honed agility that Ash had so keenly trained to complement Delveon's titanic special attack stat, Delveon was able to escape the blast and get on a direct path right to Exeggutor. Erika frowned. "Wood Hammer!" The Pokémon's head glowed green, and it swung at Delveon just as it got into range. (AN: I have no idea how to describe an Exeggutor uses Wood Hammer since it literally has no arms, so just roll with it.)
Erika thought she was going to land another direct shot, and she likely would've, if she had known one of Delveon's secret moves. "Now! Aegis Defense!" Delveon leapt off the skating ice, and in one fluid motion, crossed it's feelers in the form of an "X" in front of it, shielding itself from all damage. Then, surprising everyone in the stadium, it let out a battle cry as it used its feelers to grab Exeggutor out from the ice by latching onto it's one leg! Erika gasped in shock. Ash ordered. "Now! Drag it!" Using the strength it had gained from the Wood Hammer and Aegis Defense, (AN: Remember, Aegis Defense can give the user more power depending on the strength of the move used,) it began to drag Exeggutor across the ice at a blinding pace. Erika cried out. "Q-quick! Hit it with Egg Bomb!"
"No No No! Keep its aim off!" Delveon made a quick cut, causing Exeggutor to swivel around, back still dragging against the ice. The attack was fired, but as Ash predicted, it missed blindly. It was time to make a move. "Drag it through the ice boulders!" Erika's eyes widened, her stance changing to one of fear. She could only watch as her faithful Pokémon was grinded up against the icy boulders like swiss cheese.
Delveon continued the onslaught. Ash noticed it's strength wearing out, and he decided to give Delveon a small breather. He ordered. "Now! Give it a spin and throw it!" Delveon skated in a circle, using the last bits of strength it had acquired from Aegis Defense and Wood Hammer to skate without needing it's feelers. Then, it gave out a loud cry before letting go of Exeggutor, who flew through the air for a second or two before smashing into an icy boulder.
Exeggutor got up slowly, but Erika could tell that the grass type had taken a beating from all those icy boulders. Delveon was panting, not from damage, but rather from some level of exhaustion from dragging Exeggutor around for a good minute or so.
Erika knew she needed to take control of this, and quickly. She ordered. "Alright Exeggutor! Plant your feet!"
The grass type obeyed.
"Now use Hypnosis!"
The attack was sent at Delveon, and Ash simply ordered. "Calm Mind." Erika raised an eyebrow, he was risking Delveon's health by improving it's stats? What could he be up to? Delveon did successfully raise its stats, but then, the eerie attack connected with it. Erika nodded once, satisfied that the attack had indeed connected. But then, she took another look and paled when she saw Delveon standing there, a content smile on its face, and most certainly not asleep by any means.
"But how…" She murmured.
"Delveon's ability." She heard from across the field. She saw Ghost calling out to her. It wasn't in a mocking tone whatsoever, it just sounded… informative.
"Mythical Barrier: It's a very useful ability." He chuckled.
Erika frowned. "Care to enlighten your opponent?"
Ghost grinned. "I suppose it will do me no harm any further, besides, it is sportsmanlike. Mythical Barrier is an ability that converts certain moves into a simple Heal Pulse."
The Grass-Gym Leader cocked her head ever-so-slightly to the side in curiosity. "Which moves would those be Mr. Champion?"
"Any move that's primary incentive is to give Delveon a status condition. An example would be Hypnosis, since its sole intention is to put Delveon to sleep. Or, for example, Poison Powder. Other moves that would have the same effect could be Thunder Wave, Confuse Ray, or Will-o-Wisp. However, moves such as Dizzy Punch, Thunderbolt, Fire Fang and Blizzard would not fall under this category."
Erika paused before answering. "So you're saying that Delveon can still receive status conditions, but it can only be from moves that have a chance to inflict that certain status condition to Delveon. So Dizzy Punch can still confuse Delveon, since it has a chance to leave it's opponent confused, and since its primary intention was to deal damage, Mythical Barrier doesn't apply here?"
"Precisely. That is why I simply ordered Delveon to take the move: It's been healed up to the maximum now, and it's been given two free chances to boost its Special Attack and Special defense." Erika paled; this was not good.
"… Leaf Storm!" She cried out. The move was launched towards Delveon, and Ash just sighed and shook his head. "Let's give them a dose of true Power Delveon! Sun Beam!" The Eeveeolution nodded at her trainer before it's rainbow-colored orb on its head glowed brightly, shining multiple colors of the rainbow. Then, a small orb formed in its mouth. Delveon cried out loudly before the orb in its mouth formed larger and larger, turning yellow, to almost pure-white. Then, with a triumphant cry, it fired off the blast just a moment before the leaves connected with it. The ray of light scorched the leaves in milliseconds. Erika barely had time to react before a blinding explosion leveled the Ice field. The ray had lit up Exeggutor perfectly, courtesy of Delveon's pinpoint accuracy. Erika rubbed her eyes for a moment before crying out in horror.
"E-Exeggutor! No!" After a moment, the smoke cleared, and there was Exeggutor, lying face up on the ice, legs thankfully still intact, swirls in its eyes. The referee needed no more hints. He raised a flag. "Exeggutor is unable to battle, Delveon wins!"
Elite Box…
"That sure is a powerful Pokémon Ash is using! What strength it has!" Axel said in surprise. He knew very well that if he won his next battle, he would almost certainly have to face the legendary Cynthia Shirona. He was not looking forward to that, but to make matters even worse, if he somehow managed to beat Cynthia, he'd have to go against Ghost. There was no doubt in his mind that Ghost was going to make it to the end of his bracket, nobody could stop him. The fact that he had never officially faced Ghost scared him to the core. What other tricks was Ghost hiding up his sleeve?
"I wonder why Ghost opted to use Delveon now?" Zandra wondered aloud.
"I suspected he would wait until facing off against a traitor before using her." July murmured.
Xavier chuckled at them. "It's obvious girls."
Zandra narrowed her eyes at him, a move that would've made most men flinch right on the spot. He knew better, though. "Care to explain smartass?"
He chuckled. "Nah, I'd rather not."
Zandra growled and muttered. "Why you…"
"Cram it ladies. Erika is sending out her next Pokémon!" Axel interrupted, annoyed that his fellow elites were bickering. Xavier smirked and turned away, while Zandra stuck her tongue out at him in response.
Battlefield…
Erika studied the Pokémon in front of her and kept tally of all its moves. Two of these moves she knew nothing of: Aegis Defense, and Sun Beam. Calm Mind was one of its other moves, but what was its last one? She smiled at Ghost and spoke to him.
"I want to thank you for this battle. You're truly going to push me to my limits this battle, it's been forever since I had to fight like this. So, let's continue! Roserade, come out!"
The Pokémon materialized, and Ash frowned. He had battled against a tactic like most Roserades had, and this move didn't make much sense. Poison Powder would have no effect on Delveon whatsoever, so unless she had a different plan…
"Trainer! Will you stick with Delveon?" The referee hollered at Ash.
"Yes. I will." He responded.
Erika nodded once and the referee called out. "Battle commence!"
Erika commanded. "Toxic Spikes!"
Ash nodded to himself. That move made sense. But he'd soon throw the move at her face. The toxic spikes were layered everywhere. Erika nodded and commanded at her Pokémon. "Let's use Magical Leaf!" Rainbow leaves were stirred up around the Grass and Poison type. Then, lowering its arm, the leaves were launched at the eeveeolution.
Ash called out. "Fry them with Sun Beam, quick!"
The two moves cancelled one another out, causing a massive explosion to level the field. Ash ordered. "Aegis Defense, quickly!"
The move surprised Erika, who hadn't foreseen Ghost to call out the move. Delveon looked confused before nodding, it's feelers glowing golden. To everyone's surprise, with the lone exception of Ghost, the dust and smoke was abruptly blown away to reveal Roserade hovering in midair, ready to launch an attack! The audience gasped in surprise as Rosereade launched a Poison Sting attack at Delveon. However, because Ghost had commanded her touse Aegis Defense, Delveon launched herself towards the attack and plowed through all of the Poison Sting attacks.
To Erika's horror, Delveon's feelers had completely protected it from the move, and it didn't stop from sailing right towards Roserade, who was still hovering in midair from leaping into the smoke. Delveon grabbed Roserade with it's feelers, and then proceeded to toss Roserade into the ground forcefully.
Erika gritted her teeth; this Pokémon was truly powerful! She had to figure out a way to get Delveon out of the picture, or else there was no way she was winning this fight. If Poison Sting didn't work… An idea racked her brain.
"Now! Try Poison Sting again!"
Ash frowned. What was Erika doing?
"Aegis Defense." Delveon rushed towards Roserade, feelers glowing golden. The move was countered, and Erika saw her chance. It was now or never. "Quickly! Use Leaf Storm!"
Ash's eyes widened. He hadn't seen that coming. He yelled. "Delveon, get out of there!" It was too late though. Erika had played Delveon and Ghost. She knew her one shot was to try and overwhelm the seemingly unbreakable defense move. Delveon knew this was coming, and also knew it was unavoidable. Regardless of that it wasn't very effective, it wasn't the power that was the only that affected if Aegis defense was successful: it was if the move could overwhelm Aegis Defense.
Leaf storm checked off this box. The move swarmed Delveon, slicing into its HP and tossed it backwards, cuts and bruises all over. Ash grit his teeth together as he watched Delveon get on its feet slowly. This being its first official battle, Delveon wasn't as battle-hardened as the rest of his crew. He could see that, even though she was a legendary, the moves she had used as well as the damage she had taken had worn her down.
Ash suddenly had a realization flicker over him. Then, he grinned. He knew what to do: he was about to completely flip the script.
"Delveon, Return!"
Ash held out Delveon's pokeball, and she returned to it with a flash of red.. Erika raised an eyebrow, what was he doing?
Ash's Elite Box…
"So his Goal is to get all his Pokémon poisoned? That's his end target? Why would he swap Delveon out? She could definitely still battle!" July said in bewilderment.
Xavier just laughed at them. "You guys really aren't thinking clearly enough."
Zandra groaned. "Enough with all these stupid riddles! How about you just tell us?"
Axel shrugged. "He's probably got a steel type Pokémon on hand, after all, they're completely immune to Poison."
Zandra then shook her head. "Not possible. Unless Ghost has randomly gotten a new Pokémon, he's got no steel types whatsoever. He doesn't have a Pokémon type that can help against Poison type moves."
Xavier laughed again. "Man you guys aren't the brightest. Of course Ghost is switching out and avoiding getting poisoned!" Axel looked incredulous at his friend. "A-are you listening to yourself?"
Xavier just smirked. He knew what Ash's plan was.
July shook her head. "Every other type of Pokémon can get poisoned." She frowned to herself, what was Ash up to? He couldn't evade getting Poisoned… unless…
She cried out. "That's it!"
Battlefield…
"Trainer, send out you next Pokémon!"
Ash smirked and said. "Charizard, I need your assistance."
Erika felt her blood run cold as the fire-type took the field. It soared above the battlefield, wings flapping. It let out a roar of dominance. And Erika could do nothing but watch in horror as Toxic Spikes failed to affect Charizard. Ash had used his quick thinking brain to avoid taking any poison damage.
Ash chuckled at Erika's horrified reaction. "Trust me, you had me worried there for a moment. But this battle is over now; Charizard, prepare yourself."
The referee yelled. "Battle Commence!"
Ash would end this swiftly. "Flamethrower!"
The large stream of fire was sent towards Erika's grass type, and she immediately called out. "Evade!"
Leaping backwards, Roserade was able to avoid taking any damage. Erika shouted. "Use Poison Sting!"
Ash smirked. It was time for the finishing move. "Charizard, charge towards it!" The fire and flying type Pokémon flew towards the poison type attack. Erika raised an eyebrow at the Pokémon in surprise, knowing what would happen if the move hit. Ash ordered. "Now, spin and use steel wing! Create a shield!"
Erika watched in disbelief as Charizard began spinning at a rapid pace while in midair, all the way to the point where it was like watching a raging cyclone rapidly rumble towards a helpless figure. As Ash predicted, the steel type move deflected the poison darts and left Roserade wide open for an attack. And of course, with it being a grass type…
"Flamethrower! End this!"
Erika knew at the range Roserade was from Charizard, there was no chance for it to evade the stream of fire. Charizard let out a bellow before unleashing the blast of flames from its mouth. Roserade had a look of horror on its face as the flamethrower connected with it. An explosion leveled the ice type field. Roserade had been fortunate enough to not have to worry about slipping and sliding around thanks to its admirable agility and skill, but it had no defense or special defense to help it against super effective moves. When the smoke cleared, it was no surprise to see Roserade lying on the ground, swirls in its eyes, and it's mouth slightly ajar.
"Roserade is unable to battle! Charizard wins!"
Erika sighed sadly. She knew Ghost was powerful, and she knew he was arguably the top trainer in the tournament, but his tactics were both overwhelming and random. It made him impossible to predict, and if you couldn't predict his movements, and you couldn't overwhelm his strength, you were set up to lose. She returned Roserade with a sad smile. "You did your best."
She unclipped her final pokeball and tossed it up into the air wordlessly, her sad smile still etched upon her face. The Pokémon materialized. "Taaaannngrrooowwth!" The Pokémon bellowed. Ghost appeared to raise an eyebrow before he said.
"Charizard… Return." The champion said. The audience gasped in surprise, Charizard hadn't even sustained damage! Erika too looked rather confused by the decision. Ghost spoke up from the other end of the battlefield. "Leader Erika, I sense your confusion. It is not ill-placed, but allow me to clear it."
He announced. "Delveon, I need your assistance!"
The Sun-Type took the field, crying out its name proudly. Erika gave Ghost a curious look before her eyes widened in horror as she came to a horrible realization. The crowd watched as the Toxic Spikes ripped through the ice to hit Delveon. Then, the audience could only gasp as Delveon let out a happy sigh of relief.
Erika looked up at Ghost in a mix of shock and horror. The smirk never left his face.
Ash's Elite Box…
"Wow… what an ingenious tactic!" Axel exclaimed softly.
Xavier chuckled. "I told you I knew what he was doing. His Pokémon's ability heals itself when it comes into contact with a move whose sole purpose is to give a Pokémon a status condition. In this case, the only thing Toxic Spikes does is Poison Pokémon. Therefore, Toxic Spikes wouldn't actually Poison Delveon…"
"… It would heal her." Zandra finished.
"I'll admit… I didn't see that coming in the slightest." July admitted with the slightest of smiles plastered on her gorgeous face.
Battlefield…
The referee lowered his flags and yelled. "Battle continue!"
Erika spoke. "Ghost, thank you for a wonderful battle. I know it is beyond my reach to emerge victorious, but I shall never give in, not until the bitter end! Tangrowth, use Sunny Day to begin!" The grass type nodded before crying out its name and allowing the sun to shine brightly down on the icy field. Ash could make out the ice melting in some spots.
'For the most part… Smart decision… she knew the icy battlefield would be the end of Tangrowth, who can't move very…'
Ash suddenly paused, deep in thought for a moment. He grinned after a moment; things were beginning to add up. And if he played his hand right, he could truly end this battle in one, simple move. He called out. "Delveon, Calm Mind." The sun-type Pokémon nodded once more and closed its eyes, regaining its complete focus and gaining special attack and defense. Ash ordered. "Now, prepare yourself."
Erika hadn't heard him say that command, though. "Tangrowth, use Earthquake!"
The ground began to shake underneath the grass-type, and Ash ordered his counter. "Let's show them what we've been practicing! Balance yourself using your feelers!" Delveon steadied itself by drilling its feelers into the ground and steadying itself. Unfortunately for Ash, as it seemed as though Erika had known this would happen.
"Now is our chance! Grab its legs with Power Whip!" In the blink of an eye, Tangrowth was beside Delveon, causing the crowd to gasp in surprise. Ash's elites stood up as they witnessed Tangrowth's seemingly raw speed. The only ones who were unfazed were Erika's opponent and Erika's opponent's Pokémon.
Ash smirked.
"Nice Try."
Then, all of the sudden, Tangrowth exploded and was sent flying backwards. The audience stood up and roared as the tournament favorite struck a decisive blow without even ordered a command. Erika was bewildered. Ash merely smirked at her, knowing very well what he had done, and yet, failed to tell his confused opponent.
Ash's Elite Box…
"That strategy he used is crazy. How did he know it would work there though?" Xavier mentioned, sounding legitimately curious.
Axel explained. "I think Ghost's plan changed when Tangrowth began the fight by using Sunny Day. Tangrowth's ability, to my knowledge, is commonly Chlorophyll, which allows the Pokémon to move swifter while the sun is high in the sky. Ghost knew that when the move got used, and planned for it."
Zandra countered that with a frown on her face. "If that's the case, why did he use Calm Mind? Tangrowth is a heavy, physical attacker. That move choice makes no sense."
July smiled. "That move we just saw, it was Psystrike. Ghost knew Tangrowth would use Earthquake as an opening to rush, so, using the practice Ghost mentioned right there, which was using Delveon's feelers to balance itself, all while implanting Psystrike into the crowd as a trap for when Tangrowth saw an opening. That whole sequence is something only Ghost could pull off."
"Well… that's why he's the best." Axel replied and kissed his girlfriend.
Battlefield…
As Tangrowth slowly got to its feet thanks to its commendable effort, Ghost called across the field to Erika. "That was an improvised Psystrike, Ms. Gym Leader." She looked at the man with mixed emotions. There was little doubt in her mind that this trainer would win the tournament. His tactics, his strategies, his raw power, and his Pokémon… they were just off the charts in terms of… well… everything.
She knew Psystrike was not meant to be used like that. It was meant to surround the Pokémon and then attack. He had a plan for everything. He knew why she had used Sunny Day; he knew how to sell the trap… it was seemingly hopeless. She hadn't the foggiest idea why this trainer had gone around so quietly, he was truly powerful, and had an endless reservoir of strategies to back it up.
"There is no shame in admitting defeat when the time is right." A voice called up from across the way. Ghost was once again speaking to her.
"We both know Tangrowth cannot defeat my entire team. Sometimes, defeat is the right move. Do not be ashamed to concede for the greater good of your Pokémon." Ghost said. Erika bit her lip, knowing she was caught in a pickle. Tangrowth did look like it was beaten and battered, and it had only been hit with one attack!
"Let me point something else out to you…" He pointed up to the sky, indicating the Sunny Day was still in full effect. "Delveon's move Sun Beam increases its power when the sun is high in the sky. As you can see… Sunny Day is about to backfire." Delveon, meanwhile, had its rainbow orb on its head shining brightly, glowing multiple colors. Ash continued his pitch. "At the state your Tangrowth is in, Chlorophyll's speed boost won't be able to save Tangrowth. You know this. You and your Pokémon have fought valiantly, Ms. Gym Leader. Make the right call here."
Erika looked at her Pokémon, who looked back curiously. After a moment, she decided.
"Thank you for the opportunity to battle you Ghost. I will gratefully forfeit the fight." The crowd exploded into cheers as the referee announced.
"Erika Grassal has forfeited the fight for the sake of her Pokémon! Therefore, the winners of the match are Delveon, and her trainer, Ghost!"
The entire crowd was on its feet, applauding the great battle, Ghost for his kindness, and Erika for choice to end the battle she clearly couldn't win. She and Tangrowth walked over to Ghost and Delveon, who met them at the middle of the battlefield. The ice had all melted away by this point, so there was no fear of slipping in front of the masses. Ghost had a small grin on his face.
"Do not be mistaken. You admitted defeat not for a loss of honor, but rather for your Pokémon's safety. I commend you." Ghost held out his hand, and Erika shook it daintily. "Defeat still leaves a taste of bitterness in my mouth, sad to say." Erika said, a sad smile on her face.
"You were faced with overwhelming odds at the start. The Ice battlefield did nothing to help you. Yet you battled valiantly until the end, and saved your partner's wellbeing. There is nothing to be bitter about."
Delveon held out one of its feelers to Tangrowth, who responded by grasping it with a vine.
"Tan!" The Pokémon good-naturedly said.
"Del-ve!" Ash's Pokémon chirped back. Erika gave Ghost one last statement. "I would wish you good luck in this tournament Ghost, but you'd hardly need it." She then turned and motioned for her Pokémon to follow her. She waved politely to the crowd, who cheered and applauded her decision once more. Ash walked back to his side and got one knee, his held down low. This got more cheers to erupt from the stadium.
Delveon was doing her best to mimic her trainer, and somewhat succeeding. After a moment, he murmured.
"For those that have past… and for those yet to come."
His Pokémon responded. "Del-veoonnn…"
Ash pushed himself to his feet, and then Delveon mimicked her trainer. She expected the familiar feeling of being returned to her pokeball, but it never came. "Not this time Delveon. This was your debut. You get to stay out as we walk out of the battlefield. Listen to the roars and cheers, they're for you."
Ash motioned for Delveon to follow, who did so. She listened to the cries from the humans, smiling to herself as she walked out of the stadium, Ghost by her side.
Three Days later… Sorry for the kinda short battle btw…
"And Bonnie Citron finds herself down to her final Pokémon, with Zandra the Ruthless possessing all three of hers! Is there any hope for a comeback?" The announcer boomed throughout the stadium. Ash sat in his elite box, arm around May with a small grin on his face. He could see the growing despair in the eyes of Bonnie, who was down to her final Pokémon, ironically, the same Pokémon that had been used to deceive May.
"This battle is down to Bonnie's Hypno against Zandra's Aurorus! That being said, this has been the definition of a one-sided fight, with Zandra's Swampert taking out both of Bonnie's first two Pokémon! Does she have any chance to take down the elite who threatens her spot in the tournament?"
Ash chuckled at that statement. "I think we all know the answer to that question."
Everyone in the box replied at the same time. "Nope."
Xavier chuckled and said. "Ghost, aren't you-" He was cut off from continuing by July, who smacked him upside the head. He complained. "Ouch! What was that for Jules?" She frowned. "Don't call me that. And to answer your question, need I remind you…" She darted her eyes rapidly twice to May, who was thankfully and blissfully unaware of the situation that had occurred so close to her.
His mouth formed an "O" shape and he nodded in understanding. July muttered under her breath. "Classic Xavier…" She took her seat again, and watched the battle with uncaring eyes. It was beyond obvious that Bonnie had no chance.
She used this time to ponder the upcoming battles, and what would happen with them. In the past few days, the majority of battles had already come and gone. In the Arceus Bracket, July had been the first to go. She had been warned by Ash never to underestimate Paul, and she discarded it. To her shock, he had bested her in a one on one to finish the fight, and to the elite's disbelief, they lost July early to the Round of 32.
That wasn't the only shocker that had come in the round of 32 in the Arceus Bracket, though. To even the surprise of one champion of the Alola Region, Abel had defeated Steven Stone, the champion of Hoenn. It was a close fight by all standards, but in the end, it was the young boy from Hoenn that had conquered his own champion. That had to be a confidence booster and a half for Abel, who was still very much underrated in the tournament as a competitor.
Max, meanwhile, had defeated his opponent Scarlett by the skin of his teeth. He had squeaked by with his last Pokémon, but this was what Ash wanted. He wanted the little runt to make it further and further into the tournament just so he could absolutely pummel him in the later rounds. At the same time though… that would require that Max could somehow do all of the following in order to keep going: Beat Wulfric, who had pulled off the upset and knocked off Bug and drunk-partier Aaron to advance, and then have to face either Paul or Abel in the round of 8. Ash was stunned he had made it so far, but then again, he had yet to face anyone truly dangerous in the eyes of Ash. Still, as much as Ash hoped Max would lose, he hoped the brat would make it to him, just so he could drill him into the dirt.
In the Zekrom bracket, As-ahem-Ghost, knocked off Erika without too much trouble at all. Delveon's dazzling debut had gone over as well as possible, and to everyone who had watched her, it was clear she was prepared to be a full-time starter in Ghost's crew. He, for one, agreed with them profusely. Delveon was happy about this as well.
Falkner had taken down Bobby Johanson with a surprising amount of ease, however, Ash wasn't concerned about that battle in the slightest, since he only specialized in flying Pokémon. What did concern Ash was how a gym leader which didn't have the most prestige had wormed his way through the first few rounds of battle. Hell, there had been 512 people to start; there was no way he should've still been in the tournament without a good reason.
Unlike his girlfriend, Axel mowed his way through his battle. He dominated all three of Bella's Pokémon, and in overwhelming fashion, swept all three of her Pokémon without losing one of his. He advanced to the next round, leaving no doubt that he deserved to be in the spot he was in, though is opponent had shed some tears upon the defeat.
The issue for Axel, though, was that he found himself head to head against Cynthia Shirona, Aunt of Ariana Shirona, Ghost's first opponent in the tournament. Even Ghost had his doubt's for if he could pull off a shocker and upset the Sinnoh Champion. Everyone had zero doubt Ghost would squash Falkner, so it was just a competition to see who would be Ghost's opponent in the top 8: the beautiful Sinnoh champion, whose niece was already crushed under the might of the Alola champion? Or, would it be one of Ghost's right hand men, one of the troopers he handpicked for combat, and one of those who had gained the trust of the one who could not trust anyone?
In non-surprising fashion, Alder had also defeated his own gym leader Clay, but Excadrill had managed to knock out Accelgor before falling to the Unova champion. It fought valiantly against its superior, but in the end, it didn't matter. Still, a top 32 placement from the gruff gym leader was nothing to be ashamed of.
Clemont was quite disappointed to hear his girlfriend had failed to knock out the player, Xavier himself, from the tournament. However, he was happily surprised to hear she had successfully knocked out not one but two of his Pokémon. She had been crushed by the loss, but she had been consoled by Xavier, who approved of her fighting tactics, battle spirit, and overall Pokémon. She cheered up a little after that.
To fuel Ash's curiosity about the green haired boy who had acted as the ringleader of the betrayal, that said boy easily beat his opponent named Kung-yo Sin without dropping a single one of his Pokémon. He knew this was going to be interesting if nobody stopped him soon. Word was, Trip was beginning to drift away from the group. It would be interesting to see what happened with him down the road.
And of course, Malva, ex-Team Flare and now Xavier's target for "New Flame" as he put it (AN: Hahaha thought that was a little funny,) had continued in the tournament, though that really came to the surprise of nobody. Xavier was particularly more giddy after he had found this little piece of information out, and Ash just sent him a dirty stare to shut him up. It was no secret within the elites that Ash still disliked Malva due to her past with Team Flare. That wasn't leaving anytime soon, but Malva would play off against Trip, which was bound to be an interesting battle.
Finally came the Giratina Bracket. Koga Briarwood, Elite from the Johto/Kanto Region, had knocked off Gym Leader Candice from Sinnoh, but not without a little trouble. The energetic girl managed to surprisingly knock out two of his Pokémon before falling in battle. This totally came as a surprise to the competitors, including Koga himself. Ash didn't frankly consider him a threat anymore, and had confidence that his next opponent would knock him out of the tournament.
And that someone was none other than Gary Oak. Gary had utterly crushed Samantha Johnson in battle with only his Blastoise. It had been a complete slaughter. He advanced easily, and would take on an elite, a much more suitable challenge. However, Ash's mind was made up: Gary Oak would defeat Koga handily, his prediction was 3-1, obviously, in Gary's favor.
After that had been Champion Lance, Zandra's main squeeze (Maybe?) and tournament favorite against Sally Redawl, a quiet and conservative woman with a nasty group of Psychic Type Pokémon. Fortunately for Lance, his team was powerful enough to slice through her core and take her down 3-1. The interesting part about this, though, wasn't that he beat Sally, it was who he would have to battle as long as she won…
"Hypno is unable to battle! The winner is Aurorus! And therefore, the winner of the battle and the trainer moving onto the Sweet 16 is Zandra the Ruthless!" July nearly fell out of her seat, how could Zandra have won so quickly!? She had only been in her daydream state for a couple of seconds!
Axel noticed his girlfriend's stunned posture and raised an eyebrow. "Something up?"
She blinked and stared at him. "H-How long did she take to finish that fight?"
Axel scratched his head. "Maybe a few minutes? Her Hypno wouldn't stop using Hypnosis, after all. It took a bit for Zandra to find a strategy."
"Oops…" July thought sheepishly. Ash was clapping for his elite, and then he noticed the two walking to greet each other in the middle of the battlefield. He watched keenly to see what would happen.
Zandra walked up to the girl wearing a black dress with a hint or two of pink. It strapped onto her waist tightly, and she had matching black stockings. Her pink hair was flowing behind her back, and her blue eyes stared at Bonnie critically. The other girl stared right back, attempting to look the least bit intimidated.
Zandra snorted. "How did you even get this far in the tournament? That was a breeze."
Bonnie fired back. "It's all luck."
Zandra chuckled. "You got that right- Luck was the only reason you got the chance to battle me. You're a disgrace of a trainer, who had the nerve to hypnotize another person to control their actions. You should be ashamed of yourself."
Bonnie growled under her breath and took another step towards Zandra. She was then cut off as her faithful Glaceon stepped in the way, cutting her off entirely. The Pokémon gave a warning growl to the blonde, daring her to come closer. Bonnie opted to ignore it, and tried to walk past the Glaceon. That wasn't the smartest of moves. Glaceon ferociously pushed back against Bonnie, sending her to the turf in front of thousands of people. The crowd gasped in surprise, and Bonnie stood swiftly to try and direct attention away from her.
The referee ran over and yelled. "Hey! What's going on here!?"
Zandra cast Bonnie a smirk. "Bonnie here was just leaving, as was I. Thank you for taking the time to judge our battle. I appreciate it, have a good day." Zandra could practically see the steam coming out of Bonnie's ears, and it was only music to hers. Today, she had won not just for herself, but for Ash too. He deserved this win. If he couldn't be the one to drive Bonnie into the ground, then she'd have to do a damn fine job of taking his place.
And for as much she could tell, she did just that.
That Night…
Ash was in his room, deep in thought. He was pondering what he was going to about the rest of the traitors. On one hand, part of him honestly wanted to forgive them for what they did… regardless of the fact that they tried to take his life with malicious intent. Still, he couldn't stop thinking that the reason they had was so… stupid. There had to be something else that he could do to battle them.
The problem was, he was fairly certain that he'd need help, and he couldn't take everything on there without at least a little bit of backup. That left him with a difficult choice or two to make. He pictured the upcoming battles in his mind:
Arceus Bracket:
Paul Jackson vs Abel Winchine (1)
Max Maple vs Wulfric Aaron Readkin (2)
Zekrom Bracket:
Ghost vs Falkner Corsto (1)
Axel Fractera vs Cynthia Shirona (2)
Yvetal Bracket:
Alder Forevaborn vs Xavier Blackmon (1)
Trip Craggier vs Malva Keenfire (2)
Giratina Bracket:
Koga Briarwood vs Gary Oak (1)
Lance Dragonwright vs Zandra Polisik (2)
The issue was that he couldn't picture July running the region on her own for a little bit, and because the rest of the elites were in the tournament, he'd have to talk with them to see if they could help him out. He pictured himself against Abel in the Semi-Finals. He mentally scolded himself for being so confident, but it was just how he was. He knew nobody could beat him for at least another round or two. After that, it would really start getting difficult. He knew what he was going to likely have to have to do soon.
He wasn't exactly sure how his elites would take it, but he knew the obstacle that was going to be facing him in the face in just days, hours, or even minutes.
It was time.
He was going to do it.
He was going to reveal himself to May.
He was going to reveal himself to Paul and Gary.
The question was, who else would he reveal himself to?
AN: Sorry for the delay guys. I know ya'll expect an upload once a month, and unfortunately this one came out six days late. So again, my apologies. Also, thanks ya'll so much for 500 followers on this story! You boys out there are the best! Thanks for sticking around and seeing what happens for the story, it honestly means a ton to me as a writer to see this story get so much support.
Ash is about to reveal himself? When? And to who? Maybe another question that could be asked is, why now? All that should be answered… in the next chapter. Stay tuned.
I hope to have the next chapter out in a month's time. Again, this is me we're talking about, so anything is possible I suppose. Next chapter will also break the 150k mark! How about that, right!? If you're new, please follow and favorite the story and myself to stay up to date with my posts! Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Thanks so much for reading guys. Till next time!
LegionZ
