Trainer

by WarsOfShadows

Ash Ketchum is on a journey to become a Pokémon Master. With a spirited Bulbasaur by his side, he might be able to do it. But with countless challenges and dangerous paths, will Ash prevail, or will he be just another trainer in the world?

20. Vermillion Skies

Chapter Nineteen: Vermillion Skies

Ash had never travelled underground before, but it didn't take long for him to learn that Diglett's Cave sucked.

He finally understood why so few people, except for maniacal miners and hikers, dug their way through the underground pathway than take the longer route. It was cold, cramped and, incredibly damp. The signpost near the entrance had been misleading - it should've been renamed to Diglett's tunnel, albeit a massive one.

It was a good thing the League had taken an interest in maintaining the tunnels for trainers. The walls were thankfully lined with small lights, dim enough to leave the Diglett swarming about undisturbed. Wires poked out here and there, but otherwise it was a fine job. Small pockets of camping spots were marked every half hour, constructed by technology designed to keep the ground-types away from digging through there and providing a safe haven for travelling trainers.

His pokédex had warned him about the ground-type evolutionary line that Diglett's Cave was home to, but he couldn't help but be gobsmacked by the sheer number of Diglett he came across in his first day alone.

The Diglett were unending.

They kept away from him, though, too skittish to come any closer than six feet. Their beady eyes glittered at him curiously, and disappeared into the ground the moment he even dared to glance at them. He came upon the odd Dugtrio every once in a while, and, while they were not skittish like their younger brethren, they didn't bother themselves with engaging the trainer. Ash was more than happy.

He wished Atlas had been able to move about, rather than be cooped up in his cocoon for another two and a half months. He would've thrived in such a place. The Diglett would provide him enough amusement to keep him busy during their journey.

Ash sighed. If there was one downside to Atlas' nearing evolution, it was that he couldn't get to spend time with Ash at all. He would be stuck in his pupal stage for a long time before he would emerge as a magnificent Vibrava. There was no point having him for mealtimes now, either, but Ash still kept him out for the sake of it.

Ash cursed as he tripped forward, foot trapped in a small hole left by a Diglett. Screecher's eyes glowed blue and caught him before he could hit the ground, but she'd forgotten about the flashlight. The heavy duty torch hit the ground with a thud, and Ash winced. From the sickening crack and the quickly fading light, he knew that it was broken.

Great.

Screecher floated down to the flashlight, crooning as if she mourned its death. Ash picked up the device and glanced through the shattered bulb before stuffing it back in his backpack. A scowl marred his face as he shouldered his bag, and he took out Monferno's pokéball.

The blinding light from the pokéball illuminated the dimly-lit tunnels for the briefest of seconds as Monferno materialised by Ash's side. "Hey, buddy. Think you can light up the rest of the way?"

Monferno's fangs formed a grin; there was a grimace of concentration, and he willed his tail-flame to burn brighter. Ash ignored the heat in favour of the luminosity that came with it, and he smiled as he continued along the path.

Seven days passed in the tunnels, each day growing worse than the one before. His clothes were filthy; he was sure he would have to throw at least his pants away. His hair was caked with dust, and rougher than sandpaper. He'd gotten so used to breathing in the cave's stale air that it didn't bother him any more. He would make sure that his first breath out in the open would be drawn out for as long as possible.

He made sure to send his friends out in the open every night for a few minutes - prolonged periods of time in stasis could affect a pokémon's mindset, and he didn't want that happening to his friends, although he had to keep Snorlax from harassing the Diglett.

The lights lining the walls mimicked an eternal sun, and the only way for Ash to figure out the time was his pokégear. Even so, his sleep cycle had been severely messed with - he groaned as realised it was well past midnight, and his eyelids had just began to grow heavy. He'd better get to setting up camp, but according to the guide on his pokédex there wasn't a camping spot for another twenty minutes.

Ash sighed, but smiled when Screecher sang to cheer him up, although her voice scared away a Diglett that had just popped out of the ground. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in my shadow?" he said.

The Misdreavus rolled her eyes as she circled her trainer. He heard her hiss at a cluster of Diglett that had come too close to Monferno, who seemed unbothered by their presence after spending an entire week in the tunnels.

Ash failed to stifle a yawn, and he shouldered his backpack. "Let's go," he told his friends. "We need to set up camp."

Screecher trilled in agreement.

XxXxX

Climbing out of Diglett's Cave felt like entering an entirely new world. Ash was overjoyed when he realised the light-bulbs were decreasing in number and a beam of sunlight piercing through the ceiling. His heart thumped wildly - he could wait to get out of this cold, damp, muddy hell and have a nice, long rest at Vermillion's pokécenter.

He felt like he was being microwaved for the briefest of seconds as he climbed out, but he adjusted to the sudden change in temperature rather quickly. Screecher giggled as she blurred out through the exit, flying and rolling through the sky in happiness. Monferno followed not a moment later, his growls and barks equally happy.

Ash's first breath back in the open felt like he'd sucked in the purest gallon of air the sky could offer. His eyes were still a bit sensitive from spend all that time in the tunnel's darkness, but he relished the sight of ivory clouds painting the blue skies. The sun sent its burning warmth down at him, as Ash realised it was almost noon.

He kept Screecher out for the long walk to Vermillion City, but recalled Monferno since he was tired from lighting up the way through the tunnels. He battled every trainer he came across with his Misdreavus, who crushed every challenged with ease - and for those that brought out psychics, she used her Spectral Zone technique which she had nearly perfected.

Two hours later, Ash found himself on the golden gates of Vermillion. He grinned at the ornate emblem of the thunder badge embossed above, reminiscing his battle with Lieutenant Surge all those months ago. He hadn't been here in a long time…

The smell of wildflowers was replaced with the thick scent brine and salt. He smiled at the ocean view, not too different from Terracotta's, but the dock in the distance was far larger and held ships that were far massive. He felt his chest tighten as he glanced walked past the pier, but he brushed it off.

People schooled around him, bustling pass to board ships that would take them to their destination. Foamy waves lapped at the docks; he could see silhouettes of Magikarp through the deep azure waters, and the occasional Seel popping up in the distance.

His eyes lingered over a particular ship that he picked out, far more titanic compared to the rest of the cruise liners, yachts and boats littered the docks. It looked brand-new, with a fresh coat of alabaster paint. The side of the ship was finished with words that read: St Anne II.

The memories that he'd thought were forgotten rushed back to him and struck him like ice.

A dead sailor, drowning in his own blood-

Proton's cruel, cold voice echoing through the ship's speakers as he warned them of their impending doom-

Screams and wails mixing with the sound of a Jolteon's lightning, and then a roar of a Tyranitar drowning Proton's maniacal laughs, the boom of an exploding ship and now he was falling and and falling and falling-

A nudge from Screecher's ethereal form tore him away from those cruel thoughts. "I- I'm fine," he stammered, even though he wasn't. His chest felt like it couldn't contain his thumbing heart anymore. Clearing his throat, he tugged at his jacket with shaking hands and wiped his clammy palms against his muddy jeans. It wouldn't do to dwell on it any longer.

Screecher looked at him in worry, but said nothing except for a soft, sad noise as she followed her tense trainer to the red-roofed pokécenter in the middle of the city.

Ash's feelings of weightlessness left him the instant the pokécenter welcomed him with a rush of cool air. The pokécenter was far less empty that otherwise, with trainers of all ages taking up the couches and seats around the lobby. Ash waited with in line behind a couple trainers who looked his age and returned Screecher to her pokéball before he reached the counter.

Nurse Joy gave him a genuine, warm smile, although her eyes flitted to his mud-caked clothes. "Did you come through Rock Tunnel?" she quipped.

"Diglett's Cave," Ash corrected, sighing.

The nurse's face cleared, her smile returning. "How can I help you today?"

"Just a room, please," he told her politely. "And my pokémon need to be healed."

She nodded, placing his collection of pokéballs on a tray, which a Chansey came to collect in a moment. "Here you go," said Joy, handing over a key-card with his room number printed on both sides. "I hope you rest well!"

"Thanks." Ash was about to leave for his quarters, but he realised he still had something left. "Oh, and could you tell me where I could register for the Vermillion tournament?"

Nurse Joy chuckled, and she fumbled with her keyboard for a moment before her eyes returned to him. "Just leave me your trainer ID and I'll sign you up. There's a registration fee of five hundred dollars, though."

Ash shrugged. It was a large sum, but he had been saving a lot for quite some time now, so it didn't even make a dent. He handed over his pokédex, which Nurse Joy admired for a moment, and transferred the registration fee over to the ID he was given.

Joy beamed at him and handed over his pokédex back. "You're all said!" she exclaimed. "The tournament will begin in two days' time, so make sure you and your pokémon get enough rest until then."

"Thank you," he replied, dipping his head. "Any idea what pokémon they're giving away?"

Nurse Joy rolled her eyes. "You're the fifth one to ask," she said dryly. "But no. It's quite possibly a rare pokémon, as Silph Corporation is sponsoring this event."

Ash sighed, but smiled at the nurse and left. He had his room to get to, and he was incredibly tired. He could think about the tournament after a few hours of slumber. After a week of resting on cold, hard ground with only a sleeping bag to protect him, the pokécenter's bed would feel like clouds.

XxXxX

The Vermillion Gym was exactly as he remembered - golden-yellow and lightning rods sparking every now and then. It was a force that had crushed the dreams of many trainers, but Ash was not one of them. He smirked, remembering the close match against the lieutenant, although he had prevailed.

He hadn't really planned to meet Surge until after the tournament, but he had two days to kill and had nothing else to do apart from training. He figured he'd at least take today to check up on the gym leader, and maybe have the rematch Surge had suggested they should have.

The interiors of the gym was unchanged as well. As the automatic doors slid close behind him, he saw two, bulky figures approach him through the dim lobby, crossing their arms and shifting to look taller than they already were.

"What're ya here for, punk?" spat the male. Ash resisted the urge to roll his eyes; clearly, they mistook him for a gym challenger.

"I'm here to see Surge." Ash kept his voice terse and forceful, but the gym trainers snorted in unison.

The female gym trainer laughed brutishly, swinging her muscled arms. "Surge doesn't have time to deal with newbies, punk." She sneered. "How many badges you got?"

"Five."

That wasn't the answer they were expecting, and they blinked, taken aback. "Huh," muttered the man. "Looks like we got a big-shot here!" he mocked, sharing a laugh with his companion. "Listen, kiddo, normally we'd love to see Surge kick your ass with Raichu, but you gotta wait - he's thrashing some water chick right now, and then he's got a couple more rookies to crush. So you gotta sit your ass down for a while."

Ash sighed. He moved past the gym trainers to the wooden benches, barely giving them a glance. Deciding that they were done trying to torment him, they disappeared back into the shadows, leaving Ash to his own devices.

He had to wait for another twenty minutes before the sound of heavy, metal doors being slammed open made him raise his head. From the shouts of joy, he figured the challenger had likely won - wait, was that orange hair…?

"Misty?" he exclaimed.

Apparently he was right, because as soon as he said that the trainer stopped in her tracks. "Yeah, that's me- wait, Ash?!" Misty cried, sounding equally surprised. She barely looked any different than the last he'd seen her - other than she perhaps looked a lot leaner. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," Ash replied, rising up with a grin. Misty awkwardly pulled him into a hug, which made his cheeks redden. Thankfully, the gym's lobby was too dark for her to notice.

"I came here to challenge Surge, of course," she said it like it was obvious. "I told you that Surge was the last badge I needed for the Conference, didn't I? He kept spamming his Manectric all the time." She scowled at that, but it transformed into a smile a second later. "But Wartortle evolved, and we crushed him!"

The gym trainers glowered as she said it, but she ignored them. "Anyways, what're you in Vermillion for?"

"There's a tournament going on, if you haven't heard," said Ash, grinning. "But it's in two days, so I figured I'll come meet Surge!"

Misty nodded. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "I was planning on leaving for Saffron tomorrow, but I guess I'll stick around to watch you lose," she remarked wryly, smirking as Ash rolled his eyes.

"I gotta go now. My team's really hurt after the fight," she murmured, a pained expression on her face as she looked at the devices circling her waist. "Meet me in the pokécenter?"

Ash agreed, and bid her farewell before she rushed out of the gym rather quickly.

The male gym trainer jerked his thumb in the direction of the metal doors. "Ya can see Surge now, punk," he drawled, lazily rolling his eyes.

Ash wondered if they got paid for acting like colossal jerks, but he kept quiet as he pushed through the heavy doors and entered the battlefield room. He winced as the darkness of the darkness of the previous room shifted into intense brightness, courtesy of the many fierce spotlights beaming like miniature suns.

The arena was charred with streaking scorch marks and dotted with craters of shattered ground. Misty's battle with Surge must've been intense - there was a fissure that split the field in two. Whatever must've caused it had to be really strong.

He watched a pair of Mr Mime moved to repair the field, but he spotted Lieutenant Surge not too far away, spraying a full restore on his Raichu, who cooed and winced as his bruises and wounds cleared up.

Surge turned, and noticed his presence almost immediately. The gym leader frowned for a split-second as he tried to place him; then, his face broke into a boisterous grin.

"Ketchum!" he boomed, strutting over with his Raichu. He carried himself with the same arrogance, if not more, of all those months ago. His arms swung by his side, massive weapons of large muscles packed under a vein-webbed skin. "Good to see you back here, champ-in-the-making!"

"Hello, Surge," Ash greeted with a grin.

The giant of a man laughed and slapped Ash on the back, and he stumbled. "What're you in Vermillion for, kiddo? Come to get your ass kicked?" challenged Surge, as Ash righted himself.

"We'll see about that," Ash shot back, a challenging grin of his own forming. "At least I'd stand a chance against Misty."

He nearly crapped himself when Surge's eyes widened at his snark, but relaxed when the gym leader guffawed. "You've grown some fangs, kiddo!" said Surge, cracking a grin. "Besides, Waterflower just got lucky with her Blastoise. Manectric would've crushed her." Next to him, the Raichu snickered, its cheeks and tail sparking.

He didn't know what a Manectric was, but he didn't refute that statement.

"You didn't answer my question, kiddo," Surge drawled. He moved to lean against one of the two posts that stood on either side of the gym's doors.

"The tournament," Ash explained, and Surge nodded knowingly.

"Should've guessed," Surge muttered. "Half the damn newbies that I stomped this past week are here for the damned thing, even though there's no way that babies like 'em have a shot at the top prize. Which gives you quite the chance," he added, a feral grin forming on his face.

Surge hunched as his Raichu deftly climbed up his back, perching on a mountain of a shoulder. "I'm gonna be placing quite a few bets on you, Ketchum. You better win this damn thing."

Ash smirked. "That's what I'm aiming for."

Surge smiled. "Good!" He clapped his hands, the sound akin to a thunderclap. "How about we chat on the way to the center? My team's pretty beat up."

XxXxX

"So what've you been up to, Champ?" Surge took a bite out of his burger. Juices dribbled down his chin, but he didn't care. "How many badges you got?"

"Five," Ash said proudly. "Boulder, Cascade, Thunder, Rainbow, and Soul. We tried to fight Blaine, but he beat us." He recounted that memory sourly.

Surge nodded as he listened. "I ain't really surprised by that. What'd he use, his Magmar?"

"And his Infernape," Ash muttered, his face darkening.

"Ah." Surge grimaced. "That Infernape's a goddamn monster. Not as strong as his bloody Magmar, but still terrifying. Electivire would have to struggle to keep up, even on a good day."

Ash sighed. "How's the rest of your team, anyway?" Surge said quickly.

"They've gotten really strong," Ash said, his face breaking into a smile. "So far, there's my Venusaur, Xatu, Ampharos, Golduck, Monferno, Misdreavus, Scyther, Snorlax, and Trapinch - although he's pupating, so he can't train until he evolves."

Surge grinned, although his eyes twinkled at the mention of Zeus. "Not bad, Champ! Your team sounds pretty solid. Although, where in the hell did you catch a Snorlax? I'm surprised it didn't kill you."

Ash shuddered. "He tried his best," he answered grimly. "But we tired him out. He's not exactly a social butterfly, but we made a deal. As long as he gets stronger, he listens."

Surge snorted. "Give him some more time. Snorlax as stubborn as shit - he'll learn eventually."

Ash smiled wryly. He'd given Snorlax nothing but time. He'd warmed up a bit after enduring under Red's own Snorlax, but they still had miles to go.

"So when do I get to beat you again?" He smirked at Surge's booming laugh, which caught the attention of several people in the diner.

"Not anytime soon," Surge answered.

Ash frowned. "Eh? Why's that?"

"I don't know if you know, but I'm a gym leader, kiddo," said Surge sarcastically. "Besides, I got a slew of rookies to crush until the tournament - for which I gotta take a day off. There's no way I'm skipping some hot battles."

The gym leader laughed. "Don't worry, Champ! After you win this godforsaken competition, you can let me beat your team into next week."

"You can dream," Ash retorted.

He smiled as Surge fell into one of his booming laughs. It was a refreshing change to hang out with the unabashed, uproarious gym leader.

The giant swallowed the rest of his burger, and slackened as he relished his meal - although, he scowled an instant after he glanced at his pokégear. "I gotta go, Ketchum - some rookie's come a bit too early for their match, and I need to knock some sense through their thick skulls." His grin turned savage. "You're welcome to watch, if you'd like."

Ash had to admit, watching Surge blast his challengers into oblivion sounded fun.

XxXxX

Ash observed an ecstatic Screecher with barely suppressed glee. He wasn't surprised by how happy she was - after mastering the technique she had worked on for so many months, she more than deserved the dusk stone. Besides, he'd involuntarily postponed her evolution for quite some time due to their passage through Diglett's Cave, and he wasn't going to step on her moment of joy right now.

All his friends were with him on the pokécenter's fields. Saur stood right next to him, calm but eager. Zeus and Hydrus flanked his right, waiting for Screecher to settle down. The Golduck looked impatient as he tapped his foot and scowled, but the powerful electric-type was as excited as Screecher.

Delphi had taken to a thick branch on a nearby tree, hidden by the shadows of the leaves. He could only see the dim outline of her wings and her bright eyes. Although she showed no emotion, he could see excitement and pride in her intense stare.

Kratos was right behind Ash, stoic as ever and blades crossed, while Monferno was happily gurgling at the moon. Even Snorlax, who sat motionless at the side, appeared interested in the cheerful Misdreavus.

Ash carefully pulled out the dusk stone, which glowed in the night's darkness, an ethereal shine which pronounced its obsidian core. Screecher eyed it reverently as she floated down, no longer flitting about as she was held hostage by the gem's spell. His friends crowded closer to get a better look at the evolutionary stone, which pulsed softly in the moonlight.

"Screecher, you've earned this," Ash told the little ghost.

Screecher nodded, her eyes still fixed on the amethyst gem in Ash's hands. She was quivering from being so close to the stone, although it wouldn't have its effects on her until they touched. Ash held out his open palm, and let the Misdreavus levitated the jewel to herself.

For a second, there was nothing as Screecher held the dusk stone to her forehead. Ash frowned, but then the Misdreavus stumbled backwards and the dusk stone fell to the ground, having lost all its glamour and lustre.

He stepped back with his team as the jewels around Screecher's neck shone with an iridescent glow, powerful enough to blind them. The Misdreavus shrieked as the glow swallowed her whole, transforming her into a miniature sun. Ash's eyes stung as he looked upon her writhing, incandescent form, but he refused to look away as Screecher's body changed.

He watched as she grew, growing ghostly extensions to resemble a cloak and a large tuft in the likeness of a witch's hat. The ring of jewels around her neck completely disappeared. He heard her wails turn deeper, less innocent, less childish than it had been as a Misdreavus as her form shifted rapidly.

The light suffusing her rippled away like a shockwave, making Ash stumbled onto Saur. As he picked himself back up, he turned to see his friend's new form, limp and levitating in the air.

Gulping, Ash slowly approached Screecher, who was almost hidden in the darkness that engulfed the field once more. The three, elliptical jewels on her front shone in sync as the Mismagius suddenly stirred. He could see her blinking, her thin red mouth opening slowly as she groaned softly-

Her head snapped up, the hat-like tuft quivering as she did so. Ash froze and stared into her calm, yellow eyes.

"Screecher?" His voice was nervous - her eyes held none of the happiness they normally did. Instead, they were cold and emotionless as she regarded him with a flicker of fury. "Are you-"

A deep shriek from her cut him off and a rush of cold engulfed him. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw his friends tense, ready to spring in action in case anything went wrong. The hairs on his arms stood on end and he felt like running. "Screecher, it's m-me. Ash."

Her unearthly form rose, an unseen wind billowing her ghostly extensions. Dread filled him as her eyes turned black, an aura of deep purple flickering to life around the Mismagius. He stepped back, heart twisting as a sharp hiss escaped her thin mouth and the aura reached forward to engulf him-

She laughed.

Ash sputtered as the malevolent atmosphere vanished in an instant. Screecher doubled over, shaking uncontrollably as deep chuckles escaped the ghost. Her voice was almost akin to Delphi's, he noticed numbly.

The cold dread left him in an instant - she was messing with him. He scowled. "That was your idea of a prank?" he muttered, scowling as his fear settled and he stopped shaking.

Behind him, the rest of his friends joined Screecher's amusement. You should have seen your face, he heard Delphi say, voice full of mirth.

Ash glowered. He was never going to live that up.

XxXxX

"Your Mismagius is perfectly healthy." Nurse Joy smiled as she handed Ash back the pokéball containing Screecher. "She is quite the specimen, I must say."

Ash smiled and dipped his head politely before making his way to the front of the pokécenter, where an impatient Misty was waiting. "Took you long enough," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Ash's grin was unabashed. "Sorry," he said, not meaning it entirely. "Nurse Joy was finishing her checkup on Screecher - wait, you'll see for yourself."

He tapped the release button on the ghost's pokéball, and she burst out with a low trill. Her thin mouth set into a smile as she sidled up next to Ash, unaffected by the bright sun overhead.

Misty blinked, flabbergasted by the Mismagius' presence. "Hey, your Misdreavus evolved!" she remarked, staring at Screecher in awe. The large ghost laughed smugly as she basked in the attention given by Misty and a few passer-bys that seemed intrigued by her appearance. "Where the hell did you find a dusk stone?"

"Got it as a late birthday gift." Ash puffed as Misty's gaze never left Screecher.

"That's awesome." The water-type specialist shook her head in disbelief, but she was happy. "You're going to school this entire tournament at this rate, Ketchum."

"You bet I will!" He smiled, cracking his knuckles. Screecher tittered excitedly, the brim of her 'hat' quivering.

He was looking forward to the Vermillion Tournament. While it would be nice to win the competition and have a new pokémon on his team, it would be a good way to test his skill against trainers of the same calibre. He was confident in his team, but he really wanted to know where he stood amongst the average Conference-going trainer.

The tournament would commence in half an hour, which gave them enough time to leisurely stroll to the main arena. He did his best to hide his discomfort as Misty led them along the seaside, still unnerved by the unmistakable sight of the renewed St Anne. Thankfully, Misty didn't seem to notice his clenched fists and stiff gait.

As they neared the stadium at the edge of the city, Ash noticed the Vermillion locals thinning in number while the trainers grew more frequent. The massive arena not too far ahead looked like it was build fairly recently - which was entirely possible, since Ash had never seen it during his first visit to Vermillion.

"That's your line," Misty whispered, pointing to a queue of eager, impatient trainers. It was an assorted group of people - adolescents and youngsters and even older teens that were sporting the flashiest gear.

Ash frowned. There were far too many seasoned trainers for his liking. He was sure he could easily wipe the floor against trainers his age, but the older ones would prove to be troublesome. He'd have to fight smart.

"Good luck!" Misty patted his back, and rushed off to the bleachers. His nervousness returned with renewed fervour, but a calming croon from Screecher settled his rising worry before it could bubble any longer. Breathing deeply, he walked in line, standing behind a tall girl blocking his view.

Ash went down the line and stopped at the woman waiting for them. He waited briefly as she scanned his trainer ID, and smiled palely before following the rest of the trainers into a dark room behind wine-red curtains. It was hot, cramped and terribly uncomfortable to be surrounded by excited, sweaty trainers.

Indistinct chatter filled the air in the assembly room as they waited for a good twenty minutes. "Yo, how long are these guys going to keep us waiting?" muttered one sour trainer. The rest of the group mumbled their agreement.

Right then, an attendee in a sharp business outfit burst into the room, surveying the crowd of trainers with calculating eyes. "Follow me," she said, her voice terse. She spun around in a flash and walked out through the curtains, letting in a flutter of light in the otherwise dark chamber.

Ash awkwardly pushed himself into the line as they filed out behind the attendant. Cool winds blew past him as he suddenly found himself walking to the center of the gigantic stadium, carrying hundreds of spectators cheering from the stands. The last time he'd participated in an event this big was on the St Anne - the roaring yells of the audience mutated into the groaning boom of the exploding ship…

A nudge from the trainer on his right brought him back to reality. He looked at Ash in concern, but Ash forced a steady smile and abated his concerns. Recovering from his frozen state, he waved shakily at the crowd with the rest of the participants, his smile flickering in and out of existence.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Vermillion 'Battle Factor' Tournament!" an announcer boomed over the intercom. The roar of the crowd rained down upon them. "I'm sure you have been waiting for this day, and so have our participants! Let's give a round of applause for them!"

Thunder sounded as the audience clapped for them in unchecked excitement. "Alright!" yelled the announcer. "Before we begin, we have several announcements to make! First, of course, are the prizes."

Ash joined in with the crowd as they cheered again, his nervousness trickling to a stop. Passion and fiery exhilaration flooded his veins, as he hung onto the announcer's every word along with the rest of the participating trainers.

"Thanks to our sponsors, the generous Silph Corporation-" the crowd applauded, "-we have some very lucrative rewards for our top four!" Ash was practically beaming. He couldn't wait to hear what the tournament had to offer.

"Third and fourth place will receive two thousand pokédollars and four ultra-balls! Second place will win four thousand pokédollars, four ultra-balls and three Devon dive-balls!" Ash blinked; dive-balls were expensive and imported all the way from Hoenn, as they were specialised to make catching water-type pokémon far easier than with regular pokéballs. Misty would kill for them, he thought in amusement.

"But the winner of this tournament will win a far greater reward." The announcer was now quiet, and the crowd hushed as the intercom went silent for the briefest of seconds to build anticipation. "In addition to eight thousand pokédollars, five ultra-balls and three Devon dive-balls…one trainer will have a new teammate by the end of this tournament!"

The crowd roared their approval as the overhead screens showed a revolving premiere-ball, and Ash yelled with them. He wished they would reveal the mystery pokémon, but winning for a surprise made it all the more exciting. Nurse Joy had said it would be a really rare pokémon considering it was a gift from Silph co, but he had no idea how to narrow it down.

"Now we'll be keeping the pokémon's identity a secret," teased the announcer. "However, we will say that it is just raring to fight!"

Ash couldn't help but join in the crowd's excitement. That pokémon was his.

"The preliminary round will commence in twenty minutes. Trainers, if you could assemble in the waiting room until your names are announced," said the announcer, whose voice was quickly drowned out by the deafening roar of the crowd.

His fingers tingled as followed an attendant to a different room, this one far more spacious and comfy. As the first two trainers were called out, Ash focused on his pokédex, preparing strategies for his upcoming battles. He was going to win this competition one way or another.

XxXxX

As Ash walked up to his trainer box, he took some time to analyse his opponent. Eloise Rutherford was a slender trainer a whole foot taller than him, so she was undoubtedly a few years ahead of him. She carried none of the rookie excitement on her face; instead, it was a canvas of calm with only her focused eyes betraying emotion. He had no doubt that she would be a tough first opponent.

His eyes flickered over to the field, which was a plain rocky surface - nothing special. Surge had informed him that the tournament would offer different terrains - water, tundra, mountains, grasslands, to name a few - just like in the Conference. It would be good practice for the Indigo League, which would go all-out preparing such battlefields.

"This match will be a one-on-one to determine who gets to proceed to the next round!" the announcer declared, his amplified voice overpowering the thunderous crowd. "The green trainer will send out their pokémon first!"

Eloise frowned at that; clearly, she didn't like releasing her pokémon first. Ash didn't blame her - it would give him an edge to know what he would be competing against, and he was going to utilise every advantage he could get. He saw the glint of a great-ball all the way across the arena, a flash of white, and her pokémon was released.

A massive Tauros landed on the field, stomping the earth with powerful hooves. Ash could already see its barely-contained rage slowly seep through as it regarded him with furious eyes. As it pawed the ground, Ash could tell it was an impressive specimen. Its sharp, curved horns were onyx instead of a dull grey, signifying its age and strength. A trinity of tails flicked with every angry snort, cracking like whips.

Ash's fingers quivered as he pressed the release on a cherish-ball. Monferno yipped as he emerged, beating his chest proudly, the everstone hanging from his neck swinging as he did so. His presence only incensed the Tauros further. The large bovine roared angrily, its foot crashing into the ground with a loud bang.

Eloise looked annoyed and hissed something to her pokémon, and the Tauros ceased any display of rage, although it still looked eager for a fight. Ash would give it a good one.

"Tauros versus Monferno!" the announcer proclaimed, rousing the crowd once more. "Trainers, begin!"

"Flamethrower - hit its legs," Ash said tersely.

A jet of hot flames streamed from Monferno's wide mouth, barrelling towards the Tauros and easily crossing over to the other end of the battlefield. Tauros simply snorted, stamping the ground to trigger a ring of tall rocks that surrounded it in a protective circle. Hot fire hammered harmlessly against the stone, which glowed red under the heat.

The Rock Tomb exploded with a single headlong charge from Tauros. Rubble and tiny, hot rocks flew out as the beast burst through its own rocky barrier, and its roar blended with the crowd's screams as it galloped with lightning speed. Monferno didn't need to be told to move out of the way - with an effortless, acrobatic jump, the monkey avoided those sharp horns which simply sliced through the air.

Tauros skidded to a halt, awkwardly turning around to glare at Monferno as it pawed the ground again.

Ash smiled. Tauros couldn't change direction very well once they got charging, and it took harsh training to get over that primal instinct. While Eloise's Tauros was undoubtedly strong, it seemed that she hadn't spent much time trying to help her pokémon in that aspect.

"It can't turn very well," Ash told Monferno, who hung onto every word. "Attack it with Flamethrower. When it charges, wait until the last second then jump directly sideways."

Monferno nodded, screaming a challenge as he pounded his chest. Tauros returned his provocative call with a deafening roar, and began to charge once more, picking up blinding speed within seconds.

A fountain of fire raged towards the Tauros, but the bull simply yelled through the searing pain and continued its rush. Monferno kept his Flamethrower going, drowning the enraged bull in hot fire-

He bolted to the side at the very last second and Tauros stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration as it crashed into the psychic barriers boxing the battlefield.

Tauros screamed as it was bathed in another blast of flames. Snapping its head at Monferno, it glowered, the ebony horns reflecting the sunlight from above. "Tauros, focus!" Eloise snapped, tired of her Tauros' rage. Ash smirked. She clearly hadn't had Tauros for long.

"Ice Beam, Thunderbolt!" shouted Eloise. Ash's eyes widened as cyan energy sparked at the tip of its horns and formed into a sphere of icy energy between them. Frost rippled through the air as the energy beam shot at Monferno, who turned the icy ray to steam with on overpowering Flamethrower. A split-second later electricity exploded from Tauros' horns, forcing Monferno to jump out of the way.

"Zen Headbutt!" Eloise screamed, agitated at the way the battle was going. Tauros growled in acknowledgement, charging once again - this time, however, its horns, as well as the bumps running down its forehead, glowed azure with psychic energy.

"Fire Spin - move when it gets close," Ash said, playing it safe. He smiled as swirling fire wrapped around Tauros, charring its fur. Despite the burns forming on its flank, it kept its charge focused, aiming those razor-sharp horns at Monferno's chest.

Monferno once again leapt away with arrogant ease, but Tauros had learnt its lesson. It skidded to a halt as soon as Monferno tensed and lashed out with a trio of Iron Tails, catching Monferno in the air and slamming him to the ground. The very earth crunched from the force with which he hit the rocky battlefield.

Ash's heart skipped as his Tauros roared smugly. "Stomp!" he heard Eloise shout, her voice laced with excitement.

There was nothing he could do as the Tauros raised a powerful leg, then brought it down with the force of a thousand suns. The Monferno curled, but there was nothing he could do as Tauros' hoof thudded straight into his chest. A scream of pain pierced through the booming crowd, followed by a challenging roar not a moment later.

"Flame Wheel!" Ash screamed, and Monferno reacted. Swirling flames wreathed him as Tauros continually twisted its foot in his foe. The bull yelped as its foot burned and instinctively galloped back, giving Monferno the split-second he needed to distance himself from his foe.

Ash could see Monferno wincing from the bruise that was slowly forming where Tauros had stomped him, but he still had a lot of fight left.

Eloise seemed to have had enough, because her next command made Ash blanch. "Earthquake!"

Ash's mind raced as the bovine roared and stood on its hind legs, charging energy in its front feet. Monferno would be taken out of the fight if the Earthquake hit him. Ideas wrestled for dominance in his mind until it clicked.

"Stone Edge!" Ash yelled quickly, forcing Monferno to frown. "Use it as a platform, and jump!"

Ash beamed with pride as Monferno summoned a blade of stone with practised ease. His heart thumped as Tauros began to bring its legs down just as Monferno scrambled to climb the Stone Edge-

The earth cracked and rippled and shockwaves surfed the field. The Stone Edge shattered from the energy waves, but Monferno had already jumped - he soared as the ground shuddered violently below him, but to him it was harmless.

Monferno landed in a roll and the crowd applauded. From across the battlefield, Ash could hear Eloise curse at Tauros' unsuccessful Earthquake, which left the arena destroyed. Tauros snarled, angry at its failure, and roared as it charged once more.

Ash eyed the Tauros as it slipped into an enraged Wild Charge, uncaring of its trainer's yell for an Ice Beam. As it charged, cloaked in crackling electricity, Ash's orders were muttered in a drawl. "Stone Edge."

A blade of drab stone punched from the ground and smashed into Tauros' underside. The normal-type roared in pain as it was launched a few feet in the air and landed roughly on its side.

It writhed and kicked out to rise back on its feet, and Ash smirked. "Flame Charge, then Mach Punch."

Fire roared through the air as Monferno charge, smashing directly into the Tauros' head. The bull screamed from the impact and reared its horns, but a blindingly fast punch struck right into its jaw.

Eloise suppressed a wail as Tauros groaned and went slack-jawed. It was unconscious.

"And there you have it - our victor, Ash Ketchum and his powerful Monferno!" screamed the announcer, joining in with the crowd as they cheered for him. Eloise sent him a tight smile, which he returned politely, and Tauros disappeared in a beam of red.

"You did great, Monferno." He smiled at the pokémon, who beat his tender chest proudly before he was returned to his pokéball.

Ash turned and quickly made his way to the healing station, ignoring the crowd's chants. This had been a surprisingly easy win, and though he knew the next matches would be far more challenging, he was going to win this. He felt it.

XxXxX

The remaining few matches of the first seemed to go on for eternity. As Ash's match had taken place earlier than the rest, it meant waiting for thirteen more matches that drew out until late afternoon. Ash had wanted to grab a bite at one point, but he wanted to gauge his opponents and pay close attention to the trainers that managed to proceed to the second round of the tournament.

Thirty-two eager trainers thinned to a mere sixteen as the one-on-one elimination round concluded. Ash's nerves grew as the second round commenced, and soon enough, his name was finally called.

"Alright, it's time for the sixth battle!" called the announcer. "This next match will pit Ash Ketchum against Linus Jackson! Trainers, to the battlefield!"

Ash strolled to his trainer box with an impassive face even amidst the cheering of the crowd, although he smiled back at Linus when the boy held a thumbs-up sportingly. While he was around Ash's age, the trainer had a far more impressive League record. According to his trainer profile, he already had Sabrina's badge, which was no easy feat. Ash would have to be careful.

"Trainer Ketchum will release first!" said the announcer, his voice cutting through the intercom.

Ash frowned; he didn't particularly like send choosing the first pokémon, but he tapped the release on one of the pokéballs around his waist. With a low hiss, Kratos appeared on the field, his scythes unsheathed. Linus regarded the buzzing Scyther for a moment and grinned before sending out his choice.

A screeching Pinsir emerged from Linus' pokéball. Its thorny pincers clicked and it greeted Kratos cheerily, before narrowing its eyes as it readied itself for battle. The crowd roared its approval as the two bugs faced off each other, waiting for the battle to start.

"Begin!"

Ash took the first move. "Razor Wind."

Kratos growled, scythes glowing with incandescent light, and slashed his blades to release crescents of energy. They sliced through the air with an eerie hum, barrelling to Linus' cautious pokémon. Pinsir showed incredibly dexterity and skill by rolling out of the way smoothly, and elegantly regained its footing before charging at Kratos.

Its pincers clacked and sharps claws glowed orange as it focused its energy into a Brick Break. Kratos hissed as Pincer came too close for his liking, but he flew back with ease before releasing another series of energy blades with a string of swipes. Pinsir growled as the first crescent blade cut across its chest, but it zigzagged around the rest, leaving a trail of fading light in its wake - Quick Attack. It punched through the last of the Razor Winds, before screaming into the sky.

Silvery orbs flickered to life into the air before shifting into large, pointed rocks in a second before raining towards an airborne Kratos. He snarled at the presence of the stones plummeting towards him, but he weaved through the Rock Slide with a smug gait; but in his arrogance, the large chunk of mud and rock forming between Pinsir's horns went unnoticed, despite Ash's frantic calls.

Kratos grunted as a rocky boulder slammed into him with the speed of a bullet, exploding into mud and dirt and minuscule pebbles that rained down in tandem with the plummeting Scyther. He landed with an impact that made Ash grimace and formed a crater under his hard carapace. Kratos began to rise, but Pinsir was already upon him.

Sharp scythes collided with spiky pincers as Kratos rose to meet Pinsir's False Swipe. The powerful bug-types struggled, locked in place in a show of brute strength and a fight for dominance, until a Brick Break from Pinsir slammed into Kratos' midsection. Kratos hissed as the blow sent him tumbling into the ground. He looked up, snarling, but rolled away just as Pinsir punched at him.

"Agility!" Ash cried, as Kratos pushed himself off the ground angrily. "Double Team, Focus Energy, and the Air Slash."

Kratos nodded as a faint blue glow overtook him as he sped away, only a green blur with Agility. Pinsir wheeled around frantically as a swarm of Scyther peppered the field, the buzz of fluttering wings mixing with the roaring crowd as a dozen blades of wind energy converged simultaneously at Pinsir.

Ash grinned as Kratos razed the field with an endless stream of Air Slashes. Pinsir was barely quickly enough with Quick Attack to leap through the blades that dug violently into the ground. But Kratos - with focused precision, he threw an Air Slash at the spot where he judged Pinsir would reach.

His aim was true, as the wind blade sliced across Pinsir's wide legs and tripped it to the ground. The stag beetle snarled, then punched the ground; the telltale orbs of Rock Slide shimmered into existence once more, and sharp stones showered from above.

Kratos was safe, but his clones were not so lucky; they dissolved the second they were crushed by the Rock Slide that slammed the ground, leaving the real Kratos to be identified by an enraged Pinsir who formed another Smack Down at the tip of its pincers. It shot into the sky a rush of energy, but this time Kratos was prepared. He destroyed the boulder with a precise, focused Vacuum Wave and flew around the resulting explosion of crumbled rock.

"Air Slash - don't stop," Ash said, not wanting to give Linus' Pinsir a chance to rest.

Linus simply smiled as Kratos' scythes glowed blue. "Rock Tomb, defensive!" he ordered, stamping the ground.

Giant rocks protruded from the ground and closed around Pinsir just as Kratos released a barrage of crescent blades. The rocks weathered the blades with ease - the only sign of impact was a few slight depressions in straight cuts.

Ash frowned when Pinsir didn't emerge from its protective tomb. If Linus and his Pinsir were playing the waiting game, he was more than happy to cut it short. "Vacuum Wave," Ash ordered calmly, crossing his arms. "Destroy it."

Beams of wind fired at the Rock Tomb, crunching through tough stone that began to crumble. It was only a matter of seconds for Kratos to pulverise it - as a final Vacuum Wave tore through the giant rocks, Ash smiled to see…nothing?

Pinsir was nowhere to be seen. Ash frowned as an equally puzzled Kratos flew closer to the arena. What-

The ground directly below Kratos exploded as Pinsir dug out of the field and it zoomed up like a rocket. Ash jumped when Pinsir's glowing pincers - Superpower - slammed right into Kratos and sent him screaming. But before he could be sent into the air further, Pincer's horns snapped up and closed around the Scyther's torso like a vice.

Pinsir landed roughly on the ground, shaking Kratos like a rag doll as the spiked pincers closed tighter. The Scyther shrieked in pain, waving his scythes furiously in an attempt to stab his foe, but Pinsir would not let go.

Ash's mind whirled as he tried to think of a way to get his friend out of Pinsir's grip. The crowds roars constantly ruined his train of thought, angering him further until he grappled his emotions under control.

"Hit the ground Vacuum Wave," Ash screamed as loud as he could, hoping Kratos could hear him. His sharp voice managed to pierce through the endless waves of pain wracking the Scyther, and he nodded sharply.

Twin beams of high-powered wind were released from Kratos' scythes and hit the ground at Pinsir's feet. The result was a burst of energy mixed with the screams and hisses of Pinsir and Kratos as they tumbled away from the explosion. As the dust cleared, Ash could see that Kratos was free of Pinsir's Vice Grip, but at the cost of hurting his own self.

The spiky pincers had drawn blood, which Ash noticed was dribbling through tough green armor. Kratos winced as he jumped back on his feet, snarling at a disoriented Pinsir. He looked ready to kill.

"Double Team," Ash roared, and illusory clones dotted the field once more. "Follow up with Tailwind - offensive. When its off focus, hit it with Super Slash."

A brief second of concentration from Kratos' end kicked up a stream of powerful winds that pushed against Pinsir. As it fought against the swirling whirlwind, Kratos moved. He wasn't even a blur as he closed in on Pinsir in a matter of seconds, and sliced his two scythes along Pinsir's flanks. Dark energy from the Night Slashes hissed into Pinsir's tough, brown carapace, the ground cratering as it sank into the ground. Kratos snarled and delivered an additional two cuts, fierce digging into the same spots, this time tearing through.

Linus had seen enough. As Kratos raised his blades once more, a barely conscious Pinsir was recalled in a beam of red light. Kratos glowered in irritation with the disappearance of his prey but screamed proudly, crossing his scythes and standing tall despite the blood oozing down his thorax.

"And Pinsir is down!" yelled the announcer amidst the cheer. "Ketchum's Scyther has shown us who the toughest bug-type is! Who will Jackson send out next?"

As Linus murmured something to Pinsir's pokéball, he switched it out for a scratched-up great-ball. He threw Ash a grin, and tapped the release on his second pokémon.

Three Magnemite appeared on the field - for a split-second, Ash was confused, until realisation settled when they linked together with a magnetic hum. The three 'heads' blinked around until they collectively locked onto the Scyther's heaving form.

Kratos' eyes narrowed as the horseshoe magnets on the Magneton sparked. "Kratos, can you still fight?" asked Ash, chewing his lip.

He glanced back and nodded before clanging his scythes together, and so Ash kept him in. While he was terribly hurt, he was going to fight until he was taken down. Ash respected that.

Without missing a beat, Linus took the first move. "Barriers!"

The magnets twisted to focus energy into two walls of psychic energy - the pink of Light Screen and the green of Reflect - that fused together within seconds, resulting in a reinforced shield of protective energy.

"Air Slash," murmured Ash as he frowned. The barriers would prove to be troublesome for Kratos, so he had to weather them down before he could deliver a finishing blow.

Blades of wind rippled through the air. Most of the strength behind the blades were filtered as they sliced through the barriers, and simply bounced off Magneton's sturdy form. More crescents razed the Magneton at blinding speed, and though they were doing little to nothing, Ash could see the shimmering barriers slowly, but steadily, thinning.

Linus seemed to realise that, and he ordered for Magneton to go on the offense. "Magnet Bomb!"

Silvery orbs grew in size at the ends of Magneton's magnets before firing a barrage at Kratos. Linus' eyes gleamed.

"Dodge!" Ash shouted.

Kratos was a blur as he darted around the field, dancing past each of the spheres and sustaining only a mild amount of damage from the shockwaves. The orbs detonated with a sound that made the intercom screech and left Ash's ears ringing, although he shoved it away to focus on the field.

Magneton cut off the Magnet Bombs as fire, ice and lightning blazed from each respective Magnemite, which moved individually to sweep its separate beam of Tri Attack. Kratos danced around the tongue of flames, flew under the lance of lightning, and winced as the thin ray of ice brushed across his wounded thorax. He ignored the thin sheen of frost forming over the open cuts, but focused to fire Vacuum Waves at his foe.

The force behind the beams knocked a Magnemite away, although it linked back in place almost instantly. As Magneton overcame their moment of disorientation from being briefly separated, Kratos tore them away savagely with a series of Night Slashes. The dark energy radiating from his scythes disrupted the Magneton's minuscule psychic link connecting them and it took a second longer for them to magnetically combine once more.

Ash grinned. "Keep it up!" he praised. At this rate, Kratos would single-handedly take down Linus' fighters.

He saw Linus' lips moves, but focused on relaying order to Kratos, who buzzed around despite the pain from a Magnet Bomb that had detonated too close to him. It was only when he saw Magneton's eyes glow red and form a circle of red energy that his eyes widened.

Ash did nothing but watch as the Lock-On struck Kratos directly in the chest. He frowned momentarily, clearly confused from the lack of pain, as Magneton charged up an unstable sphere of intensely focused lightning that crackled violently in its grasp. Ash recognized the technique instantly, as he'd wanted to teach it to Zeus for a long time - Zap Cannon, quite possibly the most devastating electric attack, up there with Thunder and Volt Tackle.

Despite the sheer power it contained, however, Zap Cannon was extremely unreliable. The utter amount of power and focus to pull it off took a lot of energy, and incredible precision due to its unstable nature. Any other time, Ash would've laughed in Magneton's face for taking such a colossal risk. Unfortunately, it had used Lock-On, which would make its success rate one hundred percent.

Magneton fired the sphere of sparking electricity with a metallic screech just as Ash yelled, "Super Speed!"

His frantic scream was just loud enough to be heard by Kratos, who barked before turning nearly invisible to the naked eye. Ash could only track him with the faint white light trailing behind. He watched, heart racing as the massive orb of electricity honed in on Kratos and curved skywards to reach him, crackling like thunder. The crowd watched in painful silence, eyes wide as the only sign of Kratos was the Zap Cannon that swerved every now and then.

Then there was a bang! Electricity and smoke exploded as the sphere collided with Kratos, and his unconscious form began to plummet. Scowling, Ash recalled his friend before he could hit the ground with devastating impact.

"And Jackson's Magneton finally takes down Ketchum's Scyther!" roared the announcer, his voice cutting through the applauding crowd. "Both trainers are now down to their final pokémon!"

Ash dipped his head in grudging respect at a smirking Linus. He murmured words of thanks to Kratos' pokéball, and switched it for an ultra-ball. He was going to destroy this Magneton.

Linus' smirk faded and he paled as Ash's monstrous Snorlax appeared. The crowd's screams and yells roused the uncaring normal-type, who simply nodded at Ash before focusing on the Magneton.

"Crush it," Ash ordered. "It hurt Kratos."

Snorlax wasn't one to care about his teammate, but he snarled and tensed up, invigorated by the crowd's chants. The colour returned to Linus' face and he focused up. "Magnet Bomb, Tri Attack, Flash Cannon!" Linus spat quickly, as if desperate to end the battle quickly.

Linus had trained his Magneton extremely well; each body reacted separately to their trainer's orders and picked off individual commands. One formed a cluster of small metallic explosives, another fired a trio of energy beams: one of fire, ice and electricity. The third charged up a far more massive sphere of steel energy, and fired it as a beam of silver at Snorlax.

Snorlax glowered. With a roar, he ducked under the silvery orbs, although he winced at the booms that followed the violent explosions, and met the Tri Attack and flash Cannon with a Hyper Beam. The golden beam sliced equalled the combined strength of Magneton's two attacks and negated them almost immediately. Ash scowled; Snorlax would have to recharge after expending so much energy in the form of Hyper Beam. Despite his obvious strength, he still had a long time to go before he could use it as effortlessly as Red's Somnus.

Linus grinned maniacally and took the moment of recovery as eagerly as Ash expected him to. "Lock-On!"

Ash cursed. "Snorlax, quick! Stop it with Rollout."

He swore openly as the ring of red energy washed over Snorlax, and Linus carried out his second order. "Zap Cannon."

Unfortunately for Magneton, Snorlax had recovered. With a furious roar, he curled up into a ball and rolled his way towards his foe, picking up momentum within seconds. Ash punched the air in glee as Snorlax collided with Magneton, knocking the creature away and cutting off their attempt at Zap Cannon. They slowly levitated back up, but Snorlax was already upon them and swung with a fist wreathed in flames.

The Fire Punch made contact as Snorlax drove his fist into the center of Magneton's linked structure. They spun wildly to the ground and sparked frantically, but Snorlax grabbed and held them in place. He generated another surge of flames that exploded on Magneton as he held them in his grasp.

Magneton sparked violently to make Snorlax let go, but that wasn't enough to deter the beast. Snorlax grinned as Magneton burned in his tight claws; then, to make things worse, his other first flared with fire and he began to repeatedly punch the pokémon. Ash winced as the force behind the punches continuously knocked a Magnemite from its brethren whenever it tried to re-link.

Ash blinked when he heard a crack - Magneton's steel body was beginning to bend under the intense heat and pressure of Snorlax's fists. It could get at the point of it being destroyed beyond recovery, and he had to call Snorlax off.

Thankfully, Linus took that burden off him. Magneton vanished in a ray of scarlet and Snorlax's ablaze claws closed around nothing. He growled in disappointment, taking a moment to taunt Linus before splaying over the field.

The announcer's call of his victory made Ash grin. "And Ketchum wins with his magnificent Snorlax. We'll now proceed to the seventh battle of the second round, which pits Frank Kub against Rick Booth…"

Ash soaked in the crowd's chants of his name as he took off for some food. The quarter-finals would commence tomorrow, and he was hungry.

XxXxX

"Welcome back to day two of the Vermillion 'Battle Factor' Tournament!" yelled the familiar voice of the tournament's announcer. Ash drank in the audience's shouts for the tournament's top eight, spotting Misty and Surge cheering the loudest in the front row. "Eight trainers have managed to climb to the quarter-finals of this tournament! Please cheer for our quarter-finalists!"

The crowd applauded once more, and Ash exchanged glances with the seven trainers on either side of him. He had no idea who he would be fighting, but he knew they were all extremely capable trainers. His battle against Linus Jackson had be hard enough, and it was only going to be tougher from here on out.

The announcer smiled. "Our first battle of the day will have Ash Ketchum and Tyler James!"

Ash blinked in surprise. Was he fighting right off the bat?

An attendant ushered the remaining trainers back to the waiting room, and Ash excitedly made his way to the battlefield, where his opponent had already taken up the green corner. A frown flickered across his face when Tyler James didn't reply to his wave of encouragement, and he looked up at the scoreboard, feeling a little miffed.

The quarter-finals had the same battle format as the previous rounds, and the announcer roared for Tyler to release first. A scowl of displeasure stretched over the boy's otherwise calculating face, and he reluctantly tapped the button on his pokéball.

"And James sends out a Hypno!" cried the announcer, booming with the crowd as the eerie, yellow psychic-type groaned softly as it appeared on the field, pendulum swinging by an unseen force. It stood a fair bit larger than the average of its kind, and it would've bothered Ash if he didn't have the perfect counter for this.

His devious smile widened as he sent out Screecher, who trilled in delight as she twirled in the sun, and then cackled with sadistic glee as she eyed the Hypno.

Tyler's frown deepened, but he showed no other signs of worry.

"Screecher, you know what to do," Ash murmured. In an instant, a deconstructed Dark Pulse gushed towards the battlefield and converted the rocky surface into a pool of inky black. The Hypno squirmed at the dark energy under its feet, grimacing slightly as Tyler cursed.

The crowd gasped. "And Ketchum's Mismagius has made things worse for James' Hypno with a never-seen-before anti-psychic technique!" the announcer commentated.

From the hurried way Tyler was spitting orders, Ash could tell he was panicked. And that was exactly what he wanted.

"Power Gem," he ordered as Hypno fired a Psybeam that took far more effort thanks to the dark field. "Keep up a Circuit if it comes close."

A trio of glimmering red beams exploded from the gems on Screecher's chest, converging to form a single ray of energy that intercepted Hypno's Psybeam halfway and triggering an explosion that blocked Ash's view in a cloud of black smoke. For a moment, there was silence; then Ash blinked as a herd of Shadow Balls tore through the smokey veil, dissipating the cloud.

The six Shadow Balls circling Screecher protectively flew in sync, moving to intercept Hypno's Shadow Balls. Another series of noisy explosions ruptured the air as the murky spheres of alien energy collided like charging bulls.

The second cloud of smoke vanished in favour of poisonous fumes that spewed out of Hypno's nose. Screecher eyed it with caution, then kicked up a freezing gale of sparkling ice that blew the Poison Gas back at Hypno.

Ash smirked in glee. It was clear that Hypno had no chance against Screecher. She was a bane to psychics and was far more powerful now that she had evolved into a Mismagius.

Hypno was too busy diverting the Poison Gas heading its way to give the Icy Wind any of its attention, and groaned in pain as the small shards of jagged ice pierced through its fur. Patches of frost stretched over its ruff of white as the Icy Wind swallowed it entirely.

"Psychic!" Tyler roared, his voice strained with irritation. Hypno nodded, brushing off the thin layer of frost over its fur as its pendulum swung angrily and it followed through. A powerful shockwave erupted from its conduit, although it was considerable weakened by Spectral Zone. Screecher laughed wryly as it sped over to her, and nullified any of its remaining strength with a powerful Shadow Ball.

"Confuse Ray," Ash said. "Once it's distracted, use Dark Pulse."

Tyler cried for Hypno to look away as beams of purple light pulse from amber eyes, and then Screecher made a hollow laugh as she set to work. Rings of black energy, strengthened by the field of eternal darkness, twisted over and slammed Hypno into the psychic barriers. It groaned, rising slowly and opened its eyes only to have a Shadow Ball explode in its face.

Tyler was now panicking, his mask of cool completely shattered. "Teleport and attack it with everything!"

Shadow Balls, Psychics, Psybeams and Psyshocks all proved to be ineffective against Screecher, who moved around the battlefield and forced Hypno to teleport without rest with Dark Pulses and Shadow Balls. It looked incredibly strained at having to expend so much energy into constantly moving about, and Spectral Zone only made it harder. Tyler was outright scared and screaming orders that turned useless against the Mismagius.

Screecher waited until Hypno teleported right behind her to attack with a Zen Headbutt, which she took readily as she braced herself. Purple and black miasma engulfed her as she spun around and crashed into Hypno with such incredible force that it sent it sprawling in a shockwave.

Ash was surprised when Hypno, in great pain, dared to rise up after the devastating Payback. It groaned noisily and tried to push itself off the ground, but a Shadow Ball from the furious Mismagius made it slacken and pass out.

"And Hypno is down!" screamed the announcer in shock and awe with the crowd. Tyler looked furious as he withdrew Hypno and fumbled for a second pokéball.

"Fantastic!" Ash congratulated Screecher, whose delightful smile furthered his pride. She had emerged from the one-sided battle unscathed - the Zen Headbutt had been too weakened by Spectral Zone to do serious damage.

He focused on the battle once more when the black arena was illuminated by the release of Tyler's second and last pokémon, a six-foot long dragonfly covered in tough, seaweed scales. Large, red eyes surveyed Screecher without emotion as a quartet of oval wings fluttered impossibly fast to keep it in the air.

Ash recognised it instantly as a Yanmega, which he had never seen but had heard of as a strong bug-type native to Johto, and capable of rivalling Heracross. He knew better than to underestimate it - its immense jaw powers allowed it to tear Beedrill in a single bite, and its deceptively thin legs were no less powerful.

"Icy Wind, keep Spectral Zone up, and nail it with Power Gem," Ash whispered. Screecher crooned back, and kept her eyes focused on Yanmega, who was hissing impatiently.

Tyler muttered his own orders and Yanmega was off. Silver spheres of energy mutated into glowing rocks that pierced the air as they were fired at Screecher, who cut off Power Gem in order to destroy the rocks with Shadow Balls.

Yanmega had already blurred away, Sonic Booms emerging flawlessly with a flick of its tail. Ash frowned as Screecher was unaffected as they passed through her, but it turned out to be a mere distraction - a dozen Yanmega shimmered into existence and they collectively swarmed over to Screecher.

Screecher swept a Power Gem in a wave that destroyed half of the clones, but Yanmega had already closed in, jaws wide open. Screecher shrieked as tough fangs sank through her ectoplasm, twisting in pain as she tried to shake off the Yanmega that only dug its fangs further.

"Payback!" Ash screamed.

Black vapour flared to life around Screecher and her eyes turned murderous. She howled, exploding with rippling black power that blew Yanmega away like a cannonball and crashed into the psychic barriers. It fluttered its wings tried to fly away, but Screecher was already on its heels with Icy Wind to direct its run.

An aura of pale red enveloped Screecher and Yanmega simultaneously for a brief second before they cried in agony. Curse took over the bug's body, its movements now sluggish and pained from the sacrifice Screecher had made. It kicked up another Double Team to keep Screecher's attention away from it, but they were destroyed the moment they appeared with a dozen, small Shadow Balls.

Yanmega's frustrating speed had disappeared, and now Screecher could track it with ease. Her eyes kept the flying dragonfly in the center of her vision before a trio of Power Gems blazed from her jewels and struck Yanmega's wings directly.

Yanmega let out a warbling cry as it careened to the ground, crippled wings bent awkwardly and no longer letting it fly. Dirt curled over its scales from its tumble in the arena. It looked like it was floating in pure darkness as it tried to push itself up with its six legs.

A single, focused ray of scarlet crushed the scales over its head and it screamed in agony. Yanmega glared, trying in vain to fly once more, but icy air washed over its form and frost consumed its wings. Screecher floated closer, observing the terribly pained Yanmega with glee, before burying it in a continuous blast of concentrated crimson.

Eventually, Tyler recalled his pokémon, realising that Screecher would not let up. The Mismagius dismissed the field of black with a flutter of her ghostly cloak as her victim vanished from the field, trilling victoriously as the crowd and announcer praised her for the flawless victory.

Ash smiled as recalled her as the announcer's voice drowned the crowd's yells. "And Ketchum wins without losing any of his pokémon!" she said, in a voice of disbelief. "Our next battle will have the delightful Alexis Reynolds and Kevin Sua…"

The announcer's voice disappeared into the background as he headed for the healing station. There were still three battles left, which would be enough time to heal Screecher. She wasn't terribly hurt - far from it - but he wanted his team in perfect condition for the semi-finals.

XxXxX

Ash observed the water field with a flicker of annoyance. He'd been praying to avoid having to fight in the massive water arena that resembled the one back at the Cerulean Gym, but his fears had finally come true. He had never battled in water before, and it would be troublesome. The fact that the semi-finals were made up of double battles of three pokémon made things far worse.

His opponent eyed the platforms scattered over the water with far less disgruntlement. Diana Duncan, dressed in the finest of trainer gear, seemed to be a few years older to him, but from her battles she appeared to be at his level. Regardless, Ash was not going to underestimate her, and felt happiness momentarily replace his annoyance when the announcer called for her to go first.

Diana seemed unbothered at releasing first, and sent out a large Seadra that quickly took to the waters, clicking angrily as it bobbed in the pool. Next to it, lounging on a platform, stood a large Persian, purring its arrival. Its sharp claws screeched as it scratched them against the surface, watching Ash's wince intently.

On a whim, Ash tossed the two pokéballs in his grasp. Delphi perched on a circular platform, unaffected as the Persian took on a wide, cruel grin at her appearance, flexing its long, sharp claws once more. Her feathers ruffled as she spread her wings, the strange markings glowing menacingly in response.

Hydrus took a second later to materialise and seemed surprised at the the water field. He looked back at Ash in question. He'd never fought in water before, but Ash figured he would find it natural.

Seadra met Hydrus' arrogant gaze with an angry glare, although the Golduck was merely amused by the large seahorse. He kept only his eyes above the water, the gem on his forehead waiting to shine.

Ash didn't look away from Diana's intense stare as they awaited the announcer's words, and then they leapt into action.

"Delphi, focus on the Seadra," Ash said tersely. "Hydrus, stay in the water. Trap Persian with Disable and then strike."

Delphi immediately pushed off the platform, slipping into a blur as the speed of Aerial Ace took over, while Hydrus cut through the water like it was nothing. He noticed that his friend was incredibly fast in the water, which he realised was thanks to his Swift Swim.

The Seadra raced off to stop Hydrus, but a beam of black energy from overhead forced it to swim to the side. Persian snarled and leapt over three platforms with disgusting ease to avoid a petrifying ray of light that shot at its lithe form when Hydrus approached it. Quacking angrily, he backstroked and twisted to follow the feline, who hissed in annoyance at the chase.

Delphi swooped down to pick Seadra out of the water, but had to give up halfway when a Power Gem from Persian forced her to deflect it with Steel Wing. They were locked in a stalemate for the briefest of seconds, until Persian froze, enveloped in a sheen of red.

Hydrus quacked in triumph, leaping out of the water to smash the cat's head in with an Aqua Tail, but was intercepted by an Ice Beam that blasted him to the side. He sank into the water, the shell of ice around his ribs beginning to melt, and focused hateful red eyes at the creature that dared to attack him. He sent the Seadra a challenge by slapping the water of his tail, and laughed as it swam his way.

Ash whistled for Delphi, and the Xatu looked at him from above before nodding. A feather-light touch prodded at his mind, and he smiled. Yes?

He closed his eyes, and 'spoke' with concentration. Take Seadra out of the water, he thought back to her. Teleport.

He felt her presence leave his mind; while they had been working on communicating telepathically, it was still distracting. Hopefully they would perfect it by the time the Conference arrived.

He watched, gleeful, Delphi shimmered out of existence. Seadra yelped at the sudden feeling of weightless and pain from the sharp talons digging into its back as Delphi lifted the seahorse with powerful flaps of her wings, her prey helpless in her grasp. She rushed into the sky-

Delphi pierced the air with a shriek of pain, letting go of the burden in her claws. He ignored the plummeting Seadra and looked at her in worry. What-

His eyes caught a glimpse of dots of blood curling down her talons, and he realised. Poison Point.

He cursed himself for being stupid, eyes trailing to the hurtling Seadra without conscious volition. A stream of bubbles poured from its snout, slowing its fall considerably. Its noisy splash caught Hydrus' attention, and the Golduck stopped harassing Persian and swam to attack his foe.

A Power Gem clipped Delphi in the back, distracting her from the venom in her blood. She teleported to the left and avoided another ray of light, but he could tell the poison was affecting her, from the way her eyes drooped and wings slackened.

Sharp claws ripped into tough scales as Hydrus attacked the Seadra with no restrain. It tried to blast him away with bursts of water and streams of bubbles, but Hydrus neglected the pain. Persian moved to save its teammate, but Delphi intercepted.

A pained yowl interrupted the crowd's roars as Delphi corkscrewed into Persian's shoulder. The force behind her Quick Drill instantly blasted the feline, even as it tried to slash at Delphi, who had already teleported onto a platform far away. Her eyes were sagging from the poison defiling her system, and blood stained her hooked beak.

Persian's bloodshot eyes glared at Delphi as it rested on its right, blood flowing down its left leg. Black energy rippled at its claws and it moved, swiping wildly with Night Slashes even as the Xatu shattered its mind with Confuse Ray.

Its screams worsened as its eyes glazed over with fear. The feline's sharp claws were consumed in rippling black miasma as it struck blinding at whatever hallucination that attacked its mind.

Persian was definitely out for the count. He couldn't help but feel sorry for it - he grimaced as it slipped off the platform and into the water, which clearly worsened the terrors affecting it. It disappeared back into its pokéball, and Diana dipped her head in respect.

A large, fat bird, covered in dark feathers and a breast of white, splayed its massive wings as it took off into the air. While it was noticeably smaller, it reminded him too much of Proton's Honchkrow, and the time it had nearly killed him, aboard the St Anne, which had left Vermillion City, where he was right now-

He shook those thoughts and focused onto the field of water even as he began to sweat. It wouldn't do to be distracted now.

"Delphi, after it!" he roared, as Honchkrow lured it to the sky. They shot skywards like rockets, leaving trails of wind as they sliced through the air.

A quack from Hydrus drew his attention back to the water as the Golduck was thrown out from the pool by a sphere of intense turquoise. The Dragon Pulse exploded in a spectacular display of green light and heat that consumed Hydrus entirely as he cracked into a circular platform.

He realised, angry with himself, that Hydrus had no idea what to do underwater. He'd never battled in a field of water before, despite being a water-type, and it was showing. As Hydrus slipped back into the pool, only to be attacked by a Signal Beam that knocked him away, Ash cursed himself.

He really needed to fix that. If Hydrus continued to the Conference without any technical knowledge of fighting in water, he'd be creamed.

Hydrus put his arrogance aside and scrambled out of the water, realising quickly that Seadra would easily take him out in the vast expanse of rippling azure. He hopped from platform to platform, avoiding Dragon Pulses, Signal Beams and Ice Beams as he tried to lure the angry Seadra out of the water.

The second it popped out, Hydrus attacked. A focused beam of pale crimson locked it in place for just enough time to be frozen entirely by an Ice Beam, encasing the shocked creature in a block of clear cold before blasting it in a massive surge of psionic energy.

A red flash of light caught Seadra before it could sink, and Ash yelled out words of praise to Hydrus, breathing heavily. The Golduck nodded his way, then directed his gaze skywards at the pair of birds twisting around each other.

Dark energy bathed Honchkrow's wings as it gave chase, shrieking sadistically, until a blast of cold brushed against its talons. It looked down angrily, squinting to glare at Hydrus, until a blade of wind cut across its chest. The bird's crest flicked as its head snapped to see Delphi, lethargic but angry, corkscrewing at it in a blur.

The Drill Peck pierced into its back and ripped out dark feathers. Honchkrow screamed, whirling around to slice a Night Slash across Delphi's chest as they spiralled down, locked in a dance of scratching talons and piercing pecks.

Honchkrow snarled, beak thrumming with murky grey energy before releasing the sphere in a point-blank explosion in Delphi's chest. The Xatu screamed, rearing her head as she hurtled to the ground. Even as she fell, she spat a barrage of Shadow Balls at the Honchkrow blurring down at her.

A Shadow Ball burst in Honchkrow's breast, but it was already diving in an Aerial Ace. Ash clenched his fists as the penetrative blow knocked Delphi faster to the pool, but he recalled her instantly. There was no way she could've survived that, and she was in no shape to keep fighting.

Ash reached forward to send out Screecher, but there was no need. A ray of cold slammed into Honchkrow's breast as it struggled to right itself mid-air, forming a shell of ice over its white feather. The Honchkrow shrieked from the freezing cold until another impromptu Ice Beam exploded against the dark bird in an explosion of ice.

Diana returned her pokémon, leaving Hydrus the only fighter left in the ring. Even as the crowd cheered for Ash, Diana smiled sportingly, sending a casual salute as she left the field.

"What an amazing fight!" said the announcer. "And with that, Ash Ketchum proceeds to the finals, one step closer to winning the Vermillion 'Battle Factor' Tournament!"

He soaked in the crowd's overwhelming cheers like a sponge, smiling and waving as he relished in his victory. It hadn't been a close one, but Diana had given him an amazing fight. And he was going to have an even better one in the finals.

XxXxX

Ash smiled as Surge and Misty met him in the healing station, just like he'd asked. Normally, any visitors would be sent away, but he guessed being gym leaders of Kanto had their privileges.

"That was fu- brilliant, Ketchum!" Surge corrected, catching himself halfway. Misty sent him a disgusted roll of her eyes, but smiled in tandem with Ash.

"Thanks, Surge," he said. "Any idea what I should look out for in the finals?"

Surge scratched his chin. "Dunno," he murmured. "Both of the remaining chumps are pretty good fighters. Nothing on you, 'course," he added, grinning. "But don't get too cocky. That Jayden kid has a mean Zweilous, and I'm not being generous about it."

So that's what it's called, he mused. The creature's two heads reminded him of Doduo, but that's where the similarities ended. Covered in dark fur and dark blue scales, it was equipped with draconic powers that had made it a fearsome opponent in the competition. He wasn't particularly looking forward to fighting it.

"Thanks," he murmured, inspecting his fingernails. "How about you guys? How's everything up there?"

"There's a lot of swearing," Misty snapped, glaring at Surge, "but I can't complain. They're front row seats, after all."

"You better win this, alright Champ?" said Surge, clasping his shoulder. Ash winced as the tough fingers digging into his shoulders. "I've got a lot of money riding on you."

"Well, I'll make sure I lose," he teased. Surge laughed boisterously, drawing the attention of a the nurse who looked exasperated by the gym leader.

The sound of uproarious cheers drew their collective attention, and Surge grunted. "Looks like it ended. That Zweilous must've kicked some ass, eh?"

Misty ignored him. "We'll see you on the field," she said, smiling. "Good luck!"

The left the healing station, and Ash sighed, wringing his hands. He needed to get back to the waiting room.

XxXxX

Despite Surge's assumptions, Jayden Barnes did not win the semi-finals. In fact, he'd had a rather frustrating time, and even his trusty Zweilous hadn't come through, which meant that Ash was going to have one incredible battle.

He placed his opponent immediately, and scowled as the teenager smiled with frustrating arrogance. Chants of "AJ!" erupted from a certain section of the crowd as the announcer called the name Ash had heard before, during his time in Cerulean. He wasn't exactly famous, but the trainers that stuck around Cerulean for too long carried whispers of an unofficial gym leader with a hundred straight wins. Ash had checked out the gym in curiosity, but never challenged the arrogant trainer in charge, but it turned out they crossed paths eventually.

Ajax - or as he called himself, AJ - waved at the crowd, one hand on the whip clipped to his waist. Ash hated the sight of that. Of course, if AJ had actually abused his pokémon, his trainer license would be revoked sooner than later; regardless, Ash hated that the trainer used it. It showed that he nurtured his pokémon with fear instead of love and care.

He would be glad to wipe the arrogant smirk off AJ's face.

AJ flicked his juniper green hair, his posture nonchalant as the announcer's voice yelled through the microphone.

"Welcome to the long awaited finals of the Vermillion 'Battle Factor' Tournament!" The announcer whooped with the crowd's screams of delight, excitement and anticipation. "In the red corner, the crowd's favourite, is Ash Ketchum, and on the green corner is Ajax Drexler, whose name is known through all of Cerulean!"

AJ smiled and snorted as he gaze travelled from the crowd to Ash. He didn't hide the fact that he looked down on him; in fact, he openly sneered and threw him a thumbs-down.

Ash grimaced, but focused on the announcer's voice.

"The match will be a three-on-three to determine who will come out on top to win first place, as well as the extravagant prizes thanks to our sponsors, Silph Corporation!" The revolving premiere-ball appeared on the screen once more, flooding Ash with energy. "The red trainer will toss first. Begin!"

Ash nodded, enlarging a pokéball. He ignored AJ's condescending sneer as he tossed it at the field, teeth clenched as the sphere snapped open.

With a magnificent scream, Saur appeared on the field. His large, blunt claws crunched into the ground as he roared along with the crowd, wise scarlet eyes forcing AJ to look away.

There was no hesitation in AJ's eyes as he clicked the release. A Fearow emerged with a shriek, power wings stretching as its red crest flared. The crowd's cheers shifted to the avian, having no idea what to expect here. While Fearow had the type advantage, it would be game over if Saur got a hold of it with his vines.

With a whistle from AJ the raptor soared, wings tucked as it tore through the sky. Saur's scarlet eyes tracked it with practised ease from the many times he had trained against Delphi. With another whistle from its trainer, the Fearow slipped into Agility and then produced a dozen clones that swarmed the sky, making it impossible for Ash and Saur to track them down.

"Muti Vine Whip," Ash muttered.

Saur grunted and commanded ten forest vines as they rocketed into the sky like bullets. His shoulders shifted and his leafy fronds tensed as he directed his appendages to wipe out the clones. Two, four, eight clones disintegrated within seconds until none remained in the air-

A blur of brown whizzed past him and Saur bellowed, having been struck by an Aerial Ace that made him buckle. He whirled around, calm eyes now angry as he tried to lash at the Fearow who sped away in an instant, returning to circle the sky as it kept its predatory gaze locked on Saur.

"Multi Vine Whip," repeated Ash. "Spore Burst when it comes close."

Saur grunted, the base of his flowers tensing as he released a nest of vines once more. Razor Winds flew from Fearow's wings, severing the green tentacles and speeding right at Saur. He growled, but moved out of the way, each step making the ground rumble.

His surprising speed, thanks to vigorous training and Chlorophyll, made AJ blink in surprise, but the trainer recovered quickly. The crack of his whip made Ash scowl in anger, but he quickly focused towards the dozen Fearow zooming down with tucked wings.

A massive cloud of spores erupted from the base of Saur's flower. Fearow, too close to fly back, could only shriek as poisonous and paralysing spores snaked through its feathers. It balked, coughing as it inhaled another stream, wings flapping wildly.

"Power Whip!" Ash yelled quickly, leaping at the chance. Two massive vines of green exploded forth and hammered the bird, one making a booming wallop across its back, and the other smashing into its breast. Fearow screamed, glaring hard as a shimmering sphere of pure energy formed in its open beak in retaliation.

The Tri Attack raced forward in the form of yellow, red and bright blue. The beam of electricity did next to nothing as it crackled in Saur's face, but he bellowed in rage from the burning fire and freezing cold that impacted his shoulder. A cluster of vines rushed forth to grab Fearow, but it had already flown back to sky with Agility.

He was glad to see that the mixture of Stun Spores and Poison Powder had its intended effect - every now and then, Fearow's wings tightened for fleeting moments, and its otherwise sharp eyes were already lethargic. It would still be quite some time before it would be taken out of the fight, however, but the poison exploring its body would definitely make things harder.

Fearow danced through the air for a moment, and then it moved the instant AJ whistled. It was nothing but a lance of spinning brown, streaks of wind trailing from its beak as the bird sliced through air. A flurry of Razor Leaves sliced through its feathers, but it did not deter Fearow.

Saur screamed as Fearow impacted his shoulder with enough force to send him sprawling. He fell onto his side, forest scales falling off his shoulder in a spray of arterial scarlet as he pushed himself back to his feet with a groan. Calm red eyes turned murderous as he growled at Fearow as it recovered from the recoil.

A thick vine coiled around Fearow's long neck and squeezed until its eyes bugged. Saur roared, releasing another tentacle that muzzled the bird as it tried to break free with a Tri Attack. Razor Winds razed the ground at Saur's feet as Fearow desperately tried to wring itself out of Saur's grasp, but his eyes were focused as two, six, ten vines exploded from under the base of his flower to keep his foe in place.

Dust kicked up in streams as Fearow was slammed to the ground with enough force to leave a furrow. It struggled, claws writhing, wings flailing, crest flaring at Saur's vines held it to the ground. Then, with a terrifying growl, he jumped.

He crushed Fearow under his weight without a second thought. A muffled squawk escaped from under the claws that flattened the bird to the ground. The wings splayed from under his sides flailed for a moment before they stilled.

The crowd was silent as Saur stepped away from his trampled prey, eyeing it with disappointment when it disappeared in crimson light. AJ was furious at having his pokémon demolished so easily and switched the device in angered eagerness.

Saur tensed as the AJ's side of the field trembled under the feet of a six-foot tall wyvern. Covered in orange scales, and an underbelly of cream, it reared its horned head and leered from across as its large, blue-green wings unfurled in an impressive display. It spat at a fireball at the ground, displaying sharp fangs as its lip curled.

The Charizard emitted a ear-shattering roar, which Saur met with an equally loud scream as he glared back, unperturbed but cautious. Embers flew as the draconic monster thrashed its fiery tail against hard earth, and the crowd roared once again.

Ash knew that there was no way for Saur to win this fight, but at least he could injure it.

"Synthesis," Ash whispered as Saur retracted his vines. "Go on the defensive. You have to hurt it."

Saur grunted, clearly not liking the change in tactics, but agreed. The fronds splayed over his back glowed a brilliant green as he absorbed the burning sunlight above, rejuvenating himself and healing the cuts, courtesy of Fearow. Already, the wound from the bird's Drill Peck reknit.

AJ's glower of absolute anger had transformed into a cruel grin. "Burn them to a crisp!" he yelled, slapping his whip on the ground.

Charizard snarled, wings flapping as it slowly took to the air. It wasn't very fast, which was surprising considering its kind were known for soaring nearly 5,000 feet in a matter of minutes. Dust billowed with each powerful flap, raising the heavy dragon into blue skies.

"Energy Ball!" Ash snapped, cursing himself. This was a terrible match-up for Saur. He really needed to give his friend a way to counter fire-types. There was no way he was going to rise on top in this battle.

Spheres of emerald crackled as they sped off to the fire-type. A swathe of fire took care of them instantly, exploding upon contact as they were swallowed by the flames. Charizard grinned, a level of ferocity Ash had rarely seen, and it rocketed down with burning fists.

"Move!" Ash cried, heart racing to match the Charizard's velocity. Saur roared, leaping away with a push of his powerful legs as the wyvern came too close for his liking. The Fire Punches swept through the air, but flames rippled in its maw once again as it blew them in a sweeping motion at the escaping Venusaur.

The ground shook with each step as Saur ran like Moltres itself was at his heels. Fire licked at the arena and charred the earth with each continued second of the chase that went on until Charizard stopped, having run out of breath.

Saur took that moment to stop and whirl around before unleashing twin vines that thrummed with an emerald glow as the slashed right into the joints of Charizard's wings. It roared, stumbling to the ground as its flight was disturbed, and reared its head to have its jaws muzzled but tough tentacles.

Charizard shredded them with ease in a swipe of claws, but Saur had already pounced. Thick sludge streamed at an alarming pace from his mouth and splattered all over Charizard's front.

A scream, this one of pain rather than anger, rippled as destructive poison seeped through its scales, worsened by the special venom that was Venoshock. Its eyes bugged at the intense pain tearing at its chest, until a snap from AJ's whip brought it back to painful reality.

AJ didn't know it, but Charizard was done for. Saur had done his work. The Venusaur breathed, firing a barrage of Energy Balls at an enraged Charizard that rushed at him with anger that was fueled by the agonising poison in his system.

Saur roared, defiant even as he was clawed and punched and bit. A struggle of vines and claws ensued as the two monsters fought, neither willing to give up. Fire swallowed Saur's flower in burning scarlet even as he hammered thrumming vines across Charizard's form.

Burns covered Saur's face, fronds and legs as Charizard continued to claw at it with no restraint, and even as Ash raised the scratched pokéball to recall him, he did not fall without a last act of defiance.

Amongst the raging fire, a blob of green liquid splattered against the Charizard once more. It screamed as the poison burned and hissed and glowed against its orange scales. It looked like it was almost going into a state of shock until AJ screamed for it to listen.

Ash grimaced as he returned his friend. Saur had been brutal. His intense poisons would've most like killed a weaker pokémon - even so, it wasn't like Charizard was doing any better. The dragon was clawing at its chest, using Metal Claw so that it wouldn't be hurt even further through contact with the venom. Ash was surprised that it was still holding on.

He muttered a thanks to his friend as he pocketed the pokéball and chose his second fighter. Zeus took to the field, blinking in surprise at the charred field. Instantly, Charizard's head snapped over to the Ampharos, eyes wider than saucers. Its chest heaved, and—

The orange tail-flame exploded into a tongue of bright blue. Charizard lifted its head high to roar at the top of its lungs. AJ grinned. Ash blanched.

Blaze was going to be a problem. It would be over quickly, but Charizard would be empowered greatly in such a state. "Zeus, Thunderbolt and Power Gem. Keep away with Agility."

A snap of AJ's whip, and then Charizard lunged. Blue fire spilled from its jaws and then collected to form a massive, unstable sphere of blue-white fire that exploded into a swirling cone of flame. Zeus avoided the most of it with Agility, but bleated in pain as blue flames seared and burned his thighs.

Red light exploded from Zeus' tail orb in conjunction with bolts of lightning from his horns. Charizard roared, screaming as the Power Gem crushed into its chest, but the Thunderbolt fizzled into a thin lance of electricity that resembled a Thundershock more than anything as fire cloaked the creature. Overwhelming heat made the air shimmer around the beast as it breathed, and then it lunged.

"Agility!" Ash screamed, recognizing the rushing technique as Flare Blitz. Zeus nodded, and waited until the last moment before blurring away.

Charizard had no time to move as it smashed painfully into the psychic barriers. They flared up into existence and strained under the powerful impact that sent Charizard reeling. Even then, it wasn't down for the count, and roared as it stood on shaky limbs.

"End this," Ash hissed, eyeing that Charizard that flew at his friend. Turquoise light enveloped the draconic pokémon and spiralled around its orange scales as it rushed at Zeus with blinding speed. With a condescending sneer, Zeus met the Dragon Rush halfway with a brilliant bolt of blue electricity that smashed Charizard head-on.

It convulsed within a second as every fibre of its being was electrocuted. The draconic energy around it disappeared and its entire body slacked as it crashed to the ground in a painful tumble, jaws open from the violent impact.

AJ stared at his unconscious pokémon, as if expecting it to rise up and get back to fighting. Ash felt far more comfortable when it was put into stasis. The lethal poison in its blood would essentially be frozen until it would be healed at a pokécenter.

Zeus limped over to Ash's side, wincing from the burn stretching across his leg. Ash glanced at him in pity.

"And Charizard is put down by Ampharos' fierce lightning!" the announcer screamed alongside the cheering crowd. "With only one pokémon left, how will AJ turn the tables?"

AJ glowered. "Your winning streak ends here, kid." He enlarged his third and final pokéball, twirling it over his finger. "Sandslash, you're up!"

It appeared, claws sharper and longer than Charizard's as it rose to full height. Standing nearly four feet tall and covered in sandy scales, its thick, sharp quills straightened with a twist of AJ's whip that never failed to make Ash scowl.

His scowl deepened as he realised the mess he was in. Zeus had nothing in his arsenal that could counter ground-types. Even Iron Tail and Power Gem wouldn't do much damage against ground-type pokémon.

He gritted his teeth. He really needed to train increase his team's variety in terms of skill.

"Zeus, you'll need to weather it down," said Ash, disappointed with himself. "Keep moving with Agility, attack with Power Gem. Use Iron Tail if it gets close."

Ampharos nodded, even as burning silver formed between Sandslash's claws. Then, with a high cry of excitement, it launched it into the sky with a burst.

Sand exploded outwards, billowing fiercely in a swirling storm. Wind tugged and directed streams of grit that made it impossible to see Sandslash, who had seemingly disappeared. Ash clenched his teeth, eyes scanning the earth to see any sign of movement.

A yelp from Zeus caught his attention as the ground beneath him exploded. Sandslash smashed into the Ampharos' belly, sharp claws carving into thick rubbery hide before it scurried away as an Iron Tail swung its direction.

Zeus bleated as the earth around his feet turned into quicksand, trapping him within seconds. He pulled and tugged to escape, but there was no use. His tail began to shine as he looked around, waiting for Sandslash to burst forth.

A wave of earth rippled out as Sandslash stabbed the ground with its claws. Zeus braced himself, but it did nothing - it slammed into him, blowing him out of the Sand Tomb, but knocking him to the ground. He yelled even as Sandslash rushed forth, claws gleaming.

The Metal Claw was deflected in a clang of steel, but Sandslash used the knock-back from the Iron Tail to leap into the air and spit a ball of compact mud. Zeus barely managed to roll away in time to avoid the Mud Shot that splattered into the ground, leaving a furrow in place. Just as the Ampharos rose, however, Sandslash smashed its claws into the earth.

The Earthquake shattered the field and it heaved violently, sending massive chunks of rock and dirt into the air alongside Zeus, who screamed as shockwaves rent through his body. As he landed with a heavy thud, the crack ground beneath him exploded in a burst of golden energy that sent him tumbling.

He had no time to recover from the Earth Power before Sandslash was upon him. Shadow Claws, Metal Claws and Poison Stings pierced him all over his body until a final Earth Power knocked out the poor Ampharos. As sand streamed over his unconscious frame, Zeus disappeared back into his pokéball with a sad smile from Ash.

He exhaled softly, heart pounding in his chest as he released his last fighter. "Screecher, it's all you," he said, tapping the release.

The Mismagius was more or less healed after her flawless victory in the third round. She warbled, ghostly appendages fluttering against the raging sandstorm. Screecher scowled and squinted under the gale of harsh grit, but she focused when Ash spoke.

"It's underground," he informed her. "Double Team and Circuit. You've got this, girl."

She chirped, happy eyes narrowing as they hardened with focus. Ten clones flickered to life in the sandstorm, a circle of Shadow Balls revolving around her protectively. Amber eyes scanned the ground as she tried to discern any sign of movement.

Earth flew in clots as Sandslash struck out, but it recognized its folly when murky claws made the Mismagius vanish. A flurry of Shadow Balls raced to where Screecher's clone had dissipated in a hiss. Sandslash squeaked, tearing apart one ghostly sphere with another Shadow Claw, but warbled in pain as the rest of them exploded against its tan-brown scales.

"Psychic!" Ash yelled, desperate to trap the lithe creature, but it squirmed its way into the ground almost instantly. He cursed as Sandslash disappeared from view once more, leaving Screecher in painful anticipation as she waited for her enemy to resurface.

This time, Sandslash had struck gold; he erupted right under Screecher with such speed that she had to time to move as the Shadow Claw struck her. Screams of pain surfaced from the Mismagius as claws wrapped in ghostly miasma tore into her ectoplasm. She howled, twisting to throw Sandslash away, and blasted the creature with a reflexive Shadow Ball.

It exploded against Sandslash's spines and knocked it to the ground. Screecher righted herself quickly, but her Psybeam splashed harmlessly over the dirt as Sandslash burrowed underground once again.

"Apply pressure on the ground below you with Psychic," Ash murmured, careful not to let AJ overhear - not that it would be possible anyway, considering the sandstorm drowning out his voice.

Screecher hesitated, but nodded. Blue appeared in her eyes as he gems glowed, and released a psychic force to keep the ground below her in place-

Bang! Sandslash burst out and slammed into the wall of energy like it had collided into a train. It squeaked and hissed in both surprise and brief pain from the sudden jolt it received. With it momentarily stunned, Ash jumped. "Icy Wind!"

A rush of frigid air and miniature crystals swallowed Sandslash, who screamed as frost collected over its body and it convulsed from the shocking cold. A brilliant Psybeam slammed into its prone form and sent it tumbling away.

Screecher snarled, letting out a Curse that had Sandslash writhing as pain rent through its body. It rose, despite the agony wracking its form, and rushed at Screecher, shadowy energy staining its extended claws. A single Confuse Ray stopped it in its tracks.

Claws sliced nothing but air as painful hallucinations haunted its vision. Screecher floated, nearly grazing the ground as she eyed her thrashing prey with sadistic glee. AJ was thwacking his whip, roaring for his Sandslash to listen.

"Finish this," Ash commanded, fists clenched.

A psychic glow pinned the Sandslash as it rose ten feet in the air. It screamed, crushing force hammering it from all sides as a sphere of raging black and purple crackled in front of the Mismagius. Rings of purple raced from the ball of dark energy, blasting the threshing pokémon in a might explosion.

The impact knocked Sandslash all the way over to AJ's side of the field, where it tumbled to a halt. It didn't move again.

It took a moment for realization to hit Ash like a truck.

"And Ketchum reigns triumphant in a stunning display from his Mismagius!" The crowd screamed at the announcer's words, yelling madly at his victory. "Which makes Ash Ketchum the Champion of the Vermillion 'Battle Factor' Tournament!"

The blood roaring in his ears overwhelmed the cheers of the audience, and only an excited trill from Screecher brought him back to reality.

He'd won!

XxXxX

"Everyone, please welcome this year's tournament Champion, Ash Ketchum!" The crowd shouted their approval as Ash walked up to the podium, pushing past a disgruntled AJ. He ignored AJ's scowl as the announcer handed him a small trophy - a large, gold medallion emblazoned with a pokéball crowned by a laurel wreath. He took it gratefully, taking a moment to examine the glinting metal lying cold in his hand.

Something overtook him as he raised it high for everyone to see, and his grin only widened as the crowd's cheers grew wilder. AJ scoffed next to him at the action, but it went unnoticed by Ash. He was too excited to care.

"The prize money will be transformed to your accounts within the hour," the announcer told the top four, smiling pleasantly as he handed the cases of gift pokéballs to them. Ash bowed as he received the box of ultra-balls and dive-balls with a grin. Misty would plead with him for the latter for hours.

The announcer held the mic to his mouth again. "And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for!"

He enlarged the premiere-ball in his hand, holding it high for everyone to see. The crowd exploded again, this time wilder. The announcer grinned.

Ash received the premiere-ball with trembling hands. He almost cradled the sphere, until the announcer urged him to tap the release. With a wide smile, Ash nodded, and clicked the sphere open.

A flash of white, and then the energy formed. Lush brown fur, a collar of cream, long, pointed ears and doe eyes. It looked up at him, bushy tail wagging as it stared in glee.

"And it's an Eevee!" the announcer revealed, to the crowd's excitement. "A rare pokémon, capable of evolving in a variety of ways due to its unstable genetic code!"

The Eevee peered up at him with a smile. Already, Ash could feel his heart melting at those chocolate-brown eyes.

"And now, let's give it up for Ash Ketchum, our winner!"

Thunderous applause rang out, but Ash was only focused on the Eevee as it sniffed at him curiously. He grinned and waved at the crowd last time, but he couldn't wait to get out of here and welcome Eevee to his family.

Besides, he had to heal his friends up. He couldn't begin to imagine how beat up they were.

XxXxX

Trainer:Ash Ketchum

Pokémon in possession:

Saur – Venusaur

Delphi – Xatu

Zeus – Ampharos

Hydrus – Golduck

Monferno

Snorlax

Screecher – Mismagius

Kratos – Scyther

Trapinch – Atlas

Eevee