Hi Everyone. As promised, here is the next chapter. I know many of you have waited patiently for this one since I began, so I hope it lives up to your expectations.
Unfortunately, I'm not as far ahead as I would like to be, so that the next chapter will be up on the 6th of March. I'll be updating monthly until I've completed the Arc, which is when I'll begin updating fortnightly.
Enjoy!
Chapter 16 – The Trial of Two Hearts
Ash, Misty, and Tracey leaned against the ferry's railing as it sped across the water, transporting them to Trovita Island, a small island just off the coast of Mandarin Island South, the home of the Trovita Gym.
A week had passed since their day with Lorelei, and all Ash and Misty had done was train their Pokémon. They'd decided to focus on getting Wartortle to enjoy battling again, and, to their shock, Wartortle had taken a sharp turn in a considerably short amount of time.
While Ash had expected Wartortle to take some time to accept Misty's commands, he was surprised when his water-type Pokémon immediately listened. They'd started with small mock battles, and before long, Wartortle was back to his usual self.
They had found it easier for Wartortle to battle against Pokémon from other trainers than battle against Ash. They didn't know why it was the case, but Misty had felt that Ash's concern and fear for his Pokémon during the battle had something to do with it.
Tracey had theorised that it was Wartortle's instinct as a Pokémon that ultimately led to the quick turnaround they had witnessed, but there was one glaring problem; Wartortle still didn't trust Ash and wouldn't listen to his commands.
Alas, Ash had resigned to allowing Wartortle to remain in Misty's care until they figured out how to make him trust his trainer once more.
But today, Ash only had one thing on his mind, challenging the Trovita Island Gym's Gym Leader and winning his third badge of the Orange Island League. He didn't, however, know what to expect. He'd quickly realised that Orange Island Gyms didn't just focus on a trainer's Pokémon's strength in battle, but rather the strength and skill of their trainer as well. If he were to defeat this gym, he knew he would have to adapt to the challenge thrown at him as quickly as possible.
But Ash was quickly drawn from his thoughts when they heard someone scream. Searching for the source of the voice, their eyes landed on a young girl struggling to remain afloat with her Seel inside a rapid current caused by stalagmites that ringed the small island.
Misty was the first to react, summoning her Staryu before jumping into the ocean. She commanded her Pokémon to swim towards the young girl as she clung to one of its pointed appendages, allowing her to be dragged along by her Pokémon.
"Someone, help me!" Misty heard the girl call as they drew close. But suddenly, the girl and her Pokémon disappeared; having been dragged under the water by the raging current.
Misty ordered her Pokémon to swim faster, determined to save the poor girl before anything worse happened. Diving down, Misty adjusted her eyes to the new conditions as she tried to find the young girl.
"Mahri! Mahri, where are you?" Ash heard a young boy from the ridge call out as he bordered his Lapras. He never glanced at the boy, instead, focusing on catching up to Misty to help her save the young girl.
As Lapras raced across the ocean towards the stalagmites, Ash watched as Misty dove underwater with her Pokémon. He quickly became worried, but deep down, he knew Misty would be okay. Before long, Misty and Staryu resurfaced with the young girl and her Pokémon.
Up above on the ridge, the young boy watched on as the whole thing unfolded. Using binoculars, he watched as Misty dove into the water with her Pokémon, swam towards the young girl, and resurfaced with her.
Too shocked to speak, or even move, his eyes were drawn to Misty as she helped the girl onto Lapras' back. Pulling the binoculars away from his eyes, his face was immediately plastered with a relieved smile. "She's great," he muttered.
Lapras followed the ferry into the small island's port where Ash helped the young girl onto the concrete pier. "Mahri!" Immediately, Mahri was swarmed as the young boy from the ridge, and a few helpers rushed up to her. "Mahri, never go swimming alone again."
The young boy swept Mahri up in her arms, his black shirt and cream-coloured vest absorbed the water from Mahri's clothes. But the young boy didn't care; extremely happy and relieved that Mahri was safe and sound.
"I won't," Mahri replied, hugging the boy enthusiastically.
Shifting his focus, the boy put Mahri down as Ash, Misty and Tracey approached. "I'm very grateful to you," the boy said. But the boy wasn't focused on all three of them, instead directing his full attention towards Misty. "I can't thank you enough for saving my sister."
"We were glad to do it!" Ash replied.
But Ash was completely ignored as the boy walked straight up to Misty. "May I ask, your name?" the boy questioned.
"My name's Misty," Misty happily replied.
"Misty, you're amazing," the boy praised.
Ash, Misty, and Tracey instantaneously reacted; their confusion evident on their faces.
At a click of the boy's finger, Misty was instantly bombarded with the gift of flowers. Once she got over her shock, she joyfully accepted the surprising gifts.
Next to her, Ash had no idea what was going on or why the boy ignored him completely. But his confusion grew even further as the boy quickly dragged Misty away without even a second thought.
Misty, who had reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled along, was just as confused as Ash was, but she wasn't about to question any of it with all the attention she was receiving.
With music playing in the background, the boy began to pull Misty back and forth to the music's sway, almost like they were dancing. Luckily, her clothes had dried off quickly in the warm morning sun, making it easier for her to match his movements.
"Who is this guy?" Ash questioned, his patience beginning to wear thin.
Tracey sighed, realising it would be like Navel Island all over again, where it didn't go too well for the young trainer in front of him. Tracey knew he had to be on his toes; Ash and Misty had only patched things up in the last week, and he was sure it would only take a little incident-such as Ash's jealousy-to light the fuse once again.
"Misty, from the way you saved my sister, it is clear that you're an excellent Pokémon trainer," Rudy complimented, continuing to sway them both to the beat of the music. "There aren't any water-type trainers here as skilled as you are. I would be very humbled and very grateful if you could stay here awhile at my humble gym."
"Your gym?" Misty questioned. "You mean, you're the Trovita Island Gym Leader?"
"Yes! Is it such a shock?" the boy happily replied.
"He's the Trovita Gym Leader?" Ash questioned to no one in particular. But his confusion quickly gave way for excitement as he eyed the boy. "Well, I'm Ash Ketchum, and I'm here to challenge you!"
But the boy ignored his outburst, continuing to focus on Misty as they danced; much to Ash's annoyance. "But you're not just a great trainer; you're a great dancer too."
"Thank you." Misty giggled at the compliment.
"Hey! Did you hear me!" Ash yelled. But surprisingly, it was the boy's younger sister that came in for support.
"Yeah, come on!" Mahri agreed. "Ash came here to have a gym match with you!"
"Hmm." The boy pulled his eyes from Misty, turning towards Ash. "It's not polite to interrupt a private conversation. You're really very rude."
"Me? Rude?" Ash puffed. "You're the one who's ignoring your other guests. This place doesn't feel very welcoming. You're the one who's being rude here!"
"Not, rude, it's Rudy," the boy replied with a flick of his hair.
"What is Rudy?" Ash asked, the comment going over his head.
"It's his name," Tracey explained. Is this guy for real? That has to be the lamest comeback I've ever heard, he thought.
"Now what makes you think you can beat me?" Rudy continued, ignoring Ash's confusion.
Ash pulled the right side of his blue jacket, revealing two Orange Island Gym Badges. "I already have two badges, and I'm here to claim my third."
"That's nice," Rudy smugly replied. "Usually, I would accept your challenge, but first, you must pass a little test."
"That's fine." Ash determinedly accepted. "I'm used to it."
"Very well." Rudy nodded. "Then why don't you all follow me."
They followed Rudy to a little wooden dock, located in a small river that travelled into the island, where a small motorboat was moored. Boarding the boat, they squished in tightly so they could all fit in, with only enough room for Rudy, Misty, Tracey, and Mahri, with Ash standing at the front.
"Ready? Set? And Go!" one of Rudy's helpers declared, waving a red flag.
Immediately, the boat took off, its engine revving loudly as it pushed through the water. Ash remained still, allowing the wind to blow through his hair that wasn't trapped underneath his hat, while his jacket flapped wildly. Pikachu stood beside him, ready for any command he would receive.
"I'll agree to a gym match with you, but only if you can get three of your Pokémon to attack and knock down all the targets that appear," Rudy explained.
"So, it's target practice then?" Ash cupped one of his hands with the other. "This will be easy. Bring it!"
Racing through the water, Ash stood firmly as the first target appeared along the rocky ledge on the river's left side. Ash pointed his finger towards it, ordering Pikachu to hit it with a Thunder Shock. Pikachu followed through; launching a powerful bolt of electricity that exploded the target on impact.
"Perfect, Pikachu," Ash complimented. He turned back towards Rudy, hoping he'd watched Pikachu destroy the target. But, instead, he found Rudy distracted; continuing to flirt with Misty. "Hey, what is this? You're supposed to be watching me, not focusing on her!"
Ash turned around, disgruntled. Angry, he grasped the Poké Ball of the one Pokémon he knew would garner up enough attention when it destroyed the next target. Throwing the Poké Ball into the air, Ash summoned Charizard as the next target appeared.
But Charizard didn't unleash his flames; instead, he took one look at the target before turning back towards Ash. "Hey, come on, Charizard! It's just one target! I know I said I would use you next in a battle, but please!" Ash pleaded, remembering his promise he'd made to the Pokémon on Navel Island.
Huffing, Charizard flew over the boat, intending to hit Ash with a small flurry of flames.
Diving, Ash managed to dodge the torrent of flames. He quickly jumped up, thrusting his Poké Ball towards the fire-type Pokémon. "Charizard, return." Ash clutched the Poké Ball, holding it close to his face once his Pokémon was inside it. "I know I said you could 'fry me' if I didn't use you in a battle next time, but I wasn't serious! Charizard! Is everyone alright?" he asked, looking up. He immediately paled at the sight before him.
Everyone had managed to escape unscathed, save for Misty, who was covered in smoke. But it wasn't the only thing she was covered in, as she was now seething with rage. "You did that on purpose!" she yelled.
"Sorry," Ash meekly muttered in apology.
"Yeah, right!" Misty rebutted. "You just did that to get some attention!"
"What's the matter with you? Can't you control your Pokémon?" Rudy questioned, jumping in to back up Misty.
Tracey became concerned by Rudy's entrance into the argument. While Ash and Misty repeatedly argued, the majority of them were nothing more than typical banter. But for someone else to jump in on one side, it spelled a recipe for disaster. Tracey was about to try and diffuse the situation when Ash did something unexpected.
Silently eyeing Misty and Rudy, Ash turned around, deciding to ignore them. Instead, he summoned Ivysaur to help with the targets.
Rudy became annoyed, but Misty was more stunned than anyone; she hadn't expected Ash to react in such away.
It wasn't long after that the boat returned to its small wooden dock. Having destroyed the remaining targets with his Pokémon, Ash had won the right to battle Rudy. However, Said Gym Leader wasn't ready to have that battle today, informing them that the battle would commence the next day.
"Tomorrow, when we have our match, if you beat me-two out of three-I'll present you with this gym's badge," Rudy informed. "But this battle will be different than most. Whatever elemental type you choose, I'll match."
"Alright, then I'll…"
"But don't be so hasty," Rudy cut him off. "Take the time tonight to decide which Pokémon you would like to use."
"Okay." Ash nodded. He already had an idea in his mind, but he would have to develop a plan.
"Oh, and Misty," Rudy continued, drawing her attention. "Would you care to have dinner with us this evening?"
"Oh, please say yes!" Mahri pleaded, running up to Misty. "My brother is a really good cook." Mahri ran behind her, determined to encourage the water-type Pokémon trainer.
"Oh, I don't know," Misty unsurely replied.
"We'd both be happy if you would," Rudy added.
"Alright," Misty agreed. "Let's go!" She departed with Rudy and Mahri before Ash and Tracey could even react.
"Huh?" Tracey questioned.
"Bye, Misty," Ash muttered, utterly stunned that she didn't even bid them farewell.
That night, two different events were taking shape. While Misty enjoyed her dinner with Rudy, Ash focused intensely on which Pokémon he would choose for the coming battle. But internally, he felt he couldn't concentrate, that he couldn't come up with a sound strategy; that he was lost.
He'd already chosen the first two Pokémon he'd use, but he was having trouble choosing the third. While he nearly had every type imaginable, it wasn't the reason he was struggling. Instead, it was which Pokémon he knew would be able to pull through for him in such challenging circumstances.
Whichever type he chose, Rudy would match, meaning he had to choose a Pokémon he was more in tune with. Pikachu was obvious, which is why he was first chosen. Then he'd found himself deciding between Charizard and Ivysaur.
Eventually, he made his mind, choosing Ivysaur over the fire-type. It wasn't that he didn't have a connection with his Charizard, but rather that the last time Charizard had faced a powerful fire-type, the Pokémon took it as a challenge for his very being, instead of just another battle.
No. He'd decided Charizard wouldn't be the third choice, despite mulling over whether or not to use him as his second, which was when he'd realised the fire-type wouldn't work.
Truthfully, he was stuck at an impasse. He'd tried asking Tracey, but he couldn't understand the problem Ash was facing; for him, Charizard was a perfect choice.
Asking Professor Oak next had ended with the same result. At that moment, Ash realised the one person who truly understood him, the one person who knew the answer he was seeking, was the one person not with them that evening; Misty.
Misty thanked Rudy as she finished her dinner. She couldn't have imagined such a feast when Rudy had extended the invitation. Truly, Rudy had gone all out, providing dish after dish of a wide variety.
"My pleasure." Rudy graciously accepted. "Was everything alright?"
"Oh, everything was delicious, Rudy," she replied.
"I'm glad you liked it," Rudy added.
"You want to know a secret!" Mahri excitingly declared. "I always wanted a big sister just like you, Misty!"
It hadn't been what Misty had expected, who became confused at the declaration.
"I love my brother and the other boys at the gym, but I'm the only girl here," Mahri continued, oblivious to Misty's confusion.
"Oh, that's too bad," Misty replied. But she couldn't understand what the young girl meant.
"Hey, I have an idea!" Mahri continued. "Why don't you be my big sister and just stay here forever?"
"Mahri," Rudy chimed in, quelling his younger sister. "Let's talk about something else."
"But why?" Mahri questioned.
"I know," Rudy declared, ignoring his sister's question. "Let's go to the gym and let our Pokémon meet Misty!"
Misty followed Rudy and Mahri to the far side of the building where their Pokémon were housed. She was surprised to find all different kinds of Pokémon; not just Pokémon from this region, but also from far away regions.
To add to her surprise, they were all dancing to music. "The Pokémon are all dancing," she pointed out, confused.
"I don't think it's enough to just teach your Pokémon a lot of attacks," Rudy explained as they continued to watch the Pokémon dance. "I found that a Pokémon's abilities can improve and change if they learned to do something completely new the different."
"That's why my brother gives all the Pokémon dancing lessons," Mahri added.
Misty couldn't understand how dancing would help a Pokémon in battle, having never witnessed such a strange training style before.
"So, Misty, shall we dance?" Rudy offered, pulling the water-type Pokémon trainer from her thoughts.
"Huh?" Misty replied, confused. Mahri took Togepi from her arms before she could even react and began dancing joyfully with the Spike Ball Pokémon.
"Come on. Give it a try!" Rudy encouraged, persuading Misty to join him.
They enthusiastically danced to the rhythm of the song, matching the movement of the Pokémon. Misty smiled and laughed the whole time. The night had been a massive stress reliever for her, and she felt she hadn't had so much fun since they'd began their adventure through the Orange Archipelago.
Don't be mistaken; she'd enjoyed her adventure so far. She was in her element, having been surrounded by water, but the island hopping had taken its toll. It had taken its toll on all of them, but for tonight, she didn't have to worry about that.
"It would be really great if you could stay here for good, Misty," Rudy suddenly spoke.
Misty felt like her whole being had been pulled from the exciting escape she had felt for a brief moment, drawing her back to reality with such a hard-hitting statement.
"Mahri would be so happy if you did," Rudy added.
Misty turned away, her mind flooding with uncertainty. "Oh, I don't know," she quietly replied.
"You don't have to answer now, but please think about it," Rudy continued. "And give me your answer after the match tomorrow."
Misty found herself in a private guest room afterwards, contemplating everything that had happened that day. While she was putting much consideration into Rudy's offer, she couldn't help but feel pressured by the short period she had to decide.
She'd had fun with Rudy and Mahri, but she didn't know them very well. Were they always the same? Or would their personalities change once her friends were gone?
She didn't know why she was putting so much thought into the decision; surely, the choice was obvious. She knew her friends; she'd been travelling with them for nearly a year. She knew what they were capable of; how much they could help her improve as a trainer.
It was a quality she couldn't gauge with Rudy. He was a strong trainer, and he could certainly teach her a few things, but could he help her improve herself? He had unique training styles, but so did many other trainers.
Then there was whether she wanted to remain in one place again and remain at a gym for that matter. She'd originally left her gym in Cerulean City so she could learn things she knew she couldn't there, albeit her sisters were part of the reason she'd left.
But now she was being asked to give up on her adventure, an adventure where she had learned so much, and settle down on a small island in the middle of a large archipelago. Was that what she wanted to do?
She was pulled from her thoughts when there was a sudden knock at the bedroom door. "Who is it?" she asked.
"It's Ash," Ash replied, his voice muffled by the door. "I need to ask you something."
Misty wordlessly opened the door, allowing the young boy to enter her room.
"Thanks," Ash gratefully added, entering the room. "I have an issue that I can't figure out."
"Sure," Misty replied, sitting on her bed. "Why don't you sit down and tell me what's wrong?" She patted the mattress next to her.
Accepting the offer, Ash sighed as he sat down next to her. "I'm having trouble deciding which Pokémon to use tomorrow."
"Oh, I thought that would have been easy," Misty mused. It wasn't meant as an insult, she genuinely meant it, but Ash didn't see it that way.
"Don't get me wrong," Ash added, annoyance creeping into his voice. "I've already decided to use Pikachu and Ivysaur; it's the third Pokémon I'm having trouble deciding on."
"And let me guess, you don't want to use Charizard because you don't know how he will act when challenged by another strong fire-type?"
"You know me too well," Ash confirmed with another sigh. "Of all my Pokémon, Pikachu, Ivysaur, and Charizard are the ones that I have the strongest connection with, but I don't know if I can trust Charizard to do the right thing."
"There is another that you have a strong bond with," Misty stated. Ash, who had been looking at his lap, turned and looked confusingly into her eyes at her comment. "There is only one other Pokémon I feel you have a similar connection with," she explained, sensing his confusion.
"Who?" Ash questioned. He was almost pleading; he was so desperate for an answer to the question he'd been contemplating for most of the night.
"Wartortle," Misty stated.
Ash sighed, threading his hand through his hair in exasperation. "But I can't use him!"
"Why not?" Misty rebutted. "He's already regained his passion for battling. It may be the push he needs to trust you again fully."
"I don't want to lose, Misty," Ash stated, his desperation evident.
"I don't want you to either," Misty counted. "For all we know, you might win without needing to use him. But if you're never going to be ready to take the first step, then Wartortle is never going to be able to trust you again."
"Are you sure this is the right move?"
"I'm certain." Misty grabbed Wartortle's Poké Ball from her bag, thrusting it into his hands. "Now take his Poké Ball and get out of here. We both need to rest before tomorrow's battle." She followed Ash as he made his way towards the door but paused when he stopped just on the other side.
"Thank you, Misty," he said. "I don't know what I would do without you. Goodnight."
Misty nearly froze at his statement, her mouth forming into a smile as he left. "Goodnight, Ash," she muttered, closing the door.
The day arrived quicker than anyone had anticipated, and before long, Ash and Rudy stood at either end of the island's battlefield. Surprisingly, they were ringed by a rocky outcropping that appeared to have been flattened over a long period of time.
The battlefield was nothing more than a dirt floor with white paint coated straight over the top of it. Up above, in a hot air balloon, stood Misty, Mahri, and Tracey, and flying around them on a Pidgeot was the referee for the match.
"I hope you're ready to battle, Rudy!" Ash declared, determined to end the match as quickly as possible and depart the island. "I challenge you."
"Pika!" Pikachu, who was standing beside his trainer, yelled with the same determination.
"Oh, ho, ho, Challenge accepted," Rudy smugly replied, running his hand through his hair egotistically. "Although, you don't stand a chance of winning."
"We'll see," Ash replied.
"As you've told me you've chosen to use an electric-type, grass-type, and water-type, choose your first Pokémon, and we'll start the battle."
"You're up first, Pikachu," Ash informed his Pokémon, who immediately ran onto the field.
"Well then, I choose Electabuzz!" Rudy declared, throwing a Poké Ball into the air.
Materialising on the battlefield, Electabuzz raised its arms into the air excitedly.
"So, it's Electabuzz against Pikachu in the first round of this three-round match." The referee spoke into his microphone, his voice blaring across the field.
"Come on! Beat him, Rudy," Mahri cheered.
Misty remained silent, not even uttering a word when Tracey commented about the trainer's safety. Instead, her mind was too preoccupied with what Ash had said to her the night before.
"I don't know what I would do without you." It had replayed in Misty's mind over and over again throughout the night, causing her to struggle to sleep. Now, it had brought up another thought that initially hadn't crossed her mind; who needed her more?
While she was sure Rudy and Mahri would love her company, she couldn't help but feel that Ash would struggle without her. They'd been together since the beginning of both their journeys and Ash hadn't known a day where she wasn't there.
They always bounced ideas off each other, they asked questions of each other, and they challenged each other to become stronger. She didn't know if she would get that if she remained. Was it worth it to throw away what she has for what could be?
"Pikachu is defeated," the referee declared, drawing Misty from her thoughts. "The first round goes to Electabuzz and Rudy!"
She couldn't believe the first match was over, or that Pikachu has lost so easily. She had to pay attention, or she would surely miss something.
"My brother is a really great Pokémon trainer, isn't he, Misty?" Mahri joyfully asked.
"Oh, yeah." Misty smiled.
"What did he say to you while we were dancing last night?" Mahri questioned.
Misty was completely stunned by the question; she hadn't expected Mahri, of all people, to ask her about the previous night's events. "Oh, just things," she cryptically replied, Rudy's words replaying in her mind. She had to decide, and soon, but for some unknown reason she felt this match would decide for her.
"The second match is between Ivysaur and Exeggutor," the referee declared as both Pokémon were released into the field.
"Some music please," Rudy ordered, clicking his fingers.
Up above, on the hot air balloon, one of his workers pulled out a small stereo and pressed play. Music blared across the battlefield, and Exeggutor started dancing.
'I can't help but think this must be against the rules,' Tracey thought. 'Using an outside source to help your Pokémon during a battle.'
"Exeggutor, show them some fancy footwork," Rudy commanded. Exeggutor immediately charged towards Ivysaur, its footwork matching the sound of the beat.
"Quickly, Ivysaur, stop Exeggutor with your vines!"
Two green vines shot forth from the budding bulb of Ivysaur's back, wrapping around Exeggutor before the Pokémon could get close.
"Exeggutor, we're close enough!" Rudy yelled. "Egg Bomb attack now!"
"Don't let it attack, Ivysaur!" Ash counted. "Throw Exeggutor into the air!"
Ivysaur launched Exeggutor into the air before the Pokémon could unleash its attack, but it didn't stop it entirely. Instead of launching directed egg bombs, the attack rained down on the battlefield.
Ivysaur managed to dodge most of the attack, only being knocked back by one stray bomb that landed in front of him.
"Quick, Ivysaur, flood the area with Sleep Powder!"
Ivysaur released sparkling dust from its bulb that quickly spread across the battlefield and Exeggutor fell towards the battlefield. Surprisingly, the Coconut Pokémon landed on its feet. But before long, its nose was flooded by the sleep-inducing powder.
After a short moment where Exeggutor rocked back and forth, the Pokémon eventually tipped over, falling down the side of the rocky cliff.
"Exeggutor is outside the battlefield, this match goes to Ash and his Pokémon Ivysaur," the referee declared.
But before Exeggutor could fall into the water below, Ash ordered his Pokémon to catch Exeggutor. Wrapping his vines around the Pokémon, Ivysaur pulled Exeggutor to safety, where Rudy returned him to his Poké Ball.
"My big brother lost!" Mahri dramatically sulked.
"Now it's tied at one apiece," Tracey explained. "It all comes down to this match."
Misty sighed; it was what she had been hoping to avoid. She didn't know her suggestion would work, but she felt Wartortle was ready to fight; all he needed was for his trainer to make the right push.
"It was very sportsmanlike for you to help my Exeggutor," Rudy thanked. "But don't think I'm going to go easy on you in the last battle!"
"I wouldn't count on it," Ash replied. "So, bring it on!"
"Very well. I chose you, Starmie!" Rudy said, unleashing his last Pokémon. The purple starfish-like Pokémon landed on the battlefield. "I dedicate this victory to the girl who saved my sister and stole my heart!"
"Huh?" Misty was more confused than ever. Love? Was that what this was really all about? She'd thought it was because of something else; because she was a strong water-type trainer that could help the gym. One last question formed in her head. Did she love him? Did she love Rudy? She already knew the answer.
"Ha, ha, I knew it!" Mahri laughed, oblivious to the thoughts going on inside the head of the girl beside her. "I knew right away that my brother really liked you, Misty."
"That's nice, but the victory is going to be mine!" Ash replied. "Wartortle, I choose you!"
Wartortle appeared on the battlefield and worriedly looked around. He was confused, he'd recently been battling with Misty, but now, Ash had summoned him for battle.
Ash immediately realised his mistake of not telling his Pokémon he would be battling with him, as fear and nervousness crept into his thoughts.
Rudy made the first move, ordering his Pokémon to attack with a Water Gun.
Ash anxiously ordered his Pokémon to counter with his own Water Gun, but instead, Wartortle dove forward; narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Your Pokémon is poorly trained," Rudy stated. "No matter, I finish this in one move. Music!" With a click of his fingers, the music began to blare from the stereo again.
Ash growled at Rudy's statement, but he couldn't hide his fear. He knew this would happen, but he couldn't figure out a way through it. Wartortle was ready to battle; he knew that. He was missing something, but what?
"Alright, Starmie, time to dance!" Rudy did a little spin, mirroring his Pokémon as it spun on one of its appendages. Before long, the Pokémon was spinning rapidly.
"Misty, this is for you!" Rudy declared, looking up. "It's a very special dance!" he continued, turning towards his Pokémon. "Starmie, spin yourself into a Thunderbolt attack!"
Ash gulped; he hadn't expected Rudy's Pokémon to be able to launch such a super-effective move. He didn't know what to do, or how to counter; all he could do was watch as sparks appeared around Starmie's body.
Surprisingly, the electricity did not affect Starmie as it launched the attached at Wartortle. Bolt after bolt of electricity rained down on his Pokémon, who tried to dodge every attack.
"Wartortle, no!" Ash yelled as his Pokémon was struck. Panicking, he rushed to grab Wartortle's Poké Ball. This wasn't how it was meant to be; he was supposed to have figured out why Wartortle wouldn't listen to him. But now he had no idea how to change it.
Tracey watched on concerned, but it was Misty who was fretting the most. She'd told him to use Wartortle, encouraged him when he questioned if it was the right thing to do, and now he was going to lose; all because of her.
"Wartortle is a water-type and is weak against electric-type attacks," Tracey muttered. "This doesn't look good."
Misty knew it was partly her fault, but she couldn't help but feel Ash was to blame. She had told him Wartortle was ready, that all he needed was a push, and she was right, but it wasn't entirely what she had meant. It wasn't Wartortle that needed the push; it was Ash.
Anger billowed to the surface, her face scrunching up before she yelled at her friend. "ASH! WHAT'RE YOU GOING TO DO? JUST STAND THERE AND LET HIM BEAT YOU?"
"You want him to win?" Mahri quietly muttered, her eyes drifting down in shock.
"DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO THE ADVICE I GAVE YOU LAST NIGHT? IT'S NOT WARTORTLE THAT NEEDS THE PUSH; IT'S YOU!" Misty Continued. "YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN BRING OUT WARTORTLE'S REAL POWER!"
"I know that! I'm not stupid!" Ash retorted, yelling from his end of the battlefield.
"THEN DO SOMETHING!" Misty added. "YOU'VE ALREADY BEATEN RUDY ONCE! YOU CAN BEAT HIM AGAIN!"
Down on the battlefield stood perhaps the most stunned person of them, Rudy, who hadn't expected such an outburst from Misty. "She wants him."
"She's right," Ash said, drawing Rudy's attention back to the battle. "I'm sorry, Wartortle. I'm sorry it took so long for me to realise why you didn't trust me. It wasn't because I'd caused you to almost fall to your death, but because I'd frozen at the moment that you needed me. Well, I won't do it again! Quick, fire a Water Gun straight at the ground."
Surprisingly, Wartortle followed his command, shoot a burst of water towards the ground beneath him that launched him into the air. But the water-type Pokémon launched himself too far, flying over the cliffside of the battlefield.
Ash watched as his Pokémon fell towards the water below, but he wasn't going to let his Pokémon fall; not again. "Now, Wartortle, use that new move you'd learned when you were battling for Misty! Hydro Pump!"
As Wartortle fell, he drew his head into his shell. Suddenly, water began gushing through the holes left by his withdrawn appendages, which launched him back into the battlefield. "Now, Wartortle, turn that moment into a Skull Bash!"
Wartortle flew towards Starmie at lightning speed, smashing into the starfish-like Pokémon before it, or its trainer could react.
"Now quickly, use Hydro Pump to speed up your body into a Rapid Spin and hit Starmie again!" Ash commanded. The Pokémon followed his orders, hitting Starmie with such force that it knocked the Pokémon down.
With a thud, Starmie was motionless, its red jewel flashing to indicate it was injured.
The entire battlefield became silent, but all eyes were quickly drawn to another shocking event occurring on Ash's side of the field. After landing back on the ground, Wartortle began to glow. His body grew larger, its shell expanding to accommodate the growth, while his head became more rounded.
A large cannon formed, protruding menacingly out the top of his shell. As the glow faded, Wartortle was gone, replaced by a powerful looking Blastoise.
"My god, Blastoise!" Ash yelled excitedly, rushing up to his Pokémon. "You evolved!"
"Toise!" Blastoise yelled in affirmation.
"Congratulations!" Ash continued. "But I think you need a rest," he added, returning his Pokémon to its Poké Ball. "We'll celebrate later. Thank you, Blastoise." Ash couldn't help but feel a weight had been lifted off his shoulders with one of the problems that had been gnawing at him finally solved.
"The match is over!" the referee finally declared. "Blastoise wins the third round! Ash has defeated Rudy, the Trovita Island Gym Leader!"
Ash celebrated with his Pokémon, but before long, it was time to depart. Ash, Misty, and Tracey made their way to the main pier where the ferry was waiting for them.
Rudy and his entourage followed them, and the two groups remained silent as they stood in front of each other. "Here's your Spike Shell badge, Ash," Rudy spoke first, handing Ash a yellow shell-shaped badge with spikes protruding from its sides.
"Yeah!" Ash declared excitedly, thrusting his new badge into the air. "I just won a Spike Shell badge!"
Behind him, Misty and Tracey smiled; Misty shaking her head happily. "He'll never change," she muttered.
But Misty's attention was quickly drawn to the flowers thrust in front of her. "And Misty," Rudy continued, speaking as if Ash had never muttered a word. "I know you've already made your decision, but these are for you."
"I…" Misty stumbled, confused. How could Rudy have already known of her decision? But she chose not to question it. "Thanks, Rudy," She replied, accepting the flowers.
"I hope you know, you're a very lucky guy, Ash," Rudy added, looking towards the younger boy.
"Lucky? What do you mean?" Ash questioned, confused.
"You'll see someday." Rudy laughed.
Ash was confused as ever, but he didn't have time to contemplate Rudy's words, saying goodbye and boarding the ferry before it departed.
That night, Ash, Misty, and Tracey found themselves back in the Island's Pokémon Centre, planning out their next adventure.
"Say, Ash, the doubles tournament? It's on in a couple of weeks, right?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, why?" Ash questioned, studying the map of the archipelago.
"Well, we're here." Misty pointed to the island that was the farthest south on the map. "And we need to be here in less than two weeks." She pointed to an island in the north. "There's no way we'll reach it in time if we're riding Lapras."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Ash asked.
"Hey, look at this!" Tracey called, having overheard their conversation. He was pointing at a poster on the wall of the Pokémon Centre. "It's a ferry service," he explained. "It says it'll ferry us to Kumquat Island in a day."
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "It'll probably be good to give Lapras a rest anyway."
"It's settled then," Misty agreed. "We'll contact the ferry service in the morning."
A long time ago…
Six months had passed since the events in Cerulean City with all mention of the strange weather phenomenon, or the Pokémon that had caused it, becoming nothing but an afterthought. The only one who did remember the events that unfolded was Misty Williams, but currently, she was preoccupied. Her older sister, Hannah, had been summoned to the Pokémon League headquarters in the Indigo Plateau.
Misty knew why her sister had been called, but she didn't know if it was good news or bad news. Normally, the league would have called her; after all, a new gym in Cerulean City had been her initiative.
But recently, her sister had gotten involved, and it seemed like it might have been the final push necessary to revive her mother's dream. Now all Misty could do was wait, and with her sister seemingly out of reach, Misty had found herself seated in front of the television in the living room of her father's mansion, anxiously listening to the national news.
"And now to sports," the news anchor read, transferring the broadcast to the sports host.
Strangely, the sports anchor was not inside the studio, instead, broadcasting live from the Indigo Plateau. "Thanks, Tom," the sports anchor replied. "I'm standing in front of the battle arena for the Kanto Pokémon League, where today, a young trainer known only by the name Red, swept through the Elite Four and defeated the Pokémon League Champion…"
Misty didn't hear the rest. She dashed from her seat, failing to turn off the television before she rushed out the front door. She needed to congratulate her friend.
But stupidly, in her haste, she'd left the front door of the manor unlocked. It was left unguarded with no one in the house; Articuno's Poké Ball resting solitarily on the mantle by the entrance.
What wild adventure awaits our heroes? Find Out Next Time!
Well, to me, this went a lot better than I thought it would. I had planned to have a little filler chapter here on building up the battle for Blastoise, but I never felt it came across right. So I decided to try and explain it in this chapter. I hope it didn't feel rushed. I tried to convey that both Ash and Blastoise needed to overcome their fears in earlier chapters to be able to battle together again.
Any questions, Pokémon suggestions, ideas for the story, or OC's you have that you would like to see in the story, just PM me or send it in a review! All are welcome!
Ash's Pokémon:
On Hand:
Pikachu (Electric) (Male)
Lapras (Water/Ice) (Female)
Ivysaur (Grass/Poison) (Male)
Charizard (Fire/Flying) (Male)
Blastoise (Water) (Male)
Rhydon (Ground/Rock) (Female)
Riolu (Fighting) (Male)
Snorlax (Normal) (Male)
Ralts (Psychic/Fairy) (Male) (Shiny)
Grubbin (Bug) (Female) (Shiny)
At Oak's Ranch:
Pidgeot (Normal/Flying) (Male)
Arcanine (Fire) (Male)
Nidorino (Poison) (Male) (Shiny)
Umbreon (Dark) (Male) (Shiny)
Raticate (Normal) (Female)
Butterfree (Bug/Flying) (Male)
Kingler (Water) (Female)
Absol (Dark) (Male)
Gengar (Ghost/Poison) (Male)
Primeape (Fighting) (Female)
Muk (Poison) (Male)
Tauros (Normal) (Male) (x23)
Sandslash (Ground) (Male)
Gyarados (Water/Flying) (Male)
Dragonair (Dragon) (Female)
Beldum (Steel/Psychic) (Shiny)
Departed:
Mew
Misty's Pokémon:
On Hand:
Starmie (Water/Psychic)
Seel (Water) (Male)
Staryu (Water/Psychic)
Vaporeon (Water) (Female)
Psyduck (Water) (Male)
Togepi (Fairy) (Male)
Egg
At Oak's Ranch:
Kabutops (Rock/Water) (Male) (Shiny)
Seaking (Water) (Female)
Feebas (Water) (Female)
Tentacruel (Water/Poison) (Male)
Pelipper (Water/Flying) (Female)
Seadra (Water) (Female)
Froakie (Water) (Female)
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Until Next Time, AshleyH30 Out!