Chapter 8
Hey guys! Chapter 8 is here! You may notice that I also changed the cover image for the story! I managed to draw a half-decent looking Porygon2 on my computer. Before it was a half-decent looking Porygon2 on paper. So yeah. Enjoy!
"Alright everyone. Listen up."
Ash's three Pokemon looked up at him intently. Over the past few days, Ash had designed a training regimen for his Pokemon that consisted on improving his Pokemon's speed, accuracy, and power. During the two and a half months he had been on his journey, he had mainly been worried about learning as many moves as possible, to give his Pokemon more tools to work with. However, seeing the many challengers leave the Vermillion Gym in defeat made him realize that he needed to branch out.
They had found a spot on a nearby route to train. It was pretty secluded, with trees surrounding the area, and there were rocks sporadically placed around the area for some target practice.
"We've gotten pretty lucky during our past couple of gym battles." Ash announced. "We were able to beat Brock thanks to a type advantage and Misty thanks to Petal's sudden evolution. But we can't just rely on luck during this next gym battle. This Gym is tough, I've seen Pokemon come back from there with painful wounds. Even Nate got thrashed and he's as good as us!"
His Pokemon shuddered at the thought of facing such a powerful opponent. Ash noticed their fear and decided to address it. "Which is why we need to train extra hard for this battle, or we won't win. Kit, use your Iron Tail on one of those boulders. Don't stop until you've smashed it to pieces."
Kit nodded excitedly, looking forward to being able to destroy something. Ash turned to his two remaining team members. The relationship between Petal and Dexter had been patched up quickly after Ash had explained what happened. Petal had proceeded to give the downcast bird a hug, which lightened the mood, and the two of them were friends again.
"Petal, I want you to work on using your Acid attack from long distances against Dexter." Ash explained. "You've been able to hit your opponents if they're about twenty feet away from you, but that won't help you if you're facing a Fire or Flying type that can get close to you easily from that distance. Like Nate's Charmeleon."
Those words had triggered bad memories of Charmeleon being able to scorch him easily, and Petal nodded, despite not really wanting to attack Dexter.
"Dexter, I need you to work on Conversion 2." Ash said to the Virtual Pokemon. "We need to practice your control. If we can get this move down, we'll be able to beat the Vermillion Gym much easier. Try working on it against Petal's Acid attacks."
The Porygon2 nodded. Ash could see that Conversion 2 would be useful as a defensive maneuver, since changing typing kept the opponent from using the same powerful move over and over again, and could punish opponents that stuck to one type.
Like Gym Leaders.
Dexter got struck by a glob of poisonous goo from forty feet away, and warbled a bit at the pain caused, the substance getting all over it. Ash nodded toward Dexter, and it concentrated on Conversion 2. Its body started to release blue, red, and white particles, and it closed its eyes to concentrate. Finally, Dexter's body started to glow a faint purple, and it relaxed, the pain from the Acid attack soothed by changing into the Poison type.
"Yes!" Ash cheered. "You got it! Change back to your normal typing and try again."
The exchange continued, and Dexter was able to change its typing to Rock, Steel, Ground, and Poison successfully. There were a few times the move fizzled out, but other than that, it seemed the Porygon2 had mostly gotten control over the new move. But he still wanted to take it farther somehow, maybe when Dexter was more experienced. The ability to change types could become crucial if they mastered it. Maybe someday Dexter could change into any type at will.
Ash had started to see that the new move drained Dexter of its energy pretty fast, which was understandable. Type-changing moves were few and far between, and could only be used on the opponent, such as Soak. Changing your own type was unheard of, at least until Porygon was created.
Ash's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud shattering sound. He turned around to see Kit wagging her tail and smiling with glee, the boulder having been completely demolished.
Ash chuckled. It was always nice to see Kit's enthusiasm for battle.
"Okay guys, now that we've gotten a chance to work on our moves, it's time for some speed training." Ash said as he pumped his fist in the air. "Let's do this!"
After two hours of nonstop training, Ash took his Pokemon back to the Pokemon Center to get some rest. The training had mainly consisted of sparring between two team members, while the third practiced their moves by themselves.
He received his Pokemon from Nurse Joy and walked up to his room. Nate and Angelina weren't in the room, so he had the place to himself. He walked into the bathroom, which was fairly spacious. The walls and floor were lined with white and black tile and there was a large sink to the left and a medium-sized bathtub to the right. He pressed the release button on Kit's PokeBall.
The little fox looked intently at its Trainer, wondering what they were doing in the bathroom. Her fur was covered in dirt, dust, and small pebbles from training, and Ash started to smell a strange musk coming from her. Looks like it's bathtime.
"Kit, you're really dirty." he said as he picked her up. "Which means it's time for your bath."
At the mention of the word "bath", Kit flailed her paws in a desperate attempt to be free of her Trainer's grasp, whimpering at the thought of being bathed. The boy frowned.
"Come on, it'll just be for a few minutes." he said in a calming voice, trying to soothe her. "Don't you want your fur to look all nice and clean?"
His words had no effect on the little eevee as he brought her closer to the bathtub, and she tried to push herself away from the tub. He was finally able to place her in the tub, although that didn't stop Kit from trying to climb out. Luckily, the surface of the bathtub was too slippery, and Ash turned on the faucet.
Soon people walking by their room started to wonder why there was so much howling coming from it.
Fifteen minutes later, Ash was drying off Kit with a towel. The Eevee was clearly not enjoying its treatment, acting grumpy ever since it had to take a bath. Even the word made her want to barf.
"See, that wasn't so bad." Ash said as he brushed her tail. He had picked up a few products for Kit to help her stay clean. For a Pokemon that he had gotten for free, it sure was expensive to take care of her.
Kit just made an incomprehensible grumble in response, her ears drooped in frustration. Ash smiled sympathetically at the little fox. He would've expected for Kit to use Iron Tail on the tub, or even himself. Luckily, she had behaved herself, despite refusing to get clean.
"Hey, don't feel so down." Ash reassured her. "I have a Poke Puff in store for later. But only if you let me brush you."
At the mention of the sweet treat, Kit raised one of her ears. She didn't want to give in, but the thought of the sweet treat almost broke her out of her frustration. The human drove a hard bargain. He was too good at this.
She pushed all of her grumpiness deep down and let him brush her, the promise of a treat lingering in her mind.
Afterwards, Ash wanted to reserve a battle at the Vermillion Gym. The Gym was a fairly large building, with thunderbolts decorating the outside. As he walked in, he noticed a large amount of tall muscular adults in the room. He heard a crackle of electricity, and saw a kid run out with tears in his eyes, clutching an unconscious Rattata in his arms.
"Whaddya want kid?" the receptionist said gruffly.
"I'd like to reserve a battle for tomorrow afternoon." Ash said.
"Name?"
"Ash. Ash Ketchum."
"Alright." he said. "I scheduled a session of butt kicking for you tomorrow. You should probably bring your potions too, in case your Pokemon are too weak to handle the boss's attacks. Which they probably are."
Ash's eyes narrowed at the comment, but he ignored it and walked out of the gym. Judging from the loud crackling sound and the burns he saw on the rattata, he assumed the Gym Leader specialized in Electric-types. He didn't have a Ground-type, which would make things more complicated.
As soon as he walked out, he met eyes with Satoshi, who waved at him. His Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, and squeaked after recognizing the Trainer that saved him from Team Rocket.
"Hey Ash!" the boy said. "I didn't know you were in Vermillion City!"
"My friends and I got here about two weeks ago." Ash responded. "When did you get here?"
I just got here today!" Satoshi said. "I just got set up at the Pokemon Center. How many badges do you have?"
"Two. The Cascade Badge and the Boulder Badge." Ash said.
"Oh wow! Me too!" the other boy exclaimed. "How about a battle? We can see which one of us is stronger!"
"Sure. My Pokemon could use some more practice anyways."
The two boys made their way back to the Pokemon Center, and found the sparring areas in the back. Ash looked around and saw a much wider array of Pokemon compared to when he was in Viridian City. An Abra was practicing lifting a rock a few feet away from him, while a Golbat was doing aerial somersaults as it tried to avoid a Geodude's attacks.
They found an area in the back away from the rest of the Trainers, and they took their places on the battlefield.
"How does two-on-two sound?" Satoshi called.
"That's fine."
Satoshi turned his hat backwards, and Ash felt his PokeBalls hanging from his belt. He hadn't given Kit a chance to fight in a lot of battles yet, and he wanted to see how strong that Iron Tail had gotten since training the other day. He unlatched Kit's PokeBall and threw it.
"Pidgeotto, I choose you!"
"Kit, show 'em what you got."
Both opponents sized each other up, looking for any weak spots. Ash recognized the Pidgeotto as the same one he had seen in Mt. Moon. Its crest had become larger and brighter, and its wings looked bigger as well.
He figured he'd repay Kit for making her take a bath by having her participate in this battle. Although he'd probably have to bathe her again after this…
A shout from Satoshi shook him out of his thoughts. "Use Gust!" he called. Pidgeotto flapped its wings, summoned a gust of wind to batter the small eevee, pushing it back little by little.
"Interrupt it with Quick Attack!" Kit charged through the Gust at breakneck speed and slammed into Pidgeotto, eliciting a surprised caw from it and stopping its attack.
"Use your own Quick Attack, the follow up with Wing Attack!" Satoshi called. Faster than a jet plane, the Flying-type rammed its body into the small fox, sending it flying high into the air. The bird chased after the small fox while it was still flying in the air to hit it again. But this time Ash was ready.
"Send Pidgeotto to the ground with Iron Tail!" Ash yelled rather quickly. Kit slammed its metal tail right on Pidgeotto's head while both of them were in the air, sending it spiraling downwards and crashed to the ground, kicking up the dust. Kit landed on her feet, a bit unsteady from the blow she took earlier, but escaped from the confrontation with only a few bruises.
When the dust cleared, Pidgeotto was laid on the ground, out cold with swirls in its eyes. A large bruise was evident on her forehead from the powerful Iron Tail, courtesy of Kit. Satoshi looked at his fainted Flying-type in shock, before returning it to its PokeBall.
"Thanks, Pidgeotto." he muttered. "Take a nice rest."
The boy then proceeded to look at his opponent's Eevee, who had a smirk on her face when she realized she had won. "Wow." he said in awe. "Your Eevee is really strong. But it's no match for Pikachu. You ready, buddy?"
His partner squeaked in response and jumped off the boy's shoulder, its fur sparkling with electricity as it stared down its opponent. This time, Ash made the first move.
"Use Swift!" Ash ordered. Eevee summoned several stars from her tail, all homing in on Pikachu's position.
"Use your Thunder Shock to destroy them!" Satoshi commanded. Pikachu's body was covered in a bright yellow glow, and it shot weak electric shocks from its tail to dissipate the stars.
"Quick Attack, now!" Ash yelled. Kit charged at her opponent and slammed into Pikachu while it was still recovering, knocking it back. The Normal-type returned to her side of the field, while Pikachu glared at her for pulling off such a tactic.
"Thunderbolt!" Satoshi shouted. Pikachu's body glowed much brighter this time as a lance of electricity shot from Pikachu's body. Kit jumped out of the way just in time, but the electric mouse wasn't done yet, and it kept firing Thunderbolts at little Normal-type.
"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Ash ordered. Kit zipped around the electric attacks, careful not to get hit by any of them. One of the Thunderbolts nailed her in the chest and she was sent sailing back and crashed into the ground.
"Kit!" Ash called worriedly. "Are you okay?" Through the dust, he could make out Kit trying to get back up and almost faltering, but still managing to get up. He sighed in relief and relaxed, but realized Satoshi wasn't going to give him the luxury of taking a break. His Pikachu was exhausted from firing so many Thunderbolts, but still had plenty of energy left.
"Quick Attack, now!" the other boy shouted. PIkachu closed in distance between them fast, zipping across the battlefield.
"Use Swift!" Kit summoned several more stars to chase after her assailant, all of which hit Pikachu and sent it skidding back a few feet. Its face was contorted in pain as it took the attack, but it was still standing.
"Quick Attack to close in the distance and finish with Iron Tail!" Ash commanded. Kit ran just as fast as Pikachu and leapt high into the air, before slamming her tail down on Pikachu's back and knocking it out.
The little fox then collapsed as well, her body having been worked to its limits during that battle. Ash smiled and recalled it. "Great job. You deserve a rest."
"You too, Pikachu. Take a nice nap." Satoshi gingerly picked up his pikachu and laid it on the ground next to him. He then turned back to Ash.
"How'd you beat me so easily?" he asked. "It seemed like you had an answer to most of the things I threw at you!"
"Training." Ash said in response. "Lots of it. So far the results are promising."
The boy frowned. "I've never actually done any training." Satoshi admitted while rubbing the back of his head. "I always thought you just needed strong Pokemon to win battles."
Ash raised an eyebrow at this. He wouldn't be able to get past the Vermillion Gym with that mindset. "Well your Pokemon can't get stronger if you don't train." Ash responded. "How'd you even get your first two badges? Seems like you might've just gotten lucky."
"Hey! I earned those badges!" Satoshi yelled. Ash just raised an eyebrow and the other boy sighed in defeat.
"I set off the sprinklers in Pewter Gym and called off the battle because I didn't want Brock's Onix to get hurt. He gave me the badge out of respect." Satoshi muttered. "I battled Misty with my Butterfree before Team Rocket busted into the Gym and tried to steal my Pikachu… again."
Ash's eyes narrowed. Team Rocket was always causing trouble. Satoshi noticed this and held his hands up. "Don't worry though!" he reassured him. "I was able to beat them and I got the badge from one of the sisters as thanks. I'm stronger now. Although it looks like that didn't matter against you, that Eevee destroyed me!"
"Yeah, she's been working hard." Ash said. "I'd recommend you train some more. I've seen Pokemon come back from that Gym with nasty wounds. You better be careful that Pikachu of yours doesn't end up in a hospital bed."
Satoshi just shrugged it off. "Don't worry." he said. "We won't be beaten that bad. I'd better bring my Pokemon to Nurse Joy though. I'll catch you later!"
He waved at Ash as he ran into the Pokemon Center. Ash just sighed. That boy was too airheaded for his own good. He wouldn't get far without some help.
He stayed at the battlefield, thinking over how tomorrow's battle would go, before heading inside as well.
The next day, Ash stood outside the Vermillion Gym, nerves wracking his body. He didn't know what he would do if he lost and let his Pokemon get hurt badly. But he had to try.
He walked in and was greeted by the same warehouse-like interior. The same receptionist from the day prior acknowledged him and he stood still, waiting in anticipation for his turn.
Ash heard a loud explosion, and a few seconds later saw a boy walk out of the gym, frustration clearly on his face. The boy turned to Ash and shook his head. "You should probably turn back." he said. "I got beaten into the ground. Chances are, so will you."
The boy walked out, leaving Ash even more nervous than before. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. A voice broke him out of his meditative state.
"Ash Ketchup." the receptionist called.
"Ketchum." the boy corrected him.
"Yeah yeah, whatever kid. You're up. Don't come running out crying like the rest of these babies." the man said gruffly. It was clear that he was getting bored of his job. What was the point of accepting new challengers if they were going to lose anyways?
Ash nodded and stepped inside the battle room. Unlike the last two Gyms, this battlefield was just made out of dirt, like the ones at the Pokemon Center. On the other side stood a large man, probably towering at least two feet over Ash, standing there with a smirk on his face. He had short, spiky blond hair and wore baggy pants. A large Raichu was perched on his shoulder, mirroring the expression it's Trainer had.
"Heh. Looks like we've got another runt here eh, Raichu?" the man boomed. Raichu snickered at the sight of the scrawny boy, and Ash's eyes narrowed. Was everyone here a tall muscular jerk?
"You here for a challenge kid?" the man called to him.
Ash nodded. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I'm here for the Thunder Badge."
The man grinned. "Well let's see if you can do better than the other challengers that came here thinking they'd get a badge easily." he said. "Raichu's been itching for a real fight."
The large mouse's cheeks sparked with anticipation. "The name's Lieutenant Surge by the way." the man continued. "I was a soldier in the Great War, always the cautious type. One time I was in a situation that my carefulness couldn't get me out of. Bleeding badly, enemies closing in on me. My electric Pokemon saved my life back then."
"It was the war between Kanto, Johto, and Orre right?" Ash asked. Surge grinned and raised his eyebrows.
"Finally someone knows what I'm talkin' about!" he boomed. "But enough chit chat. The rules are simple. Three-on-three, first to take out all of the other Trainer's Pokemon wins. You ready, runt?"
The boy nodded and Surge cupped his hands over his mouth
"VISQUEZ!" he yelled. A few seconds later a dark-skinned woman ran over to the battlefield and saluted.
"Yes Lieutenant?"
"I need you to ref this battle between me and the runt."
"Yes sir!" Visquez ran over to her post in the middle of the battlefield and announced the beginning of the match. "The battle between Lieutenant Surge and the challenger… what was your name again, kid?"
"Ash Ketchum."
"...Ash Ketchum will now commence! Trainers, send out your Pokemon!"
"Voltorb, shock this weakling into oblivion!" Surge said with a smug air as he threw a PokeBall. A sphere-like Pokemon that looked extremely similar to a PokeBall emerged. Ash hadn't chosen who he wanted to send out yet, so he scanned the unfamiliar Pokemon.
"Voltorb. The Ball Pokemon." the Pokedex read aloud. "Voltorb was first sighted at a company that manufactures PokéBalls. During the study of this Pokémon, it was discovered that its components are not found in nature. The link between that sighting and the fact that this Pokémon looks very similar to a PokéBall remains a mystery."
"Are we going to battle or are you just going to stand there looking at that thing?" Surge called.
"Right. Kit, let's do this." He clicked the release button on her PokeBall and the Eevee popped out. The little fox stared at her opponent, confused as to why it looked so much like her home.
"Finish this with Thunderbolt!" Surge called. Voltorb's body started to glow and it shot a high powered lightning bolt at Kit, who barely managed to dodge the blast.
"Retaliate with Swift!" Ash ordered.
"Use your own Swift!"
The two ranged attacks met, seemingly equal in power as they created a large explosion when they collided, resulting in a smoke cloud covering the battlefield.
"Rush through with Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Kit rushed through the smog, dispelling it and charging toward Voltorb with breakneck speed. The Normal-type collided with the Ball Pokemon and sent it back a few inches.
"Self-Destruct!" Surge commanded. Ash watched in horror as Voltorb's body started to glow brighter and brighter. Kit seemed to realize what was happening, and tried to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"GET OUT OF THERE!" Ash screamed. A loud explosion shook the field, catching Kit in the blast, and she was launched back to Ash's side of the field and landed with a crash on the dirt floor.
Eevee struggled to get up, her body sustaining scorch marks from the blast. Ash could see she still wasn't out of the battle yet, but it would be downright cruel to make her keep battling.
He sighed. "Kit, return." he said. "You did great. Take a rest. No more battling for today."
"The challenger has taken his Pokemon out of the match, making this battle a tie!" Visquez shouted.
"Well I'll be!" Surge boomed. "In all my years as a Gym Leader, I can't remember the last time I've seen someone withdraw their Pokemon to keep it from getting hurt. That Self-Destruct was supposed to be a test. You're somethin' else, kid. But that doesn't mean I'm going any easier on you. Go Magnemite!"
A small steel sphere with two magnets attached its sides and an eye in the middle emerged from Surge's PokeBall. A Magnemite, if Ash remembered correctly. This was bad news. He didn't anticipate a Steel-type, one of the most hardy and durable types out there, with loads of resistances and an immunity to poison.
He needed to save Dexter for later. As much as didn't want to, he only had one other option.
"Petal, it's your turn!" he said as he threw the PokeBall. The Gloom took to the field, and once it saw its opponent, released its stench from its large flower. Unlike his previous battles, Lt. Surge and Visquez didn't seem bothered by it, or they just chose not to care.
This time, Ash took the initiative. "Use Growth!" he called. The Gloom's body started to glow, signaling the move taking effect.
"Supersonic! Now!" Surge ordered. Magnemite released a deafening screech that echoed throughout the walls of the Gym. Petal interrupted its move to put its hands (or stubs of arms) over its ears, and Ash did the same.
"Use Sonic Boom!" the man commanded. The Magnet Pokemon shot a shockwave at Gloom, knocking it off its feet.
"Sleep Powder!" Ash shouted. Petal got up and ran toward the Magnemite, who was levitating around twenty feet away. It then sprayed the sleep-inducing spores in its direction
"Use Protect! Then follow up with Thunderbolt!" the lieutenant yelled. Magnemite formed a green shield around itself protecting it from the Sleep Powder, and fired a powerful electric shock towards Petal, frying it.
"Petal!" Ash shouted as he ran over to his fallen plant partner. The Grass/Poison type had slumped over after being hit by the powerful close range Thunderbolt. Ash silently chastised himself for putting Petal in that situation. He hadn't even had a chance to attack and went on the offensive, and was punished for it.
"Gloom is unable to battle!" Visquez shouted. "Which means the winner is Magnemite!"
Ash recalled Petal, thanking it for its hard work. It seems he had no other option but to use his trump card.
"Dexter, you're our only hope!" he announced, tossing the PokeBall. The Porygon2 emerged, warbling at its release, its eyes glowing a faint green. Surge raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar foe, assessing it.
"Remember what we practiced!" Ash shouted to it. "Try your best, and don't give up! Use Conversion!"
"Not so fast! Sonic Boom!" Surge shouted. Magnemite let loose another powerful shockwave, hitting the Normal-type and sending it back. This time however, Dexter was able to finish its move, and its body shined a faint pink.
"Great!" Ash cheered it on. "Now, use Psybeam!" Dexter reared its head back and fired the concentrated beam of psychic energy toward Magnemite, nailing it in its eye. The move itself wouldn't do much damage on its own, but from the boosts Dexter had accumulated, the damage was increased significantly.
"Keep up the pressure! Keep using Psybeam!" Ash called. Dexter started firing a barrage of pinkish lasers, each hit battering the Magnemite and sending it back a few inches. The Magnet Pokemon manifested a few Protects to try and nullify some of the damage, but Dexter's endurance allowed it to continue firing Psybeams.
"We won't just let you do that! Thunderbolt, now!" Surge shouted.
"Take it!" Ash ordered. The Porygon2 closed its eyes and warbled as the attack hit, the result being a small burn mark. He couldn't reveal Conversion 2 just yet. It would compromise his strategy and Raichu would defeat him much easier.
Suddenly the Magnemite collapsed, having taken too much damage and exhausted too much of its energy. It stopped its levitation and fell to the floor with a clang.
"Magnemite is unable to battle, meaning the win goes to… that thing!" Visquez said, unsure of what to call the unfamiliar Pokemon on the challenger's side.
"Well played, kid." Surge said. "I've never seen that Pokemon in my entire life, although it looks pretty powerful, I'll give you that. A perfect match for Raichu here."
The large mouse heard its name and took its place on the battlefield. Ash gritted his teeth. This was going to be his toughest battle yet. He could see the scars that lined Raichu's body, showing it to be a true veteran of past battles. He could only hope his training would be enough to pull through.
"Take it down with Thunderbolt!" Surge shouted.
"Dodge out of the way and use Psybeam!" Ash ordered. Dexter swerved out of the way of the electric attack using its levitation, and charged up a Psybeam before firing it at the Raichu. The electric mouse took the attack, grunting from the pain.
"Use Shock Wave!" Surge commanded. Ash's eyes widened. Shock Wave was a move that never missed. It was now or never.
"Conversion 2!" Ash ordered. "Quickly!"
Dexter warbled and its body glowed its signature red and blue, and then shined a faint brown color. While this was going on, Raichu jumped high in the air and landed with a loud thump, sending a powerful electric current in all directions. Dexter managed to finish its move in time, and took the Shock Wave, escaping without any signs of damage.
"WHAT!" Surge exclaimed. Ash grinned wider than a Meowth that had just found a huge stack of coins.
"Looks like our practice came in handy!" Ash said. "Now use Ice Beam!"
Taking advantage of Surge's surprise, Dexter shot the powerful Ice-type attack at Raichu, sending it back and freezing one of its paws. Raichu contorted its face in anger and easily smashed the ice encasing its fist.
"That's the spirit! I haven't had a battle like this in a long time!" Surge boomed. "But playtime's over, runt! Use Quick Attack and follow up with a Double Kick!"
Raichu raced toward the Normal-type with lightning speed and jumped, twisting its body as its two feet collided with Dexter's body, sending it sailing back a few feet. Noticeable bruises and scorch marks lined Dexter's body, evidence of the damage it had taken from Magnemite and Raichu.
Ash gritted his teeth. Raichu could take hits, deal lots of damage, and was quick on its feet. He needed to finish this fast. One more powerful hit like Double Kick and it would be over.
Surge seemed to recognize this too. The powerful hits from Ice Beam and Psybeam and performed a number on his partner. The Raichu was panting from the hits taken, grinning smugly through the entire battle. It enjoyed being pushed this way, after going a while without being given a real challenge.
"Psybeam, now!"
"Jump and use Thunderbolt!
"Dodge!"
This exchange went on for quite some time, neither side wanting to back down. Raichu constantly jumped over Dexter's Ice Beams and Psybeams, whereas Dexter swerved out of the way of Raichu's Thunderbolts, Quick Attacks, and Double Kicks, using Conversion 2 every once in while to sponge a hit, usually from surprise Shock Waves.
Ash watched as the electric mouse jumped over yet another attack and he clenched his fists. The Electric-type had seemingly endless reserves of energy in its body, allowing it to power through the battle with ease. He had to trap it somehow, exploit Surge's weaknesses, allow himself to get the finishing blow. Suddenly he had an idea.
"Ice Beam, aim for Raichu's feet!" he called.
"Jump over it again Raichu, don't let it hit ya!" Surge commanded.
Raichu leapt over the special attack with the grace of a dancer. The attack froze with the ground, coating it with a layer of ice. As soon as Raichu landed on the ground, it slipped and lost its footing, falling flat on its face.
Surge looked on in shock as his partner struggled to get up on its feet as its opponent closed in, charging up a Psybeam from its beak. Porygon2 looked at it almost menacingly, as it went in for the kill.
"Psybeam, full power!" Ash commanded.
A loud explosion shook the field as the Psychic attack made contact, kicking up large amounts of dust. Visquez ran over a switch attached to the wall and pulled it. Fans hanging on the ceiling blew the dust away, uncovering the unconscious form of a large Raichu.
"Raichu is unable to battle, which means the winner is… that thing again! So the winner of this battle is the challenger, Ash Ketchum!" Visquez announced.
Dexter lost control of its levitation and dropped to the floor, barely holding onto its consciousness after pulling through a tiring battle. Ash ran over to it and put his arm around his first partner.
"See?" Ash said. "I told you we would take down every Pokemon! I'm proud of you for pulling through, Dexter. That's all I could've asked for."
Dexter warbled happily at its Trainer's praise. The grueling training over the last few days had been worth it to the Virtual Pokemon in order to make its Trainer proud.
"Well runt, it looks like you beat me." Surge admitted, the man towering over the boy and his Pokemon. "You and that strange Pokemon sure caught me off guard with your tactics and skill. You'll go far, kid. I'm sure of it."
A smile graced his features when he said this, and Ash smiled back.
"Anyways, I'd like to present to you the Thunder Badge!" Surge boomed. "Proof of your win at the Vermillion Gym! Don't go showing it to everybody, I don't need more babies trying their luck here."
The large man handed him a badge with an orange octagon in the middle, surrounded by yellow petal shapes, making it look like a sun. He then pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the boy.
"Here." he said. "A ticket to the S.S. Anne. First class! People stopped challenging the gym since it was too hard, so the captain gave me some tickets to hand out to the winners. You're one of the lucky few, kid."
"And the Shock Wave TM," Surge continued as he pulled out a yellow disc. "You'd better not show this to anyone either. I don't give these out for free you know."
"Thanks Lieutenant." Ash said as he took the disc and ticket. "I'll come back one day to challenge you again."
"You'd better!" Surge said as he walked away with a wave of his hand. "I'm tired of battling weaklings all day! Promise me you'll give me a challenge and our battle will be a great one, kid."
"I promise." Ash called.
End of Chapter 8
Author's Note: You guys are nuts. 4k views... what legends.
If I'm being honest, I had no idea how to do the ending parts of the battle between Dexter and Raichu. I came up with the best ending scene I could, but I'll probably change it sooner or later. I had a lot of ideas planned out for the last few chapters, so I was able to get them done really quickly. This is a learning process for me, and I'm figuring things out to make the story better as I go. If there's anything you'd like to improve on, send a review or PM me!
I also got people saying that Gary was kind of a huge a-hole in the last chapter. I toned it down a little, since Gary's supposed to a megajerk, but not that much of a megajerk.
Satoshi's inclusion into this series was mainly to show the contrast between air headed anime Ash and competent fanfic Ash. As you guys can probably tell, there's a major difference in skill.
Time for review responses! Yay!
Fearofvengance: Glad you're staying with the story! I really appreciate it!
Gary's hate for Ash will be addressed like, MUCH MUCH farther into the story. I'm giving Petal a chance to shine (well not this chapter) because Grass-types are kinda OP at this stage of the game. My boi Bulbasaur doesn't get enough representation. That's also why Angelina never got a Pokemon until Route 3.
I'm not going to be getting Magmar, Charmander, or Gyarados unfortunately. Those last two are already pretty popular Pokemon, and I'm looking more for less seen Pokemon, diamonds in the rough. I already have a fire-type planned though, as well as a Water-type.
Rockingchampin: Yes, the S.S. Anne will be included in the next chapter. It's a very important milestone in the series that I'm thinking about how I'm going to prepare. So be hyped!
Reader: Since Surge doesn't have any reason to leave the Gym for an extended period of time, he'll be battling Nate and Angelina.
Ashpool: No Psyduck, for a couple of reasons. I'm already giving Ash a Water-type with psychic powers (can you guess what it'll be?) and Misty got Psyduck as a result of Brock handing it off to her. No Brock, so no duck. And yes, Giselle will be an actual League rival. Good idea for her.
Garm88: Addressed and edited.
Nick: 1. Nothing else. Just Ash traveling with Dexter and friends, while getting in danger. 2. Almost all of the Kanto region. Maybe other regions who knows... 3. Well... kinda. Lots of stuff in the anime is referenced here, although I'm deviating from the canon a few times. 4. I mean you can clearly see who's in it... 5. Ash and friends are ten years old. Those are the only significant characters whose ages I'll mention.
Reader: People make his Pokemon evolve because the prospect of them evolving is more exciting. They only kept his Pokemon from evolving in the anime to retain their cutesy personality. Literally every other fanfiction about Ash's adventures does this, apart from the ones with Pikachu. I'm not going to have him take on Lance or some other champion with a team that isn't fully evolved. Not very epic if you ask me. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but I'm not changing the direction I'm going in.
Also I'm afraid I don't understand your second review...
Anyways, thanks for reading! Chapter 9 will probably be up next week. Emphasis on probably. I've been on a roll in terms of my fanfic writing, although I may take some time off to edit some previous chapters. Maybe add a few scenes here and there, change up some parts, nothing game-changing though. See ya!