Review responses go brrrr
mastercheif1229, Salazar1537: Yeah, not gonna lie, if someone got in my business like that, I'd get pissed off too. I wonder who'll be getting a reality check this chapter, though...
Richter: As our heroes deal with more foes using missing power, things will get more and more dangerous! And yeah, I really do feel bad for Rose, I do hope that she and her son can come to an understanding. But only time will tell... As for Ash - well like you said, it was an Ash move to do what he did. As for the girl in Ash's dream back in chapter 10... I'll leave that up to you to interpret ;)
Soul Silver: ya sorry :(
mothefcking oak: Thank you very much! Your words really do mean a lot, I'm happy that you enjoy how I combined the anime, manga, and games! As for the tournament... well, we'll see ;) hope you're staying safe too!
damienpope90: Hope the wait was worth it! I do gotta wonder how Giovanni will react if he ever finds out that Red's back...
Anon: Thank you for the kind words! Hope you're sticking around! I'm not sure what movie you're talking about in your review though, were you referring to the 3rd Pokemon movie? Because that featured the Unown, and I can't say for certain whether that relates to missing power or not... ;)
Cerriue: Glad you're having fun pairing who said what, hopefully as more chapters are released you'll have an answer! DID Gold battle Red in this universe? Stay tuned to find out...
LunaOlcaRaca: Definitely. I really resonate with you on this one, Ash had no right to act that way - especially not when the circumstances behind Red and Rose's relationship are so sour. Hope you and your loved ones are well and safe too!
"Rose?! It's Delia! Please, open the door!" Delia Ketchum called as she repeatedly knocked on the door of the Akai residence. She had rushed over when she realized that Ash was most likely already or on his way there; however, she didn't catch any sight of her son nearby, almost leading her to believe that she was misguided. But woman's intuition told her otherwise – Delia knew her son too well, it made perfect sense that he'd be raring to challenge Red. That unreasonable child, if only she had taught him proper manners…
'I wonder how the others are faring,' Delia thought. She had enlisted the help of those who were at Oak's lab with her before she left. Serena was all too willing to lend a hand, as were Brock and Gary. Goh and Misty agreed to stay at the lab in case Ash happened to stop by there again. Delia also made sure to let Professor Oak, his granddaughter and grandson-in-law aware of the situation, and they agreed to help before things got disastrous (whether that was Ash going too far in battling a weakened Red, or the older trainer doing something rash if anyone else happened to find out of his existence). She knew that Bill and the Professor were headed to the west side of town, where the Ketchum residence was, in case Ash decided to come back home.
As for Daisy…
"OH MY GOSH!"
Daisy nearly fell over when she heard the enthusiastic shrieks behind her. Somewhat fearfully, she turned around and saw two young women, one dark-haired and another light brown-haired, looking at her with stars in their eyes. "Er… Yes? Is everything okay…?" Daisy hesitantly asked.
"You… Aren't you Daisy, the superstar coordinator?!" May ran up to her like a rabid Poochyena.
"Oh, her. I mean…" Daisy quickly shook her head before correcting herself, "Yes, I'm Daisy Oak."
"You mean, the one who won the Kanto Grand Festival 15 years ago?!" Dawn also pounced on Daisy like a crazed Luxio hyped on drugs.
"I…" Daisy began. "Well, I did win the Grand Festival back then, yes, but that was a long time ag-"
"AIEEEE!" The two younger coordinators squealed in excitement and clasped their hands together, getting way too close for Daisy's comfort.
"I'm such a huge fan!"
"I watched all your contests when I was little!"
"Can I have your autograph?!"
"Can you be my teacher?!"
"Is it true you're a researcher now?!"
"Can you recite a poem like your grandfather?!"
The flurry of questions made Daisy nervous, and she tried to back away, only for May and Dawn to scoot closer with every step she took. "I-I'm flattered… but, um, I'm a little bit busy at the moment…"
"Oh! Then let us help you!" May cheerily offered, Dawn quickly nodding in agreement.
"Help…? Well, I…" Now Daisy was in a pickle. She had already promised not to tell anyone else about Red, but so far she didn't have any luck finding him. Maybe she could use some help, so long as she was careful how she asked for it. "Well, you see, I'm looking for a young man. Black hair, wearing a red cap, few years younger than me and-"
"Ah!" Dawn and May exclaimed in unison. The former added, "We saw him headed someplace else earlier!"
Daisy's eyes widened. "You did?"
"Sure!" May chipped in. "We managed to catch up to him and chat a little…"
"Ash?" May spotted her friend and his Pikachu a few feet away, walking in the direction opposite to where she and Dawn were headed.
"Huh?" Ash stopped and turned. "Oh, hey May. Dawn."
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered and jumped into May's arms as she and Dawn ran over to them.
"Aw, Pikachu…" May scratched his head affectionately. "Where are you guys off to? The lab's over that way…"
"Oh, uh…" Ash hesitated. "… Pikachu and I are just goin' on a bit of a walk, is all…"
Dawn raised her eyebrow. "This early in-well, early for you, but this early in the morning? You're the kinda guy who oversleeps by ritual!" she and May shared a giggle at that, not noticing the distracted look on Ash's face.
"Uh, yeah, I guess… anyway, we gotta get goin'. C'mon, Pikachu."
"Pika." Pikachu hopped out of May's arms and onto Ash's shoulder. The two were about to turn and leave, only to be stopped when May grabbed the young man's arm.
"Hang on!" May protested. "If you're already up, then why don't you just join us at Professor Oak's? Saves everyone time, y'know?"
"Er, maybe later…" Ash half-heartedly replied.
"Oh, come on!" Dawn rolled her eyes and grabbed Ash's other arm. "Don't be so unreasonable and let's go!" She and May proceeded to drag Ash and Pikachu along with them, much to the pair's alarm.
"I-Wait, hang on!" Ash managed to pull himself free. "C'mon, don't I have a right to my own business?!" He shuddered when May and Dawn glared at him in response. "Alright, look. Pikachu and I were both feelin' super pumped that we couldn't sleep. So we decided to head out early to train somewhere in private for a few hours. Y'know, just so we don't gotta worry about anyone around us gettin' hurt-" Seven years of traveling with female companions, and Ash knew by now that he shouldn't have said what he just said.
"Getting hurt, huh?" Dawn repeated Ash's words back to him. "So just 'cause you're a champion, we're not tough enough to be around you? Well, pardon me for living!"
Ash and Pikachu blinked. "Wait, hold on-"
"Ash Satoshi Ketchum," May interrupted with a disappointed shake of her head, "you never change. Well, fine! I just thought you'd want to spend time with your friends, seeing as we came all this way just to be with you, but obviously I was wrong! Come on, Dawn. Let's go somewhere where we're actually wanted."
"Right behind you."
And with that, the two beautiful coordinators stomped off, leaving Ash and Pikachu standing there dumbstruck.
"… That… worked out, I think…?" Ash asked Pikachu.
"Pikachu…" Pikachu shook his head and shrugged. He was just as lost as Ash…
"… ungrateful jerk," May finished recounting. "So inconsiderate to a woman's feelings…"
"You're telling me…" Dawn grunted in agreement.
Daisy didn't want to mention that she was just as lost as Ash and Pikachu probably were. "Well, um… if you don't mind, could you point me to where he went? My… grandfather would like to speak to him…" She wasn't looking for Ash, but she figured that there was a good chance that wherever he was, Red would be there, too.
May and Dawn's mood instantly turned 180 degrees. "Sure thing!" they said in unison, grabbing onto Daisy's arms and pulling her along with them in the direction opposite to where they were previously headed, all the while bombarding her with questions about her days as a coordinator, conveniently ignoring her pleas that they don't come with her…
"Rose, please!" Delia knocked on the door one last time. She knew Rose was there – the lights were on in her house, after all. But for whatever reason, the older woman wouldn't come to the door, adding to Delia's worry. So much had happened in the past 24 hours, it was like a never-ending fountain of stress… but she had to remain strong, for her friend's sake. So, she took a deep breath in before bellowing, "ROSE, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER THE DOOR, I'LL JUST BREAK IT DOW-!" Before Delia could finish, she finally heard footsteps that were getting louder as they approached the other side of the door. Slowly and reluctantly, the doorknob twisted. "Thank heavens, I was getting worried-" Delia cut herself short when she caught a glimpse at the miserable state Rose was in. Bloodshot eyes, fresh tracks of tears on her cheeks, the terrified expression on her face. Delia urgently placed her hands on Rose's shoulders. "R-Rose?! What happened?! A-are you okay?!"
Rose gulped before whispering in a tiny, timid voice. "He's left. He's already gone…"
Ash stared at the Pokéball in his hand, deep in thought. The Pokémon he chose for his upcoming battle was one of his strongest. After all, it was the Pokémon who helped him secure the win against Diantha. He and his partner held a special bond that enabled each other to awaken powers beyond their wildest dreams. Yet Ash still felt trepidation for what was to come: probably one of his most difficult, if not the most difficult, battles of his career. Not that he regretted challenging Red to a battle – no, his former idol was behaving in a way that was absolutely infuriating. Red's cold demeanor, his aloof nature… it was nothing like the man that Ash pictured as a hero. More than anything, this battle was to snap the more experienced trainer out of his funk and return to being happy and with his loved ones, Ash convinced himself.
"Pika?" Pikachu squeaked from his position on Ash's shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Ash replied before taking a deep breath in and out to calm himself. "This is it…"
"Uh-huh."
Ash and Pikachu turned to see Red approaching them, hands in his pockets and cap turned down. His face was as impassive as it usually was.
"Hope ya don't mind the location," Ash greeted. "But I thought that you'd wanna fight some place a bit more private…"
Red nodded and took a look around. They were in the southmost part of Pallet Town, standing on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. He recalled how he stood at this exact same spot when he was on his journey to gather the eight Kanto badges – this was where he had to travel by sea from to get to Cinnabar Island. Indeed, Red could still make out in the far distance the famous volcano that Cinnabar was known for.
'Maybe Ras would appreciate another swim here,' Red thought. He had just snuck into Oak's corral undetected so he could meet with his Pokémon and bring one along for this battle, and even he had to admit that it was a joyous and long-overdue reunion. They had all missed each other terribly, but apparently within the last week, his Lapras was feeling especially lonely without him. He promised to take her out on a trip as soon as he could get all his Pokémon stored within the Box Link. 'But first thing's first…' Red looked at Ash expectantly.
The younger trainer nodded. "One-on-one still okay with you?" When Red simply grunted in response, Ash allowed a small smirk to adorn his face. "Then let's get started." He and his opponent walked away from each other, stopping when they were about 10 meters apart. They turned to face each other, but neither of them spoke a word as they stared each other down. Despite the silence, both trainers felt sparks of excitement well up inside of them, the unforgettable feeling of going up against a powerful opponent rising in both of the Pallet all-stars. After a few moments, Ash raised his arm and the Pokéball he was holding…
Unbeknownst to both men, someone else was watching them, peeking out timidly from behind a nearby rock. It was a small creature, standing at about only 3 feet on its hind legs. It had very small eyes, making them seem like they were closed (similar to a certain Pokémon breeder), and was colored olive green with a very light brown-colored underbelly. Two small spines protruded from its back, and at the end of its stubby arms and legs were sets of tiny white claws. If either Red or Ash noticed the creature, they'd see that it was shaking like it was terrified, but also had a small hint of curiosity in its expression as it watched them from a distance.
"Iyaaa…"
"Let's get 'em, Greninja!" Ash threw out his Pokéball and watched it open as a blue and slim figure dashed out and landed on the ground in a crouch.
"Grnnnj!" Greninja had his eyes narrowed in a calculative gaze while he observed Red on the other side of the field. His body shuddered in anticipation, apparently as eager to battle as his trainer.
'I dunno what that is,' Red thought, glancing over at Greninja, 'but I'm gonna go out a limb and say it's a Water-type. Which, in that case…' He grazed his hand over his belt and unclipped his own Pokéball from it. 'Let's give you a chance to shine, Saur.' Red tossed his Pokéball to the field and it dropped to the ground unceremoniously. Soon enough, though, specks of color peeked through cracks before opening in full, the resulting flash blinding enough to force Ash and his Pokémon to cover their eyes. When the light subdued, the hulking titan of terror, otherwise known as Red's Venusaur, stood firm in front of Greninja, dwarfing him like a star high school football player hopped up on steroids would a scrawny chess club geek.
'This looks kinda familiar…' Ash pictured two ninjas in Kalos battling each other with the same Pokémon but shook off the thought and brought himself back to reality. "If you're hopin' for the type advantage," Ash called at Red, "then lemme warn ya that it won't help as much as you think."
"Lookin' forward to it…" Red tipped his cap over his eyes.
"Saurngh…" Saur rumbled, steam blowing out of its nostrils.
"Ninjya…" Greninja readied his stance.
"Let's do it." / "Pikachu." Ash and Pikachu's eyes burned with determination.
For a few moments more, neither side budged, opting to either discreetly or indiscreetly eye each other for the slightest hint of movement. Moments turned into minutes, but still neither trainer nor their Pokémon dared make a move. After what felt like an eternity, a large wave suddenly came crashing against the cliffside like a mallet banging against a gong. And that was when Ash's hand twitched. "Smokescreen!"
"Njya!" Lifting his mouth, Greninja let loose a stream of black smoke at his opponent. The thick fog quickly expanded into a large black dome-like cloud that enshrouded Saur, blocking him from Red's view.
"Good!" Ash cheered. "Now trap 'em with Spikes!" Ash couldn't help but grin when Greninja jumped above the Smokescreen and quickly spun around, making himself look like a blue-and-pink tornado from which sharp metallic spikes that glistened in the light dropped into the cloud below. "And now, use Aerial Ace, followed up by Night Slash!"
"Nin-JYA!" At once, Greninja ceased spinning and flipped his body in midair to steer it directly toward the Smokescreen below. White streaks surrounded his body before he shot forward in a flash. Greninja couldn't see in the black fog, but then again he didn't need to – his eyes were actually closed, instead relying on the senses he developed and honed from both his training with Ash as well as his time hunting down the roots of the Giant Rock that nearly ravaged the Kalos region. It was how he was able to make impact against the distinct bumpy hide of Venusaur, and why he didn't miss a beat when he landed and twisted around with a purple blade of energy in the palm of his hand that he struck against his target. As the blade evaporated, Greninja wasted no time in leaping out of the Smokescreen and directly to Ash's side, arms crossed and eyes still closed.
Ash flashed his teeth in a wide grin and pat his Pokémon on the shoulder. "Nice job, Greninja!"
"Ninjya," Greninja nodded in reply.
"Pika! Pika Pi!"
Ash felt Pikachu tugging on his pant leg and looked down at him. Said Pikachu was looking at and pointing toward the other side of the field, where the Smokescreen was beginning to dissipate. Both Ash and Greninja followed his line of sight and watched as the smoke disappeared entirely, revealing a Venusaur that looked like it had barely been scratched, and its trainer who stood behind it with the same impassive expression he had since arriving. Ash tsk'd in frustration before muttering, "I had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy…"
'Not a bad attempt,' Red thought. 'But nothin' like the shit on the mountain…'
"Still," Ash interrupted his opponent's inner musings, "you're not goin' anywhere with those spikes! Greninja, use-"
'Earthquake.'
One stomp from Saur's front leg, and the spikes surrounding him were sent flying by a sizable tremor that almost made Greninja fall over. Ash blinked, caught off guard at Red's simple solution. "Seriously…?" he muttered to himself before shaking his head. "Fine, whatever. We'll just beat ya with speed! Greninja, circle around Venusaur with a Double Team and Quick Attack combo!"
"Ninjya!" Greninja intertwined his webbed fingers like he was making a hand sign, and at once a dozen copies of himself appeared beside the original. Immediately, they dashed forward in an impressive burst of speed that stayed consistent as they ran circles around Venusaur, the whole scene resembling multiple Greninja chasing each other in a 100-meter relay. For anyone else caught in the middle of this, they would get dizzy within just a few seconds of trying to watch them. But not Saur; in fact, the behemoth of a Seed Pokémon wasn't even trying to follow along, instead opting to look straight ahead. After all, why bother trying to keep up when you knew your trainer would find a way around the situation? Speaking of…
'Pretty damn quick, that guy.' Red quirked an eyebrow at the Greninja-made cyclone that his Pokémon was trapped in. 'Honestly a lot speedier than I expected. I can't keep up with it…' He decided to focus on the spot from which Greninja had taken off from. '… but we can change that.'
"Saurgh…" Saur's eyes glowed a light green as two similarly gleaming blades of grass from the spot Red was looking at grew longer and tied themselves together in a knot. The effect was almost instant, thanks to how fast Greninja was going – the poor thing stumbled and tripped on the Grass Knot, dispelling the illusion of Double Team and making him slam face-first into the ground somewhat comedically.
"Ah, crap…" Ash winced, Pikachu shaking his own head at the unexpected slapstick. "That was kinda embarrassing…"
'Vine Whip.'
Greninja rolled out of the way to narrowly dodge a pair of green whips that chipped part of the ground that their target was just at. Sensing another lashing coming his way, Greninja sprang back up to his feet and hopped around the field quickly, each leap allowing him to just barely avoid a hit from Saur's Vine Whip. To the casual observer, it would seem like flickers of light dancing across the battlefield, but to seasoned battlers like these combatants, it was a frenzied game of cat and mouse.
'Damn!' Ash balled his fists in frustration. 'That Venusaur attacks really…'
'… Fast.' Red frowned. 'That's a fast Pokémon the kid's got there. Cut the Vine Whip and chase after it with Razor Leaf.'
"Saurugh!" Saur retracted his vines and dragged his back foot against the ground a couple of times before taking off after Greninja, in spite of its sheer body weight. Both Ash and Greninja were startled to see a Venusaur, of all things, sprinting like it was in a marathon, but their surprise quickly morphed into alarm when around a dozen razor-sharp leaves flew ahead of the beast at breakneck speed, forcing the Ninja Pokémon to dive out of the way.
"Greninja, watch out!"
Hearing Ash's cry, Greninja looked up to see the massive underbelly of his opponent plummeting down at him. "Tch," Greninja bit out before performing a small backflip away from Saur's range, just in time to avoid the Body Slam that shook the earth to what felt like its core.
"Saur…" Red's Venusaur winced as he got back on its feet. Ash and Pikachu both cringed when they saw the sizable indent on the field where their enemy landed. But for Ash, discomfort soon turned into confidence as he declared, "Your Venusaur's a lot faster than I woulda thought, Red, but no matter who it is, no one beats Greninja's speed!" Ash's smile widened when he saw Greninja relax and loosen up at those words.
"Then I guess we just gotta go faster."
Ash blanched. "What'd you say?"
Red simply snapped his fingers. 'Let there be light.'
From the center of Saur's flower, a bright and warm beam of light shot into the air and against the backdrop of the morning sun, appearing to make it shine even brighter. Ash, Greninja, and Pikachu had to cover their eyes from the intensified rays, simultaneously feeling as if the temperature had spiked up a bit. Pulling his hat down, Ash directed his gaze to Saur, who strangely kept hopping in place like it just snorted some speed. And speaking of speed…
'Let's try this again.' Red pointed forward.
"Saurgh!" To the naked eye, Saur did nothing more than twitch – but that didn't stop the sudden influx of Razor Leaves hitting Greninja head-on, making him groan in pain and get down on one knee from the super effective hit.
"Greninja?!" Ash called in concern before biting his lip. "What the heck? We didn't even see it comin'…!"
'Get your Vine Whip ready…' Red kept his gaze steady while a pair of vines unraveled themselves from underneath Saur's flower.
"Quick, Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered hurriedly, Greninja having already leapt up and twisting his body before launching himself at Venusaur. Once again enshrouded in white streaks, Greninja had already covered more than three-fourths of the distance and it seemed that he would hit the mark…
'Catch it.'
"Njya?!" Greninja could never finish his attack, for out of nowhere he became ensnared in a death grip, courtesy of Saur's Vine Whip. "Ningh-NINGH…!" Try as he might to break free, Greninja only felt himself getting more crushed as Saur's grip tightened.
"Shit!" Ash allowed himself to swear. "Greninja, you gotta get outta there before-"
'Before we fire Solar Beam? Sorry.'
Greninja's eyes widened when a sparkling ball of white light formed inside of Saur's flower. With the effect of Sunny Day still on the field, the ball quickly grew in size and seemed nearly uncontainable as Saur lifted Greninja directly in front of the line of fire.
"GRENINJA!" Ash cried in alarm as Red showed no signs of halting his attack. At the last second, an idea struck him and he hurried to voice it, "Use your tongue to knock over Venusaur's flowe-"
'Fire.'
"IYAAA~!" The small creature wailed as an absolutely massive, pulsating beam of energy burst into the sky like a rocket taking off. If it wasn't for the even louder screech coming from the beam itself, then the shrieks of the baby could definitely have been heard from miles away. The tiny beast turned tail and cowered behind the rock it was at while looking away from the fearsome attack, for it couldn't even begin to comprehend just what…
"… the heck is that?!" Gary voiced for himself, Brock, and Serena, who stood awestruck at the impromptu light show.
Brock grimaced. "I think it's a Solar Beam. The biggest one I've seen, too…" he shuddered before continuing, "and I have a feeling that it's not coming from a wild Pokémon."
"You mean Ash is there, right?" Serena asked worriedly. "He's fighting, isn't he?"
"Can't say for sure…" Gary started. "… but knowing Ashy-boy? Yeah, probably. Let's go, quick!" he and his two companions hurried off toward the light, hoping to find Ash and Red before things went even further…
Goh and Misty stared from the lab balcony at the pillar of light that was off in the distance. "So… that's where Ash is?" Goh asked quietly.
"Definitely where Ash is," Misty answered, neither of them taking their eyes off the spectacle that slowly began to fade out. "But… do you think he's okay?"
"Even if he is, it may not be wise to follow him."
Goh and Misty turned around to see Professor Oak and Bill standing behind them, the two of them having returned fruitless from their search some time ago. "If he and Red are battling, then this is, literally and figuratively, the clash of titans," the Professor went on. "And as much as we may like to see it, interrupting them in the midst of battle may come with unforeseen consequences…"
"And 'sides," Bill added, "all of the other guests are here already. If we leave now, it may get 'em suspicious and convince 'em to follow us, y'know? And I, for one, really don't wanna be on the receivin' end of Red's anger if it comes to that…"
Misty slowly nodded, though worry was still written on her face.
"Don't worry," Goh reassured her. "This is Ash we're talking about! He'll be fine… I mean, you've known him longer than I have, right?"
Misty smiled weakly. "Yeah… that's kind of why I'm afraid…" she couldn't help but laugh when Goh, Bill, and Professor Oak face-faulted.
"Goh? What are you doing out here?"
Goh got up and turned to the source of the new feminine voice. He gaped at the green eyes and long, violet hair that he saw – he'd know it from anywhere. "C-Chloe?!" He definitely wasn't expecting his childhood friend to be there. "I thought you and Professor Cerise couldn't make it to Ash's celebration…"
Chloe shrugged. "Dad happened to finish all his work for the Vermillion research consortium early, so my family and I figured we'd stop by and catch the last couple of days of the party. Although…" she looked around. "We haven't actually seen Ash, so I figured you and him were hanging out. Obviously not, though…"
"Oh, uh…" Goh tensed up. "That's 'cuz Ash is, uh…"
"Sleeping," Misty quickly whispered to him.
"Sleeping! Yeah, you know him, such an unpredictable guy, napping at home during his own party… ahaha… he should be here in a little bit…"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "You know, the sad part is, I'm not even surprised… Well, everyone's gathered in the lounge watching a replay of Ash's battle with the Kalos champion. Or, I guess former champion?" She shrugged. "If you're doing nothing out here, why don't you come watch?"
"Why, we'd be delighted to, Chloe!" Professor Oak replied for Goh. "Come along, now. Goh, Misty, Bill." The other three awkwardly nodded and followed him and Chloe back inside, the Solar Beam having long since faded away…
Ash remained speechless even as a badly injured Greninja landed face-down in front of him. He stared blankly at the prone form of his partner, still trying to process what just went down. On the other hand, Pikachu rushed to their friend and tried to shake him awake, repeating "Pika" over and over again in an attempt to get through to him. On the other side of the field, Red regarded his opponents silently, opting to give them the courtesy of a few minutes' time in case they wanted to continue the fight, even though not many could regain consciousness after a super effective point-blank Solar Beam.
"Greninja…?" Ash finally managed to utter. "It can't be over, right?" Hesitantly, he looked up at the Venusaur who caused this and its trainer, breaking out into a cold sweat when their eyes locked. In all his life, the young Pallet native never felt quite as overwhelmed as he did right now, not even during his toughest League matches. Ash fought Champions, squared off against all-powerful legendary Pokémon, suffered humiliating defeats, and even cheated death on more than one occasion. But in that moment, the single blood-colored iris that looked back at him trumped everything else that came before it. In that moment, Ash knew what it was like to fight an impossible battle to win.
If only he knew what Red was thinking at that time.
'Damn,' Red managed to catch the smallest of stirs from Greninja. 'He's down, but not out. Tough one, that Greg the ninja, or whatever it's called.' If he learned anything on Mt. Silver, it was that it isn't over 'til it's over. That was one of the most crucial lessons you had to learn if you wanted to survive (but that's a story for another time).
"Sauur?" Saur looked back at Red inquisitively.
'No,' Red shook his head, 'don't do anythin' yet. Let's see how they bounce back…' He had to admit he was curious to see what this Ketchum kid was capable of. Even though it looked like said trainer was currently just standing there gob smacked.
"Pi Pika?!" Pikachu soon also noticed the slight movements of consciousness from Greninja. "Pika Pi!" He turned to Ash and frowned when he saw the still-dazed look on his face. "Chuu!" Pikachu sent a small Thunderbolt Ash's way, still enough to take him by surprise and shock him back into it.
"Pikachu…?" Ash looked down, his mind slowly getting into gear. He jumped a little when he finally saw that Greninja was gradually beginning to rise. "No way…" he muttered in disbelief before quickly shaking his head. No, what was he thinking? Of course Greninja wasn't down for the count yet! This was the same Pokémon who went toe-to-toe with a Mega Charizard X! The same Pokémon who took down Diantha's Mega Gardevoir! Ash smacked both of his cheeks hard, who did he think he was, giving up after just one setback?! Even if they were up against possibly their strongest opponent yet, he had no right to doubt his and Greninja's strength like that! It wouldn't happen again, Ash swore to himself as he steeled himself against Red's glare.
"Red," Ash spoke up, fixing his hat. "You and your Venusaur are just freakin' awesome. There's no arguin' about that."
Red didn't respond, but he did see that Greninja finally managed to get on one knee.
"I knew when I faced you, you'd probably be one of the toughest opponents I ever battled against. And you definitely didn't disappoint…"
Pikachu's ears twitched and he turned away from Ash to see, to his delight, Greninja standing on two trembling legs and with his head down.
"But I promised to myself – no matter how hard it was, I swore I'd find a way to win and make you see the light."
Red's eyes narrowed.
"I also made a promise to Greninja – that the two of us would get stronger and stronger, together, until there was no one in the whole world that could beat us. Y'know what that means?" A smirk found its way on Ash's face as he clenched his right fist, Greninja coincidentally doing the same thing. At that moment, Pikachu made the wise decision to go back to Ash's side.
"Saugh…" Saur slightly shifted his head to look back at his brother-in-arms, who raised an eyebrow in response.
'It's power's spikin', huh?' Red looked closely at Greninja across the field, and though the latter's head faced down, Red could still see a bright pink glow emanating from where he figured was its eyes. 'Guess they really did have somethin' else up their sleeve… Good.'
"It means," Ash interrupted Red's thoughts, "that there's no way in hell…" His and Greninja's head shot up to stare their opponent in the eyes. "… that we're losin' to you, or to ANYONE!"
"NJYAAAAAA!" In time with Ash's roar, Greninja was completely engulfed by a towering spiral of water that spontaneously burst forth, the force of which so strong that it drenched the entirety of the battlefield.
"Saurgh…!" Saur growled as he shook water off, he wasn't expecting something like that, even if he noticed the rise in Greninja's strength moments before.
'What the hell is that…' Red didn't bother complaining about being soaked in water, much too focused on the cyclone in front of him. 'No way that's just a Whirlpool. Somethin' else is at work here…' Red stared hard at the veil of water until he could make out the form of Greninja – only, for some reason it kind of looked like its trainer… 'What the fuck?'
At last, the water veil calmed and shrank down to the middle of Greninja's back, morphing into wings of water in the shape of an "X." Then, those wings also shrank to form a small sphere of water, only for it to suddenly grow and spread into a large shuriken that loomed over the user's now-light blue body. Slowly, Greninja rose his head, now having streaks of crimson adorn his face while his cheeks and side fins now black instead of blue, strangely resembling Ash's hat and hair. His eyes, now bright scarlet (a detail that particularly miffed Red), narrowed as he spread his feet apart to assume a battle position – the same sort of position that Ash stood in.
"Our hearts are now one." Ash matched his opponent's steely glare with his own. "And now… our bond is unshakeable."
"… That's the corniest thing I've ever heard-" Red couldn't finish because in the blink of an eye, Greninja was just inches away from hitting Saur with a supercharged Aerial Ace, making both trainer and Pokémon's eyes go wide. 'Shit! Vine Whip!' One of Saur's vines shot out in front of himself, just barely managing to smack the transformed Greninja away, who spun in mid-air before landing on one foot while sporting a new bruise on his left arm.
"Heh." Ash smirked rubbed his left arm. "Ok, Quick Attack and Double Team once more!"
Red narrowed his eyes as Greninja went through the same procedure of cloning himself and running circles around Saur. 'A lot faster for sure, no doubt about it. But it still won't work. Use Grass Kno-'
"Now quick, throw your Water Shurikens at his eyes!"
"JYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYA!" Dozens of cries resounded as what appeared to be multiple Greninja reached behind themselves and quickly chucked their shuriken into Saur's face with spot-on precision.
"Aurrgh!" Saur roared as the onslaught of Water Shuriken pummeled his eyes, forcing him to shut them tight.
'Crap, you okay Saur?!' Red was getting worried. That Water-type attack might not have done much damage, but it was damn sure super effective in a non-traditional sense. He glanced up and growled when he saw that the Greninja clones had leapt up and aimed their bodies toward his Pokémon. 'Watch out, he's usin'-'
"Aerial Ace, let's go!" Ash yelled as the dozens of blue streaks struck the blinded Venusaur, actually managing to push him back a few inches.
'Damn it!' Red was truly taken by surprise, he had to admit to himself as the Double Teamed Greninja touched ground again. 'Earthquake!'
"SAUUUURGH!" Saur could finally open his eyes and, this time using two feet, stomped on the battlefield and summoned a powerful tremor that made the ground beneath them crack and immediately did away with the copies of Greninja. But even though both Saur and Red's eyes scanned the field, the real Greninja was nowhere to be found.
"AERIAL ACE!" Ash's scream echoed as Greninja suddenly struck down against Saur like a bolt of lightning, the Seed Pokémon forced to cough up some saliva from the impact.
Red clenched his teeth while Saur forced himself to recover and shake Greninja off. 'Damn,' he thought, 'whatever this power is, it's more than I expected. We can't keep up with it… and it's really takin' a toll on Saur.'
"Double Team and Bubble, let's go!"
As soon as Greninja landed, he stood straight and interlocked his webbed fingers in a hand sign. At least 30 clones immediately appeared and surrounded Saur, each of them standing in the same pose.
Red grimaced. 'Use Earthquake-'
"Jya!" All the Greninja simultaneously cried as their tongues unwrapped from their mouths, from which dozens upon dozens of bubbles were unleashed onto Saur's face like a gatling gun. Red growled in annoyance as he watched his Pokémon get pummeled by all the bubbles, effectively blocking the Seed Pokémon's vision. How could a move that usually couldn't even make Saur so much as flinch be turned into such an effective weapon? He had to hand it to his opponents – that level of creativity really made them a force to be reckoned with.
"Aerial Ace!"
Saur actually had to suppress a groan of pain when what felt like a barrage of Greninja flew into him. He slightly stumbled backward, panting lightly while his transformed opponent landed gracefully some feet away.
'God dammit, enough with the Aerial Ace already… Saur, try Frenzy Plant.'
Speckles of green energy gathered at the bottom of Saur's front feet, which the dual Grass/Poison-type lifted before slamming them back onto the ground. The effect was immediate – giant, spiked roots broke through from underground, tearing the battlefield apart and rampaging straight toward Greninja.
But Ash wasn't fazed. "Use Cut!" He commanded while sticking his right arm out. Greninja mimicked his action and a white blade shot out from his palm. A similarly white trail fluttered behind him as Greninja dashed forward and sliced through the roots as if they were made of paper, simultaneously jumping and avoiding other roots that were too low for him to cut. In mere seconds, Greninja had leaped into the air above Saur, white blade still shining.
'You missed some.'
Suddenly, two more roots burst through the ground in front of Saur, shooting up like rockets toward the airborne Greninja. But Greninja didn't even blink, simply retracting his blade and reaching with both arms for his back as the roots grew closer.
"Water Shurikens!" Ash didn't miss a beat as Greninja pulled out not one, but two water stars and hurled them below, the roots getting sliced through like butter and passing by him harmlessly.
'How the fuck…?' Red didn't mask his surprise as Greninja landed in front of a panting Venusaur, the latter still recovering from Frenzy Plant.
"This is it, Greninja!" Ash victoriously proclaimed, Pikachu also cheering excitedly. "Mat Block!"
Red blinked when Greninja held his left fingers up and a rectangular outline appeared around Saur. Neither of them were expecting Greninja to flip and deliver a powerful axe kick on the edge of the outline, nor were they expecting Saur to be launched into the sky when what suspiciously looked like a tatami mat sprung up from under him as a result of the kick. 'The bastard actually overcame Saur's weight…?!' Red thought as he was forced to lift his head to keep an eye on his currently spinning Pokémon.
"NOW LET 'ER RIP!" Ash bellowed along with Greninja as the latter leapt and unleashed a barrage of physical attacks. Cuts, Aerial Aces, Pounds, Quick Attacks, Night Slashes – everything in Greninja's arsenal battered Saur, the ninja moving in a flurry of strikes from multiple directions.
"JYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYAJYA!" the cries of Greninja echoed up to the end, when he delivered a critical hit of an Aerial Ace directly into Saur's back, making the titan finally roar in agony and sending him crashing into the ground, heaps of dirt and rubble erupting forth upon impact.
"Saur!" Red actually exclaimed in concern as the cloud of dust settled and revealed a badly injured Venusaur laying in a crater. Meanwhile, Ash was panting heavily along with Greninja, who landed in front of the crater.
"How… do you… like that…" Ash breathed out in exhaustion.
Red didn't open his mouth again, the brim of his cap covering his eyes.
"Red… It was short but I stand by what I said before – you n' Venusaur are some of the strongest guys we've ever fought. And I gotta say, this was one of the greatest battles I've had…" Ash smiled fondly for a few seconds more, then his mouth turned into a frown. "But it's over now. Which means it's time for you to hold up your end of the deal!"
The older trainer stood motionless for a few moments, before slowly, he raised his arm and lifted his cap slightly to show his eyes, now calm and collected. "… Kinda presumptuous of you to think you've won."
Both Ash and Greninja furrowed their brows in confusion, but their expressions soon turned into shock when they saw Saur, surrounded by a shining white outline, begin to stand up. What was even more shocking was that the injuries that the large Pokémon had sustained seemed to have healed in the span of seconds. Ash grunted and looked up, managing to catch the last few moments of Sunny Day before it fizzled out. "Damn it…" Ash muttered. He figured that Saur had just used Synthesis and, with the added effect of Sunny Day, healed his wounds much faster than usual. That also meant, of course, that all the effort Greninja put in to hurt Venusaur in the first place just went to waste…
"Kid."
Ash brought his attention back to Red, who was looking at him with just the slightest indication of being impressed.
"I won't lie. That was one hell of a combo you two pulled off," Red acknowledged. "To be honest, Saur hasn't been hurt like that in a while." A nod from the Pokémon in question followed. "But it looks like I was right about you – you're a damn good trainer…" Red smirked ever-so-slightly. "I haven't been backed into a corner like that in ages. You've got my respect."
Despite the circumstances surrounding the battle, Ash couldn't help but allow a sense of pride well up inside of himself.
"But…" Red's gaze hardened. "We didn't spend all those years on that mountain for nothin'…"
He didn't know what mountain Red was talking about, but Ash met his opponent's claim with his own challenge. "That's just the way we like it, Red! Do your worst!" He, Greninja, and Pikachu refused to back down.
"If you say so." A small, blue-and-pink object flashed from the inside of Red's jacket. The same colors shone from inside the stem of Saur's flower.
Ash immediately paled. "Oh."
Suddenly, Saur became surrounded in some sort of rugged orb, from which flames of purples cracked through and swirled around. The pressure in the area seemed to heighten exponentially, Ash and his Pokémon felt, what with the rubble that began floating in the air, the intense rays that forced them to cover their eyes, and the overwhelming energy that Ash in particular felt oozing from where Venusaur was standing. At last, the three of them heard what sounded like a giant glass wall breaking, followed by an ungodly roar that shook their hearts to their core. Then, all was silent. Hesitantly, Ash and co. opened their eyes.
"Holy crap." / "Pi-ka-chu." Ash and Pikachu, as well as Greninja, gaped at the behemoth that stood before them. It still had the features of a regular Mega Venusaur: the flower on its back was also larger, looking more like a giant umbrella, and two smaller ones were present on both its forehead and rear. Vine-supported leaves had grown around the bigger flower, and dark markings had formed on its forehead.
But the familiar features were offset by everything else about its appearance. Ash knew, he saw a Mega Evolved Venusaur before, and they were typically around a foot bigger than their regular form. But this… this beast had to have grown at least 5 feet. And its teeth… either Ash didn't notice before or his opponent was using hacks or something, but damn did he notice them now, for instead of the six fangs that he was used to, this specimen had about a dozen jagged choppers, giving it a much more reptilian look. Its legs had gotten even more muscular than before, and if there was a Venusaur body-building competition, it would surely win. Finally, its eyes were smaller and narrowed, but neither Ash nor his Pokémon got the impression that this was a detriment; in fact, as they felt its sharp gaze pierce through them, they got the sinking feeling that they were looking at an apex predator that was currently willing them into submission.
Ash and Greninja both stood in awe at the new and improved Saur for quite some time – something that Red capitalized on. 'Go for it.'
"SAURGH…" Saur opened his mouth wide, a large and vibrant green ball of energy instantly forming and shooting forth at Greninja, taking both him and Ash off-guard and landing a direct hit.
"Jyah!" / "Agh…!" Greninja and Ash cried in unison as the former was launched backwards and sent rolling across the ground. Ash held his chest tight, prompting Pikachu to look up at him in concern. "I'm fine, buddy…" he half-heartedly reassured. "Greninja, don't let up…! Aerial Ace!"
"Ninjyah…!" Greninja struggled slightly but managed to hop back onto its feet before darting forward in a streak of blue. No sooner than he lifted his feet off the ground did Greninja land a direct hit on Saur.
"Yes!" Ash cheered. "Way to rebound, Gre-" he cut himself short when he took a closer look and saw Saur's reaction – or rather, lack thereof. "Barely even flinched…" Ash muttered.
'Vine Whip.' The vines from Saur's sides bolted forward and smashed into Greninja's face, knocking the living daylights out of him and sending him tumbling all the way to the other side of the field.
Ash suppressed a scream as he, too, felt the impact of Venusaur's Vine Whip. 'Just a friggin' Vine Whip, too!' he couldn't help but think. 'This is way beyond a type advantage! Mega Evolution or not, no way Venusaur could get that much stronger, right?!'
"Grngh…" Greninja forced himself to sit up straight, only to notice drops of blood hitting the ground in front of him. He quickly realized what the source was and wiped the blood off his nose before shakily standing up.
"Damn it…" Ash growled. "We gotta try blind-sidin' 'em again…" He bravely ignored the pain he shared with Greninja before speaking up. "Greninja! Double Team n' Water Shuriken!"
Greninja nodded and summoned two illusory copies of himself. The three of them pulled their reformed Water Shurikens from their backs and threw them at Saur. Immediately after throwing them, however, Greninja brought his two hands together, and at once all three shurikens broke off into smaller ones, turning them from a trio of projectiles into a storm of blue stars, all of them aimed directly at their adversary's narrowed eyes.
'Razors.' Red watched calmly as his Pokémon unleashed a barrage of sharpened leaves at the incoming shurikens. The two attacks clashed and cancelled each other out, one cut into pieces, another dissolving into droplets that fell harmlessly to the ground. 'Now Body Slam.'
When Saur's even larger body jumped forward, Greninja wasted no time dashing to the side to avoid it. Ash stumbled and Pikachu actually fell over when their opponent landed and the ground rumbled more so than before, but the former quickly steadied himself and already prepared himself for his next move. "Greninja, use Cut!" He silently prayed for a critical hit as Greninja formed another blade in his palm and sprinted forward.
From the position Saur had landed in and the speed at which Greninja was coming, Red knew that his Pokémon wouldn't be able to get up and turn in time to block or dodge. He sighed, knowing that they'd have to take the hit, but that didn't mean that they couldn't bite back. 'Sorry, Saur. Looks like it's a tit for tat situation.'
"Saurugh," Saur nodded and let himself get hit by Greninja, wincing slightly from the stronger-than-expected attack (Ash let out a breath of relief when he saw that his prayer didn't go unanswered). But, taking advantage of how close the Water/Dark-type was, Saur let out a small shower of purple sprinkles from its flower that fell upon his foe.
'Poison Powder,' Ash's relief didn't last very long. "Greninja, get outta there!" Although Greninja backflipped away from Saur, Ash realized it was for nothing as he gasped and got on one knee at the same time as his Pokémon.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried and held his friend's arm, while also turning his head to look at a similarly struggling Greninja. "Pikachu…!" He tried to encourage Ash (and by extension, Greninja) to hang in there. Pikachu wasn't aware, though, that Red saw this and raised a brow in mild confusion.
'What's with this kid? His Pokémon's the one that's been hit with a Poison Powder, but he's actin' like he's as affected as ninja boy…' Red frowned and replayed in his mind everything that occurred from when Greninja transformed up until that moment, specifically how many times the agile Pokémon got hit in that state. As he did, he recalled Ash's reactions every time – rubbing his arm when Greninja got hit with a Vine Whip; his exhaustion after Greninja pulled off that crazy combination; clutching his chest when an Energy Ball hit Greninja – and then it clicked. '… You gotta be kiddin'.' Red frowned and pulled his hat over his eyes. 'What is this, a Stand?'
"I'm fine, Pikachu…" Ash reassured. "More importantly… Greninja! Are you still good to go?!" His Pokémon opened one eye to look at him and nod. "Alright… then let's hit 'em with-!"
"Hold that thought."
Ash blinked and turned his gaze to Red.
"Look. I said it before, and I'll say it again. You did a damn fine job. To be honest…" Red and Saur shared a look with each other. "… I can't even remember the last time we were forced to Mega Evolve. But still…" Red looked from Ash to Greninja. "I dunno how, but that Poison Powder's affectin' you, too. And as much as you pissed me off earlier, I can tell you're not a piece of shit…"
Ash looked at Pikachu, then Greninja, in confusion. Both of his Pokémon shared a similar expression with him. "Uh… thanks…?"
Red scoffed. "My point is, I'm not that much of jackass to watch you go down from poison…" he picked up his bag that still sat next to him and pulled out a spray bottle filled with a yellow substance. "Take this antidote. It'll cure the effects of Poison Powder. Got it?"
The younger Pallet native stared at the antidote in his opponent's hand, then turned his head and locked eyes with Greninja. 'What do you think…?' he thought. After a few moments, Greninja shook his head and stood up on two legs. Ash closed his eyes and smiled before also standing up. "No way."
Red was about to toss the bottle when he heard what Ash said. He stopped and blinked. "What?"
"I said, 'no way,' Red." Ash opened his eyes, now filled with determination that Greninja also held in his own. "It doesn't matter what happens to me – a battle's a battle. And in case you didn't notice, I'm not a kid who's gotta be handed things on a silver platter just to win! Not anymore…" he briefly recalled his early days as a trainer, when he was given Gym Badges despite not having earned them. Back then he had no problem, but now… "That's an insult to both me and my Pokémon!"
Red's arm slowly fell to his side as he listened. 'This guy…'
"We won't accept it…" Ash grabbed the brim of his cap and turned it backwards. "Not from a guy stuck in the past like you!"
"…" Red's expression was unreadable and his demeanor stoic. His mind, however, raced with memories. 'Kid's just like…'
"It can't be…" Giovanni stared in shock at his downed Rhydon, lying motionless the crater that Charizard threw it into. "It's HP is 0…?!" He turned his attention to Charizard, who flew back to its black-haired, red-eyed trainer that beamed at it. "… I see." He reached into his pocket as he walked over to his opponent. "Impressive."
Red and Charizard turned to glare at Giovanni.
"I didn't think you'd raised your Charizard to a high enough level…" Giovanni stopped in front of his 11-year-old nemesis. "Certainly not enough to defeat my Rhydon." He pulled out the Earth Badge from his pocket and offered it to Red.
"… I don't want it!"
"What…?" Giovanni muttered.
Red clenched his fist and held it in front of himself. "I don't need a gym badge from the boss of Team Rocket! You keep it!" His young eyes burned with defiance.
Giovanni frowned and looked at his badge for a moment, then back at Red. Finally, he smirked. "Hmph… you know, you continually insist on getting on my nerves…" He turned to his two grunts that stood back behind the battlefield. "Send word to all of our divisions. As of now, Team Rocket is officially disbanded."
Red's glare faltered. "Huh…?"
"M-Mr. Giovanni!" / "Boss…?!" the grunts protested weakly.
Giovanni's smirk didn't leave his face. "Get the word out to every one of our members." He closed his eyes contently. "Their work is done now." He turned back to Red, who stared at him in disbelief. "Now then…" he held out the Earth Badge again. "This isn't from the boss of Team Rocket, but instead, accept it from the Viridian City Gym Leader."
The boy looked back and forth from the badge to the one offering it, hesitation written all over his face.
Giovanni's features softened and a sincere smiled formed. "It was a good battle…" At that, Red finally smiled and took the badge from him. "Take this badge, and continue to aim for greater heights. If you wish to complete the Pokedex, you realize that… you will have to be the strongest. Your path ahead is full of strong Pokémon that will not be defeated through normal measures. It will be impossible for you… unless you are as strong as the Pokémon League Champion!"
Red stood by and listened intently. Then, he nodded. "Understood!"
"Y'know, you really insist on pissin' me off…" Yet despite his words, the present Red found himself smiling. "Fine then. Understood." He dropped the antidote back into his bag before raising his voice slightly. "This is it, kid. Time for the final battle." He and Saur readied themselves.
"Yeah!" Ash nodded and relaxed his body along with Greninja before they both steeled themselves for battle. "Bring it on!"
'Start by chargin' a Solar Beam, then have at 'em.' Red mentally instructed his Pokémon, who slightly raised its flower as it began absorbing sunlight. Then Saur charged at Greninja, making the ground rumble with every step.
"Ninjya…" Greninja looked back at Ash, who nodded back at him. Immediately understanding, Greninja faced Saur once more and dashed forward, intending to meet his opponent head-on.
Red raised a brow. 'Not sure what they're plannin', but don't let your guard down. Fire whenever you're ready.'
"Saurugh!" As he and Greninja approached each other, Saur finished absorbing light and slightly shifted his flower, a bright ball of energy twinkling in its center. When Greninja staggered in its approach as a result of poison, Saur decided to strike and unleashed his attack into the sky. The Solar Beam curved in mid-air and changed course to fall down upon Greninja.
But even with Solar Beam being just inches away from Greninja, Ash had other plans. "Substitute!"
A puff of smoke and Greninja was gone, replaced by a small green monster plush – though it didn't last very long once it took the full brunt of Saur's Solar Beam and got torn to pieces.
"Iyaa…" this time the creature looked on in wonder, even when the second beam fired. Whatever that doll was, it looked a lot like himself…
Red clicked his tongue in irritation as his eyes grazed the field. 'Alright, where the hell did he go…'
Ash smirked. "Extrasensory!" From out of nowhere, a multi-colored circular beam shot forward and collided against Saur's side, making him flinch and stumble slightly. "Now, Aerial Ace!"
"Ninnnnjya!" From the side opposite of where Saur was hit, Greninja suddenly appeared and struck his opponent, making both Saur and Red growl.
'Tricky bastard…' Red noted as Greninja ricocheted and landed on two feet near Ash. He saw that both of them were panting heavily, the effects of poison still weighing on them. The veteran trainer supposed that he could stall the battle long enough to let the poison finish off his opponents, but immediately thought better of it when he took a look at his own Pokémon. It wasn't like Saur was dying – its' beefed-up stats, coupled with an already thick defense, ensured that even super effective attacks wouldn't finish off easily in just a few hits. But it was more than a few hits that the titan endured so far, and without knowing how many power points Greninja had left, Red knew that even for his Mega Evolved powerhouse of a Venusaur, it would be too risky to prolong the fight. 'Which means it's time to wrap this up.'
"Now, Smokescreen!" Ash interrupted Red's train of thought as Greninja unleashed yet another cloud of smoke at Saur, this one even thicker than the one earlier, and blocked their opponents' view. Greninja also took a moment to look back at Ash, who smiled and raised his fist in front of himself. Sagely nodding, Greninja bounced up into the sky…
'God damn it, these guys could give Koga a run for his money.' Red was briefly brought back to the image of the 5th Kanto Gym Leader he fought, before mentally commanding his Pokémon, 'Use Petal Blizzard.'
"SAUUURUGH!" The Venusaur roared and stirred up a violent storm of pink and purple petals that drove the Smokescreen away, only to reveal a clear absence of any Ninja Pokémon. But neither Saur nor Red had to look very far as they shifted their eyes up and found not only their foe, but a colossal blade of water that Greninja held above himself.
'This is the move,' Ash thought back to his match with Diantha, 'that won us that battle…' He recalled the desperation felt by both himself and Diantha, as well as their Pokémon, as they launched their final attacks back then – Greninja's ultra-powered Water Shuriken, and Mega Gardevoir's hyper-fueled Moonblast. The struggle between the two attacks shook the entire stadium and pushed both Greninja and Ash to their very brink, and then some. But as overwhelmingly powerful Diantha was, Ash knew that it would take more than that to beat someone of Red's caliber. That's why he already planned his next move after Water Shuriken hit. "We're puttin' all of our power into this, Red!" Ash called to the veteran trainer. "And when it's over, not even your Venusaur will have enough strength to stay in the game! That's 'cuz…" He, Pikachu, and Greninja all shared the same fired up and determined look in their faces. "… we gotta be the very best, like NO ONE EVER WAS!"
Red and Saur narrowed their eyes at the massive Water Shuriken above Greninja. No doubt that their opponent was planning on pulling the same trick as earlier, but on a much larger scale. Not even their eyes would be able to distinguish through the resulting explosion of water when the attack landed, which would leave them wide open for another barrage of super effective Aerial Aces. And there wasn't enough time to charge a Solar Beam, nor enough for a long-ranged attack to land before Greninja launched the Water Shuriken. Even with a Mega Evolved Saur, Red knew that he would have to get creative if he wanted to counter this.
'Not like we haven't before.' Red shared a smirk with Saur as the latter began channeling energy into his legs.
On the other side of the field, Ash sported a smirk of his own when he saw Saur preparing for a Frenzy Plant. He was sure that it was a desperation move – that Red's composure finally began to crack and, in a panic, pinned his hopes on what was supposedly the ultimate Grass-type move. Apparently, the fact that smaller Water Shurikens were able to cut Frenzy Plant down to size was cast aside by Red, but that would prove to be his final mistake in this match. "Ya shouldn't have underestimated me and my Pokémon, Red! 'Cuz in critical moments like this, we have a knack for comin' out on top! GO, GRENINJA-!"
'Up we go.'
"SAUR!" The Seed Pokémon, overcoming his massive weight by virtue of his well-developed legs, leaped into the air and straight toward his foe just before giant spiked roots exploded from underground and directly below Greninja. Ash and Greninja both paled; just like that, the tables were turned against them. The angles at which Saur and Frenzy Plant came were too far apart. As big as Greninja's Water Shuriken was, it couldn't counter both at once – either it could clash against Frenzy Plant and leave Greninja to get slammed by Saur, or the other way around. The choice thus came down to what was more likely to put Ash and Greninja out of commission, a super-effective Grass-type move or the sheer weight of Saur's body. There was no time to lose.
"Greninja, below you!" Ash made his decision as he mimicked his Pokémon's actions and threw his right arm down, launching the Water Shuriken toward Frenzy Plant and watching as it ripped the gargantuan roots apart. With that, Ash and Greninja braced themselves for the impact of Saur's body, still barreling at them and just inches away from collision…
'Bad call.'
The force of Saur's body was nothing like Greninja nor Ash felt before. The air was completely knocked out of their bodies once Saur made contact, hurdling himself into Greninja and trapping the Water-type underneath the beast's mass as they both fell down to earth. The ground shook when they landed, a large cloud of dirt and debris forming as a result. Ash and Pikachu had to shield their eyes despite the former still trying to catch his breath, while Red simply used the brim of his cap to protect his face.
"G-Greninja…!" Ash gasped, both he and Pikachu waiting anxiously for the dust to settle. When it finally did, they found the form of an unconscious and untransformed Greninja under the foot of a panting but proudly standing Venusaur, still in his Mega-Evolved state. "No…"/ "Pika…"
"You went for Frenzy Plant," Red raised his voice from across the field, "thinkin' that it was the bigger threat. But if you threw that thing at Saur instead, you could've followed up with Aerial Ace and dish out damage while avoiding both attacks at the same time." He said this as he walked over to Saur, patting the side of his Pokémon affectionately when he made it and earning a grunt of satisfaction while the effects of Mega Evolution disappeared. "To be honest, we pulled a real gamble – there was no tellin' which option you'd go for. Unfortunately for you, you chose the wrong one… and look where it got you."
Ash said nothing as he stared at his defeated Greninja. They lost, and they lost soundly. The same strength that got them the win against Diantha… and it still wasn't enough. And the irony of it all? Red won by pulling off the same kind of risk that Ash himself would have made. "I can't… believe it…" And then he promptly fell over, exhausted and beaten.
"PIKA PI!" Pikachu cried loudly and fussed over his best friend.
"P-Pikachu…" Ash murmured, apparently still conscious. "I'm okay…" That weak assurance didn't stop Pikachu from trying to shake him back to his feet.
Making his way over to them, Red rolled his eyes and shook his head. 'Gimme a break…' He snapped his fingers, prompting Saur, who by this time had stepped off Greninja, to extend two vines from its back once more. The first of these vines scooped up Greninja and brought the downed Pokémon next to his trainer. The second reached for Red's bag from his side of the field and, upon intertwining with its straps, carried it to its owner, who was now standing over Ash and his Pokémon. Red nodded to Saur and took his bag, reaching into it and pulling out a sand-colored spiked clump. He kneeled on one leg and reached for Greninja but stopped when he felt a small jolt of electricity. Blinking, he looked at Ash's Pikachu, who was growling at him and letting loose tiny sparks from his cheeks.
Red looked unimpressed. "For someone who acts so worried about his friends, you don't seem to give a damn if I can get 'em back on their feet…"
Pikachu slightly faltered but put his guard back up when Red reached for him instead.
"Here." He held the clump in front of the Mouse Pokémon. "Feed this Max Revive to Ninja boy n' he'll wake up. As for this Ash guy… he'll be just fine soon enough."
Pikachu hesitated at first, but despite Red's tough exterior, for some reason he felt it safe to trust him. With that, he grabbed the Max Revive and scurried over to Greninja. "Pi Pika…" he used one paw to open Greninja's mouth and dropped the medicine inside. He then used both paws to move Greninja's jaw up and down so that the fainted fighter could chew, and before long Greninja was able to swallow the Max Revive's contents by himself.
"Nnj…?" Greninja's eyes opened and he sat up straight – not even a few seconds later, his trainer also opened his eyes and sat up, alerting both Greninja and Pikachu. "Ninjya!" / "Pika Pi!" Both Pokémon hurried over to their friend and held him, in case he happened to fall again.
"Pikachu… Greninja… I told ya, I'm fine…" Ash weakly smiled and rubbed their heads affectionately.
Red watched on with a frown. 'This bond thing… this kid wasn't lyin' about the strength it gives. But it's like a Double-Edge. His Pokémon's damage becomes his own…" he turned to Saur, who looked back at him with a similar contemplative expression as his own. Red immediately understood. 'Yeah. It's humblin' to admit, but if they were on the mountain instead of us, they'd probably get through the first few weeks better than we did. But after that…' He looked at Ash once again. '… for as brutal as it was up there, this lil' technique of theirs would contribute more to killin' 'em.'
"ASH!"
Red froze up when he heard two unfamiliar shrills call out for their friend. For his part, Ash turned his body and spotted the distressed pair of May and Dawn running up to them, Daisy bringing up the rear with a fearful expression and her hand outstretched, as if trying to stop the younger ladies. But May and Dawn kept running and soon made it to Ash. The two of them knelt on the ground next to him, checking to see if he was okay and fussing over his winded appearance. Their reactions puzzled Ash, though for some reason he felt a small pang of affection for each of them as they worried over him.
'Shit. Better make ourselves scarce…' Red and Saur nodded to each other as the former returned the latter back into its Pokéball. He tipped his hat down and turned, about to walk away, but before he did, he had one last message for his opponent. "Good match, kid. Damn good. You're one tough guy… but now it's high time you leave me the fuck alone. And never," Red warned with a predatory growl, "get yourself involved in my business again." With that, he began to stalk off.
Ash wanted to protest, but when he opened his mouth to voice his angry rebuttal, he thought better of it and sighed. He did agree to those terms if he lost, after all…
"Hold it right there, mister!"
Ash blinked when Dawn apparently decided to speak up on his behalf. He saw the indignation on her face, then turned to Pikachu, who was looking at their female companion in fear – not of her, but for what would happen next. And Ash soon harbored these same sentiments as he tried to stop his blue-haired friend. "Wait, Dawn-"
But the Twinleaf Coordinator already placed herself in front of Red with one arm outstretched at his chest and another behind herself, posing like she was some sort of Power Ranger. She had stood in this exact same position 4 years ago when she and Pikachu jumped in between the middle of an argument between Ash and his lavender-haired rival Paul at the Oreburgh City Gym (only for her needing to be held back herself when she tried to maim Paul for his perceived rudeness). And just like Paul, the man in front of Dawn gave her that same nasty, insulting spoiled brat vibe that irked her to no end. "I don't know what your problem is," she began to scold, "but if you think you can just walk off after whatever the heck it is you did to my friend, then you've got another thing coming! Who do you think you are anyway, punk, talking to people like-"
A single, crimson-colored eye revealed itself from under Red's cap.
Dawn's fury vanished and she instantly lost all color in her face. "Like… like…" And then just like that, no more words could come out of her mouth. She began to sweat nervously and pant rapidly as she unconsciously took a step back. Her face morphed into horror, diamond eyes wide and mouth agape. She suddenly felt like she wasn't standing in front of another trainer. That lone eye, the silent yet unadulterated rage it held – it completely overwhelmed her like a raging inferno. And though she wanted to scream, wanted to make any semblance of a sound, her body refused to grant her that wish. Perhaps it was because at the back of her mind, she knew that no matter what sound she made, it wouldn't stop this man from burning her alive…
"Hey Ash!"
Dawn was snapped out of it and Red got distracted as they both turned to the source of yet another interruption. Running up to the group was Gary, Brock, and Serena. Upon seeing them, Dawn immediately took the opportunity to move away and back to her friends so she wouldn't have to stand another second of the pressure that Red exuded.
"Ash!" Serena crouched to Ash's level much like May and Dawn. "What were you thinking, worrying us like that…?!" She joined the other girls in checking over him, further confusing Ash.
"Uh, guys, I'm fine…" said Ash, though for some reason the three young women ignored his words. He looked at his Pokémon to ask them to convince May, Dawn, and Serena, but Pikachu was too busy snickering at him while Greninja merely nodded sagely. "The heck?! Help me out here…!"
As Gary was also snickering at his friend's expense, he suddenly felt a disturbance next to him. Gulping, he shifted his gaze to Brock, who seemed to have an astronomical aura of depression surrounding him. "Uh… You good, Brock?" Gary asked.
"NO." The heartfelt jealously in Brock's answer made Gary take a few steps back.
Up until now, Daisy remained on the sidelines and sweat-dropped at Ash's current predicament, but then she looked at Red and noticed what the others did not. She saw how Red watched on, for once not in rage or annoyance, but instead with a sense of… longing? Daisy was confused for just a moment, but very quickly remembered who it was that Red thought had abandoned him. In other words… Ash had what Red lost.
It wasn't long before Red caught Daisy looking at him, and his expression immediately returned to its usual impassiveness. He promptly turned and started walking once more, but he was blocked once again, this time when Daisy ran in front of him. 'Seriously?' Red rolled his eyes, although his features softened ever-so-slightly. "Outta the way, Daisy…" he growled.
But Daisy wouldn't budge, having found herself in Overprotective Big Sister mode. "Even if you're feeling better, you shouldn't be up and about so soon…" she whispered so that none of the others could hear. "You need to go home and get some more rest…"
Red's anxiety was approaching dangerous levels, and his facial reaction sent shivers down Daisy's spine. "That woman's place isn't my home. Now I'm leavin'. Move it." He warned her one last time.
"Red…" Daisy whispered back. Despite how long it had been, despite everything that had happened, she still felt that Red was just as much a brother as Green, her own flesh and blood, was. That's why it pained her to see him like this: a bitter and angry young man who felt like the entire world was his enemy…
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"
At that, everyone, even Red, stopped what they were doing. They slowly turned to face the seething and demonic force that was Delia Ketchum.
"M-Mom?" Ash fearfully dared to speak. He and Pikachu gulped, and even Greninja tensed up, when Delia stomped over to them.
"YOU," she addressed her son while forcing him to stand up by pinching his ear. "HOW HURT ARE YOU."
"Ow! Mom, I'm fine now! I was just trainin', no big dea-"
"TRAINING?!" Delia roared. "WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY THAT AGAIN?!"
Ash felt his legs turn to jelly. He couldn't even remember the last time his mother was this furious. "I… Okay, I was battlin'… y'know," he gestured with his head to Red, "but it's all good! We're fine, calm down-"
"Calm down?" Delia repeated. "DID YOU JUST SAY, 'CALM DOWN'?" Her irises drilled into Ash's, willing him to stay silent. Then she looked at the others who stood with them. "All of you, go back to the Professor's. And don't speak a word about this."
Brock tried to offer his assistance, "but Mrs. Ketch-" he stopped mid-sentence when Gary forcefully grabbed him by his arm.
"Don't," the youngest grandchild of Oak shook his head. "You haven't seen Mrs. Ketchum this mad before. Trust me… you really shouldn't screw with her." Brock hesitantly nodded, and the two of them began their trek back.
Serena shot one last look of concern to Ash before she, too, stood up and started to walk away. May and Dawn hesitated slightly, but eventually relented and got on their feet, joining Serena and walking away with her.
Delia looked at Daisy and nodded. "You too. And take Pikachu and Greninja with you."
"But mo-!" Ash tried to object, but a single glare from Delia shut him up.
Daisy bit her lip and glanced at Red, who remained glued to his spot as if transfixed by what he was seeing. "R-right…" Daisy finally agreed and walked over to Ash's Pokémon. "Come on, you two. I won't bite…" she added with a small smile.
"Pika?" / "Grnj…" Despite having little to no interaction with this woman up until this point, both Pikachu and Greninja felt themselves relax as Daisy beckoned them to follow her. They looked at Ash and Delia, both of whom nodded (one in hesitation, the other in firmness), before following Daisy back to Pallet Town.
Delia watched them go until they were out of sight, then returned to scowling at her son. "Seven years," she whispered dangerously. "Seven years, Ash, have I worried about you. In all that time, you somehow always threw yourself into the most dangerous and foolhardy situations, whether that be against man or Pokémon. And don't pull any of that 'I had to save everyone' nonsense on me, because it doesn't matter. Every single day you're not home, I have to push back thoughts that something horrible has happened to you just so you know you have my support and love. Even when you are home, you always pack up and leave the very next day just to do it all over again. If it wasn't for this party I threw you, I have no doubt that you'd do it again.
"But it was okay. As long as my son was happy, I forced myself to deal with your absence, no matter how much it pained me. I even arranged a whole plan to surprise you with the World Champions' League invite because I know it's things like that that make you the happiest. And when you were worried about how I would feel when you end up leaving for the tournament? You have no idea how touched I was, thinking that at last, you finally considered the feelings of your mother. Even when I pretended it was no big deal, it warmed my heart so much when you thought of me.
"But then what do you end up doing?" Delia asked her wide-eyed, trembling son. "Tell me, Ash, what was it that you decide to do?"
Ash could offer no response.
"I'll tell you. After throwing yourself into yet another life-threatening situation, you decide that it's okay, no, it's perfect, if you challenge a man that just hours ago was on the brink of death. That it's perfect to get involved in the personal business of a man you barely even know. That it's perfect to torment that man's mother by leading him away from her house. That it's perfect to bring your Pokémon into a battle against an opponent that could kill you.
"So no, Ash, I can't 'calm down'. Not when my only son, my only family, doesn't know any better when he does something that YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULDN'T DO. So please, forgive your mother for worrying about you. She just thought by now, her child wouldn't take for granted how much he means to her. But it looks like she was wrong. What a silly mistake, right?"
By now, Delia's tears fell freely. And as much as he wanted to, Ash couldn't take his hollow eyes off her face.
"Go." Delia turned away from her son. "Your friends are waiting for you."
Ash remained there for a while longer, trying to form words only for none of them to come out. Then, finally realizing that nothing he said could possibly make the situation any better, he looked down and, like Red, let his cap obscure his eyes. Ash quietly turned and walked back to Pallet Town, away from the trainer that he challenged and the mother that he had hurt without him even realizing it.
Red remained standing and watching throughout the entire exchange, jaw uncharacteristically open and eyes widened. As much of a cold-hearted bastard that he knew he was, he couldn't walk away from something like that. For such a strong opponent that Ash was, to get decimated like that by his own mother? Even Red was shocked – and that was saying something, considering all the horror he'd seen on Mt. Silver.
"I came here from your mother's place, you know." Delia finally addressed him.
"…"
"She was already devastated by whatever you told her," Delia turned to face Red while wiping her tears, "but when you left to battle Ash? She thought you ran away from her again, and that threw her into an even bigger frenzy. Literally worried sick, she was. She could barely explain to me what had happened before she fainted from the stress."
"…"
"Rose is like a mentor to me. To see her break down like that… it was a horrible reminder of her state of health when you left all those years ago."
Red shook and clenched his fists.
"I know what happened between you two," Delia continued. "And I won't pretend that you don't have every right to be angry. If it were me, I can't honestly say that I would be any better. But as a mother, I know that in the midst of stress and disaster, when life decides to bombard you with problem after problem after problem, that sometimes you say the most horrible things to your loved ones even when you don't mean them. And I have a feeling that you know that too…
"After you disappeared, Rose denied that you wouldn't come back to her. She prepared so many home-cooked meals waiting for you to walk through her door."
Red remembered hearing that from Erika.
"And when someone would insult you? Call you a good-for-nothing son? Side with anyone that had it out for you? Mew have mercy, because your mother scarred them quite possibly for life just to defend your honor."
… That was new.
Delia placed a gentle hand on Red's shoulder. "If you still can't forgive Green, Yellow, Blue and her parents – well, that's one thing. But before you disappear again, please… at least give your mother a chance. For her sake… and for yours."
Red couldn't find it in him to object.
"You're a good kid at heart, Red. I can read you like a book. Please don't deny yourself the love that you need. But if you do… well, it's your choice." With that, Delia finally left her fellow Pallet native behind, headed back to her friends and family like the others were. Red watched her leave and continued staring at where she went long after she was gone. His demeanor was quiet. His mind was numb. But his heart… it ached more than it ever did before.
'… Damn mothers… always gotta hit you where it hurts…'
"I-Iya!" Speaking of mothers, the little critter that was watching from afar realized that it better get back to its own parent before she got worried. He scrambled away from the boulder he was hiding behind, trying his best not to alert the human that still stood at the cliff, and jumped into the sea below, making a tiny splash when he submerged.
Little did he know, little did everyone that had been at the cliffside know, someone else had been watching them. He laid in some tall grass some 20 meters away from the battlefield, viewing everything that had just transpired through his binoculars. Smirking, the man moved the binoculars away from his face, his crafty black pupils, beauty mark under his left eye, and lilac-colored goatee completing his devious visage. He brushed a hand through his similarly colored toupee before getting up, dressed as though he was out on a Sunday jog. As he walked away, he pulled out a radio and spoke into it.
"Agent Petrel here. Boy, do I got an update for you, Boss…"
「Venusaur」
「No. 156」
「Seed Pokémon」
「HT 6'07''」
「WT 220.5 lb」
「Grass/Poison」
「Absorbs solar energy as nutrition. When it is catching the sun's rays, it often remains quiet and still, but when it is seeking sunlight, it stays on the move. 」
「Venusaur (Mega)」
「No. 156」
「Seed Pokémon」
「HT 7'10''」
「WT 342.8 lb」
「Grass/Poison」
「In order to support its flower, which has grown larger due to Mega Evolution, its back and legs have become stronger. 」
「Greninja」
「No. 715」
「Ninja Pokémon」
「HT 4'11''」
「WT 88.2 lb」
「Water/Dark」
「It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two. 」
Author's Corner
When Delia gets mad, god damn does she get mad.
I had a lot of fun writing the battle between Red and Ash! In my older fic, Ash's Last Battle, this showdown was supposed to be the climactic battle, the end-game of the story. While it's definitely not the final battle in this story... I still think I did a much better job here than in the other.
And then there's our new friend. That small, timid, green dude. Can you guess who he is based on the description I provided? Here's a couple of hints: If you think he's part of the official Pokédex... think again! But, he isn't just a made-up Pokémon, either! If you really wanna know, get ready to do some digging in Pokémon Red and Green's development...
By the way, this fic is not only also on Wattpad, but I've also gone ahead and uploaded to Archive of Our Own. If for some reason you prefer to read it over there... Well, there ya go.
Next time - family matters. Until then, thank you all so much for the reviews and follows! We've hit over 100 follows AND over 100 faves, and you have no idea how happy that makes me! Hope y'all stick around for the rest of this adventure!
