So, before people get mad at me for making her lose her first battle, I wanted people to know that she's going against an extremely experienced battler. Just because Sauron is old, it doesn't mean that they can sweep the eighth badge for their first battle. I thought it would be a bit too Mary Sue if she defeats one of the strongest villains and his experienced pokemon in her first battle. This is going to be a learning experience for her, that her mistakes will not hurt her but her pokemon. I thought it would be better if she finds this out early instead of when it's too late. Plus, this would be an amazing opportunity to get her more motivated and serious about her pokemon's training. Her rebirth does not make her infallible and I thought that would be nice to touch upon and diminish any arrogance that she developed during her second life. Ash may have been raised with Sauron but she wasn't experienced enough to bring out his true capabilities. A shout out to neaucleareactor5 and lightningwarrior215 for your reviews on the last chapter, what you guys say lets me know what you liked about the story and whether or not I should touch upon what you liked more.
To InfamousGoose21 , your reviews are too powerful, your advice makes me want to start writing no matter what time it is and even though I have seven assignments due in two days it makes me want to keep writing. I'm actually writing in Chemistry class as we speak. You always let me know what I need to improve upon and what you liked, which gives me a better idea on what I need to write on the next chapter. Believe it or not, I haven't read "Traveler" yet but I heard that it was an amazing piece of work. It looked so long and I knew it would take me a few days of nonstop reading to catch up on the latest chapter. I'll try to work on what you advised me to work on and I just want you to know that your reviews are some of my absolute favorites.
"A failure in planning is a plan for failure."
Chapter Eleven
They lost.
I could distinctly remember recalling Sauron even though he hated pokeballs. There was no way out of Giovanni's trap so even though Sauron wasn't knocked unconscious I took him out of the battle. He was already in a lot of pain because of my stupidity.
They lost.
I could remember shaking Giovanni's hand, calloused and firm. Where it completely engulfed mine. There wasn't any more smugness in Giovanni's face when he gave me his constructive criticism. But I wasn't listening, all I could think about was how my mistake hurt Sauron.
They lost.
I knew we would probably lose, but I didn't think that it would have been this crushing. Sauron was injured because of me. Not just a scratch but a complete thrashing. I thought we could have given Giovanni a run for his money, that we could stand on equal terms.
My past life did nothing to prepare me for this. Sure, I lost a few music competitions here and there, but they never hurt anyone. It was nothing like the violence Sauron just experienced. It was like I had just climbed a tall mountain, only to see an even bigger one with Giovanni standing at the top of it.
Then, I realized that, if Giovanni was after my pokemon, I wouldn't have been able to save them. I would have been useless. It wasn't Sauron's loss, he was following my orders without question. It was my loss, it was my fault that Sauron was injured.
I lost.
I couldn't remember the exact details of what happened after shaking Giovanni's hand, all I knew was that I made my way out of that gym and to the Pokemon Center. I know that I handed Nurse Joy Sauron's pokeball, but I don't remember what she said.
All I could hear was the sounds of Sauron being hammered into the ground.
What would have happened if that was a real fight? What could I have done to save him?
Absolutely nothing.
If I continued to be so arrogant, then, what would happen if one day a pokemon under my command dies from a mistake on my part?
No, I couldn't let that happen. There was still time to train them seriously. I won't be the reason my team could die. I couldn't just let them do all of the work, I needed to put in the effort myself.
When Nurse Joy called out my name to get Sauron back, my mind had been made up. I will not disappoint Sauron, or any of my pokemon, like that again. While they were on the field, any mistake could cost them serious injuries.
Grabbing Sauron's pokeball, I gripped it tightly and made my vow. My pokemon's health comes before any battle. My mistakes will not be the reason they could end up six feet in the grave.
Making up my mind, I tossed Sauron's pokeball in front of me and let the flashing light appear.
#-#
Giovanni's Point of View
When Ash left the gym, I immediately rushed to my office. I had to let Mother know about this recent development. I rushed through the halls until I got to the elevator specifically made to go down instead of up. Pressing in the code, I let the doors close and tried to make sense of our situation.
Mother would know what to do, she's dealt with wars and building Team Rocket from the ground and up. If anyone knew what to do, it would be her. When the elevator opened its doors with a "ding!" I was already out and making my way to my office.
I shouldered the useless grunts out of my way, we had to figure out just what to do with her.
How could that be His daughter? How could He have a child? There were no backup plans for long-lost heirs.
Mother had to know about her grandchild.
#-#
Back to Ash's Point of View
Whenthe blinding white lights stopped and signified Sauron being released from his pokeball I was immediately assaulted with his berating.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW HUMILIATING IT WAS TO BE RECALLED DESPITE NOT BEING BEATEN?!DID YOU EVEN CONSIDER HOW I FELT ABOUT IT?! DID YOU NOT TRUST ME ENOUGH FOR US TO FIGURE OUT A WAY?!"
I didn't move from my position even when Sauron advanced closer to me in his rage. His fury was almost tangible in the air, although other trainers couldn't hear him due to our telepathy, they could still feel the killing intent he unleashed around us.
I could feel Nurse Joy's gaze on us, deciding whether or not she needed to involve herself in this situation. She and Chansey were ready to step forward if Sauron decided on a violent way of unleashing his anger.
I knew better though, Sauron never acted on his deepest emotions. Despite being a ghost type and being rumored to have killed his previous master, I knew that he would never lose control over himself through anger. He was always composed, even when I would hide out in the bathroom to avoid him. Sauron would never hurt me out of malicious intent. Even if I recalled him during a fight.
When Sauron kept screaming, I took a step forward. There were still scratches on him even after he got healed, his golden coloring was slightly dulled and there were small gaps on his sides. Almost like a tooth that got chipped. He would recover over time but for the time being it will always remind me of my mistakes.
I took another step forward, almost eye to eye with Sauron. When he was floating he could be the same height as me, but his total body length was slightly more than half of mine. When we were this close, I could see the slight dent on his pummel or head.
He smelt like steel polish, almost like car oil but lighter and somehow fresher.
I blocked out his shouts and reached out, and hugged him to my chest. This was the first time I ever hugged him and probably the first time he's ever been hugged. I ignored his thrashing to get away, and I barely noticed the sharp steel of his sides cutting into my arms.
Sauron quieted and stilled after a period of time, both of us just tried to enjoy the peace that came with the other's embrace.
After a long period of hesitation, Sauron lifted his ribbon arm and hugged me back.
#-#
So, what do you guys think? Is Ash actually Giovanni's daughter or is there a deeper plot going on? I'd love to hear it in your reviews. And yes, in this story Giovanni is a Momma's Boy™. How do you think the story is going to develop later when the truth comes out. Not gonna lie, my absolute weakness is fluff, not just any fluff, but emotional fluff.
Here's the Pokemon Ash has and their moveset.
(Male) Aegislash (Sauron): Swords Dance, Iron Head, Shadow Ball, Close Combat, Sacred Sword, and King's Shield.
(Male) Charmander (Frodo): Growl, Scratch, and Ember.
*Frodo has Prolonged Evolution Disorder which as the name states, he will not be a Charizard until MUCH later. However, think of it like this, slow and steady will win the race or battle in his case.
(Male) Shiny Snivy (Legolas) : Overgrow, Tackle, Vine Whip, Attract, and Leaf Tornado.