Welcome back everyone! Last time we left off, Ash trained for his Gym Battle while James made a new friend in Wooper! Also Team Rocket decided to take it upon themselves to find where the third Beast was slumbering and to awaken it for their own desires.
Also last chapter I made a slight mistake. I said the Bugsy Gym Battle was meant to start this chapter but I forgot to take into account some changes I made. So it's actually next chapter. Sorry.
Ch 13: An Elite
Days came and went for Ash as he spent them training in anticipation for Bugsy's return. Following the event down in the well the Gym Leader had been called away by the League to explain everything that had gone down, especially his lack of involvement regarding it all. Though Ash had felt things would have gone faster had they merely interviewed those involved in it all: himself, Brock and especially Janine. Though he also felt that besides Janine, none of them actually accomplished anything. She had been out of it for a few days yet recently got out of her room and resumed her own methods of training. Ash was glad to see she had her usual energy and strength back as the girl sat opposite him in the booth. Taking a sip of tea, the ninja in training turned her head out the window as Ash followed her gaze.
Rolling down the dirt road were a handful of cars, each of them coming to a stop near the edge of town as their doors opened slowly. Stepping out of the first car was Bugsy, the boy rubbing at his eyes with a yawn as others exited the remaining vehicles alongside countless Officer Jenny. For a moment Ash wondered if the Gym Leader was in trouble for allowing three children to inspect the well as a woman stepped out of the vehicle and towered over him. The woman quickly made her way towards the outskirts of town as the Officer Jenny followed and made a police line to block anyone from heading towards the well. Another individual began to make their way out of the convoy of vehicles though Ash struggled to make them out due to the crowd now gathered by the windows.
The doors to the Pokémon Center opened, a few nearby trainers gasping as even Ash felt his mouth falling open as the individual who entered made his way towards Nurse Joy. Placing a few pokeballs within a tray, he passed it over to Nurse Joy as she handed it off to her Chansey. Standing within the Pokémon Center was none other than Lance, the Champion of both Kanto and Johto acting as if it was no big deal at all. Almost like it was another ordinary day for him as he spoke with Nurse Joy. Her Chansey happily took off with the tray of pokeballs, entering the backroom as a few trainers awkwardly moved closer to Lance. He paid them no attention at the moment as he was too focused on his conversation with Nurse Joy. While Ash struggled to make out what was being said, he did notice Nurse Joy pointing in their direction.
"Here he comes," Brock mentioned as he placed his own cup down. True to Brock's words Lance turned in their direction, his cape billowing outwards as he took a few steps towards them. Ash found himself unable to calm himself as he watched the Champion make his way over. Once again a few trainers tried to get his autograph though Lance paid them no attention, instead his eyes fixated on Ash and his friends. His feet slammed down against the tiled floor, the noise echoing outwards as Ash fought with himself to swallow.
"Mind if I pull up a seat?" Lance asked calmly, the man towering over them as he swung a chair around. A small smile was on his face though Ash could tell he meant all business. Placing it at the end of their booth, the Champion sat down. His elbows planted themselves firmly against the table and yet the smile remained rested on his face.
"Not at all. Make yourself comfortable, Champion," Brock stated as the boy offered Lance a beverage. The older man declined it as Brock slid the beverage towards the other end of the table, Pikachu catching it as Lance continued.
"Nurse Joy and Bugsy before her told me that you three were involved with what went down at the well. Mind explaining it to me?"
"We couldn't just sit around and do nothing once Kurt told us what was going on. Well, it's honestly not like we did much anyways," Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his head as he and Brock shared a stare. "Brock and I were both tied up for most of it. If there's anyone you want to talk to it's Janine. She scared them all away!"
"I won't be of much help," Janine admitted as she folded her hands atop the table. Her eyes were closed as if deep in thought and Ash wondered if she was alright. He stared at her in confusion, the girl sighing in defeat as her eyes opened and moved to look outside once more. The roads were being blocked off now by one of the Officer Jenny, Bugsy appearing in view now as he and Leaf tried to make their way to the Gym unsuccessfully. "Most of what happened that day is still a blur to me. I can't remember any of it besides Team Rocket being involved."
"So, they're still out there," Lance muttered as his fingers folded around each other. Ash noticed them tightening as Lance's knuckles briefly turned white. "And here I thought we rounded them all up on Pummelo Island. Looks like we still have plenty of work to do at the League."
"The League's hunting down Team Rocket?" Brock asked, the boy placing a hand under his chin before murmuring outwards. "My father mentioned that they were keeping a closer eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but I never thought it would mean this. So I'm assuming the Gym Leaders of Kanto and Johto are on high alert now?"
Lance nodded at that, looking at both Brock and Janine as a smile crossed his face. "The League came to a mutual understanding that so long as Team Rocket existed, the chance for chaos and destruction existed. It's why one of my main goals as Champion has been to weed out any remnants of Team Rocket. These past few months have been trying.
"Fortunately I have people like Koga, Flint and even Giovanni backing me up. I don't know what I'd do without all their help."
"Giovanni is helping you out?" Ash asked, the boy strumming his fingers against the table out of boredom. He knew it wasn't every day he got to meet the Champion, but the entire situation was boring to him. Especially with a Gym Battle that could have started by now if it weren't for all this League business.
Lance nodded at the question, the man smiling softly as he stood back up. "Giovanni has been guiding me as Champion since the day I took over. My rise to power was an unusual one, forced from a lack of a Champion I took the spot."
"Forced? How come?" Ash asked as he rubbed at the back of Pikachu's ear. The Electric-Type cried out happily from the scratching, Lance looking a bit sheepish from the question. "Blue was the Champion prior to you, right?"
"If we go by our written records, yes," Lance admitted, turning away from the table. To Ash he appeared to be thinking back to some previous times, his eyes looking a bit hazed before he turned back towards them. His cape blew outwards for a moment, the man pressing it down with his hands so that the children could see him. "However, there belongs one man who served as Champion between myself and Blue. Your father Red served as Champion for around roughly thirty minutes or so before stepping down."
Ash jumped from his seat, Pikachu leaping from the table and onto his shoulder as his eyes darted to Janine and Brock who both appeared just as surprised. Seeing their shocked reactions told him that it really was something the League kept hidden for some reason. Removing his hat, Ash ran a hand through his hair before chuckling to himself. He found it too hard to believe that his father had been Champion of Kanto at any point in time and yet it seemed plausible. He wanted to ask how Lance even knew that Red was his father, though according to others they shared a striking resemblance from the time Red was his age.
"You're certain my dad was Champion? There's no records of it."
"He wanted it that way," Lance admitted as Ash sat back down in surprise. "Red defeated Blue and earned the title of Champion. However, he declined to keep the position himself citing it wasn't for him. He admitted he preferred to just travel freely and spend time with his family without any distractions. It got to the point he even refused to have his team enter the Hall of Fame and be enshrined as a Champion for all of history.
"He stated that the accolades didn't seem like him. Of course, Blue refused to remain as Champion following his defeat as he believed that since he lost it was unacceptable for him to hold the title. And after that decision a tournament filled with Kanto's greatest occurred where I came out on top. Deemed the newest, and youngest, Champion of Kanto I took advice from my seniors as I've since worked to improve Kanto and the greater world. However it appears that despite everything I try, crime and wickedness keep showing back up."
"There weren't many members of Team Rocket there," Brock admitted, Ash nodding in agreement as he stared over to Janine. The girl remained silent, almost as if she was unsure of the entire situation. His thoughts were dashed however as Brock continued to speak. "In total there was about four of them. Maybe five but it's hard to remember since we only saw a few of them."
"Very likely they weren't placed on the mission in the Orange Islands. Either that or everyone here were the highest-ranking members. Regardless I need to round them up before Team Rocket can recover and regrow," Lance stated as he stood back up and placed his chair back. Turning back towards the table Lance bowed slightly towards the children as a smile crossed his face once more.
"Our time today might be short, but I appreciate your help. Please pass any information you have onto the League, and we'll be sure to protect this world for all of you."
"We can fight too," Ash argued with a slight laugh. Lance chuckled at his words, shaking his head as Ash watched on in confusion.
"You're just children, leave the dangerous stuff to the adults. Enjoy your childhood while you can," Lance explained as he turned away from the table once more. Ash frowned at that, the boy understanding that there were things best left to the adults, but at this point he felt that they could help just as much as any professional trainer if thrown into a situation. As it was they had dealt with Team Rocket several times since arriving in Johto. They knew what they could handle.
Instead the Pallet Town native remained silent, sighing as he watched Lance sign autographs and take pictures with the trainers who had waited patiently before exiting the Pokémon Center. Even Nurse Joy appeared to be fascinated with his appearance, the woman watching him exit the building with a small smile on her face, her hands clasped together. Taking a sip of his beverage, Ash watched Lance from the window as the Champion made his way back to one of the Officer Jenny. The two individuals appeared to be talking, Lance pointing towards a direction before marching off to what Ash figured was the well.
"So what's the plan now?" Janine asked as she continued to stare out the window. Ash followed her gaze, noting that most roads within the town were now blocked off. The only area still opened was that surrounding the Pokemon Center as all exits within the town were blocked off. It was almost like Lance and the League hoped to find any members of Team Rocket hiding within the town. "I have a sneaking suspicion your Gym Battle will be put on hold for a bit."
"Might as well get some last minute training in then," Ash stated as he stood up. His two friends followed his lead, standing up as well as the group of three slid out of the booth. Adjusting his cap, Ash couldn't shake the thought of his father being a Champion. While he never saw his father battle in person, none of his recorded matches felt like anything a Champion would battle like. Slapping his face, Ash knew that he had to get the thought of his father out of his mind and instead focus on himself. If he worried too much about his father as a trainer, he would lose his match with Bugsy. Exiting the Pokémon Center, the group of three made their way around the back of the building where the dirt field was empty.
"Have you finally decided on your team for the Gym Battle?" Brock asked as he tossed a pokeball outwards. Sentret emerged from the bright light, scurrying onto the dirt field as Janine also tossed two pokeballs outwards. Venomoth and Golbat emerged from their respective capture devices before flying down onto the dirt field next to Sentret.
"I want to give Hoothoot a chance, and I'm thinking about Totodile as well," Ash admitted as he stretched a little. Pikachu copied his motion, stretching as Ash came to a stop. Both Brock and Janine shared a look at his decision but Ash ignored it. His eyes instead rested upon his belt, the three pokeballs jiggling slightly as his fingers ran across each one. "But I'm undecided. I want to use Scyther since he hasn't gotten any action since we left Pallet Town. However..."
"You're worried the two of you won't work well together," Janine finished his sentence for him. Ash nodded at that, Scyther's pokeball resting within his palm now as he enlarged the capture device. Rolling it about, Ash was hesitant to call Scyther out as Pikachu ran out onto the field.
"Plus how am I supposed to not choose Pikachu?" Ash asked, shrinking Scyther's pokeball and clipping it back onto his belt.
"He's got a valid point," Brock muttered as he looked to Sentret. The Normal-Type punched at the air, bored from a lack of training. "Scyther was technically Corey's before he joined you. It's only natural that his style of training differed from yours. And now the two of you can't seem to get on the same wavelength because of it. Maybe Scyther thinks you're trying to hold back out of worry."
"That isn't true at all!" Ash shouted, his palms open as he faced his two friends. "You both know that isn't the case!"
Ash looked to his friends for some sort of response, neither of them giving him one as they remained silent. Janine bit her lower lip, the girl unsure what she should have said while Brock turned his attention to Sentret. Reaching for Scyther's pokeball once more, he rolled it between his fingers only to stop upon hearing a new voice.
"You might know it, but perhaps your Scyther doesn't. Tell me, how long have you been together?"
Ash turned his head towards the new voice, Brock and Janine following it as well. Standing by the back wall of the Pokémon Center was a young woman, maybe a year or two younger than Lance. She was the one Ash saw walk off towards the edge of town earlier. She was dressed in a yellow tank top that stopped just above her stomach, revealing her belly button while white capri pants adorned her lower half. A pair of yellow shoes tied the outfit up as she ran a hand through her silvery-blue hair that ran down to her waist. Brock quickly leapt forward, the boy unable to get a word out as Happiny emerged from her pokeball and slammed her fist into his stomach. Hunched over, the Pewter City native was dragged away by both Happiny and Sentret as Ash chuckled nervously. The woman looked at Brock in concern only for Ash to wave it off.
"It happens to him more than you'd think," he joked as the woman took a few steps forward. Janine blinked at her, the woman appearing familiar to her though she couldn't quite picture from where. Staring at his friend, Ash wondered if she knew this lady from a League event. Though he didn't have time to question it as she spoke up once again.
"The bonds between trainers and Pokémon are a delicate thing. Especially for Pokémon who had a previous trainer; they might not adjust to the lifestyle of a new trainer so easily. So I'll ask again, how long has this Scyther been with you?"
"About a couple months now," Ash admitted as he reached for the Bug and Flying-Type's pokeball once more. Scyther's pokeball rested within both his hands now, rolling it back and forth as he thought about what was said. The boy stared down at the capture device, wondering if he was the right trainer for Scyther. "He was Corey's first Pokémon and they trained so much together. There's no way I could ever stack up to Corey in Scyther's eyes."
"It's natural for something like that to happen," the woman stated as she made her way onto the dirt field. Janine tilted her head at the sight of the woman now, Ash wishing she could come up with some idea as to how she seemed familiar. "Imagine if your Pikachu suddenly gained a new trainer. Do you think he'd be quick to adapt to them?"
Ash stared at his best friend, Pikachu scurrying around the field as he came to a stop upon hearing his name. Sharing a look with Ash, Pikachu looked displeased with the thought of a new trainer while Ash hated the thought of not having Pikachu by his side. He tried to picture what Scyther was going through and yet he couldn't properly formulate anything.
"Believe me, once a bond has been formed then trainer and Pokémon will be fighting as one."
"She has a point," Brock stated, his sudden reappearance scaring Ash. The boy jumped backwards as Brock placed a hand under his chin. "Recently I rewatched your battles with Scyther during the preliminary tournament at Pummelo. Compared to how your Pokémon reacted during the actual tournament, your commands were stiff and Scyther was slow to react."
"How'd you get those? They kept all media out of there on purpose," Ash asked as Pikachu climbed atop his shoulder. Brock and Janine shared a small gaze together as the older boy chuckled.
"Surge had some recordings made. I had him send them over once I told him about you and Scyther being out of sync."
Ash rolled his eyes at that. The boy figured he should have known that Surge had filmed the matches in some form, especially after the manner in which he had trained him leading up to the tournament.
"How about I offer you a possible solution?" the woman asked as she quickly enlarged a pokeball within her own fingers. The device sat comfortably within her palm, the woman smiling softly as Ash stared down to Scyther's own pokeball. "You and I will have a one-on-one battle right here and now. Scyther against a Pokémon of my choosing."
"It seems like a great idea, Ash," Janine stated as she turned towards her own Pokémon. Golbat and Venomoth flew from the field, landing atop her shoulders. "Sometimes it's best to overcome a challenge with a battle. Some Pokémon respond well to difficult situations."
"She's right, someone like Scyther might work best with you when pushed against a wall," Brock added in. Ash sighed at the words coming from both his friends. Looking to Pikachu on his shoulder, Ash took another sigh.
"What do you think, Pikachu?"
"Pipi! Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out as Ash laughed from his answer. Everyone else thought it was a good idea, so he figured it was worth a shot. Crouching down, Ash motioned for Pikachu to get off his shoulder. The Electric-Type did as he was asked and scurried towards the others as both Ash and the older woman made their way to their respective side of the field.
"This'll be fun! It's been a while since we've had a chance to battle," the woman stated, stretching slightly before throwing her arm forward. The pokeball burst open, a white light revealing a quadrupedal, canine Pokémon. Ash immediately pulled his Pokedex out to examine the black and orange creature.
"Houndoom, a Fire and Dark-Type and the evolved form of Houndour. Houndoom are known for their toxic flames, if you're ever burned by them legend says the pain will never go away. Thanks to their known strength in the wild, their howls often induce shivering in other Pokémon and will send them scurrying back to their nests."
Closing his pokedex, Ash placed the device away before adjusting his hat slightly. Pressing the center button on Scyther's pokeball, Ash watched it enlarge before tossing it forward. "Scyther, I choose you!"
"Scyther!" the Mantis Pokémon cried out, slashing his arms around as a slight gust of wind was created. The Bug and Flying-Type stared down Houndoom as no fear appeared present on him, instead it looked like he was ready for whatever was to come as a smirk sat firmly on his face.
Taking a step forward, Brock raised one arm towards the sky as he cleared his throat. "I'll serve as the referee of this match. This battle is a one-on-one bout with the winner being decided when one side can no longer continue. Now begin!"
"Start off with Nasty Plot!" the woman yelled out, throwing a single finger forward. Houndoom got low to the ground, its tongue licking away at its lips as a devious smirk formed. A red aura surrounded its body as Ash prepared for the inevitable attack.
"If they'll increase their strength, so will we! Swords Dance!" Ash shouted out, punching forward with a fist. Scyther nodded at the command, raising his arms before his chest and crossing them. The two blades clashed against each other as sparks flew outwards, Scyther's body immediately covered in a red glow.
"Now get in close with a Slash attack!"
"Scy!" Scyther cried out in agreement, charging forward as he raised his arms. Ready for combat, Scyther blitzed across the field, blades pointed before his body as he readied to strike Houndoom.
Ash immediately felt a chill run down his spine as the woman opposite him smirked at the command. Scyther was nearly upon Houndoom now as she flicked a finger forward. "Houndoom, stop them with a Dark Pulse."
Ash found himself taking a step back, Scyther unfazed as he continued to rush forward. Houndoom remained motionless with the exception of his mouth, his feet planted firmly into the dirt field. A dark energy began to swirl within his mouth, the Fire and Dark-Type opening its maw as a black nexus shot outwards. Ash bit at his lower lip as the attack shot straight for Scyther. The Mantis Pokémon was in mid step, his body partially off the ground as he prepared to slash into the oncoming attack. Instead Ash swung his hand to the side.
"Take to the air and dodge!"
"Scy?" Scyther asked in an annoyed manner. Regardless he listened, his wings beating outwards as he was launched higher into the air. Ash smirked at that, proud to have avoided such a costly mistake as the Dark Pulse exploded against the ground. However, Scyther appeared unamused with the decision as Ash wondered what was wrong. It proved to be costly as the woman smiled softly, Houndoom following suit.
"Flamethrower. Make it a bit faster than the Dark Pulse."
Ash gulped at that, watching as Houndoom's head reared backwards. Flames surged around his mouth, pouring outwards and dripping onto the field before Houndoom faced down Scyther. His head was slightly lifted as flames rocketed from his maw, Ash surprised by the speed and intensity of the attack as he figured there was no time to dodge. Once more Scyther looked ready to confront the attack, but Ash held a different idea.
"Block it!" Ash shouted, Scyther frowning slightly as he pulled back from what looked to be a Slash attack. Instead he crossed his arms before his body, the flames launching into them as the Bug and Flying-Type grunted out in pain. The raging inferno concluded, Scyther lowering himself back onto the ground though he was visibly hurt. A pant of exhaustion was present as a few sweat droplets ran down the side of his face. His arms were covered in burn marks, Ash shocked to see the damage a single attack could do to Scyther of all people.
"Your friends were right," the woman stated as she flicked her hair back. Ash narrowed his gaze towards her, not appreciating what she was implying. "That Scyther is not compatible with you considering how you battle. If you paid any attention to him you would have noticed that you both had different styles of countering my moves."
Ash frowned at that. He knew his opponent was telling the truth, and normally he would have countered differently but there was something about her that made him uneasy. As if there was this untapped power she hadn't used yet in their battle. Looking at Scyther Ash could read the frustration written all over the Mantis Pokémon's body as a sigh came from his mouth.
"Alright, Scyther, let's try this again. I'll never be Corey, but we can at least try to compromise. Get in close with a Slash attack!" he shouted while punching forward. Scyther weakly nodded before taking off for Houndoom. The Bug and Flying-Type's feet stomped down onto the field, kicking up dirt with each step until he was right before his opponent.
Ash didn't understand why Houndoom remained in a single location or why his opponent hadn't issued a counter yet, but he didn't care. At this point all he wanted was to land a single hit with Scyther even if they lost because of it. The Mantis Pokémon's right arm shined white, swinging across Houndoom's face as the Dark Pokémon took the entirety of the attack without moving. A grin rested upon the Fire and Dark-Type's face as his trainer snapped.
"Right where we want them! Dark Pulse at point blank! Let's end this."
"Not without a fight! Scyther, Fury Cutter straight down onto Houndoom's head!" Ash shouted, imitating the motion himself as he swung an arm down towards the ground.
"Scyther!" the Mantis Pokémon cried out in agreement. His arms glowed a shade of green, Scyther moving quickly as both appendages shot straight for Houndoom's skull. Swinging them downwards, Scyther's momentum managed to stop the Dark Pulse from being launched. Instead, the black nexus exploded within Houndoom's mouth as smoke billowed out across the field followed by a coughing noise that came from Houndoom.
Ash could feel his heartrate increase, his hands shaking from the thought that they were going to miraculously pull it off. However, the smoke was quickly blown away by a gust of wind as Ash saw his opponents looking nearly unharmed. Houndoom only had a single scratch present from the Fury Cutter attack though it was Scyther who looked worse. Down on one knee, the Mantis Pokémon forced himself to stand as Ash watched the woman opposite him. She looked impressed though the words she spoke worried Ash.
"Enough games, Houndoom. Cloud their vision with Smog."
Houndoom growled out in agreement, Ash unable to issue a command as a wave of purple clouds rolled out from Houndoom's mouth. They quickly covered the entire area of the field, Ash finding himself coughing on them as he failed to make out Scyther's form. His thoughts were becoming jumbled, the Pallet Town native unable to formulate any sort of counter to this attack until a distant thought came back to him. It was from a while ago but he hoped it could work.
"Scyther, Swords Dance just like the night you met Pikachu and myself!" Ash coughed out. Scyther grunted in agreement, Ash hearing a bit of excitement within the Bug and Flying-Type as he began to follow through on the command.
Struggling to see Scyther, Ash barely managed to make out the Mantis Pokémon crossing his arms across his chest. With a bit of difficulty Scyther spun around as he picked up speed with each rotation until eventually the Smog began to circulate around him. The poisonous clouds quickly formed into a funnel that surrounded Scyther until finally the Bug and Flying-Type slashed outwards.
The funnel gave way as the sight of Scyther glowing red with power became the focus of everyone gathered around. With a single beat of his wings, he took off, arms glowing with power as Ash shouted out their final command.
"We'll end it with the move you and Corey worked endlessly for! Brick Break!"
"Flamethrower," the woman replied as Houndoom immediately released the flames with little buildup. The fire roared across the field as the heat from it reached Ash, the boy wiping any sweat from his face as he watched Scyther charge forward.
"This is what you want right? A full-on assault?" Ash called out over the flames. Scyther didn't respond, the slight movement of his head alerting Ash to the fact he approved of this. With a swift swing of one blade, Scyther cut a path through the Flamethrower as he quickly approached Houndoom. Once before the beast, Scyther swung for Houndoom's head only for all the damage he previously received to catch up to him. Unable to complete his attack, Scyther's arms lost their glow before he collapsed to the ground defeated. Neither side waited for Brock to make the call as Scyther remained motionless.
"A shame we can't continue," the woman stated as her hands ran through her hair. Reaching towards her belt she grabbed ahold of a pokeball. Thanking Houndoom, she recalled the Dark Pokémon back to his capture device as Ash made his way to Scyther.
Helping the Mantis Pokémon back onto his feet, the boy gazed over towards his opponent as the woman held a soft smile towards the duo.
"You held back, didn't you?"
The question appeared to catch the woman by surprise, a slight chuckle escaping from her lips as Ash began to spray a potion onto Scyther's wounds.
"Strength is such an arbitrary belief if you ask me. Those deemed strong and weak are based on the sole principle of results. Though there's more to it than what the world makes it out to be. Did I hold back? Maybe, maybe not. But that isn't important in the grand scheme of things.
"The more important question is if you two started to recognize the issues between yourselves," she stated with a smile. A single finger pointed towards Ash, the boy's eyes locked onto this mysterious woman until footsteps pulled his attention elsewhere. Making her way onto the field now was Janine, the girl smirking towards the woman.
"I thought you were familiar," she began to say, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes remained fixated on the woman as Ash followed her gaze. "The entire battle I couldn't figure out how I knew you. But that last remark about strength gave it away. You're Karen! I'm right, aren't I?"
The woman shrugged her shoulders in contempt, neither confirming or denying the accusation as Ash's eyes darted back and forth between the two girls. There was no sense of hostility between them and yet Ash still had no clue who this woman was. Pikachu scurried over to him, climbing atop his shoulder as the situation continued to unfold.
"So who's Karen?" he finally asked as he recalled Scyther into his pokeball.
"Karen is one of the newest members of the Elite Four. She was named to the Indigo League's Elite Four shortly after our second semester started. I had a suspicion it was her but kept quiet until certain," Brock chimed in. The older woman laughed at the statement, her hair being thrown backwards as Ash clenched his hands tightly. It was all making sense now why a trainer of her capabilities didn't have any concern about their commands. There was no way they were going to win anyway.
"Why didn't you tell us who you were from the very start?" Ash asked as he scratched at Pikachu's ear.
"Did I never do a proper introduction? Master Agatha will be displeased with my lack of manners," Karen joked as she threw her arms behind her back. Turning away from Ash, she looked back over her shoulder. "Besides, too many trainers have heard the name "Karen of the Elite Four and refuse to battle me. At this point the only way I can see a trainer's true potential is by remaining anonymous."
"How can Scyther and I have a rematch once we're ready?" Ash asked. Karen narrowed her eyes at the request, a hand now planted on her hip while she pointed upwards with her other hand.
"Graduate school and win the Indigo League. Then we can talk about a rematch. Though I'll be looking forward to seeing your progress." With that Karen walked away from the group as she made her exit. Ash wanted to question why she challenged him despite their difference in strength but remained silent. Instead his eyes rested upon his pokeballs only for his gaze to be broken by Pikachu's voice.
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked as he moved from one shoulder to the other. Ash shook his head at that, breaking his trance and scratching Pikachu behind his ear once more.
"I'm fine, Pikachu. Just thinking some things over. Though can we talk about our Gym Battle? Just us."
Pikachu tilted his head in confusion at that, Ash making his way back inside the Pokémon Center as he noticed it busier than when they first arrived in Azalea Town. He wondered if they were just passing through or if the news about Lance being here brought the trainers in. Making his way to the front desk, Ash handed Nurse Joy his three pokeballs as he motioned for Pikachu to stay with him.
Once again the Electric-Type seemed confused though Ash reassured him there was nothing wrong. Making their way to a secluded section of the building Ash grabbed a seat. Pikachu leapt from his shoulder and sat atop the table, facing Ash with a curious expression.
"Pikachu, I understand if you'll be upset by this, especially after I promised you a shot to face Bugsy...but you're not battling in the Gym Battle," Ash explained. Pikachu's mouth dropped slightly, his arms waving wildly as Ash chuckled at the slight outburst.
"Pikapi! Pi pika pichu!" Pikachu argued as Ash continued to smile. He knew Pikachu had the desire to take part in the Gym, but after what went down with Karen he had to see something for himself. Scratching Pikachu behind the ear, the action appeared to calm his best friend down slightly.
With a sigh Ash began to speak once more, Pikachu listening despite a slight frown on his face. "It has nothing to do with you, Pikachu. This decision is because I need to know if what everyone said today was true. I need to see how Scyther and myself can battle together against a more even leveled opponent.
"And I can't have Hoothoot or Totodile sit this one out since they both need the experience. I hope you can understand the decision and support the others in our Gym Battle."
"Pipikachu!" Pikachu shouted out, Ash noting how the frown was completely gone. He had wanted Pikachu to take part in the event Totodile and Hoothoot struggled, but now he had to rely on Scyther to pick up any possible slack. He was just glad Pikachu understood why this decision was being made.
Taking a deep breathe, Ash adjusted his hat before sharing a fist bump with Pikachu. There was no doubt in Ash's mind that they were winning their second badge once they faced off against Bugsy.
And that brings an end to another chapter while also bringing some understanding onto Scyther and Ash's issues. Namely a difference in training philosophy and Ash having a different battling style from what Corey and Scyther used to do. Pretty much think of it like this: say for your entire life you did something a certain way. And then one day someone you've only known for a short while started trying to change it up or doing it in a completely different manner, you'd probably struggle with it or even just continue doing it your way even if it clashed with what others wanted. So, the chapter sort of began to shed some light on their incompatibility.
Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I can improve the story.