"A two on two battle between Winston and Gary will decide the championship!" Tracy said, as the final day of Kanto High's Pokémon tournament had finally come.
Ash sprinted his way over to the battlefields already late for the match. Ash arrived just in time to see the closing moments of the battle.
"Bulbasaur use Vine Whip!" Gary shouted. The vines sent Winston's Hitmonchan tumbling backwards.
"Hitmonchan is unable to battle! This means that Gary Oak is the winner of the match, and the Kanto High Pokémon Tournament!" Everyone cheered for Gary as Tracy gave him a small trophy as his prize.
"Well that's that folks! I think next semester we're going to try and hold another tournament but we'll see how things turn out. Thanks for everyone who participated!" Tracy said as everyone slowly started to disperse.
Ash looked around hoping to spot Richie whom he had made plans to meet with there.
"There you are!" Richie said as he finally found Ash.
"I was a bit late, but at least I saw the end of the match! You ready to do some training!" Ash said, getting himself focused on the task at hand. Ash was planning on taking on his first gym leader in a few days, so he really needed to concentrate on training right now.
"Hey Ash. I'm also planning on entering the Indigo League, I'm going to try and challenge the Pewter City Gym on Saturday, when are you going to start battling the gyms?" Richie asked him.
"Oh, I was actually going to go there on Saturday too!" Ash explained.
"Awesome! We should go together! Plus it will give one of us a little advantage, being able to see the gym leaders Pokémon in action before battling with help a lot." Richie said.
"Sounds like a plan!" Ash said, as they each brought several of their Pokémon out of their pokeballs.
"Man, I really wanted to bring Pikachu so that he could try to learn Electro Ball. Maybe once he's back to battling you'll have to help me teach him Richie." Ash said, missing his Pokémon's company.
"Hopefully Pikachu's recovers quickly. At least this first gym is a rock type from what I've heard, so he probably wouldn't have been battling anyways." Richie said. It was true that Pikachu wouldn't be much of a help at the Pewter City gym, so it good that Pikachu would be sitting out now rather than a more important battle.
"Alright Richie, want to have a quick battle to get warmed up?" Ash asked.
"Sure! Does a one on one sound good?"
"You bet! I'll use you Staraptor!" Ash replied as Staraptor took to the air.
Richie sent out his Charmeleon, which was one of his stronger Pokémon.
"Let's start this off with a Flamethrower attack!" Richie said, as Charmeleon launched its attack.
"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" Ash countered. Staraptor flew up into the air and zoomed straight into Charmeleon.
"Now use Aerial Ace Staraptor!" Staraptor executed this move to perfection, and knocked Charmeleon over from behind.
"Finish with a Take Down!" Charmeleon was struck with one final blow before fainting.
"Wow Ash, you've definitely gotten stronger since our last battle. I think its safe to say your loss against Gary was a total fluke. Your obviously ready for the Indigo League, I've still got a little work to do haha!" Richie said to Ash.
"Thanks Richie, I'm sure we'll both do great at the Indigo League!" Ash told him. The two boys spent another hour together, helping each other train their Pokémon.
As the sun began to set Ash had finally made his way back to his house in Pallet Town.
"Pika!" Ash heard his friend squeak from the other room, obviously excited to see his trainer again.
"Hey there buddy! Sorry I didn't get home sooner." Ash said. He had been so focused on his training with Richie that he had forgotten to get back to Pikachu sooner; thankfully Delia had given Pikachu some company while Ash was away.
At The Maple Household
May shook her head, obviously flustered.
"Do I really feel this way about him? Or is it just my mind playing tricks on me?" She thought to herself.
"TORR!" Torchic screeched, catching May by surprise, causing her to fall off of her bed.
"Sorry Torchic. I'm just a little confused right now." May tried to explain.
"At least I know where I stand with you." May said as she rubbed Torchic's head, causing a gleeful response.
"I've realized something Torchic. Since we met, I've only been thinking about myself when it comes to you and what I want you to be. But you're my friend, and you should be able to do what you want. But I don't know what you want to do, and I'm not exactly sure you do either. Maybe Ash can help us out." May said to Torchic in realization. Torchic must have been really bored since it had become May's pet, just sitting at home all day. May wouldn't allow this anymore; she wanted Torchic to have fun, not just sit around every day.
May looked at herself in the mirror that was leaning against her closet. She looked like a mess, a good representation of how she was currently feeling at the moment. May had a lot of things to figure out, lots of different emotions were running through her, with questions that needed to be answered. She chalked this all up to being a teenager, taking comfort in knowing that Dawn sometimes felt the same.
The Next Day
"Hey Ash!" May said as she spotted him walking over to his locker.
"Good morning May!" Ash replied, who was in an unusually good mood this morning.
"Could you give me some advice on Torchic if you don't mind?" May asked him, looking for some guidance.
"Of course May! But I've got to go right now, how about we talk about it after school?" Ash said, hoping to talk to Richie before class started.
"Sounds good Ash! How about we go get ice cream again too!" She said, becoming very happy when Ash agreed. May's cheeks became red as Ash walked of in search of Richie.
A soft voice then spoke into May's ears from behind her. "Either someone's got a crush or you're doing your best tomato impression!" Dawn said with a giggle. May, trying to think of a good comeback, only blushed harder.
"It's not a crush, its… Time for class! " May said, thanking Arceus that the class bell had rung at that moment, making it acceptable to leave Dawn hanging. Dawn smirked as May walked quickly away, making a mental note to bring this up later.
Another day at Kanto High had come and gone, now being around mid October, the whether began to get a bit chilly. May threw on her hoodie as her and Ash walked out the doors towards downtown Viridian City. It was a cold and windy day, but it's never to cold for ice cream, so the couple made their way towards the same ice cream store they had visited earlier.
As they were walking, a strong gust of wind came by, pushing May right into Ash. Ash felt it too, but thought nothing of May leaning up against, as he too had to readjust his feet to prevent himself from falling over. May waited for a few seconds before pulling herself off of Ash, trying to feel the warmth of his body for just a moment longer.
They finally reached the shop, relieved to be out of the cold. They each ordered a scoop of their choice before taking a seat on a booth in the back corner.
"So what did you want to talk about May?" Ash asked. May explained her predicament to Ash, who seemed happy that she was brining this up to him.
"Well you seem too really care about Torchic, so your already off to a good start!" Ash said with a smile.
"But there are several things that you and Torchic can do together, battling and Pokémon contests are the most popular choices, but there's lots of other options too." Ash said, trying to think of what he could see May and her Pokémon doing.
"Hmm, I never actually seen a Pokémon contest, and I don't think that battling is much my style, but It can't hurt to try them both." May decided.
"That's great May! Richie and I are actually going to be in Pewter City tomorrow for a gym battle. You could come along and see what it's like if you want."
"Could I really? That'd be so cool! Oh and good luck to you guys tomorrow too!" May replied.
"Thanks!" Ash said, with a grin on his face. After discussing their plans for a while longer and finishing their ice cream, they went their separate ways, with May heading back to Pewter City and Ash back to Pallet Town.
When Ash got home he made sure that all of his Pokémon were in tiptop shape for tomorrow's gym battle at the Pewter City gym. He spent a good hour with them practicing their moves and strategizing on how take down a team of rock type Pokémon.
The Next Day
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu squealed. Try to encourage Ash as his trainer walked out the door, ready to meet up with Richie and May. Ash nearly sprinted the whole way to Viridian City where he found Richie waiting for him by the front doors.
"You ready Ash?" Richie asked as he saw Ash approaching.
"You bet I am, it's been awhile since I've been this pumped for a battle!" Ash said, trying to contain his excitement and save it all for the gym battle.
The two boys started the trek to Pewter City, all the while discussing each other's strategies and which Pokémon the other would be using.
It wasn't too long before the boys found themselves at May's doorstep, who would be joining them to watch their gym battles.
May's younger brother Max had opened the door for the boys, but not before giving his typical "Whoa, your Ash Ketchum!" greeting to Ash.
Richie was greeted by a small tug on his pants leg, which came from the small beak of Torchic. Seconds later May appeared from around the corner.
"Hey guys! Ready for your battle?" May asked the boys.
"Yup!" They both answered in unison, a look of determination in their eyes.
The party, which included Max, left the Maple house and began the walk over to the Pewter City Gym.
The large stone building stood looming in front of the four kids, giving off intimidating vibes.
"Ready Richie?" Ash said, who was full of confidence.
"Uh ya…" Richie replied, who was obviously nervous, as this was his first ever gym battle. Sensing this, Ash offered to battle the gym leader first, so that Richie would be able to pick up on some things for his turn.
"Well no sense in standing around waiting, let's go in!" Ash said leading the way.
Upon entering the building they were greeted by a man, who was the gym assistant.
"We're here to challenge the gym leader." Ash told him. The man simply nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He led them down a narrow hallway and through a door at the end of it. Once they had all entered the man closed the door behind them and stood silent. They were now in a battlefield, with bleachers surrounding it.
"Wow, challenges this early in the morning?" A voice rang from across the room. The shadow of a tall man could be seen walking towards them.
"I'm Flint, the Pewter City Gym Leader." He said as he approached the group.
"So which of you wishes to challenge me?" He asked, with a cold glare in his eyes.
"Me sir, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."
"And me too, my name is Richie."
"Very well, I'm sure your well aware of the rules of a gym battle. 3 Pokémon for each trainer, only the challenger can switch Pokémon during the battle, and if you win you get a boulder badge. So who's first?" He asked.
"I'll battle first." Ash said stepping forward.
"Alright, no time to waste, lets get started."
This will be a 3 on 3 battle for a boulder badge. The Pewter City gym leader Flint vs. the challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" The assistant said, who was also the referee for the matches.
"If you couldn't tell by the design of the building, I specialize in rock type Pokémon Ash, I hope you're well prepared. Geodude come out!"
Flint's Geodude took to the battlefield and waited for its challenger.
"Froakie your up!" Ash said as he threw his first pokeball.
"I'll let you make the first move Ash, lets have a good match." Flint told him, while the others watched anxiously from the bleachers.
"Even though Ash has done so well in the past, I still feel really nervous about this battle for him." May said.
"Oh please May!" Max retorted. "Ash is world class trainer, he could win this with his eyes closed." Max said, obviously confident of Ash's abilities.
"Froakie use Quick Attack, but use Water Pulse while you do it!" Ash said.
Following his trainer's orders, Froakie took of towards Geodude but not before firing a Water Pulse attack its way.
"Dodge the water Geodude!" Flint commanded, already realizing the dilemma Ash had put him in. With two attacks coming Geodude's way there was no choice but to take one the hits, the quick attack dealing the least amount of damage.
Geodude was able to dodge the water but was hit by Froakie seconds later. Quick attack isn't very effective against rock types, so Geodude wasn't affected much.
"I'm impressed Ash, the rumors about you are true, your sure know your way around a Pokémon battle." Flint said.
"Froakie stand there." Ash said, causing everyone to be confused by his actions.
"Grab it Geodude!" Flint ordered.
Geodude floated over to Froakie and grabbed it with its hands, preparing to throw it.
"Water Pulse!" Ash shouted.
It was too late for Flint or Geodude to do anything, as the attack was a direct blast, knocking Geodude unconscious.
"Geodude is unable to battle, Froakie is the winner. Flint has two Pokémon remaining."
"That was quite a strategy Ash, but it wont be that easy the rest of the way. Graveler its your turn!"
With that Flint's second Pokémon took the field.
"Use Rollout!" Graveler curled into a ball and came spinning at Froakie.
"Froakie Return!" Ash called as he returned Froakie to his pokeball, thinking of a better strategy to use here.
"Let's go Bulbasaur!"
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried as it took the field, excited to be battling.
"Rollout again Graveler!"
"Bulbasaur use your Vine Whip to jump over it and use Razor Leaf." Ash said, finding a way to both evade Flint's attack and use an attack of their own. Bulbasaur pulled off the combination of moves perfectly, causing Graveler to take heavy damage from the Razor Leaf attack.
"Finish it Tackle!" Ash said.
"Self Destruct Graveler!" Flint called out as Bulbasaur got close. Ash had only a second to do something, and luckily the perfect move came to mind.
"Vine Whip yourself away from it!" Ash shouted to Bulbasaur, who was in a panic as its momentum wasn't going to be stopped in time. But Bulbasaur used its vines to stop itself and launch itself backwards away from Graveler as the explosion took place.
"Graveler is unable to battle, Bulbasaur wins! Flint has one Pokémon left!"
Bulbasaur had managed to come away from the attack completely unharmed, and stood by Ash, ready for more.
"Onix, use Dragon Breath!" Flint said as his final Pokémon was revealed.
"Counter it with Razor Leaf Bulbasaur!" Ash said.
The collision of the attacks caused cloud of smoke to appear between the two Pokémon.
"Vine Whip through the smoke!"
Onix only had a second to realize what was happening before Bulbasaur's two vines shot out of the smoke, inflicting an effective hit.
"Onix use dig!" Flint called, as his Onix burrowed its way under the battlefield.
"Bulbasaur return!" Ash called his Bulbasaur back to its pokeball, debating who he should send out next.
"Aipom your up!" Ash said as the purple monkey appeared. Before Aipom could take in its surroundings Onix came up from beneath Aipom, launching it high into the air.
"Swift Aipom!"
The swift attack hit Onix , but only did minor damage. Onix countered with an Iron Tail attack, which sent Aipom flying into the wall.
"Aipom is unable to battle! Onix is the winner! The challenger Ash has two pokemon remaining!" The referee said.
"Well. It was worth a shot I guess…" Ash said with a sigh.
"Ok let's rap this battle up, Froakie come on!"
Now everyone was able to see one Ash's most clever strategies. He had planned out his whole battle in advance, from switching Pokémon, to even anticipating Aipom's early knockout. Now was his final move, a preplanned attack from Froakie.
Onix stood waiting to see its next opponent. The small blue frog appeared an without Ash commanding, immediately launched a Water Pulse attack as soon as it laid eyes on Onix. Flint couldn't react in time to counter it, and Onix took a direct hit, causing it to tumble to the ground.
"Onix is unable to battle! This means the winner of the match is the challenger Ash Ketchum!" The referee said.
Ash brought out his other Pokémon he had used and thanked them before heading over to Flint.
"That was an exciting battle Ash, you've proven yourself to be a worthy trainer. I wish you the best of luck in the Indigo League! Take this." Flint said as he placed a the small badge which was shaped like a rock, into Ash's hand.
"This is the boulder badge, you've earned it!"
"Thanks Flint! You have some strong Pokémon for sure, it was a fun battle!" Ash replied.
"Told you May!" Max said, who had expected Ash to sweep Flint's team from the start.
"Your right this time Max." May replied, wondering why she had doubted Ash's battling skills.
Ash walked over to the three of them with a large grin on his face.
"Congrats Ash!" Richie said, bumping fists with him.
"Thanks Richie! Your up next, are you ready!" Ash asked him.
"As ready as I'll ever be!" Richie said, who was hiding his nerves.
"I'm actually ready to battle right away if you are. I've got other Pokémon I like to use too." Flint said from across the room.
"Uh sure." Richie said as he stood up.
"Plus using other Pokémon wont let you take advantage of seeing my strategies with my previous Pokémon." Flint said, causing everyone's smile to drop, as it basically ruined their strategy that they were planning on taking advantage of. Now Richie would be going up against new moves and tricks.
"Well, lets get started!" Flint said, as Richie took the other side of the field.
"This will be a 3 on 3 battle for a boulder badge. The challenger Richie vs. the Pewter City gym leader Flint. Let the battle begin!"
"Ok, no messing around this time!" Flint said as he threw out his first Pokémon.
Everyone gasped at what they saw. Richie had to revaluate his strategy quickly, although he never really had one before.
"Sparky looks like your up!" Richie said as his Pikachu took the field as the battle began.
"Ancient Power Aerodactyl!"