AN: (Insert witty introduction that transitions smoothly into discussion topics). So yeah, I'm updating again. I got a lot of requests and queries to keep updating and when I'm updating respectively, to which I have one answer, and I can be quoted on this; "Uhhh... A time that will happen sometime in the future. Or past. Whichever I'm in the mood for." Jokes aside, I really don't know. When I update is based a lot on how I'm feeling. There will be stretches when I'm feeling inspired as hell and am on point, other times I'll just not feel like I'm up for it. Luckily, I'm going to have a lot of time with Corona going around and I figured I might as well freshen up all of your lives with a bit of writing.
I would also like to say that dialogue and such is not going to be perfect. I can't remember all the dialogue from every episode and I have yet to find a good transcript resource, so you're going to have to bear with me as I write it all out to the best of my ability. Now, time for a bit of review answering.
Hoguie: Thank you for the compliment, and I do find that most of the time, a lot of Fanfictions have trouble with fight scenes. I'm blessed enough to have an aptitude with them, but I know that many don't. So thank you!
TinyPoisonFlower: Thank you for the ah... enthusiastic compliments. I do appreciate them, I'm just not used to such, and I mean this in a good way, fanatical approval of my writing. I know that I end up saying this far too often, but I never thought my writing that good.
MortemPlasmon: My good sir, you have outdone yourself... I never thought I would receive a 15-page thesis essay as a review, but it was a pleasant surprise. There's not much I can respond to, but I'm glad we have similar tastes in both Pokemon and ships for Ash. I am also greatly looking forward to your art for Garchomp, I am trying to work on something for it as well. I'm terrible with art and such, but an effort surely can't hurt? (The world as we know it is going to simultaneously implode and disintegrate due to my desperate attempt at drawing...)
PokeFanatic95: One of these days you're going to make me blush. I'm glad you enjoy it so much, and I'm also glad you appreciate my profile, I was practically drunk with sleep deprivation so it's rather amusing.
Those are the ones I felt merited an individual response, but I love reading every single review I get (especially you Chunnin33, I snickered so much when I read that). You're all appreciated and read every single time. The poll is also DEFINITELY up now, I figured out what I had done wrong.
WARNING: There will be quite a few jumps in time in this chapter. This is because nothing of major importance happened during these times, so why bother to cover it? If the story feels abrupt or short because of it, my apologies, but this isn't even supposed to be the main part of the story. More of an exposition
Disclaimer – I do not own the world of Pokemon in the slightest, I only own the story that I write in it. All credit for the creation of Pokemon goes to the owners
"Speaking"
'Thoughts/Telepathy'
"Pokemon speaking. This will be much more common when Ash discovers his Aura."
Chapter 5
He felt the energy leave his body and he could do naught but fall to his knees in exhaustion as he watched the small screen flicker off. Ash stood and turned around slowly and stared at the bodies that litter the ground slightly regretfully. They were committing atrocities that easily deserved their fate. A glint of light out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he walked over to it. The glint was a chain around the neck of one of the unconscious ones. He reached down and pulled it free of the man's shirt curiously.
It was a locket and as he opened it, he could feel his world crash around him. It was a picture of a Woman and a young girl hugging closely, smiling into the camera. The locket fell from his hands and suddenly... he didn't see justice; all Ash could see was blood and death, all at his own hands. How many families had he torn apart today? How many mothers and fathers would never know what had happened to their sons and daughters? How many children might never see their father again? He collapsed to his knees for a second time as he painstakingly lifted his hands to the front of his face and looked at them.
His black gloves were shaking uncontrollably. Rivulets of red slid down his fingers and palms to his forearms below, where the eventually dripped on to the cave ground under him. He couldn't take it anymore. Despite his exhaustion, he stood up and immediately gathered his mind together as he teleported to a lake that was half a mile away from his and Brock's camp. He practically fell forwards into the water, the cold water a shock to his half senseless mind. He pulled himself out and knelt panting on the shore for some time, just staring aimlessly. Minutes passed without Ash only staring, water dripping from his shoulders and hands onto the ground. Then, he noticed droplets falling on to his hands; he blinked once and realized that there were tears in his eyes. This was all that was needed for the dam to break and he curled in slightly as sobs began wracking his body, drawing the attention of the wild Pokemon everywhere around him. Garchomp finally arrived, having flown from the mountain, and landed softly behind him.
She immediately wrapped around him, nuzzling as close to him as she could in an attempt to calm him. When she saw it was not working, she pressed the rest of his Pokeballs with her nose and opened them, the rest of their little family bursting out in flashes of light. They immediately moved to comfort him as well, but nothing could console the crying child. Even the most vicious wild Pokemon around them felt their hearts break as they watched the child who grieved for the loss of whatever innocence he had left.
Ash's eyes opened the next morning, slightly crusted from the dried tear tracks that painted his face in swathes of despair. He could feel all of his Pokemon around him from their doomed attempt to comfort him, all of them simply trying to be there for him. He wormed his way out of the pile and stared into the clear water once again. He felt as though he didn't know who stared back at him anymore. Him? Or the monster that he had become in that cave. He almost started crying again, but he refused to. He knew himself stronger than this. Ash stood up once again, the gentle breeze that danced through the glade making his coat flutter. Had his Pokemon been up, they would have seen him disappear in a flash of blue.
He regained his bearings as he landed back in the cave from yesterday, shedding another tear at the sight of the bloodshed he had caused. Some of them remained living, and those he immediately healed to the best of his ability and teleported them to the Pokemon center with their "R" logos on full display. He knew they would be treated and then arrested. That was justice. What he had done was not. He looked at the greatly reduced number of bodies left on the cave floor and teleported both them and himself deeper into the mountain. He arrived in a massive cavern that was lit only by a gaping hole at the top. Ash then bowed his head and did what only he deserved.
He set about burying every single one of the bodies, saying the proper rites for each and every one of them. There did not appear to be any rings or other signs of relations on any of them, but that meant nothing. Ash didn't know their names, but he could not change that. He entombed each one into solid stone to ensure that this monument would last. Hours later, he had finished. Nineteen shallow mounds of smooth rock lay on the ground in orderly rows, with a 6-foot pillar in the center with words carved into it.
Forever let this place be a monument to regret
To the thoughtless actions that we all can take
And to the prices these actions exact
Ash knelt in front of the monument he had made and swallowed thickly before speaking, " I am sorry... So infinitely sorry for what I've done. Never again shall I lose control so severely, never again will I so easily think of taking a life, if at all. It was my lack of control that caused the deaths of you all, and I shall never permit myself to forgive myself for that. I have to be dispassionate, to be cut off. For this is the price of my emotions..." Ash stopped himself there, lapsing into silence. That was... That was wrong. It was this behavior that caused these deaths. His misbegotten attempt to suppress his emotions, to pretend they did not exist, had caused him to explode at the first event that he couldn't deal with, "no... No. No, I will not deny reality any longer. Emotions are real, they are a constant. They can be controlled, but not denied. I will change... because I shame myself, my family, my Pokemon, my... my mom... I shame them all like this..." He fell into silence again as tears fell down his face once again. He sniffled once and said one last thing before teleporting out, "May you all find peace in the afterlife and forever be redeemed."
Ash arrived back where his Pokemon were still asleep and smiled softly. They all seemed so tense, and Bagon had actually started crying at some point in the night. He gently returned them all to their Pokeballs before walking back towards Brock. By the time he arrived, it was 9 in the morning and Brock was just getting up. Ash could see Brock's face shift from a warm smile to panicked and concerned, "Ash! Are you okay?!" Ash was suddenly subjected to one of the things that he had missed out on for almost half a decade; A mother hen. Brock kept shifting him around worriedly, looking for where the blood had come from. Ash couldn't help but smile. Said smile turned into a chuckle. Then to a snicker. Eventually, Brock's jaw was on the ground as Ash was laughing loudly. After Ash had calmed down, he smiled at Brock.
"No, I'm not okay, but I will be; that's what matters."
Ash told Brock of everything that had happened in the mountain. Brock was surprisingly understanding and comforted him for hours. They finally got back on the road, eager to leave the mountain behind them. While they walked, Ash kept a close eye on the wilderness surrounding him, looking for Pokemon who had the potential to be great. Sadly, he saw none who truly stood out. Ash continued training his Pokemon, with impressive results. Pikachu had mastered Surf, which he was ecstatic about; he still had trouble with Earthquake, but that was mainly due to him being so small. Pidgey had evolved into a powerful Pidgeotto, learning Feather Dance and Hidden Power with her evolution. Kirlia learned Rain Dance and was almost done with Discharge, but it was still a little weak. Bagon had thoroughly mastered "Pout", which is what he had done every single time he had been told he couldn't train so, you know, he could probably get a Ph.D. if he so desired. Garchomp was... well, Garchomp. She hadn't felt the need for new moves and instead just trained her physical capabilities and her moves' potency.
Soon, far too soon for Ash's liking, they had arrived in Cerulean City. Ash made a beeline towards the Pokemon Center as Brock struggled to keep up. He pushed open the doors and went through towards the desk, intending to greet the nurse joy before a figure blurred past him, "Nurse Joy! The shining star of my life! The object of all of my deepest desires and love! Will you please do me the honor of mar-" Brock's 'heartfelt' confession was interrupted abruptly by Ash smacking him upside the head, sending him face-planting into the tiled floor of the Pokemon Center as a figurative thunder cloud stormed over his head.
Ash immediately turned towards the sweat-dropping Nurse Joy and bowed slightly, "Nurse Joy, I cannot apologize profusely or sincerely enough to express how sorry I am for my companion's behavior. Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive him for his rudeness and myself for my lack of action against it?"
The Nurse sweat-dropped even more profusely with a slight blush, "No, no it's fine! It was just very unexpected, you don't need to apologize."
Ash sighed in relief before standing straight and kicking Brock in the stomach absentmindedly every few seconds, "In that case, would it be too much trouble for you to look at my Pokemon? We've been training rather diligently through the entire trip through Mt. Moon and I want to ensure their health. If you also happen to have a room left available, I'd greatly appreciate one for me and my friend here."
"Of course! It's my job, just come to the front desk and drop you Pokeballs in the tray. It should only be a few minutes."
Ash did so, gently placing his Pokeballs in the holder before turning to Pikachu, who was currently continuously whacking Brock upside the head with his tail, "You too Pikachu; as much as I understand your current actions, this takes priority," Pikachu nodded and ran up onto the tray, 'accidentally' cuffing Brock upside the head lightly as he ran. The Nurse smiled and took the tray to the back. Ash then turned to the now recovering Brock, "What the hell was that? Have I confused my dear friend for a horny Nidoking in mating season?"
Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at that and tried to speak, "Well, you see, I uh... As it happens, uh... Did you know that, uh..." Ash cuffed his head lightly again, "Shit, there's going to be a massive welt there. Anyways, I'm sorry, I can't help it. Every time I see a beautiful woman, my mind just goes all fuzzy and warm and I can't think clearly!"
Ash was sincerely unimpressed, "Well either control it or both Pikachu and I will be hitting a lot harder and a lot lower."
Brock paled considerably and his hands twitched towards his groin, "U-Understood!"
Ash nodded and decided to sit in the waiting area once again as Brock sat next to him, both of them lapsing into a comfortable silence Ash could feel himself dozing off and surrendered to the darkness swallowing his vision as he nodded off. Not 5 seconds later he heard the Nurse yell, "Ash Ketchum, please pick up your Pokemon!"
Grumbling at being woken up from his short-lived nap, he composed himself and walked up to the front, smiling slightly as he snapped his Pokeballs on to his bandolier and Pikachu raced up his arm to his shoulder, nuzzling him on the way. Nurse Joy smiled at the exchange before looking up slightly and raising her eyebrow coolly, "Aren't you supposed to be grounded to the gym?" Ash turned around and his face dropped into a frozen mask as he stared at Misty.
Misty, obviously uncomfortable with the baleful stare, shifted slightly as she spoke up, "I'll be going back shortly, I... I just had to take care of something," She seemed to steel her nerves before turning fully towards Ash, "I... I'm sorry. You had no reason to be treated the way I treated you, and I was frankly a real bitch. Can you forgive me?" She was looking at the ground by the time she finished.
Ash just stared at her, but inside, his mind was racing. Had she asked this same question before the mountain, he would have been just as cold and harsh as he had been initially; but this was after that. After his oath to change for the better. He hesitated slightly before finally speaking, "You're forgiven. It's not like I was entirely in the right, I was unreasonably rude for such a meaningless issue. We may not be friends, but there's no reason for us to be enemies."
Misty winced slightly at the still somewhat cold rebuke at the end, but acknowledged that it was only fair, "Thank you, I'll see you tomorrow, yes?"
Ash's head tilted slightly, confused, before he remembered, "Ah yes, you are the battling Gym leader of Cerulean. I had almost forgotten," he nodded in farewell, "Tomorrow then."
Misty nodded and turned back towards the Nurse, "Could I leave 2 Pokemon of mine here overnight? They got slightly injured during training and I want them to be ready for tomorrow," the Nurse nodded and took the two Pokeballs from Misty, who then turned and left. Ash shook his head slightly and took the proffered key from the Nurse as he shook Brock awake and the pair of them walked towards their room.
Ash stared at Misty from the other side of the pool, contemplating which Pokemon he wanted to bring in this time. Pikachu was practically guaranteed, but otherwise, it was slightly up for debate. It may actually end up being irrelevant; Pikachu had been training fiercely, determined to prepare himself for evolution, and it showed. He was drawn from his reverie as the announcer started speaking, "This will be a 2 on 2 match between the Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty, and Ash from...?"
"Pallet Town"
"From Pallet Town! The challenger is permitted to substitute, but the Gym Leader is forbidden from doing so! Are there any complaints?" Silence reigned in the Gym, "Then let the battle begin!"
"Seaking, you're up!"
"Pikachu, battle stance," Pikachu immediately ran down Ash's shoulder and on to one of the floating platforms while Misty released a large goldfish-Esq Pokemon. Ash stared at the Seaking for a few moments before speaking out loud, "Looks like electric attacks aren't an option."
Misty was flabbergasted, "What?!"
Ash just stared at her. "Your Seaking has a slightly metallic looking horn due to the metallic fibers that appear when a Pokemon has the ability Lightning Rod," he raised his eyebrow slightly at her bewildered face, "Something wrong?"
Misty's jaw continued to hang as he just stood there stoically in his black coat. She shook it off after a few seconds and got a determined face about her, "Well that doesn't change the fact that now, your Pokemon is at a huge disadvantage! Seaking, use water pulse!"
"Agility into a Quick Attack," Pikachu practically disappeared only to reappear right next to Seaking and slam into her. Seaking went tumbling in the water as Pikachu used the momentum from the Quick Attack to land on another one of the platforms floating in the pool.
Misty paled slightly before gathering herself once again, "Seaking, get up and use Horn Attack!" Seaking 'jumped' up with a wince before rushing towards Pikachu with her horn glowing.
"Meet it with Iron Tail, follow up with double Brick Breaks," Ash slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat, having figured out a plan for this battle, one that would greatly help the next one as well. Pikachu spun on his platform and smashed his now metallic tail into Seaking's horn. While normally they would be at a stalemate in strength, Pikachu's sideways momentum shoved the Horn Attack to the side, creating a golden opening that he capitalized on. Seaking was sent careening back into the water as two Brick Breaks slammed into her side, "Now start using Thunder Wave into the water while she's recovering."
Misty was confused by this passive approach to battling but put it aside, "Seaking, are you okay?!" Seaking was panting heavily and seemed to be on her last legs but gave a sound of assent anyways, "Okay then, use Hydro Pump with everything you've got!" Ash raised his eyebrows but was slightly surprised when the Goldfish Pokemon sent a torrent of water shooting at Pikachu.
"Thunderbolt right into the middle of it Pikachu, try to make it explosive," Pikachu ceased pushing electricity into the water and focused for a second before sending a massive Thunderbolt at the Hydro Pump with a cry of his name. The two moves impacted but the Thunderbolt drove through the middle of the Hydro Pump a before exploding. Steam was sent everywhere and Pikachu, without any orders, resumed using Thunder Wave on the pool. The steam cleared, showing Seaking unconscious with her eyes swirling.
"Seaking is unable to Battle! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokemon!"
Misty sighed slightly at the referee's announcement before returning her Pokemon, "Good job Seaking, you did your best. Return," she stared across the pool at her mysterious-looking challenger before coming to a decision, "Starmie, you're up!" A 10-legged starfish materialized on the battlefield, its pink gem glowing, "Use Surf!"
Ash's smirk was just barely visible under the shadow of his hat, "Meet it with your own."
Misty was sure that her eyeballs were going to pop out of her face as she saw the small, yellow mouse mimic her Starmie exactly, the two waves of water slamming together with what was practically a thunderclap and explode upwards in a wall of water, hiding the battlefield for each side. She watched as her Pokemon was sent underwater but opted not to call her out. Starmie was a water type, the water was her home. Her lifeblood. It was where she was at her stro-
"Thunder."
Ash let out a slightly uncharacteristic grin as Pikachu jumped off of the floating platform he'd been on and into the air with a quick attack. Pikachu glowed yellow before yelling, "PI-KA!"
Ash had a reason for using Thunder Wave on the pool for as long as he did. When Electric-type Pokemon release electricity, it is their electricity. So it doesn't react with itself, otherwise, every Electric type would explode on birth. However, if they don't control their own lightning for long enough, it eventually goes out of their 'circle', meaning that it's electricity independent of any controller, even though certain Legendary Pokemon and even the rare non-Legendary if they become powerful enough, can control both their own and foreign electricity. Pikachu had lost control of the energy within the water, which was practically sparking by the time he was done. So when the Thunder collided with the water, it reacted the same that any 2 incredibly powerful sources of electricity touching in water would.
There was a massive explosion of steam and water sent all over the gym, soaking both Misty and anyone left in the stands from her sisters' show. Ash placed a Psychic barrier around himself and Pikachu, but everyone else was thoroughly doused.
Misty rubbed the water out of her eyes and spit out the water that had gotten into her mouth. She blinked her eyes rapidly to clear them before looking at the steam cloud that covered the battlefield in front of her aghast. The steam eventually began to clear, and both Misty and Ash could see each other again. She swallowed thickly at his dark figure, standing there as if nothing was different before she felt her heart stop.
The pool was empty. The pool... was empty. Over 275,000 gallons of water (70 by 35 by 15, multiplied by the average 7.5 gallons in 1 cubic foot of water) were vaporized and if they weren't, they were thrown out of the pool. Starmie was completely unconscious at the bottom, smoking and burned, while Pikachu standing there as pristine as ever. He raised her gaze again to the boy – No, boy didn't do him justice, nothing quite did – Standing on the other side of the now gone battlefield. The referee gaped at the pool for a few more seconds before stuttering out, "S-S-Starmie is unable to b-battle! Since all of the G-Gym L-L-Leaders Pokemon are defeated, the ch-challenger w-wins!"
Ash nodded slightly and raised his arm out; he smiled as Pikachu jumped out of the empty pool and raced up his arm, nuzzling his cheek to his own. He then walked to where Misty was standing, "A fun battle, you did well," He bowed his head slightly.
She sighed and shook her head, "I got trounced, completely and utterly," she paused, but waiting to see if he would insist otherwise was a fruitless endeavor, "Here's your badge, the Cascade Badge."
He took it with another bow of his head before turning and leaving the gym, Brock matching him every step. Misty sighed heavily; maybe in another life she would have gone with him, maybe in another life, he would have been a normal, oblivious kid. Maybe in another life... they would have found love...
But none of those would ever be the case in this life.
(Thought about ending it here but then I realized, I am not quite that cruel)
Ash watched with a slight smile as Bagon stormed off pouting once again after being told he wasn't allowed to train once again. He snickered softly before yelping as he was driven flying forward by a large weight impacting his back. Garchomp rumbled happily as she nuzzled him, practically purring once he reciprocated. Bagon heard the commotion and his previous indignation was forgotten as he joined in on "Pile-on Ash day". Ash sighed lightly and rubbed Bagon's crest on the top of his head as he nuzzled his hand. He smiled at the two Pokemon who had been with him the longest when talking lifespans; from the moment they opened their eyes, all they knew was him. Ash loved all his Pokemon as equally as he could, but these two held a special place in his heart.
He soon decided enough was enough and asked teasingly, 'Garchomp, not that I don't love you just as much, but was there a reason behind today's assault?'
He got the mental equivalent of a nod, 'You're being stupid again. I was training by the time Bagon was this age, quite a bit before actually. Why aren't you letting him?'
Ash sighed slightly, 'I know. I just can't equate the Pokemon I see now to anything but a child... I don't want him to get hurt because he thinks that battling is all fun and games.'
'It is his choice in the end. You may as well be there to help him do it right because both you and I know that he's going to do it regardless of your permission,' Garchomp nuzzled her snout into his palm once again, 'Besides, he will be fine. He's a dragon, fighting is in his blood. Just like myself.'
Ash nodded slightly before remembering, 'That reminds me, do you wish to battle in the Gym Battles? Or the League? I realized that I haven't been giving you a chance to fight like everybody else.'
Her reaction was both unexpected and expected at the same time, 'Most assuredly not. I shall only grace opponents who are worthy of my time and presence. I may love battling, but I will only do so if I'm truly needed, if you want a certain message to be sent, or on the occasional whim. It would be...' she trailed off, seemingly too embarrassed to say anything more.
Ash stroked her head lightly as Bagon fell asleep on his other arm, 'Is something the matter? You know that I'll happily let you do anything you want.'
She closed her eyes for a few moments before looking up at him determinedly, 'I want to be a secret. To be your ace. Someday I'll reveal myself to the world as your first Pokemon and I want it to be important. I just don't think I'm ready to be a publicized freak of nature.'
Ash frowned and shifted Bagon off of his arm before hugging her head to his chest, 'I understand. I don't think you're anything but the most beautiful and most powerful Pokemon I've laid my eyes upon, but I understand that fear. When you're ready, let me know, okay?' She nodded as she nuzzled him one last time before touching her Pokeball and disappearing with a flash of light. Ash then turned to Bagon and smiled lightly before shaking him awake. The little drake yawned 'mightily' – adorably – before peering up at his 'father', his unasked question obvious. Ash picked him up and started walking towards where the rest of his Pokemon were training, "I understand you want to train, but I need you to understand; it's not going to be all fun and games. You will be pushed to your limits, sometimes far beyond them, and it will difficult. It will be painful at times. I just want to know, are you sure that this is what you want.
Bagon had been listening to Ash with rapt attention as Ash warned him of what he could be getting into, but it was a moot point. Bagon wanted to do everything he could to see his dad smile, at any costs. This would do so, therefore it was worth it. Besides, although he had said it wouldn't be all fun and games, Bagon knew that he would enjoy it. This all culminated into Ash sighing as Bagon nodded eagerly and excitedly before ruefully shaking his head with a smile, "I should have known. Very well, we can begin tomorrow. Do you want to return to your Pokeball or would you prefer to stay out?" Bagon clambered down and began walking alongside Ash, one paw gripping tightly onto his hand. Ash knew his back would be sore later on from having to stoop low enough to allow this, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
Soon enough, they were at the clearing where the rest of his Pokemon were training; he had left them here to train around Brock so that he would be assured of his friend's safety. Upon seeing him, Pikachu, Kirlia, and Pidgeotto all raced towards him shouting their names happily. Ash smiled and watched happily as they all demonstrated their progress on their moves and conditioning; Pikachu had learned Discharge from Kirlia, so now the method that they had used back at Cerulean would be even more efficient. Kirlia and Pidgeotto had focused on their agility and reflexes because they were both very agile fighters. Ash smiled softly the entire time they showed off what they had done before gently coaxing them all to eat. Brock was cooking once again, and released his Pokemon as well; a Geodude, and Onix and a Ryhorn.
Ash managed to settle his Pokemon down enough for lunch and they all ate, some more than others. Brock, in particular, was stunned at how much food Pikachu and Ash could pack down without gaining a single pound, it was absurd. They didn't take long, eating briskly, before getting back on the road, walking in comfortable silence.
It wasn't too long until both Ash and Brock heard voices to their left, someone panting as others spoke near them. They looked at each other before both walking towards the source of the noise curiously. Words and phrases were becoming clearer before the woods abruptly ended and there was a massive school in the distance while a small group of boys surrounding a boy on a treadmill. The boy running was panting and sweating profusely as he tried to answer yet another question, "What is the final evolution of Pidgey?"
"*Pant* Uh... Pidgeotto?"
The teen who asked the question shook his head condescendingly as he put his hands on his hips, "Joe, you'll never pass Pokemon Tech as pathetic as you are. If you're not going to improve, then we can't be seen studying with the likes of you; it'll ruin our image," the newly named Joe hung his head in perceived shame. Ash had seen enough and stepped forward, his boots soft on the grass. One of the five students surrounding Joe eventually noticed him and paled before frantically shaking the others. They all turned and, almost as one, paled. Ash stopped walking once he was within 5 feet of the group before making his eyes flash blue and whispering.
"Run."
It was a command that could not have been heeded faster. The five older students ran away towards what could only be the academy, stumbling the entire way. Ash ceased the act and returned to 'regular' Ash before turning back to Joe, "Why were those other students harassing you?" Brock had walked over and stood next to him, also waiting for an answer to the question.
Joe continued sweating lightly, although whether it was fear or exhaustion was impossible to tell, "They weren't harassing me! Those were my friends who were helping me study," Joe's voice had faltered off towards the end at Ash and Brock's skeptical faces.
Brock, seeing that the current conversation was an uncomfortable subject, decided to change it, "Why are you here at this, "Pokemon Tech"?"
The student perked up at a more comfortable topic of conversation, "Because its the most prestigious place of Pokemon learning in all of Kanto! If you go to the Academy, you don't even need to do the leagues to become a league-level trainer!"
Ash snorted softly, unheard by Joe, who started giving them a tour around the Academy grounds, before mentally connecting with both Pikachu and Kirlia, the former of which was on his shoulder while the latter was walking beside him, 'As if some fraudulent school could compete with real-life experience and skill.'
Brock soon brought up these very same concerns, after which Joe was quick to challenge him to a battle. Joe's Bellsprout very quickly lost to Brock's Geodude, much to Joe's confusion, "B-But I had the type advantage! By every sort of logic, I should have won..." Brock was about to go into his kind teacher-Esq persona when he was interrupted before he even began.
"You had the type advantage, but you should have realized that your opponent was the Pewter City gym leader and his Pokemon are much more experienced. You should have recognized that, but you remain an embarrassment as always," the voice belonged to a rather beautiful young teen with dark hair. Brock almost went as hormonal as he used to before remembering Ash's warning and shivering slightly and settling down. The girl practically had a mob of students behind her as she ran her eyes over the trio, her gaze lingering on Ash the most, "I'm Giselle, the top student of Pokemon Tech, and while I understand that not everyone can be blessed with my talent, gorgeous looks, and humble nature," she posed slightly, pushing out her chest slightly and swaying her hips to the side, "this is entirely unacceptable. You, Joe, have been failing and lagging behind since day 1. If you don't get your act together, then your friends are going to leave you behind."
Both Brock and Ash's faces had become as frigid as ice as they listened to this arrogant and condescending girl continue to demean and put down Joe. They were stopped from doing anything about it when she began speaking once again, "Here, out of the kindness of my own heart, I'll show you what a true battler is like. You," She pointed at Ash imperiously, "You're a trainer, yes?"
Ash smirked under the shadow of his hat, "I am."
"Well, aren't you handsome. Battle me. While you may not be able to win," she smirked condescendingly, "I'm sure that you'll put up a good enough fight that I'll be able to maybe drill some sense into this numbskull's head."
Ash let out a rare grin, "I would love to."
Joe led them to one of the Academy's battlefields and Brock took the Referee's spot, "How does a 2 on 2 sound?" Ash nodded briskly while Giselle did so with the languidness of someone sure that they would win, "Then this is a 2 on 2 battle between Giselle, representing Pokemon Tech, and Ash! Substitutions are permitted, can you both release your first Pokemon?"
Giselle took a Pokeball from her pocket and tossed it onto the battlefield, "Graveler, I choose you!" The evolved form of Geodude appeared in a flash of blue light, shouting its name in a deep, rough baritone and flexing its 4 arms.
Ash raised a single eyebrow before sighing lightly, "A shame. I had hoped for something more; Kirlia, battle stance. Don't bother moving during this fight, you won't need to," Kirlia, who had been sitting on his shoulder and swinging her crossed legs slowly, dropped down lightly and landed without a sound before walking gracefully to her place on the battlefield.
Giselle was furious, how dare this worthless peasant insinuate that she was anything but perfect? With her face slightly pink in anger, she gave her first command, not a second after Brock said to begin, "Graveller, use Dig and get under her!"
"Use Psychic to reinforce the ground around you," Kirlia's eyes glowed pink before the ground around her in a 5-foot radius glowed and matched the color of her eyes. There was a resounding thunk as Graveller tried to break up and through the ground that it would normally practically swim through, but to no avail, "Now Rain Dance," Clouds appeared over the battlefield and darkened before rain began pouring down in sheets.
Giselle was even more furious at the ease in which he stopped her Pokemon's attack, "Graveller, get out of there and then use Earthquake!" Graveller reappeared out of the hole that he had originally made and slammed all 4 of his arms into the ground, causing it to shake violently.
"Channel the vibrations around you and then Thunder," Kirlia formed a curved wall of pink energy around of her that absorbed the force and dispersed it into the air harmlessly before dissipating it and sending a massive lightning bolt at the recovering Graveller. Giselle thought herself entirely safe, due to her Pokemon's immunity to Electricity. Therefore, she was especially stunned when her Graveller roared in agony as the lightning slammed into it and sent it flying back to her feet, fainted. She stood there, shocked, even as Brock announced her Pokemon unable to battle.
"But... how..?"
Ash raised an eyebrow, "Rock and Ground types are immune to electricity due to their ability to channel and disperse it completely effectively. Water neutralizes this and renders them completely vulnerable to electricity because it acts as a conductor."
Giselle was speechless at the clinical explanation and execution of what was, to her at least, an incredibly advanced and well thought out plan. She returned her Pokemon numbly before shaking her stupor off and regaining some of her former bravadoes, "It doesn't matter. Now, my Pokemon has to beat 2 Pokemon instead of 1, that's all. Cubone, I choose you!" A small, bipedal Pokemon with a skull-like formation on its head and a bone in its hand appeared from its Pokeball and immediately settled into a fighting stance. Kirlia and Ash, unknowingly, raised their eyebrows, or the equivalent thereof, simultaneously. Giselle smiled before gesturing towards Kirlia with her hand, "Now, use Bone Rush!"
The Cubone rushed forward surprisingly quickly, but not quickly enough, "Let's wrap this up. Hold it down with Psychic." Ash's Pokemon enforced her Psychic will upon the Cubone, pinning it down in an iron grip, "Moonblast, quarter strength."
Giselle paled as dark pink energy gathered between Kirlia's hands astonishingly quickly before being shot out in what was almost an instantaneous, brief beam of energy. Cubone braced itself as best as it could, but it was not meant to be. When the explosion had cleared, Cubone was seen lying on the ground covered in bruises and dust, its eyes swirling. Ash had won without his Pokemon moving an inch from where it began. Brock, completely unsurprised, spoke up, "Cubone is unable to battle! Which means that Ash is the victor!"
Ash smiled as Kirlia practically bounced towards him from where she had stood the entire battle, asking if he was proud with only her eyes and expression. He chuckled softly and bent down to hug her softly, much to her joy. He stood up and turned towards his opponent who had fallen to her knees beside her Cubone and started crying slightly. Ash was not a person who pitied easily and he was most definitely not good at comforting others, but he decided to make his best attempt. Kneeling in front of her and reaching out a gloved hand to tilt her chin up, he made sure to speak softly enough to ensure that the students nearby wouldn't hear, "It's hard to realize that you are not as good as you once thought yourself; that you are not as perfect. However, that doesn't mean that you don't have potential, both as a person and as a trainer. I look forward to a repeat performance of this someday, I hope you'll have improved by then," Ash spoke softly and sincerely, doing his very best to comfort her despite his social ineptitude.
Giselle had listened and taken to heart everything he had said, she truly did; however, she also got her first good look at the person who had so soundly beaten her and she could honestly say that she had not seen a more beautiful and handsome man in her whole life. She flushed red, but Ash had already stood up and waved a short goodbye to both her and the other students before he could see it.
Ash grinned slightly at Brock, a gesture that was returned wholeheartedly, as they fell into step side by side. Vermillion City wasn't too far, and neither was his third Gym Badge.
AN: Good lord, was 3 in the morning as I finished this. Super tired right now. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! I rather like it, even though the beginning is a bit fragmented. Soon (Probably not as soon as I would like) we'll be in Sinnoh! Where what we all truly want awaits; the Cynthia romance! I have also almost certainly decided to cut Johto out, maybe have a time skip or all told just not have it exist. Ash will still go to Alto Mare, for sure, as he needs them legendaries (Is given absurd luck that will eventually frustrate him).
Please review! I love reading them so much and I'm always more inspired when I get them, so make sure to do so. I'm also open to PM's if you have a question or such.
I'll be posting another poll, this one on what, if any, other stories I should do while writing this one. Updates for this one may slow down a bit, but they definitely won't stop.
Anyways, cya...? I honestly don't know what to write as a goodbye, so imma just f*ck off.
