Good to see you all again! Once again, I'd like to show you guys the content that's coming along with this fic. On tumblr, you can check out the blog another-rxad to keep up with art/illustrations for the story! For this chapter, there's an illustration of Ash's battle with Paul, along with both of their older designs! Check it out, if you're so inclined!
Once more, feedback and reviews are very much appreciated! We're also up to answer questions when we post the next chapter as a Q/A if you guys have any. Hope you enjoy the action!
After a successful flight in which Charizard only got pissy with Ash once - he made a pun because he got bored and Charizard didn't find it terribly funny - Ash found himself over Veilstone City. The boy grinned as he guided towards the house he remembered as Reggie's and was mostly certain still was judging by the numerous pokemon milling around the expansive property.
The dragon landed heavily, gathering the attention of all the pokemon present. The older and more powerful of which stepped forward, regarding the dragon as a threat. Some recalled Ash vaguely and became conflicted, not knowing the meaning of this appearance. Still others assumed it was merely business as usual. Another pokemon was going to be tended to.
The only one who really bothered to come up to greet them was a little Glameow and it made the mistake of assuming that Charizard wanted to play.
Thankfully, a familiar voice called out to the normal type as Ash's eyes bulged, waiting for the dragon to grow tired of the cat's presence.
"Glameow! Mind yourself!" Reggie chided, wiping off his hands. He must have been cooking, judging by the stains on his apron. Flour and berry smears marked his sleeves as well. "Well, I'll be! If it isn't Ash Ketchum. It's been a while. Can I invite you in for some tea and cake? I'll be busy a moment, but right now I'm watching a Lopunny who lives to tend to the house, so it could get things ready while I serve everyone else their lunches."
Grinning at Reggie's ever welcoming nature, the Kanto native merely shook his head before holding out his hand to the man. "It's good to see ya, Reggie! Actually, I'm here to see Paul! I'm coming through Sinnoh before I head back to Kanto, and I wanted to have a battle with him!"
Reggie grinned. "Oh, well -"
"Hello!" came a sing-songy voice. Walking into the lot was a well-dressed madam, an impossibly small - for its species - Hippopotas trailing behind her. "Reginold!"
"That's not my name," Reggie whined, apparently happy to see the woman but already thoroughly exhausted by her youthful and lively nature.
"And, Ash!"
"...Why doesn't he get a nickname?" Reggie mumbled.
"It's so good to see you both! But, first, Reggie, my Hippowdon had the most beautiful little girl earlier this week - this is she, by the way," the mada explained, gesturing to the little darkly colored ground type. Blinking her long hippo-eyelashes, the calf was clearly rather shy. "Would you be a dear and tend to her while she gets strong? Hippowdon is fabulous with tending to eggs but she still believes once they've hatched they can keep up with her, and, well, I'd like to have that be true!" She giggled.
Reggie let out a sigh before walking over. "Right. Of course. Normal arrangement, then?" Once the Elite Four member nodded, he clicked his tongue to the little ground type. Confused, she let out a tiny squeak before walking towards Reggie. He produced a poffin and that's all it took to convince her that following the man behind the house was a good idea.
"Well! My, my, Ash, you've grown!"
Ash chuckled. "Thanks, Bertha! How've you been, by the way?" He paused. "Oh, speaking of babies…" He was a new father, after all. Releasing Rosa, the little pokemon automatically clung to Ash. It'd be a minute before she was comfortable around anyone at all.
The woman looked over his Charizard and then cast a glance at the little Riolu, muttering to herself for a moment before she answered the boy. "Or, it could be that I've shrunk… Darn you, old age… Hm? Oh, wonderfully, dear! Aaron and I have been keeping things lively, though Flint continues to argue that, upon my retirement, Volkner should become an Elite! The nerve of the boy." The woman crossed her arms. "As if I would retire!"
Ash, tickled by her fiery spirit, slipped into a sense of familiarity with the old woman. Rosa picked up on this. Though she still kept a hold of Ash, she seemed a bit more comfortable now.
"Anyway, enough about Flint's favoritism. How have you been?"
"Busy," Ash quipped, a happy tone in his voice all the same. "Oh, yeah, thanks for flying us here. Charizard, return!" Scratching Pikachu under his chin, Ash continued. "I went training on Mount Silver for a while and now I'm passing through Sinnoh. I picked up a lot of new pokemon, too. This is the newest! Her name is Rosa!" He frowned, hands on his hips. "I was hoping to get a battle with Paul…"
Bertha cooed at the baby. "Well, hello, Rosa!" The grandmother-ly old woman giggled when Rosa shyly hid behind Ash's head from where she was perched on his shoulder.
"He should actually be headed home, soon!" Reggie came in. He looked to Bertha. "I put her in the infant padlock. Kangaskhan is watching her and the other newborns." Looking at the Riolu, he figured he should offer. "Want me to babysit while you -"
Well, Rosa was a mind reader. Furiously screaming no into Ash's head, the trainer quickly declined. "No, thanks, Reggie!"
"Wonderful! Thank you, Reginald." Bertha quipped, finding it fit to leave right about now. Though, she couldn't help but find Ash's interest in challenging Paul interesting enough to stick around a little longer.
"So, what's he been up to, anyway? I remember him telling me he wanted to battle Brandon."
Frowning at the elite's nickname once more, he paused before answering Ash. "Oh, right. The rematch. Paul sought him out again and made his challenge with a clear head. This time, he managed to take down Regice, and tied with Registeel… By then, though, he'd lost all of his pokemon, too. If I recall, Brandon told him to focus on strengthening his bonds with his pokemon before coming back. So, he's been doing just that."
"Ouch… I've been there." Ash frowned, a certain sense of empathy built over the very similar circumstances for their losses. "I wonder what Paul'd do to bond with his pokemon, anyway."
"He's been focusing on training some pokemon that he caught on other journeys before he competed in the Sinnoh League… But, he's never really said why he ditched them to begin with. I know they saw less use after I lost to Brandon, and he started becoming more obsessed with power. I guess they didn't meet his criteria for being great battlers." Reggie frowned, well aware of how terrible Paul's methods and ethics from back then sounded. "But still, he never released them like he has plenty of other pokemon. I guess he was at least somewhat attached."
"Quite some questionable methods," Bertha remarked, stating the obvious. "I hope what he'd been told has made a mark on his views on being a trainer. Staying in that mindset would be unfitting for a trainer as strong as he's come to be." How did the old ground type user know? Well, she may have paid extra attention to Ash's matches during the preceding league.
"Paul's changed." Ash jumped in, stating this with utmost certainty. "Ever since we became rivals, I think we learned a lot of things from each other. Every trainer has their own way of raising pokemon. But, by getting to know each other, you can become better people, and learn even more about pokemon. By time we battled at the league, I think Paul got that, too."
"Well, then." The elder cracked a smile, clearly intrigued. "If that's the case, I'd be making a mistake in rushing to leave so soon. It'd be a real shame if I missed this kind of battle."
It was within minutes that Paul arrived. Reggie had successfully talked Bertha into sitting on the porch with a snack while Ash helped Reggie feed the pokemon their lunch.
"... Why are you all here?" Paul gruffed, slamming his hands into his pockets awkwardly. While not upset at his rival and the Elite being at his home, he was mildly confused.
"Paul, that's not how we greet people," the elder brother chided.
Frowning and furrowing his brows as he headed towards the house, the teen tried again. "Hi, everyone. What are you doing at my house?"
"I came to battle! How's it been, Paul?" Ash asked, not entirely offended by Paul's gruffness. He supposed that was just a part of the boy's nature. Besides, the more blunt they were, the quicker he got his battle! Judging by the way she clung to his shoulders, Rosa was a bit bothered, though.
"Hippowdon had another baby!" Bertha quipped as Paul headed inside.
He lingered in the doorway. "Again?" he asked, willing himself to be nice about it. She was an elder and very skilled. He had to respect her. Still, how often had she come by to drop off one of her pokemon's hatchlings?! Looking back at Ash, he paused. "... Double battles. Training. I assume the same for you?" The question was almost a threat. The guy who had given Paul so much trouble had better stay on top of his game. It'd be insulting if Ash didn't value his skills the Veilstone native decided all by himself. "... I got further with Brandon."
"I heard!" Ash crossed his arms, done helping Reggie.
Speaking of which, upon hearing his business had already been told, the younger brother shot the breeder a dirty look before grunting.
"It's not like it's a secret," Reggie mumbled as Paul went in the house.
"Aw, is he gonna sulk?!" Ash whined.
However, that didn't seem to be the case. Very soon, Paul returned with a bottle of water. "What's with the new outfit?" he inquired. "It's… bright."
"Yeah, well, you're wearing short sleeves. I didn't know you did that! You've always had on a jacket."
"Someone said I seemed standoffish with the jacket." He shrugged. "Plus, it's easier to train with my pokemon when I'm wearing… I forgot the brand, but it's good for working out." He shrugged. He still wore a similar pair of pants and shoes, but he wore only a shirt in a similar shade of blue to his jacket with likewise appropriate black detailing.
Noting that Paul opened up much more when they were discussing their pokemon, Ash supposed it would be fine to take advantage of that. "Well, this doesn't really help with training, but the red makes me feel cool!"
Blinking, Paul once again shut off conversationally. "Oh."
"... Anyway, I came to ask you for a battle!" Ash quickly recovered.
Nodding, the other trainer seemed to be fine with that. "No items, no less than three pokemon."
"That's fine! I've got four in mind, so let's do four on four! You can switch if you want."
Smirking, Paul drained the half of his water he hadn't previously gulped down. "You mean you can switch."
"... I forgot you could get like this," Ash complained. "Alright, let's get started!"
Soon enough, the two had made enough distance to the other in front of the house, eager to begin. But, not without Reggie reminding them to move far away enough from the home itself. He knew as well as anyone just how explosive that battles between the two of them could get. Rosa, realizing how lively the battle was about to get, panicked, unsure of whether she wanted to cling to Ash or rest somewhere safely. In the end, she agreed to be baby sat by Bertha, but wasn't comfortable enough for the woman to hold her. Reggie ended up finding her a blanket to essentially hide in while she waited on Ash to finish up.
But, that was what was happening on the porch. The action was in the yard.
Staring down his rival from his own vantage point, Ash grinned. The battle hadn't even begun, and his heart had already started to pound. It was no secret how difficult an opponent Paul was, and their rivalry was particularly potent. Both knew the other's battling style fairly well. However… This time Ash had something up his sleeve. Three pokemon Paul had never seen him use.
Reaching for his belt, Ash winded up before tossing a pokeball forward. "Bulbasaur! I choose you!" The sphere flew through the air, parting to let out Ash's first choice. The Seed pokemon stood on all fours, letting out a cry of his name. Spotting the trainer opposite of them, Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed. He'd heard plenty of stories during his time on the ranch; this guy was no slouch.
"A Bulbasaur?" One of Paul's prominent brows arched. That was a Kanto starter, from Pallet Town. Surely he'd had it on his roster far too long for it to still be in his first stage? "Hmph." Reminding himself that he'd probably never understand Ash's ways, he shook his head before selecting his own pokemon. He tossed the pokeball forward. "Nidoking, stand by for battle!"
The Drill pokemon appeared in its own flash of light, letting out a loud roar. Its purple tail coiled around its body, muscular arms moving about. Aggressive as ever, it was eager to battle.
Adjusting the brim of his cap, Ash started. "Let's go, Bulbasaur! Start with a Tackle attack!"
"Bulba!" The quadruped sped off, quickly stampeding across the battlefield before launching himself at Nidoking in a reckless, full-body tackle.
"...Tackle?" Once again, Paul was puzzled. "You're using a basic attack like that in a battle like this? Surely, you should know better…" As quick as the trainer had been to run his mouth, he shut up. Bulbasaur hit his target, sending Nidoking skidding back with what was clearly a remarkably powerful impact. A prolonged grunt of pain from Nidoking said that much.
"...Use Double Kick." Wonders never ceased. All the same, Nidoking took advantage of Bulbasaur's proximity, reflexively launching himself back at the small grass type. A brutal swing of his foot nailed Bulbasaur, leaving him quite vulnerable to the second that knocked him away.
Knowing his pokemon's limits well, Ash retaliated quickly. "Grab Nidoking with Power Whip!"
Still in flight, Bulbasaur shot purple-tinted vines out of his bulb, homing in on his target with remarkable ferocity. Each of them wrapped around one of Nidoking's arms, refusing to let go as he flew.
This resulted in quite the ugly wake-up call for the poison type, who suffered for the momentum he'd given Bulbasaur. Lurched violently from the ground, he was pulled along with the Seed pokemon before being dragged along the ground. Oh, that tiny bulb was going to pay for that…
"Good job! Now, follow that up with Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted, taking advantage of their momentary edge.
"Saur!" The grass type unleashed a flurry of sharp leaves, pummeling Nidoking.
Paul's lip twitched. Not his ideal start to a match. "Flamethrower!"
Still regrettably pinned to the ground, Nidoking wasted no time. Parting his mouth wide, he shot off a terrible blaze that scorched away the volley of leaves. Bulbasaur was swept up in the fire as well, his vines quickly retreating as he was blown away by the hot onslaught.
Landing on all fours, the grass type winced in pain before regaining his bearings.
"Earth Power!" Paul shouted next. He wouldn't allow Ash's pokemon time to recover.
Nidoking slammed a fist into the ground, starting a fissure that coursed through the battlefield, golden cracks of light sliding through the surface that came closer and closer to Bulbasaur.
"Use your vines to dodge it!" Ash commanded quickly, throwing a hand out to the side.
Two glowing tendrils slammed into the faltering ground below, pushing the small pokemon sky-high just as an explosion of earthly energy erupted under him. The golden burst only served to throw him higher, well out of Nidoking's range.
Or, so Ash thought, at least. "Use Double Kick!" At those kind of heights, the grass type wouldn't be able to maneuver the way he did on the ground. Paul could assume that much.
The Drill pokemon began to sprint, gaining speed before jumping upward. Leaping from below in what could only be described as a stellar feat for a Nidoking, Paul's pokemon vaulted towards Bulbasaur at a far greater speed than Ash could have anticipated. One of its legs struck out at Bulbasaur, and a second strike from its tail followed.
"Since when could a Nidoking jump like that!?" Ash gawked, disbelief etched on his features. "Paul really hasn't been messing around…" He could only watch as Bulbasaur was pummeled twice more, clearly doing his best to ignore the pain dealt out by the pokemon's powerful strikes.
Nidoking started to fall, though, gravity bringing him out of Bulbasaur's range. "Use Power Whip, and grab Nidoking again!" The vines shot out once more, grabbing hold of the pokemon's body.
Paul raised a brow. Surely, he didn't think his Bulbasaur was stronger than gravity's pull?
Indeed, Nidoking was far too heavy to be reeled back in. Bulbasaur, however, wasn't. Dragged along with the Horn pokemon towards the ground, he was never too far from his opponent.
"Now, swing on around, and hit Nidoking with Tackle!"
A shift of the Seed pokemon's weight threw him to the side of Nidoking, who did its best to swipe at Bulbasaur as he came by. Drawing his vines in, he ran with the momentum built by the pull to crash into Nidoking's side. A bit disorienting, but very satisfying, given the displeased cry from Nidoking. With any luck, that'd done significant damage.
"Reckless." Paul chided, then shouted out to Nidoking. "Grab Bulbasaur, now!" Ash's unorthodox and reckless strategies wouldn't go unpunished. Not when he was his opponent.
An angrier cry left the armored pokemon as he grabbed hold of Bulbasaur, securing him tightly in an iron, taloned grip. What's more, it was held upside down, leaving him effectively defenseless.
"Now, Thunderbolt!"
Harsh punishment followed. Bulbasaur croaked and shrieked as hundreds of volts of electricity shot through his system. Golden light endured through the pain, fading to leave a singed starter. Black wisps of smoke trailed from his form.
But, Ash knew just how hardy his pokemon were. Bulbasaur had been with him nearly since the very beginning, and prided himself on being hardy. Grinning, he threw a finger forward. "Now, Bulbasaur! Hit him with a full-on Leaf Storm!"
Bulbasaur's eyes shot open, glazed red eyes regaining focus. Before his adversary could think to distance itself, Bulbasaur cried out loudly, pummeling the Horn pokemon with a brilliant, verdant succession of shining leaves. The flurry sent Nidoking sliding backwards across the battlefield, allowing Bulbasaur to right himself on all fours. Under quite a bit of duress, the Seed pokemon panted. At the very least, he'd earned himself a moment of rest.
Nidoking had been brought to its knees, doing its best to recover after being thoroughly winded by the point-blank attack. Much to Paul's dismay, of course. He knew every bit as well as Ash how vital this resting time was. Growing impatient, he threw a hand aside. "Use Earth Power! Rapid fire."
Knowing full well that Paul didn't tolerate weakness among his roster, the poison type righted itself, letting out a mighty roar. Raising a fist, it conjured golden light between its claws before slamming them into the ground. The ground below them fractured, roughly half a dozen splits spreading along the already scarred battlefield. The usual golden light followed, heralding what could soon be quite the disaster for Ash and Bulbasaur.
"An attack like that's gonna put us in serious trouble!" Ash gawked at the impressive assault, only momentarily stumbling before speaking up. "Start dodging, Bulbasaur! You can do it!"
Indeed, the Seed pokemon was remarkably acrobatic for his species. Springing out of the way of the first explosion, he launched off his hind legs to avoid the next. Flashy golden explosions followed each of his leaps and turns, growing closer and closer to him with each succession.
The grass type hovered over the last mine of energy, eyes wide as it awaited certain doom.
Heart racing, Ash jumped to a quick solution. "Use Power Whip to bounce outta there!"
Glowing vines shot out of Bulbasaur's back, slamming into the unstable ground below. With a push of the impressive tendrils, he was launched forward just in time to escape a last brilliant surge of energy that fired out of the ground. Resenting the deafening boom, he landed.
"Flamethrower!" Paul added, not giving the small pokemon a moment to rest.
Nidoking opened its maw, spewing forward a brilliant, hot flame. This match was over.
Or, at least they thought it was. "Use Leaf Storm, quick!" Ash barked, throwing a hand up.
"Saur!" It cried, raising its bulb to unleash another flurry of glowing leaves.
"Leaf Storm?" Paul quirked a brow. "What's he up to? It doesn't stand a chance here."
"...Now, turn it right up!" The trainer amended. The leaves then took an upward path, turning all eyes on the shining twister. Flamethrower continued on, lighting the tail of the Leaf Storm attack ablaze. Red heat began to consume the verdant green, following the cycle and singeing its components along the way. Meanwhile, Leaf Storm grew closer and closer to Nidoking.
It took until then for Paul to realize just what Ash was doing. "Nidoking! Dodge that!"
Try as he might, though, he just wasn't quite fast enough. Leaf Storm's brilliant energy was eaten up by the Horn pokemon's own flames, making the attack only grow greater as it followed its elemental prey, forcing it to consume Nidoking itself.
Flames bathed and curtained the poison type, forcing Paul to guard himself from the heat. Soon enough, though, the hot veil vanished. Nidoking lie against the blackened ground, trailing gray wisps of smoke. With swirls in his eyes, the powerful pokemon had definitely been knocked out.
"Nidoking is unable to battle!" Bertha called, raising a hand. "The first round goes to Ash."
"Return." Paul grimaced, returning his pokemon in a flash of light. The urge to reprimand his pokemon was strong, but he refrained. "We'll work on improving you later," he compromised.
"You were awesome, Bulbasaur!" Ash gushed, more than proud of the Kanto starter. Though, he didn't miss the pokemon's panting. It'd been through a rough match, for sure.
"Bulbasaur, return!" Ash gained the attention of all of those around him, absorbing the grass type in a flash of light. "Take a good rest for now." He beamed down at the pokeball, placing it back on his belt. "Now… I'll choose you! Wartortle!" The second ball was tossed forward.
"War! Wartortle!" The second stage pokemon appeared, quickly recognizing the plum-haired boy from various descriptions. The venomous at worst, indifferent at best expression said it at all. Oh, this was going to be fun. Reaching into his own shell, Wartortle pulled out a pair of pointed sunglasses, donning them before pointing towards Paul. "Wartortle!" The big boss of the Squirtle Squad boasted. He was going to show this dude what Ash's team was really made of!
"Your Wartortle's got a lot of confidence," Paul noted, reaching for his own pokeball. "I'll be sure to bring that down a notch. Milotic! Stand by for battle!" The sphere was tossed forward.
Shimmering wet scales in the brightest, most brilliant of hues decorated the Milotic which formed before Paul. The creature was clearly muscular yet lithe - serpentine and decidedly vicious judging by the way it clicked her little mouth at Wartortle, a silent warning as elegant as a dagger polished and poised before the strike. Yet, the water type's ferocious nature was momentarily thrown to the wind. "Milo!" She sang, twisting around to face Paul. She slithered over, resting her heavy head on Paul's shoulder whilst the rest tried to wrap around him.
"No! We're battling!" the trainer chided, pushing his Hoenn catch off himself. "If you don't battle, I'm leaving you with Reggie forever!"
That got the Milotic to straighten up. Feelings hurt, she sulked before slithering onto the field. When she gathered herself, she glared across to Wartortle. If she needed to defeat this stranger to keep Paul's attention, so be it.
"Wow," Ash muttered. The Milotic acted with Paul a little bit like how Meganium acted with him. "Alright! Wartortle, let's start off with Rapid Spin!" The turtle retreated to his shell, launching from his position to threaten the sea serpent with a sturdy, spinning armor.
Paul stayed silent, allowing Wartortle to strike and send skidding the loyal Milotic. However, as soon as the attack ended, Milotic rose, looking bruised, but unphased.
"Aqua Ring." A smirk worked its way onto Paul's face as the shimmering blue sphere was formed around Milotic. Mist washed over her form, starting to heal the water type already.
Ash's eyes bulged. "Crap. That's gonna add time to the battle. We'll just have to hit harder! Wartortle, use Ice Beam to try to freeze Milotic in there!"
"Hardly! Milotic, Water Pulse!" Paul retorted.
As Wartortle's Ice Beam jetted forward, it was met with a free rush of water. The two moves met violently, sending a blistering rush of icy wind in all directions and thin shards of ice after the wind. Both pokemon kept intense eye contact, neither impressed with the work of their moves against a strong opponent, yet neither willing to admit this disappointment.
"Milotic is the clean-up crew. I hope your Wartortle has some stamina, or I'll be insulted you went against us with it." Raising his hand, Paul pointed forward, indicating where Milotic's next attack was to go. "Twister!"
A beautiful cry from the terrifying creature summoned a small tornado, approaching the opponent. The dragon type attack ripped towards Wartortle, picking up the turtle and tossing it about in the air.
"Rapid Spin!" Ash decided, hoping it would allow Wartortle to endure the attack and perhaps free him from it.
And, lo and behold, it did. Spinning with the Twister attack, Wartortle was freed earlier than expected, flying freely in the air briefly.
Ash decided to take advantage of this. "Skull Bash!"
"Water Pulse." A certain calm had come over Paul; an assurance, almost.
Wartortle pressed through the Water Pulse, a roaring boom blasting out from where it broke through the wall of pulsating water. Dizzied but not deterred, Wartortle continued on, rocketing down until he broke through even Milotic's veil of water, breaking her concentration momentarily to destroy her Aqua Ring.
Disoriented, but not too terribly injured, Wartortle smugly smirked at Milotic who bore its fangs and hissed.
"Toxic." Paul was still unbothered, and called the attack as if he were sealing the match with it.
"What?! No! Wartortle, Iron Defense, Iron Defense!" Ash called.
It was a gamble, and he'd only theorized about it working before after earlier experiences with steel types and poison types, but now he had to see if it really would work. This wasn't how he really wanted to test it… but what better way to get a real result than a real battle?
Barely in time, Wartortle retreated into its shell and coated itself in a thick layer of metal. As soon as the Toxic attack splashed down on it… nothing happened.
Frustration was evident in Milotic's demeanor. "Mil!" It spat again. "Lotic! Lotic lotic lotic! Lotic!" Its pitch and volume increased until it was just washing Wartortle over in waves of poisonous liquid. Yet, as long as Wartortle remained withdrawn into his metal coated shell, he was safe.
"That's enough." The gruff had returned to Paul's voice. "Use Twister. If Wartortle won't come out, we'll make it regret staying in."
Ash gritted his teeth. Wartortle was already confused. The Twister would only make things worse! "Wartortle, come out and use Rapid Spin again!"
Maneuvering his way out of the Twister as best he could, Wartortle landed on wobbly feet. He'd only last for so much longer.
Ash furrowed his brows. They had to finish this quickly. "Wartortle! Ice Beam!"
"Water Pulse!"
Again, the two moves collided and the explosion of ice crystals covered the yard.
"Skull Bash!"
Paul frowned. What was Ash planning? "Aqua Ring."
Though it tumbled back, Milotic remained covered in its healing water after forming it and being hit by Wartortle.
A faint smile crossed Ash's lips. "Gotcha."
Paul's eyes bulged, realizing exactly what Ash was going for. "Blow it away with Twister!"
"Ice Beam!" Ash cried, thrill filling his heart.
As ice trumped dragon, the Twister fizzled out before it even really started as the Ice Beam overwhelmed it. Strong as he was, Wartortle's ice reached further, trapping Milotic in its own Aqua Sphere.
"Let's finish with Skull Bash!" the trainer encouraged.
"War!" As it was commanded, so it was done. The impact was not only enough to shatter the ice tomb of Milotic, but also enough to knock it out.
Paul huffed. "...It's my own fault for not using you as often as I should, I suppose. You need more work outs. Bad." Well, it wasn't exactly praise, but Milotic seemed to hear it even in her sleep as the serpentine water type smiled subconsciously. "... Pathetic." Was he talking about Milotic's affectionate nature or the fact he was okay with the pokemon being that eager to do as he said and heed his orders?
Regardless, it was time for the next round.
"Awesome job, Wartortle!" Ash praised, doing a double take when the tortoise lacked his usual enthusiasm. Breathing heavily, as well as wobbling about a bit, the water type answered with a curt recital of his name and a smirk. Doing his best as ever to look hardy, he refused to admit his fatigue.
Of course, Ash knew better. "You've done an awesome job. Come back for now!" Holding out a pokeball, he recalled the mid-stage starter, only to be greeted with Paul's next pokemon.
"I hope you're ready." Paul warned, calling on his next choice. "Torterra! Stand by for battle!"
"Terra!" The Continent pokemon cried loudly, towering over Ash and Pikachu. Oh, it was these two again. The large tortoise grinned, taunting the duo verbally. This was going to be fun.
"Torterra, huh… This is gonna be good." Ash couldn't help but smile, however nervous he felt. Out of all of their matches, Torterra was one pokemon he'd never been able to beat. Something told him that he was Paul's starter pokemon, and quite possibly, his strongest.
"We're gonna have to give it everything we've got. Bulbasaur, you're up again!"
"Bulba!" The Seed pokemon cried, staring up at his larger grass type counterpart.
"Torterra, Energy Ball!" Paul elected to start this round. A brilliant, verdant orb conjured in the pokemon's mouth, launching forward. Dust kicked up in its wake, showcasing its power.
"Bulbasaur, Power Whip! Stop that Energy Ball right in its tracks!"
Both of the pokemon's vines shot outward, ambushing the mass of energy. Glowing brightly, they shot inward for a pincer attack. The Energy Ball was neutralized, vanishing in smoke.
"If we're gonna win this, we'll have to take the offensive…! Bulbasaur, Leaf Storm!"
"Bulba!" Another cry preceded a powerful twister of leaves, pummeling Torterra.
Paul seemed unphased. "Torterra, Stone Edge!" A barrage of sharp rocks flew forward.
Ash grit his teeth. That would be an issue. "Use your Power Whip, Bulbasaur! Counter Shield!"
"Saur!" Both of his vines shot upward, lashing about before moving in a speedy, purple-laced trail that nearly became a blur as the rocks approached. Something of a twister of vines lashed out at every projectile, crushing each to rubble as they came by. The attack was nullified.
Paul, then, couldn't help but smile to himself. "You can be so predictable. Frenzy Plant!"
A loud, earth-shaking roar came from Torterra, preluding what was to come. A mighty stomp of its forelegs rocked the ground below them, parting the battlefield with a myriad of thick, spiky roots. Bulbasaur, busy with his lashing vines, was wholly unprepared as he was smacked and pummeled by the roots. Suffering under the radical power of the move, he was sent sky-high.
"Hang in there, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted, hands cupped around his mouth. "After Frenzy Plant, Torterra won't be able to move… That way, he won't be able to counter us! Use Power Whip!"
"Bulbasaur!" Gathering the last of his might, the grass starter shot his vines outward, attempting to pummel Torterra with them. Surely at this distance, they could get away with that move!
...Or, not. Not if Paul had anything to say about it, that was. "Let them come. Then, use Crunch!"
Torterra wasn't able to recover quick enough to avoid a smack to the face with the vines. It was quick enough, however, to clasp down upon them once they'd hit. Hearing a hiss of pain from Bulbasaur, Torterra took that as enough of a signal to pull on the vines, yanking Bulbasaur out of the air… And right back towards his trainer.
Ash had the breath knocked out of him, unfortunately reminiscent of all of Lucario's punches to the gut. Skidding back from the incredible force dealt out by Torterra, Ash refused to let go of his own pokemon. Letting out a huff, he peered down at the grass type in his arms.
Swirly eyes said it all. Bulbasaur had been knocked out.
"That was dirty and you know it!" Ash barked before thanking Bulbasaur and heaving himself up.
"But, was it a legal move?" Paul snapped back, displaying a sort of biting wit Ash had been previously only vaguely aware he possessed.
Bertha, standing in as referee for this match, hummed before frowning. "Unfortunately, it is very legal. I've got a back doctor who's been loyal to me since I was a little girl and he keeps insisting that throwing a pokemon at their trainer should be grounds for disqualification, but the League still allows it. You should see some of the matches between Cynthia and Lucian when he's been mouthy! Garchomp does enjoy launching things, wahahaha!"
Ash frowned deeply. "And, I thought Kanto just had loose and weird rules for battles…"
"Oh, no, by far, Kanto and possibly either the Orange Islands or Hoenn are reportedly the -"
"Are we battling or talking!?" Paul reminded the chattering duo.
"Right. Okay, Wartortle, this is all you!" He hoped, anyway. With Wartortle's ability to make speedy escapes and perhaps freeze Torterra, they might be able to overcome the brutal beating Milotic had doled out. "Ice Beam!" Ash commanded as soon as the water type materialized once more.
"Stone Edge, shield style."
Though Wartortle was quick, Torterra's connection with the earth around Reggie's home was almost as old as the pokemon itself. As such, the soil responded quickly, producing massive stones to shield the grass type from the Ice Beam. Soon, Torterra launched them.
"Rapid Spin and Iron Defense!" Ash called.
Twirling, Wartortle was unharmed but thoroughly tossed around as it was battered by slick, ice-sheeted stones. Upon exiting its shell, it was clear that the fading effects of confusion the Milotic had imposed were returning thanks to the violent spinning.
"War… tortle…" It looked like it might be on the verge of getting sick.
"Oh, boy," Ash mumbled. Then, he braced himself. This was no time to be getting worried. "Skull Bash!" If Paul wanted to play in the dirt, Ash would just smash right through it.
"This is stupid," the plum haired trainer growled. "Torterra, Energy Ball!"
As Energy Ball was less of a solid than Stone Edge by far, instead of bursting the bubble, Wartortle's Skull Bash instead sent it into the heart of the move. Drenched in grassy energy, the water type flailed in pain before the move was dispersed.
"Finish it with Frenzy Plant," Paul said dismissively.
Still catching his breath from the Energy Ball fiasco, Wartortle was perfectly prone to being covered by the roots, disappearing from sight for a moment.
Ash only went white knuckled, waiting impatiently for his pokemon to return to his sights… and when the turtle did, it was out cold.
"You did your best. Thank you, Wartortle. Return."
"Don't you have anything else up your sleeve? Or, is Torterra going to have to clean up the rest of your team?" Paul slipped a hand into the pocket of his slacks, feigning boredom. While both of Ash's pokemon shown so far were rather impressive, particularly for their evolutionary stage, he had no plans to admit that, yet. Besides, goading Ash was an easy way to get him to battle more aggressively.
"We're just getting started!" Ash didn't give the appearance of flying off the handle. He had to admit, though, his heart was pounding. With its usual stamina and power, Torterra was truly a beast to deal with. If he wasn't careful, Paul's boasting may very well come true. Grinning, he pointed forward. "Alright, Pikachu! It's your turn! Let's show them how strong we are, now!"
"Pika-Pikachu!" The electric mouse vaulted off of Ash's shoulder, landing on all fours. A smirk was fitted on his small, curved lips, excitement building as he stared down Paul's own signature pokemon. Due to Torterra's overwhelming type advantage, Ash had never allowed them to face off before. Now, though, they'd gotten much stronger. He was eager for this.
"Let's go, Pikachu! Quick Attack!"
"Ka!" Silver light trailed the mouse's body as he launched, making a jagged, but rapidly diminishing path towards Torterra. He wasn't quite as sturdy, but he would upset that with speed.
"Stone Edge!" Paul called out. Another wall of sharpened earth was conjured into existence, throwing itself in the mouse's path. However fast he was, escaping this would be tedious.
"Use Thunderbolt, and blow 'em away!"
Still dashing, Pikachu let out an ample dose of his electricity, unleashing brilliant bolts every which way that blasted the stones to smithereens, leaving nothing between Pikachu and Torterra. Having cleared the distance in the meantime, the mouse launched forward like a rocket, slamming his forehead into Torterra's.
Though its body was tough as the mountain that grew atop its back, the Continent pokemon's skull was still susceptible to a meager headache that the collision dealt out. It grunted in pain.
"Iron Tail! Launch yourself back!" Ash knew all too well how dangerous it was to stay within close range of one of Paul's pokemon. There was no chance he'd resign Pikachu to that fate.
Twisting his hips, Pikachu continued his assault. A brilliant light overtook the extremity, creating a painful, jagged hammer that smacked into Torterra's head, launching Pikachu quite a distance.
"You've learned a little," Paul admitted, mildly impressed. Ash had tended to fall into his traps before, one time after the next. This time, he knew better. "It won't save you. Frenzy Plant!"
Eyes locked on Pikachu's shrinking form, Torterra retaliated. Once more, the ground beneath the battlefield tore, breaking away from the deadly roots that shot upward, aiming to smash and ensnare Pikachu.
"Pikachu, look out! Use Quick Attack, back to back! Move between 'em to get to Torterra!"
Falling towards the hellpit of thorny plants, Pikachu could feel his heart rattle his tiny ribcage. Allowing himself an extra burst of speed, he swung onto the highest, nearest root to him before grabbing onto its spineless end. Flipping to avoid its wrath, he launched himself onto the next with his speedy prowess. Bouncing between one plant to the next, he was finding himself avoiding their brutal strikes by mere seconds.
"What speed!" Paul marveled. Pikachu had certainly improved since their last match.
Soon, though, he seemed to be out of luck. One large root was right in his path, ready to swing and knock the small electric type senseless. Busy with his dodging, he'd had little time to notice.
Ash was the first to notice. "Quick, Pikachu, duck! Land on the ground, and keep going!"
Quickly throwing his head backward and belly up, the mouse was only grazed by one of the many thorns, the sting of a cut along his belly gone unnoticed in the flood of sheer relief. Going on to land, he sprinted out of the way of another, finally clearing the air between him and his opponent. He took this opportunity to leap up high, ready and eager to attack Torterra.
The latter, on the other hand, panted, winded from the continuous assault on his tiny target. The roots had already begun to sink back into the ground, giving up on their apparently futile attempts to ensnare Pikachu. For the moment, the large tank of a pokemon was helpless.
And, Ash wasn't about to let that opportunity slip through his fingers. He punched upward, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Now's your chance, Pikachu! Spin and use Iron Tail!"
"Chuaaa…!" Pikachu built up his cry, tumbling in from above in a small yellow ball that was quickly surrounded by a spinning, silver blur. "Pika!" He cried, slamming down his steely tail upon Torterra's head. He lingered, putting every bit of pressure on the other he could muster.
In this case, patience truly was a virtue. "Now, Torterra, Energy Ball!"
Despite the ringing headache, the large pokemon had recovered from his fatigue. Intent on removing that pesky mouse from atop his skull, he parted his mouth wide. A shining green orb formed quickly enough, fired at point-blank range. A booming explosion consumed the two.
A cry of pain followed as Pikachu was launched from the brutal flash, sent flying back towards his trainer. Letting out a high-pitched growl, he skidded across the dirt before righting himself.
Ash frowned. "Even after that, Torterra still looks like it's hanging in there… This isn't lookin' good. We have to watch our every move, and it'll take forever to take it down." The reality of the situation was starting to sink in. This settled it. "I really wanted to save this guy for last… But I guess I don't have any choice! Pikachu, come back!"
Looking back to his trainer, the mouse nodded. He still had plenty of stamina, but his gut feeling told him that Ash was making the right call. Returning to his trainer's side, he waited.
"Charizard, I choose you!"
As the temperamental fire type materialized, Ash clutched the brim of his cap before turning it backwards. Paul wanted to see him get fired up? Well, it was time to ignite.
The Flame pokemon roared loudly, at once recognizing its opponent and slamming his thick tail onto the ground to punctuate his threat.
Torterra, likewise agitated and stirred by its new opponent, clacked its beak.
"This is still fine," Paul taunted. "Stone Edge."
"Steel Wing!"
Taking to the air, Charizard's massive form would prove too large to actually dodge all of those boulders. However, the vast majority were destroyed or battered back down by metal coated wings. With the field hazards eliminated, the fire type made a dive for Torterra to dole out direct damage.
"Crunch."
Charizard fell for it. Though its wings beat ferociously onto Torterra's shell, the huge neck of the Kanto starter was trapped in Torterra's mouth. It was a critical hit and left Charizard completely vulnerable. To literally have your throat in your enemy's mouth… what a situation!
And, yet, Ash would make the best of it. "Flamethrower!"
A bath of fire washed over Torterra, purging its resolve and letting its hold on Charizard loosen enough to where the flying type could flee back to the skies, rubbing his neck angrily. The match just got personal.
Paul frowned. Torterra probably had one, maybe two, Frenzy Plants left in him, no matter how many supplements Paul provided the grass type previously. A move could only be used so many times, after all. So, he'd have to make this count. "Stone Edge!"
"Steel Wing!" If Paul was going to open up this chance again, Ash would take it.
Paul gritted his teeth, patiently waiting as Charizard once again overcame Stone Edge and swooped lower. "Frenzy Plant! Hold it down!"
Shock registered in both Ash's face and Charizard's as the roots reached and pulled the fire type down, trapping it.
"Fire Spin!" Trap for trap, Ash wasn't letting Paul keep the advantage. Charizard was more than willing to comply, twisting his head in an arc that whipped up a smoldering tornado of fire.
Torterra let out a surprisingly shrill cry as it became trapped in the flames.
Paul frowned. They were out of those two moves. Now, they had to hope the Torterra could move faster than Ash could get Charizard to respond. "Crunch!"
Rushing forward, it was clear where Torterra was aiming. Only Charizard's head and neck were exposed from the Frenzy Plant, after all!
"Bad move, Paul! Flamethrower, Charizard!"
Despite moving quick enough to send tremors through the yard, the ground type could not out pace Charizard's maw. A river of flames surged forth, mixing with the Fire Spin before engulfing Torterra. Before the flames even receded, the Frenzy Plant did, telling all present what they needed to know before it could be seen.
Or, so they would have assumed.
Trembling, terribly injured, but still determined to battle, stood Torterra. "Tor… Torterra!"
"I need you for later. Take a break," Paul commanded, returning his most likely favorite pokemon. "However, Jynx can standby for battle!"
Lacking any of the charm or grace its species was supposed to possess, this Jynx seemed all business. Indeed, if Electivire possessed all of Paul's thirst for action and Magmortar was his hardy nature, then this Jynx captured his passive, intense persona fully in her passive, judgemental, purple face.
"...What's he got planned?" Ash muttered to himself. Might as well take the bait to see where this might go. "Fire Spin!" Not too strong, just in case this backfired. Charizard did as told.
"Psychic."
Though most Jynx came across as beautiful divas, this one took on a decidedly more powerful personality. More witch than show woman, she captured her enemy's flames and made them her own before casting the embers back at Charizard.
Hissing lowly, but not terribly damaged by the fire, Charizard was made aware of what kind of danger they were facing at the moment.
The Jynx would return blow for blow.
"I'm going to ground your Charizard, Ash," the Sinnoh native ominously explained, crossing his arms and tensing as he spoke. "Jynx, Hail."
Raising her hands to the sky and flicking her wrists, Jynx summoned a blanket of clouds which soon rained down thick, heavy chunks of ice. The field became shrouded in mist as well as hail.
Charizard belched flame at the ice. It was no good. There was simply too much coming down to help him.
"Hey! You're cleaning this up, after!" Reggie yelled out. "I've got baby grass types in this week!"
"..." A bit embarrassed, but still focused on the match, Paul waited to see what Ash would do.
"Okay, Charizard, we're gonna try Steel Wing!"
"Barrier!" Paul commanded.
When Charizard broke through something, Ash realized they'd broken through the Barrier. Nice!
"Barrier! Barrier! Barrier! Barrier!"
Ash grinned madly, listening to the sweet sound of twinkling as the invisible Barriers were broken until the fire type made contact with Jynx. Flying away whilst the witchy psychic type recovered, Ash listened intently as Paul ordered another Barrier. The psychic type's defense wasn't all that great. Maybe he was getting desperate?
He'd never seen Paul desperate, though. Losing, yes, and pissy on occasion, but desperate? The teen was too proud for that.
"Psychic, toss it!" Paul commanded.
As Charizard was thrown through the air thanks to Jynx's Psychic hold, the same twinkling from before could be heard.
Ash's eyes widened. Jynx was throwing Charizard into her Barriers.
They had to finish this. "Charizard, you gotta break out of that! Use Dragon Tail to make it let go!"
Thrashing violently, a brilliant indigo glow shimmered over Charizard's tail. Eventually, the light blue of Jynx's hold was released. Flying freely, the fire type made clear its displeasure with being thrown about like a rag doll by belching a jet of flame into the empty air.
"Save it for the Flamethrower!" Ash insisted.
Snorted, the dragon obeyed before diving down, going to give Jynx a face full of flame, himself.
"Ice punch!"
Charizard rolled his eyes and kept up the flames, unable to see much more than the huge yellow hair of his opponent. He supposed the strange sounds were her faint wails, drowned out by his own attack. However, it would only be when Ash was shouting warnings, telling him to pull up - hardly! He was making this a dramatic finish! - when he realized what that noise was.
Jynx was throwing punch after punch, each melting but protecting her for seconds. As Charizard ran out of air space and breath - he would have breathed another, if what was happening had not happened - Jynx jabbed upward, catching the dragon's jaw. She leapt to the side, dodging the fallen fire type.
Dropping Charizard with a well-placed Ice Punch, the raw power behind the psychic was evident.
"You've kept that southpaw of yours strong," Paul praised, a rarity to hear. Yet, Jynx did not react beyond a passive hum of acknowledgement.
Ash grunted. "Thanks, Charizard… This is why we work as a team, though," Ash lamented. If he'd pulled up, they could have avoided that. Then again, Jynx could have just as quickly used the Barriers to exploit Psychic. He needed someone smaller. Which made his next choice perfect!
"Alright, Pikachu, let's try again! Start us off with Electro Ball!"
"Pika!" the mouse agreed, running onto the field before twisting his hips, producing and launching a sphere of bundled shocking power right at Jynx! For her part, she reacted beautifully. Without being told, she erected a Barrier. Pity was, she was simply a lot slower than Pikachu. Some of the Electro Ball was shaved off, but most of it was just so fast it darted right past the Barrier.
"... Psychic, on the Hail." Considering his options, Paul knew he needed to bide for a moment. Whilst Pikachu was busy dodging the manipulated ice-stones, the Sinnoh native thought ahead.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail to send them back!" Ash encouraged.
"Pikachu!" Though not all the hailstones were able to be vollied back, those that were didn't do enough damage to entirely justify the move. The movement made him a harder target, and Iron Tail did fully block what came its way.
"Take to the sky with Barriers." Pikachu wouldn't be able to follow, Paul theorized, and from there they could take the battle any way they wanted.
The Hail returned to its normal frequency as Jynx climbed an invisible spire, escaping into the air above the battlefield.
"Don't let her get away!" Ash encouraged. If she got too high above them, she might just might bring down that whole Hail storm with her Psychic like an improvised Avalanche.
However, when Pikachu tried to climb the spires after her, not missing a step, he found a wall was also waiting for him. She didn't intend to let him follow at all, judging by her icy glare.
"Stay up there… and move the Barriers you've made with Psychic to trap him."
"Oh, no you don't! Pikachu, use Quick Attack to get out of there!"
Thankfully, when Jynx was moving the Barriers, they glowed blue. Pikachu bound off each of these, getting himself a little higher in each turn… but there came a stopping point. Eventually, his momentum fell and he hit an invisible platform. He was trapped inside Jynx's Barrier box.
Gritting his teeth, Ash tried to puzzle this one out.
"Jynx, start gathering up the storm. Once it's all held, flood it into the Barriers."
"Not so fast!" Ash cockily shouted. "Pikachu, let's use Counter Shield!"
The mouse at once agreed, spinning vigorously and whipping up an electrical current that was sure to do damage… if only the Barriers Jynx was using didn't have properties similar to glass.
Paul couldn't help but smugly grin as the mouse let out a squeal of pain. The Counter Shield had backfired big time. "There's no escape from those Barriers. Pikachu's too small. If he uses Iron Tail to drop down, the Hail storm will swallow him up. Forfeit."
"I'm gonna wipe the floor with you and your copycat Jynx, just for being too sure of yourselves!" Still, Ash was trying to figure out something else. "... Hey! Pikachu! Use Electro Ball! Just trust me! Then, use Quick Attack to stay out of its way!"
"... Pika." Unsure what Ash had planned, his forever partner obeyed, sending off a ricocheting ball of electric energy. As it bounced around and almost collided with Pikachu, he used Quick Attack to dodge. Soon, there were two yellow blurs in the box, Pikachu barely outpacing the Electro Ball.
Jynx's expression grew puzzled. Were… the Barriers buckling?
Just as she was about to remove one of the Barriers to slide in all the hailstones she'd gathered to throw at Pikachu, the Barrier nearest her burst. Following it was Pikachu.
"Alright, let's use Thunderbolt!"
"Drop the Barriers, put them between the two of you!"
As Jynx's Barrier began descending, the others formed a shield between her and Pikachu's current. It was all for naught. Though the Barriers were glass-like, they were not true glass. Between the raw power of Pikachu's Thunderbolt and the blistering heat they presented after being chilled by Jynx's Hail, it was no wonder they burst. Glimmering in the midday sun now that the Hail storm was dispersed, Pikachu fell, using them as stepping stones to the ground.
"Counter Shield, Pikachu! Let's trap her!"
Listening as soon as he touched down on the ground, and the Barrier shards disappeared just as easily as they'd appeared, Pikachu raced around Jynx. She kept her remaining Barrier, waiting.
Paul frowned. All that telekinetic energy she'd just used up - would that leave her with enough energy to throw Pikachu? He couldn't risk it. He'd have to wait and see what Ash did while she recovered some of her stamina.
"Now! Use Iron Tail!"
With Jynx thoroughly disoriented, Pikachu moved in for the finishing blow.
"Ice Punch!"
Barely swinging around in time, one fist was raised to punch Pikachu, while the rest of Jynx was shielded by her remaining Barrier. Pikachu's wide, flat, metallic Tail laid across them both, bearing down heavily with all his tiny might.
And, with time, Jynx's fist gave and her Barrier cracked.
"Pika!" came the electric type's triumphant cry as the ice-witch slid back, her shattered Barrier disappearing around her. Though heavily breathing, the mouse seemed to have stamina left to him. Which was good, considering Paul had one last, though heavily fatigued, pokemon left.
"Still too difficult to read," Paul berated. It was impossible to work with her. She was too similar to himself, unable to communicate - though, Paul would not be insightful enough to make that particular observation.
"Torterra, standby for battle!"
"Oh boy," Ash muttered, chuckling a bit. "Well, Pikachu, let's see if we can finish this off quick… It should be easy to outpace these big Ursaring-looking jokers!"
His taunt didn't go unanswered. "Watch it, shrimp."
"Who are you calling a shrimp?! You're my height!"
Not bothering to respond to what was now true, Paul focused on the battle. "Torterra, use Frenzy Plant!" Surely there was one left in his starter… And, lo and behold, there was.
The ground was already torn and it parted easily once more for the gnarled roots which Torterra summoned.
As the roots rushed for Pikachu, Ash quickly assessed the situation. "Alright, Pikachu! Let's jump! Use Iron Tail but with Thunderbolt!" Hm, that sounded kind of lame… Too wordy. "It's Iron Storm! That's what we'll call it."
Declining to pester his trainer on his need to name every single technique - it did make things quicker, though - the mouse merely obeyed. As he swung down, the initial slice of his blade-like tail cut down the swiftest root. The rest were fried, burnt by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Some of the loose earth was thrown as well, reminiscent of Electivire's technique to exploit the ground with its twin tails.
Snarling, these scattered rocks seemed to finally push Torterra to his limits. A bright green glow overtook the creature and his foliage suddenly grew. His Overgrow ability was very much so activated.
Paul snorted, refusing to let out a proper sigh of relief. "Energy Ball!"
"Quick Attack and Iron Tail! Let's hit it out of the park!" Ash enthused, feeling confident again. Both trainers assumed they had just received a second wind, a chance at victory…
But, as soon as Pikachu's sped up Iron Tail collided with the Energy Ball, it exploded in a violent, lime-colored burst of energy, goo, and the scent of fresh cut grass.
"Wonderful," Reggie moaned. At least he had some bug types on the place today that would happily clean off the yard for him.
Silently, Rosa dashed off the porch, going to stand by Ash and cling to his pants' leg.
"Truly! I think it was a tie, though!" Bertha happily chattered. As the dust and shimmer of the burst Energy Ball settled, it could be plainly seen that it was in fact what Bertha assumed. Pikachu had somehow managed to land on top of Torterra's tree, both of them out cold. "Well, it was a good battle, boys, but there are no winners here today! Or, you both are! However you want to look at it!" She paused. Ash seemed rather pleased, retrieving Pikachu from Torterra's branches and praising him. Paul, however, merely kneeled down beside Torterra, whispering something to the huge tortoise before returning him, nary a smile to be seen. Deciding it was appropriate to comment on this, she walked over. "Paul!"
"Hm?"
"Smile some!"
At first, it was clear Paul was about to tell Bertha despite the fact she was his elder, she couldn't tell him to do jack squat about his face, but his fury subsided rather quickly and he looked at the ground. Then, he looked up. For the briefest of seconds, a tiny smile rested upon Paul's lips. Then, it contorted, growing in width and height until it exposed all of his teeth and some of his gums, too. It didn't look like a smile. It didn't even look like a snarl!
Turning away quickly from the abomination she had inadvertently created, Bertha addressed Ash. "So! Ash, I've got high hopes for you. Like Paul, you've improved a great deal in a short amount of time. And I see that your observation skills have improved. I suppose my lessons had their purpose, after all." The elder woman smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "Do you have any plans, moving onward?" While the other competitor was quite talented himself, Ash's spirit piqued her interest. It would really be a waste for such potential to go to waste due to a lack of direction.
"Oh, yeah! In a few months, I'm gonna be entering the Indigo League! This time, I'm going for the gold!" The boy grinned, his sentiments echoed by a cry from the tired mouse in his arms.
"You've still got plenty of guts." Bertha couldn't help but chuckle. "In that case, I look forward to seeing what you can do! In fact…" She reached into one of her large coat pockets. "I'd like to hear from you, later on. Stay in touch, perhaps? I'll admit, things can be a little dull around the league… And getting to hear from a rising trainer would break the monotony. What do you say?" She winked. "I know a thing or two about raising baby pokemon, so I could help with your dear little Rosa!"
"Oh, uh… Yeah! That'd be cool!" Ash chirped, honestly floored. He was being asked to stay in contact with one of Sinnoh's Elite Four!? If that wasn't an honor, he didn't know what was. "The league's not for a while, but I'll have to let ya know!" He fumbled for his XTransciever, pulling it out of his jacket. "Here! From what I hear, these things are something else! Being in another region won't be a problem!"
A brow raised at the high-tech device in Ash's hand. "I didn't take you for one to keep up with the latest gadgets. That's just fine, though. If you have any big news, I'll be eager to hear!" Turning on her heels, she looked to Reggie, and Paul, who was reluctantly busy cleaning up the battlefield. "And, you, Paul. Well, I can always hear from Reginald about your progress when I visit. Try not to get so tense. You might end up missing the big picture, in that state of mind… Still, though, I have high hopes for you, too!" After exchanging numbers with Ash, she felt fit to conclude her visit.
"Yes, ma'am." Paul bowed his head, not daring to argue with someone of her rank.
"Well, I should be going, now that business is done. You'll hear from me soon, Reginald." Folding her arms behind her back, Bertha began to walk off. "I'm expecting great things from all of you. I hope you don't disappoint me!"
"You don't have to worry about that! We'll do just fine!" "Pika-Pikachu!" The Pallet Duo shouted out, a fist and paw raised respectively. That much, they were sure of. Even little Rosa let out a little yip of confirmation. She wasn't sure about Reggie or Paul, but Bertha had grown on her ever so slightly.
A short time passed, with Ash being talked into helping clean up the scarred battlefield in front of Paul and Reggie's home. The latter, meanwhile, had attended to healing all of Ash and Paul's pokemon, preparing Ash for his next departure. Approaching Ash, who was brushing away some of the hail and ashes from the terrain, Reggie gestured to four happy pokemon behind him. "Well, Ash, all of your pokemon are doing just fine! They've been healed and fed, so you've got nothing to worry about!"
"Hey, guys!" Everyone feeling better?" Ash beamed, answered by several happy cries from Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Wartortle, and Charizard. They all looked fighting fit! "You were amazing in that battle, today! You've all come real far since we first started out. I'm proud of you guys." Turning his head, he looked to his rival, who had made a good effort of avoiding contact and casual conversation with Ash. "Paul! All your pokemon were really amazing, too!"
A curt nod gave about as much enthusiasm as he was willing to offer. "It's good to know you haven't fallen behind. I hope to find the same the next time we battle." While it was more than he was willing to admit, the lavender-haired trainer was impressed with his rival. The days of him leaving the other pitifully in the dust seemed to be long gone. Now he had a credible threat to keep him on his feet. "Don't disappoint me."
Quickly thanking the rest of his team before calling back Bulbasaur and Wartortle, Ash turned to Paul as he was climbing atop Charizard's back. "Hey, that's not gonna happen! We're only getting tougher from here." He adjusted the brim of his cap, now forward again, with a toothy grin. "And, hey! Next time you battle Brandon, show 'im just how tough your pokemon are!"
"Yeah." Paul answered simply enough, tending to his own group. Mostly by pointing out where they all could improve, but as Ash knew Paul, this was most likely a good step forward.
"It's been good seeing you again, Ash!" Reggie piped in, waving to the trio. "And you, Pikachu! Hope to see you again sometime!" He was a bit grateful Rosa had been returned for the flight. He wasn't sure how she'd react to him, so that potential social blunder was avoided.
"For sure! See you guys later!" Ash waved to the two brothers, as well as Paul's pokemon. "C'mon, Charizard! Let's get going!" Pointing forward, Ash braced for flight as the Flame pokemon took off, his wings flapping to kick off a cloud of dust. Much to Reggie's dismay.
Holding his cap down atop his head, Ash couldn't help but smile as he peered toward the steadily setting sun. "Man, that was fun, wasn't it, Pikachu?" He looked to his partner, who chirped in agreement. "Paul's just as tough as ever… And so are we! At this rate, we'll do great at the Indigo League! Now, it's time to go see Dawn and Piplup! So, Charizard, full speed ahead, to Twinleaf Town!"
A bellowing roar answered Ash, as the large dragon sped up through the skies, leaving the various cloud formations in the dust.
