With clear skies and easy breezes, their travel time from Veilstone to Oreburgh seemed to go by like one of the light, pleasant zephyrs they flew through. But, distance was distance, and muscles could only handle traveling so much of it. So, regardless of Charizard's refusal to slow down, Ash already knew they needed to stop in Oreburgh, lest they have to make an emergency landing in Jubilife. He'd just rather have a break here than risk skidding across the top of one of the skyscrapers by a long shot.
"Okay, Charizard, we made it! I'm gonna get some snacks for us, so let us down, huh?" There. The fire type's pride was spared and Ash would make sure he got some rest, too… Plus Ash might really visit a vending machine if he could find one. When was the last time he had something that was soft and sweet?! All the food Mom sent him on Iron Island had to be cooked, really. Otherwise, it wouldn't have survived the rough ride across the bay separating Iron Island from mainland Sinnoh!
Swooping down in a lazy spiral, Charizard landed the duo in an empty lot not so far from the orange roof of a Pokemon Center. Letting out a yawn, Charizard happily allowed himself to be returned into the pokeball. What meager attention they'd gathered landing had already dispersed, though a few children chattered about trainers and battles, truly inspired by Ash's arrival. Otherwise, it was quiet as Ash made his way into the Center.
What little commotion had been stirred up in Oreburgh's streets went unnoticed here. Like most other Pokemon Centers, this one was, for the most part, quiet and peaceful, pardoning the occasional trainer playfully competing and bragging with one another. Ash smiled at the sight, nostalgic of his prior visits to the health center. Pushing the bitter memory of Paul releasing an Azumarill out of his mind, the trainer approached the front desk. "Nurse Joy? Could you heal my pokemon, please?"
"Of course! I'll get to that right away!" The nurse chirped, reaching under the desk to supply the usual tray. "Just place your pokeballs in the grooves, and we'll have them feeling better in no time!" Getting another look at the trainer, though, she blinked. "I think I recognize you. Didn't you compete in last year's Lily of the Valley Conference?" She could have sworn that she'd seen his face in the headlines a couple of times.
"Oh, yeah! I was." The boy reached to scratch his cheek, suddenly feeling sheepish. "But, I've been here before, too! You healed my pokemon twice when I battled Roark."
"Oh, of course! I'm sorry. I deal with so many trainers every day that it's kind of hard to remember! Well, it's good to have you back here! Now, why don't you go and sit while your pokemon recover?" She took hold of the filled tray, turning back towards the facilities.
"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash bowed his head before turning towards the lounge, with Pikachu perched comfortably on his shoulder. Having just been along for the ride, he was just fine.
Black-soled shoes clacked against the cobblestoned path leading into the crowded city. A red cloak was conscientiously drawn around the man's shoulders, hiding the man's visage as much as possible from the public. Though, it might be to his displeasure to know that the mysterious outfit only made him more noticeable. The bellowing, grey-blue locks covering his face didn't help matters, either.
Tobias had to admit that since he'd resumed his study into the legends of the regions, he'd gotten to a point where time seemed to slip away from him more and more often. As it was, he wasn't sure how long he'd been in the Eterna Forest, around the Old Chateau.
When he was in Eterna City, he'd heard rumors about a spirit of some sort that was in an abandoned mansion in the forest, the Old Chateau. It certainly wasn't something of the magnitude of the legends that he was familiar with, but he felt it was worth looking into, regardless.
The ghosts weren't really a threat; Darkrai was a good deterrent. While he could hear a high-pitched laughing rather often, he still had not had much luck finding anything beyond the normal Gastly and Haunter; even the human ghosts had had few answers.
That having been said, he did find a fossil of some sort in one of the rooms while he was searching, so he took a moment away from his research, heading southward, towards Oreburgh City.
That's where he found himself, slowly walking from the north entrance to the city, the fossil under one of his arms. He didn't particularly enjoy going to big cities, due to how often he was recognized, but there wasn't anywhere else he could go that could tell him more about the fossil he'd found.
Not much time passed before Charizard was back at full strength and back in Ash's party, and the rest of his team had been checked on, as well. Stepping out of the small hospital, Ash stretched his arms over his head, letting out a content sigh. "Man, it's good to be out again! I'm getting kinda hungry, though… Whaddya say we get something to eat, Pikachu? We're not really in a rush, right?"
"Pikachu!" The electric mouse cheered. Though, as much as he liked to listen to his stomach, a certain sight had been captured in his beady black eye that warranted more attention. "Pikapi!" He cried, pointing toward the crowded streets.
"Huh?" The boy's eyes were turned in the direction Pikachu pointed, soon doubling in size. "Hey, check it out!" A cloaked man was walking about, looking to be keeping to himself. Long, pale blue hair stood out to Ash. That was one man he couldn't forget. "Tobias!" He shouted, approaching the other.
"Man, is that really you? It's been a while!" Despite his brutal loss to the man, Ash seemed far from bitter. "I didn't think I'd be running into ya anytime soon!"
The man heard his name get called out, wincing. A force of habit… then he recognized the voice. A small smile graced the mysterious trainer's features and he closed his eyes, chuckling a bit as the younger man came over.
"Hmhm. Well well… I must admit that it's quite the surprise to see you here in Sinnoh again, Ash." He hadn't heard of any news regarding the boy since the tournament, and of course he wasn't going to forget the one who managed to take Darkrai and Latios down… even if it had still been a fairly decisive victory in his own favor. He adjusted his position a bit, turning to face the younger man, the fossil still held under his arm. "May I ask what brings you here?"
Likewise, the battle remained vivid in Ash's mind, as well. Maybe just a bit too vivid. "I came here for some special training," he summarized. Its focus wasn't a subject to bring up to just anyone, let alone in public. "And that's done, so I'm on my way to visit a friend! Oreburgh was along the way, so I guess I decided to stop by."
Noting the fossil in the man's possession, he assumed that was the reason for his presence. From the little he'd seen of the man's roster, it'd make sense that he liked to pursue rare pokemon. "You must be here because of that fossil, right? I know some can be found here in the mines!"
Tobias nodded. "I am indeed. I didn't find it in the mines, though; I have been in the Old Chateau in Eterna Forest for the last…" How long had it been, exactly? He honestly didn't remember. "…While. Looking into rumors about the place. I found this fossil in one of the rooms there and I felt it ideal to bring it in for the experts to look at."
Ash tilted his head. "Old Chateau, huh? I wouldn't've thought to find a fossil there."
So, he'd been training, mmm? Interesting. "Well, I wouldn't want to keep you from visiting your friend."
"Hey, wait!" Ash held a hand out. He was already leaving? "Before that… Is there any chance you'd give me another chance at a match? We've been working really hard, and… We really wanna face your Darkrai and Latios again." He and Pikachu looked equally serious about this, intent on proving themselves. They hadn't done all of that hard work for nothing!
As Ash called out, the man stopped. "…You'd like a rematch?" He glanced around. There didn't seem to be many people around… that was good. He didn't like drawing attention to himself.
"…Alright. I haven't done much of any sort of battling since the conference, admittedly, but I'm certain that Darkrai and Latios would like to battle you again. What shall the rules be?"
Ash and Pikachu's stern expressions gave away, the former's heart springing at the answer. They'd get to measure their improvement over the past half a year or so! While he hadn't been expecting it, Ash wholly embraced this chance. "A two on two match!" He didn't want any of the embarrassment of a 0-4 loss, this time. Not that he expected it. "No substitutes for each of us. That sound good?"
"Of course. Singles, I take it?" He actually hoped for that, since he was very unfamiliar with doubles. He stepped off to the side… he figured he could indulge Ash; he normally wouldn't battle in a city, but… well, folks would recognize Ash, and then him; he didn't see the point in continuing to try and hide.
"…Darkrai, let's go!" He threw the Ball, and the Pitch-Black Pokemon emerged, hovering in the air. The dark type pokemon made its entrance, practically swallowing the surrounding atmosphere in a thick, breath-stealing tension. Whispers had already begun over the pokemon's appearance. While it mostly brought terror in dreams, its very presence was enough to stir up unease.
"You got it!" Ash beamed, taking a stance opposite of Tobias. He couldn't help but smile wide, brows furrowing on his maturing visage. Fists closed almost painfully tight, his entire demeanor changed. It was time to take on the shadow that loomed over him for so many lonely months.
"Darkrai… Well, there it is!" He looked to the mouse atop his shoulder, a silent glance exchanged that more than sufficed. If Tobias would use his signature pokemon, then Ash would do the same. "Pikachu, I choose you!"
"Pika! Pikachu!" The quadruped shrieked as he entered the fray, his tone overtly fierce. Fangs were bared, tiny sparks biting at the air around him. He knew this battle would be one of the toughest of his life. Darkrai was a menace he'd seen with his own eyes. If he could take Moltres, though… Just maybe…
What crowd had been in the way had dispersed, and what little company did remain had stood off to watch the match. A public match was interesting enough, and the two involved were familiar faces, after such publicity not even a year ago.
One member of the crowd stepped forward, though, a small psychic type standing at her side, focused on the match. If something went wrong, it would erect a shield to protect her. As the woman who stepped forward began speaking into the camera, the match was moments away from starting. While the full beginning wouldn't be captured, most of it would.
"Roxy reporting in right with the action! It seems we've captured the winner of last year's Lily of the Valley Conference here battling another contestant from the same competition! Is it a grudge match or a friendly battle?! Let's check in!" With that, the report was already connecting with the stations.
Oli, the cameraman, could only hope the news station picked up on Roxy's report. They usually did, but with some lag.
"Alright! Let's do this! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu knew Ash's every little facet and quirk, and his tone was unmistakable. Ash desperately wanted to win this match, and he would do his very best to deliver. Leaping above the ground, Pikachu shouted, unleashing a blinding bolt of electricity. Golden sparks zig-zagged through the air, quickly homing in on Darkrai. If one could tell the voltage of an electric attack, the difference between this performance and the last was palpable. The first move had been cast.
The Darkrai gave a bit of a smirk, aware of his opponent's power. All the same, with an order from Tobias, Darkrai corkscrewed to the side, evading the lighting strike with precision and the narrowest of margins.
Deciding such a small and speedy opponent would fare too well against a move like Dark Void, Tobias called for a different move. "Dark Pulse!"
An arc of inky black energy washed out towards the electric mouse, whose quick thinking trainer - "Dodge it, using Agility! Build up some real speed!" - called out an order, leading him to dodge.
Sprinting left of the dazzling black and purple rings, the mouse was only alerted to his success when minor explosions behind him told him the move went off without hitting him. A few more waves of the pulsating energy later, and Pikachu panted, still running, having dodged them all.
Now, it was time to exploit the speed they'd built up. "Electro Ball!"
Surprised but obedient, Pikachu wondered why Ash didn't call for an Iron Tail, but went for the Electro Ball all the same. Body crackling with electricity, it soon gathered into his long, jagged tail where he flicked it like a tennis player might flick a racket, sending it hurtling towards his legendary opponent. "Pika!"
"Brace yourself!" Tobias called.
Arms thrown up, the impact sent sparks over and through Darkrai's body as he was sent flying backwards. The legendary barely righted himself before he crashed.
"What a powerful attack," the Sinnoh native murmured. The mouse needed to be neutralized, otherwise this match just might be more risky than Tobias had intended. "No choice. Dark Void!"
Gambling, Darkrai created the midnight colored orb in a single hand, pitching it towards Pikachu.
Ash's heart raced. This was what would make or break them. "Use Iron Tail to jump!"
By the width of his whiskers, Pikachu managed to spring himself above the Dark Void. The electric type watched with vivid fascination as the light returned to where the Dark Void had eaten up no light, creating shadow where there was no shade, only for the sunshine to lap back where it rightfully belonged like waves cleaning the shore of footprints.
"Now, use Iron Tail on Darkrai!"
Landing and then darting forward, Pikachu launched himself at the last moment and twisted his body, preparing the assault. "Chua… Pika!"
Grunting, Darkrai skidded backwards from the impact.
Tobias flinched when the impromptu audience roared with applause and praise. He was not in his element; not by a long shot. Still, shaking his head a bit in an attempt to clear it, he tried to focus on what to do. Dark Void was officially off the table; its inaccuracy was far too risky. "Fight back, Darkrai! Ice Beam!"
Though injured, the nightmare-giver shot off the beam beautifully, powerful and on target.
Ash studied his opponent and Darkrai. They - he and his team - had gotten stronger; it was written plainly in the ill-ease of Tobias's face and Darkrai's posture. Still, now was not the time for pride.
As Pikachu took nearly point-blank range damage from the Ice Beam and was thrown across the field.
The trainer's fist clutched. "Pikachu!" Pikachu's defenses simply weren't high enough to really compete with Darkrai, even if they were painfully, tauntingly close to it. "Buddy, can you get up…? You gotta keep moving!" If they wanted this match to continue. If it proved too risky, of course, Ash would back down. Better to train another day than to deal with a tragedy… but the Pallet native had more faith in Pikachu than that.
"Pika…!" Pikachu growled, an unusually painful edge in his voice as he pushed himself onto his feet, striving to ignore pain. "Pikachu!" he continued, making it clear he was ready to battle more.
Smiling proudly, Ash realized where their strength might lie. "Alright! Another Electro Ball. Back to back!" Might as well exploit it in full.
Steadying himself on all fours, the mouse swung his hips, a barrage of Electro Balls pitched from the tip of his jagged tail. Though neither combatant could be bothered to worry about it, the camera captured this scene beautifully. Every trail of sparks down Pikachu's spine, the static dancing across Pikachu's fur, all of it gathering to cluster at his tail and then be released in a ball of light… the ratings would definitely skyrocket this afternoon.
Darkrai's body was tense as he avoided the first of Pikachu's Electro Balls. The second, however, grazed him, sending a numbing tingle through his side. The third landed dead center of his chest, leaving the Pitch Black pokemon shaking.
"Darkrai, don't give in!" He spoke confidently despite his edging nervousness. "Give it all you've got! Dark Pulse, then Dark Void!" Maybe the combination would push Pikachu beyond his limits and result in a benefit for them.
Pained but nodding, Darkrai fired the purple-black waves of energy before pausing to build up the midnight orb once more. The unfamiliar dread of desperation entered Darkrai's heart. How unusually powerful this duo was.
"We're almost there, Pikachu!" Ash encouraged. But, this next set of moves might spell disaster if they didn't handle it right. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Hoping to dispel the Dark Pulse, Pikachu mustered up his strength to the limits in a brilliant, golden flash. The bolts bore down on the rings, light and darkness ripping into each other like ravenous predators, dissipating at contact. The crack of thunder boomed loudly, yes, but the contact - the struggle - of the lightning and the shadows-given-form made so many explosions the audience covered their ears and the audiences at home, just now tuning in, would be in for a miserable dash to turn down the volume once they pressed through the lag time to reach this portion of the battle.
As the dull gray smoke drifted away, smelling of ozone and night dew, a final, all consuming orb of lonely blackness headed for Pikachu, capturing him fully. Within the sphere, barely visible to outsiders, the little electric type fought. Yet, not even he could resist the nightmare-giver's signature move, and the call of slumber overwhelmed him.
"... No! Pikachu, wake up!" The battle was momentarily forgotten. "Buddy!"
Breathing more easily now, Tobias realized he'd regained control of the battle. "Alright, Darkrai! Dream Eater!" Even as Bad Dreams began to take effect, Darkrai unleashed the attack as commanded, draining Pikachu of vitality.
"Pikachu! Wake up!" Ash knew, from the Conference, that his slumber wasn't the fabled one, the cursed sleep… But, between the crushing worry that the battle might go downhill from here and knowing a rest under Darkrai's command couldn't be good, he couldn't help but want his companion awake. "Buddy, please!"
He could see his partner squirming and it was tearing Ash up. Finally, it ended. Swirls released the scrunch of Pikachu's nightmare plagued sleep. Ash was almost, but not entirely, grateful for it. Ash rushed onto the field as soon as Darkrai's Dark Void vanished, scooping up Pikachu. "Buddy… wake up. Please."
Pikachu woke up, tired and frantic. Though his nightmare was proven false upon waking, remorse entered his heart instead of panic. "Pikapi…"
"You did your best," Ash assured, ever confident in his number one partner. "You pushed 'em hard. We've come a long way. Thank you." Winking, he tried to lighten the mood. "We'll finish this, don't worry!" Turning to Tobias and Darkrai, Ash shouted. "We're not done yet!" Gripping the bill of his cap, he fluidly turned it around. In an instant, another pokeball was tossed. "Charizard, I choose you!"
A booming roar left as the pokemon materialized. Charizard's eyes locked onto the floating shadow. Though he had heard the stories from Ash's other pokemon, the dragon would not back down. A snort of ember and smoke trailed from his nostrils. Where others had failed, he was determined to succeed.
Rubbing her palms where they were still raw from skidding across the yard from dodging a battle gone wild between Mamoswine and Togekiss, Dawn furrowed her brows. "Hey! Mom, do we have any ointment! My hands are really stinging!"
"Oh, Dawn, there you are! Come here, come here! You missed the first few blows, but there's a special battle on most of the stations right now! I think you'll like it!"
Rolling her eyes - she knew at about three o'clock, Jubilife always aired a random battle from volunteers - she decided to walk over anyway. However, realizing who was on the screen, her jaw dropped. Her heart sped up as she realized who he was battling, though, growing anxious on his behalf. "Aw, man, don't let this be like last time…" Plopping down on the couch, the coordinator sat on the edge of her seat.
Johanna smirked, feeling smug. "That little fireball's good at finding strong opponents."
As Pikachu vaulted over the Dark Void, Dawn could only nod in agreement. "Come on, Ash! No need to worry! He's got to have been training! He's absolutely gotten better; he has to have!" She had faith in her second dearest friend!
Tobias felt a small smile at the corners of his mouth as Pikachu went down… then that smile faded as quickly as it came, and Tobias tensed up a bit; Darkrai still seemed extremely winded, staggering…
"…Rrf." Pikachu had been so damaged from the prior attacks that Dream Eater barely took anything from the mouse. Darkrai was still extremely damaged… and the Charizard was one that he'd never seen before… but he'd certainly heard about it. He knew that that Pokemon was no joke in the power department.
Still, he would not back down. He'd never been pushed this far before.
Darkrai looked at Charizard with a tired gaze, lowering his shoulders slightly. "…Prepare yourself…"
"Dark Void!"
His plan was to try and get Charizard down; let Bad Dreams wear it down and give Darkrai a chance to heal up more properly. The Dark-type brought his arms back, hurling the black orb at Charizard.
"Dodge! Then, use Dragon Pulse!" Ash knew Latios was next. This had to be kept in mind while selecting Charizard's moves. Though, it was doubtful anyone knew of Ash breaking the four move limit. That aside, he hoped he made the right choice.
Unlike Pikachu, Charizard could take flight, and would absolutely abuse that. Strong legs began his jump that was carried on by aerodynamics, making him soar above the orb that simply sank into the ground. Sweeping down, he soared closer to Darkrai. Parting his jaws, he fired out a brilliant shot of teal, draconian energy.
Darkrai looked up as Charizard flew up, panting a bit from the exertion… then his eyes went wide as the powerful attack blasted him. The Pitch-Dark Pokemon went flying past his trainer, crashing into a tree nearby.
"Darkrai!" Tobias turned… just in time to see Darkrai fall from a small Darkrai-shaped indent in the tree bark and collapse on the ground, eyes aswirl.
"Darn it!" Dawn cried out, her television just now displaying Pikachu being enveloped in Dark Void. "Ugh, this sucks!" she complained, every bit as heartbroken as her friends over this development.
"Don't get too discouraged," Johanna gently reminded. "That's a legendary after all. Not just anyone can beat them." The woman paused. "Then again, I'm not quite sure your friend is just anyone…"
"…Well done…" He recalled Darkrai into his Pokeball, then turned back to Ash. "I can see that the stories about your Charizard are quite true. …We're not finished yet, though. Latios, go!"
The blue-feathered Eon emerged, looking at Charizard… he didn't recognize the fiery lizard, but he did recognize the trainer behind him. "Ehehe… 'i there." His accent was probably not like anything Charizard had heard before. "I ain't gonna lose to ya, ya got that 'ight?" He grinned slightly, turning his neck a bit to pop it.
"Light Screen!" Tobias did not want to take any chances with this; he already knew that Charizard knew Dragon Pulse, and Latios was strong, but not his most durable Pokemon.
Latios flew upward, a shimmering light barrier surrounding him to weaken Special attacks. "…Bring it, luv." He gestured with a hand to Charizard, smirking.
Charizard snorted. "We'll see about that," he answered with a click of his teeth.
"Light Screen, huh?" Understanding that the move had been instrumental in bringing down Pikachu in their last match, he realized what he would have to do. "Alright, Charizard, we've got to sacrifice Flamethrower. Instead, use Steel Wing!"
Wasting no time, the big orange brute dived for the legendary pokemon, his previously orange wings taking on a bright silver tone. If he couldn't pulverize him with special attacks, then he'd just have to beat him down the old-fashioned way.
Though his fist was clenched, Tobias's face remained impassive as always. "Latios, counterattack with Dragon Pulse!"
Turning upward slightly, the flying type backpedaled to get some space. Inhaling sharply, the blast fired off just as Charizard began to batter the legendary with his metallic wings. Though Latios was sent tumbling in a daze, Charizard was flung away, landing on the ground quite heavily.
Quite frankly, Tobias was astounded at Charizard's strength. Why hadn't Ash hadn't brought the Flame pokemon to the League. It had worked in his favor, though, so perhaps he shouldn't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.
"Let's try Dragon Tail!" Ash would give Latios no rest.
Rising with the power of his pride and surprising stamina, Charizard let out a bellow of a roar as he flew towards Latios once more. Channeling draconic energy through his tail, he closed in, swinging his hips around to slam the limb brutally into his opponent.
Caught off-guard, Latios was sent reeling.
Soon, a red light overtook the dragon. The secondary effect of Dragon Tail sent him out of the battle. Tobias's eyes widened as Latios was returned and another pokeball burst open.
A very confused Lapras hovered slightly above the ground, looking at the strange black haired youth and the raging fire type, then back to his trainer. The singing cry he released made it clear he was very confused.
"Yahoo!" Dawn cheered, jumping up and down, the couch forgotten. Charizard had successfully knocked Darkrai out! The threat of Dark Void was overcome! "Oh, man, did you catch them say what kind of match this is?! He might be neck and neck with Tobias now!"
Johanna giggled, playing composed. Truth be told, when Darkrai initially was thrown back by the Dragon Pulse, Johanna had gone wild, too, spilling her orange juice on herself a little. Now, she was thankful her apron was dark. How embarrassing!
"Aw, man, Mom, this is great!"
"Hehe, when it's over, why don't you wait a minute and then call the Pokemon Center in Oreburgh? You just might catch him?" the mother offered.
"... Mom! You're brilliant!"
"Aren't I?"
"I'm sorry, Lapras," Tobias quickly said, returning the ice type before sending Latios out again.
Though dizzied by the exchange, Latios seemed no worse than he had during the initial attack.
"My apologies. I know this is a two-on-two battle, but my other pokemon probably are considered active." A strange quiet came over Tobias. He was, to himself, very glad none of his other pokemon were released.
Ash was quiet a moment, too, somehow both expecting and shocked to see that Tobias's whole team wasn't legendaries. Surely no man could have that many just to himself! "A Lapras… Right! Sorry, I forgot Dragon Tail could do that," Ash apologized, letting out a nervous chuckle. It did seem to come by chance, after all.
Coughing to focus on the battle rather than the chattering crowd, Tobias pressed to continue. "Come on, let's go on. Latios, use Luster Purge!" After the effectiveness of Dragon Pulse, it seemed sensible to follow up with that. If luck smiled upon him, his own pokemon's secondary effect might pull through: Charizard's special defense might be lowered!
Meanwhile, the Eon pokemon built up psychic power before unleashing it in a powerful beam of pink energy.
"Charizard, Dragon Pulse!"
Time to fight fire with fire. Well, close enough. In any case, Charizard wasn't going to become a sitting duck. His mouth parted, conjuring another furious sphere that fired in Latios' direction.
Naturally, the two blasts collided.
The aftershock of the massive collision sent Tobias' coat flapping in the wind, as well as his hair. The audience yelped as smoke covered the battlefield… then Tobias' voice rang out.
"Giga Impact!"
Latios burst from the cloud, charging at Charizard, surrounded in a purple and orange glow; the Eon looked hurt from the explosion, but he had a fire in his eyes, far more intense than anything seen in their last battle.
"Taaaaaaake this!" He charged at Charizard, hoping to end the battle in one high-power attack. After all, that Sceptile he'd fought before had crumpled with one Giga Impact.
Ash was forced to hold his own under the duress, careful to hold his red cap down upon his waving messy hair. His jacket's tails were tossed every which way, showing the sheer magnitude of this clash. As if it needed any more proof.
Charizard had been thrown back, reeling from the explosion that he hadn't been far from. Though, he came out with his usual perseverance, ready to grapple with the pokemon that was giving him so much trouble.
Though, he was wholly unprepared for the stream of light that shot out of the smoke, pile driving him down towards the earth. Using his wings to cater wind resistance, he stopped himself just before touching the ground, crouching down and riding out the pain.
"That had to hurt," Ash stated the obvious. But, Charizard was still standing. And he knew the dragon's perseverance thoroughly well. Charizard wasn't done. "After Giga Impact, we might have our chance! Charizard, use Steel Wing!"
Letting out another bellowing roar, the Flame pokemon shot into the sky, wings reinforced as he neared Latios. That would show him who really deserved to win.
And, if the attack landed, Ash would continue. "Now, finish it! Seismic Toss!"
Small, but muscular arms wrapped around Latios' body, carrying it high into the sky above.
As Charizard did not go down… Latios' eyes widened. "…Oh, bugger…" He could feel his muscles stiffening up, the side-effects of Giga Impact kicking in, just in time for him to get brained again by Steel Wing, yelping in pain… then squirming as Charizard grabbed him. "Gah, you bloody lizard, let go!"
The Eon pokemon would have to deal with remarkable centripetal force as Charizard executed several loops. This was it. This was their chance to finish the match. After that, Charizard plummeted. Just a few more seconds, and the match was theirs.
Latios continued to struggle, feeling more of his body responding as Charizard did his loops…
Tobias grit his teeth. This was their last chance. He had maybe a few seconds before the impact. "Dragon Pulse!" No time for subtlety, he needed the fastest attack Latios had right then and there.
Ash was just about excited enough to scream as he watched victory come just within grasp. As quick as it had come, though, it seemed to slip away with the very power of Tobias' words. "Uh-oh… Charizard! Look out!"
Alas, it was too late. Latios he fought off the dizziness from the looping… and unleashed the powerful blast at point-blank range into Charizard's chest.
Already following through on his motion, Charizard was unable to stop the blast. He proceeded to crash into the earth below, kicking up a copious amount of smoke and dust. The field was shrouded in this gray veil, building undue suspense.
Though Ash very likely knew the result, he hoped for the best. Coughing, he waited for the dust to clear.
Soon, he did.
Charizard lay in a heap atop the pavement, thoroughly shell-shocked by both the blast and the fall. His eyes had shut tight, body unmoving. As powerful as he was, he was unable to quite take a combination like that. At least, after such a grueling battle.
Tobias exhaled slowly as Charizard hit the ground… and, so did Latios. The Eon crashed to the ground, eyes closed… and, he slowly picked himself up. He could not get himself airborne, though; his arms were barely supporting him, and they were shaking.
"…B…Bloody hell… I-I feel like… I'm gonna hurl…" The impacts he'd taken, coupled with the intense battle began wracking his body as his adrenaline had worn off. In almost an instant, Lapras had released himself from his Ball, carefully picking the Eon up onto his back.
Charizard had lost. As had Ash.
"It's alright… you did very well, Latios." The Transport Pokemon smiled slightly, then went over, giving Charizard a Sitrus Berry from a bag around one of the points on his shell. "…As did he…" Lapras carefully nudged the Flame Pokemon's mouth open, dropping the berry in.
Charizard instinctively chewed the berry, a good portion of his injuries fading with the fruit's restorative powers. Teal eyes took in the world again, a bitter regret dwelling in the prideful powerhouse. That was the exact opposite of how he wanted this match to end. However… Latios was a very formidable opponent, and by the looks of the Eon pokemon, he'd only lost by a hair. He snorted, nodding his head to the dragon. In few words, it had his respect.
The commotion had left Ash in the background. The trainer was, to say the least, left with very mixed feelings. The adrenaline had plummeted for him as well, and he couldn't help but feel dejected. All of that training, and they'd still…
Tobias had a bit of shake in his legs as his own adrenaline wore off… he had never come that close to defeat before. The audience's cheering and applauding barely registered as he walked over to Ash, offering his hand. "That was… an incredible battle. Both your Pikachu and Charizard are incredibly powerful…"
Shaking his head, he looked up to Tobias, forcing a smile as he shook hands with the older man. "Thanks! I'm kinda bummed we lost, I'm not gonna lie… But, we've come a long way since our last battle, huh?" That much, he could surely be proud of. Rather than losing six pokemon to the climax, it'd only been two. He looked to the mouse in his arms - a look that Pikachu understood without words. He was grateful. Not just for this match, but the many months that came before it.
Self-appraisal aside, he continued. "It really was an amazing match!"
In all honesty, Tobias was surprised he had won that. He would've attributed that victory to sheer luck. "I… I should probably get Darkrai and Latios to the Pokemon Center… would you come with me?" He knew folks would want to ask questions, and he didn't want to be alone when they did; Ash, to him, had the better personality for that kind of thing.
"Yeah, sure!" Bitter as he may have been in his gut, Ash was sportsmanlike, first and foremost. Looking to the ailing dragon beside him, he held out his pokeball. "Return, Charizard!" Recalling his pokemon in a red flash of light, he smiled. He'd been incredible, as well.
Not bothering with the bustling crowd at the moment, he accompanied Tobias towards the center. "Y'know, our last battle was part of what made us work so hard." Sure, he'd lost leagues before, but none had been quite as sobering as Lily of the Valley. "I guess we owe ya one."
Tobias nodded, walking towards the Center, with Lapras following. The Transport Pokemon offered Pikachu a berry like he had Charizard. Pikachu readily accepted.
"No trainer has ever pushed us like you have. I was certain we would lose that… to be frank, I did not think Latios would be able to recover from using Giga Impact in time…" A hint of a smile tugged at his lips when Ash spoke about their last battle. "Is that so? Well… I'm honored that it was I who pushed you to grow that much." Tobias never considered himself to be a hardcore competitive Trainer, but it was still quite flattering.
"It really came down to the wire," Ash agreed. Maybe he should be taking pride in that. "The way it went, I knew I still had some growing to do." Even after he'd done so well prior.
As they got closer, the blue-haired man stumbled a bit as he heard a rather… unsettling sound. Latios was dry-heaving. Lovely…
"Ah. Pardon me. I should probably pick up the pace a bit." He quickly recalled the Eon Pokemon before rushing on ahead into the Center, leaving Lapras hovering alongside Ash and Pikachu.
Meanwhile, Ash visibly cringed. An odd solution of disgust and guilt caught him. "Yeah… Good idea!" Ash began to walk a bit faster, but not enough to leave Lapras behind.
The Transport Pokemon spoke to Pikachu as they continued. "…If I may… I have not seen anyone push Darkrai like you did. What's your secret?" Lapras kept it to himself, mostly, but he did often feel… inadequate when it came to battling. Seeing such a small 'common' Pokemon battle Darkrai the way he had… it was uplifting, to a degree.
Pikachu, meanwhile, turned to the unexpected guest. Bashful, he rubbed his head much the same way his trainer had before. "My secret? Well… Ash and I have been training together for a really long time. It's like Ash is saying. That battle made us really want to outdo ourselves, so one day, we could win a league too. We went to the toughest place we could find and just kept going and going." It probably helped that Pikachu was an unusual case for his species, but he was a bit too modest to get behind that idea.
Lapras kept pace with the two fairly easily, nodding as Pikachu explained. "I see… I have been with Tobias for quite some times as well, but… well, I don't battle much. Admittedly, I'm a little envious of you."
"You don't? Maybe you should try to get his attention. If he can understand, I'm sure he'd have you battle more!" With pokemon like Darkrai and Latios on his roster, it was surprising that any of his pokemon weren't complete powerhouses. Then again, Pikachu only knew those small bits
of the man's story.
Tobias had continued on into the Center, getting Latios and Darkrai over to the nurse to be fixed up. Sitting down on a couch near the entrance, he waited for Ash and the others to enter. This was a bit concerning, he had to admit; Latios had never had that kind of reaction after a battle before.
Perhaps he needed to do more training with the others… Darkrai did tend to take the spotlight
quite a bit.
When the group did enter, Tobias beckoned them over, trying to remain subtle... "They're in to be patched up… Latios should be fine. As for what you said… I agree. We all grow through our experiences."
"Gotcha." Ash acknowledged, nodding to Tobias' words before approaching Nurse Joy, himself. As usual, he pleaded her to take good care, and handed off Charizard's pokeball, as well as Pikachu himself. With that, his conversation with Lapras had to end.
Though, the group wasn't alone for long. Observers of the battle poured in, accompanied by one or two reporters. They were quick to crowd the two competitors, already pestering them with their curiosities.
"Sir," a man started, directed towards Tobias. "Up until now, only your Darkrai and Latios have been shown to the public. Do you have anything to say about the rest of your pokemon?" Needless to say, his roster was a hot topic after the league.
"And, you," Ash was addressed. "If I recall, you'd competed in last year's Sinnoh League conference as well. Compared to then, you've managed to nearly defeat two mythical pokemon consecutively! Do you have anything to say about this drastic improvement?"
Aaaand, here they came. Tobias knew this was going to happen the instant he agreed to the battle. Oh well; it couldn't be helped. He looked at the reporter, folding his arms. "No. I keep them private for a reason; they don't do well with crowds. Kindly stop asking."
He supposed he was glad it was Lapras who got dragged out, and not any of the others. Latias didn't like crowds in the slightest, and Cresselia wasn't fond of them, either… the last one would've probably tried to take a bite out of the reporter for pestering him. A hand went on the Transport Pokemon's side as Lapras looked at the reporter.
"Oh, it's just, uh…" Ash put on his biggest smile, raising his hands dismissively. "…I trained really hard and believed in my pokemon! We really doubled down and worked hard to have our strengths cover our weaknesses! That's the key to getting stronger!" That was a good enough, TV-worthy answer, right?
The reporter didn't seem fazed by Tobias' response, though; he followed up with another question. "You completely vanished from the public eye after the Lily of the Valley Conference last year; what have you been doing? Many battling analysts have been wondering why you haven't challenged the Elite Four and the Champion yet. Care to comment?"
Tobias exhaled out of his nose. "…If you absolutely must know, I've been doing what I did for the many years before I took on the League; I've been traveling the region, researching the myths and legends. I do not wish to challenge the Elite Four; I do not care for being in the public eye, and if you were aware of the negative press I was bombarded with after the Conference, I am sure you would understand why I didn't want more. Are you quite finished?!"
A bit of irritation broke his normally calm veneer, and Lapras leaned in to nuzzle him a bit, which did calm him down.
The reporter wrote the response down, then turned to Ash. "And, for you; much like Mr. Drakos, you also seemed to vanish after the Conference. What have you been doing?"
Ash wore a sympathetic smile, surprisingly, catching onto the enigmatic trainer's irritation long before any spectators seemed to. Which said much about the onlookers surrounding the two veteran trainers. 'Man, he really doesn't like this. Poor guy.'
Happy to take the rap for Tobias, even if his nerves did act up upon knowing he'd be seen on televisions region-wide, Ash did his best to answer. "The thing is… I'm not really from Sinnoh. I went home to Kanto after the tournament to continue training, so I could come out a winner the next time around!" That was a satisfactory answer, wasn't it?
The reporters seemed ready to go into another volley of questions, but thankfully for Tobias, the nurse called him over. He very quickly excused himself, giving Ash an apologetic look as he got Darkrai and Latios' Pokéballs, slipping them into his coat and recalling Lapras. He still needed to get the fossil delivered, after all.
He did whisper to Latios' Pokéball, though, having the Eon send a psychic message. The Eon's accented voice spoke to Pikachu in his mind. "Oi, Toby says that if you an' Ash wanna talk again, he's gonna be in the Old Chateau in Eterna Forest for a while still after he's done here. Sorry 'bout leavin' ya to the Mightyena."
The man very quickly made his exit from the Center, knowing the onlookers were still watching, and very quickly went to the museum, dropped the fossil off for study… then left the town even quicker. That had become far more public than he liked, but… still, he felt quite satisfied with the battle. It was certainly food for thought.
"Ahah… See ya!" Ash waved Tobias off, hardly having time to do so before the enigmatic trainer had left the building. This really wasn't his scene. Ash would just have to clean up.
…Or, not. "Excuse me!" Nurse Joy scolded. "I understand you have quite the story here, but this is a Pokemon Center! Not a bed for gossip! Please show some respect for the trainers here and take your business elsewhere!" Her hands had landed on the counter, a bit forcefully for a Joy's demeanor.
A bit of chatter, and agreement that an adequate scoop to catch plenty of news time passed through the crowd, and they quickly dispersed. Despite their humble positions, Nurse Joy's seemed to have quite the voice among the general public.
Meanwhile, Pikachu took notice to relay the message to Ash later, and thanked Latios mentally, if the Eon pokemon could still hear him. Even if they had lost a battle, the duo had at least made a few new friends! Now, if only it hadn't been so painful…
"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash exhaled, wholly grateful to the head of the center. While he wasn't quite as antisocial as his new friend, the attention was taxing, to say the least. Now, that was out of the way… Ash had a lot of thinking to do. Maybe he'd start by giving an old friend a call.
"He lost," Dawn moped. She furrowed her brows. "But… it was closer this time."
"A lot closer," Johanna agreed. She kept her hand under her chin, puzzling through it. "What has your friend been up to, Dawn?"
"Uh…" She grinned nervously. "Actually… I haven't… spoken to him since I left for Hoenn."
Giggling as the Roxy wrapped up her report, the woman continued. "I figured. I spoke with Delia some, though. Apparently he went off to do some training. She was pretty upset at first, but we got to talking about how it is when kids leave the nest." Letting out a sigh, the woman looked to Dawn. "Speaking of which, when are you headed out again? Most Contests Halls are going to re-open in a week or so. You need to head out by the end of the week if you wanna get anywhere on time."
Dawn shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really wanna go anywhere by myself… I guess I could ask Zoey or see what Kenny's up to." He had wanted her to travel with him, right?
Nodding, Johanna recalled her earlier suggestion. "Oh, right! He's probably where he can answer a phone now! Why don't you call Ash! He might know which regions you might wanna visit, hm?"
"That's right!" Dawn got up, headed for the phone… But, it was already ringing when she stepped in front of it! Confused but polite, she answered it. "Berlitz residence, who am I - Ash?! Are you psychic?!" She looked over her shoulder to the television in the living room. He was still on!
"I dunno, are you?" The boy recoiled, eyes widening at the bluenette's face showing so suddenly. "You picked that up really fast. But hey, I'm not complaining!" He chuckled; a little too enthusiastically, at that. Perhaps he was trying a bit too hard to be jovial.
That aside, seeing Ash up close did bring attention to a few things. What was probably identified as a long-awaited growth spurt arrived, leaving him a few inches taller, and filled out, to boot. A few more messy bangs adorned his face below his cap, as well.
"Ha! Though, I do know someone might be!" she joked, referencing her Absol. She'd have to show him sometime. But, for now, a more pressing matter came to mind. Her smile turned to a little pursed frown, one eyebrow cocked. "Hey… you feeling alright?" She tried to look behind him. If there were other still in the Pokemon Center, he might not feel like opening up to her.
"You've got that same look you got when Gible learned Draco Meteor." She pressed a finger to her chin, thinking. "... or was that blind terror we felt back then?" While she didn't register Ash's changes quite yet, it'd probably be even longer before Ash registered hers. A subtle gain of height and a change in clothing sizes - which made shopping difficult to the point of almost asking Paris for help with certain intimate items - marked her own aging.
"Huh? Yeah! I'm totally fine!" A chipper smile marked Ash's features… But it only lasted so long before faltering. "...I guess." He averted eye contact, toying with the brim of his cap.
"A guess is not a yes," she sing-songed. Pausing for a moment, she was torn on bringing up the battle or just asking if he maybe wanted to come over and have some cake or something. If he was in Oreburgh he could probably make it by dinner time! "Hey, tell you what! Me and mom caught your battle on TV just now, so how about you come over for dinner! We can have dessert!" Then, Dawn gave a thumbs up. "Or, you can watch me and Mamoswine juggle again! Like old times!" Did anyone even say that anymore? She probably picked up the phrase from her mom.
Johanna called from the living room. "Were you going to tell me you were inviting him over? I'm happy to have him, but I'll need to run to the store so we're stocked up."
Dawn grinned, trying to ignore being caught running her mouth.
"You saw it!?" Now, that explained her showing up to the phone so quickly… Jeez. All of Sinnoh probably saw that battle. At least he and his team had made a good showing. Before he could truly mope or fret, though. The promise of dessert was enough to catch on.
"Hey, that sounds awesome!" All the tension had stolen his attention until now, but a loud, grumble of his stomach boasted then. "Ahahah… And, if you guys wanna put on another show, that'd be cool, too!" He did remember that experience fondly. After a far more devastating loss, it'd put him in good spirits.
Winking, she nodded. The night was set, then! "Well, me, Piplup, and Buneary - along with a special someone you'll get to meet - just got back from Hoenn about a month or so ago, so we've got some new tricks for you!" she assured. She just hoped she didn't fall down in the heels again. Honestly, flats would probably do better… But, the outfit matched Buneary's and the Contest Spectacular promotional photoshoot shenanigans have been so fun. "But, right, right, back on dinner, we'll start working on it! You just make sure you don't get lost! And, get ready to swap stories, I wanna know how you've been doing!" she 'ordered'.
"You guys were in Hoenn?" Wow, he'd missed a lot while he was gone. "But yeah, cool! I'll head right on over, as soon as Pikachu and Charizard are feeling better!" Ash flashed a thumbs up, feeling himself to be in slightly better spirits, now. "We'll be over before ya know it!"
High fiving the air - surely he would do it back - she nodded. Just to say goodbye now and then hang up to get ready. "Right! See you then, huh?" She was so excited. There were so many changes to show him and updates to give!
Ash grinned at the gesture, mirroring the same with his gloved hand. "Yup! See you!" With that, he pressed the button to end the call. "I've gotta tell Pikachu about this!"
Lo and behold, his timing was impeccable. "Ash! Your pokemon have been fully healed, and are fighting fit! Feel free to pick them up at the front desk!" Nurse Joy called. Having been watching the boy, she couldn't help but smile. After such a spectacle, it was good to see that he was in good spirits.
"Alright! Hey, Pikachu! You feeling better, buddy?" He raced to the counter, holding his arm out for Pikachu to scale. The mouse did as expected, running along his arm before finding a comfortable spot on the boy's broader shoulder, nuzzling his cheek.
Taking Charizard's pokeball as well, he couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, Nurse Joy! I really appreciate it." He looked back to Pikachu, then. "I just talked to Dawn! Looks like we're having dinner in Twinleaf Town, tonight! That sound good to you?"
"Pika, Pika~!" The mouse cooed, beady eyes shining. It'd be great to have a nice, home-cooked meal! And better yet, they'd get to see Dawn, and all of her pokemon, again! Maybe this day hadn't been so bad, after all.
