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As the sun rose, so did the spirits of our heroes. A hearty breakfast for fuel started the day off right before they left the Pokémon Center. The warmth of the approaching spring weather only added to everyone's good mood. They would make the most of the day for sure!
"Prin! Prin!" Taking in all the energy from a bright sunny morning, as well as his spirited companions, Prinplup found himself quite excited, clanking two silver-coated flippers together in an excited display of his Metal Claw.
"Piiika!" Pikachu yelped in complaint, his acute and sensitive ears rattled by the sudden clash of metal. Holding his ears, the mouse pouted. It was probably a miracle that he hadn't let out a shock…
"Sorry, Pikachu… Guess that surprised you, huh?" Ash offered a sympathetic smile, rubbing the top of his best friend's head. "Prinplup seems excited, though! You looking forward to getting some training done, too?" Come to think of it, he hadn't had much of a chance to work on his skills since his evolution, had he?
Prinplup hopped in place, clanking his flippers together at the mention of training. "Prinplup! Priii!" It was time to start getting stronger again! And, maybe even come up with some new appeals!
"That's right! We still have plenty of work to do with adjusting to your new evolved form. We'll work together before training with the other Pokémon!" Dawn suggested, a finger raised. This would likely change his place in appeals and contest battles a good deal… "Hm… Hey, there's a field over there. Why don't we go over there and -"
Dawn hadn't had time to finish her sentence; by time the grassy clearing had come into the water type's view, Prinplup had rushed off, attempting a sprint before losing balance with his relatively new portly physique. Flopping over, he was quick to push himself up, ignoring his reddening cheeks to waddle over towards their destination. "Lup!"
"...I swear, it's like watching a preschooler sometimes." Dawn's face fell, a sweat drop rolling down her forehead. She wasn't sure if it was possible, but her energetic starter seemed even more stubborn and hot-headed than usual. Not sure how she felt about this, she had no choice but to follow along.
Ash, on the other hand, chuckled at the portly penguin's enthusiasm. "Evolving's really got him pumped up. Can't say I blame him!" With that said, he dashed his way over to the open field, a snide, all-too-characteristic grin forming on his lips. Both of his hands reached for his belt, pulling off three different red and white spheres before tossing them to the air. "Alright guys, come on out!"
White flashes of light greeted Ash's team. Tyranitar, Infernape, and Rosa appeared.
"Okay, guys. I know yesterday didn't go the way we wanted to… That one's my bad. But, we're gonna make a comeback, and turn that next match around our way! Are ya with me?"
Simultaneous cries of affirmation followed, in the form of syllabled shouts from Infernape and Rosa, and a wordless roar from the larger Tyranitar. The Riolu was rather oblivious to the past day's events, but training was always fun!
"Okay, Pikachu? You train with Infernape and Tyranitar. You can try to get them with electric attacks, so they'll be ready for the next battle with Surge. After you handle some of that, you guys fight back! Between the three of you, we'll be ready for that rematch in no time."
The three agreed, turning to face off against one another, making some proper space on Ash's half of the training area. With that, Ash's attention turned to the Riolu standing before him, whose little hooked tail wagged with anticipation.
"Rosa, we're gonna do some sparring, alright? By the time we're done, you'll be in shape to take on plenty of other pokemon! Just come at me with everything you have, and we'll both get stronger!"
~A-alright!~ The Riolu yipped, nodding her head quite a few more times than necessary. They hadn't sparred in quite a while… This should be fun! She was quick to shift into one of her defensive stances taught by Riley, one paw at her narrow waist, and the other raised in front of her face. ~Ready when you are, Papa!~
Meanwhile, in the distance, Dawn released the rest of her team. Prinplup watched on as honorary coach while Buneary, Quilava, Houndour, Togekiss, and Clefairy all appeared outside of their pokeballs. "Alright, gang, I'm gonna prepare a new appeal. It's gonna have mystery and spice!"
The pokemon looked amongst themselves. Spice…?
"Houndour, Clefairy, you two are gonna be my stars. No one's seen you yet in a contest."
The puppy and the fairy both beamed with pride.
"But, you're both really inexperienced. This appeal is for a double performance contest, so I'm going to swap you two out after the appeal for Togekiss and Buneary so they can battle."
Both previously chosen newbies suddenly seemed downtrodden.
"Hey, hey, it's only because you've never been in a contest before! Ash is blowing through these gyms. We can't fall behind in contests, you know. No need to worry. I'll get you two in top form for next time," she promised. "Now, Houndour, I'm going to have you work with Quilava. You're really loose and graceless, so I want you to get some pep and rhythm in your steps. Quilava's speedy and cute. She'll show you what to do. Clefairy, you work with Togekiss. She knows how to use Aura Sphere, so that might help you with honing your Moonlight. Buneary, you're going to be battling, so why don't you and Prinplup battle? I'll rotate groups so I can make sure everyone gets plenty of good practice."
The Pokémon all nodded before breaking up into their pairs. Houndour playfully nipped at Quilava's flames, only to get a bit of flame up his nose as a reward. Thankfully, he had the Flash Fire ability. He only spat a small bit of fire back at her in retaliation. At the same time, Togekiss took to the air, graceful flaps of her wings guiding Clefairy to a slightly shady area where they could practice her Moonlight move. Finally, Buneary shot Prinplup a dark look. She'd been brewing a bit ever since she tied with Rosa. Something in her - something ready to fight - had been brewed up.
"Buneary," she called, walking over to her sparring partner.
While not normally afraid of his fuzz bucket teammate, something about the gleam in her eye set him off. "Priii…" Oh boy, she wasn't just going to practice, was she?
Meanwhile, the other group's training was just getting under way. Ash adjusted the brim of his cap, throwing a hand outward. "Okay, guys! Let's get ready to bring the heat to Surge! Pikachu, give 'em a couple of Thunderbolt attacks to put on some pressure. Infernape, Tyranitar? Try 'n fend them off and counter-attack any way you can. If we can manage that, we'll be ready!"
"Pikaa…!" Pikachu howled, throwing his arms up to ready the sequence of electric attacks.
The first Thunderbolt struck down near Infernape. Fleet footed, he managed to dodge, with only the tip of his tail betraying him, acting as a conductor. Letting out a yelp, the simian snorted before flexing his fists. "Infern - "he leaped forward, fist crackling with electricity, "- APE!"
The Thunderpunch came down hard enough to crack the rock Pikachu had previously been resting on. Fortunately for Pikachu, and unfortunately for Infernape, the little electric type was faster. Preparing to unleash an Iron Tail on Infernape's exposed back, Pikachu wasn't aware enough to dodge the oncoming Stone Edges. Several sharp rocks crashed into his body, forcing the mouse to make an early landing.
Tyranitar unleashed a mighty roar, pleased that he'd taken advantage of the situation. The celebration was short lived, however. By time he'd been given the chance to celebrate, mind-numbing electricity had been sent running through his body. Lit ablaze by golden sparks, the Armor pokemon was displeased to notice that he'd been hit by a Thunderbolt in retaliation.
A fierce snarl followed incessant crackling, a barrage of purple rings firing from Tyranitar's maw.
Standing a safe distance away, Ash rested his hands upon his hips, watching the flashy exchange of attacks between his Pokémon, each of them cooperating to improve. "Looks like they're really kicking into gear. Now, we will, too! Do me a favor and come at me with all you've got!" Ash turned to the Riolu before him, raising his fists in a boxer-esque guard.
"Rio!" She cooed, not bothering with telepathy to show her excitement. Crouching down low, the Riolu raised her guard before springing off her small, but powerful feet. A fierce kick was launched, a padded foot threatening to slam into Ash's chest.
One arm was raised, however, blocking the swift attack. Ash grinned, rubbing a finger over the bridge of his nose. "Nice one, but you're gonna have to do better than that."
Though, Ash might've spoken a moment too soon. Already grit teeth began to rattle, an unpleasant numbness running through Ash's body. "Yeeowch…! You're getting stronger by the day, huh?" He couldn't help but smile, pardoning the lone tear of pain in his eye.
~I am, I am!~ Spirited by his praise, the Emanation pokemon jumped up once more, letting out a yip that preceded a flurry of grey fists aiming to overwhelm Ash's guard.
Swift moves by Ash blocked each of the attacks, his arms and fists providing an ample guard from the tyke's assault… Even if it did make him a little numb. That was the price of sparring with a Pokémon, huh? "Hey, Rosa! Think fast!" He warned as the Pokémon descended.
"Rio?" Rosa questioned, already being snagged back towards the ground by gravity's persistent hold. Sure enough, her fall wasn't without hazards. By time she neared the ground, the boy's sneaker was already sweeping towards her feet!
A high-pitched yelp followed, the Riolu turning to dive head-first. Tiny paws pressed into the soil, springing just out of the way of the sweeping foot. Quick to land on all fours, Rosa pouted. ~H-hey, that wasn't fair!~
"Heheh… Sorry. Was just trying to test your reflexes!" Ash rubbed the back of his head, offering an apologetic smile. The last thing he wanted was one of us his Pokémon mad at him! "Hey, c'mon. I'll give you a head-start on the next one!"
The Pokémon could hardly stay mad for long. Baring a mischievous smile, she sprung at Ash again. A Retaliate attack followed in the form of a swift bicycle kick, managing to strike Ash in the jaw.
~Papa!~ The pokemon fretted. Maybe she'd gotten a little carried away there!
"I'm… I'm thine…" The trainer reassured, holding his jaw. "Gueth you don't know yerr own sthrength." He was pretty sure he'd bitten his tongue. "That just means you're getting stronger. At this rate-"
Mid-sentence, though, he'd caught something out of the corner of his eye. Running into the chaos that was the rumble between his own Pokémon was… A person!? "H-hey! Get outta there!" Ash panicked, running towards the scene.
Infernape, meanwhile, was growing frustrated with Pikachu's speedy attacks, and his annoying propensity to dodge most moves that came his way. Grunting in the process of a missed Mach Punch, he was quick to turn when he felt a presence behind him.
But, thankfully he hadn't quite spewed hot flames from his maw just yet. Blinking in confusion, the fire type wondered who exactly this was looking up at him with so much adoration.
"Hey! You can't just run into a battle like that!" Ash yelled, sprinting over. By now, his team had taken the hint, ceasing their sparring to allow their trainer some room. "What were you thinking?"
The girl, coming out of her trance, shook her head before suddenly growing shy. "O-oh, sorry… I've just never seen a fire type like this before." She twirled a bit, skirt flowing around her with her movements. She looked every bit of the shrieking violet she acted as. With thick, bouncing lavender hair and shy brown eyes and skin, it almost seemed odd that such a flowery, delicate youth would be so drawn to the fiery fighting type Infernape.
Jogging over, Dawn and her party arrived as well. "Ash, what's up? I heard yelling. Is everything alright?"
"More fire types! I haven't seen any like these, either!" the girl squealed, shyness fading upon seeing Quilava and Houndour. "They're all so cute! Can I pet that one?!" the stranger pleaded, pointing at Houndour.
Dawn looked towards Ash for an explanation, but he only shrugged. Dawn did likewise. "Uh… sure."
"Thank you!" Walking over, she kneeled down to pet Houndour.
"So… Who are you?" Ash finally asked aloud. Pikachu sat on his shoulder, taking a rest from the short lived match.
"Oh! My name's Ciara," the girl babbled, standing up. "I'm a coordinator! I keep fire types… Sorry, I kind of saw your… friend's?"
Dawn, realizing Ciara was questioning the nature of their relationship, nodded. "Yeah! We're traveling together."
The fellow coordinator grinned. "R-Right. I saw your friend's fire types, but then I saw your fire type battling really intensely. What kind of Pokémon are they all?"
A bit amused that Ciara was more into Pokémon than people, Ash happily obliged. "This is Infernape! He's from the Sinnoh region. He's a fighting type, too!"
Dawn spoke up next. "These are Quilava and Houndour. They're from Sinnoh, too. Houndour is part dark type."
Happy they'd introduced their Pokémon to her, Ciara got out her own pokeballs and released her team. A Ponyta, a Flareon, and a shiny Vulpix looked at our heroes' teams quietly. "You two seem pretty experienced… You probably already know what these are, huh? Oh! My manners are so bad… W-What are your names?" she asked with a blush.
"Hehe, well, I'm from Kanto, so I definitely know what these guys are!" Ash clarified. "I'm Ash Ketchum, a trainer from Pallet Town!"
"I'm Dawn, from Twinleaf Town," the girl answered. She got out her Pokedex. Flareon she already knew, but she needed a refresher on Ponyta. However, she didn't recognize the golden pokemon. "... It's a Vulpix?" she muttered. "What's up with it?"
"It's a Shiny!" Ciara explained. "She's nothing extraordinary from her peers, but she's very pretty."
"Pretty cool how that happens with some pokemon, huh? My Noctowl is, too!" Ash added in.
"That's the one you used against Conway, right?" Dawn enthused. "During the Lily of the Valley Conference!"
"You've been in a conference?" Ciara cooed.
"Yep! I came in the… top four." There was a slightly bitter edge to Ash's tone. Deciding not to dwell on it since he was sure he would get the gold this time, he nudged Dawn's side. "Dawn here came in second at her first Grand Festival in Sinnoh!"
"Whoa! You're that good?!" Ciara gushed, eyes growing wide. A hand reached out for Dawn's hand, only to freeze in hesitation. Swallowing, Ciara only reached for her skirt, playing with the hem of it. "You must be going for the Top Coordinator title here, too… You'll be a difficult rival…"
"Strong rivals make for good growth," Dawn assured, flattered by Ash's praise and Ciara's admiration. "Isn't that right, Ash?"
"You bet!" he agreed.
"Well… if that's the case. P-Please, b-battle me? Y-you're training, right, s-so it's fine, isn't it?" Ciara stuttered.
Ash grew excited as Dawn grinned. He loved watching a battle.
"Sure. Does three on three sound good to… Uh. Ciara. Where's Vulpix?" the bluenette asked.
The party looked around until they spotted a figure carrying a net with the trapped Vulpix.
"Hey!" Ash snapped, recognizing the uniform. While it wasn't a member of the trio he was used to, that black uniform definitely marked the pink haired stranger as a member of Team Rocket. "Give that Vulpix back."
"Hyuck, caught," the grunt muttered before turning around. "See, kids, the thing is… A rare pokemon like this should totally belong to Team Rocket!"
With Ciara panicking at the fact her precious Pokémon had been stolen, the older coordinator stepped forward, scowling on behalf of the victim. "Not so fast! You're outnumbered here," Dawn warned. "You're gonna have to battle me if you want her Vulpix!" As if to make her point clearer, Dawn's team bristled in anticipation.
If Dawn's team wasn't enough to break the grunt's confidence, then Ash's definitely was. With Tyranitar growling and leering down, Infernape impatiently cracking his knuckles, Pikachu's cheeks aglow with yet-to-be-spent sparks, and even Rosa frowning sternly, the trainer looked every bit as ready to punish as he truly was.
Holding Vulpix's net over his shoulder, the Rocket grunt's confident visage began shattering as he recognized the nature of the situation. "Hyuck… You guys think you're pretty tough, huh?" The grin returned, though beads of nervous sweat accompanied it. "Well, that's gonna work against ya, now!" He carefully weighed his options, trying to pick the best among the group. Soon, a pokeball was plucked from his belt and slung forward. "Ditto, I'm calling on you, hyuck!"
The revealed shape-shifting pokemon looked on, gelatinous and blank-faced as one would expect it to be.
"Your Infernape looks pretty tough, kid," the grunt commented. "Ditto, go ahead and copy that!" The blob looked to Ash's fiery simian, glowing before gradually changing shape. Within seconds, it had completely copied Infernape's physical form. "Use Flamethrower!" The clone spit brilliant flames from its mouth, indiscriminately attacking the heroes that had come to interfere with his capture. "Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck! Just try and stop us, with that kind of firepower!"
Dawn's eyes widened. At this short range, with Infernape's abilities…!
Prinplup wasted no time, stepping forward with a Hydro Pump. The hiss of steam which expanded and rose after the attacks collided cleared to show a very pissed looking penguin. It was one thing to call him and his friends weak; he'd still fight over that; but to threaten Dawn…! "Prinplup!"
Proud of her starter's defensive action, Dawn grinned. "Alright, Prinplup! We know the genuine article, so let's sweep this thieving faker! Let's use Whirlpool, heavy on the whirl!" With the rest of her team plus Ash's party to make sure the grunt didn't run away during the battle, Dawn wasn't overly concerned about focusing on more than the current battle for Ciara's pokemon.
Prinplup obeyed, throwing his flippers back as he let a maelstrom head straight for the pseudo-Infernape. He always gave his best in battles, but this was bringing out the same intensity the Ariados horde had.
"Hyuck! Not bad! Ditto, jump over that attack and roast them with Flamethrower!" The criminal called, followed by the Infernape clone springing upward. The raging whirlpool was just barely avoided by a hair, flames gathering in the primate's maw.
While Prinplup could surely handle this himself, however, there was a Pokémon that had other plans. Ash's Infernape had been watching from the sidelines, fire burning his eyes; figurative, unlike the actual inferno constantly raging atop his head. This imposter was putting on a pitiful show of his abilities. A poor showcase if he ever saw one. Pride surpassed rationale, and a swift Mach Punch was delivered to the fake's jaw.
Rocked and spitting flames, the clone tumbled before managing to correct itself on its hind legs. Faux Infernape chatter followed, the counterpart rubbing its bruised jaw. The disguised Ditto expressed its shock and awe in plain Pokémon-terms.
The real Infernape only grunted, having little to say to this.
"Hyuck-hyuck! Your Infernape's mighty tough! Then I'm guessing it knows… Close Combat! Show 'em what happens when you mess with Team Rocket!" The nameless man shouted, quickly followed up by a nimble leap from Ditto. It lashed out with a brutal combination of punches and kicks, pummeling Infernape one blow after the next.
"Oh no," Ciara whimpered, watching as the second infernape attacked the original.
"No need to worry," Dawn assured. She knew enough about Ash and Infernape to just watch Ash's face with a battle like this. Right now, it was telling her all she needed to know.
The primate was quickly losing ground, being kicked and struck every which way, but his trainer looked none too concerned. "…Sorry, but you're gonna need a lot more than that to take on the real deal." A smile had crept onto Ash's lips, pure confidence exuded from the trainer from Pallet. Those blows didn't amount to what his own heavy hitter was capable of. "Let's show 'em, Infernape! Use Flare Blitz!"
Ash's boasting caught the clone's attention, a final punch landing before it retracted its fist. Returning to a less furious state of mind, it examined its opponent more carefully. Its opponent was actually… Smiling?
The real Infernape grinned, only feigning recoil from the last blow it was dealt. A whip of its head surrounded its entire body in white-hot flames, a nimble leap creating distance before Infernape crashed into its doppelganger in the form of a blazing brilliant blue comet.
The blow hit its mark. Hard. 'Infernape' was thrown back to the Rocket's feet, almost instantaneously losing its form to the gelatinous blob that was Ditto itself. The Rocket was already sweating, returning the Pokemon in a panic before sprinting into the forest.
Prinplup spat out a trail of ice, pursuing the Rocket member at full throttle. He was still brimming with anger at his trainer being threatened. While sliding on his belly, he shot out another round of Ice Beams, hoping to block off the space between the trees and corner the stranger.
"C'mon, guys! We can't let him get away!" Shrugging her backpack up higher, the coordinator began pursuit, her other pokemon following at once.
Ciara looked nervously around before running as well. "Shouldn't we call the cops?!"
"We don't have time for that!" Dawn shouted back.
"Good job, Infernape!" Ash quickly said, praising the primate; both were thoroughly satisfied with the victory. That would show an imposter for trying to one-up him. "Now, let's follow 'im!" With that, Ash and company took off in pursuit of Dawn and the others, chasing the man towards a dead end.
Meanwhile, still sprinting for his life with the net securely held, the bumbling Rocket was about to slip through the clearing, on his way to a place to hide. If he could just get out of their sight…
A yelp escaped him as he came to a screeching halt, a brilliant blue beam firing just past his head. It'd only missed by mere inches, sending shivers down the man's spine. Now, his escape had been bridged by a chilling, thick sheet of ice. Palms became sweaty, his head turning back towards his pursuers. "You think you're so tough, don't you! Fine! You're about to see what real power is! Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck! Go, Gyarados!"
A Pokeball was cast forward, bursting open to unleash a towering pillar of light that dwarfed anyone present, even making the trees look puny in comparison. A sea serpent soon replaced the snaking luminescence, letting out a terrifying roar. It was Gyarados - the Atrocious Pokemon.
"Hyuck! Now, hit that there Infernape with Aqua Tail!" The man shouted, judging it enough of a pain in the tail to pursue first. After such a humiliating beating, he couldn't leave anything to chance. Gyarados cried out before doing exactly as it was told, pointing its large tail fin towards the simian. A terrible cyclone of water fired towards the ape, seemingly dwarfing its victim.
"Infernape, look out!" Ash warned.
"Prinplup, Whirlpool!" Dawn cried out.
He obeyed. The opposing column of water span opposite the Gyarados's attack, causing slight dispersal upon initial contact between the rotating forces.
The simian had already raised its arms to defend itself, slowly peering back at the action when the oncoming torrent never made contact. Prinplup had taken over, putting a halt to Gyarados' assault completely.
"Ice Beam!"
The second attack managed to fully freeze the now slower Aqua Tail, leaving no doubt as to how powerful Prinplup was as well. Big as that Gyarados was, did it have the defensive fury Prinplup harbored right now backing it up? While he'd grown rowdier upon evolution, he also seemed to have taken on a more perhaps princely disposition. He would protect his loyal subjects - er, friends, indeed. "Pri!"
Infernape couldn't help but smile, hopping back to Ash's side. He understood; he'd interrupted Prinplup's first battle. It must've been a pride thing, along with returning the favor.
Dawn's eyes widened once she realized he wasn't content to hang back and see what would happen. "That's a water/flying type! Your water moves'll be weak against it!"
Taking heed to her split second warning, the water type would attempt to use Metal Claw to wallop his foe.
"Uh… why'd it have to be a water type," Ciara moaned, staying near Houndour. The remainder of Ciara's own party took pity on her, understanding their trainer's dislike of that particular type all too well.
Metallic fins struck at Gyarados' hide several times, prompting a roar of pain from the creature before it would attempt to swat Prinplup back with its tail. Fortunately for the sea beast, its trainer wasn't blinded by rage.
"Gyarados, take it down with Hyper Beam!"
A terribly powerful blast fired from Gyarados' wide, fanged maw, tearing through the ground before it making a ruthless path towards Prinplup.
"Prinplup, use Bide!" If Prinplup didn't get taken out by that attack, he'd need it to return fire as well as possible, Dawn realized. Buneary seemed to anticipate Dawn's plan, standing at her trainer's side on her tip toes, anxiously awaiting with everyone else to see if the move had knocked Prinplup out or not. If it had, she would continue the battle! And, though Dawn had faith in her starter, even she couldn't help but clench her fists in worry.
Ash had shielded himself from the smoke and debris, fists closed equally tight in worry for the penguin Pokemon.
As the brilliant beam of energy blasted Pripnplup, the bird stood, flippers out at either side of him. For a moment, he disappeared into the light, form obscured. Though the blinding brightness of the Hyper Beam made it difficult to see, a change was occurring. He'd held back for so long and now he was being pushed to his limits. It was time to grow stronger - strong enough to not just keep up with this Gyarados, but to defeat it!
As the ghastly Hyper Beam faded, it became evident what had gone into the Hyper Beam was not what was going out. In pain but holding on, the new Empoleon kept a deathly serious expression. He'd evolved just to bring the beat down. And, the Gyarados had better believe he was going to follow through.
Dawn's jaw dropped. He'd evolved. He'd not only endured the hit, but he'd evolved during. "A-Alright, Pri—Empoleon! All you've got to do is fire back!"
The time to take damage had ended. Empoleon let out a small smirk as his body radiated and used up its stored energy. Twice what he had been given, that he gave. He was glad he hadn't forgotten Endure.
The chilling beam of energy struck Gyarados head-on, earning a terribly loud cry of pain. In just one blow, its stamina had been reduced a great deal, leaving it hurting. Just what kind of Pokemon was this?!
"Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck! You guys are pretty tough! I like that! Gyarados, Crunch!" the Rocket hollered, and by now, the fatigue from Hyper Beam had worn off. The Atrocious Pokemon lunged at Empoleon without a second thought, aiming to snatch the royal Pokemon between its jaws.
Ciara let out a frightened squeal. What if the Gyarados ate Empoleon?!
"Stop laughing!" Dawn snapped. "This isn't funny!" Dawn yelled at the stranger. "Empoleon, quick, use Metal Claw!"
He obeyed, bringing up two brilliantly gray wings. The serpent's jaw rattled as it bit down on solid steel. Empoleon slid back, grunting with effort to keep that massive maw from getting purchase in his hide. Thankfully, Metal Claw had boosted his attack. It was exactly the edge he needed.
"Alright! Now spin!"
There was a moment for the water/steel type to release the Gyarados, those jaws looming down over him. However, he was then coming around for a heavy metal backhand straight to the sea serpent's jowls. Gyarados was sent reeling before collapsing beside the Rocket, knocked completely unconscious. The thief scrambled to call the Atrocious Pokemon back to its Pokeball, sweating and frozen in fear.
"…Ah, crud. You guys are good…! Like, really good!" He sputtered, making a pathetic attempt to salvage some civility as he clung to the tethered net. Though, it was certainly true; the kid with the hat and the blue-haired girl were remarkable trainers. They might even be a threat to Team Rocket, down the line!
"And you're bad, really bad." Dawn crossed her arms as Empoleon walked over to their enemy. The lumbering penguin stood just before grunt, one flipper shining metallic while his other reached over for the net with the Vulpix.
The Rocket practically turned blue in the face, shivering in his boots at the sight of the burly emperor looming over him. Wearing a very nervous smile, he stuttered before tossing the net toward Empoleon, breaking into a sprint to escape the vengeful water type.
"Pix!" the shiny pokemon cried out, relieved to be freed. Once free, Vulpix dashed over and jumped into Ciara's arms.
Ciara, likewise, let out a happy sigh. "I'm so relieved… It's over." She hugged her pokemon close.
"We did it!" Dawn cheered, moving over to throw up a hand for Ash to high five back.
"We sure did!" Ash slapped his hand against Dawn's, baring a grin.
"Leon!" Empoleon grumbled. His appearance might have changed, but his need for attention had not. He walked up behind Dawn, nudging her with his flipper.
"You did great, Empoleon! Of course I know that." She reached up, giving him a quick pat on the head. It was harder now that he was so tall, but, well, he was still her precious partner.
Ash turned to his own Pokemon. "Infernape, you were great, too! Thanks a lot for all your help!" He raised a fist to the simian, who mirrored the same action.
"Infernape!"
"T-Thanks, guys." Walking over, the lavender haired girl grinned at them both. "Vulpix and I both owe you."
"Hey, it's no problem!" He turned his attention back to Ciara. "Just happy we could help out! Heck if we're ever gonna let Team Rocket get away with something like that!"
"Well… I don't have anything I think I can give you right now, but I like to collect rare items like technical machines and evolution stones… So, Dawn, let me give you my number. If you think you want me to find you guys something or whatever…! O-Or, maybe to hang out… s-since you're… both… really cool… J-Just call me!" the girl offered. A brilliant smile was on her face. Despite how shy she was, Ciara had definitely warmed up to Dawn and Ash.
"Perfect!" With that, the two girls exchanged numbers. "I'll try to keep up with you, okay?" Dawn grinned down at the slightly shorter girl.
"Thanks, Ciara! That's really generous," Ash noted. She was a good kid.
"You're very welcome!" the coordinator cheered. "… I hate to run, so suddenly, but I think my adrenaline wore off, haha." It was true. The girl was shaking a bit. "I'm gonna head back. Ash, good luck with your gym battles! And, Dawn -" her face for the briefest of seconds grew very courageous " - when I see you next time, I'll be a blaze of glory! You can count on it!"
"You know it," Dawn responded. "See you, Ciara!"
"See you later!" Ash echoed. He turned to his team and Dawn, positively beaming. "This is great! Empoleon's evolved, we got in some training, and we made a friend! What do you guys wanna do now? I'm already so psyched! Let's do some more training!" It seemed his own internal flame had been lit.
"Later, Ash, we gotta go report this to Officer Jenny," Dawn chided.
"Aw, c'mon... Don't you wanna see how good Empoleon does now?" he tried to tempt.
"Didn't we agree we both need to keep each other from getting hot headed?"
Shoulders slumping, Ash realized Dawn was right. He had learned his lesson, after all. "Alright, let's go."
With that, training was put on a short break while our heroes headed towards the police station. The day was still young, though, so they would be back at it soon. After all, tomorrow was Dawn's contest and the day after that, Ash would battle Lt. Surge once more! They had no time to waste!
