Storm clouds dotted the skies above Cerulean City. The city was home to some of the cleanest water in the world, and a little more never hurt. These clouds though seemed different than the average rain clouds. They were menacing, almost as if they were telling people to stay indoors for today was going to be a day that they'd regret being out in.
Still, 10,000 people crammed into the seats of Wiggly Stadium, the city's premier arena for all things Pokemon. It was at least eighty years old, and most people had forgotten about its history. Yet the stadium was a link to the past, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and engineering. Built back in 1915, Wiggly Stadium was by far the oldest battling arena in Asia, if not the world. Its arena walls were made of vines, that were maintained by a fleet of gardeners. Her seats were crafted of a rich oak, one that still smelled brand new. Very little expense had been spared on the behemoth, that had served the city for so long. It seemed as if the stadium might stand forever...
"Welcome back sports fans! This is Skip Micheals bringing you the biggest tournament of year! This is the very first match on the road to the World Tour, the venue where the elite of the world battle. This first match features Ketchum vs. Fiyuti, in a clash of training styles that is hard to comprehend. Fiyuti, a strict disciplinarian demands every last drop of stamina from his Pokemon then more. Ketchum meanwhile prefers a far more laid back approach, having his Pokemon dig deeper into themselves to help a friend, their trainer."
"A.J. Fiyuti has an impressive record going for him, and is currently ranked 7th in the League. He is on a four tournament winning streak, coming to us from his romp at the Pewter City Classic. This has been by far his best year, winning four tournaments, and finishing 3rd in the Masters."
"Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum is continuing to set the standard of excellence for the League. Being the League Champion, this is his fifth year in a row with that title he is as hot as ever. Bringing home his 3rd Masters victory in a row, and another fat check Expect him to be on his best today, for he gets a chance to prove he is the best, by taking on the other greats of the world." Micheals finally said, finishing his opening rant.
Ash knew he had to get down to business. This was the biggest event he'd ever been in, and would be his first real challenge in over a year. He walked down the massive stone corridor that lead into the arena, Pikachu beside him. The walls were old and ratty, showing many signs of age. They were a pale grey, and needed to repainted. Ash then dismissed everything, even his thoughts about Misty out of his mind.
He needed to focus on the job at hand, he was battling A.J. Ash still remembered vividly that day six and half years ago that A.J. and his Sandshrew gave Ash a reality check. They beat him into the ground. First Pidgeotto was beaten by the Sandshrew, the one the supposedly couldn't fly, but using its aerodynamic body when curled up into a ball, it was able to take Pidgeotto down. Then came Butterfree, using its ability to go underground, it dodged the bug's Stun Spore attack and was able to get high enough to knock it down and pin it.
He remembered all of those old memories vividly, both the good and the bad. His first Gym battle, his captures of Pidgeotto and Butterfree, and his battle with Misty just to name a few of the good memories that he kept close to him. Also were the memories of Butterfree leaving to mate and his partings with Brock and Misty were some of the memories that continued to haunt him. He had to dispel them from his mind though, he had to win this.
He finally finished the walk out onto the field. He was expecting to be bombarded by sunlight, and to have to give his eyes a few moments to adjust. The opposite happened to Ash. He had been bracing to be overwhelmed by the sheer strength and intensity of the Sun, but it didn't happen. Ash looked up to see what was up, when he realized that is overcast. Very overcast, which could be bad for his team. Charizard would fry, but Pikachu would be able to use the falling water to help him if it started raining.
Ash walked over to a large patch of the arena with a massive guardrail winding around three quarters of it. A few seconds after Ash had stepped onto it, the patch of grass began to raise itself upwards. Slowly it crept upwards, whining because it hadn't been oiled in years. The grinding sound of the gear wheels let out an ear splitting trill, that made Ash want to cover his ears. Yet before he could the trill ended, and he was sitting ten feet above the battlefield, with A.J. standing fifteen yards away at the same height.
"Well well Ash, I told you we'd meet again." A.J. said, in an almost taunting voice. Ash had only battled A.J. once, but he knew his personality. He tended to be a little bit over confident, if not at times cocky. Although that wasn't unwarranted, he was quite tough, and this was gonna be the battle of his life...
"A.J. long time...ready to do this?" Ash called out from his tower. He felt really strange shouting to someone else. It wasn't it felt wrong, just weird. Ash thought he needed a megaphone to talk across the arena, or to his Pokemon out on the field. He again pushed all of the trivial thoughts that were running through his head out as the match was about to begin.
"Today will feature a classic 3-vs-3 match up, with no time limit. We'll be bringing you the attack by attack coverage. This is a pivotal early match up between two league power houses...and here we go!" Micheals shouted across the airwaves.
Ash heard the massive gong from the bell, and pulled out his first Pokemon. He would use his Tauros, one of the ones he had from the herd he caught. He was a loyal and tough fighter,
he was also quite strong. Ash leaned back and hurled the Pokeball downward into the field of battle.
The Pokeball opened, and released its occupant in a burst of white energy. The bolt of energy then congealed into a large bull shape. It then faded away as the Tauros became solid, and ready for battle. Meanwhile on the other side of the field, A.J. had sent out a Raitcate. This was going to be an interesting fight.
"Raticate, Go!" he shouted and cracked his whip. The Raticate jumped forward on its stubby little legs, its massive teeth reflecting what little light was available. Its body lunged towards Tauros, and Ash knew what it was going to try and do.
"Tauros, Tail Whip! Bat it down!" Ash ordered his Tauros. The huge bull lifted all three of its mighty tails and brought them to bear on the rat. The first tail collided with the buck-toothed Pokemon sending it into the dirt. The Raticate was obviously surprised by the bull's move, and tried to continue its attack when the second tail smashed into the Raticate. Now very dazed, the third tail knocked him senseless. The rat was barely able to stay in the fight, but couldn't attack.
"All right! Tauros, finish it off with your Stomp attack!" Ash shouted. This was going pretty well. Tauros definitely had the upper hand in the first battle. This was good, the more Pokemon he could get rid of with Tauros the less he had to rely on Charizard. The huge lizard listened to him most of the time, but when excited about battle or when it was enraged, it followed its own path.
"Raticate, Focus Energy!" A.J. called, still calm as a cucumber. Although he looked calm,
things were looking grim inside his head. Ash had gotten good, he might put up a tough fight after all. This was gonna be rough, he hoped to be able to get through at least one of Ketchum's Pokemon with Raticate, but that wasn't gonna happen. The Tail Whips had been such a surprise that Raticate might at best be able to dent the Tauros before it was finished.
Tauros reared its front hooves high into the air. They were a pitch black color, and hung in the air. The hooves seemed to stay there for an eternity, although it was only a few seconds. A few seconds was too long however. The shaggy coated rat's eyes glowed bright red as it received a rush of energy. It rolled over onto its back, and readied to bite to soft underbelly of the Tauros.
The Raticate had made one small miscalculation though. Although he was set to rip into the soft underside of the bull, he himself had revealed his underbelly to attack. The Tauros' hooves came smashing down into the rat's stomach and the Raticate's teeth dug into the Tauros' hide.
The Raticate screeched. The poor things eyes bulged, and the arteries in its eyes bulged as well. The hooves of Tauros had punched it right in its bread basket, by far the Raticate's weakest point. Right below the rib cage was where it was, and both of the Tauros legs had landed there.
Now the Tauros, unaffected by the Raticate's Bite attack, began to use its Stomp attack again. Its hooves dug into the rat time and time again, in repeated succession. The rat's teeth though were still clinging to its stomach, and it was starting to ache. Finally A.J. caved, and was forced to call back his first Pokemon.
"Impressive Ash, but you don't stand a chance against me!" A.J. told Ash, in a loud and commanding voice. Ash felt it chill his bones, because he was right. A.J. really could out class him if he could get Sandslash out. It was probably the strongest trained Pokemon in the world, it was unaffected by water, and A.J. probably had been training it hard to rid it of its weakness to grass. Ash prayed he could survive so that Charizard could square off against A.J.'s best.
"Well kid, your about to get my point...Beedril, GO!!!!" A.J. screamed as he threw his second Pokeball down into the arena. The ball opened and out zoomed a blur of yellow and black. It was a Beedril, and if A.J. trained it, this was gonna be one strong Pokemon.
"Beedril, Fury Attack!" A.J. ordered his bee Pokemon. Flapping its powerful but stubby wings and it began to fly towards the Tauros. It began to pick up speed as it passed the halfway mark, and Ash narrowed his eyes. He had to stop the Beedril, and quick before it could start to rack up the damage on Tauros. Then it came to him, since Tail Whip wouldn't work why not use Tauros other disruption attack.
"Tauros, Leer!" Ash cried out to the horned bull. The Tauros got the point of what he was supposed to do. It narrowed its eyes and let them start to gleam. They became a pale silver, then darker and darker. Finally they hit an off shade of yellow, and he was ready. It a giant flash of light, the Tauros let off its Leer to try and disorient the incoming Beedril.
The Beedril still was coming, and soon was within striking distance. It cut loose into the side of the surprised Tauros, using its massive needles to inflict pain upon the bull. Once, then twice, then a third time came the needles. One then the other in rapid succession, beating the Tauros in the side. The Tauros never stood a chance against such an attack and when coupled with its previous wound, it gave in and fainted.
Ash knew it would come to this, he had managed through one and that was enough. He recalled his battered Tauros and knew what he had to use. He didn't even call what he was using, and threw the Pokeball. The ball opened in a burst of fire and out popped the mighty and majestic figure of a Charizard. Charizard had always given Ash a hard time, but he was now a very useful Pokemon. His powerful attacks and speed gave him a huge edge. It was now his time to do some damage. "Charizard, Ember attack!" Ash told the massive lizard.
The huge dragon flapped its wings and flew up into the sky. The Beedril was obviously worried and A.J. was about to wet his pants. A Charizard? How had Ash manage to get a Charizard? Beedril was toast, and Sandslash didn't stand a chance against something like that. He had to do something and quick if he wanted to win.
It was too late for Beedril though. The Charizard cut loose with its powerful Ember attack and incinerated the poor thing. The Beedril was caught right in the middle of the fireballs from the attack, and was scorched badly. It fell to the ground, and landed with a thud as it gave up. A.J. was forced to recall his second Pokemon, knowing he was in trouble.
He didn't need to say who he was calling out either. Both he and Ash knew who it was....it was Sandslash. It had once been a nearly invincible Sandshrew, and now that it had evolved, it was even stronger. A.J. tossed his last Pokeball and out popped the spiny backed Pokemon.
A.J. then cracked his whip, and Sandslash knew what to do. He was gambling that he could take the Charizard by surprise and finish it off, then have a romp with the Pikachu.
Sandslash dug itself a deep whole in the ground shortly after A.J. had ordered him to with his whip. Charizard, reacting as always, took off into the sky with a great flap of its wings. It had worked on reflex, which would be the lizard's downfall. Charizard began to hover over the spot where it had taken off, wondering what had happened. Ash was also bothered by what the Sandslash had done.
Then in a flurry of dirt and dust the Sandslash burst up from the ground behind the Charizard. It curled itself into a spiny ball and sped towards the Charizard unseen. "Charizard, watch out!" Ash screamed, but it was too late/
The spiny ball careened into the back of the Charizard, sending the mighty dragon crashing into the ground. The red lizard plunged earthward, hurtling towards the ground. It then landed in a spectacular crash, sending up even more dust. Ash then realized how much trouble he was in. He had to use Pikachu, against something that had a resistence to Electricity. He recalled the Charizard, and turned to his little friend.
"Pikachu, do you want to battle the Sandslash?" Ash asked his little buddy, letting him make his own decision. Pikachu hadn't changed much in all these years of fighting, he still lived a care free life and didn't really care to battle. That was why Ash was so surprised by his response.
Pikachu didn't do anything fancy. It was just the contracting of a few muscles in his neck. Although the concept of what he did was simple, it had a profound meaning. Pikachu wanted to battle with Sandslash. Ash's jaw dropped, but he knew that Pikachu could be stubborn and he didn't want to oppose him.
"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash said as he took his friend into his hand and hurled him softly down into the arena. He flew through the air with as much grace as an electric mouse could, which wasn't very gracefully. He landed on his feet and was ready for the battle of his life.
"So, you want to battle the hard way huh? Sandslash, Sand Attack!" A.J. commanded his Sandslash and then cracked his whip. The Sandslash grinned in an evil manner, then began to run in a circle. He ran around, faster and faster, stirring up sand. It turned into a sand storm that Pikachu just couldn't see through before he was clubbed.
It was quite a hit, and during a sand storm. Pikachu went flying forward, out of the vortex of dust. He landed face first, and did a somersault before he stopped. It hurt a lot, he had been hit by a cheap shot. Not like with Giselle's Cubone, but an illegal cheap shot. He stood up on his little legs and brushed himself off to see the Sandslash just standing there.
Then the Sandslash made a critical error, he began to mock Pikachu. It wasn't much at first, just a little chuckle. Although as he began to chuckle, it just started to get louder and louder. Each laugh more forceful than the last, like a slap that was constantly hitting you, getting harder every time.
Pikachu began to fume, a new feeling consumed him. It was one of rage, a kind of feeling that he had never felt before. It ate him like a side of french fries. He felt it in his veins, pulsating through his entire being. That Sandslash had made a mockery of him by hitting him with that cheap shot...now he would pay...he would pay dearly.
Pikachu vowed that here and now that Sandslash would regret what he had done, both the illegal cheap shot and his making a mockery of him. He would pay, and Pikachu let go, of all the emotion he had ever felt, and let his rage take control. Then an eerie calm settled over the field...that was broken by cracking of thunder near the arena...
"This is your announcer Skip Micheals bringing you the latest from this first match. Both Ash and A.J. are down to their last Pokemon and this is one doozie of a mismatch. A Pikachu vs. Sandslash, and the Pikachu is at a double disadvantage. The Sandslash did something during its Sand Attack a few moments ago, we believe it was an illegal cheap shot. But no whistles were blown, so it stands as a legal move." Skip said to his listeners. Then something started to happen. He looked out of the commentary box, and saw the thunder clouds moving. They were moving slowly, quite slowly. Just a little bit..all most unnoticeable. Yet they seemed to be heading towards the stadium. Then a few let out huge crackles of thunder to show that they were coming closer together.
"Looks like the Pikachu might just stand a chance after all! If it rains, the moisture that will collect on the Sandslash will allow it conduct electricity and..." Micheals cut off as he looked back down to the field. The Pikachu was up to something. It wasn't doing an attack, but it looked like it was calling up all of its strength to do something. He could see it hunched over and he could see the white of its clenched teeth.
Turning away from his microphone to one of his aids he asked them to give him a readout if anything was wrong with the atmosphere down in the stadium. The assistant complied, and did what he was told. Both of them were astonished by what they saw.
What they saw, was something as basic as rain. The concept is that opposites attract, and that was it. Well, it seemed that the Pikachu was being a massive magnet, pulling in all of the thunder clouds and their negative ions towards one centralized location. This was a brand new attack...or a legendary one.
Skip turned back to his microphone. "Everyone, we seem to be in the midst of the Legendary Thunderstorm attack. This has not been witnessed in the past one hundred years, and it perhaps the strongest of all the known attacks...." Skip trailed off as he looked off into the sky.
It was black, pitch black with dark clouds. It looked like night above the stadium, when it was illuminated by a great flash...
Misty was getting nervous, this wasn't right. As she sat in the front row of Wiggly Stadium watching the match, she knew something was wrong. It was about to rain, a really nasty storm had blown in. She couldn't tell if it was the way that the wind was blowing or the bleakness of the sky that made her nervous. Just something was making her edgy. Maybe it was the battle she thought. Ash was in deep trouble, Pikachu didn't stand a chance against Sandslash, and she longed to help him. She racked her brain about ways to help him, but nothing could work without him getting disqualified. She still wanted to do something.
She saw Pikachu mustering up for something down on the field. He was hunched over, almost bent in half. His little jaws clenched shut with the pain of whatever he doing. His little red electrodes spitting out sparks of blue and purple...that worried her.
Then it happened. Pikachu rose, not in his normal way, but like he was possessed. That was the only way to describe how the little mouse looked. Pikachu looked a shell of himself, like something had filled him with anger or hate. That wasn't Pikachu though...was it? Then the little mouse revealed what he had been saving up for...he stood and let off a huge flash of light and she screamed as the stadium was enveloped by the blinding light...
Ash covered his eyes a massive bolt of lighting blinded him. The storm was right on top of him and the bolt looked like it had hit Pikachu, Ash was wrong however, for Pikachu had launched the bolt himself. The little mouse had sent a bolt of lightning into the massive storm above him...but why?
If Ash had any kind of a brain for mysteries he could have easily figured out what Pikachu had done. For within a few seconds a huge bolt of lighting came crashing down into the stadium, and slammed into the Sandslash. That was what Pikachu had been doing, he had set off a chain reaction! The release of electricity might be enough to defeat the Sandslash...
"HOLY GOD! IT IS! IT IS THE THUNDERSTORM ATTACK!" Micheals screamed, as he scrambled to get some readout on the power level being released. It wasn't long before he had it from one of his assistants. "We're reading over 3,000,000 volts of electricity pouring into the Sandslash! This is too much for even a ground Pokemon to handle!"
Skip was right, it was to much even for a ground Pokemon. The Sandslash winced in pain as the electricity poured through him. His eyes began to bulge from all of the strain to his body. It was far too much even for him. His body just couldn't hold out against all of the strain. He curled up into a ball to try and protect himself, and it seemed to work, for a while. Still, it was just too much...then came the final blast...
Ash was scared, one of the very few times he was actually scared too death. Pikachu had never commanded an attack like this before, it was of such power it was frightening even to him. He was obsessed with all of the power that was pouring down from the clouds, and that Sandslash was finally being beaten...when a bolt of lightning struck six inches away from him. Ash was sent flying backwards off the platform, and flew against the wall directly behind him.
He banged into the massive vines that were on the wall and was entrapped in them. They were really, really tough he thought to himself as he struggled to get out. He fought to get out of their possession, and he finally managed to get free and fall to the arena floor. Just as a stray bolt of lightning struck a chunk of stone directly above him, cutting off a piece and sending it flying down onto his head. He never saw it coming before there was nothing but black...
Misty watched in sheer awe as Pikachu commanded such an amazing attack. Who could have guessed that he could be so powerful, and so strong...when he called down his final blast. With the last of his energy, Pikachu gave up feeding the chain reaction in order for one last super blast of lightning. There was a massive roll of thunder before a huge three pronged bolt struck. It was as wide as the football field sized arena, and was a bright blue-white color.
Two of the bolts collided the Sandslash, sending it flying in a smoldering hulk of spines towards A.J.'s platform. The other one smacked into the support column of Ash's platform. Misty was about to scream when she saw that Ash wasn't there. She then saw Ash, lying limp down against the wall closest to the platform. The bolt destroyed to column and it began to lurch towards the wall. It began to fall...thirty tons of metal plummeting from ten feet up...
"ASHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Misty screamed at the top of her lungs. It wasn't enough to get his attention, as the platform came crashing down, crushing her beloved...
Still, 10,000 people crammed into the seats of Wiggly Stadium, the city's premier arena for all things Pokemon. It was at least eighty years old, and most people had forgotten about its history. Yet the stadium was a link to the past, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and engineering. Built back in 1915, Wiggly Stadium was by far the oldest battling arena in Asia, if not the world. Its arena walls were made of vines, that were maintained by a fleet of gardeners. Her seats were crafted of a rich oak, one that still smelled brand new. Very little expense had been spared on the behemoth, that had served the city for so long. It seemed as if the stadium might stand forever...
"Welcome back sports fans! This is Skip Micheals bringing you the biggest tournament of year! This is the very first match on the road to the World Tour, the venue where the elite of the world battle. This first match features Ketchum vs. Fiyuti, in a clash of training styles that is hard to comprehend. Fiyuti, a strict disciplinarian demands every last drop of stamina from his Pokemon then more. Ketchum meanwhile prefers a far more laid back approach, having his Pokemon dig deeper into themselves to help a friend, their trainer."
"A.J. Fiyuti has an impressive record going for him, and is currently ranked 7th in the League. He is on a four tournament winning streak, coming to us from his romp at the Pewter City Classic. This has been by far his best year, winning four tournaments, and finishing 3rd in the Masters."
"Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum is continuing to set the standard of excellence for the League. Being the League Champion, this is his fifth year in a row with that title he is as hot as ever. Bringing home his 3rd Masters victory in a row, and another fat check Expect him to be on his best today, for he gets a chance to prove he is the best, by taking on the other greats of the world." Micheals finally said, finishing his opening rant.
Ash knew he had to get down to business. This was the biggest event he'd ever been in, and would be his first real challenge in over a year. He walked down the massive stone corridor that lead into the arena, Pikachu beside him. The walls were old and ratty, showing many signs of age. They were a pale grey, and needed to repainted. Ash then dismissed everything, even his thoughts about Misty out of his mind.
He needed to focus on the job at hand, he was battling A.J. Ash still remembered vividly that day six and half years ago that A.J. and his Sandshrew gave Ash a reality check. They beat him into the ground. First Pidgeotto was beaten by the Sandshrew, the one the supposedly couldn't fly, but using its aerodynamic body when curled up into a ball, it was able to take Pidgeotto down. Then came Butterfree, using its ability to go underground, it dodged the bug's Stun Spore attack and was able to get high enough to knock it down and pin it.
He remembered all of those old memories vividly, both the good and the bad. His first Gym battle, his captures of Pidgeotto and Butterfree, and his battle with Misty just to name a few of the good memories that he kept close to him. Also were the memories of Butterfree leaving to mate and his partings with Brock and Misty were some of the memories that continued to haunt him. He had to dispel them from his mind though, he had to win this.
He finally finished the walk out onto the field. He was expecting to be bombarded by sunlight, and to have to give his eyes a few moments to adjust. The opposite happened to Ash. He had been bracing to be overwhelmed by the sheer strength and intensity of the Sun, but it didn't happen. Ash looked up to see what was up, when he realized that is overcast. Very overcast, which could be bad for his team. Charizard would fry, but Pikachu would be able to use the falling water to help him if it started raining.
Ash walked over to a large patch of the arena with a massive guardrail winding around three quarters of it. A few seconds after Ash had stepped onto it, the patch of grass began to raise itself upwards. Slowly it crept upwards, whining because it hadn't been oiled in years. The grinding sound of the gear wheels let out an ear splitting trill, that made Ash want to cover his ears. Yet before he could the trill ended, and he was sitting ten feet above the battlefield, with A.J. standing fifteen yards away at the same height.
"Well well Ash, I told you we'd meet again." A.J. said, in an almost taunting voice. Ash had only battled A.J. once, but he knew his personality. He tended to be a little bit over confident, if not at times cocky. Although that wasn't unwarranted, he was quite tough, and this was gonna be the battle of his life...
"A.J. long time...ready to do this?" Ash called out from his tower. He felt really strange shouting to someone else. It wasn't it felt wrong, just weird. Ash thought he needed a megaphone to talk across the arena, or to his Pokemon out on the field. He again pushed all of the trivial thoughts that were running through his head out as the match was about to begin.
"Today will feature a classic 3-vs-3 match up, with no time limit. We'll be bringing you the attack by attack coverage. This is a pivotal early match up between two league power houses...and here we go!" Micheals shouted across the airwaves.
Ash heard the massive gong from the bell, and pulled out his first Pokemon. He would use his Tauros, one of the ones he had from the herd he caught. He was a loyal and tough fighter,
he was also quite strong. Ash leaned back and hurled the Pokeball downward into the field of battle.
The Pokeball opened, and released its occupant in a burst of white energy. The bolt of energy then congealed into a large bull shape. It then faded away as the Tauros became solid, and ready for battle. Meanwhile on the other side of the field, A.J. had sent out a Raitcate. This was going to be an interesting fight.
"Raticate, Go!" he shouted and cracked his whip. The Raticate jumped forward on its stubby little legs, its massive teeth reflecting what little light was available. Its body lunged towards Tauros, and Ash knew what it was going to try and do.
"Tauros, Tail Whip! Bat it down!" Ash ordered his Tauros. The huge bull lifted all three of its mighty tails and brought them to bear on the rat. The first tail collided with the buck-toothed Pokemon sending it into the dirt. The Raticate was obviously surprised by the bull's move, and tried to continue its attack when the second tail smashed into the Raticate. Now very dazed, the third tail knocked him senseless. The rat was barely able to stay in the fight, but couldn't attack.
"All right! Tauros, finish it off with your Stomp attack!" Ash shouted. This was going pretty well. Tauros definitely had the upper hand in the first battle. This was good, the more Pokemon he could get rid of with Tauros the less he had to rely on Charizard. The huge lizard listened to him most of the time, but when excited about battle or when it was enraged, it followed its own path.
"Raticate, Focus Energy!" A.J. called, still calm as a cucumber. Although he looked calm,
things were looking grim inside his head. Ash had gotten good, he might put up a tough fight after all. This was gonna be rough, he hoped to be able to get through at least one of Ketchum's Pokemon with Raticate, but that wasn't gonna happen. The Tail Whips had been such a surprise that Raticate might at best be able to dent the Tauros before it was finished.
Tauros reared its front hooves high into the air. They were a pitch black color, and hung in the air. The hooves seemed to stay there for an eternity, although it was only a few seconds. A few seconds was too long however. The shaggy coated rat's eyes glowed bright red as it received a rush of energy. It rolled over onto its back, and readied to bite to soft underbelly of the Tauros.
The Raticate had made one small miscalculation though. Although he was set to rip into the soft underside of the bull, he himself had revealed his underbelly to attack. The Tauros' hooves came smashing down into the rat's stomach and the Raticate's teeth dug into the Tauros' hide.
The Raticate screeched. The poor things eyes bulged, and the arteries in its eyes bulged as well. The hooves of Tauros had punched it right in its bread basket, by far the Raticate's weakest point. Right below the rib cage was where it was, and both of the Tauros legs had landed there.
Now the Tauros, unaffected by the Raticate's Bite attack, began to use its Stomp attack again. Its hooves dug into the rat time and time again, in repeated succession. The rat's teeth though were still clinging to its stomach, and it was starting to ache. Finally A.J. caved, and was forced to call back his first Pokemon.
"Impressive Ash, but you don't stand a chance against me!" A.J. told Ash, in a loud and commanding voice. Ash felt it chill his bones, because he was right. A.J. really could out class him if he could get Sandslash out. It was probably the strongest trained Pokemon in the world, it was unaffected by water, and A.J. probably had been training it hard to rid it of its weakness to grass. Ash prayed he could survive so that Charizard could square off against A.J.'s best.
"Well kid, your about to get my point...Beedril, GO!!!!" A.J. screamed as he threw his second Pokeball down into the arena. The ball opened and out zoomed a blur of yellow and black. It was a Beedril, and if A.J. trained it, this was gonna be one strong Pokemon.
"Beedril, Fury Attack!" A.J. ordered his bee Pokemon. Flapping its powerful but stubby wings and it began to fly towards the Tauros. It began to pick up speed as it passed the halfway mark, and Ash narrowed his eyes. He had to stop the Beedril, and quick before it could start to rack up the damage on Tauros. Then it came to him, since Tail Whip wouldn't work why not use Tauros other disruption attack.
"Tauros, Leer!" Ash cried out to the horned bull. The Tauros got the point of what he was supposed to do. It narrowed its eyes and let them start to gleam. They became a pale silver, then darker and darker. Finally they hit an off shade of yellow, and he was ready. It a giant flash of light, the Tauros let off its Leer to try and disorient the incoming Beedril.
The Beedril still was coming, and soon was within striking distance. It cut loose into the side of the surprised Tauros, using its massive needles to inflict pain upon the bull. Once, then twice, then a third time came the needles. One then the other in rapid succession, beating the Tauros in the side. The Tauros never stood a chance against such an attack and when coupled with its previous wound, it gave in and fainted.
Ash knew it would come to this, he had managed through one and that was enough. He recalled his battered Tauros and knew what he had to use. He didn't even call what he was using, and threw the Pokeball. The ball opened in a burst of fire and out popped the mighty and majestic figure of a Charizard. Charizard had always given Ash a hard time, but he was now a very useful Pokemon. His powerful attacks and speed gave him a huge edge. It was now his time to do some damage. "Charizard, Ember attack!" Ash told the massive lizard.
The huge dragon flapped its wings and flew up into the sky. The Beedril was obviously worried and A.J. was about to wet his pants. A Charizard? How had Ash manage to get a Charizard? Beedril was toast, and Sandslash didn't stand a chance against something like that. He had to do something and quick if he wanted to win.
It was too late for Beedril though. The Charizard cut loose with its powerful Ember attack and incinerated the poor thing. The Beedril was caught right in the middle of the fireballs from the attack, and was scorched badly. It fell to the ground, and landed with a thud as it gave up. A.J. was forced to recall his second Pokemon, knowing he was in trouble.
He didn't need to say who he was calling out either. Both he and Ash knew who it was....it was Sandslash. It had once been a nearly invincible Sandshrew, and now that it had evolved, it was even stronger. A.J. tossed his last Pokeball and out popped the spiny backed Pokemon.
A.J. then cracked his whip, and Sandslash knew what to do. He was gambling that he could take the Charizard by surprise and finish it off, then have a romp with the Pikachu.
Sandslash dug itself a deep whole in the ground shortly after A.J. had ordered him to with his whip. Charizard, reacting as always, took off into the sky with a great flap of its wings. It had worked on reflex, which would be the lizard's downfall. Charizard began to hover over the spot where it had taken off, wondering what had happened. Ash was also bothered by what the Sandslash had done.
Then in a flurry of dirt and dust the Sandslash burst up from the ground behind the Charizard. It curled itself into a spiny ball and sped towards the Charizard unseen. "Charizard, watch out!" Ash screamed, but it was too late/
The spiny ball careened into the back of the Charizard, sending the mighty dragon crashing into the ground. The red lizard plunged earthward, hurtling towards the ground. It then landed in a spectacular crash, sending up even more dust. Ash then realized how much trouble he was in. He had to use Pikachu, against something that had a resistence to Electricity. He recalled the Charizard, and turned to his little friend.
"Pikachu, do you want to battle the Sandslash?" Ash asked his little buddy, letting him make his own decision. Pikachu hadn't changed much in all these years of fighting, he still lived a care free life and didn't really care to battle. That was why Ash was so surprised by his response.
Pikachu didn't do anything fancy. It was just the contracting of a few muscles in his neck. Although the concept of what he did was simple, it had a profound meaning. Pikachu wanted to battle with Sandslash. Ash's jaw dropped, but he knew that Pikachu could be stubborn and he didn't want to oppose him.
"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash said as he took his friend into his hand and hurled him softly down into the arena. He flew through the air with as much grace as an electric mouse could, which wasn't very gracefully. He landed on his feet and was ready for the battle of his life.
"So, you want to battle the hard way huh? Sandslash, Sand Attack!" A.J. commanded his Sandslash and then cracked his whip. The Sandslash grinned in an evil manner, then began to run in a circle. He ran around, faster and faster, stirring up sand. It turned into a sand storm that Pikachu just couldn't see through before he was clubbed.
It was quite a hit, and during a sand storm. Pikachu went flying forward, out of the vortex of dust. He landed face first, and did a somersault before he stopped. It hurt a lot, he had been hit by a cheap shot. Not like with Giselle's Cubone, but an illegal cheap shot. He stood up on his little legs and brushed himself off to see the Sandslash just standing there.
Then the Sandslash made a critical error, he began to mock Pikachu. It wasn't much at first, just a little chuckle. Although as he began to chuckle, it just started to get louder and louder. Each laugh more forceful than the last, like a slap that was constantly hitting you, getting harder every time.
Pikachu began to fume, a new feeling consumed him. It was one of rage, a kind of feeling that he had never felt before. It ate him like a side of french fries. He felt it in his veins, pulsating through his entire being. That Sandslash had made a mockery of him by hitting him with that cheap shot...now he would pay...he would pay dearly.
Pikachu vowed that here and now that Sandslash would regret what he had done, both the illegal cheap shot and his making a mockery of him. He would pay, and Pikachu let go, of all the emotion he had ever felt, and let his rage take control. Then an eerie calm settled over the field...that was broken by cracking of thunder near the arena...
"This is your announcer Skip Micheals bringing you the latest from this first match. Both Ash and A.J. are down to their last Pokemon and this is one doozie of a mismatch. A Pikachu vs. Sandslash, and the Pikachu is at a double disadvantage. The Sandslash did something during its Sand Attack a few moments ago, we believe it was an illegal cheap shot. But no whistles were blown, so it stands as a legal move." Skip said to his listeners. Then something started to happen. He looked out of the commentary box, and saw the thunder clouds moving. They were moving slowly, quite slowly. Just a little bit..all most unnoticeable. Yet they seemed to be heading towards the stadium. Then a few let out huge crackles of thunder to show that they were coming closer together.
"Looks like the Pikachu might just stand a chance after all! If it rains, the moisture that will collect on the Sandslash will allow it conduct electricity and..." Micheals cut off as he looked back down to the field. The Pikachu was up to something. It wasn't doing an attack, but it looked like it was calling up all of its strength to do something. He could see it hunched over and he could see the white of its clenched teeth.
Turning away from his microphone to one of his aids he asked them to give him a readout if anything was wrong with the atmosphere down in the stadium. The assistant complied, and did what he was told. Both of them were astonished by what they saw.
What they saw, was something as basic as rain. The concept is that opposites attract, and that was it. Well, it seemed that the Pikachu was being a massive magnet, pulling in all of the thunder clouds and their negative ions towards one centralized location. This was a brand new attack...or a legendary one.
Skip turned back to his microphone. "Everyone, we seem to be in the midst of the Legendary Thunderstorm attack. This has not been witnessed in the past one hundred years, and it perhaps the strongest of all the known attacks...." Skip trailed off as he looked off into the sky.
It was black, pitch black with dark clouds. It looked like night above the stadium, when it was illuminated by a great flash...
Misty was getting nervous, this wasn't right. As she sat in the front row of Wiggly Stadium watching the match, she knew something was wrong. It was about to rain, a really nasty storm had blown in. She couldn't tell if it was the way that the wind was blowing or the bleakness of the sky that made her nervous. Just something was making her edgy. Maybe it was the battle she thought. Ash was in deep trouble, Pikachu didn't stand a chance against Sandslash, and she longed to help him. She racked her brain about ways to help him, but nothing could work without him getting disqualified. She still wanted to do something.
She saw Pikachu mustering up for something down on the field. He was hunched over, almost bent in half. His little jaws clenched shut with the pain of whatever he doing. His little red electrodes spitting out sparks of blue and purple...that worried her.
Then it happened. Pikachu rose, not in his normal way, but like he was possessed. That was the only way to describe how the little mouse looked. Pikachu looked a shell of himself, like something had filled him with anger or hate. That wasn't Pikachu though...was it? Then the little mouse revealed what he had been saving up for...he stood and let off a huge flash of light and she screamed as the stadium was enveloped by the blinding light...
Ash covered his eyes a massive bolt of lighting blinded him. The storm was right on top of him and the bolt looked like it had hit Pikachu, Ash was wrong however, for Pikachu had launched the bolt himself. The little mouse had sent a bolt of lightning into the massive storm above him...but why?
If Ash had any kind of a brain for mysteries he could have easily figured out what Pikachu had done. For within a few seconds a huge bolt of lighting came crashing down into the stadium, and slammed into the Sandslash. That was what Pikachu had been doing, he had set off a chain reaction! The release of electricity might be enough to defeat the Sandslash...
"HOLY GOD! IT IS! IT IS THE THUNDERSTORM ATTACK!" Micheals screamed, as he scrambled to get some readout on the power level being released. It wasn't long before he had it from one of his assistants. "We're reading over 3,000,000 volts of electricity pouring into the Sandslash! This is too much for even a ground Pokemon to handle!"
Skip was right, it was to much even for a ground Pokemon. The Sandslash winced in pain as the electricity poured through him. His eyes began to bulge from all of the strain to his body. It was far too much even for him. His body just couldn't hold out against all of the strain. He curled up into a ball to try and protect himself, and it seemed to work, for a while. Still, it was just too much...then came the final blast...
Ash was scared, one of the very few times he was actually scared too death. Pikachu had never commanded an attack like this before, it was of such power it was frightening even to him. He was obsessed with all of the power that was pouring down from the clouds, and that Sandslash was finally being beaten...when a bolt of lightning struck six inches away from him. Ash was sent flying backwards off the platform, and flew against the wall directly behind him.
He banged into the massive vines that were on the wall and was entrapped in them. They were really, really tough he thought to himself as he struggled to get out. He fought to get out of their possession, and he finally managed to get free and fall to the arena floor. Just as a stray bolt of lightning struck a chunk of stone directly above him, cutting off a piece and sending it flying down onto his head. He never saw it coming before there was nothing but black...
Misty watched in sheer awe as Pikachu commanded such an amazing attack. Who could have guessed that he could be so powerful, and so strong...when he called down his final blast. With the last of his energy, Pikachu gave up feeding the chain reaction in order for one last super blast of lightning. There was a massive roll of thunder before a huge three pronged bolt struck. It was as wide as the football field sized arena, and was a bright blue-white color.
Two of the bolts collided the Sandslash, sending it flying in a smoldering hulk of spines towards A.J.'s platform. The other one smacked into the support column of Ash's platform. Misty was about to scream when she saw that Ash wasn't there. She then saw Ash, lying limp down against the wall closest to the platform. The bolt destroyed to column and it began to lurch towards the wall. It began to fall...thirty tons of metal plummeting from ten feet up...
"ASHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Misty screamed at the top of her lungs. It wasn't enough to get his attention, as the platform came crashing down, crushing her beloved...
