Disclaimer: Please... not again!
: Thoughts
^^ ^^: Pokémon language
Ranma-chan (Ranko): Ranma as a girl
Note: This part of the story takes place just after the episode when Ash had just left the Golden Rod City radio station.
Part 2
Kindred Spirits
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! This Golduck is mine!" Ranma-chan shouted as she took a stance against the people who were trying to catch her Golduck. Beside her, Sea Storm and Raiden also took battle stances as they prepared to fight off their opponents.
At that moment, Ash, Brock and Misty stopped in their tracks as they saw the owner of the Golduck. And then it happened...
The oldest member of their group got that funny look whenever he meets up with a pretty girl and Ranma's cursed form was no exception, especially since her curves put many older females to shame. As soon as he saw the well-formed Ranma-chan, he quickly ran up to her, gasped both of her hands in his own and leaned forward.
"I must apologize for my friends' behavior! They should always check to see if a Pokémon belongs to someone before trying to battle and catch it. However, my HEART is free and ready to be captured by you, beautiful one! So how's about we have a battle of love?"
For Ranma-chan, there was only one response...
WHAM! BASH! CRUNCH!
Jeanette, Ia and Sam arrived on the scene to see a very bruised and broken Brock in a tangled heap on the ground. Standing over him in a huff was a very irritated martial artist and Pokémon trainer. Beside her, Raiden and Sea Storm had very large sweatdrops on the backs of their heads. This had been the first time their master had been hit on. Of course, Ranma tended to hit back.
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"We haven't seen you since Ash won that Soul Badge." Misty remarked as they were all sitting near the river and eating lunch.
"Yes, it's been a while." Ia agreed. "So you're all heading toward the Johto League as well?"
"That's right. I just won a badge from the Golden rod Gym." Ash replied, then turned to Jeanette. "I guess that you're also heading there. After the way you battled at the Indigo plateau, I'll bet that you'll do great in this league too."
The daughter of the Gym Leader of Crimson City took a sip of tea. "Actually, I hadn't planned on entering the Johto League when I joined up with Ranma here, but when she decided to compete, then I thought that it would be a good idea."
Sam and Ia immediately tensed up and Jeanette suddenly stiffened when she realized her mistake. Raiden and Sea Storm also became nervous.
At the mention of Ranma's name, Brock, Misty and Ash gave a collective gasp and stared at the redhead.
"Ranma?! You mean... you're Ranma?! The one who actually defeated PRIMA?!" Ash said with awe.
"The trainer with the world's fastest Rapidash?!" Brock gulped.
"The only Trainer to have won a Diamond Staryu Badge?!" Misty squeaked.
Ranma-chan became very flustered as she hurried to cover up her companion's slip-up. She didn't want anyone to connect her real self with her alter-ego. She gave a nervous laugh and waved her hand. "Oh no! I'm not Ranma! Actually... my name is... er, uh... Ran... KO! That's it! My name is Ranko!"
"But... Jeanette just called you Ranma." Ash insisted.
Ranko quickly shook her head and gave another nervous laugh. "Oh, Jeanette has a bit of a habit of confusing me with my... er, COUSIN Ranma." She looked at Jeanette with a slight glare. "ISN'T THAT RIGHT, Jeanette?"
"Er... yes, that's it!" Jeanette said quickly. "I always get you two confused... er, Ran... KO." She gave a little laugh.
"Actually, I'm just visiting my cousin while he's on his way to the Johto League."
"So you're not Ranma?" Ash asked.
"Nope. I'm just passing through actually." Ranko said quickly as she got up and bowed to everyone. "Well, I have to get going now, so it was nice meeting all of you. See ya!"
With those words, Ranma-chan invoked the Saotome Final Attack... she ran.
"Wait! I didn't get your phone number yet!" Brock cried out as he began chasing after her. However, Ranma-chan had already disappeared into the forest by the time the Pokémon Breeder had taken a few steps.
"It's no use Brock." Ia called after him. "Once Ranko gets going, there's no way you could catch her."
"Huh?" Brock turned around in confusion.
Sam nodded. "Yeah... er, Ranko has a... bit of a habit of disappearing and we don't know when she'll show up again."
Jeanette laughed nervously. "Yeah, she's always like that."
Brock slumped down to his knees in disappointment, lamenting about his fiery, red-haired beauty, then brightened up as he realized that Ranma's three attractive companions were still there. He made an about face and began trying to charm them.
"Excuse me girls, but would any of you be interested in joining me in a Pokémon Journey of love?"
Ia, Jeanette and Sam had large sweatdrops on the backs of their heads while Ash and Misty could only shake their heads and sigh.
"Here we go again." Misty commented as she held Togepi close to her. She then turned to her companion. "Say Ash, what do you think this Ranma person is like?"
Ash shrugged as he replied, "I don't know Misty, but when I meet up with him, the first thing I'm going to do is challenge him to a battle!"
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Meanwhile, Ash's Pikachu was having a conversation with Raiden and Sea Storm.
"Pikachu?" ^^So what's your trainer like?^^ Ash's electric rodent noted that his fellow electric mouse was more buff than he was.
Raiden shrugged as he adjusted his headband. "Chu, pi, pika, pikachu!" ^^Well, he's not exactly what we would call.... normal.^^
"Pi? Pika?" ^^What do you mean?^^
"Golduck, golduck." ^^What we mean is that he's... special.^^ The waterfowl said.
"Pika? Pikachu?" ^^In what way?^^
Both Ranma's Pikachu and Golduck smiled as the electric rodent replied. "Pika, pika, chu, pi." ^^If we ever battle, then you'll see.^^
"Pika! Pika! Chu! Chu!" ^^Hey, don't underestimate me or my friends!^^
"Pi?" ^^Oh?^^
Pika! Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!" ^^I'll have you know that I've been in both the Indigo League and the Orange League!^^
Both of Ranma's Pokémon nodded.
"Golduck." ^^Impressive.^^
Pikachu nodded and smiled. "Pikachu, pi, pi, pi! Pika, pika, pika! Chu, pi, pi! Pikachu!" ^^We made it to the top sixteenths in the Indigo Plateau and we won the Orange League Championships!^^
Raiden nodded. "Pikachu. Pikachu. Pi, pi, pikachu?" ^^I can tell that you've been around. Got some experience too. So you're in the Johto League now?^^
"Pika! Pi?" ^^You bet! You too?^^
Both Pokémon nodded.
"Golduck. Duck. Duck." ^^We've won two badges already.^^
Raiden then said, "Pikachu. Pika. Pi, pi, pi." ^^We hope to win a Plain Badge at Golden Rod City.^^
Pikachu nodded. "Pikachu! Pika, pika, pika!" ^^Good luck! That Whitney and her Miltank was no pushover!^^
"Golduck?" ^^Miltank?^^
"Pikachu! Pi, chu, pika, pika, pi, pikachu!" ^^It's got a rolling attack that will flatten you if you're not careful!^^
Raiden paused and thought about it for a moment, then turned to the water Pokémon. "Pikachu? Pi, pi? Pikachu? Pika, pi, chu." ^^Rolling attack, eh? What do you think? Sounds like Razor might have some competition.^^ Raiden remembered Razor's specialty, the Buzzsaw Barrage Attack. With his sharp quills spinning at more than 50,000 RPMs, the Sandslash could cut through even the thick shell of a Cloyster.
"Pikachu?" ^^Who's Razor?^^ Inquired Ash's favorite Pokémon.
"Golduck." ^^He's Ranma's Sandslash.^^ The evolved form of Psyduck replied, then turned back to Raiden. "Golduck, duck, golduck." ^^I think Razor's perfect for that Miltank.^^
Pikachu shrugged, remembering how hard it was to beat Whitney's strongest Pokémon. "Pikachu. Pika, pika, pi?" ^^If you say so. By the way, where is your trainer?^^
Sea Storm shrugged as he replied. "Duck, duck, golduck." ^^I'm sure that he'll show up any time now."
----------
Sure enough, just a few dozen meters away, Ranma shivered after pouring the hot water over his head and transformed back. He had used his ki to heat up some water in a kettle and prepared to return to the others. He shuddered at the thought of meeting up with that lovesick Brock again, even though he was now male. He had heard of him from Ia and wondered if anyone could be as pathetic as Brock when it came to girls.
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On Ranma's Earth...
"ACHOO!"
A certain kendoist wondered just where that sneeze had come from.
(Sorry, couldn't resist!)
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Back on the Pokémon World...
"Hey, guys! What's up?"
Everyone turned to see Ranma emerge from the forest. Raiden immediately went to his master and leapt up to perch on his right shoulder. Sea Storm also went to Ranma as Ash, Brock and Misty got their first look at the only Pokémon Trainer to have ever defeated Prima.
"Ranma! It's about time you joined us!" Sam exclaimed as she and the others stood up.
Ash became very excited as he ran up to him. "So you're Ranma?"
"Yeah... uh, my ... cousin Ranko just told me that we had some visitors, before she left. Hi, I'm Ranma Saotome."
It was then that Ash got that funny look in his eyes that Brock and Misty knew so well. He then pointed at Ranma and said, "Ranma Saotome, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"
"Uhhh... excuse me?"
"You heard me! I want to battle you!"
"Uh, well... all right. I guess my Pokémon can use some exercise. You're on. Let's make it interesting, okay?"
"What do you mean?" Ash was ready to go as his Pikachu came up beside him, also eager to test out his skills.
"You're Ash Ketchum, right?" The eleven-year-old boy nodded. "I've heard a lot about you from Jeanette and Ia. I also met up with Laura from the Big P Ranch and a few other people that know you. They all said some really good things about you. I'm impressed that you've been through all that stuff. I've only been a Pokémon Trainer for just several months. Compared to me, you're a veteran."
"Gee, thanks." Ash scratched the back of his head while grinning sheepishly. Behind him, Misty and Brock could see his head swelling up.
"I'd like to see your battling skills at their strongest, so... let's have a six-on-six battle."
"A... six-on-six?" Everyone else gasped simultaneously.
Ash was about to say something, when...
"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!"
"AND MAKE IT DOUBLE!"
Ranma sighed as he shook his head while pinching the bridge of his nose.
I should have seen this one coming.
There was a huge rumbling noise as a gigantic machine suddenly came out from the sky and hovered to a stop front of the group. It was in the shape of a gigantic... Wheezing?
Okay... that's new.
"It's Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed as he and his friends tensed up for the coming battle. Ranma's friends also prepared for trouble. (Sorry about the pun).
Inside the cockpit of the huge robot, Jessie and James went through their usual spiel as their voices were transmitted over the loudspeakers.
"TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM DEVASTATION!"
"TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE WITHIN OUR NATION!"
"TO DENOUNCE THE EVILS OF TRUTH AND LOVE!"
"TO EXTEND..."
Ranma held his head and shouted out. "WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?! If I hear that motto just one more time then I'LL be blasting off at the speed of light!"
Team Rocket looked down and saw the frustrated martial artist.
"Hey... haven't met with him before?" Jessie asked her partners.
"I remember him back at Professor Oak's Lab." James recalled.
"Yeah..." Meowth agreed as he got a good look at him. "Hey! He's the guy that the Boss wants so bad. He's offering a big reward for him and his Pokémon."
"What a stroke of luck!" Jessie proclaimed. "Not only will today be the day that we'll get the twerp's Pikachu, but we'll also bring in a prize Trainer and his Pokémon!"
"It looks like our ship has finally come in!" James agreed.
"Yeah, after all those other times that it sunk!" The cat Pokémon remarked.
On the ground, Ranma groaned as he recognized those voices. "Oh no... not those dopes again."
"You've met with Team Rocket before?" Misty asked.
"I've encountered a LOT of Team Rockets, but this is the first time I had the same one come back!" Ranma growled as he motioned for his Pikachu and Golduck to stand down. "I'll handle this." He then stepped forward and called out to the giant Wheezing. "Listen up! Can we just skip the introductions and get to the part where I kick your cans? I've got a six-on-six match!"
In the Wheezing, Jessie gave a shrill laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha! You sound awfully confident! I'll have you know that this latest weapon of ours has been specially designed against all types of Pokémon!"
"That's right! We had to scrimp and save to build it, but it was worth every penny!" James added.
Meowth nodded. "Our Wonder-Wheezing happens to be shockproof, fireproof, watertight, ice-resistant and has a reflective coating to protect us against psychic attacks!"
Wonder-Wheezing? Oh give me a break. "Uh huh. Whatever." Ranma took a stance. "You want me and my Pokémon? You're going to have to take me out first."
Team Rocket laughed as Meowth began pushing some buttons.
"Ha ha ha ha! This is going to be easy!" The Pokémon sneered. "Wonder-Wheezing Smog Attack!"
The mouth of the robot opened up and released a huge cloud of noxious gases.
"Look out!" Ash cried out to Ranma.
The Pokémon Trainer was about to order his Pikachu to attack, but Ranma waved him off as he faced off against his foes. "Don't bother, Ash." He then focused his ki while raising his arms in a kind of crane stance. He brought them down and a huge blast of wind was stirred up, blowing away the smog.
Ash, Misty and Brock were stunned.
"That... looked like a... Whirlwind attack!" Ash gasped.
Sam shrugged. "Actually, he calls that his Hurricane Gust attack."
----------
Team Rocket were quite surprised to see their attack blown away.
"Huh? How did he do that?" Jessie asked.
"Not bad."
"Ah, it's only a trick! We've got other weapons to use!" Meowth assured. "Let's see if he can handle this Sludge attack!"
The Pokémon activated another device and a large nozzle sprouted out from within the mouth and spewed out a brown liquid.
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Ranma however, had been learning a few tricks from his companions' Pokémon as well as his own. He suddenly split into twin images of himself as the sludge splashed harmlessly between them. Suddenly, the Wonder-Wheezing was surrounded by multiple images of the martial artist.
"That's a Double Team Attack!" Brock exclaimed.
"Oh, that's right! Ranma's been sparring with my Scyther a lot." Jeanette hit the palm of her left hand with her right fist.
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"Since WHEN can a human do a Double Team?!" James said in awe.
"Grrr." Meowth growled as he started spraying sludge all over. However, Ranma continued to taunt his adversaries from within the illusions.
"Over here! Nope! Missed me! Try again! Close, but no cigar!"
The machine continued to fire at him, splattering the ground with sludge, but not one shot connected. Eventually, it stopped firing as its stores of sludge was exhausted.
"Uh oh! We've just ran out of sludge!" The cat Pokémon said as the gauges indicated that the tanks were empty.
Ranma stopped with his Double Team and leapt high into the air.
"Wow! He jumps even higher than Faulkner's Dodrio!" Misty remarked as her Togepi looked up in awe.
Ranma landed on the top of the machine and pulled back a fist.
"Your machine may be protected against special attacks, but I'm betting it's not punch-proof!" Ranma declared as his fist glowed with light.
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"Ranma can do a Mega-Punch?!" Ash was now beyond stunned as he and the others watched Ranma's fist come crashing down on the metal skin of the Wonder-Wheezing.
"Looks like training with Bruiser has paid off." Ia said.
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KRA-KOOM!
The outer hull of Team Rocket's machine buckled as the fist caused a huge dent and caved in several key components. The entire weapon shuddered from the impact as fragile circuits started sparking. Ranma leapt off and decided to finish the job with style. He leapt up again and began winding up his right arm like a baseball pitcher about to throw a fastball.
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Inside of the Wonder-Wheezing, Team Rocket were coughing and panicking as their control panels began shorting out. It was then that Jessie saw Ranma leaping at them through one of the TV monitors.
"James... Meowth... doesn't that look like...?"
"A... Dynamic Punch?" James squeaked.
"This is a total disaster!" Meowth cried out.
At that moment, a certain Pokémon popped out of its ball.
"WOBBA... FETT!"
"We already have one disaster! We don't NEED another!" Jessie screamed as she saw Ranma about to deliver the final blow.
WHABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!
Ranma's Dynamic Punch hit home and blasted out all of the TV monitors and controls. The Wonder-Wheezing was sent reeling back before blowing up. Guess who was sent into LEO?
"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET IS BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"
"WOBBA!"
Ranma landed on the ground and took a relaxed stance. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Ash and said good-naturedly, "So, are you ready for our match?"
Ash's jaw was gaping like the Grand Canyon.
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Later...
"You've got to tell me your secret! How did you do all those Pokémon attacks? And can you teach me?"
The group were now sitting near a campfire and eating Brock's stew. It had been decided to wait until the next day for Ranma and Ash to have their match. Ranma's friends were conversing with Brock and Misty, while the martial artist and his soon-to-be opponent were sitting some distance away.
"Well, the thing is," Ranma began. "I'm... still training myself as well as my Pokémon and friends, so I'm not ready to take on anyone else. Besides, it took me a LONG time to even learn the basic moves that a Pokémon can do, and I've already been training as a martial artist for ten years."
"Ten years?"
"Yep. I started when I was five. I didn't get into becoming a Pokémon Trainer until several months ago. In a way, you've got more experience than I do. And all the moves that I can do, won't mean anything in a Pokémon Battle, right? It wouldn't be called a 'Pokémon' Battle if the Trainer does all the battling, right?"
"I... guess. So you won't tell me how you did those attacks?"
"Sorry. In any case, you really don't need to learn them, do you? It takes a LOT of dedication and training in order to master even the simplest of moves. Basically, there are only two reasons why I trained myself to do Pokémon Attacks in the first place."
"What are they?" Ash asked.
"Well, you saw the first reason today. It helps improve my martial arts and martial arts is mainly for self-defense, especially when you're constantly being attacked by Team Rocket. I guess you'd know what that's like, eh?"
"I'll say!" Ash agreed.
"Now the second reason, is for the benefit of my Pokémon. I don't just train my Pokémon to get stronger, but I train WITH them. I build up the trust between myself and them. I will not put my Pokémon through any kind of training that I myself wouldn't go through." Not like Pops and that Neko Ken! "I guess you would know that it takes a great deal of responsibility to raise even one Pokémon."
"I'll agree with you on that." Ash said. "Me and my Pokémon have gone through a lot, especially me and Pikachu." At that moment, Pikachu trotted up to the pair and then leapt up to Ash's shoulder.
"Pika!"
Ranma smiled as Raiden did the same.
"You see, Ash? You've already gained a lot of trust between you and Pikachu, without having to go through the same kind of training that I went through. From what I've heard, you've got a LOT of experience with Pokémon and how to be a good trainer. And I learned something from becoming a Trainer that you probably already knew."
"Oh. What's that?"
"Back before I became a trainer, I was only concerned with number one... myself. After I got my Trainer's License, I learned that others will depend on me for support and encouragement, mainly my Pokémon. I also learned that it's not a matter of winning at all costs, but more like bringing out the best in myself and my Pokémon. If they do their best, then I'll do my best."
Ash smiled a bit as he looked at the Pokémon on his shoulder. "Well, I can promise you that Pikachu and I are going to do our best. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!"
Ranma couldn't but smile. "You know... you remind me of myself when I was your age; eager, confident and full of hope. You'll go far Ash. I know you will. So let's get some sleep okay? Tomorrow's going to be a big day."
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The next day, early in the morning...
"This will be a full, six-on-six battle." Brock declared.
Sam nodded as she and Brock were the only Gym Leaders present. As such, they acted as referees. "Each Trainer will pit one Pokémon against each other at a time. The winner will be the Trainer who defeats all the Pokémon of his opponent."
Standing in an open meadow, Ranma and Ash faced each other off. Watching from the sidelines were Misty, Jeanette, and Ia.
On one side, Ash nodded as he prepared his Pokéballs. During the morning, he had stopped by a Pokémon Center, and called Professor Oak to transport one of the Pokémon he had left at the lab. Not knowing exactly which Pokémon Ranma had besides his Pikachu and Golduck, Ash had decided to go with one of his more powerful Pokémon, Snorlax. Moves such as its Mega Punch and Hyper Beam would be a great asset. Fortunately, it wasn't asleep at the time as he temporarily traded his Chikorita for it. He figured that one Grass Pokémon would be enough and Bulbasaur did have more experience. He would retrieve Chikorita as soon as the six-on-six match was over.
On the other side, Ranma also prepared to throw out his first Pokéball as he motioned for Raiden to step back.
"Trainers... ready..." Sam cried out.
"Set..." Brock raised his arm.
"BATTLE!" Both Gym Leaders cried out together.
Both Trainers wound up and threw out their first Pokéballs.
"I CHOOSE YOU! CYNDAQUIL!" Ash cried out.
"GO, RAZOR!" Ranma shouted.
Both devices opened up and released their Pokémon.
Ash nodded as he saw that Ranma's Pokémon was a Sandslash. He was pretty certain that his flame Pokémon could beat it. After all, Cyndaquil had beaten one before when they had first met. Furthermore, Cyndaquil was able to light up its flame faster now.
On the other side, Ranma looked at Ash's first choice. Hmmm, Cyndaquil. I remember Professor Oak telling me about it when I worked at his lab. A Fire-Type...
"USE YOUR FLAMETHROWER!" Ash called out.
"Go for it, Razor!" Ranma cheered. Ash's Pokémon let loose with a scorching blast at its opponent, but Ranma's Sandslash was no slouch. Razor dodged out of the way and charged at the fire mouse.
Cyndaquil continued to fire blast after blast, but Razor proved to be a lot faster than the previous Sandslash. Ash and his friends were quite amazed at its speed and evasion tactics.
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"I've never seen a Sandslash move that quickly before." Misty remarked. "It looks like it's using an Agility Attack."
"I'm not surprised." Ia commented. "Ranma has been training with Razor to improve its speed after he got the Soul Badge from my brother."
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Ash was also impressed by the way Razor was dodging each of Cyndaquil's attacks. Wow. That Sandslash's defense is just as good as Cyndaquil's... maybe faster. "Cyndaquil! Use your Agility and Tackle!"
Ranma kept silent however as he nodded to Razor, letting his Pokémon make his own decision. Razor, held up both arms in front of him to block the Fire Pokémon, then lashed out with a couple of Fury Swipes, sending Cyndaquil sprawling. A few more Fury Swipes with the front claws and the fire mouse found itself on the defensive.
"BUZZSAW BARRAGE!"
The Sandslash immediately curled up into a ball and starting spinning, cutting up the ground under it. Cyndaquil was caught off guard, before it could counter, and was knocked back. Rolling to a stop, it squeaked out its surrender.
Sam raised up an arm. "Cyndaquil is unable to battle. Razor is the winner."
Brock nodded. "Interesting. That Sandslash can do a Rolling Attack, just like Whitney's Miltank."
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"Not bad, Ash. Your Cyndaquil put up a good fight, but it needs to work on its physical attacks."
"Cyndaquil, return!" Ash then nodded to the Pokéball, before addressing his opponent. "I was kind of surprised that your Sandslash could do a Rolling Attack. But I KNOW how to beat that. Your Sandslash is also a Ground Type, so... TOTODILE! GO!"
The second Pokéball was thrown and released the Water-Type. Ranma was unfamiliar with it and took out his Pokédex.
*TOTODILE, THE BIG JAW POKÉMON. THIS POKÉMON HAS POWERFUL JAW MUSCLES AND TEETH. TRAINERS SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING IT, BECAUSE IT LIKES TO USE BITE ATTACK. ITS WATER GUN ATTACK IS ESPECIALLY STRONG.*
Ranma nodded as he called to his Pokémon. "Razor! Do you want to go on?"
The Sandslash nodded as he charged his opponent.
"Sandslash!"
"TOTODILE, WATER GUN ATTACK!"
Razor already knew the best way to deal with Water Attacks, which was not to be there. In an instant he dug into the ground and was burrowing like mad. The water stream passed harmlessly over him as he tunneled his way toward his opponent.
The Water Pokémon looked about for its opponent, and was quite surprised when the ground beneath it began to shake.
"Totodile! Look out!" Ash shouted.
The Sandslash burst out from under the ground and sent Totodile flying. He then went into a Buzzsaw Barrage Attack toward where his adversary was going to land.
Ash countered. "TOTODILE! WATER GUN ATTACK THE GROUND AND DIG SOME TRENCHES!"
As it had done against Whitney's Miltank, the lizard flipped in the air and began using its Water Gun to create ditches in front of the Sandslash. Razor hit a depression at an angle. and was also sent flying upwards, as Totodile was about to give it a Water Gun at point-blank range.
However, unlike other Sandslashes, Razor was NOT helpless in the air. He quickly uncurled and flipped over the water stream, ending up behind his opponent.
"What...?!" Ash gasped as he saw his Pokémon miss its target.
"ANYTHING GOES!"
Totodile never knew what hit it as it was pummeled and kicked in several places in the space of a few seconds. Everyone gasped as the Sandslash knocked the stuffing out of the Totodile before ending the technique with a Seismic Toss.
As the Water Pokémon landed on the ground, Razor landed beside it and raised its front paws in victory.
"Totodile is unable battle." Sam declared.
"B-B-But... how?" Ash exclaimed.
Ranma shrugged. "Just because you know how to beat a Rolling Attack or something similar, doesn't mean that I can't think of a counter against it. One of the most important rules of martial arts is to never keep repeating your moves, or you're just inviting your opponent to figure out how to beat them. Still, if my Pokémon didn't know how to fight in midair, then you would've won that one."
By now, Ash was beginning to see why Ranma had beaten Prima. He was unpredictable and his Pokémon could adapt very quickly. He would have to go all out.
"Totodile, return!" Ash then took out his third Pokéball. "Let's see if your Sandslash can stand up to a Grass Type! I CHOOSE YOU, BULBASAUR!"
Ranma winced. Aside from the Celadon Gym, he and his Pokémon didn't have that much experience against plant types. As he recalled, Sea Storm had won by pure dumb luck when he was a Psyduck. "Razor?"
"Slash!" Razor was on a winning streak and wanted to continue.
Ash then called out to his Bulbasaur. "RAZOR LEAF!"
"Bulbasaur!" The Pokémon let loose with a flurry of the sharp projectiles. Though Razor managed to knock away the majority of the leaves with his front claws, a few managed to nick his sides. His skin was tough, but not that tough.
"VINE WHIP ATTACK!"
The Bulbasaur shot forward with its vines and Razor found himself hard-pressed to dodge.
Not bad. Ranma thought. Ash has figured out that the best way to fight Razor is from long-distance. "RAZOR, ERUPTION BLAST!"
"Slash!" The Pokémon slammed both front paws to the ground and sent a burst of ki though the soil. The ground around the Bulbasaur began to rumble, then suddenly sent exploded, sending the Grass-Type Pokémon into the air.
"What the...?!" Ash gasped.
"Bulba!"
----------
"What was that?!" Brock gasped.
"You can kind of think of it like a long-range, Vertical Fissure Attack." Sam explained.
----------
Razor leapt high to finish off Bulbasaur, but Ash got his wits back and called out. "BULBASAUR! LEECH SEED!"
A small pellet launched from the top of Bulbasaur's bulb and attached itself to Razor's extended paw. The seed extended its vines, wrapping it about the Sandslash's body.
"RAZOR!" Ranma cried out as his Pokémon began to fall.
The Sandslash began to have bad memories of Koga's Golbat as he felt his energy being drained away. He landed on the ground and struggled to free himself, but that was when Bulbasaur came down to finish off the fight.
"SOLAR BEAM!" Ash commanded.
"Bulbasaur!" The Pokémon began gathering solar energy from the dawn and a few seconds later, released a sizzling beam of light. The attack hit home and Razor was sent flying back. The Pokémon landed hard on his back as Ranma came running toward his fallen friend.
"Razor! Are you okay?"
The Sandslash weakly nodded his head. "Sand... slash."
"You did great Razor. I'm proud of you. It's time for you to rest." Ranma then recalled his mouse into his Pokéball, then turned to Ash.
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"Razor is unable to battle. This round goes to Ash!" Brock declared.
"Looks like your friend is a good battler." Sam commented. "It takes a lot to beat Ranma's Pokémon."
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"That was impressive Ash, but let's see if your Bulbasaur can handle my next one!"
"Bring it on! We're ready!" Ash said.
"Bulba!"
"Okay..." Ranma then gestured down to his Pikachu. "Raiden, you're up!"
"Pikachu!"
Ash smiled. Grass-Type Pokémon had a big advantage against Electric Types. "Okay, Bulbasaur... let's take it down! RAZOR LEAF!"
"Bulbasaur!" Once again, the Plant Pokémon let loose with a barrage of sharp leaves.
However, Raiden was a LOT faster than Razor and dodged every one of the leaves. As he came in close with his Agility and Quick Attacks, he landed several blows on Ash's Bulbasaur.
"VINE WHIP!" Ash called out.
The Bulbasaur shot out its vines to entangle Ranma's Pikachu, but...
SNAG!
"Huh?!" Ash gasped as everyone, except Ranma looked on in awe.
Raiden had caught both vines in his paws.
Ranma smirked. "Not this time, Ash. Raiden... whip Bulbasaur's Vine Whip."
Raiden yanked hard on the vines, pulling Bulbasaur off its feet. He then slammed his opponent repeatedly on the ground as Ash began to have flashbacks of his Pokémon receiving the same treatment at the Indigo Plateau. Jeanette's Bellsprout had done the exact same thing.
Raiden then put Bulbasaur into an airplane spin before launching the Grass Pokémon high. He then leapt up after him.
"BULBASAUR, LEECH SEED!" Ash cried out desperately.
However, Bullbasaur was too dazed from the pounding Raiden had given to it, to act quickly enough. The electric rodent caught up to his opponent and...
"ANYTHING GOES!"
If Brock, Misty and Ash thought Razor's aerial specialty was fast, then they were totally stunned by Ranma's Pikachu. Raiden appeared to all like a yellow blur as he delivered a barrage of kicks and puches that ensured that when Bulbasaur came down, he wouldn't be getting back up soon. He decided not to use any electric shocks as it wouldn't have mattered.
A bruised and battered Bulbasaur landed in front of Ash as Raiden came down in a ready stance.
"Are you all right, Bulbasaur?" Ash asked with great concern.
"Saur..." Bulbasaur nodded, though it was in no shape to go on.
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"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. The score is now three-to-one for Ranma." Sam declared.
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"You did great, Bulbasaur. Return." After recalling his Pokémon, Ash faced off against Ranma with a look of utter determination in his eyes, which matched the one in his opponent.
"It's time to get serious, Ash."
"You bet it is!" The boy looked down at his Pikachu. "It's time to get in there."
"Pikachu!" The electric rodent came forward to face off against its counterpart. The two stared hard at each other.
"Pika, pika, chu!" Raiden said slowly. ^^ I was hoping we'd battle against each other.^^
"Pikachu!" Ash's Pokémon replied. ^^Let's do it!^^
The scene freezes as the two Pokémon prepared to let loose with everything they got.
To be continued...
Author's Notes
I know I'm a stinker for leaving you all hanging like this, but the rest of this match was so long, I had to break it off somewhere. In Ch.15 part 3, we shall see the end of this match. I don't want to give anything away, so we'll see you there!