Ash spent the next week in training. Brock and Duplica got worn out by just watching him.
"He's got more energy than I do." Duplica complained, exausted by merely using one of her powers, just once.
"He's...special..." Emily said.
Ash was concentrating really hard while working with his fire power. He pushed himself to the edge of his tolerance, and shaped the burning inferno into a tornado with a twist of his fingers, forming a fist. It brought an image to his mind so sharply that he gasped, and the flames wavered, then dispersed with a whoosh of heat.
"Burning..." he murmered."Everything..."
Iritated, he walked over to the water, and splashed some on his face. It was icy cold, and brought him completely to his senses. His sharp hearing told him someone was behind him. He whirled quickly, and saw Emily.
"I thought you might like someone to train with." she said, idly tossing a fireball between her hands.
Ash smiled playfully, and built up a fireball of his one, slightly larger than Emily's. He grasped it in both hands, and hurled it at the floor. The fireball exploded on contact, raining embers everywhere, and filling the cavern with smoke.
"Just because I can't see you, Ash, doesn't mean I can't find you!" Emily called, her eyes glowing purple. She started to move to the side where Ash was taking refuge. Ash saw this through the smoke, and used his version of faint attack to move to the wall behind Emily. She whirled, sensing the change imediately. Ash quickly shifted his feet to the wall, and used it to launch himself, fists covered with flames, at Emily.
"You wanna play with me," he said, jabbing and punching."you have to play rough!"
Emily covered her fists with crackling electricity, and started to deal out her own attacks.
"You're pretty good, Ash." she said, blocking his next punch with her crossed wrists.
"Thanks. You, too." was Ash's reply as he thrust his flaming fists left and right. They were now just a few yards away from each other. They both launched themselves at the same time, fists outstretched...
Ash's right fist made direct contact with Emily's, causing a small explosion which knocked Emily back against the wall, and Ash into the water.
The shock of icy water took Ash's breath away, but soothed his burning battle heat. He surfaced, with Emily standing over him.
"Thanks for the practice, Emily." he said, shaking out his hair. He pulled himself out of the water."I think I'll work on something a little more tame tomorrow, though."
"Had enough for today?" Emily inquired. Ash nodded.
"I think I'll go and see how Brock and Duplica are doing." he said, wandering away from his training cavern. Emily followed.
Duplica was having a hard time controlling her powers. She was ok with her normal powers, but when she tried her electric powers...Alex gave her the nickname 'Pichu'. She couldn't use the powers without shocking herself. Even then, she hit her targets less than half the time.
"That element is working against her." Alex said, exasperated."It must be one she aquired, rather than was infected with. Either that, or she's using way too much power. Why else would she be hurting herself with her own elements?"
"You've got a point." Emily said, crossing her arms and leaning against the cave wall with Ash.
Brock was having a little more success. He was using both his powers at the same time; he would create a small rockfall, then crosschoped each one into dust, take a break, and start over again.
'To each their own style, I guess.' Ash observed silently.
When Duplica had both shocked and knocked herself out for the zillionth time, Ash decided to help. He healed Duplica, then hauled her up, and turned her towards the targets. He stood behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Now attack." he said.
"No, I can't do it!" Duplica cried.
"Yes, you can, so do it!" Ash said impatiently.
Duplica swallowed, held out her hands, aimed, and attacked with a fury of electricity. This time, however, Duplica didn't shock herself. Ash absorbed the excess electricity that Duplica generated, allowing Duplica to form what was left into a small bolt which hit her target.
"I did it!" she cried.
"I told you so." Ash said, rubbing his hands, which were tingling."That was powerful stuff, though. I think Alex is right. You're using too much power. I think you may be over-doing it. Why don't you take a break, and I'll help you start out with the small stuff, ok?"
"Thanks, Ash." Duplica said, and went to sit beside Brock. Ash went to lean with Emily again.
"Are you ok?" Emily asked.
"Just a bit dizzy." Ash said, brushing that off.
"I think you absorbed too much of Duplica's electricity." Alex said."Why don't you go lay down?"
"But, Duplica's training-" Ash protested, gesturing to the blue-haired girl.
"Can wait." Alex said, giving Ash a shove towards the sleeping chamber."You can't do anything if you get sick, and that's what will happen if you don't rest after a major absorbtion like that. Think about Pikachu."
Ash realised that Alex had picked that up from his mind. All the times Pikachu had got sick from having too much electricity in his body.
"Ok, I'll go and rest."
Ash stumbled back to bed, glad he had gone. It was getting increasingly hard to walk. He was becoming tired, fast. He curled up on his side on his bed, and closed his eyes.
And then...
He dreamed.
"He's got more energy than I do." Duplica complained, exausted by merely using one of her powers, just once.
"He's...special..." Emily said.
Ash was concentrating really hard while working with his fire power. He pushed himself to the edge of his tolerance, and shaped the burning inferno into a tornado with a twist of his fingers, forming a fist. It brought an image to his mind so sharply that he gasped, and the flames wavered, then dispersed with a whoosh of heat.
"Burning..." he murmered."Everything..."
Iritated, he walked over to the water, and splashed some on his face. It was icy cold, and brought him completely to his senses. His sharp hearing told him someone was behind him. He whirled quickly, and saw Emily.
"I thought you might like someone to train with." she said, idly tossing a fireball between her hands.
Ash smiled playfully, and built up a fireball of his one, slightly larger than Emily's. He grasped it in both hands, and hurled it at the floor. The fireball exploded on contact, raining embers everywhere, and filling the cavern with smoke.
"Just because I can't see you, Ash, doesn't mean I can't find you!" Emily called, her eyes glowing purple. She started to move to the side where Ash was taking refuge. Ash saw this through the smoke, and used his version of faint attack to move to the wall behind Emily. She whirled, sensing the change imediately. Ash quickly shifted his feet to the wall, and used it to launch himself, fists covered with flames, at Emily.
"You wanna play with me," he said, jabbing and punching."you have to play rough!"
Emily covered her fists with crackling electricity, and started to deal out her own attacks.
"You're pretty good, Ash." she said, blocking his next punch with her crossed wrists.
"Thanks. You, too." was Ash's reply as he thrust his flaming fists left and right. They were now just a few yards away from each other. They both launched themselves at the same time, fists outstretched...
Ash's right fist made direct contact with Emily's, causing a small explosion which knocked Emily back against the wall, and Ash into the water.
The shock of icy water took Ash's breath away, but soothed his burning battle heat. He surfaced, with Emily standing over him.
"Thanks for the practice, Emily." he said, shaking out his hair. He pulled himself out of the water."I think I'll work on something a little more tame tomorrow, though."
"Had enough for today?" Emily inquired. Ash nodded.
"I think I'll go and see how Brock and Duplica are doing." he said, wandering away from his training cavern. Emily followed.
Duplica was having a hard time controlling her powers. She was ok with her normal powers, but when she tried her electric powers...Alex gave her the nickname 'Pichu'. She couldn't use the powers without shocking herself. Even then, she hit her targets less than half the time.
"That element is working against her." Alex said, exasperated."It must be one she aquired, rather than was infected with. Either that, or she's using way too much power. Why else would she be hurting herself with her own elements?"
"You've got a point." Emily said, crossing her arms and leaning against the cave wall with Ash.
Brock was having a little more success. He was using both his powers at the same time; he would create a small rockfall, then crosschoped each one into dust, take a break, and start over again.
'To each their own style, I guess.' Ash observed silently.
When Duplica had both shocked and knocked herself out for the zillionth time, Ash decided to help. He healed Duplica, then hauled her up, and turned her towards the targets. He stood behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Now attack." he said.
"No, I can't do it!" Duplica cried.
"Yes, you can, so do it!" Ash said impatiently.
Duplica swallowed, held out her hands, aimed, and attacked with a fury of electricity. This time, however, Duplica didn't shock herself. Ash absorbed the excess electricity that Duplica generated, allowing Duplica to form what was left into a small bolt which hit her target.
"I did it!" she cried.
"I told you so." Ash said, rubbing his hands, which were tingling."That was powerful stuff, though. I think Alex is right. You're using too much power. I think you may be over-doing it. Why don't you take a break, and I'll help you start out with the small stuff, ok?"
"Thanks, Ash." Duplica said, and went to sit beside Brock. Ash went to lean with Emily again.
"Are you ok?" Emily asked.
"Just a bit dizzy." Ash said, brushing that off.
"I think you absorbed too much of Duplica's electricity." Alex said."Why don't you go lay down?"
"But, Duplica's training-" Ash protested, gesturing to the blue-haired girl.
"Can wait." Alex said, giving Ash a shove towards the sleeping chamber."You can't do anything if you get sick, and that's what will happen if you don't rest after a major absorbtion like that. Think about Pikachu."
Ash realised that Alex had picked that up from his mind. All the times Pikachu had got sick from having too much electricity in his body.
"Ok, I'll go and rest."
Ash stumbled back to bed, glad he had gone. It was getting increasingly hard to walk. He was becoming tired, fast. He curled up on his side on his bed, and closed his eyes.
And then...
He dreamed.
