Undefeated?
THE COOL late winter breeze stung at Ash a bit when he walked across Cerulean City to reach the Gym. He thought the new look of the place was interesting since the last time he'd been to it. He'd been looking forward to reuniting with Misty. Last time he saw her in person was prior to his first Battle Frontier match that was years ago when they were still teens. The reunion quickly fell downhill.
"There's no way," said Ash, feeling slightly exasperated. "Twenty battles undefeated?"
"You better believe it. I always knew I was going to become a great Gym Leader, and I am indeed." Misty's smirk deepened. "You, on the other hand. Teehee… Even with a Water-type you still lost to a Charizard."
"Hey, Alain's a tough opponent, what was I supposed to do?"
His friend "tsked" as she wagged a finger in his face. Ash silently fumed at the gesture. "A shame. Five to six regions worth of experience and you still lost a basic type matchup."
"Pretty sure he's strong enough to give you a hard time."
"A loss is a loss, no matter how you spin it – and when you had the advantage, too. Oh, the humanity..."
"I think you'll recall that I beat Gary's Blastoise with Charizard…"
"…Some Trainers just don't have the skill to overcome disadvantages," went on Misty as though Ash hadn't interrupted her. "With that in mind, you're probably a ways away from becoming a Pokémon Master."
"Why you…!" Luckily, Pikachu quickly tapped on Ash's head, trying to calm him down. He sneered at the Cerulean Gym Leader as he briefly hyperventilated. "Fine," he seethed as he reached for a Poké Ball. "You and me. A three-on-three battle – best two out of three wins."
Misty glanced at him through one eye. "Yeah… No thanks. I just won ten battles in a row," she said, as Ash gaped in disappointment and frustration, "so me and my Pokémon are exhausted – and I'd rather not waste my challengers' time battling you. Oh, I know – whoever can win the most battles in two weeks is the best Trainer."
"You got yourself a deal," said Ash crossly, a fire ignited in his soul. "Just you wait. I'll show you."
"Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu mimicked with equal vigor.
The orange-haired Gym Leader tutted. "I wish you luck in beating me."
OoOoO
With no knowledge of any region he'd never heard of to travel, Ash found himself staying home in Kanto. Not that he minded but it was very easy for him to get antsy and restless. He'd already taken to visiting local battling grounds as often as he could to hone his skills, so Misty's challenge was a natural evolution.
However, it seemed to Ash that the rookie Trainers of today were a far cry ahead of him in skill and smarts than ever before.
"Swellow, Double Team, go!" yelled Ash. He was already four losses in, no way he should lose this one…
"Now, Espeon, use Swift!" Ash clenched his teeth, Swift never misses… Swellow was knocked out of the air and was struggling to realign himself. "Dazzling Gleam, now!" It was over for Swellow, who was declared unable to battle.
OoOoO
"Oh? Fancy running into you here. Ash," greeted Misty later that day in a café. Ash wasn't pleased to see her and took it out by squeezing a napkin and biting his blueberry muffin aggressively. Seeing her after his loses wasn't a good thing.
"Yeah, an awful coincidence…" he replied.
"How's your win-to-loss ratio…?" When Ash didn't reply, Misty felt emboldened to tease. "Aw! That bad, is it? My, my..."
"I'll get my winning streak back! Just out of practice, that's all!" he snapped. Pikachu flinched slightly from his Trainer's outburst.
"The battle cry of someone who seems to be losing. I saw you exiting the Pokémon Center, so don't deny it."
Ash froze for a second when he heard that before adjusting his frown. "Oh yeah, well, how're your wins and loses going?"
"W-well, they're doing just fine." She put her hands on her hips and leaned down, smirking. "Not that I'll tell. I wouldn't dream of dashing all hope away from you…"
She walked away to the register, satisfied. Ash fumed when she left. "Damn her…"
OoOoO
"Cha…" Pikachu staggered, trying to keep it together. He couldn't let Ash down but the Tauros he was fighting was strong.
"Tauros, Zen Headbutt again!"
"Iron Tail, Pikachu!"
With his natural strength, Pikachu easily sent the Wild Bull Pokémon flying but all was not well.
"Now, Thunderbolt!"
"Blizzard, go!" The two attacks collided. Pikachu shuddered, it hurt, it hurt a lot. While both fell in the end, it was Pikachu who fell first for a solid few seconds.
Ash sighed as he held his injured starter and couldn't help but feel annoyed with himself. It felt like every battle he won, he'd lose three times, and the number of ties was ridiculous.
"Why am I even trying so hard…?" he muttered to himself. He refused to just let Misty laugh at him and his hard work; but loses were loses, he knew that. He just knew that he couldn't let her look down on him. He could accept loses, the need to improve, but Misty somehow made him blind to all of that.
The two weeks eventually passed and Ash returned begrudgingly to Cerulean City's Gym.
"A bet's a bet, Ash. What's your score?" asked Misty in the lobby room.
Ash's lips turned into a pout as he silently fumed with his head low and his eyes looking aimlessly off to the side. "Sixty battles, I only won twenty of 'em…"
"Damn, isn't that something!" guffawed Misty. "Ah well, can't them all, I guess," she added with a wink. Ash didn't find it funny. "Well, if you were battling that much, I can't imagine your Pokémon were getting that much rest between battles. Small wonder you lost as many times as you did."
"Lay off me, I kept my Pokémon in rotation. What about you?"
"Well, I did forty-five battles and won forty-two of them!"
"Damn!" said Ash furiously under his breath.
"Um – like – why're you lying?" said a new voice. Both Ash and Misty turned to look at Daisy who had walked in unbeknownst to them.
"Lying?" Ash raised an eyebrow. He didn't see Misty beginning to sweat.
"Yeah. Mist, that's a lie and you know it," said Daisy cheerfully. "You lost forty-two matches, two of which were rematches. Three Trainers lost to her last Pokémon today and yesterday and have yet to have their rematches. Girl, like, you've been handing out Cascade Badges like they're lobby candies!"
Ash glared at Misty as the girl paled and withered away from his look. "You…lied to me…" said Ash, growing angry.
"Well, er, it kinda makes sense," said Misty, as she composed herself and tried to act like nothing had happened. "Trainers are usually coming to me from Professor Oak's, I'm only the second Gym Leader they'd encounter."
"And besides," Daisy chipped-in, "if she was a tough to – what was it? Do twenty battles undefeated? Boy, if she could do those without rematches there'd be no one competing in the Pokémon League! Did you actually believe her when she said that? Jeez, there'd be no League at all if that were true."
Now Ash really was cross. He turned around red in the face from embarrassment and fury. Misty just gave a chuckle and knocked herself on the head with a wink.
"My bad! It's true. I'm supposed to be tough but given that most Trainers are coming to me with one Gym Badge I can't be too hard on them. Yet you still believed my little lie?" she said sweetly
Anger boiled within him – he was literally shaking with it. Letting it boil over, however, was exactly what she wanted, and he refused to give her the satisfaction. "You know what?" said Ash eventually. His red face giving way to a very deadpanned look. "I'm out."
With his fists curled to hold in his boiling temper, Ash swiftly turned on his heels and went right for the door.
"Ash, wait!" yelled Misty running. "Oh, come on! It was just a fib."
"Nope," he replied. Continually walking even as Misty tried to hold him back with her hands clutching one of his.
"Aw! Just forget about it! A joke, an honest joke! Or…maybe you're just unable to take one?" she added coyly.
"I'll laugh when it's funny."
"I'll buy you an ice cream cone, big baby."
"No thanks."
"Okay, then. Guess you can't eat a whole sundae like I can."
"You wish!" said Ash as he whipped around. "I can easily put one away."
"I'd like to see you try," taunted Misty.
"Grr… Right, you're on! I could get their first, anyway!" And without another word Ash strode out of the Gym toward the ice cream parlor.
"I'd like to see you try!" called Misty as she ran after him. Pikachu just sighed, it was going to be a long, long day…
OoOoO
Author's Note: I can't lie, I'm not too sure how this one turned out. I finished this up after having a drink so I don't know if this as good as I think it is. That's the problem with writing, you can think of a good ending but actually executing it is a whole other matter…