As Ash and Maya continue to duel, Maya uses her quick wits to send Ash's current card into the red zone. But a well timed evolution saves Ash from losing another card! However, Maya also has an evolution up her sleeve, and she knows Manetric can take out Raichu any day! Ash is going to have to give it all he's got if he hopes to prove his potential as a trading card duelist! Can he somehow pull off a victory? Does a tournament lie in Ash's future? Find out!
The Heart of the Cards, part 3: A Firey Finish!
"Still want to continue, Ash?" Maya asked. "You can withdraw, you know..."
"No! I wasn't born yesterday!" Ash replied. "Besides, I still have the advantage in HP!
"We'll see who has the advantage after I make this move! Manetric! Thundershock!"
Ash gritted his teeth as his HP went down to 260. "This is it..." he thought, hanging his head in despair. "If I lose Raichu, Maya will probably shock all my other Pokemon too..."
"Ash! Don't give up now!" Misty called. "You still have a chance!"
Suddenly, Ash realized he still had a Potion card from earlier. "Oh, I nearly forgot about this!" he thought as he attached the last Lightning Energy in his hand to Raichu. He quickly put down the Potion, and small bottle appeared before his Raichu. The Raichu drank the entire bottle down, giving Ash's HP a slight boost to 280. "Feeling better?" Ash asked.
"Rai..." the Raichu replied with a smile.
"Great!" Ash replied. "Now, use Lightning Strike!"
"CHUUU!!!" The Raichu fired a huge thunderbolt at the Manetric, returning it to Maya's discard. Maya's HP remained at 50.
Ash smiled as he heard Brock blow the whistle. "Yeah! I've taken out a good card! Maybe there's some hope for me after all..." With this thought in mind, he selected the bottom right prize: Psychic Energy.
"Wow! You're much more clever than I thought!" Maya cried. "But don't sit back and relax just yet! You still have to face Makuhita!" With that, she placed a Makuhita lv. 12 in the arena.
"Ruby's turn!" Brock called.
Maya attached a Fighting Energy to Makuhita, then commanded "Makuhita! Fling out!"
"Hiiiitaaaa!" The Makuhita slammed into the Raichu, and dragged out Ash's Cyndaquil lv. 14!
"Sapphire's turn!" Brock called.
Ash attached another Fire Energy and his second Pluspower to Cyndaquil. "Okay!" Cyndaquil! Tackle!" he commanded.
"Quil!" Cyndaquil barreled into Makuhita, sending Maya's HP down to 30.
"Ruby's turn!"
"Makuhita! Low Kick!" Maya called. The Makuhita slammed into Ash's Cyndaquil, knocking Ash's HP down to 250.
"Sapphire's turn!" Brock called.
Ash drew his next card: Quilava lv 32! "I think this'll do it!" he smiled as he laid down the card, making the Cyndaquil disappear in a flash of light. A Quilava appeared in its place. "Quilava! Time to win this duel! Slash!" Ash called.
"Va!!!" The Quilava slashed the Makuhita in the face, returning it to a card.
Brock blew the whistle again as Maya's HP rocketed to 0. "Game set! Sapphire wins!"
Misty, Pikachu and Togepi cheered as Ash stepped down from his platform. Maya did the same, and the two trainers met in the center of the room. "Well done!" Maya replied. "I never knew you had so much potential!"
"Uh...no hard feelings, okay?" Ash assured Maya.
"You played very well." Maya continued. "I think you may have the potential to compete in this week's trading card challenge!"
"Really?" Ash was surprised. " May I try? I really want to try!"
"Okay...I'll sign you up, and give you details tomorrow." Maya said.
"Well, thanks for the lesson and the duel! I had fun!" Ash called as he, Misty and Brock turned to leave.
"Wait! One more thing..." Maya handed Ash a deck tin with a rearing Ponyta on it. "Take this. I made it especially for a special trainer. Take good care of it!"
"Thanks!" Ash called as the group left.
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Later, the group made camp just outside of Titian City. Misty was cuddling Togepi, Brock laid against a tree, fine tuning the whistle he had made, and Ash was practicing on the guitar. Brock had played it earlier in the evening, so the strings felt warm and inviting to Ash's sweaty fingers. "I think I ought to compose a song to celebrate my victory..." he mused as he lazily strummed a tune. With that, he began to work on some chords.
"I can't wait to see how Ash does in the tournament..." Misty began. "He did very well dueling Maya."
"Ash looked like a pro up there, I know...he may even clear out the whole tournament field and take the prize!" Brock began. "But, what do I know..." He turned and smiled at Togepi. "Want me to play for you?" he asked, nervously fingering his whistle.
"Gi-to-iiii!!!" Togepi replied.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'..." and with that, Brock began a simple melody--one that Togepi instantly recognized. "Gi, togi-di-o-i, togidigi-togi-di!" he sang, pleased with himself.
"That's right, Togepi! That's the little Taillow song!" Misty smiled. She began to sing along with Brock's melody: "Little Taillow sits in the old gum tree-e, eating all the gumdrops he can see-e. Laugh, Little Taillow, laugh, Little Taillow, leave some there for me....Little Taillow sits in the old gum tree-e..."
"Little Taillow sits in the old gum tree-e..." Ash chimed in, following along on guitar.
"...Eating all the gumdrops he can see-e..." Misty sang the next line.
"...Eating all the gumdrops he can see-e..." Ash echoed.
"...Laugh, Little Taillow, laugh, Little Taillow, leave some there for me...." Misty concluded her part.
"Laugh, Little Taillow, laugh, Little Taillow, leave some there for me...." Ash finished the round.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu begged.
"You know...I've had enough of 'Little Taillow' for a while..." Brock began. "I think I'll play..." He was about to say more when everyone began talking at once.
"Pikapika!" Pikachu suggested.
"Togepi wants another song!" Misty began.
"Okay, okay, somebody start singing and I'll join in if I know it." Brock assured everyone. He was about to play when...
"Hey guys! Listen to this!" Ash called. With that, he began a rollicking melody.
"That sounds pretty good, Ash!" Misty commented, clapping along.
"Good thing I remembered to pack my own!" Brock laughed, taking out his own guitar and starting in on a different melody. Ash instantly recognized Brock's song as one of his favorites: The Circle of Power. He joined in with Brock, playing the harmony while Brock continued the melody.
"Pika!" Pikachu and Misty began to dance as the tune echoed through the night....
What awaits Ash in the tounament? Will Maya's deck serve him well? Stay tuned!