Author's Notes (4)
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Some explanation about this chapter: Imma be honest, I'm a little burnt out from writing the Gary vs Ash match so this chapter's gonna be short but it's also a set up for the next two chapters, which are the real juicy battles. A 6v6 is a real challenge and I found myself reusing the same strategies from the previous battles and rewriting the chapter all over again (This is the fifth rewrite btw). And even then, I'm not really proud of this chapter so totally understandable if readers aren't a big fan of Chapter 48. Once this arc is done, I plan to rewrite the earlier chapters, especially the prologues, and this chapter, if possible since it's very lacklustre even though it's a set-up chapter. Apologies in advance if there's a drop in quality.
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TRio:
Unfortunately, the TRio will not be making an appearance in the story... for now. There's no space for them in the grand scheme of the story but if readers really want to see them in Fated, I'll do my best to incorporate them into the story, minor nor not.
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Reunion between Ash and Serena:
Let's get this outta the way, our two main characters are not gonna be meeting any time soon since this Amour story is going to be a slow burn romance. Right now, the two are still immature and I plan to develop them separately and using each other as their motivations.
And one main point of Fated is that the story and by proxy, me, are deliberately trying to force Ash and Serena apart until the Fated(heh) reunion. There are going to be some frustrating moments where Ash is so damn close to finding out where Serena is but ultimately not finding out. Please understand that those are going to be intentional (figurative and literally).
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Goh and Chloe:
They're actually in the story already! Chapter 23 shows Ash and Serena meeting and befriending them.
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Guzma and Piers:
They're not really villains in their respective regions and will not be treated like one. But Guzma is something of a foot soldier for Lusamine in the games so he would be an adversary when Ash reaches Alola.
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Contests and Performances:
I see them as a challenge for me to write descriptive writing and it'll be fun when we finally reach Hoenn.
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Giving Ash Froakie before Kalos:
Right now, I'm debating whether Froakie should be given to Ash earlier (but not this early) between Sinnoh and Unova. But then, Ash-Greninja will break the powerscaling of Sinnoh and Unova (Have big plans for Kalos). But I probably won't give him to Ash before Kalos because of OP issues. That OP frog plus competent Ash is going to be a menace.
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Battle Frontier:
Yep.
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Movies:
They're not going to be shuffled around and will follow the chronological order. But unlike the anime, they're all canon in Fated. Gotta have stories to brag and tell the wifey, no?
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Zekrom or Reshiram:
Now, both are interchangeable as they represent Ideals and Truth respectively. So it does change much which dragon chooses Ash. So, I'll leave this up to the readers but this is still a looooong way ahead.
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And that's all folks! Thanks for reading!
Chapter 48: Fire Red & Leaf Green (1)
The night before the Semi-Finals…
"Pikapi…" the electric mouse cooed with concern.
The other members of the team watched with the same expression as their yellow leader as they watched their Trainer reapplying some first aid on his injured legs.
"Hmm?" the raven-haired boy cocked an eyebrow at the worrying looks sent his way before realizing his Pokémon's feelings.
"Oh, sorry. I'll prepare dinner for you guys first then," he said, completely oblivious to his Pokémon's wishes.
A now recovered Snorlax immediately stopped Ash from getting up as the giant was more worried about him than his promised feast. More cries of frustration and roars of reprimanding were vented towards their stubborn Trainer.
"…You want me to continue bandaging myself?" the boy asked to which everyone gave an instant nod.
"Alright, alright. I'll be done in a bit," he chuckled as he continued applying the gauze around the lacerations created by his unknown power.
'They didn't have to worry this much though,' he winced slightly as he tied the gauze as a final touch.
Finishing his own treatment, Ash looked towards his Pokémon with a soft smile. He was proud of his team and vowed to make the best meals that night as their reward. After all, the raven-haired boy believed that good food was justice.
"I'm really blessed to have you guys," he grinned with a heartfelt tone before clapping his hands together.
PAM!
"Alrighty, who's ready for dinner?"
And the team cheered excitedly for their Trainer's meal.
While on the run from Team Rocket, the raven-haired boy had to fend for himself and his Pokémon without causing trouble in populated areas. Ash learnt that first-hand when some Rocket grunts invaded a PokeCentre where he stayed just to retrieve their missing asset, Cubone. Although a young Cubone was not worth that highly compared to a grown Marowak's skull, Team Rocket would never allow a mere child to get away after crossing them.
'At least Giovanni's in prison now…' Ash mused as he carried a pot the size of his torso to his happy round giant.
"As promised, ya' big goof."
Snorlax gladly gobbled the delicious food that Ash had prepared while the latter continued cooking the reinforcements.
Ash had no formal training as a chef but after months of trial and error, he became capable of discerning ingredients from harmful ones and their nutritional values to keep his Pokémon healthy. A skill that was born from escaping Team Rocket turned into a rather pleasant pastime for the raven-haired boy. And he was getting better.
After the hefty meal, Ash had returned all his Pokémon except Pikachu into their respective Balls. His partner was snuggled into the boy's arms and had departed to dreamland, prompting his Trainer to get the electric mouse as comfortable as possible.
The raven-haired boy was ambling around the accommodations, trying to find someone. It was late, but he had no time nor need for sleep until the task in his mind is completed.
'Where's the…' he pondered before his prayers were answered.
"Ash?" a voice called out.
'Bingo.'
"Professor Oak. I wanted to ask you for a favour," he greeted formally.
And Ash told the elderly man of his request.
The battlefield was a barren flat ground with no foreign objects to take advantage of. It was not the ideal stage for the raven-haired boy to use his resourcefulness, but it did not deter him, nonetheless.
Rather, the tension and the deafening cheers all served to pump excessive exhilaration into Ash's bloodstream. The grin on his face grew wider as the revenge showdown he had been wanting for so long had finally arrived.
'2 for 0. That's my record against Green,' he pondered, not bothering to count the invalid match in Lavender Town.
'Normally, most people would've just given up by now…'
Ash cracked a crazed grin as he gripped his PokéBall tightly with anticipation.
'But not me!'
{ BATTLE START! }
"Butterfree, I choose you!"
"Alakazam."
{ AND IT LOOKS LIKE GREEN IS AT A DISADVANTAGE HERE WITH PSYCHIC TYPES BEING WEAK AGAINST BUG TYPES! }
'Yeah, rig—'
Before the raven-haired boy could scoff at the announcer's words, Gary had already begun his assault.
"[Shadow Ball]. Trap it."
With a wave of a spoon, orbs of deep purple manifested by Alakazam's side and flung themselves towards the purple butterfly.
'What the?!' Ash panicked as he did not expect Gary's eagerness to attack this early.
'I'm not letting you pull off any ridiculous stunts, Red. I'm just gonna attack pre-emptively until your Pokémon faint!'
'But this ain't enough to put us down!'
"Butterfree, we're charging towards them! [Tailwind]!" he called out.
Without a moment's hesitation, the butterfly called forth a turbulent whirlwind that increased his team's Speed. With the humongous gust at his beck and call, Butterfree zoomed towards Alakazam with great speed, evading all the [Shadow Balls] that came after him with grace.
"Just as predictable, Red."
The chilling tone of his rival gave Ash pause as he noticed something on the Psi Pokémon's end. As Butterfree made his way in front of Alakazam, familiar lilac gauntlets snatched the surprised purple butterfly in the air.
"That's…! Espeon's [Psychic] moves!" Ash recognized the previous match between Blue and Gary.
"If there's anything I'll swallow my pride on, it's the fact that I had to take a page outta your book!"
'It's not perfect, but it'll get the job done.'
"[Psychic]: Gauntlet Form (Fake)."
'Did he just…?!'
{ OH MY! IT LOOKS LIKE GREEN HAS COPIED BOTH RED AND BLUE'S BATTLE STYLES! }
The gauntlets that clenched Butterfree grew tighter and with a surge of Psychic energy, slammed the poor butterfly onto the ground.
BOOM!
A cloudburst of dust surrounded the open field. Despite that, Gary was not going to let his guard down, especially the person he was facing off against.
And his premonition came true as beats of hastened wings dispersed the dust cloud and sharp blades of winds came crashing towards Alakazam.
"Razor Wind (Fake)!" Ash called out.
But the orange-haired boy had already placed his countermeasures.
"[Light Screen]."
A mirror appeared in front of the Psi Pokémon, rendering the [Razor Wind (Fake)] useless against it.
{ ALAKAZAM BLOCKS BUTTERFREE'S ATTACK WITH A WELL-TIMED [LIGHT SCREEN]! }
"Damn… You're always just a few steps ahead of me, huh?" Ash grinned.
"After that showing against Lorelei? This is the least I could do."
"Also! Section 107 of the Copyright Act!" the raven-haired boy pointed at his rival accusingly, peeved at his usage of Fake moves.
"I could say the same to you, hypocrite. Who's been plagiarizing what now?"
"Geh!"
The sneer from Gary was enough to sew Ash's mouth shut. But the sneer faded, and an antagonistic frown took its place.
"…It's always you, y'know?"
"Hmm?" Ash was caught by surprise at Gary's remark.
"No matter how much I best you. No matter how much I proved that my way's the right one…"
"It all comes back to you! You're always in my mind, no matter how hard I try! You and your Bonds with Pokémon!"
'Can't say that I'm flattered,' Ash sarcastically retorted internally, not wanting to ruin his rival's moment by verbalizing that sentence.
"And now… I get to show the whole world! That I'm the greatest Trainer!"
Blood reds gleamed unnoticeably as they detected swirling darkness within the orange-haired boy. After so many unwilling usages of the strange ability he possessed, Ash begun to understand what was it that he was seeing.
'Ah… Those are his emotions,' it clicked for him.
'Sadness, rage, guilt. All of them, a jumbled mess.'
His rival, his best friend. Gary had been holding onto all those negativities after Raticate's death for such a long time. Now, the orange-haired boy was finally face to face with the object of his irrational blame:
Ash Ketchum.
Deep down, he knew that the raven-haired boy had no part in his former ace's demise. But Gary had overlooked a key part of himself.
He was still only 11-years-old. Ash and Blue included. They were still naught but children unfortunate enough to undergo such tragedies on their first ever adventure. Most, if not all, beginner Trainers would not have experienced so many hardships or painful memories on their first journey. The most painful memory that a normal Trainer would recall from their first adventure was always their first loss at a Gym or other competitions.
But for the Pallet Trio, those three underwent many ordeals that almost broke them:
Gary followed his Pokémon's whims for the very first time and paid the price for it with said Pokémon's passing, forever haunting him since then.
Blue had to face the demons within herself as she spent half of her journey stubbornly denying her trauma of touching Pokémon until Eevee.
Ash recklessly and stubbornly protected an orphaned Pokémon against a criminal organization which harmed his own Pokémon in the process.
"You children have been through a lot, haven't you?" Lance said aloud to Blue, who was sitting next to the entire Elite Four.
Hearing the man's comment, the chestnut-haired girl gave a wistful smile to the two boys at the battlefield.
"Those two have it worse than me," Blue shrugged with Espeon rubbing herself onto the girl for comfort.
"Green had to suffer alone with Raticate's passing, not knowing how to even grief or cope while Red was almost broken upon realizing he had put his Pokémon in harm's way."
"That's why they want to battle right here. After all, a Pokémon battle is the best way for a Trainer to convey their feelings, no?"
"Greatest Trainer in the world? Fine by me," Ash responded back.
'Well…'
"That's the best obstacle for the Pokémon Master that I'm aiming to be!"
'Here goes nothing!'
Bloodred whirred to life. This time, however, due to the excessive and continuous use of the power that the boy had no idea about, Ash felt something different as the power automatically responded to his will without his consent.
Perhaps it was his now heightened sensitivity to it or his gut instincts, he did not know. However, the raven-haired boy could feel what was happening within his body.
'It feels like… something's about to wake up,' he tried to imagine the feeling to himself.
Not knowing the implications of that line of thinking, he refocused back to Butterfree. The raven-haired boy was still a little worn out from yesterday's spectacle, seeing as he expended way too much of the strange power within him without any regard of his own well-being and not even knowing whether it was harmful or not. But for Ash, as long as it helped his goals, he could care less about the true identity of whatever strength that was beginning to pour into the faux nerves running alongside his veins.
Link established.
With enormous power surging within the purple butterfly, Butterfree fired off blades of winds carried in a circular motion by [Tailwind] and a secondary [Gust] for good measure. But what manifested from the hypnotic wings were not thin slashes of air but rather behemoths of gales swirling into a massive windstorm.
Alakazam was carried into the raging tornado with his variant of [Psychic] Gauntlets shredding from the swords of gale.
"What in the— ?!"
'This is way too strong for an ordinary Butterfree!'
From behind the turbulent winds, Gary could make out a pair of bloodred orbs shimmering. The orange-haired boy growled as he put two and two together.
'It's those damn eyes!'
Whether it was metaphorical or literal, only he knew. Gary darted his eyes at his pokemon. The hidden traps he had prepared were mercilessly destroyed by [Hurricane] in a similar way to Skyla's own [Hurricane].
'…Skyla?'
"Don't tell me…?!"
"Copying Blue's [Psychic] Gauntlets were a surprise, Green!" his rival shouted amid the loud winds.
"But when it comes to faking things, I'm second to none!"
[Air Slash] + [Tailwind] + [Gust] = …
"What was it again? Oh yeah…" Ash gave a roguish smirk to his rival.
"I rule the skies!"
"[Hurricane (Fake)]!"
The gigantic cyclone devoured the Psi Pokémon along with the traps that Gary set up, evening the playing field. Suddenly, a crackle of lightning enveloped the [Hurricane (Fake)] and the cyclone dispersed.
A fainted Alakazam dropped from the air as the damage it suffered was too much for it to bear. And to everyone's surprise, Butterfree had also came down crashing into the ground with swirls in his eyes.
{ ALAKAZAM AND BUTTERFREE ARE DOWN! }
{ THE TWO PALLET TOWN TRAINERS ARE NECK AND NECK! }
The two boys returned their Pokémon with Ash thanking his.
"[Zap Cannon]…" he murmured in understanding of how Alakazam managed to drag Butterfree down with it.
"That was close… You almost got me with that…"
Within that split second, Gary had already decided to sacrifice Alakazam to go for a double KO against Ash.
"Faker…"
That word caught the raven-haired Trainer's attention as he blinked his blood reds. It was something that truly encompassed his battle style without any room for other interpretations. But the way Gary spat it out with disgust caused Ash to scowl at his rival.
"…I'm surprised our first battle lasted this short. Even for you, that's not something you would do," Ash quipped, referring to the sudden first move by Gary.
"I'm wary of you, Red. I can never figure out what you're gonna do."
Ash was taken aback by this newfound seriousness towards him by his rival. The orange-haired boy would usually berate or mock him whenever he had to open his mouth so hearing Gary seriously considering the raven-haired boy a threat was out of left field.
"…Wat?" a shellshocked Ash blurted out.
"Over the course of the Grand League, you've been proving my predictions wrong time after time. You were supposed to lose in the Prelims, and yet here you are."
"I don't get it and I don't like it. You never once submitted to common sense. And it ticks me off."
'Is this dude praising or making fun of me?' the raven-haired boy's cheek twitched in annoyance.
"That strange strength. Your irksome ability to replicate moves and tactics. And the way you work alongside your Pokémon! It ticks me off, faker!"
Hearing the declaration against him, Ash flashed a wider grin as he summoned his next Pokémon against Gary's large bird.
"Well, I was gonna go all out anyways!"
'And made some insurance just in case…' he silently recalled his late-night chat with the Professor.
"Let's do this, Green!"
And the two resumed their match.
Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region
The bout between Ash's Snorlax and Gary's Pidgeot garnered many murmurs of awe and excited cheers as the two traded blows equally. But after just a few hits, it became apparent that the round giant was winning.
Such sudden display of strength shocked the Kalos group as they found that they had still underestimated Snorlax despite already having a high opinion of him from Ash's match against Lorelei.
Serena watched with starstruck eyes as the passionate gaze of bloodred eyes glowed with such radiance that the honey blonde could not tear her eyes away from. But at the same time, a naggin thought invaded her state of excitement like a spreading plague of worry.
'Isn't this like yesterday? Red passed out soon after…!'
And just like that, her ecstatic expression was swiftly replaced with one of frozen anxiety. The honey blonde had never wanted to scold the raven-haired boy so much before this and if given the opportunity, would gladly do it. But for now, she had to make do with her hands clasped together and fervently hoping for the best outcome of her sweetheart, regardless of whether he won or not. A rather selfish wish, she thought.
'Please don't hurt yourself, Red…'
"Finish this, Snorlax! [Bounce (Fake)]!" Ash cried out with red streaks following his bloodred eyes.
Snorlax propelled himself into the air and with great force, plunged himself atop Pidgeot. The immense downforce and gravitational weight cut out any chance of recovery of the large bird.
{ PIDGEOT HAS FAINTED! SNORLAX WINS! }
'What's going on…?'
'I knew that he had gotten stronger since beating Lorelei, but by this much?'
Gary was in turmoil as he had already lost two of his Pokémon rather quickly in his match against Ash. The orange-haired boy gritted his teeth as he scoured for an explanation for his rival's sudden strength.
'This damn faker!'
Meanwhile, Ash was already beginning to feel the fatigue rising from his throat as heat built up even more within him.
'Man… Maybe I shouldn't have used this too early,' he coughed with bleary eyes.
Despite his complaints, the boy had no intentions of backing out and soldiered through the slow pain that was creeping up on him.
'I'm sure of it now. By using this power for my Pokémon, they're able to battle at the level of an Elite Four. Seeing how Green's still able to hold up, he's probably at that same level as well.'
Realizing this, the raven-haired boy grinned to himself.
'…Seriously? I would've stood no chance against Green without this power.'
This was true. Ash had many close calls that he was able to squeeze out of thanks to the appearance of the power welling within him. Without it, he would have been dead the moment he met Giovanni.
Although the raven-haired boy knew he was still weak, he could not help but feel excited at the prospect of battling even stronger opponents that eclipsed this power of his. Those Trainers existed without a doubt, and that fact made him let out the battle-hungry grin.
'Looks like I still have to get stronger on my own…'
"Tch! Wipe that ugly mug off your face."
"Can't help it when I'm wiping the floor against you," Ash quipped, finally able to get his own sweet revenge on his rival's long list of insults against him.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, faker. Exeggutor, in!"
'Let's go, Snorlax!' Ash relayed through his link.
The round giant growled in agreement. More power surged through the channels of the boy as he shared it with his Pokémon.
"Blast through that overgrown bear! [Barrage]!"
"Defend with [Stone Edge (Fake)]!"
A greatly strengthened [Mega Punch] to the ground caused rocky plates to push themselves together upwards to form a shield of rocks to defend Snorlax from multiple spheres coming his way.
An explosion burst forth from the collision of moves, reducing visibility for the surrounding audience. Supplying such an amount to Snorlax caused Ash to stagger around where he stood as sweat poured down from his forehead.
"Pikapi!" the yellow mouse cried out for his partner worryingly.
'Sorry, Pikachu… But I can't stop here!'
The raven-haired boy had already made up his mind the moment he had that talk yesterday with Professor Oak.
'That idiot! What the hell is he thinking?!'
"Such tricks won't save you, Red!"
"Exeggutor, [Seed Bomb]!"
With that command, the orange-haired widened his eyes in anger, unable to understand his rival's mindset.
Gary was furious at the sheer stubbornness of his foster brother. He could tell that Ash was not in any condition to battle right now, judging from the weakened posture and fatigued expression on the raven-haired boy.
And yet, he continued and gave the orange-haired boy such a hard time in between ragged breath. Even without a clue of what was happening with his foster brother, Gary could tell that whatever power that Ash was using was destroying him simultaneously.
"Stay down, Red!"
Multiple grenades came crashing towards Snorlax as the smoke cleared. Clean hits riddled the round giant at every vital spot his species had. He had no means of dodging nor escape as his large bulk was intended for defense and not evasion. But before the round giant fainted, he wanted to take down another one with him.
Sensing his Pokémon's desire, the raven-haired Trainer was more than happy to oblige. Once more, Ash channelled even more of the unknown power into Snorlax via their link. His ragged breath began to voice out a hoarse sound followed by light coughs, but Ash pushed on despite that.
"Snorlax… *hack* *hack* use…" he coughed out with fierce eyes of bloodred.
The round giant toppled backwards, but not before swinging both of his paws with tremendous force onto his large body…
Creating a massive shockwave that travelled towards the bipedal coconut.
"[Boomburst (Fake)]!"
BOOM! Thud!
{ IT'S ANOTHER DOUBLE KO! }
{ RED IS LEADING BY ONE POKEMON AGAINST GREEN! BOTH TRAINERS, PLEASE SEND OUT YOUR NEXT POKEMON! }
The stadium gave a round of applause at the amazing showcase between Ash and Gary, drowning the heavy breaths of a certain raven-haired Trainer as he clutched his silver locket for some semblance of comfort.
"Agh!" Ash tried to stiffen a pained cry as he returned Snorlax back into his Ball as the phantom swords continued their assault on his nerves.
"Thanks a lot, Snorlax… Erk!"
'Not yet… Not until I… Argh!'
The raven-haired boy focused onto his treasured locket and held it for dear life as he waited for the growing pain to subside. He could feel no sweat on his face as they had long since been evaporated from the steam emanating from his skin. Phantom blades were beginning to creak as Ash continued his reckless endeavour to break through the uncomfortable feeling of being suppressed by them.
"What's with you, you goddamn idiot?!"
Ash turned to an anxious Gary who was looking at him with exasperation.
"Why are you going so far?! Even a blind person could tell whatever you're doing is hurting yourself!"
"Why?!"
The orange-haired boy had asked what everyone wanted to ask the raven-haired boy. Ash thought he did a great job at hiding his physical turmoil but realized that he had been seen through the moment he started consciously using the mysterious power.
'…Man, am I that easy to read?' he inwardly sighed.
"I told you… hah… I'm… gonna be…" the raven-haired boy hoarsely panted.
'My throat's dry…'
"The Pokémon Master… didn't I? That… was my promise."
Gary glared at Ash with more hostility as his reason for pushing himself was simply to defeat him at the risk of himself. All for a promise he made all those years ago.
Until…
"And…" he continued with a strained smile.
"To save you… you so-called genius blockhead…"
His next answer shocked Gary, causing him to widen his eyes at his words.
'This was probably a bad idea… Using this 'thing' so early in the game…' he grunted as he felt the imaginary blades piercing further into his nervous system.
'Welp. Hindsight's 20/20…'
Groaning through the pain, he clarified his words to his rivals as he licked his lips that cried for moisture.
"I… don't know what you're going through. Nor am I gonna lie that I understand," Ash said, gazing at his rival with determined eyes with the shining red fading slightly.
"But… if you need a hand, or someone to talk to…"
"Then say so, idiot!" the raven-haired boy exploded in frustration.
"You have me and Blue! Rely on us more, dumbass!"
"…Tch! What the hell do you even know, Red?! Raticate died because of me!"
"And I just said I don't know, moron! You got wax in ya' ears?!"
The two continued bickering in the middle of the match, stunning the audience. But this exchange opened most of the spectators' eyes. The two Trainers were still children and were even younger than the prescribed age to be a Pokémon Trainer. And yet, what they were arguing about involved a mature incident of a friend's passing. Some of the elderly pitied the boy for going through such a painful experience.
"…This is stupid. Rhydon, in!"
Gary called out his next Pokémon: Rhydon. The massive beast roared as he stepped into the ring.
{ GREEN'S NEXT POKÉMON IS RHYDON! }
"Then, I'll just break through that dumb Power you follow so much with our Bonds! Marowak, I choose you!" Ash summoned his dual-wielding skull warrior.
{ THERE HE IS! THE MAROWAK THAT DEFEATED LORELEI'S ACE! }
The audience cheered louder at the return of the skull warrior as he brandished his twin weapons at the stone goliath.
"[Stone Edge]!"
Two pillars of unflinching stone came bursting from the ground, surrounding Marowak on his left and right. A larger third manifested in between Rhydon and Marowak before promptly exploding into sharp chunks of rocky missiles that propelled towards the skull warrior.
'[Rock Slide]!' Ash reacted with Mind's Eye.
"Marowak, [Rapid Spin (Fake)]!"
Using his mother's bone club, the skull warrior swiftly twirled it at high speed, deflecting the rock missiles without much effort. While Gary was about to voice out his annoyance towards the Fake move, a whooshing sound grew louder from above Rhydon.
'That's…!'
"[Bonemerang]!" Ash called out.
Marowak's own bone club came spinning towards the rock beast. But the orange-haired boy was faster.
"Intercept it with [Hammer Arm]!"
Focusing power into his arm, the Drill Pokémon smashed the bone club, repelling [Bonemerang] in the process.
{ RHYDON FOILS MAROWAK'S ATTEMPT AS… WAIT, WHAT?! }
But as it twirled away, a brown clawed hand grasped it from the air and flung it backwards. Marowak had dashed towards Rhydon, armed with nothing but his fists.
'What is Red thinking?!'
Gary was dumbfounded at his rival's decision for the Bone Keeper Pokémon to battle without his weapons. The misdirection by utilizing the two bone clubs were the perfect opportunity to launch a counterattack but Ash did not act upon it. The orange-haired boy became increasingly confused at the raven-haired boy's tactics.
"Can't believe you made such a mistake like this, Red! Finish him off with [Smack Down]!"
Rhydon picked up a large debris formed by [Rock Slide] and brought it down towards the skull warrior in front of him. But to everyone's surprise…
CLANG!
The debris cracked into smaller rocks as it contacted Marowak's skull. A metallic sheen had coated his bony skull and an unfazed Marowak grinned beneath his bone helmet.
"[Iron Head]," Ash mirrored his Pokémon's grin.
"Plus…"
Marowak began charging a leg with all his might as he exhaled a breath for the next attack he was about to use.
"[Low Sweep (Fake)]!" the raven-haired boy roared.
With a powerful [Mega Kick], Marowak swiped the charged leg and kicked Rhydon off its feet, causing the rock beast to crash headfirst into the ground.
BOOM!
{ WHAT A TWIST! MAROWAK FELLS RHYDON WITH IMITATION OF [LOW SWEEP]! }
"You damn faker!"
"Return, Marowak! I choose you, Lapras!" Ash recalled his youngest team member and switched him for his newest addition in his roster.
A shell-covered plesiosaur cried proudly as she entered the battlefield. She widened her eyes at the exhausted state of her Trainer but was reassured when Ash gave her a thumbs up while Pikachu pulled on the boy's cheek as his reprimand. Satisfied with her leader's scolding of their Trainer, Lapras turned to her opponent with fierce eyes as she linked with Ash once more.
Link established.
'Listen closely, Lapras. I need you to do something for me…' Ash relayed his thoughts to the Transport Pokémon who readily agreed.
"I'll crush you, Red. I'll prove that Power always wins in the end!"
Chapter 48: Fire Red & Leaf Green (1)
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm gonna win with my Pokémon!"
Next - Chapter 49: Fire Red & Leaf Green (2)
Fated Lore Explanation: Pokémon Moves
Pokémon in the Fated story have no limits regarding learnt moves. They do not forget pre-existing moves unlike in the anime or games. However, Pokémon battles only allows the use of 4 moves only to keep things fair for both Trainers.
Because of this, there are two different Pokémon Battle types in the Fated universe:
Standard Battles and Unrestricted Battles
4 moves only and No move limits respectively.
Regarding moves learnt at a certain level, Pokémon in Fated follow the learnset as in the games but they do not follow the order of levels since those don't exist in Fated canon. The move that Pokémon learn in Fated is either random or a move that they need to use during a dire situation. This is why Ash's Charizard does not know [Flare Blitz] and has to circumvent the problem by using [Flamethrower] as [Flare Blitz (Fake)] since Charizard has not learnt it yet.
Author's Notes (4.5)
Hey guys! This little Author's Note is placed here to avoid spoilers for the chapter so that I can explain some things.
A 6v6 is incredibly hard to write so I tried finding ways to make it easier for me. And what I came up with is Ash using AURA right at the start of the match.
As explained, AURA Ash is at a lower Elite Four level while base Ash is still high Gym Leader level. Gary, on the other hand, is lower Elite Four level due to the excessive training he put his Pokémon through while Blue is right behind him. The reason why Ash is not as strong as his two childhood friends is that he has not been training as much as the other two since he has been running away from TR in the beginning of the story while Blue and Gary were leisurely training without getting chased.
But instead of his Pokémon getting stronger, Ash himself unlocked AURA in the process, closing the gap between him and Gary. When you see the matches he had previously, Ash has been constantly getting bailed out thanks to AURA, which he is now unconsciously dependent on. This will definitely bite him back later as he continues to rely more on AURA.
This is what I meant by this being a set-up chapter as this is the starting point where some things are going to kickstart Ash's character development later on.
Good news: This is the hardest chapter to write by far. And now that I have a foundation to work with, expect some hype moments to come for the next two chapters.
P.S.
OUR BOI WON! WOOOOOOOOOO!