Chloe slowly opened her eyes, the tent being brighter which signified that it was morning.
"Hey, Chloe!" Goh called out. This automatically caught Chloe's attention.
The girl looked down at her sleepy Eevee, before picking her up and walking out of the tent, coming face to face with Hoenn's beautiful skies. Outside was Ash and Goh.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Lucario, Copycat!" Ash commanded.
Chloe smiled a bit, as the two partner Pokemon of Ash's clashed attacks. It was just like him to start the day training.
"I made breakfast!" Goh said to her, with Cinderace putting the plates on the portable table. It was... sandwiches, yet again. Cheese sandwiches to be more specific.
Chloe smirked. "And by made, I think you mean you just took them from the paper bag?" She joked.
Goh gets defensive. "Hey! I had to put the sandwiches together! That has to count for something!"
"Cinder! Cinderace!" Cinderace defended Goh.
Chloe giggled, as she heard the battling from Ash quieting down. "Oh! Ash must be done." She said.
Sure enough, Ash came running over with that same grin as always.
"Oh! Yum!" Ash immediately sat down and started eating rapidly. "Hey, Chloe!"
Chloe sighed and smiled at the boy's lack of table manners and enthusiasm respectively. She then looked and saw Pikachu and Lucario next to Ash. She placed Eevee next to them, who had just woken up, then grabbed three bowls and a box of Pokémon Food, pouring a good amount in each. She finally placed the bowls in front of the three Pokémon.
"Enjoy you three!" Chloe said gleefully, smiling at them.
"Pika!" "Eevui!" "Lucario!" The three Pokémon thank Chloe, before beginning to eat.
Goh ate part of his sandwich, before speaking. "So, what's the plan for today?"
Ash finished his food, as he cleans off the plate. "I'm going to be training, as usual!"
Goh then turns to his childhood friend. "What about you, Chloe?"
Chloe looked at Chloe, a little worried about how he'd react. But, she didn't want to hide anything or seem suspicious. "I-I'm gonna try and learn battling. I'll stay behind with Ash."
Goh blinked once, twice, three times. "So... Ash is gonna teach you battling?" He asked.
Chloe nodded. "Yeah! I think it would be a nice bonding experience for me and Eevee!" She said, as she lightly petted her partner Pokemon.
Goh blinked again, before inspecting Chloe. "Are you feeling alright? Do you have a cold?"
Chloe gained a fierce facial expression, which caused Goh to back off and nervously laugh.
"Oh, uh, sorry. I was just joking!" Goh said. "I'm just not used to you wanting to try out this kinda stuff. Let alone wanting to battle."
Chloe lightly smiled. "I get it. I am kind of late when it comes to wanting to know Pokémon more."
Ash stood up. "Well, better late than never!" He said excitingly.
Goh grinned as he speaks once more. "Well, whatever you want to do, I'll support you!" He told her.
"Thank you, Goh!" Chloe responded gleefully.
"Well, I guess we should go out separate ways for now. I'm gonna try and look for—" Goh stopped mid-sentence, as he saw a Masquerain flying overhead.
Goh's eyes lit up like streetlights. "Ooo!! It's a Masquerain!! Alright, see you guys later!!"
And with that, Goh and Cinderace ran off to catch it, leaving Chloe and Ash just staring, before giggling.
"That's Goh for you," Chloe commented.
Ash clapped his hands together. "So, should we get started?" He asked her.
Chloe simply grinned, as she grabs Ash's hand, similar to what he did to her a couple of days ago.
"Yep!" She said excitingly.
Ash was a little shocked, but smiled, as the two head for a nearby open area. Pikachu, Eevee, and Lucario followed close behind their trainers.
The group ended up in a woods area. A perfectly peaceful place to train.
Ash took the forefront, as Pikachu and Lucario stood next to him. He then turned to Chloe and Eevee.
"Alright, so Chloe. I want you and Eevee to have a practice battle with me and Pikachu." Ash says.
Chloe looked a little confused. "We're just gonna jump straight into battling?" She asked.
"Hmm, well, yes and no," Ash said, before elaborating further.
"I want to gauge Eevee, so we know where to go further! Think of his more like sparring than an actual serious one-on-one match."
Chloe nods in understanding. "I get it. Okay, let's do this!" She said confidently.
The girl looks down at her partner Pokemon. "Are you ready, Eevee?"
"Eevui!" The Evolution Pokemon cooed as she nodded, before jumping onto the field of battle.
Ash smirks, as he extends his right arm out. Pikachu then jumps on Ash's left shoulder, runs along to his left, before continuing to run and finally jump off of Ash's left arm, landing gracefully on the ground.
"Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash exclaims.
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu cried out, ready for battle!
"Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Ash commands.
Pikachu gains a glow around his body, as light afterimages appear behind him as he speeds off like a lightning bolt.
Chloe, although nervous, keeps her composure.
"Eevee! Use Quick Attack to dodge it!" Chloe calls out.
Eevee stands, charging up the energy in her body. As soon as Pikachu goes in for the attack, she speeds off and dodges.
"Now! Use Tackle!" Chloe shouts.
Eevee comes to a stop, as she charges in and lands a Tackle against Pikachu, causing him to tumble over. However, he quickly recovers.
Ash clenches his left fist. "Pikachu! Iron Tail!"
Pikachu jumps into the air, surrounding his tail with a silver coating made of steel.
"Eevee! Copycat!" Chloe counters.
Eevee jumps and charges up her energy once more, with a silver glow around her body. Her tail does the same as Pikachu's being encased in iron material.
The two swing their tails, as they both clash with one another. They even began to send mini shockwaves. However, they eventually came to a standstill, sliding across the ground.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted as he made a swiping motion with his right arm. "Use Thunderbolt!"
"Eevee! Dodge with Quick Attack!" Chloe commanded.
Pikachu charged up an electric current in his body, as Eevee took off at high speeds. Pikachu focused, and smacked his hands on his cheeks, as he unleashed the energy downward toward Eevee. Unfortunately for her, she was struck head-on and sent flying back.
"Ah! Eevee!" Chloe winced in worry.
But, Eevee gets back up, still confident to continue battling. Chloe stared at her partner for a second, before calling out another command.
"Let's keep going! Use Copycat!" Chloe shouts.
"Quick Attack! Let's go!" Ash exclaimed.
Eevee charged up her electricity, as Pikachu took off with immense agility. The Evolution Pokémon then takes into the sky, as she smacks her paws on her face, and fires the same attack. Unlike Eevee, however, Pikachu dodges and lands his Quick Attack, knocking Eevee to the ground once more.
"Time out!" Ash says.
Chloe looked up, away from her partner, as Pikachu ran back up to Ash's left shoulder. Lucario then walks up next to him.
"I will say, Chloe, you're pretty good! You and Eevee are perfectly in sync, following each other's movements to a T. The only problem is her set of moves." Ash says.
Chloe blinks a couple of times. "Moves?
Ash continued. "You know how a Pokémon can use up to four moves in a battle? Those moves are very important, as they can matter and change the outcome."
Chloe nods along. "Yeah. As far as I know, Eevee only knows Quick Attack, Tackle, and Copycat."
Ash smiles, happy to see she's catching on. "One of the problems is that Tackle is not usually a good move. It's one of the more basic ones."
"But, isn't Quick Attack also sort of a basic move?" Chloe asked.
"While that is true for most, Pikachu is a naturally fast Pokemon. And Quick Attack is almost guaranteed a hit on an opponent. So, put those two factors together, and it can work for a Pokémon similar to Pikachu!" Ash explained.
"So... what do you suggest we do?" Chloe inquired.
Ash grins as he grabs Chloe's hands. "That's simple! We're gonna train you guys to have more diverse moves!"
Chloe looked at the sparkle in Ash's eyes, which caused her to grin along with him. It was somehow contagious.
"Alright, sounds like a plan!" She said gleefully.
Ash fixed his cap. "Oh, one more thing. Copycat is a good move, as it can throw off your opponent. However, the issue is that Eevee was copying Pikachu's style of movement."
Chloe tilted her head. "As in...?"
Ash explains further. "She copies Pikachu's movements beat for beat. That's why Pikachu was able to dodge her Thunderbolt, while Eevee couldn't dodge his."
"So, what you're saying is that Eevee needs to find her own style of battling that isn't just copying Pikachu?" Chloe hypothesized.
Ash snapped his fingers. "Exactly! Now you're getting it!" He said smiling.
The boy then turned to his Aura Pokémon, who had been standing patiently.
"Lucario, do you think you can teach Eevee to have her style of Copycat?" Ash asked her.
Lucario lightly barked, as she smiles. Eevee runs up to her, smiling.
"Eevui!" She cooed happily, as she raises her paw for a fist bump of sorts.
Lucario's smile grew larger, as she returned the gesture from the Evolution Pokemon. It seems they officially declared themselves friends.
"So, Ash. Any ideas on what we could help teach Eevee?" Chloe asked him.
Ash thinks for a moment, before once again snapping his fingers in realization.
"I got it! Come on!" He said as he runs off to another part of the woods.
"H-Hey!" Chloe said giggling. "Don't go off without us!"
Chloe and Eevee ran after the boy and his Pikachu, with Lucario following close behind.
The group looked at Ash and Pikachu, who were lifting boulders and placing them in a row.
"Ash, what are you doing?" Chloe asked.
"Eevui?" Eevee gained a curious expression.
Ash turned and let go of a rock, which caused Pikachu to stumble around to carry it himself.
"We're lining them up so we can have you guys practice using new moves on them!" Ash explained, before being electrocuted by Pikachu.
The boy fell to the ground, as he looks at his partner Pokemon, who gave him a look of annoyance.
"Oh, sorry buddy. I guess I got carried away, haha." Ash said, chuckling a bit.
"But before that, let's work on Eevee's Copycat!"
Chloe nodded, as she bent down to pet Eevee. "You ready to train?" She asked.
Eevee looks up at Chloe with a determined expression, proceeding to nod at her. "Eevui!"
"Alright, first off, let's let Eevee copy Lucario," Ash suggests.
"Lucario! Aura Sphere!"
Lucario cupped her paws together, as a blue ball of aura energy appears. She then fired it at one of the boulders set up, cracking it heavily.
"Eevee! Use Copycat!" Chloe shouts.
Eevee glows a brick-like colored aura as she stands on two legs, which causes her to slightly stumble. She cupped her paws, and the ball of aura appeared for her as well. She then proceeds to fire it, before falling over, only slighting missing the boulder and hitting a tree instead.
"Just as I suspected," Ash said.
"Yeah, it does seem like Eevee takes Copycat very literally. She even copied Pikachu's movements when using Thunderbolt." Chloe commented.
"Eevui..." Eevee lightly cooed, looking a little sad.
"Oh don't be sad, Eevee! You aren't doing anything wrong!" Chloe quickly to assured her.
"We just need to help you get your style, so your movements aren't predictable," Ash says.
Eevee seemed to understand what they said, as she stands back up with a determined expression.
Chloe lightly pets Eevee. "Let's keep going!"
Ash grinned, as he turns to Lucario. "Let's help out Eevee! Use Steel Beam!"
Lucario nods, as she extends her paw out. She creates a ball of silver energy, before it turns into a straight beam, crashing against the rock and breaking it.
"We'll try again! Eevee, use Copycat, but try to use the special attack from your mouth!" Chloe suggests.
Eevee nods at her. She focused her energy, as the silver energy surrounds her body. She opens her mouth, imagining the ball of steel energy forming in front of it. And in fact, it does! Eevee looks at her target, as she fires the damaging move. The attack crashed against the rock, breaking it in an instant.
"Eevui!" The Evolution squealed happily.
Eevee then jumped into Chloe's arms, who looked at her with amazement.
"You did it, Eevee!" She praised.
"Great work you guys!" Ash said.
"Later we can work on Eevee using it in unique situations, but for now, let's work on getting her to learn new moves!"
Chloe looked to Ash and nodded. "Sounds good to me!"
Ash grabs another Pokeball but gains a nervous expression. "So, don't freak out, but..."
Chloe tilted her head in confusion, as Ash then threw the Pokeball. It popped, as it sent out Gengar!
Chloe's eyes widened, as he floated over, about to make a scary face.
"Eeeee... VUI!!" Eevee immediately made a silly face at Gengar.
The Shadow Pokémon just floated down as he laughed hysterically. Ash and Chloe looked on a little weirded out, but lightly giggled.
"Oh yeah, I meant to apologize beforehand. Sorry about Gengar's antics at the lab." Ash spoke nervously, scratching the back of his head.
Chloe gave a light smile. "It's fine. You hadn't yet owned him, so it was out of your control."
"So, how will Gengar help us?" Chloe asked.
Ash gave Gengar a light pet. "Well, one of the moves Eevee can learn is Shadow Ball! It can help her since her Normal Type moves won't have any effect."
"And since Gengar has Shadow Ball, Eevee watching him as an example can help her learn!" Chloe realized.
Ash smirked. "See, you're getting it!"
"Gengar! Let's help Eevee!"
"Eevee, make sure to watch Gengar closely!"
Ash and Chloe said respectively. The two Pokémon nod, as they get into battle positions, looking toward the lined-up boulders.
Ash raises his left fist into the air. "Gengar! Shadow Ball!"
Gengar smiles brightly as he raises his arms, generating a purple blob in his hands. He proceeded to throw his arms downward, having the attack crash against a boulder.
"See? Now, try for yourself! Without using Copycat." Chloe tells Eevee.
Eevee nods as stands firmly, looking toward the rock. She opens her mouth, as she imagines that same situation she had with the Steel Beam. A small ball of rigid purple energy appears, small sparks flying off of it. It grows from a tiny size to a rather small figure. The Evolution Pokémon then attempts to fire it, but it goes wildly off course and hits a branch, causing a mini-explosion.
"Eevui?" Eevee tilted her head, expecting it to be a lot more grandiose.
"Well, I guess it wasn't ever gonna be easy," Chloe admitted.
However, Gengar flew over to the Evolution Pokemon, picking her up, before flying over and landing in some shade from a large tree. Ash and Chloe looked on in confusion.
"Gen! Gengar!" Gengar said, pointing toward the shadowy figure projecting from the sun's rays.
Eevee seemed to understand what Gengar was telling her, as she looks down and focuses. As she does this, she yet again formed a small Shadow Ball, but instead of firing it, it instead goes into the tree's shadow. She instantly gets a new feel for this move's power, as it then lifts from the shadows, even more powerful.
"Eevui! Eeee... VUI!!" Eevee then squeals as she fires the large Shadow Ball at one of the rocks, smashing it into pieces.
Chloe looked shocked at how Eevee was easily able to make a bigger one the second time.
"How'd you do that, Eevee? I feel like I'd take a lot longer to make one as big as that." Chloe asked her.
Ash then chimed in. "Well, Shadow Ball is usually described as a shadowy blob. So, Gengar suggested using the shadows provided by the trees as a way to help boost it and get a feel for its power!"
"Eevui!" Eevee cooed happily, as she tried using it again. However, it was only about a medium size when it formed.
"Seems like she still hasn't mastered it yet," Chloe said.
"Let's keep going! Use Shadow Ball again!"
Eevee jumps out of the shadows, as she begins to focus again. She opens her, as she generates the shadowy blob. It grows to a large size, almost to the extent that Gengar's was at. She then fires it, straight into the last boulder and destroying it.
"Amazing job, Eevee!" Chloe praises.
"She's a fast learner! Just like Pikachu!" Ash commented. "I'm sure once you two train it enough, you'll get it to be perfect every time!"
Eevee squeals excitingly, as she looks at Gengar.
"Eevui!" She runs over and attempts to hug him, only to go straight through him. "...Vui?" She tilted her head.
Ash and Chloe look at one another, before giggling, along with Gengar. The Shadow Pokémon picked up Eevee and put her on his head.
"Alright! I have one more move I want Eevee to learn!" Ash says.
"What would that be?" Chloe questioned.
As Eevee and Gengar played with one another, Ash went into his short's right pocket and pulled out his Rotom Phone. He clicked on a button that had a box icon on it, going through multiple other icons of different Pokémon.
"Uh, Ash?" Chloe called out.
Ash clicked on one of the Pokémon, and a Pokeball formed out of the Rotom Phone from blue energy.
"Oh, sorry Chloe. Just needed to grab another friend of mine to help out with this next move!" He said.
Chloe watched curiously, as Ash threw the Pokeball. The machine opened, spewing out blue energy, as the Pokémon formed from it. It was... Flygon!
"Oh?" Chloe immediately put up her Rotom Phone, scanning the Mystic Pokémon.
"Flygon. The Mystic Pokémon. Ground and Dragon-Type. Flygon is nicknamed "the elemental spirit of the desert." Because its flapping wings whip up a cloud of sand, this Pokémon is always enveloped in a sandstorm while flying." The Rotom Phone explains.
"I think I've seen Goh with one of these. Never knew you had one! I thought you only had Dragonite, Gengar, Lucario, Sirfetch'd, and Dracovish." Chloe said.
Ash chuckled, as Flygon flew down and hugged him. The boy lightly pets the friendly dragon.
"Yeah, a lot of people assume that at first!" He replies. "But nope! I have many other buddies with me! I change my team pretty frequently."
Chloe couldn't help but smile at Ash's enthusiasm. Just then, there was a large growl. Ash, Chloe, and all their Pokémon look down at their stomachs.
"Heheh! I guess we're all pretty hungry! And we did do plenty of work already, so a snack break wouldn't hurt!" Ash says.
"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu cheerfully said.
The Mouse and Evolution Pokémon ran around happily, with Eevee tackling Pikachu. The two giggled happily, as Pikachu tackled her back. Flygon was showing off her flying skills, with Lucario and Gengar watching on. However, Gengar secretly phased through the ground, before appearing above Flygon.
"Gengar!!" He shouted scarily.
"Fly!!" Flygon squealed as she instantly flew down and hid behind a tree.
Gengar bursts into uncontrollable laughter, but it is immediately stopped by a blow to the head by Lucario.
"Lu! Lucario!"
The Aura Pokemon immediately chastises the Shadow Pokemon, demanding he'd apologize. Gengar sighed, as he lightly flew over to her.
Ash and Chloe were watching on, just giggling at the whole scenario.
"You have some interesting Pokémon, Ash," Chloe spoke, as she then took a bite out of one of the cupcakes she brought with them.
Ash light grinned, as he did the same. "Yeah, I do! They're some of my best friends!"
Chloe looked over at the boy. "You mentioned before you have plenty of other Pokémon?"
"Yep!" Ash expressed enthusiastically. "They've all helped me on my journeys through the different regions. Including where I am currently."
Chloe stayed silent as she turned her attention to Eevee, who was still playing around with Ash's Pikachu. She then spoke once more.
"I hope one day, me and Eevee can strive just as much as you and Pikachu have. Well, when we have a dream I mean."
Ash looked at Chloe, having a soft smirk. "Yeah, I get what you mean! I'm sure you'll find your dream!"
"But, you guys are already doing great! You'll be able to achieve greater heights at your rate!"
Chloe immediately let out an endearing smile. Even though it's only been a few days, speaking with Ash has given her a new perspective on the world. And overall, his personality charmed her.
"That's what I hope to do!" She spoke excitingly.
She finishes the cupcake, then proceeds to clean her hands and face with a napkin. She stands up as she then turned to Ash.
"Alright! I'm ready to get back to it!" She said gleefully, as she ran over to Eevee and Pikachu.
Ash's smile beamed brightly, as he ran over to his Lucario, Gengar, and Flygon. "Okay, Flygon! I'll need you for this part of the training!" He told the Mystic Pokemon.
Flygon cooed happily, as she grabs Ash's arms and lightly flies in the air. "Haha! You seem very happy and ready to go!" Ash said.
The boy then looks down at Lucario and Gengar. "You two can sit and watch! Trust me, it will be fun to watch!"
Lucario and Gengar nod, as they take a seat. Although Gengar forgot he was phasing and fell right through the ground, which got a chuckle out of Lucario.
Flygon let Ash down, as Pikachu ran and jumped back on his right shoulder. As the Mystic Pokémon landed on the ground, Eevee ran over next to it.
"So Eevee, like with Gengar, make sure to watch Flygon closely. She's also going to teach you some neat tricks!" Ash tells the Evolution Pokemon.
Eevee nods happily, as she looks at Flygon and squeals with joy.
Ash turned to Chloe. "Make sure you watch closely too, Chloe! So you can coach her!"
The girl nodded, and Ash took that as a sign to call out the command. "Flygon! Use Dig!" Flygon nodded as she flies into the air spinning rapidly, before directing herself downward and through the ground. She creates a mini tunnel before creating another hole a few feet away.
"See, Eevee? Just like that!" Chloe said to her partner. "Do you think you can do it?"
"Eevui!" Eevee instantly cooed, jumping for joy as she waited for her trainer to command her to use the action just shown to her.
Chloe smiled brightly, as she extended her arm out. "Eevee! Use Dig!"
Eevee gleefully jumped into the air as she headed toward the ground, slashing her paws rapidly. As her feet made contact, the dirt below the Evolution Pokemon was being kicked away. As she continued to dig, she got deeper and deeper into the hole, even disappearing temporarily. However, she gracefully digs further out, jumping out of the second hole with a swift attack motion.
"Wow Eevee! You did it your first try!" Chloe spoke proudly.
"Eevui!" Eevee ran over to Chloe, hopping into her arms. She then climbed along her left arm and onto her left shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
The two switch their perspective towards Ash and Flygon, who brought over some boulders. "Let's have Eevee try using Dig on some boulders. Just so she can land the correct damage." Ash suggests.
Chloe and Eevee look at one another, before nodding in agreement. Eevee jumps down, as she uses Dig once more. She quickly burrowed her way underground, as she created a mini-shaft to travel through. She then creates a hole under the two boulders and hit both of them with a powerful strike, breaking them instantly.
"Amazing! It's impressive how much you learn quickly." Chloe said.
Just then, a familiar eager voice could be heard from the distance, causing the group to turn in the direction of the noise.
"Guys! Guys!" Goh called out. "I finally caught it! I caught the Masquerain!!" He shouts in excitement.
"That's awesome, Goh! Great job!" Ash cheered.
"Same here! I'm happy for you!" Chloe spoke happily.
Goh looked at the two trainers and their Pokémon. Chloe was serious about this, wasn't she? Not that he didn't believe her, but seeing her do it was a shock, to say the least. Very different from the Chloe he always knew.
"Are you guys battling?" Goh asked.
Chloe grinned, as she bent down and gave Eevee some nice scratches to the top of her head. "We started to, but Eevee didn't have any very viable moves. So, Ash is helping me teach her some new techniques!"
Ash nods along with Chloe. "We just got done learning the new moves. Now, you can watch us battle it out for real this time!" He said, clutching his left hand into a fist.
"D-Do you really think I'm ready?" Chloe inquired.
Ash smiled, as he pats Chloe on the back. "Hey, don't underestimate yourself. You'll do great!"
Chloe stayed silent for a moment, listening to Ash's words. She then grinned endearingly. "Alright! I'll give it my all!"
Ash and Pikachu, as well as Chloe and Eevee, positioned themselves for battle. On the sidelines, Goh sat down with Cinderace, along with Ash's Lucario, Gengar, and Flygon.
"Ready to cheer on Chloe, Cinderace?" Goh asked.
"Cinder, Cinderace?" The Striker Pokémon asked.
"...Ah you're right! How can I only cheer on Chloe?! I need to cheer for Ash too!" Goh shouted.
Ash and Chloe sweat a little, as Goh was having this mental disaster going through his mind.
"It's fine, Goh. As long as I do my best, I'll be fine." Chloe tells him.
Goh smiled, as Ash and Chloe stared at one another. Chloe felt nervous. Even though she had all this training, it didn't feel like she'd have a chance against her. But, she has to take her own word. As long as she does her best, it will all be okay.
"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Ash called out.
Pikachu smirks, as he hops off the ground and into the air. His tail glows, as it is surrounded by bits and pieces of iron, before coming together to create a larger whole.
"From what I've seen, Pikachu usually swings in a straight line. So that means..." Chloe thought to herself.
"Eevee! Dodge using Quick Attack!"
Eevee acknowledged Chloe's request, as Pikachu swung down his tail. She sped off, the attack being slammed into the ground. The Evolution Pokémon circled behind and struck the Electric Mouse Pokémon from behind, bashing him away.
"Wow! Nice going, Chloe!" Ash praised, which caused Chloe to smile a bit. "Now, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu jumped off of the grassy dirt ground once more, spinning as he charges up electricity in his body.
"Eevee! Shadow Ball!" Chloe commanded.
The cutesy Normal-Type stood in the line with where Pikachu was, as she opened her mouth, charging up the shadowy blob. Pikachu unleashed his attack upon Eevee, as the Evolution Pokemon did the same with hers. The two attacks collided, causing mini yellow and dark purple sparks to shoot out during the clash.
"Tch!" Both Ash and Chloe covered themselves to feel less pressure from the contending special moves. After a moment, the attacks explode into grey smoke.
"Quick Attack!" Both trainers shout.
Both Eevee and Pikachu hasten their speed, leaving afterimages behind. The two went in a zig-zag direction, before landing forceful blows on one another, sending each other back.
Chloe throws her left arm forward. "While Pikachu is disoriented, use Dig!"
Eevee began to dig below the surface, with Pikachu regaining himself. He looks around, as Ash then calls out to him. "Pikachu! Iron Tail on the ground!"
Chloe looked on confused, as Pikachu jumped into the air. As his tail glowed, being surrounded by bits of steel, he swung that part of his body very forcefully into the dirt below, causing Eevee to appear out of the ground.
"Ah!" Chloe was caught off guard, which left Ash a nice opening.
"Pikachu! Electro Ball!" Ash directed.
Pikachu used the force of his tail to lift himself into the sky, and he then surrounded the tip of his tail in a circle of electrical energy. "Pika pika pika! PI!" Pikachu then backflips mid-air as he sends the ball at Eevee, which smashed against the Evolution Pokemon, causing her to crash to the ground as a result.
"E-Eevee!" Chloe called out worryingly.
The smoke clears as Eevee stumbles, but she is back up on her feet. However, that damage was nothing to scoff at.
"Wow. Chloe and Eevee are doing great! Even after that attack Eevee is still standing!" Goh commented.
Cinderace, however, sighed at Goh's constant babble. "Cinder... Race, Cinderace..." She spoke softly.
"Y-You're saying I need to stop speaking battle actions out loud?" Goh asked his partner, who nodded. "Well, doesn't someone have an attitude?" He joked.
"Eevee, Use Copycat!" Chloe exclaimed.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Ash shouts.
Pikachu's tail was once more encased with the grid of steel, as he jumps in the air and swing his tail. As that was occurring and the attack grew closer, Eevee used Copycat, which enveloped her in a beautiful golden aura. Unlike how Pikachu performed the action, however, she instead generated the shocking ball of energy with her mouth.
The two moves grew ever closer, as Eevee released it from her mouth, with Pikachu fully swinging his tail at the same time. The attacks collided, which caused a temporary standstill. However, surprisingly, Chloe acted on top of this.
"Eevee! Use Shadow Ball to add more pressure!" She directed.
Eevee smirked, as she opened her mouth once more to create the blob of shadowy energy. She then fired it, which smashed against the Electro Ball, adding even more for Pikachu. Eventually, Pikachu was overpowered and hit by both attacks, although primarily the Electro Ball.
Ash peered at Chloe, astonished at how she performed during that sequence of events. He couldn't help but grin.
"Chloe, you're doing amazingly!" He shouted in glee. Pikachu landed on the ground, as he turned in Chloe's direction. "Pika! Pikachu!" The Mouse Pokemon said in agreement.
Chloe's eyes widened, as she scratched the back of her head.
"T-Thanks! If I'm being honest, I was kind of taking inspiration from you. Goh always comments on how you turn an impossible situation, well, possible!" She explains. "I didn't realize what he meant until your battle yesterday. So, I wanted to try it for myself!"
Ash was once again bewildered. He always liked helping people and has affected others in very positive ways. But this time it felt different. He didn't know how or when why, but it did. Once again, he smiled brightly.
"I'm glad I could inspire you like this! Let's keep this up!" Ash shouts.
Chloe nodded. "Right!"
"I think... I think I finally get why battles are so fun. The bonding I've done with Eevee. The way we can be perfectly in sync at all times. And even the thrill of it. I haven't had this much fun in a while! Thank you, Ash." Chloe thought.
"Eevee! Use Quick Attack!" Chloe commanded.
Eevee took a firm stance, readying herself. Once she charged up enough, she took off with blistering momentum, heading straight toward Pikachu.
"Pikachu! Get on your back and spin, then use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouts.
The Mouse Pokémon jumped as he bent backward, landing on the ground facing upward. He then spun rapidly, as the electrical energy he charged up afterward then released, causing a whirlwind-like attack. Then oncoming Eevee was hit multiple times by the lashes of electricity, being sent multiple feet back.
"Ah! H-Hang in there, Eevee!" Chloe shouted out.
Eevee slowly stood back up, but she was panting quite a bit. It looked like she was on her last stand, however, it was just an assumption.
"I never knew moves could be used like that," Chloe said.
Ash smiled, as he adjusted his cap. "Yeah! I call it 'Counter Shield'! It's my way of turning my offense into a defense!" He explained.
Chloe looked on, before giggling. "Always full of surprises."
Both trainers looked on at each other for a bit, causing tension. Goh, Cinderace, along with Ash's other Pokémon awaited their next or even final action to take place.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Ash shouted.
"Eevee! Copycat!" Chloe exclaimed.
The two Pokémon stare at one another, before jumping into the air. Both Pokémon's tails were gridded with iron and steel, the addition of Eevee being covered in a silver aura.
"Chu~ PIKA!"
"Eee~ VUI!"
Both Pokémon slashed their tails at the opposition, with both landing on the opposite side of where they jumped from. There was some silence for a bit.
...
...
...
However, it was Eevee who fell over in the end. And it was even more obvious when her cute eyes were replaced with swirly symbols. Chloe looked on at her fallen partner. But, she was smiling.
"Eevee lost..." Goh spoke sadly.
"Cinder..." Cinderace returned the same feeling.
Chloe walked over and picked up the Evolution Pokémon, who opened her eyes, then stared up at her trainer.
"Eevui..." Eevee looked ashamed of herself, but it was quickly put to rest with a hug from Chloe.
"Eevee... Don't be sad. We did our best and that's what matters. Trust me, we'll grow stronger, I promise you!" She said, attempting to encourage her ally.
Her words got through to Eevee, as the cute Normal-Type squealed with joy, nuzzling Chloe's cheek. Their attention was turned, when Ash, with Pikachu on his left shoulder, approached the two.
"Chloe, Eevee, you two were incredible! I see amazing things from you two in the future! That is if you still want to continue to learn battling." Ash said.
Chloe and Eevee look at one another, before giving Ash and Pikachu an endearing smile. "We'd love to!" Chloe said.
Now Ash was the one to gain a smile from hers. He was very glad that even after this loss, she still wanted to learn and grow.
"You two were awesome!" Goh told the two trainers, walking up to them.
"Well yeah, but Ash is the more impressive one," Chloe told Goh.
"Oh come on! You did great too!" Ash retorted.
The two trainers giggled at one another, as Goh looked at the setting sun. He then opened his Rotom Phone to check on something.
"AH! Our plane leaves in 20 minutes! We got to get to the airport!" Goh exclaimed.
At that moment, Ash returned Lucario, Gengar, and Flygon, as the three trainers ran toward the airport as fast as possible.
"Last flight to the Kanto Region! Repeat, last flight to the Kanto Region!" The speaker announced.
As it was sounded out, Ash, Chloe, and Goh climbed aboard the airplane and got to their assigned seats. After a few minutes, the plane then took off. Chloe stared out the window, seeing the beautiful sun setting on the horizon.
"You know, Ash." She said, looking at the boy sitting next to her. "This trip to the Hoenn Region. It really helped me. And not just that, you greatly helped as well."
Ash smiled at the girl. But, he didn't expect to see her extend out a fist from her right hand.
"I hope to grow stronger. Both as a battler and as a person. And with you helping me, I don't think I'll ever slow down!" She spoke confidently.
Ash looked at her fist. Yet another parallel from the past two days. The boy couldn't help but grin, as he returned the fist bump.
"You know, Chloe. You're a nice person." Ash told her.
Chloe seemed surprised to hear that, even blushing a little, but smiled at him. "Thank you, Ash. And so are you."
The two laid back in their seats, with Chloe continuing to look out the window. And when dusk turned to night, the group fell asleep, awaiting their landing in the Kanto Region.