Well, here's chapter 3. We only get to one of the things I mentioned in the last chapter's review in this one. Thanks for the reviews so far. I hope you all enjoy this chapter
The next morning, Drew rolled over in his bed and opened his eyes. He saw that there was a piece of paper on the ground near the door that wasn't there when he went to sleep. Drew rubbed his green eyes to make sure he hadn't been seeing things. Once he confirmed its existence Drew stepped over to it in his night clothes, and picked it up to read it.
"No!' he said through grinding teeth, "He won't get away with this…" Drew immediately began getting dressed. Thoughts of Ash and Pikachu flooded his mind, and anger was his emotional response. He quickly got dressed, got his Pokéballs from the Doctor, and ran out into the forest.
Ash, meanwhile, tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, his sleep tormented by nightmares.
Ash found himself standing in a wide, grassy field, staring at May and Drew.
May walked up to him. "Ash, I've decided to journey with Drew from now on," she told him, looking down.
"What?" Ash exclaimed, "Why?"
"Because you're such a loser, Ash-y boy!" Gary's voice came out of Drew's mouth, "Why would she want to hang out with you, when she can be with me?" the bad memory taunted him.
"I'm sorry, Ash." Tears began to wheal up in May's eyes. "I didn't mean for it to go this way"
"No!" Ash cried, reaching for his Pokéballs, only to find out he didn't have them.
"Give it up, Ash!" Gary-Drew laughed, "You stink, and you'll never be as good as I am!"
"I beat you in the Johto League Silver Conference, Gary!" Ash yelled back at him, "And I'll do it again if you want me to prove it!"
Drew's expression changed, "I've never been to Johto before, Ash," Drew said in his regular voice, "Maybe that's where May and I will go next." Ash could only stand there stunned as May and Drew departed from him.
"Farewell, Ash. I'll never forget all that you've done for me," May called back to him.
"Smell ya later, Ash!" Drew yelled, again in the Gary voice.
Ash bolted awake from his nightmare in a cold sweat. He sat up in his sleeping bag and forced Pikachu to roll off.
"It was only a nightmare…" Ash gave a sigh of relief. He heard the chirping of various Kantonese flying Pokémon. The forest canopy held the direct sunlight from his eyes, but it was easily late morning. He turned to his belongings and saw a sack near his backpack with a note. He crawled over and read it.
I'M TAKING THE ONE YOU HOLD DEAR. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, YOU MUST BATTLE ME. I'LL BE WAITING IN THE FOREST BEHIND THE POKéMON CENTER AT 10AM.
YOUR RIVAL
P.S. YOUR POKéBALLS ARE IN THE BAG. YOU'LL NEED THEM.
Ash pictured Drew's face and crumpled the note in his fist. What is he gonna do to May? he thought. Images from his nightmare reemerged from his subconscious. He remembered seeing Drew and May interact back in Hoenn. And he saw Gary and himself in those interactions. He remembered how Gary's words were like a dagger in his side. Whenever he thought he was doing well, Gary would show up and show just how far ahead of Ash he was. When he saw May trying to play catch up to Drew, Gary was the first thing to hit his mind. Even after defeating Gary and his Blastoise in the Silver Conference, even after putting their rivalry behind him, even after they departed as friends, Ash still remembered how insulting and harsh he was in his first journey through Kanto. And part of that memory would always be with him.
He roused Pikachu, collected his Pokéballs, put on his hooded sweatshirt, hat, and shoes, having slept in his baggy jeans, black tee-shirt and socks the night before. Stuffing the note into his pocket, he ran into the woods behind the center to a field where he knew his adversary would be waiting for him.
When Ash arrived, he saw Drew waiting for him.
"You're late." Drew mocked him.
"No, you're just early!" Ash retorted.
"That was the lamest comeback I've ever heard." Drew flicked his hair in Ash's direction.
"Shut up, Gary!" Ash yelled at him, his blood boiling.
"Gary?" Drew looked confused, "Are you sure you know who I even am?"
Ash growled, "Let's just get this thing going, okay?"
Someone stepped out of the bushes between Ash and Drew.
"I'll be judging this battle," Brock announced walking to the side of the battle field.
"Brock?" Ash was puzzled.
"What are you doing here?" Drew asked.
Making eye contact with neither, Brock responded, "As an official Pokémon League Judge, I will remain impartial in the coming battle."
"Okay, Brock, what are the rules?" Ash asked him.
"This will be a Double Battle," he announced, "Each trainer will use two Pokémon with no substitutions." Brock turned to Ash, "Send out your first choice."
Ash thought for a moment. He wasn't sure about Drew's full lineup. He'd have to choose a Pokémon that had a relatively neutral type. His choice was obvious.
"Aipom, I choose you!" He lobbed the ball into the air. The Pokéball opened and in a flash of light, Aipom, the purple monkey Pokémon had materialized before them.
"Eii, Eii!" She hopped up and down, her paws up as if her were in a boxing match.
"Now, Drew, choose both of your Pokémon." Brock commanded.
"Alright!" Drew took two Pokéballs from his side and lobbed them into the air. "Go, Masquerain, Roselia!"
The balls opened and in two flashes of light, two Pokémon had appeared. A Flying-Bug Pokémon with a small blue body and large, impressive wings appeared. It had large, intimidating eye patterns on its wings. Next to it appeared a smaller Grass-and-Poison Pokémon. His is a small, green, leafy body. At the ends of his arms there were roses, one pink and one blue and one on each hand.
"Masquerain!" The Flying-Bug type called.
"Rose!" The Grass-and-Poison type bowed.
"Now Ash," Brock turned to him again, "Who will be your second Pokémon?"
"Why'd you even have to ask?" Ash smiled, "Pikachu, let's get 'em!"
Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder and took his place next to Aipom. "Pika!" he challenged Drew's Pokémon.
"Aipom and Pikachu versus Masquerain and Roselia!" Brock announced, "Let the battle begin!"
"Pikachu, let's start with Quick Attack! Aipom, cover him with Swift!"
"Roselia, stop Pikachu in his tracks with Magical Leaf! Masquerain, block Aipom with Silver Wind!"
Pikachu charged at Roselia with a blinding speed, but Roselia was firing glowing leaves at Pikachu. Aipom swung her tail and shot a ray of stars at the Magical Leaf, but the Swift attack was stopped by a glittering gust of wind full of the scales on Masquerain's wings.
"Pikachu, dodge it!" Ash cried.
Pikachu leapt into the air, but the leaves followed him and smashed into Pikachu, knocking him backwards.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Masquerain!" Ash commanded.
"Pikaachiiuuu!" Pikachu cried as he unleashed a massive electric charge from his body.
"Get out of the way, Masquerain!" Drew called to him.
But before Masquerain could escape, the Thunderbolt hit its mark. "Maaasque!" He cried out, flapping his wings to escape the charge.
"Roselia, use-" Drew started.
"Aipom, Focus Punch!" Ash ordered.
Aipom was already running close to Roselia, and with that command the hand on the end of her tail began to glow. Aipom furiously punched Roselia and sent him flying.
"Roselia!" Drew cried to him.
Roselia climbed to his feet. "Rose!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt Masquerain again!" Ash told him.
"Masquerain, climb out of Pikachu's range!" Drew ordered.
Pikachu unleashed another electric volley at Masquerain, but this time Masquerain had successfully flown high enough to get out of Pikachu's range.
"Roselia, Petal Dance! Masquerain, Ice Beam!" Drew commanded.
Roselia unleashed a flurry of pink petals at Pikachu and Aipom. Masquerain fired a cold, icy ray in the path of the Petal Dance attack. The petals flew through the Ice Beam and came out as small, icy daggers flying in Pikachu and Aipom's direction.
"Pikachu! Aipom!" Ash called.
But by then, the combination attack had already connected. The frozen petals cut against Pikachu and Aipom.
"Pikachu, get ready! Aipom, send Pikachu flying!" Ash ordered.
Aipom grabbed a tree branch in her small paws, swung completely around and was about to knock Pikachu in the direction of Masquerain.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash called.
Aipom smacked Pikachu into the air and a blazing trail was behind him as Pikachu flew towards Masquerain.
"Roselia, shoot Pikachu down with Magical Leaf!" Drew called.
"Aipom, counter Magical Leaf with Swift!" Ash shouted.
Roselia launched his glowing leaves at Pikachu, but they were cut off from their target with Aipom's stars blocked them, causing a midair explosion.
"I learned that one by watching May battle!" Ash cheered. Images of how his Flygon was defeated by May's Squirtle in the Kanto Grand Festival returned to Drew's mind.
"Masquerain, dodge it!" Drew called to him, gritting his teeth.
Masquerain flew laterally to dodge Pikachu's Quick Attack. Just when Pikachu and Masquerain were side by side, Pikachu shot a smile at Masquerain.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.
Pikachu's tail began to glow. Masquerain's eyes widened. Pikachu slammed his tail into Masquerain, knocking toward the ground.
"Masquerain!" Drew cried.
"Pikachu, wrap this one up with Thunder!" Ash shouted triumphantly.
"Pikaachuu!" Pikachu shot an immense lightning bolt from himself to Masquerain. Masquerain shrilled in pain as both he and Pikachu came plummeting to the ground.
"If you remember my match with May, then you must remember what happened next! Roselia, take Pikachu out with a Solar Beam before he can get away!"
"Roooose…" the small green Pokémon raised his roses into the air and absorbed the sunlight.
"Pikachu, try to get out of there," Ash called to him.
"Pika!" Pikachu flailed wildly to try to get out of the way, but other than turning in the air, he couldn't do anything.
"ROSE!" Roselia aimed his roses at Pikachu and unleashed a powerful beam of concentrated sunlight.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried as the beam approached his friend.
A loud, popping noise was heard, then the beam came into contact with its target and created a huge explosion. Both sides of the battle waited for the smoke to clear.
There's the end of chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed it. I always thought Drew and Gary were similar characters (You know, rivals to main characters, insulting along their journey), so I thought it would be interesting for Ash to compare his rivalry with Gary to May's rivalry with Drew. And maybe channel some untapped ragefrom Gary to Drew as part of the motivation to battle him. As for, Team Rocket, we are quite literally about 6 lines before they appear, so they'll be in chapter 4.
What did you think of the Gary angle I was trying to play up? Did you enjoy the battle so far? Who do you hope will win? Reviews/Questions/Comments appricated!