Here's my first chapter from college. Band camp is fun!
I borrowed some Ideas from AG186 (May VS Drew! Rivals Forever), so I figured this would be a good time for me to say again, that I don't own Pokémon, or all of the characters, places, etc. Copyright to all of those to their respective holders.
Anyway, enjoy!
The group packed up their items, but had to wait for Corphish to get better before training could resume. Ash placed the tired-but-fed Pokémon back into his ball for resting. Drew thought he could help May practice by giving her a practice battle. Ash and Cyndi sat in the grass on the sidelines with Pikachu sitting in Cyndi's lap. The two coordinators faced off against each other in the clearing.
"Squirtle, take the stage!" May spun and tossed her Pokéball into the air. The ball snapped open, and a spinning shell spun in the air. The head, arms, legs, and tail of Squirtle popped down, the Pokémon landing on his feet.
"Butterfree, go!" Drew shouted, tossing the ball into the air. The Pokémon appeared, but it was one May didn't know Drew had. Her body was in two segments. The top featured her large, red segmented eyes and antennae. The lower and larger portion of her blue body housed her small claws and long feet. Her black and white wings featured a beautiful pattern.
"Free!" the newly reveled Pokémon chirped.
"Oh, I didn't know you had a Butterfree, Drew!" May smiled at him, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the yellow Pokédex that Professor Oak had given her. She opened it and pointed it at the Pokémon. It whirred for a moment, then clicked.
A picture of Butterfree appeared on the screen, and the recording of data on Butterfree began. "Butterfree," said the Pokédex, "the Butterfly Pokémon. It has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can seek, extract, and carry honey from flowers blooming over six miles away."
"That reminds me of your Butterfree, Ash," Cyndi commented.
"How did you know I used to have a Butterfree?" Ash asked her.
"Misty told the kids at the Gym one day. She's told a lot of stories about you. She told us about the time Butterfree helped fight against a Tentacruel that was attacking Porta Vista in the story of how she got Horsea."
Ash thought about this for a moment. Misty had sung his praises in the past. There's gotta be a way we can get Misty to see that Harley's lying. It's too late to tell her the truth. The battle's already scheduled, so we're gonna have to fight, anyway. I hope I can snap her out of it, Ash thought to himself. He knew he had to wait for Corphish's strength to come back before he could continue, so he decided to watch May and Drew battle so he could pick up some tips.
"Squirtle, use Bubble!" May ordered. Her small Squirtle took in a breath, and then blew a flurry of bubbles in Butterfree's direction.
"Butterfree, Gust!" Drew commanded. Butterfree flapped her wings rapidly, blowing the bubbles away from the battlefield.
May grunted at her failed assult. 'Squirtle, come in close with Rapid Spin!" she told her Water-Type. Squirtle pulled his body into his shell, and began to spin through the air at Butterfree.
Butterfree lurched skyward, causing Squirtle to miss. "Butterfree," Drew commanded, "Psychic attack!"
Butterfree began to glow bright blue, her eyes emitting the most light. Squirtle's shell also took the glow. Butterfree mentally began spinning Squirtle backwards and forced him onto the ground in front of May. The spinning shell dug a small hole in the ground. When Squirtle came out, he looked slightly dazed. The Tinyturtle Pokémon shook it off quickly and awaited May's next command.
"Squirtle, try Ice Beam!" May commanded. Squirtle opened his mouth and began forming a bright, glowing blue ball in front of it. He fired the arcing beam of cold energy at the Butterfly Pokémon overhead.
"Butterfree, Protect!" Drew ordered. The Pokémon created a green force field around herself. The Ice Beam was absorbed by the field, causing Butterfree no damage at all.
"C'mon, Drew! Take me seriously!" May protested.
Drew looked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"You haven't launched an attack at me the entire battle except for that Psychic defense," May pointed out. "All you've been using are defensive techniques!"
"And what's wrong with that?" Drew asked her skeptically.
"If you want me to respect you, then take my battle seriously!" May shouted.
Drew's expression turned stern. "Alright, then I'll have to expose the flaws in your battle style."
"The flaws in my battle style?" May asked.
Squirtle glared at Butterfree, who remained enigmatic. Butterfree began to charge at Squirtle at high speed.
"Squirtle, use Bubble!" May commanded. Squirtle once again launced the bubbles at Butterfree. The bubbles began to glow blue before they hit Butterfree. They stopped in mid air and began to form a circle around Butterfree, who was also glowing with the blue color.
"I said take me seriously, not keep playing with me!" May shouted in anger.
"I'm teaching you a lesson, May," Drew's face remained stern.
"You know what, then? I'll have to teach you one, then!" May shouted. "Squirtle, Ice Beam!"
Squirtle's Ice Beam was shot at Drew's Pokémon, but the bubbles Butterfree held with her mind intercepted as Butterfree flew sideways. The bubbles froze into orbs of ice, still held by the Bug-and-Flying type.
"Now, Butterfree!" Drew ordered. At her master's insistence, Butterfree tossed the frozen Bubbles in Squirtle's direction. Some shattered around him, startling the young Pokémon. But most hit their mark, injuring Squirtle and landing him on his back. "Finish this with Psybeam!" Drew ordered. From Butterfree's antennae shot a beam of concentrated psychic energy. The beam crashed into the Water-Type, sending him backwards to lay unconscious at May's feet.
May picked up Squirtle and looked up at Drew in disbelief. "But how-"
"You fight too much like Ash does," Drew told her. "All offense and little defense. Contests require defense. Without that, you'll never beat Misty or Harley." He recalled Butterfree and started to walk back to Cerulean. "You both have that problem," he told them while walking away. "Ash fights with a trainer mindset, and May's been learning from a poor source for coordinator strategies." He turned to them once again. "I wish you both good luck in your battle with Harley and Misty, but from what I can tell, your victory seems unlikely at best." He once again walked off, this time leaving the group entirely.
Ash thought inwardly. Is that true? I have been training May since she started. Can I help that my battling style is what she picked up? I'm a trainer, not a coordinator. Is it really, then, my fault for being a trainer, that May lost the Kanto Grand Festival? Because I spent so much time trying to prepare her, only to prepare her improperly? Have I been the one misleading May, all this time, without knowing? Ash's eyes began to swell with tears, but he forced them back. I can't believe it. I'm so stupid. It's all my fault. If I had known better… If May was with a coordinator… if she was with Drew, then maybe… just maybe she wouldn't have lost…
That's true, May thought, I have been hanging on Ash's word when it comes to training. I even battle like him. Was that really my downfall when I battled Saori in the Grand Festival? She saw Ash stand up and run into the forest. She thought she could see something shimmering slide down one of his cheeks. Oh, no. Ash blames himself for this. The poor guy's taking this realization pretty hard. I better go talk to him. "We better go talk to him," she said to Cyndi and a depressed looking Pikachu. They nodded in agreement and chased the boy into the woods.
Ash stood next to a tree, punching it harshly, crying. I'm such a loser. I failed May. I failed her. I failed my pupil. I failed my friend. I failed the girl who looked up to me, learning from me. I failed her father. I told him that I would take care of her and make her into a great trainer. Some promise that turned out to be. I completely screwed her up. Because of me, she might never reach her dream of being a top coordinator. I've only been slowing her down. I'm a reject, just like Gary knew I was back then.
"Ash?" a sweet voice called to him. The boy looked up, his eyes red from the tears to see her in that green bandana he bought her. That smiling face belonging to that sweet, innocent girl. The girl he loved. The girl he failed.
"What do you want?" Ash choked out, sounding more forceful than he meant to.
"We came to see what was wrong with you…" she walked up to him from behind. Pikachu walked up and placed his hand on Ash's leg.
"What's wrong with me is that I've been teaching you how to be a trainer, instead of a coordinator," he cried. "What's wrong is that you've adopted a battle style not meant for Contests because of me training you, and I've caused you to lose." Closed his eyes and shouted at them. "What's wrong with me is that I've caused you so much harm, caused you to lose an opportunity to become a great coordinator, all without knowing it, because I'm so stupid!" He fell backwards and sat leaning up against the tree, crying. Pikachu leapt into his lap, trying to comfort the depressed young man.
May looked at the boy solemnly. He certainly had a lot of pride in my successes. He has been there for me even in the beginning, so I guess it's natural that he felt proud of me when I got so far in my contests. He was glad to know that he had made a positive difference, and could see it at work in my life. Now that's been stripped of him, replaced with the knowledge that his help has become my downfall.
"Ash, get up!" Cyndi had begun to burst into tears. "You don't cry! You're too tough for that!" Obviously, Cyndi seeing her hero crumpled over in a heap, crying had upset her. "Get up! Show me that fighter's spirit that I see when you battle!" Her eyes filled with tears, and she collapsed against his leg. "Get up," she cried, gently hitting him in the leg. She had finally given in to the crying and just began to weep.
May knew what she had to do. "Pikachu," she told him, "lead Cyndi back to her house, and take Corphish and Squirtle's Pokéballs with you. They'll need the rest." Pikachu stood up and looked May in the eyes. His eyes were also tearing up, but he saw in May an inner strength he had originally thought only his trainer had. Her eyes watered, but she didn't cry. Not this time. Pikachu nodded and grabbed Corphish's Pokéball from Ash's belt. May placed Squirtle's in Cyndi's hand and Pikachu led her out of the forest.
May sat down next to the boy, and began to rub his back with one of her hands, trying to soothe the distraught trainer. "I'm sorry May," Ash whimpered. "I'm sorry I failed you."
May smiled at him. "I don't think you failed me, Ash," she said to him, "as a matter of fact, I'm glad you have been there to guide me. Not that long ago, I was a new trainer. I needed help from an experienced trainer like you. I didn't even really like Pokémon, what with Dad's Gym Battles keeping him away all the time. But you showed me a different side. The bond between you and Pikachu showed me that Pokémon aren't bad. It's what you make of them. Your love for Pikachu is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. You'd do anything for your friends, not just Pikachu, or me. You might not be able to put it into words, but I'm sure you love all of us. Max, Brock, me, all of the Pokémon, all of us. You are the best friend any of us could have ever wished for. And I-"
"Ash, you have to believe in yourself," a familiar voice came from behind them.
"You're not gonna give up, are you Ash?" a younger voice spoke up. Both Ash and May looked up to see their friends standing above them.
"Brock! Max!" May shouted, smiling. She took her brother into her arms and clutched him tightly. "I've missed you so much, Max." She smelled her brother's hair, and immediately pushed him back. "Phew, Max, have you taken a bath since we got separated?"
"Hey!" Max argued, "I wanted to save time so we could get here sooner. I used the PokéNav to find some shortcuts, and we saved time by cutting other stuff out of the schedule."
"Don't worry," Brock reassured them, "I've been bathing. I just did it when Max was eating. I've been eating on the go." The older trainer turned to Ash. "We heard what May said about you, Ash. And I agree. I've never met someone like you, and from what I can tell from our travels, there is no one else like you. You're an inspiration to everyone you meet, the way you care for your friends and Pokémon. You've helped May in ways that no one else could ever teach her. You've taught her that winning isn't what is most important, it's the respect you have for your opponents and your Pokémon. It truly is about love."
"Thank you, May," Ash said, looking up to them, "Thank you, Brock. I needed that." He rubbed his eyes dry and stood up.
"But what was wrong, Ash?" Max asked him. "We didn't hear what happened in the first place."
"Drew got him upset," May told them before Ash could talk. "He said that I battle too much like Ash to win in contests, and he blames himself for my loss at the Grand Festival." She turned to Ash. "But it's okay that I lost. It shows that I have room for improvement. We'll just have to try harder next time, right?" she smiled at him.
Ash's confidence was being built back up. "Yeah, you're right," he nodded. "Let's go check up on Squirtle and Corphish." May nodded and the two trainers turned and began to walk away.
"Hold on a second!" Brock grabbed both of them by the shoulder. "What happened to Squirtle and Corphish?"
"They're alright," May laughed, "just a little battle weary."
"Are they at the Pokémon Center?" Max asked them. Ash and May remembered the smear campaign Harley was running in Cerulean.
"Umm, why not come with us?" Ash smiled uneasily. May also placed a counterfeit smile on her face.
"Alright, what's up?" Brock asked the suspicious pair.
"We'll explain on the way," Ash sighed.
The quartet sat in the living room portion of Cyndi's house. Brock thanked Raine for the tea and sipped on it, thinking.
"So Misty's gonna battle you both in a Contest?" Brock asked them, trying to wrap his mind around the story.
"Yeah," Ash explained, "Harley put her up to it. She thinks May's been doing bad stuff to me, and wouldn't give us a chance to explain our story. We've got no choice but to try to reach her during the battle."
"Yeah," Max interrupted, "but remember what Drew told you. You're going to have to change your fighting style if you wanna win."
Brock nodded. "I bet Harley's training Misty right now," he told them. "Granted, Harley's not the greatest teacher, but Misty could easily adapt those strategies to her battle style, an become a force to be reckoned with."
"But who's gonna help us, Brock?" May asked. "Drew thinks that we're a lost cause, and we don't know of any other coordinators nearby."
"That's not true," Raine interrupted. "I used to be a Pokémon Coordinator before I got married. I don't have any Pokémon anymore, though, so I could only offer advice, not help you practice battle."
"What happened to your Pokémon?" May asked.
"It was a long time ago…" Raine reminisced. "I was on my way to Cerulean after competing in a Pokémon Contest when I saw a younger boy trying his hardest to capture a Pokémon."
The red-haired boy cried at the side of the road, an empty Pokéball sitting in front of him.
"What's wrong?" a much younger Raine asked him. Her hair was flowing down to the middle of her back, and she didn't wear glasses. She still wore a rather plan looking dress, however.
"I can't get a Pokémon to become my partner," the boy sniffed. "My cousin said that I wouldn't amount to anything, and I need to catch a Pokémon to prove her wrong."
"What's your name?" Raine asked the younger boy.
He stood up and looked at her, his blue eyes filled with tears. "My name's Joe and I'm working to become a Pokémon doctor."
"My name's Raine," the young woman responded, "and I've been trying to become a coordinator. Here's my partner." She pulled a Pokéball from her waist and opened it. A young Steel-and-Flying type Pokémon appeared.
"Skyaa!" Raine's Skarmory called.
"Oh, cool! With Skarmoy and your help, I'm sure to get a Pokémon!" the boy cheered.
"But regardless of how many times we tried, we still couldn't catch a single Pokémon. I took a closer look at his Pokéball, and found the problem."
"Here it is!" Raine pointed out, "There's a missing panel in here. The Pokémon can't be properly contained, so the ball just lets 'em out."
Joe started to cry again. "I knew my cousin would try to sabotage me like this! Now I'll never get a Pokémon."
"Calm down," Raine patted him on the back. "We'll go together, and we'll both use my Skarmory, okay?"
"Really?" the boy sniffed, looking up into her grey eyes.
"So we traveled to the Pokémon Doctor's school, and I stayed in that town with him while he took the classes and everything. I started to fall in love with him. He used Skarmory in the school when the entire majority of the other entrants used Chansey. He trained Skarmory to be gentler with her talons, and even she started to share his dream of becoming a Pokémon doctor. Before I knew it, four years had passed in that town, and graduation day was soon approaching.
"Raine," an older Joe stood before an older Raine. He had grown to be quite tall and handsome. His blue eyes looked sharply into her grey eys. She felt captivated at that moment. "I want to thank you so much for everything you've done." He handed held out a gold pocket watch to her. "I want you to have this," he told her. He also pulled out Skarmory's Pokéball. "You can also take Skarmory with you. She's been a great help."
"Why?" a surprised Raine asked him. She felt sadness in her heart. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, but I've been delaying you here for four years. The school will give me a Pokémon to use in a Center as soon as I find an assignment. I wanted to repay you for your kindness by giving you my grandfather's pocket watch."
"You keep it," she said, blushing and pushing his hand back. "I haven't minded staying here all this time. You've done an excellent job taking care of Skarmory. And besides," she started to blush, "I think I love you." She looked up at him to see him blushing. "Oh, no. Now I've gone and ruined our friendship!" she worried, shaking her head back and forth.
She felt the strong arms of Doctor Joseph around her. "It's alright. I love you, too." Raine wrapped her arms around him, and they embraced there together.
"Isn't that sweet?" a teenage Nurse Joy wearing a tank top and tight denim shorts walked up to the couple.
"Who's that?" Raine looked up and asked.
Joseph sighed and turned to face Joy. "That's my cousin."
"I can't believe you're going to try to run a Pokémon Center with a Skarmory!" Joy snorted.
"Skarmory and I will become the greatest Pokémon Center running team in the world! You'll see!" he proclaimed.
Joy laughed and walked off, while Raine placed her hands on Joseph's shoulders and massaged them. "It's alright. I know you're the better person." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"In a few years, we were married, and a few after that, Cyndi was born," Raine continued. "With young Cyndi in our care, we had to make a decision. One that carried quite a bit of weight, since my grandmother had passed away shortly after Cyndi was born. I decided that I would take over her clothing store, while he and Skarmory lived in the Center. Cyndi needed to be close enough to a city to go to school, and the closest was Cerulean. Everything just worked into place. God works like that sometimes."
"Cyndi!" Ash jumped up. "She still has our Pokémon! Where did she go?"
"She came and told me that you two would be a bit late, but she was going to see her Aunt Joy at the Pokémon Center," Raine told them.
The reality of the situation had struck. "Oh, no," she gasped.
The borrowed idea, incase you didn't know, is the fact that May battles too much like Ash. They'll both have to fix that if they're gonna beat Misty and Harley.
How many of you thought that Cyndi was Joseph's daughter? How many of you remember who Joseph is? You didn't think I was gonna introduce a new character without expanding on their life, did you?
I'd also like to take this moment to thank all of the reviewers who've been keeping up with this story. It makes it a lot easier to write when you know that people believe in you. You guys are the best.
And I ended on a cliffhanger, again. What's Joy gonna do to Cyndi? Are Corphish, Squirtle, and Pikachu in danger? I guess you'll all have to wait to see.
Please keep sending your reviews/questions/comments to me, okay? Thanks.
Finally, I also noted that May cries a lot in this story. I guess she's just feeling emotional or something. I dunno. See you all next time!