Here it is. After weeks of training, stalling, and college work, I finally get you the battle I promised back in August. I hope you all enjoy it.
"And now," Daisy announced, "let me announce the rules! Each trainer will use only one Water-Type Pokémon. The winner will be decided when both of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, or should the battle last longer than the five minute time limit, the battle will be decided by who has the most points remaining." She glanced side to side at the trainers. "Are the trainers ready?"
"I'll give you one more chance to give in, May," Misty smiled from across the pool at them. "All you have to do is tell the truth, and we can still call the battle off." Surprise flashed over Harley's face.
May looked to Ash, her eyes uneasy. "I… I've not really wanted to do this battle, Ash," she admitted to him only. "A few days ago, I really considered following Misty's lie."
"May…" Ash sighed into her eyes.
"But that's the past! I know that as long as you're by my side, Ash, I'll be able to do anything! And I know that I can't hate Misty for thinking the way she does. All hate does is drive people away. So the only way to solve this is by winning this battle!" May had the look of the wild girl in her eyes. She was ready to fight her heart out for her friends. For her reputation. For him.
Ash smiled and nodded. "That's the high-flying spirit of May that I've come to expect from you. Now let's give this battle everything we've got!" He turned to the opposition. "Sorry, Misty, but you're gonna have to beat us to make us admit to your lie!"
Misty sighed and gave a chuckle. "Always doing things the hard way, huh, Ash? I'll fix you good!"
Harley stepped up next to her. "And with me as her partner, we can't lose. You're going to be brought to justice!"
"You may have your false justice, Harley," May grinned back at him, "but we've got something greater. We've got truth."
Daisy glanced to both sides, grinning excitedly. "Alright, then let's get this party started! Trainers, reveal your Pokémon!"
"Corphish, I choose you!" Ash shouted, tossing his Pokéball into the air.
"Squirtle, take the stage!" May tossed her Pokéball as well.
"Take this at your own pace, Octillery!" Harley kissed his Pokéball before sending it flying.
"Gyarados, go!" Misty tossed hers in.
From their side, May saw her and Ash's familiar Pokémon make their stylish entrances. Squirtle spun in his shell, popping each limb out one by one, ending with his head. Corphish preformed his somersault, landing gracefully. She saw Harley's Pokéball open up, and the red octopus Pokémon spun out and landed on a platform. He stared back at his foes rather vacantly. From Misty's Pokéball, however, came what May feared the most. The large, blue sea serpent Pokémon splashed into the water, and then leapt out again, causing a huge splash in the pool that shook the floating platforms that Corphish, Octillery, and Squirtle stood upon. He roared at May, causing her to cringe.
"Don't be afraid, May," Ash called to her, leaping to the platform behind Corphish. "If you're afraid, then Squirtle will be, too."
"Alright, I can be brave!" May forced herself. She jumped to the platform Ash stood upon as well, ready to battle.
"Good Luck, Ash!" Delia shouted to her son. "I'm rooting for you. Don't let Mommy down!"
"We're all rooting for you," Brock added.
"Show Misty what the Battle Frontier is all about!" Cyndi shouted to her idol. Ash smiled back at his friends and gave them a thumbs-up.
"Don't be intimidated by Misty's Pokémon," Norman called to his daughter. "Size means nothing in a battle."
"Knock 'em on their butts, sis!" Max shouted.
May smiled at her family, but then caught the sight of the green-haired boy sitting among them.
"You can beat these chumps, May!" Drew shouted. "I believe in you!"
"C'mon, twoip team!" Meowth stood, facing Ash and May's supporters, "let's get a cheer going!"
"Drew?" May asked, turned to see the boy in the stands, cheering for her. She completely tuned out Meowth's comment. In the pit of her stomach, she felt a sick feeling rising. She felt her fear coming back. May began to shiver at the sight of the coordinator.
"May…" Ash said, taking her by the hand.
"I'll be fine, Ash," May smiled at him. She turned her gaze at to Drew and continued speaking to Ash. "I just have to speak with him once this is all over."
"Alright. I understand," Ash smiled at her. "Now let's get this battle started!"
"Alright, timer ready!" Daisy announced as the screen that had unrolled previously lit up with the display. A picture of Ash with a yellow points meter was positioned over an outdated picture of May, also with her own points meter. On the left side of the screen, Misty and Harley's pictures were set up similarly, with their own points meters as well.
"Let's get busy!" Daisy shouted, signaling the beginning of the battle.
"Octillery, Fire Blast!" Harley ordered.
"Gyarados, Flamethrower!" Misty followed up.
The fiery kanji symbol that Octillery blasted from his mouth was pushed ahead and expanded by the flamethrower from Gyarados.
"Corphish, nullify it with Bubblebeam!" Ash commanded.
"Help out Corphish with Water Gun!" May told her Squirtle.
Corphish unleashed a dazzling array of bubbles from his claws toward the incoming inferno. Squirtle leapt behind him and used his Water Gun to push the bubbles ahead at a higher velocity.
Both combination attacks struck each other in the middle of the pool. Ash looked through the haze created by the combination of fire and water, and saw that everyone's points had taken a small hit.
Misty peered though the haze, searching for her opponents. After it cleared, Misty saw Ash and May, but their Pokémon were nowhere to be seen.
"Corphish, Vicegrip!" Ash shouted, taking Harley by surprise. The ruffian Pokémon jumped from the water to Octillery, closing his claw around his snout.
"Octillery, shake that thing off with Sludge Bomb!" Harley commanded his Water-Type. Octillery attempted to fire, but the pressure made by the Sludge Bomb wasn't enough to shake Corphish. On the screen, Harley's points decreased slightly.
"Gyarados, use Headbutt to knock Corphish off of Octillery!" Misty ordered her aptly classified Atrocious Pokémon. Gyarados charged towards Corphish as the crustacean turned to see his attacker.
"Corphish, fling Octillery at Gyarados!" Ash ordered. Obeying his command, Corphish attempted to lift Octillery off the ground, but found that the Pokémon was somehow stuck to the ground.
Harley shook his finger at Ash. "That's not gonna work, Ashy. Octillery's suction cups make him stick to the ground. Your Corphish can't pull him up." Ash grunted as he saw his points decrease.
Seeing Gyarados rushing toward Corphish, May leapt into action. "Squirtle," she ordered, "use Ice Beam to make a wall to stop Gyarados!"
Squirtle rose to the surface and fired an Ice Beam at the water in front of Gyarados. As he raised the beam up slowly, an ice barrier formed in front of the Water-and-Flying Type. Misty only smirked as Gyarados charged through the ice, smashing it effortlessly.
"No way," May said to herself, watching her points decrease slightly.
Gyarados smashed his head into Corphish, causing him to lose his grip and get knocked into the water. Ash's points decreased by about one-fourth as his Pokémon fell in.
"Corphish, get back up and use Bubblebeam!" Ash called to him.
Corphish poked his head out of the water again and fired a Bubblebeam at Gyarados. Too large to escape properly, Gyarados took the attack at close range. Misty's points dropped.
"Octillery, constrict Corphish!" Harley ordered his Pokémon. The Jet Pokémon leapt onto Corphish, squeezing him tightly with his tentacles.
"Corphish, beat him off with Crabhammer!" Ash told his Water-Type.
His claws glowing sky-blue, he began to harshly pound against the Pokémon attached to his face. Octillery cried out as he released Ash's Corphish, causing Harley's points to drop. The octopus dropped into the pool, sinking beneath the waters.
Ash was ready to take this opportunity. "Corphish, chase it! Don't let Octillery escape!" His water-type agreed, and dove to chase him.
"Gyarados, use Hyper Beam on Squirtle!" Misty called, hoping to catch the coordinator off guard.
"Squirtle, Withdraw, quick!" May called. The beam fired from Gyarados' mouth and smashed into her small Pokémon. Squirtle's shell flipped through the air away from the large splash caused by the energy smashing into the water. Misty and May's points both fell slightly. The shell fell into the water without moving, due to the tiny turtle Pokémon's fear.
"Octillery!" Harley shouted. At his trainer's call, Octillery sprung to life and leapt out of the water, zipping quickly past the surprised Corphish.
"Gyarados, Whirlpool!" Misty ordered. At that command, Gyarados dove under the waves and began circling Corphish and Squirtle at a high speed, creating a current to snare them.
"Squirtle, swim away!" May called to her Pokémon. But the small Water-type was too afraid to get out.
"This is bad," Brock sat up. "Ash and May are losing points for every second that Squirtle and Corphish are stuck underwater. If they don't act fast, they could lose the match!"
"C'mon, Ash!" Max called.
"Do something, May!" Cyndi chimed in.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu called from Delia's lap.
Ash called to Corphish. "Grab Squirtle and try to get to the surface!"
Corphish nodded, although it was under the same stress as the withdrawn Pokémon. He swam with the current to speed himself to Squirtle. Corphish stretched out his claw as far as he could, but he kept missing the shell as it also spun in the whirlpool created by Gyarados. Pushing with just a bit more effort, Corphish was able to grab Squirtle in his right pincer. The ruffian Pokémon began his journey to the surface.
"Great job, Corphish," Ash commended his Water-Type, striking a pose. Just then, a wave created by Gyarados' whirlpool shot at the platform that Ash and May were standing on. The wave shook the platform vigorously. The coordinator was able to keep her balance, but Ash, who was in his victory pose, was knocked off and fell into the rapid waters of the Whirlpool.
"Ash!" May and Misty shouted.
"Cut out the whirlpool, Misty!" May ordered the Gym Leader. She turned to the judges. "Pause the clock!" She then turned to the water and leapt into the whirlpool.
"Gyarados, turn around and nullify the whirlpool!" Misty shouted. Her Pokémon obeyed her command and began to break the current he created.
The current dissolving around her, May swam as quickly as she could to the trainer as he sunk into the pool. She eyed Corphish and Squirtle as they rose to the surface, not aware of Ash's tumble. She approached the trainer and found him out of breath. She grabbed his arm and began to pull him up, hoping that she could get him to the surface fast enough before any permanent damage was done.
Harley watched and sneered. This is my opportunity, he decided. He snapped his fingers to Octillery, who immediately turned his head down to aim at May. A few moments of energy building later, and he fired a powerful beam of energy at the girl below. May saw it coming only too late and in an attempt to spare Ash any further harm, turned her back to the beam. The beam struck her in the back, causing her to shout into the water in pain. Her air leaving her lungs, she dropped Ash and began to black out under the water.
On the surface, the crowd was becoming privy to Harley's actions. A loud chorus of boos began to flood the arena, aimed at the him. Misty's gaze was fixed on him, her expression a mixture of surprised and appalled.
"What the Hell did you just do!" Misty shouted at him, grabbing him by the collar. "Why did Octillery attack them?" Her eyes began to water, but the Gym Leader felt only rage, not sadness.
"I-It's not my fault!" Harley pleaded fearfully. "Octillery must have gotten confused." He tried to laugh it off. "One too many conks on the noggin from Crabhammer."
Misty growled and tossed Harley to the ground. She turned and leapt into the water.
"I think the judges should do something about this!" Joseph's voice rang out. The doctor looked to his colleges. Delia had fainted, and Caroline was doing her best to calm an enraged Norman. Max placed his arm around a frightened Cyndi. The girl was afraid that her idol's life may have been taken in the blast. Brock sat grimacing, while the Rocket Trio all looked nervously at the pool. Everyone was so preoccupied that none of them noticed when two additional splashes were made in the pool.
Determined to make things right after he had betrayed her trust, Drew swam toward where May and Ash had fallen. Glancing over, he saw that Pikachu had followed him. Neither curious nor suspicious of the Pokémon's intentions, Drew nodded to him, leading the way to where their friends lay. Once Drew had arrived, he had a choice to make. He decided that he would try to take Ash to the surface, and directed Pikachu to May. He pulled on the trainer's arm and began to bring him to the surface. He glanced back and saw that Pikachu was having trouble pushing May to the surface. Cursing his luck, Drew almost turned back to try and bring all three of them to the surface until he saw Misty herself swim down and grab May by the shoulders. He smiled to the Gym Leader as they both pulled them to the surface.
Drew pulled Ash onto the side of the pool and looked around for paramedics, first aid, anyone that could help him. Knowing that the youth who held May's heart depended upon him to survive, Drew pressed his open lips against Ash's and began to breath into his lungs. Coming back up for a breath, he pressed his hands against Ash's lungs forcefully.
"Out with the bad air, in with the good," Drew told himself.
Misty had already stretched May out and began to resuscitate her with Pikachu assisting her by pressing against May's chest. "C'mon," Misty cried to herself. "I may have wanted you gone, but not like this."
Harley stood dumbfounded as the boos and the insults continued to be hurled at him. What are Drew and Misty doing? he pondered to himself in disbelief. Why are they trying to save the lives of the people that took so much from them?
Delia ran down the bleachers to her fallen son. "No," she whispered to herself. "No, don't take him…" She kneeled by Drew and gave him help by breathing into her son's mouth to revive him.
May began to cough up the pool water into Misty's mouth. The Gym Leader gave a sigh of relief, spitting the water into the pool as May opened her eyes.
"Pikapika!" Pikachu nuzzled against her chest.
May sat up and saw the person who saved her. After coughing and breathing for a moment, she said, "Thank you, Misty."
Misty smiled. "I'm just glad you're alright." She extended her hand and helped the Coordinator to her feet. May stood, holding Pikachu in her arms. "You taught me an important lesson, May," Misty told her. "I know that I can't hate you for doing what you do."
"Misty," May blinked at her. May face turned to a smile. "I'm glad we can be friends again, Misty."
"Wait a second!" Harley stomped over to Misty and May. "What are you talking about, 'You're glad she's alright?' Don't you remember the things she did to Ash?"
Misty calmly looked into May's eyes. "Ash still needs help."
May blushed in surprise. "Oh, no! Ash!" May turned around and dashed to where her rival and Delia stood over him.
Misty turned to Harley. "I can't hate her, Harley," she confided in him. "If I hate her, then I'll start to hate her family, and her friends. I'll eventually hate Ash, the one I wanted to protect in the first place."
"We just need to beat them, and then May will have to depart from Ash out of shame!" Harley reminded her.
"I guarantee you, after all of this is over, even with the smear campaign, and regardless of how the battle goes, if Ash and May want to be together, they will be." The words of Brock echoed in Misty's mind. "And they will both still want to be your friend, regardless of the mean things you may do right now."
"C'mon!" Harley shook her back into reality. "We need to win this?"
"Harley," Misty stopped him, "why do you want to win so badly?"
"What?" Harley raised his eyebrow. "Why do I want to win?"
"Yes," Misty responded. "Why?"
"May needs to be put in her place," he responded furiously. "After all the cruel things she's done, she deserves humiliation and suffering!"
Misty reflected on this. But if May was telling me the truth, then does that mean Harley is lying? No. No, I can't turn on my judgments. I have to stick with my decision. Even if it is wrong. "You're right, I'm sorry, Harley," Misty sighed. "I can't let my compassion get in the way of my justice."
"Ash, please…" May pressed her hands against his chest. "Please don't… Not after you saved me before…"
Delia looked up. "What do you mean, saved you before?"
Her eyes tearing up, May let the story spill. "When we were falling from one of Team Rocket's mechas, Ash used Swellow to slow down our fall and guide us to a lake in the forest. He… he got hurt because of it," the coordinator sniffled.
"Hurt?" Delia's eyes widened. "How did he get hurt?"
"Swellow's talons cut through his shirt and his shoulders," May sobbed. She lowered her mouth to his and breathed into his mouth, trying to resuscitate him. She came up and continued to press against his chest. "He never told anyone except Brock because he was worried what people would think about a trainer getting hurt by his own Pokémon."
May heard coughing come from the boy as she pressed his chest. Ash slowly opened his eyes to see his mother and May looking down at him.
"What happened?" Ash asked, sitting up. "I remember cheering Corphish on, but then I-" he was cut off by May throwing her arms around him.
"Th-thank goodness you're alright," she cried into his chest.
"I don't understand," Ash said to her. "Why are you crying? What happened?"
His mother stood up. "You almost drowned, son!" she chastised him. She then melted back into her maternal love. "But I'm glad you're safe.
Drew had stepped back as soon as May arrived at Ash's side. He watched her worry about him. He watched her cry. He saw her relief when she learned he was okay. He smiled. I may have lost my chance with May, but as long as she's happy with Ash, I can live with that. he declared to himself. He stepped past her and back into the bleachers, this time next to Brock.
"So, why'd you do it?" Brock asked Drew as the coordinator sat.
"Someone had to get in there and save them," he flicked his wet hair.
"Do you think this redeems you?" Brock asked back.
Drew's expression darkened slightly. "No. I guess it doesn't. But that doesn't matter. I can regret what I did for the rest of my life, and I will, but I can't change the past. All I can do is live my life as best as I can. Besides, as the saying goes," he added, looking down to May watching her help Ash up, "you can't win 'em all."
"The trainers are okay!" Daisy announced to the crowd as Ash and May returned to their side of the pool to be greeted by a happy Squirtle and Corphish.
"Yes," Professor Oak announced over the speaker on his desk, "but there is still the matter of what happened during the incident. It is the decision of the judges that Harley's Octillery acted out of disobedience. Since such an occurrence is unprofessional in a battle, the judges have decided to deduct fifty percent of Harley's starting points from his current total."
Harley looked up at the board in fear. His points sat precariously just above the halfway mark before the draining began. He felt his chance at revenge slipping away as the meter emptied. His heart skipped a beat when his points stopped decreasing, leaving him with only a minute sliver of his original total.
The crowd on both sides cheered loudly as Raine stuck her tongue out at Joy, who quietly fumed at the development. Such a compromise was all she was able to get out of Oak or Raine. At least he still has a chance to win, she fumed.
Ash took a moment to look at the display. Harley had barely any points remaining, but Misty still had over three-fourths of hers left. In contrast, he and May both had about half of their points remaining, with the Coordinator having a bit above half, and Ash having less than half. The timer was stuck at 3:06, when he apparently hit the water.
"Are you ready to continue?" Daisy asked Ash's side.
All we have to do is cause Harley to lose just a few more points, and then it's over for him. With a two on one advantage, Misty shouldn't last much longer. And just as long as we can keep the point advantage, we can win this! Ash thought triumphantly. He whispered his plan to May, who smiled in agreement.
"Alright, we're ready!" May shouted back. "Let's get the battle back on!"
"Awesome!" Daisy shouted into the mike. "Now, contestants, continue the battle!"
And you all thought this would all be battle, huh? The climactic finish of the battle comes in Chapter 33, and the story will probably end in Chapter 34.
Until Friday, everyone, get Pokémon!