Note: this fight can also be viewed as a Pokémon Showdown replay here: gen1customgame-414775393.
"Body Slam, NaVorro!"
"Take down!"
Their Pokémon ran at one another, flinging themselves wildly for their masters' sakes. Ash's Tauros is faster, Ryan noticed. That's not good. Ash's bashed Ryan's back, sending NaVorro skidding into the side of the fountain. Their feet echoed off the marble floors; in the dim light, Ryan could see Ash standing on the other side of the room, calling out commands like he'd done this for at least twelve years. There was an aura about the champion, a professional confidence that Ryan knew he did not have.
Ryan's heart was racing. Now it was NaVorro's turn. He held his breath as his Bull Pokémon ran forward, flinging himself awkwardly onto the other Tauros. They both fell over, writhing in pain. Dang, I can't tell who has the edge. "NaVorro, use Blizzard!"
"Aheeaaah!" the Tauros huffed, standing.
"Fissure, Tauros!" Ash cried.
"Fissure? What's that?" Ryan muttered himself, pulling out Dexy baby, but it was too late. The ground shook; dust streamed from the sixty-foot ceiling, and the water in the fountain rippled and bubbled. NaVorro wobbled violently as the invisible energy shaking the floor climbed up his legs. Oh no. Ryan's Pokémon roared out in pain and collapsed, even as the rumbling continued on around him.
"Yes! Great job Tauros!" Ash said cheerfully. "Looks like mine's better than yours, Ryan."
How did he take out NaVorro so quickly? Ryan's Tauros hadn't appeared to be significantly injured. I can see why only 5% of the Indigo League Winners become champions… this is crazy! He also knew that Ash's Tauros was fast. That wasn't just because it had attacked before NaVorro; he'd seen it with his own eyes. I don't think any Pokémon I faced in the tournament moved that fast. That left our young protagonist only one option: "Go, Alakazam!"
"Take Down!" Ash shouted again.
"Psychic!" Ryan urged his fragile Psi Pokémon. Please be faster… you can't take a hit from this monster.
"Kazam!" Alakazam bellowed passionately, jumping forward to face his foe.
There was the charging bull, like a bully in a china shop, running down the stage towards Ryan's Psychic Pokémon. But Alakazam was faster. Ryan realized that at once. His Pokémon moved faster than Ash's Tauros. In between his hands, a purple ball of energy was growing and elongating out into a beam. The Tauros was screaming forward as fast as it could, but it didn't matter - Alakazam's attack was faster. His Psychic hit Ash's Pokémon with such ferocity that the Tauros dropped like it had suddenly lost control in its legs. Landing hard on the cold marble, the Tauros seemed to be unconscious. Ash recalled it quickly.
Ryan punched the air with glee. "Broken hearts, make it rain!"
We're even again… though, with Spectre still paralyzed… He knew his Gengar was essentially already KO'd; if that was the case, and he only had four Pokémon left to rely on, to Ash's five…
The air burst with white light as Ash's second Pokémon emerged: a hulking, sleepy Snorlax. He's got some really good Pokémon. And this is like the worst matchup for Alakazam. Ryan knew that, as any good trainer would. Snorlax was too bulky, too physically powerful. The lanky-quick Alakazam couldn't absorb any punishment from such a beast. But I know who can.
"Myrrah, it's your turn!"
"Cloyster, cloy cloy cloy!" the Cloyster replied with rambunctious spirit, as she flew from her Poké Ball.
Landing with an echoing thud, she was immediately introduced to Snorlax with a rude and quite savage Body Slam. Snorlax fell off her, breathing hard, and Cloyster looked to have sunk into a crater on the lovely marble floor, but she didn't seem to be all that damaged when she popped up a moment later, out from her hard shell.
"Cloyster!" she screamed boldly. That's my Myrrah.
"Blizzard, girl!"
"Hyper Beam!" came Ash's command.
This early in the battle? But Myrrah's not hurt all that much! Safe to say, this wasn't the anime, so when the Hyper Beam hit, Myrrah was thrown back with great force and looked to be critically damaged - but not KO'd. Snorlax was forced to recharge the errant energy throw (which was still somehow a physical attack) and Myrrah got a free turn. She's faster than his Snorlax. She'll get the next two turns to herself in that case.
The Sleeping Pokémon sat in its corner (probably ashamed of itself), recharging up its Hyper Beam. Myrrah released a bunch of icicles and other assorted cold things at Snorlax, doing a significant chunk of damage to her foe in the process. But he's still at half health or so. She can't defeat him in one more attack. And judging by her appearance, Myrrah couldn't survive another hit. That Hyper Beam did a ton of damage, even if it didn't KO her. That leaves me with only one choice.
"Hyper Beam!" Ash ordered his Pokémon.
"Myrrah, use Explosion."
"Cloy?" Myrrah asked, a little surprised. She thinks she can survive another Hyper Beam. But she's wrong. She's too beat-up.
"Listen to me, Myrrah! You have to! It's the only way! Use Explosion now!"
"Cloyster."
The Cloyster flew into the air like a Friday Farfetch'd. This time, it was she who conjured up an impressive display of white energy. Like a flaming fireball, she came to the Snorlax, landing hard on his cushiony stomach. Ryan's heart was in his throat. The Snorlax grunted in pain, and tried to stand, in order to Hyper Beam Myrrah again. That was when Myrrah exploded, causing plumes of smoke and dust to spread through the room in a wild display. And when it all settled, and chaos briefly left the world again, Ryan could see both Pokémon lying on the ground, unconscious.
Breathing hard, he wiped his palms on his shorts and drew his next Poké Ball. 4v4. I can do this.
Ryan's Poké Ball let loose his Charizard, the venerable King Aegon I, the First of his Name. The orange-scaled dragon flapped his wings and flew about impatiently as he awaited Ash's own Pokémon. Ash was smiling broadly when his Poké Ball landed and released a Charizard as well.
"Whoa…" the boy murmured in awe. His Charizard looks super powerful. "Nice Pokémon!" Ryan shouted to Ash. But I bet mine knows a few tricks yours doesn't.
"Thanks," the Indigo League Champion replied. "Your Charizard doesn't look so bad either!"
"Swords Dance!" Ryan ordered his Flame Pokémon.
"Flamethrower!" Ash told his.
Ash's Charizard went first. He's faster too. Jeez. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that Ash's Pokémon are so strong, but dang... The Fire Pokémon unleashed a torrent of burning flames onto Aegon's body. The Charizard weathered the attack decently, but he fell back crying all the same. Fire's not supposed to hurt a dragon! Ryan was confused until he remembered Charizard wasn't actually a Dragon Type (not yet, anyways).
Aegon stood up and did a little hula dance, and some magical swords appeared out of nowhere and flipped around in the air in perfect synchronization, and this was what I really call a party now. Then, the swords vanished, and that was it. And that made Aegon stronger, somehow. Pokémon can be so weird…
"Fly!" ordered Ash.
"Swords Dance!" Ryan cried desperately.
Luckily for Ryan, Ash's move sent his Pokémon flying about during the next turn, gaining speed and altitude. In the expansive, sixty-foot-tall hall, the sight of the mature Charizard chasing the winds in all his majestic glory was breathtaking to behold. He definitely is a dragon.
Aegon spun about on the floor, doing another little dance. Man that Charizard's got swagger. He was putting on a real show, trying to show off even, but Ryan didn't know why. From above, the other Charizard growled loudly, puffing flames from his nose menacingly. These two must not like each other.
Suddenly, his foe's Flame Pokémon descended from the sky with breathtaking speed, slamming into Aegon with a loud crack. Both Pokémon fell to the ground, crying out in flames of pain and surprise. Aegon stood up a moment later, shrugging off the damage. He was damaged, aye, but not done yet. He's at half health… I think. Maybe a little less.
"Swords Dance!" Ryan ordered his Pokémon again. This is the only way to beat a faster Charizard, buddy. I hope you understand.
Though he was hurt, both physically and pride-wise, Aegon nodded, did his little balla dance, and awaited his foe's next attack. He wants to attack; he wants to put that Charizard in its place. Well don't worry boy, we have a surprise cooking for that Charizard! Just be a little patient.
"Flamethrower!" Ash shouted again.
The flames licked at Aegon, as hot and overbearing as Ryan had ever seen a fire attack. His Charizard cried out in pain, but did not faint. That's it, Aegon. Perfect. "Hyper Beam, boy! Go now!"
Aegon screeched triumphantly, beating his chest in fierce battle-lust. Ash's Charizard was panting and attempting to charge up another Flamethrower. It won't be fast enough. Aegon took to the skies, flying as Ash's Pokémon once had. White energy formed around his mouth. Boosted to max power. This is going to be his best Hyper Beam ever.
"Go Aegon, go! KO that Charizard!"
Aegon roared, and turned, ducking around a marble pillar that rose to the ceiling. The other Charizard had hot flames burning around its lips, and on Ash's order, took to the skies itself, rushing up to meet Aegon with all its speed. The Pokémon charging up his Hyper Beam was ready; Ryan screamed for him to fire, and Aegon did. The Normal Type energy shot down like a burning comet in the dark sky. Ash's Pokémon had already committed to absorb whatever punishment came its way. And so it did.
An explosion of inky smoke covered the Charizard when the Hyper Beam slammed into it. Yet a moment later, groaning loudly in frustration, the beast shot out of the ashy cloudy, bruised and weary and damaged. But not KO'd. Uh oh. This is Myrrah vs. Snorlax all over again… only Aegon's a Snorlax without any more health.
Ash Charizard was grinning in determination as it flew up to Aegon and slammed into him, wrapping him up in its arms. Aegon struggled, but could not break free. Ash's Charizard held on tight as he soared up into the darkness near the ceiling of the great hall, circling about, gaining speed. Ryan's Pokémon suddenly flew down from the sky, as fast as a bullet, as if he'd been thrown, landing hard on the marble floor with a sickening crunch. The boy was forced to recall his unconscious Flame Pokémon even as Ash's landed, beat its chest, and shot bursts of flames into the air triumphantly.
I have three Pokémon left. I have to be careful now. He's got a huge advantage. The only way to get rid of that is… "Alakazam, go!"
Alakazam returned, threatening Ash's Charizard with his possible speed advantage. Do Fly attack again. Give me that free turn I need. But Ash didn't take the bait, for when Ryan immediately returned Alakazam and released Thurnax, his Dragonite, she was hit in the face with a blast of Flamethrower that did about 26% damage. Oh, thought Ryan. Well I just took a hit needlessly trying to be clever… that's not good for my chances.
His Dragonite stood magnificently in the semi-darkness of that chamber. Ash's Charizard eyed her suspiciously, probably wondering how its dragon-ness matched up against hers. It doesn't. I don't care who she's up against. My Dragonite is my strongest Pokémon, and she'll put up a good fight. And also, she was his best chance at a mini-sweep remaining.
"Agility!"
"Fly!"
The Charizard moved faster, but not for long. As it flew, so too did Ryan's Dragonite. The two dragons exploded through the gloomy upper reaches of the great hall, building up speed and power. On they glided, until Thurnax had become faster. Then, Ryan ordered her to use a Surf that somehow missed because she had become faster. As to why the attack missed, well Charizard was still performing its Fly attack, which apparently made it invulnerable until after it attacked, which is just a terrible idea and garbage game design. But that's how it went, so Charizard had a clear path to Thurnax. Though she flew about gracefully with breathtaking agility, Charizard's speed was nothing to sneeze at either. It didn't take it long to spin between a few marble columns and overtake Thurnax, hitting her hard with its wing.
They tumbled to the ground, hitting it hard, but both of the prideful beasts immediately jumped up again. Thurnax is more cream than orange; Charizard is more blood than rust. Thurnax was at at least half health still…and she was faster than Charizard now. He'd learned that after the last turn.
"Surf!"
Thurnax rode that wave (so to speak) all the way over to Charizard, gushing it in her super wet water attack. Charizard cried out, the flame on its tail shrinking to the size of a single candle. The noble warrior fell over, and Ash instantly recalled it. Okay, that's good. That was a good one to get out of the way. Now I just need to take out three more. He hoped Thurnax could survive at least one more foe on her own.
The next Pokémon Ash released was a Bulbasaur. "Saur, bulba?" Ryan asked, confused. "'Eyy brah, why you do that?!" he asked next, now shifting his tone to a more Jun-Baba-o-influenced delivery.
"Bulbasaur's one of my strongest Pokémon! He never wanted to evolve, but don't let that fool you. He's powerful!" Ash said.
He's a Grass Pokémon. Dragon Pokémon resist Grass Pokémon. And no matter how strong he is, Thurnax has to be faster.
"Wrap!"
"Razor Leaf!"
Thurnax was indeed faster, and it was her blinding-fast movement that led her over to Bulbasaur, startling it, allowing her to Wrap it up with five squeezes. Bulbasaur was getting worn down by each squeeze to a significant degree. Your Bulbasaur doesn't seem to be that strong…
Thurnax got two more squeezes in on another Wrap before flying back on Ryan's command. Now, Bulbasaur stood, breathing hard, one eye shut in pain. It was covered in dust and bruises. It's ready for a Hyper Beam. Ryan didn't know why he had such a flair for the dramatic, but if Hyper Beam was as reliable as Wrap, he'd rather go with Hyper Beam, which would result in a much more showy end to Bulbasaur's battle.
But it didn't. Thurnax got all dramatic and flew around and was preparing for the day that this would come out on DVD and people could watch it, so she was putting on a show for the audience of the future. And then she landed, fired her final beam, and missed. And then Bulbasaur flung its vines at her with the Vine Whip move and did almost no damage, because Thurnax's a true dragon.
The next Hyper Beam was clean, sterile, devoid of any spotlight status. But it hit, and Bulbasaur did not take the attack well. The Seed Pokémon collapsed and was recalled. That's it, Ryan thought. Yes! I finally have the lead. He has only two Pokémon left. I have three. I can do this.
Standing now before his Dragonite was a tall Blastoise wearing a sharp pair of black sunglasses in the dim-lit room. He's got swag, yo. For a second, Ryan paused, drew a breath, and realized that his heart was beating super fast. He felt a little lightheaded. He swallowed, trying to clear his thoughts. It's okay, just be calm. I got this.
"Wrap!"
"Hydro Pump, Blastoise!" Ash called out.
Dragonite was far faster. She wrapped herself around that Blastoise, squeezing her tail and draining the energy from him like a proper warrior goddess. She wrapped him up a lot. Each Wrap didn't do that much, but she did a lot of them: eleven squeezes on four Wraps in total, bringing Blastoise's health down significantly. Not gonna lie, there was a miss in there at some point, and Blastoise used Tackle… and it didn't do much to Dragonite. The big old Turtle Pokémon lumbered over to Thurnax and bounced off of her with a pathetic showcase that's barely worth recounting here. Anyways, Thurnax's foe had to be weak by this point, in Ryan's estimation, so he next ordered her to finish the Blastoise off with a Hyper Beam.
He thought that would do a lot of damage - probably KO the Blastoise - and it did. But it didn't KO Blastoise, so once again, Ryan was let down by his 'get hype' move of yesterbattles. Twice now, but Thurnax may survive.
Blastoise performed another Tackle, doing minimal damage yet again. Thurnax got up from that attack, brushed herself off, and looked ready to get down to business again. Unfortunately, this was not the anime, so she had to spend a turn recharging her Hyper Beam, which had drained her energy so.
Ash was determined to win. "Hydro Pump!"
The attack hit, washing over Ryan's Dragonite as she recharged. Crying out in pain, she went flying back on the rushing whitewash tides over the black marble, before crashing into the base of one of the pillars. Cracking it though she did (let's hope it's not a load-bearing pillar), Thurnax stood up afterwards, shaking the water from her skin, and looked determined to win. She already had another Hyper Beam charging up in her mouth. She's taken a lot of damage over time by attrition, I guess. Most of it came from that scary Charizard. But that Hydro Pump did do pretty good damage either way. She won't survive many more hits like that.
The next Hyper Beam didn't miss. Thurnax felled her worthy opponent and landed with tired care on the marble floor, in front of Ryan, awaiting the next challenger. His last Pokémon. Ryan's cheeks flushed. He could taste victory. Easy now. Don't get too cocky. Stay focused.
"You took out the three starters!" Ryan shouted to Thurnax, trying to keep her spirits up. "Just one more, girl!"
"Neiaahahieieieieiahahhahahaheeie ahaheihaahaheieahahh nehahaiahaaaaaheieieieiahahh!" Thurnax said in response. She sounded tired and hurt.
Ash's stood there silently, his arms folded, his head bowed. His hat was on backwards now. His Pikachu stood on his shoulder, loyal to the end. And Ash had a smirk on his face. "Do you know what the four types are that Dragon Type Pokémon resist, Ryan?"
"What?"
"The four types that Dragon Type Pokémon resist? Fire. Water. Grass. Electric. That's funny," the champion continued. "Alright, Pikachu. It's your turn now."
"Pika… chu!" the Pikachu shouted with leal care, jumping from its master to bound onto the stage.
Thurnax lorded over the small mouse like a queen to a peasant. "Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.
"Wrap!"
Pikachu came flying across Thurnax's field of view, hitting her so hard that the Dragon Pokémon fell back in pain, and was only barely able to get up after that. That Pikachu's insanely powerful. How is it faster than Thurnax? And it nearly KO'd her just now… that's unbelievable!
Thurnax's Wrap came next. She wrapped the tiny yellow rodent up in her tail and squeezed it one time, and then a second, and then a third. With every squeeze of the ensnaring Wrap, Pikachu cried out in severe pain. It has to be hurt pretty bad. One more Surf could end it… I don't want to risk the accuracy factor of Hyper Beam now.
So he yelled, "Surf!"
And Thurnax unwrapped Pikachu, throwing it to the other side of the stage. Then, she Surfed all the way over to Pikachu, dousing it in the same waters that had felled Ash's Charizard. The whole area was now drenched in water, from the Dragonite's feet to the crumpled figure of the Pikachu in the distance.
He heard Ash shout, "Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu struggled up to its knees, conjuring electrical energy in its paw. Then, it shot the bolts of lightning down the water, briefly illuminating the world in strobing yellow-and-white light. The electricity snaked about the room, racing across the water until it found Thurnax. And when all that electricity conducted by water hit the wounded Dragonite, it was all she could do to fall over unconscious with a little dignity.
Ryan stood there in awe. I thought his other Pokémon were crazy powerful… but this little Pikachu is insane. I can't believe it KO'd Thurnax. Like, how is that even possible?! Ryan took a deep breath. He had to focus. There was only one Pokémon he could send out against that electric rodent. He knew that much. If you fail, buddy, I've lost. Spectre's paralyzed. He can't hope to outduel this insane Pikachu.
"Alakazam," Alakazam said nobly as he exited his ball once again. Standing against the Pikachu, he surveyed his opponent and said, "Zam, zam. Alakazam!"
Hopefully you're faster and more powerful… "Alright buddy, give that Pikachu a Psychic!"
"Zam!"
From across the stage, Ash shouted, "Pikachu… Thunderbolt!"
To Ryan's horror, he saw that Pikachu was faster than his Alakazam. The fastest Pokémon I've ever seen. This is unreal.
"Alakazam, watch out!" Ryan yelled.
But it was no use. The floor was drenched in water. Though Alakazam tried to run about and dodge the attack, it didn't matter where he ran - the electricity of the experienced Pikachu found him along the water like a heat-seeking missile. Alakazam was thrown back into a pillar, crying out in pain. He'd lost at least a third of his health. That's not good. He has two chances to KO this Pikachu then… unless one of its other attacks does even more damage!
"Alakazam!" Ryan called. "Don't forget your Psychic!"
"Zam," the Psi Pokémon agreed. He sat up, shook his head, and then teleported over to the Pikachu. Pikachu spun around, crying out in surprise and falling over as he struggled to get away. Alakazam's indigo-tinged Psychic charged up between his spoons. It floated in the air for a fraction of a second, as beautiful and dark as a teardrop frozen in ice. Then, the energy was unleashed. The Pikachu took it to the face (in Ryan's mind, he thought only of a voice crying 'headshot!') and fell over, dazed and confused. Ryan's heartbeat was in his ear. He thought of pink, and of Kelly, and of that black belt he needed to find. The energy washed over the Electric Pokémon, even as Pikachu tried to stand again, bringing the small yellow rodent to its knees. When Alakazam's energy disappeared, Pikachu crumpled onto the ground, cried out an echoing cry of pain, its eyes shut, and did not move again.
"Well done," Ash said in congratulations. He walked forward and picked up his defeated Pokémon, holding the small thing in his arms as he walked over to Ryan. There, the teal-haired boy stood, his Alakazam at his side. "You're the new Indigo League Champion, Ryan."
A fluttering, warm feeling burst in his heart. Ryan's vision was popping. His hands were shaking. He didn't know what to say or think. His eyesight was getting blurry. Ash held out his hand and Ryan took it. The young man was saying something, but Ryan was barely listening.
"... and you'll do fine, I'm sure. You won't have another challenger for at least a year, if they even get past the Elite 4," Ash was saying.
"A-are you gonna become one of the Elite 4 now?" Ryan asked him, trying to suppress the emotion in his voice.
Ash laughed and looked down at Pikachu. "To be honest, I've been waiting a while for someone to beat me. I think I'll go home for now and see what's goin' on with my mom and my Pokémon and…"
"Misty," Ryan observed coolly.
Ash gave him a look. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll come back next year and compete in the Indigo League again!"
"Can you even do that? Aren't you like too old man?"
"I don't know."
"Huh, okay."
"Well," Ash said, sighing, "nice work, Ryan. Your Pokémon are really strong, but more importantly, you share a close bond with them all. That's good to see. I'm sure you'll be a great Indigo League Champion. You might even last two years."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"
Ash shrugged, grinning a devilish grin. "All I'm saying Ryan is that you're no Ja'Crispy Vulcano. You didn't use a Mew to sweep through the competition only to hold onto the title of Indigo League Champion for more than twenty-five years."
"Yeah," Ryan agreed sadly. "That would've been cool. Y'know, I met a Mew once? It was blue and really sweet, but Team Rocket captured it and tortured it and tried to use it as a weapon to conquer Kanto."
Ash nodded. "That sounds like them."
"I-I set it free… but it just flew away, and I never saw it again. I wonder what it was thinking… if it was scared of me too, or what?"
"I don't know about any of that," Ash said. "But if you had an encounter with a legendary Pokémon, I'm sure you'll see them again one day."
"How do you know that?"
Ash smiled. "The first day I left Pallet Town to start my Pokémon journey with only this Pikachu," he said, motioning to the unconscious Electric Pokémon in his arms, "who hated me at the time," he laughed nostalgically, "I saw a Ho-Oh in the sky."
"Are you sure about that, though?"
"Yeah," Ash said, looking down and smiling as his eyes glazed over in remembrance, "I do. I met that Ho-Oh again," he said in a dead-serious tone. "So I'm sure you'll meet that blue Mew again too. Count on it, champ!"
That was a lame thing to say. "Okay, see ya Ash," Ryan said. "But, uh, what do I do now?"
"Over there," the young man said, pointing to a new door that had lit up from lights in the wall between the Bug and Ghost doors. "That's where you need to go."
"Thanks."
Ash stretched his neck and stole another glance at his fallen Pikachu. "I'm going home now. Good luck with all this, Ryan." He seemed very tired. "And congratulations again!"
"Seeya, Ash," Ryan replied. "Oh, and give my regards to Misty. Tell her I complimented how big and strong her Gyarados is."
It was a spacious room, with a library, an indoor pool, a study, and a large Pokémon battle hall. This was the inner sanctum of the Indigo League Champions; their faces, in the form of paintings, decorated the walls, as did other trophies and paintings of noble Pokémon and Pokémon trainers. Ryan spied a Nidoqueen and a pink Mew amongst the many Pokémon wrought in paint on the fine cherrywood walls. Soon mine will join them. That little Abra has finally gotten his wish. Trainers for generations to come will know about all he and the others did for me in this tournament. And he's definitely the one, if I only get one, of my Pokémon who would get such a painting.
There was a man in the study writing something in a book. He wore a dark cape, a regal blue-and-orange suit, and fancy matching boots. His hair was wild and red, and he looked to be quite old. He saw Ryan long before the boy reached him, but he didn't look up as Ryan entered the room.
"Hello," Ryan said to him. "I'm Ryan. I'm, uh, the new Indigo League Champion… at least I think I am. I don't exactly remember what happened in the battle…"
"Hello, Ryan." The man did not look up; he continued writing.
"What are you doing?" the boy asked.
"I'm finishing up my recount of Ash's final battle as the champion. This book catalogues the greatest feats and historical moments of each Indigo League Champion - from the first to the last, whoever that may be. Once I finish Ash's section, I will begin yours."
"Oh… thank you!"
The man looked up and eyed the boy with narrow eyes. "My name's Lance. This place used to be mine… a long time ago. It's nice to see a new face in here."
"Oh cool. So what exactly do I do now? Do I just stay in here and wait?"
Lance shook his head. "No. You won't do much except for promotional and charity events and maybe a few showcase battles… that is until next year's Indigo League starts. You will have the power to change the rules of the Indigo League next year," Lance said. "That includes both the tournament and the battles against the Elite 4 and champion. You may modify the existing rules, within reason of course."
"Oh, okay, that sounds sweet."
"That is not all, Ryan. You will also be placed on a committee designed to review and maintain the Kanto Gyms. You will become one of three senior members who can vote on the closing of old gyms and opening of new gyms, as well as allowing gyms to change types and whatnot.
"Wow, that's awesome. I didn't know the Indigo League Champion had that kind of power!
Lance shrugged. "It's not that impressive, trust me. In the past forty years, very few gym and tournament rule changes have been approved, so I don't expect you'll preside over any. Ash didn't. And I didn't."
"Oh, okay. Well, if that's all now, can I go back to my hotel and celebrate with my family and friends?" Ryan asked, yawning. He was drained from all the battles he had done today, and now he just wanted to lie down and sleep this dream away. He knew everyone else would start an absolutely mad party if they learned that he had beaten Ash. Maybe I won't tell them until tomorrow.
"No, not everything." Lance was writing with a quill, which was odd. Ryan had only heard about people doing that in the history books he had never read in school. "There's one more thing I need to give you first. And of course, the closing ceremony of the Indigo League is tomorrow. That's where the top three trainers will be honored in the Indigo Stadium along with every other competitor. You'll need to attend that, too."
"I know about the closing ceremony, don't worry," Ryan said slowly. His mind was blank. He didn't know what to think or feel. All he knew was that the energy was draining from him fast, and that he'd rather be in bed than be champion. "So Lance… can you give me the thingy you need to give me, then?"
"No, not yet. You have to fight me for it," Lance said, standing up. "One on one. Your Dragonite against mine."
"Huh?"
"It's rare that someone uses a Dragonite in this tournament. Indeed… they're rare Pokémon in general. Very few people have them. I was surprised to see that two of them were used in this year's tournament. I'm a bit of a Dragon Type specialist myself, so…"
"Oh." Come on, I've battled enough today. "Fine, let's get this over with."
"How did you get that Dragonite?" Lance asked as he led Ryan out of the study down towards the fighting hall.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you catch her in the wild, or was she bought from a breeder?"
"Oh… well, it's a bit complicated. I found her on Route 18 wounded, so I took her to the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Center, then she broke out of there and helped me get my Volcano Badge, and she's been with me ever since."
"She was a Dragonite at the time?"
"No, a Dragonair."
"I see. How did she evolve?"
"She saved me from some Painted Dragons."
"I see."
They came to the battle hall, and Ryan used his second max revive (those things aren't cheap, baby) to revive Thurnax and send her out against Lance's own. The two were of a similar size, though Lance's was slightly larger, slightly older. The two Dragonite stood very still, studying each other carefully.
"I recognize that Dragonair… or rather, I last saw your Pokémon when it was a Dragonair," Lance said. "That's one of Derceyes'."
"That's right," Ryan said. "And she gave me this," he said pulling a little Dragoniteite stone out of his pocket, "but I don't know what this is for."
Lance laughed. "That is most fortuitous indeed! Wait until the end of the battle!"
"Okay."
"Let's begin, shall we?"
Alright, here we go. This is the last Pokémon battle I'll do for at least a week… maybe even longer than that. I'm way too tired to keep doing this stuff… "Agility, Thurnax!"
"Thunder!" Lance ordered his own Dragonite.
A Dragonite who knows Thunder? That's weird. Meanwhile, Thurnax built up her speed in that cramped, well-lit battle hall built of light cream-and-pink marble. The Thunder hurt, doing about 25% damage to Thurnax, but she built up her speed and afterwards, she became faster. Thereafter, Ryan had her Wrap the opposing Dragonite a few times, while, during the missed Wraps, the other Dragonite shot Fire Blasts and Thunders at Thurnax. Some hit, and some didn't.
At the end of this flurry, Ryan shouted, "Another Wrap, girl!" and Thurnax missed, shooting past the other Dragonite and crashing into the wall.
"Excellent work, Ryan," Lance called out. "Your Dragonite uses a curious, but powerful set of moves. I'm impressed. You have proven to me that you are skilled and passionate about training Pokémon. Unfortunately, I must also mention that I'm a Dragon Type specialist… so my dragon should win these kinds of battles. Dragonite, Blizzard attack!"
Dastardly sneak attack, Ryan thought in horror. He was just toying with me. He could have used Blizzard at any time. The 4x weakness… Thurnax would've probably been OHKO'd by it! That's crazy, yo. He trained his Dragon to learn the ultimate anti-Dragon move. That just doesn't seem right.
Thurnax dropped, which should come as no surprise. Not only was Lance's Dragonite at a higher level (Thurnax was already by roughly 7 levels the strongest of Ryan's Pokémon, and she was still several levels below Lance's Dragonite), but his Pokémon was also sporting a nasty 4x damage move, something Ryan's Thurnax couldn't hope to match in raw power with any of her own moves. He'd done about half damage to Lance's Dragonite, and yet it had all been for naught.
They returned their Pokémon and stood amongst the melting frost awkwardly. At last, Lance threw Ryan a little package, which he caught easily. What's this now? He tore open the brown bag and found a gold pocket watch inside. Wow this thing looks ancient… and valuable.
"Open it," Lance said, smiling.
Ryan did. On one side, there was a clock, presented in roman numerals. On the other side, a small glimmering gem was set against the gold. It radiated light and shimmered like it was alive with dancing colors - the top of it sparkled cherry red and the darkest shade of midnight purple, bleeding to ice blue and new-growth green and then blending into the faintest sundae cream yellow. Huh?
"Uh… what is this, exactly?"
"It's a very expensive pocket watch," Lance said plainly, "with a Key Stone inside it. That rock Derceyes gave you is a Mega Stone. If you activate that Key Stone in battle while your Thurnax holds the Mega Stone, she will turn into a Mega Pokémon.
"A mega what now?"
"A Mega Pokémon," Lance repeated. "Surely you've heard about them? A lot of the Kanto Pokémon can become Mega Pokémon."
"I haven't."
"Well, test it out in your next battle. Make sure your Dragonite holds that rock when you try, though."
"Yeah," Ryan yawned. I'm taking an extended break from fighting starting now. And there isn't anything anyone can do to stop me. "Well, I guess I'll get going now. It's been a very long day…"
"One more thing before you go, Ryan," Lance spoke. "Now that you are the Indigo League Champion, they will be coming for you."
"Who?"
"Fame-seekers and desperate, greedy people. They'll want to bask in your fame and take as much of your money as they can. They will swear they are your friends, but don't listen to them. Expect that your newfound fame will be a double-edged sword. Be careful of you who align yourself with following today. That is all."
"Are you sure? People wouldn't want to become my friends just to get money from me, would they?"
"Trust me," Lance replied haughtily. "Humans can be cruel, selfish creatures. I know this well. It's why I work with Dragon Pokémon instead of other people."
"Oh."
"Now, it's late," Lance growled. "You said you were going, so get going. I have to write the beginning of your entry in the great white Book of Champions, Ryan. First line should read… 'Ryan lost his first battle after becoming champion in record time.'"
"Hey, you're the one who demanded we fight!"
Lance shrugged. "I thought you'd win."
"I see."
Man that's some cold lotion. Ryan stood up, bade Lance goodnight, and walked out of the Indigo Plateau mansion as the new Indigo League Champion. He was in a daze as he left, tired and numb, and not entirely sure what had happened. I'm the champion, he reminded himself. No matter what else happens, they can't take that away from me.
That declaration made him shiver. It didn't feel real, didn't feel right. The boy yawned, rubbed his eyes, and shook his head. Maybe this won't seem like such a dream in the morning.
He had meant to keep it a secret, but Ryan had as bad a Poker face as a Psyduck. They had known the moment he had walked out of that mansion - his friends and family - and they had done exactly what he had expected. The party that was now going on in his room was as anarchic as a garbage can full of seventeen Magikarp. Music was blaring; balloons were shooting about; confetti was falling. The lights in that room were so bright, Ryan's eyes were watering. There were dozens of people, including many he didn't know, having a grand old time.
Ryan sat on the edge of the bed, exhausted, his head in his hands. They're doing this for you. Stay awake. He sat up, looking around. There was no sign of his father; his mother had said as much after he had come out of the mansion. He went back home because he had work to do, the boy reflected. Mom said he was going to plant a few more maples that he'd bought recently. He couldn't be bothered to see if his son had won the Indigo League or not…
"Hey, Ryan!" Rahul called, running over to the Indigo League Champion. There was confetti in the other boy's goatee, and Rahul looked to be in high spirits. Behind him, his mother was dancing like a simmering Jambalaya. Don't forget about the shrimp, the boy thought distractedly. "So… are we going to Sevii, or what?" he asked breathlessly.
"Yeah," Ryan sighed, leaning back on the bed and running his fingers through his teal hair. "Probably in a few days."
"Woo hoo!" Rahul celebrated. "I need a vacation. You don't even understand, Ryan." He was wearing nothing except a wife-beater and sweatpants and dark-colored socks. Maybe his losses did affect him…
"Why didn't you tell me about this, Rahul?" his mother asked, coming over in her slow dance. Her voice didn't sound angry, but stern. "Since when are you going to the Sevii Islands? You didn't tell me. They are so far away!"
Rahul looked a little embarrassed, and he began talking quickly to his mother in another language. In one breath, the two of them were whisked away into the crowds that were pulsating through the small hotel room. That was weird. He watched them for a while with his weary eyes - all of them partied and let loose like this was the last Bacchanalia on Earth. I wonder if that makes me Bacchus. He didn't know most of these people. The other trainers and their family members were celebrating in general more so than they were celebrating him. Only a few of his non-friends had even congratulated him for winning the tournament and beating Ash.
Alex was talking to his brothers over Skype on his phone in the corner, a bowl of Chinese dumplings in his hand. Oh, that's right! I have seen a Mega Pokémon before! Ryan's mother was talking with a few other mothers and a reporter, boasting excessively about her son. Ryan shivered. He knew he should feel happy, should feel relieved. He didn't feel anything. It'll come, in time. Maybe tomorrow during the closing ceremony… when I get my prize money and trophy.
He stood up, to get a bit of the punch being served on a nearby table when Logan ran into him. "Hey Ryan, look!" he said, holding up the boy's baby frog Pokémon. "Don't forget about this guy! He's your Pokémon, remember?!"
"Did you figure out what kind of Pokémon he is yet?"
"Nope, but my sources…" Logan said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "tell me that he's not from Kanto. He's a Pokémon from a different region."
"Nurse Joy already told me that," Ryan replied, annoyed. "Do you have any new information?"
"About this little guy?" The blue-green baby frog jumped happily onto Ryan's shoulder. "No, but… I've heard through the grapevine that the Clefable in Sevii are gathering to return to their homeworld. They're building a rocket ship and everything!"
Ryan yawned, disinterested. "That's great, Logan."
"Well, I want to visit them one last time before they leave!" the other boy said earnestly. "Just to say goodbye. Please, Ryan!"
Why is everyone so pushy all of the sudden? "Yeah, we're going, we're going. Just give me a few days, okay? I wanna be able to soak all this in before we go on vacation."
"Alright, cool. Clefable fable, Ryan!" Logan boasted. "That's Clefable for 'thank you', by the way."
The teal-haired boy nodded and moved on through the crowd. Shouting jubilantly, Logan jumped onto the bed (with his shoes still on, mind you), and began waving about Ryan's autograph like he had finally taken a picture of a real alien.
Ahead, Ryan caught a glimpse of pink hair drifting by above the sea of heads like the flames of Moltres. She was alone amongst the people, like a bleak, forsaken iceberg surrounded on all sides by water. A plastic cup was in her hand; her makeup had smeared around her eyes. "Kelly!" Ryan called, and the girl turned from what she was doing to face him.
Her cheeks were flushed fuchsia, and her eyes were bloodshot, like wilted roses. She's had quite a bit of orange juice. "Oh, hi Rye-bread. What's up?"
He felt pangs of anxiety blast through his chest and lungs, the old familiar feeling. Taking a deep breath, Ryan thought, it's now or never. I'm the Indigo League Champion. This is what I worked so hard for. This is the moment I swore I would make my move. "Uh… so I was wondering if you wanted to go to Sevii with us…" he asked awkwardly. "I-I know you said you'd go on another adventure with me back in Viridian… but I don't know if you remember."
The girl eyed him curiously and then laughed boisterously. "You gotta real good memory…" she slurred. "I can't believe you won… Ryan, wass goin' on?!"
"I know," the boy said quietly. "I can't believe it myself."
"You're not half the trainer I am!" she boasted recklessly, tears in her red eyes. "Why'd you win…? Iss not fair!"
"Kelly…" Ryan asked again, his voice rising. "Please. Do you want to come or not?"
She was swaying back and forth slightly, staring at him with those wide pink eyes of hers. "Iss juss luck…" she said drunkenly, downing the rest of her plastic cup of orange juice. "You're juss a…"
You were the one who wanted to go on another adventure with me. You're the one who said… "Please, Kelly." Now Ryan had tears in his eyes. He leaned forward, but she recoiled from him like a Charmander would from a Squirtle.
"No," she said suddenly, "I can't."
"But I thought…"
She looked down at him. Her expression became cold and then sad and then tired again. "You're not the one for me, kid. I'll see you around."
With that, the pink-haired girl turned and walked out of Ryan's room. A heavy feeling rose in Ryan's chest, like he had been punched deep in the gut. His face was burning; he wiped the tears away. Why? Why am I not good enough?
He sunk to the side of the bed, and wanted nothing more than for everyone to leave. He watched her go, stumbling emotionally past trainers and parents to the door. And when Kelly reached it, she vanished to the right in an instant. She's gone, he thought. Truly gone. I'll never see her again.
His vision went blurry again. Why does that always happen? Shaking, he swallowed and held his grief. The lights were so white, so overpowering. There was a reporter in his face, a microphone thrust at his nose. The man was saying something. Why is it so bright?
Ryan sucked in a breath of air and turned his head away from her, white and to the light, which shimmered like static, rainbow-strobing confetti bursting from its seams.
"And lastly, he left this for you, my lady," the butler said, holding up an old dusty voice scrambler. "Amongst everything else, this was his most treasured gift to give you."
"Put it with the rest," Jessica ordered.
The butler nodded obediently. "Is there anything else you require of me, my lady?" he asked dully.
"Yes," she said, taking a piece of paper out of her pocket. "What is this?"
Holding it up to his face, the man exhaled sharply and said gruffly, "No idea. It looks like information on a hybrid Pokémon called, uh… Mewtwo… that Master Giovanni must have been working on at some point in his career. I don't think he was ever successful in creating such a creature, at least to my knowledge, and I never heard him mention it…"
"That's strange," Jessica said matter-of-factly, snatching the paper from the man's grasp. "Because the last few pages document six specimens who survived Dr. Fuji's laboratory to reach maturity. They were described as 'very volatile' and 'powerful beyond comprehension'," she read, "and five were lost in accidents. Where the one specimen who was not lost remains, as well as the five who escaped… there is no information. I thought you, Jenkins, being the Boss' butler for more than fifty years, would have learned something about this well-kept secret."
"Nothing," the man replied. He was unshakeable. Is he just dumb, or is he protecting the Boss's secret weapon? What does it matter? I'm the leader of Team Rocket now. I can do with him as I please.
"Is that so?" He nodded dutifully. "Very well, you may leave me."
He did.
Jessica stood there in the near darkness, shuffling through the useless trinkets of a man now dead - his stuffed Persian, his favorite cigar case, his gold chain necklace… all useless for the plans Jessica had. Team Rocket is not dead yet. We will rise from this, like Phoenixes from the ashes.
The door behind Jessica opened again.
"Hello darling," said the man who entered. He was old, had a wrinkled face that looked like a shovel, and long blue hair. He wore a polo shirt and khaki pants, looking as casual as a Wednesday Fearow.
"Good afternoon, dear," said the woman, who was also quite old, though she didn't have any wrinkles and wore a significant amount of makeup on her face. Her dark red hair was elegant and long, shooting out of her scalp like an upside-down tusk. She wore a lazy half-dress of black and crimson.
No way! Jessica shivered uncontrollably. "What are you doing here?!"
"Oh, nothing," the red-haired woman said sinisterly. "We were just checking up on our favorite little snookums darling…"
Jessica's face went red. "Mom, please…"
"Oh, and darling, we found that thing you wanted," said the man carelessly.
"Huh? You found a Mewtwo?!"
"No, the other one," her mother said, jumping forward, pulling off her clothes to reveal a white Team Rocket suit underneath. So you found Ryan. "We did it for our precious little girl! We want to help you with all your cute little evil scheming!"
Are they okay? "But I thought… you didn't like it when I joined Team Rocket?"
"That was then," her father said even more carelessly.
"And besides, dear, now that the Boss is gone," her mother said, feigning immense sadness, "I - I mean you - are in charge."
"We'll be the richest rogues of all time!" his father boasted.
"That's right," his mother said. "The Boss was leading this place to ruin. Now that we're in charge… we'll bring Team Rocket back to its former glory!"
"We're gonna capture Pikachu!" her father shouted with lief passion.
We're going to capture a lot more than an old Pikachu, Jessica knew. She felt a flush of heat travel down her cheeks, down her throat, and to her chest. Jessica smiled, in spite of herself. Mom and dad can be so weird sometimes. "O-okay… so, where is he?"
"Well, he won the Indigo League or something," her father said lazily. "Wooohooo, his face was all over the papers!"
"And he was all over the TV," her mother agreed. "Ugly little boy. Tsk tsk. You picked a rotten one, dear."
Great. There's no such thing as karma. No way that kid deserved to win the whole thing. Are you kidding me? His Pokémon were nothing compared to mine. "And where is he going now?"
"Wherever he's going, he's going to have to prepare for trouble!"
Her father smiled evilly. "That's right, Jessie, let's make it double."
They looked like they were going to bust out in theme song singing again, so Jessica stepped forward and said, "No… not double… triple. Take me to him."
Her parents laughed maniacally. What's gotten over them? Are they really back with Team Rocket again? She didn't know, but with her parents' experience and Pokémon, she did know that Ryan would be having some very real trouble sometime very soon. You do not spite me, Ryan Morgan, and get away with it, she thought without emotion. The leader of Team Rocket will suffer no such slights. I don't care if you're the Indigo League Champion or the son of a Magikarp… I'll do everything in my power to ruin you. I'll make you rue the day we ever met.
THE END... or is it?!