The Orange League Championship
"Dragooo!" Ash's attention was grabbed by a familiar cry causing him to glance up just in time to see a green scaled Dragonite flying above them.
"Whoa, a green Dragonite!" His eyes lit up as a hopeful expression formed only for it to quickly fade away as he took notice of somebody riding it's back.
Chloe placed her hand on Ash's shoulder while offering him a sympathetic expression. She knew that he was eager to catch a Dragon type but it wasn't as if one was going to drop from the sky, they were incredibly rare and hard to come by in the Kanto/Johto region with most aspiring trainers settling for catching Seadra but even that wasn't a simple feat as one needed to find a Dragon Scale in order to evolve Seadra! "There's still three weeks before the Silver League starts up, we could go looking for a Seadra after your match."
"I'd like that." Ash offered his girlfriend an appreciative smile and his excited expression was quick to return when Dragonite began making his descent as it approached the distant stadium. 'No way, is that the Orange League Champion?!' If the champion owned a Dragonite then he was certainly a force to be reckoned with, Dragonite alone could make things difficult.
"Tracey, was that the champion?" Brock asked.
"Huh?" Tracey looked up from his notepad. "Sorry Brock, I was too busy sketching Toxel to notice. The little guy sure is cute when he's sleeping!"
"Tox..." Toxel snoozed while laying in his usual spot atop Ash's shoulder.
"That's alright, I have a feeling it won't be long before we find out anyways." Chloe shrugged as Lapras approached Pummelo Island's dock.
"Right," Ash clenched his fists while gazing towards Pummelo Stadium, his excited expression remained as he shouted. "I can't wait to challenge him, I bet he's got all sorts of Pokemon that we haven't seen before!"
After a quick pitstop at the Pokemon Center to swap Toxel out as a six on six match against a champion was no place for the little guy, Ash and his friends continued their way to Pummelo Stadium but their attention was quickly diverted by the sight of a large domed building that stood directly next to the stadium. Ash gave the building a quick look before glancing towards Pummelo Stadium. "Tracey, any idea what this building's for? Do I register here or-?"
"Oh no, you register inside the stadium." Tracey was quick to shake his head. "This is the Palace of Victory, essentially our regional 'Hall of Fame' as everyone whose ever beaten or held the Championship title has their team's picture taken and put up on permanent display inside. They also save the trainer's handprints and Pokemon's pawprints from what I hear but I've never actually been inside."
Ash was silent for a moment before making his way towards the building's entrance. The halls of the building were lined with statues of Dragonite, signaling that the species must be of great significance to the people here as the statues were much older than the man that Ash had seen atop the green Dragonite. Ash immediately directed his attention towards a nearby wall and frowned upon seeing dated photographs, he quickly shook his head and hastily skipped a few sections before stopping once more. Again it was the wrong timeframe as everyone was dressed in attire that signified they were taken in the eighties. Though there was at least one familiar face along the wall as a much younger looking Mustard could be seen, he was about the same age as Ash and was surrounded by a variety of Pokemon that Ash had never seen before such as a large black and white bear that was performing a karate pose, a blue and black lion, a large dragon whose scales resembled plated armor, a light purple weasel, a metallic raven, and a brown and white dog that had a rocky mane.
"I can sense you haven't seen those before, you gonna scan them or what?"
Ash didn't answer the Rotom Phone and continued along the hall, Alder's picture was a few behind Mustard but Ash was too focused to stop. As he got closer to the present he stopped, the long flowing blonde hair of Cynthia was quick to grab his attention. Though she'd apparently won when she was ten unlike Mustard and Alder, her signature Garchomp stood next to her alongside a Lucario, Milotic, a green humanoid plant with what appeared to be roses for hands, a blue Sylveon, and a very spooky Ghost type that Ash swore would haunt his nightmares.
"Oh wow, Cynthia was here!" Brock remarked before shooting a hopeful look around as if he expected the champion to walk through the doors.
"Croa..." Croagunk croaked while gazing towards his trainer. 'Seriously? She's like twice your age.'
Chloe walked a few steps to the right and uttered out a gasp. "Ash, look!" Her words were short and simple but understandable as Ash rushed forward, his eyes lit up while a large bright smile formed across his face.
"Dad!"
"Pika!" Pikachu gasped as his eyes took in Red's image for the very first time. 'He looks just like Ash, no wonder people know they're related at a mere glance!'
Ash's eyes stared directly into those of his father before looking towards his team. Sure enough it was exactly like Delia had said as Espeon sat front and center beside Red much like Cynthia's Garchomp, Alder's buffalo and Mustard's karate bear with their respective trainers. Beside Espeon stood a Poliwrath, Venusaur, Snorlax, Nidoking and Aerodactyl. Ash's hand slowly reached for Red's handprint before touching it, his hand perfectly placed where Red's hand had been quite some time ago.
"Espe?" Espeon jerked her head as she sensed a disturbance. She anxiously twitched her tails as she wondered what could have done that.
"Hey you, can't you read?" Ash had been touching his father's handprint for a good five minutes before his arm was forcefully pulled away from it. "The signs say don't touch, show the Champions some resp-" The man froze up upon getting a good look at Ash's face, he shot a quick look towards the photo then Ash then back to the photograph before tilting his head. "What the...? Oh wow, I feel like such an ass now." The man facepalmed. "You're obviously that guy's kid."
Ash let out a yelp as he was forcefully pulled from Red's handprint, his hands clenched as he didn't appreciate having somebody break the moment but he soon calmed upon recognizing the figure as the same that had been riding Dragonite. The guy was only watching out for those that came before him albeit as brief as some tenures were. "It's alright..." Ash sighed out before forcing a smile as he extended his hand to the champion. "The name's Ash Ketchum."
The champion uttered a sigh of relief before extending his own hand while offering Ash a genuine smile. "Drake, I'm the head of the Orange Crew. I heard that somebody was coming to challenge me, I'm guessing that's you?"
"That'll be me, yes." Ash felt his excitement begin to fuel as he spoke. "So you're free then?"
Drake gave Ash a swift nod in response to his question. "That I am, I'll just need to verify that your badges are authentic. Standard League procedure and what not."
Ash reached into his pocket and withdrew his badge case, showcasing the four Orange League badges to Drake. Drake leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as he examined each badge before giving off a silent nod of approval. "Alright, I'd say that you're ready to go! I'll go ahead and get things set up, you can stay here for a bit if you need to. It'll be about twenty minutes anyways." Drake gave them a light wave before taking his leave.
"Ash, you okay?" Chloe was quick to ask.
"I've never seen you space out like that before." Tracey spoke with a concerned tone.
"Pika pi..." Pikachu gave his trainer's shoulder a light pat.
"We can give you some alone time if you need it." Brock offered.
"I'm fine, it's just that-It's been a long time since I've seen something new featuring him." It wasn't new but it was to him. "It was nice getting to see him again." Silence filled the air once more as Ash silently gazed at the photo. 'Father, what happened to you...?'
"Oh wow, this stadium's packed!" Brock exclaimed as the group stepped through the stadium's entrance.
"Well the people here do love spectating the event," Tracey smirked. "They love watching our champion defend the title while also hoping that one will come along and eventually dethrone him."
"Well I better not keep them waiting then," Ash turned to Chloe and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before pushing his way through the crowd as he attempted to reach the entrance to the stadium's battlefield.
"Drake... that name sounds familiar." James stroked the bottom of his chin as he, Jessie, Meowth and Wobbuffet were back in their food vendor disguises, prepping to serve food and drinks to the spectators.
"Isn't dat the name of one of the Hoenn Elite Four members? The old guy that mentored Lance?" Meowth questioned.
"I believe so but won't that get confusing have two characters named Drake?" Jessie frowned.
"Don't worry Jess, I'm sure that we'll never see this Drake again." James waved it off.
"Wobbuffet!"
"Good afternoon and welcome to another Championship match at Pummelo Island's own lovely stadium!" The announcer excitedly spoke into the mic. "Today our champion, is facing off against the son of legendary trainer Red Ketchum so put your hands together for Ash Ketchum!"
The crowd burst into cheers as Ash and Drake stepped onto the battlefield, Drake's hands were positioned within his pockets as he gazed towards the ground with a bored expression. Ash tilted his head lightly as he wondered what was going on with him.
"Alright kid, here's the rules." The referee spoke up. "You and Drake will use six Pokemon each with standard Pokemon League rules applying, three swaps max and as soon as either side is unable to continue battling the match will come to an end. You ready to begin?"
"I'm ready!" Ash clenched his fists while offering Drake a smile. "Let's give it our all, Drake!"
"Pika pika!"
Drake's expression remained the same as he lazily reached for a Pokeball, not uttering a single word in response to Ash.
The referee raised a pair of flags before lowering them. "GO!"
"Tauros I choose you!"
"Drapion, let's fight..." Drake yawned out while lazily throwing a ball forward.
"D-Did he just say Drapion?!" James turned at the mention of the large scorpion. Team Rocket turned towards the field with interest while Ash and his friends all shared looks of surprise as they'd yet to encounter Drapion.
"Who's that Pokemon?" Ash quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone.
"Drapion the Ogre Scorpion Pokemon, it takes great pride in its strength. Even though it can tear foes apart, it finishes them off with powerful poison!"
"Poison/Dark, eh? Alright Tauros, use High Horsepower!"
"Mooo!" An orange aura surrounded Tauros as he charged across the field before slamming into his target, knocking Drapion back!
"D-Drapion..." Drapion grunted out.
"Cross Poison." Drake simply ordered.
"Drapi!" Drapion's arms glowed a bright purple color as he slashed at his opponent while crossing his arms in an x-shaped fashion. Tauros uttered out a pain filled cry as a purple tint formed across his face.
"Oh no, Tauros!"
"Pika pi!" Ash and Pikachu cried out, concerned for their poisoned teammate.
"Moo..." Ash clenched his fists as he wondered whether or not he should swap Tauros out, the bull still had fight in him but Drapion had dealt a critical hit and poisoned Tauros.
"Tauros return, we might need you later so get some rest." Ash returned Tauros to his Pokeball before reaching for another. "Alright Melmetal, I choose you!"
"Metal!" Melmetal flexed his arms as he burst from his Pokeball.
The crowd performed a loud collective gasp while even Drake appeared to be briefly stunned by the sight of the Mythical Steel type.
"And it appears that Ash has sent out a strange and unusual Pokemon, one must wonder what exactly this Steel type is capable of!"
"Use Double Iron Bash!"
"Metal!" Melmetal extended his arms as he rapidly spun in place before shooting across the field. "Metal metal!" Melmetal cried out as his fists struck Drapion's body in a repetitive fashion.
"Night Slash." Drake ordered.
"Drapi!" Drapion's tail glowed a black-purple color as it lashed out at Melmetal, striking his backside.
"Metal.." Melmetal faintly grunted.
"Alright Melmetal, let's use Thunderbolt!"
"Metal!" Electricity sparked around Melmetal's body before a large electrical bolt shot off and flew across the field. The electrical blot soared towards Drapion before making contact with the scorpion causing him to cry out in pain as electricity surged through his body.
"D-Drapio!" Drapion cried out before collapsing against the battlefield, swirls formed within his eyes as he laid in defeat.
Drake's eyes widened at the outcome.
"And Drapion goes down! Incredible folks, Drake hasn't lost a Pokemon this early in well over ten years! How will Drake recover from this loss?!"
"Drapion return," Drake returned Drapion, his calm and bored expression was quick to return as he reached for another ball. "Ditto let's fight."
"Ditto!" The pink blob cried out.
'Ditto!' Ash had brief flashbacks to Leaf's Ditto and recalled the lesson that he'd learn while Ditto began morphing into an exact copy of Melmetal. Melmetal may still have a majority of his health remaining but it wasn't possible for him to win against his double, Ash already learned that the hard way. "Return!" He swiftly returned Melmetal to his Pokeball. He didn't own Melmetal for long but both he and Snorlax quickly found themselves as some of his strongest Pokemon, it wouldn't be easy to take him out without using one of the powerhouses and thankfully he brought a fair few of them into the battle.
"Charizard I choose you!"
"Char!" Charizard shot a powerful stream of fire into the air as he burst from his Pokeball.
"Alright Charizard, let's show them just how powerful our bond is with Mega Evolution!"
"Char!" Charizard let out an eager roar as the bright pink light consumed his body, transforming him into Mega Charizard Y! The sunlight began to harshly glare upon the battlefield.
"Use Flamethrower!"
"Char!" A powerful stream of fire shot from Charizard's mouth and soared across the battlefield before making contact with Ditto.
"M-Metal..." Ditto groaned out.
"Thunderbolt." Drake countered.
"M-Metal!" Ditto raised up his arms as electricity crackled around his body before firing off a large electrical bolt. The bolt shot across the field and made direct contact with Charizard causing the Fire type to grunt out as electricity surged through him.
"Poor Charizard..." Chloe frowned. If Ash were to obtain Charizardite X then Charizard would lose his weakness to Electric type attacks.
"Flare Blitz!" Ash shouted out.
"Char!" Red-orange flames engulfed Charizard's body as he soared towards his opponent before crashing into him, Ditto uttered out a grunt as he was pushed onto his back while Charizard uttered out a similar grunt from the recoil damage.
"Thunder Punch."
"Metal!" Ditto sprang back to his feet before charging at his opponent, electricity crackled around his fist as he lashed out at his opponent. "Metal!" He cried out upon striking his opponent with an electrically charged punch.
"C-Char!" Charizard uttered out a pained growl as electricity surged through his body once more.
"Alright Charizard let's finish this with Flamethrower!"
"Char!" A powerful stream of fire erupted from Charizard's throat and shot across the field where it made direct contact with Ditto.
Ditto screeched out in pain as the fire flowed across his body which began morphing back into it's blob-like state as he fell to the ground. "D-Ditto..." The blob groaned out, his eyes turned to swirls as he laid in defeat.
Drake's eyes widened once more as a smile faintly formed across his face.
"And Ditto goes down though Charizard didn't get out unscathed, does he have much fight left in him?"
"Return," Drake returned Ditto to it's Pokeball while reaching for the ball that hung around his neck. "Alright Dragonite, let's do this!"
"Dragooo!" The green scaled Dragonite roared out as he emerged from his ball.
"Char..." Charizard lightly growled out at the sight of Dragonite while the sunlight continued glaring down around them.
"Hyper Beam!" Drake shouted out.
"Dragooo!" The familiar orange-yellow energy beam shot from Dragonite's mouth and soared across the field before exploding against Charizard's body.
Charizard grunted out and gritted his teeth while delivering a harsh glare towards Dragonite.
"Alright Charizard this is our chance, let's use Dragon Pulse!" Ash shouted with a throw of his arm.
"Char!" The multicolored dragon shaped energy beam shot from his mouth and flew towards the recharging Dragonite before making contact with him. Dragonite grunted out upon impact but didn't look the least bit tired.
"Draco Meteor!" Drake shouted out.
"Hold up, shouldn't he still be recharging?!" Tracey shouted.
"He should but several skilled trainers have trained their Pokemon to get around the drawback, minimizing the recharge by either a fraction or completely." Chloe explained.
"Dragooo!" Dragonite roared while firing an orange energy ball towards the air, the ball soon grew before exploding causing several energy balls to fall towards the battlefield like a meteor shower. Charizard gritted his teeth and grunted out as the meteors struck his body.
"Char..."
"Let's try another Dragon Pulse!"
"Char!" Charizard roared out before firing another multicolored energy beam towards his opponent.
"Counter with Dragon Pulse!" Drake responded.
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired off his own attack which soon collided with Charizard's, the two growled lightly through their attacks as they clashed against each other with neither one backing down. The pair continued pressing on and pushed harder with no signs of the stalemate ending. After a few minutes sweat began pouring down Charizard's face as the battle against Ditto finally caught up to him and caused him to slow down allowing for Dragonite to take advantage and overpower him. The attack soon exploded against Charizard's face causing the fire lizard to collapse against the battlefield floor as swirls formed within his eyes, the pink light enveloped his body as he transformed back to normal.
"And Charizard is down! Drake's Dragonite proves to be the strongest yet again!" The crowd cheered.
"Charizard..." Ash trailed off before offering his partner a light smile as he returned him to his ball. "Rest up, you did a great job today and deserve a long rest." He placed the ball back upon his belt before reaching for another. "Melmetal I choose you!"
"Metal!" Melmetal shouted out upon emerging from his Pokeball for the second time that day.
Drake responded by recalling Dragonite, it seemed that he only wished to test Charizard and was saving Dragonite for later. "Magcargo, let's go!"
"Magcargo!" What appeared to be sentient magma that had taken on the form of a snail burst out onto the battlefield.
"Whoa, who's that Pokemon?!"
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head while Ash reached for his Rotom Phone.
"Magcargo the Lava Pokemon, the shell on its back is made of hardened magma. Tens of thousands of years spent living in volcanic craters have turned Magcargo's bodies into magma."
"Flamethrower!" Drake shouted out, the harsh sunlight was still present but now that Mega Charizard Y was gone it wouldn't last for much longer.
"Magcargo!" The lava snail fired off a powerful stream of fire towards his opponent. Melmetal grunted out as the fire made contact with his metallic body but he remained standing as the flames died down.
"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted out.
"Metal!" Electricity crackled around Melmetal's body before a large electrical body released from his body.
"M-Magcargo!" Magcargo cried out as the bolt made contact with him, electricity began surging through his body.
"Earth Power!"
A golden outline formed around Magcargo as the ground began to crack before breaking apart beneath Melmetal.
"M-Metal!" Melmetal groaned while dropping to a knee.
"Melmetal, are you okay?!" Ash called out with visible concern.
"M-Metal..." Melmetal gave off a light nod as he got back to his feet.
"Then let's fight back with Earthquake!"
"Metal!" Melmetal slammed his foot against the battlefield causing it to violently shake about.
"M-Magcargo..." Magcargo's eyes spiraled about as his body swayed back and forth before ultimately collapsing onto his side as swirls fully formed within his eyes.
"And Magcargo is down! Drake's now down three Pokemon to Ash's one but you could fool me with how excited our beloved champion looks!" Drake didn't look the least bit anxious or worried, he seemed thrilled that a challenger was pushing him and giving his team a hard time. Ultimately it'd come down to Dragonite but he wanted to test the kid with the might of his full team!
"Return," Drake returned Magcargo back to his ball while reaching his hand out for another. "Mismagius, you're up!"
"Mismagius!"
Ash quickly retrieved his Rotom Phone before proceeding to scan the Ghost type.
"Mismagius the Magical Pokemon, Mismagius have been known to cast spells to make people fall in love, so some people search for this Pokemon as if their life depended on it."
"Seriously?!" Hearts filled Brock's eyes at the mention while sweat poured down the other's heads. "I've got to catch-"
"Croagunk!" Croagunk jabbed Brock's back causing the older boy to keel over.
Ash sweated. "That's not very helpful..."
"Hey not every entry is well informative!" The Rotom Phone exclaimed.
"Confusion!"
"Mismagius!" Mismagius' eyes glowed a bright blue color while a similar colored glow surrounded Melmetal's body before lifting the Steel type off the ground.
"M-Metal..." Melmetal swayed his arms and legs about as he was launched into the air before crashing back into the ground! "Metal..." He groaned out while laying against the battlefield though he soon got back to his feet showing that he still had some fight in him.
"Double Iron Bash!" Ash shouted out.
"Metal!" Melmetal extended his arms while rapidly spinning in place. "Metal metal!" He chanted while launching himself off towards his opponent.
"Mystical Fire!" Drake ordered.
"Mismagius!" The Ghost took a deep breath before firing off a powerful stream of ghastly purple flames towards her opponent. Melmetal grunted out as the flames made contact with him but he continued pushing on, refusing to give up on his attack. Though exhaustion soon hit as the mythical keeled over, his singular eye turned to a swirl as he laid in defeat.
"Metal..."
"And Melmetal goes down!"
"Melmetal return," Ash returned Melmetal to his Pokeball while offering him an appreciative smile. "You did a great job and deserve a long rest, we'll take it from here. Alright Tauros, I choose you!"
"Mooo!" Tauros cried out as he burst back onto the battlefield.
"And it appears that Ash has chosen to send out Tauros, who is still very much poisoned. Will he be able to overcome that disadvantage and beat Mismagius?"
"Zen Headbutt!"
"Mooo!" The tip of Tauros' head began glowing a bright blue color as he lowered his head before charging headfirst towards the Ghostly maiden. "Mooo!" He slammed into her with the Psychic type attack causing her to wail out from pain.
"Magical Leaf!"
"Mismagius!" Mismagius twirled as several glowing green leaves shot from her body and flew towards Tauros, piercing his skin as they made contact with him.
"Mooo!" Tauros grunted out.
"Payback!" Ash shouted out.
"Mooo!" Tauros flashed Mismagius a smirk as he shot across the field while thrusting his horns up towards Mismagius in a violent fashion.
"Mismagius..." Mismagius grunted out as the Dark type attack made contact with her, her eyes quickly turned to swirls as she dropped towards the ground.
"Mooo!" Tauros raised his forelegs as he uttered out a victory cry.
"And Ash advances his lead yet again folks, he-Oh? It looks like Tauros' Poisoned status has finally taken it's toll on him!"
Tauros fell to the ground moments after his victory, his eyes turned to swirls as his tongue lolled out his mouth. "Moo..." He groaned out.
"Tauros return, you were great out there and deserve a long rest."
"Ash is now down three Pokemon to Drake's four, the battle could go either way folks but don't forget that Drake's Dragonite still remains!"
"Snorlax I choose you!"
"Granbull, let's go!"
"Snorlax, snor!" Snorlax burst from his ball.
"Grrr..." A large purple bulldog snarled as she emerged from her ball.
Ash's eyes widened while his hands reached for his Rotom Phone. "Who's that Pokemon?"
"Granbull the Fairy Pokemon, which was named such before the Fairy type was even discovered! Its well-developed lower jaw and heavy fangs are its weapons. As long as it's not provoked, it rarely bites."
"Granbull, let's Play Rough!"
"Grr..." Granbull growled as she charged at Snorlax before leaping towards the massive Pokemon.
"Use Heavy Slam!"
"Yelp!" Granbull yelped and froze in place as Snorlax leaped into the high before falling towards the battlefield, landing belly first against Granbull as he crushed her beneath his incredible weight! Granbull's paws twitched beneath Snorlax's body before swiftly going limp as Snorlax rolled off of her, revealing her defeated form.
Drake's jaw dropped at the sight while the audience let out a collective gasp before cheering out.
"A-And it appears that Ash's Snorlax beat Granbull with a singular attack!"
"Alright Ash!" Chloe cheered.
"Way to go Snorlax, that was great!" Ash praised his Normal type.
"Snorlax, snor!" Snorlax smirked.
"Man I'd hate to be that Granbull..." Meowth shivered.
"Granbull return," Drake returned Granbull to her Pokeball, his gaze flickered towards Snorlax as he reached for another ball. "Dragonite let's finish things!"
"Dragoo!" The green scaled Dragonite returned as the battle entered it's climax, Drake was down to his final Pokemon while Ash still had three Pokemon left.
"Hyper Beam!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired off the orange-yellow energy beam towards his opponent causing Snorlax to fall back a few feet as the blast made contact with his body.
"Lax..." Snorlax grunted out.
"Counter with Ice Punch!"
"Snorlax!" An icy blue glow surrounded Snorlax's fist as he lashed out at his opponent, delivering an icy blow to the dragon's stomach!
"Dragoo..." Dragonite grunted out while appearing to tire out as his breath grew heavy.
"Roost!"
"Dragooo!" And just like that all signs of fatigue faded away as Dragonite looked as if he were freshly sent out of battle!
Ash clenched his fists and lightly gritted his teeth but kept his cool, he still had the advantage in numbers and there was only so many times that Roost could be used.
"Heavy Slam!"
"Snorlax!" Snorlax leaped into the air before performing a belly flop as he crashed into his opponent, squashing him as he pressed him against the battlefield.
"Drago..." Dragonite grunted out.
"Draco Meteor!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite cried out while firing off an orange energy beam. The light shot towards the sky above before breaking apart as the remains crashed towards the ground like meteors. Snorlax grunted out as the attack rained down on him while slowly beginning to show signs of fatigue.
"Ice Punch!"
"Snor!" Snorlax's fist ignited in an icy blue glow as he leaped at his opponent before striking his chest with an icy blow!
"D-Drago..." Dragonite shivered.
"Hyper Beam!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired off another orange-yellow energy beam, this one sealed the deal as Snorlax toppled onto his back shortly after impact. His eyes reduced to swirls as he uttered out a defeated groan.
"Snorlax..."
"And Snorlax is down! Ash now has two Pokemon remaining, will he be able to overtake Drake or has he finally met his match with Dragonite?"
"Snorlax return, you were great out there and deserve a good rest!" Ash returned Snorlax to his Pokeball before nodding towards his partner. "Alright Pikachu, I choose you!"
"Pika!" Pikachu's tail twitched as he leaped from Ash's shoulder while gazing towards his opponent with a determined expression.
"Voltage Vortex!"
"Pika!" Pikachu's eyes glowed blue as telekinetic energy surged around him, blue electricity crackled from his cheeks before releasing from his body as it joined up with the spiraling vortex. The electricity spiraled about in the twister as Pikachu cried out. "Pika!" With a flick of his tail the vortex was sent off, the vortex flew across the field before swooping up Dragonite as it neared him. The Dragon type cried out as his body was tossed about the telekinetic twister while electricity occasionally shot through his veins.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite broke free of the vortex as it began dying down, an enraged expression formed across his face as he fired the multicolored energy beam down towards his opponent!
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as the explosion sent him flying but the electric mouse was quick to recover and was soon back on his feet.
"Volt Tackle!"
"Pika pika pika!" Pikachu repeatedly chanted out as he shot across the field, golden electricity formed around him as he raced along before tackling his opponent. Dragonite roared out as electricity surged through him, the Dragon gritted his teeth and shot a glare towards Pikachu.
"Dragoo..."
"Roost!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite cried out, golden energy formed around him as he magically restored himself to full health.
Ash clenched his fists before throwing his arm out. "Splishy Splash!"
"Pika!" Pikachu raised his arms into the air as a large wave of electrified water formed beneath him. Dragonite and Drake gazed up at the wave with shock as Pikachu rode atop it with his surfboard. "Pika!" Pikachu flashed Dragonite a smirk as the wave came crashing down on top of him.
"Dragooo!" Dragonite screeched out as the electrified water gave him quite the shock upon impact, electricity surged through his veins as he groaned out.
"Hyper Beam!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired off another orange-yellow energy beam, knocking Pikachu off his feet.
"Pika!" Pikachu grunted out before leaping back to his feet with a determined expression.
"Voltage Vortex!"
"Pika!" Pikachu was quick to send another vortex of telekinetic energy and electricity towards his opponent. Dragonite uttered out a pained cry as the vortex tossed and threw him about, his eyes spiraled about as his face began turning an even darker shade of green.
"Roost!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite's health restored yet again though it appeared to be not as effective as the previous times as there were still markings and signs of fatigue.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Pika...chuuu!" Pikachu fired an electrical bolt towards Dragonite, giving the Dragon quite an electrical shock!
"D-Drago..."
"Draco Meteor!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired another energy beam towards the sky above causing an array of meteors to crash down upon the battlefield.
"Pika!" Pikachu's body was knocked back and forth as explosions occurred around him, with him soon being sent flying as one made direct contact! "Chaaaa!" Pikachu cried out as he slammed face first against the ground, swirls could be seen within his eyes as he rolled over.
"And Pikachu goes down! Whatever Ash has left he best hope it has the firepower to fight Dragonite!"
"Pikachu definitely would have had that if it weren't for Roost." Chloe spoke.
"Right." Brock nodded.
Ash rushed out and promptly scooped his partner up.
"Pika..." Pikachu weakly gazed towards his trainer with an apologetic tone.
"It's okay Pikachu, you were great!" Ash praised his partner while giving his ear a light stroke. "Don't worry, he'll finish what you started."
"Pika..." Pikachu gave a weak nod before closing his eyes as he rested up.
"Tyranitar, I choose you!"
"Tyra!" Tyranitar roared out as he burst from his ball. The two pseudo legendary Pokemon locked eyes with each other while uttering out light growls.
"Incredible it appears that Ash has chosen to use a Tyranitar!"
A fierce sandstorm began kicking up as Tyranitar's ability took hold of the environment around them.
"Stone Edge!"
"Tyra!" Tyranitar roared out as several jagged rocks burst from the ground and rushed towards Dragonite before surrounding him as they closed in.
"Dragooo!" Dragonite uttered out a pain filled cry as the rocks began squishing him.
"Roost!" Golden energy surrounded Dragonite once more but the effects appeared to be even weaker than the previous time with Dragonite looking to have approximately half his energy remaining.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired off the multicolored energy beam towards Tyranitar.
"Tyra.." Tyranitar grunted out.
"Hyper Beam!"
"Tyra!" Tyranitar fired off the orange-yellow energy beam, the blast struck Dragonite's chest resulting in the Dragon temporarily dropping to a knee.
"Roost!" Drake intended to take advantage of Tyranitar's recharge frame. The golden glow surrounded Dragonite only to quickly fade away with little effect.
"Dragoo..."
"Draco Meteor!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired an energy beam into the air which quickly burst into several meteorites which rained down upon the battlefield.
Tyranitar grunted out as the attack repeatedly struck his backside.
"Dark Pulse!" Tyranitar snarled out as a pulse of black-purple static energy fired from his mouth.
"Nite!" Dragonite grunted out as he dropped to one knee upon impact. The Dragon showed signs of fatigue but neither he nor Drake were ready to give up, both merely smirking as they hadn't fought this hard in years!
"Hyper Beam!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite fired off the orange-yellow energy beam which shot through the sandstorm before making contact with Tyranitar's chest. Tyranitar grunted out once more while uttering out a light growl as he glared at Dragonite.
"Let's finish this with Stone Edge!"
"Tyra!" Tyranitar roared out as several jagged stones burst from the ground and shot towards Dragonite.
"Dragonite take flight!"
"Dragoo..." Dragonite flapped his wings as he prepared to take off though his speed was much slower than usual on account of his fatigue. The rocks soon collided against him, crushing him as he cried out. "Dragooo!"
Dragonite's eyes turned to swirls as he remained standing between the rocks before falling to his side as they faded away. "Nite..." Dragonite groaned out.
"I-It appears that Ash has won! It's been well over a decade but we've finally got another Orange League Champion!"
The crowd cheered loudly.
"Alright Ash, you did it!" Chloe cheered.
"Way to go!" Brock cheered.
"That was great!" Tracey cheered.
"I can't believe your little twerp became a Champion!" Jessie, James and Meowth tearfully cried while hugging each other.
"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet cried out as he joined in the tearful hug.
"Bewear..." Bewear pushed through the crowd and calmly picked the four up before carrying them away.
The sandstorm soon faded as the battle came to an end, allowing Ash to see Drake as the champion returned Dragonite. The man didn't appear to be angry nor upset in fact he seemed rather pleased that Ash had beaten him. Drake reached into his pocket and withdrew a large trophy, where he'd been keeping it was anyone's guess, before approaching Ash with a warm pleasant smile.
"Congratulations kid, you beat me fair and square! You're the new Champion of the Orange Islands!" Drake beamed while holding the trophy out towards Ash.
Ash, Pikachu and Tyranitar's eyes turned to stars at the sight of the winner's trophy before uttering out cries of appreciation as Ash took hold of the trophy. "Thanks Drake," He was quick to turn to his Pokemon before performing his signature pose. "Alright we just beat the Orange League!" He shouted while holding the trophy above him.
"Tyra!" Tyranitar roared out.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu posed alongside his trainer as the crowd cheered.
"And there we go!" Drake placed Ash's victory picture and prints up on display right next to those of his father's. "I'll have to do a bit of reorganizing but I believe that this is the perfect display!"
A tear fell from Ash's eye as he saw his picture on display beside his father's, it really warmed him up that a part of them would always be together now. "Thank you... that means a lot."
Chloe gave Ash's shoulder a light pat while directing her attention towards Drake. "I've heard that a Champion has a lot of responsibility does the same apply for the Orange League?"
"Huh? Oh no, there's no responsibility other than being able to accept challenges whenever they come. Which could be at anytime as unlike your typical standard League, we don't have seasons. Ash could have a challenger as soon as tomorrow or maybe even six months from now, who knows!" Drake exclaimed.
"So I'd have to stay here?!" Ash exclaimed with an anxious expression. Ash did love Chloe and intended on marrying her someday but now was certainly not the time to settle down, he wasn't even close to being the very best and he meant no disrespect but he sure wouldn't reach that point by staying in the Orange Islands.
"You could... or you could renounce your status and I'll resume control." Drake motioned towards Cynthia, Alder and Mustard's pictures before stopping at Red's. "They all beat the Champion of their respective times before setting off, you could do the same. You'd no longer be an 'active' Champion but you'd be honored here for centuries!"
"Then I'd like to renounce my status please, there's still so much I have to learn about Pokemon and so many Pokemon that I haven't even seen before!" Ash motioned towards Cynthia, Alder and Mustard's frames. "It's my goal to become a Pokemon Master and be the very best and that means that I've got to beat all of them!"
Drake couldn't help but smirk at Ash's words before performing a respective bow. "Then it'd be my honor to resume my role as Orange League Champion, good luck on your adventure Pokemon Master Ash!"
"So I guess this is where we say goodbye," Tracey frowned as the group stood at Pummelo Island's docks, Tracey held a ticket in one hand.
"You don't have to go yet, you could go Seadra hunting with us!" Ash was quick to offer his friend.
"I'd love to but I promised Ren that I'd head to Vermillion City as soon as you finished the Orange League, I have to keep my word... besides Professor Oak is going to be there tomorrow! If I hurry I might be able to show him my sketches!" Tracey beamed at the idea.
"Professor Oak..?" Ash looked towards the trophy before offering it to Tracey. "Well would you mind passing that along to him? It'll probably get lost if I keep hold of it." He certainly couldn't go Seadra hunting while lugging it around. Besides his mother would be thrilled to see another trophy displayed within the Ketchum Residence!
"Of course, it's the least I could go." Tracey smiled as he took hold of the trophy. "I had a great time traveling around with you guys."
"Yeah, it sure was a blast." Brock smiled while the group thought back to their many adventures; Meeting Lapras for the first time, their encounter with the rare Crystal Onix, Snorlax swallowing Pokeballs whole, the incident with the rare Pink Pokemon, them teaming up with Chase and Elaine to save their Pokemon from Butch and Cassidy, and that mysterious Bewear that kept appearing to scoop Team Rocket up!
The boat horn soon sounded off causing Tracey and Marill to let out an alarmed gasp. "Well I'd best be going, good luck with the Silver League!" Tracey and Marill waved at the group while they rushed onto the boat's docking platform.
"Bye Tracey!" Ash, Brock and Chloe waved after Tracey as the boat pulled away, taking the boy away from the Orange Islands and towards Vermillion City.
"Well I guess I'd better get back Lapras," Ash turned to head towards the Pokemon Center only for Chloe to grab his arm.
"I'd say Lapras deserves a break, why don't we hire an fisherman or captain? I'm sure they'll know a good place to start looking for Seadra." Chloe suggested.
"Good idea," Lapras had been ferrying them around the past few weeks. "Let's ask around."
"Ahem, you're looking for Seadra?" An individual coughed while approaching them, a captain's hat was tilted slightly so that it'd cover their forehead and shadow their face beyond recognition as the sun shined down upon them as they spoke in a deep tone. "I know the perfect spot to catch them."
"You do?! That's awesome!" Ash's eyes lit up. "How much do you charge?"
"I-Ahem, one hundred Pokedollars per hour." The captain coughed once more as their tone lightened for a brief moment.
"That low? You've got a deal, mister!" Ash shook the captain's hand.
The captain smirked before motioning towards a rather old and rugged ship. "That'd be me, you all-ahem, kids ready to go?" They coughed once more as their tone lightened up.
"Yep!" Ash, Chloe and Brock all nodded in response while Pikachu sniffed at the air as there was a similar scent or rather lack of one that was familiar.
"Alright then all aboard my vessel!" The captain motioned towards the boat.
"Luu..." A large shadow swam beneath the boat causing the wind to kick up. The captain let out a gasp as their captain's hat flew off, Ash and the others were boarding the boat so they didn't see Janine anxiously reaching out for the hat before quickly placing it back atop her head. The young ninja uttered out a sigh of relief before following them onto the boat.
"Alright-Ahem, let's get going!"
Koga's eyes shot awake as the beeping of a heart monitor caught his attention, the change was so small and insignificant but his ninja senses were quick to pick up on it. His eyes focused on Agatha's readings as it slowly began recovering to a normal rate, signaling that she'd be awake soon. Koga gave Lance's arm a light nudge causing the final Elite Four member to awake.
"Koga...? What is it...?" Lance sleepily groaned while remaining seated in his chair.
"It's Agatha, she's waking up."
Lance's eyes widened as he shot to his feet. "Then we'll soon know who did this to her and what happened to her Pokemon!"
Tyranitar got his due here, I realized that he got shortchanged in the Indigo League as he didn't battle nearly the same amount as the other powerhouses so I decided to give him the final win and seal his fate as one of Ash's strongest Pokemon!
I hope you all enjoyed the battle, next time it's the end of an adventure as Ash comes face to face with Rex and Yveltal!