Crossroads Chapter 13: Payback
Previously on Crossroads: Ash took Anabel on a date to the Extravagant Milotic, where the two had a great time before getting ice cream in Tohjo Village. The couple then went to the lake, where Ash could finally read Anabel's heart. The pair then shared a kiss and were about to tell each other their feelings, which was cut short as Paul appeared and snatched Anabel away.
Tohjo Falls, Lakeside – Kanto Region
"Anabel, are you okay!?" Yelled Ash, not losing view of Paul or Drapion.
"I'm fine, Ash! It's just a little tight," replied Anabel as Drapion tightened its claw around her waist.
"What the hell Paul? What're you talking about, Payback? This can't just be about the Sinnoh League! I thought we were friends!" Yelled Ash in frustration.
"Friends with you? Please, Ash, becoming friends with you is beneath me. I'm simply here to expose you as the fraud you are!"
"Fraud!? At least we had respect for each other! I might not always agree with your training style, but at least I respected you're a great trainer, and our battle came right down to the wire! Why're you doing this?"
"It's simple, Ash. After losing at the Sinnoh League, I took a hard look at why you managed to beat me. I saw through the deception you had infected me with and realized you were wrong about everything! Your battle against Tobias confirmed my suspicions! You're weak!" Paul began pacing back and forth as he continued condescendingly lecturing his rival.
"I concluded you won only because of Infernape. You might've been the one to harness Blaze, but I was the one to train Chimchar. I honed its power to the level before you took it in. The only thing you did was leech off my hard work, and I researched to prove it!"
"Paul, are you nuts?!" Ash responded, still trying to figure out how to save Anabel from Drapion's clutches. "You're the one who released Chimchar in the first place, claiming it was weak! Don't blame me just because I managed to harness Blaze when you didn't!"
"You don't seem to understand, Ash. In both of our full battles, Infernape accounted for four of the eight Pokémon you managed to knock out. If it weren't for all the training I gave Chimchar in the first place, then you never would've trained Infernape to the potential I knew it had!"
"I always saw the potential Chimchar had from the start! I thought we were past all this, Paul, that you had moved on to the challenge, Brandon again! Why come back to Kanto? And what gives you the right to take my girlfriend away!?"
"Oh, I'm here to challenge Brandon, but first, I'll prove once and for all that without your precious fire monkey, your victory over me was a fluke! Not even the motivation to save your little girlfriend will help!"
"Arghhh, THAT'S IT!" Ash snapped. "The emotionless rival, I could handle. Your treatment of Pokémon, I hoped, would change. But kidnapping someone to get what you want? I can't believe you'd stoop so low! But if it's a battle you want, I'll give it to you!" He grabbed a Pokéball off his belt and cast it into the air, calling, "Heracross, I choose you!"
"Hera-cro!" the Single Horn Pokémon announced as it formed in a flash of bright light.
"How fitting, a pathetic Pokémon for a pathetic trainer." Paul droned, palming his Pokéball. "Honchkrow, Stand by for Battle!" he called, releasing the Big Boss Pokémon.
"This will be a three-on-three battle, just like the times before Lake Acuity. Now, it's time to show how pathetic you are without all my work with Infernape!
Ash's response was short and to the point. "Heracross, Stone Edge!" White rings formed around the bug, coalescing into sharp rocks, which fired at Honchkrow.
"Honchkrow, fly to evade and counter with Dark Pulse!"
The Flying-type took off, easily evading the Stone Edge, before creating an orb of dark energy in its wings and firing a beam of dark rings from it towards Heracross.
"Heracross, remember your training!" Ash encouraged. "Shield yourself with Bug Buzz and charge through with Megahorn!"
"Hera…. CRO," it responded, powering up its horn with a bright light. As it spread its beetle-like wings and sped towards the incoming Dark Pulse, their vibrations formed a red shimmer that cloaked the Fighting-Type bug. Using the resistance from the typically offensive move, Heracross met the attack head-on and cut straight through, targeting Honchkrow with its Megahorn attack.
"Honchkrow, break off and use Haze, then follow with Aerial Ace!" Paul ordered, no trace of worry on his face.
As Heracross continued the charge, the barrage of Dark rings suddenly broke off before being replaced with a wave of smoky mist. Unable to see its opponent, it came to an indecisive halt, its Bug Buzz defense dissipating.
Almost immediately, Honchkrow burst from the cloud, white streaks cascading around it, and nailed the Single Horn Pokémon just behind its signature feature, sending it crashing into the ground.
"Do you see how pathetic you are yet?" Paul called as Heracross struggled to its feet. "You should know better than trying to use brute force to beat me!"
Ash gritted his teeth and ignored Paul's remark in favor of trying to perform two more important tasks - planning how to save Anabel and fighting against Paul. His split attention cost him; his following command brought a smirk to Paul's face.
"Heracross, go in with Close Combat!" Heracross, trusting his trainer's instructions, immediately sprung forward to try and land the powerful Fighting-type attack on Honchkrow.
"Hmph, Honchkrow, blow it away with Sky Attack."
Honchkrow illuminated with white streaks and charged at Heracross. Its performer unable to switch to defense in time, Heracross's Fighting-type attack was rebuffed by the Flying-type aura shielding Honchkrow, who then bashed the Bug-type with its glowing wings.
"Heracross, no!" Ash yelled, emotions running at full blast as the Single Horn Pokémon hurled toward the ground and created a small crater at the point of impact.
"Hera-cross…" the bug groaned from in the crater.
"Heh heh..." Paul chuckled darkly, "Don't you see, Ash? Without Infernape, you don't stand a chance! Now quit standing there baffled and choose your next Pokémon."
As Ash raised his arm to recall Heracross, he suddenly stopped when he saw the Bug-type climbing back onto his feet, the red glow of Endure fading to reveal numerous scratches and bruises.
"Heracross…" Ash muttered quietly, sympathizing with the pain his Pokémon felt. His raw emotions told him to call back Heracross before it got hurt anymore - but before he could, his Pokémon interrupted.
"HERA- HERA-CRO!" yelled the Bug-type, anger evident in its voice. Its force caused Ash to take a step back in hesitation. He resolved to focus more on the battle, but that resolution soon wavered when he remembered Anabel was still captive.
"Don't worry about me, Ash!" the Salon Maiden told him, having spotted Espeon running back towards the cabin to warn her brother. "Focus on winning - I know you can d- MMMMPPPHHH!" Drapion's claw across her mouth cut off her reply, so she switched to mental communication. "I know you can do it! Believe in yourself and your Pokémon!"
Ash drew strength from her message and nodded in affirmation, "Anabel… I'll save you no matter what! You've stood by my side for so long, supported me in everything I do, while almost all I've done is ignore your true feelings for me just because of my stupid denseness! Well, no more! I won't give up on you, and I won't give up on my Pokémon!
"Paul may have humiliated me in battle, insulted the way I train Pokémon, insulted me as a person, but stealing away the person I've come to realize I might love? That's the last straw, and I won't stand for it anymore!"
Ash ended his thought as Paul taunted, "Saying a prayer before I beat you again?"
"No! Heracross, let's do it! Use Hyper Beam at max power!" roared Ash, pointing at Honchkrow.
"Grateful for his trainer's change in attitude, it got down on all fours and pointed his horn towards Honchkrow, summoning a ball of orange energy at its tip. Right before the attack, Heracross glowed red, creating a spiral pattern of energy that wrapped around the sphere, causing it to look like it was spinning.
Paul's eyes grew wide as he saw the immense power of the Reversal-boosted beam, which spread out wide enough to eliminate any chance of dodging. Unable to do anything, Honchkrow was swallowed up entirely by the blast of energy, which followed tradition and caused an explosion.
Even as confident as he was, Paul couldn't help a slight feeling of uncertainty as the smoke cleared from the shocking attack. Luckily for him, Honchkrow was still flying, but the attack had taken out a significant portion of its health. "Honchkrow, finish with Aerial Ace!"
Honchkrow reacted immediately, dashing forward and nailing the bug, which still had to recharge.
Unable to resist, the immobile Heracross was blasted back into a tree. However, it couldn't get back up this time, and it slumped against the tree with swirls in its eyes.
"Heracross, return," Ash called, returning the Bug-type to its Pokéball. "I'm sorry I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the beginning. I hope you can forgive me."
Through his connection with Anabel, he sensed a feeling of forgiveness emanating from his partner's Pokéball as he returned it to his belt. Choosing another one, he threw it into the air, calling out, "Kingler, I choose you!"
"Ko-ke! Ko-ke!" Called Kingler as it formed onto the field in front of Ash.
"Hmph, another pathetic Pokémon I can easily defeat." Paul mocked, looking away from the giant crab. "Don't you have anything stronger, loser?"
"All of my Pokemon are strong! I trust them all, and you'll see it firsthand! Kingler, use Bubblebeam!"
"Honchkrow, counter with Air Slash!"
The Pincer Pokémon quickly fired out a stream of colored bubbles towards Honchkrow, but the Big Boss Pokémon responded by creating a swirling ball of air in its wings and proceeding to throw it towards the stream of bubbles. Just before impact, the sphere split up into several disks of wind reminiscent of saw blades.
The blades of wind collided with the bubbles, popping them and spreading the water vapor through the air. As Ash peered through the fog to try and spot Paul's Pokémon, his rival ordered, "Honchkrow, follow with Aerial Ace!"
Relying on the sharpness of its avian eyesight to distinguish its target, Honchkrow quickly sped forwards to attack Kingler - but this time, Ash decided to play defensively. "Kingler, hold your ground and defend with Crabhammer! Then use Hyper Beam!"
As Honchkrow appeared on Kingler's side of the field, the Pincer Pokémon raised its giant claw, focusing energy until the appendage began glowing white. It swung its powered-up pincer down at Honchkrow, smashing it into the ground with a 'THUD' powerful enough to make it ricochet off the ground and back into the air slightly. Kingler then switched claws, positioning its other pincer in front of Honchkrow's face and unleashing a powerful Hyper Beam directly into the Big Boss Pokémon.
Honchkrow flew backward towards Paul, its trajectory acting as a final Defog to clear the area of the lingering mist before it skidded across the ground to its trainer's feet with swirls in its eyes.
"Alright! Way to go, Kingler!" Called Ash, pumping his fist in the air.
Paul grunted in annoyance as he pulled out Honchkrow's Pokéball and recalled it. "I'll deal with you later," he muttered before pocketing it and taking out another. "Torterra, Stand by for Battle!"
The Sinnoh Grass starter emerged from its Pokéball and roared, "Tor-TERRA!"
Ash unconsciously took a small step back, remembering the power Torterra held; Paul rightfully considered it one of his strongest Pokémon.
"So what do you think now? If you think you can beat Torterra with that weakling, there's no hope for you! Torterra, use Stone Ed-"
He was interrupted by a new voice yelling, "Boltblast, Thunder! Excalibur, get Anabel!" In response, a blast of lightning came from the sky and struck Drapion's tail, making the Poison-type lose its hold on the Salon Maiden, whose hair was slightly frizzed by her proximity to the blast.
"The hell is going on!?" Paul roared, unable to stop the Gallade who had hidden in the trees from jumping in to rescue Anabel from his recovering Drapion.
The Gallade landed next to Ash and released Anabel, who immediately ran over and engulfed him in a hug, her Flint-style hair tickling his nose.
"Great work, Excalibur!" Corey commented as he emerged from behind a tree near Ash, flanked by a quadrupedal of Pokémon.
It wasn't Boltblast, though – he had been behind a tree closer to Drapion. No, the Pokémon who stood proudly beside Corey was none other than Anabel's Espeon.
"Corey!" he exclaimed, disengaging one arm to face the new arrival. "Thanks for the save there!"
"That was faster than expected," Anabel commented. "How did you get here so fast?"
"Well… back when you first left, I had a bad feeling about the evening; I was glad you told me where to find you. When I felt a small earthquake from over in that general area, I went out to check what was happening – and lo and behold, who do I meet but Espeon? She explained the situation to me - a Drapion trapped you, and Ash was battling some creep with purple hair." Corey elaborated. "Speaking of which, how dare you kidnap my sister!" he called, turning to Paul, who was extremely irked by the spanner in the works of his plan.
"It is still salvageable, though…" the Veilstone native mused before firing a retort. "You say purple hair like it's a bad thing – you realize you're insulting yourself? And your sister?"
His reply, not being the kind of response Corey was looking for, was ignored by the former Conference Champion, who continued, "Anyway, that's when I planned out my strategy to rescue you. By the way, who is that guy, and what happened in the world? Espeon only gave me information about the current scenario."
"He's my rival from the Sinnoh region. I thought I had become friends with him after the league, but it seems that was all a front. Why else would he kidnap Anabel during the middle of our conversation?"
Before Corey could ask what the conversation was about, Ash continued, "Anyway, after that, he challenged me to a battle, and you can see what happened next."
Corey was suspicious of Ash's reluctance to discuss what was going on, believing there was more to it than simple talking, but pushed it aside in favor of the matter at hand. "Hmph, what a jerk," he replied angrily. "Let me handle this, Ash. This guy hurt my sister, and I will pay him back like you wouldn't believe! I'll give him a fight so spicy that he'll taste the bitter flavor of defeat for days!"
"Hold on a minute, Cilan – er, I mean Corey," Ash corrected himself, facepalming with one arm as he moved the other into the path of Anabel's brother. "This is my fight."
"Ugh, fine, Ash," Corey conceded. "I guess you have first dibs on this battle since he ruined your date."
"Thanks, Corey." Ash turned back to face his rival and said, "Hey, Paul! Just because Anabel is free now doesn't mean this is over! I'm still going to show that you're wrong!"
"Still as overconfident as ever, I see…." Paul thought, smirking at Ash's response. "Bring it on, loser! Unless, of course, you need one last pep talk to convince you of the futility of your challenge…."
Over with Ash and Anabel, that 'pep talk' was happening but with the opposite intentions. "I'm sorry this had to happen, Ash," she whispered, giving him one last hug before the battle continued. "I know you can and will beat him, and then I'll finally be able to finish what I was going to say before."
"Why wait?" he asked, knowing what it would be. "Why not just say it now?"
"Okay then, I love you, Ash!"
Even knowing the answer, Ash couldn't avoid freezing up a bit and responded, "I love you too, Anabel. Now let me go beat him!"
Anabel nodded, quickly kissing the young trainer before retreating to stand next to her brother. Corey's mouth looked like an anchor held it down, but Anabel responded with a "You'll understand soon enough" face and an elated fist-pump, basically shutting the door on any comments that Corey would have made.
The look of disgust was not unique to him, however; Paul's face held mirrored emotion (albeit for different reasons). "You're both sick with illusion! I'll never understand how losers like you refuse to recognize the futility of "happy" emotions towards people and Pokémon. It makes me sick!"
"Paul, you're wrong." Ash countered. "Having emotions is something everyone should be able to experience, even you. I know you can change – everyone can – so why do you refuse? Whatever happened to the Sinnoh League?"
"That was my moment of self-doubt, just like the one you're about to undergo. However, unlike me, you won't be able to recover."
Ash sighed. "I guess now isn't the time to try and convince you of the truth; let's just continue."
"It's about time you recognized that," Paul remarked snidely. "Torterra, use Stone Edge!"
"Kingler, block them with Crabhammer!" Ash called as the Continent Pokémon summoned rings of rocky energy, which quickly coalesced into boulders.
Torterra sent the wave of sharp rocks toward Kingler, who responded by powering up its pincer and striking the ground—summoning a round white ball of energy, which burst on the leading stone and sent out a shockwave that stopped them all in their tracks.
"Now use Stomp!" Ash instructed, switching back to the offense.
Kingler moved towards Torterra and began to perform the attack, but Paul called out, "Torterra, counter with Giga Drain!"
The spikes on Torterra's back began glowing bright green, and vines of energy emerged from them, proceeding to wrap around Kingler.
The attack affected the Pincer Pokémon, but it pushed through, bringing its left legs down onto the Continent Pokémon's head.
"Frenzy Plant!" Paul ordered, and Torterra released its hold on Kingler, who pushed it slightly backward with the power of its now unrestricted Stomp attack. Torterra quickly recovered its ground by summoning giant spiked vines from the ground that targeted Kingler's face. The sheer power of the strike propelled the crab back towards Ash.
Knowing the two attacks must have taken a toll on him, Ash decided to keep his distance so he had more time to prepare a defense. "Kingler, attack with Bubblebeam!"
Kingler fired a barrage of bubbles toward Torterra; the attack connected with the giant turtle needing to recover from using Frenzy Plant earlier.
Knowing Torterra could easily shrug off the strikes, Paul calmly instructed, "Hmph, finish off that weakling with another Frenzy Plant!"
"Just what I was waiting for!" Ash thought. "Alright, Kingler - block it with Protect!" he yelled as Torterra sent another wave of vines towards Kingler. Before the spiked vines made contact, the Pincer Pokémon created a green shield in front of it, effectively blocking the attack. "Perfect! Now, go in with Crabhammer while he recharges again!"
Kingler quickly made its way back over to Torterra, knowing after many uses of Frenzy Plant in a short period, Torterra would need to recharge. Secure in that knowledge; it did not attempt evasion, following the straightest path toward the Sinnoh Grass starter. Lifting its massive pincer brought it crashing onto Torterra's head, causing the Pokémon to grunt in pain before scuttling sideways out of its opponent's line of fire.
Even though his starter had plenty of fight left, Paul was annoyed Kingler had been able to get that many hits in. "Torterra, finish with Hyper Beam!" he called, traces of negative emotion breaking through his mask of nonchalance.
"Kingler, counter with your own Hyper Beam!" roared Ash, pointing towards Torterra.
"This is going to be big! I would get back!" Corey advised his sister, taking refuge behind a tree. Anabel nodded in agreement and ducked behind another, accompanied by Espeon.
Both battling Pokémon charged up the powerful attack and, once finished, unleashed it with all their might on their respective opponent. The beams on each side were enormous, their combined power approaching that of a Legendary – too bad they were battling each other instead of working together. The balance of power between the two fluctuated, escaping energy-fueling wind that whipped at the lake's surface, lashing it into a foamy typhoon. Leaves blew off nearby bushes, and trees swayed in the wind, mimicking the effects of a hurricane.
"Wow, that's strong – but not as strong as Mewtwo's…." Ash thought, leaning into the wind to avoid being blown over. He then did a double-take, almost losing his footing for a second. "Wait a minute… I didn't see him make one on Mt. Quena, so what am I remembering? I don't remember meeting him before that… I hope he's doing well."
His reminiscing was interrupted by Kingler calling, "I shall succeed/Against this weed!" As it pushed all its remaining strength into its attack. However, it just wasn't enough – Torterra drew strength from its Ingrained vines and inserted one final burst of energy into the blast, causing the inferno to be thrown back towards Kingler. The crab's hastily erected Protect could only shield it slightly, and it rocketed backward past Ash and through several trees before finally stopping. As expected, it had swirls in its eyes.
"Argh, Kingler! Are you okay?!" Ash called as he ran to the Pincer Pokémon.
"I did my best," groaned Kingler as he slightly regained conciseness, "but failed the test."
"Do you have a rhyme for every occasion, Kingler?" Ash chuckled, pulling out its Pokéball. "You did a great job; take a nice long rest." He returned Kingler and walked back to the battlefield, where an exhausted Torterra stood triumphantly beside a smirking Paul.
Grabbing his last Pokéball, Ash whispered softly, "This is my first real battle with you in a long time… I'm looking forward to seeing how much you've grown! Pidgeot, I choose you!" Ash threw Pidgeot's Pokéball into the air, revealing the powerful Flying-type as it spread its wings triumphantly.
Paul's smirk widened upon seeing Ash's choice. He wasn't using the Pokémon he was least prepared to counter (his attempts to switch out for Magmortar or Froslass had failed, as Reggie had been unavailable at the time). And even if he had, it's not like a puny Bulbasaur could have done much…
"Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled, interrupting Paul's thoughts, and Pidgeot made a quick loop in mid-air and shot towards Torterra. The turtle braced itself for the attack – but it was still pushed back a couple of feet, unable to resist a fresh Flying-type completely.
"Frenzy Plant!" called Paul, trying to take out as much of Pidgeot's energy as possible. Torterra responded by launching several spiked vines towards Pidgeot, who was circling in mid-air above Ash.
"Pidgeot, dodge with Quick Attack and then finish with Sky Attack!"
Pidgeot saw the spiked vines incoming and quickly began dodging, swerving in between them while surrounded by a white glow. After avoiding the attack, the white glow turned red as Pidgeot started speeding towards the recharging Torterra. Just before impact, the red light morphed into fiery flames, which sent the Sinnoh starter skidding across the ground. It stood its ground defiantly for a second before its legs finally gave out, falling onto its stomach with swirls in its eyes.
Paul looked over at his now defeated started Pokémon and lifted his arm. "Torterra, return." He didn't say anything negative, as Torterra was his starter Pokémon and most loyal companion, making him worthy of at least some respect. (That, and his soft spot for the giant turtle had never wholly disappeared, neither during his initial attitude change nor his relapse.)
He wordlessly pocketed the Pokéball and removed another. He then looked back at Ash and derisively said, "Even a loser like you should know what's coming next."
The realization hit Ash like a punch to the gut, bringing Paul some satisfaction as he threw his Pokéball into the air. "Electivire, stand by for battle!" In a flash of bright light, the Thunderbolt Pokémon emerged onto the field, ready to give it's opponent a pounding.
A malicious grin grew as it noticed who it was facing. "Electi, Electivire!"
"Come on, Ash! You can do it!" Anabel yelled, attempting to pass on the confidence she didn't quite feel. Corey just stood there, quietly observing the matchup.
"This is bad. Not only does Electivire have a type advantage, but Pidgeot just battled against Torterra! Although Pidgeot didn't take any damage, it must be a little tired from the energy it had to expend while taking it out. I don't know how Ash will get himself out of this one." Corey thought, mirroring Ash's mental state.
"So this was your plan all along, eh Paul?" Asked Ash, trying to stall for time so he could think of a plan himself, his hands clenched in frustration.
"Well, unlike a loser like yourself, I had a plan coming into this battle - and you played right into it. You really are pathetic – and it's time you realized it!"
Ash had finally had enough, and he snapped, "Paul... you calling me pathetic for not preparing for a battle I didn't even know about is ridiculous! You're the one who ambushed me, forced me into this battle, and keep degrading my Pokemon and me! I've had enough!"
Paul uncharacteristically took a step back, not used to the outrage coming from Ash.
"The only Pokemon you treat with any kind of respect is Torterra and Electivire! The rest you treat like crap, and if you think you can beat me with your messed-up philosophy, you're wrong! It's not a coincidence your two strongest Pokemon are the ones you show respect to!"
Paul's eyes widened upon hearing that from Ash, realizing Torterra and Electivire were his strongest Pokemon, yet they were the ones he showed the most respect to.
"Arghh, doesn't that make sense to you, Paul? It doesn't have to be like this!"
Paul shrugged it off and said, "You don't get it either, Ash, and you never will. I need strong Pokemon like Torterra and Electivire to command the respect of my lesser Pokemon. Only through pushing them through their limits from a strong starting base of where I first caught them can I make them achieve what I want! After I win, you'll understand the pain it takes to become strong!"
Ash yelled, unable to restrain his temper any longer, "Enough talking! Pidgeot, fly up and use Air Slash!"
"Electivire, intercept with Brick Break, then follow with Thunder!"
Pidgeot flew high into the air and created an orb of swirling wind, throwing it towards Electivire. As it traveled, the attack did the same thing as with Honchkrow, again taking on the unfamiliar appearance – so Electivire opted to substitute Light Screen for Brick Break. The bladed discs of air burst on the golden shield, their Special Attack nature working against them, and Electivire followed up with a stream of electricity.
"Pidgeot, avoid it with Quick Attack!" called Ash frantically, spurring Pidgeot to stop staring and dodge – just in time to avoid the incoming attack.
"Hmph, Electivire, use Thunder on the field!" Electivire smirked and ignited its twin tails in electricity, blasting rocks loose from the field with the voltage generated. Manipulating the electrical tendrils, it scooped up the floating rocks and sent them towards Pidgeot, resembling a Stone Edge.
Ash remembered Paul using this technique during their battle at the Sinnoh League and yelled, "Pidgeot, use your Aerial Ace to dodge!"
Pidgeot quickly increased his speed and sped through the incoming rocks, summoning a short-duration Steel Wing to help shield his wings from lucky hits. He managed to get safely but didn't expect Paul's next move. "Electivire, use your tails to jump! Then use ThunderPunch!"
Electivire used its powerful tails to jump towards Pidgeot, who was backpedaling in surprise, making him an easy target. In a flash, the Thunderbolt Pokémon appeared in front of Pidgeot and struck him with a powerful electrical punch. The force of the attack sent Pidgeot hurtling towards the ground, causing Ash to call, "Pidgeot, regain your balance! Then swing back around for an Aerial Ace!"
Pidgeot drew strength from his trainer's words and spread his wings wide, slowing down as he opened his eyes to regain his bearings. With the agility of a Flying-type, he managed to pull up before hitting the ground, making a U-turn (not the move) and charging back towards Electivire. Once again, their velocities reduced the victim's reaction time, and the descending Electivire was nailed in the chest by Pidgeot's attack.
Even having seen similar scenarios before, Anabel and Corey could not help but be awed by Pidgeot's ability to recover – it seemed like you saw it anew every time it happened, and the excitement never faded.
Electivire managed to execute a wobbly three-point landing, wincing from the critical hit it had suffered. A look from its trainer soon refocused it, though.
"Thunder!" Paul called, not worried at all about the Flying-type Pokémon.
"Pidgeot! Dodge that and go in with Sky Attack!"
"Dodge that and go in with Volt Tackle!" A voice echoed in Corey's mind. Remembering Ash's counter from when they first battled, his eyes widened as he called, "Ash! It's a trap – just like I used against you!"
Ash looked back at Corey, thinking back to their battle – and suddenly, he realized what was happening. As the red aura around Pidgeot turned into flames, Ash yelled, "Pidgeot, stop! It's a trap!"
"Too late!" Paul gloated. "Electivire, Protect!" Electivire smiled and projected a green barrier in front of itself, blocking Pidgeot's Sky Attack and redirecting it into the ground.
"Pidgeot! Get up and fly away with Aerial Ace!" Ash called - but Paul beat him to the punch.
"Electivire, grab Pidgeot, and use Thunder at max power!" Electivire sprang forward and wrapped its tail around Pidgeot, leaving the Bird Pokémon struggling futilely with nowhere to go.
"Electivire, NOW!"
"Pidgeot, NO!"
"Pidgeot cried, suffering greatly from the super-powered electric move. The attack was almost identical to what happened against Infernape in the Sinnoh League – but unlike Infernape, Pidgeot could not survive Electivire's finishing move. When Electivire finally released Pidgeot, the charred Bird Pokémon lay helpless on the ground with swirls in its eyes.
"Ash, no…" Anabel whispered, covering her mouth with her hands as Corey approached and put a hand on her shoulder. Her disappointment was mirrored in Ash's eyes as he sunk to his knees and returned Pidgeot – although it was hard to tell under the shadow of his hat.
Paul nodded in approval as he returned Electivire to its Pokéball. "Just like I thought! You're helpless without your precious Infernape!" He derided his rival. "Your lack of strategy demonstrates how much of a pathetic loser you truly are. Those stupid emotions you hold so close to your heart are the exact thing holding you back from… well, not being as much of a loser as you are now."
Corey decided enough was enough and decided to step in before Ash's confidence was shattered completely. "Enough! Haven't you done enough damage already! I bet your remaining team members wouldn't stand a chance against me – if you believe yourself right, how about you prove it against me?"
"Corey Lila, I presume?" Paul questioned, receiving a nod in response. "As interesting as a battle between us would be, I believe I've proven my point." Turning his attention back to Ash, he added, "However, I will give some advice - if you want to become stronger, abandon these pathetic ideas about emotion and focus on strength. If you don't, you'll never stand a chance at defeating me again, much less 'become a Pokémon Master.'"
Anabel looked away from the despondent Ash and said, "You take that back! I know Ash can become a great trainer - he already is one! He's the kind of person who gives up everything for his Pokémon, and you're just a jerk to them. You don't care about any of them, only about strength – which isn't everything in this world! Need I remind you he 'actually' beat Brandon?"
"I'm not the one you should be giving that little speech to; he's the one that could use some help right now. I'll defeat Brandon and return to show you my victory."
Before either of the two could respond, Paul walked away, feeling that he need say no more.
Anabel ignored his exit, turning back to Ash and asking, "Ash, are you okay?"
Ash didn't answer, instead picking himself up, gently pushing her away, and wordlessly heading back towards the cabin.
Author's Note:
I feel like this chapter is much smoother now than the first go-round. For the record, the part where Kingler talked was just a fun part from before, so I kept it in, but not into the whole Pokemon talking thing.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed Ash vs. Paul; here is the title of the next chapter:
Crossroads Chapter 14: A New Ash
Cyclone20
