Ok, so this story gotten 50 followers and I'm so proud. Thank you to all the people who've supported this story. This chapter is essential to setting up the high stakes in the next chapter.
Also, people had a lot of fun trying to guess the next pokémon that Ash will be getting. Don't worry, he will indeed get two new pokémon, excluding Aerodactyl. Also, Ash will get more than 6 pokémon and will be rotating them frequently.
The constant and easy rotation is why I had Ash get a Rotom Phone, other than the fact that it's just very cool. Also, he will get a Rotom Bike when he has the time to backtrack to Cerulean City.
While some reviewers did manage to successfully manage to guess the dark type pokémon, I was a little surprised by how popular Sneasel is among readers. Unfortunately, no one yet has managed to guess the Fire Type Pokémon.
The Fire Type pokémon will be appearing soon and the only clue I can give is that it's a starter pokémon and it's not Charizard. One hint for the Dark Type is that it will be given to Ash by a beloved character, kind of like in the games, so that should be a sufficient hint.
Coming back to the story, I'm very excited for the SS Anne Tournament. Also, these few chapters are going to have a huge impact on Ash and his friends. Also, we're going to get another one of Ash's rivals in this chapter, other than Gary of course.
Also just watched the Pokémon Gotcha video that was released last year and it's still so good. That video is definitely peak Pokémon franchise to me. I just wish that video would be dubbed in English so I could actually understand the words instead of looking at the subtitles.
Vermilion Harbor
"How it's going Ashy boy?" taunted a cocky Gary. Ash managed to keep his cool and taunted "Better than you, Gare bear." Gary shook his head and said hello to Leaf.
"So, Ash how is exactly is a poor trainer like you able to afford a room on the SS Anne. Don't tell me you signed up to become a waiter just to get on the ship" mocked Gary.
"Well Gary, I and Leaf managed to get the tickets from Bill, who invented the PC system. I suppose you only managed to get a ticket because Prof Oak didn't want to come" replied Ash coolly.
"Yeah, whatever Ashy boy, no matter how managed to get on this ship. Are you ready for me to humiliate you in battle?" asked Gary ignoring Ash.
"Well, Gary it's you who's going to be the loser. I'll beat you in battle right here, right now" said Ash finally getting agitated. Ash and Gary's rivalry had been going for nearly 5 years now. It had started in school, when Gary would beat Ash in tests and Ash would humiliate Gary in simulated battles.
"No, it wouldn't be fun for me to defeat you here right now. Instead, I say that we compete in the SS Anne tournament. Whoever gets the higher rank, will be the better trainer" offered Gary.
"Yeah, bring it on, Gare bear. It going to be sad for you when you lose in the first round, and I win the complete tournament," said a confident Ash.
"Hey, don't get too confident guys. I'm going to beat both of your asses in the tournament" said Leaf, finally speaking after getting tired of their argument.
SS Anne, later that Day
Ash and Leaf spent the last hour exploring the ship after they had checked into their rooms. The rooms themselves were certainly deserving of the First Class status of the SS Anne. Ash and Leaf had received a single suite from their ticket, but the suite itself contained multiple rooms inside it, for the rich civilian families that were commonplace on the SS Anne.
The SS Anne had no dearth of trainers either. Everywhere Ash could see, trainers were battling, talking, and trading pokémon. There were lots of exhibition matches going on everywhere by trainers eager to prove their worth.
Ash himself had beaten one such trainer, an old gentleman showing off his prized Raticate. After defeating him rather easily, the old man had even offered to trade Ash his Luxio in exchange for his Raticate. Ash had almost snorted on hearing that ridiculous offer but managed to contain himself and turn down the offer gently.
Leaf was loving the different pokémon on display and the different items that vendors were selling. She had even brought a golden magikarp, due to feeling sorry for her.
Ash had taken complete advantage of the variety of battle items on sale and outfitted his entire item with new held items. Saur had gotten a leftovers, Kadabra and Faye had gotten eviolites and Luxio and Trapinch had received Life Orbs.
While the items would generally be extremely expensive, they were on sale for the upcoming tournaments and Ash was able to afford them without bankrupting himself.
Both Ash and Leaf had signed up for the SS Anne tournament in the Novice category. Thankfully, they only had 3 badges, so it was almost guaranteed that they would be amongst the most powerful trainers in the category.
The Tournament would be held in three phases with the Rookie category first and the Advanced category last. This meant that only kids and other trainers would be watching his matches, while the adults enjoyed their alone time.
Even Ash was excited to win this tournament and spend the rest of the time relaxing with Leaf and his pokémon. Ash was even hoping to spend more time with Leaf doing couples activities. Especially going swimming or paragliding.
SS Anne, Next day
The tournament had started a few hours, with the rookie category comprising of 32 trainers. Ash was up against a guy named Trip, a trainer from Unova. He had even tried to talk to talk to him before their battle, to try and scout out what kind of trainer he was.
After talking to him, the only word Ash could think of was ignorant idiot. Apparently, he thought that Ash was a hillbilly because he was from the "boonies", whatever that meant.
When asked why he was in Kanto if it was so backwards, he replied that he was confident that he was going to beat this redneck region, before becoming the Champion of Unova. Ash vowed that he was going to make him eat his words.
Leaf had also beaten her opponent rather easily and even Gary had managed to qualify for the next round. Ash's match was the last one of this round and he was waiting for it to start.
After hearing the announcer call his name, he started going to the podium, where the commentator was giving his opinion on the match. "Folks, this is the last match of the day between Ash Ketchum, a Kanto native and Trip Shooty, a trainer from the exotic Unova."
"So, hillbilly, ready to lose to a real trainer?" sneered Trip. "Sure, but I don't see one here, so that isn't going to be a problem" replied Ash coolly.
"Enough trainers. This will b match between Ash Ketchum and Trip Shooty. Item usage and substitutions are not allowed but held items are allowed" explained the referee.
The screen showed that Trip had lost the toss and had to send out his pokémon first. Trip released a Servine, and Ash released Faye onto the field.
"Servine, use Leech Seed on Clefairy. Then knock it out using Leaf Tornado" ordered Trip. Ash smiled on hearing his order and waited for the right moment. Just as Servine was able to trap Faye using Leech Seed, Ash ordered her to use Encore.
Ash smiled seeing Trip's confusion and rage at the encore and ordered Faye to use Disarming Voice. Trip tried to get the match back on track by ordering Servine to dodge till the encore was over, or Clefairy was knocked out by the Leech Seed.
"People, Ash has employed a cunning strategy, effectively trapping Servine into a completely useless move with Encore. Clefairy's ability also prevents Leech Seed from causing it any damage. Will Trip be able to turn the table or not?" explained the commentator.
Trip was getting frustrated that Clefairy wasn't getting hurt by Leech Seed at all and since the Field was so small, Servine had no way to dodge Disarming Voice. Ash could smile in glee as Servine was knocked out in short order, having done nothing at all.
"And with that one sided match, we conclude the Day 1 of the pokémon tournament" announced the commentator.
Ash was even happier to see Trip go red with rage and run from the podium after clicking a photo of Ash for some reason. He waved to the cheering crowd and went to meet Leaf.
Unknown Location aboard the SS Anne
"So, is everything in place for our plan to execute?" asked the calm voice on the other side of the line. The voice was coming from the receiver kept on the table.
"Yes boss, most of the crew has been threatened into silence or joined Team Rocket. Only the captain is left, and he will offer no resistance" assured the red headed woman.
"Remember Ariana, the SS Anne is the cornerstone of our plan to take over Kanto. If this doesn't go well for Team Rocket, it will not go well for you either. Do not disappoint me" ordered the Boss.
SS Anne, Two Days Later
After having won his previous two matches handily yesterday, Ash was pumped for the Semi Final Battle. The advancing 4 trainers were Ash, Leaf, Gary, and Tyson. Tyson was a trainer from Hoenn and was accompanied ever by his starter, Meowth. Meowth's strength and coolness had earned Tyson the admiration of many children watching the matches.
Even Ash was popular among the kids due to his cute Clefairy and intimidating Luxio. The most popular trainer in the tournament by far was Gary though, his position as Oak's grandson, his cool swagger, and the wide assortment of pokémon meant that he was the fan favorite of the tournament. Even Leaf had her own set of admirers, though they were mostly of an undesirable sort.
Ash waited in anticipation to see how the matches would be arranged. He didn't have to wait for long though, as the match ups were soon displayed on the screen. Ash was up against Tyson, while Leaf was up against Gary in the Semi Finals.
Since his match was first, he started going up to the trainer's box, to prepare his pokémon for the match. Since he only knew about one of Tyson's pokémon, his Meowth, Ash was mostly going into blind.
After having his mood improved by Leaf's good luck kiss, he headed out to field, feeling excited and pumped for the battle. "Viewers, this the first Semi Final match between one of Pallet's new gems Ash Ketchum and Hoenn's Tyson. Both of trainers have similar battling styles, having shown that they are both calculating and cunning trainers" pumped up the commentator.
"This will b match between Ash Ketchum and Tyson. Item usage and substitutions are not allowed but held items are allowed" explained the referee. Unfortunately, Ash lost the coin toss and had to send out his pokémon first.
He decided to try a scouting tactic and sent out Kadabra, Tyson sent out his Donphan in response. Ash decided to recall Kadabra and sent out his Trapinch. Tyson took the free turn and ordered Donphan to use Defense Curl and then rollout, causing Ash to realize his strategy.
"Trapinch use the same strategy we used during Lt Surge's battle. Make the field full of holes," said a smiling Ash. Although Donphan was able to hit Trapinch with a rollout, Trapinch was able to dodge the rest of its attacks by using Dig constantly.
Soon, the field was full of holes, making rollout impossible for Donphan to use. "That was an innovative trick Ash. But let's see how you deal with my next pokémon" complimented Tyson. He recalled Donphan and sent out a Grovyle.
Ash recalled Trapinch and sent out Saur, revealing all of his pokémon to Tyson. Though Ash was reasonably sure that Tyson's last pokémon was going to be his trademark Meowth.
"Saur use Poison Powder on Grovyle and then use Headbutt," said Ash. Ash's conundrum was that his usual strategies were useless against Grovyle, due to its speed and typing, and Ash had little better options. Tyson ordered Groyvle to protect himself from the powder using Detect.
Thankfully, although Saur was unable to poison Grovyle due to it using Detect, he was able to hit it with a powerful Headbutt. The Headbutt did significant damage, knocking Grovyle back from the force.
"Grovyle, use Bullet Seed on Ivysaur and keep it far away from you" said Tyson. While Grovyle's Bullet Seed did little to Ivysaur, the attack allowed Grovyle to maintain a large distance from Saur. Ash ordered Saur to use Magical leaf, hitting Grovyle regardless of its attempts to dodge it.
The few minutes was a battle of attrition between Saur and Grovyle, with both trying to knock out the other. The battle shifted when Saur pulled off another Headbutt, forcing Grovyle on its knees. Ash smiled and ordered Saur to knock it out when suddenly Grovyle's ability Overgrow activated.
Ash's smile melted off on seeing Grovyle's ability activate. He ordered Saur to use Protect and defend itself while Tyson ordered Grovyle to pull off one last Leafage. Unfortunately, Grovyle's superior speed allowed him to make his move first, knocking Saur out.
"Well folk, this match just took a major turn now that Grovyle's signature ability Overgrow has activated. Tyson has forced Ash on the defensive, now that Ivysaur has been knocked out and Ash only has two pokémon left.
Ash grimaced at seeing Saur get knocked out but recalled him and quickly sent out Kadabra. "Kadabra use Psybeam as fast as you can" yelled Ash.
Tyson ordered Grovyle to dodge but Kadabra's superior speed meant that he was able to nail Grovyle with Psybeam easily. The powerful attack knocked Grovyle out and Tyson sent out his Meowth.
"And folks Ash has knocked out Tyson's Grovyle and managed to get the match back on track for him. Will Tyson send Donphan back out or will he use a new unseen Pokémon?" asked the excited commentator.
Ash decided to switch out Kadabra for Trapinch and ordered Trapinch to keep his distance from Meowth. Tyson ordered his Meowth to use Bite on Trapinch, since most of his other moves would be futile against Trapinch.
"Trapinch use Dig to avoid the Bite and then use Focus Bulldoze," said a calm Ash. Tyson said nothing but as Trapinch came up to use Bulldoze on Meowth, he ordered Meowth to use Iron Tail. While Meowth was able to hit Trapinch with the iron Tail, its low attack did only some damage to Trapinch.
Trapinch on the other hand was able to get his Focus Bulldoze off, dealing significant damage to Meowth. Ash ordered Trapinch to go in for a Bite attack on Meowth, while Tyson ordered Meowth to dodge.
Meowth was able to mostly dodge the attack, but Trapinch was to bite on Meowth tail strongly and then using the Tail as leverage, pound Meowth into the ground. The Bite and the force of the attack knocked Meowth out and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Well folks, this is the first time in the tournament that someone was able to knock Meowth out and to do it so beautifully. Now, Tyson just has one pokémon left. Will he be able to win the match or is it over for him?" excitedly asked the announcer.
Tyson released his Donphan, and Ash sent out his Kadabra. While Kadabra would usually be helpless against Donphan's strong attack, Ash had a solid plan.
"Kadabra keep using Psybeam on that Donphan and when it tries to hit you with a move, use Disable," said Ash. Tyson ordered Donphan to tank the Psybeam and then use Assurance.
Ash desperately yelled for Kadabra to dodge but unfortunately Donphan was too close to dodge. The move whose power had been doubled, was Super effective on Kadabra and it knocked him out in one hit.
While Ash was regretting sending out Kadabra against Donphan, the match was still in his favor because of the beating that Donphan had suffered.
"And Tyson has managed to knock another one of Ash's pokémon out. Now they both have just one pokémon left, who will prevail?" the commentator was getting more pumped up as was the crowd.
He sent out Trapinch and ordered him to use Mud Slap from far on Donphan and keep his distance. Tyson ordered Donphan to use Knock Off but was unable to hit Trapinch. Donphan was unable to achieve its usual speed due to the field still being full of holes, preventing it from rolling on the ground.
Seeing that the Mud Slaps had managed to bring Donphan on the brink of fainting, Ash ordered Trapinch to use Bulldoze and knock Donphan. Tyson desperately yelled for Donphan to dodge but it was in vain as Donphan was knocked out.
"That is it. Ash Ketchum has defeated Tyson to move on to the Finals where he will battle one of his Pallet Rivals. I'm excited to see which Pallet Trainer is the best of them all" said an out of breath announcer.
Ash and Tyson shook hands after the match, and Tyson promised to defeat Ash the next time that they met.
That day would be a long time from now, when they would face each other for supremacy in a League battle.
So that concludes this chapter. Sorry for the delay but I just wanted to release the SS Anne chapters together. But the question is that who will Ash end up facing in the finals. A virtual cookie and a shoutout to all who manage to guess it. Though the window is very short because the next chapter will be posted just two days after this one is released.
Also, did you enjoy Trip and Tyson showing up in this chapter. Trip's defeat was an embarrassing one, but Ash will certainly battle him again in the future.
Also, it was difficult to this balance the battle against Tyson with the battle against Leaf/Gary in the next the stakes can't be too high in this battle, or the next battle won't feel as meaningful as this one.
Also, Trip was used in this chapter because no one sent any good OCs in to use. So once again, send in your personal OCs or even the team you used during a playthrough.
The next chapter is certainly going to be a high voltage one. The Final tournament battle and the suspicious activity aboard the SS Anne. What is going on and what does the SS Anne have to do with it?
Also, try to guess what Team Rocket's nefarious plan is and what target will they strike at next?
BTW, I've revamped the story summary and photo once again and I think they're better than the previous ones. If you have any experience optimizing the story for more engagement, please reach out to me. Any help growing this story would be much appreciated.
Ash's pokémon list:
Ivysaur (Saur) – Lv 23 - Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Growth, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, Protect, Magical Leaf and Seed Bomb.
Luxio – Lv 24 - Tackle, Leer, Charge, Thunder Shock, Thunder Wave, Charge, Bite, Protect, Fake Tears and Roar.
Trapinch – Lv 25 - Bite, Sand Attack, Bide, Mud Slap, Bulldoze, Protect, Feint Attack, Laser Focus and Dig.
Clefairy (Faye) – Lv 24 - Sing, Sweet Kiss, Disarming Voice, Encore, Charm, Pound, Copycat, Growl, Defence Curl, Stored power, Minimize, After You, Life Dew Metronome, Thunder Wave, Protect and Moonlight.
Kadabra – Lv 23 – Teleport, Confusion, Disable and Psybeam.
