Chapter 67 Agate Circus Gym Battle 1
As Ash's tenth Gym battle begins, he has Reuniclus set up the Trick Room first. Hariyama goes for Knock Off, which deals a lot of damage.
Ash: Use Hammer Arm!
When the move is used, Ash is shocked to see that the machine deems the power as weak, which doesn't seem to deal a lot of damage to Hariyama. Hariyama, on the other hand, goes for Heavy Slam, and he gets OK. But in the end, Hariyama is defeated by Reuniclus' Psychic attack.
The second Pokemon is Lucario, and it goes for Swords Dance to boost its power, and then it lands a Meteor Mash, with the Powerful, Reuniclus is defeated, but at the same time, the Trick Room ends, and Ash decides to send out Rhyperior as his second Pokemon
Ash: Rhyperior! Let's not get Lucario some time to attack! Use Earthquake!
When Rhyperior goes for the attack, Lucario tries to attack with Brick Break. However, much to Ash's delight, the Earthquake is deemed OVER 9000, and it instantly defeat Lucario in the end.
Samson: You just got lucky with that power. (Sends out Hawlucha)
Hawlucha goes for Flying Press, also getting over 9000, and knocks out Rhyperior. Ash then decides to go with Braviary for this battle. Both of them yell Acrobatics at the same time, and both of them deal a lot of damage to each other. They are also surprised when they also have their Pokemon use Roost at the same time. But even though they have been doing the same thing, Ash decides to change by having Braviary go for Aerial Ace, knocking out Hawlucha in the end.
The fourth Pokemon for Samson is Blaziken, and it goes for Protect when Braviary goes for Acrobatics, and because of the Speed Boost, Blaziken lands the Brick Break first and knocks it out because of the POWERFUL Field effect. Ash goes for Malamar, since he is going for Trick Room, causing Blaziken to get slower and slower during these turns.
Ash: Looks like I'm using your Speed Boost to my advantage. Use Psychic!
Samson flinches as his Blaziken is then defeated by the hit, and he can only send out his fifth Pokemon, a Mienshao. Mienshao goes for Poison Jab, causing Malamar to get poisoned, but Malamar goes for Psychic attack to deal more damage, but it is defeated by Acrobatics.
Ash: Looks like Acrobatics is a move that he likes to use as well...
Ash goes for Archeops next, since he is going to lower the damage as much as possible, and it goes for Earthquake, getting another OVER 9000 to defeat the Mienshao before it can go for U-Turn.
Samson: No sweat. I've been in worse positions. (Sends out Conkeldurr)
Conkeldurr goes for Bulk Up, and then Drain Punch, with the ability Guts, all he gets is OVER 9000 and Archeops is defeated in the end. Ash decides to go with his final Pokemon: Pikachu. Ash knows that Conkeldurr is a good Pokemon, but the advantage is that Pikachu's speed is faster than it, and it goes for Iron Tail, also landing a Powerful. Before it can go for Drain Punch, Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt to make it paralyzed and then finishes with Gigavolt Havoc.
Samson: (Recalls Conkeldurr) Tch. This isn't the worst thing I've lost.
Ringmaster: And there you have it, folks! Ash is the victor!
Samson: Chewed up and spit out. Good game, Ash.
Ash: Thanks.
Ringmaster: For Ash, one braaand-new Strike Badge!
Ash is surprised to get a badge from the Ringmaster, but it is his tenth badge and it is shaped like a star.
Ringmaster: The Strike Badge grants its holder the much-sought-after ability to use the Machine Surf! And for those of you itching to challenge Samson or our other Leaders of the Agate Ace Triumvirate... Just find those Battle Passes! Thanks for coming, everybody!
After getting back into the resting room, the Ringmaster seems to be happy.
Ringmaster: Good show, good show, everyone! We made a killing! Ash, to beat Samson like that... I'm impressed! I do hope you find Passes to challenge our other Leaders.
Ash: I hope so...
Ciel: Samson is our baby though. Don't think we'll be quite so easy~
Terra: Ciel is t0tes ez. if yanno wut i mean. but u mess w/ me and ill RAWWWWWRRR RAWWWR your RAWWWRRAWWWRRAWWWR. and ill take my RAWWRR and shove it in your RAWWWR until you cant even RAAAWWWRR RRAWWWWRRAAWWRRR! twice.
Ash doesn't understand what Terra is talking about, but he just feels like it is nothing important.
Ringmaster: ...Anyway. I've got parting words to do, so I'll leave you to your rawring! (Leaves)
Just then, Terra sees something on the computer screen and yells.
Terra: Waiddasecond.
Ciel: Hm? Did you finally trace the signal?
Terra: HOLD ON TO YOUR DONGERS, BOYS AND GIRLS, WE'VE GOT NEWS!
When Cain, Hardy, and Aya hear it, they also come to see what's going on.
Samson: Well, what is it?
Terra: With m4h highly adv4nced sup3r 1337 h4ck1ngu sKiLlZ i have discovered something very important!
Hardy: (Annoyed) Well, you gonna tell us or not?
Terra: I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT CIEL IS WEARING A THONG!
Ciel: (Blushes Red) Excuse me?! (Shoves Terra aside to see what's on the computer) What is this- That's not what it says at all!
Terra: ya didnt deny it bb
Ciel: I- (Sighs) Look, let's just focus on this. (Points at the dot) That data point right there, what is it?
Terra: that one, right? i call him timmy. his hobbies including cross-stitching, motorbiking, and planting lizards in the knicker drawers of old ladies.
Cain: (Looks at it) I like Timmy.
Ciel: I mean, what does the data MEAN?!
Terra: I 'unno. I just hacked the broadcaster to get it, I ain't no statistician. Buuuuuuut if HAD to take a guess, I'd say the signal's RAWRIN' out from somewhere in Ametrine City.
Ash: So someone in Ametrine is broadcasting a signal over Agate City which puts them to sleep.
Hardy: Then someone needs to go up to Ametrine City and stop that signal, pronto.
Samson: That's gonna require Surf.
Cain: Then that sounds like a job for Ash~ I'll see if I can make any headway towards Ametrine too. We can make headway ~together~!
Hardy: Aya and I will head on up to Calcenon when we can, so meet us there when you're done at Ametrine.
Terra: Calcenon? More like Calceyawwwwn.
Hardy: Some of the other Leaders are in a stand-off against Team Meteor there. We're going to help out.
Terra: Team Meteor? More like Team Metebore.
Aya: (Glares at fellow Gym Leader) Do you ever say anything that isn't stupid?
Terra: Stupid? More like...RAAAAAAWWRRRRRR!
Terra suddenly takes out the giant mallet again and she smashes her way out of the room, much to everyone's surprise.
Ciel: Like a bat out of hell.
Samson: She's definitely something out of hell all right.
Hardy: Aye. I guess we'll take off now. See you at Calcenon, mate. Peace!
Ash: As for me, I think I'll go find your sister and get the TMX for Surf from her.
After a long way back, Ash finds Titania in the Fiore Mansion, but he hasn't seen Amaria anywhere.
Titania: So you got the Badge.
Ash: Yeah, but where's Amaria?
Titania: Amaria is out for a walk, so I'll fetch the Machine. It's a mess in the back, so I may take a while to find it. Just wait here.
Ash nods as he sees Titania leave, after a minute, the door opens and Amaria walks in.
Amaria: Ash, you're back? Where's Tania?
Ash: Hey, Amy. Titania is getting the Surf for me.
Amaria: Ah, just getting Surf, right... Maybe this is a good time to relay what I've found, then. Or what I haven't found, really. I started looking into Titawin, and it's all coming up with zeroes. Aside from what's going on in Agate, and Labradorra, there haven't been any reports of suspicious individuals around here... And apparently the road to Ametrine City is all but completely blocked off somehow.
Ash: What? Blocked off?
Amaria: I went down to talk to the folks at Agate Circus and from the sound of things, Titawin is supposedly very nearby indeed... I can't shake the feeling- I keep thinking, what if it's closer than I want to admit? Lies and deceit right in front of my eyes that I chose to stay blind to... Tania can be distant to the point of evasiveness... And isn't it odd how adamant she is against us getting involved with Team Meteor? Plus there's the name...
Ash: (Widens his eyes) You don't mean...did you talk to her about this?
Amaria: I haven't asked her directly, because if she knows we're onto her, that could be problematic, but I don't even know what I would do if it turned out to be her... If only there were some way to...
Amaria notices a diary on the table, and she looks closer to find that the owner is Titania.
Amaria: What's this? This is her writing...(Reads the diary)
Ash: Are you sure it is a good idea to look into her privacy?
Amaria: (Ignores what Ash said) "...lying to her..." "...imprisoned by her own secrets..." "...fake fairy tale romance..."
At the same time, Titania also arrives in the living room and throws the TMX at Ash.
Titania: Here, as promised.
Ash: (Catches) Thanks.
Titania: ...What are you doing? Are you two reading through my journal?
Ash: Well...Amaria is reading it right now...
Titania: (Angry) That's personal writing. Stay out of it. Both of you.
Ash: I tried telling her...
Amaria: (Looks at Titania with tears in her eyes) Tania...? What... is all this?
Titania: (Tries to find excuses) ...It's just notes. For a story. Not that it's any of your business.
Amaria: (Sighs) Oh, so it's just a story... That's good... So all this about "lying to her" and "only pretending to love her"...
Titania: ...It's for a character.
Amaria: Right, of course... Hey, Tania? Does the name Titawin mean anything to you?
Titania: (Confused) No. Why?
Amaria: No reason... I was just curious ...About what it looked like when you lied.
Titania: (Widens her eyes) Excuse me?
Amaria: I get it now. You never really loved me, did you?
Titania: What are you talking about? Are we really going to go over all this again? How many times have we had this conversation?
Amaria: How many times have you lied to me?
Titania: What?
Amaria: Go on, give me a number. Will you tell me you've always been honest? Can you really look me in the eyes and say that to me?
Ash notices how Titania is sad and she lowers her head, and Amaria is having tears in her eyes while trying to laugh.
Amaria: I knew it. Ahahahaha~... And here I've been, drinking up every single thing you've ever told me. Even when I thought I knew better, I let myself believe it, because I couldn't stand to tear myself away from you. I loved you- I still love you so much. I don't know who I am without you.
Titania: Stop.
Amaria: When we were together, it felt like you were always picking up the pieces of my heart, all made of glass, and gently placing them back together.
Titania: I said "Stop."
Amaria: And now it's just shattered again.
Titania: Amaria, seriously- (Amaria rushes out of the house) Amy! (Turns to Ash) Come on, let's go after her. She obviously wants us to.
Ash nods as he wants to help Amaria as well, but as they get outside, he notices an Absol and he realizes something is going to happen.
And this is the gym battle as well as something big that is going to happen in the next chapter. I hope you like it.
