"Well, I've done all I can." Nurse Joy wiped her brow as she and Chansey, a giant pink egg shaped Pokemon with an egg in her pouch, got Elaine's legs wrapped up in bandages after cleaning the puncture wounds and and closing them before wrapping her lower legs in bandages and gauze. She was unconcious though from the shock, and her face was covered with an oxygen mask. "I'm normally a Pokemon veterinarian but you got her here just in time. She's lucky to be in one piece, considering Carvanna can bite through boat hulls.
"Thank you Nurse Joy." Ash nodded.
"Pika."
"Clefairy/Azumarill." All the Pokemon said with the same sentiment. Trace didn't say anything as he kept Eevee in his arms, looking off to the side while petting his partner, whom was worried about his stoic appearance, why he wasn't being emotional.
"Thank goodness your friend's okay dudes. I wish I could've done something." Brawly told them. Ash could only nod. "Well, if she's all good, I'm going to go tend to my gym leader duties. Peace dudes." He left the trio of best friends, along with Nurse Joy and her Chansey, so that it was just the three of them in the room and their Pokemon. Ash went to Elaine's side and stooped down, placing a hand on her right hand with his left.
"Trace?" Ash asked. Trace turned his head to look at him. "How are you doing?" The teen just sighed.
"I don't know. I'm just... trying to be strong... is all." His reply felt hollow, like it was to convince himself more.
"There's no need to hold it in." Ash sniffed as he wiped away tears. "This is... this is..."
"What? I should just bawl like a baby? Elaine's fine. I'm happy she's alive. So that means... I'm fine." Trace cracked once or twice in that sentence, looking away again.
"You can't lie to me Trace." Ash told him. "We're her best friends. We're one big triangle... or circle... or whatever." Ash shook his head. "We need to-" He was interrupted when Elaine started to wake up, and the boys instantly responded to her.
"Elaine!" They gasped at the same time. All the Pokemon gather near her as well.
"Gu-guys? Wh-where am I?" She rubbed her forehead.
"You're in the Pokemon Center. Brawly's fangirls helped you here. Ash was the one that saved you with Azumarill." That was when it hit her as memories flooded Elaine's mind. The ocean, the drowning... looking into Ash's and Trace's faces and hugging them, but especially Ash. He saved her from death. Looking over to him, she also noticed his hand over hers. Returning her eyes back to Ash's, she smiled gratefully.
"Thank you... Ash. Thank you so much... for saving me." Ash gulped, trying to keep all his emotions in. He stammered,
"You-you're welcome Elaine. Y-you're my be-best friend." Looking over to Trace now, she held an arm out to Trace. Looking down at her hand, he put Eevee on the bed and took it. She gently pulled him close, along with Ash, until their heads were connected.
"G-guys... thank you... for being my best friends." Tears streaked down her face. "Than-thank you for making my life so-so happy." Both of the boy's faces were clenching, trying not to completely break down. Hugging them close and tightly, she cried, "I-I love you both!" The three couldn't take it anymore as they sobbed together, all the emotion flooding out as the best friends appreciated what they had together more than any other time before. The boys tried to say something at the same time.
"I-I love you too Elaine!" Trace weeped. "I-I tried not to c-cry! I thought things were okay n-now! But-but-but I almost lost you! I tried to-to be strong!"
"I love you too!" Ash wailed as his tears came out strong. "See-seeing you dro-drowning was the-the scariest thing! Lo-losing you was so terrifying! I-I love you so much!" All of the Pokemon in the room were as well bawling from how emotionally raw the room was, having feared for Elaine for the longest time.
"Oh you guys!" Elaine hugged them even tighter, not wanting to let them go for fear this might just be a dying dream of suffocating underwater. "I never want to leave you two ever again! You're the best friends I could ever have! I-I felt so helpless, the thought of ne-never seeing you two again..." She couldn't continue speaking as they all just cried their hearts out, never wanting to let go of each other.
A few days later in the morning, Elaine was wheeled out of the Pokemon Center in her new wheel chair, with Clefairy sitting in her lap. The past few days were full of sadness, and while the emotion was still quite strong and lingering, they didn't want to let sadness keep them from doing what they set out to do. Not to mention, they tried to be hopeful for the future, with their relationship between each other stronger then ever and all the more supportive of each other.
"You sure you want to do this?" Ash asked his best friend, Pikachu looking down at her as well.
"Fairy?" Her partner asked as well. She smiled gently as she petted her Fairy Pokemon.
"Yes. Just because I can't walk doesn't mean that I should let it stop me from completing our goal. Ash and Trace looked at each other reluctantly, but if this was what she believed would help her forward, so be it. Wheeling her to the gym, Brawly came out to let her in.
"Wow, you're one tough chick my dudette. Fresh out of the cross and you're already rearing for battle. I can respect that kind of commitment."
"Injuries are temporary. Ambitions are forever." The girl nodded at him while holding out a fist. He grinned as he fist bumped her.
"I can totally understand bra. That's part of the fighting spirit: never let anything keep you down." Once they were in the gym, a Rotom Drone was about to start the match.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome! You have been approved for an official Pokemon World Coronation Series Normal Class battle! The challengers here are Brawly Schafer vs Elaine Gladwin from Pallet Town! For today's battle, you can choose two Pokemon! When a Pokemon on either side are unable to battle, that side loses! Both challengers bring out your Pokemon!"
"Let's see if you can dig this?! Machop, I choose you!" Sending out a familiar Kanto Pokemon, it was a small, grey humanoid Pokemon with toned muscles. A Machop.
"Clefairy, let's win this!" Elaine let Clefairy run out onto the field. The Fairy Pokemon was feeling confident.
"Battle Begin!"
"Clefairy, use Pound!" Running towards the Superpower Pokemon, the fairy type attacked with a clenched fist, and it seemed to have connected, with the fighting type rolling onto its back yet back onto its feet flawlessly.
"Wait, that Machop took it too easily." Trace noted. "It should've inflicted more damage."
"Alright, use Bulk Up!" Flexing his muscles, Machop's physique became more visually toned as he grew stronger and tougher.
"Keep it up!" Elaine told her partner. With another punch, she socked it in the jaw which once more caused to roll and get up just as easily.
"Keep up Bulking Up!" Brawly ordered, and Machop kept on flexing. After another Pound and Bulk Up, Elaine didn't want to push her luck more.
"Let's finish this with Double Slap!" However, by this point, Machop wasn't even moving, it just let Clefairy wail on it and wasn't even flinching. Elaine was at a loss of reasoning. "Why isn't it getting weaker with each hit?!"
"I finally see it now." Trace had observed enough.
"What is it?" Ash asked him.
"Machop is doing the same thing Paul's Elekid did when it faced Roark's Cranidos. It's moving at the same speed as Clefairy's attack to minimize the damage, then used Bulk Up to make itself stronger every time. We've assumed it's been taking actual damage all the time, but everything were nothing more than flicks. Now even direct attacks are just as effective."
"So Clefairy's just been exhausting itself." Ash was now worried.
"Alright Machop, it's time to get serious!" Brawly declared. "Use Bulk Up then Karate Chop!" Flexing first, the fighting type leapt up, Machop going on the attack.
"Dodge it!" Elaine pleaded. While Clefairy was able to get out of the way, Machop was so strong now that the earth where it struck practically exploded, sending debris everywhere and off put the fairy type's stability. "No!"
"Now, Karate Chop again!" With its other arm, it chopped into Clefairy's body so hard it sent the Fairy Pokemon flying into a wall. She was in so much pain she didn't even make a sound when she got hit, crashed into the wall, and fell unconscious in one fell swoop. Elaine was shocked. Returning her Pokemon, she said,
"I'm sorry. Take a good rest." Getting out her other Pokemon, she yelled, "Azumarill, let's go!" Brawly grinned upon seeing her. "Azumarill, use Bubblebeam!"
"Brace for it Machop my dude!" Raising its arms, it managed to hold on even when it finally took actual damage as it grunted from the effort.
"Keep up the Bubblebeam!" She pleaded.
"Not on my watch, bra! Break it!" Uncrossing its arms, its was so physically strong now that doing that sent a slicing shock wave through the air, popping all the bubbles and even caused the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon to be pushed back, taking some startled steps back. "Now jump behind it while using Bulk Up!" With an incredible leap thanks to its augmented strength, it grew even stronger all the way of trying to get behind the off put water/fairy type.
"Turn around!" Elaine told her Pokemon. She did do that, but what she wasn't expecting was for Machop to take a side roll as soon as it landed, maneuvering around her stubby little feet so that she couldn't react quickly enough. "Now get it with a double Karate Chop!" With both arms, it made two backhanded chopping motions right into Azumarill's sides. She was so caught off guard receiving so much damage despite being resistant to it, she could barely speak.
"Azu...ma..."
"Finish this off with Seismic Toss!" Grabbing hold of the ovaloid Pokemon, Machop leapt up and spun around, just like the circumference of the Earth, before smashing Azumarill into the ground, leaving it cracked. Groaning, she was knocked out, unable to continue.
"As a result of today's battle, there has been a change in the WCS rankings effective immediately!" The Rotom Drone announced. Elaine... she felt despair. She lost to a single fighting type with two fairy types. She knew she hadn't trained her Pokemon for a few days, but did her skill really deplete that much? Or was Brawly that much better than Chili? Returning her Pokemon, she apologized to her Pokemon.
"I'm so sorry."
"That was a good battle Elaine." Brawly told her. "Try not to beat yourself up over this wipe out. You just haven't met any fighting specialists with my specific training. Take your Pokemon to the center." She only nodded as Ash wheeled her away, feeling sympathetic for his best friend. At the center, she watched her Pokemon connected to machinery as they rested up. She knew they'd be fine like Nurse Joy told her, but it wasn't her Pokemon being in recovery that was the problem.
"Elaine, they'll be fine." Trace placed a hand on her left shoulder, trying to be supportive. But she shrinked away from it.
"I'm sorry. I need to be alone." She whimpered as she wheeled herself out of the Pokemon Center.
"Pikapi." Pikachu was feeling sad for Elaine.
"Vee." The normal type was just as sympathetic.
"She's going through a lot right now." Trace uttered. "First almost drowning then this? Talk about having bad days."
"I wish we could help her." Ash mumbled, looking down in sorrow.
"You can." The trainer turned to Trace. "I'm okay watching her Pokemon. Make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble. Keep our best friend safe." Having been encouraged by his other best friend to go after her, Ash nodded as he ran out of the Pokemon Center.
Elaine meanwhile wheeled through the off road streets, with it having past sunset some time ago and needing to be away from people. Elaine just wanted these feelings to stop. These feelings of... helplessness. So powerless. That everything felt like it was out to get a weak, feeble and vulnerable girl who couldn't even physically run from her problems. She kept pushing herself, faster and faster. It was all becoming too much, her self-doubt and fear and insecurities not giving her a moments peace in her mind as it swarmed with negative thoughts. That is until she hit a rock and yelled as she crashed to the ground, her wheelchair on its side with a spinning wheel and her hat having fallen off. She was on the verge of tears, but she didn't want to cry again after already having done so much of it as of late. Pushing herself up onto her hands and knees which were bleeding, she tried standing up. But every time, a sharp pain in her calves invariably made her collapse, again and again for several minutes even as her wounds opened and the gauze absorbed more blood. With one final drop, Elaine pulled herself into a fetal position and cried, feeling utterly useless. She just wanted to go home. To her parents. To a place where all the hurt couldn't get to her. She... she...
"Pikachu?" In the midst of her crying, she looked up at Pikachu whom looked at her worried. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Ash, whom looked like he was heartbroken just from seeing her like this. Elaine just cried even harder, having been seen like this from the person who saved her life. Ash didn't say anything. All he did was put her wheelchair in the upright position, took it off the road, and went to Elaine. She expected him to pick her up and take her back to the Pokemon Center where she'd feel as useless as her knocked out Pokemon, but instead he merely moved her a few feet off the road, laid her down on the soft grass, and laid down next to her, putting her head in his chest. In that one moment of being picked up to here, she stopped crying, wondering why this was happening.
"It's okay." He told her, brushing his hand across her head and through her hair. "We're here for you. I'm here for you." Pushing her head deep into his chest, she started to cry again, though not as hard.
"But...but I feel so weak..." She whimpered. "It feels like I'm drowning... even on land. It's like I've completely forgot how to connect with everything. Even our cry together... I can't feel it strongly... nothing positively. Why can't I feel the happiness that was there?" A few seconds passed.
"I don't know." Was all he said. He never had a near death experience, and he wasn't even sure if Trace knew since despite almost drowning himself, that was so long ago so he didn't really feel the emotion of the event. Just that it happened, it was scary at the moment, and he accepted it, having come to terms, if very vaguely. Still, it sounded like she needed to hear something meaningful, so he spoke from the heart. "But... I don't want you to worry. If you don't know how to connect, we'll be there for you. We'll teach you again. If you need emotional support, we'll be there too. You're never alone Elaine. Don't ever feel like you're less than you are." He hugged her close. "You're amazing. You're smart, strong, tough, and strong willed. That's how..." It was now or never. "...it's how I came to love you." Elaine was silent. He loved her? Even though she was a mess of turmoil? She turned her head up to gaze into his closed eyes, which opened.
"R-really? You-you really mean it? Even now? When I'm like this?"
"Yes. I love you Elaine. I've loved you for so long. I kept my feelings hidden because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. But now... I believe you needed to know how much I want to be there for you. Elaine, if I see you're feeling sad, I want to be the one who cheers you up. To show you you'll always have someone who'll support you. Who will believe in you. Who loves you." Another wave of tears overcame Elaine as she hugged him close. To Elaine, he and Trace were always like twin brothers she never had, with her as a fraternal triplet to boot in their own little triangle, and they just always accepted her tomboy attitude as she grew up with them the entire time. But there was always something about Ash that stood out to her the most. While she knew everything about him as her best friend, it seemed like there was always something he was shy about, particularly when it came to her. She always just assumed even with her tomboy personality he felt more nervous interacting with girls for some reason while Trace hid nothing. At least that's what her mom believed at the time. But now she finally understood.
"Oh... oh Ash." Gently taking hold of his head, the two kissed, feeling emotionally connected. It was like their souls joined together to fill the emotional gap that there was... with love. Pikachu smiled as she laid down and watched them, making sure nothing happened. Despite it was Ash whom confessed, Elaine was the one to start getting more and more physical as she hugged his head while kissing, and began to cry again while kissing him. But these weren't tears of despair anymore, but unbridled joy accompanied by her lingering sadness. She was still in physical and emotional pain... but Ash's love and dedication to her made her feel stronger. That she will not just recover, but grow stronger and feel empowered enough to take everything life can throw at her, with Ash by her side. In between sobbing kisses, she uttered, repeatedly. "Ash... I love you. I love you. Oh Ash, I love you. I love you. I love you." Ash hugged her even closer, to the point her head was now right next to his own, her chin pressed against his shoulder.
"Elaine... since my words were able to help you... I'm truly happy. I can't think of anything better to do than this." Wanting to see his face, she moved back and smiled. Before wincing from the pain of her wounds since they've been open for so long, but she still forced a genuine smile on her face.
"Could you... wheel me back to the Pokemon Center? Along the beach this time?" Realizing what she needed, his smile grew smaller, but he didn't want to shed all his happiness.
"Okay." As he got up, he picked Elaine up bridal style, feeling her cling to him closely and tightly. Placing her down in her wheelchair, Pikachu went and jumped into her lap. Elaine smiled as she scratched behind the Mouse Pokemon's ear.
"Pika!" She cooed from the pleasant scratching. Pushing her along, they went to the beach as a means of getting to the Pokemon Center. Along the way, they saw Brawly surfing with Makuhita.
"Awesome Makuhita! That's the way to do it!" The fighting type smiled from how fun this was. Brawly then noticed Ash and Elaine and smiled, as he and his Pokemon got off the wave and soon approached them.
"Hey dude and dudette!" He noticed her bloodied coverings though. "Elaine, you alright bra?"
"It hurts, but I'm fine now." She looked back at Ash behind her, and her smile grew. "He's helped me so much." Ash smiled back.
"So, this is how you train? Lessening damage by utilizing balance from surfing?"
"That's right my man! Tilting your body into angles away from the attack minimizes the damage. Even flying and the rare physical psychic types can't match us!" He laughed. That made Elaine think. All this time, she just relied on Clefairy punching stuff, or Azumarill to drench something in water or bubbles. It may have worked early on, but each gym leader they face are tougher and stronger, even if marginally in comparison of each other. She needed to get stronger. But... not to serve for winnings sake, or to keep up with the boys. But to grow as a trainer. To grow as a person and be more capable of accomplishing her goals.
"Well, if that's the case... I'll just come back stronger and beat you. You'll help me, right Ash?" He smiled from her request.
"Of course." And so a montage begins. Imagine if you will two things happening at the same time in overlay, one as the solid background of Elaine taking two weeks to travel around Hoenn, capturing more Pokemon for the Pokedex, but also for herself. But on top of that, imagine Ash, Trace and Clefairy helping Elaine work with her legs as they healed while translucent. Her first capture for herself was a Mawhile on Izabe Island. It helped her along side Azumarill fight Team Rocket who disrupted a show involving ribbon dancing. By this point Elaine was able to get up out of her chair and take wobbling steps, her best friends holding her hands and back so she didn't fall. Her next Pokemon was Swablu when she rescued it from underneath a fallen tree after a lightning storm. She nursed it back to health and even when the flock found it, it decided to stay with Elaine after they both saved its original flock from another one of Team Rocket's schemes. Casting off her bandage wrappings off her legs, Elaine was able to walk on her own again, though she still stumbled a bit trying to run. But on their way to Dewford City, the group of best friends walked with her, faster and faster, until they decided to run into the distance, when she had fully recovered. Finally, after all the training, after all the Pokemon capturing, the vitamins, minerals and move training, Elaine finally gave her partner a moon stone, so that Clefairy finally evolved into Clefable.
Which is now where she stood, in front of the ocean in Dewford. Elaine, Azumarill, Mawile, Swablu and finally Clefable had their backs to it, not seeing a giant wave come after them. They even had all their eyes closed. Ash and Trace stood there worried, wondering if they might get hit or not. Suddenly, Clefable's ears twitched, which they all detected as the sign as they all ran, with the wave crashing where they just stood. With a nod to her Pokemon, Elaine told them,
"We're ready. Way to go guys." All her Pokemon cheered as the boys sighed.
"Their training has paid off." Trace nodded in pride. "Especially her recovery."
"She's worked hard all this time. If I ever thought she was strong before, she's the strongest person I know now." Looking down, he saw the bite scars on her legs, a permanent reminder of her near-death experience. But Elaine refused to cover them with tall socks or jeans. Those scars would be a reminder for her to not let anything keep her down. Not even a near-death experience. Opening the doors, Elaine called to Brawly,
"Brawly, I'm here for my rematch!"
"Clefable!" Her partner yelled at the same time. Sitting in a meditation position, he opened his eyes and smiled.
"Glad to see you return bra. When I got your indicator few minutes ago you wanted a rematch, I was totally stoked! I bet you've become stronger.
"Yep! There's nothing holding me back now!" Elaine held up a clenched fist. "I'm coming at you like a tsunami! So let's get started!"
"Right on!" The gym leader accepted. A Rotom Drone came in to start the match.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome! You have been approved for an official Pokemon World Coronation Series Normal Class battle! The challengers here are Brawly Schafer vs Elaine Gladwin from Pallet Town! For today's battle, you can choose two Pokemon! When a Pokemon on either side are unable to battle, that side loses! Both challengers bring out your Pokemon!"
"Meditite, I choose you!" Brawly sent out a blue and white humanoid with an onion shaped head.
"Clefable, let's go!" Elaine pointed to the field, to which her Fairy Pokemon ran onto the field.
"Battle Begin!"
"Meditite, use Confusion to throw off their balance!" With glowing blue eyes, it made Clefable gain a blue outline before being lifted off the ground, waving around from the weightlessness.
"Clefable, spin yourself forward!" Elaine told her Pokemon. The Fairy Pokemon started to do frontflips while suspended, which literally confused her opponents.
"Huh, what kind of strategy is this?" Brawly wondered.
"Now, use Moonblast!" The fighting types gasped when Clefable created a pink sphere of energy in her hand, and threw it like a fast ball.
"Meditite, use-" But before he could say Detect, the move already exploded against the Meditate Pokemon, sending the fighting/psychic type crying and flying until she hit the wall and fell onto the floor, completely one-shotted.
"What an awesome start!" Ash gasped with glee. Trace chuckled.
"Didn't expect her to come up with that on the fly. Wonder if she did any private training?"
"Meditite, return. Well, I have to hand it to you dudette, you've certainly caught me off guard with your new found power! But you won't win that easily! Makuhita, surfs up!" Sending out his Guts Pokemon, he believed this would be different. Elaine smirked.
"I'll let you attack first."
"If you insist. Makuhita, use Force Palm!" Running forward, the fighting type shoved its hand into Clefable's belly, or at least as much as it could with the fairy type rolling back like a wave. Though the resulting explosion of pure energy from Force Palm surprise it as she was pushed back from it. "Now use Arm Thrust!" With consecutive attacks using its own arms, the Guts Pokemon tried land a meaningful blow, but Clefable kept rolling back or to the side to minimize damage, which was already subdued due to the attacks not being effective against her.
"Push it back with Flamethrower!" From her mouth, she expelled a plume of fire at point blank which the fighting type couldn't defend, and it was pushed back quite roughly onto its back.
"Whoa, hang in there Makuhita!" Brawly pleaded. Getting up with struggling effort, the Pokemon suddenly burst into flame, grunting from the effect.
"Alright, its burnt!" Ash cheered. Pikachu nodded.
"PikaPika!"
"Don't count it out yet." Trace told his friend. And just like that, instead of being weakened, Makuhita shouted with enhanced power as its ability took effect.
"Ha, there's a reason my Pokemon is called the Guts Pokemon! Now use Arm Thrust!" With its rapid attacks, the fighting type tried to attack more. Even though Clefable was still able to evade most of it, the attacks were a bit more painful as she winced from each strike. Though she got tired from this kind of rapid dodging and the last strike caught her completely in the stomach, pushing her back up to the edge of the battlefield. She rubbed her bruised belly. "What do you think of our power?"
"I'd say you're quite powerful and skilled." Elaine said, yet her smile never left her face. "But Clefable's too tough. Use Psychic!" With glowing blue eyes, the Fairy Pokemon made the fighting type float up with psychic power, taking away any leverage it had as it tried to break free, and was flung into the same spot in the wall Meditite did before, and fell down defeated.
"As a result of today's battle, there has been a change in the WCS rankings effective immediately!" The Rotom Drone announced.
"Yes! We won Clefable!" Elaine cheered.
"Clefable!" The Fairy Pokemon ran to her to hug her owner.
"An awesome battle." Ash nodded. "Right Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!" She agreed.
"We'll still keep getting stronger, right Eevee?" Trace asked his partner.
"Eevee!" She nodded with enthusiasm.
"Makuhita, return." Brawly recalled his Pokemon. "I'm proud of you Elaine. If you keep battling like that, you'll be a force to reckon with. Especially my teacher."
"Teacher?" She inquired.
"Yeah. He's Chuck Green. Taught me everything I know about fighting types."
"Hmm, let's see." Elaine checked her Rotom Phone, seeing her rank increase, and looked for Chuck Green. She gasped.
"He's the next gym leader to face!"
"Yeah, but I'd bet my prized surfboard that you'd win against him just as easily as me. Just keep training and do the best you can." With a renewed smile, she nodded.
"I will, thank you." Running to her friends, Elaine hugged her friends. "I did it! I really did it!"
"You did so well." Trace chuckled as he returned the hug.
"I'll say. You were in complete control." Letting them go, Elaine winked.
"I have you guys to thank for that." Taking their hands, she was practically skipping while they walked out of the gym together. "Oh, and Ash?"
"Yeah?" Before he could react further though, she kissed him on the lips. Just a peck, but a meaningful one as she asked,
"It may not be in proper order, but how would you like to go on a victory date?" Ash blushed, but instead of being a nervous pole, he grinned as he gripped his girlfriend's hand tighter.
"That'd be great."
A/N: Whoo, that was a lot. I've written about 3/5ths of this yesterday because it was so good. I took at a look at the episode before the gym rematch, but it seemed unnecessary since I've already written everything I needed, and it would've overinflated this chapter. So not only is Elaine stronger, even more so than the boys, but she's gained a whole new resolve of her life as a person. Hopefully I didn't make it too corny or hammy with the emotional moments. I was really trying to lean into the emotional side of what she just went through without feeling fake or cheap about it. How did I do with this chapter? I think I did good.