The end of their journey by sea was approaching. With Cinnabar's docks in view, Ash and Dawn were packed up after spending a night at sea, ready for a slew of new battles and experiences. The gleaming sun shined down on them… And, their new badges!
Ash turned the tiny medal over in his hands, smiling at how the swirls of bold yellow and crimson glimmered under the sunlight. The prize he'd won battling alongside Dawn struck a certain sentimental chord with him. "I don't know what to even do with this thing," he thought out loud. Leaning his elbow's weight on the ship's railing. "I don't carry a badge case around with me anymore. Not like I expected to win another, in Kanto." Realizing he was one bumpy wave away from dropping it in the ocean, he stored the badge in his jacket pocket.
"You could wear it," Dawn said, sitting on a fold-out chair not too far away from Ash. She was currently preoccupied with a sewing kit. "I've got some metal glue, so I'm trying to make a necklace right now." She poked her tongue out, pressing the small metal loop extension she had added to the Union Badge. "We earned that badge together. So I'm going to show it off!" She paused, looking over her shoulder to her companion. "...That's the kind of thing couples do, right?"
"...What, like matching?" Ash looked back to Dawn. "I guess they do. Wait," he said, making a sour face. "You're not saying we're gonna start, like, wearing those matching shirts, right? Those ones that announce that we're a thing to everyone?"
"What!? Ew, no!" Dawn blanched. "Those are so tacky. We have to be subtle!" Says the queen of not being subtle. "This is just a badge. Someone can look at the two of us and figure out for themselves that we kick butt together!"
Ash hummed in consideration for a moment. "...Y'know. I like that idea! It feels like us." He walked over, crouching to lean his arms on the back of Dawn's chair. "Where would I wear mine, though? Another necklace?"
Dawn paused, once again interrupted. But, such important choices needed to be attended to! "Hm… I don't know. You pop your collar sometimes, so people might not even see the badge. Besides, the bold red, the off-white, and then an accessory in between… It's too busy!"
"...Uh, yeah." Ash stammered, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Then what would you suggest, queen of all that is fashionable?"
"And don't you forget it!" Dawn chimed. That remark managed to stroke her ego. "...What about stitching it to your hat? There's plenty of empty space next to the green logo you've got."
"This is my Pokémon League Expo Hat," he whined, taking off the cap to hug it to his chest. The one he'd sent in so many postcards for… then again, this was for Dawn, right? They were an item, now? He kind of liked the idea of showing off. "...Yeah, alright. I'll do it! Do you think you could stitch that up for me?"
"Sure!" Dawn grinned, as she reached into her kit for the sturdy thread meant to secure the necklace. "Just let me finish mine and… Ow!"
"Dawn!?" Ash exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
"Mmf… Just pricked my finger on a loose needle," she frowned, holding up her index finger. Blood was starting to trickle down from her fingertip. "That's just my luck! Ugh… Whatever. I'll finish this up later," she decided, putting the badge and parts away with her clean hand. "It's getting too loud and crowded to focus."
"And we're gonna dock soon," Ash added. "Hey, hang tight for a second! I'll go get you some napkins. The snack bar's bound to have those left, at least. C'mon, Pikachu!" He goaded, his rodent partner joining him on his shoulder.
"Aw, thanks a bunch Ash! But you don't have to-"
Dawn stared on, as her boyfriend vanished into the crowd. He'd already made up his mind.
"Hey… Excuse me! Coming through!"
"Pika-Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu squirmed through a dense crowd inside the ship, nudging and shoving their way through with muttered apologies. Not that anyone could even hear them in this racket. It was getting difficult to even squeeze by, and Pikachu was quickly growing agitated with all the shoving.
The mouse frowned, sparks of electricity dancing involuntarily from his cheeks.
"Uh-oh…!" Ash panicked, reaching to seize Pikachu and hold him high above his head. "Careful, Buddy. One loose Thunderbolt and you'll floor the whole crowd! You're too strong for those kinds of accidents no- AH!"
Unfortunately, wandering through with Pikachu hoisted high made it hard to pay attention to where he was going, colliding with a girl about his height. Near the cleared snack bar, he collapsed on his rear, catching Pikachu in his hands.
"Ow," the girl whined. Rubbing her head that boasted awfully long red hair, she looked at the one who had run into her… Only to flip out. "Ohmygooooood," she slurred, running her words together. "Not you again!" She quickly stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at Ash. "You're, like, a menace, guy! What's your problem with me?!"
Ash stood up, wrinkling his nose at her. "Ember…? Aw, whatever, I wasn't trying to run into you!"
Suddenly, yet another familiar face stepped up. Dressed fashionably, a teen with proud posture stepped forward. "Tch, only a weak man would hurt a lady. What's your deal, loser?"
"Quijote!?" Ash scowled, recalling Dawn's complaints about the brunette. He got back on his feet. "Save the tough guy act, Romeo. It was an accident."
"Hah!" Quijote scoffed, dusting off Ember's blouse. "It says a great deal about your character that you look down on a romantic heart. A brute like yourself could never understand it."
"Ash!" Just as Ash was about to fake gag, Dawn conveniently pushed through, pulling at the boy's shoulder with a frown. "What's the hold-up? We're going to be off the boat in a.. Ember? Quijote!?" Blanching, Dawn quickly hid her pricked finger behind her back in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that," Ash apologized, reaching for the table to pass her a bundle of napkins. "I meant to get back sooner, but I got a little caught up here. And I was about to tell the both of you," he looked back to Dawn's two rivals, "that it just so happens that I'm dating the winner of this year's Wallace Cup!"
Despite the constant chatter around the group, a seeming silence took over. Ash quickly felt self-conscious. "...What?"
"...You have high aims, for a brute," Quijote frowned, adjusting his collar. "But perhaps too high. I have no interest in relations with you."
Ash and Pikachu both delivered a baffled, deadpan stare. "...It's Dawn," Ash emphasized, hooking his arm around hers. "Dawn's my girlfriend, and Dawn's the one who's gonna win the Wallace Cup!" Man, that all felt good to say.
"...Huh?" Dawn blinked, but quickly caught on, hugging Ash's arm with a proud hand on her hip. "Yeah! With Ash's support, and my Pokémon, that Aqua Ribbon is as good as ours!"
"Second year in a row," Ash emphasized, the smile on his lips looking more smug by the second.
"Ugh, whatever! You two brutes, like, totally belong together. Just be awful and nasty away from the rest of us! Creeps." Ember scoffed, shooing them off with a wave on her hand.
"Are you still on about that!?" Dawn balked.
"Like, duh! Of course I haven't forgotten your awful Pachirisu trying to feed my darling Cherubi to his snarling Garchomp!"
"We told you, it was an accident!" Ash shouted back.
"Cherubi does look quite a lot like a fruit," Quijote shrugged. "That's just the natural order of things."
"Quijote…!" Ember whined, yanking her blouse away from him. "That's, like, totally cruel! You're just as bad as them!" Dramatically turning away, Ember ran into the crowd.
"As bad? Try worse!" Ash made a face. "That's a whole Pokémon. That's messed up, man."
"Even Garchomp felt bad about it," Dawn scolded, poking Quijote in the chest. "For someone who's caught up on being refined, you have less self-control than a shark who'll eat anything!"
"I… Er…!" The teenager stammered, clenching his jaw.
"Let's go, Dawn." Ash huffed, taking her hand. "We're about to touch shore, anyway."
"Piiika!" Pikachu stuck his tongue out at the Coordinator, as his trainer turned to leave.
"Right! Bye," Dawn emphasized as she left with Ash and Pikachu.
That left Quijote, alone, rather than among five. His jaw had dropped. "...The nerve! So, this is the thanks I get for coming to your defense!"
Shuffling past the suffocating crowds of the ship led Ash and Dawn to the ends of the dock, where they could step onto pale white sand. There was finally enough room for Dawn to call on Prinplup, and she did so, clicking the center button of his Poké Ball.
"Lup!" He chirped, happy to be out of his capsule. He waddled over to Pikachu, asking him if he'd missed anything interesting.
"Piiika." Pikachu rolled his eyes, recounting the confrontation they'd just had.
Prinplup scoffed.
"So I guess we know who two of your rivals are gonna be," Ash made conversation, trying to peer over the crowd of likely competitors and spectators for signs of where to go next.
"Yeah, unfortunately." Dawn huffed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. Everyone who can find the time likes to take a shot at the Wallace Cup. It's a great way to build up a reputation!"
"And get a chance at a freebie, no matter which region you're doing Contests in," Ash added. "Come to think of it, that means you'll definitely have some competition from outside the region, too."
"Right! That part's pretty exciting. Who knows who I'll face off against?" Dawn giggled, her smile stretching to the corners of her lips. It could mean all sorts of masterful techniques, or interesting Pokémon to compete against for the spotlight…!
"Maybe someone you know," Ash shrugged. "Who knows! We've got a whole week 'till it rolls in, so we'll have time to scout the competition." Stopping on that note, Ash's lips dropped into a slight frown. Eyes narrowing on Dawn. "You're not gonna get caught up over that again, right?"
"Huh? No way!" Dawn shook her head. "I saw what happened when Janine tried to anticipate everything. I'm done fretting… But before anything else, we should probably check into the Pokémon Center."
"Yeah, you're right," Ash nodded. "Well, luckily, you're with someone who's been here before! I'll lead the way." He looked between a crossroads that broke between either end of the perimeter of the volcano. To the left, a majority of the crowd coming off the ship was herding off, somewhere. To the right, a clear path around the bend that was made far more scarce. "...That way!" Ash pointed. "Let's go."
"...Are you sure?" Dawn frowned. "Everyone's headed in the other direction."
"And they're all about to be majorly disappointed," Ash replied without reservation, marching ahead. Without much choice but to leave Ash behind, Dawn followed him.
As they walked the streets, they found fewer and fewer buildings occupied in this direction. Rattata scurried through, poking their heads into bags that littered the sand, before running off if they were lucky enough to come across a morsel. Black ash was swirled into the sand, and coated the sides of old broken down shops.
"...This is weird." Dawn hung closer to Ash. "I think we really did go the wrong way, Ash."
"I… guess." Ash conceded, frowning as he took in the decrepit sights. "This path up to the volcano used to be happening. Everyone liked the view." Even now that he was almost certain he'd been wrong, his feet kept moving. The morbid curiosity festering up was bugging him.
"...Ah! What in the world!?" Ash gasped, suddenly stopping in his tracks. He'd come across the Pokémon Center, alright. Although, he hadn't expected the sight to be so jarring.
Partially caved in on one side with plenty of charring near the caved wall, the medical building was almost unrecognizable. It looked as if the walls of the volcano had flowed into the building and a couple of others near it! They were definitely decimated beyond use.
"That's… awful!" Dawn held a hand over her mouth. "No wonder no one came this way!"
"What… happened?" Ash trailed off. "Was it some sort of powerful Pokémon…?" Images of wrathful myths and titans came to mind. Had it been the wrath of Moltres? Certainly, Kanto didn't have any Heatran?
"A simple question, really, with an answer just as clear to the naked eye." A voice sounded from nearby, gravely from age, but still fiery and sharp with wit. Atop a boulder sitting near the shore was an elderly man with an angular jaw somewhat obscured by a crooked, snow-white mustache. Round sunglasses hid his eyes, and a white fedora with a red band sat on his head; matching a snappy vest and overshirt with the same color scheme. Adorned with tan slacks, his legs were crossed, and he leaned his weight on an ornate wooden cane.
He smirked, his mustache lifting with his facial muscles. "What used to be red-hot and explosive, but now caters nothing but dust and tales lost to time?"
"Er… I'm sorry," Ash apologized, "but I'm not sure how your mid-life crisis is supposed to tell me what happened to Cinnabar."
"Ack…!" The man nearly stumbled into a faceplant at Ash's answer, immediately fuming. "Forget any hope of answering riddles, kid, because you're completely tactless!"
"You totally missed it, Ash!" Dawn frowned, folding her arms. "The answer is a volcano! A volcanic eruption must have struck the island!"
"...Ahem." The man coughed into his hand. "Correct! You, little lady, have much better riddle-solving skills."
"Of course!" Dawn boasted, puffing up with pride. "Riddles are just an advanced stage of poetry."
"...Riddles." Ash muttered, staring the elderly stranger up and down. He gasped. "...I get it! You're Blaine!"
"Blaine?" Dawn echoed.
"Right-o!" The man grinned, pulling off his spectacles to reveal bold eyes, and sharp, bushy eyebrows. "It's about time you figured it out, Ash."
"Blaine…? Didn't you say that's the name of the Cinnabar Gym Leader!?" Dawn asked.
"Uh-huh," Ash nodded, answering absently. "I didn't expect to run into him, just yet… But if the volcano went off-"
"The after-effects of our battle made the volcano unstable, it seems," Blaine interrupted Ash's train of thought. "It eventually had a violent eruption… if not fortunately subdued. There was ample time for citizens to escape and scatter. But the Cinnabar that you knew and remember was decimated."
"Your Gym Battle…?" Dawn frowned, nudging Ash's side. "What in the world happened?"
"What else?" Ash said bitterly. "Team Rocket." Repeating their name made him feel sour in the pit of his stomach, and if they dwelled any longer, events of days passed might get a grip on them. "But, wait a minute. If that happened, then what happened to your Gym?"
"I've moved it to the caverns of the Seafoam Islands," Blaine answered. "Far less explosive, and the native population of ice types manages to regulate the temperatures, despite my red-hot Fire-types. I'm over here to point any uninformed trainers coming in with the Wallace Cup influx in the right direction… Uninformed trainers meaning you, of course," he pointed at Ash.
"Agh…!" Ash immediately hung his head in shame. But, the time for dwelling on mistakes and embarrassment was over! "Forget that," he rebounded, pointing at Blaine. "I'll still challenge you! But give me a week or so. My girlfriend, Dawn," he introduced with a hand on her shoulder; saying that was still a new fresh feeling! "...Is here to compete and win in the Wallace Cup!"
"You know it!" Dawn winked, raising a hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Blaine! Ash has said a lot to hype up just how strong your Gym is!"
"He did, did he?" Blaine evidently smirked, with the upturn of his mustache, as he held a thumb to his chin. "Well, I was going to ask how such a rockhead ended up with someone who could breeze through my riddles, but you've clearly got some brains on you. And if she's as good an artist as she is a poet, then you'll do just fine, Dawn."
"...I feel like I just became a casualty of this conversation," Ash frowned, whispering to Pikachu.
"Pika-Pika," Pikachu agreed, patting Ash's cheek sympathetically.
"You know," Blaine resumed, "after getting that letter of yours, I became intrigued by what you have in store for me, kid. I can't imagine Professor Oak signing off on a dud, and if you've gotten this far, then you must have completed most of your challenge, already."
"You bet I have!" Ash jerked a thumb towards himself. "And there's something else you should know." The trainer reached for his belt, snatching a Poké Ball to toss into the air.
Torkoal materialized in the light cast by the ball, standing proudly. "Koal!"
"I owe this guy, here, a Gym Battle. So he's going to be facing you when I get to Seafoam!"
"A Torkoal! Interesting…" Blaine mulled, putting his spectacles back on. "So you've been to regions beyond. That shell looks awfully healthy, too. I hope that doesn't mean you've given up on that unruly Charizard of yours, though."
"Give up? Never!" Ash protested. "Charizard and I are better off than ever. But this guy ain't a slouch, either. Am I right, big guy?"
"Torrrr!" Torkoal cried, expelling thick blankets of black smoke from his nostrils.
"...Hm." Blaine grunted. "Our full battle can wait. But I'm intrigued. What do you say we have a quick match with your Torkoal, right now? One on one."
"Oh, for real? Yeah, you're on!" Ash grinned. "Let's do it, Torkoal!"
"Tor!"
"In that case…" Blaine stood, leaning his weight on his cane with one hand. The other retrieved a Poké Ball, slinging it backhanded. The spinning orb parted, releasing a flash that grew, and grew.
"Groaaaarh!" Towering over the elderly man was a Rhyperior, whose tough, slade hide shone brilliantly under the springtime sun. He roared loudly, stomping in the sand.
Naturally, Torkoal was dwarfed.
"Rhyperior…!?" Ash gasped upon seeing their opponent. "...So, that's your Rhydon, from before!" He recalled the middle stage Rock-type who'd miraculously fallen to Pikachu's electric attacks. A tough Rock-type to withstand heat made sense, but… "I'm surprised. I was definitely expecting a Fire-type, on your end."
"Don't tell me you're going to let that crumble your resolve?" Blaine asked.
"Not one bit!" Ash retorted. "In fact, we have a new secret weapon to show you guys!"
On the sidelines, Dawn and Prinplup ran to stand a fair distance away from the trainers and their Pokémon, leaning closer to Ash's end. "Go Ash, go Torkoal!" Dawn cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Show him what you're made of!"
"Prinplup! Lup!" Prinplup jumped and flailed his flippers.
"A secret weapon, eh…?" A gleam of light ran across the rim of Blaine's shades.
"See for yourself!" Ash waved a hand aside. "Torkoal! Use Shell Smash!"
A red aura overtook Torkoal's body, as fractures of light spread across his shell. Bits of shell chipped off in a burst of light, alleviating the load on Torkoal's shell. He let out a hearty battle-cry as his speed and offensive powers surged. "Torkoal!"
The move prompted a raised brow from Blaine. "Hmm…" He grunted in thought. Behind the facade provided by his shades, his musings were a mystery. "Rhyperior. Rock Blast."
Rhyperior pointed one of his open palms towards Torkoal. Boulders gathered and fired towards the Fire-type, one at a time in a several-fold volley.
"Use your new speed, Torkoal!" Ash coached. "Jump across them!"
"Tor!" Torkoal affirmed, crouching before leaping towards the first boulder shot in his direction. He landed atop its surface on all fours, and immediately sprung to the next one. "Koal! Tor…!" The sequence repeated until he was moments from stopping atop the fourth.
"Now, take that momentum, and use your Body Slam!" Ash shouted.
Torkoal sprung off the final rock, and crashed down upon Rhyperior's skull with all four of his legs. The impact smashed and rattled Rhyperior, surprisingly sending him sliding back through the sand.
"Use Fury Attack!" Blaine commanded.
"Jump off and behind him!" Ash urged.
"Koal!" Torkoal leaned forward, using the brief momentum he'd maintained in driving Rhyperior back to spring far past them, before a single jab of their horn could bash his underside.
Ash grinned as his Pokémon escaped, waving a hand. "Now, Flamethrower! Behind you!"
Already leaning forward, Torkoal dipped to hang upside down. A roaring Flamethrower spewed from his mouth, blasting Rhyperior's back. The propulsion of his Flamethrower allowed him to spin right side up, and land on his feet. "Tor!"
"Hmph!" Blaine grunted. "That is quite some firepower you've got."
"You know it!" Ash beamed, puffing his chest out proudly. "That Shell Smash we earned together gave Torkoal a serious power-up." As his Pokémon expelled smoke with pride, Ash let out a belly laugh. It was great to see him in high spirits.
"Perhaps," Blaine replied. "Perhaps it did… But I'd wonder, if I were you."
"Huh?" Ash asked.
"...I'd wonder if igniting a flame with that intensity could come back to burn you." Blaine's voice carried low, maintained by a sinister gravel; a far cry from his usual snappy exclamations.
"What's that mean!?" Ash's brow furrowed. Was there something Blaine knew that he didn't…?
"Use Rock Wrecker!" The Gym Leader replied.
"Raaayh!" Rhyperior pointed an arm cannon towards Torkoal. Bits of earth and rock gathered together to a much greater degree than the last assault. Culminating in one impossibly huge boulder. With a mighty roar, they fired it towards their smaller foe.
Torkoal was quickly left in Rock Wrecker's shadow.
"Dodge that, Torkoal! Quick!" Ash urged. Though the command was redundant; the tortoise was leaping away from the projectile as soon as he could possibly manage. His increased speed carried him, but only just short of his shell being scraped by Rock Wrecker's edge.
The Fire-type exhaled heavily in relief.
"That was a close one." Ash exhaled in relief. 'If we're gonna win this, we need the speed to avoid an attack like Rock Wrecker.' Across the field, Rhyperior was hunched over, catching their breath. Ash smirked. 'And Blaine just gave us a window.'
"Alright, Torkoal, let's go! One more Shell Smash!"
Fractures ran across Torkoal's shell again, chipping away at its weight. A warm aura surrounded the Fire-type again, boosting his abilities further. Satisfied with himself, he smiled. "Torkoal!"
"You shouldn't have given us that opening, Blaine." Ash boasted. He'd been approaching this strategically from every angle, since they'd started; he knew better than to assume he'd win. But everything was going in their favor… even if Blaine's warning hung around in the back of his mind. Maybe he was just playing mind games. "Now we've got the advantage!"
"Think that if you want, kid." Blaine's angular mustache turned upright. "Rhyperior! Rock Blast!"
Rhyperior aimed his cannon, and fired another stoney volley.
"Flamethrower, below you!" Ash pointed toward the ground.
"Torrr… koal!" Torkoal spewed flames directly under him as asked, and the heat consequently jetted him into the air, not unlike a rocket's launch. With the flames' intensity, he was skybound long before Rock Blast could impact with where he'd stood.
"His flames are stronger, and he's lighter," Ash boasted. "Torkoal won't get tagged that easy!" Ash boasted, before immediately eating his words. A second Rock Blast shot towards a falling Torkoal.
With no ground to leverage, and hardly enough time to redirect, Torkoal had nowhere to go.
"I would hold my tongue, before trapping yourself in the line of fire, personally," Blaine advised.
Ash growled through his teeth. "Joke's on you. We'll take it head-on! Torkoal, use your momentum for a Body Slam!"
Ash and Torkoal did have one thing on their side, right now; gravity. Torkoal brought his weight down upon the boulder, bashing through it with his legs. It crumbled and broke, though the tortoise winced; the vibrations shook through him at the moment of impact.
"Koal…! Tor! Tor!" Still, Torkoal persisted. Smashing through a second rock, and then a third. Before another could be launched, Rhyprerior was rapidly drawing closer. With a hearty battle-cry, Torkoal collided with Rhyperior, driving them both to the ground.
Dawn yelped, nearly losing her balance, as a tremor coursed through the shore. Even though it'd been diluted by the sand…! "Ah! What a Body Slam…!"
Prinplup, who'd fallen on his face, would have to agree.
"Koal…!" Torkoal grunted, suffering the vibrations of Rhyperior's form under him, dragging through the sand. He took the opportunity to spring off, landing on all fours. He stumbled, shaky on his feet.
That was something Ash couldn't help but notice. It was odd. But they couldn't pass up the perfect opportunity they had! "Good, Torkoal! Now, use Overheat! Point-blank!"
Torkoal reared back his head. Gathering his strength before Rhyperior, who was struggling to push themselves upright. With a mighty cry, he ignited the Rock-type with a white-hot blaze. Red and orange flames spiraled around the pillar of heat, consuming Rhyperior completely.
"Alright!" Ash cheered. "A direct hit!"
"Now! Hammer Arm!"
"What!?" Ashe exclaimed. Turning his eyes to Blaine, and back to the battle, he saw a huge, rocky weapon of an arm break the blaze, and smash down upon Torkoal's shell. The resulting crash echoed across the beach, and Overheat's blaze died immediately.
Wisps of fire trailed off a hunched over Rhyperior, who kept his arm pinned to Torkoal's shell. At least, he did, until the tortoise collapsed with swirls in his eyes. "Gerh…" Rhyperior groaned, pulling himself upright.
Torkoal was unable to battle.
"Torkoal!" Ash shouted, running over to crouch by his Pokémon. He heard Pikachu's cries as his partner stopped beside them, gently nudging Torkoal's legs. "Are you okay, big guy…?"
"Koa…" Torkoal muttered out, in a daze. His tongue hung out in defeat; an embarrassing sight that Ash spared him by gently shutting his mouth.
The trainer was left flabbergasted. Sitting next to his defeated partner with his knees in the sand. His trusty cap guarding his eyes from the light. "What… just happened…?"
"Shell Smash happened." Blaine said matter-of-factly. Ash could hear his footsteps, and looked up to see the elderly man, currently towering over him. "You do know the weakness of that move, don't you?"
Ash was short of any answers, and was almost too embarrassed to say as much. He resolved to commit to his newly held convictions, though, and met Blaine's gaze. "No, sir, I don't."
"Well, think about it. What do you think happens when you keep chipping away at a tortoise's greatest asset: their sturdy shell?"
"Their…" Ash gasped. "So you're saying that Shell Smash lowers a Pokémon's defense, too!?" After blurting that out, Ash blushed heavily. "...Now that I say it out loud, it was kind of stupid not to think of that. Then, as soon as Rhyperior could land a hit…"
"Torkoal was vulnerable," Blaine finished. "Glass cannons aren't necessarily the best approach to fighting a sturdy tank of a Pokémon like Rhyperior; all I had to do was wait for the perfect moment to bring Torkoal down in one strike." The man leaned his weight on the cane, using the other to pet Rhyperior's tough hide. "But, I'll have to give credit where credit is due. Rhyperior has been hardened by training inside the volcano from his youth. For Fire-types, he's not one to be trifled with. And yet, that Overheat… Well, if we'd let it finish, then we would've been in a tight spot."
The praise served its purpose in cushioning Ash's ego. "Thanks for the good battle, Torkoal," he whispered, before recalling him, and stood. "That all makes sense. I'm just…"
Rather than question him, Blaine waited patiently for Ash to find his words, and in the meantime, sprayed Rhyperior with a particularly high-end potion.
"...I just feel kind of lost," Ash admitted, hanging his head. "Shell Smash seemed like such an awesome move when we learned it… Are you telling me it's no good?"
"Now, hold your Ponytas. I didn't say that," Blaine answered, as he recalled Rhyperior. He folded one hand behind his back, turning away from Ash and taking his leave. "I will answer your dilemma with a riddle. It's best to strike while the iron is hot, but sometimes, it's best left cold."
With those mysterious words, the Gym Leader rounded the bend, and left the group on their own.
"...Ash?" Dawn checked, approaching him to rest a hand on his shoulder. "You guys still did pretty awesome, even if you lost, you know?"
Ash smiled, shaking his head. "It's fine," he assured, though he did rest a hand atop Dawn's, giving it a squeeze to show his appreciation. "Honestly, I'm glad I lost that battle. If we hadn't run into Blaine now, this would've just happened at his Gym, and I'd be up the creek without a paddle."
The trainer turned his gaze on the path that the Gym Leader had taken, where he now eluded them. His gaze as fierce as a Tauros's, and his heart as resolute as ever. "Now's my chance to turn that loss into a future victory! If I can just figure out what Blaine meant by that riddle…!"
"Well, now. If I've ever seen an attitude that would better serve future success, I'd be surprised." Another voice from beyond the volcano's ridge; this one was smooth as silk, but as commanding as the moon's grip on the ocean's tide. Standing atop a rocky precipice was a figure standing tall.
Decked in a regal red jacket and boots to match, and cloaked by a dark navy cape with golden trimmings, which billowed gently in the breeze passing him. Similarly, spiky, strawberry tresses wavered, but boldly held their form. Sharp eyes focused on Ash, matched by a cool smile.
Ash looked over his shoulder, meeting the gaze of the newcomer. He felt his heart jump in his chest, as a gasp left his lips. "...It's Lance!"