Y'all, it's time for Chapter 31 of the Chosen One's Wrath. It's getting closer and closer to the end of this story. By closer, I mean closer by at least a dozen chapters lol. If you're new, please follow and favorite the story! We're closing in on a thousand followers and favorites, help get the story there! Leave a comment if you're enjoying the story!
Admittedly, I'm starting this chapter far later than I anticipated I would do so; approximately ten days before I'm due up to post the chapter. By the time you're seeing this, I will have graduated from college. I hope this gives me more time to write, but I can't really guarantee anything. Thus far, I'm expecting to start working 40 hours a week immediately and therefore I can't lock in time for more than one story (again.) Hopefully I have a nice cushion to work with before I begin, but I think that's a story for another day.
For now, there's two things coming up this chapter that y'all should definitely have been expecting. Despite popular pleading, I decided to put Ash and Cynthia's battle first rather than the confrontation that's been chapters in the making. I know that may receive some backlash, but I decided to give a little teaser last time, so if you haven't read chapter 30, go read it. I don't want to spoil it.
Have you read chapter 30 yet?
Good. Now, let's not delay further.
One final heads up, there may be some fluff in this chapter... heavy fluff. Just a warning.
Enjoy the next installment of the story.
LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 31
Last Chapter…
A cold grip of reality cascaded over Ghost, the feeling of dread drenching him head to toe. Tracey had written his will just three days before he had died. The more he thought, the more sense the situation was making. Tracey had been killed because he messaged the contacts that he himself was the source of the information. Because the message itself had came from Oak, Flare had no reason to suspect Oak was planning on keeping the information for himself. It also explained why Oak had no clue how Flare had found out, because the messages had been deleted.
Ghost also recalled the end of the September 24th log… how Tracey supposedly spoke about the Yzerlock before he was killed. He must have been sending Oak in an opposite direction to throw off Flare. It also explained why Flare and Oak couldn't ever find the Yzerlock, and why the Professor had believed he was next to be eliminated.
"Good. Over and out." Ash slammed the phone closed and sped up, fearing for May's safety. He rushed through her hallway, knowing she was close by. He burst into the room, not caring to knock in the slightest. "Nurse, I need to—"
Ash's words were caught in his throat. He was caught speechless. There, standing at the window and looking out over the city, was a beautiful brunette wearing a hospital gown. It was short enough where Ash could see her creamy legs and the slightest undercut of her backside. He finally found the coherent words that had been lodged in his throat for so long. "M-May?"
The girl slowly turned around, face not giving away any secrets. "Hi Ash."
As he approached the trainer's box, the stadium had began to chant his name.
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
As soon as he stepped in the rectangle, the crowd let out one last boisterous cheer before dying down as the referee announced the rules.
"The battle between Champion Cynthia Shirona of Sinnoh and Ghost of Alola is about to commence." The crowd exploded into cheers, their excitement hardly being contained. Neither Ash's nor Cynthia's face changed from the spectators.
"This battle is the final 3 on 3 battle of the tournament. The winner of this battle will face Max Maple for the right to go to the Championship. As deemed by a battle randomizer, there will be no stadium gimmicks. However, at no point may a Pokémon be swapped out. Therefore, moves such as Baton Pass, Volt Switch or U-Turn may not be used in battle. Is that clear?" the referee announced authoritatively.
"Yes." Cynthia spoke for the first time.
"Crystal." Ash nodded briskly.
"If a Pokémon is forced out with a move such as Dragon Tail, the swap will be allowed. Otherwise the Pokémon that switched out will be disqualified for the remainder of the battle. Are both trainer's ready?"
"Yes."
"I am."
The referee nodded. "Trainer's will release their Pokémon at the same time, on my mark. 3… 2… 1… throw!"
Present… Enjoy everyone!
Ghost found himself completely battle-locked. He didn't think about anything he'd learned or anything he'd done in the past week. All he wanted to focus on was dispatching Cynthia and moving on to the—
Okay it was impossible to say it so simply. The fact of the matter was that Cynthia was far off from the rest of the people he'd battled. In other words, this would be his toughest battle tenfold. Cynthia, while incredibly stubborn, was a fierce battler who generally came into every fight with a plan. She knew the ins-and-outs of most battle scenarios. Ghost had little doubt she'd come prepared to face him.
Thus, Ghost needed a firm plan in place. Ghost knew that, in this battle more than all others, type coverage and situational readiness was paramount for Victory. He had come with a threesome that, if he was true with himself, was solid in most situations. Ghost knew that his team came with holes, but he had an idea of Cynthia's team thanks to some good data analytics work. He composed his team, taught them new moves, preparing a reserve Pokémon in case something went wrong with a starter.
He had little doubt Cynthia would do the same. He considered how different this battle would be in comparison to the one he had with Cynthia's niece Ariana. All those weeks ago, he'd severely overestimated Ariana and her battle-skills. She'd been a cakewalk, spending more time trying to flirt with him than defeat him in battle.
Ghost refused to underestimate Cynthia. She was not a champion for nothing, unlike Diantha. This woman would be a fierce opponent, one of the toughest he would likely ever face for the foreseeable future. He knew he could win, but would he lock up the battle? Ghost eyed up his first Pokémon on the battlefield and then took in Cynthia's. Something clicked in his head and he put two and two together.
The referee yelled. "Milotic versus Lyncanroc, battle begin!"
Ghost knew he would be at a major disadvantage here. Cynthia undoubtedly knew that his dusk-form Lyncanroc was built to be a physical attacker. He also knew that Cynthia's Milotic had a particular strategy that it banked on almost every fight. Ghost took control immediately.
"Lyncanroc, use Scary Face." As Milotic's speed fell from the Rock-type glaring at it, Cynthia ordered her first move as well. "Hit it with Ice Beam!"
"Evade!" As the beam of crystalized water rocketed towards Lyncanroc, the rock-type ended it's status move to dodge the move that would undoubtedly do some serious damage if it connected. As Ghost had firmly predicted, Milotic's strategy kicked in nearly an instant after it's move ended. The water-type cried out in agony as it abruptly caught on fire. Ghost saw the smile on Cynthia's face and knew he was facing an uphill battle for the rest of the way.
As the announcer had expressed his shock and surprise, claiming Ghost had an advantage now, Ghost mentally prepared his upcoming moves. He knew that this was undoubtedly the work of a flame orb, and that meant he could effectively confirm Milotic had the Marvel Scale ability. Ghost called out to Lyncanroc. "Use Scary Face again!"
The rock-type nodded, it's trust fully in Ghost. Milotic was once more subjected to a stare out of a horror film, it's speed once more beginning to crumble. Cynthia gave out her next orders. "Use Ice Beam again, aim for its legs."
This time, despite Ghost's yell to avoid the beam, Lyncanroc could do no such thing. The blast missed for the most part, but a part of Lyncanroc's leg was frozen to the ground. "Hit it with Surf!"
Ghost reacted swiftly. "Rock tomb! Create a barricade to protect yourself!"
Unfortunately, it seemed Cynthia had predicted this. She had a smile on her face, as though she was listening to his every thought. "Stop surf and use Ice Beam! Hit the rock that you think will be directly in front of Lyncanroc when the water hits!"
'Huh?'
A moment later, Ghost's momentary lapse of perplexation was ended. The Ice Beam formed from Milotic's mouth, and rather than aiming it at Lyncanroc, the rocks soaring downwards from the sky were targeted. One was completely frozen, and when it hit the ground, it shattered. Ghost felt his heart drop into his chest when the water had found a large gap to go through. The rock-type was swept away by the waves, leg no longer frozen.
The Pokémon was washed up next to the back wall of the stadium, bruised and battered. Ghost frowned when he looked at his Pokémon's condition. Because the rules of the battle stated no swaps unless a move from the opposition mandated a swap, he was forced to keep Lyncanroc out to face Milotic.
'Something that I didn't consider with that move either was that Cynthia effectively made surf more powerful because all the waves were directed into one spot. This is what I was afraid of. But now, it's our turn.' Ghost's mind turned.
The Alola champion turned to his faithful Pokémon. "You good Lyncanroc?"
"Roooccc!" The Pokémon roared in approval, bruises still evident.
"Then let's give em what-for. Lyncanroc, use Swift!"
Cynthia waved her hand downwards once she heard the command. "Ice Beam!"
Instead of the stars rushing towards Milotic however, the stars formed around Lyncanroc as though they were a protective shield. The ice beam connected with the star-shield, but Lyncanroc looked utterly unfazed as it charged towards the Sinnoh champion and her Pokémon. Cynthia now had an idea of what she believed Ghost was attempting.
"Get ready Milotic!"
Just as Lyncanroc was about to connect with Milotic, Ghost gave out a different command. "Stop and use Sandstorm!"
'Hm? What's he up to?'
Within a second, the stars had vanished around Lyncanroc, and just moments later a blistering sandstorm had appeared. By this point, Milotic had taken some decent damage. However, since none of Milotic's moves were physical, the damage of each of its moves wasn't going down due to the burn. It's health was a different story. That's why Cynthia came prepared for the battle and gave out her next command.
"Use recover!"
As the water-type regained all the health it had lost from the previous moves, Ghost prepared to set up what he called the gauntlet. "Use swift!"
Cynthia watched in decent surprise as the dark storm of sand was lit up by a flurry of bright yellow stars. Abruptly, before she could give out a command, she found herself mesmerized when the stars shot upwards and began to spiral around what she presumed to be Milotic. Before she knew it, hundreds of stars were creating a forcefield around Milotic, trapping it in the sand. Before long, Milotic was taking heavy damage as the swift closed around it effectively.
'Interesting… despite Lyncanroc being a physical attacker, he prepared it with special moves for a situation like this. He created an improvised Sand Tomb by combining Sandstorm and Swift. All the while, Milotic is taking increased damage for it simply being a sandstorm. Impressive, I can see why Ari had decent trouble with him. He's quite a tactician. Let's see if he predicted this move though.'
"Milotic? Use Surf, but aim it up as high as it can go!"
Cynthia's brilliant plan was nearly flawless. The wave went straight to the sky, blanketing the sandstorm and effectively wiping out the improvised-sand tomb in the process. The problem with that little strategy? Ghost's high-IQ move choice had a contingency plan. Cynthia had little time react as a wave of large boulders came rushing towards Milotic from the sky.
"Move out of the way!"
Alas, there was no chance of that. Lynanroc's two Scary Face attacks came back to haunt Milotic as it was smooshed by the boulders. "No! Milotic!" The crowd roared in approval for their homestanding champion. The water type emerged from the boulders similarly battered as Lyncanroc had a few moments prior.
Cynthia complimented her adversary. "That was some combination! I didn't see it coming, that's for certain. Let's keep putting on a show! Milotic, use recover!"
Ghost refused to let that happen. "Swift! Hit it quick!"
Lyncanroc obeyed far quicker than Milotic, once again being granted priority thanks to the Scary Face attacks. Before Milotic could focus and regain health, Lyncanroc's attack slammed into it, causing it to stumble. Ghost once more refused to let Milotic get a chance to move in. "Use improvised Sand tomb!"
Once more, the audience got a glimpse of Ghost's creativity as the battlefield was blanketed by a dark wave of sand, only for it to be relight from the inside by a wave of stars. However, unlike the last time it had been trapped, Milotic seemed calm and collected. This was much like the trainer she learned under, who seemed to expect the move. Even Ghost made mistakes, and this one would prove to be costly.
"Mirror Coat!"
Milotic's body began to glow, and an instant later the stars that connected with it's body flashed brightly. The sandstorm was also somehow repelled, and it created a burst large enough that sent Lyncanroc soaring into the wall behind Ghost. The champion whirled around, fearing the worst. The dust began to settle down and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief. Lyncanroc seemed quite beaten up, but conscious and moving nonetheless.
'That was a rookie move. I should've seen that one coming. I can't let Milotic use recover. If Milotic recovers health, that puts me down further. With that in mind… I need to get the next hit in.'
"Use Swift! Aim at the ground!"
This command startled Cynthia, who truly didn't know how to react. The stars vanished into the ground, and for a moment, all was silent. The champions looked at each other, one mimicking utter bewilderment and one radiating conviction. However, it appeared nothing would happened after a handful of seconds passed by uneventfully.
"Alright then, Milotic, use surf!"
Ghost paled.
The rush of water came straight at Lyncanroc, who could do nothing but look at the torrent of waves. In a desperation move, Ghost yelled. "Lyncanroc, use Rock Tomb! Protect yourself!" As the rocks began to fall from the sky, Cynthia once more prepared her counter. "You know the drill! Use Ice—"
She was cut off when the ground began to shake underneath Milotic rapidly. A moment later, Milotic exploded. The water-type was sent hurtling through the sky as an army of bright yellow stars swarmed it. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Ghost watched as the boulders failed to contain the torrents and eventually got overwhelmed by the fierce waters. Lyncanroc cried out as it was swept away yet again. It slammed into the wall behind Ghost, creating another large dust storm. Milotic landed nearby Cynthia, a similar dust cloud forming from the Swift attack.
The crowd had no words, merely gawking at the two dust clouds. For a few moments, nothing happened from the official, who was peering at both Pokémon through their smoke shields. A moment passed before Milotic's dust cloud cleared and revealed Milotic out for the count, swirls in it's eyes. The official held up a flag. "Milotic is unable to battle, Lyncanroc is the winner!"
Said Pokémon was slowly standing up, somehow still conscious. The audience cheered wildly for an absolutely crazy opening battle between two of the fiercest trainers in the world. The referee looked to Cynthia and began to speak. "Champion Shirona, return Milotic and please send out your next—"
A sound cut him off. Lyncanroc had crumpled to the ground, it's legs able to keep the Pokémon upright no more. The crowd gasped in shock, not able to believe what they just witnessed. The referee raised a flag towards Ghost. "Lyncanroc is also unable to battle! By rule, Lyncanroc is considered the winner based on being the last Pokémon standing, but is still eliminated for the rest of the battle."
The stadium was silent. Words were not spoken by anyone outside the trainers on the field, thanking their Pokémon for the effort they put in. It had been considered law that Ghost couldn't lose a Pokémon in combat. It was the first time they'd seen Ghost lose a Pokémon, even if he hadn't really 'lost' the battle.
Cynthia, meanwhile, complimented Ghost once again. "The stories are true. You are a remarkable battler Ghost, I shall enjoy the rest of this battle thoroughly."
Ghost had no choice but to admit something he rarely admitted to anyone. "You are as strong as they say. I'm unsure if you knew this, but that was the first Pokémon of mine who's fainted this tournament. Lyncanroc is one of my fiercest. I applaud your strategies Cynthia."
The blonde bombshell smirked. "Shall we release our Pokémon once again on cue?"
"With pleasure."
The woman looked to the official. "May you do the countdown?"
"Of course. Release on my command. 3… 2… 1…. Release!"
Two more Pokémon materialized.
"Toge-Kiss!" The normal-flying announced proudly.
"Manaaa!" Ghost's Manectric roared.
Ghost took one look at his battered Pokémon and knew exactly how his attack would go. He had a great chance of pummeling Togekiss even without the type advantage. Cynthia wasn't going to know what hit her if all went well. Cynthia had a stoic look on her face, simply preparing for the upcoming battle. It was true what they said about Ghost, he was an absolutely fearless battler who had tons of contingency plans for every given scenario. In all her years as champion, she'd never once felt nervous about facing a particular battler. None had ever given her a tough time and she never felt as though she could be beaten.
Ghost was an entirely story. He was clever. He was cunning. He was resourceful. He was feared. For perhaps the only time in the past decades, Cynthia was truly worried about a battle. Ariana, her niece, was a tremendous fighter. She was young and inexperienced, sure. But she was still a great battler who was fairly headstrong. Ghost had flattened Ariana like she was nothing. And to be frank, that truly frightened her.
Then Ghost battled someone who he was so confident against that has willing to use a single Pokémon to defeat the man's entire team. He hadn't lost a Pokémon in combat yet. Granted, he hadn't faced an opponent of her caliber yet, and she fully intended to end his reign. Finishing off Lyncanroc was a sign that she was on his caliber… maybe even above it. She fully intended to do what many thought wasn't possible; defeat the most powerful trainer that defended the region of Alola.
"Battle continue!"
This time, it seemed as though Ghost wasn't waiting a second to begin the assault. "Charge Beam!"
The bright yellow blast formed from the electric type's mouth before it shot out like a cannon towards the flying-type. Cynthia didn't hesitate. "Air Slash!" The two moves immediately cancelled one another out, a ripple following the small explosion that connected in the middle of the field. The crowd cheered, more than ready for another thrilling bout between two of the finest fighters in the world.
"Manectric, Charge Beam again!"
"Togekiss, get in close, do a barrel roll to evade! Hit it with Aura Sphere!"
The white Pokémon flew straight at the blast before tucking in its wings and evading the yellow beam. As it did so, Togekiss launched a bright blue sphere towards Manectric. Ghost didn't hesitate to give an order, and it would prove to be a mistake. "Evade." Manectric rolled left on it's back to avoid the blast that it believed would be hitting the spot it had been in just a moment prior. Instead though, the ball of blue directly connected with Manectric, sending it hurtling backwards.
'Hm? How did that hit? Aura Sphere can't always hit, not when a Pokémon evades. What—' Ghost's mind turmoiled for a moment before he connected the dots. 'Ah… that's clever. I wonder if she hasn't changed her tactics from her previous battles. Only one way to find out though; let's have some fun.'
"Manectric, get on your back!" Manectric did so, though not without a look of perplexation towards its trainer. Cynthia frowned, not liking where this was going one bit. "Quick Togekiss, hit it with Air Slash!"
"Roll over and hit it with Charge Beam!" Just before the air slash could connect, Manectric moved out of the way, the move not connecting by a fraction of a foot. The yellow beam was already out of Manectric's mouth before Cynthia even knew what was happening. The blast struck Togekiss square on, launching it backwards and increasing Manectric's special attack in the process.
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. 'That was an… odd… tactic. He goes from an underground swift attack to telling Manectric to play dead? That makes no sense. He's got to have something else up his sleeve.'
It didn't take long to get an answer. "Manectric, get on your back again!" The blue and yellow dog-like creature did as it was commanded, a little less skepticism this time around. "Now then, spin!"
'Huh?'
The spikes on Manectric's back electrified and became firm. Then, by softening some and keeping others firm, Manectric was able to rotate it's body rapidly until it became a blur. It wasn't long before dust kicked up and formed a barricade around Manectric. Cynthia had a momentary flashback of the improvised Sand Tomb technique and knew she couldn't allow to have a repeat performance.
"Air Slash! Rapid fire!" A flurry of flaps from Togekiss' wings came first, and a torrent of attacks rushed towards the condensed sandstorm. Cynthia wasn't sure what happened next. Before the air slash's could connect, lighting began to fly in all directions out of the cloud of dust. The air slashes were destroyed instantly, and Togekiss began to get hit over and over as multiple charge beams struck it over and over from all sorts of different angles. Cynthia watched in mesmerized horror as her Pokémon was slowly picked apart by the super effective move.
'Incredible. This is… unbelievable.'
The attacks stopped coming and Togekiss plummeted to the ground, gravely injured from the attack. Manectric emerged from the dust unharmed and let out a battle cry.
"Mannaaa!" The crowd cheered for the electric type, eager to see more of what the two champions would throw at one another.
Cynthia knew Togekiss was beaten and battered and also knew that because of Charge Beam's secondary effect, there was little to no doubt Manectric's special attack was peaking at that very moment. This didn't look good for her.
"You gave me the idea."
Cynthia almost jumped in surprise by Ghost's words. "Excuse me?"
Ghost gestured calmly to Togekiss. "The curved Aura Sphere. When you instructed Togekiss to spin, the sphere only connected because you knew it would curve into Manectric. You knew I would evade the attack rather than meet it head on. So, I decided to give you a taste of your own medicine." Ghost pointed to the top of the stadium. "See the laser shielding?" Cynthia eyed up the top of the stadium and noticed it had a faint purple glow, making the sky appear eerily unnatural.
"The entire stadium is protected by this shielding. It's to protect us from attacks that could go out of control. Some attacks are simply vaporized by the shield, for example, attacks that are head on. Others though, can be reflected if they're curved. By getting Manectric to spin and launch its attacks at all sorts of angles, it was only a matter of seconds until the attacks began to bounce off the walls and strike Togekiss. You gave me that idea Cynthia, I owe you for it. Didn't think I'd be improvising mid-battle, but here we are."
'Damn… he's clever. Let's see him weasel out of this little strategy though…' Cynthia mused.
"Togekiss, use Double-Edge! Go low!"
"Manectric, meet it with Fire Fang!"
The two attacks collided in the heart of the battlefield, but it was Manectric who was launched backwards from the force of the attack. Digging it's hind paws into the dirt, it stopped itself from taking too much damage. Cynthia refused to let up the aggression now. "Again!"
"Manectric, try Charge Beam!"
This time, Charge Beam collided with Togekiss' double edge attack. Unlike the first attack, it was Manectric's attack that won out, pushing Togekiss back until it was swept away by the super-effective move. Once Togekiss was able to recover from the attack, it was clear that the Pokémon was struggling to stay focused, the sparks coming from Togekiss' body obvious. The Pokémon had been paralyzed previously upon colliding with Manectric. Cynthia gritted her teeth a bit but calmed considerably once she knew it was time to execute the plan that had never once failed her. "Togekiss, prepare yourself! Hover in the air!"
Ghost eyed up Togekiss carefully at that command, wondering where she was going with the odd command. The next command put a smile on Cynthia's face once she said the move. "Now use rest. Let's even the odds!"
Stunning everyone, Togekiss fell asleep while still hovering in the air and far away from Manectric's reach. Cynthia knew that every second that passed by was another lick of health Togekiss was gaining back. A smile that covered her face came next, she could see the tides of the battle beginning to shift. There was only one little problem with that. Upon looking across the battlefield to gauge her opponents reaction, it wasn't the reaction she thought she was going to see.
Ghost wasn't frowning.
He was smirking. No, he was grinning from ear to ear.
'Oh no. He has something up his sleeve. He's prepared for this.' Cynthia could feel her heart drop into her stomach from the look her opponent was giving.
Manectric looked back at his trainer and also noticed the look Ghost had. The Pokémon and trainer made eye contact before Ghost nodded at the electric-type.
"Manectric, it's time to begin. Let's wipe this Pokémon off the face of the map. Use Electric Terrain!" Letting out a mighty howl and allowing the spikes on its back to become stiff and electrified, the battlefield was suddenly contained by a radius that was crackling with electricity. Cynthia looked around in wonder, unsure of the current status of the battle. Her mind was still rolling.
'He had electric terrain this entire time? Why would he wait to use it until now?'
"Now, hit it with Charge Beam! Time for some amplified damage!" Ghost ordered, an unreadable expression on his face.
It became obvious that Togekiss would take a decent chunk of damage from the consistent attack all while Manectric's special attack stat was slowly being boosted from the attack. With the addition of Electric Terrain though, the attack's damage was also being boosted by a decent margin as well. Cynthia was unsure of her next step, she was at a drastic disadvantage with Togekiss' weakness to electric moves.
She was very fortunate Ghost had no clue Togekiss had leftovers handy and was gaining additional health every second along with rest's boost. Speaking of, Togekiss shot awake and was able to avoid the charge beam that was being launched at it yet again. Cynthia was unsure of her next move but knew she couldn't win the battle with electric terrain active. She had to make a decision, but it wasn't going to be an easy one.
She'd been counting how many times charge beam had been used by Manectric and by her rough estimate, Manectric had to be at the bottom of the barrel of it's move set. There was an issue that she hadn't been tracking; while she was counting how many times Manectric had used Charge Beam, she hadn't counted the other moves that Manectric hadn't used.
"Use Rest again!" Once more, Togekiss fell asleep in the air. One look to Ghost told her that she'd made a fatal mistake. The look on Ghost's face was the look of a predator who'd just scored the meal of a lifetime. He waved his arm downwards and gave a command that stunned the entire stadium to its core.
"Switcheroo!"
Cynthia gaped in disbelief, knowing there was nothing she could do but watch what happened as Manectric leapt up in the air towards the sleeping flying-type. In a flash Manectric was next to Togekiss. One moment the two hovered in the sky next to one another, one aware of what was happening and the other blissfully unaware. The next moment, Togekiss was plummeting to the ground at full speed. Cynthia let out a gasp of utter horror as she watched her Pokémon dive towards the ground, fast asleep the entire way.
Togekiss smashed into the ground with such velocity that the ground shook and left tremors in its wake. Meanwhile, Manectric landed on the ground next to its trainer, a serene smile on its face and food in its mouth. Cynthia now knew that Ghost had predicted she'd given Togekiss a leftovers since she had done so in other matches. But why had Togekiss plummeted to the ground? Especially when Togekiss was still asl—
A noise snapped the blonde champion back to reality. She let out a gasp when she saw Togekiss on the ground, injured and beaten up horribly. It was panting loudly, fully conscious and awake. She stared in utter shock as the Pokémon struggled to stay standing.
Before she could register what was happening, she found herself crying out another command before Ghost could deliver the death blow. "Q-Quick! Use rest!" Strangely, Ghost did not make a comment of any kind. Instead, he simply watched the show.
Togekiss was rapidly shaking its head, signaling something was terribly wrong. Cynthia knew very well what Switcheroo did and knew that every second that passed by Manectric was slowly getting its health back. After unsuccessfully falling asleep a third time, Electric Terrain wore off, the yellow walls slowly fading back to their default color. Ghost gave his first command in some time swiftly. "Use Electric Terrain again!"
Cynthia saw this as her opening. "Take to the skies Togekiss! Use Aura sphere!"
But Togekiss shook its head once more rapidly, signaling something was still amuck. The electric terrain attack once more took control, leaving Cynthia and Togekiss in hot water. Ghost decided that enough was enough and prepared himself to end the battle right then and there. "Use Charge Beam!"
"Aura Sphere!"
A steady beam of electricity emerged from Manectric's mouth while a ball of blue energy came from Togekiss' mouth. Cynthia was momentarily baffled and relieved by Togekiss' ability to suddenly attack again, but that relief was short-lived. The charge beam, powered up by countless successful attacks prior in the battle, easily overwhelmed the attack from Togekiss and struck Cynthia's Pokémon head on. Smoke came from Togekiss when the attack connected, and an explosion followed soon after.
"No! Togekiss!" She cried in terror.
Ghost refused to let the battle go on any further. "Finish this! Fire Fang!" And from the smoke emerged the blue and yellow Pokémon, jaws alight. One more explosion decimated the field and sent a figure from the smoke into the wall behind Cynthia. She whirled on her heel, knowing very well what the outcome of this round had become.
The referee rushed to the wall, expecting the same thing every being in the stadium was preparing themselves to hear. When the carnage was revealed, Togekiss had swirls in its eyes and its mouth slightly ajar. "Togekiss is unable to battle, Manectric wins!" The audience cheered as Manectric let out a mighty roar of dominance. This was the Ghost that the audience had expected to see coming into the battle, but while the round was over, the battle wasn't. Cynthia returned Togekiss with a small smile on her face. "Thank you, you did your best."
She eyed up Ghost curiously and spoke up. "Would you mind if I asked how you did that?"
Ghost sent a question right back. "Did what?"
"How did you defeat Togekiss with Switcheroo?"
The man chuckled softly. "It wasn't just Switcheroo that did the trick, it was electric terrain that did the most reps."
'Huh? What is he saying?'
Ghost continued. "Electric Terrain is a move whose primary motive is to increase the power of electric type attacks. Did you notice how I didn't put it up though until late in the battle? I did that for a reason. You see, while its well-known that Electric Terrain boosts electric moves, what's not well-known is that there's a secondary effect of Electric Terrain. It also forces certain Pokémon to stay awake… grounded Pokémon."
Cynthia's eyes widened at those words. Even she, a battle wiz, did not know that side effect of electric terrain.
"I've seen your battles with Togekiss before. I knew you'd use her here. I also knew that it's worked so flawlessly, I should come prepared for that strategy. A handful of your Pokémon are weak to electric types, so it was a contingency plan baked into one. When Togekiss was trying to heal, I used Switcheroo to make Togekiss hold an Iron Ball while Manectric stole its leftovers. That's why Togekiss couldn't heal, and it's also why it couldn't obey your orders to fly and use Aura Sphere. That was because, well, it couldn't fly if its grounded. With Electric Terrain up and leftovers gone, Togekiss lost both ways to heal. It was over the moment that happened."
'I-Incredible. He thought out everything that far ahead… just how strong is this trainer? I can't believe this… he may truly be more powerful than I am!'
The official held his hand in the air to give the next announcement. "Ms. Shirona, please send out your final Pokémon."
Ghost bit his lip silently, hoping beyond hope that her final Pokémon wasn't her strongest. A moment later though, the silent pleads appeared to have fallen on deaf ears as Garchomp materialized for the final battle. He looked at Manectric and knew there was little the electric type could do. Fire Fang was its only course of action; all of Manectric's moves were revealed. Two had no effect on Garchomp and one would be worthless. The blue and yellow Pokémon had already taken some damage, and it was clear the Pokémon was at too much of an advantage here. There was no option.
After another look towards the electric type, he sighed and spoke loudly. "Official, if I intend to swap Pokémon, that will disqualify Manectric or the Pokémon I intend to swap in?"
The official looked perplexed but spoke. "You cannot swap a Pokémon out whatsoever unless your opponent forces the swap by a move of some sort. If you swap Manectric out, you'll be disqualified from the battle and be eliminated from the tournament."
The official looked across the battlefield to see Garchomp eagerly awaiting its battle, Cynthia awaiting the next move of the Alola Champion. Ghost spoke calmly. "Alright then." The man nodded and prepared to walk away before Ghost spoke quickly, as though he suddenly came to a realization.
"What if I disqualify Manectric for keeping its health a priority?"
The man turned back; an eyebrow raised. "It's happened before in this tournament. I allowed Barry, one of my competitors, to retire their Pokémon from the battle to protect their health. Why should I be denied the right I gave my competition?"
The man was silent for a moment before nodding for a moment and then walking to Cynthia's side of the battlefield. Ghost could see they were engaged in deep conversation for a handful of minutes, but Cynthia's expression didn't change once. She seemed… resigned. Was that good? He didn't know, but he was about to find out sooner rather than later. The official walked back to the center of the battlefield and spoke in an authoritative voice for the entire stadium to hear.
"Champion Ghost has requested to retire Manectric from further battling under the pretenses of his Pokémon's overall health and therefore, it's protection from this battle, but as well, in future battles. Champion Shirona has approved of the request…" Ghost sent a thankful look to Cynthia, who nodded stoically at him. But the official wasn't done speaking yet.
"However, per the league, while Manectric will be permitted to be retired for this battle, another requirement has been put forth. Should Manectric be retired from the battle and should Ghost move on in the tournament, Manectric would be forfeiting its battle eligibility. Therefore, for the remainder of the tournament, Manectric will be prohibited to battle in any capacity." The stadium began to murmur loudly as the realization slammed into Ghost like a semi-truck. Even Cynthia looked surprised.
Ghost was caught in a dilemma. There was no chance Manectric could defeat Garchomp. It would only suffer, and possibly worse, give Garchomp all the chances in the worst to set up status moves to sweep the next Pokémon he brought in.
It could cost him his tournament life. This could truly decide the tournament's outcome. He had to make a decision.
Did he elect to keep Manectric in, undoubtedly causing it harm and possibly getting him eliminated from the tournament at the hands of Garchomp? Or did he forfeit Manectric from further competition, save it from harm but prohibit Manectric from the opportunity of getting revenge on Max in the next round? Ghost shook his head for a moment, gritting his teeth in anguish. Each action had pros and cons. Could he possibly decide that with a straight face?
"Manaa!" Ghost looked up to see the electric type approaching him slowly. After a moment, the Pokémon nodded slowly, as if settling on something. Ghost spoke softly. "You're… okay with giving up your battle eligibility? Are you certain?"
The Pokémon nodded, a small grin on its face. "Mana! Ec-Man!"
"You realize you won't be able to battle Max… you'll lose your chance at revenge. Are you sure this is what you want?" He spoke quietly.
The Pokémon nodded yet again, the smile not leaving its face. "Mana man- ec ec tricc!"
Ghost was silent before giving a small smile. "Alright then… Alright then." Ghost turned to the official. "I'll… I'll be forfeiting Manectric's eligibility. Looks like we've come to an understanding of sorts."
The official nodded. "Very well. Ghost has elected to forfeit Manectric's battle eligibility for the remainder of the tournament. Therefore, the final battle will commence with Champion Shirona's Garchomp against…" the referee looked to Ghost expectantly. Ghost returned his faithful electric-type before throwing up a ball with a blank expression on his face. The Pokémon materialized and the audience let out a small gasp of shock. The Pokémon eyed up its competition, snorting angrily.
"… Ghost's Garchomp! This battle will decide which trainer moves on to face Max Maple in the semi-finals. Battle commence!"
Meanwhile, the audience was gawking at the situation in shock. Cynthia's Garchomp was perhaps the most well-recognized Pokémon of the Sinnoh region. It was a Pokémon that had never outright lost a battle without taking down a Pokémon or two with it. Ghost's remaining tournament life fell on the shoulders of the same Pokémon that Cynthia had, only it was widely expected to struggle against such a formidable opponent.
There was one question running through the heads of everyone there; was this truly where Ghost's run to the greatest came to a screeching halt?
"I respect you for treating Manectric with care Ghost, but this is where your tournament life comes to an end. I shall finish this swiftly. Garchomp, prepare yourself! Spin once to kick up sand, then hit it with Dragon Claw!"
The small wave of sand that was kicked up did the trick, momentarily blinding Ghost's Garchomp before emerging and preparing to strike down the opposition. "Block it!" Ghost ordered swiftly. Garchomp blocked Cynthia's attack, arms crossed, and feet dug into the ground to stop sliding further back.
"Hit it with Metal Claw!"
"Match with Dragon Claw!" Cynthia ordered.
Ghost's Garchomp pushed off Cynthia's Garchomp swiftly before its claws turned a bright silver. It met Dragon Claw head on, but the power of Dragon Claw overwhelmed Metal Claw. Ghost's Garchomp was launched backwards from the force of the attack and landed, causing a pile of dust to be thrown up. Ghost growled softly. "Garchomp, you okay?"
Ghost's Garchomp seemed to mimic its trainer. "Rarr!"
"Good, let's do this! Rush in with Metal Claw, stutter-step your way in!" Ghost's Garchomp approved of the decision, and claws once more becoming silver, began to rush it's way towards Cynthia's Pokémon, intent on evening the score. Cynthia seemed to be expecting the move though. "Wait Garchomp, set the trap."
Moments passed slowly as Garchomp took awkward steps to get to Cynthia's most powerful Pokémon. Another handful of seconds passed by, until finally, Garchomp reacted and raised it's arms up to strike down on Cynthia's Garchomp. "Now! Vanish!"
Ghost's eyes widened in surprise when Cynthia's dragon-type abruptly vanished, leaving nothing in it's place. Ghost's Pokémon whirled around in bewilderment, anxiety at an all-time high. Ghost had no time to react as Cynthia yelled. "Sand Tomb!" As though it was from a movie, Ghost saw Garchomp appear behind his faithful Pokémon, head lowered and face darkened. A second later, his Pokémon was entrenched in sand.
'Uh-oh…'
"Flamethrower!"
Ghost cursed. Sure enough, a torrent of flames came from the sand to strike Garchomp. It cried out in pain as the attack scored a direct hit. Garchomp stopped itself in front of Ghost just before a nasty collision could occur. Before Ghost could even give a command to his Pokémon, Cynthia let out another command. "Hit with an Dragon Claw-uppercut!"
Another moment later and Garchomp was launched to the sky. Ghost knew this couldn't keep up or it would be the end of his tournament life. He had to turn the tide immediately, and it began right then and there. "Garchomp, listen to my voice. Dig into the wall, drive your claws to stabilize yourself!"
'Excuse me? What did he just say?'
Using the force of the attack, Garchomp locked itself in place on the ray shield itself, far off the ground from where Cynthia's Garchomp's stood looking up at it's competition. Cynthia spent a moment looking up where Garchomp was, in awe that her opponents Pokémon still had a decent reservoir of stamina on tap despite having been hit by four attacks already.
Another moment or two passed, and when it became abundantly clear that Ghost's Pokémon wasn't coming down any time soon, Cynthia decided to act. "Flamethrower!"
'She took the bait. Let's take this battle back.'
"Go straight at it! Then, use Whirlpool!"
The audience let another a gasp of collective surprise at the command. A massive swirl of water emerged from Garchomp's mouth, and it collided with the flamethrower head on. The result of the two attacks meeting in the middle was a blanket of steam cascading across the battlefield. The only problem with this was that Ghost knew to give out his next command before Cynthia could register why he did that particular strategy.
"Metal Claw!"
Before Cynthia's Garchomp could react, it was struck from behind and launched forcefully by the steel-type move. It landed flat on its face and appeared to be struggling to get back up. "Hit it again!" Ghost yelled.
"Get out of there Garchomp!"
Alas, it could not. Fueled by adrenaline and the cover of the steam, Cynthia's Garchomp was subjected to multiple Metal Claw attacks from Ghost's Garchomp. This commenced for a handful of minutes until finally, one Metal Claw sent it flying head-over-heels into the wall behind Cynthia. A thunderous crash followed soon after, with Cynthia's Garchomp emerging beaten up but still able to fight on.
Cynthia was impressed by Ghost's Garchomp; it had serious dedication and grit. It was curious that Ghost knew how to adapt to a situation so well… she'd only seen a handful of people do this kind of thing.
The two dragon types looked at one another angrily before the two trainers gave out separate commands.
"Metal Claw!"
"Dragon Claw!"
The two Pokémon rushed one another simultaneously and raised their arms as the two attacks met in the middle of the battlefield. The duo met and a sonic boom resulted from the two claw-attacks meeting. The force from both moves shook the battlefield in a clash of two powerhouse pseudo legendries, and the crowd roared in approval from the two moves. In a matter of seconds, the duo was exchanging blows back and forth between one another.
The two dragon types were snarling at one another, the rage of the battle building by the second. Cynthia's Garchomp swung its tail at Ghost's Garchomp, who snatched it and delivered a powerful Metal Claw to the side of Cynthia's Garchomp's head. The crowd roared yet again at another strike from Ghost's Pokémon to Cynthia's.
More moves were exchanged, but neither Ghost nor Cynthia were calling out any moves. They seemed content with allowing the two powerful dragons do their worst to one another. Meanwhile on the battlefield, the dragons were proving to be evenly matched. It stunned the crowd that despite all the damage both of the dragon's had taken, the both of them were still fighting and clawing at one another to take the battlefield.
Slowly but surely, the crowd had begun to consistently cheer at the top of their lungs, knowing that what they were witnessing was a true one-of-a-kind battle. Seconds of constant blows turned into minutes as the two dragons took shot after shot at one another. By this point in time, the anxiety from both Ghost and Cynthia had risen to the point of no return. Each one was daring the other to make the first move, to break to trend and to break the current fight. As the two dragons fought, Ghost and Cynthia were engaged in a silent battle of their own. It was a battle of conviction, who trusted their Pokémon to finish the job without their commands.
As for the Garchomps, they appeared to be truly evenly matched. Cynthia's Garchomp, who was expected to be impenetrable, was showing cracks in its form. In reality, if the battle had been strictly Metal Claw against Dragon Claw, Dragon Claw would usually prevail. This battle was slightly different though. As both Pokémon were so resilient and so powerful, the side-effect of Metal Claw was kicking in and raising Ghost's Garchomp's attack. Meanwhile, Cynthia's Garchomp was holding its own despite the raise of stats from its opposition.
But then, finally, they fell into a deadlock. Metal Claw connected with Dragon Claw and the duo became pushing furiously against one another. Fangs were showing and growls from both Pokémon came little by little. Their heads were nearly touching, the eyes of each Pokémon never leaving the other. Muscles were flexing, feet dug firmly into the dirt. The stalemate seemed to be one that would never end. Except that it did.
Cynthia lost the battle of conviction.
"Garchomp, Flamethrower!"
Ghost's eyes widened.
A moment later, Cynthia's Garchomp fired a blast of fire towards Ghost's Garchomp, who could do nothing except be engulfed by the flames. Cynthia had a stunned smile on her face, she had done it. She had to have done it. That was the end of the battle. It was over, it was undoubtedly over. However, the audience wasn't cheering. And to Cynthia's confusion, she could see Ghost with a smile on his face.
'What? Why is he…'
Ghost interrupted. "Ms. Shirona, this battle has been a pleasure. You've been the toughest competition I've faced thus far in the tournament." He was silent for a moment before the smirk took over his smile. "But this is as far as you go."
The entire time, Cynthia's Garchomp had never stopped using its dragon claw. To its horror, it had never been able to stop. Why? Because throughout the entire flamethrower attack, Ghost's Garchomp had never broken metal claw. Through the heat and flames, Garchomp's eyes lit up as though it was possessed. Cynthia's eyes widened in horror.
'I-It's not possible. N-No…' She felt her heart drop in the depths of her stomach.
"Dragon Breath!"
Through the heat, a purple ball formed. A moment later, Cynthia's Garchomp was throttled backwards by a purple and yellow beam. Cynthia could only gasp in horror as her Pokémon was engulfed by the move and shuddered as her Garchomp cried in agony.
"No! Garchomp!"
Ghost let out a bellow. "Finish it! Use Shadow Claw!"
"Quick, defend yourself with Dragon Claw!"
Cynthia's Garchomp rolled to its feet, intent on blocking the move. But it was too late. Its eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets when Ghost's Garchomp slipped underneath the move and delivered a critical blow to Cynthia's Garchomp directly in the chest. Cynthia stared at her Pokémon, who appeared frozen. A moment or two passed by with no action. Ghost stared at his own Pokémon, who had undoubtedly avoided the move from Cynthia's Pokémon.
What happened next appeared to be in slow motion. Ghost's Garchomp stood up from its position and looked at Cynthia's Garchomp. Then, it began to walk towards Ghost slowly, eyes never once looking back to its opponent. A small smirk came over its face. Then, Cynthia's Garchomp fell to its knees with a thunderous boom. A second later, it fell flat on its face. The official took one look and knew what had just happened could decide the tournament.
"Champion Shirona's Garchomp is unable to battle, Champion Ghost's Garchomp wins! Champion Shirona is out of usable Pokémon! Therefore, with a three to two victory, the trainer moving on to the semi-finals and the six-on-six battles is Ghost, Champion of Alola!" The crowd exploded into encores and whoops for their home champion. Ghost let out a relived laugh and wiped the sweat that had been forming on his brow.
He'd done it.
Cynthia, meanwhile, was kneeling next to her Garchomp, consoling it for a hard-fought battle. "You did a spectacular job my dear friend. I couldn't have asked for anything more."
Garchomp, who was now conscious, growled softly. "Rar…"
"Everyone needs a first loss sometime Garchomp. I'm so proud of you, and now it's time for a fresh beginning. Get a good rest, hold your head high." The Pokémon smiled weakly at its trainer before being sucked into its pokeball.
Ghost was patting his own Garchomp on the nose with a huge grin. "Congrats buddy, you just defeated the most powerful Garchomp on the planet by yourself." The Pokémon let out a mighty bellow, one that appeared to sound like it had never once been hit in the battle despite being bruised and battered.
A new voice cut in. "You're truly remarkable."
Ghost turned to Cynthia, who was smiling at the duo. "Thank you."
She nodded slowly. "I've never seen a person on this planet who combines strength and strategy as much as you do. This region has prospered under your rule, and I have no doubt that your reputation is well earned." She held out her hand to Ghost, who shook it firmly.
As the audience cheered at the exchange, Ghost spoke. "You too have all the rights to hold your position, Cynthia. You're an incredible trainer, and the bond you have with Garchomp is one all trainers can only wish to have with their closest Pokémon. It's been an honor to battle you, and I hope we can battle again sometime."
The blonde woman smiled. "I would enjoy that. Until next time." She turned on her heel and walked out of the stadium, cheers still raining down. Ghost watched her walk away for a few moments before he gestured to Garchomp to follow him. They went to the middle of the battlefield, and as the crowd fully expected, he slowly got down on one knee. Garchomp followed suit, going to the crowd with a solid crashing noise. Ghost was quiet for a moment, head held low and a shadow covering his eyes.
"For those that have passed… and for those yet to come." He spoke softly.
His Pokémon said nothing, only holding its head low. Ghost stood up and Garchomp did the same. It seemed like Garchomp expected Ghost to return it right away, but instead, Ghost gestured towards the crowd. A moment later, Garchomp let out a mighty roar that shook the stadium to the core. Ghost raised a fist slowly in victory as the crowd exploded into cheers. With that, he returned Garchomp to its pokeball and put his hands in his pockets.
The smallest curl of his lips could be seen as he walked away. The thunderous roars and cheers from the audience began to morph into cries he knew all too well as he approached the main tunnel.
"Ghost!"
"Ghost!"
"Ghost!"
Ghost looked back to the stadium one last time before he entered the tunnel and gave a two-fingered salute to the crowd before turning around and walking in, the roars still echoing off the concrete walls and words still echoing in his ears as he made his way back.
The smile that graced his face once he was back in the locker room was contagious as he swiftly packed his things to return home.
Flashback… A Handful of Days Prior…
The hospital was a quiet affair. The windows were open, the sun was shining and there were Pokémon chirping outside. The door was closed to the room that was currently rooming one of the more important residents admitted. Said resident was fast asleep and had been for weeks on end. That was about to change.
May Maple was sleeping peacefully in her bed. All of the sudden though, she shot up as though someone had set a part of her body on fire. She looked around for any possible culprit but saw nobody in the room. She then began to take in her surroundings little by little, realizing that she was in a place completely unfamiliar.
She spoke in a soft and raspy voice to nobody in particular. "Where am I?" After finding a glass of water left conveniently next to her, she downed it within seconds. She looked around for any tubes that may have been attached to her, but she found none. A few moments later, she pushed herself up and felt as though every bone in her body was cracking from the movement. May stretched athletically, her hospital gown revealing a portion of her delicious backside to anyone who would happen to walk into the room in the coming minutes.
The girl walked to the window, unsure of what else she could do at the exact moment. She was still trying to process how she got to what appeared to be ALT City's hospital while having no recollection of how it happened in the first place. May frowned, desperate to recall what exactly occurred. Seconds turned into minutes as the teenager tried to solve the puzzle on why her memory was missing key moments.
And then it all came rushing back in one instant. Her breath hitched and she placed a hand on her heart. May's breathing began to become rapid as she remembered everything that happened to her.
'N-No… No! It's n-not possible… it's not possible! Ghost is… Ash? Ghost is Ash? N-No! I can't believe it!'
The girl held a hand over her heart for a few moments, unsure of what she could do about her situation. She was crushed. Ghost… Ash, had lied to her for ages. How could he do that to her? Why would he do that to her? She had thought that he'd be the one for her, but was it just some kind of game to him? Did he intend to toy with her heart so much that it had come to straight up lying about his identity?
'Wait, I'm overthinking this. Am I? I must be… right?' May thought for a few more minutes, unsure of her thought process and the justification behind it. On one hand, the fact that Ash was the man she had been dating for some time crushed her to the core. On the other though, she knew he had to have a good explanation for what she'd learned. It also wasn't like she'd found out on her own; Ash had told her himself out of the goodness of his heart. That had to count for something.
But why was he doing this? Did he have another reason to do what he did?
She, meanwhile, was struggling with her own feelings towards Ash as though she was caught in a tropical storm. How could she logically react to a situation like this? She'd just found that the boy she had been crushing on for years was alive. The man who May Maple wept over for endless amounts of time was alive. It wasn't possible, how could it be so? How had he made it to Alola? How did he become champion? Would he have ever revealed himself to her had they not met?
She had so many questions. She needed answers directly from Ash himself. She also wondered who exactly knew that Ash Ketchum was alive and currently holding a role as champion of an entire region with millions of followers and supporters. May had lots of things she needed to question him about, but for that moment, she needed to find him first.
Abruptly, the door burst open. The brunette flinched from the sudden action but didn't turn around. She had heard his voice and took another moment to process it.
"Nurse, I need to—"
The voice had stopped speaking entirely, clearly shook to their core. After a moment, May turned around and got a glimpse of the man that had been the center of her thoughts for close to a decade. He had a stunned look on his face, mouth ajar and red cap barely covering his eyes. That being said, she didn't need to see them to know how shell-shocked they were. Never one for the dramatic, May said her first words.
"Hi Ash."
With Ash/Ghost…
Ash felt his breath get lodged in his throat. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. Even if he had breath, it wouldn't have affected his ability to find the right words to start the first true conversation they would've had in ages. He stared at her, confirming that she was indeed the girl he was dating as Ghost, and also the person he'd intended on dating as a teenager. It was as if the moment they were both living was straight out of a movie.
She was so gorgeous, brown hair, blue eyes and all. Even in a simple hospital gown, she was the single-most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life. Men would pin after her constantly, women would pray for looks like hers. She was out of everyone's league, even his own. If Pikachu had been with him, he'd undoubtedly be getting electrocuted for his current competition of fish-gaping. The girl still wasn't saying anything.
That meant only he could make the first move to try and start what was expected to be an awkward conversation.
"Y-You're… you're awake."
The girl nodded slowly, still cautious of Ash. "So it seems."
Ash shook his head rapidly before closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… h-how long have you been up?"
May shrugged. "Not long."
Another awkward silence came across the duo who did nothing more than stare at one another, as if daring the other to make the first move on a relationship that had never once truly had solid ground. May simply looked at Ash and truly looked as though she had no intentions on being the one to open the floodgates. Ash sighed and held his head low. Leaning back against the door, the champion of Alola nodded at the teenage girl expectantly.
"Go ahead."
Her look of confusion instructed Ash to be far more specific on the current situation. He gestured to her. "You've got questions. I've got answers. Fire away."
"How long was I asleep for?"
Ash bit his lip, guilt striking him down like a hammer. "A couple of weeks. When I… revealed my true identity, you fainted. I brought you into the hospital as quick as I could. You were in a coma. They didn't give me a timeline on when you were expected to wake up."
She nodded slowly. "Why did you do it?"
Ash licked his lips. "Don't jump to conclusions, but what do you want to know my reasoning for what I did?"
Her voice began to rise. "Why did you start dating me as your fucking alter ego when we had so much history with one another as Ash and May? Why would you do that? Why? Why God damn you!"
Ash hung his head for a moment before beginning to slowly walk around the room, trying to find the right words for a clearly dangerous situation. "May… what you need to understand is that I was thrown into a volcano. My Pokémon and I were thrown into the deepest pits of hell and left to rot. For six years I spent my days training and getting stronger. Not a single one of those days went by without you coming into my mind and doing whatever you pleased."
"That's nowhere near an answer."
Ash continued, a stung look on his face. "Every single day, I was reminded that I wasn't good enough for you." May had a startled look on her face at this revelation, clearly not expecting Ash to admit something so straightforward. "W-What?"
"Think about it May. The last time I saw you, you were kissing Drew right in front of me, had the gall to claim that it was an accident, and that you truly cared for me. Who in their right mind would think that a situation like that seems realistic and plausible? I spent all those years with you as a driving force… you and the traitors. They may have condemned me to hell, but it was you who was the catalyst to it all."
May cried. "T-That's not fair!"
Ash growled softly. "Fair? Fair? You want to see fair?" He grabbed his black armband shielded the outside world from his horrific injury and yanked it down in one motion. May let out a strangled gasp and her hands flew to her mouth in terror. It was the most grizzly sight she'd ever seen in her life, skin dead, mangled and melted beyond recognition. "I should have died that day May. I may have survived the fall, but my scars reminded me every day that I could never give up, that I could never rest until I proved everyone wrong and got my revenge."
The champion pulled up his armband and continued, voice softer this time. "You asked me why I played dumb with you. That is why I played your feelings. I was betrayed by you once, and with you abruptly coming back into my life over a half decade later with no warning, I had my guard up." Ash sat down on the bed and looked at her. "How could I be certain you wouldn't backstab me again? I had to see it for myself. Once I knew I could trust you, things took its course. That's why, before we got too deep, I revealed my true identity to you."
May was silent for a moment or two before she spoke softly, Ash barely hearing her. "I-I guess… that makes sense. From an outsider's perspective, it does seem ludicrous. I spent six years thinking my brother and his friends had killed you for some stupid reason, and I knew nobody would believe me. The people he travelled with, the people who taught him what he knew, taking his life? It wouldn't have made sense. I-I just… I-I…" The girl sniffed and sniffled as the tears began to flow.
Ash stood up quickly and wrapped his arms around May as she cried in his chest. Neither said anything for some time as May struggled to control her emotions in check. After a bit though, she pushed herself away, blushing a bit and murmuring sheepishly, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry about that."
The raven-haired man shook his head. "Don't be. You're fine, you're fine."
The girl sat down on the bed this time and spoke slowly. "I-It's just… I thought you were playing with my emotions… I-I thought this whole time you were just doing this to get back at me for my mistake." Ash looked decently surprised by this statement and shook his head. "It's like I said May, you were a driving force behind it, but you weren't one of the ones I wanted revenge on the most."
The girl sniffed. "If you don't mind me asking… how did it happen? How were you betrayed, and how did you survive?"
Ash sat down next to her. "I'll give you the full story. I don't really know how I got the volcano, but I was there. Misty, Dawn, Cilan, Iris, Max, Trip, Bonnie and Serena were there. They lulled me into a false sense of security but before I knew I was being chucked into the fiery abyss and my supposed death. My Pokémon thrown in as well, and all I could think about was making sure they were at least safe temporarily. I remember grabbing the Pokémon belt and that was it. When I woke up, I was all the way in Pewter City. Lance was there, and Brock was treating me for my injuries—"
May cut him off. "W-Wait, Brock knows you're alive?"
The man nodded. "Yeah. From what I know, Lance was near the volcano despite being ready for a vacation and that ended up saving my life. It was due to erupt, and he wanted to ensure there was nobody at risk. His Dragonite was able to find me somehow through all that smoke. According to him at least, I landed on a large rock in the middle of the molten lava, my right arm nearly melted clean off. I can't exactly recall telling Lance to take me to Brocko, but he says I insisted, and that he complied. Brock spent months healing me up, and Lance stayed by my side training me before I was sent off again."
The brunette nodded and spoke. "What happened next?"
"I went to Alola with nothing but my Pokémon and Lance to keep me company. I knew I had to forge a new identity, and Lance was more than happy to help. I became Ghost, apprentice of Lance, and joined the Pokémon trainer's school under Professor Kukui for my cover-up while I prepared to join the ranks of the elite with Lance's guidance. Two years later and I was just as strong as Lance. A year after that Alola had its first league tournament, and I won. For the past three years, I've revealed myself to some people but only those who are truly important to me know, not everyone is in on it."
"Anyone who I may know?" May smiled curiously.
Ash looked thoughtful. "Well, Clemont from Kalos knows. My elites, Xavier, Axel, July and Zandra know. My classmates from school created a group called the Ultra Guardians, and they know as well since I'm a part of it. Kiawé, the guy who introduced you to 'Ghost' is part of that group."
Her eyes widened. "So, he knew about our past together?"
Ash shook his head. "No. He may know my true identity, but he didn't know about the past we share."
The girl looked relieved. "Okay… you have me scared there for a second."
"Even if he did, I trust him. He kind of works under me regardless so I could fire him into the ocean quick enough he wouldn't have enough time to blink before he got launched."
This got a laugh. "I'll take those words of confidence."
Another wave of silence came from the duo, who both appeared unsure of what exactly they should do. The duo stared at one another before Ash spoke again. "Look… I'll tell you everything soon May. I-I have to ask this question…"
The brunette knew what Ash was going to say. "You want to know where we stand… right?"
"… Yeah."
The girl looked thoughtful, weighing her choices carefully. But at the end of the day, there was only one choice she thought made the most sense. Her beautiful blue eyes seemed to bore into Ash's auburn ones. She licked her lips and spoke softly. "I can't say that this whole situation doesn't have me shaken. I was crushed when I thought you passed on. I was crushed and spent the better part of those years lying in darkness. This whole reveal thing has me stunned to the core."
Ash wisely remained quiet during her soft speech.
"But…" she spoke again. "I spent years knowing I'd never be able to truly apologize to you. I spent years living with that guilt… I need to tell you Ash that I'm so sorry for everything that I put you through." Tears began to fall from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry for making you believe that I was playing with your feelings, I'm sorry for crushing your h-heart, I'm sorry for e-everything! P-Please forgive me Ash!" She cried, crumbling to her knees and weeping openly. After a moment, she felt Ash embrace her and she buried her face in his stomach to try and staunch the tears.
Ash said nothing for a few moments. Then, "I'm sorry too." The Princess of Hoenn looked up, surprise laced in her blue orbs. "W-Why? You already explained yourself… you h-have nothing to be sorry for."
"I do though. I could've checked on you. I knew you weren't with those bastards the day I was sent to die in that volcano. In the back of my mind, I knew it could truly be a misunderstanding that I was blowing out of proportion. But I… I-I couldn't let go of my rage. You suffered because I couldn't let go of the past. I couldn't forget what happened to me, and every time I laced up my arm, all I could do was connect you with those who made this happen. I'm guilty, and I'm sorry… so sorry."
The girl looked at Ash, who's eyes were also shining lightly. In one slow motion, she placed a hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her. She smiled weakly. "I forgive you Ash."
He sent a small grin back. "I forgive you too, May."
Another moment or two passed by in silence for the two, neither one making the next move. Ash slowly stood up, but as he did, May reacted. She threw her arms around his neck and sealed the couple's first true kiss that was six years in the making. Ash placed his hands on her back and held her close to him as they made out. A moment later May was pushed up against the wall, Ash's body flush against hers.
She moaned into his mouth, bliss being the only way she could describe the kiss. Ash had snaked his arms into different positions, one still wrapped firmly around May's lower back while the other was supporting her generous backside. One of his hands cupped her lower cheek. May let out a soft gasp at the contact before shoving her tongue through Ash's lips hungrily. The two kissed for a handful of minutes more until May finally had lost her patience with just kissing, intending to seal the deal.
The brown-haired bombshell pushed her man back on the bed eagerly, while Ash showed a look of honest surprise on his features. "May?"
She rushed to the door and locked it quickly. Whirling around she quickly peeled off her hospital gown, leaving her with no clothes on whatsoever. Ash's jaw had become dislodged as he got a perfect view of his girlfriend wearing the best clothes; none. She pounced on Ash and began to furiously kiss his jaw. The girl whispered feverishly in Ash's ear, spurring him on further. "I need you… right now."
One primal look from Ash told May she'd officially sealed the deal. Seconds later, Ash's hands were all over her body as he too was disrobed. From the safety of May's hospital bed, they began to take their next steps into the rest of their lives.
Max Maple was currently eating like a king in one of the restaurants in ALT City's private rooms. He knew he wouldn't have to pay for the meal thanks to being a tournament finalist. He finished his drink and slammed it to the countertop with a crash that sent shockwaves through the entire room. "Waiter! Another drink here!"
The man nodded and handed Max yet another soft drink. "Leave me!"
Once more, the man nodded before exiting the room entirely. He downed half the drink in an instant, beyond pleased with his life at the current moment. These past few years had been nothing short of great and he fully intended to keep up the streak he was on. Ghost was the next on his hit list. At first, the boy had been downright terrified of the Alola champion, but it seemed as though Ghost had bigger fish to fry and forgot to keep Max in check.
The boy chuckled, he'd show Ghost you always had to keep your eye on Max Maple, or else he'd make you pay. Another few minutes of scarfing down food and guzzling down his drink left Max thirsty and wanting more to drink. "Waiter! Another one!"
However, as the waiter was outside, there was no chance the man could hear. "Hey! Waiter? Get in here and get me another drink!" Once more, Max Maple was met with silence. The teenager growled and pushed himself up. "I've gotta do everything around here…"
But he never did get to his drink. Abruptly, the lights of the room cut off, leaving Max in darkness. "H-Hey! What gives? I'm still here you know! Hey! Turn the lights on!" When nothing changed, Max yelled louder. "Hey! Anyone? Turn on the damn lights!"
Someone did respond this time though. The lights were flicked back on and revealed none other than Ghost in his all-black cloak mere feet away from Max. The teenager let out a yelp of utter horror before he stumbled back and landed on his backside with a smash. He scrambled backwards as Ghost slowly walked forward. "W-What do you want? The battle isn't for another few days!"
"I know what you did."
Max blinked rapidly. "W-What? What are you talking about?"
Ghost spoke darkly. "I know about the murder."
Max's eyes bugged out. "W-What?"
"Ash Ketchum. On May 11th, 2014, you and your group of friends killed Ash Ketchum. You condemned an innocent boy to his demise for what? Pride? Ego? Why would you do it? Why would you do it? WHY!?" Ghost was roaring by the end of his little rant.
To say Max looked shaken would be an understatement. "H-Huh? What are you talking about? H-How could you know that?"
Ghost leaned closer to Max under he was crouching on his toes and eye-level with the still grounded Max Maple. It was there that Ghost uttered three words that shook Max to his very core.
"I was there."
Max let out a strangled gasp, the boy looked as though he was about to meet his maker. "N-No… y-you couldn't have been!"
"Oh, but I was… I watched as you and Misty Waterflower, Serena Yvonne, Dawn Berlitz, Cilan—" Ghost spoke softly, tension still rising in the room little by little before Max cut him off.
"How could you know all that? How!?" Max cried in utter astonishment. Ghost made a swift move and before Max could react from the ground, he found himself being squashed down by Ghost's boot. The boy cried out again, clearly not expecting Ghost to act so boldly. The man who was feared by all who would oppose him spoke in a whisper. "Because there's nobody like me in the world… nobody."
Once more, the lights cut off. The feeling of Ghost's boot on his chest vanished, giving Max the opportunity to stand up. His vision was still completely gone, but his hearing was perfectly fine. A voice echoed throughout the room.
"Confess, or suffer my wrath."
The lights abruptly flicked on from there, leaving Max sweating and in a blind panic. A waiter walked into the room and was promptly trampled by a fleeing Max Maple, who rushed to tell his friends about a near-death encounter he had with Ghost, who knew their darkest secret.
The game was officially on.
AN: Anddddd that's it y'all! Thanks for waiting for the story to come out, but I hope you see why it took me so long to get it rolling. This chapter officially became my longest one that I've ever typed at over 13,000 words. Yep, I can't believe I typed as much as I did for this chapter, but I figured that you guys deserved a treat for waiting for me. So, I hope this met your expectations and more.
If you're new, please follow/favorite both myself and the story to show your support! It would mean a ton.
Now that the Ash vs. Cynthia saga and May's Coma storyline have come to a close, now comes another storyline it's time to actually address, the traitors. Yep, I've avoided it for so long now, so it's time to make some moves on it. Hope y'all will stick around for the ride. Guys and girls, I hope you enjoyed this absolutely monstrous chapter, and I'll see you next time.
Thanks for reading everyone!
LegionZ