Note: This chapter was rewritten on January 27, 2021. There aren't any major changes to the plot, but it is recommended that you reread it if you read the old version of the chapter.
The old version had 3,405 words, and the new version has 3,712 words.
Chapter 5: The Battle Train! Wikstrom vs Ash!
"We're here!" Goh exclaimed as he stood in front of the massive building. "This is Couriway Town's newest train station!" The train station had a large arc of marble hanging over the entrance, and there were many trains entering and leaving the station. People were either standing on the platforms or sitting on nearby benches. As he pulled out his Rotom Phone, Goh spoke, "It looks like we can buy tickets for a train that leaves in half an hour! Let's hurry!"
"Wait!" Chloe interrupted with a curious tone. "There's a statue of a Pokémon near the entrance. Look!"
Goh and Ash turned to see a beautiful statute carved in marble. The statue was shaped like a deer, but it had many antlers sprouting from its head. "I wonder what Pokémon this is," Goh said as he closely observed the statue, trying to find any clues that would reveal the Pokémon's identity.
"That's Xerneas!" Ash stated while remembering the time he spotted it at Sycamore's Summer Camp, "It's a Legendary Pokémon in the Kalos region! If I am correct, it is also known as the Life Pokémon!"
"Life Pokémon?" Goh asked as he began to enter Xerneas' name into the Pokédex on his Rotom Phone:
"Xerneas, the Life Pokémon. Legends say it can share eternal life. It slept for a thousand years in the form of a tree before its revival," the phone rang.
Chloe muttered, "Interesting" as she looked at the picture of Xerneas on Goh's phone. "It's beautiful! Xerneas's anthers are colored like a rainbow!"
Goh put his phone away and walked into the train station. "Let's go and buy three train tickets to Ambrette Town!" he called back to Ash and Chloe, who promptly followed him.
Thankfully, there weren't many people, and the trio didn't have to wait very long in line. "Can I help you, three?" a woman behind the counter asked with a smile on her face.
"Yes!" Goh eagerly responded as he began to count money from his pockets. "We need three train tickets to Ambrette Town."
The woman nodded and cheerfully said, "Lucky for you! There's a train that leaves in 10 minutes! Now, which train do you want? Regular Train or Battle Train?"
"Battle Train!?" Ash confusedly said as he leaned forward. "What's that? It sounds exciting!"
"Pika!" Pikachu said. Even he was interested in this so-called Battle Train.
"The Battle Train is a train with battlefields that allow trainers from different parts of Kalos to meet and battle each other. It is large enough for your Pokémon to roam, and it even has a Pokémon Center cart! It costs a little bit more expensive, and it takes longer for the train to go to its destination. But you're sure to have a blast!" the woman chuckled in reply. It was cute how Ash and Pikachu's expressions matched each other when they heard about the Battle Train.
Ash turned to Goh and Chloe with a grin on his face. "We have to take the Battle Train! I bet there are trainers that are in the Pokémon World Championships on there!" he proclaimed as he grabbed Goh's hand. "Please, Goh! We have to!"
Goh sighed at Ash's remark. "Fine," he spoke. "We'll have three Battle Train tickets. A few extra hours on the train won't hurt us."
After Goh paid for the tickets, Ash was leading the others to the train. "Come on! I can't wait to meet and battle strong opponents!" he yelled as he was standing outside of the Battle Train. "It really is big!"
The Battle Train had a sleek and modern blue exterior. It had large wheels made of steel, and there was a Pokéball symbol plastered in front of the train. "Look at the carts!" Goh admired as he observed their sizes. The carts were huge, and they all had a unique outer destination. The largest ones were the carts designated for battlefields, and there were seven different battlefield terrains to choose from.
"Eevee! Come on out!" Chloe suddenly said as she opened her Pokéball.
"Eevee! Eevee!" Eevee happily squealed as Chloe gently pet Eevee.
"Let's go on the train together!" she said to her Pokémon. Goh looked at Chloe and Eevee, and he had an idea. He could also have one of his Pokémon accompany him on the train.
"Sobble!" Goh said as he tossed a Pokéball in the air. "You come on out too!"
Sobble appeared and climbed up on Goh's shoulder. "Sob! Sob!" he stuttered as he looked around to see many Pokémon and people boarding the train. Sobble didn't like places where there were lots of people and Pokémon.
Noticing this, Goh gently reassured Sobble, "Don't worry! I'll call Cinderace too to make you feel more comfortable." Soon, Cinderace emerged, and his presence made Sobble feel better.
"Alright," Ash said as he raised his hand in the air. "Let's get on the train! I'm sure there are already many trainers on it!"
After the train began to move and chugged out of the station, the trio were walking toward the Pokémon Center cart.
"I'm sure that there will be many trainers there!" Ash enthusiastically said, while Pikachu nodded in agreement. As soon as they walked into the center, Ash's Rotom Phone resonated:
"A Pokémon World Championships participant is nearby! This is an official battle announcement for the Pokémon World Championships! Do you wish to battle?"
Ash looked around among the crowd of people, and he saw a young man holding a Rotom Phone approaching him. The man wore a gray hat on his head and carried a sword-like staff in his other arm. The man smiled at Ash and spoke, "Do you wish to battle with me? Cause I do."
"I accept!" Ash replied keenly. This was the perfect chance for him to rise in the ranks once more.
"Splendid!" the man gushed as he snapped his fingers. "Let us go to the normal terrain battlefield and proceed to battle."
As the man and Ash walked to the battlefield, they took their places, and a Drone Rotom appeared. "This battle is between Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and Arthur Galeren from Aquacorde Town. It will be a 1 vs 1. Please send out your Pokémon!"
"Farfetch'd!" Ash called as he tossed Farfetch'd's ball onto the battlefield.
"Escavalier," Arthur said at the same time.
Goh and Chloe were sitting on a bench nearby viewing the battle, but there was also someone else in the room. It was a man, and he was wearing a full suit of iron plate armor. He was looking at Ash and his Farfetch'd from a ledge above the battlefield. "Isn't that the boy Diantha told me about? I didn't know he had a Galarian Farfetch'd. They may not be steel types, but they are knightly Pokémon," he pondered. "It wouldn't hurt to look at their battle. I have nothing else to do."
The Drone Rotom looked at the two Pokémon and announced, "Battle, begin!"
"Farfetch'd, use Night Slash!" Ash commanded as he thrust his arm forward. Farfetch'd's leek glowed white, and he charged toward Escavalie yelling "Farfetch'd!"
"Bug Buzz!" Aruther sternly said, and Escavalier emitted a high-pitched sound from its mouth. As the sound waves hit Farfetch'd, Farfetch'd screamed in pain, but it continued running toward the Cavalry Pokémon and landed a direct hit on its head.
"Esc!" Escavalier angrily roared as it stumbled backward from the impact.
"Impressive," Arthur noted as he looked at Farfetch'd. "But let's see how your attacks can beat this! Iron Defense!" Escavalier briefly glowed white as its defense began to drastically raise.
"Focus Energy!" Ash yelled. Farfetch'd's body was covered in an orange glow for a second, and he shouted, "Farfetch'd!" He could now land critical hits more easily on his opponent.
Arthur grinned as he ordered. "Get in close and use Take Down!" Escavalier's body glowed yellow as it quickly charged toward Farfetch'd.
"Wait until it gets close enough," Ash insisted while he stared at Escavalier. Farfetch'd stayed put on its feet and looked at the Escavalier as the distance between them became smaller and smaller, until:
"Now, Farfetch'd! Knock it off its course with Brutal Swing!" Ash boomed just before Escavalier was about to hit the Wild Duck Pokémon.
"Farrr!" Farfetch'd roared as he began spinning in a circle with his leek that was now glowing pink. The leek collided with Escavalier and sent it crashing into a wall. "Escavalier!" Escavalier shouted as it got up. The attack was a critical hit, but the Iron Defense protected Escavalier from most of the damage.
"It didn't do much," Chloe said to Goh as she was watching. "How is Ash going to knock it out?" Eevee looked worried too. Farfetch'd's Brutal Swing was strong, but it didn't deal much damage to Escavalier that was protected with Iron Defense.
Goh gave Chloe a reassuring smile. "Ash has something crazy planned! I just know it!" he said in an excited tone. Cinderace nodded at Goh's words. Ash was a great battler, and he had a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
"What should I do?" Ash thought as he looked at Escavalier. "Iron Defense is tricky to beat, and Farfetch'd doesn't know any Fighting type moves. I guess the only thing to do is to hit it as many times as we can!"
"Iron Head," Arthur demanded, and a gray covering appeared on Escavalier's head as it charged toward Farfetch'd.
"Block it with Fury Cutter!" Ash shouted while he swung his arm toward Escavalier. "And keep attacking it!" Farfetch'd's leek glowed green, and he countered the Iron Head with his leek. Then, he quickly slammed Escavalier multiple times with it. The blows caused Escavalier to stumble backward, and it began to pant. It was getting tired, but Farfetch'd shows no signs of weariness.
"He has a strong resistance! I can see the fire in his eyes!" the man noted to himself as he continued observing the battle from above.
"Ash has the advantage," Goh began to say. "Escavalier can't get too close, and Farfetch'd is strong enough to endure Bug Buzz. This battle is almost over!"
"Escavalier, use Take Down again! This time give it all you got!" Arthur shouted. Escavalier nodded at its trainer and charged toward Farfetch'd once more.
"We'll give it all we got as well!" Ash smirked. "Farfetch'd, give them the full strength of your Brutal Swing!"
"Farfetch'd!" Farfetch'd yelled as it began swinging its leek. The leek hit Escavalier's body, but Escavalier was still pushing forward with Take Down. Both Pokémon were trying to push the other one back.
"Farfetch'd! Don't give in! You can do it!" Ash encouraged as he saw Farfetch'd being pushed back.
"Far! Farrrr!" Farfetch'd screamed as it pushed the leek forward. Slowly, the leek moved, and Escavalier's eyes went wide when the leek finally made contact with its body.
"Escaaa" Escavalier wailed as it was thrown into the wall. The Pokémon then fell onto the ground.
Arthur looked with an expression of shock on his face. "Escavalier!" he pleaded. "Get up!"
But Escavalier was knocked out.
"Escavalier is unable to battle!" Drone Rotom proclaimed. "Farfetch'd and Ash Ketchum are the winners. Based on this battle, Pokémon World Championships rankings will be updated!"
"Awesome job!" Ash said as he rushed forward to congratulate Farfetch'd. "That was a great battle! We're now 335!" However, Farfetch'd didn't seem interested. He swung his leek forward and made fighting movements. He wanted to challenge another competitor.
Ash muttered as he looked at Farfetch'd, "He still wants to battle."
There was a clapping sound, and Ash turned to see a man in a suit of armor slowly descend the stairs. "That was a good battle," the man commented as he looked at Ash. "Your Farfetch'd is truly a remarkable Pokémon, but I believe it has more potential." Hearing the man's words, Ash recalled how Rinto called Farfetch'd reckless and how he was knocked out by Gallade in one move.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked as he looked at the man.
The man pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Farfetch'd has the spirit of a fighter, but why does it want to fight? It appears that his only interest is to become stronger, and he doesn't seem to do anything else."
Ash looked back at his Farfetch'd, and he realized the man was right. Farfetch'd would usually ignore Ash and train by himself or with his other Pokémon. He would only listen if they were battling together. However, Rinto did say that Ash and Farfetch'd weren't in sync with each other.
"You're right," Ash responded to the man. "But how do we improve? Farfetch's goal is just to become stronger."
The man chuckled. "Perhaps if we have a battle, then you'll know," he said as he smiled. "My name is Wikstrom, and I will have a 1 vs 1 battle with your Farfetch'd."
"Wikstrom!" Ash exclaimed. "I heard that name before from someone."
Goh searched up Wikstrom's name, and he was shocked. "It says here that Wikstrom is an Elite Four Member of Kalos!" he stuttered as he showed Ash his phone. "He must be really strong!"
Wikstrom nodded. "That is right, and I should also thank you for protecting the region of Kalos, Ash," he calmly said as he made his way to the opposite end of the battlefield. "Are you prepared for our battle?" he asked with one eyebrow raised. "This is to teach Farfetch'd an important lesson."
"Alright! I accept this battle!" Ash responded as he pumped his fist. "The only way to get stronger is to battle strong trainers! Farfetch'd, let's try our best!"
"Far!" Farfetch'd shouted. He too was excited to battle such a powerful opponent.
Wikstrom tossed a ball, and a Pokémon appeared. The Pokémon looked like a sword, and it had a shield on one arm.
Goh and Chloe didn't recognize the Pokémon, so Goh pulled out his phone and scanned it:
"Aegislash, the Royal Sword Pokémon and the evolved form of Doublade. Stories say Aegislash can detect the natural qualities of leadership, recognizing a true king."
Chloe looked worried. "Do you think Ash has a chance?" she asked. "That Aegislash looks strong."
Goh nodded at Chloe's words. "He is one of the most powerful trainers in Kalos. If he's in the Pokémon World Championships, he's probably in the Ultra Class," he stated as he watched at Wikstrom.
"Please," Wikstrom insisted. "Make the first move."
Ash pointed at Farfetch'd and proclaimed, "Use Night Slash!"
Farfetch'd charged forward at Aegislash as his leek was glowing white. Farfetch'd was about to deliver a blow onto Aegislash when Wikstrom said, "Gyro Ball."
Aegislash began to rapidly spin, and it launched Farfetch'd backwards. "Far!" Farfetch'd wailed as it tumbled onto the ground.
"Farfetch'd!" Ash cried at his fallen Pokémon. "Get up!" Farfetch'd was straining, but he successfully got up. He glared at Aegislash and thundered, "Farfetch'd!" once more.
"Focus Energy!" Ash ordered.
Wikstrom quickly announced, "Shadow Sneak."
Before Farfetch'd could make his move, Aegislash sneaked behind Farfetch'd and dealt a blow from the behind. "Farrr!" Farfetch'd cried as it was flung forward into the wall.
Despiste the damage, Farfetch'd still managed to get up, and he was furious. His eyes had a deadly and serious glare, and he glowed orange as he used Focus Energy.
Chloe was surprised at how powerful Aegislash was. "Farfetch'd didn't even get a chance to land a single hit," she said to Goh.
"This is bad for Ash," Goh sourly stated. "Things aren't looking good for Farfetch'd as well, but he's still pushing himself. The last time I seen him this upset was the battle against Rinto."
"Sob!" Sobble whispered as he looked at the battle. Battles were scary, and he hoped that he wouldn't need to battle like that.
"Farfetch'd, don't give up! Use Brutal Swing and move forward while doing so!" Ash commanded. Farfetch'd began spinning, but it also moved toward Aegislash while doing so.
"King's Shield," Wikstrom confidently said with a neutral expression.
"Farfetch'd! Stop the attack!" Ash panicked after hearing Wikstrom's command. He remembered his battle with Sawyer at the Kalos League. Not only would the attack be useless, but Farfetch'd's attack status would also harshly decline!
However, Farfetch'd didn't listen, and he slammed Aegislash with his Brutal Swing. The attack didn't do any damage to Aegislash, and Farfetch'd felt weaker. He was beginning to feel tired, and he was confused why his attack didn't work. Angrily, Farfetch'd pushed himself and used Night Slash on Aegislash.
"Farfetch'd! Wait! I didn't issue a command!" Ash spoke. "We need to fall back and think of a strategy!" However, Farfetch'd continued attacking Aegislash. He wasn't going to give up, and he was going to keep trying.
Wikstrom frowned at Farfetch'd's actions. "His bond with Ash is strong, but he still chooses to be reckless," he thought. He sighed and ordered, "End this with Gyro Ball!"
"Get out of there!" Ash screamed at Farfetch'd, but it was too late. Aegislash reverted back to its offense form and knocked Farfetch'd as it spun. Farfetch'd crashed into the wall behind him and fell onto the ground.
Ash rushed over to his fallen Pokémon. "Farfetch'd!" he yelled. "Are you alright? Let me take you to a Pokémon Center!" Ash picked up Farfetch'd in his arms and ran.
"Ash lost," Chloe muttered before following Ash into the Pokémon Center cart. She couldn't believe how strong Wikstrom was and how Farfetch'd didn't stand a chance.
"Your Pokémon is all better now!" Nurse Joy cheerfully said while pushing a cart with Farfetch'd on top. "We hope to see you again!"
"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash exclaimed. He turned toward Farfetch'd and said, "How do you feel, buddy?"
"Far," Farfetch'd mumbled. Not only did he lost the battle, but he also lost control of himself. He was too focused on winning that he was blinded. He felt ashamed for himself and for Ash.
"Pika!" Pikachu said as it gently petted Farfetch'd.
Ash saw Farfetch'd's sad expression and encouraged, "Don't worry! There's always next time! Things will be different when we battle Wikstrom again."
"I hope so," a voice said. People were beginning to murmur amongst themselves. They couldn't believe that an Elite Four Member was on the Battle Train and that he was talking to a boy!
"Ash and Farfetch'd," Wikstrom continued speaking. "A good knight observes before he fights, and I believe that is something that the both of you can learn."
Ash and Farfetch'd both nodded at Wikstrom's words. Wikstrom turned around and was about to go, until Ash blurted, "When will we meet again?"
Wikstrom smiled and replied, "When the time is right." As he continued walking, he mused, "Once Farfetch'd truly understands the meaning of battling, he will be able to evolve."
Ash watched Wikstrom walked away, and then he faced Farfetch'd. "We'll get him next time!" he exclaimed, and Farfetch'd nodded. He would bond with Ash more, and he would worker harder as well.
Suddenly, the train began to decelerate, and an announcement spoke: "We are now in Ambrette Town. If this is your stop, please get off the train."
"It's time to leave," Goh said as he looked at Ash and Farfetch'd. "It's getting late, so let's rest in a Pokémon Center first. Tomorrow morning, we can go to the Glittering Caves and search for an Aerodactylite!"
Ash, Goh, and Chloe descended the train and made their way to the Pokémon Center. While Goh was talking to Chloe about how useful Mega Aerodactyl would be for catching Pokémon, Ash was deep in thought. "I still have a long way to go if I want to usurp Leon as the World Monarch," he contemplated, but he wasn't discouraged. He believed in his Pokémon, and he was confident that he'll get to face Leon one day.
Farfetch'd still has a lot to learn if he wants to become even stronger. Next chapter, Goh and Aerodactyl will search for an Aerodactylite. They will succeed in finding one, but they won't be able to Mega Evolve just yet. Goh is still not "worthy" of having a Mega Evolved Pokémon, and future chapters will help develop his character even further.
Hey, you know, maybe you could reintroduce Aliana, Bryony, Celosia, Mable, Colress, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn later on, and maybe have those three team Galactic admins be in possession of the Galarian forms of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltress. What do you think?
I have plans to reintroduce all the evil Teams of the world. There will even be chapters dedicated to them. For example, there will be a chapter about Chairman Rose's past and one about how Lysandre survived. The evil teams will have Legendary Pokémon under their control collectively, not individually. Tobias is an exception, but he's not evil.