(Sorry about Dexter's speech in the first version of this chapter, fanfiction dot net keeps eating the underlining when I upload.)
The moment Lapras hit the beach on the island (one they still didn't know the name of), Misty was off.
"Come on, Ash!" she called. "I want to meet Politoed again!"
"Yeah. I know." Ash jumped down after her, scratched Lapras, and set off after her at a jog.
"Well..." Tracey began, then sighed. "Clearly you don't need me."
He sat down, and took out a sketchbook.
"Mind swimming back and forth just offshore?" he asked. "The light's good."
"My pleasure," Lapras replied.
"Back already?" Tracey asked, flipping the third finished picture over to the back of the sketchbook.
"Yeah, the lake wasn't far from shore," Ash explained. "And we found Poliwag easily enough."
Behind them, Misty was conversing happily with her bouncy Water type, who seemed to be taking the whole 'able to understand Pokemon' thing entirely in stride.
"Pummelo island, next!" Ash announced. "Do we have time to get there today?"
Tracey looked up at the setting sun. "Maybe not."
"Right. Time to plan, then." Ash sat down next to his friend. "Dexter?" he asked, tossing the projector into the air.
Set up. Dexter's body formed out of hardened vectors. Drake is a powerful opponent.
Images were formed on the sand.
Last time, he used six Pokemon in succession – and it was a tough match. Especially this Dragonite and this Ditto.
Images sharpened, showing Drake's team, and highlighting those two Pokemon.
"A Ditto, huh?" Ash frowned. "Those can be tough."
So is the Dragonite. I'm not sure if you remember-
"I do," Pikachu said with a grimace. "Isn't he the one I had to climb onto his head to take out?"
Correct.
"So, who am I going to use..." Ash mused. "Pikachu and Charizard, and Lucario. They're my heaviest hitters. Squirtle for sure." He thought about it. "Dexter? You as well."
Very well.
"And... hm, bit of a choice there. If Pidgeot was available I'd use her, but she might still be working on Aeroblast. So it's Lapras, Ivysaur, or Snorlax, unless I want to pull someone back from training or from Oak's lab." Ash frowned for several seconds. "Don't know yet."
He lay back on the grass. "The two big ones are Ditto and Dragonite... so, that means we need to work out a way for someone to defeat themselves, and we need a way to defeat that Dragon-type. Who knows Ice moves..."
"Hey, I don't, and I beat him last time," Pikachu said, hurt.
"I know you did, but if I remember correctly it took half my team to get him down to the point you could do that. Ice attacks work best, then Dragon ones."
One by one, Ash released his Pokemon. "Okay, guys, each of you needs to work out a way to defeat your doppelgänger, and preferably something that would work on a Dragonite as well."
"Don't you trust us to beat up one dragon?" Charizard asked.
"Not when he took out you, Squirtle, Tauros and Team Rocket in quick succession, no." Ash shrugged. "Sorry."
"I'm hurt. Really I am." Charizard grinned. "Okay, okay. Dragon Tail, Dragon Breath... what more should I have?"
"Is Dragon Pulse an option?" Ash asked.
Charizard began to answer, then stopped, interested. "I don't know it, but nothing should stop me from learning it. How do you do it?"
"If you can show me how to generate dragon-typed energy, we can probably work it out between us," Lucario suggested.
"Don't forget the strategy to battle yourself," Ash reminded them. "Right. Pikachu, you handled him last time, but we can't rely on that... perhaps you should practice with Dexter."
I feel I would be better served with an Ice type move in my repertoire.
"Okay, sure. Lapras, do you mind?"
"Not at all."
Ash frowned. "So, perhaps Pikachu should work with Ivysaur instead..."
"Welcome to Pummelo Stadium!" Drake said, sweeping his hand around the audience. "Today, we're very honoured to have with us someone who's volunteered to referee this battle – the Gym Leader, Norman, here on holiday!"
Ash blinked. That hadn't happened last time.
"It's his last day on holiday, so he's kindly agreed to referee so that his family can see an awesome battle!" Drake went on, nodding to the Normal type Gym Leader.
Ash was too busy scanning the crowd to pay attention, one eye closed.
Aha!
Two people stood out. One very familiar girl just a year or so too young for her official Pokemon journey, and a shorter boy who was much less like the Max he knew.
Ash decided he'd have to try to speak to them after the match.
"Thank you," Norman said, pulling Ash's focus back to the battlefield. "Now, this match is to be a Full Battle – both participants may use six Pokemon. Furthermore, they may use two at a time. The field starts as a Rock field, but will change each time someone loses three Pokemon."
Ash blinked – that was slightly unexpected.
He pointed, throwing one Pokeball, as the match began. "Pikachu, Squirtle!"
Drake replied with two of his own. "Ditto, Onix! Get them!"
Pikachu bounded onto the battlefield, balancing on a rock. "Oh. A Ditto. I think we know where this is going."
He jumped forwards, cheeks sparking. A Thunderbolt speared out towards the blob of protoplasm, who dodged it handily. "Squirtle, you handle the Onix!"
"That's just what I wanted to hear!" Squirtle adjusted his glasses and grinned. "Okay, you big old rock snake! Dig that Ground type out of your ears, and listen up!"
"I hear through vibrations in the ground," Onix informed him.
"Oh. Well... good for you," Squirtle said with a frown. He then blinked and got back on-rhythm. "Now you're listening, pay attention! I'm the badass, Squirtle, head of the Squirtle Squad!"
"I know. I've seen you on TV," the Onix stated. It lifted its tail.
"Shut up, you're messing with my lines." Squirtle pointed an arm. "Right! My water shimmers with the reflected promise of a thousand years! That's how waves work, never dying away and always carrying the echoes of what happened before! Eat Surf, cannon-
"Squirtle!" Pikachu called. "Look out!"
"What?" Squirtle asked, really cross now. "This is my third time-"
He yelped, jumping away as a Thunderbolt nearly hit him.
"So," he said, landing next to Pikachu. "I take it you didn't manage to get him before he Transformed?"
"That's it exactly, yes," Pikachu agreed. "Look out, this means he has all my moves."
"All of them?"
Pikachu pointed.
The transformed Ditto had a shimmering ring of electricity forming around him. As they watched, a second began to form.
"Oh... great," Squirtle said, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter! Even the greatest opposition will fall to us!"
Pikachu grabbed Squirtle by the shell and jumped into the air, just ahead of a powerful Magnitude from the Onix.
"I've never seen that move Ditto's doing before, kid," Drake said, frowning. "What is it?"
"Yeah, about that," Ash replied. "Pikachu and I sort of... invented it."
He could swear there was a gasp from the direction of Norman's family in the stands at that.
Ash cupped his hands around his mouth. "Pikachu! Squirtle! Get the Onix!"
"If you say so," Pikachu shot back. "Okay, Squirtle, you heard him."
Rather than replying, Squirtle started to use Water Gun, producing a pool of water to use for further attacks.
Drake's Onix promptly vanished underground with Dig.
"Okay, Squirtle..." Pikachu said as he eyed his doppelgänger, cheeks sparking. "Now!"
Squirtle left off from his preparation and tackled Pikachu.
The enormously potent Volt Crash attack lanced across the stadium, blowing a hole in one of the rock spires and stabbing towards Ash's two small Pokemon.
The blaze of power struck Squirtle, flowed across him without touching to Pikachu, and dissipated.
"I am so thankful for Lightningrod right now," Squirtle admitted. "Thanks, bro!"
Pikachu decided to take that in the spirit it was intended.
Then he looked over at the pool of water. "Why is the ground shaking?"
Onix emerged from the ground in a powerful Dig attack, knocking the duo flying. Ditto took the opportunity to launch a Shock Wave at Squirtle, shocking him.
"Right!" Squirtle announced, and plucked off his glasses. "That is it!"
He threw them, and they flashed into two sets of glasses, each ten times the size. To the bafflement of most of the spectators, these giant sunglasses pinned Onix to the floor.
Aura-saturated water formed around Squirtle. "I don't have time for a long speech! That's the worst thing you've done today, because it means that I can't tell you why I'm fighting!"
"Get on with it!" Pikachu shouted, from where he was trying to keep Ditto distracted by liberal use of Iron Tail.
"Alright, alright! Horn drill break!"
The super-compressed bolt of water cloaked Squirtle, and then propelled him straight down. It ran a path all along Onix' back, showering him with water, and then drilled straight into the ground in a geyser of muddy water.
Ash nodded in relief as the Onix was recalled, unconscious, and looked through his Pokeballs.
Squirtle was probably tired after that, though still out. He couldn't send out either Charizard or Lapras yet, because he needed to save them for Dragonite.
The question was – what was Drake going to send out next?
Ash was soon answered, as an Electabuzz burst onto the field.
"Oh, come on!" Squirtle shouted. "Two Electric types?"
"What's the problem?" Pikachu asked, taking a stance next to him. "Feeling a bit down?"
"Never!" Squirtle replied, eyes flashing. "I'm Squirtle, of the Squirtle squad! We never give up on anything!"
He pointed directly at the Electabuzz, who was trading electricity with Ditto to charge them both up. "Alright, you big yellow tough guy! I don't care about my type disadvantage! I'm going to give you the shock of your life! With my friend by my side, we're unstoppable!"
Pikachu tapped him on the shoulder.
"What?" Squirtle asked.
"You realize that I can't always absorb some attacks, right? Like Discharge?"
"...well, now I do." Squirtle slumped slightly, then rallied. "Okay, they're not attacking yet... think I can get in an Ice Beam?"
Pikachu shrugged. "Be my guest. I'll keep the Ditto off you." With that, he leapt forwards, palms glowing blue.
Squirtle watched for a moment as Pikachu arrived and started trading Force Palms with his copy, then sighed. He turned to give the Electabuzz a look.
"If I was at full strength, I would have beaten you already by now."
"I am sure," the Electabuzz replied, then launched a Thunderbolt forwards.
Squirtle jumped over it, blasting downwards with a brief Hydro Pump that split into two beams to avoid the thunderbolt, and headed straight for Electabuzz.
"Eat this! A move I learned through friendly rivalry, and from the greatest of toil! Rime!"
Electabuzz frowned at the incoming stream of water. "That's stupid." He raised an arm, sparkling with electricity-
Contact.
The water froze instantly, creating a splash-shaped cocoon of ice around Electabuzz and trapping him inside.
Squirtle didn't have it all his own way, however, getting a lot of reverse blast from the Thunderpunch conducted back up his stream of water.
He shouted in pain from the electricity, landed badly, and bounced twice before coming to a stop.
"You okay?" Pikachu asked, hammering his double away with a Quick Attack and hurrying back over.
"Did someone get the number of the Mugann who ran me over?" Squirtle asked, staggering upright. "Don't worry, I'm-"
The ice exploded.
"Huh," Pikachu said, distantly. "He knows Fire Punch. Who knew?"
Tail glowing, Pikachu jumped in front of Squirtle. "Good luck getting me out of the way, though, Electabuzz."
Electabuzz shrugged, ears crackling with voltage, and pushed out a Discharge.
Another Discharge flashed out from the Pika-clone, and Squirtle said something which was probably unprintable just before they both hit him.
"Nice work, Squirtle," Ash whispered, then plucked the projector from his pocket and threw it. "Dexter, your turn!"
Norman raised an eyebrow. "Ah, your Porygon."
"You know?" Ash asked, a little surprised.
"You were on TV," Norman replied. "A lot. My kids loved watching you and your rival."
"Oh. Cool."
The digi-Pokemon materialized. Stand by, ready. Set up. Pikachu, I -
A lightning bolt nearly hit him. Hey! he buzzed, strafing sideways. That is rude and uncalled for.
"Little help here?"Pikachu asked, struggling in the meaty hands of the Electabuzz. "My normal approach is useless here!"
The Ditto wearing his form was sitting on the Electabuzz' wrist, slapping away with an Iron Tail. It was a bit humiliating.
Right. Dexter shimmered, opening out into a shape made of vector triangles. A diamond, which then split in the middle three-fold. His projector shimmered, and then flashed a brilliant white, with red, blue and yellow spots on the points of the shape. Tri attack.
The electrical component did nothing, except for making all three other battlers slightly healthier.
The fire and ice components hit Electabuzz' hands, stinging him into releasing the electric mouse, who fell to the floor and landed lightly.
"Thanks!" Pikachu said, running in with Agility and landing a stunning Force Palm on the Electabuzz.
Who started to glow.
Don't mention it, Dexter told him, reforming into his base form and scanning the Electabuzz. Tracing... Motor Drive copied. Query: Motor Drive?
Dexter knew a lot about Pokemon, so his response to that unusual copy result was immediate. Pikachu? You might want to move away. Now.
Pikachu fell back, using Agility again to open the distance. He skidded to a halt next to Dexter. "What is... oh, you have got to be kidding me."
Electivire punched his fists together.
So, Dexter began. What do four Pokemon, all of them immune to electric attacks, do next?
"I think we have to knock out that Electivire," Pikachu assessed. "What do you have that will work?"
Dexter's reply was to fold out again, this time into a five-sided flower shape. Locking on. Pikachu, please ensure that he doesn't hit me before I fire.
"Do you have to announce plans like that?" Pikachu asked, as both enemy Pokemon charged forwards.
He was then too busy with Aura Spheres and Force Palms to continue the conversation.
"Dexter, we really need to get you some tactical training..." Ash muttered to himself, sorting nervously through the remaining three Pokeballs.
His next choice, if he had to make it, was obvious – and would be unless Dragonite turned up.
But, at the same time, he kind of hoped that Drake didn't know all his Pokemon and their tricks. Being famous seemed to have some drawbacks.
"Don't worry, guys," he added to the three Pokemon still ready to go. "Just do your best."
"How much longer is that going to take to charge?" Pikachu asked, exasperated, as he hammered an Aura Sphere from Ditto into fragments and kicked Electivire in the ankle to stop him getting past.
Zero. Dexter's petals glowed, and red light stretched out to the small dot of his targeting point. Hyper beam.
The blast of orange-red energy erupted forth, smashing into Electivire and sending back-blast in all directions. Both Pikachu and his double were sent bouncing away by the blast.
Did that work? Dexter asked as he reformed, eyes flashing red as he sought to see through the smoke cloud. I cannot-
There was a sound like shattering glass as Electivire lunged through the smoke, punching through Dexter's physical form and grabbing the golden projector.
"Dexter!" Pikachu called, as Electivire directed electricity into it repeatedly. Then jumped out of the way of an Iron Tail from Ditto, and went back to his snarling little fight with his copy.
Electivire delivered about half a dozen powerful shocks, shaking the projector up and down as he did so and grinning in a slightly worrying way.
Are you done? Dexter asked, once the process was over.
Electivire frowned.
Motor drive. Ability. This ability means that electric attacks do not deal damage; rather, they increase the speed of the target Pokemon. Dexter's projector burst into light again, and he formed out from the golden triangle of plastic and metal – forcing Electivire's hands open. Thank you.
The Porygon shot into the air, coming back to levitating again at the other end of the battlefield. He was ever-so-slightly blurred. Total speed increase: 300 percent over nominal. Excellent tactical prospects.
Electivire lumbered towards him, and Dexter zipped over to the other side of the battlefield again when the burly Electric-type got close. Signal beam.
A red beam of Bug-type energy stabbed out, stinging Electivire, and making him charge forwards again.
Dexter followed that up with a Tri Attack, checking Electivire's rush. As he did so, there was a loud bang from the other side of the battlefield.
Pikachu bounced over, rolling a couple of times as he shed momentum. Recovering with a long skid, he took in his situation, jumped up, and delivered an Iron Tail to finally knock Electivire out.
Much obliged, Dexter informed him.
"Yeah, you're welcome." Pikachu panted. "Keeping this Ditto under control is harder than I expected. Can I get some help?"
Drake sent out his fourth Pokemon.
...well, I am not going to be much good against that, Dexter observed. I do not know Foresight.
Gengar gave him a piercing stare, and spread his arms. Dark energy crackled around them.
"Right!" Pikachu declared. "Finally, something I can hit!"
Electricity crackled around his cheeks, then cannoned forwards. The Gengar left off its attack, diving for the ground – though still getting shocked, as Pikachu's Shock Wave tracked his target quicker than the Ghost-type could move.
"Damn it..." Pikachu spread his electrical senses, searching for any sign with both them and the rest of his abilities. "Look out, Dexter, it's going to be trying to attack from below."
A bolt of electricity splashed off Dexter's form from the Ditto, not boosting his speed further as it was already as high as it could go. He turned, targeting array flashing-
-and a ghostly arm reached through his vectors, gripped his projector in a glove of Dark-type energy, and threw it (and him) off the arena entirely.
"And Ash's Porygon has left the battle area," Norman announced. "That means that he has lost his second Pokemon."
Dexter righted his tumble, and floated slowly back down. Sorry.
"No, that's fine," Ash replied, already about to throw the next Pokeball. "I keep forgetting to give you tactical training, you did fine."
Away the ball went, sailing towards the battlefield. "Nice work on the Electivire, by the way."
Drake blinked. "Pardon? I didn't know you- oh, of course, the Riolu. Congratulations on evolving him, then, but I'm not sure why you sent out a Fighting type against a Ghost."
Lucario completed his forward-roll landing, coming up with paws glowing with ready Aura, and lunged forwards.
"Dark Pulse!"
The metaphysical energy pulse connected solidly with Gengar, knocking him staggering backwards.
"Pikachu!" Lucario added, skidding to a halt next to his friend. "Are you alright?"
"Think so," Pikachu replied, inspecting his latest collection of bumps and scrapes. "I hate Hex."
"Sure?" Lucario's nearest paw to Gengar glowed with a warning pulse of dark energy, warding the Ghost-type off. "You look peaky."
"...oh, that's annoying." Pikachu sighed, ears flipping up and down. "I'm Cursed."
"You're right, that's bad news," Lucario agreed readily. "Care to join me in punching a ghost until it's had enough?"
"You know it." Pikachu jumped up onto Lucario's shoulder. "Don't jostle me, though."
"Think you can keep up?" Lucario's wrist-spikes pulsed with purple-grey energy, extending a pair of Shadow Claws.
Then he launched himself at Gengar, eyes flashing red.
"This is so cool..." Max said, watching the battle intently. "The best holiday we've ever had! I mean, that's Ash Ketchum there!"
"I know!" May agreed, then winced as she saw a bolt of electricity snap across the battlefield and stagger Lucario, doing relatively little damage due to Pikachu's help but still sending him off-balance and allowing Gengar to escape. "I preferred the Riolu, though..."
Max gave her a look, then quickly turned back to the battle as Gengar dove underground and Pikachu started exchanging bolts with the Ditto – fencing with his lightning, to prevent any further shocks getting through. "May, Lucario is clearly much cooler."
"It's not about cooler, it's about cute."
Their mother chuckled good-naturedly at the conversation. "You two..."
Lucario scanned the ground, trying to work out where Gengar was. "I can't see well enough to hit him when he's underground."
A speculative Dark Pulse glowed on his paw, then flashed off down into the ground. It seemed to be absorbed with no further travel, though Lucario knew that in reality it was going about ten feet deep before losing coherency.
"Don't ask me," Pikachu replied, sounding worse all the time. "I really, really hate Curse."
Lucario made a sympathetic noise. He turned on one heel, abruptly firing an Aura Sphere at the Ditto, then followed it in in a charging rush.
Startled, the Ditto jumped up onto one of the remaining rock spires and began sparking off electricity like a Pikachu – which was, of course, appropriate. It jumped over the Aura Sphere, detonating it with a small Sphere of its own, then lunged down with an Agility-enhanced Iron Tail.
Lucario's final footstep, however, rendered that redundant. He pushed off into the air with a great shove of Aura, going easily over the top of the wrong-footed Ditto, and twisted in the air.
Gengar emerged into the air, and took a Dark Pulse to the face.
"Nice!" Pikachu complimented, adding to the attack by firing off a Thunder. The attack clearly took a lot out of him, and he slumped slightly – though it was worth it, as Gengar went back underground with a slight flicker that indicated he was himself close to fainting.
The Aura Pokemon landed much more lightly than he should have, given how much he weighed, making a three-point touchdown. He stayed poised like that for a moment, then backhanded Ditto with a Flash Cannon as it hopped over the top of the rock spire.
"That's kind of..." Pikachu coughed. "Kind of unsettling to watch..."
Lucario glanced sideways at Pikachu. "No, I'm not working off the occasional frustration, why do you ask?"
"...I didn't," Pikachu pointed out, deadpan.
"Oh, right." Lucario's lips quirked, then his eyes widened. "I may have a plan."
On lithe feet, he ran back into the centre of the arena. A quick leap, and he balanced on one paw atop a spire of rock.
"It's three knock-outs on either side to replace the arena, right?"
"...yes. What are you planning?" Pikachu asked, concerned.
In reply, Lucario raised his paws and pressed them together. They glowed blue, then – as he slowly moved them apart – a silver-cored blue sphere began to form between them, and grow.
And keep growing.
Pikachu blinked. "How big are you making that Aura Sphere?"
"Big enough."
When the ball of glowing, focussed Aura was about three feet across, Lucario began to spin it – turning it into a formidable weapon, as the rotation of the Aura self-stabilized the sphere and gave it much more impact.
Then he moved his paws closer together, sliding them around the outside of the sphere so they were nearly touching one another, and aimed down.
"Aura Sphere!"
Down went the globe of blue energy.
Up came the bits of arena.
AN: Part one of two. Drake's a tough opponent, with immunities and resistances scattered all over his team.
Also, a Ditto copies moves and stats. Bad news for everyone, when it copies Pikachu!
