Chapter 28

Monday, January 9th

Ash stood in front of the house adjacent to his own, which belonged to Mr. Cheeves, their landlord. It mirrored his house in almost every aspect. The one exception was the color of the front door, which, unlike theirs, was a bold red with a crescent-shaped steel knocker.

Ash put the device to use, and he heard its sound echo through the elderly man's home. It was about thirty seconds later that the man finally answered the door, a warm smile on his face at the sight of Ash.

"Ash, how nice to see you today." He said cheerily.

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Cheeves." Ash returned his greeting and matched his enthusiasm. They went through the usual formalities, from discussing the stifling weather of early January in Vermilion City to what Mr. Cheeves had read in the paper this morning. After some time, they arrived at the reason for Ash's visit.

"Ah, the rent." He noted, accepting the envelope from Ash. In it was eleven hundred dollars, one month's rent from them, in cash.

"I'm sorry it was late this month, something unexpected came up." Ash apologized, but Mr. Cheeves waved him off.

"My concern is with Cassidy," Mt. Cheeves stated and Ash's nose twitched at the mention of his foster mother. "It's been quite some time since I've seen her. Is everything alright?"

"She's been very sick recently." Ash replied.

"Oh yes, I remember you mentioning that she hasn't been well," He said with a nod. "The curse of getting older huh? Actually…she's still south of forty, right?"

Ash laughed at the way Mr. Cheeves worded his question, as though he had been speaking to Cassidy.

"I've been told not to say that number anymore as of this year," Ash answered slyly as he raised his brow. Mr. Cheeves gave a laugh, but it quickly faded.

"So, is it that serious?" He inquired as the wrinkles in his forehead deepened. Ash took some time to scratch at the back of his head.

"We're hoping for the best, and Cassidy is really strong so I know she'll pull through." Ash replied, and Mr. Cheeves gave a nod.

"Perhaps I could visit sometime to chat with her," Mr. Cheeves offered with a small smile. "I'm sure she could use the company."

"I'm not so sure she's up for that either, Mr. Cheeves," Ash said as he shook his head, and he felt a pang of guilt as Mr. Cheeves lowered his shoulders with a sigh. "But when she is, I'll let you know."

Their conversation came to an end, and Ash bid him a farewell. There was a parting wave, and then Ash returned to his own home.

Pikachu came to greet him at the door, climbing up to his shoulder as Ash went to check on the girls. As always, Shauna was watching them for the afternoon and Ash gave her a nod as he stood in the entrance of the living room. She gave him a smile and then returned her attention to Macy as they read a children's book together. Casey had her eyes locked to her phone screen, likely texting Cindy about their school day.

Seeing that all was well, Ash made his way upstairs with Pikachu in tow, the short conversation with Mr. Cheeves still fresh on his mind. His concern for Cassidy was nagging at Ash's conscious like the buzzing of a Cutiefly. Ash wanted to trust Mr. Cheeves and tell him about Cassidy's actual condition, but he didn't know what kind of opinion his landlord had about Pokemon, or if he would believe in Ash's reliance on Pokemon to pay rent.

Somehow, some way, Cassidy had never been late with their rent. This was only the third month that Ash had taken up the responsibility, and he was late with it. He asked himself how she managed to make it all work with the limited funds she had, but Ash couldn't figure it out. Cassidy was simply…amazing.

Once he was in his bedroom, Ash approached his bed and kneeled down to reach underneath it. Hidden there was his duffle bag that used to hold his most prized possessions - the money and Potions that he received from the Red Skulls. However, the bag didn't carry the weight it once did. All that remained was a small sum of money and just one unused Potion. When he received his supply from the Red Skulls, he had a total of thirty, and in the following months he used up all of them to keep up with Pikachu's constant training. These were the only reason Pikachu could recover from the damage he received on a daily basis.

With the Potion in hand, Ash lifted the bottle to observe the purple liquid held within. Ash wasn't even sure what exactly made up this stuff, he just knew that it did something to accelerate the recovery process. Perhaps the PokeHub could shed some like on what exactly was in a Potion, but that was something to look into at another time. Right now, he had to form a plan.

During the previous week, they participated in a number of street battles all over Vermilion City to earn money. For most trainers, the two or three battles they had each day would be considered a hellish pace, but Ash and Pikachu were desperate to make ends meet. They burned through two Potions that week to complete all of those battles, but now they only had one to last them this week.

"Ah, we're probably going to have to keep the battles to a minimum this week, Pikachu." Ash noted, and his partner nodded.

Fortunately, their earnings this week had no commitments beyond grocery shopping, so he would be able to buy more Potions. According to the PokeHub, there were a few places in and around Vermilion City where Ash could meet with a dealer to obtain these items. But at three hundred dollars a bottle, Ash knew that his funds would evaporate quickly.

He set the Potion back into his duffle bag and then reached in for the money that he had left. It was bound together by a rubber band. Now that he had paid the rent, their utility bills, and gone shopping for the girls, he had one thousand dollars to use in his street battles this week.

If all went well, he could give this money to Brock to make a sizeable wager at the Hidden Cove this weekend.

Wednesday, January 11th

The Cut. A barbershop located in the west end of the Vermilion City.

Rather than haircuts, this spot was known for the abandoned lot behind the barbershop which was the site for street battles. The barbershop was owned by a trainer who went on to clear the area of debris and rubbish, opening a space for a battlefield. Over the course of many battles, the ground had been pounded flat, closely resembling the battlefield in the Hidden Cove stadium.

According to the PokeHub, this was one of the designated locations for street battles to take place, active on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week.

Among the list of designated locations, this one was well renowned due primarily to the fact that police activity was at its lowest in the west end. With no need to fear the thought of arrest, many trainers and spectators would gather here especially for street battles.

At least a hundred people were present around the perimeter of the lot. There were many trainers present, giving a call of 'got next' in order to face the winner of the battle taking place. The air was filled with excitement as trainers barked out commands, which were followed closely by cheers as the audience witnessed the results of the attacks.

Despite the cheers, the Tangela on the field was having a miserable time. While the crowd was in awe at the yellow blurs that whizzed around the field, Tangela couldn't predict or react to their actions at all, a truly exasperating experience. He had never faced an opponent that was so quick!

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!"

Tangela jumped back as two of the blurs crisscrossed in front of him, but in the following instant, he was struck twice. Once on his side, and another right on his face that sent him skidding across the dirt to his trainer. Tangela's trainer stepped onto the field, kneeling down to check on his partner, who timidly got back to his feet. When posed with the question of if he wanted to continue, Tangela shook his body nervously before casting a glance at Pikachu.

The threat of just pure speed was on full display with Pikachu. He had won both of his battles today by forcing his opponents to concede since they couldn't keep up with him. Ash and Pikachu had garnered some attention after winning consecutive battles, Pikachu's speed being the highlight that was drawing in the majority of the audience from the other battlefield.

While Ash collected his payment of fifty dollars from Tangela's trainer, the trainers in the audience began to shout for a turn to battle Ash. Each of them promised to do better than his previous opponents, but one trainer pushed his way through the pack with the help of his Pokemon.

"Let me battle him."

His voice may have gone unheard by the audience, but the fierce howl from his partner, Lycanroc, silenced everyone. Ash and Pikachu turned at the sound, and their gaze narrowed at the sight of the familiar ginger-haired trainer and his Lycanroc.

Cross.

"Check it out, its 'Axel!'"

"Another circuit trainer is here!"

"Oh, this just got real!"

All of the trainers that had been demanding a battle with Ash had stepped aside in favor of letting Cross challenge him. Ash's arms became tense at the prospect of battling Cross and his Lycanroc. After their previous meeting the past Saturday, Ash and Pikachu started training with the intention of challenging Cross in the future.

Ash knew that in their current state, he and Pikachu were outclassed across the board by Cross and Lycanroc. What Ash wanted was an opportunity to measure himself against a trainer of Cross' status, but he never imagined he'd get to do it against Cross himself. This would hopefully give him the chance to see what further preparations he could do before he made an official challenge.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Ash declared as his previous opponent left the field. All the shouts about circuit trainers had pulled in the rest of the crowd, who were anxious to see how this battle would unfold. Cross took a moment to observe the audience before he sent a crooked smirk at Ash.

"How about we up the ante?" Cross suggested and Ash creased his brow. "I'll put down a thousand dollars."

There were 'ooh's and 'awws' from the crowd. It wasn't often that one saw a street battle with such a hefty sum of money being wagered.

Ash's eyes were wide at the number Cross was ready to commit to.

"A thousand dollars on this battle?" Ash exclaimed which caused Cross to sneer.

"The battle?" He scoffed, "No, I'm betting a thousand dollars that your Pikachu couldn't put one scratch on Lycanroc before he's knocked out."

"Damn, he called him out." An audience member said loudly before covering their mouth sheepishly.

"If your Pikachu can pull that off, the money is yours. If he can't, the money is mine." Cross proclaimed as his Lycanroc stepped forward with a smirk of his own, eager to begin the battle.

"Why so much money?" Ash questioned him.

"What? You think I don't remember you?" Cross asked him sharply. "You and your friends wanted a fight then, didn't you? Here's your chance, take it! All I'm going to do is show you exactly what you're dealing with."

Cross's gaze darkened, and again Ash felt a chilling gust of wind lash against his skin. His pores raised against the blistering winds and Ash tightened his stance.

In his heart, he wanted to battle Cross. He wanted to knock that obnoxious sneer off his face by proving him wrong. Cross was underestimating him and Pikachu, and there was no better scenario to catch him off guard.

But his mind prevailed. He couldn't wager a thousand dollars. While they possessed the element of surprise, Ash still wasn't sure how he and Pikachu stacked up against them. If Cross and Lycanroc surpassed his expectations, which was likely the case, he would've wasted almost all of the money he had to find out something he already knew.

He thought of Pikachu.

Ash had already seen Lycanroc in action, and the brutality that this Pokemon acted with. If they battled, Pikachu was sure to take some significant damage. They would have to use what remained of their last Potion for Pikachu to recover in time for their match this weekend. That was the battle that truly mattered. Not a battle with Cross here with the odds stacked against him.

Then he thought of his sisters.

If he lost this money, he wouldn't have anything to use this weekend at the Hidden Cove. He couldn't afford to throw away his money and leave the girls with nothing to live off of. He had already taken all sorts of risks to get through the last few months, so he couldn't gamble away what little they had left in a seemingly hopeless situation.

"What's the matter?" Cross asked him snidely, nose upturned. "Don't tell me you don't want to battle?"

Ash's knuckles turned white, and he bit hard into his lip to halt his response. Rather, he shook his head silently to decline the battle. The audience didn't waste any time in voicing their displeasure, but Ash simply invited Pikachu to return to his shoulder.

"I see you've got some sense now," Cross commented, and a hush set for everyone to hear him speak. "That Pikachu of yours didn't stand a chance in the first place, you were right not to trust him in a battle with Lycanroc," Ash scowled at him, eyes wide with resentment for Cross, but the young man continued. "Though it would've been a disservice on your part if you were dumb enough to use him."

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu shouted in return, but he quickly found Ash's hand resting on his head as a restraint. Pikachu glanced at his trainer and saw that Ash's anger had been subdued. In its place was a straight face, one that hid away all of Ash's inner feelings.

Ash conceded the field to Cross and turned to leave.

"That's right kid, know your place," Cross called out. "You're five years too early to think you can battle me."

Ash continued on his way, refusing to look back.

They would make Cross eat his own words…perhaps sooner than he was ready for.

Thursday, January 12th

Of the list of things Casey despised, homework was at the top of the list. She had no incentive to finish it, and if not for the constant badgering she'd get from Cassidy, Ash, and now Shauna, she wouldn't bother with it.

In the kitchen of their home, Ash was busy preparing an afternoon snack for everyone, while Casey was at the kitchen table with Shauna providing some assistance with her homework. Meanwhile, Macy had her nose buried in another children's book as she sat across the table, reading aloud.

"No no, you've got it backwards Casey," Shauna noted with a chuckle. "You put the adjective after the noun."

Casey groaned as she scrubbed at her notebook with an eraser.

"Spanish is so annoying," She muttered. "Why do I have to learn another language in the first place?"

"Do you ever plan on visiting Hoenn?" Shauna asked her, but Casey shrugged her shoulders in reply. "Hoenn is a beautiful place, especially Slateport City! That's where I grew up by the way," She added as an aside, "It's a mix of Spanish, English, and Portuguese there so you gotta know a little of each to live there. Like down at the fish market, one stall might be speaking Spanish, but then the next one you go to the fisherman might only speak Portuguese and then he has to get his wife to translate for him…"

Ash stole a glance over his shoulder and he stifled a laugh as Shauna prattled on about Slateport City, this being a common occurrence according to Casey. Shauna paid no mind to Casey, who studied her pencil intently, perhaps considering sticking it into her neck to escape Shauna's rant.

"…and if there's any mistranslation, you could walk away with eel instead of fish and believe me your grandma isn't going to be happy if you come home with something she doesn't want," Shauna's rant concluded on that note, and she looked back to Casey, who was slumped over in her seat. "What are you doing?"

"Your story was so long that…I died of old age." Casey said, and she slid further down into her seat with a 'bleh.' Shauna shot her a narrow stare, but just as she opened her mouth to make a cutting remark, Macy began to call for her attention.

"Yes, Macy?" Shauna asked as she looked toward the youngest of the girls.

"What's this word?" She inquired, and Shauna jumped up from her seat to see.

"Engine," Shauna answered and Macy thanked her kindly. She then continued along with her reading, rocking side to side in her seat.

Now that Ash had finished setting up a small fruit salad for the girls, Pikachu jumped up onto the kitchen counter to make his request for a portion. Ash rolled his eyes, but selected a large Oran berry for Pikachu and cut in half. Pikachu gave a cheer before he accepted his treat and munched on it noisily. Ash used this opportunity to pat Pikachu's head since tonight was one of the rare occasions where they could sit back with nothing pressing to tend to…or so he thought.

His phone blared and Ash withdrew the device from his pocket.

Charles Goodshow was calling him.

"I'll be right back. Everything is here for you guys when you're ready," Ash said, and his exited the kitchen. As he raised his phone to answer, Ash grinned at the thought of using his title for Charles as he answered his phone with an air of authority. "This is 'Quest' speaking, how can I help you?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Ash heard Charles snort on the other end.

"Oh my," Charles muttered and Ash could imagine him shaking his head. "How are you doing today, Ash?"

"I can't complain, how about you?" Ash asked in return.

"I'm an old man, I have a lot to complain about. But I'll spare you the stories," Charles noted with a laugh, "I want to apologize because this is on short notice, but the opponent I had set for your battle this weekend withdrew from the match."

"You can do that?" Ash exclaimed.

"Yes, in fact, it happens more often you'd think." Charles said in reply. It took a moment for Ash to run down a mental list of the cause and effect. No opponent meant no match. No match meant no money. No money meant…

"So, does that mean I don't have a match this weekend?" Ash asked, fighting off the sudden tremble in his hands.

"You do," Charles began, and Ash let out a sigh of relief, "I'm calling to let you know that we substituted in the only remaining person that wants to battle you."

"Oh, that's good," Ash muttered but he furrowed his brow in thought, "Wait, 'only one?' I thought there was like ten other people that wanted to battle me."

"You said it right, there was ten other people that requested a match with you," Charles said after a chuckle. "The best of that batch was 'Blitz,' and when you beat him and his Ledian convincingly, all but one of them rescinded their challenges. They want no part of you and Pikachu after what they saw."

"Mmmm!" Ash's exclamation earned a laugh from Charles. "That's right, me and Pikachu are shakin' up the circuit! So, who's our next opponent?"

"Her title is 'Saffron.' She's currently ranked beneath you at 468, but don't underestimate her. She told me she has a little plan to give you and Pikachu a run for your money." Charles said ominously.

"Heh, we'll see about that."

Saturday, January 14th

Match 2 – 'Quest' vs 'Saffron.' 3/1.

Tiana 'Saffron' Carli.

Rank: 468

Pokemon: Girafarig

Record: 10 Wins, 7 Losses

Giselle pursed her lips and placed a finger against her cheek. The opponent today hardly compared to Ash's last opponent in 'Blitz,' but Giselle didn't want to count out Tiana just yet. She looked up from her phone to observe the duo of Ash and Pikachu would be facing Tiana in roughly two hours. They were going through some light exercises on the sandy dunes of the Hidden Cove in preparation for their upcoming match.

Ash had shared with her that Charles had told him Tiana had a plan in store for them. Charles wouldn't have gone out of his way to reveal this unless he thought it was noteworthy. Not to mention, Tiana was the most experienced trainer among the group Ash had faced so far at the Hidden Cove. Her record may have screamed 'average,' but clearly, she had won some matches by developing plans and adapting to her opponent. There wasn't a lot of footage of Ash, but Tiana must have seen enough to think of something.

Tiana featured a Girafarig as her partner, and this would be the first psychic type that Ash would face. Girafarig wasn't a pure psychic type, so the threat of being dominated by telekinetic abilities wasn't their biggest concern. In fact, based on some of the footage Giselle had gone through, Girafarig was still just starting to tap into her psychic abilities. So rather than use this underdeveloped ability, they relied upon physical attacks to wear down their opponents.

Such a style wouldn't be very effective against Pikachu and his quickness, which left Giselle to wonder what Tiana had in store for them.

"Hey, Ash!" Giselle called for him and Pikachu to come to sit with her. Once they were all situated together, Giselle moved onto the meat of the conversation. "What's your game plan for this battle?"

"They don't have an answer for Pikachu's speed. We're just going to stick to what we do best." Ash replied and Giselle frowned. It seemed to be the right answer, but Giselle began to chew on her bottom lip as her thoughts gnawed at the back of her mind.

It felt like…the match from last week. They targeted Ledian's strongest point, and the battle unraveled when Ledian discovered that he was slower than Pikachu. Was Tiana planning to do something similar to Ash and take away Pikachu's speed? Was a Girafarig capable of such a feat?

"Just be ready for anything." Giselle warned him, and the duo in front of her gave a nod.

The referee raised his flag, and the audience showered the victor with applause. The commotion in the stadium was blocked out by the soundproof booth that overlooked the battlefield from high in the stands. This was the private viewing area used for Charles Goodshow and any guests he invited.

Charles leaned back into his sizeable office chair, which creaked beneath him. The first match was nothing to write home about, but it left him eager to see the next. Ash Ketchum garnered quite a bit of attention in his short career at the Hidden Cove, becoming a recognized trainer among the fans during his first three weeks. Tonight, he had a special fan that was viewing the battle alongside Charles.

The older gentleman turned in his seat to view the young man that was seated on the sofa. His lengthy green locks rested on his shoulders as he sat with one leg crossed over the other.

The King of the White Lotus.

"N, what made you decide to come to watch tonight's matches with me?" Charles inquired to break the silence between them. N blinked a few times and turned his head, seemingly breaking out of a daze.

"I'm here to see Ash Ketchum, specifically." He replied, and Charles raised his brow with intrigue.

"Oh really?" Charles noted with a smirk. "And what is it about him that interests you?"

"I've spoken to him before, and I know it's not sound to jump to conclusions after speaking to him just once, but I believe in his potential…that, and an associate of mine informed that I would see something special tonight if I came." He replied.

"Special? Like what?" Charles pressed, leaning forward in his seat.

"I'm not really sure," N began, but there was a knock on the door, halting their conversation.

"Come in!" Charles called out, and the door opened to reveal a man who had ties to both Charles and N.

"Charles, it's been a while hasn't it!"

Charles sent him a narrow glance during his entrance, but his expression became stoic as he observed the biggest sponsor of the underground circuit, Malcolm Berlitz.

"It has been." Charles replied softly as Malcolm approached them.

"I had some business to attend to in Kalos. It turned into quite an ordeal, so I had to spend a few weeks there," Malcolm explained as he took a seat beside N on the sofa. "It wasn't my intention to be out of Kanto for so long, but now that I'm back, I thought I'd check in on a few of my projects."

Malcolm's attention shifted to N.

"How is the White Lotus doing?" Malcolm asked him directly. N eyed him wearily before he gave an answer.

"The trainers are a rowdy bunch with big aspirations, but you can't expect anything else from a group of trainers," N commented dismissively. "Otherwise, everything is fine."

"Good, make sure you keep them in check," Malcolm said pointedly and then he relaxed into the sofa. "And that brings me to one of my other projects. How is Ash Ketchum doing?"

"He's doing well, in fact, you can see for yourself. His third match is about to start." Charles replied with a gesture to the field.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked his partner as the stood within their box on the field. They paid no mind to the audience and the shouts for the ref to hurry up with the formalities.

"Pi-pika!" He responded, squeezing Ash's shoulder.

"No holding back, okay?"

Pikachu gave a big nod.

"Alright then, let's do this!" Ash proclaimed as he thumbed the tip of his nose.

Together.

Ash glanced at Pikachu out of the corner of his eyes and flashed a grin.

"Alright trainers, your Pokemon!" The ref called out.

Pikachu and Girafarig took their places on their grand stage, gave each other a nod, and the ref signaled for the match to begin.

"Let's go fast from the start Pikachu, Agility and Double Team!" Ash hollered as he pumped his fist. Tiana beamed at his command, and Girafarig widened her stance in preparation.

"This is just what we trained for Girafarig, just stay calm and focus!" Tiana declared, and Girafarig nodded in agreement. Pikachu blurred as he dashed off, tracing a circle around his opponent, where he left five after-images to surround her. Pikachu didn't hesitate to attack from a flank, slamming his shoulder into Girafarig's body. She stumbled from the blow, but kept her footing and watched closely as Pikachu fell back in line with the after-images he had produced.

"Great Pikachu, keep it up with Quick Attack!" Ash shouted and Tiana quickly recognized Pikachu's excitement. Ash and Pikachu were committed to their usual brand of offense, and that was exactly what she wanted.

"Girafarig, use Extrasensory!" Tiana barked.

Girafarig lowered her head at the command, and two small antlers on her head began to glow. The pupils within her eyes turned a cyan blue, and she remained completely still, waiting for Pikachu's next attack.

The quicker of the two Pokemon shot forward faster than the eye could see, a yellow blur marking Pikachu's location for only a fraction of a second. Even with his nigh untraceable speed, Pikachu added a feint to his initial attack, a backstep to draw out Girafarig so that he could change his target. Rather than strike her body, he bounded in the air and rolled, stiffening his tail to slam it against the back of her neck.

Typically, in Pikachu's realm of speed, he could attack his opponent before their eyes could find him. But Girafarig was already looking at his current position, in fact, she was already reacting!

She leaped upward, greeting his stomach with the top of her skull. The unexpected blow left him short of breath as he reoriented himself to land on his feet. Pikachu's nose twitched as he met Girafarig's gaze. It left him unsettled.

Ash could feel Pikachu's unease, and he tilted his head as he studied Girafarig. He had no experience battling psychic types, but Girafarig's cyan eyes brought a mental image of his father's Kadabra to mind. Whenever Kadabra wielded his oppressive telekinetic abilities, his eyes would be colored in a similar fashion. Was Girafarig preparing to do something similar to Pikachu?

His lips became dry, and Ash quickly moistened them. He caught sight of the smirk Tiana wore, and his suspicions grew tenfold. Something was amiss…and it brought a smile to Ash's face. Whatever it was, they would figure out how to beat it!

Pikachu lowered his center of gravity when he saw Ash tip his cap.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, and his partner's blinding speed manifested itself once again. His onslaught was relentless; he attacked from every angle he could, and yet…Pikachu came skidding to a halt now looking worse for the wear. He failed to land even one attack on Girafarig.

Ash couldn't believe what he had seen. Every attempt Pikachu made to attack was countered by a well-placed Tackle. Pikachu's speed was superior, his footwork refined to the point that he could change direction at the drop of a hat, but even with several feints mixed in, Girafarig shut down his Quick Attack completely!

Up in the first row of the stands, Giselle leaned forward in her seat, her newfound respect for Tiana taking the shape of a small smile.

It was no wonder she still wanted to battle Ash; Tiana had developed a method to neutralize Ash and Pikachu's greatest strength. Extrasensory was, in short, one of the few hard counters to Pikachu's speed. Giselle was right in her hunch that Girafarig was only just beginning to access her latent psychic potential, but here was a perfect example of the future growth Girafarig could undergo.

Extrasensory wasn't exclusive to psychic types since it provided heightened awareness to any Pokemon that could use it. However, psychic types could make the best use of this move by amplifying their precognitive abilities. Not only was Girafarig now in possession of a seemingly unnatural reaction time, but she could effectively predict Pikachu's actions. It was a twofold cord, granting Girafarig the ability to defend against Pikachu's attacks, and counter them at the same time!

Tiana had quite a head on her shoulders to think of this as an answer to Pikachu's speed.

"Giselle, what's happening down there?" Brock asked her as he leaned back into his seat. The battle was hard to follow in an almost indescribable way, as if the battle was moving in two different times, but still the same one. Pikachu was whizzing around his opponent, but he was taking all of the damage.

"It's um…" Giselle frowned as she tried to word her answer.

"Is Ash in trouble?" Brock entreated as he studied his friend on the field.

"I wouldn't say that," She answered. "But I'm not sure how he's going to handle this."

Ash pursed his lips and scratched at the bridge of his nose. He didn't bother to conceal his confusion as he waved off Pikachu's next attack. This reminded him of his battle with Brawly in November, and how his one use of Detect had completely shut down the linchpin of their offense. Extrasensory had achieved a similar level of success, and it made Ash bit down on his lower lip to know that all of their practice had been negated by a single attack again!

But this time, he had the luxury to see what he could do from here. Brawly hadn't given him the same opportunity.

"Okay Pikachu, we're going to change things up. Charge up!" Ash commanded. Pikachu took some distance from Girafarig, tensed his muscles and raised his tail. Small bolts of lightning began to crackle around him until he was bathed in an electrical shower, and he gave a shout, an eager smile on his face.

"Girafarig, use Light Screen!" Tiana called out quickly.

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

The Thunderbolt attack dragged against the field as it approached Girafarig, cutting through the hard surface as a demonstration of its power. But it met with a wall of light that guarded Girafarig, absorbing the attack. Pikachu gave a shout as he shut his eyes, summoning all the strength he could muster to further empower the surge of electricity. The Light Screen bent in response to the added pressure, and the lightning pierced through it, striking the quadruped Pokemon.

Tiana wasn't worried as Pikachu's attack came to an end, and Girafarig shook off the attack and stomped her front feet. Pikachu took a few deep breaths, feeling the energy he had exerted in an effort to break the Light Screen. All that effort didn't translate to any significant damage. If anything, he was at a loss since he would only get one use of Thunderbolt out of that Charge.

Ash removed his hat and took this opportunity to scratch at the back of his head. Light Screen reduced the damage taken from Thunderbolt significantly, to the point where the time it took the prepare the attack by using Charge was nothing but wasted time and effort. It wasn't just the strongest part of their offense that had been canceled. Tiana and Girafarig had a counter for everything they could do. So then…why weren't they attacking?

"Why aren't they attacking?" Brock asked Giselle who snorted in reply.

"Girafarig can only hit Pikachu as a counter, not when she's attacking," Giselle replied. "This was why I said their combo of Quick Attack and Double Team could threaten anyone in the circuit. It may not look like it because Tiana shut down the offensive side of that combo, but it functions as a form of defense as well. She can't abandon Extrasensory because then they'd have no answer to Pikachu's speed, so she's stuck on defense."

"But Ash can't attack now if he doesn't want Pikachu to take damage, how do you win a battle like this?" Brock inquired.

"Sometimes, you have to take damage to secure a victory."

Ideas spiraled around Ash's head about a course of action, but the majority of his plans would likely be nullified by Extrasensory. He looked back on all of his training with Giselle, and he quickly understood why she didn't oppose his focus on street battles since the year turned. Despite training with Giselle for a few months now, situations like these didn't come up. This was where the value of experience would truly shine.

He had no answer for a defense that he couldn't break.

What was he supposed to do?

Hey, hey, hey!

Ash's eyes scanned the field and his gaze settled on Pikachu who was looking back at him.

Why are you panicking?

"Well, what should I do here?" Ash asked softly.

What's with all this 'me' talk? Did you forget? We're in this together.

The statement from his partner cleared away all of the thoughts in Ash's head.

Now come on, we're not going to win by just sitting around!

"Right! We're going to leave it all on the field Pikachu! Let's give it everything we've got!"

Pikachu took in a deep breath, filling his lungs to capacity. He felt revitalized, and gripped the field with his paws, anxious to test his limits. He tore off in a mad dash, pounding the field with each step. If Pikachu was any bigger, he might have actually done some damage to the field with how hard he was running. He neared his target, and feinted not once, but twice before he went in. Pikachu paled as he came face to face with Girafarig, and was sent tumbling away again.

"That's okay Pikachu, again!"

Right!

Pikachu was quick to get back on his feet, and the process started again. The crowd marveled at the demonstration of his superbly developed speed, but they were equally impressed with Girafarig's defensive capabilities. Cheers rained down for both parties, and Ash felt uplifted from the energy the audience delivered.

The assault on Girafarig continued, but even as Pikachu diversified how he attacked, he made no progress. Girafarig reacted accordingly every time, and the beating he was taking was beginning to wear him down. Having landed on his back again, Pikachu rolled over and groaned as he pushed himself up. His body ached from the blows he'd received.

"I know you're hurting buddy," Ash said to his partner. "I've got your back, so stay strong!"

Pikachu sighed as he got back onto his feet, and he wiped at his sore chin with his forearm.

Right!

Pikachu went down on all fours and tensed his muscles despite their protests. A faint white glow appeared around him, and he took off with another burst of speed, kicking up a cloud of dust from his starting point.

Girafarig felt a sudden rush beside her as Pikachu blew by her to set up for his next attack. In this space of time, she received a vision of the angle Pikachu would be attacking from next, and she turned to meet Pikachu head on as always. Again, she knocked him away, unsure of whether their stubborn commitment to this plan was foolish or praiseworthy.

Pikachu rolled in the air to land on his feet and he resumed his attack without wasting a moment. Even as this battle dragged on, through the use of Extrasensory, Girafarig could sense a sudden growth occurring within Pikachu and it began to show. With every attempt Pikachu made to attack, there was a window of time where Girafarig could predict and react to his movements. But that window was shrinking!

Pikachu's high paced offense pressed forward, and Girafarig's eyes widened as Pikachu's attack arrived before she could position herself to counter. She stumbled backward from the kick to her face, much to Tiana's surprise. Two more blows came through immediately, which threw Girafarig down on her side with a shout. However, there was no follow up from here. Pikachu wheezed as he fought to stay standing and his vision became blurry as the thought of passing out became all the more appealing.

"Whoa there buddy, hang in there!" Ash hollered to Pikachu who kept his footing. If he slipped and fell, he wouldn't bother to get back up. He had to stay standing. "I know you're tired…so let me lend you my strength."

Pikachu looked back at him.

"Win or lose, we're going to do our best, right?"

Yup, together!

"Together!"

A gust of wind flooded Ash's ears, and the audience faded away. His eyes grew wide as he looked around. The Hidden Cove was…gone. Somehow, the battlefield had been transported to a lonely mountaintop. It was just the four of them in this quiet and secluded place.

The altitude of this peak eclipsed the highest clouds, leaving them with nothing but the boundless blue skies and the sun's brilliant light. The silence of it all snatched away his anxiety, and calmness descended upon him. Ash heard a sound, a steady beat…no, two of them, beating in unison.

He looked to Pikachu, and he saw his partner looking back at him.

"Is that our heartbeat?"

Pikachu nodded.

Together!

Ash smiled.

"Together!"

An ethereal glow that matched the sun bubbled up around them, and the Hidden Cove returned. Many in the audience had gotten to their feet at the prospect of a knockout. Pikachu couldn't last much longer.

"Girafarig, this is our chance!" Tiana declared as they reached the climax of the battle. Pikachu's stamina was impressive, but not bottomless. Now that he lacked his speed for the remainder of the battle, this contest was hers for the taking. "Use Stomp!"

Girafarig's cyan eyes faded and she boosted herself up into the air using her powerful hind legs. Airborne, she looked down to spot her target, who she planned to crush with all the force she could generate from her fall. She was nearly ten times heavier than Pikachu, so such a move would certainly finish him off…if he remained still. Girafarig landed on the field with a powerful impact that kicked up a cloud of dust, but she didn't feel her opponent beneath her.

Tiana gawked at the sight of Pikachu on the other side of the field.

"How…?" She exclaimed. Just moments ago, Pikachu's offense faltered with clear evidence of heavy fatigue. How was he able to keep going?!

"Awesome Pikachu!" Ash shouted as he pumped his fist, Pikachu mimicking the action. "Now come on, let's give it everything we've got!"

Ash lowered his stance as Pikachu went down on all forwards, and Pikachu charged forward, disappearing into the dust around Girafarig.

"Extrasensory!" Tiana piped up quickly. They had a plan of action that had shown results throughout the battle. Victory was close, she and Girafarig just had to stick to the plan. Pikachu raced around Girafarig, clearing away the dust and allowing the audience to witness what would follow. Girafarig's cyan colored eyes returned, but she was struck immediately. She staggered from the blow, and then she received her vision of Pikachu's attack.

Her eyes widened in shock as she was struck again, and the vision arrived afterward yet again. The window of opportunity, her means to defend against Pikachu's speed, it had been shut completely. His speed had gone to another level!

Giselle jumped to her feet, mouth agape. She had seen Pikachu move fast when they trained…but never like this!

"Hell yeah, Pikachu, go get em!" Brock shouted as he stood alongside Giselle.

"Go Pikachu! Go!" Ash hollered as he threw a punch. Pikachu darted between Girafarig's legs, bounded off the ground and struck the top of her head with a speedy Slam attack. She was left dazed from the blow and she struggled to follow the yellow furball as he raced around her.

Tiana's shoulders slumped as Girafarig collapsed beneath Pikachu's overwhelming onslaught. The referee approached Girafarig, and he raised a flag toward Ash! The audience roared in response to the incredible comeback and Ash raced onto the field to hoist his partner into the air.

"Amazing Pikachu! You were just…awesome!" Ash smothered his partner with praise.

Three winged individuals observed the battle.

Wings tinged red from a crimson massacre.

Wings endowed with golden royalty.

Wings born in the fire of a hearth.

"Well? Did you see his wings?"

"Wow, that certainly wasn't what I was expecting."

"They're gorgeous though, right?"

"Eh, I personally wouldn't say gorgeous, but they'll definitely make you do a double take."

"Enough about that you two. We need a verdict. Is he ready?"

"Oh, most definitely."

"Yeah, I'm in agreement."

"Good. Then Bianca, can you meet with him tonight?"

Ash left the battlefield with Pikachu tucked nicely into his arm, already sound asleep from the battle. As he stepped into the tunnel, he was greeted by one of the attendants.

"Uh, can I help you?" Ash asked him and he gave a nod.

"The commissioner would like you to pay him a visit. I was told bring you to him." The attendant explained as he motioned for Ash to follow. They journeyed through the main corridor the stadium in silence, which provided Ash with the time to think back to one moment in particular during that match…when the audience disappeared.

Following that point, Ash felt closer to Pikachu than ever before, a surreal experience that he couldn't find the words to describe. It was like they were sharing a body…if that made any sense. He could feel the discomfort from all the damage Pikachu was carrying, and his muscles became strained as he picked up Pikachu's exhaustion. In exchange, he provided Pikachu with his own strength to rejuvenate and empower his partner.

The display of pure speed was truly a sight behold.

Ash had always dreamed of showcasing Pikachu's ability on the battlefield, but he never imagined Pikachu would be capable of what they had accomplished. Four months ago, he was so impressed with Pikachu's use of Agility. But now, what Pikachu could do with Agility completely blew that out of the water.

In fact, the overall growth since they started training with Giselle was obvious. They had refined a battling style that they could call their own, and Pikachu added moves like Double Team and Quick Attack to his arsenal. The evidence of their progress could be seen on the battlefield.

The Ash and Pikachu of a few months ago couldn't hold a candle to what they were now!

Ash thought of the trainers he had faced so far. 'Island Pete.' 'Blitz.' And now 'Saffron.' Each of them posed their own unique challenges as they battled, but he and Pikachu bested them all. They had some lofty expectations, after all…

Cross and his Lycanroc came to mind. Ash had some serious training to do if he expected to defeat the ruthless duo.

Then there was Volkner, King of the Lightning Regalia. Ash had never seen him in action, but his status as one of the Five Kings meant he was a force to be reckoned with. But what awaited Ash at the highest peak, his greatest challenge…he stepped out doorway up ahead.

N, King of the White Lotus, what many people considered to be the strongest trainer in Vermilion City, and possibly the world! His long mint-green hair dangled behind him, and he adjusted the cap on his head with a sigh. N raised a brow as he caught sight of Ash approaching with the attendant, and his lips curved upward.

The two of them only shared a glance as they passed.

Ash looked over his shoulder at N and declared, "I'm on my way."

N merely placed his hands in his pockets and continued in his way to conceal an earnest smile of his own.

"Here we are." The attendant stated as they came to a stop in front of the doorway that N had exited just moments prior. Ash sent a curious glance toward N, who was nothing but a slim frame in the distance. The attendant knocked on the door, and a familiar voice granted him entry. Ash gave his thanks to the attendant and entered the private and well-furnished booth.

Charles was seated in a leather office chair as he whirled around to greet Ash. But the other occupant in the room was lounging in on the plush couch with a glass of sparkling cider in hand. Ash's jaw hung open at the sight of this man who shot him grin and raised his glass.

"Quite the show!" He proclaimed.

"Mr. Berlitz, what are you doing here?!" Ash exclaimed in response.

"I'm your sponsor, don't you think I'd have the decency to attend some of your matches?" Malcolm asked in return. Ash tilted his head and babbled out a question that Malcolm couldn't make any sense of, so he waved it off with a chuckle and invited Ash to take a seat next to him on the sofa. "I see that you've been quite busy while I was away. Charles told me that you've already won three matches despite some rather astronomical odds being placed against you."

"Well, Pikachu and I just did our best." Ash replied; his mind adrift in questions for Malcolm. But one question surfaced, the only one Ash wanted an answer to.

Was he, at long last, going to get paid?

"According to Charles, you've had some impressive bouts. I'm glad I got to see this one for myself, it was worth the price of admission," Malcolm sent a narrow glance at Charles who shook his head ever so slightly.

"If you had called in advance instead of showing up unannounced, you wouldn't have had to pay." Charles retorted and Malcolm rolled his eyes.

"All of the trainers who direct the Mantine should be familiar with me," Malcolm responded haughtily. Charles kept his reply to himself as Malcolm returned his attention to Ash. "After what I've seen tonight, you've held up your end of our deal. So now comes the matter of payment."

Ash felt his heart climb up into his throat and it seized his voice. Fortunately, a nod was all he needed to give before Malcolm continued.

"Originally when I made this agreement with you, I thought I'd be able to pay out of pocket and keep the proceeds for myself," Malcolm explained fluidly. "But, when the payout from your first match came through, I realized it would be prudent to open a bank account for your earnings."

Ash tilted his head, struggling to connect the dots. All he wanted was a straight answer.

"So…I'm getting paid?" Ash asked which caused Malcolm to stifle a laugh. He then reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a silver card case. Once he opened the case, he flipped through it quickly before arriving at the item he was looking for, a platinum card for the First Regional Bank of Kanto. He handed it to Ash and gave him a moment to examine it.

His name was engraved on the card, and it shimmered under the lights.

"Does that answer your question?" Malcolm asked in return. Ash looked up at him and gave a nod.

"Yes, sir." He managed to mutter.

"Everything in that account is yours," Malcolm stated, a smirk forming on his face as he saw Ash suck in his lips in a struggle to stay composed. "The pin number hasn't been set yet, that's all you have to do to access it."

Ash looked toward Charles and saw the cheery grin he wore. Then Ash returned his gaze to the card in his free hand, and Pikachu in his other.

He did it…

He…He did it!

Today was one of those days that made Brock believe in the impossible.

His best friend Ash Ketchum, overcame all of the odds, a thousand times over.

Just when the jaws of defeat were about to clamp shut during his match at the Hidden Cove, and Ash and Pikachu left everyone astonished by a sudden and unexpected comeback!

Then they hastily left the Hidden Cove to race to the Kanto's First National Bank. They arrived just before it closed, and Ash demanded that Brock watch him activate a platinum card using the ATM within the bank. When the account opened up, Brock's jaw hit the floor at the sight of the six-figure dollar amount within the account, all of which belonged to Ash.

He was paid!

Brock began to jostle his friend to celebrate, but Ash ignored him completely. Rather he placed a hand over his mouth and hiccupped, so Brock gave him some space. Ash was quick to compose himself and request that they go to his house next. Brock knew that he wanted to see the girls, though he didn't anticipate Ash breaking down when he saw them.

When he opened the front door of his home, Macy came running to greet him, and Ash fell to his knees to embrace her. Just the sight of her broke down any composure he had, and the tears came forth.

"Ashy, what's wrong?" Macy asked in an effort to console him, but her purity only reminded him what he had been working so hard for. To keep his family together.

"We're going to be okay." Ash said softly. Macy may not have understood the significance of this statement, but Casey knew what it meant. Ash raised his head and looked toward her, opening one arm as a gesture for her to join the hug.

Casey's heart melted at the sight of Ash with tear-stained cheeks and a stupid grin on his face. The face of someone who had gone to hell and back for the people they loved. She approached and kneeled down for Macy's sake, and Ash absorbed them in his arms.

"We're okay."

Brock leaned against the doorframe and looked at Shauna, who stood at the entrance to the living room. In all the time she had spent with Ash, she had never seen him look like the blubbering mess she was watching. She looked to Brock and mouthed a question of 'what happened?' All Brock could do was smile.

Four months ago, Ash had been dealt a bad hand, but he played the cards he had and…somehow, this kid walked away from it all with hundreds of thousands of dollars!

A/N

Hello again guys, so good to see you all!

I want to first thank you guys for all your feedback and such. I say this every time but I really do enjoy talking with you guys. I drive my family crazy talking about this story with them, so you guys are kind of like a release valve to keep me under control lol.

To the reviewer who asked if this story is now solely Amourshipping, the answer is no. I watched XYZ many times, just never all at once. I spent March just watching like three or four episodes of Pokemon each night (something I haven't done in years btw) because Netflix was going to drop XY/XYZ. But in terms of shipping, this story is a little all over the place. I'm not huge on one particular shipping as this story might suggest. I just write what I want, but you can expect all sorts of moments with everyone. I'm not partial to any of the characters if that means anything to you guys.

I strongly recommend you guys anticipate the next chapter. You could consider it...sort of a prelude to the bulk of my plans that might help you understand the scope of this story. Anyway, just look forward to the next chapter, that's my suggestion to you all. It's already in the hands of my very capable beta-reader, so I'm aiming to upload it around the end of May, possibly early June in the off chance we make any significant changes.

Also, I send my usual thanks to my beta-reader MjrGenMatt for all his contributions!

Any questions or concerns, feel free to talk with me, always open to discussion guys! Gimme some love in my review section if you have some time, but otherwise, thank you again for reading, for your support, and I'll see you next time!