Darkrai Revealed
I am sorry for being a day late than I told you guys in the last chapter of Adventures of the Master. I originally planned to upload this yesterday but I couldn't finish it since I was bored so I wrote while also watching TV, which mind you is a huge distraction and I only managed to write 2.5 k of this and 2.5 k words for my High School DxD fic, even thought I wrote for hours.
Some people are confused about the shipping. So I would like to clear it out that this will be a multi-shipping story. But I haven't thought too much about it since the Sinnoh League has already started. Shippings will be more defined after the League ends. There will be subtle hints like in the last couple of chapters, though.
I won't keep you guys waiting any longer with this stupid author's note.
Enjoy!
The moment Barry mentioned a Darkrai fighting in a battle, Ash, Dawn and Brock gasped in disbelief. They turned to Barry with eyes agape, unwilling to believe what he had just told them.
Ash staggered shakily as he gaped at Barry with wide open eyes, an expression of shock evident on his face. He just couldn't come to believe that there could be another Darkrai in the Sinnoh League. He knew the fact that there were incidences of a Legendary Pokémon being more than one. He'd seen some examples with his own eyes; the Lugia and its baby that he'd met while travelling in the Whirl Islands, but for there to be another Darkrai here, he was astounded, to say the least.
Completely dumbfounded, Ash's two friends, who were perched on their seats, also abruptly stood up. They glanced at Barry. It didn't seem as if he was lying. His eyes bore fright; he definitely couldn't have made that up. Then, they glanced at Ash who appeared to have taken the news as a shock worse than they had.
Ash got out of his daze, speaking for the first time after the revelation of the Darkrai. "Barry, are you sure what you're saying is truth?" he asked, still not fully recovered from the bomb that Barry threw at him. "I mean, Darkrai is a Legendary Pokémon."
As Barry stood straight up, he sprawled closer to Ash, menacingly glaring at him. "I just saw a fuckin' Darkrai," he squawked, "and it took down its opponent in just one hit. It was the fastest match ever." The blond boy from Twinleaf town stamped his foot in front of Ash in anger, angry that they wouldn't believe what he said.
Ash and his friends still couldn't completely believe Barry's words, but the amazing thunderbolt that he'd given them still had them stuck in shock. Brock and Dawn both shakily stood up, at last getting back to their senses.
Still trembling in shock, Brock finally got something out of his mouth. "How strong was the Darkrai?" he asked Barry, a serious expression plastered on his face.
Barry turned his face towards Brock and looked at him, eyes still containing fear of the Darkrai he'd just mentioned. "It took out a Blaziken with just two attacks named Dark Void and Dream Eater!" he yelled, spreading his arms to show just how awesome the Darkrai was.
"With just two attacks?" Dawn pondered in amazement, staring at the ceiling of the Pokémon Center. Piplup who was standing next to her folded his arms and narrowed his eyes to show that even he was thinking.
"We're bringing you some breaking news from Lily of the Valley Island!"
Everyone turned their gazes to the source of the sound which was the television. A completely stunned news reporter was speaking about a piece of news from the Sinnoh League. The screen now turned to a battlefield, two men standing opposite each other, seemingly ready to start their battle. They both released their Pokémon and that was when the shocker came; everyone in the Pokémon Center gasping in astonishment, their eyes glued to the huge LCD screen.
The Pokémon materializing on one of the Trainers' sides was the Legendary nightmare Pokémon, Darkrai. The Trainer of the Darkrai appeared to be a man in his early twenties with wavy jet black hair. His opponent was surprised, too. A Darkrai in the Preliminaries was the last Pokémon he would've expected to face.
As the video continued, both the Trainers apparently gave their commands to the Pokémon, one Trainer obviously appearing calmer than the other. The Pokémon moved as a dark black ball of energy generated between both of the dark hands of Darkrai. The Blaziken's arm glowed with energy and it jumped high up in the air at a decent speed.
With the ball still in-between its hands, the Dark-type kept its eyes glued on Blaziken and, as it neared with its Sky Uppercut, Darkrai threw the black ball at it, enveloping the Fire-type from Hoenn in it. The effect of the move used by Darkrai was so great that Blaziken fell to the ground, seemingly deep in sleep. Although, soon enough, it cried in pain, making everyone watching gasp in amazement of the power of the Legendary Pokémon.
"That's Dark Void!" Ash could only utter as he watched the Darkrai send a shockwave at great speed at the Blaziken. As the shockwave passed the Blaziken, it groaned in agony and, soon enough, it fell to the ground, but this time, swirls covered its eyes, signifying its defeat to Darkrai.
The video of the battle was cut off and the reporter, again, began his report of the situation, everyone's attention in the Pokémon Center on him.
"That was just confirmation of the sudden appearance of this mysterious Trainer named Tobias who, without any problems, destroyed his opponent in the Preliminary Round of the Sinnoh League taking place in Lily of the Valley Island. There have been rumours going around that he defeated all the Gym Leaders of Sinnoh only using his Darkrai." The shock on his face turned to horror when he read further from the sheet of paper in his hand. "That's not all. He did in so in less than a month. He travelled all around Sinnoh beating Gym Leaders in a timespan of under a month. You can only guess what other amazing Pokémon this guy possesses. Comments are flying from all over the world. Even the Champions and Elite Four are taking interest in the matter."
As the man on the TV finished his report on the Darkrai in the Sinnoh League, Barry turned to our now-shocked trio of heroes who now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there indeed was another Darkrai in the tournament.
"See!" he yelled. "I wasn't lying. There is a Trainer with a Darkrai." He brushed his hair with his hand, trying his best to calm himself. "We can't beat that guy! None of us can."
Ash stumbled back, taking a deep breath after relaxing himself on the comfortable sofa. Just when he thought that he had the upper hand in a Pokémon League, there was another guy who could be even stronger than he was. Ash placed both his hands on his thighs to get a hold of himself.
Pikachu looked at his stressed Trainer who seemed to have finally gotten back his composure. He jumped up on the sofa and perched himself on Ash's lap. Cocking his head upwards to face him, Pikachu looked at the hollow eyes that Ash had; only one emotion showed in his eyes and it was that of shock.
"Pika!" Pikachu whispered to his Trainer.
The voice of Pikachu seemed to have worked since Ash finally got a hold of himself, exhaling a long breath to calm himself down. "Don't worry Pikachu. I'm fine," he told his Pokémon with a gentle smile, making his starter jump on his shoulder and nuzzle his cheek.
"So, Ash, what are you gonna do?" Brock asked Ash seriously.
With no hesitation or fear, Ash replied to Brock straight away. "There's only one thing I could do. I have to defeat him whenever I face him. Just because he has a Legendary Pokémon doesn't make him undefeatable."
Brock grinned at his friend's courage and self-confidence. Ash took the news of the Darkrai better than he thought he would. "Of course!"
Dawn, too, smiled at the calm face of Ash. The look of surprise that once existed on his face had now disappeared without a trace. "I am sure you can, Ash. After all, you have your own secret weapon." She winked, already imagining the battle between two Darkrai. She cutely placed a finger on her chin, wondering which Darkrai was stronger.
Barry, who listened to what Dawn had said, opened his mouth. "What secret weapon?" he asked, closing in on Ash and bending down with both his hands on his hips. "Tell me what your secret weapon is or else I'll fine you," he demanded in his usual style.
Dawn, Ash and Brock gave him a smile but didn't speak a work. Barry impatiently waited for an answer until he finally lost his patience, snapping at Ash. "Tell me what it is. I want to know about it too." Getting no answer again, he slumped onto his knees and began to sob. "YOU GUYS ARE MEAN!"
They still said nothing to the Trainer from Twinleaf Town, just snickering at his impatience and curiosity. Without even knowing about it, the tension that was created due to the revelation of another Darkrai now disappeared thanks to the Ash's newly-found composure and the amusing antics of Barry.
The three days allotted for the Preliminaries of the Sinnoh League had now passed. All the scheduled battles were done with, too. After intense battles between 119 Trainers, only the best 64 now remained in the League, one of which would be crowned as the Champion of the Sinnoh League. The match-ups for the next round were about to be revealed as the sun began to set.
All the remaining Trainers waited for the revelation of their opponents for the next round in the main stadium of the Sinnoh League.
Ash searched for Tobias, the Trainer with the Darkrai, in the crowd of Trainers until he saw Paul, standing in a state like he always did. He deduced that Paul hadn't changed half as much as he had in the past few months, and then, finally, his eyes stopped on the man wearing a dark robe; it was Tobias, standing proud and relaxed near one of the walls. Many people eyed him, but none had the courage to approach him. Tobias and Darkrai were all over the news after his battle earlier in the day; the news spread fast as people from all over the world and even from the Elite Four spoke about him and what they thought of his battle.
"Now, the match-ups for the next round will be announced."
With the voice of the MC, the images of all the remaining 64 Trainers began to shuffle around on the huge TV screen. At last, after shuffling the Trainers enough, the images finally came to a standstill as the match-ups for the next round now appeared on the screen.
Each of the Trainers standing on the field curiously searched for their match-ups, their eyes glued on the screen of the stadium. As Ash finally found out who he was matched up against, he smirked with a tinge of excitement crossing his features. He looked forward to this battle; a match against a Trainer he'd known for quite a while, now.
Just as Ash was about to leave, someone called to him, stopping him. He turned around to find none other than Nando waving at him. Ash, too, smiled at his friend that he met quite early in his time in the Sinnoh region.
"Hi, Nando," he greeted the minstrel. "So, who are you matched up against in the second round?" he asked the man wearing his usual green attire.
"Greetings, my friend! My opponent for the next round is a beautiful woman named Caroline. What about you?" Nando played his harp and closed his eyes, enjoying his music to the utmost.
Ash tittered at Nando playing his harp once again, the soothing melody bringing him calmness, as well. "Well…" he started, "my opponent is our dear friend Conway over there." The Trainer pointed to the guy sneaking up behind Nando.
After Ash noticed him, Conway knew that there was no reason to peek on their conversation. He adjusted his glasses and presented himself in front of his two rivals in the Sinnoh League. "Hello, Ash! I hope you are ready to have an early exit from the tournament." He declared his victory with a creepy grin. "I hope you won't take it personally when I beat you."
Ash could never get used to this guy. The smile Conway wore always creeped him out and this time was no exception as Ash's lips twitched as well. "Don't worry, Conway. I won't mind if you beat me in our match. That is, if you're strong enough to beat me in the first place."
Conway didn't appear to be too pleased with Ash's statement, but he took it as a challenge, nonetheless. To him, Ash was a rival whom he had to beat, not just for the sake of progressing in the Sinnoh League, but also for Dawn to notice him. Well, she did notice him, but he wasn't pleased with the way she conversed with him. It was like she tried to avoid him as much as possible, and for that reason, he had to beat Ash and annihilate him in front of Dawn.
"We'll see about that in two days, now, won't we?" Conway chuckled sinisterly again, his glasses shining, suggesting that he was all pumped up. "See you later. I have to select one of the strategies I prepared to use against you."
Just like that, the green-haired Trainer left Ash and Nando, disappearing from their sight in mere seconds. Both Ash and Nando sweatdropped at the guy. Just how much creepier could he get? Still, they saw him as their friend and they were positive that he felt the same about them.
"So, Ash, I guess I need to get going and decide on a strategy as well. You sure have a tricky opponent to take down. I wish you the best of luck for your battle."
"Good luck to you, as well!"
The sun rose upon Ash who stood on a clear field on Lily of the Valley Island. Prior to the sunrise, Ash had worked out, performing several sets of push ups and crunches to keep his body in shape. He never thought that he would be doing this stuff, but he was happy that he did. He, too, realized how much this had helped him both physically and mentally. 'The power of hard work' was what he liked to refer to such harsh training.
With sweat running across his body, Ash relaxed himself on the ground, taking a huge breath in order to calm his mind again. He glanced at the Poké Ball that he held in his hand and smiled a smile which held pride. Staying in the same position, the amber-eyed boy snapped the Poké Ball in his hand open and out came his very first Legendary capture.
The Pitch-Black Pokémon floated right in front of Ash, slowly opening his eyes. He may be a Legendary Pokémon, but even he needed sleep. Fully awake, he majestically bowed his white head towards Ash, greeting his Trainer with respect.
Ash raised an eyebrow at the gesture. "Geez, Darkrai," he complained. "I told you not to do that. You don't have to be so formal with me. We've already known each other for almost three months, now."
Darkrai waited for Ash's complete speech to be over before he spoke. "Yes. I know that," he told him. "But I at least have to give you a proper greeting. I mean, you are my Trainer, after all," he protested.
Ash placed a hand on his forehead after failing in another one of his attempts to convince his Dark-type to behave normally with him. Even Heatran, whom he caught after Darkrai, acted casually in front of him, even tackling him when overjoyed, but Darkrai seemed to be from an altogether different breed of Pokémon, his stubbornness even rivalling that of Ash's from his early days as a Trainer.
"Anyway, there was a reason that I asked to bring you back from Professor Oak's lab." Ash's expression got serious as he continued. "There's a Trainer with a Darkrai in the Sinnoh League."
Darkrai didn't move and he didn't appear to be shocked in the least. "Yeah. I know. I heard it in the news when I was at that old professor's lab," he informed his Trainer.
Ash nodded, now understanding why Darkrai appeared to be unmoved by the shocking revelation that he'd just made. "Do you know if you can beat it?"
"I don't know," Darkrai said truthfully. He couldn't tell if he could beat a Pokémon which he hadn't exchanged his attacks with. He at least needed to confront it to get a rough idea of what the Pokémon might bring to the game. He glanced at the rising sun and continued. "But, I can beat any Pokémon as long as you have faith in me. If you trust me, there is no challenge that I can't overcome, Ash."
"Do you think I believe in you?" Ash's eyes were full of curiosity, wanting an answer from the Legendary Pokémon, Darkrai.
Darkrai met Ash's gaze and, after looking into his eyes for a few seconds, he responded. "I don't know whether you believe in me or not, but I trust you completely, so there is no order—no command of yours—that I won't obey."
Ash smiled gleefully at Darkrai. He felt really happy that even a Pokémon like Darkrai who doesn't trust humans told him so. "So, I guess we can't lose."
Ash returned to his room after his conversation with Darkrai and the first thing he did was have a shower. He didn't want others to know how he smelled after training and that was the best thing to do to avoid that from happening.
The morning was pleasant and warm as Ash and the group had their breakfast in one of the well-known restaurants on Lily of the Valley Island. It was, of course, Dawn's plan to come here since she was the one who kept notes of such restaurants and shops. All of them appeared to be eating their meals happily, chatting about various things as well.
"Have you finally decided which Pokémon you're going to use against Conway?" Brock asked while sipping his tea, the taste of which was probably was of the best that he had ever drank.
Ash shook his head while stuffing his face with food and gulping all of it in an instant. "I have chosen two Pokémon that I'll be using, but I can't decide on my third one." He sipped some water from his glass and continued. "Since Conway is such an unpredictable Trainer, I have to have a lot of versatility in my team. I could use someone like Charizard or Sceptile, but I don't want to reveal them to everyone just yet."
Dawn nodded. "Having so many Pokémon to choose from must be difficult. That reminds me, Ash. You still haven't shown me all of your Pokémon." She took the last bite of her food and leaned back on her chair comfortably. "But that Conway guy sure is a headache. I'll tell you, be careful of him," she warned as her expression turned into a serious one. "Who knows what that guy might do to win?"
"Don't worry, Dawn. I won't do anything unfair to beat Ash."
The voice creeped Dawn out, and rightly so. It was horrifying. She shakily stood up from her seat, glanced behind her and, as expected, Conway stood right behind her, his glasses shining brightly.
Dawn's eyebrows twitched, her lips forming a smile. "Uhh… Hi, Conway." She increased the distance between herself and Conway and spoke. "I was just warning Ash that he shouldn't take you lightly since you're an amazing Trainer."
"Thank you for your kind words, Dawn. My heartbeat increases when I hear you say something like that about me." Conway grinned, making Dawn step back ever further.
Ash smiled at Conway. "Good morning, Conway. I assume you're already prepared for our match," he stated, looking at his Top 64 opponent.
"Of course," he confirmed, nodding his head and turning to glance at Dawn. "It's a very important battle for me."
"It's an important match for me, as well," Ash said with a smile of defiance.
Conway and Ash glared at each other with grins on their faces. Without them even speaking a word, the tension between them increased tenfold. Their eyes didn't hold contempt for each other; rather, their eyes were full of determination . They would be battling it out in the Sinnoh League Top 64, not to see who was a better Trainer. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the two was light years ahead of the other in terms of being a better Trainer, but they wanted to find out who was more intelligent; whose strategy would triumph.
Ash pressed a few keys on the laptop on his lap and, soon enough, Conway's Trainer page appeared on the screen, showing all the information about the Pokémon he'd used in official battles. Ash still hadn't decided on the third Pokémon for his battles against the guy, and that was the reason hat he was doing his research—something unexpected from him.
After going through all the information given on the page, Ash shut down the laptop and placed it on the table. He sighed and tried to think of a strategy. He knew that he could easily crush Conway if he used one of his aces, but he didn't want to do that. The reason behind that was not only that he wanted to save them for later, but he also wanted to test the strength of his Pokémon which were not at the level of the others. He very well knew that they had the potential, but the Pokémon whom he'd trained more and had more experience with would of course be stronger than the others.
As Ash thought about all of that, he didn't realize that Dawn had taken a seat next to him. She gazed at Ash's face and smiled. "You really look cute when you think about something."
Ash was stunned to see Dawn sitting beside him. He didn't even notice her enter the room. "Did you say something, Dawn?" he scratched his head.
Dawn giggled at the antics of her crush and placed her palm on top of his which rested on the bed. She leaned closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, a blush appearing on her features. She closed her eyes and spoke again. "I didn't say anything. You must be hearing things."
Ash just cocked his head in confusion without having the slightest clue about what she meant, but after he realized how close Dawn was to him, even his face flushed a little. It wasn't like they hadn't been in such close proximity before, but the thing that made this moment different was that they were all alone in the room. Not even Pikachu or Piplup were with them.
Ash decided not to think much about it and just relax for the time being. He moved his hand around Dawn's shoulder, clutching onto her and making the girl grin in joy.
The next day, Ash decided to train a little having decided on his team for the next round. He now stood in a barren field away near the Pokémon Center along with the six Pokémon that he had with him right then. Dawn and Brock, too, watched Ash train his Pokémon.
The six Pokémon that had been training were Pikachu, Infernape, Swellow, Staraptor, and his two newly evolved Pokémon, Croconaw and Gabite. Gible and Totodile apparently evolved in the two months where Ash trained in solitude and the results showed because all of his Pokémon's speed and power had substantially increased.
"Croconaw, use Ice Beam at full power on Gabite," Ash ordered his Water-type starter from the Johto region. At the next moment, Ash looked at Gabite and said, "Gabite, counter it with your Dragon Claw."
As commanded, Croconaw charged a sphere of ice in his mouth and then aimed it at Gabite in the form of a beam made completely of ice. As the Ice Beam neared its target, Gabite's claw glowed bluish with dragonic energy and he tried to confront the Ice Beam head on. His glowing claw clashed with the beam of ice and, after struggling for a few moments, Gabite cut the beam in half, diverting its direction to either side of him.
After the display of even overcoming his biggest weakness, Ash smiled with pride at his Pokémon. "That was great, Gabite. You finally managed to diverge Croconaw's fully-powered Ice Beam."
"Gab-bitte!" The Dragon-type roared, acknowledging the compliment from his Trainer.
"Those moves were pretty strong, Ash," Brock stepped forward and said, glancing around the field where Ash's Pokémon trained with all their might. "You've really gotten stronger in those two months of training. Even I didn't expect your Pokémon's strength to increase this much."
Ash rubbed his nose at the praise from Brock. "They all did the hard work. It's paying off."
Building up courage inside herself, Dawn came up next to Ash and lightly held his hand. "No, it's not just their hard work." Ash turned to face her surprised, by what she had said. "You also spent all of your time with them and you were the reason why they trained so hard to get there," she explained. "Even your Pokémon agree."
Ash gazed at Dawn with a look of stupor on his face. She really was a kind girl. Ash didn't even realize that all of his Pokémon had gathered around him and nodded their heads, roaring at their Trainer's modesty. Ash glanced at each one of them as his eyes began to get a little teary. But, even then, he held his emotions in, not wanting to show them in front of all his Pokémon and friends.
"You guys are really wonderful. I'm really lucky to have friends like you with me." Ash thanked them for their effort, a smile of determination on gluing itself on his face.
"So, training, are we?"
They all turned around to the familiar voice and saw the Champion along with Mr Goodshow approaching them. Cynthia strolled as elegantly as ever while the Pokémon League President ran a hand through his white beard as he walked.
"Cynthia and Mr Goodshow," Ash called their names.
Both of them waved at Ash, stopping near the group.
"Hello, Ash," the short man greeted the young Pokémon Trainer. "It appears as if your preparations are going well." He gave a glance at each one of the finely raised Pokémon of Ash's and nodded to himself with a grin. "You've raised some amazing Pokémon, Ash. I can tell just by looking at them how many hard yards you've put in training them."
Cynthia's eyes were fixed on Ash's Gabite the entire time. "So, your Gible has evolved?!"
Ash nodded. "Yes, Cynthia. My Gible has evolved." He petted his only Dragon-type on the head who gave a cry of joy. "But hear this. He wants to get stronger than your Garchomp, and someday, he will be."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow in amusement. "That's a great goal, Gabite." She smirked and continued. "But, it won't be that easy to defeat my Garchomp. We are getting stronger all the time, as well. After all, it's just been a little more than two years since I became the Champion of Sinnoh and I don't intend to lose that title anytime soon."
Ash raised his fist towards Cynthia and smiled at her. "I would have been disappointed if the Champion of Sinnoh would've been easy to beat."
Interrupting the conversation between the two determined Trainers, Mr Charles Goodshow cleared his throat. "Ash, there's something I want to talk to you about," he said, getting the attention of Ash as well as the others.
"Sure. What is it?" Ash asked.
"Professor Oak has told me about something and I am curious about that, so do you mind having a discussion with me about it?" Goodshow requested of the trainer.
It didn't take Ash long to grasp what the white-bearded man was talking about, but he wondered why Professor Oak would reveal his secret to someone. He shrugged it off since this was the Pokémon League President. It wouldn't be a big deal to reveal his secret to him.
But then, he looked at Cynthia who seemed curious, too. "Does Cynthia know about it?" he asked the old man.
Mr Goodshow immediately shook his head and replied. "No. Professor Oak told me that you didn't want anyone to know about it, so no one else knows. It's just a secret between us."
Ash exhaled a deep breath and gave Mr Goodshow a smile. "Alright, then. I can show it to you." He then spoke with a sarcastic tinge in his tone. "But, Cynthia can't see it."
The President of the Pokémon League immediately nodded. "Yes, of course. It's just the two of us," he tittered and made a V with his fingers.
But the Champion of Sinnoh didn't appear to be too pleased with Ash's words. She glared daggers at Ash and questioned him. "You don't trust me to keep your secret, Ash?" Disappointment was evident in her eyes as well as her voice. "I thought you would have more faith in me."
Ash was amused by the response he got from Cynthia and so was Goodshow. They had never seen Cynthia act like this. For a Champion who held so much pride to act like a girl in her teens was unusual. From what they understood of her, she always behaved like a mature person, her wisdom being much greater than her age.
"It's not like that, Cynthia. You have a misunderstanding," Ash told the blonde woman whose head seemed to have fallen in dismay. He took a step forward and placed a hand on the dejected girl's shoulder. "It's just that I feel that you will be more amazed if I don't show it to you just yet."
She slowly looked at Ash and nodded, still not fully convinced, though.
Mr Goodshow chuckled at the interactions between Ash and Cynthia. He didn't know that those two were this close. "Alright, Ash. Do you mind showing it to me right now?"
"Sure. We just need to visit the Pokémon Center first as I don't have it with me right now," Ash informed Charles Goodshow who nodded in understanding.
After talking to Professor Oak and having his Darkrai transferred to him, Ash, along with Mr Goodshow, strolled out of the town to a place where there wouldn't be people noticing them. Cynthia stayed behind with Brock and Dawn after Ash promised her something which she appeared to be excited about.
Ash took a deep breath before releasing the Poké Ball from his hand. "Come on out, Darkrai!" The Poké Ball opened in the air and the pitch black body of Darkrai materialised.
Mr Goodshow took a few steps backwards as shiver went down his spine at the sight of the legendary Dark-type known to cause nightmares. He was amazed, but the emotion of fright ran much deeper than his amazement. As Darkrai glared at him, he felt the fear like he'd never felt before, his eyes full of terror. The President of the Pokémon League now understood what it meant to be in the dark presence of Darkrai and what it could do to a person up close.
"This is my Darkrai, Mr Goodshow. It's a kind Pokémon to humans, so you don't have to be scared," Ash stated before spinning his head towards Darkrai. "Darkrai, meet Mr Charles Goodshow. He's the President of all of the regional Pokémon Leagues taking place all over the world."
Darkrai bowed his head towards the man with the white beard and spoke. "Greetings Mr Goodshow. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Mr Charles Goodshow appeared to be stunned by the well-mannered Darkrai. Not only that, but it could also use telepathy. Goodshow finally pulled himself together and gathered the courage to speak, albeit still astonished by the Pokémon floating in front of him. "The pleasure i-is all m-mine, Darkrai." He managed to let out those words at last.
"So, Mr Goodshow, what do you think?" Ash asked the head of the League anxiously.
Mr Goodshow immediately titled his head at Ash, not wanting to be glared by Darkrai anymore. "I am falling short of words to describe what I feel, Ash. It's an amazing Pokémon, worthy of being given the title Legendary. You will be using it in the tournament, aren't you?"
Darkrai didn't give any kind of response to Mr Goodshow's praise while Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes. I will be using Darkrai in the tournament, but I don't want to use him until much later," he told Goodshow before his face turned serious, eyes filled with resolve. "But, if I have to face Tobias, I will definitely be using Darkrai."
The old man nodded at Ash's explanation. "I understand." He looked at Darkrai who still had the same look, making Goodshow turn to Ash frantically once again. "Th-that's all, Ash. I appreciate you showing it to me. I wish you the best of luck in the tournament." His expression turned into one of amusement as he continued. "By the way, Ash, what have you done to Cynthia to make her act that awkwardly? I have never seen the Champion show so much emotion at one time."
Ash cocked his head a little, looking at Goodshow while putting a hand on his chin. "Now that you mention it, she was acting strangely the other day as well."
Goodshow chuckled, getting a rough idea of what Cynthia might be going through. He'd known Cynthia for quite some time now because of his good relations with her grandmother, but the way she behaved earlier was something completely new to him, as well. He would be having a great time chatting with Carolina about her granddaughter's first.
"Ahh… I see," he grinned. "She's a great girl, Ash. You won't find someone like her even if you searched the heavens."
"Yeah. I know. She's the Champion of Sinnoh, after all." Ash nodded repeatedly, completely agreeing with what Goodshow said. Cynthia was a great woman whose support would be wanted by anyone.
"I have a meeting to attend, so I'll take my leave," Goodshow told Ash with a smile. "Thank you again for taking the time to show me your Darkrai."
The first match of the second round of the Lily of the Valley Conference was about to begin; everyone cheering from the stands as the two Trainers walked to their spots and awaited the referee's signal. In the stands, Ash, Brock, Dawn and Barry along with Pikachu and Piplup waited for Paul's second round battle to begin. Ash, whose match was on the next day, intently watched as Paul and his opponent, a middle-aged man, removed their Poké Balls.
"This match between Rob from Sunnyshore City and Paul from Veilstone City will now begin." The referee raised the flags in his hands in the air and continued. "It will be a 3-on-3 battle. Both Trainers can substitute Pokémon and the battle will end when all 3 of either Trainers' Pokémon are unable to battle." He brought the flags down in one instant and yelled, "Begin the match!"
On the signal of the referee, both Paul and his opponent released their Poké Balls. On Paul's side stood his Ursaring, while on his opponent's side, a Girafarig materialized. Once their Trainers gave them orders, the Pokémon began the battle, Ursaring starting off with its Hammer Arm attack which the Girafarig countered with Double Kick, but was quickly overpowered by Ursaring. As the battle continued, Girafarig showed some of its moves like Psychic, causing damage to Ursaring as well, but in the end, Paul's Ursaring proved out to be too powerful for Girafarig to handle.
As Rob's recalled his second Pokémon back in his Poké Ball, Paul, too, recalled his Ursaring. Both Trainers revealed their next Pokémon to be Magmortar and Swampert.
"Man! Isn't Paul awesome?" Barry clenched his fists in admiration for Paul. "I would never expect anything less from a guy who is worthy enough to be called my rival."
Ash chuckled at Barry's delight at Paul's victory and spoke. "Well, he's an excellent Trainer who raises his Pokémon only for battle. I might have to face him soon, but this time, it'll be different."
Dawn and Brock smiled warmly at Ash's determination. He'd never defeated Paul in a battle until now, but they were positive that he would now. Even without his training, for the couple of months that he did, his training throughout Sinnoh was good enough to give Paul a run for his money. Also, Ash had been using only the Pokémon caught in Sinnoh until now, but here, he would be using all the Pokémon he had. At least, that was what Brock thought.
The battle between Swampert and Magmortar raged and, in the end, both of the Pokémon fell to each other, the match ending in a tie. As Rob's three Pokémon had been defeated, Paul was declared the winner and, as usual, he left the stadium after telling Rob how pathetic he was.
"That Paul doesn't change," Dawn yelled in anger, walking while stamping her feet on the ground. Her anger was understandable; Paul, again, disrespected his opponent, having no idea how they might feel.
Ash, walking beside her, tried to calm her down. "Ignore him." That was the only thing he said while taking a bite of the chocolate pastry he ate.
"Well, it is one trait of his that I hate. He has no respect for others if they can't match up to his strength," Brock agreed.
Barry also won his match that was scheduled for the first day of the second round. Now, the second day of the Top 64 round commenced with Ash sitting in the Trainer rooms inside the stadium, waiting for his name to be called.
Ash's battle with Conway was scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM in one of the stadiums and Ash was excited, to say the least. He hadn't seen Conway since the green-haired boy creeped them out in the restaurant. Ash was all set to battle Conway which would be starting in just a few minutes. He'd left Pikachu in care of Dawn and Brock who would be cheering for him from the stands.
The black-haired Trainer's wait finally ended as his name was announced through the speaker situated in the room. He smiled to himself—a smile full of determination and confidence. With each passing battle, he came one step closer to winning the Sinnoh League and his ultimate dream of becoming a Pokémon Master.
The two trainers who'd be battling entered the stadium, both having a determined expression on their faces. As Ash eyed Conway, he kept a finger on his glasses which shone before greeting Ash with a grin.
With no delays whatsoever, the MC began his explanation of the battle. "The Trainers who will battle in the grass battlefield are Ash and Conway. This will be a 3-on-3 battle .Trainers can substitute Pokémon freely. The match will be over when all 3 of either Trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue battling. So, who will win this match? We will use Coin Toss to determine who gets the first move. So, it's time to reveal your Pokémon."
"Ash, I am sorry, but your Sinnoh League journey will end with this battle," Conway declared, smirking at his opponent.
Ash shot back calmly with no rage whatsoever at the declaration of Conway's. "Don't worry, Conway. You'll remember this battle for a long time."
After their initial taunts, both the participants threw their Poké Balls onto the field. As the Balls opened, both boys' Pokémon called out their names, announcing their arrival on the field.
"Swellow!" Ash's Flying-type from Hoenn shouted, flying up into the air majestically. She showed her full speed as she took to the air and flapped her wings to show that, not only she was fast, but also powerful.
"Forre-tress!" The Pokémon on Conway's side yelled its name and took its position.
The referee raised both of his flags and announced, "Conway gets the first move. Begin!"
Conway extended one of his arms while adjusting his glasses with the other. "Forretress, let's make it interesting for Ash. Use Stealth Rock," he told his Steel and Bug-type Pokémon.
As commanded, Forretress prepared to use Stealth Rock as it body became surrounded by several silver sparkles. The sparkles grew larger and were fired all around Ash's part of the battlefield and, suddenly, they grew even larger, turning into pointed gray rocks.
"Oh! What a move by Conway," the MC spoke. "Now, all of Ash's Pokémon that enter the battlefield will take damage from Stealth Rock."
"You are as good as ever, Conway. But," Ash smirked, gazing at his Swellow who smoothly floated in the air, "you can't beat me with just that. Swellow, let's stir things up with Aerial Ace."
On cue, Swellow took to the skies and then flew towards her opponent, backflipping marvellously in midair as her entire body was surrounded by white streaks. She then dove at her opponent at amazing speeds, Forretress unable to follow her movements as she slammed into it, throwing it backwards.
"Sweee low!" she roared, taking flight once again and hovering above the Forretress.
Conway smiled at Ash as he saw that his Forretress recovering from the attack. "That was a powerful move, Ash, but you'll need something much stronger than that to defeat my Forretress."
"Indeed," Ash agreed. "Your Forretress does have great defences. I wouldn't expect any less from a Steel-type of that calibre."
"Uh-uh," Conway interrupted. "My Forretress isn't just good at defence. Its attacks are strong, too." He turned to his Pokémon and shouted. "Forretress, use Rock Blast and bring that bird down!"
Ash calmly waited for Conway's Pokémon to make a move and it did as the red spikes on it glowed bright orange and the other part of its body glowed silver. It then fired multiple silver rocks from its body towards Ash's bird-like Pokémon consecutively, one after the other.
That was when Ash made his move. "Dodge it, Swellow, and try Brave Bird at full power."
As she heard Ash, Swellow swiftly evaded the rocks coming her way, showing off her great speed to everyone watching. Quickly, she pulled her wings in and dived at Forretress like a missile, her body bursting into flames. As she neared her opponent, Swellow pulled out its wings, called her name loudly and her entire body became covered in a blue aura full of energy.
"Forretress! Dodge!"
Conway franticly commanded his Pokémon to dodge, but his cries fell on deaf ears as Swellow slammed into Forretress. After the glow on Swellow's body faded, light blue sparks ran through her wings, causing recoil damage. But, her job was done as Conway's Steel and Bug-type laid unconscious on the ground with swirls in its eyes.
"Forretress is unable to continue. Swellow wins." The referee raised his green flag towards Ash who had won the first round.
Conway returned his Forretress to its Poké Ball with a wry smile on his face. "Return, Forretress. You did well." He then turned his gaze at Ash who appeared to be looking at him as well. "Ash, you're stronger than I expected, but just because you won the first match doesn't meant you'll win the battle."
Ash gave him a defiant smile. "Of course, but I'll warn you. Swellow isn't the only Pokémon I have with that kind of strength."
The next Poké Ball was ready in Conway's hand. "Lickilicky, let's go!"
On his side, the pink, obese Pokémon with a huge tongue, Lickilicky, the evolved form of Lickitung, materialized.
"Lickiee!" it yelped gleefully, smiling at its opponent while revealing its large tongue.
"That's one happy Pokémon," the MC spoke in astonishment. "Look out, folks. This is going to be a great battle."
"So, your next Pokémon is a Lickilicky, huh?!" Ash mused as he observed the Normal-type Pokémon and wondered if he should substitute his Pokémon or not.
"Lickilicky, use Thunderbolt on Swellow," Conway told his Pokémon, adjusting his glasses as usual.
Hearing the command of its Trainer, Lickilicky created bolts of yellow electricity which covered its entire body. It charged the electricity in the form of a beam and aimed it at Swellow.
"Quick, Swellow! Dodge it!"
Swellow obeyed her master's command and flew high, dodging the Thunderbolt in the process.
"Now, use Quick Attack to shake things up," Ash ordered, grinning.
Swellow wasted no time as she reduced the distance between herself and Lickilicky in a matter of a seconds and crashed into its belly, giving it the full brunt of the Quick Attack. But, surprisingly, Lickilicky appeared to be unfazed, just a scratch appearing on its belly.
Ash chuckled when he realized what had happened there. "Great, Conway. You used its big body to absorb the blow." He aimed his Poké Ball towards Swellow as she got enveloped in a red beam of light and disappeared. "Swellow, you battled well."
"Ash has made a wise move by recalling Swellow. Now, we might be up for a battle between two Pokémon of massive power," the MC spoke through the mic. "I can't wait to see Ash's next Pokémon."
Conway smiled at Ash as well. "So, what'll your next Pokémon be, Ash?" Conway asked.
Ash didn't respond. Instead, he just removed his second Poké Ball and chucked it up into the air. From the flashy light, out came a Pokémon that Ash hadn't battle alongside for quite a long time, now. It punched the air in front of it, sending shockwaves in a display of its power.
"Prrrriimmm!" Ash's first ever Fighting-type Pokémon roared, glaring down at his opponent. The stare that he gave to Lickilicky made the Normal-type Pokémon's smile disappear.
Ash took the initiative of the first move, deciding not to waste any time. "Primeape, use Power-Up Punch!"
"Ash, I have a perfect strategy to counter Fighting-types." Conway simpered and gave his own command to his Pokémon. "Hit it with Zen Headbutt, Lickilicky!"
As Primeape dashed at Lickilicky with his glowing fist, Lickilicky charged pinkish energy on top of its head, forming it in the shape of a sphere and charging at Primeape, itself. The crowd watched anxiously as both of them clashed in the middle of the field with their respective attacks.
When they intercepted against each other, the middle area surrounding the two mighty Pokémon got covered in dust. As the dust cleared, both the Pokémon appeared to be standing with none of them taking any major damage although Primeape appeared to have a few small bruises on his fist.
"You played that smartly, Conway. You knew a Psychic-type move like Zen Headbutt always had the advantage over a weak Fighting-type move like Power-Up Punch," Ash praised the green-haired Trainer, clenching his fists, but he'd fulfilled his main purpose of the move. "But, you know, there was a reason I used a weak move like Power-Up Punch. The next time Primeape attacks, it will be much more brutal," Ash explained with a small smile.
Conway gritted his teeth in frustration. He'd been had, but he still tried to keep his composure in the heat of battle. "You got me there. However, the battle isn't over yet." He adjusted his glasses and took in a deep breath, letting all the resentment that he felt out. "Lickilicky, use Zen Headbutt once more. Give it everything you've got and don't hold back."
Lickilicky charged up pink energy on its head and formed a sphere. This time, the Zen Headbutt was larger than the last one it used.
Ash's face appeared to have no emotion as he gazed at Lickilicky. He then turned to Primeape. "Primeape, wait for it to come up close."
"Appppe!" Primeape nodded, waiting for his opponent to attack him.
Lickilicky ran as fast as it could with Zen Headbutt charged up on its head. He jumped and leapt at the unmoving Primeape, having full intention to defeat the Pig Monkey Pokémon with its attack.
"Now, use Low Kick and finish it with Cross Chop!" Ash mumbled, just in time for Primeape to sidestep and evade the attack from the incoming Lickilicky.
As soon as Lickilicky landed on the ground and tried to get its balance back, Primeape lowered its body and swept its leg in a circle-like pattern. The effect of the Low Kick made the Lickilicky lose its balance and that was when Primeape made his move, crossing his arms and slashing them forcefully at Lickilicky. The force of the attack sent Lickilicky crashing through the ground. It stopped right in front of its Trainer, unable to move even an inch.
"Lickilicky is unable to battle! Primeape wins!"
"Primmeeeappeee!" Ash's Primeape roared in victory, turning around to face Ash and showing him a thumbs-up with a smile, which was pretty unusual for a brutal Pokémon like him.
Conway recalled his beaten Lickilicky into its Poké Ball and whispered, "You showed them your power, Lickilicky. I'm proud of you." After saying that, he turned his gaze towards Ash and Primeape. "Looks like my calculations for your strength were a little off."
"I hate to break it to you, but it's been off since the very beginning, Conway," Ash boomed. "You might not know this, but before coming to the Sinnoh League, I did some special training with all my Pokémon and it wasn't for nothing. The results are there for you to see."
Conway laughed creepily before looking on the ground, his glasses shining bright silver. "But this Pokémon of mine is something different." He threw the Poké Ball in the air. "Go, Dusknoir!"
On Conway's side of the field, the Ghost-type evolution of Dusclops, Dusknoir, now floated.
"Dusknoir!" the Pokémon called its name.
"Primeape, return. I have something to test out," Ash smiled as he called Primeape back to his ball. As he exchanged the Poké Balls from his Trainer belt, he gazed at it intently. He nodded to himself and then threw the Poké Ball in the air and out of it came Ash's third Pokémon for the battle.
"Larve tar!" the Pokémon from Johto yelped cutely.
Up in the stands, Brock and Dawn had confused expressions on their faces.
"I didn't know that Ash owned a Larvitar," Dawn commented from her seat, looking at the Rock and Ground-type.
After moments of thinking, Brock frowned, coming to a realization. "Could it be…?" he questioned himself, eyes glued on the battlefield. He snapped his fingers in front of his face as a huge grin spread across the Pokémon Breeder's face. "Yes. That's the Larvitar that hatched when Ash and I were travelling across Johto. We gave it back to the Pokémon Preserve, but it seems like Ash somehow managed to reunite with it."
Dawn tilted her head at Brock's mumbling. "Huh?" she mused. "What do you mean, Brock?"
Turning to her, Brock began his explanation of Larvitar's past. "That Larvitar was originally hatched by Ash, but since the egg belonged to the Pokémon Preserve, we safely gave Larvitar back to them, but it looks like Larvitar decided that it wanted to see Ash again." He smiled as he continued. "Well, Ash did raise the Pokémon in its early days, so no wonder it missed Ash."
Down on the battlefield, the battle began as Conway made the first move. "Dusknoir, let's stir things up and show them our perfect winning combination. Use Trick Room!"
Dusknoir called out its name as its eyes flashed purple and, suddenly, an invisible room made inside the battlefield appeared. The room made by Dusknoir shone for a second before becoming invisible again.
"Trick Room? What that?" a confused Ash asked, but then he realized that he had no time to trail off. He was in the middle of a battle. "No matter. Larvitar, use Rock Slide."
"Larvi! Larve tar!" Larvitar nodded and made a move as his tail glowed bright silver.
"No. You won't be able to," Conway said with a smirk. "Dusknoir, Shadow Punch."
Just as Larvitar was about to move, Dusknoir appeared from nowhere, taking Larvitar completely by surprise and punched him. The punch from Dusknoir changed into a shadowy punch which sent Larvitar crashing over to his Trainer's side. He shakily got back up, struggling to maintain his balance.
The entire stadium gasped at how quickly the Dusknoir moved. Most of them didn't know the effects of Trick Room. Many of them hadn't even heard of that move before. But, they knew that it was Trick Room that caused such an increase in speed in Dusknoir.
Ash gaped at the sight of his Larvitar struggling. He, too, had problems with believing the speed that Dusknoir moved with. "Does Trick Room increase the speed of the user or does it make the slower Pokémon move faster than the faster ones?" Ash wondered out loud, still astonished by it.
Conway balanced his glasses once again before beginning his explanation. "Trick Room is a move which lets the slower Pokémon move first and my Dusknoir is extremely slow and Trick Room is a perfect move for a Pokémon like it. It could move faster than almost any Pokémon under the effects of Trick Room. Unless, of course, its opponent's speed is even lower that Dusknoir's." He let out a small laugh and looked at Larvitar. "This was what I was waiting for Ash. I know that you love raising your Pokémon's speed to such an extent that it would be hard for any other Trainer to match it, and that's the reason that I chose Dusknoir."
Ash gritted his teeth in frustration, the first time that he had lost his composure after his training. He took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. "You know me well, Conway, but there will be a time when the effects of Trick Room will be eliminated." He smirked, mumbling a few words to himself. "I'll wait for that moment to finish the battle."
"Hhmpp. I guess I'll have to defeat you quickly, then," Conway told Ash. "Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch once again."
Ash quickly countered. "Larvitar, hang in there and use Dig to go underground."
Just when Larvitar started digging under the ground, Dusknoir used the effects of Trick Room and threw another Shadow Punch at the Rock Skin Pokémon, stopping its move as well as causing some major damage.
Ash grimaced at the sight of Larvitar crying in pain. He'd had enough. He couldn't see Larvitar hurt anymore. He removed his Poké Ball and, just as he was about to call Larvitar back, Conway gave his Dusknoir an order.
"Dusknoir. Quickly. Don't let it escape. Stop it with Mean Look," Conway ordered his Pokémon. Dusknoir's eye glowed and so did Larvitar's body, diverting the beam of the Poké Ball.
Ash clenched his fists before speaking out loud. "I forfeit Larvitar. It won't battle again in this match." After saying that, Ash looked at the ground in dismay. He should never have used Larvitar in the battle. He didn't have any experience in a real Pokémon battle since he was always in the Pokémon Preserve under his mother's care until then.
A look of disbelief crossed Conway's face. "What?" he questioned, completely stupefied. "Why are you forfeiting it?"
Ash didn't reply. He just turned towards the referee who nodded and raised a flag towards Conway. "Since Ash has forfeited his Larvitar, this round goes to Dusknoir."
"So, finally, Conway has one win under his belt, but this act by Ash Ketchum is remarkable. I just shows how good a Trainer Ash is," the MC praised Ash's brave call to call Larvitar back and the whole stadium burst into loud roars, acknowledging Ash's caring nature as a Trainer.
Cynthia and Charles Goodshow sitting in the VIP box smiled at Ash's decision. They understood that forfeiting a Pokémon in a battle wasn't the easiest thing to do. It took a lot of courage in order to sacrifice your self-esteem like Ash just did. Meanwhile, Paul, watching the match from a corner of the stadium, scowled at Ash's behaviour. He found the act to be pathetic and cowardly.
Conway sighed. "Dusknoir, undo the Mean Look."
Dusknoir did as it was told, undoing the Mean Look with its eye shining. Ash, again, raised his Poké Ball and called Larvitar back, albeit with success, this time.
"Larvitar, you were awesome. Take a good rest. I won't let your hard work go to waste," Ash whispered words of encouragement to his Pokémon as he put Larvitar's Ball back on his belt and unclipped another one. He raised the Poké Ball into the air and it snapped open, Swellow coming out of the Ball for her second battle.
"Swelll-low!" Swellow chirped in a high-pitched tone, glaring at her Ghost-type opponent.
Dusknoir had its own pride as it, too, called its name and stared at Swellow with its only eye. "Dusk-noiiir!"
"So, now, it will be a battle between Conway's Dusknoir and Ash's Swellow. Will Ash's Swellow be able to counter Dusknoir's amazing speed under the effect of Trick Room?" the MC questioned the crowd loudly, getting elated by the battle.
'I'll have to stall until the effect of Trick Room ends. Normal-type attacks won't affect Dusknoir, so using Quick Attack is useless, as well,' Ash thought, intently staring at the battlefield. The Dusknoir had changed the tide of the match completely. Ash underestimated Conway. That was all there was to it, but he wouldn't make the same mistake again.
"Dusknoir, get near Swellow and use Thunder Punch," Conway ordered with a grin on his face.
"Swellow, stay close to the ground and use Steel Wing on the ground," Ash calmly told his Flying-type.
Dusknoir's fist glowed with electricity all around it and Swellow didn't even have time to move. It struck Swellow with the super effective move, making Swellow cry in pain.
"Swellow, use Steel Wing on the ground one more time and stay like that," Ash ordered.
"This is turning into an amazing battle, folks," the MC commented on the intense match taking place. The crowd was really getting into the battle, now. They cheered loudly as the intensity of the battle increased every second. Cynthia, Brock and Dawn all had anxious expressions on their faces, each of them wanting Ash to somehow pull out of this trap.
Swellow's wings glowed silver and turned into steel while Dusknoir, again, approached Swellow with unimaginable speed. But, this time, before Dusknoir could strike with its Electric-type punch, Ash's bird-like Pokémon managed to strike the ground with one of her wings. When the opposing Ghost-type connected with her, Swellow didn't take any damage this time as the electricity was sent to the ground.
Without wasting a beat, Ash made the move that he'd been waiting for. He finally got the chance to get a hit. "Do it now!" he yelled for the first time.
Swellow obeyed and brought down her other wing that had turned into steel and smashed Dusknoir right on the head making her opponent cry in pain. Dusknoir floated up shakily after taking the Steel Wing of Swellow's. It appeared to have taken a critical hit on its head.
"Dusknoir, hang in there," Conway bawled to his Pokémon, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Swellow. Now, bring it down with Brave Bird."
Swellow pulled in her wings and took to the air as its body became engulfed with what appeared to be fire. She then dove at Dusknoir, pulling out her wings, her entire body glowing with a blue aura of energy before crashing into Dusknoir who couldn't get away in time, Trick Room's effect apparently ending when it was struck by Steel Wing.
The dust that covered the two Pokémon began to clear to reveal Swellow's body covered in bruises and light blue sparks flying through her wings while Dusknoir appeared to be unmoving on the ground.
It didn't take the referee long to announce the victor. "Dusknoir is unable to battle. Swellow wins. Since all three of Conway's Pokémon have been knocked out, the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."
The crowd burst into roars upon Ash's victory. They had witnessed a great match—a match where both Trainers attempted to outsmart the other but, in the end, it came down to whose Pokémon were stronger. Strategies and tactics are an important part of a Pokémon battle, that's true. But, if a Pokémon doesn't have the necessary strength to oppose its enemy, then the strategies will do little to avoid the inevitable.
Conway called his Dusknoir back to its Poké Ball and gazed at the Ball with his glasses glowing again. "The heated battle gave me the ideas to work on new strategies with. Another battle equation has been added to my database," the nerd laughed.
On the other side, Swellow flew to her Trainer's side and warbled her name happily. Ash petted Swellow on the head for a job well done. She cooed in delight, enjoying the affection that the raven-haired boy showed towards her. Ash sighed as the little bit of nerves that were building inside him disappeared. He'd triumphed over Conway and was now one step closer to winning the coveted Sinnoh League.
How was the chapter? This is my longest chapter ever. Almost 11 k words.
I was really tired after finishing this. The part that took me the longest was the battle. I had't written a Pokemon battles in a few months(My last battle being the one in Prince of Kalos) and this one proved to be really difficult because of me not writing battles for a while.
If you were wondering about Cynthia's age, i have decided to make her about 19-20. Ash is 16, Dawn is 15 while Brock is 20. Since there will be Pearlshipping and also Rayshipping, I don't want to make a huge age difference between the two.
Remember, these are pairing until the Sinnoh League ends so there might be changes when Ash leaves for Unova.
Anyway, enough about that. how was the chapter? I hope you enjoyed the results of my hard work on the PC.
Tell me what you think in the reviews and thanks for reading!