Casting an Ash on Barry!
Hello once again, my sweet readers. Here I am with another chapter of my story and I hope that I didn't kept you waiting too long.
Anyways, nothing much to say here; I am too tired for that so you guys can hop on to the chapter.
I hope you enjoy!
The sun shone brightly and it was scorching hot, making the season of summer evident. In an open, grassy field, a green turtle-like Pokemon with trees on the back of its massive shell raised its front legs, banging them on the ground. The force that the continent Pokemon rammed the earth with caused the nearby ground to tremble and instantly, the ground in front of the Pokemon rose high; a rocky wall being created as a result.
From the right of Torterra, a smaller blue turtle Pokemon gaped its mouth open and fired a massive blast of pure blue water, directed right at the rocky wall that'd just been made. Simultaneously, a red crustacean Pokemon with a tan underside and a massive star-like growth on its head leapt towards the rocky structure. Both its claws covered with spiraling water around them, the Water-Type Pokemon smacked the wall with the most strength it could gather.
The result of Squirtle's and Crawdaunt's simultaneous attack was the destruction of half the wall produced by Torterra's Rock Climb. First, Squirtle's Hydro Pump took out the uppermost part of the rock, also softening it in the process. Then, the strikes by Crawdaunt's Crabhammer took out most of the soothed rock wall.
"Squir Squirtle!" The little Turtle Pokemon said to his Pokemon friends; showing them a thumbs up.
"Daunt Craw!" The Rogue Pokemon too happily cheered at his successful teamwork.
"Torrrrrterra!" Torterra roared, acknowledging his friends' hard work.
Their trainer, resting under a tree nearby glanced at his Pokemon after he heard their calls. A smile appeared on his face upon the sight of the demolished rock summoned by his Sinnoh Grass-Type, Torterra.
"Good work, Torterra, Squirtle and Crawdaunt!" The raven haired-trained said. "You should rest for a while."
After hearing Ash, the three Pokemon responded to their master with their cries of joy. All three sat down on the ground, obliging with their trainer's suggestion of taking a rest. They had been training for hours now and even though they didn't want to show it, they were tired, having to fire multiple of their attacks while training.
Next, Ash turned his head to have a look at the remaining three of his Pokemon on the other side of the field. The three Pokemon that trained with each other were Ash's Pikachu, Quilava and Bayleef. From the looks of it, it seemed as if they were trying to increase their resistance to the type they were already strong against; so that they would take even lesser damage than they normally would. First, it was Pikachu using his Electric-Type moves against Bayleef, who attempted to deflect all of it with the huge leaf on her head. Next, Bayleef fired pointed, sharp leaves from the leaf growing out of her head at her fellow Johto region starter, Quilava. The Fire-Type didn't try to dodge the Razor Leaf; instead just igniting the fire on his back and taking the Grass-Type attack head on.
Ash stood up on his feet and walked toward the three Pokemon who were still giving it their all. His footsteps got the attention of all the three Pokemon, who stopped their training and turned to look at their trainer. When he reached them, he bent down and petted his Quilava and Bayleef; the yellow rodent making his way on his usual spot at Ash's shoulder.
"You guys should take a break too." Ash said. Pikachu rubbed his cheek against his trainer while Quilava and Bayleef smiled and howled their names, showing their undying affection Ash.
She looked up at the sky; it was shining brightly; it was hot and she felt the heat, which was made clear by the few drops of sweat dripping down her fair, slender neck. She normally didn't sweat much, but even she was be affected by the heat here at this island after roaming around it for more than an hour. Add to that, it was afternoon, which made it even worse for her. But, what could she do? She was bored; the day was off for the Sinnoh League and with nothing to entertain her, she could undoubtedly say that it was the most boring day for her during the entire Sinnoh League.
As Cynthia trekked a little more, - deciding that it would be best for her if she went back to her hotel – she heard loud noises, which probably came from somewhere close. A couple more of such sounds and the Champion of Sinnoh made up her mind to check it out; after all, she had nothing better to do anyway.
It didn't take the blonde girl long to get closer to the source of all the noise, which she figured must be because of someone either having Pokemon battle or training. Well, maybe that could entertain her for a while, or at least that's what she hoped for. A minute more of walking and a clear field came into view, where she saw three Pokemon resting. But the real surprise for her came when she noticed some other Pokemon from the corner of her eye. However, that wasn't what caught her attention; it was the boy kneeling beside the other three Pokemon who did.
Before going forward, she glanced around just to see if anyone was around and to her delight, the only ones in the vicinity aside from her were the boy and his Pokemon. 'Perfect!' she mused ever so happily. Her tedious day was just about to transform into an eventful one; her persistence of travelling through the island in this burning heat finally being rewarded with the best prize she could hope for.
Cynthia made her way into the field; passing Torterra, Squirtle and Crawdaunt in the way. The three noticed her but they recognized her as their trainer's friend, finding it unnecessary to get their trainer's attention. A devious smile appeared on Cynthia's features as she got closer and closer to Ash, tip-toeing the rest of the small way towards the boy.
"Hello, Cynthia!" Ash greeted, not even turning back to look at the blonde-haired Champion.
Started completely, Cynthia appeared to be astonished; she made sure not to make too much noise while coming here but she noted that she failed.
"Hi, Ash!" she greeted back. When the raven-haired boy turned around, she added. "How did you know I was here?"
Ash's lips twitched a little to both sides of his mouth before he replied. "I saw you walking near the bushes. I decided not to call you because I thought you might be busy and I didn't want to waste any of your time. You are the Champion of Sinnoh, after all."
Cynthia sighed. "I wish I was busy today," She said. "I wouldn't have to walk around the island just because I was bored. And, spending some time with you will never be a waste for me."
"I am happy to hear that." Ash said as a genuine smile made its way to his face.
"I assume you were training with your Pokemon here?" she asked.
"Yea!" Ash replied. "There are still a couple of days left before my Top 16 battle so I thought it might be worth it to have a bit of training in the morning." The boy stood up from the ground, dusting his jeans of the dirt. "It's very hot today. Let's sit under that tree." He pointed his index finger behind Cynthia's shoulder, at the tree under which he laid until just a few minutes ago.
Cynthia nodded and the two walked towards their destination but a small problem arouse for Ash; he was stopped due to his right hand being tugged onto by a long, green wine. Forced to turn around, Ash couldn't figure out why Bayleef appeared to be kind of pissed.
"What is it, Bayleef?" The amber-eyed teen asked his Leaf Pokemon.
After a few moments of gritting her teeth in rage, the Grass-Type yelled in displeasure. "Bay Bay!"
A confused look appeared on Ash's face, being unable to comprehend why his Bayleef would stop him from heading back towards the tree. He stepped back towards his Leaf Pokemon, petting her head. "We both will train together later. You should rest for a little while, Bayleef." He told his Pokemon with a smile.
Reluctantly, Bayleef pulled her wines back, staring down at the ground. As she tapped her foor on the ground in frustration, Quilava and Pikachu walked up to her, in order to ask her the problem. After the three chatted for a while in Pokespeech, Bayleef finally gave in and laid her body on the ground to let out the tiredness she felt after the intense resistance training she'd been doing with her friends.
The first thing Ash did at the instant he reached the huge tree was lay down on the grass with his back against the tree trunk. He let out a sigh escape his mouth; that was just how much better he felt laying on the cool grass and under the shadow of the tree that being out there in the searing heat. He closed his eyes for a few moments, feeling drowsy, clearly showing the fatigue of the hard work that he too, had put in while training his Pokemon.
Cynthia, who still watched Ash, standing besides his resting body eventually sat down beside him. At that moment, she realized why Ash was in such a trance; the fresh grass and the cool breeze blowing through the field felt wonderful, more so after one had spent time in the hot, sunny day.
Ash's eyes started to open slowly, his vision starting off as blurry so he closed them again. But then, he wondered what the soft sensation he felt on his face was. He opened his eyes once again, this time he did so in one go and what he found surprised him. He looked around and he noticed that just like him, all his Pokemon too were fast asleep. But the way he was sleeping made his cheeks go slightly red.
The trainer from Pallet Town had his head rested on Cynthia's lap; the Champion having her hand around Ash's neck and the fluffy sensation he felt was of Cynthia's blonde hair falling on his face. Ash didn't move much; instead just checked whether Cynthia was asleep and true enough, she was, fast asleep in fact with a grin on her pretty face, which looked even prettier up close; Ash noted.
But the fact that he was in such a position didn't bring any comfort to him; he was dense but wasn't ignorant. Ash slowly crept out of Cynthia's lap, careful enough not to disturb her slumber. Once he did so, he realized that he didn't have his hat on. He searched for it around and finally found it next to Cynthia but before he put the hat on, he ran a hand through his hair to find out that they weren't in the state they usually were. His hair seemed somehow well set; like someone had combed it with their hands. And there could only be one person who could've done it. However, he was too hungry to think about that right now so he walked towards his sleeping Pokemon and without waking them up either, called all of them except Pikachu inside their Pokeballs. But, due to his pillow, Quilava disappearing, the rodent's face fell on the ground, waking him up in the process.
"Pikaaa…." The Electric-Type mouse groaned, rubbing his eyes. He was having such a nice sleep and someone had to wake him up. Pikachu rubbed his right cheek, the one he'd fallen upon and he grunted, feeling a little bit of pain. He did fall from some height – him on Quilava - who slept on Torterra's back.
"How did you sleep, Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking up at the sky which was beginning to get orange.
"Pika chu Pika!" he chimed happily, the pain on his cheek apparently vanishing when asked about the amazing nap he had.
Ash, too smiled; he too had a really good sleep, albeit he was still a little embarrassed of the position he slept in. "It's going get dark soon. Let's go back." He suggested and rubbed his stomach. "I am hungry. I can't believe we were all asleep for so long."
"Pika Pika." Pikachu nodded, jumping up on Ash's shoulder.
As Ash heard footsteps in the silent surrounding, he turned around and noticed that Cynthia had awakened. His lips made a few movements; he'd never seen Cynthia like this before, ever. Cynthia's long and beautiful hair that charmed many a men were all around the place; in front of her face as well as on the side of her shoulders. After some time, as Cynthia neared, Ash couldn't hold his laughter anymore, bursting out in front of the confused Cynthia.
"Why are you laughing?" Cynthia questioned, unaware that her bedhead had been revealed to the last person she would want seeing her in that state. Getting no reply from the still laughing Ash, she leaned forward. "What's the matter, Ash? Do I look like a zombie for you to laugh like that?"
The answer that Cynthia expected never came since Ash could only nod and say. "Yes!"
The response she got made her freeze in shock; was what Ash said true? How could that be possible? She remembered that she'd combed her hair just like she usually did?... Then, it struck her; her hair stuck out in front of her face, her shoulders and all the other places where she wouldn't want them to go.
A moment later, she calmed herself down, letting out a long breath; she realized she shouldn't behave like this even if her hair were in such bad condition. After all, she had her title as Champion, which she didn't want to be disgraced. But more importantly, she didn't want Ash to think that she could be this frantic; she would be showing Ash this sight of her hair one day – in her dreams at least - and if that day turned out to be today, it didn't matter.
But suddenly, what she least expected at this point of time, happened. It was Ash, who started to put together her hair. Cynthia was left dumbfounded, her eyes wide open and mouth agape; she didn't expect this of Ash.
"I think that's at least better than what they looked like a minute ago." Ash thought out loud, placing a hand on his chin.
"How?... Did you groom my hair?" Cynthia asked. She couldn't believe that Ash would ever arrange her hair and when she moved her hand around them, she felt as if they were the same when she first combed them in the morning.
Ash simply smiled. "I was just returning the favor, nothing more." He replied, removing his hat off of his head. "You did do a job with my hair so I thought it was only right for me to do the same, wouldn't you agree?"
No response from Cynthia for almost a minute caused Ash to let out a simper; the blonde was really shaken by what Ash had done to her hair and he too, understood that. He would have loved to stay in the field -that had cooled down- a while longer but his stomach told him to do otherwise. Unable to hold his hunger for any longer, Ash took the staggered Cynthia's hand in his own and made his way out of the field, deciding to have some well-deserved snack for him as well as his Pokemon, who he figured must also be starving.
The two off days for between the rounds in the Sinnoh League passed by pretty quickly with not much action happening on the island, mostly due to thefact that only 16 participants remained in the Lily of the Valley Conference.
The evening before the first match of Round 4 of the League was cool and breezy, making a certain black-haired participant walk through the road to the Pokemon Center in bliss. Like he did a couple of days earlier, Ash again did some training with his Pokemon;although the training he did couldn't be called normal by any means. According to Ash, his Pokemon were all in as good a shapeas they'd ever been and he didn't want any of them to overexert themselves during training. His training in these few days mostly included meditation – in order to heighten his Pokemon's senses- , remaining calm even under the toughest of situations and a short burst of combinations of dodging and attacking. Seldom did he tell his Pokemon to use their moves against each other in these last two days; and even when he did, it was for a move that they had learnt recently.
Also, Ash hadn't spent too much time with other humans – namely Dawn and Brock– in the past couple of days; being out in the fields with his Pokemon all day long; and when he used to come back, he'd be too tired to talk much with them. However, today, he wasn't tired at all and the reason for that was simple – he was pretty excited for his battle with Barry, which was the first Round 4.
Upon reaching the Pokemon Center, Ash made his way to the first place that he thought he could find his friends– The Cafeteria. Much to his surprise, they weren't there. The amber-eyed boy glanced at the clock and he was certain that he would find Dawn and Brock at the Cafeteria at this point of time.
He shrugged, deciding to have a meal while he was there. Minutes passed after Ash finished devouring his food but there was still no sign of them. "Where could those two be?" he questioned himself.
"Pika Pikachuu!" The yellow rodent perched up on his shoulder too looked around in a futile attempt to find his companions.
"Lets search for them on the next floor." Ash suggested in reply to which, his Electric mouse nodded his head.
Quickly, the two advanced to the next floor, which had shops of different kinds, all relating to Pokemon. Also, one of the things present on the first floor was the hall in which, a trainer could check out records and stats of other trainers participating in the Sinnoh League. Ash made a hunch that his friends might be there and it turned out that he was right at the moment he entered it and saw Dawn, Brock, Conway and Barry and Paul surrounding a couple of computers in a corner.
"Hey guys!" Ash called out to them, getting their attention immediately. "I have been searching everywhere for you." He finished, walking next to them and glancing at the screens and finding that in one of them was his profile page and in the other, it was Barry's.
The first to answer Ash was Brock. "We were just looking at your and Barry's trainer profiles. The data is accurate for the most part but it seems like its incomplete."
Ash raised an eyebrow at the last statement of Brock's. "Incomplete?"
"Brock told me that not all your Pokemon are included here. Only the Pokemon that you've used in your previous Leagues and the ones you've revealed in this league are shown." Dawn explained, raising her index finger.
A serious expression appeared on Ash's face after he thought about what Dawn just said. He remained silent for quite a few seconds before finally speaking up. "So that means that because this is the first time Tobias has participated in an official Pokemon League, we won't know about any of Tobias' other Pokemon until he uses them in the Sinnoh League."
"Yes, that's correct, Ash. We did visit Tobias' page and the only Pokemon that we found on it was his Darkrai." Conway said, adjusting his glasses, showing his devilish grin to everyone, without any doubts, creeping them out.
Meanwhile, the blue-haired girl in the group moved closer to Ash and asked. "So Ash, how did your training go today?"
Ash replied instantly. "It went well," he paused and looked at Barry with a smirk. "All my Pokemon are ready for the battle tomorrow."
"Have you decided which Pokemon you are going to use tomorrow?" Brock questioned his friend.
Nonchalantly putting his hands in his pockets, Ash replied. "Of course. My team for this battle was decided the moment the match-ups for the round got revealed."
What Ash said just now couldn't be taken lightly by a certain blonde trainer from Twinleaf Town; Barry's eyes were left agape when he heard Ash. He couldn't believe that Ash was already prepared for their battle from the very beginning; or was it that against him, Ash didn't need a change of plans? Barry wondered if Ash believed that he could win against him without any plan, specifically made for him. Then, what was all the training he did was for? Was he already preparing for the later rounds of the competition?
All these sorts of questions jumbled inside Barry's mind; he just felt an uneasy feeling from the way Ash talked just then. The confidence in the raven-haired boy's tone made him feel as if he'd already lost to Ash even before the on-field battle had begun.
Barry frantically shook his head a few times in order to shake these thoughts off his mind. Clenching his fists, he assured himself that he would be fine against Ash if he battled to the best of his ability. He just had to give it his all on the battlefield, that was all that was needed. Even though he tried to think as positive as possible, he couldn't let up that little feeling inside of his mind; the way Ash looked at him that time scared him.
"You're not going to win against me like that Ash!" Barry yelled, showing a boxing-like stance and grinning at his Top 16 opponent. "You'll need to get your best Pokemon to even stand a chance against me." he advanced a few steps further, getting his usual self back little by little.
"We'll have to see about that now, don't we?" Ash just turned his head to the side with a provoking smile.
The field was clear; the crowd was loud and the sun was shining just as usual; it was time for the first match of the Top 16 of the Lily of the Valley Conference to commence and you could just feel the excitement just by hearing the buzz around the stadium. The referee took his positition in the middle of the battlefield and raised both the green and red flags in the air.
"The first match of Round 4 of the Sinnoh League, between Ash from Pallet Town and Barry from Twinleaf Town is about to begin. It will be a 4-on-4 battle and both the trainers are allowed to substitute Pokemon. Barry will get the first move of this battle." He brought both the flags down at once and finished. "Begin!"
On one side, Barry had a defiant smile on his face as he pointed his Pokeball forward. "If you thought that you'd have an easy time battling me Ash, you're in for a huge surprise. That's because I am getting stronger every second of every minute of every hour of every day!" he yelled enthusiastically, making everyone in the stadium laugh at his buffoonery. "You might think your Pokemon are strong enough to beat me of the past, but that doesn't count at this point of time." He pulled his arm backwards, rotated 360 degrees and fired his Pokeball on the field after his lively speech. "Heracross, I choose you!"
On the other side of the field, Ash just remained calm and smiled. He too, had his Pokeball ready in his arm as he threw it on the field without any sort of action like Barry's. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"
Both the Pokeball landed on the ground, shining out open and revealing the first Pokemon of both the participants. Ash's Bulbasaur looked as good as ever and Barry's Heracross too was as cheerful and merry as his trainer.
"Bulbasauur!" Bulbasaur cried out his name.
"Heracrooooak!" Heracross buzzed, landing on the ground after it took a small initial flight.
"So, the first battle of this year's Sinnoh League's Top 16 will be between Bulbasaur and Heracross. Let's see what they entertainment they'll provide us with." The MC spoke for the first time in the match, his voice loud enough that every spectator heard him and began to cheer, showing their absolute support.
Barry didn't want to waste the chance to get a lead that he got due to the coin toss. He pointed his index finger forwards and commanded. "Heracross, lets start strong with Megahorn!"
The said Pokemon spread out its wings and took flight. As it lunged towards Bulbasaur, its horn glowed bright yellow and became even larger than it already was; the Bug and Fighting-Type lowered its horn as it closed in on its opponent with a decent amount of speed. However, Bulbasaur had been watching every move made by Heracross closely and hence was able to jump at the last second to avoid the Megahorn; even without his trainer giving him a single order.
Barry gritted his teeth in annoyance of missing his best opportunity to push Ash back. But, he wasn't about to give in just yet; his Heracross's biggest advantage was its great physical strength and the blonde trainer wanted to rely on it to get win this battle.
"Use Fury Attack!" he instructed his Big horn Pokemon.
The Beetle nodded and commenced its move; flying towards its foe once again in hopes of hitting the target this time. Similar to Megahorn, it lowered its horn again and tried to hit Bulbasaur multiple times in a row. And like the last attack, Bulbasaur got out of the way of each and every one of them, taking no damage whatsoever in the battle so far.
"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed." Ash said at the instant that Heracross stopped its Fury Attack, not moving from his initial position.
Showing great agility after hearing his trainer's order, Bulbasaur quickly pointed his bulb towards Heracross who couldn't get away in time. The bulb on the Grass-Type's back shone for a sort instant before a seed got fired out of it, hitting Heracross and strangling it into the vines that grew out of the seed. Heracross groaned as the seed glowed red, draining it of a little of its energy.
"No, Heracross!" Barry shouted in concern. He understood the effects of Leech Seed very well and knew that he needed to finish this battle quickly; before his Pokemon ran out of stamina.
"Amazing folks!" The commentator gasped in astonishment. "With his Heracross leeched, Barry better not let this fight last too long because that will just help Ash's Bulbasaur recover from any damage it might take in the battle!"
"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded, taking charge for the first time in this battle.
The Bulb Pokemon quickly obeyed, called his name and summoned razor sharp leaves from his bulb. Without wasting any times, he aimed it at Heracross and the move was so swiftly executed that Heracross didn't have enough time to dodge all the leaves even at a distance; some of them doing damage to it which was made clear by a few bruises it got on its body.
"Are you alright, Heracross?" Barry asked the Big Horn Pokemon, concern clear in his orange eyes. Even though Heracross hadn't taken any major damage yet, the way this battle was going worried even the carefree Barry. When the blonde got a nod from his Pokemon which retreated to his side of the field, the Sinnoh native trainer called another attack. "Good. A Grass-Type like Bulbasaur should be weak against Flying-Type moves. Now, quickly get closer to Bulbasaur and use Aerial Ace!"
"Dodge it Bulbasaur!" Ash told his Leaf Pokemon upon hearing Barry, not wanting his Pokemon to suffer damage from a Super-Effective move like Aerial Ace.
Heracross extended its wings and its body became surrounded by white streaks of energy as it flew closer and closer to Bulbasaur. The Bulb Pokemon attempted to dodge as his trainer told him to but the speed that Heracross gained at the last moment surprised Bulbasaur leaving him unable to defend. Heracross struck Bulbasaur dead on the belly, earning a loud cry of pain from the Kanto starter.
Pikachu who stood next to Ash on the trainer's box grimaced seeing one of his oldest friends being pushed back by Heracross' power filled Aerial Ace, which apparently did a lot of damage to him.
"And Barry is back in the contest after that Super-Effective move!" The MC commented loudly. "It will be interesting to see if Barry can take advantage of this strike."
"Heracross, use Megahorn quick!" Barry yelled excitedly; the opportunity of doing a lot of damage while Bulbasaur was still recovering was too much for Barry to miss out.
"Endure it Bulbasaur! I know you can take the hit." Ash confidently said.
Wasting no time, Heracross charged towards the shaken up Bulbsaur with its horn shining golden-yellow. Meanwhile, Bulbasaur got back his senses and braced himself for the incoming hit, which was the best option if he was unable to dodge. Heracross hit Bulbasaur firmly, jamming his horn into Bulbasaur's head, scoring a critical hit. But, Bulbasaur wasn't one to be taken out so easily; he used Razor Leaf at close range to force Heracross to withdraw. Also, the vines of Leech Seed around Heracross glowed again, draining some of its energy and healing Bulbasaur at the same time.
Ash clenched his fists after Bulbasaur took the attack; Barry's Heracross was really strong but he had full confidence that his Bulbasaur was stronger. He had full faith in his first Grass-Type Pokemon; he knew that he could rely on The Bulb Pokemon to come through and compared to what he had taken, Ash understood that this was nothing.
"Now use Sludge Bomb, Bulbasaur!" Ash ordered; he now wanted to go on the offensive and what better time to do so after the opponent has just finished its move.
His front paws lowered and bulb pointed towards Heracross, Bulbasaur rapidly fired a glob of brown sludge at the Beetle Pokemon. Unable to dodge the Sludge Bomb, Heracross got struck by it and at the exact moment of impact, the bomb exploded leaving purple, poison-like smoke around the struck Heracross.
"No no no!" Barry yelled, pulling his blonde hair in aggravation. "Heracross, attack with Double Edge now!"
"Hera crooak!" The beetle buzzed and charged recklessly towards its opponent, with the same cheerful look on its face, the one which it wore all the time.
As soon as Ash heard Barry's latest call, he smirked; he'd been waiting for his chance to get a big hit in and this seemed like the best opportunity. "Wait for it to come to you and," Ash paused and waited for Heracross to come closer and finally finished. "use Vine Whip to stop it in its tracks!"
"Bulba!" The Grass-Type starter from Kanto shouted, leapt up in the air and shot his vines at the ferocious Heracross that attempted to crush him with Double Edge. The control that Bulbasaur showed with his vines astonished everyone as he caught Heracross's legs in his grip, forcing the Pokemon to fall on the ground and fail the attack.
And this was when Ash decided to use Bulbasaur's ultimate move. "Finish this with Frenzy Plant!"
A look of utter terror appeared on Barry's face when he heard Ash command; even he understood that such a move posed even if it wasn't very effective. "Get out of there, Heracross!" he shouted as loud as he could, his voice completely panic-stricken.
Meanwhile, Bulbasaur landed on the ground, his body becoming outline with green aura. Soon, he slammed both his front legs on the ground, sending energy waves underground and it wasn't long before giant, spiky roots came out of the ground and smashed into Heracross, completely obliterating the target.
"Crooaaaaakk!" The Big Horn Pokemon cried out in pain as it was sent flying backwards. It came to a stop upon crashing into the cemented boundary of the battlefield, falling on the ground eventually, with swirls in its eyes.
"Heracross is unable to continue. Therefore, the first round goes to Ash!" The referee announced, raising the green flag towards Ash.
"And Ash takes the first battle here. I can't say I am surprised about it; he did enter the battle as the favorite because of the almost flawless battle style and strategy that he's shown us throughout the tournament!" The MC said.
In the stands, Brock and Dawn had satisfied smiles on their faces after Bulbasaur defeated Barry's Heracross. They were cheering for Ash, of course; so a win for him would definitely make them happy.
"When Heracross hit Bulbasaur with Aerial Ace and Horn Attack, I thought Ash might actually lose that round." Dawn sighed in relief, not moving her gaze from the battlefield. "I didn't know Ash's Bulbasaur was this strong!"
Brock turned to face his blue-haired friend and raised his forefinger. "Bulbasaur is one of the first Pokemon Ash caught so it has a lot of experience. Not to mention that he works really hard; that's why he's able to manage all of the Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab. He is like their caretaker, one of the most mature Pokemon I have ever seen. But to top it all off, he is very strong and even though he's strong enough to evolve and become a Venusaur, he rejects evolution. That's just his way of keeping his honor as a Grass-Type Pokemon." The tan-skinned adult elaborated for Dawn, explaining everything about Bulbasuar in brief. "Barry's Heracross wasn't weak by any means; an average Heracross' strength is very high and I know that Barry has trained his well. But Ash's Bulbasaur isn't a Pokemon that can be defeated by a normal Pokemon."
"I can't even imagine how strong he could become as a Venusaur." Dawn pondered in thought, placing a finger on her chin.
"Pi Pipluuup!" The Penguin stood up from Dawn's lap and folded his arms; his eyes shine as he thought of himself becoming as strong as Bulbasaur without evolving.
Recalling Heracross back to its Pokeball, Barry had a dry smile on his face. "You were awesome as always, Heracross. I will make sure that your hard work doesn't go to waste." The blonde trainer changed his Pokeballs; unclipping his second Pokeball from his belt. The trainer enlarged it and threw it on the field. "Lets quickly finish this. Alright then Hitmonlee, let's get going!"
The Pokeball snapped open on Barry's side of the field and out of it came a Pokemon with primarily brown body having two almond-shaped eyes; it also had cream-colored segmented arms and legs with three claws and three toes.
"Hitmonleee!" The Kicking Pokemon roared.
"Hitmonlee, let's show everyone how fast you are; use High Jump Kick!" Barry ordered hastily.
Immediately, The Kicking Pokemon jumped high in the air with great agility and descended at Bulbasaur with his left knee bent. The speed at which Hitmonlee attacked surprised Bulbasaur, who took the High Jump Kick right on the head.
"Bulbaaa!" The Leaf Pokemon cried.
"Are you alright, Bulbasaur?" Ash asked. This was the first time that he seemed concerned in this battle against Barry. He turned his look at Barry and his Hitmonlee, who had retreated back to his trainer's side. "Your Hitmonlee is really fast, Barry." Ash complimented with a smile. "I am confident that my Bulbasaur can take it but I also want to give my other Pokemon a chance." He raised Bulbasaur's Pokeball and recalled his Grass-Type.
"What?" Barry bawled in confusion. "Why did you call back Bulbasaur?"
"Well, I just wanted to give my other Pokemon a shot in the battle." Ash answered without any hesitation in his tone. Appearing completely sure of himself and what he was doing. He threw his next Pokeball in the air to reveal his second Pokemon. "Go, Noctowl!"
After the red light of the Pokeball died down, a golden-colored Noctowl took flight on Ash's side.
"Brrrr!" The owl Pokemon chirped as it showed her magnificent shiny color to the crowd; the entire stadium cheering the sight of the rarely seen shiny Pokemon.
"Wow!" Barry gasped. "Your Noctowl's a different shiny colour, Ash!" he said in admiration of the Pokemon.
Ash smiled at Barry. "Yeah, it is. And I'll show you that its colour is not the only thing different about my Noctowl." The raven-haired teen said.
After a few moments of thinking, Barry came to the realization that his hitmonlee wasn't the best Pokemon to face a Flying-Type like Noctowl. Hence, he pointed Hitmonlee's Pokeball towards him. "Hitmonlee, return!"
A genuinely serious expression seemed to have been glued on Barry's face for a brief amount of time as he thought of the Pokemon to use next. He had three Pokemon left while Ash had all four of his Pokemon; he concluded that he needed to get a lead in this round but he also realized that he just couldn't go all out here without knowing the identity of Ash's remaining two Pokemon.
Ash scratched his head seeing Barry so deep in thought; he never imagined that he would see Barry think so much in a Pokemon battle.
A look at Ash's Noctowl again and Barry unclipped a Pokeball from his belt, jumped in the air and tossed it on the field. The ball opened up and showed Barry's third Pokemon to the stadium. It was a bipedeal Pokemon, resembling a cross between cat and mongoose, with predominantly white fur and red scar-like markings on the face and chest.
"Zangooose!" The cat ferret Pokemon yelped.
"Noctowl, lets start with Air Slash!" Ash commanded.
The Owl Pokemon twittered and pulled its wings back, which glowed bright blue. Noctowl then flapped its wings created multiple round, saw disc-like energy energy blades from the wind, aiming each and every one of them right at its foe.
"Dodge it, Zangoose!" Barry cried out quickly.
Zangoose got out of the way of the Air Slash attack, jumping up in the air effectively evading Noctowl's Flying-Type move; or so he and everyone else thought. But, they were all surprised when the Air Slash changed its course in mid-air and struck the Normal-Type Cat Pokemon on the back. Zangoose cried in pain after taking the surprise hit, which left several bruises on the many impacts that it made.
"But Zangoose dodged that!" Barry yelled in astonishment, frantically raising his arms and bringing them down in one, thorough motion. "How did the Air Slash change directions and come back to hit Zangoose?"
At the question Barry posed, Ash smirked with pride. "My Noctowl can also use a few Psychic-Type moves and its so efficient in using them that it's almost like Noctowl has become a Psychic-Type itself. Manipulating its own move with its psychic powers is nothing to Noctowl." He explained to Barry, as well as everyone in the stadium who couldn't believe what they saw. The way Noctowl changed the course of the Air Slash was so smooth and sound that it kept the people wondering if the attack Noctowl use was some kind of a boomerang.
"That was a sensational attack from Ash's Noctowl folks. How many more surprises does Ash have up his sleeve?" The MC said loudly, his excitement and enthusiasm of the Pokemon battle clearly evident in his tone. "Only time will tell."
A look of concern crossed Barry's face as he ordered Zangoose's first attack.. "Use Fury Swipes, Zangoose."
Hearing its trainer, Zangoose ran on all fours and closed in on Noctowl, showcasing its amazing speed. It then leapt up in the air to reach Noctowl's height and attempted to swipe Noctowl multiple times but all in vain as the Owl Pokemon evaded every slash Zangoose made, proving that it was much better than Zangoose in a battle in the air.
"Noctowl, use Extrasensory." Ash told his Pokemon.
With its opponent right beneath it, Noctowl eyed Zangoose keenly and soon, its eyes glowed golden and it released multi-colored waves of psychic energy from its beak, which surrounded it's opponent. The Cat Furret Pokemon struggled to get out of Extrasensory's hold but failed miserably as Noctowl lifted it up and slammed it onto the ground.
"Zaaaan goose!" Zangoose screamed in pain, shakily getting up using all four of its legs.
"Zangoose.!" Barry mumbled, worried about the health of his Normal-Type Pokemon. As he saw Zangoose standing up even after taking those hits, a smile crept up to the trainer's face. "Can you keep going, Zangoose?" he questioned.
The nod that he received from the Hoenn-native Pokemon made him glad; not just because it could continue on battling but just to know that Zangoose hadn't suffered anything major.
He pointed his forefinger towards Noctowl and shouted. "It's time for some payback. Use Crush Claw!"
"Use Sky Attack, Noctowl!" Ash calmly said.
Noctowl commenced its attack, its eyebrow tufts glowing bright white as it flew into the air to prepare for the move. Meanwhile, Zangoose ran on all fours with amazing speed and then suddenly leapt up in the air as its claws glowed with blueish-white aura with sparks surrounding them. In almost no time, it reached Noctowl who was preparing for the Sky Attack and slashed its claws into the Flying-Type Pokemon.
At the time of impact, Noctowl cried out loud as pain surged throughout its body and it went thrashing to the ground due to the sheer power of Zangoose's move. The effect of Crush Claw disrupted the Sky Attack that Noctowl was preparing for, rendering the time it used up to be useless.
"Has Barry found a way to turn the tables on Ash?" The MC questioned.
"Yes, I have." Barry spoke with newfound confidence, the energy and spirit that he'd lost due to being on the defensive replenishing due to that one attack that Zangoose managed to pull off. He now believed that he had a chance of winning, no matter how slim it was.
"Use Crush Claw again!" The golden-eyes trainer ordered.
But even after his Noctowl had suffered a major blow from the same attack, Ash didn't look concerned in the least. "Noctowl, fly up high and use Sky Attack one more time." He commanded.
As it was told, Noctowl flew up in the air and this time, it ascended much higher than its normal flight height. When the Normal and Flying-Type thought that the height was safe enough, it prepared for its Sky Attack once again. Zangoose's claws surged with bluish-white energy again as it vaulted in the air again. But the more distance the goose Pokemon had to cover meant that Noctowl had more time to charge for its attack. And that factored into the battle when a Noctowl glowing with bluish energy descended towards Zangoose who appeared to have a look of pure shock, not expecting Noctowl to finish so quickly.
Of course, Noctowl flying down had the advantage and that clearly showed when the owl pummeled into Zangoose's gut. Noctowl accompanied Zangoose on the descend, increasing its speed but just before they hit the earth, Noctowl pulled out, leaving only Zangoose eating the dust.
A loud bark could be heard after Zangoose hit the ground. Barry feared for the worst and his nightmare came true when he saw the faited body of his Zangoose lying on the ground with swirls covering its eyes.
"Zangoose is unable to continue, Noctowl wins!" The referee declared and raised the green flag towards Ash once again.
"And Ash has got 2 wins while Barry has none. This is so far turning out to be an extremely one-sided battle." The MC commented of the battle. "Nonetheless, it's been an entertaining one so far. Lets ope it continues!"
With a sigh, Barry recalled his Zangoose back to its Pokeballs. He was starting to lose hopes of winning this battle against Ash after each strike that the raven-haired trainer's Pokemon afflicted on his own.
"You were great out there, Zangoose. Rest up." Barry said with a smile, which showed pride but also, a hint of disappointment that he couldn't win the battle with his Zangoose. But, whatever the result, he'd decided to give it his all and if he was going to go down in this match, he would go down fighting.
Barry looked across the field at Ash with eyes filled with determination to do his best, removing the next Pokeball from his belt and tossing it on the ground. "Hitmonlee, you're up next!"
In front of Barry materialized his Kicking Pokemon for the second time in the match. Hitmonlee shouted his name and kicked the air, sending some light shockwaves around the field, showing himself to be ready for another crack against Ash's Pokemon.
"And Hitmonlee is back again. Its speed in its first bout was amazing. It'll be really interesting to see how Ash counters that speed." The commentator said.
"Noctowl, use Shadow Ball." Ash commanded calmly, standing firmly on his side of the field; not the least bit affected by the speed that Hitmonlee just showcased in his pre-battle warm up.
"Hitmonlee, use Brick Break!" Barry yelled exuberantly.
The Owl Pokemon raised its wings above its head, forming a purple-black orb of ghostly energy between them. At the same time, hitmonlee's right fist glowed silver and he jumped up in the air to close the distance between himself and Noctowl. The owl then aimed the ball with black static around it at Hitmonlee, who tried to deflect it with his Brick Break but his fist just passed through the purple ball, surprising him. The ball struck the Kicking Pokemon on the chest, sending him to the ground and forcing him to grunt in pain.
"Hitmonlee, no!" Barry yelled with a terrified expression gluing itself on his face. He expected the Brick Break to crush the Shadow Ball but his fist completely passing through the ball was a bombshell to him as well.
Noticing the expression on Barry's face, Ash decided to explain the type rules for him as he started. "That was a bad move, Barry. You should know that Fighting-Type moves have no effect on Ghost-Type attacks. It's not just that Fighting-Type moves are ineffective against Ghost-Type Pokemon; the same goes for Ghost-Type moves as well." He finished his explanation, thoroughly elaborating for Barry as well as the spectators who didn't have any idea about the details of the latest events in the battle.
"Finish this with Psychic!" Ash instructed his Flying-Type Pokemon.
With a chirp, Noctowl's eyes glowed in light blue and as soon as it set eyes on Hitmonlee, the Fighting-Type's entire body too became surrounded in a light blue highlight. Noctowl, now controlling Hitmonlee's body raised him up from the ground and after a couple of short second slammed it back on the field. The bang with which Hitmonlee hit the ground made a loud cracking sound and the area got covered with dirt.
In the meantime, Ash pulled something which surprised everyone in the entire stadium; the spectators, his friends, Barry as well as Pikachu standing beside him. Even without having a look at Hitmonlee, Ash called his Noctowl back to its Pokeball.
"What is that?" The MC bawled, surprise clear in his tone. "Ash has recalled Noctowl and…" he waited as he saw the dust clearing completely and when it did, he continued. "it seems like Hitmonlee is not completely out yet. Did Ash recall his Noctowl thinking that it had already finished off Hitmonlee. This young trainer is full of surprises, folks!"
The sight of Hitmonlee getting up slowly from his fall forced a grin on Ash's face. He looked at Pikachu beside him and chuckled. "It's your turn, Pikachu."
The yellow rodent looked up at his trainer with a smirk; he knew he was going to battle today and he was exhilarated to fight in his first battle in the Sinnoh League. With a "Pika", the electric mouse ran on the battlefield and took his position on all fours.
"Pika chuuu!" he provoked the shakily standing Hitmonlee.
"Lets get warmed up, Pikachu. Quick Attack!" Ash swiped his hand from one side to another, a little bit of his old self getting back during this battle.
"Counter it with your Mach Punch Hitmonlee!" Barry shouted.
Pikachu did as he was told and ran at high speeds in a zig-zag pattern around his Fighting-Type opponent. Hitmonlee too readied his Mach Punch as he clenched his fist, which shone brightly with fighting aura. After taking enough warm up runs, Ash's Electric-Type finally decided to make his move, heading towards Hitmonlee.
However, with Mach Punch, Hitmonlee was ready for Quick Attack as he forced his fist against Pikachu's Quick Attack; the battle becoming one of strength between Quick Attack and Mach Punch. Due to Pikachu's small body, he would've normally been pushed back in a physical contest but the mouse understood very well that his opponent was tired and hence, he used even more strength. And just as Pikachu expected, he was able to throw back even a strong Fighting-Type like Hitmonlee in such a condition.
"We can win this, Hitmonlee. Let's use Close Combat!" Barry ordered.
"I am sorry Barry but we need to end this Quickly. Use Volt Tackle!" Ash commanded and smirked at his Round 4 opponent in the Sinnoh League.
Hitmonlee's eyes became red as he commenced his Close Combat. But Pikachu wasn't one to be outdone as he ran on all fours with electricity enveloping his entire body. Hitmonlee too charged at Pikachu in order to use Close Combat but before he could do anything, Pikachu speedup at the last second, jamming his Volt Tackle right at the Kicking Pokemon's gut.
The force of the impact sent Hitmonlee flying, his eyes remaining wide open. After falling from the wall the he struck, hitmonlee's eyes appeared to be covered in swirls as he fainted on the spot.
"Mon leee!" The Pokemon yelped unconsciously.
A quick glance was all it took for the referee to call the battle. "Hitmonlee is unable to continue, Pikachu wins!"
"Just like that, Ash ahd earmned himself anoither victory. He's just one battle away from reaching the quarter finals of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference." The MC shouted. "He has three wins while Barry still hasn't managed to even get one."
His head hanging due to disappointment, Barry recalled his Hitmonlee to his Pokeball and put it away without saying a word. He then, removed his fourth and final Pokeball for this battle, and probably the final Pokeball in the Sinnoh League. The blonde trainer raised his head, rotated in a circle and threw his last Pokeball on the field.
"Empopleon, let's go!"
The Pokeball opened up and out of it came Barry's last Pokemon; his starter – Empoleon. The final evolution of the Water-Type starter of Sinnoh roared his name loudly, announcing his arrival in the battle. He smirked when his eyes met with Pikachu's who also had a provoking smirk on his face.
"Alright Empoleon, use Hydro Pump!" Barry said, raising both his arms in the air.
"Dodge it and use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.
Empoleon opened his beak wide and in a moment, he released a huge pump of water from his mouth. He aimed the Hydro Pump at Pikachu, which went at a great speed towards Pikachu. But the yellow rodent proved too fast for the Hydro Pump to hit him, easily evading the Water-Type move. Then, the red sacks on Pikachu's cheeks spurred with electricity as he aimed his Thunderbolt at Empoleon, who somehow managed to get out of the way of it at the last moment.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt again!" Ash said calmly.
"Dodge it again like you did before, Empoleon!" Barry shouted, confident that his starter could dodge another one of Pikachu's bolts of electricity.
At the instant that he heard Ash, Pikachu's cheeks again generated electricity and created a bolt of it around the Pokemon after which, the mouse Pokemon aimed it at Empoleon again. And this time, the attack was used much faster, leaving the Emperor Pokemon unable to dodge this time.
"Pikachu is getting faster and faster after each move it uses." The MC screamed. "It seems like Pikachu is just warming up to unleash its true strength."
The group of Dawn, Brock and Conway who'd just joined them had started a conversation about the battle.
"How come Empoleon was able to dodge the first Thunderbolt and not the second?" Dawn question without any idea of Pikachu's sudden increase in speed.
No hesitation in his tone, Brock answered straightaway. "I think that Pikachu was holding back the first time just to check out Empoleon."
"To check out Empoleon?" Dawn asked, confused again.
"Pi piplup?" the Penguin Pokemon too seemed bewildered by what Ash and Pikachu were doing.
"Yes," Brock started. "It could be that Ash just wanted to check out how powerful Barry's Empoleon is."
Back on the battlefield, Empoleon shook his head after taking the Thunderbolt dead on; a Super-Effective move from a strong Pokemon clearly showing its effect.
"Empoleon, that's nothing! Attack Pikachu with Drill Peck!" The blonde-haired trainer of Empoleon's screeched.
On his command, the Emperor Pokemon jumped in the air and started spinning with his beak in the middle. After a few seconds of spinning like that, Empoleon's beak had grown bigger and it seemed almost like a drill machine as he dashed at Pikachu.
"Jump and then use Iron Tail!" Ash countered.
Just as Empoleon was about to strike him, Pikachu jumped up exactly like his trained told him to and as Empoleon passed the position he stood at earlier, Pikachu's tail glowed and became harder than steel; then, he slammed his Iron Tail right on Empoleon's spinning beak, sending him back towards his trainer's side.
"Emmmm poleon!" Empoleon grunted in pain, more bruises appearing on his face.
"We won't go down so easily. Empoleon, Hyper Beam!" Barry shouted in panic.
"Pikachu, it's time to end this. Use Volt Tackle at full Power!" The raven-haired boy from Pallet Town said to his starter.
In his beak, Empoleon charged a range ball of energy; the power of it so much that his leg claws dug into the field. At the same time, Pikachu ran forward with electricity surrounding his entire body; his speed and the power of the move increasing steadily as he rushed towards Empoleon. Eventually, Empoleon released the beam of energy from his mouth and aimed it right at Pikachu. Though, one again, Pikachu used his speed to dodge the attack, one which covered quite a bit of area as well.
The impact of the Hyper Beam with the ground led to a huge blast around it. However, Pikachu didn't stop his charge and before long, slammed his entire, electric-stricken body on Empoleon. The Water and Steel-Type cried in agony when electricity from Pikachu's Volt Tackle surged through his entire steel body, Pikachu retreating back while he fell on the ground.
"Empoleon, it can't be!" Barry whispered in disbelief.
Empoleon lied on the battlefield, unmoving and apparently unconscious; the entire stadium got silent while Barry's eyes were bloodshot and agape. The referee too raised his green flag towards Ash but, just when he was about to declare the result, he saw movement; movement from Empoleon who stood up, surprising everyone again.
This time, Empoleon's eyes appeared to be red and his entire body got covered in a light blue highlight.
"Could that be Empoleon's ability, Torrent?" Ash pondered as he too, couldn't take his eyes off Empoleon's magnificent ability that had awakened just now.
"Can you still fight, Empoleon?" Barry asked, concern evident in his eyes as he asked his last question silently. When his Pokemon response came in the form of a nod, Barry's eyes lit up and he directed his Pokemon once again. "Torrent increases the power of your Water-Type moves. Then let's use Hydro Cannon at full power!" he yelled.
"You have to dodge it Pikachu. Then use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted for the first time in the battle. At this point, even he understood that a Torrent-enhanced Hydro Cannon from Empoleon could be fatal even for Pikachu.
Empoleon obliged, opening his beak out wide, where a blue flash of light appeared. In the next immediate instant, the flash disappeared and was replaced by a blue ball of water, seemingly very powerful. In one action, Empoleon fired the Hydro Cannon at Pikachu, who for the first time became unable to get out of the way in time. Pikachu cried out when the Hydro Cannon struck it, the power of which sending Pikachu flying towards Ash's side of the battlefield.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, turning back towards where Pikachu was headed.
Like many others, Pikachu slammed directly into the wall of the field and screamed again at the time of impact; taking severe damage due to the move. But soon, he opened his eyes, much to the relief of his trainer and got up from the fall, albeit not in the best of conditions.
A smile crossed Ash's features as he sighed in relief. "This time, we'll win this for sure. It's time for Electro Ball!"
"Electro Ball?" Barry asked, unaware of the move that Ash had just called out.
The electric rodent nodded, forming a yellow ball of electricity with a brown nucleus on his tail. When the yellow orb was completed, Pikachu jumped up and turned around, sending the Electro Ball right at Empoleon. The Emperor Pokemon tried his best to move but he just couldn't; his feet were just too tired and worn out to make a movement. As a result, Pikachu's Electro Ball made direct contact with Empleon and did Super-Effective damage.
"Empoleon is unable to battle, Pikachu wins!" The referee raised the green flag towards Ash for the fourth and final time in the match. "That means, the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum, who advances to the next round!" he declared.
"And the clear victor of this match is Ash!" The commentator said.
The crowd burst out in cheers after the terrific display of Pokemon battling they had just witnessed in the last hour. It was an amazing battle indeed; even though it would go down as a one-sided match, Ash winning it 4-0, it still gave them what they had paid their money for.
Recalling Empoleon to his Pokeball, Barry smiled wryly at it. "You were amazing out there, Empoleon. You did your best. Thank you!"
On the other side of the battlefield though, Ash bent down and grinned at his starter Pokemon who had come through for him once more. "Just as awesome as always, Pikachu!" the Kanto-native boy complimented his Pokemon before he glanced across the field and smiled genuinely at his close friend and Round 4 opponent, Barry.
So, how was the chapter? How did the battle turn out?
You guys might have a couple of questions and I would answer them for you in advance.
If you are confused about Bulbasaur using Frenzy Plant, then I would like to say that it's possible through a special event in the games so yeah, I figured that Ash's Bulbasaur should know that moves since there are not a lot of powerful moves that a Bulbasaur can learn.
And I just decided to make Pikachu know Electro Ball because I felt that there aren't really that many different types of strong Electric-Type moves that Pikachu can learn either. For example, Thunderbolr, Discharge, etc are pretty similar in the end so I decided to give him Electro Ball.
If you have any other queries, feel free to ask them in the comments or send me a PM.
And as always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!