Chapter 3
Anabel and Cilan was teleported on one of the smaller islands. They are lucky that there is no trainer around yet. They engaged only in a standoff of glares, until Cilan slipped up to an empath. Anabel sensed a conflict to Cilan as he looked away from her. 'Is it even possible?' She thought before he started to move forward without looking back. She only shrugged off the feelings, but as he neared him, she sensed that he is conflicted about his actions earlier and the past years.
"May I ask, what are you thinking about?" Anabel started to quell the silence between them. "What do you mean? I only intended to look for our opponents." Cilan retorted with annoyance. Anabel, however, did not bought his act.
"You are conflicted." Cilan stopped in his tracks, and looked at her with a conflicted emotions. "You are regretting with what you have done before. To Ash..." she suddenly felt Cilan's true emotions. Cilan looked on the ground with a tear on his face. "I didn't mean to drive Ash away. I only wanted for him to stop putting the world in danger because of his antics. If he stopped going around, then probably I could have stayed besides him. I messed up, I have broken his trust, and I regretted it..." Cilan stopped as his face was wet from the tears falling like a waterfall. "I regretted that I betrayed Ash that day..." he sobbed, as he can't look at Anabel straight in the face. Anabel could tell, he was not lying.
"I didn't expected to face the Strategic Demon himself in the preliminaries, with a weakling in tow." Trip glared at his opponents, while his partner only looked uneasy at the atmosphere between the two. "What did you call me?" Pikachu sparked its cheeks at the arrogant trainer while Ash is holding back from saying more, grabing Charizard's pokeball. "Let me deal with him Ash. Alone..." Paul stated, with a cold and dangerous tone that made Trip flinch and his partner to shiver. Ash eyed Paul for a second, but eventually he gave up and placed Charizard's pokeball back. "Alright Paul. He is all yours." Paul and Ash suddenly split up with a small space in the middle. Trip and Phoe faced their respective opponents.
"Fearrow, sky high!" The female trainer throwed her pokeball upwards revealing an intimidating Fearrow.
"Superiority display, Serperior!" Trip exclaimed showing the grass type starter from Unova.
"Stand by for battle, Aggron!" Paul revealed his rock and steel type pokemon that released a deafening roar.
"Aerial Battle huh. In that case, Gliscor I choose you!" Ash thrown out his semi bat and scorpion pokemon out. It made a clumsy face first but showed a strong flair that sent the Fearrow a bit scared.
"Pansage dodge it please!" Cilan pleaded to its starter as it was weak from taking a hit from a Steel Wing of a Skarmory, and a Shadow Punch from a Haunter. A deadly Swift was headed its way now from Skarmory when suddenly, "Espeon, Psychic on the stars and throw them back to Haunter!" The Salon Maiden and her trusty Espeon managed to save Pansage in time.
"Why? Why are you helping me?!" Cilan is nearly in a breaking point. They have talked for a bit, about his regrets, when they are ambushed by the trainers that is waiting for them. Cilan has almost thrown the fight, but he still refuses to give in. "I will discuss this later to you. Don't you want to say sorry to Ash? Are you just gonna weep and make yourself more of a moron?" Cilan only looked at her in awe to her words. He started to look to Pansage that is still standing, refusing to give up.
Meanwhile, Ash and Phoe has fled as they took to an Aerial Battle, leaving Paul and Trip to battle. But even so, Trip is losing so hard. Every advances that Serperior make, Paul destroys them and levels the battle in an instant. If it weren't for the Synthesis that Serperior used thrice in the battle, they would have lost already. Even with Contrary, Serperior's ability, they still hadn't scratched Aggron. Trip is starting to get irritated, while Paul is only smirking at his prey.
"Are you finished yet?" Paul started to muse his opponent. Trip only growled at him. "Good, my turn to show you true power. Aggron, Flash Cannon!"
"Dodge it Serperior!"
At that moment, four flashes of steel energy beam, flown to Serperior. It managed to dodge all of it, but it was prone to the close range of Aggron. Paul only smiled, "Iron Head!" Then the larger pokemon lunged itself. Serperior was staggering from dodging the Flash Cannon, but was surprised as well with Trip by the speed it shown. It clossed the gap in 3 seconds flat. It was hit hard and was flying high when, "Flash Cannon one last time!" And this time, Serperior cannot dodge, was hit. When it landed, its eyes are now swirling. Trip looked angrily at Paul as he started to walk away.
A few moments, Ash came back to Paul after winning the Aerial Battle. They are suddenly engulfed in psychic energy once again and they are back at the stadium. They are among of the last to return, with Dawn, Serena, Clemont, Gary, and Anabel is back already. They are huddled up in a circle, and that is when they approached them.
"Took you guys so fast." Paul stated looking at the warily of what they are talking about. "You guys are so slow." Dawn replied that made Paul give his signature 'hmph' that made the rest laugh at. "Who are your opponents even to take it this long?" Clemont now curious. "My opponent is named Phoe, and then the other one was..." Ash forgotten already the name of Trip. "I battled Trip." Paul only commented that made Dawn and Serena gasped hearing the name of one of the traitors. "Don't worry. Arrogant face is sure to be afraid of us." Paul continued, and by his feelings, 'and I'm sure the others will be too.' Looking to Anabel that quickly nodded. "Am I missing anything here guys?" Ash looked at group confused by their tenseness and the creeping silence. "Nope. Everything is fine Ash." Gary noted to him as they all looked to the stage to see Mr. Goodshow.
"Congratulations to all of you. From 256, you are the 64 trainers to be left. You guys earned a good day off tomorrow. We will start the knockoff rounds after tomorrow's rest. The matches will be shown tomorrow evening. For now, I bid you all a good night." The cheers of the crowd erupted at the remaining trainers. Ash and the gang all started to head to the Pokemon Center to heal their pokemon.
On the other side, the traitors are now talking about Ash. "Are you sure about this Trip?" Max eyed him with a fury to know that Trip lost to Paul, and more furious at letting Ash escape. "I'm sure. Paul made sure that I battled him. I didn't even managed to lay a scratch to that damn Aggron of his." Trip gritted his teeth from his lose. He was angry, and at the same time, was furious. He wanted to kill the Frontier Brain. "That's what you get for being arrogant. Right Cilan?" Iris chirped in, that made Trip look in the front only to the other Pokemon Center. Cilan was silent, he was thinking about what Anabel told him earlier. He didn't even heard their conversations. He was absentminded in the whole walk. "... Cilan? Cilan?!" Iris shaked him slightly, that snapped him back. "Oh... Sorry, just thinking about things. Look you guys go ahead, I'm going somewhere." Cilan ran ahead before Iris could ask a thing. They are all confused by it, especially Max. "What happened to him?" May asked. "Dunno. He might have freaked out." Misty replied before entering the building.
Ash and the gang are done in healing their pokemon. They talked about some of their battles, that made Ash very hyper about. Almost everybody has no problem in the Preliminaries, except for Anabel, but she didn't divulged on it more. Rather, she was timing it, waiting for Cilan to appear. She planned it to see if he was truly sorry, and if something will happen to Ash.
Dawn and Paul already made their way to the hotel they are staying at, while Clemont, Gary, and Korrina wandered a bit looking for somebody. Brock, Serena, Anabel, and Ash waited at the battle field besides the Pokemon Center. That is where they found Cilan running towards them, that made Anabel and Brock smile. Serena was besides Ash trying to draw his attention to her, keeping him from seeing Cilan early.
"So you came..." Anabel muttered only as Cilan is catching his breath. A few moments, "Let's do it then." Cilan looked feisty at her, to which she nodded as they went to their respective spots. Brock stand in the middle in which will act as the referee. Ash and Serena moved near him as they watched.
"This will be a 3-on-3 battle without substitutions and no time limit." Both to which Cilan and Anabel agreed.
"Stunfisk, assistance please." Cilan revealed a flat flying fish.
"Let's do this Meowstic!" Anabel then revealed a white cat that floated down to the field. "Alright then, battle begin!"
Ash looked quizzical at the electric and ground type. It's as if it looked liked it was familiar. "Ash, are you ok?" Serena looked at him worried about their plan. "Yeah... Its just, that Stunfisk looks... familiar?" Pikachu just tried to ignore, when it was true that the Stunfisk was familiar to them. To Ash, the memories was hazy enough.
"Let's keep up on the offensive, Psyshock!" Anabel commanded that made Meowstic to emit purple beams of energy from its hand.
"Stunfisk use discharge and block it!" Stunfisk then emitted a electrical shockwave around that hit the Psystrike clearly. It made a smoke cover for them both.
'Now Meowstic, dive to the smoke and appear to the front. Surprise them with a Shadow Ball and Psybeam simultaneously.' Anabel telepathically commanded.
"Stunfisk on your guard! Try to use Mud Bomb when it appear." It was too late. Meowstic appeared and nailed Stunfisk with a Shadow Ball followed with a Psybeam. Stunfisk was hurled to the ground. When it was seen, there is only swirls on its eyes.
"Stunfisk is unable to battle, the winner is Meowstic." Brock declared.
"Thank you Stunfisk, get a good rest." Cilan pulled out its pokeball and returned his pokemon. "Crustle, assistance please." Cilan revealed its next pokemon. Ash, on the sides just had a minor headache that was noticed by Serena. "Ash?!" She whispered that only he could hear. "I'm... fine..." He weakly replied. He doesn't understand what was happening, but he was still looking at Cilan.
"Crustle Rock Slide to the field!" A flash of light flowed above, with large rocks falling from above. Meowstic only hovered to dodge, when Anabel made a mistake.
"Shadow Ball now!" Meowstic sent a dark blob of energy, which Cilan smirked only. "Now dodge and use Shell Smash, straight to a X-Scissor!" Cilan commanded that made Anabel and Brock surprised. Crustle dodged and then a red energy flowed after its shell smashed. Using the field, Crustle jumped from one to another and made direct contact with X-scissor.
"Meowstic can you continue?" Anabel asked its pokemon to which it stood even it was bruised. "Good, now Psyshock." Meowstic thrown the move to its opponent. "Crustle keep dodging and nail a powerful X-Scissor!" The increased speed of Crustle was crucial, soon all of the Psyshocks missed and Crustle delivered a powerful blow, that made Meowstic drop with swirls.
"Meowstic is unable to battle, Crustle wins!" "I'm impressed, you did managed to win. But I'm not going to let you. Alakazam let's do this!" Anabel then revealed the same Alakazam that she uses on her Frontier battles.
"Crustle lets keep the pressure. X-scissor!" Crustle hopped and went straight but was shocked by Anabels' command. "Psychic and to the rock!" Alakazam caught it, and thrown it to the rock with such force that made Crustle faint fast.
"Crustle is unable to battle. Alakazam wins!"
"Thank you dear friend, please rest for a while." Cilan returned its pokemon and kissed it before taking his ace. "Pansage, let's go!" Then a small green monkey appeared.
"Pansage let's give this everything we got. Now use Bullet Seed!"
'Alakazam Psybeam' Anabel commanded that made a huge smoke in the middle. 'Now get in close with Focus Punch' Alakazam ran in the smoke.
"Pansage use Brick Break. It will be in the smoke." Cilan instructed to its pokemon. Pansage ran in and used Brick Break that was caught by a Focus Punch. "Now Rock Throw!" Cilan smiled at Pansage as it nailed a powerful Rock Throw. But it was not enough to damage Alakazam much.
"Double Team to a Psybeam combo." Then multiple Alakazam surrounded them that all fired Psybeams that was not blocked by Pansage. As it shown, Pansage was panting on its knees. It refuses to give up. That is when...
"Alakazam Psy-"
"Grr... Arghh!" Ash screamed at his pain that startled Cilan and Brock. Anabel however taunted Cilan as Serena tried to help Ash. "Cilan continue to fight!" Cilan had five words only. "I forfeit the match!" That shocked the three as he and Pansage ran to Ash.
"Arghhh... Ahhhh!" Ash held his head in a excruciating pain. "Ash! Snap out of it please!" Serena pleaded only with tears knowing what is happening. "What's going on with Ash?!" Cilan demanded trying help him out. "Serena do you have your Kirlia? Use Hypnosis on Ash now." Brock asked her to which she followed. Kirlia used Hypnosis on Ash that made him sleep. Anabel then looked at Alakazam as he nodded, they are then teleported to the hotel with Cilan. His pressence there earned the other Brains to be on guard, Dawn prepared to restrain Paul, and Clemont and Korrina to be on stance.
"He is with us..." Anabel only stated that made the others to drop their guard, as Brock, Serena, and Clemont tended to Ash. Pikachu went to Paul to give them some room and to lookout for Cilan.