It was finally time. At Lily of the Valley Island, was the town where they held the Pokémon League every year on August 1st. Taking first step on the island was Barry, Dawn and Ash. Since it was in the middle of Summer, they finally wore clothes more in line with summer. Dawn wore an elbow length sleeved white shirt and a mid thigh length pink skirt, pink and white sneakers, and no longer wore her beanie at the moment. She also had her hair in a ponytail so that the back of her neck and shoulders felt the air better. Barry wore an orange shirt and brown shorts, white and orange sneakers specifically meant for running, and for the fun of it, a rainbow spinner cap with a green bill in front. Finally, Ash wore a black t-shirt with a yellow V in the center, blue jeans, and black and white shoes. The only thing kept the same was his hat, which Zappy sat on top of. Phoenix had to be left behind because during the months training for this moment, watching it all was apparently enough experience for the torchic to evolve into a combusken, and couldn't be carried around anymore in Dawn's bag. The upside is, he's now also added protection of the Berlitz household with Sparky and Star. Not only that, Zappy has now evolved into a Pikachu, still having its shiny tone.
"Yes! We're finally here! Let the competition begin!" Barry yelled into the sky with his arms raised up.
"Slow down Barry." Dawn told him. "You two have to sign up first."
"Yeah, save your energy for the battles themselves." Ash chuckled from seeing his rival's enthusiasm.
"But if I keep my energy inside, I'm going to explode!"
"Do what you will." Ash shrugged. "As long as you're registered I don't care what you do here."
"Thanks Ash! I'm going to register and go eat! Whichever one comes first!" Barry proclaimed before zipping off into the crowds.
"I sure hope he doesn't get into trouble." Dawn told her boyfriend worriedly.
"Eh, it can't be helped. Remember what I told you about whenever Barry's at something festive?"
"Yeah."
"Don't worry about it." Ash slung his arm over her shoulder. "Everything is going to work out. Right Zappy?" He asked the electric mouse on his head.
"Pika!" He agreed. Going over to the Pokémon Center, Ash has gotten himself registered into the league tournament and got a room key for it. Upon entering their room, it looked as typically luxurious and cozy as any 5 star hotel room you'd expect.
"Wow, this looks awesome!" Dawn remarked as she jumped and landed on one of the two beds. "It's like landing a a cloud! So soft." Zappy jumped onto it right alongside her, enjoying the softness as well.
"Pikachu." He said snuggling into the blanket. Dawn and Zappy then unexpected bounced and yelped when Ash landed right next to the female researcher and gently landed on part of her back and legs.
"And you're just a soft and good as these beds yourself."
"Oh Ash." She giggled happily. "I love you."
"I love you too." They then briefly kissed before Ash got off the bed and noticed a gift basket filled with flowers and sweets. Zappy leapt onto the table with the basket and sniffed it, liking the smell. On the basket were two notes. One had Ash's name in cursive while the other had a Pokeball wax stamp on it. Taking the one with his name, he read it out loud.
"Congratulations on making it to the Pokémon League Tournament! I'd be there in person but the large crowds would be too much for me. Lots of love, Mom."
"Aww, that's sweet. What's the other one?"
"I don't know." Ripping the envelope open, he read the note inside.
"Lots of luck, Ash. I'll be watching on TV. Beat all those square trainers and do a keen job out there. Rowan."
"Wow. That's cool that the professor also sent you a gift." Dawn commented gladly. Looking around and finding a phone, he dialed his home number and waited until it answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Mom. Thanks for the gift basket, and thank Rowan for me. I can't wait to enjoy it myself."
"Oh good! I'm glad it was able to get to you. I was afraid it would get lost or something." She said with a sigh of relief.
"Nah, Dawn's opening it right now. So, how have you been doing? It's been somewhat of a while since I called you. Sorry."
"No, it's alright. You're a Pokémon trainer of course. I've been doing good. My time at the restaurant is exploding with popularity. Many of the visitors to Jubilife City want to try my specialty pie."
"That's great Mom! Can't wait to have some when I return. I better go now. I love you."
"I love you too dear. Bye." Ash hung up the phone and saw Dawn chewing on some chocolates, getting some on her cheeks near the mouth.
"Hey Dawn, you got some chocolate smeared on your face." Ash pointed out chuckling.
"Really?" She asked, blushing in giddy embarrassment.
"Here, let me help you." The trainer kissed his girlfriend while also licking up the smears, enjoying the taste of chocolate along with the taste of vanilla coconut lip balm. "Mmm. You taste delicious."
"Thanks. Now that you mention it, let's go out and eat something."
"Alright."
In the night of the same day, the conference there was fully underway with the entire night sky lit up like New Years with all the trainers standing in the stadium with one of their Pokémon out. Ash looked up into the sky with a serious grin on his face with Zappy sitting on his shoulder. Dawn was given a front row seat so that she could observe everything with the best view. Everybody was cheering to an almost deafening volume. Two torch bearers lit a mound in a large cup on fire.
"And with the lighting of the Sinnoh League flame, the 141 League Tournament is underway!" An announcer told everybody present. Up in the announcer box, Ash recognized Cynthia there, waving to whoever looked up at them in that moment. "It's time to show the total of 64 round ups, so here they are!" On four electronic screens, they showed each bracket showing who was facing whom. It appeared Ash was in the second bracket as number 26. "Well, time to get things started."
The night was taken up by the first rounds up to midnight, and then it went from 8 am to 10:30 for with one 30 minute break. Thankfully, the third rounds only lasted around an hour, and finally, it was the quarter finals. The last match was tough since a trainer named Conway also used a Trick Room wielding dusknoir, but Ash brilliantly used another trick room on that to get things back on track. Now, he was going up against someone know for winning 3-0 in his matches. When it was his turn, Ash walked to the center of the stadium where the battle field was.
"The first quarter final battle of the Sinnoh League Tournament is about to be waged on a dirt battlefield with a six on six full battle format from here on out! Representing Twinleaf Town is the hero of the Sinnoh region, Ash Ketchum facing off against Paul Rebolledo from Veilstone City! The tension is formable indeed! And their first Pokémon are..." The announcer paused, waiting to see who will be up.
"Staraptor, I choose you!"
"Aggron, stand by for battle!" Facing against the flying bird was a huge rock/steel type that was bipedal colored black with silver armor coating its head and backside. Its armor had four holes on its head with two sharp horns from the foremost holes. It also has wide pointed shoulders, bands around its arms and legs, and a thick long black tail.
"Aggron!" It roared with ferocity.
"Starapor, use Close Combat!" Ash ordered. Flying it, it seemed like a no brainer except Paul said,
"Head Smash!" Lowering its head, it started charging toward the bird while surrounded by blue energy. Needing to escape a certain knock out quick, Ash snapped his fingers, prompting the flying type to veer off from his original flight path, just grazing that energy. Paul was caught off guard as Staraptor went back around.
"Keep up your attack!" Ash yelled out. Staraptor then unleased the power of Close Combat on Aggron's back, dealing major damage based from how much the Iron Armor Pokémon roared in pain.
"Counter with Ice Punch!" Rearing its right arm that now glowed bright blue, it hit the Predator Pokémon with all it had. Staraptor screeched in agony from the chilling blow as he fell to the ground. "Continue with Aqua Tail!" A blue aura surrounded Aggron's tail and water spiraled around it as it prepared to land the final blow. Ash clapped, prompting Staraptor to flap his wings at least once, only getting away enough to be splashed by the water of the attack.
"Use U-Turn!" Ash told Staraptor. Getting to his feet, the flying type flew up, bashing into Aggron's face before going back into his Pokeball. Despite the weakness of U-turn against its superb defense, the blows of Close Combat exploiting its 4X weakness before was too much and made it fell to its side, groaning.
"Aggron is unable to battle! Staraptor wins!"
"Alright, way to go, Ash!" Dawn cheered.
"Aggron, return." Paul said. "You lost to a bird? Pathetic." Ash frowned from that statement. "Drapion, stand by for battle!" Onto the field was the purple Ogre Scorpion Pokémon.
"Torterra, I choose you!" Paul gave a dark grin to this.
"Use Ice Fang!" With surprising speed, Drapion lunged at the Continent Pokémon.
"Counter with Stone Edge!" Forming rocks around him, Torterra fired a barrage that dealt some damage to the poison/dark type upon impact, but didn't seem to do too much damage as it kept up its attack and got right in close, its mandibles glowing bright blue before sinking its teeth into the shell, making Torterra howl in agony. "Giga Synthesis!" The spikes on his shell glowing bright green, they turned into tendrils as they wrapped around the body and arms of Drapion while the tree on his back also glowed, gaining back a lot of its health while also sapping it from the enemy.
"Wow! A move combo of Giga Drain and Synthesis! We've never seen something like that before! So much health regained!" The announcer remarked.
"Use Poison Jab!" Its tail glowed on its tail, and was about to attack when Ash called out,
"Return!" Torterra was withdrawn before the poisonous attack landed, cracking the ground.
"Ash withdrawn his Torterra before Drapion could use Poison Jab! What Pokémon will he use this time?" The announcer asked.
"Mamoswine, I choose you!" Wanting a type coverage, Ash showed off his Twin Tusk Pokémon."
"A Pokémon that resists Poison Jab and takes Ice Fang neutrally. You think that will stop Drapion?" Paul asked in a condescending manner. "I'll show you for switching mid-attack. Use Toxic Spikes!" Going back to its own side of the field, Drapion opened its mouth to form a purple orb and shot it into the air before it exploded into streams of purple smoke that descended into Ash's battle field. Ash growled from the added layer of difficulty.
"Oh yeah, well I'm not going to let you have the advantage! Mamoswine, use Hail!" Glowing pale blue, Mamoswine roared as clouds formed above them, which resulted in golf ball sized hail pieces to rain down onto the field. Paul growled as well.
"Isn't this nail biting?! Both trainers inconvenienced the other with their own field altering moves! What will happen next?!"
"Use Crunch!" Paul commanded, which lead to Drapion trying to get in close again.
"Stone Edge!" Like Torterra before, Mamoswine formed rocks around herself and fired them at Drapion, whom this time was pushed back quite considerably. And with the added damage from the hail, the accumulated damage was too much and poison/dark type fell.
"Drapion is unable to battle! The winner is Mamoswine!"
"Awesome job, Mamoswine!" Ash complimented his Pokémon. She grunted in acknowledgment.
"Amazing! That may not have been planned but the way he recovered from that Ice Fang and turned it around with Mamoswine and Hail? I wouldn't have expected that!" Dawn marveled at her boyfriend's ingenuity. "Keep it up Ash!"
"Pika Pi!" Zappy spoke to Ash from his shoulder.
"Thanks buddy." The boy chuckled. Paul silently returned his Drapion and threw something else out.
"Ursaring, stand by for battle!" Now on the field was what was essentially a bipedal grizzly bear with a yellow ring on its torso. But not only that, it appeared that it had a necklace with a red orb dangling around its neck. Instantly, the normal type was engulfed in fire from the flame orb, roaring in pain. But instead of being weakened, the bear simply shouted even louder as it grew in power.
"Astonishing! In a rare turn of events, a Pokémon with one of the few tournament allowed items entered the arena, and its a Ursaring with the guts ability! Does Ash have anything that can combat it?!"
"I do actually." Ash retorted with a smile. "Mamoswine, return! Dusknoir, I choose you!" Replacing the ice/ground type was his ghost type, and given the fact he's floating, toxic spikes couldn't poison him.
"Use Swords Dance!" Paul demanded. Ursaring's claws glowed white and grew longer, and the bear swung them around menacingly, growing in power.
"Use Fire Punch!" Lighting it its right fist on fire, Dusknoir floated towards the enraged bear and punched it right in the ring.
"Counter with Crunch!" Taking hold of the extended arm, Ursaring bit down on Dusknoir hard, resulting in the ghost wailing in agonized pain before floating down, fainting from the one pain.
"Dusknoir is unable to battle! The winner is Ursaring!"
"Did you really think I'd be unprepared for your Dusknoir?" Paul asked smugly. "I knew that if I brought Ursaring onto the field, you'd use Dusknoir to negate any normal and fighting type moves it would typically have. It's what I have for any trainer with if they have ghost types." Ash grunted from his foe's foresight. With a Pokémon monstrously strong as Ursaring, he should've seen it coming.
"Dusknoir, return." Ash solemnly said. "Thanks. You did a good job. Staraptor, I choose you!" Once again, he sent out a Pokémon in the air that didn't touch the poison spikes. Ursaring recoiled from its burn and the hail. "Staraptor, use Brave Bird!" The Predator Pokémon surrounded himself with a fiery aura as he homed in on Ursaring.
"Use Hammer Arm!" Its arm glowing white, the Hibernation Pokémon swung its arm with so much strength, it stopped Staraptor's momentum completely and smashed him into the ground creating a crater.
"Staraptor is unable to battle! The winner is Ursaring!" The normal type roared in triumph before being inflicted by the burn and hail again.
"What can Ash do? None of his Pokémon can inflict damage from a long range. I hope he can bounce back."
"Well..." Ash whispered to himself. "...if tackling that thing head on is too dangerous, then its time to undermine." Taking out his Net Ball, he threw it. "Floatzel, I choose you!" Facing against the burnt mighty bear was his faithful Sea Weasel. He groaned from the toxic spikes poisoning him. "Use Dig!" Ash swiftly requested. Despite the discomfort, Floatzel dug underground to prepare his attack.
"Use Hammer Arm on the ground!" Paul commanded. Its other arm glowing white, it struck the ground like the hammer namesake, concaving the entire battlefield, resulting in Floatzel to be exposed from the destruction of the earth. "Again!" The other arm glowing, Ursaring was about to strike when Ash shouted,
"Bounce it off!" Puffing up his floatation sac, it absorbed the blow and repelled both of them back, through the water type was still dealt damage when he flew into the crater wall at high speed. Luckily, when Ursaring was again inflicted damage, Ash ordered,
"Waterfall!" Forming water around himself, Floatzel zoomed forward and splashed right into Ursaring's chest, dousing it of the fire, but also dealing the last bit of damage needed to take Ursaring down as it fell on its back, knocked out.
"Ursaring is unable to battle! Floatzel is the winner!" Floatzel grinned, before groaning from the poison taking a toll. Thankfully, the clouds let up, so the hail stopped raining.
"Torterra, stand by for battle!" To their surprise, he also had a grass starter of the Sinnoh region.
"Whoa, so cool! Where did you get one?!" Ash asked with wonderment.
"He was a present from my brother. I've competed in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn before now. So he's very strong."
"So I'm fighting a veteran." Ash spoke. He grinned excitedly. "That just pumps me up even more! Floatzel, use Ice Punch!" His right fist glowing bright blue, he leapt right onto Torterra and punched him right on the head, and while it did appear to moderately hurt him, there was nothing significant.
"Use Giga Drain!" The spikes turning into tendrils, they reached out and grabbed onto the panicking Floatzel as they sapped him of his strength. He screamed in pain from both the grass move, and the poison. Unable to take it all, the water type fell to the ground, drained.
"Floatzel is unable to battle! The winner is Torterra!"
"Floatzel, return. You deserve a good rest." Ash said to his fallen Pokémon. "Mamoswine, I choose you!" Returning onto the field was the ice/ground type, groaning from the poison entering her body.
"Finally. Use Frenzy Plant!" Glowing green, Torterra reared up onto his hind legs before falling back onto the ground, summoning forth many spiked roots coming right toward the Twin Tusk Pokémon. Needing a way out quick, he shouted,
"Counter with Ice Fang!" Firing two zigzagging rays of chilling energy, that managed to stop two of the roots, but three more were still able to get through, swatting at the ice/ground type. Luckily, due to the smaller amount of roots, the potential damage wasn't as great, as she remained standing tall and proud. The roots went away, and Torterra looked fatigued.
"Now's our chance, use Ice Fang!" Again preparing the ice type move, Mamoswine fired and landed a direct hit. Due to the 4X weakness he had, even his bulked up defense was no match as he was frozen over.
"Torterra is unable to battle! The winner is Mamoswine!"
"Pika Pika!" Zappy cheered.
"You're the best Ash! Paul's got nothing on you!" Dawn yelled out.
"Torterra, return. Electivire, stand by for battle!" Up next was the Thunderbolt Pokémon Ash remembered fighting in his last gym battle. The poison in Mamoswine took the time to make her slightly weaker as she staggered a bit.
"Use Stone Edge!" Forming rocks around herself, she fired the barrage right at Electivire.
"Protect!" Forming a green dome around itself, it deflected any damage it would have taken. "Now use Flamethrower!" Forming fire in its mouth, it exhaled and landed a direct blow. Mamoswine roared in pain from the heat until she fell over, defeated.
"Mamoswine is unable to battle! Electivire is the winner!"
"Oh no." Dawn murmured to herself in worry.
"Mamoswine, return. Thanks, girl. You really outdid yourself this battle. Take a good rest. Torterra, I choose you!" Returning onto the field was his grass starter, although he got hurt from the poison still in the ground.
"Flamethrower!" Paul demanded. Like before, Electivire breathed out a plume of fire that was sure to burn the Continent Pokémon until Ash started making popping noises with his mouth. In response, Torterra opened his mouth to unleash a barrage of Seed Bombs that intercepted the Flamethrower, stopping it thanks to the explosions of each seed. The attacks were stalemated until they both stopped. Torterra groaned from the poison, but didn't let it outwardly show.
"Fine then. Brick Break!" Electivire ran forward, its right arm glowing white.
"Counter with Giga Synthesis!" Even at full health, Torterra obeyed as he sent out his bright green tendrils that ensnared the glowing arm, preventing it from attacking while having some of its health slowly drained.
"Use your other arm!" The left arm glowing white, the electric type smashed the arm down on Torterra's head, inflicting damage along with the poison.
"Keep up with the Giga Synthesis!" Ash pleaded.
"Ice Punch!" Reeling back its fist, shifting from a white glow to bright blue, it punched Torterra on the same spot, dealing a lot more damage. However, thanks to the combined move of Giga Synthesis, Torterra did not faint. In fact, he started to glow green as he roared.
"Wow! Despite the ice type move of the super strong Electivire, Torterra's still in it, and could very well win this with Overgrow!" The announcer shouted.
"Come on Torterra! Beat him!" Dawn yelled.
"Seed Bomb!" Ash ordered, but was caught off guard when Paul said,
"Use Thunder on the ground!" Sticking the two tails it had into the ground, the Thunderbolt Pokémon sent all that power into it just as Torterra was about to fire his attack, and the place where they stood exploded with such power, Electivire was thrown back, yet managed to land on its feet and right hand. The scorch marks on its chest indicated at least one or two Seed Bombs may have gotten to it. When all the dust settled, the Continent Pokémon was knocked out.
"Torterra is unable to battle! The winner is Electivire!"
"What an upset! Despite Torterra having a moment of supreme firepower, Electivire turned it around by exploding the ground they were standing on! Is there any way Paul can further surprise us?!" The announcer questioned.
"Now Ash only has one more left. Please win this Ash." Dawn pleaded.
"Pikachu Pika?" Zappy asked.
"It's fine. I still got one more. Torterra, return. You hung in there the best you could. I'm so proud of you. Luxray, I choose you!" Ash sweated from the tension. This was his last Pokémon, and he really saw the creativity of Paul in that moment, so he wasn't sure anymore he'd win this. Luxray growled from feeling the poison enter his body.
"Well done Electivire." Paul complimented it. The electric type cackled with a big smile. "Use Brick Break!" Its arm glowing white, the Thunderbolt Pokémon charged.
"Counter with Ice Fang!" The fangs in Luxray's teeth glow pale blue as he fired icy zigzags that connected against Electivire's chest before it could block it. The damage from the few Seed Bombs and the explosion in between that just couldn't handle the addition of Ice Fang, and thus the opposing electric type fell onto its front, unconscious.
"Electivire is unable to battle! The winner is Luxray!"
"Talk about on the wire! Both trainers are down to their last Pokémon! Who's going to win?!
"Come on Ash! You can do it!" The trainer finally noticed his girlfriend's encouragement for the first time with how loud she was yelling above the audience, and smiled.
"Pathetic you couldn't get that hit in on time." Paul reprimanded his Electivire as he returned it. "Weavile, stand by for battle!" Seeing that particular ice type again, Ash's mouth didn't know whether to smile or frown. If even one attack lands, its over. The poison once again took its toll on the electric type.
"Use Swords Dance!" While the Sharp Claw Pokémon slashed its claws through the air, blue swords surrounded it before disappearing, and then it glowed gold as it powered up.
"Use Superpower!" Ash commanded. Luxray charged forward as he glowed white, and was about to hit Weavile when it dodged with a smug smile.
"Finish it with Ice Punch!" the ice/dark types' right claw glowed pale blue as it was about to land a hit, but when Ash made a buzzing sound, Luxray countered with an extended claw made of electricity, stunning everybody. The two claws stalemated until they exploded, distancing the two apart as they shook their respective paws from the force.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Did Ash Ketchum use a move that doesn't exist?!"
"Well, it wasn't invented in a short time or cheaply. Shortly after I acquired my 8th badge, I remembered that luxios use their claws to shock prey, but they don't even have their own slashing moves. So I hired a move tutor. Sure, $200 dollars an hour for a little under 4 months racked up quite the large bill, but it didn't make a dent to my $2.5 million. Anyway, we taught him how to convert the electricity in his Thunder Fang into his claws, and invented Thunder Claw." Ash explained.
"Pika." Zappy agreed with a nod. Dawn crossed her arms and smiled, remembering those times.
"How incredible! We definitely know new moves pop up every few years or so, but never has one just been invented by such hard work and dedication except for Toxic! Ladies and gentleman, we have ourselves a genius in this tournament!" The entire audience cheered from how amazing such a feat was.
"I must say Ash, inventing a move at all earns my respect for you." Paul admitted. "And I respect nobody except for Cynthia."
"Sounds like your hard to please."
"Very much so. But enough about that. I'm here to win. Ice Punch!" Using the same move, Weavile tried to land the last strike.
"Thunder Claw!" Forming another claw of electricity, the two clashed like before, and were once again stalemated until the attacks exploded one final time. Everybody was silent as the dust cleared to show Luxray and Weavile staring at each other, their faces inches apart. That is, until they both fell down, though it took Luxay a second longer thanks to his higher height.
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! And yet due to falling to the ground last, Luxray is the winner, and the victory goes to Ash!"
"Yes Yes Yes!" Dawn celebrated jumping up and down along with the crowd saying Ash's name.
"How very interesting." Cynthia said, very impressed by the show.
"Alright! You did an awesome job, Luxray!
"Pika Pika!" Zappy added.
"Lux..." He said weakly as he stumbled towards Ash.
"You deserve a good rest return." Returning his Pokémon, Ash saw Paul return his Weavile and start to walk off.
"Wait!" Ash called out, stopping Paul. "You were quite fantastic! The only person that gives me a run for my money like that is Barry. I'm honored to have battled a veteran!" Without looking back, Paul responded,
"I wouldn't call it an honor for me. Although, you've got an adequate team I guess. Reach to the top." Although Ash was deflated that his opponent didn't have the same sentimentality, hearing that last part made him smile.
"Of course."
A/N: Whew, that took a lot of effort to be good. I don't know if this is as good as the battle from the anime, but I gave it my best shot. I considered having the Tournament start on July 8th instead of August 1st because July 8th is National Video Game day, but then I wondered how many people would get that without me telling them. So I settled on August 1st, the exact middle of the summer. Let me know in the reviews below what you think on how I did. It was lots of fun.