Pokémon Tails: A Journey to the East
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or Pokémon.
CHAPTER 17: Double Victories and Evolution Questions
A white flash lit up the battlefield as a reddish-orange baby lizard with a flaming tail poking out behind it appeared on the arena.
"Charmander!" the little Pokémon called happily.
"Charmander, I'm counting on you!" Gohan told it. "We need to win this battle, to avenge Ash's honor!"
The Fire-type looked back at its Trainer and nodded once to show that it understood.
"Char!" it declared, and then turned its head back to stare down its opponent, regarding it with determination.
"Do your best out there, Gohan!" Misty cheered.
Gohan glanced at her with a brief nod, appreciating the words.
"Oh, is that it?" Surge said haughtily, clapping his hand to his head as he laughed and laughed. "Baby chooses a baby Pokémon!"
"Enough!" Gohan said sternly. "Let's get this battle started already! Charmander, use Flamethrower!"
"MANDER!" the little lizard shouted, spewing forth a torrent of raging flames!
"Ha, dodge, Electabuzz!" Surge commanded.
"Hablblblblblb!" Electabuzz babbled as it dove to the side.
"Keep it up, Charmander!" Gohan instructed. "Ember!"
"Charmander!" Charmander roared, shooting still more flames at the Static Pokémon.
"Keeping dodging, Electabuzz!" Surge said with a giant smirk.
"Hablblblb!" Electabuzz responded.
And so it went on for a couple minutes, with Charmander throwing wave after wave of scorching flames at the larger Pokémon, but each and every time Electabuzz managed to dodge the oncoming flames, though for every miss, Charmander's attacks were getting closer and closer to reaching their target, something Gohan was quick to spot.
"Good, Charmander!" Gohan praised. "You've almost got him!"
"Char! Char! Char!" Charmander cried as now all the blasts that the baby lizard kept shooting grazed Electabuzz, leaving black burn marks where they hit, but throughout it all Electabuzz kept dodging, never slowing down.
"Hablblblb!" Electabuzz replied, seemingly unaffected.
"Ha, now I've got you right where I want you!" Surge called.
"What?" Gohan said, and then, to his total horror, he could suddenly see his blunder, what he had been too distracted with getting close to Electabuzz, beating Surge and defending his friends to really notice.
"Electabuzz, Thunderpunch!" Surge bellowed gleefully.
And the Gym Leader's Pokémon, now only a couple feet away from Charmander, would have no problem getting close before the Fire-type could attack again or even defend itself in any meaningful manner.
"Oh no!" Gohan hurled futilely. "Charmander, look out!"
"Char?" Charmander said before, instantly, Electabuzz was right in its face, its fist cocked back and crackling with raw electrical power.
"Hablblblblblb!" Electabuzz babbled as it swung forward.
WHAM! It slammed its fist directly into Charmander's face, sending Charmander spinning sideways through the air as dozens of powerful electric arcs coursed across its body until finally it landed roughly in an unceremonious heap, several feet away from the snorting Electabuzz.
"Hablblblblb!" Electabuzz babbled.
Misty winced, feeling sorry for Charmander. "Oh, Gohan..."
"Oh no!" Gohan expressed, now looking both concerned and horrified over what had happened. "Charmander, please, please be okay!"
"That's it, baby," Surge taunted. "Game, set, and match. Yous was just asking for trouble with a three-on-three match."
"Oh, Charmander..." Gohan uttered softly, standing there, torn, wondering whether he should continue the battle to avenge Ash's honor or whether or not the fight was really worth it in the end.
"Gohan, what are you gonna do?" Misty shouted. "Don't just stand there! Do something! You're the Pokémon Trainer and in a battle, the Trainer's judgment is more important than anything. Do you wanna battle or not?"
Shaking his head, Gohan glanced out at the battlefield, where Charmander could be seen struggling to its feet.
"Well, I must say, I'm impressed," Surge commented, smirking like a madman. "Yous Pokémon certainly knows how to take a beating better than most." He shrugged. "It's a shame I gots to do this, but oh well, a battle's a battle."
"Charmander, do you want to continue?" Gohan asked.
Charmander looked back at Gohan, nodding once. "Charmander!"
Gohan returned the nod. "Don't worry, Charmander! We're going to win!"
"Charmander!" Charmander bellowed as it turned back to face the bigger Pokémon.
I can't let Charmander get hit by that Thunderpunch again, Gohan realized, noticing the tremble in the Lizard Pokémon's legs as well as the sweat dripping down its face; it looked pretty bad. One more blow will probably finish it off. But a direct attack won't work... what's my strategy?
In desperation, Gohan cast his mind to the battles that he'd fought in throughout his life, from the skirmishes with Garlic Jr. to the encounter with Raditz and the Saiyan invasion to the battles with Frieza and the Ginyu Force on Planet Namek and more recently, Cell, but he came up with nothing!
And then, suddenly, inspiration dawned.
"Charmander, go, Tackle!" Gohan commanded it.
"MANDER!" the Fire-type roared as it charged.
"Heh, like that's gonna work!" Surge grinned. "Electabuzz, use Thunderpunch again!"
"Hablblblb!" Electabuzz said faithfully.
The two Pokémon rushed one another, gaining ground with every second, until finally, when Charmander was only a couple feet away from the larger, enraged, and charging Electric-type Pokémon...
"Now, Charmander, drop!" Gohan ordered.
Charmander obeyed the command, falling to its belly on the arena floor, right as the Thunderpunch soared harmlessly overhead!
"Hablblblblb?" Electabuzz said, sounding confused.
"Now use Skull Bash!" Gohan added.
"CHAR!" Charmander cried as it leapt up from the floor, slamming into Electabuzz and sending the Static Pokémon stumbling back.
"Hey, way to go, Gohan!" Misty cheered. "You did it! Now knock the wind out of that windbag!"
"Electabuzz, shake it off!" Lieutenant Surge told it angrily. "We gots a battle to win!"
"Hablblblb!" Electabuzz said.
"Playtime is over!" Surge growled. "Thunderbolt now!"
"Now, Charmander, use Flamethrower on the floor!" Gohan said.
"Use the Flamethrower on the floor?" Misty repeated, blinking once in confusion. "Why's he doing that?"
"Char!" Charmander said, opening its mouth wide and blasting a jet stream of flames down towards the floor. "CHARMANDER!"
And just like Gohan had predicted, the force of Charmander's flames pushed upward as the Fire-type Pokémon sailed away from the strong waves of electricity, rising higher and higher until it had reached the ceiling of the Gym.
"Now, grab one of those beams!" Gohan instructed.
"Char!" Charmander said as it latched onto the ceiling supports and hung there, suspended above the battlefield like a chandelier.
"Oh, now I get it," Misty said smartly. She smiled. "Gohan knew the Flamethrower would propel Charmander up into the air, where it could hide above the ceiling and avoid getting hit by any Electric attacks."
"Oh no you don't!" Surge snorted, spotting instantly what Gohan was trying to do. "If yous think we're gonna let you get the advantage from above, then think again!" He pointed. "Go, Electabuzz! Use Thunder!"
"HABLBLBLBLB!" Electabuzz roared, sending a strong wave of electricity at Charmander.
"Protect yourself, Charmander!" Gohan said.
And within seconds the blast had reached the ceiling — a bright flash erupted as thousands of watts of power coursed across the beams and struts of the roof, breaking the glass in the Gym's windows. A couple minutes later, the light faded, and Charmander was nowhere to be seen!
"Ha, that's the end of the match, baby!" Surge laughed.
Gohan smirked confidently. "You think so, huh?"
Lieutenant Surge had only a few seconds to look shocked before an orange head popped out from behind one of the struts!"
"MANDER!" it announced proudly.
"What?" Surge said flatly.
"You forget, Lieutenant Surge," Gohan told him, holding up a finger. "The ceiling's supports can provide cover for Charmander against any kind of attack you throw at us. There's no way none of your attacks are ever going to hit."
"Grrrr, we'll see about that, baby!" Surge growled. "Electabuzz, use Thunderpunch on the floor now!"
"Wait, hit the floor?" Misty repeated. "Why?"
The Electric Pokémon cocked back and smashed its crackling fist into the ground beneath it, dislodging the compacted metal as arcs coursed around the spot of impact and without having to hear the order from its Trainer, Electabuzz picked up the materials and held it high.
Misty gasped, instantly understanding what was going on.
"Now, Electabuzz, throw it!" Surge yelled.
"Hablblblb!" Electabuzz babbled as it tossed the slab at the ceiling above.
"Dodge, Charmander!" Gohan replied.
Charmander obeyed his command faithfully, jumping over on to the next support strut as the slab slammed into the spot it had just been crouching in, breaking the support strut into a twisted scrap of junk metal.
"Don't give 'em any breathing room, Electabuzz!" Surge snarled. "Do it again!"
"Hablblblblb!" Electabuzz hollered as it smashed its fists into the floor and brought up yet another chunk of rock.
Once again, Electabuzz threw the slab at the place where Charmander was, and once again, Charmander simply dodged it.
"Again, Electabuzz, again, again!" Surge commanded.
"Hablblblblblblb!" Electabuzz babbled incessantly as it grabbed piece after piece of metal slab from the arena floor and threw it up towards Charmander, but every time, Charmander would hop up to the next beam, narrowly avoiding the pulverizing blows from the impact.
But eventually Charmander's luck ran out.
"Hablblblblb!" Electabuzz shouted as it threw another slab of metal.
However, Charmander, now weakened from such an intense fight, moved much too slowly as the concrete piece connected solidly with the support strut, breaking it in two and knocking the wind out of Charmander as the little Fire-type fell to the ground below.
"Oh no, Charmander!" Gohan cried, but too late.
WHAM! Charmander slammed into the floor along with the twisted remnants of the support strut.
"Oh, is it okay?" Misty asked worriedly.
"Now I've got yous!" Surge bellowed. "Electabuzz, go, Thunderpunch!"
"Hablblblblb!" Electabuzz said as it went charging at Charmander.
"Char... Char..." Charmander panted weakly, teetering on the razor's edge of collapse.
"Oh, this looks like the end!" Misty said concernedly.
But right then, as the Static Pokémon loomed menacingly over little Charmander, with defeat almost certain and nothing else to do which would help him in saving his Pokémon, Gohan reacted instinctively.
"Charmander, Ember!" Gohan yelled. "Aim for the eyes!"
Misty and Surge gasped in unison.
"MANDER!" Charmander roared as it unleashed a stream of furious flames which crossed over the short distance in seconds, impacting directly in the charging Electric Pokémon's eyeballs, burning them.
"HBLBLBLBLBLBLB!" Electabuzz cried, halting in its tracks and rubbing at the offending areas.
"Quickly, Charmander, use Flamethrower!" Gohan ordered, pointing forward.
"CHAR! CHARMANDER!" Charmander declared as it shot its most powerful Flamethrower attack at Electabuzz, smashing right into the Pokémon's yellow stomach and roasting the Electric-type as it pushed Electabuzz back several feet even while Electabuzz cried out in pain.
"Hblblblblblb!"
"Electabuzz, no!" Lieutenant Surge shouted.
"All right, Gohan, you've got this one!" Misty cheered.
"Now, Charmander, use Skull Bash!" Gohan said.
"Char... Char... Char... MANDER!" Charmander yelled courageously, gathering the last reserves of its failing energy as it leapt up from the battlefield and charged straight at the slowly recovering Electabuzz.
"Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!" Surge countered.
Now with its eyesight back, Electabuzz wound up its fist, crackling with electrical power... but Charmander was right in front of it!
"Careful, Gohan, you're too close!" Misty shouted.
"Charmander, go!" Gohan said.
"MANDER!" Charmander cried passionately.
"Hblblblblb!" Electabuzz babbled.
The Static Pokémon swung forward even as Charmander plunged in...
And then the two combatants collided in a fiery exchange of blows. The determined Fire-type slammed right into Electabuzz's torso while Electabuzz's sparking fist connected solidly with the tinier Pokémon.
BAM! BAM! As one, both the Pokémon went flying across the arena, generating a huge flash of light. Seconds passed, but finally, the light died down, and when it did, there lie Electabuzz and Charmander, both of them with large, swirling Xs in their pupils, obviously unconscious.
"NO WAY!" Surge shouted. "Impossible!"
"Yay, woo-hoo, way to go, you did it, Gohan!" Misty cheered.
As much as her praise always bolstered Gohan's spirit, in this case he could only give her a light smile in return, then lifted his Poké Ball.
"Good job, Charmander," Gohan said. "You fought well. Rest now and we'll take care of the rest."
Seemingly in spite of himself, Surge held up his Poké Ball and called back Electabuzz.
"Well, well... this is very unexpected," the war veteran conceded. "No one's beaten me in a long time, but..."
And he smirked as he pulled out another Poké Ball.
"You won't be so lucky next time, baby!" he finished. "Go, Jolteon!"
And from that, spiky-haired, yellow-furred, cat-like Pokémon materialized on the battlefield.
"What's that Pokémon?" Misty wondered.
But Gohan already had his Pokédex out and analyzing it.
"Jolteon, the Lightning Pokémon," Dexter droned on. "A sensitive Pokémon that can easily become sad or angry. When charged with electricity, the hair on its body stands on end, allowing it to fire a barrage of missiles from its bristle-like fur."
"Jolteon, huh?" Gohan said, as his mind worked to decide what Pokémon to use next, before finally settling on the one he wanted. "Well, if that's the case, then it's time to shake things up a bit!"
Reaching for another Poké Ball, Gohan flung it at the center of the arena with a war cry.
"Go, Clefairy!"
And out popped the cute little Fairy Pokémon in a haze of white light.
"Clefairy, Fairy Fairy, Clef, Fairy," the adorable pink Pokémon said.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Surge laughed. "Dis one's an even bigger baby than the last!"
"Clefairy, we're counting on you to do your best!" Gohan told it. "Please, help us avenge Ash and Pikachu!"
"Clefairy," Clefairy nodded back with a look of pure determination on its face.
"Go, Jolteon, Thundershock now!" Surge commanded with a steely expression written across his features.
"Jolt!" The Lightning Pokémon barked, sending out a wave of golden sparking energy at the hapless victim before it.
However, Gohan was prepared for that.
"Quick, use Light Screen, Clefairy!" Gohan ordered it.
"Clefairy!" the Moon Pokémon chirped as it raised a screen of energy around its body and then just like that, the tendrils of electricity halted before coming into contact with the smaller Pokémon's body, lashing off the sides of the force field like fire crackling around the edges.
"Good job, Clefairy!" Gohan praised.
"Go, Gohan! Go, Clefairy!" Misty cheered. "Kick Surge's butt!"
Perhaps hearing what she said, Surge growled. "So you know some decent defense moves. That won't save you! Jolteon, Tackle!"
"Jolt, Jolt!" Jolteon cried as it barreled down on Gohan's Pokémon, ready to take full advantage of its greater size and smash its weight down on the smaller Pokémon leaving it powerless to defend itself against Surge's Pokémon.
Again, however, when Jolteon was mere inches from Clefairy, Gohan unveiled his winning strategy.
"Light Screen again!" Gohan shouted.
"Fairy!" Clefairy yelled as it erected another yellow barrier to protect itself from the coming onslaught of Jolteon's Tackle.
Then, suddenly, a smirk appeared on Lieutenant Surge's face. "Go, Jolteon, Dig!"
"What?" Gohan said.
"Oh no, this is bad," Misty breathed.
Before it could slam into the golden barrier, Jolteon burrowed into the hard floor, disappearing from everyone's view entirely.
"Stay calm, Clefairy!" Gohan advised his Pokémon. "I'll make sure it doesn't catch you by surprise!"
"Clefairy, Fairy," Clefairy said, trusting its beloved Trainer at its word.
Surge laughed uproariously. "Oh, sure, like yous are ever gonna see Jolteon coming! Dream on, baby!"
Gohan closed his eyes, reaching out with ki sense, tracking the movements of Jolteon underground, circling around from behind so that it was in a perfect position to strike, and his eyes suddenly snapped open!
"Go, Jolteon!" Surge roared.
"Clefairy, behind!" Gohan commanded.
"JOLT!" Jolteon bellowed as it exploded from the arena floor, but Clefairy, forewarned by its Trainer, leaped to avoid it.
"Clefairy! Fairy, Fairy!" Clefairy stated proudly as it did so.
"All right! Go, Gohan!" Misty praised the half-Saiyan.
"How could you know where that was coming?" Surge demanded, seemingly annoyed by the length of what he had considered to be a short, simple battle. "Grrrrr, never mind! Jolteon, Thundershock!"
"Jolteon! Jolt!" Jolteon cried as it unleashed another barrage of crackling electricity on Clefairy.
"Clefairy, Light Screen!" Gohan snapped off quickly, knowing that if one of those Electrical blasts hit, Clefairy was cooked.
Amazingly, mere seconds before the Thundershock could hit, the Moon Pokémon managed to raise another barrier, blocking the attack.
"This battle's gone on too long!" Lieutenant Surge shouted furiously. "Jolteon, go, now use Tackle!"
"JOLT!" Jolteon barked.
"Light Screen, Clefairy!" Gohan yelled instinctively.
However, a look of panic appeared on Clefairy's face as it realized that it couldn't summon another Light Screen!
"Oh no, Clefairy!" Gohan cried.
BAM! The full weight of the larger Pokémon was sent slamming into poor Clefairy, who bounced several feet before coming to a total stop a good distance away, looking considerably more bruised and beaten.
"Clefairy!" Gohan shouted.
"Oh no, is it okay?" Misty wondered worriedly.
"I told yous, baby!" Surge smirked, waggling a finger tauntingly at Gohan. "You may have put up a better fight than most of the babies I crush beneath my boot heel, but in the end, the result's the same!"
"Clefairy, can you get up?" Gohan asked it.
"Clefa... Clefa... C-Clef-f-fairy..." Clefairy groaned, even as the tiny Pokémon strained and fought against its battered and aching limbs to rise to its own two feet, and it gave its Trainer a rather shaky nod, one which Gohan returned, although he knew he was gonna have to wrap up this battle quickly before Clefairy became too exhausted.
Looks like it's time to pull out our secret weapon! He realized slowly.
"Well, is that it, or do you just wanna give up now?" Surge said.
"No way!" Gohan said, shaking his head angrily. "We're not gonna give up!"
"Okay, so be it," Surge smirked. "You had your chance. Go, Jolteon, use the Twineedle attack!"
"Jolt!" Jolteon shouted, running closer to Clefairy.
"Gohan, what are you gonna do?" Misty said.
"Clefairy, go!" Gohan commanded it. "Use Metronome!"
Instantly, Clefairy started wagging its fingers, back and forth, back and forth, drawing what little power it had left in order to perform the attack, as Jolteon rushed closer and closer, until finally, when it was only a couple feet away, the earth began shaking as though a mighty giant was stampeding all around them, halting Jolteon in its tracks.
"What is that?" Misty said as the ground heaved to and fro beneath her feet.
"It's an Earthquake!" one of the bikers nearby said, doing her best not to pitch forward and fall flat on her face.
Fissures started sprouting up across the arena floor, sending Jolteon flopping bonelessly around while the ground smacked into it over and over, finally abating after a couple minutes, but by then the damage was done, and it lay in a heap a dozen feet away.
"Wow, what an attack!" Misty breathed. "And to think that little Clefairy was capable of doing this!"
"Jolteon, no!" Surge snarled. "How could you do this, baby?"
"I told you, we're gonna win this," Gohan retorted with muted fury. "We're gonna win and avenge the honor of Ash and Pikachu, and every Trainer you've beaten and bullied and harassed before in the past! Clefairy, we're going all the way!"
"C-C-Clef-fairy!" Clefairy said, nodding its head as it staggered to remain upright.
"Go, Jolteon, Thunder!" Surge snapped, now tired of playing around and planning to go straight for the instant knockout.
"Go, Clefairy, Metronome again!" Gohan shouted, hoping it would choose a move that would benefit them.
Again, Clefairy raised its two fingers and began wagging them back and forth, as Jolteon stood there, mesmerized by the motions.
"Jolteon, what are you doing?" Surge demanded. "Go! Thunder! Finish them off!"
But it appeared Jolteon wasn't listening to its Trainer's command as one moment later, a bright flash erupted out of Clefairy's fingers, and Jolteon, acting as though this were some hidden signal, fell forward facefirst onto the arena floor, swirls of confusion in its eyes.
"Jolt... Jolt... eon... Jolteon..." Jolteon mumbled.
"No, Jolteon, what are you doing?" Lieutenant Surge growled.
"It must have been Confuse Ray!" Misty said brightly. "Gohan, you can do this! Here's your chance to end this battle right now!"
Encouraged by her words, Gohan pointed forward. "Clefairy, now use Double Slap on Jolteon!"
Rushing forward with a savage shout, Clefairy began pounding and smacking the living daylights out of Jolteon, putting the Fighting move to good effect in damaging the much larger and stronger Pokémon.
However, it seemed to have the unfortunate byproduct of rendering Jolteon back to its senses.
"JOLTEON!" Jolteon barked furiously.
"Good, yous are back to normal!" Surge commented. "Now, Jolteon, Tackle and then finish it off with Thunderbolt!"
"Jolt!" Jolteon shouted as it charged like a Tauros towards Clefairy.
"Oh, both are exhausted, who's going to win?" Misty murmured with her hands clasped together anxiously.
"Go, Clefairy, one more Metronome, please!" Gohan ordered.
Instantly, Clefairy raised its fingers again, wagging them back and forth, back and forth, and as it did so, a soft vapor exploded out of its body and fell sprinkling like a glittery hail all across the battlefield.
"Jolt?" Jolteon remarked, confused, as it came to a stop.
The dust fell all over it, and immediately, its eyelids began drooping, as the fatigue from the surprisingly hard battle against Clefairy and the magic of the powder worked the magic, and it rubbed one paw at its eyes.
"Jolt..." it muttered drowsily, yawning widely.
"Oh wow, it must be Sleep Powder!" Misty shouted excitedly.
"Oh no! Jolteon, don't you dare go to sleep!" Surge yelled. "I need you to win this for me!"
But whether it was listening Surge or not, that was irrelevant when Jolteon slowly laid its head down, hunkering its shoulders close to its body as it drifted off to sleep with a soft sigh, and, pretty soon, the sounds of contented snoring filled the stadium.
"The Gym Leader's Pokémon, Jolteon, has fallen asleep, thereby the match goes to the challenger, Gohan!" the ref announced.
"Yes, woo-hoo!" Misty whooped. "You did it, you did it, you did it!"
"Just one more to go and then we've brought Ash and Pikachu their justice," Gohan remarked with a soft smile.
"Grrrr, who would've ever thought such a baby Trainer could be such a tough cookie?" Surge snarled as he recalled the Lightning Pokémon.
"Clefairy... Clef... Clef... Fairy..." Clefairy moaned, worn out from such intense fighting.
Clefairy's completely exhausted, Gohan mused. I've gotta hurry and end the next battle quick or she won't make it!
"But don't get too confident," Surge smirked. "Just because you beat my other two Pokémon don't mean you're still a match for the last one — get ready for your funeral, baby!" Lieutenant Surge tossed away a Poké Ball. "Raichu, go, I call you!"
And from the white light materialized a large rodent Pokémon, the one Gohan had seen beat Ash before.
"Go, Clefairy!" Gohan shouted, hoping to score a quick win. "Use Metronome again!"
Again, Clefairy began wagging its fingers, back and forth, back and forth, but to Gohan's total and unexpected surprise, Clefairy's eyelids started drooping... similar to what had happened to Jolteon before.
"Wait, what's wrong with Clefairy?" Misty wondered.
Surge, seeing what was happening, withheld a command for Raichu.
"Could it be...?" he said as his smirk grew wider. "Oh, it may be!"
"Chu?" Raichu wondered.
"Clefairy, are you okay?" Gohan asked it.
And just like that, Clefairy suddenly tipped over, falling onto its back on the arena, snoring up a storm.
"Oh no! Clefairy, what happened?" Gohan said confusedly.
Surge barked out another laugh. "That was Rest, baby. But them's the danger of Metronome. You don't know what attack's coming next!"
"Oh, Gohan..." Misty said, her heart going out to Gohan.
Reaching for his Poké Ball, Gohan recalled Clefairy, glancing down at the red-and-white sphere.
"You did a good job," he praised it. "Rest will and you can win next time."
Pulling out another Poké Ball, Gohan turned to Surge with a very determined expression. "So we're tied. But I promise you we're gonna win this battle!" Tossing the ball out, Gohan shouted, "Go, Mew!"
Surge and his biker friends gasped at what he had just said, and sure enough, there materialized the innocent, happy little Cat Pokémon.
"A Mew?!" Surge babbled incoherently. "What the heck? How on Earth did yous ever catch such a rare Pokémon?"
"Mew!" Mew giggled, pleased with all the attention. "Mew, Mew!"
Gohan smirked in a manner that was definitely a result of his Saiyan side. "So, you wanna give up?"
Surge retook control of himself. "No way, baby. You may have a super rare Pokémon, but this battle is just getting started!"
He pointed. "Now, Raichu, go, Thunderbolt!" Surge commanded the Electric Rodent.
"RAI!" Raichu cried, leaping forward as it released a devastating Thunderbolt attack.
"Go, Mew, dodge it!" Gohan demanded.
"Mew!" Mew cried as it soared to the side, evading the Thunderbolt attack.
"What? No challenger's ever been able to dodge Raichu's Thunderbolt!" Lieutenant Surge exclaimed in shock. "Not one!"
"Mew isn't your average Pokémon," Gohan scoffed. "Now, Mew, use Psychic!"
"MEW!" Mew growled as suddenly, that oh so familiar hellish blue entered its pupils, and like that, it threw Raichu up, slamming it up against the ceiling, and then bringing it down again to smash into Vermilion Gym's floor.
"Raichu!" Surge shouted desperately. "Do something! Use Thunder!"
Glancing up furiously at the happy Psychic Pokémon, Raichu threw up its arms as it roared like the resounding cry of a vengeful deity.
"RAICHU!" the Electric Pokémon screamed, unleashing wave after wave of explosive Electrical power.
Smoke filled the arena, the windows blew, the ground literally ripped up beneath their feet, as Raichu's full fury was released.
Coughing into the haze, Misty could only stare into the smokescreen with worry, hoping Gohan and Mew were okay.
"Who could withstand this kind of attack?" Misty wondered. "I'm not even sure Mew could do it!"
Slowly, the dust particles in the center of the arena settled, and through the cloud, visibility slowly returned.
"Ah, and that's game, set, and match," Surge snorted confidently.
Just then, as the gaps in the smoke opened up, Surge was met with a shocking sight.
"What the heck?!" the Lighting American shouted. "No way! I don't believe what I'm seeing!"
"That's..." Misty stammered. "That's..."
Short, chubby, with tan fur and a white belly, another, identical Raichu stood in the center of the stadium!
"Raichu!" Misty and Lieutenant Surge both said at the same time.
"Rai!" the other Raichu said happily, a big smile on its face.
"Did I forget to tell you?" Gohan mentioned innocently. "Mew knows how to Transform!"
"I don't believe this!" Surge ranted. Then he came to his senses. "Who cares? Raichu, go! Finish this now! Thunderbolt!"
"Rai... Rai... RAICHU!" Surge's Raichu roared, summoning up the last of its reserves to blast Mew with still more intense electricity.
"Go, Mew, now use Thunder!" Gohan said commandingly.
"Raichu!" Mew bellowed with furious power in its voice, and if the powerful Electric wave coming towards the Legendary Pokémon was impressive, it was nothing compared to the wave that Mew sent flying straight for Raichu, batting aside Raichu's Thunderbolt with pathetic ease as it crashed right into Raichu!
"RAI!" Raichu cried out in pain as ten thousand volts of electricity coursed all over its body.
"No, Raichu!" Lieutenant Surge shouted.
"Now follow up with Tackle!" Gohan ordered, not letting the heat up.
"Rai... Rai... Raichu!" Mew growled as it smashed right into poor Raichu's belly, knocking the wind out of it.
"Now finish with Tail Whip!" Gohan ordered Mew.
"RAICHU!" Mew snarled as it pivoted in its place, turning a full 180 degrees to bring its long tail snaking away to slam into Raichu's face, sending it to the floor in a crumpled, defeated heap, dazed Xs swirling in its eyes as it lay there in the center of the stadium, beaten at last.
"NO WAY!" Surge exclaimed. "IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Yay! You won! You did it!" Misty cheered. "Oh, I am so proud of you, Gohan-kun!"
Gohan blushed at the term while Mew, now back in its original body, flew over to him, jumping into his arms.
"Hey, you did good, Mew," Gohan complimented it. "You avenged Ash and Pikachu. Thanks."
"Mew!" Mew chirped, snuggling closer to its Trainer. "Mew..."
A few minutes later, the group could be found near the entrance to the Gym.
"Here yous go, Gohan," Surge stated, holding out his palm to reveal a Thunder Badge clutched inside it.
"What?" Gohan blinked, confused. "But this is a Thunder Badge. Why are you giving it to me?"
"Because yous beat me, stupid!" Surge said with a smirk. "You've more than earned it! No one's ever beat me before!"
"Rai!" Raichu said as it stood to the side.
"Go on, take it," Lieutenant Surge affirmed. "You're no baby, Gohan, and with this, you've proven it."
"Do you really mean that?" Gohan demanded of him suspiciously.
"Sure, I do!" Surge repeated. "Now go ahead and take it."
Reaching out, Gohan hesitantly took the Thunder Badge as a hurricane of conflicting emotions roiled through him.
He's acting so nice to me now... Gohan thought. But he was just so mean a few seconds ago! I don't get this. Is he really a nice guy after all? But he hurt Ash and Pikachu so much, and he seemed to enjoy that...
"Thanks," Gohan said neutrally, not knowing how to properly respond.
"Hey, Gohan," Misty said, sidling up to him. "We should go check on Ash and Pikachu at the Pokémon Center."
"Right," Gohan said, happy for the excuse to be away from Lieutenant Surge's presence. "See ya later."
And with that, Misty grabbed onto his shoulder as Gohan teleported them out of there in a haze of particles and energy.
In the darkened hallways, a shadowy figure strolled through them, moving at a brisk pace, as though, whatever the business was which carried it forward, it was not all that urgent, although it did demand a certain level of speed. The figure stopped at a metal door and pressing its hand to the identification panel to the left side of the entrance, the door slid open, allowing the figure entry into the room beyond.
The figure walked into the harsh fluorescent glow generated by the overhead lights, revealing it to be none other than Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket, and he stopped a couple feet away from the scientists who were clustered around a table with another, muscle-bound figure strapped to it, taking notes and rushing to and fro around the room.
"Report," Giovanni snapped.
The head scientist, a man with light blue hair and a lab coat, approached him.
"Sir, it's just amazing," the scientist stated. "We've been examining the specimen for weeks now, but we still don't understand how he got here, however, we have discovered he has a dense bone and muscle structure — as if he was raised in an environment with a much higher concentration of gravity than that on Earth. The genomes that make up his genetic composition are very strange, too; they were designed in such a way that it seems the more damage is inflicted to him, the stronger his recovery rate will be. Furthermore..."
"Yes, that's all very interesting, Doctor," Giovanni interrupted testily, "but what I want to know is whether the specimen's DNA is in any way similar to the hair strand recovered from the boy. Are they the same species?"
The scientist nodded. "They are, sir... to a degree; the chromosomes that make up his DNA are 50% compatible to the specimen's DNA, and that leads me to believe the boy's not a purebred, sir, but something of a hybrid."
Giovanni nodded. "Good. Continue your work, Dr. Boros."
Dr. Boros went back to resume his work while Giovanni headed back towards the door, pausing before the entrance as he turned to face the unconscious, immobile form of the other Saiyan on the medical table.
You are going to prove very useful to me when I need you, Giovanni thought as a dark smirk lit his face. Oh yes, you and my other special project will ensure this boy does not challenge my plans for the future. I've worked too hard and too long to let an ignorant little child be the undoing to all of my grand designs.
And with that, he exited the room, his mind still filled with all of his great ambitions.
"Wow, seriously?" Brock repeated, stunned. "You actually beat Lieutenant Surge?"
"Oh, you should have seen him, Brock, they were wonderful!" Misty said, sending Gohan a smile. "Surge never knew what hit him!"
Gohan blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly.
"So you beat Lieutenant Surge," Ash said, his voice downcast. "And Pikachu and I couldn't even faze him."
"Don't worry, Ash," Gohan said gently. "You can try again! If we were able to beat Surge, then you should be able to as well!"
Ash looked down with a sigh, feeling very weary. "I don't know what good it would do. You're in another league altogether, Gohan. How are we gonna compete with the likes of you and that Lieutenant Surge?"
Gohan felt very sad for him, realizing that his presence was actually discouraging the young Pokémon Trainer. What am I supposed to do? Should I just give up being a Trainer altogether? But until I can get back home, these are the only friends I have...
"There might be one way you can win."
The group turned to find Nurse Joy entering the room.
"I'm sorry," Nurse Joy apologized, stepping over to them. "I overheard your conversation and I thought maybe —"
Ash, quick to business, was instantly on his feet. "How could we win, Nurse Joy?"
"Well, you see, a little while ago, I happened to come across this," the Pokémon Nurse said as she held up an object in her palms.
Gohan recognized it. "Hey, I saw that in one of the beginner's guides to Pokémon! That's a Thunder Stone, isn't it?"
Ash turned to Gohan. "A Thunder Stone? What's that?"
"The book said Thunder Stones are one of several exceptionally rare elemental stones with special properties which, only through physical contact, can trigger a reactionary metamorphosis process in specific kinds of Pokémon that cause them to evolve," Gohan explained.
Ash blinked at all the confusing words. "Huh? Can you run that by me one more time, please, Gohan?"
The others fell over while Gohan let out a soft, weary, but amused chuckle.
"What he means is that if you use this on Pikachu, it will evolve into Raichu," Nurse Joy elaborated.
"I can evolve Pikachu into Raichu?" Ash repeated, stunned. "Then Pikachu might be strong enough to win!"
"You should think carefully before using the Thunder Stone, though," Nurse Joy cautioned.
"Huh? But why?" Ash wondered, feeling his hopes dashed again.
"Evolution is a permanent process, Ash," Gohan piped up. "Once it's done, it can't be undone."
"He's right, Ash," Misty agreed. "If you make Pikachu evolve, you won't be able to change it back again."
"And Pikachu will never be the same," Brock finished.
Ash stared at the yellow-encrusted stone, silently accepting it from Nurse Joy while he thought long and hard about his options.
"If I make Pikachu evolve, we could win," Ash mulled. "But if I force it to evolve, I'd be just like Surge."
He turned to the bedridden Pikachu, watching every word they said, and held the Thunder Stone out to the Rat Pokémon.
"Pikachu, this is a big decision," Ash told it, "and you are the one who has to make it, but whatever you decide, I'll stand by you."
Slowly, Pikachu stood up, still staring at the stone being offered to it, and for a couple of minutes there was silence as the group waited with bated breath, wondering what it would decide. For those two minutes, Pikachu glanced from its Trainer, to Nurse Joy, to both Brock and Misty and Gohan, and even to his Pokémon, Mew, as though it was seeking its counsel.
Mew nodded at Pikachu, smiling as it backflipped happily. "Mew! Mew!"
Finally, Pikachu looked to Ash as it suddenly burst into conversation, speaking slow and deliberately, appealing to Ash's soul.
"What's it saying?" Misty stated.
"I think that it's saying..." Gohan ventured, "that to win battles, it shouldn't abandon what it stands for, it needs to fight fair and win on its own terms, but Pikachu and Ash are now in the big leagues, and it's going to take more than courage and determination to win, it's gonna take power especially if Pikachu has to fight Mew or another Legendary one day, and so, Pikachu says it will use the Thunder Stone to evolve, but only when it's ready."
"Really?" Ash said, now touched by what he was hearing. "Is that what you're saying, Pikachu?"
Pikachu nodded a yes. "Pika, Pika Pika, Pi Pika Pikachu!"
Ash pumped a fist in response. "Then that's how it'll be. Only when you're feeling ready for this, buddy, and you can count on that!"
And then Pikachu collapsed, exhausted, onto the bed.
"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, sounding worried.
"I don't think it's fully recovered yet," Nurse Joy told them.
"In that case, I think we should let it rest, right, guys?" Gohan offered.
"I think you're right, Gohan," Misty affirmed, and walked up to him.
"Mew!" Mew insisted, trailing pink arcs in midair. "Mew, Mew!"
But when they turned to leave the room, they noticed that Ash was still standing over Pikachu, that concerned look still on his face.
"Ash!" Misty broke in, causing him to snap and jerk back to them.
"Don't worry about Pikachu, Ash," Gohan reassured him. "It'll be all right, promise. But now we should just give it some time alone."
"Yeah," Ash said uncertainly, following after them.
And the trio and Mew left the room as Pikachu slept onward.
"Oh, this whole thing has me so nervous," Misty sighed, shaking her head.
"But hey, since when are you ever worried about me, Misty?" the Pallet Trainer demanded scornfully.
"It's not you that I'm worried about!" Misty huffed, blushing angrily. "But if you're not careful, Pikachu will be in Pika Peril, again!"
"Arguing this way is pointless," Gohan interjected before they were able to continue with their debate. "The only thing that will beat Surge as it stands now is luck, strength, or a good strategy, so before we proceed, let's go over what we know about our enemy."
"Spoken like a true warrior!" the orange-headed girl stated, slapping Gohan on the back.
"Ahem, yes," Gohan said, with his cheeks pinking up. "Well, Surge seems to be the kind of Trainer that likes to go with brute force, but you'd be a fool to think that's all he battles with. When I beat him, Surge was very reflexive in how he handled his moves."
"Go on," Ash instructed, sounding interested.
"Of course, that just means he's even more dangerous than we first suspected," Gohan elaborated. "There isn't just muscle, but brains in that head... of course, it's all about thinking up newer, more inventive ways to hammer his opponents into submission. I think he's the kind of guy who would prefer to go in first, and ask questions later."
"Hey, that's the attitude he had with his Raichu!" Brock piped up. "Guys, didn't Surge say he evolved his Pikachu once he got it?"
"I think he did, yes," Misty replied.
Brock smiled mysteriously. "Then perhaps there is a way."
Ash sighed loudly and impressively as they left the Pokémon Center. "Pikachu, our lucky star is shining today like it was with Gohan!"
Pikachu looked confused. "Pika?"
"Where?" Misty said, shoving him down and poking over his head. "Where can you see a star shining in the middle of the day?"
"I don't mean figuratively!" Ash snarled back. "Pikachu, let's go. Now."
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, bouncing along with its Pokémon Trainer.
Gohan sidled up to her. "You do know the sun is a star, right?"
Misty smiled and answered back in a low undertone.
"Of course, but if there's a chance to show Ash who's boss, you better believe that I'm gonna take it!" the redheaded tomboy responded.
Gohan nodded.
The group strolled into the Vermilion City Gym where once again they were met with the two bikers.
"So, you've returned," the female biker said with a huge smirk.
"Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" the male biker said. "Surge's gonna cream you. You'll just end up in the ER again."
Gohan growled, a dark look crossing his features, as the two bikers recoiled, terrified of incurring the half-Saiyan boy's wrath.
"Where's Lieutenant Surge?" Ash demanded. "I wanna challenge him again!"
"Yo, Boss!" the male biker yelled. "That baby from before is back!"
From the darkened shadows, just like the previous time they entered the Gym, emerged the towering, hulking shape of Lieutenant Surge, a cool smile on his face, although... he really couldn't say if it was simply his imagination playing tricks on him, but Gohan could've sworn there was a slight glint of caution in those golden-hued pupils.
"Well, well, well, look who's back!" Surge laughed. "Baby's come back to challenge me! Didn't you get enough of a beating last time?"
Gohan scowled darkly. And to think that I was starting to believe I was wrong about him. Well, so much for that theory.
"I beat you before, Lieutenant Surge," Gohan admonished him. "And mark my words, my friend will too."
Surge glanced over to the raven-haired boy, seemingly conflicted over what to say next, before he waved his hand dismissively.
"Yeah, yeah, sure," he said. "Well, if yous are so eager for a beating, let's get this over with quick."
Pretty soon, the arena was set up again for the imminent rematch between Lieutenant Surge and Ash Ketchum.
The repair people must do a good job, Gohan thought, glancing around at the stadium. You can't even tell we had a battle three hours ago.
"You didn't even evolve your Pikachu," Surge mocked Ash. "You haven't learned a thing, heh. You got a ways to go if you want to be anything like your little friend here. Dat kid has a bright future."
Gohan flushed deeply at the backhanded compliment.
"Surge, Pikachu and I are going to beat you!" Ash called out. "Count on that!"
"PIKACHU!" Pikachu cried.
The bell rang, and just like that, the battle was underway!
"Go, Raichu!" Surge commanded. "Use Thunderbolt!"
"Dodge!" Ash commanded his Pokémon.
"Pika!" the yellow rodent chirped, evading the waves of electricity.
"Use the strategy we planned, Pikachu!" Ash cheered on, feeling a lot more confident than before. "You can do it!"
"Ka!" Pikachu answered back with equal confidence.
"Oh, so you've thought up a new way to lose?" Surge commented, smirking deeply, and he pointed out. "Go, Raichu! Tail Whip!"
Like a cat jumping on a mouse, Surge's Raichu brought its tail down across Pikachu's belly, slapping it severely, as the breath was forcibly expelled from its lungs, leaving it momentarily stunned from impact.
"Oh no, Pikachu!" Misty called.
"Ha, now do it again, Raichu!" Surge shouted.
"RAI!" Raichu cried as it repeated the same move.
"And again!" Surge ordered his prized Pokémon.
WHAM! And again the tail was brought down into Pikachu's belly.
"Again!" Surge commanded while he grinned at the display.
WHAM! And again Raichu's tail was slapped down across Pikachu's belly over and over again, all the while the bigger Pokémon smacked the stuffing out of Pikachu and rendering it unable to defend itself from Raichu despite the enormous damage it was inflicting on the Pikachu.
"Finish it off, Raichu!" Surge ordered. "Body Slam, full power!"
"Quick, Ash!" the Saiyan Trainer urged him. "Remember what Brock told you before in the Pokémon Center!"
Ash nodded, then turned back to his Pokémon. "Pikachu, dodge!"
The yellow rat obeyed, scampering aside in the brief seconds Raichu was blind before it could slam its body weight down upon it.
"Do it now, Pikachu!" Ash insisted. "Go, go! Agility!"
"Pika!" Pikachu said, shooting off to the side at an impressive speed.
"Raichu, don't let that scare you!" Surge announced. "Body Slam again!"
But Raichu glanced around, confused, as Pikachu seemed to literally transform into a solid blur of yellow.
"Uh, Raichu?" Surge said, as perplexed as his Pokémon.
"It's working!" Misty remarked. "Just like Brock said it would!"
"If Surge evolved his Pokémon too fast, then it stands to reason it would've never learned the special speed attacks it can only learn in the Pikachu stage," the dark-skinned Trainer said, nodding sagely.
"OKAY, PIKACHU, USE ALL THE AGILITY YOU GOT!" Ash cried, clenching his fists in excitement.
"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed, zipping around the arena even faster than it had been zooming before as Raichu just stared at it, eyes swirling.
"Your Raichu is too slow, Surge," Gohan informed the Gym Leader. "That's how Ash will beat you. And for all your experience in war, you still haven't seen the things I have; that's how I was able to defeat you."
"Raichu, don't let that intimidate you!" Lieutenant Surge barked. "Go, Thunder, MAXIMUM POWER!"
Struggling back up to its feet, Surge's Raichu tossed up its arm as a bellow of fury strength and energy tore the stadium and yellow waves of powerful volts of electricity ripped outward in every direction from the furious Pokémon, obscuring vision into the center of the ring as Misty, Brock, and Gohan coughed due to dust inhalation. Windows in the walls shattered, chunks of sheetrock and metal beams fell from the ceiling as one of the walls fell inward from the sheer strain being put on it.
Wow, what an attack! Gohan thought. That's even stronger than the last attack Raichu used on Mew! I hope Pikachu is okay...
It was a couple minutes before the cloud on the battlefield cleared enough for visibility to return, and once it had, Surge looked up with a wide, taunting smile already written all over his hardened features.
"Ahhh, victory," he said grandly.
And then he caught sight of something...
"What?" he said flatly, stunned.
For there stood Pikachu, raised on its tail above the ground, completely unfazed by the Electrical attack!
"All right — way to go! It used its tail as a ground and dodged the Electric shock!" Brock praised.
"Good job, Ash!" Gohan cheered him, pleased to see that Pikachu was all right.
By now, Raichu was panting, sweat dripping down its face, while it glared across the arena at the other Pokémon.
"Raichu, don't let up, not even for a minute!" Surge said. "Use Thunder again! Don't hold nothing back!"
"Rai... Rai..." Surge's Raichu said determinedly, refusing to give up, pulling itself upright as it gathered power for another shock, but then a look of complete confusion crossed its face, immediately followed by worry.
"Um, Raichu?" Surge said.
"It's over," Brock announced. "Raichu ran out of electricity."
"All right! Now's our chance, Pikachu!" Ash proclaimed. "Go, Quick Attack, now!"
"Chu!" Pikachu bellowed as it dashed across the battlefield.
"Raichu, Take Down!" Surge cried desperately, searching for some way to prevent the inevitable.
However, before Raichu could slam into Ash's Pokémon, Pikachu shot straight into Raichu's belly, sending it staggering back.
"Now go, Pikachu — THUNDERBOLT!" Ash roared, feeling the imminent victory.
"PIKA PI!" Pikachu screamed even as it unleashed a furious torrent of electricity on the still-dazed Raichu.
"Oh no, Raichu!" Lieutenant Surge cried reflexively but powerless to do anything.
At point-blank range, there wasn't anything to do — he could only watch helplessly as thousands of jolts of electricity smashed directly into Raichu with the force of a hurtling meteor, sending it flying away as it landed several feet away, now with little Xs swirling in its eyes.
"UNBELIEVABLE!" Surge cried.
And just like that, it was all over.
"All right, all right, you did it, Ash!" Misty shouted, literally jumping for joy.
"Nice work," Brock commented as he nodded his head approvingly.
And Gohan simply watched with relief in his heart and a wide smile on his face at the happy scene unfolding.
"You avenged your loss and you fought for Pikachu's honor," Gohan stated. "Well done, Ash. Guess you didn't need us after all."
Later, the group could be found at the entrance to the Gym, as Surge was smiling at the victorious Ash.
"Here, as proof of your victory I present you with this," he told him, holding out the star-shaped item. "A Thunder Badge. For you."
"Oh my Gosh, thank you!" Ash gushed. "Would you look at that? It's really a Thunder Badge, just for me!"
"The two of yous have every reason to be proud," Surge said, looking between both Ash and Gohan, which took the young Saiyan completely by surprise. "Yous fought very bravely, and yous have taught this old soldier that maybe there's still a few new tricks to learn."
Gohan smiled back, sensing the last hostility he had felt for Lieutenant Surge melting away. "Thank you, sir! You're pretty strong yourself."
"Pikachu, look at what we did here!" Ash said, flashing the badge to the Pokémon at his side. "We won a Thunder Badge!"
"Pika! Chu, Pika Pi, Pikachu!" Pikachu said, leaping into Ash's arms as it hugged him tightly.
"And it's the second badge you've earned by yourself," Misty agreed, happy for her friend. "Congratulations."
The warship slid through space on course for the blue-and-green planet laid out directly in front of it — and what a strange ship it was, curving forward in an angular arrow shape, gray in color, with a bunch of upraised boxed structures situated at the back of the craft above a pair of blazing engine drives burning blue light and low-slung wings swept down into a pair of energy cannons.
Standing on his battle bridge, Kotaga smiled, arms folded over his chest. He was a hulking brute of an alien, with deep teal skin tone, a ponytail of waving, orange hair, and pointed ears, dressed up in some type of breast plate cut diagonally with a band of red fabric strapped across his right shoulder, a spiked point above the left, baggy black pants with a green band slapped over the right leg and cut off above the left leg, boots, and a flowing cape to complete the look.
"Lord Kotaga, we have entered into standard orbit of Planet Ear... E-Ea... Ea'arth," one of the ensigns said, struggling with the name.
"Excellent!" Kotaga uttered with a sweeping gesture that parted his cape to his sides. "The offer of three bundles and the option to fleece whatever planets we want? How could I possibly turn down Captain Argo's mission? By the end of the cycle, the major cities will be crushed, and victory will be ours!"
The bridge crew cheered. Obviously, they believed in their commander and would follow him on his path to glorious triumph or bitter defeat.
"Lord Kotaga, we've isolated the strongest killi pattern down there," an ensign reported as he came up with a stiff salute for his commander.
"Good!" Kotaga said as he left the bridge. "Initiate the landing procedure and take us straight for that energy signature!"
He chuckled as he made his way to the lift, eyes gleaming brightly.
"That'll be where the first resistance crumbles to dust..."
Gohan, Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Mew were strolling down the streets, minds still fresh with the recent battle.
"So, where do we go now?" Gohan wondered, turning to look at Brock.
"Well, it's up to you guys," he replied. "There's a Gym in Saffron City to the north, and another Gym in the northwest, in Celadon City."
Ash glanced at Gohan. "Where do you think we should go?"
"I don't know," Gohan admitted truthfully. "I suppose we could..."
And just like that, the charcoal-eyed boy stopped cold as his features instantly drew together into a concerned, guarded frown.
"What's wrong, Gohan?" Brock asked as the others came to a stop with him.
"Yeah, you look like you just saw a ghost," Misty added, also worried for her new friend.
"I can feel it," Gohan said, glancing up into the sky. "There's a very strong ki heading right for us!"
"Really?" Ash said, turning his head around in an attempt to find the mysterious ki. "But I don't see it anywhere!"
"It's coming from above," Gohan said in as grim a tone as they had ever heard from him. "And it's dark, incredibly dark."
"From above?" Brock repeated. "You mean it's coming from outer space?"
"Oh no!" Misty cried. "Gohan, do you think this could be some kind of an alien invasion?"
"Could be," Gohan said tersely. "The ki feels horrible... I don't like this, you guys. I have a very bad feeling about this."
And the three Trainers and their Pokémon craned their necks upward as they wondered what it could be that was heading their way...
What, it can't be! Is this really possible? YES, I'M STILL ALIVE! :P
Wow, it's been a really long time, huh? Almost a year since the last chapter! I'm so sorry about that, you guys. Real life has been taking a drag on me and I kinda lost a lot of my inspiration, so I took a break. However, it seems that my inspiration was returned, so you might see much quicker updates in the coming weeks, though never say never.
BTW, has anyone else seen Dragon Ball Super? It. Is. AWESOME! I never thought we'd have a new Dragon Ball series, but it's really here! If you haven't read the manga or watched the anime, then please go do so — because many of the ideas, characters, and concepts found in the Dragon Ball Super series will inevitably be making their way here and in my other fics as well.
So, Ash's Pikachu has evolved into Raichu. My belief is that with the presence of Mew and how easily it curbstomps every single Pokémon it comes across, it gave Pikachu the needed push to choose to evolve so that when the day comes that it battles Mew it has both the raw power it needs as much as the speed and the determination, though it really wasn't necessary to win the Gym fight since the failings of Surge's Pokémon from the anime were present here too, and Gohan was the one to point it out. Now the plot is heating up as it seems Rellik will be landing on Earth in the next chapter, meaning an all-out clash between him and Gohan! Like I said, there are going to be repercussions from this battle that won't be revealed until much further down the line.
I've decided to give up answering the reviews as I have learned long Author's Notes can get stories taken down so if you have anything you wanna say to me please float me a private message. I'd like to thank everyone who left me a review and encouraged me to keep on writing this. For those who have kept up with my story up to this point, thanks for your patience and unwavering dedication, but for new reviewers, I welcome your enthusiasm! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Please tell me what you think!
KoS
EDIT (5/22/2017): At the request of a few of my reviewers (kitsunelover300 primarily among them), I have edited the chapter both to throw in the new stuff from Super as well as to change Raichu back to Pikachu; rest assured I do have plans to have Ash's Pikachu evolve one day, but I guess now was too soon. :$
SPECIAL NOTE: For one final notice, Chapter 18 is three-quarters done and will be completed within a matter of days. Be on the lookout! :D