POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
Here we go again! Once again, we have come to the usual appointment with my very own Pokemon story... and this time, we'll be following Ash, Pikachu, Gary and Brock as they reach their destination: the Move Tutor's house in Boon Island, where they'll hopefully be getting some special training for their Pokemon and some questions about Brock's ever-mysterious Gible. Of course, provided they can get to an agreement with Ash's starters! And on that matter, an old acquaintance will soon take center stage again, and will give us a little surprise!
Are you curious yet? Then, I can only hope this chapter delivers on these promises! Again, I leave you to reading the new chapter... have fun and see you at the end!
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Chapter 23 - Special Training
"Er... now that we're here, I'm beginning to see why people would be put off by this place... it's not exactly what I would suggest for summer vacations!" Ash affirmed, a large sweatdrop pouring from behind his head, as soon as the team had made their way to their intended destination... which resembled the rest of the idyllic tropical island just as much as a ravenous Tyranitar resembled a graceful Butterfree! It was a huge clearing in the middle of a pine forest, immersed in shade because of the trees surrounding it from every side, with a small, rickety-looking wooden house standing right in the middle of it, a small puff of smoke coming out of the roof. Several agricultural tools were standing against the front wall, obviously to take care of the small vegetable garden near the house... a piece of earth which was just about large enough to sustain a single person... and an old well, with a wooden bucket placed beside it, was visible a little further off. All things considered, the place looked old and abandoned, a far cry from the rest of the island and certainly not the place where someone might be training his Pokemon. Especially considering that Ash and his friends couldn't see any Pokemon around there...
"Pika..." Pikachu squeaked, scratching his head. He wasn't too convinced that was the right place himself... but just as he was about to add something else, a dark shadow popped out of seemingly nowhere from behind him, and a raspy, hoarse voice made his yellow fur stand on end!
"Hohohohoo... not so polite, are we, youngsters? It's not a 5-star hotel, but I like to think it's not a bad place!" said an old woman's voice from behind the team! Immediately, Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Gary turned around, finding themselves face to face with a wrinkled, creepy-looking old woman looking not unlike the classical fairytale hag, only a little above five feet tall, and wearing a woolen, drab-colored cardigan, almost managing to hide her among the trees, a long, worn-out skirt and heavy workshoes. Her stringy gray hair was tied in a bun behind her hair, and her wrinkled face was twisted in a satisfied grin. Needless to say, her appearence caused the boys to jump about one foot in the air, turning blue with fear!
"Oh, look what we have here... some aspiring pupils, it would appear! It's been such a long time since anyone came all the way up here!" the old woman chuckled, enjoying her guests' startled expressions. "Then... what's the reason for this courteous visit? You'd like to teach your Pokemon some interesting moves? And... what's with that Pikachu wandering out of his Pokeball?"
"That would be my Pikachu..." Ash protested just as the old woman tried to reach out to the electric mouse, scratching him under the chin with her sharp nail. Pikachu protested as well and squeaked his name in annoyance as his cheek crackled with energy... and luckily for both, the old woman gave up her rather unwelcome display of affection and stood up, clucking again.
"Hahahahaaa! Well, he looks like he's been well-trained, my boy... so, congratulations!" she laughed. "But... I feel the need to inform you that I don't deal with Electric-types, no sir! If you've come here to have your Pikachu learn a new move, you've just wasted your time and energy! On the other hand, if you have some fully-evolved starters, well... in that case, I might have something good to teach them! So... what about it, my dear boys?"
With amazing speed for her advanced age, the woman darted in front of the stunned Ash and Gary, and looked at them straight in their eyes, causing the both of them to step backwards before the young researcher could answer. "Well... yes, actually I have my Blastoise with me... and Ash here has no less than three starters, and hasn't made up his mind yet on who gets the training..."
"But I have another question!" Ash exclaimed in alarm. "You... don't happen to be the one we were told about, right? The... Move Tutor of Boon Island?"
The old woman turned to Ash and smiled in a very disquieting way. "Hehehee... well, my dear boy, just like you youngsters would say... well, duh! You only understood that now? Who were you expecting, the tooth fairy? Yes, I'm the famous Move Tutor of Boon Island, and many trainers have braved these heights so that their Pokemon could learn moves like Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn or Hydro Cannon. None of them was ever disappointed!" she cackled, then abruptly turned to Brock. "And what about you, with that strange face you have? You have a Pokemon you'd like to train as well?"
"Pika pika pi?" Pikachu squeaked, somewhat taken off guard by the tone the old woman had used with Brock! The young Rock-type trainer, on the other hand, didn't seem to think much about it and cleared his voice.
"Er... no, ma'am, not at all... actually, I have no Pokemon you would be willing to train..." he answered. "I just wanted to... er... ask you a question about one of my Pokemon, to see if you could help me with one of his moves..."
This time, the Move Tutor's face grew dubious. "Hmmm... that's an interesting one, my boy... so, you are asking me to help you understand one of your Pokemon's moves?" she answered, rubbing her chin in thought. "Very interesting... alright, I'll see what I can do about it! Okay, boys, let your Pokemon out! I'll see what I can do for them!"
"Alright, ma'am..." Ash answered, a little more convinced. He privately thanked the fact that he had had the sense to change the members of his team at the Pokemon Center, then grabbed the Pokeballs belonging to Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape and opened them, allowing the three Pokemon to come out. The old woman nodded in admiration as the red dragon, the bipedal lizard and the flaming chimp all materialized in front of her. They seemed to be very well-trained and powerful Pokemon... and even Gary's Blastoise, coming out a few seconds later, gave that very same vibe. Yeah, those kids weren't fools, that much she had to admit.
A few moments later, Brock let Gible out of his Pokeball... and the small dragon immediately began hopping around, his stubby arms flailing around in happiness as he tried to satisfy both his curiosity and his hunger on whatever looked more interesting to him! Luckily, Brock was fast to recall him with a couple clappings of his hands, and the Dragon / Ground Pokemon hopped at his trainer's side in but a moment's notice, calling out his own name in his shrill voice. "Gible!"
"There... good boy, Gible! Just stay here for a little while, and I'll explain to this lady what the problem is, okay?" Brock told his Pokemon. Gible nodded, sporting a wily grin, and the old Move Tutor nodded in approval.
"Well, well, my boy, even though you might not be at the same level as your friends as a trainer, you more than make up with your skill in teaching your Pokemon! I never saw such a freshy-caught Gible be so obedient, which means you know your stuff and..."
"CHAAAAAR!"
"TIIIILE!"
"INFERNAAAAPE!"
The Move Tutor's speech was rudely interrupted by three enraged roars in quick succession that cauased her voice to get stuck in her throat! The alarmed old woman turned to Ash, wanting tosee what was up with that... and much to her dismay, she saw that Ash's three fully-evolved starters were glaring at each other quite dangerously, each one of them seeing the other two as rivals for Ash's attention... and while the young trainer was trying to calm down the rivalry, it was to no avail: Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape were each at one vertex of an imaginary triangle, and were exchanging aggressive glances!
"Hey! For crying out loud, what's going on with those Pokemon?" the old Move Tutor shrieked. Ash gulped as Pikachu, Brock and Gary turned to him in puzzlement as well... then, he chuckled nervously and tried to shrug that off. "Er... turns out, taking all three of my fully-evolved starters was not the best idea I ever had... heheheee... they seem to be... regarding each other as rivals..."
"CHAR!" Charizard growled, getting right in Sceptile's face... but the lizard remained stoic and unflappable, calmly twirling his trademark blade of grass in his mouth. Infernape, on the other hand, was showing off his muscles and spraying red-tinted gouts of flame from his fur.
"Well, that's a new one..." Gary sarcastically quipped. The three starters were locked in a stalemate, seemingly about to jump at each other in a terrific free-for-all, and a rather worried Gary instructed his Blastoise to ready his cannons in order to cool down the three had they attempted to do anything rash. Pikachu, on the other hand, started charging his cheeks up, intending to give the three of them a nice shock if they didn't behave...
But he was denied that option when another one of Ash's Pokeballs popped open spontaneously, and another of his Pokemon, apparently having taken lessons from Psyduck or Croagunk, jumped out of it, landing before the trio of quarreling Pokemon! Ash couldn't help but be taken aback as the red bolt solidified into a small quadruped wth a large came made of enclosed leaves!
"Bayleef!" the newcomer squeaked in determination.
"Bayleef?" Brock questioned as he rubbed his forehead in amazement. "Don't tell me he wants to..."
"Bayleef bay, bay bay leef, leef bayleef!" The Johto Grass started exclaimed in indignation. The other starters didn't seem to take him very seriously, though... and even Pikachu seemed to be thinking that Bayleef must have flipped her lid.
"Pika? Pika pi, pika pika pi pikachu, pika pikachu pika!" Pikachu said, his ears raising in surprise before they drooped down in resignation.
"Er... I'm not an authority on Pokemon language, but I don't think I need to be to understand that..." Ash commented. "Well... Bayleef said that... erm... she wants to take the training as well! She said that she wants to show that she's relevant as well..."
The old lady blinked, her steel-grey eyes glazed with surprise. "What? That Bayleef would like to... Hah, that'd be wishful thinking! Only a fully-evolved starter can learn a move such as Frenzy Plant, so... heheheee... sorry about that, my dear Bayleef, but you're out of the picture!"
"Bayleef bayleef?" the Grass-type shot back, getting quite angry. "Bay leef leef bayleef leef!"
This time, Pikachu's expression could very well be called shocked, as his eyes went completely blank for a moment! "Pika? Pika pika chu pika pichu!"
"Hold... hold on a sec here, Pikachu! Are you trying to say that... Bayleef wants to evolve into a Meganium right here and now? And... how is she planning to go about it?" Ash exclaimed. He never thought his strongest Johto Pokemon besides Heracross could get such crazy ideas... those were usually his field of expertise!
"Pika pika..." Pikachu confirmed Ash's speculations a second later, and the reactions to that revelation were quite diversified: while Brock was polite enough not to say anything and simply looked amazed, Gary had to look away in order to hide the fact that he was snickering, and Ash's already-evolved Pokemon weren't too kind about it, to put it gently: Charizard and Infernape grunted, as if to say that an unevolved Grass type was unworthy of their time, and sceptile didn't even look at Bayleef, keeping his trademark cold, detached demeanor.
"Heheheee... so close, as yet so far, huh, Bayleef?" the old Move Tutor chuckled. "Come back when you're a Meganium, you might be luckier! As for the rest... well, I can teach the moves you want to your Pokemon, but... for personal reasons, I will only teach one of them! Of course..." she turned to Gary and his Blastoise. "This isn't a problem for you, since you've only got that one Pokemon... but since the other kid has a Sceptile, an Infernape and a Charizard, I guess you'll have trouble deciding on one of them... so, please, take your time!"
"Easier said than done..." Ash answered as he took a good look at his three champions and the small Bayleef who desperately wished she was one of them. Ash had no idea what to do about it... he felt that, whatever his decision is, it would be an injustice to the others, and he was now thinking hard to get out of that difficult situation.
Charizard, the proud, powerful dragon that had accompanied him for so long, and that had recently rejoined him...
Sceptile, his quick, strong and silent Hoenn starter.
And his faithful Infernape, the Pokemon he had given another chance to after he had been abandoned by Paul... and that thanks to him had managed to get his revenge on the arrogant trainer!
Each one of them had his merits, and Ash didn't know how he could favour one rather than the other. If only there was a way to please all three of them... and for a second, Ash turned his glance to Bayleef as well. Her offended demeanor didn't help assuaging his doubts.
"Hmm... you look like you're in a pinch, my boy!" the old Move Tutor screeched, rubbing her wrinkled hands as she approached Ash and his friends, followed by Gary and his Blastoise. "Alright, I'll be the one to to decide for you! I will give your Pokemon go through a few tests, and I'll teach the appropriate move to the Pokemon who will impress me the most! Is that okay to you?"
Ash hesitated, not sure how to answer... and, with an indignated growl, not standing the idea of being ignored in favour of the evolved forms, Bayleef separated from the rest of the group and ran away, back into the forest they had come out of. "Bay!" she exclaimed in indignation, alarming Ash and his friends.
"Bayleef!" the young trainer exclaimed as the cute Grass Pokemon walked back into the pine forest. "Darn... wait for me, guys, I'll go fetch Bayleef... and I'm afraid I'll have to have a nice little discussion with him, before all is said and done!"
"Er... alright!" Brock answered with a nod. "Take care not to get lost! We'll stay here and see what the lady's decision is..."
"Pika!" Pikachu answered. Ash nodded once more, then followed Bayleef into the pine forest, hoping to catch up with him before it was too late. He couldn't hide the fact that he was very worried... sure, Chikorita had always been his most affectionate Pokemon back when he was travelling in Johto with Misty and Brock... but he had thought this trait of hers had lessened a little over time. Sadly, it seemed she was just as jealous as before. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring her along... had he known she would have gotten that offended, he would have kept her in reserve.
"Bayleef! Bayleef, please come back!" he exclaimed, turning in all directions to seewhere his Pokemon was...
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed as he and his trainer went deeper and deeper in the forest...
oooooooooo
"Bay! Bay! Leef! LEEF!" Bayleef screamed, tossing a series of Razor Leaves at a nearby rock, chipping away at it. She was so angry for having been left aside, that she felt the need to vent on some inanimate object. That was the extent of what she could do? She hadn't put any less effort in her fighting than the rest of Ash's Pokemon team! Then why did Ash favour those three rather than her? And why couldn't she evolve into a Meganium? If only she was able to do that, she would have shown everyone what she could do! And even that nasty old lady would have to take back all she had said! If only she could find a way to evolve, then things would be grand...
Why couldn't she do it? Why?
"Bayleef! BAYLEEF!" she screeched again, pelting the stone with another Razor Leaf attack before stopping to catch her breath. She had to calm down... and think on her situation. Only by doing that she could find a way to evolve and become as strong as she wanted. How did Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape do the trick? They must surely have gotten through some rather hard training to get that strong... what did they have that she didn't have?
"Bayleef! Hey, Bayleef, you there?"
"Pika pikachuuuuu!"
Ash and Pikachu's voices calling her startled the Grass Pokemon, who immediately turned that way. Then, it wasn't true... Ash didn't really consider her a second-rate Pokemon! He was even searching for her now, while she was sure he would have stayed with his strongest Pokemon to watch them train. All of a sudden, Bayleef felt very stupid and petty... how could she doubt him, after all the time they had spent travelling together? Sighing, Bayleef stood up and began walking towards Ash and Pikachu, letting their voices guide her...
oooooooooo
"Bayleef! Bayleef, please, come back!" Ash kept on calling, searching left and right with Pikachu's help. He could only hope his Pokemon hadn't already gotten too far away... and luckily, his prayers were answered as Bayleef emerged from a nearby bush and walked towards him, visibly sorry for having caused her trainer to worry that much. The Grass-type was keeping her head low and walking slowly in apology for her earlier temper tantrum... but Ash was not the kind of person to mind such small things, and walked over to Bayleef, joined by Pikachu, to soothe her.
"Bayleef, I'm so glad we found you!" Ash said, crouching down to hug his Johto starter. "For a second, I was afraid you'd really leave... sorry if I made you feel left aside, pal!"
"Bayleef?" the Grass Pokemon asked as she rubbed on her trainer like an affectionate kitten.
"Pika pi pikachu, pika pika chuu!" Pikachu explained, his eyes looking at the place where Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape were training at the moment, going through the test to determine whether they'd be worthy pupils. Ash nodded in the electric mouse's direction and completed his explanation.
"Yeah, that's about it..." he said. "You see, Bayleef, it's not that I wanted to cast you aside or anything, it's just that... well, just as the Move Tutor said, only a fully-evolved starter can learn those moves. There's not much we can do about it, I'm afraid... but I'm still sorry that I made you felt left aside..."
Bayleef rubbed on Ash again, as if to say there was nothing to feel sorry for. "Bay, bayleef..." she murmured, shaking her head gently. The two friends remained there, hugging each other for a while, before Bayleef detached herself and, smiling in determination, announced her intentions. "Bayleef! Bay bay leef, bayleef leef!" she exclaimed, nodding at the end while the rolled-up leaves composing her "mane" shook gently, as if moved by a spring breeze. For a second, Ash felt a pleasant smell of flowers in the air around him and Pikachu...
"Well, I can see you're still set on evolving into a Meganium and learn Frenzy Plant, right?" he asked, winking at his Pokemon. "Well, I'm sure you will manage to do that soon, and I'll be waiting for that day! After all, you always were one of my strongest and most reliable Pokemon, right?"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu said, confirming his trainer's words.
Now that things had finally been cleared, Bayleef reunited with her trainer and Pikachu and began following them as they made their way back to the clearing where they had met the Move Tutor, hoping that the other three starters weren't at each other's throats for the rights to become the strange old lady's pupils...
oooooooooo
Luckily, things were far more subdued than the worst case scenario Ash had just pictured. While there certainly was rivalry betwwen Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape, the three Pokemon were okay with settling the score in a fair competition, by seeing who would have performed better in the Move Tutor's trials. Blastoise, for his part, was already at work, sitting Indian-style near the old well, hands on his knees and eyes clossed as if meditating. The old Move Tutor was watching with a satisfied eye the Pokemon getting ready, while Gary, Brock and Gible were sitting on a nearby tree stump, waiting for Brock's Pokemon's turn to come. Gible, for his part, had decide to kill time by roaming around and snacking on something that looked tasty enough... and for the second time in five minutes, Brock had been forced to stop Gible from biting through an old wooden bucket!
"Hmm... very well, dear boy, your Blastoise seems to have gotten the hang of it..." the old lady told Gary, pacing somewhat sinisterly around the giant tortoise and examining him with cold, appraising eye. All of a sudden, she took her attention away from Blastoise and brought it to the trio of Ash's fully-evolved starters, and her grey eyes shone for a second as she thought up some test to give them. "Well, your turn now, dearies... let's see which one of you can learn your evolution line's exclusive attack! You three... strike the ground with all of your power!"
Charizard and Infernape grunted, apparently wondering if that was all there was to it... and the zealous Fire / Fighting chimp executed the order first, raising one of his powerful arms, and bringing it down with all of his power, his hand clenched into a fist! There was a stunning boom, loud enough to cause Gary, Brock, the Move Tutor and the other Pokemon to cover their ears... while the hapless Blastoise was jolted out of his concentration and jumped up in fright!
"BLAAAST!" he roared, glaring at Infernape with aggravation. The flaming monkey grit his teeth and looked down sheepishly, angry at himself for not being able to control his strength as much as he would have wanted. The exam sure hadn't started on the right foot...
Charizard sighed in exasperation, annoyed at having to deal with such a "rookie", and took a deep breath, spreading his wings and concentrating for a short while... then, showing a lot more control than Infernape, punched the ground, opening up a cup-shaped hole in it! With a Cheshire cat grin on his reptilian face, the red dragon looked at Sceptile and Infernape, in order to make sure his rivals could see what he was capable of. Neither seemed to be all that intimidated, in any event: Infernape's eyes turned to a pair of slits, and Sceptile kept his arms crossed, twirling his ever-present blade of grass.
"Tile..." the Grass-type lizard sighed. Determined to show Charizard that he meant business as well, he stood on guard, concentrated and slammed his fist down on the ground, shattering a stone that was lying right underneath it and spreading fragments of rock everywhere!
"You have to admit, Ashy-boy's Pokemon are really giving it all they've got..." Gary commented, nodding in approval. "It really means a lot to them to show they're worthy of their trainer, huh?"
"Not that I can blame them, of course..." Brock answered, finally deciding to hold Gible in his arms to stop him from roaming everywhere causing trouble. The small landshark had weakly protested for a while, then had decided to stay put. "And speaking of Ash, here he is! Luckily, he and Pikachu found Bayleef early enough..."
In fact, the young trainer and his Electric-type starter were coming back with Bayleef on tow, and the Grass-type now looked a lot more serene. Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape turned that way, and even the Move Tutor looked at the boy with a barely controlled smirk on her age-ravaged face. "Well, well... if it isn't the whippersnapper! You and your Bayleef seem to have come to an understanding, I see... Well, tell you what, your Pokemon do have potential, but your Infernape seems to be a little too impulsive, if I do say so myself. Oh, sure he's come a long way, but he lacks your Charizard or Sceptile's experience!" she said, her eye never leaving the three Pokemon. Infernape grunted in irritation, but Ash didn't seem to think much of the old lady's assessment of him - he never really cared which of his Pokemon was the strongest or the most capable, anyway.
Still, it wasn't him to question what the old lady was saying. Bayleef nodded to her trainer, who answered with a thumbs-up sign... then, she walked towards Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape to tell them what her intentions were. "Bayleef, bayleef... bay bayleef!" she exclaimed, as she tensed the leaves around her neck.
Again, both the Pokemon and the Move Tutor were taken aback by Bayleef's intentions. "Hmmm... so, you haven't given up yet, huh?" the old lady cackled. "My boy, you should have taught your Bayleef not to be so hasty! And you should have trained her more, so that she would be evolved and able to catch up to these three..."
"Well, I don't really care whether Bayleef evolves or not." Ash interrupted her, taking the quirky old lady aback. "All I can say is, that Bayleef wants to prove herself... what about it, miss? I think there's no problem if Bayleef at least tries, right?"
The old lady frowned, and even Gary and Brock asked themselves what was the deal with Ash now... he, too, must have known that Bayleef couldn't possibly learn Frenzy Plant without evolving into a Meganium. Of course, that meant...
A thought flashed through Brock's mind: even in the past, many of Ash's Pokemon had evolved just at the right time to learn some new attack or face a certain opponent... was that going to happen here as well? Was Ash actually counting on that to happen?
Now, Charizard and the others seemed to be less dismissive of Bayleef... and after thinking about it for a second, Sceptile smiled lightly and motioned for his rivals to wait for him. As the perplexed Charizard and Infernape stepped backwards, Sceptile stepped in front of Bayleef and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Sceptile!" he exclaimed, slipping into a guarding position. "Tile sceptile, sceptile!"
"Bay!" Bayleef squeaked back. Her small paws anchored to the ground, the Grass-type crouched slightly, so that she would be ready to dash at the right moment...
"I still say it's foolish..." the Move Tutor repeated. "But in the end, it's your choice. Alright, let's see what that Bayleef can do..."
Just as the old lady had finished talking, the Johto Grass-type starter dashed forward at top speed and launched herself towards Sceptile in a Body Slam attack that the faster and more experienced Hoenn starter had no trouble blocking. Sceptile pushed forward, resisting the powerful impact and at the same time pushing Bayleef back, and the two Pokemon began circling each other, before an improvised audience that was looking on with great interest. The two Pokemon quickly closed on ech other again, starting a spectacular battle and pushing each other around like sumo wrestlers. While Sceptile had a clear advantage, Bayleef was not willing to give up that easily!
"Come on, Bayleef! You can do it!" Ash encouraged her. "Keep up with it!"
"This is preposterous..." the Move Tutor commented. "Why is she giving it all she's got, since she won't be able to learn that move anyway? I think you're just wasting time."
Ash didn't even try to deny that. "Well... maybe that's the case, miss..." he said with a quiet smile. "But, as I said, it's not a matter of my Pokemon being strong or weak, or whether she can or cannot learn that move. One of my Pokemon wants to prove herself to me, and I wouldn't be a good trainer if I didn't listen to my Pokemon! And... who's to say it's useless? Maybe Bayleef has something in store for us!"
"Meh... you're weird, kid... but I respect your choice!" the old lady said as the two Pokemon kept on fighting. Bayleef was beginning to lose ground, and Sceptile was easily pushing her around, causing her paws to literally dig minuscule trenches in the ground. But just as Sceptile seemed about to win, Bayleef reacted in an unexpected way and extended some of the vines around her neck. Sceptile parried with the bladed leaves on his forearms, and managed to repel the opponent's Vine Whip... but Bayleef had reached his objective of distracting his opponent and causing him to waste a few precious seconds. With renewed strength, Bayleef executed another Body Slam, and this time, the blow connected, causing Sceptile to stagger.
"Hmm... I have to admit, she's handling herself better than I thought." the Move Tutor had to admit. "If she wanted to show she had just about as much fight in herself as her companions, she did that in spades! But what does she think she can do now?"
Both Pokemon were facing each other again, waiting for the right moment to resume their fight... and just as Sceptile seemed to be about to go on the offensive again, Bayleef shook her mane-leaves and emitted a sweet, pungent aroma that struvk the taller reptile's nostrils, confusing him for a second. Bayleef smiled as her Sweet Scent attack took effect, and concentrated for a moment, materializing energy bullets made of brilliant green energy all around her body! As Ash and his friends looked on in disbelief, Bayleef threw all the leaf-bullets at her opponent...
"A Magical Leaf attack?" Ash asked himself. "I can't believe it... when did Bayleef learn it?"
Sceptile himself was taken off guard by his opponent's move, but his experience once again saved him as he raised his arms and swayed the attack with Protection, creating a transparent energy screen in front of himself. However, without letting Sceptile putting up a counterattack, Bayleef attempted a new Body Slam attack... which Sceptile countered once again, even when his reflexes had been slowed down by the Sweet Scent attack. Bayleef missed her target and was hit by Sceptile's tail as she dashed beside of him, being sent painfully to the ground. However, she still managed to pick herself up, determined not to lose that easily...
And Sceptile stepped backwards when he saw that something was up with his opponent: her body was beginning to shine, emitting beams of white light like some sort of flashlight, and her eyes were lit up like emerald embers! As everyone stood in admiration, Bayleef raised her head and roared with a powerful, almost baritone voice that was most certainly not her own, while the leaves on her neck opened up and released rainbow-hued pollen in all directions! The Move Tutor had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things... she had never seen anything like that!
"Look!" Gary said, his surprise mixed with approval. "Is it just me, or Ashy-boy's Bayleef is evolving?"
"It's not just you, we're all seeing it!" Brock stated.
"Gible!" his Gible exclaimed, for once preoccupied with something other than food.
Bayleef's body disappeared into the light... and quickly reappeared, changed into her final evolved form! The Johto Grass starter had evolved into a cute creature resembling a miniature brontosaurus, with a pair of golden antennae on top of her head, sprouting out from between her yellow eyes, and the leaves around her neck had become the petals of a huge pink flower with white and yellow motifs. Her paws had three-fingered feet ending with small claws, while her skin had turned a brilliant green, like the colour of freshly cut grass. There was no doubt about it: that was Chikorita's final form, a Meganium!
"Yeah! Way to go, Bayleef!" Ash cheered, laughing in joy. "You managed to evolve... into a Meganium!"
"MEGANIUUUUM!" the new Pokemon exclaimed, her successful evolution filling her with pride. The Move Tutor herslf was speechless for a while... before a satisfied smile appeared on her aged face, and she raised a Japan flag in the air to express her approval!
"Hehehee... nicely done, Bayleef!" the old lady stated. "I didn't think you had what it takes to evolve like that! I have to admit, I'm surprised... but then again, it was clear your Bayleef was well-trained!"
As Meganium raised her head and moved her antennae about, Gary consulted his Pokedex to examine the new Pokemon.
"Meganium, the Herb Pokemon. His breath can revive wilted plants and flowers, and can calm down aggressive instincts. Whoever approaches him feels stronger, as if walking out of a sunny forest." the electronic encyclopaedia droned.
Even Charizard and Infernape had to admit they were impressed with the Grass-type's tenacity, to the point where Carizard, after narrowing his eyes at Meganium, grunted in approval as a scarlet flame flickered out of his nostrils. However, Meganium was not about to let it go to her head, as she still had to conclude her fight with Sceptile, and quickly stood on guard in front of the bipedal lizard...
But, much to her surprise, Sceptile crossed his arms on his chest and nodded in his opponent's direction, a wily grin on his elongated face! As Meganium blinked in surprise, Sceptile began explaining the meaning of his action. "Sceptile! Sceee... ptile! Tile sceptile, scep sceptile... Sceptile tile!"
"Mega?" Meganium asked, as Pikachu proceeded to translate the brief exchange.
"Pika pika pikachu, pika pichu pikachu!" the electric mouse explained, still looking at the two Grass-types. Ash was perplexed for a short while, but quickly understood and chuckled good-naturedly.
"Hehehee... silly me, should have thought about that..." the young champion said. "Well, long story short, guys... Sceptile wanted to see whether Bayleef... or, rather, Meganium... had the determination needed to evolve and learn Frenzy Plant. It was... a test of character, I guess you could say, rather than a real fight."
"And I'd say Meganium more than passed! Congratulations!" Brock commented, nodding to the newly-evolved Grass-type. Even the old Move Tutor was very impressed as she walked beside Meganium and caressed her on the side. Meganium stepped backwards, still a little uneasy over her "teacher" and her strange methods, and got close to Ash, rubbing on him as it was her habit already. Only this time, thanks to her increased size, she almost ended up knocking the poor kid over!
"Ugh... man, I really didn't think about this..." Ash murmured as he tried to keep his balance. "I guess... old habits die hard, huh, Meganium?"
"Meganiuuuum!" the Grass-type answered, shyly moving her antennae in front of her face.
"Anyway, kid... your Pokemon are truly something! And your faith in them is commendable! So... for this once, I decided that I'll make an exception!" the old lady said as she rubbed her hands together. "For this once, and just for this once, I will teach a move to each and every one of the starters you have here! But before that... you have to assure me of a very important thing..."
Ash blinked in curiosity. "Er... sure, no problem for me... and for my Pokemon as well, I'd say." he answered. "What is it?"
"That's something I noticed earlier, while I was testing your Pokemon..." the Move Tutor said. "Your Infernape, for instance... he's good, no doubt about it, but he seems to be a little too impulsive for his own good... correct me if I'm wrong, but he's only recently learned to control his Blaze ability, right?"
Ash could do nothing but nod in assent. Only shortly before the deciding battle with Paul had the fire chimp been able to master his tricky ability...
"Just as I thought, he's a little inexperienced at that..." the old lady went on. "Well then, listen up! The moves I'm about to teach you, Frenzy Plant and Blast Burn, are incredibly damaging and destructive, and should the user lose control of them, the results would be disastrous. What's more, once a Pokemon has used them once, he or she has to recharge for a while, during which time the enemy can attack as much as he wants. So... all things considered, and seeing that your Infernape and Meganium are still relatively green, make use of them only in life-or-death situations. It's just a tip, but believe me when I say I have good reasons for telling you this."
"I will, miss... thank you very much!" Ash thanked her. "We'll make good use of these techniques... and by the way, how's Blastoise doing?"
"Hehee... you afraid my Blastoise will get the better of you, huh, Ashy-boy?" Gary joked. "Anyway, he seems to be doing well... and I think he'll be able to show that now!"
"BLAST!" the tortoise roared, his large eyes snapping open to reveal a pair of azure, shining irises the colour of the clear sea. Blastoise quickly stood up, his body giving off a rapidly-expanding blue aura, with a background noise similar to the sound of crashing tides!
"Oooh, that's amazing!" the old lady said. "Rarely have I seen a Pokemon learn Hydro Cannon so quickly!"
"Well, just because I'm not a League trainer any more, doesn't mean I don't keep my Pokemon in shape!" Gary answered with a small smirk. "And now... Blastoise! Show off your new Hydro Cannon!"
Blastoise threw his head back and roared in defiance... then, with a deafening roar, the cannons on his back opened fire, shooting forth an enormous stream of water, as fast and powerful as a speeding train! The Hydro Cannon blasted its way through a bunch of trees, breaking a couple of them in half like snapping a pair of twigs, and causing a huge pile of dust to rise from the ground, as a part of the forest was literaly blown down! Ash, Pikachu and the others stood watching in awe and fear that incredible sight, understanding why such a technique was so well-guarded...
"Wow..." Ash managed to breathe out after a few seconds of wide-eyed wonder. "This is just... unbelievable! I've never seen such a devastating attack..."
"Infer... nape..." Infernape answered with a nod. He was both excited and terrified at the thought that he would be able to do something like that as well...
The Move Tutor, with a more serious expression on her face, crossed her arms and nodded. "Now you've seen why I don't teach these moves to just anyone... and your Pokemon is feeling the aftereffects as well." she said as she looked at Blastoise. After spending so much energy with that one attack, the huge tortoise had crouched down on the ground to catch his breath. Brock, impressed by that showing as well, could do nothing but nod in assent. He was terrified at what might have happened had people like Team Rocket or the new Team Vicious gotten hold of those techniques...
"Well then... since we're clear on that recommendation, we can start our training at last!" the old lady finally said as she turned to Ash. "So, tell me, boy... which of your Pokemon should get the training first? Hmmm... well, why don't we start out with your Charizard? He looks pretty tough, I'd say!"
"CHARRRRRR!" the Fire / Flying dragon answered proudly, spreading his wings and shooting up the flame on his tail, while Sceptile and Infernape looked at him with a small hint of envy...
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: Well, that almost wraps up Ash's training arc. Misty and Dawn, along with their Pokemon, will be the stars in the next chapter, so... get ready for more action and Pokemon battles! See you soon!