A Jewel in Water

Part 20

"What?" Misty exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Princess, but this is the busy season for me. People would have just battled in the recent leagues and they would be itching to have a go at battling me, especially if they were in the top 4," Ash explained. Misty frowned inwardly. Would this be the case until she chose someone? And even if she chose him, would this always happen?

"I understand. What time will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow night, so I can get there early in the morning." Misty nodded and with that Ash thanked her and walked out of the room, back to Caterpie, Charizard and Brock.

As Ash walked over to them he could see that the sky was getting darker. It must be nearing dinnertime for his other Pokémon, so he had better get a move on. Training Caterpie would have to wait a while longer.

"Right Caterpie, you gotta man up okay, otherwise these women will walk all over you. Trust me, I used to be like you, scared and wimpy but all over them at the same time, and that didn't work out for me. Once you earn yourself a name, then they will be the ones all over you. I know from experience, so don't doubt me," Brock lectured. Ash smirked.

"Brock are you drunk or something? What's with the endless rambling?"

"Just giving Caterpie a man to man talk. He can't have a phobia of women if he wants to succeed in life."

"I don't think it's a phobia of women, it's just Misty that it's scared of. And how do you know it's a boy anyway? I mean even now I can't distinguish most of my Pokémon's gender." Brock looked disdainfully at Ash.

"What kind of Breeder wouldn't even know how to determine a Pokémon's gender?"

"Okay, okay I get you. Sorry." Ash then moved his attention towards Charizard. "So bud," he said as he patted it on the shoulder, "You staying for dinner?" Charizard nodded and then Ash looked at Brock.

"Mind keeping an eye on them while I go get the food and stuff?" he asked, "I don't think Charizard will fit inside."

"Yeah sure thing," Brock sighed, "Why have I become your assistant all of a sudden."

"As if it hasn't been what you've dreamed of the moment I became the Pokémon Master," Ash called as he headed inside.

Kenny looked at the sky and then his watch and then felt his stomach grumble. How long was this going to go on for?

"Beautify, stun spoor and then silver wind!" May called out

"Piplup, use bide and take the attack!" Dawn ordered, but May looked worried.

"Are you sure Dawn? Piplup looks pretty work out and even with bide, this could be the end." Dawn smiled.

"Well I'm sure that Piplup agrees when I say that I would rather die fighting than give up." May smiled at Dawn, but it was too dark to make up. Dawn sure had potential, but she had to finish this up. As the stun spore/ silver wind combo collided into Piplup, it received all the damage but before it could unleash its bide it had fainted. Dawn rushed over to Piplup and picked it up.

"Piplup you did great, have a good rest."

May walked over and tossed a berry at Dawn. "Just in case its paralyzed." Dawn fed it the berry.

"You know May, I'd hate to admit this, but you're too good for me at the moment. But I'll ask you to rebattle me one day."

"You sound like you're about to leave for a journey." May told her.

"Now? No way, I just came back from one, but later of course."

"But saying I'm too good for you is an overstatement. I mean even I haven't beaten my biggest rival to this day. Not that I'll ever get a chance after his disappearance." She muttered the last part, but Dawn didn't seem to have heard either way as she was watching a 'new guy' walking into the premises.

Elliot walked into the Royal garden, wearing a pair of sunglasses, at a rather ill time to be honest. He wanted to show that he was a totally different guy, and changing his style of entrance was going to be the key way to do this. But it turned out to be a bit too dark for him under those glasses and he tripped over a rock that was near his feet.

"Geez, what a klutz," said Kenny as he rushed over to pick him up. Elliot rubbed his forehead which had taken the brunt of the fall and looked up to see Kenny, Dawn, May and the new girl looking at them. They all had looks of shock on their faces. He can't have been that masterful at changing himself that they would be so shocked. And why weren't they all laughing at him? What he did was pretty stupid, if he did say so himself.

"You- you're," Dawn started as she reached towards her forehead and then pointed at him. Elliot copied her but he felt something moist on his forehead. He took his sunglasses off to see what it was he was touching, but in the dim light he couldn't tell. He put his glasses back on and wiped whatever it was on his forehead onto his sleeve. He then did an ill placed wink, which of course no one was able to see, and got up to walk smoothly into the castle. The other four looked at each other and worriedly ran after him to tell him that if he didn't fix that cut on his forehead, he may bleed to death…

Ash walked into the main hallway and saw Elliot walk into the hall.

"God Elliot, what happened?" Oh. Ash had seemed to catch on pretty fast. It was a shame. Elliot had wanted to play with this a bit longer but Ash ruined it.

"Oh it's not much, I just decided that I needed to change my image up a bit if I want to reach my goals."

"Not that Elliot, but I'm going to come to that later!" Ash said as he walked towards Elliot whilst whipping out his handkerchief and wiping the blood off of his forehead. "Take those stupid sunglasses off and look at what you've done to yourself! The blood is pretty much all over your clothes! Did a Wingull fly into you or what?"

"B-blood?" Elliot shouted worried.

"Don't worry; it's not that big a cut. Ones on the head always seem worse than they are anyway, but I think you may need to visit the doctors to get it patched up." Ash said whilst giving Elliots forehead on last wipe.

"Wow Ash, is this the guy who owes you a favour?" May asked as her and the other three walked in and saw him. The others looks oddly at May, as they had no idea what she was talking about, but Ash continued the line of discussion.

"Well, I hope not. I wasn't expecting him this soon, it'd be slightly in convenient."

"What are you talking about?" Iris asked.

"I'm leaving tomorrow evening,"

"No not that, I'm talking about the favour-," Iris continued but Dawn cut in.

"What? Leaving?" she cried. A smile crept across Kenny's face.

"Can we focus here?" cried Elliot frantically as he looked in the mirror and tried to mop up the blood.

"Elliot, I just told you to go see the nurse!" Ash told him. The other four looked closely at him and then it clicked.

"Elliot?!"