Hey everyone I'm back. Thank you to everyone who's been following the story thus far. This Chapter is a bit of a short one, but fairly important. I got no other announcements, so let's jump in.
(4 days later, Hearthome City)
Andrew and his group had spent the past few days making the trek from Snowpoint to his next Gym in Pastoria City. It had been a long day of travel so everyone quickly booked a room and retired.
The next day Andrew had woken up and sleepily trudged into the lobby bathroom. As he finished his business and was about to step out he heard a voice that made him stop dead in his tracks.
"Well look who's here," an arrogant voice said, "Looks like someone didn't listen to my advice." Andrew turned around to see a man in an orange shirt and black shorts with white hair. "Brendan" he spat.
"Well who else?" said Brendan, his voice full of cockiness. "So what's a weakling like you doing in Sinnoh?"
"For starters, this region is my home," said Andrew angrily, "So I suggest you leave before you taint it further. Second, I'm entering the Sinnoh League, and I am going to win."
"I'd like to see you try," laughed the Hoenn native, "You may be the Champion of Kalos and Hoenn, but you wouldn't have been so lucky if I had entered. To see you as Champion of my region sickens me, so why not return the favor?"
"By the way, is that Dawn girl still with you?" Andrew tensed as he remembered all of Brendan's advances on the bluenette. "If you touch her with those filthy hands of your's I swear to Arceus I will crush you." "What's the matter Andrew? Afraid that she'll leave you for a REAL man once she sees what a loser you really are?" Andrew wanted to beat Brendan into a bloody pulp but he restrained himself.
"She's with me, so don't get any ideas snowcap," said Andrew, a slight smirk on his face as he revealed his relationship with the Twinleaf native to Brendan. Brendan, however, was fuming. "First that black-haired idiot from Kanto waltzes in and takes my childhood friend, my May from me, and then you come out of nowhere and steal that blue-haired beauty even though I am better than you in every way? I will not be robbed again!" roared the Hoenn native as he swung his fist, hitting Andrew and sending him crashing into a wall before he could react. Groaning in pain he looked up to see Brendan leaving, "I'll see you in the Sinnoh League, I will humiliate you in front of everyone and prove to Dawn she can do better than a freak like you." As he left the Hoenn native kicked the blonde in the stomach.
With that Brendan walked out, while Andrew slowly picked himself up, coughing up some blood. He looked in the mirror to inspect the damage. His cheek was bruised, likely to swell; his head was bruised, his nose was bloody, his lip was cut from hitting the wall, and his torso had bruises from the kick. Sighing, he dragged himself out of the bathroom and sat himself down on the couch.
Suddenly he heard a scream. Looking up he saw the girls looking in horror at their beaten and bruised boyfriend. Doing his best to stay positive he smiled as best he could and waved, "Hey guys" she said weakly before coughing up some blood. Lucas and Barry ran over to help him. "Dude what the hell happened to you? You look like shit." asked Lucas. The girls looked on, tearing up at seeing their love in such pain.
Seeing this Andrew gave a toothy grin, showing his blood-stained teeth, "No need to worry girls, I'll be fine." he chuckled, though this quickly turned into a wince of pain as he felt Lucas apply healing salves to his forehead and bandaged it up.
"Andrew, what happened?" asked Roxanne, she was worried, all the girls were. "Had a run-in with someone I've butted heads with in the past, didn't think it would devolve into this though."
"Who was it?" asked Leaf, "Brendan Yuki" said Andrew calmly, though everyone could see the fire in his eyes. Dawn gasped, "Him?" she remembered all the times he had hit on her, even though she made it clear she wasn't interested. Fortunately she had Andrew to protect her during their Hoenn journey, one of the reasons she fell in love with him. Roxanne shook her head, "I remember him, he was an arrogant son of a Bellsprout. He kept ranting about how some 'idiot from Kanto' had stolen his childhood friend." "Well that 'idiot from Kanto' he's talking about is Ash," said Andrew, causing the others to gasp. "Yeah, he told me that 'he would not be robbed again' and how Ash had apparently stolen May from him. Small world huh?" joked Andrew, hoping to lighten the mood. "He's entering the Sinnoh League and is convinced Dawn will fall for him once he beats me and shows how much better he is," said the blonde nonchalantly, though a few tears came to his face as the sting of the betrayal hit him.
He was quickly shaken from his thoughts by the girls hugging him. "Don't worry Andrew, you'll beat him," said Giselle, "Giselle's right, no need to worry," added Dawn, "and you could be absolutely destroyed by him, and I'd still love you and only you," said the Twinleaf native as she kissed her boyfriend reassuringly, causing the Sandgem native to give that bright smile they all loved so dearly. "Thanks girls, I needed that, I love all of you more than any of you will ever know", "We love you too," they chorused, each kissing the blonde's lips.
Andrew then turned to Barry, "Could you fetch me Carnivine's Pokeball?" Barry nodded, confused, and gave Andrew the ball. "Thanks. Carnivine I need your help." The plant-like Pokemon popped out and looked at his master worriedly as he saw Andrew's injuries. "You know what to do buddy," smiled Andrew. Andrew removed his shirt, causing the girls to blush as they saw his muscles, while Carnivine placed several vines on his chest. With a nod from Andrew Carnivine began to glow green. Andrew managed to suppress a yell of pain as he felt the energy course through him. Everyone watched stunned as Andrew's wounds healed before their very eyes. After a few seconds Andrew looked good as new. Panting, he rubbed an equally tired looking Carnivine's head affectionately, "Thanks buddy, I'll be sure to give you extra next time I feed you", causing Carnivine to wrap his vines around his master in appreciation.
"That was incredible Andrew, what was that?" asked Lucas, awestruck by what he just witnessed. "Just a little trick Ash taught me when I met him in Kanto, Carnivine used Synthesis and transferred the energy to me. It's a tiring process though and leaves both of us exhausted," explained the blonde, while Lucas was frantically jotting down the information onto a notepad. "Oh man Rowan's gonna have a field day with this." Exhausted by the healing process Andrew retired to his room and spent the next few hours resting while the others found ways to keep themselves occupied.
(5 hours later)
Andrew awoke refreshed and went out to meet the others, and was glomped by his girls happy to see that he was alright. After eating ravenously, as he hadn't eaten anything since the previous evening, he was ready to leave and the others joined him as they continued to Pastoria City.
(7 hours later)
Andrew and the group reached Pastoria City as the sun was setting. Figuring Crasher was about to close down for the day the Sandgem native decided to challenge him in the morning, retiring to his room.
The next day Andrew walked out of his room, Dawn hanging off his arm, and was acting like the previous day's events had never happened; he was as cheerful as ever and a fire burned in his eyes, the fires of determination. He was going to prove Brendan wrong, and no one was going to stop him.
As he walked in he spotted a mountain of a man. "Well look who's back." said the large man as he shook Andrew's hand. "It's good to see you Wake, it's been a while," said the blonde, wincing as his hand was crushed by Wake's iron grip. He was still clad in his outfit and his facial tattoo was still there, he looked just as Andrew remembered, though he did look thinner.
"Now what brings a veteran like you to my humble gym? I clearly remember giving you the Fen Badge." "Well Wake I'm taking on the Sinnoh League again and you were the next gym in my crosshairs."
Wake let out a loud laugh, "Don't think I'll go down easy Mr. Champion, you got yourself a battle!"
"The official three on three battle between Crasher Wake and Andrew Townsend will now begin."
"Gyarados time to show our guest what a Water type can do." The massive blue serpent appeared and roared at Andrew, who stood his ground.
"Alright Mothim battle calls!" Andrew said as his shiny Moth Pokemon appeared, excited to battle. "Thim!" yelled the little bug as Gyarados tried to scare it to no avail. Wake gave an impressed whistle, "That's one brave bug you got there Andrew." "He's seen scarier stuff, haven't you buddy?" Mothim nodded and prepared for battle.
"Alright Mothim let's kick this off with Psychic!" Mothim nodded and fired a light blue beam of psychic energy at Gyarados.
"Counter with Ice Beam!" Gyarados fired a beam of ice, obliterating the Psychic, but Mothim gracefully dodged it. "While it's recharging use Electroweb!" Mothim's antenna glowed yellow and fired a net that crackled with electricity. Gyarados roared in pain as the net latched onto him and sent electricity coursing through him. "Now use Solar Beam!" Mothim's antennae glowed green and fired out a green beam of energy. Gyarados was unable to do anything since he was trapped under the Electroweb, but he surprisingly held his ground. "That's a tough Gyarados you got there Wake," remarked Andrew, "And that was a clever strategy, using Electroweb to buy time for your Solarbeam, but it's gonna take more than that to beat us! Gyarados use Hurricane!" Gyarados roared and whipped his tail, sending a whirlwind careening towards Mothim. "Mothim use Shadow Ball!" Mothim nodded as his antennae glowed a dark purple and fired a ball of Ghostly energy. Both Pokemon were sent crashing to the ground. "Both Pokemon are-" the official was cut off as Mothim crawled for a bit and managed to get airborne, albeit shakily. "Mothim is the winner."
"Great job Mothim, get some rest, you've earned it," said Andrew as the moth shakily fluttered over to rest on Andrew's head.
"Alright Carnivine, let's go!" "Quagsire I request your aid!" Carnivine popped out and tightly hugged his beloved master before focusing on his opponent, who blankly stared into nothing.
"Quagsire use Sludge Bomb" Quagsire complied and hawked up several blobs of sludge at the plant.
"Carnivine dodge and use Power Whip!" Carnivine used his vines to swing to another platform, dodging the balls of sludge, and fired a vine towards Quagsire. With a resounding crack the vine whipped Quagsire in the face, who continued to stare blankly as if nothing had happened, earning a sweatdrop from Andrew, "Hitmonchan could slug that thing in the face with his most powerful Focus Punch and he wouldn't notice"
"Alright Quagsire use Ice Beam!" Quagsire nodded and fired a stream of ice at Carnivine, hitting him and causing the Grass type to cry out. "Carnivine keep moving and use Sunny Day" Carnivine's vines began glowing orange as a blinding light was released, all while jumping from platform to platform, making Quagsire have to guess where to fire next.
"Solar Beam!" roared Andrew. Carnivine grinned and opened his large mouth to fire a massive green beam, which hit Quagsire directly in the face, sending him into the pool with a massive splash. To no one's surprise he had swirls in his eyes when he surfaced.
"Quagsire is unable to battle." "Alright Carnivine get some rest."
"You know who's up next," grinned Wake, "Floatzel let's make some waves!"
"Sharpedo, battle calls!" The shark Pokemon appeared and snapped his jaws threateningly at Floatzel. Andrew contemplated mega evolving but decided against it.
"Alright Sharpedo let's start with Crunch!" Sharpedo grinned and jumped into the water, rocketing towards Floatzel like a bullet. Floatzel had no time to react as the shark chomped down with his razor sharp teeth onto his arm, roaring in pain.
"Use Brick Break to shake him off!" FLoatzel nodded and clocked Sharpedo in the head with a white fist, causing him to let go and retreat, shaking his head in pain.
Andrew grinned, "Alright Sharpedo, let's get some Payback!" Sharpedo glowed white and once again charged Floatzel. "Floatzel use Fury Cutter!" Floatzel's hands glowed green and began slashing at Sharpedo, who ignored the super effective attack and rammed into Floatzel, not stopping until he had pinned the weasel between him and the wall. When Floatzel surfaced he had swirls in his eyes, while Sharpedo swam back weakly, but grinning, this had been one hell of a scrap.
"Floatzel is unable to battle, Sharpedo and Andrew win!" Andrew walked over to Sharpedo, who had surfaced, and rubbed his head, praising his efforts, causing the shark to smile. After returning the Water/Dark type, he walked over to Wake and shook his hand.
"That Sharpedo of your's packs a punch, reminds me of why I like Water types. You've certainly grown from the boy who came in here 9 years ago looking for his fourth badge," said Wake smiling.
"Thanks Wake," said Andrew, again wincing as he felt his hand crushed, "That means a lot."
"Now get out there, beat Byron and Volkner, and win this whole damn thing, I think you deserve the title of Champion." Andrew smiled warmly and said his goodbyes as the group headed to their next destination.
And I'll cut it there for this chapter, a bit of a short one. Love it? Hate it? Got an idea? Leave a comment!
I'm done here, I will A, B, C ya.