Well...hopefully this will make up for how long I made you all wait for the last two chapters! The conclusion of Aiden and Misty's battle is right here, and it's a long one! I think you'll all enjoy it...I personally think this is one of the best battles I've ever written! And that's saying something, because battles are by far my least favorite thing to write.
So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the big conclusion of Aiden and Misty's gym battle!
LAST TIME: Aiden's battle against Misty has finally arrived. Aiden is excited, but also a little bit nervous about facing his mother. Misty, on the other hand, is just worried. The battle begins, and after Misty is easily defeated by Aiden in the first two rounds of their full six-on-six battle, Ash arrives, and inspires Misty to put her all into the battle.
Chapter 53: Mother VS. Son! The Thrilling Conclusion!
With the battle officially resumed, Misty took out her third poke ball and glanced up at Ash, smiling. He smiled back, and Misty was finally ready to go.
"Azumarill, let's go!" Misty commanded, throwing the ball and releasing the aqua rabbit Pokémon.
"Still sticking with Shinx?" Justin asked Aiden.
"It's worked so far," Aiden replied. "I'm not about to switch now!"
"Sounds good. Go!"
"Shinx, spark!" Aiden called.
"I'm not falling for that again," Misty scoffed. "Azumarill, dive underwater!"
"Azu!"
The water type heeded her trainer's command and dove into the water. Shinx's spark struck the now empty platform, causing the boy to scowl.
"Azumarill is too deep underwater," Aiden grumbled. "I can't track her movements…"
Shinx was in the same position as Aiden. She was leaning over, gazing into the water and trying her hardest to find any sight of Azumarill. This included looking for shadows on the pool wall and floor. Unfortunately for her and Aiden, Azumarill was too far down to be able to see anything.
"Azumarill, aqua tail!"
With Shinx still bewildered, Azumarill jumped up behind the electric type, a funnel of water swirling around the creature's tail.
"Shinx, look out!" Aiden cried.
The electric type was struck by the aqua tail right in the back, however, sending the Pokémon sliding off of her platform and into the water.
"No!" Aiden rasped.
Shinx broke the surface and splashed around, trying desperately to get back up onto dry land.
"Let's help Shinx out, Azumarill," Misty purred. "Water gun!"
Still in the air, Azumarill unleashed her water gun attack. It hit Shinx and lifted the little electric type right out of the water. It pushed her over the pool and sent her colliding into the wall behind Misty.
"Shinx!" Aiden cried.
The Sinnoh native Pokémon fell to the floor in a large puddle of water, twitching considerably but unable to get back up onto her paws.
"Shinx is unable to battle," Justin declared. "Azumarill is the winner!"
Aiden ran off his platform and over to Shinx, where he gingerly picked the Pokémon up. Misty turned around, worry evident on her face. She watched as Aiden murmured to the Pokémon, who soon opened up her bright yellow eyes and mewled softly.
"Is Shinx alright?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, she's okay," Aiden replied, taking out the electric type's poke ball and recalling her. "She just needs some rest is all."
Misty watched as Aiden walked back around to his own box. She frowned and looked up at Ash once again. He made a lowering motion with his hand, which was his sign for Misty to relax. Misty nodded just once, to show that she understood, and looked back ahead at her son.
Aiden, on the other hand, was trying to figure out which Pokémon to use next. He ran through his lineup in his head, and ultimately, was able to make a decision. Picking out the chosen poke ball, Aiden glanced at it for a short moment before winding up and tossing the ball.
"Ledian, I choose you!"
The dual type Pokémon emerged from its ball, fluttering above its designated platform.
"Interesting strategy here," Misty commented, earning a bewildered look from her son. "Let's see how it works out! Azumarill, bubble beam!"
"Dodge it!" Aiden ordered.
Azumarill fired off a rapid stream of bubbles at Ledian, but he was able to dodge every single one by diving from left to right, sneaking beneath and around every threatening sphere.
"Silver wind!" Aiden yelled, watching on as Ledian began rapidly flapping his wings and sending silver crescents flying towards Azumarill.
"Defense curl!" Misty countered.
Azumarill curled up in a ball, her body surrounded by a pale yellow light. The silver wind bounced right off, and Azumarill unfurled as soon as the barrage was over, grinning mischievously at the dual type who floated across from her.
"Yeah, this battle is getting really good now," Brock chuckled.
"I knew they both had it in them!" Ash bragged. "They both have great ideas, but the other is always thinking on their toes! This is some really awesome back and forth battling."
"Azumarill, water gun!" Misty ordered.
"Reflect!" Aiden yelled.
Azumarill fired off her water gun attack, but Ledian quickly threw up a wall of light, sending the water gun bouncing right back towards Azumarill.
"Dodge that!" Misty cried.
Azumarill jumped into the water, narrowly avoiding being hit by her own water gun attack. Misty grinned, but Aiden was not about to be deterred.
"Ledian, use comet punch on top of the water!" Aiden called.
Ledian swooped in towards the pool, pulling his fist back and sending it forward in a dazzling light. He punched the top of the water, barely breaking its surface. Misty raised a confused eyebrow, but gasped instead when a hole opened up in the middle of the pool. The force of Ledian's comet punch had sent the water in the pool flying up, revealing Azumarill.
"Gotcha now!" Aiden laughed. "Ledian, mach punch!"
Ledian swooped in closer to Azumarill, his fists going in and out in rapid succession. Misty, however, like Aiden before her, was not about to let herself get thrown off guard.
"Azumarill, turn around and use aqua tail!"
The water type whipped around and swung its water wrapped tail at Ledian. The dual type's mach punch collided with the cyclone of water that had engulfed Azumarill's tail, creating a surge of power between the two. Azumarill had the floor of the pool to brace herself off of, but Ledian was in the air, and had nowhere else to go but up. He went soaring upwards and hit the ceiling, crying out in pain as he went fluttering down towards his platform.
"Ledian!" Aiden gasped as his Pokémon hit the platform. Leaning over, he realized that Ledian would not be able to go on, causing his shoulders to sink.
"Ledian is unable to battle," Justin announced. "Azumarill is the winner!"
Aiden ground his teeth together as he returned Ledian to its poke ball. He was glad that his mother was finally back to battling like her true self, but now he could hardly get past her. Aiden had always known his mother was a great battler, but he didn't realize just how good she was. It was no wonder that she was always approached to become a member of the Elite Four.
Reaching to his belt, Aiden plucked his third poke ball and tossed it, calling, "Riolu, I choose you!"
The baby Pokémon appeared before his trainer, eyes sparkling as soon as he set them on Misty.
"Aw, what a cutie!" Misty giggled. "Of course, I'm not surprised that you have a Pokémon that's just as cute as you! It's only fitting!"
"Mom!" Aiden groaned.
"Misty can embarrass Aiden even in the middle of a gym battle," Ash snickered. "She's so talented!"
"Yeah well, you're not gonna think he's so cute once you see what he can do," Aiden grumbled. "Riolu, quick attack!"
The emanation Pokémon darted from platform to platform, streaks of white flying behind him. Misty, for what is was worth, did not seem at all startled by the move.
"Azumarill, defense curl!" Misty ordered.
The water type curled up into a ball, the light yellow energy radiating off of her. Aiden smirked. His mother had fallen right into his trap!
"Use brick break right in front of Azumarill!" Aiden cried.
"Brick break?!" Misty gasped.
Riolu brought his flattened palm down onto the platform, striking the side of his paw just inches away from where Azumarill was curled up in a ball. The water type went flying, crying out in surprise as she soared.
"Looks like teaching you that new move before this battle really paid off!" Aiden called out to Riolu. "Quick attack into force palm!"
Riolu started running again, this time using his speed to help him leap from wall to wall. He was able to gain enough traction to get himself up in midair, right near Azumarill. He placed his paws on the water type and fired off a blast of light, causing Azumarill to wail in pain as she went falling back down towards the water. Misty watched on with a dropped jaw, wincing as Azumarill made a large splash in the pool. Riolu landed back down on what was really Azumarill's platform, and smirked across at his pleased trainer. Misty, on the other hand, was not too happy. She was frustrated, and that was evident by the scowl on her face.
"Misty is none too pleased," Brock noted.
"She said that she knew Aiden was good, but I don't think she realized how good," Ash laughed. "She's definitely getting worked up!"
Michelle glanced over at her father with curious eyes. "Dad, you really think Aiden is that good?"
Ash smirked at his daughter, but said nothing in response.
"Azumarill, water gun!" Misty ordered.
Riolu deepened his stance, while Aiden growled and looked deeply into the water.
"Not this tactic again…"
In a matter of seconds, the platform Riolu was standing on shot up into the air, the emanation Pokémon crying out in surprise. A fountain of water was the cause of the platform's sudden levitation, and after a good shot, the water gun ceased, Azumarill jumping out of the water.
"Bubble beam!" Misty called.
"Counter!" Aiden yelled.
Azumarill fired off her bubble beam, while Riolu's body became surrounded by warm orange light. The bubble beam hit Riolu and bounced right off, soaring back towards Azumarill.
"Into the water!" Misty shouted.
Azumarill twisted herself until she was going head down towards the water. She pulled her ears back and pointed her nose out, pushing all of her weight forward so she would fall faster. She landed in the water with a splash, the returned bubble beam popping listlessly behind her. Riolu landed back on one of the center platforms, growling.
"We're not going to let Mom and Azumarill keep playing the underwater game," Aiden assured his Pokémon. "Force palm on the water!"
Riolu lowered his paws and unleashed a burst of energy against the water's surface, bringing Azumarill up along with crashing waves.
"Got you now!" Aiden laughed.
"I'm glad you think so, little guy!" Misty snickered. "Azumarill, aqua tail!"
"Riolu, brick break!" Aiden countered.
The two Pokémon went right at each other; Azumarill soaring through the air, Riolu running over floating platforms. The two met right in the middle of the pool, their attacks colliding with great force. The burst of energy that emerged from their two attacks meeting spread throughout the whole room, rustling the hair and clothing of both Aiden and Misty, and everyone in the stands. By the time everyone was able to look up again, Azumarill and Riolu had both fainted; Riolu lying on one of the platforms while Azumarill floated on her back in the water.
"Both Azumarill and Riolu are unable to battle," Justin murmured, obviously surprised by the outcome. "This round is a tie!"
"That was amazing," Brandon breathed.
"But no one won," Elizabeth whined.
"Sometimes that makes it even more exciting, pumpkin!" Ash chuckled. "I know that this is just gonna make your mommy and brother fight even harder."
After they both recalled their Pokémon, Aiden and Misty locked eyes from across the pool. Aiden wanted to remain serious, but it seemed that Misty had other ideas. She smiled softly at her son, who pulled back in confusion.
"What?" Aiden piped up.
"You and I both have just three Pokémon left," Misty replied, her smile growing. "Let's make sure that those three Pokémon get to show off just as much as our first three did."
Aiden furrowed his brow, but that quickly evaporated into a smile and a nod. He really felt like his mother was treating him the way she would any other trainer (with the exception of her weird comment about being cute from beforehand), and he loved it. He knew full well he was battling his mother, but it was still a gym battle with a real gym leader. He wanted it to be as serious as all seven other gym leaders he'd faced.
"I've got quite the opponent for you now," Misty teased, retrieving her next poke ball. "Let's see how well you can handle this one! Gyrados, let's go!"
Aiden's eyes widened as the atrocious Pokémon appeared before him, towering out of the water like a giant. Aiden had played with Gyrados since he was little, and he knew that the big Pokémon was actually pretty friendly. In battle, however, that clearly wasn't the case. Here, the gigantic creature actually intimidated him, and Aiden was admittedly worried about the power it possessed.
"Is that all you got?" Aiden taunted, trying to keep the edge off of his voice. "I'm not afraid of Gyrados. In fact, I think my choice is the perfect match! Arcanine, I choose you!"
Aiden's poke ball popped open to reveal the big fire type, who quickly locked eyes with Gyrados. Both Pokémon snarled at the other, the tension obvious between them. Elizabeth squeaked, leaning back against her father.
"Daddy, those are very big Pokémon!" Elizabeth marveled.
"Yeah, big and powerful!" Ash chuckled.
"They're gonna make a mess," Elizabeth sighed, causing Brock to choke back a laugh.
"Well, I know her father didn't teach her that one," Brock teased.
"Hey, I like the big, destructive battles!" Ash laughed. "Don't you, Lizzie?"
"Yes," Elizabeth replied. "But Mommy doesn't like messes!"
"Don't worry, sweetie," Ash assured, kissing the top of his daughter's head. "If Gyrados and Arcanine make a big mess, Daddy will help Mommy clean it up."
Elizabeth tilted her head back to look at her father, eyes gleaming as she grinned from ear to ear.
"Go!" Justin called.
"Arcanine, flamethrower!" Aiden cried.
The powerful fire attack went hurdling towards Gyrados. From behind, Misty smirked and tilted her head.
"Oh yeah?" She giggled. "Gyrados, let's show Aiden and Arcanine your flamethrower!"
Aiden gasped as Gyrados unleashed his own flamethrower. The two attacks met in the middle, cancelling each other out.
"I didn't realize Mom's Gyrados knows flamethrower," Michelle marveled.
"That's one of your mom's favorite tricks to play," Ash chuckled. "She's always said she lives for the reactions of her challengers when she brings it out!"
"I definitely liked Aiden's reaction," Michelle giggled.
"Okay, so Gyrados knows flamethrower too," Aiden scoffed. "That's no big deal."
"Really?" Misty questioned, smirking at her son. "Your face says otherwise."
Scowling, Aiden threw his arm forward and yelled, "Arcanine, bite!"
The big fire type strode across every floating platform in the middle of the pool, moving effortlessly. As he pulled in closer to Gyrados, he opened up his mouth, revealing a set of razor sharp white fangs.
"Gyrados, hyper beam!" Misty commanded.
With Arcanine in close range, Gyrados fired off a bright orange beam of energy right at Arcanine. The force of the attack sent Arcanine flying backwards, skidding across several of the platforms and knocking them all against one another.
"That hyper beam was only inches away from Arcanine," Brandon noted.
"Yeah, that's what sent him flying back so hard," Brock added.
"I know Aiden thought that Arcanine was a good match up for Gyrados, but I don't think he realized everything that Gyrados is capable of," Ash commented. Looking at Michelle, he continued, "your mother has worked tirelessly with Gyrados over the years. Gyrados are strong Pokémon as it is, but the extra work your mom put in with him really put her Gyrados at an entirely different level. Even I struggle when I battle against him."
Michelle blinked and looked over at Gyrados. "It's funny to think that he's so much fun to play with, and such a sweet Pokémon. He sure isn't sweet when he's battling."
"Your mom was so scared of Gyrados growing up," Ash recounted with a smile. "She had a bad experience with him when she was very little. It took years for her to even have enough courage to go near Gyrados, let alone train him. He was never a bad Pokémon; she just had a bad experience. But Gyrados made it up to her when he saved her years later. That's when she realized that Gyrados really was good, and she started to train him. Those two have been unstoppable ever since."
"Arcanine, you have to get up," Aiden pleaded. "Come on, I know you can!"
Arcanine tried getting back up to his paws, but he was struggling valiantly. Misty watched on, waiting to see what would happen. She was ready to launch her next attack, but not until she knew that Arcanine was okay and would be able to fight back. Just as Arcanine was getting back to his paws, however, the big fire type collapsed again, howling in pain.
"No…" Aiden murmured.
"Arcanine is unable to battle," Justin declared. "Gyrados is the winner!"
"Whoa," Michelle muttered, watching as Aiden returned Arcanine to his poke ball.
"That wasn't even a good one!" Elizabeth cried. Ash gasped and quickly covered Elizabeth's mouth, earning a whine from the child.
"Now that she gets from her father!" Brock chuckled.
"Well…I can't argue about it," Ash grumbled, lowering his hand.
"What?!" Elizabeth cried, looking up at her father. "What'd I do?"
"You've got no filter," Ash teased, tapping his daughter's nose just once. "That's what you did."
Elizabeth pouted, but didn't respond, because she didn't really know what that meant.
Back down on the battlefield, Aiden was already pulling out his next poke ball. Misty was still smirking, somewhat amused by her son's angry scowl.
Such a determined little guy, Misty thought whimsically to herself. Just like his Daddy! I've always known that Aiden took after Ash, but this…this feels just like battling Ash. I've got the same feeling I have whenever I battle him. Our son is amazing.
Misty looked at Ash out of the corner of her eye, and saw that he was smiling right at her. Misty returned the sentiment before turning her attention back onto Aiden, pulling her shoulders back to show that she was ready for the next round.
"Absol, I choose you!" Aiden cried, throwing the ball.
Misty watched as the dark type made his appearance, shaking out his elegant white fur before crouching down and glaring at Gyrados.
"Absol is a gorgeous Pokémon," Misty mused. "Powerful, too! Let's see how this goes."
Growling, Aiden took a step forward and ordered, "Absol, night slash!"
The dark type charged forward, his claws beginning to glow a bright purple. Gyrados tensed up, while Misty just smirked.
"Whirlpool!" She called.
Gyrados unleashed a vicious roar, causing the water in the pool to sweep up into a funnel.
"Absol, jump!" Aiden cried.
With total ease, Absol leapt off the platform and soared towards Gyrados, taking his glowing purple claws and slashing them across Gyrados' face. The water type shrieked in pain, while Absol landed steadily behind the stunned creature.
"Nice work," Aiden complimented. "Quick attack!"
Absol pulled back and took a running start at Gyrados, using his quick attack as a spring to leap up and head butt Gyrados in the neck. Again Gyrados cried out in pain, and this time, he nearly came crashing down into the water.
"Alright, Gyrados, it's time to stop Absol in its tracks," Misty growled. "Dragon rage!"
As Gyrados geared up to unleash what was arguably its most powerful attack, Aiden balled his hands into fists and planted his feet firmly into the ground.
"Absol, double team!"
Multiple versions of Absol appeared in a semi-circle before Gyrados just as he unleashed his dragon rage attack. One by one, Gyrados knocked out the substitutes, until it got down to just three figures left: one real, two fake. Knowing this was do or die time, Aiden nodded just once and threw his arm out.
"Absol, quick attack, again!"
The middle of the three Absol darted out, white streaks flashing behind him as the dragon rage knocked out the two remaining substitutes. He kept running towards Gyrados, turning Misty's agitation up just a bit more.
"Gyrados, flamethrower!"
"Dodge it!"
Absol used its quick attack to avoid the flamethrower, switching from left to right to left again. With one last running leap, Absol launched himself directly into Gyrados' chest, pushing the water type back against the wall of the pool.
"No, Gyrados!" Misty gasped.
"We've got this now, Absol!" Aiden cheered. "Future sight!"
Absol, who had landed on the platform directly in front of Gyrados, glanced up at the monstrous water type with glowing blue eyes. Gyrados hissed at the Pokémon, but ceased as soon as Absol's eyes stopped glowing, and nothing had happened.
"It's not going to strike just yet, Gyrados," Misty advised. "But we have to be ready for when it does. Dive underwater!"
Gyrados sunk beneath the surface, Absol huffing and watching as the massive creature disappeared into the water. Aiden groaned and rolled his eyes, earning the ire of his mother.
"What's with that face?!" She demanded.
"Come on, Mom, when are you going to quit telling your Pokémon to go underwater?" Aiden retaliated.
"As soon as it stops working for me," Misty replied with a smirk. "Gyrados, whirlpool!"
"Absol, use quick attack to get yourself up on the very edge of the pool!" Aiden yelled.
Just as the water in the middle of the pool rose in a vicious funnel, Absol jumped off the platform and began running around the edge of the pool, the power coming off of his body causing the water to skirt up against the wall behind him after every step he took. Misty ground her teeth, while Aiden's eyes glistened with excitement. Absol continued running around the edge of the pool until he was back at the platform where he'd started, right in front of Aiden. Once he got there, he stood rigid and alert, giving Aiden the hint that he needed.
Misty, on the other hand, didn't recognize Absol's body language, and had no idea what her son was doing. "Why are you just standing there?"
Aiden grinned at his mother, to which she winced. "There's nothing left I need to do, Mom!"
Before Misty could respond, a flash of energy came out of nowhere, piercing the water and creating a powerful light show deep below the surface. A loud explosion soon followed, causing water to spill out over the edge of the pool. Misty braced herself and took a large step back, slipping on spilled water. She fell hard on her behind, arm still bracing her face from the explosion.
"Misty!" Ash gasped, jumping to his feet.
"Mom!" Aiden cried.
Wincing, Misty lowered her arm and opened her eyes, looking between Ash and Aiden. They both wore the same look of concern, to which Misty smiled and nervously rubbed the back of her neck.
"I'm fine," she assured the both of them, slowly getting back to her feet. "Don't worry about me!"
With his heart still racing, Ash sat back down, everyone's bewildered eyes set on him. Aiden, on the other hand, looked down sheepishly at his feet, Absol curiously watching over his shoulder.
With Absol's future sight finally over, Gyrados' limp body finally rose to the top of the water, swirls present in his usually narrowed eyes. Misty groaned and sagged her shoulders, knowing full well what that meant.
"Gyrados is unable to battle," Justin announced. "Absol is the winner!"
Sighing, Misty took out Gyrados' poke ball and returned the defeated creature, smiling down at the sphere and murmuring something to it before returning the ball to her pocket. "That was some good strategy, Aiden. I'll give you that."
"Thanks," Aiden murmured. "Are you sure you're okay, Mom?"
"I told you, you don't have to worry about me!" Misty assured. "It was just a little fall is all. Nothing I can't handle! I'm tough, and I'm ready for the next round."
Aiden pressed his lips into a firm line and nodded. Smiling, Misty placed her hands on her hips, confusing Aiden. He had been expecting her to grab her next poke ball, but here she was…just standing there.
"Mom, I thought you said you were ready," Aiden murmured.
"Oh, I am!" Misty assured. "Vaporeon, let's go!"
The bubble jet Pokémon strode over from the sidelines, effortlessly hopping up onto her platform and mewling softly at Absol. The dark type growled in response, but Vaporeon was unaffected, simply swishing her tail at the agitated creature standing across from her.
"Alright, Vaporeon, that's enough flirting for one day," Misty teased, smirking at her partner Pokémon. "Time to get serious. Hydro pump!"
Vaporeon fired off a powerful blast of water at Absol, one so hard and fast that Absol couldn't get out of the way fast enough. He was hit dead on by the hydro pump, drenching his fur and dragging the dark type down.
"Ugh!" Aiden hissed.
"Rain dance!" Misty called.
"Vay!" Vaporeon trilled, her eyes glowing a bright blue as a small storm cloud appeared just over Absol's head. It began to downpour, further soaking the Pokémon and weighing him down.
"Absol, quick, use double team!" Aiden cried.
The dark type was so busy trying to shake all of the water out of his fur that he didn't hear Aiden's attack. The boy started to get flustered by this, and Misty could tell that he was struggling to pull himself together. Although she felt bad doing it, Misty knew that she had to take advantage of the situation. Now was her time to strike.
"Vaporeon, ice beam!" Misty ordered.
The water type breathed out a solid shot of sparkling ice, which quickly wrapped itself around Absol's body and froze the disaster Pokémon.
"Absol, no!" Aiden gasped.
"Let's finish this up, Vaporeon!" Misty cheered. "Aurora beam!"
Leaning back on her paws, Vaporeon unleashed another beam of energy, this one made of rainbow colored light. It struck the ice, causing it to glow in beautiful colors for just a few moments before imploding on itself, sending Absol down to the ground in one giant heap.
"Misty didn't give him a break on that one," Brock noted.
"Yeah, but that move would be great in a Contest!" Michelle squealed. "Did you see how beautiful it was?!"
"Michelle's always looking for inspiration, wherever she can get it," Brandon chuckled.
"And Misty wonders why I always tease her about being a coordinator behind my back," Ash laughed. "She's always pulling these beautiful moves out of nowhere! Impresses me every time."
Aiden returned Absol to his poke ball, giving it a reassuring squeeze before placing it back on his belt.
One Pokémon left… Aiden thought to himself, looking up at his mother. This one can do it. We can beat Mom…together.
Retrieving his final poke ball, Aiden held it against his chest, sucking in a deep breath before winding back and throwing the ball in a spinning fashion.
"Wartortle, I choose you!"
Aiden's evolved starter materialized before him, grinning mischievously at both Misty and Vaporeon.
"Wartortle," Misty murmured. "I've been waiting for this little one."
"He's gotten a lot stronger from when he was just a Squirtle," Aiden informed his mother. "Just wait until you see what Wartortle can do!"
"I look forward to it," Misty hummed.
"Wartortle, rapid spin!" Aiden called.
The turtle Pokémon tucked his head and legs away in his shell as he jumped up in the air, sending his shell rapidly spinning towards Vaporeon.
"Rapid spin? Good move," Misty idly commented with a giggle. "But not good enough to get past us! Vaporeon, let's bring Wartortle back down to Earth! Hydro pump!"
Vaporeon pulled back and fired off her strongest water attack, hitting Wartortle directly. The Pokémon's head and legs reappeared as he fell into the water, disappearing with a splash.
"Wartortle!" Aiden cried.
"Excellent work, Vaporeon," Misty drawled, earning a delighted mewl from her partner.
Aiden growled, tightening his fists. He was not about to lose to his mother. Not when he'd come this far against her. There had to be some way to get past Vaporeon…
And that's when it hit him.
Smirking, Aiden folded his arms and bragged, "well, now I can play the underwater trick!"
"Sounds like a good plan, but I think you're forgetting that Vaporeon can go underwater too," Misty replied with a smirk. "So if it's an underwater battle you want, it's an underwater battle you'll get! Let's dive in, Vaporeon."
Vaporeon leapt into the water just like a trained diver. Misty smirked at her son, who was back to wearing a scowl on his face. "Let's see how well you can do with my tactic."
Looking beneath the water, Aiden could see Wartortle swimming around, but not Vaporeon. He wondered why that was…until he remembered Vaporeon's special ability.
"She disappears in the water," Aiden grumbled to himself.
"Forgot about that little detail, didn't you?"
Aiden glanced up at his mother and frowned. She looked quite pleased with this development, but Aiden didn't exactly share in her sentiments. This wasn't going to work if he or Wartortle couldn't see Vaporeon…so he'd have to come up with a new strategy.
"Wartortle, stay underwater, but use rapid spin!" Aiden yelled.
Down below, Wartortle started to spin around in a circle. The water began to warp around him, and soon, Wartortle was rising up in a swirling funnel of water.
"Look at that," Ash marveled. "It's like Aiden is making up his own version of whirlpool!"
"You really think that's going to work?" Misty drawled.
"I know it is!" Aiden called back. "Just watch!"
Misty rolled her eyes and glanced up at the water funnel, but gasped in horror the moment she saw Vaporeon's tail sticking out of it, going around and around, and getting faster by the second.
"Vaporeon!" Misty gasped.
"Alright, Wartortle, quit spinning and use water gun instead!"
The funnel came to a halting stop as Wartortle stopped using rapid spin. Vaporeon's entire body became visible as the water fell back down into the pool, as did Wartortle's. The only difference was Wartortle had control over his body, and Vaporeon didn't. She was free falling, and that's what Aiden was hoping to take advantage of. Pulling his head back, Wartortle unleashed his water gun attack. It hit Vaporeon right in her middle, and sent her down colliding with her platform.
Misty's eyes widened and she leaned over on her toes. As soon as she got a good look at Vaporeon, she knew that the water type wouldn't be able to go on.
"Vaporeon is unable to battle," Justin called. "Wartortle is the winner!"
Smiling sadly, Misty knelt down and held her hand out towards Vaporeon, softly whispering for the bubble jet Pokémon to get up and come to her. Slowly, Vaporeon got on her paws and slinked over to Misty, her head and tail both held low.
"It's alright," Misty assured, stroking Vaporeon's head. "You did wonderful, Vaporeon. I'm very proud of you."
Vaporeon mewled again and brushed up against Misty. The gym leader giggled and wrapped her arms around Vaporeon's neck, giving her partner a tight hug.
"You're the best," Misty murmured, nuzzling Vaporeon between the eyes before letting her go off to the sidelines to rest. Once Vaporeon was gone, Misty stood back up and held her hands behind her back, gently tilting her head.
"Well then, I suppose we each have one Pokémon left," Misty stated coolly.
"Yep," Aiden replied.
"You and Wartortle battle well together," Misty continued, "but I think my last Pokémon might be a bit much for you two."
Aiden blinked, while Wartortle muttered nervously.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time," Misty breathed, pulling out her sixth and final poke ball. "This is a Pokémon you've never seen before, Aiden. This Pokémon was a gift from your father. A very special gift."
Ash's breath hitched, and before long, his mouth bent up into the sweetest, happiest smile.
"I've been training with this Pokémon ever since he gave it to me," Misty murmured, staring down at the ball. "We've worked very hard, and I'm more than confident in its abilities. I wanted to give you a challenge that would test how far you've come as a trainer…we both did, your dad and I. This Pokémon is the perfect one to do just that."
Enlarging the ball, Misty raised it to her face and kissed the top of it before flipping it over in her hand and then up in the air, Aiden following its flight and watching as the red and white surface began to sparkle in the gym lights.
"Go!" Misty shouted as the ball popped open. A bright white light emerged from the ball, shooting down to the platform in front of Misty and forming a long, delicate shape. Four fins fanned out at its end, while two long fins fell down its neck. The light burst off of the Pokémon in sparkles, revealing Misty's chosen Pokémon to everyone in all of its glory. Aiden looked over the Pokémon's cream colored body, its red and blue scaled tail, and its narrowed red eyes. He breathed in deeply, his chest and stomach tightening simultaneously as he realized just what Pokémon it was.
"Milotic," he whispered.
Up in the stands, Michelle and Brandon's jaws dropped. Brock, on the other hand, just looked impressed.
"Husband of the year material right there," he murmured with a nod before holding a fist out towards Ash. "Nice job, buddy."
"Thanks, Brocko!" Ash chuckled, pounding his best friend's fist back. "I try."
"Dad, you caught Mom a Milotic?" Michelle breathed, whipping out her pokedex.
Milotic, the tender Pokémon. Milotic is said to be the most beautiful of all Pokémon. It has the power to calm angry feelings and arguments with a simple wave of energy.
"Aiden might be in trouble," Brandon murmured.
"Yeah," Michelle agreed, nervously wringing her hands together after putting away her pokedex. "Milotic is just as strong as it is beautiful."
Aiden looked over his mother's Pokémon one more time. As he stared at Milotic, his fear started to slip away, and it was quickly replaced by a heavy dose of confidence.
"I'm glad you wanted to come up with a good challenge for me, Mom," Aiden began. "But I don't think you're going to come out of this with a win."
He grinned excitedly and grabbed the bill of his hat, flipping it around so the visor was now on the back. His raven bangs sprung through the hole that belonged on the back of his head, and floated just above his dazzling brown eyes.
"What's Aiden doing?" Michelle muttered, learning forward in her seat.
"He's turning into his father," Delia giggled, glancing over at a proud looking Ash.
Misty let out one small giggle, turning her head away as she closed her eyes. "Unreal…"
"What do you say, Mom? Ready for the last round?"
Misty looked back over at her son, her facial expression unchanging. "I've been ready for a long time, Aiden. Let's go!"
Pumping his fist, Aiden turned his right shoulder out and yelled, "Wartortle, bubble beam!"
The turtle Pokémon spit out a stream of bubbles, to which Misty snickered.
"Milotic, blizzard!" She commanded.
Opening its mouth, Milotic released a wintry wind, snow and ice mixed in. It struck the bubble beam, freezing every last bubble over and sending them crashing into the water, much to Aiden's annoyance.
"Now, aqua tail!" Misty ordered.
Milotic unfurled its body and began floating through the air, water swirling around its colorful tail. It flipped its body around so its tail was coming directly at Wartortle, who was beginning to back up on his platform.
"Wartortle, bite!" Aiden commanded.
The turtle Pokémon jumped off of his platform, using the middle of Milotic's body as a spring board of sorts to flip himself over. Now facing head down, Wartortle opened his mouth and bit into Milotic's neck, earning a shriek of pain from the tender Pokémon. Together, the two Pokémon went down into the water, a mighty splash accompanying them and drenching the surface of every floating platform. "
"Back under the water," Michelle sighed.
"Milotic, waterfall!" Misty called.
Within a matter of seconds, a wave of water rose from the pool, before falling over in an arch. Milotic appeared at the top, its eyes glowing blue as it swam easily through the stream. Wartortle, on the other hand, was not as lucky, and was struggling to get out of the power of the waterfall. His hind legs were sticking up, kicking back and forth violently as he tried to flip himself over.
"Wartortle!" Aiden gasped.
"Got him right where we want him," Misty giggled. "Now, Milotic, water pulse!"
Out of its mouth, Milotic fired off several spheres of water. The first few went crashing into the body of the waterfall, while the very last sphere made Wartortle its specific target. The force of the water pulse pushed Wartortle right out of the waterfall, sending him spinning backwards. The water type landed right on his back, struggling to flip himself back over to his feet.
"Wartortle, get up!" Aiden pleaded. "You have to find a way to get back up!"
"Well, this isn't exactly how I expected the battle to end, but I'll take what I can get," Misty purred, watching on as Wartortle continued to struggle. "Time to finish this off, Milotic! Use-"
Misty's next command was cut off, however, as soon as Wartortle's body began to glow blue. He started to grow bigger, the spurt pushing him back up on his feet. Aiden leaned forward ever so slightly, his eyes widening. Misty, from the other side of the pool, wore a similar expression. Everyone in the stands was shocked as well.
"Is this…what I think it is?" Michelle murmured.
"Pretty…" Elizabeth breathed.
"What did I say, Brock?" Ash commented softly. "Timing is everything."
Wartortle continued to grow larger and taller, losing the fluff on his ears and gaining two protrusions out of his back. When the blue light dissipated, it was revealed to everyone that Wartortle was no longer Wartortle, but someone completely different.
"Finally!" Aiden cheered, pulling out his pokedex.
Blastoise, the shellfish Pokémon, and the evolved form of Wartortle. The canons on Blastoise's back are capable of water blasts that can pierce steel and concrete.
"I can't believe I finally have my own Blastoise!" Aiden marveled, putting his pokedex away. "This is so great!"
"Well, what do you know," Brandon laughed. "Aiden's finally got his favorite Pokémon!"
"I think this was just the thing Aiden needed to try and get past his mother," Ash chuckled. "He loves Blastoise, but Blastoise is also a lot more powerful than Wartortle!"
Smirking, Blastoise leaned forward and fired two blasts of water out of his canons, causing Milotic to jump into the pool to avoid it.
"Hey!" Misty cried.
"Wow, that was hydro pump!" Aiden cheered. "Blastoise, you learned hydro pump!"
"Toise," Blastoise replied.
"Just because he learned it doesn't mean he had to fire it off at Milotic like that," Misty grumbled.
"Then fire back!" Aiden challenged, smirking at his mother. "Blastoise and I can handle whatever it is you and Milotic throw at us!"
Misty scoffed and placed her hands on her hips. "If that's the case…Milotic, use waterfall again!"
Just poking its head up from beneath the water, with eyes glowing blue, Milotic watched on as water rose from behind Wartortle, falling over and hurdling towards him.
"Is that all you got?" Aiden teased. "Blastoise, rapid spin!"
Despite all of his newfound weight, Blastoise was still able to tuck his extremities away in his shell and begin spinning. The water still landed on top of him, but with Blastoise spinning, it all went flying off of him and caused no damage.
"Keep spinning!" Aiden commanded. "Straight towards Milotic!"
Blastoise heeded his trainer's command and went in towards Milotic, knocking straight into the tender Pokémon and sending it flying.
"Blastoise's speed and accuracy are great!" Ash chuckled.
"A bit surprising for such a big Pokémon," Brock mused. "But I guess that just goes to show Aiden has trained him very well!"
"Milotic, can you still battle?" Misty asked, nervously looking over her Pokémon. Slowly, Milotic pulled itself back up, murmuring an affirmative in response. "Thank goodness. Aqua tail!"
Jumping back into the water, Milotic swam beneath Blastoise's platform and leapt up, striking the shellfish Pokémon on the back of the neck and stunning him.
"Ugh," Aiden huffed, causing Misty to smirk. "Blastoise, quick! Grab Milotic!"
"What?!" Misty gasped. "Milotic, get away!"
Milotic tried its hardest to get back in the water, but Blastoise managed to grab onto it before it could get away safely. Milotic still ended up in the water, but it was with Blastoise's claws attached to its body. The tender Pokémon whined and thrashed around in the water, trying desperately to get Blastoise off. Blastoise, for what it was worth, was holding on as tight as he could, refusing to just let his opponent go free.
"Bite!" Aiden yelled.
Blastoise opened his mouth and bit into Milotic's neck, earning a wail of pain from the water type.
"Water pulse!" Misty cried.
Milotic, though still in pain, fired off one ball of water directly at Blastoise's face, stunning the shellfish Pokémon and causing his grip to slip.
"Almost free!" Misty cheered. "Blizzard!"
"Bubble beam!" Aiden countered.
Just as Milotic unleashed its blizzard attack, Blastoise let go of its body and swam away, firing off his bubble beam as he quickly paddled backwards. The two attacks collided, but unlike before, it didn't freeze the bubbles over. Both attacks were fired at close range to one another, and this created a reaction. The force of the collision sent both Pokémon flying back and out of the water. Each one landed hard on a platform, earning alarm from both of their trainers.
"Milotic!" Misty gasped.
"Blastoise!" Aiden cried.
Everything remained still at first. Neither Pokémon moved or reacted to their trainer. Justin switched his eyes between the two Pokémon, ready to call a tie.
That is, until Blastoise started to pull himself back up.
"That's it, Blastoise!" Aiden cheered. "I knew you'd be okay!"
Kneeling on one knee, Blastoise looked across at Milotic and growled. The tender Pokémon lifted its head, blinking hard and trying to pull the rest of its body up. Pain quickly overtook the creature, however, and it collapsed once again, whining softly as it struck the floor.
"No…" Misty breathed.
"Milotic is unable to battle," Justin declared, throwing his right arm out to the side. "Blastoise is the winner! Which means the match goes to Aiden!"
The young trainer's eyes went wide, and he looked disbelievingly between Milotic and Blastoise. "I…I…I won?"
As the realization hit him, Aiden's look of shock turned into one of absolute joy. He let out a shriek of excitement and jumped out of his box, right onto the platform where Blastoise was. It rocked in the water thanks to the force of Aiden's jump, but he didn't notice in the slightest. He threw his arms around Blastoise, laughing wildly as the water type jumped up to his feet, laughing right along with his trainer.
"We did it, Blastoise!" Aiden cheered, throwing his head back and continuing to laugh. "We really did it!"
On the other side of the pool, Misty sighed and showed off a sad smile. Pulling out Milotic's poke ball, she returned the defeated Pokémon, holding the sphere in her hand and gazing down at it.
"You were great," she murmured.
"That's my girl!"
Misty's eyes widened as she felt a hand come down hard on her butt.
"OW!" Misty howled, snapping her head up to glare at Ash.
"Did that hurt?" Ash gasped. "I thought you said were okay!"
"I am, but it still hurts," Misty grumbled, rubbing the spot.
"Aw, don't worry," Ash crooned, rubbing the spot. "I can make that feel all better."
"Not in front of Elizabeth!" Misty hissed, taking the giggly child out of Ash's occupied arm. "What did you think, sweetheart? Did you like Mommy and Aiden's battle?"
"Yeah!" Elizabeth giggled. "You were so good, Mommy!"
"Thank you, sweetie," Misty giggled, looking over at her son. "But your brother was just a bit better than me, wasn't he?"
With Aiden still celebrating, Misty handed Elizabeth back to Ash and walked over to Justin, her eyes clear and her head held high. He smiled at her, and held out a small wooden box.
"Thank you," Misty said, taking the box from Justin.
"Don't mention it," Justin laughed. "Let's just see if you can get Aiden's attention now."
"Oh, this will do the trick," Misty assured, smirking at her assistant. "I'm sure of it."
She walked over to where Aiden and Blastoise were still celebrating and increased her smile.
"Aiden!" Misty beckoned, catching the boy's attention. He looked up and blushed a little bit, letting go of Blastoise and hopping up onto the ground next to the pool.
"Hi Mom," he greeted sheepishly.
"Aiden," Misty began, gently touching her son's cheek, "that was an incredible battle. You've obviously grown tremendously as a trainer. I am so, so proud of you."
"Really?" Aiden asked, his eyes shining.
"The way you battle…it reminds me of your dad, when he was young," Misty continued. "You weren't going to let up, no matter what happened. That determination is going to take you very far."
"Yeah?" Aiden murmured.
"Yeah," Misty replied with a giggle. "I've seen it take other people very far."
"Like Dad?" Aiden questioned.
Misty smirked and gave a single nod. "Like Dad."
Holding out the wooden box, Misty watched as her son glanced down inside of it, his own eyes widening in awe.
"Not only did you beat me, Aiden, but you gave me an incredible battle," Misty continued. "You are more than deserving of this Cascade Badge, and I couldn't be happier to give it to you."
Beaming, Aiden took the badge out of the box and held it in front of his face, smiling at his reflection on its shiny blue surface. With another excited cry, Aiden held the badge up in the air and cheered, "I did it! I won the Cascade Badge! And I beat Mom!"
Misty giggled and folded her arms, closing her eyes in enamored bliss.
"Congratulations, buddy!"
Ash came up to his son and lifted up the boy's hat to ruffle his hair.
"Thanks, Dad!" Aiden laughed.
"That's your eighth bade, right?" Ash asked, pointing at the Cascade Badge in his son's hands.
"Uh huh," Aiden replied.
"That means you can enter the Indigo League!" Ash chuckled. "Are you excited?"
"Of course!" Aiden chirped. "I can't wait to go to the Indigo Plateau…and win!"
"One step at a time, little man," Misty giggled. "You still have a few months until the Indigo League."
"And in those few months, you're going to have to do plenty of training!" Ash added. "You can't go into the League all rusty, after all."
"Of course I'm gonna do lots of training!" Aiden replied.
"Aiden's lying," Elizabeth squeaked, earning laughter from her parents.
"Guys, that's not funny!" Aiden whined. "I'm serious! I'm going to work really hard!"
"We believe you, Aiden," Misty giggled, leaning over and tapping the boy's nose just once. "We just can't help it that your little sister is so funny!"
"Watching you battle today told us everything we need to know about your work ethic," Ash assured. He stepped forward and placed the hat back on Aiden's head, facing it forward once again. "You're gonna do great, Aiden."
The boy looked between his parents and beamed. "I just want to make you both proud, that's all."
"You already have," Misty assured with a smile. "We've always been proud of you, Aiden. And we always will."
"Yeah, you're our little champ!" Ash added, pulling Aiden against his side and giving the boy a squeeze. "You just keep on doing your best, and we'll be there for you. Always."
It was a close one, but Aiden won in the end! And now he has all eight badges!
Now that the gym battle is over, Aiden and Michelle's time with their parents isn't. What does that mean? Well, just stay tuned and find out!