Who I Am - Lightning99
Chapter 26:
Ash vs Hau: Round 2
After getting permission from Pikala to use the area for their battle and coaxing the Pikachu a safe distance away to spectate, which turned out to be a taxing ordeal — it seemed they thought they were playing tag — Ash and Hau faced off, both donning some impressively large, excited smirks. Pikachu assumed a look identical to his trainer's. Lillie watched from the safety of the tree, fixated on the unfolding event.
"What type of battle do you want?" Ash asked.
"A three-on-three!" Hau responded, already readying his first Pokéball.
Ash faltered. "Three-on-three?" he asked. That wasn't such a good idea. The only Pokémon he wanted to use in the battle were Rockruff and Litten seeing as he decided not to rely on Pikachu too much. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Hau said, tilting his head to the ground. "I… I know your Pikachu is strong, but I'll never get stronger if I don't fight strong enemies!"
Touché, Ash thought. He nodded and grabbed his first Pokéball. "What brought that thought on?"
"I… lost to my Grandpa," Hau said, surprising Ash. "Heh, plus, I've got a trump card if I need it!"
"As long as you're sure," Ash said. He felt bad for bringing up his loss. It seemed Hau wasn't too fond of it, which was only natural. Losing to someone you consider a rival, or you look up to was tough. He knew from experience.
"Enough of that! At the same time, alright?" Hau asked, and Ash nodded again. "Ok… three, two, one, go!"
At the same time as Hau, Ash threw out his Pokéball. His Litten appeared from it, growling energetically. Unexpectedly, Hau sent out a Noibat.
"Woah," Ash said, "where'd you get a Noibat in Alola?"
"In Verdant Cavern. You're allowed back in after you complete the trial! Pretty cool, huh?"
"It is!"
"Anyway, let's begin!" Hau said. He turned to the man in the cap, who had offered to act as their referee. "Please do the honours," he said, and Ash focused.
"Both ready?" the man in the cap asked. Both nodded. "Alright… Begin!"
"Noibat fly up and use Screech!" Hau began, adopting the first theatrical gesture Ash had seen from him. He seemed really into it. Hau's enthusiasm only served to fuel Ash's own.
Ash couldn't say he was entirely surprised with the move choice given the speakers Noibat had for ears, but he did cringe. The area of effect was large for Screech, and the fact that Hau commanded the small dragon into the air only increased its effectiveness and secured a hit. It was a smart move; Ash realised he must have tested it out in the Battle Royal arena.
Each strand of Litten's fur straightened into spikes and his ears folded over at the harsh sounds. Ash ducked away from the sound too, keeping his eyes on the battle. When the Screech ended, Ash stored the fact that he had to be wary of physical attacks now. It was best to keep his distance. But Ash was sceptical whether he could.
"Litten, Ember!" Ash called. Litten wasted no time digging in his paws and unleashing a small burst of flames towards Noibat. Noibat easily dodged the attack by swooping to the side. Ash grunted. Attacking from such a distance was no good, not with a move like Ember. It seemed he had to get close.
"Leer!" Ash followed up, opting to try and even the playing field instead. It wouldn't be as effective as the Screech, but it was half of a countermeasure.
"Noibat, swoop in closer and use Gust!" Noibat obeyed, flying rather slowly towards them. Noibat stopped a fair distance away from Litten, stared down into the Leer and flapped its wings a few times. The air swirled into a tiny tornado, whipping up leaves and dust into it too. Litten, in the centre of the Gust, dug his paws in to stabilise his balance.
"Let go, Litten! Go with the wind!" Ash called. Litten hesitated slightly, something Ash knew was a lack of experience, before complying and letting go. He flew into the air with the current, gyrating in circles. Meanwhile, Ash watched closely, looking for the exact moment the gust ended.
"Nice, Noibat! Use Bite!" Hau called.
Noibat stopped swinging its wings and glided towards the tumbling Litten instead.
"Litten, use Ember repeatedly!" Ash commanded. Litten became a rotating canon: each blast of fire he breathed was like a bullet from a gunshot, small and rapid. The spinning made the attack look like the spreading particles of a firework, and it wasn't just for show. The hap-hazardous firing created an offensive shield, stopping Noibat from flying in at any angle because it wasn't quick enough to attack in between the flames. As a result, Noibat had to fly around Litten to try and find an opening, but all she received were multiple blasts of fire to the head and body whenever she tried. Ash's plan worked.
Gradually, Litten started descending and his spinning slowed until he was looking downwards. Luckily, Noibat was in his flight path. "Litten, use Scratch!" Ash called out. Litten's claw extended, sharpened, and shone white.
"Noibat, dodge!" Hau called. Litten swiped at Noibat as she ducked away, catching her left wing. The damage was minimal, but it was enough to floor the tiny bat. Litten landed a short distance away without faltering, his feline acrobatics working in Ash's favour.
"Rush in and use Scratch repeatedly with both claws while Noibat's down!" Ash called. Litten rushed in determinedly, only one claw glowing, and swiped, then his other claw shone, and he swiped again. He repeated this a few times. It was still only Scratch twice since he didn't swipe together, but the foundation for Fury Swipes was evident.
"Ugh, Noibat, use Bite!"
Ash cringed yet again when Noibat clamped its teeth down onto one of Litten's paws, holding him in place. Attacking rather than flying away was a bold but clever move by Hau given the earlier Screech. Ash was impressed.
"Now, Supersonic!" Hau called. Noibat's ears perked up and three pulses of visible sound waves slammed into Litten. That dazed look of confusion faded into Litten's eyes. Hau ordered Noibat to use Gust; Noibat blew Litten through the air, creating a significant distance between them.
Litten landed in a heap. In an attempt to climb to his feet, he stumbled on his paws but couldn't quite get them under him. When he did, he was teetering randomly and spinning in circles.
"Noibat, Gust again! Then fly in with Bite!" Noibat obeyed, and that spinning wall of wind caught Litten once again. Litten cowered to the ground within the Gust, glancing left and right constantly, his instinct of fear amplified by the confusion. Ash knew he had to think quickly: he glanced between Litten, Noibat, the Gust, and the items whipped up in the gust. He worked at light-speed, and a plan began to formulate in his mind. When the gust was strong enough, Noibat flew in.
"Litten, use Ember!" Ash commanded. Through the confusion, Litten fired Ember randomly, most of them going nowhere near the advancing Noibat nor exiting the Gust. Instead, they were carried by the wind.
But that was what Ash wanted. The fire that was sucked up into the Gust quickly gathered. The flames grew, and from there nature took control. The oxygen in the wind only supplied the fire, making it burn more rapidly. When the leaves and tiny blades of grass caught fire, it spread around the whole of the gust. Ash's tactic created a miniature Fire Spin, and Noibat flew right into it just in time.
"Noibat!" Hau cried. Noibat bounced off the fiery wall, scorch marks on her small body, landed heavily. Judging by the exhausted way Noibat carried herself in the aftermath, she had been burned by the attack.
Trapped amid the flaming Gust, Litten lost his footing and flew into the air. He landed heavily, but the impact was enough to snap him out of his confusion. When he rose to his feet, albeit a little shakily, his eyes were focused.
"Ok, Litten, finish this with Scratch!" Ash called, and Litten rushed forwards, slashing Noibat one last time. She skidded across the ground, attempted to get up, but the sting of the burn with each movement proved to be too damaging. She collapsed.
"Noibat is unable to battle!" the man in the cap called out. The crowd of Pikachu to the side erupted into an uproar of cheers.
Hau scooped Noibat into his arms. He reached into his pocket, withdrew a small spray bottle, and gave a spritz to Noibat before returned her with a compliment.
"That was some smart play, Ash. Really smart," Hau said. "Alright, come on out, Rowlet!" He threw out his next Pokéball, from which Rowlet appeared. Despite the curious choice due to the obvious type advantage, Hau was grinning. Ash opted not to change out Litten, who was poised and ready, a bit shaky from Noibat's Screech-enhanced attacks.
"Litten, run in and use Ember!"
"Rowlet, dodge it by flying up!"
"Litten, angle your head upwards slightly!"
Litten's Ember, despite the changed trajectory, missed Rowlet. It passed just above him, startling the Grass-Type.
"Ah! Rowlet, counter with Razor Leaf!" Rowlet spread its wings. A luminous green glow surrounded the creamy quills, and Rowlet swished them forwards as Noibat did for Gust. From his wings, a series of boomerang-shaped leaves shot out like throwing stars. Ash commanded Litten to use Ember to counter some, knowing that despite the appearance of the move, Razor Leaf was a more physical attack than a special one. Litten countered a few, but some were too fast. As a result of the Screech, Litten was unable to continue running forwards after taking a few hits. He skidded backwards, remained standing, but he didn't look too good
Ash changed his strategy. Litten was on his last legs and he didn't want to push him over his limit, so he decided to set up a more even playing field for Rockruff because of Rowlet's type advantage.
"Leer!" Ash commanded, and then commanded it again when the first ended.
Meanwhile, Hau had Rowlet repeat Razor Leaf twice more, each of which Litten was able to dodge on Ash's command between Leers; it was a fast move, but the distance made dodging easier. Because he had fought so many new trainers and had been one himself, Ash knew Hau was going to use Razor Leaf again. He remembered how he used to always use Thunderbolt with Pikachu when it was his strongest move. Using your strongest move was a tactic, but not a solid one if it never hit.
"Razor Leaf!" Hau called, as Ash predicted.
"Litten, jump!" Ash commanded at almost the same time, and because of his knowledge, Litten was able to avoid the Razor Leaf and dart in close to Rowlet. "Lick!" Ash called, ironically finding a use for the move. He hoped that the side-effect paralysis would kick in, but when Litten's attack finished, he was unlucky to not cause the ailment.
"Razor Leaf!" Hau called, and at point-blank, there was no dodging. Litten was hit, and he was knocked out of the battle. Ash knew it was inevitable at that moment, but Litten had done an amazing job. Now, Rowlet was weakened to Rockruff's physical moves, even if they didn't get the paralysis off.
"That was awesome, Litten," Ash said, stroking Litten's fur. Litten groaned, and Ash didn't miss how defeated it sounded. He made a mental note to check in with Litten later.
The announcer called Litten's loss, and Ash sent out Rockruff as he planned. Rockruff looked extremely eager.
"Leafage, Rowlet!" Hau commanded, and Rowlet fired similar-looking quills to Razor Leaf, but they were more spread out in the air.
"Rockruff, zig-zag between them and charge up Thunder Fang!" Rockruff darted off, dancing between the falling leaves just in time to avoid each one. He breached the line, lightning sparking at his teeth.
"Counter with Razor Leaf!"
Moving much quicker than Rowlet, Rockruff leapt into the air and snapped his electrified jaw onto the Grass-Type, whose quills started glowing. He spun for a few seconds, prolonging the attack, and threw Rowlet back down at the ground. However, just before the impact, Rowlet unleashed the readied Razor Leaf. The dagger-like leaves struck Rockruff.
Both Pokémon slammed into the ground, heightening the cheers of the surrounding Pikachu. When the landing-dust settled, both Pokémon were on their feet, Rockruff gnashing his jaw at Rowlet, and Rowlet flapping his wings at Rockruff, taunting each other.
"Rowlet, into the air and use Leafage, then Razor Leaf!" Hau commanded, and his starter swopped upwards a lot quicker than Noibat had. Rowlet span around while using the moves, sending them forwards with more momentum.
"Rockruff, keep dodging as best you can!" Ash called because that was all he could do. He tried to wrack his brain for another way out, but he couldn't think of anything. Luckily, Rockruff's agility was excellent, so he was able to dodge the first wave of Leafage. But the Razor Leaf was faster and more powerful. One blade scraped his side er, one hit him in the face, a third swiped his paws from under him, and the fourth knocked him back. So many hits from a Super-Effective move was detrimental.
"Rockruff, you alright?" Ash asked, and, slowly, Rockruff got back up, barking to show his confirmation. But it was a weak bark. Ash had to be careful.
"Alright, get in close!" Ash shouted hoping his loud voice would spur Rockruff on. It seemed to work, as Rockruff bounded back into the battle, closing the distance quickly. "Skid to a complete stop and use Sand Attack around yourself!" Ash shouted, and Rockruff obeyed, creating a shield of dust for the oncoming Leafage Hau commanded a second later.
As predicted the cloud of sand blocked Rockruff from view, and every blast of the spread-out Leafage missed its target. Because, as Ash had said, Rockruff stopped dead still. If it was the more arrow-like Razor Leaf, he may not have been so lucky, but Leafage's wider spread caused Rowlet to miss. It was a reckless move, but recklessness was a key trait.
"Jump out and use Bite!"
"What?!" Hau yelled when Rockruff leapt through the sand and bit Rowlet, descending with his wing in his jaw.
"Thunder Fang!" Ash called. Rowlet cried out loudly when the electricity hit his body, his voice wavering through the shock.
"Rowlet!" Hau called out, stamping his foot down a few times. "Uh, Razor Leaf!" Hau commanded, sounding unsure of his move for the first time.
"Rockruff, disengage!" Ash called. Rockruff let go, but Rowlet's quicker command allowed his Razor Leaf to hit. Luckily, it wasn't full force as Rockruff had bounded back a few steps. It didn't matter, however, because the Razor Leaf still did massive damage. This time, it took Rockruff a long time to get up.
"Alright, Rowlet!" Hau called. "Wrap it up with Tackle!"
"Rockruff, counter it with Thunder Fang!"
Rockruff hardly had the energy to move forwards, so he set his teeth alight with lightning and waiting for Rowlet's Tackle to hit. He widened his jaw, and Rowlet's Tackle landed right into the Thunder Fang. The Tackle knocked Rockruff back into the floor, but the recoil of the Thunder Fang sent Rowlet spinning to the ground too. Thus, their battle ended in a draw.
"Both Rockruff and Rowlet are unable to battle!" the referee in the cap responded.
"Nice work Rockruff. You were awesome," Ash said to Rockruff as he returned him.
Similarly, Hau complimented his partner.
"Alright, you're up, buddy!" Ash said, shaking his shoulder. Pikachu took a large leap and entered the battlefield, earning himself a colossal yell from the Pikachu, especially the heart-tailed ones. How he had become so popular so quickly, Ash didn't know.
"Here goes! C'mon out!" Hau called and threw his third Pokéball.
The loudest squeal in response to Hau's third Pokémon came from Pikala herself, who screamed, "A baby Pikachu!" when a Pichu appeared from the Pokéball. Of course, the Pikachu found Hau's Pichu equally as riveting and screamed deafeningly loud.
"A Pichu too?" Ash asked, recalling how he once assumed Pikachu couldn't be found in the wild when he first arrived in Alola.
"Yup!" Hau answered, grinning like his Pichu was. "Alright then, Pichu, use Charm!" Pichu bounced forwards like a Jigglypuff and flaunted its cuteness before Pikachu. The pink aura faded in and out around Pichu, and Pikachu staggered slightly as the charm knocked down his desire to attack. "Now, Nasty Plot!"
Ash was quite proud of his friend's strategy of going up against his Pikachu. Buffing his stats and de-buffing his opponent was a brilliant plan, a plan that novices often overlooked in favour of attacking. It was just unfortunate that there was such an obvious skill gap between the two battlers. Ash wasn't one to pretend to lose a battle, so he knew he had to fight properly with Pikachu.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu ran in on command, but it seemed as if he felt the same as Ash since his movements were not quite as advanced as they were when he battled Hala.
"Pichu, duck and roll to the side!" Hau said. Just in time, Pichu ducked to the side and dodged the Quick Attack. "Thundershock!" Hau called. Pichu charged up and fired the small bolt towards Pikachu. Seeing the down-sized Thunderbolt sent a wave of nostalgia through Ash, but the move had little effect. Pikachu easily endured it.
"Use Electro Ball!" Ash commanded.
"Dodge!" Hau called.
That was how the Pikachu vs Pichu battle proceeded. Ash called out commands to Pikachu, and Hau would dodge, and either fire back with Thundershock — most of which Pikachu brushed off or dodged — or he would use Nasty Plot or Charm again. Hau didn't lose any confidence, even when Pikachu hit with an Electro Ball. Ash had to admit it was fun, despite the clear advantage he had. Both Pikachu and Pichu looked just as ecstatic to be battling as their trainers did.
And then it happened. Ash called for Pikachu to run in with Quick Attack, and this time Pichu was unable to dodge. However, neither Pikachu nor Pichu moved upon collision. It was like Pikachu slammed into a solid wall. It was a stalemate, both pushing against one another. It seemed impossible until Pichu erupted into a shining blue light and Ash knew where Pichu's super-strength came from.
Pichu's body began to change, morphing into his new form: his tiny body expanded, his ears grew out, the lightning bolt of his tail became larger and more pronounced, more shaped. When the light faded, there stood a freshly evolved Pikachu, hands pushing against Ash's Pikachu's head.
A rush of excitement clattered into Ash's heart, bringing a giant smile to his lips. He imagined Hau was the same given the booming sound his voice made that could only rival a Noivern's Boomburst. The yells of the fellow Pikachu watching on the side were just as loud.
"Awesome! You evolved!" Hau cried, literally jumping up and down on the spot. His eyes were sparkling like crystals. Something seemed to surprise Hau, and then he reached into his pocket, pulling out his Pokédex. He pointed it at his new Pikachu, read something, and then pocketed it. He grinned once more, and it didn't leave his face. "Alright, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!"
"Huh?!" Ash muttered, caught off guard as Hau's Pikachu darted in with its new move. Pikachu was hit away, though hardly damaged. "Oh, you're on! Quick Attack, Pikachu!"
"Hah!" Hau laughed. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
It was like watching a Purloin vs Dedenne, a cat and mouse game, as the two Pikachu darted about in flashes of light, barely missing one another then spinning around and darting again, only to miss again. They collided a few times, bounced off, then went back to running. The background noise rose and rose at their clashing species' display. Ash watched, amazed even if Pikachu wasn't going all out. Hau couldn't stay still, and Ash even saw Lillie on her feet over his shoulder, watching the scene attentively.
About a minute and a half later, both Pikachu stopped before their respective trainers, panting for breath.
"This has been one heck of a battle, Ash!" Hau announced.
"Yes, it has," Ash responded.
"And it's about to get even better now that Pikachu knows a Normal-Type move!" Hau said, reaching towards his wrist. For the first time, Ash saw the pristine, marble-like Z-Ring strapped to Hau's wrist and the sparkling light grey Z-Crystal placed into the slot. His eyes widened as Hau began to move.
Hau crossed his arms in front of his face in an X shape, then swung them outwards and to his sides. He threw his arms together again in front of his body, and moved them down low to the right, bending his right knee. He moved his left arm, pointed it upwards to the left, creating a line along his arms, and straightened his legs. Finally, he punched his arms in front of his body. At the same time, his Pikachu mimicked his moves, and a light grey glow emitted from his Z-Crystal. The glow seemed to transmit from Hau onto his Pikachu.
"Breakneck Blitz!" Hau shouted. Just like a Quick Attack, Pikachu dashed forwards. This time he was incredibly quick, so fast even that a huge cloud of dust sprung up behind his glowing body. He was on a direct course for Ash's Pikachu.
"Pikachu! Bring your tail in front of you and use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. Pikachu acted almost immediately, swivelling quickly, and catching his tail between his small arms. Iron Tail's silvery glow appeared just as Hau's Pikachu hit, and Pikachu held up his tail like a shield. Both Pikachu clattered across the battlefield upon collision, causing the circle of spectators to disperse. The force of the Z-Move was so powerful that they slammed through a few trees.
Ash glanced at Hau. He looked surprised that the attack had had so much force. Ash was just as surprised, and slightly worried, until he saw his Pikachu emerge from the dust, looking a little damaged but not too heavily. That surprised Ash more. Hau's Pikachu had charged in with more force than a stampeding Bouffalant. Naturally, the Iron Tail defence would have negated some of the damage, but he hadn't expected it to be so effective. No, it was more like Breakneck Blitz itself wasn't as effective. Upon quick deduction, it appeared Z-Moves were only as powerful as the Pokémon wielding them. And naturally so, too.
"Pikachu let's wrap this up! Quick Attack!" Ash called, and Pikachu darted in without hesitation, hitting Hau's panting Pikachu. "Iron Tail," Ash followed, watching as Pikachu knocked Hau's Pikachu away with the move. Pikachu's reaction to his command was quick. Too quick, even. He had barely finished before Pikachu attacked. And the same thing happened with the next move. It was as if Pikachu read his mind. "Jump and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called, but Pikachu was already up in the air by the time he finished.
Pikachu gave his signature cry and unleashed the wild electricity into Hau's Pikachu. He landed on his paws once more, poised to continue. Hau's Pikachu fell, his eyes shut.
"Hau's Pikachu is unable to battle! That means the winner is Ash!" their referee called out.
"Nooooo!" Hau shouted, just as he had done in their first battle. He ran messily towards his Pikachu, scooping him into his arms. Hau said some things quietly to his Pikachu, and then walked over to Ash, who knelt to ruffle his Pikachu's head. "You're awesome! Some of those moves you made… Rockruff even drew with Rowlet despite the type disadvantage."
Ash stood up, giving out his hand to Hau; at the same time, Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, looking curiously at Hau's Pikachu, whose eyes opened a little bit. Hau shook Ash's hand tightly. "It was a good battle! Thank you, Hau," Ash said.
"Heh, no problem! Just you wait! I'll beat you next time!" Hau said, seemingly unaffected by the loss. It was strange given the split-second of sadness he showed when he mentioned losing to Hala.
When they released their handshake, Hau gave a curious look to Ash's wrist. Ash followed his gaze onto his Z-Ring, on which his Pikanium-Z was glowing a faint yellow. "Man, you were planning to use a Z-Move, too? Why'd you hold off?"
"Uh… I wasn't planning on using it. I'm having a little trouble with it, actually," Ash muttered, eying his Z-Ring curiously. He felt Pikachu shrugged and jump down from his shoulder. He coaxed Hau's Pikachu into the crowd, who seemed to be singing their praises.
"Wow! That was an amazing battle-pika!" Pikala said. "Your Pikachu were amazing! I just loved watching them!"
"Ah, thank you! I'm pretty shocked myself, y'know? I had no idea Pichu was ready to evolve," Hau said.
"It was beautiful to watch!" Lillie's voice suddenly said from beside Ash, startling the distracted trainer. "That was the first time I have ever seen a Pokémon evolve in person, and… it was just beautiful!"
"I know, right?! I've seen my Grandpa's Pokémon evolve before, but it never gets old," Hau said.
"It really doesn't. Not even after six years," Ash confirmed.
"How about my Z-Move?" Hau asked, folding his arms, smirking expectantly.
"Hmm… I have seen Professor Kukui use some before. They seemed a bit stronger…" Lillie shyly admitted, clearly ruining Hau's pride.
"Yeah, I'd have preferred to see your Pikachu use Catastropika-pika, but he doesn't seem to know Volt Tackle…" Pikala said, pouting like a Pikachu.
"Wait, you know about Pikachu's Z-Move?" Ash asked.
"Of course! I'm no fake fan, I'll have you know-pika!"
"In that case… do you think you could show me how to do the movements for the Z-Move?" Ash asked. "See, the first time I used it was a bit weird, and since then, I've been having a little bit of trouble. I'm guessing I need to memorise the movements."
"Oh, of course! Anything to help a Pikachu lover-pika!" Pikala answered.
"Thank you very much," Ash said, giving a short bow. "Oh, yeah. Hau, could you teach me the Normal-Type Z-Move movements too? We had to rush out of the trial for that rogue Totem Raticate, so Ilima didn't have time to show me it," Ash asked.
"Oh, sure! Yeah, no worries, Ash!" Hau said, flashing a huge thumbs up.
"Thanks," Ash said again, smiling.
"Ok! Come back here tomorrow and we'll get to work!" Pikala said.
"Sure," Ash said. "In that case, we'll take our leave."
"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Lillie said, bowing once more.
"Oh ho, no problem-pika! See ya tomorrow!" Pikala said. With a wave and a grin, she scampered off, somehow coaxing all of the Pikachu with her.
Saying farewell to the man in the cap and grabbing their own Pikachu, Ash, Lillie, and Hau made their way out of Pikachu Valley.
"Phew, what a day!" Ash said, whistling.
"Yes, it has been quite a nice day. I'm glad I joined you," Lillie said.
"And I'm glad I found ya!" Hau said. "That place was awesome, too! I live in Alola, but I've never seen it! That only goes to show how much you can see when out travellin'!"
"I agree," Lillie said.
Now that everything had calmed down after their battle, Hau's words from beforehand came back to Ash's mind. "Say, Hau," Ash said.
"Hmm?"
"Earlier, you said you lost to Hala…" Ash muttered.
"Ah, yeah," Hau said, scratching his neck. He chuckled weakly. "I kinda asked him to go all out on me as he did you, so he used Hariyama. I couldn't beat him, even with Noibat's type advantage and Rowlet's Peck. I didn't wanna challenge him at anything other than his best, y'know?"
"Yeah, I get that," Ash said.
"It sucks to lose, but it taught me a lot. I kinda overestimated myself. So, I'm gonna take him on again after I've completed the rest of the Island Challenge. When I've gotten stronger, as strong as you and Pikachu. Only then will I feel like I've actually won."
"You look up to Kahuna Hala, don't you?" Lillie asked.
Hau nodded. "Yeah. A lot. That's why I won't battle him at nothing but his best! So, what if I can't win now? He's got — how many years on me?"
"Bout eighty?"
"Ash!" Lillie chastised, but she laughed. Hau joined in too.
"Nah, not quite. But yeah, I can't wait until I finally battle him again. I can't get ahead of myself, though. First things first: I'm gonna evolve my Pikachu into a Raichu!"
"Oh? You're going for a Raichu?" Ash asked.
"Yup!" Hau said. "Why?"
"Hmm, well, just a bit of advice on that front. Don't be hasty with your Thunderstone. Pikachu can learn moves Raichu can't after it's evolved. Just keep that in mind, is all."
"Huh. I didn't think about that…" Hau said. They made it to the end of the pathway leading into Pikachu Valley. Ash and Lillie turned to head back to the city, but Hau turned the other way. "Thanks again, Ash. I'll keep that in mind. I'm heading into Paniola Town. I'll see you here tomorrow?"
"Ok. Goodbye, Hau," Lillie said with a small wave.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Hau," Ash said, waving also.
Hau grinned and ran off into the distance. When he was out of sight, Ash and Lillie turned back around and set off for the hotel.
"Now that Hau has mentioned Raichu, why haven't you evolved your Pikachu?" Lillie asked.
Ash smiled and looked up at the sky. "Neither of us want to. In my opinion, Pikachu is just fine as he is, and he loves being a Pikachu. People have said before that Raichu is stronger just because it's an evolution, but any Pokémon can be strong. Pikachu and I have grown strong together as we are."
"I see. Statistically, evolved Pokémon are considered to be stronger, but…"
"There's so much more to Pokémon than can be read in books?" Ash interrupted, smiling softly.
"Yep!" Lillie happily answered. "I'll never forget those words! You won that battle earlier and one of the matchups was statistically advantageous for Hau, yet you drew."
"Ah," Ash said, closing his eyes for a moment. "I guess you're right," he said. But he didn't believe his own words. Sure, it was true that he had won that battle in terms of Pokémon remaining, but Ash didn't feel like he won. Hau had lost the battle, but Ash had lost to himself. Once again, he had relied on Pikachu to win even after wanting to train Rockruff and Litten.
It was a little irrational because he didn't expect to have won a three-on-two, but to Ash, nobody really won that battle.
"James, one of 'em ran around to the right!" Meowth yelled, dashing ahead of his two best friends in pursuit of the big-bodied, black-clothed hooligan.
"Right!" James responded, turning up the hill to the right of the intersection. He separated from Jessie and Meowth, but he could still hear and see them on the street below.
"I swear to Arceus you prissy little Skunky! Stop running or I'll rip your damn hair out!" That was Jessie.
"Give back those Pokémon you stole! Huh. Ain't that ironic!" That was Meowth.
"We dint steal nothin', yo!" And that was one of the Team Skull grunts they were currently chasing. "We borrowed 'em without askin'!"
"We've twisted the law too many times to be bamboozled by logic like that!" James countered, glaring determinedly at the skinny lad awkwardly running ahead of him. This chase was their most strenuous duty yet as Alolan Police Officers, and James was adamant on succeeding.
The boy took a frantic glance over his shoulder, wailing fearfully. He toppled a barrel branded with 'Heahea Hearts' from beside a stall and kicked it down the hill. He spun back around and hightailed it between the stalls atop the hill. James sidestepped the barrel, reaching for the utility belt he had been issued by the Alolan Police Force. He grabbed one of his Pokéballs at the crest of the hill.
"Growlie!"
James stopped running to launch the Pokéball. Out popped his Gowlithe in a burst of flames — he had a contest seal encasing the Pokéball, which was transferred over when he had Growlie sent to him. It seemed his old butler made it, and he didn't have the heart to not use it.
"Grab that blue-haired kid's leg!" James ordered, and Growlithe cried, rushing past James easily, who resumed running. When he passed by the stalls, a white wooden fence started, allowing him a good vantage point of his partners down below.
"Eeek! Get away from me, old lady!"
"Old?! I'm in my twenties you female Herdier! Do you see wrinkles on my perfect face?! I could be a model!"
"A model? You have a face fit only for radio!"
"What?! You're about to know what good slap feels like! Just wait until I catch you!"
James could see Jessie sprinting on the street below him, and she was quickly gaining on the poor, unknowing pink-haired Team Skull grunt. Jessie's conduct was poor given their new titles and jobs, but James wasn't going to bring it up. He didn't have the guts to, especially when she looked like a Typhlosion preparing to use Eruption. Or maybe Unbound Hoopa. James almost wished she wouldn't catch the girl. He didn't want to risk witnessing a potential fight and have to drag Jessie away. He didn't want to risk getting fired already.
"Why are you running?!" Meowth yelled, turning into an alleyway and out of sight.
"Arrgh!" the blue-haired boy shouted. When James looked forwards again, Growlie had a tight grip on the boy's leg. He was hopping on one leg, flailing his other in a failed attempt to free himself. James caught up quickly, but the boy continued running away despite Growlie's best efforts to pull him back.
"Stop!" James yelled, surging onwards. Unfortunately, he didn't see the drop ahead of him. He ran into the boy at full speed. They fell through a board of wooden planks and over the edge. Luckily, they somehow vaulted the road below them and landed in the sea of the Heahea waterfront.
They sank beneath the surface, scuffling with one another. The boy punched out, catching James on the cheek, but the resistance of the water gave it little force. Eventually, after a lot of kicking and swinging arms, much like a tantrum, James restrained the boy and kicked to the surface.
When he emerged, Growlie was doggy paddling beside him, looking much too pleased with himself. Jessie was stood on the road with the girl raised off the ground by her shirt, and Meowth was somehow dragging the large boy behind him triumphantly.
"Alright, show us the Pokémon you stole!" Jessie screamed at her captive.
"We told you, wench, we dint steal Pokémon! All we got are empty Pokéballs! And we bought 'em," the girl fearlessly said; the youth these days were so rude. She opened one of the Pokéballs and as she said, there was nothing inside.
"But you said you borrowed them without asking!" Meowth said.
"Well we lied, didn't we?" the large boy answered.
"Wait, then why did you run?" James asked, slowly making his way to the shore.
The boy he was restraining shrugged. "It's fun, innit?"
"You did it just to inconvenience us?!" Jessie screamed again.
"Ye."
"Are you kidding me?" Meowth asked, palming his face. "What, so all you do is cause pointless trouble?"
James sighed to himself. Jessie continued shouting in the background, but he tuned it out. He couldn't believe this. They had spent the whole afternoon chasing these kids down and all they were doing was pretending to shoplift for fun. They had thought it was something more serious. James supposed that was just the life of a police officer. Honestly, it wasn't too glamorous, but he felt like he had done good anyway because, had they been criminals, he would have caught them. Of course, they still had to confirm with the shopkeeper whether they did, in fact, pay for them or not.
"Uh, what are you guys doing?"
Ash Ketchum was looking at them from just up the street. He was with the girl in white they had seen with him when they popped in before; James forgot her name.
"Just, uh, the duty of your everyday police people," James said, finally able to stand up in the water. It must have looked completely bizarre to Ash, seeing him drenched with a boy in an arm hold and Jessie looking like she was about to kill someone. Plus, Meowth dragging a kid triple his size by the ankles.
Ash frowned, moving his gaze to Jessie and her fury-induced strength that let her raise the girl effortlessly off the floor. He looked back at James with an eyebrow raised.
"Well, some of us are more professional than others," James sheepishly said.
"Right…" Ash muttered. "Well, could you guys come over to the hotel when you're done for the day? There's something I've gotta ask."
"Sure," Jessie said. "Right after I shove this chick in a jail cell anyway."