Hey everybody, I'm here with the next chapter for Path of the Master so I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you for the continued support, but I don't think this story will continue at this rate. It has quite a bit of favorites and follows but only 3-5 people truly say something out of all those numbers so unless you all can convince me otherwise, I'm giving this story the hook. Heads up, I changed the battling in the story so that Pokémon could learn more than four moves with the cut off being eight. Anyway, hope you enjoy so read and review if you are feeling generous.
Chapter Summary: Ash has his first battle in the Kalos region with his newfound rival Tom Sandbourne. However, the excitement is cut short with a surprise intervention.
Key:
Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins
Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions
Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.
"Raichu, you use Quick Attack too!" Tom countered.
Pikachu crouched down on all fours and then vanished upon taking one step. He was moving so fast that he was just a small, yellow blur. Raichu mimicked Pikachu as he, too, vanished as he started running. The distance between the two blurs was gone and a loud thump was heard. Raichu and Pikachu collided headfirst with each other and bounced off. Raichu shook his head free from the daze and was the first to recover.
"Raichu, use Dig!" Tom shouted.
Raichu jumped into the air and there was a loud crack as he burrowed his way into the ground, leaving a lone hole behind. Pikachu recuperated from his dazed state and his eyes began to dart around the battlefield in hopes to find the smallest bit of movement to pinpoint Raichu. His eyes could pick up no trace of Raichu and he began to get restless. Ash knew that there was no way to tell where Raichu would surface and his mind began to race. He thought back to his notebook and techniques he came up with for each of his Pokémon and then it hit him. There was one trick he came up with for Pikachu that he never tried, but it was worth a shot.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail and touch it to the ground!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu looked back at Ash, somewhat confused at the bizarre order but still went with it. He knew Ash always had a reason behind every command he gave and he always went with his judgment. His tail was covered with the familiar grey metal and then stabbed into the ground. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate and then he saw it. It was faint but he was able to detect Raichu moving straight up towards him from below. He sprung into the air just as Raichu burst from the earth below him. Raichu's eyes widened in surprise after he missed him and Pikachu smirked back.
"Now strike!" Ash hollered.
Pikachu descended back towards Raichu and did a somersault to bring his tail down. There was a loud clang as Pikachu's tail smashed on top of Raichu's head and made him go rigid. He was sent spiraling back to the ground and hit it with a loud thump. Pikachu landed moments later and kept his eyes focused on the dust cloud that was kicked up after Raichu landed.
"Nice job, Pikachu!" Ash praised. "Let's keep up the momentum!"
"Nice move, Ash," Tom complimented. "Weird tactic but it was effective."
"Thanks. Now let's see how you handle this! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu clenched his fists as he channeled the electricity in his body. He was surrounded in a yellow glow as the energy continued to build and then he released it in the form of a giant bolt. The bolt shot forward and entered the dust cloud, dispersing it. When the dust vanished it revealed Raichu standing up and smirking back at Pikachu.
"Ash, you should know that electric attacks don't do any if little damage against another electric type. The only thing you did was power up Raichu," Tom said as he crossed his arms.
"Oh, I know that." Ash smirked. "It's all part of the plan."
Tom narrowed his eyes in as Ash said that and was wondering what he was planning. He shook his head and gave Raichu his next order.
"Raichu, use Agility!"
Raichu got down on all fours and bolted for Pikachu with incredible speed and he got even faster the closer he got. He started to run in circles around Pikachu leaving afterimages with each step. Pikachu tried to anticipate Raichu's moves as his eyes followed him. He was not able to time the hit and he could not tell whether or not he was targeting the real Raichu.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail, now!" Ash ordered.
Pikachu's tail was covered in the strong iron once again and his eyes landed on Raichu. He timed his attack and then gave the strongest swing that he could in the spot where Raichu would be. His tail cut straight through thin air and Raichu had vanished on the turn of his heel. Pikachu quick spun around as he knew what was coming next.
"Thunder Punch!" Tom shouted.
Raichu's clenched paw was glowing a bright yellow as it crackled with electricity. He brought it forward as hard as he could and it sunk into Pikachu's stomach. A loud clap of thunder echoed around the arena as the electricity was released in the force of the punch. Pikachu felt the air leave his lungs and he was sent airborne. Raichu's assault did not stop as he jumped up to intercept Pikachu again.
"Now use Iron Tail!" Tom barked.
"Pikachu, counter with Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.
Raichu and Pikachu both coated their tails in the strong metal and swung as hard as they could. There was a loud clang as the two metals hit each other with Pikachu and Raichu applying as much force as they could to overpower the other. They landed on the ground and continued their deadlock as their tails pushed back and forth and neither of them showed any signs of letting up. Raichu began to overpower Pikachu and was beginning to push him to the ground and a smirk came across his face.
"Pikachu, charge Electro Ball!" Ash hollered.
Pikachu nodded and used all the strength he could muster to push himself off the ground and keep Raichu back. He started to divert all the electricity he could to his tail and a small ball of electricity started to generate on it. The ball continued to grow and grow and then it started to rotate around the tail as it was still covered in iron.
"Now swing!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu got back to his feet and ducked inside of Raichu's guard and gave a hard swing. Unfortunately for Pikachu, Raichu's tail was longer and was able to block his attack after he retracted it a bit. However, this did not work as the Electro Ball that circled Pikachu's Iron Tail hit Raichu's iron coated tail. Raichu gave a surprised cry and reeled back as the electricity did more damage than normal, only to be met with a follow-up strike from the electric infused Iron Tail to the face. Raichu staggered back after being stunned from the counterattack and it left him wide open for punishment.
"Double Edge!" Ash called out.
Pikachu took the opening Raichu left and lunged at him with his shoulder and head down. Raichu hunched over as he felt the air leave his lungs as he was sent flying back. He hit the ground and rolled a few feet away as a result of the attack. As he struggled to get back up, Ash wasted no time and gave his next command.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu stored the electricity in his body and released it in one massive bolt. The bolt of electricity shot forward and hit Raichu once again. Like before, it did not show to have some if not any effect. When his attack ended, Raichu was back on his feet once again and he glared back at Pikachu before giving a smirk.
"Raichu, use Volt Tackle!" Tom hollered.
"Pikachu, you use Volt Tackle right back!" Ash countered.
Raichu and Pikachu crouched down on all fours once again and stared each other down. Their intense looks met and they started running at each other. As they ran, their bodies became surrounded by a bright yellow light as the electricity kept on building. The two of them closed the distance fast and both Volt Tackles met. There was a blinding flash of light and then a thunderous boom filled the area. The blast of the two attacks created a large cloud of smoke and a gust of wind from the energy output. Tom and Ash shielded their eyes as they tried to see who won the encounter. The smoke cleared and revealed Raichu and Pikachu lying on the ground but Raichu was standing up first.
Raichu stared down at Pikachu and the smirk was once again present on his face. Pikachu looked up at him with a glare as he tried to stand up. Raichu had been filled with a lot of electricity after Pikachu energized him with a few Thunderbolts, the Electro Ball and the Volt Tackle and he was more than eager to hit him back with just as much force.
"Raichu, end it with Thunder Punch!" Tom shouted.
Raichu's paw formed into a fist and his smirk grew wider as he looked down at Pikachu. His fist crackled with electricity as he prepared to punch Pikachu with all the energy he stored. As he wound his arm back, Ash made his move.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.
Pikachu bolted to his feet and covered his tail in iron as he swung up at Raichu. His tail intercepted Raichu's Thunder Punch, stopping it in its tracks. Raichu's eyes widened briefly from the surprise deflection but that did not stop him. He pushed Pikachu off and swung at him again, only for Pikachu to duck under the punch and swing up with his tail again. This time, his aim was true. His tail hit Raichu directly under the chin and immediately ended his attack. Raichu went stiff as a board and fell to his back. Seconds ticked by and when Raichu failed to stand, Pikachu dropped his guard and crossed his arms with a smirk.
"Alright, we did it!" Ash cheered.
Tom smiled and nodded as he walked to the center of the field and helped Raichu sit up. He gently rubbed his partner's head and thanked him for doing his best in the battle. Raichu and Tom looked up at Ash and Pikachu as they came over to them after sharing a high-five.
"That was an awesome battle, Tom," Ash said as he extended his hand. "You and your Raichu are very strong.
"Thanks," Tom replied as he shook Ash's hand. "Your Pikachu is well trained. I'm sure you'll breeze through Kalos if you keep that up."
"Thanks."
"I just had one question though."
"Sure."
"When I told you the electric attacks wouldn't work and you said that it was all part of the plan. What did you mean?"
Ash crossed his arms and then smirked as he looked at Tom.
"It was an old trick I used on my rival Paul from Sinnoh. His Elekid at the time tried to hit us with Thunder Punch but we countered back with Iron Tail because it was quick and easy to score a hit. By giving your Raichu electricity, it made you overconfident to end it after it was charged up and then by using Thunder Punch it lowered Raichu's guard and then Pikachu's Iron Tail attack was able to get a hit because it was close," Ash explained.
Tom blinked and then laughed as he stood up.
"Nice trick. I'll have to keep that in mind for next time," Tom replied.
Ash was about to say something back but was stopped when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. It appeared to be a small, square cube but it soon expanded into a large blue net. Ash and Tom jumped away just in time to avoid being trapped inside and turned to the culprits who threw it at them.
"So close," said Jessie said as she crossed her arms.
"Don't worry, this next one will work!" James replied as he plucked another cube from his pocket.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Ash retorted as he glared at them.
Pikachu hopped up on Ash's shoulder and glared at the Rocket Trio. He was ready to send them off like they had done so many times before. Tom and his Raichu stood beside Ash and looked between him and Team Rocket in curiosity.
"Who are these clowns?" Tom asked.
"They're a group of criminals that keep trying to steal my Pikachu," Ash replied as his fists clenched. "They haven't succeeded yet and I intend to keep it that way."
"Alright, then let's take these jokers down."
"I couldn't agree more. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Raichu, you use Thunderbolt too!"
Pikachu and Raichu stood in front of Ash and Tom and grabbed each other's paws. The pair of them began to charge up the electricity flowing through them and focused their gaze on the Rocket Trio. Pikachu and Raichu each gave a loud cry as they released the giant bolt of lightning at them. Then something unexpected happened. Jessie's Wobbuffet jumped in front of the trio and Jessie had a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Wobbuffet, it's your time to shine!" Jessie said.
Wobbuffet's body started to glow different colors just as the bolt of electricity hit him. What happened next threw Tom and Ash for a loop. The joint attack of Pikachu and Raichu hit Wobbuffet's chest but it then rebounded and went straight back to them. Raichu had quickly grabbed Pikachu and threw him out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit. However, in favor of throwing Pikachu out of harm's way, Raichu took the full blast of the attack and let out a loud cry of pain as he was launched back.
"Raichu!" Tom cried as he caught Raichu in his arms.
Ash and Pikachu were stunned at Raichu's selfless act to protect Pikachu and glared back at Team Rocket. They had now inadvertently caused harm to his newfound rival's Pokémon and that infuriated him. He clenched his fists as they shook with rage.
"Too bad we didn't hit both on that one, but it does not matter. We will take both of them once we subdue Pikachu," Jessie said with a shrug.
"I won't let you do that!" Ash stated as Pikachu growled at Team Rocket. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"
Pikachu leaped into the air and a large ball of electricity started to generate off of his tail. It continued to grow until it was just about his size before he did a somersault and sent it at Wobbuffet. Just like before, Wobbuffet glowed a bit just as the ball of electricity hit him. The Mirror Coat reflected the Electro Ball and sent it back to Pikachu who had no way of dodging it. Just as the ball was about to hit Pikachu, another Pokémon jumped in front of him to take the hit. There was a loud bang as the attack hit the Pokémon and destroyed the white mask it was wearing. Pikachu and the new Pokémon fell to the ground and glared at Team Rocket. The new Pokémon looked like some sort of frog and it did not look happy.
"What Pokémon is that?" Ash wondered as he looked at it.
The Pokémon took a step towards Team Rocket and sunk to a knee as it tried to deal with the pain from the rebound attack.
"Froakie!" The Pokémon called out.
The Pokémon, now revealed to be Froakie, jumped into the air as he reached for the white bubbles from his back and pulled out two handfuls of them. He wound his arms back and sent them at Team Rocket and smirked as he met his mark. The bubbles hit Wobbuffet in the face and blinded him and then glued the trio's feet to the ground. That was all Ash needed to take control of the fight and send Team Rocket on their way.
"Raichu hang in there and use Dig!" Tom said.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.
Raichu dove into the thick ground and began to tunnel his way towards Team Rocket as Pikachu started to store power to release his attack. The ground under Team Rocket caved in and then Raichu burst from it and sent them high into the air. Pikachu finished storing his energy and jumped up high with Froakie beside him conjuring a rotating ball of water between his paws. Pikachu unleashed the electricity he generated in the form of a large lightning bolt and Froakie threw his ball of water at the bolt. The two attacks soared at Team Rocket and hit them head on. A loud boom echoed around the area and a thick cloud of smoke formed where the attack hit Team Rocket. The trio was sent high into the sky and out of sight, allowing Ash and Tom to finally lower their guard.
"Alright, one less problem to deal with," Ash said.
"No kidding," Tom replied as he scooped up Raichu. "I need to get Raichu to the Pokémon Center.
Ash nodded and looked down at Froakie who was trying to walk away but was unable to continue. He fell to the ground and was unable to summon any strength to push himself up. Ash hurried over and picked up Froakie who cracked his eyes open to look up at him.
"He's really banged up," Ash said as he looked back at Tom. "Where's the closest Pokémon Center?"
"On the other side of the city," Tom replied. "Our best bet is to go to Professor Sycamore's lab down the road here."
"Let's go then!"
Ash began to run as fast as he could in the direction of Sycamore's lab which Tom pointed out seconds ago. Tom followed close behind as he carried Raichu and Pikachu ran beside Ash, sending concerned glances up at Froakie.
"Hang in there, Froakie. You're going to be okay," Ash said as he dashed down the sidewalk.
Grace stood on the other side of the fence as she watched Serena attempting to ride Rhyhorn successfully. Serena was gripping the reins so tight that her knuckles turned white from stress. She would let out a cry each time Rhyhorn bucked or did a sharp turn to start running in the opposite direction. Grace shook her head as she leaned on the fence.
"Serena, you need to keep your mouth closed or else you can swallow a bug or bite your tongue!" Grace warned. "Remember, you have to think like a Rhyhorn!"
"Easier said than done, professor!" Serena cried out.
"I've competed in Rhyhorn races around the world and you can to! Just stay with it! Be one with Rhyhorn!"
Rhyhorn gave a hard buck and catapulted Serena forward. Serena gave a surprised scream as she landed face first on the ground and slid to a stop a few feet away. Grace's face scrunched up and she looked down knowing that had to hurt.
"Oofta," Grace muttered under her breath as she rested her hands on her hips.
Serena coughed and spat out whatever dirt got in her mouth after she hit the ground. She sent a glare at her mother as she sat up.
"Mom, I hate this!" Serena yelled.
"Again," Grace said as she leaned on the fence.
Serena growled and cursed under her breath as she stomped back over to Rhyhorn. She gripped the reins again and swung her leg over Rhyhorn's back but she inadvertently tapped his side before she was completely on. Rhyhorn took off once again and Serena slipped. Serena screamed as she held on the reins for dear life as Rhyhorn dragged her around the pen.
"Crap!" Serena screamed out as Rhyhorn dragged her along.
"This is going to be a long day," Grace said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
Well, that's the chapter everybody. Like I said, I'm probably going to give this story the boot as I'd rather not write for just a few people to say something. It's one thing to follow and favorite a story but it doesn't help me with my true goal by seeing how you all are enjoying the story via review. See what I mean? Anyway, we'll see where it goes from here but if you want to check out some of my other works, feel free to check out my profile. Thanks a bunch and I'll see you all later.-Captain
FAQR: (Frequently asked questions in reviews)
Q: Where are Bonnie and Clement?
A: I don't want to follow the anime directly because in all honesty I don't want to copy it and I originally wanted to bring Brock back as Ash's companion again. Bonnie and Clement will come in eventually.
PsychicAuraKing123: Q:Will Ash get 1st in the league and will he get a Legendary and will his pokemon get better moves?
A: What's the point in reading if you just want me to spoil it for you man? In the order you asked, not telling. I will not give him a legendary as it would go against all Ash would stand for as a trainer by using Pokémon he trained from the ground up and if he were to use a legendary there would be no point as it would sweep everyone he came across. Yes, his Pokémon will learn better moves.