Chapter 63

The sun was hanging high in the air for it to be just about noon time, and Ash could see it peeking through the window of the cabin's bedroom. On a normal occasion, he would be up, getting ready to head out to a big lunch of some kind. But today was a different day. The door to the bedroom was shut, and he lay on his back with his hands folded behind his head. His Pokémon League Expo hat was draped across his forehead, and the brim covered over his eyes. A frown seemed to be permanently etched on his face, as if gravity itself was forcing the corners of his lips down.

Why did I have to lose to Gary? he thought to himself, letting out a long sigh before rolling over to face the wall. Outside, he could hear his mother, Professor Oak, and Brock talking quietly, though the wooden walls made their voices muffled so he couldn't understand what they were saying. But it didn't matter. He wasn't listening anyway. The only thing on his mind was the heavy depression of losing to Gary in the semi-finals. And not just losing; he totally stunk.

He had been like this since leaving the stadium the night before. He didn't even see the results of the other semi-finals match, or who had participated, let alone who won. All he did was plop down on the bed and hadn't moved since; not even to get anything to eat – something which was very unusual for Ash.

The voices outside stopped, but Ash didn't even react when he heard the door open up and a set of footsteps followed. "Hey, Ash..." It was Brock, and though his voice and advice was usually soothing, it was the last thing that the Pallet Town Trainer wanted to hear. "Why don't we go get something to eat?"

Ash looked at Brock through the corners of his eyes, and then they resumed their position at the wall. "No thanks," he replied bluntly and quietly. Brock let out a small sigh and sat down on the bed on the other side of the room that he occupied.

"Ash, maybe you would feel better if you talked about it," the Pokémon Breeder offered, but Ash shot up and glared at his friend.

"No, I won't, because I don't want to talk about it! I just want to be left alone!"

"All right, now. That's enough," Brock shot back, standing back up on his feet. Immediately, Ash jumped up on his feet as well, putting a fist up angrily. Hearing the commotion, his mother ran in as well.

"You mustn't be angry with Brock, dear," the older Ketchum told him. "He thinks you should be very happy."

"Why?!"

"I also agree," Professor Oak said, walking in with his hands folded behind his back, and all eyes drew to him. "Maybe you could have done better and gone further if you hadn't been so sure of yourself and you trained your Pokémon as you wanted."

"But I-"

"One can only advance so far relying on strength and intuition. Trainers must battle with a deeper understanding of each Pokémon's natural abilities." Ash opened his mouth to respond, but found that he was speechless, so he simply closed his mouth again. Professor Oak was right. Every time he had the mindset to train his Pokémon, he ended up goofing off in the end.

The dark-haired Trainer deflated and looked down at the floor, but then Professor Oak spoke up again. "I hope I've given you some things to think about, Ash. In the meantime, I'm gonna go see my grandson before his match. I sincerely hope you will be there to watch, Ash." He gave them all a light smile before exiting the bedroom, and then minutes later, exiting the cabin.

"Sorry, Brock..." Ash apologized, looking down at the floor. "I wasn't angry with you; I was angry with myself."

"It's all right, Ash," his traveling companion replied with a small smile. "I understand how you're feeling."

The Pallet Town Trainer took a deep breath, and he could already feel himself getting a little lighter. "I think I'm gonna go for a walk," he said.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Brock asked, but Ash shook his head.

"No, I just need a little time by myself." Giving them both a reassuring smile, he walked past his mother.

"Be safe, honey! I love you!" he heard her call after him, and it was the last thing he heard before he shut the door.

o 0 o

The lake by the stadium seemed like it would be a nice, quiet, and peaceful spot. It was wooded which would pull away any tourists coming for the Pokémon League, and not near any of the downtown areas that were selling souvenirs.

The sun was doing his mind wonders, and as was the fresh air. But much to his surprise, there was already someone standing on the ground where the grass and water met. Turning around, Ritchie smiled at Ash, and the Pallet Town boy's eyes flickered from the auburn-haired boy's face to the Pikachu he held in his arms. "Hey, Ash!"

"Ritchie..." Ash wasn't sure what to say to the other boy. He had promised him that he would win for him, but that didn't happen. "I'm so..."

"It's all right, Ash," Ritchie interrupted before Ash could finish his sentence. "I'm just sorry you lost. I hope you know we were rooting for you to go all the way." He bent at the waist and put Sparky on the ground, and the Electric-type took a few steps forward.

"Pikachu..." it added. Giving one last look at Ash, it ran off to go play by itself in the grass.

As if sensing why Ash was here, Ritchie smiled and closed his eyes while the other's lingered on his Pikachu. "We can learn a lot... from losing." The words surprised Ash, and he turned to Ritchie with his mouth the shape of a small 'o', and then followed the other boy to the water's edge. They both looked out into the lake, then back at each other and nodded. Ritchie was right. There was definitely a lesson to be learned.

"I was so sure I could win. Too sure, I guess," Ritchie admitted, sitting down and hugging his knees close to his chest. Ash copied his movements and sat down beside him. "If I knew how tough the Pokémon League was gonna be, I would have trained twice as hard as I did." Ash said nothing, but it wasn't because he wasn't resonating with what Ritchie was saying. In fact, he completely understood. But despite the fact that Ritchie had lost to him, he was giving him a pep talk that he knew he needed. "Losing isn't so bad. Now I know what mistakes not to make next time. And I'm a better Trainer because of that."

Ritchie doesn't feel sorry for himself cause he lost; he just wants to do better, Ash thought to himself, immediately feeling a pang of guilt in his stomach. I've been acting like a big baby...

"Hey Ash," Ritchie spoke up again, grabbing the boy's attention, and he watched as the auburn-haired Trainer stood. "Let's make a promise: to become Pokémon Masters no matter what!"

"Okay!" Ash agreed, a smile finally forming on his face as he stood up. "Promise! Pokémon Masters no matter what!" Taking in a deep breath, he cupped his hands around his face and yelled out onto the lake. "Pokémon Masters! THAT'S US!" Ash's sudden yell grabbed the attention of Sparky, but it did wonders for his health. With the mighty yell, he felt as though he had exorcised the depressing feelings from out of his chest and cast them away.

o 0 o

It was such an odd experience not being a competitor and sitting in the stands. Some would even say humbling. Sat between Brock and his mother – with Professor Oak on the other side of her – Ash looked around at the energy the crowd was pouring out. The sun was starting to set, giving the sky a wonderful dark orange tint that seemed to give the flame of Moltres burning at the top of Indigo Stadium a glimmer like a ruby.

The match hadn't even officially begun yet, but the crowd was talking excitedly amongst themselves in anticipation for the next match. Meanwhile, Ash was gripping his knees so hard it felt like his jeans were going to tear to shreds from his fingernails.

Suddenly, the stadium lights turned off, and though it didn't make too much of a difference, the audience began to cheer loudly. This was signaling the start of the match. "This is it! The final battle!" the MC's voice called clearly over the intercom, and both contestants walked out on the respective sides of the battlefield. "If you've been keeping track of the Pokémon League competition, these Trainers need no introduction! On the red side, we have Gary Oak from Pallet Town!" A spotlight shown brightly over him, but he didn't have his confident smirk scrawled on his face as usual. Instead, he looked with a face set in stone straight ahead.

"And on the green side, his opponent will be Pierre Vovo from Pewter City!" A spotlight lit up on the opposite side of the stadium, and Pierre stood looking across at Gary. While he didn't seem as nervous as the younger Trainer, he wasn't exactly cool as a cucumber. Recognizing him, however, Ash gasped. He had no idea the Pokémon Archaeologist in-training had made it as far as the finals.

"He must be a powerful Trainer to be able to make it this far..." Ash muttered. Though he was indeed jealous that his rival had made it to the finals, he knew that this was going to be a good match.

"Who will bask in the glory of championship?" the announcer concluded as the brown-haired referee took his place at the middle of the battlefield.

"Are both Trainers ready?" he asked, looking at each of them. They both nodded, and he raised his flags in the air. "Then let the match begin!"

Both Trainers had chosen their first Pokémon right away, and immediately drew their Poké Balls. Gary was the first to throw his Poké Ball, and did so with complete confidence. "Nidoking, I choose you!"

Pierre was close behind, and threw his own out onto the stadium. "Sandslash, go!" Gary's Nidoking appeared after a flash of light, and gave a roar before looking across at the light coming together in front of it. Pierre's Pokémon was a goldenrod Pokémon with quills all along its back.

"Sandslash!"

"Both Trainers have brought out their first Pokémon and they start with fighting poses! And here's the first move!"

"Nidoking, Horn Attack!" As soon as Gary's command left his mouth, the purple Poison and Ground Pokémon charged forward with its head lowered.

"Sandslash, Defense Curl!" Pierre retorted.

"Slash!" After an utterance of its name, Sandslash tucked in its arms close to its stomach and rolled itself into a ball just as Nidoking reached it. The Drill Pokémon didn't flinch at all, but with precise aim, swung its horn down and tossed Sandslash high into the air. The Mouse Pokémon was a brown spinning blur as it flew high into the air.

"Knock it through the air as it comes down!" the Pallet Town Trainer instructed as Sandslash began to descend.

"Sandslash, Swift attack!" Pierre cried with a crane of his neck. Though the Pokémon didn't respond – or it was unheard from the way it was gyrating – it fired white stars out of the quills that made up its form down at Nidoking. Gary's Pokémon raised its arms to block its face, and the stars pelted it, barely damaging it but pushing it back a bit. But the point of the attack wasn't to damage Nidoking, but to distract it. "Dig underground, Sandslash!" Close to the ground now, Sandslash unfurled its curled form and pointed its long claws at the ground. Now fully recovered from the Swift, Nidoking swung its tree-trunk sized tail at Sandslash, but the Swift attack had done its job and thrown off its timing; Sandslash had already dove underground by the time the Poison and Ground Pokémon swung.

But Gary didn't seem concerned. In fact, he smirked. "Nidoking, Earthquake!" Even from Ash's seat in the stands, he could hear Pierre gasp as Nidoking raised its foot and brought it down onto the ground. It seemed as though the attack was making the whole earth quiver beneath them, and though it didn't seem to do a whole lot, the area where Sandslash had dug soon crumbled and cracks spider-webbed across the stadium floor. The shaking stopped after some time, and soon Sandslash came crawling out of the hole covered in bruises and dirt. Like Ash's Blastoise before it, the Ground Pokémon only stepped a few steps before falling forward.

"Sandslash is unable to battle! Victory to Nidoking!" the referee called.

"There you have it, folks! The first knock out of the match! Gary gets the first point as Pierre is forced to recall his Sandslash after a devastating Earthquake attack!"

Despite losing a Pokémon, Pierre pulled his Sandslash into its Poké Ball, and after muttering a few unheard words to it, he put it away and smiled up at Gary. "That was a smart move. I wasn't expecting that."

"This battle won't go the same as the last one we had," Gary smirked back.

"Don't get a big head just because I've lost one Pokémon," Pierre warned with a friendly disposition, and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Let's go, Slowbro!" Slowbro emerged from Pierre's Poké Ball in a flash of light, and looked blankly out at the audience with a dopey smile stretched across its face.

"Time to wipe that smile off its face, Nidoking!" Gary said, and pointed forward. "Tackle attack!" A huff puffed out of Nidoking's nostrils before it launched itself forward, sticking out one of its shoulders to drive it into Slowbro.

"Use your Psychic!"

"Slooooow!" Though it looked dumb, its reaction time was spot-on, and Slowbro's eyes began to glow light blue with psychic energy. The same color glow outlined Nidoking's body and it suddenly stopped in midair. The Drill Pokémon flailed as it was lifted off the ground before being tossed high into the air.

"Slowbro's Psychic powers put a stop to Nidoking's Tackle with relative ease!" Nidoking hit the floor with a crash, and though the attack was super-effective, it slowly picked itself up.

"Impressive, but it's not enough," Pierre commented. "Okay Slowbro, use Surf!" The Hermit Crab Pokémon didn't seem to hear its Trainer at first, but after a few moments, the Water and Psychic Pokémon raised its arms in the air. From out of nowhere, Slowbro summoned a wave of water that picked it up and rose up into a tidal wave, and Pierre's Pokémon looked like a surfer atop it. It didn't take long for the wave of water to reach Nidoking, and both Gary and it looked on helplessly as the wave crashed down and washed over it.

"Nidoking!" Gary cried, stepping backwards as the remains of the water splashed against the soles of his boots before soaking into the ground. Slowbro stood over Nidoking's fallen body, who was laying on its stomach with swirls in its eyes.

"Nidoking is down! Slowbro wins!" Ash's eyes flickered to the scoreboard where Gary lost a glowing box underneath his picture.

"Both Trainers are down one Pokémon each! This battle could still go either way!" the announcer's voice blared over the intercom, cutting through the cheers. On the battlefield, Gary pulled his Nidoking into its Poké Ball and thought for a moment before retrieving another Pokémon. "Which Pokémon will the red Trainer choose to come out next? This could very well make or break the match. The pressure is on."

"Venusaur, I choose you!" Gary cried, throwing his selection out onto the cracked battlefield. The ball opened, and from the light that emerged appeared his starter Pokémon. The large blue and bulky Grass Pokémon came down with a crash, and threw its head back.

"Veeeenasaur!" it called.

"Gary's second choice is Venusaur!"

Quick to call an attack first, Gary pointed a hand forward. "Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" Venusaur was quick to respond as well, and shook the massive plant on its back before a flurry of leaves spinning like circular blades came shooting out and sailed at Slowbro.

"Slowbro, Psychic attack!" Pierre retorted, but before his Pokémon could even respond, the Razor Leaf reached it and tore across its body. Though the super-effective attack sent it skidding backwards, Slowbro's face hardly reacted. "It's fast!"

"Now Venusaur, Vine Whip!" the auburn-haired Trainer followed up, and this time, a pair of dark vines sprouted from the base of the tree on Venusaur's back and reached out towards Slowbro. But now that it was feeling pain from the attack previous, it was alert now. A light blue glow surrounded the vines, and seconds before they reached the Hermit Crab Pokémon, they suddenly redirected, curling in the air and sailing at Venusaur's forehead. Its own vines made contact with its forehead, and the Seed Pokémon stumbled backwards a bit.

"Flamethrower!" Slowbro's Trainer commanded.

"Flamethrower?!" Ash heard Brock breathe in shock. Ash was equally as shocked, and watched as Slowbro took in a breath of its own before opening its mouth and unleashing a red-yellow stream of fire from it straight at Venusaur. The bulky Pokémon wasn't fast enough to dodge, so it closed its eyes and prepared for the inevitable. Ash jumped to his feet to get a better look as the flames enveloped Venusaur's body, and after a moment, they were eaten up by the oxygen in the air, and Venusaur stood with scorch marks all over its body. The attack had definitely damaged it.

Gary stood with his eyebrows drawn over the tops of his eyes, and Ash could see the gears churning in his rival's mind. Finally, he quickly pulled and held out Venusaur's Poké Ball forward. "Venusaur, return!" The red beam converted Venusaur into energy as it hit it, and pulled it inside. Quickly, he replaced it with another ball and tossed it forward. "Go, Dodrio!"

A bird Pokémon with no wings but long legs and three heads attached by equally long necks appeared in front of Gary and cried out. "After a shocking Flamethrower attack from Slowbro, Gary does the smart decision by substituting his Venusaur."

This time, it was Pierre that declared his attack first. "Slowbro, Flamethrower again!"

"Slooowww," the Water and Psychic Pokémon moaned, almost in a yawn, before opening its mouth and letting out a breath of flames at its opponent.

"Jump, Dodrio!" With its Trainer's command, Dodrio leapt high into the air, soaring far above the flames and high above Slowbro as well.

"Look at that jump, ladies and gentlemen! Dodrio is really showing us that even though it doesn't have wings, that doesn't stop it from flying through the air!"

"Drill Peck!" Gary commanded as Slowbro's Flamethrower died down. The Hermit Crab Pokémon blinked as it looked ahead, wondering where its opponent had gone. But before it could realize, Dodrio landed in front of it and began to peck Slowbro time and time again. The Water and Psychic-type didn't even put its hands up to defend itself, and wobbled back and forth as the Triple Bird Pokémon jabbed its sharp beaks at it.

"Blow it away with Psychic!" Pierre ordered with a wave of his hand. Though it continued to have a vacant look in its eyes, the whites of them began to glow light blue, and a powerful blast of invisible energy pulsed out of Slowbro's body, which in turn sent Dodrio skidding backward on its feet. It had incredible balance, so it was able to stay upright, but it had been forced quite a ways back from Slowbro. "Now use Surf!"

But Slowbro sat still, as though it hadn't heard its Trainer's command. "What's this?" the announcer asked, asking the question that was on everyone's mind. Ash narrowed his eyes to try and glimpse more closely, but then suddenly, the Hermit Crab Pokémon fell to its stomach. The whole stadium was quiet as they tried to figure out what had happened, and then the referee's voice filled the silence.

"Slowbro is unable to battle! Dodrio wins!"

"What just happened, Brock?" Ash asked as Pierre returned his fainted Pokémon to its Poké Ball.

"I'm not too sure..." the Pokémon Breeder muttered in response, but Professor Oak answered for him.

"Slowbro doesn't feel any pain, so it didn't know it was out of energy until it used the last of it to send away Dodrio," he concluded. "Slowbro are quite mysterious Pokémon and we still don't know a lot about them."

"Kinda sounds a bit like Psyduck..." Ash whispered jokingly, and he received a dirty look from Brock.

"Dugtrio, I choose you!" Pierre called, throwing his next choice of Pokémon onto the stadium. The flash of light poured from the Poké Ball down onto the arena floor, and the Ground-type Pokémon appeared with its three heads sticking out of the ground.

"Trio!" they all said simultaneously.

"Dugtrio can pull its head in the earth at the speed of light! Will it be faster than Oak's Dodrio?"

"Let's put that to the test!" Gary smirked. "Dodrio, Agility!" His Pokémon squawked loudly and bounded toward its opponent. Having raced a Dodrio personally back on the edge of Fuchsia City, Ash knew for a fact that Dodrio's speed was nothing to scoff at, but it didn't take long at all for Dodrio to reach the Mole Pokémon across from it.

"Dugtrio, Sand-Attack!"

"Trio!" Dugtrio's cries responded quickly at its Trainer's command, and the three heads began to spin, kicking up a sandstorm from the upturned dirt around it. Dodrio skidded to a stop, but that was all that was seen as it was enveloped by sand. After a few moments, the sand faded, and Dodrio shook its heads to get the sand out of its eyes, but when it opened them and looked down, Dugtrio wasn't there. Instead, only a hole was where it had been, hinting it had dug underground with Dig.

"If that didn't work the first time, what makes you think it would work the second?" Gary asked rhetorically. "Dodrio, jump!" Bending at the knees, the Triple Bird Pokémon gave a powerful leap high into the air, far above the ground and almost to the top row of the stadium. The audience that saw this cheered in approval at the magnificent jump. But of course, what comes up must come down, and soon, Dodrio began to descend.

"Now's your chance, Dugtrio!" Pierre instructed. "Use Rock Slide!" The ground near the middle of the stadium began to crack from the movement beneath it, and like a whale diving up from the ocean's surface, Dugtrio emerged from the ground with great speed, making parts of the stadium defy gravity itself and sail up directly at Dodrio. The Normal and Flying Pokémon was helpless in the air, and was pelted with rocks from Dugtrio's attack, which threw off its trajectory and it landed on its side by Pierre. Its heads were strewn about, and its legs were splayed out as well.

"Dodrio is unable to battle! Victory to Dugtrio!"

"Gary has lost two of his Pokémon now, which evens up the match! Both Trainers are neck and neck and seem to be giving it their all with strategies!" the announcer declared as Gary recalled his Dodrio back into its Poké Ball.

"That Dugtrio's tough," Ash commented. "He'll probably bring out his Venusaur again to counter it."

"Its Grass-type moves would take it down fast," Brock agreed with his arms crossed across his chest.

Anticipation hanging in the air like a thick fog, Gary pulled out a Poké Ball and reared his arm back. "Go, Blastoise!" he cried. Ash gasped when he heard this, and resisted the urge to jump to his feet as he craned his neck to look at Gary's newly sent out Pokémon. The flash of light faded in seconds, and a Pokémon that was very familiar to Ash appeared and produced its hydro cannons. But unlike Ash's Blastoise, this Blastoise's head seemed to be a bit more rounder. And not only that, but it wore a pair of rounded black sunglasses on its face that covered its eyes.

"Blastoise!" his Pokémon declared.

"Gary's third choice is Blastoise, which is sure to put a damper on Pierre and his Dugtrio!"

Both Trainers immediately leapt into action. "Dugtrio, Sand-Attack!"

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Just as Dugtrio started to spin like a drill – each of of its heads spinning separately – Blastoise pulled off of its limbs into its shell and the heavy brown and cream colored carapace clattered to the ground just as a sandstorm covered over the battlefield. Gary had blocked his face with his arm to avoid getting sand in his eyes, and when the wind settled, he quickly lowered his arm to look out onto the battlefield. As before, Dugtrio had used Dig to burrow underground. "Blastoise, use-" he began, but was suddenly cut off when Blastoise's shell was sent flying high into the air by the emerging Dugtrio. "Blizzard!"

Though it wasn't the original move he was going to call out, Blastoise quickly adapted and, while it was in the air, pulled its appendages out of its shell and opened its mouth. An icy wind came billowing out of its mouth, sending out clumps of snow and ice down below and striking Dugtrio powerfully. The super-effective attack made the Mole Pokémon huddle its heads together and shiver, and bits of ice and snow began to accumulate on the freshly-upturned ground around it.

Reacting as fast as he could, Pierre whipped out Dugtrio's Poké Ball and held it forward. "Dugtrio, return!" he declared, and in moments, the Ground Pokémon was pulled inside through the capture device's button. At the same time, Blastoise landed back on its feet with a crash and adjusted its sunglasses as both it and its Trainer awaited Pierre's substitution. "A smart move on Pierre's part to pull back his Dugtrio before it became a Popsicle!"

"Lickitung, I choose you!" Lickitung emerged from Pierre's Poké Ball, a Pokémon that was familiar to Ash and Brock. Pierre had used it when Gary challenged him to a battle on Grampa Canyon. Similarly to that battle, Gary's confidence didn't sway, but unlike the last time, his over-confidence wasn't protruding its ugly head as well.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" he commanded.

"Blast, Blastoise!" his Pokémon cried, and its sunglasses briefly reflected the stadium's lights before it fired a blast of water from its water spouts, which soared across the battlefield at Lickitung.

"Lickitung, dodge it!" Pierre countered. Lickitung gave a garbled reply before running forward at the incoming attack. But at the last second, it jammed its large tongue into the stadium floor, which catapulted the pink Normal-type Pokémon into the air. It retracted its tongue just as the Hydro Pump crashed into the hole-dotted ground, and both Pokémon and Trainer looked up as Lickitung soared through the air.

"Using its tongue as a launcher, Lickitung has pole-vaulted through the air! It has the higher ground!"

"Lickitung, use Slam!" Pierre ordered while the audience marveled in the spectacle of the dodge.

"Lickeeeee!" Craning its neck up, Lickitung began to descend at Blastoise, and using the momentum of its fall to power up its own attack, it extended its tongue and brought it down hard on Blastoise's body. Blastoise immediately was forced to the ground, and its stomach bounced against the floor with an audible knocking sound, and soon Lickitung landed in front of it, forcing it down with its tongue.

"Blastoise, use Bite!"

"Lickitung, Rage!"

Feigning weakness seemed to be part of Gary's strategy, as Blastoise immediately pulled itself together and extended its neck just enough to be able to bring its jaw down around Lickitung's ankle. But as soon as the attack made contact, Lickitung's whole body began to glow red. "We're getting prediction after prediction! Both Trainers are attempting to one up the other to come out on top!"

Before Pierre could call his next attack, Gary quickly extended his arm. "Return, Blastoise!" he called, and the Poké Ball in his hand pulled the Shellfish Pokémon inside. It seemed that the Pallet Town Trainer already had a strategy in mind, as he already had another Poké Ball in his other palm at the ready. As soon as Blastoise was pulled inside, he chucked the other Poké Ball out onto the battlefield. "Arcanine, I choose you!"

"Aarrrroooo!" the Legendary Pokémon cried when it emerged elegantly out of its Poké Ball. It landed on its feet just yards away from Lickitung and immediately flung into action by charging forward.

"Take Down attack!" Gary yelled, and his Fire Pokémon growled before driving its shoulder into Lickitung's body. The Licking Pokémon was knocked onto its backside by the powerful attack, and though it skidded backwards, its body glowed red once again.

"What is it doing, Brock?" Ash asked his friend.

"Rage is an attack that raises a Pokémon's attack power every time its hit with an attack," the Pokémon Breeder answered.

"Pierre must be planning on making a big comeback," Professor Oak added quietly with a stern look.

They got their answer as Lickitung picked itself up back on its feet. "Lickitung, grab it with Slam!" Lickitung bounded forward and pulled in its tongue before spitting it out. The slimy appendage snaked through the air at Arcanine, but the Fire-type bounced at the last minute and sped out of the way.

"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" Whilst running, Arcanine threw its mouth open and unleashed a ball of flames that quickly formed into a star-shape blast that sailed toward Lickitung. Pierre's Pokémon was still reeling its tongue back like a fisherman would with his lure, and it was hit by the attack and taken off its feet once again. When the attack disappeared, Lickitung was covered in burn marks, and it shakily stood in front of its Trainer. "Finish it off with Fire Spin!" Once again, Arcanine opened its mouth, but a steady stream of fire came billowing out between its sharp teeth, and once it reached Lickitung, it curled around it, quickly enveloping it in a ring of fire before shooting high into the sky to create a vortex. After a moment, the tornado disappeared, and Lickitung was swaying back and forth before falling onto its stomach.

"Lickitung is out of the match! Arcanine wins!"

"An amazing comeback from Oak! It seemed he knew exactly what Pokémon could counter Lickitung's physical attacks."

"Return, Lickitung," Pierre called as he held his arm forward, and he pulled his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. "You've done well, Gary. This is one of the hardest matches I've had in a long time." Gary said nothing to Pierre's praise as the archaeologist in-training retrieved his next Poké Ball. "I choose you... Kabutops!"

The ball thrown from his hand burst open, and a brown Pokémon with long scythes for arms appeared. "Kabutops!" the Pokémon cried, slicing through the air.

"No way! He has a Kabutops!" Brock gasped.

"What's a Kabutops?" Ash questioned, and it was Professor Oak that answered.

"Kabutops is a Pokémon that was thought to have been extinct for many years; it's a very rare sight indeed."

Wanting to know more, Ash retrieved his Pokédex and scanned it. "Kabutops. It is believed that this Pokémon became extinct tens of thousands of years ago. The details of its behavior is shrouded in mystery. Though some have speculated that it may still exist, none of these Pokémon have ever been seen alive."

"I guess that entry is a little out of date," Ash murmured quietly as his attention drew to the battle once again. Arcanine and Kabutops were glaring at each other, and as were Gary and Pierre. It was a pause for both of them to take a breather and gain a clear head before deciding what to do.

"Neither one is conceding an inch," the announcer muttered into his microphone, only building up anticipation.

"Kabutops, Hydro Pump!" Pierre began. Kabutops reacted instantly, crossing its claws and dragging them across from one another. The sound of the blades slicing together echoed through their ears before an orb of water formed between them and in front of the armored plates on its stomach. The water spun in the air for a moment before firing out a blast of water at Arcanine.

"Arcanine, jump!" Gary cried automatically. His speedy Pokémon launched forward instantly, and all four of its paws clapped against the ground, and as Kabutops's attack soared at it, Arcanine jumped over the attack, from left to right, until it reached the Rock and Water Pokémon. "Take Down attack!"

"Slash attack!" the Pewter City Trainer countered. Stopping its Hydro Pump, it raised one of its arms and brought it down just as Arcanine bashed into it. The two attacks made contact with the other, and each Pokémon turned around to deliver the same blow once again.

"Fire Blast, Arcanine!" With Gary's command, Arcanine opened its maw and released a star-shaped red-yellow blast of flame from its mouth. Pierre didn't come back with a response, and only smirked as Kabutops steadied its feet, planting them firmly in the ground before catching and stopping the Fire Blast attack.

"Now use Hydro Pump!" he yelled. Though it couldn't be seen from the angle that Ash was sitting, a loud hiss filled their ears, and an explosion rocked the stadium floor as the Hydro Pump shot out and made the Fire Blast disappear. Remnants of the flames let out by Arcanine fluttered down over the stadium before the oxygen in the air devoured them.

"Fireworks are flying in this battle!"

Kabutops shot out a second Hydro Pump through the steam, and this time the attack made contact with Gary's Arcanine. The Pokémon whined before it was taken off its feet and skidded across the ground. Its fur was thick with water and dripped to the ground as the attack finished up.

Gary studied the battlefield for a moment, still looking as calm as ever before lifting his hand and holding up Arcanine's Poké Ball. "Arcanine, return!"

"It seems that Oak is substituting his Pokémon! What will come out next?"

Arcanine was converted into red energy and pulled back into its Poké Ball, and he replaced it with another. "Venusaur, I choose you!"

For the second time that match, Gary's starter Pokémon appeared and gave a roar. "Gary's Venusaur has come back out! This is no doubt the ace of his team that we've seen time and time again in this competition."

"A good choice," Professor Oak nodded, gaining Ash's attention.

"Why's that?"

"Kabutops is a Rock and Water Pokémon, so Grass moves will do double the damage," Brock explained.

"Gary sure has grown into a smart young man," Mrs. Ketchum smiled sweetly, earning a just a hint of jealousy from Ash, but the dark-haired boy only pouted silently before turning back to the battlefield.

"We have a counter for Grass-types, don't we, Kabutops?" Pierre asked his Pokémon rhetorically, and Kabutops opened its arms before pulling in a deep breath. "Blizzard!" Seconds later, Kabutops let out the breath it was holding, and a powerful icy wind came billowing out out of its mouth. The cold air blasted Venusaur, and the Grass Pokémon lowered its head and closed its eyes tightly as ice particles began to form on its body.

"A clean hit with a super-effective attack!"

"Vine Whip!" Gary yelled over the powerful blizzard. It was obvious the Seed Pokémon was struggling hard against the fierce and chilling winds, and it slowly turned its head upward nonetheless so it could aim. After a moment or two, a pair of vines sprouted out from underneath the plant growing on Venusaur's back, and they shot out in unison. Seeing this, Kabutops let out more power, strengthening the Blizzard attack so they would have trouble traveling through the fierce winds, but Venusaur smartly braided them together and swung them from right to left. The vines took out Kabutops's skinny legs out from under it, and its eyes widened before the Shellfish Pokémon fell onto its back.

Now finally able to stand firmly, Venusaur shook the bits of snow that had collected off its body, but it was obvious that between that attack and the previous battle that it had been a part of was wearing it down. "A little tired, Venusaur?" Gary asked, the hint of a smirk on his face. "Let's fix that up! Mega Drain!"

A bright light formed in the center of the flower on Venusaur's back, and a green energy burst from it and snaked out toward the defenseless fossil Pokémon. The glow enveloped Kabutops and pulled it into the air. "Kabutops!" Pierre shouted, opening his mouth and looking up at his Pokémon in shock.

"Ka..bu..." his Pokémon moaned before a blood-red energy poured from Kabutops's body, turning the green energy red before it dropped Kabutops and traveled back to Venusaur. The glow disappeared inside Venusaur's flower, and a bright, warm glow shimmered around Venusaur.

"Kabutops is unable to battle!" the referee declared as the glow faded around Gary's Pokémon.

"It seems that young Oak's trump card up his sleeve was a Mega Drain, which not only defeated Kabutops, but also healed any damage it had received! Now Pierre is down to two Pokémon!"

"Dugtrio, I choose you!" Pierre called, throwing his Poké Ball and aiming for one of the holes on the battlefield. The ball opened up above it, and filled the crater with light before his Dugtrio emerged once again.

"Trio trio!" His Pokémon uttered chants from its mouth, and then instantly dove underground.

"Dugtrio immediately dives underground to catch Venusaur off guard with a Dig attack!"

"Do it, Venusaur," Gary said to his starter Pokémon. His Pokémon turned back and nodded at its Trainer lightly before the center of the flower on its back began to shimmer and sparkle.

"Venusaur has nothing it can do but wait for the inevitable for Dugtrio to come up. But where exactly will it come up?"

"Now, Dugtrio!" Pierre commanded with a wave of his index finger. A few moments of silence heavy in the air passed, and then finally, the ground beneath Venusaur's body crumbled away, and Dugtrio's three heads came shooting up as fast as lightning. Along with sending Venusaur in the air, it also pelted the Grass Pokémon with rocks, using a combination of both Dig and Rock Slide to damage it.

"Venusaur, SolarBeam!" As Venusaur flew through the air, it positioned its flower so it was straight down at Dugtrio, and fired a burst of bright golden energy straight from its back at Dugtrio.

"Quick, Dugtrio! Dive underground again!" the Pewter City Trainer said hurriedly, and though it responded quickly and dove underground, the SolarBeam traveled in with it. Soon, bright sunlight seemed to emerge from the ground and shoot back into the sky where the tunnels connected, effectively filling the whole cavern underneath the stadium with energy. As Venusaur crashed back on its feet – which rocked the stadium under it – Dugtrio's heads emerged and slumped.

"Dugtrio is unable to battle! Venusaur wins!"

"A very quick knock-out for Venusaur, and now Pierre only has one Pokémon left in reserve. Will it be enough to take down this seemingly unstoppable Grass-type Pokémon?" the announcer asked rhetorically over the cheers of the arena.

On the arena, Pierre pulled Dugtrio into its Poké Ball and took in a deep breath before retrieving his last Poké Ball. Closing his eyes and holding it close to his chest, he reared his arm back and tossed his last Pokémon out onto the battlefield. "Pinsir, gooo!"

A burst of light formed into a Pinsir, a large brown Pokémon with a pair of long, spiked horns that flexed open and closed. The Pokémon gurgled as it appeared, and its teeth opened and closed as well.

Ash's stomach felt as though he had swallowed an iron ball. He wasn't even the one that was battling, and he was nervous as could be. How was Gary handling it so calmly? But unbeknownst to Ash, a bead of sweat dripped down from underneath Gary's hairline. Shaking it away, he called for his first attack. "Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" he called.

"Saaaaauuuur!" Sensing its Trainer's urgency, Venusaur swung its head back and forth, and doing so sent out a pair of sharp spinning leaves out at Pinsir. The Bug-type Pokémon barely showed any reaction to the Razor Leaf attack, and instead, it lowered its head and opened and closed its pincers. With precise aim, it snipped the leaves in half like a pair of hedge-clippers and they fell harmlessly to the ground.

"No way!" Gary stated, his eyebrows shooting to his forehead.

"Pinsir, Submission!" Pierre ordered. Tucking itself into as much of a ball as it could, Pinsir began to roll toward Venusaur on its side, and with speed not being the Grass and Poison Pokémon's strong suit, it could only watch as the Bug Pokémon collided into it. The speed at which Pinsir was barreling toward Venusaur actually sent it into the air, and it crashed into the ground heavily.

"Are you all right, Venusaur?" Gary asked, and a twinkle of worry flashed momentarily across his dark eyes. Its Trainer's worry made Venusaur pull itself onto its feet just for Pinsir to come barreling back with another Submission. This one didn't send it into the air, but knocked it onto its side. "We have to fight back! Vine Whip!"

Venusaur groaned as it got back onto its feet, and its eyes shot open. "Vena!" A pair of vines shot out once again from underneath its plant and headed straight for Pinsir, who jumped into the air to stop its Submission attack and in one quick movement, twirled in the air so it was looking back at Venusaur.

"Block it with Strength!" Lowering its head, Pinsir quickly pulled its body upward just as the vines were about to snatch it up, and sent them up into the air. "And now, use Seismic Toss on Venusaur!"

Swinging its arms and opening and closing its claws menacingly, it charged at Venusaur with its head lowered. Venusaur retracted its vines, and while it was doing so, it attempted to wrap them around Pinsir's torso. However, the Stag Beetle Pokémon jumped into the air and landed directly in front of Venusaur. Dipping its head down far, it dug its claws into Venusaur's stomach and – using all of its strength – lifted it up. Gary's Pokémon's eyes opened wider upon seeing that it was actually being lifted up, and Pinsir gave an audible groan before bending itself backwards and slamming Venusaur into the ground behind it.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and Venusaur has fallen pretty hard!"

Pierre watched with intent through narrowed eyes as he waited for the dust to settle on the field, but suddenly, a pair of vines struck out and managed to wrap themselves around Pinsir's horns. "Oh no! Pinsir, Strength attack!"

"Venusaur, toss it!" Before Pinsir could execute its attack, it had to steady itself in order to be able to throw a Pokémon as heavy as Venusaur. It was not the same for Venusaur, and with the element of surprise on their side, Venusaur had managed to stand and wave its vines, giving more of a momentum to send Pinsir off the ground and higher into the air.

And now that Pinsir was defenseless, Gary went on the attack. "Now Venusaur, Razor Leaf!"

"Saaauuuuurrrrr!" his starter Pokémon cried, and sent a barrage of leaves shooting at Pinsir. The leaves made a direct hit, and sliced across Pinsir's exoskeleton before sending it down to the ground.

All waited with bated breath for the dust to settle, but before it did, Venusaur's legs began to buckle under its feet, and the Grass Pokémon fell onto its stomach with its eyes closed. "Venusaur is unable to battle!" the referee called, raising a flag toward Pierre's side. A premature applause began, but abruptly stopped when the dust cleared around Pinsir. It too was on its back, and swirls were in its eyes. "And Pinsir is unable to battle! This match has been decided! Gary Oak is the winner!"

Now the real applause began. And everyone screamed and clapped as loud as they could. "Congratulations! The champion has been decided!" the announcer's voice blared over the speakers, and even Ash found himself clapping at his rival's victory. It was quite a battle indeed.

o 0 o

The sun had long since set in the sky above, but the crowd was wide awake as they roared with applause all around Indigo Stadium. The holes from the previous battle had been filled up, and a temporary stage had been placed in front of the stairs rising up to the flame of Moltres. "The Pokémon League now bids farewell to all the Trainers and Pokémon who participated in this year's competition. Let's show all the participants just how much we appreciate their accomplishments as they enter the stadium one last time."

A fanfare of music began to play, and Trainers began to flood out of the sides of the stadium. Each of them had one Pokémon of their choice walking beside them, and Ash was no different. Trotting beside him was his Blastoise, and the Pallet Town boy and his starter took in the cheering and applause like a beautiful song. While the Water-type looked up with the smallest hint of a grin on its face, Ash walked alongside it in a much different manner than he had when they first began the competition – he wore an ear-to-ear grin and waved up at the crowd.

He could see Ritchie some distance away with Sparky walking beside him, and he too was smiling up at the crowd. His dark eyes scanned the seats where he saw Brock, Professor Oak, and his mother sitting, and the males all smiled down proudly at him, but his mother had a handkerchief to her eyes and was obviously crying. Trying to hold in a chuckle of embarrassment, he followed the lead of the others so they lined up in rows in front of the platform where Charles Goodshow was waiting for them.

"League President Goodshow will now present each Trainer with a special commemorative Badge." Ash was very close to the front, and leaving Blastoise on the arena, his Pokémon gave him a reassuring nod as he climbed the small stairs and walked to President Goodshow, who was standing with two young women each holding boxes. "Wear it with pride, Trainers, as a symbol of excellence and achievement."

President Goodshow gave Ash a wide grin underneath his facial hair, and took a Badge from one of the girls and handed it to the younger Trainer. The Badge was beautiful, and large enough to be able to be held in two hands. A pair of pearl wings held a radiant diamond that sparkled in the artificial light shining down from above, and all this was held in place by a emerald wrap that was sealed with a golden Poké Ball.

Ash went back to his place in the front of the participating Trainers, and once all Trainers who had participated had gotten their commemorative badges, the announcer continued. "And here now are the top-ranking of this Pokémon League competition!" Three Trainers walked out upon this announcement, and each of them took a spot on a smaller platform behind the President himself. Gary took the top spot, being the winner of the competition. Second was Pierre, and third was a Trainer named Mathis who Pierre battled in his own semi-final match. The reason he ranked above Ash was because he had managed to knock out more of his opponent's Pokémon than Ash had, which ultimately left Ash in fourth place.

The crowd now screamed louder than ever upon seeing the victors of the competition, and all three of them all waved out with their hands high above their heads. "Please join us in saluting them, along with their Pokémon, for their skill and their dedication to the ideals of the Pokémon League." Ash applauded for his rival, and his friend. Both had battled wonderfully and made for a great final match. In actuality, now that Gary had won the whole competition, Ash wasn't ashamed that he had lost to him. Instead, he was proud that Gary had been crowned the Champion. He had battled a champion.

"Now, as this Pokémon League draws to an end, please direct your attention to our very special celebration in the sky!" The stadium lights clicked off one by one, and a low murmur traveled through the crowd as they were all swallowed up by darkness. The only thing lighting up the arena was the bright, dancing flames of Moltres. Soon, a whistling sang through the air above them, and an explosion gave way to a massive bright colors of gold, ruby, and sapphire fireworks filled the night sky. The beautiful display was enough to take Ash's breath away, and even his Blastoise looked up with sparkling eyes – its dark orbs reflecting the shimmering lights exploding in the air.

o 0 o

Bright and early the next morning, Ash came out to look at the stadium one last time. It was so early that the stars from the night before were still twinkling sleepily in the sky, but the line of pink along the horizon line hinted the sun would soon bring about a new day very shortly. Trash and litter scattered around the stands, but it was free of people. Well, almost.

Much to his surprise, he saw Ritchie sitting in the stands, and happily approached the auburn-haired Trainer. The Pokémon Trainer had his backpack on, and looked as if he were ready to go, but wanted to do the exact same thing that Ash did. Sitting beside his friend, the pair of them looked out at the sunset in the background, and Moltres's flames burning in the forefront.

"Well, maybe we didn't win, but... we sure had fun, didn't we, Ash?" The black-haired boy was silent for a moment, and a small smile spread across his mouth and he looked Ritchie in the eyes.

"Yeah, we sure did."

"Pi!" Sparky climbed up on Ritchie's shoulder, settling its hindquarters down on a perch on his backpack. He ran his fingers through its yellow fur before standing up.

"Train hard."

"I will. Good-bye." They smiled at each other before Ritchie gave a wave and turned away from Ash. But as the boy was walking away, Ash called out to him. "Hey, Ritchie!" The auburn-haired Trainer stopped and threw a glance over his shoulder. "Don't forget: we promised!" As he said this, he winked at him and gave the boy a thumbs up. Ritchie chuckled and gave him a thumbs-up back, and then disappeared around the corner.

Ash's eyes lingered on the spot where Ritchie had disappeared, and finally, he closed his eyes, though he couldn't seem to make the smile on his face go away. His battles the last few days had all flown by now that he thought about it, but he couldn't help but remember each one vividly. From Mandi and his Exeggutor, to Dave and his Nidorino, Jeanette and her Beedrill, Ritchie and his Charmander, Assunta and her Dragonite, and yes, even Gary and his Venusaur. He wouldn't trade all the knowledge he gained from them for the world.

He found his way to the middle of the stadium, and looked up at the flame of Moltres that inspired him throughout the competition. The sun was now rising behind it, giving them a more radiant glow. "Blastoise, ready to train harder?" he asked the Poké Ball clutched tightly in his palm.

"Ash!" Brock's voice echoed through the empty arena, and he looked in the back to see him, Professor Oak, and his mother, and surprisingly of all, Gary, all standing and beaming at him. All of them looked as proud as could be.

"All right," he said. "Time to head home to Pallet Town." And with one final chuckle, he ran off to go join his friends and family.

Ash:

Party:

Blastoise (Poké Ball)

Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Hydro Pump, Withdraw

Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)

Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Double-Edge

Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)

Moves: SolarBeam, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed

Charmeleon (Poké Ball)

Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Slash

Primeape (Poké Ball)

Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss

Muk (Poké Ball)

Moves: Poison Gas, Sludge Bomb

At Professor Oak's Lab:

Tauros (Safari Ball) x2

Moves: Fissure, Horn Attack, Take Down

Kingler (Poké Ball)

Moves: Water Gun, Bubble, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam

Badges:

Boulder Badge

Cascade Badge

Thunder Badge

Marsh Badge

Rainbow Badge

Soul Badge

Volcano Badge

Earth Badge

Indigo League Rank: Top 4

Brock:

Party:

Onix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig

Geodude (Poké Ball)

Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle

Zubat (Poké Ball)

Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic

Psyduck (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tail Whip, Water Gun, Disable, Confusion

Vulpix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Agility, Quick Attack