Chapter 5

Updated on 28/03/2011 at 23:12 local Belgium time

Kingdark: Like the other chapters, I am editing this to fit the previous chapters.

If my characters don't know the sex of the pokémon (yet) they will refer to a pokémon as an 'it'.

START

Pokémon centre - evening - Viridian city

Harry and Ash entered the pokémon centre together and noted that it was virtually empty. "Let's rent ourselves a room for the night." Harry told Ash. "We can see if we can squeeze an official win in for practice tomorrow."

"But how am I supposed to win a match when Pikachu is at a big disadvantage and with only one pokémon too boot?" Ash asked Harry.

Pokémon centre - room 2-2 - Viridian city

The two boys had rented one of the smaller rooms. It had only two beds, a desk and a small place to shower. But that was all that they needed. If they wanted to take a relaxing bath they could visit one of the bath for relaxation in the centrer of town.

"How am I suppose to have a chance when I only have Pikachu? Pikachu at present can only manage iron tail once and maybe two times but then she'll be exhausted to the point she'll faint! Its practically an all or nothing move!" Ash argued.

"You'll have Hedwig too you know." Harry pointed out calmly. "You know that she can shift her form into every pokémon she has encountered yet. And since she has met plenty of water pokémon in Pallet that means you'll have a strong advantage against the gym leader."

"I suppose so." Ash agreed. "But won't they protest that I use your pokémon instead?" Ash said after a moment.

"You have a point." Harry agreed. "Then we might have to be forced to use the pokémon I found."

'Right.' Ash agreed.

"Those pokémon will obey the trainer that has their Pokéball." Harry told Ash. "I will take four and you get the remaining two." Harry held up his hand to stop any protests.

"I have a feeling that you will find your own team. But these pokémon... I really feel that four should go to me. The rest are for you." Ash glared at Harry but admitted defeat. 'Fine then.' Ash said rather shortly.

"Don't expect me to be happy with it though.'

Harry gave the Pokéballs of Charmander and Scyther to Ash. Pidgey, Growlite, Vulpix and Gastly were for him.

The two boys send their new pokémon out. The pokémon in question seemed to tense before relaxing when they spotted their Pokéballs in their trainers hands.

The six pokémon seemed to nod before they send themselves back in their balls.

"That's weird." Ash muttered. "I didn't know that they could send themselves back like that."

"They can't." Harry told Ash. "It was the Gastly's doing."

"I want to heal them Harry." Ash told him. Forgetting about his anger for the moment. "Even I can see that they shouldn't be trained to obey their trainer to... It isn't normal that they need to be told what to do for everything in a pokémon battle. It places me and those pokémon at a disadvantage. And not a small one either." Ash told Harry.

"I know." The older boy agreed. "But I suppose if you could win with them, then more difficult battles shouldn't be too much of a problem either."

"Shouldn't..." Ash began. "Shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves to them? I mean, we can't expect them to really trust us if we don't even try... Right?"

"It doesn't work that way with them I think." Harry disagreed. "But I suppose that trying wouldn't hurt either. Why don't we send them out together and we can introduce ourselves together?" Harry suggested.

'Right then.' Ash agreed. He took the two Pokéballs and send Charmander and Scyther out.

Ash followed up by sending Gastly, Vulpix, Growlite and Pidgey out.

The pokémon appeared before them and looked confused for a moment.

'eh?'

'No enemies?'

That was what their cries could be translated as.

"Since I'm your new trainer I would like to introduce myself and my brother." Ash told them.

"My name-" Ash began "is Ash Ketchum. "And that-" He jabbed a thumb at Harry "Is Harry Ketchum my older brother."

Ash pointed to the Pikachu that was watching them carefully. "That is my first pokémon Pikachu. No nickname just yet. She's my only pokémon before I met you. With Charmander and Scyther that gives me three pokémon. I hope that we can become friends!" Ash finished.

'Right then.' Harry began. "Like Ash told you. My name is Harry. I'll be the trainer for Gastly, Vulpix, Growlite and Pidgey. I only have one pokémon as well. Why don't you show yourself Hedwig?" Harry suggested.

"I really hope that we can be friends as well." The older boy added cheerfully.

With a shimmer Hedwig appeared before them in her true form. She had very cautiously probed these pokémon during the introduction and while they weren't exactly completely sane, these pokémon weren't lost. Their 'training' was halted too early for it too have a true effect.

The six pokémon were of course completely caught of guard that a legendary pokémon not to mention ROYALTY would choose to be the companion of a human. And none of them could sense any shape or form of reluctance coming from Mew.

'Maybe the human can be trusted.' Gastly suggested cautiously.

'We should still be cautious thought.' Vulpix told the group.

'I will go along with the pack.' Growlithe said simply.

'Don't care.' Charmander declared. "Humans taste bad anyway." she added.

'Let's vote on it.' Scyther decided. "Do we give the human a chance or not?" She added.

'Yes.' Gastly.

'No.' Vulpix.

'No.' Growlite.

'Yes.'Charmander.

'Yes.' Scyther.

'Yes.' Pidgey

"Tell the human that I won't stand for being separated." The Scyther ordered the ghost pokémon.

'Yes sir.' The Ghost pokémon agreed.

Since their conversation had taken place silently and through a very basic telepathic link Harry didn't know what had taken place.

"We will give you a single chance Human." The ghost pokémon declared.

"We will not stand for being separated though. As long as you and the other trainer remain together we will do as you tell us to do. If you have to separate it needs to be for as short a time as possible."

"Very well then." Harry agreed. Taking a deep breath Harry and Ash recalled their new pokémon once more.

Harry had both the ability, knowledge and the resources to make such an invention. It would be very helpful against aggressive pokémon. The problem was that even now with limited technology people hunted for pokémon. Fur, teeth, fat and other parts were valuable. Especially parts from pokémon that were big and rare. Those were especially expensive on the black market. If he -Harry- introduced fire arms pokémon would be slaughtered from a distance. It wouldn't be limited to pokémon that came dangerously close to human homes anymore.

The next day – pokémon centre

Harry had known that Ash had wanted to ask him something but had been too tired to care last night.

"How will we be able to use all that stuff you found-" Ash began, interrupting himself and already knowing that Harry would know what he wanted to know.

'Black market.' Harry told him. "It could be a source of emergency money."

'Oh.' Ash muttered. "I should have thought of that." The boy complained.

"We shouldn't challenge the gym leader just yet." Harry said suddenly. Changing the subject rather abruptly.

Ash blinked. A few moments passed as he attempted to process the change of subject.

"Why?" Ash wanted to know.

"Because if you lose the first time he might forbid you to challenge him again until you defeat another gym leader. It's not something that's done often but it is always possible. At least when you are challenging him for your first badge." Harry explained.

"What about you then?" Ash asked.

While Harry didn't mind explaining such things to him he was irritated that the other boy seemed to have forgotten about his earlier lessons.

"If you should lose I can still challenge him." Harry agreed. "And it's not a guarantee that you won't be able to challenge him twice you know. It's just better to see if we can work with our new pokémon for a few days before we do challenge the gym leader." Harry explained.

"I suppose that makes sense." Ash agreed.

"And remember that you only beat Brock because he underestimated you and because it was no doubt one of his weaker pokémon. Not that this says much for the son of a gym leader."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Haven't I explained this to you before?" Harry asked with a touch of irritation in his voice.

'Sigh'

"When a gym leader is present in a city he or she is usually very respected. While the gym leader isn't the official leader of the city he or she still has a lot of political power. Not only because the gym leader has eight badges, a requirement to become a gym leader but also because of the pokémon that the gym leader and his or her followers have under their command. It is not unusual for a group of trainers to challenge a gym leader for the right to be the gym leader. Such battles are not easy by any means and the challenger always has the fewest advantages."

"How is this relevant to Brock? Once a gym leader is comfortable he or she can have a son or daughter. Or several of each. These childeren are then considered the rightful heirs to defend the gym should it ever come under attack. Because any challenger has to defeat all official trainers that work for the gym. If they are all defeated it is up to the challenger to decide the fate of the defeated trainers. We should see what our new pokémon can do and how well they respond to our commands." Harry explained.

"Alright then." Ash nodded. 'How about two on two?' he offered. Pikachu and Charmander against..."

'Hedwig and Vulpix' Harry finished.

'So that's Pikachu, Charmander versus Hedwig and Vulpix?' Ash wanted to know for sure.

'Right.' Harry agreed.

Viridian City - official Trainer Battle Field Location

Harry and Ash followed the instructions that were posted everywhere to locate a somewhat isolated OTBFL or simply put: a location where visiting trainers could battle others.

It had only cost them about five hundred credits plus another two hundred to convince the official referee to skip his lunch break.

"This is an official battle. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town versus Harry Ketchum from Pallet Town. This is a two versus two pokémon battle. Trainers cannot switch pokémon out unless they are forfeiting that match. Are there any questions or remarks? No? Then I declare this battle to BEGIN!"

First round: Pikachu (Ash) versus Hedwig (Harry)

'Let's show our little brother Hedwig!' Harry declared.

Ash preferred a more dramatic way in choosing his pokémon. "Pikachu I choose you!" The boy cried enthusiastically. Pikachu jumped from ash's shoulder onto the ground.

Since the match had already begun, Harry saw no reason to give Ash an advantage in letting him give the first order. "Put her to sleep Hedwig!" Harry ordered. If he was lucky he would be able to take Pikachu down quickly. It would be a valuable lesson for both of them to NOT let their guard down.

Hedwig smirked as well as she could and obeyed the commands of her trainer.

Ash didn't need to give an order to try and evade it because Pikachu was already trying to evade the near invisible attack. Unfortunately it was already too late. Mew was a psychic pokémon by nature. So those attacks were very easy for her. This meant that Pikachu couldn't see where the attack was going and thus dodged straight into it.

The first match goes to Harry Ketchum from Pallet Town.' The referee declared.

Ash grudgingly recalled the electric pokémon.

"Charmander, your turn is now!" Ash said simply, sending its ball out there and catching it as it was bounced back.

Charmander appeared form the Pokéball and took her place.

Second round: Hedwig (Harry) versus Charmander (Ash)

Harry made no move to change his pokémon so the referee nodded. "Both trainers have decided their pokémon the second match will begin in three seconds. Three. Two. One. GO!"

"Charmander, try to burn her so she can't move as quickly" Ash ordered. The fire pokémon nodded. More to itself as to the trainer. Charmander charged towards Hedwig and spewed several fire like bombs near the psychic pokémon. The fire bombs exploded and caused a lot of smoke.

Charmander made use of it and prepared for a flame thrower to turn up the heat!

Hedwig already knew what the fire pokémon was planning. She didn't need instruction from her trainer to know that she should put up a barrier. So she did. Not that Harry would have been able to tell her to do anything. The boy couldn't see anything. And giving orders would be really odd considering that the sight was zero. Giving orders would only make it more dangerous for her.

Unfortunately, Hedwig underestimated her opponent.

The Charmander cut of her attack midway and then used all the speed she could muster to get around the barrier and tackle the other pokémon. Hopefully it would do enough damage to knock her out.

Charmander's plan succeeded and Hedwig was caught of guard to be knocked out.

'Hedwig is unable to battle!' The referee declared.

'Ash from pallet wins the second fight. Both trainers have one win. This means that the next battle is the last one and will determine who will win this entire match!'

'That was some good thinking of you Charmander!" Ash praised. Harry nodded. "I agree. I couldn't see what you did, but I can guess. Good work! But let's see how well you can fight against Vulpix!

Last round: Vulpix (Harry) versus Charmander (Ash)

"Trainers have chosen their pokémon. Match will start in three... Two... One GO!"

'Vulpix begin with a quick attack!' Harry ordered.

'Create a lot of smoke Charmander and try to use your speed against her!' Ash added.

Both pokémon listened to the commands of their trainers. Vulpix because they had agree to give the trainer a change. And because she still had an issue with Vulpix. This was the perfect opportunity to take care of it!

The third and last battle was rather short because the pokémon knocked each other out. How it happened neither trainer really knew.

'Double knock out.' The referee declared. "Since this isn't a gym battle you can either choose another pokémon or you can let this battle register as a tie." The referee told them.

'A tie.' Both boys told the referee.

"Very well then." The man agreed.

"Both of you did an excellent job." The referee told them.

"Now get out of here. Go and take care of your pokémon." The referee ordered sternly.

'Yes sir!' Both boys chorused. They were out of sight within the blink of an eye.

The referee stared after the two boys for several long minutes. "That was an excellent battle if I do say so myself." The man thought to himself. "I'm sure the boss would be very interested in gaining two promising young trainers..." The man took a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. A small doorway opened in the ground. The man jumped into the opening which closed moments after.

Chapter END

Kingdark: I suppose that it couldn't last. The size of this chapter is nearly cut into half. Roughly two thousand eight hundred words. Give or take a few. The reason is mostly because I made it a two versus two battle instead of a longer fight. Ash and Harry wanted to see how much they needed to interfere in the match.

Since Charmander and Vulpix were able to think of their own, maybe they aren't as 'broken' as Harry and Ash thought.

I made pidgey a girl as well. I always messed up with my genders. So now I don't need to remember which is a girl or a guy.

What do you think of the way I rewrote the fight? None of that 'use tackle' or whatever nonsense!

'Gastly' (level 10) GHOST + POISON' FEMALE- Harry

'Vulpix' (level 12) FIRE' FEMALE- Harry

'Growlithe' (level 12) FIRE' FEMALE- Harry

'Pidgey' (Level 16) FLYING + FEMALE- Harry

'Charmander' (level 14) FIRE + FLYING' FEMALE- Ash

'Scyther' (level 14) BUG + FLYING' FEMALE- Ash

Kingdark