AN: Here we are everyone, the final chapter for 'Spot Inspection'. There's a new poll on my profile to decide which story will take this one's place for the spot of 'updated every post till completion'.
Spot Inspection
Chapter 20
-Lieutenant Surge-
"Way to go kid!" Surge laughed, slapping his knee as he relaxed in the Gym Leader's private viewing booth. The League had the room set aside in the Indigo Stadium so they could enjoy the matches with their colleagues. At the moment he was enjoying seeing his favorite challenger for some time, Ketchum, finish getting through the preliminary rounds of the league.
As much as he was enjoying the show though, the area was noticeably empty. Of the primary eight Gym leaders only three 'seats' were filled, his own included amongst those.
Brock was there, thankfully showing no real ill will towards Ketchum or the kid's girlfriend. The inspection had been a wake up call for Brock, letting him realize that those bad habits he'd picked up could have consequences. Not wanting to lose his job that he needed to support so many siblings after the young Gym Leader's deadbeat dad walked out on them; nor wanting his little siblings to pick up any bad habits from himself, Brock had put his nose to the Grindstone. The kid worked hard to become a better Gym Leader and had even called up Surge once the League had confirmed his inspection pass to ask for advice on things the kid's father had never been around to teach him with.
The last member of the major eight to be there was the new Fuschia gym leader Janine. The girl had been very determined to 'wash away the dishonor' that her father and aunt had brought to the family and Gym.
Cerulean, Celadon, and Viridian all now had empty Gyms. At least for the moment. Cerulean Gym was closed down until a new Gym Leader could be selected and trained. The three older sisters had been blacklisted from the League positions after how they treated the post. And the youngest was told flat out that until she could get past her fear of bug types enough to battle against them, along with a lot of anger management, she wouldn't be able to take the post again.
Celadon was a massive criminal case with the assault charges against Erika and her staff. Not to mention the massive illegal Rocket Base hidden under the barely legal casino.
As for Viridian? Well Surge had admittedly broken more than a few things at his house in a fury when he found out someone he considered a respected colleague and even friend was the dreaded Mafia Don of Kanto.
Then there was Blaine and Sabrina. Blaine was still on trial as the League debated what best to do with the idiot, although from what he'd heard they were likely going to limit his punishment to a large fine and a lot of Community service. Sabrina was a much better case though, the girl genuinely doing her best for her therapy and rehab. Surge had been able to visit her before the league and the difference between the recovering young woman he met with and the almost dead inside girl he'd used to know were like night and day.
The league needed new blood and it needed it fast. Thankfully, the league contestants had plenty.
-Ash-
Eager grin on his face, Ash walked into the arena for his match. The first battle of the top thirty two for the Indigo League. Up in the stands he could see his mom, the newest Kanto Regional Professor, cheering alongside her new Pokémon partner Mewtwo. Given her education level and history with the Oak Ranch, along with an endorsement from her old classmate Professor Hale, his mom had been named the newest Professor and took over what had been the Oak Facility. Mewtwo had been put into her care and Ash could say without a doubt it was a good decision. The genetically engineered super legendary was still essentially a child, lashing out at the world that confused and hurt him so Ash's Mom gave Mewtwo maternal love and support. With positive reinforcement the powerful Pokémon was happy and thriving…he was also wearing a soda hat and a 'Go Ash!' foam finger but that was beside the point.
"And entering from the blue side we have competitor Gary Oak!" the referee declared, Ash's childhood 'rival' strutting in confidently, the arrogant nuisance smirking, "This will be a three on three battle. Trainers, are you ready?"
"Ready." Ash nodded, ready for what he just realized will be his first battle against Gary Oak.
"Ready." Gary gave a lazy wave to the cheerleaders that were no doubt paid to root for him.
"Blue Trainer, send out your first Pokémon!" the ref ordered as Gary tossed a pokeball.
"Come on out Umbreon!" Gary sent out the Eeveelution that had evolved from the second starter that the once Professor Oak had given Gary.
"Scyther!" Ash sent out his own secondary starter, the bug type eager for combat.
"Begin!" the ref waved their flags. Gary was still waving to the crowd, grandstanding. He wasn't taking this seriously.
"X Scissor." Ash ordered, his Scyther moving in a blur as it slammed into the dark type, Gary gaping at the sight, having never seen Ash's Pokémon in action. The attack sent the startled Umbreon flying, Gary working to recover. "Close combat." Ash wasn't going to give Gary the chance to do so, noting that Gary's Umbreon was nowhere near as strong as Giovanni's Pokémon.
"Umbreon is unable to battle, Blue Trainer Gary Oak, send out your second Pokémon!" The referee called as Gary scowled and recalled the Umbreon.
"Fine, go Blastoise!" Gary sent out the other starter he'd received, the massive turtle stomping in its best attempt at an intimidation display.
"Return Scyther." Ash called the bug type back "Go Pikachu!"
"Begin!" the words had barely left the referee's lips before Pikachu let loose with a thunderbolt that knocked out the water type in a single hit as the stadium went silent, nobody but those Ash had battled before having ever seen a Pikachu as strong as this one.
"GO ARCANINE!" Gary snarled, sending out the large fire dog who let out an admittedly impressive roar.
"Slaking." Ash smirked, his main starter letting out an even more powerful cry, beating his chest powerfully.
"Extreme speed." Gary ordered, Ash noting that the nuisance was still completely assured of victory.
"Catch them!" Ash gave his own command, trusting Slaking's strength to stop the speeding canine in their tracks. The crowd was dead silent for a moment before those in the audience erupted in loud cheering at the sight of Slaking catching the extreme speed Arcanine, lifting them up high before slamming them back down.
"That's…that's impossible." Gary was wide eyed, looking close to having a panic attack from being utterly outclassed in this way.
"Slaking, finish this with return!" Ash roared out alongside Slaking as they finished the battle with a single devastating attack, the crowd cheering at the spectacle while the referee called the match.
-Jane-
"Trainer Ritche, send in your final Pokémon!" the referee declared as the crowd cheered. This was the final match of the Indigo League, and her Ash still had the most Pokémon able to fight.
"Go Happy!" Ritchie called as he sent out a Butterfree to battle Ash's Espeon. As the referee gave the signal to begin, Jane noted the man seemed somewhat nervous, even if he hid it well.
"Use sleep powder Happy!" Ritchie gave the order right away as the pollens rapidly filled the ring, Espeon falling victim to them before Ash could give a counter order.
"Espeon is unable to battle, Happy is the winner!" the referee declared before Ash could try to call for Espeon to wake up, or use sleep talk which she knew Espeon had learned. The crowd started to boo and roar their protests but what really got Jane's attention was the thrown shoe smacking the referee in the face.
"Get out of my arena ya cheating ninny!" the elderly founder of the League shouted, "That ain't a defeat situation and you know it! Security! Get him!" Jane snorted as one of her cousins grabbed the protesting referee and drug him off, a happy Charles Goodshow hopping down to reclaim his shoe and act as the referee for the rest of the final match.
Speaking of "Sleep talk!" Ash called out, Espeon responding even while snoring away, power gem rocketing out at the bug type. With the sleep talk capable Espeon, not to mention the rest of Ash's 'little monsters', it wasn't long before Goodshow was declaring her boyfriend as the winner.
Jane made damn sure she was cheering the loudest.
-Ash-
"And finally, we have our winner!" Charles Goodshow laughed happily as he handed Ash his golden trophy, the award ceremony wrapping up as the top three trainers for the year got their awards. Along with Goodshow the Champion and Elite four were on stage as well, Jane and the travelling companions of the second and third place contestants sitting on chairs at the back of the stage.
"Congratulations young man." Champion Lance nodded to him, "Do you have anything you'd like to say?" the Champion handed him the mic, a tradition saying anyone who won the league got the right to make a speech or statement afterward. Usually it was a declaration of the next region they planned to go to or if they planned to challenge the Elite Four. Ash had something else in mind.
"I do actually." Ash took the microphone, "I started my journey a little over a year ago. And it's been a wild experience as I got to go places, meet people, and have experiences I could never have imagined before I left my small town." The crowd arena was so silent you could hear a pin drop, the audience wondering what he was building up to "And through it all, there was one person who was at my side every step of the way." Ash turned to where Jane was sitting, his girlfriend looking surprised "One beautiful, funny, amazing person who kept me on my toes. Who always had my back and saved me just as much as I've done my best to look after them." He got up by her as he fished something from his pocket "Jane…I love you. And I can't imagine my life without you." As he spoke, Ash dropped to one knee, Jane's hands flying to her mouth "Jane, will you marry me?" she didn't say anything, but as her lips met his, her arms thrown around his neck while the stadium cheered at the sight, he was fairly sure it was a 'yes'.
-Epilogue-
-Ash-
Smiling happily, Ash strolled down the road of Canyon City, waving at those he came across. In the eight years since he won the Pokémon League his life had just continued to get better and better. He and Jane had gotten married and had an amazing honeymoon before returning to Kanto.
Jane had taken the job offer from the Grandpa Canyon facility to work as on their security detail. He on the other hand had been given an offer from the League to become not just a Gym Leader, but a member of the Major Eight. He'd even gotten the right to choose where his Gym would be.
With the research facility and his new Gym, a town had formed around Grandpa Canyon which eventually grew into a city.
As it was now, his wife was now the head of the security for both the facility and the city itself while he was the top ranked Gym Leader.
All in all, life couldn't be better.
AN: Yeah, I couldn't NOT call out that bullshit call from the referee in the Ritchie battle. Sleep powder equaling no longer being to battle is so blatantly stupid I can only assume the Ref was working to ensure the battle ended with Ash losing for rigged bets or something. As for Gary's reaction to Slaking's bullshit I was basing that on how he reacted to fighting Mewtwo, the stunned disbelief at being rendered powerless.