Chapter Summary: Thanks for beating some sense into me for a chance to do Steel Pokémon for the 8th Element.
Shipping: LighthouseShipper

One-Shot 8:Steeling the Heart of Toughness

Basking in the glory of winning his Beacon Badge, his eighth and final badge to enter the Sinnoh League, Ash and his Pikachu were getting ready to travel to compete against the best the Sinnoh Region had to offer. He gazed in the badge case, viewing all the badges he won from the gym leaders throughout his adventures: the Coal Badge from Roark in Oreburgh City, the Forest Badge from Gardenia in Eterna City, the Cobble Badge from Maylene in Veilstone City, the Fen Badge from Crasher Wake in Pastoria City, the Relic Badge from Fantina in Hearthome City, the Mine Badge from Roark's father, Byron in Canalave City, the Icicle Badge from Candice in the freezing Snowpoint City and this, his Beacon Badge from Volkner here in Sunnyshore City. "Eight badges, Pikachu," he mellowed in his basking.

("The tournament is calling our name,") Pikachu squeaked. They two looked away from the case and viewed the ocean. The two were alone on the beach, waiting for Dawn and Brock to join and prepare for the last leg of the journey. Suddenly, there was a rumbling. The sands began to shift and shake under Ash's feet

"W-W-W-W-W-What's going on?" The massive shaking tripped Ash onto his seat just as a splash of sand became airborne. Out of the splash, a giant Steelix emerged and glared down at the two who were surprised to see a Steelix out in the open. "Steelix!" Leaning down, Steelix sniffed the trainer and Pikachu…before it happily growled. Steelix was happy with who it was? Ash had a gut feeling on why Steelix was in glee. "Steelix seems to remember me, but how?" He was about to get the answer in a way he never thought about.

"Steelix!" shouted a female. Ash and the Pokémon turned to see bleached brunette female in white coming towards them. That instant made Ash know who it was.

"Jasmine, hey!" Jasmine reached the three, quickly noticing Ash. "What are you doing here instead of Olivine City?" Yeah, what was she doing away from her gym?

"I was issued a challenge by Flint. He said he wanted a warm-up battle before challenging Cynthia to a title fight." Flint wanted the belt of Champion. That's when Jasmine saw the case, figuring that Ash was here for the gym battle. "So, did you find a way to get Volkner to battle you for the Beacon Badge?" Ash opened the case, showing off the proofs of victory.

"It took a little persuading but I managed to battle and win." Jasmine knew Ash was well on his way to glory, huffing a giggle. That's when Pikachu heard something, the twitch in his ears notifying the presence of something or someone coming. Hearing the ears pop, Ash and Jasmine turned to the little mouse Pokémon. "What's up, Pikachu?"

("I thought someone was coming,") he whimpered. He shook off the wonder and wanted to ask something to Jasmine. ("By the way, how's Sparkle and Janina?") Jasmine was a little humored that Pikachu was asking the question and not Ash.

"Shouldn't Ash be asking that, you little rascal?" she teased. "Well, since Ash would want to know, Janina and Sparkle are doing much better. Though, they do miss you two since you saved Sparkle and won my Mineral Badge." That was long ago.

"No wonder, after we've been gone for so long after the trip." That's when Jasmine's cheeks began to redden.

"Of course, I, uh…also missed you." That was new to Ash. Why would Jasmine admit to missing Ash? Sure, he was there for that badge. "You see, after asking you to get the medicine for Sparkle and…" Was Jasmine okay?

"What's going on, Jasmine? Are you sick or something?"

"Sick, maybe not. However, I did get a bug bite." She was bit by a bug? Then, shouldn't she have been in the hospital to get antibiotics? It's clear that she's in tip-top shape. "A bug of love got me before you left Olivine City and I wanted to see you once more." Did she say…a love bug? "When you left, I felt my heart of steel burn and melt the cage I had with humans. It's also why my battling prowess has been a heck of a lot better." She's rather adamant about what to tell Ash. Even Steelix felt that she was being honest about her feelings. "Ash, when you go to the Lily of the Valley Conference, go out there and win…not just because I believe in you but because…" Finally, she leaned down and applied her lips onto his. Unlike her Pokémon battling specialty being Steel Pokémon, Jasmine's lips were like bread freshly made from the oven: soft and warm. Unbeknown to the trainer and gym leader, Kenny and Empoleon arrived to…it's hard to describe the reaction Kenny had on his face.

"J-Jasmine?" he stuttered. Jasmine didn't hear Kenny. What to do, oh what to do? Suddenly, he remembered that Brock had Croagunk. Every time Brock tried to hook up with some girl, the poison toad would use Poison Jab to stop it. Finding Ash's room was a cinch. Both Dawn and Brock were asleep. This was a good time to note that it was early in the morning. Kenny dug into Brock's stash and pulled out the Pokéball which contained Croagunk. As swift as he entered, he left…only to have Piplup awaken. Unfortunately for Kenny, the door wasn't shut all the way. Piplup did a quick assessment of the room and saw that Ash wasn't in bed.

("Where's Ash?") he wondered. He waddled out of the room where Kenny had Brock's Pokémon set. He opened the Pokéball and released Croagunk, as he predicted.

"Croagunk, get Jasmine off of Ash with your Poison Jab!" Unbelievably, Croagunk seemed to have listened to Kenny. Pikachu spotted the loose Croagunk, knowing that Ash was getting a Poison Jab knuckle sandwich. Then…Croagunk just sat on the sand, doing nothing. Pikachu sighed, feeling that Ash dodged a bullet…or a Poison Jab to the waist. Kenny was in dismay. He thought that Croagunk would split Jasmine and Ash away. "No! No! No!" Finally hearing Kenny, Ash and Jasmine broke their kiss and turned to the redhead.

"Kenny?" Ash gulped. Kenny was starting to show plenty of nervous tension. That's when he saw Croagunk and thought something was amiss. "That's Brock's Croagunk, right?" Kenny was sweating up a downpour. Not only did he fail in stopping Ash and Jasmine from kissing but he was about to be discovered for taking him without permission. Realizing punishment was on the way; Kenny scampered off, leaving the rest puzzled.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" Jasmine asked. Looking at Croagunk made Ash think back to a running gag that had plagued his friend.

"I think Kenny was trying to break us apart using Croagunk's Poison Jab technique. It always worked on Brock." A soft nod filled Jasmine…with doubt.

"It's a safe bet that with Croagunk around, he'll never get a girl." That has to suck for the breeder. No girl would go after him because of Croagunk? Talk about a sad and lonely life.

"So, Croagunk, you approve of Jasmine and me being a pair?" Croagunk stood like a statue while constantly inflating and deflating his cheeks. No one was sure if Croagunk agreed…or disagreed with Ash and Jasmine being together. That's when Piplup finally arrived. That astonished the humans. "Piplup?"

("What's going on?") Piplup wondered. Ash wanted to keep it nice and simple.

"I'm just reuniting with an old friend." Piplup stopped reacting so frantically and calmed down. Accepting and because Ash and Jasmine were smirking at the Pokémon, Piplup waddled over to Steelix…blind. Hitting the steel snake head first, Piplup got mad…and then looked up to see Jasmine's prize Pokémon. Steelix's grin was enough to scare Piplup right back to Dawn's sleeping body. After that, Jasmine believed that it was time to put Steelix away.

"That's enough mischief for one day," she chuckled as she returned Steelix into the Pokéball.

"So, anywhere I can take you for breakfast?"

"Actually, I know a great place to eat. Pikachu, Croagunk, would you like to join?" The Pokémon felt hungry so some food sounds pleasing. The new couple walked into town for breakfast…and the start of a loving relationship.

END of STEEL
(Looks like Grass is next, meaning it could be Erika or Gardenia…or maybe even Janette Fisher. Aha, didn't see that coming. Oh well, keep the votes coming.)