Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Legend:

"Someone is talking."
'Someone is thinking.'
"A technique/ability."

Chapter 34:

"Legendary Birds" was a collective term that referred to the quartet of Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Dacuatro. As the physical manifestations of the four seasons, they were amongst the oldest and more powerful members of Legendary Pokémon. Amongst themselves, each member of the quartet possessed similar attributes and were considered equal amongst themselves.

The relationship between the four birds could be best described as "strained". It was their very nature for them to be different from one another and it was those differences that had driven them apart. Simply put, the birds didn't share the same values or beliefs that their "siblings" had. They had split up to prevent their infighting to destroy what remained of their familial bond—despite staying within the borders of Kanto, the four birds hadn't seen one another in two hundred years.

In the end, it would prove to be their downfall.

XXXXXX

When Archer had arrived on the Seafoam Islands, he had planned to draw Articuno out into the open before luring it into an area he had prepared for it. He had thought that, by bombing the mountains that Articuno resided within, the damage would enrage the legendary creature and force it to act. The Legendary Pokémon, however, had not behaved as he had anticipated and, instead of emerging to confront them, had retreated into the caves.

Proton may have immediately ordered his men in pursuit of the Legendary Pokémon, but Archer had chosen to take a more cautious approach. Articuno would be hard enough to subdue; the blue-haired man didn't need the added difficulty of engaging the creature on its home turf without any preparation.

To prepare, Archer had sent his men to block off all but one of the cave entrances leading into the labyrinth. He had then had his men send small teams of Poison-Type Pokémon—Koffing and Wheezing, in particular—into the caves and release a poisonous smog at regular intervals. It would take a while for the smog to reach wherever Articuno was hiding but, once it had, the Legendary Pokémon would become weak.

Archer didn't know if Articuno would try to escape from the smog, but it really didn't matter. All but one of the possible exits to the outside world had been blocked by his men. That remaining entrance was where the bulk of his forces remained. And, once the labyrinth had been completely filled with poisonous smoke, those forces would enter it.

So, when the Poison-Type Pokémon returned and Articuno didn't appear, Archer began sending his forces into the cave system. Equipped with gas-masks, flashlights, radios, and standard mountain-climbing gear, his men were able to overcome any obstacle in their path as they ploughed through the smog. And slowly, ever so slowly, they began to send reports in detailing which segments of the caves that they had searched. At that point, it had only been a matter of time before they had discovered where Articuno was hiding itself.

The Legendary Ice-Type Pokémon, they found, had been hiding within an icy cavern. It was a disoriented and weak from the smog and, as that was what he had wanted, Archer ordered his men to begin the second phase of their operation. His men had dutifully followed his command and plunged into the cavern to begin the assault.

Pokémon Battles were battles between two Pokémon Trainers for some form of prize. The battles themselves could damage the surrounding environment though that factor depended on the strength of the creatures fighting and the strategies of the humans directing them. For example, battles between the Elite Four could often destroy the battlefields they were fighting on and much of the surrounding countryside. A Legendary Pokémon, however, could raze entire cities when they fought.

It was that combat potential that made the Legendary Birds so appealing to Team Rocket. The sheer firepower that the four Legendary Pokémon possessed would make accomplishing their goals and dealing with their enemies so much easier. Once Kanto's military and the Elite Four had been dealt with, the country's government would fall.

At this time, however, it was Team Rocket who would be at the receiving end of such power.

Ice-Type Pokémon possessed a weak defense but made up for that deficiency with a strong offense. They were also one of the two Pokémon Types whose moves were effective against the infamous Dragon-Type Pokémon. In addition, Articuno also possessed an Ability that, once in use, would prevent his forces from using a powerful attack more than once. On the other hand, Articuno was part Flying-Type which made it have a particular weakness to Rock-Type moves. Also, Articuno was weakened from the poisonous smog it had been breathing in.

Articuno had apparently spotted them through the purple cloud as it had been the one who had instigated things. The Ice-Type Pokémon did that by opening its beak and unleashing a beam of icy energy that froze those unlucky enough to be in its path.

In the next moment, a cacophony of shouted voices were heard before three separate barrages of flame emerged and rocketed towards Articuno. The Legendary Ice-Type Pokémon wasn't phased though. It merely flapped its wings and sent powerful, icy gale that pushed the flames and the remaining smog backwards. It then unleashed another gust that sent those not able to move flying into the nearby walls.

It was quite the impressive display although instead of intimidating him like the creature may have wanted it only caused Archer to smile. He had known that Articuno would be a challenging opponent. 'Let's see what else you can do, Articuno.'

Articuno didn't disappoint. In addition to its impressive Ice-Type moves, it had displayed an elegant mastery of Flying-Type moves. And although the battle continued to rage on and it continued taking hits, it only showed the barest signs of exhaustion.

While it had been nice to watch Articuno, eventually Archer had entered the fray. He hadn't set himself up as a frontline fighter but someone behind the scenes—using his Pokémon to slowly weaken the creature and strike when it had turned its attention on something else. It was slow going but, unlike the majority of people, he wasn't an idiot.

Thecoup de grâce happened three hours into the battle. With the majority of his forces either dead or severely injured and Articuno weakened, he could actually finish things. He had saved it until now because, if it hadn't worked, then Articuno's Ability would prevent him from using it against the creature. His men might have been able to do it if their Pokémon had actually known and been able to use the combination he had thought of.

"Weezing, Destiny Bond." Archer commanded. "Then Self-Destruct."

Self-Destruct was a move that caused the Pokémon using it to explode violently. It was a move that usually knocked the user unconscious from the combined energy lose and self-inflicted damage though it was possible to train a Pokémon to stay conscious. Still, either way, the move was usually considered as a last resort.

Destiny Bond was a move that was often underrated. It didn't compare to the sheer destruction that other moves could create, but it didn't have too. The move's power came from its ability to tie the user's life-force with another individual. After the bond had been created, any injury inflicted upon the user would then be inflicted onto the other through the bond.

It was this combination that would seal Articuno's fate.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Cinnabar Island—Pokémon Gym)

Ash Ketchum could currently be found within the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Gym, standing on a designated battleground directly across from Blaine. He hadn't thought about challenging Blaine for his Gym Badge before he and Anabel left Cinnabar Island, but the older man had insisted.

"I know that I've already introduced myself to you, but I believe that I should do it again. Now that you're actually challenging me for my Gym Badge." Blaine stated. A small, mischievous smile appeared on the Gym Leader's face. "I am Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Gym, and expert Fire-Type Pokémon Trainer~! You had better have brought some Burn Heal with you if you wish to survive this battle, Ash."

Ash knew that it more than a statement; it was a warning.

Most Pokémon Trainers would believe that Blaine wasn't that tough, but he was. Blaine was arguably one of the strongest Gym Leaders that resided within Kanto. When new Pokémon Trainers came to Cinnabar Island expecting to achieve an "easy victory" they would head out without the Gym Badge but with the knowledge that Blaine wasn't to be underestimated.

"I brought as much as I could." Ash responded. Granted, the amount of Burn Heal had been able to bring wasn't much. He didn't know if he would be able to apply Burn Heal to his Pokémon in the middle of his upcoming Pokémon Battle, but he doubted it.

Blaine nodded in approval before he reached into one of the pockets of his lab-coat and withdraw a Poké Ball. "Good. Now that I've introduced myself, it is time that I introduced you to the first of the two Pokémon you will face today." The Poké Ball released a thin beam of white energy that then came together to form into a Pokémon. The creature blinked open red eyes before realization set in. "This is my Rapidash. Quite the beauty, isn't she?"

Rapidash was a beautiful creature. The Pokémon resembled a cream-colored horse with long, slender legs and black hoofs. Flickering streams of red-orange flame streamed from her neck, small parts of her back, her fetlocks, and even formed her tail. The most distinguishing thing about her however would have to be the large horn that rested on her forehead.

"Rapidash: The Fire Horse Pokémon. The evolved form of Ponyta. The faster a Rapidash runs, the longer the swaying flames of their mane become. At an all-out gallop, their blazing manes seem to sparkle; a feature which is said to enhance their beautiful appearance. Rapidash live in grasslands, but the species can also be found in some mountainous regions." Ash's PokéDex supplied.

Blaine spared Rapidash a fond glance. "I first encountered Rapidash in the mountains when she was a Ponyta. She was a stubborn little thing—" Rapidash snorted and Blaine smiled. "—but I couldn't have asked for a better addition to my Pokémon Team." Blaine turned towards Ash, "So, which Pokémon are you going to use?"

That was a good question. From what he had learned about Rapidash from the PokéDex, he could expect the Fire-Type Pokémon to be really fast. He could also assume that Rapidash would be strong as she was a Gym Leader's Pokémon. Rapidash's type was also weak against Ground, Rock, and Water-Type moves. Ash had managed to capture a Water-Type Pokémon, but he couldn't use Seel. Seel was still recovering from an array of life-threatening injuries and couldn't fight.

Eevee, Rattata, and Vulpix could also be dismissed. He knew that they were strong though, against an opponent like Rapidash, they would be at a disadvantage. Rapidash's speed would enable the Fire-Type Pokémon to run circles around them and eventually take them down. He wasn't saying that he didn't believe they wouldn't be able to land a hit on Rapidash, but he didn't want to use them when they were at a disadvantage.

That left Pidgeotto and Beedrill.

Beedrill had more experience. Having fought against two Gym Leaders, Ash knew that Beedrill was tough. The Pokémon's dual Poison/Bug-Type nature had given the creature a wide array of moves it could learn from which multiple strategies could be created. Against Rapidash, however, it was that dual nature that put Beedrill at a disadvantage; Fire-Type Pokémon were resistant to Bug-Type moves. If Ash decided to use Beedrill, he would have to make sure that Rapidash didn't damage Beedrill too much and find a way to finish things quickly.

It was true that Pidgeotto didn't have as much experience against Gym Leaders, but he had proved to be a strong Pokémon. The Flying-Type Pokémon also didn't have a weakness to Fire-Type moves while Fire-Type Pokémon didn't have a weakness to Flying-Type moves. It would be a hard battle though Pidgeotto would likely last longer than Beedrill.

After making his decision, Ash retrieved a Poké Ball and threw it towards the battlefield. "I choose you, Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto materialized in a flash of white light and, like Rapidash before him, looked around until he realized what was happening. The Flying-Type Pokémon rose into the air with a few flaps of his wings and glared at his future opponent. The Fire Horse Pokémon stared back, unimpressed.

Now that both Blaine and Ash had chosen their first Pokémon, Wayne stepped forward. "You two already know that this will be a two-on-two Pokémon Battle with no substitutions. In the case that you both win a round, a third round will be used to determine the winner." The acting referee announced. He spared a glance at each Pokémon Trainer and cleared his throat. "Now... the first match: Challenger Ash Ketchum's Pidgeotto vs. Gym Leader Blaine's Rapidash... begin!"

"Pidgeotto, Feather-Dance!" Ash ordered.

Blaine smiled. "Flame Charge."

In the next moment, both Pokémon hastened to obey their orders. Pidgeotto quickly spread out his wings before sweeping them forward to unleash a barrage of bright, glowing feathers. At the same time, fire erupted from Rapidash's body as the Fire-Type Pokémon charged forwards. It was that action that caused Ash to realize that he had been right; Rapidash was faster than Eevee, Rattata, and Vulpix. Much, much faster. It also made him realize that he needed to do something about that.

"Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind!"

Pidgeotto nodded. As Rapidash charged through the Feather-Dance, the Flying-Type Pokémon began to pump his wings. The motion soon stirred the air into a powerful gust that Pidgeotto then unleashed towards Rapidash with another, stronger, thrust of his wings.

Blaine shook his head, disappointed. "Do you really believe a Whirlwind will be enough to stop my Rapidash, Ash?" He sighed. "Have you learned anything during your time under my family's tutelage?"

"I learned plenty." Ash replied. He had known that it wasn't likely that Pidgeotto's Whirlwind would be powerful enough to stop Rapidash. He had gone through with it however because he had known that the Whirlwind would at least slow Rapidash down enough for his and Pidgeotto's next move. "Now! Pidgeotto, use Twister!"

"Pidgeotto!" The Flying-Type Pokémon agreed. As Pidgeotto began to flap his wings and focus his energy, the air in front of his body shifted. The air spun and took on the shape of a miniaturized twister before the Bird Pokémon unleashed the attack towards Rapidash.

The Twister slammed into Rapidash mid-charge, before she could dodge or brace herself, and sent the Pokémon stumbling backwards. As Rapidash was pushed back, the flames covering her body grew at the sudden influx of "fuel" even as small cuts opened up all over her body.

'Hm. It appears that I read him wrong; he wasn't trying to stop Rapidash with Pidgeotto's Whirlwind. He used it to slow her down enough to give Pidgeotto enough time to complete his Twister.' Blaine thought and couldn't help the small, proud smile that spread across his face. So, Ash had learned something after all. How much the boy had managed to retain he didn't know, but he would soon find out. "Use Inferno."

Rapidash obeyed. Using the leftover flames from her failed Flame Charge, Rapidash then unleashed a spinning stream of bright red-orange flames towards Pidgeotto. The flames easily burned through Pidgeotto's second Feather-Dance and forced the Flying-Type Pokémon to fly to the left. If the bird hadn't, it would have been roasted by the flames. Pidgeotto managed to fly around several more bursts of fire although Blaine hadn't intended for Rapidash to hit Pidgeotto with the flames.

The purpose of the flames had been to maneuver Pidgeotto into a location of his choosing.

"Rapidash, Quick Attack. Follow it with Take Down!" Blaine commanded.

In the next moment, Rapidash had halved the distance between herself and the Flying-Type Pokémon. Ordinarily the Fire Horse Pokémon's speed was dangerous enough but, when combined with Quick Attack, she became little more than a whitish-reddish blur. Rapidash jumped into the air only a few feet away from her flying foe before ramming Pidgeotto with enough force to send him hurtling towards the nearby wall. As the Flying-Type Pokémon collided with the wall, Rapidash landed on the ground and then tossed her head.

"Pidgeotto! Are you okay, Pidgeotto?!" Concerned over his Pokémon's wellbeing, it took everything that Ash had not to going running to Pidgeotto's side. The Flying-Type Pokémon had landed in a position eerily similar to his memory of finding Seel on that rocky beach. He was about to run over anyway as Pidgeotto had yet to respond to him—who cared if leaving his post could disqualify him; Pidgeotto was hurt!—when the Flying-Type Pokémon was enveloped within a white light. "... Pidgeotto?"

The light soon faded and, as it did, Pidgeotto slowly pushed himself up and got to his feet. Only, Pidgeotto wasn't a Pidgeotto anymore; he was now a Pidgeot. "Pidgeot: The Bird Pokémon. The evolved form of Pidgeotto." Ash's Pokédex announced. "This species is known for their ability to create a gutsy windstorm in a few flaps of their wings and their amazing eyesight which is believed to allow them to spot prey from extraordinary heights."

Pidgeot was a large, avian Pokémon with a glossy brown plumage and a cream-colored underbelly. He had a beautiful red-and-yellow crest that was almost as long as his entire body and red, fan-like tail feathers. He also had a pink beak, pink legs, and black markings around his eyes.

"This could be interesting." Blaine mused.

It was the Gym Leader's voice that brought Ash back to reality. He winced underneath the gaze that Blaine directed at him. Despite Blaine not saying anything, he remembered enough of Blaine's comments during training to imagine what he would say. "You need to stop getting so distracted", "Either my Pokémon or I could have seriously injured you while you were distracted; pay attention!", and "Stop thinking too hard! You need to be able to react to an enemy's attack at a moment's notice!"

'... So that's why he asked me to battle him.' Ash realized, 'This isn't just about me challenging him for his Gym Badge, but a test to see if I actually learned anything.'

It explained so much. Why Blaine had insisted they had a battle, why Blaine had chosen Rapidash, and the older man's question about if he had learned anything. The information only served to help him harden his resolve; he was going to pass this test and defeat Blaine.

"You ready, Pidgeot?"

The Flying-Type Pokémon didn't respond right away. Pidgeot rose into the air with a few flaps of his powerful wings before redirecting himself towards the battlefield. The Bird Pokémon landed with a solid thump in front of his Trainer whereupon he then leaned forward as he extended his wings behind him. "Pidgeot!" The Flying-Type Pokémon screeched, "Pidgeoo!"

"Alright!" Ash cheered, pumping a fist. "Let's show them what we're made of, Pidgeot! Use Agility and then Quick Attack!"

Blaine frowned. "You might have realized the purpose of this battle, but that doesn't mean that I'll allow you to win so easily!" His eyes narrowed as he watched Pidgeot's body become enveloped with the translucent white glow of Agility. "So, let's see who has the fastest Pokémon, shall we? Quick Attack!"

In the following moment, both Rapidash and Pidgeot charged towards one another at blinding speeds. Pidgeot's Agility and Quick Attack combination wasn't enough to make it as fast as Rapidash's Quick Attack-enhanced speed, but it was enough to blur the Flying-Type Pokémon's shape. It was obvious that Rapidash was the fastest of them though, in the long run, that didn't matter.

... Especially considering what Ash was planning. "Up!" The black-haired boy shouted towards his Pokémon. He watched Blaine's eyes widen behind his sunglasses and felt a momentary surge of triumph as Pidgeot rose higher into the air. "Now, Pidgeot, Quick Attack!" Under his command, Pidgeot swerved in the air before straining himself to squeeze every bit of extra speed that he could. "Finish it with a spin!"

There was no doubt that Rapidash was a powerful Pokémon. The Fire-Type Pokémon's had clearly proven that. So, knowing this, it would have been a really bad idea to allow Pidgeot to attack Rapidash in a straight-up charge. But, by making Blaine believe he was going to try it and then suddenly switching strategies, he had managed to catch the older man off-guard. And like Blaine had used his distraction to attack him in their previous battles, he would use Blaine's surprise to give Pidgeot an opening to attack Rapidash.

Pidgeot began to spin. The Flying-Type Pokémon quickly became little more than a spinning brown blur that rocketed towards Rapidash. A shouted "Inferno" from Blaine caused Rapidash to turn her head upwards. She then unleashed a roaring stream of bright red-orange flames towards Pidgeot. Pidgeot pierced through the raging flames like a hot knife through butter and, for the moment, ignored the flames as they burned his feathers and the flesh underneath.

When Pidgeot finally reached and collided with Rapidash, the sight was blocked by the Fire-Type Pokémon's Inferno as it followed Pidgeot and consumed both Pokémon. Silence descended upon the battlefield as everyone waited for the flames to die out and reveal the winner. If either one of the two Pokémon were still conscious, that was.

Ash's Pokémon Team:

Eevee (Female):
Ability: Adaptability.
Attacks: Tackle (Normal), Sand Attack (Normal), Scratch (Normal), Baby-Doll Eyes (Fairy), Tail-Whip (Normal), Helping Hand (Normal), Growl (Normal), Bite (Dark), Refresh (Normal), Charm (Fairy), Quick Attack (Normal), Covet (Normal), Take Down (Normal), and Quick Swim (Normal).

Pidgeot (Male):
Ability: Keen Eye.
Attacks: Sand Attack (Ground), Tackle (Normal), Gust (Flying), Peck (Flying), Quick Attack (Normal), Whirlwind (Flying), Twister (Dragon), Feather-Dance (Flying), and Agility (Psychic).

Rattata (Male):
Ability: Guts.
Attacks: Bite (Dark), Tackle (Normal), Quick Attack (Normal), Crunch (Dark), Hyper Fang (Normal), Assurance (Dark), Scratch (Normal), Pursuit (Dark), Quick Swim (Normal), Sucker Punch (Dark), and Super Fang (Normal).

Beedrill (Male):
Ability: Swarm.
Attacks: String-Shot (Bug), Poison-Sting (Poison), Bug-Bite (Bug), Fury Attack (Normal), Agility (Psychic), Assurance (Dark), Pin Missile (Bug), Pursuit (Dark,) Twineedle (Bug), Rage (Normal), and Toxic Spikes (Poison).

Vulpix (Male):
Ability: Flash Fire.
Attacks: Ember (Fire), Tail Whip (Normal), Fire Spin (Fire), Roar (Normal), Confuse Ray (Ghost), Quick Attack (Normal), and Imprison (Psychic).

Seel:
Ability: ?
Attacks: ?

Anabel's Pokémon Team:

Kadabra (Male):
Ability: Inner Focus.
Attacks: Teleport (Psychic), Psyshock (Psychic), Kinesis (Psychic), Confusion (Psychic), Psychic (Psychic), Disable (Normal), Miracle Eye (Psychic), Ally Switch (Psychic), Telekinesis (Psychic) Psybeam (Psychic), and Reflect (Psychic).

Butterfree (Female):
Ability: Compound Eyes.
Attacks: Confusion (Psychic), Poisonpowder (Poison), Stun Spore (Grass), Harden (Bug), Sleep Powder (Grass), String Shot (Bug), Gust (Flying), Supersonic (Normal), Whirlwind (Normal), Psybeam (Psychic), and Silver Wind (Bug).

Poliwag (Female):
Ability: Damp.
Attacks: Water Sport (Water), Double-Slap (Normal), Bubble (Water), Hypnosis (Psychic), Body Slam (Normal) and Water Gun (Water).

Staryu (Genderless):
Ability: Illuminate.
Attacks: Tackle (Normal), Harden (Normal), Water Gun (Water), Rapid Spin (Normal), Recover (Normal) Camouflage (Normal), Swift (Normal), Bubble Beam (Water), and Minimize (Normal).

Blaine's Pokémon Team:

Magmar (Male):
Ability: Flame Body.
Attacks: Smog (Poison), Leer (Normal), Ember (Fire), SmokeScreen (Normal), Faint Attack (Dark), Fire Spin (Fire), Clear Smog (Poison), Flame Burst (Fire), Confuse Ray (Ghost), Fire Punch (Fire), Lava Plume (Fire), Sunny Day (Fire), and Flamethrower (Fire).

Ninetails (Female):
Ability: Flash Fire.
Attacks: Quick Attack (Normal), Heat Wave (Fire), Energy Ball (Grass), Safeguard (Normal), Ember (Fire), Hypnosis (Psychic), Tail Whip (Normal), Nasty Plot (Dark), Confuse Ray (Ghost), Roar (Normal), Fire Spin (Fire), Imprison (Psychic), Faint Attack (Dark), and Flame Burst (Fire).

Rapidash (Female):
Ability: Run Away.
Attacks: Poison Jab (Poison), Megahorn (Bug), Growl (Normal), Flame Wheel (Fire), Quick Attack (Normal), Tail Whip (Normal), Ember (Fire), Stomp (Normal), Flame Charge (Fire), Take Down (Normal), and Inferno (Fire).

A/N: Author's Note: Well, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry that we didn't cover that much ground in it although I hope that the battles made up for it. I will try to work on my battle scenes if they are lacking though, if you were disappointed in something, tell me about it in a review or pm so that I use that information to make the story better. In addition, either the next chapter or the one after that will mark the end of the mini "Training Arc" and we will move on to the next one.

P.S. Thank you guys for your kind words. They really helped me out during my mother's time in the hospital and then, a week later, when my grandmother went to the hospital. Thank you guys so, so much. May you have a great day and a fantastic Mother's Day with your families.