Not All Arrogance (A Gary Oak Love Story) Part 22~ Indigo Hues, A Story's End
((Joyful Note: Yes! I have FINALLY finished editing Not All Arrogance! Now, I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I've decided to post the sequel under this same story. So basically, just stay subscribed to this story, and I'll start posting the sequel here. I just figure it'll be easier this way. It's not like I want people to start at the sequel anyway, so I may as well go this route. Mind you, I haven't finished writing the sequel, and I have not only that but TWO OTHER SEQUELS mapped out to write afterwards. Seriously, I've charted all the chapter titles and everything- at the moment, I'm looking at 4 story arcs that add up to 101 chapters all totalled. I don't know if I'll make it, but I'll give it the old college try I think. So enjoy this part, and keep in mind that originally, it was just an epilogue to my first story, so it isn't as long as previous parts have been.))
Amy stood on the platform waving to the crowd; she felt a warm glow in her chest. Gary had been knocked out in the top 32, Ash in the top 16, but she, Amy, had somehow managed to battle her way up to the quarter finals. Although she lost her battle and hopes of winning the league were moot, she could still battle the loser from the other match up to perhaps get third place. Even if she lost here, she'd still be counted as #4 in the region which was incredible anyway. This was a six on six Pokémon battle, and she would give it everything she had. She knew all her friends and family were in the stands. It was time to fight. It was dark, and the stadium lights were on, but the biggest glow came from the Pokémon league flame. Amy gulped, sweating. She didn't feel ready for this. Even if #4 would be an amazing accomplishment for such a young trainer, she still felt a lot of pressure to at least bring back a bronze trophy. Fourth place, she knew, got nothing but an honourable mention.
Amy shook as she released her first Pokémon onto the field. Avion took to the air and cried out as the opposing trainer released their Skarmory, obviously reminding Amy of her first capture by Team Rocket, just prior to meeting Duplica. Actually… now that she thought about it, if Team Rocket hadn't captured them, they might never have really met her. After all, then they would've had no reason to talk to Lance and although Amy would've been interested in seeing Lance in that house in Vermillion, she probably wouldn't have really befriended Duplica as she had when she let her visit Lance with them.
Well, whatever memories rose to Amy's mind at the time, it was to be a battle of flight. "Drill Peck!" Amy cried. Avion dived towards Skarmory, but the silver bird dodged the attack.
"Steel Wing!" the trainer called. The attack flew at Avion. Amy knew better then to try Mirror Move, Avion never seemed to make it work correctly.
"Dodge!" Amy called, but Skarmory managed to slam into Avion's wing, the same one that had been broken when she found him on the first day of her pokemon journey. The wing crumpled, and Avion fell to the ground. It seemed as though the wing was broken again.
Avion's attacks were all air based, he couldn't fight with a broken wing. The judge seemed aware of this and declared the Pokémon too injured to battle, so Amy was forced to recall him. There was hissing an booing from the crowd. Injuring Pokémon like that was usually deemed dirty play, though it wasn't illegal, and Amy doubted the opposing trainer had done this on purpose.
Amy then sent her next Pokémon to fight. Her Numel, Flash, whom she had captured in the Safari Zone and recently switched her Machop for, was brought out. She'd switched the two because after the first League round the poor guy had pulled a calve muscle. As it seemed a day for fond memories, her mind flashed to the Safari Zone where she had gone with Gary and Duplica, catching Pokémon left and right, Flash being one of these. It was also, of course, where she and Gary had experienced their first kiss.
"Flamethrower!" Amy's voice rang out. Type advantage won this battle, as Fire melted Steel. Skarmory fell. The opposite trainer's next fighter was a Rhyhorn, making Amy's mind jump to Gary's Rhydon, and how it had evolved during battle with Blaine. She felt a bit sick recalling that he had left this world so soon after that match. Although she felt a bit less bad after recalling that he had given Ash a gym battle while she, Gary, Duplica and Tory had been in danger from Team Rocket.
The battle raged, the Overheat used by Flash seemed to weaken Rhyhorn, but it also wore out the fire Pokemon and a strong Stomp brought the slow moving Numel down. Amy returned her Pokémon and sent out her mutant Cubone, Gabriel, who had been standing at her side. The Pokémon wasn't really just an orphaned baby anymore, and was eager to fight. The Rhyhorn was already hurt so a Blizzard followed by a quick tackle finished it off. Amy hoped she wasn't angering his Marowak mother in the spirit world by having him fight like this, but then again... pokemon usually liked these sort of battles, didn't they? As these thoughts plagued her (and caused Gabriel to wonder why his trainer was sort of standing around and not giving orders like she should've been) she suddenly recalled that the same day Gabriel was mutated, she learned that Ash's father was the Kanto region's biggest criminal, and later they had learned that he wasn't just Ash's father, but Duplica's as well.
The trainer next sent out a Ditto. This obviously reinforced Amy's thoughts of Duplica, and she smiled, remembering Duplica when she first met her, dressed as Officer Jenny and trying to sneak into a house in Vermillion to drool over Lance. The Ditto used by the other trainer now tried to transform into Gabriel, but only managed to flip between Sneasel and Cubone. Obviously it was a hard request to fulfil, copying the DNA of a mutant. Nevertheless, it was a formidable opponent in either form. It was intense fight when both Pokémon unleashed Blizzard, which when cleared revealed both Pokémon to have been encased in blocks of ice. With three Pokémon left on either side, it seemed the real fight was just beginning.
"Harmony!" Amy called, and her blue eyed Wigglytuff appeared on the field from her ball. Amy smiled a little weakly as her Pokémon waved with both paws to the crowd. She remembered when it had been just a little Jigglypuff and had saved them all from Butch and Cassidy in the caves of Mt. Moon, and how she had gone through her bag and found the Moonstone while she and Gary had been having their first actual date...
The other trainer sent out Raichu. Amy nearly laughed, this was Ash all over. No other Pokémon would have her mind so easily jump to him, except for Pikachu itself. She had worried about what Duplica had said before, about him liking her, well now they were going to be siblings, so that shouldn't be a problem. Her dad would probably even let her travel with him now, if she wanted to. She doubted Gary would want to though.
Raichu vs. Harmony commenced. Harmony used Sing, but Raichu covered its ears. Double Slap hit Quick Attack, sending both backwards. Then Raichu used Thunder and Amy knew she had won. Harmony absorbed the blast and puffed up. The crowd roared as she sent a huge Thunderbolt at Raichu, knocking it unconscious. Amy was winning now, but she couldn't rest yet. The trainer sent out Gyrados, who even on land was a major opponent. This made Amy's mind jump to the Gyrados that attacked her group and sent them to the island of the giant Pokémon. She caught Conchola there, and had pretty much lost everybody. Drew and MaKayla had saved them though. She wondered how they were doing in Lavender Town, and wondered if they were watching her on TV now. With Violet, her first rival for Gary. She wasn't sure how she felt about that though.
Harmony had used up her energy blasting Raichu, and the trainer was careful to not use any energy attacks on Harmony. He instead had Gyrados use Tackle and Tail whip on the pink, chubby rabbit and the Wigglytuff fell. Amy returned her. Against the Gyrados, Amy felt she could use no other. Selene took the field. Amy's eyes glittered at the site of this Pokémon. First it saved her life, it had carried her along the last steps of her journey, and it had helped her save Kanto from an icy fate from Articuno. She trusted Selene with all her heart.
Battle commenced. Selene dodged and twisted in the air, but Gyrados shocked all by its ability to slide across the land (which it had turned to mud with water gun moments earlier). In the end, Hyper Beams from both sides brought both titanic Pokémon down.
It all came down to the final match, whatever Pokémon they each had left. Amy closed her eyes, holding her final Pokeball tightly. She threw it only the field. "ISIS! LET'S WIN THIS!" Amy called as her Glaceon appeared. No Pokémon had more meaning to her this one, surely. This was the Pokémon she'd started her journey with. It had evolved at the side of Gary's own Eevee and had helped her so much in her journey. She saw nothing more fitting than to have this Pokémon finish her competition with a victory. Isis looked ready. Yes, surely no Pokémon could have more meaning then this.
Until the other trainer released his last Pokémon, this is what Amy thought. But as the white light of the Pokeball faded, her stomach gave a frightening lurch. She stood hesitantly, with small tears in her eyes as she faced the Ninetails before her.
She had been wrong, this Pokémon definitely held more meaning. This was the Pokémon whose kin she knew had once been her mother's. Its kin had been with her mother when she had died. This Pokémon's kin had been accused of her mother's murder by her father and had made him try to refuse her Pokémon journey, and had made her travel with Gary in the first place. It was this Pokémon's kin that she connected with her mother. So it seemed that it was time for all the happy events in her life were to go against her fears and sadness. It was time for the final battle.
"Isis! Ice Beam!" Amy ordered. Isis let loose a freezing blast at the fire Pokémon.
"Fire Blast!" came the reply blast. They met in mid air to a huge cloud of steam that covered the field completely. The trainer called out Dig, so when the steam cleared the only sign of Ninetails was a hole.
"Isis, be careful!" Amy warned but Ninetails still came up below her Glaceon. Isis took heavy damage before falling.
"Isis! Are you okay to keep going?" Amy asked and her Pokémon nodded, getting to her feet, "Then use Swift!"
The homing attack hit and caused some decent damage on Ninetails, causing it to stagger back. The battle lasted for quite some time, exchanging blow after blow, dodge after dodge. Finally, another cloud of steam met in mid air but this time with an explosion. When the steam cleared, both Pokémon were left breathing hard, near the end. It seemed to be a standoff; whoever stood longest would be the champion. An eternity seemed to pass, then, Isis fell. The opposing trainer had won. Amy seemed devastated at first, but then as she went to Isis and lifted her into her arms, she smiled. Maybe she didn't want to beat Ninetails after all. It hardly mattered. She was still #4 in the league. Even without a trophy, it was a damn great accomplishment.
Later, there was the major party in Pallet Town to honour Ash, Gary and Amy for getting so far. Amy was pulled to one side behind the bushes in Mrs. Ketchem's yard and were about to kiss when her father suddenly appeared next to them, holding Mrs. Ketchem's hand. Needless to say, it was a very awkward encounter, which ended with all four returning to the party without any kisses between them.
After the party, Duplica and Tory said goodbye. Apparently, Duplica was going to go back to Johto and Tory had to go home to Seafoam. They promised to write and call each other every chance they got, but the fact was that Tory's sister needed help with their progressively more senile grandfather and Duplica was only supposed to have been gone for a week. Granted her grandparents were used to her vanishing much longer than she was supposed to, but at this point she had a lot of questions to ask them about her birth parents.
It was a tearful parting true. Amy hugged Duplica fiercely and told her that she was officially her best girl friend and they would definitely have slumber parties in the future. They'd been through a lot together, and they saw them off to the edge of Pallet Town. Duplica and Tory would both be taking ships from the same port, so they departed together.
A week later, as Amy and Gary were trying to figure out where they were going to go next, Prof. Oak called and asked them to come over to his house. Ash, Misty and Brock had left three days earlier on an errand for Oak in the Orange Islands. This, too, had been a sad goodbye, as apparently he was to be gone for a while. Amy had given him her Conchola to bring back to its habitat, since she had promised the shell pokemon that she'd see that it was returned to its friends. Ash had agreed without a second thought.
When Amy and Gary ended up in Prof. Oak's living room, Oak looked at them both while smiling a little uncomfortably.
"Um, what's up? Amy asked, confused.
"Gary, your mother wants you to visit her parents in the Orre region. Apparently, they sent an important email. They live in Agate Village as you know. While you're there, and this is why I want Amy to go too, I want you to investigate something."
"Investigate something?" Gary asked curiously.
Prof. Oak took a deep breath, "Apparently, there has been a rash of strange Pokémon sighted across the Orre region. People are calling them Shadow Pokémon, and they seem to be... evil."
"I thought there weren't any evil Pokemon?" Gary frowned.
"That's what I thought too, but with so many reports I'm beginning to wonder. That's why I want you both to leave immediately, and I ask you not to tell anyone where you're going. If you're going investigate this, you don't want people to know you're there. I'll tell your parents you went to the Orange Islands like Ash as a vacation or something."
"Wait, you, you can't be serious," Amy said, holding up her hands, "We're only fifteen, well, I'm sixteen as of six days ago and thank you all again for the cake and presents, love the Jigglypuff poster Gary, but I have to tell you that we're a bit young to be investigating dangerous Pokémon!"
"Exactly, who would suspect you?" Prof. Oak said happily.
"You're right Gramps, we're on this!" Gary said, grinning. Amy looked at him with wide eyes.
"You've gotta be kidding me," she said in disbelief.
"Come on, we're just seeing if the pokemon exist. It's not like we have to fight some evil organization again."
Amy couldn't help but feel as if Gary just completely jinxed the situation.
"Have fun! I already got all your things packed!" Prof. Oak said handing them their bags. He gave them two plane tickets to Orre, and hustled them out the door.
"Why is your grandpa trying to kill us, Gary?" Amy asked nervously as they began to leave the town.
"I don't know, but if you're a bit nervous... we should hold hands!" Gary said with a smirk and grabbed her hand as he ran up the road. Amy ran with him in defeat, knowing in her heart that everything would probably be fine, but unable to shake the feeling of foreboding regarding the adventure to come.
((Joyful Note: Yep, much shorter than usual. SO! Just stay tuned to this story, the sequel chapters will just be posted under this. I am seriously hoping that the sequel is better than these chapters, but we'll just have to see I guess!))