When a Dream is Done

by Erebos Brando

Where do we go when we reach the top of the world? To who do we turn when all there are, are those we have forsaken? Who do we fight when there's no-one left to defeat? What do we do when our dreams are done? When this is his life, what can Ash do?

10. The Predecessor

Authors Notes:

Merry Christmas Everyone! (or Happy Holidays if you celebrate something else)

This is my present to you: The first part of the Grandmaster's arc.

Well you got only glimpses of it thus far, now it's time for the full portrait. It's time to see deeper into the changes Ash had undergone over the two years. Fair to warn you, Ash is gonna get rather OOC from here on in (more than he has already), but don't worry, it's for a good cause (you'll see!).

I'm guessing you'll either love it or hate it. Well that sums up my works I guess. People either fall head over heels for it or campaign to have me banned from writing.

Enjoy! (or, don't)

Contest at the end of the chapter! Check it out! Cash prizes!

Update: Feb 9th, 2013.

Realized I didn't put a description of a certain Pokémon coming forth from his Pokéball, how embarrassing.

Fixed.

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Ash had a very small number of things on his list of things he would never, ever go through again. Oddly, all of his near-death experiences were not included on this list. No, his list was oddly uninteresting, when you consider some of the of things Ash had done in his short life: Save the world (memory of which was erased), save the world, save the world (well a town, but it would have meant the world eventually), save the passage of time, save a city, the list goes on but the pattern is much the same.

Ash's "never again" list consisted of more mundane things. Including:

Trust a Map.

Sneak carrots into Misty's food.

Sneak peppers into Misty's food.

Sneak carrots and peppers into Misty's food.

Ask Brock to explain how girls think.

Take May's food. (especially if it was Noodles)

Ask Max for a "simple" or "short" explanation on anything.

Walk in on Dawn if she wasn't finished doing her hair.

Today his "never again" list had a new entry. Currently, Ash had not yet been foolish enough to let a pack of the more deranged fans catch him, but he had a damn good idea what it'd be like now. Well, actually he hoped that was as bad as it would get. He'd dare not imagine worse...

Oh dear Arceus he was imagining worse!

Ash thrust the mug of tea he was holding to his mouth, and in seconds he'd downed in the entire thing. It was strong, good. Now if only he had something stronger-wait, scratch that, he wasn't going down that road again. He removed the mug from his mouth, and lightly scratched the birthmark under his left eye, trying to restore normal feeling back to it. On the floor, Pikachu was helping himself to a plate of Pokemon food, occasionally doing the same for his cheeks.

Across from him Quentin gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry about that, Ash. But when my wife sees something 'cute' nothing can stop her. Not even I'm stupid enough to try." He took a sip of his own tea. "Anymore anyway."

"Smear." Across from Pikachu a Smeargle was nodding in agreement, its black-tipped tail shifting in the air slightly.

Quentin turned his attention to a corner of the room, his eyes on a few photographs where resided there. "You should have seen her when my son was born. The only time I could hold him was when she fell asleep."

Ash looked too, noting a boy who was little older than himself, standing in the field that was just outside the house next to a Zangoose. Both were flashing a peace sign at the camera. "Will I end up facing him one day?"

Quentin shook his head. "I doubt it. He doesn't want to be Grandmaster. He's set his goals a little lower. He wants to join the Johto Elite Four, and prove the strength of normal-type Pokemon." Still looking at the picture he smiled, a small smile, though there was something Ash could not identify in his eyes. "I like to think I helped inspire that idea. Speaking of ideas." He turned back to Ash. "What brings you here?"

Ash placed his empty mug down on the table, quiet for a moment. "I don't know where to begin."

"From the top is normally a good bet."

He sighed. "Everything's...changed." It was a handful of seconds before he continued. "Everywhere I go I seem to be all people talk about. Everyone's obsessed with me." He looked up, his eyes nearly pleading. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Quentin."

Quentin smiled. "Ah the early days. Brings back memories." His smile weaned slightly, like a parent about to tell their child a sad truth. "Truth is, Ash, things really have changed for you, and they won't change back either. You are going to be a fixation for the world for a long time to come. You've met the Champions, you should have asked them, they have the same problem in their homelands. I take it you've been hounded by cameras already?" Ash nodded. "And?"

Ash shrugged. "I've just been setting my Pokémon on them."

Quentin's jaw slacked and his eyes suddenly appeared bigger, clearly not expecting that as an answer. He soon sighed. "Wish I could say that's the worst method I've ever heard of." Seeing Ash's questioning look he continued. "My predecessor used to demand battles. If they fought well, journalists got interviews."

Now it Ash's turn to look shocked, in sheer awe. That woman was a freaking genius!

Quentin didn't notice, and just proceeded onwards. "In all honesty, Ash. It's not hard to deal with it all. Sometimes you'll have to sign autographs, a lot of them of that. My advice with the more...enthusiastic fans is you just run. You can spar with fans on occasion, that's always a nice gesture, and it's fun. You'll have to make appearances in public now and then, and you'll be invited to various events-most of which are optional." Ash's open mouth closed. "Now, the press. You're going the wrong about dealing with them."

Ash nodded, uncertainly. He figured as much. "So what do I do?"

He shook his head slightly. "They're really like a pack of Houndoom sometimes." He shrugged. "Feed 'em." Ash looked horrified for just a second, before grasping Quentin wasn't talking about feeding in the way you'd feed a literal pack of Houndoom. "The world just wants to know a bit about you, so let them. Just tell them a little. Let them know what you like, what you think about things, and share some of your..." He left the sentence hanging for a moment, before briefly closing his mouth and speaking again. "Wisdom with them." Ash didn't respond, and he continued. "It gets better over time, trust me."

That was not what Ash wanted to hear. "I want..." He took a breath. "To just be another nobody again."

Quentin's words were sharper than knives. "Impossible." His voice was stern, but he at least smiling. "You are a marked man, Ash. Even if you retired tomorrow you'd have no chance of going back to whatever was your former life. You're the youngest Grandmaster in the title's history, by far. Exceptional men like you don't get to hide easily. If you even get to hide at all." He leaned forward. "You're Grandmaster now, and that comes with responsibilities."

Ash's head snapped up. Responsibilities? "What do you mean, responsibilities?"

Quentin actually looked surprised. "Ash? What do you know of the history of the Grandmasters?"

"Umm...you were the last one before me? Oh, and her before you."

Quentin blinked, before he leaned back again, gripping the bridge of his nose with a finger and thumb, while emitting an annoyed sigh. After a few seconds he removed his hand and decided to explain.

"The title 'Grandmaster' was founded a long time ago. Before the time of Pokémon league, where contests of power were made whenever strong trainers met, and forgotten as soon as they parted. A world where strong trainers wondered and fought, often more for the purposes of fighting than anything else."

Quentin took a deep gulp of his tea.

"Then came the strongest."

Ash's brow was raised. Any strong trainer was someone Ash wanted named.

"Masato Shigen. In his homeland he turned the chaos into order. He built the league structure as we know it, naming four Masters the first Elite Four, and himself the first Grandmaster. He had his own understanding on power, and the roles of the strong, and he reflected it in his creation. He allowed anyone who could prove their strength to try beat the Elite Four and himself. Obviously, many came, and the select few who got past the Elite Four faced him, but none from his homeland ever overcame him. In time other nations trainers came, to fall as well. They may have left with defeat, but they left with an example, with a vision. Soon his system was copied, and became a branch of his own, and long before his reign came to an end the Pokémon League as we know it today had been built. Five nations, five Champion Masters to represent them. And him, the strongest in the world, who took the role of unifying them. And perhaps in a sense, the nations themselves."

He put his mug on the table, finally emptied.

"The role of a Champion is to be a symbol for their nation, something their people can look up to. The Grandmaster's role is someone that everyone can look up to, regardless of where they are from. Now Ash, when the world looks up, they see you." He smiled. "The role of Grandmaster to trainers is to what good Kings once were to peoples. You are the King now."

Ash nearly jumped out of his seat, almost. "King!?" Memories of certain King that managed to gain control of his body crept into the front of his mind. "So what? I'm supposed to lord my power over everyone, saying 'I'm better than you now bow or you'll suffer' or something?"

Quentin closed his eyes, slowly shaking his head. "No Ash, that is not the role of a King." His eyes opened, and his eyes seemed somehow darker. "That role is closer those who dared to call themselves a God." Ash had a sudden feeling this topic had taken a heavier turn than he could have expected. "A God's role is to stand at the top, demanding those below serve him and show worship, as well as meet any other demands he gives, or face his wrath."

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue seemed to be failing. Wrath...that word stuck out his mind. Why did it? Had he been showing wrath? With a near silent gasp, he realized...

He thought back to recent battles.

Harrison. He'd ordered Charizard to blast his Blaziken at point-blank range. Houndoom he'd had beaten down. Weavile he'd had reduced to mere target practice. He felt no regret as he had his opponent's Pokémon thrashed, bashed, and burned. He remembered why he felt no remorse...

They should have been stronger.

That boy, Trip. He'd made a laughing stock of him, and his Serperior. It was a match Ash knew was unfairly imbalanced from the start, and he'd shown no mercy to either.

He dared to insult Ash's homeland, and to look down upon him.

Ash was briefly, stunned by what he'd realized. For whatever the reason happened to be at the time, he had shown wrath, even...He looked down at his hand, the one that had grasped..."How are you so weak!?"

Wrath. When had this become his way? He closed his hand. When had this become him?

Qunetin continued. "A King's role, a true Grandmaster's is the opposite. He must serve the people. To inspire them, to lead them, to give all them a marker by which they can better themselves. That was my role, my predecessor's role, and so and so forth through the select few of us who have held the title, since Masato Shigen himself."

Ash didn't need to think about this one. He had not been any kind of good Samaritan.

Quentin's tone suddenly changed. What was just a strong, yet gentle voice of wisdom turned cold. "So, Ash. What role have you been playing?"

Ash did not answer. He didn't need to speak.

His once dark, yet warm eyes suddenly turned cold. No longer was one before him who was interested in assisting him. "Looks like I made a mistake." He frowned, his tone cast with just a slight sharp edge. "I should have been there to stop you."

Those words, by design or not, stuck in Ash's mind.

Could he? Could Quentin have stopped him? Ash thought about that. Had you asked him before the championship, Ash would have said "no way", no one was going to stop him. Now, on the other hand, sobered by the world he'd found himself in, he wasn't sure. Which raised another question, what if Quentin had stopped him? Had defeated him?

Well, even Ash knew what would have happened. If he'd lost then, he'd have just come back the next year, and kept doing so until he'd won, and the mess he was in now, well it'd have just been put off for another year at least. Possibly, in the process, somehow getting even worse. Sooner or later he'd be having this conflict. Maybe he'd have come to Quentin, maybe not. The benefit of experience had altered Ash's perception, given him a new look on things.

This brought him to a strange question: Did he really want to be Grandmaster? Okay, it had its perks, and he was famous, just like he'd wanted to be way back when, and it had come with a very nice pay-cheque. Fame, fortune, and apparently more power to influence people than he could have ever imagined.

Money, fame, power. Was that all it was? Well aside from the responsibility Quentin had just dumped the knowledge of onto him; yes. He was in charge of inspiring people, of being the one on top, of being the one who all who would call them self a Pokémon trainer would look to as an example. He was...Quentin had presented two words which could sum it up nicely. This all made Ash face one little question: Did he really want this title?

He was no longer sure, and if that was the case..."Quentin." Ash waited for a second, carefully searching the man's eyes. "If you could have it, would you want the title back?"

"Pi?!" Pikachu shot up, jumping up next to Ash and prepared to speak, but Ash only raised a hand, quieting him.

Quentin met Ash's stare with a gaze of stone. "What are you getting at?"

"I mean if you could take the title from me, would you?"

Quentin leaned back again, briefly averting his gaze upwards with a strong exhale. "Looks like I may have to. I can't leave the title with you." He lowered his head to meet Ash's gaze again. "But I'll need to wait until next year."

"No you wont."

"Pi?"

"Hm?"

Ash's knuckles cracked as his fists clenched. "Challenge me. Right now." Quentin opened his mouth to protest, but Ash was too quick. "I know I'm supposed to wait for the championship. But since I'm the current, and you're the last Grandmaster. Well, I think we could get the League to let you have it if you managed to beat me. So if you want the title back, challenge me."

A long silence fell after those words. Pikachu's head darted to look at Ash, he was utterly serious. The Smeargle Pikachu had been sitting with slowly turned his head to gaze upon Quentin, who was meeting Ash's gaze with a pensive look. For a moment, that was all there was, silence, and a gaze that would not be broken.

Quentin broke only the silence.

"Grandmaster Ash Ketchum. I challenge you for the title of Grandmaster."

Ash smiled. "I accept." He rose to his feet. "Now. I'll need to go to a Pokémon Center and get my Pokémon-"

He felt a sudden weight on his leg. "Ka chu pi." No you won't.

"Huh?"

"Pika pi chu ka." Look in your bag.

Ash picked up his bag, which he'd left lying at his feet, opening up the pocket Pikachu pointed out. He reached in, pulling out all of its contents with a single hand.

Five Pokéballs. He blinked, five? He took close look at the ball he knew was Charizards before turning to Pikachu. "Charizard?"

"Pi kachu pipi kakachu. Pi kachu pikachu chu pika chuchu." He followed us from a distance, I put him in when you were sleeping.

Ash blinked, before his eyebrow shot up. "You knew this would happen?"

Pikachu grinned. "Pika kachu pi chu ka ka pikachu pikapika pika chupika kaka?" Since when do you pass up an opportunity for a good battle?

Ash smiled, laughing briefly while nodding. That was true. So, all of his team were right here..."Looks like I'm ready, Quentin."

Quentin nodded, rising to his feet. He walked over to a chest of draws on one side of the room, opening it and removing something from it. "Smeargle." Smeargle quickly approached him. He handed him a belt, which was laden with Pokéballs. "Gather the team." Smeargle nodded, before he rushed right out of the room. Quentin walked to the door, opening it before suddenly yelling.

"Mariah, I need to borrow Alakaza-AH!" A flash of white and an Alakazam was in front of him. "Will you stop doing that? I almost lost a hand last time!" He sighed, having the appearance of one who realized his yelling would get him nowhere. "I need a favour."

"Ala?"

"Just read my mind, you'll see." The Alakazam blinked, before its eyes glowed blue for a moment. Its eyes returned to normal before it nodded. "Thanks." He turned to Ash. "Go do whatever you want, Ash. Alakazam will come and collect you when me and my team are ready." With that he left the room, to do what Ash did not care enough to guess. Alakzam walked off as well, in another direction.

Ash too walked off, putting on his shoes and walked out of the front door. He walked a distance from the house, to a small area which was wide enough to-"Everyone, come on out!" He threw all five balls at once, and like Pikachu had said, Charizard was among them. The entire time, his entire team was here. He smiled. "Alright, everyone. You all know why you're here, right?"

The reactions were various, some vigorous, others more reserved, but the meaning was clear. He took a breath, his smile fading. "I won't lie to any of you, I'm not...I'm not liking this." He was quiet for a moment. "Being Grandmaster and all. It's not what I imagined, and it comes with a lot of things...I don't really want. Quentin has challenged me for the right to the title, I accepted. And if he wins it..." He shrugged. "I'm not gonna lose sleep over it."

Their looks were briefly stricken, before they seemed to be able to find their ability to protest, but not before Ash spoke once more.

"BUT! This is still a battle, against our most powerful opponent yet. We can't hold back." He turned his eyes on Feraligatr and Charizard. "This isn't like the Indigo Conference, we're not fighting someone below our level, we're going up against the last Grandmaster. We can't hold anything back."

They nodded, and the rest of the team did too.

Ash sighed. "I know we all fought to be the best, and this is...well, it's kinda spitting on that. But the way I see it, we won it all already. We got to the top, we did do what we set out to." He smiled, softly. "I don't mind what happens now. I just want to have one amazing battle." He looked once at each of his strongest Pokémon. "Now who's with me?"

They roared, growled, jumped, nodded and just kinda...started to doze off. They were with him, no matter what. Ash raised four of the balls, Pikachu holding the fifth. "Thanks, everyone." Four red lights from him, and one from Pikachu put the Pokémon back in their containers, which were quickly placed on Ash's belt. With that done Ash turned to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I know you wanted me to be the best more than anyone. "Pikachu slowly nodded. "But let's be honest..." He sighed, looking down. "How screwed up am I now?" Pikachu was silent, but he needn't have said anything. "Exactly. Losing this title, may actually do me some good. Maybe not. All I know it's not making things better, so I don't care if I lose it or not, but that doesn't mean I want to lose this battle." He turned back, and both were smiling. "So how about it? Everything we got?"

Pikachu nodded. "Pikachu pi pika." Everything we got.

"Then we win either way."

With that, nothing more needed be said, and both of them simple chose to gaze out into the distance, looking into the forest below the raised stretch of land which he was upon. He could remember so many times he'd wandered through forests, so many of his travels seemed to take him through them. No region of the world would be complete without a few forests to Ash, he was just too used to them. He remained there a while, him and Pikachu in a comfortable silence as they gazed out into the wide forest.

The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching them, those of Alakazam. Ash moved to meet the psychic Pokémon, and Alakzam extended an arm, silently asking it be grasped. Ash complied, and in seconds everything was a mess of colors before it was completely white then suddenly.

They were somewhere else. Ash blinked a few times, that was very weird. He looked around, it was a lot cooler here, and all he could make out was the greyish brown color of rock. A heavy breeze briefly passed by. Alakazam released his arm from Ash's grip before he started to glow.

Alakazm was gone in a flash, leaving Ash and Pikachu upon...where were they exactly? He briefly looked around, he guessed he was on a mountain somewhere. Behind him was one of its peaks, which looked like part of, a claw maybe? He wasn't sure, the second peak is what he almost stood upon. He was near the base of it, on a perfectly flat square surface. This platform could have only have been made manually, and that conclusion was supported when Ash looked ahead.

The peak before him had an entrance that could have only been carved into it. A simple, nearly oval-shaped hole. Ash could make out something inside, and he decided to go ahead. He entered the peak, without fear or concern, he had a feeling what was beyond this entrance.

He was right. It was huge, rectangular, and even though there was no paint, he knew exactly what this was. He walked the path to what was his side of this construct, looking briefly at the side of the path he was walking on. It was quite a drop, easily enough to break the legs (or more) of anyone stupid enough to try jumping. At least it would have been were it not for the water which rest, still and clear, reflecting the light from above.

Ash looked up. This peak had been opened up at the ceiling. In fact there was no ceiling to this place now, just a huge, circular hole which would have been impossible to notice from the platform Ash had been standing on outside. Ash looked briefly around the circumference, he was right, the peaks were definitely claw-like in shape. The inside of this peak, it couldn't have formed naturally, and given what it was, and who had brought him here it must have been Quentin that made it.

This was a battlefield.

Ash took a look at the other entrance, which was opposite the one he'd come through, and someone was just walking through it. Ash felt a strange sense of excitement as the figure walked in. He'd changed his clothing, donning a get-up Ash could recognize perfectly.

Quentin's face was partly hidden, owing to the brown Fedora he wore with his head slightly bowed. His hands were at his side, in his pockets. In the pockets of the trench coat he now wore. The coat was a slightly darker shade of brown than his fedora, and five black buttons kept the trench coat 'closed'. Ash didn't know of this was regular for coats or not, but he knew why it was exactly five. Below the buttons the fabric was free to separate, as not to impede his legs, despite the fact the length of the coat went to just below his knees. Quentin wore black pants and black shoes.

Quentin spoke as walked. "Welcome, Ash. This is my personal battleground." He stopped walking. "We're far out of reach of anyone else here. No audience, no cameras." He raised his head to meet Ash's eyes, smiling. "Just us. We battle by Championship rules."

Ash only nodded.

Quentin slowly, and deliberately removed his hands from his pockets. "I warn you, Ash. I may have retired, but I continued training. I had to ensure my team was strong enough, in case someone...unworthy ever took the title." His smile weaned slightly, appearing derisive rather than joyful. He knew his words had been understood. "Now, Ash. Are you ready?"

He grinned. "Yeah."

He was in for the battle of his life, and he could barely contain his excitement, actually he couldn't contain it at all. His hand made it's way as soon as the world left his mouth.

The base of Quentin's coat was shifted as Quentin's knees arced slightly, his arm reaching for his first Pokéball. As Quentin's hand found his first, so did Ash's.

They tossed their Pokéballs forth.

"Scrafty, I choose you!"

Scrafty emerged with a war-cry of its own name, his droopy eyelids combined with its expression giving it an almost sinister look. He pulled up his 'pants' sightly, as his tail waved around, briefly scraping the ground. Now where was his opponent?

"Nidoking, prepare for battle!"

The ball burst open in mid-air, and in a flash of white light its Pokémon came forth. A bright-blue skinned Nidoking pulled back his head and roared, flexing his strong arms as he prepared himself for the upcoming battle.

Ash had seen Nidoking's too many times in his life to be particularity surprised by facing one, but facing this one was enough to get Ash at maximum attention. This beast, Ash had seen Quentin open countless matches with it. He'd also ended a number of those matches with it. Nidoking roared, glaring upon his opponent.

Scrafty grinned, punching a fist to an open palm before leering. His opponent was a big one, awesome. They were always fun to take down, and the fight to that end was more than half the fun. Okay, it was all of the fun, and this fight would definitely be fun.

Neither Pokémon moved, neither trainer gave an order. Both stood there, under the light of the sun above.

It suddenly became darker, a cloud was passing overhead, briefly blocking the rays of the light, soon the signal they were waiting for would happen.

Ash was smiling. Quentin was smiling. Scrafty cracked his knuckles. Nidoking lightly tapped the ground with his tail. Still they waited, waited for the shade to pass. Nidoking and Scrafty in the bounds of the arena, Ash and Quentin at the edges of their walkways.

Waiting.

Waiting..

Waiting...

Waiting in the shade. Waiting until they could finally see-

Light.

"Nidoking! Brick Break!"

"Hi Jump Kick, Scrafty!"

Nidoking pulled up his right arm, bringing it down with immense force as Scrafty's right leg flew up to meet it, along with Scrafty himself. Forearm met foot in a mighty shock-wave of wind, each perfectly still for a brief moment-before Scrafty suddenly kicked with his other leg, jumping to the ground and back-flipping away. Nidoking lowered his arm, and both Pokemon growled as they once more stared each-other down.

"He matched Nidoking's Brick Break."

"He blocked Scrafty's Hi Jump Kick."

Ash and Quentin's next thoughts were unknowingly mirrored. "He's strong."

Neither could really say they were surprised, yet being so used to facing those who could not fully match the power of their Pokémon, it took a moment to properly grasp the situation.

That moment was over. "Nidoking, Earth Power!" It happened so fast, Nidoking instantly started glowing gold and thrust his right arm into the ground, and a path of gold cracks made their way across the ground to Scrafty.

"Jump up high, Scrafty!" Scrafty kicked hard against the ground, evading the cracks and the glow they emitted. He leered down at his foe before-"Focus Blast!" Scrafty raised his hands above his head, forming a blue sphere in his hands. It grew, larger than his hands, then his head, then larger than his entire body.

Quentin didn't hesitate. "Stone Edge!"

Nidoking ripped his arm from the ground, dozens of blue rings briefly appeared, before they instantly turned white and became stones surrounding his arm. He thrust his arm at the oncoming sphere, all the stones flying at it at once.

Scrafty threw his gigantic attack, quickly falling back to the ground.

The two attacks made contact. Rock shards shot in every direction, blasting the walls like a barrage of bullets. They shot at the Pokémon, Scrafty evading with a series of flips and Nidoking simply taking the blows, blocking his face with the side of his arm. Scrafty's evasion came at a price, through not to him. The shards made their way towards Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu saw them coming, and quickly ducked.

Ash didn't. He remained completely still, the shards simply passing him. He hadn't blinked or flinched, his eyes on the battle before him. Pikachu got back to his feet, dusting himself off. He briefly glanced at his side, Ash seemed fine, nothing to worry about.

-drip, drip- Pikachu's ears twitched, and he looked down next to him. Something was dripping on the ground. He gazed up, quickly locating the source quickly. He gasped. There it was, just above his right cheek. Pikachu wasn't sure if Ash had even noticed.

"Pikapi."

Ash blinked, slowly raising his right hand. He gently placed it over his cheek, before pulling it away and looking at it. His glove was wet with blood, and for a moment he just simply looked at it.

"This...is it." He smiled. Slowly he clasped his hand, the warm feeling seeping into his gloves even deeper than before. He let his arm fall to his side, his smile joined by teeth as it became a wild grin. For a moment his eyes flared, Pikachu knew that look, that wild, possessed look. Nothing would stop this battle now.

Nothing.

Ash's voice rebounded off every wall. "Scrafty!" The hoodlum dusted himself off, before grinning again.

Across from Scrafty, Nidoking lowered his arm, seemingly completely unaffected by the barrage he'd just taken, even as the walls and ground of the battlefield were laden with cracks.

Ash laughed. This was a true battle! This was true pressure! Ash could feel his blood pumping, almost like a drum beat. The air was ignited with power. His breath, rhythmic and strong. His body seized by the thrill. It felt that at any second his bones could crack from the strain!

He felt so alive!

All he'd been worrying about. Lost friends, his place in the world, his role in life...

It was all so stupid!

To Hell with it! To Hell with it all! To the deepest depths of that fiery pit with every stupid petty little thing he'd been worrying about! This was everything that mattered, right here! This was life! A true life! A pure one! Things like time, distance, bonds, they meant nothing here! Nothing in the heat, in the embrace of battle! He needed no such things with a worthy opponent!

All he needed do was meet them! He never needed to feel sorry, he never would feel unwanted, he would never hold regret, and even if he were foolish enough to try it, he'd never be able to forsake it! A worthy opponent could understand him in a way no one else could, and for one moment, one all too brief, but magnificent moment they could declare themselves unto the world, unto the universe itself!

For one moment they could truly declare: "I AM ALIVE!"

For now Ash truly was, he was truly alive, body and soul.

"Scrafty, move in!" Scrafty leap forward, his form nearly gliding across the ground with the force of his steps. He pulled his fists back.

Quentin blinked. "Iron Tail."

"Feint Attack!"

Nidoking's tail swept out, now briefly made of metal, but there was nothing to hit. Scrafty vanished in a blur before appearing in the air behind Nidoking's back, he kicked the back of his foes head, jumping into the air. "Now try Focus Punch!" Scrafty pulled his right hand back, it started glowing right away as he made his descent.

"Thunderpunch, Nidoking." Nidoking turned around as fast he was able, throwing his right arm upward as it crackled with electricity. Scrafty sailed through the air, aiming his punch to meet Nidoking's.

They met, there was a brief flash of light before it suddenly passed. When it cleared Nidoking was revealed to still be standing, the ground around him emitting a cloud of dust. His arm was still in the air, though without any power now.

Scrafty was sailing through the air, getting closer to the ground rapidly. He slammed his feet into the ground with immense force. Scrafty skid across the ground, reaching the edge of the arena before actually slipping off it. He grabbed the edge, quickly forcing himself back up with an annoyed grunt. His body briefly crackled with electricity, before he shook his head.

Nidoking clenched and unclenched his claw, his face in discomfort, before he too simply shrugged off the discomfort.

The smoke from their brief clash cleared, showing a dent around where Nidoking stood, and a trail in the ground where Scrafty had travelled across it.

"I am here!"

This is how Ash made his mark, how people like him made their mark. Their strengths, their power, their skill in training their Pokémon, and the results of them. This is how they showed themselves before all reality. The land itself would hold the markings that proved that they existed.

Both Pokémon stared each other down. Waiting for more orders to be given.

"I am home!"

He could be lost on the other side of the world...yet a true battle would always be home to him. He wandered for years, he could wander a lifetime, for those fleeting moments when he found his home.

When he found where he belonged.

Quentin chose not to waste an opportunity. "Flamethrower!" Nidoking opened his mouth, and with it came a river of fire. Scrafty only leered. Ash would give him an order, he knew it.

"Focus Blast again! Right into the fire!" Scrafty quickly formed another sphere, placing it in front of him before it shot off like a cannon. The ball met the fire, breaking it like a boulder against water. A shocked Nidoking could only watch as it got closer to him.

Quentin on the other hand; "Guard up, Nidoking!" Nidoking ceased breathing fire, crossing his arms across his face. The ball collided, enveloping him in an explosion. Quickly all that could be seen was a cloud of dust.

Ash's mouth was nearly agape as his breathing became more rapid. This was, was almost too much! His heart, such a violent beat. If he didn't calm down it might break right out of his chest. That couldn't happen, not now! Later, fine, but it couldn't happen now! He had to control his heartbeat!

His left hand reached up...

Pikachu was watching the smoke pillar that had enveloped Nidoking, that would likely take a minute or so to pass. He smiled. Though young, Scrafty was not to be underestimated. With a surprised blink Pikachu realized, this was his first battle that he started as a Scrafty. He was coping rather well with his evolution, though Pikachu knew that had something to do with Scrafty constantly wanting to spar with his team members. Pikachu shook himself from his thoughts. Why wasn't Ash using this moment to his advantage? He turned to look at-

Ash was frozen, his mouth agape, and eyes wide in shock. Pikachu's eyes darted around, what was wrong with Ash. He noticed Ash's arm, and quickly located where its hand was.

His heart.

Ash's mouth finally shut slightly, he took a breath, a gasping, choked breath, and another. His breath could only emerge strained, choked, and gasping. He tried, he did, to try and stop his reaction, but everything...was getting fuzzy. He couldn't quite see sense anything right now. It was all getting hazy.

He had to move his mind, to anything. He couldn't quite see before him, so he aimed for anything he could feel. He tried to focus on the warm sensation on the side of his face. It was a mark of the battle. That's what he had to focus on. The battle, the battle had to-. His heart beat, and it suddenly felt like it had slammed into a wall. He gave a choked gasp. No, he couldn't lose his focus! The battle had to go on. The battle had to-

He felt something warm spill down the side of his face, into his wound before it continued onwards. He clutched his chest tighter. "Misty!"

His eyes shut. All he could see was her, and the pained look in her eyes as she spoke those words...

"Maybe I wasn't his best friend after all."

His heart clenched. That was wrong! She was wrong! He'd give anything to just be able to tell her she was wrong, but she'd never want to see him again now, she wouldn't come to him ever again. No one should after what he'd done.

So...why had she?

He remembered that moment in the locker room. He could remember every single detail. How she had somehow made everything okay. How happy he'd felt just holding her. Losing himself in the feeling of her touch, her scent, in just being there with her. Did she like it too? Did she like-

He felt his heart clench again. He remembered...she'd let him go.

She'd left, without saying a word. She'd left, and...

"I HATE YOU!"

He gave another choked breath. Somehow something set itself in his mind. Either she hated him, or she'd given up on him...there was no third option. Then that meant...that all that he had...

"I HATE YOU!"

"Go away..."

Ash opened his eyes, shooting up his other hand. "Go away!"

Ash violently pulled on the zip of his jacket. "I HATE YOU!"

He pulled his right arm out of the jacket, before finally removing his hand from his heart and pulling his left arm from it. Everything seemed somehow, emphasized. He could see the jacket in his hand, he could somehow sense the items it contained. Somehow, he could perfectly see every centimetre of distance it put between itself and him, and every extra one as it grew further and further away.

"I HATE YOU!"

"GO AWAY!"

He violently thrust out his arm, before-"PIKAPI, KA!" ASH, NO!

It slipped through his fingers. The jacket was pushed from his hand. Pikachu ran to the edge. He could only watch, watch as Ash's jacket fell, flapping uselessly against the air current that marked its decent, further and further below. He could only watched as it fell into the waters below, the surface still as it simply remained there for a moment, the jacket's own weight submerging it second by second.

Then, it was gone. Pikachu could only gaze at the depths which had claimed Ash's jacket, and what it held.

"Pikachupi..." He looked down at the waters for a moment, before a droplet fell from him. He turned to Ash, and found he had collapsed, falling to all fours as he once again drew his breaths in a deep, slow rhythm. His hand was on his heart as he leaned on his right elbow. With one last deep breath he loosed his grip, his eyes slowly opening. The fingers of his empty hand scraped across the ground, his breathing finally calming. He looked back up, the underside of his right eye now red, which could now trail down the side of his nose. He rose up to his feet. "Scrafty!" He thrust out his bloodied glove. "We're not done yet!"

Scrafty raised both fists up in front of him. "Ty!" The smoke cleared, revealing Nidoking, through his appearance a little dirty from the blast, was more than capable of continuing this battle. He pointed to Scrafty's target. "Get him!" Ash's grin was still wild, the wound on his face still leaking, the essence in his hand still wet. His soul still seized by the thrill. His mind cleansed by a clarity he knew so well, yet it felt like eons since he'd left felt it last. Life...was so ridiculously complicated. Life was so full of woes, regrets, mistakes and uncertainties. So full of things he did not know how to fix. His friends, his life, himself. Where would he even begin repairing such things?

No, life was far too complicated.

This was all so simple. It was all he had left to hold on to. All he had left was this battle, and it would be...

Scrafty charged forward, for another round, another strike, another chance for one to attempt dominating the other. One more verse in the poetry of battle. One more brush stroke on the canvas of conflict. One more entry into the tome of the title given to those who stood at the pinnacle of this ancient tradition of humans and Pokémon.

...and it would be glorious.

"I am not alone."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End of Chapter

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes:

Well I think I just about managed my promise of drama. Now how many of you saw that coming?

I gave you fair warning about OOCness. It really is for a good cause. So either get pissy and give on this fic now, or wait to see how it turns out.

Strap yourselves in folks, this is going to a long battle.

I know the build up to starting the match may have been a bit unpolished (may have some notable errors too, I'm rather tired as I write this note), but I wanted to get this chapter out for Christmas. Plus, well, I didn't want to spill all the plot details too soon. Worst case scenario I can just fix up this chapter later on.

Trivia: First chapter without any of my page breaks. (aside from the author's notes of course)

CONTEST! (Okay, no cash prizes, but it got your attention didn't it?)

In this chapter I dropped a number of lines about the history of the Grandmaster title. Now I wanna see how many of you were paying close attention. I have a question for you to try and answer.

I've dropped two hints which will help you figure out the answer. One was in chapter seven.

The biggest hint has literally been spelled out for you.

Now, here's the question I want answered: What is Ash now? I want that one specific detail.

First to post the answer I'm looking for in a review wins!

Note: You need to have an account to enter. I'll be getting in touch with the winner via PM.

So what's the prize?

You get to name a former Grandmaster, and it will be shown later in this fic. You may name a male or female Grandmaster, it's your choice. Pending my approval on the name. Don't take the piss please, and put some effort into your idea for a name.

(I don't require a name right away just so you know, you will have some time to think on it.)

The contest will remain open until either someone wins or I close it myself. If not won right away, it'll remain open at least until the end of this battle so don't feel too rushed, but remember others are (hopefully) competing too!

If no-one figures it out by next chapter, I'll consider dropping another little hint, and if need be another after that, and so on and so forth until someone gets it/I lose patience and just close the contest.

If no-one wins then don't worry too much. The answer is going to be revealed in-story eventually anyway.

Good luck, and once again; Merry Christmas!

Now go celebrate!