Authors Notes: And here we are, chapter 12. (and who gives a crap?) May go back and rewrite chapter 11 someday. Wasn't as fast-paced as I would have liked. Plus I'd like some more intensity in it too. This chapter lacks those problems, at least for now. May change my mind later.
Seriously, I'm having trouble calibrating how much power Pokémon in this battle should display. Cursed animé, not having any consistency...(this one was hard as hell to write. Why do you think it took so long?) Writing Pokémon battles is clearly not one of my strong suites*
(*I assume I have at least one strong suite...probably incorrectly.)
It'd up and say "screw this whole thing" if...actually why do I bother with this anymore? Meh, another thing in my life that doesn't make much sense, now how long has that list gotten?
Contest: One new entry. (I think it was an entry anyway) One!
Seriously, why am I bothering? (can ask that about the fic itself actually)
If it was an entry (and this applies to everyone); I put in the rule "must have an account" for a reason, to discuss the prize, and so we end up with a name we're both satisfied with. (I am not giving a former Grandmaster a gag name) Also it's to help stop some prick stealing the real winner's thunder, and giving their own idea. So if you want in, make an account. You don't have to write anything to have an account you know, and you can keep track of your favourite stories updates via e-mail. (for some reason a bunch of people have favourited this one. Guess they like crap)
The attempt (if it was one) was not successful, but I'll clarify something: The answer is not one about Ash's actions regarding the title. It's one small, highly specific detail about Ash being the holder.
(Though I do appreciate the in-depth analysis in answers. I really do. It means somebody is actually thinking about the story rather than just reading it. Means all the stuff I got coming up may not be a total loss)
(An in-depth review seriously makes my day. I love it when my stuff is actually analysed.)
I'll drop a little help right now. (but no hint in chapter. That's the trade off)
The detail itself is not important to the plot of the story. So if you're looking for something obvious, you're looking in the wrong place. This particular detail I could have changed, and changed as much as I want and only cause the absolute minimal effect on the plot.
I advise all of you to look back in chapter 10 for the contest details, then re-read scenes specifically regarding the title carefully. The question I'm wanting answered might just pop out at you. The hint giving it away...well, it's a tiny detail.
And the hints to the answer...now where's the fun in just telling?
(yes, I'm a dick. You should know that by now.)
IMPORTANT!: Need a little help on something, details at the end of chapter! (after the author's notes and trivia) I didn't put "important" for nothing, seriously need help here!
Last thing: Chapter 2 has undergone a slight rewrite. (took me long enough) Still much the same, just toned down a little bit. It's something I intend to wrap up later in the story.
Soundtrack:
Avantasia: Devil in the Belfry
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Over a year ago...
Ash drank slowly from his can, smiling to himself at the sight before him. Scraggy and Pikachu were busy entertaining themselves, by jumping up and down on Snorlax's belly. (After Scraggy determined he was asleep, no need to head-butt someone who was already unconscious)
Ash frowned, he'd have to send Snorlax back soon. "But..." He watched as Scraggy and Pikachu made it a contest, each of them now easily making heights greater than a typical house. He was such a good addition to the team, in battle and out. He had to think, how hard was it to feed a Snorlax, really?
He thought back to certain days in the Orange Island and Johto...not easy. Snorlax had an incredible capacity to eat, and while he would go some time between feedings, he could still go through in a single sitting what would take some an entire year. He thought of his monetary resources, Ash had made it a point to compete in every tournament he could find, no matter how minor or large, and he was proud to say he had not lost in some time, his training was paying off. (in more ways than one) Even so, covering a Snorlax's food expenses would be a very trying task for his bank account. "If only there was an easier way..."
He blinked rapidly. Hang on, there was an easy way!
He'd need to call Professor Oak, and learn a little about making poffins.
He'd need a steady supply of that (nothing short of a) miracle recipe.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Snorlax, I choose you!" Snorlax came forth, and not really being one for theatrics, he didn't strike a pose.
In fact, he was so laid back he didn't even emerge standing.
Or sitting for that matter...
His belly rose and fell gently. "Snorr..." Again. "Lax..." Now this put a damper on things. Ash's eyebrow twitched.
Quentin on the other hand would face no such problems. "Prepare for battle, Slowking."
Unlike the previous Pokémon, Slowking was not visibly different from the rest of its kind, though its attitude would be rather unnerving to most. (Ash didn't care enough to be unnerved) He simply stood there, paws clasped behind his back with a small smile on his face.
He yawned.
A sleeping Pokémon verses a lazy one. Now how would this turn out? Quentin addressed his Pokémon. "Slowking, do you want to fight this one yourself?"
Slowking took a moment to look at the occupied Snorlax, blinking a few times as he raised a paw to his chin before he eventually returned it to his back, his face ripe with certainty. Then, with a calm and wise voice, Slowking decided to shock the hell out of Ash.
"No Quentin, I do no trust in my strategies alone."
Quentin smiled. "Are you finally going to admit I'm smarter than you?"
Slowking sighed and shook his head. "We both know that's not true."
It's was Quentin's turn to suffer an eyebrow twitch. "Oh that's it! Pi to fifty decimal places, come on let's see what you got!"
Snorlax's ear twitched.
Quentin and Slowking were quickly locked in a heated argument, all the while Ash was lightly scratching his head.
"Why are they talking about pie?"
Another ear twitched. "Snor...laxxx." Snorlax moved into a sitting up position, lightly scratching his large stomach, looking around, very quickly at that.
Ash's other eyebrow twitched. "You can have pie later, Snorlax!"
Quentin and Slowking suddenly stopped arguing, their thoughts mirrored. "What's this about pie?"
Understanding he was not being fed yet, Snorlax rose to his feet, yawning briefly before lightly scratching his belly. He was ready, though the untrained eye would think otherwise and charge forward.
They'd be crushed in short order.
Slowking's eyes were far from untrained, and he removed his arms from behind his back. Quentin did nothing, almost as a statue, his eyes gazing across at Ash, nearly frozen.
Ash's eyes were burning, like the heart of blaze. They were daring, calling, demanding for this battle to continue. The fire burned in his eyes.
The fire burned in his soul.
From Ash's feet, Pikachu looked up, the seeds of fear in his eyes.
Ash's cut had stopped bleeding, leaving wet red streams seemingly etched onto his face. Yet it wasn't the cut which chilled him, it was Ash himself. Pikachu had seen Ash bored in a battle. He'd seen him disappointed. He'd seen him enraged after a complete farce of a fight. He'd never seen Ash like this. He'd prefer almost anything else to this. It was that look in his eyes. That wild, hungry look. Like a Houndoom before his prey.
Nothing would stop him from eating his fill.
Ash took a good look at the arena around. The battleground itself had multiple areas with considerable cracks. There was a considerable dent in one area, with a hole inside it shaped like the back of the head of a certain Shiny Poison-Pin Pokémon, and an entire layer seemed to have been blasted away by Scrafty's repeated Dark Pulses. Ash looked beyond the arena, and the walls had suffered too. The barrage of stone edge shards had left a pattern of cracks, all connected to various holes like some kind of pattern. Through the holes and cracks light shone. Ash gave one the entire area inside the peak a once over, taking in the walls and the main arena one more time.
He doubted it would make it through this battle.
He smiled.
Like that would stop him.
Snorlax was awake, Slowking was ready, he and Quentin were itching to go...
What the hell was he waiting for again? "Snorlax! Ice punch!"
With extremely deceptive speed, Snorlax rushed forward, clenching his fist, which quickly glowed blue.
Quentin acted fast. "Slowking, use the water below to shroud him." Snorlax raised suddenly glowing paws, their blue aura joined quickly by the sound of water. A mass of it rose behind him, it too shrouded in the glow. It launched forward, passing Snorlax's fist and shrouding him. "Freeze him." The water on Snorlax's forearm suddenly sprouted a sharp-toothed maw, and the water clasped his fist. It froze, first around his fist, then it passed upwards. Up his arm, and with a shocked face he realized it was headed for his body. It was too late, in seconds an ice sculpture was all that remained. Within it was contained a shocked Snorlax.
Slowking didn't seem pleased. "He'll get out of that soon."
"So we'll have something ready. Get ready to stone him."
Quentin was met with a sigh. "So uncivilized." He closed his eyes and raised his paws, the tips of them glowing blue. He raised his arms.
Ash knew something was coming. "Snorlax, break out!" The surface of the prison cracked.
So did the walls of the arena, what started as just lines began to break further, freeing various chunks of rocks of various sizes from all over the wall, letting in more and more light. Ash paid it no attention, instead focused on the rubble rising from the arena before him.
Snorlax's prison continued to crack...
Slowking's paws moved gracefully though the air, now he represented an object in space, surrounded by debris, suspended in nothingness, save for the glow which surrounded every chunk.
The ice shattered, Snorlax emerged. He stood, seemingly unaffected by his brief imprisonment, and that's all Ash needed. "Get him!"
He charged.
"Keep him at bay, Slowking."
The debris flew forward.
He ducked, he jumped, he dived. With extremely deceptive grace and speed, Snorlax moved through the storm of various sized shards of stone, sometimes scarcely missing one, other times easily evading. Truly Snorlax, even with his size, could evade getting hit if he wanted to.
However..."Gotta get closer!"
Slowking had not moved from his position, and he didn't need to. Snorlax, through adapt at evading, couldn't get closer. Slowking's eyes were closed, his hands guiding the rhythm of stones like a conductor of a symphony. Suddenly he cast his left arm to his side...
An opening. "There, Snorlax!" Snorlax jumped forward, punching away two large slates with each of his hands. He'd gotten closer.
Slwoking's arm bent.
"Snorlax, try Heavy Slam!" There was a flash, and Snorlax was shrouded in a golden aura. He slammed a foot into the ground, rushing forward faster than before.
"Now Slowking!" Quentin roared. Slowking's arm briefly shot down.
Slowking's arm short forward.
The largest shard yet had suddenly shot down from the air, and it was headed right for Snorlax.
"Snorlax, Mega Punch!" The yellow glow suddenly vanished. Snorlax pulled back his arm, before a glowing fist flew forward. The shard was hit. It shattered, its pieces shooting past Snorlax like storm of stone.
A chunk headed for what was right behind him.
"Pikapi!"
Ash merely blinked in the instant there was to react. The already weakened shard smashed on collision with Ash's jaw, its pieces falling harmlessly to the ground below. Ash didn't react, he just kept gazing before him. This was just the taste of battle. Nothing more, nothing less.
He blinked, his expression suddenly confused.
The battle tasted like...blood.
He felt something warm leak from his mouth, and his hand instinctively moved to catch it as it fell from his face. He glanced down at his gloved hand.
Oh. It was blood. Interesting...
His blood tasted just like battle. He smiled.
Delicious.
He raised his hand, wiping his mouth. He gulped down liquid in his mouth, before grinning, new trails sneaking out of the sides of his mouth. Now this was it. This was the truest essence of a battle. Cameras didn't cut it. Memories didn't cut it. Mere descriptions couldn't possible cut it! A battle was a meal that had to be eaten alive!
And he was hungry!
"More!"
More he would have. Before him Snorlax was once again attempting to get close. Side-stepping some shards, crushing others underfoot, punching others, at least the ones he could get to. Slowking's mind was quick on the uptake, and he too was now playing this game of evasion. Snorlax threw a punch at a shard roughly the size of his own fist, only for that shard to shoot past his hand and hit his face.
He was knocked a step back, another shard making its way underfoot. He tripped, and gave the arena a few cracks for its collection.
Quentin's stern voice rebounded from every wall. "Molten Tomb." Slowking opened his mouth, as wide as it would go, as before him a pile of his rocks took formation.
Then there was fire. A geyser of it burst from Slowking's mouth, blasting into the stone funnel-like construct that formed before him. The stones quickly started to glow with the heat, and soon a drop of something that definitely wasn't water slipped out.
"Snorlax! Move!" Snorlax flipped to his feet, then was forced to duck another chunk of stone. "You have to stop Slowking! Get close!"
"Keep him at bay, Slowking."
Though his eyes were closed, his mouth still kept unleashing that stream of fire, Slowking's arms moved. Snorlax was quickly fighting the storm once again. He ducked a boulder, throwing his arm out at a second. He stopped it, before it was joined by more large rocks, pushing with such force that the heavy Pokémon skidded across the ground just slightly.
Quentin looked up into the construct, which had started to glow with a red hue, dripping more and more onto the ground below. "Get him in position, Slowking!" The king's paws were moving...
"Snorlax, keep moving!"
Snorlax leapt, back-flipping through the air with impossible grace. He landed, skidding across the arena as around him the hoard of stone tried to form a ring. Snorlax looked in all directions, looking for an opening.
Ash was looking at the stones, one by one, and his eyes fell upon the one directly between Snorlax and Slowking. It was almost as tall as Snorlax, and a little wider..."Snorlax, push the one in front of you at Slowking and shatter it with Mega Punch!"
Snorlax, not quite getting the plan, but understanding the command, rushed forward. Snorlax slammed his shoulder into the shard, and both he and it were sailing through the air. The blue glow around it quickly vanished, and still not quite on the ground, Snorlax pulled back his fist, made it glow white with power and slammed it into his target.
It shattered like glass, and the glass became like rain, and that rain shot towards Slowking. "Stop them, Slowking!"
Ash grinned, just has he planned..."Get him with Thunderpunch!" Snorlax's fist sparked into life. The would-be ring of stones around him fell to the ground, and Slowking's paws were raised as his mouth closed, he grunted, and the air around the Slowpoke evolution seemed to pulse with an unseen energy.
Every stone stopped, but it was not over. Like a storm, Snorlax ripped through whatever shard he met. Slowking growled, opening his mouth in a roar as he thrust his paws forward.
Snorlax slammed to a halt.
As if he'd ran into an invisible wall, Snorlax's pudgy form was slightly flattened against an invisible surface. He grunted as the invisible wall pushed back, scraping his feet across the ground slowly, inch by inch. "Don't let him push you around, Snorlax! Push back!"
Snorlax's feet dug firmly into the ground, halting his movement, and with new determination on his face he forced himself to move.
He made a step forward. Slowking growled again. He was pushed half a step back.
Snorlax cracked the ground beneath, growling as he forced himself another step forward. Then another, and another. Slowly, very slowly, but he was getting closer, and nothing was stopping him. He cracked the ground with another hard step, his normally gentle face twisted into an expression that spoke louder than just words. I'm coming for you.
The edges of Slowking's mouth sparked with flame, and his jaw opened just slightly..."Use force wisely, Slowking!" He closed his mouth, briefly looking back at Quentin. He couldn't read much from his stern expression, but his words...
Snorlax pushed another step, and another faster than before. Like a slow walk he advanced now, the invisible wall before him becoming less and less able to slow him down. Snorlax reached the halfway point of the arena.
Slowking smiled.
Ash quickly realized. "Snorlax, look out!"
With a roar another pulse of energy burst from Slowking, and Snorlax was knocked off balance.
It was too late, Snorlax gazed up into the falling light...
The construct slammed atop him, and as if grasped by an invisible hand, clasped tighter around him. "Don't let him out, Slowking." The remaining shards around the arena rose up again and slammed into the 'tomb', and a new stream of fire came from Slowking, the psychic grip keeping everything well in place.
Ash needed an idea, fast. "Snorlax!" Then, as if by some divine revelation, an idea hit him. "Snorlax use Protect!" From within the tomb a green glow was suddenly born, and the surface of the tomb was expanded slightly. "Now push it outwards!"
"Snor-!" The light became brighter. "LAXXX!" The 'tomb' cracked, slightly parted-
It shattered. Like melted glass the structure broke into glowing pieces, and the molten rock fell onto the ground, still emanating that dangerous glow.
Snorlax stood in the middle of the now fading sphere to energy, his arms reaching his sides as they faded.
He was free.
Slowking took a step back. "W-what power!" Snorlax actually smiled. If there was one thing he had plenty of, it was power. Slowking let his shock pass, taking a firm stand once more. He wasn't about to give up.
Four stood for a moment, each plotting, planning, considering their next move. Pikachu was reminded of a pair of Herdiers they had seen a long time ago, fighting over territory. They'd savagely bare into one another, save for the brief moments where they circled, considering their next method of attack. Ash's face very much reminded Pikachu of them at this moment, except instead of anger there was hunger. He wanted to make the next attack, but wanted to pick the right way, the most satisfying way.
Unlike that time, Pikachu could not interfere.
"Back when I reigned..." Ash quickly turned his attention to Quentin, who had his gaze turned towards the sky. "I was always watching, always waiting, always seeking one who would rise up to truly challenge me." He frowned. "In time I came to realize, that even you, the one I knew would rise up..." He turned his gaze from the sky, looking to his opponent with a lack of interest. "Even you are too weak. Your tenacity seized you a draw against Nidoking, but when it comes to force against force, fighting you is a fools game. No matter how much force you're met with, you'll find a way to strike it down. When it comes to using your head you're not too hard to dispatch." He finally gazed upon Ash, his gaze able to chill all but its target to the bone. "I'll take my time then, in breaking you. I can make you an example, the example. Your defeat will ensure no more false Grandmasters rise up."
Ash's eyes hardened. "So you think I can't use my head, huh?" He smiled. "Just you wait."
"We'll see, boy."
Ash held his tongue, he wasn't rising to that. He'd show Quentin, one way or another. He'd like to whip out something original, but alas, Snorlax's vast size was contrasted by his intellect. Working on an original move with Snorlax simply proved impossible, for now at least. Maybe in some distant future he'd have better luck, but as it was he'd have nothing original to pull out of his hat. Luckily, Ash was nothing if not able to think on his feet.
He would not let this relic get under his skin.
Slowking lightly grazed a paw over his arm, smiling softly to himself. "Rash one, isn't he? Quentin you must weep for this generation of trainers, if this is the best one they can produce."
Now that did it. "Snorlax!"
Slowking smiled. "I'll handle it from here, Quentin." His glowing paws were dancing.
"Keep on guard, Snorlax!"
Snorlax blocked a shard with his forearm, pushing it back as he jumped away. Slowking's mouth opened again, and several rainbow-colored blasts Ash recognized as Signal Beams emerged in sequence. Snorlax evaded the three of them, reaching the wall behind Ash. Neither he nor Pikachu reacted, even as it became to crack, shards falling down. Snorlax slammed into another shard, pushing it away with the force of his belly. Ash clenched a fist. This fight was getting annoying, he wanted the two fighting directly! What the hell was-
Ash caught sight of the rock that had become molten, only now it had formed together, becoming like some kind of serpent. "Snorlax, look out!"
Snorlax saw it. The blow-red glowing serpent set to strike. "Flip over it!" Snorlax flipped backwards, gazing at the molten serpent as it reached just under him. "Cool it with Ice Punch!"
Snorlax's freezing fist glided across the burning rock, and the rock's red glow quickly faded, a brief emission of what appeared to be steam coming from it. Snorlax landed on his feet, before kicking off from the ground again. He took to the air, rising to heights like a leaf upon a breeze. He looked down as Ash gazed up.
The barrage was rising to follow him.
"Snorlax!" Ash shouted. "Mega Punch and Mega Kick! Destroy every single one!" Snorlax fell through the air, and with speed most couldn't hope to follow he started striking.
His fist found stone. His foot. Another foot. Another fist. Each time he felt them break, felt them shatter. Like glass they gave under the force of his blows. Nothing would survive if it dared to get between him and the ground.
In the end nothing could. He landed, cracking the stone beneath him, as all around him countless small stones fell. Ash's face was a reflection of his eyes, hardened, and a touch of impatient. "I'm no genius, but I ain't stupid. I took the Champions down, so don't underestimate me."
Quentin's smirked. "Defeating the Champions does not a Grandmaster make. I'll estimate you only as high as you demonstrate."
Ash actually smiled at that. "Then I better reach higher."
"Do so then, boy."
Ash's smile slowly faded. "I gotta knock Slowking off balance. As long as he can keep in one place Snorlax can't get him." He looked for a moment, a fraction of another...
He smiled. "Toxic!" Snorlax's mouth quivered, and suddenly he appeared sick. He opened his mouth, and did something no Snorlax was ever meant to do.
He regurgitated something. A blob of violet shot out, its mass large enough to cover its target in something that truly earned its name.
"Disperse it with Water Pulse, Slowking." Slowking's maw opened, and a sphere of clear water grew inside. It shot off like a cannon, breaking through the toxic and continuing onwards.
Ash's mind played back a brief moment earlier in the match ..."Fire Punch!" Snorlax's right hand ignited, before clenching into a fist. His face morphed into determination, and with all his power he slammed his fist into the oncoming sphere.
Like Nidoking's steam bomb, the result was a shroud which covered all it found, covering and rising high above Snorlax. Above Slowking a cloud of steam quickly formed, obscuring what was above. "Slowking, blow it away!"
Slowking waved a glowing hand, and the steam quickly started to part, and everything could be seen. They could see what was high above.
From the height came a shape, a shape falling. "Told you I'd reach higher! Heavy Slam!"
Quentin didn't even wait a second before-"Psychic." Slowking raised his arms, roaring in effort as Snorlax quickly started to glow, his decent only slowing slightly. Slowking fell to a knee, still pushing back with all of his force. Snorlax slowed again, then again, now he was falling as if in slow motion, and with one final roar Slowking forced himself to his feet, triumph lining his strained expression.
Snorlax was held in place. Helpless.
So it would seem. "Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" Snorlax opened his mouth, charging and releasing in little more than an instant. All Slowking saw was light. Light which enveloped him and exploded.
"Slowking!" Quentin was quickly forced to use his arm as a shield from the storm of dust. Snorlax on the other hand was sailing higher and higher, the force of his own beam blasting him up into the air.
The beam stopped coming, his mouth closed.
He started falling.
Ash smiled savagely. "Giga Impact!"
Snorlax continued to fall, even faster than before as he shrouded in what could be mistaken for a violet and orange fire.
Quentin gasped. "How?" He turned to the pillar of smoke that was the remnants of the Hyper Beam. "Slowking!" Snorlax sailed right into the smoke, casting it away in an instant as he slammed into the ground, the last of the smoke sneaking away. The ground gave way, like a mattress of earth Snorlax's weight crushed into it, quickly burying himself in the ground. The ground around his landing cracked. "Slowking!"
Quentin's shout was partly drowned out by the sound of breaking stone, which from Snorlax's landing spread across the arena. Ash felt it underfoot, the feeling that at least in parts, the cracks went deep.
How long would this battleground survive?
The center of this array of destruction was currently unmoving, not that he really needed to move. Under a thousand pounds of pure Pokemon, there was only one outcome a creature of Slowking's stature could have met. Quentin could only look, and not much else. "Damn."
Ash smiled, sadly. "He fell too soon."
-crack-
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
"Pi?"
All eyes (save for Snorlax's) turned to a suddenly forming crack in the arena. The crack rose slightly, like something was trying to-
Slowking burst forth, extremely worse for wear, and panting, but very much among the concious. Quentin was too stunned to do almost anything but blink. "How?"
Slowking smiled. "I read your mind, Quentin. It worked for that Scrafty."
Quentin gave an annoyed sigh. "Stay out of my head." He smiled, with a faint air of nostalgia before he turned his attention to Ash, nostalgia gone "How could your Snorlax use Giga Impact right after a Hyper Beam?"
Ash just shrugged. "Snorlax eats a lot. Gotta use that fuel for something."
"I see." Quentin frowned, his eyes once more upon Snorlax, who hadn't yet extracted himself, though Quentin knew it was not for the lack of ability to continue. "He's far too sturdy to draw this out. This will need a gamble."
"I understand, Quentin."
"I said stay out of my head!" His eyes briefly gazed at the-"Slowking! The water! You know what to do!"
Slowking didn't need to read Quentin's mind for the meaning of that command. He raised both his paws, his eyes closed in intense concentration as an invisible force pulsed through the air.
A force felt by all. Snorlax! Move!" Snorlax raised an arm. Then a second, then he was upon his feet. He took a deep breath, and a slow step forward. "He used up too much power, he can't go all out yet!" That couldn't be helped. "Snorlax, attack! He's too focused on the water!"
Slorlax charged, his method undecided, but motive clear.
"Slowking, keep him back with Protect!" Now it was Slowking's turn to generate a barrier, his eyes glowing blue as Snorlax approached.
"Beat it down with Mega Punch!" In a heartbeat Snorlax's fist slammed into Slowking's defence. The barrier briefly flashed under the force of the punch. "Again!" Another punch, the same result. "Don't stop punching!"
The rain of punches came down, each smashing against the barrier, which would sometimes briefly crack, only to be restored with Slowking's efforts. Only now did Ash realize Snorlax's arsenal was lacking in moves meant on dealing with Psychic and Water type Pokémon. So he was forced to rely on force, he'd learned a long time ago that ultimately, no defence was impenetrable, even the likes of which generated by Protect. He watched the barrage of punches come down, Snorlax could keep up this storm of punches longer than most could guess, but at this rate by the time he broke through he'd be exhausted, and Ash didn't have any moves on hand with the kind of power needed to break through in a single hit...
Though there was that, but it was risky. Then again, what was battle without a little risk?
"Snorlax! Metronome!"
Snorlax ceased the barrage of punches, pulling his form back and raising a hand, his index finger glowing white as he wiggled it back and forth.
It stopped. It was time for Snorlax's gamble to show its results. Snorlax's legs parted slightly, his body arcing, it was as if-
The ground cracked as Snorlax jumped, his form rising far higher than one would expect.
Then what was beyond possible.
Then beyond even belief.
Snorlax rose high above the arena, then beyond the tip of the peak, and into the sky itself.
Ash blinked. "W-wha-?" What kind of attack was that? For an instant there was nothing but silence, and all wondered where Snorlax had gone to.
They didn't wonder long.
He reappeared, falling through the sky, seemingly shrouded in white fire.
Quentin pieced it together. "Sky Attack! That'll destroy the-!" He had seconds..."Slowking, Substitute!"
The barrier fell, and Slowking closed his eyes. His form seemed to be become distorted for a second, as if it was being moved very slightly, yet extremely fast.
It stopped, and from Slowking's body another Slowking suddenly shot forward, leaving his other self to his fate. Snorlax slammed into its target, and as Ash saw something come out from the resulting smoke he understood what had happened.
Slowking skidded across the arena as he landed, throwing both his arms into the air as he grunted. The smoke quickly passed, and Snorlax was revealed to already be back upon his feet.
Ash wasn't waiting. "Snorla-!"
His words were stolen from his tongue.
He was briefly awed, as around him all the water was rising. Glowing tendrils of it were shooting out, all headed above, all the while its source was getting shallower and shallower, showing stone, more stone. Something white and blue. Ash's turned to it before he could think, and gasped.
There it was, the collar clutching to a rock. Yet all he could see was what was hidden inside. He could see exactly where it was, could feel it looking at him.
He flinched, but he didn't look away.
"Pikapi."
His breathing grew in pace, he could not turn. He could not remove his vision from it.
Only a second voice could break through.
"It's ready, Quentin."
Ash slowly turned away. "What the-?"
There it was, above the arena, high above Slowking. A construct of water, turning like a whirlpool, two whirlpools, one somehow feeding momentum into the other. It was immense, even a creature of Snorlax's size backed away.
What was that thing?
Quentin smiled. "Vortex Hammer."
Slowking moved his body, as if holding the hammer himself as his entire body glowed. The hammer moved, facing upwards as if held by an invisible hand.
Slowking made a sudden move, as if he was striking a hammer down...
The hammer came down.
Snorlax was hidden from sight completely by the torrential hammer as it broke upon him. The river burst, flowing in absolutely every direction at it came down, and the force of the wave could felt everywhere, even where the water had not yet reached. The water went in every direction, eventually reaching the sides of the arena and passing downwards.
Ash's eyes quickly turned, finding a certain spot. The water was approaching fast, and quickly it surrounded the object of his attention. First the bottom was swept under. Then it touched the arms. Inch by inch, it was slowly being taken by the water once more. It was reaching the collar-it was gone.
Ash turned away.
The hammer's form had broken completely, and the parting water quickly revealed Snorlax. Ash found him face down, unmoving as the water flowed around him, some of it seeping into various cracks as the last of it quickly approached the edges of the arena, but even the flow was finally finished the floor of the arena was still covered in a thin layer of still water. Snorlax remained, face down, the only signs of life being his breathing.
Snorlax never slept on his stomach. Ash raised a Pokéball. "Return."
With a beam of red light, he did. "Good battle, Snorlax." With that, Ash was down his second Pokémon. He was considering his second when a voice broke though his thoughts.
"Why the hesitation, boy?"
Ash threw him a scathing look. "I'm not hesitating."
Quentin gave a disbelieving smile. "Lie to me if you want, but lying to yourself is entirely different thing, isn't it?" His smile darkened, casting a shadow across his face. "What's in that jacket that scares you I wonder?"
Ash removed a ball from his belt with a vicious pull. "Nothing scares me! Sceptile, I choose you!"
Sceptile emerged as was normal, serious and ready to fight, not even chewing on the twig he insisted on keeping in his mouth. He took a look before him, identifying his opponent.
Quentin's eyes turned to his Pokémon. "Slowking, do you still want to fight?" Slowking only nodded. "Very well. But you are at a disadvantage, remember that."
"I'll still fight."
He nodded. "Then let's continue."
Sceptile took his position on the battlefield, his blades sharp and at the ready, his eyes targeting his adversary with unrelenting will.
Slowking took a breath, and took a firm stance, a tad more serious than when he'd first emerged from his Pokéball.
Ash was just as impatient as ever. "Sceptile, get him!" Sceptile charged forward, with seemingly no thought, no plan, just rushing directly into the line of fire.
Fire, or something just as unpleasant. "Toxic!" Slowking's mouth opened again, and a stream of what accurately be called "ick" shot forth like a water gun, its target right in its sights.
Or so it would have seemed. "Agility!" Sceptile sidestepped the attack with a jump, and with blinding speed began closing the distance even faster than before.
Slowking gasped. "Too fast!"
"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"
Quentin had to think fast. "Substitute!" Once more, for an instant, Slowking's form was distorted, before the original was once again shot away, leaving the duplicate to take the blow. The blade cut its target, which was split in half, the pieces simply fading away. Sceptile's back was to Slowking, and for just an instant off guard.
"Ice Beam!" Slowking's mouth fell open, already glowing with a familiar blue. It took form, growing and growing before-!
It fizzled to nothing. Quentin could guess why, so could Slowking. "Damn."
Ash frowned. "Leaf Blade."
Quentin closed his eyes. It was too late.
Sceptile jumped, turning in midair and raising his arm, as if he were holding a sword, instead of actually wearing it.
"Scep-!" The blade came down. "Tile!" The blade struck the jewel, and Slowking's weight gave out from under him. It was his turn to be face down. Sceptile flipped his body, slamming a second blade into Slowking's back. There was no cry. Sceptile frowned, he didn't like attacking the defenceless. He removed himself from his foe, reaching down to flip Slowking over. He nodded to himself.
He walked away. Quickly Slowking was glowing red before he was swept from the battlefield.
Quentin looked down at the Pokéball. "I told you were at a disadvantage. You used up nearly all your energy against Snorlax." He lightly shook his head, smiling. "Good job, Slowking." Quentin's left hand unhooked another button. Silently, he returned his current, then reached for another Pokéball. He cast it.
"Prepare for battle, Scizor."
It emerged with its eyes closed, claws crossed across his chest. It's claws opened and closed with a quick 'clap' before it finally took a look upon the world. It's eyes, both those upon its head and the 'eyes' on its claws seemed somehow sharper, more fierce. Scizor slowly lowered its claws, taking a still, strong stance. He was as serious as the opponent he was about to face.
Ash wiped another trail of blood from the side of his mouth, still holding that savage grin. He'd not merely been hungry for a good battle, no. A mere hunger could so easily be abated.
He'd been starving.
This battle was his feast, and he would devour, gorge himself upon it. He would choke down every strike, relish every wound, savour every clash, bite into every attack, drink every moment of this struggle. He would dine heartily upon this battle. Until there was nothing more to consume.
It was time for the next course. Both were eager, both opened their mouths at the same time. "Attack!"
"It's what we do."
Their Pokémon charged.
"Leaf Blade!"
"Metal Claw!"
They pulled back their respective limbs. Sceptiles blades were quickly made to glow, a neon green leaving a brief streak of green in the air behind them.
Scizor's claws briefly glowed, before the glow faded, leaving now a metallic grey.
Sceptile's feet, quick, nimble, and graceful, left only ripples across the surface of the arena.
Scizor didn't even touch the water, his form gliding through the air, the water below him parting slightly in his wake.
They closed in.
They jumped.
They launched their attacks.
"Tile!"
"Zor!"
Blade met Claw.
Grass met Steel.
Green met Grey.
The ground beneath them rippled, spreading beyond their reflections cast in the water. Spreading over the face of the arena itself.
"It's what we are."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
End of Chapter
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Next Time: Days of Glory
Author's Notes: Yes, I am going somewhere with the underlined text. It ain't just for show/effect lost on all but me. (now lets see if I can actually remember where that was...)
There's round two nailed down. (My fic, I'm allowed to make crappy puns) In case you haven't guessed, each round has its own chapter. I warned you it was going to be a long battle, and you all know how long I like to make things.
Current word count for the entire fic: 95,000+ words (though I bet the author's notes count for at least a few thousand. I'm still guessing the story itself is 90,000+)
Here's a little something for you to chew on: I'm guessing by the end the fic will be 250,000+ words. (not counting author's notes) Figure out how many chapters that'll likely be if you can. (I actually have a chapter plan laid out, the story is practically fully planned, plot and all)
Now remember my update rate...annnnnd you've just given up on this fic! Does this mean I don't have to finish this anymore? Because I think the Pokémon fanfiction section has enough crap as it is. I'm currently polluting the Toradora section, so if I can devote all my writing time to that I should be able to get its amount of crap up to traditional fanfiction standards (minimum of a thousand crappy fics) before too long.
Soooo, can I stop?
About the chapter itself.
Before anyone asks, no, none of the text of this chapter was not inspired by Cilan. I hadn't watched any episodes with him until long after this chapter had been conceived. So the similarities are coincidental.
Though on a related topic, given how he talks about Pokémon almost like they're types of wine (Pokémon connoisseur, people!), I have no shame in admitting all my responses to his dialogue would have to involve a crowbar.
And that's me being polite.
(Actually, screw the "involve", the crowbar does the job on its own)
Brock's removal from the franchise has gotta be the biggest blunder ever. They traded out a fun-loving womaniser (it was the one gag that was never, ever going to get old, a rare quality in gags in general), and replaced him with a-!
with a-!
Dammit! I'm too pissed to come up with a witty finisher! Pretend I put one in!
Trivia ("Fucking hell there's more?!"): I seriously had some second thoughts about Snorlax being on Ash's team. When making Ash's team I wanted to comprise it with Pokémon native to each region originally (and his best, naturally), to have one Pokémon for each portion of Ash's journey (the orange island wasn't intended to be included, it's a filler region for crying out loud), but none of Ash's Sinnoh-native Pokémon really stood out, when compared with Pokémon of the same type from other Regions.
Totodile/Feraligatr won over Buizel because of the dancing. I defy anyone who tells me dance fighting isn't pure badass. (Remember the crowbar!)
Torterra seems strong, but Sceptile wins hands down.
Infernape's impressive, but for me Charizard wins it, call it nostalgia, and he represents a certain something I can't ignore. (I'll explain it in his chapter: coming 2014!)
As for the rest...
Gible seemed a meh idea. Cynthia has a Garchomp, so for me that would have cheapened Gible being on his team. Staraptor is just Sinnoh's version of Pigeot so that was out. (same reason I never considered Swellow either) Unfortunately, I wasn't knowledgeable of the DP series to be fully aware of a very logical choice (plus the bulbapedia article had it a bit out of the way): Gliscor. (he's close enough to a Sinnoh-native, even if his pre-evolution isn't)
I seriously considered rewriting the fic slightly (or at least putting it to a vote), and swapping Snorlax out for Gliscor. Then I checked out Snorlax a bit. While it is true I lost the symmetry I wanted to form (my mind just sees it a symmetry), Snorlax is without a doubt the better choice.
To put it simply: Snorlax has never been beaten in a one-on-one fight.* (that I'm aware of, correct me if I'm wrong) It's always taken at least one opponent beforehand (sometimes even two) to wear him down before he's beaten. Meanwhile, Gliscor's record...not as impressive. Plus Snorlax is just more fun. I took the liberty of watching "Ring Masters" recently: hilarious. Snorlax is the ultimate in gifted fighters. He ain't smart, ain't serious, lazier than, well, me (slightly), but he'll crush you (in more ways than one), especially if there's food involved.
(I also originally viewed Snorlax as a little too similar to Scrafty, which was a second reason to question his inclusion. Given the use physical combat a lot by the both of them, but their different body types and thus the difference that makes in their styles make it an acceptable level of likeliness)
*Yes I had Snorlax lose. It's called drama, people! You know, that thing I promised!
HELP!
(give yourself a frigging medal if you actually read this far. I'm not kidding, you deserve a medal.)
One theme in the series which I've noticed, and hope to use (have already used somewhat) is objects binding Ash to others.
Object examples:
Ash and Misty: Lure and Handkerchief. (obviously)
Ash and Brock: The lunch box and cutlery set.
Ash and May: The ribbon halves.
Now I need to know: Do Ash and Dawn have anything like that? If they do I need to know, ASAP! (Pearlshippers will know this one...so no-one reading this fic.)
I doubt Ash and Max would have one, but if they do, let me know!
PM me if you know the answer. (or just dump it in a review if you can't be assed making an account) Reference your answer please. (I wanna know the ep it shows up in)