Chapter 6 – The Mermaid Versus The Master
"So Ash... are you ready to earn the Cascade Badge for real this time?" Misty taunted from across the pool.
"Oh you bet! And this time, there aren't going to be any interruptions!" Ash claimed from the challenger's end, his arm cocked back ready to grasp his first pokéball.
It was the next morning, and Misty decided that the first match of the day as Gym Leader would be the one put forth by Ash the previous evening. After eating a hearty breakfast prepared at the surprisingly talented hands of Misty, who had seemingly come a long way since she cooked that travesty of a soup in Johto, they went to the pool battle area where the trio met up with their various Pokémon. Ash noted the water field had been improved considerably since his last appearance. It now less resembled an Olympic pool, and now seemed like an actual battlefield. There was a single, sandy isle in the very center, with a few floating platforms interspersed throughout the pool. Of course, the bottom of the pool seemed more like the ocean floor than anything else.
"Dawn can referee for us!" Misty pointed to the blunette with gusto, then turned back to Ash with fire in her eyes, "I'll leave it to you to decide how many Pokémon you'd like to battle with," Misty offered, her tone flowing with insincere generosity.
As Dawn skipped to her spot on the side of the length of the pool with Piplup who waddled after her, Ash shot back, "Well... I'd like to go with my number one buddy..." he glanced at Pikachu, who immediately crossed his arms and made a face that clearly said 'no' with his head shaking back and forth, "but since I knew he'd never want to battle you, I have three others in mind."
"Great, that means that Pikachu has good sensibilities... unlike a certain aspiring Pokémon Master I know," Misty continued to tease Ash.
Ash however, was not to not giving into the clear attempts to unnerve him. After the finals in the last tournament in Sinnoh, he had worked very hard to keep his concentration on the match and not to be distracted by such attempts to get in his head. Of course he knew this was Misty, and she really didn't mean any of it. He just smirked and declared, "Since I'm here in a Water Gym, fighting someone who herself claims she wants to be a Water Pokémon Master... maybe I ought to show her how real water types fight. All three Pokémon I will use will be just that."
Misty's eyes narrowed, knowing that Ash was challenging her on equal ground. He wanted to beat her without any sort of advantage. Water versus water. Her kind of battle. Not since the Whirl Cup had they fought such a battle. She had won last time, yet she was still eager to see how far he'd come using water types.
"Sounds good, I like that idea! Let's do this!" Misty raised her hand and pointed to Dawn who blinked momentarily. Misty momentarily dumbfounded by her silence prompted her, "Uh... Dawn... you're officiating... you need to declare the match."
Dawn, who had been staring at the opposite wall, thinking while the two had been making quips at one another, was pulled from her distracted state of mind and began speaking in the official tone she could muster, "Oh! Right! This is an official gym battle between the Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gym Leader Misty of the Cerulean Gym. Each trainer will use...uh," Dawn having spaced out, didn't know what the match parameters were, "Uh, what did you guys agree to?"
Misty nearly fell over in shock, "Dawn! It's three on three, substitutions allowed!"
"Right!" Dawn chirped, returning to her speech, "Each trainer will use three Pokémon, with substitutions allowed. The first to have all three knocked out is the winner." She raised both her hands and then brought them down in opposite directions, "Begin!"
Each of the two trainers grabbed their first pokéballs from their belts and threw them forth, calling out their respective first Pokémon simultaneously.
"I choose you, Dewott!"
"Politoed, Go!"
The sea otter, Dewott, drummed his belly as he barked his name in pride after materializing. Meanwhile, the green frog merely began clapping in exuberance on its appearance.
"Wow! A Dewott... I haven't seen one of those in person until now!" Misty gushed. Even full grown, the woman couldn't help herself at the sight of cute water Pokémon. Dewott merely put his hands at his side and puffed out his chest as his ego inflated.
An annoyed squeak came from the side of the pool near Dawn. A steely eyed Piplup locked eyes with his old rival, the former Oshawott with whom he competed for the love of Meloetta. Recognizing the call from his former competitor, Dewott shifted his gaze towards the small blue penguin. The otter smirked, tapping one of his scalchops and issuing a challenging retort in his own language. Piplup merely crossed his arms in expectance. The penguin was keen on watching the match to see how his rival had changed in the years since they had seen each other. Dewott took note and moved his stare back to the green frog that was now his immediate opponent.
While Dawn chuckled at this little rivalry revival, Ash failed to notice; instead choosing to size up Misty's Pokémon. It certainly appeared as though Misty had raised it well, though he expected no less from her. "Politoed is looking pretty strong Misty. Let's see just how strong! Dewott, razor shell!" Ash shouted. Dewott leapt from his platform on the waves, and began swimming at an incredible clip to reach his opponent. In his hands, its scalchops were held tightly, ready for use.
"Bubblebeam before it reaches you!" Misty ordered suddenly.
Politoed gave a final clap then, opened its mouth wide, spraying a thick stream of high velocity bubbles at its quickly approaching foe.
"Dive and come from beneath!" Dewott heeded his trainer's order and did so, making a parabolic arc beneath the waves from the point of his dive back to the platform on the surface. His scalchops blazed with energy at the last second as Dewott burst from the water behind Politoed.
"Bounce!"
Misty's command was executed immediately as the jolly frog quickly tensed its legs and bounded skywards, much to the awe of both Ash and Dawn. Both of them had witnessed Dawn's Lopunny make many graceful bounce attacks, but this was executed with a kind of speed neither had ever witnessed before. Just as quickly, Politoed came back downward with his feet prepared for a devastating landing atop the airborne Dewott.
"Intercept with hydro pump!" Ash countered.
A torrent poured from Dewott's mouth, which deflected the frog's trajectory. However, this was all it did. Politoed landed nonchalantly on the sandy island in the middle of the field and began clapping even faster, almost as though it enjoyed the attack.
"I hate to burst your bubble, Ash..." Misty ridiculed playfully, "but Politoed's ability is water absorb. Meaning your water moves not only have no effect... they heal Politoed."
"Damn, how stupid of me to forget..." Ash quietly scolded himself. Misty still managed to hear across the pool, and it caused her to raise one eyebrow. She hadn't known Ash to be so self-critical of himself. Normally he would just shout back at her with some retort to protect his pride, but now he accepted input rather than just shoving it aside.
"Fine then, we have other moves! Blizzard!" Ash yelled, taking the initiative.
Dewott took another deep breath and a mighty storm of ice and snow propelled by a strong wind pressed forth, chilling Politoed and causing its clapping to slow down noticeably.
Misty's face tensed, it was a wide-spread attack, and hard to avoid. Thankfully she had the solution, "Bounce again!"
"Aim it up when you see it coming down!" Ash adjusted his previous command. Dewott complied, ceasing blizzard and looking up for his opponent, waiting for it to begin its descent. Ash saw it begin falling and called, "Now!"
"Hypnosis!"
Ash gasped at the order, and was about to call out one to counter it, but Misty's command had been delayed perfectly long enough such that there was not enough time before the psionic waves washed over Dewott, putting him to sleep. Worse yet, Politoed finished its fall, crashing onto Dewott, who cringed painfully in his sleep.
"Come on, Dewott! You can get out of this! Wake up!" Ash pleaded to his slumbering otter.
"Allow me!" Misty called, her face smirking at the scent of victory, "Wake-up slap!"
One of Politoed's hands glowed white and was whipped across the face of its napping opponent. Dewott eyes snapped open as he careened across the field, finally landing on the pool's edge beside Ash. Dewott croaked his name slowly and slumped down.
Dawn looked as surprised as Ash when she saw the combination before realizing that she had to call it out, "Dewott is unable to battle! Politoed is the winner."
Misty pumped her fist in the air while Politoed continued to clap vibrantly, its pleasant smile having returned on its victory. Ash knelt down beside his fallen water-type and complimented it, "You did well, that Pokémon has been with her for a very long time, and she knows more about water types than I'll ever know. Take a good rest."
Misty watched and heard most of Ash's words from the other side of the field due to the echoing nature of the large room. She was glad to know that Ash still was kind to his Pokémon, no matter how they performed, though she honestly never doubted that would ever change. Dawn gazed at him with the same admiration as he returned his sea otter and pulled out his second pokéball.
"This one will be familiar to you, Misty. It's someone who you and I fought over long ago. I choose you!"
The thrown pokéball quickly unleashed a swath of energy that coalesced on the sandy island, revealing a large blue Pokémon with a yellow underbelly and red spines along its head and back. It seemed to dance on the spot, bouncing up and down like it was at a party.
"F-f-f-f-f-fer-feraligatr!" he chanted. The large reptilian gave one last stomp on the ground as it ended its jig. The water type eyed Misty momentarily then quickly jumped from the isle to a platform to yet another, until he finally landed beside her. Feraligatr grabbed both her hands and began to spin her around in a sort of gleeful dance.
Misty hugged it and fawned over the long lost friend, "I missed you too Totodile! Er, Feraligatr!" The Pokémon nodded happily, and Politoed merely walked up to it and began clapping even more excitedly than usual. The clapping further incited the Big Jaw Pokémon into yet another dance to the presumed beat that Misty's own contender created. Both Dawn and Ash could only gape at the scene.
"Oh this is clearly one of the most fun battles I've ever had!" Misty raved, watching the two have their own little party.
Ash coughed from his side of the pool and pointed out, "Well... it's not really a battle at the moment is it?"
"It's fun is what this is," Dawn squealed from her post at the poolside. Ash flashed her a look of annoyance, and she got the message. She returned to her 'best' officiating voice, "Will the challengers please take the field please."
Both Pokémon ceased their actions and looked at her confused, as though they didn't realize what exactly was going on. Misty nodded to them both and they acknowledged the order and returned; Politoed taking his former place on the platform closest to Misty while Feraligatr took his place on the sandy isle.
"Ok, I'll start this one!" Misty commanded, "Politoed, bubblebeam!" Once again, the frog opened its maw and shot a high speed set of bubbles at its opponent.
"Into the water to dodge!" Ash called out again. This time, Ash kept Feraligatr in the water, not wanting a repeat of last match.
"Fine, we can do this one in the depths! Pursue him Politoed!" Misty shouted eagerly. The frog eagerly dove in after another clap, swimming quickly and gracefully. Feraligatr approached with powerful strokes and whips of his large tail.
"Ice fang!" Ash ordered. Even beneath the water, Feraligatr heard, and his teeth began to chill the waters around it. Politoed continued on its trajectory straight into the mouth of the beast.
"Hypnosis!" Misty shouted, a sly grin crossing her face.
"Not this time! Create a whirlpool by using counter-shield with hydro pump underwater!" Ash instructed.
"Counter-shield?" Misty was stumped by the nature of the command.
"Counter-shield!" Dawn exclaimed at nearly the same time, excited by the revival of the technique they both developed.
Using his powerful limbs and tail, the crocodilian began spinning rapidly underwater, spewing water from his gaping maw all the while. The force quickly pulled the unsuspecting frog into the current where it was helplessly trapped. Soon a full-fledged whirlpool was formed in Misty's side of the pool.
"Now! Use Chip Away to keep at it until you knock it out!" Ash called with excitement.
With the whirlpool now quite intense, Feraligatr was free to stop churning the waters and allowed the vortex to carry the frog around and around. Ash's competitor began to mercilessly punch and bite it as Politoed was spun around, the crocodilian refusing to relent as the frog helplessly tried to fend off the countless attacks.
"No! Return!" Misty called quickly, trying to recall her green frog. Unfortunately, her beam kept missing its mark between the whirlpool moving it about and Feraligatr's attacks blocking line-of-sight.
"Now clinch it with ice fang!" Ash gave his final order. The Big Jaw Pokémon did just that, his teeth glowing bluish white. He clamped down on the frog as it came around for a pass as the whirlpool began to subside. Politoed called out in pain until at last it was released and flung back to Misty, floating on its back with not even the strength to give a final round of applause.
"Oh, poor Politoed, you did your best. Return," Misty spoke gently to it as it floated towards her. She knelt and pointed her pokéball, ensnaring the unconscious toad in a beam of red energy. Misty stood up after she took another ball from her belt. "That was a good trick Ash. I commend you on your ingenuity. Then again you were always a wiz when it came to strange strategies like that."
"Actually," Ash remarked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "It was kinda Dawn's technique. I just polished it and made variations."
Misty's gaze turned towards Dawn, a look of both surprise and impressed admiration on her face. She asked in a stunned tone, "You came up with that?"
"Uh, I guess sorta. Ash has always been able to put it to better use than I have," Dawn shuffled one her boots uncomfortably, looking down at the pool.
"That's amazing, both of you!" Misty complimented.
"Yeah... but I never dreamed of using it to make a whirlpool, I'll have to use that at the next Wallace Cup for sure!" Dawn squeaked, her eye glistening with inspiration.
"Well, this has been illuminating! But... I have to show you just how powerful I am, Ash!" Misty declared, turning her attention back to the match. Her eyes blazed with passion. She hadn't felt so alive in a battle in years. Day in and day out, rookie trainers came and lost to her. She always had to deal with grass or electric types, or the occasional newbie who thought they were 'all that' and used something as silly as a fire type. This was all out offensive with water types. And she loved it.
"You've met him once before Ash! In Hoenn. My most powerful water-type!" Misty announced, holding up her red and white sphere in triumph. She tossed it forth, and a large form materialized. It roared in defiance of its experienced opponent, sending shivers down the spine of Feraligatr.
Ash gulped, "Gyarados."
"Gyarados..." Dawn spoke in awe, almost trembling at the sight of it. It was larger than most she had seen. Larger than Crasher Wake's or any other he had seen in the wild.
Ash expression of worry morphed into a small smile. He could think only one thing, Misty... you know how to have a battle. This is gonna be fun.
"Alright then, allow me to show you just how powerful I've become then!" Ash bellowed, "Feraligatr, Ice Fang!"
The reptile tensed his legs and then jumped forward from platform to platform once again, and pounced onto Gyarados and sank his cold fangs into the dual water-flying type. Ice began to form around the afflicted area, causing the behemoth to roar in pain and flail around madly.
"Hold onto it tight! Keep up the pressure!" Ash encouraged the reptilian.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Misty shot back with equal determination, "Thunderbolt!"
"Break away! Onto the platform!"
Lightning arced between the points of the forked crest atop Gyarados' head. Soon after, the beast itself became charged and a bolt shot into the air. It only narrowly missed Feraligatr as he landed smoothly onto the rocking platform which was still shaking with the waves caused by Gyarados' tantrum. Feraligatr struggled to maintain its balance on the shaking platform.
"Again!" Misty cried, pointing at the crocodilian. Gyarados eagerly complied, shooting yet another bolt at the tumultuous platform on which Feraligatr stood.
As it approached, Ash saw the shaky stance of Feraligatr on the platform. He wouldn't be able to dodge reliably while unbalanced like that. At the same time, he couldn't go into the pool; not with the threat of a thunderbolt. He didn't know how to avoid the lightning. Then he realized he would just have to stop it.
"Rock tomb! On yourself!"
Both Dawn and Misty gasped at the order. Feraligatr did not doubt his trainer though. Perhaps he knew exactly what Ash was planning, though no one else knew. Either way, the crocodile summoned several large stones and protected himself within them, forming a small dome of misshapen boulders that offered a fortress-like defense. The lightning struck the stone barrier harmlessly.
"I swear, just when I think you can't possibly surprise me... there you go again," Misty commended Ash for his quick thinking, "But you've saved yourself from one attack to be made vulnerable to another! Flamethrower on the rocks!"
Ash's eyes bulged at the idea that his Feraligatr would be cooked momentarily within the rocks. The stones would save him for a while, but prolonged exposure to a flamethrower by an angry Gyarados would surely take its toll on the air inside. Yet he had nowhere to go.
Gyarados wasn't about to wait for Ash to think his way out of this one. He started heating the rocks. Already he could hear the outer layers sizzling. Feraligatr sat there, immobile and looking quite worried. He eagerly awaited a plan from Ash. He couldn't be recalled, the stones were in the way of the beam from the pokéball.
I can't just fight my way out of this one... I need to play it smart.
Or maybe I can fight my way out...
"Use chip away to send those melting stones towards Gyarados! Make it a meteor shower!"
Feraligatr's eyes lit up in almost a joyous way. He certainly liked the sound of that. Using quick, yet powerful jabs, small boulders were ejected from his prison. Those that had been heated the most left a wake of blazing fire as they arced towards the sea serpent.
"Underwater quick! Dodge them!"
Gyarados didn't have to be told twice. The redhead's command was obeyed almost before she finished it. Gyarados snaked away beneath the waters as the rain of fire pelted the waters where it once sat.
"Use the time to get back to the island!" Ash directed. Feraligatr quickly hopped between platforms again to ensure he didn't fall prey to the submerged Atrocious Pokémon. He landed on the sandy isle and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please! I've taken out hundreds of trainers using that island! You'll be no different!" Misty lectured, with Gyarados seemingly emerging on cue to reinforce that statement, "Now we return the favour! Use hydro pump to send it back into the water!"
"Dodge!"
Gyarados blasted holes into the island, filling the already small area with tidal pool sized patches of water as Feraligatr weaved between streams with agility that belied its size. However, it seemed that the very act of dodging would be Feraligatr's undoing. Soon only a small portion of the island remained dry. He had nowhere to run.
"Thunderbolt! Keep at it until you strike true!"
Gyarados proceeded to unleash a series of fast thunderbolts. Feraligatr hopped to the few, small remainders of sand in order to dodge the sinews of electricity that left black marks on the sand it struck. However, with his options limited, each dodge had to be more calculated, and thus slower. Soon, a bolt hit and Feraligatr was in for the shock of his life. Lightning continued to arc around him, even after the attack finished, and the reptile was unable to move very well.
"He's paralyzed!" Ash commented to himself in disappointment.
"One more time! No way you can miss! Hit it with a big shot this time!" Misty cheered.
Gyarados let out a mighty roar that shook the room, almost causing Dawn to fall over, as she happened to be nearby. The thunderbolt took longer to charge, and Ash took his last opportunity.
"Rock Tomb! On Gyarados!" Ash ordered, knowing full well that he had only one shot before he was going to be knocked out.
The rocks formed above Gyarados and crashed on onto the serpentine beast, but not before the powerful and thick bolt of lightning raced from the serpent to the crocodile. Both attacks hit and several things happened. First, Feraligatr, seemingly stimulated by the heavy shock, danced an odd little number as he was lit up. When the lightning abated, he quickly slumped to the ground in defeat. Simultaneously, Gyarados was dragged to the bottom of the pool by the cluster of rocks weighing it down. It struggled at the bottom of the pool briefly until finally, it managed to thrash its tail in such a manner that it managed to burst from one of the sides. It left a rather strange stony structure on the pool bottom; Misty's first thoughts at this were, Thank goodness, I didn't want it to be trapped! Upon seeing the newly formed feature at the bottom of her tank, she had a second thought, Well that will make a nice home for some of the water Pokémon.
"Feraligatr is unable to battle. The winner is Gyarados!" Dawn announced perkily, only to shriek moments later when Gyarados roared in close proximity to her again, "Eeeek! Stop that!"
Gyarados turned to the coordinator turned temporary referee, gave her a look of annoyance, and then simply let out another short roar straight into her face. She of course, became soaked as the roar released much excess water that he had accumulated whilst underwater.
"Gyarados! She's a guest!" Misty scolded. Gyarados turned back to Misty with a look of complaint before resigning itself to move back to Misty's end of the field.
"You ok, Dawn?" Ash asked from his end.
"Ugh... this is going to take forever to dry, not to mention the fact I have to wash my hair after I got Gyarados saliva in it! Gross!" Dawn whined.
"I'm really sorry, Dawn!" Misty shouted, "Apologize right now, Gyarados!" The beast grunted something that could have been taken as grudging apology, though honestly, none of the trainers could be sure.
"Ok, time for you to face my oldest water Pokémon!" Ash hollered excitedly, "Let's go Squirtle!"
The small turtle formed in the air, and landed gracefully on the platform closest to Ash. It shouted his name with just as much gusto as Ash had as he took a fighting stance against its larger opponent.
"Oh, wow!" the stunned Misty commented, "I didn't know you got Squirtle back from the Squirtle Squad! Are they doing ok now on their own?"
"Better than ok. I got word back about two years ago from Professor Oak that he wanted to get back on my team. Apparently, the squad became such an elite force, that each of the previous members got its own team to command! Now there are four Squirtle Squads fighting fires around Kanto!" Ash elucidated proudly. Squirtle pumped his fist in self-satisfaction at this revelation.
"Wow! That's awesome!" Dawn cheered, her hair and clothing predicament temporarily forgotten.
"I'm glad to hear they're doing so well, and that you get to be together again. You and Squirtle make a great team... just not as great as me and Gyarados!" Misty stated proudly, a roar of agreement coming from the bestial serpent at her side.
"Oh don't forget Squirtle's taken down some very tough opponents! He's small but he's got the biggest heart of any water type I know!" Ash countered.
Misty's own heart fluttered momentarily. She loved how Ash had such great confidence in his partners and how much he admired them. But she quickly regained her focus and decided to resume the match, "Ok then, show me! Gyarados, hydro pump!"
"Freeze it with ice beam!" Ash countered. The little turtle shot a beam of blue-white energy towards the pulsing pillar of water careening towards him. The ice beam pierced through the stream, causing it to shatter as the ice energy powered through the water.
"Yikes! That's the most powerful ice beam I've ever seen! Gyarados! Underwater quick!" Misty nearly panicked as the beam streaked towards her most powerful Pokemon, shattering the recently frozen spout of water along the way. Gyarados only very narrowly ducked the icy attack and submerged itself.
"Squirtle has been fighting a lot of fires. He's got quite a bit of power from doing that for years!" Ash advised Misty.
"I won't underestimate his power again! Gyarados! Up!" Misty continued. The blue-scaled beast surfaced and let out a terrifying roar yet again. Misty wore a confident smile as she looked intently at Ash, "You can't freeze lightning! Thunderbolt!" The bolt soared from Gyarados, who was quite peeved his last effect proved ineffectual. It intended to rectify the problem.
"No, you can't freeze lightning! But you can disperse it! Rapid spin on platform!" Ash commanded with a smirk.
Squirtle withdrew into its shell and began spinning. The bolt hit the shell, but the lighting spread out instead of entering the shell, arcing around the turtle and harmlessly entering the pool.
"So... I see you subscribe to strategies Gary used against you years ago..." Misty mocked playfully.
Ash's response truly surprised her, "I've learned a lot from Gary. Even though he's a researcher now, there was no denying he was a great trainer too. I've adapted many people's battle styles and tricks. His are quite handy."
"Who are you, and what have you done with Ash Ketchum?" Misty asked almost blandly. She couldn't believe this. This man... complimented Gary Oak. She knew that deep down, especially after the Silver Conference, the two had a deep respect for one another. But he always kept it hidden under layers of pride and snark. This was unprecedented.
Her mind raced, Has he come such a long way from the boy he was to actually acknowledge his childhood rival in a positive light? Is he the boy I once knew anymore?
Immediately, thoughts of regret began pouring through her, Nearly seven years, I never talked to him, and even longer since they had been in each other's presence. I'm beginning to regret not being around Ash Ketchum as he finally broke out of the boyish shell of his. Maybe then he would've...
She pushed such thoughts away. She needed to focus on the battle at hand. Already Ash took advantage of the lull and ordered Squirtle to move onto the island in the center.
"Stone-edge! Hit him while he's moving!" Misty ordered hastily, trying to make up for her lapse.
"Dive under and dig into the side of the island!" Ash interjected.
"Dig underwater?" Dawn mused, "That's a new one..." Her mind filled with thoughts about how to apply that to a contest.
The stone-edge rocks struck the water, only to ineffectually sink to the sides of the nimble turtle. Squirtle burrowed into the island as he was told, shortly emerging on the surface of the waterlogged landmass.
Misty was both impressed and irked all at once. "Gyarados! Flood that whole island! I don't even want to see it anymore! Then mass thunderbolts again!" she instructed. The great serpent unleashed a torrent on the island, beginning to effectively drown it.
"Ah! So you're countering Gary's strategy with my own! That's inventive. It's also predictable!" Ash spoke challengingly, "Squirtle, ice beam that hydro pump and run right to it!"
"Huh!" Misty and Dawn both exclaimed.
Squirtle jumped and did a clean sweep with ice beam, making an improvised ramp out of the torrent of water on which he quickly dashed to meet the face of Gyarados. Ash took advantage of the astonishment of the gym leader and her Pokémon to strike, "Now hydro pump right into the mouth!"
The gaping maw of Gyarados was a large and easy target. Squirtle ducked back into his shell and directed a large blast of water from crevice that once housed his head. The shockingly powerful blast knocked Gyarados back into the poolside where his head smacked against the wall of the gym itself.
"Now finish up with ice beam!" Ash directed with great enthusiasm.
The beast was blasted with a thick beam of pure cold energy, which caused the water-flying type to writhe until, at last, it passed out.
Dawn stared in awe before remembering her responsibility, "Gyarados is unable to battle! Squirtle is the winner!"
Ash couldn't help but let out a cheer. It was quite a victory. Squirtle had taken little to no damage, and completely toppled Misty's behemoth.
"Well Ash... I didn't expect any less from you," Misty complimented him. Her voice carried absolute sincerity, "So I am going to have to counter your oldest water Pokémon with mine! Go Starm-,"
As Misty pitched her arm back to throw forth her last capsule, a light burst from her belt and materialized in the water. The shimmering mass of energy took form and instantaneously it began flailing in a mad panic.
"Psy-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-aye!"
"NOOOOOOOO! Curse you, you damnable yellow, flat-beaked, annoying-," Misty couldn't even finish her insult as she was so flustered by this latest appearance of her inept swimmer, "PSYDUCK! THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BATTLE! YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS!"
Both Ash and Dawn observed Misty screaming in agony as her veins seemed to bulge from her forehead. She collapsed on the pool's edge in despair.
"Ash... you know I meant to use Starmie... do you mind if I switch... I know it's against the rules but-," Misty pleaded with Ash, but he would have none of it.
"Misty..." he stretched out her name in a silly tone, "We're treating this like an official gym battle, right?"
Misty growled at him, growing red, and steam nearly blowing out her ears. But then he continued, "But this is perfect actually... the last time we had a serious battle like this. Do you remember?" Misty had to make an effort to set aside her anger for a moment to try and remember. Ash, however, decided to answer for her anyway, "The Whirl Cup. Our final battle was Psyduck versus Kingler. I want a rematch with Psyduck!"
Misty stood as though frozen, and nearly fell over once she felt she could move again. She couldn't believe this. "A rematch... with Psyduck. Are you serious?"
"Come on, Misty, you've had him for almost twelve years. Surely he's gotten better. And besides, I'm sure that deep down, you really believe in him," Ash offered, his voice completely genuine.
Misty was taken aback by this strange twist in logic. She was almost convinced this was a trick by Ash to get an easy win in their match. But she remembered, at least when they were young, that Ash hated all forms of cheating. From what she could tell, none of his morals had changed since. After all these years, did he really think she managed to help Psyduck improve? Maybe that was how highly he thought of her. And now she was deathly embarrassed that she wouldn't be able to live up to his image of her.
Psyduck in the meantime, had managed to flail its way to the platform closest to Misty's end of the field and pulled itself out of the pool, its breath coming in heaving gasps. Misty instantly realized she would regret this decision, but she couldn't let Ash get away with praise like that without showing him he was right. "Psyduck, are you ok to battle?"
The yellow duck pulled itself to its feet, and made a comical waving action towards its trainer. Misty could only assume that meant an affirmative and turned towards Ash and Squirtle. With as much confidence she could muster, "Ok, let's try this!"
Psyduck looked blankly at his opponent, then back at Misty, and quacked its name back at Misty, "Psy?"
"Oh man, I've made a horrible mistake..." Misty moped, practically sliding to the ground in hopelessness.
"No need to worry!" Dawn shouted from the distance, in a half-hearted attempt to comfort her best friend. Piplup had joined her and tried to cheer as well, squawking its name in a chant that resembled cheering. Pikachu had joined Misty's side and poked at her leg. She looked down at the yellow mouse, who gave her a thumbs up. She looked across the field to her opponent, who merely nodded at her.
Her dejected look faded and one of slight hope and determination returned. She looked back to her dopey duck who had now sat back down and was poking the water with one outstretched arm.
"Ok then! Psyduck! Let's start off simple! Go in for a scratch attack!" Misty ordered.
"Psy?" the duck looked fearfully at the water.
"Ok... fine wait for him to come to you..." Misty lamented.
"We'll be glad to take this battle to you! Squirtle rapid spin right into it!" Ash ordered. The turtle chuckled before he carried out the order and jumped. He tucked itself into his shell and spun his way over towards Psyduck. He hit the yellow crown of the waterfowl's head, creating an almost hollow 'thunk' sound. Psyduck didn't seem much worse for wear after the impact... at least not until a few seconds later when it fell over hilariously and starting whining in pain. Ash tried to hold back a laugh but couldn't. Dawn continued to look on in sheer astonishment. She had heard stories of Psyduck over the phone and during visits, but this was the first time she had borne witness to his antics.
"Hey! What's the big deal?!" Misty raged at Ash.
"Sorry... this is just so..." he was still wrapped in laughs as he tried to explain, "I missed that duck so much..."
"Glad it's such a source of amusement for you! It's only a source of embarrassment for me!" she shouted angrily. "I know what will shut you up! Psyduck! Use screech!"
The dopey duck finally managed to pull itself to its feet, and acknowledged the command. However, acknowledgment and performance were two very different things. Psyduck took a breath, and let out a very nasally, long, droning cry of, "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" It certainly wasn't a screech attack, but it was likely the most annoying sound the trio had ever heard in their lives.
And it just kept going. The 'screech' didn't cease until Psyduck was blue in the face for lack of breathing and the vocal labour came to an end involuntarily as Psyduck wheezed and fell over yet again. Ash howled with laughter, and Dawn couldn't help but stifle a giggle.
"I'm going to die of embarrassment," Misty sulked, crumbling to her knees.
"Ok... ok... Misty... I have an idea," Ash told her, finally getting over the laughing fit, "I'm going to induce a headache."
Misty's eyes shot upward from the ground, and Dawn's turned to Ash with an incredulous look.
"You're going to toss away an easy win?" Misty inquired, perplexed by the very notion he was proposing.
"Induce a headache?" Dawn added, confused as the redhead was.
"I want to fight the Psyduck that I battled years ago. I want an even battle. I know Psyduck can give it. I know you can too," Ash spoke quietly, yet loudly enough for his voice to echo across the pool.
"Ash you don't have to," Misty pressed, her voice growing soft.
"But I want to," Ash replied, his voice growing determined again, "I know Psyduck is plenty powerful... and I want to test myself against it. Besides, I want an even match."
Misty's frown of consternation faded and was slowly replaced with a smile. The generosity of Ash Ketchum was legendary, and now she bore witness to it once again. But she couldn't just let that last comment slide, "Oh... once Psyduck gets going... it'll be anything but even."
"Then let's put that theory to the test!" Ash yelled boldly, "Squirtle... get over there and knock that duck on its head!"
"Squirt!" the blue turtle exclaimed, bounded over the waves of the pool, finally landing on Psyduck's platform. The absent-minded duck regarded the new arrival with a small perplexed utterance of its name before Squirtle, without any prior warning, conked the waterfowl on its head. Another dull thud resounded as the duck simply stood there and took the hit. Psyduck barely reacted.
"Keep it up! Last time it took Kingler's vice-grip before it got a bad enough headache," Ash advised. The turtle repeated his action several times, bringing its small, but powerful arm down atop the head of the silly bird. Each impact was punctuated by a flat utterance of 'duck' by the yellow Pokémon.
"It's barely having an effect," Ash quietly commented, "Ok, let's try something else. Jump up high and come down directly from above with a rapid spin!"
Squirtle easily followed the command, jumping quite a bit higher than most would think a turtle could jump. He quickly tucked itself in his shell again and began his spin, flying down at a terrifying velocity. Squirtle collided with the crown of Psyduck's head, only to bounce back up. This display was repeated again and again; and slowly but surely, Psyduck's reactionary cries grew louder and more strained. Both Ash and Misty knew the headache was building to its critical point.
"One more! Then bounce away to the nearest platform!" Ash instructed.
The directions were followed flawlessly, and Squirtle bounded away gracefully to the platform closest to the drowned island. Meanwhile, Psyduck began screaming loudly in its nasal and pained voice. Its eyes shut tightly as it gripped its skull more tightly than before. Finally, its eyes shot open. They were not the same eyes as before. These eyes were focused, full of intent, and glowed with a strange blue light.
"Now we can get started!" Ash proclaimed excitedly, "Hydro pump on Psyduck!"
The small turtle once again crawled back into his shell and shot a torrent of water towards the still unmoved opponent.
"Turn it back with psychic!" Misty ordered, her eyes shining with new hope and confidence.
The duck swayed its arms until finally bringing them together in a forward pointed gesture. Its blue eyes shimmered more brightly and Psyduck parted his hands, extending them to the sides like a conductor. The water parted in the middle and surged back towards the small, orange-shelled antagonist.
"Cease and use-rapid spin!"
The column of water was cut and the small turtle began spinning at a speed that caused small gusts of wind to push waves away from its platform. The twin snakes of water, illuminated by a blue outline due to Psyduck's control, collided with the spinning defense. The water was easily deflected and splashed in all directions, raining down on the pool as a clear mist. Dawn took note of the technique, clearly impressed with how Squirtle had managed to turn the attack into a glittering curtain that gently permeated the field.
"See what I told you Misty. Psyduck is plenty powerful. He just needs some help getting started," Ash praised.
"Thank you Ash," Misty felt genuinely appreciative, but now she was caught up in the match and her voice turned competitive yet again, "But don't think some kind words will make us go easy on you!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Ash challenged.
"Now, let's see a real screech!" Misty called.
This time, instead of a long, droning joke of an attack, an ear-splitting shockwave of sound poured from Psyduck's bill. The sound carved its way across the waves to Squirtle, creating a wake much like a powerful boat would.
"Underwater! Quick!" Ash nearly cried in panic, the sheer power of the screech taking him by surprise.
The waves passed over Squirtle as he dove into the depths of the pool. However, Misty was anything but finished.
"Let me show you how sonar works! Screech into the water!"
The duck reacted and opened its beak, sending its terrifying sound downwards. The waves propagated and amplified as they entered the pool, causing the deeper waters to shake and shudder at their passing. Squirtle helplessly covered his ears as it tore past him.
"Ugh! Dang, should've predicted that!" Ash cursed himself.
"Now, a re-enactment of something from earlier in the match, only with my own twist!" Misty put on in her own fake announcer's voice, "Psyduck use psychic on the pool to create a whirlpool around Squirtle!"
Ash not only remembered this being used earlier in the match, he remembered this being the exact same technique used by Mandi, his first opponent in the Indigo Conference from his very first journey. He managed to get out of it by pure luck with Krabby, but he couldn't rely on luck for this. Soon Squirtle was caught in the swirling vortex of water, and Ash needed to quickly get him out. As powerful a swimmer as Squirtle was, he couldn't compete with this current. It was too powerful.
If he can't swim under his own power... then he has to make his own power. We'll overcome the power of water with our own water power!
"Squirtle! Point yourself straight down and hydro pump! Focus all your water in that direction!"
Though he struggled with the current that kept him tumbling, the little blue turtle finally oriented himself as told. He fired a powerful stream of water downwards and propelled himself from the whirlpool and into the air, causing gasps to leave the mouths of both women present. Ash smirked as his saw his plan work.
"Use psychic to make arms of water! Grab him and throw him back in!" Misty countered, her will unbending. She wouldn't let Ash get out of that situation so easily.
"Freeze them with ice beam!" Ash's order was obeyed only in the nick of time, as the tendrils of water threatened the grasp the airborne turtle. Each one that froze shattered under its own weight and fell to the water below. However, Psyduck would not relent, conjuring more and more tentacles to snatch its elusive opponent.
"Ice-beam counter-shield!"
Ducking back into hid shell again, Squirtle spun as he emitted thin ice-beams from his home, halting all advancing limbs of water with ease. Dawn was immensely flattered by Ash's tribute. She knew he got the idea for that from her last contest in Viridian where her Lopunny pulled off an appeal using a spinning ice-beam to create a shimmering spiral stair-case.
"Fine! The direct approach!" Misty bellowed, "Psychic on Squirtle, send it to the ceiling!"
Squirtle was caught in the air, glowing in an outline of faint blue. He struggled against it, but was unable to break from the power of Psyduck. Psyduck lifted his arms up, as though directing an orchestra, and Squirtle was sent flying towards the roof of the gym.
"Another hydro pump! Straight up!" Squirtle did just that, channeling another huge stream into the gym's rafters, stalling the psychic movement. Eventually, the psychic attack let up and the turtle fell to the water below.
"Now! Dig into the remains of the island!" Ash dictated. As gracefully as he would dive into the pool, Squirtle dove into the soggy sands of the drowned island.
"What are you doing Ash?" Misty questioned in an exasperated tone, "You can't dig your way to me. You have to come out to fight."
"Who says I'm staying in the sand!" Ash chuckled, "Squirtle are you ready?"
A few bubbles surfaced from the hole in which the turtle had burrowed, indicating his response.
"Ok! Let's try this out! Rocket out of there with hydro pump and use Hydro Disc!"
"Hydro disc?" Both Misty and Dawn asked incredulously.
From the hole in the waterlogged isle burst an orange shell being pushed forth like a missile by a rocket-like torrent of water. It arced towards Psyduck with startling speed. Not long after it reached its peak, the shell began to spin rapidly, emitting water from all six of its entryways. Its spin grew so fast, the streams of water began to merge into a single entity, until it more resembled a watery saw blade than a Pokémon.
Most Pokémon would've been terrified at the sight of this monstrosity heading towards it. But Psyduck, in its current state, only narrowed its eyes in determination as it quickly approached. Misty, however, was so taken aback by this stunning attack that she nearly forgot to react.
"Gah! Psyduck, knock it off balance with Zen Headbutt!" Misty told her yellow duck, her courage quickly returning.
Psyduck's head began to glow purple as he was lifted himself off the ground with his psychic powers. He flew straight at the fast approaching disc of water.
The collision was nothing short of spectacular. The water from the hydro pump was released upon impact, spraying all over the walls of the gym. Both Squirtle and Psyduck landed behind their respective trainers, dazed and dizzy as one could only imagine. The blue glow from Psyduck's eyes faded, and its old dopey look returned. It stood momentarily, not moving a muscle until fell over and gave a long, "duuuuuuuck" in exasperation. Squirtle pulled his head and limbs out of its shell, only to reveal his unconscious state.
"... Wow..." Dawn stated with flat amazement, "Both Pokémon are unable to battle, so this match is a draw."
Misty knelt down beside her sleeping duck and petted it gently. Her kind words floated to it, "That was the best battle you ever fought. I'm so proud of you. Return and take a good rest." She returned it to her pokéball.
"You were fantastic out there buddy. That last move was perfect. Any other Pokémon would have fainted at the sight of it alone. Have a nice long rest," Ash lauded his oldest water-type, returning him to his own red and white sphere.
Misty and Ash slowly walked to one another along the length of the pool. They stopped before one another, with Dawn not far off. Misty began to extend her hand for the customary gesture of a good battle. However, she was quite surprised by Ash's sudden act. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. She didn't honestly know how to feel about this.
What does this mean? Does he like me? Is this a platonic hug? Did he just want to do this since we haven't had the chance to for years? Is it just because of the great battle we had? Yes... it's probably just that last one. Ash doesn't think of me like that. Her thoughts reeled back and forth in her head as Ash released her.
"That was probably the best battle I had in years! Thanks so much Misty! It was fantastic!" Ash lavished her with praise. She couldn't help but blush, and she could only pray she could hide it from him.
"Thanks, that means a lot. And I agree. That was the best battle I've had in ages," Misty spoke softly, "I've been beaten before now, but no battle made me fight so hard, or brought out as much intensity in me and my Pokémon. And what was better is that it was an all water battle, something that I haven't had since I traveled with you!"
"Just bear in mind, I could've beaten you had Pikachu been willing to battle!" Ash jokingly bragged, a small laugh coming from him.
Misty gave him a teasing smile, "Oh... don't let your head get too big Ketchum. Might I remind you still haven't legitimately earned the Cascade Badge. Besides, Pikachu loves me too much to ever battle me! Right?"
Pikachu pounced up into Misty's arms and chimed, "Pikachupi! Pikaaaa."
"Always on her side, aren't you buddy?" Ash playfully inquired, to which Pikachu nodded eagerly.
"Pip-pip! Piplup!" Dawn's starter piped up, hopping up and down, cheering at Misty's feet.
"I think Piplup likes how you battled too, Misty! He is a water type after all, you're quite the water expert," Dawn complimented her best friend.
"Aww, thanks Dawn, and you too Piplup! You're one of the cutest water Pokémon ever!" Misty returned the kind words, bending down to pick up the penguin, hoisting him up alongside Pikachu and nuzzling them both.
They left the gym and went to the Pokémon center where both Ash and Misty submitted their three Pokémon for treatment. Misty decided to close the gym for the remainder of the day, as two of her most powerful Pokémon were out of commission, and the gym staff needed to repair the mid-field island.
"Since when did you get Gym Assistants?" Ash asked out of curiosity.
"About five years ago. Once I whipped the gym back into shape in the league's eyes, they increased my funding. Now I have a lot more on hand help, and the gym itself is in better shape. You saw the new battlefield. It used to just be a plain pool where we would hold water shows and swimming races. Now it's actually a dedicated battlefield," she paused, and took a breath, "I don't think my sisters would mind since they're on tour so much. And even if they did... well, they left me here to run the place, so it's their own fault if they don't like it."
"Yeah, I don't like the way they kind of leave you out in the cold like that," Dawn remarked, a scowl of near disgust on her face.
"I know... but I just have to deal with it... I guess," Misty answered resignedly.
"Well, on the bright side, the steady stream of challengers has made you a powerhouse of a trainer, that's for sure," Ash reassured her.
"Yes, because facing against rookies with Bulbasaurs, Pidgies and Rattata is such good exercise. Only once a month do I get a challenger that might stand a chance of beating me, and I haven't had a challenge like you in years Ash," Misty lamented.
"So how did you develop your skills so well?" Ash posed his own question.
"A lot of self-training, research, I make sure to watch the leagues every year and take notes, and umm... I keep tabs on trainers who I know are good... to you know... keep up with latest techniques and strategies," Misty mumbled.
"Anyone I would know?" Ash casually inquired.
"Mostly it's the few who beat me... and some I see on TV... you might know them, considering how much you travel and how many people you meet," Misty tried to steer around the issue of naming names, her face lit up though as she thought of something, "Though having May, Dawn and Iris over those few times let me battle some high caliber trainers. Whether they're coordinators or type specialists, all three of them are great partners to battle against."
"Fair enough," Ash accepted, apparently satisfied with the answer.
"I actually noticed your style has changed a lot since I last saw you battle? How'd that come about?" Misty asked pointedly.
Ash's face went from content to slightly disappointed. As much as he learned on his lengthy journey, he wasn't proud of how he still managed to lose his latest tournament, and even more disappointed in how he shunned everyone. He replied, trying to remain cheerful, "I re-evaluated everything I learned from when I was a silly kid. I travelled around to get a new set of eyes on places I've been and people I challenged. I fought all the gym leaders in every other region I've been to thus far. I make a point now of trying to match the right attributes to the right situation, clever uses of strength against foes with brute force or hard defense, speed to outmatch those I can't overpower, defense against those whose speed outclasses mine, always training my Pokémon to beat type disadvantage, and always keeping myself aware of escape routes for when things get hairy."
Misty's eyes went wide with his whole explanation, "Why the whole overhaul though?"
Ash's face flashed a deep disappointment again and he tried to phrase it as least painfully as he could for himself, "Because I need to get better. For my Pokémon and for all those who believe in me." His eyes glanced briefly to Dawn, who was staring at him in turn. Misty didn't catch this, as she stared contemplatively ahead as she led them back to her living room.
"I noticed you using a lot really creative moves and combos out there. You pick all those up from Dawn?" Misty continued her line of questions, opting to deviate from the specifics of his long absence, as she saw it wasn't pleasant for him.
"Dawn and I exchange ideas almost all the time," Ash informed the redhead whilst his grin returned, "Like I said to you during the match, she invented counter-shield. The ice-beam variation I used today was inspired by the one her Lopunny used in a contest recently. She also invented the spinning dodge that some of my light-weight Pokémon use, as well as ice-aqua jet! In general, many of her move and element combinations are really good, so I often apply them to my battles!"
"Hey! Now don't go over praising me Ash!" Dawn interjected, "I get plenty of ideas from you too! Today alone I counted three ideas for great appeals and contest battle maneuvers... not to mention that insane Hydro Disc! I swear, that thing was more terrifying and beautiful than anything I've ever seen at a Grand Festival or a Wallace Cup!"
"Well... I'll admit I love claiming credit for that one," Ash said sheepishly, "It just came to me, and I knew it was going to be awesome."
Misty grinned widely as she walked side by side with Ash, "Yeah, I'll be the first to admit... if one thing has stayed the same since we've last battled, it's your ability to pull ridiculous strategies out of the air."
The three arrived in the living room and sat down for a nice rest as they continued to catch up for the last years the trio spent apart. As Ash told her more and more, she couldn't help but admire him just as much, if not more than she used to. In addition to all his great qualities, like his heroic resolve, enthusiasm, determination, and kind heart, he also gained a greater sense of maturity and a surprisingly deep outlook on some things in life. Granted he was still somewhat naive on certain topics, which both Dawn and Misty ribbed him for. In the end, though, it led to the same conclusion for her. Against all her hopes and her efforts over the years, her feelings for the black-haired trainer were still there. And they were growing stronger every second she was near him.