A/N: Before I begin this story, there are a few things I would like to address.
The first and (to me) most important is… I owe all readers my deepest apologies. I just reread chapter one and the grammatical errors… My lack of a beta was no excuse. If the chapter is bad enough that I, as the author, could not tolerate it, then I should have edited it until I was happy with it.
You may have noticed that the chapter has since been replaced, and all the other chapters as well. That said, thank you all for continuing to read despite my horrible writing (and here I'd like to drop a word of thanks to Footloose, author of Loaded March series on AO3 for her LJ page on writing styles which inspired me to do this editing). On that note thank you and I'm sorry again for the sub-par chapters I've been churning out.
The second point, someone sent me a PM requesting I add his/her character in my story. I thought it best to explain my stance on this to everyone. This story was plotted between me and my best friend over the course of six months. We have a separate word document that is basically a thesis and reference guide on each and every character and how they would fit into the world we've created, because of this, we will not be adding characters or changing the plot because everything is actually interlinked, and as we head to the first gym, you'll see how complicated the interweaving actually is. So, thank you but I must firmly say no to any such requests.
Now, the third point is in response to a review:
lightningblade49: You asked why Sceptile wasn't in the line up when Professor Oak asked Ash to bring his strongest Pokèmon. The official answer is that Ash only has six spaces on his team. Pikachu is obvious, so is Charizard. Pidgeot is there because firstly, Ash didn't want to separate from him so soon after their reunion, and secondly, he was strong enough to lead his own flock, and had helped face Mewtwo in the first movie, not to mention Ash needed a way to fly from the airport to the train station and Charizard is not the best of ways for travelling long distances. Bulbasaur is there because to me, he is almost on par with Pikachu in terms of strength. If he wanted to, he would be a Venusaur by now, and if I could have, I would have brought Squirtle in as well. Snorlax is another one of Ash's strongest Pokèmon, for all he was lazy; I think we can agree on this. The final was a tossup between Sceptile, Infernape, and Gibble, and with a fire type and a grass type already on the team, Ash chose Gibble to balance things out. Also, don't forget that Gibble had faced a Darkrai in the Sinnoh League semi-finals, and made a good showing of it all.
Ok, fine, background in my head is, Sceptile and Infernape like Professor Oaks lab and didn't want to leave, whereas Gibble might have been turned into an ice statue if he stayed after angering every water Pokèmon in the lab and no matter how I wrote it, Sceptile and Infernape refused to cooperate while Gibble kept sneaking in ! #$%&. I have long adhered to the fact that if the characters refused to cooperate, then I will not force them. In the end, it is the characters who write the story, not the author. Rest assured, Crystal will get her hands on those two, eventually, but for now, this is how it stands. *headdesk* this sounded so much better in my head.
Fourth and final, yes this chapter is very very late. I was swamped with work and was working, even on public holidays and weekends. I was also busy rewriting the earlier chapters and had a horrible case of writers block when work slowed down (work is an evil evil plot bunny killer T_T). I must have rewritten this chapter a dozen times before I posted.
Chapter 7: Of Champions and Manipulative Professors
"I lost…" Platina barely felt the dirt digging into her knees as she knelt in front of her downed Pokèmon, the shock and pain of her first loss numbing her senses, the approaching footsteps nothing more than background noise as she cradled Piplup in her arms, her vision blurring as she stared at the Pokèmon that had tried so hard for her. That she had failed…
"So quickly…" She whispered the words into the silence as she lowered her head, resolutely keeping the tears from falling. She reminded herself that she was the Berlitz heiress, she could not act as the eleven year old she truly was (but she was eleven years old and it hurts, losing hurts and why must she be strong?).
She tried to rein in her pain, throwing pride and Berlitz and sheer stubbornness at the damp in her eyes, not noticing the approaching person until a pair of sneakers entered her line of sight. Surprised, she looked up at Ash, the other trainer was calm, no smile from his victory appearing on his face, not, she reminded herself, that he should take pride in winning against a beginner like her, and she should have expected the loss, so why was she taking it so hard, and…
Platina had nearly about the other trainer, when she felt her forearm gripped and her body guided to a stand by the Kantou trainer. The smile he gave her felt like a blow as she braced herself for the pitying words that were sure to follow, the patronizing phrases like…
"Yes. Next time, it will be a great battle."
What?
"Well said."
The heiress spun at the words spoken by the Champion whose approach had been missed as she came to the conclusion that Ash didn't pity her. She barely had time to register the words of praise (praise, from the Champion!), before a flying hug from Pearl knocked her over, filling her ears with familiar ramblings, the misery of her first defeat fading as the truth settled in. No one was disappointed in her!
"That was great! Yeah, next time you're gonna win this, I'll draw up a training schedule and me an' Dia can help you!"
Platina decided to ignore Pearl's murdering of grammatical components as she traded a fond glance with Dia, trying her best to communicate a promise in her smile. She will do better next time. The answering smile was like water to the heart.
"Where do you think you're going kid?" Platina shifted her attention back to Red, wondering when Ash had tried to leave the group as she noted the Kanto trainer freeze on his way back to the cottage, mirroring her confusion. Confusion that held a touch of pity, no one wanted the Champion looking at them with that predatory grin. It was the grin of which officials were traumatized by. All further thought was washed away by excitement with his next words,
"Now you've had your warm up, time for a one on one with me."
"Calm down Ash,"
There were times Ash wished he could dump all his emotions on the person saying that phrase and see if they could calm down so easily. As it was, he gave Crystal the barest turn of his head to show he had heard her words before returning his stare to the Champion across the field.
It was hard to turn his attention away from Red. Even from a distance, the Motou Champion had a presence, Ash had only seen in other Champions. It was an aura not even the Elite Four could match, that broadcast the strength of the trainer, as if the region itself had thrust all its power into one worthy human. This was what Ash was about to battle, this collection of strength and power.
He couldn't wait.
"Ready Pikachu?"
The grin had not left his face since Red had made his declaration.
James smiled at the passing trainers as he made himself comfortable against the tree outside the train station, trying to ignore the raised voices from the bushes behind him. As the 'debate' increased in volume, he wondered if there was a bored Pokèmon god that liked to follow his team around and laugh at the trouble they get into. As his teammates discussion grew louder, it took all his willpower to keep the easygoing grin on his face as he flashed a 'what can you do' smile at the passerby's, getting sympathetic grins in return while the conversation behind him degraded into a childish squabble,
"No Meowth."
"Yes
"No."
"Yes"
"No means no and if you keep complaining we're going back to Kantou!"
Two members of the famed Team Rocket, one of the most powerful Teams out there, personally trained by Giovanni they were trusted with missions of the highest secrecy short of Giovanni's personal assistant Arguing in a distant country they had snuck into like a pair of toddlers deciding a vacation spot. Sometimes he hated his life.
Eyeing a few trainers that were getting too curious he decided to end the discussion before they let too much information slip, "I agree with Jessie, we could probably meet up with him on the way to one of the gyms, after he's done with his new friends."
"But…"
"We are not going to crash on him just because he has some new friends."
They were not going to crash on the pipsqueak because of his new friends. James was tired of getting free flights courtesy of Champion Airways; those always took the longest to land.
"Actually," James tried to squash his nerves as Jessie drawled out the word in a way that never meant well for them, "I was thinking, have you considered the Sailor Preserve?"
Red knew he had made the right decision as he faced Ash across the field, with his usual, cocksure grin, only to meet a matching grin on the teen's face. The boy was just like a younger version of himself, jumping at the slightest challenge with overwhelming enthusiasm, it was no wonder Lance…
Dragging his thoughts away from his ex-partner, Red focused on his current opponent, knowing without looking that Pika was ready on the battlefield. As his mind slid into battle mode, it noted that Ash and Pikachu had achieved the same level of communication, the other trainer had not even glanced at his partner, Red analyzed, the trust and understanding between the two was deep enough for wordless communication, something he had noticed during the fight with Platina, and now as the both of them geared up for battle, it would be put to the test.
He missed Crystal's words, zoning out the usual pre-match announcement as he continued to analyze what Ash had shown in the brief match against Platina. Pity it ended too soon, but that meant the boy wouldn't hold back, even against a rookie. The challenge now was to see if having a Champion as an opponent would affect his battle style. His musing was cut short as Crystal lowered her arm, only for Ash to beat him to the punch.
"Pikachu, Swift!"
"Dodge it Pika!"
Shelving the tinystrain of admiration at the other trainers' quick action for later, Red began his attack, determined not to let Ash get control of the flow of battle this early in the game. He had a reputation to protect after all, and Green will never let him live it down if he let the teen take the advantage so easily. "Iron Tail!" He was already moving across the plain as Pika's Iron Tail sent the other Pokèmon flying away from the battle. Knowing he didn't have much time, he slowed enough for Pika to clamber onto his shoulder before giving a burst of speed, not giving Ash time to register that the battlefield had moved he ordered Pika "Tackle! Then follow up with Quick Attack!"
"Pikachu!"
Experience allowed Red to ignore his opponents scream as Pikachu was tackled in the stomach, but did nothing to conceal his shock as Ash's next command of, "Counter Shield!".
As he regained his equilibrium, Red made two mental notes to himself. Firstly, the kid got his act together faster then most trainers not used to a moving battlefield. Secondly, he added as the opponent Pikachu spun on its back, shooting out electric charges that formed a shield expanding outwards, watch out for hidden aces.
Ash knew that he didn't have much time to capitalize on his brief advantage. Pika was an electric type, the shield would shock and push back the off balanced Pokèmon, but without causing any damage. It wouldn't take long for the experienced mouse type and his trainer to shake off shock shock, and they will realize that Pika could force his way through Counter Shield if Ash didn't act fast.
Meeting Pikachu's eyes even as he raced across the field, he was once again grateful for his bond with his oldest friend as Pikachu read his next command in his gaze, and not a moment too soon.
"Pika, stand your ground and use Tackle!"
Breathing a sigh of relief as he reached the battleground, Ash watched the older Pokèmon force his way through Counter Shield, only to tackle an illusion as Pikachu used Double Team, buying the younger trainer time to think. Memories and experience were Ash's aid as he remembered a move Dawn had shown Zoe during her losing streak in the early days of her journey.
"Pikachu, Swift again, contest style!"
"Oh you didn't!"
Red's exclamation caused Ash to grin in triumph as both trainer and Champion watched Pikachu spin around, the Swift stars forming a curtain that hid the Pokèmon from sight, Dawn's weakness was now Ash's gain.
Sending a mental thanks to the blue haired trainer, Ash pushed his momentary advantage,
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
"Pika, dodge it!"
Both cursing and admiring how quickly Red recovered from shock (most opponents would stalled long enough for Ash to gain an actual advantage), Ash strained his eyes to see past the Swift still on field, only to see Pika avoid Pikachu's latest attack, neatly dodging the fading stars and even using them as platforms to negate what remained of the challenging duo's advantage.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the Swift!"
He's good.
Arriving at the scene of battle before the others, Green could only watch in admiration as the Kanto trainers Pikachu used Iron Tail to hit the fading stars at Pika, mentally taking notes on the techniques he could use for future battles.
He's not used to a moving battlefield, but he knows how to create one to his advantage.
As Pika dodged again, and spun to strike back one of the stars at the unsuspecting challenger, knocking Pikachu over with the younger Pokèmon's own attack, Green kept up his analyses of the 'new' trainer.
His reaction time is not as good as Red's, or even mine, but it is on par with Blue's. He's creative and has a good head for tactics, not quite at Red's level yet, but getting there. He's still a match for most of the gym leaders, and maybe even Blue, Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald. He could definitely take Crystal in a fair fight once he learns the style. Adaptive too.
Green added the last thought as he watched Pikachu finally score solid hit on Pika using a complicated mix of Double Team and running around the trainers legs, timing it so that Ash moved away just before the tackle hit Pika dead on.
Wincing as Red's grin reached maniac proportions, Green wondered when was the last time his rival had met such a challenge outside of their little group and selected gym leaders. To be fair, Ash was proving to be a par above the normal challenger. If a par meant the distance between earth and heaven. Belatedly, Green remembered that the boy was a Champion in his own right, no matter how small the Orange Isle were compared to the rest of the regions. It was just so easy to forget considering how the boy acted, but his skills were proving true.
That thought was validated as Green watched, eyes widening in shock to see Ash's Pikachu dodge another attack coming from the back.
If Crystal and Blue had not pounded the habit of cursing during battles out of him, Red would have shriveled the surrounding flora with his words as Pikachu dodged another one of Pika's attacks, with his eyes closed!
Even worse, there had been almost no communication between Pokèmon and trainer before the younger Pokèmon seemed to grow eyes on the back of his head, not since Ash's cryptic command of 'Wave training.'
After that, Pikachu, who had been struggling to dodge the faster Pika's attacks, had closed his eyes and started swaying away from the swift attacks with hardly any effort. This didn't bode well for Red. If it kept up, Pikachu would be able to regain some strength from the damage Pika had already dealt him, while Pika wasted his strength and energy in the meantime.
It was time to bring out the big guns.
"Pika, Thunder and Return!"
It was worth the risk to see the confusion on Ash's face as Pika released a Thunder which tore the ground and, most importantly, stopped Pikachu for the few precious seconds for Pika's Return to hit. The powerful attack knocked out the other Pokèmon even as Red relished the victory, hearing Crystal call the match,
"Pikachu is unable to battle, the winner is Red and Pika!"
"That was amazing!"
"You were awesome!"
"So were you, when you did that thing with…"
"But then you…"
Crystal ignored the two Pikachu trainers gushing as she focused her attention on Platina, worried about the girls morale after the loss to Ash. The researcher was grateful for the battle between Ash and Red, if only to show the young heiress what level the visitor was from and that there was no shame in losing to someone who could give a champion a run for his money. She was happy to note that Platina had not let her defeat dampen her spirits; in part due to the grace Ash had handled his victory over the rookie trainer. In fact, it seemed that the battle had lit a fire in the girl.
"Our first destination will be Igo City. If we cut through Atari Forest, the closest gym will be the Igo City gym…"
"Did someone say gym?"
Suppressing a scream as Ash seemed to teleport over two the two females in the group, Crystal tried to ignore the feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach as the Kanto trainer continued,
"You're going to battle the gym leaders? Can I come along? I want to try and enter the league here."
She hated it when her instincts were right. Wondering how to get out of this without angering her visitor, Crystal approached the topic gently, "Ash, I don't think it is wise…"
Only to be cut off by a familiar voice, "What Cryst is trying ta' say is that ya overqualified ta enter da league kiddo."
"Sapphire!"
TBC
A/N: And yes, here comes Sapphire. So can anyone guess who the gym leaders are? Hehehe