Well after a LONG hiatus, I am back. Sorry to keep you all waiting, I mean even the new Pokémon series of X and Y has even been released so all I'll have to do is keep on keeping on. But some of you just want to read right? Well then I shall allow you that luxury. However do keep in mind that with everything going on and using the episodes as a basis takes longer than one might think.
I apologise for keeping you all waiting though. These fics take a while although since it's Pokémon, something that has a nice place on my heart, I doubt that I'll stop enjoying it. So I hope that you guys can too. Yet there will probably be a new pairing for the next series but I am actually pretty interested for the new series. A number of questions that have passed my mind have probably crossed yours. But in the end, here we are anyway. And so….
Enjoy, Mr Question Mark.
Ash, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu and Axew all looked around the library that they had already been through once before, the previous night.
Ash himself had not gotten much sleep, too excited about his Gym Battle to care about anything else at the moment, something that had not hindered the sleep of the others too much.
Of course, Ash's energy seemed to flow onto the others to which they felt as if they had gotten a good night sleep after all. Now that it was the middle of the day, the amount of people inside the library had increased.
Although the others had wanted to see the historian that had been extremely knowledgeable about what had happened last night, they had not managed to find him after the incident however there was always the chance that they would.
Leading them, Lenora and Hawes walked through the library as the others followed. Of course, if he had waited Ash would have seen the battlefield itself however his excitement got the better of him.
"Say, Lenora." He asked. "Where exactly is the battlefield?"
Cilan nodded as he looked around. "Having a battlefield here would be a recipe of unique flavour however I find it hard to believe that something would be here." He put in.
Lenora let out a small laugh. "Don't worry you guys. You'll see soon enough." She continued to lead them until they reached a wall with a locked door on it. To the right of it was a scanner, something that Hawes put his hand on, his hand glowing blue as he pulsed his aura through it.
Similar to a fingerprint, one's aura was individual, no two auras being the same. Although they might be of the same level, each person's aura was something that only they could have. As such, many security devices were placed with a device to identify aura from another's. Such as this one.
The screen lit up with a green light as it recognised the authority and aura that Hawes held and the door opened with a slow pace. Hawes turned to the group as the door opened. "This area is something that the public isn't allowed in. Usually only researchers or challengers are allowed in here." He explained.
The door opened and the group stepped inside looking around at the scenery that was around them. Stacks of book were placed along an immense amount of bookshelves, each categorised using terms such as 'Kanto', 'Johto', and the like. Furthermore each shelf was them further split into sub categories of each region.
"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu." Said Pikachu on Ash's shoulder as it looked around at all of the books.
"Amazing…" noted Iris as she looked at all of the books, moving to one of the bookshelves to have a look at one of them.
"Indeed." Said Lenora with a proud smile. "This is reserved for rare books and the like. You can only enter if you have permission from either Hawes or I."
Hawes nodded. "This room has everything about Unova as well as a few select works on other regions. All of Unova's culture and history can be learnt once you read these books." He said with a proud smile. "There are also some significant books about the study of aura however those have a whole shelf to themselves."
Cilan had also moved towards one of the shelves and was looking at it. "Incredible. You even have books on the study of Connoisseurs and the use of aura inside the profession!" Cilan looked at the books with interest as he looked at the numerous studies based upon Connoisseurs and their aura.
Lenora nodded. "Of course. After all, Unova is the home of the Connoisseur. Do you have an interest?" she asked.
Cilan nodded. "Of course! I'm on this journey because of my interest towards finding all about the various connections between Pokémon and their Trainers and the ways that my aura can be used to increase my understanding!"
Lenora let out a smile. "Ah the energy of youth. I wish you luck and have a browse." Cilan nodded in thanks and did what was expected of an interested boy, looking at each and every book.
Lenora moved forward and walked towards where Ash was in the middle of the room, Iris near him as she looked at one of the books of the shelves. She gave a pat on his shoulder which made him jump and turn around.
"Well Ash, since you're here you may as well try and study Unova while you're here. Or maybe some kind of aura study? Usually many trainers go to there in order to become stronger with their aura and perhaps raise their level. What about you?" she asked.
Ash scratched his head as he looked around. "Well, you see I wanted to have a Gym Battle right off the bat…." He said.
"Pikachu…" noted Pikachu along with his trainer as he looked around as well.
"I know! And that's why I brought you here. After all, as Hawes said the only people that are allowed in this room are researchers and challengers. And you know which category you fit into right?" said Lenora as she moved along the shelves.
"Yeah….but why am I here?" he asked as he looked around at all of the books.
"Well, knowledge can be vital in a battle. Said Lenora with a smile. "Knowledge about aura….about your Pokémon and their abilities….the amount of knowledge that someone can earn is limitless." She approached one of the books along the back wall and tapped it with a blue finger to make sure that Ash saw what she was pointing to. "And this one is the best one to start with."
Ash's face fell. "I suppose…..but I really wanted to have a Gym Battle instead of reading…." He said with a dejected expression.
"Pika….." said Pikachu with the same expression as it mirrored Ash's expression.
"You know Ash, it could be worse." Said Iris as she came in close to Ash to make sure that she wasn't overheard however it would have been hard if Lenora was Aura Listening. Ash turned to her and didn't realise how close their faces were as he frowned, something that however not missed by Iris with a red face. She slowly backed her head away however Cilan managed to speak up from his other side to divert his attention.
"You know this might be a way to test you. With our Gym Battle it was done by choosing your opponent so maybe this is just her way. Perhaps your area of knowledge is something that Lenora might use to her advantage." He put in.
"So…this is a test?" he asked as he looked at Lenora. Her facial expression was hard to determine, something that made Ash nervous to a small extent.
Ash closed his eyes, thinking about what to do. What options were available to him? What could he do in order to pass this 'test'? In the end, there was only one thing that Ash could come up with in order to answer that question.
"ARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he yelled, surprising everyone in the room. "Fine! If it's for the Gym Battle, then I'll read anything!" He moved forward and went to the book that Lenora had suggested, Lenora somewhat surprised as he did so.
"This one…wasn't it?" he asked as he tried to remove the book. All of a sudden there was a clicking sound and the entire of the wall seemed to shift as it moved upwards. The group made a surprised sound as they moved back, watching as the wall continued to rise up only to reveal a large opening where it should have been.
The staircase that was behind the wall descended down into the floor. Ash gulped nervously as he looked down the staircase.
"Wh…what's down there?" he asked Lenora.
"Of course Ash, it's the battlefield." Said Hawes. He turned to his wife with a questioning glance. "Don't you think that Ash is quite direct in his approach?" he asked.
Lenora gave a nod. "It's just like Connoisseur boy was saying." Ash made a face that indicated that he did not understand while Cilan merely grumbled something that he had been labelled 'Connoisseur boy'. "I was testing you ever since walked in here." She said.
"Pika?" asked Pikachu which also seemed to embody Ash's thoughts as well.
"You see…." Said Lenora as she explained. "Whenever I tell a challenger to go to a book, practically every time they go towards a book that they are interested or divert their gaze towards a book that is related to aura."
"Umm…." Said Ash. "How do you know that exactly?"
Lenora grinned as she pointed to her eye. "It's one of my Aura abilities. I have the ability to monitor the movement of a person's eyes within a certain range. As such, even if it for a second, I can tell whether or not someone is looking towards a certain book."
"Ah…." Said Iris as she realised what Lenora was saying. "So Trainers usually look towards some other book than the one that you suggest?" she asked.
Lenora nodded. "Even though I show them the straight path towards the Gym."
Cilan nodded. "But what is the point of that?" he asked.
"Because some challengers will get too distracted by reading too much into what I say. So sometimes they will choose some books that they are interested in like aura related books or books that they can finish quickly. Interesting is it not? I can usually tell the psychology of a trainer due to what they do in this situation." Hawes nodded.
"So!" said Iris as she placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, pushing him slightly forward. "What kind of trainer is Ash then?!" she asked with enthusiasm, enthusiasm that some of the people felt was too overwhelming.
However Lenora still gave an answer. "Well with Ash it's both an aspect of judging a book but its cover yet it's not. He rose aggressively towards my challenge. However trainers with similar personality usually direct their attentions, even for a moment towards aura related books. But Ash is different. He didn't even glance towards them. To be honest, I'm quite excited to see how his aggressiveness with play out of the battlefield."
Hawes shook his head. "In my opinion, it should be fairly easy to see through."
Iris looked at Ash however something that Lenora had said stuck in her mind. Due to the fact that he hadn't even glanced at the aura related books told her that at least for now, he didn't see any point in improving it. Cilan had the same look on his face so it seemed that he had made the same conclusion. Despite that Iris still tried to make it seem that everything was fine.
"Well I guess they've got you done to a T." said Iris to which Ash chuckled nervously.
However he stopped. "Oh well, I don't care. Let's get this battle underway!"
"I like your spirit! I completely agree. Let's go." Said Lenora as she made her way down, Ash and the others following.
Iris brought up the rear, Axew coming out of her hair however there was also something that Iris was more focused on. She looked at the hand that she had used to touch Ash with, holding it while blushing for a bit.
Although it had been for a short while, an event that was surely insignificant, it was something that Iris had noticed had moved her heart. She did not understand why that was the case. Why did she feel this way? What was causing it? Yet that feeling inside her made her feel solely satisfied.
And inside her mind, she hoped for there to be more events like that in the future.
Ash could not hold his anticipation any longer. When he heard the sound of lights turning on in the room ahead, he ran past the Gym Leader and into the room ahead of it, him looking in awe at the battlefield.
"Pikaa" said Pikachu, voicing Ash's thoughts. Having such a battlefield under the Museum was impressive in and of itself and the fact that things up above went ahead smoothly as if such a thing did not exist at all was just as amazing.
Ash ran into the centre of the battlefield, looking at the room from all angles. "Yeah!" he said with anticipation. "Come on Lenora! Let's go and battle!"
Lenora let out a sigh with a chuckle before stepping forward towards him. "Really, is that all you want to do? Don't you perhaps want to know what Pokémon I'm going to use?" Ash tilted his head at what she said and instead of explaining, Lenora merely reached for a Pokéball on her belt, throwing it into the air where it burst open in a shine of light, a shape coming from it and appearing right in front of Gym Leader and challenger.
The Pokémon that Ash had seen the night before stood with its arms crossed along its chest, facial expression neutral as it looked towards Ash. Ash let out a smile. Indeed, he had thought that she was going to use Watchog after the ability that it had shown to have during the night before. It seemed the most logical choice towards such and in turn, Ash had predicted that Lenora would have used it.
Lenora looked towards his smiling face before reaching for another Pokéball on her belt. "You might have known that one….but what about this?" she asked as she threw another Pokéball into the air.
Like the other it burst open with a bright light, the shape forming barking as the light around it dispersed. It was small with large ears, bits of brown covering it all over as it wagged its tail in happiness.
"So cute!" exclaimed Iris as she ran forward, using her aura to speed herself up slightly before kneeling down to pat the Pokémon on the head. "Why, hello there." She said as she patted its head. In response the Pokémon's feet glowed blue for only a second as it leaped up towards Iris's face licking it in the process.
Iris fell down backwards however did not mind as the Pokémon continued to lick her face in happiness. "Lenora, your Lillipup is just the cutest!" She exclaimed as she continued to press it up to her face.
"Lilli….pup?" asked Ash rhetorically as he brought out his Pokédex, allowing Pikachu to jump on his shoulder and approach the Pokémon in front of it.
He scanned the Pokémon as it was it Iris's arms listening to the information that was coming from the speakers of the device.
"Lillipup the Puppy Pokémon. The long air in front of Lillipup's face acts as a radar, perfect for identifying conditions in the surrounding area. Using its aura, Lillipup can determine obstacles in front of it and surrounding it, the greater the area the greater the scope for the range of the radar."
"Both Normal types….." said Ash as he looked at both Watchog and Lillipup.
"Do not underestimate them though." Said Hawes as he walked towards the two. "Both of them react well to Lenora's commands and are well trained. Not only that but they do often help with Museum security so make sure not to think that just because they are Normal types that this will be a walk in the park."
Ash pondered upon the words of the co-curator before hearing a cute "Pup! Pup!" from below him. He looked down to see Lillipup staring back at him panting and wagging its tail. Amused, Ash bent down to pick it up however Lillipup used its aura to leap up towards him making him fall back as it licked his face, Ash laughing as it did so.
"Normal types are perfect for Gym Battles you know." Lenora said as Ash continued to laugh as Lillipup licked it. "With limitations via Fighting types and Ghost types it is easy to work around any kind of strategy that might be used against me in the event of that type of Pokémon being released in battle. That and the fact that their aura is not tied towards a particular element makes them the perfect choice in battle."
"You know Lillipup, I hope that you give us a good time!" said Ash as he looked at the Pokémon.
"Did you hear what Lenora just told you Ash?" asked Iris towards the boy.
Cilan nodded. "Indeed Lenora does have a point. Being limited by weaknesses does prove to be a tricky thing. Just like my Pansage. Yet at the same time the fact that Lenora chose to reveal her Pokémon towards Ash does reveal a smell of confidence that lies for a Gym Leader. The blend between the type of test for challengers and using Normal types moves does have the scent of a wonderful recipe!"
Iris sweatdropped as Cilan talked, partially wondering whether he was totally sane or just strange. Lenora on the other hand let out a laugh. "Well, I'm glad to hear you say that Connoisseur boy. That exactly is the type of battle I enjoy." She turned to her husband.
He nodded in response before clearing his thought. "Alright Ash, everyone, the battle between Ash the challenger and Lenora the Gym Leader will be a two Pokémon battle. Battles will be one and one and the battle will be over when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle. Not only that but Pokémon can be freely substituted at any time during the course of the battle."
"Two…on two." Said Ash. Not a Double Battle? This was Lenora's Gym after all so she made the rules and things were a little different here in Unova. Ash was once again reminded of that fact.
"Yep." Said Cilan. "This must be the way that Lenora is using her skills as a Gym Leader in bringing out your flavour as a trainer."
"Well for my first choice, Lillipup will be the one." Commented Lenora. Ash looked at the Pokémon that was sitting on top of him with a curious glance before standing up.
"Ash. You are you going to use?" asked Iris towards him. Ash put Lillipup down and it ran towards Lenora before Ash reached for Pokéballs on his belt and enlarging them. He smiled at them however mysteriously did not say which Pokémon he was going to use. Instead he turned towards Iris and Cilan.
"Hey, you guys can you keep an eye on Pikachu for me?" he asked. Iris frowned that she did not know what Pokémon he was going to use and nodded.
Lenora took that as a sign for her to act. She raised one of the Pokéballs that she had and returned Watchog quickly. She looked towards Ash with a raised eyebrow. "Well then Ash? How about we begin?" she asked.
Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town had the biggest grin on his face when he said yes.
"I told you! I told you!" cried one of the maids in the mansion before exiting out the doors in a frantic escape to flee.
Spencer Hale did not respond, merely white in the face as he went over what he had just seen inside his head once more. He did it again and again however could find no explanation. He turned towards his wife who was also quite pale.
Molly Hale merely fell to her knees as she looked towards the painting that hung on the wall. That was where it was. That was where she had been proved wrong. In the end, all of the rumours that the staff had been saying had been proved true. And that maid was not the only one that had fled. 4 more had done so just hours before.
Spencer Hale gulped as he turned towards one of the butlers that was shaking as he looked at the painting on the wall.
"I don't care who it is. The rumoured 'A' division of the AJD or one of those free-lance Exorcists. I don't care who it is but….."
He looked towards the painting on the wall. Worth 6.54 million Poké the painting was one by a famous impressionist that detailed the creation of the Legendary Beast by Ho-Oh after the burning of the Bell Tower. Yet those facts did not matter. In the end the only thing that was there was the mark along the entire of the painting, engraved with a knife that lay on the floor.
No one knew who had done it. After all, lunch had been served with everyone present. No one had left the room and Molly herself knew what the painting had looked like before she had gone to lunch. However when they had returned the words had appeared. Appeared without anyone drawing them. And there was a significant change.
"…..get someone who can deal with this."
The butler ran off, clearly eager to do so. Yet there was something that even Spencer Hale wondered as he looked towards that one painting.
What did the words HELP ME mean? And why oh why…..
Did he feel the urge to cry when he saw them?
"The battle between Lenora the Gym Leader and Ash the challenger is about to begin. The challenger has the first move. Ready? Begin!" Hawes started the battle with those words.
Lenora nodded and pointed towards the battlefield. "Lillipup! Get ready!" Without another sound, it raced along the battlefield using its aura in order to gain speed, growling at the prospect of a challenge.
Iris flinched somewhat at the change from the attitude that had been shown by the Pokémon beforehand, Cilan noticing it. "Lillipup certainly does seem to have a mix of flavours. It must realise that this is the time for a battle. All other rules are out." He smiled. "This is going to get serious."
Iris looked towards Lillipup on the battlefield, feeling something emerge from her hair. Yet the question was raised, why was she here? Who had she decided to travel with? Who was she supporting?
"Go for it Ash!" she yelled and the Pokémon that had come from her hair let out a cry of "Axe Axew!" in response.
"Hah, is that the way it is huh?" asked Ash. He reached for one of the Pokéballs that he had and threw it. "Then we'll do the same! Tepig! I choose you!"
Tepig emerged from the light and snorted out flames from its snout in enthusiasm, the point emphasised with the cry of "Tepig!".
"That is indeed some great spirit there!" commented Cilan to which Iris nodded.
"Yep, Tepig realises that Ash trusts it with this battle! So it wants to live up to that trust! I can't wait to see what kind of attacks there are going to be here!" Cilan nodded in agreement and Pikachu on Cilan's shoulder silently looked at his trainer.
Although they had not said it, it was clear what they wanted to see. The combination of aura against aura attacks. Their surprise at Pikachu's aura the other day was reasonable; they had never seen Ash use aura attacks. And that was for a reason. Yet while they wanted to have this kind of ending, in the end that just was not possible.
Ash Ketchum would not use aura attacks every opportunity he got. There was just no way.
"Alright then Tepig! Ember!" he said, earning a look of surprise from everyone. And their thoughts were along the lines of the same thought: a non-aura attack that was clearly weaker than one of an aura attack. So why use it?
Yet Tepig complied, moving forward, ready to attack with its Ember. Lenora frowned yet called her next attack.
"Lillipup! Aura Roar!"
Lillipup's body glowed a blue colour and it let out a cry of "Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!" The sound coming from its mouth could actually be seen as a sort of wave that struck Tepig and threw it off guard which thus made it not use its attack. At the same moment, its body glowed red as it was returned to its Pokéball, Ash looking in surprise as the Pokéball next to it opened and another Pokémon came out.
"Oshaaaaaaaaaa." Said Oshawott before falling over as it was asleep, its head hitting the ground and causing it to wake up.
"What?!" exclaimed Ash as he looked at what happened.
"Heh. This a first time for Aura Roar is it?" asked Lenora. "You see, Aura Roar is a basic move that uses aura to force opponents to switch Pokémon inside a battle."
Ash grit his teeth as he looked towards the Gym Leader, Oshawott looking confused at Ash. At the same time, Lenora took the opportunity to return Lillipup before sending out Watchog, the smile on her face one that Ash had seen many times before. Gym Leaders knew what they were doing. And this was just one of those things that Lenora had used before.
The Pokéball burst open with a flash of light revealing Watchog. It looked down upon Oshawott with a confident glare, something that made Oshawott step back.
"Watchog huh?" wondered Ash. He had decided on using Tepig first and that decision was something that stayed with him. He took out Oshawott's Pokéball and was going to return it however Lenora acted first.
"Watchog! Aura Mean Look!" she cried. Watchog's eyes glowed blue and a strange purple-blue light came from them, something that enveloped Oshawott's body. And as soon as the red light from the Pokéball hit Oshawott, it dispersed in all directions. Ash tried again however the result was the same. Oshawott could not be switched out.
"Don't try Ash." Remarked Lenora. "Aura Mean Look is a move that prevents you from switching out your Pokémon. It's futile."
"Aura Roar and Aura Mean Look?" asked Iris. "That's a new one on me."
"For sure. Using Aura Roar to switch out and then Aura Mean Look to prevent doing so, it's both a psychological tactic that is made for this battle." Cilan commented. "I mean just look at Ash. If he continues to get thrown off during the battle, they'll be no way for him to recover."
Indeed, Ash's fists were clenched as he looked on.
My plan to use Ember in response to an aura attack to throw them off guard and then use Razor Shell from Oshawott isn't going to work now. What do I do?
"I don't need to use my aura to see the effects of what I just did to you." Said Lenora as she pointed to her eye. "But still, there's nothing you can do. You have to stick with Oshawott. It's your only choice."
Ash slowly nodded. "That's fine!" he said. "Come on Oshawott, you just have to battle first!"
"Oshaaaaaaaaaa….." Oshawott said in response as it looked towards its trainer with a somewhat annoyed expression on its face.
"Oshawott…..does not look happy." Said Iris as she looked towards the Pokémon. "Is it really that upset from battling ahead of time?"
Still, Ash took the initiative and attacked first. "Oshawott, Water Gun!" commanded Ash. Oshawott responded by letting out a stream of water that flowed through the air and Lenora responded similarly.
"Watchog, Aura Low Kick!" she commanded. Watchog raced forward, dodging the Water Gun, using the power of its aura before smashing its leg, which was glowing blue at the same time, at Oshawott's leg that caused it to be thrown off balance.
Its head smashed into the floor and Watchog moved back so that it was a good distance away from the opponent.
"Check out that speed!" said Iris. "Why can't Ash see that using aura is the only way to counter something like that?!"
Cilan nodded. "Surely, Watchog does have the ability to manoeuvre itself well due to its aura. Yet why does Ash not do the same?" Although Cilan did ask that question, he looked toward Iris who did not know the answer either. Just why was Ash not using aura to have the advantage?
"Oshawott! Are you OK?" yelled Ash to which Oshawott slowly stood up with a low sounding "Osha osha" coming from its mouth that sounded awfully like a laugh. Yet it responded by hitting its scalchop with its paw.
"That's great! Alright then Oshawott, let's show them who's boss!"
Lenora let out a chuckle before speaking. "Alright then Ash, let's get going! Show me that spirit! Now, Watchog use Aura Thunderbolt!"
Watchog let out a stream of electricity with a light blue glow that headed straight towards Oshawott. However…
"Use you scalchop to deflect!" cried Ash towards the Pokémon. Oshawott grabbed the small item in its chest and held it up in order to deflect the Aura Thunderbolt, the move hitting the scalchop, and in retaliation the counter almost threw Oshawott back however it held its ground as the Aura Thunderbolt was dispersed.
"Yes! Way to go Oshawott!" exclaimed Ash at the success of the counter to which Oshawott proudly showed off its scalchop towards its 'audience'.
"Oshawott has a counter for Electric type attacks even without attacking? Now, that really is impressive." Remarked Lenora, a compliment that was not unheard by Ash.
"Alright now it's our turn! Oshawott, get in close!" yelled Ash as Oshawott headed straight for Watchog.
"Close quarters battle huh?" said Lenora. "Two can play at that game. Watchog, use Aura Low Kick!" Watchog ran forward towards Oshawott with that same glowing blue foot that it had before and Ash smiled. Lenora, using her aura ability noticed it and wondered just what was going on however it was Ash that made it apparent.
"Oshawott, use Razor Shell to intercept that move!" Oshawott grabbed its scalchop and a bright blue light of energy came from the tip of the scalchop before smashing down onto the foot that was coming its way. There was no time for Lenora to call out a counter-command so all she had to do was wait for the moves to strike and see which one came out on top.
Yet there was nothing like that. As soon as the attacks collided, the non-aura attacks against the aura attacks only had one type of result; negation. As soon as they collided the aura attack was negated, the burst of air throwing back both of the Pokémon onto the ground.
"What?!" exclaimed Lenora. She had never seen this type of result before! Just what was this type of attack?
Yet Ash was the one that was not thrown off at all. "Oshawott!" he cried. "Use Water Gun to back it up!" he shouted. Oshawott, who was still flying through the air due to the attack turned its gaze towards Watchog and fired the stream of water, earning a direct hit that caused Watchog to fall to the ground and cry out in pain.
"Wow! It worked!" cried Iris from the sidelines. "The aura against no aura attacks allowed for that opening to happen!"
Cilan nodded. "Indeed, that meant that Ash had the element of surprise on his hand. After all, not many trainers actually use this strategy to their advantage." Still why did he have such a strategy at his fingertips? Why did Ash Ketchum chose to battle the way he did?
Lenora looked stunned towards what had happened and Ash took the time to attack as well. "Oshawott, get in close again and use Razor Shell!" Oshawott ran forward and Lenora snapped out of the momentary trance that she was in.
"Unconventional tactics huh?" she said. "Well then!" she called out to Watchog that was on the ground. "Use your tail and aura to smash that scalchop out of Oshawott's grip!" Watchog complied and spun around as it was on the ground, using its aura in its tail to nail a strike, hitting its tail on Oshawott's scalchop. And the same thing happened. The negated effect of Watchog's aura meant that Oshawott's scalchop was thrown out of its grip the burst of air causing Watchog to be thrown to the ground again and Oshawott to sail upwards.
Oshawott tried to grab its scalchop in mid-air however it was Lenora that called an attack first. "Watchog, finish this with Aura Thunderbolt!" she cried and Watchog let out that same burst if air towards Oshawott.
"Oshawott, counter with Water Gun!' he cried however Oshawott was too distracted trying to get its scalchop. Just when it had reached it, the Aura Thunderbolt hit it head first and it cried out in pain before falling to the ground, where it did not move, swirls replacing where its eyes were.
"Oshawott is unable to battle and Watchog wins!" declared Hawes. Ash grit his teeth and returned Oshawott. "Thanks Oshawott, you did great." Ash reached for his next Pokéball thinking over what Lenora had done.
Despite the fact that she had not known the effects of aura and non-aura moves, she had still managed to grasp the concept of the burst of air having the effect that it did. With the fact that Oshawott and the scalchop would both be thrown into the air and the fact that Oshawott had taken priority in the scalchop revealed to Ash that Lenora knew what she was doing.
"To think." Said Iris. "It was going so well apart from the last bit. Why did Ash have to use that Razor Shell instead of Aura Razor Shell?"
"I think that was what Lenora was counting on though." Said Cilan to which Iris, Pikachu and Axew looked at him. "Think about it. She didn't get Watchog to stand up. With its aura it would have definitely been possible to do yet she probably thought that Ash was going to continue with the close range attacks. To think that far ahead in a battle…..Lenora sure is amazing."
The others looked at Lenora who had taken her own move now. She raised up her Pokéball. "Watchog, return" she said and the red light enveloped the Pokémon, returning it to the Pokéball. She reached for another one and sent it out, Lillipup appearing with that same intimidating look upon its face.
"Switching out huh?" asked Ash. "Fine by me, Tepig I choose you!" Ash threw Tepig's Pokéball and the Pokémon appeared in a burst of light, appearing even more ecstatic that it was in the battle.
"Tepig seems even more pumped than ever!" said Iris. "This is going to be great!" she said.
Ash took the next move. "Tepig, Tackle!" he cried. Tepig ran forward and Lenora responded with only one command.
"Dodge!" The next instant, Lillipup moved so fast that it was a blur to the normal eye, Ash finding it hard to determine where Lillipup had gone, the blur of brown confusing his eyes. "Now!" called Lenora as she watched Lillipup, probably using her aura ability to keep track of the movements. "Aura Shadow Ball!"
Lillipup stopped and opened its mouth, a ball of purple energy forming at the mouth, a hint of blue among that purple. "Lilli-pup!" it cried as it launched the ball, something that headed straight for Tepig and before Ash could call out a command, it slammed into it and sent it rolling on the ground.
"Tepig!" cried Ash.
"Pig…..pig…." said Tepig as it slowly got up from the blow that had been dealt towards it.
"Tepig! Hang in there and use Ember!" called Ash. Tepig slowly stood up and fired the flames from its snout.
"Dodge and end this with Aura Take Down!" shouted Lenora. Lillipup turned into the same blur again as it moved faster than the eye could perceive, as it used its aura. Ash gritted his teeth as he tried to find where Lillipup was going to stop. That speed! Although Ash had seen a number of Aura Double Teams in his time, this was practically the same! How could a Pokémon get so fast using its aura?!
…Its…aura?
An idea came to Ash's head however he never had the time to test it out as Lillipup stopped, its body shining with a yellowish and blue glow, something that it sued to ram into Tepig's side, the attack and speed behind it causing the recoil to affect Tepig rather Lillipup.
Tepig let out a cry of "Te!" before sailing into the air and landing on the ground with a cloud of dust forming.
"Tepig!" cried Ash towards his Pokémon however there was no response. Instead, when the dust cleared, what Ash saw was the sight of Tepig on the ground, its eyes replaced by swirls.
"Lillipup wins!" announced Hawes. "And that means that victor is Lenora, the Gym Leader!"
"Lillipup!" cried the victorious Pokémon as it wagged its tail. Tepig sat up, depressed at the loss and looked at the trainer that approached it. Ash bent down and patted Tepig on the head in encouragement.
"Thanks Tepig. You gave it your all." He said while smiling.
Tepig turned its head with a depressed "Pig" and Pikachu jumped off Cilan's shoulder and approaching them.
"Come on now. I mean it." Said Ash while Pikachu comforted the Pokémon at the results of the battle. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I didn't use the right timing and strategy. I'm sorry." Tepig turned around to have a look at the expression on its trainer face yet did not get a proper look as Iris and Cilan gave over to his side.
"Ash?" asked Iris as she had a look at the young trainer. Ash looked up towards her and Iris took a note of the small hint of sadness that was in his brown eyes. She wanted to say something however it was Cilan that spoke up first.
"It's a pity about the battle." He said and Ash sat down with his legs crossed, clearly pondering about the results of the battle.
"Both Tepig and Oshawott gave it their all. Yet we still lost. It just shows that even though I've done a lot of travelling, there's still places where I can improve." The path towards a Pokémon Master was one that required improvement for the young trainer. And the fact that he knew his faults was something that allowed him to grow. Yet the fact that there was this obstacle made the boy even more determined to overcome it. To show to himself and his Pokémon that they could do it.
With that thought in mind, Ash stood up. "Sorry, Lenora? Thank you very much for taking out your time to battle me." He said as he bowed down.
Lenora smiled to the trainer. "Anytime Ash anytime. I like your attitude and your spirit is quite impressive. Come back whenever you like." Ash nodded and let out a smile.
"Thank you very much." He said as he made his way out of the Gym, Pikachu following and Tepig doing the same behind the young trainer before he returned it.
"Oh and Ash?" asked Lenora as he made his way out. Ash turned and looked puzzled that she had called after him. "When you go to Pokémon Centre, try and thank that historian for helping me out yesterday alright?" Ash wanted to ask her how he would know however she interrupted him before he could ask. "He's the odd one. So you'll recognise him. And one more thing."
Ash nodded as he accepted the question.
"Just what is your battle style? I've never seen anything like it. Using aura attacks with non-aura attacks. Just what is up with that? I'm sure you can understand my surprise. Usually…no not usually, all the time, trainers use aura to strengthen their attacks. Why don't you?"
Ash looked at her and Iris and Cilan awaited his response and found it strange that he was smiling.
"I'll tell you when I win!" he said with a chuckle before exiting the Gym, leaving everyone in there partially surprised at the young boy's response.
The sunset that came over Nacrene City reflected the end of the day and many people closed down their warehouses and moved back to their homes where their families were in waiting. And yet, even the Pokémon centre was busy, filled with people going back and worth as they either rented a room or left to go travelling once more.
And neat the entrance, Ash Ketchum lay his head on the egg that he had received and let out a sigh.
"Ash?" asked Iris. "Are you OK? You never get this depressed about anything…." Ash groaned in response.
"How can I not be depressed Iris?" he asked. "The battle went totally wrong."
"Starting with Aura Roar and then having Aura Mean Look certainly is a distasteful combination." Noted Cilan.
"Yeah. And then everything after that didn't go my way at all. The entire battle was a mess." Said Ash dejectedly. He felt something pat his leg and saw that it was Iris's hand and he looked up at her and Axew.
"W-Well you did have to switch out Tepig and then go to Oshawott. It would have happened to anyone." She stammered and Axew let out a nod and "Ew" in agreement with its trainer. Ash thought he saw a hint of red on her cheeks however he directed his attention to Cilan who had started to talk.
"But still, even though that is the case, you should learn from this. Being prepared for the unexpected is something that you should work on. Also, speed and attack power are a problem. Tepig and Oshawott can't keep up as they are. Think about it. Lenora used aura. I think you should do the same." This was the core of the issue and Iris put in her support.
"Yeah! Think about it! When Lenora used her aura with Lillipup, remember how fast she-"
"GYAAAAAAAAH!" yelled Ash in response frightening both Iris and Cilan. "I know that! I'm not done, no way! Now that I know where I went wrong, then all I have to do is improve. Aura or no aura, this is just the way for me and my Pokémon to get better! Next time, we'll win hands down!"
"Pika pika!" said Pikachu in agreement. The sound of a trolley being wheeled out filled their ears and everyone looked up to see Audino and Nurse Joy come forward with a trolley that was missing one wheel yet Tepig and Oshawott on it were looking as chirpy as ever.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Said Nurse Joy as she came forward and Audino tried to keep the trolley stable. "Both Tepig and Oshawott are fine now."
"Thanks Nurse Joy! But….what happened with the trolley?" he asked her. She flinched at the question and Audino shuddered yet she still answered.
"Some guy staying here said he needed a wheel, no matter what the size. He even tried Officer Jenny's bike however he settled for this one instead. I asked him what he was doing." She held her head and let out a sigh. "I needed to take 2 aspirins for the migraine that I had after the explanation. I think that he just tried to make it the most confusing thing I had heard because he didn't want to tell me the truth."
"I …..see…." said Ash in understanding yet his attention turned towards the Pokémon that were on the trolley. Oshawott was constantly hitting its scalchop and Tepig repeatedly snorted out flames from its snout.
"Wow! Tepig and Oshawott really seemed pumped!" remarked Iris.
"Yeah! Alright you two, you about we get some serious training done?" he asked.
"Tepig/Osha!" came the happy replies in response to his question.
"If that's the case, then why don't you visit the Pokémon Battle Club?" suggested Nurse Joy.
"The Battle Club? I can go there?" asked Ash.
"Of course!" said Iris. "When you need battle advice, visit the best! Don George is always there to help trainers!"
"Osha Oshawott!" "Tepig pig!" cried the Pokémon in agreement to the suggestion.
"And I'm pretty sure that Don George would be able and willing to pass along some information to help you with that win." Remarked Nurse Joy
"Really?! Then this is going to be some serious time to train!" said Ash with enthusiasm, earning laughs from everyone there.
The evening however was not that peaceful. Outside the Nacrene Museum, one car had its engine still running and one person sat inside.
"R1 to R2. Repeat, R1 to R2. Hacking has been done. The security system can be armed and disarmed at will so proceed." James said into the headpiece that he was wearing to the operatives inside the Museum.
Jessie and Meowth moved towards the part of the Museum where the Meteonite was without stating anything else. They were here for one reason and one reason only. The goggles that were on they heads were infrared, able to identify where any infrared rays where which could in turn allow them to see which security systems were in place.
"I see the target." Responded Jessie as she had a look at the Meteonite. "Deactivate the system."
"Got it." Responded James quickly. "I'm giving you 20 seconds so use your aura or whatever, just make sure that you get it."
"You can count on us." Said Meowth and there was a remark of agreement from the other end.
"Ready? 3…2….1." With a press of a button, the security system was disarmed and the Team Rocket operatives moved as fast as they could. Using their aura they moved with a frightening speed, the small box with wheels that they had moving along with them as well. Meowth was the move who jumped first, grabbing the glass case and jumping with it, Jessie taking the opportunity to use an Aura Hand to grab the fake Meteonite that was inside the case that was travelling with them and swapping the real Meteonite with the fake. The whole process took less than 3 seconds and Meowth let himself fall with the glass case before jumping away towards where Jessie was.
And with that Jessie out the real Meteonite away in the case. They looked back at the place where the fake Meteonite now resided before departing as they saw the security system go back online.
"Mission accomplished." Said Meowth into the headpiece.
"Good. Now get he-*BANG*" that sound alarmed everyone on the other end and Jessie grit her teeth. What was going on on James's end?
"James?! James!" hissed Jessie into the other end.
"Hang on." He said. He was clearly fine so what was that sound? He moved from the computer that he was sitting at and opened the door, seeing someone there. He was clearly strange. Although he was a young boy, James guessed around 16 or 17 he was wearing a sharp suit, black blazer with black pants and shoes. Not only that but the back necktie gave the impression that he was someone important yet the untucked shirt lost that impression. Yet there was something else about him that was strange.
His left eye was red, a crimson colour that was almost blood coloured….and his right eye was blue, a contrast to the other eye. James was immediately suspicious about the boy yet he smiled towards him.
"Ah! Sorry! But…" the boy pointed around the truck and James had a look yet not letting his guard down. And what he saw was…..
"You seem to have a burst tyre. Man when that burst I almost had a heart attack. Haha." Laughed the boy in self-derision. "I thought that you might need some help. Where's the spare tyre?" he asked before trying to look inside the back of the truck however James stopped him.
"Wait right here." He said as he went into the back of the truck yet did not get the extra tyre. Instead he held the earpiece next to his head and whispered to his fellow operatives. "Stay inside the Museum. If you come out now, it will only cause some trouble so I'll deal with things here."
"Got it." Said Jessie. "We'll stay here and keep an eye out for things."
James cut off the conversation and heard the sound of knocking on the closed door. James went to open it and saw the boy there smiling and pointing to where he could see the tyre. "Shall we?" he asked.
James nodded and allowed the boy inside and he whistled as he saw what was inside. He noticed the computer and the security system on it. Even if he was trying to help, if James felt that he had anything that could compromise the mission…..
"Wow." Said the boy impressed. "What you late night security guys do really is impressive. What kind of program is this?" he asked.
James let out a smug smile. So that was what they were going with huh? "Well all it is is a simple program that uses algorithms to have security."
The boy nodded before looking towards the tyre. He pointed towards it. "Shall we?" James nodded in return and the two of them grabbed it yet it was the boy that stumbled, falling back and causing James to fall forward as the two of them collapsed in the back of the truck.
"Holy-Sorry! I'm so sorry!" said the boy apologetically. "Oh! I hope I didn't damage any of the files on the computer!" the boy went over there and did something however James doubted it was anything bad from his angle, all the boy did was simply click a few times before letting out a sigh of relief.
"Yep yep. That program of yours is fine. I think. I'm no expert but that's the judgment that I've made. Sorry again."
"It's fine." Said James, rather annoyed. He moved and the two of them exited the truck, the boy closing the door behind him to which James felt that he had nothing to do anything with trying to stop them. After all, if that was the case wouldn't he have left the door open?
And so the two of them moved towards the burst tyre and got out some equipment from the front seat that allowed them to change the tyre. They did so as quickly as James could using his aura and soon it was finished, the boy smiling and taking the old tyre in his hands.
"Well is that it?" he asked. "I think that the old one should be fine to manage by yourself so I'll stay here and guard this car of yours. Don't worry, I'm not going to steal it. There would be video evidence from around the Museum where I was walking so there's no point unless I want to get arrested."
James frowned and remembered the large bin for junk that there was nearby. It was strange though. The boy had not used aura at all but rather raw effort to change the tyre. James just felt it was odd and that was it however he did not say anything. After locking the car door to make sure that the boy did not do anything suspicious, James moved quickly and used his aura to do so and soon he was back at the car, seeing the boy leaning against the car. He saw James and gave a wave as James approached.
"Well that's that then. A small adventure that you and I will probably remember for the rest of our lives." He said with a smile. "Have a nice day….night….whatever." And with that he turned and walked away, James wondering who exactly that was. Regardless, he called Jessie and Meowth and indicated that everything was alright, starting up the van again.
The door opened a few seconds later and Jessie walked ink with the case. "Mission completed." She said. "What was the trouble on your end?"
"A burst tyre." James said simply as he pressed his foot on the accelerator.
"Regardless…..we are one step closer towards the Meteonite. There's not much left after this….." replied Meowth.
And with that the silent crime was carried out without anyone knowing, the van moving through Nacrene City without anyone the wiser.
The Boy let out a yawn as he reached the Pokémon Centre. Despite the fact that he had thought that Team Rocket would actually try and take the Meteonite he had found himself right when he had peered into the window of a car that seemed suspicious, seeing one of the operatives that he had seen before.
As such, he had taken….measures to ensure that the tyre had burst. Making sure that he did not smell of gunpowder, he had taking care of the bullet casing that he had created with the gun that lay in the back of his pants. Yet that was the most important thing that he had achieved.
He held up the wheel that he had taken from the trolley in the Pokémon Centre however it was not the wheel that he was after. It was the rubber. When he had exited the van, he had closed the door, using the rubber to ensure that it did not close fully, something that allowed him to enter the van again when 'James', apparently his name was, had gone.
And when he had fallen, the USB that he had inside his hands had been inserted into the computer. A few clicks under the impression that he was checking some files and viola. All files had been successfully copied after a while, something that he had checked after James had left.
The Boy held up the wheel and the USB that had all of the data and cracked his neck.
"Man. Just what are you guys up to anyway?" he asked as he looked at the USB. One thing was for certain though.
It was going to be a long night. And now that Team Rocket had left….it was time for him to do so as well.
The morning was well received and Ash quickly made his way towards the Battle Club where he had asked to see Don George.
"If it's battle related, I'm your man!" he said when he had come out of his office at the request of the young trainer.
Ash scratched his head as he said it, thinking about what had been said. "Man, you really all do look alike." He noted however the comment was probably ignored.
"Well son? What can I help you with?" he asked.
Ash was clear and concise, a move that was rather rare for him in the view of Iris and it was fast that Don George understood the problem.
"So….." said Don George as he folded his arms over his chest. "In the end what you want is a way to improve the speed and power of your Pokémon. As well as the fact that you want to try and avoid having to deal with Aura Roar and Aura Mean Look."
Ash nodded and Iris whispered to Ash, "It seems that her combinations are well known around here."
Cilan, who had also heard nodded. "That's true. Although Lenora moves at her own pace, if one could match that…..then she could certainly be defeated."
"Indeed, the Battle Club has the solution to all of your problems. SO! Get ready for some hard training young man!" exclaimed Don George.
"You got it sir!" replied Ash as Don George led them down one of the corridors that the Battle Club held.
"Be mindful though Ash. My training is not for the faint hearted. Beyond this door is the path to that training. I ask you…..are you ready?"
There was no hesitation in his answer.
"Yes."
And then those doors opened.
And that's the end. Here we had another example of aura against non-aura however in the end it was aura that prevailed. In the end though all Ash really had to do was apply a certain tactic to the battle along with his usual strategy in order to win. There was a sort of hint towards such a tactic yet it will be established towards the next chapter when I write it.
I'm glad that everyone that read this is sticking to it and enjoying it. For that I would like to thank you for your contribution as well as everyone that has reviewed. Thank you very much for your input and I'll try and keep things consistent.
Apart from that we have a sort of Exorcist arc start and the continuation of the Meteonite arc. In the end though, we all know who is going to have a leading role don't we? Yet the Boy and Molly Hale are also guess starring one would say...
Thank you very much for your support and I hope the wait was worth it.
Until we meet again.
Mr Question Mark.
And as always,
Review if you please
Molly Hale sat in front of the painting, curled up in a ball. There was something there….something there that had told her that the words on the painting were not meant to frighten them. Just meant to send a message.
Was someone needing help? Or was someone tormenting them? Tormenting them for the death of Elton Hale?
Which was it? Which choice could she make that was the right one?
She stood up and used her aura to lift herself up towards the painting. Ever since the Unown incident, there had been a change within her body that had broken past all the rules of something that a normal person had. There was no explanation, professionals having no answer to her 'condition'.
Yet those words HELP ME stuck out to her.
She touched them, stroking each letter with care as if it was something precious to her.
HELP ME
"…." What did they mean? What did they symbolise? A quick call from her father towards the AJD had not had success so in the end they had called an Exorcist. He would be here tomorrow.
Would that person have the answer? Was there something that they had that she did not? Would they have all the answers?
Like…
The reason why she had the feeling of crying as if she had lost something precious?
Until next time…