Wow. It actually feels like ages since I last did a story here. But in the end, this is a project that will move slowly but move ever forward as well. So make sure to keep on looking at this if you read it and keep on keeping on.
What with things going to way that they are with the anime things will continue at this pace for a while even up to X and Y…... And if you notice (something that was completely unintentional) last chapter was number 16 and had 161,616 words. Very strange. I thought that there was something that would never happen again. I felt oddly proud.
However things will keep on from here. Make sure to enjoy this chapter and the aura battle mechanics here.
Mr Question Mark
"…."
The Boy looked at the data in front of him and felt sick. He took in all of the data and applied each term on the data with the one in his head and understood the implications of the plan. There was no way that anyone else would, unless they had an advanced degree in science and the Boy had already managed to have something like that.
But still…..this plan. The Boy felt the urge to literally snap the USB stick that was plugged into the laptop that he had acquired from the Pokémon Centre. He felt like he wanted to hunt down Team Rocket and hand each and every member to then authorities by himself. However he did not know the implications of his actions then. There was no way to tell what the future would hold and the Boy looked at the scrap of paper that he had printed off at the Antimony Research Lab.
The Meteonite, of course from origins unknown does have its inherent weaknesses though. Despite being exposed to a number of environments, there is still the fact that as a whole, the Meteonite starts to act irregularly when exposed to a large direct electrical current. For example, an Aura Stun Gun or any electrical attack from any Pokémon will cause the Meteonite to act irregularly. The effects of a small charge have resulted in a large burst of energy which injured the 12 scientists to the point that they cannot use some of their limbs. Obviously the effect of a large one has not been tested.
Analysis: Avoid any electrical equipment making contact at the Meteonite AT ALL TIMES.
The Boy leaned forward the sound of the TV in the background of the Pokémon Centre only slightly registered. The weather would be wet tomorrow, extremely so. The Boy did not think much of it instead looking at the information in front of him. If things were going to go this way then…
The Boy reached into his blazer and took out the piece of the Meteonite that he had chipped off from the Museum.
If Team Rocket was going to move ahead…..then so was he.
The room in the Battle Club was somewhat like a gym, pieces of equipment lying about such as a treadmill and a punching bag in no particular order however there was a sense of order even among the chaos that was the equipment.
"Axew…" said Axew from Iris's hair and she looked around at the sight of the room as well, the other Trainers doing the same.
"What do you think?" asked Don George as he approached the group. "This is the Battle Club's personal training room and serves the best purpose if you want to train up your Pokémon to the largest extent."
Ash looked around. "This…..is SO AWESOME! Check it out!" Ash moved towards one of the punching bags and gave it a light punch however it didn't even budge. He blinked a few times and tried again however gave a whimper of pain and held his hand.
"Um…Ash? Maybe you should consider that the equipment here is for Pokémon?" asked Cilan. "People aren't really supposed to use it."
Iris sighed and shook her head. "What do you expect from a little kid?" she asked. Ash gave her a glare however it was Don George that spoke up before things could escalate out of control between the two of them.
"Actually, that's not totally true. Most of the equipment here is in order to level up Aura. Like this." Don George lightly pushed Ash out of the way before closing his eyes, a blue energy forming at his fist and he punched the bag with a roar.
Almost as if hit with an Aura Mega Punch the bag moved under the weight of the fist before heading back towards Don George and then swinging back and forth before it reached its original position.
"You see most of the equipment here is only used to react with Aura. So just pushing against it won't work." Ash nodded however it was Don George that broke any thoughts that Ash had about using the equipment.
"But for your purposes…I'd say we use the treadmill over there for Tepig." Said Don George as he pointed in the direction of the treadmill. "Using it we can make sure that Tepig's speed and attack power can be increased."
"Really?" asked Ash as he reached for his Pokéball and threw it, a bright light emerging from it as the Pokémon appeared on the treadmill.
Tepig snorted and flames came out of its nose as it looked up eagerly towards its trainer.
"Pig!" it cried with a tone of enthusiasm. It stomped its tiny feet and Ash pumped a fist in that same enthusiastic manner.
"Alright! Then let's g-" He stopped as he felt something push him forward and saw that Don George had used an Aura Hand in order to push him forward.
"You don't think that this experience is only going to for Tepig and Oshawott do you? All Pokémon and trainers need to grow together. Do you really think that Tepig and Oshawott are the only ones that are going to train? How do you expect your Pokémon to grow if you don't as well?" he asked.
Ash looked at him and understood the truth behind the words of the man. How could he merely leave things to his Pokémon? Wasn't he going to be fighting with them as well?
"Right! Then let's get this show on the road!" Ash hopped onto the treadmill next to Tepig and looked just as eager as his Pokémon.
Don George moved towards a machine that was next to it and typed in something into it while talking towards Ash and Tepig.
"Although most of this equipment runs of Aura, the treadmill is slightly different. It merely sets the pace and changes due to the amount of Aura that is circulating in your body at one time." He explained.
Ash looked at him, with a worried look on his face. As he had no Aura what would that mean? Did that mean that the treadmill would hardly work at all for him due to that fact? He looked towards Tepig and the Pokémon looked at his trainer with the same worried expression that Ash had. Without revealing his secret, what exactly could the two of them do?
"Alright then, let's get g-" said Don George however the treadmill had already began moving slightly. Ash looked down at it and then at Tepig who was just as surprised. Neither of them had begun to use their Aura, so how was it moving?
Ash looked towards his right where his friends were however noticed something. While Iris and Cilan were standing next to Don George, Pikachu was standing much closer, right on the edge of the treadmill, holding a light yellow paw onto the treadmill. Pikachu was using its aura in order to move the treadmill. Sabrina in Accumula Town had told him that Pikachu was definitely a special Pokémon for the colour of its aura, being the highest level; extremely high.
Ash was worried for the Pokémon. After all, Aura was the life-force of everything and using it needlessly on a daily basis didn't fit well with him. Although he accepted that other people had other opinions, it didn't sit right with him to use it except when necessary. And Pikachu had caught on. Ash smiled towards the Pokémon and the Pokémon smiled back, most likely because it was holding back. Ash would have to remember that Pikachu would have to get a bottle of ketchup later on at the Pokémon Centre.
The two of them on the treadmill moved at a slow speed and Ash spoke up while Tepig ran forward with a constant "Te. Pig." sound from its mouth.
"So, how do we go faster Don George?" asked Ash.
Don George leaned on the wall as he kept an eye on the machine and its values, Iris having a look as well, Axew coming out of her hair in order to have a look. "Well, as you run in order to get faster, Aura should be gathering at your feet so the more faster you want to go, the greater the Aura that will gather and fuel the machine. Don't worry though. You won't reach your Limit unless you actually go overboard but even then the machine will stop."
The Limit. There was something that Ash did not have however Tepig did have. Going past that would definitely not end well however Ash had faith in his Pokémon that it would not reach that extreme. Pikachu silently increased the amount of aura in its palm and at the same time, to maintain the façade, Tepig's feet began to glow blue.
The treadmill went faster and Ash grinned. "This is a great workout! Right Tepig?" he asked the Pokémon.
"Pig!" it replied and Don George gave a chuckle and, while still leaning on the wall, using his Aura in order to manipulate the controls of the machine.
"Well then, time to create a challenge." He input some information and at the same time, the wall behind the treadmill opened up revealing what looked like a small chute for garbage. "Like you said Ash that was only the warmup. Here's the real thing. The faster you go, the greater the Aura that pumps into the treadmill. And the greater the Aura…"
Ash frowned and then looked towards the chutes that had appeared. Aura? What did that have to do with anything? He focused his eyes as he looked towards the chutes and noticed something that was gathering there, faint but there. It grew and Ash was surprised when the energy grew brighter to the point that Ash knew he didn't need his Perception to see it. The ball of energy was at the end of the chute.
"What is th-" He never finished his question as it fired towards the two of them and Tepig jumped out of the way just in time as more fired towards them.
"Great job Tepig!" said Ash. He looked towards Don George. "Are these-"
"Indeed. The treadmill is using your Aura to fuel its speed but then also uses the Aura to create mock Aura Shadow Balls to fire at you. The faster you go the more aura you pump into the machine and the more Aura that can be created for the Aura Shado-Look out!"
Ash looked forward, only to have an aura energy ball to be thrown towards his face. He ducked at the last minute in surprise and the ball knocked over the hat that was on his head.
"Why are they firing at me?" he complained.
"What did I say about training together?" asked Don George and Ash made a face while Iris used her Aura to create an Aura Hand that gave Ash back his hat. He nodded in thanks and took it, focusing his attention towards the chutes that were firing the aura balls.
"If that's the way things are going to be…" said Ash. There was one way to deal with them, to use a non-aura attack to counter them or…..
Ash remembered one thing in the back of his mind. At Wellspring Cave, something had happened to him. Something that had used his blood. That was one way to counter the Aura as he was. But what was behind it? He didn't understand and he immediately cast aside the idea.
"…Then we'll deal with them!" Ash moved his head to the side at the last minute to dodge one of the balls that was heading his way and Tepig did the same, the aura that had gathered at its feet meaning that it had jumped higher than it should. In mid-air the balls headed straight for the small Pokémon however Ash had managed to grab Tepig by the foot and dragged him down so that it avoided the balls narrowly.
"Te, tepig!" it cried in thanks and Ash nodded. They were moving faster now and with the mix of Tepig's and Pikachu's aura meant that the challenge was greater than it should be for a normal trainer and his Pokémon.
"Alright now!" said Don George. "Then let's amp up the challenge!" He pressed another button and there was a whir as more chutes came from behind the two of them, Ash using his Perception to notice that aura had started to gather there. At the rate that Tepig and Pikachu were putting aura into the machine and the chutes ahead of them…..
"Alright Tepig, use Ember!" The Pokémon let loose those small flames into the air at the same moment the aura balls were launched at the trainer and his Pokémon. The non-aura attack and the aura collided, negating each of the balls and sending an explosion of air that was created caused everyone to be surprised and Ash had gripped onto the rails that were on the side in order to make sure that he did not fall over, almost stepping in an awkward manner and doing so.
Tepig on the other hand had managed to use what aura it was already using in order to push itself forward despite the explosion of air, allowing it to move forward if only slightly rather than being pushed back. It panted after the amount of training it had been doing and Pikachu noticed, stopping the aura that had been gathering at its paw this whole time and stopping the treadmill slowly.
Ash and Tepig went off and pated heavily, Iris and Cilan coming over with an amused expression on their faces.
"You know Ash, I think you just ran off your lunch." She said with a giggle. Axew put its opinion in with an "Ax Axew!"
Ash panted and managed a weak laugh as he agreed fully, giving Tepig a pat on the head while Pikachu came over to them as well to which he patted them both.
"Indeed." Joked Cilan. "However at the rate you're going, there's still a lot to do before you can reach that final stage that you want to."
Ash nodded. "It's fine though. I have faith in my Pokémon that we can do it. So Don George…can we work on Oshawott now?"
"Are you sure?" asked Don George. "You don't want to take a break?"
Ash shook his head. "Nope! Tepig is already tuckered out but Oshawott wants to win just as badly! So let's go and give Oshawott this chance for some special training!"
Ash's enthusiasm made Don George smile and he nodded. "Alright then, then to the pool we head off to now! You might want to change into something more suitable for swimming and get Oshawott ready as well. I'll just go and get things ready while you change. There's change rooms near the pool anyway and I'll meet you there."
Don George moved out of the room and Ash stood up. "Well then come on Pikachu! Let's get over to that pool right away!"
"A-Are you sure about that Ash?" asked Iris. Ash looked over towards her with a questionable glance and Cilan did as well before realising the same thing that she had.
In order for Ash to change into his swimmers, then he would have to take off his clothes. And when that would happen, he should have to take off his shirt. And that would mean…..
"….." Ash was silent however his gaze did not darken due to the fact that she was alluding towards something that he had wanted to hide. Instead he merely smiled.
"Don't worry about it Iris. My Scar…..isn't something that can be easily hid in situation like this. If I had a choice, I'm sure that I would try and find a less crowded area however…this is something that I have to do with Oshawott. We both want to win that Gym Battle and the only way to do that is through training. It might be something a kid might do but…this Gym Battle victory is something that I have to share with my Pokémon. Quitting now just because of something small like my Scar isn't the way to do things."
He stood up and looked towards them. "But! I would appreciate it if you would look after Tepig! After all, Tepig is probably as tired as I am! Hehehehe." He gave a small laugh and headed straight out of the door at a run, Iris and Cilan looking as Pikachu ran after him.
Cilan let out a laugh. "Well, Ash definitely has some unique flavours. I cannot seem to pinpoint what those flavours are though….."
"Axew….." said Axew as it looked at the trainer.
Iris was silent as she watched the boy go into the distance. What he did was not for himself only but rather for his Pokémon. They were not merely beings that the world had been granted. They were equals, individuals in their likes and dislikes who wanted the same thing that Ash did. He wanted to give back towards them and achieve something that they had all worked together for.
She had seen before. When it came to Pokémon, people…he would…
Cilan looked at her and gave her an amused look before walking out of the room with a chuckle.
"What?" he asked him.
He gave a cheeky glance back. "Well…..maybe you and Solana have more in common than you might think." He said cryptically.
She blushed and yelled at him, using her Aura to increase the loudness of her voice.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"
Ash and Oshawott had already done numerous laps of the pool, the same equipment being used that was similar to the treadmill. In order to increase their stamina they had been made to swim against a current whose strength would be determined by the amount of Aura that one would put into swimming.
Of course, Pikachu had assisted in such with its aura being pumped into the poll through its tail while happily licking a ketchup bottle that Ash had managed to acquire while Oshawott and he had continued towards moving forward.
"Don George!" asked Ash as he continued swimming in his trunks. Thankfully, Don George was the only one that was in the pool so the only person that had managed to get a look at the Scar, although not a full look, was that of Don George. Of course, when he addressed him, Ash could see the interest in his eyes as well as the disgusted fascination but that was trivial. He was working towards training his Pokémon. Nothing else should matter now. "How can we improve our training like this?"
Don George put a hand towards his chin before pointing towards the left end of the pool, where a large waterfall like feature was. "Use that! The current is moving against you in a vertical manner and Oshawott should get the most of it in terms of experience!"
The doors opened and Iris, Cilan, Axew and Tepig walked in and looked at Ash as he grabbed Oshawott's side.
"Alright then Oshawott? I'll give the push so that you can….advance!" Ash threw Oshawott sideways in the water and it clenched its scalchop near its chest and swam up the waterfall before actually making it to the top before it turned direction and swam down.
However as it did so, its whole body was covered in a strange amount of water that came to envelop its whole body.
"What is that?" asked Ash while the others merely looked in surprise.
However it seemed that Don George had a better grip of what was going on than what Ash and the others did.
"Oshawott! Aim for the target over here!" Don George pointed towards a target on the other side and Oshawott with its water covering headed straight for it and….dipped down. It smashed into the mat. It opened it eyes and sat up where it was, looking around as if it did not know what was going on.
"Was…..that Aqua Jet?" asked Iris as she looked over towards the Pokémon.
Cilan nodded. "However it still is something that has to be developed so that it can be tasteful. But…" Cilan looked over towards Ash. "Oshawott didn't use Aura Aqua Jet! That will hinder the power behind the attack itself Ash!"
Ash grinned from the pool before giving a thumbs up. "Don't worry! Things will work out for the best! After all, Oshawott just learned a new move!"
Oshawott stood up proudly on the mat and proudly hit its chest with its scalchop while Ash grinned.
This…..was progress indeed.
"Alright then use Ember!" Ash cried out and with an explosion of air, the aura balls were negated in mid-air to which Ash had merely needed to push forward despite almost being thrown back by the explosion of air slightly.
This was also progress. After Oshawott had used Aqua Jet, they had worked on it for a while however it was still shaky. Tepig on the other hand had eagerly managed to persuade Ash towards going again, to which they had been at it for the past hour.
Pikachu had earned another bottle of ketchup for its effort and Ash felt that somehow, its stomach was slowly getting larger however he didn't want to have to face a Thunderbolt head on by voicing his thoughts.
"This is great!" said Cilan from where he stood. "You guys have had real progress! Ember is must stronger than when you started and I'm sure that Tepig's speed has increased for sure!"
"You bet Cilan! There's no way that we're going to lose this round!" said Ash. "Right Tepig?"
"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig!" cried the Pokémon as it ran forward, its body slowly glowing red before it burst into flame as it ran forward towards the edge of the treadmill.
Was that-?
"Alright!" yelled Ash into the night.
"What do you mean he's late?!" yelled Spencer Hale into the phone. "How can he be late?" He stood at the main hall of the mansion and Molly Hale merely looked up at the painting that had been imprinted with that message.
There was an answer on the phone and Spencer groaned. "Yes….I understand. Just tell the Exorcist to…get here as quickly as possible." He hung up the phone and fell onto the stairs, his wife coming next to him and wrapping her arms around him into a hug.
"Dear. I know that this has been hard for you. With…..Elton and everything that's happening now….."
Spencer slowly gulped and hung his head. Everyone had left. Apart from some staff, such as the butlers and chef everyone had left. Even the Exorcist was late and Spencer was not confident at all due to the fact that he was late. It did not inspire confidence. And to make it worse, it was going to be a hell of a rainstorm tomorrow so that did not make things perfect at all.
"Molly dear," said Mrs. Hale. "Why don't you leave that painting alone?" The small girl gave her mother a brief smile before nodding and moving up the stairs into her room.
That Exorcist would come soon. He had to come. After all…..
She didn't think that she could take this feeling of being watched any longer.
The tension was clear in the air in the Nacrene City Gym. Ash looked confidently at his opponent at the opposite end of the battlefield and Lenora responded with giving a smirk at the young Trainer.
"I see that you are ready to go." She said. The confidence that he was making was clear in his eyes and Lenora didn't even have to use her Aura ability to see that.
Ash responded with a grin of his own. "Yep! We worked really hard with Don George at the Battle Club in order to achieve this victory so we're all pumped and ready to go!"
Iris and Cilan let out a yawn from the sidelines. Indeed Ash had been up all night and past that from what he had said, doing some training of his own with Pikachu however neither of them seemed to have noticed how tired they actually were. While Iris and Cilan had tried to ask Ash what it was that he was doing, he had not answered and they were often woken up by the sound of Ash's screams whenever he was hit by one of Pikachu's Thunderbolts however he still had not provided an explanation.
"Heh. Then I'll just have to make sure that we respond in light of that challenge Ash." She reached for her belt, reaching for two Pokéballs that she threw. "So, have a look at who you will be facing today!"
The Pokéballs opened with a bright light and out popped two Pokémon. Watchog stood with its arms crossed in a posture of pure confidence while the other one Ash did not recognise, the dog looking Pokémon growling with a "Dier….." sound.
Ash frowned and reached his Pokédex, scanning the new Pokémon and receiving the information about it.
"Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokémon and the evolved form of Lillipup. Aura is used through Herdier's fur and serves as a defence for it when it comes to attacks."
Iris frowned from where she stood and Axew gave a concerned "Axew….." sound from its mouth.
Cilan himself folded his arms and, with Pikachu on his shoulder, looked at the new Pokémon. "Interesting. Lenora evolved Lillipup in order to pit Ash against a new opponent despite his loss. This means that she definitely wanted to make sure that Ash was not going to be playing by the same recipe that he originally did."
Ash grinned. "Well whatever! I am so psyched so having Lillipup evolve will only make this all the more interesting! Well then let's go Tepig!" Ash reached for his own Pokéball, throwing it as it burst open revealing the small Pig Pokémon that unleashed small flames from its nose.
"Pig!"
Lenora gave an interested look at the Pokémon. "Oh? It looks you are not the only one excited about the Gym Battle Ash. Well then Herdier, you're up!" Lenora recalled Watchog and faced Ash with a grin on her face.
Hawes looked towards both Trainers before speaking on the podium. "Alright then, the Nacrene Gym Battle rematch against the Gym Leader Lenora and the challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town will now get underway. It will be a two-on-two battle with the challenger getting the first move. Now let….the battle begin!"
"Now Tepig start with Ember!" shouted Ash.
Flames were unleashed from Tepig's snout and headed straight for Herdier and Lenora only reacted with one command.
"Dodge!"
Herdier disappeared from where it was and slammed into Tepig with astonishing speed. Cilan and Iris gaped at the gap that Herdier had crossed using only its aura and one jump.
"Is….that even possible?!" exclaimed Iris. "That is amazing speed!"
"Axew!"
"Hmm. Well it is to be expected." Said Cilan as he composed himself. "Herdier's speed is something else from Lillipup's though. But I'm more interested to see how Ash will react."
Tepig fell and Ash shouted for it to get up, one thing that it did will relative ease after all of the training. However the main problem was that Herdier had effectively disappeared the only sign that it was anywhere were the blur of brown colour that was circling around Tepig.
"Well, what do you think Ash, of Herdier's new speed?" she asked.
Ash however merely grinned. "Great. It was something that allowed me to try out something that I wanted to do since last time!" Everyone looked at him with a confused look however he did not elaborate as he pointed towards one spot that the brown blur was going.
"Tepig! Use Ember on that one spot!" Tepig nodded and unleashed flames towards that one spot, Lenora frowning at the command. What was that going to accomplish?
"Herdier! Stop and use Aura Shadow Ball!" she commanded. Herdier did so, appearing right behind Tepig and opening its mouth to reveal numerous purple balls with a hint of blue in that purple. Tepig hesitated however it was Ash that had other ideas.
"No! Use Ember on that spot! Quickly!" Tepig snapped out of it and attacked the area that Ash had commanded, the Aura Shadow Balls coming from behind that were close to Tepig.
"Pika!" cried Pikachu in concern for its buddy from the side and Iris shouted out in surprise.
"What is he doing? Doesn't he know that-"
She never finished her thought as the Ember hit the spot where Ash had commanded, the Aura Shadow Balls heading straight for Tepig's back however Tepig did not cry out in pain from the attack. Instead something completely different occurred.
An explosion of air came from the spot where Tepig's Ember had hit the ground, however it was not something that made Tepig be blown backwards but instead, the explosions of air came not from the only spot where Tepig had attacked but rather from all around it, a chain reaction occurring as the Ember negated Aura that was from an unknown source.
Tepig was rooted to the spot as the explosion of air pushed it from all sides and prevented it from moving, while the Aura Shadow Balls were not in the middle of the explosions and were thrown off course. As for Herdier, it was thrown back against the wall of the Gym violently and everyone covered their eyes in order to see past the smoke that had covered the Gym.
"What's going on?" asked Lenora however it was Ash's voice that cut through everything.
"Tepig! Turn around and use Tackle while moving diagonally to the right!"
Lenora could not see past the smoke and neither could anyone else however Ash did not seem to notice that fact. The sound of "Tepig, Pig, Pig!" came from inside the smoke and everyone looked concerned.
With the fact that Ash did not know where Herdier was, was he just guessing and possibly making Tepig head straight for wall?
"Ash!" cried Cilan. "You can't be s-"
"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeer!" came the cry of pain from the Pokémon and everyone looked surprised, the smoke clearing to see the sight of Tepig smashed right into the gut of the Pokémon that had been its opponent in the first place. Tepig leaped backwards and Ash smiled.
"How-" said Lenora, partly impressed and partly shocked. How had he managed to see Herdier, let along get a negation that covered the whole field? It was almost like…..
Her eyes widened as she looked at the boy. Although she had only seen such tactics once, in her first battle with Ash, she had grasped a tiny understanding of the concept however her understanding of it came to one conclusion.
"But Herdier didn't use Aura that covered all around Tepig! So how did you get the field to be covered with that burst of air!? And how did you even see Herdier!?"
Hawes was equally as surprised however spoke as Herdier was recovering and Tepig moved back towards in front of Ash. "Does…does it have to do with your Aura Perception?"
"Aura Perception?" asked Lenora as she looked at Ash.
Ash nodded and pointed towards his eye. "You see, you're not the only one with an ability in their eye Lenora." He said. "Herdier's speed is amazing though. But for something that fast to move, aura is needed right?" Ash had thought about using it in the last battle however had not gotten the chance.
"So, as Herdier was moving, its aura allows me to determine its location, the aura more powerful in certain areas as Herdier is moving. That was how I saw it despite the smoke. But as for the explosions of air, as Herdier was moving so fast, it would have been stepping into its own aura that it was creating as it was moving so fast right? Which meant it created a trail behind it, something…..that allowed Tepig to negate when I used Ember on only one part of it. I had to practice in order to get used to detecting faint traces of aura though and Pikachu helped me out."
"Pika….."
Ash's explanation caught everyone off guard, especially his companions. While he seemed to only be focusing upon the non-aura aspect and thus not using aura to strengthen his attacks, he was open to the weakness that it provided. However alternatively, it allowed him to use the strength of his opponents against them. Just how much had they underestimated his ability as a Trainer?
And was that what he was doing all of last night? Focusing in order to make sure that his Aura Perception was up to speed?
"Hmph." Said Lenora. "While I use Normal Type Pokémon to test Trainers, I think that maybe, battling a Trainer like you Ash is going to be a great learning experience for me. And I don't say that about most challengers. However let me test you right now! Herdier, use Aura Roar!"
Herdier, having recovered, let out a roar while its body glowed a blue colour, that same wave as last time coming from its mouth, causing Tepig's body to glow red as it was returned from its Pokéball. In the exact same moment, Lenora reached for her own and held it out towards Herdier.
"And now for us too!"
She recalled Herdier and Ash's Pokéball on his side burst open as Oshawott appeared, apparently caught off guard again as Lenora threw her own Pokéball.
A bright light later and Watchog was standing before everyone, letting out a "Watchog!" in its eagerness to battle. Ash was about to call another command however it was Lenora that beat him to it.
"Watchog! Aura Mean Look!" Watchog's eyes glowed blue again and the same purple-blue light enveloped Oshawott where it stood, Ash gritting his teeth where he stood.
He looked up at Lenora. "Figures that you would use that…..That is your strategy after all."
"Well then, I hope that your training paid off because I want to experience a battle that I won't forget Ash! Alright then Watchog, let's go with Aura Confuse Ray!"
"Watch!" let out the Pokémon and small balls of light appeared around its body, covered with a blue glow, as they were launched towards Oshawott, hitting it dead centre. It covered its eyes however it was no use as Oshawott stumbled about, confused.
"Heh. Did you think that Aura Roar and Aura Mean Look were the only things up my sleeve Ash? There are a number of other strategies that I can use to throw challengers off guard. And if you are shaken up about this, then you're training wasn't for much. Although Tepig has improved, I'd like to see how you fair here."
"We won't give up! Oshawott snap out of it!" he called.
"Not a chance Ash!" called Lenora. "Watchog, get in close and use Aura Low Kick!" Watchog raced forward with the same speed that it had since last time, slamming its glowing blue foot into Oshawott as it threw it off balance.
"Oshawott! Use Water Gun and hit Watchog!" Oshawott followed the command and fired the Water gun however it was not at Watchog but rather, behind itself and at Ash who ducked and watched Oshawott as it then fired random Water Guns, all but at the Watchog that was in front of it.
"Alright then! Use Aqua Jet and move forward!" Oshawott's body was covered with water and it projected itself forward, heading straight forward as it headed for Watchog. However at the last moment, it moved towards the left and out of the route that it was supposed to take, going in circles around the Gym before smashing itself into the floor.
Oshawott slowly stood up with stars in its eyes and wobbled around, clearly still confused. "Oshawott! Snap out of it!" cried Ash.
"Watchog! Use Aura Thunderbolt!" cried Lenora. The stream of electricity that had a light blue glow headed straight for Oshawott and Ash gritted his teeth.
"Alright then Oshawott! Use Aqua Jet again!" he cried.
"Again?" said Iris. "Why? Oshawott's training for it hasn't been perfected!"
Cilan however stayed silent as Oshaowtt's body was covered with water and at the same time, before Oshawott could take off with Aqua Jet, the Aura Thunderbolt hit it dead centre. Yet the results were not what one would expect.
Instead of Oshawott crying out in pain from the Aura Thunderbolt, the aura attack collided with the partially formed Aqua Jet that surrounded it. Aura attack and non-aura attack collided and the explosion of air that was created from it threw Oshawott back while Watchog was only pushed back from not being that close to it in the first place.
Oshawott smashed into the wall and fell to the ground, blinking before shaking its head. "Osha!" it cried it as stood it with new found energy.
"Alright!" said Ash in glee. "You broke free from the confusion!" Ash looked towards Watchog. Although his plan had worked as he had used Aqua Jet as a way for Oshawott to be thrown back in order to hopefully cure it from its confusion, there was still the issue of Watchog. While it only had two attacks, Aura Thunderbolt and Aura Low Kick, they both served as a problem for Oshawott.
However standing by and taking things with care was not the way that things would be done. "Now!" Ash called. "Get in close with Tackle!" Oshawott ran forward, its speed increased due to the training of yesterday, as it ran towards Watchog.
"Dodge and then use Aura Thunderbolt!" countered Lenora. Oshawott approached however Watchog used its aura to leap backwards and increase the gap between the two and it launched another Aura Thunderbolt towards the Pokémon.
"Use your scalchop to block!" cried Ash. Oshawott quickly reached for the tool and the Aura Thunderbolt hit it straight on, as the attack was successfully blocked. Oshawott struggled to hold back the attack and this was something that Lenora used to her advantage.
"Now! Get in close with Aura Low Kick!"
"Og!" Watchog ran forward and used it aura to speed forward, while the last of the Aura Thunderbolt was still travelling towards the scalchop, before it kicked towards Oshawott with a glowing blue foot.
"Use your scalchop to counter!" said Ash. Oshawott angled the scalchop down at the minute in order to hit the foot however instead of the scalchop being thrown out of its hands, there was a cracking sound in the air, like glass smashing. That sound was only made when one thing happened.
When aura attacks were pitted against each other.
Watchog's eyes went wide as did Oshawott's at the sound, everyone watching in surprise. Since when had Oshawott used its aura? Was Ash suddenly changing tactics in order to counter Lenora's strategies?
Ash focused his eyes, using his Aura Perception to better see the situation and understood. So….that was what had happened. If that was the case then…..
"Oshawott! Use Razor Shell while getting close to Watchog! Hurry!" Oshawott followed its trainer's command and got in close, which was fairly easy due to Watchog being right in front of Oshawott and used the attack.
An explosion of air appeared before Oshawott could use the attack itself, throwing Oshawott and Watchog backwards, and the two of them skid along the ground before standing up, clearly confused at what had happened. But before anyone could react-
"Water Gun!" called Ash. Oshawott recovered from the trainer's call and fired the burst of water straight at Watchog that hit it in the chest. "Now finish this with Razor Shell!"
"Get up Watchog and use Aura Thunderbolt!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaatch!" Watchog did so and fired the stream of electricity towards Oshawott as it flew through the air in order to land that final strike onto Watchog.
"DODGE!" yelled Ash with all of his might. The pure energy and faith that Ash placed inside that one statement wasn't unheard, Oshawott, spinning once to the side as the Aura Thunderbolt sailed past it, Oshawott taking care to not get the scalchop with the blue blade on it to hit the stream in order to not risk another explosion of air.
"Woooooooooooott!" cried Oshawott as it used both of its hands to strike the scalchop onto Watchog's head.
"Watchog!" said Lenora in concern however it was no use as Oshawott kicked off Watchog and landed on the ground panting heavily. Watchog though fell backwards, swirls replacing where its eyes were.
"Watchog is unable to battle! Which means that the winner is Oshawott!" said Hawes from the sidelines, impressed at the battle itself.
"Yes!" cried Ash at his win. "We did it Oshawott! That was great work!"
"Osha, Oshawott!" said the Pokémon as it smacked its scalchop in pride, clearly tired however proud that it had managed to acquire a win.
"They did it!" said Iris as she smiled at the two of them. "Although that was one hectic battle, they actually managed to get out a win!"
"Ax, axew!" cried the Pokémon that was riding in her hair.
"Hmm. Although it's too early to rest. Lenora still has Herdier up her sleeve and Oshawott is looking awfully tired. I'd say it's too early to call this match just yet as there are so many flavours spinning in the air." Commented Cilan as he looked at the young trainer.
Lenora recalled Watchog and smiled at the Pokéball. "You were exceptional, thank you." She said at the Pokéball as she reached for her other one. "However there is one thing that I have to ask though Ash. Why did Oshawott's first Razor Shell produce that explosion of air?"
The group turned towards Ash who wiped his upper lip with his finger as he smiled proudly. "Actually, I have you to thank for that Lenora. Watchog is definitely strong in order to have that effect on Oshawott's scalchop!" He pointed straight at her. "You see, Watchog's continuous Aura Thunderbolt meant that aura was constantly being placed onto Oshawott's scalchop."
"And since you came in close with an Aura Low Kick before that aura that had built up there had disappeared, I could use that attack against you and thus Oshawott's scalchop became an aura attack in itself. That was why they made that sound when they collided. And since more aura had been placed upon the scalchop in that one moment, I quickly used Razor Shell and then the non-aura attack and aura on the scalchop negated themselves." He smiled at her. "But that was only possible because Watchog was so strong!"
Iris and Cilan looked at Ash, surprised. This was his own style, his own tactics that he used in a world that only focused upon their own aura. And that was how he had managed to pull out a win. But…
Was that something that they could do as well? Would it improve them as trainers in order to have that tactic up their sleeves?
Lenora smiled back at the trainer. "Thank you. But you'll have to do more than that in order to take down Herdier!" She cried as she threw the Pokéball.
"Dier!" cried the Pokémon as Oshawott looked at it, clearly ready to battle. Ash looked at Lenora with that same glance and then called the first attack as the battle recommenced.
"Use Water Gun!" called Ash.
"Dodge!" commanded Lenora. Herdier disappeared again as it used its aura to move out of the way. Ash responded silently by using his Aura Perception to see where Herdier was, the aura that had built up on its feet since the last battle still there, meaning that Ash could see it move by looking at its feet.
"Oshawott! To the left and use Razor Shell!" Oshawott turned in that direction and spun its scalchop which had the same blue blade from before on it as it swung the blade down. However Lenora was not going to let the same tactic from before take out Herdier already.
"Use Aura Protect!" she called.
"A-Aura Protect?!" said Ash, surprised. Herdier stopped, in the location that Ash had told Oshawott to attack and a green-blue sphere came around it that Oshawott's scalchop slammed into. The aura attack hit the non-aura attack and they negated, however the fact that Oshawott had come in for a close quarters attack meant that it received the full force of the explosion of air that threw it back. Herdier protected due to Aura Protect.
"Aura Shadow Ball!" called Lenora and the balls of purplish blue energy gathered at Herdier's mouth that it used to fire at Oshawott who was still flying through the air.
"Her!" cried the Pokémon as it launched four of the balls towards the Pokémon.
"Oshaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" cried Oshawott in pain as it was hit dead centre. It fell to the ground and smoke came from a number of its wounds.
"Come on Oshawott! Get up! I know that you can do it!" cried Ash towards his Pokémon. Oshawott struggled to do so and it was Lenora that called the next attack.
"Once more Herdier! Aura Shadow Ball!" The attack formed at Herdier's mouth and Ash grit his teeth. How was he going to make Oshawott escape when it could barely move?
He had an idea in mind and he called it out, hopeful that Oshawott would be able to escape successfully. "Oshawott! Aqua Jet!"
Oshawott heard its trainer's call and its body was covered with water however the lack of energy that it had meant that it could not take off easily, something that meant that Herdier's Aurja Shadow Balls slammed into it, the explosion of air that was created throwing both Herdier and Oshawott back and the two of them skid along the ground however one thing was clear.
"Oshaaaaaaaaa…" said Oshawott as its eyes were replaced with swirls. Hawes looked at the Pokémon and made his judgment.
"Oshawott is unable to battle and therefore the winner is Herdier!" called Hawes.
Iris slumped as she looked at Ash who had a depressed expression on his face as he recalled Oshawott. "Is this going to end the same way as last time?" she asked to herself.
"Pika…" said Pikachu from the sidelines and Cilan merely put a finger towards his chin.
"I have no idea Iris. But in the end, the only thing we can do is have faith that Ash and his Pokémon will pull through. After all, the ingredients that make up Ash, I know that giving up is not one of them."
Iris looked towards the trainer who was smiling at his Pokéball. "Thanks Oshawott. You were great. Take a good rest." He reached for the other Pokéball on his belt and held it out in front of him.
"Herdier sure is strong Lenora." Said Ash. "I can see how powerful Lillipup has gotten since evolving."
"Of course. But let's see how strong you have become Ash. Let's see how you respond towards this challenge that is in front of you. Or will your luck run out?"
"Don't be too sure! We're here to win! Tepig, I choose you!" Ash threw the Pokéball and it burst open and Tepig appeared with flames coming out of its snout as it looked clearly eager to get the battle underway.
"You ready Tepig?" asked Ash.
"Te, tepig!" it cried with enthusiasm.
"Alright! Then let's win that Badge!"
But in the end, the only thing we can do is have faith that Ash and his Pokémon will pull through.
Ash clearly had faith in his Pokémon. And it was that faith that allowed him to have the confidence that he did in battle. So if Ash could have that faith, was it too much to ask for others to have faith in him?
She didn't think so.
So…..
"Yeah! Ash you can do it! Win that Badge!" she cried out with a smile on her face.
"Ax, axew!" said Axew in agreement.
"Pikapi pika!"
Cilan was surprised at her outburst however noticed something about the girl that made him chuckle.
She and Solana definitely had something in common regarding that one boy. And although she might not realise it herself, that point was definitely clear.
Somehow, Cilan felt that their travels were sure to be more interesting.
"Start off with Ember!" called Ash.
"Dodge that and get in close!" replied Lenora. Tepig unleashed the flames towards the Pokémon however using that same aura, the Pokémon managed to dodge and approached Tepig with that same monstrous speed.
"Tepig! Get ready to counter whatever attack Herdier sends your way!" said Ash.
"Aura Giga Impact!" said Lenora with a smirk on her lips.
Herdier's body lit up with a blue energy that circled all around it as it leaped towards Tepig, the close range of the blow meaning that Tepig would not have time to dodge unless it used its aura. Ash's surprise was clear on his face however he still managed to call out a command towards Tepig.
"Use Tackle and intercept!" he called.
"Tackle?!" yelled Iris towards the boy. "What do you think an attack like that is going to do against an Aura Giga Impact!?" she protested however it was Tepig that leaped forward without hesitation to meet the attack head first.
There was an explosion of air, as expected as the aura attack hit the non-aura attack and Tepig was thrown back as a result, slamming into the ground. However that was not the only thing that occurred. At the same time, Herdier was thrown upwards with such force and momentum while still using Aura Giga Impact that it slammed into the roof of the Gym, rubble and Herdier falling to the ground while Tepig stood up.
"Her….dier…." said the Pokémon as it slowly stood up, wounds all over it.
"A Tackle did that to Herdier?!" protested Cilan. As a Gym Leader he had seen many things, Ash being one of the more interesting as a trainer however the scene in front of him was only something that could happen in a fanfiction.
"Of course!" said Ash. "The power difference is something that allowed Tepig to push Herdier up, while it was still using Aura Giga Impact where it slammed into the ceiling. While that only happens when there is a large amount of power difference, where the aura attack can't be negated fully, it means that Tepig can use Herdier's power against it."
Lenora grit her teeth as she looked at the trainer. While evolving Lillipup was definitely an advantage, in the current battle and Ash's tactics, it seemed that the newfound power it had been given meant that it was more disadvantageous that positives to have the evolution. However….that was the challenge and it made it all the more interesting.
"Tepig! Stand up and use Ember!" Tepig did so, unleashing the flames towards the Pokémon with a "Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig!"
"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!" Herdier, still dazed after the attack that had been placed its way before coUld not move and was struck head first by the flames, falling backwards.
"Follow it up with Tackle!" called Ash. Tepig ran forward and slammed into the fallen Herdier's side causing it to skid backwards as it tried to stand up.
"Herdier! Get up! Use Aura Shadow Ball!" Herdier did so and launched the purplish-blue balls towards Tepig.
"Tepig! Dodge them like we did in training!" Tepig nodded and ran straight towards the Aura Shadow Balls, moving out of the way at the last minute in order to avoid them, doing so successfully as Lenora could only watch as it did so.
"Herdier! Get close again and use Aura Shadow Ball!"
"I don't think so! Tepig, use Ember on the ground!" Tepig launched the attack towards said location as Herdier disappeared once again. Yet even though the attack never hit Herdier, the flames that hit the ground created an explosion of air that sent both Pokémon backwards and into the walls of the Gym.
"No matter how many times you use aura in order to speed yourself up, you fuel the small parts of aura that you have created since the last time I negated them! Meaning that I can always stop you! Tepig, use Tackle!" cried Ash.
Tepig raced forward, now on a battlefield that was free of the aura that was created and headed for the recovering Herdier.
"Herdier! D-" Lenora stopped. Using aura in order to successfully dodge was her strategy however using that in the current state of things would only result in giving Ash the advantage once again. Those small spots of aura that were left of Herdier would not fully disappear due to the constant use of aura and that meant that Ash could just use them to his advantage once again.
"Use Aura Giga Impact!" she cried out to the Pokémon.
"Herdier!" the Pokémon said as it stood up and raced towards the Pokémon that was heading its way. And the same thing happened. The attacks negated themselves and Herdier was thrown upwards as a result and Tepig thrown to the ground however Lenora had the attack plan that she wanted already set out.
"Herdier! Straighten yourself out and use the remaining of youR Aura Giga Impact to strike down Tepig!"
Herdier did so, angling its body so that its feet touched the roof of the Gym before kicking off as it used its aura to speed itself up and fuel the power of the Aura Giga Impact.
"Tepig!" called Ash. "Use Flame Charge!"
Tepig nodded and took one step, its body lighting up with red and flames appearing all over it, one jump from the Pokémon launching it into the air where it met the Pokémon that was its opponent head on in mid-air.
Cilan and Iris had already guessed what was going to happen and created Aura Shields in order to protect themselves from the explosion of air, Hawes taking note and doing the same. After all, the results were spectacular.
The explosion of air caused the rubble that was in the centre of the room to fly in all directions, hitting the Aura Shields with an immense amount of force. There was a smash from above and a howl in pain from Herdier and Tepig while both trainers covered their faces in order to make sure that they would not be harmed, Lenora safer in that regard due to the Aura Shield that she had put up.
Yet even though that was the case, Ash used his Aura Perception in order to look at where Herdier was….and saw something that he had expected from the start. As he had already said, the attack was powerful enough that a large power difference would not cause there to be a full negation. And although Flame Charge was not as powerful in terms of raw strength, it had been enough to disperse the aura from the attack and render it useless in terms of an Aura Giga Impact, not enough to fully negate the aura.
But that was not what Ash was seeing. The dispersed aura that floating in the air from the attack was seen everywhere on the battlefield. As an Aura Zero, he could see that while Lenora and everyone else had put up their Aura Shields, he would be left unprotected.
But in the end, he was noT only fighting for himself, but for his Pokémon. Herdier was strong. Strong enough to not faint even after that. Which meant-
"TEPIG!" called Ash. "Finish this with an Ember!"
"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig!" came the voce from inside the smoke and the room practically exploded with a burst of air.
The dispersed aura was all negated like the chain reaction from before, each particle of aura being negated in one fell swoop. Hawes, Iris and Cilan were actually pushed back from the mere force of it while Lenora was standing near the centre which threw her back violently against the wall.
Ash however had already moved there in order to not get pushed against the wall in such a fashion, the wind being knocked out of lungs as a result of the blast. He coughed and heard groans from around him, all eyes on the battlefield as he tried to see the victor.
There was a crash, like the sound of something falling from the roof and the smoke cleared.
"Herdier!" cried Lenora.
"Tepig!" said Ash similarly.
Herdier was on the ground next to Tepig, swirls in its eyes while Tepig was panting heavily as it stood up.
"Te…..pig…" It breathed heavily.
Hawes blinked and then cleared his throat. "H-Herdier is unable to battle which means the winner is Tepig. This also means that the victor is the challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"
"YES!" cried Ash as he ran onto the battlefield, moving from the rubble that had fallen from the Gym, and stumbling a tiny bit due to being winded. "We did it Tepig! We did it!"
Iris and Cilan moved towards the two of them in a similar fashion with smiles on their faces.
"You did it Ash! Although the Gym isn't the same as what it started off with…" remarked Iris. Axew looked at the roof and paled with an "Axew axew" sound.
"Indeed! That was such a unique mix of ingredients and flavours I could hardly contain myself! That ending was particularly interesting as well!" said Cilan.
"Pika Pikachu!" said Pikachu as t sat next to Ash.
"So true." Said Lenora as she came closer and returned Herdier into its Pokéball. "The way that you expertly handled your own style in your own way, I have to say that I haven't been that fired up in ages. Even the damage to the Gym is nothing compared to the red hot nature of that battle Ash."
"Hahaha." Laughed Hawes. "Particularly that force from the Aura Giga Impact and Ember at the end. Things are just out of control with your battle style."
Lenora let out another laugh as well. "You're so right. And here…." She used her aura to reach for something that was at the other end of the Gym, bringing out a small badge that was rectangular in shape with a couple of yellow lines across it. "The Basic Badge for your efforts."
"Thanks Lenora! And you can bet that we'll train just as hard for the other Gyms as well!" Ash took the Badge and looked at it with a smile on his face.
"Yes! I just got ….the Basic Badge!" he cried in joy.
"Pi-pikachu!"
"Osha!"
"Tepig!"
Nurse Joy let out a sigh of relief. "And here Ash. Here is your Pokémon Egg. I have to say that the shape that it's in now, it's as healthy as it can be and will hatch really soon!"
Ash nodded in thanks and then tilted his head at her. "Thanks! I'll do that Nurse Joy but….is there something good on today? You seem awfully happier than when I went for my battle."
"Well….One of the more troublesome of our guests has left. He even returned the wheel that he borrowed, much to my surprise." She smiled at the boy.
"That guy huh?" asked Ash before shrugging. "Oh well, I'm sure things will get better for you now that he's out of your hair!"
The clouds outside the Pokémon Centre had a negative feeling about them however the bright mood that Ash was on seemed to make him oblivious to the dark nature of the weather ahead.
"Well…for the closest Gym…that would be…. Castelia City." Said Cilan as he looked at his map.
"The Castelia Gym huh?" said Iris as she looked at the map. "So Ash are you going to go and challenge that Gym?"
"Hah!" said Ash. "Of course! And I'll win my third Gym Badge there as well! Castelia City here we come!" yelled Ash into the air.
"Pika pika!"
He ran off in the direction that Cilan had said that they were going in the first place and both looked at each other before giving a sigh.
Even though Ash might be a trainer that they had never encountered before, it was not much to say that things were sure to get interesting from now on.
"But wait! Ash! It's going to rain soon! Shouldn't we-!" said Iris however Ash was already out of earshot. She groaned and felt that the only way to get him to listen was to get up close however the speed that he was travelling….
"Oi! Come back here you little kid!" she shouted.
"Hahaha! In the end everything is the same." Said Cilan as he ran forward.
And their journey continued once again, the darkness that was about to follow oblivious to their innocent gaze.
Well what did you think? While the first battle was merely the small focus upon Ash's loss this is one that had greater focus, mainly that of his ability as a trainer in this alternate universe.
While Aura is something that is widely used, the faults are obvious when battling Ash. However this light that is here will only be crushed for the next arc, the final of the Exorcist Arc. I hope that you guys have looked towards it and that everything will be going well for you in the future.
But again with XY the Series, I have a lot of catching up to do! But regardless, I'm sure everyone is excited for the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu with Serena, Bonnie and Clemont in the Kalos region!
And as always,
Review if you please
And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.
And to finish…..
The Boy sighed as he walked towards Castelia City. Well, what he was looking for the first place was nowhere near Nacrene City. Man, he needed that vehicle. It was the only way that he could escape from this hell that he had been made to live…..
His phone rang inside his blazer pocket and he reached for it, looking at the caller ID before frowning. It was her. Why was she calling? He did NOT need to talk to her at the moment and besides, whatever she was caught up in, he was sure that she could handle it.
She had that ability after all so he had no doubt in that mind. However the Boy still felt that he should answer, at least ask her about what she felt about what he had found out about Team Rocket's plot…..
There was a bright flash and a clap of thunder entered his ears, causing the Boy to look up, only to receive a face full of rain that soaked him. He groaned and put the phone back into his blazer pocket. What the hell was this? He knew it would be raining but seriously? This hard?
The Boy looked behind him to see how far Nacrene City was behind him however noticed something that he had seen on his way here. To the left was the….
"Hale Mansion huh? I hope that they'll let me stay a while."
The Boy ran while covering his head with his blazer and each step made part of him think back towards the plot that was going on even as he was running.
A storm was coming. And it was going to literally rip Unova to shreds.
"Man oh man. Where is the freedom?" He complained as he ran.
And that will be the end.
Until next time…