Hello again. The second instalment I hope you enjoy it.
I like to give thanks to my first ever reviewers.
: The Shiny Gengar, KitsuneDragon & The Fan Fiction Writer.
To clear it up yes Ash will actually improve as he goes' and plan his battle's out .I don't want to see the wreck which was the first 2 episodes of Black & White ever again it was a blight on ash & Pikachu.
Tie with a Latios beat a Regice but lose to a beginner Snivy, where a simple quick attack or iron tail would end it what the hell were they thinking! .
: Again I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters but if I did ash wouldn't be so oblivious to girls or start each reason as a weakling seriously BW made it so obvious.
"Talking" 'thoughts'
Enough of my frustration here's chapter 2, it will be longer.
"Paul!" said Ash startled.
The fuzz of purple turned its head from the bench it was sitting on and faced Ash.
"What are you doing here, Ash?" Paul said as he stood up from the bench and turned to completely face Ash.
It took a few second's for Ash to respond. "I felt like some fresh air so I went for a walk and now stumbled into you." A smile came onto Ash's face "what are you doing here."
"My Torterra likes to take walks during the evenings or nights, don't really know why though." replied Paul with a frown "Waiting for it to comeback, so I can go get some sleep."
"Pi!" Pikachu's ears shot up and he stared into the forest. "What's the matter Pikachu, you hear something." Ash asked till he heard the Slow plodding sounds of feet hitting ground, slowing getting closer and louder till the identity of the noise was revealed and Torterra plodded out of the forest and reached Pauls side."
Paul reached out brushed Torterra's head the Tortoise had just collapsed onto its belly relaxing. "Is there something you need Ash? I figured you would be celebrating your… win." asked Paul with a slight pause.
Ash didn't respond immediately and stared at Paul who stared back. The silence was getting uncomfortable; during the silence Pikachu had climbed down Ash's shoulder and had climbed onto Torterra's shell also taking a nap.
"Um Paul I was just wondering something." Ash said quietly.
"What?" Paul said with a raised eyebrow.
"Do ….do you respect me?" Ash finally said.
"What kind of question is that!" Paul said now with both eyebrows raised.
"Do you respect me as trainer and a person." Asked Ash who stared at Paul with a blank expression.
"Why do you want to know?" asked Paul there was no response only silence to the question.
There was another pause, Paul sighed and finally responded now annoyed "yes and no happy now."
"What do you mean?" said a now puzzled Ash.
"As a person yes you have earned my respect!" Paul admitted. "Your ideals of bonding with your Pokémon and being friends with them, I admit I didn't believe that doing something like that would help me become stronger. Also I didn't believe that weak Pokémon could become very strong".
"You proved me wrong, Chimchar never got any stronger under my training but evolved under yours." Paul frowned and continued. "I didn't understand how could it evolve under your training but not undermine, I thought I was superior to you and that you were a weakling." Ash clenched his fist.
"Well im not am I." Ash said sarcastically. "Let me finish!" Grumbled Paul with an even more annoyed expression.
"You lost to me numerous times yet you keep coming back for more, I didn't get that either do you like losing?" Silence was once again his answer. "I thought not, No one does. You surprised me when you said you beat Brandon I didn't believe it then and I still didn't quite believe it till today even though I looked up your profile." Paul took a slight pause and continued "What did you have to beat Brandon that I don't; I finally figured it out today". Some rustling Noise next to them showed that Torterra and Pikachu had awakened and now stared at the both of them.
"What do you mean?" said a calm looking Ash but was anxious inside.
"It's something Reggie said to me after he quit the battle frontier!" Paul's eyes Narrowed and frowned after that statement.
"He said he lacked unique strategies to battle someone of Brandon's level or higher. I didn't believe it I thought he lacked the strength required to beat Brandon considering he had the Regi's. My thought's had merit so I ignored him,…..tsk… look where that got me today."
"What's that got to do with our battle" Ash asked/
"Pika!" "Tor!"
"Ash what you lack in strength you make up in strategies, under that idiocy you show,you have brain in there which can think outside the box. I saw your battle's during the league your Gible launching a Draco meteor with Shuckle in his mouth was genius and your Heracross underground uppercut megahorn was a masterstroke I'll admit. Plus that counter shield of yours is something ive never seen before where do you come up with these Ideas."
Ash didn't know what to say, apart of him agreed with Paul plus he remembered in the past almost all the gym leaders saying he had unorthodox & unique strategies. But that didn't help him against Paul in the past.
"Anyone can strategize Paul". Ash finally said.
"PAH!" grumbled Paul. "of course anyone with a brain can strategize but not everyone can think outside box like you can and come up with them so quickly, who the Hell would think to use a physical move like flare blitz underground to clear my Drapions toxic spikes or negate the disadvantages of Giga Impact by spinning!" Paul now yelling at Ash.
"It didn't help me in the past against you." Ash responds in a quiet voice.
"That's because you're an idiot." Paul grumbled again still reeling from his previous thoughts.
"Hey!" "PIKA!"exclaimed Ash and Pikachu.
"You could have breezed through the gym's in this region, you have a couple of powerhouses like your Sceptile & Snorlax rusting away in Pallet." Spat Paul.
"I like to start fresh every region to catch new Pokémon and train them up through my journey". Said Ash with a frown slowly forming on his face as well.
"While neglecting the rest of your Pokémon back in Kanto!" Paul snapped back.
Ash reeled as if slapped.
" You could have rotated your team around so they all got more experience, more than half your Pokémon are unevolved if you had trained them along with your Sinnoh Pokémon they'd probably have evolved and be evenmore Powerful then they currently are."
" That may be true but it's not all about power they can choose if they want to evolve I'll work with them either way it's their choice, unevolved Pokémon can beat evolved ones it's all about their determination & inner strength." Ash said with conviction in his voice. "Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded in agreement."
"And how do you know if they want to evolve if you don't continue to train them to get to a level where they can evolve!" Ash didn't have a response to that.
"That is why I said yes and no to respecting you."
"I respect you as a person you wouldn't purposely hurt or does anything wrong by your Pokémon and people in general, that I or anyone can tell. But I don't completely respect you as a trainer, I respect your ability to command your Pokémon not many can think like you can. You don't give up and your determination rubs off on your Pokémon in desperate situations." Ash, Torterra & Pikachu could only stare as Paul continued his speech.
"How else would you beat a Regice with a Pikachu no matter how powerful a mouse it is it's still against a legendary, yet your Pikachu loses to my freshly caught Elekid it's a wonder if that mouse of yours is lazy or that victory was a fluke." Paul chuckled as Ash & a sparking Pikachu Glared.
"What I'm saying is the deeper the connection you have with your Pokémon the stronger their determination to win is and the bigger there inner strength as you demonstrated today."
"I didn't believe in those connections but I do now watching you and my bro…"Paul didn't finish.
"Anyway as I said before I don't completely respect your ability as a trainer you can battle and battle well especially when you actually have strong Pokémon in your corner, unlike when we first met." continued Paul.
"Torterra must been on a long walk for you think all this." Ash said with a sour chuckle.
"Do you understand why you kept losing to me?" continued Paul ignoring what Ash said.
"Ha?" blinked Ash.
Paul sighed and slapped a palm to his head. "What I'm saying!, is that you could have done a lot better here in Sinnoh and probably beat me as well sooner if you thought thing's through."
"You don't plan ahead that is your key flaw and most times your downfall" stated Paul. (AN: you know it's the truth people).
"You might have the brain to dig you out of most situations when you're at a disadvantage strength wise, but you still need power coupled with your strategies to be the complete package. Do you get it your strategies might have helped you hang in there when battling but you don't have the brute strength to back up those strategies and Lake Valor was a clear example of that."
Ash had to agree there he made a small comeback with Pikachu & Monferno but they were eventually overpowered by Electabuzz, Ursaring & Magmortar.
"I'm ashamed to admit but your closer than me to being the complete package, I might have the power but I can't think outside the box like you can when in a tricky spot with one foot in the grave" Paul said almost painfully.
Ash looked and said "Thanks paul" with a small smile. Both Pikachu & Torterra had small smiles as well, Torterra was glad his trainer was changing.
"that's why I don't completely respect you, Lose the Cocky attitude, You can be powerful but you don't show it enough unlike today which showed what you can do with both your brain and Power on display and I admit I was impressed by Infernapes performance. That was best you battled in Sinnoh, you actually gave me a challenge." Paul said with a small smile and his eye's closed.
Paul's eye's snapped open "but the issue still remains, you could have brought a few of your older Pokémon along and used them in your battles while training your new Pokémon till they caught up with their strength or close to it. Doing it that way would have help you immensely against the gym leader's, helping you finish sooner and give you more time to train all your Pokémon for the league. I myself had a full 2 month's spare to train for the league." Paul had a palm on his chest gesturing to himself.
"Woah!" Ash said shocked "I didn't know that."
"You would have to if you had planned ahead!" said Paul.
"Why do you care Paul, why do you care that I've done these mistakes. People wouldn't point this out normally."
Paul turned around giving Ash his back "You frustrate me."
"Ha!" "Pika!" "Tor!"
" I thought I had you figured out yet, a weakling with a couple of strong Pokémon within a group of weaklings." He felt the glare's on the back of his head but soldiered on "Then suddenly I hear you beat Brandon, I didn't believe it and starting researching you, I saw all you past achievement's all the Pokémon you've used in past tournament's & the battle frontier. It made no sense that you would have all these strong Pokémon but not use them against me or others in Sinnoh. Are we not worthy of your best, you claim to want to beat me yet you had the likes of your Charizard, Sceptile, Snorlax Donphan & others in reserve waiting to be used at anytime. That was when I figured out your problem and realised it was easily solved if you bothered to rotate your pokemon and battled people with them."
"The reason I care is because I like testing myself against powerful opponent's ive never come across someone as unique as you, and battling you would help me achieve my goal of beating Brandon and all his Regi's. Here in Sinnoh no one else I've seen comes close to your 'potential' power other than this Tobia's character."
"I understand." said Ash looking solemn.
"I was hoping you use your other Pokémon against me today, but in the back of my mind I figured very quickly you'd use the same six as Lake Valor."
"They wanted redemption along with myself I had to use them!" Ash said passionately.
"Don't let pride be your downfall you saw what happened to me against Brandon!" Paul snarled and turned around.
"It was probably the wrong move but I stick by my decision." Ash calmly replied.
"Alright I'll except it, what are going to do against Tobias, you have a few day's I do hope you plan out what you're going to do against him he's not someone to mess around with." Paul said with narrowed eyes.
"He a mystery there's not much to go on other his Darkrai but that's it really!" Ash said looking to the sky scratching his head in thought of Tobias.
A zapping sound was heard along with thud, I looked see Pikachu scratching his probably sore behind on the ground and an empty space with Torterra returning to his poke ball.
"Well good luck then with your match." said Paul walking away.
"Wait!"Ash screamed startling Paul & Pikachu.
"Will you stay for my battle!" Ash said in small voice.
"I was planning to go back to Veilstone then challenge Brandon if possible." Replied Paul who paused in his walk.
"Please!" pleaded Ash This seemed to really shock Paul who completely turned around.
"Why should I" Narrowing his eyes, as Pikachu look back and forth between the two in bewilderment.
"Your right I'm an idiot I could have rotated my Pokémon to have an easier time here and ... I regrettably have neglected my Pokémon at home." That was painful for Ash to say, since he cared for his Pokémon a lot.
"Your right I don't plan ahead and tend to rush into things head first, but this time I can't really afford to do that my opponent has a legendary and the rest of his team is mystery!" said in a stronger voice.
"Paul let me show you that trainer you want to battle so badly, watch me battle Tobias and afterward if you still think I'm that 'Trainer' we'll have a rematch. What do you think." Ash said in a strong voice with his shoulder's squared facing Paul waiting for his reaction.
After a slight pause Paul starting walking away again but stopped just before he was out of sight, and glanced over his shoulder.
"Then I look forward to meeting him, I'll be back for the battle I'm going to bed and then I'll train for the rematch". Paul replied as walked out of sight but Ash noticed the smile on his face as he left.
Ash stood still staring after Paul's departure for a few minute before feeling a prod to his right leg from Pikachu.
"Sorry Pikachu just Thinking." Ash took another glance and thought 'And I can wait for the rematch either'.
"Man what time is it?" asked Ash as glance down to his watch.
"6:30!" Ash said shocked "My god we were talking for an hour!"
"Pika!" Pikachu shrugged.
"Oh well I still don't feel like heading back, my head's still reeling from Paul's speech." Ash said jokingly.
Ash lied down on the grass with Pikachu by the lake looking at the stars. "Still what he said made sense, I should apologise to others back home when I see them." Ash said staring at the sky.
"Chu." Pikachu softly agreed seemingly half asleep.
"What a great sky I wonder how the others are seeing it in Kanto." said Ash in wonder.
No response was received; ash glanced to his side and saw that Pikachu was a sleep. Ash chuckled and continued watching the star thinking about what changes he need to make tomorrow for training in preparation for Tobias.
'Just you watch Paul I'll show you what this complete package can do' was Ash's final thought as he drifted to sleep under the full moon.
End Chapter
Ive edited the chapter as best I can hopefully it's abit better to read.
Man im tired, that speech by Paul made my brain hurt, oh well.
AN: Again no Flame's but will accept constructive criticism, and suggestions if I think it will work with my ideas. Review please; it makes me want to write.
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Again LightningBlade49 OUT!