Welcome to the Ikimono League

By Neko (Silver Tru-Neko)

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon, else Ash would keep his old rivals and there wouldn't be Pokemon contests :P No offense, that's just the parts of Pokemon I can't stand.

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Chapter 17 – Ultimate Team-Up!!

The Pokémon Centre was just as crowded as it was that morning as Ash and the others headed for lunch. Firstly they lined up in front of Nurse Joy's desk, needing medical attention for Pikachu, Lapras, Charizard, Blastoise, Nidoking, and Umbreon. Gary was still shadowing them silently.

Nurse Joy herself greeted them at the front of the line-up; she recognized Ash, Misty, and Brock from earlier.

"Back already?" she asked kindly.

Ash handed over two Poké balls. "We're still trying for the Elemental Badge."

Nurse Joy nodded solemnly. "I see. They say no one's been able to get past their newest Pokémon, once they evolved."

Gary paused from comforting Umbreon, who had settled on a stretcher beside Pikachu. The electric mouse stared at it coldly.

"What do you mean?"

Nurse Joy picked up the tray full of Poké balls, a Chansey wheeling Pikachu and Umbreon away. "Well, ever since Rachel and Alex started using them, anyone who faced Dragonair and Tyranitar has lost."

Ash gripped the counter stiffly. "Well, just you wait 'cause we'll be the first to beat 'em!"

Nurse Joy only blinked, surprised, as another customer approached the desk.

"Come on, let's eat," begged Misty. The trainers angled toward the cafeteria.

"I can't wait for a rematch!" Ash was saying. "Next time I'm sure it'll be different!"

"We'll need to strategize first," pointed out Gary calmly. "There has to be a way to beat the twins at their own game."

Over lunch, the discussion returned to the previous battles. Ash didn't fancy dwelling on his losses, but as Brock pointed out, they would need to go over their errors if they wanted to find a solution.

Brock pulled out a notebook and a pen. Dividing a page in half, he then headed two columns with the twins' names. "So far," he said, "we've seen that they use mainly the same Pokémon in every battle. Rachel has an Eevee, an Umbreon, and a Dragonair."

"Alex has Eevee, Ninetales, Espeon, and Tyranitar," added Misty, observing over his shoulder as he wrote.

"So? They're always switching their Pokémon around. What does this matter?" Ash asked, mouth full.

"Well, I was hoping to see some sort of strategy or pattern to their choices," Brock continued. He scribbled rapidly as he spoke. "They've already used Umbreon and Eevee together, Ninetales and Eevee, Dragonair and Espeon, Ninetales and Eevee again, Tyranitar and Dragonair, and finally Tyranitar and Umbreon."

"They never use the exact same Pokémon," noted Misty, "or two of Eevee's evolutions. I'd say their types are different, too, but Umbreon and Tyranitar are both dark."

"Hmm." Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "When I watched you guys battle, I noticed they always seemed to have a more powerful looking Pokémon in play than the other. For example, Ninetales and Eevee; you'd expect more damage from Ninetales, ignoring Eevee's strength."

"Ninetales and Rachel's Eevee must work together really well," commented Misty, "to use them together twice."

"And the sizes are usually different, too. In that same example, Eevee's speed made it almost more dangerous than Ninetales. Whenever Pikachu tried to attack it, it would always counter before it was even hit!"

"Maybe," said Gary quietly. He was staring at the notebook, hands clasped beneath his chin. "But that's not it."

"Then what is?" snapped Ash. Gary smiled smugly but didn't reply.

Misty went back to the page. "Going back to the pattern idea, think of it like this: if I were a twin, I'd probably want to stay equal with my sibling. So I'd catch the same Pokémon, or ones of equal strength." She indicated two names on the list. "That explains the two Eevees, and two separate evolutions. Then, Nurse Joy told us Rachel and Alex recently got their Dragonair and Tyranitar. So we can pair those two up as well. Ninetales is left out, so that means Rachel must have a Pokémon equal in strength to Ninetales."

Ash blinked, confused. "So you're saying…?"

Misty frowned. "Well, they never used these Pokémon together except for Tyranitar and Dragonair, and that wasn't for very long."

"So you mean they alternate strength levels along with size, to trick their opponents into striking one Pokémon in particular," concluded Brock. "That's pretty much all we know so far."

"So if you can't focus on one Pokémon, what do you do?" Ash demanded, getting annoyed with all the hypothesising. "There's no way to take both out at once every time."

"I guess you have to wear them down slowly?" Misty guessed, but Brock quickly shook his head.

"No. Haven't you noticed how quickly the battles went by? Rachel and Alex focus on hitting fast and hard. Our Pokémon just can't endure that for very long."

Misty frowned. "So how do you counter, then?" Brock shrugged; Ash's face was blank. Gary rolled his eyes.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!" Ash practically yelled. "Stop acting so superior and tell us if you're so smart!"

Gary pulled the notebook toward him. "In most of these combinations," he said coolly, "it's Rachel's Pokémon that's smaller or looks to be weaker. In battle, however, she's the one in there doing all the fighting. Didn't you notice how Tyranitar only held Nidoking and Charizard off, allowing Dragonair and Umbreon to take out the second Pokémon? Alex's Pokémon are all geared toward defence, and Rachel's, offence."

"Then why do they keep switching sides, if Alex just holds them off?" wondered Ash.

"Pikachu's first quick attack." Gary shot a look at Ash. "What did Ninetales do?"

Ash's face creased as he thought. Suddenly it dawned on him. "It stopped Pikachu!"

"Exactly," smirked Gary, spreading his hands. "So you see, Alex switches when Rachel's Pokémon are in danger, to guard them."

Brock brightened. "And in our first battle, Rachel's Umbreon took out Geodude while Eevee held Bayleef off!"

"And when Gary's Umbreon got the upper hand," Misty said excitedly, "Alex's Tyranitar distracted it so that Rachel's Umbreon could recover!"

"So while Rachel takes the offensive, Alex is defensive, making them work like one super-trainer," Ash said slowly. He frowned. "But if they're so good at that, how can we win? We already know it's impossible to take out one at a time – I mean, we only knocked out one of Rachel's Pokémon last time!"

"Simultaneous knockouts are risky," interjected Misty, "and long battles will need tougher Pokémon than we have. What does that leave?"

Brock corrected, "You couldn't take out one at a time because you weren't working together. If both Pokémon focus on one, you could overpower it. But that still leaves Rachel free to strike – or Alex to defend."

"I thought I made it obvious to you," sighed Gary. "You have to do the exact same thing – one trainer on offence, one on defence. That way, one Pokémon attacks and the other protects it from any counterattack."

"That's pretty impressive thinking," admitted Misty. "You figured out their strategy just now?"

Gary nodded shortly. "It's simple, really." His eyes narrowed as he inwardly berated himself, I can't believe I didn't see it earlier!

Ash grumbled, "Yeah, whatever. So we focus on Alex first, right? He's the weaker one."

"Wrong," Gary snapped. "Neither is stronger than the other. I thought we already covered that."

"Then what-" began Ash.

Gary leaned back from the table, folding his hands behind his head. "We take out Rachel first. With the offensive down, we can take as long as we need to defeat Alex. As his Pokémon are better trained to take the hits, they'll take longer to fight."

Brock nodded, "That's right. The other way around, you leave yourself open to attack for too long."

Gary sighed, "Finally we're getting somewhere."

"That leaves one question, though," Misty said thoughtfully. "Who's offence, and who's defence?"

Both trainers glanced at the other; electricity seemed to pass between their glares.

Misty slumped, the excitement of their breakthrough evaporating. They still had a long way to go.

*

The afternoon sun blazed in the west as Ash, Gary, Misty, and Brock left the Pokémon Centre. Fully healed, Pikachu perched on Ash's head with a renewed spark in its eyes. Umbreon trotted faithfully at Gary's side.

The trainers passed by the park on their way to the gym; Umbreon paused, sniffing the air, and gave a low growl.

Gary glanced down at his Pokémon. "What is it, Umbreon?"

"Reon!" Umbreon bounded up to the fence, jumping up to place its forepaws on it.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, bristling.

Gary hobbled to the fence; leaning against it, he glanced out over the park. His eyes narrowed.

"I see."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu pounced onto the ledge beside him; sitting upright, it glared at something in the distance.

Ash gasped. "Hey, what're they doing here?"

Indeed, the unmistakeable blond twins were leaning against the play apparatus, chatting with their friend Cole.

Misty sighed, "They have lives, too, you know."

"But we had to battle now!" Ash complained. Before anyone could stop him, he vaulted over the fence and ran toward the playground.

"Hey!" he yelled, waving, "Wait up!"

Misty groaned; Gary rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Then the other trainers climbed the fence, Gary staggering slightly as he hit the ground. Umbreon leaped effortlessly after them.

Much more slowly, they walked over to the playground. Ash was speaking to the twins; even from this distance, they could hear him.

"I want a rematch now! We're ready for you this time!"

"Isn't that what you said earlier?" Rachel wondered with a wry smile. She dragged a foot through the sand, perched on the swing; Alex leaned against its post nearby. Cole hovered beside him, wide-eyed.

"Are you really gonna fight them?" he asked, fascinated.

Alex glanced at Rachel, raising an eyebrow questioningly. She shrugged.

"Whatever. The result'll still be the same."

Ash balled his hands into fists. "We'll see about that!"

By now, Gary and the others had approached, and Alex gestured to the rectangular field beside them, edged by bushes. "We'll fight over there, then. Same rules, same badge."

Rachel flounced toward her end of the arena, tossing over her shoulder, "Cole, will you ref?"

"Okay!" the boy answered breathlessly, running to center field. So he did know about his friends being gym leaders, mused Ash.

Ash and Gary took positions at one end of the field with their Pokémon, facing Rachel and Alex. Misty and Brock stood beside Cole.

The younger boy raised both his hands. "This is a gym match between Rachel and Alex and-" he broke off, Brock murmuring something to him. "-and Ash and Gary of Pallet Town! Let the match begin!" He swung his arms down dramatically.

Rachel already had a Poké ball in hand. "We'll make you wish you'd stayed away!" she growled, tossing the ball. "Dragonair, go!"

So, she's starting out stronger than usual, noted Gary with narrowed eyes. He suspected the twins would play a faster game, then.

Alex flicked a ball into the air. "I choose Espeon!"

Dragonair hovered on the left side of the field before Ash; Espeon stepped to its side, tail waving delicately in the breeze. The purple catlike Pokémon didn't look like much of a fighter, but Ash knew otherwise.

"Pikachu! I choose you!"

Pikachu bounded forward eagerly. Gary nodded to himself. It was down to him now.

"Umbreon, you're up!"

Umbreon nodded fiercely, striding forward.

Again, Ash was the first to make a move. "Okay, Pikachu! Thundershock!"

Pikachu clenched tiny fists, powering up; at the same time, Alex ordered, "Espeon, psychic!"

Espeon narrowed its eyes, a purple glow beginning to surround Pikachu. Surprised, it paused its attack as it began to lift off the ground.

"Umbreon, quick attack!" commanded Gary. In a flash Umbreon charged at Espeon, smashing into it; Espeon faltered as it skidded backward.

"NOW!" bellowed Ash. Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning as it fell through the air. Dragonair jerked, shrieking, at the attack's force.

"Reon!" Umbreon darted across the field, and Pikachu bounced harmlessly off its back.

"Pika!" Now Pikachu and Umbreon stood side-by-side; Dragonair shook itself, rising up from the ground.

"Dragonair, wrap!" ordered Rachel.

The dragon Pokémon flew at Pikachu, while Espeon froze the mouse in place. As Dragonair bore down on it, Umbreon shouldered Dragonair aside roughly.

"Umbreon, feint attack!"

Umbreon faded; Espeon suddenly bristled, jumping aside as Umbreon lunged at it a moment later.

"Pikachu, your turn!"

Pikachu struck out again with a powerful thundershock; this time, Dragonair did not rise.

"No, Dragonair!" gasped Rachel, rushing to her Pokémon's side.

Brock nudged Cole, who burst out suddenly, "Dragonair is unable to battle!"

Rachel glanced up at Ash through a shroud of hair. "So you finally got something working, huh? Well, sorry to cut your streak short. Ampharos, I choose you!"

Rachel's fourth Pokémon! Ash realized with a jolt as the light Pokémon took form. The red beacon on its tail shone brightly, reflecting sunlight.

"And I choose Tyranitar!" added Alex.

The two huge Pokémon bore down on Pikachu and Umbreon. Ash and Gary exchanged the slightest of glances; Gary nodded.

Ash reached for a Poké ball. "I choose…"

To be continued...

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Cliffhanger...muahaha. Please review!