Author: Now before anyone says anything, let me assure you that you really are reading the right chapter.


Chapter 16

Dust to Dust

The entire stadium is silent... the battle they witnessed just moments before was nothing like they're ever seen. But it wasn't just the battle, it was the trainer involved in it, Ash Ketchum. What had happened, left two big holes in the arena, one on the wall and one on the ground. However, what kept the crowd silent, was the fact that Ash and Anabel were... gone...

"Umm..." The announcer sounds unsure of what to say. "We're terribly sorry about what just happened, but rest assured, the Champions and the police have everything under control now. We'd like to finish off our last battle but..." the announcer stares at the big hole in the ground and a big hole in the wall. "Do you think you're able to battle like this?" the announcer asks Red, Yellow, Jasmine and Janine.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Red tells the announcer.

"We'll just have to find a way to get used to it," Jasmine says.

"Okay, if you say so, would the last two teams please make their way to the arena."

"Hang on a second," Yellow finishes healing Pikachu and Espeon. "There you go, all better. But..." Yellow looks at Ash and Anabel's empty seats.

"Yellow," Red places a hand on her shoulder. "Forget about that for now, let's just focus on the battle."

"But they're gone," Yellow tells him. "They're gone..."

"Look," Red tells her. "Right now we have to battle. We have to make it a battle good enough to make everyone forget what happened, even for a short time. So I'll need you to focus."

"Alright Red," Yellow follows his partner.

"Something is wrong with Yellow," Janine observes.

"I don't blame her," Jasmine replies. "Especially after seeing what just happened. But Red is resolved to battle. We have to be too, for their sake." Jasmine looks at the empty seats.

"Is this... part of being a Gym Leader too?"

"No... it's a part of living..."

"Pika, Chuchu, stay with Pikachu and Espeon okay?" Red tells their Pikachus.

The two teams make their way to the arena. Both sides stare at each other intently.

"Let's have a good match," Red tells the opposing team.

"Yes," Jasmine replies. "Let's. For everyone."

"Let the battle begin!"

"Aero! I choose you!"

"Let's go Kitty!"

"Skarmory! To the sky!"

"Crobat, confound them!"

They all release their Flying Pokemon.


"So it's an aerial battle," Winona observes. "Smart choices, with that big hole in the ground."

"And they're all so varied," Ritchie says. "Rock, Steel, Bug and Poison."

"This will be a battle to see who can take advantage of their types the best." Bugsy tells them.

"And there's a Gym Leader and Gym Leader trainee on one side," Candice adds.

"But Red and Yellow look like pretty good trainers on their own right," Melody explains. "This battle should be something worth watching."

Everyone else is still silent.

"Hey, cheer up." Melody tells them.

"How can we?" May asks.

"Simple," Melody begins. "Ask yourself, does he want you to be sad?"


"Kitty!" Yellow begins! "Tailwind!"

Butterfree summons a wind to blow from behind itself and Aerodactyl to speed them up.

"Aero!" Red follows up. "Take Down!"

"Double Team, Crobat," Janine quickly reacts.

Aerodactyl flies through a bunch of Crobat clones.

"Now, Cross Poison."

The real Crobat uses its wings to attack Aerodactyl with poison.

"Skarmory!" Jasmine calls. "Fly after Butterfree and Night Slash!"

"Kitty! Get away and use Safeguard!"

Butterfree skilfully dodges Skarmory's wings and puts up a mystical barrier around itself and Aero.

"Safeguard," Jasmine begins. "It protects them from status ailments. How are you going to handle this Janine?"

"I use another strategy," Janine answers. "Crobat! Double Team once more and encircle Aerodactyl!"

Aerodactyl is surrounded by multiple Crobats! The Rock Flying looks around confused.

"Calm down Aero!" Red calls. "The real one has to attack sooner or later!"

"Skarmory! Air Cutter!"

Skarmory launches slicing waves from its wings at Butterfree. The Bug was able to still make use of the Tailwind behind it to avoid the attack completely.

"Kitty! Counter attack with Silver Wind!"

Butterfree launches its own slicing waves at Skarmory. The Steel bird takes all of them without even flinching.

"That's not surprising," Winona smiles. "Silver Wind is a Bug type move. Against a Steel and Flying combination like Skarmory, the damage is reduced by a lot."

"Ah," Bugsy intervenes. "But Silver Wind can also raise the abilities of the user. It's chancy, but worth it if it does."

Tailwind dies down.

"Now's our chance Skarmory! Night Slash!"

Skarmory's wings glow and it charges the butterfly. Butterfree is tackled hard!

"Kitty!" Yellow cries as her Pokemon swirls out of control. "Kitty get up!"

Butterfree flaps itself back in control.

"Skarmory! Another Air Cutter now!"

"Kitty! Silver Wind!"

Butterfree and Skarmory fill the sky between them with slashing waves.

"Aero!" Red yells while his Pokemon is attacked viciously by the bat. Aero's status barrier shatters.

"Safeguard is down," Janine observes. "It's time to strike! Use Confuse Ray!"

Crobat fires a beam at Aerodactyl.

"Oh no, Aero!"

The stone flyer hovers, shaking its head.

"Aero! Hyper Beam!"

Aerodactyl opens its eyes, seeing only 3 other blurry fliers. The Rock opens its mouth and charges energy and fires at one of them!

"Skarmory!"

The Steel bird is hit by Hyper Beam! Skarmory recovers quickly and screeches.

"Red!" Yellow screams at her partner. "That was too risky! You could've hit Kitty!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Red brings his hands up. "I was trying to think of a way to get rid of Aero's confusion."

"Mmmrrrrr," Yellow puffed up and slammed her foot down angrily. She then focuses back on the battle, "Kitty! While you're open! Tailwind!"

"Phew," Red wipes his head. "Aero! Are you alright?"

Aerodactyl is still shaking its head trying to get rid of its confusion.

"I guess not."

"Crobat, Cross Poison once more!"

"Skarmory! Steel Wing!"

"Get away from it Kitty!"

"Aero! Move!"

Aerodactyl flies in a random direction, right into Skarmory! Aerodactyl straightens itself up and roars while Skarmory screeches.

Red face palms, "At least confusion didn't turn against us this time."

"Safeguard again Kitty!"

"I see," Jasmine begins. "Their strategy is to use Butterfree's Tailwind to speed up and evade our attacks while its Safeguard protects them from your status inflictions."

"But even with Tailwind, they're no match for my Crobat's speed," Janine tells her. "Shall we switch targets?"

"I was thinking the same thing!"

"Crobat! Cross Poison!"

"Skarmory! Steel Wing!"

"They figured us out! Aero! Take Down!"

"Kitty! Silver Wind!"

Aero and Skarmory collide several times in the air, Butterfree fries slash waves at Crobat but the Poison Pokemon was too fast and evades them all.

"Now you're mine!" Janine confidently states. "Huh?"

Crobat is suddenly falling out of the sky!

"Kitty! Silver Wind!"

Butterfree fires several slashes at the falling bat, hitting it dead on before it fell to the ground.

"Crobat!" Janine calls worriedly. "What happened?" As Janine looks closely, she finds that Crobat is only asleep! "What?" The ninja looks back up at the Butterfree and finds glitters of Sleep Powder floating around it.

"That's pretty clever," Jasmine starts. "Using her Tailwind to spread out her Sleep Powder long before your Crobat can even come close."

Crobat shakes its head and flies back up.

"Crobat!" Janine cries happily. "I let my guard down. Never again. Crobat! Air Slash!"

Crobat flaps its wings furiously, creating a fearsome wind in front of it and unleashes it at the Butterfree. Butterfree dodges the attack but the wind from it knocks the Bug around.

"Kitty! Hang in there and use Silver Wind again!"

Butterfree straightens itself out and fires slash waves at Crobat. But Crobat vanishes!

"That's Double Team!" Yellow panics and scans the sky. "Oh no!"

Crobat appears above Butterfree and fires an Air Slash! Butterfree is hit hard!

"Skarmory! Air Cutter!"

"Aero! Dragon Pulse!"

Skarmory's slash waves are stopped by the Dragon energy.

"Take Down!"

"Steel Wing!"

Both of the big Flying Pokemon charge each other again, tackling each other hard.

"We're getting nowhere like this," Red grumbled. "Aero! Hyper Beam!"

"Skarmory! Flash Cannon!"

Just as the two Pokemon were charging their attacks, Butterfree was falling in between them!

"Oh no!" Red yells, surprised. "Attacks that powerful could-"

"It's too late to stop!" Jasmine shouts worriedly while the two attacks are fired.

"KITTY!"

Yellow's voice echoes in Butterfree's head, it suddenly recovers and flies away from the attacks before they each other and her!

"Now Kitty!"

Butterfree unleashes Silver Wind on Skarmory!

"Skarmory! Counter it with Air Cutter!"

Butterfree's slash waves cut right through Skarmory's and deal great damage to the Steel Pokemon! Skarmory is bombarded by Silver Wind and is being knocked around by the attack!

"Ah!" Bugsy and Winona watch in awe.

"What's going on?" Winona asks Bugsy. "Even if Silver Wind raised Butterfree's abilities, it shouldn't be dealing that much damage to Skarmory!"

"I don't know!" Bugsy answers. "It's like Butterfree got a big boost of power from somewhere."

"It's Yellow!" Marley explains. "She's synced with her Butterfree, giving it a power boost."

"Yellow's in sync with Butterfree?" everyone turns to Marley.

"When a Pokemon and their trainer are really close, the Pokemon has this mystical power to get stronger the more the trainer is in tune with them. Or so I heard. Since Yellow is able to read the minds of Pokemon, she must also be able to synchronize with them enough to give them a strong power boost."

"What's going on?" Jasmine panics.

"Crobat! Assist Skarmory!"

Crobat dives towards Butterfree, but the Bug moved so fast it disappeared! Reappearing behind the bat it launches another barrage of Silver Wind, KOing the Poison Pokemon.

"Crobat!" Janine calls.

"Aero! Let's finish this with Hyper Beam!"

Aerodactyl fires a powerful beam at Skarmory! The Steel Pokemon struggles to endure but the power was too much, Skarmory falls to the ground swirly eyed.

"Good going Yellow!" Red compliments his partner. "Huh?" Red catches the falling Yellow, she fell asleep.

"Is she alright?" Jasmine asks, deeply concerned.

"Yeah," Red replies as he carries Yellow gently. "She's just asleep. Anyway, that was a great battle!"

"It sure was," Jasmine agrees. "If you ever come to Olivine City, let's have an official Gym Battle. I'll show you the true power of my hardened defence."

"Haha," Red laughs. "I'd like that."

"Well how about that folks!? Wasn't that an exciting battle!?"

The crowd roars and cheers.

"Let's give it up for this round's winners!"


Lance walks through the now empty stadium, looking around, especially the at two big holes on the ground and the wall.

"What are you thinking about, Lance?" Cynthia walks up to him from behind.

"Ash," Lance answers her. "After seeing what happened to him, do you really think we did the right thing?"

"You mean, to let him battle those two criminals?"

"Yeah."

"I can't answer for you," Cynthia holds her hair as a gentle wind blows. "But I believe that the true answer lies with Ash alone. Out of everyone involved, he was hurt the most."


"Pikachu, Espeon," May leans over the two Pokemon. "Are you sure you two are alright?"

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu happily answers.

"Piii!" Espeon replies.

"What are they going to do now?" Dawn asks Lucian. "With Ash and Anabel gone-"

"For now," Lucian interrupts her. "Just leave them alone. We all need a good night's rest after what happened today. It'll be much easier to think things through tomorrow when our heads are clearer."

"Can somebody open my door?" Red calls, he was still carrying a sleeping Yellow.

"I got it," Volkner opens the door for him.

"Thanks." Red walks inside and lays Yellow down.

"Everyone's so quiet," Flint observes.

"I'm not surprised," Ritchie tells him. "We should just give them time. Tomorrow's another day."


Author: Just what happened earlier that day? Why are Ash and Anabel... gone...? You'll find out in the very next chapter.