A/N: Questions!
Guest: This is interesting for sure but I think misty is better as a tomboy then being all girly the tomboy personality she has in the anime suits her better that's just my opinion tho and out of curiosity will ash and misty end up together later down the road poke shipping is my main favorite shipping.
Like I said in the final A/N, Misty's girly for a reason. She actually is a tomboy; her being girly right now actually pertains to the storyline. She won't permanently be girly, don't worry, this just leads into a huge part of her role. A part I'm still not entirely sure how to introduce...
They probably won't end up together, no. The idea behind this story is Ash fighting an organization he knows hardly anything about, but knows everything about him, so romance would be pretty hard to pull off. However, they will have a strong relationship (which I may turn into romance) which will show later down the road.
That's it for questions...or question...Let's get onto the story already!
Just Another Pawn
Edited as of 3/26/2018
Chapter 6: Disadvantage?
Misty. Girly. These words to do not fit.
What the hell? Misty is far from a girly girl. Heck, her not being girly was one of the reasons she was shunned in her own city! Maybe I...misread her? Or she just has mental issues or something. Ugh, I can worry about this later, I need to stay focused on my upcoming gym battle.
"Great! Go get your stuff. We'll head out!"
o0O-O0o
The week passed fairly quickly on the way to Pewter City. Misty continued to act incredibly girly - which still confused me to great lengths - but hadn't done anything to impede me. Sadly, she wasn't as knowledgeable about water pokemon as I'd hoped; at least, not to a larger extent than myself.
As to her behavior, I believed I may have triggered a traumatic event. Perhaps I reminded her of someone in her past? Still, it was quite strange.
We were on our way to the Gym to get my first badge. I had Pikachu and my new pidgeotto for a fight against ground pokemon. I bad type match-up, true, but I had a couple cards ready to be played. Never let it be said that I ever go into battle without a strategy.
Misty was skipping next to me with a happy-go-lucky attitude. Although I was getting used to this new personality, I still couldn't help but get unnerved by it. It seemed almost...forced. Inconsistent. She was either very girly, or moderately girly - never in between.
As we approached the gym, I felt surprisingly underwhelmed. I knew gyms didn't always have great funding, but this was pretty low. It was pretty much just a large rock with two vertical metal beams on either side, and double doors in the center. Not exactly the prettiest of places.
Walking inside, I was happy to see that it wasn't as bad as the outside. It consisted of a natural looking floor made of dirt and rock, a podium in the back for the gym leader, and raised bleachers on the left and right. Not extraordinary, but pleasantly simple.
"Are you here for a pokemon battle?" a voice echoed from the back of the gym.
Assuming that to be the Gym Leader, I allowed a slight smirk to appear on my face, "Yes, I am."
The Leader stared at me for a few seconds, before looking at the pikachu on my shoulder, "I sincerely hope you don't plan to use that pikachu in this fight. How long have you had it?"
I rolled my eyes. Although I didn't want to seem disrespectful, it was annoying to get brushed to the side so easily.
"I do plan on fighting with Pikachu, he's my strongest pokemon. As for your question, I've had him for about 2 weeks."
He glared at me, "You can't win."
I glared back, "And you are obligated to accept my challenge."
"Fine."
As if I wasn't important enough, he threw his pokeball onto the stadium without letting the referee announce the match. Technically this made the match unofficial, but I trusted the Gym Leader not to cut corners like that.
I grabbed the pokeball on my belt, gripping it with more strength than intentional. I felt myself freeze. My hand clenched harder, my heart rate quickened, small beads of sweat started to appear on my forehead. I could feel my anxiety rising.
Come on, Ash, you can do this. You've gone over the plan countless times; it's no different than practice.
I'd had absolute faith in my strategy, but I was at a type disadvantage nonetheless. I brought in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, working over the sudden anxiety. I slowly withdrew the ball. After allowing my heart rate to slow down, I threw the pokeball onto the stage.
The pokeball opened with a flash of light revealing a pidgeotto.
The Leader frowned, "A flying type? Fine. Geodude, end it with Rock Throw."
At the command, Geodude started digging rocks out of the earth to throw. Pidgeotto deftly tilted her body to drift away from the thrown rocks, effectively dodging them.
"Sir, I will beat you with three steps. Step one: Although rock may be super-effective against flying, that is made null if a hit cannot be made."
"That may be true, but that is made null if you aren't fast enough to dodge. Geodude, pick up the pace."
And just like that, Geodude started throwing the rocks at twice the speed as before. In response, Pidgeotto's moves became faster, and she started to using her wings to gently redirect the rocks that got too close.
"Number 2: Flying pokemon have a weaker physical strength than most pokemon due to their hollow bones. However, by only giving your rocks some redirection, it's possible for even a flying type to block them."
The Leader gave a smirk, "You're better than I thought, I'll give you that, but I feel that you may be underestimating me. And the name's Brock, you've earned that information."
"Ash Ketchum."
Brock threw his arm out in a commanding fashion, "Geodude, don't pack the rocks!"
...what?
The now loose rocks flew through the air and broke apart mid-flight. By the time the rocks would reach Pidgeotto, one had become five.
I grit my teeth. I knew I wouldn't be able to predict everything, but this was a move I'd never even thought about before!
"Pidgeotto! Get out of there!"
Hearing the urgency of my command, Pidgeotto stopped deflecting, and started to retreat, getting clipped by the new rocks.
Brock smiled, "You know, Ash, I haven't had this much fun in a battle for a long time, but all good things must come to an end. Geodude, throw harder!"
I watched as the velocity of the rocks picked up for the second time that match. I desperately observed them, looking for a way to counter.
One rock becomes several. Through air resistance. Air.
I smirked, "Sorry Brock, but you've forgotten that you're facing a flying type. Pidgeotto, Gust!"
Brock's eyes widened slightly in realization as the smaller rocks and debris were pushed back at Geodude covering him in a layer of packed dirt and stone.
I grinned, "Though your new rocks cover more area, they're more susceptible to wind. This is my win."
The rocks fell onto Geodude, immobilizing him. The packing on Geodude continued to get thicker as dirt and dust from the ground to piled onto him. I let out my breath, the match was proving to be far tougher than I had imagined.
About ten seconds had passed, and the referee still hadn't called the match. I turned to look at him, only to see a smug grin on his face; a grin that was mimicked by Brock.
"Ash, how many times are you going to underestimate me~? Geodude, stop pretending."
I watched in horror as Geodude removed the rocks covering him.
That shouldn't be possible! No Geodude should be able to lift dirt and rock when so thoroughly covered! They're not that strong!
As if reading my mind, Brock answered my question, "As the first gym leader, I'm not allowed to have a pokemon above the first evolution, nor can I train my pokemon to become too strong. However, I can train them in a specific aspect to a large degree. In this case, I have trained my geodude to have exceptional arm strength, if under-par defense."
Dammit Oak, you could have taught me more about gym battles.
Despite my clear annoyance about the turn of events there was something in Brock's monologue that gave me an idea, though risky.
Under-par defense...
"Pidgeotto, this is our last shot, so give it everything you got!"
Pidgeotto ruffled her wings and got ready, while Brock watched with clear interest and amusement across his face.
"Gust and Tackle! You know what I mean!"
Pidgeotto turned around and brought back her wings, then threw them forth in a powerful gust of wind, pushing her towards Geodude with more speed than she could muster otherwise. Taking advantage of the newly gained speed, Pidgeotto turn to face her opponent and started her Tackle, leaving a streak of silver to follow her.
Brock looked on in confusion. The streak seemed to indicate a quick attack, but Pidgeotto radiated more power than that. It was as if a new move was created.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Brock remained motionless as Pidgeotto slammed into Geodude, causing a cloud of dust to arise. I stood still in a puddle of anxiety, unaware of what the outcome would be.
The dust started to settle, and the answer was clear; it was a tie. I was disappointed I hadn't won the fight, but relieved to know I hadn't lost either.
"You fought well, much better than expected. Know this, there were several points where I could have taken you out, be thankful."
Pity. Dammit.
I quietly and mechanically grabbed the pokeball off my belt to retrieve Pidgeotto, simultaneously allowing Pikachu to run onto the stadium where Geodude had already been returned. I was scared. I knew my plan for Pikachu was more solid that Pidgeotto's, but I still contained a feeling of impending doom. Anxiety. I patiently waited for Brock to release his pokemon.
With a flash a red light, Brock's onix appeared; a large serpent-like pokemon consisting of boulders. He had both the size advantage and the type advantage over Pikachu.
Brock heaved a sizeable sigh, "I understand that you enjoy tactics and strategy, that was obvious from the start, but why are you purposely giving yourself a disadvantage?"
"To test."
Shifting his head down in disappointment, Brock lightly motioned with his hand to Onix. Understanding his trainer's intentions, Onix started advancing towards Pikachu. Being quite large and bulky, Onix wasn't exactly fast, giving Pikachu plenty of time to follow out the plan.
Without an order, he quickly dashed to his left, easily avoiding the snake.
Brock tilted his head, "Do you think you can win with just Agility?"
I found it impossible to resist the slight smile appearing on my face, "That wasn't agility."
Brock paused for a moment before realizing what I was implying, "Onix, wrap Pikachu, now!"
Understanding Brocks urgency, Onix dashed twice as fast as before to catch Pikachu, only for him to dash away in a blur of white.
"I haven't trained Pikachu in strength yet, only in speed. It's amazing what someone can do when motivated correctly."
Brock felt a feeling of dread; an instinct that told him to run.
"Onix, Dig!"
Man, am I really that transparent? Maybe the foreshadowing was a little much…
"Brock, I specifically trained Pikachu with this fight in mind. With this guy's potential, you have no moves I can't counter. Pikachu, close your eyes.
Brock watch on in confusion as Pikachu shut off his primary sense. Pikachu started to sway slightly as he let himself get carried by the sounds around him.
His ears twitched before he jumped straight into the air, followed by Onix.
"Onix, switch to Wrap!"
Instead of moving into to ram Pikachu, Onix's rock chain changed into coil, allowing pikachu to fall straight into his strangle.
Brock smirked, "It's over. Onix."
And just like that, Pikachu was caught. Brock's disguised wrap attack worked like a charm. Despite being caught, I wasn't worried.
"Brock, do you know what aura is?"
He looked puzzled, "Vaguely. It's said to be the energy that flows through all living beings, why?"
"Pikachu, hit him."
With a swift strike of his paw, Onix roared in pain and let go of Pikachu. However, where Pikachu had yellow fur, it now had a blue tint to it.
_1 Week Previous_
"Pikachu, I've decided on how to use you against the gym leader. After meditating with you last night, I was able to confirm that you have aura, but not traditional aura. To put it in simple terms, traditional aura could be considered 'fighting type'. However, your aura more closely relates to 'electric type'. I would like to explore this aura and test out a theory of mine."
Apparently whenever he used an electric type move, he was channeling aura into the attack. It was quite strange that there had been no documentations of this discovery, but I chalked that up to aura and pokemon being considered two different sciences, and aura having very little study.
While that was all fine, aura has a special property: malleability. So malleable, in fact, that people are able to absorb another person's aura with surprising efficiency. With this in mind, I wanted to see if I could give pikachu some of my 'fighting type' aura to use against Onix.
Although it took a couple of days, my theory proved to be sound. After meditating and transferring energy to him for about 5 hours straight, I was able to give him one good blow. I was hoping to make the process more efficient in the future, but this already blew my expectations out of the water. I had expected the transition to be harder.
With this new energy concept in mind, I made a vast difference to my plan against the Gym Leader.
_Present_
I watched as pikachu put up a show of the aura, flaring it with intensity. This would only worked for a single blow, but Brock didn't need to know that. It was amusing as hell to see Brock's shocked face though.
"Don't underestimate me Brock, I'm not an average trainer. Pikachu, finish the fight."
Pikachu jumped onto the onix and proceeded toward his head, leaving a faint stream of aura in his wake. Before he could reach, he was stopped.
"I forfeit."
Brock's hand was in the air, already returning his pokemon. I gave a satisfied smirk; not all battles were won through fighting.
I crossed my arms in satisfaction and let pikachu onto my shoulders, "Good move. If you didn't forfeit, I was going to question your credibility as a gym leader."
Adrenaline suddenly rushed through my veins.
What?!
Pain. Panic. Terror. Anxiety filled my body at a rapid pace. It was hard to stand straight. The area around me...it was turning blue. Pikachu stood stock still. Rocks, wind, debris, it was all slowing to a stop.
Concentrate.
I felt myself pause as my brain focused on deducing the objective of the man.
Brock is likely the man from five years ago. This is the test. I need to make an impression. Failure will likely result death.
I wasn't given any hints to the test, so it's safe to assume he wants a straight fight. If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get.
I set Pikachu onto the ground and dashed forward in a flash of blue, forcing as much aura into my legs as I could. Fighting back the burning sensation, I pulled my arm back in preparation for confrontation.My fist approached Brock's gut, only for him to parry the strike with his right forearm and flank accordingly. Expecting a similar punch, I let myself drop forward into a roll, swinging my left arm to intercept the assumed attack. As expected, my arm - coupled with the force of my roll - guided his punch away from my body. I let my right arm support me on the ground and swung my legs clockwise to disrupt his footing. Brock instinctively jumped back roughly 10 feet to dodge and avoid any possible follow-ups.
"You're impressive, Ash. It looks like I made a good choice in choosing you. But don't mess up, I won't hesitate to kill you."
I ran back in for a second confrontation, filling my body with even more aura. I'd never used so much aura for my actions before; the pain was excruciating.
As I neared him, Brock leaned to his right and turned into a roundhouse kick aimed at my side. I quickly changed my punch into a dive to roll away, feeling my side slide past his with a slight shock. My eyes widened momentarily in surprise.
A spark? Residue from Pikachu's….?
I flipped out of the roll to land on my feet and channeled aura into my torso.
Heh, so Pikachu left me a gift before my fight? How thoughtful.
I closed my eyes and switched to reliance on my ears for Brock's position. As I awaited his attack on my person, I concentrated on separating the minute electrical aura, and augmenting it to make it fit my needs.
I heard him dash forwards, not holding anything back despite my closed eyes. Once he was roughly 2 feet away from me, I snapped my eyes open, staring ahead intensely. As his fist sailed for my head - a pretty obvious spot - I crouched and sent my hand up to strike his arm, but only clipped it. That was all I needed. Brock's eyes widened as he realized what had happened.
He quickly jumped back, his right arm dangling in paralysis, "I'd say you passed. It's been awhile since I've had a limb disabled in combat. However, I would have prefered you passed without luck. And don't expect your feigned blindness through concentration to work again."
I gave him a slight glare, "An uncommon occurrence giving a boost in fight is luck. Properly taking advantage of it is skill. And I don't expect it to, that was a spur of the moment tactic - which probably pertains to why you fell for it."
Brock waved his hand dismissively, "Yeah yeah, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow, Ash."
Before I knew what was happening, I was stricken from behind, effectively knocking me out.