DarkFoxKit: Hey readers! Sorry it took so long, but you know how it is, with the Holidays everyone's busy!
ChuckTheEon: Happy Hanaquanzmas everybody! Even though its late…
Key2DestNE: ...Hana-what-now? *blink, blink* ...Eh, whatever- we hope you enjoy today's chapter, especially since we have been working hard on the next few chapters of SoK!
DarkFoxKit: Think of this as a late Christmas/Early New Year gift. And I think Chuck was trying to put the three Holidays together in one word…
ChuckTheEon: NO DISCRIMINATION! All holidays should be treated equally. For the people. By the people. With the people.
Key2DestNE: …You know, you COULD just say Happy Holidays if you're so worried about it… *sweatdrops*
ChuckTheEon: Is that really something I would do? None of us own Pokemon!
Key2DestNE: Nope, that's Game Freak and Nintendo.
DarkFoxKit: …Anyways, let's let the readers enjoy!
Chapter 16 : Johto Trainers
As Ash and Blue kept racing towards the Pokemon Center, Ash was grinning happily, still thinking about what Koga had said to him. So each badge represents a part of a strong Trainer, huh? I'll have to think about what each one I already have might mean, then- I still have four Gym Badges that have an unknown meaning to me!
"I see you've been learning Ashy, that's good~ You're never too young or too old to learn, even I'm still learning." Ash heard Nya using telepathy to speak to him in his mind.
Really? Ash was surprised to hear THE Mew was still learning, he thought that someone like her would've known everything by now.
"Of course! But you know… I've learned a lot over the past seven, almost eight, years Ashy. Because of you." Nya smiled and purred from in his backpack.
…A-aww, Memma, you're too kind… Ash smiled sheepishly, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment. I didn't teach you THAT much- you taught me more!
"It's the truth, Ashy! You've taught me more than I could've ever learned by myself. Even though humans are a part of this Earth, I never interacted with them a lot, I usually watched them from afar, and I never understood why the other Legendaries wanted humans specifically to be their children… but now I understand. And I've even learned a lot while raising and traveling with you. I don't normally travel as a 'normal' or a 'Trainer's Pokemon', so it's like looking at the world in a whole new perspective for me."
The boy's cheeks grew redder and redder until he eventually looked just like a stop sign as he tried to focus on the road. I-I didn't think it was THAT big a deal… Especially since you raised me as your OWN child- why wouldn't I show you what I saw?
"Heh… The truth is, Ashy, at first I only took you in because I felt sorry for you. You lost your parents at a young age and I just felt it was my responsibility to take care of you. Despite that, though, you've been a great son, so I have no regrets, Ashy."
Blue suddenly spoke up from beside the boy, slowing his bike down to a half. "Hey Ash, the Pokemon Center is just around that corner, but you look pretty distracted- is something wrong? Were you thinking about what Koga said?"
Ash blinked, looking over at his traveling partner in surprise as he slowed down as well. "H-huh? ...Oh- yeah, a little bit…" He frowned slightly, glancing down at where he knew the Soul Badge was pinned. "It's just, now I know each Gym Badge has a significance behind it's name and design- but I only know what two of them are, four of my badges are still a mystery… At least, as to what they mean."
Blue gave a small chuckle at that, shrugging. "Well what they mean could mean something different, but it could also mean something similar- either way, one thing's for sure with each badge… they're all tests of you and your Pokemon."
Ash nodded, a small smile gracing his face. "Yeah… And we've passed each of them so far!" He got off his bike and began walking to the Pokemon Center, putting his hands behind his head. "They were definitely tough but I earned each of them. I just, you know, wanna know more about the symbolic side of Gym Badges now that I know a bit about it with the Soul and Boulder Badges!"
"Heh…" Blue chuckled as he got off his own bike and followed Ash. "The Badges represent the Pokemon types you had to face, like the Boulder Badge being the Rock type showing that you go through hardships and come back as strong as a rock. Maybe that'll help you understand the rest of them… Like the Cascade Badge, it stands for water. And it usually means having a crystal clear mind and staying as calm as water even while in the heat of battle." Ash looked at Blue in surprise, making the boy raise an eyebrow. "...What is it?"
"How do you know so much about the Badges? I mean, I know a lot of Trainers never really thought about what they could mean, so…" Ash said, feeling a little embarrassed and self-conscious.
"Like I said, I had a lot to think about on this journey." Blue shrugged as they headed to the counter where Nurse Joy was waiting. "I didn't know about their hidden meaning either, not even after I became Champion… It was only when I decided to start over that I realized their hidden meanings- so don't feel bad about not noticing, I've just had more time to think about them than you."
Nurse Joy turned and smiled at them, pausing the paperwork she was working on. "Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center! How may I assist you today? Do you need to heal your Pokemon, perhaps?"
Ash nodded as he put two of his Poke Balls onto the tray, giving her a smile. "Yes please, these two did great at the gym today and they need some healing."
Blue also put one of his Poke Balls onto the tray, glancing away. "...This little girl got into a tiny fight, so I want to heal her up before we get going."
"Sure thing, I'll have them feeling in tip top shape in no time." Nurse Joy winked, putting down the pen she had been working with and standing up. "You two can talk with some Pokemon Trainers in the area, maybe you can trade tips or even trade Pokemon." she said as she took the tray of three Poke Balls into the back.
Ash blinked, raising an eyebrow curiously as he looked around. "Huh… I didn't know Pokemon Centers served that purpose as well- they really do a lot for us Trainers, don't they?"
Blue chuckled as he said, shrugging, "Well of course, the Pokemon Center is the place for all Trainers to come, hang out, heal their Pokemon and to rest during their long journey. In fact, I believe it was around here that I got someone to help me get a Porygon2." Then he stopped and gave a slight frown at the memory. "That almost felt like a long time ago…"
Ash crossed his arms, looking at Blue in confusion. "You okay, Blue? If it felt like it's been so long, doesn't that mean you've been on a long journey?" I wonder what he's thinking about if it isn't how long he's been traveling…
Blue blinked and shook his head, giving a slightly strained smile. "I'm fine, it's just… I was preparing to travel to another region, the Johto region, before I met you. But I guess I won't be going there, at least not for a while…" Then he took out a Poke Ball and released his Eevee.
"Hmm?" Eevee blinked, looking at Blue curiously. "What is it Blue, what's going on?" The fox tilted it's head, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, why'd Blue take you out?" the Pikachu asked curiously as he sat on Ash's lap after the boys sat down.
"Sometimes I like to talk to my Pokemon when I feel alone or worried about something. I know it sounds silly, but I guess it's become a habit of mine." Blue said as he patted the little Eevee.
Before Ash could speak up, someone approached them, giving a bright grin. "Wow, cool Eevee and a nice looking Pikachu, are both of you beginning Trainers?"
Ash blinked in surprise before he nodded. "Yeah, we're Trainers- I don't know about us being beginners, but we're definitely Trainers, why?" I can't believe somebody still called me a beginner… Do I really look that much like a rookie?
Blue chuckled as he whispered to Ash, "It's because they're unevolved and out of their Poke Balls- many people assume only beginners do that."
The Trainer is a young man who looks older than Ash but maybe about the same age as Blue, he has brown hair and wore a red T-shirt and white pants. He gave a smile, holding out one hand. "Well it's nice to meet you! My name's Josh and I just came from the Johto region, I'm traveling Kanto right now, so this is my first time seeing a Pikachu and an Eevee so close before! But I know about them since I've seen them in books!"
Ash chuckled at that, shrugging. "Well, you may have seen them in books, but that doesn't mean you know everything about them." He petted Storm, making sure to get the electric mouse's favorite spots.
Josh shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I never said I knew everything about them, just that I've only seen them in pictures. Hey, do either of you want to battle? I'd like to battle with Kanto Trainers!"
The raven-haired boy perked up at that, nodding eagerly. "Sure, I'd be willing to battle! I've got about 4 Pokemon on hand, though- so could we just do a 1-on-1 battle?"
But Josh kept smiling, and he shook his head. "Actually, I have a friend of mine who's traveling with me, and I was hoping maybe we could have a Double battle- they allow those in Kanto, right?"
"Eh? A Double battle?" Ash glanced at Blue, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I'd be okay with it, but are you, Blue? I'm sure it'd be tons of fun!"
Blue blinked before looking at the Eevee on his lap, who wagged his tail a bit, smiling happily. "Come on Blue, I'm pretty eager to battle, and I can see you're starting to enjoy battling again yourself! Come on, please? This'll be our first Double battle with Ash that isn't against some big elite!"
The spiky-brown haired boy sighed and reluctantly nodded, standing up and letting his Pokemon hop off. "Alright, fine, I guess one Double battle can't hurt." He gave a soft smirk, but it was clearly good-natured as he turned to Josh. "So where are we doing this, outside?"
"Of course, but let me go get my friend first." Josh said as he hurried away, looking excited.
"He sure is eager to battle…" Ash said, crossing his arms with a small smile. "Especially since he thinks we're beginning Trainers." I wonder where Sam is, didn't he say he was waiting for us at the Pokemon Center? … I guess he'll talk to us at night when there's nobody else around.
"I agree- Sam IS the child of Giratina after all, so he doesn't like to be seen, especially in sunlight." Ash heard Nya's voice in his head and she came out of his backpack. Josh hadn't seen her because she was in his backpack. "Because of that, though, it can be a bad thing- like you see here, making us wait like this." She shrugged before grinning mischievously, crossing her arms. "But enough about him- looks like somebody's about to have a safe Double Battle~ Oh look at your hair, have you even been brushing it lately Ashy? You know I like it when you keep your hair groomed!" The Mew-disguising-as-Meowth frowned as she began licking her child's raven hair, making Ash blush in embarrassment.
"Mem- N-Nya, not now!" Ash blushed even more, pushing her away in embarrassment. "There are people here!"
Blue looked over at Ash, seeing the Meowth licking the boy's hair, and he chuckled, crossing his arms. "Well Ash, do you know what kind of Pokemon you'll be using in this battle? Eevee here wants to fight so I'll be using him."
Ash frowned to himself, beginning to think. "Well, I'm not quite sure… Maybe I'll use Eon, she could use some exercise…" The boy kept thinking to himself before he nodded, smiling. "Yeah, that should work- I think she'd like it, too!"
"Eon?" Blue raised an eyebrow before thinking to himself. "That's… your Eevee, right? Why use another Eevee for this fight? If they happen to use a Fighting type, we'll be in trouble."
"Hey, no worries- besides, I think it'll be great having two of our Eevees working together." Ash smiled, shrugging.
"Aww, I don't get to fight?" Storm pouted, crossing his arms in disappointment.
"Sorry buddy- you'll fight some time soon, I promise." Ash said as he petted the Pikachu's head. "Besides, it's been a while since Eon got to battle anyway. I wonder if those two we're battling will be using Johto Pokemon against us… It'd make sense, wouldn't you say?"
Blue nodded, crossing his arms with a thoughtful frown. "It would make sense… I suppose we'll have to find out by going in there, though- no reason to try and guess what their Pokemon might be beforehand, we don't even know their battle style."
Ash could hear Nya chuckling as she was still grooming his hair, "Well let's just say they're not exactly beginning Trainers."
Ash released the Spiky-Haired Eevee from the Luxury Ball and she smiled, bouncing up and down happily "Hey Ash!"
"Hey yourself." Eon blinked before looking at Blue's Eevee beside her, and he gave a smile. "Looks like we're going to be partners in an upcoming challenge."
Eon raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "Huh? What do you mean? An upcoming challenge? Is it a Double battle or something?"
"Yup." Eevee nodded, smiling eagerly.
Ash noticed the interaction with the two Eevees, and he smiled, crossing his arms. "Looks like they're getting to know each other a little more."
Blue chuckled, patting his Pokemon's head. "Hey Eevee, better watch it, or the next thing you'll know you'll have an Egg beside you~" he teased.
Eevee blushed, spluttering in embarrassment. "B-B-Blue! You-you know I don't see other Eevees that way! Besides, I-I just- she's a teammate! I'm not that desperate!"
"Oh no?" Storm smirked as his eyes gave a mischievous look, glancing over at the poor blushing Eevee. "I can see when love is in the air, as an expert on the mating season, you can't fool us- you liiiiiike Eon, don't ya? It's okay, you don't have to be embarrassed~! Everyone has a secret love every now and then."
Ash crossed his arms and said, raising an eyebrow with a smirk of his own, "Like how you secretly love Remi, Storm?"
The Pikachu blushed madly at that, glaring at Ash. "H-hey, it's not like that! She's very nice, and a teammate- i-is it so wrong to cheer her on!? Hmph!" He turned away, his cheeks sparking in his own form of embarrassment.
Eon laughed as she said, clearly amused by the entire situation, "Okay, break it up guys- if we're about to have a Double battle, we'd better prepare ourselves!"
Ash nodded, smiling a bit. "That's right." Then he pulled something from his pocket and put a Cheri Berry into Eon's fur. "This is a Cheri Berry, I figure this could help you in battle in case you get paralyzed. Storm found some when we were here the other day, so this could come in handy."
Blue nodded, taking out a different berry and giving it to Eevee. "This is a Sitrus Berry- use it when you're low on health, Eevee. After all, one tiny bit of energy could mean the difference between a win and a loss!"
"We'll do our best!" Eevee gave a salute, giving his Trainer a confident grin.
Josh soon called inside, "Okay you two! We'll wait for you outside!"
Ash nodded, clenching his fist in determination "Okay, this is it!"
The two boys walked outside, seeing someone beside Josh. It was a boy a year or two younger than Ash, and he gave a bright grin, seeing his opponents appear. "Alright, let's do this! My name's Willie, nice to meet ya both!"
"Hi Willie, I'm Ash!" Ash introduced, smiling right back.
"Just call me Blue." Blue shrugged cooly, crossing his arms. "Ready to start this battle when you are."
The two Johto Trainers pulled out their Poke Balls, and to Ash's surprise, Willie's Poke Ball was a different type of one, it looked like a standard Poke Ball but it has two yellow 'cheeks' on the side and a yellow lightning bolt on top.
"What kind of Poke Ball is that?" Ash asked in wonder, looking at it from every angle that he could while still being ready for battle.
Willie smiled, shrugging. "There's an old man name Kurt in the Johto Region, he can make custom Poke Balls with Apricorns. This is a Fast Ball, it can capture fast Pokemon easier than most."
Blue looked at it too since he had never seen one of those before himself… It definitely LOOKED cool, to be sure. "Alright, let's send out our Pokemon now." He and Ash threw out their Poke Ball/ Luxury Ball and they opened.
At the same time, Josh and Willie threw their Poke Ball/Fast Ball and they opened too. The four balls released their Pokemon, Ash and Blue releasing their Eevees of course, and the other two were both fully evolved Pokemon: an Ampharos and a Furret!
Ash, having been raised by Mew herself, knew these two Pokemon, but he was surprised to see that he was battling fully evolved Pokemon by these two- he had thought they were at least average Trainers, but it was clear they were strong!
Blue, however, raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a Pokedex and scanned them. "What are those…?" To his surprise, though, the Pokedex read as 'unavailable data'! "What the? These Pokedexes aren't updated apart from Kanto!?" He shook it, frowning in irritation. I knew I should've gotten the National Pokedex before leaving home…
Ash then spoke up, trying to calm his friend. "Blue, the big yellow one is an Ampharos, the fully evolved form of Mareep. It's a pure Electric type with Static for it's ability, it's not as fast as most Electric types but it is bulky and powerful. The other one is a Furret, the fully evolved form of Sentret- while a pure Normal type, it's very fast and light on its feet, and it can attack in quick succession too. Both of them compliment the other with power and speed, what a nice combination… Also, in case you couldn't tell, both of them from Johto."
The grandson of Professor Oak frowned, crossing his arms in slight irritation. "Right- that explains why I couldn't scan their forms for their Pokedex entries, my information on Pokemon is purely limited to Kanto-native Pokemon…" Then he looked up at them, noticing the two Trainers were staring at the two Eevees in front of him. "...Eh? What is it, you two?"
Josh was the first to speak up, blinking in shock. "Dudes… you BOTH have Eevee? We heard they're very rare Pokemon no matter the region! Heck, we can't find any of them in Johto!"
Willie was staring at Eon though, and he noticed the spiky hair on her. "... I've never seen a Spiky Haired Pokemon before… but I've heard about a Spiky Eared Pichu at one point that hung out in the Illex Forest with a shiny Pichu…"
Ash shrugged, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, Eon's pretty cool… S-so anyways, do either of you wanna go first or should we? This IS a battle after all, not just a contest of who has the cooler Pokemon!"
"Right! But we're surprised that neither of you evolved your Eevees yet. Most Trainers we know would evolve their Eevees as soon as possible since they're pretty weak in their basic forms." Josh said with a curious shrug. "I guess you two really are beginner Trainers, maybe we should've used weaker Pokemon to make it fair…"
Ash shook his head, frowning a bit at that. "We're not beginner Trainers, okay? Let's just battle and you'll see." Hmph- talk about rude!
"If you say so! I'll make the first move! Ampharos, use Thunder Punch on one of the Eevees!" Josh yelled enthusiastically.
"Here I come!" Ampharos's arm sparked with electricity as it charged at Blue's Eevee.
"Use Sand-Attack and jump away!" Blue ordered, pointing at the charging sheep Pokemon.
Eevee immediately kicked up sand at the incoming Ampharos's eyes and quickly jumped just before it punched the ground with its Thunder Punch! The smoke from the attack quickly blew away, leaving a rather big hole in the ground that was sparking with electricity.
"Furret, dive at them with Quick Attack!" Willie ordered, pointing the Spiky Haired Eevee.
Furret moved its long body faster than most Pokemon, even Storm was having trouble keeping up as the Furret left a silvery white trail behind itself and tackled Eon! Eon yelped in pain but flipped over and landed on her paws, glaring in irritation.
"Eon! Use Tackle on that Furret!" Ash said, and the female Eevee charged at the Furret, but it easily evaded her since it was faster.
Willie scoffed, crossing his arms. "Please, you think a Tackle would hit my Furret? It'd run circles around your little fox, even without Quick Attack!" Then he blinked, noticing Ash begin to smirk. What's he grinning for?
Ash saw Eon- even though she missed, she was behind the Furret and right on its tail. "Bite it now!"
Without hesitation, Eon opened her mouth and bit down onto the Furret's tail with her sharp teeth! Furret's eyes widened as it began to shout in pain, writhing around like a classic sea serpent! "OWWWW! GET OFF MY TAIL YOU LITTLE MONSTER!"
Josh frowned a bit at that, quickly pointing at the Eevee that was acting like a dog, growling and biting down even harder. "Ampharos, use ThunderPunch- smack that Eevee off Furret before it can do more damage!"
"Hey, you! Get off my partner!" Ampharos snapped angrily as it charged up its arm for another ThunderPunch.
Blue gritted his teeth as he said, "No you don't- Eevee, use Take Down on that Ampharos before it can get to Eon!"
"Right- you're not getting anywhere NEAR her, you, big, yellow, sheep weirdo!" Eevee slammed into Ampharos as hard as he could, doing a decent amount of damage, but also causing a bit of recoil to himself. "Ow!"
Ampharos fell on the ground at that Take Down attack, and it slowly lifted itself before glaring at the male Eevee that took it down like that and interrupted its ThunderPunch like that. "You troublesome little fox!"
"Furret, get that Eevee off your tail with Iron Tail!" Willie ordered, crossing his arms.
The Furret quickly turned its tail to steel, making Eon's eyes to go wide before she immediately let go since biting down on metal isn't the most comfortable thing for one's teeth! Furret turned to her and glared before smacking her to the side with its Iron Tail! "That's for biting me!"
Eon groaned in pain as she flipped to the side. The Spiky-Haired Eevee slowly stood up, growling at the ferret who had slammed her away like that.
"Eevee, use Tackle now!" Blue suddenly ordered as the Furret was approaching Eon. The male Eevee suddenly tackled the Furret from the side, catching everybody off-guard! "Never keep your eyes off your second opponent in Double Battles!"
Josh's eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. "W-what!? I- but you- uuugh! Willie, I told you to keep an eye on him! Ampharos, use Thunderbolt on that Eevee!"
"I'm sorry! But I was battling with the other boy's Eevee!" Willie frowned, crossing his arms. "Furrett, use-"
"Eon, use Bite on Ampharos's arm now!" Ash quickly ordered, interrupting the previous boy's command.
The spiky haired Eevee jumped at the Ampharos and her teeth glowed as they grew and bit down on the yellow sheep-thing's arm as hard as she could! Ampharos gave a loud shout of pain, but she was still was able to fire a Thunderbolt. Thankfully, though, the electrical shock only hit Eon, making her groan in pain still trying to keep her teeth locked onto her enemy.
Blue frowned a bit, quickly pointing at the Spiky Haired Eevee. "Eevee, use Helping Hand- help KO that Ampharos as best you can!" He glanced over at the Furret, trying to make sure it would stay down and was unable to help Ampharos recover.
Eevee's body gave a glow as some of his energy was transferred into the zapped Eevee who was still biting the Ampharos, making her stronger. The Bite was more powerful and eventually Ampharos used up all its power before it fell to the ground and fainted, but this didn't leave Eon unscatched, she was injured and paralyzed.
Willie scowled, glancing at his Furret as it finally managed to stand up. "Hmph… I don't know how you KO'd Ampharos like that, but it must have been dumb luck- you're not getting Furret the same way! Use Sucker Punch on that Eevee!"
"Eevee use Sand-Attack." Blue ordered hastily, crossing his arms.
Furret tried to hit Eevee with its darken fists, but it stopped and couldn't do anything, unable to see it's target. Willie frowned at that as Eevee kicked up more sand into the Furret's eyes!
"Sucker Punch will only strike if the Pokemon itself is using a damaging attack. Eevee was using Sand-Attack, a stat reducing move, so it doesn't count as a damaging attack and Sucker Punch does nothing." Blue explained, shrugging.
Ash noticed Eon was licking something from her fur and he smiled a bit, kneeling down to see her closer. "Eon, are you almost ready?"
Willie glared in response, huffing. "Don't be stupid, your Eevee is paralyzed and won't be able to move much!"
Ash only gave a mysterious grin, and he said, "Eon, use Quick Attack!"
Eon immediately got back up and ran at the Furret with a silver trek behind her. Willie gasped but he quickly ordered, "Use Quick Attack!"
Furret dodged Eon's incoming Quick Attack since it was faster, and Ash nodded, grinning happily. "Now use Iron Tail!" Furret's tail turned steel before hitting Eon right into Blue's Eevee!
"Don't get too overconfident Ash- just because Eon managed to cure the paralysis with her Cheri Berry doesn't mean she's still not injured from that Thunderbolt." Blue said with a frown. "Eevee, use Bite!"
As the male Eevee bit down hard on the Furret's side, the boy stood back up, shrugging. "Maybe not, but I trust my Eevee- I'm not being overconfident, just glad she isn't paralyzed anymore."
"Furret! Use Fury Swipes!" Willie ordered as the Furret slashed at Ash's Eon. Unfortunately for the two of them, though, she soon fainted and left Blue's Eevee alone.
"Eon…" Ash gave a small smile. "You did great, return." He returned her into her Luxury Ball, giving it a small pat.
"So it's just down to one Furret and one Eevee." Josh said with a sigh. "I gotta say, I didn't expect this kind of turnout from two unevolved Pokemon…"
Blue noticed that Eevee didn't look so good and was licking his fur- this could be the last straw, the Furret itself didn't seem that weakened, so Eevee regaining his strength with the Sitrus Berry evened out the plain field. "Alright Eevee, let's do this!"
"I'll win for sure!" Eevee growled at the Furret, obviously not too happy about his partner being taken down. "For Eon!"
Ash looked over at Blue with a curious frown, wondering to himself. I wonder… Blue does look like he's been battling to win more and more lately rather than how he gave up before when I first met him… Could we maybe have an actual battle, rather than him just giving up like that?
Willie frowned suspiciously, crossing his arms. "We'll see about that… Furret, use Dig to go underground, now!" The Furret quickly nodded, digging as fast as it could and disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Blue looked down at the hole but didn't seem too bothered or distressed by it like most Trainers would be when their opponents goes underground. Ash was more interested in watching how Blue reacts rather than the battle itself. Storm blinked and said, noticing this, "You're interested in what Blue-"
"Shh, let's not break his concentration." Ash said quietly to the Pikachu beside him, putting a finger to the electric mouse's lips.
Eevee didn't seem too bothered either, as if trusting his Trainer to make the right decision. "Now Furret!" Willie called.
Furret came out of the hole in front of Eevee, but instead of freaking out, Blue just said, "Tackle now!"
Eevee immediately launched himself at the Furret's stomach since it popped out so fast, and this caused a critical hit because of the moment of vulnerability. Furret gave a yelp before hitting the ground and its eyes spiraled, it had fainted.
"W-what the heck!?" Willie's jaw dropped, and so did Josh's, as they both stared at their fainted Pokemon. "How- wha- but- but you should have lost! How did you-"
"When a Pokemon uses Dig, most of the time they would pop out right in front of the opposing Pokemon- so close in fact that it exposes their own vulnerability for a split second, and even if it's brief, the opponent can and will take advantage of that if they are experienced enough." Blue explained before bending down to his Eevee and petting his head with a smile. "You did well Eevee, return." And with that, he returned the little Eevee into his Poke Ball.
Ash was almost in awe when he saw this- during the double battle it was like Blue was only trying to support him and Eon but after Eon was taken out of the battle, Blue just completely dominated it. Was Blue's Eevee in a much higher level then he let on? Or was it his own strategy that won him the fight?
Josh pouted, kicking the ground in disappointment. "Aww man, we were so close too! I was SURE we would've had you if we had one last chance…" Then he sighed, returning his Ampharos. "Well… guess you won fair and square… Return, Ampharos- you did well."
"Really? You pick NOW to return the Ampharos? You could've just done that as soon as it fainted, you know…" Willie grumbled, obviously in a bad mood.
The boy shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Well… I guess I hadn't thought of it at the time… A-anyways, you'd better do the same so we can go put our Pokemon in the Pokemon Center!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Willie sighed as he returned his Furret. "You did well, Furret." Josh is such a scatterbrain sometimes…
"Wow Blue, I had no idea you were that good." Ash said, but that wasn't the full truth- he knew Blue was a good Trainer, he had seen him battle before, but he wasn't expecting the battle to end so quickly after Eon fainted. Makes me wonder just how truly good you are even with supposedly weaker Pokemon compared to your real team…
Blue only shrugged, smiling a bit. "Guess I just got lucky."
Then Ash turned to the two Johto Trainers, holding out both hands in a handshake for both of them. "It was nice meeting you both, we hope you find ways to get stronger and catch new Pokemon here in Kanto."
"..." Willie chuckled, taking his opponent's hand like a gentleman. "Yeah… yeah, I guess we will- but don't think this is over, not by a long shot!" He then smirked, crossing his arms. "After all, if we meet again, we're definitely battling you two again!"
"I look forward to it." Ash smiled as the pair went into the Pokemon Center next to them before Ash turned to Blue, raising an eyebrow curiously. "... So… how strong IS your Eevee?"
"He's strong enough to hold his own." Blue said, giving a small shrug. "But strategy is how you win in most battles, not just strength or speed alone- remember that."
Ash nodded and said, smiling himself, "Of course, I've always thought strategy was the best way to go."
"But, it also takes heart and faith in your Pokemon as well as trust and care." Blue continued, glancing away. "Something I don't have quite yet, but… I can see you and Red already do, and that makes you strong as well." And with that, he began walking into the Pokemon Center. "Come on, let's get our Pokemon healed up, pack up what we need and head out into the road."
Ash watched as his current traveling companion walked back into the building and he said, frowning a bit, "But… what about Sam…?" Blue doesn't know about Sam, or at least not very well, so of course the boy would be more eager to get back on the road as soon as possible.
Storm shrugged, sighing. "Guess we'll have to tell him we're hitting the road… Too bad- I really wanted to hear what he had to say, too!"
"Don't you worry about that. I have ways of making sure he'll have time to tell us. He IS the Child of Giratina after all~" Nya said with a smirk, holding up a small, dark mirror.
DarkFoxKit: Okay, I'll admit it… this chapter does seem a little bit like a filler, but we really wanted to have Ash and Blue do a Double Battle together, with their Eevees- you know, so when they evolve they'll have history with each other.
ChuckTheEon: Maybe we should upload another chapter.
Key2DestNE: ….What, two chapters in one day? *sweatdrops* You're kidding, right? There's such a thing as reader burn- when you put out too many stories at once…
ChuckTheEon: You mean eyecannofolosis?
Key2DestNE: THERE ISN'T EVEN A NAME FOR IT!
DarkFoxKit: …. *sweatdrops* I'm surprised I've never had anything like that considering it's practically my job to read many stories.
ChuckTheEon: Well, we should not let EYECANNOFOLOSIS happen to our readers.
Key2DestNE: *twitches at the name* ….I guess we should end, yeah… Seeya guys next time, and until then, I'm Key2DestNE! This is ChuckTheEon! And
the lovely kitten over there is DarkFoxKit! *sticks his tongue out at her*
DarkFoxKit: I'm a fox, a FOX! A type of canine! Not a cat, not a feline! How dare you! … *ahem!* Well maybe we could make it up to the readers by updating faster next time, maybe. Okay anyways, we all look forward to hearing from you!
ChuckTheEon: So you should all read and review!