We're moving into the final arc!
Chapter 12
The next day, Clemont follows Bonnie down the stairs carefully with a thermos in one hand and a blanket in the other. He's walking slower than usual; he might be feeling much better this morning, but he still isn't feeling a hundred percent. By the time Clemont had woken up this morning, Ash had already disappeared downstairs to the Gym to start accepting challenges. Bonnie had stayed behind, hovering with restless energy as her brother ate breakfast and made himself look acceptable, refusing his suggestion to go on ahead without him. Now Bonnie trots down the stairs ahead of him, her arms full of Pikachu; she stops every so often to wait for him to catch up.
"Come on, Clemont, I think this match has already started!" she urges, bouncing in place. Now that she mentions it, Clemont can faintly hear the sounds of a Pokémon battle up ahead. His steps hasten slightly of their own accord, no matter how much he tells himself that there are more than likely many more matches to watch after this one.
By the time Clemont and Bonnie make their way into the audience stands, Ash is already midway through a Gym match with a pink-haired Trainer. The siblings take a seat in the front of the stands, near where the referee would stand if the Lumiose Gym had a dedicated judge. As Bonnie sets Pikachu down on the wall dividing the stands and battlefield, Clemont runs a practised eye over the battle currently in motion. Ash is using Magnemite; his opponent is using a Foongus. It looks like Magnemite might have taken a few hits before we arrived , Clemont notes worriedly, looking at the slightly erratic way Magnemite is floating through the air. He glances over at Ash and the worry fades somewhat when he spots the small grin on Ash's face – it seems that Ash has a plan. Or an inkling of a plan, at least, Clemont thinks, watching a Thunderbolt detonate amongst a cloud of Spore. Smoke fills the field and both he and Bonnie quickly cover their faces, not wanting to accidentally breathe in the Spore cloud.
The smoke clears away from the field, revealing Foongus asleep on the ground. Magnemite is clearly affected by the Spore as well as it hovers dangerously close to the ground, but to both the siblings' relief, Magnemite manages to shake itself awake and floats back up to a better height.
When it is clear that Foongus isn't going to be waking up any time soon, Ash calls the round in Magnemite's favour. The cheer that Bonnie and Clemont let out at Ash and Magnemite's victory catches the robot's attention; when Ash spots them sitting in the stands, a wide grin breaks out across his face and he waves cheerfully to them, saying something quietly to Magnemite.
The sleeping Foongus is returned to its Pokéball and replaced by a Meowstic. Although he doesn't show it, Clemont can tell that Ash is worried about the damage Magnemite has already taken. Gym rules state that only the challenger can substitute Pokémon between rounds though, so Ash has no choice but to stick through the next round with Magnemite.
The next round commences; both Ash and Magnemite put up a good fight, but Magnemite is already exhausted and doesn't last very long. Ash recalls Magnemite to its Pokéball with thanks for its hard work before bringing out Heliolisk as his next Pokémon.
As Heliolisk and Meowstic exchange blows, Clemont can't help but watch Ash instead of the battle. Ash has come a long way from the first battle he and Clemont had fought; the confidence and ease in which Ash commands Heliolisk is truly inspiring. Pokémon battles really are his element, Clemont thinks, watching Ash cheer and congratulate Heliolisk on doing a good job. Ash has a naturally lively personality and is enthusiastic about everything and anything, but he seems so alive when he's on the battlefield, calling commands to his Pokémon. Not only that, but his battling style is something I never could have programmed, Clemont thinks ruefully. He pulls incredible results out of nowhere – with techniques I never would have ever dreamed would work – even when the battle isn't going his way.
"Heliolisk, can you still battle?" Ash calls, as the lizard Pokémon gets to his feet slowly.
"Zaaaa!" Heliolisk replies confidently, settling into a battle-ready stance once again. Ash grins.
"That's the spirit! Parabolic Charge!"
Clemont smiles at their enthusiasm. He cares a lot about all of his Pokémon's welfare, both in battle and out of it too, he muses. And it shows – the Pokémon themselves try their absolute best because they don't want to let him down. Even Pikachu does it, and he's only been with Ash for a few days now. Ahead of him, said electric Pokémon and Bonnie fiercely cheer Heliolisk on as it dodges the opposing Wigglytuff's Doubleslap. Ash would definitely make a great Pokémon Trainer, but I think if anyone could become a Pokémon Master, it would be him.
He sighs quietly to himself. Ash deserves the chance to go follow his dream. I want him to have that chance; I honestly don't think anyone is going to care that he's a robot rather than a human. After all, there was nothing in the rules that had said that a robot couldn't run a Gym – Clemont had checked a long time ago, back before he'd even started designing what would become Ash – and if a robot could be a Gym Leader, who could say that one couldn't compete in the League as well?
But the one thing that Clemont keeps coming back to is that it will be very dangerous. Of course, travelling around Kalos to collect Gym badges is dangerous for regular humans too, and Ash has an advantage in not needing to eat or sleep. But the robot does need to recharge every now and then; not to mention that if he gets damaged – and he will get damaged, because how often does Ash manage to injure himself just by staying here in the Gym? – there's no way Ash would be able to fix himself. He wouldn't even be able to go to a doctor or a PokéCenter for medical aid like regular humans can and even on the remote chance that there's a mechanic around… well, Clemont doesn't want to brag too much about his own work, but Ash's code and mechanics are incredibly intricate and there is no way that anyone could understand the whole of it without either studying the blueprints intensely or – Clemont shivers, his stomach sick at the thought – taking Ash completely apart. No, Clemont decides fiercely, the only person I trust to fix Ash properly is me.
Clemont is no longer watching the match at this point, staring glumly at the floor instead. I want Ash to be able to become a proper Pokémon Trainer but… there's really no way I can see that he could… unless… He blinks as an idea comes to him.
What if I travelled with him as well?
It makes sense. Even if Ash does manage to get hurt, Clemont can fix him if he travels along with Ash, but…
Bonnie. I can't leave her behind. And there's the Gym as well. I can't shirk my responsibilities as a big brother or a Gym Leader just to go travelling around the country and I'm sure that Ash would tell me the same thing as well. He sighs again, resting his head on his hands. He's back at square one, it seems.
/\/\/\
"Hooray! Ash did it, he won!" Bonnie cheers, high-fiving an equally happy Pikachu next to her. "Wasn't that great, Pikachu? Ash battles just as well as my brother! Right, Clemont?" She looks over her shoulder, only to find her brother staring off into space with a sad look on his face. He doesn't even seem to be aware that Ash just won the match, let alone that she's talking to him. Bonnie exchanges a worried look with Pikachu before making her way over to her brother's side.
"Clemont? Are you okay?" she asks in concern, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. She feels him twitch in surprise under her hand before he manages to shake himself out of whatever thoughts are making him sad.
"Bonnie?" he says with some confusion, blinking owlishly at her. "Wha – oh, is the match over already?" He sounds surprised as he looks towards the battlefield, where Ash is shaking the female Trainer's hand.
"Yeah, Ash won while you were spacing out!" Bonnie tells him. She knows Clemont worries about a lot of things, but she's never seen him look so sad about something the way he had looked earlier and she desperately wants to cheer him up somehow. Bonnie is pleased when she sees her brother's face brighten at the news, a genuinely happy smile appearing on his face.
"That's great!" Clemont replies and then laughs sheepishly. "I did kind of space out for a minute there, didn't I? I promise I'll pay attention to the next match."
"Good!" Bonnie hesitates. "Are you sure you're okay, Clemont? Do you need anything? Are you feeling sick again?" She reaches out the way that she's seen Ash do, resting her hand against his forehead. His skin feels warm against her hand, but she doesn't know if that means he still has a fever or not. Ash had checked Clemont's temperature this morning while her brother slept and said that he was doing much better today, but what if he's suddenly feeling ill again?
Clemont's smile softens. "I'm alright, Bonnie. I just got caught up in thinking about something, that's all." He must see that she still feels unconvinced because he lets out a rueful sigh and brings her hand down, curling his fingers around hers. "I promise I'm alright," he tells her. "You and Pikachu are doing a good job of looking after me."
"Okay, but remember your promise!" she tells him sternly. "No overworking yourself!"
He laughs. "Don't worry, I remember." Something over her shoulder catches his attention and suddenly that bright sparkle is back in her brother's eyes again. "Ah, it looks like the next challenger is coming in… do you want some hot chocolate to drink while you watch?" Clemont holds up the thermos and is unable to hide his smile at her enthusiastic "Yes please!" and the "Pika!" echoed from behind her.
"Careful, both of you, it's hot," he cautions as he hands her a mug. "Blow on it first, okay?"
She carries it carefully back over to where Pikachu is and the two of them take turns to blow on it for a little while until Bonnie decides it's probably safe to test. She mmms in delight – her brother makes the best hot chocolate – and hands the mug to Pikachu. "Here, your turn! But be careful!"
Clemont joins them at the wall with his own mug of hot chocolate. The two of them watch as Pikachu drinks from the mug; his eyes are sparkling when he gives the mug back to Bonnie. "Pipika! Pika pika pikachu!" Pikachu enthuses, waving his arms excitedly.
"I think Pikachu likes your hot chocolate, Clemont," Bonnie giggles.
"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," Clemont tells Pikachu with a smile. "There's some more for later, if you want."
"Pika!"
The three of them laugh and turn their attention to the battlefield, only to find Ash watching them all with a fond smile on his face. Bonnie waves at him enthusiastically; beside her, a pink-cheeked Clemont also raises a hand and waves at Ash. Ash's grin widens and he looks like he's about to call out to them, but the doors to the Gym swing open and all of his attention switches to the Trainer walking into the Gym. Clemont, Bonnie and Pikachu settle in to watch the next match with avid interest as Ash calls,
"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym!"
/\/\/\
When the next match is over, Clemont realises that his body is starting to feel weak and that he needs to sit down before his legs give out. Maybe I should have stayed in bed another day, he thinks light-headedly, wobbling slightly as he makes his way back to the bench and drops down onto it with a graceless thump.
"Pipika?" a concerned voice asks. Clemont looks down just as Pikachu clambers up onto his lap. Pikachu peers up at him worriedly, ears slanted back. Now that he's sitting down again, the light-headedness is fading fast and he smiles at Pikachu, scratching it between the ears.
"It's alright, I just stood up for too long," he reassures the worried Pokémon, aware that Bonnie is listening as well. "I'll be fine if I sit here for a short while."
"Pikaaaa…" Pikachu sounds doubtful. Pikachu's ears twitch before he leaps off Clemont's lap and darts away. Before Clemont even has time to sigh, Pikachu is back, attempting to drag over the blanket that Clemont had brought down with the thermos. "Pipikachu!" the electric Pokémon implores, mumbling around a mouthful of cloth.
"Ah, that's a good idea, Pikachu!" Bonnie says, hurrying over. Pikachu is obviously relieved when she bundles the blanket up in her arms and brings it back to Clemont, shaking it out and draping it over his shoulders, much to his bemusement. "There! Now you won't get cold while you rest!" Bonnie declares, proud of Pikachu's and her own caretaking efforts.
"Thank you, Bonnie, Pikachu," Clemont says with a smile, touched by the gesture even though he's not actually cold right now. "This is very good."
"You're welcome!" Bonnie says happily. "Ah! The next challenger!" She darts back to the wall eagerly, followed closely by Pikachu. I think those two are almost as excited as Ash is, Clemont chuckles silently as he resettles the blanket over his shoulders more securely. It's not a hassle to keep it on, even if he doesn't need it right now. At least it will help stop those two worrying about him.
.
.
.
However, after a few more Gym matches (some of which Ash wins, some he loses, but Clemont finds all of them exciting to watch) Clemont has to admit that he's actually grateful for the blanket. The feeling of weakness has passed, but now he's aware just how cold it actually is down here in the Gym. Rationally, he knows it's just the remnants of his fever – the Gym is kept at an optimal temperature and it's never bothered him before now, not to mention that he's wearing the tracksuit he'd lent Ash all those weeks ago which is much thicker than his usual jumpsuit – but Clemont still vows to check over the air conditioning system later and make sure that it's working properly.
Pikachu joins him after a while, curling up in his lap to take a nap. After all, Pikachu is still on the tail end of recovering from his injuries as well , Clemont realises as he rubs the electric Pokémon's head idly, still internally marvelling that Pikachu trusts him enough to do this.
Finally, Ash sees the last challenger for the morning out of the Gym – this one successfully clutching a Voltage Badge in their hand – and bounds over towards the three of them the second the doors are shut.
"Clemont! Bonnie!" he greets them excitedly, standing on tip-toe to rest his head and arms on the arena wall. "Did you see that last match?! I mean, we lost in the end but everyone did a great job and it was awesome!"
"It was an amazing match," Clemont agrees from his seat on the bench. He wants to get up but he's loathe to move while Pikachu is still asleep on his lap. Luckily, Pikachu solves this dilemma for him by waking up, ears twitching for a moment before he realises that Ash is finished with his Gym matches for now. With a happy "Pikapi!" Pikachu bounds off Clemont's lap and up onto the wall next to Ash.
Ash laughs at the enthusiastic greeting, reaching out to ruffle Pikachu's ears. "Hey there, Pikachu! How are you feeling today?"
"Pika!" Pikachu strikes a pose. Ash beams.
"Great! I'm glad you're feeling better! So, what did you think of my Gym matches, huh? Did you have fun watching?"
"Pika piika! Pikapi pikachu pi!"
"Hahaha thanks, Pikachu."
Pikachu climbs onto Ash's shoulder as Clemont makes his way over, blanket still wrapped around his shoulders and so Clemont ends up with two pairs of eyes blinking up at him. "Clemont!" Ash says brightly. His smile fades when he notices the blanket around Clemont's shoulders. "How are you? Are you okay? Do you need to rest?"
"No, no, I'm alright," he reassures Ash. He can feel the twin stares of Bonnie and Pikachu boring into the side of his skull and amends, "I'm just a bit cold right now, but otherwise I'm fine." Clemont doesn't mention the weak feeling from before – it's gone away now and besides, mentioning it now won't really do anything other than make Ash worry and the robot already has enough on his plate dealing with the Gym in Clemont's stead.
Even so, Ash looks troubled. "Cold, huh…?" the robot mutters to himself. Suddenly he brightens, his troubled look turning determined as he holds out a hand. "I know! Gimme your hand, Clemont!"
"What?" is Clemont's blank reply. Ash just twitches his fingers – give me your hand already! – but gives no explanation. With a mental shrug, a bemused Clemont gives in and places a hand in Ash's. He's not sure what he was expecting, but Ash grasping his hand with both of his and holding on tightly sure wasn't it.
"U- Um…?" Clemont asks, bewildered. "Ash, what are you doing?"
"Warming your hands up, of course!" Ash replies matter-of-factly, shooting him a blinding grin. "My hands are warm enough for the two of us!"
Clemont feels his face flush pink, heat radiating off his cheeks. "Oh – ah – um – " he stammers, caught off-guard by the gesture and unable to think of a single reply. Ash's hands are warm though; he can feel the heat filtering through the numbness in his fingers that he hasn't noticed until now.
"Ah, me too, me too! My hands are warm too!" Bonnie cries; she seizes his other hand and holds it tightly between her own. When he looks toward her in surprise, he sees that her eyes are shut in deep concentration, as though she can warm his hands through sheer willpower alone. Even Pikachu crawls down Ash's outstretched arm and adds his own paw atop Ash's where the robot's fingers curl around Clemont's. Pikachu's gesture is ultimately useless in terms of warming Clemont's hands up, but it definitely warms his heart. He glances around at all of them, incredibly moved but trying desperately to hold back the tears that tingle at the corners of his eyes.
"Everyone…" he says, sniffling a little. "Thank you…"
All of them stay like that for a minute, with Clemont's family holding onto his hands tightly in an effort to warm them. Whether it's through their efforts or whether he's just imagining it, Clemont really does feel a lot warmer by the time Ash looks up at him with a smile and asks, "Better?"
Clemont sniffles again. "Y-yes…"
Ash's eyes widen in startled panic. He lets go of Clemont's hand quickly and a small part of Clemont can't help but mourn the loss of it. "Ack, you're crying! I'm sorry? Please don't cry, Clemont!"
Clemont lets out a watery chuckle. "No, no, no, I'm not sad, I just…" He uses his newly-freed hand to wipe away any stray tears on his sleeve and smiles tremulously at the robot. "Thanks, Ash."
Ash blinks in confusion for a moment before understanding dawns across his face and he grins in reply. "No worries!" he tells Clemont cheerfully. "Make sure you don't get too cold again, alright?"
Clemont is opening his mouth to reply when a loud booming echoes across the room. All of them jump in surprise; Pikachu settles immediately into a wary, battle-ready pose as the three humans look around for the source of the noise. The booming sound sweeps the room again, and Clemont belatedly realises that it's the sound of someone knocking on the doors to the Gym. Ash seems to have come to the same conclusion, because he calls out, "Who is it?"
There's a chorus of voices from outside, muffled by the thick doors. "We request a Gym match with the Gym Leader of Lumiose Gym!"
Clemont and Ash exchange a surprised look. "That's weird," Ash frowns. "I thought I'd gotten through all the morning challenges; the next one isn't supposed to be 'til after lunch." He looks up at Clemont questioningly. "Ah well, I suppose it can't hurt to take on one more challenger…?"
Clemont shrugs in reply. "It's up to you, Ash. You're the one acting as Gym Leader right now."
Ash hrms. "Oh well, in that case, I guess…" He turns back to the doors and cups his hands around his mouth. "I accept! Come in and we'll have a Gym battle!" Ash turns back to Clemont and Bonnie with an apologetic look on his face. "I know it's right on lunchtime, so if you guys wanna go eat instead of watching, I won't mind."
"Of course not!" Bonnie says stubbornly. "We'll cheer you on, like always!"
Her response brings a smile to Ash's face. "Thanks, Bonnie!" As the doors swing open to admit the new challengers, Ash turns to go and greet them but takes only a single step before he swings back around. "Ah, Clemont, I almost forgot…" Ash unclips two Pokéballs from his belt and hands them to Clemont. "Magnemite and Bunnelby are pretty tired after all the battling they did this morning, so I'll make do with Heliolisk and Magneton for this battle. Could you make sure they get some rest before the afternoon challengers show up, please?"
"Of course!" Clemont says, accepting his Pokéballs back. "But will you be okay with only two Pokémon to battle with?"
"Yeah, it'll just have to be a two-on-two match," Ash replies with a rueful shrug as they hear the Gym doors slide open. "That's okay, right? I don't really want to make those two battle anymore until they've had a chance to rest…"
Clemont is about to tell him that the challenge set by any Gym is completely at the discretion of the Gym Leader; a Trainer only has to complete the set challenge to be awarded a badge (and really, even if the Trainer loses, it can still be up to the discretion of the Gym Leader on whether to award the badge or not) but he's interrupted by an exclamation from Pikachu.
"Pikachu!" the electric Pokémon proclaims, sitting up and waving his arms at Ash. "Pika pika!"
Ash lets out a rueful laugh. "Sorry, Pikachu, I can't use you in a Gym battle! For one thing, you're still recovering from the fight a few days ago –"
Pikachu's ears droop. "Chuuuu…"
"– and plus you're not officially my Pokémon so I can't," Ash continues gently. "Sorry, buddy." He pats Pikachu's head in a silent apology as the Pokémon grumbles quietly. "Maybe Clemont and I can have a battle tomorrow, if the two of you are up for it." He flashes Clemont a quick grin. Pikachu brightens, seemingly pleased at this alternative plan.
"Hey, are we gonna have a Gym Battle or not?" calls an impatient voice. Pikachu's ears twitch.
Ash glances over his shoulder towards the trio that have just entered. "Yeah, just gimme a sec!" he calls back, pulling a face at the two siblings when he turns back around that makes Bonnie giggle and Clemont snort. "Alright, that's my cue!" he says cheerfully and with a parting wave, jogs back to the Gym Leader's side of the field. A chorus of voices echo after him:
"Good luck, Ash!"
"Please do your best!"
"Pikaaaachuuu!"
The chorus of well-wishes brings a small grin to Ash's face as he scoots to a stop and faces the three newcomers on the other side of the battlefield. There's a woman and two men, one in a long trench coat, standing there. Ash wonders if all three of them are expecting a battle. If that's the case, two of them are going to have to wait. Ash might be ready to have three battles in a row, but even Heliolisk and Magneton need a break after this morning's bouts. Not to mention that it's lunchtime and that means Clemont and Bonnie need to eat. Gym battles are important to him, but his family is more important.
"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym!" he says proudly, spreading his arms out.
There's a double-take from all three, followed closely by a very surprised, very loud exclamation. "The twer – YOU'RE the Gym Leader?!"
Ash blinks, rather nonplussed. The robot glances down at himself – yep, everything's still the same as this morning – and back up again. He's never gotten a reaction like this before, even when he actually looked more like a robot. "Uhh yeah, that's me! Clemont – he's the other Gym Leader – he's sick today, so I'm filling in for him."
He watches as the odd-looking one leans over to whisper in the ears of the other two and glances over at Clemont with a bewildered look on his face. From the stands, Clemont returns his look with equal confusion and shrugs apologetically. I don't know either, sorry.
"Um…" Ash speaks up as the three continue to whisper furiously amongst themselves. "Excuse me, but did one of you want a Gym battle or not?"
That gets the trio's full attention. "Why yes, of course!" the red-haired woman says hastily, stepping forward. "I, the beautiful Jessilina, will be your opponent!" she continues, striking a pose before gesturing dismissively at her two companions. "These two are just my cheer squad." The two behind her grin nervously and give a quick wave before they start inching sideways towards the stands on the opposite side to where Clemont and Bonnie are sitting.
"Ah, it's good to have friends to cheer you on!" Ash says in appreciation, glancing towards his own friends sitting in the stands. "Alright! Let's have a Gym battle! Each of us can use two Pokémon; only the challenger is allowed to substitute –"
"How about we have a double battle then?" Jessilina interrupts, her smirk a challenge.
"A… double battle?" Ash repeats. Clemont and I have had double battles before… they're harder than single battles, but they're twice the fun! "Sure, why not?" he agrees easily. "The one who defeats both of their opponent's Pokémon is the winner, sound fair?"
"It'll be more than fair!" the red-haired Trainer retorts, smirk still in place. She tosses two Pokéballs high in the air. "Go, Pumpkaboo and Wobbuffet!"
Pumpkaboo and Wobbuffet, huh… Ash thinks, eyeing the other Trainer's Pokémon. Gotta remember that Pumpkaboo's part Ghost-type, so physical attacks won't work. I don't want what happened to Pikachu the other day to happen again! "Alright! In that case, I choose you, Magneton! Heliolisk!"
His Pokémon appear from their Pokéballs in a burst of light, looking ready to battle. "Alright! Let's win this, you guys!" Ash tells them, fist clenched in determination; Magneton and Heliolisk chorus an agreement with equal fervour.
Up in the stands, Clemont hrms as he studies the Pokémon on the opponent's side of the field. Bonnie pauses in her cheering to glance up at him. "What's wrong, Clemont?" she asks in concern. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Hm? Oh no, I'm fine," he reassures her. "I just hope Ash will be, though."
"Huh? Why?" Bonnie demands. "He's battling really well today!"
"He is," Clemont agrees. "But Magneton and Heliolisk are already tired from all the Gym battles this morning. Not to mention that his opponent has picked a strange combination to battle with – usually, Trainers pick combinations where each Pokémon covers the type disadvantage of its partner, or have moves that complement each other. Wobbuffet and Pumpkaboo… well, it's an interesting combo. Ash needs to watch out for Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat as well – it's a move that reflects back special attacks," he explains, seeing Bonnie's blank face. "Counter reflects physical attacks, so if a Trainer plays his or her cards right, Wobbuffet can be a Pokémon that's very hard to defeat all on its own." Plus, he adds to himself, I'm worried because one of the Pokémon that those thieves had was a Pumpkaboo; I don't want Ash to be troubled by memories while he's trying to battle this one.
"Oh, I see…" Bonnie bites her lip, brows drawn in a frown of deep thought before she turns back to the battlefield and redoubles her cheering efforts as though she can win the match for Ash just by cheering loud enough. "Go Ash! Do your best, Magneton! Heliolisk!"
Despite Clemont's concerns, Ash doesn't look at all worried as he announces the start of the battle and immediately makes his opening move. "Magneton, Thunder Shock!"
Magneton rises up, gathering electrical energy to strike. However, just as it is about to discharge its attack, Jessilina calls, "Wobbuffet! Mirror Coat!"
The air around Wobbuffet shimmers with a rainbow aura and Ash's eyes widen as Wobbuffet jumps right into the path of the oncoming Thunder Shock at the last possible second. The robot watches in shock and dismay as Magneton's attack hits the rainbow aura and reflects back towards the magnet Pokémon.
"Magneton, watch out!" Ash calls frantically, but both Pokémon and Trainer are too surprised at the attack rebounding to react quickly enough. The Thunder Shock strikes Magneton dead on. "Magneton!"
At the other end of the field, the red-haired Trainer celebrates landing a hit as her two companions cheer from the stands. "Go, Jessie…lina! Jessilina!"
Magneton recovers from the hit, floating back up with a reassuring buzz. Ash sighs in relief and turns his attention to his opponent's Pokémon, Wobbuffet in particular. Luckily electric attacks aren't very effective against an electric Pokémon like Magneton . Still, what in the world was that attack?! It reflected Magneton's attack! And it looked stronger than Magneton's original Thunder Shock as well… Will it do that for every attack? This could be tricky…
Ash's programming includes an extensive encyclopaedia of both Pokémon – a personal Pokédex – and all of their possible moves. Although it would be easy to simply look up Mirror Coat and find out how to counter it, Ash can't help thinking lately that having all this knowledge is kind of cheating since he didn't 'learn' it himself in the first place. Experiencing all these moves firsthand – and coming up with his own ways to counter them – is surely a good step on the road to becoming a Pokémon Master.
"Pumpkaboo! Shadow ball!" his opponent calls, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. A Pokémon battle isn't the time to be letting his attention wander!
Maybe speed is the key… and speed calls for –! "Dodge it, Heliolisk, and use Mud Shot on Pumpkaboo!" Ash calls. The lizard Pokémon zips out of the way of the dark energy ball with ease and leaps into the air, slinging pellets of mud towards Pumpkaboo.
"Wobbuffet, you know what to do!" Jessilina orders.
Oh no, Heliolisk can't dodge in mid-air! Ash realises as Wobbuffet glows again and takes the hit, reflecting Heliolisk's attack back at the lizard Pokémon. The reflected attack hits Heliolisk, sending him crashing to the ground. "Heliolisk! Are you alright?"
"Zaaa!"
"Oh no you don't! Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!" A ball of dark energy slams into the ground at Heliolisk's feet and sends the lizard Pokémon flying again with a pained cry.
"Heliolisk!" Ash cries, worried. The lizard Pokémon struggles to its feet and takes up a battle stance again, calling out to Ash that he's okay. "That's the spirit!" he cheers. "Don't give up until the very end!"
Looking on from her spot in the stands, Bonnie bites her lip. "Oh no, Clemont, this is bad!" she frets, turning to her brother. "At this rate, Ash is gonna lose!"
Beside her, Clemont has a serious look on his face as he stares down at the field. He doesn't notice the blanket starting to slide off his shoulders, too intent on the battle in front of them. "Mirror Coat is a tough move to beat," he agrees worriedly. Mirror Coat only reflects special moves though, so why would Ash keep using them? Clemont frowns, trying to understand Ash's strategy. Maybe he doesn't know that Mirror Coat only works on certain types of moves? He should; I know he has a move database in his memory somewhere.
A rueful sigh escapes him. Of course, Ash is the type of person who rushes in without checking things first, so it's entirely possible he doesn't know.
The feel of cloth moving over his shoulder draws Clemont out of his thoughts; he finds Bonnie on tip-toe, trying to pull the escaping blanket back into place. He crouches down to make it easier for her with a murmur of thanks. Bonnie's face is troubled as she settles the cloth into place and Clemont ruffles her hair gently. "It'll be okay," Clemont reassures her. "It's not the end of the world even if Ash loses; he's lost before. Besides, I'm sure Ash will come up with some kind of amazing comeback. It's practically his specialty!"
Bonnie giggles. "Yeah!" She pats his shoulders, blanket back in place. "There you go, Clemont!"
"Thanks, Bonnie." Down on the field, both Trainers are calling encouragement to their Pokémon as they ready themselves for another exchange of attacks. Clemont glances across to the stands on the other side of the field, expecting to see the challenger's friends cheering for her as loudly as Bonnie and Pikachu are cheering for Ash. One of them is cheering, but the other isn't watching the battle at all and is typing away frantically at a laptop sitting open on his knees instead. Clemont frowns. That's odd. Why come at all if you aren't even going to watch, let alone cheer on your friend?
He watches for a few moments before mentally shrugging and returning his attention back to the battle. There's any number of explanations as to why the man is more focused on his laptop than the battle and while it's certainly strange, it's not really any of his business. Besides, Ash has that gleam in his eye that Clemont recognises as a sign that he's about to make one of his specialty comebacks and he doesn't want to miss it.
/\/\/\
There is in fact a very good reason why the man is more focused on the laptop than on the battle happening right in front of him: James' role in Team Rocket's plan to capture the Pokémon and the robot in Lumiose Gym is currently proving more difficult to carry out than he had previously imagined.
The earbud in James' ear crackles to life with Jessie's voice. " James, Meowth, status report."
"The transmitter is all set up and ready to go!" Meowth replies in a gleeful whisper. " It's pointin' straight at the twerp's side of the field. I can see Pikachu too, he's with the two blond haired twerps across the way."
"Do you think maybe it's better to get Pikachu first?" James wonders aloud as he taps furiously at his keyboard. "That pesky Pokémon caused all the trouble last time…"
"That's why we're gettin' the Gym Pokémon first!" Meowth explains patiently. " Havin' those strong Gym Pokémon on our side will make catchin' Pikachu a breeze! It's a winning plan! "
"I see! That's the kind of plan I like!" James enthuses, momentarily cheered by the prospect of succeeding before his computer flashes ENTRY DENIED at him angrily. He sighs heavily.
"James, what's taking so lo – PUMPKABOO, SHADOW BALL!" Jessie's voice screeches through James' earpiece as her attention returns to the sham Gym match that they're using as a cover for their plans. He almost falls off his bench in shock at the unexpected noise. James winces as he rubs his ear.
Meowth can't move easily from where he is perched atop their transmitter since it forms the bottom half of the Pokémon's disguise, but it doesn't stop the feline from making an impatient face at James. " Yeah, what's the hold-up? The rest of us are good to go!"
James scowls at his computer as he rapidly types. "There's a million different signals being broadcast all over this Tower, trying to find the right one is like trying to find a needle in a haystack!" he complains. "All I know is that the robot must be nearby."
"Well, try harder!" Jessie demands.
"If we are pickin' up a signal for it, it must be around here somewhere," Meowth muses, looking around. "Maybe they keep it in storage?"
" We'll just have to lure it out after we've captured the other Pokémon, " Jessie cuts in over the top of Meowth. " I can't keep this battle going forever, so hurry up!"
James spares a long glance at the battlefield – or more specifically, his partner on the battlefield, all fire and ferocity – before he drops his gaze back to his laptop screen and cracks his knuckles, determined to find that thin thread that will give him access to controlling the Gym's robot.
/\/\/\
Ash grits his teeth as Wobbuffet reflects yet another of Magneton's attacks. Darn, special moves don't work… he thinks, before his grimace turns into a determined smile. Alright, let's see what physical moves do then! "Heliolisk, use Dragon Tail on Wobbuffet! Magneton, aim for Pumpkaboo with Thunder Shock!"
"Wobbuffet! Counter it! Pumpkaboo, dodge!" his opponent retorts. Ash lets out a small 'tch' as Heliolisk brings its tail down on a glowing Wobbuffet, only to be knocked back several meters as the attack is reflected. Damn, it even blocks physical moves?! Ash thinks with an internal frown, calling encouragement to Heliolisk as the lizard Pokémon gets to its feet again.
In a stroke of good fortune, Magneton discharges a fast Thunder Shock that the other floating Pokémon is unable to dodge in time. Pumpkaboo is knocked back with a cry, but recovers quickly and floats back up to Magneton's level, though a trifle unsteadily. "Yeah! Magneton!"
"That was a good move combo," Clemont comments in approval, leaning forward slightly on the dividing wall. He's mostly talking to himself, but Clemont soon realises he's caught Bonnie and Pikachu's attention with his words when he hears a, "Huh?" from beside him.
"Ash used a physical move and a special move," Clemont explains to his curious audience. "Counter and Mirror Coat might reflect attacks, but there's no way for Wobbuffet to be able to reflect both types of move at once – if Wobbuffet jumped to shield Pumpkaboo like before, Heliolisk's attack would have hit. If Dragon Tail was countered, then Pumpkaboo was open to getting hit by Thunder Shock – which is what happened. It's a good strategy to use, unless his opponent comes up with a way to counter it."
"Oh..." Bonnie looks thoughtful as she turns back to the battlefield. Taking a deep breath, she cups her hands around her mouth, "ASH! MAGNETON! HELIOLISK! YOU CAN DO IT!"
"Do your best!" Clemont calls as well, adding his support. Beside him, Pikachu also cheers the trio on loudly. Ash looks over towards the stands, a startled look on his face before it transforms into a wide grin and he shoots them a thumbs up.
Still grinning, Ash returns his attention back to the battle at hand. Argh, landing a hit is so hard with Wobbuffet reflecting my Pokémon's attacks all the time! If this keeps going, they'll be wiped out in no time! I can tell Magneton's getting exhausted. I need to win this battle soon. Brown eyes flick to the stands and back again. But I'm not gonna lose when everyone's cheering us all on so much!
"Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!" Jessilina calls from the other end of the field.
"Dodge it!" Ash counters automatically; Heliolisk and Magneton dive to the side and the attack detonates against the ground between them, throwing up a cloud of dust and smoke. The robot squints through the dust cloud behind an arm raised to needlessly shield his face. She never orders Wobbuffet to attack… I guess its role must be defence only? Unless it doesn't know any other attacks?
The dust and smoke is still thick in the air and Ash briefly considers switching to his other vision in order to see through it, but decides against it – that would be cheating, after all. As he waits for the air around the field to clear, he is reminded of his very first battle with Clemont. It had been light that obscured the battlefield that time, not smoke, but even back then Ash trusted Clemont's Pokémon enough to pull off his instinctive thrown-together strategy, even if it went against all of the logic stored in his code.
Of course, Clemont still beat me that time anyway , Ash muses. Even half-blinded, Heliolisk still managed to hit us with Parabolic Charge… The spark of an idea strikes him and Ash straightens as he glances quickly around the room. Yeah, I think that might just work…!
The smoke has mostly cleared away while he was lost in thought. Ash wastes no more time in calling out an attack. "Heliolisk! Parabolic Charge!"
Jessilina laughs, high-pitched and triumphant. "This is too easy! Wobbuffet, send it right back!" she orders confidently. Wobbuffet jumps forward, ready to shield Pumpkaboo as well as Heliolisk's frills flare out to release a Parabolic Charge.
Ash waits until the initial ball of energy is high in the air and then commands, "Magneton, Mirror Shot, now!" and throws up an arm to shield his vision. The air flashes a brilliant white with all reflected light, not just from the Gym but Heliolisk's attack as well. There's a cry of alarm from his opponent, echoed by her Pokémon as they realise they can't see a thing and that's the signal he's been waiting for. "You can't reflect an attack you can't see!" Ash calls with a grin. "Now Heliolisk! Finish with Parabolic Charge!"
With a cry, Heliolisk looses the delayed Parabolic Charge at last and lightning rains down upon the field. Ash knows that Heliolisk can't aim too well in this bright light, but Parabolic Charge is a field-wide attack – it's almost guaranteed that it'll hit something. Ash just hopes that 'something' is the opponent's Pokémon.
There's a cry and a thump and when the light finally dims enough for everyone bar Ash to squint through watering eyes, they find Pumpkaboo lying unconscious on the ground.
"Ah! Pumpkaboo!" Jesselina cries in distress.
"Pumpkaboo is unable to battle!" Ash announces, noting with some satisfaction that Heliolisk is looking more refreshed as the green healing glow fades. "Now you only have one Pokémon against my two, and Heliolisk's feeling all charged up now thanks to that Parabolic Charge, right, Heliolisk?"
"Zaaaa!" Heliolisk agrees, looking more determined than ever as he faces the remaining opponent.
"Yes!" Clemont and Bonnie cheer from the sidelines, Pikachu waving frantically. "Go, Ash! You can do it!"
"Tch. Pumpkaboo, return!" Jessilina orders, holding out a Pokéball. Ash raises his eyebrows as she grumbles under her breath and shoots a glare towards her cheer squad in the stands.I thought they're her friends, why would she be mad at them for Pumpkaboo losing? "Wobbuffet, don't you dare lose!"
"Wobba!" the Pokémon replies, saluting. Both Heliolisk and Magneton ready themselves, waiting for Wobbuffet to strike first. However, when no such attack comes, Ash realises that his earlier guess about Wobbuffet's defensive moves is probably right.
"Well, I guess it's up to us to go first then!" he comments. Wobbuffet can only reflect one type of move at a time, so… "Magneton! Thunder Shock!"
"Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!" Jessilina orders and Wobbuffet's body begins to shine with rainbow light. Ash grins with barely restrained glee. Just as I thought!
"Now, Heliolisk!" he calls. "Quick Attack!"
Wobbuffet barely has time to turn around in shock before Heliolisk slams into it with all the lizard Pokémon's considerable speed, sending Wobbuffet crashing into the low wall of the stands just below where Jesselina's friends are seated.
"Wobbuffet!" Jessilina yells. "Get up now!" As Wobbuffet struggles to its feet, Ash doesn't notice her turn and hiss "What's taking you so long?!" to the two sitting in the stands.
"Yeah!" Ash cheers. "That was great, you guys! Keep it up and we'll win this in no time!" Heliolisk and Magneton turn to look at him, both of them looking tired but not lacking in energy as they enthusiastically chorus a response. All of a sudden, Heliolisk staggers and claps paws over his ears with a pained cry. "Heliolisk?!" Ash cries, triumph turning to concern in an instant. "Heliolisk, are you alright?"
It's not just Heliolisk, Ash realises. His eyes widen with shock when he sees Magneton floating in erratic patterns, eyes shut tightly in pain. "Hey, what's going on? What's wrong with you guys?"
Neither Pokémon respond to his frantic questions as they screech with pain. Ash darts out onto the field, forgetting to call a time-out in his single-minded focus to find out what is wrong with his Pokémon. The match doesn't matter, not when Heliolisk and Magneton are suffering like this. He drops to his knees beside Heliolisk, reaching out a hand. "Heliolisk? What's wrong?"
Up in the stands, the blanket slips unnoticed from Clemont's shoulders once again as he leans forward over the wall, fingers white where they clutch at the stone. "Something's not right!" he cries, eyes wide. A discomforted whine draws his attention down to Pikachu. The electric Pokémon's ears are slanted back almost flat to his skull and every now and then he shakes his head like he's trying to clear it. "Pikachu, what is it?" he asks frantically. Whatever's hurting all of the Pokémon, it's not caused by the battle or else Pikachu wouldn't be affected as well.
"Chuuuuuuu," Pikachu whines, jumping down from the wall. The electric Pokémon stumbles a bit upon landing and Bonnie drops to her knees beside him, scooping him into her arms.
"Pikachu, are you alright?" she asks in concern. Pikachu's ears twitch for a few seconds before he burrows further into her arms.
"Pikachuuuuu," is the miserable response.
Bonnie looks up at her brother, eyes wide with the same worry that's reflected on Clemont's face as he stares down at the two of them. He glances out at the field, where Ash is still talking to Heliolisk and Magneton, hands checking over the lizard Pokémon for any hidden injuries that might be causing the pain. Clemont somehow knows that Ash isn't going to find any. Something else is causing this… but what? he thinks, biting at his lower lip.
Suddenly, Ash yelps in surprise and Clemont's gaze snaps to him just in time to see Heliolisk send the robot sprawling with a Dragon Tail. "Ash!"
Luckily, Ash is back on his feet within seconds, seemingly unharmed by the attack. He approaches the two Pokémon carefully; Clemont is surprised to see Heliolisk and Magneton back away.
"Hey, Clemont…? Don't you think Heliolisk and Magneton are acting kinda strange?" Bonnie says in confusion. A weak 'Pikapi' tags onto the end of her sentence. "They've never run away from Ash before…"
"Yeah…" Clemont says slowly. All of Clemont's Pokémon adore the robot just as much as they do their actual Trainer, but none moreso than Magneton, the first Pokémon Ash had ever battled together with. Something has to be seriously wrong for the magnet Pokémon to be sparking threateningly at Ash as he approaches. Maybe they're in enough pain that they just don't recognise him anymore? he wonders, feeling sick. Something catches his eye and Clemont leans forward, adjusting his glasses – are their eyes glowing red?!
"Ash, watch out!" he cries, a split second before Magneton looses a Thunder Shock at Ash's feet. Ash dances backwards, barely dodging the attack.
"Whoa!" Ash says, eyes wide. He steps forward again, arms held out entreatingly. "Magneton, it's me, Ash! Come on, it's okay, you know me…"
Ringing laughter echoes around the Gym, drawing everyone's attention. "Sorry twerp, but they don't know you any more!" Jessilina announces triumphantly as her two companions jump down beside her.
"What do you mean?!" Ash exclaims. "What did you do? I thought you were here for a Gym battle!"
The Trainer snorts. "As if I'd be interested in winning a badge when I could just steal one…. and all of your pretty little Pokémon too!"
"What?!" Ash grits his teeth. "Just who are you anyway?!"
The trio chuckles with evil menace. "Prepare for trouble with an electric wave!" Jessilina announces, striking a pose.
"Team Rocket's gonna make all your Pokémon behave!" Her taller companion adds, striking a pose beside her with his laptop balanced in one hand.
With a flourish, the trio discard their disguises to reveal a familiar white uniform with a large red 'R' emblazoned on the front.
"To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all people within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie!
James!
Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!" The third member of the thieving trio strikes a pose on top of a machine concealed under his disguise until now.
"Wobbuffet!" chimes in the blue Pokémon.
"Team Rocket!" Ash growls, clenching his fists. On the other side of the field, Pikachu leaps out of Bonnie's arms into a threatening stance on the wall, sparks flying madly from his cheeks at the sight of the three thieves.
"What?!" Clemont gasps. A man, a woman and a talking Meowth… this is… this is the group of Pokémon thieves that Ash and Pikachu ran into! Part of him is marvelling that there is a talking Pokémon right here in front of him but for the most part Clemont is horrified that such a despicable group is here in his Gym – and angry, he realises with a start. He's angry that these people who hurt his closest friend and caused Pikachu so much pain have come back. "Bonnie, please stay here!" he orders, turning towards the stairs.
"But –" Bonnie starts to argue, but Clemont spins around and places his hands on her shoulders to silence her.
"Please, Bonnie, you and Pikachu stay here. Those three are dangerous," he insists, over the protests of both his sister and Pikachu. "They're the ones who hurt Pikachu before; Ash and I need to make sure they don't hurt any other Pokémon."
His expression is so serious that Bonnie's protests subside and she nods, albeit reluctantly. He ruffles her hair and looks to Pikachu. "You stay here too, Pikachu – I don't know what they've done to Magneton and Heliolisk, but I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I'm counting on you to look after Bonnie for me and Ash, okay?"
"Pikapi…" Pikachu looks towards where Ash stands, body tense and ears twitching madly. Clemont knows that Pikachu dearly wants to leap off the wall and face Team Rocket down in a rematch, but there's no way he's going to let Pikachu fight before they can reverse whatever has been done to his Pokémon. Finally, Pikachu nods tersely. "Pipika, pikapi pika!"
"Yeah, you go get 'em, Clemont!" Bonnie agrees. Clemont gives them both a grateful smile before he turns and dashes towards the stairs to the arena floor as fast as he can.
"What have you done to Magneton and Heliolisk?" he hears Ash demand in a loud voice. "Give them back, right now!"
"No can do, twerp," James says, waving a finger in mock severity. "Magneton and Heliolisk are now officially Team Rocket members!"
They laugh at Ash's enraged growl. "See, this here machine," Meowth explains, tapping a foot against the metal structure he stands on, "emits radio waves. And all we gotta do is make those waves say t' listen t' Team Rocket and voila! Any electric Pokémon has to obey us."
"That's despicable!" Ash shouts.
The trio chuckle. "Despicable, I like the sound of that!" James says to the others. "It sounds evil."
"Evil masterminds, that's us!" Meowth agrees. "Now nothin' can stop us getting our hands on all the rare Pokémon in this here Gym!"
"Speaking of rare Pokémon…" Jessie says, shading her eyes with a hand and glancing around. "I thought there'd be more Pokémon in an official Gym than just these measly two." She flicks a hand towards Magneton and Heliolisk.
Ash scowls. "There's nothing measly about them! Give them back!"
Clemont skids to a stop beside Ash, panting from running so fast. Maybe he should do more of those training exercises Ash keeps insisting he join in on. "We won't let you steal any of the Pokémon from this Gym!" he adds once he catches his breath.
"Huh? Who are you?" Jessie says, raising an eyebrow at the appearance of another twerp.
Clemont straightens, glasses catching the light. "My name is Clemont and –" he glances towards Ash, who nods, "we're the Leaders of Lumiose Gym!"
James snorts. "Gym Leader or not, you're both just pitiful twerps to us!"
"Why, you –!"
Clemont grabs Ash before the robot can launch himself towards the snickering trio. "Calm down, Ash!" he whispers urgently. "I know you want to get Magneton and Heliolisk back, but rushing in recklessly won't get us anywhere."
A few tense moments pass before Ash sighs and relaxes in Clemont's grip, much to his relief. "You're right." Suddenly, Ash's eyes go wide and he looks around wildly. "Oh no, Pikachu –"
"– is fine, I asked him to stay with Bonnie," Clemont reassures him in a low voice, letting go of Ash. "They're safe."
The corner of Ash's mouth turns up in a smile. "Thanks, Clemont," Ash says, relief in his eyes. He turns back to face Team Rocket. "So, what's the plan?"
Clemont studies the trio – or more specifically, the machine at Meowth's feet. It resembles a radio dish on wheels; steel and sturdy and emblazoned with a big red R like the miscreants' uniforms. He points the dish out to Ash covertly. "See that? I think the machine is sending out radio waves through that emitter. It must be on a frequency that affects only electric-type Pokémon. If we can destroy it, Magneton and Heliolisk should go back to normal."
"Alright, you draw their attention with Bunnelby," Ash whispers back. "I'll try and sneak close enough to destroy that machine."
Even though the thought of Ash being in danger again has Clemont's heart in his throat, he still nods in acceptance of Ash's plan. Clemont's the only one of the two with a non-electric Pokémon and realistically, Ash is much less likely to get hurt if Team Rocket discover him sneaking around and start attacking him instead. It's the most logical plan, but that doesn't mean Clemont has to like it.
"What are you whispering about?" Jessie says suspiciously.
James laughs. "How cute, they think they can come up with a plan to beat us!"
"I did it before, I'll do it again!" Ash retorts hotly, much to Team Rocket's amusement.
"You only beat us before, twerp, 'cause that weirdo in the red cape turned up to save ya," Meowth sneers. "Well, he ain't comin' to help youse this time! There ain't nothin' you can do to stop us taking all the Pokémon in this here Gym!"
"We'll see about that!" Clemont announces. "Bunnelby, come on out!"
"Bun!" Bunnelby appears in a flash of light. Bunnelby is clearly tired from all of the previous battles he's been in this morning, even though the small Pokémon stands ready to fight. Sorry, Bunnelby, he silently apologises. I know you're tired, but you're the only Pokémon I have who won't be affected by Team Rocket's machine. Please hang in there a little while longer!
"Oooh, let's grab that one too!" James says excitedly. "It's not an electric-type, though…"
"Then we'll just have to catch it for the Boss the old-fashioned way!" Jessie replies. "Magneton! Thunder Shock those twerps!"
Clemont, Bunnelby and Ash all leap backward, narrowly avoiding the bolt of electricity that strikes the ground their feet. "Whoa!" Ash cries from beside him. "That's dangerous!"
"Magneton, please!" Clemont pleads. "You've got to fight it!" He stares up at his partner Pokémon, willing it to break free of Team Rocket's mind-control. "I don't want to have to fight you," he whispers softly. Ash is the only one close enough to hear his words, glancing at him sharply. Worry tugs the corners of Ash's mouth down when Clemont looks towards him. We'll get them back, no worries! Ash mouths to him with a determined nod. Clemont nods back in agreement.
Jessie laughs; Clemont is starting to hate the sound of it. "Magneton's on our side now!" she taunts with a sly grin. "Cutesy words aren't going to break through our electric waves!"
"And if you think that's bad, wait til you get a loada this!" Meowth adds, slamming a paw down on a button at the base of the radio dish. Behind him, James whips out the laptop from before and starts tapping at keys with a feverish haste. "We heard there's a robot runnin' around in here, and it's gonna make a nice addition to Team Rocket!"
"What?!" Ash and Clemont exclaim in unison, sharing a wide-eyed glance. It's not really a secret that there's a robot acting as Gym Leader sometimes – Clemont has never meant for it to be one anyway – but what on earth could such terrible Pokémon thieves want with Ash? They want to try and steal him too, Clemont realises with a pang of anguish and he finds himself stepping closer to Ash, wanting to shield him from the trio of thieves even though he knows Ash is not the sort of person to hide behind anyone when there is danger. True enough, Ash stays by Clemont's side, shooting him a reassuring grin when Clemont glances his way.
"Now then! Come to us, robot!" James announces gleefully, hitting a final key with a flourish. A light on the machine at Meowth's feet flickers from red to blue and it starts to whirr loudly.
Everyone freezes, holding their breath as they wait in tense silence for something to happen. When nothing happens after a few seconds, Clemont lets out a shaky breath, relieved that Team Rocket's plan – whatever it is – doesn't seem to have worked.
"Huh? Where is it?" Jessie asks, shading her eyes against the glare of the Gym's lights and looking around. "James, why isn't it turning up?"
"Ash, we should –" Clemont turns to Ash and cuts off abruptly when he sees Ash's eyes, wide and unseeing. "Ash! Are you alright?" He grabs at Ash's shoulder in concern. Ash blinks slowly – once, twice – and looks at Clemont in panic.
"Clemont, I don't – AH!" With a sharp cry, Ash claps his hands over his ears and hunches in on himself, eyes squeezed shut in pain.
"Ash?!" Clemont says frantically, ignoring Team Rocket altogether as he spins Ash to face him, clutching at his arms. "What's wrong?"
"I – I don't – it hurts, Clemont!" Ash gasps, curling into Clemont's hold and resting his forehead against his shoulder as though his friend might be able to ward off his pain. Like this, Clemont can't see Ash's face anymore, but he can feel Ash shaking under his hands. "My head – it really hurts –" Ash cuts off with a groan, muffled against Clemont's shoulder. "Clemont –"
"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay," Clemont says, trying – and failing miserably – to sound calm as he rubs soothing circles with his thumbs against Ash's arms. He needs to stay calm; panicking won't help Ash, he's got to focus – reassure Ash like he would Bonnie if this were one of her nightmares – because if he thinks about Ash's voice thick with pain, or the way that Ash is shaking in his grip – if he thinks about what could be hurting Ash so badly when Ash barely notices throwing his shoulder out of alignment –
"A –" His voice cracks against a dry throat and he swallows and tries again. "Ash? Hang on, I'm here, you'll be okay. Can you – can you tell me what's wrong?"
"It hurts," is the gasped reply. "Feels like – like a code upgrade… but they always felt weird, not – not like this –"
' We heard there's a robot runnin' around in here, and it's gonna make a nice addition to Team Rocket!'
Clemont's hands tighten against Ash's arms, fear making his heart pound painfully in his chest. Team Rocket have managed to take control of Magneton and Heliolisk with electrical waves; could they be broadcasting something now that is affecting Ash? Feels like a code upgrade, Ash had said – he's always hated the code upgrades Clemont tries to run…
Clemont goes cold. "Ash," he says frantically, squeezing Ash's arms, mind racing. Changing Ash's code had always required hooking Ash back up to the computer in Clemont's workshop; if Team Rocket had found a way around that… "You've got to fight it, do you hear me?" he orders. "Please, Ash, you can't let them change any part of your code!" Ash's AI system is complex; it's grown far beyond whatever Clemont had ever imagined when he had first written it all those months ago. If Team Rocket really are trying to rewrite part of Ash's code to control him the way they've taken Clemont's Pokémon – getting it wrong could cause Ash just as much damage as getting it right. "Ash!"
"Wait, you're kidding me, right?!" He hears Jessie's voice rise in disbelief. "James, you were supposed to take control of the robot, not the twerp!"
"But I did!" James replies, equally bewildered. "This machine is just transmitting the code sequence I changed, it shouldn't be affecting him!"
"So that means…" Meowth says slowly. There's a few moments of silence as the trio look at each other, eyes wide as things click together.
"…HE'S THE ROBOT?!"
Thanks for reading! C: