Sorry this took so long... *Insert excuses here.* I hope to upload more now that it is summer though!
In terms of good news I only have two more chapters left on Rising From the Ashes (my main fanfic on this account), so once that's done this story will be my main focus here!
We arrive at Cyllage City this chapter, and Ash's gym battle will take place next chapter!
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Day Ten
"Ax... ax... ax..."
Ash sighed in relief as Cyllage finally appeared in the view. His eyes flickered down towards his arm, where a certain Axew was still chewing away at his hand. Kindle had never bothered taking back the dragon type after letting Ash "hold" her- though he wasn't supporting her in anyway. Her front claws were locked around Ash's fingerless gloves, her hind legs digging into the skin near his elbow. The Axew's jaws had chewed his fingers numb, though luckily she had no teeth to back up her powerful jaw.
The Axew showed no sign of relenting, happily chewing away at Ash's red fingers, glaring at him as if he were Yveltal himself. Ash held up his arm to eye level, "Why can't you be more like Iris's Axew?" He asked quietly.
She growled, his fingers locked in her mouth, so he lowered his arm and let her continue chewing on in peace.
"Brai!" Kindle said, stretching as the endless beach finally began to turn into road. She happily hopped up onto the cement, trying to brush the sand away from between her paws. She looked back at Ash, waiting for him to catch up to her.
"Want to take back this little demon?" Ash asked, pointing to the Axew. Kindle glared at him, pulling back her lips and snarling softly. Ash paled, "...Take back the hatchling?" He quickly amended, and her stance relaxed, somewhat.
"Xen!" She turned her nose up, heading towards Cyllage City, and Ash sighed, but lumbered after her. Ash found himself looking around at the buildings as they entered the city- much larger than the last few he had past through- but still nothing in comparison to Lumiose. A few people gave him a strange glance at the Axew clinging to his arm, but Ash ignored them. As they went deeper into the city, Ash felt Axew's jaws slacken, and he glanced down. The little Pokemon's eyes were blinking rapidly. Her scales rattled nervously, claws digging deeper into Ash's skin. The trainer stumbled to a stop, looking around him uncertainly, knowing that the intuition of a Pokemon was rarely wrong. Kindle had come to a stop as well, eyes widening.
"I see you made it here in one piece," A silky voice said from behind Ash, and Kindle let out a snarl. Chills raced up his back, and very slowly Ash forced himself to turn around, looking straight into the intense blue eyes of Yveltal.
A numb rage was building up in Ash, one that rushed through him and extinguished any fear within him. Ash's hands clenched into fists, his whole body trembling with a raw anger as he glared at Yveltal's human avatar. The legendary grinned, his lower black lip curling humorously as he watched Ash. Though there was a million things Ash wanted to scream at the Pokemon, only one word managed to slip through.
"Y-you!" Ash spat, bitterness and hatred dripping through his voice.
Yveltal's grinned widened, "Miss me?" He asked innocently.
"Over my dead body!"
Yveltal laughed, "That can be arranged quite easily," His eyes scanned Ash, "Not yet though... not yet... There's still so much fun I can have with you," He smirked, "A lot has happened since our last meeting, hasn't it?"
Ash flinched- last time he had seen Yveltal was when he had taken over Scape's body- attacking his team and killing Midnight. Ash tried to keep the memories of the dead Pokemon kit out of his head, but soon images of her's and Chester's body rose in his mind. He cringed at the thought of their bloody forms, how he could have done more to protect them... Ash looked away- Chester's death had then lead to him abandoning Kindle...
"Oh, I'm sure it was a ton of fun for you," Ash hissed, struggling to keep his boiling anger under control. It didn't matter however, since no one even glanced at them even though they stood in the middle of the road. Yveltal pulled out a pair of reflective sunglasses, slipping them over his bright blue eyes.
"The last few days have been quite enjoyable," Yveltal agreed, and he reached out towards the Axew who clung frozen to Ash's arms, "Who's your new little friend...?"
"Brai!" Kindle screamed, lunging forward as Yveltal ran a finger down the baby Pokemon's back. Ash could only stare as his starter raked her claws across his arms, forcing the legendary to withdraw his hand. She whipped out her wand, pointing it straight at Yveltal, a fire flaring to life at the end of the stick. She trembled- not even caring as Yveltal gazed her a cold glare- but he looked unaffected by the attack. Kindle quickly wrapped her paws around the Axew, pulling him off of Ash and clutching her to her chest, and she slipped her wand back into tail, shaking.
"That was a mistake, deary," Yveltal whispered in a low tone.
Kindle was quivering, glaring at Yveltal, "Braixen brai brai!"
Yveltal grinned, "Your daughter, huh? Just as delusional as Chester, are we now?" Kindle stiffened, "Heh, enjoy your little 'daughter', Kindle, I'm sure your precious Erica will one day be a strong battler..."
"Xen..." Kindle hissed, holding Erica closer.
"Oh trust me, it will be in your best interest for Ash to catch and train her, Kindle," Yveltal chuckled darkly, "You see... accidents just tend to happen to any Pokemon that just lingers around..." Kindle stiffed, and Yveltal's eyes gleamed, "Your choice, of course."
"You turned me against Kindle," Ash growled, and Yveltal returned his attention to Ash, "You made me doubt her- she did nothing!"
Yveltal tilted his head, "Me? Oh Ashy, I did nothing of the sort!" The false innocence vanished from his voice, a grin spreading across his face, "I didn't 'turn' you against Kindle- that was your own choice."
Ash flinched again. Kindle laid a paw on his arm, trying to let him know that it had not been his fault, but her trainer's gaze was only focused on Yveltal. Ash was struggling to find something to say to Yveltal, his emotions washing over him.
"What do you want?" Ash snapped, turning away.
Yveltal pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket, "I'm just here to let you know that your next gym battle will take place tomorrow... I also have a deal to offer you."
Ash glanced at Yveltal, snatching the paper out of his hands, "Like I'd ever agree to a deal with you!"
"Oh, it's nothing big, Ashy," Yveltal said, twisting his hand, and Ash found himself turning back to face Yveltal against his own will, "I just want you to come watch Serena's gym battle today, that's all."
"And why would I do that?" Ash growled.
"I could force you with ease Ash, but I want you to make the choice to come... Like I said, I'd make a deal with you," He crossed his arms, "I'll let you get your hands on a rare Pokemon, one that I'm sure would be a great asset to your team."
"I'm not going to go watch Pokemon get slaughtered just for a 'rare' Pokemon," Ash muttered, clenching his fists, "I like my team the way it is."
Yveltal pressed his lips together, "How about this then? I'll forgive Kindle for attacking me if you come- I'll act like it never happened," A cold smile spread across his face, "I'll even forget about the little Axew for a time- just come watch the battle."
Ash glanced towards Kindle, who had paled under her fur. She clutched her little Axew closer, looking up at Ash. Seeing her amber eyes drained Ash's desire to fight, and he looked up at Yveltal, "You swear that you won't do anything to her?"
"I'm not going to protect her in battle or anything," Yveltal replied, "But I won't purposely target her for attacking me."
Ash twitched, watching Yveltal with unblinking eyes. He knew that he didn't trust the legendary one bit, but he also saw no reason for him to lie.
"...Fine," Ash said, "I'll watch the battle."
"Wonderful," Yveltal grinned, "Her battle has already started, but if we hurry we won't miss the main show!" He turned, heading towards the eastern edge of the city, "Keep up now."
Kindle was slipping Erica away into her small leather pack. Ash waited several moments for her, and once they were both ready they hesitantly took off after Yveltal.
Ash felt his throat tightening as they entered the Cyllage City Gym, the calls of battle echoing through the building. The receptionist at the desk hadn't even glanced at them when they had passed through the door that lead to the battle arena, her eyes remaining glued to her paperwork in front of her.
Ash looked up at Yveltal for a moment, noticing that his outfit had changed from a biker-esque feel to a more professional look as they entered the gym. His sunglasses were now gone, however, his scarf and leather fingerless gloves remained. Ash wasn't one for fashion, but he thought that Yveltal looked hideous. The legendary grinned at him as this thought passed through his head, but said nothing.
Ash found it strange as he entered the stands- typically he was the one to battle in the gyms- he rarely watched another's gym battle. There were about a dozen rows of seats, all situated high to provide a clear view of the stadium. Everyone of them were empty as Yveltal settled himself down on the front row, blue eyes gleaming excitedly. Ash and Kindle sat far from him- several rows back and down a ways. Ash glanced at Kindle, who was holding her leather bag in her arms, Ash still had no idea where she had gotten it from.
"Your guess is as good as mine- I have no idea where she got it either."
Ash jumped, twisting in his seat to find that Yveltal was now sitting right next to him. He hadn't even heard the legendary move seats. Yveltal grinned, and Ash noticed a dark glow surrounding Yveltal, but then the aura flickered out of sight.
"Onix, use Dragon Breath!"
Ash found his eyes being drawn towards the battlefield, where a towering Onix was releasing a mass of blue energy from the back of its throat. The rock snake looked unmarked, but there was a look of exhaustion in his eyes as he pulled his head back.
"Water Pulse now, Jet!" The familiar voice of Serena ordered, and a blur of blue leapt up out of the remains of the Dragon Breath. Ash couldn't help but admire the speed of the Frogadier- having raised the same Pokemon himself in his own world. The water type formed a sphere of water in his hands, releasing the pressurized blast at the Onix's side, who let out a roar of pain upon being hit.
"Rock Tomb," Onix's trainer called out without much concern. Ash's eyes shifted towards Grant, a gym leader he had battled once before in his world. The dark skinned man was leaning up against a rocky pillar, similar to the many jagged stone formations covering the battlefield. The Onix raised its tail, several orbs of white energy forming. The energy solidified into several large boulders, which were flung at the Frogadier.
"Dodge!" Serena snapped.
"Fro!" Jet called, using a Quick Attack to avoid each stone flung his way. He came to stop right in front of the Onix, eyes glaring up.
"And now Water Pulse," Serena muttered, a smirk on her face. The Onix tried to pull back, but his large body worked against him, and Jet was able to slam a close ranged Water Pulse right over his heart. The Onix screamed as it he had just been burnt, sagging towards the ground.
"Impressive," Grant said, nodding at Serena, "Your Pokemon is well trained- powerful and respond quickly to your comands," His eyes flickered over his Onix, who was starting to writhe, "Get up, I know you have some fight left in you."
The Onix dragged itself up, its whole form trembling. Ash's heart tightened, hating seeing a Pokemon in such pain. Despite this however, the Onix didn't even look hurt. A bit wet, but not threatened. He hesitated, wondering how a move like Water Pulse would be able to kill something in a battle to the death.
"Mew's world is too simple," Yveltal said with a long sigh, picking up on Ash's thoughts, "Water Pokemon firing off little bursts of water? Nothing," He sat up, watching Ash, "You see, the attacks from a water type move here are quite dangerous, the water is very acidic. Long term exposure has proven to be very corrosive," Yveltal grinned, "But when up against a rock or a ground type... that's when it gets very interesting."
The eagerness in Yveltal's voice was all Ash needed to hear, "I don't want to know," He muttered, turning away, but this only seemed to egg on the Pokemon.
"You see, their rocky hide isn't just skin, it is made of the same minerals you find naturally in the earth. Rock and dirt is part of their diet- needed to maintain their bodies. It's not just their armor though that uses these minerals- but their organs as well," Yveltal leaned in close to Ash, "Their armor and skin are very absorbent, sucking moves from a water type right into them... the corrosive water then starts to eat away at the rocky minerals inside of them... The Onix may not have a mark on him Ash, but trust him, there is much more going on inside of him."
Ash was feeling sick, and he looked down at the Onix, who had just landed a Rock Tomb on the Frogadier. The rock type looked like it was in nothing but pure pain, but he kept on fighting, "So you mean..."
"His insides are being liquidized right this moment," Yveltal practically sang, "The gym leader knows that he won't win this match- but a battle is a battle- so onto the end they go."
Ash had paled, staring at the Onix in horror. There was a bit of blood on Frogadier as he was hit by a powerful Tackle from the Onix, but the snake Pokemon was wincing with every move it made. The Onix's attacks seemed to be getting slower, his movements becoming sluggish.
Jet run along the Onix's back, avoiding an attack sent his way. The Onix turned, releasing a Dragon Breath, only to scream in pain as the attack hit himself. The Frogadier quickly claimed the top of the Onix's head, slamming another Water Pulse down on him. He then leapt off of the Pokemon, releasing two more spheres of water at Serena's orders.
"Rah!" The Onix screamed again, his body crashing to the ground. The whole battlefield shook upon impact, and you could see the Onix struggling to use its last bit of energy to rise. The Onix coughed, a brown, thick liquid slowly sliding out of his mouth. Ash turned away, eyes shut at the sight.
Yveltal seized the back of Ash's head, his cold fingers locking around his wild black hair. He harshly jerked Ash's head back towards the battlefield. Several tears slide down his face, and he found his eyes opening against their will.
"You said you'd watch the battle, Ash," Yveltal whispered in his ear.
Ash's eyes were forced to remain glued to the battlefield as the Onix sagged to the ground, his large rocky form starting to go still. His eyes dulled, staring blankly ahead, his face still tight with pain. More of the muddy substance pooled down from his mouth, and the Onix let out one last ragged breath.
The battle judge held up a hand, "Grant's Onix is unable to battle! Serena is the winner of this round," The judge turned, "As challenger you may freely substitute a Pokemon now."
"I'm sticking with Jet," Serena said, and Grant aimed a Pokeball at the Onix. A black jet of light hit the dead Pokemon- the death beam recalling the Onix one last time. The judge gave a short nod, signalling for Grant to send in his next Pokemon.
"Let's see how you deal with this Pokemon," Grant said with a smirk, throwing a Pokeball up into the air.
"Take notes Ashy- you'll be facing this same species of Pokemon tomorrow," Yveltal whispered.
A burst of white light started to take shape in the center of the battlefield, a small Pokemon materializing. Though small, the Pokemon looked quite fierce. It had a pair of large, rocky legs that suggested it was fast for a rock type. It snapped its thick jaws together, glaring at the Frogadier across the field. It ruffled the feathers that lined the back of its neck, letting out a roar.
"Tyrunt," Ash muttered, recognizing the fossil Pokemon.
"A dragon type?" Serena cried, and her confidence had seemed to fade somewhat.
Grant grinned, "Yes, a typing with a resistance to many different elements. Your water type moves won't be quite as effective anymore."
Serena gritted her teeth, "Doesn't matter- you'll still take neutral damage. Jet- Water Pulse!"
The water type sped forward, a sphere of water forming in his hands. Grant snapped his fingers, "Use Bite."
The Tyrunt's teeth began surrounded in a dark energy, and he ran forward to meet the Frogadier. The Water Pulse was launched, hitting him in the chest. The move didn't faze him a bit, and he sank his teeth right into the belly of the Frogadier.
Jet let out a scream of pain as the teeth broke through his thin skin, blood starting to pool around the punctures. The Tyrunt whipped his head back and forth, releasing the Frogadier mid swing. He was sent flying across the battlefield, crashing into one of the rocks. The water type crumbled, his webbed hands clutching his stomach.
"Straight into a Stomp," Grant ordered, and the Tyrunt stormed forward towards the injured Frogadier.
"Jet, return!" Serena cried, aiming her Pokeball at the Pokemon. The Frogadier was recalled at the last possible moment- the Tyrunt's clawed feet barely missing him. Serena stared down at the Pokeball in her hand, face expressionless. She slipped his Pokeball away, hesitating. Finally, after a moment of thought, she pulled out another Pokeball, gulping.
"Prepare Stomp once more," Grant ordered, and Serena released her Pokemon.
"Char?" The Charmeleon blinked as he was released, a pair of green eyes blinking as he raised his head. He barely had time to look around before the Tyrunt leapt up, stomping down on the Charmeleon, who let out a cry of pain.
Ash's eyes widened at the sight of a fire type in the rock gym. He may had not always been one to care for types- but when the Pokemon's life was on the line that was another matter.
"...A Charmeleon?" Grant said, sounding surprised, "Here I thought you'd be battling smarter than this, after all you are the daughter of-"
"Charlie, use Dragon Rage!" Serena snapped, an edge of anger entering her voice. The Charmeleon flinched, but opened up his jaws. A mass of blue and purple energy was forming, and the Tyrunt shifted nervously. Charlie released the orb of draconic energy, which slammed into the Tyrunt.
"I see," Grant muttered, smiling, "A good choice considering you're only on your second gym. Dragon Rage, a strange attack, always maintaining the same power no matter what power level your Pokemon is at. For a weaker and younger Pokemon it can be quite a powerful move, while to a veteran Pokemon it is like a mere Tackle. In our case I can see it as quite the reliable move for this match," He placed a hand on his hip, "Still- I maintain the type advantage. Tyrunt- Rock Tomb now!"
The battle snapped back into action, the Tyrunt forming the super effective move. Ash was still unable to turn his head away from the match, Yveltal's cold hands still digging into his hair. Ash could only watch as the two raptor-like Pokemon battled, releasing their attacks and attempting to avoid the ones sent their way. It didn't take an expert to notice a difference in the way the two Pokemon battled however.
The Tyrunt radiated confidence, striking again and again without hesitation, pressing adamantly as he fought on. The Charmeleon however was clearly much more skittish, scampering back to avoid attacks at the last second, staying as far away from the Tyrunt as he could. Serena ordered a Metal Claw, and you could see the whole Pokemon's form shaking as he was forced in close to fight, the metal talons not sinking as deep into the Tyrunt as one would expect.
"A timid Charmeleon," Grant noted as his Tyrunt sunk a Bite into Charlie's arm, "Not the best temperament for relying on for close ranged fighting."
"Yes," Serena agreed, glancing over her Pokemon. Despite the calmness in her voice, you could hear the struggle in her voice from the battle. Her Charmeleon was limping back, blood coating his arms and upper body from the many Bites he had taken. Due to Tyrunt's Strong Jaw ability his biting-based attacks had done a lot more damage. His legs were covered in bruises from the Rock Tombs, slowing down the speedy fire type as he attempted to keep dodging, "I was hoping to rely on his speed, but that's clearly not getting us anywhere."
The Charmeleon lowered his head, trembling as several drops of blood rolled down his scales.
"Use Bite!" Grant called, and Tyrunt began running forward. The Charmeleon attempted to dodge, but his legs were too battered to speed away. The Tyrunt sank his fangs into Charlie's shoulder, tearing away a hunk of flesh and swallowing. The Charmeleon's wail filled the air, stumbling to the ground. Ash couldn't turn away, forced to stare into the exposed muscles and blood," One more time!"
"Dragon Rage now!" Serena snapped, and somehow Charlie managed to release the dragon type move through his pain, forcing the Tyrunt to turn away. Charlie laid whimpering on the ground, his blood pooling around him. Yveltal sat forward, finally taking his hand off of Ash- who still couldn't look away.
"Ah, yes," He muttered, "It's a shame you can't see it, but I can simply tell when a spirit is about to be freed from its fleshy confinement. A wonderful time... Though the Tyrunt doesn't dare show a weakness, another Dragon Rage will certainly take it down... The next move will decide it all..."
Ash said nothing, not trusting his voice.
"I want to heal!" Serena called, her voice cutting through the tension of the battle. Ash felt some part of him relaxing. Though potions only temporarily sealed the wounds and numbed the pain- it would give Charlie a chance to survive. To keep fighting and hopefully make it to the Pokemon Center.
The Charmeleon whipped his gaze towards Serena, eyes wide with awe. He let out a grateful whimper, blood still pouring from his shoulder.
The judge raised for his hand, "The challenger has decided to use her only healing option for the match."
Grant narrowed his eyes, "You do realize that I get a free attack if you do heal, right?"
Serena had pulled a super potion out of her bag, "I am well aware of that," She said, "Some sacrifices have to be made to win battles though."
There was a wicked grin of Yveltal's face.
Serena then pulled out a Pokeball, releasing her Frogadier. The Charmeleon stared at his trainer with wide eyes as she leaned down to spray the potion on the bleeding frog's stomach- leaving him exposed on the battlefield.
Tyrunt's eyes gleamed, and Grant studied Serena, "Tyrunt, end the battle with a Bite."
The Tyrunt raced forward, teeth gleaming, and he sank his fangs into the Charmeleon's throat.
A strangled cry was caught in Ash's mouth, unable to escape him as he stared down at the battlefield in horror- the Tyrunt tearing out the Charmeleon's throat. Kindle stared down in sorrow as the judge declared him unable to battle- the Tyrunt still viciously tearing at the Charmeleon's body. Kindle's face remained placid however, knowing all too the price of battle. Next to Ash, Yveltal was chuckling.
"...A sacrificial play..." Grant muttered, staring at Charlie's dead body as his Tyrunt backed away, blood running down its face, "You usually don't see those tactics except for on a professional level... You truly are your father's daughter."
Serena pulled out a Pokeball, recalling Charlie back with the death beam, and she sighed.
"That Charmeleon was gifted to me- reject starters from Kanto. He was never meant to battle long," She crossed her arms, "I was foolish- I thought that Jet could handle the whole gym on his own. My only true backup was my Espurr, Amanda- and there was no way she could take a Bite attack from your Tyrunt. That left me with a Charmeleon, Fletchinder, and a untrained Absol. I knew that Charlie would not remain on my team much longer with Fletchinder proving to be the much stronger fire type- so I decided to use what I could of Charlie for this battle."
"And now your powerful Frogadier is ready to go head to head with my weakened Tyrunt," Grant finished, watching Serena with approval, "Perhaps you were over confident- but you have shown that it is not misplaced. You have battled well. I do not expect to win, but I will fight to the end. Tyrunt- prepare a Rock Tomb!"
"Jet, get in there and finish this battle with a Water Pulse!" Serena snapped.
"Just like a pawn in a game of chess..." Yveltal muttered, "All she was waiting for was a chance to let him die."
Ash was quivering with anger, tears rolling down his face. Whatever Yveltal had done to him was still in full power- preventing Ash from looking away. It didn't matter however- his anger was consuming him. His blood roared in his ears, his mind no longer focused on the battle playing out below.
It wasn't until a final Water Pulse landed its mark that Ash was able to snap himself back in focus- just in time to watch Grant recall his dead Tyrunt. A Pokemon that had battled so fiercely, clearly enjoying every moment of it, had still fallen. Grant crossed the battlefield, Serena's newest gym badge clutched in his hand, and Yveltal's spell finally wore off- Ash could at last turn away from the battlefield. He buried his face into his hands, shaking. Kindle laid a paw on his shoulder, but no tears fell from his face.
Forcing Pokemon to fight to the death was one thing.
Forcing them to die was another.
Yveltal stood up, grinning down at Ash, blue eyes glowing, "I hope you enjoyed our little deal, Ash," He whispered tauntingly, "Was it worth it?"
Yveltal didn't wait for Ash to reply, simply turning into a burst of dark energy. Kindle wrapped Ash in a tight hug, glaring at Yveltal's Dark Aura as he hovered there for a moment, before the mass of energy darted away, leaving them alone up in the stands. Ash then burst down sobbing, suddenly returning Kindle's hug.
"Please..." He whispered, "I don't want battle again, please..."
Kindle blinked, tears stinging her own eyes as she heard the helplessness in Ash's voice. She patted his back, not sure of what else to do. Death was simply apart of her world, but the longer she spent with Ash, the more she realized just how much it hurt.
After a minute Ash managed to pull himself away, taking in ragged breaths. His eyes were red from crying, but no more tears fell. Clutched in his hands was the small paper Yveltal had given him earlier, and he looked down at it. He trembled as he read the time his battle was scheduled at- the late afternoon, tomorrow. He gritted his teeth, knowing that Yveltal had done this on purpose- so he would spend the whole day tomorrow dreading for his battle to approach.
"Hey Ash."
Ash froze as he heard Serena's voice, and he turned to see her entering the stands. She had a smile on her face, her gym badge clutched in her hands. Kindle tensed nervously next to Ash as she heard him take in a sharp breath. Serena's gray eyes looked down at Ash.
"I saw you watching while I was battling," She said, "I just wanted to thank you for coming-"
Ash stood up, glaring at Serena in pure hatred, and she fell silent. Ash's brown eyes were cold- ice cold with a dark rage. His was shaking, mouth opening as he struggle to speak through his anger.
"Burn in hell," He snarled quietly, then he stormed passed her. Kindle let out a startled yip, scrambling to catch up with her trainer as he charged out of the gym.