Part 5

Marcy had retreated to the stands once she had completed her own battle, and now that Ash's battle had been finished as well, she couldn't help but smile. Now she knew where she had heard his name.

He was member of the golden generation that from the Tsugi Academy that many predicted would rock the professional circuit to its very bones. Each and everyone one of them was one big ball of potential waiting to explode, but Marcy could tell that Ash was different. He was even better than his classmates who he had graduated with. But right now, he was still dormant so to speak, and that thought sent a chill down her spine.

He was already a good trainer by circuit standards in his first year. But, if he were to awaken, he would become a force to reckon with, even for the trainers that had been declared as the favorites to win the competition. If she was going to become the Indigo Conference Champion this year, she would have to defeat Ash Ketchum now.

"Boy, this is going to be a fun." Marcy said to herself. Now she couldn't wait to stand on the field with him as her opponent.

May 16th

Ash sat down on the grassy plain he was located on with his legs crossed, deep in thought. So far in the tournament round he was looking to be in pretty good shape. Three wins in the tournament round guaranteed that you would advance, but one loss was also enough to put a lot of pressure on every trainer in the block. He would have to do everything he could to make sure he and all of his Pokemon were on point. There was no time to be goofing around.

"Pika-chu, Pi!" Pikachu called out. Ash looked back his Pokemon where he found all of them looking up as though something was taking place in the sky.

"What happened?" Ash asked, heading over to his Pokemon where they all began to speak at once, sounding like a poorly conducted orchestra as they tried to describe what had taken place. "Guys, guys, I can't understand anything if you're all talking at the same time."

Then again it was rare he understood what they were staying at all.

"What happened Pikachu?" He asked, kneeling down in front of the Pokemon that could probably interpret it for him the best.

"Pikachu, Pi-Pika! Pikachu!" It explained, grabbing its cheeks which it stretched out while making a scary expression on its face. Pikachu then raised up its ears, beginning to clap them together. Ash furrowed his eyebrows as he studied Pikachu for a moment, trying to make out what it was describing. It was clearly a Pokemon with horns, but who? Tauros?

"What did Tauros do?" Ash asked, looking toward the beefy Pokemon who deadpanned.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, emphasizing its facial expression. A scary Pokemon with horns. Where had a seen a Pokemon like that?

"Pinsir!" Ash exclaimed, snapping his figures as his Pokemon gave him a nod. "Wait, Pinsir, than that means-"

A familiar roar silence Ash as a stream of flames could be seen traveling upward into the sky over the tree line.

"Charizard!" Ash roared, dashing off to pursue his Pokemon as those around him pursued. The trees that they were moving in between soon opened up, revealing a sight that Ash was more than shocked to find.

His Charizard was resting on the ground bruised, battered and unconscious with an Aerodactyl looming over it confidently. Mandi stood beside his Pinsir and Aerodactyl with an arrogant smirk on his face which quickly faded away as Ash approached them with his Pokemon. Tauros and Primeape roared at Mandi and his duo of partners, stamping their feet as they prepared to attack.

"Tauros, Primeape no!" Ash snapped at the two of them, silencing their shouts at Pinsir and Aerodactyl. Ash then set his gaze on Mandi, struggling to maintain his composure. "What the heck did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. I was simply practicing with my Aerodactyl and Pinsir when your Charizard came rushing at us." Mandi explained as a woman came rolling up on small moped.

"I recieved a report of a battle taking place in this area, can someone tell me what's going on here?" Officer Jenny asked as she stepped off her vehicle, approaching the two trainers as she pulled off the sunglasses she wore.

"Like I said before, I was working with my Pokemon when this savage Charizard attacked us." Mandi explained, causing Ash's jaw to tighten as he glared at the older trainer.

"Did you order your Charizard to do such a thing?" Jenny asked, looking toward Ash who gave her a look of shock.

"Of course not. I would never do something like that!" He exclaimed, putting his hands up in defense.

"You need to monitor your Pokemon more closely in this competition. Accidents like this can't happen again. Or I'll have to disqualify you from the tournament!" Jenny declared.

"Me!" Ash shouted before motioning to his Charizard. "But my Charizard was clearly hurt by his Pokemon. Why should I be disqualified?!"

"Because of your Charizard committed an act of aggression off the battlefield." Mandi replied.

"Oh no you don't." Officer Jenny interjected. "While defending yourself was clearly necessary, the damage this Charizard received proved that you went too far with your retaliation. I'm going to be keeping an eye on both of you from here on out."

"I see." Mandi said before promptly turning away to leave the area. "Come along Pinsir, Aerodactyl."

Officer Jenny neared Ash to check Charizard for herself while Ash stared at Mandi's back angrily. The man glanced over his shoulder at Ash while Jenny was busy with Charizard, giving him one last smirk before he disappeared into the surrounding foliage. Ash's hands that had already been closed into tight fists began to tremble. Mandi was nothing more than a conniving bastard!

"Your Charizard should be fine after a quick check up with Nurse Joy." Jenny said as she straightened up to look at Ash.

"Alright." Ash muttered.

"You have to monitor you Pokemon closely during events like this. I'll let you off this time with a warning since this is your first appearance at a Conference." She said as she retreated to her moped. "But there are no more second chances from this point on."

Jenny quietly put her sunglasses back on the bridge of her nose before sparing Ash one last glance. And with that she sped off. Ash dropped down beside Charizard, looking down at his Pokemon who remained motionless. This was so unfair! Everyone and their mom was against him!

There was soft groan from Charizard as its body shifted a bit, then its eyes snapped open.

"Charizard?" Ash exclaimed as the Pokemon rose to its feet with ease. It smirked at him while dusting itself off. Ash couldn't help but smile as he studied Charizard. "That was some good acting there…"

Charizard seemed to relax with this, until it caught sight of Ash's expression which had hardened considerably as he gave Charizard a small bump on its snout as punishment.

"But that doesn't mean you're off the hook! How could you do something so stupid as attack another trainer's Pokemon here of all places. I know you're upset, but right now the whole region is watching us. We can't be rash and stupid here."

Ash placed his hand on its snout, giving it a soft rub as he looked back at all his Pokemon.

"Don't worry about them right now. They may have beaten us here, but we'll destroy them in front of everyone."

May 17th

Southwest Stadium

"Tauros, finish this with Giga Impact!" Ash shouted, throwing a hand into the air as the crowd leaned forward in the seats, anticipating the end of the match.

"Nidoqueen, don't back down. Use Skull Bash!" Bailey Miralles, Ash's latest opponent shouted in return. Both Pokemon stomped their feet several times as they lowered their heads in preparation to attack. With a mighty roar, Tauros rushed forward at Nidoqueen who also began to advance toward it.

When the two meet with a loud thud, a shockwave was released from the point of impact that shook the field for just a few moments as they fought for dominance. Nidoqueen stubbornly held its ground against Tauros, but eventually Tauros won the duel. Nidoqueen was sent stumbling backward from its failed attack, allowing Tauros to rush at it again and landing a devastating hit to its torso. This hit sent Nidoqueen rolling away into one of the many rocks on the hard field where it came crashing to a halt.

Nidoqueen fell flat on its stomach as the ref ran up to it to check the scene. Then he raised a flag which gained a chorus of cheers from the stadium before he could even declare Ash the winner of the battle.

"Tauros!" Ash shouted, rushing onto the field where he leaped onto the back of his Pokemon, thanking it for yet another victory. They had won their first two battles, now they only had one to go to make it to the next round.

"Damn it!" Marcy gave a frustrated groan as she recalled her Pokemon. The stadium had already burst into applause for the conclusion to the battle where Marcy had been defeated battling Angie.

Marcy couldn't help but be angry at herself for the number of mistakes she had made coming down to the end of the battle. And even her best efforts to dig herself out of the hole she had created got her nowhere. She had been in control during the early part of the battle, but one screw up resulted in a loss of all of the momentum she had gained, and from there it was all downhill. She never regained control of the battle, and in the endgame she still couldn't pull out with the victory.

It was a damn shame since her next opponent was Ash, which meant she would have to win out against him now or she would face elimination.

May 19th

Marcy looked across the field at Ash, listening closely to the beat of the music she was blasting into the ears. She had already donned her headphones to shut out the crowd, and she was quickly trying to get into a rhythm to start the battle off. She was facing elimination against Ash, and that meant she would have to get at him right from the get go. Attack, attack, attack! Don't give him a moment to think, just find a pace and get going. No holding back!

Ash retuned Marcy's stare, breathing slowly to remain calm as he waiting for the battle selection process to come to an end. The movement of the ref caught his attention as the man in the checkered shirt pressed on the button to end computer's decision making. The flashing light came to a stop next to a single Pokeball.

"This will be a one on one elimination battle!" The ref yelled. "Trainers, you may begin!"

"Muk, let's go!" Ash shouted, releasing his choice onto the field.

"Kingdra, I choose you!" Marcy yelled as her own Pokemon took shape on the field. Ash studied the match up before sighing at the neutral match up. He wanted to make this match quick, but at least he wasn't at a disadvantage. "Kingdra, let's start strong with Bubblebeam!"

"Muk, counter that with Sludge Bomb!" Ash shouted. Both of the Pokemon unleashed a volley of their respective attack from their mouths. As the attacks met, the collision caused them to explode, creating a thick black smoke at the very center of the field.

"Octazooka!" Ash heard the shout come from the opposite side of the cloud, but he received no chance to react as Muk was suddenly blasted with a large amount of ink that completely drenched it.

"Muk!" It cried out as it covered its eyes with its hands, trying to wipe away the ink that had blinded it.

"Alright Kingdra, attack with Surf!" Marcy wasn't wasting any time as she attacked, and Ash wasn't receiving a moment to think as she tried to steal the momentum. Kingdra came rushed out of the crowd, riding on the crest of a wave that it was currently fueling with the water it was firing out of its small mouth.

"Muk, look out!" Ash yelled but to no avail as Muk was still unable to see. "Quick, use Acid Armor!"

Even without its sight, Muk could successfully get away from this Surf attack. Muk began to waver before it collapsed to the ground as a puddle that was swamped by the Surf. Inside the Surf, Ash could see a purple mess moving about which he could tell was Muk. As long as it maintained this state, it would be fine within the raging rapids.

"Not so fast, Kingdra, freeze your Surf using Ice Beam!" Marcy shouted, catching Ash off guard. The water being spewed from Kingdra's mouth began an icy beam that instantly froze over the wave that water type had been riding on, freezing the Pokemon held within it as well. "Now use Dragon Pulse!"

"Muk!" Ash roared, but his frozen partner could do nothing as Kingdra cocked its head back to charge up its attack. Several purple streaks gathered into its mouth before it pointed it downward at the frozen Muk, unleashing a cyclone of purple shockwaves that shattered the ice. Muk was pushed further and further into the ground by the attack as it whipped up a large dust cloud, but eventually Kingdra gassed out.

The water horse dropped to the ground, landing on its tail as the ref approached the crater that had been created to check on Muk. Peering into the hole, ref found nothing more than a purple blob resting at the very center that remained still.

Ash felt as though his heart was about to pop as he studied the expression of the ref. It held a look of a sorrow as his eyes shifted toward Ash, sparing him one glance. And that was all Ash needed to know the outcome. The ref raised his flag.

"Muk is unable to bat-" The ref began.

"MUK!" The roar came, not from Ash but from within the crater. Suddenly a large purple wave burst out of the crater forcing the ref to jump back for his own safety. Kingdra looked up in terror to find Muk riding the tall purple wave of filth and grim as it rushed toward it.

"Awesome Muk!" Ash shouted as he pumped his fist. "Go all out with the Sludge Wave!"

Marcy observed the attack, bobbing her head to the beat of the song she was listening too. If not for her music, she would have certainly been caught off guard by this attack. But the constant beat kept her focused, enough so that she could give out an order to Kingdra. "Use Twister!"

As Marcy's command hit Ash's eardrums, his eyes widened in shock. It was as though she had anticipated Muk's attack enough the ref had been prepared to declare that the battle was over. Muk and the wave it stood on top of disappeared within the vicious tornado that Kingdra had spat out. The gale force winds came out kicking from the base of the tornado, nearly ripping Ash off his feet as he had to cover his eyes. The height of the tornado and power of the winds was clearly proof of just how powerful her Kingdra was. Theywere no pushover.

The fans looked up at the tall cyclone in awe, watching as it swayed back and forth for a period of time. Then it fell apart, revealing a Muk who had been pulled high into the air.

"Muk, cushion your fall with Sludge Bomb!" Ash called out to his Pokemon as it descended to the field, but Muk never acted. It just fell to the field, hitting it with a hard thud that sent a chill up Ash's spine. No…

"Muk is unable to battle, Kingdra is the winner!" The ref shouted as the fans applauded Kingdra for its amazing display.

Ash just stared at the scene, wrapped in a state of shock. He had lost. His journey was over. It all came to an end to soon…he had barely done a thing at the Indigo Conference. He didn't get to make a name for himself, he didn't represent Silph's Co well at all. Ash felt a tear leak out of the corner of his eye as he looked at his unconscious Muk.

All the effort at time his Pokemon had put in. All of that went to waste in such a short battle. They had spent months practicing, battling, evolving. They had grown so much just to fail in the tournament round. Ash felt to his knees, dropping his head to hide his face from the audience. He had failed…

"We have to give props to Marcy for forcing a tiebreaker match between herself and Ash Ketchum since they both have won two matches and lost one. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out since it looks like Marcy has a good match up against Ash it terms of ability as a trainer." One of the announcers said, causing Ash to perk up almost instantly. Tiebreaker match?

"There's already been a number of blocks that need tiebreaker matches, it looks like we'll be having at least another full day of battling on the 21st." The next announcer continued.

A tiebreaker match. How could he forget about that? If two trainers in the same block were to come out with the same record, a tiebreaker match would be held to choose the winner of the block. He had completely forgotten about that. Hastily wiping his tears away, Ash's expression hardened as he rose up, calling back Muk to its Pokeball.

This loss felt like nothing he had ever experience before. It was like a thousand times stronger than any of the losses he had suffered in the college circuit, although those were few and far between. But nevertheless, he didn't like it. Leaving the battlefield in such a sullen mood was unacceptable. He was a warrior and no matter what he wanted to be the last one standing on the battlefield as the winner. As the champion. As the very best.

Studio

"So how's your boy Ash Ketchum doing Ray?" Darnell asked, steering the direction of the conversation toward Ray who had been a bit out of it tonight. Ray narrowed his eyes as he looked at Darnell, receiving a smirk from the man.

"I had a feeling you'd bring this up." Ray muttered, throwing up a hand with a sigh. "Alright, the kid isn't shaping up to be what I was expecting. But he still has a tiebreaker match."

"Let's hope he doesn't choke." Darnell said to Andy, getting a chuckle from the man.

"I wouldn't be talking bad about Ash Ketchum right now. In a year or two this kid is going to be blowing you away." Ray stated, but Darnell seemed unconvinced.

"I can completely understand where you're coming from Ray since we have seen rookies like Lance breakout during their first year, but what makes you so confident that Ash has the same potential?" Andy asked.

"I just know it. We've all seen footage of him back in his high school and college years. There was one particular match, the finals of the Newcomers Tournament against a trainer named Paul who's also from the golden generation. In that battle I saw a complete Ash Ketchum, just for a few minutes, but he battled at a level I have yet to see him battle at in this tournament." Ray explained. "Right now he's got no sense of urgency when he battles, and that was clearly shown when he battled Marcy today. From the beginning she flat out-out hustled him. Her Kingdra launched six attacks while his Muk only got three. Not to mention she had that string of attacks where he couldn't do a thing. I don't want to count him out until I've seen him battle at his best and lose."

"You're really overrating the kid Ray." Darnell said as he placed his hand on the table. "This is one of the few things I don't like about diehard fans that track the progress of young trainers. You overrate them, set some high expectations for them that they can't meet and then you're disappointed when they fail. Just leave the kid alone right now and don't bother him. It's clear that he's still adjusting to the Conference level since he and his Pokemon got into a fight with Mandi and almost gotten themselves disqualified from the tournament. He's got talent, I'll give him that. But let him develop at his own pace."

"Alright, I can understand that." Ray said, giving Darnell a nod of acknowledgement. It was rare, but Darnell was capable of saying something smart once in a while. That was probably why the fans still listened to him. "That still isn't going to change my opinion of Ash right now. He's something special, just wait until his tiebreaker match."

"We'll see."

A/N

Alrighty, now we've got things rolling. Ash with his first legitmate loss in the Conference, although he wasn't eliminated. I know I went though the whole 'win or go home' thing, but I found it nessecary for Ash to lose to a battle. There's always a lesson to be learned from a loss, and in Ash's case, he learned the bitter taste of a real defeat.

Just to make this clear now, in the tournament round, the blocks are made up of four trainers where you battle each of them once for a total of three battles. To win all three matches you clearly have to exert some dominance, which can be incredibly tough. In fact, the tournament round its built to generate tiebreaker matches to extend the tournament round as a whole and increase revenue since the franchise world revolves around how much money you can make with the trainers you have competeing. Just a little bit of information that I thought would be fun to share. :P

Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I'm open to whatever anyone has to say to please review. It's very appreciated. :)