Chapter 19
June 26th
Cerulean City
"We made it Charizard, good work." Ash called out to his companion that he was seated on top of along with Anabel as it descended toward the ground.
It had been another long trip from Pallet Town back to Cerulean City, but they had finally made it. Charizard gave a triumphant roar in response as the two trainers on its back looked down at the construction work that was taking place on the gym. Several workers and a group of Machoke's were working hard on repairing the floor that had been destroyed by Gyarados as well as the ceiling.
"Wow, they've gotten pretty far already." Anabel noted as they glanced in through the roof where they could see that the repair job on the floor was near completion.
"It sure helps when you have Machoke's to do the heavy lifting." Ash pointed out.
Charizard landed softly in front of the main entrance of the gym, allowing Ash and Anabel to slide off its back.
"Take a rest Charizard, you earned it." Ash said to his Pokemon as he called it back to its Pokeball. Just then, Sunny stepped out of the front doors of the gym, greeting of the two of them with a wave.
"It's good to see you two again." Sunny said as she invited them into gym. Ash and Anabel didn't waste a moment leaving the summer heat for the cooler temperature within the air conditioned building.
"Hey, how's Misty?" Ash asked as they moved through the lobby and into the corridors. "Has she woken up?"
"No, she's still in a coma. The doctors still haven't been able to think of a way to awaken her." Sunny replied softly, causing Ash to sigh downheartedly.
"How are the girls then?" Anabel asked, switching the subject. "Will they be ready for the show?"
"They're making progress." Sunny stated in reply as they arrived at double doors that led to the largest room of the gym. Once inside, everyone's attention became focused on the pool where the three sisters were barking orders at one another as they practiced their routine.
"Violet, you're too far away!" Lily called out.
"You're too far away!" Violet shouted in return.
"Focus!" Daisy yelled to silence the two of them.
"There's still a few rough edges, but they're working hard." Sunny explained as they approached the pool to get a closer look at the girls as the three of them rose up into the air on individual towers of water with their partner Pokemon. "But there's still one problem with their last routine."
"Really, I don't see anything wrong with it." Ash replied as he looked at the trio. They looked fantastic floating in the air, water droplets sparkling around them. What could possibly be wrong with it?
"They don't have a centerpiece. They're performance is strong as it is, but they need someone to work around in order to maximize their appeal." Sunny explained. "They're original plan was to use Misty in this routine, but in her current condition it's obvious that she won't be able to help."
"So why don't you step in?" Ash asked as he looked toward Sunny raised her eyebrows at his suggestion.
"That's ridiculous. My performing days are over Ash." Sunny replied with a small smile before glancing at Anabel who stood beside Ash. "Besides, I think we have centerpiece among us right now."
"Really?" Ash asked as he looked toward Sunny before following her gaze to Anabel. Noticing that both Ash and Sunny had gone quiet, Anabel looked at them only to find that they had been staring at her. It didn't take her long to put two and two together.
"No way." Anabel exclaimed as she slowly backed away from the two of them. "There's no way I can do something like this."
"Why not Anabel?" Sunny asked.
"I'm not a performer, I-I don't handle crowds that well." Anabel replied weakly. She had never been comfortable having a Pokemon battle in front of other students at the Battle Academy. There was no way she could put on a performance for an audience in a swimsuit.
"It's our finale Anabel. Just one six minute routine." Sunny explained. "There's nothing spectacular you have to do. You just have to be pretty. There's girls will do everything else."
"But I..." Anabel began, but found herself unable to go any further. Sunny had gained a bright yellow aura. She desperately wanted Anabel's help which left Anabel with the hope that Ash would bail her out. "Ash?"
"It sounds like a good idea to me." Ash said, causing Anabel to deadpan. So much for all that plan.
"But what about my training?" Anabel exclaimed, causing Ash to chuckle as he motioned for her to follow him, leaving Sunny by the pool.
Once they had put some distance between them and the Waterflowers, Anabel began to speak before Ash could get a word in.
"Ash, I thought we had been over this already. You agreed to get right back to my training once we got to Cerulean City." Anabel said. "I have so much work to do and I don't want to put any more time into anything other than training."
"Did you ever think that this might be training as well?" Ash asked her once she had finished speaking. Taking her silence as a no, Ash continued speaking. "I know you want to get back to your training, but there's more to training than just practicing battle scenarios. There's all types of ways to train, and I think this is a really good opportunity for you to train yourself physically, and work with Psyduck."
Anabel remained silent as she looked at Ash. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she had never even thought of that. There was still so much for her to learn.
But looking up at the stands that had been placed alongside both sides of the pool, Anabel remembered what awaited her at then end of this special training.
"There's no way I can perform in front of so many people Ash." Anabel said nervously as she looked down which prompted Ash to lower himself so that he was on eye level with Anabel.
"That's okay Anabel. Everyone has stage fright from time to time. Even me. But if you can't take part in a water show in front of a crowd, how are you going to battle in front of one?" Ash asked her before straightening up. With that he rejoined the girls by the pool.
Anabel remained by herself, allowing Ash's words to settle in. She honestly hadn't been thinking that far ahead. In fact, she hadn't even been thinking about battling in front of an audience. She had only been thinking of this journey as a transition phase where she would figure out where she belonged. But what if this was where she belonged?
If it was, she no excuse to be blocking out new opportunities. She had been cooped up on the Battle Frontier for years. Now was her chance to spread her wings.
June 29th
Route 24
Ash stood alone on a high hill that over looked a large potion of the long route, Nugget Bridge off to his left and the and the expanse of Route 24 and 25 to his right. He had spent the past two and half days searching this route by himself for any clues surrounding the disappearance of Lawrence and Gary.
Officer Jenny and the police for had conducted their own search of the area, but were unable to find anything. But after everything that Ash had found in Pallet Town, he realized that all of that was somehow linked to Lawrence. Ash had to find him and speak with him again which motivated Ash to search the area on his own. But after scouring the area, there were no results just like the police force.
He had replayed his pursuit of Gary multiple times, returning to the exact spot where he thought the Palace had been located, but Ash was unable to find any evidence that there was a Palace sitting on Route 24. But how was that possible?
This wasn't just a house that disappeared, it was big palace. This didn't make any sense!
"There has to be a way to find Lawrence." Ash said to himself as he looked back at Nugget Bridge, deciding that it was time he return to Cerulean City. There was a certain red head that he had to pay a visit to.
Hospital
Ash stood in front of the door to Misty's room, looking down the corridor to make sure that no one saw him enter the room. Once he was sure that he was clear, Ash quietly entered, shutting the door behind him. Inside he found Misty the sleeping beauty, resting on a hospital bed. This was one of the few times that Misty's hair was down, spread out on the pillow.
Back when Misty had first been admitted into the hospital, Ash was overwhelmed with everything he had learned that night. He couldn't really process anything and his concern for Misty took a backseat to finding out the truth about what Lawrence had told him. But now that Ash had sorted out his thoughts, he couldn't leave Misty in her current state.
Doctors weren't fans of using psychic Pokemon to explore the human mind, but Ash had seen and done this numerous times. For this method to work, it took both a competent trainer and Pokemon, and a high level of trust between them. Ash knew that whenever this method didn't work, trust wasn't present between the two of them.
"Mr Mime." Ash said softly as he called out his Pokemon, shushing it as it took shape to make sure it remained quiet. "We don't have a lot of time, but we have to get Misty to wake up."
"Mime." It said in reply as it motioned for Ash to join it beside bed. Mr Mime then placed one hand on Misty's head and its other on Ash's.
There was a moment of silence before Ash's eyelids became incredibly heavy. Before he even had a chance to fight against this sleepy sensation, Ash relaxed as he drifted away.
"Crap." Ash muttered as he rose up from the floor, convinced that he had fallen off his bed again. "Wait a second, I don't even remember going to sleep."
Looking around, Ash realized that he was resting on the roof of the Cerulean City gym, and it was currently nighttime.
"What's going on?" Ash asked himself as he got onto his feet. What was he doing here?
Just then he heard the sound of a glass shattering nearby which quickly attracted his attention. Running over to the edge of the roof, Ash found an unusual scene. Misty was seated on the back of her Golduck, riding away from the window they had just burst out of, but they became frozen in midair.
"Hmm?" Ash said as watched them before Gary Oak and his Umbreon stepped out of the window beneath him.
'Come on Ash, where are you?' Ash was positive that this was Misty's voice which could only mean that Mr Mime had successfully placed him within Misty's subconscious.
"Alright, I made it." Ash said as he realized what was taking place. This must've been where they were before they landed in Gyarados' pool room. Grabbing a Pokeball from his belt, Ash jumped down to the platform Misty and Gary were located on. "Gary, what do you think your doing?!"
Everything that had been taking place came to a stop as they all turned to look at Ash.
'Finally.' Misty exclaimed.
"What are you doing here Ashy-boy?" Gary asked in return.
"Stopping you." Ash stated as he called out his Charizard, but the Pokeball released nothing as it opened up, simply dropping to the ground.
"What?" Ash exclaimed.
'Are you serious Ash!?' Misty shouted.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Gary asked before pointing at him. "Umbreon, take him out with Dark Pulse!"
Umbreon growled as it opened up its mouth, charging up a sphere of dark energy which it aimed at Ash.
"Oh snap." Ash said as he took the remaining Pokeballs of his belt and called out his Pokemon, only to discover that all of them were empty.
"Take him down!" Gary shouted as Umbreon fired its attack. Ash could only stare at the approaching attack, watching as it became larger and larger until he was consumed within it.
"Crap." Ash muttered as he rose up from the floor, convinced that he had fallen off his bed again. "Wait a second, I don't even remember going to sleep."
Looking around, Ash found himself back on the roof above Misty's room once again. But what was he doing back here and why did he reset? What did he do?
The only thing he could think of was Gary beating him. He failed to protect Misty...again. Then he realized what was happening. She was in a comatose because she had been waiting for him to save her. She was constantly reliving this night, waiting for him.
"Don't worry Misty. I won't mess up this time." Ash said to himself. But how was he going to do this without his Pokemon. He had brought all of their Pokeballs with him, but none of them were with him...because they were patrolling the gym.
And if he remembered correctly, Charizard had the duty of keeping an eye on the building from outside. Which meant that it was bound to show up at some point if he waited.
Watching the scene unfold from the platform he had woke up on, Ash quietly waited for his Pokemon to arrive. Misty and Gary had exchanged a few words that he couldn't really hear, and then their battle began once again. Gary quickly gained the upper hand, and right when Ash was tempted to step in, his trusty fire type show up in epic fashion, making quick work of Gary's Umbreon.
'This is my chance.' Ash said as he jumped down. He assumed that this was the point where Gary had brought out his Electivire. If he could stop Gary from doing this, that would probably awaken Misty.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." Gary began as he reached toward his belt, before he could take a hold of the Pokeball he wanted, he was swept of his feet.
"Not so fast Gary." Ash said as Gary hit the ground with a thud, providing Ash with just enough time to strip him of the belt that held his Pokeballs.
"Ash, you made it!" Misty said happily as Ash triumphantly held up the belt that held Gary's Pokemon. Golduck and Charizard surrounded Gary, ignoring the shouts of the young man as they took a hold of them. He had done it. he had successfully stopped Gary.
Looking around, the scene began to melt away, starting with the surrounding scenery, the dissolving effect grew closer as Misty approached Ash.
"I can't thank you enough Ash." She said softly with pink cheeks. Then she leaned forward, pursing her lips together to give Ash a peck on the cheek, but before she could, everything faded away.
Ash stepped out of the main entrance of the hospital with a sigh of relief. Once Mr Mime had placed him back in his body, Ash had to wait a few minutes before Misty finally awakened. She was clearly confused on her current location, and there were several hazy areas as to what happened when she was attacked by Gary, but right now he was more than happy that she had woken up.
As he began walking down the street, Ash began to think about what had happened just before he exited Misty's mindscape. She was about to kiss him...
Even though they had been dating while they were attending the Tsugi Academy, but that ended in disaster thanks to a few people. He had moved on from that time, and he had always assumed that Misty had as well. But what if she hadn't? Was that why she was going to kiss him?
He was in her subconscious where he had heard her thoughts, perhaps he was witnessing one of her deepest desires as well...
Before he could think about any further, his Pokegear began to ring. Whipping the device out of his pocket, Ash raised an eyebrow when he saw that it was Riley who was calling. It wasn't often Riley would call him unless something big came up.
"Hello?"
"Ash, how are you doing?" Riley asked in return.
"Pretty good. How's everything on your end?"
"Oh you know, paper work and that crap." Riley replied. "Anyway, I've got some big news."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been finalized, and I received two invitations. Unfortunately, I can't go and Leo will be busy, so I wanted to know if you and Anabel would like to attend."
"Are you kidding me? Of course I want to go!" Ash exclaimed. "Where and when?"
"August 3rd in Fuchsia City. Mindy will meet you there the day before to speak with you."
"Awesome, I can't wait." Ash said.
"Keep up the good work Ash."
"You got it."
July 1st
Cerulean City Gym
The day of the water show had arrived, and Anabel was sitting alone in one of the changing rooms with Psyduck seated beside her.
The past week was fantastic. She had been in the main pool from morning till night, simply working on the basics of swimming with Psyduck. The water Pokemon had made fast progress, leaving Anabel in the dust.
Misty had awakened, much to the delight of her relatives, but she wouldn't be physically able to take part in the show. Misty had been released from the hospital, and she was shocked to find her mother and sisters waiting for outside the building. Unfortunately, her doctor declared that she avoid any strenuous activity for a week or two to make sure that she recovered properly. So any thoughts of Misty managing to return in time for the show were shoved out the window.
Anabel would definitely be taking part in the show.
The girls had gone over the routine dozens of times with her, and Anabel had gotten the hang of it, but she still found herself undermining her own confidence. What if she messed up? With the whole situation surrounding the Waterflowers and the gym, failure was not an option. There was so much pressure on them.
"Anabel, are you in here?" Daisy called out from the entrance of the room.
"Yeah." She replied softly, just loud enough for Daisy to hear her.
"Is something wrong Anabel?" Daisy asked as she stepped into the room.
"I'm just nervous, that's all." She replied as Daisy took a seat beside her.
"Don't worry, you're not the only one." Daisy stated which shocked Anabel.
"You guys are seriously get nervous before a show?" Anabel asked, receiving a nod from Daisy. "But you've been doing these for years. Doesn't it like eventually wear off?"
"I don't think so." Daisy said as she tried to think about a time where she wasn't nervous before a show. But there wasn't a single occasion where she went into a show in such a state. "No, we all get nervous Anabel, its perfectly normal. In fact, being nervous just proves that you want to do a good job."
Anabel tilted her head as she thought about what Daisy had just said. Maybe being nervous wasn't such a bad thing after all.
"So are you ready for the show?" Daisy asked her.
"I think I am."
"Then let's do this."
Ash and Misty sat together in the first row of the stands, watching as the water show progressed toward the finale. Lily, Daisy and Violet had been amazing so far. They had expertly brought out the natural beauty of both their water Pokemon and themselves, receiving a resounding applause from the audience at the end of each routine.
"Wow Misty, your sisters sure are amazing." Ash noted as he turned toward Misty.
"Yeah, they can be when they're ready." She said with a small smile as she looked up at her sisters. Each of them were currently located on a pillar of water with large smiles as they rallied the crowd in preparation for their final routine.
Each of them took a leap of faith from the pillar, performing a string of acrobatic moves before landing in the water with a splash, much to the delight of the crowd. Daisy was the first to land in the pool, and as her sisters came down from their pillars, she moved to the edge of the pool where a microphone was waiting for her.
"We can't thank you all enough for coming to our show, and as much we'd like to continue, we only have one routine left. So I'd like it if you all could give a big round of applause to our good friend Anabel. She's going to be helping us with this last routine." Daisy declared to the fans as she motioned toward the entrance of the room which opened up, revealing Anabel who timidly looked up at the packed stands.
The volume of their cheers made it feel as though the floor was shaking. Everyone was cheering for her, the crowd, the Pokemon in the pool including her Psyduck and the Sensational Sisters. It was unbelievable.
"Come on Anabel, don't be shy." Daisy said as she called for Anabel to join them in the pool.
"Don't worry Anabel, you got this!" Ash shouted as he waved his arms to help her find him in the crowd.
"If you're feeling a bit nervous, you just need to get yourself a bit hyped." Recalling the words Ash had shared with her at the very beginning of her journey, Anabel slapped her cheeks before running out to join the girls for the performance.
"Great work out their today guys!" Daisy proclaimed as she looked around the table that they were seated at. The water show had been a huge success which as numerous people from all over the city rallied around them to save the water shows. This prompted the mayor of Cerulean City to have a talk with the girls to determine how they would continue this event since the people of the city wanted it to remain.
They were especially thankful for Anabel's help. She may not have done much, but the girls were convinced that without her the show wouldn't have been as successful as it was.
Ash could still remember the moment where they had created a mist around the pool that reduced the visibility. Within the mist they could only see a single silhouette, which was actually Anabel, that appeared to be walking on the surface of the water. The figure spent a roughly thirty seconds performing a short but graceful dance on the water before she was raised above the mist of a pillar of water.
The mist was then blown away by a Whirlwind from a Pelipper which revealed that ever person and Pokemon that had helped in the show was now floating face up in a circular formation around the pillar Anabel stood on.
Anabel had been in such high spirits after the show, and Sunny suggested that they go out to celebrate at a restaurant on the northern side of the city. But right now, Anabel wasn't at her best. She had been experiencing a headache similar to the one she had when Misty had taken them to a cafe just threw weeks ago. Was this a coincidence?
"Are you going somewhere Ash?" Misty asked him as he rose up from his seat.
"I just have to make a call." He replied.
Saffron City
Silph Co
"Who was that?" Mindy asked as Riley placed the phone back on the receiver.
"That was Ash with a very interesting subject." Riley replied as she swung around in his chair to face Mindy. "Anabel is suffering from another headache, and he just wanted to know if there was anything to be worried about."
"I see. So when she fainted in Cerulean City last time, and this headache are connected?" Mindy asked, receiving a nod from Riley.
"I believe so." Riley stated with a smirk. "Send out a team to investigate the surrounding area of Cerulean City."
"You got it." Mindy said before turning on her heels to leave the office.
July 3rd
Route 9
The sun was barely in the skies as Anabel sleepily followed Ash into Route 9. He had woken her up before the sun was out with the goal of finding a campsite on Route 9 before the traffic on the Route picked up.
"How are feeling today Anabel?" Ash asked as he glanced back at the girl who looked up at him.
"Sleepy." She replied.
"Don't worry, you'll wake up once we get started." Ash responded with a grin.
Anabel could only wonder how he had so much energy. They had stayed out late the night before, and woke up early this morning but it was like that didn't bother him at all. But then again, he was probably used to training late into the night, and waking up early the next day to start the whole process again.
"Hmm, this looks like a good spot to set up camp." Ash declared as he observed a small clearing that they had entered. "What do you think Anabel?"
"It's nice." Anabel said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Come on Anabel, wake up." Ash said as he waved his hands in front of her. "We're going to be working hard from this day forward."
Anabel did her best to shake off her sleep, but this only helped for a little.
"Call out your Pokemon, I know what'll get you warmed up." Ash said as he removed his backpack from his shoulders and set it down beside a tree before calling out all his Pokemon. "Let's go for a run."
"But what about our stuff?" Anabel asked as she placed her backpack beside Ash's.
"Don't worry, Snorlax will keep an eye on it for us, won't you buddy?" Ash asked as he looked toward the Pokemon who gave him a nod as it collected the it bags. Snorlax then proceeded to fall over onto its back and go return to sleep with the bags in its hands.
At the beginning of his journey while he was still on his own, Ash had been robbed on numerous occasions because he had left his belongings alone at the campsite. Soon enough Ash began to leave back a Pokemon to act as a guard, but once he acquired Snorlax, this became its full time job. Ash would like to see who in their right mind would try to take something from his Snorlax.
"Wait, how come Snorlax gets to go back to sleep?" Anabel asked as she pointed the Pokemon, receiving a nervous chuckle from Ash.
"Snorlax isn't much of a runner." Ash replied as he motioned for her to follow him. "Now come on, let's get started."
Ash's crew of Pikachu, Wartortle, Ivysaur, Primeape, Charizard and himself quickly spread out in the clearing, beginning to stretch to make sure that they were ready to run. Anabel slapped herself mentally as she looked at the scene before her. She had been waiting for this for so long.
Calling out her Pokemon, she quickly joined in the stretching and the run that would follow.
July 27th
"Fearow!" The large bird Pokemon squawked as swung its wing, firing an Air Slash attack at Anabel's Espeon.
"Espeon, counter with Psybeam!" Anabel ordered. Firing a colorful beam the approaching blade of wind, the two attacks canceled each other out, allowing both Pokemon to size each other up once again. "Now Espeon, use Swift!"
"Espeon!" It shouted before opening up its mouth to unleash a wave of small golden stars that rushed toward Fearow.
Ash silently observed the battle between Espeon and a wild Fearow from a distance. It had been a grueling month of training for Anabel, but she had gotten through it. And Ash could proudly say that the differences between before and after the training were like night and day.
They had woken up early each day and went to sleep late each night. Not a minute was wasted. They would hold practice battles for Anabel to gain experience. They would then review each battle and point out what Anabel could have done differently. During short breaks they would discuss a point of emphasis for Anabel to work on with each of her Pokemon. Anabel worked hard, but each night she went to sleep satisfied with the work she put in during the day, and now she was beginning to see her hard work pay off.
Fearow gave another roar as it slapped its wings together, creating a gust that blew away the Swift attack before it could hit.
"Espeon, use Psychic on Swift and attack again!" Anabel commanded. The stars that had been blown into disarray were halted in midair, getting a gasp from Fearow. Before the bird had a chance at trying to move, it was bombarded by the Swift attack which ate away its health.
Her decision making had improved by leaps and bounds. She no longer spent time thinking about how she would attack, she was beginning to trust her initial judgement of each situation, and responding to it properly. Not only that, but she was beginning to grasp the creativity needed to to outsmart your opponent.
"Espeon, finish it with Psybeam!" Anabel said. Espeon fired another attack which knocked Fearow out of the air, bringing the battle to an end. Anabel quickly ran out to Espeon to celebrate their victory, joined by her Growlithe and Psyduck. "Great job!"
Anabel wasn't the only one who had improved. Psyduck had made the adjustments needed for it to get a grasp on the thought of Pokemon battles. Not only that, but it had also added Water Pulse to its move pool. Espeon had grown stronger through the physical conditioning, much to Anabel's delight. But it was clear that Growlithe had grown the most during the month. The innocent pup had become more than just Anabel's companion. It was officially her protector with the strength, speed and stamina it had gained. It had also added Flame Burst to its move set.
"Good work Anabel." Ash said as he clapped for her. "I think its safe to say now that you've got the basics down now."
"Awesome." She said happily.
"And I also have a little surprise for you." Ash began as he led them back to the clearing where they had set up camp.
"What kind of surprise?"
"Remember when I went back to Cerulean City to get a few more supplies?" Ash asked, receiving a nod from her. "Well I noticed that the city tournament they hold every month was coming up, so I signed you up."
"You did what!?" She exclaimed. "I still can't win a battle against an actual trainer. There's no way I'll win in a tournament."
"Chill out Anabel. It's been nearly a month since the last time you battled someone other than me." Ash pointed out. "I think you can win."
"But I-"
"Anabel, no buts. Stop second guessing yourself." Ash stated as he looked straight into her eyes. "You're much stronger than you think. And even if you can't see it, I can. Just have a little confidence in yourself."
Anabel turned away from Ash with a huff as her reply. There was no way she was doing this.
July 28th
Cerulean City
Battle Hall
Anabel couldn't believe that she was going to do this. She was actually seated in a room with thirty one other trainers, waiting for her number to be called. Ash had spent the day before convincing her that she should try competing. No matter how much she had rejected the idea, Ash remained persistent until Anabel final gave in.
As she sat down waiting for the event to begin, she continued to remind herself that she had to give this a try. She had spent nearly a month training. There was at least a sliver of hope for her in this tournament.
"So now to get this month's tournament started, we would like invite contestants number one and thirty two out to the field for the first match!" This was announced over the intercom, causing two trainers to rise from their seats and exit the room, wishing each other luck.
Anabel was number thirty one, which meant that she was probably up next.
"Well would you look who it is." Someone exclaimed. Anabel was positive that this was directed at her, causing her to turn around in search of the source of the voice. What she found was a familiar face. The face of a trainer she had battled during her first week as a trainer. He had beaten her handily, but Anabel had learned quite a bit as they battled.
"Robbie?" She said, receiving a smile from the young man who she and Ash had met on Route 5.
"Glad you remember my name." He replied as he scratched the back of his neck. "But um, if you wouldn't mind telling me your's again."
"You forgot mine?"
"Uh, yeah. I just remember your hair." He said as he pointed to her hair which was a color that stood out.
"It's Anabel." She said. "So what are you doing here? I thought you were headed to Saffron City."
"I was. And I challenged the Saffron Gym, but I lost pretty badly so I thought I would come back here to do a little more training." He explained. "So how's Ash doing?"
"Oh, he's doing pretty well."
"It must be cool having the Indigo Conference Champion to teach you right?"
"I suppose." Anabel replied. Truthfully, Anabel never thought much about Ash's reputation. He was such a warm and caring person that didn't have the egotism of someone that was known globally. It just didn't seem like Ash was famous when he was with her.
"So are you ready for this?" Robbie asked curiously as he took a seat beside her.
"I think so."
"This is your first official match right?"
"Mhmm."
"Well don't let anyone or anything get into your head, this battle is no different than any of the others you've had before. If you treat anything differently, the battle becomes different." Robbie explained, saying something similar to what Ash had told her the day before.
'Remember everything you've learned and all the training you've done, and you won't have any trouble.'
"Will number two and thirty one make your way to the battlefield." This was announced over the intercom, causing Anabel's heart to jump into her throat. This was it.
"Good luck Anabel." Robbie said as he gave her a small wave. Anabel gave him a nod in return as she rose from her seat, a little shaky at first, but her confidence grew with every step she took.
This would be her rite of passage. She was no longer a young child that stashed away in the Battle Frontier. She was longer the quiet girl that sat in the back of her class. She was no longer that freak that thought she could talk to Pokemon. She was a Pokemon trainer.
'Let's do this.'
As Anabel entered the tunnel that led out onto the field, she could hear the crowd as they applauded the two trainers that had just completed their battle. The sound echoed through the corridor, sending chills through her body. It may have only been a crowd of a little over two thousand, but the volume was amazing. The cheering she had heard at the water show was nothing in comparison to this.
Watching as one of the trainers came toward her tunnel with their head hung low, Anabel knew that her turn was approaching. Anabel stepped toward the entrance of the tunnel, waiting for the trainer to pass he before she went out on the field.
As the trainer passed by, their eyes met, and Anabel felt experienced her first wordless exchange with another person.
'Don't worry, you did a great job.' Anabel said.
'Thank you and good luck, you can do it.' They replied.
Anabel looked out toward the field again, hit both her cheeks once and began her walk to the trainer box. Anabel looked across the field at her opponent, and then up at the surrounding stands that were filled with fans. Then she looked at the center of field where the ref was speaking, but she couldn't make out a word he was saying.
She could only hear her heart beat.
The ref then walked off the field, heading to his place along the outline to officiate the battle. He raised both his flags into the air, signalling the start of the battle.
Her opponent immediately called out a Butterfree, but Anabel only stared at the scene in front of her. All eyes were on her, and she was a stiff as a board.
"Ten second count!" The ref declared as he pointed at Anabel. Unfortunately, Anabel remained unresponsive until he completed his count down. "Delay of battle. Red box, call back your Pokemon!"
To start off a battle, both trainers are expected to release their first choice at the same time in order to make sure that there was no extra advantages given at the start of the battle. Anabel failed to get a Pokemon on the field in time, thus resulting in a delay of the battle where they would have no choice but to start again.
In the stands, Ash had jumped to his feet as he realized that Anabel was panicking. And to make matters worse, the entire hall had gone silent as they waited for the battle to begin, piling up the pressure on Anabel.
As the ref waited for Anabel's opponent to call back his Pokemon, Anabel blinked several times as the ref began to speak. His words were nothing but a garbled mess to her. But a familiar voice snapped her out of her daze. Glancing out into the audience, Anabel spotted Ash yelling at her. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but just the sight of Ash seemed to bring her to her senses.
Taking a Pokeball off from the belt around her waist, Anabel looked down at it and she began to feel overwhelmed as everything she had learned flooded back into her head.
"The only requirement is that you love Pokemon from the bottom of your heart."
"Don't worry, pretty soon you'll get used to all the walking."
"You have to be more aggressive."
"You can't take that much time to think during a battle."
"You need to understand your Pokemon first."
"Don't focus on what could go wrong during a battle. Focusing on the bad will only make it harder to see the good."
"It's part of a process."
"I was just thinking...that these flowers are a lot like you."
"Just have a little confidence in yourself."
Anabel took a deep breath, causing the thumping of her heart to fade away. Anabel's opponent and the ref could see Anabel relax, both in her posture and her eyes. Her eyes had been darting around the field earlier, checking her surroundings, but now they were sharp and focused. She was ready to battle.
"Trainers, begin!"
"Poliwhirl, let's go!"
"Espeon, I choose you!"
With three consecutive shouts, the battle begun.
'Be aggressive!' Anabel said to herself. "Espeon, start out with Quick Attack."
"Poliwhirl, get ready!" It's trainer yelled, but both were shocked to see Espeon simply disappeared from the field, only leaving a small cloud of dust where it had previously been standing.
"Poli!" The water type Pokemon shouted as it was hit from behind, catching everyone off guard. Anabel smiled a little as she heard the crowd gasp at Espeon's speed. This was one of the many areas Espeon had grown in since the start of their journey. It's speed had increased ten fold under Ash's training, and she finally witnessing the progress.
"Keep attacking Espeon!" Anabel ordered, watching as her partner continued to beat away at Poliwhirl.
"Poliwhirl, concentrate on where Espeon is attacking from!" It's trainer called out. Poliwhirl steeled itself, preparing for each of the next few hits from Espeon in search of a pattern in its attack. And surely enough, Poliwhirl found one.
"Espeon!" Anabel exclaimed as Poliwhirl intercepted its Quick Attack with just its hands, holding Espeon in place now.
"Poliwhirl, use Body Slam!"
"Poli-whirl!" It shouted as it hurled Espeon at the ground before leaping into the air. Poliwhirl then came crashing down onto Espeon, sending out a cloud of dust which hid the two Pokemon from everyone's sight.
"Espeon, use Psychic to blow away the dust and Poliwhirl!" Anabel shouted. There was a low hum before a pulsating wave flew out from the dust, clearing it away while sending Poliwhirl sliding back its trainer. "Nice!"
"Poliwhirl!" It trainer said as it watched its Pokemon return to its feet, hitting its chest once as a sign that it was ready to continue. "Alright then, let's use Bubblebeam!"
"Espeon, counter with Psybeam!"
Both Pokemon fired their respective attacks which met at the center of the field, but neither advanced any further. The meeting of the two attacks created a dazzling display of sparkles from the Bubblebeam that filled the battlefield. Anabel relaxed to the point where she could smile as as she looked around the sparkles that floated about.
'This is, fun.' She said to herself. "Espeon, use Double Team and Quick Attack!"
"Just use Bubblebeam until you find the real one Poliwhirl!" It trainer ordered as nearly a dozen copies of Espeon appeared on the field. Poliwhirl began to fire off several rounds of its Bubblebeam attack at each of the copies until it came down to the only remaining Espeon. "Get it!"
Unfortunately, the Bubblebeam attack passed right through the image, causing the copy to disappear.
"What?" Poliwhirl's trainer exclaimed as Anabel's smile grew larger. Ash had taught her to never allow her Pokemon to remain still while using Double Team. By mixing in a speedy attack, Espeon could remain on the move while its copies kept its opponent distracted which would ultimately lead to their opponent being left wide open for a finishing attack.
"Go Espeon, use Psychic!" Anabel ordered as Espeon appeared behind Poliwhirl with the gem on its forehead glowing brightly. Time seemed to freeze for Anabel as she took one good look at the scene. She had remembered everything that she had learned, and just like Ash had said, she did just fine.
Poliwhirl was blown away by a large psychic field that Espeon had created, sending it tumbling across the field. Once Polwhirl came to a stop, the ref ran over to examine the Pokemon before point his flag at Anabel. She was declared the winner, and the crowd broke out in applause for her.
"She ain't half bad."
"I thought she as knucklehead after the delay of battle, but I guess she just had some nerves to settle."
"I'll definitely be looking for her match in the next round."
Ash smiled proudly as he listened to the fans speaking about Anabel around him. They were all impressed with her battle.
'Great job Anabel.' Ash said as he looked down at the field, watching as Anabel finally began to grasp the situation.
'I...won.' She said as she tilted her head a bit, letting the thought settle in. "We won!"
Dashing onto the field, Anabel was greeted by Espeon who jumped into her arms as they celebrated their first official victory.
Ash eyed Anabel intently as she held Espeon in the air before using both his hands to rub his eyes roughly. He could have sworn that a pair of white wings had sprouted from Anabel's back.
'I must have something in my eyes.' Ash said to himself as he looked back out onto the field as second time. No...she really did have a pair of wings. Ash immediately turned to the person standing next to him. "Do you see the wings on her?"
"Wings? Did you fall on your head or something?" The person asked in reply as he looked at Ash. "Wait a second, aren't you Ash Ketchum."
Ash didn't reply as looked down at Anabel once again. Why was it that he could see this, but no one else could?
Anabel sat in the waiting room, unable to contain the smile on her face as she recalled the finishing move that had led to her first victory as a trainer. She won. She had actually won!
The rest of the first round had passed by with Anabel paying no mind to it. She even missed when they had announced the match ups for the second round as she reflected on her battle.
"Yoohoo, Anabel, are you in there?" A voice asked, ripping Anabel from her thoughts. It was Robbie.
"Oh, hey." She replied.
"Did you hear the news?" Robbie asked as he motioned to the monitor on the wall.
"What news?"
"See for yourself." He said as he moved out of the way for Anabel to take a look at the match-ups for the second round. What she found was her face right next to Robbie's. They were going to be battling each other. Anabel looked back at Robbie, discovering that he had a wide smile. "Excited?"
Anabel took a moment to remember how their last battle had ended. Then she remembered all the work that she had done since her battle against Robbie. And lastly she remembered the feeling of her first victory. She had a chance this time.
"Now I am."
Robbie and Anabel were the third match of the second round, so it wasn't long until they were called to the field. During the time they had spent in the waiting room, their anticipation grew as they thought about how their rematch would unfold.
Once they were called down, they were quick to get down to the field and take their spots, eager to get the battle started.
"Trainers, are you ready?" The ref asked, receiving nods from both trainers. "Begin!"
Anabel and Robbie stared directly at each other, and it was at this point that Anabel experienced her second wordless exchange with a trainer. But their was only one word shared between the two of them.
"Rematch!"
"Let's go Riolu!"
"We can do this Growlithe!"
The group of four spent a moment sizing each other up, searching for any notable differences. Even though Riolu was a small Pokemon, Anabel and Growlithe could definitely see that its strength had improved based on how defined its muscles had become since their last meeting. Robbie and Riolu could see in Growlithe's eyes that it was no longer a pup. They were serious opponents now.
"Growlithe, start off with Flame Burst!" Anabel ordered, starting off the battle.
"Riolu, use Copycat to neutralize it!" Robbie commanded in return.
Both Pokemon opened up their mouths to unleash a blistering ball of fire which met the center of the field. A patch of flames was left at the center of the field, proving that the power of both Pokemon was about even. They were just getting started.
"Alright, Riolu, use Force Palm!"
"Growlithe, fight back with Flame Wheel!"
The two Pokemon activated their attacks and rushed at the other, entering an exchange where they batted away the others attack in search of an opening to strike. Having failed to hit the other multiple times, both Pokemon rushed right at each other aiming to overpower their opponent. Riolu thrusted its hands at the flames surrounding Growlithe, causing a thud as the two opposing forces met.
Growlithe barked as it pushed forward with all its might, but it couldn't gain the advantage over Riolu. Staring directly at Riolu, Growlithe could see that the fighting type Pokemon wore a smirk before it gave Growlithe one shove which broke the stalemate. The protective fire around Growlithe fell apart as it was sent tumbling backward, much to the surprise of Anabel.
"Let's go Riolu, use Quick Attack!" Robbie ordered now that Growlithe was open for attack. Riolu didn't miss a beat as it rushed toward Growlithe, delivering a series of blows to the fire type as it struggled to keep up with Riolu speed.
'Wow, his Riolu has gotten even faster since the last time we battled.' Anabel noted as Growlithe took a pounding from its small opponent. Growlithe wasn't fast enough to fight against Riolu like this, so they would need a way to even the playing field. "Growlithe, use Flame Burst on the field!"
Growlithe opened up its mouth and fired off numerous fire balls at the field around it to create a wall of flames in order to stop Riolu's approach. Seeing the flames, Riolu came skidding to a halt in order to avoid picking up any burn damage, but now that it was standing still Growlithe had a clear shot at it. Growlithe launched a fire ball at Riolu, hitting its torso which sent it sliding backward.
"Now use Take Down!" Anabel ordered, seeing that this was their chance to deal some major damage. Growlithe gave a howl before it charged at Riolu, slamming itself into Riolu head first which sent it rolling across the field. "Don't let up, get it with Bite!"
"Riolu, use Counter!" Robbie shouted, seeing that Anabel was beginning to gain momentum.
Riolu used one arm to take the Bite attack from Growlithe, allowing it to sink its teeth in while Riolu prepared its next hand for its counter attack. Riolu threw out a powerful uppercut to Growlithe's jaw, causing it to immediately release its hold on Riolu from the sudden hit. Riolu then followed up with a string of attacks, beating away at Growlithe while showing no signs of letting up. It was looking to finish this right now.
"Growlithe, protect yourself with Flame Wheel!" Anabel ordered. Without any hands, there was no way Growlithe could fight at close range with Riolu. They needed to play defense.
Growlithe ignited a sphere of flames around it just in time for Riolu's next attack, catching it off guard. Riolu gave a shout of pain as its hands were burned by the flames, leaving it wide open for a follow up attack which Growlithe didn't waste. Slamming itself into Riolu, Growlithe gave a triumphant howl as Riolu was sent sliding across the field once again.
'Is it over?' Anabel asked herself eagerly as she looked at Riolu, hoping that it would be unable to return to its feet. After all the hits that it had taken, there was no way that it could get back up. This battle was over.
"Lu!" The fighting type roared as it fought to return to its feet. The fans began to chant for Riolu, impressed with its grit and determination.
"Growlithe, finish this with Flame Wheel!" Anabel proclaimed. She wanted this battle to be over. She wanted to win. This was it!
'Perfect.' Robbie said to himself as he watched Growlithe charge at Riolu once again with the finishing blow in mind. "Alright Riolu, all or nothing, Reversal!"
Riolu's body gained a faint glow as it prepared its attack. The light grew brighter as Growlithe approached until Riolu attacked, managing to to use its move just before Growlithe could hit it. Riolu released a field of kinetic energy in all directions, knocking away Growlithe with ease. The fire type was airborne for quite some time before it finally hit the ground with a thud that resounded through the hall that had become deathly silent.
Anabel stared at the scene in shock. They were just about to win. Riolu was about to get knocked out by that final Flame Wheel, but right now Growlithe was resting on its side, remaining completely still.
"Growlithe?" Anabel said softly as she stared at her Pokemon. The ref approached Growlithe, and kneeled down beside it to check its condition. Then he pointed the flag he held toward Robbie.
"Growlithe is unable to battle!" The ref declared, and the fans began to cheer for both Anabel and Robbie, applauding them for their great battle. Anabel was speechless as she continued to replay the final exchange in her mind.
"Hey, Anabel, are you in there?" Robbie asked as he snapped Anabel out her daze. Blinking a few times, she realized that Robbie was now standing in front of her with Riolu in his arms. "I just wanted to tell you that-that was a great battle. Not even I thought I would be able to pull it out in the end."
"Yeah, same here." Anabel said with a soft chuckle as she shook hands with Robbie. She then walked onto the field to Growlithe, kneeling down beside her Pokemon who had reawakened as she approached it. Growlithe only whimpered as it looked up at Anabel who placed a comforting hand on its head. "Don't worry Growlithe, you were amazing out there. Take a good long rest."
Once she had called Growlithe back to its Pokeball, Anabel gave Robbie one last glance and a wave before making her way to the tunnel that she had entered the field from. She passed the trainer waiting to get on the field without a word, disappearing into the tunnel. Anabel quietly reflected on the battled as she moved through the corridors.
It had all happened so fast. She and Growlithe had gained the advantage, and they were going in to finish it and win. But in a split second the script had been switched, and Growlithe had been knocked out. She was so close! She could taste victory and then it had been ripped away from her.
Anabel leaned against the wall, allowing her head to hand low. She almost had it. Almost.
"Are you okay?" A familiar voice asked her, causing her to look up. It was Ash once again.
Before she could say anything, tears began to stream down her cheeks as she latched onto Ash's torso. Ash was taken aback by this at first, but soon enough he wrapped his arms around Anabel to comfort her. He knew what she was going through right now.
She was experiencing the highs and lows of being a trainer, the roller coaster ride that was the life of a Pokemon trainer.
Ash felt a small smile creep up on his face as he realized just how much Anabel had grown since the beginning of her journey. She had lost many battles at the beginning of her journey, but this was the first time that she shed tears over a loss. She was growing to love Pokemon battles, and she was drawing closer to her Pokemon.
Once Anabel had regained her composure, they returned to the stands and watched the remainder of the tournament. They watched as Robbie progressed on to the third round, and then the fourth where he ultimately lost in a close battle.
Ash and Anabel congratulated Robbie for how far he had progressed in the tournament, and Anabel agreed to have another rematch with Robbie the next time they meet. After that, the group parted ways to continue their separate journeys.
"So Anabel, I was thinking you deserve a little reward for all the hard work you've put in during the past month." Ash said as the two of them walked along streets of Cerulean City, trying to make the rest of the evening pass. Anabel's eyes brightened up immediately as she looked toward Ash.
"What do you have in mind?" She asked.
"Well Riley scored a few invitations to this year's Hall of Fame induction, and he gave them to me." Ash explained.
"No way!" Anabel exclaimed. The Hall of Fame induction was one of the most exclusive events of the year, where famous celebrities from all over gathered together. This was something she couldn't pass on. "Of course I'll go!"
"Awesome, then we'll be leaving for Fuchsia City tomorrow morning."
Indigo Plateau
Pokemon League HQ
The famous land site of the Indigo Conference was also home to the headquarters of the Pokemon League. But below this building, a meeting was taking place concerning the upcoming Hall of Fame induction.
Four dark figures sat around a table in room lit only by a monitor that had a picture of Lawrence III.
"The Hall of Fame induction will be held Lawrence. Most of the region has no problem with him hosting the event, but there are still some who are uncertain."
"There are many people who would like to believe that Lawrence had turned a new leaf, but we can't take any precautions."
"I agree. Even though his scheme involving the Legendary Birds was years ago, Silph Co still insists that we monitor the event."
"So do you have any plans as to what we'll do?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Joker, I want you to attend the induction, and keep an eye on Lawrence."
"I expected nothing less."
A/N
This update would've been up sooner, but I since this chapter was pretty long, I couldn't decide whether I should split it in half, or just leave it whole. In the end I just posted the whole thing, so here you go. Something is brewing as a familiar code name finally reappears...
In reply to the questions from 'mark'. 1) I'm still trying to decide if I will be using Aura in this story, so I honestly can't tell you if Ash will develop this skill or not. 2) There's going to be a few matches between Ash and Gary later on, so I suggest you look forward to those. 3) I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not going to answer this one. 4) Ash will be adding new members to his team, but that's still far off in the future so for now his current party is what he'll be sticking with. With the exception of number three, I hope I answered your questions 'mark'.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, a lot happened, but I feel as though the highlight to his chapter was Anabel winning her first official battle. And then she experienced her first 'real' loss. But right now, the next chapter is going to be big. I've been hyping it up because all the action I've been talking about is finally going to be starting with the next update.
So until then, thanks to all who left a review, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, and leave a review for me :) Peace!