~*~ 2. Ketchum versus Ketchum ~*~
"Is this really okay?" May raised her concern. Currently she was in a group comprised of Brock, Cilan, Iris, Misty, Dawn, Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak—which was basically everyone gathered to celebrate Ash's resounding success before his father decided to suddenly drop by after ten years. They were on their way to watch what the father and son were up to.
"While I understand Mr. Ketchum coming back is a wonderful occasion," Brock said, mostly referring to Delia when he said so. "I find his behavior inappropriate. I am worried what Ash and he are doing right now."
"Well, I actually thought Ash would be happy," Dawn added, her face slightly down, as if it were her own father who returned after a long gap.
"Me too," May agreed with Dawn. She wondered if she and Max could ever hold back from suffocating the Petalburg gym leader with their hugs if her father were to disappear and return like that.
"Not every father would drop in suddenly and ridicule your achievements." Professor Oak retorted, "Not when they just met after ten years." The old Professor took an exasperated sigh.
"Professor Oak," Mrs. Ketchum spoke, somewhat weak, "You pretty well know he didn't mean it in the wrong way."
"But it is still a harsh flavor on Ash's pure heart," The green haired Cilan finally spoke up earning an awkward stare from everyone but Dawn and Iris.
May noticed that Iris was constantly trying not to let him speak. In fact she was currently glaring at him for daring to open his mouth. Judging by the little he spoke, and how Iris wasn't allowing him to speak, May came to a conclusion that Cilan was somewhat of a homosexual. His actions only supported her supposition. She felt a tinge of sympathy for Iris at that moment.
"So you are ready?" The guy who was supposed to be my loving father asked. There was a good amount of distance between us, enough for a Pokémon battle.
"I'm always ready," I returned confidently. That man deserved to lose for abandoning us for the past ten years. Not to mention, he insulted me. As if I need someone like him to help me out.
"It'll be a two-on-two affair," he shouted from the other end. "I believe one-on-one battles are bull shit. It's more like a game of luck."
"We could even have a full battle if you want," I suggested, with a somewhat haughty smile. If I could crush him in a six-on-six he wouldn't dare to spout nonsense about my skills for the rest of his life.
"Now don't get too carried away," His expression was nonchalant, as if he dealt with such comments on a daily basis. "You get the first call."
The battle has begun. My heart drummed with excitement. There was a tinge of unease in my stomach; it felt like Caterpie were crawling all over inside me. It was a sort of excitement I always get when I was about to battle someone I always wanted to. I knew my dad was an amazing trainer in Pallet when I was small, and I knew he would be a tough opponent to face. Well if he wants me to make the first call then so be it. I had already chosen the two Pokémon I wanted to battle him with. No type disadvantages or advantages would affect my choice.
My hands reached for the first Pokéball on my belt. Yes that would really be fun. I enlarged the Pokéball making the tiny object that fitted between my two fingers now firmly fit in my palm.
"It's been a while since I battled with you," I kissed the Pokéball. He was my precious friend and one of my first Pokémon. "Let's show that guy a thing or two, old buddy. Come on out—!"
"Bulbasaur!"
It was a distant scream, followed by the familiar pop noise of a Pokéball. Misty exchanged a glance with the rest of the group. They all seemed to have come to a similar conclusion. It seems the Ketchum's decided to solve the bitterness amongst them with a battle. It would normally give good results but Ash had a massive lump of ego on his head, which when pricked the wrong way could pave way to a disaster.
The group wordlessly rushed to the scene where the father and son were confronting each other, in the backdrop of a river and the setting sun. How poetic.
If anyone didn't know they were father and son then they would definitely know now, Misty thought. That because both of them wore a confident or better described a cocky smirk as if their victory was well assured.
"Uh oh," Professor Oak muttered under his breath. Would it be a bigger disaster than she thought?
"It seems your friends have come to support you. It will be really bad if you lose now." the older Ketchum nodded towards them. The smirk on Ash's face only grew wider. "But still—a Bulbasaur?" Mr. Ketchum's expression was somewhere between surprised and amused. "If you are to fight someone as strong as me you could have at least chosen a Pokémon that you have been trained for a long time."
The younger Ketchum scoffed, "Bulbasaur is one of my first Pokémon." The amused expression on the father's face slowly disappeared.
His eyebrows were now knit in a frown, "What do you mean? Then why the heck is it still a Bulbasaur?"
"Because he doesn't like to evolve," Ash replied curtly. He was going restless; the impatience in his eyes grew.
"What?" Mr. Ketchum put his face as if what he said now was the most stupid thing he ever heard.
"This is bad," Brock muttered.
She couldn't agree anymore. Things were taking a very bad turn, and the heat was only rising. Ash caught on his father's reaction, because his own expression turned serious, giving an 'annoyed' aura.
"Because he doesn't like to evolve," Ash repeated, but with a raised voice, as if to tell his father he heard it correctly the first time. The Pokémon under discussion, Bulbasaur and Ash's Pikachu turned to their trainer, noticing the change in his tone.
"He?" Mr. Ketchum closed his eyes. The word itself seemed to speak volumes to him. The air around them suddenly stiffened. A sweat drop descended down the old Oak standing before her, which he cleaned absent-mindedly out of habit. The downhill to their relationship seemed to get steeper and steeper with every second.
"Ridiculous." Mr. Ketchum's tone was filled with disappointment and anger.
The word had a significant effect on Ash's face than she expected.
Just how did he water down all the emotions I had for my Pokémon with one word?
Ridiculous?
Was forcing my Bulbasaur to evolve against his wishes a normal thing then? No, if anything should be called ridiculous, it was him. He abandoned me and my mom. Now he comes here after all these days and calls what I learnt ridiculous. That was ridiculous.
I had seen people who think otherwise and force their Pokémon to evolve, as if they were some furniture in your room that you can decorate or upgrade. At the least, I didn't expect my father to have the same kind of thinking. He could have been a terrible father, but in my mind I always imagined him as a hero.
My teeth were clenched tight. It was the most I could do from snapping up and retaliate.
"I don't know what the heck you did during these five years, Ash, but I won't be holding back on you, not even one bit." that man put a disappointed face as if I was a useless brat who couldn't even qualify for the League. I almost won the Unova League!
"That's what I want too," I replied. I took a glance to my right. My friends, the Professor and my mom were watching the battle. Of course I shouldn't lose to him, not in front of mom.
"Sure," he muttered and tossed his Pokéball. "Let's keep runnin' the stakes high, Rapidash!"
The fire type emerged out of the Pokéball, lifting its forelegs into the air, giving out its best battle cry.
"R-Rapidash…" The presence of that imposing fire type couldn't help but make splutter in response. It was majestic; the flames on its mane resembled a wild fire that could rage forests to ashes, which reminded me that my little guy was having a terrible type disadvantage.
The main source of my surprise was that I recognized the Pokémon in front of me. Rapidash was one of dad's Pokémon that I barely remember. He used to let me touch the Pokémon when I asked him to. Touching a Rapidash was a big deal to me back then.
"Beware of its speed, Bulbasaur," I warned. The bulb Pokémon nodded, determined. It has been a while since Bulbasaur battled by my side. I remembered how often I used to make him battle back then. Earlier when we were at the party, he almost pleaded me to come along. Professor gave him the day off to spend with me. What else could be better for our reunion than a battle? The zeal on his face couldn't be mistaken. I won't switch my Pokémon. "Let's go, buddy!"
The old man asked, "You're not going to switch?" I couldn't know if he was surprised or he's looking down on me. Switching out Bulbasaur would generally be the right thing to do but—
"You needn't tell me how to battle," I replied. I hate it when people look me down. "I'll make the first move. Go for a Vine Whip!"
Thick vines extended from each side of Bulbasaur's bud. The twin vines shot towards the horse like Pokémon. The first vine was shot faster to strike Rapidash. The said Pokémon took an easy short leap from the vine with relative ease. But of course the first vine was always a decoy for the second. The second vine immediately shot for Rapidash's legs as it landed. The fire type however proved to be faster. This time it took a longer leap to get momentarily away from the vine's range.
"Keep Attacking!" The attack gave me some momentum; I will put him under pressure. The whips again shot for the Pokémon, moving like snakes trying to strike Rapidash with a sharp sting. But hitting the Pokémon known for its speed was easier said than done. The cycle of attacks and dodges continued for three or four rounds. As every strike passed it seemed like we were getting closer to hit them and yet unable to close in the gap between the speed of the attack and the dodges. I couldn't just put him in a stalemate like this forever. I will just wait for the right moment and—
"Agility!" My trail of thought was broken by the sudden command. The vines tried to hit the Rapidash for another round, but the fire Pokémon disappeared from the vine's reach all of a sudden.
"What the—!" I exclaimed. The Pokémon reappeared almost instantaneously. It charged towards Bulbasaur at high speed, while disappearing and appearing between and outside the range of the extended vines. Within the blink of an eye it was only a few steps away from the bulb Pokémon.
The adrenaline shot a thunderbolt into my spine. "Use your vines and jump!" The words came out of my mouth instinctively. And just as reflexively, the extended vines were shot to the ground, causing the light weighted user to lift itself from the air.
The blur of orange and red skid past where Bulbasaur once stood, only to find the bulb Pokémon in the air, its face tilted downwards. The Rapidash skid itself to a stop, with a rough noise, raising the dust around.
"What in the name of Mew!" Its trainer exclaimed.
It was a perfect chance, I noted. Rapidash was still in a surprise from the sudden dodge, and Bulbasaur's bulb was facing Rapidash.
"Leech Seed! Shoot it!"
Bulbasaur, still in its air, huddled its four legs closer, causing the Pokémon to tilt a little. A brown inconspicuous seed emerged out through the green bulb. With a small growl from Bulbasaur, the seed was shot at the unsuspecting Pokémon like a bullet.
In a sharp second, the Leech Seed managed to reach its destination, but the target disappeared once again. With an unimaginable speed it took two more steps back. The seed struck the ground, partially burying itself in the soil.
Dammit!
If it hadn't used that Agility earlier, the Leech Seed would have struck Rapidash. Before long the battle would have been over. But things weren't so easy. It doesn't mean I had given up though.
Bulbasaur landed softly on the ground, firmly on its four little feet. "More of them! Leech Seed!" The Pokémon gave a momentary grunt.
The Leech Seed were shot continuously like bullets, but much to our annoyance, the Rapidash kept skirting between the shots, evading each one of them.
Its speed was overwhelming. We couldn't let it gain any further movement. I realized that man hadn't commanded a fire type move yet. He was perhaps waiting for a chance and finish us off in just one hit. Unfortunately for him, we won't let that happen.
"Vine Whip, at its feet!" Grabbing its feet would be the best way to put its speed to a stop, or at least lose its momentum a bit.
The vines moved like ropes that intend to trip the Rapidash, but the said Pokémon leapt over them as if they were skipping-ropes. Then in that case—
"Use your new move, Bulbasaur! Sludge Bomb!" It was a sudden change of pace on my part. The Rapidash seemed to be caught off guard but—
Bulbasaur took a deep breath and spat out the single shot of sludge with an incredible speed. Rapidash which was all focused on skipping over the vines was surprised by the sudden projectile attack. It was a strategy I used against Volkner's Electivire. His Electivire stopped Torterra's Leaf storm with fire punch. It was a brilliant tactic to stop a grass type move but we found a way around it. Torterra used a Leaf Storm to keep its hands busy with Fire punch, and then we used a surprise Energy ball to hit the off guard Electivire.
"Agility!"
But things proved to be different this time. The Pokémon disappeared just as the slimy projectile passed past where it once stood and landed on the ground with a minor explosion. I have to accept, that man's reactions were faster than anyone I faced till now.
It seems he was impressed by the strategy. The smirk on his face changed, he must have started acknowledging my strength then.
The man barked, "Now rip it apart with Flareblitz!" Took him long enough, but he finally decided to go with the explosive fire move.
Rapidash reappeared, using its right foreleg it propelled itself towards Bulbasaur. The Pokémon's red mane engulfed it in a complete orange aura, which instantly transformed into a blue one.
"Vine Whip, on the ground!" I commanded. My loyal friend whipped himself into the air once again.
"One more time!" He ordered the fire type. Just as Bulbasaur's feet touched the ground, the Rapidash charged at us one more time. It seems he doesn't want us to rest.
"Dodge!" Just as the blue blur shot past it, my partner pushed itself to the left, crash landing on his left side. He immediately skipped to his four feet, turning around at the same time, he was wary of another Flareblitz it seems.
"Attack till you burn it completely!" And just as we thought, another Flareblitz came to strike us. Bulbasaur dodged to his right this time. The game was turning dangerous. Each Flareblitz was lethal to Bulbasaur. One hit and the damage will be fatal. We were losing our ground while Rapidash kept raising its momentum. If this continues—
The blue blur was approaching once more. Bulbasaur flexed its legs, ready to jump away from the attack. But there was something else in my mind.
The Rapidash carried away by the uncomfortable situation it put us in, dashed at us once more, this time with more confidence and momentum. But momentum was his own enemy.
"Sludge bomb!" I made a quick call.
There's no way he could dodge this, not at this speed or so I expected. There was an instantaneous realization in that man's eyes as he figured out the move I made.
"Steer Clear!" His command came almost immediately after mine. His thinking was faster than I thought. I should have expected as much. He was my father after all.
The bomb of dirt shot at a brilliant speed at the rushing target, but the target pushed its feet, all at once and sprang, to push itself away from the bomb's trajectory. The bomb barely scratched past the blue blur, and crashed to the ground.
The next thing I knew the dust around rose up as Rapidash crashed beside Bulbasaur in a heap, skidding its way forward due to the momentum from Flareblitz.
"Excellent Job!" I gave the bulb Pokémon a thumbs-up, to which he grinned victoriously.
The horse-like Pokémon raised its head, attempting to rise back to its feet. "Sweep it off the ground with Vine Whip!" It's my turn to get into the offensive now.
The grass type took my cue; it extended its whips to topple the Pokémon back down. But the Rapidash's trainer reacted before his Pokémon did. "Jump!" He yelled.
The vines were swung like a baseball bat to trip the Pokémon, but the trainer's commands sent it a warning well before. The Pokémon hopped upon the low vines. There was a momentary relief in the trainer's eyes. We weren't finished yet.
"Leech Seed!" Another attack to our combination made it a triple attack combo. We could get them this time, we had them for sure!
"Agility!" Like a wave, our hopes crashed when the Pokémon disappeared once more, barely dodging the bullet-like Leech seed, and appeared at a safe distance behind, where it could easily dodge our attacks.
"Aw, snap!" It was May who exclaimed in displeasure. My face might be mirroring what she said because that man laughed.
The tension on his face disappeared. It seems he was holding his breath till now. He let out a huge sigh, "You almost got me there."
I smirked in response. But it was a façade to cover the pressure I was facing. The combo we did right now was the best we ever did. If that didn't get Rapidash, I wasn't sure what would.
Should I really switch out? Pikachu had a better chance at handling Rapidash's speed, and not to mention taking the Flareblitz wouldn't be just as troublesome. But—
I could see the uncomfortable expression on Bulbasaur's face. It wasn't anger; it was more like frustration of not being able to even land a single hit. I raised his hopes when I didn't switch out in the beginning itself. Doing so now would be horribly unfair. I didn't become that kind of a monster, not yet.
I just need to figure something else.
'Take a look around.' My voices called out.
That's right. That's how I battle, I should do something only I—no, both of us would be able to pull out together.
Ash's gaze shifted towards the blue and serene river. The battle was its peaks, Cilan noted. The battle was splendid, and if Iris hadn't forced him into shutting his mouth he would have used the opportunity to weave some amazing vocabulary. The sommelier inside him was unable to hold much longer.
The attacks from either side were sharp, as if to slice through the opponent like butter. Leech Seed or Sludge bomb, either attack would severely decapitate Rapidash, while Flareblitz would plainly finish Bulbasaur. They seemed even till now, but to Ash, the type disadvantage was a severe hindrance. Ash's side couldn't afford to take a hit. In fact if the harmony between Bulbasaur and Ash weren't outstanding Ash could have lost it by now. Even Cilan was surprised with the marriage between Bulbasaur and Ash. All these days he didn't expect any Pokémon to rival the closeness he had with Pikachu, but this particular combination was plainly fantabulous.
The posture Ash wore was a tense one, while the expression on his face could make one think he was calm and confident, it was a simple face show, a mask to be exact. His eyes quickly darted, studying the surroundings.
"It seems Ash is up to his trademark plan now," Brock commented.
"Trying to use his surroundings to his advantage, right?" Dawn asked.
Cilan wanted to add a few more words with some spice but Iris's foot was firmly on his, ready to crush Cilan's tender feet any moment, which definitely doesn't have a good taste.
The silence in midst of the tense battle stood. Even Alexander Ketchum waited for his opponent to do something. Mr. Ketchum seemed to be waiting for his son's reaction in the current predicament. Anyone who never saw Ash battle will be stumped by what he could do when cornered. It was actually because of this reason that Ash had more victories with a type disadvantage than ones with a type advantage. In the latter case he always gets cocky and makes a silly mistake.
"This will be interesting," The ingenious Professor muttered, which Cilan wholeheartedly agreed, after exchanging a glance with Iris, in silence.
What was he doing? Alex wondered. His so-called prodigal son was simply squinting at the surroundings, as if some natural disaster would come in and aid him in a comical victory. Yes he was called a 'prodigy'. Words of his son's achievements were discussed even in Rosenburg. To be honest those achievements weren't spectacular, the league competitions have definitely lose the flavor from ten years ago. Trainers these days relied a lot on day-cares and what not, forgetting that the main source of battle strength was the bond with their Pokémon. Standing top 16 in the Indigo League in the first try wasn't a great feat. Defeating the Battle Frontier was however, a significant achievement, but then again he was literally owned by Tobias in the Sinnoh League. That trainer might be using legendary Pokémon of unique strength, but getting mowed down like that was embarrassing. Still he did better than the others, he heard.
In Alex's eyes he viewed his son as above-average. He was better than the usual mass, but not excellent enough to be champion material. Cynthia would make him lick her boots any day. Speaking of which, that woman had some interest on Ash. Maybe the looks he inherited from his father? He virtually patted himself. If he weren't committed to Delia, he would take the blonde any day.
"So what will you do?" He asked, teasingly. The boy could be easily provoked, that was also something he inherited from his father.
The observant expression on Ash's face disappeared; his face seemed to light up with some kind of idea. His eyes were on the river to his left.
"Why don't you watch?" He smirked with somewhat extravagant confidence. This of course meant that he was planning something troublesome.
'I wonder what it would be.' Alex was filled with excitement. 'This better not disappoint me, son.' He silently wished.
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip on that tree," he pointed his fingers energetically at the large Oran tree on the other side of the river.
What the heck?
The Pokémon, much to Alex's surprise, did so without any hesitation. The long vines were now wrapped around the sturdy branch.
'He is trying to get to the other side.' He figured. "Rapidash, stop them!"
The fire-type prepared the enigmatic fire type move and galloped towards Bulbasaur at incredible speed boosted by agility.
The frog Pokémon however, took its jump before the horse-Pokémon could have a chance to tackle it down to a crisp. The little frog landed on the other side, like its trainer wanted, safe and sound.
'My bad.' He cursed himself. If he had reacted a second sooner, the battle would have been over. Then again, he was too engrossed wondering what he was going to do—perhaps, the kid was used to give people surprises. Interesting.
But why jump to the other side, unless—
He turned to his son, "So you figured out my Rapidash doesn't know a long-ranged fire type move, huh. Do you think attacking from the other side makes you safe?"
"Of course," the cocky smile on his face turned into a grin, akin to a child whose well-thought prank was successful. The boy commanded, "Let's use Solarbeam!"
The frog Pokémon's expression mirrored its trainer, as it haughtily prepared the attack that left it vulnerable for an entire turn.
Alex smiled wryly. The boy was just as he thought. He used some stupid half-thought strategy and expects himself to win it.
The river was not a small one, which was true. And unlike Bulbasaur, Rapidash couldn't use a long vine to cross like that but Ash did forget one thing.
"A Rapidash's jumping power shouldn't be underestimated, Ash. Besides a simple attack like Solarbeam is too easy to dodge," the battle turned sour for Alex. He expected something great, and all he got was a simple parlor trick. "Rapidash, jump to the other side, and obliterate them!"
The gleam on Ash's face only grew. Ah, perhaps he may have thought a step further. Maybe the kid was planning to attack while Rapidash was still in the air. It was a not a bad idea, if Rapidash were to fall in the river, the battle would end immediately. But only a fool would expect a beam attack like that to hit a superfast Pokémon like Rapidash. Even if it had a wonderful aim, the chances of Bulbasaur hitting Rapidash would be a meager twenty percent. Even if it did, his Rapidash was trained to charge through not-very-effective attacks like Blizzard and Solarbeam. The half-thought plan of his son was just a failure no matter how he looked at it.
The older Ketchum's Pokémon nodded and began sprinting towards the bank, and leaped over the somewhat broad river. Within the blink of an eye it crossed half of the distance it intended to when—
"On the water!" Ash cried abruptly.
What in the name of holy mother—!
An exasperated Alex turned to his son, who pumped his fist in the air, with gleaming eyes.
A bright flash light emanated at the corner of his eyes.
"Bulba—!"
With a ferocious battle roar unexpected from such a small Pokémon, the Solar Beam was shot in Rapidash's direction. Just as Alex predicted, Rapidash crossed the Solarbeam and touched the bank on the other side before the beam shot past behind it. But it was very late before the veteran knew that the intended target was not the Pokémon but the water behind it.
Before Alex could even let out his mouth to utter some command, the water struck by the enormous power of chlorophyll was pushed in all directions, the powerful surge rose up like a tidal wave and crashed on him, drenching the furious Alex. It was obvious that his Pokémon met the same fate; in fact the impact on the other side was much larger.
Rapidash was thoroughly drenched; the flames on its mane were on the brink of extinguishing and were fighting back with what seemed like extreme will-power. Alex knew this was the doom.
"Let's attack while it's still vulnerable!" Ash clapped Bulbasaur to attention. "Sludge Bomb!"
The Pokémon spat out the brown poisonous pellet out, and promptly hit the struggling Rapidash, as its trainer only helplessly watched. A perfect hit nonetheless, Alex criticized.
The bomb exploded on Rapidash, the Pokémon neighed in pain. A purple smoke enveloped the fire-type as if to hasten its impending doom. The smoke mixed with the air, and soon disappeared as if it never existed.
However, a purple surge of venom coursed through Rapidash's body buckling the Pokémon to its knees. The fire on its mane steadily returned, but at the same time the poison covered every nook and corner of its body, rendering it practically immobile and unable to stand.
"That little—!" Alex unconsciously girt his teeth and clenched his fists.
Alex furiously unbuttoned his green and weathered overcoat and furiously threw the drenched coat aside, revealing a black sleeveless black t-shit, and well-toned muscles, that rose a gasp from the young men and a small blush from the young women. Delia however didn't give any reaction as he expected. But he wasn't particularly picky now, because the source of his anger was now delightfully smirking at him.
The group of gym leaders, former gym leaders, an old Professor and a concerned mother/wife watched the scene with eyes wide open.
"Alex is really mad," for the first time even Delia was scared. While the rest were doubtful all the time, she alone was confident that everything would turn out okay. Even the ever-positive Dawn couldn't give any positive hope this time.
"No man would like to get outwitted by his 15 year old son," Brock pointed out the hard truth.
"He's just as thickheaded as his son," Misty whispered into Iris's ears. The dragon trainer meekly nodded, afraid that Delia might have overheard them.
"An excellently weaved trap, and it seems Mr. Alex fell right into it," Cilan spoke, now that Iris's hold on him loosened. The to-be-dragon-master immediately crushed his feet once more, and closed his mouth at the same time. What resulted was a simple yelp.
Idiot! She wanted to curse him. They didn't even properly introduce themselves to May and Misty. If he were to behave like this, they might take a terrible misunderstanding. To her knowledge, May was already throwing awkward glances at Cilan, and pitiful smiles at Iris.
Getting back to the topic, what the hell was that childish Ash doing. Didn't he notice the man on the other side was angry enough to kill him? Instead he grinned like a naïve stupid five year old. It was a surprise that the man didn't burst yet.
"He sure can control his emotions," Brock commented. It was surprising, but true. Getting provoked easily might be Mr. Alex's weakness, but he found a way to confine his emotions. The anger that this man carried inside him made Ash's little tantrums a joke to be laughed about, which Iris gladly did.
"It's time to finish this for once," a cocky Ash now commanded his Bulbasaur. "Solarbeam!"
"That's stupid!" May exclaimed. Yes, he was completely letting Bulbasaur out in the open.
"Rapidash is poisoned, even if it were to attack now," Brock explained. "Bulbasaur can easily dodge it. I think Ash has this in the bag." She saw Cilan nod in agreement to Brock's judgment.
"I wonder," Professor Oak said with a wry smile.
'This battle is good as over.' I said to myself in delight. The old man's Rapidash was cringing in pain. But I have to hand it to him, it was still standing. Even my Unefezant couldn't stand this long after getting poisoned by Roxie's Koffing.
Bulbasaur was charging another Solarbeam. Things are going very smoothly; even if Rapidash were to attack we could dodge the attack pretty easily. Besides Flareblitz would only make things harder for them. Either way, all I had to do was just stand back and watch my Pokémon win.
"Rapidash Flareblitz!" The old man barked. His voice didn't carry the tension as I expected, but oh well—he might be good at hiding it. Solarbeam was beginning to glow on Bulbasaur's back turning to a spherical shape. Only a few more minutes perhaps, the sun was almost down and it was harder to grab the energy.
Rapidash roared, despite the toxic sparks warning it not to, it raised the flames on its body. It dug its hoof deep into the mud, and trudge it back and forth like an angry Tauros. The Pokémon much like its trainer was gripped with fury. The purple surge appeared once more torturing the Pokémon to stop but it refused.
"It's coming," I decided to be safe and warned Bulbasaur beforehand. With a Solarbeam on its bulb, it could be difficult to warn it when it's too late. I am pretty sure that a poisoned Rapidash won't be able to outmatch Bulbasaur in speed.
A powerful neigh like none other. The Pokémon was already filled in a blue flame ready to strike its target.
"Now Rapidash!" The trainer commanded.
"Dodge!" I said almost at the same time.
What happened next was a brilliant movement. I thought I was watching a still Rapidash engulfed in blue flames. It took me a while to realize that it was an after image created by the flames.
Before I realized and turned, the blue blur shot like lightning, its speed unwavering. I could perhaps remember this scene even after ten years. Bulbasaur watched the disaster coming, it was loaded with a Solarbeam on its back, its jaws wide open in surprise. Its eyes lost color in fear of the upcoming pain. I watched Rapidash shoot towards Bulbasaur and run past it, with my mouth wide open, like I was watching an express train shoot before me.
Akin to an unfortunate obstacle that never should have stood in danger's way in the first place, Bulbasaur was tossed away far into the air, and landed after a long time when the blazing Rapidash stopped and looked back.
Like a package of burnt garbage thrown from a bridge, Bulbasaur landed like a heavy thrash, its lush green texture turned into a charred grey. The Solarbeam disappeared into nothingness and its eyes were still wide open in shock, but dazed.
I watched the scene like I had seen a ghost. I ignored the purple shock that made Rapidash scream in pain, followed by a blue one that resulted due to the recoil from Flareblitz. I simply watched my Bulbasaur fainted, and unable to move a limb while it was kicking actively only a few seconds ago.
"I would take it back into my Pokeball if I were you," his words brought me back to this world. That was when I realized I had my mouth open all along. I looked at him terrified, and when I realized I was scared, anger wallowed in its place.
But first—
I promptly returned Bulbasaur back into the Pokeball. The red light magically sucked the burnt Pokémon back inside. I looked at the Pokeball filled with regret, and anger over my sheer stupidity. "I am sorry buddy, I won't let this happen. Never again."
Staring at the ball like a precious jewel for yet another second, I tucked the ball back to its number one place on my belt. My eyes fell on the man when I did so.
He looked plain, his eyes studying me completely from top to bottom. I was guilty of smiling when his own Pokémon suffered, in a second he simply turned the tables upside down. Could it be that?
He asked, giving me an inquisitive look. "You have realized why you lost, right?"
My pride told me not to nod. But he took the silence as a yes. Provoking my dad was the biggest mistake I made. He fuelled that anger and used it to finish Bulbasaur. But still with all that poison Rapidash shouldn't have moved so freely.
He continued, "You were too overconfident when things went your way. But a battle is much more complicated than that. Things will never always go your way."
I know all that. I wasn't just expecting that. Gulping down my massive ego, I asked, "How did your Rapidash move so fast, even when it's poisoned?"
"Humph," he scoffed, as if my question held no value. "Poison endurance training is one of the basic things people do while preparing for a Champion's League. Poison is nothing but a mere hindrance to the trainers of that level."
Somehow winning the Champion League became a distant dream to me, all of a sudden.
"But still," he smiled. "I could see why Cynthia was interested in you."
"Wait," I asked, somewhat stumped. "You know Cynthia?"
"I do," he said. "When I met her a month ago she mentioned two names. One of them was 'Ash' a unique trainer that uses the abilities of a Pokémon like no other, and made surprising strategies in the battle. She said that if you were to use them on a regular basis, you might as well beat her in a span of five years."
I took a gulp down my parched throat. My hands felt numb, and it seemed like I was about to fall down any time soon due to a concussion.
Did she really expect that much from me? I always thought it was a kind gesture from her behalf, when she remembered me and when she listened to all that I talked.
Wait there's something else, she mentioned two names? "Who's the other guy?"I asked.
"She says it's some Paul, a trainer who could see through your little antics with ease even if you were to develop them to a higher level enough to threaten Cynthia. She told me he was a brilliant strategist, and perhaps a perfect "counter" to you."
"M-My perfect counter?"
Just as I thought. Paul's amazing; he's the strongest trainer I have ever fought. Those two full battles I fought back then, those were the battles that told me that I was strong enough to battle even in a world class tournament like Champion's League.
"Don't get too cocky," he broke through my thoughts. Was my face that easy to read? He said, "Unfortunately I don't share the same opinion as Cynthia. And your friend Paul—well if he lost to you, then I can easily estimate how much of a trainer he is." His words were dripped with sarcasm, cutting through any of my daydreams.
There was a brief silence. My eyes which were on his, trailed off to the suffering Rapidash's. I should choose my next Pokémon, I remembered. It wouldn't be a fair battle if I delayed anymore.
"I guess I'll take him back in," he took out his Pokeball and extracted the Pokémon right back. Why did he do that?
Before I opened my mouth to voice my opposition, he said, "Your next Pokémon will easily beat Rapidash. It hasn't much fight left, making it suffer knowing the result is pointless unless it's an official match."
He wasn't a cold-hearted prick as I thought because his actions suggested he cared for his Pokémon.
He said, "You did a good job, I should say, but it could have been a lot easier if you switched." I remained silent, unable to answer him.
"Ash," he spoke one more time. "I don't like your battle style. Not one bit," he said bluntly. I was fairly ashamed of what I thought of this man, but that doesn't mean he wasn't being a prick in my case. So basically there wasn't much difference, and yet I felt guilty somehow.
"But I'll battle you with everything I've got," he enlarged his Pokeball. "I know what you'll be sending next. So I prepared the right Pokémon for it."
I took a deep breath in, pushing the last few minutes out of my memory. Brushing them off as if it never happened. "Even if you say so," I smirked, "I will win and prove why Cynthia acknowledged my battle style." That's right; I am now putting Cynthia's words into the line too. I shouldn't lose, for her at least.
"Good, always keep the stakes high, that's what your grandfather used to say," he enlarged the Pokeball. "My prediction is that you will use Pikachu as your next Pokémon. What I have in my hand is a perfect counter to your Pikachu."
So he wasn't just joking, huh. Then in that case, "That's right. Pikachu is my next Pokémon." I glanced down and winked at my best partner. "Let's do it, Pikachu,"
The rodent acknowledged my feelings and stepped forward, settling down to his fours. Sparks leaked out of his cheeks, as a signal to my opponent that he really meant business.
"Well then," Dad aimed the ball at the ground. "Let's take the winnings, Dugtrio!"
The triple headed Pokémon appeared with an echoing cry.
A ground type huh. I exchanged a glance with that man; he was studying me, if there was some kind of fear in my face.
Type disadvantages mean nothing to me. I think I proved that earlier. So I remained confident, much to his annoyance.
"You make the first move," he said, nonchalantly.
Alright. Electric moves don't work, so I will focus on getting closer to Dugtrio and finish it off with Iron Tail.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
Pikachu's fluffy long ears straightened, a white aura surrounded him, and dashed forwards with the speed that could rival a motorbike, taking coherent breaths between while exhaling them with a 'Pi'.
The tense battle atmosphere returned. Once again both of us returned to studying what the opponent would do and counter that move.
"Dig!"
The other trainer's reaction was fast, and necessary for dodging the Quick Attack. It couldn't be helped that Dugtrio was quick in following his lead. Spinning about itself, the Pokémon dug itself out of the scene before the fast move could even hit it.
Pikachu put a brake to its attack, he swiveled his head around, his eyes fervently looking for the Pokémon that was about to emerge out of anywhere, anytime. The two of us faced this situation many times, and there wasn't a particularly great strategy to overcome this, other than put a vigil on the surroundings, that we did.
Unlike Pikachu who had to turn his head around to have a view of the battlefield, my vision covers the entire area. But the time lag between me warning Pikachu and he following my command would be enough for the opponent to finish the attack. The only way out of this was to observe and warn before the enemy attacks. But if I were to warn too soon, the enemy would attack from some other direction. It's a matter of timing if you catch my drift.
The ground was still, nothing moved except the grass that swayed with the wind, and my partner who was aching to dodge the incoming attack anytime.
"Pi," Pikachu's ears wobbled a bit. It must have heard something. It was close then. I strained my ears, into the silent atmosphere. That's when I heard the faint rumbling noise. If it was perceived by my ears, then it was pretty close. The ground began to shake, it wasn't a powerful tremor, just a small one, befitting of a Dugtrio.
My eyebrows furrowed, sending a warning glance to Pikachu. The rodent pressed his legs to the ground, ready to jump anytime. The rumbling grew louder and louder until—
"Jump!" I barked out the command. Pikachu was already in the air, and simultaneously Dugtrio emerged out of the ground, surprised and disappointed to find its target in the air.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Right in the middle of his jump, Pikachu's yellow tail stiffened to a bright silver color akin to a freshly made iron bar. He spun about his flexible body, increasing the momentum of the attack.
As Dugtrio's trainer let out a gasp, and the Pokémon shivered in fear, the heavy attack landed on Dugtrio's head. The Pokémon 'moved' a few steps due to the impact.
"Awesome job!" I gave Pikachu a thumbs-up to which he raised a paw victoriously.
"Quite a powerful Pokémon you got there," Dad commented "Let's see how you will take this. Dugtrio use your special ability!"
Special ability? Wait, what was it? My brain desperately searched for any trace of memory I had on Dugtrio. The search gave a blink on the word Arena Trap. The realization only gave me an instant headache.
"Pikachu," I let out a hurried yell, "fall back!"
The electrified look on my face sent the urgency of the situation to him. Pikachu turned around and began to sprint towards me when—
A huge chunk of ground beneath Pikachu gave away at once. The rodent immediately fell into the pit before it could react in any way possible.
"Pikachu!" I let out a cry. It was too late.
Dust erupted from where Pikachu once stood, clouding my view from what was happening underneath. The dust cleared away slowly, but the scene only made me skip a heartbeat.
What has been a plain grassy land turned out into an enormous pit, filled with crumbles of the broken ground. All I saw everywhere was a pile of rocks that were supposed to be supporting the topsoil.
Like a drill machine, Dugtrio emerged out at the centre of the pit and watched its handiwork proudly.
My mind was completely blank. It seemed like someone electrocuted my brain from the inside, leaving nothing but a dazed 'Ash' who couldn't even breathe properly.
Was this over, so quickly? No, I refuse to accept so. Not my Pokémon, not my Pikachu. Then why wasn't anything moving? Why was everything so damn silent?
It took a while for me to collect my thoughts. I took a deep breath, putting my electrified brain back to work. Pikachu was still there, he was simply trapped underneath all that. In that case I'll save him.
"Use thunderbolt to smash the boulders away!" My voice echoed.
A dreadful silence followed. Fear crept through my veins instead of blood. Did something happen to Pikachu? The old man broke his wry smile and opened his mouth to say something.
Only to be interrupted by an explosion from underneath. A lone streak of electricity shot into the empty sky, blasting the rubble, underneath from which the attack erupted. A tiny yellow figure appeared in the mountain of rocks. His little figure was bruised all over with black soot like marks that tainted the pure yellow he was. His breath was ragged, but it seems he didn't suffer any fatal injury.
"Good," was all that man said in response. Of course he's my Pikachu.
"Let's continue then," he said, the seriousness on his face remained. "Dugtrio, rockslide."
My eyes instantly darted to the sky. Out of nowhere, huge boulders appeared, to rain on the contrastingly small Pikachu.
All I could let out was a small noise at first. I snapped finally as the danger approached, "Pikachu, destroy that boulder with Electroball."
My partner reacted as quickly as he could. Electricity surged through his tail, and slowly shaped into a ball filled with electric energy. The ball was smashed into the air, like a tennis player's serve.
The ball of energy struck a particular boulder above him and exploded with a loud bang. The huge boulder was broken into smaller harmless ones, while the rest of the boulders that couldn't harm him landed with a huge ground shaking impact.
Taking the chance Pikachu shot for the surface. It was smart of him, because I was planning to do the same.
"Dugtrio, Dig!" He commanded as Pikachu approached the exit of the extremely steep pit. It was a perfect moment to catch us off guard.
Not one second sooner or later, as Pikachu put his front paw on the firm land outside, Dugtrio appeared from underneath the grassy land, tackling the defenseless rodent back into the depths of the pit, which then landed on one of the huge chunks of boulder Rockslide left, squirming in pain.
"Dammit," I cursed under my breath. It seemed like a Herculean effort, but Pikachu managed to stand on his feet once again, somehow.
"Looks like I cornered you once again," he smirked. "What magic will you do now?"
That's right. I should figure a way out like the last time, except I will be a bit more careful this time. I won't let my emotions take the control of my battle. I promised that to myself many times, but I somehow end up forgetting it when needed.
All right, so what should I do? Dugtrio used both long range and short range moves. Not to mention, he has effectively trapped me inside the pit. There's no way in hell I could win unless I found a way out.
Wait!
I could use that! That's right; I could use the same tactic I used against Trip's Serperior back in the Unova League. Combine Electroball and Iron tail and plough my way out.
"Pikachu combine—" Before the words barely came out of my mouth, something else grabbed my attention.
It was faint but there was a trickle of water inside the Arena Trap Dugtrio made. "What the hell is that?" The other trainer asked, who apparently noticed the same.
The faint trickle of water grew and grew, until it turned into a pool in a matter of seconds.
"Alex, you idiot!"
Wow was that Professor Oak? It was the first time I saw him speak like that.
"Ah," my opponent examined the water flow. "I think I may have screwed our Pallet river bank a bit."
It was true. The 'hole' his Dugtrio made was pretty close to the river, the current gushed out through the flimsy layer of mud between the pit and the river's path and ended up filling it in no time.
"Why in the name of Zoroark would you make a huge pit like that downhill?" The Professor scolded. "Now the whole area will be flooded!"
"If you were so observant, the why didn't you warn me!" He raised his voice back at the Professor.
"Uh," the Professor was taken aback, "Well, um, that is," he fidgeted for a second searching for answers, and finally gave up doing so. "It doesn't matter! You were the one who dug that hole in the first place. It's your problem."
"I guess you're right," he scratched his head sheepishly. Now, why did the expression seem so familiar?
"Ash," he said to me, "Let's halt the battle. I'll deal with this first."
I nodded. "Return, Pikachu."
The next few minutes Misty spent watching Alex's Dugtrio carving out a neat outflow for the incoming water. In the end, the river resumed its usual flow, with the addition of a small bump which used to be Dugtrio's pit.
"Will he be okay?" Ash crouched, as Brock examined his Bulbasaur. Professor Oak who had some knowledge on the issue joined the trainer. The rest of them were asked to watch from a distance, so that the Pokémon could have enough air to breathe.
"Just a few potions and a paste made up of Rawst berry would be more than enough." The Pokémon doctor said examining the Pokémon. "Leave it to me," he said taking Bulbasaur into the Pokeball.
"Alright," Ash nodded.
"There are few potions in my room," Professor Oak suggested, "Tracey's in the lab. Make him prepare that paste."
"Alright," Brock took a step back and jogged back to the lab.
"Ash," Misty walked to the Pokémon trainer. The others slowly followed her.
"Hey Misty," he smiled at her. It was just a smile of courtesy, she could see. "Thanks for cheering me guys." He said to the group in general.
Misty was slightly dejected. She wanted to talk with him a bit and raise his spirits. But a one-on-one talk was impossible right now.
His eyes were set on the couple by the river. Mrs. Ketchum was casually chatting something with his father, a smile on her face as he made some joke.
"They make a nice couple," she said, and bit her tongue immediately. Ash wasn't particularly fond of his father, was he?
"I guess," he replied lazily. The yellow rodent seemed to understand its master's pain. It tugged his pants, and growled cutely with a 'Pikapi' as if to say it's all right.
"I hate him," he said, the chances that he meant what he said were high. Such was his father's attitude towards him.
"He's being deliberately being tough on you," Cilan said. This now earned a surprised stare from everyone else.
"You think so?" Misty asked on Ash's behalf, or so she thought.
"Ash, if your mother chose this man as her man of destiny," Cilan said, "Then he is a good man, Ash. You should believe in her that much."
The young Ketchum lowered his head, as if in thought. He brushed the Pokémon that rested on his lap while the Pokémon purred in affection.
"He doesn't like my battle style," Ash spoke after a brief silence. "He thinks it's a bad joke."
"Then prove that it isn't," Cilan added. Ash's eyes widened, the words worked like a magic on him. "The battle style you developed as a result from countless number of battles, the harmony with the Pokémon you deeply trust. If you explain him properly he will acknowledge you, Ash."
"That's right," Dawn jumped in glee, "Everything will be alright."
Misty couldn't find anything to add; instead she gave him an encouraging smile. It did seem to have an effect on him. The sulky expression on his face disappeared with the usual determined-Ash expression. "Thank you. I will do as you say." He stood up to his feet, and placed the yellow rodent on his shoulders. "Let's settle this for once, Pikachu." He said to his partner, the rodent pumped its fist in exchange.
I walked to my parents who were involved in a casual conversation. They perhaps had a lot to talk about the past ten years.
Mom noticed me first," Ash," she muttered my name, as if to greet me and warn him of my presence at the same time. The man turned around and set his intimidating set of eyes on me. I wonder if I had met anyone more intimidating since Brandon. Clay was a close one but he was more of a carefree guy.
I involuntarily took a gulp and opened my mouth to say that I was strong, and that I was proud of my battle style no matter how he thought about it. But he spoke before me, "You were better than I thought," he said.
Was it for real? He complimented me. Yes he did. I was better than what he thought, but how good did he think I was?
"Maybe Cynthia's prediction might be true," he said, somewhat unsure. He sighed, "But you don't have five years, Ash. You only have one. Not to mention I still don't approve your battle style."
"Why?" I blurted out. And here I thought he finally acknowledged me.
"It's simply hard to accept," he said as if it were his own weakness. "I trained my Pokémon for years in a rigid orthodox battle style. I couldn't just accept your antics as a legitimate battle style after watching some of the best trainers in the world. Cynthia might say you're unique, but she's the only one who thinks like that."
My fists tighten, nails dug into my gloves. I lowered my head, avoiding eye contact with him. Then, he made a surprising move.
He removed the cap that hid my eyes from his, and placed his left hand on my head and brushed my hair a bit like the way I did with Pikachu.
I wanted to remove his hand, but I didn't. And then he said, "But I am proud Ash."
What the heck? I looked at him with a surprised face. As if to mean what he said, he ruffled my hair. My throat felt heavy at once, a tinge of pain choked me from the inside. My heart seemed like it was clogged and tears welled up. I can't believe this. Am I crying? Just because he was proud of me?
"Oh, look at you," He teased and brought me closer to a hug, "Crying like a girl." The remark didn't hurt me, because it was true.
"Alex," Mom protested. "You bullied him enough already."
"He's too soft because of you Delia," he scolded her mockingly. "He's more of a girl than a man because of you. Look at those cute chicks behind you, Ash. You should make them all fall for you. Gotta catch'em all, boy!"
"Alex!" Her voice was louder this time, as if to give him a stern warning. "If I see you teaching him inappropriate stuff you'll be spending your nights outside the door."
"Oh for god's sake he's fifteen," the both of them started to ignore me and went deep into their quarrel. "I used to peek under girl's skirts at his age."
This only caused mom to pout and complain more. This was the first time I saw her really happy. They were fighting but they were enjoying it. Yeah, they make a good couple.
That night, the Oak's ranch was more like a banquet. A long table was arranged, to hold the grand feast for the group of friends and relatives.
"The food's plain great," Iris enjoyed the dish she was gobbling upon.
"Courtesy of Mrs. Ketchum, Brock and Cilan," Professor Oak commended the chefs.
"So Cilan is a sommelier?" May was already having her dessert, as she gulped down the food rather quickly.
"Sorry for the misunderstanding," Misty apologized.
"No, he deserves it," Iris complained. "He's a real pain, isn't that right Ash?" She asked the boy who was supposed to be sitting beside Mrs. Ketchum. He was missing and so was his father.
"Where did they go?" Dawn asked.
"Ash's showing his Pokémon to his dad," Ash's mom replied, she apparently liked the idea of them bonding.
"Hey guys," a new voice said grabbing the attention from everyone. "Nobody told there was a party."
"Half of them could use evolving," Dad was criticizing my Pokémon. They were clearly not enjoying his attitude. Sceptile put on a face, as if he would cut him any time. Buizel was glaring at him while Totodile and Gible fought to chew his head. "You have too many Pokémon of the same type. But overall, I think all your Pokémon need some individual training."
"We still have a year," I brushed his comment carelessly.
"Idiot!" He smacked me on my head. Hey what was that for? I didn't ask.
"One year is hardly enough," he glared. "I don't want you to just participate, I want you to win."
"Of course I want to win too." I argued. Who in the right mind would participate to lose?
"Your skill set is extremely poor. They wouldn't even let you step into Rosenburg."
I didn't know what Rosenburg was, but I took a good guess. "I am going to prove they all are wrong."
"They will crush you before you could open your mouth," Dad yelled back, "I spent ten years there and I know how it is."
"You spent ten years at the League?" I knew he spent ten years somewhere, but I never knew where.
"Not just I, hundreds of people do so, and they are all dedicated and experienced than you," he spat.
A sudden realization hit me. I asked, "You will be participating in the Champion's League too?" It was obvious. If he spent ten years at Rosenburg or whatever it was, he would obviously participate in it. But still the thought of fighting my own dad in the league was hard to believe.
His face broke into a sad smile, "I wish I could," he muttered, turning away from me. He looked at the distant stars in the night sky, "It was my ambition after all."
What does he mean by that? He couldn't? If he worked so hard for it then why wouldn't he participate?
"What happened, Dad?" Before realizing it, my voice turned serious. Even a naïve kid like me could understand something was terribly wrong.
"It's a long story," he said, not taking his eyes off the sky. "I will tell it when the time's right."
I was about to pressure him to answer when a third party disturbed us. Standing between two large trees was a pleasant surprise.
"Hey Ashy-boy," the newcomer grinned at me and turned to dad. "Nice to see you again after all these years, Mr. Ketchum. I barely remember you."
"Gary," I muttered his name. Yep, my oldest rival was standing before me.
Authorial Rambling: This chapter was way longer than it should have been. Mostly because of the battle. I think I did an okay job with the battles. Battles are main point of this story, but this story isn't just about battles. That would make it boring like hell.
I carefully tried avoiding Ash mentioning Alex as his dad, at the same time he wouldn't call his father Alex or Mr. Ketchum. In the end it was very difficult to put up with that. But yes things will be easier from now on because I can use both 'father' and 'dad' interchangeably.
I made yet another assumption: A normal trainer's Pokemon generally loses its ability to attack properly when poisoned. This assumption was based on Ash v/s Roxie. His Pokemon were completely hopeless after poisoning, and won with great difficulty.
Another assumption: Sludge bomb poisons the victim if it inhales the toxic gases once the bomb(or rather a bullet) explodes. So things like 30% probability etc. won't be applicable here.
Character appearance Count:
Major role only:Ash Ketchum (2), Alexander Ketchum (1)