Yesterday it rained reviews for me. I didn't even realize it did until I saw that my review count not only crossed hundred, but it rocketed to 121! Woo, yeah…:p
From this chapter, I'll set the rating to T because a few problematic words were used here and there. Just wanted to be on the safe side.
Special Note: The commentator's dialogues will be in italics and a double quote (" "). Since he's going to blabber throughout the match, I don't want to add dialogue tags every sentence. Just consider it as second narration.
13. A Terrifying Matchup
"Ash Ketchum, Paul Veilstone and Tyson, could the three of you join me in a walk?"
Following Harvey McMillan's strange request, the three of us followed him, Cynthia and Goodsho in tow.
For some reason, the guy was giving me the creeps. Was he planning to do something with us? I looked at Paul, Tyson who had similar quizzical looks on their faces.
We took a large detour around the crowd that waited for the entrance of the Rose-Red stadium to open. "Um, where exactly are we going?" I asked because it was the right thing to do.
"Some place that'll blow your minds," Harvey said, not even taking a look back. Obviously not satisfied with the cryptic answer, I looked at Cynthia expectantly. The Champion was in her world of thoughts it seems.
"We are going into the stadium," Paul said, his face devoid of any expression.
Harvey looked at Paul, "Yes."
I didn't notice a staff-only entrance door into the stadium till then. It was guarded by a couple of police. After our recent dealings with the cops, somehow they all seemed all the more intimidating. I just wonder how those criminals feel.
Wow, was the only word I could muster when we entered the stadium lobby. The hallway was filled with photos of famous trainers on both sides. The collection of photos were called the 'Rosenburg's Pride'. A couple of shots from battles of past Champion's League finals were arranged in an array.
"You guys wait here," Harvey pointed the three of us to a room with a board that read 'Waiting Room #1'.
The room, to my surprise was well furnished for a waiting room. There were a couple of couches, a bed, a couple of lockers and a few other stuff.
As I examined the strange room, Tyson and Paul settled down on the couches. "Man, I am not sure what hell's going on," Tyson said. "But let's hope it's something good."
Paul simply nodded as he looked down. The floor was fitted with expensive tiles. This room reeked with luxury.
There was silence between us. Tyson did try to make a conversation, but the three of us were too confused and a bit scared as for what was going on.
"I prefer if people thank me with actions."
What the heck does that even mean? Well whatever it was, if Cynthia's involved it won't be something bad. It's just…I just had this strange feeling when I was around that guy. I couldn't just point out what it was.
My thoughts were disturbed when the doors were opened and two more people walked in.
These two faces were in fact too familiar for me. Either of them were men, who were a lot older than the three of us.
"I don't like waiting much," one of them said impatiently as he stepped inside. The other halted when he saw the three of us.
"Brandon?" Paul raised an eyebrow.
"And Palmer," Tyson blinked.
"What are you two doing here?" I asked.
The two men exchanged a glance and told us, "Not a clue."
Harvey was on the phone. "Yes, the five are ready," he spoke. "Now I want the tournament favorites." He paused for the person on the other side to finish. "Tell him it won't be a problem."
"What's wrong?" Cynthia asked as Harvey put the phone back into his pocket.
"The fourth one," Harvey sighed. "He thinks he can be an asshole because he's the champion's grandson."
Cynthia nodded. She did meet the fourth favorite, he was certainly abrasive. "You could always put the sixth? Or I could fill in his spot." She offered.
"It's not a problem," Harvey said, "I know how to deal with assholes."
"He's a good guy though," Cynthia smiled. "Now would you care to explain why you are putting Ash and his friends into this? Goodsho's original plan was to pit all ten favorites against each other."
"There's logic behind it," Harvey said. "You know, obviously in a tournament this big, we'll make sure the favorites don't battle early on. Now that means most battles will be no name trainer versus no name trainer."
"So—?" Cynthia asked.
"If I hype a couple of people," he smiled. "Like this Ash Ketchum guy, then that's good business for us. Besides people usually tend to take sides when a battle goes on."
Harvey walked up to the table that had a portrait of Cynthia and her Garchomp from ten years ago. He smiled at how much she changed since then. "When a weak man is pitted against a giant, people tend to antagonize the giant, expect the hero, the weak to do something even if they are inevitable to lose. Ash Ketchum, Paul, Tyson…I'm pretty sure they can do that much," he smirked.
"Wow," Cynthia didn't know what to say. "I never thought it that way. What about Brandon and Palmer?"
"A demonstration to show how good our favorites are," Harvey said, "Considering how Brandon and Palmer are known in their respective regions as 'impossible to defeat'."
"Yeah," Cynthia shook her head, smiling. "You never cease to amaze me."
"You too," he said with a coy smile. The woman blushed at this.
Our wait was over when the door opened for the second time and Harvey walked in. "Mr. McMillan what's going on?" I asked. I realized my question was moot when I saw the Jason Valentine walk in, followed by a certain middle-aged man in a white over red Hakama.
'Veteran Clarke.' I remembered his name bitterly as the incident in the Elite Battler's Conference still played in my mind. The bitterness was mutual; I realized when Clarke gave a disappointed look after his eyes fell on me.
Behind them was a surprise. "Wallace," I muttered as the water Pokémon master smiled at me in recognition. He was dressed in his usual white cape over sea-bluish shirt. And after him was Alder…
Wait.
He was a guy in his late teens, who dressed like Alder, but wasn't. He had a garland of Pokéball hanging around his neck, an orange-reddish hair. He wore black-white tattered clothing. The guy had a haughty smile when he eyed everyone in the room on the same level as Misty would eye a Caterpie.
And behind him was…
My breath stopped when I saw the last person. He had a greyish blue hair, and wore a grey shirt underneath his red woolen cape. He had light green eyes, and a smile when he saw me.
"Tobias…" I muttered his name.
The five overwhelming people settled down on the couch before us. The guy who looked like Alder immediately took the apple on the glass table and devoured it like some kind of Pokémon.
"Sit down Ash," Harvey motioned me to take the spot beside Tyson. I did as directed.
Now this was really awkward. I am not sure what I was doing here. Tyson had an equally tensed look on his face. Paul was looking at me for some reason, perhaps studying my reactions.
Brandon had a frown on his face as he sat arms folded. Palmer oblivious to it was eating some biscuits he found on the table along with the other refreshments. Jason Valentine gave me a pleasant smile, perhaps an attempt to make me feel at ease, but it did the opposite because right next to him Veteran Clarke was glaring at me. Tobias simply closed his eyes.
"Alright," Harvey said. "Most of you might have figured out by now as for why you're here."
"No," I said instantaneously and realized I was the only one who did so. The rest of them gave me a strange look.
"Pika," the rodent moved closer to my head on my shoulder. Even he was tensed.
"I'll explain anyway," Harvey said. "This time, we have planned five exhibition matches."
I looked around and counted the number of people in the room. Excluding Harvey it was ten. My heart skipped a beat.
"This kid is taking part in this so-called exhibition match too?" Veteran Clarke pointed at me.
"Yes, you have a problem?" Harvey asked.
Clarke shook his head with a no. "Just wondering," he scoffed.
Luckily for him, my mind was still reeling from shock.
"Anyway," Harvey said. "We have two groups of people over here. These five," he pointed to the new arrivals. "Have been voted by various people as the top five contenders of this tournament. Excluding official Elite Four and Champions of course. We won't touch the league members people till tier 2."
He didn't bother to say gym leaders. I guess they don't have much hope on them.
"The five of you," he pointed at us, "Have been picked by me as the blazing stars of this tournament."
"Blazing…stars?" I blinked.
"Yes," Harvey smiled. "The kind that tries their best to win the tournament."
"…And fail in the process," Paul added, startling everyone in the room at the same time. He snorted, "Just like a star before it dies."
Ever since he came to this room there was something off about Paul. He looked grumpy on a daily basis, but now he was extra-grumpy. What's going in your mind, Paul?
"Fits well," Clarke smirked, looking at me. That old man…
Surprisingly Brandon and Palmer were silent. It was as if they were intimidated by Clarke too.
"I don't mean to offend anyone," Harvey said, "You make your own interpretations. So moving on…" he pointed one finger at me and the other at Jason Valentine. "Ash and Top Favorite, match one."
"What?" My brain went numb.
Harvey ignored me and proceeded with his matchups. "Clarke and Tyson."
"It's Veteran Clarke," the old man glared at Harvey.
"Sure thing," Harvey muttered, obviously ignoring the old man. "Next up is Paul and Wallace." Wallace gave Paul his trademark smile, but Paul simply looked away, obviously unhappy. "Brandon and Benga." He said pointing to the Pyramid master and the Alder-like guy. So his name's Benga huh? "And lastly, Tobias versus Palmer."
Tobias and Palmer exchanged a glance before they nodded.
"You have fifteen minutes while we set the stage," Harvey said. "Ash and Jason, I want you to get ready at the respective entrances in five minutes and…" he paused, wondering if he forgot anything. "Ash, we need to talk," he signaled me to come as he hurriedly left the room.
Alright, boss! I wanted to try my hand at sarcasm, but I wasn't good at it. I looked at Jason, the news that I'll be battling him was still shocking to me. And worse, Harvey wasn't even giving me the time to get shocked.
"Please bear with me, Ash" Jason bowed slightly when we exchanged glances.
"Likewise," I bowed back. I then headed to the main door, wondering why Harvey called me.
He was waiting outside the door, tapping his foot impatiently. When he saw me he wrapped his hand around my shoulder and pulled me a good distance from the room. "I want you to use Pikachu," he whispered in my ears.
I gave him a strange look. If my memory serves well, Dad told me that Jason's famous for having an enormous Excadrill that was supposed to have taken down Cynthia's Garchomp. Using Pikachu was like putting your head in an Entei's mouth.
"But that's…" I began to protest.
"Trust me," Harvey said, "People will like it."
People will…what?
I looked puzzled as the man disappeared into the hallway, with of course one question in my mind.
What the hell's going on?
After Cynthia's brief introduction in the opening ceremony…
As the stage containing the Champions, Elite Four, Board of Directors, and Harvey lowered down, the blonde Champion approached Harvey.
"What was their reaction when you told them?" Cynthia asked, referring to Ash and his friends.
"I didn't give them much time to react," Harvey smiled. "I put Ash first."
"Against Jason?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "You do know how strong Jason is."
"That's the point," Harvey said. "The Excadrill of the top favorite and the Pikachu of a medium-level trainer. If your theory on Ash is correct, he's gonna give us a lot of spark before going down."
"I'm not comfortable with the way you think," Cynthia frowned.
"Did I say you are beautiful?" Harvey asked, abruptly.
Cynthia looked at him defiantly, "You know it's gonna take more than that." She knew it was Harvey's way to divert the conversation.
"Look," Harvey sighed. "What's more important is that we give people entertainment. It's not like Ash's going to lose the whole tournament for this."
"It could break his morale," Cynthia argued.
"Then he isn't worthy enough to win," Harvey retorted. Cynthia shook her head, knowing it was impossible to argue with Harvey.
There were lots of people all over me. A woman with a short brown hair examined me top to bottom. "Is this your hairstyle?"
"Yeah," I said, looking myself in the hand mirror I was provided. Jeez, I am not a girl.
The distant howl of the crowds caught my attention.
I was at the end of the tunnel that led into the stadium, the place where I am going to be battling in a few minutes.
Another woman approached and studied me. "He looks fine." She said to the brown-haired woman who put too much talc on my face. "You need to look photogenic," she said.
The cameraman Billy, as I heard, was adjusting something. "All set, I guess." He said. He looked at me and gave me a smile. "Nervous?" He asked.
"Sorta," I gave him a fake smile.
"JASON VALENTINE!" The commentator's announcement reached my ears. Following it was the kind of uproar I have never ever experienced before. It was as if the whole world was crashing in on me.
"Lot of people eh," I muttered, feeling slightly uneasy.
"Fifty thousand," the brown-haired woman smiled. "You need to thank us for presenting you in a good condition." I gave her a smile of gratitude at that.
I heard hurried footsteps. "Is he ready?" Harvey came into the scene. He perhaps ran from the other end of the stadium because he was out of breath.
"He has reached the top 16 in the first ever league he participated."
He looked at me, critically. "No," he abruptly removed my cap and brushed my hair violently despite the woman's protest. "He's known for uncombed hair," Harvey winked at her before putting my hat back on.
"He had been placed top 8 in three league performances and reached his pinnacle at top 4 in the Sinnoh League two years ago."
He patted me, "You know the drill? Billy's camera will be on you the second you step outside. Don't look back or into any other camera, okay?"
"Okay," I said.
"He completed Scott's epic Battle Frontier."
I clenched my fists. The time has come. I am about take part in the first match in the Rose-Red stadium. I should feel proud.
"He has defeated Drake of the Orange Archipelago."
"Alright," Harvey said. "Remember what I said?"
"Use Pikachu?" I asked. "Yeah."
"Good," Harvey smiled one last time. "Now hop on young man. Do your best."
"Here comes the trainer of the next generation. He isn't a title favorite, but he's picked as the blazing star of the tournament. Let me welcome you—"
It's my cue.
Meanwhile in Pallet Town, a couple of minutes ago…
"An exhibition match!" Delia was excited. "Do we get to see, Ash?"
Alex laughed at his wife's naivety. "Listen honey," he chuckled as he sipped on the juice. "This is the exhibition match of the PWT. Only top favorites and the champions get to battle. Even Gym Leaders are considered a joke. If you want to see Ash, search in the crowd." He pointed to the excited crowd the television showed.
"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"
At that moment, Alex couldn't help but spit out the juice he was drinking.
"What the fuck?"
Had you ever felt the experience of thousands of people watching you, and screaming wildly? I experienced it quite a number of times. In Kanto, in Johto, in Hoenn, in Sinnoh and even in Unova.
But this…fifty thousand people….and the whole world from behind their television sets. Yeah, the feeling was overwhelming.
I looked around scanning the entire crowd. My attention fell on a certain group that was shouting my name. "My friends," I muttered.
"Pikapi," Pikachu seemed to have noticed the same.
"Jason! Jason!"
Most of the crowd were fans of Jason, it seems. Not that any of that mattered. Once the battle starts, it's me versus him. My past league experiences made it easy for me to adapt with the crowd.
I looked at the princely man on the other side. Everything was graceful about him. The way he stood, the way he posed, the way he looked at me.
Just when I was getting used to the rumbling of the crowd, the sound died of all of a sudden.
A man wearing a green shirt and a grey short walked in and stood on the platform that was arranged for the referees. He held a red and a green flag in his hand. So that was why the crowd went silent.
"Th exhibition match between Jason Valentine from Rosenburg City and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town is about to begin," the referee's voice echoed in through the speakers that were arranged throughout the stadium. "Each trainer uses one Pokémon each. There's no substitution allowed. The battle ends when a Pokémon faints. In an event of double knockout, it's considered a draw. Is this clear?"
"Yes," Jason answered, confidently. "Referee."
"Yeah," I said pumping my fists.
"Alright," the Referee said. "Jason will be the first to pick as per the seeding rules. Let the battle begin!"
"Jason Valentine is about to send his Pokémon. I know most of you know what will be coming out of that ball!"
The crowd took it as a cue to go wild.
"Excadrill!"
"Excadrill!"
"Excadrill!"
The crowd was yelling Jason's icon Pokémon's name. "It's going to come out, Pikachu," I told the rodent. "The Pokémon that defeated Cynthia's Garchomp. The Pokémon you are about to battle."
"Pika," Pikachu's body tensed.
Jason enlarged the Pokéball he took out from his belt. He gave it a kiss before tossing the ball into the field. "Shake the earth, Excadrill!"
The Pokéball exploded and the Pokémon materialized. Except what came out made me skip a heartbeat.
"EXCA!"
The powerful roar from the Pokémon turned the entire stadium silent. Those who watched the scene looked at the Pokémon on the same scale as one would look at a terrifying monster. Most of them watched with open jaws, and eyes that were wide open in shock. Many forms of the phrase 'What the fuck?' were heard.
Because what stood before them was a Pokémon that belonged to a species with an average height of 2'04'', and yet it was easily more than twice the same size.
In fact, the Excadrill was almost as tall as its trainer. A good 5'9''.
"T-That's not an Excadrill!" Iris exclaimed, as she clutched her seat tight. May took her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.
"Excadrill, the Subterranean Pokémon and the evolved form of Drilbur. Forming a drill with its steel claws and head, it can bore through a steel plate, no matter how thick it is."
"But…" Iris was struck speechless. "It's nothing like my Excadrill."
"If Ash's going to send Pikachu against this one," Cilan said. "Ah, that's bad taste."
"Knowing him," Misty muttered. "There's no guarantee."
The Pokémon before me, it's a monster. It's not an Excadrill. Normally an Excadrill's body consisted of a bulky frame with claws, and a horn made up of steel. This Excadrill, it seems to be the same but…
The claws that was supposedly made up of metal, not only encompassed the lower part of its hands, but it also extended up to its shoulders. The metal part on its horn extended, and covered its entire rear portion, forming a powerful armor around it. I noticed the last part from the large screen in front of me.
"Pika!" Pikachu gasped.
"I know Pikachu," I grit my teeth. 'Can I beat a monster like this?'
"I can't have doubts like this," I murmured to myself. I took a deep breath as I remembered the training I had undergone. "We will win, Pikachu." A new determination filled my eyes.
"Now, what Pokémon will Ash send to face this monster? Will it be his favorite Pikachu or a Pokémon with a type advantage?"
I would like to take option two but Harvey…
What the heck? I can't keep hesitating like this. Whatever my Pokémon is, regardless of type advantage I will give my all!
"Alright," I turned my hat around, giving my favorite pose. "I choose you Pi—"
And then something weird happened.
Before the word Pikachu came out of my mouth, the second Pokéball on my belt suddenly tugged itself open and without any knowledge of mine, a flash of light shot past me.
A five foot tall beast materialized in front of my eyes and gave a powerful roar.
"Samurott!"
What happened was a strange puzzle to each and every one who watched the battle. Except for Iris and Cilan who exchanged awkward glances.
"What an amazing way to send his Pokémon! Ash Ketchum didn't even have to touch his Pokéball! This is indeed a magic! Hats off to this young trainer."
"That's no magic," Iris gave an exasperated sigh. "That Oshawott had always been a pain in the ass."
The rest of the crowd of course didn't know that.
The stunt Samurott pulled was applauded by everyone. It was not something I could take credit for…
Speaking of which…
"Oi, Samurott!" I yelled at my Pokémon. "Do you even realize where you are?"
The Pokémon paused for a second when he looked at the fifty thousand people going crazy around him with jaws that were wide open. He turned back, obviously surprised and ran towards me.
I guess it can't be helped.
"It seems Ketchum and Samurott are having a strategic talk!"
Strategic talk? "Look Samurott," I frowned. "Our opponent is one of the strongest Pokémon in the world. You won't back down, would you?" I pointed my finger at the enormous Excadrill.
Samurott knew it when a Pokémon was strong. In fact, with the strong battle aura the mole carried, anyone can tell it's a strong and worthy opponent to face.
"Are you done?" The referee asked.
"Yeah," I said, giving Samurott a smile of encouragement. The Pokémon grunted before turning back.
"I told him to send Pikachu," Harvey looked pissed.
"Maybe it was an accident," Cynthia said.
"Come on," Harvey cajoled her, "It's not like the Samurott came out on its own."
You never know, Cynthia wanted to say.
"What move shall Ash Ketchum use first? It's time for the exciting battle to begin!"
[Music: watch?v=eg4SCkPhyLU]
Amidst the rhythmic cries of the crowd. I made my first move...
"Alright," I pumped my fist into the air. "Samurott, Razor Shell!"
The sea lion Pokémon jumped at the enormous Excadrill, as it extracted the scalchops attached to its arms. The scalchops shone with a bright blue light as Samurott prepared to slice the opposing Pokémon.
So, how will the world's top favorite trainer react to this? I smirked as I mused.
"Guard," was the simple answer.
As Samurott brought the scalchop on its right hand down in a swift, powerful motion, the monstrous Excadrill simply curled its upper half of the body.
A sharp screeching sound hit my ears when the Scalchop grazed over the shell, leaving the Pokémon underneath unharmed.
"Samurott strikes with a powerful Razor Shell, but Excadrill remains unharmed thanks to its perfect defense! The supereffective move failed to do the damage!"
So it completely blocked the attack from touching its body? Then what the hell of a difference does it make if it's supereffective or not?
But it's not like I'm going to give up with one shot. Using a defensive move against me was a big mistake in the first place.
"Keep using Razor Shell!"
Taking my command as cue, Samurott slashed Excadrill with its left hand, the attack didn't have much impact but, Samurott performed the attack yet again.
"Ketchum commands the same attack again. Does he intend to break Jason's defense with repeated attacks?"
"Hold your ground," Jason commanded. "Perseverance is victory."
Against me it's suicide.
"Samurott, don't hold back!" I exclaimed.
The Pokémon roared as it performed the swift slashing motion again. More of the attacks came.
There's nothing like a perfect defense. As Samurott's blows rained on Excadrill's metallic hide like the blows of a powerful hammer, the defending Pokémon slowly stepped back.
"Ketchum's strategy is working! The melee attack has its toll on Excadrill! Will Ketchum be able to land the first direct hit?"
Its defense is going down. You better do your counterattack Jason!
Samurott's final Razor Shell was a vertical slash that completely put Excadrill out of balance. But as Samurott tried to hit Excadrill with its second shell, Excadrill took a quick step back, leaving its guard completely. The game's mine.
"Jump back and block!"
"Aqua Jet!"
Samurott shrouded itself in water as Excadrill jumped back in defense and struck the mole while it was still airborne, except the mole had already protected itself with its metallic armor before Samurott struck it.
Excadrill landed safely on its legs, while still maintaining the defensive posture.
"What an amazing move! Jason, once again protects his ground type from a powerful supereffective move!"
What the hell happened?
There was something wrong with the order in which our commands came out.
He said…Jump back and block….and then I said Aqua Jet….
What the heck! It should have been the opposite. I should have commanded Aqua Jet first and then he should have blocked the attack. Does that mean my move has been predicted?
"That's a dangerous combo Ash," Jason had a smile on his face. "Albeit, it's a common strategy."
"Ketchum's plan to corner Jason with a continuous barrage of offensive moves has failed. Now what will this young trainer do to beat Excadrill's defense?"
If I keep attacking Excadrill at some point or the other his defense should break down and he'll be forced to attack back. That's when I'll use Aqua Jet to strike him.
If it doesn't work once, we have to try it again.
"Samurott, Razor Shell!"
"Wow, that's some intense attacking that Samurott's doing," May muttered.
Samurott moved like an expert swordsman, hitting one shot after the other, pushing the opponent back inch by inch.
"Clearly there are no flaws in its attack combinations," Misty criticized. She was quite familiar with the species as it was a water-type.
"Actually," Georgia said. "It takes some nerve to be calm against such an attacking force."
"That's true," Cilan agreed. "I've seen Ash battle a lot of times. He keeps pushing offensive combinations on the opponent and lures them into attack by putting his own defense wide open."
"And when that happens," Gary said. "The two Pokémon end up in a close ranged combat. With Ash's quick thinking he always ends up winnings those close-ranged fights."
"That's exactly what happened to Nando in the Sinnoh League," Dawn said, understanding what they just spoke.
"If that's true," Cilan said, rubbing his chin. "Ash might be facing his worst enemy. Because Jason's known for one thing: Patience."
"Perseverance is victory," Gary muttered as he fiddled with his Trainer Dex. "That's his motto. It's even written on his website."
"Friends we are watching the second round of what happens to be a display of Samurott's amazing attacking power and Excadrill's defense. You certainly don't want to be on the bad side of that Samurott."
Wham!
The first blow was a vertical slash.
Wham! Wham!
Then a simultaneous thrust from both sides.
Every tactic Dad taught me was playing in my mind. I tried scanning Excadrill's body for weaknesses. The only part not covered by the metallic part was the small part near its legs. But even that's impossible to hit because the mole's legs are way smaller for us to reach without hitting the metallic shell that covered its belly.
Then an idea struck me.
"Samurott keep attacking the same spot!"
Understanding my command, Samurott smirked and began thrusting the Razor Shell again.
"Good," Jason smirked. "Excadrill dance a bit."
Dance?
It took a moment to realize what Excadrill was doing. Instead of standing still and take my attacks, it began moving its feet.
"Friends, it seems Excadrill is in mood for some waltzing!"
"I hope your Samurott has brought a marker," Jason smirked. "Because you definitely can't hit the same spot now."
Damn him!
Why does he keep blocking my attacks? Why doesn't he do something?! It's so frustrating!
Or maybe that could be his plan…to frustrate me…
Well in that case, I should stop my attacking. I wonder what would happen if either of us don't attack.
"Samurott, step back!"
The sea lion Pokémon halted its offensive barrage and took a quick step back, resting itself on its four legs.
"Ketchum makes an unusual move! What could his intentions be?!"
But that's when Jason did something unexpected. "No time for rest, Ash! X-Scissor!"
"Jason finally shifts to offense!"
That's what I wanted too!
Before Samurott could even take a proper breath in relief, Excadrill removed its defense. The metallic claws of the Pokémon shone with a purple energy. The Pokémon lunged at Samurott, its claws joined into an X-shape.
"Samurott," I commanded. "Dodge and use Aqua Jet!"
The water-type moved away from the heavy Pokémon in time, and shrouded itself in a stream of water.
"Sidestep and block!" Jason's command came not a second later.
As the jet struck the mole, the Pokémon quickly resumed its former defensive stance.
Not the stupid blocking again!
That's it! He's going down now!
"Samurott! Put as much power as you can, Razor Shell!"
The Pokémon, sharing my frustration gave a beastly roar.
Wham!
The attack was powerful enough to break Excadrill's defensive formation in just one blow.
"Excadrill's defense has been broken!"
"Now!" I yelled. But Samurott's second Razor Shell didn't come immediately.
The Pokémon was heaving for breath. It looked back at me and then gritted its teeth as Excadrill resumed the defensive posture without the trainer's command.
"My bad," I sighed. Using another Razor Shell after a powerful one was too much.
"For a second I thought that Excadrill was a goner," Stephan muttered in disappointment.
"It's far from gone," Ritchie analyzed. "Jason's trying to run Ash's patience out. That Excadrill is too well trained in defense. Judging by how slow it moves, it's attack power must be quite good too."
"Trained in Attack and Defense huh," Morrison clenched his fists. "Yeah, that seems to be a correct analysis."
So, none of my tricks work. He's waiting for me to lose my patience. I can't give up yet.
I found more than one way to break Excadrill's defense. But the real issue was that the Pokémon knows immediately to put its guard back up.
When I tried a melee attack the first time, its defense broke, but Jason predicted my next move, Aqua Jet and told his Pokémon to block in advance. Yes, if there's a way I could win, it's by trying that again. Except I must change the timing a bit. To do that, I need to figure when Excadrill will lose its defense before Jason does. Luckily observing was a quality I possessed.
But before that I need to boost my Pokémon's morale up.
"Samurott," I called the Pokémon. "I believe in your power. No defense will be able to hold you back forever. Is that right?"
The Pokémon nodded in agreement. Ever since he was an Oshawott, Samurott had confidence issues. Although in certain situations, he touches the opposite extreme and be overconfident. Quite an erratic guy I must say.
"Now attack with all your might. Time for more Razor Shells!"
"Ketchum is going with the same move again, but he seems confident."
The Razor Shell versus absolute defense began once more. The first three slashes were all from different directions to confuse the mole. The fourth was a horizontal one. The fifth an inclined double slash.
.As my Pokémon's attacks continued, my focus completely shifted to Excadrill. The attacks were powerful to nudge it inch by inch, but nothing more. But soon the scenario changed. One of Excadrill's feet wobbled. It's coming close. But that won't be enough. I need it to time it perfectly.
And finally the moment of truth arrived when Excadrill's left leg buckled.
"Aqua Jet!"
"Jump Back and Block!"
The mole jumped back, just as the water shrouded Samurott. The scenario was a repeat of what happened. But there was a difference.
My command came first.
The Aqua Jet struck Excadrill square on its chest. The Pokémon managed to prevent a crash, but it was sent sliding away.
"Finally, we did it!" I pumped my fists.
Samurott landed on its four legs, there wasn't much distance away from Excadrill.
"At last, Ash manages to land a hit on Jason! Could this be the moment where the tide of the battle changes?!"
"You broke my defense. Awesome," Jason smirked. "But I have already brought you to the point I wanted you to be."
"What?"
The look in his eyes changed suddenly. "Excadrill, Drill Run!"
Damn it, he's shifting to the offense now! The X-Scissor earlier was just a bland move to give me some hope.
The mole quickly curled itself into a sharp drilling unit and lunged at Samurott.
That's bad! My Pokémon's too close to dodge it!
"Samurott," I yelled. "Use your scalchops to protect yourselves!"
As the drilling machine called Excadrill ran into Samurott, the Pokémon placed its scalchops in a defensive move to save itself.
The defense only proved to be paper thin before the immense attack power Excadrill carried. The attack struck Samurott straight on the chest.
The sea lion screamed in pain as the attack took it sliding away for a good distance. Two simultaneous clangs were heard at the same time.
It was bad news to me.
Samurott lost its scalchops!
"Oh crap!" Misty rose from her seat when the two scalchops flew away from Samurott's hands and landed on the ground, far away from the Pokémon's reach.
"Uh oh! Samurott seems to have lost its weapons of choice!"
The sea lion Pokémon struggled to get up. It looked at its hands, surprised to see them empty.
"He's doomed," Burgundy laughed nastily. "I told him to replace all his Pokémon way back."
Misty glared at the purple haired woman. "Oh no," Dawn exclaimed, shifting the redhead's attention back to the field.
"X-Scissor!" She heard Jason's distant voice command the attack.
Before Samurott could even properly stand, the mole crossed its claws onto the water type, finishing the slashing move.
Before Samurott or I had time to react, the second attack came on the water-type, this time doing more damage than I liked.
The water type crashed down as Excadrill jumped past it. It cringed in pain because of the repeated sharp attacks.
"Again," Jason said as his Excadrill jumped back to face Samurott again. "Drill Run!"
"Here comes the third attack of the combo, Drill Run!"
"This match is far from over," I clenched my fists. Excadrill began the dangerous move once more, this time to finish it once for all. But there was a move we still had in our arsenal. "Samurott, Revenge!"
The struggling water-type gritted its teeth as it focused the energy inside its body. At once, a powerful orange field of aura surged out through the Pokémon. There was nothing Excadrill could do to stop that.
The powerful fighting move stopped the Drill Run instantly, and pushed the attacking Pokémon back. The mole landed on the ground with the heavy noise of metal as it groaned in pain.
"This is it," I said with a touch of finality in my voice. "Aqua Jet!"
Samurott lunged at the defenseless ground type that attempted to stand back and struck with the speedy move Aqua Jet. The mole trudged the ground with its feet, while Samurott did the same having successfully completed its move.
"Your guard is wide open!" Jason said. There was almost zero distance between the two Pokémon now. "X-Scissor!"
It's true that Samurott doesn't have its scalchops anymore, and it was in no position to dodge or have the time to use Aqua Jet but—
"Counter it with Megahorn!"
As Excadrill thrust the X-shaped attack, Samurott its horn as an aid for defense. The bug type moves clashed.
"Samurott protects itself with its Megahorn! An excellent way to defend itself. Ash Ketchum has proved that he's really something."
"Fall back," Jason ordered. As Samurott was only defending, there was nothing we could have done to stop.
Jason's too cautious. One more second, and I would have ordered Samurott to reinforce Megahorn with Aqua Jet. The situation could have been different.
The two Pokémon now stood a good distance away from each other. Either of us didn't move as either Pokémon needed rest.
"Ash," Jason said. "It's clear that you can't win without Razor Shell. You need your scalchops."
It's true. Aqua Jet or Megahorn can't be used to break Excadrill's defense. Revenge won't have much effect if I don't get attacked first which I can't afford at this point. The scalchops were pretty close to Samurott. In fact two leaps away. We were in a better position than a while ago. But of course, going for a Scalchop means letting Excadrill attack me.
Of course, Jason could think like that. But a Razor shell can hopefully stop a Drill Run. It's a matter of who moves first.
"Samurott get your scalchop!"
"Wrong move," Jason smirked. With a victorious tone in his voice he said, "Rock Slide!"
Things just went bad to worse for me.
As Samurott jumped for the scalchop to its left, giant rocks formed on top of the Pokémon.
"Samurott, fall back!"
The command came too late. The rocks rained down on the water type and sealed the Pokémon underneath their heavy weight.
"Samurott!"
"Samurott has been covered by the rocks. Could it be the end of this amazing battle?"
The cheers from the crowd rose up as the name 'Jason' and 'Excadrill' was chanted repeatedly. They all think, the battle's over?
"This battle isn't over, is it?" Jason asked me.
He knows it. I smirked, "Samurott, use Aqua Jet!"
The crowd went dumb again when the rocks began to move. At once, a powerful jet of water erupted out, blasting the rocks away in the process. The Pokémon inside let out a battle cry as if to confirm that it was still able to battle.
But the Pokémon's shoulders drooped. Its breaths were getting heavier. Samurott has reached its limit. Even I know that. It's time for it to activate its ability.
No sooner did I think so, a bluish aura surrounded the Pokémon.
"Here it is! Samurott's special ability Torrent! Could this be a glimmer of hope for Ash Ketchum?"
I am not sure about Jason, but the next few moves will be the last ones for Samurott. I have to finish this battle once for all.
"Samurott," I asked the Pokémon. "Are you ready?"
The Pokémon confirmed it with a nod. We don't have the other Razor Shell. We don't have the time to take it either. But one was more than enough with torrent to back us up.
"Razor Shell!"
With determined eyes, the sea lion Pokémon lunged at the mole for one last time to finish the game with its next move.
As Samurott approached Excadrill, the scalchop transformed into a blue energy sword that grew larger with torrent's boost. The Pokémon was almost close to striking the mole with a move that would've definitely done a great deal of damage. But then Jason made an unexpected move.
"Dig!"
The Razor Shell slashed through thin air as Excadrill dug its way into the ground.
"Damn it!"
Samurott looked around uncomfortably. He was in no position to take a dig now and dodging one's difficult. I have to think something. If the dig hits, we're goners. Something real quick!
"Attack!" Jason yelled.
That's right.
"Samurott, use Aqua Jet to propel yourself into the air!"
The ground beneath Samurott cracked and two dangerous claws came to strike the sea lion, but the Pokémon wasn't where the mole expected it to be. Instead, it was high up in the air, moving like a rocket with a watery trail.
"Ha!" Jason definitely enjoyed the tense moment.
The moment of truth has come. "This is do or die. Samurott spin and use full power Aqua Jet!"
The Pokémon that throttled its way above the ground turned around and now faced the ground. There was no way Jason can dodge that! Defending against it was a foolish move too. Torrent's power wasn't to be underestimated. He had only one choice to finish Samurott, and that was by attacking head on with Drill Run. Then it'd be a matter of attack power.
"Excadrill," Jason spread his arms to the sky. "Drill Run!" There was no amount of hesitation. His move came immediately.
The Pokémon inside the shroud of water started spinning about itself, consequently causing the layer of water outside to twist along with it. With torrent to boost that power, the Pokémon turned into a swirling tornado. Like a comet, the tornado shot for the ground to strike the enormous drill machine that shot into the sky.
The attacks struck each other in a clash of powers that happened too quickly to be comprehended by human eyes.
But the result was certainly clear as one of the Pokémon crashed down on the ground.
The rotating attack stopped as the Pokémon landed safely on its two feet. The standing Pokémon then gave a menacing roar of victory.
The referee raised the green flag. "Samurott is unable to battle, Excadrill wins. The winner of the match is Jason Valentine!"
That Excadrill's attack power…it was unreal. It managed to overpower my Samurott's tornado Aqua Jet. At that moment I realized the true horror behind the Pokémon that was rumored to have defeated Cynthia's Garchomp.
Yeah, with a power like that. I'd be surprised if it didn't.
I closed my eyes as the crowd cheered the victor on. What was this strange feeling? Even though I lost, somewhere I am happy.
I am glad it turned out this way.
Yeah, I was proud. The strongest Pokémon of the top favorite. We were close to defeating them.
"That's right," I smirked. "I have gotten stronger."
Cynthia watched silently as Ash moved forward to shake hands with Jason Valentine. There was a proud smile on his face. It wasn't arrogance, it was pride. Pride that he was close to defeating the title favorite.
"So what do you think?" Harvey asked.
"He's a lot better than I thought," Cynthia said. "He's proud of himself. Self-confidence is an amazing weapon, Harvey."
"No one knows it better than me," he said. "Should we tell him the truth then?"
"About what?" Cynthia asked.
"That kid doesn't know why Jason's Excadrill is really feared," Harvey said. "Speed is the only reason Ash had an advantage over Jason. And we all know Jason runs a Sandstorm team."
"He'll find it soon enough," Cynthia said. "Why don't you let him enjoy his day till then? He needs the extra motivation for the tournament."
"You know what?" Harvey said. "You're kind and beautiful."
"Try being less obvious," the woman said, as she walked away.
Harvey simply smiled as he watched the woman disappear into the hallway. "Well, Ash Ketchum seems to be in good mood." He said to himself. "May as well use the opportunity to drop the big bomb."
As I walked back into the stadium's interior, Tyson was standing there, waiting for his battle that was up next.
"Tyson," I said with a bright smile. "How did I do?" I asked the Hoennian trainer.
"Uh," Tyson looked at me uncomfortably. "I was too nervous. I didn't watch your battle."
"Hey, that's not a problem," I smiled back. For some reason I was in a very good mood. With a seemingly stupid grin on my face as I walked in.
I met up with Harvey, halfway across the waiting room. "Mr. Harvey!" I waved from afar.
"You're in high spirits," the man in the suit carried his own smile.
Of course I am. I came close to defeating the Excadrill that beat Cynthia's Garchomp. Not a feat your everyday Joe can pull.
"Then I guess it's perfect time to talk about this," Harvey said.
Talk about what?
Guessing the question in my mind, Harvey answered, "About your Dad and Pokérus."
"This evening couldn't get any more exciting. The second match between Veteran Clarke and Tyson will be Flygon versus Sceptile!"
In the grand Rose-Red stadium, the dragon which looked like an oversized bug and the green lizard Pokémon faced off.
Tyson was the first to move. "Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"
The green Lizard charged at the dragon type as the leaves on its hands shaped into powerful blades.
"Flygon," the veteran trainer was more than ready. "Dodge."
The dragon Pokémon flew away from the slashing attack with ease and quickly distanced itself from Tyson's Pokémon.
"Now," Clarke barked. "Flamethrower!"
Flygon opened its mouth to let out a jet of flames out of its mouth. The flames spread as they prepared to consume the target that stood underneath, Sceptile.
"Detect!" Tyson commanded.
Sceptile's eyes shone with a blue light. With an extraordinary reflex, the Pokémon jumped away from the path of the fire type move. The flames singed the ground, leaving a black char in its wake.
"Flamethrower," Clarke repeated the command.
Flygon craned its neck forward and shot another flamethrower after adjusting its aim to the moving target.
"Detect!"
But the foolproof move used to escape danger let Sceptile easily dodge the attack despite its high attack range. Sceptile leaped forward to dodge the flames, thereby reducing the distance between it and the Flygon.
'I see a pattern in his moves.' The Veteran Clarke's critical eyes didn't miss Tyson's tactic.
"Now, Sceptile," Tyson commanded, "Dragon Pulse!"
Sceptile joined its two hands and moved them slightly apart as a green sphere formed between them; the Pokémon then shot the sphere at the airborne target.
"Dodge," Clarke's command came well in advance.
Flygon fluttered its wings and performed a circle in the air, dodging the attacking at the same time. It was a beautiful movement that only bug-type Pokémon possessed. Even if it wasn't a bug type, the dragon type possessed the characteristics of one.
"Incredible. Despite Tyson's quick shift between offense and defense, Clarke manages to hold his ground. One can expect nothing less from one of the top five favorites of the tournament!"
Tyson smirked, "The battle's just beginning."
The Veteran trainer folded his arms. "I have studied the pattern in your Pokémon's moves."
Tyson raised an eyebrow at this. The old man smiled, "Hit and run tactic, isn't it?"
"P-Pokérus?" My voice shook. How the hell does Harvey know about it? Only a few privileged people in Rosenburg know about it. Even Goodsho doesn't know much about it. More than that, how did he know I was Alexander Ketchum's son? "Did Cynthia tell you about it?" I asked.
"No," Harvey said. "We are close, but she still keeps silent about it. I had done my own homework."
"My Dad's innocent," I said. "But the rest of the world doesn't believe it."
Because of that I can't even tell people who my Dad was. It's simply disgusting.
"I know," Harvey said, much to my surprise. There were very few people who actually believed that. "Why don't we talk about it in the other waiting room?" He pointed to Waiting Room #2, which was obviously empty.
I nodded.
"This battle keeps getting more and more exciting. What magic will Clark do next?"
"Flygon, Dragon Claw!"
The dragon type closed itself towards the reptile, its claws now glowing with a blue aura.
"Detect!" Tyson commanded.
Flygon attempted to rake Sceptile, but the Pokémon simply ducked to dodge the attack. But the Dragon type continued to do the relentless attacking. It tried the attack once more, but the reptile duly dodged the attack.
"Flamethrower!" Clarke commanded.
"Detect!'
Flygon shot the flames at the reptile, but the Pokémon jumped away with excellent timing leaving nothing but burnt ground before Flygon's vision.
'Now it's time to attack!' Tyson thought. But then, Clarke did something surprising.
"Fly into the air!" The old man barked his order.
"A sudden switch from a close ranged combat! What is this Veteran trainer planning to do?"
Leaving the Hoennian trainer and his Pokémon befuddled, the oversized bug propelled its way into the sky and took a battle stance in midair. "Draco Meteor!" Clarke commanded.
"What the!" Tyson exclaimed. "You've been hiding that move all along?!"
There was a smirk on the older man's face. It was a yes.
Flygon concentrated the orange sphere of energy in its belly and slowly pushed it out through its mouth. The attack then exploded into a shower of meteors that spread in different directions hitting each and every spot in the stadium below.
"Sceptile, Dodge!" Tyson could have commanded it to use Detect, but he couldn't as it was extremely risky to try it three times in a row.
The green reptile desperately tried to slip between the meteors, but the attempt failed when one struck it on its back, following which more and more rained on the defenseless grass type.
"Sceptile!" Tyson cried in worry.
The continuous shower of the explosive attack raised up the sand around, blocking everyone's view. When the dust cleared off, the crowd gasped.
"Sceptile is unable to battle, Flygon wins. And so the winner of this match is Veteran Clarke!"
"It's settled! The winner of this incredible match is Veteran Clarke! This experienced trainer has certainly proved why he is one of the top contenders of the tournament!"
Tyson silently returned his Pokémon back and muttered a praise before putting the ball back on his belt. Clarke followed suit.
"Your battle style is good," the older man commented as they were about to leave the field. "But your hit and run tactic has a flaw."
With that, he disappeared into the entrance he came from. As Tyson returned back, Clarke's words rang in his mind. It was true. By then Clarke had already studied Tyson's pattern of attacking. Tyson normally used two defensive detects and quickly shifted to offense. Knowing the pattern, Clarke purposefully made Flygon use two moves and then quickly distanced itself to use the finishing move Draco Meteor. Had he been careful, he could have saved a Detect to dodge Draco Meteor.
'The next time, I won't repeat it.' Tyson thought.
"Not bad," Tyson was disturbed from his world of thoughts by a comment. He found the purple-haired trainer standing before him, readying himself for the battle with Wallace.
"Thanks," Tyson said, taking it as a complement. "Good luck with Wallace."
Paul snorted derisively. "Thanks," he muttered. There was a certain amount of sarcasm in it. Tyson realized Paul was unhappy about his battle with Wallace.
The two of us sat down in the empty waiting room.
"It's just like you said, Ash," Harvey began. "Your Dad has been set up."
My muscles tensed. Yeah, I knew it all along. But still hearing it from a stranger's mouth was a lot different.
"This league," Harvey said. "There are many things wrong with it, Ash."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"A lot of people are trying to profit themselves with an event this huge. Now, profiting isn't a bad thing, everyone loves cash in their pockets. But…" he paused. "Well let's just say there are people who are trying to cash themselves through the wrong means."
Wrong means?
Harvey took a deep breath. "What am I about to say could be harsh: Your dad has been made a guinea pig. There are a lot of big people behind your dad's ban."
"Why?" I asked. "Why do they want my Dad gone?"
Moreover how could they just destroy a man's dream just to earn a few more money? How could anyone have the heart to do something cruel?
My Dad sacrificed his time with his family for his goal and these people… they broke him just for their own selfish goals?
"Your Dad asked a lot of questions," Harvey said. "They wanted to get rid of him."
"Who are these people?" I asked.
"I don't know," Harvey admitted. "But that's why I called you."
Now that confused me. "What could I do?"
"Get to the bottom of this," Harvey said. "And expose whatever shady is going on. I need a Pokémon trainer's help for that."
That's good and all but…"Why the heck do you bother?" I asked. It's a straightforward question. If he was saying all this to me, then he certainly could have an agenda of some sort.
Harvey chuckled at this. "Come closer," he signaled me. "I don't want people hearing this."
I leaned forward as he whispered in my ears. "Once the old man Goodsho kicks the bucket I plan to own the PLA for myself."
"Urk." All I could make was a strange noise in response.
Harvey leaned back and gave me a charismatic smile. "I told that because I trust you."
My mind was blank for a second. "Why me?" I asked, collecting a few comprehensible thoughts.
"Because I don't have anyone else to trust," Harvey said. "I can't tell Cynthia or the police. The people will then make sure all the clues leading to them vanish. I need someone who could strike silently and swiftly. Cynthia's too famous to do that."
It makes sense. I would obviously help him because I need to save my old man's name. "I see," I adjusted my hat. "Then you did come to the right person," I added with a smirk.
"Now don't get carried away," Harvey said. "Before you accept my offer, I want to inform you this could be very dangerous and you're just sixteen."
"My answer won't change," I said. "No matter what happens, I'll save my Dad."
Harvey nodded in satisfaction. He liked the answer. "Well, I'll give you the details once you finish your first league match. I want you to focus on the tournament as well."
He doesn't need to tell me that. Becoming a Pokémon Master happens to be my first priority.
"Okay," he said getting up, "The second match must be over and the third match must have started by now. Let's go watch—"
Suddenly the door of the room was banged open. "Mr. Harvey," the brown-haired woman from earlier was standing before us. "We have a problem. Paul Veilstone did something terrible."
A huge silence engulfed the stadium. People watched the scene before them, wondering if what they saw was a terrible joke or a poor publicity stunt.
Even the referee who was supposed to raise a flag and announce the victor stood dumfounded for a second. "R-Rhyhorn is unable to battle. Milotic wins. The winner of the match is Wallace."
There was no roaring from the crowd like in the previous two matches. Instead, most people threw whatever they had in their hands at the purple haired trainer who stood in the battlefield like an emotionless doll.
"Hey, my grandma has better Pokémon!" Someone yelled.
"Who let that jackass to the battlefield in the first place?" Another member of the crowd complained.
"Boo!" The sound of dissent echoed throughout the stadium.
"Well my friends," even the commentator didn't sound happy. "Without a doubt, this battle just now was a disaster. Milotic finished Rhyhorn with a single Hydropump. Wallace didn't had to try much there."
"Why?" Vincent gritted his teeth. He knew Paul ever since they were ten. They received their starters on the same day. But not once could he figure what went through the gloomy boy's mind.
Dawn's lips quivered. "Paul," she muttered his name. "Just what is going on with you?"
"You bloody son of a bitch!" Harvey caught Paul by the collar and slammed him against the wall when the trainer came back into the lobby.
Brandon left for the fourth match, along with Benga. Palmer and Tobias were nowhere to be seen too. So it was just me, Tyson, Harvey and Paul.
Paul didn't try to fight back. He averted his eyes from Harvey.
"Do you even realize how many millions did you just waste?" Harvey said pushing Paul further into the wall.
"Mr. Harvey…" Tyson tried to say something.
"Shut up!" Harvey snapped. He turned to Paul, "You don't understand the kind of opportunity you just threw into the river."
Suddenly Paul pushed back Harvey, "You're only trying to hype us up so that you could get more money!"
"Well goddamn yes!" Harvey snarled. "And you should be grateful that I chose you."
"Harvey!"
All four of us turned around and found a woman glaring at the blonde man. It was Cynthia, if you hadn't guessed it right away. "Let go of him."
"Let go of him?" Harvey asked rhetorically. "Do you even realize the damage he did to me?"
The woman walked up to him and looked him into the eye. "The next time you force people into your plans, try considering their opinions too."
"Why am I the one who made the mistake here?" Harvey asked Cynthia.
"I never said you are," the woman defended.
"Then what the hell are you saying?!"
Cynthia was obviously offended by that. She remained silent for a second. "You know what. It's my fault. I don't have any business here." The woman turned around and briskly walked away from the scene.
Harvey massaged his forehead with his hand.
I tried talking. "Um, Mr. Ha…"
The man was like a furnace on fire. "The three of you," he yelled at us, "Get out."
Paul immediately moved from his position and began walking. I wondered if I could somehow calm down Mr. Harvey, but Tyson placed a hand on my shoulder, signaling me not to try.
The guard who stood outside the room decided to sympathize with us. "Take the stairs from the left corridor; it will take you to the stands."
"Thanks," I muttered.
As we walked into the empty corridor, I said. "Hey, you shouldn't have thrown your match away like that."
Paul paused his walk and glared at me. "He's a good man," I said. He was going to help me with the Pokérus thing. But then again, he was doing it so that he could eliminate any criminal elements before he owns the PLA for himself. I guess that' selfish…but still. The exhibition matches didn't do us much harm, did it?
Paul scoffed, "Sometimes, I don't understand how your brain works. You're too naïve for your own good."
"What?!" Alright, I was trying to settle things down and now he's mocking me?
"Ash," Tyson placed an arm on my shoulders. "Calm down."
Paul turned his back on us and continued the walk.
"Do you know what?" I said as he left. "He really did us a favor by letting us participate in the exhibition matches. Stop thinking like a little kid, okay?"
Paul didn't respond to that. He simply walked away, silently.
While the fourth match between Benga and Brandon was about to begin, a certain group of girls were all discussing something else.
"I wonder what's wrong with Paul," Dawn said, as she tried figuring out by putting herself in his place. Except she failed at thinking like Paul.
"He's just an asshole," Zoey said. "He's too proud to use a golden opportunity. I'd give anything to battle Wallace."
"Me too," Misty agreed. "Wallace's like the king of all water type trainers in the world."
"What a little kid," Iris sighed.
Dawn didn't like the way the girls reacted to Paul's behavior. The Sinnoh coordinator believed there was some reason behind Paul's strange act.
"There they are," she heard someone say.
The blunette looked up and found the trio of 'blazing stars' coming through the fourth entrance that was connected to the lobby inside. Except they didn't look so bright.
"Paul, Ash!" Dawn yelled to catch the boys' attention.
"Tyson!" May called the Hoennian.
The three boys looked at the women waving to them. Paul didn't respond to her and simply walked out.
Ash, on the other hand waved them back. Both the raven-haired trainer and the Hoenn League winner joined them. They had already saved three seats for them. One of them was left empty though, much to Dawn's dismay. It somehow stung her pretty bad.
She couldn't control her emotions anymore. "I got to go," she excused herself and walked out.
"What's wrong with her?" She heard May ask as she left.
"Why don't you guess?" Iris said, teasingly.
Go to hell, she wanted to say. But Dawn knew better than to do that.
Well things were a bit uncomfortable now that my name was a lot more popular than an hour ago. A lot of people were staring at me, while most of my friends were pushing each other to talk with me. Morrison had a bandage thanks to the chair he broke in excitement.
But what happened inside was still rumbling in my mind. I shouldn't have yelled at Paul like that. He was already down by then. Even Harvey was a nice man. There was nothing with what he was doing, and nothing was wrong with the way Paul felt insulted about the whole thing too. Even I felt slightly off when Harvey ordered me to use Pikachu.
Not to mention…all that commotion seems to have worried Dawn too. Because she just left.
"Ash!" A sharp voice yelled into my ears. "Are you even listening to what I was talking?"
Misty sat beside me, and she was apparently saying something. When she realized I didn't, she pursed her lips and looked away.
"Brandon has begun the match with a defensive move, Iron Defense!"
The match had already started? I didn't even notice.
Benga versus Brandon, huh.
"He's Alder's grandson isn't he?" Tyson asked.
"He looks like him," I said, "So I guess, yeah."
Both Brandon and Benga had already begun with their first moves. Brandon's Pokémon of choice was Regirock while Benga's Pokémon was Garchomp.
Regirock started with Iron Defense. Its entire body was covered with a metallic layer of energy that raised its defense temporarily.
"Something's off about him," Tyson frowned, referring to Benga.
I looked at the Alder Jr. He had a smile on his face, not a calm one or a confident one. It was a vicious one…like he was some kind of wild beast or something.
"Garchomp," his voice was loud enough to reach us. "Swords Dance!"
The Land Shark Pokémon let out a vicious roar as it performed a strange movement with its claws that were now shining with a white energy.
Brandon's second command was Iron Defense again. Was he planning on raising his defense to the maximum?
"Ha, ha, ha!" Benga laughed for some reason. "Defense, defense and defense!" He yelled like a madman. "Such a boring thing to do. Garchomp, destroy it with Brick Break!"
The Pokémon lifted its hands up as the claws grew bigger. The Pokémon then rammed the sharp claws on Regirock.
The rock type had extreme defense, and on top of it Iron Defense was protecting it. And yet…
Regirock flinched as it took a step back from the powerful attack on its face. Brandon definitely wasn't happy with that.
"What's more interesting is," Benga jumped in a movement similar to his Garchomp's Brick Break. "Destroy, Destroy and Destroy!"
"Gaar!" The land shark seemed to agree with its trainer, because it lifted its arms and repeated the same moment. It started pounding the rock type like a mad beast.
One after the other, the Brick Break's landed like the sharp blows of a machete. If it were anything else other than Regirock, it could have been pulp by now.
"What a dangerous taste!" I heard Cilan exclaim. "He's almost like a psychotic killer."
Calling him a psychotic killer was going too far, but I could see Cilan's point. Something's really wrong with him.
"Ultimate destruction," I heard him cry again. "Dragon Rush!"
Garchomp stopped its pummeling, leaving Regirock to stumble on its feet. What the heck was Brandon doing?
Brandon's Regirock concentrated an orange beam of energy between its hands.
"He's trying Hyperbeam!" I heard Stephan yell from somewhere in the corner.
The orange beam of destruction was shot at the dragon that was now high up in the air.
"GAAAAAAR!"
The dragon let out a monstrous roar that exceeded Jason's Excadrill. In fact most people were probably holding their chests by now.
The orange beam engulfed the Garchomp, but it disappeared into nothingness when a powerful vortex of blue energy swallowed it. The vortex of energy then transformed into an enormous dragon-like shape that crashed down to swallow the Regirock.
The vicious dragon engulfed the rock-type into it. What happened next was an explosion like none another. The impact from the explosion was like a windstorm that almost threw my hat away while a huge amount of dust caught every one of us sitting in the first few rows.
I stood up wondering in curiosity as for what happened to the Pokémon that stood at the center of the explosion.
The first thing I saw was Garchomp, which gave another deafening roar as it looked into the night sky beyond the floodlights.
Regirock lay flat on the ground, unresponsive. Even from a distance, I could say the battle was over.
The referee rose up from behind the platform, which he used a cover during the explosion. He looked at Regirock and immediately raised the green flag. "Regirock is unable to battle, Garchomp wins. The winner of the match is Benga!"
"For the fourth time in a row, the green flag rises! Benga has certainly proved that he is the grandson of Alder."
"Wow…"
"Well," Misty said, "That was a bit scary."
"That's," I gritted my teeth. "Brandon's Regirock. How could it just lose like that?"
Benga, you are awesome. A lot better than I thought. Dad was correct. These people were really amazing and strong. Jason's Excadrill…it managed to overpower Samurott's spinning Aqua Jet that was tripled in power with gravity and Torrent.
Speaking of Dad…I need to inform him of the new development. Harvey told there was something I could do. He'll be really happy if I tell him.
"You know you haven't talked to me properly in a while," Misty said.
"I need to go," I told her, and immediately took off. I know she was saying something important, but this news comes first. I could always talk to her later.
The upper entrance led to the corridor where various stalls were open to the common crowd. There was a telephone around somewhere, I remembered.
My search came soon to an end as there was a payphone nearby. I dialed the number to my house that was etched into my mind, thanks to mom.
"Hello?" Dad's face appeared before the screen. His face beamed when he saw me. "Ash, you son of a cunning—"
He was cut short when Mom struck him with an object that was outside the camera's scope. I hope that wasn't a rolling pin.
"Ash, my little boy!" Mom looked excited. "You were really great. I am proud of you, sweetheart."
"Thanks, mom!" I said. "So you guys saw the match, huh?"
"Of course we did," Dad said, coming back into the camera's field. "That was one heck of a performance. But if you had perfected 'that', you could have won."
Yeah, he had a point. If I had perfected 'that'…I obviously didn't so it was out of discussion. "Anyway. Dad, I've something important to tell."
"Honey, could you leave us men for a second," he looked at Mom. Yeah, Mom doesn't need to hear this.
"For your sake Alex," Mom gave him a warning glare. "I hope it doesn't involve any dirty talk."
Now really…I wonder what would happen to Dad if I tell the kind of stuff he pulled in the one year we trained. He'd probably end up dead.
"So," A frown stood on Dad's face, "What is it about?"
"I may have found a way to clear your name," I said.
For an instant there was happiness in his face, but soon his expression turned skeptic. "What exactly?"
"There's this guy," I said. "He was the one responsible for having me in the exhibition match. He told me he knows a way to figure out the real culprit behind all this. He says a lot of big names are involved."
"Decline his offer," Dad said.
Decline? Was he nuts or something?
"Why?" I asked. "It's an excellent opportunity."
"It could be a trap," Dad said. "Look, I don't care if my name isn't cleared. I don't want you to end up in trouble. I think I have a clue about who these people are. They're too dangerous, Ash. Get the hell away from this."
"But…"
"No buts," he hissed, "Understand? Mind your own fucking business. Focus on the battles. You aren't even half as good as Jason."
"I almost beat him," I argued.
He scoffed at this. "Before you think you almost beat him," he said. "Take a look at Jason's data in the trainer database. Now goodbye."
The screen turned off abruptly. "Wha...what the hell!" I slammed the receiver into its place.
"The final exhibition match seems to be coming to an end. Darkrai has shown that it's superior to Palmer's Dragonite in every way possible."
The Dragon Pokémon heaved for breath as it eyed the eerie opponent.
"What the heck is going on?" Barry was jumping like a madman, "Daddy if you lose, I'm going to fine you!"
Palmer was completely cornered. He had very few options open at that moment. He had been avoiding getting close to Darkrai because he was scared of Ice Beam. But he had already been struck by Dark Pulse twice and he nearly avoided a Dark Void. Things couldn't get worse than this.
"We have no choice then," Palmer closed his eyes and folded his arms. "It's time to show the special move we saved for this tournament."
The Dragonite turned around and nodded. Palmer smirked. Unlike most people who believed the battle was coming to an end, he knew the actual battle was going to begin now.
"Dragonite," he smirked. "Extreme Speed!"
There was a hint of surprise in Tobias's eyes when he heard Palmer's words. The Dragonite spread its wings as it began to launch itself and—
ZOOM!
The next thing people saw Darkrai thrown into the wall on the other side of the field. The Pokémon was literally embedded into the wall.
"That's my Dad!" Barry danced. "Watch him destroy that guy!"
"Palmer!"
"Palmer!"
"Palmer!"
The crowd was rhythmically chanting his name. "That's right homies," Palmer gave a thumbs-up to the nearest camera. "It's Palmer!"
Tobias gritted his teeth. The old man was giving a lot more trouble than the legendary-user liked to face.
The Darkness Pokémon pulled itself from the wall, and landed on the ground, staring at the dragon type that fletched its muscles proudly, much like its trainer.
"Darkrai," Tobias closed his eyes. "Dark Pulse!"
"Come on baby!" Palmer danced, "Counter it with flamethrower!"
The two attacks struck each other in midair and exploded, much to the crowd's excitement. Palmer was really a man of entertainment.
"Dark Void," Tobias ordered immediately before the smoke settled down. Things went just as he planned.
The Pokémon created a sphere of darkness with its two arms and tossed it into the smoke, in the direction Dragonite stood.
"Gimme a break," Palmer laughed. The Dark Void passed through thin air as the intended target had already moved away from the spot. "Dragonite are smart creatures." Palmer said, a smirk on his face. Tobias silently cursed the man.
"Now, Extreme speed!"
The Pokémon spread its wings again and charged at Darkrai with an inhuman speed. The next thing people saw…
Dragonite was face first into the wall, while Darkrai simply side-stepped from the attack that was supposed to have smashed it into the wall.
"What the!" Palmer exclaimed.
"Darkrai are smarter," Tobias smirked. "Ice Beam!"
The Dragon didn't have much time to dodge the attack. The attack struck it square on the chest and sent it back flying and frozen.
The heavy weight Pokémon landed on the ground with a thud. Much to its trainer's disappointment, it lay motionless.
"Dragonite is unable to battle, Darkrai wins! The winner of the match is Tobias."
"Another win for the tournament favorites! Tobias and Darkrai have clinched their first victory in this world tournament. Will he sweep through the world championship just like the Sinnoh League?"
Back in the stands…
"I hope he doesn't," Virgil said. "It's not going to be fun if someone with legendary Pokémon wins this tournament."
"Exactly," Norman agreed. "Let's hope someone can stop him."
"It's going to be me," Barry announced. "I'm a lot stronger than my Dad. He told me himself."
"We'll see about that," Max said, sarcastically. "I just hope I don't fall in the same group as him."
"With this the exhibition matches come to an end. It's time for the main ceremony to begin!"
"Someone should call Ash, Paul and the girl," Norman suggested. "They don't want to miss the opening ceremony now, would they?"
"I'll get him," Max offered.
"Take your sister too," Norman said. "And someone who knows Paul well."
"I'll go," Vincent said, getting up.
"First up, is an opening speech by Mr. Goodsho."
Somewhere down on the stage, Flint groaned.
May, Max and Vincent decided to be the search party. They split up in three directions in hope of finding the three as soon as they could. The opening ceremony had already begun.
May took the path that touched the food stalls as she planned to buy something on the way back. The crowd near the stores seems to be thinning down as most people were hurrying back to the stadium in order to witness the grand opening.
Her search came to an end near a payphone, where a lone boy stood, his fist deep into the cracked screen of a telephone.
There were of course people who watched the kid strangely, but they decided to put their distance away from him.
"Ash…" May hesitated for a second.
"Why doesn't he understand?" Ash asked, withdrawing his hand. A couple of glass pieces fell down. The brunette noticed the cuts on his hand and the blood…
"Oh my god," she closed her mouth.
Ash removed the glove attached to the hand and looked at his injury. "I hate it when I realize I'm more like him. I can't control my anger."
May realized he was talking about his Dad. She made a guess, Mr. Alex must have been slightly critical about his performance today. She personally believed he did a good job though.
"Say May," he said. "You love your Dad, don't you?"
The brunette was surprised by the sudden question. "Well Ash, I think you were awesome today."
He raised an eyebrow, "I guess I was," he smiled. "But that's not the point. I just wanted to ask…" he took a breath. "Well, if the whole world believes Norman was a bad man, and you know a way to prove that he isn't. What would you do?"
May decided to go with the flow. "Then I'll save my Dad."
"What if it's dangerous?" He asked.
"Okay," she said suddenly. "You might want to tell me what's going on."
Ash looked troubled. Whatever it was, he obviously was scared to share it with her. "You can trust me, Ash. I can keep a secret."
"No," Ash shook his head. "I just don't want to get you involved in unnecessary stuff."
"Okay, mister. You're making me curious." She inched closer to him, "If you don't tell me what's going on right now," she poked him on his chest with her index finger, and spoke with a low and threatening voice. "I might start my own research on it. You know I like adventures and mysteries, right?"
The raven-haired trained sighed at this. "Alright, it's between you and me."
"Good," May smiled victoriously. Ash was too easy to convince. "So what is it about?"
Ash took a deep breath and asked, "How much do you know about Pokérus?"
Meanwhile…
Goodsho's speech started, "…P.L.A began as a small association seventy eight years ago in Kanto. I was a seventeen year old brat when it all began," he stopped to chuckle.
"Gimme a break," Gary groaned. "This is a copy-paste of his Elite Battler's Conference speech, including the actions!" He pointed at the chairman of the PLA.
"How long is it going to last?" Georgia asked, curious. "It's been five minutes already."
"He's just starting," Gary stated the painful fact.
Goodsho's speech continued, "I made small time tournaments in Viridian. I thought, why not start something big?"
About half the crowd seemed to have fallen asleep. They can't be blamed as the time was almost 12 in the night, and most of them were physically tired by then.
"May's taking too long," Norman said. It had already been three minutes since Paul and Dawn returned. "I'll go check on her."
May's face turned different colors as I slowly revealed the contents of my Dad's tragic story. I began with how he left us, then how he trained under a Chinese man called Mao along with Bruno. How he had great hopes on becoming a Pokémon Master and how it was crushed when he was banned for a mistake he didn't do. I also told about Harvey's offer.
"I always wondered why he didn't enroll that day," May shook her head in horror. "I never knew. Who else knows about this?"
"Me, Mom, Prof. Oak, Gary and few important people like Cynthia and now..." I added, "You."
The brunette shook her head, understanding how serious the matter was. "Me and my stupid curiosity," she cursed herself.
"Now May," I gave her the best of my serious expressions. "What do you think I should do?"
She thought for a second, "If I were in your place…" she put an equally serious face, "I'll take Harvey's offer."
For some reason, I sighed in relief. "Thanks May."
"For what?" She asked, playfully.
"For the advice," I smirked. Because that's what I would do now. I wouldn't regret this decision because I made it after thinking a bit.
Suddenly a heavy arm wrapped around my shoulders. "What are you little kids gossiping about?" Norman was behind me, a strange look on his face.
"N-Nothing," the two of us said at the sometime, after stuttering a bit of course.
I saw a strange kind of fire in Norman's eyes. "Let's go then," he said pushing himself between me and May, "It's almost twelve."
Was it just my feeling or did Norman make the wrong interpretation of the events?
When we returned back to the stadium, Goodsho's speech was running on.
"…The organization is devoted to Pokémon, the profits from the league will be utilized for funding League authorized Day care, and talent scholarships are given to trainers with less means to fund themselves to travel to long distance regions like Unova from Kanto…"
"Wow," I said, "So the first half of the speech is over, huh?"
"Half?!" Everyone around me exclaimed at the same time. An expression of dismay was seen in their faces.
"And nobody believed me," Gary rolled his eyes.
"So," Iris asked May as we went to take the three empty chairs left for us. "What were you guys doing?"
"N-Nothing," May shrugged, nervously. She's really going to screw up with my secret, wouldn't she?
I was about to sit in the seat beside her, but suddenly Norman caught me by my collar. "I want to sit there."
"Uh, sure. " I nodded and took the seat beside Paul who pretended not to notice me.
"Sweet nothings?!" Candice screamed suddenly while the rest of the girls joined in an sequence of apocalyptic giggles.
Norman's eyebrows twitched, he glared at me for some reason. I decided to shift my gaze to the left, where Paul continued to ignore me coldly. Since that was bad too, I looked straight and decided to fixate my gaze on Goodsho, who was still trudging fifty thousand people through his boring speech.
After what seemed like one hour and was in fact two minutes, Goodsho's speech ended.
"That was quite an interesting speech from Chairman Charles Goodsho. Give him a hand for finally ending it."
"And now friends, it's almost twelve. The League fire is on its way towards the Rose-Red stadium."
The audience woke up from their slumber immediately. All of them got to their feet when the grand fire entered the stadium.
Bruno was the torch-bearer till then. He handed the torch to Alder.
"And now the four champions of the five regions will together take the stairs and lit the grand fire!"
Alder was shortly joined by Steven, Cynthia and Lance. The four of them held the torch together and slowly took the grand stairs to the top.
The crowd grew increasingly noisy as the champions took one step after the other to reach their goal. When the champions reached the top, there was still half a minute left for the clock to strike twelve.
"The time's closing down. We are less than a minute away from the world's grandest tournament. In fact the countdown is about to begin now."
I locked at the large digital screen that showed the time left for 00:00.
The floodlights were turned off, a strange darkness engulfed everyone.
Five….
It's about to begin. The tournament of my dreams.
Four…
There are many people who are stronger than me.
Three…
Who are all obstacles for my goal.
Two…
But I am going to defeat them all together with my Pokémon.
One…
"Here it comes….!"
Zero!
[Music: watch?v=bsYrrOLxpSw]
At the same moment, the champions lit the fire…that forever blazed in my heart.
The sky was at once lit up in multiple colors thanks to the neon lights and the fireworks.
The flame which began as a small ember grew bigger and bigger until it grew large enough for everyone to see.
"The Pokémon World Tournament: Rosenburg Cup officially begins now!"
Once the fireworks ended…
"This is quite a colorful evening my dear friends! Now that the world tournament has begun, one must remember that each and every one of you are rivals to each other. So ready your guns and fire people who you think are threat to your victory. I am just kidding of course."
Yeah, that's right. Everyone around me was a rival.
Gary, Ritchie, Casey, Tyson, Harrison, Morrison, Barry, Bianca, Trip, Stephan, Cameron and…Paul. Of course there were a lot more. In fact around forty thousand of them. If I need to become a Pokémon Master, I should crush each and every one of their dreams. Somehow that sounded painful.
"And now it's the time everyone has been waiting for. The matchups!"
A sudden tension rose up in the entire stadium. Silence as deadly as a Seviper took all of us over.
"Before that, I will mention a few statistics. The actual number of participants is…don't hold your breath people…Forty six thousand one hundred and twenty six."
"That's…giant," Norman muttered.
"In Tier Seven, these trainers will be split into Nine thousand two hundred forty eight groups with five trainers in each."
"Wait a minute," Gary stood up, "Are these people crazy or something? That's too many battles."
"Well they have 530 battlefields," I pointed.
"But still," Max did the math. "That's around 170 battles per a field. Quite a large number I say."
"Half of them will be curb stomping…" Paul spoke for the first time in the past few minutes.
"The first round will run for two weeks, with each trainer having four battles with the rest of the members in their group. The top two in each group will be selected for Tier Six."
"Two weeks for tier seven huh," I wondered. I never thought I'd get a lot of free time. Maybe…maybe I could try practicing 'that' between my battles. That's right! I can get stronger while participating in the tournament. Dad will be shocked when he sees my progress match after match.
"You seem to be happy," Max said.
"Yeah," I said. "Two weeks is plenty of time to train!"
"And now, because posting matchups for all 46000 trainers is impossible on the main screen. We request the trainers to check their T-Dex for their matchups. Those who want to know the matchups of a particular friend can use the search option. The matchups for the favorites will however be posted on the main screen."
There was a strange vibration in my pocket. I took out the source, the T-Dex I have left in my pocket. I took a deep breath as I was about to open the device. I wonder if I'll face one of the favorites or something.
"Ah!" Max yelled, giving a chill down my spine.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Did he have a bad matchup or something?
Max looked at me, somewhat in fear. "You and I are in the same group!" He exclaimed.
Me and Max?!
I opened the T-Dex and clicked the new message button.
"And that's not it!" Max said.
"Yeah…" I lost my breath when I saw the message on my screen. "That's not it."
"What's wrong?" Norman asked, looking into my T-Dex.
"Oh my little Max fell in the worst group possible," Norman muttered.
My brain stopped receiving any signals from the outside world. My gaze stood still on the screen. My hands shook in fear. I became deaf, dumb, and blind to everything except for the thing on my screen.
"What's wrong, Ash?" Paul asked, attempting to look into my screen.
"Ah!" Morrison exclaimed. "Look Ash's photo is on the main screen!"
Like a ghost, I watched the screen and saw the same matchup, albeit on a bigger scale.
The match up was:
Group C1
Name (Region)
Casey Britt (Johto)
Green Randall (Unova)
Max Maple (Hoenn)
Ash Ketchum (Kanto)
Tobias (Sinnoh)
A/N: … Go wild, boys.