Chapter 8
They had finally arrived at Ever Grande City, home of the Ever Grande Conference. A beautiful city located on the edges of a giant lake. The various stadiums floated in the water, with the main stadium in the center of the lake. Bridges connect the buildings to each other and to the shore, where the trainer villages are located. The five villages were dorms for the trainers and fans. Plenty of other attractions were available to fill in any potential downtime between matches.
Ash stood on one of the lake's beaches. Pikachu and Eevee ran around him playing tag as Ash messed with his Pokédex. Frowning at some of the information on the screen, he knelt down to reach into his bag. He pulled out one of the books Max had given him, the one by Professor Serena, "The Rules of Battle."
He had finished reading the book at the Grand Festival. It was interesting, but most of the rules described edge cases. For example, there was a rule on determining the winner in a six on six match ending in a double knockout where neither trainer has a Pokémon able to battle. Interesting, but rare to say the least.
Ash had easily passed through the preliminary round to make it to the qualifying rounds. He had used Swellow, the speed of the flying type quite impressive and really only comparable to his younger Pidgeot. It was a quick battle as his opponent used a fighting type and was too slow to land a hit.
The qualifying rounds were not much more of a challenge. Each battle at the qualifying stage was a double battle. Ash used Kingler and Grovyle to defeat his first opponent. Knowing he probably wouldn't use all of his Pokémon, Ash started a rotation. In the next qualifier, he used Corphish and Glaile and in the third and final Ash had sent out Tauros and Torkoal.
The young trainer took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Five wins in the knockout rounds. From the beginning of the knockout rounds to the present moment, it was all about winning just one more battle. Each of the knockout round battles was a full six on six battle. As he thought back over the tournament, he absently flipped through "The Rules of Battle."
He could do it. This would be his Conference. Ash had trained his Pokémon harder than he thought he could train. He had a battle strategy for each of his Pokémon, something he never would have developed before the Silver Conference. Each of his Pokémon had learned at least one powerful new move and one surprising move.
He was as prepared as he would be for this Conference.
His eyes flicked between the Pokédex and the book. He was not really seeing either. His mind was in the central stadium of the complex.
His most powerful Pokémon had yet to be unleashed. Ash stopped trying to study, his concentration was gone. He tucked the book away and flicked closed his Pokédex.
Standing up, he flung his arms wide, stretching as he stood up. Looking towards his playing Pokémon, Ash smiled. Eevee was quickly becoming like Pikachu, never in his Pokéball and a constant companion. Something about the fuzzy little Pokémon was comforting.
Ash's mind moved from his Pokémon to his more recent battles. He had continued to dispatch his opponents fairly easily in the knockout rounds.
Facing off against talented trainers was interest and challenging. He let some of his other Pokémon compete as well, but a few he kept a secret from his competition. Heracross, Squirtle, Charizard, and Quilava had yet to fight. Pikachu was known as part of his team and was getting restless waiting for the right battle to fight in as he had yet to be called upon in the tournament. Ash had decided those five would be the bulk of his team and Grovyle would round out the six Pokémon for the final battle.
Tomorrow, Ash would face Tyson in the Final Battle of the Ever Grande Conference. The winner would get bragging rights and the challenge rights to the Hoenn Elite Four.
Tomorrow would come soon enough and today was supposed to be a day of rest. For Ash, today could not end soon enough because tomorrow would be the start of something new.
Before he could move to join his Pokémon, he heard the approaching sounds of a couple of people. Ash looked over his shoulder and saw the approach of Brock, May, and Max. "Hey." Ash greeted them.
May smiled. "You picked a nice place to relax before the finals."
"You just want to go for a swim." Max muttered to his sister.
Brock ignored the quick argument the two siblings started as he carefully walked across the sand to stand next to Ash. "You seem concerned." He said quietly.
"I guess I am." Ash replied in an equally low voice. "I want to win, but what happens if I don't?"
"Then you continue to train and win the next Conference." Brock said, giving his friend the answer Ash already knew.
Ash nodded slowly. He looked up as he felt Brock's hand on his shoulder. "You will do great. Do you have a team ready?"
"Yeah, I do. It is a bit weird to just carry six Pokémon with me, I have gotten used to the company of more." Ash said.
"Are you going to use Eevee tomorrow?" Brock asked, a bit surprised.
Ash shook his head. "Not this time, she is too young, I think. I want to introduce her to Mom before I put her in a competitive battle. The same goes for Miltank and Absol. I think all three could do it, but I want to give them more time."
"I can understand that, Tyson has some exceptionally trained Pokémon in his team. I have seen his Meowth and I can see how dangerous that Pokémon is." Brock reminded him.
"I thought about it a lot." Ash admitted. "This is one battle I don't want to lose. I will not lose."
He paused and looked at Brock. "I think tomorrow will change my journey. I guess that is what the end of a Conference will do for you."
Brock nodded. "You have a team. Who are you going to send out tomorrow?"
Ash smirked, eyes glinting under the brim of his hat. "You will see."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Introducing first is the green trainer. This trainer reached the Top Sixteen at the Indigo League. He defeated the Orange Crew to win the Orange League. In Johto, he reached the Top Eight at the Silver Conference. Hailing from Pallet Town in Kanto, Ash Ketchum!"
Ash stepped out of the tunnel and into the daylight. The central stadium had a raised battlefield, which he started walking towards. Pikachu walked next to his feet and the two paused partway to the field to waive at the roaring crowd. The cheers were overwhelming, but there was something about the energy in the air. It was intoxicating.
Ash and Pikachu made their way quickly to the competitor's box as the Announcer spoke again. "The Red Trainer has only competed in Hoenn, know around the region as a talented up and coming trainer. He routinely qualifies for the Ever Grande Conference, though he has never won. It is Tyson from Mauville City!"
Across the stadium, Tyson walked forward confidently waiving at the crowd. His Meowth, jaunty hat and all, walked next to him. Together, they made their way to the other competitor's box.
As the cheers for the two trainers finally started to quiet down, the Referee spoke. "Trainers, this is a full battle. When three Pokémon from one team are knocked out, we will recess and the field will shift. This will only happen once. We start on the Grass Field. Begin."
Tyson acted first, by throwing one of his Pokéballs. "Go, Sceptile!"
Ash took a deep breath and smiled, turning his hat around. It was an old habit, one he had not done in a long time, but still turning his hat gave the young teen a boost of confidence. "Come on out, old friend."
Emerging on Ash's side of the battlefield was a small Pokémon, standing on its back feet. The curled tail and brown shell identified the Kanto water type.
"Squirtle!" From within his shell, Squirtle pulled out pointed sunglasses and put them one defiantly.
"Solar Beam Sceptile." Tyson called out.
"Flood Squirtle." Ash ordered.
As Sceptile started to gather the energy necessary for the attack, Squirtle leapt into the air and using his firefighting training shot a powerful Hydro Cannon towards the ground. The water type was propelled into the air and easily dodged the attack from Tyson's Sceptile. Using the height of the jump, Squirtle slipped into a Rapid Spin to come down directly on the head of Sceptile.
Tyson's Sceptile staggered back, before preparing another attack. As Sceptile recovered, Squirtle dashed forward in a Skull Bash. The attack connected and was soon followed up by an Ice Beam which knocked Sceptile out.
Tyson shook his head as he returned his first Pokémon. "Your Squirtle is very powerful Ash."
"Thanks Tyson, your Sceptile's Solar beam was intense, if it hit it would have hurt Squirtle a lot." Ash replied.
"Let's see how you fair against Shiftry!" Tyson called out as he sent his second Pokémon into battle.
As soon as the Pokémon appeared, Shiftry leapt forward in a Mega Kick. Squirtle reacted quickly and Withdrew, avoiding most of the damage but still being sent across the field. Ash watched as Squirtle responded with another Ice Beam, which made Shiftry wince.
Shiftry's Shadow Ball attacks meant that Squirtle couldn't get in close. Soon enough, both Squirtle and Shiftry's ranged attacks landed, causing both Pokémon to faint.
Ash returned Squirtle, whispering "Thank you" to his old friend. Ash looked back to the battlefield, hand already grasping another Pokéball. Grovyle was sent out to the battlefield as Tyson sent out his Hariyama.
Both Pokémon charged and a flurry of close range attacks were exchanged. Ash winced as he saw some of Hariyama's Force Palms connect. Grovyle was striking back, both with Pounds and Bullet Seed.
Hariyama was well trained and with surprising speed kept in close range, finally taking Grovyle out of the fight with a Vital Throw.
Ash returned his second feinted Pokémon. Both trainers were down two Pokémon. "You did a good job Grovyle."
He tossed his third Pokéball. The flash of light solidified into Quilava. "Go, Quilava. Burning Wheel." Ash called out.
On the far side of the field, Hariyama charged forward, hands glowing in a Force Palm attack.
Quilava launched forward into a front curl and started rolling around the field in a Flame Wheel. As the two neared, Quilava leapt out of the roll and her paw was glowing. Quilava dove down in an Aerial Ace, dodging Hariyama's attack and striking hard at the same time.
The two Pokémon froze, standing with their backs to each other. Hariyama fell face first into the grass, clearly unconscious. Quilava turned and trotted back towards Ash as the Referee spoke.
"The Red Trainer has lost his third Pokémon. We will now take a short break to change the field."
Ash and Tyson returned their Pokémon. Each turned away from the battlefield and walked to seating areas near the stadium walls.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the field was rotated to a different field, the two trainers could hear the low murmurings by the crowds. Tyson was able to ignore the noise as he was thinking about his strategy for the second half of the battle. Ash looked up at the giant screen displaying the status of the fight, with him up by one Pokémon.
As the noise died down, the two trainers moved back into the trainer's boxes. The field was no longer flat. Instead, it was covered with boulders. The rocky terrain created a new set of new obstacles and opportunities.
Tyson looked at the Pokéball in his hand. Finally he sighed and sent it out.
"Donphan."
Ash tossed a Pokéball forward, sending out Heracross as his fourth Pokémon. Quilava could have continued the fight, but Ash didn't want his Pokémon to get too tired. "Battle Bell." Ash called to his Pokémon.
Heracross nodded before launching himself forward. Heracross moved quickly, Donphan started to tuck into a Rollout as commanded by his trainer. Heracross stopped the attack before it really started with a vicious punch. Donphan was barely able to pull himself to his feet when Heracross finished the battle. The Fighting and Bug Type Pokémon released a Hyper Beam catching Donphan square on, taking the Tyson's Pokémon out of the battle.
Tyson blinked before glancing up at the scoreboard. He had two Pokémon left. Yes, they were his strongest Pokémon, but Ash still had two Pokémon he had not sent out either and Ash had two other Pokémon still able to battle. The older teen sent out his next Pokémon, hoping for the battle to turn around.
"Go Metagross, Meteor Mash." Tyson commanded.
Two flashes of light later saw Metagross standing over a clearly knocked out Heracross.
Ash returned his Heracross and whispered his thanks to the Pokémon. He looked across the battlefield at Tyson. "That Metagross is amazing. It really shines."
"Thanks, Metagross puts in a lot of effort and I take the time to care for it the best I can." Tyson replied.
"Well, I guess I should warn you, my next Pokémon is a bit upset he only gets to fight in the Finals. He wanted to fight every battle." Ash said as he threw a Pokéball.
Charizard, the fully evolved Kanto starter, didn't roar, didn't show off, and didn't need to wait for his trainer. Instead, Charizard spat a Fire Blast right in Metagross' face.
Metagross was barely able to block some of the damage using a hasty Light Screen. However, Charizard's first attack demonstrated the direction the battle would go. The fire type flew forward, unleashing a Dragon Rage. The ball of draconic fire was deflected by Metagross' Psychic.
An Iron Tail was blocked by Iron Defense. Flamethrower was diverted by Protect. Each exchanged pushed Metagross backwards. Tyson watched, stunned, as the pseudo-legendary of Hoenn was toyed with.
Suddenly it was over. Charizard slammed home a Fire Blast, knocking Metagross unconscious. Tyson looked between his fallen Pokémon and the dangerously grinning Charizard. Barely able to comprehend the situation, Tyson returned his Pokémon before looking to his side. "Meowth, it is up to you."
"Hey Charizard, come back." Ash called out. The fire type snorted in disgust as the red light engulfed him, returning to his Pokéball.
Ash murmured to the Pokéball containing Charizard. "Sorry, but Pikachu hasn't fought yet in this tournament either."
As Ash spoke, Pikachu jumped onto the nearest boulder, sparks flying from his cheeks. Raising his voice, Ash called out. "Pikachu, you know what to do."
Pikachu disappeared. A split second later, the small electric type appeared in front of Meowth. Pikachu's Iron Tail swung around knocking Meowth backwards. Pikachu seemed to electrify before vanishing in a burst of speed.
Pikachu reappeared and slammed a Volt Tackle into the side of Tyson's Meowth. Tyson was calling for Meowth to protect himself, but Pikachu was faster than any defense Meowth could attempt to put up.
And then Pikachu stood over the defeated Meowth, panting in exertion.
As Tyson returned his Pokémon, Ash collapsed to his knees. the younger boy smiled broadly as Pikachu leapt into his arms.
He had finally won a Conference.
"You were great Pikachu, thank you!" Ash said quietly hugging his starter tightly.
"Pika Pi Pikachu!" His friend replied.
Tyson crossed the filed before crouching in front of the happy and surprised Ash. "Good job Ash. You deserve it."
Ash looked up into the older boy's eyes. "Thank you. You were great too."
"I appreciate it. Congratulations again." Tyson said, patting Ash on the shoulder before straightening up and walking away.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The stadium was empty.
The rows upon rows of empty seats still echoed with the cheers of fans watching the final match of the Conference. Breaking into the stands was a large screen, now pitch black. Hours ago, it had been powered on displaying the results of the Final of the Ever Grande Conference.
A young boy stood in the middle of the field. His gaze on the blank screen. Pikachu sat on his shoulders. Sanding next to him was the hulking figure of Charizard, wings tucked in. In front of Charizard sat Quilava. Squirtle, wearing his sunglasses, stood arms crossed in the front of the group. On the boy's other side Heracross sucked on a bag of nectar and Grovyle held his twig in his mouth.
The last time he stood in a stadium after a Conference, he swore to himself that on day it would be his name in the lights.
Today, his promise to himself had come true. He had won the Conference. He had proven himself to be one of the best.
Ash Ketchum Ever Grande Conference Winner from Pallet Town grinned with joy. "We did it. I can't believe it, but we did it." Ash said to his team.
The Pokémon all looked up at him, each roaring their approval.
Ash's grin never wavered. "I guess the next step is to go see Mom."
As he spoke, two figures made their way towards him. Pikachu noticed them first and pointed to alert Ash. Turning his head to look, Ash saw Tyson and Brock heading his way.
"Hey guys." Ash greeted the.
As he got close enough, Tyson stuck out his hand to Ash. "Congratulations again."
"Thanks Tyson." Ash said grasping the older boy's hand.
"How did you get your Pokémon so strong? I watched several of your matches and all of your Pokémon are amazing competitors." Tyson asked.
Ash chuckled. "This is the second time after the final match at the Conference I have been asked this question. I treat my Pokémon like family, help them learn new moves, and I work to improve myself. It is a lot of training and reading."
Tyson looked at the various Pokémon arrayed around Ash, each with their own personalities and attitudes. Each was proud and happy to be with their trainer. "Like I said. I am impressed with what you have done with your Pokémon. I need to head out though, I am leaving for home early tomorrow." Tyson said.
"Safe travels." Ash said.
Brock nodded as Tyson headed off before handing three Pokéballs to Ash. Ash tossed the Pokéballs in the air, sending out Miltank, Eevee, and Absol. He knelt and patted each of them on the head.
"What are you planning to do next?" Brock asked.
"I am going to see Mom and Professor Oak." Ash replied.
"And then?" Brock pushed.
Ash stood up and faced the former Gym Leader. "I am going to continue journeying. I am not sure where right now. Would you be willing to come?"
"Sure thing Ash. I want to stop by home first though." Brock replied.
"Could you teach me how to cook for and groom my Pokémon?" Ash asked.
Brock smiled and put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Absolutely."
Ash looked up at the blank screen. "I am proud of what I did here. My journey is not done and I am looking forward to the next leg of the journey."
Together, the two trainers and the nine Pokémon stood out in the middle of the empty stadium. Tonight was for reflection, tomorrow was time to continue the journey towards becoming a Pokémon Master.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Author's Note
Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. I started this for a couple of reasons. The boring reason is I felt I could write well enough but I needed to work on my editing, so that was the focus. The other main reason was I have read a number of stories where Ash is awesome and powerful. However, those stories tend to start with Ash that way, they pick up in Hoenn, Sinnoh, or Kalos and Ash is on par with the Champions. I like that Ash. However, I wanted to see if I could take him from the anime to Champion and have him grow up on screen. I think I accomplished that to a degree, but his journey is not done.
For all of the reviewers, I have read every single review. I am amazed at how many of you liked this enough to review, follow, favorite, or even just read my work. Thank you. Thank you very much.
I may not have incorporated your suggestions, specifically in regard to shipping and Contests. However, I felt that with the Ash I was trying to create, he would not be ready for either. His focus is on being a better trainer and while he is succeeding at that, some of his other personal growth still is less than great. I hope to show the development of those skills in the sequels to this story.
Thank you all again for reading and I look forward to continuing Ash's journeys.