A/N: I guess I shouldn't give false promises when I can't keep up. But I have turned into this lazy procrastinator over the months. I blame tumblr's existence for this. But hey trust me people, this fanfiction won't be abandoned!
Beta Reader: Jennajayfeather
Chapter One: Where It Begins
October 2nd, 2013
The Lily of the Valley Region, Battle Nets
"Gardevoir, Psychic!"
"Ninjask, X-Scissor!"
The full battle between Max Maple and Green Randall was drawing to a close. The small battlefield, marked Battle Net 87 had a total number of four spectators in addition to the two battlers and the referee.
The Telepathy Pokémon swung its arms, its red eyes shining with a bluish glow as it attempted to track the Ninja Pokémon while the latter darted from one place to the other with movements that were completely invisible to the human eyes. The Pokémon bobbed her head mirroring the Ninjask's darting, hoping that it would manage to catch a proper glimpse of the cicada and stop the bug type's moves completely.
However, the Pokémon's attempts were in vain. The bug-type, escaping the Pokémon's psychic grasp completely, suddenly shot forward like a bullet, crossing its front legs. The Pokémon passed past the psychic type like a bullet train, knocking the Gardevoir off its feet. Moving up, the Pokémon stood at a good distance in the air, looking down at its now unconscious opponent.
"Gardevoir is unable to battle," The referee raised the green flag. "Since Max lost all six of his Pokémon, the winner of this match is Green Randall."
Max sighed, disappointment written all over his face. "I knew we never stood a chance," he mumbled, aiming his Pokéball at Gardevoir. "You were amazing Gardevoir," he said before taking the Pokémon back in.
Meanwhile the victor Green Randall, the once Unova League winner turned around to the woman accompanying him and grinned, giving her a thumbs up. With a dirty blond hair and sharp green eyes, the trainer in his early twenties exhumed a strange aura of calmness while maintaining a cheerful countenance. He muttered some praise before withdrawing his Pokémon back and smiled at the younger trainer when they exchanged a brief glance. Mumbling a thanks to the referee, he soon left the battlefield with his companion.
Max's set of supporters, his parents and May walked up to him, the sympathetic expressions on their faces evident.
"Well, you guys really didn't expect me to win, right?" he asked, attempting to look unfazed by the result.
"You were really great Max," May said, trying to cheer the young boy up. . "I think you did very well in the battle."
"I think so too," Norman said, placing an arm around his son's shoulders. "You did a lot better than I did in my first full battle," He chuckled. "And your opponent has won the Unova League before,"
"Yes honey," Caroline said, a smile on her face. "We're really proud of you."
Max's façade broke slightly, his eyebrows pulled down in a dull expression. "Thanks," he turned to his father. "But I don't think I'd have done this well without this guy," he pointed at a Pokéball on his belt.
"Well your secret weapon packed quite a punch," May clapped in victory. "Maybe you could even win against a legendary Pokémon with that."
"Of course," Norman crossed his arms, a confident look on his face. Max couldn't help but sigh at their optimism, which far betrayed reality.
"Speaking of which," May turned to the referee. "I wonder what happened to Ash's match."
The vicinity of the Lily of the Valley Stadium teemed with people, most of them streaming out of the various exits after the epic battle between Ash Ketchum and Tobias concluded, while a relatively smaller number entered through the front gates for the upcoming match. Amongst the exiting crowd was a familiar couple. Alexander Ketchum was a man in his mid-thirties, standing around six feet tall with long brown hair tied into a pony tail. He was accompanied by the auburn-haired woman, Delia Ketchum, who checked the crowd around her with curious brown eyes.
"They're supposed to be here," she said to herself. Their search ended very soon when her eyes locked in a particular direction, where their companions waited.
"Mrs. Ketchum," a familiar blunette waved at the couple fervently, making herself stand out for them.
"Dawn," Delia's face brightened upon noticing her. The couple was soon in the presence of three young women, the blue-haired Dawn who maintained a cheerful expression as usual, the redhead Misty, and lastly Iris, who sported a long purple hair. Apparently, they were waiting for the two to meet them at the spot.
"Where are the others?" Alex asked, expecting more people to be gathered up there.
"About that," Dawn said, some of her cheerful façade disappearing. "Brock was called to treat Ash's Pokémon, Cilan went with him." Her eyebrows drew closer, "I heard Staraptor's condition was bad." She waited for the older man to respond, as he knew more about the extent of damage Staraptor may have suffered.
Alex remained silent, ignoring the inquisitive glances the rest of them gave him.
"His friends were here until a while ago," Misty said, realizing Alex wasn't going to talk about Staraptor or about the combination moves anymore. "They all left because he isn't back yet."
"Except that guy," Iris pointed her finger at a brown-haired teen standing by a pole at a distance, watching the group from the corner of his eyes. "He's been looking at us for a while."
Alex didn't pay attention to the stranger. "What is Ash doing in there?" He asked, frustration hidden in his voice.
As if to answer his question, the stadium's automatic glass doors opened as a teenager walked out. However, Alex was only met with disappointment upon realizing that the person walking out wasn't the raven-haired trainer they were waiting for.
The teen pretended to not notice the group, despite exchanging a brief glance with them and continued walking at a distance, hands inside pockets. Alex squinted at the mauve-haired boy for a while. Judging by the sullen expression he constantly had on his face, he knew better than to call him and ask about his son.
However, Dawn did not.
"Paul," the blunette jumped, excitedly waving her hands. "Over here!"
The boy didn't have much choice other than throwing the blunette a glance. The frown on his face disappeared, though he still seemed like he had something against smiling at an acquaintance.
"Have you seen Ash inside?" She asked.
He glanced back at the stadium for a second and then turned back to Dawn, the frown returning back to his face. "No," he said, before resuming his walk again. The blunette abstained from pursuing him, much to his luck.
"He must be in a bad mood?" Delia mused, watching the teenager leave.
"He's always in a bad mood," Dawn huffed, crossing her arms.
"Oh…" Mrs. Ketchum pondered what Dawn meant.
On the other hand, her husband's attention was still focused in the direction Paul came from.
"I wonder if Ash's okay," Iris said slowly, earning a glance from everyone else. "I mean," she attempted to explain herself. "He must be disappointed after losing the match. He's trained hard for the tournament and…" She paused upon noticing that everyone else's expression fell at her comment. Maybe because it was the truth and they knew it all along.
"Can someone get him?" Alex asked at last, his patience wearing thin.
"I'll go," Iris volunteered.
"Me too," the blunette added.
"There's no need to do that," Misty said, surprising the other two.
The automatic doors opened once again, paving way to the raven-haired trainer they were all waiting for. The group turned silent upon Ash's arrival and instead studied his face to get a hint of his mood. Ash however smiled and waved at them as if nothing happened, "Hey everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's okay Ash," Dawn said, brushing his apology with a cheerful smile. She swiveled around to face Alex, "Mr. Ketchum was the only impatient one here."
Delia hid a chuckle. "Your friends were worried about you, sweetie," she said, to which Ash rubbed the back of his neck, an apologetic expression on his face. He attempted to say something but—
"Ash," Alex interrupted the budding conversation. "I want to talk something," he said, the edge of his lips tugged downwards. The younger Ketchum's cheerful expression disappeared. The girls and Delia turned to the older Ketchum, curious. "Alone," he pointed at an empty stall to the left.
Dawn and Iris moved aside to give way for the raven-haired trainer, though the curiosity remained on their faces. Ash followed his father's lead to the rather uncrowded area.
"Is Mr. Ketchum mad at Ash for losing?" Iris asked Delia, the latter looking more worried than the younger woman. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should answer Iris's question honestly or not. She remembered Professor Oak and Alex having a strange conversation while they waited in the airport. They were all hush-hush about it when she was around, but she did overhear a couple of words like "pushing Ash" and "you couldn't win". Alex looked slightly down ever since.
"I don't think so," she said, giving the ambiguous answer. "Maybe he's worried about Ash."
Meanwhile, the father and son walked a good distance away from the group, and after making sure that they were out of earshot, Alex spoke, "I'm going to be real honest. I was really disappointed."
Ash remained silent, finding nothing to respond to his father.
Alex's expression softened slightly at this. "But at the same time, the level of battling you showed today was beyond my expectations. Seeing the result of our training in action was the best thing in my whole life," he showed his teeth, gesturing a victory symbol with his fingers. "You may have lost but you sure kicked his legendary butt, son."
His father's cheerfulness caused the raven-haired to break into a smile too. "Gee thanks, Dad," he scratched his cheek.
"But," Alex's expression suddenly darkened. "I see that you've been up to some mischief over here."
Ash's face turned pale. He had a good guess what his father might be talking about. Ash told Alex about Harvey's proposal and his father never accepted to the arrangement, warning him to stay away from that man. But Ash had already made up his mind. Regardless of his father's approval, he would try to find a way to prove his innocence regarding the Pokérus issue.
"I knew it you idiot," Alex said, his actions reminding him of an angry Houndoom. The raven-haired trainer flinched back, putting his hands forward in defense. "I thought you were going to do something stupid."
"Wait a minute," Ash raised an eyebrow, surprised by the new revelation. "Is that why you're here?" He couldn't help but feel guilty. Rosenburg was the last place his father would want to visit, considering his circumstances.
"That," he affirmed. Though his expression changed once again, enthusiasm now written all over his face. "And I couldn't just sit at home after seeing your match with Jason and his Excadrill."
"Thanks for the support Dad," Ash smiled, a newfound determination now showing on his face. "My track record hasn't been great since I've come here. But I'm planning to change that."
"That's what I wanted to hear," Alex said with commendation. "Anyway, your Mom and I are going to stay in that villa I told I bought. Pay us a visit once in a while."
"Of course I will," Ash responded. "I'm not gonna let you have Mom's cooking all for yourself."
Alex smiled back and patted on his shoulder. "Ash, I just don't want you to get into trouble." The younger Ketchum remained silent, his eyes to the ground. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Dad," he mustered a smile, looking up. "I'm sorry. I must have worried you a lot." He knew what it meant for his father coming all the way to Rosenburg and he was grateful for his presence. But at the same time, he was angry at himself. He shouldn't have told about it to his father, after all.
"It's okay," Alex chuckled softly. "Don't worry much about it and focus on winning the rest of your matches."
"I will," he put up his determined expression. "I might have lost to Tobias but I'll win the rest of the matches and make it to the next round."
"Keep up that spirit," Alex beamed at his son proudly. "And remember all the training we had. It won't go to waste, I can assure you that."
Ash nodded.
"Alright," Alex grunted, before taking a step back. "Let's go back then," he turned to the gang. Ash did the same and exchanged a glance with the four, who were engaged in their own conversation. They were perhaps worried about what he and his dad were discussing about. "Your friends are waiting for you."
Ash watched with an amused smile as his father jogged back towards the gang, before proceeding to follow him. The said man however stopped midway and turned back to Ash. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked.
Alex shook his head 'no' and gave him a thumbs up. "Good luck," he mumbled, before turning back again.
"So, what did he say?" Iris asked, after the couple left the group. The raven-haired trainer waved as his parents disappeared into the crowd.
"He wasn't mad, was he?" Dawn looked concerned.
"Nah," Ash said, smiling as he remembered his father's words. "He cheered me up, actually."
"That's a relief," she sighed. She couldn't really make out anything of the conversation from the distance. Alex's expression changed from happy to angry around a four times in just a matter of few seconds. The blunette honestly wondered if the man had a personality disorder or something.
"I'm sorry I worried all of you," Ash apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel a lot b—"
"Ash," Iris interrupted, nudging him. She leaned closed and whispered into his ear. "That guy over there is staring at us for a long time. I think he's waiting for you."
For once, even Misty who was rather distant from the conversation shifted her attention to the lone young man, standing by wooden poles that were usually used to support the makeshift stalls.
"Who?" Ash looked in the direction the dragon trainer pointed, finding someone he didn't expect to see. "Wait, that's Richard!" He exclaimed in recognition.
The trainer with spiky brown hair smirked when Ash finally took notice of him and walked towards the group. "Do you know him?" Dawn asked.
Ash threw her an apprehensive glance, "It's a long story," he said. "Let's just say we didn't exactly meet on the right terms." The raven-haired trainer 'met' Richard during the registration process the day before. Richard came out of the blue and punched Ash on the face because he moved closely with Katie. The said woman only disliked him more because of that. Somehow, the whole issue ended up with Richard and Ash facing each other.
"You sure like to keep people waiting," he looked slightly annoyed, eyebrows furrowed."I have started to give up, y'know?"
"What do you want, Richard?" Ash asked, narrowing his eyes.
The taller teen raised his head, replying to the raven-haired trainer's glare with a sharp gaze, the intensity of it amplified by his thin brown irises. "I just came to praise you about your performance today," though his words seemed genuine, the hint of condescendence in his voice betrayed it.
Ash's lips thinned into a line.
"No really," he said. "I thought you were pretty good when you battled us yesterday. But—" he paused, throwing the three girls a brief look. He clicked his tongue, "Wait a minute. Are all of these, your cheerleaders?"
"W-What?" Ash was dumbstruck by the sudden question. He turned back, suddenly feeling the growing hostility from behind.
"I realize us waiting for him might have suggested you that," Misty spoke with an uneasily calm tone, but the twitch of her eyebrow could tell that she would burst like a volcano if the line were to be crossed again. "But we're not."
"As if I'd be this little kid's fan," Iris brushed her hair, a smug expression on her face. "Not a chance." Dawn simply smiled, deciding not to add to the burning fuel.
"Whoa ladies," Richard stepped back, slightly intimidated. "I was just kidding. Arceus," he muttered under his breath. He leaned close and whispered into Ash's ear. "Better don't mess with them, buddy."
Ash put an expression akin to that while eating a sour grape. He wasn't really comfortable with the line of conversation. Much to his luck, Richard changed the topic himself. "You're pretty good. I'll give you that. But y'know," he smirked. "You're not gonna stand a chance against me if that's all you are capable of."
Misty rolled her eyes. The number of people who come to Ash, just to say this were plenty right from his days as a beginner trainer. It's a common way for people to grab someone's attention among Pokémon trainers. Obviously, Richard was impressed by today's performance and sought Ash's attention. And knowing Ash, he would get all riled up and give him what he wanted.
"Really?" Ash folded his arms, looking laid back. "I thought we were winning against you yesterday."
Misty found herself smiling. For once, he wasn't a complete idiot. He had at least learned to not get all excited at every remark people threw at him.
"That was just a sample of my skill," Richard however, didn't seem to drop his confident façade. "Well it's true I cannot beat Tobias's Pokémon by ordinary means. But my Pokémon can do something yours can't."
"And what's that?" Ash asked.
"It's our secret power," Richard laughed. But then, his expression suddenly grew serious. "You'll see it when I pay you back for insulting me before Katie, but most importantly I am going to crush the 'Rising Star' of the tournament."
"So that's what all this is about, huh?" Ash asked, not giving in to the latter's remarks. He felt a bit sorry for the Hoennian back when Katie gave him a harsh reply. But at the same time, he knew Richard's own behavior was responsible for everything that happened. Which was why, he felt more angry than sorry. "Well, let's see about that. I'm up for the challenge."
"Now that's what I wanted to hear," Richard said, looking satisfied. "You're really impressive to have grown from a pest to rival in my eyes within a day," he laughed to himself. "Anyway, now that you're my rival, let me give you a piece of advice."
Ash sighed, but refrained from complaining. He wasn't really in the mood for a long conversation with Richard. Arguing back would only make things worse from him.
Richard folded his left arm, resting his right arm over it. "Sometimes the main obstacle stopping you from getting strong is your own fears. Sometimes you have the key to unlock your true strength. But if you're too weak to use it, you might as well give up."
Ash's mouth wide opened in surprise. 'Does he know about combination moves?' He thought for a second. It was impossible. Nobody except he and his father knew about it, the raven-haired trainer thought. Or was he really giving a general statement?
"Of course that goes to all four of you," he said, smiling at Misty this time. The redhead watched him with a plain expression, not wanting to drag things any further.
Misty realized that his words had an impact on all four of them. Perhaps all of them had something hidden after all, she realized. Her hands unconsciously moved towards her chest.
The one who looked who most riled up by those words were Ash. The raven-haired trainer who managed to put up a calm expression until then, looked nonplussed. "What was that supposed to mean?" He asked, breaking the silence.
"Nothing," he said, turning around. "It's just an advice I want you to follow. I believe in that philosophy, that's why my Pokémon can go beyond their actual power."
Ash seemed like he wanted to ask the latter something, but forced himself to stay silent.
"Well I said what ought to be said," he spoke once again. "I'm expecting great things from you, Ketchum. I've recognized you as my rival. Don't disappointment me now."
Ash remained silent, watching the Hoennian leave. He remembered the damage Staraptor received in the match earlier. Granted Staraptor could have suffered worse had they not attacked back, but how justified was it? The thoughts frustrated him to a great extent.
"Don't let his words get to your head." Ash was surprised to see Misty speak for once. The raven-haired trainer turned back to face the redhead, who wore a frown on her face. "He's trying to rile you up."
Ash shook his head. "Yeah, thanks."
Iris and Dawn exchanged quizzical glances. The last time they remembered, Misty was mad enough at Ash to throw a pointed fork at him. While the dragon trainer wondered if some kind of ghost has suddenly taken over her, the blunette smiled to herself at the implication. They'd probably get to ask her a lot of questions that night, she thought.
A strange silence remained between the four, as each of them were wrapped in their own line of thoughts. Until Ash's stomach rumbled once again.
"We need to grab some lunch," Misty suggested, chuckling slightly.
"Now that's what I wanted to hear," Ash agreed. His mind was filled with a million thoughts, thanks to the sudden conversation with Richard, his dad and the match itself. It was a long day, and nothing was better at taking his mind off things than lunch.
Later that night…
"Man, I'm stuffed," Ash exhaled audibly in relief, falling back onto his bed at the hotel. He patted his considerably bloated stomach, a childish glee on his face. Although the raven-haired trainer was known for his appetite, he surprised his companions even more by stuffing himself up both at lunch and dinner.
The gang reunited with May at lunch, and spent most of the afternoon and evening resting in their hotel rooms. Now, the rest of the gang with the exception of May and Gary gathered in the boys' room.
"You're the only one who eats a lot in frustration," Misty said, settling down on the bed beside Ash's, her lips curled up slightly.
Ash grinned sheepishly at the redhead, who only smiled back in return.
"Since when are those two are talking to each other?" Brock asked Dawn, in a whispering tone.
The blunette looked confused for a second. "Since…" she paused, tapping her lips. "I don't know," she shrugged. Watching the two casually share a joke, the coordinator couldn't help but mutter a "Wow."
"But I'm really glad they are talking to each other again," Iris said, running her hands through her silky hair. She still found her new hairstyle unfamiliar, having used to the simple hairdo she once had, which was intricate enough to serve as Axew's nest. She really missed the old style.
Cilan, who sat at a distance by the single table in the room, smiled as he added some sugar to his tea in an eloquent manner. Lifting the cup with fingers curled around the handle, he took a small and silent sip before speaking in a tone inaudible to Misty and Ash. "Maybe she feels sad for his loss. It wouldn't be acceptable to hurt a friend who is already in a depressed mood."
"I guess," Iris mumbled, shifting her gaze to Ash again. The raven-haired trainer was smiling and laughing like every day, but she noticed him lost in thought a lot many times than she could count. That was a record for Ash, in fact.
Misty saw Ash's smile falter as he turned to face the ceiling. He was like that the whole day, his expression kept waning and waxing between his cheerful smile and that of deep thought. She sighed, falling into her own world of thoughts.
"Sometimes you have the key to unlock your true strength. But if you're too weak to use it, you might as well give up."
The way Richard spoke to Ash ticked her enough to push their small tiff aside and support him instead. Those words seemed like they were meant for her, for whatever strange reasons she had. But the truth was that Richard waited for Ash, and he was only speaking to Ash. The conversation had nothing to do with her.
Ash was far from bothered by Richard's words. Sure, the brunet's words bugged him a lot, but it was nothing compared to the frustration in his head at the moment. He wasn't frustrated about the defeat, but as for why he failed to get past four Pokémon.
'I chose the right Pokémon for the match.' The team he selected was specifically prepared to beat Tobias. Staraptor's fast movements and access to a fighting type move, made it a good choice against Darkrai. Scrafty was Staraptor's back up to fight Darkrai and was meant to defeat Latios. Glalie was a choice suggested by Iris, after pointing out how there were many dragons throughout the legends of various regions. Each of his Pokémon were strong enough to defeat a legendary by themselves. After the year of special training, they were almost on the same level despite the small differences. So, it wasn't a matter of not using a specific Pokémon.
'I am just not good enough,' he thought. The legendary Pokémon, though defeatable, still overwhelmed his team thanks to their unpredictability. That was the only explanation he had because he managed to overwhelm Darkrai and Latios, which were Pokémon he prepared for, beforehand. But someone like Cynthia or Jason would have overcome the unpredictability and still won, he believed.
"It's not about how strong you are."
What did Paul mean by that? It's true that at this point his Pokémon were all pretty strong and had their own style of battling. There was only so much they could improve by 'getting stronger'. Besides, wasn't that what he did all year? Then what the hell was it? How could he defeat that Deoxys?
"Why can't someone just tell me what's wrong!" Ash yelled in frustration, springing up to a sitting position.
A strange silence filled the room. The raven-haired trainer turned to his friends, who were all giving him a blank look.
"I thought so," Iris sighed, placing hands on her hips. "You're still worried about the match, aren't you?"
"Of course I am," he droned. He tightened his fists. "I was pretty confident before this match. My Pokémon have gotten super strong in this one year. I thought we're gonna win this tournament if we kept going with full force but…"
"Pardon my intrusion, Ash," Cilan raised a hand slightly, catching the Pallet trainer's attention. "But were you seriously expecting to win the tournament?"
"Of course I am," Ash said, his eyebrows knitted, making his expression intense. However, when he noticed many of his travelling companions' expression falter, his gaze softened. "Is something wrong with that, guys?" He asked, earnestly.
He heard a couple of mumbled 'No' along with a couple of uneasy headshakes.
The raven-haired trainer released his fist, dismay now registering on his face. 'They don't think I could win the whole tournament all along?'
Was that what everyone thought? The new revelation was shocking to the teenager. He studied the expressions of each and everyone in the room. Even Dawn, who always carried an optimistic expression only gave him an apologetic look.
He had taken his friends' encouragements for granted whenever he yelled that he was going to win the tournament. But all along, they cheered him because they wanted to lift his spirits up. None of them actually believed he was strong enough to win the match against Tobias or the tournament.
"Well, why don't you try take mind off those negative thoughts," Brock said, offering a warm smile. "Thinking about it will only make it worse."
Ash remained silent for a second before breaking into a smile and nodded. "Alright," he said, smacking the back of his head. He blinked for a second, counting the number of people in the room. "Where's Gary?" He asked.
"Really Ash?" Iris sneered at him. "You realized one of your friends was missing, now?"
"I'm sorry," he rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "I guess I was really out today."
"Gary is with Professor Oak," Misty answered. "They were looking to rent a guest house in the city."
"A guest house? Why can't the Professor just stay at my dad's?"
"Your dad didn't allow it," Iris said. "I guess they want to be like newlywed couples again," she said, exchanging a smile with Dawn, the latter wearing a similar expression.
"It only makes sense," Brock added. "They were apart for ten years. They obviously miss each other."
Ash raised an eyebrow, the topic was going out of his scope. "I don't really get it," he mumbled, folding his arms. He still couldn't fathom why his dad would trouble Professor Oak with finding a house in Rosenburg City of all places.
"Well there's a good reason why Iris calls you a kid," Misty said, looking at him, as if he were a hopeless little child lost in a rather large crowd.
"I'm not a kid," he protested. Why couldn't people just explain things instead?
"Arguing that you're not a kid," Iris shrugged. "What a kid."
Ash looked at Dawn for help, but the blunette giggled. "I'm sorry Ash, but you're really acting like a little kid now." Cilan and Brock exchanged a silent chuckle.
"Not you too. Alright, I'm giving up," Ash raised his hands up. "Where's May?"
"She is training for her match tomorrow," Cilan said. "I have offered to lend my services as a Connoisseur to evaluate her battling, but she said, she wanted to train alone."
"Alone?" Ash's eyebrows drew closer, worry now evident on his face. "Isn't she battling Wallace? I think she might need our help."
"Wallace?!" Dawn and Misty exclaimed at once. Wallace was replaced by Steven as the Champion once again a couple of years ago, making him an ordinary participant.
"She never told us!" Misty blurted out. Wallace was one of the people Misty looked up to, as a water Pokémon trainer. He was also one of those people she had to beat at one point or the other.
"He's correct!" Dawn almost screamed, checking out her T-Dex. "It should have been on the big screen in the opening ceremony."
"We were all focused on Max and Ash," Brock reminded them. "Max was very anxious and May didn't really say anything."
"Maybe she was too nervous to tell us," Iris added.
"Maybe she didn't want the attention divert from Max," Brock theorized. "Remember how Norman started to talk about Max's secret weapon, right after that?"
Ash caught his head. "Man, after all that encouragement she gave me," He remembered her saying she honestly believed in his chances of winning. He didn't know how true it was, but he wanted to lend her the same support. "I'm going."
"I'll come too," Dawn offered.
"I think it's best if we let Ash alone on this one," Brock advocated. "I'm not sure why May wants to train alone, but I think we should respect that." He nodded to the raven-haired trainer, signaling him to go. Ash nodded back, and raced out of the room, almost breaking the door in the process.
Lily of the Valley Region, the battle nets…
The floodlights lit up the entire battle facility, their brightness chasing away the sheer darkness the night was. The brunette stood determined, surrounded by her loyal Pokémon. She was in her usual attire, an orange sleeveless t-shirt over black shorts with a matching green bandana.
Standing before her on the battlefield was a small quadruped mammalian creature, covered in a light-blue fur that signified its ice-type traits. The Fresh Snow Pokémon, Glaceon, dug its four paws into the ground, gazing steadily at the opposing Pokémon on the battlefield.
Facing her was the slightly larger shellfish Pokémon, Blastoise, who glared back at its comrade with equal determination. Two canons protruded from the bipedal tortoise's large shell, indicating that it was ready to jump into the fight any time.
"Ready Blastoise? Glaceon?" May alerted either of her Pokémon, upon which the creatures growled at once in agreement.
"Alright! Blastoise," she snapped her fingers, and waved her hand at the distant Pokémon. "Hydro pump!"
The shellfish Pokémon responded immediately by hunching forward and aimed its canons at the smaller opponent. Letting out a deep cry, the Pokémon jetted out a powerful stream of water that could put even the strongest of the flood currents to shame. At the same time—
"Glaceon, Mirror Coat!" May exclaimed.
Gritting its teeth, the Fresh Snow Pokémon braced itself for the incoming flood just as a strange barrier, glistening under the sharp floodlights, shrouded the ice type. When the stream struck the barrier, the impact pushed back the Pokémon underneath by an inch.
"Stand strong, Glaceon!" May encouraged. The brunette's eyebrows pushed together in anxiousness, the success of the move clearly mattered a lot to her. 'If we can beat Blastoise's Hydro Pump, we have a chance against Wallace tomorrow.'
The trainer's words fueled the Pokémon's willpower, the Pokémon's footing became firmer. The barrier around the Ice-type grew brighter and brighter and started to repel the current of water with more ease. Noticing that its attack was ineffective, the shellfish Pokémon stopped the Hydro Pump.
"Now!"
Taking its comrade's vulnerability to its advantage, the ice type took a step forward, shooting all of the glowing energy at once. The tortoise's expression widened in shock, finding itself facing a powerful and unavoidable attack. The Pokémon's features disappeared under the bright light as the attack consumed it, followed by a giant explosion that shook the ground completely.
May covered her face from the storm of dust that now filled the battlefield completely. As the effects of the explosion settled down, the brunette's blue eyes shone in delight, her mouth wide opened in excitement.
"You did it, Glaceon!" She sprang in excitement and proceeded to hug the Pokémon, which growled in delight to its trainer's actions.
"B-Blast…" The tortoise on the other end grunted, looking completely battered. May's expression turned into that of worry.
"Are you okay, Blastoise?" She asked the shellfish Pokémon, which attempted to get back onto its two feet and gave up half way. The Pokémon nodded weakly in response to her question.
May balled her fists, her lips curving up in a smile. 'Glaceon's endurance has improved enough to take a Hydro Pump.' The ice type looked exhausted, but it still looked like it had enough spunk to continue the battle. If this were a proper battle, Glaceon would easily be the winner.
"As reckless as always, aren't you?"
The sudden question posed out of nowhere startled the brunette. She turned back to find a familiar presence, standing by the entrance.
"Drew?" She was surprised by his presence, just like always. The green-haired trainer smirked at this, flicking his hair. May gave him a warm smile in exchange. Before their journey through Johto, Drew helping out with her training was a rare sight, and often involved some kind of mocking. But throughout the course of their travel, the nature of their rivalry changed and so did their friendship.
She glanced at her tired Glaceon and heavily injured Blastoise, her smile disappearing at this. She was indeed way too reckless with the training session, considering the fact that she was about to have a big match tomorrow and it needed all her choice of Pokémon to be in top shape.
"I guess that's a lot for a warm up session," she said, sounding somewhat sheepish.
The green-haired coordinator's eyebrows lowered a little, a slight smile on his face. He briefly scanned the Pokémon around them, spotting familiar faces like her Venusaur, Snorlax who were all watching him with interest. His green eyes rested on the foxy Pokémon. "Mirror Coat, huh. So that's what you have come up with…"
May realized he was unhappy with her strategy, but at the same time he wasn't going to suggest anything either. They were both coordinators with their own battle styles and knew they had to trust their own judgment more than the other's advice.
"Yes," she answered confidently. The strategy she had come up with was one of the better ones, in order to win.
Drew's expression softened, brightening his smile. "Well it is a good move," he turned to the shellfish Pokémon. "If you manage to pull it off that is," he added, slowly.
Mirror Coat was one of those moves that demanded high risks but also returned with high rewards. The user would have to endure the opponent's attack completely and convert the adversary's energy into its own before shooting it back. While the move was easier to pull off against smaller attacks like Water Gun and Water Pulse, the chances of failing against a much powerful attack like Hydro Pump was too high. An attack like Hydro Pump was extremely impossible to take head on, even by the most defensive of the Pokémon unless there was a type disadvantage involved in the equation.
"I know we can," May pumped her fists. The brunette didn't have a shred of hesitation in her voice. "Glaceon and I have been training for this very moment." Drew remained silent at this. She continued, "I remember that battle you had with Wallace last time."
The green-haired trainer's brows furrowed. "Do you really take that battle seriously?" He scoffed. "That match was just a joke for him," he glowered, his voice raising a bit. "That wasn't anything like the battle I wanted to have with a Contest Master. He was just mocking me."
"Drew…" The brunette didn't know what to say. She still remembered the events after the Johto Wallace Cup. The winner was given a chance to battle the great Wallace himself. However, the battle itself was a disaster. Wallace's attack lacked their usual artistry. In fact, the only attack he ordered was Hydro Pump. Even so, Drew's Roserade had a hard time dodging the attacks but managed to gain a few points with a surprise maneuver. The green-haired trainer won the exhibition match. But almost every contest veteran saw the battle as a joke.
"That's true," she lowered her chin. "But right now this is the best I can come up with. I have made a strategy based on the battle that day," she faced the green-haired trainer again. "I don't think I can win tomorrow's match but I want to show the skills I have developed through the journeys I had till now."
Drew sighed and shrugged. "Well don't blame me if it fails tomorrow," his voice mellowed. "Why don't we improve that 'strategy' of yours, then?"
"We…?" May mumbled in surprise. "You're going to help me out?"
"Well, I wasn't planning to at first," he looked around. "I thought your friends will be with you for the training and all." There were none, he confirmed.
May's face fell at this. "I said I wanted to train alone. I didn't tell any of them about the match except Ash…" she said, looking sheepish. "And he must be down after today's match so…"
The green-haired trainer's eyebrows widened in surprise. "Why didn't you tell them?" It wasn't like her at all. The May he knew would have freaked out about it and informed her friends long time ago.
"To be honest?" She asked, looking down again. "I don't really know how far I can go in a battle tournament like this." She looked away. "I don't think I have a chance against Wallace tomorrow."
She sighed heavily. It was the first time she was vocal about it. It was a feeling she had right since the matchups were announced. While her father kept encouraging her, saying that she could win, May couldn't honestly share his optimism. She had also told him that she'd prefer training with her friends, in order to avoid him.
"So you lied to all of your friends about your matchup?" Drew asked. He was mad at the brunette, but at the same time he also pitied her.
She nodded. "Except with Ash," she smiled, facing the green-haired trainer. "I couldn't lie to him."
Drew's expression faltered for a second. "I see," he said, averting his gaze. "But you want to do your best don't you?" He threw her a glance from the corner of his eye.
She nodded enthusiastically. "I am going to show an entirely different style from my usual battles."
"Then you're bound to lose," Drew cut in sharply. "Your battle style is your way of battling. Contests or not, that's your natural way of battling," he paused, letting his words sink into her head. "No matter what your chances of winning are, never abandon your own style. Because you're going to do worse if you aren't being yourself." He flicked his hair once again, leaving the brunette speechless for a second.
She was slightly flustered by his curt remark, but that also made it easier for her to realize the truth. "I guess you're right," she smiled, lifting her chin up. "Thank you for being honest, Drew."
The green-haired trainer stared at her blankly for a second, before he recomposed himself and smirked. "I just don't want a weak rival," he flicked his hair proudly.
The couple's conversation was interrupted when May's Delcatty turned around and growled curiously.
"What's wrong Delcatty?" May asked, looking in the direction the feline Pokémon was looking at, only to find nothing. The Pokémon shrugged, saying that it wasn't sure about it either. The brunette turned her attention back to her fellow coordinator before they begun the training session that would last for the next few hours.
Lake Side, Lily of the Valley, Rosemary Lake
The raven-haired trainer was supposed to be with May, help her out with the training for Wallace. But instead, he was back at the lake behind the hotel, looking at his own reflection, lit up under the crescent moonlight.
"What Drew said was right, Pikachu," he stated. "I was trying to find out reasons as for why I lost the match and wondered if there's anything wrong with my style."
"Pika Pika," the rodent shook its head, saying that wasn't the correct conclusion.
Ash had in fact walked up to the battle nets where May's training was going on. However, the brunette wasn't alone as he expected. He wanted to join the duo but stopped when he heard Drew's words about battle style. He realized Drew was the better person to help her, given her growth as a coordinator in the last two years.
He nodded to his friend. "I realized that too. My battle style is my way of battling and I have spent a whole year developing it. Changing it will only make things worse, Pikachu." He closed his eyes. "I'll find out a way to improve myself but I won't forget all the training we had until now." He turned to his partner, his lips curling up in a genuine smile. "I believe in myself. I may not be the strongest in the world but I am pretty strong."
"Pika!" The rodent exclaimed assertively, agreeing with its trainer's views. They were strong. Way stronger than they were a year ago.
"We can still win this tournament Pikachu. Let's do our best like always," he said, extending his fist. The rodent responded by bumping its tiny fist against his, before either of them exchanged a hearty chuckle.
There were many unanswered questions waiting for them, but he was at least glad they didn't leave the right track.
Author's Note: I'll skip the OC Corner for this chapter, but I will do a double for the next. I wanted to post this as quickly as I can.
Yet Another New Face: Also friends, let me introduce to yet another of my wonderful beta readers Jennajayfeather. While Undercityrezident is still my main beta reader, I had to avail her services for now for a quick proofreading. Demanding the same from Rez would be unfair on my part as he's quite busy with work and our contract was one week per chapter. Jennajayfeather is a terrific fanfiction author, whose major contributions goes to Wishfulshipping (Cilan X Iris). I have enjoyed some of her Wishful one-shots like Wishful Winter and What a Pain, along with Goddess,a short and sweet drabble for the anime Attack on Titan. However, her major work is the Gameverse Wishfulshipping AU, Guardian of Fate, an ongoing multi-chaptered fanfiction. She also has some upcoming fics for Attack on Titan, something I have been waiting with anticipation! If you like any of these above listed categories, I request you to check them!
The next chapter will feature the battle between Wallace and May. Stay tuned!