Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.
Chapter 6: A Clubsplosive Confrontation (Part 1)
"Aw, for the love of Arceus," Ash grumbled as he climbed out of the canal, soaking wet.
"Pi-kaaa…" Pikachu agreed, also soaked to the bone.
Meanwhile, Bianca was apologizing profusely after yet again having knocked Ash and Pikachu into the nearest body of water in her rush to meet up with the group just outside of Ambiga Town.
"With Bianca around, maybe you should just start wearing your swimming trunks everywhere," May giggled as she dried Pikachu off.
"Mana, Ma-na-phi," Manaphy added.
"I like Manaphy's suggestion better," Ash replied.
"Which was…?" Iris asked.
"That Bianca should slow down and look where she's going every now and again," Ash said, pointedly directing his reply towards Bianca, who looked embarrassed and continued apologizing as sweat drops formed on her head.
After all the antics were sorted out, Bianca explained why she was in such a rush; she was on her way to the Clubsplosion Battle tournament.
"Hey, that's where we're headed!" May replied. "Ash thought it would be a good idea to train for his next Gym battle, and the rest of us got onboard with the idea as well."
"We may as well all go and register together," Ash said. "Provided, of course, that Bianca walks ahead of the rest of us," he added, causing the target of his discontent to look embarrassed again.
A few minutes later, the group was waiting in line outside the Clubsplosion stadium, where May got acquainted with Ash's latest rival.
"Hey, Trip," Ash greeted his rival, who turned to look at the group.
"Well, look who it is," he said, regarding Ash and the group almost disdainfully before noticing May.
"And who might this be?" he asked, looking her and Manaphy over.
"This is my girlfriend, May," Ash replied.
"Nice to meet you," May said with a smile, still trying to be courteous despite Trip's attitude.
Trip just gave a small sneer as he sarcastically replied, "How sweet. Your girlfriend followed you here all the way from the boonies."
"For your information, she's not even from the same region as me!" Ash shot back.
"Judging by that Pokémon she has," Trip replied, gesturing towards Manaphy, "it's still gotta be out in the boonies somewhere. Don't tell me you're going to enter the Clubsplosion using that pathetic-looking excuse for a Pokémon."
"Why shouldn't I enter with Manaphy?" May retorted, petting her small Water-Type reassuringly as he certainly did not like being insulted.
"Well, to start with, it looks like my Pokémon could easily flatten it," Trip replied, producing a Poké Ball and releasing a muscular, bipedal reddish-brown Pokémon with purple bands wrapping around its shoulders and chest. In its hands were two massive concrete pillars.
"Whoa…" Ash breathed, scanning the Pokémon with his Pokédex.
*Conkeldurr, the Muscular Pokémon and the evolved form of Gurdurr. Conkeldurr uses concrete pillars like canes, tossing them with ease.*
"Looks pretty powerful," Bianca commented, admiring the final evolution of Timburr.
"If you want my advice, ditch those Pokémon from the boonies and find some real Fighting-Type Pokémon," Trip said smugly, returning his Conkeldurr. "Not that you'd stand a chance anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a tournament to sign up for."
He turned and walked off, with Ash glaring angrily after him.
"Well, he seems pleasant enough," May remarked sarcastically.
"Just ignore him," Ash said. "He's so full of himself, it's not even funny. I'd definitely enjoy taking him down a peg or two."
"With who?" asked Cilan.
Ash thought for a moment, trying to think of a good Fighting-Type.
"I know just the right Pokémon!" he exclaimed. "Scraggy, you're up!"
Ash threw a ball, calling out his Dark/Fighting-Type Shedding Pokémon.
"Scra-ggy!" the small orange-and-white Pokémon announced proudly as May took out her Pokédex and aimed it at the Pokémon.
*Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon. The lower half of Scraggy's body is covered by a tough rubbery skin and when someone makes eye contact it responds with Headbutt.*
"Seems like a good choice," May said, to which Ash nodded.
"You bet he is! He's always looking for a fight, so now he's got one!" Ash replied with a grin. "So who are you going to enter with, May?"
"I wasn't sure at first," May responded, "But after that Trip guy's remarks, I just have to enter with Manaphy!"
"Happy!" Manaphy cheered, excited to be competing in another competition.
"You really think he's up to it?" Iris asked skeptically.
"Sure I do!" May replied. "That guy needs a serious attitude adjustment. Maybe being beaten by my 'pathetic-looking' Pokémon will teach him some humility. Besides, Manaphy knows more than just Water and Ice-Type moves; he also knows Psychic and Fairy-Type moves, both of which are effective against Fighting-Types."
/-/-/
"Welcome one and all to the Clubsplosion tournament!" announced Don George, the owner of the Ambiga Town's Battle Club as the contestants stood in the arena waiting for the tournament to begin.
"Now for the grand prize," Don George continued, "The winner of the event will receive three exceedingly rare items; a Key Stone, a Mega Bracelet, and a Mega Stone for the Pokémon of their choice!"
The crowd roared their excitement over the evidently-important items, but Ash and most of the others were left scratching their heads.
"Huh, I've never heard of any of those," Ash said.
"Neither have I," Iris agreed.
"I have," Cilan chimed in. "I've never seen it, but supposedly a Mega Stone allows the Pokémon holding it to undergo Mega Evolution."
"What's 'Mega Evolution'?" Ash asked.
"It's a process in which a Pokémon can temporarily become more powerful by evolving past its final evolved form."
"That sounds like it would come in handy," May said, already wondering which of her Pokémon might be capable of Mega Evolution.
"And like it could be dangerous in the wrong hands," Ash added. "I can't believe they would just hand this thing out as a prize."
"Good luck, and may the best trainer win," continued Don George. "Without further ado, the Clubsplosion Battle Tournament is now underway!"
Everyone turned their attention to the screen as the first round match-ups were announced. Of the group, May was matched up with a trainer named Edmund, Cilan with Flora, Ash with Angus, Iris with Cilan's rival Burgundy, and Bianca with Trip.
"Don George and I will be providing commentary on all the action in what is sure to be a heart-stopping event!" announced the co-host Freddy 'The Scoop' as May and Edmund took up their positions on the battlefield.
"Now let's get the first battle started!" the co-host continued. "On the left, we have the rain man, Edmund! And to the right, we have the can-do Coordinator, May!"
"Remember, trainers are only allowed to use the Pokémon they chose beforehand," the host finished – just as dark rainclouds appeared and rain began to fall. "Edmund isn't called 'the rain man' for nothing! It rains whenever he battles, and this battle is no exception!"
Though May was a little unnerved by her opponent, she was not going to be discouraged as she called out her Pokémon child.
"Manaphy, on stage!" she called, prompting Manaphy to leap from her shoulder and take his position on the field with an eager look on his face.
"Time to rain on their parade, Seismitoad!" Edmund called, releasing a Pokémon that resembled a bulky, bipedal toad covered in pale-green bumps.
May pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.
Seismitoad, the Vibration Pokémon and the evolved form of Palpitoad. By vibrating the bumps on its fists, Seismitoad increases its power, pulverizing a boulder with a single punch.
Hmmm… it's not a Fighting-Type, May thought. Oh well, we'll just have to improvise.
"Let the battle begin!" the referee announced.
"Manaphy, use Energy Ball!" May commanded, hoping to gain a Type advantage over the opposing Water/Ground-Type with the Grass-Type move.
Manaphy acknowledged the order with a nod of his head before firing a green ball of energy at Seismitoad.
With unexpected speed, Seismitoad darted quickly to the side, easily avoiding the Energy Ball.
"What the…!?" Ash exclaimed from the sidelines.
"Seismitoad is a lot faster than it looks," Iris commented.
Back on the field, May and Manaphy were both also astounded at the bulky Pokémon's speed, until Edmund began explaining with an unsettling grin on his face.
"Seismitoad has the Swift Swim ability," he said. "When it rains, his speed increases."
"Now, time for my counterattack," Edmund continued. "Seismitoad, Drain Punch!"
"Dodge it, Manaphy, and use Psychic!" May commanded. The Seafaring Pokémon obeyed, narrowly avoiding Seismitoad's powered-up fist before releasing his powerful telekinetic attack, which knocked Seismitoad back.
"Psychic-Types don't scare us!" Edmund asserted confidently. "Seismitoad, use Payback!"
Seismitoad obediently used the Dark-Type move. It connected and threw Manaphy back a little, but Edmund was surprised that it hadn't done the kind of damage he was hoping for.
"Unfortunately for you, Manaphy isn't a Psychic-Type," May said with a devious smile. "Manaphy, let's wrap this up with Grass Knot!"
"Ma-na-phi!" Manaphy cheered as he executed the attack. Glowing blades of grass sprouted near Seismitoad's feet before wrapping around his legs, causing him to lose his balance.
"C'mon, Seismitoad! Break free of it!" Edmund urged his Vibration Pokémon.
Despite his best efforts, Seismitoad lost his footing and fell in defeat, swirls in his eyes.
"Seismitoad is unable to battle! Manaphy wins, so May will be advancing to round two!" the referee announced.
"Nice work, Manaphy!" May said as her small Water-Type happily leapt back into her arms. They headed up onto the balcony to rejoin the group as highlights from the battle flashed across the screen.
"Awesome battle, guys!" Ash said with a grin as they came over. "You did a great job out there, Manaphy!"
"Pi-ka pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed.
"Ma-na, phi-mana papa?" Manaphy asked.
"Yeah," Ash chuckled, patting Manaphy's head. "Papa's proud of you."
Manaphy smiled back, before yawning and starting to fall asleep in May's arms.
"He looks a little winded," Bianca commented.
"Well, he is still just a baby after all," May replied with a smile as she held the now-sleeping Pokémon in her arms.
"A baby!?" said a very unwelcome voice as Trip walked over, a smug grin on his face. "You expect to win the Clubsplosion using an inexperienced baby Pokémon that isn't even a Fighting-Type? If that wasn't so funny, I'd be insulted to even be in the same tournament as you."
"Get lost, Trip!" Ash snapped angrily.
"Seriously, what is your problem?" May asked, beginning to get angry as well. "I just met you today, and you've done nothing but lord yourself over me, my boyfriend, and my Pokémon. Just lose the attitude already."
"If you can't handle my 'attitude', then maybe you both should just take your pathetic excuses for Pokémon and go back to the boonies where you belong," Trip retorted.
May was about to respond, but another voice spoke up before she could say anything.
"And maybe you should stop acting like a self-important prick," said the tall, green-haired Clubsplosion champion named Montgomery.
"Who asked you?" Trip replied angrily.
Ignoring him, Montgomery continued: "You talk and act like you're already assured of your victory, and you haven't even passed round one yet."
"She," he went on, pointing at May, "has already proven herself. You haven't. For all we know, you might not even make it to the second round. And if you do, she and her Pokémon might just take you down."
"You honestly think that puny little thing is a match for Conkeldurr?" Trip asked skeptically, releasing his Muscular Pokémon to show off.
"Who knows? Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better," Montgomery replied. "And even if you make it past round one, you'll never get past me and my Pokémon."
With that, Montgomery sent out a red, humanoid Pokémon whose body appeared to be made of brick. It wore a white Judogi tied off with a black belt.
Ash quickly pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Fighting-Type.
*Throh, the Judo Pokémon. Throh is driven by an irresistible urge to throw larger opponents. A wild Throh uses vines to make a belt, which increases its power when tightened.*
"Well, better than anything those two could offer," Trip replied as he jerked his head towards Ash and May, earning a glare from both. "But it still doesn't stand a chance against Conkeldurr."
"Don't forget who you're talking to," Montgomery growled, beginning to lose his composure. "I hold the title of Clubsplosion champion, and I don't intend to lose it to a pompous, conceited punk like you!"
"Whatever. I don't care what you say, the prize is as good as mine anyways," Trip responded, shrugging him off as he turned and walked away with his Conkeldurr.
"Thanks for getting him off our backs," May said, bowing slightly.
Montgomery nodded curtly, but maintained a reserved expression as he replied.
"Whatever. Just don't think I'm on your side or anything. I don't expect to lose to either of you. You're just more respectable than that jackass."
"Anyone is more respectable than him," Ash said. "I just hope I'm the one who gets to wipe that smug look off his face."
"I'd like a crack at him, too," May agreed, furious at having her Pokémon insulted and being said to be 'from the boonies'.
Meanwhile, on the field, Cilan and Pansage had already begun their battle with Flora and her Gothorita.
"Alright Pansage, use bite!" the Connoisseur ordered his Grass-Type Pokémon.
"Gothorita, dodge it and use Double Slap!" Flora commanded her Psychic-Type Manipulate Pokémon. Gothorita successfully dodged the incoming attack, sending Pansage crashing to the ground. This was quickly followed up with a pair of slaps to the Grass Monkey Pokémon's face.
"Don't you dare lose this, Cilan!" shouted Cilan's Pokémon Connaisseuse rival, Burgundy. "You can't lose to anyone but me! You hear!?"
"Ignore her, Cilan!" May called. "Just focus!"
Cilan nodded in response before evaluating his opponent's Pokémon.
"Hmmm… your Gothorita's taste in battle is a strong blend of speed and technique," he began. "But it's missing a vital ingredient in terms of power, so why don't I spice things up a bit?"
"Pansage, Solar Beam!" Cilan called. Pansage obediently fired a bright white stream of solar energy at the opposing Gothorita.
"Gothorita, counter it with Psyshock!" Flora instructed. Gothorita complied, and the two attacks collided and kicked up a cloud of dust over the battlefield.
"Pansage, follow up with Dig!" Cilan yelled. Pansage quickly burrowed beneath the soil, only to reappear and deliver a powerful uppercut to his Psychic-Type opponent before Flora could make a move. Gothorita fell to the ground, clearly knocked out.
"Gothorita is unable to continue! Pansage wins, so the winner is Cilan!" announced the ref.
The crowd cheered as Cilan and Pansage both smiled and waved.
"Thank you, thank you! A refreshing battle, indeed!" Cilan said, grinning proudly.
"Paaan!" Pansage agreed.
"What an arrogant, stuck-up, cocky-!" Burgundy again began ranting.
"Dear Arceus, would you kindly shut up?" groaned Iris's 'Dragon Buster' rival, Georgia, prompting Burgundy to glare daggers at her.
"Looks like I'm up," Ash said, readying Scraggy's Poké Ball.
"Good luck, Ash," May said as the two exchanged a quick peck on the lips.
"Ma-na, papa," Manaphy said sleepily, having just woken up to watch his 'father'.
"Manaphy wishes you luck, too," May giggled as she put Manaphy back on her shoulder.
"Won't even need it," Ash replied with a confident grin as he headed down to the field.
"Time to move on to the third match!" announced the co-host. "On the left, we have Ash, the fiery-spirited trainer! And on the right, we have Angus, whose moves are as unique as his hairstyle!"
"Go get 'em, Ash!" Iris cheered.
"You've got this!" Cilan also cheered.
"Pika-pika!" Pikachu agreed from May's other shoulder.
"Battle begin!" shouted the ref.
"Scraggy, use Leer!" Ash quickly ordered. His Dark/Fighting-Type Pokémon quickly used the attack… on the wrong target. Confused due to the fact that Angus and Simisage sported similar pompadours, Scraggy was currently Leering threateningly at the opposing trainer, rather than his Pokémon.
Unfazed, Angus merely fixed his hair before ordering Simisage to use Seed Bomb.
The Thorn Monkey Pokémon obediently formed a large, glowing green seed between its hands and launched it at Scraggy.
"Quick! Dodge it, Scraggy!" Ash commanded. Scraggy quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Seed Bomb, which exploded upon impact with the ground and left behind a cloud of black smoke.
"Simisage, use Low Sweep when it lands!" Angus ordered. Simisage charged forward and prepared to deliver a low blow as Scraggy landed.
"Scraggy, block it! Hurry!" Ash shouted. Scraggy yanked up the loose skin around his legs, shielding him from the Low Sweep attack. Simisage's kick connected, but left Scraggy unharmed other than sending him skidding back a few feet.
"Great job, Scraggy!" Ash commended the Shedding Pokémon.
"Simisage, use Shadow Claw! Don't give him a chance to rest!" Angus shouted. The Grass-Type executed the Dark-Type attack, causing a shadowy claw to stretch across the ground towards Scraggy.
"Dodge it and use Headbutt!" Ash countered. Unfortunately for him, Simisage easily dodged the Normal-Type move.
After a few more minutes of this dodge-and-miss routine, Angus was determined to land a hit.
"Simisage, use Low Sweep! And don't let Scraggy block it this time!" he ordered.
Simisage again charged towards Scraggy, making sure to bring its foot down on Scraggy's loose skin and preventing him from blocking the incoming attack.
Crap, Ash thought, grimacing as Simisage's kick sent Scraggy sliding back across the field.
"Uh-oh, Scraggy might be in trouble," May said worriedly, prompting Pikachu, Manaphy, and Axew to nod their heads in agreement as everyone's eyes remained fixed on the battle.
Back on the field, Scraggy was recovering as he steadily got back onto his feet, glaring defiantly at his opponent.
"Keep up the pressure, Simisage! Use Giga Impact!" Angus said. Simisage became enveloped in a bright aura of energy as it launched itself towards Scraggy with plenty of force.
"Counter it with Hi Jump Kick!" Ash yelled out. Scraggy leapt into the air and brought his foot around, intending to pay Simisage back in kind for the Low Sweep kick he had received earlier.
Simisage couldn't slow down in time as its face met Scraggy's foot, sending the Thorn Monkey Pokémon crashing to the ground.
"Alright! Way to go, Scraggy!" Iris exclaimed from the sidelines.
"Keep going, Ash! You've got this in the bag!" May cheered.
"Pika, pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu enthusiastically agreed.
"Mana, mana!" Manaphy happily chimed in.
"Scraggy, use Hi Jump Kick again! Let's turn the tables!" Ash commanded.
Scraggy once again leapt into the air and headed straight towards Simisage with his foot extended. Simisage dodged out of the way at the last second, however, and Scraggy slammed into the ground.
When the dust settled, Scraggy could be seen moaning and writhing on the ground, clutching his leg in pain.
"Ooooh, that had to hurt," May said, wincing. The three Pokémon all nodded their heads in agreement, sympathizing with their injured comrade.
"Scraggy! Are you OK?" Ash shouted worriedly.
"Scra- Scra-ggy," Scraggy moaned in response, still writhing around in pain.
"Alright Simisage, don't stop using Low Sweep. No mercy!" Angus instructed his Grass-Type.
With single-minded brutality, Simisage unleashed an unrelenting barrage of Low Sweep kicks on the downed Scraggy.
"This isn't looking good for Ash and Scraggy," Iris commented in a concerned tone.
"Ax-ew-xew," Axew agreed.
"Alright Simisage, I guess he's had enough punishment," Angus said. "Finish this up with Giga Impact!"
Simisage flew towards Scraggy and prepared to strike him with all of its might, which would undoubtedly knock Scraggy out due to the amount of damage he had already sustained.
"C'mon Scraggy! Pull it together!" Ash urged his Shedding Pokémon. "You can do it, I know you can!"
Getting back on his feet, Scraggy slowly started forming a ball of bluish-white energy between his hands. The ball suddenly expanded into a massive pulse of energy, easily blocking Simisage's Giga Impact and sending the Thorn Monkey Pokémon flying back.
"Whoa…" Ash said under his breath, awed by Scraggy's unexpected display of power.
"Scraggy must've leaned Focus Blast!" May exclaimed.
"Pika-pika-chu!" Pikachu cheered.
"Keep going, guys! Don't let up!" May shouted.
"You heard her, Scraggy. Go after Simisage with Headbutt!" Ash ordered.
Scraggy raced forward as Simisage began to fall towards the ground. Once Simisage was close enough, Scraggy jumped up and performed a midair Headbutt attack, slamming Simisage into the ground and finally knocking it out.
"Simisage is unable to continue! Scraggy wins, so Ash is the winner!"
"Alright! We did it!" Ash cheered.
Back on the balcony, Ash rejoined the group, who congratulated him as Iris moved to the field for her match.
"Spectacular performance, Ash!" Cilan complimented. "I really thought Scraggy was finished for a minute, but he made quite the flavorful comeback!"
"That's Ash for you," May smiled, pecking Ash on the cheek as they took each other's hands. "He knows just how to keep things interesting!"
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed, jumping back onto Ash's shoulder.
"Ma-na! Phi!" Manaphy cheerfully concurred from May's shoulder.
With that, the group turned to watch Iris fight the next of what would be a great many battles before the tournament was through.
I guess my hiatus is over, but I still have some personal issues that I'm dealing with. I'll keep writing in my free time, but don't expect updates to come as often as they used to.
Despite the hiatus, I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway. As always, please leave reviews, suggestions, and feedback, and I will see you all next chapter! :)