To start off, a million apologies for putting off this chapter. Three months since 2015 began and I didn't even begin writing this until halfway March. Whether you forgive me or not (though I would prefer you did), I'll still continue working on this story in moderation, even if I start new stories. (I have future story plans listed on my profile page, just so you are aware.)
Anabel looked up at the huge monitor stationed overhead on the main stadium from under its casted shadow. It detailed the fourth round matchups starting on this new week. Despite the number of competitors being fewer than before, the schedules of each match were quite spread out. She quickly noted Ash's next battle this coming Thursday, which was going to be against another powerful Trainer. It was enough to bring up some concern for the Pallet Town Trainer, but she was not about to doubt him any time soon.
The Salon Maiden also mused on her match against Gym Leader Bugsy scheduled next Monday, wondering if there was a point in waiting this long to battle.
She felt confident in her Pokémon and in her own abilities, more so than ever since having a successful first date with Ash the past Friday. Perhaps it was mostly being around him that made her feel good, but with the private training sessions she had with him on top with her goal of being free of her brother's shadow, Anabel couldn't help but feel overeager about pushing through the Champions League.
"Hey, Anabel," a familiar older voice called.
Anabel turned and waved over to Lucy as she approached the shorter girl. The Pike Queen appeared to be in a good mood for some reason with that peaceful smile she had on.
"Hi, Lucy," Anabel greeted. "Excited for your match tomorrow?"
"It's going to be a wonderful battle tomorrow, my dear," Lucy replied serenely.
"I imagine so," Anabel added. "I hear that Forrest is a tough Rock specialist despite being one of the youngest Gym Leaders in Kanto next to Janine."
"Not only that, but he's also one of Brock's brothers," Lucy shared.
"… Wait. He's Brock's brother?"
"Yeah, did you not see the resemblance?"
Anabel stayed in silence, feeling embarrassed for not having made that distinctive relation. Even though people that looked similar would not always be related, she could've at least given it a bit of thought after seeing those two together during certain intervals. Take into fact that she occasionally hung out with Ash's former traveling friends, Anabel felt guilty enough for not knowing as much as she should about them as their new friend.
"… Well," Anabel drew out, hanging on to her last syllable.
"It's okay if you didn't," Lucy assured. "I actually met up with Brock earlier to get my Pokémon back. We talked and then he told me to not hold back just because I'd be facing his brother next."
"That's nice of him to say that," Anabel commented.
"Not only do I not have to feel guilty about it, but he reassured me that Forrest also wouldn't want it any other way," Lucy added.
"Why would you feel guilty about battling his brother?" Anabel inquired, confused on why her colleague would bring up such a sentiment.
Lucy took a pause before subtly looking away, a tinge of redness glowing from her cheeks. Anabel was aware that the Pike Queen got to know Ash and his friends fairly well despite their short time together. However, the Salon Maiden did not pin the exact feeling Lucy had in regards to one of them.
"No reason," Lucy answered calmly, regaining her neutral look. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask how your little outing with Ash went. Was the Meloetta Café up to standard?"
"Um, yeah, actually," Anabel said, a bit confused on why she changed the subject. "Have you not gone inside yet?"
"Scott wanted me to do the usual Frontier Brain tasks of finding strong Trainers and inviting them to take on the challenge," Lucy explained. "Hey, take a walk with me, dear. I've actually got some 'things' I want to discuss with you. You know, 'girl talk' and such."
While Anabel personally wanted to use her remaining time this day to find Ash again since they were last together at their date, she didn't want to be rude to her long-time friend and just brush her off. It was still early in the afternoon. There were still plenty of matches left to run for the day. Perhaps after spending time with Lucy, she could attempt to attend a battle and possibly find Ash there.
The only major challenge was in finding which battle he would be interested in watching live and in person.
Meanwhile…
A new battle was underway at the rock field stadium. The usual energetic shouts and cheers filled the space of the stadium as the next combatants were elevated into their respective Trainer boxes. Their serious facial outlooks had already more than enough defined who they were and what the audience would expect from this potentially intense battle.
"We're going from a battle between Johto natives to a battle between Sinnoh natives in the rock stadium," the opening announcer declared. "We have a rising, tough-as-nails star in the form of Paul of Veilstone City going up against the toughest Gym Leader in the entire Sinnoh region, the Shining, Shocking Star, Volkner of Sunyshore City!"
"YEAH! WOO! ROCK ON!"
Various wild phrases were sent into the air, blending along the information the new commentator shared regarding the current battlers and blanketing over the built up tension between said battlers. If anything, Paul appeared more irritated as the stare down went on while Volkner glanced back objectively, all the while wondering what was going on in the younger Trainer's head.
"Let's make this a good one," Volkner started in an attempt to diffuse the tension.
"So now you're willing to accept battles?" Paul shot back. "Don't mock me."
The Sunyshore City Gym Leader raised a brow. What was this Trainer's problem with him? He recognized Paul's face from watching the Lily of the Valley Conference years ago, even though they never met face to face. He couldn't remember which year though, but he knew the Veilstone City Trainer would be a tough battler if he had managed to get eight badges to qualify.
Wait a minute, Volkner thought, a particular memory resurfacing in his mind in reference to the eight badges afterthought. That time years ago…
His pondering brought him back to the period when he refused challenges and simply left Beacon Badges out at the Gym's front door for passing Trainers. He was done with battling and so no purpose in continuing such things until he witnessed a passionate battle between his longtime friend, Flint, and his first challenger since then, Ash.
This Paul must have been a Trainer that passed by his Gym during that time. Considering his no-nonsense personality and merciless battle style, Volkner quickly deduced that he most likely gained a negative view towards the Sunyshore Gym because of the Beacon Badges being given out without a fight. The past can't be change, but Volkner knew he at least owed it to the challengers that did want to battle him for the right to earn the Beacon Badge.
"Trainers, please select your first Pokémon!" the referee requested.
"Guess I'll do the first honors," Volkner spoke allowed, casting out his first Poké Ball. "Luxray, let's go!"
"A Luxray," Paul mused darkly as the mentioned Pokémon took form on the field. Without changing expression, he instinctively drew a Poké Ball out of his pocket and transitioned into a hard toss. "Weavile, stand by for battle!"
"Wea-vyle!" Weavile hissed upon making its entrance.
"The first round matchup's is between Weavile and Luxray," the commentator announced as the two Pokémon's images lit up on the scoreboard. "This is going to set the tone for an interesting and tough battle!"
"Paul is allowed the first move!" the referee declared, rising up his arms to signal the commencement. "Now, let the battle begin!"
Paul & (Weavile, ?, ?) VS Volkner & (Luxray, ?, ?)
"Weavile, Swords Dance!"
The Sharp Claw Pokémon crossed its claws in front as luminescent sword images circled around it. A light aura of red rose up around its body like a consuming flame as the swords disappeared. Weavile flexed its claws in anticipation for the next command.
"Weavile has powered up its attack stat plenty with that Swords Dance," the commentator narrated on. "They're not messing around."
"Luxray, use Charge Beam!"
A crackling beam of bright electricity was quickly condensed and fired in front of Luxray's mouth. Weavile stood in place with its typical devious smirk, waiting for the Charge Beam to come for it. As a testament to its speed and reflexes, Weavile sidestepped at the last second and began dashing towards Luxray while being mindful of the ongoing Charge Beam.
"Weavile has now gone on the offensive," the commentator pointed out. "How will Luxray prepare against its powered attacks?"
"Luxray, wait for Weavile to get in close! Then, use Thunder Fang!"
"Blizzard!"
Within seconds, Weavile was within physical striking distance in front of Luxray. However, before the Gleam Eyes Pokémon could charge in with electrified fangs, Weavile had conjured a frosty gale of snow to blindside it. The sudden ambush managed to cause Luxray to hesitate in its attack, but it still kept a critical eye on its opponent.
"Luxray has been stopped cold by that Blizzard!" the commentator exclaimed.
"Now use Ice Punch!"
Weavile dove in front of Luxray while the Blizzard cover still persisted, leaning on one knee with a tightened fist on standby. It then sent an icy uppercut below Luxray's jawline, though as strong as it was since the Swords Dance power-up, it wasn't enough to send its opponent rolling.
"That won't be enough to take us down," Volkner warned. "Iron Tail!"
Luxray took advantage of its prone state, using the force it received from Weavile to swiftly turn its body around and swing its Steel-powered tail to strike the Sharp Claw Pokémon squarely upon the oval marking on its forehead. The super effective hit managed to push Weavile into retreating back to its side of the field.
Weavile placed both claws upon its temples, still reeling in the blunt head trauma it received just seconds ago. It barked vengeance as it forced the sensations of pain out as quickly as possible.
"Volkner and Luxray were well-prepared in taking a strong hit in order to deal a stronger one back," the commentator noted. "How will Paul handle this?"
"He has power and skill, I'll give him that," Paul muttered under his breath. "But what more is he hiding from me?"
"Now Luxray, use Charge Beam!"
"Use Metal Claw on the ground!"
While the Gleam Eyes Pokémon released another Charge Beam, which notably appeared thicker and bigger than the first, Weavile used its extra strengthened claws to tear into the ground. A tall, dense wave of dirt and debris splashed up according to Weavile's swipes.
The Charge Beam soon struck the dirt wave head on, but its power somehow managed to overwhelm the layer and erupted into a pulsating explosion. The aftershocks caused Weavile to stumble backwards.
"What?!" Paul yelped.
"That Charge Beam was just too strong for that wall of dirt!" the commentator continued in amazement. "This must be the power of the Sunyshore Gym!"
"More like Charge Beam's effect," Paul clarified, seething at his and his Pokémon's carelessness. Volkner was truly shining like the Gym Leader he was supposed to be. "I've got to stop that Luxray."
"Luxray, let's finish this with Thunder Fang!"
"Swords Dance, let's go!"
Weavile quickly got back on its feet despite running low on endurance and began powering up its attack stat once more. At the same time, Luxray stored electricity in its prominent fangs as preparation to pounce on its smaller opponent. Right as the sword images around Weavile showed signs of fading, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon leapt into action.
"This is a very tense moment on who will get who first," the commentator narrated.
"Ice Punch!"
Right as Luxray was about to sink its Thunder Fang attack into Weavile and win the battle, the Sharp Claw Pokémon was able to utilize its speed to sidestep at the last second while sending a frigid right hook against the side of Luxray's face. The cold was quite numbing and draining in spite of the small hit.
"We're not falling for that twice!" Volkner proclaimed. "Luxray, Iron Tail!"
Luxray quickly placed enough distance between it and Weavile to swing its Iron Tail around and swat its opponent away before it had a chance to react. However, there was a reason that Weavile's fist lingered as long as it did on Luxray's face as ice started to form and encase its head before consuming the rest of its body.
Weavile lifted its head up to see that its last attack wasn't in vain before finally collapsing back down with a plastered triumphant grin due to being out of stamina. That Luxray was certainly no pushover.
"Weavile is unable to battle!" the referee ruled out, raising a flag in Volkner's favor. "Luxray wins this round!"
"Paul is down one Pokémon while Volkner's first Pokémon has been frozen solid from Weavile's last attack!" the commentator recounted. "Will Luxray get out of its icy imprisonment any time soon?"
"Luxray, I know you can break out of there," Volkner called out. He knew that his Pokémon can still hear him despite being trapped in ice. "We just need to wait a bit longer until you can recover more strength."
The Sunyshore City Gym Leader briefly watched Paul recall his defeated Weavile while whispering fleeting comments of gratitude to it before putting the Poké Ball away. At least he appeared to be kind and grateful to his Pokémon despite his rough attitude.
"It looks like Volkner has chosen to stay with his frozen Pokémon," the commentator shared. "What will Paul's next Pokémon be for this battle?"
"Torterra, stand by for battle!"
To answer the commentator's rhetoric question, Paul's starter Pokémon made a tremendous presence with its size and stony demeanor. At that moment, Torterra's image took place in the slot underneath Weavile's dulled space.
"Paul's second Pokémon is his Torterra," the commentator announced. "Being known as his first Pokémon, Torterra is certainly a powerful Pokémon at its own right. Will it be able to take on Volkner's entire team of Electric Pokémon?"
"Luxray, try to break out!" Volkner pleaded. "Use Charge Beam!"
Electrical energy was building up from within the ice. Paul and Torterra opted to merely observe their current opponent attempting to thaw itself from the Ice Punch's aftereffect. Cracks started to form where the energy crackled and discharged. The storage of the Charge Beam energy reached its peak.
*BOOM*
The energy had escaped through the cracks and blew the ice apart. Luxray shook off the cold moisture its fur had accumulated while it was stuck within the ice. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon was out of breath, having expended a lot of energy into thawing itself out.
"Torterra, use Stone Edge!"
"Tehh-raah!" Torterra bellowed, summoning a row of spiky rock pillars out of the ground and in the direction of the freed Luxray.
"Luxray, Double Team!"
Seven cloned afterimages of Luxray were formed and aligned in a horizontal row. The shadow clone in the middle received the blunt of the Stone Edge, causing it to vanish while the remaining six charged forward for a counterattack.
"Frenzy Plant!"
With another hefty roar, Torterra summoned thick, destructive, and thorny tree roots from in front of it as a wave to wipe out Luxray and its Double Team illusions. The Frenzy Plant rose up high with each visible root targeting a Luxray.
"Luxray, dodge them all!"
One by one, a Frenzy Plant root came crashing down. Torterra had produced many roots, so that if the first somehow missed a Luxray, chances were that the second sent would strike it down. This tactic had proved to be true as the five fake Luxray were eliminated and the real one had narrowly escaped a lashing.
*Rumble*
"Luhx?" Luxray grunted in confusion, feeling a growing tremor from below its ground.
*BAM*
"Luxray, no!" Volkner shouted, witnessing his Pokémon being flung high into the air by a hidden Frenzy Plant root.
The Gleam Eyes Pokémon crashed on its back against a rock mount decorating the field from its descent. Its limbs felt to the side, showing no signs or indications of movement. Its spiraling eyes had said it all.
"Luxray is unable to battle!" the referee declared, holding up a flag high in the air. "Torterra wins!"
"Now both Trainers are down one Pokémon each," the commentator stated as Luxray's image dimmed out completely on the scoreboard. "This is still anyone's game at this point."
"Luxray, return," Volkner said, recalling his fallen Pokémon. "You rocked out there. Rest now." Out of Gym Leader habit, he placed away Luxray's Poké Ball before facing Paul. "You got me there, for sure. You don't hold back when opportunity strikes."
"Wish I could've heard you say that a while back when I was still challenging the Sinnoh League," Paul retorted, to which Volkner frowned.
"Hey, I'm not entirely sure what your deal is, but it's just a battle," Volkner reasoned coolly. "There's no need for the extra attitude."
"A battle that you could just turn down because it's 'not worth your time'," Paul continued edgily. "You think you could get away mocking me and any other self-respecting Trainer out there by leaving your Badges outside your door for grabs?"
"What has happened is all in the past," Volkner explained, taking a firm stance against the angry young Trainer. "Why can't you learn to just let the past go? It's beyond your control!"
Paul suddenly appeared to be taken aback from this rebuttal.
"Your past battling style may have gotten you the results you wanted, but the fact that you tie yourself to the past will eventually bring you down," Sabrina admonished, accompanied with a frightening gaze of her psychic eyes. "Your brother made his choice that day and you made yours, but if you continue to let that mindset affect your judgment in battle, future grudges will weigh you down until you're finally crushed under all that pressure."
The application of that memory started to make sense to him, but he was left without any further words as a result. Paul stared at the ground in mild shock, further contemplating the meaning of Sabrina's words from their most recent session.
"… Mm," Paul grunted, keeping his expression impartial as he looked back up.
"Go, Electivire!"
Torterra watched as a Pokémon that was essentially the same species as one of its teammates took the place of the defeated Luxray on the rock field. Electivire pumped its arms up readily after it had finished taking form. Torterra narrowed its look and stayed fixed on its new opponent. Having trained with Paul's Electivire for a few years now, it was quite knowledgeable in the strengths and weaknesses of the Thunderbolt Pokémon. Its Trainer himself was especially experienced in those details in the event he would have to face others that have the same Pokémon.
"Electivire is Volkner's second Pokémon," the commentator announced. "As strong as his Electivire is, its Electric-type attacks won't affect Torterra in any shape, form, or way. I wonder what its other strengths lie in."
"I guess I'll have to make the first move," Volkner spoke up. "Electivire, use Cross Chop!"
The Thunderbolt Pokémon sprinted onward, crossing its forearms in front as they glowed with empowerment. Torterra received the direct hit on its head. Despite its impressive defenses, the Continent Pokémon was pushed back a couple of feet upon enduring the Cross Chop, vexing Paul a bit more.
"What a hit!" the commentator exclaimed. "Torterra couldn't do anything about that Cross Chop after using Frenzy Plant on Luxray previously."
"Follow up with Ice Punch!"
Electivire leapt back as it charged up the Ice Punch before thundering forward. Torterra was gradually regaining its mobility right as it got struck hard, straight in the face by Electivire's frigid fist. Torterra roared back, brushing off the attack despite the major amount of damage it received. Electivire slid back into a precautious stance.
"And Torterra is able to move again," the commentator resumed. "It's not easy getting past its armor defenses."
"Torterra, Giga Drain!"
"Counter with Fire Punch!"
Electivire was the first to act with a blazing right fist, striking down Torterra right as it began its major energy-draining process. The contact elicited a loud explosion and a huge production of haze that concealed both Pokémon, as well as a good section of the battlefield.
"Frenzy Plant!"
"Electivire, Fire Punch!"
The rise of the Frenzy Plant promptly blew away the smoke, revealing both Pokémon to be several meters part from each other. Torterra stomped forward, gesturing for its most powerful Grass-type attack to strike while Electivire prepped its flaming fists for the defense.
"These two heavyweights gave no moment of rest to strike back despite that last explosive collision," the commentator followed up.
"Vire! Vire!" Electivire grunted, swiftly swinging its fists against the oncoming Frenzy Plant roots.
"How is that possible?!" Paul grimaced.
"Electivire is one of my strongest Pokémon, and it's certainly a lot stronger than you originally thought," Volkner explained.
It was true. His Electivire handled on the remainder of the Frenzy Plant without breaking a sweat. The roots that were knocked away by the Fire Punch barrage had burst into flames themselves and continued to burn until they retracted back into the ground or were ultimately reduced to ashes. Torterra was breathing heavily once its ultimate attack had finished, losing its ability to move as part of Frenzy Plant's repercussion once more.
"Electivire has demonstrated true perseverance by weathering through that Frenzy Plant," the commentator continued on. "It looks like Torterra is in a pinch this time."
"Now Electivire, use Ice Punch! Give it all you got!"
"Elehc-tih-vire!" Electivire shouted heavily, sprinting forth.
The Thunderbolt Pokémon struck like lightning, sending a straightforward Ice Punch into Torterra's face posthaste after receiving its command. Torterra was reeling in the pain, but still stood firmly on all four legs. It still had plenty of fight left despite suffering all those super effective hits and temporarily losing its ability to attack back.
"Finish this with Cross Chop!"
"Torterra, Crunch!"
The sudden command issued by Paul spurred Torterra back into action. Electivire was already more than halfway over in carrying out its Cross Chop as Torterra opened its jaw wide enough to catch and clamp down hard on one of Electivire's arms. Electivire grimaced in pain from the tight, sharp hold it got itself into now.
"Electivire, break out of the Crunch!"
"Use Giga Drain!"
While Electivire struggled to pull its arm out of Torterra's jaw, the Continent Pokémon at the meantime began to drain away a handful of Electivire's remaining stamina and restoring its own. Electivire fell on one knee from the energy loss before acting quickly by igniting its trapped arm in fire.
The unexpected Fire Punch improvisation forced Torterra to release its clamp upon Electivire's arm, allowing the Thunderbolt Pokémon to speedily get back. This round was taking its toll on the both of them.
"Neither one is willing to back down as the long as the other still stands," the commentator spoke. "Who will be the first to fall?"
"Electivire, use Ice Punch with everything you've got!"
"Fight back with Stone Edge!"
Feeling that the arm was greatly weakened from Torterra's Crunch trap, Electivire powered up its other arm with icy energy and leapt forward. Predicting where Electivire would be at its slowest to react, Torterra concentrated on how a ring of its Stone Edge would emerge and strike from under its opponent at one point.
That moment happened to be right as Electivire struck down with its Ice Punch. Torterra simultaneously had the Stone Edge emerge right in front in ring formation, all of the blunt points targeting the center of Electivire's abdomen. The Thunderbolt Pokémon was soon pushed into the air by the Stone Edge after maxing out the force of its Ice Punch before falling on its back and crashing into a pile of gravel. Torterra soon followed in the act, its thick legs no longer able to support its great size.
They each shared the same dazed expression after a few seconds of inactive movement.
"Both Electivire and Torterra are unable to battle!" the referee declared. "This round is a double knockout!"
Following the judgment, the excitement of the audience went up from witnessing the intensity of the round between the two fainted Pokémon. Only Volkner and Paul remained unexpressive from losing their second Pokémon. However, they did indicate disbelief on how they wound up in a tie in this matter.
"After trading blows of Stone Edge and Ice Punch, Torterra and Electivire had knocked each other out," the commentator surmised amidst the cheering and enthusiasm. "Now both Paul and Volkner have been reduced to one Pokémon each."
"Electivire, return," Volkner said, recalling the fainted Thunderbolt Pokémon. "Take it easy now. I won't let your hard work be in vain."
"Torterra, good battle," Paul mumbled casually, eyes closed as Torterra was pulled back into its Poké Ball. He was honestly surprised to witness his starter Pokémon fall in battle like that. At least now, Volkner is truly making up for his past mistakes and was giving it all he had in this battle. "Now I see what I must do to win."
The Veilstone City Trainer reopened his black eyes, a new form of determination to press forward steeling itself from his pupils. Volkner noticed Paul's look and smiled inwardly to himself. It didn't concern him too much whether he forgave him or not, but he recognized that he was looking forward to an intense final battle.
"Alright, Raichu, let's do this!"
"Dugtrio, stand by for battle!"
Two small-sized Pokémon appeared on the field. On Volkner's side was the final evolution of Pikachu and his long-time partner throughout his Trainer career. Paul's Pokémon took the form of Diglett triplets sharing a single body concealed under the dirt.
"The final matchup for this battle has now been revealed as Paul's Dugtrio is pitted against Volkner's Raichu!" the commentator proclaimed as the Pokémon images lit up on the scoreboard. "While these Pokémon may be fresh for battle, Dugtrio has the advantage of being a Ground-type, meaning none of Raichu's Electric attacks will do no good directly, but Volkner probably has a trick or two to deal handle this situation."
"Let the battle resume!" the referee announced.
"Dugtrio, Dig!"
"And Dugtrio makes the first move with Dig," the commentator began whilst the aforementioned Mole Pokémon tunneled its way into the ground and out of sight.
"Raichu, use Thunder on the field!" Volkner commanded, much to Paul's shock.
The Veilstone City Trainer knew this tactic as he watched Raichu focus his electrical power into gathering black clouds above the rock battlefield stadium. With a vigorous yell, the Mouse Pokémon called the Thunder to strike centerfield. The concentrated power caused the field to tremble until an explosion became inevitable.
*BOOM*
Rock shards and debris flew up in the air once the Thunder finished. Dugtrio was forced to emerge out of the ground due to the aftershocks of the powerful Electric attack. The Mole Pokémon shakily slid into a small rock peak while being bombarded by the falling rocks.
"And Volkner finds a way to use Electric attacks after all, evident from what we just saw," the commentator resumed. "It takes true power to alter the battlefield like that, folks."
"All attacks can affect any Pokémon," Volkner stated. "It doesn't always have to be directly."
"Don't lecture me on such things, Volkner," Paul responded, bearing an uneasy smirk. "Of course I would've already learned about them. Mud Bomb, let's go!"
Dugtrio was quick to retaliate with a volatile blob of mud while Raichu took a momentary pause from attacking. The Mouse Pokémon reacted quickly enough to step back, but he wasn't fast enough to escape the Mud Bomb's aftermath as it impacted the ground where Raichu originally stood.
The super effective hit tossed him along the ground before he regained enough sense to land back on his feet from the tumble. Raichu stared down against the three eye pairs of Dugtrio while static discharged from his cheek pouches, not about to give up without a fight.
"Dugtrio managed to fight back with one big Mud Bomb," the commentator recounted. "But of course Volkner's Raichu wouldn't go down from one hit of it."
"Dugtrio, use Mud Bomb back to back!"
The three heads cooperated in scooping up and launching multiple Mud Bombs to rain over its opponent. Raichu didn't need a vocal command to know to get out of his original spot. Dugtrio had then adjusted by turning about and locking onto Raichu until he was actually pelted by a Mud Bomb.
"To make up for Dugtrio's known low special attack power, he's just going to have Dugtrio keep attacking with a barrage of those Mud Bombs in hopes that it'll just whittle away Raichu's health altogether," Volkner mused. "No way he'd let up unless I stop him myself." The Sunyshore City Gym Leader glanced at Raichu, who continued jumping up and about to avoid falling Mud Bombs. "Raichu, get in close and use Iron Tail!"
Raichu quickly caught sight of a gap amidst the falling Mud Bombs and went for it. His speed and agility were enough to maneuver through the attack while powering his tail up for his counterattack. For some practice swipes, Raichu swung his long, sharpened tail to slice apart a couple of Mud Bombs apart.
"Rai Rai!" Raichu grunted, diving down towards Dugtrio to strike down with his Iron Tail.
He managed to land a hit upon the center head, causing the Mole Pokémon to cease its Mud Bomb barrage. Paul scowled in frustration, but didn't appear too upset over Raichu's success. He simply remained as unreadable as ever.
"Raichu, let's return the favor with back to back Iron Tails!"
The Mouse Pokémon then maneuvered his body about while still on the ground, whipping his Iron Tail to strike Dugtrio at multiple angles. The three heads huddled about themselves in an attempt to protect each other.
"Now Raichu has turned the tables by stopping Dugtrio in its tracks with all those Iron Tails," the commentator spoke up.
Paul critically observed the form Raichu was using in his Iron Tail strikes, discovering a pattern within moments through his persevering analytical skills. He knew how much more punishment his Dugtrio would be able to take and, if his on-the-spot theory was correct, he knew when exactly to have his Pokémon to strike.
Raichu just lashed a horizontal attack onto Dugtrio's left head, whereby the tail rebounded upward. At the angle it appeared that it was going to take for the vertical strike, Paul kept his emotions under control as his body tensed up for this precise moment.
"Grab Raichu's tail!" Paul ordered brusquely.
Dugtrio ended its cowering front, opening its eyes with each face bearing a vengeful glare. Volkner and Raichu caught on to the act a little too late as the tail descended right where Paul wanted it to go, which was in one of the gaps in between Dugtrio's heads. Two of the heads caught the bolt-shaped end between themselves.
"Oh, my!" the commentator exclaimed. "Dugtrio now has Raichu by the tail. The Iron Tail attacks have now come to a complete halt. Was this what Paul was waiting for?"
"Raichu, pull yourself out of there!"
"Dugtrio, Slash!"
The Mole Pokémon acted first by giving a surprising strong tug on Raichu's tail, pulling the startled Mouse Pokémon along for the right. Raichu collided into Dugtrio's center head before bouncing back with long scratch marks briefly visible on his abdomen from the Slash. Dugtrio still kept a firm grip on Raichu's tail.
"Raichu, Thunder on the field again!"
"Mud Bomb!"
This time, Raichu enacted his received command as quickly as possible, calling forth dark clouds to bring down the Thunder once again. Dugtrio lobbed a large Mud Bomb at the Electric-type Pokémon, scoring a direct super effective hit. Despite the bruises and dirt decorating his fur, Raichu was not to be deterred.
"Raaiii…!" Raichu bellowed, concentrating on his powerful Electric attack.
"Dugtrio, use Mud Bomb back to back!"
"Raichu is a determined fighter as the Mud Bombs keep firing away," the commentator narrated as the action took place. "How much longer will Raichu hold out?"
"Chuwawawa!" Raichu screamed, sending the powerful bolt of electricity from the sky upon the area around Dugtrio.
The electricity itself had no effect upon Dugtrio, evident from its unmoving expression. However, the rocky terrain it was in became unstable and began to break apart. In order to regain control on its position, Dugtrio had no option but to allow Raichu to slip free, to which the latter did upon first opportunity.
Raichu pulled back while the whole scenario of raining rocks and debris from the Thunder repeated itself once again. This time, Dugtrio was ready in defending itself by instinctively burrowing underground and wait out the last of the rock shards to stop falling.
"And Raichu slips free like that!" the commentator exclaimed. "What a turnaround!"
Raichu can't keep this up, not after all those Mud Bombs, Volkner thought somberly. I've got to force Dugtrio back up, even if it means my opponent having a counter to it. He saw Raichu look back him and nodded resolutely in agreement. "Raichu, use Thunder on the field once more!"
"Dugtrio, Earthquake!"
"Trio!" Dugtrio grunted, all three heads popping out of the ground at once.
The heads appeared to be concentrating power upon the earth around its body, causing it to shift erratically until uphill landslides protruded all around. Raichu was unable to carry out his attack as he lost his footing and got knocked about by the unpredictable seismic waves Dugtrio sent his way.
"No way!" Volkner gasped in disbelief.
"Finish this with Slash!"
Dugtrio had ultimately proven to be too speedy to keep up with, from catching Raichu's tail to play with the Mouse Pokémon like a paddleball board to enacting the Earthquake immediately after emerging from the underground. The Mole Pokémon quickly tunneled its way towards the disoriented Raichu, tackling into him with all three heads as they seemed to heave up.
The Slash sent Raichu up, the marks appearing more visible this time around. Raichu soon landed into the destroyed rock peak where Luxray was when it was defeated, revisiting the inevitable defeat as he landed roughly on his back, face covered with Slash marks and expressing further disorientation.
"Raichu is unable to battle!" the referee announced, calling the end for the match. "Dugtrio wins, so the victory of this match goes to Paul of Veilstone City!"
The cheers for the winner rose up upon declaration. Many spectators were simply extremely grateful for authentic battling they got to witness, among other things. One particular Trainer seated among them was impressed that his former rival had improved so much since they parted ways at the Lily of the Valley Conference.
While the commentator expressed his final thoughts on the finished battle, Volkner took the time to reach out to his first partner on the rock field. Raichu glanced up weakly with a small smile.
"Raichu, this was a great battle, so there's no need to be ashamed," Volkner reassured, kneeling down to his side and helping him sit up. "Now I know there are a lot of Trainers and Pokémon that are stronger than us. We just need to be better in order to keep up."
"Hey, Volkner," Paul intervened, walking up to them with Dugtrio by his side. "That was an impressive battle. I've had you wrong from the beginning, so… sorry."
"Mm, it was my fault for not setting the right example for you," Volkner replied with a shake of his head. "I was able to figure out that you were frustrated with me because I was turning down challenges when you came by my Gym. That was an incredible turnaround you pulled though."
"I couldn't have done it had I not let go of that little 'grudge' I had on you," Paul muttered rather reluctantly.
The Veilstone City Trainer could still recall Sabrina's other words regarding his typical character flaws.
"So things haven't been going your way… Does that make it right for you to throw a fit like a spoiled child?"
"Just let go off your past tethers. How many times must I say this?"
"Is battling really the only thing that goes on in the minds of boys your age? Really…"
"Hmph, what matters now was that you gave me a challenging battle, so not only can I call you a legit Gym Leader, but now I can say I've taken another level in strength," Paul explained.
"Well, you've definitely earned the Beacon Badge at this point had this been an official Gym match and you still competing in the Sinnoh League," Volkner jested, prompting a subtle, amused smile from the younger Trainer. "You'll go far in this tournament, maybe as far as this Trainer who helped put me back on the right way on the Pokémon path."
"Somehow, I have the feeling that I know exactly who you're referring to…"
Meanwhile by the rock field stadium entrance…
"I knew I'd find you in this match, even though it's already over and I catch you leaving," Anabel admitted, grinning playfully. "You're really eager to have another rematch with him, aren't you?"
"… Yeah," Ash replied with a quick nod. He seemed closer to his old self than ever. "It gets me… psyched… watching all these battles."
"Speaking of which, you're going to have a tough battle against your next opponent," Anabel mentioned. "I can't believe the Pokémon League is already pitting you against these kinds of Trainers now. Maybe they really do see how much stronger you and your Pokémon have gotten."
"… It'll get tougher from here on out," Ash said, looking wistfully into the sky.
"I want to continue training with you, if that's alright," Anabel requested modestly. "I'm getting the hang of your style now. I want to keep learning from it so that I can surpass my brother and become my own person."
Ash was able to discern that the Salon Maiden was indeed very serious about her goals, giving her a reassuring nod before taking another glance at the descending sun. Having watched Paul pull through against Volkner, he realized that everyone still competing in the Champions League would be slowly catching up to his level at some point or another.
His dream of becoming a Pokémon Master was at hand.
So this isn't a terribly long chapter. It's probably one of my shorter tournament battles so far, but then again, I haven't had the chance to actually check. Also, I originally planned Paul's opponent to be Silver, the rival from GSC/HGSS, since he was based off him, but then there was that curiosity on what his battle against Volkner would've been like had he been accepting challenges at the time. I think it was also a better option to also demonstrate more of his gradual developing character, realizing his character flaws, and finally doing something about them. Not a bad angle to take on him, no?
Again, I am deeply sorry for the long wait. Thank you to those that have been waiting patiently this whole time, but a lot of interesting things have been happening, some of which actually gave me ideas for new stories (for more information, just check out my profile here). Also, it's nearly been a year since my brother got married. You know, Mister P? Still remember him? (That's okay if you didn't. It's already been years now since he announced fanfiction retirement.)
It's time to measure up my writing skills. Please review!
L-ater!