Helloooo everyone! Welcome to chapter 6, Road of the Seas! Quite literally at the end, but that's something you'll have to see for yourself!
This chapter contains the third gym battle as well as SS Anne with a new twist! Will you like it? Will you dislike it? I have no idea. I thought this was a unique approach and for future usage.
I'll also tell you guys that there will be some language in this chapter. I apologize in advance but c'mon. It's understandable in that situation.
Anyway I hope you guys will like this chapter! Pikachu wrecks Raichu just like how it should be and more. Why? 'Cause Pikachu is Ash's first pokémon and far stronger than the others. Why else is he considered the leader of the group?
P.S. Evolutions. Ash may start losing battles against Brock and other trainers now though. Gyms will be harder from here on.
Update: 10-01-2016: Corrected 'Steal' with 'Steel'. Thank you reviewers!
After a pleasant talk with Ash's friend, Titan - who still scared the living hell out of Brock when the Dragon laughed - the group left to have a meal and some rest for the night.
It was the day after that they decided to leave already. Brock received a lot of medical books to make progress on his studies and Ash received Bill's number to contact him in case he needs something. It was apparently forgotten during his last visit to Bill.
Ash also received the offer to own an Eevee but he denied saying that while he'd love to have one, he wanted a different pokémon for Kanto's journey. He did mention that Leaf has recently been wanting one thanks to their conversations at night and handed Bill her nummer to contact her as well.
Sometimes he has to be a good friend above a good trainer. Eevee are rare, but friends are precious.
Now, Brock and Ash were on their way. Like usual, Meowth and Pikachu were hanging on Ash's shoulders and Vulpix seemed to have taken a liking to do the same.
Perhaps it was because Brock is so tall that she can see more?
"So Brock, what do you intend to do when we arrive at Vermillion City?" Ash asked his companion.
Brock simply shrugged. He didn't really have any interest there and was reading a book whilst walking next to Ash. He didn't really need to pay attention since they took the road now.
"I don't really care, Ash. Maybe we can get S.S. Anne tickets and see if there's anything to win there. It might be a nice experience."
Ash thought about it before asking Pikachu and Meowth. The both of them nodded that it might be a nice experience.
"Alright. we'll go there after I beat Surge. It won't leave for a few days anyway and I trust Pikachu and Glacia to win this battle," Ash smiled as he looked at his friends. He could even feel Glacia's cherish ball humming in agreement.
Ash still had trouble to stay to his nicknames for his pokémon but it didn't really matter. They all reply to either, still, he liked to call them by their nicknames in private or battle against the same species.
"Seems like a fair plan, Ash. I don't really have any complaints. I'll keep trying to up my study though, so I'll just watch your battles there."
"Eh, ain't much ta see. I'd reckon dat Ash'll just beat some trainers and train us. Maybe he knows some of dem wild pokémon dere to talk to?" Meowth poked into the conversation. Pikachu seemed to think about it before agreeing.
"Ash, ash! Isn't there a giant underwater sea cavern? There's also tons of the Gyarados we know there. I'd love to see 'em! Though the sea cavern will be impossible…"
Vulpix seemed to explain it to Brock instead of Ash. It seems their bond is getting closer and closer… Heck, Brock may even unlock his aura someday.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that Ash radiates aura at times and that Brock's body absorbed it.
No matter.
"Oh, I see the city," Ash commented as Brock looked up from his book. He nodded and put a bookmark in it before putting it in his bag.
Brock turned to his friend, "Let's get going then. Roselia and Pupitar have been sparring a lot lately and I think it's because Pupitar wants to evolve soon so he's training against his weakness."
Ash looked at Brock with a perfect deadpan expression. "You know I'll be pretty damn terrified of seeing a Tyranitar in our training battles, right? Your Pupitar is already strong, imagine a Tyranitar… If you did the league challenge, I might just give up. Steelix, Rhydon or Rhyperior, Tyranitar, Roserade, Ninetales and another pokémon. That'd be one sick team to battle."
Brock laughed out loud. Now that he thought about it, his team can indeed become a real scare for many trainers. "Good point! I'll train hard to get there! Though I don't want a Rhyperior, I find that a Rhydon is strong enough. If I purchase an Eviolite it would be amazing. Those items increase their defense to immense levels."
Ash nodded in agreement. That is a good idea.
The duo and their pokémon arrived in Vermillion City not long after.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked as she spotted Ash and Brock. Both held out some poké and Cherish balls.
"Please restore these guys." Ash asked with a soft smile. He was never rude with Nurse Joy and she kept professional. Something he liked.
Brock seemed to think about something before nodding. "Nurse Joy," he asked and he saw Nurse Joy's eyes turn slightly nasty at seeing him. Most likely heard of him from other Joys. "May I have some of your medical study books? I understand that the Joy family has a lot of them. I currently have the ones needed for travel using wild ingredients and one for traveling with equipment, but not heavy equipment like in a Pokémon Center."
Nurse Joy seemed to change in an instant, turning more pleasant. It seems the famous Joy Flirt was different when needed. She nodded since she no longer needed those and grabbed three large books. One for heavy medicine, one for operations and one for special recovery situations like a Chimchar or Cyndaquil being unable to use fire attacks.
Brock thanked her with a deep bow as he accepted those and put them away in his bag. Their pokémon were soon restored since there wasn't any heavy damage.
Now that Ash thought about it, he wondered how Daisy's Kingdra was doing. After it evolved with Ash's Dragon Scale it became a real beast. It still lost to Pikachu in the end because Ash took complete command but still. It really turned into a monster.
Thinking deeper… Melanie's pokémon are also beasts.
Bill owns a powerful Alakazam and is friends with Titan.
Oak owns a Dragonite, Charizard and other powerful pokémon.
Lance is the Champion and has a team of dragons.
Really, his friends were all amazing. He needed to catch up soon.
Good thing that his friend, Cynthia Shirona, was also starting this time with a Gible. He would've hated to see her ahead of him that far too. He needed some rivals after all.
"Please Nurse Joy! Help my pokémon!" Tons of trainers ran inside. Ash could see electric damage on all of them- is that a Pidgey?
"Is…. Is that a Pidgey, Pikachu? Not a Ditto or anything?" He asked his friend who shook his head in disbelief as well.
Ash might be considered a hypocrite for this but… A Pidgey. A freaking Pidgey. Against the third gym leader. Now, he used Fletchinder against Brock but still. That was at least doable. This is just insane because Pidgey don't learn any good moves against Electric-type pokémon.
"That is the most stupid idea I've ever seen. I want that Raichu though." Pikachu mumbled as he shook his head in sheer amazement at the rookies their idiocity.
Heck, even Ash when he first met him knew of these things. How come 12 year old trainers do not even know about it?
Brock was in a similar state with Vulpix but soon enough they managed to shake themselves out of it.
"Let's just.. Y'know. Do the gym battle." Ash offered the idea to his friend who nodded. He wanted to get out of there because Nurse Joy seemed absolutely livid at the trainer's choices for pokémon battles against Lt. Surge.
The duo walked up to the gym with their pokémon. On the way they helped a kind lady and her Machop to search for her glasses and they all received some candy.
Well, rare candy. Special candy that can raise a pokémon's level according to the pokédex, but what it does is basically force a Pokémon to grow. It's not painful or anything, but a waste.. Still, he gave it to Meowth whilst chewing on his own. Pikachu didn't like the taste anyway. Brock did the same with Pupitar who happily ate both of them.
Pupitar was now just hovering alongside Brock as they walked to the gym. He wanted to stay out of the ball for a bit to let the rare candy do its thing.
"Well… Here goes nothing. I hope they aren't assholes," Ash muttered as he walked inside. Right away he could see a bunch of thug-like dressed people who seem like they're the all muscle and no brain type of person.
"Hello? I'd like to challenge the gym." Ash asked to a nearby person. The person turned around and spotted the Pikachu and Meowth.
He burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Boss! Get over here, we got a new kid that wants to be beaten!"
Lt. Surge walked up to them with a raised eyebrow. A Pikachu and a Meowth? Wait, there's also a Vulpix and a Pupitar. Those ain't so bad.
"Well kid, I'm Surge. You're the challenger?" He asked Ash to be sure. Ash simply nodded as his maroon eyes stared up at Surge with determination. Surge had to admit, it was pretty intimidating but he began laughing in interest. A kid that has a Pikachu and a Meowth, he'll see how it goes.
"The name's Ash. Don't insult my Pikachu though," Ash warned as Pikachu looked up at Surge. That was the moment Surge could see inside of that Pikachu's eyes.
It's said that a person can see the other's soul through their eyes.
Surge now saw what Pikachu was. A storm. His entire experience with the storms, the power of lightning. That's not a normal Pikachu in the slightest.
"I see." Surge's voice changed as he became serious. This challenger isn't a nobody, not in the slightest.
"Let's do this then," Ash offered his hand to shake Surge's. Surge did the same before he could feel that kid's grip. Ash used some strength behind it and showed that he definitely was not some weak little kid and a fair warning to not try to assume so next.
Walking ahead of Surge, Ash went to the battling area.
Back there, Surge let out a whistle. "That's one scary kid," He turned to Brock who had a knowing smile.
"Give him a four badge challenge. Raichu has to stay though," Brock offered the idea and Surge nodded. That sounded good for that experienced boy.
Walking after Ash they entered the battle area and all spectator seats were taken by either trainers within the gym or newcomers to see another loss or gain experience out of that battle.
Ash stood on the opposite side of Surge as he looked at his opponent.
"The battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Lt. Surge of Vermillion City will now commence! Choose your Pokémon!"
Ash threw out Glacia's pokéball. Surge did the same for his.
Out of it came a Shiny Amaura against an Electabuzz.
"Well, well… This kid isn't to be underestimated. Let's see how we'll manage against this," Surge muttered as he recognized the fossil pokémon. How couldn't he? They're beyond endangered and rare. Only seven of its entire evolution tree so far.
"Electabuzz! Start off with Low Kick!" He ordered his Electric-type who nodded and rushed towards the Amaura. Glacia looked at the electric type with fierce eyes before closing them and jumping up at the right timing.
"Body slam," Ash simply ordered as the full weight of 25 kilograms, 2 times gravity and the move damage fell onto the Electabuzz who tried to kick low. It hit the Electabuzz straight on and left the floor frozen somewhat before the Amaura jumped back and used Light Screen to lessen moves such as Thunderbolt's damage.
Electabuzz however, wasn't a four badge pokémon for nothing. He jumped up and fired an impressive thunderbolt at the Amaura who then used multiple Rock Throws to lessen the power of the thunderbolt.
Surge was impressed. The boy didn't have to command at times and the Amaura has some pretty impressive power. His gym symbolizes pure power and it seems this kid is on the right way.
"Electabuzz! Brick Break!" Electabuzz now fell downwards to the Amaura who stood still. Ash was also calm as he looked at the move. If it hit, Light Screen would be broken.
"Mist and dodge." The Amaura nodded and began to glow before the field became misty and only shadows were seen. That was until multiple shadows of Amaura were seen in the mist and Electabuzz became confused as to which is which.
The Amaura didn't need to know what to do next. She opened her mouth and used Powder Snow in order to gradually lower Electabuzz's temperature like a silent predator.
Surge was even more shocked now. Three badge challengers often use offensive moves and ignore moves such as Mist and Double Team, but this kid makes sure to teach his pokémon that… Impressive.
"Electabuzz! Shockwave!" Electabuzz roared in rage as a giant shockwave of electric energy was blasted all around him. Indiscriminate, but it didn't reach any spectator nor did it reach Ash or Surge. They were in a protected field made by league Kadabra and Alakazam.
Surge hires them for this reason.
Glacia let out a cry of pain before growling and letting out a roar of her own. Soon enough, the entire battle field began to freeze up and a large blizzard of snow came out of her mouth with the roar. It turned the entire battlefield into a snow area. That was, until she used Icy Breath to solidify the ground where Electabuzz was stuck.
Now the mist ended and they could see an Amaura who had signs of paralysis. Electabuzz in turn was also partially frozen.
"Hey Surge!" Ash called out to the gym leader who looked at Ash now.
"What is it, kid?"
"Your gym is about power… Let me show you power. Glacia, you know what move you're practicing. Give him a taste of a half developed one."
Glacia opened her jaws before an orange light came in front of her mouth.
Surge's eyes opened wide. "Electabuzz! Hyper beam!" Electabuzz also did the same.
However, Glacia's orange beam became a white colour and soon enough much larger than before.
Both Amaura and Electabuzz fired their respective hyper beams at each other. While Glacia's hyper beam is not perfected, the Electabuzz had less time to charge. Refrigerate also increased Glacia's hyper beam's power and so the result was obvious.
The white beam soon began to overpower the orange one and blasted the Electabuzz into a wall, ending the first battle in Ash's win.
"Winner of the first battle, Ash Ketchum and his Amaura!"
Surge was surprised but then he laughed in glee. Now that was power! He was thrilled at the sight of that Amaura, that little thing had some serious bite!
Heck, he wondered why this Amaura hadn't evolved yet. Level-wise if one would scan her, she'd definitely be around level 45. That's seventh gym level! The only reason she can't battle there yet is because her body is weakened thanks to the fossilization and the fact she has yet to evolve!
"Return, Glacia. It's Pi's turn." Ash called out to his Amaura who nodded. Running back to her trainer, the field got molten and soon the water was evaporated thanks to some flamethrowers of a Magmortar. It seems they held some powerful pokémon there for these reasons.
Surge smiled widely. This kid's impressive! He'll give him a real challenge then!
Ash offhandedly gave the Amaura a Cheri Berry which recovered the paralysis status of her and she began to lay down next to her trainer intent on watching the battle of Pikachu.
"Alright Pi. Let's show him what a Pikachu can do through hard work."
"Let's do this! I'll show him a piece of fine Electric power!"
Pikachu rushed up to the field and began to spark all around, not just the pouches. That's a definite signs of having a lot of power for a Pikachu.
"Alright kid! Let's see your Pikachu handle my Raichu! Come out partner!" He threw his pokéball into the field and a powerful looking Raichu came out of it. It folded its arms looking at the Pikachu with disdain as if saying 'This ain't even a challenge'.
That was something he shouldn't have done. There's a reason Pikachu still stood above the Amaura and other pokémon of Ash.
Ash grinned widely at seeing his Pikachu's attitude change. He became a lot calmer. Calm rage. Something not many pokémon have but when they do, they're quite feared. Rage can fuel one's power and being calm meant that he can focus.
"Let the battle between Ash's Pikachu and Lt. Surge's Raichu, begin!"
Pikachu instantly went for agility and began to dash around the field. Speeding up more and more, the Pokémon was making it harder for the Raichu to follow him.
Even Surge had to blink at the speed. That's some serious speed there… But Raichu can hit more than just a target.
"Give him a real shocker! Shockwave!" Raichu roared out and a giant shockwave was seen. This one far overpowered the Electabuzz's and it hit the Pikachu straight on causing an explosion.
That was the first mistake.
Pikachu was running around and absorbed the electricity, making it his own and powering himself up. Still running with Agility, he soon jumped up and a giant ball of electricity appeared above his tail. Far larger than Ash is tall.
Slamming it down, the attack was like a lightningbolt and hit the Raichu straight on causing it to blast straight into the barrier that previously kept the smoke from reaching the spectators.
Pikachu wasn't satisfied with just that though. No. This was personal. He ran straight up to the Raichu and charged a Brick Break and slammed it into the larger mouse, hitting it into the air.
Pikachu then jumped upwards and appeared above the Raichu, charging an iron tail. Pikachu twisted his body before slamming the blunt iron tail downwards, hitting the Raichu's back and straight into the ground which caused a large crater to appear in the battlefield before jumping back and then he was still ready for combat.
Surge remained silent in awe. That Pikachu's speed is one thing. That Electro Ball is another thing. That Brick Break did the trick, but that Iron Tail sold it.
Raichu stood up slowly, feeling a lot of pain before Surge called the match. No need to injure Raichu even further… That Pikachu is a beast. That much is clear.
That is the result of sparring with a Royal Fletchinder, a very fast Frogadier and a Meowth that can use quick attack. Pikachu was Ash's fastest pokémon on land, no questions asked. Pikachu also trained much longer than the others.
And this time, Pikachu did not only have small platforms to use in order to battle.
This was Pikachu's homefield. No trees, nothing. Something he can go all out in.
Ash smirked as he called Pikachu back. The Pikachu happily jumped onto his shoulder as Surge returned his heavily damaged Raichu.
"Well Ash… That was something I wouldn't like to face again. I heard some rumors about a powerful Pikachu from Cerulean City's gym, but I thought they were pansies and complained about it… Seems like I need to take them seriously. You have done two things. You have beaten me and also cleared the Gym's goal of teaching a trainer overwhelming power. You trained hard and did not evolve your pokémon like most would. Actually, my idea was to beat you and tell you to evolve that Pikachu but… I'm scared what may come out of it."
Ash laughed loudly at that. That's Pikachu alright. Amaura seemed amazed at the speed she had seen. Pikachu was already becoming much stronger and getting closer and closer to its peak speed.
Well, the peak he had for now…
"Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town has won the battle against Lt. Surge of Vermillion City!"
This made all the spectators cheer wildly. They hadn't seen such a beautiful, rare pokémon before and seeing such a powerhouse of a Pikachu inspired many to train much harder.
This was an awesome fight. That was something many would think in their hearts and Lt. Surge learnt something from it as well. Do not underestimate people.
"Here's your badge Ash. I hope you wear it with pride… and also, here is my number. Contact me for a rematch sometime. I will use my real team then." Surge offered with a giant grin. This kid was a beast! Heck, he should send a videorecording of it to Lance and boast about electric types.
"Thank you, Surge." Ash accepted it and put it in his red and black badge case. Of course, he showed the badges to Pikachu, Meowth and Glacia first to let them see what they had earned so far. Glacia felt pride within her that she helped her trainer reach this stage.
"Now kid... " Surge began as he pulled two tickets out of his back pocket. "I thought I'd give this to some winners and you definitely deserve it. Have a nice trip on SS Anne and join the tournament for some great training. There are many shops that sell rare items from all around the world and some pokémon are being sold as well. Perhaps it may interest you. Consider this an apology for insulting your Pikachu too."
Pikachu cheered at that. He can join a tournament! Those are awesome, if his experience at the Oak Ranch was anything to go by!
Glacia seemed interested as well. She'll meet new pokémon and perhaps make new friends. Ash did say they have a lot of Gyarados as friends.
"So Ash. We're going to SS Anne eh?" Brock asked his friend who nodded in return. It sounded like a nice idea to go on a small break, train pokémon in peace, meet some friendly Gyarados, participate in a tournament that starts in two days.
"Yep. Got everything you need?" He asked his friend who nodded. The both of them left the pokémon center where Ash healed Pikachu and Glacia despite their opinion of not needing it. He wanted them in top shape after such a battle.
Besides, he cares about them. No need to have any unnecessary pain.
"I hope Pupitar will evolve soon. The tournament sounds like a nice idea for such a thing," Brock commented offhandedly. If Ash was drinking something, he'd have a spit take now.
He did not want to fight a Tyranitar. Unless one of his pokémon reach their final evolution.
Even then, he did not want to battle a pseudo legendary pokémon. At least, not yet.
Ash just walked faster to ignore what Brock said. Behind him, Brock had to hide a large grin. Teasing Ash was so much fun…
The two reached the entrance towards SS Anne which waited for a week before sailing off. Flashing their tickets, they gained entrance and had neighbour rooms which is a pleasant surprise.
"So… Let's drop off our bags and see if there's anything interesting to buy first. I'd reckon the shops are open." Ash offered Brock the idea and he agreed.
Onix was close to mastering Iron Head. It's time to buy a metal coat, as well as an eviolite.
Ash was just thinking of looking around for any useful items. Perhaps a Light Stone to surprise Brock with since they've been traveling for nearly a month together now and Roselia might love the idea. He'd also purchase some new clothes and a few smaller items such as gifts for his mother, Leaf, Gary and Professor Oak.
The two left their bags behind - obviously keeping their pokémon with them - and went towards the shopping area. It was pretty busy for such an early sale and the two parted ways after promising to go to the dining area at 5 P.M.
Ash went to buy the smaller gifts for his friends and family first. He found a few great gifts. A special set of equipment to make a Haiku for the professor with multiple designs, a pair of goggles for Gary in case he enters desert areas in the future, a necklace with a moon on it for Leaf and a pair of glass figurines made to resemble Latias and Latios for his mother. He quickly item transferred them to the intended person.
After that, he purchased a Light Stone, a Fire Stone, an Eviolite and a Metal Coat in case he captures a pokémon that requires them. The eviolite is for Amaura until she wants to evolve. The fire stone can be for Vulpix if Brock wants to evolve her in the future and the same counts for the Light stone.
After that he bought a new pair of gloves that can attract pokéballs after they've been thrown so they return to the trainer. Always useful in case his throwing technique fails him.
"Huh? Isn't that James, Pikachu?" He asked his starter who perked up and spotted a familiar hair color. He was currently looking at a giant Magikarp.
"Well well customer! This mighty Magikarp is extremely powerful and a one-of-a-kind! Just between you and me, that pokéball is also pure gold! Right now you can buy both for just 1000 Pokédollars!" The salesman cough con cough told James who was interested and pair for it.
That was when Ash met up with him.
"Hey James. Purchased a Magikarp I see?" He asked as he looked at the Magikarp and the fake golden ball.
"Oh hey Ash! Yeah, the salesman said this ball is pure gold and that the Magikarp is really powerful.
Ash blinked a few times before sighing and pulling James with him to his room. He needed to have a serious chat in case something goes wrong there. James is a nice guy outside of the team rocket activities so he'll tell him.
They reached Ash's room soon enough and Ash made James take a seat at the table. The room also had a large aquarium so he called out the new, now happy, Magikarp who instantly began swimming around and James took some of the water-type pokéchow and dumped it into the aquarium.
Ash didn't mind in the slightest.
"James. That Magikarp will indeed become a beast," Ash started and James simply beamed in happiness.
"However." Ash began and his eyes turned fierce as he looked at James.
James looked half terrified half curious at Ash now. That boy has one intimidating look if he wants to! What's wrong with the Magikarp?!
"Magikarp right now is not strong. You need patience for it to evolve and give it a lot of love. I will tell you now that a Magikarp evolves into a Gyarados," Inner-James was running around, cheering, "but it takes a while. I can see that this Magikarp is close to evolution and there's another point I need to make here."
He grasped one of his cherish ball and called out his giant Fletchinder who remained still on the floor, looking at the giant Magikarp.
"These pokémon have a special quality. They're called 'Royal Species' simply because they are much, much larger and far stronger. They're not invincible, not at all, but they are true beasts of their species. Your Magikarp is one, but you need to make sure you take the right care. Do not discard him for another pokémon, love him no matter if he is a Magikarp or a Gyarados. Train him to the best you can. That way, you will have a powerful partner that will never leave you behind. Understood?" He spoke seriously to James who now understood why.
Magikarp is weak in the beginning, however they become a Gyarados after the right training. Discarding him now is a stupid option because the Magikarp will definitely be enraged, plus this Magikarp is a royal one. Something very rare, if what Ash's eyes are telling him.
James nodded seriously as he stood up and walked to the Magikarp.
"Magikarp," James called out to the fish who swam up to him curiously.
"Will you be my pokémon? I understand if you wish to be released in case you heard our conversation. It's true I might be greedy because you're special and that you can evolve into a Gyarados, which is why I offer you this."
Magikarp's eyes became wide. That took a lot to admit. He wasn't even mad at his trainer for saying so. To be honest, he expected to be bought and become a plate of dinner at one point with that conman but it seems he now had a really good trainer.
"I'd love to be your pokémon. It's true that you may be a greedy man for wanting me to evolve, but every Magikarp desires to evolve himself. I am indeed special and right now, only because you admitted and offered to even release me, I will be your pokémon forever. You have earned my respect by doing this, trainer. May I ask what is your name, and in case you wish, what you will name me?"
Ash translated everything the Magikarp said and James' eyes became misty as he looked at the fish. He was definitely happy that he even got a friend out of this. Now that he had Growlie, his Growlithe, Weezing and Carnivine he has been training for a while now to get stronger. Magikarp, or a future Gyarados, will definitely help out a lot.
"My name is James Whiterose. If you want a name, I'd say Leviathan for when you evolve into a Gyarados. What do you think of that? Also, nice to meet you. I'm very happy you wish to be my pokémon, maybe my friend too." His voice carried the happiness he had.
Magikarp was surprised at his actions but guessed that the man may not have a lot of friends. Seeing Ash translate, he looked back at James.
"Leviathan is acceptable. I wouldn't mind becoming your friend if you will be mine. Promise to never release me and keep me with you forever and I'll stay with you until the very end."
Ash translated it with a large smile. It seems they got along well.
Falcon perked up soon enough as the bird smirked with his beak. "Ash? I feel like my time for evolution is also coming near. If you must know, both Frogadier and I feel like we can. We're waiting for your permission. I waited until we had some time to rest to tell you."
Ash turned to his second pokémon before smiling and nodding in understanding. Glacia herself was also close but she needed a little more time to rest and get all of her strength back that she had before.
Meowth stayed silent in the pokéball, watching everything occur. He was happy that his friend left Team Rocket because he didn't see a single R on James' body.
"Return for now, Levi. I'll train you until you evolve into a Gyarados before we leave the waters. I want to be sure that you can travel with me on both land and sea, as well as battle with me." James returned the Magikarp and cleaned the pokéball. Like his silent heart suspected, it was painted but he was happy with his choice. He now had a friend in the shape of a royal Magikarp.
"Ash, thank you for translating and telling me. To be honest, I was stupidly believing it all and might have released Magikarp if he failed… I'm still getting used to being a trainer so I might make such a mistake in anger. Being with Team Rocket in the past didn't really help."
Ash nodded as he offered a kind smile. He returned Falcon with the promise to let him out later and looked into James's eyes. His usual intimidating maroon became kinder. "Just take care of your pokémon. Love them like you love your family. They will in return, do the same and become far stronger than any other. Of course, still weaker than mine." Ash teased with a wink.
"Ha! I'd love to see you try! I'll do the gym challenge in Johto when you start so we'll see who is better."
Ash showed a grin as he held out his fist. The older man bumped it with a smirk on his face.
Both of them left the room. One satisfied with a purchase of a new friend and pokémon, the other glad to have a new friend and rival.
"Hey Ash! I bought some cool stuff man. They have a lot of medic equipment from other regions so I bought a few things I might need on the road." Brock called out to his friend who was sitting at a table, drinking some coffee while reading a paper. Next to him was a Pikachu and a Meowth both with cups of tea.
"Hey Brock. Welcome back. I met James by the way, he bought a Royal Species Magikarp." Better deliver the news fast before mt. Brock erupts.
"I see… Glad to know he's doing well. I bought a Metal Coat and an Eviolite by the way. I was lucky because they're the last they had."
Ash chuckled as he pulled out two stones from his pockets. He handed them over to Brock who looked at them in surprise.
"One of them is a Light Stone. They're used to evolve a Roselia into a Roserade. The other one you already know."
Brock blinked back some tears as he pulled out a gift for Ash as well. It was a feather, a silver wing to be precise.
"This Ash, is a special feather I bought. I thought it would match the golden-rainbow one on your necklace. It was pretty expensive because it looked like it was made of silver."
Ash stared at it for a while before laughing softly. "Brock, that's a feather that belonged to Lugia. You can see it resonate with the rainbow one."
Brock blinked a few times as he stared at the Rainbow Wing and the Silver Wing before chuckling. He handed it to Ash who gladly put it on his necklace. Now the crystal was in the middle, on the left was the Rainbow and on the right was the Silver.
"Thanks Brock. I hope we'll have an amazing journey ahead of us." Ash held out his hand to Brock, who repeated the words and shook it.
Like that, the two spent the two days training their pokémon and James occassionally joined in. That's where Ash offered a lot of pointers to train his pokémon.
James was now teaching his pokémon moves. Growlie was learning Crunch, Carnivine was learning Power Whip, Weezing was learning Flamethrower and Magikarp was learning Bounce because a Gyarados can no longer do so.
The group would've attracted tons of attention if they didn't train in closed off areas in order to hide their pokémon but many could still see a giant Fletchinder fly around the ship at times. Heck, they even spotted a Gyarados poke out of the water and look around before moving to a part of the ship where it seemed to make a few roars and then leaving.
It was basically telling Ash about the storm and that the group of Gyarados that he trained will be ready to save them in case something goes wrong.
SS Anne is said to be unsinkable. Well, put a storm or a glacier in the way and down it goes.
Ash obviously relayed the news to his friends who accepted it and the crew but the crew just said they'll be fine.
Well, we'll see how this goes. Ash was not intending to get stuck on the ocean. No thank you, sir.
But now it is time to start the tournament. There are tons of trainers there, each intending to win the main prize which is a set of all evolutionary items. That means stones, fangs, claws, coats… all of it. The second prize is a stack of ultra balls and the third prize is two boxes worth of Full Restores.
Both Ash and Brock entered when they heard that. No matter who wins, one must get first place.
Luckily, only 32 people joined the game. That means that it's a fairly short tournament that can end in a day. Each trainer may only choose one of their team's pokémon per battle. They can obviously switch.
So Ash did what they said. He had five battles, all up to the finals.
His first battle was against a Doduo. He used Meowth and a Water Pulse followed by a Thunderbolt finished the battle.
His second battle was against a Charmeleon. He used Frogadier because that Charmeleon looked quite powerful and only won by the slightest margins. He silently thanked Arceus for that. That Charmeleon was definitely near evolution.
His third battle was against a Tauros which he took on with Pikachu. Pikachu easily won that with a very powerful thunder attack that impressed a lot of the crowd. As well as a certain red headed woman.
The fourth battle he used Meowth again simply because Meowth could win this one. It was against another Meowth. Both fought well, but Ash's Meowth won the battle by using Feint Attack and taking to the shadows. Sometimes those who play 'unfair' are the ones who can be considered real trainers.
His fifth battle… Well, it went as you can see.
"Hello Brock." Ash spoke from his spot as Brock stood on the opposite with a grin. He won them all as well. Definitely proud of doing so if his grin was anything to go by.
Chuckling, he simply called out his Pupitar who was ready for battle. Ash called out Hermit. He wouldn't lose so easily!
Both Pokémon let out a roar as they charged. Pupitar went straight for an Iron Head whereas Hermit was using Aqua Jet to avoid it at the last second and hitting the Pupitar in the back.
Both pokémon soon faced each other again as Frogadier began using Ice Punch and Pupitar was using Trash. Both pokémon were hitting each other heavily… until the following happened.
Pupitar began to glow and Ash's worst fear happened.
Hermit began to glow and Brock had to wince at the timing.
Now there stood a giant, green pseudo-legendary pokémon called Tyranitar against the water start of Kalos, Greninja.
Greninja instantly went into action using Water Shuriken and threw them at Tyranitar's head. Tyranitar however dodged them with his newly gained flexibility and ran towards the Greninja with a Brick Break.
Protean makes Greninja one of the best possible choices here. Now Greninja used Bounce and jumped upwards, becoming a flying type and used the ceiling to jump downwards with an aqua jet to the Tyranitar. The Brick Break that nicked him didn't have much effect.
Ash, like expected, did not say a thing. He knew this match may go either way. Greninja was used to his body and Tyranitar wasn't yet. That's because of the evolution between Pupitar and Tyranitar being like a Metapod and a Butterfree. Butterfree may be able to fly right away, but not like a more experienced one.
Tyranitar decided to surprise all of them though. Seeing Greninja come at him with Aqua Jet and having experience battling him as a Pupitar he used a move he unlocked at evolution. Giga Impact.
He began to glow a powerful orange as he jumped straight into the Aqua Jetting Greninja and both hit each other. Tyranitar, with his new mass and power against Greninja who used speed to power up the attack and Protean to make sure his typing was the exact same as the move.
Tyranitar's Giga Impact wasn't perfect. Not in the slightest. That is why this round, Greninja won and Tyranitar was blasted onto the floor, roaring in pain before losing the battle.
Greninja was obviously extremely tired and turned to his trainer, standing at full height. Ash nodded and held out his fist, which the Greninja pressed against with a fist of his own before being returned. No words needed to be said. It was perfect.
Brock smiled happily at the sight of Tyranitar and walked up to his new pokémon. He used a quick full restore to make sure Tyranitar was alright and let him sit up before looking at him. Brock nodded with a pleased smile and Tyranitar did the same.
They finally evolved to their final evolution. Now Tyranitar can finally become one of the strongest pokémon. Even if he lost now, he'll win next time.
The tournament rewards were instantly inside of their bags to prevent anyone from peeking or stealing them. They now carried the bags on themselves as they were eating some small snacks on the ship.
Currently, there was a party going on because the tournament finished. Of course they were now all trying to trade pokémon with either Ash because of rarity or Brock because of Tyranitar. Obviously, all of them were refused because they were plain ridiculous and they won't give away their pokémon.
That was also the time Team Rocket decided to strike with Jessie as leader.
Bombs exploded everywhere on the ship in order to suppress the masses. The ship was being shaken by the storm as they went. Team Rocket members were now actively trying to force children and all to hand over their pokémon. Jessie was obviously rushing to Ash to grab his pokémon alongside those of Brock.
That was the stupidest idea that Team Rocket ever had.
Ash and Brock threw all their pokéballs into the air. There was a giant Fletchinder which was also a shiny, a Greninja who was now healed up, a Meowth who was glaring at Jessie and a shiny Amaura who glared at the members. Brock's pokémon weren't much better. A very angry Tyranitar stood in front of everyone. A heavy Onix protected his trainer and his trainer's friend. A Graveler was growling. An angry looking Roselia was there alongside with a Vulpix who's eyes began to glow purple in order to use Extrasensory.
That was the start of the madness as well as Team Rocket epically failing.
Attacks were blasted at Team Rocket, not caring whether they have pokémon to protect them or not. Both Ash and Brock didn't have the slightest mercy because they spotted something that shouldn't have happened. One of the members stabbed a little girl. That was all they needed for confirmation.
Ash's aura was agitated and began calling upon the Gyarados, telling them to come here and help them out. The Ship was blasted around as many passengers began to escape. Only Ash and Brock stayed behind. James was there too, using Growlie to protect his own pokémon now that he quit.
Countless men were heavily wounded thanks to strong attacks of pokémon. The amount of Zubat and other low ranking pokémon couldn't even be counted and Jessie was completely blasted off the ship. That was soon followed by the rest when Ash's Fletchinder used Whirlwind to blast all the possible corpses, pokémon and other things off the ship without any regret.
You do not touch children. You do not hurt children. You definitely do not piss off powerful trainers.
Sadly, nature does not like them… and so came a giant wave of water.
Both Ash and Brock were in a rush as they returned their pokémon. James did the same and they all quickly curled up for impact. This wasn't a good idea.
Swooooooooooooooooooooooosh!
The heavy metal bending under the pressure of the giant wave, the ship turning over and slowly sinking… Those within the ship could not remember anything. They were blasted unconcious, falling into the depths of the ocean.
Hours passed since and that's when Ash finally woke up with a loud groan. Seeing that they were still alive he turned to Brock and found him with a small pool of blood under his head. Ash, seeing that, was obviously on his task right away and used a bastardized Heal Pulse to recover the wound and swiftly wrapped it up with bandages he had in his bag.
That's also the moment Brock woke up with a groan, holding his head that had a massive headache.
"Ash? What happened?" He asked in a tired, pained voice.
Ash looked around to see everything was a mess, but he could see an unharmed James who was lucky enough to land on pillows of the room. Talk about luck he'd like to have…
James groaned and woke up as well, the trio now finally aware that they're in the ship… and that everything was upside down or simply a complete mess.
James summed it up in perfect words.
"Well, shit."
The group of three spent a while now - after confirming that they're okay to their pokémon - to look around the ship to see if there's anyone else. They only found a few pokéballs that had R's on them and immediately refused to even go near them.
What if some stupid Ekans decides to use Acid and makes a hole? They'll drown, no questions asked. Even now they're lucky there's enough oxygen.
The group found out that there was at least a working communication station and Ash decided to go first. First thing he does? Call Lance.
"Ash! I heard the SS Anne sunk! What the heck is this number then?!" A very panicked voice reached their ears as the champion as well as friend of Ash shouted his worries.
"We did sink, Lance. We're the only ones on the ship. We've confirmed that much. There are a few Team Rocket pokéballs but we're making sure not to go near them so there's no battles. We don't have a lot of time though." Ash was calm, far too calm. He needed to be in this case or they won't make it out.
"What?! You're… oh dear. This is pretty bad. We didn't hear that Team Rocket was inside of it.." Lance was walking around. He was obviously called on his XTransceiver.
Ash simply waited for Lance's reply.
"Ash. I'll personally get there after we find the coordinates. If, in some case of luck, you find a way up call me. I know you have a water type so try your best. I trust your decisions."
Ash nodded as the call ended in a hurry. Lance was obviously going to contact the G-men for both Team Rocket as well as the rescue.
Actually, Ash began to chuckle a little now that he thought of something funny.
"What's so funny, Ash?" James asked in a groggy voice. Brock grunted slightly as if agreeing with that.
"Well… I was imagining the faces of those who escaped and met the Gyarados that I asked to help us in case something goes wrong. They'll definitely scream for their lives until they notice the Gyarados are bringing them to safety."
James and Brock both chuckled now. They could definitely imagine that mass panic.
"Anyway. We need to get as high as possible and see if there's an exit. That's when we can get out."
Both older teens nodded as they went on their adventure inside of the ship.
Something woke up thanks to a massive screeching sound that metal made upon contact.
That something was annoyed yet intrigued because it could feel something.
Something powerful, something that is human. But what is that thing that gives off such power?
The something that woke up left its resting spot in order to confirm what it is and whether it is a threat or not.
Perhaps, it might save what that thing is. In a manner of curiosity. It knew that there was a storm, for it knew whenever one occurred.
However, it knew that that storm was not natural by any means.
What does that mean?
Ash, Brock and James still kept their pokémon in their respective pokéballs. Only James called out his Magikarp to bring them to other sides of the ship when he spotted a massive leak and the Magikarp eagerly helped his new trainer who was in trouble.
In a way, Magikarp was now seeing the need to evolve… It needs to be much stronger to help his trainer.
But he can't evolve yet. Not in this ship. Not until they're out.
Brock and Ash were both panting a little as there was a lower amount of oxygen the higher they go. That was until they finally reached the top, or well, bottom of the ship.
Ash looked at the group whilst trying to at least get some air. "I can use Fletchinder's flamethrower to heat up this part. The cold water and pressure on the other side will break the steel of the ship and create a hole. Does that work for you guys?"
Both James and Brock looked at each other before turning to Ash.
"We need to swim up, Ash. We're quite deep… I'll tag with James because his Magikarp can definitely carry us. I'm not sure if Greninja can handle two people."
Ash nodded with slight irritation. This is troubling because they didn't have three water type pokémon. It would be amazing if there's another one.
"Well… Let's go. The longer we wait, the more in danger we are. The ship might fall deeper and then we can't escape in the slightest because of the water pressure."
Brock and James nodded at that. They can't survive deeper than they are.
"Falcon!" Ash called his Fletchinder who flew carefully in the air. "Use flamethrower above us to create a hole. Hermit!" He called out Greninja who stood ready to swim. Even if he wasn't that practiced with swimming yet, he can at least do his best to get his trainer up. His trainer's life depended on it! "You know what to do." He spoke to his water type who nodded.
Flamethrower met steel and it began to glow until it was starting to crack. Soon enough, the metal bent inwards as water began to find its way inside. Fletchinder was making the hole larger and larger to make sure that they can all get out and James called out Leviathan. The Magikarp nodded, knowing what to do as both Brock and James began to hold onto him. Before Falcon could get wet, Ash returned him.
Nodding together with Hermit, he held onto the Ninja Pokémon as it jumped through the hole and tried its best to swim. Greninja, unlike other water types, does not have natural skill in swimming and so only had small practice sessions as a Froakie when there was a small amount of peace in between trainers trying to capture him.
Leviathan easily passed him as he began to glow, becoming a massive Gyarados. Hermit saw that as a chance as he held onto its tail instead of swimming because the Gyarados will be much faster…
But the heavy movement shook Ash off of Hermit who turned around in shock, letting out a cry underwater. Nobody heard it because of the massive Gyarados roaring as it swam upwards to save the humans and its trainer… Leaving behind Ash as he was slowly falling down.
'So… This is it,' Ash thought as he looked down with a small smile. 'This is how my journey ends?'
A massive shadow was approaching Ash as it stared at the human falling down. It wouldn't act for now.
'I… I still have my pokémon with me. I can't give up… I WON'T GIVE UP!' Feeling the determination to at least save his pokémon, his friends, his family… He tried to swim up.
Blue aura began to surround him as he tried his best to swim upwards. He couldn't hold his breath for much longer… he definitely won't reach it easily, but he'll be damned if he doesn't try. If anything, he might be able to call out Pikachu and the others and make them at least appear higher than the depth he was in now.
The shadow was looking interested. It didn't move so far, but the human in front of it… It never gave up.
It tried to save something. The aura told the creature as much.
That was until the being spotted the boy letting out his last breath… the last chance to survive.
Ash slowly turned around as he fell down. 'I'm… sorry, guys…'
What he saw next was a dark shadow with glowing, red markings.
Gyarados eventually managed to get up as both Brock and James gasped for air. Hermit instantly rushed up to the two and began crying for help, pointing down. Ash fell down. He couldn't get there faster than Gyarados.
Both James and Brock looked at each other in shock before looking down. James and Brock jumped off as they held onto Greninja.
"Leviathan! Go down and get Ash, quickly! He can't hold on long!"
The Gyarados roared as it used all of its new strength to dive down… until it spotted a shadow with red markings.
That shadow became bigger... bigger… even bigger… until the entire group, alongside the gigantic Gyarados was launched into the air and landed on top of a blue colored hide with red markings. The Greninja, however, spotted his trainer on top of it and instantly rushed to him without any hesitation. Brock saw what happened as he looked at Ash being down, not breathing.
"ASH!" Brock rushed to his friend as he quickly began to push down on his chest, causing water to gush out of Ash's lungs and out of his mouth.
Brock kept repeating it as well as giving CPR until a heartbeat began to appear and soon enough, Ash began coughing out what little water was left as he took a deep, heavy breath. He kept doing this as he looked around him.
"W-where.. am I?" His voice was hoarse and it hurt, but he was definitely still alive.
Hermit couldn't take it anymore. It instantly wrapped its arms around its trainer due to worry.
Ash captured him in Viridian Forest and trained alongside him like a friend, like a brother. When he ran, Ash ran. They both shared a long month together and always had fun.
Hermit never had such a thing happen with pokémon in Viridian. Ash was the one who gave him a true family. Seeing him safe again, the Greninja let out happy cries as it was worried.
"Chosen…" an ancient voice reached their ears. Not just Ash and the pokémon, but also Brock and James. They all stiffened as they heard this. "I have seen your struggles and felt your aura, only trying to do your best not to save yourself but your friends. It has awakened something in me that I had long forgotten after my battles with my counterpart…"
Ash could see the red marking glow before becoming blue-ish and then white and the body of the creature they were on top of became bigger and bigger. The creature became at least double its size, carrying the Gyarados like it was nothing.
"To feel such pure innocence again… I shall save you and your friends and bring you to safety. I have felt the desire to help at seeing you try so hard for your friends and not yourself. I, who has slept for countless years to rest, have awakened once more but for some reason I do not feel the desire to battle my counterpart… May it be your fault? Can it be that you have done this? Is it because you desired to help that my awakening occurred?" The ancient voice spoke with confusion. It was definitely feeling something it had not for a long, long time.
"I am Kyogre, the personification of the Sea. I am what desires to turn land into water, but now… I feel like there is balance. I feel like there is enough of both. Can it be that I missed a lot during my rest?" Kyogre asked the ones who now rode on top of it. No, this was not Kyogre. This was Primal Kyogre.
Ash, who received some small medicine from Brock swallowed it and his throat began to feel better so he could speak. It's a good thing all trainer bags are waterproof. Nothing got wet.
"I… I think it is because of the battles the other Kyogre and Groudon have held. I believe that there is another of you in Hoenn. The battles, which I researched, were held even a decade ago changed the world. Now there is a perfect mixture of both but…" Ash coughed a bit before trying to speak again. He had to answer or else they might be left behind. Even if the Gyarados can carry them, it may still attract hostile pokémon on its own. "I believe there are still evil organisations of humans that go after you."
"Organisations of humans? Go after the one of the Sea? What does that mean?"
"It means that they want to turn the world into an ocean, only for those who rule in the water to survive." Ash tried to explain to Kyogre, who was now far more rational than when meeting Groudon for battle.
"I understand… It was something I, too, desired. But seeing you, a human, trying his hardest to survive in the sea I am confused as to whether I still do or not. I may need time for myself to search these answers…" Primal Kyogre remained silent after that as Ash tried to recover the best he could. They were being led by the Kyogre as it swam towards… a humongous, even larger than Kyogre, Tentacruel? It was also attacking a city.
Primal Kyogre felt like this may bring some answers. It could feel the heart of of the Tentacruel, immediately understanding what was going on. After all, this Tentacruel is a being of the Sea…
"It appears that humans have angered those of the sea. I will take you there and help you in this situation. Show me, human of the land, what you will do to help those of the sea. Show me a reason why I should not turn this world into a single ocean."
Primal Kyogre's intentions were obvious. This is a test…
Arceus, this was cruel. Ash just survived a sinking boat and was now carried by the Legendary Pokémon of the Sea, only to receive another test… involving a ridiculously large Tentacruel out for blood.
The Chosen One has no time to rest, for he must make sure the world remains safe. Ash only now starts to feel that this may occur more often than he would have liked.
Hello everyone! This is another chapter done. As you can see, I tried to change a little of what is happening simply because there is no proper way for Greninja to carry Ash as it swims up so far. Gyarados moves his lower body wildly and while Greninja can hold on, Ash cannot.
So I thought of something. Why not involve a legendary, who may awaken because of Ash? This can be considered a prologue of a future 'movie' that involves Kyogre. Now, Kyogre will test humanity who lives on land through the Chosen. Will Ash succeed, or will he fail?
If he succeeds, will Kyogre change? What about Groudon? This is all a small prologue for the Hoenn adventures in the future. I could have gone with Lugia but… This is my story, my way of doing it. I thought that this was a good choice as to awaken the Kyogre instead of making it rest like it had in the anime and game. They will be awake, seeking answers now that there is balance. Team Magma and Team Aqua seek to disrupt this balance…
It's alllll a prologue of an idea for Hoenn.
So, does anyone feel like I'm pushing it? I did make Pikachu wreck Raichu like it's a Golem against a Ninjask. That's only because Ash trained him well and like I said, 4-5 badge rank. Surge's Raichu is still power based. I also have Ash's Frogadier evolve into Greninja and Brock's Pupitar becomes a Tyranitar. It's all progress… Of course, if some feel that I'm evolving them too fast, tell me so.
Even if they're fully evolved, they are not invincible. Like I saw, Meowth and Pikachu will not evolve. I do have something fun intended for Pikachu but that is for much, much later. Unless you guys want a Raichu?
Also, Glacia is indeed considered 'level 45' so a four/five badge challenge is still decently easy for her. I want to tell you guys that she was fossilized so a lot of her strength is gone. Therefore, she's less powerful than the normal 45 until Ash trains her long enough. Only then will I evolve her into Aurorus… with a special event of course!
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Criticism is appreciated in case I made a mistake, or wrote something horrible. I need opinions ladies and gentlemen.