I'm back, I think. I could explain why I haven't published anything in such a long time, but really, there's no point. I actually have been sitting on this for quite some time, and finally managed to finish it once the break finished. Now, I hope this will be more readable than this has been before, as I have been trying my best to fix some of the clunkiness that has been there. The majority of the chapter will be a battle, with some fluff at the end. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Blinking a few times, Ash tried to push away the sleepiness, knowing that he needed to get up. Thankfully he hadn't gone overboard last evening in his relaxation, being able to stop himself from drinking too much. At least he had managed to not worry about his upcoming battles, instead believing that he was ready for what was to come.
"I know you're up Pikachu, so stop trying to make yourself look asleep. It won't work on me," he said, poking his starter lightly. Something told him he would need to make more drastic measures. "If you're not up in a minute I might throw you down the stairs."
That certainly caught his starter's attention as he stood up and stretched. Today his first battle would take place, being the psychic master of the Elite Four, Will. Watching Pikachu scramble from her spot, he couldn't help himself but laugh as she sat on the back legs, her full attention on him. He wasn't sure yet if he would use Pikachu against Will, even though there was no need to worry about her being exhausted with them having enough time to rest between each battle. Not having anything that was strong against Will's psychic types meant that he didn't any real advantage. Which meant Pikachu and the others needed to give it their all. Going with Pikachu, Charizard and Pidgeot seemed like his best choice, seeing how they balanced each other, had the most experience of his team and had no innate disadvantage against any of Will's Pokemon so far he knew. The teams of the Elite Four were quite large, having a variety of Pokemon at their disposal that were interchangeable depending on the situation.
"I hope we're truly ready for this, Pikachu. We won't get another chance so easily."
"Ash, breakfast's ready!" his mother called from downstairs. "Wake everyone up!"
"Better not argue with that. Let's go," Ash joked, laughing lightly as he headed for the door. Opening it, he turned to his right as he started walking down the hallway. Brock hadn't been the room anymore, so he was either in the bathroom or already downstairs. Probably downstairs, helping his mother with breakfast. Stopping at one of the doors, he knocked a few times before he continued walking. "Typical Brock, always doing something for us."
"It's too early!" May's voice carried through the door. "Don't you have anything better to do?!"
"Not really!" he called back, hearing multiple groans coming from the room. Ignoring them, he soon reached the stairs, the smell of breakfast greeting him as he walked down the stairs. As he reached the kitchen, he spotted all the different things that were on the table, among others boiled and scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee, a large amount of bread different sorts of cheese and ham. There was also a bowl of fruit placed on the table, holding bananas, apples, grapes, oranges and strawberries. His mother and Brock had outdone themselves, as usual. Neither of them noticed him as he approached, both still working on making sure everything was ready. With a knife in her hand his mother finally noticed him.
"Good morning, mom." Ash greeted his mother, smiling at her as he sat down at the table, making sure there was a chair next to him where Luna could sit. He really wanted to eat.
"You did as I told you and woke up the others, right?" his mother asked him, already glaring him at slightly in case he hadn't done as he had been told.
"No need to worry, because I did wake them up," he replied, his mother's glare disappearing as her attention returned to adding the finishing touches to the breakfast. Silence overcame them as they waited for the others to come down.
"I hope you're prepared and ready for today, Ash," Brock chimed in, the first words he had spoken since Ash came down. "The next days are some of the most important in your life."
"You don't need to tell me Brocko, I'm fully aware of their importance. Though I think we should leave rather early. Just in case, you know?" Ash didn't want to risk anything, the chances of him not making it in time, because one reason or another, was very large. Better be a little early than be too late. After all those years he had definitely learnt that when it came to him nothing was a certainty. He had already had that happen to him too often.
"Wise choice." Brock said, finally also sitting down together with his mother. But they still couldn't start eating until the others got downstairs.
"I hope both of you slept well," his mother continued, seeing how the previous topic was finished. "Small things like that can play a very big role."
"Sleep didn't elude me, I actually slept really well, which will hopefully be the norm for the next few days," Ash assured his mother, about to say something more but he was interrupted as he heard people walk down the stairs. "Good morning you three."
"Morning," came May's reply, already sounding like a completely different person. She usually had problems when people woke her up but once she was woken up she usually needed no further convincing to get up. And she was used to it after all the travelling she had done. Alone and with others.
"It took me some time to get the others out of bed though." she added, sitting down opposite of Ash with Bianca sitting down next to her.
'This look wonderful, Mrs. Ketchum.' Luna spoke up, for the first time, as she took the seat next to Ash. 'You really didn't need to do this for all of us.'
"It was nothing, after all you only stay here for such a short. It was the least I could do."
"Oh right, we're staying over at the League," Ash said, not even having noticed that he had nearly finished his breakfast. "Suppose that it can't be that bad. I'm going over to the lab to gather everyone."
With his breakfast finished, Ash stood up and took his plate and put in the sink. Calling Pikachu over, he held his arm out to let his starter climb onto his shoulder. Not wasting any time, he left the house and walked in direction of the lab at a high pace he soon reached the stairs, climbing two steps at a time to reach his destination faster. Stopping as he reached the door, he knocked twice before he waited for someone to open the door.
"Ah Ash, your timing is perfect," Prof. Oak greeted, being the one open to door. "We just got a surprise guest here at the lab."
"I actually just came to gather my team, though I guess you wouldn't mention it if it wasn't of relevance," Ash responded, walking inside the lab. "So, who is the surprise guest, Professor?"
"Someone you would have gotten to know today anyway," Prof. Oak said, directly heading deeper inside, taking a turn to the left which lead to some form of living room. "Here we are."
Besides Gary and Tracey, who hadn't been in town the day before, someone he definitely hadn't expected to meet yet was there. He knew that he would meet and battle the Elite Four, but meet one of them before hand? Approaching the man, Ash didn't really know what to say. "You're Will of the Elite Four, right?"
"I am, Ash Ketchum. I thought I'd spare you the trouble of travelling," Will answered, standing up from the couch. "Gather your team and whoever will come with you and we can leave."
"We're ready," Ash spoke up. Right after he had met Will he had gathered his team and returned back to the house with him in tow. Now they were waiting. "Let's go."
"If you would all gather around me so we can teleport," Will said, taking two pokeballs from his belt as he released the Pokemon inside. "Come out, Xatu and Gardevoir!"
"You're going to show me some of your Pokemon?" Ash asked, watching as two very familiar Pokemon to him materialized. "Isn't that risky considering we're going to face each other?"
"You either would have known about them, or you would have have found out anyway, so I don't see any problem with it," Will said, his eyes gleaming under his mask. "Teleport."
"Wait-" Brock tried, without any success as Xatu and Gardevoir teleported the seven of them, themselves and Pikachu to the Indigo Plateau. "That works I guess."
"I will be waiting on the battlefield for you. You got five minutes for any last preparations you want to make. The rest of you will find enough seats for." Will told them, taking his leave after.
"Can't waste any time then," Ash added to Will's comment. "I'll see you guys soon."
Walking in the same direction Will had left, Ash made sure Pikachu was still with him as he looked for a sign that would tell him where to go. Spotting two signs, he took to the left, as the other way was where the others needed to go. Another sign told him to take the first to the right, so he guessed Will had entered the second room. This was the challenger room after all. Sitting down on one of the benches, he barely registered as Pikachu jumped onto his lap. Petting his starter, he touched the pokeball around his neck at the same time. The presence coming from Reshiram was overwhelming, the emotions he could feel ranging from worry to happiness. Letting the pokeball fall against his chest, he looked down to find Pikachu staring up at him. Petting her head, Ash smiled as he stared at the wall. What did he know about Will's team? Besides knowing that he was a psychic-master and had a Gardevoir and Xatu, he knew that Will also had a Jinx among others. His Gardevoir meant that he most likely also had more psychic-types that weren't limited to Kanto or Johto, so he better be prepared for that. A short signal rang through the room, telling him that it was time.
"This is it, Pikachu. Our first obstacle at becoming the Champion," he said as he walked through the door that would lead him to the battlefield, where Will was waiting. "We won't falter here, and we won't falter at any moment."
"Welcome Ash," Will greeted as Ash entered the battlefield, his friends sitting in the stands waiting for the battle to begin. "The rules are simple. We'll have a 3 on 3 battle and both of us are allowed to switch our Pokemon as we see sit. Whoever loses all of his Pokemon first has lost. I think I'll send out my Pokemon first."
"If you insist," Ash replied, watching as Will removed a pokeball from his belt and threw it into the air. The Xatu from before. "Well, if you choose Xatu, I'll have to go with Pikachu!"
Ash watched as Pikachu left him and ran over to the battlefield, taking a battle stance as she stared at Xatu. Both of them were limited to three Pokemon, and as soon as they sent out three Pokemon they weren't allowed to send out any other Pokemon. Touching all of his pokeballs, he looked at Pikachu, who looked back. If Will gave them trouble they definitely had the work cut out for them.
"This is a match between challenger Ash Ketchum and Elite Four Will! This is a 3 on 3 and once either trainer has sent out three Pokemon they're locked with them," the referee announced, standing at the side. "Begin!"
"Xatu, start this with Confuse Ray!" Will shouted, his Xatu shooting out the orb.
"Don't let that hit you, Pikachu!" Ash quickly replied, knowing very well what a disaster it could be if Confuse Ray hit. "Close the distance with Quick Attack!"
Ash breathed out in relief as Xatu's opener missed its target completely. He was sure though that the attack wasn't even a real attempt to gain anything, instead only being an attempt to gain an advantage. Will's smile made him worried though.
"Now Xatu, Night Shade!" came Will's next move, Xatu shooting a black beam out of its beak. "Follow it up with your own Quick Attack!"
"Counter that Nightshade with Thunderbolt!" Ash called out, Pikachu gathering the electricity needed before she shot out the bolt. The two attacks cancelled each other, only leaving Xatu's rapid approach towards Pikachu. "Dodge it!"
"That won't work. Hold her in place with Psychic!" Will shouted, a purple glow surrounding Xatu, his speed not decreasing in the slightest. "Now, strike!"
Ash could only watch as Will's Xatu struck Pikachu, sending her sliding over the ground, nearly reaching the edge of the battlefield.
"Pikachu, retaliate with Electro Ball!" Ash tried, hoping for a fast recovery.
"Not good enough, Psyshock!" Will continued, Xatu firing off the purple orb at his opponent.
"You can do it!" he nearly screamed as he saw that Pikachu struggled to form the attack. But he believed. "Electro Ball!"
Will watched with interest as Pikachu got up and gathered the electricity on her tail, before she swung it at Xatu, and at the incoming attack. He sorely underestimated the smaller Pokemon. That mistake wouldn't be made again.
"Heat Wave, full power!" Will ordered, the two attacks creating an explosion, forcing Xatu to avoid it. The Pikachu was gone, confusing both him and Xatu.
"Didn't see that one coming, huh? Now, Thunderbolt!" Ash followed up, the explosion having been the perfect distraction.
"Xatu, dod-" Will couldn't even finish the sentence before the attack connected. "How?"
Will was baffled to say the least, by the looks of it. Ash knew that he had caught him off guard. This was his moment to strike.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash saw the opening he needed, an opening that would allow Pikachu to get in some good damage. "Great job!"
"This is far from over. Xatu, recover with Roost," Will spoke, the calm from earlier having returned. "Then show them your Shadow Ball!"
Ash knew that he needed to do something before Xatu finished healing. Else a majority of the damage that had been inflicted upon Xatu would be gone. He needed to inflict some good damage if he wanted to tip the odds in his favor.
"Let's show them what we are made off!" Ash replied. He rarely used his combination moves, but sometimes they were needed. "Combine Electro Ball and Thunderbolt!"
Doing what she did best, Pikachu dashed forward as fast as she could, forming the first attack on her tail, gathering the electricity needed for the rest.
"Xatu, stop the healing, right now!" Will called, worry clear in his voice as the Electro Ball rapidly got closer, all the while its size nearly tripled. "Xatu, no!"
"Let's finish this," Ash knew that he had gotten a little lucky with Pikachu being able to get up in time, right before Xatu's attack would have hit. "Now, for good measure, Iron tail!"
Ash nearly held his breath as Pikachu dashed forward, her tail glowing as she prepared the finish strike that would put him in the lead. Pikachu swung her tail, getting a clean strike on Xatu, which sent him crashing into the ground. No doubt it was over.
"Xatu is unable to battle!" the referee called out, raising a flag in Will's direction.
"I'm impressed," Will spoke, a hand on his as he recalled his fallen Pokemon. He clipped it to back to his belt, it being quickly replaced by the next one. "But this is far from over."
Smiling at the remark, Ash thought about what his next move should be. Keeping Pikachu on the field would be risky, especially after how much work she put in, plus the damaged she had taken. The advantage though would be that he could scout Will's next Pokemon. He was quite certain Charizard would do well, even without any information to go by.
"I didn't expect it to be over just yet." Ash replied, already decided that Charizard would be his next choice.
"Prepare yourself then. Jynx, it's your turn!" Will announced, throwing the pokeball in the air. Soon, a very humanoid Pokemon could be seen standing on the field.
"Go, Charizard!" Ash threw his own pokeball in the air, Pikachu leaving the battlefield at the same time, releasing what was probably one of his strongest Pokemon, a place he shared with Pikachu and Sceptile. "I'll start this time."
"Very well. You better don't disappoint then," Will said, watching every movement of Charizard. "Do not underestimate your opponent, Jynx."
"Let's do this! Flamethrower!" Ash started, Charizard immediately taking off, closing the gap to make sure that the attack would connect.
"Psyshock!" Will ordered, Jynx quickly shooting out the purple orb, like Xatu had done against Pikachu, towards the incoming attack. "Follow that up with Nasty Plot!"
"Attack while she's buffing up!" Ash had to get in a good hit now that Jynx was temporarily unable to do anything, especially with Flamethrower being cancelled. Nasty Plot would drastically increase her power. "Slash!"
"Ice Beam as soon as you're ready!" Will commanded, knowing the risk he took.
Shooting forward, Charizard drew his claw back as he prepared to strike on the defenseless Jynx. Getting in a clean hit, he quickly retreated, gathering flames in his mouth in preparation for the next attack he would use.
"Overheat!" Ash shouted, seeing the flames spill out of Charizard's jaw. Two clean hits in a row would give him an advantage, but they were far from a deciding factor. "Now!"
"Dodge that attack, then use Ice Beam!" Will commanded, relying on that Jynx actually was fast enough.
Waiting until the last second, Jynx elegantly spun to the side, dodging the incoming Overheat without any problems. Surprised, Ash couldn't do anything as Jynx shot out her Ice Beam straight at the Charizard, who hadn't been prepared at all the Jynx would dodge at the last second. Ash nearly stumbled as he heard Charizard roar in pain from the attack.
"Charizard, don't let that faze you!" Ash knew that even though Charizard wasn't weak to ice attacks, they still hurt a lot simply because of him being a flying creature. "Flamethrower!"
"I hate to disappoint you, but that won't work. Just watch," Will spoke, showing no hints that he was planning on having Jynx attack. "Jynx has a strong affinity with ice, shouldn't you know."
Ash was about to ask what Will meant, before something caught his attention. Charizard's wings were frozen completely. Any attempts at moving them only ended with adding to the pain.
"This won't end here. Charizard, try to keep her at bay with all of your attacks!" Ash really didn't know what to in that moment. Without his wing Charizard was somewhat of a liability. A majority of his movement relied on him being able to move around freely, and fast.
"Now, use Lovely Kiss and then continue using Ice Beam until he's frozen completely."
There was little Ash could, besides watch, as Jynx put Charizard to sleep before she continued shooting Ice Beams at him. He could only hope that Charizard would wake up from one of the attacks, which seemingly wasn't the case.
"This can't be happening." Ash muttered, going through his options. Pikachu probably still hadn't recovered enough to be able to beat Jynx and Pidgeot was at a big disadvantage.
"Now that he's completely frozen, use Dream Eater while he's still asleep!" Will ordered, not hesitating in the slightest. "If he wakes up throw him in the air with Psychic."
At that moment Ash felt something, something that he hadn't felt before. He was freezing slightly, and his entire body felt a little sluggish. At the same time he could feel there was heat coming from inside him. Whatever it was, he felt like he could do anything.
"We won't be defeated by you! Charizard, use Slash and break free!" he could see Will's confident demeanor immediately breaking as Charizard's eyes opened and his claws glowed white.
"This is not possible." Will said, staring as the ice slowly showed signs of breaking. "Focus Punch while he's still not completely free!"
"Charizard, strike at her with Slash!" Ash commanded, a deafening sound echoing across as the room as the ice broke.
Once again shooting forward. Charizard easily dodged the incoming Focus Punch, flying around her before he simply hovered behind her, his claws at the ready.
"Jynx, behind you!"
"Strike!" Ash hadn't never felt in sync with Charizard as he was now, barely fighting the urge to mimic Charizard's movement. "Overheat!"
There absolutely nothing that Will could do, something Ash knew. Focus Punch had missed, leaving his Jynx completely vulnerable to Charizard's attacks, with no chance of evading or countering them.
"Keep him at bay with Psychic!" Will tried, only trying to delay the inevitable, hoping for some sort of miracle.
"Don't let that stop you, Charizard!" Ash shouted, the Psychic not even hindering Charizard from charging up the attack. "Fire!"
"No, Jynx!" It was over, and there was nothing Will could do about it.
"You were great!" Ash called, running up to Charizard as he threw his arms around the lizard's neck. Whatever had happened during the battle was something he would think later about. He hadn't won the match yet. Will still had one Pokemon left, most likely his strongest.
"I've sorely underestimated you. But just because I have lost two Pokemon and you haven't lost a single one doesn't mean that this is over," Will didn't even bother speaking calmly anymore. "Gardevoir, let's show him a what true psychic master can do!"
"Charizard, you have done your part. It's time for you to rest," Ash said, holding up Charizard's pokeball as he activated the return mechanism. "Pidgeot, it's your turn!"
Throwing the pokeball, Pidgeot soon materialized out of it, creating a rather strong gust as she flapped her wings a few times before she landed.
"A Pidgeot? I've to admit that's a very majestic looking Pidgeot," Will commented, carefully looking at Pidgeot. "Now then, Gardevoir use Charge Beam!"
"Dodge that, then show them your Hurricane!" Ash countered, Pidgeot without any problems dodging the incoming attack.
Having dodged the electric attack, Pidgeot quickly started to flap her wings as fast as she could, resulting in them starting to glow. Soon a hurricane had surrounded Gardevoir, leaving her with no option of escape.
"Don't think it will be this easy. Gardevoir is my strongest after all." Will spoke, only watching Gardevoir.
"What do you-" Ash was about to ask, until he noticed what Will meant. "Watch out, Pidgeot!"
"Gardevoir, grab Pidgeot with Psychic, then slam it into the ground!"
"Don't let her grab you!"
Not having noticed what was going on, Pidgeot had no time to react as she suddenly was struggling to move her wings.
"Now, slam her into the ground and then use Thunderbolt!" Will ordered, Gardevoir not even moving as she slammed the avian into the ground. "Then follow that up with Calm Mind!"
"Pidgeot!" Ash shouted, seeing how there was really nothing he could do that would change anything. "You have to get up and dodge that Thunderbolt!"
"I don't think that will work," Will said, Gardevoir summoning the electricity before firing it off, straight at Pidgeot.
With no chance of missing, Gardevoir closed her eyes as she started to power up, as she had been told. There was no danger coming from Pidgeot after her previous attack.
"We're far from out! Pidgeot, let's show them what you're made of!" Ash called, hoping to get through to his Pokemon. It seemingly worked.
Hearing Ash's voice, Pidgeot tried her best to do as she was told, carefully trying to move her wings. After a few attempts, all the while Gardevoir wasn't attacking, Pidgeot managed to get up.
"How? Your Pokemon should be beaten and they still get up," Will had a hard time believing what was happening. "Is your bond with them that strong that no matter what they will keep going?"
"The bonds I share with my Pokemon are something special. We will go through thick and thin!" Ash replied, conviction clear as he spoke. "Pidgeot, Quick Attack!"
"Gardevoir-" Will was about to order her to dodge, but before he could Gardevoir was already struck.
"Hyper Beam!" Ash shouted, taking the opportunity to strike while he could.
"Gardevoir , don't that hit you!" Will warned, looking around for any signs of the bird. He couldn't spot Pidgeot. "Where did it go?!"
"I recommend looking above you!" Ash pointed out grinning, looking upwards. Thankfully the roof wasn't a problem for Pidgeot, considering its height. "Fire!"
Having flown up as high as possible, Pidgeot had charged up the attack before she rapidly descended so she could use the attack at point blank range.
"Don't let the attack faze you!" Will knew that his words were somewhat harsh, and that it was practically impossible to not be fazed by a Hyper Beam. "Use Thunderbolt while Pidgeot's still recovering!"
Firing off the Hyper Beam, the force behind the attack blasted Gardevoir into the wall behind Will. With no choice but to rest, Pidgeot waited for the counterattack that would come once Gardevoir got up.
"Pidgeot, take the Thunderbolt head on and then use U-Turn!" Ash commanded as soon as he saw something sparkle behind Will.
"U-Turn?" Will asked, interested in what Ash planned on gaining with that move. "Who would you send in? Considering the state of your Pokemon."
Just flapping her wings, Pidgeot tried her best to endure the electricity that charged through her body. As the electricity slowed disappeared, Pidgeot gave it one last push as she flew as fast as she could. Shooting straight into Gardevoir, she felt the pokeball recalling her.
"Pikachu, let's wrap this up!" Ash said, seeing the ball of energy that was Pidgeot return to her pokeball as Pikachu sprinted out on the battlefield from his side. "Iron Tail!"
"Focus Blast!" Will countered, watching both Pokemon prepare their attacks.
Not even caring about the incoming attack, Pikachu simply dodged to the side before she continued approaching Gardevoir. Jumping up in in the air, she spun around to get the most out of her attack.
"Full power Thunderbolt!" Ash didn't waste any time. Gardevoirs weren't particularly strong when it came to taking hits, instead relying on keeping their opponents at bay with their various attacks.
"Psyshock!" Will was slowly running out of options. After taking the full brunt of the Hyper Beam and with having no way to increase the distance between herself and Pikachu, she had reached a point where she couldn't do a whole lot.
The explosion the two attacks created pushed both Pikachu and Gardevoir back, both looking like they were running out of breath.
"Finish it! Combine Iron Tail and Electro Ball!" Ash planned on finishing it right here and now, taking the chance to attack while Gardevoir still couldn't defend herself properly.
Doing as told by her trainer, Pikachu gathered the electricity on her tail like she had done against Xatu, while at the same time hardening her tail to increase the force behind her strike. Swinging her tail, hopefully the last time, Pikachu gave it her all as she struck Gardevoir.
"Come on Gardevoir, this can't be the end." Will tried, hoping that Gardevoir wasn't down yet. But, he knew the chance of Gardevoir still being able to fight was very slim.
"Gardevoir is unable to battle! The winner is Ash Ketchum who will advance to face the next member of the Elite Four tomorrow!" the referee declared once it appeared that Gardevoir wouldn't rise.
"We did it!" Ash shouted, running across the field and picking him up Pikachu, hugging her tightly while spinning around. "You were incredible! All of you were!"
'Ash!' Luna called, catching Ash's attention, rushing down from the bleachers to reach him, the others not far behind.
"That was amazing." Bianca praised, never having seen a Pokemon battle like that.
"If you keep going like I'm sure you can make it all the way to the end." May continued, hugging Ash lightly.
"I had my doubts multiple times throughout the battle, but you pulled through each time. I'm impressed, Ash." Brock added, putting his arm around Ash as both of them laughed.
Not delaying any further, all of them headed for the exit, excited to get out and celebrate Ash's victory back in Pallet Town. It was only one of many victories, a victory non the less.
'I wish I could battle like that,' Luna said, having to stop herself from entering the battlefield and helping Ash. 'You will teach me how to battle like that, right?'
"Not going to say no if that's what you want. It will be a lot of hard work though," Ash responded, taking Luna's hand and squeezing it. "Enough about battles and battling now, I would like to take a break before tomorrow."
"How do we get back though?" Bianca asked, making everyone stop and look at her.
"You're right. How do we get back to Pallet Town?" May had also forgotten that Will had teleported them to the League.
"I might be able to help you." a voice all too familiar to Ash and Brock spoke.
"Sabrina?" Ash asked, spotting Sabrina walk in their direction, wearing the same outfit as she had back then. "What are you doing here?"
"As soon as I heard that you were going to challenge for the spot of the Champion I knew I had to watch," she explained, crossing her arms as she looked at everyone. "I don't recognize anyone here except you and Brock. Care to introduce everyone?"
Ash wasn't really surprised by Sabrina's attitude. Barely any emotions, calm and maybe not the most social person. Besides looking at Luna a little jungler, and acknowledging the others only by looking at them shortly.
"I'm not sure how much you know about contests, but this is May. I travelled with her through Hoenn." Ash started, glancing at May before he looked back at Sabrina.
"Oh," Sabrina exclaimed, a small smile gracing her lips. "You won the Hoenn Grand Festival, right?"
"You watched it?" May sounded surprised, not expecting Sabrina to watch the Grand Festival.
"Yes. While I prefer the conferences, top coordinators are always interesting to watch. I was impressed with your performance." she praised, turning her attention to Bianca and Luna.
"This is Bianca from Altomare," Ash didn't know how to introduce Luna, but he was sure Sabrina knew that something was up. "And this is-"
"A Latias," Sabrina finished, not sounding shocked. "You shouldn't look so surprised. I'm a psychic, and she's a psychic type. She didn't even try to hide it."
"There is no need to deny it then. Yeah, this is Latias. She decided to accompany us from Altomare." Ash admitted, scratching his head, glancing down as Pikachu nudged his leg.
"It seems like Pikachu is excited to get back to Pallet," Sabrina pointed out, stepping a little closer. "Come, I'll teleport all of you there before I head back to Saffron."
"Well, if you're so willingly offering to teleport us home we won't say no. Right guys?" Ash asked, getting a nod from everyone. "We're ready."
Getting closer to each other, Ash waited for the odd feeling that had overcome they as Will's Pokemon had teleported them. He looked as Sabrina released an Alakazam in order to teleport them. Trying to prepare himself for it, he was still a little bit surprised by the sudden feeling that came with teleportation. That feeling didn't last for long, and as he looked around he immediately recognized that they were standing outside his house.
"I'll never get used to that feeling." May complained, shaking her head as she gathered herself.
"Seeing as how I'll be watching all of your matches, I'll meet up with you here everyday and teleport you back and forth," Sabrina spoke, looking at each of them once. "Until tomorrow."
Ash just stood there, watching as Sabrina and her Alakazam teleported away, most likely to Saffron City. Stretching his arms, he couldn't help himself but smile. He had beaten Will, the first of the Elite Four. Not caring anymore, he picked up PIkachu and threw her in the air, laughing at the same time. It was far from over, but right now he didn't really care.
"We did it!" he shouted, continuing to laugh while throwing Pikachu. While it was far too early to celebrate, this victory really built up his confidence for the battles to come, which would be harder.
"Come on, let's head inside. I'm sure your mother will be interested in hearing the news," Brock pointed out, heading out for the door and ringing the bell. "I think a minor celebration would be appropriate."
As they waited for his mother to open the door, Ash kept glancing at Luna. She truly was beautiful, and the fact that she was his girlfriend was even more amazing. Not noticing that the door opened, he was taken by surprise as his mother took him in one of bear hugs. He should have expected it.
"You will tell me everything." his mother spoke, practically shoving him and the others through the door.
Opening the door, Ash walked outside, having left Pikachu inside with the others. Putting the bottle to his lips, he took a sip as he sat down on the stairs. While drinking alcoholic stuff wasn't something he did regularly didn't mean he couldn't enjoy drinking a beer sometime. About to take another sip, he heard the door open behind him. Turning around slightly he could see Luna standing there.
"Hey." Ash greeted her, smiling at her he patted a spot next time, inviting her to join him. Moving slightly, Luna managed to sit next to him though it got a little tight, their shoulders touching.
'You're not staying inside?' Luna wondered, just staring straight ahead.
"Heh, I needed a moment for myself," Ash replied, quickly looking up as Luna made a move to stand up. Putting a hand on her shoulder he smiled at her again. "I would like it if you stay."
Being in a relationship was something completely alien to him, but it didn't mean he wouldn't try his best. He liked Luna after all. At his words Luna's face lit up. How he wished her expression could stay like that.
'A penny for your thoughts?' she asked, moving a little closer too Ash. 'You look like you're deep in thought.'
"I am, but it's nothing serious," Ash assured, looking down before taking Luna's hand. Blushing slightly, he didn't stop though. "Among others about us and the future."
'About us?' Luna sounded surprised, looking at him with big eyes. 'What do you mean?'
"Well, we're in a relationship, aren't we? Where exactly are we heading? Relationships between humans and Pokemon are rare, and while accepted, people still are wary around those who are in such a relationship," he answered, taking a small break. Staring straight into her eyes he took a deep breath before he continued. "Luna, we've only been in this relationship for a short time, but I know I want it to continue and that we fully explore it."
'Ash, I want the same thing. Pokemon have never been very positive to any relationships between Pokemon and humans, probably even worse than humans," Luna replied, resting her head on Ash's shoulder. 'I definitely want this.'
Knowing how unsure of himself he had been since they had started "dating", Ash decided to change that at that moment. Stirring slightly, Luna removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him. Just as he had wanted. Tilting his head slightly he slowly leaned forwards, closing his eyes at the same time. It didn't take long before he felt Luna's lips against his. It was an amazing feeling, and one he wanted to cherish forever. While he had might preferred doing this when she was in her true form this was by no means bad. Not stopping for quite some time, Ash eventually pulled back and opened his eyes, watching Luna do the same.
"You're not alone with that opinion," Ash said, grinning as they both stared at each other. She had been completely right. This wasn't something he wanted to end. "Come on, let's head back inside before the others come looking. Plus I need to rest before tomorrow."
Taking a last swig from the bottle he had put aside, Ash rose while holding Luna's hand. Even though he wasn't that tired, he would be better off going to bed now. And being late wasn't really an option, unless he wanted Sabrina to chew him out. She wouldn't be happy if he was late. About to open the door, he felt a tug coming from Luna.
'Ash, um, could we possibly share a bed tonight?' Luna asked, regretting it the instant Ash's cheeks turned dark red. 'Not like that! I meant, like we slept back in the garden.'
"I wouldn't be against that. Just make sure that you sneak out from your room when you're sure the others are asleep," Ash didn't stop from being a bit more open to things in this relationship he had. "We don't need everyone knowing that we shared a bed, even if we aren't going to do anything."
With that, Ash squeezed her hand as he reached for the door handle, turning it in order to open the door. He could hear everyone talking, so he headed straight for the living room where he knew everyone was.
"Ah, there you are!" Brock spoke up. "Did you clear your thoughts?"
"Yeah, I did," Ash replied, entering the living room. "I'm heading to bed, as is Luna. Goodnight everyone."
A chorus of 'goodnights' came in response as they walked towards the stair heading up. Feeling something run past his legs, Ash found Pikachu sitting at the top of the stairs.
'Do you think Pikachu would mind?' Luna asked, looking between Ash and Pikachu.
"I'm sure she won't, isn't that so Pikachu?" Ash knew that his starter already suspected something, so there was no point in hiding it. "Luna will sleep in my bed today, so don't worry if someone enters the room at night."
Just shaking her head, Pikachu ran off, probably heading for his room.
"I'll see you later, and again, make sure May and Bianca are asleep. Girls tend to gossip more." Ash said, giving her a peck on the cheek before he followed Pikachu.
He hadn't expected his evening to go like this, not by a long shot. After only a few seconds he stood outside his room, slowly pushing the door open. Entering, he tried to find the light switch, eventually finding it which lead to the room being lit up. While not feeling extremely tired, he had struggled with keeping his eyes open a few times so he decided to head straight to bed. Undressing, Ash threw his clothes and his hat over a chair standing the corner in his room. Turning on the lamp on his night table, he headed for the door so he could turn off the lamp hanging from the ceiling. Returning to his bed, Ash laid on and made himself comfortable with Pikachu sleeping on the floor next to him. But, there was meaning in trying to sleep just yet. He had heard footsteps, meaning that he wasn't the only one about to sleep. And that meant that it, hopefully, wouldn't take too long before Luna would come. Just staring at the ceiling, he could after awhile hear someone outside his room. Glancing to his left, Ash saw that he had just been lying there for around 20 minutes.
'Ash?' Luna whispered, carefully opening the door, while hoping no one would hear her. Walking inside the room, she had no problems seeing anything. 'Are you still awake?'
"Yeah, I am," he replied, needing to strain his eyes somewhat to see Luna standing in his room. He certainly felt awkward right now. "Uh, are you coming?"
'Oh, um, yes.' Luna certainly didn't sound as confident as she had before.
"Come on," Ash spoke, pushing away the cover as an invitation. "Do you think you could transform?"
That certainly sounded weird. But he did prefer Luna in her dragon form. If he hadn't know that she was a Pokemon, and hadn't seen her in her true form, he certainly would have been fine with her like she was. She was beautiful for human standards, though he thought she was far more beautiful when she was in true form.
'You want me to transform?' she asked, sounding quite surprised at his request. Still, she transformed and slowly floated closer to his bed.
"Lie down," he said, moving so she had some space to lie down on. Her dragon form certainly took more space. "Would you like to explore Pallet Town tomorrow, after my battle?"
'I would love that.' Luna responded, her golden eyes glowing slightly in the dark.
"Luna?" Ash had expected something more, but as he looked closer he could see that her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep. "Pikachu, you think you could make sure I get up in time tomorrow? Luna probably won't notice if you send some of your electricity flying. I don't want anyone finding us like this, and I don't want to be late."
Pikachu nodded, while grinning, in response, before she curled up.
"Hey, do you want to tell me something?" Ash knew what that grin meant. A weak 'Pika' was the only reply he got. "I thought so. Well, goodnight Pikachu."
I'm sure I haven't shored up all of my mistakes, but I'm working on them. Again, I'm sorry for the long delay. I will try to keep the time span between now and next chapter shorter. Also, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed and been reading this. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading, so until next time!