DAY 2: BATTLE FRONTIER

"Ice beam."

"No! Charizard, you have to get up!"

"Shame, Ketchum. I expected more from this weak little Charizard of yours. Save it the pain and bring out your next Pokémon."

Ash angrily gritted his teeth together. How was he going to win the battle at this rate?

Could he do anything? Maybe he should just forfeit. At least his partners wouldn't be hurt on his account.

He slowly began to raise his hand, ignoring the shock of Pikachu beside him.

"So, you'll just give up?"

Ash's head shot up. Who was speaking to him on the battlefield?

"Huh, Ash? Are you going to give up?"

Ash's eyes focused on the image forming before his eyes.

"Who is this? What are they saying?" he thought, as he was assaulted by red.

"What's it going to be, Ash? Are you going to give up on your dreams? Your Pokémon? Yourself?" the image asked authoritatively.

"Y-yes," he shuddered as the image glared menacingly. "I probably should to avoid hurting my Pokémon even more."

The image walked over to him and slapped him.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

The resounding echoes reverberated through his ears, making him momentarily dizzy.

"Are you listening to yourself right now?"

He rubbed his cheeks, wincing as he did.

"Look at the audience. Your friends in the stands. Your Pokémon. Search your feelings."

Ash took a gander at the crowd watching his match. Signs of disappointment. This match was not as exciting as they had hoped.

But his friends and Pokémon told a different story. Silently willing him to come up with something new to escape his funk.

And internally, all he could feel was a raging storm of emotions. The feeling of loss had been replaced with anger and a strange sense of calm.

Nobody…nobody gets away with hurting his partners.

The image seemed to have sensed his change in resolve for a smile cracked through the surface. Slowly walking towards him, it began speaking.

"It looks like you have become yourself once more," it whispered, its breath tickling his ear.

It then proceeded to surprise him with an unexpected kiss on his lips.

"Good luck."

"Green corner, send your next Pokémon out or forfeit!"

Ash was suddenly thrown back into the chaos of the battlefield. The roar of crowd, the blood rushing into his head, the rapid beating heart of his. Adrenaline coursed through him as a familiar rush of energy entered his head.

Pikachu noticed the smirk emerging on his trainer's face and sighed. Ash really knew how to worry him.

He ran up his body and snatched the hat perched on Ash's head before wearing it himself. Ash revelled in the lingering scent of lavender from the apparition and calmly opened his eyes.

"Let's do this, Pikachu."

This was easily the hardest prompt.