Pokémon: Aiming for Kanto's Summit
By Fox McCloude.
Disclaimer: Pokémon and all related characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and GAMEFREAK. All rights reserved.
Battle 1: Ash vs Lorelei (I).
Indigo Stadium…
One of the perks of not staying in a Pokémon Center during the challenge was the fact he could stay away from crowds, and plan his strategies much better and at ease. Not to mention training on the practice field he had been facilitated.
Ash had spent most of the morning in front of the computer's monitor, accessing the Pokémon League's server. While he wasn't too much of a planner, barring some occasions at short-term, for that challenge he knew he couldn't rely only on improvisation, so he took advantage of the data at hand to set up some strategies. The challenge's rules had been established: he'd fight six-on-six battles, with a break once either side lost three Pokémon, and a two-day period between each match so he could reorganize his team and plan for his next opponent.
"If they're as tough as they say, the best I can do is to use a different team for each of them," Ash mused as he checked the profile of his first chosen opponent: Lorelei.
When he met her for the first time, he saw her using Jynx, Slowbro, Dewgong, and Cloyster, though he didn't get to see their full capacities. In the official battle videos he found in the server, he also saw a Lapras and a Mamoswine, along with the four aforementioned Pokémon to complete her team.
Ash still recalled their first encounter: on his visit to Mandarin Island he, still being a rash and impulsive rookie, made the mistake to challenge her to a battle, believing he could beat her… until she and her Cloyster wiped the floor with him and Pikachu without breaking a sweat. Back then, Ash learned a very important lesson about humility and understanding his Pokémon's feelings, and even nowadays Misty didn't waste the chance to rub it in his face, since he knew Lorelei was her personal heroine.
"Misty… of course!" he said, almost falling backwards along with his chair. He had just remembered something important.
Not wasting a second he ran up to the videophone and dialed the number for the Cerulean Gym. Pikachu jumped to his shoulder as they awaited for the signal, crossing their fingers so she would answer. It finally activated and a girl with long blond hair answered.
"Cerulean Gym, hello? Oh, like, if it isn't Ash!" Daisy exclaimed. "How've you been? It's been sooooooo long!"
"Good to see you too," the trainer replied. "Is Misty there? There's something important I need to ask her."
"Yeah sure, hold a sec. Misty, your darling boyfriend's calling you!"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Ash heard in the background.
The voice was unmistakable, and as loud as he recalled. Less than a minute later, the redhead sat on the chair and pushed the blonde away. Her hair was damped and she was wearing a towel over her shoulders; from what it seemed she had just came out of the gym's pool.
"Hey Ash, what a surprise you're calling," she greeted him. "I figured you'd be at Indigo for your Elite Four challenge by now."
"I am, I arrived a few days ago," the Pallet trainer replied. "Hope you don't mind, but… I was hoping you could give me some tips."
"Oh, what's this?" Misty said with an inquisitive look. "Ash Ketchum, asking me for tips? What's up with the world nowadays?"
"Come on, don't get started," he replied with a tinge of amusement. "Look, you know I'm about to face the strongest trainers in the region, one of them being Lorelei. If memory serves, you did some special training with her last year at the Sevii Islands, right?"
Asking that was more of a formality than anything. Misty hadn't wasted the chance to tell anybody willing (or unwilling) to listen when she got a call from Lorelei herself to train with her and possibly name her as a Kanto Elite Four candidate for when she retired. Misty had rejected the latter part for the time being, but being mentored by her heroine was a lifetime opportunity, and she didn't waste it.
"Well, how could I help you?" the Water-type specialist asked.
"If you trained under her, you must know her battling style better than anyone. Anything you know could help me beat her," Ash said.
"And why should I tell you?" she asked. "I know we're friends, but she's my heroine and mentor. I don't know if it's fair to give you an edge, and besides, this'll be her final battle before she retires."
"Misty…" Ash frowned at that comment.
A few seconds passed, while Misty did a little gesture of placing her finger on her chin and pretend she was thinking about it. She finally looked back at the screen, and laughed like only she knew how to.
"Hahahahahaha! Oh, Ash, you should have seen your face, it was priceless!" she said. "Just kidding, but listen up. Even during training, she went a little soft on me. I doubt she'll do that when you face her."
"Doesn't matter," Ash assured her. "Anything you know can be of help, and I'll be really grateful for it."
Misty smiled at his comment, and she immediately started relaying at him what she knew. Most of it were things she had noticed or done during her trainings with Lorelei, and every once in a while she'd stop for one or two anecdotes. Ash and Pikachu listened closely without missing any details, and even sharing a hearty chuckle whenever Misty told them something funny.
The conversation extended for about one hour, until Daisy came along to complain and ask Misty to stop hogging the phone. Misty warned Ash that despite having her fair share of sparring matches with Lorelei, she hadn't seen the Elite Four's team full capacities. In fact, she hadn't been able to see them all in action and some of them were never used for battling, like her Lapras. Despite everything, Ash thanked her for the info, promising to make good use of it.
"You better do," the redhead concluded. "I'll be watching you on TV, and if you lose, you'll hear of me."
"Don't worry, I'm not planning to lose anytime soon," the Pallet trainer replied. "Thanks a bunch, hope we see each other soon."
And with those words, Ash finally ended the call. The trainer went back to check Lorelei's profile on the computer, doing a double check. The time had come to choose his team to face her.
"Almost all of her main Pokémon are Water-types," Ash observed. "Well then, buddy, what do you say? You up for a rematch against Lorelei?"
"Pika!" Pikachu eagerly pumped his fists as he nodded.
The trainer glanced at his wrists. Inside each glove he kept hidden his Mega Ring and Z-Ring. They were his aces in the hole in case he fought against particularly strong Pokémon, and he had the feeling they'd be helpful. However, he could only use them once per battle and with one Pokémon each, so he'd have to choose wisely.
Some good options could be Fire, Fighting or Rock-type Pokémon to face against ice, aside from Pikachu and his electric attacks. Grass-types could also be viable if he was willing to take a chance with icy moves. Misty also suggested that a Water-type of his own could make for a nice surprise and variety element, and he actually had in mind who could fit the bill for that.
After a lot of thought, he finally made his choice. Aside from Pikachu, he'd have to fill five more slots and begin setting up his strategies. Once he did, he went back to the videophone, dialing Professor Oak's lab number.
"Hello? Ah, it's you, Ash. Ready for your big challenge?" the scientist asked after answering the call.
"As ready as I'll ever be," the trainer replied. "Professor, can you exchange some of my current Pokémon?"
"Sure, you just tell me which ones you need and I'll send them shortly."
Ash grabbed the Pokéballs he had and began sending them through the transporter. The Elite Four challenge was about to start and he couldn't afford to lose, let alone on his very first battle.
Days later…
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Indigo Plateau! Today we're starting the most important competitive event of the year: the Elite Four Challenge!" the announcer's booming voice said through the speakers. "Our challenger this year is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! And his first opponent is the one and only Lorelei, in what's about to be her final official match before retirement! Let's give both of them a big hand!"
The Indigo Stadium, full up top of fans, exploded in cheers and applause. There were about two hundred thousand spectators on the stands, not to mention all those who were unable to get a ticket and were still outside trying to sneak in, and those who watched the match on TV. The challenge would be broadcasted in regional channels throughout Kanto, and in pay-per-view to other regions.
Ash's eyes were fixated on Lorelei. The first Elite Four member smiled at him as calm and pleasant as the water, but Ash knew perfectly she would shift to become hard and cold as ice once the match began.
"The battle between Lorelei of the Elite Four, and the challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, is about to begin," the referee declared. "It'll be a full six-on-six battle and will end when all six Pokémon from either side are unable to keep fighting. Substitutions are only allowed when a Pokémon is defeated: if a Pokémon is recalled while the battle is on course it'll be disqualified and cannot be used for the rest of the match."
"Ash, this'll be my final official battle," said Lorelei. "So I hope we can make it a match to remember."
"I'll do my best to not to disappoint you," Ash replied. "We'll give it our all, and we won't pull any stops for anything."
Another of the rules for the challenge was that the Elite Four members would have the right to choose the terrain for the battlefield. The stadium's default arena opened wide to make way for a large, white battlefield, full of icy mountains with a large waterfall that created a small river and ended in a large pond that took up about a third of the total area. That confirmed it: Lorelei would make things hard for him by choosing a field where her team would have the advantage.
"The Elite Four member will begin the battle. Choose your Pokémon now!"
"I'm looking forward to see how much you've improved since our last meeting," said Lorelei as she grabbed her first Pokéball. "Cloyster, I choose you!"
"Cloyster!" The bivalve Pokémon appeared on the field, giving a challenging grin, and her icon on the scoreboard lit up under Lorelei's face.
Ash gazed at Pikachu standing next to him, giving a half-smirk. The rodent nodded: he clearly wanted revenge for that humiliating defeat against the same Pokémon that time so long ago. Ash outstretched his hand pointing him to jump forward, and without wasting a second the mouse entered the battlefield, his own icon on the board lighting up as well.
Lorelei's relaxed demeanor now had shifted to become ice and cold as ice, and smiled as if she already expected it.
"Start!" the referee declared as he raised his flags.
"Out of courtesy, Ash, please feel free to make the first move," said Lorelei.
Ash smirked in response. "If you say so. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika-CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
The rodent opened the round using his favorite attack. Lorelei quickly realized the discharge's power and speed were much greater than the last time, as a result of the strength and experience both of them had gained over the years.
"Protect!" the Elite Four member replied.
The bivalve Pokémon closed her shell, and formed a green energy dome around herself, deflecting the Thunderbolt in full. The barrier dissipated as soon as Pikachu stopped firing electricity, and Lorelei decided to counter.
"Cloyster, Icicle Spear!"
"Cloyster!" At the command, Cloyster reopened her shell and the spikes covering it began glowing, firing a round of icy spikes against the electric rodent, raining over him like missiles and with such accuracy they could almost seem like homing projectiles.
"Use Agility and Quick Attack!" Ash called.
"Pika!"
Without missing a beat, Pikachu began running across the field leaving a white streak behind, moving as fast as he could to jump, and whenever he could shielding himself behind the ice pillars to avoid Cloyster's icicle rain. His intention was to get as close as possible to launch an electric attack to maximize the damage, but as they came closer, Cloyster's attacks hit much closer.
One of the spikes hit one of the ice pillars just when Pikachu stood on top, knocking him off-balance, and Lorelei was quick to take the chance for a direct offensive.
"Clamp!" she shouted. Cloyster obliged instantly and quickly jumped with the intent to catch Pikachu between her valves.
"Dodge and use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
Right when Cloyster stood in front of him and violently shut her valves, Pikachu jumped backwards and dodged the attack by the hair, before unleashing her discharge. This time, Cloyster only managed to shut her shell just in time to reduce the electric attack's damage, though unlike before the effect was a lot more evident. Nevertheless, despite the outer damage, the oyster's inside was still unharmed.
"Impressive, but you'll take more than that to beat us," said Lorelei. "Cloyster, Blizzard!"
"Cloyster!" Once again Cloyster opened up her shell, unleashing a powerful cold wind all over the field.
"Pikachu, hang in there!"
The yellow mouse tried to cling to the ground with his small nails, but little by little Cloyster increased the wind's force, and he ultimately gave out and was sent flying backwards, crashing against one of the ice pillars.
"Hydro Pump!"
Cloyster kept open to fire a spiral water torrent, hitting Pikachu against the same ice pillar and keeping him there until the attack ceased. The rodent slid on the ground all soaked, but with no evident damage.
"Pikachu! Are you okay?" Ash asked with worry. Pikachu got back up and shook the water off like a dog.
"Pikapika!" he replied. That attack had been nothing to him, the battle had just begun.
"Well, I see you're not lacking in determination. Cloyster, use Aurora Beam!" Lorelei called.
At that call, Cloyster became enveloped in a multicolored aura and fired a powerful energy beam. Ash didn't have to give any calls for Pikachu to dodge: that had been the same attack that finished him off the last time. The rodent crouched over his hind legs and jumped to evade it, but Cloyster didn't stop there and kept firing one beam after another, causing a show of rainbow lights all over the field.
"This is amazing, ladies and gentlemen! Both Ash and Lorelei begin the match with a huge display of skill and power! Can Pikachu get out of this pinch?" the MC said.
Pikachu kept dodging, as he tried to get close enough to launch an electric attack, but every time he did, Cloyster shut her shell to reduce the damage. Trying to defeat her that way would take too long, and he couldn't allow the fight to drag on.
In a moment of distraction, Cloyster managed to catch Pikachu off-guard with Aurora Beam, which Lorelei capitalized on with another Hydro Pump for further damage. But instead of dodging, Ash choose to use it to launch a counterattack.
"Pikachu, charge through that Hydro Pump with Volt Tackle!"
Just as he recovered from the Aurora Beam, Pikachu ran at Cloyster as he coated himself in electric power, and when the water stream was about to hit him, he jumped straight at it. Lorelei's icy demeanor cracked for a moment as she saw Pikachu fly through the Hydro Pump, spinning like a drill still covered in the Volt Tackle's energy, and as she was firing her attack, Cloyster was unable to close in time before she took a direct blow to the face.
"Cloyster!" Lorelei shouted.
"Cloys…" The mollusk pulled back and began giving off sparks when Pikachu bounced off her and spun around to land. She tried to move again but her body didn't respond: she was paralyzed.
"Let's take our chance, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash called.
"Protect!" Lorelei shouted in turn.
By a miracle, Cloyster managed to raise the protective shield right when Pikachu fired his discharge, sparing herself from taking more damage. However, she couldn't rely on it continuously, and that paralysis could cause her trouble. For a moment, Lorelei's icy glare turned relaxed as water, as she took a deep breath.
"Cloyster, use Rest to recover."
The oyster nodded, and shutting her valves again, as a healing aura began covering her. All the damage she had taken, along with the inflicted paralysis ailment began regenerating slowly.
Ash clenched his fists and teeth: his efforts to inflict damage had been for naught.
"Pikachu, keep attacking, we have to cause as much damage as possible before she wakes up!" the Pallet trainer shouted.
Immediately, Pikachu began firing Thunderbolts one after another, trying to recover some of the inflicted damage from before. Cloyster remained asleep for a few more seconds while Pikachu assaulted her with his electric attacks, until she finally woke up.
"Cloyster!"
And without warning, she fired a Blizzard, but not spread across the field, instead focused on a small area to hit Pikachu with an accurate and solid blow, and sending him fly towards the ice pillars, even breaking through them.
Lorelei quickly regained her icy demeanor before giving out her next command. "Take Down."
Cloyster jumped at the helpless electric rodent, delivering a hard, full body tackle, making sure to hit him with the horn on her head. Pikachu cried out in pain and fell to the ground on his bell, but making an effort he got back up, giving sparks from his cheeks and ready to continue.
The Elite Four trainer smiled. Once upon a time that attack would have been enough to leave Pikachu out of the game, but the rodent was still standing and with energy to keep going. She could see it in his face: he shared the same determination and drive to win as his trainer, and he wouldn't go down until he had given everything he had.
"Cloyster, use Icicle Spear once more!" Lorelei called. Cloyster began charging up the spikes on her shell and fired her icy missiles even faster than before.
"Deflect them with Iron Tail!" Ash called.
"Chuuuu-PIKA!" Pikachu's tail took on a metallic glow, and right when Cloyster's projectiles were about to get him, he jumped to avoid the first round, and smashed the second with a violent tail slap, causing ice shards to rain all over the battlefield.
"Aurora Beam!"
"Electroweb!"
Both trainers gave their commands almost at the same time, and both Pokémon fired their attacks at once. The electric sphere collided head on with the multicolored beam, exploding in a net to try and contain it, and the resulting explosion caused Pikachu and Cloyster to be knocked backwards and fall on their backs.
"Come on Pikachu, stand up! You can do it!" Ash cheered him on.
Making a supreme effort, Pikachu got back and his feet. The battle was turning out even harder than they imagined, but they couldn't give up yet. In turn, Lorelei remained silent, but her icy glare remained set on Cloyster, confident that she would get back up as well.
"Cloyster, use Rest again!" the Elite Four trainer called.
Ash and Pikachu frowned simultaneously. No matter how much damage they dealt, it'd be for nothing if Cloyster recovered from it. It seemed like the only chance was to hit her hard with a powerful attack so she wouldn't get back up.
"Should we use this?" Ash wondered aloud, rolling up his left glove to reveal the Z-Ring with the Electrium Z on it. "No, it's too soon for that. There's another thing we can do. Pikachu, attack Cloyster's shell with Iron Tail!"
"Chuuuu-PIKA!"
While Cloyster continued using Rest to heal her wounds, Pikachu ran with his tail coated in metal, and began striking at her shell. As expected, the tough armor endured the hit, but the electric mouse didn't let up and kept hitting, over and over again.
At first Lorelei questioned their actions. Pikachu's tail strikes did nothing but slightly shake Cloyster without causing damage. But then she noticed something: Pikachu was attacking the same area, specifically by aiming his strikes at a very specific point. And although slowly, the crack was becoming bigger and more visible with each hit, and with Cloyster fast asleep, she couldn't do anything to defend herself.
And then it happened: one last direct tail strike caused a huge crack to open on Cloyster's shell, causing the Elite Four member to gasp in shock.
"No, Cloyster!"
"Awesome, Pikachu!" Ash shouted as he punched forward. "Now use Thunder on that same spot!"
"PIKAAAAAAA!"
The Electric Pokémon jumped at the hole he had created on Cloyster's shell, and he summoned a lightning bolt to channel through it, bypassing the oyster's impenetrable defenses and causing her soft and fragile inner body to feel the full power of a hundred thousand volts point-blank.
There was a huge explosion and lightning bolts flew around the entire field, raising a huge cloud smoke. Pikachu jumped out of it and landed on all fours, gasping and waiting for the result in expectation.
"Cloys… ter…"
As the smoke cleared out, they saw Cloyster was awake. She was still standing, but much worse than before: that last attack had caused her more damage than any of the others during the match, and she was giving off sparks again, more than before. Ash was surprised to see she was still conscious, and Lorelei for her part, was surprised to see such a small rodent to pack such a punch.
"What power…" the Elite Four member muttered.
However, although Cloyster was still standing, she wouldn't be for long. Rest could heal the damage received and status ailments, but not fatigue or weariness from the effort of using it. Enduring that attack directly had been quite a feat, but pushed her to the edge, ready to fall with the next blow.
Ash for his part didn't waste any time: they had to take Cloyster down while they still could before she could recover. If an opponent was one breath away from going down, they had to blow on them before they got a second wind.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack and Iron Tail!"
"Cloyster, you know what to do!" Lorelei called.
In their hurry for finishing their opponent off, both Ash and Pikachu missed the purple flash that came out of Cloyster's horn for a split second. The oyster Pokémon tried to shut her valves and place the unharmed side of her shell in front of Pikachu, in one last ditch effort to protect herself, but the Iron Tail slashed between them vertically like a knife opening an oyster, hitting her right in the middle of the eyes. Seconds later they opened again, Cloyster let out a small wince and slumped sideways, out of the fight.
"Cloyster is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Pikachu is the winner!"
"What a first round, ladies and gentlemen! Lorelei and Cloyster displayed an amazing endurance, but in the end they succumbed to Ash and Pikachu's attack power!" the MC stated, while the crowd erupted in cheering. At the same time, Cloyster's icon on the scoreboard darkened completely.
Ash made an effort to smile. They had won the first round, and they didn't have to use their Z-Move. That was good, and taking an early lead would help them in the long run. One down, five more to go, and Pikachu was still in the game. He had to keep up his plan of winning the battles one on one.
Pikachu, for his part, despite being tired, felt quite good for getting some revenge for that defeat so many years ago.
Lorelei, far from getting discouraged, simply recalled her fallen Cloyster and grabbed her next Pokéball. She gave her a silent thanks for her effort and faced her opponent.
"Congratulations Ash, not many trainers are capable of beating me on the first round, even with difficulty," she said as she took on her icy glare again. "But let's see what you do with this. Jynx, your turn!"
The ball opened, revealing the blond, humanoid Pokémon with red body, purple skin and large lips. The referee immediately raised a flag to Ash's side.
"Challenger, do you wish to change Pokémon?" he asked.
Ash weighed his options. Even with Pikachu still in the game and not having used his ace in the hole, it didn't seem a good idea to send him against a Pokémon at full energy, and if all of Lorelei's Pokémon de Lorelei were just as strong as or stronger than Cloyster, it would be better to pull him off so he could rest.
"Pikachu, return!" Ash called.
The mouse quickly rushed back to his trainer and sat by his feet, exhaling a deep breath. That round against Cloyster had been too tiresome, and he needed a break before going back to fight.
Ash tapped his Pokéballs, trying to decide who to send now. He recalled what Misty told him about Lorelei's Jynx: she favored long-ranged, high-powered attacks to keep the opponent at bay, but she could be put against the ropes with quick and strong melee strikes. He had the perfect opponent for her.
"Infernape, I choose you!" Ash shouted as he threw the ball.
"Infernape!" The fire monkey appeared on the field, pounding on his chest with his fists for a big entrance. Unfortunately, said entrance was ruined when he suddenly tensed and a purple shade tinted his skin.
"Infernape, what's wrong?" Ash asked, glancing at the smiling Lorelei.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ash. Your Pikachu defeated my Cloyster, but not before she would leave you a small gift," the Elite Four trainer said.
Ash wondered for a moment what she meant, and then facepalmed as he recalled the last blow. That purple flash: Cloyster had managed to set up Toxic Spikes before Pikachu knocked her out. A 'gift' indeed, and to make it worse, none of the Pokémon he had chosen for this battle was airborne. Thus, once they set foot on the field, they'd get poisoned like Infernape.
Or maybe that was Lorelei's plan. Even though Infernape had been poisoned, there was something he could do to eliminate the spikes, and avoid that future gift for the rest of his Pokémon. As soon as the referee gave the signal, Ash knew he had to get a move on before the poison did its work. The sooner he acted, the better.
"Infernape, Flamethrower, now!"
The obvious action, Ash opened up with a Fire-type attack to start with an edge. Despite being afflicted by the poison, Infernape inhaled deeply and fired a powerful flaming stream at Jynx, who simply stood still.
"Jynx, Light Screen!" Lorelei called.
"Jynx!" The Ice Pokémon pushed her hands forward and raised an energy barrier to protect herself from the Flamethrower. Once Infernape stopped shooting fire, both he and Ash felt a burning anger as they saw Jynx was practically unscathed. It looked more like she had used Protect as opposed to Light Screen. Alright, if special attacks didn't work, they'd go for physical ones.
"Infernape, Flame Wheel!"
"Ape!" Infernape leapt into the air and setting himself ablaze he turned into a living fireball, rolling across the field towards Jynx at full speed. She held her ground like before, waiting for the incoming attack.
"Stop him with Psychic," Lorelei said with a cold tone.
"Jynx…" Jynx started glowing with a blue aura that raised her hair in a rather creepy way.
When Infernape was halfway across the field, Jynx first raised a hand to lift him off the ground, causing him to roll in place until he realized he wasn't going forward. As the monkey was busy being shocked, Jynx thrust her other hand forward to deliver a psychic push, launching him towards one of the frozen rocks and crashing so hard it reduced to small bits.
The primate rubbed his back after the blow and then jumped back up, and then was afflicted by the poison, but aside from that he seemed just fine.
"Blizzard, now!" Lorelei shouted.
However, while Jynx was inhaling, Ash quickly yelled a command on pure instinct, hoping that it would work. "Quick, use Dig!"
If Cloyster's Blizzard was already strong, Jynx's could easily make it feel like a summer breeze. Fortunately, Infernape managed to dive into the icy ground and escape. Jynx stopped blowing for a bit, and both she and Lorelei stood on alert, glancing everywhere to determine where Infernape would come out.
That would matter little, considering what Ash planned to do while Infernape was still underground.
"Flare Blitz!"
Lorelei briefly widened her eyes, but then she realized what was going on: the frozen ground began turning red and burn, even causing the water in the pond and the river to boil. In fact, Jynx had to skip around as she felt the burning ground under her feet, and then a fiery blast erupted right behind her, when Infernape came out violently.
"Mach Punch!" Ash called.
Infernape jumped at Jynx and delivered a right hook at her face as soon as she turned around. The blow was so hard it knocked her into the boiling pond, causing her to cry out in pain and blow steam.
"Flamethrower, now!"
Infernape exhaled another fire attack, this time at shorter distance. Even though the Light Screen was still in effect, the distance helped cause more damage, and it was clear this time she did feel the heat.
"Teleport!" Lorelei called.
Fighting off the flames, Jynx vanished in a flash of multicolored light out of the lake, reappearing on the other side of the field. As soon as he saw her, Ash decided to get out of there, and called for Infernape to use Dig to go underground again, but Lorelei wouldn't allow that.
"Disable!"
And right before he dove into the ground, a blue flash surrounded Infernape, leaving him still and disoriented before he could use his move. The primate was so disconcerted he couldn't react before Jynx Teleported in front of him, shocking him.
"Psychic and Ice Punch," Lorelei called in a gelid tone.
Said and done. Jynx caught Infernape with her psychic powers, slamming him against the rocks a couple of times. Then, she dragged him back, coating one of her hands in white-blue energy, and then delivered an uppercut to the jaw, knocking him backwards. Worse of all, when he got back up, the poison afflicted him again, and Lorelei didn't seem to be done yet.
"Lift one of those boulders with Psychic."
The Elite Four member pointed at a particularly big boulder, and Jynx raised it over her head to throw it. Ash clenched his fists, trying to think about what to do. For now, they weren't unable to go underground and use Flare Blitz from below again.
But maybe there was another way, though he had to act quickly before Lorelei launched her next attack…
"Counter Shield!" Ash yelled.
Infernape fired off a Flamethrower and started rolling to in Flame Wheel simultaneously. The spinning effect served to break the rock when Jynx threw it, reducing it to pebbles, and the fire whips it generated with the Flamethrower caught the Ice-type off-guard, managing to graze her and causing her to lose focus for a moment. After landing again, Infernape kept rolling until hitting his foe, rolling over her and turning around to come back for another go.
"Way to go, keep it up!" Ash shouted. "Use Mach Punch!"
"Ice Punch!" Lorelei countered.
Infernape stopped rolling and charged with a leap, his fist glowing with white power. Jynx did the same with a freezing punch, and both of them clashed head on. There was an energy flash for a second, and then a violent burst of energy that sent them both flying backwards. This time it was Jynx who crashed against the boulder, as during the clash Infernape's punch managed to overpower hers briefly, while the monkey made a three-point landing.
Both trainers and their Pokémon took a brief respite, and Ash surmised the situation. What Misty said was true: Jynx was good in long-ranged fighting, but she needed to focus and in close quarters combat she was comparatively at a disadvantage. If he could get close enough to deliver the ultimate beatdown, he could perhaps win the round.
"Jynx, use Water Pulse!"
Jynx began creating a water sphere between her hands, making it bigger than normal. It seemed Lorelei had decided to leave the games behind and end that round quickly. Ash saw for a moment that Infernape emitted a blue flash, meaning that Dig was no longer disabled.
"Underground Flare Blitz, quick!" Ash shouted.
Quickly, Infernape buried underground, and the water ball barely grazed his tail. Moving as fast as he could, Jynx could barely see the red-hot earth coming at her, before Infernape burst out of the ground like a living eruption, knocking her through the air, though she managed to land safely on her feet.
"Jynx, Blizzard!"
"Infernape, Flamethrower!"
The fire stream and the cold current clashed head on. Both attacks began trying to push one another back, with the Flamethrower winning at first, but then the Blizzard started gaining more and more ground, coming dangerously close.
"Give it your all, Jynx!" Lorelei called.
Finally, with a single blow, Jynx's Blizzard won over and sent Infernape flying through the air. Jynx Teleported to the other side of the field to catch up to him, and delivered a brutal punch at the monkey's back, crashing him against the rocks.
The referee almost declared him unable to battle, but against all odds, he rose up again. And when Lorelei saw the monkey's red eyes literally burning in flames, she knew it was bad news.
"INFERNAPE!" Launching a powerful cry upwards, he exploded like a volcano, causing the ground around him to get red and shake. His ability Blaze had just triggered, and Ash realized he had to deliver the finishing blow on Jynx while the power lasted.
"Infernape, use Flamethrower!" Ash called.
"Jynx, use Blizzard at full power!" Lorelei countered.
Jynx inhaled, but before she could shoot her icy wind, Infernape went ahead, shooting a fire stream stronger and wider than before, leaving her half-cooked in the process.
"Close Combat!" Ash shouted, determined to press on the offensive before Jynx could recover.
Infernape jumped in front of Jynx while she was coughing smoke due to the burns from the previous Flamethrower, delivering a barrage of punches and kicks to every inch he could reach. The beatdown lasted for about ten seconds, during which Lorelei couldn't do anything but watch how her Pokémon served as a punching bag, ending with left uppercut to lift her up into the air.
Ash then knew it was time for the final blow. "Finish her, Infernape, use the Meteoric Flare Blitz!"
While Jynx was still falling down, Infernape jumped after her, grabbing her below the armpits, holding tight onto her before setting on fire. The Blaze's power boost caused the Flare Blitz's flames to turn blue, and Lorelei then realized why Ash had called it that way: Infernape became a living fire meteor and crashed against one of the ice mounts with one, reducing it to pieces with the impact.
For a few seconds, both combatants were left in expectation, until they saw the result. Jynx laid bruised and charred on the ground, while Infernape was supporting himself over his left knee, feeling both the poison and the attack's recoil, but refusing to go down.
"Jynx is unable to battle! Infernape wins!" the referee declared.
"Yeah! Two down, four more to go!" Ash celebrated as he pumped his fists.
Infernape turned around to give his trainer a thumbs up, though Ash knew how high the cost of that victory had been. Between the poison and the damage he had sustained, there was no way he could reliably keep fighting for the rest of the match, so he'd quickly recall him to leave him on standby. For now he had to stick to his plan to defeat his opponent in one-on-one bouts if possible.
Simultaneously, both trainers recalled their Pokémon and grabbed their next Pokéballs.
"A great round, Ash, though I can see your Infernape didn't come out well. A wise call to recall him now," Lorelei said.
"I want to win, but I won't let my Pokémon to get pointlessly injured if I can help it," the Pallet trainer declared.
The Elite Four member smiled. "I see you're not failing on the empathy department. Dewgong, you're next!"
Lorelei's next Pokémon was her sea lion. Ash glanced at him carefully: according to Misty, that Dewgong was Lorelei's starter Pokémon, which meant he'd have years of experience on his side. Even more than he and Pikachu, no doubt. She had also said he loved using Icicle Spear as a signature finishing move, so he also made a note of that.
"Let's keep up the pace. Typhlosion, I choose you!"
"Typhlosion!" Ash's second Fire-type starter, his Quilava's final form, appeared on the field. His flames had grown bigger and more intense along the years, and he was determined to give his trainer another victory.
"Dewgong versus Typhlosion, start!" the referee declared.
"Typhlosion, begin with Eruption!"
Typhlosion gave a fury cry and flared up, before charging at Dewgong. Lorelei regained her icy demeanor and decided not to take any chances.
"Dewgong, dive into the water and stay there!"
"Gong!"
Dewgong rolled aside to avoid Typhlosion's charge, and then slid across the ice to get into the pond and escape her foe. Upon failing the charge, Typhlosion skidded and was forced to hold onto the ice with his claws and turn around to glance at the pond.
"Go in there too and use Swift!" Ash cried out.
Much to everyone's shock, Typhlosion roared and turned off his flames to dive into the pond. A while later, Dewgong was blasted out of the water by a barrage of golden stars, followed by a very soaked Typhlosion who immediately shook off the water and flamed on once more.
"Flamethrower!"
"Frost Breath!" Lorelei countered.
At the same time Typhlosion fired off a torrent of flames, Dewgong followed suit with a blast of freezing wind. Both began pushing each other, and for a moment it seemed like the Flamethrower would win out, but the Frost Breath won out in the end, hitting Typhlosion in the face. He was pushed back a bit, but other than a small frost layer on his nose and eyebrows that his flames melted, it caused no lasting effect.
"Icicle Spear!" Lorelei called.
"Gong!" Dewgong opened his mouth and summoned a few ice spikes, firing them like missiles at Typhlosion. The Fire-type tried to dodge as best as he could, but some managed to hit and knocked him off-balance, causing him to pull back even more.
"Charge with Flame Wheel!" Ash cried out.
Typhlosion began running as he flamed on and rolled full speed across the field at Dewgong. Lorelei could see he was a lot faster at rolling than Infernape, but Dewgong was able to dodge by rolling sideways and kept on his ice spikes barrage.
"Dodge and use Eruption!"
Typhlosion's flames burned up once more, and he dodged the spikes jumping from side to side. The Fire-type managed to close the distance until he was face-to-face with the sea lion. He then exploded like a living volcano, sending Dewgong flying.
"Way to go, Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"
With Dewgong still in the air, Typhlosion fired another attack at full power, hitting Dewgong right on the belly. As soon as he landed, a flame burst surrounded the sea lion, causing Ash to smirk as he saw Dewgong afflicted by the burn, but Lorelei didn't seem concerned in the least.
At it soon became evident why. "Rain Dance."
"Gong!" Dewgong howled, and a black spiral cloud began forming above the battlefield. Seconds later, rain began to fall over them. It started soft, but it soon turned into a downpour, forcing Ash to adjust his hat's visor.
The trainer saw Typhlosion was forced to take cover as the rain put out his flames, while the burn he had inflicted on Dewgong had vanished. So that was why she had called for Rain Dance: Dewgong possessed Hydration.
"Water Pulse," Lorelei called as she pointed forward.
Dewgong formed the water sphere and fired it as fast as he could. Despite the adverse weather, Typhlosion managed to dodge it, and Ash called for an Aerial Ace counter. The attack hit true and knocked Dewgong away, allowing him to breathe a little.
"This is bad, Typhlosion can't use well his fire attacks in this rain," Ash muttered. "That just leaves…"
Yes, Typhlosion had the weather against him for almost all of his attacks, but there was one he could have a bigger advantage with the rain. However, they had developed it not long ago as an ace in the hole, and they hadn't been able to perfect it. Would it be worth it to take the risk?
"Typhlosion, get close with Quick Attack!" the challenger shouted.
Typhlosion slid across the ice at full speed, leaving a white trail behind. The water was making it somewhat slippery, but he managed to close the distance, though Dewgong kept dodging and countered with Frost Breath, knocking him against one of the ice mounds.
"Smart Strike!" Lorelei called.
"Wild Charge!" Ash countered.
Dewgong charged with a glowing horn, while Typhlosion gave off sparks and then coated himself in a golden electricity aura. Both Pokémon collided head on, but Typhlosion won out the clash and sent Dewgong, even inflicting paralysis although the rain quickly washed it away.
"Aerial Ace!" the Pallet trainer shouted.
Leaving a white streak trail, Typhlosion charged for another sure-strike against Dewgong while he was still shocked, crashing him against another ice mound.
"Good, now use Wild Charge again!" Ash shouted.
Again, Typhlosion rushed with the electric tackle, taking advantage of the rain's power boost. The attack hit true once more, and for a moment it seemed like they were getting the upper hand. However, the fatigue and racked up damage, adding the recoil for using Wild Charge, were starting to take its toll.
It quickly became evident when he attempted in a third time to keep pressing on the offensive, but the charge was sloppier than the previous ones, giving Dewgong the chance to dodge and counter with Water Pulse. Typhlosion was trapped in the great water bubble, and when it exploded, his eyes were spinning and his head waved around in complete disorientation.
"Typhlosion, no!" Ash shouted.
"Dewgong, get safe into the water and use Rest!" Lorelei commanded.
While Typhlosion was still in a daze, Dewgong jumped into the pond. Ash didn't dare to give a command: his Pokémon was confused and had begun crashing against the ice walls as he tried to find Dewgong, ignoring that he was safe in the water recovering his health. Cloyster had already caused problems for Pikachu with that move, and now Dewgong had caused all his efforts to go to waste again.
A couple minutes later, Dewgong resurfaced and landed on top of the same mound Typhlosion was about to attack.
"Let's end this now," Lorelei said. "Dewgong, Icicle Spear!"
"GONG!" Dewgong gave a loud howl and summoned the icicle rain to bombard Typhlosion. The first thing he did was dropping them to create a barrier to trap him in while he still ran around, and then in the middle, and then dropped some more in the center over the helpless Fire-type starter, who let out cries of pain and desperation all the while.
Once the ice dust and the smoke cleared out, the competitors saw the result. Typhlosion laid with his arms spread over the ice, his flames put out and ice shards all over his back. That made it clear for Ash why Dewgong liked using Icicle Spear as his signature attack.
"Typhlosion is unable to battle, Dewgong is the winner!" the referee called.
And thus, the battle turned 2-1 in Ash's favor. Though it was more like a 2-2, considering that Infernape wasn't in condition to withstand another round if he came out. The trainer weighed his options, watching Lorelei's Dewgong as the Rain Dance began to stop.
"Pika, pikapika!" Pikachu said as he tugged his pants' leg.
"You wanna go back?" Ash asked. "Are you sure?"
"Pika, pikachu!" The rodent nodded, pointing at Ash's wrist. Of course, he still had that ace up his sleeve, or glove.
"Alright, back to action, Pikachu!"
Pikachu jumped back to the battlefield, standing face to face against Dewgong, whose damage from the previous bout had fully healed. He'd have to capitalize on the fatigue to win the round and end the first half with an advantage.
"Start with Electroweb!" Ash called.
"Frost Breath!" Lorelei countered.
Pikachu generated the electric sphere, spreading it into net form at Dewgong. Lorelei soon realized that Ash's intent was aimed to try and restrict Dewgong's movements and then finish her off with a stronger electric attack. The icy breath froze the electric web as soon as it materialized, causing it to break apart into multiple shards.
"Iron Tail!"
"Aqua Tail!"
Following their trainers' commands, Pikachu and Dewgong locked into a tail duel, splashing water and giving metallic flashes all over. Pikachu was the one attacking the most, jumping and spinning as he tried to hit Dewgong's head, while the latter just occasionally tried to flip around trying to trip him over the ice and send him to a more vulnerable position.
By a lucky blow, Dewgong managed to knock Pikachu off balance and with another tail strike, he pushed him to the edge of the waterfall. Next, he charged with a Smart Strike to cap it off.
There was no way to dodge that strike, but they could use that on their favor.
"Pikachu, hold onto Dewgong when he hits you!"
And so he did: as soon as the horn hit him, Pikachu held onto Dewgong's neck with all limbs, and also sank his teeth on his skin, causing the sea lion to howl in pain.
"Use Thunder!" Ash cried out.
"PIKAAAAAAAA!"
Using the last leftovers of the rain clouds, Pikachu summoned a lightning bolt on top of them, zapping Dewgong at full power and regaining some of the damage lost after the use of Rest. However, Dewgong wasn't Lorelei's first Pokémon for naught, and his years of experience had made him develop a tolerance for electric attacks.
After the Thunder ceased, Dewgong finally shook Pikachu off, and fired a Water Pulse attack. Pikachu countered firing an Electroweb that ensnared the water sphere, causing it to explode.
"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, and Pikachu quickly unleashed his discharge at Dewgong.
"Smart Strike!" Lorelei countered.
Right before the attack hit, Dewgong's horn glowed in metal and deflected Pikachu's attack, sparing the Water-type from any damage. Ash gritted his teeth: the tactic of using a Steel-type move to deflect an electric attack had grown quite popular, and it made sense that the veterans like Lorelei had adopted it.
"Icicle Spear!" the Elite Four trainer called, and Dewgong began unleashing another barrage of ice spikes.
"Dodge with Agility and Quick Attack!" Ash retorted.
Pikachu began running around the field at full speed, appearing and disappearing from sight as he left a white trail behind. His speed and small size served to dodge the icicle rain by the hair, until he finally spotted an opening to charge at Dewgong head on. The sea lion took the blow right to the face and the mouse landed on the other side, ready to turn around and continue his attack.
"Volt Tackle!"
"Piiiikapikapikapikapika! PIKA!"
Pikachu rammed Dewgong for the second time, coated in electricity to maximize damage. Smart Strike could deflect an electric attack from a distance, but a physical one or at point-blank range was a different story.
"Use Icicle Spear to create a barrier!" Lorelei shouted.
Dewgong howled again and pulled back to summon his attack. Rather than making the icicles rain over Pikachu as he ran, he summoned them in front of himself to create an ice wall, and that way when Pikachu was about to get to him, he struck the wall instead of Dewgong. That said, he had enough power to pierce through it, although he lost speed with the crash, giving Dewgong the chance to dodge.
"Water Pulse!"
With Pikachu dizzy after he struck the ice, Dewgong launched a large water bubble that pushed him until he crashed against one of the ice mounds near the pond. The blow didn't knock Pikachu out, but Ash could see from afar he had been left confused from his spinning eyes.
"Pikachu, no!" Ash shouted.
"It's time to end this. Sheer Cold!"
And with Lorelei's command, Dewgong howled again while an icy blue aura covered him. Instantly, the air around him started to get cold, generating what looked like a spike glacier spreading across the field, heading for the electric mouse. Ash felt a chill: if that attack managed to hit, it'd be the end for Pikachu.
"Pikachu, protect yourself somehow!"
Ash didn't know if Pikachu managed to hear him, and the last thing he saw before the ice river devoured him, was him forming a sphere on his tail. Dewgong ceased his attack and the glacier finally stopped, even freezing part of the pond and the waterfall, leaving a small ice mountain where Pikachu used to be. The referee approached to check the result, and then…
"Pikachu…" Ash muttered, hoping for the best.
Before the referee could check, the ice mountain began to crack. But it didn't just crack at random: it cracked forming a cage-like pattern, making way for an electric net forming a dome that spread the ice before it made contact, much to Ash's relief and Lorelei's shock.
"I can't believe this," the Elite Four member said, clearly surprised.
"Pikachu, are you okay?" the Pallet trainer asked, and Pikachu shook his head, recovering the focus in his eyes.
"Pikachu!" He nodded as he faced Dewgong again.
"Impressive. I never saw an Electroweb being used as a protection before," Lorelei said as she adjusted her glasses. "But I can see Pikachu is drained, he won't hold on much longer."
"We still have one last card to play." Ash uncovered his left wrist to reveal his Z-Ring and crystal. "Let's do it, buddy!"
Pikachu and Ash crossed their arms in front of their bodies as the ring began to glow irradiating its power. Dewgong was gasping after using Sheer Cold and barely could catch her breath, giving Ash and Pikachu enough time to perform the poses to charge the Z-Move.
"Full power!" Ash shouted as he pulled his fist backwards. "GIGAVOLT HAVOC!"
"PIKAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Delivering the punch, Pikachu fired off the electric sphere at Dewgong, who couldn't do anything to dodge or block; he simply shut his eyes bracing for the inevitable. The sphere hit dead on and exploded making a show of lightning everywhere, forcing both Ash and Lorelei (as well as the rest of the crowd to cover their eyes). Seconds later, the smoke cleared, revealing the result.
Dewgong laid on the ground, charred and giving off sparks. He could have a tolerance to electric attacks, but after such power he wouldn't get back up for quite a while.
"Dewgong is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner! Elite Four member Lorelei has lost three Pokémon, so we're having the mid-battle break right away!"
"What a great battle, ladies and gentlemen! After an incredible power display, Pikachu emerges victorious to put his trainer three against one! But this isn't over! We'll be taking a break and then we'll resume this exciting match!"
While Lorelei returned her fallen Dewgong, Ash skated through the field to pick Pikachu up, as the rodent dropped himself on his rear due to his exhaustion, exhaling in relief when his trainer carried him in his arms.
"Well done, buddy, you've earned a long rest," Ash said.
The trainer looked at the scoreboard while he heard the crowd's murmurs quieting down slowly. While the score was officially 3-1 on his favor, with Infernape poisoned and Pikachu having used his last energy volts for the Z-Move, they were hardly in condition to return to the battle. That being the case, he'd keep up with his plan to defeat Lorelei's remaining Pokémon one-on-one.
He then glanced at his opponent on the other side of the field, who nodded in approval, and he smiled in response. He was halfway through with that battle, but he still had three Pokémon more to overcome in order to defeat Lorelei. He had used one of his trump cards, but he still had another in wait, and as soon as it was necessary, he'd use it.
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Okay, sorry for the lateness, but well, now the Elite Four Challenge has officially begun. Alright, my original plan was to do each full battle per chapter, but I finally decided to split them in half with the break in-between so they don't feel too long to read (and for me to translate easier). Also, I ended up changing a lot more than I expected the sequence for the battles, so at least for this one I won't be able to rely on the original story for this version as much as I would have liked. Then again, that'd make it less predictable for those who read it, at least in Spanish.
So, I'm sorry to leave you hanging for the conclusion, but I'll focus on the next part as soon as I can, and also I'll be writing another Pokémon Reset Bloodlines oneshot in parallel with the second half of this battle, plus having to balance things out with work and studies in real life. It's not easy to balance everything out, you know. Thank you Hall Gowrt, w00za, fatty635, FenrirUnchained and Alphadelta-23 for the reviews, and those who just faved and commented… thanks too, but I'd appreciate if you commented too. I like to talk, and I always reply, so don't be afraid!
P.S: There's a little nod to one of my recent Pokémon stories in this chapter, though that one is only in Spanish. Anyone up to try and guess what it is? I might give you a little surprise if you get it right.