Hey Everybody! Well, can you believe it? Another two week installment! I'm very happy, because this time last week, I hadn't written anything for this chapter. Let's just say the week before last was miserable at school and home in preparation for the AP tests (high schoolers know what I'm talking about). However, this last week has been beyond awesome (I think I aced my AP European History test!), and I was doubly motivated to finish this chapter by the great reviews you all left me. Seriously, it's your kind words as loyal readers that fuels my creativity, as I explained to most of y'all in my private responses to each of your comments.
I also would like to take this moment to point out that tomorrow will be the exact one year anniversary of when I started this story, and it's actually hard to believe for me. It doesn't feel like it's been a full year, but when I looked back at chapter one a few days ago, I realized that despite how short it seems, my writing's certainly come a looooong way from where it started. I think once I finish this fic, I'm going to go back to the beginning and redo my first like ten chapters so they better match the quality of the later ones.
Anyway, I'm getting off-subject. The point is, I'm happy to present you with this anniversary-edition chapter of "A New Journey". Please enjoy it and REVIEW! Remember that I take both member and non-member reviews, so if you enjoy this story, but do not have an account on this site, you can still leave me your thoughts by pressing the "review" button at the bottom of this page!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its affiliated companies including, but not limited to, 4Kids, The Pokemon Company, Game Freaks, or Cartoon Network. The characters written within this fic are soley based upon the fictional characters created by these companies, and the story is not meant to, nor will it, receive any monetary funding.
Characters' Ages:
Ash: 17
Brock: 21
Misty: 17
Dawn: 14
Delia: 40
Oak: 55
Paul: 14
"Ash!" Dawn cried happily as the young champion stepped through the entrance into the main lobby of the Goldenrod-based hotel. Running up to him, she opened her arms for a hug.
"Hey Dawn," Ash greeted, dropping his blue duffel bag on the ground and giving Dawn a quick, friendly embrace. He laughed a little when she didn't release her grip around his waist. "Wow, you seem glad to see me, huh?"
Pulling away, she blushed a little, but managed to maintain eye contact with the teenage boy. "It just feels like forever since we last saw you."
"Is that why you're so dressed up?" Ash asked, still looking amused at how excited his friend was to see him again. He noticed she was wearing the same outfit she'd worn at her Valentine's Day competition almost two months earlier.
"I thought it was a special occasion," she admitted in a somewhat flirtatious tone. Unfortunately, any attractiveness which her voice may have carried seemed to be checked by her reddening cheeks. She knew this forward behavior was necessary for her plan of action to be effective, but it was difficult for her to act this way around Ash despite her heavy crush. "I just thought you deserved to see something pretty when you walked through the door."
Taken aback for a moment by her choice of words, Ash quickly shook his head.
I'm imagining things.
"So where's Misty?" he asked, trying to ignore her last statement altogether. "Is she still sleeping?"
"Probably," Dawn answered, losing her enticing accent. "I was way more excited than her about you coming back."
"You were?" Ash had expected Misty to be nervous about his return, of course, but he didn't think she'd be apathetic to his arrival.
"Yeah. But I'll admit it wasn't easy getting up this early in the morning after that long drive yesterday. I was just too excited about seeing you again to stay in bed for very long though!"
"Wait, what drive?" Ash asked, surprised. He'd rented their two rooms for the last couple of weeks specifically so they could relax in Goldenrod while he was away.
"Oh!" Dawn cried, covering her mouth. "I forgot that Misty wanted to tell you! I wish I hadn't said that!" She was telling half the truth.
"Tell me about what?" Ash asked, growing worried. "Did something happen while I was away?"
"Oh no, nothing like that," Dawn said, easing the champion's fears. "While you were gone, I thought it would be a good idea for me and Misty to go out and catch some Pokémon for you. I know how worried you were about falling behind schedule while being away at this training session thing."
A smile broke onto Ash's face. "You really did that for me?"
"Of course!" Dawn replied happily, twirling a loose strand of her straight her around her index finger. "I'd do anything to make you happy, Ash."
"So how many did you catch?" he asked excitedly, pulling out his Pokédex to see what his count had risen to.
"Well, a couple of the pokéballs were broken, but I think total we caught about fifteen for you."
"Wow!" Ash cried as he looked down at his small encyclopedia. "You guys caught eighteen! That's so great!"
"Yeah, and guess who one of the Pokémon is that I caught for you?" Dawn asked in a singsong voice. She eyed the young trainer happily as he tore his attention away from the Pokédex and looked on at her expectantly.
"What is it?" he asked, sounding as excited as a child on Christmas morning.
"A Pichu!" Dawn cried happily.
"Did ya hear that, Pikachu?" Ash asked the electric mouse on his shoulder. "Dawn caught you a little brother or sister!"
"Pika, pika," replied the deflated electric Pokémon unenthusiastically.
"What's the matter with him?" Dawn asked with concern. She now noticed that Ash's best friend and battling companion was wearing a somber look atop his master's shoulders. "Is he sick?"
"No, but we found out that-"
"H-hey Ash," a quiet voice whispered from behind the raven-haired teen. Turning around, he saw a very red-faced Misty solemnly staring at her white sneakers. Examining her briefly, he noted the ruffled yellow shirt she wore along with the form-fitting jeans and the blue ponytail holding back her beautiful red hair.
How does she look so nice without even dressing up?
"Hey Mist," Ash returned with a feeble wave. He too felt his face heat up as the beautiful young woman looked up at him briefly with her large, aqua green eyes. No sooner had they made eye contact before they each turned their heads in different directions.
"So, uh, Ash," Dawn began after a moment of awkward silence elapsed between the pair. "What were you saying is the problem with Pikachu?"
"Wait, there's something wrong with Pikachu?" Misty asked, temporarily placing aside her embarrassment as she steadily examined the little Pokémon who remained hunched depressingly by Ash's head.
"Oh yeah," Ash said, remembering his dropped conversation with the blue-haired coordinator. "The champions said I couldn't use him in my battle with Paul!"
"What?!" both women asked in shock.
"But he's your best friend!" Misty argued. "How could you leave him out of a battle this big?"
"Not to mention he's probably one of the only Pokémon you own who can take on Paul's monsters," Dawn interjected, remembering vividly the pain Paul's team had inflicted upon his opponents. "You need Pikachu by your side."
"I know," Ash agreed with a nod. "That's what I said too, but they had a point in making that decision."
"What reason could possibly be good enough for not letting Pikachu battle?" Misty asked, angry for her yellow friend. Now she understood why he was so upset.
"Well, Paul knows everything about my battling style, so using all my old Pokémon would give him enough of an advantage to take me out easily."
"So what, you're not gonna use any of your good Pokémon?" Misty asked, growing irate at the prospect of Ash not taking full advantage of his trained Pokémons' power. "I saw Paul on the T.V., Ash. He's really tough. I don't think now's the time to start pulling out new teammates for the battle!"
"That's why I was training with my new team on the League's island the last two weeks," Ash replied, a little annoyed that the redhead seemed to think he was unprepared. "This is the biggest battle of my life so far, Misty. Don't you think I know what I'm doing?"
"If you're not gonna use Pikachu, then I'm really not sure!" Misty shouted in return. This hadn't been how she'd anticipated Ash's arrival.
"Why don't you let the champion decide how he's gonna battle, okay?" Ash asked while raising his voice with every word. However, as soon as the words escaped his lips, he immediately regretted them. In Misty's eyes, he could instantly see her emotional barometer switch from fury to hurt.
"I just wanted to help, Ash," she replied, this time in a hissed whisper, not wanting to attract anymore attention to the entrance of the hotel than she already had. Over Ash's shoulder, she could swear that Dawn had a small smirk on her lips. "Pikachu's supposedly your best friend, and yet you just let some idiots from the League tell you not to use him, even though you know you need him in this battle."
Trying not to look in Pikachu's direction, Ash took a deep breath as he contemplated the correct response.
"I just want to win, Misty," he answered after a moment.
"If that's all you care about," Misty said, her eyes wide at his statement, "then you're not the trainer you used to be."
"Whaddya mean?" Ash asked, offended she would insult his training abilities.
"Your Pokémon were your friends when I first met you," she explained haughtily. "But now you're willing to throw away your relationship with any of them just to beat Paul."
"It's my dream to become a master, Misty."
"What do you think Pikachu's dream is?"
"I-what?" He hadn't seen that question coming.
"I said, what do you think Pikachu's dream is?" Misty repeated. "You've trained with him for almost seven years. You two have battled some of the biggest fights I've ever seen. He's been loyal to you from your battle with Brock to your battle with Cynthia, never disobeying or giving up despite the several failures you suffered on your way to becoming a champion. And now that he's got a chance to shine in front of the entire world, you just tell him that it's more important that you win this battle alone than allow him a chance to prove himself."
For a moment, Ash simply stood in front of the redhead with his mouth agape. Swallowing, and again without looking to the little creature whose feelings he now realized he'd neglected, he reached into the back pocket of his jeans.
"Here are the tickets for your private plane to Sunyshore," he explained, handing two sheets of paper to Misty. "You can drive to the airport this afternoon for the flight. I'm gonna go think for a while."
With that, he turned and walked out the door. Misty and Dawn saw him climb into the back of a black sports car which quickly sped away.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
What was she talking about? Ash wondered silently as the chauffeur, who was hidden behind a tinted black glass, drove the champion aimlessly. He simply wanted to be away from Misty after that brief, yet very painful, discourse. Of course I wanted Pikachu with me. He slowly rubbed the still-unanimated Pokémon's small cranium as he thought back to his and Oak's discussion a week earlier.
Why wouldn't I have wanted him on my team? He's one of my best fighters.
He started as he realized what he just thought. Best fighters.
Staring down at the small Pokémon who'd been with him on his journey longer than anyone else, Ash suddenly realized that Misty was, as usual, right.
He'd become so caught up in winning this battle with Paul over the last few weeks that he'd forgotten almost completely about Pikachu and his feelings. It wasn't like with his other Pokémon, who he switched for tournament battles routinely. The electric mouse had, as Misty pointed out, been with him through them all. How could he have been so selfish?
"Pikachu?" Ash asked, causing the small yellow creature's ears to perk slightly. However the creature did not seem interested in facing his master.
"Listen, I know you're mad at me," Ash explained. "Everything Misty said in there was right, wasn't it?"
"Pika," the little rodent muttered with a small nod.
Ash smiled. For such a small guy, his Pokémon had a large fighting spirit. It wouldn't be fair to keep him out of this action.
"I'm sorry, Pikachu," Ash continued as he ran his thumb in small circle over the top of Pikachu's head. "I got so caught up in winning this battle that I forgot how you must feel. I wanted you to battle for me, but it wasn't for the right reason. When the professor explained I couldn't have you on my team, I started to worry, but not because of how it would make you feel. I was worried because of how not having one of my strongest Pokémon was making me feel."
"Pikachu, pika," Pikachu muttered once more.
"So…" Ash began, letting the word drift off. He tried to think of the best way to apologize.
"Would you please battle with me against Paul?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"There you are!" Delia cried happily as she saw the two young women exit from the luggage drop-off point of the airport. "I was wondering when the plane would finally arrive!"
"Hi Mrs. Ketchum!" the two girls responded waving to her. After brief hugs were out of the way, Delia informed the young women that their escort was waiting for them.
"We get an escort?" Dawn asked excitedly. "That's awesome!"
"Yes, we've been treated like quite the movie stars since we arrived," Delia replied with a smile. "Apparently when you're the Pokémon Champion's mother, you get a few perks." She chuckled lightly at her small joke, and both young women smiled kindly in return.
"So who else is here?" Misty asked in curiosity.
"Oh, everyone I could convince to drop their busy schedules to come watch," Delia responded as she led the girls out of the airport and towards a limousine.
"We get to ride in a limousine?!" Dawn interrupted with a squeal. "We really are like movie stars!"
"Who else did you say was coming?" Misty continued, annoyed with Dawn in general at this point.
"Well, let's see," Delia said as a young man stepped out of the driver's side of the long vehicle, quickly rounded the end of the automobile and promptly placed the teenage girls' suitcases in the trunk. He then proceeded to open the door, which emitted more squeals of delight from Dawn, and more annoyance from Misty. "I of course brought the professor and his grandson, and Tracey, and several of Ash's old friends from Pallet, and some family members who live in Viridian and Vermillion. I also invited some friends of mine and, obviously, I brought along Mr. Mime."
"Wow, that sounds like a lot of people," Misty speculated as the car began to drive away from the Sunyshore International Airport.
"It's only about twenty-five, actually," Delia responded, sounding disappointed. "The rest were too busy to come."
"Well, I'm sure twenty-five is more than Ash was expecting to see," Misty replied humorously. "By the way, is he here yet?"
"Oh, you didn't hear?" Delia asked, looking surprised. "He said he'll get here tonight. He apparently had some last minute training he needed to take care of."
Or he didn't want to see me.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
At eleven that evening, after introducing herself to several of Ash's relatives and unknown friends from his hometown, Misty was tiredly cradling her head in her hands on the small kitchen table.
"Pretty nice place, don't you think Misty?"
Turning around, the gym leader saw Tracey standing in the doorway. "Oh, yeah. It's very comfortable."
"I can't believe the League gave us our own house to stay in before the big tournament!" he cried as he took a seat opposite the redhead. In the middle of the blue table was a plate of sugar cookies, which he quickly pulled closer to him. Munching on a cookie, he asked how the gym leader was doing.
"I'm doing well," she answered kindly, putting her hands down and smiling back at the young college student. "How's college been? It must be really exciting meeting all those new people and learning all that new stuff!"
Laughing, Tracey entertained her for a while with some tales from his collegiate exploits.
Misty, in return, nodded and laughed when she knew it was expected of her, and occasionally threw in a bland comment to assure the Pokémon watcher that she was still listening. However, her mind was far from the conversation. Specifically, she was focused on the front door, which she could see from her position at the table.
"So we ended up staying up all night, when it turns out the test-"
The young man was interrupted by the sound of a creaking door, and Misty immediately threw her hand up to stop her old friend from continuing the story. "I think I saw the door just open," she informed him in a whisper as he gave her an odd stare. It was dark in the living room and around the entrance, so she couldn't quite make out if the door was ajar or not, but she was positive she'd heard something.
"Why are you whispering?" Tracey asked, still looking bewildered by her sudden reaction.
"You two are still up?" Delia questioned as she entered the kitchen area. "What's the matter? Are you hungry?"
It must have been her bedroom door, Misty realized as her face sank. She didn't know how much longer she could wait up for Ash. Looking at the clock she saw it was now almost midnight.
"Oh, I was just waiting up for Ash," Misty explained, "and Tracey was telling me about what it's been like going to college."
"You mean Ash isn't here yet?" Delia asked, flipping on the main light switch for the kitchen, illuminating the room completely. Blinking her eyes rapidly to help them adjust to the sudden fluorescent change from the dim light which hung over the oven, Misty nodded.
"I hope he gets here soon," Tracey remarked to Mrs. Ketchum. "I don't think he should be staying up so late with the big day being tomorrow and everything."
"I know," Delia responded, nodding worriedly. "I guess his plane was delayed."
How could it have been delayed if it was private? Misty wondered. However, she knew no good would come from such an inquiry.
"I bet that's what it was."
"Still, Misty you shouldn't be waiting up for him," Delia advised in a motherly tone. "It could be another few hours before he arrives."
"I'm just gonna wait a little longer Mrs. Ketchum, I promise," Misty swore with a smile.
"Okay then, if you insist." It was nice that Ash had such a caring friend. "I'm going back to bed, but tell me if you need anything."
"I will," Misty answered as the middle-aged woman walked out of the room.
Standing up, Tracey brushed the cookie crumbs off his shirt and pushed his chair back under the table.
"Wait, where are you going?" Misty asked. "You didn't finish your story!"
"Oh, I'll finish that in the morning," he replied, giving a yawn. "I just came down here for a small snack to help me get to sleep, and judging by how heavy my eyelids feel, I think it worked."
"Oh, alright," Misty responded reluctantly, having enjoyed some company. "I'll see ya in the morning!"
"Goodnight Misty," he said as he walked into the living room. A few seconds later, Misty could hear his footsteps as he climbed up the stairs to his awaiting bed.
Grabbing a cookie for herself, Misty decided that she wouldn't wait more than five minutes before giving up on Ash for the night.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Misty? Misty?"
"Wha-quit poking me!" Misty yelled as she flailed her arms. Picking her head off the kitchen table, she rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the light once more. Angrily moving her gaze toward the object of her annoyance, her fury quickly dissipated as the young champion smile at her. She couldn't resist the rush of blood which flooded her cheeks.
"Sorry, but I'd been trying to wake you up for ten minutes," he explained with a grin. "You sleep like a Snorlax."
"No I don't," Misty huffed angrily, regaining her composure and remembering that she was still angry with Ash. "What took you so long to get here anyway? Were you too busy being mean to the rest of your Pokémon?"
"Does Pikachu look like I've been mean to him?" Ash asked, pointing to the apex of his cap, which cradled his good friend.
"Well, no," Misty answered, noticing that the rodent was smiling quite happily and seemed in a much better disposition.
"Misty," he began, claiming Tracey's now long-abandoned seat. "I have to tell you something that is going to hurt me a lot to say."
Curious, Misty leaned in and attentively folded her hands on the table.
What could it be? she wondered, worrying that perhaps she'd pushed his buttons too hard back at the hotel. What if he said he didn't like her anymore? What if he said they shouldn't be friends anymore?
"You were right and I was wrong," he admitted quickly, looking down at the table. "I shouldn't have treated Pikachu that way."
"I know you shouldn't have," Misty said, her fear immediately replaced by an incessant need to gloat over her knowledge. "It wasn't fair to him at all. After being a trainer for so long, I'm amazed you didn't recognize it sooner than I did." She half-expected him to come back with a smart remark, but was instead taken aback by his humble reply.
"I know." He still held his head down, and Pikachu jumped off his hat and onto the table, reassuringly patting his master's head with a forgiving paw.
"Pikachu, pika, pika," consoled the small Pokémon. The combination of the sweet scene, along with Ash's refusal to fall for her bait, left Misty feeling guilty.
"Of course, I could've been nicer to you about it," she relented after a moment. Why had taunting Ash for his mistakes become such an unattractive option as they'd matured? "I didn't need to yell at you in front of everyone in the lobby. I was just…never mind."
"No, wait," Ash said, picking his head up for the first time and making eye contact with the gym leader. "You were just what?"
"Well, it sounds dumb, but when I heard you say you just wanted to win, I started to worry that maybe you were becoming, I dunno, different?" Misty replied ambiguously. Judging by the confused look on Ash's face, she knew elaboration was in order. "I mean, you remember how I said you weren't the trainer you used to be?"
Ash nodded solemnly, but maintained his eye contact.
"Well, I was afraid of just that. Winning has always come second to your Pokémon's happiness, and when you just disregarded Pikachu's feelings, I worried that maybe you were losing the caring, nurturing side of your personality and, well…"
"What?" Ash urged, knowing from the conflict in her downcast eyes there was something she wanted to say.
"And that's the part about you I like the most," she replied in almost a whisper.
Though he couldn't explain what prompted it, Ash instantly stood up, walked to her side of the table and gently grabbed the redhead's hand while raising her out of the chair. From the corner of his eye, he could see his yellow friend watching on, completely shocked by what was happening in front of him.
Misty felt like a puppet being pulled on a string as she effortlessly rose to face the young man. Her hair was frizzed slightly after her three hour nap on the table, and she instantly felt self-conscious about the pink hue which adorned her features at the touch of his gloved hand. However, when she became brave enough to look up and meet the trainer's gaze, she realized that it didn't really matter that her hair was a little messy, or that her clothes were a little wrinkled, or even that her face was beginning to resemble a tomato. She saw something in his eyes which made her realize that those things weren't what he was looking at.
Leaning down, Ash placed his lips squarely on hers. This time, he noted silently as his eyes closed, the kiss was a little less awkward as they both immediately knew what to do with themselves. He felt his hands instantly clasp on to her lower waist and pull her closer, and once again she unconsciously pulled his head a little closer as her fingers entwined behind his neck.
Deciding that he didn't want the moment to end, Ash determined to continue holding onto her until either she pulled away or the world suddenly came to a stop. Unfortunately, the former occurred first.
"Wow," Misty repeated herself from almost three weeks earlier. Despite all the vivid replays in her head of their moment in the hallway, this was infinitely superior to anything she remembered. She'd let go of his neck, but he still held onto her lower waist as he somewhat disappointedly agreed.
"Definitely wow," he answered, trying to maintain a smile. However, Misty could see there was something wrong.
"What's the matter?" she asked, concerned.
"It's just, uh, well, I wanted it to last longer," he admitted sheepishly as he realized how childish he sounded. To his surprise though, Misty smiled brightly at his remark.
"So did I."
With that, their lips were swiftly reintroduced as Pikachu gazed at the two with wide eyes.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Ash, wake up!" Delia called from outside his room.
Moaning slightly from his still-sore muscles, Ash pulled the thick white comforter over his head to drown out the sound of his mother's voice. He felt like he was in elementary school all over again.
"Ash Ketchum, I'm going to give you to the count of three before I come in there," warned his mother in a grave tone. "If you don't answer me, I'm dragging you out of bed personally!"
She won't do anything, Ash reasoned.
"One."
I'm an adult. She can't just count me out of bed.
"Two."
She'll never actually get to-
"Three."
"Good morning, Mom!" Ash called in the most pleasant tone he could muster. Rubbing his eyes ferociously, he looked at the clock to find that, despite his exhaustion, he'd slept for ten straight hours.
"It's one in the afternoon young man," Delia informed from outside the door. "You need to be downstairs in fifteen minutes for lunch before we go to the stadium!"
"Okay, okay," Ash mumbled as he pushed the covers off his body. Standing up, he stretched against the fabric of his pajamas.
"And don't forget to put on clean-"
"I know, Ma!" he cried out, annoyed. "I'll be down in a few minutes."
As he heard the staircase squeak, he quickly ran into the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower.
"Is he up yet?" Professor Oak asked from the living room sofa as he heard Delia's descent from the flight of stairs. He had the television on the news, and the reporter was discussing the up-and-coming battle between Ash and Paul, as was almost every other news station that morning.
"Yes, finally," Delia replied with a roll of her eyes. "It's amazing that he can even sleep with something this big about to happen."
"Well, you did say he got in late, right?"
"That's right," she admitted. "That's why I let him sleep in so late to begin with. I hope he hurries though. I'm making him a great lunch!"
"I hope it's satisfying," Oak replied. "The battle doesn't take place until seven this evening, but he probably won't have another chance to eat before then."
"You think I should pack him a small supper?" Delia asked worriedly.
"I doubt he'd find time to eat it Delia," Oak answered. "I've seen how these big Championship battles take place before. Usually it's a full day of the champion being preached to on how the battle will be run and how they should enter, and how they should introduce the battle, etc."
"They sure do keep him busy, don't they?" she asked as she walked back into the kitchen to check on her dish.
"Well, the champion is the star of the show," Oak replied simply.
"Is he up yet?" Misty asked, coming down the stairs in a pair of white bell bottom jeans and a tight blue t-shirt.
"He said he'll be down in a minute," Oak informed the young woman as he turned the television off. Frankly he was tired of listening to the "experts" and all their opinions on how Ash had virtually no chance of winning the match.
"That smells good Mrs. Ketchum," Tracey mentioned as he and Dawn walked through the front door. Despite the chilly Sinnoh spring climate, Dawn wore her normal pink skirt with a white sleeveless blouse. Tracey wore what Misty considered his normal attire consisting of a green t-shirt and headband. However, he had apparently traded in his usual red shorts for normal blue jeans in light of the thermometer.
"Why thank you Tracey," Delia responded with a smile. "Were you and Dawn able to find everything on my list?"
"We sure were," he answered as the two made their way over to the kitchen, their arms filled with paper bags. "Everything's here for your celebration dinner this evening."
Let's hope there is a celebration dinner, Dawn worried pessimistically. She was afraid that everyone was just a little too confident in Ash. As much as she wanted him to win, and she wanted it a lot, she couldn't help but agree with the commentators on the television who continually compared Ash's performance against the Elite Four to Paul's. There was a world of difference, and it scared her.
"Hey Dawn!" Misty greeted the young coordinator as she entered the kitchen. "How'd you sleep?"
"Um, fine, thanks," Dawn returned, uncomfortably smiling back at the redhead. "How about you?"
"I slept great," Misty answered with a warm smile. With the assurance of Ash's feelings behind her, she could easily forgive her young counterpart for her feelings concerning the champion. After all, it was easy to understand why she liked Ash so much. "You look really nice today."
"Thanks, so do you," she replied, this time smiling in earnest. Unsure though she was of Misty's change of heart, she was glad to be back on speaking terms with the gym leader.
Maybe she's given up on him, she thought hopefully as Misty began talking to Tracey about some story he'd never finished telling her. If so, then winning over Ash was going to be even easier than she'd anticipated…as long as he won.
Professor Oak walked into the kitchen with the rest of the group, Gary walking close behind him.
"Gary, you're here!" Dawn cried enthusiastically from her seat atop the kitchen counter. She'd always been a rather big fan of Ash's former rival.
"Hey Dawn," he greeted with a small wave. Everyone turned to look at him after the blue-haired woman's announcement, and he quickly explained that he had to finish up some business at the gym before he could leave for Sinnoh.
"At least I made it here on time though!" he concluded with a smile.
"Hey Gary!" Ash suddenly cried from behind the doorway, causing the young researcher to jump slightly. Turning around, everyone saw Ash wearing his now-official Pokémon Sinnoh League Champion uniform.
"Wow, Ash," Gary commented sarcastically. "Is that your fancy champion costume? It looks like what you wore when we were kids, without the stupid jacket!"
"At least I became a Pokémon champion, Gary," Ash replied icily. After a moment of tense silence throughout the kitchen, both young men began to laugh. "I'm glad to see you were able to make it!"
"Anything to see this battle," Gary commented, as everyone in the room began to break into small sects of conversation once more. "According to Gramps, this is gonna be some battle."
"So you're rooting for me?"
"Yeah, but only because if this guy beats you, we won't get to have our big match. If anyone's gonna humiliate the great Ash Ketchum, it's gonna be me!" Gary declared proudly.
Laughing, Ash assured his friend that he wouldn't lose this battle, and he'd blow Gary away during their's in the near future.
"Whenever you're ready, Ashy-boy," the researcher replied with a smirk,
"Okay everyone, lunch is ready!" Delia suddenly called out above the raucous of laughter and serious discussion. "Get a plate, and Mr. Mime will serve you my famous spaghetti with secret sauce."
Lining up behind Ash, everyone got a large portion and began to inhale the meal. Not only was it delicious, but it was almost time to leave.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You'll just clip this part to your ear, and everyone will be able to hear you," explained the large man. He was wearing a sleeveless undershirt, and smelled of stale sweat, but Ash was appreciative for all the effort he'd put into making sure the champion understood how the ceremony and battle were going to take place. "I'm sure you used this during your last Champion battle, right?"
"Uh-huh," Ash answered, placing the small black headphone into his right ear. Flipping a small switch on its end, he could hear his steady breathing reverberate throughout the large stadium which could, and would, seat over one hundred thousand spectators.
"Hm," the man said, rubbing his chin, "I think it's still a little loud. We'll work on that. When trainers get in the heat of battle, they usually start yelling, and the last thing we want's a hundred thousand deaf people suing the League."
Laughing, Ash agreed and flipped the switch off. Looking at John's wristwatch, he saw it was a quarter to six.
"Almost time, huh?" the man asked, noticing the direction of the young man's eyes.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Ash answered, feeling more than a little nervous.
"Well, not that it's worth much, but I think you'll win," John said with a grin. "I dunno why. I mean, everybody on T.V. thinks this Paul guy's got you beat, but I just don't believe it. There's something about him that's different…" His thoughts seemed to drift away.
"Well, thank you!" he said appreciatively, and with a small nod. "It's nice knowing there's someone other than my family and friends who think I have a chance."
"Don't let those big guys on T.V. get to you," John said, snapping back to reality. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he looked at the champion right in the eye. "Most of them never got close to where you are now. Go out there and give it your best shot!"
Smiling, Ash thanked him once more, and he muttered something about the sound system before walking off.
The young champion took a deep breath and looked around at the currently empty stadium. Save for a few janitorial workers in the bleachers who were meticulously insuring that no trash was left lying on the ground, he was completely alone out here. Looking up, he couldn't find a cloud in the sky.
Perfect weather, he noted for no reason. He'd been drilled on the weather, when the sun was going to set, and when the large four night lights which cornered the stadium were going to be illuminated. Standing there in the middle of the pokéball shaped chalk center of the battlefield, and feeling a pleasant breeze brush by his arms, he couldn't help but smile.
However, that smile dropped instantly when he looked down, and found a certain purple hair-dyed trainer standing in the opponent battle square. It looked like Paul was staring straight at him.
"Paul?" he yelled across the field.
The trainer didn't respond.
Ash immediately took off and sprinted the three hundred feet to his now archrival. As he got closer, his vision insured him that it was indeed Paul Ikari. The young trainer stood there, smirking, when Ash finally faced him.
"Why'd you run so fast? To see the guy who's gonna beat you a little quicker?"
"I know about Team Rocket, Paul," Ash quickly informed the young man. "I know all about your plans to just cheat using their Pokémon, and I know about how you wanna be the Master."
"Of course you do," he replied, his smug smirk still plastered on his face. "I don't know why you're speaking in such an accusatory tone. It's not like I was gonna deny it or something."
Frankly, Ash had expected the trainer to at least feign ignorance of the plot. However, hearing his rival speak in such a way only heated his temper, and he clenched his fist as he continued. "So you don't care at all that you've gotten this far by cheating?"
"You know what Ash?" Paul asked, still calm, but losing his smirk. "I've thought about it a lot. You've always talked about how your Pokémon are your friends, and how that Brock and Dawn were your friends, and about how your friends got you where you are today. Well, Giovanni is my friend, and he's about to help me get to where you are today…then he's gonna get me even farther." With that, Paul smirked, and even gave a small chuckle.
"No he's not," Ash refused with a shake of his head. "Not today. I have the better team Paul, and I'm the better trainer." He did his best to withhold his desire to simply deck the young man right then and there for what he was saying.
"Right," Paul retorted sarcastically. "As I remember, you only barely defeated my useless team last year in the tournament. What are you gonna do now that I actually have strong Pokémon? Go crying when your pathetic little rat gets its skull crushed?"
It was amazing to Ash how quickly Paul hit the ground following the champion's fist's connection to his jaw.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"This is it!" cried the announcer excitedly as the stands were almost instantly filled with cheering fans and bystanders. As Misty noted silently from her front row position in the luxurious box seat, the vast majority of the people were wearing "Ash Ketchum Team!" t-shirts, and she noted several toddlers proudly strutting around with a picture of Pikachu on the front of their upper-body wear.
"After only one year, Champion Ash Ketchum gets his first challenge from heated rival Paul Ikari! Who will win in a battle that's going to be nothing short of spectacular?"
"Only ten more minutes," Lance noted solemnly from behind Misty.
"You think he's ready?" Steven asked, sitting next to the dragon champion.
"I certainly hope so."
"Will you two quit being so pessimistic?" Cynthia asked the pair. "He knows what he's doing, alright? I'm sure he'll be great."
Relieved at hearing some confidence for Ash, Misty turned back in her seat to face the blond, former champion.
"Um, Cynthia?" she asked the reputable woman nervously.
"Yeah, Misty?" she responded with a kind smile.
"Uh, do you think I could see Ash really quickly before he goes onto the battlefield?"
"I don't know about that," Lance interjected. "He should probably be alone with his thoughts before something like this."
"I agree," Steven affirmed with a nod.
"Well I don't," Cynthia retorted, causing her contemporaries' eyebrows to raise in surprise. "The last thing any trainer should do before a battle is think too much. C'mon Misty, I'll show you where he's waiting."
Gratefully, Misty jumped out of her seat and followed the woman out of the box. As she closed the door, no one noticed as most of them were still in awe of the beautiful quarters they'd been given to watch the match from above.
Taking her down a flight of stairs, and then through a corridor which required a number password to pass through, Cynthia walked Misty to a large, metallic door.
"Make sure you let him know we're all rooting for him," Cynthia requested. "Before my battle with him, no one talked to me, and it didn't feel good being out on my own."
Nodding, Misty thanked the woman. As she turned and walked away, the gym leader tentatively knocked on the door, which was almost instantly opened.
"Hey Mist!" Ash cried happily. He had his hat off and his eyes looked a little bloodshot. "C'mon in!"
As she followed him, she was impressed to find a fully-functioning locker room had been granted to him. It was very large, and she assumed that the stadium must double as a special sports gathering place as well as a Pokémon battlefield.
"Are you okay Ash?" she asked as he grabbed his hat off a bench and sat down. She took a seat next to him.
"Huh?" he asked, with a shaky breath. "Oh yeah, I'm fine! Thanks for coming down to see me before the big battle!" He laughed half-heartedly following his statement, but Misty could see the nervous anticipation in his eyes.
These minutes must feel like hours to him.
"Well, I just wanted to come down here and tell you that we're all up there rooting for you," she said kindly, placing a hand on his lap to draw his attention to her.
"Thanks, Mist," he replied, calmer now. Seeing her face seemed to make him feel a little better instantly.
"So where's Pikachu?" she asked with a frown. She worried he might be just as nervous as his master.
"Oh, well I told you that we talked last night, right?" Ash asked.
"Yeah," Misty recalled. She also realized the trainer had never been given the opportunity to explain what they'd talked about, due to other "pressing matters". "He seemed happy last night."
"Yeah, well, basically we decided that he shouldn't be in this battle," Ash informed the young woman bluntly, much to her surprise. "Before he was upset that I hadn't asked, but after I did ask, he refused to go along with it. I'm already using Sceptile and Charizard, so three of my best Pokémon would've just been too much. I had to send him off since I already had six Pokémon."
Misty couldn't believe that after how depressed the small electric mouse appeared the day before he didn't want to join in the battle. Ash's almost nonchalant manner about the affair after their fight a day earlier also struck her as odd, and she instinctively knew something was up. However, she realized that now was no time to press the champion for a deeper answer. Looking at a clock that hung above the sinks in the room, she saw it was three minutes before he was expected on the battlefield.
"If that's what he wanted," the redhead replied hesitantly. "Now, are you ready to go beat Paul?"
Smiling, Ash answered with a holler. "Yeah! Me and my Pokémon are gonna wipe the floor with him!"
Misty smiled too, seeing Ash as confident as he was when he was younger. She took the hat out of his gloved hands and, before he could protest, pressed it backwards on his head.
"You put it on the wrong way, Mist," Ash informed her.
"No," she contested with a grin. "You always used to turn your hat back before a big battle, remember?"
"Oh yeah!" he cried in agreement. "It's been a while since I've done that."
They both stood up, and Ash walked over to another pair of metallic doors. Upon his approach, they opened simultaneously, and a burst of noise from the awaiting audience pummeled their eardrums.
"This is it!" he cried, clenching his left fist, and pulling his cap back in the right direction. Turning to Misty he explained he'd fix it backwards "later".
As she saw his eyes light up as he looked down the dark hallway which ended on the battlefield, she quickly reached up and lightly pecked his cheek. Looking down, he returned the peck by grabbing her around the waist with his left arm and pulling her into a quick, but very intense kiss. They'd yet to actually discuss their relationship and how it was going to change, but kissing had quickly become a favorite pastime of their's since the night before.
Letting go of her, and with a small blush, Ash gave her a final grin before walking out to face his opponent. As he left, the doors slammed shut, and Misty gave a little prayer as she sprinted back up to the box.
By the time she was back in her seat, Ash and Paul had both been introduced by the announcer and were meeting in the middle of the field to shake hands. On the enormous jumbotron which faced directly opposite their box, Misty noted a sizable bruise lining the left side of Paul's face.
"I wonder what happened to him?" Gary asked to her left.
"I have no idea," she admitted. She wondered if Gary, with Professor Oak being his grandfather and his being a member of the Pokémon League himself, knew of Paul's true intentions. To the best of her knowledge, only she, the professor, and the champions actually understood the gravity of the situation behind this battle beyond Ash's dreams.
"Go Ash!" yelled a few of his family members a few rows behind her.
"C'mon little buddy!" yelled an older man who Misty wondered was the young champion's grandfather. She realized she actually didn't know any of his relatives beyond the niceties they'd exchanged the day before. They'd even resided in a different housing unit than she did, so her knowledge of the people sitting in the back was limited at best.
As both trainers took to opposite sides of the field, Misty could hear Ash's voice over the intercom. It sounded almost like he was sitting right next to her as he enthusiastically cried, "Let's do this!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Are you both ready?" the referee asked from a podium above and outside the battlefield boundaries.
"Let's do this!" Ash cried in return. His muscles tensed as he enlarged the first pokéball.
"Ready," Paul confirmed, not appearing the least bit excited.
"Remember trainers, you can only withdraw your Pokémon immediately after one has defeated the other, or after they have been out and against your opponent's Pokémon for at least two minutes. The timer for these two minutes will be indicated by the red and green bars beneath your pictures on the screens." The referee indicated the screens on both sides of the stadium before continuing. "The first person to lose all of his Pokémon will lose. Pokémon are exempt from the battlefield lines if they are in the air. However, once their feet touch the ground outside the battlefield for more than ten seconds, they will be disqualified."
Nodding in return, both trainers eyed the official.
"Now, release your first Pokémon of choice!"
Throwing the pokéball as far as he could with his left hand, a Scizor immediately took form in front of him.
"Huh," Paul stated simply over the headset. Ash smiled, knowing his opponent was surprised by his choice. However, any shock from his decision for a battling partner was shoved aside as Paul hurled his red and white orb into the air, and a formidable Rhyperior roared into being. "I was almost positive you were gonna use that Pikachu, but I guess you realized he'd have no chance against me this time. No problem though, Rhyperior is tough enough to take on a bug."
A steel type bug, Ash noted with cautious enthusiasm. Rhyperior was a rock type, giving him the immediate upper hand.
"Now," the referee announced, holding the green flag up in Ash's direction, and the red in Paul's, "let the battle begin!"
"Rhyperior, Earthquake," Paul stated simply.
"Rhy!" shouted his Pokémon as he lifted his heavy tail in the air and slammed it down, causing both Ash and his Scizor to momentarily stumble.
"Now hit him with a Stone Edge," Paul replied in his still-lazy tone.
Sticking his arms out in front of him, Rhyperior began to pelt Scizor's hide with small, sharp rocks. However, the red bug Pokémon didn't appear at all fazed.
"Great job Scizor," Ash commented. "Now, Agility and then Metal Claw."
In a flash, the Pokémon had disappeared, and reappeared behind Rhyperior. His claw glowing brightly, he slashed down on the rock and ground Pokémon's back, filling the battlefield with the screeching whine of metal upon stone.
"Tail Whip!" Paul commanded as his Pokémon gave out a low groan.
Lifting its heavy boulder-laden tail from the dirt, Rhyperior used amazing speed to swat away the bug Pokémon from behind. As Scizor rolled across the ground, Ash grit his teeth.
Should've seen that coming.
"Scizor, use your wings for balance!"
After a few more rolls, the steel type fluttered his heavy wings and slowly lifted himself back to his feet.
"Looks like he's a lightweight," Paul noted. "Rock Blast."
As several smaller stones hurtled, towards Scizor, Ash implemented his Pokémon's main strategy once more; speed.
"Agility again!"
In a flash, Scizor was standing directly in front of his trainer, and then in another blink, he was directly in front of Rhyperior.
"Stop!" Ash cried. He was in the perfect position.
Snorting at his opponent's incompetence, Paul commanded Rhyperior to use Hammer Arm. Bringing its formidably large ligament above Scizor's head, Rhyperior brought down its arm with all the force it could muster.
"Iron Defense Head!"
CLANG
Rhyperiors arm visibly cracked upon contact with his opponent's skull, causing Ash to smirk for the first time during the battle. He'd created that move from a combination of Scizor's Iron Defense, which by itself promoted complete bodily defense, and his Iron Head Attack, which further increased the defense of his Pokémon's head.
Rhyperior was clearly shaken, and though Paul ordered another Earthquake attack, it was clear his Pokémon needed a second as it groaned from the intense pain of a broken limb.
"Bullet Punch, Scizor!" he ordered.
Scizor's claws, already glowing from the intensity of the Iron Defense, became even brighter as he instantaneously jabbed Rhyperior's entire body with quick punches. The last one came after about ten full seconds of the rock Pokémon moaning in pain while its body vibrated, and it landed directly underneath the Pokémon's chin. To even Ash's surprise, the ground type was lifted a few inches off the ground, and stumbled backwards.
"Look at that Rhyperior!" the announcer cried from his office. Ash hadn't noticed how loud the crowd had gotten, or even that this match was being witnessed at all in the heat of the moment. However, while waiting to see what Paul would do next, he temporarily became aware of his surroundings once more. "It's still standing after a punishing blow by Scizor. Can this Pokémon still make up for lost ground?"
"Rock Wrecker!" Paul called to his battling partner, refocusing Ash on the matter at hand.
Still looking slightly dazed by the impact, Rhyperior put both its arms forward and began shooting small rocks together between its palms. Soon, the rocks were massing together to form a sizable boulder.
Recognizing the need for action, Ash ordered Scizor behind the opponent. However, Rhyperior proved its determination by swiftly pivoting on its left foot to face Scizor once more. The boulder was at least three feet in diameter and growing.
"Do it now!"
"Rhy!" With a final roar, the large boulder hurtled towards Ash's Pokémon.
"Metal Claw!" Ash ordered at the same time. He could only hope the move would suffice for destroying the large rock.
It didn't.
As Scizor slashed at the dense stone with another glowing claw, Ash's Pokémon's arm was immediately pushed back by the force of the attack. The rest of his body followed suit as he was flung into the partisan wall. The boulder fell away, showing that Scizor had been heavily imprinted into the partition.
The referee squinted to his right to insure that Scizor was not touching the ground. After a moment, it was clear that he wasn't, but if he didn't respond soon, Rhyperior would still be given the victory.
"C'mon Scizor!" Ash called out from across the field. His voice was magnified through the speakers, and it caused his Pokémon to jerk slightly in response. "You've got 'im! Please don't give up now!"
Slowly, but surely, the steel Pokémon began fidgeting around, and after a moment he'd fallen on his knees back to the ground.
"Scizor has ten seconds before he is disqualified," announced the referee. On the jumbotrons, between the vacant slots which represented Ash and Paul's future Pokémon in the battle, a clock appeared, counting down from ten.
"Keep him out with an Earthquake!" Paul commanded. Slamming its tail, Rhyperior caused another large rattle throughout the battlefield. However, Scizor unsteadily stood as the clock fell to six seconds.
"C'mon Scizor!" Ash urged.
Slowly, his Pokémon walked back to the field.
Three seconds.
"Stone Edge."
Small stones once again pelted his body in a weak attempt to hold him back. However, despite the several cuts and chinks in his steely exoskeleton, Scizor continued to make his way back to the line.
One second.
"Use your wings!" Ash cried as a loud as he could over the buzzer.
"Scizor is still in the battle!" the official's voice boomed as Scizor rapidly flapped his wings. His feet dangled just a few inches from the ground, and it was clear that his metallic state was causing a strain on his flight.
"Rock Blast!" Paul yelled. Ash noticed he was starting to sound worried.
Holding out both palms towards the champion's Pokémon, the Rhyperior unleashed a barrage of medium-sized stones. However, Scizor proved too fast as his feet landed within the battlefield once again and he began to move in an almost rhythmic dance to avoid the onslaught of rocks.
"Keep it up!" Ash ordered, laughing a little. Despite Scizor's weakened state, the speed Ash had worked on with him was really keeping him in the battle. Rhyperior was healthier, but not by much.
I just need an opening.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Wow, look at Scizor go," Dawn commented as she leaned forward in her seat. It was impressive to see the Rhyperior continually missing its target as Scizor did a slow dance across the battlefield.
"Yeah, Ash isn't even having to tell it to dodge," Steven noted from the second row. "I guess those speed training sessions were the right idea after all, Cynthia."
"Well, I just knew that we wouldn't have the time to focus on his strength like you wanted," she responded. "It was just easier to go with the stat that he was already fairly high in."
"I must say," Professor Oak interjected, "that certainly is one of the quickest of its species I've found. Normally Scyther lose a great deal of speed when they evolve, but it seems like Ash captured a rather unique version of the creature."
"Unique Pokémon always find Ash," Dawn noted. "It's part of why he's such a great trainer."
"Night Slash!"
All of the spectators within the box jumped as Ash's voice suddenly boomed again.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Instantly, Scizor charged towards Rhyperior, who'd worn itself out with its flurry of attacks. With his claw now darkly tinted against the glow of the setting sun, Scizor leapt high in the air with the help of his wings and delivered a crushing blow directly to the larger of Rhyperior's horns. The tip of the horn shattered, and Rhyperior roared as its body was shoved into the ground with full force.
For a moment, Scizor left his darkened claw on the head of his opponent, insuring that the monstrous creature was going to stay down, but as the referee lifted the green flag towards Ash, he pulled away from the Rhyperior.
"Rhyperior is unable to battle! Scizor is the victor!"
With a "ding" the picture upon the screens of Paul's Pokémon faded beneath the trainer's picture, causing Ash to grin.
Suddenly, Paul wasn't so calm anymore.
Author's Notes: Well, here's some good news for you guys who want to know what happens next (which is hopefully everyone)…I'm going to return to weekly updates! That's right, my last AP test is Tuesday, which gives me a lot of free time (at least the next couple of weeks until graduation), so you can expect to see chapter 28 up next Sunday. I've always said that returning to weekly updates has been a goal of mine with this fic, even when I was only updating once a month back in January, and now it appears that I'm about to realize this goal. So, yeah, I hope y'all are happy to hear that!
Anyway, as for my awesomely superb recommendations:
"Journey of Legends" by livezinshadowz - Yeah, I'm recommending this story again. If you haven't read and reviewed it yet then…please do, I guess. It's excellently written, and I'm sure it will be an awesome pokeshipping fic.
Okay, sorry, but I haven't really had time to look for new stories this last week, so that's the only recommendation I can give. Seriously, I don't think anyone's updating right now besides me, but if you or an author you know of is working on a good Pokémon story, please let me know in your review so that I can suggest it to my readers. My last update garnered over 1.2 thousand readers in one day, so hopefully at least a few of those people will take my recommendations and use them.
Alright, it's really late (or, technically, early), so I'm going to end these notes here. Have a great week, and REVIEW PLEASE!