Hey Everybody! Well, against all odds, I got this out in time for a one week update! I'm very happy with myself for that, but I'm going to be perfectly honest…I'm going back to two week updates. The reason for this is twofold. One, last year when I did one week updates, my chapters were an average of about 4,000 words. Now, my chapters average more than double that. It was really hard for me, even with my last AP test being done on Tuesday, to commit several hours each day for this installment which, consequently, is over 9,000. (Yes, I know that sounds like a joke, but seriously, it's OVER 9000!) The other reason though that I'm going back to two week installments is because of you guys. I feel really bad because within four days of publishing last chapter, I received a whopping 32 reviews! First, I want to say thank y'all so much for giving your input! No joke, your support is overwhelming, and in fact, when I had to force myself to sit down and work on this headache of an installment, I would literally think "they took time to appreciate this story, so the least I can do is publish this on time for them". However, the unfortunate side effect of having one week installments is that I was unable to write each of you, thanking you for the support because all my free time was bent towards completing this. The least any author can do is express his appreciation to his fans, and I was, against my will, forced to remain silent. Therefore, I think it's in my best interest to resume two week installments. However, make no mistake, I have no intention on wavering in this resolution. I DO have a lot of free time now, so two weeks will be an easy deadline for me to meet over the next couple of months.
Also, I'd like to quickly mention that all those people who reviewed me, but didn't receive a Private Message from me thanking them, can expect to hear from me over the next few days. I'm donating the next couple of nights to replying to all of your wonderful reviews, and I hope my neglectful attitude this past week over your comments will not hinder you from giving me your feedback on this chapter once you've finished reading it.
One last thing, this chapter is seriously ALL BATTLING. I know some of my fans are not exactly prone to liking my battles, so if you do not enjoy Pokémon fighting, or whatever, you may seriously want to skip this installment…though I hope you don't. It took forever for me to write, but I think the scenes in this chapter are pretty well laid out.
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
"Great job, Scizor!" Ash congratulated from the sideline. His Pokémon ran over to him, and he pet the bug's hard head. "You did an awesome job out there. Do you think you can win another battle for me?"
"Scizor," his Pokémon replied happily with a nod. Ash could see a few serious dents in his battling partner's armor, but it appeared that he was more than willing to go for a second round.
"Okay then buddy," Ash replied with a smile. "Remember to dodge first. If I don't give you a command, then just keep dodging their attacks. Okay?"
"Sciz," his Pokémon happily nodded once more before running back onto the battlefield.
"What a spectacular battle!" the announcer commented overhead. "It seems that, thanks to the type advantage, Champion Ketchum managed to stave off one of Paul's very powerful Pokémon. But can he do it again?"
Ash frowned as he heard this. The announcer made it sound like he'd just lucked out.
Paul could have switched at any time, he thought, looking at the clock on the board and realizing that only thirteen minutes had elapsed since the start of the fight. Even though it felt longer, Paul had been given eleven minutes to change after he saw the type ineffectiveness. However, for some reason he'd kept Rhyperior out on the field.
He probably wants to keep his team a secret.
"Ladies and gentleman," the announcer declared overhead. "For the rest of the battle, due to the setting sun, the trainers will be battling under the stadium night lights."
"Alright trainers," the referee stated after the lights flashed on, illuminating the field in unison, "please choose your next Pokémon."
"I'm gonna use Scizor again," Ash announced, feeling a slight chill grasp him.
"Come out Blaziken!" Paul replied. In another flash of light, a Blaziken, over a foot taller than Ash's five foot Scizor, appeared. It immediately set its wrists ablaze, and narrowed its eyes at its newest victim.
As both Pokémon approached the center of the field, Ash began to wish he'd chosen differently. Now he'd have to wait two minutes before he could switch, and frankly, he wasn't sure Scizor had two minutes of battling in him against this formidable fire and fighting type.
"Let the battle begin!" the announcer cried, lifting the flags in the air.
"Agility, Scizor!"
"Double Team!"
As Scizor randomly appeared in different areas around the battlefield, Blaziken steadily multiplied its image to one copy, then two, then five, then finally ten. All ten Blaziken were forming a large circle around the field, basically trapping Scizor within.
"Now use Flamethrower," Paul commanded, once again achieving his nonchalant tone. It was obvious to Ash that he didn't want to seem as if this battle were a challenge.
"Jump out of the way!" Ash cried desperately.
However, before Scizor could do anything, the ten Blaziken unleashed a conflagration upon the center of the field, with Ash's Pokémon taking the full brunt of the storm.
"No!" Ash cried.
The firestorm seemed to blaze for an eternity, when in reality it couldn't have lasted more than a minute. The smoke did take at least another minute to dissipate though, as everyone in the crowd hushed to see the outcome.
Sure enough, in the middle of the pokéball-shaped center of the field, Scizor had fallen to the ground, his exoskeleton charred and smoking from the deadly blast.
"Scizor is unable to battle!" the referee declared after one decisive observation. "Blaziken is the winner."
There was a mix in the crowd of cheers and boos. Many of the boos came from Ash's fans, but he also suspected many did not like how long Paul's Pokémon had unnecessarily continued its attack.
"It looks like Paul's Pokémon wasted no time in vanquishing its opponent," the announcer mentioned simply as Ash recalled his loyal Pokémon.
"You did a great job."
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"That wasn't good trainer etiquette," Gary noted solemnly. "Nurse Joy's gonna have her hands full with that case after this battle is over."
"I agree," Professor Oak said, sitting next to his grandson. "Although I must admit that Blaziken's well-trained. Just like Ash's Scizor, this Blaziken seems strong in its fire power when normally Pokémon of its species are much better at fighting with their fists."
"Ash'll be able to beat it though," Misty assured, more to herself than anyone in the room.
"I'm sure he will," Delia agreed with a small smile as she watched the redhead's face press almost against the glass. She was definitely one of Ash's most ardent fans. "He's one of the best trainers in the world!"
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"Poliwrath, go!" Ash cried, releasing his blue water type onto the field. After the Pokémon had walked to the center of the field, the referee once again raised the flags.
"Water Gun!"
Poliwrath immediately unleashed a large jet of water from the center of her spiral-shaped abdomen. However, the Blaziken skillfully leapt high into the air, as Paul ordered a Peck attack.
Twisting its body rapidly as it let loose a stream of fire from its hands and feet to propel it towards Poliwrath, the Blaziken growled menacingly while nearing its target.
"Dynamic Punch!" Ash ordered.
"Poli!" the water type cried as she brought back her arm and made direct contact with Blaziken's beak.
"Blaze!" the Pokémon screamed in pain as it was sent flying backwards from the strength of the hit. It landed on its back several feet away.
"Bubblebeam!"
A flurry of bubbles protruded from the Pokémon's body and charged Blaziken, who immediately covered its head with its arms in a desperate attempt to salvage health.
As the bubbles burst with large "pops" and flashes of light upon contact with the fire type's body, Ash realized the need to take advantage of the situation. Poliwrath still wasn't a very strong Pokémon, and the strength she did possess lay in her physical abilities.
"Now use Submission!"
Poliwrath ran towards her opponent, and swiftly grabbed the Blaziken's right leg as it struggled to stand back up. With its right leg in tow, Poliwrath jumped in the air and spun around several times while holding onto the fire type. As she threw Blaziken into the ground, causing a plume of dust to rise above its body, Ash gave a small smile. This battle had been too easy.
"Blaziken, get up and use FirePunch!" Paul suddenly commanded. In the blink of an eye, Blaziken had risen from the ground with a flip. It no longer appeared tired, but instead appeared to be completely alert as flames smothered its body.
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"Oh no," Professor Oak stated as he watched the Blaziken stand and launch a combustive fist at Poliwrath, who was sent flying backwards. "It appears that Blaziken's Blaze ability has kicked in."
"But he's a fire type, so it shouldn't be hard for Poliwrath to handle," Dawn said, watching as Poliwrath narrowly dodged a series of close punches. "She'll take care of 'im in not time."
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Ash was beginning to sweat despite the drop in temperature. Blaziken was shooting jets of fire at Poliwrath, who'd managed to avoid close combat with the fierce fighting and fire type and was now having to counter each of its Flamethrowers with a Water Gun.
"Water Gun again!" Ash commanded helplessly as Paul simultaneously ordered a Fire Blast. Despite the type advantage, Poliwrath's power had proven itself incompetent against Blaziken's newfound strength.
"Poliwrath!" cried the Pokémon as the stream of fire barely dissipated before reaching her skin. She was beginning to weaken from so many water attacks, though her opponent seemed more than happy to continue its small rampage on the battlefield. Rolling to the right, the water Pokémon barely dodged another Flamethrower.
"Yah!" Ash cried, ducking along with his Pokémon to dodge the fire attack. "Try a Hypnosis!"
Clapping her hands to gain Blaziken's attention, the water Pokémon slowly turned the stripe on her belly in a counter clockwise fashion. For a brief moment, it appeared that Blaziken had become entrapped by the sight, but a brief shout from Paul immediately brought it back to reality.
"Take it out with a ThunderPunch!" he ordered.
Imitating Ash's Scizor, the Blaziken disappeared from its location and instantly reappeared in front of a terrified Poliwrath. Bringing its electrically-charged fist back, Blaziken swiftly popped the water type with a "bang" which resonated throughout the stadium above the cheers and moans from the audience. Poliwrath was sent tumbling backwards, and after a moment it became clear that she was not going to stand up.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Blaziken is the winner!"
The picture of Poliwrath faded from the jumbotron as Ash brought back his Pokémon. Putting her pokéball back on his belt, he thanked her for the effort. Looking across at the Blaziken who'd reclaimed its spot on the opposite side of the battlefield, he contemplated his plight.
It's super strong, but low on health, he reasoned, due to its Blaze effect. It's also really fast, but I just have to get a few strong hits to finish it. With a smile, he pulled the next battle partner from his waist. The choice was easier to make when he thought of it that way.
"I choose you, Haunter!" he declared, as the ball opened within his hand and the purple ghost type eagerly leapt onto the battlefield. With a fiendish grin, Ash's Pokémon stuck his tongue out at his first real opponent as the two met near the center of the battlefield.
"Blaziken," Paul's Pokémon growled disapprovingly.
"Haunter, haunt," the ghost and poison type declared as the referee began to raise his flags. He was now crossing his eyes as he continued to protrude his tongue.
"Let the battle begin!"
"Blaze!" The Pokémon opened its mouth and unleashed a wave of fiery fury in the form of a Flamethrower.
Ash watched intently as he ducked once again to avoid being licked by the flames himself. The attack lasted at least thirty seconds, and by the time Paul's battling partner had finished, his entire body felt overheated. However, he never lost focus on Haunter's location, and to his great relief, when the flames finally subsided, he saw his Pokémon was no longer there.
An audible gasp escaped the lips of much of the audience as the smoke cleared and it became obvious that the attack had been surprisingly ineffective.
"Now Haunter!" Ash cried with a grin.
"Haunter!" The ghost type rose from behind Blaziken and sent the Pokémon stumbling forward with a swift Night Shade attack.
"Fire Blast!" Paul commanded as his Pokémon got back on its knees.
With a kick of its right leg, Blaziken unleashed another powerful fire type attack towards its opponent. However, Haunter once again proved too quick as he disappeared back into the ground, creating the form of a dark blob staining the battlefield floor.
"Use Shadow Punch!" Ash commanded.
Haunter approached the fighting type and then swiftly rose from the ground once more. Unfortunately for the floating Pokémon, Blaziken was still fighting-fit for physical combat, and upon Haunter's emergence, he quickly disabled him with a powerful Fire Punch. The attack sent Haunter spiraling backwards as he screamed his name.
"Now follow it up with a Flare Blitz!"
"Blaze-blaze!" The fire Pokémon used its lower body strength to jump at least ten stories into the air. For a moment, the blaze creature seemed to float, as if the power from the jump had temporarily given it the ability to fly, before the fire type did a quick mid-air somersault, pressed both its arms and legs tightly together, and raced towards Haunter at an amazing speed. As it came closer, fire surrounded its red hot body.
With about five seconds to act following the fire type's leap, Ash decided to go for his Pokémon's only defense mechanism.
"Protect!"
In a flash of light, Blaziken made contact with the ghost type and almost instantaneously was sent hurtling backwards in a series of backward air and ground flips. As its body finally slid to a halt on the right vertical battle line, Ash heard it groan.
"Now's our chance!" he reminded his battling partner, who continued to wield a dark, yet luminescent, psychic shield in front of his body. "Shadow Ball!"
With a cry, Haunter relinquished the Protect defense and quickly formed a massive blob of dark energy between his palms. Ash could see small sparks of electricity emanate from the dark core of the special ghost attack, and when he saw Blaziken beginning to stir itself onto its feet, after much verbal harassment from its trainer, he knew it was time.
"Now Haunter!" he ordered with a bellow which reverberated strongly overhead.
Thrusting his hands forward, the dark matter was delivered at such a speed that it took even Ash a moment to realize what had happened. The dust from the stadium floor blew in his and Paul's direction as the attack assailed Haunter's opponent.
Lowering his cap to keep the dirt away from his eyes, Ash looked onward as the attack successfully came into contact with Blaziken's body.
"Blaze!" roared the Pokémon once more as he took on the attack. However, Ash instantly noticed that something was wrong with the scene.
The force of Haunter's attack should've sent him sailing.
After another moment of silence from both Ash and the audience, the champion realized what was happening. The fire type's hands were flaming powerfully as the Pokémon staved off the attack with brute strength. Blaziken wasn't crying from pain, he was giving a shout of triumph.
"Haunter, follow it up with a Shadow Punch!"
As Haunter rushed to Blaziken's side of the field, his fist back and releasing a menacingly dark aura, Paul ordered a Fire Kick.
How can he-?
As if answering the champion's unfinished inquiry, Blaziken used the Shadow Ball for leverage as with a final grunt he threw it into the air and slid under it, his right foot out and flaming.
"Give it your best shot!" Ash shouted above the commotion of the announcer and audience. It was too late for Haunter to dodge the attack, so the best chance his Pokémon had of winning the match was through a clash of power.
As the ghost Pokémon's fist came into contact with the fiery ligament, both were instantly shot in different directions. Blaziken had approached the half-poison type at an angle, so he was sent to the far right corner from Ash's position. However, Haunter was launched even further back, and in fact outside the battlefield limits, to Ash's far left.
For a moment, the young champion panicked. With wide eyes, he saw his Pokémon hit the ground and roll onto his back.
The referee squinted, and again announced that Haunter had ten seconds before he was disqualified. Internally, the official decided that if the Pokémon didn't make another movement within five seconds, he would be ejected from the match for being knocked out.
Ignoring the dreadful clock which again presented itself on the jumbotron, Ash called out to his friend.
"Haunter, get up buddy!" he called through cupped hands. He felt the same distress he'd felt earlier with Scizor after Rhyperior had taken him out of the field, but this time an extra dosage of dread bubbled in his gut. This was his third Pokémon. If he lost Haunter, Paul would have successfully dismantled half his team with only one of his partners. "Please get up Haunter! We trained so hard for this moment. You just have to fight a little longer!"
Haunter slowly, without even moving from his back-down position, floated a few feet back in the air.
Glad that he hadn't called the match too quickly, the referee released his tight grip on the red flag as the clock faded from the center of the screen.
Around him, Ash could hear the audience screaming either its approval or unhappiness with Haunter's resilience, but the champion determined himself to ignore it all.
"That's right Haunter!" he cheered, now completely facing away from the battlefield. He was standing on the edge of the battle square lines as he urged his tired Pokémon back into the war against Paul's monster. "Just hang in there! You're doing so well!"
"Flamethrower!"
With a rush of new heat, Ash felt his dreams begin to melt as the flames licked the hairs on his right forearm.
"What the-?" It at first appeared that his Pokémon had simply instantaneously combusted right before his eyes, but Ash's battling experience quickly drew his mind to the true culprit.
Never take your eyes off the battlefield, he chastised himself angrily as the fire raged on beside him. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he turned and gave Paul's Blaziken a menacing glare. To his surprise, the Pokémon actually took notice and ended his assault.
Looking back, he couldn't even make out his Pokémon's silhouette through the murky smoke which remained from the attack. However, he didn't hold out any hope that his Pokémon had survived.
Can ghost Pokémon die? he wondered as the guilt for forcing his Pokémon back up clenched his stomach.
"I'm so sorry, Haunter," Ash muttered as he looked down. He reached for his loyal Pokémon's pokéball and enlarged it. Before he pointed it through the fog, though, the announcer's booming voice, as well as the shouts of the thousands of fans behind him, caused him to look up in curiosity.
Through the vestige of the Flamethrower, he could suddenly see a bright light breaking through the heavy clouds.
Laughing to himself in disbelief, Ash looked on as the final remnants of Blaziken's assault dissipated.
"Gengar!" Haunter cried happily in his new form. Clapping his now-connected hands together, the ghost and poison type unleashed another, much more powerful Night Shade at his opponent, who, along with his trainer, seemed dumbfounded by Ash's lucky break.
With a small explosion upon contact, Blaziken was sent hurtling backwards once again. Ash realized that the Pokémon, despite the obvious strength endowed to it by Team Rocket's methods, was still very close to being defeated.
"Finish it off!" he declared with a smile as he pointed in Blaziken's direction with a flourish.
Happily nodding, Gengar rushed to stand in front of his master and friend as he slammed his two shadowed fists together. From them came a wave of dark energy which shot across the field with the same speed as the Shadow Ball from earlier.
He learned Shadow Pulse! Ash cried internally excitedly as the attack swiftly knocked Blaziken's weak body even further back.
Though Paul had once again berated his Pokémon to its feet following the second Night Shade, the Shadow Pulse was more than enough to force the fire and fighting type out of the battlefield and out of consciousness.
The clock between the two trainers' pictures did not appear in spite of Blaziken being knocked out of bounds. All that was needed was a quiet second by the referee to inspect the Pokémon from his stand before reflexively lifting the green flag.
"Blaziken is unable to battle! Haunt-Gengar is the winner!"
A few people in the audience laughed at the official's mistake, but the vast majority cheered in celebration at their champion's newest victory. Though at the beginning it seemed to Ash that the audience seemed split in factions between him and his archrival, he now realized that the percentage of Paul's fans seemed to have diminished in large segments.
"Worthless," Paul grumbled under his breath as he recalled the Pokémon.
Suddenly, Ash realized that the taunting and haranguing which Paul had done in order to "motivate" his Pokémon had not only been heard by him.
Seeing his opponent begin to lose his temper, Ash laughed once again to himself. As he peered across the battlefield, hate-filled eyes met his gaze.
"Return, Gengar," Ash said, his and Paul's vision still locked.
"Champion Ketchum decides to rest his Pokémon after yet another exhilarating battle!" the man declared overhead. "What can his strategy be now?"
You'll see.
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"Why is Ash bringing back Gengar?" Delia asked. "He was such a good Pokémon." Though she never claimed to be an expert on Pokémon battling, and in fact only was a fan because of her son's love for the sport, it seemed silly to her for Ash to make such a move.
"I dunno," Tracey answered beside her. While he was impressed with how the battle had turned out, he lost a little assurance in the young champion after seeing Gengar disappear in the red beam. "I would've thought he'd keep Gengar out until he was K.O.'d."
"Did that make any sense to you?" Steven asked Lance as the two stared down at the field, waiting for both trainers to make their next choice.
"Not at all," Lance answered honestly. "That Gengar's already taken a lot of damage. I can't think of why Ash would want to preserve him now. Of course, he beat us all in battles, so I'm not sure how critical we can be of his battle style."
"That's true," Cynthia agreed with a small nod. "Maybe he has more strategies than he told us about. It's possible he's varied his game plan from when we talked with him on the island."
"Knowing Ash," Professor Oak interjected, "I'd say it's almost guaranteed he changed his game plan. He's never been one for conventional methods."
"Look, he's throwing out another Pokémon!" a young boy from one of the back rows cried.
All eyes instantly locked once again on the field.
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"Steelix, I choose you!"
From Ash's side of the battlefield, a metallic serpentine creature emerged onto the scene. The steel and ground type lifted his head and unleashed a screeching, guttural cry.
"And Champion Ketchum releases a powerful Steelix!" the announcer continued. Ash couldn't help but feel a little annoyed as the man repeatedly mentioned the obvious. "What could Paul bring to the table against such a strong opponent?"
"Steelix, huh?" Paul asked. "Is that new?" Though Ash couldn't see him with his two-story behemoth of a battling partner standing right before him, he could swear that Paul was smirking. "Whatever. Kabutops, come out now!"
Steelix shifted a little to the left, allowing Ash a good view of the water and rock type Pokémon which waited for Steelix's first attack. The Pokémon slowly swung the large blades which it possessed in the place of hands by its side.
"She's pretty nice, huh?" Paul asked. Ash was surprised that the purple-haired trainer was even trying to psyche him out. In their past battles, Paul had been all-business.
He must be trying to use mind games to win.
Clearing his throat to catch the attention of the two trainers, the referee lifted both flags in the air once more. "Begin!"
At the official's command, Kabutops instinctively used Aqua Jet to propel itself into Steelix.
Roaring loudly, Steelix rebounded quickly. Though the water from the attack was damaging, it was not enough to pierce the large Pokémon's high defense. Ash was counting on that defense to hold throughout the battle.
"Dig underground!" he ordered.
Instantly, Steelix lifted his massive head and pounded it against the ground while shooting his tail into the air. The stadium floor gave into his combined weight, already having been abused and weakened by the various attacks placed upon it. Within seconds, the entire steel type's body was underground, and the only indication of his presence was a large crater on Ash's side of the field and a slight rumbling beneath the ground.
Looking around desperately, Paul finally called after his Pokémon. "Follow him!"
As Kabutops jumped into the hole and disappeared, Ash smiled once again.
"Bring her back up!" he ordered suddenly, after no sound came from beneath the battlefield after a moment. "Iron Tail!"
The ground began to shake violently, and suddenly Steelix's luminescent tail ripped above the soil, with Kabutops riding atop it. With a harsh flick, the rock type flew into the glass above the partition wall and fell on her back with a thud. However, before even the referee could mention that it was out of bounds, the almost extinct Pokémon raced back onto the field. Ash noted hesitantly that the Kabutops did not appear anywhere near ready to concede the match.
About the same time, Steelix reappeared in front of Ash, creating another gaping hole in the battlefield floor plan. With a metallic screech, he leered down upon Kabutops, and Ash realized that his steel Pokémon was quite the competitor. Since he'd only trained with the Pokémon for seven days, he was still learning about his personality, but this little insight greatly pleased him.
"Steelix, Dragonbreath!"
Unlocking its large jaw, Steelix unleashed a large jet of blue air from its lungs.
"Take it head on!" Paul commanded to his Pokémon, who obediently stood her ground.
As the attack swirled around the Kabutops, Ash could see that the Pokémon did not appear in the least fazed by the attack.
I shouldn't have tried a special attack, he noted silently. He knew Steelix was not built for non-physical combat, especially when it came to dragon type moves, but he had hoped to weaken his opponent before starting his next assault.
"Absorb its energy Kabutops!" Paul ordered after another moment.
With a slash of her blades, Kabutops easily dismissed the surrounding blue aura as nothing more than a nuisance. She then glared directly up at Steelix as her eyes turned red.
"Watch out Steelix!" Ash ordered. Though Steelix was indeed made of steel, he was also part ground type, which left him susceptible to a grass type move. Unfortunately for the gargantuan Pokémon, the order came too late as two jagged beams of light grabbed at Steelix and began to drain energy away from his writhing body.
"Now up it to a Mega Drain!" Paul commanded.
Suddenly, the two beams of red light widened and began to glow with a dark green aura, which consequently surrounded Steelix's form as well.
As his Pokémon roared even louder, Ash looked to the jumbotron screen and found that the first two minutes of the battle had indeed passed. His right hand hovered over the shrunken pokéball on his belt, tempting his desire to simply withdraw the Pokémon. It was clear that he'd made the wrong choice for the battle, and if he didn't act soon, Steelix would be lost.
However, he snapped his head up as he realized the potential harm of such an action. I have to stick to the script, he determined in his mind. If he varied from his plan now, everything could be jeopardized.
So instead, he brought his right fist back around and thought. When he saw where Kabutops' attack was sourced, inspiration struck.
"Sand Attack!"
Though his power had been greatly diminished, Steelix willed his large tail up, and then he skimmed it across the surface of the battlefield, successfully blowing a rush of dusty air into his opponent's eyes.
"Now Double Edge!"
Apparently revitalized at the sight of Kabutops' disorientation, Steelix eagerly reared his head back before slamming it down directly onto the ancient Pokémon.
"It looks like Kabutops is out of this one, folks."
Ash, though, knew better than to expect an end to his trouble. Sure enough, as Steelix raised himself upright once more, Kabutops could be seen standing on top of his Pokémon's head. As his outer-layer of flesh glistened brightly underneath the fluorescent lights, it became apparent that the Pokémon had successfully hardened his outer shelling to brace for the impact.
"What an amazing twist!" the announcer again declared as a lull weighed in between the two trainers' commands.
"Just shake your head!"
As Steelix waved his cranium about with gusto, Kabutops simply used the tumultuous movements to steel her resolve. Using her two blades, she neatly and quickly slashed into the top of Steelix's head, keeping her safely above her opponent despite all his cringing.
"Let's see if she can hang on when you dig!" Ash suggested, gritting his teeth. How had the Pokémon broken through his creature's diamond-hard skin?
Jumping back into the hole which he'd created earlier, Steelix groaned and roared beneath the surface for at least several minutes as small pebbles and clods of dirt bounced around on the surface. The audience began to grow restless, and several shouted for someone to do something after sitting patiently. Even the announcer had quieted down as nothing new happened on the field, and despite himself, Ash had to stifle a yawn as he continued to stare down the dark chasm which occupied his half of the field.
Looking across at Paul, he was surprised to see that the trainer and challenger did not seem at all concerned about the growing disappointment of the fans, or even the outcome of the battle. Instead, he appeared much more intrigued by his shirt sleeve, which he kept dusting off after having grown quite dirty from the sand storm produced by Ash's Pokémon.
Finally, after five minutes, Steelix created yet another hole in the ground as he emerged, Kabutops still tightly holding on.
"What?" Ash asked, not believing his eyes. How could anyone have held on that long?
"Now that he's tired," Paul suddenly quipped, grabbing Ash's attention, "Night Slash."
Ash recognized the move from his battle with Scizor earlier as the shellfish Pokémon pulled out her right blade and allowed it to grow dark. She then brought it down and caused a great cry of anguish to emit from Steelix's mouth.
"Steelix!" Ash cried worriedly. There was nothing he could do but stand and watch as the Kabutops put several more slices into his Pokémon.
With a final groan Steelix suddenly seemed to give up as he closed his eyes and fell flat on the ground. His large jaw landed mere feet from the referee, and the official blinked for a moment, stunned by the close call.
"Steelix!" Ash cried. "Don't give up! You can still take her!"
However, it was clear to the referee that the Pokémon indeed did not have the will to fight any longer, and he quickly brought his red flag up. As soon as he did so, Steelix disappeared from his sight and from beneath the water and rock type Pokémon.
"You did great, buddy," Ash mentioned to the red and white capsule. "I'm proud." He then turned back to face Paul, and quickly ran through his options.
His right hand first reached for the pokéball which he'd placed furthest from the front. After all, the creature within would make sense. But once again his strategy kicked his common sense to the curb as he reminded himself of the plan. I can't risk it.
Knowing that Gengar was nearly unconscious and, again, necessary for the future of his strategy, Ash had no choice but to choose the pokéball closest to the front. He didn't hesitate to use the creature because he doubted its abilities. No, in fact, he secretly considered this battling partner to be his strongest. Not that I could ever let Pikachu know that, he thought with a small smile. He was worried though, about the type difference.
Finding himself between a rock and a hard place, he decided that, thus far, everything was going according to his prepared strategy, excluding the little incident with Steelix just now. With this in mind, he realized it would be foolish to give up just yet.
Clenching the capsule tightly and pressing down upon the center button, Ash looked across at Kabutops and Paul with the utmost confidence.
"Charizard, c'mon out!"
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"Yes! Charizard!" Misty cheered happily as she watched the fire and flying type instantly take off high above the battlefield when released from his pokéball. "He'll win this battle for Ash. I'm amazed Ash didn't use him until now."
"Well, he wasn't the right choice by type," Gary pointed out. "Kabutops is a rock and water type. Those are both advantageous to Charizard's flying and fire abilities."
Misty glared at him angrily as he critiqued Ash's choice, causing him to hold his hands up in defense. "But that doesn't mean anything necessarily! I mean, his Charizard beat my Blastoise in the Silver Conference despite type disadvantage. I'm sure if he could take out my water Pokémon, then this little shellfish won't stand a chance."
"That's right," Misty agreed with a nod before turning her attention back to the field.
That was close, Gary noted with a relieved exhale. He turned to look at Dawn on his right, who smiled kindly back. Maybe I should just talk to this one for now.
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"Due to several ground type attacks," the referee announced as Charizard slowly descended amongst the throngs of people cheering and shouting his name, "we will be replacing the battlefield, which will remain a Plain Field. Please allow our staff a moment to make the transition."
Suddenly, and without warning, the battlefield began to descend into the ground, at which point Kabutops jumped backwards into Paul's trainer square, and Charizard quickly joined his friend and master in the opposing square.
"You ready for this fight Charizard?" Ash asked as the dragon-like Pokémon crooned his neck so that the champion could stroke his scaly head.
Roaring lowly, Charizard nodded beneath Ash's palm. He'd only gotten bigger since Ash had last seen him almost a year earlier.
As a matter of fact, Ash realized, I haven't seen him since after he recovered from the accident. After Nurse Joy in Pallet had released his Pokémon following their run-in with Mallory, Ash had immediately allowed his fire type friend to return to his home in the Charicific Valley.
"The field is now ready for use," the referee announced as a new Plain Field emerged from underground. "The Pokémon may now take their respective positions in preparation."
"Let's win this together, okay Char?" Ash asked, looking directly into his Pokémon's eyes.
Charizard replied with a happy, loud roar as he stretched his arms and wings to their full length. He shot off a small stream of fire into the air before promptly turning and gliding to the center of the battlefield.
"I knew that Charizard would be back," Paul informed Ash with a smirk. "That's why Kabutops is here in the first place. She's been specially trained for this battle."
Hoping that his all-encompassing faith in his strategy would be rewarded, Ash simply replied with a muttered "whatever". He was too concerned about the actual fight to worry about the petty trash talk coming from his opponent.
"Let the battle begin!"
"Charizard, fly high!"
"Kabutops, you know what to do."
As Charizard spread his wings and instantly soared dozens of feet into the air, Kabutops scrunched her body low to the ground. For a second, Ash wanted to wait and see his opponent's plan, but he shook his head and realized the need for quick action.
"Take her out with a Dragon Rage!"
Charizard's eyes glowed white, and his tail's flame intensified as he opened his mouth and formed an almost instantly massive sphere of fiery power. As he unleashed it, Paul gave his command.
"Aqua Jet!"
"Tops!" screamed his Pokémon in reply, unfurling her body and springing directly towards Charizard. The water-shield which surrounded her body allowed her to easily break through the powerful fire and strike Charizard directly in the chest. After she rebounded against his body, she quickly spun in the air and attempted to deliver a deadly strike across the fire type's chest with her left blade. Fortunately for Ash's friend, the force of the Aqua Jet had caused him to fall back several feet as he tried to regain his balance.
Landing back in the middle of the battlefield, Kabutops once again scrunched her body in, waiting to launch once more.
So that's their strategy. Paul planned to simply attack time and time again with short bursts of power, and then allow his Pokémon to defensively hide in a near-fetal position when she was not on the offensive. Smiling, Ash decided to draw upon the knowledge of a previous battle to help him defeat the rock and water type.
"Charizard, heat up the battlefield!"
Nodding, Charizard quickly pummeled the new field with heavy waves of scorching fire, causing Ash, who'd continued to sweat from the battle's intensity, to perspire even more heavily under the nausea-inducing heat. Slowly, the entire field turned red.
"Aqua Jet now!" Paul commanded.
Why didn't he command that while Charizard was heating up the field? Ash wondered. His Pokémon had just spent the last two minutes creating a mini volcano around Paul's Pokémon's feet, and yet the purple-haired challenger had done nothing to stop him. Indeed, even his Pokémon didn't seem to care as she waited, furled up in the center of the field.
"Seismic Toss, Charizard!" Ash commanded.
This time, as Kabutops neared his Pokémon, Charizard waited patiently, with his arms outstretched. The second the water and rock type's arm came within reach, he instantly took hold of it, prompting a gasp from much of the audience, and even Paul.
Impressed by his own Pokémon's accuracy, Ash repeated his order.
Charizard shot upward with his opponent being grasped by the arm. They were practically invisible, save for the light shining from the fire type's tail, before the dragon-like creature abruptly turned around and began to speed towards the ground. As he came within ten feet of the boiling floor, he threw the Kabutops down and narrowly pulled a ninety degree turn upwards.
"Harden!"
Kabutops, upon contact with the ground, performed a simple flip before folding back up. Despite the waves of heat arising from the ground, she did not seem at all fazed.
"You honestly though a trick you used almost five years ago would work against me?" Paul asked bluntly over the speakers. "Honestly, Ash, I expected more from you than that."
Gritting his teeth, Ash assured the trainer that he'd seen nothing yet.
"Use Heat Wave!" he commanded.
Another ball of orange-red energy formed in Charizard's open jaw and from it came several slices of fiery air, which all came into contact with Kabutops, but still appeared ineffective.
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"I guess Heat Wave isn't making the big splash like I hoped it would," Professor Oak mentioned, watching as Charizard narrowly dodged another Aqua Jet from his opponent. "We'd taught Charizard that move thinking it would throw Paul off, but I guess with a Pokémon as strong as that Kabutops, its fairly difficult to surprise anyone."
"Why isn't Charizard doing any damage?" Dawn asked angrily as she watched the fire type unsuccessfully launch another Flamethrower attack following his trainer's command. She'd witnessed his impressive power several times before, and could not believe that any Pokémon could withstand the heat he was bringing to the match.
"I guess he's just trained his Kabutops well," Delia answered with a sigh. "It does seem awfully strong, doesn't it?"
Of course it's awfully strong, Misty thought bitterly.
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The battle had now gone on for fifteen minutes without either side prevailing. Though Ash had been ineffective at bringing out Kabutops' weakness, after the third attempt, he and Charizard were able to easily evade the water type's incoming assaults. The result was a once again antsy crowd, and an impatient Ash.
We can't just sit here and dodge all night, he noted as the water type once again missed his Charizard. He decided that they must risk a closer attack, even with the chance of being hit by one of those dangerously sharp blades.
"Charizard, Flare Blitz!"
Almost instantly, as if he knew what his trainer was going to order before he even spoke, the flying type dove towards the ground, flames licking his body as he shot towards his opponent.
"Stop him," Paul ordered with a grin.
"Tops!" yelled the rock Pokémon as she held up both arms, and with the flat side of her scythes, took on Charizard's attack. Though she was pushed back several feet, she remained firmly implanted in the ground.
"Looks like Charizard's strength isn't enough," Paul pointedly mentioned.
"Think again," Ash muttered. "Charizard, you know what to do!"
Suddenly the flames disappeared from around his body as his wings grew and became white. With a thrust of his left shoulder, Charizard struck his opponent hard with a Steel Wing attack, causing Paul's Pokémon to lose her footing.
"Follow it up with Dragon Rage!"
The fire type unleashed another huge spherical blast from his jaw, which quickly caught up with the Kabutops who was desperately trying to right herself. Upon impact, she was sent flying high in the air before landing on her back directly in front of her trainer.
"Get up and use Rollout!" Paul commanded in a deadly tone. He'd been unaware that Ash's powerful Pokémon knew a steel type move.
Unsteadily getting to her feet, the Pokémon jumped high in the air and folded her body within herself. As she hit the ground, she rolled hastily towards her opponent, all the while spouting water around her curled body.
"Use another Dragon Rage Charizard!" Ash ordered, amazed at how quickly Paul's Pokémon had recovered from his assault.
With another roar, Charizard unleashed another dragon-type attack. Unfortunately for the green team, the attack simply caused Kabutops to temporarily use her strong legs to thrust herself high above the attack before rolling back up. Before Ash's Pokémon had time to react, she'd successfully pounded him into the ground.
As she unfurled her body, Paul, composed once more, ordered a Slash attack.
As she raised both scythes menacingly while standing upon the fire type's belly, Charizard instinctively reacted.
Unleashing a fiery pattern, Charizard shot the water type off with a powerful Fire Blast attack.
"Way to go Charizard!" Ash rejoiced as his Pokémon used his wings to stand back up. His Pokémon gave him a small thumbs-up and a nod before rushing Paul's battling partner again with another Flare Blitz.
This time, the fiery tackle made contact with its target, and Kabutops was sent spinning once more. However, upon contact with the ground, she simply did another backwards somersault and righted her position. As she stared back menacingly at Charizard, Ash simply shook his head in amazement at the Pokémon's durability.
Even Articuno took less time to beat, he realized.
"Keep slashing at it!" Paul commanded as his Pokémon used her exceptional speed to run back towards Charizard.
"There's no point in flying," Ash informed his friend as Kabutops drew near. "Can you stay down and fight?"
With yet another nod, Charizards fists began to glow with a dark blue aura.
Is that Dragon Claw? Ash wondered. He decided now was not the time to check his Pokédex for information, but he silently tried to think of whether or not he'd ever seen his Pokémon use such a move before.
As Kabutops began to slash away at him, Charizard used his fists to repulse each attack.
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"Wow, look at Charizard go!" Dawn cried happily, as the fire type matched each of Kabutops' swift attacks with a shadowed punch.
"I don't recall us teaching him that move," Professor Oak noted to the champions.
"Me neither," Lance admitted. "Though it's a good thing he knows it. I wonder if he learned it at that place Ash has been letting him stay? I don't remember the name."
"Probably," the professor replied. They kept their eyes focused on the impressive boxing match below as the conversed. "It's very lucky for Ash. The last thing he needs is to waste all of Charizard's fire and flying power before taking out this Kabutops."
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Ash cheered his Pokémon on as Charizard narrowly dodged a scythe to his right.
If only there was a way to stop his wings from being so vulnerable, he noted as Charizrd did his best to keep his wings far behind his body as he fought off Kabutops. They were his one weak spot in this fight. Watching his Pokémon sway back and forth in time to his opponent's slices, Ash was struck with another flash of unorthodox battling methodology.
"Charizard, stop fight and fall back a little!" Ash commanded. He heard several gasps come from the audience.
However, without hesitation, his Pokémon's fists returned to their normal hue as he took several steps back.
"Finish him!" Paul commanded eagerly, despite himself.
"Put your steel wings in front of you!" Ash cried at the same time. He'd anticipated Paul's readiness to rid himself of the fire type.
"Tops!" shouted the challenger's Pokémon as she launched forward. Despite her quick motion though, Charizard proved to be quicker as he hid behind his shining wings. With a loud "clang", Kabutops' scythes crashed against his steely appendages, and as the Pokémon cried out in pain, Ash saw that her blades had been bent at the edge.
With a smile, Ash ordered Charizard to use another Seismic Toss. "Heat the ground again as you come down!"
Smiling, Charizard shook off the Steel Wing attack and once again grabbed Kabutops by the arm; this time by the bent blade. As he shot off, both he and the water type again became nearly invisible. However, unlike last time, before they could be seen again, a swirling twister of fire pounded against the center of the battlefield. Then, moments later, Ash saw Charizard speeding towards the ground. With a roar, he used both of his powerful arms to throw Paul's Pokémon over his shoulder and into the burning dirt as he turned himself up to land on his feet following her fall.
With a "thud" that reverberated throughout the stadium, Kabutops hit the ground hard and began to sizzle. Despite Paul's cries for another Harden attack, it was clear that she was too exhausted to heed his command, and this time the mix of the strong attack, along with the crackling ground, seemed to do the trick as the shellfish Pokémon refused to stand up again.
After a quiet moment to insure she was not going to revive herself, the referee lifted the green flag once again. "Kabutops is unable to battle. Charizard is the winner!"
As had occurred after each victory now, the crowd burst into a mix of applause and heckling. Despite what had transpired earlier, many seemed to have rejoined the Paul Ikari fan club as they shouted encouragement to him from above. Despite their calls for him to not give up though, the trainer seemed to pay heed to no one except Ash, who he stared at in silent fury from across the field.
"What will be your next Pokémon Mr. Ikari?" inquired the official after the two trainers took an elongated period of time to simply glare at each other.
"This one," Paul stated simply, underhandedly lobbing his next pokéball onto the field. As the light disappeared from around its body, Ash realized how much trouble his next opponent was going to be.
"Wow, a Magnezone!" the announcer cried from above. "A powerful steel and electric type. Can Charizard's flames melt this powerful Pokémon's fighting spirit?"
As Charizard stood near the center of the field, waiting for his opponent to meet him, Ash thought quickly about what was about to transpire, mentally tallying up the odds.
He's still in good fighting condition, Ash noted thankfully. Despite the length of the battle with Kabutops, Paul had barely gotten any hits in at his fire type. And Magnezone is a steel type. Charizard, as best he could estimate, had about a fifty percent chance in this next fight. It was going to be up to Ash to push those numbers further in their favor.
As the referee repeated the now-familiar phrase and lowered his flags, Ash ordered a Flamethrower attack.
"Mirror Coat!"
The raging fire attack, upon contact with the electric and steel type, was immediately split into four smaller streams of flame, all of which raced in different directions away from the Pokémon.
"Zap Cannon, now!" Paul commanded.
As Charizard gave up the fire attack, he barely had time to react to the glowing ball of yellow electric energy which was fired directly at him. Hitting him squarely in the abdomen, the attack sent the half-flying type back with a dramatic show of force. Charizard slid on his back and landed a few feet in front of his trainer.
"Charizard, are you okay?" Ash asked, his eyes wide. He couldn't believe how fast that attack had come.
Before he could respond though, the fire Pokémon roared in pain as a series of blue lightning bolts surrounded his body. Looking up, Ash saw Magnezone using Thunder Wave to further weaken his Pokémon.
"Charizard, fight it!" Ash encouraged as his Pokémon continued to howl. He knew Paul was just trying to weaken his loyal friend enough for a final blow, and he needed to get Charizard out of the Thunder Wave's line of fire before such a thing took place. "Try to fly!"
With a grunt, Charizard unsteadily rolled onto his stomach, the blue waves of electrical power pulsing around his body. Looking up at his trainer and friend, he slowly got to his knees.
"Charizard is still moving despite the obviously debilitating effects of Paul's Thunder Wave!" the announcer narrated over the cheers of the crowd. Both Ash's and Paul's fans were rooting strongly for their favorite trainer's Pokémon.
"You hear that Charizard?" Ash asked as his Pokémon slowly began to stand. "Their all cheering for you! Show them how strong you really are!"
Raising his head, Charizard unleashed another stream of fire, before flapping his mighty wings which, within two flaps, brought him several feet in the air.
"Zap Cannon again!" Ash heard overhead.
"Match it with a Dragon Rage!"
As Charizard shot out another powerful assault, Magnezone unleashed its own special brand of power. The two attacks raced across the battlefield and collided in mid-air, upon which they both seemed to disappear for a split-second before reappearing in the form of a massive explosion.
"Ungh," Ash groaned as he was unexpectedly knocked onto his back from the blast. He felt as if he'd just been sucker punched to the ground. However, he had little time to think about the stinging pain which erupted suddenly from the back of his head as he remembered Charizard. Standing up quickly, he shouted his Pokémon's name into the dense smoke several times.
"Where are you, Charizard?" he called. He was completely surrounded by heavy smoke, and could only guess what the battlefield looked like to the spectators watching from behind the protective glass. "Are you still okay?"
Suddenly, a small fireball raced above his head, causing Ash to grin. He was still okay.
"Magnezone, get above the smoke," Paul commanded calmly. He didn't seem nearly as concerned about where his Pokémon was in the mess of inky blackness.
"You too, Charizard!" Ash commanded between a series of coughs. "Get out of this smoke and start hitting him with a Flare Blitz!"
"Spark, Magnezone!" Paul ordered. Though neither trainer could see the battle any longer, both could hear the war cries of their battling partners as their bodies collided in mid-air.
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"Would you look at that," Tracey stated as he watched Magnezone and Charizard race out of the plume of smoke, which was about as tall as the stadium itself, at the same time. The two Pokémon instantly began to rush each other upon their trainer's commands.
"Yes, it seems those two are taking this battle quite personally," Professor Oak noted as Ash shouted encouragement over the speakers.
"Well, Charizard's weak to electric moves, and Magnezone's weak to fire type attacks," Dawn said aloud. "I guess this battle is pretty evenly matched then, huh?"
"I hope it is," Gary responded. "Charizard did take some damage before this battle, and he took that Zap Cannon head on."
"I wouldn't worry about Charizard," Misty informed the researcher with a frown. "He's taken on much stronger Pokémon."
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As the smoke began to clear, Ash was given a hazy view from below of Charizard's silhouette, completely engulfed in flames, repeatedly striking against Magnezone's electrically charged body. From his vantage point, it seemed that Charizad was moving a little slower than Magnezone as he reared back after each mid-air collision to attack again.
I've gotta save him, Ash realized as he grit his teeth.
"Fire Blast!" he ordered of his fire type once again.
Upon hearing the command, Charizard quickly ducked as Magnezone raced towards him before turning around and expelling a large jet of fire upon the backside of the magnet-like Pokémon. As the flames surrounded his body, Magnezone let out a loud, metallic "Zone!" as it began to slowly hover closer to the now-cleared battlefield.
Smiling, Ash asked Charizard to follow up the attack with another Flamethrower.
Taking in a noticeably large breath, Charizard used his advantageously higher altitude to rain fire upon the electric and steel type.
"Mirror Coat, again!" Paul commanded.
Again, the flames turned in all directions away from Paul's Pokémon as Charizard continued his attack.
"Well then, hit him with another Flare Blitz!" Ash ordered.
The dragon-like Pokémon took another deep breath before charging downward, his body once again amassed in fire.
"Make a barrier!" Paul ordered fiercely the moment Charizard came within three feet of the half-steel type.
"Zone!" cried the magnetic Pokémon as a yellow bubble formed around his body. Upon contact with the bubble, which consequently disappeared after taking the brunt of Charizard's attack, the fire type was flung once again backward. Fortunately for both he and Ash though, he was able to maintain his balance upon the landing.
Now that he was closer to Ash, the young champion could see how much damage the battle had actually done to his mightiest fighting friend. His head and back were lined with scratches, presumably from the several physical encounters with Paul's Pokémon in the air, and he was breathing heavily after battling in the air with fire power for such an extended time. Ash also noticed a quite apparent sag in his right wing, and saw that the tip of his right horn had been completely cut off.
"Charizard," Ash muttered worriedly. "Are you still able to fight?" He knew it seemed like a silly question, but he couldn't help but remember Misty's words from early that morning and the day before. As he looked upon his battle-worn friend and partner, he realized that perhaps Charizard shouldn't continue the fight. He was in one of the worst shapes Ash had ever seen.
However, his Pokémon turned his head back with a look of pure bewilderment upon his face. Roaring once again, Charizard tried to assure his master of his competence.
Smiling a little, Ash nodded. He heard Paul order another Zap Cannon overhead, and he told Charizard to roll to the left.
Better keep him off that wing.
Heeding his command, Charizard narrowly rolled out of the way as the electric attack continued on and pummeled Ash instead, who in turn was shot out of the trainer's square, and hit the partition hard before falling, facedown.
Author's Notes: I really do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like I said above, it was all fighting, so progression of the plot came to a standstill. However, this was completely necessary in my opinion, because as I mentioned in my very first author's notes, this story contains copious amounts of all dimensions of the Pokémon world. Battling is, of course, a very big part of Ash's life, and so dedicating this (and a few future) chapters to him simply having matches is important in order to make this a legitimate story. However, if there is an area where you thought I could have done a better job describing the battles, or if you simply want to tell me what you think of the story thus far, PLEASE REVIEW!
Anyway, here is this week's review:
Nothing.
Sorry guys, but none of my favorite authors are currently updating, and I still haven't found time to go find new fics to recommend. Please, if you're writing a good Pokémon fanfic (preferably pokeshipping, though anything will do) tell me about it in the review section so that I can read and recommend it. I'm begging you guys!
Alright, well I'm done for the day. I went to the movies last night on a date and finally saw Iron Man 2 (the best movie ever, in my humbly awesome opinion). It was a great night, but I woke up with a terrible cold (presumably from the date), so I'm going to get out of my church clothes and pass out for a few hours. Have a good day, and REVIEW PLEASE!