Chapter 56
A sudden scream echoed through the mountainous region of the Indigo Plateau. It scared all in the vicinity except for the source. But, the one that it had scared was the only one in the vicinity, which was Brock. And the source? Ash.
But it wasn't a scream of horror or pain – no, it was a sudden scream of excitement. The black-haired boy could barely believe that in a few short hours, he would be crossing the threshold into the Pokémon League Village, and it was all Ash had ever dreamed of ever since he could walk and talk was to participate in this. His dream was finally about to come true.
As enthused as Ash was, his traveling companion wasn't too happy about the sudden outburst, and threw his hands over his ears. "Ash, are you going crazy?" the Pokémon Breeder asked rhetorically, but then quickly added, "The answer is yes."
Ash gave Brock an apologetic look. "Sorry Brock, but when I think about being in the Pokémon League, I feel like I'm gonna explode!"
"Explode at the opening ceremonies tomorrow," the Pokémon Breeder chuckled, but it seemed like Ash couldn't even hold on for another second, and once again threw a gloved fist in the air as a wide grin spread across his face.
"Yeeaaaaahhhhh!"
This time, instead of a grimace, Brock looked on with an amused curl of his mouth. "The excitement's really getting to him," he said to no one in particular, not that anyone could hear him through Ash's continued cheers. "He's confident now, but wait 'till he gets a look at the competition."
The Pokémon Trainer ignored his traveling companion, and instead smiled so wide that his eyes were pinched shut. "Let's go!" The Pokémon League Village was only just passed the mountains.
o 0 o
When they finally arrived at the first sign of civilization, they were surprised to see a line of people waiting there for them. The concrete streets were lined with people on either side holding flags featuring Poké Balls. It was almost as if they had been... expecting someone. Brock gave a quiet hum of wonder, and both of them stopped in the road.
"Maybe they're here... to cheer for me?" Ash uttered quietly and pointed at himself. As soon as the words escaped his mouth, their faces lit up, and they all began to wave their flags excitedly. Unintelligible cheers all rose up from them, and their cheers encouraged a wave from Ash. "Hi everybody! Thanks a lot for coming out to see me! If you want autographs, I'll be glad to-" Barely seeing past his own extended nose, he blinked and saw all of his adoring fans rushing at him. But as he prepared himself for impact and tensed his whole body up, he felt nothing, and saw the people were actually running past him and Brock.
Turning around, they saw everyone crying out excitedly and waving at young man. He wore workout clothes and was running alongside a Hitmonchan, and in his hand was a burning torch. The smile never seemed to falter from his face as he smiled out at the people at both sides of the road calling out to him. Revving behind him was Officer Jenny, and her motorcycle was at a steady speed to be able to move alongside him. And just behind her was a large bus whose engine overshadowed both of its traveling companions, but was drowned out by the ecstatic cheers of the onlookers.
"It's the torch," Brock realized with a smile, but Ash didn't share it and raised an eyebrow.
"Torch?"
"It's used to light the flame that burns during the Pokémon League competition," he elaborated. "The flame's supposed to inspire all the Trainers and Pokémon who compete in the Pokémon League. Being one of the torchbearers is a huge honor." Ash hummed as his eyes fell upon the burning red-yellow flames in the torch, and Brock continued. "I don't know how true it is, but the rumor is that the flames of the torch are from the legendary Pokémon Moltres."
"What's a Moltres?" Ash asked quietly, and pulled out his Pokédex to learn more about the Pokémon. After a quick search, the screen produced a picture of a yellow bird Pokémon with flames on its head and wings.
"Moltres, a Legendary Pokémon. Its virtues symbolize the Pokémon League competitions." The Pallet Town Trainer slowly clicked the cover of his Pokédex shut, and though his eyes were staring at the torch in a new light, his mind was a million miles away, and he could almost hear the screech of the Fire-type Pokémon that the flame came from in his head.
"If that flame really is lit from the flames of Moltres, than it's more than just a legend – Moltres has to be real!" As his eyebrows came together, his mouth curled upward, and he looked down at his fists. "Yeah! I'll catch one and train it just like Charmeleon!"
"I think catching and training Moltres won't be as similar as you might think, Ash," Brock chuckled nervously, but the Pallet Town boy didn't seem to hear his traveling companion, and only looked now with a keen interest that Brock knew too well. It was usually preluding to something stupid on Ash's part. As usual, the Pokémon Trainer was up to the task.
"But first, I'm gonna carry that torch!" Brock didn't even have time to hold out his hand to stop him before Ash ran out in front of the torchbearer.
"Woo! Way to go!" he cheered, and stepped forward as him, Officer Jenny, and the bus behind them slowed to a stop. "Okay! I'll take the torch from here." A shrill whistle cut through the air, and the cheers quickly stopped as Officer Jenny swung her leg off her motorcycle and rushed up to them with her heels clicking on the concrete.
"Only approved competitors are allowed to carry that flame!" Officer Jenny told him, and frowned down at him with her gloved hands curled on her hips.
"Officer Jenny, don't you know me?" Ash asked.
"No, I'm afraid I don't."
"You might not know us, but we sure know you," Brock said, approaching and rubbing his wrists bashfully. "Or the other Officer Jennys."
"Well, it looks like your friend's causing trouble."
"Hah! You mean Ash?" Brock quickly pulled Ash in around his neck and held the boy close while not pulling his face away from Officer Jenny's, ignorant to the fact that the boy was choking from the strong hold he had on his neck. "He's harmless! He just gets a little... carried away."
"Only competitors can carry the torch," she stated firmly, and finally, Ash managed to wiggle himself free of Brock's grasp.
"But I am a competitor," he corrected, and opened up his jacket to show her his collection of Badges as proof. "And I wasn't trying to cause any trouble. Please, all I want to do is carry that torch."
"The rule is you have to be approved."
"Well, I say we bend the rule and give the lad a chance!" A new voice spoke up, and everyone looked up to see an older man with a beard almost as long as his frizzy gray hair kneeling up on the roof.
"President Goodshow?" Jenny questioned, her voice hinting that she wasn't sure it was a good idea.
"The Pokémon League competition is all about spirit, and it sounds like this youngster has spirit!" Ash blinked up at the old man before turning to Officer Jenny.
"Is that Santa Claus?" he asked her, and the old man stumbled forward from the statement and fell off the bus and onto his stomach, though he only chuckled as he recovered from his fall.
"Santa Claus..." he muttered gleefully, and Officer Jenny immediately rushed over to help him up. He was a short man, and only went up to the police officer's chest.
"May I present the honorable Charles Goodshow," she introduced. "President of the Pokémon League Torch Committee."
"My friends call me Charlie!"
Though with his track jacket, shorts, and backwards cap that didn't match in the slightest, he hardly looked like a president at all, and the two just stared at him with their eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It seemed he got this a lot, however, as he only smiled wider beneath his beard and further creasing his wrinkles, and stepped forward. "It's what one does, not what one looks like, that's important." He approached Ash and patted the boy's shoulder gently. "And I can see that you, son, are adored. This whole competition is about spirit, and we could use a spirited young man like yourself to help deliver this noble flame to Indigo Stadium. What do you say?"
"It'd be... an honor!" With a child-like smile stretching from ear to ear, they allowed him and Brock into the bus. Brock would ride up top with the chairman, and Ash changed into his workout clothes that were tucked in the bottom of his backpack so he could run in something more comfortable. Like the other torchbearer and his Hitmonchan, they allowed Ash to choose one Pokémon that he could run with. Of course, he chose his starter Pokémon Blastoise.
Empty torch finally in hand, Ash had to force himself to stop shaking with excitement as the previous torchbearer poured the beautiful flames into Ash's torch with Mr. Goodshow there to officiate the movement. Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he laughed, and then turned to Blastoise. "Blastoise, we're pretty lucky, aren't we?"
"Blast!" his Pokémon nodded back.
"Just think... This flame came from a Moltres... and it stands for the whole spirit of the Pokémon League." He could hardly believe that he was holding it in his hands. "Now it's up to us to keep it safe."
"It sounds like you understand the importance of your responsibility," Mr. Goodshow said with his hands behind his back.
"Yeah!"
"Then off we go!"
"Right!" the Pallet Town boy agreed, and his smile couldn't fade even if it wanted to.
o 0 o
This time, as he ran through the small town at the foot of Indigo Plateau, the crowd that gathered on either side of the main road were cheering for him. And, of course – with Ash being Ash – he was sucking it all up. "Thanks everybody! Thanks a lot!" he laughed, his free hand rubbing the back of his head. Blastoise kept its eyes straight ahead, ignoring the audience and its Trainer as it bounded forward awkwardly from one foot to the other. The one thing that Blastoise was not good at was speed.
Officer Jenny's motorcycle puttered along behind them as an escort, and the bus that carried Mr. Goodshow, Brock, and the Hitmonchan Trainer – Wong – tailed the end of the small parade. Soon the civilization faded into the background, and they directed Ash to follow the signs leading to Indigo Stadium. Located on a short trail some distance from Indigo Village, the first obstacle they encountered was a forest path. And while they had been running for some time, Ash's excitement kept his legs moving and the fatigue from his lungs.
The town was a backdrop of scenery in the far distance when the foliage on Ash's right began to shake. "Blastoise, you hear something?" he asked.
"Blast?" the Shellfish Pokémon questioned, slowing to a stop. Their eyes were drawn to their right when the leaves in the trees parted, and a Venomoth came flapping out of the trees.
"Venomothmothmoth!" it cried, and its large blue eyes were locked directly on the flames burning in Ash's torch. As if locked in a trance, the Bug and Poison Pokémon slowly flapped its wings and drifted toward it.
Seeing what was going on, Officer Jenny's bike screeched as the brakes were applied, and the bus behind her hissed as it stopped as well. "Don't worry Ash," Officer Jenny stated, and produced a Poké Ball. "I'll handle this."
"It's okay, Officer Jenny. We're competitors for the Pokémon League; we can take care of a Venomoth," Ash assured her, and looked forward. "Okay Blastoise, use your Hydro Pump!"
"Blastoise!" His Pokémon opened up its shell and its two water cannons extended out from over its shoulders.
"Wait!" Officer Jenny exclaimed, but before she could fully stop them, Blastoise sent a powerful blast of water from its cannons at Venomoth. The Poison Moth Pokémon seemed to snap out of its trance when it saw the water flying toward it, and seemed almost offended by the action. Instantly, its eyes began to glow light blue, and the water gained a blue outline. Seconds before it hit Venomoth, the water curled upward and was shot back at Ash and Blastoise. The pair cried out in surprise at the out-of-the-blue Confusion attack, and the attack hit them, soaking the duo to the bone. Ash let out a groan as his clothes and hair stuck to his body and water dripped down his face.
"I should have... wetted..." Ash groaned, and pulled in a gasp when he saw the Venomoth was now angry and preparing another attack.
"Growlithe, let's go!" Officer Jenny shouted, throwing out a Poké Ball. The burst of energy from inside it spilled out on the ground in front of Ash, and the blue-haired police officer stepped up beside Ash as she caught the now-empty Poké Ball. When the bright light faded, the orange and black-striped Pokémon appeared with a bark. "Growlithe, scare away that Venomoth with a Roar!"
"Growl!" her Pokémon yipped in response, and pulled in a deep breath before letting out a howl. Transparent sound-waves blasted out along with the howl, and they engulfed Venomoth completely. The Pokémon stopped in mid-flap and panic glittered its large eyes. Whipping around with a small wave of bronze spores puffing out from its wings, the Bug Pokémon disappeared back into the forest it had come out of.
"Wow, amazing..." Ash murmured in amazement, blinking as he watched Officer Jenny thank Growlithe and recall it into its Poké Ball. His eyes slowly trailed over to Blastoise, but in doing so, they fell on the torch in his hand, and he let out a loud cry. In his efforts to send Venomoth away, the water-propelled Confusion attack had doused the flames of Moltres from the torch. It had completely burnt out. A groan of defeat left his lips, and he felt a pressure drop in his stomach. The pressure was so much that his knees buckled under the weight of it, and he fell to them with his head hanging in disappointment. "It's gone... I failed..."
But, despite this, Mr. Goodshow stepped out from the side door of the bus with a smile under his facial hair. "Don't worry, Ash!" he comforted him.
"But what are we going to do?" Officer Jenny asked with her eyebrows curling downward over her features. "Without the flame on the torch, we can't officially start the Pokémon League." The old man walked up to Ash and knelt down near him, and placed a gentle hand on the boy's damp shoulder.
"Ash," he began, drawing his attention to him. "You demonstrated great bravery, and I'm very proud of you. The flame will live on." Ash assumed he was just trying to comfort him, and the boy turned his head away, unable to look the jolly old man in the face. "Let me show you." As Ash looked up, the old man curled his index finger as a sign for the boy to look closer, and he unzipped his red track jacket, and tucked close against his body was a lantern, and encased in the glass was a small flame burning brightly. The sight made Ash cry out in shock, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Ah!"
"Blast!"
"A lantern?" Ash asked as Mr. Goodshow pulled it out fully and held it up by the handle.
"I always keep an extra flame from Moltres tucked away so I can relight the torch if it goes out," he explained. "The Pokémon League is very close to my heart, so I keep this flame close to my heart too, just as a little insurance policy."
"That's amazing!" Brock commented, a wide smile spread across his face as he looked down at the newly-produced lantern. The container was barely noticeable underneath his jacket because of his long beard – it was genius.
Mr. Goodshow lifted up the glass and let the fire breath, and he nodded to Ash. The Pokémon Trainer held out the torch's head toward the flame, and like it knew where it was supposed to go, it lit instantly. A laugh of relief escaped his throat and his brown eyes sparkled as he looked at the newly-lit torch. "Are you ready, Ash?" the committee president asked, placing the glass back over the burning flame.
"Ready!"
"Good! Then it's on to the Pokémon League!"
With Ash and Blastoise taking the lead once again, they jogged through the remainder of the forest without another incident. As they left the forest behind and followed the road along a lakeside, they pulled over now that Ash had traveled a good mile, and Brock soon stepped out in his own workout gear. Choosing Vulpix as his Pokémon to run with, Brock and Ash crossed torch sticks, and the flames of Moltres hopped from one head to the other, and once Ash had finished changing into his normal clothing, Brock and Vulpix headed the party and jogged at a steady pace.
Before long, the stadium could be seen over the horizon, and growing larger and larger by each passing second. "The stadium sure looks great, Mr. President!" Ash complimented from his view on the roof of the bus.
"Yes, Ash; it's empty now, but tomorrow it will be filled to capacity. For the opening ceremonies of the Pokémon League." Ash marveled with his mouth open in awe as they passed by it, and could only imagine the battles that would partake in it in the days to come.
Finally, they were greeted with loud cheers, and a goal line with people cheering on either side. They screamed and clapped in excitement, and upon the first sight of Brock, confetti cannons were shot into the air as he passed under the goal posts. "Thank you! Thank you everybody! We finally made it!"
The vehicles all came to a halt and Officer Jenny and the bus killed their engines, and before long, Mr. Goodshow, Ash, Officer Jenny, and Wong all stepped off the bus and joined Brock. The Pokémon Breeder was barely breathing hard as he smiled down at President Goodshow, who slowly walked up to Brock with his hands folded behind his back. In an official tone, Brock carefully extended the torch down to the short man. "I present you with the flame of Moltres."
"Thank you. I trust you'll all be at the opening day ceremonies tomorrow?"
"Yes," Ash and Brock answered at the same time, and applause rang out throughout the whole town square while Mr. Goodshow nodded.
"Jolly good show."
o 0 o
The opening ceremonies didn't start until the next day, and with the sun starting to set and no more tasks left to complete, Ash and Brock retired to a lakeside village on the outskirts of the stadium. And though it was called a village, it was bigger than Pallet Town, and much more busier as well. Buildings reached for the rainbow-hued sky with some lights already on, hinting at life inside. But even when they walked the streets, they could see that some people were simply too excited to rest in preparation for the next day.
"Wow! The Pokémon League Village!" Brock marveled as his head turned from side to side, attempting to take in the views all around them.
"This is great! It's where all the Pokémon Trainers stay during the competition!" Ash stated, remembering what Mr. Goodshow had told them before their departure, but it never really hit him how many Trainers there were until he was actually here seeing them all.
With the Pallet Town native in the lead, Ash and Brock walked down the main square to find the quarters they would be staying in, but a familiar voice cut out and grabbed their attention. "Late as usual, aren't 'ya, Ash?" The voice was just snarky enough to sound just like...
"That sounds like... Gary!" Ash immediately came to a stop and looked to see his childhood rival sitting at a table outside of a cafe, drinking from a cup of tea while his cheerleaders all cheered in an arch around him.
"Gary, Gary, he's the best; he'll defeat you like the rest!"
Gary took a drink as he soaked in the cheer, and finally opened his eyes and smirked at the black-haired boy. "Ash, I hope tomorrow's your lucky day, 'cause luck's what you're gonna need."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Gary!" Ash snapped back, lurching forward but planting his foot in the ground to prevent him from throttling the other Pallet Trainer. "I don't need luck to win! I'm a great Pokémon Trainer!"
Gary only closed his eyes and hummed like Ash's retort was music to his ears. "Unless you studied with other Trainers, your chances aren't so great."
"Says who?!"
Gary drained the remainder of his cup and placed the empty china on the plate and stood up. "It's only common sense; know thy enemy and know yourself, or so they say," he said with a smirk, and Ash just simply growled with his head down. "Let's hope you trained just as hard as I did. Let's go, girls. See 'ya!" Gary's eyes lingered on Ash for a moment, and for a second, Ash thought he saw his childhood rival's mask of smugness break, but he pasted it right back on and stuck his nose in the air as he walked away. His cheerleaders, of course, followed close behind, ignorant to anything else other than the boy's movements, and elicited some stares from other Trainers passing by who heard their chants.
"Gary, Gary, he's the top! 'Till he wins, he never stops!"
Ash's eyebrows lined the top of his eyes with annoyance as he watched Gary and his posse disappear. Even though they had tied in their battle in Pallet Town, it seemed that Gary's ego was still his biggest competitor. But... what was that look that he gave Ash before he walked away? It was almost as if he wanted to say something further, but chose not to.
Either way, Ash didn't dwell on it, as someone else that they recognized was walking out of the cafe as well. Though he looked much more kempt in his orange sweater and baggy cargo pants than the dirty clothes he had been wearing on their first encounter, the spiky terracotta hair was a dead giveaway. The Pokémon Trainer looked at them and recognized them as well, and a smile spread across his face.
"Brock! Ash! It's good to see you," the young man greeted with a smile.
"Pierre!" they said at the same time, and returned his smile with one of their own.
"So you managed to get eight Badges?" Ash asked the studying archaeologist, and the young man nodded.
"Yes, and my Pokémon and I have been working hard," he answered. "As I'm sure you and your Pokémon have as well." Ash opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Truthfully, he hadn't pushed himself as much as he should have – or wanted to. He mostly just took a two month vacation. But Pierre didn't wait for a response, and politely bowed to them. "Well, I was just here to pick up a small dinner for myself. I'm heading back to my cabin. Maybe we'll face each other in battle, Ash."
"Yeah!" the black-haired boy replied, immediately perking up. "Good luck!"
"Thanks, you too." And as the pair watched Pierre walk away with a bag in his hand, Ash couldn't help but feel nerves tighten slightly in his stomach.
o 0 o
The two were able to get a cabin all to themselves, and as the sun went to bed, they figured they should too since the opening ceremonies started bright and early. The room was a fair size, just enough for a pair of bunks and a computer in the corner. The room was spotless and without any light, but despite that, Ash lay with his hands folded behind his head wide awake.
In the bed beside him, he could hear Brock's steady breathing, and knew the Pokémon Breeder was sleeping. Of course he was. He wasn't about to partake in one of the most promising make-or-break tournaments of his life. His face was settled into a permanent scowl as he stared at the wooden bottom of the upper bunk that acted as a ceiling for him. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his clothes – aside from taking off his pants – and perhaps that was helping to his insomnia.
But the main issue was the thoughts running through his head. The words not from him, but from other people. Ones that weren't exactly encouraging.
Brock's sentence from this morning wafted through like the smell of a fresh baked pie. "The excitement's really getting to him."
"Ash, I hope tomorrow's your lucky day, 'cause luck's what you're gonna need." Gary's words drifted by next, and lastly, Pierre's words carried the tail-end of the parade.
"Yes, my Pokémon and I have been working hard."
Rolling over onto his side with his face against the wall, he pinched his eyelids shut, to chase away the thoughts and nerves. "They're all wrong... I'm gonna win that competition..." he murmured quietly to himself, pulling the sheet tighter around his body. But when the nerves nor sleep came within the next few minutes, he impatiently sat up and looked at the window between the two beds. The moon was full and illuminating the floor through the glass.
He had had enough of the negative feelings, and swung his legs over his bed. Pulling his jeans up over his legs, he quickly threw his hat over his messy black hair, slipped his gloves over his fingers, and pulled on his sneakers before grabbing the key to the cabin and heading outside.
The fresh air was comforting, like an old friend who always provided a listening ear. The sounds of the Bug Pokémon in the distance, the rippling of the lake, it was all soothing him down to the core. The village was dead quiet – it was so late and everyone was resting up for the big start tomorrow morning. The only soul around it seemed like was Ash.
But he didn't focus on the sounds around him, or the fact that there was no one around. Instead, he followed the path mindlessly, wandering just as he was letting his mind do. Only the moon was guiding him at this point, its light providing him with a path to walk on. When he finally stopped, he heard the bubbling of a water fountain, and looked up to see a red and white Poké Ball design carved into the building in front of him. He had walked to the stadium where the opening ceremonies – and all of the important battles – would be held.
His footsteps echoed as he entered the empty stadium, letting his feet guide him through the dark, and he finally reached the other side of the entrance way just outside the white lines of the battle field. The bleachers were clean and pristine, but soon they would be covered with a massive crowd that would scream and cheer loudly. The TV monitor was blank, but would soon be powered to display people and Pokémon alike. And the battlefield was spotless, but would soon hold the next Champion of the Kanto League.
What if I'm not ready... Ash thought, his eyes glued to the center of the arena. What if I'm not good?
Swallowing a lump in his throat, he looked back at the sky, peering up at the stars twinkling like gems in the black background, and with this lump swallowed, so did his fear. "I'll win!" he said aloud. "As long as I do the very best I can!"
o 0 o
A party ball was opened with a pull of a latch, and along with a spray of confetti flying down, a flock of Pidgey cooed in unison as they were released from inside as well, and they all flew toward the sky. Pops sounded through the air as fireworks in the distance were set off, though they couldn't be seen through the blue sky.
Both of these signaled the start of the opening ceremonies, and the crowd's cheer was deafening. The moment that everyone had been waiting for was here at last. "And the opening ceremonies of the Pokémon League competition are officially underway!"the MC's voice echoed through the stadium, and even projected into the waiting room where Ash was pressed in with Trainer after Trainer in close quarters. "This is where the top Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon come to prove their skills, their strength, and their spirit! These hopeful competitors will battle one another as they strive always for excellence and victory; the victory they will need to enter the ranks of the Pokémon Master."
Ash could feel a shift of movement all around him, and perked up to see that his fellow competitors were started to pour out of the exit and make their way onto the stadium. "And here they come! The competitors are proudly entering the stadium; each having proven their worthiness by winning a minimum of eight Gym Badges." The crowd's cheers did nothing to soothe Ash's nerves, and although he had calmed down his anxieties of failing the competition for the most part, he had never been in a stadium packed with this many people. He tried not to look at them all and only kept his eyes forward as sweat poured down his face.
Following the lead of a young woman holding a white flag that featured a Poké Ball, they all lined up in front of the long staircase that led up to the large cauldron looking down over them. "And now the Trainer bearing the flame of Moltres has entered the stadium for the official lighting of the central torch which will burn throughout the Pokémon League competition." Ash wasn't close to where the young Trainer was running, but when she started climbing the stairs, he saw that she was a cute girl about his age with a headband holding back her chestnut hair.
The audience cheered her on, seeming to increase in volume with each step she ascended, and they finally reached a full-on screaming session when she reached the top. Guided by Pokémon League officials, she held the flame forward toward the cauldron, and as if it had a life of its own, the red-yellow flames jumped from the torch's head into the center of the large silver dish. They quickly stepped back, and within seconds, the flames grew to light up the entire central torch, and more cheers erupted from the crowd. Even some of the Pokémon Trainers in the audience were clapping.
"Ladies and gentlemen, here is President Goodshow to greet our competitors." With the MC's words, the president of the Pokémon League Torch Committee stepped out at the top of the stairs, and the same Pokémon League officials who assisted the young girl with the torch followed him out with a microphone. He waited patiently as they set it up, his dark eyes looking out first at the audience, then down at the competitors.
"Welcome, one and all,"he began. "This stadium is a very special place; a place where those who truly love Pokémon come to compete. Here, the glow from the flame of Moltres burns brightly to light up our hearts and our spirits. Battle valiantly, and keep that fire alive in your heart, and in your spirit." Cheers once again erupted from the audience, but the competitors also joined in with them. And though Ash didn't join in, a smile was curling his lips ever-so slightly.
I'll keep the fire alive, Ash promised the flames silently, once again imagining Moltres coming out of the flames it had produced in its mind's eye. "I finally made it to the Pokémon League..!"
-end-
Ash:
Party:
Blastoise (Poké Ball)
Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Hydro Pump, BubbleBeam
Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)
Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Double-Edge
Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)
Moves: SolarBeam, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed
Charmeleon (Poké Ball)
Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Slash
Tauros (Safari Ball)
Moves: Fissure, Horn Attack, Take Down
Primeape (Poké Ball)
Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss
At Professor Oak's Lab:
Muk (Poké Ball)
Moves:
Tauros (Safari Ball)
Moves:
Krabby (Poké Ball)
Moves: ViceGrip
Badges:
Boulder Badge
Cascade Badge
Thunder Badge
Marsh Badge
Rainbow Badge
Soul Badge
Volcano Badge
Earth Badge
Brock:
Party:
Onix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig
Geodude (Poké Ball)
Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle
Zubat (Poké Ball)
Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic
Psyduck (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tail Whip, Water Gun, Disable, Confusion
Vulpix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Agility, Quick Attack